1
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Driver JG, Bernard E, Patrizio P, Fennell PS, Scrivener K, Myers RJ. Global decarbonization potential of CO 2 mineralization in concrete materials. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2313475121. [PMID: 38976729 PMCID: PMC11260098 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2313475121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2023] [Accepted: 05/23/2024] [Indexed: 07/10/2024] Open
Abstract
CO2 mineralization products are often heralded as having outstanding potentials to reduce CO2-eq. emissions. However, these claims are generally undermined by incomplete consideration of the life cycle climate change impacts, material properties, supply and demand constraints, and economic viability of CO2 mineralization products. We investigate these factors in detail for ten concrete-related CO2 mineralization products to quantify their individual and global CO2-eq. emissions reduction potentials. Our results show that in 2020, 3.9 Gt of carbonatable solid materials were generated globally, with the dominant material being end-of-life cement paste in concrete and mortar (1.4 Gt y-1). All ten of the CO2 mineralization technologies investigated here reduce life cycle CO2-eq. emissions when used to substitute comparable conventional products. In 2020, the global CO2-eq. emissions reduction potential of economically competitive CO2 mineralization technologies was 0.39 Gt CO2-eq., i.e., 15% of that from cement production. This level of CO2-eq. emissions reduction is limited by the supply of end-of-life cement paste. The results also show that it is 2 to 5 times cheaper to reduce CO2-eq. emissions by producing cement from carbonated end-of-life cement paste than carbon capture and storage (CCS), demonstrating its superior decarbonization potential. On the other hand, it is currently much more expensive to reduce CO2-eq. emissions using some CO2 mineralization technologies, like carbonated normal weight aggregate production, than CCS. Technologies and policies that increase recovery of end-of-life cement paste from aged infrastructure are key to unlocking the potential of CO2 mineralization in reducing the CO2-eq. footprint of concrete materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin G. Driver
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Imperial College London, LondonSW7 2AZ, United Kingdom
| | - Ellina Bernard
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Imperial College London, LondonSW7 2AZ, United Kingdom
- Laboratory for Concrete & Construction Chemistry, Empa, Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology, Dübendorf 8600, Switzerland
| | - Piera Patrizio
- Centre for Environmental Policy, Imperial College London, LondonSW7 1NE, United Kingdom
| | - Paul S. Fennell
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Imperial College London, LondonSW7 2AZ, United Kingdom
| | - Karen Scrivener
- Laboratory of Construction Materials, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, LausanneCH-1015, Switzerland
| | - Rupert J. Myers
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Imperial College London, LondonSW7 2AZ, United Kingdom
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2
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Van Roijen E, Sethares K, Kendall A, Miller SA. The climate benefits from cement carbonation are being overestimated. Nat Commun 2024; 15:4848. [PMID: 38844803 PMCID: PMC11156638 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-48965-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2023] [Accepted: 05/17/2024] [Indexed: 06/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Rapid decarbonization of the cement industry is critical to meeting climate goals. Oversimplification of direct air capture benefits from hydrated cement carbonation has skewed the ability to derive decarbonization solutions. Here, we present both global cement carbonation magnitude and its dynamic effect on cumulative radiative forcing. From 1930-2015, models suggest approximately 13.8 billion metric tons (Gt) of CO2 was re-absorbed globally. However, we show that the slow rate of carbonation leads to a climate effect that is approximately 60% smaller than these apparent benefits. Further, we show that on a per kilogram (kg) basis, demolition emissions from crushing concrete at end-of-life could roughly equal the magnitude of carbon-uptake during the demolition phase. We investigate the sensitivity of common decarbonization strategies, such as utilizing supplementary cementitious materials, on the carbonation process and highlight the importance of the timing of emissions release and uptake on influencing cumulative radiative forcing. Given the urgency of determining effective pathways for decarbonizing cement, this work provides a reference for overcoming some flawed interpretations of the benefits of carbonation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisabeth Van Roijen
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, 2001 Ghausi Hall, University of California, Davis, 95616, USA
| | - Kati Sethares
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, 2001 Ghausi Hall, University of California, Davis, 95616, USA
| | - Alissa Kendall
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, 2001 Ghausi Hall, University of California, Davis, 95616, USA
| | - Sabbie A Miller
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, 2001 Ghausi Hall, University of California, Davis, 95616, USA.
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3
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Liu Y, Molinari S, Dalconi MC, Valentini L, Bellotto MP, Ferrari G, Pellay R, Rilievo G, Vianello F, Famengo A, Salviulo G, Artioli G. Industrial by-products-derived binders for in-situ remediation of high Pb content pyrite ash: Synergistic use of ground granulated blast furnace slag and steel slag to achieve efficient Pb retention and CO 2 mitigation. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2024; 345:123455. [PMID: 38301818 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2024.123455] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2023] [Revised: 12/19/2023] [Accepted: 01/25/2024] [Indexed: 02/03/2024]
Abstract
Ordinary Portland cement (OPC) is a cost-effective and conventional binder that is widely adopted in brownfield site remediation and redevelopment. However, the substantial carbon dioxide emission during OPC production and the concerns about its undesirable retention capacity for potentially toxic elements strain this strategy. To tackle this objective, we herein tailored four alternative binders (calcium aluminate cement, OPC-activated ground-granulated blast-furnace slag (GGBFS), white-steel-slag activated GGBFS, and alkaline-activated GGBFS) for facilitating immobilization of high Pb content pyrite ash, with the perspectives of enhancing Pb retention and mitigating anthropogenic carbon dioxide emissions. The characterizations revealed that the incorporation of white steel slag efficiently benefits the activity of GGBFS, herein facilitating the hydration products (mainly ettringite and calcium silicate hydrates) precipitation and Pb immobilization. Further, we quantified the cradle-to-gate carbon footprint and cost analysis attributed to each binder-Pb contaminants system, finding that the application of these alternative binders could be pivotal in the envisaged carbon-neutral world if the growth of the OPC-free roadmap continues. The findings suggest that the synergistic use of recycled white steel slag and GGBFS can be proposed as a profitable and sustainable OPC-free candidate to facilitate the management of lead-contaminated brownfield sites. The overall results underscore the potential immobilization mechanisms of Pb in multiple OPC-free/substitution binder systems and highlight the urgent need to bridge the zero-emission insights to sustainable in-situ solidification/stabilization technologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yikai Liu
- Department of Geosciences and CIRCe Centre, University of Padua, via G. Gradenigo 6, 35129, Padua, Italy
| | - Simone Molinari
- Department of Geosciences and CIRCe Centre, University of Padua, via G. Gradenigo 6, 35129, Padua, Italy.
