Resources — Open Access Journal

Assessment of overhead transmission lines is a crucial task in the asset management of electric power infrastructures. Any assets have different life spans and require proper assessment and maintenance actions. Disruption of the power supply may cause national problems. Therefore, it is essential to ensure that the distribution and transmission of electric power from the power plant to end consumers is achieved without fail. This paper presents a proposed framework of health index of the transmission line using a condition-based method. This study refers to previous methods in determining the health index of electrical power assets, mainly transformer and transmission line. Three main indicators contributed and need to be considered in determining the health index. The indicators are structural, electrical and environmental aspects. The health index of these three indicators with 14 items was calculated, and the overall health index of the transmission line determined. From the case study conducted for this study, the specific location, tower and item can be acknowledged that cause the failure and the service interruption of energy supply to the consumer. It is found that the implementation of the health index calculation gives a more accurate description of the health status of a transmission line. The health index can be used for the prioritizing of maintenance, refurbishment or replacement to avoid disruption. Full article

In recent years, we have read a lot of research aimed at creating a small, easy-to-mobilize pyrolysis unit. But these devices were not efficiently designed. According to literature data, small equipment (5.0–50 kW) has to be considered differently on the combustion aspects, compared to a larger pyrolysis unit. The main purpose of our research is to determine the operating characteristics of a small fixed bedding CHP (combined heat and power) pyrolysis power plant. At the design stage, it is also critical to know the properties of the biomass (usually different biological wastes) used on the input side. The use of a wide diversity of biomass waste may result in the volume of material remains and the energy produced is not usable in the right form. To obtain a clear picture of the combustion conditions, a fixed bedding pilot pyrolysis device was made. With the measurements in the experimental apparatus, we have a clearer picture of the changes in some of combustion parameters. We have examined exactly how the size and hardness of biomass materials affect the efficiency of pyrolysis. By modelling the “mass change”—with the knowledge of the material content, physical characteristics, and the parameters of the pyrolysis equipment—the amount of the expected material remains, and combustion conditions can be predicted with a mathematical function. We have found an appropriate mathematical model (R² = 0.8758) to describe the relationship between gas production and material structure for a given period. Full article

Forest management in Indonesia has not yet been able to realize the constitutional mandate which was followed by uncontrolled forest destruction. Implementing a good forest government system is necessary. Therefore, it is essential to give indigenous peoples the authority to play a more critical role in forest management in the future. This study aims to find a form of sustainable forest management and sanctions for the perpetrators of forest destruction based on Dayak Kotabaru’s indigenous people. This study uses the normative juridical method that focuses on data in the form of primary, secondary, and tertiary legal materials. While the objectives of this study are to review and describe the problems due to the absence of legal protection for customary rights, we also examine the extent of forest management by the Dayak Kotabaru’s customary law and seek to formulate forest management solutions in Indonesia based on the local culture as a prescriptive future policy. The results of this study indicate that a large amount of permits, given by the government to the private sector for forests in possession of indigenous peoples, are overlapping and as a result have increasingly marginalized the indigenous community and acted as a drawback to development. Forest management through the local culture, such as the Bera system in Dayak Kotabaru, can be beneficial for the local community, because locals will enjoy the production of farms and gardens, the soil will be naturally fertile because of a four year interlude, and the forest will remain sustainable as less forest area is cut down. Full article

Equitable payments for ecosystem services are emerging as a viable tool to protect and restore ecosystems. Unlike previous studies using contingent valuation approach in Ethiopia, this study is unique in its scope and target users. It explores the possibility of payment for watershed services as an economic tool in supporting and promoting sustainable land management and financing community-based watershed investments from electric users at a national level. We examine the sensitivity of users’ ability to generate funds for watershed services for sustainable watershed management through the raising of small amounts of money added onto a monthly electrical bill. Sampling frame covered four of the nine regional states of Ethiopia with more than 86% coverage dating back to 2014. A total of 501 urban and rural households and 100 organizations were interviewed over a five-year period from 2014–2019. We used a multistage sampling technique; we first selected cities, towns, and villages based on several data collection methodologies. The findings indicate that about 84% and 90% of households and organizations, respectively, showed their willingness to pay (WTP) additional fees for watershed management that could potentially reduce upland degradation and siltation. Specifically, more than half of the households and organizations and industries were willing to pay the surcharge for watershed management. Likewise, we developed a model estimation of results which verified the WTP amount, respectively. We concluded that funds generated from electric users play a possible role in contributing to the financing of watershed management efforts and could be taken as an important lesson for the watershed management continuum efforts Ethiopia-wide and in other countries. Full article

