scholarly journals Climate Impact of China’s Promotion of the Filling Mining Method: Bottom-Up Estimation of Greenhouse Gas Emissions in Underground Metal Mines

Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (11) ◽  
pp. 3273
Author(s):  
Yang Liu ◽  
Congrui Zhang ◽  
Yingying Huang ◽  
Zhixiong Xiao ◽  
Yaxuan Han ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle ◽  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Underground Mining ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Electricity Consumption ◽  
Climate Impact ◽  
Bottom Up ◽  
Metal Mines ◽  
Life Cycle Perspective ◽  
Filling Method

China recently implemented a “Green Mine” policy focused on promoting the filling method, aiming to mitigate the environmental impacts of underground mining; nevertheless, quantitative inventories have rarely been provided to support or negate such promotion, especially from a life-cycle perspective. Accordingly, this paper proposes a bottom-up model for estimating life-cycle greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from underground metal mines using either filling or caving methods. Two filling-based (Luohe and Longtangyan) and two caving-based (Maogong and Xiaowanggou) iron mines were studied; their direct GHG emissions were 0.576, 0.278, 2.130, and 1.425 tons of carbon dioxide equivalent per kiloton-extracted ore (t CO2 eq/kt), respectively. When indirect GHG emissions were considered, the results increased to 17.386, 15.211, 5.554, and 5.602 t CO2 eq/kt, respectively. In contrast to popular belief, such results demonstrate that promoting the filling method can potentially raise the overall GHG emissions. Although filling-based projects generate less direct GHG emissions, the emissions are transferred to upstream sectors, especially the cement and power sectors. The additional electricity consumption in the haulage and backfilling stages is primarily responsible for the greater GHG emissions occurring in filling-based projects. Some mitigation approaches are suggested, such as backfilling the subsidence pit, using industrial waste as cementing materials, employing energy-efficient pumps, and further developing hauling systems.

The potential of bio-methane as bio-fuel/bio-energy for reducing greenhouse gas emissions: a qualitative assessment for Europe in a life cycle perspective

2008 ◽  
Vol 57 (11) ◽  
pp. 1683-1692 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrea Tilche ◽  
Michele Galatola
Keyword(s):  
Wastewater Treatment ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Anaerobic Digestion ◽  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Industrial Wastewater ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Energy Crops ◽  
Qualitative Assessment ◽  
Potential Contribution ◽  
Ghg Reduction

Anaerobic digestion is a well known process that (while still capable of showing new features) has experienced several waves of technological development. It was “born” as a wastewater treatment system, in the 1970s showed promise as an alternative energy source (in particular from animal waste), in the 1980s and later it became a standard for treating organic-matter-rich industrial wastewater, and more recently returned to the market for its energy recovery potential, making use of different biomasses, including energy crops. With the growing concern around global warming, this paper looks at the potential of anaerobic digestion in terms of reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The potential contribution of anaerobic digestion to GHG reduction has been computed for the 27 EU countries on the basis of their 2005 Kyoto declarations and using life cycle data. The theoretical potential contribution of anaerobic digestion to Kyoto and EU post-Kyoto targets has been calculated. Two different possible biogas applications have been considered: electricity production from manure waste, and upgraded methane production for light goods vehicles (from landfill biogas and municipal and industrial wastewater treatment sludges). The useful heat that can be produced as by-product from biogas conversion into electricity has not been taken into consideration, as its real exploitation depends on local conditions. Moreover the amount of biogas already produced via dedicated anaerobic digestion processes has also not been included in the calculations. Therefore the overall gains achievable would be even higher than those reported here. This exercise shows that biogas may considerably contribute to GHG emission reductions in particular if used as a biofuel. Results also show that its use as a biofuel may allow for true negative GHG emissions, showing a net advantage with respect to other biofuels. Considering also energy crops that will become available in the next few years as a result of Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) reform, this study shows that biogas has the potential of covering almost 50% of the 2020 biofuel target of 10% of all automotive transport fuels, without implying a change in land use. Moreover, considering the achievable GHG reductions, a very large carbon emission trading “value” could support the investment needs. However, those results were obtained through a “qualitative” assessment. In order to produce robust data for decision makers, a quantitative sustainability assessment should be carried out, integrating different methodologies within a life cycle framework. The identification of the most appropriate policy for promoting the best set of options is then discussed.

Life Cycle Assessment of opencast lignite mining

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lukasz Lelek ◽  
Joanna Kulczycka
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle ◽  
Production Efficiency ◽  
Underground Mining ◽  
Hot Spot ◽  
Electricity Consumption ◽  
Calorific Value ◽  
High Sensitivity ◽  
Cycle Phase ◽  
Mining Operations ◽  
Lignite Mining

