Clean Fuels Research Articles

Technoeconomic feasibility of producing clean fuels from waste plastics: A novel process model

Plastic waste is a problematic issue impacting the environment and human health. A proper recycling of plastics to valuable products is highly needed to meet the increase in energy demand. Plastics have high heating value; therefore, the thermochemical recycling of plastic waste is a valid and feasible approach. Recently, ethanol has attracted wide applications such as the conversion of ethanol to olefins, and hydrocarbons. It burns completely and cleanly, where it reduces the emissions of greenhouses compared to the usual fuels. Hydrogen and other higher hydrocarbons are also crucial in meeting the energy demand. In this study, the plastic waste, mainly polyethylene and polypropylene (due to their availability) were gasified using steam gasification process to produce syngas which then was further processed to hydrogen, ethanol, and other valuable liquid hydrocarbons. An alternative design is constructed integrating steam methane reforming (SMR) with plastic gasification to utilize the heat at the outlet of the gasifier and to enhance the syngas heating value. The two models were compared in terms of syngas heating value, energy analysis and economic analysis. The main parameters that have been evaluated are the production rate of fuel per total feedstock, total required heat, overall process efficiency, and fuel levelized production cost. The results indicated that Case 2 generates syngas with a higher heating value of 55 %, produces four times more H2, and comparable amount of ethanol and other fuels than Case 1. The analysis also revealed that Case 2 has a process efficiency that is 3 % better and a 37.5 % lower fuel production cost than Case 1. Overall, the design of Case 2 was found to be more efficient and cost-effective than the Case 1 design.

The Influence of Pre-Chamber Parameters on the Performance of a Two-Stroke Marine Dual-Fuel Low-Speed Engine

With increasing environmental pollution from ship exhaust emissions and increasingly stringent International Maritime Organization carbon regulations, there is a growing demand for cleaner and lower-carbon fuels and near-zero-emission marine engines worldwide. Liquefied natural gas is a low-carbon fuel, and when liquefied natural gas (LNG) is used on ships, dual-fuel methods are often used. The pre-chamber plays a key role in the working process of dual-fuel engines. In this paper, an effective three-dimensional simulation model based on the actual operating conditions and structural characteristics of a marine low-pressure dual-fuel engine is established. In addition, the effects of changing the Precombustion chamber (PCC) volume ratio and the PCC orifice diameter ratio on the mixture composition, engine combustion performance, and pollutant generation were thoroughly investigated. It was found that a small PPC volume ratio resulted in a higher flame jet velocity, a shorter stagnation period, and an acceleration of the combustion process in the main combustion chamber. When the PCC volume was large, the Nitrogen oxygen (NOx) ratio emission was elevated. Moreover, the angle of the PCC orifice affected the flame propagation direction of the pilot fuel. Optimizing the angle of the PCC orifice can improve combustion efficiency and reduce the generation of NOx. Furthermore, reasonable arrangement of the PCC structure can improve the stability of ignition performance and accelerate the flame jet velocity.

(Ni or/and Co) Supported over Praseodymia as Oxygen Carriers for Chemical Looping Syngas Production

AbstractThe present research describes one of the processes outlined in the literature, known as Chemical Looping Dry Reforming of Methane, which is currently to gain attraction to produce clean fuels from natural gas using a metal oxide support as a catalyst. This two‐step method offers distinct advantages by physically separating the reaction steps. This spatial separation effectively eliminates undesirable side reactions, leading to highly efficient syngas production with minimal carbon deposition. Crucial to optimizing this process is a deep understanding of the oxygen storage capacity (OSC) of the support (oxygen carrier) that will work in synergy with the supported active phase. Among the candidates, praseodymium stands out due to its favourable redox properties and exceptional OSC characteristics, making it a promising option for cleaner fuel technologies. In particular, this study emphasizes the significant influence of the nature of the active phases (Ni, Co or their bimetallic combinations), with bimetallic phases being the most promising (even without reduction, they can exhibit activity that equals or improves that of the Ru as benchmark), underscoring the fundamental role of catalyst design in achieving optimal performance. The results indicate that these compositions have high activities to generate the products, remaining close to the activity of ruthenium and generating minimal coke deposits in one reaction cycle.

