Create an individual fuel mix using ecoinvent with info on fuel amounts only

Question

Hi all,

this may be a beginner question.

In the ecoinvent database, there are many processes for generating electricity and heat by using different energy sources. What i want to do is create a process that represents the fuel mix of a factory under study which generates electricity and heat on its own by burning different kind of fuels. The factory uses lignite, natural gas and light fuel oil.

The problem is that i have data on the total amount of fuel used, but not on what part of it is converted to electricity and what part is converted to heat. If I understand the processes in the ecoinvent database correctly (e.g. "high voltage electricity, heat and power co-generation, lignite, DE" with the unit [MJ] ), then I am not getting anywhere here with the pure fuel quantity, right? I need the electrical efficiency of the plant in order to then calculate from my fuel quantity the part that is converted into heat and the part that is converted into electricity, which allows me to use the different processes for heat or electricity generation for the respective fuel.

Or is there a simpler way to model this on the basis of the fuel quantities only (by the way, I have data on the total fuel quantity used both in the unit t or m³ and in the unit MJ)?

Thanks for any help and best regards

Roman

Answer 1

Hi Roman, indeed, probably not one power plant uses gas, lignite and LFO at the same time but maybe in different time intervals (gas for start and support, e.g.), or there are different power plants on the same site using different fuels - you will indeed need to use the specific efficiency for each fuel in each case, ideally. Maybe, as simplification, you can assume the same efficiency for all, but maybe even the efficiency and the heat and power share is also linked to the operation mode (short term use maybe creates less heat). Good luck and best wishes, Andreas