Towards sustainable shipping: Evaluating the environmental impact of electrofuels

The global, local, and regional environment is under pressure from human activity. Changes in the environment can be beneficial and strived for, but environmental and health problems need to be considered when we design human activities. Shipping is a human activity causing emissions to air, water, and soil, which has direct and indirect effects on the environment. New fuels and propulsion technologies are required to lower the emissions from the shipping sector and reduce the impact on, for example, climate change. Fuels produced through electricity, water, and carbon dioxide, so-called electrofuels, is one group of fuels suggested to reduce the climate impact of shipping. This thesis focuses on the emissions from ships and their impacts on the environment when vessels move to electrofuels.This licentiate thesis aims to study the potential impact on the natural environment from using electrofuels onboard vessels and to explore which factors act as the main influencers on the natural environment and human health. Life cycle assessment was selected to address these questions, and through case study application the first assessment of an electrofuel in the context of shipping was performed. Through a techno-environmental system approach, critical flows between the shipping fuel life cycle and the environment were identified.The result points towards reductions of climate change impacts if renewable energy is used and CO2 is captured from a source not acting as a driver of fossil fuel extraction. Potential trade-offs were identified as electrofuels could lead to higher pressure on human health than today’s conventional fuels. The extent of these trade-offs is uncertain and affected by limitations in the method approach to the life cycle assessment of marine fuels. Suggestions on how to address these uncertainties, such as detailed system boundary definitions, are brought forward and analyzed based on the current state-of-the-art. The findings discussed in this licentiate thesis aim to promote further discussion around how to assess emerging fuel and propulsion technologies and the potential impact of future marine fuels

The environmental performance of a fossil-free ship propulsion system with onboard carbon capture - a life cycle assessment of the HyMethShip concept

The climate impact caused by the shipping industry has increased over the past decades despite attempts to improve the energy efficiency of vessels and lower induced emissions. A tool in reducing climate and other environmental impacts is new low emissions propulsion technologies. These new technologies need to reduce harmful emissions not only in the tailpipe but also over the entire life cycle. This study uses life cycle assessment to investigate the life cycle environmental impact of a propulsion concept currently under development: the HyMethShip concept. The HyMethShip concept combines electro-methanol energy storage, an onboard pre-combustion carbon capture system, and a dual fuel internal combustion engine. The concept aims for an almost closed CO2 loop by installing CO2 capture onboard. The CO2 is unloaded in port and converted into electro-methanol which is used to fuel the ship again. This is made possible by a pre-combustion process converting electro-methanol to hydrogen and CO2. The assessment is conducted from well-to-propeller and focuses on ship operation in the North Sea in 2030. The results indicate that this technology could be an alternative to reduce the climate impact from shipping. The results show a lower impact on acidification, climate change, marine eutrophication, particulate matter, photochemical ozone formation, and terrestrial eutrophication compared to internal combustion engines run on either marine gas oil (0.1% sulphur content), biogenic methanol, fossil methanol, or electro-methanol. Electricity with low climate and environmental impact is likely required to achieve this, and low NOx emissions from combustion processes need to be maintained. A potential trade-off is higher toxicity impacts from the HyMethShip concept compared to most other options, due to metal needs in wind power plants

Life-Cycle Assessment and Costing of Fuels and Propulsion Systems in Future Fossil-Free Shipping

Future ships need to operate with low or possibly zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions while ensuring low influence on other environmental impacts and that the operation is economically feasible. This study conducts a life-cycle evaluation of potential decarbonization solutions involving selected energy carriers (electrolytic hydrogen, electro-ammonia, electro-methanol, and electricity) in different propulsion system setups (engines, fuel cells, and carbon capture technologies) in terms of environmental impact and costs. The results of the study show that the assessed decarbonization options are promising measures to reduce maritime GHG emissions with low-carbon-intensive electricity. The same order of GHG reduction is shown to be possible independent of the propulsion system and energy carrier used onboard, However, the carbon abatement cost ranges from 300 to 550 (sic)/tCO(2)eq, and there is a trade-off with environmental impacts such as human toxicity (cancer and non-cancer effects) and freshwater ecotoxicity mainly linked with the wind infrastructure used for electricity production, Electro-ammonia in fuel cells is indicated to be effective in terms of the carbon abatement cost followed by the so-called HyMethShip concept. The higher abatement cost of all options compared to current options indicates that major incentives and policy measures are required to promote the introduction of alternative fuel and propulsion systems

