Greenhouse Gas Emissions as a Measure of Energy Efficiency in Assessing the Life Cycle of Fertilizers

The article examines the problem of energy efficiency in the chain from the production of fertilizers to their logistics, application, and waste production and disposal based on the huge amount of data accumulated in recent years on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions (primarily CO2 and methane). Carbon dioxide emissions are shown to occur primarily from fuel combustion, as well as from the use of methane and CO2 as precursors for nitrogen fertilizers. GHG emissions can be considered as a measure of energy efficiency when assessing the life cycle of mineral fertilizers. Relevant examples are given