Carbon Intensity Research Articles

Decarbonizing natural gas infrastructure: blending hydrogen for sustainable energy

Abstract The paper explores the potential of hydrogen as a clean energy carrier and its integration into existing natural gas systems to reduce carbon intensity. It highlights the need for infrastructure impact studies and significant investment to realize the vision of green hydrogen. It also discusses the properties of hydrogen compared to natural gas, its production methods, and the potential for blending hydrogen into existing natural gas pipelines. Additionally, it provides insights into Egypt’s energy sector and its efforts to embrace renewable energy. It concludes by summarizing notable studies and projects related to hydrogen-natural gas blending. The blending of hydrogen into natural gas systems is an important and achievable first step towards full conversion to 100% hydrogen. The paper presents a compilation of hydrogen blending projects from different countries, showcasing the collaborative efforts and advancements in integrating hydrogen into existing energy systems.

GHG emission quantification and reduction pathway of subway shield tunnel engineering: a case study on Guangzhou Metro, China.

The shield method is a commonly used construction technique in subway tunnel engineering. However, studies on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions specifically in subway shield tunnel engineering are lacking. This study aims to investigate the GHG emission characteristics and GHG reduction pathways during the construction period of subway shield tunnels. Firstly, based on the life cycle assessment (LCA) method, a greenhouse gas (GHG) emission quantification model for the shield tunnel construction period was developed using a multi-level decomposition of construction. Then, the GHG emission level and intensity during the construction period of a case project are quantified, and its emission characteristics and GHG reduction potential points are assessed. Finally, a comprehensive path for GHG reduction in subway shield tunnel engineering is proposed. The research results indicate that constructing 1 km of subway shield tunnel can generate 19,294.28 t CO2eq. Among these, material production element dominates the emissions with a percentage of 89.05%, while transportation and mechanical construction elements contribute 1.81% and 9.14%, respectively. From the structure perspective, the main structure contributes 88.73% of total emissions, while the ancillary structure contributes 11.27%. Among them, the working shaft and tunnel segments are the main sources of emissions for the main structure, accounting for 23.65% and 65.08%, respectively. Connecting channel and end reinforcement are the main emission sources of the ancillary structures, accounting for 43.63% and 31.30%, respectively. These findings provide a scientific foundation for the environmentally friendly transformation of urban railway development regarding pursuing "carbon peaking and carbon neutrality" strategic goals.

Evaluating clean electricity transition progress across UK political pledges and G7 countries

The transition towards clean electricity is central to global decarbonisation. Countless metrics are used to assess national electricity transition efforts, which hinders understanding and comparison between nations or political party pledges. This study instead proposes three simple metrics: clean generation share, gross, and net carbon emissions intensity. It uses them to provide the first evaluation of the 2024 Clean Energy Mission (CEM) proposed by the UK's newly-elected Labour Government, which has strengthened ambition for wind and solar power capacity. We compare the CEM to previous political pledges, finding it could reduce national electricity generation emissions by 17 MtCO2 in 2030, equivalent to a two percentage point increase in the UK's 2030 Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC). We also use these metrics to compare past efforts and future pledges across the G7 countries, finding that the CEM progresses the UK from having the lowest share of clean electricity in 2010 to the highest by 2030. The UK must increase its pace of clean electricity uptake and decarbonisation by a factor of 1.5–2 to meet its 2030 targets; compared to a factor 4–6 acceleration required by Germany and the US. The paper provides an innovative, simple and replicable framework for assessing the impact of political pledges or national targets for the power sector, and for comparing efforts to decarbonise electricity between countries and over time.

