Decarbonizing the Electricity Sector through Energy Storage: A Life Cycle Assessment Approach
Abstract
This paper examines the potential role of energy storage in the Greek electricity sector under strict decarbonization targets. The sector is characterized by a large share of Renewable Energy Sources (RES). In 2025, the interconnected High Voltage (150 kV) and Extra High Voltage (400 kV) transmission system had approximately 12.2 GW of conventional power capacity and 9.3 GW of RES capacity, corresponding to electricity production of 28.2 TWh and 15.7 TWh, respectively (IPTO, 2026). Based on the energy storage technologies and deployment pathways outlined in the National Energy and Climate Plan (NECP), the present study developed and evaluated realistic Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) scenarios using the SimaPro software tool. The scenarios include the deployment of: i) Pumped Hydro Storage (PHS); ii) Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS); and iii) the production and utilization of green hydrogen as a Long-Duration Energy Storage (LDES) option. In absolute terms, the environmental impact of PHS, BESS and green hydrogen, in the years 2030 and 2050 are estimated at 61.5 gCO₂eq/kWh, 85.0 gCO₂eq/kWh, 1,880 gCO₂eq/kgH₂ and 55.5 gCO₂eq/kWh, 95.6 gCO₂eq/kWh and 1,660 gCO₂eq/kgH₂ respectively. For the year 2030, BESS exhibits the highest environmental impact, whereas PHS demonstrates the lowest impact across all impact categories. Similar trends are observed for the year 2050, during which the environmental impacts associated with BESS remain comparatively elevated. The production and combustion of green hydrogen result in lower environmental impacts, on human health, ecosystems and resource availability than BESS under the 2050 scenario. PHS demonstrates the lowest overall environmental impact, while BESS can play a significant role in facilitating the dispatch of RES. All three examined technologies exhibit complementary operational characteristics capable of maintaining power system reliability under future energy scenarios. Future research should incorporate hydrogen transport and distribution, real operational and technical data, and additional emerging storage technologies.
Document Type: Article
Cited as: Hatzilau, C.S., Kallis, G., Giannakopoulos, D., Karellas, S., Kakaras, E. Decarbonizing the electricity sector through energy storage: A life cycle assessment approach. Sustainable Earth Resources Communications, 2026, 2(2): 50‑65. https://doi.org/10.46690/serc.2026.02.01
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.46690/serc.2026.02.01Keywords:
Electricity, Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Life Cycle, Green hydrogen, Battery Energy Storage Systems, Pumped Hydro StorageReferences
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Copyright (c) 2026 Christina-Stavrula Hatzilau, George Kallis, Dionysios Giannakopoulos, Sotirios Karellas, Emmanuel Kakaras
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