Review of trans-Mediterranean power grid interconnection:a regional roadmap towards energy sector decarbonization

Climate change is becoming an important issue in all fields of infrastructure development.Electricity plays a core role in the decarbonized energy system’s path to a regional zero-emission pattern.A well-built trans-Mediterranean backbone grid can hedge the profound evolution of regional power generation,transmission,and consumption.To date,only Turkey and the Maghreb countries(i.e.,Morocco,Algeria,and Tunisia)are connected with the Continental European Synchronous Area.Other south-and east-shore countries have insufficient interconnection infrastructures and synchronization difficulties that have proven to be major hurdles to the implementation of large-scale solar and wind projects and achievement of climate goals.This study analyzes the current trans-boundary grid interconnections and power and carbon emission portfolios in the Mediterranean region.To align with the recently launched new climate target‘Fit for 55’program and the accelerated large-scale renewables target,a holistic review of projected trans-Mediterranean grids and their market,technical,and financial obstacles of implementation was conducted.For south-and east-shore countries,major legal and regulatory barriers encompassing non-liberalized market structure,regulation gaps of taxation and transmission tariffs,and the private sector’s access rights need to be removed.Enhancement of domestic grids,substations,and harmonized grid codes and frequency,voltage,and communication technology standards among all trans-Mediterranean countries are physical prerequisites for implementing the Trans-Mediterranean Electricity Market.In addition,the mobilization of capital instruments along with private and international investments is indispensable for the realization of supranational transmission projects.As the final section of the decarbonization roadmap,the development of electric appliances,equipment,and vehicles with higher efficiency is inevitable in the decarbonized building,transportation,and industry sectors.

Decarbonization options of the iron and steelmaking industry based on a three-dimensional analysis

Decarbonization is a critical issue for peaking CO_(2) emissions of energy-intensive industries,such as the iron and steel industry.The decarbonization options of China’s ironmaking and steelmaking sector were discussed based on a systematic three-dimensional low-carbon analysis from the aspects of resource utilization(Y),energy utilization(Q),and energy cleanliness which is evaluated by a process general emission factor(PGEF)on all the related processes,including the current blast furnace(BF)-basic oxygen furnace(BOF)integrated process and the specific sub-processes,as well as the electric arc furnace(EAF)process,typical direct reduction(DR)process,and smelting reduction(SR)process.The study indicates that the three-dimensional aspects,particularly the energy structure,should be comprehensively considered to quantitatively evaluate the decarbonization road map based on novel technologies or processes.Promoting scrap utilization(improvement of Y)and the substitution of carbon-based energy(improvement of PGEF)in particular is critical.In terms of process scale,promoting the development of the scrap-based EAF or DR-EAF process is highly encouraged because of their lower PGEF.The three-dimensional method is expected to extend to other processes or industries,such as the cement production and thermal electricity generation industries.

Decarbonization and Decolorization of Large Sapphire Crystals Grown by the Temperature Gradient Technique

A crystalline sapphire （Al2O3） boule （Ф10 × 80mm^3） grown by the temperature gradient technique （TGT） is a bit colored due to carbon volatilization from the graphite heater at high temperatures and the absorption of transitional metal inclusions in the raw material. The sapphire becomes colorless and transparent after decolorization and decarbonization in successive annealings in air and hydrogen at high temperatures. The quality, optical transmissivity,and homogeneity of the sapphire are remarkably improved.

Effects of key factors of rotary triboelectrostatic separator on efficiency of fly ash decarbonization

On the basis of understanding the principle of rotary triboelectrostatic separation, dynamic analysis of charged fly ash particles aimed at determining the key factors and separation experiments to improve decarbonization efficiency had been carried out Variables of electrode plate voltage and corrected wind speed are the key factors which affect the decarbonization efficiency on the separation of fly ash, The results of separation experiments show that:(1) With the plate voltage increasing, the efficiency of decarbonization continuously rises and in its selected range, the optimal voltage level is 45 KV;(2) The corrected wind speed can impact the efficiency of decarbonization significantly: with the speed increasing, the efficiency of decarbonization shows a trend of first decline, then increase and decrease again, and in its selected range, the optimal speed is 2.0 m/s. This study is of significance for the improvement of rotary triboelectrostatic separation performance and its decarbonization separation efficiency.

