scholarly journals From conventional to renewable natural gas: can we expect GHG savings in the near term?

2019 ◽  
Vol 131 ◽  
pp. 105396 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rut Serra ◽  
Iman Niknia ◽  
David Paré ◽  
Brian Titus ◽  
Bruno Gagnon ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Natural Gas ◽  
Renewable Natural Gas ◽  
Near Term ◽  
Ghg Savings

scholarly journals The Feasibility of Renewable Natural Gas in New Jersey

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 1618
Author(s):  
Anneliese Dyer ◽  
Amelia Christine Miller ◽  
Brianna Chandra ◽  
Juan Galindo Maza ◽  
Carley Tran ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
New Jersey ◽  
Natural Gas ◽  
Conceptual Model ◽  
Greenhouse Gas Emission ◽  
Wastewater Treatment Plants ◽  
The United States ◽  
Outreach Program ◽  
Financial Barriers ◽  
The Us ◽  
Renewable Natural Gas

With traditional natural gas being one of the top options for heating in the United States and the present threat of climate change, there is a demand for an alternative clean fuel source. A Renewable Natural Gas Implementation Decision-Making Conceptual Model was created to provide a framework for considering the feasibility of renewable natural gas (RNG) projects and applied to New Jersey, specifically investigating landfills and wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). Data from the US EPA’s Landfill Methane Outreach Program and New Jersey’s Department of Environmental Protection Sewage Sludge databases were used to identify seven landfills and 22 WWTPs as possible locations for RNG projects. Landfills were found to have a higher potential for producing RNG, on average potentially producing enough RNG to heat 12,792 homes per year versus 1227 for the average WWTP. Additionally, landfills, while having higher capital expenses, have lower projected payback periods, averaging 5.19 years compared to WWTP’s 11.78 years. WWTPs, however, generally are located closer to existing natural gas pipelines than landfills and when they produce more than 362 million standard cubic feet per year (MMSCFY) of biogas are financially feasible. RNG projects at Monmouth County Reclamation Center, Ocean County Landfill, and Passaic Valley Sewerage Commission WWTP show the greatest potential. Greenhouse gas emission reductions from RNG projects at these facilities utilizing all available biogas would be 1.628 million metric tons CO2 equivalents per year, synonymous to removing over 351,000 passenger vehicles from the road each year. In addition, expanding federal and state incentives to encompass RNG as a heating fuel is necessary to reduce financial barriers to RNG projects throughout the US. Overall, this paper supports the hypothesized conceptual model in examining the feasibility of RNG projects through examples from New Jersey and confirms the potential for RNG production utilizing existing waste streams.

Environmental and Agricultural Gains From Renewable Natural Gas

2019 ◽  
Vol 35 (11) ◽  
pp. 12-18 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert Foxen ◽  
James Fitzgerald
Keyword(s):  
Natural Gas ◽  
Renewable Natural Gas

Feasibility Analysis of Refuelling Infrastructure for Compressed Renewable Natural Gas Long-Haul Heavy-Duty Trucks in Canada

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wahiba Yaïci ◽  
Michela Longo
Keyword(s):  
Natural Gas ◽  
Test Cases ◽  
Selling Price ◽  
Heavy Duty ◽  
Heavy Duty Truck ◽  
Transportation Sector ◽  
Depth Analysis ◽  
Harmful Emissions ◽  
Renewable Natural Gas ◽  
The Cost

Abstract With environmental concerns and limited natural resources, there is a need for cleaner sources of energy in the transportation sector. Renewable natural gas (RNG) is being considered as a potential fuel for heavy-duty applications due to its comparable usage to diesel and gasoline in vehicles. The idea of compressed RNG vehicles is being proposed especially because it will potentially significantly reduce harmful emissions into the environment. This initiative is taken in order to decrease vehicle emissions and support Canada’s commitments to the climate plans reinforcing active transportation infrastructure, in concert with new transit infrastructure, and zero emission vehicles. This study examines the feasibility of implementing a nationwide network of compressed RNG refuelling infrastructure in order to accommodate a conversion of Canada’s long-haul, heavy-duty truck fleet from diesel fuel to RNG. Two methods, Constant Traffic and Variable Traffic, along with data about compressed RNG infrastructure and vehicles, were developed and used to predict fuelling requirements for Canada’s long-haul, heavy-duty truck fleet. Then, a detailed economic analysis was conducted on various test cases to estimate how different variables impact the final selling price of RNG. This provided insight with the understanding of what factors go into pricing RNG and if it can compete against diesel in the trucking market. Results disclosed that the cost to purchase RNG is the greatest factor in the final selling price of compressed RNG. Due to the variability in RNG production however, there is no precise cost, which makes predictions difficult. However, results revealed that it is possible for compressed RNG to be competitive with diesel, with the mean compressed RNG price being 16.5% cheaper than diesel, before being taxed. Future studies should focus on the feasibility of the production of RNG and the associated costs, with emphasis on the Canadian landscape. An in-depth analysis on operational and maintenance costs for compressed RNG refuelling stations may also provide predictions that are more accurate.