Abstract The life cycle phase of fossil fuel extraction is mainly considered in the LCA when evaluating the energy production processes. It is then only one of many unit processes, which contribute to the blurring of mining-relevant results. There are few items in the literature focusing exclusively on the lignite mining phase and analysing the specific mining conditions and associated environmental impacts. The article focuses on the LCA of lignite mining pro-cesses on the basis of data coming from a Polish mine. The technology for opencast lignite mining is noted for its high production efficiency, high level of recovery and lower risk as regards the safety of workers when compared with underground mining systems. However, the need to remove large amounts of overburden to uncover the deposit contributes to a much greater degradation of the landscape. Analysing the results obtained, several key (hot spot) elements of the lignite mining operations were distinguished for modelling the environmental impact, i.e.: calorific value, the amount of electricity consumption, the manner in which waste and overburden are managed. As a result there is a high sensitivity of the final indicator to changes in these impacts.

scholarly journals Modelling Environmental Burdens of Indoor-Grown Vegetables and Herbs as Affected by Red and Blue LED Lighting

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (15) ◽  
pp. 4063 ◽  
Author(s):  
Giuseppina Pennisi ◽  
Esther Sanyé-Mengual ◽  
Francesco Orsini ◽  
Andrea Crepaldi ◽  
Silvana Nicola ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle ◽  
Food Systems ◽  
Crop Yields ◽  
Electricity Consumption ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Environmental Pressures ◽  
Light Emitting ◽  
Led Lighting ◽  
Life Cycle Perspective ◽  
Electronic Elements

Notwithstanding that indoor farming is claimed to reduce the environmental pressures of food systems, electricity needs are elevated and mainly associated with lighting. To date, however, no studies have quantified the environmental and economic profile of Light Emitting Diodes (LED) lighting in indoor farming systems. The goal of this study is to quantify the effect of varying the red (R) and blue (B) LED spectral components (RB ratios of 0.5, 1, 2, 3 and 4) on the eco-efficiency of indoor production of lettuce, chicory, rocket and sweet basil from a life cycle perspective. The functional unit of the assessment was 1 kg of harvested fresh plant edible product, and the International Reference Life Cycle Data System (ILCD) method was employed for impact assessment. Even though most of the materials of the LED lamp and electronic elements were imported from long distances (14,400 km), electricity consumption was the largest contributor to the environmental impacts (with the LED lamps being the main electricity consumers, approximately 70%), apart from the resources use indicator, where the materials of the lamps and the mineral nutrients were also relevant. RB0.5 was the most energy-efficient light treatment but had the lowest eco-efficiency scores due to the lower crop yields.

Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Refrigeration Equipment in Malaysia

2009 ◽  
Vol 20 (4) ◽  
pp. 533-551 ◽  
Author(s):  
R Saidur ◽  
MA Sattar ◽  
H.H. Masjuki ◽  
M.Y. Jamaluddin
Keyword(s):  
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ◽  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Environmental Protection Agency ◽  
Fossil Fuels ◽  
Energy Savings ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Electricity Consumption ◽  
Air Conditioner ◽  
Gas Emissions ◽  
Refrigeration Equipment

This paper presents an analysis of the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from refrigeration equipment. The refrigeration equipments use refrigerants such as chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and hydrofluorocarbons HFCs, which are believed to contribute the ozone depletion and global warming. Refrigeration equipment thus contributes indirectly through emission due to electricity consumption and directly due to the emission of refrigerants. Greenhouse gas emissions resulting from the burning of fossil fuels are quantified and presented in this paper. The calculation was carried out based on emissions per unit electricity generated and the type of fuel used. The direct emission of refrigerant was calculated based on emission factor and according to the procedure of Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), USA. A study was conducted to evaluate the refrigerant losses to the atmosphere and the CO2 emission from fossil fuels to generate power to run the refrigeration and air-conditioning systems. In this paper, total appliance annual energy consumption by refrigerator-freezer and air conditioner as well as emission has been estimated for a period of 19 years (1997–2015) using the survey data. Energy savings and emission reductions achievable by raising thermostat set point temperature have been calculated for a period of 10 (i.e. 2005–2015) years.

Optimal Plug-In Hybrid Vehicle Design and Allocation for Minimum Life Cycle Cost, Petroleum Consumption and Greenhouse Gas Emissions

2010 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ching-Shin Norman Shiau ◽  
Scott B. Peterson ◽  
Jeremy J. Michalek
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle ◽  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Life Cycle Cost ◽  
Hybrid Electric Vehicle ◽  
Operating Cost ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
The United States ◽  
Vehicle Design ◽  
Battery Capacity ◽  
Hybrid Electric

Plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) technology has the potential to help address economic, environmental, and national security concerns in the United States by reducing operating cost, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and petroleum consumption from the transportation sector. However, the net effects of PHEVs depend critically on vehicle design, battery technology, and charging frequency. To examine these implications, we develop an integrated optimization model utilizing vehicle physics simulation, battery degradation data, and U.S. driving data to determine optimal vehicle design and allocation of vehicles to drivers for minimum life cycle cost, GHG emissions, and petroleum consumption. We find that, while PHEVs with large battery capacity minimize petroleum consumption, a mix of PHEVs sized for 25–40 miles of electric travel produces the greatest reduction in lifecycle GHG emissions. At today’s average US energy prices, battery pack cost must fall below $460/kWh (below $300/kWh for a 10% discount rate) for PHEVs to be cost competitive with ordinary hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs). Carbon allowance prices have marginal impact on optimal design or allocation of PHEVs even at $100/tonne. We find that the maximum battery swing should be utilized to achieve minimum life cycle cost, GHGs, and petroleum consumption. Increased swing enables greater all-electric range (AER) to be achieved with smaller battery packs, improving cost competitiveness of PHEVs. Hence, existing policies that subsidize battery cost for PHEVs would likely be better tied to AER, rather than total battery capacity.

