Emerging Innovation system and Environmental Innovation: the case of mitigation techniques and CCS

International audienceWhile the environmental innovations will play a key role in the transition towards a decarbonized economy, their implementation is rather difficult to be realized in advanced economies. The techniques at stake imply for some of them scale and network economies, for others changes in habits and uses, with important technical and economic uncertainties. Developing countries can benefit as latecomers from these innovations without incurring their development costs, but they are reluctant to move towards a more decarbonized economic model if this evolution should reduce their growth and limit their development. From this point of view, mitigation techinques, especially Carbon Capture and Storage techniques, from fossil fuels (CCS) or bioenergy (BCCS) appear to be a promising way to reach stringent greenhouse gas reduction targets. They allow preserve the use of fossil fuels during a transition period towards a more decarbonized energy mix. These techniques are nevertheless submitted to the evolution of mitigation costs, to the regulatory uncertainty and to their social acceptability. Their adoption by developing countries depends moreover crucially on the regulatory framework for avoided carbon emission, and of the availability of a financial support from more advanced countries

Analyses des consommations énergétiques des tracteurs en usage réel : application aux chantiers d'épandage

National audienceAfin de réduire la facture énergétique de l'agriculture, il faut pouvoir améliorer l'efficacité des machines utilisées, mais aussi celle des méthodes de productions agricoles. À partir d'une campagne d'expérimentations sur le travail d'épandage, les auteurs nous montrent ici comment produire des indicateurs pertinents pour évaluer la performance énergétique d'une opération agricole

CO2-Dissolved : A Novel Approach to Combining CCS and Geothermal Heat Recovery

International audienceThis paper presents the outline of the CO2-DISSOLVED project whose objective is to assess the technical-economic feasibility of a novel CCS concept integrating geothermal energy recovery, aqueous dissolution of CO2 and injection via a doublet system, and an innovative post-combustion CO2 capture technology. Compared to the use of a supercritical phase, this approach offers substantial benefits in terms of storage safety, due to lower brine displacement risks, lower CO2 escape risks, and the potential for more rapid mineralization. However, the solubility of CO2 in brine will be a limiting factor to the amount of CO2 that can be injected. Consequently, and as another contributing novel factor, this proposal targets low to medium range CO2-emitters (ca. 10-100 kt/yr), that could be compatible with a single doublet installation. Since it is intended to be a local solution, the costs related to CO2 transport would then be dramatically reduced, provided that the local underground geology is favorable. Finally, this project adds the potential for energy and/or revenue generation through geothermal heat recovery. This constitutes an interesting way of valorization of the injection operations, demonstrating that an actual synergy between CO2 storage and geothermal activities may exist

Methodology for Assessing the Impact of Wind Turbines on Civil Aviation Primary and Secondary Radars

International audienc

Energy efficiency in French social housing renovations via Design-Build-Maintain

The renovation of existing building stock is seen as one the most practical ways to achieve the high energy savings targets for the built environment defined by European authorities. In France, the Grenelle environmental legislation addresses the need to renovate the building stock and specifically stresses the key role of social housing organisations. In recent years, French procurement rules have been modified in order to allow social housing organisations to make use of integrated contracts such as Design- Build-Maintain. These contracts have a greater potential to deliver energy savings in renovation projects than do traditional project delivery methods, like Design-Bid-Build. This is because they facilitate collaboration between the various actors and boost their commitment to the achievement of project goals. In order to evaluate the estimated potential of such contracts to achieve energy savings, two renovation projects (carried out by two French social housing organisations) were analysed from their inception until the end of construction work. The analysis is based on written tender documents, technical evaluation reports, observations of the negotiation phase (in one of the cases) and interviews with the main actors involved. Findings show that Design-Build- Maintain contracts do indeed offer substantial energy savings. Both projects achieved higher energy targets than those initially required. Furthermore, the energy results are guaranteed by the contractor, through a system of bonuses and penalties. Other results demonstrate that, compared to previous Design-bid-Build renovation projects, these projects were completed in less time (from project inception to completion of the work) and at virtually the same cost. There has also been a substantial improvement in cooperation between the actors involved

