Life Cycle Assessment of the Geothermal Power Plant in the Patuha Geothermal Field, Indonesia
Author: Gloria Gladis Sondakh
Year: 2022
Supervisors: Dr. Einar Jón Ásbjörnsson, Dr. Marta Rós Karlsdóttir, Dr. David Christian Finger
Abstract:
Every country is aiming to increase the usage of clean energy, which releases very minimal quantities of green house gases (GHG). In comparison to other energy sources, geothermal energy is seen as a cleaner and more environmentally friendly source. On a global scale, geoethermal power plants emit an average of 122 g CO2/kWh. PT Geo Dipa Energi (GeoDipa), which owns a 55 MW geothermal power plant in Indonesia, has implemented a number of strategies to achieve environmentally friendly production.
A Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) program is needed to assess the environmental impacts of a specific power plant. The primary objective of this LCA research is to assess the potential negative impacts on the environment of the geothermal drilling, construction, and operation of the Patuha geothermal power plant. The LCA method for this research relies on the general framework outlined in ISO 14040:2006 and ISO 14044 for environmental management, which includes goal and scope definition, inventory analysis, impact assessment, and interpretation.
According to the results of the research, climate change was found to have the most important environmental impact among the environmental impacts assessed. The drilling, construction, and operation stages emit 43,3 g CO2 eq/kWh, with the operation stage being the most significant contributor, accounting for 41,94 g CO2 eq/kWh due to CO2 emissions from the cooling tower. Another major contributor to climate change is the use of materials, such as steel for machinery and foundations, as well as the use of concrete. This research discovered that the CO2 emissions at the Patuha geothermal power plant are lower than the global average for geothermal power generation.