Carbon Emission Pinch Analysis Research Articles

Strategic pathways to sustainable energy: Carbon emission pinch analysis for Bangladesh's electricity sector

Balancing burgeoning energy demands in the electricity sector while curbing carbon emissions poses a formidable challenge for emerging economies like Bangladesh, which is heavily reliant on fossil fuels. Despite the country's power system master plan (PSMP) until 2041 and submitted intended nationally determined contributions (INDC) to tackle mounting energy needs and associated emissions, the PSMP lacks specific emission reduction strategies. Thus, this study employs carbon emission pinch analysis to facilitate Bangladesh's long-term energy planning, highlighting emission reduction hurdles. This research aims to set emission limits, delineate fossil fuel and carbon-neutral source (i.e., zero emission during operation) compositions, ascertain carbon-neutral source ranges for targeted emissions, and propose viable carbon-neutral sources to meet escalating energy demands. Three scenarios are extensively explored: fulfilling INDC mandates, a 10% increase in renewable energy, and maintaining 2035 emission levels in 2040. The analysis unveils emission limits of 55 758.83 and 84 778.61 × 109 grams of CO2 equivalent for 2025 and 2030, respectively. Projections indicate a foreseen 10% surge in renewable energy by 2035, elevating its share to 18.16%. Carbon-neutral energy sources, encompassing solar, wind, hydroelectricity, biomass, and nuclear, are estimated to cover 56.06% of energy demand by 2040, driving a 33.30% emissions reduction.

Integrated decision-making approach for sectoral low-carbon technology solutions

The contributions of different sectors to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are at the heart of the climate debate. In the coming decades, the implementation of low-carbon technology (LCT) solutions in key industries will play a pivotal role in mitigating climate change. This study develops a graphical approach that integrates carbon emissions pinch analysis (CEPA), the best-worst method (BWM), and cost-benefit analysis (CBA) to assess LCTs in key industries. CEPA is used to identify LCTs that meet both economic and GHG reduction constraints, then the LCTs selected by CEPA are subjected to CBA, while BWM is applied to assess the weighted performance of LCTs in terms of their environmental, economic, social, and technological aspects. A comparison of the implementation priority sequence of LCTs was made between the dual constraints of carbon and economic considerations and a multi-factor perspective (environmental impact, economic benefits, social impact, and technological aspects). Finally, by incorporating the marginal abatement cost curve (MACC), the optimal low-carbon and economically viable technological pathway can be determined. This study analyzed 85 LCTs from global industries, including the power, food, agriculture, and land use (FAL), industry, transportation, and construction industries. The results for the global scenario from 2020 to 2050 indicate that 38 LCTs have been screened by CEPA to meet the dual constraints of carbon and economic performance, resulting in a GHG emissions reduction of 328.0 Gt CO2-e. Among them, the power industry was the major contributor, with a cumulative reduction of 197.3 Gt CO2-e, followed by the construction industry (97.9 Gt CO2-e), industry (25.4 Gt CO2-e), transportation (4.9 Gt CO2-e), and FAL (2.5 Gt CO2-e); an industry scenario analysis was conducted and listed low-carbon lists in key industries that meet the dual constraints of carbon and economy. This study can contribute to the rational planning and formulation of climate actions at the technological level to effectively enable deep decarbonization.

A techno-economic quantification of carbon reduction strategies in the Trinidad and Tobago power generation sector using Carbon Emission Pinch Analysis (CEPA)

Trinidad and Tobago’s (T&T) conditional commitment to the Paris Agreement requires an overall power emission avoidance (EAT) of 28.7 MtCO2-e from Business-As-Usual by 2030, dependent on international financing. T&T has outlined several initiatives to achieve this, including zero-carbon renewable energy (RE) introduction. However, other technologies such as Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) can also be used in support of achieving EAT.Using a specific scenario (S3), this study assesses the techno-economics of CCS within the sector to minimize the requirement of RE using a carbon measuring tool called Carbon Emission Pinch Analysis (CEPA) to achieve EAT. Local power plants were screened, and a CCS retrofit was then technically designed using a validated software called Aspen HYSYS. Multi-period CEPA methodology was then applied to quantify ∼17% of grid energy from RE along with CCS to achieve EAT. Economic models were also used to determine the grid unit cost of emission abatement for S3 to be 64 USD/tCO2-e; a doubling of initial projection requirements. With T&T’s current dynamics, these findings can help guide actions to reduce the requirements of RE onto the grid through the supplemental introduction of CCS to achieve its EAT.

