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Advances in CO₂ Mitigation in Energy and the Environment

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A special issue of Energies (ISSN 1996-1073). This special issue belongs to the section "B: Energy and Environment".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 March 2022) | Viewed by 23929

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Dr. Huichao Chen

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Guest Editor

School of Energy and Environment, Southeast University, Nanjing 210096, China
Interests: carbon capture and mitigation; simultaneous control of multipollutants from fossil fuel combustion; waste management and utilization; contaminated soil remediation

Dr. Jiajie Li

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Guest Editor

School of Civil and Resources Engineering, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083, China
Interests: mineral carbonation; solid waste based cementitious materials; mine health and safety; mechanochemistry
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Dear Colleagues,

Energy and the environment are two of the most important issues this century. Most of our energy comes from fossil fuels, and burning these fuels causes environmental problems, global warming in particular. Anthropogenic CO₂ production, especially from the combustion process, is agreed to be a major contributor to global warming and climate change. Prompt global action to resolve the CO₂ crisis is therefore needed. To pursue such an action, one important method is to mitigate greenhouse gases. This Special Issue aims at receiving contributions (in the form of research articles, letters, reviews, and communications) to update developments in the areas of carbon capture and mitigation of CO₂ in support of future developments in the low-carbon global economy with net carbon emissions and availability of reagents.

I kindly invite you to submit a contribution to this Special Issue of Energies, “Advances in CO₂ Mitigation in Energy and the Environment”.

Dr. Huichao Chen
Dr. Jiajie Li
Guest Editors

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Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

CO₂ capture
CO₂ mitigation
Mineral carbonation
CO₂ sequestration
Calcium looping/chemical looping process/chemical looping combustion
Oxy-fuel combustion
CO₂ separation
CO₂ adsorption
Materials for CO₂ adsorption
CO₂ absorbent
Carbon dioxide fixation
Membrane, solvent for CO₂ capture

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Research

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26 pages, 24966 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Inequalities in Regional Level Domestic CO₂ Emissions and Energy Use: A Case Study of Iran

by Behnam Ata, Parisa Pakrooh, Ayoub Barkat, Ramzi Benhizia and János Pénzes

Energies 2022, 15(11), 3902; https://doi.org/10.3390/en15113902 - 25 May 2022

Cited by 11 | Viewed by 1948

Abstract

An increasing amount of CO₂ emissions from the household sector of Iran led us to analyze the inequality and understand the possible driving force behind the CO₂ emissions. The study of inequality provides information to policy-makers to point policies in the right direction. By considering the differences in the socio-economic factors of provinces, the study aims to analyze the inequality in CO₂ emissions and different kinds of energy consumption, including oil, gas and electricity, for the household sector of Iran’s provinces between 2000 and 2017. For this aim, the Theil index and Kaya factor, as a simple and common method, were considered to evaluate the inequality in both CO₂ emissions and energy consumption, and determine the driving factor behind CO₂ emissions. According to the results, inequality in oil and natural gas consumption were increasing, electricity was almost constant; however, CO₂ emissions experienced a decreasing trend for the study period. The Theil index changed from 0.4 to 0.65 for oil, from 0.18 to 0.22 for natural gas, from 0.17 to 0.15 for electricity, and from 0.2 to 0.14 for CO₂ emissions between 2001 and 2017. In addition, the results of the inequality study indicated that most of the inequalities belong to within-group inequalities in energy consumption and CO₂ emissions. The results of the Kaya factor indicate that the second factor, energy efficiency, with a 0.21 value was the main driving factor of inequalities in CO₂ emissions; however, the first factor, energy consumption, can be a potential factor for inequality in the following years, as it increased from 0.00 to 0.11 between 2001 and 2017. It seems that by removing the energy subsidy policy in 2010 and 2013, low-standard and energy-wasting old vehicles were the most effective factors of energy inefficiency in the household sector, which need more accurate policy-making. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in CO₂ Mitigation in Energy and the Environment)

