Abstract
Considering the recent pressures in the energy sector at global level, in close relation with the conventional fuel availability, climate change, public interest and the overall debate for more sustainable energy sources, there is an acute need for instruments, capable to identify and measure in a coherent framework how various changes in the energetic systems lead to progress/challenges, in terms of environmental impacts and sustainability. In this context, Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is a standardized methodology, capable of analysing complex systems, as well as to identify and quantify various environmental impacts of products for their entire life cycles. The main objectives of this study are to perform a life cycle evaluation of the Romanian energy sector for electricity production, in order to identify, quantify and update the associated environmental impacts and to investigate the sustainability of future scenarios. The LCA is focused onto 1 kWh of electricity produced in Romania, considering the indigenous resources mix: coal and gas-fired power plants, hydropower, wind turbines, nuclear power, solar panels and biomass, as well as imports and exports. The assessment is based on the ReCiPe impact assessment methodology, which enables the use of 18 environmental impact categories. By applying the LCA methodology, the Romanian energy mix environmental impact profiles can be compared for 4 years: 1990 (reference year), 1997, 2010 and 2015. Furthermore, the 2030 and 2050 scenarios were analysed. The results show how the changes in the electricity production mix have positive changes in the environmental profile.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Farfan, F.J., Breyer, C.: Structural changes of global power generation capacity towards sustainability and the risk of stranded investments supported by a sustainability indicator. J. Clean. Prod. 141, 370–384 (2017). http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2016.09.068
Hondo, H.: Life cycle GHG emission analysis of power generation systems: Japanese case. Energy 30, 2024–2056 (2005). doi:10.1016/j.energy.2004.07.020
Kannan, R., Leong, K.C., Osman, R., Ho, H.K.: Life cycle Energy, emissions and cost inventory of power generation technologies in Singapore. Renew. Sustain. Energy Rev. 11, 702–715 (2007). doi:10.1016/j.rser.2005.05.004
Foidart, F., Oliver-Solá, J., Gasol, C.M., Gabarrell, X., Rieradevall, J.: How important are current energy mix choices on future sustainability? Case study: Belgium and Spain projections towards 2020–2030. Energy Policy 38, 5028–5037 (2010). doi:10.1016/j.enpol.2010.04.028
Santoyo-Castelazo, E., Gujba, H., Azapagic, A.: Life cycle assessment of electricity generation in Mexico. Energy 36, 1488–1499 (2011). doi:10.1016/j.energy.2011.01.018
Gujba, H., Mulugetta, Y., Azapagic, A.: Power generation scenarios for Nigeria: an environmental and cost assessment. Energy Policy 39, 968–980 (2011). doi:10.1016/j.enpol.2010.11.024
Stamford, L., Azapagic, A.: Life cycle sustainability assessment of electricity options for the UK. Int. J. Energy Res. 36(14), 1263–1290 (2012). http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/er.2962
Santoyo-Castelazzo, E., Azapagic, A.: Sustainability assessment of energy systems: integrating environmental, economic and social aspects. J. Clean. Prod. 80, 119–138 (2014). http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2014.05.061
Stamford, L., Azapagic, A.: Life cycle sustainability assessment of UK electricity scenarios to 2070. Energy Sustain. Dev. 23, 194–211 (2014). http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.esd.2014.09.008
Brizmohun, R., Ramjeawon, T., Azapagic, A.: Life cycle assessment of electricity generation in Mauritius. J. Clean. Prod. 106, 565–575 (2015). http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2014.11.033
Treyer, K., Bauer, C.: The environmental footprint of UAE’s electricity sector: combining life cycle assessment and scenario modeling. Renew. Sustain. Energy Rev. 55, 1234–1247 (2016). http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2015.04.016
Atilgan, B., Azapagic, A.: Renewable electricity in Turkey: life cycle environmental impacts. Renew. Energy, 89, 649–657 (2015). http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.renene.2015.11.082
Nanaki, A.E., Koroneos, C.J, Xydis, G.A.: Environmental impact assessment of electricity production from lignite. Environ. Prog. Sustain. Energy (2016, in press). http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/ep
Martin-Gamboa, M., Iribarren, D., GarcÃa-Gusano, D., Dufour, J.: A review of life-cycle approaches coupled with data envelopment analysis within multi-criteria decision analysis for sustainability assessment of energy systems. J. Clean. Prod. 150, 164–174 (2017). http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2017.03.017
Santos, M.J., Ferreira, P., Araújo, M., Portugal-Pereira J., Lucena, A.F.P., Schaeffer, R.: Scenarios for the future Brazilian power sector based on a multicriteria assessment. J. Clean. Prod. (2017, in press), http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2017.03.145
Teotónio, C., Fortes, P., Roebeling, P., Rodriguez, M., Robaina-Alves, M.: Assessing the impacts of climate change on hydropower generation and the power sector in Portugal: a partial equilibrium approach. Renew. Sustain. Energy Rev. 74, 788–799 (2017). http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2017.03.002
Kostevsek, A., Klemes, J.J., Varbanov, P.S., Cucek, L., Petek, J.: Sustainability assessment of the Locally Integrated Energy Sectors for a Slovenian municipality. J. Clean. Prod. 88, 83–89 (2015). http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2014.04.008
Ding, N., Liu, J., Yang, J., Yang, D.: Comparative life cycle assessment of regional electricity supplies in China. Resour. Conserv. Recycl. 119, 47–59 (2017). http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.resconrec.2016.07.010
Zhang, X., Bauer, C., Mutel, C.L., Volkart, K.: Life cycle assessment of power-to-gas: approaches, system variations and their environmental implications. Appl. Energy, 190, 326–338 (2017). http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.apenergy.2016.12.098
Romanian Energy Strategy 2016–2030, with an outlook to 2050
Romanian Energy Strategy for 2007–2020, revised for 2011–2020
Dragomir, G., Șerban, A., Năstase, G., Brezeanu, A.I.: Wind energy in Romania: a review from 2009 to 2016. Renew. Sustain. Energy Rev. 64, 129–143 (2016). http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2016.05.080
Colesca, S.E., Ciocoiu, C.N.: An overview of the Romanian renewable energy sector. Renew. Sustain. Energy Rev. 24, 149–158 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2013.03.042
Romanian Photovoltaic Industry Report (2012)
http://www.iea-pvps.org/index.php?id=32. International Energy Agency - Photovoltaic Power Systems Programme, 30 March 2015, 15
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2018 Springer International Publishing AG
About this paper
Cite this paper
Barjoveanu, G., Teodosiu, C., Cailean (Gavrilescu), D. (2018). Life Cycle Assessment of the Romanian Electricity Mix: Impacts, Trends and Challenges. In: Visa, I., Duta, A. (eds) Nearly Zero Energy Communities. CSE 2017. Springer Proceedings in Energy. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-63215-5_34
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-63215-5_34
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-319-63214-8
Online ISBN: 978-3-319-63215-5
eBook Packages: EnergyEnergy (R0)