Net Zero Carbon Emissions Research Articles

Influence of bio-based kenaf polymer composites on mechanical and acoustic properties for futuristic applications: An initiative towards net-zero carbon emissions

In the pursuit of net-zero carbon emissions, the development of sustainable materials like kenaf fiber composites is pivotal. This innovative approach, which harnesses eco-friendly properties and enhances material performance, holds promise in reducing carbon footprints across diverse industries. As ecological sustainability awareness continues to rise, there is a growing imperative to embrace biodegradable, lightweight, and recyclable materials to address existing limitations in conventional materials. Kenaf fiber, with its unique electromagnetic, acoustic, mechanical, and physical properties, presents a compelling solution. The production process involves impregnating kenaf fiber with bio-based materials, utilizing nanofillers of nickel (Ni), bamboo charcoal (BC), and carbon black (CB), which are blended with epoxy resin through magnetic agitation to ensure homogeneous dispersion. This resulting composite is fortified between two layers of kenaf fiber mats, creating a robust sandwich structure. Employing response surface methodology (RSM) and the central composite design (CCD), the study calculates the optimal weight percentages of nanofillers in various test specimens. Mechanical and acoustic property testing, conducted using appropriate equipment, reveals that a combination of 15 wt% BC, 9 wt% Ni, and 6 wt% CB exhibits the highest tensile strength at 42 MPa, while the blend of 10 wt% BC, 6 wt% Ni, and 4 wt% CB achieves a maximum noise reduction coefficient (NRC) of 0.524. These impressive findings underscore the potential of this suggested material as a superior substitute for conventional materials, further aligning it with the imperative for eco-conscious and sustainable solutions.

Optimizing Direct Air Capture Solvents to Minimize Energy Consumption of CO2 Release in a Carbonate Electrolyzer

Addressing climate change by carbon management is critical to achieving the goal of net zero carbon emissions by 2050. In this work, we examined the electrochemically-driven recovery of CO2 during alkaline solvent regeneration for solvent-based direct air capture. A mathematical model was developed by incorporating carbonate chemistry with water electrolysis to predict the energy consumption per unit of CO2 released. The predicted results were consistent with the experimental data, in which the experimental work was achieved by characterizing alkalinity and carbon loading values of solvent collected from a flow carbonate electrolyzer. Through this study, we learned that minimizing the energy expended on CO2 release can be achieved by using an anolyte with a lower alkalinity, increasing the electric charge input to the electrolyzer, and reducing the ohmic resistance of the electrolyzer. Furthermore, using a supporting electrolyte, e.g., Na2SO4 in the present work, effectively compensates for the higher ohmic resistance from using an anolyte with a lower alkalinity.

A multifunctional desalination-osmotic energy storage (DOES) system for managing energy and water supply

Net-zero carbon emission target for mitigating climate change accelerates the exploitation of renewable energy, such as solar and wind, as power origin in utilities sector. However, the intermittency of renewable energy escalates the supply-demand mismatch in not only electricity sector but also water sector, as freshwater supply increasingly relies on unconventional, energy-intensive desalination that is increasingly powered by renewables. To enhance the energy-water resilience, we propose a desalination-osmotic energy storage (DOES) system, which alternates the operation of reverse osmosis (RO) for desalination and pressure retarded osmosis (PRO) for electricity generation, achieving multiple functions including freshwater production and storage, grid energy storage, and eventually bulk-scale management of freshwater and energy supply. Via innovative system design and operation integrating semi-closed (SC) and closed-circuit (CC) configurations in RO and PRO modes in the proposed DOES, energy loss arising from over-pressurization in RO and under-pressurization in PRO could be substantially reduced. As a result, DOES can achieve practical maximum energy efficiencies of >75 % for both RO desalination and PRO electricity generation, and a round-trip efficiency of >68 % when used as a grid-scale energy storage system (ESS). Apart from the quantitative analysis of energy performance, a qualitative comparison of various other performance metrics between DOES and other grid ESSs is also conducted. Given its various performance advantages as well as multi-functionality, the DOES system could be an important complement to, though not replacement of, existing grid-scale ESSs.

