Carbon Emission Pinch Analysis Research Articles

Raw material management networks based on an improved P‐graph integrated carbon emission pinch analysis (CEPA‐P‐graph) method

AbstractRaw material management plays an essential role in the environment production and carbon emission problem. A P‐graph is an effective tool that can be used to solve the raw material management problem. However, raw material management based on the P‐graph is complicated and inaccurate. Therefore, this paper proposes an improved P‐graph integrating carbon emission pinch analysis (CEPA‐P‐graph) method to resolve raw material management problem with simpler structures and less results. The proposed method is applied in raw material planning in terms of the regional energy planning problem, and two ethylene plants under carbon emission constraints are examined. As the parameter information of the problem is utilized by pinch technology, the search domain of structure optimization is further reduced, and the computing complexity is reduced, while the advantages of the P‐graph multi‐solution are guaranteed. The experimental results demonstrate the validity of the proposed method. Furthermore, the CEPA‐P‐graph could reduce the complexity of solution structure generation by ~70% and reduce the carbon emission per unit product by 17%.

Hybrid approach for carbon-constrained planning of bioenergy supply chain network

With increasing emphasis on sustainable development, developing countries are required to adapt more sustainable approaches to energy policy-making. Bioenergy supply chain planning methodologies can provide viable frameworks for policy-making. However, current methodologies lack the ability to simultaneously consider CO2 emission reduction targets while designing a bioenergy supply chain. As such, the objective of this work is to present a hybrid methodology that combines both carbon emission pinch analysis with superstructure-based optimisation technique. The proposed methodology was demonstrated via a palm-based case study, focused on the state of Selangor, Malaysia. The case study was broken into two scenarios. The first scenario accounted for an output-driven energy policy, whereby the electricity output of the bioenergy supply chain network (BSCN) is prioritised and the corresponding emission reduction is analysed. Results from the first scenario suggests that the optimised BSCN with 5,040 TJ output could reduce CO2 emission intensity by 9.71%. The second scenario focused on an emission-driven policy. Emission-driven policy establishes the emission reduction targets first and then determines the corresponding BSCN to achieve it. Results from this scenario indicate all oil palm plantations could afford to operate on low growth factors of up to 0.8 to avoid sharp drops in possible CO2 reductions for the BSCN. This policy was explored further by conducting sensitivity analysis on the agricultural growth and biomass export factors respectively. The analyses found that the optimised BSCN experience minimal change in costs when plantations have growth factors beyond 1.1. Lastly, analysis was performed to evaluate the range of technologies chosen based on the electricity output. The analysis found that power plant technologies were favoured more as compared to combined heat and power systems.

Carbon emissions pinch analysis (CEPA) for energy sector planning in Nigeria

Nigeria has abundant of fossils and renewable energy resources. However, systematic energy planning techniques are desirable to facilitate the sustainable management of these resources. In this work, carbon emission pinch analysis which incorporates macro-level sectorial electricity planning was applied for Nigeria. The minimum renewable targets were determined, and some of the possibilities of realising meaningful emissions reduction with increases in demand were revealed. The minimum renewable target of 408 TW h is required to keep emissions level as that of year 2015, while at the same time meeting the projected demand of 530 TW h in 2035. The present estimation shows that renewable energy applications could immensely contribute to the energy mix and favourable over fossil fuel for carbon emissions reductions. Biomass has the potential to sustain the nation from energy shortages, decrease the grid emission factor for Nigeria electricity sector from 0.91 t CO2/TW h (2015) to 0.21 t CO2/TW h (2035). The electricity generation mix for year 2035 is best derived from biomass, solar, and hydropower.

Carbon Emission Pinch Analysis: an application to the transportation sector in Iskandar Malaysia for 2025

