Hasta la crisis de 2009, España ha sido uno de los principales productores de cemento en todo el ... more Hasta la crisis de 2009, España ha sido uno de los principales productores de cemento en todo el mundo. Debido a este hecho, el CO 2 emitido por esta industria ha sido importante, alcanzando hasta un 7% del total de las emisiones en este país. Durante varios años se han estado aplicando Mejores Técnicas Disponibles (MTD) en esta industria, con lo que se puede decir que se encuentra en la vanguardia tecnológica, pero este hecho no es suficiente considerando los impactos ambientales. El objetivo de este trabajo es la realización de un Análisis de Ciclo de Vida (ACV) del sector cementero español con un enfoque general, identificando los procesos más contaminantes para posteriormente analizar la aplicación de MTD. En este caso se presenta un escenario de sustitución de combustibles fósiles de acuerdo a prospectivas tecnológicas recomendadas por la Comisión Europea [1]. La Figura 1 presenta el diagrama de flujo del alcance del estudio. Se trata de un proceso de la cuna a la puerta (cradle-to-gate), es decir, los procesos considerados van desde la extracción de materias primas hasta la producción del cemento en planta.
ABSTRACT During the past decade, the Spanish cement production industry has experienced constant ... more ABSTRACT During the past decade, the Spanish cement production industry has experienced constant technological updates. Nevertheless, meeting current and future environmental policy goals requires extra efforts. The Spanish case is significant because cement production went down dramatically due to the last economic crisis. This brought an important, but temporary, reduction of CO2 emissions. Therefore, there is an interesting opportunity for cement producers and policymakers to adjust the long-term targets. This work discusses the evolution of the cement industry in Spain from a realistic point of view using recent cement demand projections and the TIMES-Spain energy optimisation model. Several environmental-friendly options were implemented in TIMES-Spain following a literature review. These measures, aimed at contributing to the decrease of emissions to meet the established policy goals, include energy efficiency improvements, substitution scenarios (both for fuel and materials) and CO2 capture (post-combustion and oxyfuel). From a policy approach, the deployment of the EU ETS Directive entails that CO2 emissions from cement production will decrease by 8 Mt per year from 2030 with respect to the case without Directive. In a more technology-specific analysis, a remarkable decrease of 2–2.4 Mt CO2 was obtained in the material substitution scenario beyond 2030. Additionally, taking into account current projections for cement demand, CO2 capture technology does not emerge as a feasible option. Only if cement demand grew back to the pre-crisis level by 2050 and the CO2 emission allowances remained fixed would the CO2 capture via post-combustion start to be a reasonable alternative.
In this work, socioeconomic and environmental impacts associated to energy technologies in the cu... more In this work, socioeconomic and environmental impacts associated to energy technologies in the current and future Spanish Energy System have been estimated. This information has provided the base from which to conduct two kinds of analyses. First, an Ex post analysis of renewable policies in Spain, where the net impact on social welfare associated to the progressive introduction of those energies in the energy system has been assessed using a partial cost-benefit analysis. Then, a prospective analysis of the Spanish energy system where the optimum energy mix, which leads to the largest social welfare under different energy scenarios, taking into account a medium-long term time horizon (2035), has been estimated using the national energy optimization model TIMES-Spain. The results of the Ex post analysis of the period 2005-2012 show an increase on social welfare due to the introduction of renewable energies. Nevertheless, when assessing the total expenditure of renewables support policies, the results show this support exceeds the economic value of the socioeconomic and environmental externalities calculated in this work. The prospective analysis results for the period 2010-2035 definitely recommend a support for renewable electricity generation technologies and the redesigning of renewables support policies to better reflect their external benefits with respect to the fossil alternatives.
