Greenhouse gas emissions

Meeting the Freight Transportation GHG Challenge

Posted on Monday, November 6, 2017 - 07:00 by David B. Layzell, PhD, FRSC , Bastiaan Straatman, PhD, Jessica Lof, MSc

Reducing greenhouse gas emissions is a formidable challenge for Canada’s freight transportation sector. If we are serious about doing our share to constrain climate change to less than 2^oC by 2050, it is a challenge that we must meet.

The country’s freight systems contribute 69 million tonnes of carbon equivalents spread across rail, road and marine modes, representing nine per cent of Canada’s total GHG emissions. However, these systems are tightly linked to our prosperity and livelihood.

SAGD cogeneration strategy would shrink the carbon footprint of both the Alberta electrical grid and the oil sands

Posted on Thursday, October 20, 2016 - 06:00 by Mark Lowey, BA

Alberta could simultaneously achieve two of its biggest energy objectives – accelerating the phase-out of coal-fired power and reducing greenhouse gas emissions from oil sands crude production – using a readily available, proven technology, according to two major new studies (Figure 1) by the Canadian Energy Systems Analysis Research (CESAR) Initiative.

Expanding the use of combined heat and power (called cogeneration) technology) at steam assisted gravity drainage (SAGD) oil sands operations would cut more greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from Alberta’s electrical grid – and at a lower cost – than simply replacing coal with stand alone natural gas-fired power, the studies show.

Four ways to reduce Alberta’s GHG emissions from homes

Posted on Tuesday, March 29, 2016 - 07:10 by Mark Lowey, BA

Improving energy efficiency in Alberta’s residential housing sector could potentially reduce greenhouse gas emissions by more than 4 million tonnes annually compared to a business as usual (BAU) scenario – or over 122 million tonnes by 2060, reports a group of University of Calgary engineering students working with David Layzell, professor and director of the Canadian Energy Systems Analysis Research (CESAR) initiative at the University of Calgary.

Slashing Alberta’s GHG emissions with fuel cells in the oil sands

Posted on Tuesday, February 9, 2016 - 07:39 by Mark Lowey, BA

Deploying molten carbonate fuel cell technology in the oil sands could significantly reduce Alberta’s greenhouse gas emissions and has the potential to be cost-effective under the province’s carbon tax, reports a group of University of Calgary engineering students (Figure 1) working with David Layzell, professor and director of the Canadian Energy Systems Analysis Research (CESAR) initiative at the university.