Renewable Economy Research Articles

The synergy of renewable energy consumption, green technology, and environmental quality: Designing sustainable development goals policies

AbstractGreen technology (GT) and the utilization of renewable energy (RE) are widely acknowledged as a catalyst for energy efficiency, economic growth, and a tool for combating environmental degradation. Although various studies have examined the ecological repercussions of these two improvements, they have primarily used traditional pollution indicators (namely, carbon emissions and ecological footprint) and ignored nations with the highest cleaner energy adoption. To bridge this gap, the present research seeks to analyze the relationship between GT, RE consumption, economic growth, trade, and load capacity factor in the top‐10 renewable economies. In addition to environmental pollution indicators, the study utilizes the load capacity factor as a novel proxy for environmental quality and investigates the load capacity curve hypothesis using the Cross‐sectional‐autoregressive distributed lag model from 1990 to 2021. According to the empirical findings, all explanatory variables have a significant long‐term effect on the load capacity. More precisely, GT and RE consumption contribute to the sustainability of the ecosystem, while trade increases the ecological deficit. Furthermore, the findings do not support the validity of the load capacity curve hypothesis, implying that the environmental restorative benefits of economic well‐being may not manifest in the latter stages of economic growth. Given these findings, policymakers in the top‐10 renewable economies should seize the environmental prospects offered by GT and RE and update trade and growth policies in a way that promotes biocapacity while simultaneously reducing the ecological footprint to reach the long‐term sustainable development goals (SDGs), particularly SDGs 7 and 13.

Editorial: Special issue showcases new additive approaches for a lignocellulose-based future

Lignocellulose-derived materials are inherently renewable and are of benefit not only through their recyclability and biodegradability, but also from carbon sequestration during the production of the base raw material. With regulatory agencies tightening restrictions and consumer habits slowly shifting, the paper industry is well positioned to fill a market need for renewable bio-based materials. Although the inherent benefits of lignocellulose-based products are many, all too often, the end-product does not meet the required performance or cost in use desired by end-users. This creates obstacles for a more renewable economy that relies less on petroleum-derived products.

From computational screening to the synthesis of a promising OER catalyst.

The search for new materials can be laborious and expensive. Given the challenges that mankind faces today concerning the climate change crisis, the need to accelerate materials discovery for applications like water-splitting could be very relevant for a renewable economy. In this work, we introduce a computational framework to predict the activity of oxygen evolution reaction (OER) catalysts, in order to accelerate the discovery of materials that can facilitate water splitting. We use this framework to screen 6155 ternary-phase spinel oxides and have isolated 33 candidates which are predicted to have potentially high OER activity. We have also trained a machine learning model to predict the binding energies of the *O, *OH and *OOH intermediates calculated within this workflow to gain a deeper understanding of the relationship between electronic structure descriptors and OER activity. Out of the 33 candidates predicted to have high OER activity, we have synthesized three compounds and characterized them using linear sweep voltammetry to gauge their performance in OER. From these three catalyst materials, we have identified a new material, Co2.5Ga0.5O4, that is competitive with benchmark OER catalysts in the literature with a low overpotential of 220 mV at 10 mA cm-2 and a Tafel slope at 56.0 mV dec-1. Given the vast size of chemical space as well as the success of this technique to date, we believe that further application of this computational framework based on the high-throughput virtual screening of materials can lead to the discovery of additional novel, high-performing OER catalysts.

