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The foundation industries in the UK were responsible for emitting 42 Mt CO2eq in 2020, which is approximately 10% of the yearly territorial greenhouse gas emissions. The UK government decarbonisation roadmap issued in 2015 predicted that high-tech strategies such as carbon capture and utilisation, hydrogen and biofuels, as well as electrification of processes are key for achieving the climate mitigating targets by 2050. In this study, a critical assessment was performed on the limitations to achieve these high-tech strategies such as biomass availability, capital investment, and technology readiness. The study is the first to use the UK carbon budget values as the resource limit for the high-tech decarbonisation strategies. The findings show that the significant uncertainty associated with the high-tech scenarios limits their decarbonisation potential by 2050. More importantly, to stay within the mid-century carbon budget for the foundation industries, 20–40% reduction in production, through circular economic strategies such as material efficiency and/or changes in product specifications, is required in order to achieve the decarbonisation targets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Featured Application: This work suggests that horizontal injectors are a safe way to keep CO2 trapped in the storage site and reduce/prevent any unexpected event associated with leakage through the caprock since the horizontal well minimizes or avoids CO2 contact with the caprock. This study used numerical simulations of CO2 storage to identify the benefits of horizontal wells for geological carbon storage, such as enhancing CO2 trapped in porous media due to relative permeability and capillary hysteresis. Two injection schemes were tested: one using a vertical injector and the other employing a horizontal well. The results revealed two main findings. Firstly, the horizontal injection well effectively prevented or minimized CO2 penetration into the caprock across various sensitivity scenarios and over a thousand years of CO2 redistribution. Secondly, horizontal wells provided a safe approach to trapping CO2, increasing its entrapment as a residual phase by up to 19% within the storage site. This, in turn, reduced or prevented any unexpected events associated with CO2 leakage through the caprock. Additionally, the paper proposes a practical method for designing the optimal length of a horizontal well. This method considers a combination of two parameters: the additional CO2 that can be trapped using a horizontal well and the gravity number. In the case of the reservoir model of this study, a horizontal branch with a length of 2000 m was found to be the most effective design in enhancing CO2 entrapment and reducing CO2 buoyancy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The EU considers carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology as an option for achieving climate goals, but its cost remains appreciable. Therefore, the purpose of this research was to investigate the implementation of a ton-based incentive system for CCS in the EU using Croatia as an example based on an analysis of the existing legislative framework in the EU and relevant tax credit provisions in the USA. A novel methodology for the design of the incentive system is presented in the form of partial allocation of the state's auction revenues from the EU emissions trading system (ETS) into the CCS fund for five years. The CCS fund assets then incentivize the capture site for 10 years. The incentives are determined for each emitter in cement, electricity, paper and pulp, glass, oil refining, and petrochemical sectors based on varying European Union allowance (EUA) prices, CCS fund sizes, and CO2 emission scenarios. In addition to designing the methodology, a novel method for forecasting CO2 emissions is applied using geometric Brownian motion. The calculated incentives are categorized as underperforming, optimal, or overperforming, with upper and lower limits set to 80 and 10 EUR/t. The results are optimistic, since all sectors can be efficiently incentivized within the defined boundaries, meaning that the incentive system can be applied to all member states. The contracting of the incentives is proposed through carbon contracts for difference to avoid irregularities. Also, regulatory amendments are proposed so that emitters with emissions higher than 100 kt would have to consider CCS. Finally, the contributions are presented by proving the feasibility of the incentive system together with demonstrating its applicability to all member states. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon capture and storage (CCS) appears to be essential for lowering emissions during the necessary energy transition. However, in Australia, it has not delivered this result, at any useful scale, and this needs explanation. To investigate the reasons for this failure, the paper undertakes a historical and social case study of the Gorgon gas project in Western Australia, which is often declared to be one of the biggest CCS projects in the world. The Gorgon project could be expected to succeed, as it has the backing of government, a practical and economic reason for removing CO2, a history of previous exploration, nearby storage sites, experienced operators and managers, and long-term taxpayer liability for problems. However, it has run late, failed to meet its targets, and not lowered net emissions. The paper explores the social factors which seem to be disrupting the process. These factors include the commercial imperatives of the operation, the lack of incentives, the complexity of the process, the presence of ignored routine problems, geological issues (even in a well-explored area), technical failures, regulatory threats even if minor, tax issues, and the project increasing emissions and consuming carbon budgets despite claims otherwise. The results of this case study suggest that CCS may work in theory, but not well enough under some contemporary forms of social organisation, and the possibilities of CCS cannot be separated from its social background. Social dynamics should be included in CCS projections to enhance the accuracy of expectations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An equation of state (EOS) of CH4-N2 fluid mixtures in terms of Helmholtz free energy has been developed by using four mixing parameters, which can reproduce the pressure-volume-temperature-composition (PVTx) and vapor-liquid equilibrium (VLE) properties of CH4-N2 fluid mixtures. The average absolute deviation of all the PVTx data available up to 673.15 K and 1380 bar from this EOS is 0.38%. Combining this EOS of CH4-N2 fluid mixtures and the EOS of CH4-CO2 and CO2-N2 fluid mixtures in our previous work, an EOS of CO2-CH4-N2 fluid mixtures has been developed, which is named ZMS EOS. The ZMS EOS can calculate all thermodynamic properties of ternary CO2-CH4-N2 fluid mixtures and the average absolute deviation of the PVTx data from the ZMS EOS is 0.40% for the CO2-CH4-N2 system. The ZMS EOS can be applied to calculate excess enthalpies of CO2-CH4-N2 fluid mixtures, predict the solubility of CO2-CH4-N2 fluid mixtures in brine and water, and quantitatively estimate the impact of the impurities (CH4 and N2) on the CO2 storage capacity in the CO2 capture and storage (CCS) processes. The ZMS EOS can also be applied to calculate the isochores of CO2-CH4-N2 system in the studies of fluid inclusions. All Fortran computer codes and Origin drawing projects in this paper can be obtained freely from the corresponding author. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The shortage of urban water caused by CCS retrofitting over coal-fired power plants has become an emerging issue, especially in China where water resources are scarce. In this study, we quantified the impact of CCS retrofitting on water resources and analyzed the increased water pressures due to CCS retrofits in 234 cities of China. We identified 54 cities with 165 power plants that would face water pressure due to CCS retrofitting for achieving 2 °C targets. The results show that the average water withdrawal and water consumption of power plants in 234 cities would increase by 1.63 times and 1.49 times, respectively, involving 480 million people in China. The ratio of freshwater withdrawal to available water (WTA) and the ratio of freshwater consumption to available water (CTA) at the city-level increased by 0.2 and 0.06 under 2 °C constraints respectively, involving a population of 84 million people. Moreover, CO2-EWR technology does not provide relief from urban water stress. This paper assesses the water demand for carbon capture technologies and provides a basis for siting future large-scale deployment of carbon capture technologies in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the modeling and simulation of an industrial-scale chemical looping combustion (CLC) power plant, including all process units (reactors, flue gas treatment units, heat integration, steam cycle, and CO2 compression train). A model of a 525 MWth CLC power plant was built using a rigorous representation of the solid fuel and oxygen carrier. Petcoke was considered the main fuel of interest in this study, and it is compared with other solid fuels. The flue gas compositions obtained with the model show that cleanup units are mandatory to comply with CO2 quality requirements. High levels of flue gas treatment, including 97.1% deNOx and 99.4% deSOx, are needed to achieve typical specifications for captured CO2. This is mainly due to the high level of contaminants in the fuel, but also to the absence of nitrogen in the CLC flue gas, thus resulting in higher concentrations for all substances. The high level of flue gas treatment is thus one of the important challenges for solid fuel combustion in CLC. The overall CO2 capture efficiency of the