Recycling should in principle be the goal in all aspects of society. There are, however, limitations, as any recycling task may lead to pollution in the ground, water or air. In the most extreme case, recycling may lead to threats to human life. In this paper, we take examples from key industries where recycling can be harmful and where closed and sealed dumps should have been used, rather than the attempt to recycle such as the oil and gas industry, the construction industry and farming. Reuse, hereby defined as use for another purpose without industrial processes, will be briefly discussed. The objectives of the paper are to remind key industries about their responsibility to recycle in a manner that does not harm the environment and to promote recycling in a sustainable way. It is suggested that a recommendation to key industries be made, to carefully assess all consequences of recycling could enhance the recycling industry’s contribution to a cleaner world. The paper is intended to serve as a reminder that recycling in all industries requires careful planning and engineering to represent a valuable contribution towards a sustainable society. Full article

Lakes constitute a significant freshwater resource and are often regarded as being an important part of a country’s natural heritage. However, their geological heritage (geoheritage) value remains significantly understudied. Three small lakes, namely the Salt Lake, the Gruzskoe Lake and the Big Yashalta Lake, located in the central part of the Russian South were studied in this paper. The main focus of this research was to search for relevant unique geological features. This paper established that these lakes are distinguishable from other lakes by the presence of dark-colored mud that is rich in sulfides and methane. As a result of excessive summer evaporation, the lakes desiccate (partly or even fully) and this results in exposure of the mud as well as the formation of salt crystals and crusts. This bottom mud (peloid, therapeutic mud) forms as a result of highly-complex biogeochemical processes in semi-arid environments. This mud is interpreted as being part of the lake’s geoheritage as it belongs to sedimentary, geochemical and other types. Moreover, this geoheritage has a high ranking nationally. The most representative example can be found at the Big Yashalta Lake and for that reason, this lake is proposed as a geosite. Established sites of geoheritage importance are vital to geoscience research and geotourism activities and thus, these sites are considered to be a resource. Together with the development of local ecotourism and the use of peloids for the health industry purposes, the exploitation of this geoheritage resource would contribute to the sustainable development of the local area. Full article

International standards refer to Indigenous peoples’ right to benefit from resource development, participate in decision-making and determine priorities in development planning that directly affects them. While good practice exists in benefit sharing, Indigenous peoples still lack opportunities for a meaningful role in strategic planning. In his role as UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, James Anaya identified a ‘preferred model’ of resource development in which Indigenous peoples have greater control over planning decisions and project implementation, and consequently a more meaningful share of the benefits of resource development. This paper explores the requirements of international standards and guidance alongside different models of benefit sharing in practice by extractive industries in Arctic and sub-Arctic contexts. It is based primarily on desk-based analysis of international hard and soft law and industry standards, while also drawing on ethnographic field research in Russia and Norway. It highlights good practice within mainstream development scenarios and identifies models of benefit sharing that represent a greater degree of Indigenous participation and control. It concludes that there is a need to consider benefit sharing within an overall paradigm that allows greater space for Indigenous voices in decision making, including at the strategic planning stage. Full article

In order to ensure their market sustainability, it is essential for energy-intensive industrial companies to address the issues of efficient energy use. Companies that are prepared to embrace tariff hikes, structural changes in fuel and energy markets, and a shortage of energy resources have a wider range of options to respond to the new challenges posed by the external environment and to reduce their risks. This task becomes particularly relevant in the context of the development of the circular economy that is aimed at resource optimization, energy conservation, zero-waste manufacturing, and business models that are based on maximum operational efficiency. This study aims to develop a methodology for rational behavior of the energy consumer in the context of the circular economy. The concept of “rational behavior” is defined by the authors as the intention to make the maximum use of the advantages and potential of energy markets in order to reduce the cost of energy supply, increase the level of electrification in industrial production, and use the capabilities of their own energy business. The article describes the main principles of rational behavior that serve as the foundation for effective implementation of various strategies (that of the seller, buyer, or both) in a company. A link is shown between rational behavior and energy market potential management in a company as a mix of technological, economic, and organizational activities performed by the energy consumer in a competitive market and effective market risk management. Forms of off-grid power supply and conditions for their application in manufacturing, for example, mini-combined heat and power (CHP) plants and quadgeneration plants at large metallurgical facilities were analyzed. Full article

