Sustainable gaseous fuel futures of Canada : a planning framework for fuel supply chain configurations
department or school: Applied Science, Faculty of
department or school: Engineering, School of (Okanagan)
data provider: DSpace
degree campus: UBCO
creator: Kotagoda Hetti, Ravihari Kaumadi
issued: 2024-11-12T17:48:39Z
issued: 2024
related degree: Doctor of Philosophy - PhD
degree grantor: University of British Columbia
description: The increasing energy demand results in numerous environmental concerns. Despite the popularity gained by renewable energy, certain economic activities still require fossil fuels, with natural gas (NG) playing a critical role in Canada's energy security. However, NG supply chain operations emit significant greenhouse gas volumes. As low-carbon fuels, hydrogen and renewable natural gas (RNG) are considered strategies to decarbonize the NG supply chain. However, hardly any studies have been carried out to suggest integrated pathways for RNG and hydrogen inclusion in conventional gas grids. Therefore, the overall aim of this research is to develop a life cycle thinking-based decision support framework to decarbonize the natural gas supply chain through RNG and hydrogen integration. Multi-criteria decision-making methods were used to select the most suitable RNG and hydrogen production paths. Multi-objective optimization was employed to determine the optimum fuel generation mix and gaseous fuel portfolio that caters to key economic sectors. A dynamic modelling approach was used to evaluate investment decisions from a long-range perspective. Policy implications and recommendations were further proposed for successfully decarbonized gas grid planning and management. The study results indicate that integrating RNG and hydrogen into conventional gas grids can reduce emissions of up to 250 tons CO2eq/year and generate substantial carbon tax savings of up to $16,250/year. Furthermore, the long-range simulation indicated the potential to displace FNG 100% by 2045. Moreover, RNG and hydrogen selling prices can be reduced to 0.009 $/ MJ and 4.8 $/kg Hâ by 2050 with policy support. The deliverables of this research will aid in decision-making for pre-project planning and sustenance of a diversified gas supply chain with RNG and hydrogen. The developed decision support framework and the models will assist utility providers and investors in identifying the optimum fuel integration …
aggregated CHO: https://circle.library.ubc.ca/rest/handle/2429/89646
note: SUSTAINABLE GASEOUS FUEL FUTURES OF CANADA: A PLANNING FRAMEWORK FOR FUEL SUPPLY CHAIN CONFIGURATIONS by Ravihari Kaumadi Kotagoda Hetti B.Sc. Eng. (Hons), University of Peradeniya, 2018 M.A.Sc., The University of British Columbia, Canada, 2020 A THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY in THE COLLEGE OF GRADUATE STUDIES (Mechanical Engineering) THE UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA (Okanagan) November, 2024 © Ravihari Kaumadi Kotagoda Hetti, 2024 ii The following individuals certify that they have read, and recommend to the College of Graduate Studies for acceptance, the dissertation entitled: SUSTAINABLE GASEOUS FUEL FUTURES OF CANADA: A PLANNING FRAMEWORK FOR FUEL SUPPLY CHAIN CONFIGURATIONS submitted by Ravihari Kaumadi Kotagoda Hetti in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Examining Committee: Dr. Kasun Hewage, School of Engineering Supervisor Dr. Rehan Sadiq, School of Engineering Co-Supervisor Dr. Zheng Liu, School of Engineering Supervisory Committee Member Dr. Abbas Milani, School of Engineering Supervisory Committee Member Dr. Ian Foulds, School of Engineering University Examiner Dr. Ahmed Hammad, University of Alberta External Examiner iii Abstract The increasing energy demand results in numerous environmental concerns. Despite the popularity gained by renewable energy, certain economic activities still require fossil fuels, with natural gas (NG) playing a critical role in Canada's energy security. However, NG supply chain operations emit significant greenhouse gas volumes. As low-carbon fuels, hydrogen and renewable natural gas (RNG) are considered strategies to decarbonize the NG supply chain. However, hardly any studies have been carried out to suggest integrated pathways for RNG and hydrogen inclusion in conventional gas grids. Therefore, the overall aim of this research is to develop a life cycle thinking-based decision support framework to decarbonize t…
has type: Thesis/Dissertation
date issued: 2025-02
is shown at: 10.14288/1.0447265
language: eng
degree discipline: Mechanical Engineering
provider: Vancouver : University of British Columbia Library
publisher: University of British Columbia
rights: Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International
rights URI: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
scholar level: Graduate
contributor: Hewage, Kasun
contributor: Sadiq, Rehan
type: Text
identifier URI: http://hdl.handle.net/2429/89646