Process Strategies for the Transition of 1G to Advanced Bioethanol Production

Nowadays, the transport sector is one of the main sources of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and air pollution in cities. The use of renewable energies is therefore imperative to improve the environmental sustainability of this sector. In this regard, biofuels play an important role as they can be blended directly with fossil fuels and used in traditional vehicles’ engines. Bioethanol is the most used biofuel worldwide and can replace gasoline or form different gasoline-ethanol blends. Additionally, it is an important building block to obtain different high added-value compounds (e.g., acetaldehyde, ethylene, 1,3-butadiene, ethyl acetate). Today, bioethanol is mainly produced from food crops (first-generation (1G) biofuels), and a transition to the production of the so-called advanced ethanol (obtained from lignocellulosic feedstocks, non-food crops, or industrial waste and residue streams) is needed to meet sustainability criteria and to have a better GHG balance. This work gives an overview of the current production, use, and regulation rules of bioethanol as a fuel, as well as the advanced processes and the co-products that can be produced together with bioethanol in a biorefinery context. Special attention is given to the opportunities for making a sustainable transition from bioethanol 1G to advanced bioethanol.

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Smart Power Electronics–Based Solutions to Interface Solar-Photovoltaics (PV), Smart Grid, and Electrified Transportation: State-of-the-Art and Future Prospects

Applied Sciences ◽

10.3390/app10144988 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (14) ◽

pp. 4988

Author(s):

Sandra Aragon-Aviles ◽

Ashutosh Trivedi ◽

Sheldon S. Williamson

Keyword(s):

Smart Grid ◽

Power Electronics ◽

Electric Vehicles ◽

Fossil Fuels ◽

Ghg Emissions ◽

Transport Sector ◽

Smart Power ◽

Pv Systems ◽

The Future ◽

Transportation Electrification

The need to reduce the use of fossil fuels and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions produced by the transport sector has generated a clear increasing trend in transportation electrification and the future of energy and mobility. This paper reviews the current research trends and future work for power electronics-based solutions that support the integration of photovoltaic (PV) energy sources and smart grid with charging systems for electric vehicles (EVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV). A compressive overview of isolated and non-isolated DC–DC converters and AC–DC converter topologies used to interface the PV-grid charging facilities is presented. Furthermore, this paper reviews the modes of operation of the system currently used. Finally, this paper explores the future roadmap of research for power electronics solutions related to photovoltaic (PV) systems, smart grid, and transportation electrification.

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Environmental sustainability of biofuels: a review

Proceedings of The Royal Society A Mathematical Physical and Engineering Sciences ◽

10.1098/rspa.2020.0351 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 476 (2243) ◽

pp. 20200351

Author(s):

Harish K. Jeswani ◽

Andrew Chilvers ◽

Adisa Azapagic

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Environmental Impacts ◽

Environmental Sustainability ◽

Fossil Fuels ◽

Water Footprint ◽

Ghg Emissions ◽

Biodiversity Loss ◽

Low Carbon ◽

Environmental Consequences ◽

Methodological Choices

Biofuels are being promoted as a low-carbon alternative to fossil fuels as they could help to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and the related climate change impact from transport. However, there are also concerns that their wider deployment could lead to unintended environmental consequences. Numerous life cycle assessment (LCA) studies have considered the climate change and other environmental impacts of biofuels. However, their findings are often conflicting, with a wide variation in the estimates. Thus, the aim of this paper is to review and analyse the latest available evidence to provide a greater clarity and understanding of the environmental impacts of different liquid biofuels. It is evident from the review that the outcomes of LCA studies are highly situational and dependent on many factors, including the type of feedstock, production routes, data variations and methodological choices. Despite this, the existing evidence suggests that, if no land-use change (LUC) is involved, first-generation biofuels can—on average—have lower GHG emissions than fossil fuels, but the reductions for most feedstocks are insufficient to meet the GHG savings required by the EU Renewable Energy Directive (RED). However, second-generation biofuels have, in general, a greater potential to reduce the emissions, provided there is no LUC. Third-generation biofuels do not represent a feasible option at present state of development as their GHG emissions are higher than those from fossil fuels. As also discussed in the paper, several studies show that reductions in GHG emissions from biofuels are achieved at the expense of other impacts, such as acidification, eutrophication, water footprint and biodiversity loss. The paper also investigates the key methodological aspects and sources of uncertainty in the LCA of biofuels and provides recommendations to address these issues.