The HyMethShip Concept: An investigation of system design choices and vessel operation characteristics influence on life cycle performance

One potential method to decarbonize the maritime transport sector is by using onboard carbon capture technologies. One such potential future propulsion system is the "HyMethShip - Hydrogen-Methanol Ship propulsion system using onboard pre-combustion carbon capture" concept. In this study we use life cycle assessment to analyse the impact of system design choices on the overall environmental performance of the system. Using the HyMethShip on a vessel is shown to lower climate impact compared to today’s conventional propulsion technologies. The runtime of the carbon capture system and hydrogen leakage are indicated as the main influencers to the environmental performance besides overall system efficiency. The cost of the HyMethShip system is higher than today’s liquid fossil fuel options, but lower than when electro-methanol is used in a conventional engine without applying the HyMethShip concept

Review of electrofuel feasibility - Prospects for road, ocean, and air transport

To meet climate targets the emissions of greenhouse gases from transport need to be reduced considerably. Electrofuels (e-fuels) produced from low-CO2 electricity, water, and carbon (or nitrogen) are potential low-climate-impact transportation fuels. The purpose of this review is to provide a technoeconomic assessment of the feasibility and potential of e-fuels for road, ocean, and air transport. The assessment is based on a review of publications discussing e-fuels for one or more transport modes. For each transport mode, (a) e-fuel options are mapped, (b) cost per transport unit (e.g. vehicle km) and carbon abatement costs are estimated and compared to conventional options, (c) prospects and challenges are highlighted, and (d) policy context is described. Carbon abatement costs for e-fuels (considering vehicle cost, fuel production and distribution cost) are estimated to be in the range 110-1250 € tonne-1 CO2 with e-gasoline and e-diesel at the high end of the range. The investigated combined biofuel and e-fuels production pathways (based on forest residues and waste) are more cost-competitive than the stand-alone e-fuel production pathways, but the global availability of sustainable biomass is limited making these pathways more constrained. While the potential for e-fuels to decarbonize the transport sector has been discussed extensively in the literature, many uncertainties in terms of production costs, vehicle costs and environmental performance remain. It is too early to rule out or strongly promote particular e-fuels for different transport modes. For e-fuels to play a significant role in transportation, their attractiveness relative to other transport options needs to be improved. Incentives will be needed for e-fuels to be cost-effective and increased clarity on how e-fuels are linked to existing policies is needed

Review of electrofuel feasibility—cost and environmental impact

Electrofuels, fuels produced from electricity, water, and carbon or nitrogen, are of interest as substitutes for fossil fuels in all energy and chemical sectors. This paper focuses on electrofuels for transportation, where some can be used in existing vehicle/vessel/aircraft fleets and fueling infrastructure. The aim of this study is to review publications on electrofuels and summarize costs and environmental performance. A special case, denoted as bio-electrofuels, involves hydrogen supplementing existing biomethane production (e.g. anaerobic digestion) to generate additional or different fuels. We use costs, identified in the literature, to calculate harmonized production costs for a range of electrofuels and bio-electrofuels. Results from the harmonized calculations show that bio-electrofuels generally have lower costs than electrofuels produced using captured carbon. Lowest costs are found for liquefied bio-electro-methane, bio-electro-methanol, and bio-electro-dimethyl ether. The highest cost is for electro-jet fuel. All analyzed fuels have the potential for long-term production costs in the range 90-160 € MWh-1. Dominant factors impacting production costs are electrolyzer and electricity costs, the latter connected to capacity factors (CFs) and cost for hydrogen storage. Electrofuel production costs also depend on regional conditions for renewable electricity generation, which are analyzed in sensitivity analyses using corresponding CFs in four European regions. Results show a production cost range for electro-methanol of 76-118 € MWh-1 depending on scenario and region assuming an electrolyzer CAPEX of 300-450 € kWelec-1 and CFs of 45%-65%. Lowest production costs are found in regions with good conditions for renewable electricity, such as Ireland and western Spain. The choice of system boundary has a large impact on the environmental assessments. The literature is not consistent regarding the environmental impact from different CO2 sources. The literature, however, points to the fact that renewable energy sources are required to achieve low global warming impact over the electrofuel life cycle