plant is estimated to be as high as 94%. Regarding the energy balance, a process net efficiency of 38% is obtained. Comparing the results with other available technologies shows that CLC exhibits one of the highest net plant efficiencies and carbon capture rates. CLC is thus a promising technology to produce clean energy from solid fuels. Finally, based on a sensitivity analysis, it is shown that process efficiency is mainly affected by the design and performance of the CLC furnace, the steam injection rate in the fuel reactor, the char separation efficiency, and the excess oxygen in the air reactor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon Capture Utilization and Storage (CCUS) is a set of technologies aimed at capturing carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from point-source emitters to either store permanently or use as a feedstock to produce chemicals and fuels. In this paper, the potential benefits of CCUS integration into the energy supply sector are evaluated from a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) perspective by comparing two different routes for the CO2 captured from a natural gas combined cycle (NGCC). Both the complete storage of the captured CO2 and its partial utilization to produce dimethyl ether are investigated. Moreover, the assessment is performed considering the region-specific features of two of the largest CO2 emitters in Europe, namely Italy and Poland. Results shows that the complete storage of the captured CO2 reduces Global Warming Potential (GWP) by ~89% in Italy and ~97%, in Poland. On the other hand, the partial utilization of CO2 to produce dimethyl ether leads to a decrease of ~58% in Italy and ~68% in Poland with respect to a comparable reference entailing conventional dimethyl ether production. A series of environmental trade-offs was determined, with all the investigated categories apart from GWP showing an increase, mainly connected with the higher energy requirements of CCUS processes. These outcomes highlight the need for a holistic-oriented approach in the design of novel implemented configurations to avoid burden shifts throughout the value chain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Capillary trapping of gas in porous media is important for many processes such as oil recovery and gas geo-sequestration. Foam can mitigate gravity override and viscous fingering of gas by reducing its relative permeability through gas trapping. However, there are limited studies dedicated to understanding how foam assists in gas trapping, the best mode of foam injection for trapping, and its application in geo-sequestration. This paper uses an initial–residual saturation analysis to investigate foam-assisted capillary trapping during the surfactant alternating gas (SAG) injection process in saline aquifers. More specifically, we studied the effects of pore geometric properties, in situ generated foam, and surfactant concentration on gas trapping efficiency and final residual gas saturation, Sgr. First, NMR surface relaxometry measurements were carried out on the rock samples to indicate the mean pore sizes of the rocks. A series of core flooding tests, equipped with resistivity measurements, were then conducted using single-cycle gas injection followed by water injection, water alternating gas (WAG), and SAG injection methods to identify which mode of injection results in the most trapped gas. The results showed that the SAG method had a better sweep efficiency and trapped more gas than other methods. The initial–residual (IR) gas saturation relationships from SAG data measured from several rock samples were then analyzed using Land's trapping model. Gas trapping efficiency (indicated by Land's coefficient, C) and residual gas were also found to increase in rocks with large average pore sizes and with increasing surfactant concentration. However, increasing the surfactant concentration above a certain limit did not cause further improvement in the trapping coefficient but only increased the Sgr. The results also showed that high values of surfactant concentrations might cause a slight reduction in the foam's apparent viscosity, which then reduces the initial gas saturation, and consequently, Sgr. Finally, a linear relationship between the Sgr and the measured log mean of surface relaxation times (T2LM) was obtained, and two correlations were proposed. Therefore, the NMR measurements can be considered a reliable prediction method for Sgr in porous media. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The successful and fast development and deployment of renewable energy and greenhouse gas reduction technologies is a continuing and structural challenge. The deployment of these technologies is slowed down and sometimes even stalled due to societal challenges like public resistance, lack of appropriate policy and regulations, unsolid business cases and uncertainty concerning the impact on the environment. In this paper we elaborate on societal aspects that influence technology development and deployment and introduce the societal embeddedness level (SEL) framework. Building upon the technology readiness level (TRL), the SEL framework enables the assessment of the current level of societal embeddedness of energy technologies in order to identify the societal aspects which need to be taken into account to accelerate deployment of energy technologies. The SEL framework takes into account four societal dimensions (impact on the environment, stakeholder involvement, policy and regulations, and market and financial resources) and four stages of technology development (exploration, development, demonstration and deployment) that are linked to the TRL. The SEL framework has been elaborated for CCS technologies and is being applied to the monitoring of geological CO2 storage by the ACT II project DigiMon (Digital Monitoring of CO2 storage projects). DigiMon is an ACT second call project, funded by the national funding agencies in the period September 2019–August 2022. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: With the growing population of cancer survivors, survivorship management has become central for both medical professionals and patients. This entails, among other factors, empowering survivors with the necessary knowledge about their medical history and their risk for late effects, because informed patients make better lifestyle and health choices. Although a lack of information and low satisfaction with information received are fairly well-documented phenomena among childhood cancer survivors, less is known about survivors of young adult cancer and populations of long-term survivors no longer engaged in follow-up care. This paper aims to fill this gap by investigating information provision in childhood, adolescent and young adult cancer survivors. Background: Knowledge of medical history and late effects is central in modern survivorship management, especially for long-term childhood, adolescent and young adult cancer survivors' (CAYACS) with long life expectancy rates and high risks of late effects. Identifying information and knowledge gaps is, therefore, important. As part of the population-based NOR-CAYACS study, we investigated the following: (1) written information received about their disease and treatment, and any information about late effects; (2) satisfaction with this information and associated factors; (3) knowledge about late effects and factors associated with low knowledge of specific late effects. Material and methods: A questionnaire-based survey (Nor-CAYACS) was mailed to 5361 CAYACS (childhood cancers, breast and colorectal cancer, acute lymphatic leukemia, non-Hodgkin lymphoma and malignant melanoma) identified by the Cancer Registry of Norway (CRN). Of these, 2018 answered questions about disease and late effects information and knowledge. Exposure variables were extracted from the questionnaire and CRN. Unfortunately, it was not possible to stratify by treatment in the analyses. We ran descriptive statistics for comparisons and logistic regressions to identify factors associated with outcomes of interest. Results: Overall, 50% to 60% of survivors reported not having received written information about their disease and treatment, or any information about late effects. There was a large variation in reported knowledge across 17 late effects. Lower levels of knowledge were associated with male sex, lower education and poorer health literacy in multivariable regression models. Conclusions: Knowledge of cancer history and risks of late effects is essential for effective self-management, yet significant information and knowledge gaps were reported in this population-based sample of long-term CAYACS. Systematic approaches to making (up-to-date) information available to long-term survivors are needed to ensure that information does not get lost in medical and life transitions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oxy-fuel combustion is an effective technology for carbon capture and storage (CCS). Oxy-combustion for coal-fired power stations is a promising technology by which to diminish CO2 emissions. Unfortunately, little attention has been paid to the oxy-combustion characteristics affected by the combustion atmosphere. This paper is aimed at investigating the oxy-fuel combustion characteristics of Australian coal in a 0.3 MWth furnace. In particular, the influences of various oxygen flow rates and recirculated flue gas (RFG) on heating performance and pollutant emissions are examined in O2/RFG environments. The results show that with increases in the secondary RFG flow rate, the temperatures in the radiative and convective sections decrease and increase, respectively. At a lower oxygen flow rate, burning Australian coal emits lower residual oxygen and NO concentrations. In the flue gas, a high CO2 concentration of up to 94.8% can be achieved. Compared to air combustion, NO