Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Zolboo Gansukh
Summary: The current world situation under the coronavirus epidemic has put pressure on commodity-based economies, leading to the need to seek other options for export diversification. Mongolia recently suspended commodity transport to China, and the article suggests using renewable energy to stabilize and support the country's macroeconomic situation.
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Jerry L. Holechek, Hatim M. E. Geli, Mohammed N. Sawalhah, Raul Valdez
Summary: Our study evaluated the effectiveness of using eight pathways in combination for a complete transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy by 2050. The key findings include the need to increase renewable energy production and improve energy efficiency, as well as the importance of energy conservation policies and carbon taxes. The study also highlights the varying levels of per capita energy consumption based on regional, national development, and climate conditions, and emphasizes the necessity of major lifestyle changes in developed countries and global cooperation to achieve a full energy transition.
Review
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
G. Mutezo, J. Mulopo
Summary: The concept of circular economy has gained traction worldwide in the past decade, with more organizations considering its application in daily operations. The energy transition in Africa presents challenges and opportunities, particularly in the shift from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources.
RENEWABLE & SUSTAINABLE ENERGY REVIEWS
(2021)
Review
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Ishmael Ackah, Emmanuel Graham
Summary: Africa holds significant renewable energy potential, but faces challenges such as limited private sector investment due to lack of transparency and financial challenges in the power sector. More efforts are needed to improve the governance systems and attract private sector investment in the region.
CLEAN TECHNOLOGIES AND ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY
(2021)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Indra Overland, Javlon Juraev, Roman Vakulchuk
Summary: This study quantitatively compares the distribution of renewable energy resources and fossil fuel reserves, finding that renewable energy is more evenly distributed. This supports the idea that transitioning to renewable energy can lead to a decentralized global energy system. However, the difference in distribution between renewable energy and fossil fuel reserves is not as significant as assumed, indicating that international energy trade and politics will still play a role.
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Pablo De Juan-Vela, Asja Alic, Vincenzo Trovato
Summary: This paper discusses the transposition of EU Directive on Renewable Energy Communities into Italian legislation and proposes a method to identify national provisions that do not comply with the EU law. The study reveals incorrect transposition of the EU law in Italy and calls for a revision of policy options for battery storage in Renewable Energy Communities. This work is important for supporting the development of new RECs and formulating appropriate policy options and techno-economic measures.
JOURNAL OF CLEANER PRODUCTION
(2023)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Sanja Potrc, Lidija Cucek, Mariano Martin, Zdravko Kravanja
Summary: The paper presents a plan for achieving the carbon neutral target in the EU-27 by 2050, utilizing a multi-period mixed-integer programming model to maximize sustainability net present value. Wind farms and solar photovoltaics are highlighted as the most promising solutions for expanding renewable energy generation, with the potential to create over 1.5 million new job opportunities across the EU.
RENEWABLE & SUSTAINABLE ENERGY REVIEWS
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Fei Wu, Adrian Muller, Stefan Pfenninger
Summary: Biomass is a growing renewable energy source in Europe, with potential for playing a role in carbon neutrality. However, the use of dedicated biomass is controversial due to concerns such as competition with food production and emissions impacts. This study examines the potential of ancillary bioenergy (AB) as a land-free alternative, and finds limited future potential in Europe. Different scenarios are explored, including fully utilizing AB to phase out controversial nuclear or land-intensive dedicated biomass, or leaving AB potential completely unused to preserve agricultural nutrients. The findings highlight synergies and trade-offs in strategic uses of AB for a more coherent European bioenergy strategy.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2023)
Article
Environmental Studies
Xiaolin Wei, Yunfeng Shang
Summary: By selecting the top 10 Chinese universities, the interrelationship between university governance, sustainability level, and sustainable power generation is examined from 1999 to 2021. The findings, obtained through constantly updated and fully modified methods, indicate that a 1% increase in the sustainability level index leads to a 0.33% improvement in university governance. The inflow of foreign direct investment to the university's district diminishes the effectiveness of governance, while the expansion of sustainable electricity generation positively impacts governance. Additionally, a 1% rise in student enrollment results in a decrease of 0.08% in the governance performance of Chinese universities. Carbon dioxide emission does not significantly affect the governance level. Recommended practical policies include enhancing university participation in green financing markets, promoting green foreign direct investment, and improving education for sustainable development (ESD).
