Life-Cycle Assessment Applied to Future Scenarios of Electricity Generation in Sicily

Abstract

Fighting global warming and increasing the energy security are some of the most relevant objectives of the European energy policy. Thus, defining potential low carbon pathways for the energy sector is of paramount importance in order to identify strategies with the lowest impact on climate. This paper presents an overview of environmental assessment of future electricity scenarios in Sicily (Italy), for 2020 and 2030, characterized by a high exploitation of renewable energy sources. Authors apply the Life Cycle Assessment methodology, according to the standard of the ISO 14040 series, in order to evaluate the environmental impacts of electricity generation in the future scenarios in comparison to the current situation and to quantify the achievable potential environmental improvements. Due to the increase of electricity generation through renewable sources, results show a significant reduction of the non-renewable primary energy consumption. Among all the examined environmental categories, nearly all present a decrease of the impacts. Then, the results highlight that, although an increase in penetration of technologies fed by renewable energy can improve the eco-profile of the electricity generation, it is not possible to reduce all the environmental impact categories. Data and results of this study are site – specific and updated on current and on future Sicily electricity mix generation that can be used as knowledge base in the definition of low carbon energy strategies in Sicily. Moreover, they can support the decision makers and the local authorities in an “ex ante” evaluation of the energy and climate strategies aimed at reducing the CO2 emissions.