Operational Lifecycle Carbon Value of Bus Electrification in Macau

Xinkuo Xu,Liyan Han

doi:10.3390/su12093784

Abstract

The economic value of carbon emission reduction in the electrification of buses is of concern in practical and academic fields. The aim of this paper, which focuses on direct and indirect carbon emissions, is to study the economic value of the carbon emission reduction of bus electrification in an operational lifecycle carbon footprint, with the empirical data sourced from the bus electrification in Macau. First, it proposes the methodology to evaluate the operational lifecycle carbon value of bus electrification (OLCVBE). Second, it analyses the distinct impacts of internal determinants on OLCVBE. Third, it discusses the determinants’ characteristics for OLCVBE. The results indicate that (1) OLCVBE may be a carbon debt, but it is not a carbon asset in some situations; (2) OLCVBE is determined by the carbon emission coefficients of both electric power and fossil fuel, buses’ electric or fossil fuel consumption levels, buses’ terminations, carbon price and discounted rate; and (3) as a comparison, electric power’s embedded carbon emission coefficient has the biggest impact on OLCVBE, then carbon price and the electric consumption have the second or third biggest impacts, and the annual driving distance of buses has relative less impact. This paper provides a new perspective to study the economic and environmental effects of bus electrification.

Highlights

Mitigation in public transport has been noticed by people in practice and in academia in recent years [1,2]
The annual and service-life OLCVBE is determined by the annual driving distance of the battery electric or fossil fuel-powered bus, the relative carbon emission reduction for the battery electric buses (BEBs) to replace the fossil fuel-powered buses (FFBs), and carbon price
The relative carbon emission reduction for a BEB to replace a FFB is determined by the distance-specific fossil fuel consumption of the FFB, the carbon emission coefficient of fossil fuel, the distance-specific electric power consumption of the BEB, the embedded carbon emission coefficient of electric power

Summary

Introduction

Mitigation in public transport has been noticed by people in practice and in academia in recent years [1,2]. One possible way for public transport to reduce carbon emissions is to replace fossil fuel-powered buses (FFBs) with battery electric buses (BEBs) [3]. BEBs have few direct carbon emissions on road, but they need electric power to provide energy [4,5]. As a result, when evaluating the emission reduction effect and the corresponding economic value of bus electrification, i.e., the process for BEBs to replace FFBs, a lifecycle carbon footprint insight is needed. This paper mainly focuses on the lifecycle carbon emissions associated with public bus operation

Results

Discussion

Conclusion