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Power usage in the transport sector – potential, costs and greenhouse gas abatement of different well-to-wheel pathways

10.5194/egusphere-egu2020-3399 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Markus Millinger ◽

Philip Tafarte ◽

Matthias Jordan ◽

Alena Hahn ◽

Kathleen Meisel ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Renewable Energy ◽

Greenhouse Gas ◽

Electric Vehicles ◽

Fossil Fuels ◽

Renewable Energy Sources ◽

Ghg Emissions ◽

Energy System ◽

Transport Sector ◽

Greenhouse Gas Abatement ◽

Surplus Power

The increase of variable renewable energy sources (VRE), i.e. wind and solar power, may lead to a certain mismatch between power demand and supply. At the same time, in order to decarbonise the heat and transport sectors, power-based solutions are often seen as promising option, through so-called sector coupling. At times when VRE power supply exceeds demand, the surplus power could be used for producing liquid and gaseous electrofuels. The power is used for electrolysis, producing hydrogen, which can in turn be used either directly or combined with a carbon source to produce hydrocarbon fuels.Here, we analyse the potential development of surplus power for the case of Germany, at an ambitious VRE expansion until 2050 and perform a cost analysis of electrofuels at different production levels using sorted residual load curves. These are then compared to biofuels and electric vehicles with the aid of an optimisation model, considering both cost- and greenhouse gas (GHG)-optimal options for the main transport sectors in Germany.We find that, although hydrocarbon electrofuels are more expensive than their main renewable competitors, i.e. biofuels, they are most likely indispensable in addition for reaching climate targets in transport. However, the electrofuel potential is constrained by the availability of both surplus power and carbon. In fact, the surplus power potential is projected to remain limited even at currently ambitious VRE targets for Germany and carbon availability is lower in an increasingly renewable energy system unless direct air capture is deployed. In addition, as the power mix is likely to contain fossil fuels for decades to come, electrofuels based on power directly from the mix with associated conversion losses would cause higher GHG-emissions than the fossil transport fuel reference until a very high share of renewables in the power source is achieved. In contrast, electric vehicles are a more climate competitive option under the projected power mix with remaining fossil fuel fractions, due to a superior fuel economy and thereby lower costs and emissions.As part of the assessment, we quantify the greenhouse gas abatement costs for different well-to-wheel pathways and provide an analysis and recommendations for a transition to sustainable transport.

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Mitigation of Greenhouse Gas Emissions Through the Shift From Fossil Fuels to Electricity in the Mass Transport System in Guayaquil, Ecuador

Volume 6A: Energy ◽

10.1115/imece2018-87732 ◽

2018 ◽

Author(s):

