• Please log in or register to access this feature.

RESEARCH AND ANALYSIS

You have free access to this content

Life Cycle Greenhouse Gas Emissions of Coal-Fired Electricity Generation

Systematic Review and Harmonization

  1. Michael Whitaker,
  2. Garvin A. Heath,
  3. Patrick O’Donoughue,
  4. Martin Vorum

Article first published online: 4 APR 2012

DOI: 10.1111/j.1530-9290.2012.00465.x

Issue

Journal of Industrial Ecology

Journal of Industrial Ecology

Special Issue: Meta-Analysis of Life Cycle Assessments

Volume 16, Issue Supplement s1, pages S53–S72, April 2012

Additional Information

How to Cite

Whitaker, M., Heath, G. A., O’Donoughue, P. and Vorum, M. (2012), Life Cycle Greenhouse Gas Emissions of Coal-Fired Electricity Generation. Journal of Industrial Ecology, 16: S53–S72. doi: 10.1111/j.1530-9290.2012.00465.x

Author Information

*Garvin Heath, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, 1617 Cole Blvd., Golden, CO 80401, USA. Email: garvin.heath@nrel.gov

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 3 MAY 2012
  2. Article first published online: 4 APR 2012
Corrected by:

CORRIGENDUM: Corrigendum to: Whitaker, M., G.A. Heath, P. O'Donoughue, and M. Vorum. Life cycle greenhouse gas emissions of coal-fired electricity generation: Systematic review and harmonization. Journal of Industrial Ecology 16(S1): S53–S72.

Vol. 16, Issue 6, 966, Article first published online: 27 AUG 2012

SEARCH

SEARCH BY CITATION

ARTICLE TOOLS

View Full Article with Supporting Information (HTML) Get PDF (736K)

