Limitation Of Greenhouse Gas Emissions Research Articles

METHOD AND MEANS OF INCREASING THE ENERGY EFFICIENCY OF COMPRESSED AIR PRODUCTION IN THE TECHNOLOGICAL PROCESS OF WOOD PROCESSING

Today, energy saving and energy efficiency are becoming more and more relevant and critical for modern enterprises, institutions and companies. Modern strategies in these areas are aimed at optimizing the use of energy resources and increasing the productivity of production processes. The high level of energy efficiency achieved is reflected in the competitiveness of products on world markets, thanks to the reduction of energy costs and the limitation of greenhouse gas emissions. Compressed air is an important resource for industry, often ranking fourth behind electricity, gas and water. The difference is that compressed air is produced on-site, giving consumers more control over its use and costs. However, the process of obtaining it requires significant energy costs. At enterprises in Europe and Australia, for example, compressor units that produce compressed air can use up to 10% of electricity, while in the United States this figure can reach 30%. Currently, the energy efficiency of the Ukrainian economy is twice as high as compared to world standards, which indicates inefficient use of heat, water and electricity. Therefore, it is important to understand that the implementation of measures for the energy efficiency of compressed air production is not only important from an ecological point of view, but also economically beneficial both for the country as a whole and for individual consumers. Increasing the level of energy efficiency of production processes, in particular wood processing, with the help of modern electrical engineering complexes, is a priority task for the industry. Thus, the analysis and development of energy-efficient solutions for the production of compressed air is a promising direction of development. This article provides an overview of well-known electrotechnical complexes that contribute to improving the energy efficiency of the technological process of wood processing.

Transition Paths towards a Sustainable Transportation System: A Literature Review

In this paper, the challenges inherent in the development of a decarbonized transportation system are thoroughly examined. Sustainable transportation practices that can contribute to the limitation of greenhouse gas emissions and overall sustainability are identified. Furthermore, the most effective and innovative research avenues being pursued by the research community to enhance transportation sustainability are reviewed and discussed. The review framework has been designed to facilitate the identification of key areas of interest through the implementation of a systematic literature review approach. Firstly, an in-depth analysis is provided concerning the main barriers encountered in the realization of sustainable transportation. These barriers are categorized into five dimensions, namely regulatory, technological, financial, organizational, and social. Subsequently, attention is directed towards the emerging approaches that actively support the implementation of sustainable transportation. Lastly, the primary policy measures intended to promote sustainable mobility are the subject of discussion. The findings unveiled in this paper possess the potential to provide managers and policy makers with a comprehensive understanding of transportation sustainability issues. Furthermore, they carry practical implications that can contribute to the construction of sustainable transportation systems.

Performance Analysis of WHR Systems for Marine Applications Based on sCO2 Gas Turbine and ORC

Waste heat recovery (WHR) can represent a solution to improve the efficiency of ships’ propulsion, helping to exceed stringent greenhouse gas emission limits. This is particularly suitable in the case of propulsion based on gas turbines due to their medium-high temperature level of the exhaust gases. This study analyzes the performance of a hybrid energy grid, in which the heat is recovered by the exhaust gases of an aeroderivative gas turbine, a GE LM2500+, when the bottoming system is a supercritical CO2 gas turbine. Given the issues and peculiarities related to the onboard installation, where size and weight are fundamental concerns, six WHR schemes have been analyzed. They span from the simple cycle to partial preheated and regenerative, to a cascade layout in which an ORC system receives thermal power by the sCO2 GT. The influence of the seawater temperature on the performance of the hybrid energy system has been also considered. The energetic and exergetic performance comparison of the different schemes has been carried out by using the commercial software Thermoflex. The results showed that an increase in overall performance by up to 29% can be obtained and that the increase in seawater temperature can lead to a decrease in the overall performance.

Fuzzy optimisation model of an incremental capacity auction formulation with greenhouse gas consideration

AbstractAn incremental capacity auction (ICA) is a mechanism to procure future generation capacity in a power system. Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from generators negatively affect our climate and there is a real need to reduce them. Thus, it is critically important for ICA models to procure future generation capacity that reduces GHG emissions. In this paper, we propose two ICA models incorporating energy‐limited generation (renewables and storage) and a GHG emission constraint. All offers are converted into unforced capacity, negating any effect of energy limitations of generation offers. The first ICA model uses classical optimisation and considers GHG emission limits and maximises social welfare (SW). The second ICA model uses a fuzzy optimisation technique to simultaneously optimise the objectives of SW maximisation and GHG emission minimisation. Both ICA models are tested on two datasets with 10 and 338 capacity supply offers constructed using Ontario data. While both models control GHG emissions as desired, the ICA model with fuzzy optimisation is shown to find a better balance between maximising net SW and minimising GHG emissions, with superior reductions in GHG for minor decreases in SW. Results demonstrate how GHG emission reduction results in increased selection of low carbon generation.

