Study Assesses Potential of Renewable Energy in Power Sector

2021 ◽  
Vol 73 (07) ◽  
pp. 65-66
Author(s):  
Chris Carpenter
Keyword(s):  
Power Generation ◽  
Co2 Emission ◽  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Nuclear Energy ◽  
Fossil Fuels ◽  
Fossil Fuel ◽  
Renewable Energies ◽  
Power Sector ◽  
Reducing Co2 Emission

This article, written by JPT Technology Editor Chris Carpenter, contains highlights of paper IPTC 21348, “The Color of Energy: The Competition To Be the Energy of the Future,” by Hon Chung Lau, National University of Singapore, prepared for the 2021 International Petroleum Technology Conference, held virtually 23 March–1 April. The paper has not been peer reviewed. Copyright 2021 International Petroleum Technology Conference. Reproduced by permission. The author of the complete paper, for the purposes of this study, characterizes energies as brown, blue, or green. Brown energies are carbon dioxide (CO2)-emitting fossil fuels, such as gas, oil, or coal. Blue energies use carbon capture and storage (CCUS) technologies to remove the emitted CO2 from brown energies. Green energies are zero- or low-CO2-emitting renewable energies. By analyzing the CO2 intensity and levelized cost of energy of energy carriers of different colors, the author shows that renewable energies are best used in replacing fossil fuels in the power sector, where they have the greatest effect in reducing CO2 emission. Overview By 2017, only 11% of the world’s final consumption came from renewable energies, 85% came from fossil fuel, and 4% came from nuclear energy. Energy consumption can be divided into three sectors: power, transport, and thermal. At the time of writing, 26.4% of global power (electricity) consumption comes from renewable energies. In this sphere, renewable energies are making the most significant contribution in reducing CO2 emission. Forty-one percent of CO2 emission comes from electricity and heat, 21% from transport, and 21% from industry. Consequently, the key to global decarbonization is to decarbonize these three sectors. Green Energy Is Preferred Green energies consist of six major types: solar photovoltaic, solar thermal, wind, hydroelectricity, geothermal, and biomass. If 1 kWh of electricity generated by renewable energy (with the exception of biomass) is used to replace 1 kWh of electricity generated by fossil fuel, the net CO2 savings will amount to 0.8, 0.6, and 0.4 kg for replacing coal, oil, and natural gas, respectively. However, if 1 kWh of renewable electricity is used to generate green hydrogen (H2), which is then used for heat generation in industry, it will yield roughly 0.8 kWh of thermal energy, which replaces the same amount of thermal energy by natural gas. This amounts to a CO2 savings of only 0.16 kg CO2/kWh. Consequently, renewable power has the highest CO2 savings effect if it is used to replace fossil fuel for power generation rather than to replace fossil fuel for heat generation. Decarbonizing the Power Sector The power sector is easiest to decarbonize. The three methods foreseen to decarbonize the power sector are nuclear power, blue electricity generated by fossil-fuel power plants equipped with CCUS, and green electricity produced by renewables. The use of nuclear power plants is a country-specific issue. The dual challenge of nuclear plant safety and nuclear waste storage is a key sustainability issue. Recently, interest has been renewed in the idea of increasing investment in nuclear energy for decarbonizing the power sector. It is noteworthy that the countries for whom more than a quarter of their power generation is provided by nuclear energy are all in Europe.

scholarly journals Electric cars: Are they solution to reduce CO2 emission?

2020 ◽  
Vol 24 (5 Part A) ◽  
pp. 2879-2889
Author(s):  
Djordje Petrovic ◽  
Dalibor Pesic ◽  
Maja Petrovic ◽  
Radomir Mijailovic
Keyword(s):  
Co2 Emission ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Fossil Fuels ◽  
Fossil Fuel ◽  
Thermal Power ◽  
Electricity Production ◽  
Electric Cars ◽  
Electric Car ◽  
Reduction Of Co2 ◽  
Reducing Co2 Emission

Reducing CO2 emission is one of the major environmental challenges for transportation. One way to solve this problem is to replace old cars that use fossil fuels (petrol, diesel) with new electric cars. In this paper, the existing model for calculating well-to-wheels CO2 emission during the life cycle of the car (fossil fuel car and electric car) is upgraded. The developed model is used for comparing optimal lifetime and optimal car?s kilometers driven during a lifetime in the replacement process of a fossil fuel car with a new electric car. We find that reducing CO2 emission depends on the type of fossil fuel, and the weight of fossil fuel cars and electric cars. Changing petrol fossil fuel cars with lower weight electric cars have the greatest potential for reducing CO2 emission. However, the introduction of electric cars does not achieve a significant reduction of CO2 emission in countries where electricity is primarily produced in thermal power plants, i. e. in countries with a high emission factor of electricity production.