| | - Maria Chiara Dalconi
- Department of Geosciences and CIRCe Centre, University of Padua, via G. Gradenigo 6, 35129, Padua, Italy
| | - Luca Valentini
- Department of Geosciences and CIRCe Centre, University of Padua, via G. Gradenigo 6, 35129, Padua, Italy
| | | | | | - Roberto Pellay
- TEVGroup S.r.l., via Romea 8, 30034, Mira, Venice, Italy
| | - Graziano Rilievo
- Department of Comparative Biomedicine and Food Science, University of Padova, Viale dell'Università 16, 35020, Legnaro, Italy
| | - Fabio Vianello
- Department of Comparative Biomedicine and Food Science, University of Padova, Viale dell'Università 16, 35020, Legnaro, Italy
| | - Alessia Famengo
- Istituto di Chimica della Materia Condensata e di Tecnologie per l'Energia, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, C.so Stati Uniti 4, 35127, Padova, Italy
| | - Gabriella Salviulo
- Department of Geosciences and CIRCe Centre, University of Padua, via G. Gradenigo 6, 35129, Padua, Italy
| | - Gilberto Artioli
- Department of Geosciences and CIRCe Centre, University of Padua, via G. Gradenigo 6, 35129, Padua, Italy
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4
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Lu H, You K, Feng W, Zhou N, Fridley D, Price L, de la Rue du Can S. Reducing China's building material embodied emissions: Opportunities and challenges to achieve carbon neutrality in building materials. iScience 2024; 27:109028. [PMID: 38433904 PMCID: PMC10906394 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2024.109028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2022] [Revised: 08/08/2023] [Accepted: 01/22/2024] [Indexed: 03/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Embodied emissions from the production of building materials account for 17% of China's carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and are important to focus on as China aims to achieve its carbon neutrality goals. However, there is a lack of systematic assessments on embodied emissions reduction potential of building materials that consider both the heterogeneous industrial characteristics as well as the Chinese buildings sector context. Here, we developed an integrated model that combines future demand of building materials in China with the strategies to reduce CO2 emissions associated with their production, using, and recycling. We found that measures to improve material efficiency in the value-chain has the largest CO2 mitigation potential before 2030 in both Low Carbon and Carbon Neutrality Scenarios, and continues to be significant through 2060. Policies to accelerate material efficiency practices, such as incorporating embodied emissions in building codes and conducting robust research, development, and demonstration (RD&D) in carbon removal are critical.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongyou Lu
- Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Kairui You
- Institute of Technology for Carbon Neutrality, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China
- School of Material Sciences and Energy Engineering, Shenzhen University of Advanced Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Wei Feng
- Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
- Institute of Technology for Carbon Neutrality, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China
- School of Material Sciences and Energy Engineering, Shenzhen University of Advanced Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Nan Zhou
- Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - David Fridley
- Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Lynn Price
- Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
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5
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Sousa V, Nogueira R, Meireles I, Silva A. Managing carbon waste in a decarbonized industry: Assessing the potential of concrete mixing storage. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2024; 31:17804-17821. [PMID: 38180649 PMCID: PMC10923749 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-023-31712-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2022] [Accepted: 12/20/2023] [Indexed: 01/06/2024]
Abstract
The effort towards a greener future will entail a shift to more environmentally friendly alternatives of many human activities. Within this context, the path towards a decarbonized society in general, and industrial decarbonization in particular, will require using low carbon solutions and/or capturing carbon emissions at the source. This flux of captured carbon will then require management and one option is to store it in concrete. The incorporation of the captured CO2 can be done during the mixing and/or curing. While the latter is more efficient and effective in terms of the amount of CO2 incorporated, it is limited to concrete in elements that are compatible with chamber curing. In practice, this would be restricted to the concrete pre-fabrication industry and, most probably, only to small size elements. Despite the lower performance, incorporation of CO2 into concrete during the mixing stage is a relatively universal alternative. The present research effort reveals that the latter solution is beneficial from an environmental point of view, with an estimated yearly carbon storage of 23 million tonnes worldwide against emissions of 2.5 million tonnes to do it.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vitor Sousa
- CERIS, Department of Civil Engineering, Architecture and Georesources, Instituto Superior Técnico, University of Lisbon, Av. Rovisco Pais, 1049-001, Lisbon, Portugal.
| | - Rita Nogueira
- CERIS, Department of Civil Engineering, Architecture and Georesources, Instituto Superior Técnico, University of Lisbon, Av. Rovisco Pais, 1049-001, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Inês Meireles
- RISCO, Department of Civil Engineering, University of Aveiro, Campus de Santiago, 3810-193, Aveiro, Portugal
| | - André Silva
- Department of Civil Engineering, Architecture and Georesources, Instituto Superior Técnico, University of Lisbon, Av. Rovisco Pais, 1049-001, Lisbon, Portugal
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6
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Watari T, Yamashita N, Serrenho AC. Net-Zero Embodied Carbon in Buildings with Today's Available Technologies. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2024; 58:1793-1801. [PMID: 38228319 PMCID: PMC10832066 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.3c04618] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2023] [Revised: 12/10/2023] [Accepted: 12/11/2023] [Indexed: 01/18/2024]
Abstract
Greenhouse gas emissions from building construction─i.e., the embodied carbon in buildings─are a significant and growing contributor to the climate crisis. However, our understanding of how to decarbonize building construction remains limited. This study shows that net-zero embodied carbon in buildings is achievable across Japan by 2050 using currently available technologies: decarbonized electricity supply, low-carbon steel, low-carbon concrete, increased timber structures, optimized design, and enhanced building lifespan. The largest emissions savings would come from increased use of timber structures, with annual savings of up to ∼35% by 2050, even in cases where timber replaces low-carbon steel and concrete. Moreover, we show that an expanded domestic timber supply, coupled with responsible reforestation, could improve forest carbon uptake by up to ∼60% compared to the business-as-usual scenario, without the need to increase forest area. This is achieved through a forest-city carbon cycle that transfers carbon stocks of mature trees to cities as building materials and rejuvenates forests through reforestation. Collectively, our analysis demonstrates that the decarbonization of building construction depends not on future technological innovation, but rather on how we design and use buildings with the options we already have.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takuma Watari
- Material
Cycles Division, National Institute for
Environmental Studies, Tsukuba 305-8506, Japan
- Department
of Engineering, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1PZ, United Kingdom
| | - Naho Yamashita
- Graduate
School of Environmental Studies, Nagoya
University, Nagoya 464-8601, Japan
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7
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Watari T, Cabrera Serrenho A, Gast L, Cullen J, Allwood J. Feasible supply of steel and cement within a carbon budget is likely to fall short of expected global demand. Nat Commun 2023; 14:7895. [PMID: 38036547 PMCID: PMC10689810 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-43684-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2023] [Accepted: 11/16/2023] [Indexed: 12/02/2023] Open
Abstract
The current decarbonization strategy for the steel and cement industries is inherently dependent on the build-out of infrastructure, including for CO2 transport and storage, renewable electricity, and green hydrogen. However, the deployment of this infrastructure entails considerable uncertainty. Here we explore the global feasible supply of steel and cement within Paris-compliant carbon budgets, explicitly considering uncertainties in the deployment of infrastructure. Our scenario analysis reveals that despite substantial growth in recycling- and hydrogen-based production, the feasible steel supply will only meet 58-65% (interquartile range) of the expected baseline demand in 2050. Cement supply is even more uncertain due to limited mitigation options, meeting only 22-56% (interquartile range) of the expected baseline demand in 2050. These findings pose a two-fold challenge for decarbonizing the steel and cement industries: on the one hand, governments need to expand essential infrastructure rapidly; on the other hand, industries need to prepare for the risk of deployment failures, rather than solely waiting for large-scale infrastructure to emerge. Our feasible supply scenarios provide compelling evidence of the urgency of demand-side actions and establish benchmarks for the required level of resource efficiency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takuma Watari
- Material Cycles Division, National Institute for Environmental Studies, Tsukuba, Japan.
- Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
| | | | - Lukas Gast
- Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Jonathan Cullen
- Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Julian Allwood
- Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
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8
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Yu K, Ma L, Ngo I, Wang Y, Zhai J. Study on the fluidity of foamed alkali-activated slag cementitious material (AASCM). Heliyon 2023; 9:e22277. [PMID: 38053877 PMCID: PMC10694308 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e22277] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2023] [Revised: 10/09/2023] [Accepted: 11/08/2023] [Indexed: 12/07/2023] Open
Abstract
This study aims to investigate the evolution patterns of fluidity and rheological properties of AASCM under varying dosages of foaming agent and particle sizes of filling aggregate. The flow characteristics of AASCM are significantly affected by the filling aggregate's size and the foaming agent's dosage. Specifically, an increase in filling aggregate size (D(4,3) ϵ [26 μm, 69 μm]) enhances the fluidity of foamed AASCM, while an increase in foaming agent dosage reduces fluidity. These observed variations can be attributed to the presence of particle voids, the specific surface area of the aggregate, as well as the quantity and spatial distribution of bubbles within the slurry. A bubble-particle packing model is established, and by calibrating the simulation error coefficient to 1.1, the study investigates the evolution of water film thickness (WFT) in foamed AASCM with slurry expansion degree. It is observed that bubbles in the slurry affect the fluidity by altering the overall compactness and specific surface area of the foamed slurry, subsequently modifying the WFT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kunpeng Yu
- School of Mines, China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou, 221116, China
| | - Liqiang Ma
- School of Mines, China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou, 221116, China
- Key Laboratory of Xinjiang Coal Resources Green Mining (Xinjiang Institute of Engineering), Ministry of Education, Urumqi 830023, China
| | - Ichhuy Ngo
- School of Mines, China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou, 221116, China
| | - Yangyang Wang
- School of Mines, China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou, 221116, China
| | - Jiangtao Zhai
- School of Mines, China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou, 221116, China
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9
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Hu Y, Xu Q, Sheng Y, Wang X, Cheng H, Zou X, Lu X. The Effect of Alkali Metals (Li, Na, and K) on Ni/CaO Dual-Functional Materials for Integrated CO 2 Capture and Hydrogenation. MATERIALS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 16:5430. [PMID: 37570134 PMCID: PMC10420131 DOI: 10.3390/ma16155430] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2023] [Revised: 07/28/2023] [Accepted: 08/01/2023] [Indexed: 08/13/2023]
Abstract
Ni/CaO, a low-cost dual-functional material (DFM), has been widely studied for integrated CO2 capture and hydrogenation. The core of this dual-functional material should possess both good CO2 capture-conversion performance and structural stability. Here, we synthesized Ni/CaO DFMs modified with alkali metals (Na, K, and Li) through a combination of precipitation and combustion methods. It was found that Na-modified Ni/CaO (Na-Ni/CaO) DFM offered stable CO2 capture-conversion activity over 20 cycles, with a high CO2 capture capacity of 10.8 mmol/g and a high CO2 conversion rate of 60.5% at the same temperature of 650 °C. The enhanced CO2 capture capacity was attributed to the improved surface basicity of Na-Ni/CaO. In addition, the incorporation of Na into DFMs had a favorable effect on the formation of double salts, which shorten the CO2 capture and release process and promoted DFM stability by hindering their aggregation and the sintering of DFMs.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Qian Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Advanced Special Steel, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Shanghai University, 99 Shangda Road, BaoShan District, Shanghai 200444, China; (Y.H.); (Y.S.); (H.C.); (X.Z.); (X.L.)
| | | | - Xueguang Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Advanced Special Steel, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Shanghai University, 99 Shangda Road, BaoShan District, Shanghai 200444, China; (Y.H.); (Y.S.); (H.C.); (X.Z.); (X.L.)
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10
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Olsson JA, Miller SA, Alexander MG. Near-term pathways for decarbonizing global concrete production. Nat Commun 2023; 14:4574. [PMID: 37516732 PMCID: PMC10387082 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-40302-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2023] [Accepted: 07/21/2023] [Indexed: 07/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Growing urban populations and deteriorating infrastructure are driving unprecedented demands for concrete, a material for which there is no alternative that can meet its functional capacity. The production of concrete, more particularly the hydraulic cement that glues the material together, is one of the world's largest sources of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. While this is a well-studied source of emissions, the consequences of efficient structural design decisions on mitigating these emissions are not yet well known. Here, we show that a combination of manufacturing and engineering decisions have the potential to reduce over 76% of the GHG emissions from cement and concrete production, equivalent to 3.6 Gt CO2-eq lower emissions in 2100. The studied methods similarly result in more efficient utilization of resources by lowering cement demand by up to 65%, leading to an expected reduction in all other environmental burdens. These findings show that the flexibility within current concrete design approaches can contribute to climate mitigation without requiring heavy capital investment in alternative manufacturing methods or alternative materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Josefine A Olsson
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Sabbie A Miller
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA.
