scholarly journals EU Green Deal and opportunity cost: a comparison between the viability of different wastewater treatment project

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
José María Vindel ◽  
Estrella Trincado ◽  
Antonio Sánchez-Bayón
Keyword(s):  
Opportunity Cost ◽  
Energy Production ◽  
Clean Energy ◽  
High Rate ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Pv System ◽  
Viability Analysis ◽  
Conventional Activated Sludge ◽  
Self Sufficiency ◽  
The One

The European Union Green Deal aims at curbing planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions and introducing clean energy production. But to achieve energy efficiency, the opportunity cost of different energies must be assessed. In this article, we analyse two different systems for the treatment of wastewater that, at the same time, produce energy for its own operation. On the one hand, high-rate algal ponds system (HRAP) is considered; on the other hand, we study a conventional activated sludge system which uses photovoltaic power (AS+PV). This paper offers a viability analysis of both systems based on the capacity to satisfy their energetic consumption. In order to assess this viability, the probability of not achieving the energy consumption threshold at least one day is studied. The results point that the AS+PV system self-sufficiency is achieved using much lesser surfaces than those of HRAP system (for the former, less than 6.500 m2, for the latter 40.000 m2). However, the important AS capital cost makes still the HRAP system more economic, although storage provides a great advantage for using the AS+PV in locations where we have a lot of irradiance. This viability analysis, along with the opportunity cost analysis, will be used to assess these two projects devoted to the treatment of wastewater.

scholarly journals European Union Green Deal and the Opportunity Cost of Wastewater Treatment Projects

Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (7) ◽  
pp. 1994
Author(s):  
Jose M. Vindel ◽  
Estrella Trincado ◽  
Antonio Sánchez-Bayón
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
Wastewater Treatment ◽  
Opportunity Cost ◽  
Clean Energy ◽  
High Rate ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Pv System ◽  
Cost Study ◽  
Viability Analysis ◽  
Conventional Activated Sludge

The European Union Green Deal aims at curbing greenhouse gas emissions and introducing clean energy production. But to achieve energy efficiency, the opportunity cost of different energies must be assessed. In this article, two different energy self-sufficient systems for wastewater treatment are compared. On the one hand, high-rate algal ponds system (HRAP) is considered; on the other hand, a conventional activated sludge system (AS) which uses photovoltaic power (PV) is studied. The paper offers a viability analysis of both systems based on the capacity to satisfy their energetic consumption. This viability analysis, along with the opportunity cost study, will be used in the article to compare these two projects devoted to the treatment of wastewater. In order to assess viability, the probability of not achieving the energy consumption threshold at least one day is studied. The results point that the AS+PV system self-sufficiency is achieved with much lesser land requirements than the HRAP system (for the former, less than 6500 m2, for the latter 40,000 m2). However, the important AS capital cost makes still the HRAP system more economic, although storage provides a great advantage for using the AS+PV in locations where a lot of irradiance is available.

scholarly journals A Techno-Economic Viability Analysis of the Two-Axis Tracking Grid-Connected Photovoltaic Power System for 25 Selected Coastal Mediterranean Cities

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 7508-7514
Author(s):  
Y. Kassem ◽  
H. Gökçekuş ◽  
H. S. A. Lagili
Keyword(s):  
Solar Energy ◽  
Energy Production ◽  
Production Cost ◽  
Fossil Fuels ◽  
Average Energy ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Pv System ◽  
Household Energy ◽  
Viability Analysis ◽  
Energy Needs

Generating energy from renewable sources, particularly solar energy, offers significant benefits and achieves a more clean and sustainable development. In the present paper, the potential of developing a 4.2kW grid-connected rooftop two-axis tracking PV system in 25 selected coastal Mediterranean cities located in different Arabic countries is evaluated using RETScreen software. The proposed system is serving the basic household energy needs according to the load profile from monthly electrical bills. It is found that the proposed system produces about 8824kW annually, which helps to reduce CO2 emissions. Also, the average energy production cost is assumed to range from 0.0337 to 00.0475$/kWh. It is concluded that the proposed system can provide an effective solution for energy poverty in developing regions with a very positive socio-economic and environmental impact. The small-scale grid-connected PV system will provide the domestic energy needs at a lower energy production cost than the electricity price grid-connected consumers pay. This study demonstrated that generating electricity from solar energy will help reduce the electricity tariff rates and the dependence on fossil fuels.

