The role of life-cycle indicators in energy planning: road transport and power generation in Spain

Abstract

The integration of life-cycle indicators into energy systems modelling (ESM) constitutes a relevant step forward for both Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) practitioners willing to perform prospective analyses and energy modellers willing to move from customary techno-economic strategies to sustainability-oriented ones. This work presents the rationale and key features of a combined LCA + ESM method to evolve lifecycle sustainability indicators soundly (Figure 1). In particular, two of the most important economic sectors in Spain are proposed for the application of the method: power generation and road transport. The analysis of the power generation sector is focused on the production side. In this sense, the optimisation-based energy model developed for Spain allows testing different energy policies related to the implementation of e.g. emission constraints, externalities and/or renewable energy targets. Through the endogenous integration of a number of life-cycle indicators of the production technologies into the ESM framework, the conventional set of prospective techno-economic results is significantly extended in terms of sustainability. This has allowed analysts to evaluate not only the evolution of the electricity production mix and the system costs under several scenarios, but also the evolution of life-cycle indicators such as human health, climate change, resources and/or ecosystem quality. Similar research efforts are being currently made for the road transport sector due to its high socioeconomic and environmental relevance in Spain at the national and regional levels. The research activity in this field attempts to plan a sensible implementation of alternative fuels (biofuels, electricity, hydrogen, natural gas, etc.) and the associated technologies by taking into account the evolution of multi-dimensional aspects. Overall, LCA + ESM strategies pave the way for sensible energy roadmaps actually oriented to the sustainability goal. Acknowledgements: The authors would like to thank the Regional Government of Madrid (S2013/MAE2882) and the Spanish Ministry of Economy, Industry and Competitiveness (ENE2015-74607-JIN AEI/FEDER/UE) for financial support.

Full text

The role of life-cycle indicators in energy planning: road transport and power
generation in Spain
Diego IRIBARREN1, Diego GARCÍA-GUSANO1, Javier DUFOUR2
1 IMDEA Energía, Spain
2 Rey Juan Carlos University, Spain
The integration of life-cycle indicato rs into energy s ystems modelling (ESM) cons titutes a relevant s tep
forward for b oth Life Cycle A sses s ment (LCA) practitioners willing to perform pros pective an alys es and
energy modellers willing to move from cus tomary techno-economic s trategies to sus tainability-oriented
ones. This work presents the rationale and key features of a combined LCA + ESM method to evolve life-
cycle sustainability indicators soundly (Figure 1). In particular, two of the most important economic sectors
in Spain are proposed for the application of the method : power generation and road trans port.
The analysis of the power generation s ector is focus ed on the production s ide. In this s ense, the
optimisation-based energy model developed for Spain allows testing different energy policies related to the
implementation of e.g. emission constraints , externalities and/or renewable energy targets . Through the
endog enous integration of a number of life-cycle indicators of the production technologies into the ESM
framework, the conventional s et of prospective techno-economic res ults is significantly extended in terms
of s ustainability. This has allowed analys ts to evaluate not o nly the evolution of the electricity production
mix and the s ystem costs u nder s everal s cenarios , but also the evolution o f life-cycle indicators s uch as
human health, climate change, resources and /or ecosys tem quality.
Similar research efforts are being currently made for the road transport sector due to its high so cio-
economic and environmental relevance in Spain at the national and reg ional levels. The research activity in
this field attempts to plan a sens ible implementation of alternative fuels (biofuels, electricity, hyd rogen,
natural gas, etc.) and the asso ciated technologies by taking into account the evolution of multi-dimens ional
aspects . Overall, LCA + ESM strategies pave the way for sens ible energy roadmaps actu ally oriented to the
sus tainability goal.
Acknowledgements : The authors would like to thank the Regional Government of Madrid (S2013/MAE-
2882) and the Spanish Ministry of Economy, Industry and Competitiveness (ENE2015-74607-JIN
AEI/FEDER/UE) for financial support.
[Figure 1. Endogenous integration of life-cycle indicators into energy sy s tem models.]