Carbon-constrained energy planning for integrated transportation and power generation sectors

The introduction of electric vehicles (EV) has changed the transportation and power generation systems, mainly affecting energy production, energy efficiency, and overall grid performance. In Malaysia, the government stated its commitment to adopt green initiatives and sustainable development. Thus, this research presents the energy planning framework for power generation and transportation system which determines the optimal energy mix by utilizing available renewable energy resources and the best location for charging stations. This research utilized carbon emission pinch analysis (CEPA) as a baseline model to conduct a feasibility study for electric vehicles in Malaysia. Mathematical equations were then applied to develop a mixed-integer linear programming model incorporated complex constraints for further holistic analysis of Malaysia. Four scenarios were devised to explore the impact of different carbon emission mitigation strategies. The results show that Scenario 4 (S4), which considered 40 % of total carbon emission reduction come from transportation sector, provide the best option in terms of energy mix, technology selection, levelized cost of electricity, and operation of EV. Although it requires the highest number of EV on the road compared to other scenario which is 2,345,776 units, it will only utilize 66,260.61 GWh of energy to be generated from renewable energy which is the lowest compared to the other scenarios. This results in the lowest levelized cost of electricity which is 0.3364 RM/kWh. This tariff can be applied to lower the cost of charging for EV operation. This research also provides strategies for the government to implement electric vehicles in Malaysia. The models may also be converted into useful software for town planners and policymakers

Water-Energy Nexus Cascade Analysis (WENCA) for simultaneous water-energy system optimisation

This paper presents a new numerical method called the Water-Energy Nexus Cascade Analysis (WENCA), developed based on the principal of Pinch Analysis. Water and energy are both valuable resources that are majorly used in industrial processes. Both water and energy are interdependent where increasing water demand will increase the energy demand and vice versa. In this paper, WENCA is introduced to simultaneously optimise both water and energy system that is interdependent. The methodology applies Cascade Analysis to individually optimise both system. As both systems are interdependent, altering one of the system will result in a change to the other system. An iterative method is then introduced to converge the analysis to obtain the optimal result for both systems. A case study comprising of both electricity and water demand of 6,875 kWh and 3,000 m3 from a residential area with 1,000 unit of houses is applied in this work. The electricity demand is met using fuel cell where hydrogen is produced through coal gasification (which utilised water as it raw material), a water treatment plant (WTP) is also introduced for water treatment to fulfil the water demands. The optimal result reveals that the WTP capacity is 3,200.73 m3, its corresponding water storage tank capacity is 175 m3, hydrogen power plant is 9 MW and its corresponding energy storage capacity is 4.13 MW

Carbon Emission Pinch Analysis: an application to the transportation sector in Iskandar Malaysia for 2025

The energy sector has grown significantly over the years, causing an increase in carbon emission that has led to serious global warming problems. Consequently, electric vehicles (EVs) have become a favourable solution in the transportation sector due to their green technology attributes. This paper aims to apply the Carbon Emission Pinch Analysis (CEPA) method to the transportation sector in Iskandar Malaysia. The modified CEPA method is applied by constructing a composite curve for transportation modes and the total carbon emission was plotted in order to study the minimum electricity requirement that needs to be generated to implement the use of EVs. Road and rail transportation were considered in the transport composite curve based on the current policies available and to achieve the new carbon emission target by the year 2025. The alternatives available to reduce carbon emission in Iskandar Malaysia include increasing public transport modal share; fuel switching from petrol and diesel to natural gas and biofuels; and increasing transport efficiency via plug-in hybrid and EVs. Four scenarios were established and evaluated based on economic and environmental aspects. As a result, Scenario 4 which considered all policies available (transport management, fuel switching and fuel efficiency) have showed the most promising fuel mix for future transportation demands. An estimated total amount of 0.25 TJ of electricity is needed for EV implementation with a total estimated cost of RM 1.3 billion. The total carbon emission for this scenario is 1101.96 kt-CO2. This research can benefit the Government, town planners, or policy makers, for preliminary energy planning