Skip to main content
Journal cover image

Environmental implications of United States coal exports: a comparative life cycle assessment of future power system scenarios.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Bohnengel, B; Patiño-Echeverri, D; Bergerson, J
Published in: Environmental science & technology
August 2014

Stricter emissions requirements on coal-fired power plants together with low natural gas prices have contributed to a recent decline in the use of coal for electricity generation in the United States. Faced with a shrinking domestic market, many coal companies are taking advantage of a growing coal export market. As a result, U.S. coal exports hit an all-time high in 2012, fueled largely by demand in Asia. This paper presents a comparative life cycle assessment of two scenarios: a baseline scenario in which coal continues to be burned domestically for power generation, and an export scenario in which coal is exported to Asia. For the coal export scenario we focus on the Morrow Pacific export project being planned in Oregon by Ambre Energy that would ship 8.8 million tons of Powder River Basin (PRB) coal annually to Asian markets via rail, river barge, and ocean vessel. Air emissions (SOx, NOx, PM10 and CO2e) results assuming that the exported coal is burned for electricity generation in South Korea are compared to those of a business as usual case in which Oregon and Washington's coal plants, Boardman and Centralia, are retrofitted to comply with EPA emissions standards and continue their coal consumption. Findings show that although the environmental impacts of shipping PRB coal to Asia are significant, the combination of superior energy efficiency among newer South Korean coal-fired power plants and lower emissions from U.S. replacement of coal with natural gas could lead to a greenhouse gas reduction of 21% in the case that imported PRB coal replaces other coal sources in this Asian country. If instead PRB coal were to replace natural gas or nuclear generation in South Korea, greenhouse gas emissions per unit of electricity generated would increase. Results are similar for other air emissions such as SOx, NOx and PM. This study provides a framework for comparing energy export scenarios and highlights the importance of complete life cycle assessment in determining net emissions effects resulting from energy export projects and related policy decisions.

Duke Scholars

Altmetric Attention Stats
Dimensions Citation Stats

Published In

Environmental science & technology

DOI

EISSN

1520-5851

ISSN

0013-936X

Publication Date

August 2014

Volume

48

Issue

16

Start / End Page

9908 / 9916

Related Subject Headings

  • United States
  • Rivers
  • Republic of Korea
  • Power Plants
  • Oregon
  • Natural Gas
  • Greenhouse Effect
  • Environmental Sciences
  • Environment
  • Electricity
 

Citation

APA
Chicago
ICMJE
MLA
NLM
Bohnengel, B., Patiño-Echeverri, D., & Bergerson, J. (2014). Environmental implications of United States coal exports: a comparative life cycle assessment of future power system scenarios. Environmental Science & Technology, 48(16), 9908–9916. https://doi.org/10.1021/es5015828
Bohnengel, Barrett, Dalia Patiño-Echeverri, and Joule Bergerson. “Environmental implications of United States coal exports: a comparative life cycle assessment of future power system scenarios.Environmental Science & Technology 48, no. 16 (August 2014): 9908–16. https://doi.org/10.1021/es5015828.
Bohnengel B, Patiño-Echeverri D, Bergerson J. Environmental implications of United States coal exports: a comparative life cycle assessment of future power system scenarios. Environmental science & technology. 2014 Aug;48(16):9908–16.
Bohnengel, Barrett, et al. “Environmental implications of United States coal exports: a comparative life cycle assessment of future power system scenarios.Environmental Science & Technology, vol. 48, no. 16, Aug. 2014, pp. 9908–16. Epmc, doi:10.1021/es5015828.
Bohnengel B, Patiño-Echeverri D, Bergerson J. Environmental implications of United States coal exports: a comparative life cycle assessment of future power system scenarios. Environmental science & technology. 2014 Aug;48(16):9908–9916.
Journal cover image

Published In

Environmental science & technology

DOI

EISSN

1520-5851

ISSN

0013-936X

Publication Date

August 2014

Volume

48

Issue

16

Start / End Page

9908 / 9916

Related Subject Headings

  • United States
  • Rivers
  • Republic of Korea
  • Power Plants
  • Oregon
  • Natural Gas
  • Greenhouse Effect
  • Environmental Sciences
  • Environment
  • Electricity