This dissertation was written as a part of the MSc in Energy Management at the
International Hellenic University.
In the current dissertation a study is made, where the impact of the construction and
operation of a hydropower plant is assessed. To produce the impact assessment results in
question the software openLCA is used. The power plant used in this paper is considered
to be located in Greece and of the storage variety with a concrete dam and an installed
capacity of 100MW for electricity production. The categories selected are global warming
potential, acidification and eutrophication, all expressed in kg of their equivalent per kWh
of electricity produced. In order to interpret the results, they are compared with two other
electricity production methods, mainly a lignite power plant and a plant that operates with
natural gas. In the end, the results show that the environmental impact of a hydroelectric
power plant in Greece is considerably smaller compared to fossil fuels operated
installations. The main reason is the use of a free fuel which is water. The biggest impact
of a hydroelectric power plant is considered to be the land transformation because of the
construction of the dam.
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