References

  • Akai, M., N. Nomura, H. Waku, and M. Inoue. 1997. Life-cycle analysis of a fossil-fuel power plant with CO2 recovery and a sequestering system. International Symposium on CO2 Fixation and Efficient Utilization of Energy. Energy 22(2–3): 249–255.
  • Babbitt, C. W. and A. S. Lindner. 2005. A life cycle inventory of coal used for electricity production in Florida. Journal of Cleaner Production 13(9): 903–912.
  • Bates, J. L. 1995. Full fuel cycle atmospheric emissions and global warming impacts from UK electricity generation. London : ETSU.
  • Burkhardt, J., G. Heath, and E. Cohen. 2012. Life cycle greenhouse gas emissions of trough and tower concentrating solar power electricity generation: Systematic review and harmonization. Journal of Industrial Ecology. DOI: 10.1111/j.1530-9290.2012.00474.x. Forthcoming.
    Direct Link:
  • Cottrell, A., J. Nunn, A. Urfer, and L. Wibberley. 2003. Systems assessment of electricity generation using biomass and coal in CFBC. Pullenvale, Australia : Cooperative Research Centre for Coal in Sustainable Development.
  • Damen, K. and A. P. C. Faaij. 2003. A life cycle inventory of existing biomass import chains for “green” electricity production. Utrecht , The Netherlands : Utrecht University, Copernicus Institute, Department of Science, Technology and Society.
  • Dolan, S. 2007. Life cycle assessment and emergy synthesis of a theoretical offshore wind farm for Jacksonville, Florida. Master's thesis, University of Florida, Gainesville , FL .
  • Dolan, S. and G. Heath. 2012. Life cycle greenhouse gas emissions of utility-scale wind power: Systematic review and harmonization. Journal of Industrial Ecology. DOI: 10.1111/j.1530-9290.2012.00464.x
    Direct Link:
  • Dones, R., C. Bauer, R. Bolliger, B. Burger, M. Faist Emmenegger, R. Frischknecht, T. Heck, N. Jungbluth, and A. Röder. 2007. Life cycle inventories of energy systems: Results for current systems in Switzerland and other UCTE countries. EcoInvent Report No. 5. Duebendorf, Switzerland: Swiss Centre for Life Cycle Inventories.
  • Dones, R., C. Bauer, T. Heck, O. Mayer-Spohn, and M. Blesl. 2008. Life cycle assessment of future fossil technologies with and without carbon capture and storage. MRS Proceedings 1041: 147–158.
  • Dones, R., U. Ganter, and S. Hirschberg. 1999. Environmental inventories for future electricity supply systems for Switzerland. International Journal of Global Energy Issues 12(1): 271–282.
  • Dones, R., X. Zhou, and C. Tian. 2004. Life cycle assessment (LCA) of Chinese energy chains for Shandong electricity scenarios. International Journal of Global Energy Issues 22(2–4): 199–224.
  • DynCorp EENSP Inc. 1995. Assessment of the environmental benefits of renewables deployment: A total fuel cycle analysis of the greenhouse gas impacts of renewable generation. Golden , CO : National Renewable Energy Laboratory.
  • EC (European Commission), Directorate-General XII. 1995. ExternE project: Externalities of energy. Report 3: Coal and lignite fuel cycles. Brussels, Belgium: European Commission -- Directorate-General XII Science, Research and Development.
  • EC (European Commission), Directorate-General XII. 1999. ExternE: Externalities of energy. Volume 20, National implementation. Brussels, Belgium: European Commission -- Directorate-General XII Science, Research and Development, p. 534.
  • Farrell, A., R. Plevin, B. Runer, A. Jones, M. O’Hare, and D. Kammen. 2006. Ethanol can contribute to energy and environmental goals. Science 311(5760): 506–508.
  • Fiaschi, D. and L. Lombardi. 2002. Integrated gasifier combined cycle plant with integrated CO2-H2S removal: Performance analysis, life cycle assessment and exergetic life cycle assessment. International Journal of Applied Thermodynamics 5(1): 13–24.
  • Fox, J. and J. Campbell. 2010. Terrestrial carbon disturbance from mountaintop mining increases lifecycle emissions for clean coal. Environmental Science & Technology 44(6): 2144–2149.
  • Friedrich, R. and T. Marheineke. 1994. Life cycle analysis of electric systems: Methods and results. Presented at the IAEA advisory group meeting on analysis of net energy balance and full-energy-chain greenhouse gas emissions for nuclear and other energy systems, 4–7 October. Beijing , China : International Atomic Energy Agency.
  • Froese, R. E., D. R. Shonnard, C. A. Miller, K. P. Koers, and D. M. Johnson. 2010. An evaluation of greenhouse gas mitigation options for coal-fired power plants in the US Great Lakes states. Biomass and Bioenergy 34(3): 251–262.
  • Gorokhov, V., L. Manfredo, M. Ramezan, and J. Ratafia-Brown. 2000. Life cycle assessment of IGCC: Systems phase II report. McLean, VA: Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC).
  • Hartmann, D. and M. Kaltschmitt. 1999. Electricity generation from solid biomass via co-combustion with coal—Energy and emission balances from a German case study. Biomass & Bioenergy 16(6): 397–406.
