Forest carbon accounting methods and the consequences of forest bioenergy for national greenhouse gas emissions inventories

While bioenergy plays a key role in strategies for increasing renewable energy deployment, studies assessing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from forest bioenergy systems have identified a potential trade-off of the system with forest carbon stocks. Of particular importance to national GHG inventories is how trade-offs between forest carbon stocks and bioenergy production are accounted for within the Agriculture, Forestry and Other Land Use (AFOLU) sector under current and future international climate change mitigation agreements. Through a case study of electricity produced using wood pellets from harvested forest stands in Ontario, Canada, this study assesses the implications of forest carbon accounting approaches on net emissions attributable to pellets produced for domestic use or export. Particular emphasis is placed on the forest management reference level (FMRL) method, as it will be employed by most Annex I nations in the next Kyoto Protocol Commitment Period. While bioenergy production is found to reduce forest carbon sequestration, under the FMRL approach this trade-off may not be accounted for and thus not incur an accountable AFOLU-related emission, provided that total forest harvest remains at or below that defined under the FMRL baseline. In contrast, accounting for forest carbon trade-offs associated with harvest for bioenergy results in an increase in net GHG emissions (AFOLU and life cycle emissions) lasting 37 or 90 years (if displacing coal or natural gas combined cycle generation, respectively). AFOLU emissions calculated using the Gross-Net approach are dominated by legacy effects of past management and natural disturbance, indicating near-term net forest carbon increase but longer-term reduction in forest carbon stocks. Export of wood pellets to EU markets does not greatly affect the total life cycle GHG emissions of wood pellets. However, pellet exporting countries risk creating a considerable GHG emissions burden, as they are responsible for AFOLU and bioenergy production emissions but do not receive credit for pellets displacing fossil fuel-related GHG emissions. Countries producing bioenergy from forest biomass, whether for domestic use or for export, should carefully consider potential implications of alternate forest carbon accounting methods to ensure that potential bioenergy pathways can contribute to GHG emissions reduction targets.     

Renewable energy resources and technologies in Nigeria: present situation, future prospects and policy framework

Nigeria is endowed with abundant energy resources, both conventional and renewable, whichprovide her with immense capacity to develop an effective national energy plan. However, introduction of renewable energyresources into the nation's energy mix have implications on itsenergy budget. The national energy supply system has been projected intothe future using MARKAL, a large scale linear optimization model.However, this model may not be absolutely representative of the highlynon-linear future of renewable energy. Results of the model reveal that under onlya least cost constraint, only large hydro power technology is the prominentcommercial renewable energy technology in the electricity supply mix of thecountry. Despite the immense solar energy potentials available, solar electricity generation is attractive only under severeCO2 emissions mitigation of the nation's energy supply system. Similarly, the penetration of small-scale hydro power technology in theelectricity supply mix is favoured only under CO₂ emissionsconstraints. Due to economy of scale, large hydropower technology takes the lion share of all the commercial renewableenergy resources share for electricity generation under any CO₂emissions constraint. These analyses reveal that some barriers exist to thedevelopment and penetration of renewable energy resources electricity production in Nigeria's energy supplysystem. Barriers and possible strategies to overcome them arediscussed. Intensive efforts and realistic approachtowards energy supply system in the country will have to be adopted inorder to adequately exploit renewable energy resources and technologiesfor economic growth and development.     

Assessment of renewable energy potential and policy in Turkey – Toward the acquisition period in European Union

This paper aims to assess the renewable energy capacity of Turkey in order to consider main priorities in the energy policy of Turkey. In this paper, renewable energy potential and regulatory conditions are discussed in Turkey in comparison with European Union. The results of the study implemented within the framework of EnviroGRIDS project indicated a promising yet very susceptible future for the implementation of renewable energy power plants in Turkey. The forecasts have shown that the solar power potential utilization is becoming more significant after 2020. The projections for 2050 indicate that electricity consumption from small and medium renewable energy sources including solar and wind will constitute 15% of the total, whereas the solar thermal will constitute around 16%. Geothermal and other renewables will remain around 3%. According to the high demand scenario, in 2050 the share of hydropower in overall electricity generation will be 12%, followed by solar power at 7% and wind power at 3%. Additionally, renewable energy policy and regulations in Turkey and in EU are overviewed in this study. On the contrary to EU, the constant feed-in tariff amount does not consider capital investments of specific energy sources in Turkey that brings disadvantage to the implementation. However, new regulations published and currently applied should be accepted as milestones in acquisition period of Turkey in EU.     

