Compararison of the ecoprofiles of superconducting and conventional 25 MVA transformers using the life cycle assessment methodology

A Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) study, according to ISO 14040 Standards, was carried out with the aim to compare the environmental performances of three 25 MVA transformers with different manufacturing characteristics: □ a high temperature superconducting (HTS) transformer with first generation (1G) BSCCO tape windings, □ a HTS transformer with second generation (2G) YBCO coated conductors windings, □ a conventional paper-oil insulated transformer with copper windings. A “from cradle to grave” approach was used for the comparative LCA. This paper reports the results of LCA with the identification of the most environmental-friendly solution and of the critical issues in the environmental profiles for the three different types of power transformers.