Techno-ecological synergies of hydropower plants: Insights from GHG mitigation

Hydropower is a source of climate-friendly energy; however, its ecological impacts have been criticized. Few studieshave considered the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions resulting from ecosystem restoration. This study proposes atechno-ecological synergy framework based on life cycle assessment (LCA) to evaluate 34 hydropower plants (HPs)in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River from GHG supply and demand side perspectives. Our results show thatthe demand unit carbon footprint of the 34 HPs ranged from 5.43 to 49.36 g CO2-eq/kWh, while the imputed GHGemissions from ecosystem restoration occupied 1.22 % to 30.35 %. The unit carbon footprint of large HPs were largerthan those of small HPs, and both were positively correlated with the installed capacity of the HPs. All the HPs wereunsustainable at the local scale and relied on regional ecosystem supplies. The Sobol' sensitivity analysis and MonteCarlo simulations demonstrated the reliability of our results. Finally, our results were used to consider the related policy implications

Automated summary

This study evaluates the greenhouse gas emissions of 34 hydropower plants in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River using a life cycle assessment approach. The results show that emissions from ecosystem restoration contribute to the total emissions of the hydropower plants. Large hydropower plants have a higher carbon footprint compared to small ones, and all the hydropower plants are unsustainable at the local scale.