Externalities from lignite mining-related dust emissions

During the last three decades, several studies have been conducted in order to assess the external costs of electricity production from fossil fuels, especially coal and lignite. Nevertheless, these studies usually ignore the impacts generated by the upstream mining works. This paper contributes to...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Energy policy 2014-11, Vol.74, p.414-424
Main Authors: Papagiannis, A., Roussos, D., Menegaki, M., Damigos, D.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Air pollution
Applied sciences
Coal
Coal and derived products
Cost
Cost estimates
Costs
Deposition
Dispersions
Dust
Dust emission
Eastern Europe
Economic data
Electric power
Electricity
Electricity generation
Emission
Emissions
Energy
Energy costs
Energy economics
Energy policy
Exact sciences and technology
Externalities
Fossil fuels
Fossil fuels and derived products
Fossil-fuelled electricity production
Fuels
General, economic and professional studies
Greece
Greeks
Lignite
Lignite mining
Macedonia
Mining
Pollution control
Power generation
Production
Studies
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Summary:During the last three decades, several studies have been conducted in order to assess the external costs of electricity production from fossil fuels, especially coal and lignite. Nevertheless, these studies usually ignore the impacts generated by the upstream mining works. This paper contributes to existing literature and attempts to fill this gap by exploring the externalities of lignite mining owing to the emission of suspended particulate matter. To this end, a ‘bottom-up’ approach is implemented, using as case study the largest operational lignite surface mine at the Lignite Center of Western Macedonia (Greece). The results indicate that annual air pollution externalities of lignite mining are of the order of 3€/ton of lignite, which corresponds to around 5.0 €/MWh. The estimated costs are significantly lower, i.e. up to 80%, when dust deposition is considered in air dispersion models. In any case, these findings should be seen as a starting point for discussion owing to the lack of specific emission rates for Greek lignite mines. •Externalities from lignite mining-related dust emissions are 3 €/t of lignite.•Externalities of mining correspond to around 5.0 €/MWh.•Externalities are significantly lower, up to 80%, if dust deposition is considered.•There is lack of specific dust emission rates for lignite mining.•There are high discrepancies in existing dust emission rates for lignite mining.
ISSN:0301-4215
1873-6777
DOI:10.1016/j.enpol.2014.08.026