Transportation Energy Use Research Articles

Environmental impact and energy balance assessment in ethanol production from sugarcane molasses: A life cycle analysis in southern India

Blending ethanol with fossil fuels is regarded as an important measure to reduce overall greenhouse gas emissions and the carbon footprint. However, there is a lack of comprehensive studies addressing overall greenhouse gas emissions and energy utilization during ethanol production from sugarcane in South India. This study represents a pioneering attempt to determine the emissions and resource utilization, enabling a comparison of the carbon footprint of the ethanol production process with that of using fossil fuels. The study employed the Greenhouse gases, Regulated Emissions, and Energy use in Transportation (GREET) model to calculate greenhouse gas emissions and resource utilization. Data was obtained from field studies conducted at Gayatri Sugars Limited, Telangana state, India. The collected data was input into a life cycle analysis (LCA) model in which two cane trash treatment methods were evaluated: burning and mulching. In terms of emissions, the CO2 emissions for one ton of sugarcane were 43.86 kg during cultivation, 45.98 kg during transportation, 69.05 kg during burning of cane trash, and 6.37 kg during the production of one ton of ethanol. The overall energy yield ratio was found to be 15.795 MJ/MJf. Emissions from sugarcane farming and transportation stages were high, significantly contributing to a high carbon footprint. The net emission was significantly lower for the mulching process, which also improved soil characteristics and fertility. The outcomes provide valuable insights for academia, industrial decision-makers, and policymakers at both state and central government levels.

Can process intensification of liquefaction technology for LNG and LH2 accelerate adoption for transportation use?

One of the reasons gaseous fuels, methane, and hydrogen, are renewable and sustainable replacements for traditional liquid hydrocarbon-based transportation fuels is their small carbon footprint. Global awareness of the immediate need to address impacts of emissions from transportation energy use has emphasized urgency of changes from business as usual. However, the transition from existing fuels to new fuels is complex because fuel usage is huge, and so many variables influence the rate of adoption. When one reads excellent energy outlooks of major energy companies, data driven reports of international and national energy agencies, along with thoughtful studies of the water, energy, food nexus, the systemic complexities are daunting. Marchetti’s insightful numerical modeling of the rate of transition among different energy sources over the past two centuries with credible validation from recorded usage data shows the time scale for appreciable changes among energy systems is several decades. A further important observation of Marchetti’s work is that transitions among energy sources were and are driven by substitution of superior technology rather than by depletion of prevalent sources. These observations incentivize developments of more efficient, less expensive, robust, scalable methods of production, liquefaction, storage, transport, delivery, and dispensing of hydrogen and natural gas to accelerate adoption by transportation customers. This paper presents a few examples of process intensification in advanced liquefiers for LNG and LH2 at the same location could reduce capital costs, energy costs, and footprints of different sized liquefiers. These combinations could help address gaps in existing technology for several essential needs such as liquefiers for heavy-duty vehicle refueling stations or marine vessel bunkering systems, or refrigerators for storage tank boil-off management systems. Modular, containerized liquefiers plants with several tonne/day capacity could be scaled by interconnecting multiple units to make small industrial plants that match localized fuel demands from distributed mobile users.

Transport-land use systems of sustainable London city

<p>Transportation and land use are interrelated and should be investigated simultaneously for sustainable urban. This paper investigates the interaction between transport and land-use systems using TRANUS model, to support the sustainable development of the London city, provide implicative information for London Mayor’s Transport Strategy (MTS), and reduce transport energy use and CO<sub>2</sub> emissions. Three infrastructure improvements scenarios for 2025 for MTS are examined. Results show that the trips will increase from 2012 to 2025 by over 1 million. High-occupancy car, bike, rail and tube are still the main transit, and CrossRail will be increasingly recognized. The transport energy use in 2025 high scenario is the smallest compared to 2025 baseline and low scenario. The transport CO<sub>2</sub> emissions show difference for these three 2025 scenarios, with low and high scenarios having smaller transport CO<sub>2</sub> emissions than baseline. These have informative implications for UK national infrastructure plans, and suggest that accounting environmental benefits of infrastructures will contribute to reduce the underinvestment in infrastructure.</p>

