Page 251 - Materials Chemistry, Second Edition

Hydropower Life-Cycle Inventories:
Methodological Considerations
and Results Based on a Brazilian
Experience

Gil Anderi da Silva, Flávio de Miranda Ribeiro
and Luiz Alexandre Kulay

Abstract Hydropower studies are among the least discussed themes concerning
energy systems life-cycle assessments (LCA). This scarcity may be related both to
the relevance of this energy source in only a small group of countries and to the
difficulty in obtaining the necessary data to conduct those evaluations. The present
chapter gives some useful insights regarding specifically the construction of
hydropower life-cycle inventories (LCI), aiming to help LCA practitioners
involved with environmental evaluation of this source of electricity. Starting with
a brief review of the available studies, methodological considerations are given,
separated by each LCI methodological step. These recommendations are illus-
trated with a case study of Itaipu Hydroelectric Power Plant, the largest energy
plant in operation worldwide, leading to conclusions and recommendations for
further studies. With the present chapter, the authors hope not only to guide, but
encourage the conduction of new hydropower plants LCIs, in order to improve the
actual LCA databases used for renewable energy sources comparison.

G. A. da Silva (&)
President of Brazilian Life-Cycle Association, Coordinator of Pollution Prevention
Group—University of Sao Paulo (GP2-USP), Sao Paulo, Brazil
e-mail: ganderis@usp.br
F. de Miranda Ribeiro L. A. Kulay
Researcher at Pollution Prevention Group—University of Sao Paulo (GP2-USP),
Sao Paulo, Brazil
e-mail: flv.ribeiro@gmail.com
L. A. Kulay
e-mail: luiz.kulay@poli.usp.br

A. Singh et al. (eds.), Life Cycle Assessment of Renewable Energy Sources, 241
Green Energy and Technology, DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4471-5364-1_11,
Ó Springer-Verlag London 2013