If the good performance of fusion as technology with no CO 2 emission during normal operation and... more If the good performance of fusion as technology with no CO 2 emission during normal operation and rather low external costs, reflecting the advantageous environmental and safety characteristics, are considered in future energy regulations, fusion can win considerable market shares in future electricity markets. The economic performance was elaborated for Western Europe for the time period till 2100. The software tool MARKAL widely used in energy research was used to simulate and optimise the development of the Western European energy system. Two different scenarios were considered, the main difference was the interest rate for investments. Stringent CO2-emission strategies lead to considerable market shares for fusion. As a comprehensive indicator of the environmental and safety performance of fusion plants the external costs following the ExternE method was used. External costs of fusion are rather low, much below the cost of electricity, and are in the same range as photovoltaics ...
ABSTRACT Even though significant NOx and SO2 emissions reductions have been observed in Spain dur... more ABSTRACT Even though significant NOx and SO2 emissions reductions have been observed in Spain during last decade, there is a strong commitment to keep reducing the levels of pollution in order to improve air quality standards. This work has been carried out to ease the lack of National Emission Ceilings Directive (NECD) assessments at country level. The Spanish case has been used as illustrative of the European Union. The evolution of NO x and SO2 emissions has been analysed in depth using the TIMES-Spain energy optimisation model. The work has been structured into three parts. First, the implementation of the NECD and the consequences both on the evolution of NO x and SO2 emissions, and the electricity production mix; second, taxation on these pollutants has been modelled and discussed; and finally, the proposed “2013 EU Clean Air Package” ceilings to update NECD have been assessed. Results showed that meeting NECD targets would involve a high contribution of renewable sources to the electricity system, mainly wind and solar. In addition, NO x and SO2 taxation has been assessed. Results showed that taxes on pollutants led to lower emissions than using NECD. Hence, current ceilings are not strict enough to internalise all the environmental damages associated to those pollutants. In consequence, the suitability of the NECD has been discussed by means of the new ceilings included in the EU Clean Air Policy Package. Results showed that proposed reductions are insufficient to compensate the environmental damages especially in the short term.
Alliance For Global Sustainability Bookseries, 2007
The Spanish Ministry of Environment has launched forth into a project related to the evaluation o... more The Spanish Ministry of Environment has launched forth into a project related to the evaluation of the environmental impacts of biodiesel production in Spain, in order to support its biofuels promotion policies. The objective of this project is to evaluate the environmental impacts of four different fuels composed by biodiesel from several crude vegetable oils and waste vegetable oils in
COMET–Integrated infrastructure for CO2 transport and storage in the west Mediterranean–is a join... more COMET–Integrated infrastructure for CO2 transport and storage in the west Mediterranean–is a join research Project co-financed by the European Seventh Framework Programme (FP7), which started on January 2010. Carbon dioxide Capture and Storage (CCS) is a CO2 abatement option that can contribute substantially to the ambitious targets needed for climate stabilization. The significant role foreseen for CCS is based on
This paper presents results of potential CCS infrastructures in the West Mediterranean region inc... more This paper presents results of potential CCS infrastructures in the West Mediterranean region including trajectories for CO 2 pipelines. The preliminary results are generated with a combination of geographical (GIS) and partial equilibrium optimization modelling (MARKAL/TIMES-COMET). Furthermore, as a result of active stakeholder involvement in the research project, the CCS infrastructures were critically reviewed and obtained insights were used to improve the models and their input parameters. Stakeholders´ feedback regarding difficulty in crossing hard rock terrains and the reasonability of trying to replicate the existing natural gas network, had a large impact on the resulting CCS infrastructure.
The objective of this study is to assess the Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions in the production and... more The objective of this study is to assess the Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions in the production and use of biofuels in Spain considering different crop production alternatives, including the possible import of raw materials. Avoided GHG emissions due to the substitution of conventional transport fuels with biofuels are then quantified. The studied biofuels are bioethanol from cereal crops and biodiesel from crude vegetable oil and waste vegetable oil. Several blends of these biofuels with gasoline and diesel are also studied.