Future renewable energy targets in the EU: Impacts on the German transport

The transport sector is at the center of discussions on accelerating the energy transition due to its still increasing contribution to greenhouse gas emissions worldwide; therefore, the EU has set binding targets for the use of renewable energy in transport through the Renewable Energy Directive. To analyze the economic impact of these targets, we developed an optimization model that considers bio- and electricity-based fuel options, various transport sectors, and future policy requirements. Our study of the German transport sector found that imported alternative fuels play a key role in reducing fossil fuel usage. We also identify two technological and managerial obstacles: policymakers need to prioritize the rapid electrification of vehicles in the near future; and in the distant future, more attention is needed in research for new technologies in commercial transport. Although our findings are tailored to Germany, the employed approach can be transferred to other models and countries.

A power-speed hierarchical optimization framework of diesel/battery/supercapacitor vehicular hybrid propulsion systems

Ships' fuel consumption has emerged as the primary contributor to energy use and pollution in maritime transportation. This paper presents a novel marine vehicular hybrid propulsion system (VHPS) comprising a diesel generator and a hybrid energy storage device (HESD) that integrates batteries and supercapacitors (SCs). However, variations in the power and energy characteristics of the three sources result in heightened intricacies in energy management and system control. Therefore, a power-speed hierarchical optimization framework is proposed to optimize the fuel consumption and stability of the system. Within this framework, an AECMS-GRNN energy management strategy (EMS) is proposed to reduce the fuel consumption of VHPS. Based on the AECMS-GRNN strategy's power distribution results, a multi-zone target speed power hysteresis control strategy is proposed to ensure that the speed of the diesel generator is stable, so as to improve the stability of the system. Finally, an experimental hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) platform is employed to validate the proposed framework's performance. From experimental results, the AECMS-GRNN strategy demonstrates precise load prediction with a minimal predictive ARMSE value of 1.5886 kW. Compared with a conventional rule-based (RB) strategy, AECMS-GRNN strategy can reduce the fuel consumption by 0.077 kg, about 7.7%. Additionally, the proposed speed control strategy ensures a stable speed for the DG, contributing to the system's consistent power supply.

Urbanization and transport energy consumption in African countries.

Transport energy use contributes to pollution, so it generates negative externalities. This paper analyzes the effect of urbanization on the transport final energy consumption in African countries. To that end, the paper applies the panel threshold regression (PTR) model for a panel of 25 African countries over the period 1992-2017. The findings show that there is a significant positive relationship between total and per capita transport energy consumption and the share of the urban population in the total population. Thus, urbanization fosters transport energy consumption, either per capita energy consumption or total energy consumption. Therefore, the results from this study suggest that African countries should promote sustainable urbanization in terms of transportation.

