This study by CRL provides a life cycle assessment of one of the more attractive biofuel options for New Zealand, namely biodiesel derived from domestically produced tallow.
This life cycle assessment involved a primary energy and greenhouse gas emissions inventory of the production of tallow-derived biodiesel in New Zealand, from the farmer's paddock to the
exit gate of the biodiesel plant. The results of this analysis found tallow-derived biodiesel to have a primary energy input/output of 0.50. This compares to an energy input/output of 1.19 for