Spatio-temporal dynamics and influencing factors of carbon emissions (1997–2019) at county level in mainland China based on DMSP-OLS and NPP-VIIRS Nighttime Light Datasets

Global warming caused by extensive carbon emissions is a critical global issue. However, the lack of county-level carbon emissions data in China hampers comprehensive research. To bridge this gap, we employ a deep learning method on nighttime light data sets to estimate county-level carbon emissions in mainland China from 1997 to 2019. Our key contributions include the successful derivation of more reliable data, revealing the evolution of spatial dynamics and emissions epicenters. Moreover, we identify a novel inverted N-shaped relationship between gross domestic product per capita and carbon emissions in the eastern and western regions, as well as an N-shaped relationship in the central region, challenging mainstream wisdom. Additionally, we highlight the significant impacts of population density, industrial structure, and carbon intensity on carbon emissions. Our study also unveils the nuanced effects of government spending, which exhibits both inhibitory and region-specific influences. These findings serve to enhance our understanding of the factors influencing carbon emissions and contribute to informed decision-making in addressing climate change-related challenges.

Defining the applicable pathway of laccase pre-treatment in the bio-mineral processing of double refractory gold ores based on carbonaceous matter characterization

Enzymes application in mineral processing is a novel alternative to oxidize carbonaceous matter in double refractory gold ores (DRGOs) and reduce Au(CN)2- adsorption during cyanidation. In this work, contrasting flotation concentrates from DRGOs with different Au(CN)2- affinities were sequentially treated to improve Au cyanidation. Sequential pre-treatment comprised sulfide decomposition and carbonaceous matter degradation through laccase-mediator system (LMS). In addition, carbonaceous matter was characterized from various aspects using Raman spectroscopy, 3D-fluorescence spectrometry, preg-robbing test, and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The characterization of the original ores showed that Au(CN)2- adsorption densities were positively correlated with the relative intensities of defective carbon to graphitic carbon obtained in Raman spectra. Degradation of carbonaceous matter through LMS was inhibited by the presence of biopolymers formed during extensive bio-oxidation, thus reconsidering the appropriate sulfide decomposition step. When FeCl3 leaching to decompose sulfides proceeded enzymatic treatment, mass spectra of extracted intermediates from carbonaceous matter suggest the presence of alcohols, fatty acids and aliphatic hydrocarbon moieties, mainly on the most polar solvent fractions. This suggests that enzymatic degradation went through the indirect disturbance of the aromatic planes, making the surface more hydrophilic due to the inclusion of oxygen-containing functional groups, thus improving Au extraction. Finally, the current findings provide a general panorama for selecting the appropriate pre-treatments to maximize gold extraction on DRGOs when using LMS.

The AFOLU sector’s role in national decarbonization: a comparative analysis of low-GHG development pathways in Brazil, India and Indonesia

ABSTRACT This paper analyses the role that AFOLU (agriculture, forest and other land use) plays in national deep decarbonization scenarios in Brazil, India and Indonesia between 2020 and 2050. It finds that the LULUCF (land use, land use change and forestry) subsector is important for medium-term mitigation (2020–2030) while continuing to contribute to mitigation over the long-term (2030–2050) in the three countries. Mitigation actions in LULUCF include drastically reducing deforestation (Brazil, Indonesia) and peat degradation (Indonesia), re-/afforestation (all), increased sequestration in standing forests (Brazil, Indonesia) and increasing soil carbon in agricultural lands (India). AFOLU further contributes to mitigation in Brazil and Indonesia by producing biomass feedstock for bioenergy. No country significantly reduces N2O and CH4 emissions from either agriculture or via demand-side actions on diets, due to trade-offs with food security, rural livelihoods and economic growth (although all countries reduce the GHG intensity of agricultural products). Furthermore, the paper analyses national policies to manoeuvre co-benefits and trade-offs between mitigation and other sustainable development goals (SDGs), including no poverty (1); zero hunger (2); decent work and economic growth (8); climate action, including both adaptation and mitigation (13); and life on land (15). Common policy areas were identified, including incentives to land managers for conservation or more environmental agricultural practices; changing regulations of land use to protect ecosystems and/or encourage shifts in agricultural practices; and strengthening enforcement capacity of land protection.

