Energy Security and Sustainability for the European Union after/during the Ukraine Crisis: A Perspective

Abstract

The special military operation initiated by the Russian Federation (RF) against Ukraine has focused on the European Union (EU) and, to a lesser degree, U.S. fossil fuel resource dependency. The Russian Federation's economy is heavily geared toward exports of carbonbased fuels. As a result of the proximity of the EU and Ukraine, these two entities are the largest importers of RF fossil fuels. Ukraine's and EU's large population and heavy industries utilize energy in large quantities. As a result of the overreliance on Russian carbon energy imports, the overall energy security index of the EU dropped by approximately 1−1.5% over the last 20 years. The energy security index can positively correlate with greenhouse emissions or a composite unit considering gas reserves and carbon dioxide emissions. To improve the EU energy security index, the EU imposed several phase-out energy bans in coordination with the U.K., U.S., Canada, Japan, and Australia in response to the ongoing crisis. An energy balance analysis demonstrates that an attractive option, namely, a hydrogen (H 2 ) infrastructure upgrade at the EU regional level, is feasible. The infrastructure upgrade at the regional level could generate an energy equivalent substitution of 20 exajoules (1 × 10 18 J) for heating and power to enable the EU to be free of energy imports from the RF for all carbon resources except oil. Further policy changes to facilitate a transition to sustainable resources, along with corresponding improvements in the efficiency of businesses, housing, and transport sector, could make the EU carbon neutral by 2050 and free from RF carbon imports before 2060.

Ambient and sub-ambient temperature direct air CO2 capture (DAC) by novel supported in situ polymerized amines

“…The higher pore volume of MSF allowed for greater amine accommodation, consistent with ndings by other researchers. [73][74][75] As previously explained, temperature has two opposing effects on CO 2 uptakes, signicantly inuenced by the CO 2 concentration, amine loading, amine chain length, and moisture availability. Similar to humid conditions, where CO 2 uptake went through a maximum versus temperature, dry conditions had the same behavior but at a different temperature.…”

Carbon Dioxide Capture by Emerging Innovative Polymers: Status and Perspectives

“…Li et al investigated the influence of different silica nanostructure supports for PEI-functionalized adsorbents, in the form of silica nanospheres (SNPs), silica nanosheets (SNHs), and silica nanotubes (SNTs). [54] It was shown that the morphology of support plays a crucial role in CO 2 capture from flue gas, particularly the key parameters associated with ultralow emission, such as adsorption capacity, amine efficiency, thermodynamics, kinetics, cyclic stability, and temperature of optimal adsorption. SNHs enhanced the dispersion of the PEI active sites for successful mass transfer resistance reduction of CO 2 during the adsorption process.…”

Untitled

“…The fundamental postulates of the energy sector in general, energy security, and human rights in this area, in particular, have become the subject of attention in theoretical and practical terms. The level of security and competence in the energy sector is studied (Georgiadou et al, 2023); energy security and resilience after/during crises (Liu et al, 2023); attacks on energy infrastructure aimed at democratic institutions (Lordan-Perret et al, 2019). As noted by Y. Kharazishvili et al (2021) note that systemic and strategic approaches to assessing energy security, ensuring the security of sustainable development, tools, and strategic scenarios for implementing energy security in the context of geopolitical instability are important.…”