Global Optimization of Plug-In Hybrid Vehicle Design and Allocation to Minimize Life Cycle Greenhouse Gas Emissions

2011 ◽  
Vol 133 (8) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ching-Shin Norman Shiau ◽  
Jeremy J. Michalek
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle ◽  
Local Search ◽  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Optimal Allocation ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Global Solutions ◽  
Electrical Energy ◽  
Mixed Integer ◽  
Battery Packs ◽  
Hybrid Electric

We pose a reformulated model for optimal design and allocation of conventional (CV), hybrid electric (HEV), and plug-in hybrid electric (PHEV) vehicles to obtain global solutions that minimize life cycle greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of the fleet. The reformulation is a twice-differentiable, factorable, nonconvex mixed-integer nonlinear programming (MINLP) model that can be solved globally using a convexification-based branch-and-reduce algorithm. We compare results to a randomized multistart local-search approach for the original formulation and find that local-search algorithms locate global solutions in 59% of trials for the two-segment case and 18% of trials for the three-segment case. The results indicate that minimum GHG emissions are achieved with a mix of PHEVs sized for 25–45 miles of electric travel. Larger battery packs allow longer travel on electrical energy, but production and weight of underutilized batteries result in higher GHG emissions. Under the current average U.S. grid mix, PHEVs offer a nearly 50% reduction in life cycle GHG emissions relative to equivalent conventional vehicles and about 5% improvement over HEVs when driven on the standard urban driving cycle. Optimal allocation of different PHEVs to different drivers turns out to be of second order importance for minimizing net life cycle GHGs.

scholarly journals Greenhouse Gas Pollution Based on Energy use and its Mitigation Potential in the City of Surakarta, Indonesia

2020 ◽  
Vol 52 (1) ◽  
pp. 1
Author(s):  
Prabang Setyono ◽  
Widhi Himawan ◽  
Cynthia Permata Sari ◽  
Totok Gunawan ◽  
Sigit Heru Murti
Keyword(s):  
Energy Consumption ◽  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Energy Use ◽  
Carbon Sink ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Electricity Consumption ◽  
Vegetation Density ◽  
Rate Of Increase ◽  
The City

Considered as a trigger of climate change, greenhouse gas (GHG) is a global environmental issue. The City of Surakarta in Indonesia consists mainly of urban areas with high intensities of anthropogenic fossil energy consumption and, potentially, GHG emission. It is topographically a basin area and most likely prompts a Thermal Inversion, creating a risk of accumulation and entrapment of air pollutants or GHGs at low altitudes. Vegetation has been reported to mitigate the rate of increase in emissions because it acts as a natural carbon sink. This study aimed to mitigate the GHG emissions from energy consumption in Surakarta and formulate recommendations for control. It commenced with calculating the emission factors based on the IPCC formula and determining the key categories using the Level Assessment approach. It also involved computing the vegetation density according to the NDVI values of the interpretation of Sentinel 2A imagery. The estimation results showed that in 2018, the emission loads from the energy consumption in Surakarta reached 1,217,385.05 (tons of CO2e). The key categories of these emissions were electricity consumption, transportation on highways, and the domestic sector, with transportation on highways being the top priority. These loads have exceeded the local carrying capacity because they create an imbalance between emission and natural GHG sequestration by vegetations.

scholarly journals Comparison of energy and greenhouse gas balances of biogas with other transport biofuel options based on domestic agricultural biomass in Finland

2008 ◽  
Vol 17 (3) ◽  
pp. 240 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. L. TUOMISTO ◽  
J. HELENIUS
Keyword(s):  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Energy Input ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Raw Material ◽  
Energy Output ◽  
Published Data ◽  
N2o Emissions ◽  
Organic Farm ◽  
Unit Energy ◽  
Life Cycle Perspective

Biofuels have been promoted as a way to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, but it is questionable whether they indeed do so. The study compared energy and GHG balances of transport biofuels produced in Finnish conditions. Energy and GHG balances were calculated from a life cycle perspective for biogas when timothy-clover and reed canary grass silages and green manure of an organic farm were used as a raw material. The results were compared with published data on barley-based ethanol, rape methyl ester (biodiesel) and biowaste-based biogas. The energy input for biogas was 22–37% of the output depending on the raw material. The GHG emissions from field-based biogas were 21–36% of emissions from fossil-based fuels. The largest energy input was used in the processing of the biofuels while most of the greenhouse gases were emitted during farming. The GHG emissions of the field-based biogas were emitted mainly from fuels of farming machinery, nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions of the soil and the production of ensiling additives. The energy efficiency was most sensitive to the methane yield, and GHG emissions to the N2O emissions. Biogas had clearly lower energy input and GHG emissions per unit energy output than domestic barley-based ethanol and biodiesel.;

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