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Figure
PBFC = pressurised fluidised bed combustion, CHP = combined heat and power, CCGT = combined cycle gas turbine, LWR = light water reactor, PWR = pressurised water reactor.
To calculate the external costs (Eurocents/Kwh) for the EU for each fuel/technology the following data were needed: 1) pollutant-specific emissions, for the EU, from each fuel/technology used for electricity production (from ExternE-Pol). Average emissions per unit of electricity generation include emissions from the operation of the power plant and the rest of the energy chain; 2) pollutant-specific (SO2, NOX, NMVOCs and PM2.5), EU-average (based on country-specific values), damage cost factors (high and low from CAFE); 3) pollutant specific, common to all countries, non-environmental social costs for non-fossil fuels (from ExternE-Pol and RECaBS for nuclear accidents); 4) ExternE-Pol damage cost factors for CO2, common to all countries (low, from ExternE-Pol and high, from Watkiss et al. (2005). Damage cost factors are not fuel specific but pollutant specific (e.g. the same SO2 factor applies to all fuels, lignite, hard coal etc). The external-costs estimate for a particular pollutant is different depending on the fuel because of different average emissions per kWh.
The external costs from nuclear have to be treated with caution, as only parts of the externalities are included. The costs reflect to a large extent the small amount of emissions of CO2 and air pollutants, radioactive emissions (primarily from downstream radioactive emissions from mine tailings along with a minor portion from operation of the plant itself). A key issue is related to the treatment of potential damage from nuclear accidents:
RECaBS states that the estimate of 0.25 Eurocents/kWh also takes into account that future plants are assumed to be considerably safer than existing plants and that public anxiety about nuclear power is assigned an economic value.
For references, please go to https://www.eea.europa.eu/data-and-maps/figures/estimated-average-eu-external-costs or scan the QR code.
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