Efficient Power Generation From Large 750°C Heat Sources: Application to Coal-Fired and Nuclear Power Stations

1980 ◽  
Author(s):  
Z. P. Tilliette ◽  
B. Pierre
Keyword(s):  
Power Generation ◽  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Nuclear Energy ◽  
Inlet Temperature ◽  
Heat Sources ◽  
Turbine Inlet Temperature ◽  
Power Stations ◽  
Efficient Power ◽  
Steam Cycle

Considering the concern about a more efficient, rational use of heat sources, and a greater location flexibility of power plants owing to cooling capability, closed gas cycles can offer new solutions for fossil or nuclear energy. An efficient heat conversion into power is obtained by the combination of a main non-intercooled helium cycle with a flexible, superheated, low-pressure bottoming steam cycle. Emphasis is placed on the matching of the two cycles and, for that, a recuperator bypass arrangement is used. The operation of the main gas turbocompressor does not depend upon the operation of the small steam cycle. Results are presented for a conservative turbine inlet temperature of 750 C. Applications are made for a coal-fired power plant and for a nuclear GT-HTGR. Overall net plant efficiencies of 39 and 46 percent, respectively, are projected.

Communicating about Nuclear Energy and Climate Change

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shirley S. Ho
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
General Public ◽  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Public Perception ◽  
Nuclear Energy ◽  
Fossil Fuels ◽  
Public Acceptance ◽  
Media Images ◽  
The Public

In comparison to fossil fuels that emit greenhouse gases, nuclear power plants are a cleaner energy source that could help to mitigate the problems of climate change. Despite this, the general public often associates nuclear energy with risks that include nuclear accidents, nuclear waste contamination, nuclear weapons proliferation, and many others. People’s experience with the 1979 Three Mile Island incident in Pennsylvania and the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear disaster in Ukraine have caused a sharp decline in public support for nuclear energy over the past few decades. In addition, media images of the 2011 Fukushima-Daichii nuclear accident are still fresh in the minds of the public. These now iconic media images and portrayals have perpetuated a perception of nuclear energy as a risky technology. Against these backdrops, scientists, communication practitioners and other key stakeholders increasingly face an uphill struggle to communicate about nuclear energy as a possible strategy for addressing climate change. Though the general public may reluctantly accept nuclear energy for climate change mitigation, research suggests that messages emphasizing the benefits of nuclear power for energy security and economic growth appear to have greater impact on public acceptance of the technology. Furthermore, public perception of nuclear energy is shaped by a host of other factors such as trust in nuclear governing institutions, knowledge, political inclinations, geographical proximity, and socio-demographic variables. At the same time, nuclear experts and the general public differ in their perceptions of risk, in nature and strength, relative to nuclear energy. Understanding these key differences between the experts and the public, and how beliefs, values, and perceptions influence public acceptance of nuclear energy is necessary to formulate effective public communication and engagement strategies.

The competitiveness of nuclear energy in an era of liberalized markets and restrictions on greenhouse-gas emissions

2009 ◽  
pp. 37-62
Author(s):  
Luigi De Paoli ◽  
Francesco Gulli
Keyword(s):  
Electricity Markets ◽  
Electricity Generation ◽  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Nuclear Energy ◽  
Fossil Fuels ◽  
Levelized Cost Of Electricity ◽  
Cost Of Electricity ◽  
Generation Costs ◽  
The Cost

- The debate on the benefits of nuclear energy revolves around the very competitiveness of this energy source. This article tries to show why it is not easy to answer unambiguously the question whether or not it is convenient to resort to nuclear power in a given country. After listing the factors on which the cost of electricity generation rests and discussing the range of probability of their value, the levelized cost of electricity generation from nuclear, coal and gas-fired plants is calculated using the Monte Carlo method. The results show that nuclear power is likely to be competitive, especially if policies to combat CO2 emissions will continue in the coming decades. There are, however, some margins of uncertainty, mainly related, to the one hand, to the cost of nuclear plants, that depends on the socio-institutional context, and on the other, to the fossil fuels cost, that are inherently difficult to anticipate even on average. Finally it is noted that the context of liberalized electricity markets may make it more difficult for investors to accept the risk of investing in nuclear power plants and for the community to socialize some of the costs associated with this technology.Key words: Nuclear energy, generation costs, Montecarlo method, environmental impacts.JEL classifications: G11, H23, L72, L94, Q31, Q40

Risk Perceptions of Resuming Nuclear Power Plant Operations After Fukushima: A Student Survey

2016 ◽  
Vol 11 (sp) ◽  
pp. 789-797
Author(s):  
Kami Seo ◽  
◽  
Tadahiro Motoyoshi ◽  
Yasunobu Maeda ◽  
◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Power Generation ◽  
Power Plant ◽  
Nuclear Power Plant ◽  
Risk Perceptions ◽  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Nuclear Energy ◽  
Energy Use ◽  
Renewable Energy Sources ◽  
Nuclear Power Generation

