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Renewable Energy for Sustainable Transports: The Potential of the Electricity and Hydrogen

A special issue of Applied Sciences (ISSN 2076-3417). This special issue belongs to the section "Transportation and Future Mobility".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 September 2024) | Viewed by 2668

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC), Via E. Fermi 2749, 21027 Ispra, Italy
Interests: biofuels and bioenergy; life cycle assessment; GHGs emissions; assessment of sustainability; thermochemical and biological processes; modelling energy system; EU energy policies
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In the coming years, the transport sector is expected to stop relying on fossil-based fuels, promoting the direct use of both electricity and hydrogen. In the transition towards a sustainable transport sector, not only are hydrogen and synthetic fuels from carbon capture and utilization (CCU) expected to replace the conventional fossil liquid fuels, but also advanced biofuels will play a crucial role. While shifting towards electric powertrains is easier for small vehicles (road transport), hard-to-abate sectors such as aviation, maritime and heavy-duty vehicles will continue to require liquid fuels due to technological barriers.

As these sectors will still rely on liquid fuels for some decades, the feedstock used for their production will have to respect an increasingly rigid sustainability framework, to effectively contribute to decarbonization. The concept of sustainability does not only cover bio-based feedstock; hydrogen shall also be produced with specific criteria of time correlation and additionality, to be labelled as renewable. As regards biomass sources, aspects related to greenhouse gas (GHG) mitigation potential, indirect land‐use change (ILUC), biodiversity preservation, carbon stock depletion, competition with food and feed markets, and many others shall be considered to ensure long-term sustainability. In contrast, for biowastes, non-food crops, industrial organic wastes, and agricultural and forest residues, the GHG emissions savings shall be evaluated considering the traditional scenario for their disposal. Finally, when electrification is possible, aspects related to battery construction and material disposal and recycling should be taken into account.

This Special Issue aims to address the challenge of producing and using renewable energy in a sustainable manner, ranging from modelling exercises to experimental activities proving the effective use of innovative solutions. Also, LCA studies focusing on renewable energy solutions for powertrains are welcome. This Special Issue is open to contributions from researchers, students, experts, industries, and any relevant stakeholders that are willing to be an active part for decarbonizing the transport sector.

Dr. Matteo Prussi
Dr. Marco Buffi
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • renewable energy
  • renewable electricity
  • biofuels
  • alternative fuels
  • advanced biofuels
  • feedstock
  • GHG saving
  • transport sector
  • aviation
  • maritime
  • sustainability
  • LCA
  • ILUC
  • GWP
  • RCF
  • RFNBO
  • Power-to-X
  • batteries

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

23 pages, 5065 KiB  
Article
Probabilistic Analysis of Low-Emission Hydrogen Production from a Photovoltaic Carport
by Arkadiusz Małek, Agnieszka Dudziak, Jacek Caban and Jonas Matijošius
Appl. Sci. 2024, 14(20), 9531; https://doi.org/10.3390/app14209531 - 18 Oct 2024
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 985
Abstract
This article presents a 3D model of a yellow hydrogen generation system that uses the electricity produced by a photovoltaic carport. The 3D models of all key system components were collected, and their characteristics were described. Based on the design of the 3D [...] Read more.
This article presents a 3D model of a yellow hydrogen generation system that uses the electricity produced by a photovoltaic carport. The 3D models of all key system components were collected, and their characteristics were described. Based on the design of the 3D model of the photovoltaic carport, the amount of energy produced monthly was determined. These quantities were then applied to determine the production of low-emission hydrogen. In order to increase the amount of low-emission hydrogen produced, the usage of a stationary energy storage facility was proposed. The Metalog family of probability distributions was adopted to develop a strategic model for low-emission hydrogen production. The hydrogen economy of a company that uses small amounts of hydrogen can be based on such a model. The 3D modeling and calculations show that it is possible to design a compact low-emission hydrogen generation system using rapid prototyping tools, including the photovoltaic carport with an electrolyzer placed in the container and an energy storage facility. This is an effective solution for the climate and energy transition of companies with low hydrogen demand. In the analytical part, the Metalog probability distribution family was employed to determine the amount of monthly energy produced by 6.3 kWp photovoltaic systems located in two European countries: Poland and Italy. Calculating the probability of producing specific amounts of hydrogen in two European countries is an answer to a frequently asked question: In which European countries will the production of low-emission hydrogen from photovoltaic systems be the most profitable? As a result of the calculations, for the analyzed year 2023 in Poland and Italy, specific answers were obtained regarding the probability of monthly energy generation and monthly hydrogen production. Many companies from Poland and Italy are taking part in the European competition to create hydrogen banks. Only those that offer low-emission hydrogen at the lowest prices will receive EU funding. Full article
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22 pages, 4095 KiB  
Article
Estimation of Photovoltaic Potential of Solar-Powered Electric Vehicle: Case Study of Commuters on Donghae Expressway, Korea
by Jangwon Suh
Appl. Sci. 2024, 14(15), 6574; https://doi.org/10.3390/app14156574 - 27 Jul 2024
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1085
Abstract
Studies on solar electric vehicles (EVs) have focused on calculating the power generation in a specific environment without discussing its practical utility. To expand the awareness of the utility of solar EVs, their potential should be evaluated by considering the operation methods of [...] Read more.
Studies on solar electric vehicles (EVs) have focused on calculating the power generation in a specific environment without discussing its practical utility. To expand the awareness of the utility of solar EVs, their potential should be evaluated by considering the operation methods of users. This study investigated the photovoltaic (PV) potential of an EV integrated with PV modules while driving on an expressway. Tunnel and shadow areas were identified to determine unpowered areas on the expressway. The PVWatts model was used to evaluate the PV potential by the time of the year. For a single vehicle traveling at 60 km/h on the Donghae expressway section during both the summer and winter solstices, the amount of power generation is within 0.208–0.317 kWh, corresponding to 0.94–1.43% of the electricity consumed for driving. Furthermore, this study assumed that office workers commute on the Donghae expressway. Under the scenario considering the time of operation (traveling to and from work and parking at work) and the shading ratio, the rechargeable amount was more than 10% of the electricity consumption. The results showed that solar roofs are potential charging supplements for EV batteries. This study can provide the efficacy and optimal operation method of solar EVs for commuters. Full article
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