scholarly journals Energy Production and Consumption in the European Union - Assessment of Changes in the Aspects of Sustainability and the Energy Self-Sufficiency

2020 ◽  
Vol XXIII (Special Issue 1) ◽  
pp. 1100-1112
Author(s):  
Mariusz Dacko ◽  
Lukasz Paluch ◽  
Bartosz Mickiewicz ◽  
Pawel Mickiewicz ◽  
Maciej Nowak
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
Energy Production ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Self Sufficiency ◽  
Production And Consumption

scholarly journals Finnish Bioeconomy in 2050 – Visions of Future Environmental Professionals

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vilja Varho ◽  
Ulla Ovaska ◽  
Annukka Vainio
Keyword(s):  
Nuclear Power ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Biological Resources ◽  
Carbon Neutrality ◽  
Self Sufficiency ◽  
Alternative Future ◽  
The One ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
Micro Organisms

Finland and the European Union, among others, are promoting bioeconomy as a new form of economy. According to the EU, the bioeconomy comprises those parts of the economy that produce renewable biological resources, such as crops, forests, fish, animals and micro-organisms, or use them to produce food, materials and energy. In order for transition to have public legitimacy and engagement, it is important to understand different stakeholders’ views of bioeconomy. Therefore in this article we focus on future environmental professionals’ views of bioeconomy and compare them to the official definitions. We collected essays about Finnish bioeconomy in 2050 among 47 future environmental professionals who were currently studying at universities in the Helsinki region. The one-page essays were written in the spring 2017. Their content was analysed through nine themes (energy, housing, transport, food, other consumption, individuals, society, drivers, and definition of bioeconomy). Respondents’ views were reduced to three-four alternative future images per each theme and then combined into overall future images. According to the results, respondents’ visions were much more versatile and varied than the images portrayed by the Finnish and EU policies. The visions included dystopic images as well as critical views regarding the consumption-based lifestyles of today. The visions included changes to everyday life and practices, as well as to prevailing values and attitudes. For example, dietary changes such as increased vegetarianism and reduced consumption of meat and dairy products were very common. On the other hand, local food production and self-sufficiency were preferred by many respondents. In addition, the new technologies and materials envisioned were not only bio-based. Instead, solar and wind power emerged as particularly important energy forms. Even nuclear power was mentioned, which demonstrates how the focus of these visions was often carbon-neutrality rather than renewability or biological resources. Altogether these visions demonstrate that even among future environmental professionals the concept of bioeconomy is far from clear. It can be hypothesized that the term is even less known among the Finnish people at large. It is also likely that current research and promotion activities do not take into account the various societal and everyday dimensions of bioeconomy, if they only focus on the technological and economic aspects of the transform. We conclude that the aim to transform the Finnish society towards bioeconomy should be discussed more widely, and its definition, legitimacy, and societal impacts should be studied further.

scholarly journals Analysis of Latvian Households’ Potential Participation in the Energy Market as Prosumers

2021 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 437-449
Author(s):  
Kristina Lebedeva ◽  
Andris Krumins ◽  
Antra Tamane ◽  
Egils Dzelzitis
Keyword(s):  
Renewable Energy ◽  
Energy Production ◽  
Evaluation Method ◽  
Transmission System ◽  
Annual Reports ◽  
Energy Market ◽  
Production Network ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Pv System ◽  
Energy Community