The energy sector has grown significantly over the years, causing an increase in carbon emission that has led to serious global warming problems. Consequently, electric vehicles (EVs) have become a favourable solution in the transportation sector due to their green technology attributes. This paper aims to apply the Carbon Emission Pinch Analysis (CEPA) method to the transportation sector in Iskandar Malaysia. The modified CEPA method is applied by constructing a composite curve for transportation modes and the total carbon emission was plotted in order to study the minimum electricity requirement that needs to be generated to implement the use of EVs. Road and rail transportation were considered in the transport composite curve based on the current policies available and to achieve the new carbon emission target by the year 2025. The alternatives available to reduce carbon emission in Iskandar Malaysia include increasing public transport modal share; fuel switching from petrol and diesel to natural gas and biofuels; and increasing transport efficiency via plug-in hybrid and EVs. Four scenarios were established and evaluated based on economic and environmental aspects. As a result, Scenario 4 which considered all policies available (transport management, fuel switching and fuel efficiency) have showed the most promising fuel mix for future transportation demands. An estimated total amount of 0.25 TJ of electricity is needed for EV implementation with a total estimated cost of RM 1.3 billion. The total carbon emission for this scenario is 1101.96 kt-CO2. This research can benefit the Government, town planners, or policy makers, for preliminary energy planning.

Dual-objective chemical production planning by graphical-tabular Pinch Analysis for sustainable methanol industry in China

Abstract The overall top-layer design for chemical production, carbon emission and production cost is significant for the sustainable development of chemical industry. Industrial structure adjustment and low-carbon technology retrofit are generally served as the alternatives for policymakers and plants to simultaneously meet the energy demand and carbon emission limit. To further extend the practical application of Carbon Emission Pinch Analysis (CEPA) for low-carbon methanol production planning on the supply side, this paper presents four scenarios for the methanol industry in 2020 in China. A graphical method of Chemical Production Pinch Analysis (CPPA) combining with the first-order and single-variable grey model (GM(1,1)) is conducted to analyze the interaction between energy demand and carbon emission. A two-step tabular method is also proposed to search the optimal planning for achieving the minimum production cost and CO2 emission. The results show that the coal-to-methanol route would continually dominate the major share of methanol supply and CO2 emission in the overall methanol industry due to the energy structure of China. Options of developing biomass-methanol technology, shifting the production share from coal to low-carbon routes and retrofitting with CO2 capture and storage (CCS) in coal-methanol plants could be considered to simultaneously achieve the targets of energy supply, carbon emission constraint and minimum production cost.

Carbon emissions pinch analysis of economic systems

Abstract Carbon Emissions Pinch Analysis is a variant of Pinch Analysis that was developed for macroscale carbon-constrained energy planning problems. It uses carbon intensity as the measure of quality of energy streams to be allocated within a large-scale system. Since its inception, this method has been applied to various systems at different scales, utilized in different geographic contexts, and also extended to allow different sustainability metrics, such as land and water footprints, to be considered. In this paper, Carbon Emissions Pinch Analysis is further extended by combining it with Input-Output Analysis. This hybrid approach is capable of economy-wide analysis, where the segments of composite curves are comprised of the sectors in an economic system; flow quantities are measures in terms of economic value, while quality is indicated by carbon intensity. After first illustrating this approach to a small pedagogical case study, the methodology is then applied to a case study on the carbon-constrained economic growth of the Philippines. Prospects and limitations of the potential application of this methodology to other cases are also discussed.

Pinch analysis of GHG mitigation strategies for municipal solid waste management: A case study on Qingdao City

Municipal solid waste management is a major environmental issue facing modern cities due to risks posed to humans and emissions of greenhouse gases. In China, landfills are among the main management options used in urban centers. Other options for municipal solid waste treatment include waste minimization, material recycling, and recovery of energy. An integrated municipal solid waste management system must utilize these alternatives in an optimal manner while accounting for system constraints. This paper presents a hybrid approach for planning a carbon-constrained municipal solid waste management system for Qingdao City. The method is based on Life Cycle Carbon Accounting and Carbon Emission Pinch Analysis. First, the amount of carbon emissions released during municipal solid waste treatment in Qingdao City is calculated using Life Cycle Carbon Accounting. Then, Carbon Emission Pinch Analysis is conducted to evaluate management options for treatment of municipal solid waste under specified emissions targets. Four scenarios are assessed wherein alternative combinations of municipal solid waste treatment methods are combined for the case of Qingdao City.

