Life-Cycle Inventory of Energy Use and Greenhouse Gas Emissions for Two Hydropower Projects in China
Publication: Journal of Infrastructure Systems
Volume 13, Issue 4
Abstract
Two different sized hydropower projects in China, one with a capacity of and the other of , were examined through life-cycle assessment (LCA) from the perspective of both sustainability and environmental impact and the influence of project scale. Using the economic input-output based LCA approach, energy use and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions were quantified. The resulting energy payback ratios were found to be 7 and 48, whereas the normalized GHG emissions were 44 and equivalent per kW h of electricity production, both in favor of the larger project. Compared with published data on other renewable and nonrenewable options, temperate hydropower, particularly large hydropower, is indicated as an efficient electrical source with relatively low GHG emissions.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.
Acknowledgments
The project was supported by funds from both the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council and the Canadian Water Network, whose support is gratefully acknowledged. In addition, the writers would like to express their appreciations to the Chinese colleagues who provided data for this study.
References
Benetto, E., Popovici, E. C., Rousseaux, P., and Blondin, J. (2004). “Life cycle assessment of fossil emissions reduction scenarios in coal-biomass based electricity production.” Energy Convers. Manage., 45(2004), 3053–3074.
Bernhard, W., Klaus, J., Christine, B., and Armin, P. (2000). “Scientific research for defining the sustainable use of hydropower.” Papers out of the EAWAG Project for the Transdisciplinarity Conference, 02/28—03/01/2000, Zürich, Switzerland, ⟨http://www.oekostrom.eawag.ch/veroeffentlichungen/td_conference_wehrli.pdf⟩ (June 8, 2005).
Canadian Hydropower Association (CHA). (2002). “Hydropower: A response to Canada’s climate change and air quality challenges.” ⟨http://www.owa.ca/links.html⟩ (Mar. 25, 2005).
Carnegie Mellon University Green Design Institute (CMU–Green Design Institute). (2005). “Economic input-output life cycle assessment (EIO-LCA) model.” ⟨http://www.eiolca.net/⟩ (April, 2005).
Coltro, L., Garcia, E., and Queiroz, G. (2003). “Life cycle inventory for electric energy system in Brazil.” Nurs. News, 8(5), 290–296.
Dhakal, S. (2004). “Section A: Understanding energy use and emissions and their drivers in selected mega-cities.” Urban energy use and greenhouse gas emissions in Asian mega-cities—Policy for a sustainable future, ⟨http://www.iges.or.jp⟩ (Mar. 28, 2005), 25.
Easterbrook, F. (2004). “Hydropower: A benefit every nation deserves.” Keynote speech given at Hydroversion 2004, Montreal.
Energy Information Administration (EIA). (2001). Form EIA-860B, “Annual electric generator report—Nonutility.” and Form EIA-900, “Monthly nonutility power report.” Electric Power Monthly, March 2001, DOE/EIA-0226(01/02), Washington, D.C.
Environment Canada. (2004). “Table A7-5: Emission factors for energy mobile combustion sources. Canada’s greenhouse gas inventory, 1990–2002.” ⟨http://www.ec.gc.ca/pdb/ghg/1990_02_report/ann7_e.cfm⟩ (April 3, 2005).
Fenton, M. (1998). Iron and steel. Metal prices in the United States through 1998, U.S. Geological Survey, Washington, D.C., ⟨http://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/metal_prices/metal_prices1998.pdf⟩ (April 1, 2005), 63.
Gagnon, L., Belanger, C., and Uchiyama, Y. (2002). “Life-cycle assessment of electricity generation options: The status of research in year 2001.” Energy Policy, 30(2002), 1267–1278.
Goralczyk, M. (2002). “Life-cycle assessment in the renewable energy sector.” Appl. Energy, 75(2003), 205–211.
Hohai Univ., Tianjin Univ., and Tsinghua Univ. (1983). Hydrology and hydropower planning, Hydropower Press, Beijing (in Chinese).
Horvath, A. (2005). “Decision-making in electricity generation based on global warming potential and life-cycle assessment for climate change.” Energy development and technology 006, Univ. of California Energy Institute, ⟨http://repositories.cdlib.org/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1023&context=ucei⟩ (June, 2005).
Hydro Quebec. (2001). “Choosing the best power generation option.” ⟨www.hydroquebec.com/publications/en/enviro_performance/2001/pdf/fiche04_en.pdf⟩ (Mar. 18, 2005).
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). (1996). Revised 1996 IPCC guidelines for national greenhouse gas inventories, Vol. 2, Workbook.
International Energy Agency and Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, France (IEA & OECA). (1998). “Benign energy? The environmental implications of renewables.” Chap. 3, ⟨http://www.iea.org/textbase/nppdf/free/1990/benign1998.pdf⟩ (Mar. 15, 2005), 37–52.
International Rivers Network (IRN). (2005). “The U.S. experience. Reviving the world’s rivers: Dam removal.” ⟨http://www.irn.org/revival/decom/index.asp?id=/revival/decom/brochure/rrpt2.html⟩ (June 1, 2005).