How does green finance affect human well-being in the context of aging populations? Evidences from China

Purpose The purpose of this study is to investigate the influence of green finance on human well-being in China in the context of urbanization and aging population. It aims to explore the contributions of green finance in such demographic scenarios. Design/methodology/approach This study innovates and optimizes the calculation of the carbon intensity of human well-being (CIWB) index and strengthens the integrity of the assessment model for green finance development. It uses the serial multiple mediator model and moderation effect analysis to address the impact of green finance on human well-being in China on the provincial level from 2009 to 2020. Findings Green finance has a significant, positive and direct impact on human well-being. Simultaneously, it influences human well-being indirectly through three transmission channels. Urbanization and an ageing population are significant individual mediators through which green finance contributes to human well-being improvement. Notably, these two mediators also work together to transfer the promotional impact of green finance to human well-being. Practical implications The government can perfect the regulations to strengthen the market ecosystem to accelerate the development of green finance. Reforms on the administrative division to expand the size of cities with the implementation of ageing friendly development strategy is also necessary. Attracting incoming foreign direct investment in sustainable projects and adjusting public projects and trade activities to fulfil the sustainable principles are also regarded as essential. Social implications The findings challenge traditional views on the impact of aging populations, highlighting the beneficial role of green finance in improving well-being amidst demographic changes. This offers a new perspective on economic and environmental sustainability in aging societies. Originality/value A multi-dimensional well-being indicator, CIWB and the serial multiple mediator model are used and direct and indirect impacts of green finance on human well-being is exhibited. It offers novel insights on the transmission channels behind, identifies the mediating role of urbanization and ageing population and offers empirical evidences with strong academic and policy implications.

Toward compatibility with national dairy production and climate goals through locally appropriate mitigation interventions in Kenya

CONTEXTLivestock are an important component of livelihoods in smallholder dairy systems in Africa, but are characterized by low animal productivity and large environmental impacts per unit of animal product (e.g. greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) intensities). Governments in African countries have set ambitious targets for dairy systems, but development of climate-smart strategies has been hindered by a scarcity of baseline data and local intervention trials. OBJECTIVEWe use a rich dataset from smallholder mixed dairy systems in Kenya to determine whether national climate and development goals for 2030 can be met using locally appropriate interventions. Interventions considered included improved herd management and feed interventions. METHODSWe conducted a yield gap analysis to determine the scope of the existing milk yield gaps, then evaluated the extent to which yield gaps could be closed using interventions in a second step. We outscaled our results to the national level to determine the potential impact of adopting our interventions on national dairy production and GHG emission goals using the FAO Global Livestock Environmental Assessment Model – interactive (GLEAM-i) tool. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONSOur analysis showed that substantial yield gaps exist in Kenyan dairy systems (39 to 49% of attainable yields). These gaps could be closed by intervention packages but not by individual interventions alone. Our outscaled scenarios showed interventions can reduce milk GHG emission intensities (−6.5 to −27.4%), while absolute emissions would increase in most scenarios (−3.9 to +25.9%). To meet national milk production goals, we estimated that a large increase in animal numbers is needed by 2030 compared to 2010 (from ∼2.7 M to 4.5–7.1 M heads of cattle). However, most scenarios fell short of the emissions target (−4% to +48%) by 2030. It may be possible to narrowly meet Kenyan national milk production and GHG emission goals by 2030. SIGNIFICANCENational goals for milk production and reducing GHG emissions were only marginally compatible in Kenya. Other sectors of the economy will need to reduce emissions to ensure that food and nutrition security objectives are not jeopardized. In order to achieve national milk goals, there will be need to be a consummate increase in animal numbers even with the adoption of multiple interventions. To meet Kenya's national emissions goals, widespread adoption of several locally appropriate interventions will be required. International support will be needed to meet Kenya's conditional Nationally Determined Contributions under the 2015 Paris Agreement, as well as food and nutrition security goals.

Chief Sustainability Officer (CSO) power and sustainability-based compensation for climate change disclosure and carbon performance: is it different for developed and developing nations?