emissions are dramatically reduced up to 74% for Australian coal under oxy-combustion. Note that the high CO2 concentrations in the flue gas under oxy-coal combustions suggest great potential for reducing CO2 emissions through carbon capture and storage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nonwoven upholstery fabric is a waste product which is mainly generated during upholstered furniture production. The polyester composition makes it problematic to recycle and reuse this product. This study examined the manufacturing process of nonwoven fabric-reinforced plywood composites and their selected mechanical and physical properties. Nonwoven fabric was integrated between veneers bound with urea–formaldehyde resin to improve standard layered composites' mechanical and physical properties. Several board variants were produced, differing in the position of the nonwoven layers in the composite structure. The composites were evaluated for modulus of rupture (MOR), modulus of elasticity (MOE), internal bond, and screw withdrawal resistance, among others. The results showed that the addition of nonwoven fabric significantly improved some properties, like internal bond and screw withdrawal resistance. Variants with strategically placed nonwoven layers showed the highest performance increases. The results underscore the potential of nonwoven fabric as an effective reinforcing material, offering a path to developing high-performance plywood composites suitable for demanding applications. Another environmental advantage is that the nonwoven fabric waste used in the tested plywood production has not been subjected to burning or landfilling but, through its incorporation into plywood structure, has positively contributed to the Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) policy. The findings advocate for a circular economy approach, in which industrial waste is effectively repurposed, contributing to the development of green materials in the wood-based composite industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents carbon capture and storage, CCS, as a climate change mitigation method. Many industrial processes, such as the manufacture of cement, the metallurgical industry, and the production of electricity from fossil fuels, produce large CO2 quantities. Carbon capture and storage is a method for these industrial areas to become carbon neutral for the environment. To combat climate change, the EU wants to achieve climate neutrality by 2050, and this goal, along with an intermediate goal of reducing emissions by 55% by 2030, is enshrined in the European Climate Law. The EU has launched various initiatives to achieve these goals, one of which is the 'Fit for 55' legislation. The first step that countries wanting to apply these technologies must take is the evaluation of the underground CO2 storage potential. The potential for CO2 storage in the depleted hydrocarbon reservoirs in Oltenia, one of the eight regions of Romania, makes it possible to develop safe long-term storage projects for the neighboring power plants currently producing energy from burning coal or hydrocarbons. The results of dynamic simulations of CO2 storage in one of these geological structures, Bradesti, which hosts depleted hydrocarbon reservoirs, using a numerical simulator are successfully presented for the neighboring Isalnita Power Plant. In this case, the impact on the environment and climate will be minimal and in alignment with the European Union's long-term objectives. Our study also opens the path for future similar analyses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The greatest lever for advancing climate adaptation and mitigation is the defossilization of energy systems. A key opportunity to replace fossil fuels across sectors is the use of renewable hydrogen. In this context, the main political and social push is currently on climate neutral hydrogen (H2) production through electrolysis using renewable electricity. Another climate neutral possibility that has recently gained importance is biohydrogen production from biogenic residual and waste materials. This paper introduces for the first time a novel concept for the production of hydrogen with net negative emissions. The derived concept combines biohydrogen production using biotechnological or thermochemical processes with carbon dioxide (CO2) capture and storage. Various process combinations referred to this basic approach are defined as HyBECCS (Hydrogen Bioenergy with Carbon Capture and Storage) and described in this paper. The technical principles and resulting advantages of the novel concept are systematically derived and compared with other Negative Emission Technologies (NET). These include the high concentration and purity of the CO2 to be captured compared to Direct Air Carbon Capture (DAC) and Post-combustion Carbon Capture (PCC) as well as the emission-free use of hydrogen resulting in a higher possible CO2 capture rate compared to hydrocarbon-based biofuels generated with Bioenergy with Carbon Capture and Storage (BECCS) technologies. Further, the role of carbon-negative hydrogen in future energy systems is analyzed, taking into account key societal and technological drivers against the background of climate adaptation and mitigation. For this purpose, taking the example of the Federal Republic of Germany, the ecological impacts are estimated, and an economic assessment is made. For the production and use of carbon-negative hydrogen, a saving potential of 8.49–17.06 MtCO2,eq/a is estimated for the year 2030 in Germany. The production costs for carbon-negative hydrogen would have to be below 4.30 € per kg in a worst-case scenario and below 10.44 € in a best-case scenario in order to be competitive in Germany, taking into account hydrogen market forecasts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The two major pathways for energy utilization from biomass are conversion to a liquid fuel (i.e., biofuels) or conversion to electricity (i.e., biopower). In the United States (US), biomass policy has focused on biofuels. However, this paper will investigate three options for biopower: low co-firing (co-firing scenarios refer to combusting a given percentage of biomass with coal) (5%-10% biomass), medium co-firing (15%-20% biomass), and dedicated biomass firing (100% biomass). We analyze the economic and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions impact of each of these options, with and without CO2 capture and storage (CCS). Our analysis shows that in the absence of land use change emissions, all biomass co-combustion scenarios result in a decrease in GHG emissions over coal generation alone. The two biggest barriers to biopower are concerns about carbon neutrality of biomass fuels and the high cost compared to today's electricity prices. This paper recommends two policy actions. First, the need to define sustainability criteria and initiate a certification process so that biomass providers have a fixed set of guidelines to determine whether their feedstocks qualify as renewable energy sources. Second, the need for a consistent, predictable policy that provides the economic incentives to make biopower economically attractive. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gamma-alumina (γ-Al2O3) is an essential support material in dry sorbents used to capture CO2 from flue gas. This study explores the deactivation of potassium-based γ-Al2O3 sorbents due to by-products such as KAl(CO3)(OH)2 during CO2 capture. We synthesized sorbents with K2CO3 loadings of 5, 10, 20, and 30 wt% and subjected them to repeated capture and regeneration cycles. The results show significant variations in the deactivation degree: the sorbent with 5 wt% K2CO3 exhibited a 100% deactivation rate, while the 30 wt% variant showed a markedly reduced rate of 44.6%. These findings highlight the impact of the formation of KAl(CO3)(OH)2 at the interface between K2CO3 and γ-Al2O3 on sorbent deactivation. An equation that can be used to predict the final CO2 capture capacity based on the ratio of active material to support was proposed using these results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conventional Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) operations use the direct injection of CO2 in a gaseous phase from the surface as a carbon carrier. Due to CO2 properties under reservoir conditions with lower density and viscosity than in situ brine, CO2 flux is mainly gravity-dominated. CO2 moves toward the top and accumulates below the top seal, thus reinforcing the risk of possible leakage to the surface through unexpected hydraulic paths (e.g., reactivated faults, fractures, and abandoned wells) or in sites without an effective sealing caprock. Considering the risks, the potential benefits of the interplay between CO2 and an aqueous solution of formate ions (HCOO¯) were evaluated when combined to control CO2 gravity segregation in porous media. Three combined strategies were evaluated and compared with those where either pure CO2 or a formate solution was injected. The first strategy consisted of a pre-flush of formate solution followed by continuous CO2 injection, and it was not effective in controlling the vertical propagation of the CO2 plume. However, the injection of a formate solution slug in a continuous or alternated way, simultaneously with the CO2 continuous injection, was effective in slowing down the vertical migration of the CO2 plume and keeping it permanently stationary deeper than the surface depth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The planned pilot CO2 storage Zar-3 is an oil field with a gas cap in the final production stage in the SE Czech Republic. It is composed of a dolomite Jurassic reservoir sealed by three different formations that differ significantly in lithology. Previous studies left open questions on the nature of pore space and connectivity and the quality of the