Towards Sustainable Shipping: Climate change and other environmental perspectives on carbon-based marine electrofuels and onboard carbon capture

The global, local, and regional environment is under pressure from human activity. Shipping is a human activity causing emissions to air, water, and soil, which has direct and indirect effects on the environment. New fuels and propulsion technologies are required to lower the emissions from the shipping sector and reduce the impact on the environment. Fuels produced through electricity, water, and carbon dioxide, so-called carbon-based electrofuels, are one group of fuels suggested to reduce the environmental impact of shipping. Another proposed solution is onboard carbon capture. The aim of this thesis is to promote further discussion on how to assess future marine fuels and propulsion technologies by establishing the environmental impacts of these emerging technologies.A mixed methods approach to environmental assessment is used, combining thematic analysis, literature reviews, and life cycle assessment. Through case study applications, the environmental performance of electromethanol, electromethane, and onboard carbon capture are investigated when applied in the maritime sector in northern Europe. Thematic analysis is used to investigate what is hindering low-emission fuels from being further utilized in maritime cargo transportation. The results show that if renewable energy is used in fuel production and CO2 is captured from a source not acting as a driver of fossil fuel extraction, climate change impact can be reduced by using carbon-based electrofuels instead of fossil fuel options. Potential trade-offs were identified as carbon-based electrofuels can lead to higher pressure on human health impacts than today’s conventional fuels. The extent of the trade-offs is uncertain and affected by limitations in the methodological approach. Suggestions on how to address these uncertainties are introduced and analyzed. Assessment of future scenarios for large-scale marine electromethane production in Sweden reveals that combined biofuel and electrofuel production likely results in the lowest environmental impacts. Onboard carbon capture can lower the climate change impact if combined with electrofuel production or carbon capture and storage. The environmental impacts at large depend on the bunkered fuel and the choice of carbon capture technology. The results underscore the importance of integrating life cycle assessment with other scientific methodologies. The environmental impacts of capital goods should be included in life cycle assessments of future marine fuels, and scenario-based assessments are preferable over single-vessel evaluations

Monetära värderingar av hälsoeffekter : En uppdatering av viktningsverktyget EcoValue

Chemicals and other potentially toxic substances have been released into nature at an increasing rate. Research on how they affect people and what damage they cause have developed rapidly in recent years, creating opportunities to better describe the consequences of emissions to nature. This thesis uses the latest advances in the field to update the EcoValue weighting tool. EcoValue can be used to convert quantitative amounts of emissions into monetary units. How this is done, the main uses and the background to weighting are addressed. Toxicity to humans is evaluated in previous EcoValue methods using a reference value: kg 1,4-Dicholorobenzene. The cost of society per kg of 1,4-Dichlorobenzene released is used as a "weighting factor". The weighting factor is then used as a multiplication factor, where the total kg of 1,4-Dichlorobenzene equivalents is multiplied by the cost per kg of emissions. In this thesis, a new value of cost per kg of 1,4-Dichlorobenzene equivalents has been determined through damage cost estimates. This was done by transferring the results of studies already carried out to costs per kg of 1,4-Dichlorobenzene. The updated version of EcoValue was then tested thorugh application to a previously published LCA study. The results were compared with EcoValue results without the updated damage cost for 1,4-Dichlorobenzene and results when using the EcoTax weighting tool. The suggested weight values are 2.1 €2017 per kg 1.4 DB equivalents, with a possible range between 0.09-6.996 €2017 per kg.Ämnen giftiga för människor har under de senaste decennierna släpps ut i naturen i en allt högre grad. Forskningen kring hur de påverkar oss människor och vilka skador de orsakar har utvecklats snabbt de senaste åren, vilket skapat möjligheter för att bättre kunna beskriva följderna av giftiga utsläpp till naturen. I den här mastersuppsatsen används den senaste tidens framsteg för att uppdatera viktningsverktyget EcoValue. EcoValue kan användas för att omvandla kvantitativa mängder av utsläpp till monetära enheter. Hur detta görs, huvudsakliga användningsområden och bakgrunden till omvandlingen behandlas i arbetet. Giftighet för människor värderas i EcoValue genom användandet av ett referensvärde: kg 1,4-Dichlorobenzene. Kostnaden för samhället per kg av utsläppt 1,4-Dichlorobenzene används som en ”viktningsfaktor”. Viktningsfaktorn används sedan som en multiplikationsfaktor, där den totala mängden 1,4-Dichlorobenzeneekvivalenter multipliceras med kostnaden per kg utsläpp. I denna mastersuppsats har genom skadekostnadsuppskattningar ett nytt värde på kostnad för samhället per kg 1,4-Dichlorobenzeneekvivalenter tagits fram. Detta gjordes genom att resultat från utförda studier överfördes till skadekostnader för 1,4-Dichlorobenzene. Föreslagna viktningsvärden är 2.1 €2017 per kg 1,4 DB-ekvivalenter, med ett möjligt intervall på 0,09-6,996 €2017 per kg. Den uppdaterade versionen av EcoValue testades sedan genom att den användes på en tidigare publicerad LCAstudie. Resultaten jämfördes med resultat från EcoValue utan uppdaterat värde för 1,4-Dichlorobenzene och resultat där viktningsverktyget EcoTax användes. Genomgående förväntas de viktade kostnaderna för skador på människors hälsa orsakade av giftiga ämnen öka när den uppdaterade viktningsfaktorn används

