1. |
- Hörteborn, Axel, 1986, et al.
(author)
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Economic incentives and technological limitations govern environmental impact of LNG feeder vessels
- 2023
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In: Journal of Cleaner Production. - : Elsevier Ltd. - 0959-6526 .- 1879-1786. ; 429
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- In the transition to sustainable shipping, Liquified Natural Gas (LNG), is proposed to play a role, reducing emissions of sulphur and nitrogen oxides, and particulate matter. However, LNG is a fossil fuel and there is an ongoing discussion regarding the extent of methane slip from ships operating on LNG, challenging the assumptions of LNG as a sustainable solution. Here we show another aspect to consider in the environmental assessment of shipping; LNG feeder vessels may spend as much as 25% of their time at sea just running the ship to ensure the pressure in the tanks are not exceeded, i.e., run time not directly attributed to the shipment of gas from one port or ship, to another. In other words, the economic incentives are currently allowing for roughly 32% increase of the ships’ operational emissions and discharges and increased navigational risks. Most coastal areas are heavily affected by anthropogenic activities and e.g., in the Baltic Sea there is consensus among the HELCOM member states that the input of nutrient and hazardous substances must be reduced. Even if the LNG feeder vessels are currently few, the possibility to reduce their environmental impact by 32% should be an attractive opportunity for future policy measures and investigation of technological solutions of the problem.
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2. |
- Lindahl, Niklas, 1981, et al.
(author)
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Early stage techno-economic and environmental analysis of aluminium batteries
- 2023
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In: Energy Advances. - : Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC). - 2753-1457. ; 2:3, s. 420-429
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- For any proper evaluation of next generation energy storage systems technological, economic, and environmental performance metrics should be considered. Here conceptual cells and systems are designed for different aluminium battery (AlB) concepts, including both active and passive materials. Despite the fact that all AlBs use high-capacity metal anodes and materials with low cost and environmental impact, their energy densities differ vastly and only a few concepts become competitive taking all aspects into account. Notably, AlBs with high-performance inorganic cathodes have the potential to exhibit superior technological and environmental performance, should they be more reversible and energy efficient, while at the system level costs become comparable or slightly higher than for both AlBs with organic cathodes and lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). Overall, with continued development, AlBs should be able to complement LIBs, especially in light of their significantly lower demand for scarce materials. Several aluminium battery concepts are evaluated at material, cell and system levels for technical, economic and environmental performance, which enables them to complement lithium-ion batteries in the future.
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3. |
- Akram, Asif, 1978, et al.
(author)
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AEOLIX Living Labs Operational ImpactsAssessment
- 2019
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Reports (other academic/artistic)abstract
- This document provides the AEOLIX impact assessment of living labs at the operational level. It is based on three main impacts namely business, environment, and socio-economic impacts. The three impacts are sub-divided further into sub-categories. The report collects data from twelve living labs involved in with AEOLIX. One of the main goals of AEOLIX was to reduce the costs for various logistics activities as implemented in twelve living labs. The expected benefits in the business area are from reducing the consumption of different resources, reducing the time used for various activities, and from increasing the productivity in certain areas. The economic or business benefits came along two dimensions: (i) in terms of time and (ii) in terms of money. In terms of time, AEOLIX facilitated reducing the time spent on various activities at the companies. In terms of money, AEOLIX helped to save the costs of specific logistics activities within the living lab. For the environmental aspect an overall value of 20% was set as target value for reduction in CO2 emission using AEOLIX. Only one of all living labs reached this target value, but there was anyhow a reduction found in all living labs. AEOLIX and its functions have also helped in reducing noise pollution at some of the living labs. In some cases, there was quite a considerable reduction. For the socio-economic aspects the job creation, SME empowerment, and the improved quality of life are addressed. This study has explored the impact of AEOLIX on job creation in terms of drivers’ and operators’ jobs. Since the AEOLIX implementation is still in its initial phases, respondents were unable to estimate how many jobs (drivers and/or operators) were created in the long run. SME Empowerment was measured as the increase in SMEs’ market share and the increase in direct collaboration between SMEs and large organizations. The results were meager both with regard to the market share and the extent of collaboration. The improved quality of life is measured in the way AEOLIX puts more focus on work, the less stress at work and a positive attitude towards people using it. The results reflect that AEOLIX has greatly helped employees to put more focus on work and to reduce stress levels. Managers consider this as a positive side of the return on investment (ROI) as the business processes are improved. AEOLIX impact on various socio-economic aspects is in principle positive but as this process is very slow to emerge it takes time to observe any changes in social aspects. Acceptance and trust on AEOLIX can be captured as a majority of the evaluation managers of the living labs found the AEOLIX functions (dashboard, connectivity engine and toolkit) useful to a great extent. The willingness to continue using AEOLIX functions and their usefulness are directly related to each other. This means that the more useful a function is, the more users are willing to continue using it. The AEOLIX platform, through various services and functions, has a positive impact on society in general and on workers in particular. Although this impact cannot be evaluated financially for the first year of the AEOLIX implementation, numerous studies show that a more satisfying and less stressful job, together with a more welcoming and stimulating environment, have an important economic impact in the long-term period. Therefore, the fact that AEOLIX has a positive impact on society will also prove to be an economic benefit for the different companies.
