The effect of solar energy on the environmental profile of electricity generation in Chile: a midterm scenario

The Atacama Desert in Northern Chile features the highest solar radiation on continental soil worldwide, ranging within 2,500–3,400 kWh/m2/year, with UV-B radiation levels 65% above average European. This desert covers an extension over 105,000 km2 receiving more than 4,000 hours of sunshine yearly, and hosts large reserves of copper, lithium, molybdenum and other metallic and non-metallic minerals. Thus, the Chilean mining industry accounts for more than 30% of the total electricity consumption in the country. During the last 3 years major investments on solar photovoltaic (PV) plants have taken place at the Atacama Desert, driven by the drastic drop in the cost of PV technology, and incentives provided by the new Energy 2050 Roadmap set by the Chilean government, with view to fostering the introduction of renewable energy sources in the electricity market. The Chilean electricity system is composed of two connected grids, namely the Greater Northern Network (SING) and the Central Network (SIC), with a total installed capacity of nearly 21 GW. The SING network is mostly composed of thermoelectric power plants, whereas the SIC network features a significant share of hydroelectric plants, leading to different carbon footprint, namely 0.9 and 0.3 ton CO2eq/MWh, at SING and SIC, respectively. At the end of 2017, those grids were connected to meet the current 80 TWh/year national demand. Massive introduction of PV electricity generation plants at the Atacama Desert is foreseen in the near future, to reach a projected share around 25% by 2050. Within this framework, this paper presents novel results on the effect of solar energy on the environmental profile of electricity in Chile in a midterm scenario, using a life cycle assessment approach, under conditions of drastic reductions in water availability due to climate change. Results show that PV systems make a significant contribution to environmental impacts associated to electricity generation in the national mix by 2050, mainly in ozone layer depletion, abiotic depletion, global warming, acidification, and photochemical oxidation potentials impact categories, mainly from upstream transport and cell manufacturing. The extent of those impacts could increase significantly if the PV lifespan decreases due to cells degradation as a result of harsh environmental conditions, highlighting the need for reliable data on this key parameter

A study of the particulate matter PM10 composition in the atmosphere of Chillán, Chile

There was a distribution pattern of the chemical components in the inhalable particulate matter (PM) as a function of the anthropogenic activity within Chillán. Carbonaceous substances, crustal material, and inorganic substances of secondary origin (NO3 and NH4) were the predominant components of PM10 in the city. High concentrations of non-crustal V and Ni (products of oil combustion emissions), Br, Pb, and NO3 (products of vehicle combustion), EC (product of diesel engine), etc. were measured. A clear temporal variability was observed, because there was a higher concentration of PM10 during cold season than during the warm months. Spatial variability was also noted as downtown of Chillán resulted more contaminated by chemical compounds compared to surrounding areas of the city. Perimetrical areas received large loads of geologic material in suspension in summertime. In general, there were no high SO4 concentrations in the city, which could be explained for there are few industries n

Chemical profiles in lake sediments in Laguna Chica de San Pedro (Bio-Bio Region, Chile)

peer reviewedMetal profiles in lake sediments could provide historical environmental information on impacts caused by human activities and natural events, with view to the formulation of effective environmental policies. This paper presents data on sedimentary element profiles in Laguna Chica de San Pedro (LCSP) lake, located in the Bio Bio Region in Southern Chile, where important industrial activities are concentrated. Sediment properties (organic and inorganic matter, grain size, particle distribution, biogenic silica, Mn/ Fe ratio), major (Al, Ca, K, Mg, Ti, Na), trace (V, As, Co, Cu, Zn, Ni, Cr, Pb, Sr), and mobile (Fe, Mn, P, S) elements, as well as mineral profiles (plagioclase, quartz, clays, amorphous material) are presented, up to 65 cm depth. In general, relatively constant concentration profiles are observed in the sedimentary core middle section, for most elements. Most changes in composition are seen at the top (recent industrial period) and bottom (before human intervention) sections. Variable redox conditions, generated by biological activity at the sediment-water interface are likely to account for composition profiles at the sediment-water interface. On the other hand, physical processes seem to be mostly responsible for concentration changes in Pre-industrial sediments. Mineral content profiles, such as plagioclase, clay and quartz, as well as total clay content remain fairly constant in most of the core, showing significant changes at its bottom part. High excess V, As, and S values, especially at the upper sediment, arise as a consequence of redox conditions in the lake. Certainly, such metal enrichment is mainly associated with natural sedimentary matter supply from the watershed