Key factors influencing hydropower carbon footprint assessment and geo-regional research trends
LI Peng1, BAI Xiao-xuan1, DING Ning2, ZHAO Si-qi2, LI Chao1, ZHOU Wei-qing1, ZHANG Gao-xiang2
1. State Grid Jibei Electric Power Co., Ltd. Electric Power Research Institute, Beijing 100045, China; 2. State Key Laboratory of Urban and Regional Ecology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China
Abstract：This research addressed the issue of low-carbon development in hydropower, provided a review of the key factors influencing the carbon footprint of hydropower and the regional variations in these footprints. The findings of this research indicated an increasing global focus on research into the carbon footprint of hydropower. Case studies revealed that the primary contributors to the hydropower carbon footprint were the manufacture of construction materials and engineering activities during the construction phase, as well as energy consumption by equipment during the operation and maintenance phase. This research identified key factors affecting hydropower carbon emissions, including the type of hydropower, installed capacity, water storage volume, reservoir area, and life cycle stages. Furthermore, from a geographical perspective, it explored the regional variation in hydropower carbon emissions, highlighting the impact of differences in climate, precipitation, and ecological environment due to geographical location on the hydropower carbon footprint.
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