Professor Jonathan Cullen Archives

Potential for energy savings and carbon dioxide emissions reduction in the cement industry

Potential for energy savings and carbon dioxide emissions reduction in the cement industry

TransFIRe researchers have undertaken a literature review to compare cement production practices, in terms of energy consumption and CO2 emissions, in order to identify approaches that are the least energy and emissions intensive. Cement production accounts for 7% of global carbon dioxide emissions, 3 to 4% of green-house gas emissions, and 7% of global industrial energy use. Demand for cement is also continuously increasing due to the rising worldwide population and urbanisation trends, as well as infrastructure development needs, with a further global increase of 12- 23% from its current level expected by 2050. Following the net-zero carbon 2050 agenda, both energy and emissions must be significantly reduced and, in order to do so, it is essential to understand the manufacturing processes involved and the accompanying energy utilisation and CO2 emissions. The literature review considers both the different types of cement production routes and the different production stages involved, [...]

Joanna Johnson2023-12-11T15:25:15+00:00December 11th, 2023|

Mapping resource consumption and emissions in the Foundation Industries

Mapping resource consumption and emissions in the Foundation Industries

Understanding the intricate flows of resource consumption and emissions within various industries is paramount in pursuing a sustainable future. As part of TransFIRe’s Work Stream 1 (WS1), we are working on a ground-breaking study that bridges a critical gap in our comprehension of foundation industries. Foundation industries include the cement, ceramics, chemicals, glass, metals, and paper sectors – the backbone of our society. The developed study introduces a methodological framework that addresses the gap in mapping resource flows and provides a replicable blueprint for interpreting the complexities of resource consumption and emissions. By adopting this approach, we gain profound insights into the collective performance of these industries and their sectors. Furthermore, the study benchmarks the current performance of the UK against global averages and best practices, acting as a compass for tracking progress towards ambitious net-zero targets. One of the key merits of this study lies in its ability [...]

Joanna Johnson2023-08-10T11:27:28+00:00August 10th, 2023|

What to do about plastics? Lessons from a study of UK plastics flows

What to do about plastics? Lessons from a study of UK plastics flows

A new study of UK plastics flows co-authored by TransFIRe researchers Michał Drewniok and Jonathan Cullen shows that 1/3 of related green house gas (GHG) emissions could be reduced by increasing recycling capacity and reducing demand. Plastics are pervasive. We use them every day in our phones, laptops, clothes, and cars. Plastics have also been found in the most unlikely places, from the human bloodstream to the bottom of the Mariana Trench. Public concern about the use and disposal of plastic has soared in recent years, catalysed by David Attenborough’s documentary pleas and enduring images of seahorses grasping Q-tips circulating on social media. But alongside issues of marine and terrestrial pollution sits the less visible contribution of plastics to climate change. Greenhouse gas emissions are released when heat is generated for the chemical reactions required to manufacture plastics, and from those reactions themselves. Emissions also result from the management of waste [...]

Joanna Johnson2023-07-18T13:15:10+00:00July 18th, 2023|

Mapping material use and embodied carbon in UK construction

Mapping material use and embodied carbon in UK construction

TransFIRe researchers have co-authored a paper in which they quantified and benchmarked the material use and embodied carbon to the deliver the 'core and shell' of typical residential and non-residential buildings. In this paper embodied carbon emissions, equivalent to greenhouse gas emissions (GHG), are released during the production of materials and construction processes rather than when it is in use. They are an essential measurement to deliver carbon neutral buildings. With the government’s 2050 net-zero deadline approaching and the pressure to decarbonise increasing, it is vital that ways of minimising levels of embodied carbon are tackled. The detailed bottom-up approach taken by the researchers showed that, compared to the top-down analysis, the embodied carbon emissions were underestimated by up to 20%. Combining their detailed bottom-up model with top-down analysis and other material consumption data, the researchers found that in 2018 (the year in which the most recent available high-level [...]

Joanna Johnson2023-07-18T11:00:51+00:00July 18th, 2023|

Mapping energy and material flows for the foundation industries

Mapping energy and material flows for the foundation industries

As the costs of goods and services continue to rise and the world looks for ways to become more efficient and sustainable, an approach called Gentani is being used to help reduce waste and inefficiency. Gentani is a Japanese word that means output level or consumption rate, but in these circumstances, it means the minimum resource you need to carry out a process. Using this approach, over the past few months TransFIRe’s Workstream 1 (WS1) have been able to map the energy and material flows at the UK level for all six of the foundation industries (cement, chemicals, ceramics, metals, plastics and paper) to identify potential opportunities for improvement and symbiosis. The researchers are also developing an approach to present the combined energy and material flows that will allow reporting data in a concise, transparent and flexible manner. The new approach has the flexibility to scale from company to [...]

Joanna Johnson2024-01-29T11:33:36+00:00January 30th, 2023|