Hasta la crisis de 2009, España ha sido uno de los principales productores de cemento en todo el ... more Hasta la crisis de 2009, España ha sido uno de los principales productores de cemento en todo el mundo. Debido a este hecho, el CO 2 emitido por esta industria ha sido importante, alcanzando hasta un 7% del total de las emisiones en este país. Durante varios años se han estado aplicando Mejores Técnicas Disponibles (MTD) en esta industria, con lo que se puede decir que se encuentra en la vanguardia tecnológica, pero este hecho no es suficiente considerando los impactos ambientales. El objetivo de este trabajo es la realización de un Análisis de Ciclo de Vida (ACV) del sector cementero español con un enfoque general, identificando los procesos más contaminantes para posteriormente analizar la aplicación de MTD. En este caso se presenta un escenario de sustitución de combustibles fósiles de acuerdo a prospectivas tecnológicas recomendadas por la Comisión Europea [1]. La Figura 1 presenta el diagrama de flujo del alcance del estudio. Se trata de un proceso de la cuna a la puerta (cradle-to-gate), es decir, los procesos considerados van desde la extracción de materias primas hasta la producción del cemento en planta.
ABSTRACT During the past decade, the Spanish cement production industry has experienced constant ... more ABSTRACT During the past decade, the Spanish cement production industry has experienced constant technological updates. Nevertheless, meeting current and future environmental policy goals requires extra efforts. The Spanish case is significant because cement production went down dramatically due to the last economic crisis. This brought an important, but temporary, reduction of CO2 emissions. Therefore, there is an interesting opportunity for cement producers and policymakers to adjust the long-term targets. This work discusses the evolution of the cement industry in Spain from a realistic point of view using recent cement demand projections and the TIMES-Spain energy optimisation model. Several environmental-friendly options were implemented in TIMES-Spain following a literature review. These measures, aimed at contributing to the decrease of emissions to meet the established policy goals, include energy efficiency improvements, substitution scenarios (both for fuel and materials) and CO2 capture (post-combustion and oxyfuel). From a policy approach, the deployment of the EU ETS Directive entails that CO2 emissions from cement production will decrease by 8 Mt per year from 2030 with respect to the case without Directive. In a more technology-specific analysis, a remarkable decrease of 2–2.4 Mt CO2 was obtained in the material substitution scenario beyond 2030. Additionally, taking into account current projections for cement demand, CO2 capture technology does not emerge as a feasible option. Only if cement demand grew back to the pre-crisis level by 2050 and the CO2 emission allowances remained fixed would the CO2 capture via post-combustion start to be a reasonable alternative.
In this work, socioeconomic and environmental impacts associated to energy technologies in the cu... more In this work, socioeconomic and environmental impacts associated to energy technologies in the current and future Spanish Energy System have been estimated. This information has provided the base from which to conduct two kinds of analyses. First, an Ex post analysis of renewable policies in Spain, where the net impact on social welfare associated to the progressive introduction of those energies in the energy system has been assessed using a partial cost-benefit analysis. Then, a prospective analysis of the Spanish energy system where the optimum energy mix, which leads to the largest social welfare under different energy scenarios, taking into account a medium-long term time horizon (2035), has been estimated using the national energy optimization model TIMES-Spain. The results of the Ex post analysis of the period 2005-2012 show an increase on social welfare due to the introduction of renewable energies. Nevertheless, when assessing the total expenditure of renewables support policies, the results show this support exceeds the economic value of the socioeconomic and environmental externalities calculated in this work. The prospective analysis results for the period 2010-2035 definitely recommend a support for renewable electricity generation technologies and the redesigning of renewables support policies to better reflect their external benefits with respect to the fossil alternatives.
