Life cycle assessment of rice straw-based power generation in Malaysia
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
1-1-2014
Abstract
This paper presents an application of LCA (Life Cycle Assessment) with a view to analyzing the environment aspects of rice straw-based power generation in Malaysia. It also compares rice straw-based power generation with that of coal and natural gas. GHG (Greenhouse gas) emission savings were calculated. It finds that rice straw power generation can save GHG (greenhouse gas) emissions of about 1.79kg CO2-eq/kWh compared to coal-based and 1.05kg CO2-eq/kWh with natural gas based power generation. While the development of rice straw-based power generation in Malaysia is still in its early stage, these paddy residues offer a large potential to generate electricity because of their availability. Rice straw power plants not only could solve the problem of removing rice straw from fields without open burning, but also could reduce GHG emissions that contribute to climate change, acidification, and eutrophication, among other environmental problems. © 2014 Elsevier Ltd.
Keywords
Carbon dioxide, Climate change, Eutrophication, Life cycle, Natural gas, Power generation, Emission saving, Environmental problems, Generate electricity, Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), Malaysia, Natural gas based, Open burning, Rice straws
Divisions
fac_eng
Publication Title
Energy
Volume
70
Publisher
Elsevier