Lignocellulosic biomass is seen as a potential feedstock for energy recovery. Wheat straw is one of the highest amounts of biomass residues left after harvesting and therefore will be easily available. Wheat straw has multiple synthesis paths for energy recovery such as Biomass to liquid (BtL), Biogas and Bioethanol for both electricity generation and as transportation fuels. The conversion processes and technology can vary greatly in terms of the application of energy.Therefore to find out which conversion process has the least environmental impacts, a comparative Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) study should be done.

The comparative technology evaluation within the Life Cycle Assessment showed significant differences in the environmental impacts of different utilization strategies of the same biomass feedstock. An important impact for the “environmental performance” of a biobased energy provision comes from the used supportive energy source in the biomass conversion stage as well as the conversion efficiency and by-product handling.. The different technologies showed different positive and negative attitudes in the applied impact categories therefore cumulating the environmental effects into single indicators causes a high loss of information. Regional aspects play a significant role for the feedstock availability and subsequently for the environmental effects caused by biomass transportation, land use change and change in nutrition balance of arable land. The results showed that the method of Life Cycle Assessment is an important tool to identify the most appropriate technology for
future utilization of biomass residues like wheat straw for energy provision on a regional adapted scale.

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