Angel D. Ramirez ◽

Danilo Arcentales ◽

Andrea Boero

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Life Cycle ◽

Greenhouse Gas Emissions ◽

Greenhouse Gas ◽

Fossil Fuels ◽

Ghg Emissions ◽

Partial Replacement ◽

Transport Sector ◽

Carbon Intensity ◽

Gas Emissions

Climate change is a serious threat to sustainability. Anthropogenic climate change is due to the accumulation of greenhouse gases (GHG) in the atmosphere beyond natural levels. Anthropogenic GHG emissions are mostly associated with carbon-dioxide (CO2) originated in the combustion of fossil fuels used for heat, power, and transportation. Globally, transportation contributes to 14% of the global GHG emissions. The transport sector is one of the main contributors to the greenhouse gas emissions of Ecuador. In Guayaquil, the road mass transportation system comprises regular buses and the bus rapid transit (BRT) system. Electricity in Ecuador is mostly derived from hydropower, hence incurs relatively low GHG emissions along its life cycle. Therefore, electrification of transport has been seen as an opportunity for mitigation of GHG emissions. In this study, the effect of partial replacement of the bus rapid system fleet is investigated. Feeders have been chosen as the replacement target in five different scenarios. GHG emissions from diesel-based feeders have been calculated using the GREET Fleet Footprint Calculator tool. The GHG emissions associated with the electricity used for transportation is calculated using the life cycle inventory of the electricity generation system of Ecuador. Three energy mix scenarios are used for this purpose. The 2012 mix which had 61% hydropower; the mix of 85% hydropower and the marginal electricity scenario, which supposed the extreme case when the new demand for electricity occurs during peak demand periods. Results indicate that mitigation of GHG emissions is possible for almost all scenarios of percentage fleet replacement and all mix scenarios. Electric buses efficiency and the carbon intensity of the electricity mix are critical for GHG mitigation.

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Overview of Biodiesel Combustion in Mitigating the Adverse Impacts of Engine Emissions on the Sustainable Human–Environment Scenario

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su13105465 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (10) ◽

pp. 5465

Author(s):

Oyetola Ogunkunle ◽

Noor A. Ahmed

Keyword(s):

Environmental Sustainability ◽

Fossil Fuels ◽

Heart Diseases ◽

The United States ◽

Pollutant Emissions ◽

Transport Sector ◽

Gaseous Pollutants ◽

Transportation Fuel ◽

Healthy Human ◽

Human Environment

Air pollution is a precursor to many health issues such as difficulty breathing, asthma, lung and heart diseases, and cancer. This study presents a concise view of biodiesel combustion in mitigating pollutant emissions which are generated by the combustion of fossil fuels, thereby eliminating the negative effects on human health and the environment. Gaseous pollutants such as carbon monoxide, unburned hydrocarbons, nitrogen oxides, particulate matter, and carbon dioxide are found to be major exhaust emissions from vehicles running on fossil fuels. Excessive exposure to these pollutants was found to be a precursor to reductions in life expectancy via health complications in humans. Greenhouse gas emissions from the transport sector were found to be 24% of total annual emissions, 74.5% of which came from the combustion of fossil fuel in road vehicles. Biodiesel combustion in vehicular engines is established to be a control technology in reducing gaseous pollutants toward building a sustainable and healthy human–environment scenario. The emissions reduction index from the United States National Biodiesel Board showed that the combustion of biodiesel wholly as a transportation fuel decreased total hydrocarbons, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, carbon, and sulfur emissions by 67%, 80%, 48%, and 100%, respectively. Evaluation of emission results from topical literature strongly suggests that the use of biodiesel is effective in the reduction in pollutants, which is beneficial to human and environmental sustainability.

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THEORETICAL BASIS AND DEFINITIONAL CLARITY OF RESEARCH OF WATERWAY TRANSPORT DEVELOPMENT

Economic innovations ◽

10.31520/ei.2021.23.2(79).8-24 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 23 (2(79)) ◽

pp. 8-24

Author(s):

B.V. BURKYNSKYI ◽

S.V. ILCHENKO ◽

V.K. SIMONENKO ◽

А.V. KENS

Keyword(s):

