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  • About
  • The Global ETD Search service is a free service for researchers to find electronic theses and dissertations. This service is provided by the Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations.
    Our metadata is collected from universities around the world. If you manage a university/consortium/country archive and want to be added, details can be found on the NDLTD website.
1

Long-term Bioethanol Shift and Transport Fuel Substitution in Ethiopia : Status, Prospects, and Implications

Yacob Gebreyohannes Hiben, Yacob January 2013 (has links)
In an effort to reduce dependence on imported fossil fuels with a sustainable and environmentally sound improvements, the government of Ethiopia has recognized the need to promote biofuels development so as to support the green economy strategy of the country designed to bring a breakthrough for socio-economic and environmental transformations which are becoming the central excellence for current and future prosperity of the country towards the quality of life and global competitiveness. Under this picture, bioethanol fuel comes into the market as one of the possible options to achieve this ambitious goal.As part of the bioethanol road map, the government has established a binding 10% share of fuel ethanol in the SI-engine vehicles at the capital, Addis Ababa, where 70% of the imported gasoline is consumed. In addition a target of 15% share is set starting 2015 so as to tackle foreign currency loss, energy insecurity, and climate change. Therefore, this study attempts to investigate the potential shifts in bioethanol production and use to meet Ethiopia’s target through a supply chain dynamics approach that allows identifying any existing link(s) that could be acted on. For this purpose, bioethanol development in the country is modeled using Microsoft Excel with the main objective of understanding the nature of ethanol shift in production and use together with the associated shifts in primary resources, feedstock, and other associated products of the industry. The analysis includes the study of agricultural resources, techno-economic conditions, and socio-economic conditions as well as investigation of economic, environmental, and social implications using the current low blend (LB) and targets of medium blend (MB) and high blend (HB) scenarios.As a result of the potential studies, the identified potential land for sugarcane plantation is 700, 000 ha and is estimated at an annual ethanol production potential of around one billion litres from molasses. The existing and new sugar factories are expected to reach their full production capacity in 2020 and are estimated at annual ethanol production potential of about 390 million litres which is planned to be used in different market segments in order to minimize the consumption of petroleum products and the associated socio-economic, technical and environmental impacts. Regarding transport energy substitution, without significant production of ethanol from the existing sugar factories3.3% of the SI engine energy demand can be displaced currently at a competitive price. In 2030 the ethanol production is projected to contribute about 14.6 PJ of energy, two fold of the SI engine energy demand at the same year. Thus, ethanol has the potential to displace 100% of the SI engine energy demand by 2030 but it will require a combined development of other infrastructure in the transport sector. For this reason, the socio-economic, technical, and environmental assessment of ethanol in the SI engine transport sub-sector is conducted according to the government targets considering only 10% to 25% share shifts of the volumetric substitution. To this end, the annual ethanol consumption in SI engine transport sub-sector has the potential to save USD 19.2 to USD 63.2 million of the import bill in 2030 along with other socio-economic, technical, and environmental benefits and risks that require the combined development of transport infrastructure, other market segments, and large scale international trade in ethanol fuel. However, further work is needed on food insecurity impacts, local energy balance, local net GHG emissions, and local urban air quality assessments occurring mainly during the life cycle of bioethanol production and use.
2