New CHP partnerships offering balancing of fluctuating renewable electricity productions

Combined heat and power (CHP) as well as intermittent renewable energy sources (RES) are key elements in future cleaner electricity production systems. This article presents solutions which will integrate fluctuating renewable electricity supplies, such as wind power, into electricity systems using small and medium-sized combined heat and power plants (CHP). Such solutions call for a new organisational setup of partnerships and software tools. The software tools will allow the new partnerships to offer services which are currently only offered by big power plants to electricity markets. The article presents recent results of the development and implementation of such partnerships and focuses on the methodologies and computer tools necessary in order to allow the partnerships to optimise their behaviour on the market. The use of such tools and methodologies makes groups of small CHP plants able to replace large power stations and, at the same time, allows for the integration of a higher share of RES in the electricity supply, resulting in a decrease in both fossil fuels and CO2 emissions.     

Incentives for renewable energy in reformed Latin-American electricity markets: the Colombian case

Given the importance of renewable energy sources for reducing the threat of global climatic change without compromising economic development, this paper explores regulatory alternatives that may facilitate the introduction of renewable energy in the Colombian electricity market. The analysis is based on a simulation model of the electricity market that represents the behaviour of the agents involved, and their decision to invest according to proposed incentives. The possible expansion of renewable energy depending on different incentives is examined. This research is carried out in the Latin-American context, and accordingly we present the exploitation potential of renewable sources for electricity generation in the region. This paper shows how restructuring electricity markets, such as the Colombian and others in Latin America, may be an efficient means to promote the use of renewable energy.     

The impact of climate change mitigation on water demand for energy and food: An integrated analysis based on the Shared Socioeconomic Pathways

Climate change mitigation, in the context of growing population and ever increasing economic activity, will require a transformation of energy and agricultural systems, posing significant challenges to global water resources. We use an integrated modelling framework of the water-energy-land-climate systems to assess how changes in electricity and land use, induced by climate change mitigation, impact on water demand under alternative socioeconomic (Shared Socioeconomic Pathways) and water policy assumptions (irrigation of bioenergy crops, cooling technologies for electricity generation). The impacts of climate change mitigation on cumulated global water demand across the century are highly uncertain, and depending on socioeconomic and water policy conditions, they range from a reduction of 15,000 km³ to an increase of more than 160,000 km³. The impact of irrigation of bioenergy crops is the most prominent factor, leading to significantly higher water requirements under climate change mitigation if bioenergy crops are irrigated. Differences in socioeconomic drivers and fossil fuel availability result in significant differences in electricity and bioenergy demands, in the associated electricity and primary energy mixes, and consequently in water demand. Economic affluence and abundance of fossil fuels aggravate pressures on water resources due to higher energy demand and greater deployment of water intensive technologies such as bioenergy and nuclear power. The evolution of future cooling systems is also identified as an important determinant of electricity water demand. Climate policy can result in a reduction of water demand if combined with policies on irrigation of bioenergy, and the deployment of non-water-intensive electricity sources and cooling types.     

浅析青岛太阳能光伏发电发展的方向及推广对策

太阳能光伏发电是可再生能源应用的主要方向之一。作为适宜发展太阳能光伏发电的地区,青岛市政电网覆盖区外的诸多海岛具有较好的光伏发电推广应用前景;在市政电网成型地区,道路照明等公共设施用电、新建住宅小区、机关事业单位以及重点用能单位也是具有推广光伏发电的潜力。然而,目前存在的技术瓶颈、激励政策缺乏以及并网发电手续繁琐等因素制约了光伏发电的应用。通过推动光伏发电技术进步及产业发展,并在政策法规以及经济上给予更多鼓励支持,才能促进太阳能光伏发电快速、健康发展。     

风力发电项目现状与发展趋势

随着风力发电技术的不断发展,风力发电已成为我国重点发展的可再生能源产业。而作为用源大户的电力行业在低碳经济中占有重要地位。由于风能具有无污染,可再生,蕴量巨大等优点,发展和利用风能等可再生资源已经成为国际电力发展的大趋势,所以风能发电在未来必然会具有广阔的前景。本文就风力发电现状及未来趋势进行探索。     

On the Effects of Social and Economic Policies on Future Carbon Emissions

Published scenarios of carbon emissions vary over a 40:1 range, and vary greatly even when the possible effects of future climate change policies are ignored. Differences in assumptions about how social and economic policies will affect the rates of economic growth throughout the world, population growth, international trade and investment, the rate of improvement in energy efficiency, and innovations and developments in non-carbon technologies are among the main reasons for such huge differences - alongside the considerable uncertainties that remain about the structural forms and parameters of the economic models used for making projections. The following analysis shows that a low carbon emissions scenario is fully consistent with developing countries achieving economic prosperity and the rich countries increasing theirs. It would depend on the emergence of non-carbon options, such as renewable energy, and this is indeed more likely to happen with favourable conditions for economic growth and innovation.     

