• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.43 no.1
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• pp.63-69
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• 2023

'Carbon-neutrality Assessment based on Technology Application Scenario (CATAS)' provides an analysis of greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction effectiveness when applying carbon-neutrality technology to areas such as energy conversion, transportation, and buildings at certain spatial levels. As for the development scope of the model, GHG emission sources were analyzed for direct GHG emissions, and the boundary between direct and indirect emissions are set according to the spatial scope. The technical scope included nine technologies and forest sinks in the transition sector that occupies the largest portion of GHG emissions in the 2050 carbon neutral scenario. The carbon neutrality rate evaluation methodology consists of four steps: ① analysis of GHG emissions, ② prediction of energy production according to technology introduction, ③ calculation of GHG reduction, and ④ calculation of carbon neutrality rate. After the web-based CATAS-BASIC was developed, an analysis was conducted by applying the new and renewable energy distribution goals presented in the ｢2050 Greenhouse Gas Reduction Promotion Plan｣ of the Seoul Metropolitan Government. As a result of applying solar power, hydrogen fuel cell, and hydrothermal, the introduction of technology reduced 0.43 million tCO₂eq of 1.49 million tCO₂eq, which is the amount of emissions from the conversion sector in Seoul, and the carbon neutrality rate in the conversion sector was analyzed to be 28.94 %.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.60 no.3
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• pp.433-438
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• 2022

A carbon cycle model based method is proposed in order to evaluate the effectiveness of various policies and projects to achieve carbon neutrality. The proposed model was validated by properly reproducing the increase in the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and the rise of the global average temperature from the data of anthropogenic carbon emissions and deforestation since the industrial revolution. As a case study, a carbon cycle impact assessment was performed for deforestation, reforestation, and afforestation. It was verified that the increase of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is attributed not only to fossil fuel usage, but also to deforestation, and that even if deforestation is immediately followed by reforestation, it takes very long to return to the initial concentration. The proposed method is expected to be eventually applicable to simulation of potential climate control in the future, contributing to safety verification of various climate engineering techniques.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Environmental Restoration Technology
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.43-55
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• 2023

The railway project is an essential green transportation tool that is considered suitable for the domestic and foreign policy direction of carbon neutrality, but there are some limitations, such as damaging important carbon absorption sources during construction. This study analyzed the environmental impact assessment related to carbon absorption sources of greenhouse gas evaluation items conducted during the railway project, and limitations and implications were derived. The analysis of environmental impact assessment guidelines related to railway projects and carbon absorption sources dealt with prediction and reduction methods related to carbon absorption sources, but guidelines, including environmentally friendly railway construction guidelines, lacked descriptions. Since the greenhouse gas environmental impact assessment, 83 railway project environmental impact assessments have been reviewed, but in some cases, carbon absorption-related predictions have not been implemented, or carbon absorption-related reduction measures have been insufficient. In addition, there were cases where there was a limit to calculating emissions and reduction or where the reduction value was insignificant compared to emissions. In order to supplement the environmental impact assessment in the field of carbon absorption sources related to railway construction projects, alternatives such as quantitative emission and low reduction calculation, review of the no net loss system using the total environmental resource system, and linkage with climate change impact assessment are needed.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.31 no.6
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• pp.465-474
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• 2022

In order to achieve carbon neutrality, it is necessary to commercialize and popularize carbon dioxide capture technology, so the purpose of this study is to put forward the design of public facilities suitable for public environment. In the design direction of public facilities for carbon capture and environmental purification, the application of carbon capture technology in air, the application of carbon capture and adsorption materials, and carbon reduction recycling are selected for development. In order to achieve carbon neutrality, this study develops a new concept of public facility design which is different from the existing public facilities in public space. From this point of view, it has great enlightenment significance. Public facilities adopting carbon-neutral technology are environmentally friendly public facilities that conform to the times, and can be installed in parks, roads and other spaces. With the rest of citizens and the role of communities, it is expected to contribute to popularization and activation.

• Journal of Korean Association for Spatial Structures
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.105-113
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• 2023

The study used the whole-life carbon assessment method to conduct a thorough carbon-neutral evaluation of a standard steel structure. To further assess carbon emissions, 11 design-changed models were evaluated, with changes made to the span between beams and columns. The results of the carbon emission assessment showed savings of approximately 13.1% by implementing the stage of the beyond life cycle. Additionally, the evaluation of carbon emissions through design changes revealed a difference of up to 42.2%. These findings confirmed that recycling and structural design changes can significantly reduce carbon emissions by up to 48.6%, making it an effective means of achieving carbon neutrality. It is therefore necessary to apply the stage of beyond life cycle and structural change to reduce carbon emissions.

