scholarly journals Biomass Availability in Europe as an Alternative Fuel for Full Conversion of Lignite Power Plants: A Critical Review

Energies ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (13) ◽  
pp. 3390 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vasiliki Tzelepi ◽  
Myrto Zeneli ◽  
Dimitrios-Sotirios Kourkoumpas ◽  
Emmanouil Karampinis ◽  
Antonios Gypakis ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Fossil Fuels ◽  
Clean Energy ◽  
Carbon Neutrality ◽  
Long Time ◽  
Biomass Availability ◽  
Phase Out ◽  
Full Conversion ◽  
The Eu

Biomass has been demonstrated as a capable source of energy to fulfill the increasing demand for clean energy sources which could last a long time. Replacing fossil fuels with biomass-based ones can potentially lead to a reduction of carbon emissions, which is the main target of the EU climate strategy. Based on RED II (revised Renewable Energy Directive 2018/2001/EU) and the European Green Deal, biomass is a promising energy source for achieving carbon neutrality in the future. However, the sustainable potential of biomass resources in the forthcoming decades is still a matter of question. This review aims at estimating the availability of biomass for energy reasons in the EU, and to evaluate its potential to meet the coal power plant capacity of the main lignite-producer countries, including Germany, Poland and Greece. Plants in line with the sustainability criteria of RED II have been selected for the preliminary estimations concerning their full conversion to the biomass power concept. Furthermore, the various barriers to biomass utilization are highlighted, such as the stranded asset risk of a future coal phase-out scenario, biomass supply chain challenges, biomass availability in main lignite-producer EU countries, the existing full conversion technologies, and biomass cost. A variety of challenges in the scenario of lignite substitution with biomass in a plant are investigated in a SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) analysis. Technological risks and issues should be tackled in order to achieve the coal phase-out EU goal, mainly with regard to the supply chain of biomass. In this direction, the development of logistics centers for the centralized handling of biomass is strongly recommended.

scholarly journals Co-Movements between Eu Ets and the Energy Markets: A Var-Dcc-Garch Approach

Mathematics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (15) ◽  
pp. 1787
Author(s):  
Pilar Gargallo ◽  
Luis Lample ◽  
Jesús A. Miguel ◽  
Manuel Salvador
Keyword(s):  
Fossil Fuels ◽  
Spillover Effect ◽  
Warning System ◽  
Energy Transition ◽  
Clean Energy ◽  
Stock Index ◽  
Phase Iii ◽  
Response Analysis ◽  
Eu Ets ◽  
The Eu

This paper analyzes the co-movements of prices of fossil fuels, energy stock markets and EU allowances. This analysis is conducted in order to identify the spillover effect of volatility and correlation among these financial markets, and to provide a scientific basis that shows the interest of incorporating sustainable assets in the design of minimum risk strategies of investment. To achieve this goal, we have used a Vector Autoregressive-Dynamic Conditional Correlation-Generalized Autoregressive Conditional Heteroscedasticity (VAR-DCC-GARCH) model that also incorporates a stock index of industrial companies as a leading indicator of the level of economic activity. In addition, the paper conducts an impulse response analysis to determine how unexpected shocks to prices are propagated along time, and, in particular, how they affect prices of the others, both in mean, variance and correlation. Therefore, the results of this one- and two-dimensional analysis allow for the study of short and long run dynamics of the relationship among those prices, thus, providing greater meaning and information for investors, which has implications for building their portfolios. The analyzed period was from January 2010 to February 2021, so that the data include half of phase II, full phase III and the onset of phase IV of the EU ETS, as well as the COVID-19 outbreak in the European context. We also analyzed whether the EUA price impulses the demand of clean energy stocks, which has important implications for the objective of triggering the investment in clean energy. Our results show the transmission mechanism of all of those prices, which are relevant not only for investors but also for policymakers to construct an early-warning system, revealing the most important transmission channels. Moreover, from an investment viewpoint, we observe a decline in dirty energies and a rise in the clean energy market, which might be an indication of the progress towards the energy transition to renewables sources within a circular economy perspective. Therefore, this shows that the EU ETS is achieving its goals, and that clean energy companies, aligned with their role towards socially responsible initiatives, are also gaining acceptance in terms of investments, which would be beneficial for the environment.

scholarly journals Tackling Complexity of the Just Transition in the EU: Evidence from Romania

Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (5) ◽  
pp. 1509
Author(s):  
Roxana Voicu-Dorobanțu ◽  
Clara Volintiru ◽  
Maria-Floriana Popescu ◽  
Vlad Nerău ◽  
George Ștefan
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Major Power ◽  
Complex Issue ◽  
Energy Mix ◽  
Carbon Neutrality ◽  
Vulnerable Consumers ◽  
The Eu