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Ranjit Deshmukh, Amol Phadke, Duncan S. Callaway
Summary: India has ambitious targets for wind and solar energy installation by 2030, with solar making up the majority of capacity. The study found that systems with solar photovoltaic comprising 25% to 50% of the total renewable target have the lowest carbon mitigation costs. Contrary to assumptions, meeting high renewable targets in India will reduce the need for new fossil fuel power plants. High renewable energy systems with a majority of wind plants could result in electricity costs similar to fossil fuel-dominated systems.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Ranjit Deshmukh, Amol Phadke, Duncan S. Callaway
Summary: India aims to install over 400 GW of wind and solar electricity generation by 2030, with solar comprising the majority. Research suggests that systems where solar photovoltaic makes up only 25 to 50% of the total renewable target have the lowest carbon mitigation costs, and high renewable energy targets can reduce the need for new fossil fuel power plants. Additionally, a wind-majority high renewable energy system could potentially keep India's 2030 emissions below 2018 levels and below the social cost of carbon.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2021)
Article
Energy & Fuels
C. W. Forsberg, B. E. Dale, D. S. Jones, T. Hossain, A. R. C. Morais, L. M. Wendt
Summary: Biofuels can replace liquid fossil fuels in transportation and energy supply, while also reducing carbon dioxide emissions and improving soil fertility. Large-scale biorefineries and external low-carbon energy sources are crucial for the successful competition with fossil fuels.
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Haitao Hou, Wei Lu, Bing Liu, Zeina Hassanein, Hamid Mahmood, Samia Khalid
Summary: Global warming has become a major concern, leading developed countries to reduce global emissions for sustainable development. OECD countries heavily rely on fossil fuels for 80% of their energy mix, contributing to 35% of global carbon emissions. This study examines the impact of environmental factors on carbon emissions in OECD countries using fossil energy, renewable energy (RE), and GDP data from 1990 to 2019. The results show that while fossil fuel use and GDP increase carbon emissions in both short and long term, the use of RE has a positive effect on sustainable development by reducing carbon emissions. Therefore, promoting the use of RE is crucial for OECD countries to achieve their environmental sustainability goals.
Article
Economics
Xiqian Zhang, Clevo Wilson
Summary: This paper examines the evaluation of brown (fossil fuel) and green (renewable) energy stocks by financial analysts and uncovers interesting observations and trends. Analysts exhibit optimism towards brown energy stocks, but this optimism wanes after the implementation of the Paris Agreement. Furthermore, investor reaction to recommendations for brown energy stocks is lower compared to green energy stocks, indicating a discount on the informativeness of analyst recommendations. However, this discount has decreased in recent years and investors' reliance on analyst opinions for both types of energy stocks has converged.
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Sibylle Braungardt, Benedikt Tezak, Jan Rosenow, Veit Burger
Summary: In response to the current geopolitical situation, the EU and its Member States are accelerating efforts to reduce fossil fuel imports and address the climate crisis. This article analyzes the current and planned phase-out regulations for fossil fuel boilers in EU Member States. The study finds that the current regulations only address 10% of the heating energy consumption in the EU, but this share increases to 30% with the planned regulations. Immediate policy action is needed at both EU and Member State levels to expand and implement phase-out regulations.
RENEWABLE & SUSTAINABLE ENERGY REVIEWS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Applied
Giulia Zoppi, Giuseppe Pipitone, Camilla Galletti, Andrea Maria Rizzo, David Chiaramonti, Raffaele Pirone, Samir Bensaid
Summary: The study found that the water fraction derived from hydrothermal liquefaction of lignin-rich feedstock underwent aqueous phase reforming to produce hydrogen, resulting in catalyst deactivation attributed to fouling phenomena caused by phenolic oligomers. Additionally, the use of activated carbon as pretreatment significantly improved performance, with deactivation extent correlated with catalyst surface area.
Editorial Material
Energy & Fuels
David Chiaramonti, Andrea Kruse, Marco Klemm
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Arturo Di Fraia, Edoardo Miliotti, Andrea Maria Rizzo, Giulia Zoppi, Giuseppe Pipitone, Raffaele Pirone, Luca Rosi, David Chiaramonti, Samir Bensaid
Summary: This study converted lignin-rich stream from lignocellulosic ethanol production into biocrude through continuous hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL), and produced hydrogen through aqueous phase reforming (APR). The use of NaOH catalyst resulted in a maximum biocrude yield of 27 wt%, and the phenolics in the co-produced aqueous phase were effectively removed through liquid-liquid extraction, improving the hydrogen yield of APR. Preliminary mass balances showed that APR can provide up to 46% of the theoretical hydrogen required for upgrading the HTL biocrude, enhancing the process performance and sustainability.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Andrea Maria Rizzo, David Chiaramonti
Summary: Similar to the aviation industry, the maritime sector is undergoing a significant transition towards achieving net zero emissions. In the short to medium term, the use of sustainable fuels is the most relevant option due to the challenges of shifting to electric power. To facilitate large-scale deployment, research is needed to understand the behavior of biofuels and fossil-based fuels when blended together, particularly for low quality products like HTL and fast pyrolysis oils. The study found that a blend of subcritical hydrothermal liquefaction biocrude with residual marine fuel resulted in different dissolution characteristics depending on the blend composition.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Matteo Prussi, Calliope Panoutsou, David Chiaramonti
Summary: This meta-analysis examines the potential demand for alternative fuels in European transport in 2030, finding that feedstock availability is not the major limiting factor currently. Despite uncertainties, the research estimates potential European demand for alternative fuels and highlights issues such as feedstock costs and sustainability.
