Carbon Emissions Pinch Analysis (CEPA) for emissions reduction in the New Zealand electricity sector

Carbon Emissions Pinch Analysis (CEPA) is a recent extension of traditional thermal and mass pinch analysis to the area of emissions targeting and planning on a macro-scale (i.e. economy wide). This paper presents an extension to the current methodology that accounts for increased demand and a carbon pinch analysis of the New Zealand electricity industry while illustrating some of the issues with realising meaningful emissions reductions. The current large proportion of renewable generation (67% in 2007) complicates extensive reduction of carbon emissions from electricity generation. The largest growth in renewable generation is expected to come from geothermal generation followed by wind and hydro. A four fold increase in geothermal generation capacity is needed in addition to large amounts of new wind generation to reduce emissions to around 1990 levels and also meet projected demand. The expected expansion of geothermal generation in New Zealand raises issues of GHG emissions from the geothermal fields. The emissions factors between fields can vary by almost two orders of magnitude making predictions of total emissions highly site specific

Carbon emissions reduction and net energy generation analysis in the New Zealand electricity sector through to 2050

Carbon Emissions Pinch Analysis (CEPA) and Energy Return On Energy Investment (ERoEI) analysis are combined to investigate the feasibility of New Zealand reaching and maintaining a renewables electricity target of above 80% by 2025 and 2050, while also increasing electricity generation at an annual rate of 1.5%, and with an increase of electricity generation in the distant future to accommodate a 50% switch to electric vehicle transportation. To meet New Zealand’s growing electricity demand up to 2025 the largest growth in renewable generation is expected to come from geothermal generation (four-fold increase) followed by wind and hydro. To meet expected demand up to 2050 and beyond, including electric vehicle transportation, geothermal generation will expand to 17% of total generation, wind to 16%, and other renewables, such as marine and biomass, will make up about 4%. Including hydro, the total renewable generation in 2050 is expected to reach 82%

Nonlinear Blend Scheduling via Inventory Pinch-based Algorithm using Discrete- and Continuous-time Models

This work uses multi-period, inventory pinch-based algorithm with continuous-time model (MPIP-C algorithm1) for scheduling linear or nonlinear blending processes. MPIP-C decomposes the scheduling problem into (i) approximate scheduling and (ii) detailed scheduling. Approximate scheduling model is further decomposed into two parts: a 1st level model which optimizes nonlinear blend models (with time periods delineated by inventory pinch points), and a 2nd level multi-period mixed-integer linear programming model (which uses fixed blend recipes from the 1st level solution) to determine optimal production plan and swing storage allocation, while minimizing the number of blend instances and product changeovers in the swing tanks. The 3rd level computes schedules using a continuous-time model including constraints based on the short-term plan solution. Nonlinear constraints are used for the Reid vapor pressure in our case studies. Excellent computational performance is illustrated by comparisons with previous approach with discrete-time scheduling model

Production decision support system for multi-product with multiple different size processors

Aggregate planning is an operational activity with the objective of providing upfront information on quantity of material to be procured and resources to be secured. At a point of time, it might also influence both demand and supply. This is where the sales division will work closely with operation on aggregate planning to deliver maximum profit. Aggregate planning does not only serve as a master plan for the production planner, it is also closely linked to organisational decision-making. Realising its importance, researchers have worked on this subject consistently since 1950s but due to complexity and practicality issue, industry did not manage somehow to adopt the research work. In 2016, the concept of Production Decision Support System (PDSS) was introduced following the Pinch Analysis extended into supply chain area. In this work, the PDSS is applied to a batch industry case which involve multi-products with multiple different size processors. From the assessment, the PDSS has not only demonstrated its practicality but also helped the plant to realise their potential capacity. This has assisted the plant management to realign the strategy and avoided the original intention of expensive expansion

Pinch-based targeting for production planning for small and medium enterprise

Pinch analysis techniques have been widely used as systematic design tools in the chemical process industry over the past decades. However, there has been very limited work on the use of pinch analysis in the area of production planning. Some of the common problems encountered by Malaysian small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are fluctuation of demand and supply of goods, inadequate warehouse, machine allocation problem, and the lack of factory space. With the application of systematic production planning techniques based on pinch analysis, these problems can now be resolved. The research objective of this dissertation is to develop novel graphical tools for production planning for the SMEs. In this dissertation, new pinch targeting techniques known as production planning pinch diagram and production planning grand composite curve (PPGCC) are presented to assist production planning in the SMEs. The research methodology adopted was from similar graphical tools utilized for the recovery of energy, material resources, carbon capture and storage, production supply chain and human resource planning in the chemical process industry. The targeting techniques are graphical in nature where pinch point that acts as production bottleneck can be identified and opportunities for operational changes can be explored easily. Four illustrative examples and four industrial case studies were done to demonstrate how pinch analysis could be used to solve the various production planning problems faced by the SMEs. The case studies show that pinch analysis is practical for the manufacturing industries and provides tangible benefits such as cost savings from reduction of outsourcing and lead time, as well as better cash flow management. The developed methodology in this dissertation can also be extended to a broad range of applications, such as large scale manufacturing, logistics, agriculture, aquaculture, livestock, infrastructure development, forestry, medical, automotive, immigration, town planning and construction