Failures of Social License put Technology Rather than People First

Celebrating the Abstract Perceptions of FusionFusion energy offers great promise and hope, two attributes of the energy transition that are in great demand among many audiences. Unlocking the power of the sun on earth opens enormous possibilities. The promise of disconnecting energy production from geography inspires a rethinking of how energy supply chains function altogether. After decades of public sector investment to expand the bounds of fusion knowledge, the private sector’s enthusiasm reflects crucial progress towards commercial prospects to benefit an evolving planet.Fusion’s most recent appeal reflects the growing urgency for greenhouse gas reductions. To stay associated with the climate movement, the nascent fusion sector must recognize their technologies represent a means to an end, not the desired result. Climate changes threaten the human population and the natural systems that sustain it. Modern societies function with tremendous amounts of electricity; and each generation source will leave its own environmental impact. As a result, the energy transition will be phased and evolving as efforts must address not only electricity production but energy use in transportation and industry as well. In the assessment of Arthur D. Little consultants, “Despite extensive efforts, we have a long way to go before achieving a low-carbon economy [3]”.So far, the private fusion sector has received a warm welcome. More and more mainstream environmentalists accept that electricity providers will need to supplement the global energy mix with firm, carbon-free alternatives. Weather-dependent sources like wind and solar must be expanded further but continue to emerge as ultimately insufficient. The potential for fusion, grid-scale storage and deep rock geothermal will continue to evolve as energy demand grows to meet future needs [4, 5].Calls for enhanced stakeholder engagement in the incipient private fusion sector reflect growing sensitivity to issues of environmental and social justice in the broader sector. They speak to a crucial need to reset the relationship between societies and energy systems. However, focus on fusion technology itself will fail in the quest for upstream stakeholder engagement. A technology-first approach immediately engages stakeholders with focus on their deficient knowledge of fusion physics rather than creating an equitable dynamic for exchange.Senior Lecturer at the University of Melbourne, Darrin Durant, offers a useful critique in Arena Magazine. He notes the failures of science communication in the fusion domain, particularly around the difficulties of enabling non-technical audiences to appreciate fusion performance. He writes, “The most accurate way of communicating fusion performance would be with the Q plasma with reference to the Q gain expected to be required for commercialization.” He goes on to explain how radically different these values would be for tokamaks and lasers, concluding, “You can already see how difficult it is to package that set of information in a two-sentence soundbite [6]”.Indeed. The fusion sector is currently competing on performance measures which remain irrelevant to the average person on the street. This makes stakeholder engagement more difficult. Fusion media coverage and marketing materials invite readers to infer that today’s evidence is sufficient to deliver on near-term milestones. This may be adequate and accurate information for investor audiences, and it delivers on important business goals. However, it lends itself to misinterpretation of outside energy sector insiders, leading to debate over what is fact, hype, or dishonesty.The private sector will continue to cater to its distinct and diverse audiences. In pursuit of public understanding of fusion energy’s risks and benefits, the gap between what is relevant to investors in fusion versus what consumers want to know will generate confusion.

Techno‐economic and policy analysis of hydrogen and gasoline production from forest biomass, agricultural residues and municipal solid waste in California

AbstractTechno‐economic and policy analyses were performed of hydrogen and gasoline production from forest biomass (FB). They were compared with fuels produced using agricultural residues and municipal solid waste in California. Twelve process designs were analyzed, with and without carbon capture and storage, and life‐cycle analysis was performed, using California's Greenhouse Gases, Regulated Emissions, and Energy Use in Transportation (GREET) 3.0 model, to calculate the average life‐cycle carbon intensity of different process designs for hydrogen and gasoline. Discounted cash flow models were developed to assess profitability in terms of the net present value and internal rate of return (IRR). The results showed that forest‐to‐fuel pathways (positive IRR between 2%−16%) were the least competitive biomass‐based pathway option. Sensitivity analysis was performed on economic parameters including feedstock price and renewable identification number (RIN) credit price. In the case of RIN credits, profitability declined significantly as the proportion of FB from federal lands increased given existing statutory limitations. Given the importance of increasing forest management to reduce wildfire risks, the necessary additional policy incentives were quantified to equalize the cost of forest‐to‐fuels pathways with the other biofuels pathways. To ensure FB‐to‐fuels pathways are cost competitive with agricultural residues, policymakers could increase the low carbon fuel standard (LCFS) credit price for forest fuels (additional credit price support of $41–75 t/CO2e), give additional credit to lifecycle emissions reductions from forest fuels (additional carbon intensity decrease of 19–76 gCO2e MJ−1), provide concessionary debt or equity with a target weighted average cost of capital (WACC) = 3–4%, subsidize capital costs (12–22% of costs), or subsidize FB delivery ($35–66 per dry ton delivered).

Wise use of renewable energy in transport

The transport sector accounts for around 25 % of global energy use, considering both fuel production and consumption. To mitigate climate change, a fast decarbonization of transport is therefore often seen as a necessity, as advocated by the International Energy Agency in its Net Zero by 2050 scenario. In contrast, Shell's Sky scenario envisages Net Zero by 2070 by first picking the lowest hanging fruits within all sectors, and hence a much slower de-carbonization of the transport sector. We investigate how renewables, a scarce resource over the next decades, could be used most wisely within the transport sector or alternatively within the energy sector. Our results stress that priority up to 2050 should be: First, to use new renewable energy to replace coal fired electricity production to nearly decarbonize the electricity grid; Second, to gradually electrify road transport; Third, continued use of fossil fuel in shipping and aviation.

