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Emerging Topics in Energy Infrastructure Planning Based on Energy Sharing and Energy Transition

A special issue of Energies (ISSN 1996-1073). This special issue belongs to the section "B: Energy and Environment".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (10 January 2023) | Viewed by 10852

Special Issue Editors

Centre for Energy Systems and Strategy, Cranfield University, Cranfield, UK
Interests: peer to peer energy trading; blockchain; vehicle-to-grid applications; machine learning algorithms; second life battery of electric vehicles
Centre for Energy Systems and Strategy, Cranfield University, Cranfield, UK
Interests: whole energy systems; power distribution systems; flexibility management; AI for energy systems; energy systems resilience

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Energy systems necessitate substaintial upgrade during the transition towards net-zero, which includes i) the adaption of new technologies for decarbonising the supply and demand sides by the uptake of renewable generation and the electrification of transportation and thermal sectors, ii) the innovation of business models and operating schemes in using distributed energy resources for decentralisation, and iii) the application of digitalalisation tools such as blockchain to fulfill the decarbonisation and decentralisation targets. An example is the energy sharing initiative that has been endorsed in energy systems, where consumers can jointly invest in new techonoligies or prosumers can establish peer-to-peer trading schemes to coorporetaly gain profits. The planning of energy infrastructure would be essential to facilitate the energy transition process and enable novel smart grid concepts such as energy sharing in a robust, secure, and cost-effective manner.

This special issue aims to present and disseminate the advanced and innovative ideas related to energy infrastructure planning, energy sharing and energy transition. Potential topics of interests include, but are not limited to:

  • Blockchain smart contract based platform
  • Peer to peer energy trading
  • Flexibility quantification, provision, management and sharing
  • Innovative energy sharing scheme
  • Security of cyber-physical systems
  • Rewnewable generation
  • Whole systems infrastructure planning

Dr. Chao Long
Dr. Da Huo
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Energies is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • energy management 
  • energy sharing 
  • infrastructure planning 
  • energy trading 
  • smart contract
  • modelling
  • optimization

