Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Methane and CO2 emissions from China’s hydroelectric reservoirs: a new quantitative synthesis

  • Research Article
  • Published:
Environmental Science and Pollution Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Controversy surrounds the green credentials of hydroelectricity because of the potentially large emission of greenhouse gases (GHG) from associated reservoirs. However, limited and patchy data particularly for China is constraining the current global assessment of GHG releases from hydroelectric reservoirs. This study provides the first evaluation of the CO2 and CH4 emissions from China’s hydroelectric reservoirs by considering the reservoir water surface and drawdown areas, and downstream sources (including spillways and turbines, as well as river downstream). The total emission of 29.6 Tg CO2/year and 0.47 Tg CH4/year from hydroelectric reservoirs in China, expressed as CO2 equivalents (eq), corresponds to 45.6 Tg CO2eq/year, which is 2-fold higher than the current GHG emission (ca. 23 Tg CO2eq/year) from global temperate hydropower reservoirs. China’s average emission of 70 g CO2eq/kWh from hydropower amounts to 7 % of the emissions from coal-fired plant alternatives. China’s hydroelectric reservoirs thus currently mitigate GHG emission when compared to the main alternative source of electricity with potentially far great reductions in GHG emissions and benefits possible through relatively minor changes to reservoir management and design. On average, the sum of drawdown and downstream emission including river reaches below dams and turbines, which is overlooked by most studies, represents the equivalent of 42 % of the CO2 and 92 % of CH4 that emit from hydroelectric reservoirs in China. Main drivers on GHG emission rates are summarized and highlight that water depth and stratification control CH4 flux, and CO2 flux shows significant negative relationships with pH, DO, and Chl-a. Based on our finding, a substantial revision of the global carbon emissions from hydroelectric reservoirs is warranted.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Alin SR, Fátima Rasera M, Salimon CI, Richey JE, Krusche AV, Holtgrieve GW, Snidvongs A (2011) Physical controls on carbon dioxide transfer velocity and flux in low-gradient river systems and implications for regional carbon budgets. J Geophys Res 116, G01009

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Amiotte Suchet P, Probst JL, Ludwig W (2003) Worldwide distribution of continental rock lithology: implications for the atmospheric/soil CO2 uptake by continental weathering and alkalinity river transport to the oceans. Glob Biogeochem Cycles 17:1038

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Arora VK, Montenegro A (2011) Small temperature benefits provided by realistic afforestation efforts. Nat Geosci 4:514–517

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Aufdenkampe AK, Mayorga E, Raymond PA, Melack JM, Doney SC, Alin SR, Aalto RE, Yoo K (2011) Riverine coupling of biogeochemical cycles between land, oceans, and atmosphere. Front Ecol Environ 9:53–60

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Barros N, Cole JJ, Tranvik LJ, Prairie YT, Bastviken D, Huszar VLM, del Giorgio P, Roland F (2011) Carbon emission from hydroelectric reservoirs linked to reservoir age and latitude. Nat Geosci 4:593–596

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bastviken D, Cole JJ, Pace ML, Van de Bogert MC (2008) Fates of methane from different lake habitats: connecting whole-lake budgets and CH4 emissions. J Geophys Res 113, G02024

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bastviken D, Tranvik LJ, Downing JA, Crill PM, Enrich-Prast A (2011) Freshwater methane emissions offset the continental carbon sink. Science 331:50

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Butman D, Raymond PA (2011) Significant efflux of carbon dioxide from streams and rivers in the United States. Nat Geosci 4:839–842

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Chen H, Wu YY, Yuan XZ, Gao YS, Wu N, Zhu D (2009) Methane emissions from newly created marshes in the drawdown area of the Three Gorges Reservoir. J Geophys Res 114, D18301

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chen H, Yuan XZ, Chen ZL, Wu YY, Liu XS, Zhu D, Wu N, Zhu Q, Peng CH, Li WZ (2011) Methane emissions from the surface of the Three Gorges Reservoir. J Geophys Res 116, D21306

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chen H, Zhu Q, Peng CH, Wu N, Wang YF, Fang XQ, Hong J, Xiang WH, Chang J, Deng XW, Yu GR (2013) Methane emissions from rice paddies natural wetlands, lakes in China: synthesis new estimate. Glob Chang Biol 19:19–32