PROVEN APPROACHES TO ENHANCE IMPLEMENTATION OF ENERGY MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS AT A LEADING OIL COMPANY

Energy Management systems (EnMS) is an effective measure to manage energy utilization, drive for continuous improvement in energy performance and sustain business competitiveness. The public expectations i.e., greenhouse gas emission limits and zero liquid discharge will put additional burdens to oil companies. Many companies have initiated to deploy energy program in response to these concerns. However, impact of implementing the program has just been seen. Concerned companies are far away from achieving an appropriate expectations. Most of oil companies consider EnMS as an ambition, rather than an important criterion to be applied in all levels of the businesses. To overcome the abovementioned issues, this paper presents proven approaches to manage the energy efficiency. As for the primary objective, it presents a customized EnMS in enhancing utilization of energy resources. The customized EnMS has been established in accordance to expectations of international industrial best practices. It can be divided into: (1) establish energy visions, (2) select energy performance indicators, (3) identify energy improvement approaches and (4) monitor and manage energy performance tracking. In addition, case studies and best practices are also included in the customized EnMS to address the flexibilities. The second objective is to describe systematic tactics to expedite the effective implementation of EnMS. Tactics include: engage higher management commitment, subscribe to reputable standards, impels for energy savings and embed EnMS into existing management programs. Energy improvement tips are also included into comprehensive framework. Lastly, the third objective is to illustrate the customized EnMS at an undisclosed oil company.

Legal regulation of decarbonization and protection of atmospheric air in order to solve the global environmental problem of climate change

The article deals with the following issues: decarbonization; experiment on emissions quotas for pollutants conducted in some cities of the Russian Federation and the experiment planned to be conducted in some subjects of the Russian Federation; limitation of greenhouse gas emissions; atmospheric air protection; atmospheric air quality standards as well as standards for emissions of harmful (polluting) substances into the air and harmful physical impacts on it. In addition, the significance of such natural resource as forest, which is the main natural absorber of greenhouse gases in terrestrial ecosystems, and carbon polygons — one of the ways to study and control the global environmental problem of climate change on the planet — is shown.

Corrosion challenges towards a sustainable society

AbstractA global transition towards more sustainable, affordable and reliable energy systems is being stimulated by the Paris Agreement and the United Nation's 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. This poses a challenge for the corrosion industry, as building climate‐resilient energy systems and infrastructures brings with it a long‐term direction, so as a result the long‐term behaviour of structural materials (mainly metals and alloys) becomes a major prospect. With this in mind “Corrosion Challenges Towards a Sustainable Society” presents a series of cases showing the importance of corrosion protection of metals and alloys in the development of energy production to further understand the science of corrosion, and bring the need for research and the consequences of corrosion into public and political focus. This includes emphasis on the limitation of greenhouse gas emissions, on the lifetime of infrastructures, implants, cultural heritage artefacts, and a variety of other topics.

Clear skies or turbulence ahead? The international civil aviation organization’s obligation to mitigate climate change

The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) set a cap for international aviation’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions at its 2020 level and established a market-based mechanism to help achieve that cap. Against that backdrop, this article identifies ICAO’s legal obligation to mitigate climate change by examining the international climate change treaties, ICAO’s constituent treaty, the Chicago Convention, and ICAO’s organizational practice. It finds that because ICAO is not a party to the climate change treaties and has a high degree of institutional autonomy, those treaties do not directly impose an obligation on ICAO. Although the Chicago Convention does not expressly mention the environment or climate change, ICAO’s member states interpreted the Convention and enlarged ICAO’s mandate under it to include the reduction or limitation of GHG emissions from international aviation so as to prevent dangerous climate change. This article finds that pursuant to Jan Klabbers’ recently developed theory of role responsibility, ICAO arguably has an obligation to carry out this important mandate, and its failure to do so, or failure to do so effectively, could constitute an internationally wrongful omission.

