Additional information on calculating the emission factors of Chile for the JCM

Summary
To secure net emission reductions in the methodology, the following reference emission factors will beapplied depending on the grid to which a proposed project activity will connect in Chile:••

Table 1 summarises the applied reference emission factors for the biomass power plant in a
proposed project activity, which is directly connected to a regional grid, or connected to a regional
grid via an internal grid not connecting to a captive power generator (Case 1).
Table 1 also summarises the applied reference emission factors for the biomass power plant in a
proposed project activity, which is connected to an internal grid connecting to both a regional gridand a captive power generator (Case 2).
Table 1. Reference emission factor for Case 1 and Case 2
Regional grid nameEmission factor for Case 1Emission factor for Case 2(tCO2/MWh)(tCO2/MWh)
SEN (National System)
0.361
0.361
Aysén System
0.214
0.214
Magallanes System
0.348
0.348

•

A reference emission factor of 0.533 t-CO2/MWh is applied, in the case that the biomass power
plant in a proposed project activity is only connected to an internal grid connecting to a captive
power generator (Case 3).

1. Status of the electricity system in Chile
The Chilean electric power grid is organised into three independent systems1 (Figure 1): the National
Electricity System (SEN, Sistema Eléctrico Nacional), which is the interconnecting system of theCentral System (SIC, Sistema Interconectado Central) and the Northern System (SING, Sistema
Interconectado Norte Grande) since November 2017, serving the northern and central part of thecountry; and two small systems, Aysén and Magallanes serving the south. All electric power
generation, transmission and distribution activities are implemented by the private sector under thesupervision of the National Energy Commission (CNE, Comisión Nacional de Energría).

1 National Energy Commission (2018) 2018 Energy Statistical Yearbook Chile

1

SING

SEN

SIC

Aysén

Magallanes

Figure 1. The three independent electricity systems in Chile

2

Throughout 2019-2021 (Table 2), the SIC and SING (hereafter referred to as SEN) was the mainelectricity system in Chile, covering more than 99% of the national electricity generation. The rest ofelectricity is supplied by the Aysén and Magallanes.
Table 2. Annual Power Generation per Electricity System*Year2019
2020
2021

Gross Power Generation (TWh)Aysén3
Magallanes4
0.35
0.18
0.34
0.18
0.36
0.19

2

SEN
77.09
77.70
81.44

Total**
77.62
78.22
82.00

* Power generation represents the amount of electricity generated by power plants connected in each grid that istransmitted and distributed for consumer use.
** The electricity generation of Los Lagos system is not included due to its limited amount of power generation.

Seven types of primary energy sources are used for electricity generation: coal, diesel and oil, naturalgas, hydro, biomass, cogeneration, wind, and solar power. The share of electricity generated in 20192021 by each type of primary energy source is shown in Figure 2. The electricity generated from hydro,biomass, cogeneration, wind, solar power plants are considered as low cost/must run (LCMR) powersources.
90,000Cogeneration, 130

80,00070,000

Geothermal, Solar, 7,615
202
Biomass, Wind, 5,515
1,819
Hydro, 20,632

Solar, 6,300
Wind, 4,799

60,00050,00040,000Hydro, 20,793

Natural Gas,
13,715
Diesel and FuelOil, 552

20,000Cogeneration, 310

Geothermal, Solar, 10,750
247
Biomass, Wind, 7,212
1,879
Hydro, 16,475

Natural Gas, 14,127

30,00010,000Cogeneration, 183

Diesel andFuel Oil, 673

Natural Gas,
14,487

Coal, 28,372

Coal, 27,236

Coal, 27,444

2019

2020

2021

Geothermal,326
Biomass,
2,015

Diesel andFuel Oil,
2,423

0Figure 2. National total power generation by source (GWh, 2019 - 2021)

2National Energy Commission (2022) Gross Generation of SEN. (accessed on November 2022) https://www.cne.cl/wpcontent/uploads/2022/11/Generacion_Bruta.xlsx
3
Based on data provided by National Energy Commission
4
Based on data provided by National Energy Commission

32. Calculation of reference emission factor of electricity systems
Since the three grid systems are independent from each other, reference emission factors are calculated
for each system. To identify the reference emission factor of each grid in a conservative and simple
manner to secure net emission reductions, the emission factors in this methodology are established by
an operating margin that is calculated using emission factors of power plants including LCMR resources.
Conservative emission factor of LCMR power plants is set as zero, and conservative emission factors offossil fuel power plants are calculated using the following equation:
Emission factor of fossil fuel power plant [tCO2/MWh]=(Emission factor of fuel source [kgCO2/TJ]*10-3*0.0036[TJ/MWh] /(Heat efficiency (LHV) [%]/100)