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Delsontro T, Mcginnis DF, Sobek S, Osrovsky I, Wehrli B (2010) Extreme methane emissions from a Swiss hydropower reservoir: contribution from bubbling sediments. Environ Sci Technol 44:2419–2425

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Fearnside PM (1995) Hydroelectric dams in the Brazilian Amazon as sources of greenhouse gases. Environ Conserv 22:7–19

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Fearnside PM (2005) Do hydroelectric dams mitigate global warming? The case of Brazil’s CuruA-una Dam. Mitig Adapt Strat Glob Chang 10:675–691

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fearnside PM, Pueyo S (2012) Greenhouse-gas emissions from tropical dams. Nat Clim Chang 2:382–384

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Giles J (2006) Methane quashes green credentials of hydropower. Nature 444:524–525. doi:10.1038/444524a

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Guerin F, Abril G (2007) Significance of pelagic aerobic methane oxidation in the methane and carbon budget of a tropical reservoir. J Geophys Res 112, G03006

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Guerin F, Abril G, Richard S, Burban B, Reynouard C, Seyler P, Delmas R (2006) Methane and carbon dioxide emissions from tropical reservoirs: significance of downstream rivers. Geophys Res Lett 33, L21407

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Guerin F, Abril G, Serca D, Delon C, Richard S, Delmas R, Tremblay A, Varfalvy L (2007) Gas transfer velocities of CO2 and CH4 in a tropical reservoir and its river downstream. J Mar Syst 66:161–172

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Halbedel S, Koschorreck M (2013) Regulation of CO2 emissions from temperate streams and reservoirs. Biogeosciences 10:7539–7551

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hertwich EG (2013) Addressing biogenic greenhouse gas emissions from hydropower in LCA. Environ Sci Technol 47:9604–9611

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kemenes M, Forsberg BR, Melack JM (2007) Methane release below a tropical hydroelectric dam. Geophys Res Lett 34, L12809

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kemenes M, Forsberg BR, Melack JM (2011) CO2 emissions from a tropical hydroelectric reservoir (Balbina, Brazil). J Geophys Res 116, G03004

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Li SY, Bush RT (2015) Revision of methane and carbon dioxide emissions from inland waters in India. Glob Chang Biol 21: 6–8

  • Li SY, Zhang QF (2010) Major ion chemistry and weathering processes of the Danjiangkou Reservoir, China. Hydrol Sci J 55:1385–1395

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Li SY, Zhang Q (2014) Partial pressure of CO2 and CO2 emission in a monsoon-driven hydroelectric reservoir (Danjiangkou Reservoir), China. Ecol Eng 71:401–414

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Li SY, Gu S, Tan X, Zhang QF (2009) Water quality in the upper Han River basin, China: the impacts of land use/land cover in riparian buffer zone. J Hazard Mater 165(1):317–324

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Li SY, Lu XX, He M, Zhou Y, Li L, Ziegler AD (2012) Daily CO2 partial pressure and CO2 outgassing in the upper Yangtze River basin: a case study of the Longchuan River, China. J Hydrol 466–467:141–150

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lima IBT (2005) Biogeochemical distinction of methane releases from two Amazon hydroreservoirs. Chemosphere 59:1697–1702

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lima I, Ramos F, Bambace L, Rosa R (2008) Methane emissions from large dams as renewable energy resources: a developing nation perspective. Mitig Adapt Strateg Glob Chang 13:193–206

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Liu DY, Ding WX, Jia ZJ, Cai ZC (2011) Relation between methanogenic archaea and methane production potential in selected natural wetland ecosystems across China. Biogeosciences 8:329–338

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lu DK, Yu HX, Ma CX, Huang BW (2010) The correlation analysis between CO2 at the water-air interface and environment in the Nihe Reservoir. Wetland Sci Manag 6:44–48 (in Chinese with English abstract)

    Google Scholar 

  • Lu F, Yang L, Wang XK, Duan XN, Mu YJ, Song WZ, Zheng FX, Niu JF, Tong L, Zheng H, Zhou YJ, Qiu JX, Ouyang ZY (2011) Preliminary report on methane emissions from the Three Gorges Reservoir in the summer drainage period. J Environ Sci 23:2029–2033

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lu XX, Li SY, He M, Zhou Y, Li L, Ziegler AD (2012) Organic carbon fluxes from the upper Yangtze basin: an example of the Longchuanjiang. Chin Hydrol Process 26:1604–1616

