scholarly journals Winners and Losers in Energy Transition: Study Case of Wood Biomass Power-Plants Implementation in France

Forests ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (9) ◽  
pp. 1139
Author(s):  
Roxane Sansilvestri ◽  
Mateo Cordier ◽  
Thibault Lescuyer
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Energy Transition ◽  
Biomass Energy ◽  
Production Model ◽  
Mediterranean Forests ◽  
Wood Biomass ◽  
Economic Goods

International policies promote renewable forms of energy to mitigate climate change. In Europe, the production of electricity using wood biomass represents one of the most popular energy alternatives. In 2012, France initiated a large-scale strategy to develop wood biomass energy. The biggest wood biomass power-plant project has been developed in the French Mediterranean area and its huge size raises several issues for the short- and long-term sustainability of local forests and associated economic sectors. The French Mediterranean forests provide four types of economic goods (private, club, common, and public goods) and multiple ecosystem services, which makes them complex to manage under an energy transition policy. In this paper, we applied three qualitative methods, namely interviews, participative workshops, and observant participation, and three conceptual models, namely (i) Ostrom’s (2010) self-organization key conditions, (ii) the types of economic goods classified according to their excludability and rivalry properties, and (iii) the ecosystem service categorization system of the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (2005). With our methods, we show that the renewable strategy chosen in France replicates the current centralized production model based on fossil and nuclear fuels. Thus, we demonstrate that European, national, and local authorities fail to consider the multiple ecosystem services that forest management strategies should include to face the energy transition, climate change, and the other ecological challenges of the 21st century.

Dryland Degradation and Expansion: Implications for Mexican Policies from the Earth System Perspective

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-4
Author(s):  
Gabriel Lopez Porras
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Science Policy ◽  
Land Degradation ◽  
Water Scarcity ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Earth System ◽  
Sustainable Land Management ◽  
System Perspective ◽  
The Earth

Despite international efforts to stop dryland degradation and expansion, current dryland pathways are predicted to result in large-scale migration, growing poverty and famine, and increasing climate change, land degradation, conflicts and water scarcity. Earth system science has played a key role in analysing dryland problems, and has been even incorporated in global assessments such as the ones made by the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services. However, policies addressing dryland degradation, like the ‘Mexican programme for the promotion of sustainable land management’, do not embrace an Earth system perspective, so they do not consider the complexity and non-linearity that underlie dryland problems. By exploring how this Mexican programme could integrate the Earth system perspective, this paper discusses how ’Earth system’ policies could better address dryland degradation and expansion in the Anthropocene.

scholarly journals Coal, Climate Justice, and the Cultural Politics of Energy Transition

2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 149-168 ◽  
Author(s):  
Benjamin Brown ◽  
Samuel J. Spiegel
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Cultural Politics ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Fossil Fuel ◽  
Energy Transition ◽  
Paris Agreement ◽  
Climate Justice ◽  
The World ◽  
Phase Out ◽  
Development Agendas

In the wake of the Paris Agreement on climate change, promises to phase out coal-fired power have suggested cause for optimism around energy transition globally. However, coal remains entangled with contentious development agendas in many parts of the world, while fossil fuel industries continue to flourish. This article discusses these entanglements through a climate justice lens that engages the cultural politics surrounding coal and energy transition. We highlight how recent struggles around phasing out coal have stimulated renewed critical debates around colonialism, empire, and capitalism more broadly, recognizing climate change as an intersectional issue encompassing racial, gender, and economic justice. With social movements locked in struggles to resist the development or expansion of coal mines, power plants, and associated infrastructure, we unpack tensions that emerge as transnational alliances connect disparate communities across the world. Our conclusion signals the need for greater critical engagement with how intersecting inequalities are coded into the cultural politics of coal, and how this shapes efforts to pursue a just transition.

scholarly journals Preliminary recognition of state of incorporating climate change impacts and adaptation considerations in SEA and EIA procedures for renewable energy projects

2020 ◽  
Vol 154 ◽  
pp. 07004
Author(s):  
Magdalena Tyszer ◽  
Slávka Gałaś
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Renewable Energy ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Global Climate ◽  
Specific Reference ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Implementation Climate ◽  
Adaptation To Climate Change ◽  
Energy Projects

In the last years, the European Union has developed and set a several environmental policies whose imposes an obligation on Member States to implement specific actions, including incorporating climate change considerations into SEA and EIA processes. One of major environmental challenges facing most developing countries is that of global climate change. The aim of the research was to obtain a comprehensive review of existing SEA and EIA practical approaches for renewable energy installations in the aspect of adaptation to climate change with specific reference to Polish projects. Both SEA and EIA procedures implemented in Poland and other countries was introduced with the intent of factoring in potential risk to the environment by future large-scale project developments such as the construction of power plants, roads, or dams. The paper consist the initial recognition of available data of the current experience and level of implementation climate change impact and adaptions into local procedures. Preliminary results suggest that the additional funding should be given for climate change adaptation in the energy sector, especially in renewable energy projects, as well as specific interventions for climate-adapted energy systems should be targeted in order to fill the gap in RES sector and spur sustainable energy development.