Current and Future Economics of Parabolic Trough Technology

2007 ◽  
Author(s):  
Henry Price ◽  
Mark Mehos ◽  
Chuck Kutscher ◽  
Nate Blair
Keyword(s):  
Natural Gas ◽  
Power Systems ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Solar Power ◽  
Power Market ◽  
Parabolic Trough ◽  
Cost Of Electricity ◽  
Near Term ◽  
The Cost ◽  
Utility Scale

Solar energy is the largest energy resource on the planet. Unfortunately, it is largely untapped at present, in part because sunlight is a very diffuse energy source. Concentrating solar power (CSP) systems use low cost reflectors to concentrate the sun’s energy to allow it to be used more effectively. Concentrating solar power systems are also well suited for large solar power plants that can be connected into the existing utility infrastructure. These two facts mean that CSP systems can be used to make a meaningful difference in energy supply in a relatively short period. CSP plants are best suited for the arid climates in the Southwestern United States, Northern Mexico, and many desert regions around the globe. A recent Western Governors’ Association siting study [1] found that the solar potential in the U.S. Southwest is at least 4 times the total U.S. electric demand even after eliminating urban areas, environmentally sensitive areas, and all regions with a ground slope greater than 1%.While it is currently not practical to power the whole county from the desert southwest, only a small portion of this area is needed to make a substantial contribution to future U.S. electric needs. Many of the best sites are near existing high-voltage transmission lines and close to major power load centers in the Southwest (Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and Phoenix). In addition, the power provided by CSP technologies has strong coincidence with peak electric demand, especially in the Southwest where peak demand corresponds in large part to air conditioning loads. Parabolic troughs currently represent the most cost-effective CSP technology for developing large utility-scale solar electric power systems. These systems are also one of the most mature solar technologies, with commercial utility-scale plants that have been operating for over 20 years. In addition, substantial improvements have been made to the technology in recent years including improved efficiency and the addition of thermal energy storage. The main issue for parabolic trough technology is that the cost of electricity is still higher than the cost of electricity from conventional natural gas-fired power plants. Although higher natural gas prices are helping to substantially reduce the difference between the cost of electricity from solar and natural gas plants, in the near-term increased incentives such as the 30% Investment Tax Credit (ITC) are needed to make CSP technology approach competitiveness with natural gas power on a financial basis. In the longer term, additional reductions in the cost of the technology will be necessary. This paper looks at the near-term potential for parabolic trough technology to compete with conventional fossil power resources in the firm, intermediate load power market and at the longer term potential to compete in the baseload power market. The paper will consider the potential impact of a reduced carbon emissions future.

Assessment of Technologies for Biomass Conversion to Electricity at the Wild Land-Urban Interface

2005 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alex Green ◽  
Jie Feng
Keyword(s):  
Natural Gas ◽  
Cost Estimation ◽  
Net Present Value ◽  
Biomass Conversion ◽  
Thermal Conversion ◽  
Cost Of Electricity ◽  
The Usa ◽  
In The Wild ◽  
Near Term ◽  
Electrical Generation

In the near term, biomass in various forms is the most available renewable energy source in the USA, particularly in the wild land-urban interface (WUI). With current high natural gas (NG) prices the possibility of gasifying biomass and developing a local Biomass Alliance with Natural Gas (BANG) so that the biomass gas (BG) can supplement natural gas (NG) could have many energy, environmental and economic (EEE) benefits. An analytic cost estimation (ACE) method is used to assess various BANG technologies potentially applicable at the WUI and to determine NG prices at which BG capable systems can deliver electricity at competitive costs. ACE is based upon the approximate linear relationship between cost of electricity (COE = Y), and cost of fuel (COF = X), i.e., Y = K + SX, as seen in many detailed cost analyses of electrical generating systems. ACE is here used to guide efforts directed towards energy sustainability in the WUI where nearby biomass stores are abundant. Thermal conversion and the use of the fuel to supplement NG is considered here at various power (P) levels to lower the cost of electricity. A reasonable K(P) and S(P) for NG fired electrical generation systems is first established. Then using an Antares Group Inc. report (AGIR) analyses of eleven biomass fueled technologies K(P) and S(P) are identified using only three adjusted parameters for each technology. An accurate analytical equation is also found for AGIR calculations of net present value (NPV = Z) vs. P and Y. These equations are then used to interpolate and extrapolate the AGIR economic analyses to other Ps and X or Y in some cases leading to other conclusions than in the AGIR. We conclude that BANG can save energy costs in many communities at the WUI and lead the way to: the development of economically competitive woody biomass supply and applications industries provide jobs, stabilize local economies, reduce USA’s dependence on imported fuels and lower greenhouse gas emissions.

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