Empirical analysis of solid biomass fuel and ill-health

The Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) seven highlights the need to ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy for all. Improving access to reliable and affordable modern energy for cooking have far-reaching benefits on human health and the environment. In most developing countries, the use of solid biomass fuel (SBF) for cooking is widespread. Using a nationally representative household-level data from Ghana and the biprobit model, this paper examines the relationship between SBF and ill-health. The first stage results show that the adoption of SBF is significantly influenced by socio-economic factors, rental and dwelling status, food hardship, information about SBF, and geographical controls. The adoption of SBF for cooking increases the probability of a household reporting ill-health and frequently reporting ill-health by 25% each, respectively. The differential analysis indicates that charcoal has a moderate effect on ill-health relative to using wood as fuel for cooking. The findings of the study imply that households are more likely to improve their health with increasing affordability and use of clean cooking fuels. Government programs on the promotion of clean energy fuels must be intensified and make more accessible and affordable to households.

Recycling the polyethylene into fuels via an olefin-intermediate tandem catalysis over Fe2O3/USY catalysts

Catalytic pyrolysis of waste plastics using iron-based metal-acid catalysts is a promising waste-to-energy technology to deliver clean renewable fuels. While these catalysts show valid catalytic activity during pyrolysis, their ability to guide tandem reactions over metal and acid sites remains uncertain. In this study, we employ the Fe2O3/USY catalysts to recycle polyethylene (PE) into liquid fuels, and demonstrate the tandem catalysis of the Fe2O3/USY catalysts during PE depolymerization. The highest fuel oil yield obtained was 78.1 % after Fe2O3/USY catalysis (5 % Fe loading, Si/Al ratio = 80). The resulting oil predominantly falls within the gasoline range, with a carbon number distribution rich in C5–C9 range. The oil composition comprises 71.3 % olefins and 16.7 % paraffins, mostly isomeric, while few aromatics were obtained. Comparative experiments confirm that PE depolymerization over the metal and acid sites of Fe2O3/USY catalysts involves an olefin-intermediate tandem pathway: the Fe2O3 enhances olefin-intermediate generation through its dehydrogenation activity, while the USY allows these olefin-intermediates to undergo further cleavage over the acid sites. Although the Fe2O3 loading on USY enhances PE cracking by facilitating olefin-intermediate generation in tandem catalysis, the reduced acidity inhibits PE cracking. Therefore, when aiming for oil production via PE pyrolysis, the delicate balance between reduced acidity and increased dehydrogenation activity after Fe2O3 loading must be taken into account.

Implications of fuel poverty for indoor black carbon concentrations from space heating

Despite the global transition towards cleaner energy sources observed over the last decade, disparities in access persist worldwide. The dependence on biomass for household heating exacerbates fuel poverty, as economically vulnerable households face challenges in obtaining certified firewood and often resort to using contaminated biomass as a substitute, either partially or completely. We examined black carbon (BC) particle concentrations —a marker for combustion— during wood stove operation through a five-day case study in a typical Chilean household. BC increased rapidly following the ignition of the stove, with the combustion of dry Eucalyptus globulus logs yielding a substantially lower peak (5.29 μg/m3) than when using unclean biomass: 35.75 μg/m3 with demolition wood and painted furniture, and 87.11 μg/m3 with the addition of a blend of particleboard with polystyrene foam. During the latter two events, BC particles remained indoors for about 20 h before the concentrations reverted to pre-spike levels. The slow decay in BC concentrations was further influenced by the infiltration of outdoor air. The mean indoor BC concentrations were comparable to or even exceeded those observed on busy roads in major cities worldwide. These results highlight the risks associated with limited access to clean fuels for indoor heating, alongside inadequate insulation. This study sheds light on the problem of fuel poverty and its adverse effects on health and well-being.

Switching indoor fuels and the incidence of physical-psychological-cognitive multimorbidity: A prospective cohort study