Digestate Quality Originating from Kitchen Waste

This paper examines the influence of biomass directed to anaerobic digestion on the quality of digestate, specifically focusing on the presence of undesirable substances, such as plastics, including biodegradable ones. It analyses the susceptibility of selected bioplastics to degradation and addresses the problem of reliable identification of microplastics in both feedstock—directed to anaerobic digestion—and produced digestate. The review indicates the advantages of using kitchen waste as a feedstock for anaerobic digestion. The constant availability of kitchen waste as a raw material, its homogeneous composition, and the fact that it is not subjected to seasonal fluctuations, facilitates its management in the anaerobic digestion process. However, to ensure the desired quality of a digestate, it is important to carry the selective collection of waste at the source. The review refers to the issues of quality, materials, and regulations, and it may be useful for readers entering the subject of a material loop, as well as those already involved in the subject, including local government units. Anaerobic digestion of kitchen waste is an important part of a renewable economy, providing year-round constantly available substrate for energy production that is not seasonally dependent.

The role of electricity-based hydrogen in the emerging power-to-X economy

As energy system research into high shares of renewables has developed, so have the perspectives of the fundamental nature of a highly renewable economy. Early energy system transition research suggested that current fossil fuel energy systems would transition to a ‘Hydrogen Economy’, whereas more recent insights suggest that a ‘Power-to-X Economy’ may be a more appropriate term, as renewable electricity will become both the most important primary and final energy carrier through various Power-to-X conversion routes across the energy system. This paper provides a detailed overview on research insights of recent years on the core elements of the Power-to-X Economy and the role of hydrogen based on latest research results. These results suggest that, by 2050, upwards of 61,737 TWhLHV of hydrogen will be required to fully defossilise the global energy-industry system. Hydrogen, therefore, emerges as a central intermediate energy carrier and its relevance is driven by significant cost reductions in renewable electricity, especially of solar photovoltaics and wind power. Efficiency and cost drivers position direct electrification as the primary solution for defossilisation of the global energy-industry system; however, electron-to-molecule routes are essential for the large subset of remaining energy-related demands including chemical production, marine and aviation fuels, and steelmaking.

Public art and social media: street art tourism, sociocultural agency and cultural production in contemporary Lisbon

Abstract This essay engages with Guias do Mocho [Mocho’s Tourist Guides], a bottom-up cultural tourism initiative emerging in Quinta do Mocho, a ‘peripheral’ neighbourhood of Lisbon, as a way of problematizing the relationship between public and street art and social media aesthetics. Scholarship on digital creative industries and street art tourism tends to emphasize the complicities of this kind of cultural experience with neoliberal understandings of the urban space. By examining an example of bottom-up, localized guided tours that operates through social media in the context of peripheral areas of Lisbon, we argue that public art and social media should be seen as part of a more complicated correlation, one in which the affects and effects of creative, site-specific projects are actively developed and expanded in unforeseen ways. Our research demonstrates that public art and social media are mutually developing a renewed economy of attention and system of valorization. The critical examination of both elements is compulsory when measuring the impact of art-driven processes of community development.

Biocatalytic Membranes for Carbon Capture and Utilization.

Innovative carbon capture technologies that capture CO2 from large point sources and directly from air are urgently needed to combat the climate crisis. Likewise, corresponding technologies are needed to convert this captured CO2 into valuable chemical feedstocks and products that replace current fossil-based materials to close the loop in creating viable pathways for a renewable economy. Biocatalytic membranes that combine high reaction rates and enzyme selectivity with modularity, scalability, and membrane compactness show promise for both CO2 capture and utilization. This review presents a systematic examination of technologies under development for CO2 capture and utilization that employ both enzymes and membranes. CO2 capture membranes are categorized by their mode of action as CO2 separation membranes, including mixed matrix membranes (MMM) and liquid membranes (LM), or as CO2 gas-liquid membrane contactors (GLMC). Because they selectively catalyze molecular reactions involving CO2, the two main classes of enzymes used for enhancing membrane function are carbonic anhydrase (CA) and formate dehydrogenase (FDH). Small organic molecules designed to mimic CA enzyme active sites are also being developed. CO2 conversion membranes are described according to membrane functionality, the location of enzymes relative to the membrane, which includes different immobilization strategies, and regeneration methods for cofactors. Parameters crucial for the performance of these hybrid systems are discussed with tabulated examples. Progress and challenges are discussed, and perspectives on future research directions are provided.

