A stochastic-fuzzy programming model with soften constraints for electricity generation planning with greenhouse-gas abatement

Mitigating Curtailment and Carbon Emissions through Load Migration between Data Centers

ABSTRACTThis study presents a two-stage vertex analysis (TSVA) method for the planning of electric power systems (EPS) under uncertainty. TSVA has advantages in comparison to other optimization techniques. Firstly, TSVA can incorporate greenhouse gas (GHG) abatement policies directly into its optimization process, and, secondly, it can readily integrate inherent system uncertainties expressed as fuzzy sets and probability distributions directly into its modeling formulation and solution procedure. The TSVA method is applied to a case study of planning EPS and it is demonstrated how the TSVA efficiently identify optimal electricity-generation schemes that could help to minimize system cost under different GHG-abatement considerations. Different combinative considerations on the uncertain inputs lead to varied system costs and GHG emissions. Results reveal that the total electricity supply will rise up along with the time period due to the increasing demand and, at the same time, more non-fossil fuels should be used to satisfy the increasing requirement for GHG mitigation. Moreover, uncertainties in connection with complexities in terms of information quality (e.g., capacity, efficiency, and demand) result in changed electricity-generation patterns, GHG-abatement amounts, as well as system costs. Minimax regret (MMR) analysis technique is employed to identify desired alternative that reflects compromises between system cost and system-failure risk.

The impact of uncertainties on predicted greenhouse gas emissions of dairy cow production systems

This chapter reviews what the authors know about the greenhouse gas (GHG) abatement or carbon abatement from sugarcane bioproducts such as fuels, electricity, and materials. It draws on a decade of published research that has used environmental life cycle assessment (LCA) to quantify the GHG emissions intensity, and other environmental indicators, of these products. Bioproduction from by-products, alongside the core business of sugar production, may be a path for many existing sugar industries, and so it is also discussed briefly. The sources of GHG emissions over the life cycle of the sugarcane bioproducts are described in the chapter, highlighting the most influential ones. Further optimization of GHG abatement is possible by reducing GHG emissions in the sugarcane growing phase, through more ecoefficient practices, soil carbon sequestration, utilization of harvest residues, and new sugarcane varieties, each of which are discussed in the chapter.

Resource efficiency and climate change policies to support West Asia's move towards sustainability: A computable general equilibrium analysis of material flows

Globally, agriculture is a significant contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. The environment (e.g., soils and climate) and management influence agricultural greenhouse gas emissions and the potential to reduce emissions. For agriculture to contribute to greenhouse gas abatement in the long term, it is important to identify low-cost mitigation actions that farmers can adopt. It is hypothesized that greenhouse gas abatement potential and the associated costs will differ substantially between environments in Australia. Seven alternative management scenarios were identified as both suitable for adoption across different grain growing environments in Australia and potentially able to provide greenhouse gas abatement. The Agricultural Production Systems Simulator was used to simulate these alternative management scenarios over a 25-year period and analyze the potential for Australian grain farmers, across contrasting environments, to increase soil organic carbon stocks and/or reduce nitrous oxide emissions. This analysis was paired with a whole-farm economic analysis to determine the implications of the different greenhouse gas abatement scenarios on farm profitability. Results from case studies in Australia’s three main grain growing regions demonstrate that significant heterogeneity exists in the biophysical potential and costs to reduce greenhouse gas emissions across locations. The maximum predicted abatement potential for the case study sites varied from 0.34 to 2.03 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalents per hectare per year. In most simulations, greenhouse gas abatement came at a cost to farmers ranging from 0.11 Australian dollars (AUD) to more than 300 AUD per metric ton of abated carbon dioxide equivalent. This is the first study to explore the costs of mitigation including multiple greenhouse gases and grain farming case studies across Australia. These findings can inform the future development of effective climate change mitigation policies, which frequently use national default values in their design.