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24 pages, 6842 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Spatial-Temporal Pattern and Driving Factors of Carbon Efficiency in China: Evidence from Panel Data of Urban Governance

by Juanjuan Tian, Xiaoqian Song and Jinsuo Zhang

Energies 2022, 15(7), 2536; https://doi.org/10.3390/en15072536 - 30 Mar 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1939

Abstract

The improvement in city-level carbon efficiency (CE) is crucial for China to achieve its CO₂ emission targets. Based on the panel data from 2003 to 2017, total factor CE values of 283 prefecture-level cities were measured using the super-efficiency SBM model. Through the exploratory spatial data analysis (ESDA), we found that the average city-level CE from 2003 to 2017 showed a “W”-type growth trend. Additionally, there are significant spatial heterogeneity and spatial dependency characteristics of city-level CE. The results of local spatial correlation analysis showed that the Low–Low clusters are distributed in all cities of Shanxi and Northern Shaanxi, and gradually expand to Inner Mongolia, Gansu, Ningxia, and Hebei over time, and the High–High clusters are mainly located in the southeast coastal cities and central and eastern Sichuan. High–Low clusters are generally scattered in cities with relatively superior political–economic status in Northeast China, North China, and Northwest China, and gradually concentrated in North China during 2003–2017. Additionally, the dynamic spatial econometric model was employed to investigate the influencing factors of CE, and we found that the city-level CE has the characteristic of path dependence on time. Factors such as industrial structure upgrading and environmental regulation have significant improvement effects on city-level CE, while technological progress, financial development, energy intensity, and government intervention can significantly inhibit city-level CE. Compared with short-term effects, the long-term effects are insignificant with higher absolute values, indicating the long-term persistence and gradual strengthening characteristics of driving factors on city-level CE; however, the acting long-term mechanism has not been formed. Additionally, the regional spillover effect of driving factors on CE is more significant in the short term. Based on the empirical results, some policy implications for cities to improve CE are proposed. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in CO₂ Mitigation in Energy and the Environment)

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19 pages, 3272 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Market Stakeholder Analysis of the Practical Implementation of Carbonation Curing on Steel Slag for Urban Sustainable Governance

by Jiajie Li, Chenyu Wang, Xiaoqian Song, Xin Jin, Shaowei Zhao, Zihan Qi, Hui Zeng, Sitao Zhu, Fuxing Jiang, Wen Ni and Michael Hitch

Energies 2022, 15(7), 2399; https://doi.org/10.3390/en15072399 - 24 Mar 2022

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2263

Abstract

Carbonation curing on steel slag is one of the most promising technologies for the iron and steel industry to manage its solid waste and carbon emissions. However, the technology is still in its demonstration stage. This paper investigates the market stakeholders of carbonation curing on steel slag for construction materials for its effective application by taking China as a case study. A holistic analysis of the competition, market size, and stakeholders of carbonation curing on steel slag was carried out through a literature review, a survey, a questionnaire, and interviews. The results showed that carbonation curing on steel slag had the advantages of high quality, high efficiency, low cost, and carbon reduction compared with other technologies. Shandong province was the most suitable province for the large-scale primary application of the technology. Stakeholder involvement to establish information platforms, enhance economic incentives, and promote adequate R&D activities would promote carbonation curing of steel slag into practice. This paper provides a reference for the commercialization of carbonation curing on similar calcium- and magnesium-based solid waste materials. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in CO₂ Mitigation in Energy and the Environment)

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17 pages, 3041 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Reporting of Sustainable Energy Action Plans of Municipalities: Methodology and Results of Case Studies from the Abruzzo Region

by Davide Di Battista, Chiara Barchiesi, Luca Di Paolo, Simona Abbate, Sara Sorvillo, Andrea Cinocca, Roberto Carapellucci, Dario Ciamponi, Dina Cardone, Salvatore Corroppolo and Roberto Cipollone

