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Given the increasing cost-competiveness of renewable energy (RE) technologies, competitive auction schemes have increasingly been adopted in recent years across various developed and developing countries. Local content requirements (LCRs) are frequently used as part of RE auction schemes to promote local industrial development. In this paper, we present a review of the literature on the effectiveness of LCRs in fostering local industrial development across various developing countries focusing on South Africa, Brazil, India and China. Specifically, this paper analyses the effectiveness of LCRs in promoting the establishment of local manufacturing facilities of onshore wind turbine and solar PV components in these countries. Further, the paper provides a review of the main determining factors stressed in the literature to account for variations in the effectiveness of LCRs. We have found that the literature generally ascribes importance to the role of LCRs in stimulating local component production in developing countries. However, previous research on the effectiveness of LCRs in establishing local component manufacturing differs across the technologies and the countries analysed. The variation in the effectiveness of LCRs can be explained by a framework that combines the following four determining factors: (i) market size and stability; (ii) policy design and coherence; (iii) the restrictiveness of the LCRs; and (iv) the domestic industrial base. The paper highlights a lack of systematic approaches and rigour in existing research, thus proposing the development of a common framework and set of indicators to assess the efficiency of LCRs. • Review of the use of local content requirements (LCRs) in renewable energy auction schemes in developing countries. • Study of the effects of LCRs in localising production of wind and solar components in South Africa, Brazil, India and China. • Finds that the effectiveness of LCRs in promoting local industrial development differs across countries and technologies. • Determinant factors is suggested to explain the variations in the effectiveness of LCRs across countries and technologies. • Concludes by suggesting more rigour and development of a common methodology in research on LCRs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Brazil, bioelectricity generation from sugarcane bagasse and black liquor is regarded as a sustainable electricity supply option. However, questions regarding land use, investment decisions, and demand for paper, ethanol and sugar make its future role uncertain. The aim of this paper is to present a novel modelling framework based on a soft-link between a multi-sectoral Brazilian integrated assessment model (MUSE-Brazil) and an electricity portfolio optimisation model (EPOM). The proposed framework is capable of dynamically simulating sectoral electricity demand, regional bioenergy production under land use constraints and optimal power sector technological shares in each of the electricity subsystems. Considering Brazil under a 2 °C carbon budget, two scenarios based on economic attractiveness of producing second-generation ethanol have been investigated. Under the scenario where second-generation ethanol is not produced, outputs indicate that by 2050, Brazil would increase sugarcane and wood production by 68% and 49% respectively without causing direct or indirect deforestation. Agriculture intensification is evidenced as an alternative for reducing land use disruptions. Bioelectricity share is projected to remain around 9–10%. However, if second generation ethanol becomes cost-effective, thus limiting bagasse availability, the share of bioelectricity production would decrease to approximately 7.7%, with natural gas-fired plants playing a stronger role in the future power system expansion, causing an increase on electricity sector emissions. • A novel framework considering energy systems and portfolio optimisation is proposed. • Two different carbon constrained bioelectricity scenarios in Brazil are investigated. • Power system emissions could represent between 13.3% and 14.5% of the carbon budget. • Controlling deforestation in the Amazon is fundamental to reach mitigation targets. • Bioelectricity potential is considerably reduced when 2G ethanol is produced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Since the 1970s, demands arising from the impacts of the power sector on the natural environment were added to studies regarding the strategic power sector and its impact on the economic and financial crises. Thus, the development of alternative technologies reflected the new institutional guidelines and overcame the technological paradigms that were based on increasing installed capacities. Consequently, multiple debates that consider the energy use potential of each region and its contributions to sustainable development occurred. This paper presents the information that is necessary for understanding the relationships of the development model that was founded based on waste and the expanding technologies that exploit natural resources. Actions that are aimed at developing renewable energy resources are structured based on the instability of the technological maintenance paradigm and are guaranteed by expanding technologies that were used prior to 1970. In addition, we evaluated the current institutional arrangements that are used to promote wind energy. In this case, greater attention was given to the European experience because Europe provides multiple examples of successful legal frameworks that promote wind energy. In addition, Europe is a benchmark for emerging market countries, such as Brazil. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Bagasse from sugarcane is traditionally used in the Brazilian sugar and ethanol industry to meet the energy needs of its own production processes and, more recently, to generate surplus electricity for sale on the national grid. Currently, the industry faces a difficult choice between either enhancing electricity generation or increasing ethanol production through the biochemical processing of bagasse. The aim of this paper is to examine the most promising technical configurations for bioenergy production using sugarcane bagasse and to discuss which configuration would be the most attractive investment option for the industry. At present, electricity generation through Rankine cycle power plants is the only commercially available alternative. Nevertheless, the analysis cannot be restricted only to the short term. For this purpose, cost analysis for 2030 were developed, and even in scenarios where there is an effective cost reduction of untradeable routes, the alternative of burning bagasse to generate electricity provides the most benefits from an investor perspective. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The growing demand for electrical power and the limited capital invested to provide this power is forcing countries like Brazil to search for new alternatives for electrical power generation. The purpose of this paper is to present a technical and economic study on a 15kW solar plant installed in an isolated community, highlighting the importance of the need for financial subsidy from the government. It evaluates the importance of parameters such as the annual interest rate, specific investment, the marginal cost of expanding the electrical power supply and the government subsidy on amortization time of capital invested. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The aim of this paper is to present aspects about the energy balance of sugarcane crops and its carbon dioxide emissions. We calculate energy used in agricultural, industrial and distribution sectors by five sugarcane mills of Mato Grosso do Sul and we compare the yield with its energy delivery. The energy balance obtained, with an average 6.8, shows that is advantageous to produce ethanol in the lands of that Brazilian state. We have prepared a forecasting of electricity production from bagasse taking into account two types of technology. Finally, we present the potential value of CO2 emitted by the five mills to evaluate greenhouse gas emissions of the ethanol production valor chain. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: There are at least 607 thousand households in the Brazilian Amazon that need to be attended with some form of regular electricity service. These households are not attended by the electricity sector through its electricity distribution companies and most of them have some form of precarious decentralized electricity generation that is not registered or regulated in the institutional framework. Diverse initiatives were taken by Brazilian government to attend these household through alternatives that relied on locally available renewable energy. This paper accesses this initiatives of rural electrification in the Brazilian Amazon. First an overview of the problems of rural electricity are discussed and its specificities in the Brazilian Amazon. Then the Brazilian institutional framework that organizes the decentralized electricity generation is described with its various limitations. The diverse initiatives undertaken to attend the rural communities in the Amazon since the 1990s are described, as well as how these initiatives are linked to the policies for rural electrification. The results shows that it can be inferred that sole market mechanisms are not sufficient to guarantee economic sustainability of these projects. This can be one of the reasons why traditional electricity distribution companies showed the lack of interest in promoting rural electrification with other means than grid extension. The most successful projects had financed efforts to integrate the generation of electricity into local development initiatives in order to guarantee sustainability and used substantial part of funding for local mobilization and organization. It needs a paradigm chance by treating these initiatives as local development initiatives and promoting alternative ways for its implementation through partnership between local new actors in the electricity sector and government and implementing policy on a local municipal level. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This review paper discusses the perspectives for development of low carbon technologies in the Brazilian energy sector, leading the country to less carbon intensive emission patterns within the next decades. Brazil''s current plans for expansion of its electricity matrix and overall energy sector data are briefly presented along with demand growth expectancy to illustrate the challenge faced. Existing literature on development scenarios for the country''s energy sector is then analyzed separately, including IPCC''s global emission scenarios, International Energy Agency''s scenarios for South American industry, specific country focused reports and ongoing governmental plans. Selected low carbon technologies for the energy sector are then individually reviewed, providing an insight into their current stage of development, perspectives and bottlenecks within Brazil, based on a diversity of sources. As a conclusion the authors expose their opinion on what can be expected for the future of Brazil''s energy sector, based on the likeliness of deployment of the selected technologies, giving overall recommendations on how to achieve optimistic expectations. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In much of the world, there is increasing demand for electricity to serve rural communities, isolated from the existing grids and typified by low-density electrical consumption. Because these non-urban consumer markets require rather high implementation investments (as well as high operation and maintenance costs), new technological and policy options are required to meet the needs of these markets. These consumers typically use energy in daytime peak hours of electricity, typically for lighting, television, and communication—as well as for a variety of cultural habits such as hot water that impose high demands on the utility''s power distribution and generation system. This has been the case in Brazil, making it necessary to identify decentralized generation technologies to meet the potential markets, typically serving rural and poorer areas. The government itself provided the impetus with the passage of the Brazilian “Universalization Law” that mandated supplying electricity access for the entire population by the year 2010. This law allows the use of both the distribution grid and renewable energy off-grid technologies. In response, Brazil''s largest state utility, Energetic Company of Minas Gerais (CEMIG) has aggressively implemented the use of decentralized photovoltaic systems to supplement the conventional power grid to satisfy the “universalization” targets. This paper provides a summary of the status and the future prospects of solar photovoltaic Energy in Brasil, within the context of the “universal electricity supply” policy. The focus here is to highlight the successes and the issues experienced to date in the State of Minas Gerais. This includes examining the methods implemented to ensure system reliability for the consumers, as well as the standards established under the Agéncia Nacional de Energy Elétrica (ANEEL), the national regulator electrical agency that ensures compliance with the federal regulations. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Environmental indicators have been constructed and used as a tool for measuring environmental performance for various purposes in the industrial environment including that of decision-making. However, few studies in the literature address the issue of the quality of the data used for the construction of these indicators, and one of the factors neglected is the uncertainty associated with them. This paper deals with a case study on the uncertainty in the energy indicators of a petrochemical industry in Brazil. In this study, there is an examination of the components involved in making the calculation of energy indicators, as well as their uncertainties. The end result is the development of a methodology that can be used for assessing the uncertainty of the indicators. The evaluation of this uncertainty shows a value greater than appropriate for the intended use of the indicator. In order to reduce this uncertainty, an attempt has been made to point out the most striking features that require investment in human and economic resources, such as improvement in the measurements and implementation of new measurers at critical points. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This article aims to investigate the introduction, sustenance and consolidation of bioethanol in Brazil. It presents an analysis of its introductory stage, from the first decades of the 20th century until the early 1970s, when, in a second stage, additional measures allowed for its consolidation and maturity, under the widely known Proalcool. The paper presents a historical reinterpretation of the policies, mechanisms and instruments adopted in both stages, aiming to highlight the economical and political links. It is concluded that the interests of the agrarian elites, operating at the political level, and the fuel supply crisis during Second World War were basic during the first stage, to sustain a productive and logistic capacity and maintain ethanol alive as an automotive fuel. It is also concluded that the launching of Proalcool represented a transition combining the interests of the sugarcane agribusiness, burdened by the drop in sugar prices, and the need to equilibrate the balance of payments due to the oil shocks of the 1970s. Ethanol supply shocks harmed its credibility and its commercial consolidation was only possible through the introduction of flex-fuel vehicles with expectations strongly relying on climate change mitigation actions. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The paper evaluates the role of the bio-fuels production in the transportation sector in the world, for programs of greenhouse gases emissions reductions and sustainable environmental performance. Depending on the methodology used to account for the local pollutant emissions and the global greenhouse gases emissions during the production and consumption of both the fossil and bio-fuels, the results can show huge differences. If it is taken into account a life cycle inventory approach to compare the different fuel sources, these results can present controversies. A comparison study involving the American oil diesel and soybean diesel developed by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory presents CO2 emissions for the bio-diesel which are almost 20% of the emissions for the oil diesel: 136g CO2/bhp-h for the bio-diesel from soybean and 633g CO2/bhp-h for the oil diesel [National Renewable Energy Laboratory—NREL/SR-580-24089]. Besides that, important local environmental impacts can also make a big difference. The water consumption in the soybean production is much larger in comparison with the water consumption for the diesel production [National Renewable Energy Laboratory—NREL/SR-580-24089]. Brazil has an important role to play in this scenario because of its large experience in bio-fuels production since the seventies, and the country has conditions to produce bio-fuels for attending great part of the world demand in a sustainable pathway. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The objective of this paper is to give an overview of the programs, projects and technologies related to the use of biofuels in Brazil. An evaluation of the biomass availability and electricity generation potential for different industrial and agricultural sectors is also presented. As a result an estimation of the overall technical potential for electricity generation based on biofuels in Brazil is presented as well. In addition, the state-of-the-art of different biomass electricity conversing technologies is discussed. A diagram is presented about the organization links and funding of biomass energy research activities in Brazil. Main development and research activities being carried out in this area at the Excellence Group in Thermal Power and Distributed Generation - NEST at the Mechanical Engineering Institute of the Federal University of Itajubá - UNIFEI, located in the city of Itajubá, Brazil are presented. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Hybrid polygeneration systems offer a great opportunity to meet growing energy demands with cost efficiency and environmental benefits. The identification of the optimal solution (configuration and operational strategy) is strongly affected by the relationship between the system and its surroundings. Previous studies have analyzed the influence of boundary conditions on the synthesis of polygeneration systems for buildings. However, local regulations are often disregarded or oversimplified in those studies. Therefore, this paper aims to evaluate the influence of legal conditions on the integration of renewable energy technologies in polygeneration systems for buildings. A comprehensive synthesis model is developed, including different types of legal conditions, such as power exchange modalities, subsidies/surcharges on energy prices and investment costs, and total ban on fossil fuels. Then, the model is applied to the case study of a Brazilian hospital. The current Brazilian net metering scheme is implemented. Results show that natural gas cogeneration is an attractive solution to cover the hospital's energy demands with or without the possibility of selling/exporting electricity. Also, the Brazilian net metering scheme, by itself, is not enough to ensure renewable energy deployment. An in-depth discussion about the conditions that would promote renewable energy integration is reported and recommendations are made on how current policies can be improved, including the need to explicitly address renewable technologies, the application of minimum renewable fractions, and the role of renewable heat/cooling. While the case study considers the specific circumstances in Brazil, it provides insights that can be extended to other countries or applications. • Synthesis model of hybrid renewable polygeneration systems for buildings. • Influence of legal constraints on the integration of renewable energy technologies. • Power exchange modalities, subsidies/surcharges, and fossil fuel ban are considered. • Technical, economic, and environmental analysis of a Brazilian hospital case study. • The Brazilian net metering scheme did not promote renewable energy technologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Brazil's Northeast is the country's least developed region and accounts for half of its potential for wind power generation. Recent wind energy projects have directed substantial investment flows to this region and are expected to propel regional socioeconomic development. This paper estimates interregional socioeconomic impacts of onshore wind power deployment in Brazil's Northeast region by applying a new Interregional Input-Output model with endogenized households. By assessing the direct, indirect and induced effects on economic sectors and households, cross-sectoral insights for regional development policies are identified. The set of projects considered consists of 2911 MW procured through auctions, which will become operational by 