QUÉBEC ELECTRICITY, CLEAN ENERGY PAR EXCELLENCE

Comparison of Power Generation Options

Comparison of Electricity Mixes

Third Party Expertise

Comparison of Power Generation Options

HYDRO-QUÉBEC, NORTH AMERICAN LEADER IN THE FIGHT AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE

GHG EMISSION RATE

According to a study by CIRAIG,a the greenhouse gas (GHG) emission rate of hydropower, calculated based on a life cycle assessment (LCA), is very similar to that of nuclear or wind power. However, this emission rate is much lower than that of other power generation options.

a) Centre international de référence sur le cycle de vie des produits, procédés et services.

GHG EMISSION RATE OF HYDROPOWER

5 times lowerthan solar

photovoltaic energy

50 times lowerthan a gas-firedthermal plant

70 times lowerthan a coal-fired

thermal plant

HYDRO-QUÉBEC, NORTH AMERICAN LEADER IN THE FIGHT AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE

GHG EMISSION RATE

GHG EMISSIONS – POWER GENERATION OPTIONS BASED ON LCA (g CO2 eq./kWh)

Hydropower –run-of-river

Hydropower –reservoirb

Nuclear

Continuous-output option

Intermittent-output option

a) Hydro-Québec’s results.

b) Reservoir hydropower differs from run-of-river hydropower with respect to GHG emissions. After it is impounded, a reservoir releases GHG emissions, the emission rate diminishing gradually over the following ten years. This is why GHG emission rates are higher for reservoir hydropower than for run-of-river hydropower.

Wind Solar photovoltaïc

Thermal – natural gas

Thermal – oil

Thermal – coal

317=

316=

216=

24=7=7=4=3=

64

620

878 879

17a1486a

HYDROPOWER, THE CLEANEST OPTION

HYDROPOWER HAS THE SMALLEST ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTHydropower ranks number one among generation options based on the following environmental indicators. It has been also ranked as second for the resource use indicator.

Acidification

Eutrophication

Climate change

Ozone layer depletion

Photochemical oxidation (smog)

Human toxicity

Comparison of Electricity Mixes

QUÉBEC’S ELECTRICITY MIX: 97% RENEWABLE ENERGY

QUÉBEC’S ELECTRICITY MIX

The electricity mix is the energy generated by all electricity generating stations in operation, including purchases from independent producers and imports from neighboring systems.

According to the CIRAIG study, Québec’s electricity mix contributes the least to climate change and has the smallest impact on human health and ecosystem quality.

QUÉBEC’S ELECTRICITY GHG EMISSION RATE

25 times lowerthan Denmark’s mix

30 times lowerthan Germany’s mix

35 times lowerthan the U.S. mix

55 times lowerthan China’s mix

GHG EMISSION RATE

QC

MB

BC NL

ON NB

Nor

way

Swed

en

Fran

ce

Braz

il

Finl

and

Spai

n

Den

mar

k

Port

ugal

Ger

man

y

Mex

ico

Russ

ia

U.S

.A.

Chin

a

Indi

a

Provinces Countries25 68 11

7 288 40

6 491

529 59

3 671 73

2

757

783

1,19

2

450=

348=

220=

205=

212=

185=

212=

102=

45=42=12=8= 160=

142=

132=

105=

70=

18=8=3=

1,53

8

22 31

129

139 33

7

684

GHG EMISSIONS – ELECTRICITY MIX BY PROVINCE AND COUNTRY (g CO2 eq./kWh)

Value shown corresponds to the generation, purchase, import, transmission and distribution of electric power.

GHG EMISSION RATE

Hydro-Québec New YorkVermont New Hampshire

Connecticut Maine Massachusetts Rhode Island

365=

300=

192=

192=

192=

188=

20=12=

3419

374374371 375

589

713

GHG EMISSIONS – HYDRO-QUÉBEC AND SELECTED U.S. STATES (g CO2 eq./kWh)

Value shown corresponds to the generation and transmission of electric power.

QUÉBEC ELECTRICITY,  AMONG THE BEST!

QUÉBEC’S ELECTRICITY MIX – 2012 PRIMARY ENERGY BREAKDOWN (%)

The electricity distributed in Québec:• 80% is generated by Hydro-Québec, mainly

by its hydroelectric generating stations

• 20% is purchased from Québec independent power producers (small hydropower plants or wind, biomass or biogas power) or imported from other Canadian provinces or the U.S. Northeast.

Hydropower95.33%

Thermal – fossilOil 0.03%

Natural gas 0.21%

Coal 0.30%

Nuclear 2.62%

Wind 0.88%

Thermal – renewableBiogas 0.09%

Biomass 0.53%

Third Party Expertise

MANDATE ENTRUSTED TO CIRAIGHydro-Québec asked CIRAIG, a world-renowned centre of expertise in life cycle assessments, to compare different power generation options and the electricity mixes in different parts of the world. CIRAIG based the comparison on life cycle assessments and published a report of the study in 2014 titled Comparaison des filières de production d’électricité et des bouquets d’énergie électriquea (in French only).

a) http://www.hydroquebec.com/developpement-durable/centre-documentation/acv-comparaison-filiere-production-electricite.html

LIFE CYCLE ASSESSMENTA life cycle assessment determines and quantifies the environmental impacts of a product, process or service over its entire life cycle.

Manufacturing/production

Transportation/distribution

Use/consumption

End-of-life/recycling

Resource extraction

© Hydro-Québec Affaires corporatives et secrétariat général

Reproduction authorized with reference to source

Legal deposit – 4th quarter 2015 Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec ISBN 978-2-550-74448-1 ISBN 978-2-550-74449-8 (PDF)

2015G246A

Ce document est également publié en français.

This is a translation of the original French text.