The use of wave power plants in water management for combating the greenhouse effect

Nowadays, the development of the greenhouse effect is caused not only by industrial facilities emissions into the atmosphere. The contribution of natural and anthropogenic sources of greenhouse gas emissions is becoming increasingly significant. For example, the amount of carbon dioxide produced by the decomposition of organic substances in the zones of degradation of permafrost increases every year. The contribution of the total emission of numerous dispersed sources of atmospheric pollution is also very significant. Traditional methods of control and limitation of greenhouse gas emissions in this case are irrevocable. The solution of the problem is possible only on the basis of the creation of controlled natural and technical systems. The task for the systems is to organize the flow of greenhouse gases from the atmosphere and carbon fixing in the stable components of the environment. The main area of this activity is the stimulation of bioproduction processes. This task is difficult to accomplish in the field of agricultural production. The main objective of the development of this industry is to meet the growing shortage of food products. Against the background of the threat of mass starvation in a number of regions of the world, the problem of the greenhouse effect loses its relevance.

Research on Influence of Trim on a Container Ship’s Resistance performance

Faced with the double pressure of rising oil price and limitation of greenhouse gas emissions, many ship owners began to seek measures to minimize ship’s resistance under specific conditions. Trim optimization has gained more and more attention in recent years for its flexibility and effectiveness in energy saving and emission reduction. The purpose of this paper is to perform trim optimization on a container ship. First, commercial CFD code of the ANSYS FLUENT was applied to calculate the target ship’s total resistance. Then, in order to validate the effectiveness of CFD method, experimental result of ship model test was referred and it indicated that the numerical method was a reliable tool in prediction of the container ship’s hydrodynamic performance. Finally, resistance corresponding to various trim conditions and speeds of three typical drafts were investigated, and it showed that trim did have impact on resistance. Based on the attained result, optimum trim value for actual navigation was suggested.

CH4 Uptake in Different Saline-alkaline Soils in Hetao Irrigation District, Inner Mongolia

Soil salinization poses a great threat to sustainable land use and the limitation of greenhouse gas emissions. In this study, three saline alkali soils, saline soil[electrical conductivity (EC) 4.80 dS·m-1], high saline-alkaline soil (EC 2.60 dS·m-1), and low saline-alkaline soil (EC 0.74 dS·m-1) in the Hetao Irrigation District of Inner Mongolia were selected as research plots. Field experiments were conducted to study the uptake of methane (CH4) in the crop-growing season (April-October) for three years (2014-2016) using the static box method. There were significant differences in the soil CH4 uptake among the soil types in 2014 (F=18.0, P<0.001), 2015 (F=23.6, P<0.001), and 2016 (F=28.4, P<0.001). The uptake of CH4 by the soil decreases with increasing soil salinity. The accumulated CH4 uptake was 150.0 mg·m-2, 119.6 mg·m-2, and 99.9 mg·m-2 in the low saline-alkaline, high saline-alkaline, and saline soil in 2014, respectively. The cumulative uptake of CH4 was 27%, 28%, and 19% lower in the high saline-alkaline soil and 35%, 35%, and 53% lower in the saline soil than in the low saline-alkaline soil in 2014, 2015, and 2016, respectively. Redundancy analysis shows that the projection of the CH4 uptake flux and EC of saline-alkaline soil are in the positive direction, and in the opposite direction to the first principal component axis. The higher the soil EC, the lower the CH4 uptake flux. Soil EC was found to be the key factor controlling the uptakes of CH4, with a correlation coefficient (r) of -0.8809 (P<0.01, n=9).

Assessment of Energy Performance of Buildings Constructed in Different Regions of Turkey According to European Specification

In this study, the complex of buildings built in Turkey's eastern and western regions (Kırklareli- Pehlivanköy, and Gaziantep-Oğuzeli) energy performance levels was investigated according to European specification. To determine these levels were used Building Energy Performance (BEP) program. It is a software that has been in force the protection of the environment and limitation of greenhouse gas emissions regarding primary energy and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions of buildings, according to "Energy Performance Regulations at Buildings" of the Ministry of Environment and Urban Plannings since 2010. Building geometry, heating, lighting, ventilation, mechanical and technical values project data is entered into the program. It has been identified what the amount of energy required by the building through the program, daylighting needs for areas where the effectiveness of energy utilization daylight time from light and carbon emissions is. After all, under EU norms, evaluation of energy certification of buildings built in different regions of all energy, fuel costs, climate and regional differences revealed that changes were explained. A result, energy data of Gaziantep reception center which was built in Turkey's southeastern is lower than 8% energy data of Kırklareli reception center which was made in Turkey's region of Thrace. However, when looking at the results obtained carbon emissions, lighting, ventilation and hot water systems has been shown to occur in the near value for the two centers. It has been observed that there are differences in heating and cooling systems.