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • McCully P (2006) Fizzy science: loosening the hydro industry’s grip on reservoir greenhouse gas emissions research (International Rivers Network)

  • Mei HY, Wang FS, Yao CC, Wang BL (2011) Diffusion flux of partial pressure of dissolved carbon dioxide in Wan’an Reservoir in spring. Environ Sci 32:58–63 (in Chinese with English abstract)

    Google Scholar 

  • Qiu J (2009) Chinese dam may be a methane menace [online]. Nature. doi:10.1038/news.2009.1962

    Google Scholar 

  • Raymond PA, Hartmann J, Lauerwald R et al (2013) Global carbon dioxide emissions from inland waters. Nature 503:355–359

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Richey JE, Melack JM, Aufdenkampe AK, Ballester VM, Hess LL (2002) Outgassing from Amazonian rivers and wetlands as a large tropical source of atmospheric CO2. Nature 416:617–620

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Roehm C, Tremblay A (2006) Role of turbines in the carbon dioxide emissions from two boreal reservoirs, Quebec, Canada. J Geographic Res 111, D24101

    Google Scholar 

  • Santos MA, Rosa LP, Sikar B, Sikar E, Dos Santos EO (2006) Gross greenhouse gas fluxes from hydro-power reservoir compared to thermo-power plants. Energy Policy 34(4):481–488

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sarma VVSS, Kumar NA, Prasad VR, Venkataramana V, Appalanaidu S, Sridevi B, Kumar BSK, Bharati MD, Subbaiah CV, Acharyya T, Rao GD, Viswanadham R, Gawade L, Manjary DT, Kumar PP, Rajeev K, Reddy NPC, Sarma VV, Kumar MD, Sadhuram Y, Murty TVR (2011) High CO2 emissions from the tropical Godavari estuary (India) associated with monsoon river discharges. Geophys Res Lett 38, L08601

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shindell DT, Faluvegi G, Koch DM, Schmidt GA, Unger N, Bauer SE (2009) Improved attribution of climate forcing to emissions. Science 326:716–718

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Song CC, Wang YY, Wang YS, Yan BX, Wang DX, Zhao ZC, Lou YJ (2003) Carbon dynamics of wetland in the Sanjiang Plain. Chin Geogr Sci 13:228–231 (in Chinese with English abstract)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Soumis N, Duchemin E, Canuel R, Lucotte M (2004) Greenhouse gas emissions from reservoirs of the western United States. Glob Biogeochem Cycles 18, GB3022

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Soumis N, Lucotte M, Canuel R, Weissenberger S, Houel S, Larose C, Duchemin E (2005) Hydroelectric reservoirs as anthropogenic sources of greenhouse gases. In: Lehr JH, Keeley J (eds) Water encyclopedia: surface and agricultural water. Wiley-Interscience, Hoboken, pp 203–210. doi:10.1002/047147844X.sw791

    Google Scholar 

  • Spath PL, Mann MK, Kerr DR (1999) Life cycle assessment of coal-fired power production. NREL, Golden, Colorado 80401-3393

  • St. Louis VL, Kelly CA, Duchemin E, Rudd JWM, Rosenberg DM (2000) Sources of greenhouse gases to the atmosphere: a global estimate. Bioscience 50:766–775

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tranvik LJ, Downing JA, Cotner JB et al (2009) Lakes and reservoirs as regulators of carbon cycling and climate. Limnol Oceanogr 54:2298–2314

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wang FS, Wang Y, Zhang J, Xu H, Wei X (2007) Human impact on the historical change of CO2 degassing flux in River Changjiang. Geochem T 8:7. doi:10.1186/1467-4866-8-7

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang FS, Wang BL, Liu CQ, Wang YC, Guan J, Liu XL, Yu XL (2011) Carbon dioxide emission from surface water in cascade reservoirs-river system on the Maotiao River, southwest of China. Atmos Environ 45:3827–3834

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wang Z, Du Q, Zhao D (2012) Study on spatiotemporal characteristics of CO2 emission and effects of environmental factors in Shuibuya reservoir. J Hydroelectric Eng 31:146–151 (in Chinese with English abstract)

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ward B, Wanninkhof R, McGillis WR, Jessup AT, DeGrandpre MD, Hare JE, Edson JB (2004) Biases in the air-sea flux of CO2 resulting from ocean surface temperature gradient. J Geophys Res 109:C08S08