The effect of methylene blue on stearic acid-aged quartz/CO2/brine wettability: Implications for CO2 geo-storage

Carbon dioxide sequestration in geological formations has been proposed as a promising solution to reach net zero carbon emissions but the success of underground CO2 storage in sandstone formations depends on the brine/CO2 wettability of sandstone. Research evidence showed that natural geological formation is hydrophobic even in the presence of minute concentration of inherent organic acids. This study investigates the effect of methylene blue (MB) on CO2 wettability of organic-acid contaminated quartz through the tilted plate contact angle measurement method. Pure quartz substrates were aged in a stearic acid/n-decane solution for one week and subsequently modified with different concentrations of MB (ranging from 10 to 100 mg/L) at a temperature of 60 °C. Advancing (θa) and receding (θr) contact angles were measured under varying conditions of temperature (25 °C and 50 °C), pressure (ranging from 10 to 20 MPa), and salinity (0–0.3 M). The experimental results indicate that pure quartz, when aged in a stearic acid solution, becomes CO2-wet at all temperature, pressure, and salinity conditions. However, at any physio-thermal condition, the wettability of the quartz surfaces was reversed when treated with different concentrations of MB, transitioning to a water-wet state. The findings of this research demonstrate the potential of MB to modify the wetting behaviour of quartz surfaces and enhance CO2 residual trapping in sandstone formations.

Model-based financial regulations impair the transition to net-zero carbon emissions

AbstractInvestments via the financial system are essential for fostering the green transition. However, the role of existing financial regulations in influencing investment decisions is understudied. Here we analyse data from the European Banking Authority to show that existing financial accounting frameworks might inadvertently be creating disincentives for investments in low-carbon assets. We find that differences in the provision coverage ratio indicate that banks must account for nearly double the loan loss provisions for lending to low-carbon sectors as compared with high-carbon sectors. This bias is probably the result of basing risk estimates on historical data. We show that the average historical financial risk of the oil and gas sector has been consistently estimated to be lower than that of renewable energy. These results indicate that this bias could be present in other model-based regulations, such as capital requirements, and possibly impact the ability of banks to fund green investments.

Toward Net-Zero Carbon Emissions in Network AI for 6G and Beyond

Toward Net-Zero Carbon Emissions in Network AI for 6G and Beyond

Crop Residues Based Pellets Market Opportunities in India

Ever increasing use of fossil fuels such as coal and oil, contributing significantly to global warming and a great deal of harm to the environment. It is of utmost necessity to develop green sources of energy not only to generate power but most importantly to reduce the impact of energy production on the environment. In addition to the climate challenges, we are now facing challenges related to high energy prices and the high risk of supply shortages. Energy and, in particular, the clean energy is an important topic that needs special attention by the scientific community World-wide and, more so, in the context of the developing countries. Renewable energy should be looked as the most important instrument for the socioeconomic development, eradication of poverty and unemployment and an instrument of rural development. Amongst potential renewable energy sources, biomass can play an important role in achieving a net-zero carbon emissions and can be used to produce electricity, transportation fuels, or chemicals. Development of small to medium size technologies for power production in order to allow the exploitation of low value feedstocks, such as biomass residues from forest management, agro-industrial, agricultural sectors and wood industries, are of importance, especially in the context of the developing country, like India. It is in the above context that to address many challenges, such like biomass collection, processing, storage and its transportation to the point of ultimate utilization an important idea to develop decentralized model involving Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs), farmers cooperatives, etc. in production of crop residue pellets or terrified pellets at village level, has been discussed in the present paper.

