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Scientific Article details

Title Circular economy for clean energy transitions: A new opportunity under the COVID-19 pandemic
ID_Doc 758
Authors Su, C; Urban, F
Title Circular economy for clean energy transitions: A new opportunity under the COVID-19 pandemic
Year 2021
Published
DOI 10.1016/j.apenergy.2021.116666
Abstract This paper models the energy and emissions scenarios for a circular economy based clean energy transitions in a 140,000-population town in China, taking into account the new situation encountered by the COVID-19 pandemic. The modelled scenarios propose new clean energy transition roadmaps towards a sustainable urban system through the implementation of circular economy strategies. This is represented by the cascading use of industrial excess heat to form symbiosis between factories and to cover the growing building heat demand, as well as by the electrification of the transport sector and reusing the batteries for a second life as energy storage devices. The results show that for a circular economy scenario, during 2020-2040, an accumulated saving of 7.1 Mtoe final energy use (34%), a decline in 14.5 Mt CO2 emissions (40%) and 592 t PM(2.5 )emissions (43%) could be achieved compared with the business-as-usual scenario. The outcomes of the circular economy strategies are at least 7% better than the new policy scenario which simply has energy efficiency improvements. The outbreak of the COVID-19 tremendously impacts the socio-economic activities in the town. If taking the pandemic as an opportunity to enhance the circular economy, by 2040, compared with the scenario without introducing circular economy measures, the extra avoided final energy use, CO2 emissions and PM2.5 emissions could be 1.6 Mtoe (8%), 3.8 Mt (11%) and 229 t (17%) respectively.
Author Keywords Sustainability; Energy transition; Circular economy; COVID-19
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:000633142900002
WoS Category Energy & Fuels; Engineering, Chemical
Research Area Energy & Fuels; Engineering
PDF https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apenergy.2021.116666
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