BackgroundIn developing countries, including China, solid-fuel-based heating and cooking is common. For older people, the multimorbidity prevalence is exceptionally high. Nevertheless, studies on the associations of indoor solid fuels use, especially switching fuels types, on multimorbidity in middle-aged and older people is scarce. MethodsData from five waves of the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study were used in this study. Indoor fuels were classified as solid or clean fuels. Physical-psychological-cognitive multimorbidity (PPC-multimorbidity) was defined as the simultaneous presence of three disease types (physical illness, psychological disorders, cognitive impairment). Using Cox proportional risk models, hazard ratios (HRs) and 95 % confidence intervals (95 % CI) were calculated to investigate the associations of heating- and cooking-related baseline indoor fuels and switching indoor fuels with PPC-multimorbidity incidence. ResultsIn the heating (n=3121, mean age=56.55 years, male proportion=54.25 %) and cooking (n=3574, mean age=56.67 years, male proportion=52.94 %) analyses, 75.07 % and 45.64 % of the participants used solid fuels at baseline, and 564 (18.07 %) and 613 (17.15 %) PPC-multimorbidity cases were diagnosed during follow-up, respectively. Participants with baseline heating- and cooking-based solid fuels use had greater PPC-multimorbidity incidences [HRs (95 % CIs): 1.23 (0.98, 1.55) and 1.44 (1.21, 1.73)], respectively. Additionally, combined baseline heating- and cooking-based solid fuels use was associated with even greater PPC-multimorbidity incidence [HR (95 % CI): 1.55 (1.18, 2.04)]. Persistent solid fuels use obviously increased the PPC-multimorbidity incidence [HRs (95 % CIs): 2.43 (1.67, 3.55) for heating and 2.63 (2.03, 3.40) for cooking]. Moreover, switching from solid to clean fuels was associated with a significantly decreased PPC-multimorbidity incidence [HRs (95 % CIs): 0.27 (0.20, 0.35) for heating and 0.36 (0.28, 0.46) for cooking]. ConclusionsLong-term solid-fuels use is associated with an increased PPC-multimorbidity incidence, and switching to cleaner fuels is associated with a decreased PPC-multimorbidity incidence in adults aged ≥45 years.

Ionic Liquids as Green and Efficient Desulfurization Media Aiming at Clean Fuel.

With increasingly stringent emission limits on sulfur and sulfur-containing substances, the reduction and removal of sulfur compounds from fuels has become an urgent task. Emissions of sulfur-containing compounds pose a significant threat to the environment and human health. Ionic liquids (ILs) have attracted much attention in recent years as green solvents and functional materials, and their unique properties make them useful alternatives to conventional desulfurization organic solvents. This paper reviews the advantages and disadvantages of traditional desulfurization technologies such as hydrodesulfurization, oxidative desulfurization, biological desulfurization, adsorptive desulfurization, extractive desulfurization, etc. It focuses on the synthesis of ionic liquids and their applications in oxidative desulfurization, extractive desulfurization, extractive oxidative desulfurization, and catalytic oxidative desulfurization, and it analyzes the problems of ionic liquids that need to be solved urgently in desulfurization, looking forward to the development of sulfuric compounds as a kind of new and emerging green solvent in the field of desulfurization.

Energy poverty and developments in finance, economic complexity and economic conditions

Purpose Energy poverty presents substantial challenges for both developed and developing nations, with the latter experiencing more pronounced adverse effects due to issues related to the provision and equitable access of energy resources. This study aims to provide a deep understanding of how financial development, economic complexity and government expenditures can impact energy poverty. Design/methodology/approach This research employs generalized method of moments (GMM) estimation on panel data to investigate the economic determinants of energy poverty in 31 developing countries from 2000 to 2020. For a comprehensive analysis, the proxies for energy poverty include access to electricity, access to clean fuels and energy consumption. Findings The findings suggest that while financial development cannot facilitate access to clean fuels in developing countries, it contributes to an increase in energy access and consumption. Another finding is that energy poverty can be alleviated by enhancing economic complexity since economic complexity can result in increased access to electricity and increased use of clean energy sources. Furthermore, the results underscore the pivotal role of government expenditures, surpassing the influence of financial development. In other words, government expenditures have the potential to significantly improve energy poverty across all three indices. Originality/value This is a pioneering research that seeks to examine some economic dynamics including, financial development and economic complexity on energy poverty and provide valuable guidance for policymakers aiming to promote sustainable energy development with respect to economic dynamics.

A novel hybrid enhanced oil recovery technique to enhance oil production from oil-wet carbonate reservoirs by combining electrical heating with nanofluid flooding

