Marginal Generation Technology in the Chinese Power Market towards 2030 Based on Consequential Life Cycle Assessment

Guangling Zhao, Josep M. Guerrero and Yingying Pei
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Guangling Zhao: Department of Energy Conversion and Storage, Technical University of Denmark, Frederiksborgvej 399, Roskilde 4000, Denmark
Josep M. Guerrero: Department of Energy Technology, Aalborg University, Aalborg 9220, Denmark
Yingying Pei: Department of Environmental and Economy, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing 100012, China

Energies, 2016, vol. 9, issue 10, 1-14

Abstract: Electricity consumption is often the hotspot of life cycle assessment (LCA) of products, industrial activities, or services. The objective of this paper is to provide a consistent, scientific, region-specific electricity-supply-based inventory of electricity generation technology for national and regional power grids. Marginal electricity generation technology is pivotal in assessing impacts related to additional consumption of electricity. China covers a large geographical area with regional supply grids; these are arguably equally or less integrated. Meanwhile, it is also a country with internal imbalances in regional energy supply and demand. Therefore, we suggest an approach to achieve a geographical subdivision of the Chinese electricity grid, corresponding to the interprovincial regional power grids, namely the North, the Northeast, the East, the Central, the Northwest, and the Southwest China Grids, and the China Southern Power Grid. The approach combines information from the Chinese national plans on for capacity changes in both production and distribution grids, and knowledge of resource availability. The results show that nationally, marginal technology is coal-fired electricity generation, which is the same scenario in the North and Northwest China Grid. In the Northeast, East, and Central China Grid, nuclear power gradually replaces coal-fired electricity and becomes the marginal technology. In the Southwest China Grid and the China Southern Power Grid, the marginal electricity is hydropower towards 2030.

Keywords: marginal technology; power grid; consequential life cycle assessment; China (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2016
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

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