Environmental analysis of the energy use of hemp – analysis of the comparative life cycle: diesel oil vs. hemp–diesel

Hemp (Cannabis Sativa L.) is a herbaceous crop with a potential production of 12 tons of dry matter per hectare and a seed output of 0.5–2 tons per hectare, depending on its handling. The agro-ecological aspects and the high yield of vegetable biomass from hemp farming are the factors that indicate a possible interest in this plant from the point of view of energy use, but in order to validate this it is necessary to carry out a Life Cycle Analysis. It is to be observed that the hemp energy resources come from the vegetable biomass used as fuel, or by obtaining bio-diesel from the oil derived from its seeds. In order to carry out the environmental analysis of the energy use of hemp-diesel the Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) has been used as an environmental tool which has allowed for a comparison of the results obtained with those of diesel oil.

Keywords: bio-diesel, diesel oil, energy use, environmental analysis, global warming, hemp, LCA, hemp–diesel, lifecycle analysis, lifecycle assessment, biomass, alternative fuels, transport energy consumption