| | - Mark G Alexander
- Department of Civil Engineering, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
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11
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Haberl H, Löw M, Perez-Laborda A, Matej S, Plank B, Wiedenhofer D, Creutzig F, Erb KH, Duro JA. Built structures influence patterns of energy demand and CO 2 emissions across countries. Nat Commun 2023; 14:3898. [PMID: 37400457 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-39728-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2023] [Accepted: 06/23/2023] [Indexed: 07/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Built structures, i.e. the patterns of settlements and transport infrastructures, are known to influence per-capita energy demand and CO2 emissions at the urban level. At the national level, the role of built structures is seldom considered due to poor data availability. Instead, other potential determinants of energy demand and CO2 emissions, primarily GDP, are more frequently assessed. We present a set of national-level indicators to characterize patterns of built structures. We quantify these indicators for 113 countries and statistically analyze the results along with final energy use and territorial CO2 emissions, as well as factors commonly included in national-level analyses of determinants of energy use and emissions. We find that these indicators are about equally important for predicting energy demand and CO2 emissions as GDP and other conventional factors. The area of built-up land per capita is the most important predictor, second only to the effect of GDP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helmut Haberl
- Institute of Social Ecology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria.
| | - Markus Löw
- Institute of Social Ecology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | | | - Sarah Matej
- Institute of Social Ecology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Barbara Plank
- Institute of Social Ecology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Dominik Wiedenhofer
- Institute of Social Ecology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Felix Creutzig
- Mercator Research Institute on Global Commons and Climate Change, EUREF 19, 10829, Berlin, Germany
- Technical University Berlin, Straße des 17 Junis 135, 10623, Berlin, Germany
| | - Karl-Heinz Erb
- Institute of Social Ecology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Juan Antonio Duro
- Economics Department and Eco-SOS, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Tarragona, Spain
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12
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Guo X, Fang C. Spatio-temporal interaction heterogeneity and driving factors of carbon emissions from the construction industry in China. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2023; 30:81966-81983. [PMID: 36576631 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-022-24200-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2022] [Accepted: 05/27/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Global warming caused by carbon emissions has become a major issue that countries need to address. As the largest carbon emitter globally, the construction industry is one of the major contributors to carbon emissions in China. It is of significance for carbon reduction to study carbon emission from construction industry. Based on various methods, this study explored the spatio-temporal characteristics of carbon emissions and the driving factors of construction industry. This study found, in 2007, 2010, and 2012, carbon emissions from the construction industry exhibited an increasing trend, and the indirect carbon emissions accounted for approximately 77% of the total carbon emissions overall; in addition, the regional gaps in carbon emissions are widening. The space centers of gravity of direct, indirect, and total carbon emissions showed similar rotations in the counterclockwise direction and gradually shifted to the northeast direction. Carbon emissions from the construction industry were predominantly influenced by the total population, number of employees in construction industry, labor productivity in construction industry, added value of the construction industry, energy consumption in construction industry in 2007, evolution to the mutual influence of the total population, labor productivity in construction industry, and energy consumption in construction industry in 2012. The finds can make references for the regional sustainable development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaomin Guo
- Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Chuanglin Fang
- Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.
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13
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Watari T, Cao Z, Serrenho AC, Cullen J. Growing role of concrete in sand and climate crises. iScience 2023; 26:106782. [PMID: 37250298 PMCID: PMC10214720 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.106782] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2022] [Revised: 10/23/2022] [Accepted: 04/25/2023] [Indexed: 05/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Concrete production poses multiple sustainability challenges, including resource over-exploitation and climate change. Here we show that growing global demand for buildings and infrastructure over the past three decades has quadrupled concrete production, reaching ∼26 Gt/year in 2020. As a result, annual requirements for virgin concrete aggregates (∼20 Gt/year) exceeded the extraction of all fossil fuels (∼15 Gt/year), exacerbating sand scarcity, ecosystem destruction, and social conflict. We also show that despite industry efforts to reduce CO2 emissions by ∼20% per unit of production, mainly through clinker substitution and improved thermal efficiency, increased production has outweighed these gains. Consequently, concrete-related CO2 emissions have tripled between 1990 and 2020, and its contribution to global emissions has risen from 5% to 9%. We propose that the policy agenda should focus more on limiting production growth by changing how concrete structures are designed, constructed, used, and disposed of to address the sand and climate crises.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takuma Watari
- Material Cycles Division, National Institute for Environmental Studies, 16-2, Onogawa, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8506, Japan
- Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, Trumpington Street, Cambridge CB2 1PZ, UK
| | - Zhi Cao
- Energy and Materials in Infrastructure and Buildings (EMIB), University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - André Cabrera Serrenho
- Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, Trumpington Street, Cambridge CB2 1PZ, UK
| | - Jonathan Cullen
- Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, Trumpington Street, Cambridge CB2 1PZ, UK
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14
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Zeng C, Zhao J. Role of financial decentralization on carbon taxation and carbon emission: Way forwards for economic recovery. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2023; 30:49354-49367. [PMID: 36773269 PMCID: PMC9922042 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-023-25656-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2022] [Accepted: 01/27/2023] [Indexed: 04/16/2023]
Abstract
The study intends to assess the role of financial decentralization on carbon taxation and carbon emission to recommend the way forwards for economic recovery. To estimate the nexus, study applied the cointegration analysis technique, CGE estimation model, long-run analysis using t-CGE model, and robustness analysis technique on Chinese data. Research findings declare that financial decentralization has significant role on extending the carbon taxation in China and financial decentralization supported 14.92% to expand carbon taxation throughout the Chinese industries. In such industries, pollution emission industries are the top of the list including transportation industry and other manufacturing companies. Overall, manufacturing industries size is about 78% and 11% size of transportation industry is included. Correspondingly, the findings also revealed that financial decentralization supports climate change mitigation with 29% and carbon taxation limits carbon emission with 44% in Chinese industries. Study directs to the stakeholders to enhance carbon taxation schemes in all sectors of the all the industries of China and come up with the viable policy action so that the desired sustainable development goals may achieve effectively. Hence, stakeholders need to consider recommendations of preceding research to enhance green economic recovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chunying Zeng
- School of Economic and Management, Guangxi Normal University, 541004, Guilin, China
| | - Jiaojiao Zhao
- School of Management and Economics, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, 650031, Yunnan, China.
