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Accounting for GHG net reservoir emissions of hydropower in Ecuador

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  • Briones Hidrovo, Andrei
  • Uche, Javier
  • Martínez-Gracia, Amaya

Abstract

Hydropower is one of most important considered renewable technologies to provide electricity generation worldwide. Bearing in mind the lack of LCA studies and the development of several hydroelectric projects in Ecuador, the purpose of this paper is to present a complete environmental performance of two hydropower schemes (dam and run-of-river) located in this country, through the life cycle assessment combined with reservoir GHG emissions approach. The run-of-river scheme had better environmental performance than the dam scheme. Very high emissions were found, being 547 Kg CO2-eq/MWh for dam scheme, which most of those emissions were originated in the reservoir, while the run-of-river scheme only score 2.6 Kg CO2-eq/MWh. However, comparing with fossil fuel power plants, hydropower dam case still has lower emissions in its entire life cycle. The paper remark that the majority of LCA studies which focus on dam hydropower scheme only consider the emissions of the construction, putting aside the loss of the ecosystem and the emissions caused by the impoundment. Moreover, the analysis also included the impact associated to water uses since reservoirs are usually devoted to several purposes (flood lamination, irrigation, ecological flow, power generation).

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  • Briones Hidrovo, Andrei & Uche, Javier & Martínez-Gracia, Amaya, 2017. "Accounting for GHG net reservoir emissions of hydropower in Ecuador," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 112(C), pages 209-221.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:renene:v:112:y:2017:i:c:p:209-221
    DOI: 10.1016/j.renene.2017.05.047
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    10. Zhang, Xiaoyue & Huang, Guohe & Liu, Lirong & Li, Kailong, 2022. "Development of a stochastic multistage lifecycle programming model for electric power system planning – A case study for the Province of Saskatchewan, Canada," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 158(C).
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    13. Ramirez, A.D. & Boero, A. & Rivela, B. & Melendres, A.M. & Espinoza, S. & Salas, D.A., 2020. "Life cycle methods to analyze the environmental sustainability of electricity generation in Ecuador: Is decarbonization the right path?," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 134(C).
    14. Hosseini, Seyed Mohsen & Kanagaraj, N. & Sadeghi, Shahrbanoo & Yousefi, Hossein, 2022. "Midpoint and endpoint impacts of electricity generation by renewable and nonrenewable technologies: A case study of Alberta, Canada," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 197(C), pages 22-39.
    15. Li, Mingxu & He, Nianpeng, 2022. "Carbon intensity of global existing and future hydropower reservoirs," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 162(C).
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