Decarbonization Pathways: Assessing Life Cycle GHG Emissions in Malaysia's Electricity Generation

Electricity generation is a key contributor to global Greenhouse Gases emissions (GHG). The urgent need to mitigate climate change demands a transition to more sustainable ways of electricity generation. However, focusing on operational emissions without assessing their life cycle may lead to less effective decisions on energy policy and technology advancements. This study examines the life cycle of GHG of major electricity generation systems in Malaysia, employing the life cycle assessment approach. The systems are based on energy resources of coal, natural gas, hydro, and solar Photovoltaic (PV). Furthermore, five types of PV systems with different capacity range and module technologies were compared. The present study also compared the scenario of PV installation in capital cities in the country. The results demonstrated that the electricity produced by renewable energy yields substantially lower GHG emissions compared to that generated by fossil fuel energy. Throughout its lifetime, PV and hydroelectricity release GHG emissions at least 5 and 7.4 times, respectively, lower than coal and at least 3.5 and 5.2 times, respectively, lower than natural gas under the worst-case uncertainty scenario. Besides that, the GHG emissions of the PV system installed in the capital city of Malaysia range from 61.4 g to 72.5 g of CO2-eq/kWh. The current study highlights the potential of renewable energy in promoting sustainability within the energy sector, offering a viable pathway towards the decarbonization of the energy sector.