Two Methods Are Used to Generate 1 GWhe of Electricity $30 \%$

question 17

Essay

Two methods are used to generate 1 GWhe of electricity: (1) burning coal with a generation efficiency of $30 \%$ and (2) burning MSW with an efficiency of $25 \%$ . For MSW generation, assume an energy content of $10 \mathrm { MJ } / \mathrm { kg }$ and a total net energy requirement of $5000 \mathrm { MJ } /$ tonne for collection and transportation, which is provided by burning fossil fuels at $20 \%$ efficiency. The MSW consists of $50 \%$ carbon-neutral organic material and $50 \%$ fossil fuel-derived material. Compare the relative contributions to greenhouse gas emissions for these two methods. Ignore any effects of possible carbon sequestration.

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