seal in the future CO2 storage complex. Microscopic petrography of the reservoir suggests dolomitisation in shallow water followed by karstification and brecciation with fracture-correct-dominated porosity. The seal horizons have porosity limited to the micro- and nanoscales. The oil consists of significantly biodegraded black oil of Jurassic origin mixed with less biodegraded gasoline-range hydrocarbons. Biomarkers in the caprock bitumens trapped in nanopores show a genetic relationship to the reservoir oil. Gas in the not yet fully depleted gas cap of the field is of thermogenic origin with no contribution of microbial methane. The formation water has total dissolved solids typical of isolated brines not diluted by infiltrated fresh water. The geochemical characteristics of the storage system together with the fact that the initial oil column is about 105 m tall with another 150 m of gas cap suggest that the seals are efficient and the Zar-3 future storage complex is tight and safe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) stands as a pivotal technological stride toward a sustainable future, with the practice of injecting supercritical CO2 into subsurface formations being already an established practice for enhanced oil recovery operations. The overarching objective of CCS is to protract the operational viability and sustainability of platforms and oilfields, thereby facilitating a seamless transition towards sustainable practices. This study introduces a comprehensive framework for optimizing well placement in CCS operations, employing a derivative-free method known as Bayesian Optimization. The development plan is tailored for scenarios featuring aquifers devoid of flow boundaries, incorporating production wells tasked with controlling pressure buildup and injection wells dedicated to CO2 sequestration. Notably, the wells operate under group control, signifying predefined injection and production targets and constraints that must be adhered to throughout the project's lifespan. As a result, the objective function remains invariant under specific permutations of the well locations. Our investigation delves into the efficacy of Bayesian Optimization under the introduced permutation invariance. The results reveal that it demonstrates critical efficiency in handling the optimization task extremely fast. In essence, this study advocates for the efficacy of Bayesian Optimization in the context of optimizing well placement for CCS operations, emphasizing its potential as a preferred methodology for enhancing sustainability in the energy sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Shear wave velocity (Vs) has significant applications in geoengineering investigations. With the ongoing rise in carbon capture and storage (CCS) initiatives, the role of Vs in monitoring the CO2 sequestration sites is escalating. Although many studies have been conducted to assess CCS-induced risks, no inclusive research has been conducted integrating those investigations. This study strives to collate and integrate the applications of Vs in geoscience with an emphasis on CCS risk assessment. Based on this research, major CCS-induced risks were detected: induced seismicity, caprock failure, groundwater contamination, fault reactivation, and reservoir deformation. These risks were inclusively described, and the mathematical formulations incorporating the Vs parameter in risk analysis were elaborated. It was concluded that Vs applications can be further extended in monitoring CO2 plume migration, optimizing CO2 injection pressures, preventing shallow water contamination, and predicting CCS-induced seismic events. All these applications require fully coupled hydromechanical analysis based on poroelasticity theory. Hence, various factors including pore pressure, in situ stresses, faults distribution, and poroelastic parameters must be carefully determined before the CO2 injection phase. The mathematical formulations presented in the present study are quite applicable for granting the safety and long-term success of subsurface carbon sequestration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The failure mechanism of thermal gate oxide in silicon carbide (SiC) power metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistors (MOSFETs), whether it is field-driven breakdown or charge-driven breakdown, has always been a controversial topic. Previous studies have demonstrated that the failure time of thermally grown silicon dioxide (SiO2) on SiC stressed with a constant voltage is indicated as charge driven rather than field driven through the observation of Weibull Slope β. Considering the importance of the accurate failure mechanism for the thermal gate oxide lifetime prediction model of time-dependent dielectric breakdown (TDDB), charge-driven breakdown needs to be further fundamentally justified. In this work, the charge-to-breakdown ( Q B D ) of the thermal gate oxide in a type of commercial planar SiC power MOSFETs, under the constant current stress (CCS), constant voltage stress (CVS), and pulsed voltage stress (PVS) are extracted, respectively. A mathematical electron trapping model in thermal SiO2 grown on single crystal silicon (Si) under CCS, which was proposed by M. Liang et al., is proven to work equally well with thermal SiO2 grown on SiC and used to deduce the Q B D model of the device under test (DUT). Compared with the Q B D obtained under the three stress conditions, the charge-driven breakdown mechanism is validated in the thermal gate oxide of SiC power MOSFETs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

According to EU goals and the Paris Agreement, an urgent need exists for reducing CO2 emissions while still securing energy supply. Thus, the timely deployment of carbon capture and storage (CCS) is seemingly unavoidable, especially for the cement and steel industries. However, diverse perceptions of CCS among stakeholders such as experts, politicians, and laypeople exist that could hinder the deployment of the technology. Hence, it is worthwhile to recognise these diverse perceptions and their roots. In the studies on risk perceptions, the emphasis has been mostly on the public, as well as factors that influence the public, such as knowledge dissemination and trust. Although these are crucial elements, they are not enough to explain the complexity of risk perceptions. In contrast to the mainstream research, this paper hypothesises that both laypeople and experts are affected by common cultural denominators, therefore, might have similar patterns of risk perceptions. This research suggests a framework that explains the role of societal culture in risk governance, arguing that thrifty, uncertainty avoidant, hierarchical societies tend to have a higher risk perception of CCS. This study is based on a synthesis of the earlier research, an extensive literature review, and an analysis of interviews data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) can sequester atmospheric CO2, while producing electricity. The CO2 avoidance cost (CAC) is used to calculate the marginal cost of avoided CO2 emissions for BECCS as compared to other established energy technologies. A comparative analysis using four different reference-case power plants for CAC calculations is performed here to evaluate the CO2 avoidance cost of BECCS implementation. Results from this work demonstrate that BECCS can generate electricity at costs competitive with other neutral emissions technologies, while simultaneously removing CO2 from the atmosphere. Approximately 73% of current coal power plants are approaching retirement by the year 2035 in the U.S. After considering CO2 sequestered from the atmosphere and coal power plant CO2 emissions displaced by BECCS, CO2 emissions can be reduced by 1.4 billion tonnes per year in the U.S. alone at a cost of $88 to $116 per tonne of CO2 removed from the atmosphere, for 10% to 90% of available biomass used, respectively. CAC calculations in this paper indicate that BECCS can help the U.S. and other countries transition to a decarbonized electricity grid, as simulations presented in this paper predict that BECCS power plants operate at lower CACs than coal plants with CCS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The production of biohydrogen with negative CO2 emissions through the steam methane reforming of biomethane, coupled with carbon capture and storage, represents a promising technology, particularly for industries that are difficult to electrify. In spite of the maturity of this technology, which is currently employed in the production of grey and blue hydrogen, a detailed cost model that considers the entire supply chain is lacking in the literature. This study addresses this gap by applying correlations derived from actual facilities producing grey and blue hydrogen to calculate the CAPEX, while exploring various feedstock combinations for biogas generation to assess the OPEX. The analysis also includes logistic aspects, such as decentralised biogas production and the transportation and storage of CO2. The levelized cost of golden hydrogen is estimated to range from EUR 1.84 to 2.88/kg, compared to EUR 1.47/kg for grey hydrogen and EUR 1.93/kg for blue hydrogen, assuming a natural gas cost of EUR 25/MWh and excluding the CO2 tax. This range increases to between 3.84 and 2.92, with a natural gas cost of EUR 40/MWh with the inclusion of the CO2 tax. A comparison with conventional green hydrogen is performed, highlighting both prices and potential, thereby offering valuable information for decision-making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The efficacy of alumina-sol based coatings in a water-free atmosphere at high temperatures suggests a potential solution for enhancing the corrosion resistance of high-alloyed steels in Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) environments. In this study, coupons of X20Cr13, designed