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4. |
- André, Hampus, 1989
(author)
-
Resource and Environmental Impacts of Resource-Efficiency Measures Applied to Electronic Products
- 2018
-
Licentiate thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Natural resources such as ecosystems, land, water and metals underpin the functioning of economies and human well-being, and are becoming increasingly scarce due to growth in population and affluence. Metals are increasingly demanded for their specific properties as modern technology develops. The dependence on metals is of growing concern due to the environmental impacts related, for example, to energy use and local impacts from mining, as well as the scarcity risks posed by socio-economic, geological and geopolitical constraints. Thus, there is a clear need to use metals and other natural resources more efficiently. The vision of a circular economy has been proposed as a way to do this, for example by improving durability, reusing, repairing and recycling. Such so-called resource-efficiency (RE) measures are commonly assumed to be environmentally beneficial, although the evidence is not plentiful. It is plausible that focusing on recirculating products and materials could shift burdens to other environmental impacts or life cycle stages. It has therefore been argued that a life cycle-based approach, such as in life cycle assessment (LCA), is useful to critically assess the environmental implications of RE measures. LCA aims to quantify the environmental impacts of products over their entire life cycles - from cradle to grave - assessing a wide range of impacts such as toxicity, climate change and metal resource use. For metal resource use, however, there are a number of perspectives as to what constitutes the actual environmental problem. These perspectives are represented in a variety of life cycle impact assessment methods (LCIA) which have previously been shown to give diverging results. Electronic products are emblematic of metal resource use challenges since they deploy a broad spectrum of scarce metals. This thesis aims to provide knowledge on the potential for RE measures to reduce the environmental impacts of electronic products, by addressing the following research questions: (1) What resource-efficiency measures result in reduced potential environmental impacts and resource use – for what types of products and under what conditions? (2) How does extended use of electronic products through design for increased technical lifetime, reuse and repair affect environmental impacts, particularly metal resource use? (3) How does the application of different LCIA methods for metal resource use influence interpretations of resource-efficiency measures applied to electronic products? This thesis builds on three appended papers which are all based on comparative assessments of resource efficiency, studied as resource use and environmental impacts per function delivered, using LCA and material flow analysis. The results indicate that extended use of electronic products through increasing technical lifetimes, reusing and repairing, is generally resource-efficient. Exceptions may occur, however, if extended use is insufficient to motivate impacts from producing more durable products or spare parts. Use extension of electronic products leads to resource efficiency in two distinct ways: through the intended use extension and by increasingly steering material flows into recycling. Further resource efficiency could be realised by combining RE measures over the entire life cycles of products. With regards to metal resource use, the choice of LCIA method can influence the interpretation of the results of RE measures for electronic products. Therefore, it is advisable to use several complementary LCIA methods to minimise the risks of overlooking potentially important resources issues. Furthermore, better understanding and transparency of such issues is valuable in order to provide more comprehensive information to decision-makers.
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5. |
- Böckin, Daniel, 1989
(author)
-
Towards empirically grounded guidance for resource efficiency: Applying, developing and synthesising environmental assessments
- 2021
-
Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Numerous solutions have been proposed to mitigate environmental damage, including resource efficiency and the vision of circular economy. Suggested solutions are often formulated as guidelines and heuristics like in the EU waste hierarchy, so-called R-hierarchies for resource efficiency and various guidelines for circular business models. However, these are often formulated on a conceptual basis without empirical support. Hence, it is often unclear in what contexts they are valid and how they can be interpreted for different types of products and applications. Systemic environmental assessments are necessary, and have been widely employed, to provide more solid empirical support for guidelines and for investigating the efficacy of suggested solutions. There is also a need for the results and learnings of those assessments to be easily understandable and usable for guiding decision-making towards reducing environmental impact within, say, product design and business management. The purpose of this dissertation is to 1) formulate empirically grounded guidelines for resource efficiency and 2) test existing guidelines and heuristics in specific cases. The first aim is addressed by synthesising assessments of resource efficiency measures in literature. This revealed in what circumstances each measure can yield environmental benefits, depending on product characteristics, as well as when there are possible trade-offs and limitations. Several product characteristics were identified as of key importance for the efficacy of measures, including whether products are durable or consumable, active or passive, used for their full technical lifetime, used frequently or not and finally the product’s complexity and pace of development. The second aim is addressed by carrying out a prospective life cycle assessment (LCA) scrutinising the expectations of metal 3D printing for reducing automotive environmental impacts. The results showed that 3D printing can potentially reduce future life cycle impacts, by allowing redesign of components for lower weight and thus lower fuel consumption. However, this is only valid with low-fossil electricity for the printing process and developments towards printing with low-impact materials like low-alloy steel. The second aim is further addressed by testing the potential environmental benefits of alternative business models. The method business model LCA method (BM-LCA) was developed for this purpose, taking the business itself as the object of analysis. The method uses economic performance as the basis of comparison, thus allowing a business to calculate the environmental consequences of business decisions. BM-LCA was applied to an apparel company, comparing selling and renting jackets. The results show that renting enabled sustained economic performance while reducing environmental impacts. This depended, however, on the sustainability of the transport and energy systems, as well as on business model parameters like price and rental efficiency, and on customer habits. This dissertation shows that environmental assessments can be used to provide an empirical foundation for improved resource efficiency guidelines and to test the validity of heuristics Two key contributions and innovations are emphasised. The first is the formulation of empirically grounded guidelines based on key product characteristics. The second is the formulation and testing of BM-LCA, a method for assessing decoupling business from environmental impact.