Enhanced Oil Recovery provides a promising technique to maximise fossil fuel recovery from existing resources, and when used in conjunction with Carbon Capture and Storage/Utilisation provides a way to support a transition to alternative cleaner fuels. A hybrid Enhanced Oil Recovery method by a combination of electrical heating and nanofluid flooding was applied to oil-wet carbonate reservoirs and assessed in terms of the oil production, zeta potential, contact angle, pellet compaction, interfacial tension, and pH values. The hybrid technique consisted of a combination of direct current (up to 30 V) and iron oxide (Fe2O3) or magnesium oxide (MgO) nanofluids. Both nanofluids were injected into oil-wet Austin chalk – our laboratory model of an oil-wet carbonate reservoir – and then electrical heating was started, or vice versa. Introducing electrical heating first increased oil recovery by up to 27% in seawater compared to 16% in deionised water. When Fe2O3 nanofluid was injected, oil recovery further increased to 32% in seawater and 24% in deionised water. The contact angle and zeta potential decreased from 124° to 36° and from −24.4 to −23.7 mV, respectively, when nanofluid was injected in seawater, leading to better nanofluid stability and penetration into the carbonate rock as shown by increased pellet porosity from 6.6% to 14.8%. Moreover, it was found that the interfacial tension was reduced from 72 to 32.7 mN/m in the pre-magnetised samples with Fe2O3 NPs injection compared to 33.2 mN/m in the samples with MgO injection. It was found from our experiments that the effect of the generated electricity on the surface charge was of a temporary nature as the zeta potential of the rock returned to its original value as soon as the power was disconnected. The mechanism underlying the hybrid Enhanced Oil Recovery EOR technique from the laboratory findings was found to be based on electrowetting and nanofluid adsorption. Results indicate that the technique is promising for further improving oil recovery and securing energy supply during the transition to net zero.

Oil Revenue, Institutional Quality and Economic Growth in Nigeria

This study examined the interaction of oil revenue and institutional quality on economic growth in Nigeria over the period of 1993 - 2022. The World Development Indicator (WDI) and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) statistical bulletin were the sources of the annual time series data used in this study. Employing the Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) estimation technique, findings reveal that oil revenue impacts economic growth positively in the short-run but negatively in the long run, while institutional quality exhibits positive impact in both the short-run and long-run period. It was also discovered that the interaction of oil revenue and economic growth could enhance economic growth in Nigerian both in the short-run and long-run period. Access to clean fuels and technologies contributes positively to economic growth in both short-run and long-run period, while fiscal policy rating only has statistically significant positive association with economic growth in Nigeria over the observed period. This study therefore recommends the need to strengthen political institutions for effective utilization of oil revenue, and implementation of strategic diversification policies for the development of other sectors in the economy for economic prosperity in Nigeria.

Linear and Threshold Effect of CO2 Emissions, Economic Development, Clean Fuel and Technology on Health Expenditure in Central Asia

Linear and Threshold Effect of CO2 Emissions, Economic Development, Clean Fuel and Technology on Health Expenditure in Central Asia

Energy-Efficient Electric Cooking and Sustainable Energy Transitions

Transitioning to clean cooking fuels is not only part of achieving SDG7 but also makes a significant contribution to mitigating climate change by reducing carbon emissions. Research projects and pilots across a number of countries in Africa and South Asia have been exploring the suitability and energy performance of different cooking appliances and fuels. The paper presents the first statistical analysis across these multiple datasets to determine the range of energy required to cook dishes using different technologies and fuels. The paper draws out distinctions between African and Asian dishes, notably the impact of energy-intensive dishes prepared mostly in Africa. The paper demonstrates that the standard efficiency-based approaches to comparing the performance of stoves are not appropriate to modern electric cooking devices, so a novel alternative approach based on specific energy consumption and termed energy ratios is developed. Charcoal stoves are shown to use 15 times as much energy as electric pressure cookers (EPCs) to cook African dishes, and a detailed review of how the EPC works explains why this should be. Energy ratios provide a basis for estimating carbon emission reductions associated with transitioning to modern cooking fuels and also for estimating household cooking costs. Fuel and electricity prices from studies show that the cost of cooking with an EPC can be only 20% of the cost of cooking with charcoal, which highlights the potential for modern, energy-efficient electric cooking devices to defy the conventional wisdom of the energy ladder.

Direct Air Capture (DAC) for Achieving Net-Zero CO2 Emissions: Advances, Applications, and Challenges

Carbon dioxide (CO2), as the primary greenhouse gas, has significant impacts on global climate change, leading to severe and irreversible adverse consequences for ecosystems and human environments. To address the issue of excessive CO2 emissions, efforts in recent years have yielded significant progress in the development of clean energy sources and the promotion of carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) technologies. Conventional CO2 capture techniques are limited in addressing global atmospheric CO2 excess effectively, as they target only high-concentration CO2 emissions and require implementation at specific emission points. Direct air capture (DAC) technology has emerged as a promising solution due to its flexibility in deployment, avoidance of land competition, and ability to capture legacy CO2 emissions. Additionally, DAC offers opportunities for producing synthetic clean fuels, thereby reducing reliance on traditional fossil fuels and aiding in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. This study provides a comprehensive review of DAC technology, encompassing its principles, technological advancements, real-world applications, challenges, and future research directions. By offering insights into the current state and potential of DAC technology, this study aims to guide global efforts in scaling up DAC deployment, ultimately contributing to achieving global carbon neutrality or even negative emissions.

