Decarbonization Technologies Research Articles

Quantifying air quality co-benefits to industrial decarbonization: the local Air Emissions Tracking Atlas

IntroductionMany decarbonization technologies have the added co-benefit of reducing short-lived climate pollutants, such as particulate matter (PM), nitrogen oxides (NOx), and sulfur dioxide (SO2), creating a unique opportunity for identifying strategies that promote both climate change solutions and opportunities for air quality improvement. However, stakeholders and decision-makers may struggle to quantify how these co-benefits will impact public health for the communities most affected by industrial air pollution.MethodsTo address this problem, the LOCal Air Emissions Tracking Atlas (LOCAETA) fills a data availability and analysis gap by providing estimated air quality benefits from industrial decarbonization options, such as carbon capture and storage (CCS). These co-benefits are calculated using an algorithm that connects disparate datasets that separately report greenhouse gas emissions and other pollutants at U.S. industrial facilities.ResultsVersion 1.0 of LOCAETA displays the estimated primary PM2.5 emission reduction co-benefits from additional pretreatment equipment for CCS on industrial and power facilities across the state of Louisiana, as well as the potential for VOC and NH3 generation. The emission reductions are presented in the tool alongside facility pollutant emissions information and relevant air quality, environmental, demographic, and public health datasets, such as air toxics cancer risk, satellite and in situ pollutant measurements, and population vulnerability metrics.DiscussionLOCAETA enables regulators, policymakers, environmental justice communities, and industrial and commercial users to compare and contrast quantifiable public health benefits due to air quality impacts from various climate change mitigation strategies using a free and publicly-available tool. Additional pollutant reductions can be calculated using the same methodology and will be available in future versions of the tool.

Knowledge Graphs underpinning ship digital twins for decarbonisation options assessment

We propose the concept of a Knowledge Graph as a data management and inference machinery that underpins digital twins of ships. The Knowledge Graph is a directed graph connecting dependent and independent model variables of interest in the digital twin, where the correlations between variables are continuously updated based on data received from the physical ship. The paper outlines a methodology for constructing the Knowledge Graph and proposes metrics that help to calculate the effectiveness of decarbonization solutions based on changes to the strength of data correlations. The proposed methodology allows for the extrapolation of decarbonization technology potential across specific vessels, fleets, operational patterns, and lifecycle phases.

How corporate climate change mitigation actions affect the cost of capital

AbstractJapan has been at the forefront of global efforts to accelerate climate change mitigation. Japanese firms have led in the development of decarbonization technologies and have positively disclosed climate change‐related information based on the Task Force on Climate‐related Financial Disclosures recommendations to address climate change. We explore the relationship between corporate climate change mitigation actions and the cost of capital for 2100 Japanese listed companies from 2017 to 2021. The results reveal that a higher carbon intensity correlates with an increased cost of equity, debt, and weighted average cost of capital. Interestingly, although climate‐related information disclosure is associated with an increased cost of debt, it concurrently lowers the cost of equity and overall capital. This research recommends strategic approaches for firms to reduce their costs of capital while proactively combating climate change, highlighting the divergent responses of equity and bond markets to decarbonization initiatives.

Comprehensive Evaluation of Decarbonization Technologies: A Case Study of Residential Buildings in Zhuzhou City, China

Efficient carbon emission reduction technologies in buildings are necessary for achieving the “Dual carbon” goal in China. In this study, a comprehensive evaluation model is proposed to assess the effect of carbon emission reduction based on the analytic hierarchy process–entropy weight–coefficient of variation model which takes newly built residential buildings in Zhuzhou City as the research object. The results show that the preferred materials for the roof and exterior walls of the building’s envelope structure were flame-retardant extruded polystyrene boards, and porous shale bricks were preferred as the main materials for the exterior walls. In addition, the rooftop solar photovoltaic system and energy-saving air conditioning technology were suitable in terms of being renewable and were better utilized. In the end, carbon emissions were significantly reduced when using the building decarbonization technologies. This study provides a new reference for choosing materials and technologies for the design of residential buildings in Hunan Province and even other regions with hot summers and cold winters.