Carbon emission pinch analysis for shipping fuel planning considering multiple period and fuel conversion rates

In the context of achieving carbon neutrality, reducing CO2 emissions has become an essential task for many countries and poses challenges for various industries. With global trade, the shipping industry is overgrowing, bringing economic benefits but also significant CO2 emissions. To achieve the goal of carbon neutrality, the fuel mix of ships needs to be planned appropriately. As an extension of the base method of Carbon Emission Pinch Analysis, this study develops a new Carbon Pinch Point analysis method for shipping fuel planning. Optimising the energy mix of ships in different period is used to reduce CO2 emissions from shipping fuels and achieve the set emission reduction targets. Taking the Zhoushan sea area in China as an example, emission reduction targets are set in three period with a five-year period from the national policy level. The first period (2020–2025) achieves a 14.5% reduction relative to 2020; the second period (2025–2030) achieves a 32.2% reduction relative to 2020; and the third period (2030–2035) achieves a 57.2% reduction relative to 2020. Each period is divided into Scenario 1 (without heat loss), and Scenario 2 (with heat loss), and two options are developed for each scenario by constraining different low-carbon fuels. The study shows that it is more economical to use LNG as an alternative fuel in the first period, requiring an additional 457.74 kt of LNG in Scenario 1 and 225.26 kt of LNG in Scenario 2. Using biodiesel as an alternative fuel in the second period is more economical, requiring an additional 343.55 kt of biodiesel in Scenario 1313.04 kt of biodiesel in Scenario 2. The use of biodiesel as an alternative fuel in the third period is more economical, requiring an additional 371.73 kt of biodiesel in Scenario 1 and 466.23 kt of biodiesel in Scenario 2.

Carbon emissions pinch analysis (CEPA) for emissions reduction and energy planning in Canada

Carbon emissions pinch analysis (CEPA) for emissions reduction and energy planning in Canada

Integrated enterprise input-output and carbon emission pinch analysis for carbon intensity reduction in edible oil refinery

It is important to properly account for the emissions contribution of process units in order to develop cost-effective industrial decarbonization strategies. However, there is limited literature on this topic in the edible oil refining sector. This work addresses this research gap by developing a novel systematic technique for assessing decarbonization options in the palm oil refining process. This technique combines enterprise input-output analysis (EIOA) with graphical carbon emission pinch analysis (CEPA) into a unified approach to examining cost-effective decarbonization measures. Results show that the average carbon intensity of the system was 0.0432 kg CO2/$ while the total carbon footprint was 2339.97 kg CO2. Palm fatty acid distillate (PFAD) has the highest carbon intensity contribution (0.0392 kg CO2/$) among the multiple products. Four scenarios to achieve a 20% reduction in CO2 emissions based on heat integration and process changes were examined. Economic evaluation was also conducted for each proposed strategy.