A Perspective on Energy Storage and Other Means to Integrate Increasing Shares of Renewable Electricity Generation

Green ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 4 (1-6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Arndt Neuhaus ◽  
Frank-Detlef Drake ◽  
Gunnar Hoffmann ◽  
Friedrich Schulte
Keyword(s):  
Energy Storage ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Distributed Storage ◽  
Renewable Energy Sources ◽  
Energy Transition ◽  
System Stability ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Specific Class ◽  
High Level

AbstractThe transition to a sustainable electricity supply from renewable energy sources (RES) imposes major technical and economic challenges upon market players and the legislator. In particular the rapid growth of volatile wind power and photovoltaic generation requires a high level of flexibility of the entire electricity system, therefore major investments in infrastructures are needed to maintain system stability. This raises the important question about the role that central large-scale energy storage and/or small-scale distributed storage (“energy storage at home”) are going to play in the energy transition. Economic analyses show that the importance of energy storage is going to be rather limited in the medium term. Especially competing options like intelligent grid extension and flexible operation of power plants are expected to remain favourable. Nonetheless additional storage capacities are required if the share of RES substantially exceeds 50% in the long term. Due to the fundamental significance of energy storages, R&D considers a broad variety of types each suitable for a specific class of application.

scholarly journals Optimization of energy storage and system flexibility in the context of the energy transition: Germany’s power grid as a case study

BMC Energy ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Leonardo K. K. Maia ◽  
Edwin Zondervan
Keyword(s):  
Mathematical Modeling ◽  
Renewable Energy ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Power Grid ◽  
Electricity Consumption ◽  
Lithium Ion ◽  
Energy Transition ◽  
Phase Out

AbstractIn this work we explore the ramifications of incoming changes brought by the energy transition, most notably the increased penetration of variable renewable energy (VRE) and phase-out of nuclear and other conventional electricity sources. The power grid will require additional flexibility capabilities to accommodate such changes, as the mismatch between generation and demand is bound to increase. Through mathematical modeling and optimization, we simulate the German power grid and investigate the requirements of on-grid large-scale storage. Different scenarios are evaluated up to 2050, when 80% of the gross electricity consumption is planned to be provided by renewable energy. Dispatchable power plants will play a key role in the transition to an energy mix with high shares of VRE. Around 120 GW of additional large-scale storage are required until 2050. Between the electrochemical technologies evaluated, lithium-ion was the best candidate. A strong reliance on dispatchables was observed, in case the commissioning of VRE plants goes slower than planned. Energy curtailment increases with VRE shares, with up to 14 TWh curtailed in high VRE scenarios in 2050.

Postfordistische Energiepolitiken?

2012 ◽  
Vol 56 (1-2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas Schmitt
Keyword(s):  
North Africa ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Energy Transition ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Institutional Conditions ◽  
The North ◽  
Solar Power Plants ◽  
Decentralized Energy ◽  
The Arab Spring

Postfordist energy policies? Desertec as a scenario towards a restructuration of energy supply within the EUMENA-region. In 2009 the Desertec Industrial Initiative (DII) was founded by several, predominant German enterprises including the NGO “Desertec Foundation”. The objective of DII is to organize the conditions for the realisation of the Desertec idea, which aims to supply, in a large scale manner, Europe with electricity produced in solar power plants in North Africa and the Arabic peninsula. The Desertec concept is playing with and combining different myths as the desert, the large-scale, ”megatechnic” vision and the reconciliation of the North and the South. Critics of Desertec argue that the project has the intention to impede an energy transition towards decentralized energy structures in Europe and that Desertec has a neo-colonial attitude. Both the Arab spring and the disaster of Fukushima have changed the discoursive landscape and the institutional conditions around the realisation of Desertec. The paper raises and responds to the question, whether Desertec can be seen as a Fordist or a Postfordist project according to the categories of the French regulation school. Additionally, the Desertec concept is reflected from a cultural geography’s point of view.

scholarly journals Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage as a Defense Tool Against Climate Change: Current Developments in West Macedonia (Greece)

Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (11) ◽  
pp. 3321
Author(s):  
Nikolaos Koukouzas ◽  
Pavlos Tyrologou ◽  
Dimitris Karapanos ◽  
Júlio Carneiro ◽  
Pedro Pereira ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Co2 Emissions ◽  
Carbon Capture ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Fossil Fuels ◽  
Co2 Storage ◽  
Energy Transition ◽  
Horizon 2020 ◽  
Environmentally Sustainable ◽  
Sustainable Technologies

