Given the current EU decarbonization targets, the railway transport is a key player to boost mobility toward more sustainable transportation, as it is currently the cleanest high-volume mode of locomotion available. However, a study analyzing the life cycle environmental impact of the existing conventional Portuguese railway has never been performed. Aiming to address this research gap, this paper presents an attributional life cycle assessment (LCA) to quantify the environmental impacts of the Portuguese railway infrastructure and rolling stock, using the Douro line case study. Through the LCA methodology, the current setting (using electric and diesel rolling stock) and three scenarios of full-line electrification (considering 2019, 2030, and 2050 electricity mixes) were analyzed for hotspot identification and an outlook on EU-aligned long-term sustainability prospects. In the current scenario, railway operation accounts for 74% of the total carbon footprint, mostly due to the fuel use of diesel trains and the expended electricity of electric train and infrastructure operation. The total electrification of the line and rolling stock can reduce carbon emissions by 38%, 56%, and 63%, if the 2019, 2030, and 2050 electricity mixes are considered, respectively. Further reductions could also be achieved with on-site renewable energy generation and through future low-carbon construction work strategies.

No abstract

The continuous growth of environmental awareness, as well as high oil prices has increased interest in energy issues. The prospect of clean electrical energy generation has been a strategic priority of many governments that has driven to a massive investment on the renewable energy, mainly wind power. Although the process of generating electricity from renewable sources does not contribute to greenhouse gas emissions and does not suffer from depletion, the variability of the power source introduces a volatility effect that affects the required electricity amount to be produced by conventional fossil fuel power plants. Addressing the cost of electricity production, we briefly evaluate the total social cost of electricity generation for the different technologies by using a life cycle cost assessment. We focus the analysis on the Iberian market, by presenting some results considering historical data, as well as some future projections.