scholarly journals Developing a Novel Environmental Assessment Model for Power Generation Plants

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ndala Y. Mulongo ◽  
Cliton Aigbavboa
Keyword(s):  
Power Generation ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Environmental Assessment ◽  
Renewable Energy Sources ◽  
Ecological Impacts ◽  
Assessment Model ◽  
Raw Material ◽  
Solar Thermal ◽  
Coal Gas ◽  
Life Cycle Stages

Environmental assessment is a concept that has been designed to facilitate the present generation to meet their needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs as well. Thus, this concept has drawn significant attention from various scholars, researchers and industrial practitioners around the world over the past three decades. Life Cycle Environmental Assessment (LCEA) is a widely metric used to assess the potential ecological impacts, which can be caused by electricity generating supply systems or by other systems than power production plants. However, the current LCEA model is biased and ineffective. Because, its omits factors that are increasingly contributing to the ecological degradation. This study has identified the omitted factors through a critical analysis of a set of previous journal articles conducted in the energy sector. In light of this, this study has developed a novel LCEA framework addressing those blind spots. The framework developed in this study is holistic in nature including all the life cycle stages of a power supply system such as Extraction of the Raw Material (ERM), Transport of Raw Material (TRM), Conversion of Raw into Electricity (CRE), and Transmission and Distribution of Electricity (TDE) to the end users. The novel developed LCEA model has been tested and applied to nine power generation plants such as coal, gas, nuclear, biomass, geothermal, hydro, solar thermal, wind onshore and wind offshore. The results have demonstrated that of conventional technologies including coal, gas, and nuclear, coal energy generating source has got the highest life cycle greenhouse gas Grid Emission Factor (GEF) of 2866 kg CO2e/MWh, followed by gas with 728 kg CO2e/MWh, and nuclear has got the least GEF of 35 kg CO2e/MWh. Whereas of renewable energy sources biomass has got the highest GEF of 1508 kg CO2e/MWh, followed by solar thermal with 46.6 kg CO2e/MWh, hydro 39 kg CO2e/MWh, wind offshore 25.25 kg CO2e/MWh, wind onshore 10.1 kg CO2e/MWh, and geothermal closes the ranking with 6.23 kg CO2e/MWh.

scholarly journals Life Cycle Cost of Electricity Production: A Comparative Study of Coal-Fired, Biomass, and Wind Power in China

Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (12) ◽  
pp. 3463
Author(s):  
Xueliang Yuan ◽  
Leping Chen ◽  
Xuerou Sheng ◽  
Mengyue Liu ◽  
Yue Xu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Power Generation ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Wind Power ◽  
Life Cycle Cost ◽  
Raw Material ◽  
Electricity Production ◽  
Maintenance Cost ◽  
External Cost ◽  
Levelized Cost Of Electricity ◽  
Cost Of Electricity

Economic cost is decisive for the development of different power generation. Life cycle cost (LCC) is a useful tool in calculating the cost at all life stages of electricity generation. This study improves the levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) model as the LCC calculation methods from three aspects, including considering the quantification of external cost, expanding the compositions of internal cost, and discounting power generation. The improved LCOE model is applied to three representative kinds of power generation, namely, coal-fired, biomass, and wind power in China, in the base year 2015. The external cost is quantified based on the ReCiPe model and an economic value conversion factor system. Results show that the internal cost of coal-fired, biomass, and wind power are 0.049, 0.098, and 0.081 USD/kWh, separately. With the quantification of external cost, the LCCs of the three are 0.275, 0.249, and 0.081 USD/kWh, respectively. Sensitivity analysis is conducted on the discount rate and five cost factors, namely, the capital cost, raw material cost, operational and maintenance cost (O&M cost), other annual costs, and external costs. The results provide a quantitative reference for decision makings of electricity production and consumption.

scholarly journals Comprehensive Assessment for Construction Materials’ Environmental Safety