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yang JS, Liu JS, Sun LN (2008) CO2 release of soil respiration and litter decomposition of meadow marshes in Sanjiang. Acta Ecol Sin 28:806–810 (in Chinese with English abstract)

    Google Scholar 

  • Yang Y, Liu CQ, Wu P, Liu XL (2009) Study on methane emission of cascade reservoirs on Maotiaohe River Basin in summer. Guizhou Water Power 23:12–16 (in Chinese with English abstract)

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Yang M, Li HL, Lei T, Zhou Y, Lu C, Li L, Lei GC, Wang JS, Lu XG (2011) Spatial-temporal characteristics of methane emission flux and its influence factors at Minyun Reservoir in Beijing. Wetland Sci 9:191–197 (in Chinese with English abstract)

    Google Scholar 

  • Yang L, Lu F, Wang XK, Duan XN, Song WZ, Sun BF, Chen S, Zhang QQ, Hou PQ, Zheng FX, Zhang Y, Zhou XP, Zhou YJ, Ouyang ZY (2012) Surface methane emissions from different land use types during various water levels in three major drawdown areas of the Three Gorges Reservoir. J Geophys Res-Atmos 117, D10109

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yang L, Lu F, Zhou XP, Wang XK, Duan XN, Sun BF (2014) Progress in the studies on the greenhouse gas emissions from reservoirs. Acta Ecol Sin 34:204–212

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yao CC, Wang FS, Wu YY, Xu H (2010) The vernal distribution of dissolved carbon dioxide (pCO2) in the Xin’anjiang reservoir. J Earth Environ 1:150–156 (in Chinese with English abstract)

    Google Scholar 

  • Yu YX, Liu CQ, Wang FS, Wang BL, Wang SL, Liu F (2008) Spatiotemporal characteristics and diffusion flux of partial pressure of dissolved carbon dioxide (pCO2) in Hongjiadu reservoir. Chin J Ecol 27:1193–1199 (in Chinese with English abstract)

    Google Scholar 

  • Zhao DZ, Tan DB, Wang ZH, Hao CY (2011a) Measurement and analysis of greenhouse gas fluxes from Shuibuya Reservoir in Qingjiang River Basin. J Yangtze River Sci Res Inst 28:197–204 (in Chinese with English abstract)

    Google Scholar 

  • Zhao Y, Zeng Y, Wu BF, Wang Q, Yuan C, Xu ZR (2011b) Observation on greenhouse gas emissions from Xiangxi River in Three Gorges Region. Adv Water Sci 22:546–553 (in Chinese with English abstract)

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zhao DZ, Tan DB, Wang ZH, Li Z (2012) Research on exchange law of CO2 at water-air interface of Shuibuya Reservoir. Yangtze River 8:65–70 (in Chinese with English abstract)

    Google Scholar 

  • Zhao Y, Wu BF, Zeng Y (2013) Spatial and temporal patterns of greenhouse gas emissions from Three Gorges Reservoir of China. Biogeosci 10:1219–1230

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zheng H, Zhao XJ, Zhao TQ, Chen FL, Xu WH, Duan XN, Wang XK, Ouyang ZY (2011) Spatial-temporal variations of methane emissions from the Ertan hydroelectric reservoir in southwest China. Hydrol Process 25:1391–1396

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

The research is funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 31100347 and No. 31130010), Youth Innovation Promotion Association, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, China, and postdoctoral scholarship in Southern Cross GeoScience, Southern Cross University, Australia.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Southern Cross GeoScience, Southern Cross University, Military Road, PO Box 157, Lismore, NSW, 2480, Australia

    Siyue Li, Richard T. Bush & Leigh A. Sullivan

  2. Key Laboratory of Aquatic Botany and Watershed Ecology, Wuhan Botanical Garden, The Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430074, China

    Siyue Li & Quanfa Zhang

Authors
  1. Siyue Li
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Quanfa Zhang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Richard T. Bush
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Leigh A. Sullivan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Siyue Li.

Additional information

Responsible editor: Gerhard Lammel

Electronic supplementary material

Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.

ESM 1

(DOC 427 kb)

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Li, S., Zhang, Q., Bush, R.T. et al. Methane and CO2 emissions from China’s hydroelectric reservoirs: a new quantitative synthesis. Environ Sci Pollut Res 22, 5325–5339 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-015-4083-9

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-015-4083-9

Keywords

Search

Navigation