Mitigation of GHG Emission:New Technology and other non-technological measures

7 January 2008

By K.S. Lam

PolyU

References

IPCC Fourth Assessment Report- Climate Change 2007: Mitigation of Climate Change– 2007, IPCC Second Assessment Report

Greenhouse Gas Emission Control Study– 2000, Environmental Protection Department

International Conference on Climate Change, 2007, Hong Kong

Declaration

In this presentation, most information

- are extracted from IPCC reports and EPD report;

- show the numbers of technology reducing GHG emissions;

- do not include the cost of technology;

- do not include the barrier of technology;

- do not include the mitigation options with vulnerability, adaptation and sustainable development

GHG emissions in 2000 (by sector)

Other energy related

5% Industry14%

Power24%

Transport14%

Buildings8%

Land Use18%

Agriculture14%

Waste3%

Mitigation Approach

To stabilize GHG at 550ppm, GHG needs to be cut by 80% from today’s level.

No one single technology can achieve this reduction. Mitigation has to be achieved in all sectors.

GHG can be cut in 4 ways: – Increased efficiency– Reducing demand– Action on non-energy emissions– Switch to low-carbon technologies

1. Increase Efficiency and Reduce Demand

1.1 Increase efficiency in Power Generation Change from coal fired to gas fired.

Schematic of Gas fired Plant

Gas - Natural Gas (Less carbon-intensive sources of energy)

Efficiency of coal fired power Plants: about 35% Efficiency of gas fired power Plants: can reach 56%

CO2 emission of gas fired is 57% of coal fired

1.2. Increase efficiency in Transport

– (1) Aviation– (2) Rail– (3) Road transport– (4) Shipping

Aviation

Fuel efficiency improvement by

(1) Aerodynamic improvements

(2) weight reductions

(3) engine fuel efficient development Air traffic control Open more air corridor, shortest path saves energy

Alternative fuel - HYDROGEN

Rail

Energy efficiency technologies for railways are discussed in http://www.railway-energy.org/tfee/index.php

Aims of technology

(1) Reducing aerodynamic resistance

(2) Reducing train weight

(3) Regenerative braking

(4) Higher efficiency propulsion system

Road Transport

Incremental improvements in current vehicle technologies

Advanced technologies: greater use of electric-drive technologies (hybrid electric power trains, fuel cells and battery electric vehicles)

Alternative fuels: natural gas, biofuels, electricity, hydrogen

Increase Efficiency in Transport

Electronic road price system. Electronic real-time traffic volume information

dissemination.

Increase Efficiency in Transport

Flying cars in the future? Levitation in the future?

1.3 Building GHG mitigation options

1. Overview of energy efficiency principles

- Reduce heating, cooling and lighting loads (structural insulation panel, glazing layer)

- Increase efficiency of appliances, heating and cooling equipment and ventilation

1.3 Building GHG mitigation options

1. Overview of energy efficiency principles- Improve operations and maintenance- Change behaviour- Utilize active solar energy and other environmental heat sources and sinks- Utilize system approaches to building design- Consider building form, orientation and related attributes- Minimize halocarbon emissions

2. Thermal envelope- Refers to the shell of the building as a barrier to unwanted heat or mass transfer between the interior of the building and the outside conditions- Insulation material- Thermal performance of windows (e.g. multiple glazing layers, low-emissivity coastings, use of framing material) - Air leakage (seals leaks)

3. Heating systems- Passive solar heating- Space heating systems

Building GHG mitigation options

Building GHG mitigation options

4. Cooling and cooling loads- Reducing the cooling load, 25.5C rather than 20C- Natural ventilation

5. Heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system

for commercial buildings, 2 alternatives:Radiant chilled-ceiling cooling, (2) Displacement ventilation

6. Building energy management systems (BEMS)

Radiant Cooling Panel

Building GHG mitigation options

7. Active collection and transformation of solar energy- Building-integrated Photovoltaic (BiPV)- Solar thermal energy for heating water

8. Domestic hot water- use of water saving fixtures- use of more efficient and better insulated water heaters- use of tankless water heaters- recovery of heat from warm waste water- use of air-sources or exhaust-air heat pumps

Building GHG mitigation options

9. Household appliances, consumer electronics and office equipment

1.3 Increase Efficiency of A/C

Change A/C from air cool to water cool, save >20% electricity.

Building GHG mitigation options

9. Lighting systems- natural light, light well, light pipe

Increase efficiency of Lighting

Change light bulb to fluorescence to LED. Incandescent Watt = 6 * fluorescent Watt = 12* LED Watt

Incandescent

Fluorescent

LED

Increase efficiency of Lighting

Future:– Building will use LED– PV/LED, use solar energy to power LED lighting

Increase efficiency in Lift

One for low floors and one for high floors? Odd/Even floors vs all floors? Double deck?