Rational bioenergy utilisation in energy systems and impacts on CO2emissions

Wahlund, Bertil January 2003 (has links)
The increased concentration of greenhouse gases in theatmosphere, in particular CO2, is changing the Earth’s climate. Accordingto the Kyoto protocol, where the international community agreedon binding emission targets, developed countries are committedto reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. The increased use ofbiomass in energy systems is an important strategy to reduce CO2emissions. The purpose of this thesis has been toanalyse the opportunities for Sweden to further reduce CO2emissions in the energy system, by rationallyutilising woody biomass energy. The characteristics of currentcommercially operating biofuel-based CHP plants in Sweden aresurveyed and systematically presented. A consistent andtransparent comprehensive reference base for system comparisonsis given. Furthermore, the fuel effectiveness and contributionto CO2reduction is calculated. The governmentalsubsidies of the CHP plants’investment, expressed as costof specific CO2reduction, appears to be low. The competitiveness of biomass-fuelled energy production inrelation to fossil-based production with carbon capture isanalysed, showing that the biomass-fuelled systems provide acompetitive option, in terms of cost of electricity andefficiencies. The remaining Swedish woody biofuel potential ofat least 100 PJ/yr is principally available in regions with abiomass surplus. Transportation is therefore required to enableits utilisation in a further national and international market.Refining the biofuel feedstock to pellets, or even furtherrefining to motor fuels (DME, methanol or ethanol) or power,could facilitate this transport. Different options for fuelrefining are studied and compared. The entire fuel chain, fromfuel feedstock to end users, is considered and CO2emissions are quantified. Substituting fuelpellets for coal appears to be the most costeffectivealternative and shows the largest CO2reduction per energy unit biofuel. Motor fuelsappear more costly and give about half the CO2reduction. Transportation of the upgraded biofuelpellets is highly feasible from CO2emissions point of view and does not constitute ahindrance for further utilisation, i.e. the pellets can betransported over long distances efficiently with only limitedemissions of CO2. Bioenergy utilisation has additional features forenvironmental improvement, apart from the CO2aspect. Waste heat from biofuel-based CHP can becost-effectively used in conjunction with sewage treatment. Theincoming sewage water to the nitrification process can bepreheated with the waste heat, and thereby substantiallyenhance the nitrification and the reduction of ammoniumnitrogen during the winter season. <b>Keywords:</b>CO2reduction, energy system, biofuel, CHP, refining,fuel pellets, ethanol, methanol, DME, fuel substitution, sewagewater, nitrification.
3

Rational bioenergy utilisation in energy systems and impacts on CO2emissions

Wahlund, Bertil January 2003 (has links)
<p>The increased concentration of greenhouse gases in theatmosphere, in particular CO<sub>2</sub>, is changing the Earth’s climate. Accordingto the Kyoto protocol, where the international community agreedon binding emission targets, developed countries are committedto reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. The increased use ofbiomass in energy systems is an important strategy to reduce CO<sub>2</sub>emissions. The purpose of this thesis has been toanalyse the opportunities for Sweden to further reduce CO<sub>2</sub>emissions in the energy system, by rationallyutilising woody biomass energy. The characteristics of currentcommercially operating biofuel-based CHP plants in Sweden aresurveyed and systematically presented. A consistent andtransparent comprehensive reference base for system comparisonsis given. Furthermore, the fuel effectiveness and contributionto CO<sub>2</sub>reduction is calculated. The governmentalsubsidies of the CHP plants’investment, expressed as costof specific CO<sub>2</sub>reduction, appears to be low.</p><p>The competitiveness of biomass-fuelled energy production inrelation to fossil-based production with carbon capture isanalysed, showing that the biomass-fuelled systems provide acompetitive option, in terms of cost of electricity andefficiencies. The remaining Swedish woody biofuel potential ofat least 100 PJ/yr is principally available in regions with abiomass surplus. Transportation is therefore required to enableits utilisation in a further national and international market.Refining the biofuel feedstock to pellets, or even furtherrefining to motor fuels (DME, methanol or ethanol) or power,could facilitate this transport. Different options for fuelrefining are studied and compared. The entire fuel chain, fromfuel feedstock to end users, is considered and CO<sub>2</sub>emissions are quantified. Substituting fuelpellets for coal appears to be the most costeffectivealternative and shows the largest CO<sub>2</sub>reduction per energy unit biofuel. Motor fuelsappear more costly and give about half the CO<sub>2</sub>reduction. Transportation of the upgraded biofuelpellets is highly feasible from CO<sub>2</sub>emissions point of view and does not constitute ahindrance for further utilisation, i.e. the pellets can betransported over long distances efficiently with only limitedemissions of CO<sub>2</sub>.</p><p>Bioenergy utilisation has additional features forenvironmental improvement, apart from the CO<sub>2</sub>aspect. Waste heat from biofuel-based CHP can becost-effectively used in conjunction with sewage treatment. Theincoming sewage water to the nitrification process can bepreheated with the waste heat, and thereby substantiallyenhance the nitrification and the reduction of ammoniumnitrogen during the winter season.</p><p><b>Keywords:</b>CO<sub>2</sub>reduction, energy system, biofuel, CHP, refining,fuel pellets, ethanol, methanol, DME, fuel substitution, sewagewater, nitrification.</p>
4