The European Union sets targets for the extensive use of renewable energy. Meanwhile, the energy production network is changing and transferring from the classic “producer to consumer” scheme to new operation models, where a small consumer with local renewable energy systems becomes a producer–prosumer, an active energy consumer who is also an energy producer. This study evaluated a potential of Latvian households’ participation in the energy market as prosumers. The analysis was based on an informal prospective extrapolation data evaluation method, based on real historical data from the Central Statistical Bureau of Latvia, annual reports of distribution and transmission system operators, assessments, and the conclusions of relevant experts. In addition, the real performance of a photovoltaic (PV) system was evaluated to get information on the whole year’s energy balance, and to compare it with seasonal electricity price fluctuation. The Latvian electricity transmission system is able to accept about 800 MW of additional new renewable energy source (RES) capacity, so there is a great potential for prosumers. The biggest obstacle for a household’s involvement in the energy market is the lack of support mechanisms and relatively high cost of RES technologies. The results show that with the current dynamics of new microgenerator connections, Latvia will achieve the set goals regarding the involvement of prosumers in the achievement of RES goals only in the next century. In order to attract the public to energy production, the concept of energy community needs to be defined in Latvian legislation, a balanced peer trading mechanism needs to be developed for various RES self-consumption groups willing to sell surplus electricity, and tax policy conditions need to be reviewed for electricity transactions outside the NET (payment system), in order to fully ensure the rights of prosumers.

Upgrading Wastewater Treatment Plants with Anaerobic Selectors

1990 ◽  
Vol 22 (7-8) ◽  
pp. 35-43
Author(s):  
K. D. Tracy ◽  
S. N. Hong
Keyword(s):  
Phosphorus Removal ◽  
Wastewater Treatment Plants ◽  
Full Scale ◽  
High Rate ◽  
Nitrogen Control ◽  
Biological Phosphorus Removal ◽  
Conventional Activated Sludge ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Activated Sludge Processes ◽  
Biological Phosphorus

The anaerobic selector of the A/0™ process offers many advantages over conventional activated sludge processes with respect to process performance and operational stability. This high-rate, single-sludge process has been successfully demonstrated in full-scale operations for biological phosphorus removal and total nitrogen control in addition to BOD and TSS removal. This process can be easily utilized in upgrading existing treatment plants to meet stringent discharge limitations and to provide capacity expansion. Upgrades of two full-scale installations are described and performance data from the two facilities are presented.

High rate and compact single sludge pre-denitrification process for retrofit

1994 ◽  
Vol 30 (6) ◽  
pp. 31-40 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hiroyshi Emori ◽  
Hiroki Nakamura ◽  
Tatsuo Sumino ◽  
Tadashi Takeshima ◽  
Katsuzo Motegi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Activated Sludge ◽  
Sewage Treatment ◽  
Treatment Plant ◽  
High Rate ◽  
Activated Sludge Process ◽  
Nitrogen And Phosphorus ◽  
Conventional Activated Sludge ◽  
Treatment Techniques ◽  
Conventional Activated Sludge Process ◽  
Denitrification Process

For the sewage treatment plants near rivers and closed water bodies in urbanized areas in Japan and European countries, there is a growing demand for introduction of advanced treatment processes for nitrogen and phosphorus from the viewpoints of water quality conservation and environmental protection. In order to remove nitrogen by the conventional biological treatment techniques, it is necessary to make a substantial expansion of the facility as compared with the conventional activated sludge process. In such urbanized districts, it is difficult to secure a site and much capital is required to expand the existing treatment plant. To solve these problems, a compact single sludge pre-denitrification process using immobilized nitrifiers was developed. Dosing the pellets, which are suitable for nitrifiers growth and physically durable, into the nitrification tank of single sludge pre-denitrification process made it possible to perform simultaneous removal of BOD and nitrogen in a retention time equal to that in the conventional activated sludge process even at the low water temperature of about 10 °C. The 3,000 m3/d full-scale conventional activated sludge plant was retrofitted and has been successfully operated.

scholarly journals Characteristics of Precedent: The Case Law of the European Court of Justice in Three Dimensions

2015 ◽  
Vol 16 (5) ◽  
pp. 1073-1098 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mattias Derlén ◽  
Johan Lindholm
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
Case Law ◽  
Three Dimensions ◽  
Eu Law ◽  
The European Union ◽  
European Union Law ◽  
Court Of Justice ◽  
European Court ◽  
Number Of Factors ◽  
The One