2023. Results show significant indirect and induced multiplier effects. Results indicate that 10 jobs/MW are created directly, while the total effect is 31.9 jobs/MW, meaning indirect and induced effects can be more than three times higher than direct impacts. More than 50% of the benefits occur in just a few key sectors. In the Northeast, the highest potential benefit on value added is revealed in the sectors: wholesale and retail trade; R&D and other business activities; financial intermediation; and real estate activities. These sectors reflect the potential for induced economic co-benefits mainly. However, the Rest of Brazil captures a significant part of total benefits, especially high-income jobs and high value-added activities. Therefore, we recommend that regional development policies focus on key sectors identified here and human development to provide O&M personnel and long-lasting benefits. Lastly, we discuss justice and equality issues related to our results. • Total economic output is almost three times the investments in wind power in Brazil. • >50% results come from six economic sectors; induced effects are the largest part. • Wealthier regions than the Northeast region capture significant impacts. • Prioritizing and increasing local industry may reduce regional inequality. • Multi-objective policy can benefit energy, the economy and tackle social challenges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The concept of sustainability can be a way to understand the dynamics of reality and to consider not only the economic growth but also the social, environmental and cultural aspects of development. This new paradigm questions the role of nature as an instrument only to satisfy the human needs and brings into consideration the rational use of natural resources through responsible environmental policies keeping in mind the needs of the future generations. The economic growth, considered as the notion of progress, brings intrinsically not only the extensive nature exploitation but also the intensification of the energy use. Energy sources become, then, a strategic variable for the economic development. The Brazilian energy policy is an appropriate case study for the paradigm of sustainability overview as it is characterized by isolated initiatives and programs, which culminated into a huge crisis. So, this paper aims to discuss the concepts of sustainability and ethics through the analysis of the Brazilian energy policy and its social and environmental implications. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The objective of the paper is to perform a review of the environmental impacts of the installation, operation and maintenance (O&M), and decommissioning of offshore wind technologies. At first, a comprehensive review is presented on offshore wind technologies and techniques related to the installation, O&M, and decommissioning stages. Then a thorough review of environmental issues using the main available studies in the literature associated with the activities of each stage is performed. The review employs an activity–stressor–receptor–impact framework in which the possible positive or negative impacts of an environmental stressor on a specific receptor are identified for each activity, such as pile driving, cabling, blade rotation, etc. Additionally, a case study of Brazil addresses regions with biological resources, marine protected areas, and offshore wind hotspots considering atmospheric reanalysis along the coastline. Moreover, the presence of the offshore oil and gas (O&G) industry is discussed as an important influence on the development of offshore wind projects in Brazil. [Display omitted] • Environmental impacts analyzing the activity–stressor–receptor–impact relationship. • Extremely high biological importance areas within Brazilian hotspots shallow water. • O&G activities along Brazilian hotspots of the Northeast and the Southeast coastline. • Recommendations for the offshore wind environmental licensing process in Brazil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fossil fuels dominate the current energy and chemicals' supply and this leads to a rapid growth in global greenhouse gas emissions. One mitigation option is using renewable feedstock for materials, chemicals (ethylene, propylene, acrylic acid and butanol) and, mostly, energy carriers (biodiesel, renewable jet fuel, ethanol and bioelectricity). This study demonstrates the effects of an economy based on biomass (bioeconomy) on macroeconomic aspects through a Computable General Equilibrium model. Three scenarios for 2030 were created to compare different levels of production (amount of chemicals and energy production through fossils versus biomass) for Brazil, based on sugarcane, soy and forest crops. Two important methodological aspects of this paper are the financial support provided by the government to enable the bioeconomy, and the limitations in land use established by the needs to reduce emissions. Overall, the results show that a bioeconomy could result in almost irrelevant negative impacts on GDP and in small increases in unemployment rate comparing to the reference scenario. However, these effects could be reversed, even with no deforestation, if the livestock and agriculture sectors increased their efficiency regarding land. Most importantly, if the livestock sector worked as a source