Emission factors of coal, gas and diesel combustion are derived from the “IPCC guideline 2006, Volume2, Chapter 2, stationary combustion” as 89,500 kgCO2/TJ, 54,300 kgCO2/TJ and 72,600 kgCO2/TJ(Table 3). The heat efficiencies of coal-fired power plants and gas-fired power plants are applied as 39%
and 55.6% respectively, taking into consideration the technologies being used in currently operational
power plants in Chile (Table 3). Regarding diesel-fired power plants, a heat efficiency of 49%, anefficiency level which has not yet been achieved by the world’s leading diesel generator, is applied.
Table 3. Constants for calculation of reference emission factor
Item

Referenceo KOSPO website6,
o General Electric website7

Best heat efficiency of natural gas
power plant (Kelar, 2016)

55.6%(combined cycle)

Best heat efficiency of coal power
plant (Cochrane and Angamos, 2015)39%(sub-critical)o Environmental Evaluation
Services (SEA) Chile8o UNFCCC, 2015

Best heat efficiency of diesel power
plant

49%

JCM Approved Methodologies:
PW_AM001, MN_AM003, etc.

CO2 emission factor of otherbituminous coal
CO2 emission factor of natural gas
CO2 emission factor of diesel

6Values

89,500 kgCO2/TJ
54,300 kgCO2/TJ
72,600 kgCO2/TJ

IPCC guideline for National
Greenhouse Gas Inventories 2006,
Volume 2, Chapter 2, stationarycombustion9

https://www.kospo.co.kr/kospoeng/573/subview.do (accessed on November 2022)

7

https://www.ge.com/content/dam/gepower-new/global/en_US/downloads/gas-new-site/products/gas-turbines/gt13e2-fact-sheetproduct-specifications.pdf
8
According to Environmental Impact Assessment of Cochrane Thermoelectric Plant reported to the SEA Chile (accessedNovember 2022) https://seia.sea.gob.cl/archivos/RCA_COCHRANE.pdf the steam generated is 160 bar and 565°C and is
expanded in a steam turbine of the condensation type. According to IEA (2011) Power Generation from Coal, this specification
can be classified as sub-critical. The default efficiency factor for sub-critical technology is 39% according to UNFCCC CDM
EB (2015) Tool to calculate the emission factor for an electricity system.
9
IPCC default values at the lower limit of the uncertainty at a 95 per cent confidence interval.

4

Applying the emission factors and plant efficiencies (Table 3), the conservative emission factors arecalculated to be 0.826 tCO2/MWh for coal-fired power plants, 0.352 tCO2/MWh for gas-fired power
plants and 0.533 tCO2/MWh for diesel-fired power plants. The conservative emission factors are applied
for calculating the reference emission factor of each grid in Chile.
Using the conservative emission factors for each power source data and electricity generation including
LCMR resources, operating margins of each grid are obtained using the following equation:

EFRE,j =∑i EGi,j×EFi… Equation 1∑i EGi,jWhere:
EFRE,j = The reference emission factor of regional grid j [tCO2/MWh]EFi= Conservative emission factor of power plant type i [tCO2/MWh]EGi,j= Average electricity generated and delivered to each grid from power plant type i
including LCMR resources in grid j during 2019-2021 [MWh]There are three possible cases of biomass power plant installation in a project activity in terms of its
connectivity to the grid and captive power generator:•Case 1: the biomass power plant is directly connected to a regional grid, or connected to aregional grid via an internal grid not connecting to a captive power generator.
Case 2: the biomass power plant is connected to an internal grid connecting to both aregional grid and a captive power generator.
Case 3: the biomass power plant is only connected to an internal grid connecting to a
captive power generator.

••a.