Energy sector planning using multiple-index pinch analysis

Pinch analysis was initially developed as a methodology for optimizing energy efficiency in process plants. Applications of pinch analysis applications are based on common principles of using stream quantity and quality to determine optimal system targets. This initial targeting step identifies the pinch point, which then allows complex problems to be decomposed for the subsequent design of an optimal network using insights drawn from the targeting stage. One important class of pinch analysis problems is energy planning with footprint constraints, which began with the development of carbon emissions pinch analysis; in such problems, energy sources and demands are characterized by carbon footprint as the quality index. This methodology has been extended by using alternative quality indexes that measure different sustainability dimensions, such as water footprint, land footprint, emergy transformity, inoperability risk, energy return on investment and human fatalities. Pinch analysis variants still have the limitation of being able to use one quality index at a time, while previous attempts to develop pinch analysis methods using multiple indices have only been partially successful for special cases. In this work, a multiple-index pinch analysis method is developed by using an aggregate quality index, based on a weighted linear function of different quality indexes normally used in energy planning. The weights used to compute the aggregate index are determined via the analytic hierarchy process. A case study for Indian power sector is solved to illustrate how this approach allows multiple sustainability dimensions to be accounted for in energy planning.

Carbon emission pinch analysis for sustainable landfill

Renewable energy, energy efficiency and carbon capture and sequestration, are among several initiatives to reduce global carbon emission as an effort to mitigate global warming. Apart from reducing carbon footprint, another alternative to combat global warming is through effective solid waste management for landfill. While landfill is the most common solid waste treatment options in most parts of the worlds, however in densely populated area, as land availability may be scarce, careful planning and targeting is therefore required to reduce the landfilling rate. It is envisaged that an effective solid waste management strategy can reduce the amount of waste channeled to landfill. Since different waste management technologies requires different size of land area and have different carbon emission reduction impact, question that are often asked in correspond to this aspect includes; What is the suitable waste management technology that should be practiced to reduce the carbon footprint? How much land footprint is reduced? What are the carbon emission intensity of a landfill and how much it may contribute to global warming? In order to answer these questions, a new targeting technique based on carbon emission pinch analysis is developed. This technique aims to identify the optimal landfill waste management technologies based on specify carbon emission reduction target. It can also target the footprint of landfill area through graphical representation.

Carbon Emission Pinch Analysis: an Application to Transportation Sector in Iskandar Malaysia 2025

Energy sector had growth significantly over the year which cause serious global warming issues. This problem arises from the results of carbon emission. Thus, a proper mitigation strategies are needed to tackle this issues. This paper is aim to apply carbon emission pinch analysis (CEPA) for transportation sector in Iskandar Malaysia (IM). The modified method is applied to study the minimum requirement of electricity need to be generated to implement electric vehicle (EV) based on current policy available and to reach the new emission target by year 2025. The road transportation and rail transportation were considered in the transport composite curve. The alternatives available to reduce emission in IM are by increasing public transport modal share, fuel switching from petrol and diesel to natural gas and biofuels, and increase transport efficiency by plug-in hybrid and EV. As a results, the estimated total amount of 0.25 TJ of electricity is needed for EV to be implemented.

Pinch Analysis Approach to Energy Planning Using Weighted Composite Quality Index

Pinch Analysis has evolved over the past four decades from a methodology originally developed for optimising energy efficiency of industrial plants. Applications of Pinch Analysis applications are based on common principles of using stream quantity (e.g., enthalpy) and quality (e.g., temperature) to determine optimal system targets. This targeting step identifies the Pinch Point, which facilitates problem decomposition for subsequent network design.One important class of Pinch Analysis problems is energy planning with footprint constraints. This area of work began with the development of Carbon Emissions Pinch Analysis (CEPA), where energy sources and demands are characterized by carbon footprint as the quality index. This methodology has been extended by using alternative quality indexes, such as water footprint, land footprint, emergy transformity, inoperability risk, energy return on investment (EROI) and human fatalities. Despite such developments, these Pinch Analysis variants have the limitation of being able to use one quality index at a time. To date, attempts at developing multiple-index Pinch Analysis methods have only been partially successful. In this work, a multiple-index Pinch Analysis method is developed by using a composite quality index; the latter is assumed to be a weighted linear function of different quality indexes normally used in energy planning, as discussed previously. The weights used to compute the composite index are determined via the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP). A case study adapted from a literature example is solved to illustrate this approach.