Lifecycle carbon footprints of buildings and sustainability pathways in China

The Paris Agreement, with a 2 °C temperature increase baseline and a 1.5 °C target temperature increase, imposes challenges to the sustainability of buildings. However, as an end-user or end-of-the-art, the building sector overlaps with other sectors, such as industry and transportation in building materials manufacturing (such as steel, concrete, cement, etc. ) and electricity use (such as building-to-vehicle charging), imposing difficulties in lifecycle carbon footprint quantification in buildings. In this study, the lifecycle carbon footprint of buildings and sustainability pathways in China are provided. Tools and platforms for lifecycle carbon footprint quantification in buildings are reviewed. A global database for lifecycle carbon footprint quantification in buildings is reviewed and compared, together with an analysis of the advantages and disadvantages. Furthermore, decarbonization technologies in the building operation stage are comprehensively reviewed, including the decarbonization potential, technology readiness level (TRL), techno-economic performance, and current technical status. Pathways on carbon neutrality in building sectors in China are provided. The results indicate that inconsistencies in global databases, unclear definitions of lifecycle carbon emissions, and inaccurate models of building energy consumption are the main challenges for accurate lifecycle carbon analysis in buildings. Various carbon neutrality transformation technologies can be classified into ultralow energy building and near zero-energy building technologies and into efficient heat pump and smart metering technologies. Pathways for low-carbon transition in building sectors include building energy saving (330 million tCO2 with 22%), renewable energy supply (299 million tCO2 with 20%), building electrification and power sector decarbonization (450 million tCO2 with 30%), and carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS) technology (420 million tCO2 with 28%). These research results can pave the way for upcoming studies on the lifecycle carbon footprint in buildings and sustainability pathways in China.

Optimal decarbonisation pathway for mining truck fleets

The fossil fuel powered mining truck fleets can contribute up to 80% of total emissions in open pit mines. This study investigates the optimal decarbonisation pathway for mining truck fleets. Notably, our proposed pathway incorporates power generation, negative carbon technologies, and carbon trading. Technical, financial, and environmental models of decarbonisation technologies are established, capturing regional variations and time dynamic characteristics such as cost trends and carbon capture efficiency. The dynamic natures of characteristics pose challenges for using the cost-effective analyses approach to find the optimal decarbonisation pathway. To address this, we introduce a mixed-integer programming optimisation framework to find the decarbonisation pathway with minimum life cycle costs during the planning period. A case study for the optimal decarbonisation pathway of truck fleets in a South African coal mine is conducted to illustrate the applicability of the proposed model. Results indicate that the optimal decarbonisation pathway is significantly influenced by factors such as land cost, annual budget, and carbon trading prices. The proposed method provides invaluable guidance for transitioning towards a cleaner and more sustainable mining industry.

Equality, diversity and inclusion and gendered analysis for place-based hydrogen solutions

A global endeavour to accelerate reduction of the carbon dioxide emissions (‘decarbonisation’) of the economy and to encourage the use of diverse non-fossil-fuel energy vectors, including hydrogen, is underway. Hydrogen transitions are mainly driven by technological specifications and centred on the adoption of new specialised skills. Limited attention is given to other social aspects such as workforce diversity and existing local skills sets, which are also critical to enabling such transitions. There is strong evidence that the energy sector is male-dominated. However, there is growing consensus that gender diversity in energy sector workforces can bring about socio-economic and environmental benefits. Place is also increasingly gaining recognition as a key driver of social, economic and environmental benefits from energy transition. This paper reviews 26 national and regional hydrogen strategies, through a gendered analysis and a place-based perspective, to evaluate the extent to which developing hydrogen solutions in a range of locations is furthering equality, diversity and inclusion towards a just transition – a fair distribution of benefits and opportunities across genders. The paper aims to open up a discussion with engineers, decision makers and hydrogen industry professionals about applying gendered and place-specific analysis to emerging decarbonisation technologies.