In West Macedonia (Greece), CO2 accounts as one of the largest contributors of greenhouse gas emissions related to the activity of the regional coal power plants located in Ptolemaida. The necessity to mitigate CO2 emissions to prevent climate change under the Paris Agreement's framework remains an ongoing and demanding challenge. It requires implementing crucial environmentally sustainable technologies to provide balanced solutions between the short-term needs for dependency on fossil fuels and the requirements to move towards the energy transition era. The challenge to utilise and store CO2 emissions will require actions aiming to contribute to a Europe-wide CCUS infrastructure. The Horizon 2020 European Project "STRATEGY CCUS "examines the potential for CO2 storage in the Mesohellenic Trough from past available data deploying the USDOE methodology. Research results show that CO2 storage capacities for the Pentalofos and Eptachori geological formations of the Mesohellenic Trough are estimated at 1.02 and 0.13 Gt, respectively, thus providing the potential for the implementation of a promising method for reducing CO2 emissions in Greece. A certain storage potential also applies to the Grevena sub-basin, offering the opportunity to store any captured CO2 in the area, including other remote regions.

scholarly journals Climate Change Effects on Hydropower in Mozambique

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (14) ◽  
pp. 4842 ◽  
Author(s):  
Miguel Meque Uamusse ◽  
Kamshat Tussupova ◽  
Kenneth M Persson
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Feasibility Studies ◽  
Hydropower Plant ◽  
Small Hydropower ◽  
Economic Implications ◽  
Climate Change Effects ◽  
Hydropower Potential ◽  
The Impact

The impact of climate change on the production of hydropower in Mozambique is reviewed and regression analysis is applied to evaluate future climate scenarios. The results show that climate change will cause increased variability of precipitation and create flooding that can damage infrastructure such as hydropower dams. Climate change can also cause drought that will decrease surface water and reduce hydroelectric generation in Mozambique. Electricity generation is to a major extent performed through large-scale hydropower in Mozambique. To fulfill the sustainable development goals (SDGs) and an increased demand for electricity, several large and many small hydropower projects are planned and were built in the country. The economic lifetime of a hydropower plant is typically 100 years, meaning that the hydrologic regimes for the plants should be evaluated for at least this period. Climate change effects are rarely included in present feasibility studies. Economic implications associated with climate change phenomena are higher in Mozambique than in neighboring countries as its future electricity demand to a large extent is forecasted to be met by hydropower. The large hydropower potential in Mozambique should as well be considered when investing in new power plants in southern Africa.

scholarly journals Impact of a Warming Climate on Hydropower in the Northeast United States: The Untapped Potential of Non-Powered Dams

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nima Ehsani ◽  
Charles J. Vörösmarty ◽  
Balázs M. Fekete ◽  
Eugene Z. Stakhiv
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
United States ◽  
Rhode Island ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Potential Evapotranspiration ◽  
Department Of Energy ◽  
Hydroelectric Power ◽  
Northeast United States ◽  
Hydropower Potential

A large-scale, high-resolution, fully coupled hydrological/reservoir/hydroelectricity model is used to investigate the impacts of climate change on hydroelectricity generation and hydropower potential of non-powered dams across the Northeast United States megaregion with 11,037 dams and 375 hydroelectric power plants. The model is calibrated and validated using the U.S. Department of Energy records. Annual hydroelectricity generation in the region is 41 Terawatt-hours (Twh). Our estimate of the hydropower potential of non-powered dams adds up to 350 Twh. West Virginia, Virginia, Pennsylvania, and New York have significant potential for generating more hydroelectricity from already existing dams. On the other hand, this potential virtually does not exist for Rhode Island and Delaware and is small for New Jersey and Vermont. Climate change may reduce annual hydropower potential from non-powered dams by up to 13% and reduce current annual hydroelectricity generation by up to 8% annually. Increased rainfall in winters and earlier snowmelt in springs result in an increase in regional water availability in December through March. In other months, reduced precipitation and increased potential evapotranspiration rates combined with reduced recharge from the shift in spring snowmelt and smaller snowpack result in a decrease in availability of water and thus hydroelectricity generation. This changes call for the recalibration of dam operations and may raise conflict of interests in multipurpose dams.

scholarly journals A Global Deal For Nature: Guiding principles, milestones, and targets

2019 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
pp. eaaw2869 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. Dinerstein ◽  
C. Vynne ◽  
E. Sala ◽  
A. R. Joshi ◽  
S. Fernando ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Carbon Emissions ◽  
Energy Transition ◽  
Global Temperature ◽  
Average Global Temperature ◽  
New Findings ◽  
Guiding Principles ◽  
Paris Climate Agreement ◽  
Life On Earth

The Global Deal for Nature (GDN) is a time-bound, science-driven plan to save the diversity and abundance of life on Earth. Pairing the GDN and the Paris Climate Agreement would avoid catastrophic climate change, conserve species, and secure essential ecosystem services. New findings give urgency to this union: Less than half of the terrestrial realm is intact, yet conserving all native ecosystems—coupled with energy transition measures—will be required to remain below a 1.5°C rise in average global temperature. The GDN targets 30% of Earth to be formally protected and an additional 20% designated as climate stabilization areas, by 2030, to stay below 1.5°C. We highlight the 67% of terrestrial ecoregions that can meet 30% protection, thereby reducing extinction threats and carbon emissions from natural reservoirs. Freshwater and marine targets included here extend the GDN to all realms and provide a pathway to ensuring a more livable biosphere.

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