Minimizing carbon footprint using pinch analysis: The case of regional renewable electricity planning in China

Renewable energy has a more important role to play in China’s power sector, especially at the regional level. Renewable electricity in China has made great progress on the basis of national policies. However, the promotion of renewable electricity sector at the regional level is still hampered by local issues. China needs to solve some challenging barriers related to implementation of polices for the development of renewable electricity. These barriers stem largely from availability and reliability constraints. Systematic planning techniques are needed to fully utilize abundant renewable energy resources. In this work, an improved graphical pinch analysis-based approach is presented, which considers carbon-constrained regional electricity planning and supply chain synthesis of biomass energy at the regional level in rural China. The minimum renewable energy target is identified by Carbon Emissions Pinch Analysis (CEPA). Next, a demand-driven approach is applied to synthesize the biomass supply chain network to meet the established target in a given region. A detailed case study of Laixi County in China is used to demonstrate the applicability of the proposed approach for policy-making to promote utilization of renewable electricity at the regional level.

Pinch Analysis Techniques for Carbon Emissions Reduction in the New Zealand Industrial Process Heat Sector

Options for reducing industrial process heat greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in New Zealand are investigated using the Carbon Emissions Pinch Analysis (CEPA) and Energy Return on Energy Invested (EROI) analysis methods. Renewable sources like geothermal, biomass, biogas from animal waste and heat pumps from renewable electricity are investigated. Results indicate that some regions of New Zealand are well placed to make significant reductions to process heat GHG emissions through shifting from fossil fuel heating to renewable heating without a large increase in energy expended or cost. Reducing GHG emissions below 1990 levels can be achieved by using wood waste and biomass in place of coal (33.3 PJ) and biogas from animal waste in place of natural gas (12.1 PJ) where high temperature heating is required (>90 °C), and renewable electricity driven heat pumps for low temperature heating (<90 °C) in dairy and meat processing industries (7.0 PJ). The expected increase in expended energy is 20 %. Over all the Central North Island of New Zealand has a significant degree of renewable and natural resource convergence and hence is a prime region for creating low carbon emission industries requiring process heat based on renewable energy and agricultural and forestry waste.

Achieving 33% renewable electricity generation by 2020 in California

This paper investigates the impacts of California, USA reaching its renewable electricity target of 33%, excluding large hydro, by 2020, which is set out in the state's RPS (Renewable Portfolio Standard). The emerging renewable electricity mix in California and surrounding states which form the WECC (Western Electricity Coordination Council) is analysed using the CEPA (Carbon Emission Pinch Analysis) and EROI (Energy Return on Energy Invested) methodologies. The reduction in emissions with increased renewables is illustrated and the challenge of maintaining high EROI levels for renewable generation is examined for low and high electricity demand growth. Results demonstrate that wind and solar PV collectively form an integral part of California reaching the 33% renewables target by 2020. Government interventions of tax rebates and subsidies, net electricity metering and a four tiered electricity price have accelerated the uptake of electricity generation from wind and solar PV. Residential uptake of solar PV is also reducing overall California electricity grid demand. Emphasis on new renewable generation is stimulating development of affordable wind and solar technology in California which has the added benefit of enhancing social sustainability through improved employment opportunities at a variety of technical levels.

Carbon Emissions Pinch Analysis for emissions reductions in the New Zealand transport sector through to 2050

The CEPA (Carbon Emissions Pinch Analysis) method for energy planning has been modified for improved application to large transport systems. The modified method is applied to investigate the feasibility of NZ (New Zealand) reaching a 1990 emission levels for transport by 2050. The transportation sector has been traditionally a difficult area to transition to high levels of renewable energy because of the strong dependency on fossil fuels. For New Zealand, possible steps for low carbon emissions from transport are: (1) electrification of all rail, (2) wide-spread adoption of energy efficient vehicle technologies, (3) partial electrification of light passenger vehicles through plug-in hybrid and electric vehicle technologies, and (4), introduction of liquid fuels from biomass as an alternative to liquid fuels from petroleum.

Minimising carbon emissions and energy expended for electricity generation in New Zealand through to 2050

Carbon Emissions Pinch Analysis (CEPA) and Energy Return on Energy Investment (EROI) analysis are combined to investigate the feasibility of New Zealand reaching and maintaining a renewables electricity target above 90% through to 2050, while also increasing electricity generation at an annual rate of 1.5% while allowing for a 50% switch to plug in electric vehicle transportation for personal use vehicles. Under this scenario NZ’s electricity demand is anticipated to reach a maximum of between 70 and 75TWh by 2050. If NZ is carbon emissions constrained to 1990 levels, to minimise energy expended, electricity growth will predominantly come from wind (18TWh) and geothermal (13TWh), and hydro (5.6TWh) to a lesser extent. Renewables resources will produce nearly 95% of electricity generation. The analysis demonstrates that NZ is in a very good position to sustainably meet their future electricity needs while maintaining very low carbon emissions levels and economically desirable EROI levels.

