Value chain · CLM-0836
In plain terms
A 2022 life-cycle study set its estimate of 23.6 grams of carbon dioxide equivalent per kilowatt-hour for the UK Space Energy Initiative's planned programme against an average of 233 grams for the UK energy fuel mix in the government's 2020 figures, and quoted a 2021 United Nations commission report's global ranges for coal, gas, nuclear, hydro, solar and wind to show roughly where that programme would sit among them.
The claim as recorded
SRC-016 benchmarks its own 23.6 gCO2e/kWh roadmap figure against "an average carbon intensity of 233 gCO2e/kWh for the UK energy fuel mix" citing BEIS 2020, and separately quotes a UNECE 2021 lifecycle electricity report giving, across twelve global regions, coal without CCS 751-1095 gCO2e/kWh falling to 147-469 with CCS, gas combined cycle 403-513 falling to 49-220 with CCS, nuclear 5.1-6.4, hydropower 6-147, concentrated solar power 27-122, photovoltaics 8-83, onshore wind 7.8-16 and offshore wind 12-23 gCO2e/kWh.
Evidence behind this: SRC-016 is itself T2 for its own process-based LCA, but this record carries only ranges SRC-016 QUOTES from a third-party UNECE 2021 synthesis covering twelve global regions, which SRC-016 did not recompute or boundary-check. Per the register's weakest-link rule the claim takes the quoted source's tier, T3.
Scope and limits
These are figures SRC-016 QUOTES from UNECE 2021, not figures it computed. UNECE's methodology, system boundary, load factor and regional assumptions must not be attributed to SRC-016's own LCA, and this record may not be used as SRC-016 independently confirming them. SRC-016 states on p.16 that its own system boundary "had a wider scope than the UNECE study, also including aspects such as design activities", which it judges to have an effect below 1 per cent, so the two are not strictly like for like. The 233 figure carries SRC-016's own term "UK energy fuel mix"; "grid average" is not the source's wording and must not be substituted. Figure 3 on p.15, which the text calls the UNECE study's results, plots some ranges differently from these highlights: hard coal without CCS from 753, coal with CCS 149 to 470, gas with CCS 92 to 221, CSP from 14 and photovoltaics from 7.4 gCO2e/kWh; this record carries the highlights as printed, and the figure's caption cites reference [31], the Climate Change Committee, not [33]. The paper also says (p.3) that the third-party critical review the ISO standards require for its comparisons with terrestrial energy systems was still to be done (CLM-0832). The 233 benchmark is reference [32], the UK government's greenhouse gas reporting conversion factors for 2020 (p.18).
What it assumes
No assumptions are recorded against this claim.
Where it comes from
p.14: "This compares to an average carbon intensity of 233 gCO2e/kWh for the UK energy fuel mix [32]." p.15 highlights, quoted in parts: "Coal power shows the highest scores, with a minimum of 751 gCO2e/kWh (IGCC, USA) and a maximum of 1095 gCO2e/kWh (pulverised coal, China). Equipped with a carbon dioxide capture facility, and accounting for the CO2 storage, this score can fall to 147-469 gCO2e/kWh (respectively)." ... "A natural gas combined cycle plant can emit 403-513 gCO2e/kWh from a life cycle perspective, and anywhere between 49 and 220 gCO2e/kWh with CCS." ... "with 5.1-6.4 gCO2e/kWh, the fuel chain ('front-end') contributes most to the overall emissions." ... "Hydropower shows the most variability, as emissions are highly site-specific, ranging from 6 to 147 gCO2e/kWh." ... "Solar technologies generate GHG emissions ranging from 27 to 122 gCO2e/kWh for concentrated solar power (CSP), and 8-83 gCO2e/kWh for photovoltaics" ... "Wind power GHG emissions vary between 7.8 and 16 gCO2e/kWh for onshore, and 12 and 23 gCO2e/kWh for offshore turbines."
Related records
- Answers question
- QST-008 not published in this release
Cite this
energyaperture.com/c/clm-0836
CLM-0836, Energy Aperture, as of 2022.
Connected records
Other published records linked to this one. A list, not a judgement.
- Also from SRC-016
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