Driver alertness monitoring system in the context of safety increasing and sustainable energy use

Road transport is an important factor in carbon dioxide emissions. These emissions can be reduced by improving propulsion sources and traffic flow (avoiding traffic jams due to accidents). This article presents a system for monitoring and warning the driver to prevent a possible accident involving material damage, injury, or loss of life. The system performs video monitoring of the driver in order to determine his state (tired or attentive). By reducing traffic incidents and traffic jams, the energy consumed will not be wasted; thus, more sustainable transport energy use can be achieved.

Inter-regional environmental inequality under lasting pandemic exacerbated by residential response

Pandemics greatly affect transportation, economic and household activities and their associated air pollutant emissions. In less affluent regions, household energy use is often the dominant pollution source and is sensitive to the affluence change caused by a persisting pandemic. Air quality studies on COVID-19 have shown declines in pollution levels over industrialized regions as an immediate response to pandemic-caused lockdown and weakened economy. Yet few have considered the response of residential emissions to altered household affluence and energy choice supplemented by social distancing. Here we quantify the potential effects of long-term pandemics on ambient fine particulate matter pollution (PM2.5) and resulting premature mortality worldwide, by comprehensively considering the changes in transportation, economic production and household energy use. We find that a persisting COVID-like pandemic would reduce the global gross domestic product by 10.9 % and premature mortality related to black carbon, primary organic aerosols and secondary inorganic aerosols by 9.5 %. The global mortality decline would reach 13.0 % had the response of residential emissions been excluded. Among the 13 aggregated regions worldwide, the least affluent regions exhibit the greatest fractional economic losses with no comparable magnitudes of mortality reduction. This is because their weakened affluence would cause switch to more polluting household energy types on top of longer stay-at-home time, largely offsetting the effect of reduced transportation and economic production. International financial, technological and vaccine aids could reduce such environmental inequality.

ПЕРЕХОД К ВОЗОБНОВЛЯЕМЫМ ИСТОЧНИКАМ ЭНЕРГИИ НА ТРАНСПОРТЕ: РОССИЙСКИЙ И СЕВЕРОЕВРОПЕЙСКИЙ (НОРВЕГИЯ И ФИНЛЯНДИЯ) ОПЫТ

The transport sector accounts for about a quarter of the world’s total energy consumption, with most of it on road transport. The consumption of fossil fuels (gasoline and diesel fuel) dominates in road transport. Due to environmental problems, there is an urgent need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. In recent years, there has been an increasing interest in alternative vehicles and low-carb fuels based on renewable energy sources. The article analyzes the strategic documents of Russia, Finland and Norway in the field of the use of renewable energy in transport, discusses the main trends and prospects for the use of renewable energy in transport. The Finnish and Norwegian experience of switching to RES in transport shows that this requires significant government subsidies and tax incentives, as well as the willingness of the population to bear additional costs to ensure a high quality of life.

Modelling the interaction between the energy system and road freight in Norway

By soft-linking models for transport demand, vehicle turnover and energy generation and use, we show how such models can complement each other and become more relevant and reliable policy support tools. A freight demand model is used to project commodity flows onto the 2050 horizon. An energy system model is used to map the relationships between energy prices, fiscal incentives, and optimal vehicle technologies. A stock-flow vehicle fleet model is used to calculate the time lag between innovation affecting new vehicles and the penetration of novel technology into the fleet. By running the latter two models in an iterative loop, we predict the flow of new vehicles with more or less decarbonized powertrains, contingent upon energy prices and fiscal incentives, while also obtaining a well-founded and more realistic assessment of the time needed for radical CO2 mitigation. The methodology is illustrated through a scenario developed for Norway.