for use as injection pipes with 13% Chromium and 0.20% Carbon (1.4021, AISI 420), were sol-gel coated with water and ethanol-based alumina. These coated coupons were then exposed to CO2-saturated saline aquifer water, simulating conditions in the Northern German Basin, for 1000 h at ambient pressure and 60 °C. Corrosion fatigue experiments were also conducted using specimens of X5CrNiMoCuNb16-4 (1.4542, AISI 630), a suitable candidate for geothermal applications, to assess the impact of the ethanol-based coating on the number of cycles to failure at different stress amplitudes. Unfortunately, the coating exhibited early spallation, resulting in corrosion kinetics and corrosion fatigue data identical to those of uncoated specimens. Consequently, the initially promising Boehmit coating is deemed unsuitable for CCS applications and further research therefore not advisable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Featured Application: The findings of this study offer support for the design of laboratory experiments, monitoring indicators, and the selection of parameters for history matching, ultimately enhancing the accuracy of databases of mineral reactions induced by CO2 injection. Numerical simulation is a commonly employed technique for studying carbon dioxide (CO2) storage processes in porous media, particularly saline aquifers. It enables the representation of diverse trapping mechanisms and the assessment of CO2 retention capacity within the subsurface. The intricate physicochemical phenomena involved necessitate the incorporation of multiphase flow, accurate depiction of fluid and rock properties, and their interactions. Among these factors, geochemical reaction rates and mechanisms are pivotal for successful CO2 trapping in carbonate reactive rocks. However, research on kinetic parameters and the influence of lithology on CO2 storage remains limited. This limitation is partly due to the challenges faced in laboratory experiments, where the time scale of the reactions and the lack of in situ conditions hinder accurate measurement of mineral reaction rates. This study employs proxy models constructed using response surfaces calibrated with simulation results to address uncertainties associated with geochemical reactions. Monte Carlo simulation is utilized to explore a broader range of parameters and identify influential factors affecting CO2 mineralization. The findings indicate that an open database containing kinetic parameters can support uncertainty assessment. Additionally, the proxy models effectively represent objective functions related to CO2 injectivity and mineralization, with calcite dissolution playing a predominant role. pH, calcite concentration, and CO2 injection rate significantly impact dolomite precipitation, while quartz content remains unaffected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Among the technologies for the recovery of energy from waste, in particular residual municipal solid waste (rMSW), combustion is the most widely used thermo-chemical treatment process associated with thermal and electric power production by a steam cycle, named, shortly, Waste to Energy (WtE). Today, more than 500 WtE plants in the EU, about 400 in China and 76 in the USA are in operation, based on efficient technologies and advanced air pollution control systems. Energy recovery can be accomplished also by means of gasification; however, the presence of impurities together with the atmospheric pressure, at which syngas is normally produced, impose the feeding of syngas to a conventional steam cycle, leading to generally lower performances than WtE. The energy recovered by WtE offsets traditional energy sources such as fossil fuels and related emissions, providing savings in term of climate change. However, the savings obtainable by replacing electricity and/or heat will diminish as the energy systems will hopefully become increasingly renewable. Over this medium–long-term horizon, one possibility is to capture the CO2 from WtE flue gases and to store/use it. From the life cycle assessment perspective, it has been calculated that the introduction of CO2 capture and storage in WtE, despite energy penalties, is able to reduce the impact on climate change. The alternative approach, proposed to contain the emissions of greenhouse gases in the thermal treatment of waste, is using the carbon contained in it to produce commonly used chemical compounds (waste to chemicals). The benefits, in terms of reductions of greenhouse gases, are expected from the possibility of obtaining chemicals that can replace their analogue normally produced from fossil sources. To date, only one WtC demonstration plant is operating by being fed by rMSW-derived waste, and some similar initiatives are planned, but still adequate assurances in terms of robust knowledge of the involved complex processes, above all, if applied to highly inhomogeneous feed streams such as those obtained from rMSW, are not available. Once the several initiatives come to completion, it will enable waste management professionals to assess performance and to begin to consider such a facility in their planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The exponential increase in greenhouse gas emissions necessitates urgent measures to mitigate climate change impacts. Carbon capture and storage (CCS) has emerged as a promising solution, capturing CO2 from industrial processes and storing it underground. However, CCS implementation poses risks that demand sophisticated modeling. This review focuses on the numerical modeling of CO2 plume dispersion from reservoir leaks during offshore CCS projects, including near- and far-field modeling and the comparison between Lagrangian and Eulerian modeling in particular. Near-field modeling examines CO2 behavior in jet plume, considering depth-related changes. Far-field modeling, employing Eulerian and Lagrangian methods, evaluates dispersion in marine environments. Case studies illustrate the complexity and uniqueness of CO2 dispersion events. The Lagrangian approach emphasizes gas bubble tracking, while the Eulerian approach employs fixed grid systems for detailed hydrodynamic modeling. Both approaches contribute valuable insights, with Eulerian models excelling in site-specific complexities and Lagrangian models offering computational efficiency. A hybrid approach may offer a comprehensive understanding of CO2 dispersion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper presents a research study on modeling and computer simulation of injecting CO2 into the coal seams of the Upper Silesian Coal Basin, Poland connected with enhanced coal bed methane (ECBM) recovery. In the initial stage of the research activities, a structural parameter model was developed specifically with reference to the coal-bearing formations of the Upper Carboniferous for which basic parameters of coal quality and the distribution of methane content were estimated. In addition, a lithological model of the overall reservoir structure was developed and the reservoir parameters of the storage site were analyzed. In the next stage of the research, the static model was supplemented with detailed reservoir parameters as well as the thermodynamic properties of fluids and complex gases. The paper discusses a series of simulations of an enhanced coalbed methane recovery process with a simultaneous injection of carbon dioxide. The analyses were performed using the ECLIPSE software designed for simulating coal seam processes. The results of the simulations demonstrated that the total volume of CO2 injected to a designated seam in a coal mine during the period of one year equaled 1,954,213 sm3. The total amount of water obtained from the production wells during the whole period of the simulations (6.5 years) was 9867 sm3. At the same time, 15,558,906 sm3 of gas was recovered, out of which 14,445,424 sm3 was methane. The remaining 7% of the extracted gas was carbon dioxide as a result of reverse production of the previously injected CO2. However, taking into consideration the phenomena of coal matrix shrinking and swelling, the total amount of injected CO2 decreased to approximately 625,000 sm3. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents an in-depth study of CO2 injection monitoring in the Sleipner Field, focusing on the Utsira Formation. The research leverages advanced time-lapse inversion techniques and 4D seismic data analysis to enhance the accuracy of volume estimations and provide a comprehensive understanding of the dynamic behavior of the injected CO2 plume. The analysis encompasses cross correlation, time shift, predictability, and other key elements to yield robust insights into the reservoir's response to CO2 injection. Cross-correlation analysis results of 60% to 100% outside the injection zone and less than 50% within the injection zone reveal a distinct dissimilarity between the injection and non-injection zones, emphasizing phase, time, and frequency content changes due to CO2 injection. Time shifts are meticulously calibrated globally on a trace-by-trace basis, to account for shallow statics and velocity changes, improving the overall alignment of seismic data. Predictability analysis results of 0 to 0.34 within the injection zone and 0.45 to 0.96 at the background further reinforce the findings, highlighting high predictability values in areas untouched by production and markedly lower values within the injection zone. These results provide a measure of the reliability of the seismic data and its ability to reflect the subtle changes occurring in the reservoir. Crucially, the time-lapse inversion process excels in capturing the evolving state of the CO2 plume within the Utsira Formation. The seismic data reveals the migration and expansion of the plume over time and the dynamic nature of the reservoir's response to CO2 injection. Integrating various data facets reduces non-uniqueness