Biofuels – Towards Objectives Of 2030 And Beyond

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 ...

Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction in the electricity sector: Implications of increasing renewable energy penetration in Ghana's electricity generation mix

Major US electric utility climate pledges have the potential to collectively reduce power sector emissions by one-third

Imposing versus Enacting Commitments for the Long‐Term Energy Transition: Perspectives from the Firm

Both the EU's Renewable Energy Directive (RED) and Article 7a of its Fuel Quality Directive (FQD) seek to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from transport fuels. The RED mandates a 10% share of renewable energy in transport fuels by 2020, whilst the FQD requires a 6% reduction in GHG emissions (from a 2010 base) by the same date. In practice, it will mainly be biofuels that economic operators will use to meet these requirements, but the different approaches can lead to either the RED, or the FQD, acting as the binding constraint. A common set of environmental sustainability criteria apply to biofuels under both the RED and the FQD. In particular, biofuels have to demonstrate a 35% (later increasing to 50/60%) saving in life-cycle GHG emissions. This could be problematic in the World Trade Organization (WTO), as a non-compliant biofuel with a 34% emissions saving would probably be judged to be 'like' a compliant biofuel. A more economically rational way to reduce GHG emissions, and one that might attract greater public support, would be for the RED to reward emission reductions along the lines of the FQD. Moreover, this modification would probably make the provisions more acceptable in the WTO, as there would be a clearer link between policy measures and the objective of reductions in GHG emissions; and the combination of the revised RED and the FQD would lessen the commercial incentive to import biofuels with modest GHG emission savings, and thus reduce the risk of trade tension.

Energy consumption and the concomitant Green House Gases (GHG) emissions of network infrastructures are becoming major issues in the Information and Communication Society (ICS). Current optical network infrastructures (routers, switches, line cards, signal regenerators, optical amplifiers, etc.) have reached huge bandwidth capacity but the development has not been compensated adequately as for their energy consumption. Renewable energy sources (e.g. solar, wind, tide, etc.) are emerging as a promising solution both to achieve drastically reduction in GHG emissions and to cope with the growing power requirements of network infrastructures. The main contribution of this paper is the formulation and the comparison of several energy-aware static routing and wavelength assignment (RWA) strategies for wavelength division multiplexed (WDM) networks where optical devices can be powered either by renewable or legacy energy sources. The objectives of such formulations are the minimization of either the GHG emissions or the overall network power consumption. The solutions of all these formulations, based on integer linear programming (ILP), have been observed to obtain a complete perspective and estimate a lower bound for the energy consumption and the GHG emissions attainable through any feasible dynamic energy-aware RWA strategy and hence can be considered as a reference for evaluating optimal energy consumption and GHG emissions within the RWA context. Optimal results of the ILP formulations show remarkable savings both on the overall power consumption and on the GHG emissions with just 25% of green energy sources. © 2011 IEEE.

Over the last few years, the electric energy demand in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) has increased many folds due to several factors including increased population, industrialization, economic activities, and urbanization. The main source of electric power generation in KSA is the burning of petroleum products. Almost one third of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are contributed from the electric power generation sector, mainly, by burning diesel and natural gas. As a result, it makes it necessary to consider alternate forms of electricity generation in order to cut down emissions and to keep sustainable growth alive. The government has planned to diversify energy sources and suppliers. In recent years, energy generation from renewable sources including solar photovoltaic (PV), wind, concentrated solar power (CSP), biomass, geothermal, and tidal, has been given more importance. The ambitious Saudi Vision 2030 targets of 58.7 GW of power generation from renewable energy sources will cause a significant reduction in GHG emissions from the energy sector. This article systematically reviews the impact of renewable energy generation on GHG emissions. The detailed breakdown of GHG emission is discussed. Then, the status of renewable energy generation is investigated, focusing on the technical and economic potentials. The correlation of renewable energy generation and GHG emissions is then explained. The most distinguishing feature of this review is that it provides a comprehensive list of recommendations to reduce GHG emissions. The discussions and recommendations of this article will support decision makers, system planners, industry personnel, researchers, and academics to develop sustainable energy pathways for the Kingdom.

Thailand's long-term GHG emission reduction in 2050: the achievement of renewable energy and energy efficiency beyond the NDC

With their increasing shares of global emissions developing economies are increasingly being pressured to assume a greater role in global greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction. Developed countries have invested tremendously in and proclaimed renewable energy (RE) and associated smart power technologies as solutions to meet their energy demands and reduce their GHG emissions at the same time. However, in the developing economies, these technologies may not deliver the desired results because they have their unique characteristics and priorities, which are different from those of the developed world. Many GHG emission reduction technologies are still very expensive and not fully developed. For the developing economies, the adoption threshold may become very high. Therefore, the cost effectiveness and practicality of each technology in reducing GHG emission in the developing economies may be very different from that of the developed economies. In this paper, available RE and other GHG emission reduction technologies are individually considered in a case study on Sabah, one of the 13 states in Malaysia, in order to assess the effects of the individual technologies on GHG emission and electricity cost reductions.

