Knowledge Agora



Scientific Article details

Title The full energy cost of avoiding CO2: A clean-energy booking provision for a vigorous energy transition
ID_Doc 71
Authors Valayer, PJ; Vidal, O; Wouters, N; van Loosdrecht, MCM
Title The full energy cost of avoiding CO2: A clean-energy booking provision for a vigorous energy transition
Year 2019
Published Journal Of Cleaner Production, 237,
DOI 10.1016/j.jclepro.2019.117820
Abstract Carbon tax, emission trading schemes and externality disclosures have not provided the incentive to replace fossil-carbon sourced energy as envisioned at the Paris Agreement 2015. Much of the enforcement of these schemes is outside the fossil hydrocarbon producer's control. As an alternate to these schemes, this paper proposes an inventive evaluation and accounting procedure, based on the energy penalty cost of decarbonizing fossil fuels. Such cost can be internalized within the producer's books, and provide the required incentives, including provisions for the deployment of carbon-free fuels. In the inspiring thermodynamics of hydrocarbon to hydrogen conversion in a closed system using hydrogen combustion to decompose the hydrocarbon, we find a penalty of 0.56J for each Joule available in the original hydrocarbon. Applying energy market price range of 150-500 $/t methane and molecular mass-conversion to CO2 equivalent, results in costs ranging from 60 to more than 200$/t CO2. They are well above current carbon tax or emission trading schemes prices. They quantify the required incentives to cleaner (C-free) production yielding prompt emission reduction in the producers' market. We show how similar penalties accrue from a broad spectrum of industrial hydrogen production processes using hydrocarbons. Among those, methane pyrolysis produces carbon-free energy from fossil fuels, with noncombustion promising applications for its carbon production. (C) 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Author Keywords Carbon dioxide emission; Emission avoidance cost; Fossil clean energy; Emission booking; Energy booking; Energy currency
Index Keywords Index Keywords
Document Type Other
Open Access Open Access
Source Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED); Social Science Citation Index (SSCI)
EID WOS:000483462700081
WoS Category Green & Sustainable Science & Technology; Engineering, Environmental; Environmental Sciences
Research Area Science & Technology - Other Topics; Engineering; Environmental Sciences & Ecology
PDF http://manuscript.elsevier.com/S0959652619326800/pdf/S0959652619326800.pdf
Similar atricles
Scroll