1.4. Industry

Measures for reducing GHG emissions Management practices Energy efficiency Fuel switching, including the use of waste materials Heat and power recovery Renewable energy Material efficiency and recycling Carbon dioxide capture and storage (CCS), including oxy-

fuel combustion

Most technologies are discussed in the previous sections

1.5 General principles to reduce Demand

Reduce population. Reduce waste. Use only when it is needed. Purchase energy efficient products. Reduce size of products. Walk – bicycle – mass transit – motor vehicle. Satellite city: home near office. Work at home? Home office?

2. Action on Non-Energy Emissions

2.1 Mitigating GHG emissions from agricultural ecosystems

Cropland management Grazing land management/pasture improvement Management of organic soil Restoration of degraded land Livestock management Manure/biosolid management Bioenergy

Source: IPCC 2007 Assessment Report: Mitigation of Climate Chnage

2.2. Forestry

1m3 of wood stores 0.92tCO2

Mitigation Activities

(1) Maintaining or increasing the forest area

(2) Maintaining or increasing the carbon density

(3) Increasing off-site carbon stocks in wood products and enhancing product and fuel substitution

2.3. Methane from Landfill Site

(1) landfilling with landfill gas recovery (CH4)

- Active landfill gas extraction system

Methane from Landfill Site

Tai Kwu Ling Landfill Site Plant

2.3. Waste Management

(2) post-consumer recycling

- reduce

- recycling

- re-use

2.3 Waste Management

(3) Composting of selected waste fractions

- Fluorinated gases (CFCs and HCFCs)

(4) Processes that reduce GHG generation compared to landfilling

- incineration

- production of refuse-derived fuel

- industrial co-combustion

- Biological treatment (compositing, anaerobic digestion and mechanical biological treatment)

- wastewater and sludge treatment

3. Low Carbon Emission Technologies

3.1Carbon Dioxide Capture and Storage (CCS)

CCS - an approach to mitigating global warming by capturing carbon dioxide (CO2) from large point sources such as fossil fuel power plants and subsequently storing it instead of releasing it into the atmosphere

CO2 Storage: (1) geological storage, (2) ocean storage, (3) mineral storage

Carbon Dioxide Capture and Storage

1.1 Integrated gasification combined cycle

IGCC

Clean coal technology – coal gasification and combined cycle.

Coal gasification – coal is partially combusted with oxygen and steam to produce syngas. The syngas then is cleaned before entering gas turbine.

Combine cycle – syngas drive gas turbine first, the residual heat then make steam which drive steam turbine. Consume less fuel per kWhr.

Geological Storage

Ocean Storage

Emissions to air from plants with or without CCS (kg/(MW·h))

Natural gas combined cycle

Pulverized coal Integrated gasification combined cycle

CO2 43 (-89%) 107 (−87%) 97 (−88%)

NOX 0.11 (+22%) 0.77 (+31%) 0.1 (+11%)

SOX --- 0.001 (−99.7%) 0.33 (+17.9%)

Ammonia 0.002 (before: 0) 0.23 (+2200%) ---

Source: IPCC special report 2005Between brackets the increase or decrease compared to a similar plant without CCS

Examples of power plants with CCS

StatoilHydro – Natural gas Field (http://www.statoilhydro.com/no/Pages/default.aspx)

FutureGen Alliance – Coal-fueled power plant (http://www.futuregenalliance.org/news/releases/pr_12-18-07.stm)

3.2. Low Carbon Power Generation

Nuclear: Uranium, Uranium recycle, Fusion Renewable:

– Hydro, – Wind, – Solar PV, – Biomass, – Geothermal, – Ocean.

Nuclear Energy

Nuclear Power

It is considered as a non-renewable energy Little GHG emissions. Total life-cycle GHG emissions per unit of electricity pr

oduced from nuclear power are below 40gCO2-eq/kWh. It is considered to be the short to medium term solution

for mitigation of CO2 emission. As of December 2006, 442 nuclear power plants were i

n operation with a total installed capacity of about 370GWe

In 2005, 2626 TWh of electricity (16% of the world total) was generated by nuclear power

Daya Bay Nuclear Power Plant

Renewable Energies

Renewable energy

Renewable energy accounted for over 15% of world energy supply in 2004

Renewable: Hydro, Wind, Biomass, Geothermal, Solar PV, Ocean

Technology of renewable energy

Category (A): Large and small hydro, woody biomass combustion, Geothermal, landfill gas, crystalline silicon PV solar water heating, onshore wind, bioethanol from sugars and starch

Technology of renewable energy

Category (B): Municipal solid waste-to-energy, anaerobic digestion, biodiesel, co-firing of biomass, concentrating solar dishes and troughs, solar-assisted air conditioning, mini- and micro-hydro, offshore wind

Technology of renewable energy

Category (C): thin-film PV, concentrating PV, tidal range and currents, wave power, biomass gasification and pyrolysis, bioethanol from ligno-cellulose, solar thermal tower

Category (D): organic and inorganic nanotechnology solar cells, artificial photosynthesis, biological hydrogen production involving biomass, algae and bacteria, biorefineries, ocean thermal and saline gradients, ocean currents

emissions-free, reliable energy source, zero CO2-emissions, Hydropower's fuel—water—is essentially infinite and is

not depleted in the production of energy. preserve our nation's independence from supply

disruptions overseas. hydropower excels at preserving the stability and

reliability of the electrical grid due to its unique operating characteristics.