Estetiken i matematiken

Syftet med vår undersökning är att visa ett matematikläromedels kvaliteter utifrån ett estetiskt lärandeperspektiv. Vi vill genom analys av läromedlet Prima Matematik 1 A synliggöra huruvida det ger utrymme för estetiken och på vilket sätt detta görs. Vi använder oss av kvalitativ innehållsanalys, vilket i detta sammanhang betyder att vi letade efter estetiska egenskaper i läromedlets uppgifter. Resultatet visar att det inte ges något utrymme för estetiska läroprocesser eller radikal estetik i läroboken men att den använder sig av en del estetiska uttryck. Om man däremot, vilket läromedlet förespråkar, använder sig av lärarhandledningen som en guide genom arbetet i läroboken ges ett större utrymme för estetiken vilket i sin tur bidrar till en varierad undervisning. Detta visar vilken viktig roll lärarhandledningen har och att man som lärare bör använda sig av den om man arbetar utifrån läroboken

Kvinnor i majoriet - den manliga normen består : Hur kvinnliga enhetschefer upplever sig yrkesroll ur ett genusperspektiv

Syftet med denna uppsats var att ur ett genusperspektiv undersöka hur kvinnliga enhetschefer inom den kommunala vård- och omsorgssektorn upplever sin yrkesroll. Detta för att ledarskap oftast definieras enligt den manliga normen. Det är viktigt att belysa en grupp som är i majoritet inom ledarskap i kommunal vård- och omsorgssektor och hur denna förhåller sig till könsmaktsordningen. Studiens empiri är inhämtad från fyra kvalitativa parintervjuer med kvinnliga enhetschefer inom den kommunala vård- och omsorgssektorn. Intervjupersonerna har varierande yrkeserfarenhet. De teorier som användes i studien var genussystemet och heteronormativitet. Analysverktyget som användes var meningskoncentrering som frambringade fem centrala teman: Det fanns den vägen att gå, Axla en roll, En komplex arbetssituation, Att finnas till för medarbetarna och Normen består. Resultatet visar att arbetet som kvinnlig enhetschef är komplex och innefattar många olika förväntningar. Rollen som kvinna och rollen som enhetschef kräver många gånger en balansgång och har olika förväntningar som motsäger varandra. I studiens resultat framkommer det att enhetscheferna kan vara påverkade av könsmaktsstrukturer och att det faktum att kvinnorna är i majoritet inom vård- och omsorgssektorn inte påverkar det ledarskapsideal som råder. Ledarskap har definierats utifrån en manlig norm och även de kvinnliga enhetscheferna förhåller sig till den