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14.02.2022 (353 Clicks)

Outokumpu increases the Share of low-carbon Energy with a new Wind Power Agreement

Outokumpu has signed a 10-year power supply agreement for renewable wind power with Swiss electricity producer Alpiq. The amount of contracted wind power energy corresponds to over 60% of Outokumpu’s electricity consumption at its production sites in Germany. According to the agreement, deliveries will begin in January 2023.

14.02.2022 (326 Clicks)

Pursuing Carbon Neutrality and Water Security in China

China has promised to become carbon neutral before 2060 and has coupled this ambitious target with stringent limitations on industrial water use by 2030. An international team of IIASA researchers and Chinese colleagues explored the effects of simultaneously pursuing these goals.

Man-made carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions need to fall by about 45% from 2010 levels by 2030, and reach 'net zero' by mid-century to give the world a chance of limiting the warming of the planet to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels and avoiding the worst impacts of climate change. China, which is currently the world’s biggest emitter of CO2, is one of a growing number of countries to have officially committed to achieving carbon neutrality by 2060, with a key focus on decarbonizing its industrial sector. In addition, due to severe water scarcity experienced in the country, the Chinese government has imposed stringent limitations on industrial water use by 2030, as China’s industries not only account for half of national CO2 emissions, but also for more than 20% of water withdrawals. The effect that emission reductions will have on industrial water use, however, remains unclear.

To shed light on this issue, IIASA researchers and Chinese colleagues used a model incorporating a self-developed, high-resolution provincial water use inventory based on enterprise census data covering over 140,000 enterprises in 31 Chinese provinces from 1998 to 2015. The new inventory was then used to develop an industrial water-use module to project the country’s future multi-sectoral carbon emissions, economic indicators, and industrial water use under a business-as-usual scenario (without a carbon neutrality target) and under a carbon neutrality scenario (with a carbon neutrality target). The results of the study have been published in the journal One Earth.

“We used a computable general equilibrium model ̶ a type of economic model that uses real economic data to estimate how an economy might react to changes in policy, technology, or other external factors ̶ to identify synergies and risks over time and across regions in 31 Chinese provinces. This sets our analysis apart from previous studies that focused more on water withdrawal from the energy sector, but neglected water-intensive industrial sectors, or only covered water use in a single region,” explains study author Hancheng Dai from Peking University in China.

The study’s results show that becoming carbon neutral will save 24% of China’s industrial water use in 2060 and help to achieve the strict industrial water use targets in 22 out of 31 provinces studied. At a provincial level, it is however possible that 9 of the 31 provinces will struggle to meet water-use targets in a carbon-neutral future, unless more coordinated climate-water strategies are put in place. In addition, the researchers found that if inter-provincial industrial relocation occurs, water use could actually rise in certain provinces, reducing the water-saving potential.

“Different emission reduction expenditures and capacities have the potential to reshape industrial competitiveness and structure, eventually causing some industries to relocate to other regions. This can result in undesirable outcomes in terms of emission reduction and water use. At present, it is however uncertain whether the achievement of China’s 2060 carbon neutrality goal would motivate industries to move, and how this might affect water savings and the ability of industries to meet water use targets,” notes study author and Deputy Dean of the College of Environmental Sciences and Engineering at Peking University, Yong Liu.

Pursuing carbon neutrality also creates a number of co-benefits from key sectors. Notably, five energy- and/or water-intensive sectors, including power generation, light industry, chemicals, mining, and metal smelting and products, contributed to the bulk of national co-benefits, accounting for 48%, 14%, 13%, 9%, and 9% of total water savings in 2060, respectively.

“It will be important for regional governments to utilize and promote the co-benefits originating from the key sectors to fulfill more environmentally friendly water resource allocation while achieving carbon neutrality. The saved water use can, for instance, be returned to natural water bodies like rivers and lakes for ecological purposes. There is no doubt that the co-benefit effects will contribute to the development of an ecological civilization,” says study lead author Xiaoyu Liu, also from Peking University, who started this work as a participant in the IIASA Young Scientists Summer Program.

