Analysis of water-energy-carbon nexus in selected industries | |
| Author | Pyae Mon Naing |
| Call Number | AIT Thesis no.WM-21-11 |
| Subject(s) | Water consumption Energy development Carbon dioxide mitigation |
| Note | A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Engineering in Water Engineering and Management |
| Publisher | Asian Institute of Technology |
| Abstract | Most industries need water and energy for several reasons, and the primary contributor of greenhouse gas pollution from human activities is the burning of fossil fuels for electricity, which occurs primarily in the industrial sector. With climate change becoming an irreversible challenge to the world, there is an urgent need to mitigate this change by reducing carbon dioxide emission. The study's aim is to measure and evaluate water and energy use in selected manufacturing industries. Furthermore, the study estimated the potential to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by reducing water and energy uses. The analysis is done on five different types of manufacturing industries with selected companies ranging from four to seven companies. The analysis stated that among the selected industries, chemical, pulp and paper, and steel industries have higher water footprint while cement industry has lower water footprint. Cement, pulp and paper, and steel industries have high energy and carbon footprints. Automobile industry has the best resource efficiency among all the chosen industries. It is also necessary to find how water, energy and carbon are related in production of a product. Relationships between these elements are made and it can be noted that cement industry has the strong relationship with more than 80% of the variation in production is explained by water, energy, and carbon. Further research suggests that in order to significantly reduce CO2 emissions, both water and energy consumption must be reduced. Furthermore, the study finds that even the most resource-efficient producer needs a greater reduction in the use of both resources to achieve a significant reduction in CO2 emissions. |
| Year | 2021 |
| Type | Thesis |
| School | School of Engineering and Technology (SET) |
| Department | Department of Civil and Infrastucture Engineering (DCIE) |
| Academic Program/FoS | Water Engineering and Management (WM) |
| Chairperson(s) | Babel, Mukand S. |
| Examination Committee(s) | Shrestha, Sangam;Shanmugam, Mohana Sundaram;Xue, Wenchao |
| Scholarship Donor(s) | Loom Nam Khong Pijai (Greater Mekong Subregion) Scholarships |
| Degree | Thesis (M. Eng.) - Asian Institute of Technology, 2021 |