Assessment of a Fully Renewable Generation System with Storage to Cost-Effectively Cover the Electricity Demand of Standalone Grids: The Case of the Canary Archipelago by 2040

The change towards a clean electric generation system is essential to achieve the economy decarbonization goal. The Canary Islands Archipelago confronts social, environmental, and economic challenges to overcome the profound change from a fossil fuel-dependent economy to a fully sustainable renewable economy. This document analyzes a scenario with a totally renewable generation system and with total electrification of the economy for the Canary Islands by 2040. In addition, it also shows the significant reduction in this fully renewable system when an optimized interconnection among islands is considered. This scenario consists of a solar PV system of 11 GWp, a wind system of only 0.39 GWp, a pumped storage system of 16.64 GWh (2065 MW), and a lithium-ion battery system of 34.672 GWh (3500 MW), having a system LCOE of 10.1 cEUR/kWh. These results show the certainty of being able to use an autonomous, reliable, and fully renewable system to generate and store the energy needed to dispense with fossil fuels, thus, resulting in a system free of greenhouse gas emissions in the electricity market. In addition, the proposed system has low energy wastage (less than 20%) for a fully renewable, stand-alone, and off-grid system.

The coming perfect storm: Diminishing sustainability of coastal human–natural systems in the Anthropocene

Abstract We review impacts of climate change, energy scarcity, and economic frameworks on sustainability of natural and human systems in coastal zones, areas of high biodiversity, productivity, population density, and economic activity. More than 50% of the global population lives within 200 km of a coast, mostly in tropical developing countries. These systems developed during stable Holocene conditions. Changes in global forcings are threatening sustainability of coastal ecosystems and populations. During the Holocene, the earth warmed and became wetter and more productive. Climate changes are impacting coastal systems via sea level rise, stronger tropical cyclones, changes in basin inputs, and extreme weather events. These impacts are passing tipping points as the fossil fuel-powered industrial-technological-agricultural revolution has overwhelmed the source–sink functions of the biosphere and degraded natural systems. The current status of industrialized society is primarily the result of fossil fuel (FF) use. FFs provided more than 80% of global primary energy and are projected to decline to 50% by mid-century. This has profound implications for societal energy requirements, including the transition to a renewable economy. The development of the industrial economy allowed coastal social systems to become spatially separated from their dominant energy and food sources. This will become more difficult to maintain with the fading of cheap energy. It seems inevitable that past growth in energy use, resource consumption, and economic growth cannot be sustained, and coastal areas are in the forefront of these challenges. Rapid planning and cooperation are necessary to minimize impacts of the changes associated with the coming transition. There is an urgent need for a new economic framework to guide society through the transition as mainstream neoclassical economics is not based on natural sciences and does not adequately consider either the importance of energy or the work of nature.

Post-war socio-economic restoration of Ukraine: background, opportunities and prospects