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15
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Wang Y, Xu M, Lv X, Wen Z, Chen C. The eco-efficiency evaluation in China's cement industry: A city-level study. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 865:161132. [PMID: 36587694 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.161132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2022] [Revised: 12/09/2022] [Accepted: 12/19/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
To implement strict environmental targets in China's cement industry into small regions, one should evaluate the city-level eco-efficiency that provides comprehensive instruction. This study establishes a plant-level database with 4000+ production lines located in 341 cities, calculates the energy consumption and CO2, SO2, NOx, and PM emissions, evaluates the eco-efficiency in each city via Slacks-based Measure, and verifies the spatial features of these indicators. Results show that the energy consumption and emissions of the industry are highly concentrated, with ~10 % of the land area contributing to 28.4 %-34.6 % of the total amounts in 2019. The average eco-efficiency value of the clinker calcination and cement grinding processes are 0.761 and 0.714, but the city clusters having low eco-efficiency values are inconsistent with the ones having large energy consumption and emission amounts. The results can contribute to the implementation of the targets such as carbon peaking and pollution cap in China's cement industry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yihan Wang
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control (SKLESPC), School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China; Department of Civil Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
| | - Mao Xu
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control (SKLESPC), School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China; Industrial Energy Saving and Green Development Assessment Center, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Xiaojun Lv
- Appraisal Center for Environment and Engineering, Ministry of Ecological and Environment, Beijing 100012, China
| | - Zongguo Wen
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control (SKLESPC), School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China; Industrial Energy Saving and Green Development Assessment Center, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China.
| | - Chen Chen
- Faculty of Architecture, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
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16
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Liu Y, Wang P, Chiara Dalconi M, Molinari S, Valentini L, Wang Y, Sun S, Chen Q, Artioli G. The sponge effect of phosphogypsum-based cemented paste backfill in the atmospheric carbon capture: roles of fluorides, phosphates, and alkalinity. Sep Purif Technol 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.seppur.2023.123702] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/31/2023]
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17
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Wang CQ, Chen S, Huang DM, Huang QC, Tu MJ, Wu K, Liu YY. Human carcinogenic risk analysis and utilization of shale gas water-based drilling cuttings in road materials. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2023; 30:12741-12768. [PMID: 36114966 PMCID: PMC9483462 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-022-23006-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2022] [Accepted: 09/08/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Water-based drilling cuttings (WDC) generated during shale gas development will endanger human health and ecological security. The modern analytical techniques are used to analyze the organic pollutants in WDC, and the human health and ecological security risks of harmful pollutants in WDC under specific scenarios are evaluated. The results showed that the content of organic pollutants in WDC was evaluated by human health and safety risk assessment. The comprehensive carcinogenic risks of all exposure pathways of single pollutant benzo(a)anthracene, benzo(a)pyrene, benzo(k)fluoranthene, and indeno(1,2,3-cd)pyrene were acceptable. However, the cumulative carcinogenic risk of exposure to dibenzo(a,h)anthracene particles via skin exposure was not acceptable. It was considered that only dibenzo(a,h)anthracene had carcinogenic effect, and the risk control limit of dibenzo(a,h)anthracene in WDC was 1.8700 mg/kg by calculation. As well as, the "WDC-cement" gel composite structure was deeply analyzed, and the physical and chemical properties and mechanism of organic pollutants in cement solidified WDC were analyzed, which provided theoretical support for the study of WDC pavement cushion formula. Based on the above conclusions and combined with the actual site, by studying and adjusting the formula of WDC pavement cushion, the WDC pavement cushion was finally designed by 6% cement + 50% WDC + 44% crushed stone. The 7d unconfined compressive strength met the requirements of the Chinese standard "Technical Guidelines for Construction of Highway Roadbases" (JTG/T F20-2015). Also, the process route of WDC as road cushion product was sampled and analyzed. In addition, the leaching concentration of main pollutants all met the relevant standards of China. Therefore, this study can provide a favorable way for the efficient, safe, and environmentally friendly utilization of WDC, and ensure the ecological environment safety and human health safety of WDC in resource utilization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chao-Qiang Wang
- School of Material Science and Engineering, Chongqing Jiaotong University, Chongqing, 400074, China
- Chongqing Haopan Energy Saving Technology Co., Ltd, Chongqing, 401329, China
- Chongqing Institute of Modern Construction Industry Development, Chongqing, 400066, China
| | - Shen Chen
- School of Civil Engineering, Chongqing Jiaotong University, Chongqing, 400074, China
| | - De-Ming Huang
- School of Material Science and Engineering, Chongqing Jiaotong University, Chongqing, 400074, China
| | - Qi-Cong Huang
- Chongqing Institute of Modern Construction Industry Development, Chongqing, 400066, China
| | - Min-Jie Tu
- CSCEC Strait Construction and Development Co., Ltd, Fuzhou, 350015, China
| | - Kai Wu
- Key Laboratory of Advanced Civil Engineering Materials of Ministry of Education, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai, 201804, China.
| | - Yan-Yan Liu
- School of Material Science and Engineering, Chongqing Jiaotong University, Chongqing, 400074, China
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18
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Cui Y, Khan SU, Sauer J, Zhao M. Exploring the spatiotemporal heterogeneity and influencing factors of agricultural carbon footprint and carbon footprint intensity: Embodying carbon sink effect. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 846:157507. [PMID: 35870582 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.157507] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2022] [Revised: 07/13/2022] [Accepted: 07/15/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Due to the combined effects of carbon emission and carbon sink, agriculture is acknowledged as an essential contributor to achieve the Chinese government's carbon neutrality goal of 2060, and carbon footprint (CF) and carbon footprint intensity are substantial indicators to reveal the carbon emission level. For these reasons, the Theil index technique and extended STIRPAT model were employed to evaluate their spatiotemporal heterogeneity and influencing factors using panel data from 31 provinces for the period 1997-2019. The findings revealed that the CF showed an increasing trend with an annual growth rate of 24.6 %. The carbon footprint intensity (CFI) indicated an evident spatiotemporal heterogeneity and transferred over time, with an average growth rate of 19.82 %. The CFI Theil index and its contribution rate both confirmed that intra-regional difference is the main source of the overall difference, among which, the CFI Theil index displayed the distribution feature of "western (11.50 %) > central (11.12 %) > eastern (10.56 %) > northeast (6.61 %). The contribution rate of CFI illustrated the spatial pattern of "eastern (33.74 %) > central (21.07 %) > western (19.87 %) > northeast (5.24 %). Furthermore, the influencing effects of GDP per capita, planting structure, population density and urbanization level on CF and CFI also demonstrate evident spatiotemporal heterogeneity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Cui
- College of Economics and Management, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, Shaanxi, China; Agricultural Production and Recourse Economics, Technische Universität München, Alte Akademie 14, 85354 Freising, Germany.
| | - Sufyan Ullah Khan
- Department of Economics and Finance, UiS Business School, University of Stavanger, 4036 Stavanger, Norway.
| | - Johannes Sauer
- Agricultural Production and Recourse Economics, Technische Universität München, Alte Akademie 14, 85354 Freising, Germany.
| | - Minjuan Zhao
- College of Economics and Management, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, Shaanxi, China.