Economic Development ◽

Water Transport ◽

Environmental Sustainability ◽

Theoretical Basis ◽

Structural Changes ◽

Driving Forces ◽

Semantic Content ◽

Added Value ◽

Transport Sector ◽

Sea Transport

Topicality. One of the important spheres of economic activity of the country is transport, the infrastructure of which is quite ramified by national and world borders. In the transformational conditions of development, questions of its productive development arise, which will contribute to ensuring an increase in the added value of Ukraine�s GDP and accelerating European integration processes. Moving towards sustainable consumption and production patterns and environmental sustainability requires urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts, protect and restore terrestrial ecosystems and others. Therefore, among all types of transport, it is advisable to develop water transport, in particular in Ukraine, while ensuring the conservation and rational use of the oceans, seas and marine resources. It can act as a catalyst for the implementation of the transit potential of Ukraine and an instrument to accelerate the country�s economic development. However, the existing differences in the interpretation and understanding of the conceptual apparatus of the development of water transport require updating and clarification. Aim and tasks. The purpose of the article is to conduct a critical analysis of the legal framework and scientific views of foreign and domestic scientists on the range of issues of water transport development in modern conditions. Research results. It has been established that in the scientific community the concept of "development" is considered as a special form of movement for changes in qualitative, quantitative and structural changes. Studying the essence of the category �transport� as well as �sea transport� and �inland water transport� as its components, the main normative legal acts of various legal force, regulating the legal relations of the subjects of water transport, have been investigated. Based on the analysis of the works of domestic and foreign scientists on various problems of the development of water transport, the existing theoretical basis has been developed. The modern semantic content of the concept of �development of water transport� is formulated, taking into account the modern changes taking place in the process of transformation of the national economy, taking into account world trends. It is proposed to understand the concept of �development of water transport� as a dynamic category, which is inherent in an evolutionary form and focused on the acquisition of new interrelated functions, qualitative and quantitative characteristics of water transport, aimed at regulatory, economic, social and environmental support for the effective functioning of its subjects of objects in the context the need to realize its potential as a tool to accelerate economic development and increase the country�s competitiveness. Conclusion. The fundamental aspects of the development of water transport are determined: regulatory, legal, economic, social, environmental. This made it possible to identify their direction, prerequisites for the development process and driving forces. This will contribute to improving the regulatory framework by regulating the rules of the game, developing and implementing a strategy for the development of water transport by optimizing state policy in this area. In turn, this will stimulate an increase in the gross domestic product of Ukraine and the share of the water transport sector in it, the general welfare of citizens and competitiveness at the international level.

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Recoupling Climate Change and Air Quality: Exploring Low-Emission Options in Urban Transportation Using the TIMES-City Model

Energies ◽

10.3390/en14113220 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 14 (11) ◽

pp. 3220

Author(s):

Jonas Forsberg ◽

Anna Krook-Riekkola

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Fossil Fuels ◽

Ghg Emissions ◽

Energy System ◽

Mitigation Strategies ◽

Transport Sector ◽

Hydrogen Fuel Cell ◽

Ancillary Benefits ◽

Cost Efficient ◽

Efficient Option

Fossil fuels in transportation are a significant source of local emissions in and around cities; thus, decarbonising transportation can reduce both greenhouse gases (GHGs) and air pollutants (APs). However, the degree of these reductions depends on what replaces fossil fuels. Today, GHG and AP mitigation strategies are typically ‘decoupled’ as they have different motivations and responsibilities. This study investigates the ancillary benefits on (a) APs if the transport sector is decarbonised, and (b) GHGs if APs are drastically cut and (c) the possible co-benefits from targeting APs and GHGs in parallel, using an energy-system optimisation model with a detailed and consistent representation of technology and fuel choices. While biofuels are the most cost-efficient option for meeting ambitious climate-change-mitigation targets, they have a very limited effect on reducing APs. Single-handed deep cuts in APs require a shift to zero-emission battery electric and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles (BEVs, HFCVs), which can result in significant upstream GHG emissions from electricity and hydrogen production. BEVs powered by ‘green’ electricity are identified as the most cost-efficient option for substantially cutting both GHGs and APs. A firm understanding of these empirical relationships is needed to support comprehensive mitigation strategies that tackle the range of sustainability challenges facing cities.

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Improving the Sustainability of Dairy Slurry by A Commercial Additive Treatment

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su11184998 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 11 (18) ◽

pp. 4998 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Federica Borgonovo ◽