of land for other crops in the event of a bioeconomy, the socioeconomic response would be more positive than if deforestation took place. • This study analyzes the impacts of a bioeconomy on the Brazilian economy in 2030. • It includes biochemicals, bioenergy and biomaterials based on sugars and lignocellulosic materials. • The analysis includes land use, restricting the increase in land endowment, or deforestation. • Results show that actions are needed regarding land productivities to prevent negative impacts on the economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we examine the winning bids of the biodiesel auctions conducted by the National Regulatory Agency for Oil, Gas, and Biofuels (ANP) in Brazil from 2012 to 2019. The public policy to develop the Brazilian biodiesel market had on the auction a fundamental pillar, providing stability for both suppliers and demanders. During the study period, the auction design had a stable framework of rules, enabling conditions for understanding competitors' behavior by studying their bids. Initially, we present an overview of the state of the art on the biodiesel program in Brazil and highlight the scarcity of published studies on biodiesel auctions. In sequence, we classify the auction according to the economic theory, showing that it fits the multiunit, sequential, first-price English auction design, and we review the specific literature for this auction model. Then, we analyze the database structure and investigate the presence of information asymmetries among bidders, using cumulative probability comparison as well as the two-sample Kolmogorov-Smirnov test and the t-statistic test for means. Results offer strong evidence in favor of information symmetry. Later, we check the hypothesis of common values on the data, applying a parametric test to verify the presence of the winner's curse. Results corroborate the existence of the winner's curse and the common values paradigm, discarding the application of the independent private-values paradigm to the data. Finally, we comment on the possibility of further studies on the topic. • Biodiesel auction in Brazil is a multiunit, sequential, first-price English auction. • Statistical tests offer strong evidence in favor of information symmetry. • Parametric tests confirm the presence of the winner's curse and common values. • Independent private values paradigm is discarded, but affiliation may occur. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, renewable and sustainable energy sources have attracted the attention of various investors and stakeholders, such as energy sector agents and even consumers. It is perplexing to observe and anticipate the required levels of photovoltaic generation, which are inherent tasks for such rapid insertion into the electric grid. This distributed/renewable generation must be integrated in a coordinated way such that there is no negative impact on the electric performance of the grid, increasing in the complexity of energy management. In this article, a methodology for photovoltaic generation forecasting is addressed for a horizon of one week ahead, using a new approach based on an artificial neural network (ANN) ensemble. Two main questions will be explored with this approach: how to select the ANNs, and how to combine them in the ensemble. The design of experiments (DOE) approach is applied to the photovoltaic time series factors and ANN factors. Then, a cluster analysis is performed to select the best networks. From this point on, a mixture (MDE) is employed to determine the ideal weights for the ensemble formation. The methodology is detailed throughout the paper and, based on the combination of forecasts, the photovoltaic generation was estimated for a specific panel set located in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil, reaching the value of 4.7% for the weekly mean absolute percentage error. The versatility of the proposed method allowed the change of the number of factors to be used in the experimental arrangement, the forecast model, and the desired forecast horizon, and consequently enhancing the forecasting determination. • An ANN ensemble is created for medium-term photovoltaic generation forecasting. • ANNs are selected by using a new design of experiments approach. • The ANN ensemble is built by using a new mixture design of experiments approach. • We predicted the photovoltaic generation for a panel set located in Brazil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the potential of biogas from anaerobic digestion of vinasse and its impact in different contexts. The use of vinasse biogas (VBG) for power generation is evaluated and the potential of this energy source is compared with fossil oil power plants in terms of energy, costs and greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions in Brazil, suggesting a program where the most expensive oil power plants are replaced by biogas plants with benefits in all aspects. Secondly, the use of vinasse biomethane (VBM) to replace natural gas (NG) in the state of São Paulo is examined, presenting an incentive program that could make this alternative fuel feasible even in smaller scale plants with minimal impact on NG costs in this state, while providing considerable emission reduction. The impact of VBG considering the increase in ethanol production over the next ten years is