How do 28 European Union Member States perform in agricultural greenhouse gas emissions? It depends on what we look at: Application of the multi-criteria analysis

European Union (EU) Member States have agreed to limit their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from sectors not covered by the EU Emissions Trading Scheme, including emissions from agricultural sector. The aggregated GHG emission rate (i.e. t CO2 eq. from agricultural sector per country) is commonly used to measure the overall size of agriculture’s influence on climate. And indeed, since 2005, EU has managed to decrease its aggregated GHG emissions by 3.1%. However, the question is—does that mean that EU’s agriculture has become less emission intensive? This paper answers the question by providing a different perspective for the assessment and comparison of the agricultural GHG emissions in 28EU Member States. It is done by applying three different approaches, including creation of derived indicators and application of multi-criteria analysis (TOPSIS), which is a novel approach for comparison of agricultural GHG emission mitigation performance. The results show that each EU Member State performs very differently in emission intensities. Even more, the emission intensity results show an alarming tendency of increase in most of the EU Member States, which indicates that the measured changes in aggregate agricultural GHG emission rates are misleading. Therefore, the paper suggests reconsidering the policy targets for GHG emission limits.

Energy-Maximizing Control of Wave-Energy Converters: The Development of Control System Technology to Optimize Their Operation

With the recent sharp increases in the price of oil, issues of security of supply, and pressure to honor greenhouse gas emission limits (e.g., the Kyoto protocol), much attention has turned to renewable energy sources to fulfill future increasing energy needs. Wind energy, now a mature technology, has had considerable proliferation, with other sources, such as biomass, solar, and tidal, enjoying somewhat less deployment. Waves provide previously untapped energy potential, and wave energy has been shown to have some favorable variability properties (a perennial issue with many renewables, especially wind), especially when combined with wind energy [1].

A scenario-based mixed integer linear programming model for composite power system expansion planning with greenhouse gas emission controls

In this paper, the influence of uncertain factors in the power supply system is considered by applying scenario-based programming techniques. A multi-period network design model for composite power system expansion planning is formulated as a mixed integer programming model. This model aims to identity the allocations of fossil fuel, cleaner energy sources, and nuclear power as well as the corresponding to construct transmission network to account for all scenarios of the uncertain factors of the power system. Electricity demands, a limitation of greenhouse gas emissions, and other operational constraints are deliberated in this model. This model is solved using CPLEX, and the Taiwan electric power system is used to illustrate the proposed model. Feasibility analysis of nuclear power energy policies and a low carbon power policy is also been conducted. Corporately implementing the low carbon energy policy increases the feasibility that Taiwan will gradually become nuclear free and more environmentally friendly. The cost per ton of carbon dioxide is estimated to be about NT$ 470.

Short Term Electric Production Technology Switching Under Carbon Cap and Trade

This study examines fuel switching in electricity production following the introduction of the European Union’s Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) for greenhouse gas emissions. A short-run restricted cost equation is estimated with carbon permits, high-carbon fuels, and low carbon fuels as variable inputs. Shadow values and substitution elasticities for carbon-free energy resources from nuclear, hydroelectric and renewable sources are imputed from the cost equation. The empirical analysis examines 12 European countries using monthly data on fuel use, prices, and electricity generation during the first phase of the European Emissions Trading System. Despite low emission permit prices, this study finds statistically significant substitution between fossil fuels and carbon free sources of energy for electric power production. Significant substitution between fossil fuels and nuclear energy also was found. Still, while 18 of the 20 substitution elasticities are statistically significant, they are all less than unity, consistent with limited substitution. Overall, these results suggest that prices for carbon emission permits relative to prices for carbon and carbon free sources of energy do matter but that electric power producers have limited operational flexibility in the short-run to satisfy greenhouse gas emission limits.

Combined heat and power in a carbon-constrained world

Combined heat and power (CHP) is a tried and tested technology that can deliver significant benefits in a world of constrained energy resources and ever tightening greenhouse gas emission limits. This paper provides an introduction to CHP and its application in the UK and reviews currently available technologies and the emerging micro-CHP systems. In the future, sustainably sourced biomass is expected to play a much more substantial role in energy provision and, with limited availability, it is important that this resource is used as efficiently as possible. However, the current generation of biomass fuels present difficulties for use in distributed CHP plant due to their low energy density and the high capital cost of the required plant and equipment. This paper reviews the options for biomass fuels and discusses the emerging technology of torrefaction, a process that produces a more energy dense and easily handled fuel that will help to open up the market for distributed renewable CHP schemes.