Impact of electric and clean-fuel vehicles on future PM2.5 and ozone pollution over Delhi

We investigate the impact of adoption of electric vehicles and cleaner fuels on future surface levels of PM2.5 and ozone over Delhi for two contrasting seasons, pre-monsoon and post-monsoon. We run the WRF-Chem atmospheric transport model at high resolution (4 km) with two transport emission scenarios for year 2030: (1) a scenario with electrification of two- and three-wheelers and light commercial vehicles, and (2) a scenario which also includes conversion of diesel vehicles to compressed natural gas (CNG). Compared to the baseline values in 2019, the scenario with both electrification and conversion of diesel vehicles to CNG has a greater reduction in PM2.5 concentrations (up to 5%) than the electrification of two- and three-wheelers and light commercial vehicles alone (within 1%), mainly due to the the greater reduction in primary emissions of PM2.5 and black carbon from diesel conversion to CNG. Vehicles electrification could result in an increase in the daily maximum 8-hours ozone concentrations, which are partially offset by additionally converting to CNG—by −1.9% and +2.4% during pre-monsoon and post-monsoon seasons. This reflects higher NOx emissions from the CNG vehicle scenario compared to electrification-alone scenario, which limits the increase of surface ozone in the VOC-limited chemical environment over Delhi. Our findings highlight the importance of a coordinated strategy for PM2.5 and ozone when considering traffic emission controls, and highlight that the transition to electric vehicles should be accompanied by the conversion of diesel vehicles to CNG to limit surface ozone increase and achieve greater reduction in PM2.5 concentrations over Delhi. However, the small changes in PM2.5 and in ozone compared to the baseline scenario highlight the importance of joint emissions reduction from other sectors to achieve substantial progress in PM2.5 and ozone air quality in Delhi.

Assessment of Energy Poverty and Alleviation Strategies in the Global South

The incidence of energy poverty in the Global South is identified by the lack of basic access to modern fuels and energy carriers. Impoverished people have traditional biomass and human power as their only sources of energy. This situation of deprivation of basic resources, in which (according to estimates of international agencies) almost one third of the world’s population lives, masks other relevant characteristics of energy poverty. Current assessments of energy poverty in impoverished areas and the mitigation strategies being implemented are derived from the development agenda and, with variations in detail and scope, highlight electricity connections and access to clean cooking fuels as guarantors of progress. However, a comprehensive understanding of energy poverty requires focusing beyond basic access, building on the interactions between the supply of energy sources and carriers, the provision of energy services, and their impact on decent living conditions. To deal with the effects of these interactions on the energy poor, several studies have attempted in the last decade to construct an assessment framework centred on energy services. This work discusses the relevant dimensions in the framework (supply, services, and impact on wellbeing), reviews the multidisciplinary work available in each aspect, presents a range of proposed taxonomies, and discusses the different issues. A detailed framework is proposed for the integrated assessment of the supply of energy carriers and energy equipment, the provision of relevant energy services, and the improvements obtained in living conditions.