Quake-induced accident of Fukushima nuclear power plant in 2011 triggered heated argument about the country’s energy policy in Japan. Although many people recognized the risk of nuclear energy use, they did not necessarily support the option of abandoning the technology for the near future. This paper focuses on how people perceive risks associated with and without nuclear power generation and how perceived risks affect their opinion. We conducted questionnaire survey targeting 18–20 year old university students, the stakeholders in the future. The survey was implemented in 2013–2014 when none of Japan’s nuclear power plants was in active use. Three quarters of the respondents answered that a future with nuclear power generation was more realistic than without it. The aspects dividing the two groups, i.e., respondents who expect a future with or without nuclear energy use were their evaluations of three themes: (1) the feasibility of renewable energy sources, (2) the impacts in the safety of developing nations’ nuclear power generation, and (3) the difficulty in gaining the acceptance of residents near the power plants. Meanwhile, both groups above were similarly positive about technological innovation, and were similarly and strongly negative about developing safety management.

An Unexpected Solution to the Energy Crisis: Hybrid Nuclear Energy

2009 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael F. Keller
Keyword(s):  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Nuclear Energy ◽  
Fossil Fuels ◽  
Coal Gasification ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Electrical Power ◽  
Major Complication ◽  
Coal Waste ◽  
Hybrid Automobile

The global need for environmentally clean yet inexpensive and reliable energy is a problem that has yet to find a solution. • In one corner are coal plants that can generate low-cost power using abundant reserves of coal, but if emissions are uncontrolled, major health and environmental impacts can occur. • In another corner are natural gas power plants that can produce energy with relatively low emissions, but the cost to the consumer is unpredictable and often high. • Yet another option lies with building nuclear plants that produce emissions-free power, but initial costs are very high and some public unease exists with respect to safety. A major complication is the consensus that burning massive amounts of fossil fuels is a primary culprit behind climate change. While intermittent renewable energy (e.g. solar and wind) and conservation practices can help, the undeniable truth is that the vast quantities of power we continuously consume overwhelm the practical capabilities of the “green” sources. Similar in nature to the fundamentals behind the hybrid automobile, Hybrid-nuclear Energy is an emerging 21st century technology that provides an environmentally sound and economical solution to the power and greenhouse gas dilemmas. This developing energy conversion process uses nuclear and fossil fuels to safely produce reasonably priced electrical power and transportation fuels from our own indigenous sources with the timely benefit of dramatically reduced emissions, particularly CO2. Hybrid-nuclear Energy secures energy independence by using cleaner coal, effectively solves nuclear and coal waste dilemmas, and helps create more affordable nuclear power. These surprising results are achieved by a unique marriage of helium gas reactor, combustion turbine and coal gasification technologies.

scholarly journals Appraisal of Nuclear Energy as an Alternative Option in South Africa’s Energy Scenario: A Multicriteria Analysis

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (21) ◽  
pp. 10349
Author(s):  
Solomon Eghosa Uhunamure ◽  
Ephraim Bonah Agyekum ◽  
Olatunde Samod Durowoju ◽  
Karabo Shale ◽  
Nthaduleni Samuel Nethengwe ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Nuclear Energy ◽  
Fossil Fuels ◽  
Swot Analysis ◽  
Multicriteria Analysis ◽  
Climate Change Impacts ◽  
Highest Weight ◽  
Energy Scenario ◽  
Analysis Technique

South Africa is being confronted with an irregular power supply, leading to persistent load shedding due to aged and unreliable coal-fired power plants. Connected with coal as a generating source for electricity from fossil fuels are environmental concerns such as emissions of greenhouse gases and climate change impacts. Nuclear energy can allay the country’s dependence on coal as a source of energy. This article, therefore, reviews the feasibility of nuclear energy using a multicriteria analysis technique. A combination of Strengths, weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT) analysis and Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) was used to evaluate the external and internal factors that could either positively or negatively affect the country’s nuclear energy expansion drive. From the analysis, the country’s enabling laws and regulatory framework recorded the highest score of 39.2% under the strengths for the sector. In the case of the weaknesses, the high cost of construction and long construction framework recorded the highest weight, of 50.47%. Energy export and demand under the opportunities recorded a weight of 52.09%, ranking it as the highest opportunity for the sector. Seismic events were identified as the biggest threat for nuclear power expansion in the country, and the experts assigned a weight of 42.5% to this factor.

scholarly journals LEGAL PERSPECTIVES ON NUCLEAR ENERGY AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IN MALAYSIA

2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 169-188
Author(s):  
Farahdilah Ghazali ◽  
Abdul Haseeb Ansari ◽  
Maizatun Mustafa ◽  
Wan Mohd Zulhafiz Wan Zahari
Keyword(s):  
Power Generation ◽  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Developing Countries ◽  
Energy Security ◽  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Nuclear Energy ◽  
Atomic Energy ◽  
Nuclear Power Generation ◽  
Power Sector ◽  
Energy Agency