also evaluated, showing that substantial additional energy can be obtained and larger amounts of fossil fuels can be replaced. By crossing vinasse biogas potential with selected fossil fuels demand, the article brings insights to help the transition to a low-carbon society in a novel approach. The conclusions are that VBG and VBM can provide great benefits, such as USD 1 billion/year cost reductions and 6.7 million tons CO 2e /year emissions avoided by replacing fossil oil by biogas in power generation in Brazil and 3.2 million tons CO 2e /year avoided with biomethane replacing natural gas in the state of São Paulo, which, with specific programs and policies, could be achieved. • Vinasse biogas could replace fossil oil and natural gas in Brazil. • Electricity from vinasse biogas avoid GHG emissions at lower costs than oil plants. • Vinasse biomethane can replace natural gas in São Paulo with minimal cost increase. • Vinasse biogas can substitute more fossil fuels with increased ethanol production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global greenhouse gas emissions from energy production were approximately 40% higher in 2017 than in 2000 (International Energy Agency, 2018), and ambient particulate matter – one of the byproducts from fossil fuel combustion of most concern for public health – is now the fifth largest contributor to global disease (Cohen et al., 2017). Achieving the climate targets of the Paris Agreement and the Sustainable Development Goals requires better accounting for climate and health costs in energy planning. This paper quantifies trade-offs between selected energy infrastructure, climate, and health costs when meeting future electricity demand by increasing the share of renewable energy, with a focus on variable renewable energy (VRE; here: wind and solar photovoltaic power). Using a spatially and temporally resolved approach, we analyzed three scenarios for year 2030 for Northeast Brazil, characterized by 30%, 45%, and 70% of VRE (the latter corresponds to 100% renewable energy). We find that accounting for the health impacts from electricity generation is sufficient to economically justify deep decarbonization of Northeast Brazil's power sector. Full decarbonization is economically justified when the carbon price exceeds $20/tonne CO 2 , which is less than Brazil's country-level social cost of carbon and only 4.8% of the global social cost of carbon. Our study shows that regional climate and health costs from electricity generation alone can be greater than the additional infrastructure costs of decarbonization. Our results highlight how systematically accounting for health and climate costs in energy planning would economically justify the decarbonization of energy systems. • We quantify trade-offs between selected infrastructure, climate, and health costs. • We simulate scenarios with up to 100% renewable energy in Northeast Brazil. • We model the power system, particulate matter dispersion, and health impacts. • Country-level social costs of carbon and health costs justify deep decarbonization. • Health and climate costs should be systematically incorporated in energy planning. Theme: Techno-socio-economic and sustainability aspects of renewable energy systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There have been many efforts to improve sugarcane cultivation and conversion technologies in the ethanol industry. In this study, an economic assessment and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions analysis are performed on ethanol produced conventionally from sugarcane sugar and on an emerging process where the sugarcane bagasse is additionally used to produce ethanol. The combined conventional plus lignocellulosic ethanol pathway is found to be less economically favorable than the conventional ethanol pathway unless a series of technical challenges associated with cost reductions in lignocellulosic ethanol production are overcome, reaching a production cost at 0.31 $/L. This is expected to be achieved in a prospective 2020 scenario. GHG emissions savings against gasoline for both the conventional ethanol and the conventional plus lignocellulosic ethanol pathways are confirmed and found to increase with technological developments projected to occur over time. However, the absolute numbers are highly sensitive to the way of claiming credits from surplus electricity co-generated in the mill. These are 86%, 110% and 150% for the conventional ethanol in the 2020 scenario when the surplus electricity is assumed to replace the average electricity, the ‘combined-sources’ based electricity and the marginal electricity, respectively. For the conventional plus lignocellulosic ethanol pathway, they are 80%, 85% and 95% respectively in the 2020 scenario. Finally, a series of sensitivity analyses found the comparison in the GHG emissions between the two production pathways is not sensitive to changes in the sugarcane yield or the emissions factor for the enzymes used in the lignocellulosic ethanol process. However, the plant size is an influential factor on both the ethanol production cost (a lowest MESP of 0.26 $/L at the scale of 4 MM tonne cane/yr) and the GHG emission factors, partially because of the important role that transport of feedstock biomass (sugarcane and trash) plays in both elements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]