Purpose Companies are increasingly appointing a Chief Sustainability Officer (CSO) to anchor the need to highlight climate change at the senior management level. This study aims to examine how CSO power and sustainability-based compensation influence climate reporting and carbon performance. Design/methodology/approach Using one of the largest data sets to date, consisting of 18,834 company years through the author’s observations, spanning an 11-year period (2011–2021) in 33 countries. This paper used quantitative methods – specifically, ordinal logistic regression estimation. This paper measures the level of climate change disclosure based on the carbon disclosure leadership methodology. Carbon performance is based on the intensity of carbon emissions (Scope 1, Scope 2), which is a quantitative and relatively more objective measure. Findings The results suggest that climate change disclosure continued to increase and the carbon emissions intensity of the companies in this study gradually decreased over the sample period. This paper finds that the presence of the CSO within the top management team has a positive and significant influence on the level of information on climate change of the companies in the sample. This finding confirms the idea that the managerial capacity of CSOs motivates the disclosure of climate change. The empirical results confirm that there are differences in the role that the CSO and sustainability-based compensation play in influencing the quality of climate information disclosure in developed and developing countries. Originality/value The recourse on a mixed theoretical framework, which highlights upper echelons theory, argues the understanding of the role of CSOs in explaining the relationship between climate change disclosure–carbon performance relationship. The novelty of the study lies in the approaches adopted to describe the quality of climate change disclosure. To control for endogeneity, this paper uses a difference-in-difference analysis by adding a firm to the Morgan Stanley Capital International index as an exogenous shock.

The impact of China’s digital economy industry development and its structural indicators on carbon emission intensity

IntroductionThe development of the digital economy has a profound impact on industrial economics. The article starts from the perspective of industrial organization theory. The thesis aims to analyze the industrial development of the digital economy and its three structural variables: digital manufacturing industry, digital service industry, and the development of industrial digitization on carbon emission intensity.MethodBased on the data of Input-output Tables with extended tables of 30 provinces, this paper analyzes the industrial development of digital economy and its three structural variables: digital manufacturing industry, digital service industry, and the development of industrial digitization on carbon emission intensity.Results and discussionThe empirical results show that: 1) at the national level, the development of China’s digital economy industries has a suppressive effect on carbon emission intensity; 2) in terms of spatial effects, the development of digital economy has significant carbon spillover effects, but digital industrialization and industrial digitization present different spatial effect results; 3) from the analysis of regional heterogeneity, in the northeast, central and western regions, the direction of influence of digital industrialization and industrial digitalization on carbon emission intensity is consistent; in the eastern region, the development of digital industrial service sector and industrial digitalization has a suppressive effect on carbon emission intensity, while digital industrial manufacturing sector presents a pro-increasing effect; 4) Non-linear relationship analysis shows that the development of the digital industrial manufacturing sector has a “promoting and then inhibiting” effect on carbon emission intensity. Overall, the impact of digital industry development on carbon intensity exhibits a “promoting increase, then suppressing, then promoting increase” trend. In conclusion, the findings suggest that China’s digital economy industry has entered the low-carbon development stage.

An intelligent mix design system for sustainable concrete containing multi-source recycled aggregate

The source complexity of recycled aggregate (RA) generally leads to significant fluctuations in the aggregate quality, which brings difficulties in the mix design of the recycled aggregate concrete (RAC). In this study, machine-learning models were developed to predict the cubic compressive strength by collecting mix proportions data including aggregate properties. Then a carbon emission model considering carbon sequestration was established. Based on these models, optimization algorithms were employed to obtain the optimal mix proportions. The results indicate that the backpropagation neural network model optimized by genetic algorithms (GABP) demonstrates the best predictive capability. Furthermore, the GABP model exhibits the highest sensitivity towards cement strength and water absorption of recycled coarse aggregate (RCA). In addition, single-objective optimization achieves a carbon reduction of 61.8–68.4 %. In dual-objective optimization, when the optimized mix proportions exhibit a low level of carbon intensity, the cubic compressive strength of RAC exceeds 50 MPa. This suggests that more efficient and valuable utilization of RA in concrete can be achieved after mix proportion optimization.