Greenhouse gas reduction through optimal breeding policy and diet configuration targeting via Carbon Emission Pinch Analysis

Carbon emission neutralisation is the future target in many countries. Many sectors including the breeding industry, are contributing to achieve this target. Carbon emissions can be reduced by adjusting breeding and dietary structures. This study develops a Food-Carbon Emission Pinch Analysis tool for diet configuration optimisation to target possible greenhouse gas reduction. Several scenarios with different aims are considered to adjust the diet configuration in China and Zhejiang province. Results show that from the perspective of nutrition, replacing meat with equal protein mass of fish is more reasonable. 8.42 kg fish consumption should be increased, and 10.16 kg poultry and livestock meat consumption should be reduced annual per capita to reduce 10% food-carbon emission in Zhejiang province. For China as a whole, 9.88 Mt of poultry and livestock meat consumption should be reduced to achieve the 10% reduction target. If the reduced meat consumption is fully borne by the domestic breeding industry, the income of the domestic breeding industry would be reduced by 202,724 M CNY. It is recommended to reduce meat consumption by reducing meat imports and to increase the breeding and consumption of low-carbon fish rather than shellfish because of its extremely low carbon emission factor.

Integrating greenhouse gas reduction and waste policy targets to identify optimal waste treatment configurations via Carbon Emission Pinch Analysis

Municipal solid waste (MSW) is a persistent burden in many countries. The heterogeneous MSW characteristic requires a transition from the monotonous treatment strategy to a diversified low-carbon waste treatment configuration. Nevertheless, complex mathematical models hinder the policymakers from adopting scientific-based solutions in the decision-making process, and those models seldom link national greenhouse gas reduction targets to local waste policy targets. This study applies two approaches in constructing Carbon Emission Pinch Analysis to either optimize waste treatment system configurations while considering greenhouse gas reduction and waste policy targets or identify the maximum possible national greenhouse gas reduction based on a waste treatment system configuration. Among the seven types of waste treatment systems studied, the carbon emission factor of material recycling is the lowest (−0.19 t CO2-e/t MSW), whereas open landfill is the highest (0.72 t CO2-e/t MSW). The proposed ten waste treatment configurations indicate a 1.0–2.2% reduction of national greenhouse gas emissions, in which the best-case configuration (i.e., carbon sink scenario) contributes to 3.64% of the national electricity consumption in 2030. This study provides a compendious comparison of waste treatment systems integrated with greenhouse gas reduction and waste policy targets for a more circular MSW management in countries facing the waste disposal dilemma.

Carbon Emission Pinch Analysis for Regional Planning of Rural Electrification

Carbon Emission Pinch Analysis for Regional Planning of Rural Electrification

Integrated Approach for Sectoral Carbon Drawdown Solutions

Sectoral contributions of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are at the heart of the climate debate. Carbon drawdown solutions from different sectors (e.g. energy, land, urban infrastructure, and industrial systems) will play significant roles in mitigating climate change in the coming decades. This work identifies the feasible carbon drawdown solutions to support GHG emissions reduction paths globally. These solutions should meet both economic constraints and carbon emissions targets. This work develops a novel approach that integrates Carbon Emission Pinch Analysis (CEPA), the Best-Worst Method (BWM), and Cost-Benefit Analysis (CBA). For each sector, BWM is used to evaluate the performance of reduction solutions and identify their priority weights. Then, CBA is used to rank the options further. Finally, CEPA combines with the Marginal Emission Reduction Cost Curve to find the final mix to meet carbon reduction targets and investment costs. The results prioritize global carbon drawdown potentials for the power (186.4 Gt CO2-eq), construction (97.9 Gt CO2-eq), industry (23.8 Gt CO2-eq), transportation (20.2 Gt CO2-eq), food, agriculture, and land use (2.5 Gt CO2-eq) sectors. Based on these results, this work presents an optimal path for carbon drawdown.

Optimizing regional electricity trading with Carbon Emissions Pinch Analysis

The global effort to decarbonize electricity production requires the concurrent phaseout of fossil fuel-fired power plants coupled with the installation of new renewable energy capacity. The requirement for the latter capacity may be prohibitive in cases where deep greenhouse gas emissions cuts are sought. Electricity trading among countries provides an opportunity to aggregate electricity sources and demands and reduce incremental new renewable energy generation. Carbon emissions limits of each country can be met if a renewable energy certification system is in place. In this work, modified Carbon Emissions Pinch Analysis (CEPA) approaches were developed to determine the minimum renewable energy target for a group of countries with an electricity trading agreement. CEPA is implemented here both graphically and via the Automated Targeting Model (ATM). The effectiveness of this approach for carbon-constrained energy planning is illustrated using three case studies, which include a case study based on countries in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). The case study results show that electricity trading can reduce new aggregated renewable energy capacity by 9 TWh. Furthermore, the case studies demonstrate reduced investments in renewable energy generation capacity and avoiding energy assets from being stranded in some cases.