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6. |
- Englund, Oskar, 1982, et al.
(author)
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Large-scale deployment of grass in crop rotations as a multifunctional climate mitigation strategy
- 2023
-
In: GCB Bioenergy. - : Wiley. - 1757-1707 .- 1757-1693. ; 15:2, s. 166-184
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The agriculture sector can contribute to climate change mitigation by reducing its own greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, sequestering carbon in vegetation and soils, and providing biomass to substitute for fossil fuels and other GHG-intensive products. The sector also needs to address water, soil, and biodiversity impacts caused by historic and current practices. Emerging EU policies create incentives for cultivation of perennial plants that provide biomass along with environmental benefits. One such option, common in northern Europe, is to include grass in rotations with annual crops to provide biomass while remediating soil organic carbon (SOC) losses and other environmental impacts. Here, we apply a spatially explicit model on >81,000 sub-watersheds in EU27 + UK (Europe) to explore the effects of widespread deployment of such systems. Based on current accumulated SOC losses in individual sub-watersheds, the model identifies and quantifies suitable areas for increased grass cultivation and corresponding biomass- and protein supply, SOC sequestration, and reductions in nitrogen emissions to water as well as wind and water erosion. The model also provides information about possible flood mitigation. The results indicate a substantial climate mitigation potential, with combined annual GHG savings from soil-carbon sequestration and displacement of natural gas with biogas from grass-based biorefineries, equivalent to 13%–48% of current GHG emissions from agriculture in Europe. The environmental co-benefits are also notable, in some cases exceeding the estimated mitigation needs. Yield increases for annual crops in modified rotations mitigate the displacement effect of increasing grass cultivation. If the grass is used as feedstock in lieu of annual crops, the displacement effect can even be negative, that is, a reduced need for annual crop production elsewhere. Incentivizing widespread deployment will require supportive policy measures as well as new uses of grass biomass, for example, as feedstock for green biorefineries producing protein concentrate, biofuels, and other bio-based products.
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7. |
- Hansson, Julia, 1978, et al.
(author)
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COSTS FOR REDUCING GHG EMISSIONS FROM ROAD AND AIR TRANSPORT WITH BIOFUELS AND ELECTROFUELS
- 2023
-
In: European Biomass Conference and Exhibition Proceedings. - : ETA-Florence Renewable Energies. - 2282-5819. ; , s. 368-372
-
Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The potential future role of different biofuels, hydrogen, and so-called electrofuels/power-to-X (produced by electricity, water, and carbon dioxide, CO2) in different transportation sectors remains uncertain. The CO2 abatement cost, i.e., the cost for reducing a certain amount of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, is central from a societal and business perspective, the latter specifically in the case of an emission reduction obligation system (like in Germany and Sweden). The abatement cost of a specific fuel value chain depends on the production cost and the GHG reduction provided by the fuel. This paper analyses the CO2 abatement costs for different types of biofuels, biomass-based jet fuels and electrofuels for road transport and aviation, relevant for the Swedish and EU context. Since most assessed alternative fuel pathways achieve substantial GHG emission reduction compared to fossil fuels, the fuel production cost is, in general, more important to achieve a low CO2 abatement cost. The estimated CO2 abatement cost ranges from -0.37 to 4.03 SEK/kgCO2 equivalent. Fuels based on waste feedstock, have a relatively low CO2 abatement cost. Fuel pathways based on electricity or electricity and biomass have relatively high CO2 abatement cost. The CO2 abatement cost for lignocellulosic based pathways generally ends up in between.
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8. |
- Johansson, Viktor, 1991, et al.
