Comparative Analysis of Energy Vectors for Industrial Applications: Evaluating Electricity, Hydrogen, and Biodiesel in the Italian Aluminum Smelting Sector | Chapter 9 | Current Approaches in Engineering Research and Technology Vol. 8

This chapter explores the comparative viability of electricity, hydrogen, and biodiesel as energy vectors for industrial applications, specifically focusing on an aluminum smelter project in Southern Italy. The analysis evaluates each energy vector across multiple parameters, including system efficiency, land requirements for carbon-neutral energy production, and capital expenditure (CapEx). The study finds that while biodiesel offers carbon neutrality, it is impractical due to extensive land requirements and lower efficiency. Hydrogen, though a promising alternative, presents challenges in efficiency and higher CapEx, particularly when considering the infrastructure required for production and transportation. Electricity emerges as the most viable option, offering superior efficiency, lower land requirements, and comparatively lower CapEx. The findings underscore the importance of a holistic assessment of energy vectors in industrial contexts, balancing economic, environmental, and practical considerations to achieve long-term sustainability and feasibility. This comprehensive analysis provides valuable insights and guidance for similar industrial applications, highlighting electricity's potential as the main vector for achieving carbon neutrality in energy-intensive sectors. The implications drawn underscore the need for holistic approaches to policymaking, research, and practice in navigating the transition toward sustainable energy solutions. Further research that addresses these limitations can pave the way for more informed, effective, and sustainable energy strategies in the industrial sector and beyond.

 

Author (s) Details

Emiliano Finocchi
LUISS Business School, Università LUISS Guido Carli, Rome, Italy.

 

Please see the book here: - https://doi.org/10.9734/bpi/caert/v8/2379

The Energy-Climate Nexus: A Systematic Review of Conflicts, Synergies, and Directionalities for the Global South | Chapter 6 | Science and Technology: Developments and Applications Vol. 8

Energy security and climate security have recently gained global interest due to increased energy demand and other factors such as geopolitical tensions. The global energy and climate policy presents a multitude of issues that need to be considered, ranging from technology, resource availability, consumer behavior, global market landscape, and geopolitics, among many others. This review analyzes the relationship between climate change and the country’s need to embrace socioeconomic growth from the perspective of energy services. On one hand, energy security is essential in providing sustainable economic growth and meeting human needs for flourishing. On the other hand, climate security is also vital in safeguarding the sustainability of the planet and its people. Amid these two important but conflicting parameters, countries need to meet their energy demand, which is growing exponentially. These parameters are also affected by increased economic growth and improved human standards and civilization of the global south. The world increasingly faces geopolitical tensions and political instability that affect the meeting of international climate goals. This research provides a systematic review of the two conflicting sides of the sustainability aspects in line with the energy sector; how to match national priorities with international climate policies remains a crucial question whose practical answer remains a challenge. The research provides comprehensive insights into the challenges or dilemmas faced by countries in the Global South, offering recommendations for policymakers and energy practitioners. With increasing uncertainty in the future climate, appropriate energy and climate policies need to be an integral part of the country’s economic development. It unveils the structural issues, the power dynamics between the global south and the north, and the competing agendas and disparities in different geographies.

 

Author (s) Details

Emmanuel Gabriel Michael Biririza
Energy and Environment, NORCAP/Norwegian Refugee Council, Oslo, Norway.

 

Please see the book here:- https://doi.org/10.9734/bpi/stda/v8/4911

CO₂ Concentration and Global Temperature: Missing Experimental Evidence | Chapter 6 | Geography, Earth Science and Environment: Research Highlights Vol. 3

Understanding the role of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO₂) in influencing global temperature is essential to the contemporary debate about anthropogenic global warming. Human activities releasing greenhouse gases are identified as dominant contributors to the observed climate change, including global warming and its acceleration. The consequences for humanity are predicted to be severe. Therefore, to mitigate global warming, significant efforts are being devoted to reducing CO₂ emissions and stabilizing (or even reducing) atmospheric CO₂ concentration. Various countries are taking measures to curtail the utilization of fossil fuels, i.e., coal, oil products, and natural gas, with the intent of transforming the transportation, heating, and energy sectors. This enormous endeavor of ‘decarbonization’ comes with substantial costs, running into trillions of USD in Western countries alone.

Fundamentally, the entirety of endeavors, actions, and outcomes hinges upon the central hypothesis stating that the increase of CO₂ concentration from approximately 0.03% to more than 0.04% causes a noticeable temperature rise. Given the paramount significance of this hypothesis, the generally accepted rules of science would necessitate rigorous scrutiny for substantiation. Such substantiation is typically provided by experimental evidence.

Yet, surprisingly according to the results of this research, exactly this essential experimental evidence supporting the central hypothesis seems to be lacking, not fully adhering to fundamental principles of scientific analysis. Consequently, robust experimental evidence must be presented to substantiate the hypothesis, as the failure to do so would necessitate a reassessment of the emphasis on CO₂ emissions reduction as the primary solution to climate change. The discussion about this subject should be conducted objectively, fair, and open-mindedly, embracing diverse perspectives.

 

Author (s) Details

Andrej Pustišek
Hochschule für Technik Stuttgart University of Applied Sciences, Schellingstr-24, 70174 Stuttgart, Germany.

 

Please see the book here:- https://doi.org/10.9734/bpi/geserh/v3/3633