Energies 2021, 14(18), 5932; https://doi.org/10.3390/en14185932 - 18 Sep 2021

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 1809

Abstract

Territorial energetic and environmental planning provides operational solidity to the concept of sustainable development, in particular in energy-related issues, where recent attention to and social awareness of climate change are driving actions and policies at local and international levels. The goals of the United Nations Agenda 2030 can be reached through the strategy of glocalization, giving more responsibility to local administrations like municipalities. In this work, a scientific methodology is developed and validated to revise Sustainable Energy Action Plans (SEAP) and the monitoring phase of municipalities. The methodology starts from measured data in the territory considered and makes use of specific statistical models in order to estimate the needed data. The methodology considers the energy consumption of the main sectors: residential, transportation, tertiary, and commercial, with a particular focus on municipal competences (public lighting, urban transport, municipal fleet, etc.). Renewable energy is also considered due to its importance in local energy production. In order to go deeper into SEAPs, in this paper, the authors describe the quantitative analysis of the Baseline Emission Inventory, the quantification of the SEAP planning actions, and the definition of the Monitoring Emission Inventory, which is the final step of the planning process. This step was done for nine municipalities of the Abruzzo region with different characteristics (size, population, climate, geographical position, economy, etc.) in order to widen the results of the analysis and test the robustness of the methodology. Indeed, it gave a quantitative dimension to the primary energy consumption and CO₂ emissions for 2018, compared with the 2005 baseline values, and the final results are related to the reduction commitments planned for 2020. All the municipalities were considered to have achieved this goal, surpassing the 20% emissions reduction. This validated methodology is also the basis for the development of the Sustainable Energy and Climate Action Plans (SECAPs), which integrate adaptation actions and mitigation ones. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in CO₂ Mitigation in Energy and the Environment)

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23 pages, 2552 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Analysis of Influencing Factors of Carbon Emissions in China’s Logistics Industry: A GDIM-Based Indicator Decomposition

by Changyou Zhang, Wenyu Zhang, Weina Luo, Xue Gao and Bingchen Zhang

Energies 2021, 14(18), 5742; https://doi.org/10.3390/en14185742 - 12 Sep 2021

Cited by 26 | Viewed by 3191

Abstract

Due to increased global carbon dioxide emissions, the greenhouse effect is being aggravated, which has attracted wide attention. China is committed to promoting the low-carbon development of all industries. This paper analyzed the influencing factors of carbon emissions in the Chinese logistics industry, so as to identify the key factors that influence carbon emissions. Based on the carbon emission data of China’s logistics industry in 2000–2019, this paper applied the carbon emission coefficients issued by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. For the first time, the Generalized Divisia Index Method was used to analyze the degree of influence of the factors on carbon emissions. This method considered more variables and their relationships. The results showed that (1) the carbon emissions of the logistics industry were increased by 3.22 times from 2000 to 2018, and showed negative growth for the first time in 2019; (2) the added value of the logistics industry is the most important factor in increasing carbon emissions (with a contribution ratio of 65.45%), energy consumption and practical population size are the main factors in carbon emissions. The promotion of this industry is subjected to decreased per capita carbon emissions, which have a large impact on total carbon emissions; (3) the intensity of carbon output is the most important factor in the reduction of carbon emissions (with a contribution ratio of −29.1%), where the energy carbon intensity and per capita added value are the main influencing factors with regard to the reduction of carbon emissions, while energy intensity has a negative inhibitory effect on carbon emissions, and (4) the influencing factors have negative effects on the cumulative inhibition of carbon emissions in the logistics industry, to an extent that is far less than the integral promotion of carbon emissions. Finally, according to the research conclusions of this paper, it is feasible to make recommendations for the carbon reduction of the logistics industry. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in CO₂ Mitigation in Energy and the Environment)