(author)
-
Value of wind power – Implications from specific power
- 2017
-
In: Energy. - : Elsevier BV. - 0360-5442 .- 1873-6785. ; 126, s. 352-360
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- This paper investigates the marginal system value of increasing the penetration level of wind power, and how this value is dependent upon the specific power (the ratio of the rated power to the swept area). The marginal system value measures the economic value of increasing the wind power capacity. Green-field power system scenarios, with minimised dispatch and investment costs, are modelled for Year 2050 for four regions in Europe that have different conditions for renewable electricity generation. The results show a high marginal system value of wind turbines at low penetration levels in all four regions and for the three specific powers investigated. The cost-optimal wind power penetration levels are up to 40% in low-wind-speed regions, and up to 80% in high-wind–speed regions. The results also show that both favourable solar conditions and access to hydropower benefit the marginal system value of wind turbines. Furthermore, the profile value, which measures how valuable a wind turbine generation profile is to the electricity system, increases in line with a reduction in the specific power for wind power penetration levels of >10%. The profile value shows that the specific power becomes more important as the wind power penetration level increases. © 2017 Elsevier Ltd
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9. |
- Mani, Mahesh, et al.
(author)
-
Simulation and analysis for sustainable product development
- 2013
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In: International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1614-7502 .- 0948-3349. ; 18:5, s. 1129-1136
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Simulation plays a critical role in the design of products, materials, and manufacturing processes. However, there are gaps in the simulation tools used by industry to provide reliable results from which effective decisions can be made about environmental impacts at different stages of product life cycle. A holistic and systems approach to predicting impacts via sustainable manufacturing planning and simulation (SMPS) is presented in an effort to incorporate sustainability aspects across a product life cycle. Methods Increasingly, simulation is replacing physical tests to ensure product reliability and quality, thereby facilitating steady reductions in design and manufacturing cycles. For SMPS, we propose to extend an earlier framework developed in the Systems Integration for Manufacturing Applications (SIMA) program at the National Institute of Standards and Technology. SMPS framework has four phases, viz. design product, engineer manufacturing, engineer production system, and produce products. Each phase has its inputs, outputs, phase level activities, and sustainability-related data, metrics and tools.Results and discussion An automotive manufacturing scenario that highlights the potential of utilizing SMPS framework to facilitate decision making across different phases of product life cycle is presented. Various research opportunities are discussed for the SMPS framework and corresponding information models. The SMPS framework built on the SIMA model has potential in aiding sustainable product development.
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10. |
- Nordelöf, Anders, 1975, et al.
(author)
-
Less or different environmental impact?
- 2013
-
In: Systems Perspectives on Electromobility 2013. - 9789198097313 ; , s. 60-75
-
Book chapter (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Electric and hybrid drivetrains are currently regarded as a promising technology forvehicle propulsion. They can reduce greenhouse and other exhaust gas emissionsfrom road transport. Electric drivetrains are more efficient than conventional internalcombustion engines fuelled by petrol or diesel (Chapter 5), and fully electrifiedvehicles does not give any tailpipe emissions. In addition, electric drivetrains canalso assist in decoupling the transport sector from its heavy reliance on fossilfuels. On the other hand, electric vehicles will require that more electricity isproduced and this can be done from several different energy sources with diverseenvironmental impacts. Furthermore, electric drivetrains require new advancedcomponents (Chapter 3) that result in additional, or at least different, environmentalimpacts compared to conventional vehicles.The trade-off between the benefits when operating of the vehicle and possiblenegative impacts from the production and from energy supply can be analysedusing life cycle assessment (LCA). However, LCA studies come in many shapesand diverging arguments on the utility of technology are based on them. Someadvocate the technology (using for example the well-to-wheels approach to guidegovernment promotion policies on different types of drivetrains and alternative fuel options)1 and others claim that the prospective for electric cars to reduce theenvironmental impacts of mobility is “substantially overrated”2 or that there will be“significant increases in human toxicity“.3This chapter provides an overview of the life cycle impacts of electric vehicles,with general conclusions and examples of results. We review existing researchand sort studies found in literature into categories by asking what we can learnfrom different LCA approaches. More specifically, which answers do we get fromwell-to-wheels (WTW) studies in comparison to complete LCA studies, and whatdifference does it make if a study includes a narrow or broad set of environmentalimpacts. We conclude by summarising these learnings and discuss implicationsfor a set of stakeholders identified in the area of vehicle electrification, such aspolicy makers and various branches of industry.
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11. |
- Odenberger, Mikael, 1977, et al.