Mitochondria and Energetic Depression in Cell Pathophysiology

Mitochondrial dysfunction is a hallmark of almost all diseases. Acquired or inherited mutations of the mitochondrial genome DNA may give rise to mitochondrial diseases. Another class of disorders, in which mitochondrial impairments are initiated by extramitochondrial factors, includes neurodegenerative diseases and syndromes resulting from typical pathological processes, such as hypoxia/ischemia, inflammation, intoxications, and carcinogenesis. Both classes of diseases lead to cellular energetic depression (CED), which is characterized by decreased cytosolic phosphorylation potential that suppresses the cell’s ability to do work and control the intracellular Ca2+ homeostasis and its redox state. If progressing, CED leads to cell death, whose type is linked to the functional status of the mitochondria. In the case of limited deterioration, when some amounts of ATP can still be generated due to oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS), mitochondria launch the apoptotic cell death program by release of cytochrome c. Following pronounced CED, cytoplasmic ATP levels fall below the thresholds required for processing the ATP-dependent apoptotic cascade and the cell dies from necrosis. Both types of death can be grouped together as a mitochondrial cell death (MCD). However, there exist multiple adaptive reactions aimed at protecting cells against CED. In this context, a metabolic shift characterized by suppression of OXPHOS combined with activation of aerobic glycolysis as the main pathway for ATP synthesis (Warburg effect) is of central importance. Whereas this type of adaptation is sufficiently effective to avoid CED and to control the cellular redox state, thereby ensuring the cell survival, it also favors the avoidance of apoptotic cell death. This scenario may underlie uncontrolled cellular proliferation and growth, eventually resulting in carcinogenesis

Gilbert Abraham-Frois, Edmond Berrebi, Instabilité, cycle, chaos. 1995

Galiègue Xavier. Gilbert Abraham-Frois, Edmond Berrebi, Instabilité, cycle, chaos. 1995. In: Sciences de la société, n°40, 1997. Industries culturelles et « société de l'information ». pp. 243-245

Rigidités Microéconomiques, Flexibilité Macroéconomique: l'émergence d'une macroéconomie de la spécificité et de l'Irréversibilité

When using specific assets, the optimal reaction of a production unit to exogeneous shocks is highly non-linear. As a consequence, macroeconomic variables have to be build up by aggregating individual reactions. Asset specificity influences also the factors of production, which have to share the quasi-rent obtained by their collaboration. The working of the market depresss the price of the non specific, flexible factor, in order to reward the specific factor. Investment is depressed and excessive destruction occurs, while the cyclical response of a rigid factor economy is more elastic than that of a flexible factor one.En présence d'actifs spécifiques, la réaction optimale d'une unité individuelle à des chocs exogènes est non linéaire et discontinue. Il faut donc reconstruire les grandeurs macroéconomiques, en agrégeant ces réponses individuelles discrètes. La spécificité des actifs affecte aussi les facteurs de production, qui doivent se partager la quasi rente tirée de leur collaboration. Le fonctionnement du marché externe a tendance à déprimer le prix du facteur non spécifique, flexible, pour rémunérer le facteur spécifique. Cette caractéristique se traduit par un sous investissement, des destructions excessives, et par une accentuation de la réponse cyclique d'une économie à facteurs spécifiques.Galiègue André. Rigidités microéconomiques, flexibilité macroéconomique. L'émergence d'une macro-économie de la spécificité et de l'irréversibilité. In: Cahiers d'économie politique, n°35, 1999. pp. 19-36

Emerging Innovation system and Environmental Innovation: the case of mitigation techniques and CCS

International audienceWhile the environmental innovations will play a key role in the transition towards a decarbonized economy, their implementation is rather difficult to be realized in advanced economies. The techniques at stake imply for some of them scale and network economies, for others changes in habits and uses, with important technical and economic uncertainties. Developing countries can benefit as latecomers from these innovations without incurring their development costs, but they are reluctant to move towards a more decarbonized economic model if this evolution should reduce their growth and limit their development. From this point of view, mitigation techinques, especially Carbon Capture and Storage techniques, from fossil fuels (CCS) or bioenergy (BCCS) appear to be a promising way to reach stringent greenhouse gas reduction targets. They allow preserve the use of fossil fuels during a transition period towards a more decarbonized energy mix. These techniques are nevertheless submitted to the evolution of mitigation costs, to the regulatory uncertainty and to their social acceptability. Their adoption by developing countries depends moreover crucially on the regulatory framework for avoided carbon emission, and of the availability of a financial support from more advanced countries