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Plant biodiversity is important in economic terms in Romania, as well as for the ecosystem aspect maintaining and giving spiritual value and comfort. As a result, the article aims to focus attention on the appreciation of plant species in the center of an inexhaustible source of renewable energy. Agricultural holdings in Romania mainly cultivate cereals, some with records in production (for example maize production in 2018). Cereals are well known for their food potential and animal feed. At the same time, after harvest, cereals leave significant amounts of vegetal parts (straw and stalks), which are an important energy source. Reference is made to the possibility of obtaining the second generation ethanol from lingo-cellulose. So, without endangering food, it is possible to obtain the gasoline in order to ensure transport with low combustion emissions. Knowledge in this field is based on the study of numerous scientific papers and the interpretation of the results in correlation with the specific of the area. An important role is represented by the statistical interpretations that place the study in the field of bioeconomics. The expected result fits into the major concerns at European Union level in the field of environmental protection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In millions of years, nature has created huge energy reserves in the form of fossil fuels, consumption of which is constantly increasing. The depletion of energy reserves stored in fossil fuels is becoming real. For this reason, as well as for the protection of the environment, it is necessary to look for and utilize the renewable energy sources that we encounter in everyday life. Such a source of energy is, for example, biomass, which has been used as a fuel by many generations before us. The combustion of biomass does not have such negative environmental consequences as fossil fuels. Fossil fuels are the main energy source in the metallurgical industry, and this is the reason for seeking possibilities of their substitution by alternative fuels. The choice fell on wood biomass. It is therefore necessary to thoroughly analyze the current knowledge of this field of research and to answer the question of its applicability in the agglomeration process. The product of agglomeration process is an agglomerate the production of which is closely related, from an environmental and energy point of view, to the production of coke, which is the basic fuel component of the blast furnace batch. In order to ensure the quality of the agglomerate, it is necessary to apply fuel into the agglomeration mixture which properties meet the criteria for the release of sufficient heat during burning, acceptable combustion rate or low content of ballast substances concentrated mainly in the solid residue after combustion – ash. At present, the dominant position in the agglomeration process has coke breeze. Biomass use is a strategy that is considered a partial solution for reducing the consumption of coke breeze. Biomass is therefore an alternative for achieving emission reductions and ensuring agglomeration production that meets the quality requirements of the blast furnace process. Such solution should be reflected directly in the price of blast furnace iron production and the improved environmental quality. The paper is focused on the characterization of wood biomass and its comparison with the fossil fuel i.e. coke breeze. The characterisation of the fuel samples was performed by means of X-ray fluorescence (XRF), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The quantitative analysis of the crystalline and amorphous phases in each of the fuel samples was performed using the Rietveld method. The results of the analysis of selected biomass species point to the correct direction – their use in the agglomeration process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present paper is the result of an applied research conducted by a Romanian team of researchers, aiming to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions from the perimeter of a chemical plant. Achieving this objective is facilitated by the availability of hydrogen (a source of clean energy) obtained through a technological process. In this context, the research was focused on replacing, in high proportions, the classic fossil fuel (natural gas) used in the heating process of some thermo-technological furnaces from the plant. To reach the optimal technical solution applicable in industry, the team of researchers conducted various tests on an experimental pilot burner of own conception, working with hydrogen proportions between 44.4 - 72.7% and obtaining both a significant increase of the flame temperature from 15500C to 17500C and the reduction of the carbon dioxide concentration in wet waste gases from 8.75% to 5.04% (at the maximum used proportion of hydrogen). Implementing the optimal solution on the burners of some industrial furnaces from the chemical plant Oltchim Ramnicu Valcea (Romania) allowed its efficiency confirmation, obtaining a natural gas saving of over 494,000 Euro/year. Also, the reducing of the carbon dioxide in waste gases was calculated at 1998 thousand Nm3/year (i.e. 3922 tones/year). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Environmental problem-solving as a factor of sustainable and balanced development is an integral part of every country in the world, based on the interaction of man, nature, society, and the overcoming of crisis factors in an imbalanced world. That is why today it is necessary to move from the economics of aggressive expansion to the economics of sustainable development in order to promote the formation of a stable identity and social sustainability, which requires a fundamentally new development paradigm. The new paradigm of sustainable development as the main driver and megatrend of solving environmental problems includes climate change management and overcoming the destructive effects of climate change, natural resource management, the introduction of renewable energy sources, and environmental technologies that require a transition to a circular economy, which requires a new economic philosophy - overcoming the largescale destructive effects of the planet. The formation of a new paradigm is based on the idea that the country's future should be purposefully programmed as a balanced one. In order to achieve these objectives, a sustainable development paradigm should be formed which will lead to economic efficiency, inclusiveness, implementation of renewable energy sources, environmental protection, releasing the energy of entrepreneurship, innovation, and achieving sustainable and balanced development based on harmony, prosperity, risk reduction, well-being, and environmental safety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Environmentally friendly building materials and constructions are intended to reduce energy and material flows during the entire building life cycle. The evaluation is focused on the assessment of consumption and depletion of material resources, especially non-renewable resources, to minimize the life-cycle impact of materials on the environment and enhance the indoor environmental quality by concentrating on the evaluation of energy flows through the building constructions. Energy effective houses increase efficiency of sources utilization (energy, water and materials) and they are designed in order to decrease effect on human health and environment during their lifecycle by means of better location, design, constructions, operation, maintenance and reconstruction. The factor of performance is their main contribution what means lower energy consumption and lower operating costs too. The energy effective houses don't present the new definition of projection but it is more improving of attested processes and adaptation to new requests. These buildings have certain specifications in the sphere of the thermal-technical demands -- on external walls, roofs, ceilings above unheated space, ground floor, windows, doors -- in comparison with common development. Constructions that divide spaces with different indoor air temperatures must meet a lot of building-constructional and building-physical conditions. Constructions that divide spaces with different indoor air temperatures must meet a lot of building-constructional and building-physical conditions. These conditions will be solved by design of consumer model. The aim of this paper is design of consumer model and environmental assessment of used building materials focused on life cycle analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]