  • Heller, M. C., G. A. Keoleian, M. K. Mann, and T. A. Volk. 2004. Life cycle energy and environmental benefits of generating electricity from willow biomass. Renewable Energy 29(7): 1023–1042.
  • Hondo, H. 2005. Life cycle GHG emission analysis of power generation systems: Japanese case. Energy 30(11–12): 2042–2056.
  • Hsu D., P. O’Donoughue, V. Fthenakis, G. Heath, H. C. Kim, P. Sawyer, J.-K. Choi, and D. Turney. 2012. Life cycle greenhouse gas emissions of crystalline silicon photovoltaic electricity generation: Systematic review and harmonization. Journal of Industrial Ecology. DOI: 10.1111/j.1530-9290.2011.00439.x
    Direct Link:
  • IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change). 2007. Direct global warming potentials. In Climate change 2007. Contribution of Working Group I to the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, edited by Solomon, S., D. Qin, M. Manning, Z. Chen, M. Marquis, K. B. Averyt, M. Tignor, and H. L. Miller, chap. 2.10.2. Cambridge : Cambridge University Press. http://www.ipcc.ch/publications_and_data/ar4/wg1/en/ch2s2-10-2.html. Accessed January 2011.
  • ISO (International Organisation for Standardisation). 2006a. Environmental management – Life cycle assessment – Principles and framework. ISO 14040. Geneva , Switzerland : ISO.
  • ISO (International Organisation for Standardisation). 2006b. Environmental management – Life cycle assessment – Principles and framework. ISO 14044. Geneva , Switzerland : ISO.
  • Kim, H. C., V. M. Fthenakis, J.-K. Choi, and D. E. Turney. 2012. Life cycle greenhouse gas emissions of thin-film photovoltaic electricity generation: Systematic review and harmonization. Journal of Industrial Ecology. DOI: 10.1111/j.1530-9290.2011.00423.x
    Direct Link:
  • Koornneef, J., T. van Keulen, A. Faaij, and W. Turkenburg. 2008. Life cycle assessment of a pulverized coal power plant with post-combustion capture, transport and storage of CO2. International Journal of Greenhouse Gas Control 2(4): 448–467.
  • Kreith, F., P. Norton, and D. Brown. 1990. A comparison of CO2 emissions from fossil and solar power plants in the United States. Energy 15(12): 1181–1198.
  • Krewitt, W., P. Mayerhofer, R. Friedrich, A. Trukenmüller, T. Heck, and A. Greßmann. 1997. ExternE national implementation in Germany. Stuttgart , Germany : IER, University of Stuttgart.
  • Lee, K.-M., S.-Y. Lee, and T. Hur. 2004. Life cycle inventory analysis for electricity in Korea. Energy 29(1): 87–101.
  • Lenzen, M., C. Dey, C. Hardy, and M. Bilek. 2006. Life-cycle energy balance and greenhouse gas emissions of nuclear energy in Australia. Report to the Prime Minister's Uranium Mining, Processing and Nuclear Energy Review (UMPNER). Sydney , Australia : ISA, University of Sydney.
  • Markewitz, P., A. Schreiber, P. Zapp, and S Vögele. 2009. Environmental impacts of a German CCS strategy. Energy Procedia 1(1): 3763–3770.
  • Martin, J. A. 1997. A total fuel cycle approach to reducing greenhouse gas emissions: Solar generation technologies as greenhouse gas offsets in U.S. utility systems. Solar Energy (Selected Proceeding of ISES 1995: Solar World Congress, Part IV) 59(4–6): 195–203.
  • MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology). 2007. The future of coal: An interdisciplinary MIT study. http://web.mit.edu/coal/. Accessed January 2011.
  • May, J. R. and D. J. Brennan. 2003. Life cycle assessment of Australian fossil energy options. Process Safety and Environmental Protection: Transactions of the Institution of Chemical Engineers, Part B 81(5): 317–330.
  • Meier, P. J., P. P. H. Wilson, G. Kulcinski, and P. Denholm. 2005. US electric industry response to carbon constraint: A life-cycle assessment of supply side alternatives. Energy Policy 33(9): 1099–1108.
  • Meridian. 1989. Energy system emissions and material requirements. Alexandria , VA : Meridian Corporation.
  • NETL (National Energy Technology Laboratory). 2010a. Life cycle analysis: Existing pulverized coal (EXPC) power plant. http://www.netl.doe.gov/energy-analyses/refshelf/. Accessed January 2011.
  • NETL (National Energy Technology Laboratory). 2010b. Life cycle analysis: Integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC) power plant. http://www.netl.doe.gov/energy-analyses/refshelf/. Accessed January 2011.
  • NETL (National Energy Technology Laboratory). 2010c. Life cycle analysis: Supercritical pulverized coal (SCPC) power plant. http://www.netl.doe.gov/energy-analyses/refshelf/. Accessed January 2011.
  • Odeh, N. A. and T. T. Cockerill. 2008a. Life cycle analysis of UK coal fired power plants. Energy Conversion and Management 49(2): 212–220.
  • Odeh, N. A. and T. T. Cockerill. 2008b. Life cycle GHG assessment of fossil fuel power plants with carbon capture and storage. Energy Policy 36(1): 367–380.
  • ORNL (Oak Ridge National Laboratory) and Resources for the Future. 1994. Estimating externalities of coal fuel cycles. In External costs and benefits of fuel cycles, edited by R. Lee, 3. Oak Ridge , TN : Oak Ridge National Laboratory and Resources for the Future.