Electrical properties of fly ash and its decarbonization by electrostatic separation

The basic principle of fly ash triboelectrification is analysed. The mineral electrical index and test method are introduced. The electric difference of different mineral composition of fly ash is discussed by analysis of chemical and mineral composition of fly ash in Xinwen power plant. The dielectric constant and charge-mass ratio of carbon and ash of fly ash are tested. Combined with the experimental study on rotary triboelectrostatic separation, the charged characteristic of fly ash particles with different size is gained. The results show that the dielectric constant of fly ash with different grain size decreased with the decrease of particle size, which lead to the poor electrical conductivity, Thus it can be seen that par- ticle size plays a leading role in conductivity, The charge of carbon and ash with each size increased with the decreased of particle size; and the charge-mass ratio between carbon and ash with the same size lar- ger with the decrease of size, which indicated that the finer particle size, the more favorable for triboelec- trification separation. In the same conditions, the best decarburization effect is realized when the particle size ranges from 0.038 to 0.074 ram, whose decarbonization rate and efficiency index reached 38.93% and 120.83% respectively.

Pollutant Sources and Foaming Control Measures of Decarbonization Solution in Natural Gas Purification Plant

Yanbei project of Schlumberger Copower Oilfield Engineering Co.,Ltd.-natural gas purification plant decarbonization unit is equipped with two sets of decarbonization systems(parallel operation).The two sets of systems adopt two tower process,full lean liquid circulation regeneration process,one tower absorption(absorption pressure 5.4mpag),one tower regeneration(regeneration temperature 95℃-110℃),purified natural gas carbon dioxide content≤2.5vol%,single set The treatment capacity is 2300 KM3/d.This paper introduces the problems existing in the decarbonization solution of the decarbonization unit in the natural gas purification plant in recent three years,analyzes the causes of pollutants affecting the quality of the decarbonization solution,and probes into the control measures for the pollution of the decarbonization solution,so as to provide reference.

Photogrammetry and deep learning for energy production prediction and building-integrated photovoltaics decarbonization

Building-Integrated photovoltaics(BIPV)have emerged as a promising sustainable energy solution,relying on accurate energy production predictions and effective decarbonization strategies for efficient deployment.This paper presents a novel approach that combines photogrammetry and deep learning techniques to address the problem of BIPV decarbonization.The method is called BIM-AITIZATION referring to the integration of BIM data,AI techniques,and automation principles.It integrates photogrammetric data into practical BIM parameters.In addition,it enhances the precision and reliability of PV energy prediction by using artificial intelligence strategies.The primary aim of this approach is to offer advanced,data-driven energy forecasts and BIPV decarbonization while fully automating the underlying process.To achieve this,the first step is to capture point cloud data of the building through photogrammetric acquisition.This data undergoes preprocessing to identify and remove unwanted points,followed by plan segmentation to extract the plan facade.After that,a meteorological dataset is assembled,incorporating various attributes that influence energy production,including solar irradiance parameters as well as BIM parameters.Finally,machine and deep learning techniques are used for accurate photovoltaic energy predictions and the automation of the entire process.Extensive experiments are conducted,including multiple tests aimed at assessing the performance of diverse machine learning models.The objective is to identify the most suitable model for our specific application.Furthermore,a comparative analysis is undertaken,comparing the performance of the proposed model against that of various established BIPV software tools.The outcomes reveal that the proposed approach surpasses existing software solutions in both accuracy and precision.To extend its applicability,the approach is evaluated using a building case study,demonstrating its ability to generalize effectively to new building data.

Impact of demand growth on the capacity of long-duration energy storage under deep decarbonization

The weather-dependent uncertainty of wind and solar power generation presents a challenge to the balancing of power generation and demand in highly renewable electricity systems.Battery energy storage can provide flexibility to firm up the variability of renewables and to respond to the increased load demand under decarbonization scenarios.This paper explores how the battery energy storage capacity requirement for compressed-air energy storage(CAES)will grow as the load demand increases.Here we used an idealized lowest-cost optimization model to study the response of highly renewable electricity systems to the increasing load demand of California under deep decarbonization.Results show that providing bulk CAES to the zero-emission power system offers substantial benefits,but it cannot fully compensate for the 100%variability of highly renewable power systems.The capacity requirement of CAES increases by≤33.3%with a 1.5 times increase in the load demand and by≤50%with a two-times increase in the load demand.In this analysis,a zero-emission electricity system operating at current costs becomes more cost-effective when there is firm power generation.The least competitive nuclear option plays this role and reduces system costs by 16.4%,curtails the annual main node by 36.8%,and decreases the CAES capacity requirements by≤80.7%in the case of a double-load demand.While CAES has potential in addressing renewable variability,its widespread deployment is constrained by geographical,societal,and economic factors.Therefore,if California is aiming for an energy system that is reliant on wind and solar power,then an additional dispatchable power source other than CAES or similar load flexibility is necessary.To fully harness the benefits of bulk CAES,the development and implementation of cost-effective approaches are crucial in significantly reducing system costs.