Motorsport Valley revisited:Cluster evolution, strategic cluster coupling and resilience

Over 20 years ago a series of papers identified a strikingly dominant economic cluster – the UK’s Motorsport Valley (MSV) – which led to MSV becoming an international exemplar of concepts such as agglomeration, clusters and knowledge-driven systems of regional development. Utilising an evolutionary perspective on cluster development, this paper asks ‘whatever happened to MSV?’. Drawing on the framework of strategic cluster coupling, four cluster development episodes are conceptualised that each depict the dynamic evolution of the cluster’s multi-scalar institutional environment, strategic coupling trajectories and economic development outcomes. Reflecting the emerging synthesis between evolutionary economic geography and geographical political economy, the paper describes an extended case study of cluster development, an evolutionary process of strategic cluster coupling and, ultimately, an example of cluster resilience. Through a focus on strategic cluster coupling, the paper provides further understanding of cluster evolution and path development mechanisms at key moments of cluster reconfiguration – and an empirical update and continuation of the economic story and cluster lifecycle of MSV

MANAGING CO2 EMISSIONS REGIONALLY USING GEOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION SYSTEM (GIS) SPATIAL MODELING AND PINCH ANALYSIS

Climate change has become the major global challenge of sustainability; among various anthropogenic sources of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, the burning of fossil fuels for energy to support commercial, residential, municipal and industrial sectors is considered to be the primary cause of increasing levels of carbon dioxide emissions. However, because climate change is regionally driven with global consequences, to analyze emissions data, energy planning techniques must be developed which are simple, replicable and optimized for maximum benefit. Climate scenarios are continually derived from global models despite these models containing little to no regional or local specificity. Place-based research, well grounded in local experience, offers a more tractable alternative for defining complex interactions among the environmental, economic, and social processes that drive greenhouse gas emissions. The focus of this study involves the development of a balanced energy supply and demand model under carbon constraints for the Southern Illinois energy sector; this sector represents the local specificity desired to build a carbon emissions pinch analysis model at the local level. This project is intended to formulate a robust methodology for constructing a Geographic Data Base Management System by employing a bottom/up approach to CO2 emissions modeling; the resulting data base can serve as the foundation for an environmental applications model employing pinch analysis techniques to address the allocation of energy resources and technologies to reduce CO2 emissions

Reducing energy demand: a review of issues, challenges and approaches

Most commentators expect improved energy efficiency and reduced energy demand to provide the dominant contribution to tackling global climate change. But at the global level, the correlation between increased wealth and increased energy consumption is very strong and the impact of policies to reduce energy demand is both limited and contested. Different academic disciplines approach energy demand reduction in different ways: emphasising some mechanisms and neglecting others, being more or less optimistic about the potential for reducing energy demand and providing insights that are more or less useful for policymakers. This article provides an overview of the main issues and challenges associated with energy demand reduction, summarises how this challenge is ‘framed’ by key academic disciplines, indicates how these can provide complementary insights for policymakers and argues that a ‘sociotechnical’ perspective can provide a deeper understanding of the nature of this challenge and the processes through which it can be achieved. The article integrates ideas from the natural sciences, economics, psychology, innovation studies and sociology but does not give equal weight to each. It argues that reducing energy demand will prove more difficult than is commonly assumed and current approaches will be insufficient to deliver the transformation required

Special Economic Zones, Global Value Chains, and the Degree of Economic Linkages in the Dominican Republic

The Dominican Republic is often considered an example of the successful implementation of Special Economic Zones (henceforth SEZs) in the Western hemisphere. The zones fueled economic growth during the 1980s and 1990s and, while they experienced a sharp decline in employment due in part to the expiry of the end of the Multi-Fiber Agreement and stronger international competition in the textile and apparel industry in 2005, signs of recovery have been observed since 2009. Surgical equipment, chemicals and plastics, and footwear have recently emerged as the new drivers of export dynamism in the zones (World Bank, 2015). The objective of this report is to inform the policy discussion around the developmental impact of SEZs in the Dominican Republic by empirically assessing i) the implications of regulatory reforms aimed at complying with WTO disciplines regarding the elimination of incentives conditioned on export performance for SEZs firms, ii) the extent to which SEZs participate in Global Value Chains, and iii) their linkages with domestic suppliers. The report is organized as follows: The second section presents the historical importance of SEZ as an engine of economic growth in the country. The third section depicts the structural shift in terms of production in SEZs and evaluates the degree of value addition taking place in the Dominican Republic. The fourth section evaluates the degree and evolution of linkages between SEZs and local firms. The fifth section shows the impact of the regulatory changes in the SEZ regimen undertaken to comply with WTO disciplines. Finally, some conclusions and policy recommendations are presented in section six