Carbon Abatement and Leakage in China's Regional Carbon Emission Trading.

Emission trading schemes (ETS) are increasingly becoming a popular policy instrument to balance carbon abatement and economic growth. As a globally unified carbon pricing system has not yet been established, whether regionally operated ETSs cause carbon leakage remains a major concern. Taking China's regional pilot ETSs as a quasi-natural experiment, the study uses the spatial difference-in-differences method to examine how regional ETSs affect carbon emissions in and outside cities of policy implementation. Our analysis finds that China's regional ETS policy contributes to a 6.1% reduction in urban CO2 emissions and a 6.6% decline in emissions intensity in regulated cities, causing carbon leakages that increase CO2 emissions in neighboring cities by 1.7% on average. Our finding further suggests that regional ETSs mitigate local CO2 emissions through outsourcing production, improving energy efficiency and decarbonizing energy structure, whereas the outsourcing of industrial production drives up CO2 emissions in adjacent cities. Moreover, the performances of regional ETSs vary largely by socioeconomic context and mechanism design. China's regional ETSs reduce CO2 emissions more effectively in central and industrial cities but with more severe carbon leakage, while rigorous compliance mechanisms and active market trading help deepen carbon abatement and alleviate carbon leakage.

Does firm carbon risk matter to banks? Evidence from the US syndicated loan market

Using two measures of firm carbon-risk exposure to capture convergent materiality, we examine whether the syndicated loan market considers borrowers’ carbon-risk exposure in loan pricing. We find that carbon intensity does not constitute material information for banks, whereas environmental scores have a statistically significant but incidental economic effect on loan spreads. We also find inconclusive evidence that the market differentiates between firms in high and low environmentally sensitive industries. Finally, we show that green banks charge higher loan spreads to more environmentally responsible firms. Overall, we provide strong evidence that environmental scores matter in loan pricing decisions.

Energy Performance of Zeolite-Based Drying Bead Desiccants Used to Dry Paddy Rice.

This study utilizes differential scanning calorimetry and thermogravimetric analysis to assess the total energy required to regenerate saturated zeolite-based drying beads (DBs) used to dry paddy rice. We quantify the required heat energy for DB regeneration by calculating the area under the curve in a heat flow rate versus time graph, with the end of the regeneration process indicated by stabilization of the DB weight. Our findings suggest that at DB regeneration temperatures ranging from 120 to 350 °C, the process varied from 813 to 22 min, demonstrating that higher temperatures lead to faster regeneration speeds. The total energy used for regeneration showed similar values at 250 and 350 °C, averaging around 2032 and 2136 kJ per kg of dried DB, respectively. Additionally, the study showed that DBs can hold water between 28.7% and 54.4% higher than the manufacturer's specifications, suggesting a reduced quantity of DBs required for effective paddy rice drying. The overall required heat energy for the regeneration process was calculated at 4.86 MJ/kg, with a carbon intensity of approximately 275.61 g of CO2-eq per kg of water removed, resulting in lower values compared to conventional drying methods. The study underscores DB's possibility of lower total energy (thermal and electrical) consumption and greenhouse gas emissions, alongside its flexibility to regenerate with intermittent energy sources.

Analysis of the Characteristics and Driving Mechanisms of Carbon Emission Decoupling in the Hu-Bao-O-Yu City Cluster under the “Double Carbon” Target