The goal of this article is to develop practical and scientific methodological recommendations for the optimal and rapid restoration of the socio-economic environment of Ukraine in the post-war period, taking into account the relevant resources and opportunities. Research methodology includes: historical, system-structural and comparative studies (to understand the successful experience of reconstruction after the war); monographic analysis (when studying the application of various effective measures for the rapid recovery of the socio-economic sphere after the war); statistical and economic analysis (when assessing losses from military operations, when forming the cost of a sustainable and effective renewal of the economy, when considering the strategy of post-war revival at different levels: optimal, minimal, extended). Scientific novelty – it was revealed, that the state and speed of restoration of the domestic socio-economic sphere significantly depends on international and domestic institutions prepared in advance, as well as on the form of financing for restoration and the amount of such financing. It has been proven that only technical non-refundable assistance, reparations, the transfer of the seized assets of the aggressor, grants and other non-loan funds, together with clear actions to restore infrastructure, will lay the foundation for a renewed economy in Ukraine and will be able to quickly return the vast majority of the population to permanent places of residence and work. The world community, international organizations, leading countries of the world and their political leaders currently fully support Ukraine and this opportunity must be seized. Nevertheless, there are also significant risks of loss of personnel, industrial, technological, infrastructural and scientific and technical domestic potential without the implementation of a strategy for rapid renewal and infrastructure recovery based on institutional coherence and efficiency. Author proposed to create in advance a comprehensive legislative, institutional, diplomatic, financial and investment support with appropriate strategic priorities for the successful restoration and integration of Ukraine into the EU. Conclusions. The existing challenges for Ukraine (significant losses from destruction and human casualties) are existential and extremely complex. Therefore, they can only be overcome in a comprehensive manner and in international partnership, having strategically calculated resources and opportunities. For this, in Ukraine, already at the stage of the war, it is necessary to lay the foundation for new institutions and effective mechanisms for the rapid revival of the socio-economic sphere and a social market economy that is qualitatively more adapted to modern challenges. Key words: post-war socio-economic recovery, the revival of a market economy after the war, effective mechanisms for economic recovery after the war, the world economy and recovery from military conflicts.

Russian-Ukrainian war as a factor of the world food crisis

The article aimed to outline the risks to global food security as a result of Russia’s military aggression against Ukraine. The theoretical and informational basis of the study were the works of Ukrainian and European government officials, researchers and public figures in the field of agricultural economy and agriculture, as well as reports of the State Statistics Service of Ukraine, regional state administrations, and open sources of media. The publications of leading Ukrainian and foreign specialized media outlets, as well as theses voiced by representatives of international organizations on the economic consequences of the Russian-Ukrainian war, have been analyzed. The main preconditions for the global food crisis as a result of full-scale Russian aggression against Ukraine have been highlighted. The forecasts for the food stability of our state for the next few years have been analyzed. The dynamics of world prices for grain and oil as a reaction of the world food and energy markets to the course of hostilities in Ukraine have been highlighted. The extremely important role of our country in the world food market has been emphasized and the situation with the food supply of Ukrainian origin to various countries of the European Union, Asia and Africa has been predicted. The regions and countries for which the escalation of the Russian-Ukrainian war will be the most disastrous have been outlined. The results of modelling different scenarios of food production by Ukrainian farmers due to different percentages of availability of sown areas of the state have been presented. The inevitability of a global food crisis has been argued, given the role of Ukraine and Russia in the world food market, as well as its direct dependence on the scale and duration of further hostilities and the outcome of the negotiation process between Ukraine and Russia. Intensification of energy problems and, consequently, environmental ones have been forecasted. Two possible ways of developing the situation for Western Europe and the United States have been outlined: increasing the use of fossil fuels and accelerating the climate crisis, or using the opportunity to « switch» the renewable economy and initiate accelerated development of clean renewable energy. The need to reform the world energy policy to strengthen the energy independence of states and minimize the intensification of the environmental crisis has been emphasized. It has been proposed to intensify the efforts of the world community in the development of renewable economy and clean energy to minimize the use of fossil fuels and ensure the stability of the energy systems of states.

Evaluating the impacts of temperature on a bubbling fluidized bed biomass gasification using CPFD simulation model

Biomass gasification and subsequently fuel and chemicals synthesis allow for a seamless transition from fossil raw materials to a renewable economy. A computational particle fluid dynamics (CPFD) simulation model is developed for biomass gasification in a bubbling fluidized bed reactor with steam as the fluidizing gas. CPFD methodology incorporates the multiphase particle-in-cell (MP-PIC) method and the particle parceling algorithm to solve the gas phase as a continuous fluid in a Eulerian grid of cells where particles are modeled as discrete Lagrangian points. The model has been validated by experimental results and shows good agreement. Reactor temperature effects as a key process operating parameters have been investigated and the results of the product gas composition on the temperature of 950, 1000, 1050, 1100, 1150, and 1200 K are shown. The results illustrate that at a higher temperature, the product of CO and H2 is promoted whereas the generation of CO2 and CH4 is diminished.