(author)
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Prospects for CCS in the EU energy roadmap to 2050
- 2013
-
In: Energy Procedia. - : Elsevier BV. - 1876-6102. ; 37, s. 7573-7581
-
Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The aim of this paper is to estimate the prospects of carbon capture and storage (CCS) in the European electricity supply system taking into account possible forthcoming policy based on the recent EU Energy Roadmap communication, which suggests a 93 to 99% reduction in CO2 emissions relative 1990 levels from the electricity sector by the year 2050. Furthermore, the effect of whether or not onshore storage will be accepted is investigated. The work is based on techno-economic modeling of the European electricity generation sector under different assumptions (scenarios) of the future with respect to electricity demand and fuel prices. The results indicate that the contribution from CCS on a member state level depends on local conditions, e.g., access to local fuels like lignite, and whether or not onshore storage will be allowed. Excluding on-shore storage in aquifers, the modeling results give that CCS is centralized around the North Sea. Natural gas fired conventional power plants is likely to be a serious competitor to coal CCS in the short to medium term providing large emission reduction opportunities by fuel shifting from existing coal power plants to new high efficient gas fired combined cycles. Such development can be a barrier for early deployment of CCS, and hence, result in a delay in commercialization of CCS. The scenarios presented in the Energy Roadmap prescribe power systems almost without net CO2 emissions by 2050, which implies that CCS technologies by the year 2050 must be of a zero-emission type. The modeling presented here indicates in general a large increase in technologies with low CO2 emissions, renewables as well as a significant contribution from CCS technologies, where CCS in the investigated scenarios have the potential to contribute as much as 25-35% of total electricity generation at around year 2050.
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12. |
- Pizarro, Amalia, et al.
(author)
-
What is the future potential for imports of combustible municipal waste to countries with extensive district heating networks? A case study of Denmark
- 2015
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In: Proceedings of Sardinia 2015 Fifteenth International Waste Management and Landfill Symposium. ; 9788862650212
-
Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- In Europe, landfilling is the most widely used method for managing municipal solid waste. By contrast, the northern European waste market is characterized by high capacities from energy recovery plants, mostly incineration in cogeneration facilities. In Denmark, there is an overcapacity of incineration plants and this study aims to analyse if import of waste is beneficial during an interim period to divert landfilling or if it might be profitable to invest in overcapacity in the long-term in those countries where heat from incineration can be recovered. The energy and waste management system are described through linking of mathematical models, taking a holistic approach. In the short-term it pays off to import waste, avoiding landfilling; however, in the longer-term, benefits from waste trading will depend on the price of heat markets.
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13. |
- Santén, Vendela, 1978
(author)
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Exploring logistics actions enabling environmentally sustainable freight transport
- 2013
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Licentiate thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- To curb unsustainable freight transport trends; such as transport growth, larger dependency on road transport and generally an increased share of greenhouse gas emissions from the sector, actions needs to be taken among actors in the logistics system. The purpose of this thesis is to explore logistics actions that enable environmentally sustainable freight transport. This explorative research, based primarily on empirical data from interviews, focus groups, and a case study, adopts the perspectives of different actors in the logistics system: transport buyers, freight forwarders, transport operators, and authorities. The thesis identifies a wide range of actions in the logistics system to potentially enable environmentally sustainable freight transport. The perception from actors regarding what actions are important to adopt indicate that more knowledge among actors regarding how transport and traffic work can be reduced and how different actions affect each other are needed; especially how transport buyers acting affect the transport operations performed by freight forwarders and transport operators. By exploring what hinders environmentally sustainable freight transport in the interface between transport buyers and providers, it can be concluded that closer co-operation can provide better internal conditions for actors and new business solutions. Open dialogue, information sharing, and proactivity among both transport buyers and transport providers are essential. Furthermore, in order to increase load factor in practice, actions can be taken by transport buyers in the area of packaging, loading, and booking efficiency. More flexible time requirements will potentially increase the load factor. Gaining positive environmental effects from these changes is dependent on the freight forwarder’s actions in terms of consolidating with other transport buyers’ goods, route planning, and the positioning of vehicles. Since improvements in one actor’s system may not necessarily yield positive effects at a higher system level, it is important to also have a holistic view when aiming for environmentally sustainable freight transport. This thesis contributes with knowledge about how logistics actors can work toward environmentally sustainable freight transportation by providing insight for managers of transport buying and transport providing companies by exemplifying the interactions between actors and actions and their potential effects.
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14. |
- Sotnikov, Artem, 1985, et al.
(author)
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Simulations of a solar-assisted block-heating system
- 2017
-
In: ISES Solar World Congress 2017 - IEA SHC International Conference on Solar Heating and Cooling for Buildings and Industry 2017, Proceedings. - Freiburg, Germany : International Solar Energy Society.
-
Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Two types of simulation software TRNSYS and Polysun are studied to check their suitability for solar district heating system planning. A reference case, a part of the Vallda Heberg district heating system is modelled in both tools and results are compared with available measured data and with each other. Models are successfully calibrated. TRNSYS and Polysun models have deviations in main key figures compared to the reference case less than 2% and less than 8% respectively. A sensitivity analysis of key parameters shows that the two tools give similar results.
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15. |
- Adl-Zarrabi, Bijan, 1959, et al.