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21 pages, 5044 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Driving Factors and Future Prediction of Carbon Emissions in the ‘Belt and Road Initiative’ Countries

by Lili Sun, Huijuan Cui and Quansheng Ge

Energies 2021, 14(17), 5455; https://doi.org/10.3390/en14175455 - 1 Sep 2021

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2215

Abstract

‘Belt and Road Initiative’ (B&R) countries play critical roles in mitigating global carbon emission under the Paris agreement, but their driving factors and feasibility to reduce carbon emissions remain unclear. This paper aims to identify the main driving factors (MDFs) behind carbon emissions and predict the future emissions trajectories of the B&R countries under different social-economic pathways based on the extended STIRPAT (stochastic impacts by regression on population, affluence, and technology) model. The empirical results indicate that GDP per capita and energy consumption structure are the MDFs that promote carbon emission, while energy intensity improvement is the MDF that inhibits carbon emission. Population, as another MDF, has a dual impact across countries. The carbon emissions in all B&R countries are predicted to increase from SSP1 to SSP3, but emissions trajectories vary across countries. Under the SSP1 scenario, carbon emissions in over 60% of B&R countries can peak or decline, and the aggregated peak emissions will amount to 21.97 Gt in 2030. Under the SSP2 scenario, about half of the countries can peak or decline, while their peak emissions and peak time are both higher and later than SSP1, the highest emission of 25.35 Gt is observed in 2050. Conversely, over 65% of B&R countries are incapable of either peaking or declining under the SSP3 scenario, with the highest aggregated emission of 33.10 Gt in 2050. It is further suggested that decline of carbon emission occurs when the inhibiting effects of energy intensity exceed the positive impacts of other MDFs in most B&R countries. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in CO₂ Mitigation in Energy and the Environment)

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15 pages, 4431 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Use of CO₂ to Cure Steel Slag and Gypsum-Based Material

by Xue Wang, Wen Ni, Jiajie Li, Siqi Zhang, Keqing Li and Wentao Hu

Energies 2021, 14(16), 5174; https://doi.org/10.3390/en14165174 - 21 Aug 2021

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 2491

Abstract

To improve the utilization of steel slag (SS) in CO₂ capture and making building materials, the paper mainly discussed the effects of desulphurization gypsum (DG) and w/s ratio on strength development and CO₂ capture capability of high Al content SS. It showed that 10 wt% DG enhanced the strength of hydration-curing SS by 262% at 28 days. Similarly, adding 6 wt% DG in carbonation-curing SS contributed to increases in strength and CO₂ uptake by 283% and 33.54%, reaching 42.68 MPa and 19.12%, respectively. Strength decreases and CO₂ uptake increases with w/s. Microanalysis (QXRD, SEM-EDS, TG-DTG, FTIR, XPS, and MIP) revealed that the main hydration products of SS were C-S-H gel and C₄AH₁₃, which transformed to ettringite with DG addition. The carbonation products were mainly calcite and aragonite. Additionally, the amount of aragonite, mechanically weaker than calcite, decreased and calcite increased significantly when DG was added in carbonation-curing samples, providing a denser structure and higher strength than those without DG. Furthermore, high Al 2p binding energies revealed the formation of monocarboaluminate in the DG-added carbonation samples, corresponding to higher CO₂ uptake. This study provides guidance for the preparation of SS-DG carbide building materials. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in CO₂ Mitigation in Energy and the Environment)