Factors affecting resource use optimisation of the chemical industry in the Northern Ostrobothnia region of Finland

To gather data on the resource efficiency of the chemical sector, a questionnaire was sent to the chemical companies in the Northern Ostrobothnia region of Finland. Resource use optimisation was investigated by analysing measures and attitudes toward waste prevention. The survey revealed that legislation is the main driver for change in the chemical industry. The analysis showed a clear lack of monitoring practice as well as a lack of understanding of major concepts, such as that of the nature of waste. Process optimisation to reduce raw material losses and energy consumption is a key utilised practice. Practices aimed at water usage reduction are rarely employed. Lack of information, regulative restrictions set on waste materials and lack of human resources are barriers to waste reduction practice. Improving information, education and training of employees in waste issues and increasing environmental awareness are essential for companies in the Chemical Industry in Northern Ostrobothnia to move toward resource use optimisation.     

生物质能源及发电技术研究

随着能源消耗和环境污染之间矛盾的加剧,使得人类需要寻找一些相对比较清洁的可再生能源。生物质能源由于其数量巨大,环境污染小,并具有可再生性,成为目前比较好的选择之一。生物质能发电是生物质能利用的主要方式之一。介绍了生物质能的特点及利用转化方式,重点讲述了直接燃烧发电技术、气化发电技术以及生物质燃料电池技术,最后根据我国国情指出了生物质能利用的主要问题及几点建议。对我国生物质能发电的发展提供了技术参考和技术支持。     

生物质发电项目碳排放计算方法应用研究

生物质发电是将废弃生物质变成可再生能源得以充分利用,这些工程将减少来自于生物质自然腐烂和无控燃烧产生的温室效应,这不仅节约了煤炭的同时也减少了二氧化碳的排放。本文中以某生物质项目发电为例,根据CDM方法学ACM0006计算了该项目的减排量。结果表明,该项目10年间共减少了二氧化碳排放量2,075,140 t,给我国带来了可观的经济效益和环境效益。     

两种模式下中国未来发电行业发展情景及其环境效益分析

为了研究“双碳”目标模式下我国发电行业发展前景及带来的环境效益,建立了饱和“S”状灰色模型计算了按照旧有发电模式——非“双碳”模式下2021～2060年发电行业装机容量和发电量,并基于“中国2030年能源电力发展规划研究及2060年展望报告”计算获得了“双碳”模式下2021～2060年发电行业装机容量和发电量,对比研究了两种模式下中国未来发电行业的发展情景.通过物料衡算法和火电行业排放绩效构建了CO₂、 SO₂、 NO_x、 PM、 PM₁₀和PM_2.5的排放因子以及减排因子,定义了用于衡量污染物减排量的4种环境效益A₁～A₄.结果表明,在“双碳”模式下,火电机组将于2026年实现碳达峰,之后年均降低0.28亿kW,同时要求可再生能源发电机组于2020年后年均增加1.54亿kW以实现碳中和.与非“双碳”模式相比,“双碳”模式下火力发电装机容量将大幅度减少,可再生能源发电装机容量将大量增加,由此产生巨大的环境效益A₁...     

从经济学角度对比中国与美国的能源消费

分析了中关两国能源消费总量和能源结构的差异,探讨了中关两国能源消费差异的经济学内涵,认为经济指标GDP并不能完全反映人们生活水平的提高,而其带来的环境问题却很可能影响后续的经济发展。因此,在发展经济的同时,应该充分考虑能源需求给环境带来的压力。适当调整能源结构、提高能源效率和发展替代能源是未来能源消费战略的重中之重,也是经济、环境和社会协调发展的重要保障。     

Reprint of “The future of hydropower in Europe: Interconnecting climate,markets and policies”

Hydropower is very important for electricity supply security in the European inter-connexion as well as for the economy of regions (primarily peripheral) that possess water resources. Its future may however be jeopardized by several factors: climate change, the development of new renewable energy, the creation of super and micro-grids, and progress in power storage technology. Energy and climate policy, as well as electricity market design and dynamics play a pivotal role.This article carries out a comprehensive analysis of all these factors and discusses the future of hydropower. This discussion follows an overview of the present situation and of future drivers. The technical, environmental, economic and political aspects of the problem are analyzed with an interdisciplinary approach. The stakes as well as the uncertainties are highlighted.The conclusion is that hydropower has a promising future, particularly in light of emerging sustainable energy policy, but that the risks should not be overlooked. Academics will find a comprehensive interdisciplinary analysis of hydropower in this article, whereas public bodies, communities and hydropower companies can identify the strategic variables that should be taken into consideration in the decision making process. The end of water concessions or authorizations is also evoked.     

