Metsäteollisuuden sivutuotepolttoaineiden hyödyntäminen Etelä-Karjalassa

Tässä diplomityössä on selvitetty merkittävimpien kotimaisten polttoaineiden määrät Etelä-Karjalassa vuonna 1999. Pääpaino työssä on metsäteollisuuden sivutuotepolttoaineiden tarkastelussa. Metsähakkeelle ja kierrätyspolttoaineille on määritetty tuotantopotentiaalit. Myös turpeen tuotantomäärät on selvitetty. Lisäksi työssä on tarkasteltu alueella sijaitsevien teollisuuslaitosten ja kuntien energialaitosten polttoaineiden käyttöä. Työn tuloksia käytetään tutkimuksen seuraavassa vaiheessa, jolloin pyritään kehittämään teollisuusyritysten ja yhdyskuntien välistä energiaintegraatiota. Etelä-Karjalan kemiallisen metsäteollisuuden oman käytön ylijäävä sivutuotepolttoaineiden määrä oli vuonna 1999 yli 230 000 k-m3 (370 GWh). Mekaanisen metsäteollisuuden vastaava luku oli noin 210 000 k-m3 (330 GWh). Puunkäyttömäärien, energiankäyttötietojen ja kirjallisuudesta saatavien osuuksien perusteella mekaanisen metsäteollisuuden sivutuotepolttoaineiden oman käytön ylijäävä määrä olisi noin 350 000 k-m3 (580 GWh). Eroa selittävät lähinnä tilastolliset virheet, sivutuoteliiketoiminnan vähyys ja vaihtoehtoiset käyttökohteet. Metsähakkeen tuotantopotentiaali oli vuoden 1999 hakkuutietoihin perustuen yli 640 000 k-m3, josta tekniset, taloudelliset ja ympäristölliset seikat huomioiden noin 210 000 k-m3 (410 GWh) olisi voitu hyödyntää energiantuotannossa. Etelä-Karjalassa vuonna 1999 syntyneistä jätemääristä olisi arvioiden mukaan voitu valmistaa noin 25 000 tonnia (100 GWh) kierrätyspolttoaineita. Kierrätyspolttoaineiden valmistus alkaa Joutsenossa vuosien 2003 - 2004 välillä. Turpeen tuotantomäärä oli vuonna 1999 noin 1 200 000 tonnia (1020 GWh). Etelä-Karjalan teollisuus ja kuntien energialaitokset käyttivät vuonna 1999 yli 17400 GWh polttoaineita. Ostopolttoaineiden tarve oli noin 4700 GWh, josta lähes 85 % täytettiin maakaasulla. Alueen kunnista kaikki, joissa ei ole kemiallista metsäteollisuutta, pystyisivät teoriassa täyttämään teollisuuden ja energialaitostensa ostopolttoaineiden tarpeen oman kunnan alueelta saatavilla kotimaisilla polttoaineilla.

La integración energética como instrumento para el fortalecimiento del proceso de integración suramericano UNASUR

La integración energética propicia la disminución de asimetrías entre los países de la región y permite la consolidación del proceso de integración UNASUR, por medio de la voluntad política entre los Estados, creación de instituciones supranacionales que regulen el intercambio energético.

Análisis del acuerdo energético "Petrocaribe", como una estrategia que busca fortalecer la percepción de seguridad de Venezuela frente a Estados Unidos, durante el periodo 2005 - 2009

Desde la llegada de Hugo Chávez al poder, el gobierno venezolano ha emitido una serie de declaraciones oficiales donde se establece que Venezuela está en peligro de una posible agresión por parte de Estados Unidos; de esta manera el gobierno venezolano se ha enfocado en emplear estrategias que generalmente usan el petróleo como herramienta política para responder a dichas amenazas. Con lo dicho anteriormente y teniendo en cuenta la importancia del tema energético en el mundo, esta investigación busca analizar el acuerdo Petrocaribe como una estrategia que mas allá de su carácter económico y social busca fortalecer la percepción de seguridad de Venezuela frente a Estados Unidos.

Análisis del proceso de integración energética entre Mercosur y Venezuela desde un nuevo regionalismo hacia la integración regional

La integración regional ha creado un renovado escenario internacional, donde el factor energético juega un papel importante en las relaciones de cooperación entre Mercosur y Venezuela, haciendo de la integración energética un rol importante en el marco de la cooperación entre sus partes.