This article presents the methodology and tools for the econometric analysis and assessment of the innovation development of the Russian Arctic regions, under the Triple Helix concept. The econometric calculations based on this methodology allow the express assessment of innovation development of a region and the contribution of the science and education complex (SEdC), industries, and the government, to the integral index of innovation development of this region, using minimum key statistical indicators in the field of science and innovation. The calculation results obtained using the author’s methodology show the adequacy of the express rating, with respect to the rating data obtained using other methodologies. The main advantage of the proposed methodology is the elimination of the human factors arising from the weighing coefficients and the results of the expert assessments used in the other rating methodologies The calculation results obtained using this methodology might be useful to the executive bodies of state authorities, business entities, and scientific and educational institutions, for an express assessment and for making various organizational and managerial decisions on innovation development in a region. Full article

This article discusses the results of research on the benefit sharing system in Russia focusing on compensation of losses to indigenous peoples due to industrial development in the Arctic. The authors analyzed a Russian case-study on the economic mechanisms of coordination and harmonization of multi-vector and conflicting interests in the process of industrial development of traditional lands. The developed recommendations will allow, on the one hand, compensating the losses of the indigenous communities, and, on the other hand, to engage indigenous peoples in the process of environmental management and socio-economic development of their territories. The object of the research was the Republic of Sakha and the indigenous communities of the remote Anabar region. The calculation of losses was considered. The authors suggest using this tool for the traditional lands development, because it helps to define fair compensation due to project impacts and to form a fund for sustainable community development. The considered project was exploring and extracting placer diamonds in Polovinnaya River in Yakutia. This paper also presents the social poll results organized in the indigenous communities in 2017. The results helped to formulate the recommendations for the business on benefit sharing agreements with Anabar communities. Full article

Soil moisture represents a vital component of the ecosystem, sustaining life-supporting activities at micro and mega scales. It is a highly required parameter that may vary significantly both spatially and temporally. Due to this fact, its estimation is challenging and often hard to obtain especially over large, heterogeneous surfaces. This study aimed at comparing the performance of four widely used interpolation methods in estimating soil moisture using GPS-aided information and remote sensing. The Distance Weighting (IDW), Spline, Ordinary Kriging models and Kriging with External Drift (KED) interpolation techniques were employed to estimate soil moisture using 82 soil moisture field-measured values. Of those measurements, data from 54 soil moisture locations were used for calibration and the remaining data for validation purposes. The study area selected was Varanasi City, India covering an area of 1535 km². The soil moisture distribution results demonstrate the lowest RMSE (root mean square error, 8.69%) for KED, in comparison to the other approaches. For KED, the soil organic carbon information was incorporated as a secondary variable. The study results contribute towards efforts to overcome the issue of scarcity of soil moisture information at local and regional scales. It also provides an understandable method to generate and produce reliable spatial continuous datasets of this parameter, demonstrating the added value of geospatial analysis techniques for this purpose. Full article

When examining the triple bottom line approach (TBL) in regard to sustainability, social aspects are the less explored in the context of wine production. This paper analyzes the social sustainability assessment tools available for companies who need to consider their social impacts. For this purpose, we started from the analysis conducted in the work, which was the integration between the territory indicator of VIVA project “Sustainable Wine”, which is the sustainable wine project and social life cycle assessment analysis for the wine sector. In this study, the social life cycle assessment (S-LCA) methodology was compared with the VIVA certification requirements for Italian wine production. The main research objective was to analyze differences and similarities between the two indicator sets for the evaluation of the social aspects related to this sector. Starting from a general introduction to the agri-food and wine sector, we provide an overview of the VIVA project and of the S-LCA for the assessment methodology. Subsequently, we focus on the wine sector and the main players involved, as well as the primary production phases. Finally, we compare the two tools—the S-LCA and the VIVA project—and discuss the main differences between the two instruments and the possibilities for future works to develop the integration of these indicators sets to broader the analyses of the socioeconomic impacts of the wine sector. Full article

