Carbon Footprint Estimation of an Indian Thermal Power Plant …
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D. Total/Annual Carbon Footprint
Total CF based on the summing up of emissions at each stage of the life cycle of the
power plant following LCA approach for the year 2016–2017 was 120,92,470 tCO 2 e.
This emission resulted from annual generation of 7050 million kWh of electricity.
Direct emission (120,63,705 tCO2e) resulting from burning of coal for production
operations and business travel by employees and officers constitutes the lions share
(around 99%) in the total CF and indirect emissions (28,762 tCO2e) constituting
of upstream and downstream emissions made a minor contribution of one per cent
therein.
Upstream indirect emissions (27,112 tCO2e) encompass emission resulting from
transportation of raw materials like coal, fuel, chemicals, business journeys of
officers/employees, energy used for running the offices for administrative purposes.
Downstream indirect emissions (1,650 tCO2e) constitute of transportation of
wastes to various agencies and industries for recycling and transporting by-products
to various end users and companies.
Based on these results, the green options adopted and the SDGs impacted and
achieved by the plant have been discussed in the following section for addressing
GHG reductions and associated climate change issues.
6 Green Options Adopted by the Unit and SDGs Achieved
From the CF results obtained, it is understandable that GHG emission reductions
across life cycle of the production process need to be addressed through mitigation
pathways so as to reduce negative impacts of climate change. Deferring climate
mitigation and adaptation responses would lead to an adverse environmental impact
and relegate the vision of sustainable development. In this given backdrop, based
on the results of annual CF, environmental impact made by the power plant at each
stage of LCA and the extent to which LCA impact categories contribute towards the
SDGs involved has been projected in Table 2.
Also green options adopted by the plant through energy conservation to contribute
towards lowering of CF and through ash handling to reduce negative environmental
effects are discussed below. Green options have been adopted through energy conservation to contribute towards lowering of CF and through ash handling to reduce negative environmental effects. The unit invested Rs.13.5 crores towards green initiatives
in 2016–17.
Energy Conservation
• Auxiliary Power Consumption (APC) was reduced to 9.56% by tap changing
operation of transformers.
• Old Capacitor Voltage Transformer (CVT) of low accuracy was replaced by 0.2
classes CVT and replacement of cartridges resulted in the reduction of current
consumption by 10 Ampere (AMP) and power consumption by 100 KWh.
105
D. Total/Annual Carbon Footprint
Total CF based on the summing up of emissions at each stage of the life cycle of the
power plant following LCA approach for the year 2016–2017 was 120,92,470 tCO 2 e.
This emission resulted from annual generation of 7050 million kWh of electricity.
Direct emission (120,63,705 tCO2e) resulting from burning of coal for production
operations and business travel by employees and officers constitutes the lions share
(around 99%) in the total CF and indirect emissions (28,762 tCO2e) constituting
of upstream and downstream emissions made a minor contribution of one per cent
therein.
Upstream indirect emissions (27,112 tCO2e) encompass emission resulting from
transportation of raw materials like coal, fuel, chemicals, business journeys of
officers/employees, energy used for running the offices for administrative purposes.
Downstream indirect emissions (1,650 tCO2e) constitute of transportation of
wastes to various agencies and industries for recycling and transporting by-products
to various end users and companies.
Based on these results, the green options adopted and the SDGs impacted and
achieved by the plant have been discussed in the following section for addressing
GHG reductions and associated climate change issues.
6 Green Options Adopted by the Unit and SDGs Achieved
From the CF results obtained, it is understandable that GHG emission reductions
across life cycle of the production process need to be addressed through mitigation
pathways so as to reduce negative impacts of climate change. Deferring climate
mitigation and adaptation responses would lead to an adverse environmental impact
and relegate the vision of sustainable development. In this given backdrop, based
on the results of annual CF, environmental impact made by the power plant at each
stage of LCA and the extent to which LCA impact categories contribute towards the
SDGs involved has been projected in Table 2.
Also green options adopted by the plant through energy conservation to contribute
towards lowering of CF and through ash handling to reduce negative environmental
effects are discussed below. Green options have been adopted through energy conservation to contribute towards lowering of CF and through ash handling to reduce negative environmental effects. The unit invested Rs.13.5 crores towards green initiatives
in 2016–17.
Energy Conservation
• Auxiliary Power Consumption (APC) was reduced to 9.56% by tap changing
operation of transformers.
• Old Capacitor Voltage Transformer (CVT) of low accuracy was replaced by 0.2
classes CVT and replacement of cartridges resulted in the reduction of current
consumption by 10 Ampere (AMP) and power consumption by 100 KWh.