The scope of problems connected with the need to continuously improving the consideration of constraints pertinent to development of the power sector and environment protection technologies is outlined. The aim of the study is to assess the contribution of the nuclear power industry in the abatement of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The following has been done in pursuance of this aim: the power generation technologies have been subjected to a comparative analysis in terms of GHG emissions per kW∙h of generated electricity based on a review of large-scale investigations performed around the world, and the abatement of greenhouse gas emissions due to operation of nuclear power plants equipped with VVER-type water-cooled water-moderated power-generating reactors constructed using the technologies developed in Russia (Soviet Union) has been evaluated. Different types of power plants are considered in the investigation in regard of the quantitative characteristics of GHG emissions from the power plants throughout their life cycle (LC) per kilowatt-hour of produced electricity. It should be pointed out that a holistic approach to evaluating the amount of GHG emissions throughout the entire LC of the generation technology including its fuel cycle is of paramount importance, which is substantiated in the relevant ISO and IAEA documents. The study encompasses assessment of hydro- and nuclear power plants, thermal power plants utilizing coal and gas, as well as various renewable energy sources operating on the energy of wind, sun, biomass, and geothermal water. The GHG emissions from NPPs are considered for different power plant LC stages. The article presents the results from calculations of the GHG emissions abatement due to operation of NPPs in Russia and abroad in the period from 1954--2014 for nuclear power plants constructed according to the Russian (Soviet Union's) technologies of VVER-type reactors. The data on the actual amounts of electricity generated at VVER-type NPPs in Armenia, Bulgaria, China, Czech Republic, Finland, Germany, Hungary, India, Iran, Russia, Slovakia, and Ukraine were retrieved from the database available in the IAEA Power Reactor Information System (PRIS). It is pointed out that there is some uncertainty in evaluating the amount of GHG emissions produced during the LC for different generation technologies, which is stemming from the use of non-harmonized methods for estimating GHG emissions. An approach implying consideration of GHG emissions for the entire LC is believed to be promising for a holistic comparative analysis of different power generation technologies in terms of their influence on the environment and climate. In this connection, developing a unified methodology for assessing GHG emissions and obtaining more precise data on GHG emissions at different LC stages of power plants of different types seem to be a topical issue. The performed comparative analysis of generation technologies in terms of GHG emissions throughout the LC has demonstrated that NPPs are advantageous in this respect over the majority of power generation technologies based on the use of conventional hydrocarbon fuels and renewable sources of energy.

An integrated assessment framework for the decarbonization of the electricity generation sector

Identifying effective agricultural management practices for climate change adaptation and mitigation: A win-win strategy in South-Eastern Australia

Energy-related activities are a major contributor of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. A growing body of knowledge clearly depicts the links between human activities and climate change. Over the last century the burning of fossil fuels such as coal and oil and other human activities has released carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and other heat-trapping GHG emissions into the atmosphere and thus increased the concentration of atmospheric CO2 emissions. The main human activities that emit CO2 emissions are (1) the combustion of fossil fuels to generate electricity, accounting for about 37% of total U.S. CO2 emissions and 31% of total U.S. GHG emissions in 2013, (2) the combustion of fossil fuels such as gasoline and diesel to transport people and goods, accounting for about 31% of total U.S. CO2 emissions and 26% of total U.S. GHG emissions in 2013, and (3) industrial processes such as the production and consumption of minerals and chemicals, accounting for about 15% of total U.S. CO2 emissions and 12% of total ...

Chapter 7 - The Role of Nuclear Power in Climate Change Mitigation

Carbon prices and greenhouse gases abatement from agriculture, forestry and land use in Nepal

In response to global warming, greenhouse gas (GHG) abatement has been one of the top priorities of governments, and a large variety of environmental regulation policies have been implemented in past decades. Using panel data from 27 OECD countries over the period of 2005–2012, this study measures and compares the stringency level of command-and-control and market-based environmental regulations. The differentiated impacts and indirect effects of environmental regulations on GHG emissions are tested empirically. The results show that: (1) Both command-and-control and market-based environmental regulations have effects on GHG abatement in OECD countries, and there is a non-linear relationship between environmental regulations and GHG discharge, in which stringent command-and-control environmental regulations and mild market-based regulation policies are preferred; (2) Command-and-control environmental regulations reduce GHG emissions by improving the technological level, rather than the energy consumption structure. In contrast, market-based environmental regulations can promote GHG abatement through the intermediary effects of both technological progress and the energy consumption structure. The findings provide implications for OECD countries to further reduce GHG emissions.