(author)
-
Sustainability Assessment of Infrastructure Elements with Integrated Energy Harvesting Technologies
- 2016
-
In: Energy and Environment. - : Wiley. - 9781119307761 ; , s. 221-234
-
Book chapter (other academic/artistic)abstract
- The possibility of integrating energy harvesting devices into the bridge/tunnel structures along Coastal Highway Route E39 has been investigated in a feasibility study by the Norwegian Public Roads Administration (NPRA). The main advantage of integrating energy conversion devices in a structural element is the reduction of costs compared to stand-alone devices. The construction could be used as a foundation, a mooring point and provide a dry environment for electrical devices. Easy access to the production site could also reduce the cost for installation, operation and maintenance. Two important challenges related to harvesting renewable energy by infrastructure elements, without concerning about the energy source, are to store it or feed the energy to the grid. In the second case, tailoring generation to demand is of critical importance. Tasks such as supply and demand management, for instance, peak hour management, what kind of storage should be used - electrical or thermal - need be solved. Furthermore, integrating energy production devices in a structure might cause negative environmental impacts and affect the life expectancy and maintenance costs of such structures. The potential environmental impacts associated with renewable technologies are the consequences for bird life or marine fauna at the fjord crossing locations, as well as noise and visual impact. Thus, a sustainability assessment should be performed in order to quantify the ecological, economical and societal impacts of the suggested alternatives.
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16. |
- Agrawal, Munmun, et al.
(author)
-
Global market trends of tantalum and recycling methods from Waste Tantalum Capacitors: A review
- 2021
-
In: Sustainable Materials and Technologies. - : Elsevier BV. - 2214-9937. ; 29
-
Research review (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The rapid digitalization of the world, technological up-gradation, and shorten life cycle of electronic gadgets leading to the generation of an enormous amount of waste tantalum capacitors (WTCs) rich in tantalum every year. The need of the hour is to develop an effective way to recycle tantalum from these waste scraps considering the scarcity of tantalum, environmental impacts, resource and energy utilization, and lower recycling rates. In this paper, various existing methods of recovery of metallic tantalum from WTCs have been extensively reviewed. Processes have been examined in light of recovery efficiency, purity of the resultant product, process complexity, and limitations. The bottleneck in the recovery of tantalum from WTCs is the presence of tightly covered mold resin over the surface of the tantalum anode. Various researchers have recovered Ta with varying degrees of success. Pyrolysis, followed by chloride metallurgy, has been proven to be an effective technology on account of its high removal rate, resource and energy utilization, and lesser environmental impacts. This article also explores the global scenario of tantalum. Overall this review provides a foundation to understand the potential barrier and various opportunities associated with the recovery of tantalum from WTCs.
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17. |
- Ahlgren, Serina, et al.
(author)
-
Review of methodological choices in LCA of biorefinery systems - key issues and recommendations
- 2015
-
In: Biofuels, Bioproducts and Biorefining. - : Wiley. - 1932-1031 .- 1932-104X. ; 9:5, s. 606-619
-
Research review (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The current trend in biomass conversion technologies is toward more efficient utilization of biomass feedstock in multiproduct biorefineries. Many life-cycle assessment (LCA) studies of biorefinery systems have been performed but differ in how they use the LCA methodology. Based on a review of existing LCA standards and guidelines, this paper provides recommendations on how to handle key methodological issues when performing LCA studies of biorefinery systems. Six key issues were identified: (i) goal definition, (ii) functional unit, (iii) allocation of biorefinery outputs, (iv) allocation of biomass feedstock, (v) land use, and (vi) biogenic carbon and timing of emissions. Many of the standards and guidelines reviewed here provide only general methodological recommendations. Some make more specific methodological recommendations, but these often differ between standards. In this paper we present some clarifications (e.g. examples of research questions and suitable functional units) and methodological recommendations (e.g. on allocation).
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18. |
- Ancona, M. A., et al.
(author)
-
Efficiency improvement on a cruise ship: Load allocation optimization
- 2018
-
In: Energy Conversion and Management. - : Elsevier BV. - 0196-8904. ; 164, s. 42-58
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Last years have been characterized by a worldwide increasing attention towards the reduction of fuel consumption and carbon dioxide emissions. Several industrial fields, as well as the civil and residential sector, have introduced innovative approaches for the design and the operation of energy systems. These actions are aimed to reach higher values of energy conversion efficiency, also including an increase in the use of renewable resources. In this context, especially in the sector of cruise ships, further efforts are required to improve the energy efficiency of the employed energy systems. The aim of this paper is to propose an optimization framework based on genetic algorithms in order to maximize the energy efficiency and minimize both the fuel consumption and the thermal energy dissipation, by optimizing the load allocation of the ship energy systems. To this purpose, different strategies for the energy systems on board of an existing cruise ship are proposed and analyzed. In particular, two main engines configurations have been defined: standard (current logic of operation maintained) and hybrid configuration. For each proposed strategy – being the ship a particular and interesting application of isolated energy grid (i.e. a grid without connections with electric and fuel national grids) – an in-house-developed software has been adapted and applied to optimize the load allocation of the various energy systems. Furthermore, an economic and environmental analysis has been carried out, in order to point out the benefits – or the eventual limits – related to the proposed solutions. The considered approach is based on the concept of introducing economically and structurally suitable modifications to the current cruise energy systems configuration, in order to reach the goal of increasing the energy efficiency. The carried out analysis shows that the hybrid strategies allow to reach the best results in terms of energy (fuel consumption and heat dissipation reduction), economic and environmental points of view.