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19
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Shah IH, Miller SA, Jiang D, Myers RJ. Cement substitution with secondary materials can reduce annual global CO 2 emissions by up to 1.3 gigatons. Nat Commun 2022; 13:5758. [PMID: 36180443 PMCID: PMC9525259 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-33289-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2022] [Accepted: 09/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Population and development megatrends will drive growth in cement production, which is already one of the most challenging-to-mitigate sources of CO2 emissions. However, availabilities of conventional secondary cementitious materials (CMs) like fly ash are declining. Here, we present detailed generation rates of secondary CMs worldwide between 2002 and 2018, showing the potential for 3.5 Gt to be generated in 2018. Maximal substitution of Portland cement clinker with these materials could have avoided up to 1.3 Gt CO2-eq. emissions (~44% of cement production and ~2.8% of anthropogenic CO2-eq. emissions) in 2018. We also show that nearly all of the highest cement producing nations can locally generate and use secondary CMs to substitute up to 50% domestic Portland cement clinker, with many countries able to potentially substitute 100% Portland cement clinker. Our results highlight the importance of pursuing regionally optimized CM mix designs and systemic approaches to decarbonizing the global CMs cycle. In this paper we report the maximum potential for cement substitution with secondary materials to reduce CO2 emissions globally (1.3 Gt CO2-eq. in 2018) and on a country-by-country basis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Izhar Hussain Shah
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Sabbie A Miller
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Daqian Jiang
- Department of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL, USA
| | - Rupert J Myers
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Imperial College London, London, UK.
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20
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Mishra A, Humpenöder F, Churkina G, Reyer CPO, Beier F, Bodirsky BL, Schellnhuber HJ, Lotze-Campen H, Popp A. Land use change and carbon emissions of a transformation to timber cities. Nat Commun 2022; 13:4889. [PMID: 36042197 PMCID: PMC9427734 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-32244-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2021] [Accepted: 07/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Using engineered wood for construction has been discussed for climate change mitigation. It remains unclear where and in which way the additional demand for wooden construction material shall be fulfilled. Here we assess the global and regional impacts of increased demand for engineered wood on land use and associated CO2 emissions until 2100 using an open-source land system model. We show that if 90% of the new urban population would be housed in newly built urban mid-rise buildings with wooden constructions, 106 Gt of additional CO2 could be saved by 2100. Forest plantations would need to expand by up to 149 Mha by 2100 and harvests from unprotected natural forests would increase. Our results indicate that expansion of timber plantations for wooden buildings is possible without major repercussions on agricultural production. Strong governance and careful planning are required to ensure a sustainable transition to timber cities even if frontier forests and biodiversity hotspots are protected.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abhijeet Mishra
- Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK), Member of Leibniz Association, P.O.Box 60 12 03, 14412, Potsdam, Germany. .,Humboldt University of Berlin, Department of Agricultural Economics, Unter den Linden 6, 10099, Berlin, Germany.
| | - Florian Humpenöder
- Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK), Member of Leibniz Association, P.O.Box 60 12 03, 14412, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Galina Churkina
- Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK), Member of Leibniz Association, P.O.Box 60 12 03, 14412, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Christopher P O Reyer
- Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK), Member of Leibniz Association, P.O.Box 60 12 03, 14412, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Felicitas Beier
- Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK), Member of Leibniz Association, P.O.Box 60 12 03, 14412, Potsdam, Germany.,Humboldt University of Berlin, Department of Agricultural Economics, Unter den Linden 6, 10099, Berlin, Germany
| | - Benjamin Leon Bodirsky
- Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK), Member of Leibniz Association, P.O.Box 60 12 03, 14412, Potsdam, Germany.,World Vegetable Center, P.O. Box 42, Shanhua, Tainan, 74199, Taiwan
| | - Hans Joachim Schellnhuber
- Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK), Member of Leibniz Association, P.O.Box 60 12 03, 14412, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Hermann Lotze-Campen
- Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK), Member of Leibniz Association, P.O.Box 60 12 03, 14412, Potsdam, Germany.,Humboldt University of Berlin, Department of Agricultural Economics, Unter den Linden 6, 10099, Berlin, Germany
| | - Alexander Popp
- Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK), Member of Leibniz Association, P.O.Box 60 12 03, 14412, Potsdam, Germany
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21
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Wang M, Feng C. Tracking the inequalities of global per capita carbon emissions from perspectives of technological and economic gaps. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2022; 315:115144. [PMID: 35525042 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2022.115144] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2021] [Revised: 04/02/2022] [Accepted: 04/21/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Facing up to global carbon inequality is an important prerequisite for the fair allocation of carbon emission reduction tasks. This study proposed a new index to measure carbon inequality and then constructed a data envelopment analysis-based decomposition framework to focus on the impacts of the economic development gap and the technology gap on carbon inequality. Based on a dataset of 83 countries (or regions) during 1990-2017, we discuss global carbon inequality and its driving factors and further reveal the discrepancies among different income groups and countries. The main findings indicate that: (1) global carbon emissions showed significant inequality in all years and have an overall decreasing tendency. (2) High-income countries tended to display larger carbon inequality and witnessed great variation in different years. Upper middle-income and lower middle-income countries had relatively low carbon inequality and only experienced very minor variation. (3) Economic development disparity was the foremost factor leading to carbon inequality enlargement in most countries, especially the countries with higher income. The production technology gap played an important role in narrowing carbon inequality, whereas the energy-saving technology gap only exerted a minor effect on carbon inequality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miao Wang
- School of Management, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361005, China
| | - Chao Feng
- School of Economics and Business Administration, Chongqing University, Chongqing, 400030, China.
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22
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Watari T, Cao Z, Hata S, Nansai K. Efficient use of cement and concrete to reduce reliance on supply-side technologies for net-zero emissions. Nat Commun 2022; 13:4158. [PMID: 35851585 PMCID: PMC9293885 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-31806-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2022] [Accepted: 06/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Decarbonization strategies for the cement and concrete sector have relied heavily on supply-side technologies, including carbon capture and storage (CCS), masking opportunities for demand-side intervention. Here we show that cross-cutting strategies involving both the supply and demand sides can achieve net-zero emissions by 2050 across the entire Japanese cement and concrete cycle without resorting to mass deployment of CCS. Our analysis shows that a series of mitigation efforts on the supply side can reduce 2050 CO2 emissions by up to 80% from baseline levels and that the remaining 20% mitigation gap can be fully bridged by the efficient use of cement and concrete in the built environment. However, this decarbonization pathway is dependent on how CO2 uptake by carbonation and carbon capture and utilization is accounted for in the inventory. Our analysis underscores the importance of including demand-side interventions at the heart of decarbonization strategies and highlights the urgent need to discuss how to account for CO2 uptake in national inventories under the Paris Agreement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takuma Watari
- Material Cycles Division, National Institute for Environmental Studies, Tsukuba, Japan.