Agriculture is the source of 16 percent of Australia's greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Research has shown that changes in agricultural practices can increase carbon sequestration in soils and/or vegetation and reduce GHG emissions. Given worldwide commitments to reduce GHG emissions, there is a need to better understand the potential for Australian agriculture to contribute to GHG mitigation. GHG abatement practices will only be adopted if profitable to farmers. Without strong evidence for increased profitability, there is no incentive for farmers to move away from their current practices. Therefore, it is necessary to incorporate economics in any assessment of the potential for Australian farms to contribute to GHG mitigation. We performed an integrated modelling exercise to predict the GHG mitigation potential and whole-farm economic implications of different mitigation practices that can be implemented on Australian grain farms. This exercise was undertaken in two stages. In the first stage, a range of potential management practices that could provide GHG abatement were identified; these involved adding extra organic matter to the soil or altering nitrogen fertiliser use. The Agricultural Production Systems sIMulator (APSIM) was used to estimate the effects of abatement practices on productivity, soil carbon sequestration, nitrous oxide emissions and net GHG emissions over time. In the second stage, we develop an economic model that predicts annual revenues at a paddock scale, as well as whole-farm costs and benefits. Taking a whole-farm approach ensures that the full costs of different practices, such as investment in new capital equipment, is included. We present results for a 6,000 hectare dryland cropping farm in the north-central wheatbelt of Western Australia. This area is representative of the typical Mediterranean climate found in some of Australia's major grain growing regions. We predict that stubble retention and other organic matter additions increase soil carbon, which is important for greenhouse gas emissions reductions. Productivity gains are possible under some of the GHG abatement practices, i.e. GHG abatement and productivity gains can be achieved simultaneously. Increasing nitrogen fertiliser application or replacing volunteer, weedy pastures with improved, legume pastures are predicted to increase earnings and operating profits. However, when accounting for interest and tax, there was no economic advantage or disadvantage of adopting any of the GHG abatement practices. While gross margins per hectare are positive in almost every season, the whole-farm annual profits were negative for 30-40 percent of years. This study demonstrates the benefits of comprehensive economic analyses to accompany any biophysical analyses of the GHG mitigation potential of the Australian agricultural industry, and outlines a framework in which economic and biophysical analyses can be combined.

Abstract5G mobile networks are intended to meet the increasing requirements placed on mobile communications. Producing and operating 5G infrastructure causes direct effects on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Meanwhile, 5G is expected to support applications that contribute to GHG abatement. We investigated (i) the GHG footprint of 5G infrastructure, and (ii) the GHG abatement potential of four 5G-supported use cases (i.e., flexible work, smart grids, automated driving and precision farming) for Switzerland in 2030. Our results show that 5G infrastructure is expected to cause 0.018 Mt CO2 e/year. Per unit of data transmitted, 5G is expected to cause 85% less GHG emissions in 2030 than today’s 2G/3G/4G network mix. The four 5G-supported use cases have the potential to avoid up to 2.1 Mt CO2 e/year; clearly more than the predicted GHG footprint of 5G infrastructure. The use cases benefit especially from ultra-low latency, the possibility to connect many devices, high reliability, mobility, availability and security provided by 5G. To put 5G at the service of climate protection, measures should be taken in two fields. First, the GHG footprint of 5G should be kept small, by installing only as much 5G infrastructure as required, running 5G with electricity from renewable energy sources, and decommissioning older network technologies once 5G is widely available. Second, the GHG abatements enabled by 5G-supported use cases should be unleashed by creating conditions that target GHG reductions and mitigate rebound effects. The final outcome depends largely on the political will to steer the development into the direction of a net GHG reduction.Keywords5GMobile networksGreenhouse gas emissionsClimate protectionLife cycle assessmentDirect effectsIndirect effects