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. 2024 Nov;31(54):62853-62876.
doi: 10.1007/s11356-024-35248-9. Epub 2024 Oct 26.

Comparative LCA of thermal power plant with CCS and solar PV system: sustainability assessment in Indian context

Satyajit Malode  1 , Ravi Prakash  2 , Jagadish Chandra Mohanta  2
Affiliations

Comparative LCA of thermal power plant with CCS and solar PV system: sustainability assessment in Indian context

Satyajit Malode et al. Environ Sci Pollut Res Int. 2024 Nov.

Abstract

The study's objective is to evaluate and compare the sustainability of power production techniques for India's transition to clean power generation. It specifically focuses on coal-based power generation with emission control technologies, flue gas desulfurization (FGD) with carbon capture and storage (CCS), and compares it with solar photovoltaic (PV) systems. The study conducted a life cycle assessment (LCA) to determine the environmental impact of electricity generation in each scenario. Inventory data has been collected for each case through plant visits, emission modelling, and literature searches. The study evaluated midpoint and endpoint impact indicators utilizing the ReCiPe (H) assessment methodology. The economic viability of all the cases was determined by calculating the levelized cost of electricity (LCOE). The results showed that retrofitting an existing power plant with flue gas desulfurization (FGD) and carbon capture and storage (CCS) reduced efficiency by 30%, required 1.2 times more auxiliary power, and increased heat rates. The LCA results showed that the global warming potential (GwP) for FGD and CCS together was 0.614 kg CO2 eq. per kWh of power generation. On the other hand, the GwP for the solar PV system was much lower, at 0.043 kg CO2 eq. per kWh. There were trade-offs in both cases, but solar PV plants are more environmentally friendly than thermal power plants equipped with CCS systems in almost all categories. Furthermore, the LCOE results showed Rs 3.87 per kWh for an on-grid solar PV plant and Rs 5.33 for thermal power, with CCS and FGD showing solar as an economically more feasible option. Retrofitting thermal power facilities with emission control technology is necessary to achieve net zero emissions, but transition to renewable energy sources is inevitable.

Keywords: Carbon capture and storage; Flue gas desulphurization; LCA; LCOE; Solar PV plant; Sustainability; Thermal power generation.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declarations. Ethical approval: The authors declare that this material is the authors’ own original work, which 453 has not been previously published elsewhere. Consent to participate: The authors understand that their participation is voluntary and that they are free to withdraw at any time and authors voluntarily agree to take part in this study. Consent for publication: The authors give their consent for the publication of identifiable details, which can include case history and details within the text to be published in the above Journal and Article. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests.

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