Climate impact of the sustainable use of forest biomass in energy and material system : a life cycle perspective

Haus, Sylvia January 2018 (has links)
Human society releases greenhouse gas emissions to the atmosphere while providing housing, heat, mobility and industrial production. Man-made greenhouse gas emissions are the main causes of climate change, coming mainly from burning fossil fuels and land-use changes. Sustainably managed forests play an important role in climate change mitigation with the prospect of sustainably providing essential materials and services as part of a low-carbon economy, both through the substitution of fossil-intensive fuels and material and through their potential to capture and store carbon in the long-term perspective. The overall aim of this thesis was to develop a methodology under a life cycle perspective to assess the climate impact of the sustainable use of forest biomass in bioenergy and material systems. To perform this kind of analysis a methodological framework is needed to accurately compare the different biological and technological systems with the aim to minimize the net carbon dioxide emissions to the atmosphere and hence the climate impact. In such a comparison, the complete energy supply chains from natural resources to energy end-use services has to be considered and are defined as the system boundaries. The results show that increasing biomass production through more intensive forest management or the usage of more productive tree species combined with substitution of non-wood products and fuels can significantly reduce global warming. The biggest single factor causing radiative forcing reduction was using timber to produce wood material to replace energy-intensive construction materials such as concrete and steel. Another very significant factor was replacing fossil fuels with forest residues from forest thinning, harvest, wood processing, and post-use wood products. The fossil fuel that was replaced by forest biomass affected the reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, with carbon-intensive coal being most beneficial to replace. Over the long term, an active and sustainable management of forests, including their use as a source for wood products and bioenergy allows the greatest potential for reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
5

