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In recent years, there has been a focus on clean power generation, and it is critical to assess the environmental impact of novel technologies used in pollution control in power generation. The study uses life cycle assessment (LCA) to assess the environmental impacts of coal-fired thermal power plants with different emission control techniques in an Indian scenario. As there are no such studies available in the Indian context, this work might provide a holistic view of the impacts of energy generation. A supercritical coal-fired plant with a capacity of 660 MW is considered in this study. The system boundary included coal extraction, transportation, power plant operation, and transmission losses of electricity with a functional unit of 1 kWh. It was observed that there was an energy penalty due to the power consumed in emission control devices, but the maximum energy penalty was due to the power used in the carbon capture system. The LCA is done from “cradle to gate”, with impact indicators at the mid-point evaluated using the RECIPE (H) 2016 LCIA method. LCA results showed that power plant operation is the most significant contributor to environmental impact. Initially, in cases 1 and 2, climate change (CC) potential was a major impact category, but CC potential was reduced with carbon capture and storage, 0.27 kg CO 2 eq. in case 3 with ESP, FGD, SCR, and carbon capture and storage (CCS) and 0.263 kg CO 2 eq. in case 4 with ESP and CCS. But there was a considerable increase in the majority of the impact categories in case 4. Freshwater consumption potential increased from 3.98 E−03 m 3 in base case 1 to 4.98 E−03 m 3 in case 3 due to the amount of water used in chemical production during CCS, as CC potential is a major concern in power generation, However, compared to case 1, the potential for climate change increased in case 2, whilst in case 4, the potential for climate change is lower but has resulted in an increase in the majority of impact categories. Case 3 shows an optimal approach to reducing CO 2 emissions compared to other cases. The combination of ESP, FGD, SCR, and CCS is favourable for cleaner energy generation.

The study’s objective is to evaluate and compare the sustainability of power production techniques for India’s transition to clean power generation. It specifically focuses on coal-based power generation with emission control technologies, flue gas desulfurization (FGD) with carbon capture and storage (CCS), and compares it with solar photovoltaic (PV) systems. The study conducted a life cycle assessment (LCA) to determine the environmental impact of electricity generation in each scenario. Inventory data has been collected for each case through plant visits, emission modelling, and literature searches. The study evaluated midpoint and endpoint impact indicators utilizing the ReCiPe (H) assessment methodology. The economic viability of all the cases was determined by calculating the levelized cost of electricity (LCOE). The results showed that retrofitting an existing power plant with flue gas desulfurization (FGD) and carbon capture and storage (CCS) reduced efficiency by 30%, required 1.2 times more auxiliary power, and increased heat rates. The LCA results showed that the global warming potential (GwP) for FGD and CCS together was 0.614 kg CO 2 eq. per kWh of power generation. On the other hand, the GwP for the solar PV system was much lower, at 0.043 kg CO 2 eq. per kWh. There were trade-offs in both cases, but solar PV plants are more environmentally friendly than thermal power plants equipped with CCS systems in almost all categories. Furthermore, the LCOE results showed Rs 3.87 per kWh for an on-grid solar PV plant and Rs 5.33 for thermal power, with CCS and FGD showing solar as an economically more feasible option. Retrofitting thermal power facilities with emission control technology is necessary to achieve net zero emissions, but transition to renewable energy sources is inevitable.

Thermal power generation is economical in the current scenario, but it is a water-intensive process, resulting in a high-water footprint. In this research, life cycle water use (LCWU) was assessed for three coal-based thermal power plant in India. The LCWU was found to be in the range of 2.5 to 3.5 L-kWh −1 . The results of the LCWU of coal-based thermal power plants in India are higher than the global average of 1.75 L-kWh −1 . In order to reduce the dependency on water, air-cooled condenser (ACC) with a novel approach of reducing temperature of air before entering into condenser is purposed using vapour absorption chillers. A 300 MW thermal power plant located in the South India region is chosen to illustrate the application of the proposed system. Initially, waste heat from flue gas is used to run a vapour absorption chiller, and finally a solar-assisted vapour compression chiller is used. Also, in order to utilize large coastal lines in India, an alternate approach of sea water cooling-based thermal power generation is investigated. A 2 MW steam turbine plant utilizing deep sea water is designed and analysed. In seawater cooling system the condenser temperature is reduced, increasing efficiency by 1.9% and power output by 133 kW. It resulted in power generation with multiple benefits, including cooling, desalinated water, and increased plant efficiency. The outcomes of this study provide information on water use in Indian thermal power plants along with its comparative assessment. A study of ACCs and seawater-cooled condensers is also an opportunity to reduce the life-cycle water use in thermal power plants in India.