Assessing the benefits of domestic hot fill washing appliances

Washing machine and dishwasher appliance use accounts for approximately 10% of electricity demand in EU households. The majority of this demand is due to the operation of electric heating elements inside appliances. This paper investigates the potential benefits that can be realised by adding a hot fill connection to washing appliances, with respect to carbon emissions, demand side management and renewable energy integration. Initial laboratory testing of new hot and cold fill appliances has resulted in modifications to optimise hot fill intake, and a novel numerical model presents a method of characterising appliance electricity use in different configurations. In order to validate model findings and test the use of new hot fill appliances in situ, a pilot study has recorded appliances’ resource consumption at one-minute resolution in fourteen households. The addition of hot fill reduced the total dishwasher and washing machine electricity consumption by 38% and 67% respectively. Depending on how hot water is supplied to appliances it is estimated that hot fill use results in an annual household carbon saving of up to 147 kgCO2. Further to direct electricity reduction, hot fill appliances can offer a method of time shifting demand away from peak periods without inconveniencing occupants’ lifestyles.

Variational studies and replica symmetry breaking in the generalization problem of the binary perceptron

We analyze the average performance of a general class of learning algorithms for the nondeterministic polynomial time complete problem of rule extraction by a binary perceptron. The examples are generated by a rule implemented by a teacher network of similar architecture. A variational approach is used in trying to identify the potential energy that leads to the largest generalization in the thermodynamic limit. We restrict our search to algorithms that always satisfy the binary constraints. A replica symmetric ansatz leads to a learning algorithm which presents a phase transition in violation of an information theoretical bound. Stability analysis shows that this is due to a failure of the replica symmetric ansatz and the first step of replica symmetry breaking (RSB) is studied. The variational method does not determine a unique potential but it allows construction of a class with a unique minimum within each first order valley. Members of this class improve on the performance of Gibbs algorithm but fail to reach the Bayesian limit in the low generalization phase. They even fail to reach the performance of the best binary, an optimal clipping of the barycenter of version space. We find a trade-off between a good low performance and early onset of perfect generalization. Although the RSB may be locally stable we discuss the possibility that it fails to be the correct saddle point globally. ©2000 The American Physical Society.

The natural gas industry and its regulation in Latin America

Includes bibliography

ECLAC Notes Nº 46

Regional Energy Integration Looks Distant But Could be Crucial WTO and Free Trade Agreement Dispute Settlement Mechanisms Progress OPINION Central America: Poor Terms for the Terms of Trade, by José Luis Machinea HIGHLIGHTS Integration Schemes in Crisis and the Convergence of Trade Agreements, by Osvaldo Rosales INDICATORS: Economic Growth and Employment Direct Action in Favour of Indigenous Peoples and Afro-descendents Rises Recent Titles Calendar

A integração da indústria de energia elétrica na América do Sul: análise dos modelos técnicos e de regulamentação.

Os recursos energéticos naturais não estão distribuídos uniformemente pelo globo terrestre, e são raros os países que os têm na quantidade e na qualidade que necessitam para atender as suas necessidades. Ante a essa realidade, o comércio de energéticos tem sido a forma principal de acesso dos países que não os dispõem em relação as suas necessidades. Esse comércio, que muitas vezes é regido por tratados ou acordos firmados entre países ou blocos econômicos regionais, diversificou-se, traspassou fronteiras e, atualmente, tornou-se um item significativo nas pautas de exportações de vários países. A evolução desse comércio tem a favor a alternativa de integração por meio de interconexões estratégicas de redes e da constituição de mercados comuns, que viabilizam a exploração do potencial de complementariedade energética de forma mais racional. Diante desse contexto, esta dissertação apresenta um estudo exploratório que avalia o estado da arte da integração energética sul-americana e faz análises dos modelos técnicos, das regulamentações, das regulações regionais e multilaterais estabelecidas pelos blocos econômicos sul-americanos e pela Organização Mundial do Comércio. De forma complementar, o estudo verifica e apresenta os fatores que podem comprometer o avanço e a instituição de um futuro mercado comum de energia no continente, conclui pela viabilidade do prosseguimento de ações em prol da ampliação da integração da indústria de energia elétrica na América do Sul e tece recomendações. Os resultados e as recomendações deste trabalho oferecem um embasamento procedimental para a gestão e a atuação institucional dos envolvidos no processo de integração energética da indústria de energia elétrica da região sul americana.