Improved Energy Efficiency and Fuel Substitution in the Iron and Steel Industry

Johansson, Maria January 2014 (has links)
IPCC reported in its climate change report 2013 that the atmospheric concentrations of the greenhouse gases (GHG) carbon dioxide (CO2), methane, and nitrous oxide now have reached the highest levels in the past 800,000 years. CO2 concentration has increased by 40% since pre-industrial times and the primary source is fossil fuel combustion. It is vital to reduce anthropogenic emissions of GHGs in order to combat climate change. Industry accounts for 20% of global anthropogenic CO2 emissions and the iron and steel industry accounts for 30% of industrial emissions. The iron and steel industry is at date highly dependent on fossil fuels and electricity. Energy efficiency measures and substitution of fossil fuels with renewable energy would make an important contribution to the efforts to reduce emissions of GHGs. This thesis studies energy efficiency measures and fuel substitution in the iron and steel industry and focuses on recovery and utilisation of excess energy and substitution of fossil fuels with biomass. Energy systems analysis has been used to investigate how changes in the iron and steel industry’s energy system would affect the steel plant’s economy and global CO2 emissions. The thesis also studies energy management practices in the Swedish iron and steel industry with the focus on how energy managers think about why energy efficiency measures are implemented or why they are not implemented. In-depth interviews with energy managers at eleven Swedish steel plants were conducted to analyse energy management practices. In order to show some of the large untapped heat flows in industry, excess heat recovery potential in the industrial sector in Gävleborg County in Sweden was analysed. Under the assumptions made in this thesis, the recovery output would be more than three times higher if the excess heat is used in a district heating system than if electricity is generated. An economic evaluation was performed for three electricity generation technologies for the conversion of low-temperature industrial excess heat. The results show that electricity generation with organic Rankine cycles and phase change material engines could be profitable, but that thermoelectric generation of electricity from low-temperature industrial excess heat would not be profitable at the present stage of technology development. With regard to fossil fuels substituted with biomass, there are opportunities to substitute fossil coal with charcoal in the blast furnace and to substitute liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) with bio-syngas or bio synthetic natural gas (bio-SNG) as fuel in the steel industry’s reheating furnaces. However, in the energy market scenarios studied, substituting LPG with bio-SNG as fuel in reheating furnaces at the studied scrap-based steel plant would not be profitable without economic policy support. The development of the energy market is shown to play a vital role for the outcome of how different measures would affect global CO2 emissions. Results from the interviews show that Swedish steel companies regard improved energy efficiency as important. However, the majority of the interviewed energy managers only worked part-time with energy issues and they experienced that lack of time often was a barrier for successful energy management. More efforts could also be put into engaging and educating employees in order to introduce a common practice of improving energy efficiency at the company. / Halterna av växthusgaserna koldioxid (CO2), metan och kväveoxider har under de senaste 800 000 åren aldrig varit högre i atmosfären än vad de är idag. Detta resultat redovisades i IPCCs klimatrapport år 2013. CO2-koncentrationen har ökat med 40 % sedan förindustriell tid och denna ökning beror till största delen på förbränning av fossila bränslen. Ökade koncentrationer av växthusgaser leder till högre global medeltemperatur vilket i sin tur resulterar i klimatförändringar.  För att bromsa klimatförändringarna är det viktigt att vi arbetar för att minska utsläppen av växthusgaser. Industrin står för 20 % av de globala utsläppen av CO2 och järn- och stålindustrin står för 30 % av industrins utsläpp. Järn- och stålindustrin är i dag till stor del beroende av fossila bränslen och el för sin energiförsörjning. Energieffektiviseringsåtgärder och byte av fossila bränslen mot förnybar energi i järn- och stålindustrin skulle kunna bidra till minskade utsläpp av växthusgaser. Denna avhandling studerar åtgärder för effektivare energianvändning och möjligheter för bränslebyte i järn- och stålindustrin. Avhandlingen fokuserar på återvinning och utnyttjande av överskottsenergier och ersättning av fossila bränslen med biomassa. Energisystemanalys har använts för att undersöka hur förändringar i järn- och stålindustrins energisystem skulle påverka ekonomin och de globala utsläppen av CO2. Avhandlingen studerar också betydelsen av energiledning och nätverkande för att uppnå en effektivare energianvändning. Fokus har här varit på att studera hur energiansvariga resonerar kring varför energieffektiviseringsåtgärder genomförs eller varför de inte genomförs. Djupintervjuer med energiansvariga vid elva svenska stålverk genomfördes för att analysera denna fråga. För att ge ett exempel på den stora outnyttjade potentialen av överskottsvärme från industrin analyserades potentialen i Gävleborgs län. Möjligheterna att använda överskottsvärmen som fjärrvärme eller för att producera el analyserades. Här visar resultaten att fjärrvärmeproduktionen skulle bli mer än tre gånger så stor som elproduktionen. En ekonomisk utvärdering gjordes där tre tekniker för produktion av el från lågtempererad industriell överskottsvärme jämfördes. Resultaten visar att elproduktion med organisk Rankine-cykel eller en så kallad fasändringsmaterialmotor kan vara lönsam, men att termoelektrisk elproduktion inte är lönsam med dagens teknik och prisnivåer. Det är möjligt att ersätta en del av det fossila kolet i masugnen med träkol och på detta sätt introducera förnybar energi i stålindustrin. Man kan också ersätta gasol som används som bränsle i stålindustrins värmningsugnar med syntesgas eller syntetisk naturgas (SNG) som produceras genom förgasning av biomassa. Under de antaganden som gjorts i avhandlingen skulle det dock inte vara lönsamt för det skrotbaserade stålverk som studerats att ersätta gasolen med bio-SNG. För att uppnå lönsamhet behövs i detta fall ekonomiska styrmedel. Hur olika åtgärder påverkar de globala utsläppen av CO2 beror till stor del på hur framtidens energimarknad ser ut. Elproduktion från industriell överskottsvärme skulle minska de globala CO2-utsläppen i alla scenarier som studerats, men för de andra åtgärderna varierar resultaten beroende på vilka antaganden som gjorts. Resultaten från intervjustudien visar att svensk stålindustri anser att energifrågan är viktig, men det finns fortfarande mycket att göra för att effektivisera energianvändningen i denna sektor. Flera av de intervjuade arbetade bara deltid med energifrågor och de upplevde att tidsbrist hindrade dem från ett effektivt energiledningsarbete. En rekommendation till företagen är därför att anställa en energiansvarig på heltid och/eller fler personer som kan arbeta med energifrågor. Det bör också läggas mer resurser på att engagera och utbilda anställda för att på så sätt introducera en företagskultur som främjar effektiv energianvändning.

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