AbstractThe case law of the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) is one of the most important sources of European Union law. However, case law's role in EU law is not uniform. By empirically studying how the Court uses its own case law as a source of law, we explore the correlation between, on the one hand, the characteristics of a CJEU case—type of action, actors involved, and area of law—and, on the other hand, the judgment's “embeddedness” in previous case law and value as a precedent in subsequent cases. Using this approach, we test, confirm, and debunk existing scholarship concerning the role of CJEU case law as a source of EU law. We offer the following conclusions: that CJEU case law cannot be treated as a single entity; that only a limited number of factors reliably affect a judgment's persuasive or precedential power; that the Court's use of its own case law as a source of law is particularly limited in successful infringement proceedings; that case law is particularly important in preliminary references—especially those concerning fundamental freedoms and competition law; and that initiating Member State and the number of observations affects the behavior of the Court.

scholarly journals Sustainability in the European Union: Analyzing the Discourse of the European Green Deal

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 80
Author(s):  
Eva Eckert ◽  
Oleksandra Kovalevska
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
European Commission ◽  
Critical Discourse Analysis ◽  
Political Institutions ◽  
Main Question ◽  
The European Union ◽  
International Media ◽  
Institutional Power ◽  
The One ◽  
The Eu

In the European Union, the concern for sustainability has been legitimized by its politically and ecologically motivated discourse disseminated through recent policies of the European Commission and the local as well as international media. In the article, we question the very meaning of sustainability and examine the European Green Deal, the major political document issued by the EC in 2019. The main question pursued in the study is whether expectations verbalized in the Green Deal’s plans, programs, strategies, and developments hold up to the scrutiny of critical discourse analysis. We compare the Green Deal’s treatment of sustainability to how sustainability is presented in environmental and social science scholarship and point out that research, on the one hand, and the politically motivated discourse, on the other, do not correlate and often actually contradict each other. We conclude that sustainability discourse and its keywords, lexicon, and phraseology have become a channel through which political institutions in the EU such as the European Commission sideline crucial environmental issues and endorse their own presence. The Green Deal discourse shapes political and institutional power of the Commission and the EU.

scholarly journals There Is No Place like Home! How Willing Are Young Adults to Move to Find a Job?

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (13) ◽  
pp. 7494
Author(s):  
Julia Weiss ◽  
Livio Ferrante ◽  
Mariano Soler-Porta
Keyword(s):  
Young Adults ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Youth Unemployment ◽  
Rural Youth ◽  
The European Union ◽  
International Mobility ◽  
Persistent Problem ◽  
Self Sufficiency ◽  
Job Opportunities

The European Union (EU) has undergone significant economic crises in recent years. Therein, young people were amongst the hardest hit groups, with youth unemployment rising as high as 50% in some member states. Particularly high rates of youth unemployment were often observed in rural areas, where labour market supply in relation to demand were notably divergent. One of the core pillars of the EU’s agenda is to tackle the persistent problem of youth unemployment. Since the recent crisis, this has been via the “Youth on the Move” initiative, which involves the promotion of intra- and international mobility of young adults in order to gain access to job opportunities. However, what has received little attention so far is the question of what the general willingness of young adults to move is like, and to what extent this varies, for example, depending upon the area they live in. This paper therefore asks if rural youth differ from youth in urban areas in relation to their willingness to move for a job within their country or to another country. Moreover, what influences the general willingness to be mobile? Based on the Cultural Pathways to Economic Self-Sufficiency and Entrepreneurship (CUPESSE) Survey, which includes data on 18–35-year-olds in a sample of 11 European countries, it is shown that living in a rural area is strongly associated with the willingness to move. Furthermore, it shows that rural youth are more willing to move within the country but less willing to move to another country. Based on the presentation of the various factors, which promote or curb mobility readiness, the results make it clear that the success of EU initiatives depends on the preferences and willingness of the target group in question.

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