Eco-efficiency assessment of bioelectricity production from Iranian vineyard biomass gasification

Abstract Life-cycle assessment (LCA) and data envelopment analysis (DEA) were combined in the environmental sustainability assessment of bioelectricity production by means of vineyard waste biomass gasification. Fifty vineyards were assessed following LCA and DEA methodologies to estimate their technical efficiency. Moreover, target performance values benchmarked for inefficient vineyards, and the potential reductions in their environmental impact linked to the improvement in technical efficiency, were evaluated with the aim of verifying eco-efficiency criteria. The DEA results showed an average reduction of up to 30% per input of material for the vineyards, leading to impact reductions that ranged from 29% to 60% depending on the chosen impact category. Photochemical oxidation and terrestrial ecotoxicity had the highest environmental inefficiencies. Electricity generated from vineyard pruning residue gasification—as an alternative to conventional electricity and in comparison to electricity generation via combustion—was a suitable solution for reducing environmental impact under the studied categories. The innovative value of the present work is further based in the integrated application of LCA and DEA methodologies for the previously unexplored Iranian context. The results show that operational efficiency within vineyards is required to ensure that bioelectricity is significantly advantageous with regards to environmental performance in comparison to national grid electricity. The analysis further emphasises that increasing the operational efficiency of biomass production is a feasible way to achieve significant and wide-ranging environmental sustainability benefits.