Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
5.5
2.8
Journals
Processes
Special Issues
Innovative Processes and Technologies for Energy Applications Towards Sustainability
share announcement

Innovative Processes and Technologies for Energy Applications Towards Sustainability

A special issue of Processes (ISSN 2227-9717). This special issue belongs to the section "Energy Systems".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 January 2026 | Viewed by 661

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Jorge Ivan Silva Ortega

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Energy Department, Universidad de la Costa, Barranquilla 080002, Colombia
Interests: energy; electricity; processes; energy management; electronics; artificial intelligence; forecasting; security

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The urgent need for sustainable, efficient, clean energy solutions has spurred significant energy advancements in energy processes and technologies. This Special Issue addresses the growing global demand for innovation in energy applications across societal, industrial, and commercial contexts. By highlighting novel processes and technological breakthroughs, this collection seeks to showcase transformative experiences and lessons that can shape the future of energy management and production.

One of the critical themes in this Special Issue is the role of energy communities—collaborative networks that focus on renewable energy generation, local energy independence, and participatory management. These communities exemplify the importance of adopting new processes and strategies to support energy transitions and foster sustainability.

In addition, the energy sector faces pressing challenges in integrating sustainable energy sources into existing systems, requiring robust energy transition strategies. This Special Issue invites contributions that explore trends across the energy value chain, including decarbonization, waste-to-energy solutions, digitalization, and renewable energy integration.

We welcome original research articles, case studies, and reviews that address the following topics:

  • Innovative processes for renewable energy generation and storage.
  • Decentralized and community-based energy management systems.
  • Advanced strategies for energy transitions and sustainability.
  • Peer-to-peer energy trading and smart grid optimization.
  • Circular economy approaches in energy production and consumption.
  • Energy efficiency in industrial and commercial applications.
  • Emerging technologies for decarbonization and carbon capture.
  • Waste-to-energy innovations and biofuel production.

This Special Issue provides a platform for researchers, practitioners, and policymakers to contribute to the ongoing discourse on advancing energy processes and technologies, focusing on fostering resilience and sustainability.

We look forward to your submissions and valuable contributions to this Special Issue.

Prof. Dr. Jorge Ivan Silva Ortega
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Processes is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 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

  • renewable energy systems
  • energy storage solutions
  • smart processes
  • waste-to-energy conversion
  • energy processes

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (2 papers)

Download All Papers
Order results
Result details
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

20 pages, 1963 KB  
Article
Design, Optimization, and Process Integration of a Methanol-to-Olefin Plant
by Nasser Saad Alosaimi, Abdulaziz Althabet, Irfan Wazeer, Mourad Boumaza and Mohamed K. Hadj-Kali
Processes 2025, 13(12), 3806; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr13123806 - 25 Nov 2025
Abstract
The methanol-to-olefins (MTO) process offers a viable alternative to traditional naphtha cracking for producing light olefins, providing flexibility in feedstock sources and the potential for reduced energy consumption. This study presents a detailed plant-wide design of an MTO process, developed and optimized to [...] Read more.
The methanol-to-olefins (MTO) process offers a viable alternative to traditional naphtha cracking for producing light olefins, providing flexibility in feedstock sources and the potential for reduced energy consumption. This study presents a detailed plant-wide design of an MTO process, developed and optimized to increase ethylene and propylene yields while reducing energy consumption. The methodology includes comprehensive reactor modeling of a fast fluidized-bed reactor–regenerator system, accounting for coke formation kinetics, along with rigorous process simulation for the subsequent separation and purification of products. A six-column distillation train has been designed and optimized for the recovery of polymer-grade ethylene and propylene, while dual-stage CO2 absorption units ensure complete removal of carbon dioxide. Pinch analysis is used to identify opportunities for heat integration, resulting in an optimized heat-exchanger network that significantly reduces the need for external heating and cooling utilities. The results show that the optimized MTO design achieves a methanol conversion rate of over 99.9% and produces a propylene-rich product stream with a propylene-to-ethylene ratio of approximately 1.8, while maintaining a high purity level exceeding 99.5%. By implementing heat integration and recycling by-products, including using off-gas methane as furnace fuel and repurposing waste heat for steam generation, the plant reduces utility requirements by more than 85%, significantly improving energy efficiency. An economic evaluation shows a favorable payback period of approximately 5.4 years and an internal rate of return of 15–16%, confirming the viability and industrial potential of the integrated MTO process for sustainable olefin production. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Processes and Technologies for Energy Applications Towards Sustainability)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

25 pages, 1799 KB  
Article
Technical Evaluation of BTEX Emission Mitigation from Gas Dehydration Unit by Revamping and Using Alternative Glycols
by Ahmed A. Bhran and Abeer M. Shoaib
Processes 2025, 13(11), 3696; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr13113696 - 15 Nov 2025
Viewed by 223
Abstract
Water removal is crucial in natural gas processing to minimize water content, ensure safe transmission, and prevent operational issues like equipment corrosion and hydrate formation. Glycol absorption could be considered as one of the most effective methods used for natural gas dehydration and [...] Read more.
Water removal is crucial in natural gas processing to minimize water content, ensure safe transmission, and prevent operational issues like equipment corrosion and hydrate formation. Glycol absorption could be considered as one of the most effective methods used for natural gas dehydration and dew point control. However, during solvent regeneration, some pollutants, like benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene (BTEX), are released to the atmosphere, resulting in catastrophic physical and mental health problems. Minimizing such pollutants that have negative impacts is highly needed to avoid the related negative environmental consequences. The objective of the current work is to investigate alternative strategies targeted to minimize BTEX emissions and guarantee efficient control of the dew point. Two strategies are introduced and investigated in this work; the first strategy is based on revamping an existing unit by adding a new cooler upstream glycol inlet separator, while the second strategy is based on using alternative glycols. The proposed strategies are applied to an Egyptian natural gas dehydration unit to select the optimum scenario that achieves the minimum BTEX emissions with efficient dew point control. It is found that natural gas dehydration using monoethylene glycol (MEG) is the best scenario in reducing BTEX emissions with efficient dew point control. The impact of operating conditions on BTEX emissions, along with natural gas water content, is also investigated. Lingo optimization software, v. 18, as well as HYSYS, v. 14, are used to find the optimum operating conditions for efficient dew point control with minimum BTEX emissions. It is demonstrated that stripping gas, MEG circulation rate, and inlet feed gas temperature have remarkable effects on BTEX emissions. Two quadratic correlations are also introduced in this study to efficiently relate BTEX emissions and water dew point to the influencing operating conditions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Processes and Technologies for Energy Applications Towards Sustainability)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-2
Back to TopTop