Models for Decarbonization in the Chemical Industry.

Various technologies and strategies have been proposed to decarbonize the chemical industry. Assessing the decarbonization, environmental, and economic implications of these technologies and strategies is critical to identifying pathways to a more sustainable industrial future. This study reviews recent advancements and integration of systems analysis models, including process analysis, material flow analysis, life cycle assessment, techno-economic analysis, and machine learning. These models are categorized based on analytical methods and application scales (i.e., micro-, meso-, and macroscale) for promising decarbonization technologies (e.g., carbon capture, storage, and utilization, biomass feedstock, and electrification) and circular economy strategies. Incorporating forward-looking, data-driven approaches into existing models allows for optimizing complex industrial systems and assessing future impacts. Although advances in industrial ecology-, economic-, and planetary boundary-based modeling support a more holistic systems-level assessment, more efforts are needed to consider impacts on ecosystems. Effective applications of these advanced, integrated models require cross-disciplinary collaborations across chemical engineering, industrial ecology, and economics.

Heat pump integrated with latent heat energy storage

The heat pump integrated with latent heat storage is an efficient heat decarbonization technology for improving of thermal energy storage efficiency in terms of quantity and quality using renewable energy and off-peak electricity.

Do mineral imports increase in response to decarbonization indicators other than renewable energy?

While previous studies examine the impact of renewable energy generation capacity on mineral imports where minerals are broadly defined, this study examines the role of three decarbonization indicators (energy efficiency, energy's carbon footprint, and renewable generation) in driving import demand for four specific minerals used in multiple decarbonization technologies: copper, aluminum, nickel, and manganese. Our results, based on the cross-sectional autoregressive distributed lag modeling approach applied to panel data from 33 countries, suggest that imports for some minerals increase in response to (1) investments in energy efficiency (aluminum and manganese), (2) reducing energy's carbon footprint (copper), and (3) investments in renewable energy generation (copper and manganese). Nickel imports were found to increase with higher levels of energy use per GDP suggesting their role in cleaner vehicles, which heavily rely on electrification, higher electricity use, and urbanization. When imports are broadly defined to include all types of mineral groups, import values were found to be responsive to higher renewable generation but not the other decarbonization indicators. Our findings provide insights into developing mineral-specific strategies and policy frameworks to ensure supply chain resilience.

Preface: SolarPACES 2022, 28th International Conference on Concentrating Solar Power and Chemical Energy Systems

The SolarPACES 2022 International Conference was held from September 27 to September 30, 2022 in Albuquerque, New Mexico. As the premier international conference and network for advancing commercial deployment and research and development of concentrating solar-thermal power (CSP) and related technologies, the community was excited to convene in person after two years of virtual collaboration. The conference brought together more than 400 participants from 29 countries. The technical presentations and plenary sessions highlighted exciting advances in state-of-the-art commercial deployment and next-generation research and development. There was much focus on emerging commercial markets, including the value of thermal energy storage for cost-effective long duration energy storage – charged either with electricity or solar heat – and the use of solar thermal energy for industrial and chemical processes, especially to decarbonize the large portion of energy that’s currently used for industrial process heating. By holding the conference in the U.S., we were able to highlight particular technical and strategic objectives being advanced by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the US Government, including the progress in advancing the Generation 3 (Gen3) CSP test facility [1] at Sandia National Laboratories. This megawatt-scale system will demonstrate a fully integrated thermal transport and storage system that can collect, store, and deliver heat above 700° Celsius, using solid particle heat transfer media. Attendees to the conference were able to tour the globally renowned CSP research center at Sandia National Laboratories and the National Solar Thermal Test Facility (NSTTF). The NSTTF opened in 1978 as the world’s first tower research facility for CSP and has been operating for more than 40 years. The site has been a center of excellence in the development of molten salt technologies for CSP and has played a key role in the demonstration of technologies used in some of the largest solar power plants in the world. We also highlighted the recent announcements from the U.S. Department of Energy of the Energy Earthshot Initiatives to accelerate breakthroughs of abundant, affordable, and reliable clean energy solutions by the end of this decade. Specifically, the Long Duration Storage Shot [2] established a target to reduce the cost of grid-scale energy storage by 90% for systems that deliver 10 or more hours of duration, to $0.05 per kilowatt-hour of electricity delivered from storage. The Industrial Heat Shot [3] aims to develop cost-competitive industrial heat decarbonization technologies with at least 85% lower greenhouse gas emissions by 2035. Hydrogen Shot [4] seeks to reduce the cost of clean hydrogen by 80%, to $1 per 1 kilogram. CSP technologies have promising potential to contribute to all of these important goals. The 2022 conference covered important contributions in all of these areas, and more, across 15 technical tracks, coordinated and chaired by international experts in each field. We had high quality contributions across the board, including 211 oral presentations and 111 posters. Additionally, the plenary sessions brought together leading experts on energy storage, US and global markets for CSP technologies, and a specific focus on industrial decarbonization. On behalf of SolarPACES, I thank all of the conference participants, authors, presenters, track chairs, and the conference organizing committee for an extremely successful meeting! Avi Shultz Chairman of the 28th SolarPACES conference