The Essential Role of State Enforcement in the Brave New World of Greenhouse Gas Emission Limits

I. INTRODUCTION II. THE NATURE AND EXTENT OF THE GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSION REDUCTION EFFORT REQUIRES THE FULL PANOPLY OF ENFORCEMENT TOOLS III. THE CAP-AND-TRADE MARKET POSES SIGNIFICANT ENFORCEMENT CHALLENGES IV. CALIFORNIA'S EXPERIENCE WITH ENERGY MARKETS PROVIDES IMPORTANT LESSONS V. FEDERAL PREEMPTION OF STATE ENFORCEMENT POSES SIGNIFICANT RISKS VI. THE FILED RATE DOCTRINE HAS NO PLACE IN A CAP-AND-TRADE MARKET VII. OTHER LESSONS LEARNED FROM THE ENERGY CRISIS VIII. CONCLUSION I. INTRODUCTION In June 2005, Governor Schwarzenegger addressed the United Nations on the topic of global warming and famously declared, I say the debate is over. We know the science. We see the threat, and we know that the time for action is now. (1) Convinced by overwhelming scientific evidence, the California Legislature passed, and the Governor signed, a landmark law, referred to as 32, which requires the State to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels by 2020. (2) AB 32 poses significant, even daunting, requirements. By 2012, the California Air Resources Board will have issued extensive regulations for virtually every sector of the State's economy across all geographic regions that set forth specific actions for the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. (3) The new regulations will use multiple mechanisms to achieve the reduction requirements, including the traditional command and control approach, market mechanisms, and regional targeting. (4) While the potential regulations and mechanisms have received a great deal of attention, much less attention has been given to an essential element of achieving the reductions: enforcement. We know from extensive experience that enforcement must be integrated into the process of creating regulations. Further, we must have enough regulators and prosecutors to ensure that enforcement is viable, appropriate and effective. The Air Resources Board's Scoping Plan for AB 32 identifies as a key mechanism for reduction of greenhouse gases the creation and implementation of a cap-and-trade market, in which electricity generators and other significant sources of greenhouse gas emissions will be allowed to buy and sell emission units to meet an ever-diminishing cap on overall emissions. (5) This market may involve hundreds of millions of dollars worth of trades, which will create significant incentives for fraud, manipulation and other misconduct. We know from California's energy crisis and the recent national mortgage meltdown that market abuse combined with insufficient market oversight is a recipe for disaster. (6) Thus, when creating the rules for a cap-and-trade market, we must apply the lessons learned from these experiences and integrate market monitoring and enforcement into the market itself. By requiring market participants to sufficiently fund monitoring and enforcement efforts, the few participants tempted to try to manipulate the market will understand from the outset that market misconduct will not be tolerated. While ensuring market fairness in a market of this expected size and complexity is a tall task, it will be far more manageable if we heed the painful lesson from the California energy crisis and the recent mortgage meltdown: relying exclusively on federal market enforcement can lead to disaster. Significant reduction of greenhouse gas emissions is a massive undertaking and a tremendous challenge. California's multi-layered and often decentralized enforcement network needs to be allowed to continue its historic enforcement role if we are to meet the challenge. In the new world of carbon constraint, California's experience with environmental enforcement provides a useful road map for effective measures, while malfunctioning energy markets and the difficulties posed by federal preemption are significant roadblocks to avoid. For our greenhouse gas reduction efforts to be successful, we must intelligently apply the lessons California has learned to ensure effective monitoring and enforcement approaches. …

Negotiating Greenhouse Gas Emission Limits in the European Union

The case study presented in this paper deals with multilateral negotiations in the highly institu-tionalised setting of the European Union. More specifically, the study focuses on the Council of Ministers as the most “intergovernmental” one of the EU institutions. In substantive terms, the focus is on climate policy, and in particular on the setting of greenhouse gas (GHG) emission limits for individual EU member states, as agreed by the Council of Ministers in a so-called “burden-sharing” agreement. This agreement is arguably “the most successful EU climate policy achievement so far” (Wettestad 2000: 36), but it was achieved only after almost two years of negotiation and re-negotiation in the Council and its subordinate bodies. The paper traces these negotiating processes against the background of theoretical debates on arguing and bargaining in international negotiations.