The Hu-Bao-O-Yu urban area is a major source of carbon emissions in China. It is also a major source of energy exports and high-end chemicals in China. Reaching peak carbon emissions early is especially important for meeting the national peak goal. For urban areas that rely on natural resources, we need to make it clearer how carbon emissions and economic growth affect each other and slowly break the strong link between the two. Therefore, in this paper, based on the data on carbon emissions, the decoupling state and the driving mechanism of carbon emissions in the Hu-Bao-O-Yu City group are researched by using the Tapio decoupling model and GDIM method. A new decoupling index model is constructed by combining GDIM and the traditional decoupling model. The main findings are as follows: (1) The Hu-Bao-O-Yu urban agglomeration, Ordos City, Baotou City and Yulin City have significant growth trends in annual carbon emissions, with Yulin City being the most important carbon source for the Hu-Bao-O-Yu urban agglomeration and its economic contribution to carbon emissions of the whole urban agglomeration is the most efficient. (2) The decoupling of Hu-Bao-O-Yu, Huhhot City, Baotou City, and Ordos City is dominated by expansionary negative decoupling, whereas Yulin City has strong negative decoupling. (3) The Hu-Bao-O-Yu urban cluster mainly affects the carbon intensity of fixed asset investments and output carbon intensity, which is a key part of the carbon separation process. The energy scale and structure also play a part in this process over time. (4) Changes in GDP per capita are a bigger part of changes in carbon emissions in the Hu-Bao-O-Yu urban agglomeration. These changes also determine the direction for changes in carbon emissions in the Hu-Bao-O-Yu urban agglomeration. In the future, the Hu-Bao-O-Yu urban agglomeration needs to coordinate its economic growth. Ordos and Yulin need to speed up the optimisation and transformation of their energy structures. Baotou needs to push for the low-carbon transformation of its industries. Huhhot needs to do more research on carbon sequestration technology and spend more on environmental protection. This will make the Hu-Bao-O-Yu urban agglomeration a resource-saving urban agglomeration and improve its ability to reduce emissions.

Impact of fiscal regulation on regional carbon intensity: assessing the carbon emission reduction effect of transparent government revenue and expenditure

ABSTRACT Fiscal regulations enhance fiscal compliance and reduce undue government intervention in economic performance, which may have important implications for low-carbon development. However, few empirical studies have investigated the impact of fiscal regulations on carbon intensity. Based on data from 278 cities in China from 2005 to 2020, this study constructed a difference-in-differences model using the release of the new Budget Law to investigate the impact of fiscal revenue and expenditure regulation on regional carbon emission intensity. The empirical results indicated that fiscal regulations can significantly reduce the intensity of carbon emissions. The mechanism tests indicate that fiscal regulation can optimize the allocation of local governments’ fiscal revenues and expenditures and improve infrastructure and innovation. Heterogeneity analyses indicate that the effect of fiscal regulation on reducing carbon emission intensity is more obvious in regions with high historical emissions and a high proportion of polluting industries. Based on the empirical results, the government should continuously improve fiscal transparency and the efficiency of fiscal fund use to reduce the impact of unreasonable fiscal revenue and expenditure on carbon emissions intensity.

THE CONCEPT OF SUSTAINABLE DIGITALISATION AS A BASIS FOR A GREEN-DIGITAL TRANSITION TO A CLIMATE-NEUTRAL ECONOMY

The article presents a conceptual framework for understanding sustainable digitalisation as a primary driver of the green-digital transition towards climate neutrality of the global economy. This article analyses the interaction between digital technologies and decarbonisation goals, focusing on the opportunities and risks that arise in the process of digital transformation. The author presents a summary of the barriers to the green-digital transition on the global path to zero emissions, including the digital divide, uneven access to technology and innovation, carbon intensity of ICT, unclear regulation and imbalance of international policies. The author proposes a three-stage model of harmonisation of digital and green transitions, which contributes to the achievement of climate neutrality of the global economy. The model comprises the following components: international consensus and synchronisation; sustainable digitalisation in bridging the gaps; systematic and targeted innovation. The author underscores the necessity of incorporating sustainable tenets into the digitalisation process, considering both the technical and social, economic and environmental facets. The author identifies the following principles of sustainable digitalisation: the reduction of ICT energy consumption and related carbon emissions; the optimisation of the material and technical base for the functioning of digital infrastructure; the reduction of e-waste through the introduction of circular practices; the integration of sustainable digital technologies into business models; the combating of disinformation; the protection of human rights and the ensuring of environmental justice. Furthermore, the article identifies the key innovations needed to achieve climate neutrality in the short and long term