Comparison of Research Topics on Transportation Decarbonization Between Asian and Non-Asian Regions: Using Topic Modeling and Machine Learning Algorithms

The growing global interest to decarbonize the transportation industry has resulted in numerous scientific publications. This study reviews the rapidly expanding body of research and identifies the knowledge gaps in transport decarbonization between regions. This study employs a hybrid approach combining topic modeling and machine learning to identify research topics and their knowledge structures, and then compares the main debated topics between Asia and non-Asian regions. A dataset of 777 articles, including 410 Asian and 367 non-Asian articles, published between 1990 and 2022 was extracted from the Scopus database. The latent Dirichlet allocation topic modeling results showed that five potential topics were derived from Asia, while six were derived from non-Asian regions, and the knowledge structure of each topic differed between the two regions. The K-nearest neighbor machine learning algorithm results indicated a 92% accuracy for Asian topics and an 89% accuracy for non-Asian topics. The findings suggest that the Asian studies focused on “energy use in transportation” and “drivers of CO2 emissions in transportation,” while the non-Asian studies focused on “electric vehicles” and “fuel consumption.” This paper will keep academics and practitioners updated on the paradigm shift in the research on transportation decarbonization.

Drivers and effects of digitalization on energy demand in low-carbon scenarios

ABSTRACT The world is currently facing two socio-technical transitions: shifting to a low-carbon society, and a digital revolution. Despite some claims to the contrary, evidence suggests that spread and adoption of information and communication technology (ICT) does not automatically lead to reduction in energy demand, if this stimulates new energy-using practices or wider economic growth. Despite this policy challenge, the two transitions are often considered separately. This study examines potential drivers of reductions or increases in energy demand due to digitalization identified in recent leading global and UK net-zero transitions scenarios. We analyse the scenarios in terms of effects of digitalization on energy demand by identifying specific direct effects of ICT; indirect and rebound effects in transport and home energy use; and wider effects via economic growth. This analysis implies that the future pathways adopted for digitalization will have a significant impact on future energy demand and hence on the feasibility and acceptability of achieving net-zero goals. We find there are different assumptions and development pathways between scenarios. We also identify a need for better inclusion of behavioural effects and other social science understanding in scenarios on the one hand, and recognition that policy can affect digitalization pathways on the other. Overall, our work suggests opportunities for further research and potential for improving policy interactions between these two transitions, and stimulating greater public debate on the different framings for an ICT-driven low-carbon transition. Key policy insights Modelling and scenario development of low-carbon pathways need to pay more attention to drivers of energy demand, including direct and indirect effects of digitalization. Social science understanding of the behavioural change effects of digitalization needs to be considered in assessing energy demand changes. Different pathways of digitalization result from individual and collective choices, including technology development, business models and data protection. Policy makers should seek to promote pathways that deliver social wellbeing and local environmental benefits, not just economic gains.

The interplay among COVID-19 economic recovery, behavioural changes, and the European Green Deal: An energy-economic modelling perspective

In the EU, COVID-19 and associated policy responses led to economy-wide disruptions and shifts in services demand, with considerable energy-system implications. The European Commission's response paved the way towards enhancing climate ambition through the European Green Deal. Understanding the interactions among environmental, social, and economic dimensions in climate action post-COVID thus emerged as a key challenge. This study disaggregates the implications of climate ambition, speed of economic recovery from COVID-19, and behavioural changes due to pandemic-related measures and/or environmental concerns for EU transition dynamics, over the next decade. It soft-links two large-scale energy-economy models, EU-TIMES and NEMESIS, to shed light on opportunities and challenges related to delivering on the EU's 2030 climate targets. Results indicate that half the effort required to reach the updated 55% emissions reduction target should come from electricity decarbonisation, followed by transport. Alongside a post-COVID return to normal, the European Green Deal may lead to increased carbon prices and fossil-fuel rebounds, but these risks may be mitigated by certain behavioural changes, gains from which in transport energy use would outweigh associated consumption increases in the residential sector. Finally, the EU recovery mechanism could deliver about half the required investments needed to deliver on the 2030 ambition.