in inversion results, allowing for more precise volume estimations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-cost abatement measures to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions in the basic commodity industry is known to result in substantial increases in the production costs. Consequently, investments in such measures are lagging behind what is required to make deep emission cuts in line with the Paris Agreement. As high-cost abatement measures (such as Carbon Capture and Storage; CCS) are perceived as expensive for the basic commodity producer, this study investigates the impacts down-stream of the product value chain when assuming full cost pass-through (i.e., the cost increase related to basic commodity production is fully passed on down-stream of the product chain to the end-consumer). We investigate the effects on both costs, by means of a techno-economic assessment, and carbon footprints, using a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), along the product value chain for the case of post-combustion CCS applied to the cement, pulp, Waste-to-Energy (WtE), and refinery industries, towards abating fossil- and process-related emissions and generating negative emissions. Here, we analyse the product value chains that involve cement to a high-speed railway, pulp to a disposable baby diaper, WtE in connection with housing and plastic products, and refineries to different transportation solutions (truck transport and air-freight). The results show that even though the costs for producing basic commodities can increase significantly (200% for cement, 75% for pulp, 230% for heat, and 6–37% for refinery products) when implementing CCS, the increases in prices for end-users are marginal (1% for the railway, 3% for the disposable baby diaper, 1% for the housing, 0.4% for truck transport and 2% for air-freight). Simultaneously, the carbon footprint associated with the end-use may be reduced by up to 36% for the railway, 31% for the diaper, 80% for the housing, and 3–23% for the refinery cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) is a very innovative and promising solution for greenhouse gases (GHG) reduction, i.e., capturing carbon dioxide (CO2) at its source and storing it indefinitely to avoid its release to the atmosphere. This paper investigates a set of key issues in the development of specific rules for the application of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) to CCS. The following LCA-based information are addressed in this work: definition of service type, definition of functional unit, definition of system boundaries, choice of allocation rules, choice of selected Life Cycle Inventory (LCI) results or other selected parameters for description of environmental performance. From a communication perspective, the specific rules defined in this study have been developed coherently with the requirements of a type III environment label scheme, the International EPD® System, according to the ISO 14025 standard. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents an assessment of the cost performance of CO2 capture technologies when retrofitted to a cement plant: MEA-based absorption, oxyfuel, chilled ammonia-based absorption (Chilled Ammonia Process), membrane-assisted CO2 liquefaction, and calcium looping. While the technical basis for this study is presented in Part 1 of this paper series, this work presents a comprehensive techno-economic analysis of these CO2 capture technologies based on a capital and operating costs evaluation for retrofit in a cement plant. The cost of the cement plant product, clinker, is shown to increase with 49 to 92% compared to the cost of clinker without capture. The cost of CO2 avoided is between 42 €/tCO2 (for the oxyfuel-based capture process) and 84 €/tCO2 (for the membrane-based assisted liquefaction capture process), while the reference MEA-based absorption capture technology has a cost of 80 €/tCO2. Notably, the cost figures depend strongly on factors such as steam source, electricity mix, electricity price, fuel price and plant-specific characteristics. Hence, this confirms the conclusion of the technical evaluation in Part 1 that for final selection of CO2 capture technology at a specific plant, a plant-specific techno-economic evaluation should be performed, also considering more practical considerations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents results of thermodynamic analysis using a zero-dimensional mathematical models of a negative CO2 emission power plant. The developed cycle of a negative CO2 emission power plant allows the production of electricity using gasified sewage sludge as a main fuel. The negative emission can be achieved by the use this type of fuel which is already a "zero-emissive" energy source. Together with carbon capture installation, there is a possibility to decrease CO2 emission below the "zero" level. Developed models of a novel gas cycle which use selected codes allow the prediction of basic parameters of thermodynamic cycles such as output power, efficiency, combustion composition, exhaust temperature, etc. The paper presents results of thermodynamic analysis of two novel cycles, called PDF0 and PFD1, by using different thermodynamic codes. A comparison of results obtained by three different codes offered the chance to verify results because the experimental data are currently not available. The comparison of predictions between three different software in the literature is something new, according to studies made by authors. For gross efficiency (54.74%, 55.18%, and 52.00%), there is a similar relationship for turbine power output (155.9 kW, 157.19 kW, and 148.16 kW). Additionally, the chemical energy rate of the fuel is taken into account, which ultimately results in higher efficiencies for flue gases with increased steam production. A similar trend is assessed for increased CO2 in the flue gas. The developed precise models are particularly important for a carbon capture and storage (CCS) energy system, where relatively new devices mutually cooperate and their thermodynamic parameters affect those devices. Proposed software employs extended a gas–steam turbine cycle to determine the effect of cycle into environment. First of all, it should be stated that there is a slight influence of the software used on the results obtained, but the basic tendencies are the same, which makes it possible to analyze various types of thermodynamic cycles. Secondly, the possibility of a negative CO2 emission power plant and the positive environmental impact of the proposed solution has been demonstrated, which is also a novelty in the area of thermodynamic cycles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research aims to propose a comprehensive simulation and implementation methodology for LFM (Linear Frequency Modulated) Radar Signal Processing and its application, using digital signal processing techniques on the DSP Starter Kit (DSK) 6713 board. The motivation behind this study is to develop control software based on MATLAB R14 and SIMULINK to model various system software tasks, including detection, A/D conversion, Fast Fourier Transform (FFT), modulation, accumulation, decision-making, and target detection. The simulations are categorized into two groups: ideal beat frequency and parameterized beat frequency. We introduce several important terminologies for consideration, including pulse compression, SNR, matched filter, Doppler effect, and more. The use of real-time data exchange (RTDX) will facilitate the generation of input data and enable real-time calculations for outputs, leading to the creation of machine code for the DSP chip. This process aims to ensure data verification calculations and enhance the credibility and performance of the proposed methodology. By conducting thorough simulations, verification, and practical testing, the study demonstrates the satisfactory credibility and performance of the developed method. Using this research, we aim to contribute to the advancement of LFM Radar Signal Processing and enable its efficient implementation using digital signal processing techniques on the DSP Starter Kit (DSK) 6713 board. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Polish power system has been reducing its impact on the environment for a long time, mainly through modernization and investments in new generation capacities, including renewable energy technologies. However, its starting point is still more difficult compared to other less coal-dependent power systems in the European Union. The study was conducted in the direction of optimizing the Polish energy mix of electricity generation from the perspective of 2050. Two energy scenarios for the possible transformation of the Polish power system towards achieving at least a 95% reduction in CO2 emissions by 2050 with an increasing share of renewables were analyzed. The study was carried out with the use of the TIMES-PL model, which minimizes the total system cost over the analyzed time horizon. The model was calibrated according to data from 2018. The two scenarios show relatively similar pathways for CO2 emission reductions by 2050. In the case of no investment in nuclear power plants, power plants equipped with CO2 capture and storage systems are an alternative solution for achieving climate neutrality and increasing national energy security. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Geological carbon storage is an effective method capable of reducing carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions at significant scales. Subsurface reservoirs with sealing caprocks can provide long-term containment for the injected fluid. Nevertheless, CO2 leakage is a major concern. The presence of abandoned wells penetrating the reservoir caprock may cause leakage flow-paths for CO2 to the overburden. Assessment of time-varying leaky wells is a need. In this paper, we propose a new semi-analytical approach based on pressure-transient analysis to model the behavior of CO2 leakage and corresponding pressure distribution within the storage site and the overburden. Current methods assume instantaneous leakage of CO2 occurring with injection, which is not realistic. In this work, we employ the superposition in time and space to solve the diffusivity equation in 2D radial flow to approximate the transient pressure in the reservoirs. Fluid and rock compressibilities are taken into consideration, which allow calculating the breakthrough time and the leakage rate of CO2 to the overburden accurately. We use numerical simulations to verify the proposed time-dependent semi-analytical solution. The results show good agreement in both pressure and leakage rates. Sensitivity analysis is then conducted to assess different CO2 leakage scenarios to the overburden. The developed semi-analytical solution provides a new simple and practical approach to assess the potential of CO2 leakage outside the storage site. This approach is an alternative to numerical methods when detailed simulations are not feasible. Furthermore, the proposed solution can also be used to verify numerical codes, which often exhibit numerical artifacts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Childhood cancer survivors (CCS) are predisposed to developing numerous late effects of anticancer treatment later in life. The existing literature suggests that vitamin D deficiency (VDD) may influence cardiovascular abnormalities and metabolic diseases. The objectives of this study were to investigate the prevalence of VDD among childhood cancer survivors and examine the association of vitamin D deficiency and carotid intima-media thickness (IMT). The study comprised 111 childhood cancer survivors (62 males, 49 females) with a median follow-up time of 6.14 years. Vitamin D status was determined by measuring serum 25(OH)D levels using the automatic immunoenzymatic method. Ultrasonography of the common carotid artery (CCA), the carotid bulb, and the proximal part of the internal carotid artery (ICA) was conducted. Vitamin D deficiency (<20 ng/mL) was detected in 69.4% of CCS. A higher parathormone level and increased BMI were observed among VDD survivors. No effects of type of diagnosis, radiotherapy or hematopoietic stem cell transplantation on vitamin D status were observed. Our findings reveal that survivors with VDD exhibited significantly greater thickness in the CCA and carotid bulb. In conclusion, the results of our study of childhood cancer survivors demonstrate that vitamin D deficiency is prevalent in up to 70% of individuals. We did not confirm the hypothesis that factors related to anticancer treatment used during childhood contributed to the higher prevalence of VDD. Additionally, we did not verify the contribution of vitamin D deficiency to the increase in IMT thickness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Natural gas is an indispensable resource not evenly distributed in the world. The gas supply chain is characterized by large imbalances between supply and demand, where the underground gas storage (UGS) application plays a key role for creating strategic reserves, taking advantage of geological structures. On the contrary, human activities will require clean energy with near-zero greenhouse gas emissions to be environmentally viable. A key element of this strategy is the carbon capture and storage (CCS) application useful for confining CO2 into the geosphere to reduce anthropogenic emissions. The development of appropriate injection methods and long-term monitoring systems for leak detection of the underground storage of natural gas and CO2 is important to prevent negative effects, such as ground deformations and micro seismic events. In this work, a variety of monitoring applications were gathered and critically analyzed for a total of 60 scientific contributions spanning the world. This bibliographic work shows an analytical and statistical overview of the most common use of UGS and CCS, representing the different goals of these two applications and analyzing the main monitoring techniques used in the gathered contributions. Currently, UGS monitoring requires further development, especially through multidisciplinary approaches useful for identifying possible effects on the surface and gas leaks at depth; meanwhile, CCS solutions are still at the experimental stage, also because of the high costs for large-scale applications that still need specific research. The state of the art of these two very different practices can improve the further development of new monitoring approaches or additional methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper presents an analysis of the possible location of geological formations suitable for CO2 storage in the Upper Silesia Coal Basin, Poland. The range of the reservoir has been determined on the basis of an analysis of basic geological parameters, which determine the selection criteria for sites suitable for CO2 storage. A dynamic modelling of the CO2 distribution in the aquifer is presented. Based on the constructed model of migration, reactivity, and geochemical transport of CO2 in geological structures, it is possible to identify potential migration routes and escape sites of CO2 on the surface. The analysis of the technical and geological possibilities of CO2 storage was carried out according to the regulations of the complex Polish geological law, specifically in terms of sequestration possibilities in geological formations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The DigiMon project aims to develop and demonstrate an affordable, flexible, societally embedded, and smart digital monitoring early warning system for any subsurface CO2 storage field. The societal embeddedness level (SEL) assessment is a novel methodology which provides insight into the societal requirements for technological innovation to be deployed. The SEL assessment framework was applied in four case studies, concerning CCS development in Norway, the Netherlands, Greece, and Germany. The resulting societal embeddedness levels of CCS, on a scale of 1–4, were SEL 3 in Norway with considerable progress towards level 4, followed by the Netherlands with SEL 2 with several initiatives towards offshore demonstration projects, and then by Greece and Germany with SEL 1. The outcomes of the SEL assessments show which societal requirements have been met in current CCS developments and which ones should be improved for CCS deployment. They also show that monitoring currently is a regulatory requirement as part of permitting procedures, while it may alleviate community concerns on safety, provided that it has certain attributes. The insights from the four national case studies are further used in the DigiMon project to develop the innovative societal embedded DigiMon monitoring system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In accordance with the global action plan on antimicrobial resistance adopted by the World Health Assembly in 2015, there is a need to develop surveillance programs for antimicrobial resistant bacteria. In this context, we have analyzed the clonal diversity of Extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Escherichia coli (E. coli) isolated from aquatic environments and human and food samples in Spain, with the aim of determining possible clonal complexes (CCs) that act as markers of the potential risk of transmission of these resistant bacteria. The phylogenetic groups, sequence types (STs) and CCs were determined by different Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) and Multilocus Sequence Typing (MLST) techniques. Phylogroup A was prevalent and was mainly present in food and water strains, while human strains were mostly associated with phylogroup B2. According to the observed prevalence in the different niches, CC23 and CC10 are proposed as markers of phylogroups A and C, related with the spread of blaCTX-M1 and blaCTX-M15 genes. Similarly, CC131 and CC38 could be associated to the dissemination of pathogenic strains (phylogroups B2 and D) carrying mainly blaCTX-M14 and blaCTX-M15 genes. Some strains isolated from wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) showed identical profiles to those isolated from other environments, highlighting the importance that water acquires in the dissemination of bacterial resistance. In conclusion, the detection of these genetic markers in different environments could be considered as an alert in the spread of ESBL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is likely that the future availability of energy from fossil fuels, such as natural gas, will be influenced by how efficiently the associated CO2 emissions can be mitigated using carbon capture and sequestration (CCS). In turn, understanding how CCS affects the efficient recovery of energy from fossil fuel reserves in different parts of the world requires data on how the performance of each part of a particular CCS scheme is affected by both technology specific parameters and location specific parameters, such as ambient temperature. This paper presents a study into how the energy consumption of an important element of all CCS schemes, the CO2 compression process, varies with compressor design, CO2 pipeline pressure, and cooling temperature. Post-combustion, pre-combustion, and oxyfuel capture scenarios are each considered. A range of optimization algorithms are used to ensure a consistent approach to optimization. The results show that energy consumption is minimized by compressor designs with multiple impellers per stage and carefully optimized stage pressure ratios. The results also form a performance map illustrating the energy consumption for CO2 compression processes that can be used in further study work and, in particular, CCS system models developed to study performance variation