A "Triple-I" Strategy for the Future of Europe. Bruges European Economic Policy (BEEP) Briefing 10/2005

The paper lays down a strategy consisting of Innovation, Internalisation of Externalities, and Integration – called Triple I. ‘Innovation’ is seen along value chain management in a systems perspective, driven by competition and participation of stakeholders. ‘Internalisation’ refers to endogenous efforts by industry to assess externalities and to foster knowledge generation that leads to benefits for both business and society. ‘Integration’ highlights the role business and its various forms of cooperation might play in policy integration within Europe and beyond. Looking forward towards measures to be taken, the paper explores some frontiers for a partnership between public and private sector: i) Increasing resource productivity, lowering material cost, ii) Energy integration with Southeast Europe and Northern Africa, iii) Urban mobility services and public transport, iv) Tradable emission permits beyond Europe. Finally, some conclusions from the perspective of the College of Europe are drawn.

Investigation of factors driving the costs of operating the 2020 Irish power system with large-scale wind generation

The main goal of this work is to determine the true cost incurred by the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland in order to meet their EU renewable electricity targets. The primary all-island of Ireland policy goal is that 40% of electricity will come from renewable sources in 2020. From this it is expected that wind generation on the Irish electricity system will be in the region of 32-37% of total generation. This leads to issues resulting from wind energy being a non-synchronous, unpredictable and variable source of energy use on a scale never seen before for a single synchronous system. If changes are not made to traditional operational practices, the efficient running of the electricity system will be directly affected by these issues in the coming years. Using models of the electricity system for the all-island grid of Ireland, the effects of high wind energy penetration expected to be present in 2020 are examined. These models were developed using a unit commitment, economic dispatch tool called PLEXOS which allows for a detailed representation of the electricity system to be achieved down to individual generator level. These models replicate the true running of the electricity system through use of day-ahead scheduling and semi-relaxed use of these schedules that reflects the Transmission System Operator's of real time decision making on dispatch. In addition, it carefully considers other non-wind priority dispatch generation technologies that have an effect on the overall system. In the models developed, three main issues associated with wind energy integration were selected to be examined in detail to determine the sensitivity of assumptions presented in other studies. These three issues include wind energy's non-synchronous nature, its variability and spatial correlation, and its unpredictability. This leads to an examination of the effects in three areas: the need for system operation constraints required for system security; different onshore to offshore ratios of installed wind energy; and the degrees of accuracy in wind energy forecasting. Each of these areas directly impact the way in which the electricity system is run as they address each of the three issues associated with wind energy stated above, respectively. It is shown that assumptions in these three areas have a large effect on the results in terms of total generation costs, wind curtailment and generator technology type dispatch. In particular accounting for these issues has resulted in wind curtailment being predicted in much larger quantities than had been previously reported. This would have a large effect on wind energy companies because it is already a very low profit margin industry. Results from this work have shown that the relaxation of system operation constraints is crucial to the economic running of the electricity system with large improvements shown in the reduction of wind curtailment and system generation costs. There are clear benefits in having a proportion of the wind installed offshore in Ireland which would help to reduce variability of wind energy generation on the system and therefore reduce wind curtailment. With envisaged future improvements in day-ahead wind forecasting from 8% to 4% mean absolute error, there are potential reductions in wind curtailment system costs and open cycle gas turbine usage. This work illustrates the consequences of assumptions in the areas of system operation constraints, onshore/offshore installed wind capacities and accuracy in wind forecasting to better inform the true costs associated with running Ireland's changing electricity system as it continues to decarbonise into the near future. This work also proposes to illustrate, through the use of Ireland as a case study, the effects that will become ever more prevalent in other synchronous systems as they pursue a path of increasing renewable energy generation.