- Institute for Sustainable Futures, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
| | - Zhi Cao
- Energy and Materials in Infrastructure and Buildings (EMIB), University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium.
| | - Sho Hata
- Material Cycles Division, National Institute for Environmental Studies, Tsukuba, Japan
- Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Kashiwa, Japan
| | - Keisuke Nansai
- Material Cycles Division, National Institute for Environmental Studies, Tsukuba, Japan
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23
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Carcassi OB, Habert G, Malighetti LE, Pittau F. Material Diets for Climate-Neutral Construction. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2022; 56:5213-5223. [PMID: 35377619 PMCID: PMC9022436 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.1c05895] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2021] [Revised: 03/22/2022] [Accepted: 03/23/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
The climate crisis is urging us to act fast. Buildings are a key leverage point in reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, but the embodied emissions related to their construction often remain the hidden challenge of any ambitious policy. Therefore, in this paper, we explored material GHG neutralization where herbaceous biobased insulation materials with negative net-global warming potentials (GWPs) were used to compensate for building elements that necessarily release GHGs. Different material diets, as well as different building typologies, were modeled to assess the consequences in terms of biobased insulation requirements to reach climate neutrality. Our results show that climate-neutral construction can be built with sufficient energy performance to fulfill current standards and with building component thicknesses within a range of 1.05-0.58 m when timber- and bamboo-based construction is chosen. Concrete-based ones require insulation sizes that are too large and heavy to be supported by the dimensioned structures or accepted by urban regulations. Moreover, a time horizon of 20 years is more appropriate for assessing the contribution of material shifts to biobased materials in the transition period before 2050. This paper demonstrates that this is technically feasible and that climate neutrality in the construction sector just depends on the future that we choose.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olga Beatrice Carcassi
- Department
of Architecture, Built Environment and Construction Engineering (ABC), Politecnico di Milano, Via G. Ponzio 31, 20133 Milan, Italy
| | - Guillaume Habert
- Department
of Civil, Environmental, and Geomatic Engineering, ETH Zurich, Stefano-Franscini-Platz
5, CH-8093 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Laura Elisabetta Malighetti
- Department
of Architecture, Built Environment and Construction Engineering (ABC), Politecnico di Milano, Via G. Ponzio 31, 20133 Milan, Italy
| | - Francesco Pittau
- Department
of Architecture, Built Environment and Construction Engineering (ABC), Politecnico di Milano, Via G. Ponzio 31, 20133 Milan, Italy
- Department
of Civil, Environmental, and Geomatic Engineering, ETH Zurich, Stefano-Franscini-Platz
5, CH-8093 Zurich, Switzerland
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24
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Zeng A, Chen W, Rasmussen KD, Zhu X, Lundhaug M, Müller DB, Tan J, Keiding JK, Liu L, Dai T, Wang A, Liu G. Battery technology and recycling alone will not save the electric mobility transition from future cobalt shortages. Nat Commun 2022; 13:1341. [PMID: 35292628 PMCID: PMC8924274 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-29022-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2021] [Accepted: 02/16/2022] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
In recent years, increasing attention has been given to the potential supply risks of critical battery materials, such as cobalt, for electric mobility transitions. While battery technology and recycling advancement are two widely acknowledged strategies for addressing such supply risks, the extent to which they will relieve global and regional cobalt demand–supply imbalance remains poorly understood. Here, we address this gap by simulating historical (1998-2019) and future (2020-2050) global cobalt cycles covering both traditional and emerging end uses with regional resolution (China, the U.S., Japan, the EU, and the rest of the world). We show that cobalt-free batteries and recycling progress can indeed significantly alleviate long-term cobalt supply risks. However, the cobalt supply shortage appears inevitable in the short- to medium-term (during 2028-2033), even under the most technologically optimistic scenario. Our results reveal varying cobalt supply security levels by region and indicate the urgency of boosting primary cobalt supply to ensure global e-mobility ambitions. New study finds cobalt-free batteries and recycling progress can significantly alleviate long-term cobalt supply risks, however a cobalt supply shortage appears inevitable in the short- to medium-term, even under the most technologically optimistic scenario.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anqi Zeng
- School of Business, Central South University, 410083, Changsha, China.,SDU Life Cycle Engineering, Department of Green Technology, University of Southern Denmark, 5230, Odense, Denmark.,Institute of Metal Resources Strategy, Central South University, 410083, Changsha, China
| | - Wu Chen
- SDU Life Cycle Engineering, Department of Green Technology, University of Southern Denmark, 5230, Odense, Denmark
| | - Kasper Dalgas Rasmussen
- SDU Life Cycle Engineering, Department of Green Technology, University of Southern Denmark, 5230, Odense, Denmark
| | - Xuehong Zhu
- School of Business, Central South University, 410083, Changsha, China. .,Institute of Metal Resources Strategy, Central South University, 410083, Changsha, China.
| | - Maren Lundhaug
- Industrial Ecology Programme, Department of Energy and Process Engineering, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, 7491, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Daniel B Müller
- Industrial Ecology Programme, Department of Energy and Process Engineering, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, 7491, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Juan Tan
- Center for Minerals and Materials, Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland, 1350, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Jakob K Keiding
- Center for Minerals and Materials, Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland, 1350, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Litao Liu
- Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100101, Beijing, China
| | - Tao Dai
- Research Center for Strategy of Global Mineral Resources, Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences and China Geological Survey, 100037, Beijing, China.
| | - Anjian Wang
- Research Center for Strategy of Global Mineral Resources, Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences and China Geological Survey, 100037, Beijing, China
| | - Gang Liu
- SDU Life Cycle Engineering, Department of Green Technology, University of Southern Denmark, 5230, Odense, Denmark.