with ambient temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Currently, there are considerable discrepancies between China's central government and some local governments in attitudes towards coal to liquids (CTL) technology. Energy return on investment (EROI) analysis of CTL could provide new insights that may help solve this dilemma. Unfortunately, there has been little research on this topic; this paper therefore analyses the EROI of China's Shenhua Group Direct Coal Liquefaction (DCL) project, currently the only DCL commercial project in the world. The inclusion or omission of internal energy and by-products is controversial. The results show that the EROIstnd without by-product and with internal energy is 0.68-0.81; the EROIstnd (the standard EROI) without by-product and without internal energy is 3.70-5.53; the EROIstnd with by-product and with internal energy is 0.76-0.90; the EROIstnd with by-product and without internal energy is 4.13-6.14. Furthermore, it is necessary to consider carbon capture and storage (CCS) as a means to control the CO2 emissions. Considering the added energy inputs of CCS at the plant level, the EROIs decrease to 0.65-0.77, 2.87-3.97, 0.72-0.85, and 3.20-4.40, respectively. The extremely low, even negative, net energy, which may be due to high investments in infrastructure and low conversion efficiency, suggests CTL is not a good choice to replace conventional energy sources, and thus, Chinese government should be prudent when developing it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon capture and storage (CCS) technologies are controversially discussed worldwide. Germany is no exception. Here, CO2 storage is banned, although successful pilot plants were installed in the late 2000s. However, the recent burgeoning political interest in this technology prompts us to investigate why and how the (public) image of CCS technologies has changed over time and with regard to different CCS applications. For this purpose, we examine the coverage of CCS in German newspapers over the last 20 years on the basis of a quantitative analysis of about 4000 newspaper articles. A sample of 571 articles with different political orientations was studied qualitatively to analyse reporting on different CCS frames and actors. We find evidence that the media debate is shifting towards the application of CCS for negative emissions technologies and carbon removal. However, the negative image of CCS connected to coal fired power plants persists, suggesting that public and political support remain a problem for a technology fixed in binary negotiations for or against it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To mitigate carbon dioxide emissions CO2 is compressed and sequestrated into deep geological layers (Carbon Capture and Storage CCS). The corrosion of injection pipe steels is induced when the metal is in contact with CO2 and at the same time the geological saline formation water. Stainless steels X35CrMo17 and X5CrNiCuNb16-4 with approximately 17% Cr show potential as injection pipes to engineer the Northern German Basin geological onshore CCS-site. Static laboratory experiments (T = 60 °C, p = 100 bar, 700–8000 h exposure time, aquifer water, CO2-flow rate of 9 L/h) were conducted to evaluate corrosion kinetics. The anomalous surface corrosion phenomena were found to be independent of heat treatment prior to exposure. The corrosion process is described as a function of the atmosphere and diffusion process of ionic species to explain the precipitation mechanism and better estimate the reliability of these particular steels in a downhole CCS environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: The most common malignancy diagnosed in childhood is acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). With significant advances in ALL treatment and excellent supportive care, overall survival is now up to 90%, depending on the risk group. As a result, the survivor population is growing significantly. At the same time, it is observed that survivors experience many health problems that substantially reduce their quality of life. Emerging evidence suggests that the increased susceptibility to multiple disorders related to accelerated aging in CCS may be attributed to chronic inflammation. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate whether asymptomatic survivors of ALL have a biological phenotype of accelerated cellular senescence early in life. For this purpose, a broad panel of 51 cytokines was tested. We show that survivors after ALL treatment have an inflammatory profile associated with premature cellular aging. Factors that increase the risk of immunological alterations include younger age at diagnosis, high-risk protocols, and radiation therapy. Childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) survivors are at higher risk of developing many late effects later in life. They experience multiple health problems that have significant public health implications, such as frailty, premature onset of lifestyle diseases, and second tumors. There is some evidence that chronic inflammation causes accelerated aging in childhood cancer survivors; however, the available data are very limited. The aim of the study was to evaluate the broad panel of cytokines among asymptomatic ALL survivors after anticancer treatment. The study included 56 subjects with a mean age of 16.11 ± 3.98 years. The commercially available Bio-Plex Pro Human Cytokine Screening 48-Plex Panel Assay and Bio-Plex TGF-β Assay were used for simultaneous determination of 48 cytokines and 3 isoforms of TGF-β. Among 51 tested cytokines, the levels of 33 were statistically significantly higher in ALL survivors than in the control group (p < 0.05). Increased levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines, including the IL-1 family (IL-1 β, IL-1Ra; p < 0.0001), IL-6 (p < 0.001), IL-17 (p < 0.001), IL-18 (p < 0.05), TNFα (p < 0.01), IFNα2 (p < 0.05), and IFNγ (p < 0.01), were found elevated in the entire study group, compared with the controls. Subjects treated previously according to the high-risk protocol had higher IL-18 levels than low- and intermediate-risk groups (p < 0.05). Elevated levels of IL-1ra, IL-6, IL-12 (p70), IL-17, LIF, M-CSF, CSF, and VEGF were found in ALL survivors treated before the age of 5, compared with subjects treated over 5 years of age (p < 0.05). Moreover, individuals who received radiotherapy presented elevated levels of both IL-18 (p < 0.05) and MIG (p < 0.05). In conclusion, we found that young asymptomatic survivors after ALL treatment demonstrated a biological profile of complex low-grade chronic inflammation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Owing to advances in treatment modalities and supportive care, overall survival rates have reached up to 90% among children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). However, due to the underlying illness and therapy, they are at a greater risk of developing lifestyle diseases. Hence, special attention is paid to early detection of the components of metabolic syndrome (MetS). This study aimed at investigating the association of plasma levels of nine diabetes markers with being overweight and components of MetS in ALL survivors. The study included 56 subjects with mean age of 12.36 ± 5.15 years. The commercially available Bio-Plex Pro Human Diabetes 10-Plex Panel kit was used to evaluate levels of diabetes biomarkers. ALL survivors presented statistically higher concentrations of GIP (p = 0.026), glucagon (p = 0.001), leptin (p = 0.022), and PAI-1 (p = 0.047), whereas the concentration of ghrelin was lower (p < 0.001) compared to the control group. Moreover, subjects within normal BMI range showed higher GIP (p = 0.005) and lower ghrelin concentration (p < 0.001) compared to healthy peers. At least one risk factor of MetS was present in 58.9% of participants, who showed significantly higher levels of C-peptide (p = 0.028), leptin (p = 0.003), and PAI-1 (p = 0.034) than survivors who did not meet any MetS criteria. In conclusion, ALL survivors are at greater risk of disturbances in carbohydrate metabolism. Understanding the pathogenesis and applicability of diabetes markers is crucial for developing strategies to prevent metabolic syndrome in ALL survivors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

(1) Background: The impact of imaging-derived ischemia is still under debate and the role of stress perfusion cardiac magnetic resonance (spCMR) in non-high-risk patient still needs to be clarified. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of spCMR in a case series of stable long-standing chronic coronary syndrome (CCS) patients with ischemia and no other risk factor. (2) Methods: This is a historical prospective study including 35 patients with history of long-standing CCS who underwent coronary CT angiography (CCTA) and additional adenosine spCMR. Clinical and imaging findings were included in the analysis. Primary outcomes were HF (heart failure) and all major cardiac events (MACE) including death from cardiovascular causes, myocardial infarction, or hospitalization for unstable angina, or resuscitated cardiac arrest. (3) Results: Mean follow-up was 3.7 years (IQR: from 1 to 6). Mean ejection fraction was 61 ± 8%. Twelve patients (31%) referred primary outcomes. Probability of experiencing primary outcomes based on symptoms was 62% and increased to 67% and 91% when multivessel disease and ischemia, respectively, were considered. Higher ischemic burden was predictive of disease progression (OR: 1.59, 95%CI: 1.18–2.14; p-value = 0.002). spCMR model resulted non inferior to the model comprising all variables (4) Conclusions: In vivo spCMR-modeling including perfusion and strain anomalies could represent a powerful tool in long-standing CCS, even when conventional imaging predictors are missing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]