Cold Rush: The Astonishing True Story of the New Quest for the Polar North

Cold Rush: The Astonishing True Story of the New Quest for the Polar North

A mathematical, economic and energetic appraisal of biomethane and biohydrogen production from Brazilian ethanol plants' waste: Towards a circular and renewable energy development

The high production of sugarcane in Brazil and its application of ethanol and sugar production results in a higher generation of vinasse and bagasse. The treatment of these residues can be carried out using anaerobic co-digestion procedures. Besides promoting waste treatment, it enables energy exploration through biogas and hydrogen generation. Bioenergy use can also generate steam in sugar and alcohol plants by burning, sugarcane milling, fueling vehicles for the transport of products, among others. These energy applications allow total and efficient, energetic exploring of sugarcane. Hence, this study estimated the production of methane, hydrogen, thermal and electrical energy generated from vinasse and bagasse in the autonomous and annexed Brazilian ethanol and sugar plants. Three scenarios present the use of biogas generated: Scenario 1: energy use of all methane from biogas; Scenario 2: hydrogen production from the remaining methane, after considering the energy autonomy of the ethanol plants; Scenario 3: hydrogen production from all the methane generated. All the scenarios which considered the use of methane led to energy self-sufficiency in the sector. However, only annexed plants present economic feasibility for implementing the project. Scenario 2 is highlighted in this study, once beyond the sector's energetic self-sufficiency, the operational conditions enabled the storage of 9.26E+07 Nm3.d−1 of hydrogen, equal 3.04E+08 ton per year. CH4 and H2 production seen in a global scenario of circular economy and energy security have high benefits, contributing to the gradual transformation of an economy dependent on non-renewable resources into a circular and renewable economy.

A pioneering study of biomethane and hydrogen production from the wine industry in Brazil: Pollutant emissions, electricity generation and urban bus fleet supply

The thematic area studied in this paper considers environmental issues such as atmospheric pollution from the combustion of fossil fuels, and the environmental impacts from the generation of urban agricultural solid wastes. This study has estimated the potential for hydrogen and biogas production from solid urban waste (SUW) and wine waste from Bento Gonçalves, which is a region in Brazil with the largest wine throughput and subsequent waste generation, thus providing a potential high-energy feedstock. The resulting hydrogen and biogas are assumed to displace the existing fuels in the local bus fleet. The analytical work consisted of three scenarios - scenario 1: production of biogas using SUW, sourced exclusively from the municipality of Bento Gonçalves; Scenario 2: the possibility to supply SUW from Bento Gonçalves and surrounding cities, to produce biogas; Scenario 3: the possibility to use wine waste and SUW for biogas production. Scenario 3 showed the greatest energy yield with 37.9 Gg of biomethane produced per year, which can supply the entire public bus fleet of Bento Gonçalves. The resulting hydrogen production potential using steam reforming of biomethane is 1.09 E+08 Nm3H2.d−1 which can generate 2.62 TW h.year−1 of electrical energy, avoiding approximate emissions of 355 ktonCO2.year−1. These findings indicate value in the production of biogas from urban and agricultural wastes, especially for the generation of methane, hydrogen and useful energy outputs. Its production from renewable and clean sources contributes to the gradual transformation of an economy currently dependent on non-renewable resources into a circular and renewable economy.