The process of reaching carbon neutrality by 2050 and cutting CO2 emissions by 2030 by 55% compared to 1990 as per the EU Green Deal is highly complex. The energy mix must be changed to ensure long-term environmental sustainability, mainly by closing down coal sites, while preserving the energy-intensive short-term economic growth, ensuring social equity, and opening opportunities for regions diminishing in population and potential. Romania is currently in the position of deciding the optimal way forward in this challenging societal shift while morphing to evidence-based policy-making and anticipatory governance, mainly in its two coal-mining regions. This article provides possible future scenarios for tackling this complex issue in Romania through a three-pronged, staggered, methodology: (1) clustering Romania with other similar countries from the point of view of the Just Transition efforts (i.e., the energy mix and the socio-economic parameters), (2) analyzing Romania’s potential evolution of the energy mix from the point of the thermal efficiency of two major power plants (CEH and CEO) and the systemic energy losses, and (3) providing insights on the socio-economic context (economic development and labor market transformations, including the component on the effects on vulnerable consumers) of the central coal regions in Romania.

Lithium Might Hold the Key to our Clean Energy Future, but Will this Star Metal Fully Deliver on its Green Potential?

2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 276-281
Author(s):  
Gabriela QUIJANO
Keyword(s):  
Electric Vehicles ◽  
Fossil Fuels ◽  
Lithium Ion ◽  
Clean Energy ◽  
Transport Systems ◽  
North West ◽  
Global Demand ◽  
Green Potential ◽  
Phase Out ◽  
North Western

Salinas Grandes is a vast salt flat in the high-altitude Puna region of Salta and Jujuy, two north-western provinces of Argentina. It is situated in one of the world’s driest regions, with an extremely fragile ecosystem. Salinas Grandes is so iconic and beautiful that Argentinians voted it amongst the country’s top seven natural wonders in May 2019.1 In addition to its beauty, this stunning desert of salt also holds one of the largest reserves of lithium in the world. Lithium is a light and versatile metal used to produce, among other things, the lithium-ion batteries that power electric vehicles (EV). As global efforts to phase out fossil fuels from our transport systems and adopt clean energy alternatives increase, lithium is becoming increasingly critical. It is no wonder, therefore, that industry has coined it the ‘white gold’.2 Salinas Grandes is only one of many salt lakes in North West Argentina which, together with Bolivia and Chile, form what is known as the ‘lithium triangle’. It is estimated that these three countries alone account for more than half of the world’s lithium.3 Global demand for lithium to produce EV is expected to grow rapidly over the coming decade. To meet this demand, the lithium industry will require significant investment to ramp up additional supply.4 As a result, all eyes have turned to the ‘lithium triangle’ and investment in the region has soared in recent years.5 For the three developing countries, this represents a unique opportunity to attract much-needed foreign investment and boost economic growth.6

The feasibility co-firing biomass for electricity in Missouri

2012 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Zuoming Liu
Keyword(s):  
Power Plants ◽  
Fossil Fuels ◽  
Programming Model ◽  
Renewable Energy Sources ◽  
Transportation Cost ◽  
Partial Replacement ◽  
University Of Missouri ◽  
Biomass Availability ◽  
The Individual ◽  
The Impact

[ACCESS RESTRICTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI AT AUTHOR'S REQUEST.] With the growing concerns regarding energy security, sustainability and global warming, more and more efforts have been expended to find clean, safe and renewable energy sources. Bioenergy is considered as one of the significant potential energy resources to serve as a partial replacement for fossil fuels. Use biomass as fuels to produce electricity, i.e. biopower, is one of the most popular uses of bioenergy. The main objective of this study is to investigate the feasibility co-firing biomass for electricity at the existing coal-powered plants in Missouri. A linear programming model was built to simulate the whole process of co-firing biomass in 9 selected power plants with the objective of minimizing the total cost involved in the process. Two biomass co-firing levels (10% and 15%) with three levels (10%, 20% and 30%) of biomass availability are assumed to conduct sensitivity analysis. Moreover, this study also analyzed the impact of transportation cost, resource and harvesting cost on the model's optimization outcomes. The results of the model show that co-firing biomass in those selected power plants costs more than using coal. The additional cost from co-firing biomass will decrease as the availability of biomass increases. The results from the individual plants show that the optimal capacity of biomass co-firing is about 10-15MW based on the settings of this study.

