Modelling of environmental benefit evaluation of energy transition to multi-energy complementary system

Abstract

After the Paris Agreement has been signed, many countries increase their efforts to promote the green and low-carbon development for achieving sustainable development. As the driving force of economic and social development, energy also faces a huge challenge, providing more clean energy while reducing the harm to environment. A possible path of energy transition is the multi-energy complementary system which can increase the energy efficiency in addition to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases (GHGs) and critical air pollutants (CAPs) compared to transitional energy supply pattern. Meanwhile, it will create many new economic growth points. This paper presents a multi-dimensional, multi-perspective and realizable analysis framework of environmental benefit evaluation of energy transition to multi-energy complementary system. As a typical developing country pursuing sustainable development, a typical multi-energy complementary project in China is took as an example to demonstrate the application of the framework and related methods proposed to assess the environmental benefit. The results indicate that the emission reduction effect is 0.03 million tonnes (Mt) of CAPs and 26 Mt of GHG in 2017. The proposed framework can effectively help China identify the effect of multi-energy complementary system, which is helpful to make idea arrangement and program development for next step action against tackling climate change and haze pollution. This presented framework is also helpful for the countries like China to make decisions in taking measures to promote the energy transition.