The climate mitigation cost of power generation in Colombia: loss of potential carbon sequestration from land use in renewables vs. direct emissions from fossil fuels

Abstract

ABSTRACT : Renewable energy (RE) technologies have been considered a key tool for climate change mitigation and ultimately for the reduction of greenhouse gases (GHG). However, research shows the existence of negative impacts associated mainly with the environmental component of these energies. One of them is the land use occupation, which implies other indirect impacts such as the loss of ecosystem services, including the loss of carbon sequestration (non-assimilated carbon) of the ecosystems that occur naturally in the area occupied by the generation technology. Therefore, it is necessary to assess the trade-offs between non-assimilated carbon and energy generation by renewable sources, to effectively assess the capacity of these technologies to reduce GHG emissions at the generation stage. This analysis is particularly relevant in Colombia, where the expansion and diversification of the energy matrix is currently taking place. We assess the potential trade-offs between carbon capture and direct emissions associated with the main sources of electric energy generation in Colombia (hydropower, thermopower, wind, and solar plants). We used MODIS products and national data to estimate non-assimilated carbon capture for RE plants, and only national data to estimate emissions impact for thermopower plants. The results show that (1) wind plants have the highest land occupation impact, while (2) solar plants have the lowest. (3) Hydropower plants have the highest non-assimilated carbon impact, but (4) compared to thermal emissions impact is significantly low. Also, (5) solar plants pretend to be the most impacting (in terms of occupied area), however, wind plants overcome its land occupation impact, but not its non-assimilated carbon impact (for a difference of 1.45 Ton CO2 /GWh). We can conclude that this impact could be considered in future energy plants assessments and contribute with climate change mitigation (or sustainability approaches).