Cecilia Conti ◽

Daniela Lovarelli ◽

Valentina Ferrante ◽

Marcella Guarino

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Environmental Impact ◽

Environmental Sustainability ◽

Ghg Emissions ◽

Mineral Fertilizer ◽

Cattle Slurry ◽

N Loss ◽

Beneficial Effects ◽

Environmental Impact Categories ◽

Carbon Dioxide Co2

Ammonia (NH3), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from livestock farms contribute to negative environmental impacts such as acidification and climate change. A significant part of these emissions is produced from the decomposition of slurry in livestock facilities, during storage and treatment phases. This research aimed at evaluating the effectiveness of the additive “SOP LAGOON” (made of agricultural gypsum processed with proprietary technology) on (i) NH3 and Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions, (ii) slurry properties and N loss. Moreover, the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) method was applied to assess the potential environmental impact associated with stored slurry treated with the additive. Six barrels were filled with 65 L of cattle slurry, of which three were used as a control while the additive was used in the other three. The results indicated that the use of the additive led to a reduction of total nitrogen, nitrates, and GHG emissions. LCA confirmed the higher environmental sustainability of the scenario with the additive for some environmental impact categories among which climate change. In conclusion, the additive has beneficial effects on both emissions and the environment, and the nitrogen present in the treated slurry could partially displace a mineral fertilizer, which can be considered an environmental credit.

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Recent Advancements in Technical Design and Thermal Performance Enhancement of Solar Greenhouse Dryers

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su13137025 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (13) ◽

pp. 7025

Author(s):

Shiva Gorjian ◽

Behnam Hosseingholilou ◽

Laxmikant D. Jathar ◽

Haniyeh Samadi ◽

Samiran Samanta ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Thermal Performance ◽

Fossil Fuels ◽

Performance Enhancement ◽

Renewable Energy Sources ◽

Ghg Emissions ◽

Heat Pumps ◽

Energy Sources ◽

Key Factor ◽

Hybrid Configuration ◽

Vegetables And Fruits

The food industry is responsible for supplying the food demand of the ever-increasing global population. The food chain is one of the major contributors to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and global food waste accounts for one-third of produced food. A solution to this problem is preserving crops, vegetables, and fruits with the help of an ancient method of sun drying. For drying agricultural and marine products, several types of dryers are also being developed. However, they require a large amount of energy supplied conventionally from pollutant energy sources. The environmental concerns and depletion risks of fossil fuels persuade researchers and developers to seek alternative solutions. To perform drying applications, sustainable solar power may be effective because it is highly accessible in most regions of the world. Greenhouse dryers (GHDs) are simple facilities that can provide large capacities for drying agricultural products. This study reviews the integration of GHDs with different solar technologies, including photovoltaic (PV), photovoltaic-thermal (PVT), and solar thermal collectors. Additionally, the integration of solar-assisted greenhouse dryers (SGHDs) with heat pumps and thermal energy storage (TES) units, as well as their hybrid configuration considering integration with other renewable energy sources, is investigated to improve their thermal performance. In this regard, this review presents and discusses the most recent advances in this field. Additionally, the economic analysis of SGHDs is presented as a key factor to make these sustainable facilities commercially available.

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A Comeback of Wind Power in Shipping: An Economic and Operational Review on the Wind-Assisted Ship Propulsion Technology

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su13041880 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (4) ◽

pp. 1880

Author(s):

Todd Chou ◽

Vasileios Kosmas ◽

Michele Acciaro ◽

Katharina Renken

Keyword(s):

Fossil Fuels ◽

Secondary Data ◽

Decision Makers ◽

Transport Sector ◽

Key Factors ◽

Ship Propulsion ◽

Fuel Savings ◽

Technological Growth ◽

The Status ◽

Promising Solution

Wind-assisted ship propulsion (WASP) technology seems to be a promising solution toward accelerating the shipping industry’s decarbonization efforts as it uses wind to replace part of the propulsive power generated from fossil fuels. This article discusses the status quo of the WASP technological growth within the maritime transport sector by means of a secondary data review analysis, presents the potential fuel-saving implications, and identifies key factors that shape the operational efficiency of the technology. The analysis reveals three key considerations. Firstly, despite the existing limited number of WASP installations, there is a promising trend of diffusion of the technology within the industry. Secondly, companies can achieve fuel savings, which vary depending on the technology installed. Thirdly, these bunker savings are influenced by environmental, on-board, and commercial factors, which presents both opportunities and challenges to decision makers.

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