Optimizing Transportation between Sea Ports and Regions by Road Transport and Rail and Inland Waterway Transport Means Including “Last Mile” Solutions

Optimization transportation cargo and passengers between ports and regions are very important, because industrial regions are located some distance from ports. The demand for energy request for the movement of transport is a necessity in the modern world. Transport and activity called transportation are used daily, everywhere, and a lot of energy is needed to power the various transport modes. Today different transport modes are being used to transport passengers and cargo. It is quite common to use road transport, which can transport passengers and cargo from door to door. Considering alternative possibilities (road, railway and/or inland waterway transport), it is important, based on theoretical and experimentation, to identify optimal solutions. In finding transport modes that are either most technically or economically effective, we could unearth possible solutions which would require minimal energy use. Unfortunately, with increased transportation, this often leads to traffic congestion on the roads, which requires additional energy (fuel). This situation generates requirements from many stakeholders in terms of finding ways to decrease the transportation time and energy (fuel) consumed by transport modes. A theoretical method evaluation is conducted on the optimal transportation possibility that minimizes transportation time and energy (fuel) use by employing graph theory, which is presented in this paper. The scientific contribution is the development of a transport modes comparative index, which is then used for evaluations. This paper presents possible alternative transportation conditions based on a multi-criteria evaluation system, proposes a theoretical basis for the optimal solutions from an eco-economic perspective that considers energy, and provides for experimental testing during a specific case study. The final results from the case study provide recommendations and conclusions.

Life Cycle Comparison of Battery Recycling and Conventional Material Refining

Background: The rise of renewable energy generation and vehicle electrification has created exponential growth in lithium-ion battery (LIB) production, particularly for electric vehicles.1 However, the limited supply of raw materials needed for prominent battery chemistries has exacerbated concerns linked to economic, environmental, national security, and human rights dimensions.2 For example, raw materials necessary for LIB production are not equally distributed, and current supply chains are insufficient for projected demand. For countries with natural reserves of critical LIB elements, the mining of ore for battery production often involves the destruction of natural ecosystems and sometimes employs child labor under harsh working conditions.3 Further, many small LIBs in consumer electronics are carelessly disposed of in garbage or recycling bins at end-of-life. Because these disposal streams are not designed to process energized batteries, LIBs have caused fires and millions of dollars in damage to waste management and recycling centers.4 Taken together, these concerns underscore the need for robust recycling programs for LIBs and their components. Methods: We performed a comparative environmental assessment of the gate-to-gate refinement process of battery material production based on conventional battery material refining versus LIB recycling by Redwood Materials. Two- and three-step recycling processes were assessed for battery feedstocks that included production scrap and mixed spent lithium-ion batteries. Data detailing energy, water, and consumables usage were provided by Redwood and normalized to elemental mass flows and products of interest. The system boundary does not include other operations at Redwood Materials outside of the direct refinement processes nor the embodied resources in the capital equipment used for material refinement.The functional unit employed in the analysis was a 1 kg of active nickel, cobalt, aluminum oxide (NCA) battery material. The primary LCA criteria evaluated included global warming potential (CO2eq), primary energy demand, and water consumption. Data for conventional material refining were adapted from the Argonne National Laboratory’s Greenhouse gases, Regulated Emissions, and Energy use in Transportation (GREET®) 2020 model. GREET was also employed to acquire the life cycle parameters for producing consumables used in both conventional metal refining and Redwood Materials’ recycling processes to provide common scaling factors. Transportation between stages was not included in this analysis because it was not consistently available in the GREET model. The environmental metrics for each metal pathway were normalized by the mass of the individual element of interest within the final product and then normalized again by the mass of that element in the functional unit. Results and Implications: The goal of this study was to compare environmental metrics of two scenarios: (1) conventional refining of raw battery materials and (2) recycling of batteries by Redwood Materials. Relative to conventional refining, the Redwood Materials recycling processes reduced both water (by 70–80%) and energy consumption (by 81–87%) per kg of NCA battery active material. The Redwood processes lowered CO2 emissions by 67–68% compared to conventional ore refining. The output products of each recycling process were dependent on the battery feedstock and recycling efficiency. In the case of Ni-rich feedstock, the CO2 emissions by mass of Ni were 30–45 times lower for recycling versus conventional refining when considering only nickel as the output product.In addition to comparing recycling processes to conventional refining, we also conducted a prospective life-cycle assessment to identify optimization opportunities at Redwood. Among the three process steps (mechanical processing, low-temperature calcination, and hydrometallurgy), the hydrometallurgical process was the most resource- and carbon-intensive, counter to popular opinion. This was due to the embodied resources required to produce the input consumables Ca(OH)2, H2O2, and electricity from the Nevada electrical grid. The addition of a low-temperature calcination step prior to hydrometallurgy slightly reduced overall resource consumptions and emissions because fewer input consumables were needed for the hydrometallurgical step. Overall, this study identified value propositions and optimization opportunities for battery recycling as it reaches a much-needed scale to support the burgeoning LIB market. This assessment will guide battery recyclers on environmental targets, and inform several stakeholders (e.g., public, policymakers, electrochemists and electrochemical engineers) regarding the tradeoffs and opportunities for a circular battery economy relative to conventional battery manufacturing. References Electric Vehicles are starting to buoy the global metals market. https://www.bloombergquint.com/technology/the-relentless-march-toward-an-ev-future-is-good-news-for-miners.National Blueprint for Lithium Batteries; U. S. Department of Energy: 2021.Findings on the Worst Forms of Child Labor: Democratic Republic of the Congo. https://www.dol.gov/agencies/ilab/resources/reports/child-labor/congo-democratic-republic-drc.Staub, C. MRF operator: Lithium-ion batteries are ‘ticking time bombs’. https://resource-recycling.com/recycling/2021/04/13/mrf-operator-lithium-ion-batteries-are-ticking-time-bomb.

