Carbon Footprint Assessment of Four Normal Size Hydropower Stations in China

Abstract

The emission of Greenhouse gases (GHG) during the life cycle of four hydropower stations with installed capacity from 95 MW to 500 MW are assessed by the integrated GHG reservoir tool developed by International Hydropower Association. Model inputs are extracted from multi-source geographic datasets and construction planning documents. Three main conclusions are summarized: (1) In pre-and post-impoundment stages, areal GHG emission balance in reservoir area depends on the climate background, humid subtropical regions are more active than arid temperate regions. In the construction stage, emissions from fill, concrete and equipment account for more than 70% of the total. (2) GHG intensity falls rapidly when lifetime increases from 10 to 40 years and then drops slightly when lifetime becomes longer, which is 13.60 tCO 2 e/GWh for 50 years and 8.13 tCO 2 e/GWh for 100 years on average. The emission rates of hydropower stations with lower installed capacity are obviously large if they work for less than 30 years and differ less with stations possessing a higher installed capacity when their lifetime approaches 100 years. (3) Comparing with electricity generated by coal in China whose GHG intensity is 822 tCO 2 e/GWh, hydroelectricity is almost 100 times more efficient and clean. Thus, hydropower station plays an important role in dealing with the global warming issue as a substitution for a fossil fuel power source.

A Method for Rockburst Prediction in the Deep Tunnels of Hydropower Stations Based on the Monitored Microseismicity and an Optimized Probabilistic Neural Network Model

“…Rockbursts with different intensities occurred frequently in the construction of the tunnels. MS monitoring was conducted in some of the tunnels [18]; MS monitoring and microseismicity data analysis have been described in detail elsewhere [5,9,[18][19][20][21][22].…”

“…According to statistics from the International Renewable Energy Agency, over the past decade, global installed hydropower has 2 of 17 increased from 926,340 MW to 1,245,708 MW, making a great contribution to energy transformation. It is expected that hydropower will continue to dominate more than half of the worldwide installed capacity of renewables in the future [3][4][5]. Therefore, an increasing number of hydropower stations have been constructed, such as the Jinping II, Xiluodu, Baihetan, Shimen, Jilebulake, Sinan River, and Pankou stations in China, and the Neelum-Jhelum station in Pakistan [2,[4][5][6][7][8].…”

Cumulative Environmental Effects of Hydropower Stations Based on the Water Footprint Method—Yalong River Basin, China

“…As a clean and renewable energy source, hydropower meets the growing energy needs of mankind while mitigating global warming trends [1]. Hydropower continues to grow worldwide, especially in developing countries, such as China [2].…”

Methodology for Assessing the Degree of Occupational Safety Specific to Hydrotechnical Construction Activities, in Order to Increase Their Sustainability

“…The reference system includes all legal regulations on occupational safety and health or with an impact on the achievement of occupational safety and health in the hydroconstruction activity [28,29].…”