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 Copyright © 2009, Life Cycle Associates, LLC www.LifeCycleAssociates.com 
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LCA.8016.9B.2009 
California Sugarcane Ethanol:
Life Cycle GHG Emissions
 
Sugarcane has been successfully grown in California's Imperial Valley fordecades. The soil is relatively rich with deep alluvial clay loam and iswatered with available irrigation water. The region is one of the mostproductive agricultural areas in the world and sugarcane can be plantedand harvested year round.Sugarcane grown in the Imperial Valley, converted to ethanol locally usingexisting methods and distributed throughout Southern California, resultsin lower lifecycle greenhouse gas (GHG) emission compared to thosefrom corn ethanol and petroleum fuels. The configuration also yieldsexcess electricity which can be sold on the grid and reduces GHGemissions by displacing natural gas derived power.
Life Cycle Associates 
examined the fuel cycle energy inputs andemissions associated with
California Ethanol & Powe 
r’s
 
(
CE&P 
)sugarcane ethanol technology. Energy inputs and GHG emissions werecalculated over the fuel cycle including sugarcane farming and transport,sugar extraction, fermentation, processing, fuel transport and vehicle enduse.Emissions associated with feedstock production and fossil fuel inputs arebased on the CA-modified version of Argonne National Laboratory's latestGREET model. The GREET model calculates the GHG impacts of avariety of petroleum and biofuels options and the CA-modified version hasbeen used to calculate GHG emissions in support of Califo
rnia’s
LowCarbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) [1]. Process data and performanceestimates from
CE&P 
provide the basis for energy inputs for sugarcanecultivation and ethanol production.
Summary of Results
The
CE&P 
pathway including co-product electricity achieves a 95.2%reduction in GHG emissions on a full fuel cycle basis compared togasoline. The GHG emissions include CO
2
from fossil fuels, as well asCH
4
and N
2
O generated during the combustion process.
Life Cycle GHG Emissions
Pathway ComponentGHG Emissions (g/MJ)
CE&P 
 SugarcaneEthanolBrazilianSugarcaneEthanol
Sugarcane Farming 14.1 20.9
 
Fuel Production, Delivery 3.6 5.8Electricity Credit -13.1 -7.0Total 4.6 19.7
Life cycle GHG emissions for
CE&P 
ethanol,Brazilian ethanol and gasoline.
Client Information:
 _____________________________________________
 
California Ethanol + Power, LLC
 
Imperial Valley, Californiawww.californiaethanolpower.com 
 
Contact: Wayne Mitchell, EVP Operations & Technologies
wmitchell@californiaethanolpower.com 
 
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