An Assessment of Mechanical Properties of A508-3 Steel Used in Chinese Nuclear Reactor Vessels

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Meifang Yu ◽  
Zhen Luo ◽  
Y. J. Chao
Keyword(s):  
Mechanical Properties ◽  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Fossil Fuels ◽  
Nuclear Reactor ◽  
Structural Integrity ◽  
Construction Materials ◽  
Under Construction ◽  
Made In China ◽  
Phase Out

China has very ambitious goals of expanding its commercial nuclear power by 30 Giga-Watts within the decade and wishes to phase out fossil fuels emissions by 40–45% by 2020 (from 2005 levels). With over 50 new nuclear power plants under construction or planned and a design life of 60 years, any discussions on structural integrity become very timely. Although China adopted its nuclear technology from France or US at present time, e.g. AP1000 of Westinghouse, the construction materials are primarily “Made in China”. Among all issues, both the accumulation of the knowledge base of the materials and structures used for the power plant and the technical capability of engineering personnel are imminent. This paper attempts to compile and assess the mechanical properties, Charpy V-notch impact energy, and fracture toughness of A508-3 steel used in Chinese nuclear reactor vessels. All data are collected from open literature and by no means complete. However, it provides a glimpse into how this domestically produced steel compares with western reactor vessel steels such as US A533B and Euro 20MnMoNi55.

scholarly journals The Spanish Energy Transition into the EU Green Deal: Alignments and Paradoxes

Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (9) ◽  
pp. 2535
Author(s):  
José Antonio Peña-Ramos ◽  
María del Pino-García ◽  
Antonio Sánchez-Bayón
Keyword(s):  
International Relations ◽  
Fossil Fuels ◽  
Fossil Fuel ◽  
Energy Transition ◽  
Clean Energy ◽  
Renewable Energies ◽  
Energy Relations ◽  
Current Energy ◽  
The Eu ◽  
Do So

Climate change, clean energy transition, the energy security quest, and international relations have triggered the revival of renewable energy as a solution to these problems. Nowadays, there is an energy transition where renewable energies bring geopolitical changes in a world where fossil fuels are becoming less relevant. This article aims to assess how the transition influences Spain’s energy relations with other countries regarding electricity and its sources, in alignment with the European Green Deal. In order to do so, its current energy situation, the renewable energies development and its energy import-export relations are examined. The results show that despite progress in green regionalization through more electric interconnection, little difference is to be found in traditional relations with fossil fuel countries exporters, but more are the contractions in Spanish energy economic policy, as here is explained.

Feasibility of Using More Geothermal Energy to Generate Electricity

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kaufui Vincent Wong ◽  
Nathanael Tan
Keyword(s):  
Geothermal Energy ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Fossil Fuels ◽  
High Pressures ◽  
Clean Energy ◽  
Geothermal System ◽  
Superheated Water ◽  
Flat Side ◽  
The Right ◽  
The Cost

Human population is ever-increasing and thus, demand for energy is escalating. Consequently, seeking clean methods of producing electricity is a most crucial endeavor at this time. The shrinking reserves of oil have added urgency to the matter. One other recognized source of renewable energy besides wind, water and solar (WWS) is geothermal energy, which has been proven to be useful in baseload power generation, a significant advantage over WWS. As compared to fossil fuels, geothermal energy is not subjected to the supply and cost fluctuations of which fuels are at risk. To date, there have been a number of innovative procedures explored to use geothermal energy to produce electricity. A relatively innovative yet not uncommon method has been to use hot solid rocks to heat water and pump the superheated water to use in power plants. These rocks are generally underground and at higher temperatures due to their proximity to volcanoes or natural geothermal vents. The water goes deeper down into the earth’s crust to become superheated by the rocks, and then is pumped out to power turbines, and subsequently returned into the ground to repeat the process. In Krafla, Iceland, during their Icelandic Deep Drilling Project (IDDP) in 2009, a borehole was accidentally dug into the magma at 2100 meters. The temperature of this magma was about 900–1000°C. A steel casing with perforations on the flat side was cemented into the well bottom. This design was to slow the heat flow, and superheated steam was made for the following two years till July 2012. The steam reached temperatures of 450°C and was at high pressures. Krafla was the world’s first magma-enhanced geothermal system to generate electricity. This paper will explore the feasibility of using geothermal power plant methods as a sustainable source of clean energy. Geothermal energy has tremendous potential if the right methods can be found to tap that potential, as well as if the cost may be brought down by innovation and demand. In addition, an innovative method which already exists in some form, is proposed in the current review, to harness more geothermal energy for use.