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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17 pages, 665 KiB  
Article
Ammonia Production as Alternative Energy for the Baltic Sea Region
by Gunnar Prause, Eunice O. Olaniyi and Wolfgang Gerstlberger
Energies 2023, 16(4), 1831; https://doi.org/10.3390/en16041831 - 12 Feb 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2569
Abstract
One of the consequences of the conflict in Ukraine relates to the growing shortfall in global ammonia production. There are additional negative global impacts on the availability of fertilizers and prices of ammonia (NH3). The shortage in ammonia production does not [...] Read more.
One of the consequences of the conflict in Ukraine relates to the growing shortfall in global ammonia production. There are additional negative global impacts on the availability of fertilizers and prices of ammonia (NH3). The shortage in ammonia production does not only influence the agroindustry but also the global shipping industry, as ammonia is positioned as a promising zero-carbon fuel and as a storage and transport medium for hydrogen. There are plans underway to start ammonia production in Estonia to minimize the consequences of the import stop of Russian ammonia in the context of the Ukrainian crisis. This study investigated the Baltic Sea Region (BSR) ammonia market and analyzed the economic implications of building an ammonia plant within the BSR. Using fuzzy real options models as the conceptual framework, together with secondary data analysis, case studies and expert interviews, the authors chart possible courses for the construction of ammonia production facilities within the region. Based on the case of the NH3 production plant, as well as the underlying distribution system, the study provides new economic perspectives for lower carbonization for the shipping industry, an attempt at creating a model for other European regions toward climate change mitigation. Full article
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20 pages, 1638 KiB  
Article
Evolutionary Game of Actors in China’s Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure Industry
by Mu Li, Yingqi Liu and Weizhong Yue
Energies 2022, 15(23), 8806; https://doi.org/10.3390/en15238806 - 22 Nov 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1564
Abstract
China proposed a development direction of “new infrastructure” in 2020, due to the ongoing scientific and technological revolution and industrial transformation. The charging station industry is one of the seven industries of the “new infrastructure”. Hence, it is of great importance to study [...] Read more.
China proposed a development direction of “new infrastructure” in 2020, due to the ongoing scientific and technological revolution and industrial transformation. The charging station industry is one of the seven industries of the “new infrastructure”. Hence, it is of great importance to study China’s electric vehicle charging infrastructure industry. Based on game theory, this study analyzes the game strategies for the evolution of actors in China’s electric vehicle charging infrastructure industry. Firstly, the Chinese government has classified the industry according to the subsidy for charging piles and battery swapping stations. Then, the government, operators, and consumers constructed an evolutionary game model. The results show that: (1) under the investment subsidy mode, the purchase cost that consumers invest in purchasing traditional fuel-consuming vehicles has a positive impact on the operator’s production enthusiasm. In addition, the government’s subsidy amount has a positive impact on consumers’ decision to purchase battery-swappable electric vehicles; and (2) under the operational subsidy mode, due to the government’s strong supervision of the industry, there is a positive correlation between the word-of-mouth effect and the consumer’s decision to buy rechargeable electric vehicles. Full article
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22 pages, 539 KiB  
Article
Inventory Routing for Ammonia Supply in German Ports
by Felix Prause, Gunnar Prause and Robert Philipp
Energies 2022, 15(17), 6485; https://doi.org/10.3390/en15176485 - 05 Sep 2022
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2589
Abstract
Following the International Maritime Organization (IMO), in order to safeguard the realization of the Paris Agreement on climate protection, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions have to be reduced by 50% by the year 2050. This objective shall be reached by decarbonization of maritime traffic, [...] Read more.
Following the International Maritime Organization (IMO), in order to safeguard the realization of the Paris Agreement on climate protection, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions have to be reduced by 50% by the year 2050. This objective shall be reached by decarbonization of maritime traffic, which is why ship operators currently increasingly search for alternative fuels. Moreover, since the start of the Ukrainian war in February 2022, this issue of alternative fuels has gained central importance in political agendas. A promising candidate for clean shipping that meets the IMO goals is ammonia since it is a carbon-free fuel. Ammonia (NH3) shows good advantages in handling and storage, and it ensures long sea voyages without any significant loss in cargo space for a reasonable price. Hence, ammonia has the potential to improve the environmental footprint of global shipping enormously. Induced by the introduction of stricter regulations in the so-called emission control areas (ECAs) in Northern Europe in 2015 as well as the renewed global sulfur cap, which entered into force in 2020, ship operators had to decide between different compliance methods, among which the most popular solutions are related to the use of expensive low-sulfur fuel oils, newbuilds and retrofits for the usage of liquefied natural gas (LNG) or the installation of scrubber technology. A change to ammonia as a marine alternative fuel represents an additional novel future option, but the successful implementation depends on the availability of NH3 in the ports, i.e., on the installation of the maritime NH3 infrastructure. Currently, the single German NH3 terminal with maritime access is located in Brunsbüttel, the western entrance to Kiel Canal. The distribution of NH3 from the existing NH3 hub to other German ports can be analyzed by the mathematical model of an inventory routing problem (IRP) that is usually solved by combinatorial optimization methods. This paper investigates the interrelated research questions, how the distribution of marine NH3 fuel can be modeled as an IRP, which distribution mode is the most economic one for the German ports and which modal mix for the NH3 supply leads to the greenest distribution. The results of this paper are empirically validated by data that were collected in several EU projects on sustainable supply chain management and green logistics. The paper includes a special section that is dedicated to the discussion of the economic turbulences related to the Ukrainian war together with their implications on maritime shipping. Full article
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24 pages, 1610 KiB  
Systematic Review
Systematic Review of Demand-Side Management Strategies in Power Systems of Developed and Developing Countries
by Rilwan Usman, Pegah Mirzania, Sahban W. Alnaser, Phil Hart and Chao Long
Energies 2022, 15(21), 7858; https://doi.org/10.3390/en15217858 - 23 Oct 2022
Cited by 11 | Viewed by 3494
Abstract
Balancing electricity demand and supply remains a significant challenge for the power systems in developing countries, such as Nigeria. In Nigeria, there is a shortage of adequate power supply, and demand-side management (DSM) plays a minor role in the power balancing mechanism with [...] Read more.
Balancing electricity demand and supply remains a significant challenge for the power systems in developing countries, such as Nigeria. In Nigeria, there is a shortage of adequate power supply, and demand-side management (DSM) plays a minor role in the power balancing mechanism with load shedding being widely used. The paper aims to review and compare various existing and emerging DSM strategies in developing countries. An extensive and systematic review was conducted to evaluate potential solutions using DSM to increase the overall energy efficiency in the Nigerian electricity market. This study found that, although the technical and economic potentials of DSM vary in developed countries, the uptakes of DSM have been severely hampered hence preventing the full exploitation and utilisation of the full potential of DSM. The initiatives of a DSM model in Nigeria and other developing countries can play a significant role in addressing demand and supply challenges but an upgrade of the energy infrastructures, a reform of the market structure and the provision of financial incentives are required to allow for wide implementations of DSM strategies in developing countries. Full article
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