Greenhouse gas emission benefits of adopting new energy vehicles in Suzhou City, China: A case study.

The promotion of new energy in light-duty vehicles (LDVs) is considered as an effective approach for achieving low-carbon road transport targets. In this study, life cycle assessment was performed for five typical vehicle models in Suzhou City (fourth largest LDV stock in China): internal combustion engine vehicle (ICEV), hybrid electric vehicle (HEV), plug-in electric vehicle (PHEV), battery electric vehicle (BEV) and hydrogen fuel cell vehicle (HFCV). Their energy consumption, and greenhouse gas (GHG) and air pollutant emissions during vehicle and fuel cycles in 2020 were examined using the Greenhouse gases, Regulated Emissions, and Energy Use in Transportation (GREET) model. GHG emission reduction potential of LDV fleet was projected under various scenarios for 2021-2040. The results showed that BEVs exhibited advantages for replacing ICEVs over HEVs, PHEVs and HFCVs, taking into account China's road electrification policy. The GHG emission intensity of BEVs in 2040 was estimated to be 19-34% of ICEVs in 2020, with a deep decarbonized electricity mix and improved vehicle efficiency. For the aggressive Sustainable Development Scenario, the GHG emissions of LDVs would peak before 2026, ahead of China's target by 2030, and the ~ 100% share of EVs in 2040 would result in a lower GHG emissions, equivalent to the 2010 level. It highlights the importance of early action, green electricity mix, and public transport development in reducing GHG emissions of large LDV fleet.

Urban Form and Transportation Energy Consumption in Depok, Indonesia

By combining transportation energy use per capita for main, side, and weekend activities, this study explores the correlation between transportation energy consumption and urban form at a village scale. Conducted in Depok, a satellite city of the Jabodetabek metropolitan area, Indonesia, four different urban form variables were measured, including population density, land use mix, street connectivity, and public transportation range area. Four other socio-economic variables, i.e., private vehicle ownership, driving license ownership, job type, and monthly income, were also considered in the analysis. Data on individual energy consumption in the transportation sector was acquired through an online questionnaire. The results of correlation analysis and one-way analysis of variance highlighted three main findings related to transportation energy consumption. First, the population density and the street connectivity were found to be correlated with the amount of transportation energy consumed. Second, the middle urban form compactness level outweighed the high compactness level in terms of energy consumption per capita per week. Finally, differences in private vehicle ownership, driving license ownership, and job type resulted in different transportation energy usage.