Reference emission factor of National System (SEN, Sistema Eléctrico Nacional)

The SEN system is mainly powered by coal (35%), followed by hydro (25%), natural gas (18%), andsolar (10%). Biomass, diesel and fuel oil, wind, and cogeneration power supply the rest of the power
generation.
90,000Cogeneration, 130

80,00070,000

Solar, 6,300
Wind, 4,799

Cogeneration, 183

Geothermal,Solar, 7,615
202
Wind,5,515
Biomass, 1,819

60,00050,00040,000Hydro, 20,793

Natural Gas, 14,127

30,00020,00010,000Hydro, 20,632

Cogeneration, 310

Geothermal, Solar, 10,750
247
Wind, 7,212
Biomass, 1,879
Hydro, 16,475

Geothermal, 326
Biomass,
2,015

Natural Gas, 14,487
Natural Gas, 13,715
Diesel andDiesel andDiesel andFuel Oil,
Fuel Oil, 673
Fuel Oil, 552
2,423

Coal, 28,372

Coal, 27,236

Coal, 27,444

2019

2020

2021

0Figure 3. Electric power generated by power plants in SEN grid by source (GWh, 2019-2021)
5

Applying the conservative emission factors and power generation (Figure 3) to Equation 1, the reference
emission factor to be applied for the biomass power plant in a proposed project activity which is directlyconnected, or connected via an internal grid not connecting to a captive power generator (Case 1), to theSEN grid is 0.361 tCO2/MWh, as shown in Table 1.
b.

Reference emission factor of Aysén system

The Aysén system is mainly powered by hydropower (55%) and diesel and fuel (40%). Wind power
supply the rest of the power generation.

200Wind, 10180
160Wind, 8Wind, 6140120Hydro, 69

100

Hydro, 115
Hydro, 121

80
60
40

Diesel and Fuel
Oil, 80
Diesel and Fuel
Oil, 33

20

Diesel and Fuel
Oil, 48

0
2019

2020

2021

Figure 5. Electric power generated by power plants in Aysén grid by source (GWh, 2019 - 2021)
Applying the conservative emission factors and power generation (Figure 5) to Equation 1, the referenceemission factor to be applied for the biomass power plant in a proposed project activity which is directlyconnected, or connected via an internal grid not connecting to a captive power generator (Case 1), to theAysén grid is 0.214tCO2/MWh, as shown in Table 1.

6c.

Reference emission factor of Magallanes system

The Magallanes system is powered mainly by natural gas (94%). Diesel and fuel oil and wind power
supply the rest of power generation.
400
350

Wind, 8Wind, 8Natural Gas, 312

Natural Gas, 320

Wind, 7300
250200150

Natural Gas, 301

10050Diesel andFuel Oil, 1002019

Diesel andFuel Oil, 12Diesel andFuel Oil, 102020

2021

Figure 6. Electric power generated by power plants in Magallanes grid by fuel type (GWh, 2019 - 2021)
Applying the conservative emission factors and power generation (Figure 6) to Equation 1, the reference
emission factor to be applied for the biomass power plant in a proposed project activity which is directlyconnected, or connected via an internal grid not connecting to a captive power generator (Case 1), to theMagallanes grid is 0.348 tCO2/MWh, as shown in Table 1.

3. Calculation of reference emission factor of a captive power generator (Case 3)
To determine the emission factor of a captive power generator which normally uses a diesel generator ina conservative and simple manner, a heat efficiency of 49%, an efficiency level which has not yet beenachieved by the world’s leading diesel generator, is applied.
The emission factor of diesel power generation is calculated from the heat efficiency using the following
equation:
Emission factor of diesel power plant [tCO2/MWh]= (CO2 emission factor of diesel oil [kgCO2/TJ]*10-3*0.0036[TJ/MWh] / (Heat efficiency(LHV) [%]/100)
Applying the default value of the emission factor of diesel combustion which is 72,600 kgCO2/TJ derived
from “IPCC guideline 2006, Volume 2, Chapter 2, stationary combustion”, together with the heatefficiency of 49%, the emission factor of a captive power generator and the reference emission factor to
be applied for the biomass power plant which is directly connected, or connected via an internal gridconnecting to only a captive power generator (Case 3), is calculated to be 0.533 tCO2/MWh.

4. Selection of the reference emission factors in the case a biomass power plant is connected to7

both grid and captive power generator (Case 2)
In the case the biomass power plant in a proposed project activity is connected to an internal gridconnecting to both a regional grid and a captive power generator (Case 2), a comparison was made foreach regional grid, between the emission factor for Case 1 (as shown in Table 1) and the emission factor
for Case 3 (conservative emission factor of diesel-fired power plants of 0.533 tCO2/MWh). The lower
value resulting from this comparison was then applied as Case 2, as shown in Table 1.

8