If the good performance of fusion as technology with no CO 2 emission during normal operation and... more If the good performance of fusion as technology with no CO 2 emission during normal operation and rather low external costs, reflecting the advantageous environmental and safety characteristics, are considered in future energy regulations, fusion can win considerable market shares in future electricity markets. The economic performance was elaborated for Western Europe for the time period till 2100. The software tool MARKAL widely used in energy research was used to simulate and optimise the development of the Western European energy system. Two different scenarios were considered, the main difference was the interest rate for investments. Stringent CO2-emission strategies lead to considerable market shares for fusion. As a comprehensive indicator of the environmental and safety performance of fusion plants the external costs following the ExternE method was used. External costs of fusion are rather low, much below the cost of electricity, and are in the same range as photovoltaics ...
ABSTRACT Even though significant NOx and SO2 emissions reductions have been observed in Spain dur... more ABSTRACT Even though significant NOx and SO2 emissions reductions have been observed in Spain during last decade, there is a strong commitment to keep reducing the levels of pollution in order to improve air quality standards. This work has been carried out to ease the lack of National Emission Ceilings Directive (NECD) assessments at country level. The Spanish case has been used as illustrative of the European Union. The evolution of NO x and SO2 emissions has been analysed in depth using the TIMES-Spain energy optimisation model. The work has been structured into three parts. First, the implementation of the NECD and the consequences both on the evolution of NO x and SO2 emissions, and the electricity production mix; second, taxation on these pollutants has been modelled and discussed; and finally, the proposed “2013 EU Clean Air Package” ceilings to update NECD have been assessed. Results showed that meeting NECD targets would involve a high contribution of renewable sources to the electricity system, mainly wind and solar. In addition, NO x and SO2 taxation has been assessed. Results showed that taxes on pollutants led to lower emissions than using NECD. Hence, current ceilings are not strict enough to internalise all the environmental damages associated to those pollutants. In consequence, the suitability of the NECD has been discussed by means of the new ceilings included in the EU Clean Air Policy Package. Results showed that proposed reductions are insufficient to compensate the environmental damages especially in the short term.
Alliance For Global Sustainability Bookseries, 2007
The Spanish Ministry of Environment has launched forth into a project related to the evaluation o... more The Spanish Ministry of Environment has launched forth into a project related to the evaluation of the environmental impacts of biodiesel production in Spain, in order to support its biofuels promotion policies. The objective of this project is to evaluate the environmental impacts of four different fuels composed by biodiesel from several crude vegetable oils and waste vegetable oils in
COMET–Integrated infrastructure for CO2 transport and storage in the west Mediterranean–is a join... more COMET–Integrated infrastructure for CO2 transport and storage in the west Mediterranean–is a join research Project co-financed by the European Seventh Framework Programme (FP7), which started on January 2010. Carbon dioxide Capture and Storage (CCS) is a CO2 abatement option that can contribute substantially to the ambitious targets needed for climate stabilization. The significant role foreseen for CCS is based on
This paper presents results of potential CCS infrastructures in the West Mediterranean region inc... more This paper presents results of potential CCS infrastructures in the West Mediterranean region including trajectories for CO 2 pipelines. The preliminary results are generated with a combination of geographical (GIS) and partial equilibrium optimization modelling (MARKAL/TIMES-COMET). Furthermore, as a result of active stakeholder involvement in the research project, the CCS infrastructures were critically reviewed and obtained insights were used to improve the models and their input parameters. Stakeholders´ feedback regarding difficulty in crossing hard rock terrains and the reasonability of trying to replicate the existing natural gas network, had a large impact on the resulting CCS infrastructure.
The objective of this study is to assess the Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions in the production and... more The objective of this study is to assess the Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions in the production and use of biofuels in Spain considering different crop production alternatives, including the possible import of raw materials. Avoided GHG emissions due to the substitution of conventional transport fuels with biofuels are then quantified. The studied biofuels are bioethanol from cereal crops and biodiesel from crude vegetable oil and waste vegetable oil. Several blends of these biofuels with gasoline and diesel are also studied.
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Papers by Helena Cabal