Transition of cooking fuels and obesity risk in Chinese adults

BackgroundSince 1990 s, China has witnessed a widespread transition to clean cooking fuels, presenting an opportunity to investigate whether household fuel transition could mitigate obesity risk and reconcile inconsistencies in the literature regarding the association between cooking fuels and obesity. MethodsThe China Health and Nutrition Survey (CHNS) is a prospective cohort study covering 12 provinces of China (1989–2015). Participants were classified into persistent cleaner fuel users, fuel transitioners, and persistent polluting fuel users according to self-reported primary cooking fuels. Obesity and central obesity were defined as BMI ≥ 28.0 kg/m2 and waist circumference ≥ 90 cm in men and ≥ 85 cm in women according to Chinese criteria. FindingsAmong 13,032 participants, 3657 (28.06 %) were persistent cleaner fuel users; 5264 (40.39 %) transitioned from using polluting fuels to cleaner fuels after the baseline survey; and 4111 (31.55 %) were persistent polluting fuel users. During the period of follow-up of 9.0 ± 6.8 years, 1248 (9.58 %) participants were classified into the obesity category, and 4703 (36.09 %) into the central obesity category. Persistent polluting fuel users had a significantly higher risk of developing obesity (hazard ratio [HR]: 1.45, 95 %CI: 1.22–1.72) and central obesity (HR: 1.32, 95 %CI: 1.21–1.44), compared to persistent cleaner fuel users. Persistent polluting fuel use was positively associated with developing obesity in women (HR: 1.64, 95 %CI: 1.30–2.06), but not in men. Subgroup analyses showed higher HR of persistent polluting fuel use among individuals aged 18–44 years (HR: 2.04, 95 %CI: 1.62–2.56). In contrast, the transitioners did not exhibit a significantly different risk of developing obesity (HR: 0.94, 95 %CI: 0.80–1.10) compared to persistent cleaner fuel users, which was consistent across different sex, age and urbanicity. Similar trends were observed for developing central obesity. InterpretationPersistent polluting fuel use increased obesity risk while the obesity risk of the transition to cleaner fuels was similar to persistent use of cleaner fuels. The finding underscores the significance of advocating for the adoption of cleaner fuels as a strategy to mitigate the disease burden associated with obesity.

Spatial evolution of global household clean cooking energy transition: Convergent clubs and drivers

An understanding of the spatial evolution of global household energy and its determinants is needed to achieve global access to clean cooking energy before 2030. Based on a novel global household energy database, we adopt the log t regression test to identify the global trend and find the potential convergent clubs. Besides, we utilize Random Forest method and Ordered Probit model to investigate the drivers affecting the club convergence. As a result: (1) The global sample exhibits divergence from 2000 to 2020; (2) The 191 countries and regions can be classified into 3 convergent clubs, characterized by significant disparities in both the mean and growth rate of their access to clean energy; (3) Per capita GDP, urbanization level, infrastructure development, and educational attainment are identified as the most important factors influencing the club convergence; (4) Countries with a higher level of socio-economic development generally have a higher proportion of residents using clean fuels, with gas energy playing a pivotal role in driving this transformation. This paper adds more evidence to understand the disparity of global household cooking energy use, we propose that economic and infrastructure development, education attainment, and international cooperation are favorable.

Energy–Logistics Cooperative Optimization for a Port-Integrated Energy System

In order to achieve carbon peak and neutrality goals, many low-carbon operations are implemented in ports. Integrated energy systems that consist of port electricity and cooling loads, wind and PV energy devices, energy storage, and clean fuels are considered as a future technology. In addition, ports are important hubs for the global economy and trade; logistics optimization is also part of their objective, and most port facilities have complex logistics. This article proposes an energy–logistics collaborative optimization method to fully tap the potential of port-integrated energy systems. A logistics–energy system model is established by deeply examining the operational characteristics of logistics systems and their corresponding energy consumption patterns, considering ships’ operational statuses, quay crane distribution constraints, and power balances. To better represent the ship–energy–logistics optimization problem, a hybrid system modeling technique is employed. The case of Shanghai Port is studied; the results show that costs can be reduced by 3.27% compared to the traditional optimization method, and a sensitivity analysis demonstrates the robustness of the proposed method.

Sustaining clean cooking: A system dynamics study of Ghana's rural LPG promotion program

Household air pollution is a pervasive environmental health problem wherever access to cleaner fuels is poor. Despite numerous attempts to transition households away from polluting fuels, interventions are rarely sustainable. This intractability indicates that structural (i.e., systemic) dynamics act to maintain the status quo. In this case study of Ghana's Rural Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) Promotion Program, our objectives were to 1) identify system structures affecting sustained fuel use, and 2) test strategies for improving intervention outcomes. To address these objectives, we applied a system dynamics approach, informed by a systematic literature review. A virtual simulation model was constructed to represent the implementation of the Rural LPG Program and its outcomes. By analyzing the model's structure and behavior, we proposed strategies that would improve the intervention's outcomes and tested the effectiveness of the strategies within the simulation model. Our results show that distributing two LPG cylinders to households (instead of one) contributed toward primary use of the fuel, whereas free weekly delivery of LPG (for up to four years) had limited long-term benefits and diminishing returns. Furthermore, reducing the time for users to perceive the benefits of cleaner fuels enhanced willingness-to-pay, and thereby helped to sustain higher rates of LPG use. This suggests that intervention planners should identify new users' expectations of benefits and proactively design ways to realize those benefits quickly (in a few weeks or less), while policy makers should support this as a design requirement in approval processes.