Optimisation and planning of biomass supply chain for new and existing power plants based on carbon reduction targets

The biomass energy sector in most developing countries is not well established due to the high cost of implementation and lack of quantitative planning tools. This paper addresses this issue by presenting a quantitative planning tool used to plan and optimise biomass supply chains based on carbon reduction targets. The tool proposed in this work centres on three important stages: Carbon Emission Pinch Analysis (CEPA), mathematical optimisation, and multi-stakeholder analysis. CEPA is used to determine the minimum amount of biomass to achieve carbon reductions. Then, mathematical optimisation is used to optimise the biomass supply chain based on the carbon reduction target. The optimisation step considers the use of new biomass power plants and co-firing existing power plants. Following this, the importance of power plants within the optimal biomass supply chain is identified using a multi-stakeholder analysis method known as Shapley-Shubik power index. Shapley-Shubik power index is used to determine the level of power held by each power plant in the biomass supply chain based on the number of times each stakeholder become pivotal in achieving several quotas (i.e., power purchase agreement). A case study comprising a biomass supply chain in Malaysia is solved to demonstrate the presented tool. The case study analyses several scenarios in which the biomass supply chain can be deployed. Case study results indicated that co-firing existing power plants did indeed minimise capital and operating expenditure. Conversely, the cost of transporting biomass may be high depending on the location of these plants. Boiler systems were the most chosen due to their high biomass-to-power conversion rates. The multi-stakeholder analysis determined that a power plant with higher power output, cheaper costs, and superior biomass-to-power conversion rate often appears as the more significant player in the supply chain.

Projection of energy mix in China using carbon emission pinch analysis

This work uses carbon emission pinch analysis (CEPA) method to analyze the energy mix of power generation in the Chinese power sector. It proposes to explore the optimal energy mix to achieve effective control of carbon emissions while meeting electricity demand. Under the constraint of global carbon neutrality, China’s power industry is reducing carbon emissions by transforming the energy mix. The energy mix of China’s power industry in 2030 and 2050 is analyzed according to the policy requirements and the emission reduction effect of the optimal combination. The study shows that vigorously reducing coal power, developing wind power and solar power as the main renewable energy sources, and vigorously developing the renovation and new construction of carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology for coal power are more conducive to reducing carbon emissions. The goals are up to achieve 4073.13 Mt CO2-e in 2030 and 3948.54 Mt CO2-e in 2050.

A generic algebraic targeting approach for integration of renewable energy sources, CO2 capture and storage and negative emission technologies in carbon-constrained energy planning

Renewable energy sources, CO2capture and storage (CCS) and negative emission technologies (NETs) are important elements to incorporate during energy planning to achieve climate change targets by the end of this century. This paper develops a generic algebraic targeting approach based on carbon emissions pinch analysis (CEPA), for the integration of renewable energy sources, CCS and NETs during CO2-constrained energy planning. Since the recently established graphical targeting approach is both time-consuming and cumbersome, the algebraic targeting approach developed in this work eliminates the iterative procedure and provides rigorous targets that overcome the limitations of the previous approach. The algebraic targeting approach is demonstrated with a literature case study. Results show that the integration of energy-producing NETs (EP-NETs) reduces energy generation from fossil-based sectors, which leads to CO2 removal. By contrast, despite the removal of CO2 load, the integration of energy-consuming NETs (EC-NETs) demanded further utilisation of renewable energy sources as compensatory energy. Finally, CCS deployment aided in CO2 load removal, thus reducing the necessary integration of NETs during energy planning.