Due to the diversity of industry structure and differences in the availability of water resources between provinces, there are both opportunities and risks for Chinese industry in pursuing a carbon neutral future. Achieving the carbon neutrality target may, for example, enable 8 and 12 provinces to achieve the industrial water target set by the Chinese government in 2030 and 2060, respectively, mostly in northern China. The co-benefits produced by carbon neutrality are however not sufficient for the achievement of targets in 14 and 9 provinces in 2030 and 2060, respectively, mostly in the southern and northwestern regions of China.

“While risks are created by industrial restructuring and consequent spillover effects across and inside provinces, water use management that only relies on water-use intensity control and co-benefits from reducing carbon emissions is not enough to achieve China’s overall water-use goals. This once again highlights the importance of imposing restrictions on total water use, especially for water-scarce provinces. On the other hand, it might also be beneficial to consider reducing the water use cap for areas rich in water resources, as too strictly limiting water use in these areas could hamper local economic development,” says study author and IIASA Water Security Research Group Leader, Taher Kahil.

“The findings of our study facilitate a better understanding of the water-energy nexus in the context of meeting ambitious climate targets and show that the integrated management of water and industry is efficient and can promote sustainable development. It also accentuates the need to formulate more coordinated policies, including more stringent regulations and advanced technologies, that can maximize synergies in addressing climate and water challenges,” concludes IIASA Biodiversity and Natural Resources Program Director, Yoshihide Wada, who was also one of the study authors.

Source: IIASA

About IIASA

The International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) is an international scientific institute that conducts research into the critical issues of global environmental, economic, technological, and social change that we face in the twenty-first century. Our findings provide valuable options to policymakers to shape the future of our changing world. IIASA is independent and funded by prestigious research funding agencies in Africa, the Americas, Asia, and Europe.

                     

11.02.2022 (360 Clicks)

ABB to lead Power and Automation Engineering and Equipment Supply in New order from Ioneer at US Mine

11.02.2022 (334 Clicks)

Skanska completes Groundwork for Railway Station in Bergen, Norway

Skanska has signed a contract with Baneservice for the completion of groundwork in the Fløen railway station project in Bergen, Norway. The contract is worth NOK 384M, about SEK 400M, which will be included in the Nordic order bookings for the first quarter 2022.

10.02.2022 (328 Clicks)

Italian PM Draghi visits Webuild’s Terzo Valico dei Giovi Project, Part of Europe’s TEN-T Network

More than 5,000 people, 2,300 companies working round the clock on italy’s biggest sustainable mobility project with 30 tunnelling operations on 12 large work sites

10.02.2022 (584 Clicks)

Thyssenkrupp Mining Technologies provides innovative and sustainable Filter Technology for Alumina Plant in Kazakhstan

10.02.2022 (273 Clicks)

Sika expands in Africa and extends Sites in Tanzania and Ivory Coast

Sika has moved into a new site in the East African country of Tanzania and is now locally producing mortars in addition to concrete admixtures. The site also offers space for further growth in operations.

09.02.2022 (317 Clicks)

Anglo American starts up new Aquila metallurgical Coal Mine

Anglo American plc announces today that its new Aquila mine has achieved its first longwall shear of steelmaking metallurgical coal on schedule and on budget, marking the project’s final stages of construction and commissioning.

08.02.2022 (275 Clicks)

Key Features improve Capability of horizontal Screen in static Applications

Superior Industries, Inc., a US-based manufacturer and global supplier of bulk material processing and handling systems, reports about several key features that improve performance of its popular Guardian® Horizontal Screen in stationary or static settings.

08.02.2022 (335 Clicks)

Cimic's UGL awarded Utilities Contract with Snowy Hydro

Cimic Group’s UGL has been named as the Principal Contractor by Snowy Hydro Limited for the construction of a 660MW power generation plant at the Hunter Power Project in Kurri Kurri, New South Wales. The contract will generate revenue to UGL of $185 million over two years.