Life Cycle Modelling of the Impact of Coal Quality on Emissions from Energy Generation

Lukasz Lelek,Joanna Kulczycka

doi:10.3390/en13061515

Abstract

This paper presents a model combining the LCA (Life Cycle Assessment) of fossil fuel extraction with its quality parameters and related CO2, SO2 and dust emissions at the stage of the combustion process. The model which was developed aims to identify the environmental impact of the processes of electricity production from selected energy carriers over their whole life cycle. The model takes into account the full LCA of fossil fuel extraction (of both hard and brown coal), its enrichment and fuel production as well as the environmental impact associated with emissions introduced into the air at the stage of electricity generation based on the fuels evaluated. Such an approach allows one to determine the fuel quality parameters that affect the environmental impact of energy production based on an LCA of mining and assigns the degree of environmental impact involved in particular production processes. Overall, the results obtained based on the proposed model permit the identification and prioritisation of the individual processes in the electricity generation life cycle which contribute the highest share in the general environmental impact indicator, having taken into account the modelling of the quality of the fuels used (calorific value, ash and sulphur content).

Highlights

Decarbonisation of the global economy is an important trend, underlined in many policies, especially in the European Union, which focus on achieving the Sustainable Development Goal, especially 13, which includes actions aimed at integrate climate change measures into national policies, strategies and planning
With reference to the aforementioned aspects, a research problem was presented which is aimed at identifying the potential for modelling the quality of fuel used with its environmental burdens at the level of power plants
The fuel streams are selected based on the changeable parameters of the fuel

Summary

Introduction

Decarbonisation of the global economy is an important trend, underlined in many policies, especially in the European Union, which focus on achieving the Sustainable Development Goal, especially 13, which includes actions aimed at integrate climate change measures into national policies, strategies and planning. Taking into account the high dependence of the global economy on fossil fuels including coal, solutions using these fuels, which at the same time reduce the associated environmental impact, are as desirable as the introduction of decarbonisation policies For countries such as Poland, which is the largest producer of coal in the EU and one of the EU’s coal consumers, the transition to a total abandonment of the use of coal may take many years. The correlation of calorific value, amount of ash and sulphur content with emissions at the electricity generation stage is well known in the literature, but a combination of these correlations with the LCA mining process, including outputs such as the different quality fuel streams, was proposed for the first time. The implementation of innovative and eco-friendly solutions permits a significant reduction in the negative impact of energy generation from coal combustion [10]

State-Of-the-Art

Mining Module

Energy Module results in accordance with the PN-EN ISO 14040

Findings

Conclusions