• 109 views | 2 messages Discussion: LEAP
    Topic: Primary Production of Fossil FuelsSubscribe | Previous | Next
  • Jose Antonio Ordonez 3/6/2017

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    Dear Community!

    I was wondering what the
    difference is between creating a transformation module that produces primary
    fuels and not doing so: let's say, if you define module that uses crude oil as
    feedstock fuel and has crude oil as output. You can of course define the efficiency of the module and the
    production capacity, imports and exports if you create the module. If you would
    not define any such a module, LEAP anyway would "produce crude oil: (assuming crude
    oil reserves are big and defined). So, disregarding the efficiency losses which are negligible, does it make a difference?

    What is the difference
    then?

    Does it change the result
    in terms of primary production of oil?

    Does it change the results
    in terms of GHG-emissions?


    Thank you very much for your support!

    Jose


  • Taylor Binnington 3/8/2017
      Best Response

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    Hi Jose,

    There are several reasons that you might include this type of primary production module, and you've already named a few. But if none of these reasons hold for your modeling endeavor, then you are correct that the module can be omitted.

    There reasons include:
    • Adding efficiency/loss to the fuel's production (even if losses are small)
    • Constraining production using the process capacity within the module
    • Differentiating fuel requirements among different model time slices, using a load curve
    • Including auxiliary consumption alongside the production of fuel
    • Including emissions factors associated with fuel production (or with transport, storage, etc. since there is not way to do this in LEAP's Resources branches)
    • Including bottom-up fuel pricing information which includes capital and O&M of production infrastructure, instead of simply specifying the Indigenous, Imported or Delivered Cost of the fuel under the Resource branches
    There may be more reasons as well, depending on your objectives. Continuing with your example of crude oil, if you omit a Transformation module to produce crude oil, then all crude oil requirements from your area will be satisfied in the Resources branches, either using domestic production, imports or "unmet" (in other words, not satisfied). The primary requirements will remain unchanged. Emissions would only change if you had attached emission factors to fuel consumption or production within a Transformation module which produces the primary fuel.

    Hope ths helps,
    Taylor