Isambert, F., and Crepon, O. (2004). “Hydro and decommissioning.” Proc., Hydro 2004 (CD-ROM), Session 9, Int. Conf. sponsored by Int. J. of Hydropower and Dams, etc., Porto, Portugal.
Joshi, S. (2000). “Product life cycle assessment using input-output techniques.” J. Ind. Ecol., 3(2–3), 95–120.
Kim, S., and Dale, B. E. (2004). “Life cycle inventory information of the United States electricity system.” Nurs. News, 1–17.
Kozak, M. (2004). “Contradiction between energy production and sustainability.” Proc., Hydro 2004 (CD-ROM), Session 9, Int. Conf. sponsored by Int. J. of Hydropower and Dams, etc., Porto, Portugal.
Lee, K. M., Lee, S. Y., and Hue, T. (2004). “Life cycle inventory analysis for electricity in Korea.” Energy, 29(2004), 87–101.
Lombardi, L. (2003). “Life cycle assessment comparison of technical solutions for emissions reduction in power generation.” Energy Convers. Manage., 44 (2003), 93–108.
May, J. R., and Brennan, D. J. (2003). “Life cycle assessment of Australian fossil energy options.” Process Saf. Environ. Prot., 81(2003), 317–330.
McCully, P. (2004). “Tropical hydropower is a significant source of greenhouse gas emissions: Interim response to the International Hydropower Association.” International river network, ⟨http://www.irn.org/programs/greenhouse/GHGsBonn.pdf⟩ (Mar. 12, 2005).
Meier, P. J. (2002). “Life-cycle assessment of electricity generation systems and applications for climate change policy analysis.” Ph.D. thesis, Univ. of Wisconsin-Madison, ⟨http://fti.neep.wisc.edu/pdf/fdm1181.pdf⟩ (Mar. 2, 2005).
Pacca, S., and Horvath, A. (2002). “Greenhouse gas emissions from building and operating electric power plants in the Upper Colorado River Basin.” Environ. Sci. Technol., 36(14), 3194–3200.
Scientific Certification Systems (SCS). (2000). “A study of the Lake Chelan Hydroelectric Project based on life-cycle stressor-effects assessment.” Prepared for Public Utility District No. 1 of Chelan County, Wash., Stanley Rhodes, et al., eds., Oakland, Calif., ⟨www.chelanpud.org/relicense/study/refer/4841_1.PDF⟩ (April 2, 2005).
Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC). (1991). A technical framework for life cycle assessments, J. A. Fava et al., eds., SETAC, Pensacola, Fla.
South-Western China Hydropower Design Institute, Chuduo, China (SWHDI). (2003). “Project B Report: Engineering budgetary estimate.”
State Power Information Network (SPIN). (2005). “How to make use of electricity price difference between peak and low demand hours, and between water rich and dry seasons?” (in Chinese) ⟨http://www.sp.com.cn/dlyw/rdxx/200412010041.htm⟩ (June 1, 2005).
United Nations Environment Programme-Dams and Development Project (UNEP-DDP). (2006). “Switzerland National Committee on large dams.” ⟨http://www.unep.org/dams/documents/default.asp?documentid=481⟩ (March 26, 2006).
United States National Hydropower Association (USNHA). (2000). “Does hydropower reduce greenhouse gas emissions?” ⟨http://www.hydro.org/hydrofacts/myth9.asp⟩ (April 1, 2005).
United States Nuclear Energy Institute (USNEI). (2005). “Life-cycle emissions analysis.” ⟨http://www.nei.org/index.asp?catnum=2&catid=260⟩ (April 1, 2005).
U.S. Census Bureau. (2005). “No. 697 purchasing power of the dollar: 1950 to 2003.” Statistical abstract of the United States: 2004–2005, Section 14 prices, ⟨http://www.census.gov/prod/2004pubs/04statab/prices.pdf⟩ (March 29, 2005), 461.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA). (1993). “Life cycle assessment: Inventory guidelines and principles.” 1993 EPA/600/R-92-245, Risk Reduction Engineering Laboratory, Cincinnati.
The World Bank. (2004). “5.7 relative prices and exchange rates.” 2004 world development indicators, 278.
Yang, Y. (2003). “China’s energy supply and cost analysis—An EFOM model application and uncertainties.” ETSAP Fall Workshop/Joint China-IEA Seminar on Energy Modeling and Statistics, Beijing.
Zhejinag Provincial Hydropower Design Institute, China (ZHDI-1). (1992). “Project A Report: Engineering budgetary estimate.”
Zhejiang Provincial Hydropower Design Institute, China (ZHDI-2). (1992). “Project A Report: Engineering prices analysis.”
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Infrastructure Systems
Volume 13 • Issue 4 • December 2007
Pages: 271 - 279
Copyright
© 2007 ASCE.
History
Received: Oct 13, 2005
Accepted: Oct 19, 2006
Published online: Dec 1, 2007
Published in print: Dec 2007
Authors
Metrics & Citations
Metrics
Citations
Download citation
If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download.