Morrow Pacific: Life Cycle Assessment of a Coal Export Project

dc.contributor.advisor

Patiño-Echeverri, Dalia

dc.contributor.author

Bohnengel, Andrew Barrett

dc.date.accessioned

2013-04-25T20:56:47Z

dc.date.available

2013-04-25T20:56:47Z

dc.date.issued

2013-04-25

dc.department

Nicholas School of the Environment and Earth Sciences

dc.description.abstract

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. The Australian firm Ambre Energy is currently pursuing a permit to develop and operate a coal export project in Oregon that will ship 8.8 million tons of Powder River Basin coal annually to Asian markets via rail, river barge, and ocean vessel. This study uses a hybrid life cycle assessment model to conduct the only environmental life cycle analysis of the project to date. Social and environmental impacts are quantified and monetized to provide a full picture of the project’s externalities as a basis for comparison to other energy export alternatives. Findings show that fuel combustion during the three transport phases of the project contributes significant emissions add-ons to the pollution profile of the exported coal. This study highlights the unintended social and environmental consequences of policies intended to reduce air emissions from domestic coal-fired power plants.

dc.identifier.uri

https://hdl.handle.net/10161/6821

dc.language.iso

en_US

dc.subject

coal export

dc.subject

morrow pacific project

dc.subject

Life cycle assessment

dc.subject

energy transport

dc.subject

coal export project

dc.subject

morrow pacific

dc.title

Morrow Pacific: Life Cycle Assessment of a Coal Export Project

dc.type

Master's project

Files

Original bundle

Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
Loading...
Thumbnail Image
Name:
Bohnengel_MP_FINAL.pdf
Size:
1.2 MB
Format:
Adobe Portable Document Format