2016 ◽  
Vol 5 (6) ◽  
pp. 38-47
Author(s):  
Мануйлова ◽  
Natalia Manuylova ◽  
Булычев ◽  
Sergey Bulychev ◽  
Горбачев ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle ◽  
Construction Materials ◽  
Environmental Safety ◽  
Comprehensive Assessment ◽  
Raw Material ◽  
Specific Product ◽  
Life Cycle Stages ◽  
Complete Life Cycle ◽  
Environmental Properties ◽  
Proper Material

Problems related to a comprehensive assessment of construction materials’ environmental safety, taking into account stages of products’ complete life cycle have been considered. Approaches to determination of material’s safety and environmental record as environmental characteristics of the material, regardless of its use in a specific product, and without regard to processing technology have been described. It has been proposed to consider material’s safety and environmental record as the sum of three environmental safety factors for material’s life cycle stages: production of raw material and its potential environmental hazard; processing of raw material in the material; proper material from the standpoint of its environmental safety and effects on the human body. This criterion application allows compare the environmental properties both of cognate materials and dissimilar ones.

scholarly journals Evaluating the Environmental Performance of Solar Energy Systems Through a Combined Life Cycle Assessment and Cost Analysis

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (9) ◽  
pp. 2539 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Milousi ◽  
Manolis Souliotis ◽  
George Arampatzis ◽  
Spiros Papaefthimiou
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle Assessment ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Fossil Fuels ◽  
Energy Systems ◽  
Economic Assessment ◽  
Raw Material ◽  
Solar Thermal ◽  
Multiple Perspectives ◽  
Environmental Implications

The paper presents a holistic evaluation of the energy and environmental profile of two renewable energy technologies: Photovoltaics (thin-film and crystalline) and solar thermal collectors (flat plate and vacuum tube). The selected renewable systems exhibit size scalability (i.e., photovoltaics can vary from small to large scale applications) and can easily fit to residential applications (i.e., solar thermal systems). Various technical variations were considered for each of the studied technologies. The environmental implications were assessed through detailed life cycle assessment (LCA), implemented from raw material extraction through manufacture, use, and end of life of the selected energy systems. The methodological order followed comprises two steps: i. LCA and uncertainty analysis (conducted via SimaPro), and ii. techno-economic assessment (conducted via RETScreen). All studied technologies exhibit environmental impacts during their production phase and through their operation they manage to mitigate significant amounts of emitted greenhouse gases due to the avoided use of fossil fuels. The life cycle carbon footprint was calculated for the studied solar systems and was compared to other energy production technologies (either renewables or fossil-fuel based) and the results fall within the range defined by the global literature. The study showed that the implementation of photovoltaics and solar thermal projects in areas with high average insolation (i.e., Crete, Southern Greece) can be financially viable even in the case of low feed-in-tariffs. The results of the combined evaluation provide insight on choosing the most appropriate technologies from multiple perspectives, including financial and environmental.

scholarly journals A Comparative Cradle-to-Gate Life Cycle Study of Bio-Energy Feedstock from Camelina sativa, an Italian Case Study

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (22) ◽  
pp. 9590
Author(s):  
Piernicola Masella ◽  
Incoronata Galasso
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle ◽  
Driving Forces ◽  
Renewable Energy Sources ◽  
Camelina Sativa ◽  
Raw Material ◽  
Sensitivity Analyses ◽  
Net Energy ◽  
Italian Case ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Cradle To Gate