Process design and analysis of a net-zero carbon emissions hydrocracking unit integrating co-processing technique with green hydrogen and electricity

To mitigate carbon emissions from refineries, it is feasible to integrate established technologies such as green hydrogen, green electricity, bio-gas, and bio-oil co-processing into hydrocracking (HC) units. To clarify the contribution of these technologies to carbon reduction in HC units, three scenarios are proposed: Scenario 1 involves coupling green hydrogen and green electricity with HC units; Scenario 2 builds upon Scenario 1 by incorporating bio-gas; and Scenario 3 integrates co-processing technology into Scenario 1. The carbon emissions of the three scenarios are analyzed and compared based on the life cycle concept. The results show that for traditional HC units, carbon emissions at the input reaches 876.98 t/h, with vacuum gas oil and hydrogen constituting the majority at 96.7%. Under Scenario 1, carbon emissions at the input of the HC unit are reduced by 45.44 t/h, whereas Scenario 2 yields a reduction of 52.61 t/h. Remarkably, Scenario 3 achieves a substantial reduction of 272.56 t/h. The sensitivity analysis results indicate that carbon emissions are most sensitive to the bio-oil co-processing ratio and least sensitive to the penetration ratio of green electricity. Therefore, the adoption of co-processing technology is deemed most effective to reduce carbon emissions from HC units.

Potential of solid recovered fuel production from autoclave treated healthcare waste in Sultanate of Oman

ABSTRACT Economic growth has a potential impact on waste generation worldwide. Growing recognition for resources recovery from waste including production of a clean energy has led to the development of standards for, and the generation of, Solid Recovered Fuel (SRF). SRF, according to BS EN ISO 21640 is a fuel prepared from nonhazardous/treated waste to be utilized for energy recovery in incineration or co-incineration plants which meets the classification and specification. The amount of combustible fractions (i.e., plastic, textile and paper) that are present in Healthcare Waste (HCW) and Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) provides an opportunity for SRF production. HCW is defined as clinical waste generated from healthcare facilities. Limited efforts in utilizing treated HCW in production of SRF were noted, despite the fact that high content of combustible fractions, hence the novelty of this research. This research addresses the opportunities of utilizing autoclaved HCW as an alternate fuel; through a detailed chemical and physical analysis of autoclaved HCW collected from the Sultanate of Oman hospital and healthcare facilities. Furthermore, this study examines the possible uses of such materials instead of landfilling. The utilization of treated HCW as an alternative fuel is not only saving the land space, but also reduces the carbon emissions originating from landfilling. This in fact would also support the government in achieving its aspiring goal of the net zero carbon emissions by 2050 through better utilization of these materials in production of SRF as an alternative to fossil fuel combustion. The study revealed that autoclaved HCW appears to have a high quality SRF and is classified as (NCV 4, Cl 3); which complies with the potential end users’ specifications. It is estimated that the combined energy output from MSW and HCW combustible fractions could cover about 12.75% of the energy requirements for Oman cement factories. Implications: The results confirm the viability of using autoclave (HCW) as an alternative fuel due to its high thermal energy content. Based on mean Net Calorific Value (NCV) of analyzed HCW that is found around 14 (MJ/Kg (ar)), and the mean Cl level (i.e., 0.814 ± 0.213% (d)); the SRF is classified as (NCV4, Cl 3). This grade is found to be well within the end users accepted range. This opens up the opportunity for creating a market demand for HCW that not only it could boost its recovery, but it could also unlock the value that can generates.

Pathway to net zero: Reviewing sustainable aviation fuels, environmental impacts and pricing

Supporting the pathway to net zero carbon emissions in the aviation industry, sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) will contribute to a large extent to reduce net CO2 emissions in the next decades to deliver on climate targets. For this reason, the large-scale uptake of SAFs in aviation is on top of the agenda of regulatory policy. However, challenges remain for building the respective infrastructure and supply chains at the appropriate scale to produce and distribute SAF at a reasonable cost. Currently, only one percent of fuels consumed by airlines in Europe are blended with sustainable aviation fuels. The paper examines current SAF production pathways, environmental benefits, and estimated fuel prices from the state-of-the art literature. Further, regulatory policies established by governments, regulatory agencies and industry associations are examined, regarding blending mandates in different regional markets. The authors conclude with the statistical analysis of minimum selling prices for different types of SAF, and discuss their respective availability.

