Holistic Analysis of the Impact of Power Generation Plants in Mexico during Their Life Cycle

Abstract

This paper assesses the environmental, technical, economic, and social impacts of the main energy generation technologies currently used in Mexico. The study used a life-cycle assessment and a multi-criteria decision-making method. The Analytical Hierarchy Process was employed to assess the social, technical, and economic impacts, while the life-cycle assessment examined the environmental effects. This study innovates the way of analyzing power plants since it provides a classification of these technologies considering different aspects, and the rankings can be obtained for each criterion and in a holistic way. According to the study’s findings, photovoltaics and nuclear power plants are the most environmentally friendly options for Mexico. Considering the economic aspects, solar and wind energy are classified as the best technologies for the country. From a technical point of view, the best power plants are combined cycle and thermoelectric plants. The power plants most accepted by society are efficient cogeneration and turbo gas. Finally, the overall ranking from the experts’ perspective for the development of Mexico shows that the best technologies are combined cycle and hydroelectric, with 14% and 12% acceptance, respectively.