Growing energy needs and medium-term weakening of fossil energy reserves are driving forces towards the exploitation of alternative and renewable energy sources, such as biofuels from energy crops. In recent years, Camelina sativa (L.) Crantz has been rediscovered and is gaining popularity worldwide. The present work reports the results of a study on the life cycle, from cradle-to-gate, of C. sativa oil as a raw material for the production of biofuels in northern Italy, considering two scenarios, namely, the production of biodiesel (BD) and the extraction of pure vegetable oil (PVO). The functional unit was 1 megajoule of biofuel. A life cycle impact assessment (LCIA) was calculated according to the ILCD2011 procedure. Focusing on the global warming potential, the PVO scenario performs better than the BD scenario, with around 30 g CO2eq MJ−1. The net energy ratio (NER) exceeds unity for BD (approximately 1.4) or PVO (approximately 2.5). The same general trend was recorded for all calculated LCIA indicators; the common evidence is a generalized worse performance of the BD scenario, with indicators always scoring higher than the PVO. In particular, the two human toxicity indicators—carcinogenic and fresh water—eutrophication represent a significant difference, attributable to the refining process. Uncertainty and sensitivity analyses, respectively, underline the generalized importance of agricultural performances in the field and of allocation choices. Specifically, the importance of the grain yield and seed oil content in determining the environmental performance of the two scenarios was evident. As far as allocation is concerned, mass allocation provides the most favorable results, while on the other hand, the expansion of the system was the most penalizing alternative.

scholarly journals An Appropriate Wind Model for The Reliability Assessment of Incorporated Wind Power in Power Generation System

2021 ◽  
Vol 264 ◽  
pp. 04083
Author(s):  
Abror Kurbanov ◽  
Mansur Khasanov ◽  
Anvar Suyarov ◽  
Urinboy Jalilov ◽  
Bakhodir Narimonov ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Power Generation ◽  
Power Systems ◽  
Wind Power ◽  
Renewable Energy Sources ◽  
Reliability Assessment ◽  
Test System ◽  
Power Grids ◽  
Assessment Model ◽  
Positive Contribution ◽  
Fuel Prices

The use of renewable energy sources (RES) by many power grids companies around the world has increased significantly in recent years. The trend towards the use of RES is mainly due to ecological problems and rising fuel prices related to conventional power generation. Wind power is an approved source for power generation among renewable sources that makes a positive contribution to the global, social and economic environment. Today, wind turbine generator (WTG) is a mature, abundant, and eco-friendly power generation technology, and much of the electricity demand is supplied by wind. However, the uncertain nature of wind speed poses a variety of challenges for the planning and operation of power systems. One of the problems in increasing wind power can be seen in terms of assessment of power system reliability. This paper presents a reliability assessment model of power generation systems (PGS), including WTG, by using an analytical method. The presented model in this paper applied to the Roy Billinton Test System (RBTS). The methodology and results presented in this paper are intended to provide useful information to planners or developers seeking to assess the reliability of PGSs, including WTG.

scholarly journals Highlighting Regional Energy-Economic-Environmental Benefits of Agricultural Bioresources Utilization: An Integrated Model from Life Cycle Perspective

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (13) ◽  
pp. 3743 ◽  
Author(s):  
Junnian Song ◽  
Yang Pu ◽  
Wei Yang ◽  
Jingzheng Ren
Keyword(s):  
Power Generation ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Energy Conversion ◽  
Agricultural Development ◽  
Integrated Assessment Model ◽  
Environmental Benefits ◽  
Assessment Model ◽  
Policy Implications ◽  
Energy Utilization ◽  
Life Cycle Perspective

Bioenergy utilization is ambitiously being promoted, attributed to its renewable and clean natures. China’s provincial regions have distinct levels of agricultural development, and thus, different levels of agricultural bioresources (ABs) potentials. In this study, an integrated assessment model is developed to quantify the 3E benefits from the life cycle perspective, covering the whole process of energy-oriented ABs utilization. Integrating nine types of ABs and four types of energy conversion modes (direct combustion power generation, gasification power generation, briquette fuel and bioethanol), the model is applied to 31 provincial regions in China to uncover regional features of the 3E benefits. The results showcase that total energy benefits in all regions amount to 100.6 million tons of coal-equivalent, with the most for Henan, Heilongjiang, Shandong, Xinjiang and Jilin and the least for Tibet, Beijing, Shanghai, Qinghai and Hainan. The economic and environmental benefits of regions are consistent with the energy benefits, with a total amount of 10.5 billion USD and 229.2, 1.5 and 2.5 million t CO2, SO2 and NOx mitigations. Energy utilization proportion of ABs, allocation proportion, energy conversion coefficients, net profit coefficient and mitigation coefficients for four modes are the key parameters affecting regional 3E benefits. The results have policy implications on facilitating to reasonable and pertinent regional planning of energy-oriented ABs utilization.

