CO₂ emission factor for electricity generation in Ecuador during the period 2001-2014

• Main Author: René Parra Narváez
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Universidad San Francisco de Quito 2015-12-01
• Series: ACI Avances en Ciencias e Ingenierías
• Subjects: huella ecológica; huella de carbono; mix de generación; sustentabilidad; rendimiento energético
• Online Access: http://revistas.usfq.edu.ec/index.php/avances/article/view/269

<p>Electricity is a key energetic component to socio-economic development. Its production is based on the consumption of non-renewable resources (fossil fuels), renewable sources and nuclear energy. The generation by fossil fuels produces the emission of air pollutants and greenhouse gases, whose magnitude directly depends on the configuration of the matrix or mix of power generation from a country or region. Globally the percentage of CO₂ emissions attributed to electricity and heat generation reaches 41%. The CO₂ emission factors for electricity generation in Ecuador were estimated for the period 2001-2014. The results vary between 241.0 and 397.5 g CO₂ kWh^-1. The highest value corresponds to 2010, the year with the highest participation of non-renewable resources (52.2%). The lower value corresponds to 2003, year with lowest participation of non-renewable resources (34.5%).</p><p>The most recent value, for the year 2014, is 342.6 g CO₂ kWh^-1. This emission factor serves to establish indicators of sustainability, as the carbon or the ecological footprint. It is a basic parameter in energy planning and in estimation of greenhouse gases emissions.</p>