Urbanization has produced various social, environmental, and hydrological impacts, such as reduced biodiversity, increased urban temperatures, ecosystem degradation, air and water pollution, changes to hydrological processes, groundwater recharge alterations, increased prevalence of floods, vegetation removal, and potential increases in unstable soils. Finding solutions to mitigate the impacts of urbanization is of vital importance in the development and planning of cities, and particularly so for developing countries. One strategy gaining momentum is the use of green roofs and larger green areas (greater green cover under trees, with the purpose of increasing the permeable area) for runoff control. In this study, a simulation was carried out using the i-Tree Hydro software that involved the urban basin in the Fontibón area of Bogotá, Colombia, with the aim of observing the hydrological benefits of trees, green areas, and permeable zones. Five scenarios were proposed in which green roof coverage was implemented (20% and 50% increases in green areas in Scenarios 1 and 2), coverage under existing trees was enhanced (50% and 100% increase in Scenarios 4 and 5), and finally a complete removal of green zones in Fontibón was simulated (Scenario 3). The town is relatively susceptible to a reduction in its existing green areas, with an increase in total flow of more than 50% for one scenario considered. Thus, an increase in the permeable coverage under trees (50% and 100% increased coverage under existing trees) provided the best strategy for mitigating the impacts of urbanization by reducing the total, maximum, and average impervious flow by 3%, 4%, and 8%, respectively. Finally, an increase in permeable zones corresponding to plants was proposed via the implementation of green roofs. However, this strategy showed a response to the reduction in the lowest total flow at 1%. Full article

Gas and oil pipelines for the Arctic region must sustain low temperatures and high internal pressures of a corrosive active medium. Generation of new steel compositions for oil and gas pipelines is an urgent issue in order to ensure their high reliability. Low-carbon steels with a ferritic–pearlitic structure are normally used in pipe production, but they are unable to cope with increased market demands. The main objective of this study is to investigate the influence of the cooling rate on the structure and morphological characteristics of bainite, which determines the exploitation properties of the pipe steels. Dilatometric tests were carried out using a Gleeble 3500 complex. Optical microscope and scanning electron microscope analysis, with the computer image analysis system Thixomet PRO, were used to study the microstructure of steel. Hardness was measured in accordance with ASTM E-384. Morphological characteristics of bainite components that were formed at various cooling rates from 0.05 to 100 °С/s were defined. The novel result of this study is the continuous cooling transformation diagram of undercooled austenite of the steel containing 0.062% С; 1.80% Mn; 0.120% Mo; 0.032% Cr, 0.90% Ni and other elements (Al, Cu, V, Nb, Ti). Full article

Atmospheric resources are very important for assessing ecosystem services at different administrative levels (e.g., state, region, etc.). Quantification of atmospheric calcium (Ca²⁺) deposition on the total basis provides incomplete information about the ecosystem services flows (both “natural” and “human-derived”), therefore lacking a systems approach to guide sustainable management of the flows which support many ecosystem services. This study assessed the value of wet, dry, and total atmospheric calcium deposition flows in the contiguous United States (U.S.) by different spatial aggregation levels (e.g., state, region) using information from the National Atmospheric Deposition Program (NRSP-3) and commodity prices of human-derived materials: agricultural limestone (CaCO₃) and uncalcined gypsum (CaSO₄•2H₂O). The total provisioning ecosystem value of atmospheric calcium deposition flows was $66.7M (i.e., 66.7 million U.S. dollars) ($30M wet + $36.7M dry) based on an average 2014 price of $10.42 per U.S. ton of agricultural limestone (CaCO₃) or nearly $364M ($164M wet + $200M dry) based on an average 2014 price of $33.00 per U.S. ton gypsum (CaSO₄•2H₂O). The quantified spatial distribution of wet, dry, and total atmospheric calcium deposition could be used to identify areas with opportunities for more efficient use of “human-derived” materials since they are already being supplied by atmospheric deposition. Full article