Holistic carbon planning for industrial parks: a waste-to-resources process integration approach

The recently developed carbon emission Pinch Analysis (CEPA) techniques are not based on the classical Pinch Analysis concepts of carbon transfer, maximum carbon recovery, minimum carbon targets and the design of carbon exchange networks. Although previous process integration applications using the Pinch Analysis have contributed to carbon footprint reductions via energy efficiency improvements, they do not emphasize the waste-to-resources approach involving carbon exchange. This paper presents a new process integration technique for achieving holistic minimum carbon targets. The technique begins with carbon demand planning, which is followed by targeting the maximum possible carbon exchange using modified sources and demand curves. Next, the carbon management hierarchy (CMH) is introduced to systematically guide the carbon reduction process toward holistic minimum carbon targets. Finally, the minimum carbon utilization network is designed using a network allocation diagram. The application of this holistic approach at a refinery site revealed a maximum potential CO2 reduction of up to 95%.

A Systematic Method for Cost-effective Carbon Emission Reduction in Buildings

Carbon Emissions Pinch Analysis (CEPA) is a recent advancement in the traditional pinch analysis technique developed in the 70's. It has been applied to determine the minimum amount of zero-carbon energy resources or renewable energy needed to achieve the region's or a country's CO 2 emission reduction target. This study introduces a new holistic framework to cost effectively screen and select the correct electrical energy saving measures for a building to maximize carbon reduction within a desired payback period. The method uses the newly proposed Carbon Management Hierarchy (CMH) to maximize carbon reduction. This is done by plotting the Investment vs. Carbon Reduction (ICR) plot according to the CMH level and based on three heuristics. The final step is to screen the ICR plot using Systematical Hierarchical Approach for Process Screening (SHARPS)' method until the desired payback period by the building owner is achieved. Application of the methodology on a case study gives a reduction 141, 000 kg CO 2-e per annum with an annualized investment cost of MYR42,000 and a payback period of 8 months.

Managing urban energy system: A case of Suzhou in China

Managing urban energy system is vital for energy conservation and CO 2 reduction. Integrating energy input–output model with carbon emission pinch analysis, we propose a framework for managing urban energy system. This framework could analyze current energy demands and CO 2 emissions, predict their future possibilities and optimize energy mix of key sectors under CO 2 emission constraints. Key sectors are identified by the energy input–output table from both direct and accumulative perspectives. Moreover, taking Suzhou, a typical manufacturing center and export-oriented city in China, as a case example, energy metabolism of Suzhou in 2020 is predicted using energy input–output model. And three sectors named Coking, Smelting and pressing of metals and Production and supply of electric power are identified to have big effects on CO 2 emissions. Subsequently, energy mix of three identified key sectors is optimized under CO 2 emission constraints by the carbon emission pinch analysis. According to the results, clean energy sources will occupy a great position in Suzhou's future energy demands. And the reuse of wastes as energy sources should be limited to achieve CO 2 mitigation targets. Finally, policy implications of results and future work are discussed.

Carbon Emissions Pinch Analysis (CEPA) for emissions reduction in the New Zealand electricity sector

Carbon Emissions Pinch Analysis (CEPA) is a recent extension of traditional thermal and mass pinch analysis to the area of emissions targeting and planning on a macro-scale (i.e. economy wide). This paper presents an extension to the current methodology that accounts for increased demand and a carbon pinch analysis of the New Zealand electricity industry while illustrating some of the issues with realising meaningful emissions reductions. The current large proportion of renewable generation (67% in 2007) complicates extensive reduction of carbon emissions from electricity generation. The largest growth in renewable generation is expected to come from geothermal generation followed by wind and hydro. A four fold increase in geothermal generation capacity is needed in addition to large amounts of new wind generation to reduce emissions to around 1990 levels and also meet projected demand. The expected expansion of geothermal generation in New Zealand raises issues of GHG emissions from the geothermal fields. The emissions factors between fields can vary by almost two orders of magnitude making predictions of total emissions highly site specific.