Hydropower

Wind Energy

The wind push a propeller to rotate. The motor that attach to the propeller generates electricity.

Can be small scale.

Solar technologies

Passive Active Photovoltaics Solar thermal electric

A passive solar house. Sunlight streams into the house during low sun of winter months. The overhead sun is blocked in summer months. Interior walls absorbs energy and emit heat all the time.

Active solar systems

Active solar systems generally employ rooftop panels that collect heat from sunlight and store it in water or some other medium. This solar energy can then be used to heat domestic hot water or to heat the interior of the building

Medium temperatureConcentrating Parabolic Collector

Photovoltaics

Thin wafers of materials such as silicon that emits electrons when struck by sunlight.

Array of photovoltaic cells. It is like thousands of batteries connected together.

PV Solar Panel in Hong Kong

Solar thermal electric using parabolic reflectors. It heat up oil filled tubes and in turn heat water to produce steam.

Solar Thermal Electric

High temperatureRoof Collector

Biomass Energy

Biomass is organic matter such as wood or crop wastes that can be burned or converted into gaseous or liquid fuels.

Geothermal Energy

Geothermal energy is a renewable resource created primarily from magma, molten rock beneath the crust.

It is an enormous, underused heat and power resource that is clean (emits little or no greenhouse gases), reliable (average system availability of 95%), and homegrown.

Geothermal Energy

Simple application case

Ocean Energy

Tidal energy schemes capture water at high tide and release it at low tide.

Wave energy: the oscillating motion of an incoming and outgoing wave is used to drive turbines that generate electricity.

Ocean thermal energy conversion uses the difference in temperature between warm surface water and cold deep ocean water to make electricity.

Dam of a Tidal power generation station.

The dam opens during high tide to allow water level to raise.

The close when tidal started to ebb and lock the water level.

The side gate then release water at low tides to generate electricity.

Tidal Energy

How it works

Second-generation tidal power plants

Two types- vertical axis and horizontal axis

Harness the energy of tidal streams More efficient because they allow for energy production

on both the ebbing and surging tides One site has potential to equal the generating power of 3

nuclear power plants

3.4 Low Carbon Emission Vehicles

Alternative fuels - Natural Gas (CNG/LNG/LTL)- Biofuels- Electric vehicles- Hydrogen / Fuel Cells

4. Advance Technologiesand Latest Development

4.1. Future Technologies

Integration of different technologies Hydrogen Fuel Fuel Cells Nuclear Fusion Waste-to Energy Facility (WEF) Enhanced anaerobic digestion for Municipal Solid

Waste Sludge incineration

Integration of Technologies

Hybrid vehicles: – Electric drive + gasoline

Integration of Technologies

Hybrid vehicles: – gasoline + Hydrogen

Hydrogen Fuel

Over 70% of earth’s surface is ocean. The problem is how to collect enough solar powe

r to convert water to H2 fuel.

This approach could completely solve the GHG emission problem.

E.g. Outerspace/desert/tundra PV plants.

Outerspace Power Stations

Space-based solar power offers energy from an unending source with no emissions and very little environmental impact

FUEL CELL

Reversed Electrolysis Device

Pt coated electrodes

Use air as a source of O2

How Does it Work

Electrolyte- proton-exchange-membrane (PEM), Phosphoric Acid

Combines Fuel and Oxygen

Produces H20 (l), heat, CO2

Fuel Cell

Fuel Cell can be used in small or large scale applications

Useful Links

IPCC special report on carbon dioxide capture and storage (http://www.ipcc.ch/ipccreports/special-reports.htm)

IPCC forth assessment report : Mitigation of Climate Change (http://www.ipcc.ch/ipccreports/ar4-wg3.htm)

Greenhouse Gas Emission Control Study (http://www.epd.gov.hk/epd/english/environmentinhk/air/studyrpts/greenhouse_gas_study.html)

4.2. Eco-City / Carbon Neutral City

Dongtan Eco-city (near Shanghai) An island with 500,000 people. 40% land used for building, others to green space and farml

and. Integrate all aspects of sustainability. Low energy consumption that is as close to carbon neutral

as possible, most energy derive from solar, wind and biomass.

Pedestrian, bicycle and fuel cell transport. Recycled city waste organic farming self-sufficient in wate

r and food sourced from the surrounding farmland. Another city is Sseesamirembe (Uganda)

4.2. Eco-City / Carbon Neutral City

Dontang Eco-city (near Shanghai)

End