• Clean Technology
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.269-274
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• 2021

Bioenergy is generally considered to be one of the options for pursuing carbon neutrality. However, for a period of time, combustion of harvested plant biomass inevitably causes more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere than combustion of fossil fuels. This paper proposes a method that predicts and minimizes the total amount and payback period of this carbon debt. As a case study, a carbon cycle impact assessment was performed for immediate switching of the currently used fossil fuels to biomass. This work points out a fundamental vulnerability in the concept of carbon neutrality. As an action plan for the sustainability of bioenergy, formulas for afforestation proportional to the decrease in the forest area and surplus harvest proportional to the increase in the forest mass are proposed. The results of optimization indicate that the carbon debt payback period is about 70 years, and the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere increases by more than 50% at a maximum and 3% at a steady state. These are theoretically predicted best results, which are expected to be worse in reality. Therefore, biomass is not truly carbon neutral, and it is inappropriate as an energy source alternative to fossil fuels. The method proposed in this work is expected to be able to contribute to the approach to carbon neutrality by minimizing present and future carbon debt of the bioenergy that is already in use.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.61 no.4
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• pp.496-504
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• 2023

Countries worldwide are striving to find new sources of sustainable energy without carbon emission due to the increasing impact of global warming. With the advancement of the fourth industrial revolution on a global scale, there has been a substantial rise in energy demand. Simultaneously, there is a growing emphasis on utilizing energy sources with minimal or zero carbon content to ensure a stable power supply while reducing greenhouse gas emissions. In this comprehensive overview, a comparative analysis of carbon reduction policies of government was conducted. Based on international carbon neutrality scenarios and the presence of remaining thermal power generation, it can be categorized into two types: "Rapid" and "Safety". For the domestic scenario, the projected power demand and current greenhouse gas emissions in alignment with "The 10th Basic Plan for Electricity Supply and Demand" was examined. Considering all these factors, an overview of the current status of carbon neutrality technologies by focusing on the energy sector, encompassing transitions, hydrogen, transportation and carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) was offered followed by summarization of key technological trends and government-driven policies. Furthermore, the central aspects of the domestic carbon reduction strategy were proposed by taking account of current mega trends in the energy sector which are highlighted in international scenario analyses.

• Journal of the Korea Institute of Building Construction
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.137-148
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• 2022

Recently, in the concrete industry, the development and commercialization of low-carbon products of ready-mixed concrete have emerged as part of the efforts to realize carbon neutrality. This study aims to investigate the current status of environmental product declaration(EPD) of ready-mixed concrete and to analyze the characteristics of carbon emissions by compressive strength, life cycle stage, and region. To this end, the related certification system requiring the calculation of carbon emissions in the concrete industry was analyzed. The target of analyzing the current status of carbon emissions was set as a product of ready-mixed concrete that acquired EPD certification based on the life cycle assessment method. In addition, the trend of carbon emissions according to each characteristic was reviewed by analyzing carbon emissions by the life cycle of ready-mixed concrete products, analyzing carbon emissions by standard, and analyzing carbon emissions by region. As a result, the carbon emissions in the pre-production stage were 99% compared to total carbon emissions., and as it increased from 18MPa to 40MPa, carbon emissions also increased. Even with the same specifications, the carbon emissions in the capital region were higher than in the southern region.

• Transactions of the Korean hydrogen and new energy society
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.175-184
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• 2024

This study focuses on investigating the importance of managing greenhouse gas emissions from global energy consumption, specifically examining domestic targets for clean hydrogen production. Using life cycle assessment, we evaluated reductions in global warming potential and assessed the carbon neutrality contribution of the domestic hydrogen sector. Transitioning from brown or grey hydrogen to blue or green hydrogen can significantly reduce emissions, potentially lowering CO₂ equivalent levels by 2030 and 2050. These research findings underscore the effectiveness of clean hydrogen as an energy management strategy and offer valuable insights for technology development.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.39 no.2
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• pp.75-86
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• 2024

Hydrogen has been selected as one of the key technologies for reducing CO₂ emissions to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. However, hydrogen safety issues should be fully guaranteed before the commercial and widespread utilization of hydrogen. Here, a bow-tie risk assessment is conducted for the hydrogen fuel supply system in a gas turbine power plant, which can be a mass consumption application of hydrogen. The bow-tie program is utilized for a qualitative risk assessment, allowing the analysis of the causes and consequences according to the stages of accidents. This study proposed an advanced bow-tie method, which includes the barrier criticality matrix and visualized maps of quantitative risk reduction. It is based on evaluating the importance of numerous barriers for the extent of their impact. In addition, it emphasizes the prioritization and concentrated management of high-importance barriers. The radar chart of a bow tie allows the visual comparison of risk levels before/after the application of barriers (safety measures). The risk reduction methods are semi-quantitatively analyzed utilizing the criticality matrix and radar chart, and risk factors from multiple aspects are derived. For establishing a secure hydrogen fuel storage system, the improvements suggested by the bow-tie risk assessment results, such as 'Ergonomic equipment design to prevent human error' and 'Emergency shutdown system,' will enhance the safety level. It attempts to contribute to the development and enhancement of an efficient safety management system by suggesting a method of calculating the importance of barriers based on the bow-tie risk assessment.