APPLIED SCIENCES-BASEL
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Calliope Panoutsou, Sara Giarola, Dauda Ibrahim, Simone Verzandvoort, Berien Elbersen, Cato Sandford, Chris Malins, Maria Politi, George Vourliotakis, Vigh Eniko Zita, Viktoria Vasary, Efthymia Alexopoulou, Andrea Salimbeni, David Chiaramonti
Summary: Sustainable biofuels are crucial for reducing carbon emissions in the transportation sector, especially in aviation, maritime, and heavy-duty industries. This paper explores the potential of cultivating low indirect land use change risk biomass crops in European agro-ecological zones, providing additional feedstocks for biofuels with low environmental impact and economic benefits for farmers.
APPLIED SCIENCES-BASEL
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Alessandro Mati, Marco Buffi, Stefano Dell'Orco, Giacomo Lombardi, Pilar Maria Ruiz Ramiro, Sascha R. A. Kersten, David Chiaramonti
Summary: Fast pyrolysis of biomass is a sustainable alternative for fuel production, but bio-oil needs further upgrading. Fractional condensation is a complementary process to hydrotreatment or co-processing, separating and concentrating specific compounds from bio-oil.
APPLIED SCIENCES-BASEL
(2022)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Luca Rosi, Marco Cenni, Benedetta Ciuffi, David Casini, Andrea Maria Rizzo, David Chiaramonti
Summary: This study investigates the impact of oxidized biochar on biogas production in anaerobic digestion processes. The results show that biochars with specific functional groups on their surfaces can significantly improve biogas production. Wheat straw and poplar biochars that were oxidized demonstrated the highest increase in biogas production compared to the control group.
BIOMASS CONVERSION AND BIOREFINERY
(2022)
Review
Energy & Fuels
Lorenzo Testa, David Chiaramonti, Matteo Prussi, Samir Bensaid
Summary: This study aims to analyze and model a new integrated biomass conversion pathway for the production of renewable advanced fuels, addressing the issue of indirect land-use change (ILUC) of biofuels. The study adopts an extensive literature review and flow-diagram simulation software to provide guidance to process modellers for qualitative and quantitative assessments of biomass to biofuels process routes.
BIOMASS CONVERSION AND BIOREFINERY
(2022)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Matteo Prussi, Lorenzo Laveneziana, Lorenzo Testa, David Chiaramonti
Summary: The freight sector is expected to play a crucial role in modern economies, which calls for urgent actions to reduce environmental pressure. The use of electricity is a major option for decarbonizing transportation, especially in heavy-duty vehicles. In this article, a comparison and modeling of various options for using electricity to power heavy-duty vehicles, such as e-fuels, eLNG, eDiesel, and liquid Hydrogen, were performed. The results showed that using electricity directly or in the production of low-carbon e-fuels can significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Considering not only the absolute emissions reduction potential but also new infrastructure needs and technology maturity is important when comparing different technologies.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Ilaria Agostini, Benedetta Ciuffi, Riccardo Gallorini, Andrea Maria Rizzo, David Chiaramonti, Luca Rosi
Summary: This study successfully extracted terephthalic acid (TPA) from a densified postconsumer plastic mix using hydrothermal liquefaction coupled with density separation, which can be used for new PET synthesis.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Andrea Salimbeni, Marta Di Bianca, Giacomo Lombardi, Andrea Maria Rizzo, David Chiaramonti
Summary: Slow pyrolysis is a promising technology for converting sewage sludge into carbon-rich char with high phosphorus content. However, due to the presence of heavy metals, char use in agriculture is avoided in many EU countries. This study tested a solution that combines slow pyrolysis and chemical leaching to separate phosphorus and other inorganics from char, resulting in an inorganic P-rich fertilizer and a C-rich solid for industrial purposes.
Review
Energy & Fuels
Viviana Negro, Michel Noussan, David Chiaramonti
Summary: Hydrogen is being considered as a potential contributor in decarbonization strategies, but hydrogen storage remains a critical challenge. Ammonia is being proposed as a potential solution for hydrogen storage, but it faces challenges related to health and environmental issues as well as competition with other markets. The efficiency of ammonia production, distribution, storage, and conversion to hydrogen impacts the overall supply chain. This review paper aims to shed light on the technical, economic, and environmental aspects of using ammonia as a hydrogen energy carrier, comparing it with alternative solutions like liquefied hydrogen and methanol.
Review
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
S. M. R. Mirkarimi, S. Bensaid, V. Negro, D. Chiaramonti
Summary: This article provides a review of recent studies on hydrogen production through methane cracking over carbon-based catalysts. The impact of operating parameters and catalyst characteristics on methane decomposition has been widely discussed.
RENEWABLE & SUSTAINABLE ENERGY REVIEWS
(2023)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Andrea Salimbeni, Marta Di Bianca, Andrea Maria Rizzo, David Chiaramonti
Summary: This study demonstrates the feasibility of simultaneously producing activated carbon and recovering phosphorous from industrial sludge through an integrated thermo-chemical treatment. The findings highlight the potential for resource recovery and the environmental importance of this approach.