Integrated Research Progress on Desulfurization, Denitrification, and Decarbonization Technologies in Coal-Fired Power Plants

Integrated Research Progress on Desulfurization, Denitrification, and Decarbonization Technologies in Coal-Fired Power Plants

The revolution of matrix converter: moving towards decarbonization technology

The matrix converter is a power electronic device that can be used to control the flow of electricity in various industrial and commercial applications. In recent years, the matrix converter has become increasingly popular as a means of decarbonizing energy production. One of the primary benefits of the matrix converter is its ability to efficiently convert AC power to DC power, and vice versa. This is critical in renewable energy systems that rely on DC power, such as solar panels and wind turbines. Therefore, this paper presents the revolution of the matrix converter, which focuses on the single-phase topology, and its applications, especially for renewable energy and battery storage. The operations of a matrix converter to convert DC power from solar panels and wind turbine sources to AC power suitable for use on the power grid are presented as well as the appropriate switching algorithms. To achieve this, the SPMC can be designed to handle multiple input voltages and frequencies and to generate multiple output voltages and frequencies. This can be done by using a combination of modulation techniques, such as carrier based PWM, along with appropriate switching patterns. Therefore, a multi-input multi-output converter (MIMO) using matrix converter is a power electronics converter that can handle multiple inputs and multiple outputs voltages and frequencies using only one circuit topology. Thus, the topology can offer several advantages over traditional power converters such as reduced size and cost, high efficiency, improved power quality and flexibility. This is crucial for a decarbonized energy system because it makes renewable energy sources more effective. Its ability to efficiently convert power, regulate power flows, and operate reliably makes it an important tool in the transition to a decarbonized energy system.

Identification of building decarbonisation technologies based on SCAN algorithm

ABSTRACT Buildings are one of the most significant sources of global carbon emissions, accounting for 28% in 2021, and building decarbonisation is crucial for countries to achieve the goal of carbon neutrality. Building decarbonisation technologies play a central role in promoting the process of deep decarbonisation in the building sector. Based on the 843,821 CPC-Y02B (Decarbonisation technologies associated with buildings) patents in the CPC-Y02 patent classification system, this paper investigated the patent of building decarbonisation technology from three dimensions of technical, economic, and legal aspects and selected 10,751 high-quality core patents in the field of building decarbonisation technologies. Then, the SCAN algorithm was used to identify 23 ‘key core technologies’ and 5 ‘emerging technologies’ in the area of building decarbonisation from the constructed patent (CPC classification number) co-occurrence network. In addition, the development trends of building decarbonisation technologies were analyzed with related literature. This paper introduced the theories and methods of technology identification into the research field of building decarbonisation technology, and the results can give practical references for associated practitioners in the building sector. Future research could consider the technology identification from the whole life cycle of buildings or incorporate multivariate data to improve the current technology identification framework.