生物质发电项目碳排放计算方法应用研究

生物质发电是将废弃生物质变成可再生能源得以充分利用,这些工程将减少来自于生物质自然腐烂和无控燃烧产生的温室效应,这不仅节约了煤炭,同时也减少了二氧化碳的排放。本文中以某生物质项目发电为例,根据CDM方法学ACM0006计算了该项目的减排量。结果表明,该项目10年间共减少了二氧化碳排放量2 075 140吨,给中国带来了可观的经济效益和环境效益。     

Co-production of heat and power: an anchor tenant of a regional industrial ecosystem

The resource basis of industrial energy production is still, to a large extent, in non-renewable fossil fuels, the use of which creates emissions that the ecosystem has difficulty in tolerating. The goal of industrial ecology is to substitute the non-renewable stocks with renewable flows. In this paper, a regional industrial ecosystem that relies on a power plant as its key organisation, as an anchor tenant, is considered in the context of energy production and consumption. The co-production method of heat and electricity (CHP, co-production of heat and power) is implemented in the local power plant. This method uses the waste energy from electricity production for district heat and industrial heat/steam. The fuel basis in a CHP plant can include heterogeneous waste fuels. The method has been applied, to a large extent, in only three countries in the world; Denmark, The Netherlands and Finland. Examples of CHP-based industrial ecosystems from Finland are considered. CHP is reflected upon from the viewpoint of industrial ecosystem principles.     

Partnerships in creating agile sustainable development communities

The key to clean, renewable and healthy futures for society(s) can be seen in the need to consider how all infrastructure areas such as water, waste and transportation, energy are treated. And to focus attention on the emerging commercial technologies (such as hydrogen fuel cell vehicles) that will be available regionally and then globally within the next five to ten years. Planning and investing now for that future will prove to be prudent and cost effective. Public-private partnerships, known as “civic markets“ can create and provide “funds” such as public bonds along with private sector innovation and markets on the regional, state and national levels. Similar bond funds have been passed by the electorate in California, most recently for stem cell research (USA$3 billion). Public support to promote funding for sustainable communities has also been demonstrated with bond funds for water, forests and land preservation.“Agile energy systems” are flexible and adapt to change effectively and efficiently for economic, environmental and social benefits, the triple bottom line. However, there needs to be collaboration between the pubic and private sectors in creating them. Such civic markets can from new associations of communities, cities and nation-states that might be useful to plan public policies and create the “government market“ in terms of procurement and coordination of public resources for renewable energy on-site and central grid power generation. One suggestion is to form an “Association of Agile Energy Cities or communities.”     

A European supergrid for renewable energy: local impacts and far-reaching challenges

This article assesses the impact of extensive deployment of indigenous and external renewable energy sources on a local electricity system (Sardinia Island) and discusses the main challenges faced by the European power grids in integrating high shares of renewable-based generation technologies. It presents the 2030 scenarios for the Sardinian power system and the results of steady-state analyses in extreme (renewable) generation and consumption conditions. These results are eventually combined with the assessment of key technology development trends to explain how this can affect the development of a European supergrid. In general, the article stresses that rendering the bulk-power system capable of accommodating high renewable energy penetration not only requires reinforcing the electricity highways but also demands carefully planning the architecture of and the interface with regional power systems.     

Implementing the hydrogen economy

In the Icelandic community the use of renewable energy and the tests with a clean domestic fuel that most people refer to as the fuel of the future have become the points of focus. In Reykjavik this future has arrived. Hydrogen is used currently as the energy carrier within the public transportation system and is electrolyzed from water with hydroelectric power and leaves the system as water again.A small collaboration platform, Icelandic New Energy Ltd (INE), has been working on projects related to hydrogen as an energy carrier since 1999. A number of projects and feasibility studies are currently being carried out in Reykjavik, revolving around the issue of making hydrogen domestically from water and renewable energy (hydro and geothermal power), abundant local resources.In April 2003 the first electrolytic hydrogen production, compression and filling station was inaugurated in Reykjavik. The refueling station is designed to be open to public services. The hydrogen station is a delivery to be tested within the project ECTOS, the Ecological City Transport System — a fuel cell bus demonstration running between 2003 and 2005. A socioeconomic and environmental research methodology has been established and followed for three years now. The outcomes of ECTOS are needed to establish the basis of further decisions of integrating hydrogen into societal functions. Amongst the undertakings is a forecast for the scale and costs of the essential infrastructure. General surveys have shown that Icelanders have a high general acceptance towards using hydrogen as a fuel for the transportation sector and fishing vessels. Therefore it is presumed that hydrogen fuel stations need only to be established in a limited number before hydrogen fuel vehicles can be introduced in the public market. Yet, a realistic time-frame depends on the hands-on experience, the performance and availability of the equipment in the market. In 2005 the outcomes and experiences from the ECTOS project will be published.