This paper explores the potential of nuclear energy, particularly in the power sector, to solve energy challenges and to address the pertinent issues regarding energy sustainability in Malaysia. The deployment of nuclear energy in various developed and developing countries has conspicuously helped sustaining energy security and sustainability due to its compatibility and protection of the environment. In addition to energy security, nuclear energy also offers significant benefits to socio-economic aspects. Thus, nuclear energy in developing countries, including Malaysia, has the potential to emerge as a new prospect in the energy sector using sophisticated technology and expert personnel to maximize the energy benefits with the least environmental risk. This step would certainly meet future energy demands and help accelerate the country’s development with optimum energy generation in the country. Therefore, Malaysia should aim to resort to nuclear power generation whereby the current power sector is mainly generated by traditional means, with only a small fraction of it being renewable energy. With no experience in this field, Malaysia needs to establish collaboration with some country rich with nuclear-resource in order to build, maintain nuclear reactors and treat nuclear wastes. The development of such facility should also comply with the requirements of the International Atomic Energy Agency. Moreover, Malaysia has to introduce legislation and policies related to future nuclear energy. Thus, this paper discusses some of the pertinent issues related to the prospects of nuclear power generation in the country towards achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).   Keywords: Atomic energy, energy security, governance, sustainable development.   Cite as: Ghazali, F., Ansari, A. H., Mustafa, M., & Wan Zahari, W. M. Z. (2020). Legal perspectives on nuclear energy and sustainable development in Malaysia. Journal of Nusantara Studies, 5(1), 169-188. http://dx.doi.org/10.24200/jonus.vol5iss1pp169-188

scholarly journals Application of GIS in selection of location for construction of nuclear power plants in Serbia

2021 ◽  
pp. 63-78
Author(s):  
Nikola Ćorović ◽  
Uroš Durlević
Keyword(s):  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Nuclear Energy ◽  
Nuclear Power Plants ◽  
Fossil Fuels ◽  
Ground Cover ◽  
Research Area ◽  
Analytic Hierarchy ◽  
Weighting Coefficients ◽  
Selection Of

The use of nuclear energy in the world represents one of the main alternatives to fossil fuels. Significant greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuel combustion could be replaced by cleaner energy such as nuclear. In this paper, by using Geographic Information Systems (GIS), available databases and Analytic hierarchy process (AHP), the results in the selection of the location for the construction of nuclear power plants (NPP) in Serbia were obtained. The research area includes zones between large rivers (Danube, Sava, Tisa, Velika Morava) with an area of 8757.45 km². An analysis of natural (seismicity, geological background, hypsometry, slope of the terrain, distance from faults, ground cover, land use method) and anthropogenic conditions (distance from the state border, settlements, roads and railways) was carried out, with the elimination of protected areas from further research due to of its ecological significance. After multi-criteria analysis, weighting coefficients were assigned for each criterion using the AHP method. The results showed that 0.02% of the area is suitable, and 8.68% partially suitable for the construction of nuclear power plants. This paper provides an adequate overview of the most suitable locations for the use of nuclear energy, so that the obtained results can be applied in further research by national services in charge of nuclear sciences.

scholarly journals Model of nuclear energy valuation in the context of e-mobility

2019 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 1227-1236
Author(s):  
Greta-Marilena Vitioanu ◽  
Ileana Gavrilescu
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Electricity Generation ◽  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Nuclear Energy ◽  
Fossil Fuels ◽  
Economic Potential ◽  
Electrical Mobility ◽  
Technological Research ◽  
Constant Form

Abstract Due to the depletion of fossil fuels and the degradation of the ecological balance, the transition of mobility to new ways of propelling means of transportation is one of the toughest themes of sustainability, debated as such and by scientific research. At the same time technological research has already proposed several forms of vehicle powering and the manufacturers have even offered the market a significant number of electrically propelled vehicles - the option with the greatest technical and economic potential for everything that will mean future transportation of people and freight. Unfortunately, the development of electrical mobility to its quasi-state is dependent on increasing the capacity of supplying enough electricity from the power industry. The objective of our study is to develop a model for the utilization of nuclear energy in view of the global expansion of e-mobility applications. In the context of increased demand for electricity - due to new e-mobility technologies and applications, nuclear power can become the most efficient and constant form of electricity generation. The research methodology is based on qualitative analyzes of new e-mobility applications and their diversification tendencies, but also on quantitative analysis based on a specialized questionnaire. The novelty of the research finds its exemplification in attempts to explain the importance of nuclear energy in the new context of climate change and at the same time proposing a hypothesis regarding the possible maintenance and / or refurbishment of nuclear power plants.

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