Effect of straw fibers addition on hygrothermal and mechanical properties of carbon-free adobe bricks: From material to building scale in a semi-arid climate

To achieve net-zero carbon emissions in a building's lifecycle, a comprehensive approach is required, addressing both embodied and operational carbon footprints. To support this goal, this study assesses the environmental, hygrothermal, and mechanical characteristics of different carbon-free adobe bricks bio-sourced with straw and evaluates their impacts on improving the energy performance of a one-story case study building located in a semi-arid climate. At the material scale, the mechanical performance, hydrothermal behavior, and durability of carbon-free straw-reinforced adobes, with weight percentages of 0, 1, 2, 3, and 4%, at different sizes: long straw (100–200 mm) and crushed straw (5–25 mm) were studied. The results show that incorporating straw into bricks increases porosity, enabling the production of lightweight bricks that comply with Moroccan standards for lightweight structures, possessing a density lower than the accepted limit of 1750 kg/m³. Furthermore, the thermomechanical properties of reinforced adobes were considerably improved compared to non-reinforced ones, with a gain in mechanical compressive and flexural strengths of 31.2% and 184%, respectively. However, it is important to note that in the case of adobe bricks reinforced with long straw (BLS), the findings revealed that, unlike other thermomechanical properties, long straw has a negative effect on compressive strength. Additionally, thermal conductivity decreased by 93.8% and 86.8% for a 4% inclusion of long and crushed straw, respectively. At the building scale, the indoor hygrothermal comfort was evaluated with respect the hot, semi-arid region in southern Morocco. The results show that the reinforced adobe material is able to reduce the indoor temperature of the case study building from 3 °C to 12 °C during the summer time, compared to the outdoor temperature, with a time lag of up to 5 h between the interior and exterior. Moreover, it successfully maintained diurnal indoor air temperature fluctuation within 2 °C. In addition, indoor relative humidity remained in the recommended 40%–65% by ASHRAE Standard 62.1–2022, over 78% during the monitoring period, even when the outside relative humidity fluctuated significantly (5–95%). Finally, a Morris-based sensitivity analysis was carried out on nine design parameters of the case-study building to assess the impact of varying the thermal properties of reinforced adobe bricks on cooling and heating energy performance, respectively. Thermal conductivity was found to have a significant impact on cooling energy demands and a lesser influence on heating demands. The study also indicates that straw-reinforced adobe bricks can improve cooling energy performance by up to 17.8% without compromising the overall embodied carbon of the building envelope.

Hydrogen as Fuel for ICEs: State of Art and Technological Challenges

The climate change, as the main consequence of the polluting emissions due to anthropic activities, is nowadays a well-known threat to human health as well as for the environment safety. Several plans and strategies have been announced by the governments to detach from fossil fuel-based energy and gradually reduce the carbon footprint of their economies. In this scenario, the road transport sector is turning out to be the main “technological gym” to test and improve new powertrain solutions to achieve as soon as possible the goal of the net-zero carbon emissions, at least in the tank-to-wheel (TTW) context. In view of this, the hydrogen as fuel is gaining ever more attention from the scientific community, both as the middle-term solution to achieve the abovementioned goal and as a prominent future energy carrier. In this review, the performance and main characteristics of the hydrogen-internal combustion engines (H2-ICEs) are discussed based on the most recent studies available in literature. A comprehensive overview of various topics is offered, from the production stage to the combustion anomalies, mixture formation strategies, and the challenge of reducing the nitrogen oxides (NOx) emissions under high load conditions.