Techno-economic analysis of green hydrogen production by a floating solar photovoltaic system for industrial decarbonization

This study proposes a conceptual design of green hydrogen production via proton exchange membrane electrolysis powered by a floating solar photovoltaic system.The system contributes to industrial decarbonization in which hydrogen blending with natural gas is proposed as an approach to smooth the energy transition.The proposed design addresses the challenge of supplying a continuous flow-rate of green hydrogen,which is typically demanded by industrial end users.This study particularly considers a realistic area required for the installation of a floating solar photovoltaic system.To enable the green hydrogen production of 7.5 million standard cubic feet per day,the required structure includes the floating solar photovoltaic system and Li-ion batteries with the nominal capacities of 518.4 megawatts and 780.8 megawatt-hours.This is equivalent to the requirement for 1524765 photovoltaic modules and 3718 Li-ion batteries.The assessment confirms the technical viability of the proposed concept of green hydrogen production,transportation and blending.While the present commercialization is hindered by economics due to a high green hydrogen production cost of USD 26.95 per kg,this green hydrogen pathway is expected to be competitive with grey hydrogen produced via coal gasification and via natural gas steam reforming by 2043 and 2047,respectively.

Electrification and decarbonization: a critical review of interconnected sectors, policies, and sustainable development goals

Climate actions(SDG-13)aim at limiting global warming by targeting carbon emissions reduction.With the energy industry recognized as a significant CO_(2) emitter,SDG-13 policies mostly translate energy transition to renewables(SDG-7)and the electrification of end-users,both energy-demanding sectors and society(cities,households,and mobility).The double-layered actions parallel the classical“cascade control”employed in industrial sectors.For achieving deep decarbonization,the ambitious net-zero emissions(NZE),large-scale deployment of renewables demand storage,with hydrogen as a prominent chemical storage alternative,and carbon capture&storage(CCS)for hard-to-electrify sectors.Infrastructure developments need policy and capital investments,and geopolitics and resource availability challenge and offer opportunities.Since decarbonization and electrification have multiple realization paths and impact the industrial metabolism,SDGs are interconnected with synergies and trade-offs.Prioritization of SDGs by policymakers is necessary for resilience and robustness in achieving climate goals within a systems dynamics approach.This critical review identifies niches in decarbonization and electrification,enlightening the industrial metabolism under the lens of SDGs.

How to Deal with the Trade-off between Development and Decarbonization for Rural Logistics in China?Evidence from Jiangsu

Rural logistics faces a dilemma between development and high carbon emissions in China.We assess the tension between rural logistics development and carbon emissions from the perspective of policy guidance by modeling a rural logistics system using Jiangsu’s data.We simulate the development trend of Jiangsu rural logistics under carbon abatement policies from 2021–2030,with a focus on promoting its development while simultaneously reducing carbon emissions at a minimal cost.The findings show that rural logistics will move towards high carbon emissions without a carbon abatement policy,while the huge tax pressure of carbon reduction policies reduces the profitability of rural logistics,leading to a trade-off between development and decarbonization.From the perspective of implementation timing and manner of carbon abatement policies implementation,we propose a pathway for securing the profitability of rural logistics and resolving the trade-off.

Electricity as an Energy Vector: A Performance Comparison with Hydrogen and Biodiesel in Italy

This study presents a comparative analysis of electricity, hydrogen, and biodiesel as energy vectors, with a focus on powering an aluminum smelter in southern Italy. It evaluates these vectors in terms of efficiency, land requirements for carbon-neutral energy production, and capital expenditure, providing insights throughout the entire supply chain (upstream, midstream, and downstream) into their feasibility for industrial applications. The research reveals that biodiesel, despite being carbon neutral, is impractical due to extensive land requirements and lower efficiency if compared to other vectors. Hydrogen, downstream explored in two forms as thermal power generation and fuel cell technology, shows lower efficiency and higher capital expenditure compared to electricity. Additionally, green hydrogen production’s land requirements significantly exceed those of electricity-based systems. Electricity emerges as the most viable option, offering an overall higher efficiency, lower land requirements for its green production, and comparatively lower capital expenditure. The study’s findings highlight the importance of a holistic assessment of energy vectors, considering economic, environmental, and practical aspects along the entire energy supply chain, especially in industrial applications where the balance of these factors is crucial for long-term sustainability and feasibility. This comprehensive analysis provides valuable guidance for similar industrial applications, emphasizing the need for a balanced approach in the selection of energy vectors.