Advanced characterization techniques for the development of Subatomic scale catalysts: One step closer to industrial scale fabrication

To date, the large-scale fabrication of subatomic scale catalysts (SSCs) remains a formidable challenge despite their tremendous potential to drive future clean energy conversion and decarbonization technologies. The primary hurdle lies in understanding the physicochemical relationship at the multi-scale interface (i.e., nanoscale, sub-nano, clusters, atomic) in constructing the heterogeneous catalysts. Conversely, high throughput advanced characterizations offer efficient and accelerated analysis of catalysts' chemical properties, bridging the gap between laboratory-to-industrial scale catalyst development for various engineering applications. The implementation of advanced characterizations is paramount in reducing uncertainties in bulk production, particularly during pre-screening assessments of a diverse range of SSCs compositions and configurations. Overall, this review aims to provide an illuminating overview of the streamlined SSCs development process, propelling us one step closer to achieving bulk-scale fabrication.

Pathways to Decarbonization of Deep-Sea Shipping: An Aframax Case Study

Deep-sea decarbonization remains an enigma as the world scrambles to reduce global emissions. This study looks at near-term decarbonization solutions for deep-sea shipping. Pathways are defined, which are appealing to ship owners and major world economies alike. The economic and environmental viability of several of the most advanced near-term technologies for deep-sea decarbonization are revealed. The environmental analysis suggests the necessity of new emission intensity metrics. The economic analysis indicates that the carbon tax could be a great motivator to invest in decarbonization technologies. Standalone decarbonization technologies can provide a maximum of 20% emissions reduction. Hence, to meet IMO 2050 targets of 50% emissions reduction, several solutions need to be utilized in tandem. This study reaches the conclusion that alternative fuels are the crucial step to achieve a net zero carbon economy, although bunkering, infrastructure, and economic hurdles need to be overcome for the widespread implementation of carbon-neutral fuels.

A novel carbon dioxide capture technology (CCT) based on non-equilibrium condensation characteristics: Numerical modelling, nozzle design and structure optimization

The carbon capture technology (CCT) is widely studied to decrease carbon emissions and improve the global climate. Supersonic separation is becoming a new strategy for decarbonization. In order to simulate the non-equilibrium condensing flow of CO2 in the supersonic nozzle more accurately, the mathematical model is modified and verified, and non-equilibrium condensation of carbon dioxide in different states and different inlet superheat levels are analysed numerically. In order to improve the separation efficiency of the supersonic decarbonization technology and reduce the energy loss, the nozzle structure is appropriately designed and optimized. Firstly, the model is verified by gas properties, different droplet growth models and surface tension models. The result shows that the real gas model can predict the non-equilibrium condensing flow in the nozzle more accurately than the ideal gas model. Among the four droplet growth models, the most suitable one was selected in order to predict the non-equilibrium condensation properties of CO2. The droplet surface tension is corrected by introducing temperature and the droplet radius, and the droplet condensation process is enhanced. Secondly, the condensing flow through the nozzle is predicted in different states (subcritical, near-critical and supercritical). The result shows that the prediction based on the modified model is basically consistent with experimental data. Analysing the predicted Wilson line, it is found that the non-equilibrium effect of the flow is quite different at different inlet conditions. The condensation locations gradually approach the nozzle throat, the condensation interval narrows with an increase in pressure, and the peak of the nucleation rate increases gradually. Furthermore, the effect of inlet superheat on the non-equilibrium condensing flow is investigated. As the temperature rises, the flow loss decreases and the thermal efficiency increases from 61.15% to 67.62%. Finally, four nozzles with different convergence shapes are calculated. One of them demonstrates stronger stability, lower losses and the highest thermal efficiency which is about 67.64%. Additionally, when the expansion angle is 7°, the average of the liquid mass fraction is the highest, about 21.7%.