Process Integration and Climate Change: From Carbon Emissions Pinch Analysis to Carbon Management Networks

Carbon Emissions Pinch Analysis (CEPA) is a branch of Process Integration (PI) that was developed as a systematic methodology for planning the optimal allocation of energy to various demands under carbon-constrained conditions. Since its inception in 2007, the body of CEPA literature has branched out into distinct areas. The first branch consists of direct applications of CEPA to specific geographic regions or nations, which includes early applications in Ireland and New Zealand, leading to more recent applications to parts of China and the United States. The second branch consists of methodological extensions of the original graphical CEPA procedure. These developments include algebraic and Mathematical Programming (MP) variants. The third branch of CEPA literature extends its principles to other measures of sustainability, such as various environmental footprints; recent attempts to allow the methodology to simultaneously handle multiple sustainability metrics have also been published. Finally, in the fourth branch, CEPA has also been extended to handle special problem structures such as segregated targeting for multiple geographic zones, or deployment of CO2 capture and storage (CCS). Also included here are CEPA variants for carbon-constrained planning at different levels, ranging from enterprise scale, to supply chains and sector level (e.g., transportation or waste disposal), and finally to economy-wide analysis when integrated with established tools such as Input-Output Analysis (IOA). This paper discusses key developments in CEPA literature, with emphasis on the most recent developments (2016 to the present), as well as further prospects for the development of this PI sub-area.

Carbon emission pinch analysis (CEPA) for planning the decarbonization of the UK power sector

Abstract Carbon emissions pinch analysis (CEPA) was carried out for the planning of deep cuts in the carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions of the electric power generation sector of the United Kingdom (UK). The graphical CEPA technique is used to examine alternatives by which the UK can achieve or approach net zero emissions by 2050. The analysis considers constraints such as the condition of the current fleet of power plants, available renewable energy resources, and technological transitions such as carbon capture and storage (CCS) and potential entry of negative emissions technologies (NETs). Different scenarios are proposed for the planning of years 2030 and 2050, based on realistic assumptions and extension of various potential renewables. For the planning of year 2030, compared to the governmental forecasts for the same year, biomass from the UK is to be increased by 63%, while the remaining electricity generation is to be obtained from wind and solar power, which are to be increased by 25% respectively (scenario SC4-RE-WSB). For year 2050, natural gas is to be increased by six folds from the 2030 scenario, and other renewables have their respective increased generation, i.e. 50% wind generation, 80% solar generation, 50% biomass import from EU, and 60% of UK biomass. Furthermore, 51% of power from biomass plants are to be installed with CCS, making it a NET with negative emission factor. Doing this achieved the zero emission target for the UK power generation sector. Results showed that an electricity generation mix having net zero emissions for the UK is possible if sustainably grown biomass is used coupled with CCS technologies.

Optimal Electricity Trading with Carbon Emissions Pinch Analysis

Many countries face the challenge of cutting greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from electricity generation while coping with increasing demand. This problem is especially pronounced in developing countries with growing energy consumption. Commitments to cut GHG emissions can be met by increasing the share of low-carbon sources such as renewable and nuclear energy, but rapidly scaling up the capacity of such sources can be difficult. In a region of contiguous countries with heterogeneous levels of GHG intensity, electricity trading can be used to reduce the need for new power generation capacity. A country with a low-carbon power mix can export to its neighbours and thus reduce the need for new generation capacity in those countries. In this work, a variant of Carbon Emissions Pinch Analysis (CEPA) is developed for optimizing regional electricity trading to meet GHG emissions cuts. The method is demonstrated with the case of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

Two-Stages Carbon Emission Pinch Analysis for Integrated System of Renewable Energy and Electric Vehicle