scholarly journals Waste-to-Energy in the EU: The Effects of Plant Ownership, Waste Mobility, and Decentralization on Environmental Outcomes and Welfare

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (14) ◽  
pp. 5743 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura Levaggi ◽  
Rosella Levaggi ◽  
Carmen Marchiori ◽  
Carmine Trecroci
Keyword(s):  
Fossil Fuels ◽  
Consumer Preferences ◽  
Clean Energy ◽  
Waste To Energy ◽  
Chemical Waste ◽  
Disposal Option ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Energy From Waste ◽  
The Eu

Waste-to-energy (WtE) could prevent the production of up to 50 million tons of CO2 emissions that would otherwise be generated by burning fossil fuels. Yet, support for a large deployment of WtE plants is not universal because there is a widespread concern that energy from waste discourages recycling practices. Moreover, incineration plants generate air pollution and chemical waste residuals and are expensive to build compared to modern landfills that have appropriate procedures for the prevention of leakage of harmful gasses. In the context of the EU, this paper aims to provide a picture of the actual role of WtE as a disposal option for municipal solid waste (MSW), enabling it to be utilized as a source of clean energy, and to address two important aspects of the debate surrounding the use of WtE; namely, (i) the relationship between WtE and recycling, and (ii) the effects of decentralization, waste mobility, and plant ownership. Finally, it reviews the role of the EU as a supranational regulator, which may allow the lower government levels (where consumer preferences are better represented) to take decisions, while taking spillovers into account.

scholarly journals Study on the Integral Compensator Using Supercapacitor for Energy Harvesting in Low-Power Sections of Solar Energy

Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (8) ◽  
pp. 2262
Author(s):  
So-Hyeon Jo ◽  
Joo Woo ◽  
Gi-Sig Byun ◽  
Jae-Hoon Jeong ◽  
Heon Jeong
Keyword(s):  
Solar Energy ◽  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Fossil Fuels ◽  
Clean Energy ◽  
Storage Device ◽  
Energy Research ◽  
Photovoltaic Panels ◽  
Thermoelectric Power Plants ◽  
Low Illumination

The risk of environmental pollution is a consequence of every kind of energy, including fossil fuels, nuclear power plants, and thermoelectric power plants. For the purpose of reducing the use ratio of such energy, research on eco-friendly energy is being actively carried out, and has shown that among all kinds of energy, solar energy has an advantage: it can supply us with inexhaustible clean energy. However, since solar energy depends on sunlight, the output may be unstable as it is influenced by weather or surrounding structures. In this paper, there is presented a control system which transmits power to a storage device, in a specific state, after the energy of the low-illumination section is charged in a supercapacitor using the accumulation-type controller by use of a supercapacitor. Feedback from the power output of photovoltaic panels (PVs) demonstrates that the power of the low-illumination section can be charged without being discarded. The charging rate was compared with other solar controllers being sold on the market, and the comparison was made through state of charge (SOC) measurements after the battery had been charged by photovoltaic panels for a whole day. It was confirmed that the solar controller, by use of supercapacitor integrator proposed in this paper, stored higher levels of energy than the existing solar controllers over the same hours and under the same conditions.

scholarly journals Overview of the Green Hydrogen Applications in Marine Power Plants Onboard Ships

2018 ◽  
Vol 6 (01) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nader R. Ammar ◽  
Nayef F. S. H. Alshammari
Keyword(s):  
Fuel Cells ◽  
Gas Turbines ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Internal Combustion Engines ◽  
Fossil Fuels ◽  
Clean Energy ◽  
Internal Combustion ◽  
Green Energy ◽  
Hydrogen Gas ◽  
Combustion Engines

The need for renewable and green energy sources to replace fossil fuel with the incrementally rising prices is driving many researchers to work on narrowing the gap between the most scientific innovative clean energy technologies and the concepts of feasibility and cost-effective solutions. The current paper aims to introduce one aspect of Green Energy; the use of Hydrogen as fuel for marine power plants, to replace all kinds of fossil fuels which are the major responsible of harmful emissions. There are three applications for hydrogen in marine field. These applications include hydrogen internal combustion engines, hydrogen gas turbines, and fuel cells. The main problems associated with the application of hydrogen in internal combustion engines are the engine knocking; air fuel ratio and intake temperature. The research programs for the application of hydrogen in gas turbines concentrate on studying the characteristics of hydrogen combustion inside gas turbine combustors. The third application of hydrogen is fuel cells. Huge developments have been achieved in this sector over the past few years. But for the marine field only the naval vessels market used it for auxiliary power generation.

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