A novel methodology for analysis of large scale interconnected power and gas systems

The European Union continues to exert a large influence on the direction of member states energy policy. The 2020 targets for renewable energy integration have had significant impact on the operation of current power systems, forcing a rapid change from fossil fuel dominated systems to those with high levels of renewable power. Additionally, the overarching aim of an internal energy market throughout Europe has and will continue to place importance on multi-jurisdictional co-operation regarding energy supply. Combining these renewable energy and multi-jurisdictional supply goals results in a complicated multi-vector energy system, where the understanding of interactions between fossil fuels, renewable energy, interconnection and economic power system operation is increasingly important. This paper provides a novel and systematic methodology to fully understand the changing dynamics of interconnected energy systems from a gas and power perspective. A fully realistic unit commitment and economic dispatch model of the 2030 power systems in Great Britain and Ireland, combined with a representative gas transmission energy flow model is developed. The importance of multi-jurisdictional integrated energy system operation in one of the most strategically important renewable energy regions is demonstrated.

Development of processes for the valorization of lignocellulosic biomass based on renewable energies

The world grapples with climate change from fossil fuel reliance, prompting Europe to pivot to renewable energy. Among renewables, biomass is a bioenergy and bio-carbon source, used to create high-value biomolecules, replacing fossil-based products. Alkyl levulinates, derived from biomass, hold promise as bio-additives and biofuels, especially via acid solvolysis of hexose sugars, necessitating further exploration. Alkyl levulinate's potential extends to converting into γ-valerolactone (GVL), a bio-solvent produced via hydrogenation with molecular-hydrogen. Hydrogen, a key reagent and energy carrier, aids renewable energy integration. This thesis delves into a biorefinery system study, aligning with sustainability goals, integrating biomass valorization, energy production, and hydrogen generation. It investigates optimizing technologies for butyl levulinate production and subsequent GVL hydrogenation. Sustainability remains pivotal, reflecting the global shift towards renewable and carbon bio-resources. The research initially focuses on experimenting with the optimal technology for producing butyl levulinate from biomass-derived hexose fructose. It examines the solvolysis process, investigating optimal conditions, kinetic modeling, and the impact of solvents on fructose conversion. The subsequent part concentrates on the technological aspect of hydrogenating butyl levulinate into GVL. It includes conceptual design, simulation, and optimization of the fructose-to-GVL process scheme based on process intensification. In the final part, the study applies the process to a real case study in Normandy, France, adapting it to local biomass availability and wind energy. It defines a methodology for designing and integrating the energy-supply system, evaluating different scenarios. Sustainability assessment using economic, environmental, and social indicators culminates in an overall sustainability index, indicating scenarios integrating the GVL biorefinery system with wind power and hydrogen energy storage as promising due to high profitability and reduced environmental impact. Sensitivity analyses validate the methodology's reliability, potentially extending to other technological systems.

Impact of a price-maker pumped storage hydro unit on the integration of wind energy in power systems

The increasing integration of larger amounts of wind energy into power systems raises important operational issues, such as the balance between power generation and demand. The pumped storage hydro (PSH) units are one possible solution to mitigate this problem, once they can store the excess of energy in the periods of higher generation and lower demand. However, the behaviour of a PSH unit may differ considerably from the expected in terms of wind power integration when it operates in a liberalized electricity market under a price-maker context. In this regard, this paper models and computes the optimal PSH weekly scheduling in a price-taker and price-maker scenarios, either when the PSH unit operates in standalone and integrated in a portfolio of other generation assets. Results show that the price-maker standalone PSH will integrate less wind power in comparison with the price-taker situation. Moreover, when the PSH unit is integrated in a portfolio with a base load power plant, the role of the price elasticity of demand may completely change the operational profile of the PSH unit. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Consumer energy management system with integration of smart meters

This paper develops an energy management system with integration of smart meters for electricity consumers in a smart grid context. The integration of two types of smart meters (SM) are developed: (i) consumer owned SM and (ii) distributor owned SM. The consumer owned SM runs over a wireless platform - ZigBee protocol and the distributor owned SM uses the wired environment - ModBus protocol. The SM are connected to a SCADA system (Supervisory Control And Data Acquisition) that supervises a network of Programmable Logic Controllers (PLC). The SCADA system/PLC network integrates different types of information coming from several technologies present in modern buildings. The developed control strategy implements a hierarchical cascade controller where inner loops are performed by local PLCs, and the outer loop is managed by a centralized SCADA system, which interacts with the entire local PLC network. In order to implement advanced controllers, a communication channel was developed to allow the communication between the SCADA system and the MATLAB software. (C) 2014 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).