94
D. Chakraborty
plant to reduce negative environmental impacts have also being discussed. Also, an
effort has been made in this chapter to identify the Sustainable Development Goals
(SDGs) impacted and achieved by the thermal power plant based on LCA results
and adoption of green options. Finally, based on the results and low carbon options
exercised by the unit, recommendations of possible green alternatives for achieving
transition towards enhanced sustainability are also prescribed.
Keywords Carbon footprint (CF) · Life cycle assessment (LCA) · Indian thermal
power plant · Green options · Sustainable development goals (SDGs) ·
Sustainability
1 Introduction
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. This global goal can be
achieved through innovations. With innovations, production of low carbon goods with
reduced emissions can be manifested. This is again truer for developing nations like
China, Brazil, India, etc. because they contribute significantly to the world economy.
At the same time, their scope of mandated reduction of emission is much more than
their developed counterparts.
World Resources Institute estimated India’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to
be 6.5% of global total (value for the year 2014). India’s, coal consumption increased
by 4.8% or 27 million tonnes in 2017 and CO 2 emissions rose by 4.8% in 2018, principally driven by emissions from power plants based on coal [1]. The growth in the
country’s energy demand in 2018 was led by coal (for power generation) and oil (for
transport). As a part of the Paris Agreement, India has put its best foot forward to
achieve reduction in emission through Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs)
goals. India has set two set of targets—conditional and unconditional (by ratifying
the Paris Agreement), which it aims to achieve through NDCs. The country has
vouched to reduce its intensity of emission relating to GDP by 30–35% by 2030 (in
comparison to the level in 2005) as a part of unconditional target. Along with this, it
has also made a conditional target of generating 40% power from non-fossil-based
sources by 2030 as a part of the country’s ambitious NDCs. These targets have been
put forward to the United Nations Framework Convention (UNFCCC) on Climate
Change for a global climate accord in 2015 (forming a part of the Paris Agreement) (Paris Agreement, https://unfccc.int/process-and-meetings/the-paris-agreem
ent/what-is-the-paris-agreement) [2].
Electricity generation technologies lead to the generation of carbon dioxide (CO 2 )
and other greenhouse gas emissions in respective of its nature. 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. Emissions can be both direct
and indirect. The direct emissions relate to the operation of the power plant. On the
D. Chakraborty
plant to reduce negative environmental impacts have also being discussed. Also, an
effort has been made in this chapter to identify the Sustainable Development Goals
(SDGs) impacted and achieved by the thermal power plant based on LCA results
and adoption of green options. Finally, based on the results and low carbon options
exercised by the unit, recommendations of possible green alternatives for achieving
transition towards enhanced sustainability are also prescribed.
Keywords Carbon footprint (CF) · Life cycle assessment (LCA) · Indian thermal
power plant · Green options · Sustainable development goals (SDGs) ·
Sustainability
1 Introduction
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. This global goal can be
achieved through innovations. With innovations, production of low carbon goods with
reduced emissions can be manifested. This is again truer for developing nations like
China, Brazil, India, etc. because they contribute significantly to the world economy.
At the same time, their scope of mandated reduction of emission is much more than
their developed counterparts.
World Resources Institute estimated India’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to
be 6.5% of global total (value for the year 2014). India’s, coal consumption increased
by 4.8% or 27 million tonnes in 2017 and CO 2 emissions rose by 4.8% in 2018, principally driven by emissions from power plants based on coal [1]. The growth in the
country’s energy demand in 2018 was led by coal (for power generation) and oil (for
transport). As a part of the Paris Agreement, India has put its best foot forward to
achieve reduction in emission through Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs)
goals. India has set two set of targets—conditional and unconditional (by ratifying
the Paris Agreement), which it aims to achieve through NDCs. The country has
vouched to reduce its intensity of emission relating to GDP by 30–35% by 2030 (in
comparison to the level in 2005) as a part of unconditional target. Along with this, it
has also made a conditional target of generating 40% power from non-fossil-based
sources by 2030 as a part of the country’s ambitious NDCs. These targets have been
put forward to the United Nations Framework Convention (UNFCCC) on Climate
Change for a global climate accord in 2015 (forming a part of the Paris Agreement) (Paris Agreement, https://unfccc.int/process-and-meetings/the-paris-agreem
ent/what-is-the-paris-agreement) [2].
Electricity generation technologies lead to the generation of carbon dioxide (CO 2 )
and other greenhouse gas emissions in respective of its nature. 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. Emissions can be both direct
and indirect. The direct emissions relate to the operation of the power plant. On the