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15 pages, 2956 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Decoupling Analysis of CO₂ Emissions in the Industrial Sector from Economic Growth in China

by Dan Meng, Yu Li, Ji Zheng, Zehong Li, Haipeng Ye and Shifeng Li

Energies 2021, 14(16), 5099; https://doi.org/10.3390/en14165099 - 19 Aug 2021

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1821

Abstract

China has become the largest CO₂ emission country since 2014. The industrial sector is the largest contributor to CO₂ emissions in China. This paper uncovers the spatiotemporal characteristics of the decoupling status of industrial CO₂ emissions from economic growth at the provincial level during 1995–2019 in China and analyzed the structural characteristics of the industrial CO₂ emissions. The results suggested that 2010 is an important turning point. Since 2010, the decoupling status of industrial CO₂ emissions from economic growth has kept a continuously improving trend. During 2016–2019, all provinces achieved decoupling of the industrial CO₂ emissions from economic growth. More than 20% achieved absolute strong decoupling. Four subindustries, including raw chemical materials and chemical products, production and supply of electric power and heat power, petroleum processing and coking products, and smelting and pressing of non-ferrous metals, with large CO₂ emissions’ contribution and a continuously increasing trend, should be paid more attention in the future CO₂ reduction policies formulation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in CO₂ Mitigation in Energy and the Environment)

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18 pages, 5427 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Study on Mineral Compositions of Direct Carbonated Steel Slag by QXRD, TG, FTIR, and XPS

by Xue Wang, Wen Ni, Jiajie Li, Siqi Zhang and Keqing Li

Energies 2021, 14(15), 4489; https://doi.org/10.3390/en14154489 - 24 Jul 2021

Cited by 20 | Viewed by 2953

Abstract

Steel slag CO₂ sequestration helps mitigate global warming and decrease the stockpile of steel slag (SS). Through orthogonal design tests and single-factor tests, this paper evaluated the effects of the water/solid mass ratio (w/s), gypsum ratio (G/SS), molding pressure, and curing duration on uniaxial compressive strength (UCS) and CO₂ uptake of the compacts. The results indicated that high w/s enhanced both strength and CO₂ capture ability. The proper addition of gypsum helps promote UCS increase and CO₂ uptake of steel slag. In addition, increasing the molding pressure can significantly improve UCS without reducing CO₂ uptake. The optimum conditions in the study were a w/s of 0.20, G/SS of 1/16, and molding pressure of 27 MPa, under which conditions 1 d UCS and CO₂ uptake were 55.30 MPa and 12.36%, respectively. Microanalyses showed that gypsum activates mainly mayenite in steel slag. An increase in water addition also increased the hydration and carbonation products greatly, and the strengthened molding pressure had a significant densification effect on micro-pore structures. The study gives guidance in the application of steel slag in CO₂ capture and manufacturing green construction material. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in CO₂ Mitigation in Energy and the Environment)

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19 pages, 313 KiB

Open AccessReview

Research Progress of Low-Carbon Cementitious Materials Based on Synergistic Industrial Wastes

by Qian Li, Jiajie Li, Siqi Zhang, Xiaoyan Huang, Xue Wang, Ying Wang and Wen Ni

Energies 2023, 16(5), 2376; https://doi.org/10.3390/en16052376 - 1 Mar 2023

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1940

Abstract

Cementitious material based on synergistic industrial wastes can be used as a new product for low-carbon transformation. It can aid in resource recycling and suitable consumption and utilisation of various industrial wastes. The proposed material can reduce a large amount of CO₂ emitted during calcination in cement production and the decomposition of raw limestone. In addition, the material exhibits high durability and high resistance to corrosion in the marine environment that can further reduce CO₂ emissions over the lifecycle of the carbon footprint of the building. Currently, many similar chemical kinetic processes and mineralogical reaction processes of particle migration and rebinding exist in the hydration and hardening reactions, service processes and durability evolution of different industrial waste cementitious systems for low-carbon production. The theoretical basis of preparing various low-carbon cementitious materials (LCCMs) with industrial waste systems is discussed herein, including the two theories of ‘complex salt effect’ and ‘isomorphic effect from tetrahedral coordination of silicon-oxygen’. Further research on LCCM is based on the theoretical foundation of ‘passive hydration kinetics’. Furthermore, this study presents the CO₂ reduction potential of LCCM prepared using industrial wastes and provides future research directions in this regard. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in CO₂ Mitigation in Energy and the Environment)

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