scholarly journals Estimation of CO2 Emissions of Internal Combustion Engine Vehicle and Battery Electric Vehicle Using LCA

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (9) ◽  
pp. 2690 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ryuji Kawamoto ◽  
Hideo Mochizuki ◽  
Yoshihisa Moriguchi ◽  
Takahiro Nakano ◽  
Masayuki Motohashi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Power Generation ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Internal Combustion Engine ◽  
Co2 Emissions ◽  
Co2 Emission ◽  
Combustion Engine ◽  
Renewable Energy Sources ◽  
Internal Combustion ◽  
Global Scale ◽  
Vehicle Operation

In order to reduce vehicle emitted greenhouse gases (GHGs) on a global scale, the scope of consideration should be expanded to include the manufacturing, fuel extraction, refinement, power generation, and end-of-life phases of a vehicle, in addition to the actual operational phase. In this paper, the CO2 emissions of conventional gasoline and diesel internal combustion engine vehicles (ICV) were compared with mainstream alternative powertrain technologies, namely battery electric vehicles (BEV), using life-cycle assessment (LCA). In most of the current studies, CO2 emissions were calculated assuming that the region where the vehicles were used, the lifetime driving distance in that region and the CO2 emission from the battery production were fixed. However, in this paper, the life cycle CO2 emissions in each region were calculated taking into consideration the vehicle’s lifetime driving distance in each region and the deviations in CO2 emissions for battery production. For this paper, the US, European Union (EU), Japan, China, and Australia were selected as the reference regions for vehicle operation. The calculated results showed that CO2 emission from the assembly of BEV was larger than that of ICV due to the added CO2 emissions from battery production. However, in regions where renewable energy sources and low CO2 emitting forms of electric power generation are widely used, as vehicle lifetime driving distance increase, the total operating CO2 emissions of BEV become less than that of ICV. But for BEV, the CO2 emissions for replacing the battery with a new one should be added when the lifetime driving distance is over 160,000 km. Moreover, it was shown that the life cycle CO2 emission of ICV was apt to be smaller than that of BEV when the CO2 emissions for battery production were very large.

scholarly journals Devising Mineral Resource Supply Pathways to a Low-Carbon Electricity Generation by 2100

Resources ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 33 ◽  
Author(s):  
Antoine Boubault ◽  
Nadia Maïzi
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle ◽  
Integrated Assessment ◽  
Fossil Fuels ◽  
Mineral Resources ◽  
Integrated Assessment Model ◽  
Assessment Model ◽  
Raw Material ◽  
Low Carbon ◽  
Life Cycle Inventories ◽  
The Impact

Achieving a “carbon neutral” world by 2100 or earlier in a context of economic growth implies a drastic and profound transformation of the way energy is supplied and consumed in our societies. In this paper, we use life-cycle inventories of electricity-generating technologies and an integrated assessment model (TIMES Integrated Assessment Model) to project the global raw material requirements in two scenarios: a second shared socioeconomic pathway baseline, and a 2 °C scenario by 2100. Material usage reported in the life-cycle inventories is distributed into three phases, namely construction, operation, and decommissioning. Material supply dynamics and the impact of the 2 °C warming limit are quantified for three raw fossil fuels and forty-eight metallic and nonmetallic mineral resources. Depending on the time horizon, graphite, sand, sulfur, borates, aluminum, chromium, nickel, silver, gold, rare earth elements or their substitutes could face a sharp increase in usage as a result of a massive installation of low-carbon technologies. Ignoring nonfuel resource availability and value in deep decarbonation, circular economy, or decoupling scenarios can potentially generate misleading, contradictory, or unachievable climate policies.

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