  • Pacca, S. A. 2003. Global warming effect applied to electricity generation technologies. Ph.D. dissertation, University of California, Berkeley , CA , USA .
  • Peiu, N. 2007. Life cycle inventory study of the electrical energy production in Romania. International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment 12(4): 225–229.
  • Ruether, J. A., M. Ramezan, and P. Balash. 2004. Greenhouse gas emissions from coal gasification power generation systems. Journal of Infrastructure Systems 10(3): 111–119.
  • San Martin, R. L. 1989. Environmental emissions from energy technology systems: The total fuel cycle. Washington , DC : U.S. Department of Energy.
  • Schreiber, A., P. Zapp, and W. Kuckshinrichs. 2009. Environmental assessment of German electricity generation from coal-fired power plants with amine-based carbon capture. International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment 14(6): 547–559.
  • SECDA (Saskatchewan Energy Conservation and Development Authority) Technology Group. 1994. Levelized cost and full fuel cycle environmental impacts of Saskatchewan's electric supply options. Saskatoon , SK : SECDA.
  • SENES Consultants Limited. 2005. Methods to assess the impacts on the natural environment of generation options. Richmond Hill , Ontario , Canada : SENES Consultants.
  • Shukla, P. R. and D. Mahapatra. 2007. Full fuel cycle for India. In CASES: Cost assessment of sustainable energy systems. Ahmedabad: Indian Institute of Management.
  • Spath, P. L., M. K. Mann, and D. Kerr. 1999. Life cycle assessment of coal-fired power production. Golden , CO , USA : National Renewable Energy Laboratory.
  • Spath, P. L. and M. K. Mann. 2004. Biomass power and conventional fossil systems with and without CO2 sequestration—Comparing the energy balance, greenhouse gas emissions and economics. Golden , CO , USA : National Renewable Energy Laboratory.
  • Styles, D. and M. B. Jones. 2007. Energy crops in Ireland: Quantifying the potential life-cycle greenhouse gas reductions of energy-crop electricity. Biomass & Bioenergy 31(11–12): 759–772.
  • Uchiyama, Y. 1996. Validity of FENCH-GHG study: Methodologies and databases. Comparison of energy sources in terms of their full-energy-chain emission factors of greenhouse gases. IAEA advisory group meeting on analysis of net energy balance and full-energy-chain greenhouse gas emissions for nuclear and other energy systems, 4–7 October 1994. Beijing , China : International Atomic Energy Agency, 85–94.
  • United Nations. Countries or areas, codes and abbreviations. 2010. http://unstats.un.org/unsd/methods/m49/m49alpha.htm. Accessed January 2011.
  • U.S. Energy Information Administration. 2010. Electric power monthly with data for May 2010—Net generation by power source: Total (all sectors). Washington , DC : U.S. Energy Information Administration. http://www.eia.doe.gov/cneaf/electricity/epm/table1_1.html. Accessed January 2011.
  • U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. 2009. eGRID 2007 version 1.1. http://www.epa.gov/cleanenergy/energy-resources/egrid/index.html. Accessed January 2011.
  • Warner E. and G. Heath. 2012. Life cycle greenhouse gas emissions from nuclear electricity generation: Systematic review and harmonization. Journal of Industrial Ecology. DOI: 10.1111/j.1530-9290.2012.00472.x. Forthcoming.
    Direct Link:
  • Weber, C., P. Jaramillo, J. Marriott, and C. Samaras. 2010. Life cycle assessment and grid electricity: What do we know and what can we know? Environmental Science & Technology 44(6): 1895–1901.
  • White, S. W. 1998. Net energy payback and CO2 emissions from 3He fusion and wind electrical power plants. PhD dissertation, University of Wisconsin, Madison , WI , USA .
  • Wibberley, L. 2001. Coal in a sustainable society. Brisbane , Queensland , Australia : Australian Coal Association Research Program.
  • Wibberley, L., J. Nunn, A. Cottrell, M. Searles, A. Urfer, and P. Scaife. 2000. Life cycle analysis for steel and electricity production in Australia. Brisbane , Queensland , Australia : Australian Coal Association Research Program.
  • Zerlia, T. 2003. Emissioni dei gas serra nel ciclo di vita dei combustibili fossili utilizzati nella produzione termoelettrica: considerazioni e ricadute sullo scenario energetico italiano [Life-cycle greenhouse gas emissions of fossil fuels in power generation: Remarks on the Italian energy scenario] (Translated to English by Assocarboni – Rome). Rivista dei Combustibili 57(1): 3–17.
  • Zhang, Y., S. Habibi, and H. L. MacLean. 2007. Environmental and economic evaluation of bioenergy in Ontario, Canada. Journal of the Air and Waste Management Association 57(8): 919–933.
  • Zhang, Y. M., J. McKechnie, D. Cormier, R. Lyng, W. Mabee, A. Ogino, and H. MacLean. 2010. Life cycle emissions and cost of producing electricity from coal, natural gas, and wood pellets in Ontario, Canada. Environmental Science & Technology 44(1): 538–544.
View Full Article with Supporting Information (HTML) Get PDF (736K)