Carbon Footprint Estimation
of an Indian Thermal Power Plant
Towards Achieving Sustainability
Through Adoption of Green Options
and Sustainable Development Goals
(SDGs)
Debrupa Chakraborty
Abstract Low carbon economy deserves special attention in connection to sustainability issues. Changeover to low carbon economy is possible with the reduction
of carbon emission. This reduction mandate has nowadays become a ‘global’ goal
keeping in view the catastrophe associated with the problem of climate change.
This global goal can be achieved through innovations. Manifestation of low carbon
goods leading to reduced emissions can be achieved with innovative products and
production process. However, impact caused by industries on non-renewable natural
resources and energy consumed in their production process and the resultant CO 2
emissions also need to be addressed and estimated. Technologies for generating
electricity irrespective of its nature leads to generation of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) and
other greenhouse gas emissions. Carbon footprint (CF) is recognized as a method of
evaluating carbon emissions in quantitative terms (expressed in tCO 2 e) to respond
to the increasing concern about climate change. However, it is necessary to make a
life cycle inventory analysis by taking into account all the activities and processes
that determine the size of carbon footprint. In this given backdrop, Carbon Footprint
(CF) resulting from electricity generation in a coal-based power plant in India, for
the year 2016–2017, has been studied based on primary data. Estimation of carbon
footprint has been done using the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) approach, been
internationally accredited by ISO14044:2006 and ISO 14067:2018 and developed to
understand the effects of individual products or process on environment. The cradle
to grave approach of LCA has been followed so as to account for the CF resulting
from the early stage of resource abstraction and its processing, production, delivery,
disposal and reprocess or recycling. LCA approach method is apt for CF calculation
or estimation at the micro-level. Analysis of result showed that that burning of coal
occupies the lions share in the total carbon footprint of the power plant. Also based
on the analysis, CF generated provided an useful means of guiding the power plant to
distinguish or detect the ‘hotbeds’ of production process having an adverse bearing
on the environment. The low carbon initiatives or green options adopted by the power
D. Chakraborty (B)
Department of Commerce, Netaji Nagar College, Kolkata 700092, India
e-mail: chakraborty_debrupa@yahoo.com
© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2021
S. S. Muthu (ed.), LCA Based Carbon Footprint Assessment, Environmental Footprints
and Eco-design of Products and Processes, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-33-4373-3_5
93
of an Indian Thermal Power Plant
Towards Achieving Sustainability
Through Adoption of Green Options
and Sustainable Development Goals
(SDGs)
Debrupa Chakraborty
Abstract Low carbon economy deserves special attention in connection to sustainability issues. Changeover to low carbon economy is possible with the reduction
of carbon emission. This reduction mandate has nowadays become a ‘global’ goal
keeping in view the catastrophe associated with the problem of climate change.
This global goal can be achieved through innovations. Manifestation of low carbon
goods leading to reduced emissions can be achieved with innovative products and
production process. However, impact caused by industries on non-renewable natural
resources and energy consumed in their production process and the resultant CO 2
emissions also need to be addressed and estimated. Technologies for generating
electricity irrespective of its nature leads to generation of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) and
other greenhouse gas emissions. Carbon footprint (CF) is recognized as a method of
evaluating carbon emissions in quantitative terms (expressed in tCO 2 e) to respond
to the increasing concern about climate change. However, it is necessary to make a
life cycle inventory analysis by taking into account all the activities and processes
that determine the size of carbon footprint. In this given backdrop, Carbon Footprint
(CF) resulting from electricity generation in a coal-based power plant in India, for
the year 2016–2017, has been studied based on primary data. Estimation of carbon
footprint has been done using the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) approach, been
internationally accredited by ISO14044:2006 and ISO 14067:2018 and developed to
understand the effects of individual products or process on environment. The cradle
to grave approach of LCA has been followed so as to account for the CF resulting
from the early stage of resource abstraction and its processing, production, delivery,
disposal and reprocess or recycling. LCA approach method is apt for CF calculation
or estimation at the micro-level. Analysis of result showed that that burning of coal
occupies the lions share in the total carbon footprint of the power plant. Also based
on the analysis, CF generated provided an useful means of guiding the power plant to
distinguish or detect the ‘hotbeds’ of production process having an adverse bearing
on the environment. The low carbon initiatives or green options adopted by the power
D. Chakraborty (B)
Department of Commerce, Netaji Nagar College, Kolkata 700092, India
e-mail: chakraborty_debrupa@yahoo.com
© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2021
S. S. Muthu (ed.), LCA Based Carbon Footprint Assessment, Environmental Footprints
and Eco-design of Products and Processes, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-33-4373-3_5
93