Harnessing robotics for environmental economics and energy strategy: Advancing global economic policies towards green growth

The composition of energy consumption is shifting from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources. Determining if reducing energy use may increase green factor production (GFP) is thus crucial. This study, which examines data from 2013 to 2019, indicates that GFP is impacted by both the Robotics and natural resource markets. It conducts a comprehensive analysis of Robotics's impact on the development of green economies using China as a case study and a suitable mathematical model, namely a static panel model (SPM). By applying robotics analytical powers and predictive modelling, the research sheds light on how economic growth and environmental preservation might be balanced, or “green growth.” The magazine aims to find synergies that support the incorporation of AI-driven solutions into policy frameworks, promoting a shift toward more environmentally sustainable practices globally by carefully analyzing global economic policies. It has been observed that different industries and development phases have other impacts of AI on carbon intensity. Furthermore, this investigation dissects GFP into its component elements, green efficiency improvement effects, and technological advancement to elucidate how AI influences green economic growth.

Investigating the impact of blanching and salt treatment on the drying kinetics of oyster mushrooms

This study aims to evaluate the effect of drying temperature and drying kinetics of the blanched and salt-treated oyster mushrooms. The drying temperatures were from 40 to 80 °C. Evaluations were done on the moisture content, rehydration ratio, and physical changes. The CHNS and FTIR analyses were conducted under optimized drying conditions. The drying kinetics were evaluated and the result discovered that the best drying condition with a good rehydration ratio (6.3) and good quality was the salt treatment sample dried at 60 °C in 6 h. The drying kinetic was explored in five different kinetics models, and the parabolic model proved to be the best model with the highest R2 (1.000), lowest RMSE (7.0899E-05), and MBE (5.02666E-09). The effective moisture diffusivities obtained were 0.4–1.8 × 10−9 m2/s and the activations energy was 36–45 kJ/mol. The drying and treatment processes significantly impact the intensity of functional groups, carbon, hydrogen, and nitrogen contents. This study provides useful insights into the drying process of oyster mushrooms using oven drying.

Exploring seafarers' knowledge, understanding, and proficiency in SEEMP: A strategic training framework for enhancing seafarers' competence in energy-efficient ship operations

With 2.89 % of global carbon emissions caused by human activity, the maritime industry faces an imminent challenge in curbing its carbon footprint despite regulatory initiatives. As the shipping sector expands, the industry faces a projected increase in carbon emissions. Recognizing the key role of seafarers in emission reduction, this article introduces a comprehensive training framework designed to enhance awareness, knowledge, understanding, and skills for implementing energy-efficient ship operations. This study utilizes structural equation modeling to assess the effectiveness of seafarers' training on energy-efficient operation of ships (EEOS) by surveying 144 seafarers across 42 shipping companies worldwide and using structured questionnaires. This study found significant positive correlations between implementing the Ship Energy Efficiency Management Plan (SEEMP) and the training programs initiated by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and shipping companies. The results of this study indicate that traditional institutional and specialized training programs on EEOS are relatively ineffective for seafarers in implementing SEEMP onboard ships. Furthermore, the study argues that computer and simulator-based training facilitates knowledge, understanding, and proficiency of SEEMP among seafarers more effectively than the onboard training provided by the ship's master and the chief engineer. The proposed training framework emphasizes the importance of initial training using the IMO E-Learning course and IMO “Train the Trainer” programs, followed by shipping companies' in-house training by classification societies, company project teams, and simulator-based training by service providers. The study proposes a strategic training framework that encompasses in-house training conducted by shipping companies in collaboration with partners, simulator-based training provided by specialized training providers, and ongoing onboard training facilitated by the vessel's master and chief engineer, with integration of computer-based training (CBT). This strategic approach intends to improve seafarers' competence in energy-efficient ship operations to meet predetermined carbon intensity targets, which aligns with the broader goal of leading the maritime industry toward a future of net-zero emissions.