Decarbonization potential of regional combined heat and power development

Industrial decarbonization is a significant challenge to national net zero goals. Combined heat and power (CHP) technologies provide a means by which industrial facilities can achieve greater energy efficiency and decrease carbon emissions through cogenerating electric power and process heat. Regions possessing sufficient population density and manufacturing capacity have significant technical potential for industrial CHP development and can experience economic and environmental benefits. However, CHP implementation costs and the complexity of projects represent significant barriers to deployment with successful implementation often relying on government incentives to achieve economic feasibility. In this research, a framework is developed to evaluate the economic feasibility and environmental viability of various CHP technical potential under the various market penetration scenarios. A case study for a region in the United Sates is presented to highlight the efficacy of the framework. Projected CHP generating capacity of the region is calculated using commercial and industrial specific capacity factors. Comprehensive CHP engineering and cost data are integrated with regional economic transaction data. Then, comparative CHP application analysis is performed to determine which configuration could have the greatest regional economic and environmental impacts. Results indicated that investment in industrial topping cycle CHP to achieve the maximum technical potential generating capacity would have the greatest regional impacts resulting in $20 billion of economic outputs, creating 89,000 jobs, and avoiding approximately 3.2 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions. Results from this and similar research may be used by policymakers and administrators to assess potential investments in industrial decarbonization technologies and pathways.

Credible transition plans for coal power sector: current disclosure framework and considerations for transition finance

The zero-carbon transition of the coal power industry comes with substantial economic costs, both in terms of the cost of stranded assets and the innovation and application of carbon reduction, zero-carbon, and decarbonization technologies. Mobilizing social capital through transition finance is crucial to support companies in their efforts to reduce carbon emissions. The lack of high-quality data and consistent, comparable disclosure frameworks hinders proper due diligence and strategic planning, presenting a major obstacle to financing the transition. To identify the mismatches between existing disclosure frameworks for transition plans and the needs of transition finance, we conducted a systematic review of various transition disclosure frameworks, such as TCFD (Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures), CA100+ (Climate Action 100+) and TPT (Transition Plan Taskforce), and compared them with the information requirements of financial institutions for assessing coal phase-out plans of production entities. The results indicate that the ex-ante assessment of transition finance requires disclosure frameworks to be further expanded and aligned in areas such as technological distinctions and data quality to meet the demands of pricing, risk management, new product innovation, and disclosure of financial institutions’ carbon footprints in their asset portfolios. Moreover, the implementation of the current disclosure standards by coal power enterprises may encounter dual constraints from soft regulatory practices and the external business environment, resulting in the emergence of the “green silence” phenomenon. The inconsistency between disclosure frameworks may also give rise to regulatory arbitrage, leading to a distorted evaluation of the transition process of coal power enterprises by the capital market, resulting in potential price distortions and credit risks.

Quantifying the financial value of building decarbonization technology under uncertainty: Integrating energy modeling and investment analysis

The built environment accounts for approximately 40% of global emissions. The evaluation of returns linked to investments in building decarbonization is impeded when confronted with uncertainties surrounding future energy prices, building emission regulations, and real estate market conditions. This paper develops an integrated framework that combines energy modeling with investment analysis to support the adoption of decarbonizing technologies under a context of uncertainty. The integrated framework includes projections of costs and benefits associated with the adoption of technology (i.e., changes in rental cashflows, vacancy rates, maintenance and energy costs) under a wide range of potential pathways of the energy markets and regulatory environment, and local real estate market demand for green buildings using Monte Carlo simulations. Additionally, this paper develops the approach to investigate the potential value of flexibility in designing for building electrification (i.e., the ability to fully electrify gas heating systems at a later year). We illustrate the use of this approach in a case study of a new office building in New York City, faced with design choices between natural gas and electrified heating systems. We consider 10,000 scenarios changing future greenhouse emission penalties, investments in the local electric grid, local real estate market conditions and energy prices. In approximately 60 percent of simulations, the most profitable decision for the building owner is to adopt a natural gas-powered heating system. However, adopting a building design that provides a building the flexibility to fully electrify at a later date is more profitable than a natural gas-heating building in 96 percent of scenarios. A sensitivity analysis shows that the most influential parameter in the valuation of a design option is the size of the green premiums associated with improved energy efficiency.