Effects of sodium and calcium chloride ionic stresses on model yeast membranes revealed by molecular dynamics simulation

As efforts to move a renewable economy grow, it will be necessary to make use of microbial conversion strategies for the production of novel materials or the upgrading of waste to high-value products. One critical technical challenge currently limiting waste upgrading remains the difficulty in obtaining single-pot conversion techniques where physical, chemical, and biological conversion are performed in a single step. To overcome this challenge, a detailed understanding of how different stresses impact microbial membrane stability will be necessary. Using all-atom molecular dynamics simulations, we examine the impacts of moderate concentrations of NaCl and CaCl2on a model yeast plasma membrane. Weak, though statistically significant, changes in membrane morphology and dynamics functions are observed that are consistent with swelling and stiffening. Additionally, an examination of the ion-lipid contacts and the behavior of water at the water-membrane interface suggests that the impacts of these common salts may, in part, be mediated through changes to water-membrane hydrogen-bonding and hydration water dynamics.

From climate change to economic change? Reflections on ‘feedback’

ABSTRACT ‘Feedback’ from climate change into the economy is critical. But what kind of ‘feedback’? Given capitalist structures and inter-state rivalry in the global economy, there is little in the way of overall planning, and certainly no effective power to act for capitalism ‘in general’. The fossil fuel bloc is deeply embedded in the economy, and is not afraid to press its advantage; the emerging renewable economy is gaining strength, but remains subordinate. Yet intensifying climate change and failing climate policy are creating new political pressures. This article addresses efforts to target fossil fuel corporates through divestment campaigns and argues the main ‘feedback’ to date is socio-political. It tracks how the threat of climate policy translates into ‘transition risk’ for investment strategy, and produces a growing loss of confidence in fossil capital. In this, we argue the climate contradictions of capitalist society have destructive effects but offer transformative potential.

Sustainable European Transport System in a 100% Renewable Economy

Europe must move towards a 100% renewable transportation system for climate, energy and sustainability reasons. We estimate the capital and energy required for building and operating a renewable transportation system providing similar services as the EU-28 transport system of 2016. It could be based on: biogas or fuel cell vessels; liquid biogas powered aircrafts; electric railways and fuel cell or electric vehicles between major cities; and car sharing, electric buses and electric two- and three-wheelers, for short journeys. A system of charging posts on the streets and roads for passenger and commercial e-vehicles is studied. Alternatively, a Tracked Electric Vehicle system of continuous power on European roads would improve energy efficiency and the saving of scarce metals (Ni, Li), at a lower cost, if only national roads were electrified. The investment for the construction of the whole system would be 2.3–2.7% of the EU’s GDP per year for 30 years. The new system operation would require 16% less energy than that of 2016, with reduction of 70% in road transport. However, shipping and aviation would demand 162% and 149% more energy, respectively, if liquefied biogas were used as fuel. A type of land transport fully based on trains would provide a similar service to that of an electric vehicle fleet, with a 29% lower energy consumption.

Research trends: Bioeconomy politics and governance

Bioeconomy means a change in economic production that leads to a bio-based economy and a substitution of fossil resources with renewable raw materials throughout the whole value chain, in industrial and energy production. Especially in the forestry sector, bioeconomy is widely discussed, since forests as well as agricultural landscapes are a crucial natural resource for the availability of biomass that is necessary to change fossil-based to a more renewable economy. The aim of this research trends commentary paper is threefold: First, the paper aims at reviewing briefly the current scientific state of the art on bioeconomy. Second, the paper identifies four main research strands of social and political science-related bioeconomy research. Third, the paper identifies still existing research gaps, and describes very briefly how the authors' own research adresses those research gaps.

Metabolism of Urban Location: Travel Time and the Morphology of Cities

This paper examines the metabolism of urban location, which is offered as a contribution to the expansion of urban metabolism analysis beyond the largely biophysical methods of mass-energy-balance and emergy accounting. But how does the real estate logic of location enter the stock and flow calculations of urban metabolism, and how can it help us better understand the physiology of a more sustainable city? A new, locational quantity, EL, is defined as the additional emergy value obtained by a tract of urban land due to interconnection with the other land parcels in the city. It is based on their level of development and proximity measured in terms of travel time. The article uses the greater Philadelphia region as a case study to examine the metabolic value of location, and its role in the transition to a renewable economy.