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19. |
- Andersson, Karin, 1952, et al.
(author)
-
Shipping and the Environment - Improving Environmental Performance in Marine Transportation
- 2016
-
Book (other academic/artistic)abstract
- This book focuses on the interaction between shipping and the natural environment and how shipping can strive to become more sustainable. Readers are guided in marine environmental awareness, environmental regulations and abatement technologies to assist in decisions on strategy, policy and investments. You will get familiar with possible paths to improve environmental performance and, in the long term, to a sustainable shipping sector, based on an understanding of the sources and mechanisms of common impacts. You will also gain knowledge on emissions anddischarges from ships, prevention measures, environmental regulations, and methods and tools for environmental assessment. In addition, the book includes a chapter on thebackground to regulating pollution from ships. It is intended as a source of information for professionals connected to maritime activities as well as policy makers and interested public. It is also intended as a textbook in higher education academic programmes.
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20. |
- Andersson, Karin, 1952
(author)
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The shipping industry and the climate
- 2022
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In: Sustainable Energy Systems on Ships: Novel Technologies for Low Carbon Shipping. - 9780128244715 ; , s. 3-25
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Book chapter (other academic/artistic)abstract
- As by 2020, the past six years, including 2020, are likely to be the six warmest years on record and the global mean temperature was 1.2°C above the preindustrial level [1]. International agreements, the Kyoto Protocol (1997) and the Paris agreement (2016), has set the aim to keep a global temperature rise during this century well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels. The anthropogenic inflow of GHGs to the atmosphere from the shipping industry was estimated by the IMO to totally around 2.5–3% of the global emissions in 2018 (or 1076 million tonnes). This is an increase by 9.6% since the previous study in 2014. The IMO projects the future emissions to increase from 1000 Mt CO2 in 2018 to 1000 to 1500 Mt CO2 in 2050 in a “Business as Usual”, BAU, scenario. Two years after the Paris agreement, the IMO adopted a vision, followed by a plan for implementation, in which a global goal of 50% reduction in GHG emissions from shipping by 2050 compared to 2008, and a total phase-out “within this century” is stated. Action from the IMO has started with a data collection system for fuel oil consumption. Ships of >5000 gross tonnage are required to collect consumption data fuel oil use and data on transport work. The European Union has started work on emission decrease with demands on Monitoring, Reporting and Verification of CO2 emissions from large ships (>5000 tonnes) using EU ports. Also here further measures are expected. At present here are many different initiatives, internationally, from countries as well as from shipping companies and shipowners to find ways towards “zero carbon shipping”. The different regulations and incentives introduced will help on the way, but still there is a need for more strict regulations or stronger incentives. The present initiatives give a large potential to make shipping and sea transport an important player also in a carbon neutral, sustainable society.
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21. |
- Andreasi Bassi, Susanna, et al.
(author)
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A life cycle assessment framework for large-scale changes in material circularity
- 2021
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In: Waste Management. - : Elsevier BV. - 0956-053X .- 1879-2456. ; 135, s. 360-371
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Increasing material circularity is high on the agenda of the European Union in order to decouple environmental impacts and economic growth. While life cycle assessment (LCA) is useful for quantifying the associated environmental impacts, consistent LCA modeling of the large-scale changes arising from policy targets addressing material circularity (i.e., recycled content and recycling rate) is challenging. In response to this, we propose an assessment framework addressing key steps in LCA, namely, goal definition, functional unit, baseline versus alternative scenario definition, and modeling of system responses. Regulatory and economic aspects (e.g., trends in consumption patterns, market responses, market saturation, and legislative side-policies affecting waste management) are emphasized as critical for the identification of potential system responses and for supporting regulatory interventions required to reach the intended environmental benefits. The framework is recommended for LCA studies focusing on system-wide consequences where allocation between product life cycles is not relevant; however, the framework can be adapted to include allocation. The application of the framework was illustrated by an example of implementing a policy target for 2025 of 70% recycled content in PET trays in EU27+1. It was demonstrated that neglecting large-scale market responses and saturation lead to an overestimation of the environmental benefits from the policy target and that supplementary initiatives are required to achieve the full benefits at system level.
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22. |
- Arvidsson, Rickard, 1984, et al.