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25
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Xiao J, Xia B, Xiao X, Li Y, Xue S, Zhou Y, Lu Y, Xu B. 混凝土结构低碳设计理论前瞻. CHINESE SCIENCE BULLETIN-CHINESE 2022. [DOI: 10.1360/tb-2022-0055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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26
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Zhang X, Chen L, Zhang M, Shen Z. Prioritizing sponge city sites in rapidly urbanizing watersheds using multi-criteria decision model. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2021; 28:63377-63390. [PMID: 34231156 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-021-14952-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2021] [Accepted: 06/13/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Spatial planning is crucial for sponge city (SC) construction; however, prioritizing SC sites at the watershed scale has not been fully explored. In this study, a multi-criteria decision model, considering demand and suitability of SC construction, was established by monitoring, model simulation, and index calculation. This new model was then tested in a rapidly urbanizing watershed, Beijing, China, and the priority of SC construction at both grid scale (1km×1km) and subwatershed scale was ranked. The results showed that the highest priority was found in emerging regions where urbanization is ongoing and followed by urban core areas. In addition, six indexes were identified by clustering heatmaps as key factors affecting the priority of SC planning, including topographic index, water pollution index, pollution rate based on the state standard of surface water environment quality, urbanization planning, urban levels, and vegetation index, which could guide SC planning in data-lacking regions. The approach and findings in this study cannot only provide helpful references for watershed managers and urban planners but also can be easily used in other regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoyue Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Water Environment Simulation, School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, People's Republic of China
| | - Lei Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Water Environment Simulation, School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, People's Republic of China.
| | - Meng Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Water Environment Simulation, School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhenyao Shen
- State Key Laboratory of Water Environment Simulation, School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, People's Republic of China.
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Zhong X, Hu M, Deetman S, Steubing B, Lin HX, Hernandez GA, Harpprecht C, Zhang C, Tukker A, Behrens P. Global greenhouse gas emissions from residential and commercial building materials and mitigation strategies to 2060. Nat Commun 2021; 12:6126. [PMID: 34675192 PMCID: PMC8531392 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-26212-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2020] [Accepted: 09/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Building stock growth around the world drives extensive material consumption and environmental impacts. Future impacts will be dependent on the level and rate of socioeconomic development, along with material use and supply strategies. Here we evaluate material-related greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions for residential and commercial buildings along with their reduction potentials in 26 global regions by 2060. For a middle-of-the-road baseline scenario, building material-related emissions see an increase of 3.5 to 4.6 Gt CO2eq yr-1 between 2020-2060. Low- and lower-middle-income regions see rapid emission increase from 750 Mt (22% globally) in 2020 and 2.4 Gt (51%) in 2060, while higher-income regions shrink in both absolute and relative terms. Implementing several material efficiency strategies together in a High Efficiency (HE) scenario could almost half the baseline emissions. Yet, even in this scenario, the building material sector would require double its current proportional share of emissions to meet a 1.5 °C-compatible target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoyang Zhong
- Institute of Environmental Sciences (CML), Leiden University, 2333 CC, Leiden, The Netherlands.
| | - Mingming Hu
- Institute of Environmental Sciences (CML), Leiden University, 2333 CC, Leiden, The Netherlands
- School of Management Science and Real Estate, Chongqing University, Chongqing, 40045, China
| | - Sebastiaan Deetman
- Institute of Environmental Sciences (CML), Leiden University, 2333 CC, Leiden, The Netherlands
- Copernicus Institute for Sustainable Development, Utrecht University, 3584 CB, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Bernhard Steubing
- Institute of Environmental Sciences (CML), Leiden University, 2333 CC, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Hai Xiang Lin
- Institute of Environmental Sciences (CML), Leiden University, 2333 CC, Leiden, The Netherlands
- Delft Institute of Applied Mathematics, Delft University of Technology, 2628 CD, Delft, The Netherlands
| | - Glenn Aguilar Hernandez
- Institute of Environmental Sciences (CML), Leiden University, 2333 CC, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Carina Harpprecht
- Institute of Environmental Sciences (CML), Leiden University, 2333 CC, Leiden, The Netherlands
- German Aerospace Center (DLR), Institute of Networked Energy Systems, Curiestreet 4, 70563, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Chunbo Zhang
- Institute of Environmental Sciences (CML), Leiden University, 2333 CC, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Arnold Tukker
- Institute of Environmental Sciences (CML), Leiden University, 2333 CC, Leiden, The Netherlands
- Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research TNO, 2595 DA, The Hague, The Netherlands
| | - Paul Behrens
- Institute of Environmental Sciences (CML), Leiden University, 2333 CC, Leiden, The Netherlands.
- Leiden University College The Hague, Leiden University, 2595 DG, The Hague, The Netherlands.
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Abstract
This introduction to the Faraday Discussion on carbon dioxide utilization (CDU) provides a framework to lay out the need for CDU, the opportunities, boundary conditions, potential pitfalls, and critical needs to advance the required technologies in the time needed. CDU as a mainstream climate-relevant solution is gaining rapid traction as measured by the increase in the number of related publications, the investment activity, and the political action taken in various countries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Volker Sick
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
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Tanzer SE, Blok K, Ramírez A. Curing time: a temporally explicit life cycle CO 2 accounting of mineralization, bioenergy, and CCS in the concrete sector. Faraday Discuss 2021; 230:271-291. [PMID: 34259689 DOI: 10.1039/d0fd00139b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
The decarbonization of concrete production requires a multi-pronged approach including the abatement of CO2 emissions from cement production as well as storage of CO2 within concrete itself. This study explores the decarbonization potential of combining bioenergy and carbon capture and storage (CCS) during cement production with the accelerated carbonation of fresh concrete and the natural carbonation of demolished concrete for the life cycle net CO2 of 30 MPa ordinary Portland concrete. As both biomass and concrete reuptake CO2 over time, the timing of CO2 emissions and removals is explicitly accounted for. At current technology levels, the combination of bioenergy and CCS in cement production combined with the carbonation of demolished concrete was seen in our model to allow for net CO2-negative concrete. However, the concrete is CO2-positive until the CO2 of production is reabsorbed by biomass regrowth and the carbonation of demolished concrete at end-of-life. In our model, accelerated carbonation was, by itself, an inefficient CO2 storage mechanism, due to the penalty of energy use and injection losses. However, if it led to a gain in concrete strength, accelerated carbonation could result in lower CO2via reduced resource demand and cement production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samantha Eleanor Tanzer
- Department of Engineering Systems and Services, Delft University of Technology, Jaffalaan 5, 2628 BX Delft, The Netherlands.
| | - Kornelis Blok
- Department of Engineering Systems and Services, Delft University of Technology, Jaffalaan 5, 2628 BX Delft, The Netherlands.
| | - Andrea Ramírez
- Department of Engineering Systems and Services, Delft University of Technology, Jaffalaan 5, 2628 BX Delft, The Netherlands.
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