Brackish groundwater desalination is increasingly being considered as a means to supplement drinking water in regions facing scarce freshwater supplies. Desalination is more energy intensive and expensive than traditional freshwater sources. One method of offsetting carbon emissions is to pair desalination technology with renewable energy sources. This research assesses the geographical feasibility of using a geothermal multi-effect distillation (MED) plant to produce freshwater from brackish aquifers in Texas. The system is analyzed using a thermodynamic model of a binary cycle MED plant. The thermodynamic model is integrated with spatially resolved information of Texas’ geothermal gradient and existing brackish well data (such as depth, salinity, and temperature) to quantify production potential. The results from this study allow for a comparison of potential geothermal desalination plant implementation across all of Texas, rather than a single site assessment. Although this water treatment approach is technologically viable across much of Texas, the system proves to be very energy intensive in all areas except for two hot geopressured fairways in Southeast Texas, the Frio and the Wilcox. In both locations, our research concludes the binary cycle-MED plant can operate self-sufficiently, producing both freshwater and electricity. One well in the fairways can produce 121–1132 m³ of water per day, enough for 232–2133 people. The framework outlined in this paper can be useful to policymakers and water planners considering where to build desalination facilities. Full article

Bogotá is the capital of Colombia and represents the most important urban center in the country. Bogotá’s population and economic growth have accelerated exponentially in recent years and this growth has brought with it a variety of environmental impacts, including degradation of surface water quality. Government agencies have developed the water quality network of Bogotá that spans across four large rivers, including the Tunjuelo. According to measurements since 2009, water quality has changed in association with the dynamics of the city. This article utilizes a spatial and temporal analysis with multivariate statistics (Principal Components Analyses, dendograms, and Kruskal-Wallis) to propose a redesign of the Tunjuelo River water quality network. Based on these analyses, the number of monitoring stations can be reduced from nine to seven and the measurement frequency can be reduced. Together, the proposed spatial and temporal redesign would reduce the sample acquisition and analysis costs across the network by 50%. Full article

Energy taxes are one of the main market-based tools directed toward mitigating climate change in the European Union (EU). Therefore, the aim of this article was to analyze whether energy taxes really contribute to the reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and the successful implementation of climate change policy. Applying the Granger causality test on time series and using panel data analysis, the direct and indirect (via the reduction of fossil energy consumption (FEC) and energy intensity (EI), as well as the increase of renewable energy consumption (REN)) impacts of energy taxes on GHG emissions in EU countries were analyzed in the present study. The results showed that energy taxes did not Granger-cause fossil energy consumption, energy intensity, renewable energy consumption, and GHG emissions in almost all EU countries. Regarding the panel data analysis, the results showed that energy taxes did not, directly and indirectly, influence GHG emissions. Therefore, this paper shows that generally, energy tax policy in EU countries is ineffective. Thus, tax policy should be reformed and matched with an emissions trading system in seeking climate change mitigation. Full article

Water is a non substitutable resource and a social good, which governments must perforce provide to its citizens in the right quantity and quality. An integrated urban metabolism model is useful in understanding the status quo of an urban water and sanitation system. By defining and measuring the values of relevant hydrological performance indicators—deliverables of the model referred to—a thorough knowledge of the present performance and the gaps, which need to be plugged en route to a sustainable urban water infrastructure, can be obtained, as demonstrated in this paper. This then forms the bedrock for decision-making and policy formulation for change to be introduced top-down as well as advice, which would enable the much needed bottom-up support to policies. The authors have chosen Delhi as the case study city, but would like to point out that this application can be reproduced for any other town/city/region of the world. The water balance within the chosen system boundaries shows that the annual unutilized flows, amounting to 1443 million cubic meters, dominate the metabolic flows of water in Delhi, and the annual groundwater withdrawal, which exceeds 420 million cubic meters, is much greater than the recharge rate, resulting in a rapid depletion of the groundwater level. There is an urgent need thereby to improve the rate of infiltration of stormwater and reduce the rate of runoff by focusing on increasing the share of permeable surfaces in the city, as well as to consider the wastewater streams as potential sources of water, while not forgetting demand side of management measures, as the pressure on the urban water system in the city is likely to intensify with a combination of population growth, economic development, and climate change in the near future. The recommendations provided by the authors towards the end of the article, can, if suitable measures are undertaken and robust policies are implemented, result in Delhi’s enjoying a water surplus in the short term, and progressively attain complete sustainability with regard to the utilization of its water resources. Full article