(author)
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Using industrial default values for prospective modeling of new materials production – the case of photon upconversion materials for solar modules
- 2021
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Conference paper (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Several approaches to upscaling of materials production processes in the context of prospective life cycle assessment (LCA) have been proposed. Often, such approaches are bottom-up, departing from laboratory-scale descriptions of production processes and from that creating a model of future large-scale production. While such approaches make use of the material-specific knowledge available at the time of the assessment, they often neglect emergent aspects that may be present at factory level. An alternative, more top-down approach is to use industrial default values, i.e. average or typical values of inputs and outputs reflecting materials production today. Since production facilities normally do not change drastically over at least 10 years, such values might be relevant in prospective LCAs, at least given modest time horizons. Such default values can also be modified based on assumptions about future changes, such as increased energy recovery or novel solvent recovery processes. We applied previously derived industrial default values for fine chemical production when modeling the production of two materials with potential use in photon upconversion applications: lead sulfide (PbS) and lead selenide (PbSe) nanoparticles. Photon upconversion means that two low-energy photons are converted into one higher-energy photon utilizable by a solar module. While we used some material-specific values, such as synthesis-specific yields, most auxiliary input and output values (e.g. solvents, inert gas, heat, electricity and emissions) instead represent factory-scale values for current fine chemical production. Considering the availability of both best- and worst-case default values, it was possible to derive ranges for the likely future environmental impacts of the two materials. We conclude that the approach is feasible, but the availability of more up-to-date industrial default values would make it even more relevant in prospective LCAs.
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23. |
- Baldi, Francesco, et al.
(author)
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The cost of innovative and sustainable future ship energy systems
- 2019
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In: ECOS 2019 - Proceedings of the 32nd International Conference on Efficiency, Cost, Optimization, Simulation and Environmental Impact of Energy Systems. ; , s. 239-250
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Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The latest guidelines approved by the environmental protection committee of the international maritime organization (IMO) will require the shipping sector to reduce its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 50% before 2050 and achieve a complete decarbonization by the end of the century. This will require a major change in the way ships are built and operated today. In this paper, we aim at understanding what types of ship energy systems and fuels will be preferable and what will be the costs to achieve the environmental goals set by IMO for shipping. To do this, we approach the question as an MILP problem, with increasingly stringent constraints on the total GHG emissions and with the objective of minimizing the total cost of ownership. We apply this analysis to three ship types (a containership, a tanker, and a passenger ferry) and we determine what type of choice for the ship’s energy systems will be the most optimal, for each ship type. The results show that the most cost-effective pathway towards the elimination of GHG emissions is composed of a first phase with LNG as fuel and with an increasing use of carbon capture and storage, while the full decarbonisation of the shipping sector will require switching to hydrogen as fuel. These results depend only marginally on the type of ship investigated and on the type of regulation enforced. While the costs required to achieve up to 75% GHG emission reduction are relatively similar to the baseline case (50-70% higher), moving towards a full decarbonisation will require a cost increase ranging between 280% and 340% higher than the business as usual.
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24. |
- Brynolf, Selma, 1984, et al.
(author)
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Compliance possibilities for the future ECA regulations through the use of abatement technologies or change of fuels
- 2014
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In: Transportation Research Part D: Transport and Environment. - : Elsevier BV. - 1361-9209. ; 28, s. 6-18
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The upcoming stricter emission control area (ECA) regulations on sulphur and nitrogen oxides (NOX) emissions from shipping can be handled by different strategies. In this study, three alternatives complying with the ECA regulations for sulphur as well as Tier III for NOX are presented and compared using life cycle assessment. None of the three alternatives will significantly reduce the life cycle impact on climate change compared to heavy fuel oil (HFO). However, all alternatives will reduce the impact on particulate matter, photochemical ozone formation, acidification and terrestrial eutrophication potential. The assessment also highlighted two important regulatory aspects. Firstly, the need to regulate the ammonia slip from use of selective catalytic reduction (SCR) and secondly the need to regulate the methane slip from LNG engines. In addition, an analysis of the use of SCR in Swedish waters is presented showing that SCRs have been used on a number of ships already giving significantly reduced NOX emissions.
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25. |
- Brynolf, Selma, 1984, et al.
(author)
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Environmental assessment of marine fuels: liquefied natural gas, liquefied biogas, methanol and bio-methanol
- 2014
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In: Journal of Cleaner Production. - : Elsevier BV. - 0959-6526. ; 74, s. 86-95
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The combined effort of reducing the emissions of sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxides and greenhouse gases to comply with future regulations and reduce impact on climate change will require a significant change in ship propulsion. One alternative is to change fuels. In this study we compare the life cycle environmental performance of liquefied natural gas (LNG), liquefied biogas (LBG), methanol and bio-methanol. We also highlight a number of important aspects to consider when selecting marine fuels. A transition to use of LNG or methanol produced from natural gas would significantly improve the overall environmental performance. However, the impact on climate change is of the same order of magnitude as with use of heavy fuel oil. It is only the use of LBG and bio-methanol that has the potential to reduce the climate impact. The analysis did not show any significant differences in environmental performance between methane and methanol when produced from the same raw materials, but the performance of the methanol engines are yet to be validated.
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