배출권거래제 할당기업의 ESG 평가와 기업가치의 관계 연구

This research analyzed the impact of Korea's carbon emission trading system, a policy tool for net-zero carbon emissions, on corporate value. We selected 214 listed companies from 2011 to 2022, assigned to the management period and the 1-3 planning periods of the emission trading system, as samples. Using financial data and ESG ratings, we empirically analyzed their impact on corporate value, but found no significant effect from each planning period of the emission trading system. However, we found a positive correlation between high ESG ratings and increased corporate value, suggesting that the impact on corporate value may vary depending on the planning period and further research is needed. In a simplified form, the study analyzed the impact of the carbon emission trading system on corporate value and found that companies with higher ESG ratings tended to have increased value. However, the impact of each planning period of the trading system on corporate value was unclear, indicating that the effects may vary by planning period and further research is necessary.

Carbon sequestration and credit potential of gamhar (Gmelina arborea Roxb.) based agroforestry system for zero carbon emission of India

The agroforestry system is the best option to achieve the net zero carbon emissions target for India. Keeping this view, carbon sequestration and credit potential of gamhar based agroforestry system has been assessed. The experiment was carried out in randomized block design in seven different treatments with five replications. Gamhar tree biomass accumulation was higher in gamhar based agroforestry system compared to sole gamhar. Among different tree components, stem contributed a maximum to total gamhar tree biomass followed by roots, leaves and branches. The average contributions of stems, roots, leaves and branches in total tree biomass in two annual cycles (2016–17 and 2017–18) varied between 50 and 60, 19.8 and 20, 19.2 and 20, and 10.7 and 12.7 percent, respectively. In case of crops, above ground, below ground and total biomass was significantly higher in sole intercrops than gamhar based agroforestry system. Total (Tree + interrops + Soil) carbon stock, carbon sequestration, carbon credit and carbon price were significantly affected by treatments, and was maximum in Sole Greengram-Mustard. Net carbon emission was also recorded lowest in Sole Greengram-Mustard for which the values were 811.55% and 725.24% and 760.69% lower than Sole Gamhar in 2016–17, 2017–18 and in pooled data, respectively.

Unraveling the influence of CO2 and Ce loading over ZSM-5 for oxidative dehydrogenation of propane

Utilization of CO2 as a soft oxidant for oxidative dehydrogenation of propane to propene (ODHP) is of great importance to attain net-zero carbon emissions and to reduce greenhouse gases contributing to global warming. Here, Ce was impregnated into ZSM-5 (denoted as CZ-5 catalyst) to enhance the C3H8 conversion and C3H6 selectivity due to the redox properties of Ce to activate CO2 into CO and O* and induce propane bond cleavage (C-H). After characterization of the catalyst’s physicochemical properties, NH3-TPD and pyridine IR analysis revealed that introducing Ce regulates the acidic properties of ZSM-5 catalysts by increasing the number of Lewis acid sites while simultaneously decreasing the amount of Brönsted acid sites. The increment in Lewis’s acid sites considerably improved the C3H6 selectivity. The oxygen transfer from Ce4+ to Ce3+ during the reaction also contributed to the outstanding performance of the 12 %CZ-5 catalyst. Regarding optimum conditions, 2 % CO2 concentration and 12 % Ce loading were the optimum amount of oxidant and Ce content that produce the highest C3H6 yield of 34.08 %. The catalytic effectiveness and stability were preserved despite several hours of propane conversions at 550 °C. Therefore, modifying ZSM-5 with Ce could be a feasible way for improving propene selectivity and catalyst stability for ODHP.

The Exponential-based Carbon Credit Cap in Carbon Cap-and-Trade Markets

The concept of carbon markets as developed in 1997 by the Kyoto Protocol was a good idea whose adoption and implementation by all counties and states would have significantly reduced the rate of emission of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. The Carbon markets were proposed to be based on cap-and-trade whose forces of supply and demand would discourage the increase or steady emission of greenhouse gases and force companies to, gradually, revert to the use of clean energy in production. This would promote the net zero carbon emission target. The carbon markets were designed to have a cap whose nature is a specific number for all entities. The number represents the carbon quantity whose regulator would keep reducing until the net zero carbon is achieved. This nature of the cap encourages large emitters of greenhouse gases to shift to other jurisdictions that have soft regulations. It also encourages restructuring into smaller companies whose net emissions could be almost the same or more than before. In this paper, we have proposed an exponential-based cap that would leave little or no room for such market strategies. We have also demonstrated how the proposed cap can be implemented.