The introduction of electric vehicles to the transportation fleet has merged the power generation and transportation sectors into an integrated system. Rather than fuel sources, electricity is used to charge electric vehicles, so these vehicles play a vital role as an important green technology that could reduce carbon emissions in the transportation sector. This study aimed to develop a multi-stage carbon emission pinch analysis for an integrated system to optimise the energy mix for electricity generation. In the first stage, the minimum number of electric vehicles required to reduce transportation emissions was determined. In the second stage, the optimal energy mix for power generation sector was determined while including the electricity demand for the electric vehicle. Four scenarios, namely the business-as-usual scenario (S1); the public transport utilization scenario (S2); the electrification of vehicle scenario (S3); and the Integrated-Policies scenario (S4) were developed based on Peninsular Malaysia as a case study, to analyse the impact of different mitigation strategies on the country’s economy. S1 was set as baseline for all the cases i.e., without any mitigation strategies. The results reveal that S4 was the best scenario, yielding a total cost saving percentage of 51.42 % compared to S1. For the power generation sector, 52 % of renewable energy (solar PV, biomass and biogas) utilisation would be needed in the energy mix to achieve the emission reduction target.

Targeting carbon emissions mitigation in the transport sector – A case study in Urumqi, China

Promoting changes in the transport energy mix is critical to reducing carbon dioxide emissions from the transport sector. The development of zero-carbon energy or low-carbon energy has thus become an accelerating global trend. This work develops a systematic integrated framework to support carbon reduction for an urban transport system. Firstly, a transport metabolism model is proposed. Secondly, based on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) carbon accounting approach, carbon emissions of passenger transport systems are calculated. According to carbon emissions reduction policies and the transport metabolism, four hypothetical scenarios are investigated. Under the constraints of carbon emissions targets and transport demands, the carbon emission pinch analysis (CEPA) method is used to determine the minimum demand for zero-carbon energy and optimize the energy mix of transport modes. Passenger transport in Urumqi, China is analyzed as an illustrative case study. For the optimal scenario, the zero-carbon energy (electricity) demand is 1.07×109 kWh. The optimal energy mix for private cars is that electricity, gasoline, and compressed natural gas usage accounting for 14.5%, 25.5%, and 60%, respectively. The unit emission reduction cost of policies is evaluated for the specific policies. The implementation priority of the policies is then determined. The potential transport mode shift is determined by a marginal cost diagram. The transport–energy nexus is also considered. Results show that the most effective measure of carbon emissions reduction in the transport sector is fuel switching. General policy implications of these results for other urban centers are then discussed.

Estimation of carbon dioxide (CO2) reduction by utilization of algal biomass bioplastic in Malaysia using carbon emission pinch analysis (CEPA)

ABSTRACT Carbon dioxide (CO2) emission will increase due to the increasing global plastic demand. Statistical data shows that plastic production alone will contribute to at least 20% of the annual global carbon budget in the near future. Hence, several alternative methods are recommended to overcome this problem, such as bio-product synthesis. Algae consist of diverse species and have huge potential to be a promising biomass feedstock for a range of purposes, including bio-oil production. The convenient cultivation method of algae could be one of the main support for algal biomass utilization. The aim of this study is to forecast and outline the strategies in order to meet the future demand (year 2050) of plastic production and, at the same time, reduce CO2 emission by replacing the conventional plastic with bio-based plastic. In this paper, the analysis for 25%, 50% and 75% CO2 reduction has been done by using carbon emission pinch analysis. The strategies of biomass utilization in Malaysia are also enumerated in this study. This study suggested that the algal biomass found in Malaysia coastal areas should be utilized and cultivated on a larger scale in order to meet the increasing plastic demand and, at the same time, reduce carbon footprint. Some of the potential areas for macroalgae sea-farming cultivation in Sabah coastline (Malaysia), comprised of about 3885 km2 (388,500 ha) in total, have been highlighted. These potential areas have the potential to produce up to 14.5 million tonnes (Mt)/y of macroalgae in total, which can contribute 370 Mt of phenol for bioplastic production.