Green Hydrogen: Perspectives and Challenges in Using the Natural Gas Network in Ceará/Brazil

Climate change, mainly caused by the use of non-renewable fuels, has raised global concerns and led to the search for less polluting energy sources, making hydrogen a promising energy alternative with the potential to contribute to changes in the energy mix of various countries through the use of technologies that enable its production and use with low or zero carbon emissions. In this context, Brazil has aroused great interest from other countries in exploring its renewable resources for the production of hydrogen (green hydrogen). In this sense, the use of natural gas pipelines and the use of hydrogen in mixtures with natural gas have become the subject of studies due to their economically viable alternative for the immediate use of this energy vector. However, there are still technical and regulatory challenges regarding the integration of hydrogen into the existing natural gas pipeline network. In this context, the present study aims to address the effects of hydrogen interaction with the structure of natural gas pipeline steel and the regulatory barriers to the use of this network for the transportation of green hydrogen, particularly in the state of Ceará/Brazil. After extensive analysis of literature and regulatory documents, it was concluded that: 1) Ceará/Brazil has strong potential to meet the demand for green hydrogen through the use of solar and wind energy sources;2) there is feasibility for the adaptation or conversion of natural gas infrastructure for the transportation of green hydrogen;3) discussions regarding the regulatory competence of green hydrogen transportation and distribution through the natural gas network in Brazil are still incipient;4) the current regulation of the natural gas industry can serve as a subsidy for the regulation of green hydrogen and natural gas transportation.

Coal decarbonization:A state-of-the-art review of enhanced hydrogen production in underground coal gasification

The world is endowed with a tremendous amount of coal resources,which are unevenly distributed in a few nations.While sustainable energy resources are being developed and deployed,fossil fuels dominate the current world energy consumption.Thus,low-carbon clean technologies,like underground coal gasification(UCG),ought to play a vital role in energy supply and ensuring energy security in the foreseeable future.This paper provides a state-of-the-art review of the world's development of UCG for enhanced hydrogen production.It is revealed that the world has an active interest in decarbonizing the coal industry for hydrogen-oriented research in the context of UCG.While research is ongoing in multiple coal-rich nations,China dominates the world's efforts in both industrial-scale UCG pilots and laboratory experiments.A variety of coal ranks were tested in UCG for enhanced hydrogen output,and the possibilities of linking UCG with other prospective technologies had been proposed and critically scrutinized.Moreover,it is found that transborder collaborations are in dire need to propel a faster commercialization of UCG in an ever-more carbon-conscious world.Furthermore,governmental and financial support is necessary to incentivize further UCG development for large-scale hydrogen production.

Modelling and analyzing the impact of hydrogen enriched natural gas on domestic gas boilers in a decarbonization perspective

Decarbonization of energy economy is nowadays a topical theme,and several pathways are under discussion.Gaseous fuels have a fundamental role for this transition,and the production of low carbon-impact fuels is necessary to deal with this challenge.The generation of renewable hydrogen is a trusted solution since this energy vector can be promptly produced from electricity and injected into the existing natural gas infrastructure,granting storage capacity and easy transportation.This scenario will lead,in the near future,to hydrogen enrichment of natural gas,whose impact on the infrastructures is being actively studied.The effect on end-user devices such as domestic gas boilers,instead,is still little analyzed and tested,but is fundamental to be assessed.The aim of this research is to generate knowledge on the effect of hydrogen enrichment on the widely used premixed boilers:the investigations include pollutant emissions,efficiency,flashback and explosion hazard,control system and materials selection.A model for calculating several parameters related to combustion of hydrogen enriched natural gas is presented.Guidelines for the design of new components are provided,and an insight is given on the maximum hydrogen blending bearable by the current boilers.