IN SMUGGLE WITH CLIMATE CHANGE, EXTRA–BUDGETARY FUND APPLICATION AS AN INSTRUMENT OF GREEN KEYNESIAN ECONOMIC POLICY

Green Keynesian Economics, which is a postmodern reflection of Keynesian economic thought, suggests that negativities, which are possible for environmental problems causing climate change to lead to, should be solved by active role public sector will undertake. As known, carbon emissions, emitted to atmosphere in global scale, may cause climate change via greenhouse effect. This case leads country economies to face to a set of problems. Green Keynesian Economics suggests a mix of simultaneous sustainable policies as a solution for a set of problems under consideration. The aim of this study is to suggest a financial instrument taking place in the scope of Green Keynesian School for Türkiye targeting to achieve net zero carbon emission as of the year 2053.

A Study on Predicting Installation Scale of Photovoltaic Panels and Hydrogen Fuel Storage Facilities to Achieve Net Zero Carbon Emissions Exploiting Idle Sites of Military Bases

In this study, the scale of renewable photovoltaic(PV) panels and hydrogen fuel storage facilities required to achieve “net zero carbon emissions” in military facilities were predicted based on actual electricity consumption. It was set up to expect the appropriate installation size of PV panel and hydrogen fuel storage facility for achieving carbon neutrality, limited to the electricity consumption in the public sector, including national defense and social security administration in Yeongcheon. The experimental results of this paper are largely composed of two parts. First, representative meteorological factors were considered to predict solar power generation in the Yeongcheon area, and solar power generation was estimated through a multiple regression model using deep learning techniques. Second, the size of solar power generation facilities and hydrogen storage facilities in military bases was estimated with the amount of solar power generation and electricity consumption. As a result of this analysis, it was calculated that a site of 155.76×104 m<sup>2</sup> for PV panels was needed and a facility capable of storing 27,657 kg of hydrogen gas was required. Through these results, it is meaningful to demonstrated the prospect that military units can lead the achievement of “carbon net zero 2050” by using PV panels and hydrogen fuel storage facilities on idle sites of military bases.

Establishing the requirements to support improved adoption of alternate technologies for the long-haul road freight decarbonisation

ABSTRACT The UK has a target of achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, which will require the decarbonisation of road transport. However, in the long-haul road freight segment, the optimal pathway to achieving net-zero is uncertain. This review paper explores and evaluates existing approaches to building decarbonisation pathways for heavy goods vehicles (HGVs). The search and review methodology, utilising the frameworks SALSA, PRISMA, and PESTEL, found gaps in three main aspects of pathway building. While a number of the studies considered vehicle or energy systems, a few took a broader system-level view. The parameters used for measuring the utility of the alternate technology required to achieve net-zero were not comprehensive. Further, the pathways lacked a socio-technical approach. The findings from the research have been used to provide insights and a conceptual framework that can be used for building a comprehensive model for improving technology adoption for the HGV decarbonisation pathways.

Health-Damaging Climate Events Highlight the Need for Interdisciplinary, Engaged Research.

In 2023 human populations experienced multiple record-breaking climate events, with widespread impacts on human health and well-being. These events include extreme heat domes, drought, severe storms, flooding, and wildfires. Due to inherent lags in the climate system, we can expect such extremes to continue for multiple decades after reaching net zero carbon emissions. Unfortunately, despite these significant current and future impacts, funding for research in climate and health has lagged behind that for other geoscience and biomedical research. While some initial efforts from funding agencies are evident, there is still a significant need to increase the resources available for multidisciplinary research in the face of this issue. As a group of experts at this important intersection, we call for a more concerted effort to encourage interdisciplinary and policy-relevant investigations into the detrimental health effects of continued climate change.