Journal of the Acoustical Society of America : Ultrasonic relaxation in aqueous acetic acid solution Jackopin, L.G., Yeager, E., 52 (September 1972) 831

The production of six regionally important cellulosic biomass feedstocks, including pine, eucalyptus, unmanaged hardwoods, forest residues, switchgrass, and sweet sorghum, was analyzed using consistent life cycle methodologies and system boundaries to identify feedstocks with the lowest cost and environmental impacts. Supply chain analysis models were created for each feedstock calculating costs and supply chain requirements for the production 453,592 dry tonnes of biomass per year. Cradle-to-gate environmental impacts from these supply systems were quantified for nine mid-point indicators using SimaPro 7.2 LCA software. Conversion of grassland to managed forest for bioenergy resulted in large reductions in GHG emissions, due to carbon sequestration associated with direct land use change. However, converting forests to energy cropland resulted in large increases in GHG emissions. Production of forest-based feedstocks for biofuels resulted in lower delivered cost, lower greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and lower overall environmental impacts than the studied agricultural feedstocks. Forest residues had the lowest environmental impact and delivered cost per dry tonne. Using forest-based biomass feedstocks instead of agricultural feedstocks would result in lower cradle-to-gate environmental impacts and delivered biomass costs for biofuel production in the southern U.S.

Henan Province, located in the middle of China, is the typical case for a power system predominantly on fossil fuel and electricity sector, which is also the main emission source in Henan Province. In order to evaluate the potential for greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction of the electricity sector in Henan Province , this article analyses different development scenarios based on the “Long-range Energy Alternative Planning System” (LEAP) model to simulate diversification development patterns. Results showed that there is a potential reduction in GHG emission in the Henan’s electricity sector. The government should design and implement different emphasis in different terms. For instance, we founded that the greenhouse gas emission are decreased considerably in technology priority scenario (8.7 MtCO2) and energy structure optimization scenario (30.30 MtCO2)compared with baseline scenario before 2020, in terms of emission intensity per power unit, during 2005-2020, technology priority scenario, energy structure optimization scenario, and baseline scenario descend by 16.1%, 19.1%, 14.2%, respectively. Ultimately, it gives some policy advice to the power industry in Henan province, the advanced generated technologies will be employed to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions greatly before 2015; however, renewable energy and energy structure adjustment will play the dominant role in reducing the greenhouse gas emissions in the long term. It is also suggested to develop carbon tax and “Clean Development Mechanism” (CDM) projects in Henan Province, such as renewable CDM projects, Methane recovery CDM projects, waste heat/gas/pressure recovery CDM projects, to contribute to the reduction of greenhouse gas emission in Henan’s electricity sector.

Kaya identity for analysis of the main drivers of GHG emissions and feasibility to implement EU “20–20–20” targets in the Baltic States

Introduction. Ukraine, as it moves toward integration with European markets and fulfills its international climate commitments, faces the necessity of transforming its economy towards sustainable development. A key aspect of this transformation is the adoption of renewable energy sources (RES) and enhancing energy efficiency across all sectors of the economy. Amid the ongoing armed conflict and destruction of energy infrastructure, Ukraine is actively working to restore and modernize its energy sector, aiming to reduce its reliance on imported fossil fuels and align with European energy markets. The adoption of the National Energy and Climate Plan through 2030, which was developed in line with European Union standards and the Paris Climate Agreement, outlines the main strategic development priorities. These include a substantial reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, increasing the share of RES in the national energy mix to 27%, and improving energy efficiency by 30%. These initiatives are designed to ensure a sustainable energy system that will foster economic growth, enhance energy independence, and tackle climate change. Despite Ukraine’s significant potential in renewable energy development – such as solar, wind, and bioenergy—numerous challenges impede the implementation of these projects. The major obstacles include financial instability, institutional barriers, and the ongoing military conflict. However, Ukraine’s national policy is showing positive trends in the adoption of modern green technologies and its gradual integration into the European energy market. This study also highlights the importance of international cooperation in fostering the development of Ukraine’s «green» economy. Support from international financial institutions like the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the World Bank plays a crucial role in financing RES and energy efficiency projects. International agreements, including REPowerEU and the European Green Deal, offer Ukraine opportunities to attract additional investments and expedite the energy sector’s reform process. Thus, the development of Ukraine’s national RES policy, alignment with international obligations, and integration into European markets are not only essential for preserving energy independence but are also crucial for achieving the country’s sustainable development goals in the face of climate change and global challenges. The purpose of the article is to analyze Ukraine’s national policy on renewable energy sources, its alignment with international obligations, and to assess the prospects for Ukraine’s integration into European energy markets. Research methods. To achieve these objectives, the study uses methods such as system analysis, statistical data analysis, and comparative analysis. The data used comes from both primary and secondary sources, including statistics from the State Statistics Service of Ukraine and international reports on renewable energy development. Research results. The analysis shows that Ukraine has made some progress in increasing the share of renewable energy in its overall energy consumption. However, substantial investments and international support will be necessary to achieve the goals outlined in the National Plan by 2030. Several scenarios for the development of renewable energy in Ukraine have been considered, with the most optimistic one projecting successful integration into European energy markets. Research perspectives. Future studies could focus on practical aspects of implementing energy efficiency and decarbonization initiatives, as well as a deeper exploration of the potential for attracting foreign investment in the development of RES in Ukraine.

Sweetness and Power - Public Policies and the ‘Biofuels Frenzy’