The role of heat pump in heating decarbonization for China carbon neutrality

Heating decarbonization is a major challenge for China to meet its 2060 carbon neutral commitment,yet most existing studies on China’s carbon neutrality focus on supply side(e.g.,grid decarbonization,zero-carbon fuel)rather than demand side(e.g.,heating and cooling in buildings and industry).In terms of end use energy consumption,heating and cooling accounts for 50% of the total energy consumption,and heat pumps would be an effective driver for heating decarbonization along with the decarbonization on power generation side.Previous study has discussed the underestimated role of the heat pump in achieving China’s goal of carbon neutrality by 2060.In this paper,various investigation and assessments on heat pumps from research to applications are presented.The maximum decarbonization potential from heat pump in a carbon neutral China future could reach around 1532Mton and 670Mton for buildings and industrial heating respectively,which show nearly 2 billion tons CO_(2) emission reduction,20% current CO_(2) emission in China.Moreover,a region-specific technology roadmap for heat pump development in China is suggested.With collaborated efforts from government incentive,technology R&D,and market regulation,heat pump could play a significant role in China’s 2060 carbon neutrality.

国际海事组织船舶能效提案及其影响综述

This paper presents a review of the different International Maritime Organization(IMO)initiatives to improve the ship energy efficiency of new and existing ships,which is considered one of the essential tasks to reduce Greenhouse Gas(GHG)in the maritime industry.First,the IMO effort and initiatives and the different indices suggested by the IMO are presented till the last version of the Marine Environment Protection Committee(MEPC),showing the effect of different technologies on reducing the level of indices and the suggested improvement of the terms of indices in the next years.Second,the short-and long-term strategies suggested by the IMO are presented,showing that the effect of indices will be noticed in the short term,while the new fuels will show a significant improvement in the long term.Finally,several examples of cooperation between the different organizations are presented,showing that transferring knowledge and experience will significantly impact the maritime industry and thus lead to the concept of green ships in the near future.This paper shows that the combination of different solutions,the cooperation between stakeholders and the sharing of the data and information are important to achieve the required goal.

Process reconfiguration and intensification:An emerging opportunity enabling efficient carbon capture and low-cost blue hydrogen production

Low-carbon hydrogen can play a significant role in decarbonizing the world. Hydrogen is currently mainly produced from fossil sources,requiring additional CO_(2)capture to decarbonize, which energy intense and costly. In a recent Green Energy & Environment paper, Cheng and Di et al. proposed a novel integration process referred to as SECLR_(HC) to generate high-purity H_(2) by in-situ separation of H_(2)and CO without using any additional separation unit. Theoretically, the proposed process can essentially achieve the separation of C and H in gaseous fuel via a reconfigured reaction process, and thus attaining high-purity hydrogen of ~99%, as well as good carbon and hydrogen utilization rates and economic feasibility. It displays an optimistic prospect that industrial decarbonization is not necessarily expensive, as long as a suitable CCS measure can be integrated into the industrial manufacturing process.

某散货船单桨、双桨推进系统燃油消耗分析

This paper presents a comparative analysis between single and twin-screw propulsion systems of a bulk carrier to evaluate the ship and propeller performance in terms of fuel consumption as well as to discuss the cavitation and noise criteria.An optimization model is developed to select the optimum propeller geometry and operational point along the engine load diagram for the selected engines of each case.The engines are selected from the same series due to the same behaviour along the engine load diagram.The propellers are selected from the B-series as fixed-pitch propellers.It has been concluded that while the components of the single-screw propulsion system are larger than the twin-screw,the single-screw propulsion system shows a reduction in fuel consumption than the twin screw by around 19%,thus affecting the amount of exhaust emissions from the ship.This model helps the ship designers to select a suitable propeller to improve the energy efficiency of the ships.

Photoelectrochemical CO_(2) electrolyzers: From photoelectrode fabrication to reactor configuration

The photoelectrochemical conversion of CO_(2) into value-added products emerges as an attractive approach to alleviate climate change. One of the main challenges in deploying this technology is, however, the development and optimization of(photo)electrodes and photoelectrolyzers. This review focuses on the fabrication processes, structure, and characterization of(photo)electrodes, covering a wide range of fabrication techniques, from rudimentary to automated fabrication processes. The work also highlights the most relevant features of(photo)electrodes, with special emphasis on how to measure and optimize them. Finally, the review analyses the integration of(photo)electrodes in different photoelectrolyzer architectures, analyzing the most recent research work that comprises photocathode, photoanode,photocathode-photoanode, and tandem photoelectrolyzer configurations to ideally achieve self-sustained CO_(2) conversion systems. Overall, comprehensive guidelines are provided for future advancements in developing effective devices for CO_(2) conversion, bridging the gap towards the use of sunlight as the unique energy input and practical applications.