A Survey on the Role of System Dynamics Methodology on Fossil Fuel Resources Analysis (original) (raw)

Unconventional energy resources: a system dynamics evaluation of social, environment and economic aspects

International Journal of Energy and Environmental Engineering

This study substantiates the usefulness of a systemic approach to investigate the multi-dimensional challenges regarding environmental, economic, and social impacts facing the sustainable development of unconventional energy resources, particularly oil sands (OS) in Canada. This research uses the system dynamics (SD) methodology to examine the impact of shocks in oil demand using real and theoretical scenarios. This was done by identifying leading indicators critical to OS resource development to capture sustainable development effects. The study identifies the contribution of OS resources in Canada to global sustainable development and has developed a model structure that captures the critical parameters associated with the economic-dynamics, socio-dynamics, and enviro-dynamics for the next 30 years. It also includes the impact of sudden oil supply and demand shocks and presents various recovery scenarios. The results from these scenarios indicate that it may take up to 25 years for the industry to return to its pre-shock trajectory, even assuming a rapid recovery. As such, the study proposes an adaptive model to assist sustainable energy development policies and decision-making. Accordingly, the approach can be helpful for academicians, policymakers, and practitioners for objective decision-making regarding sustainable development. Meanwhile, it provides cogent and valuable information for natural resource governance.

Energy Sector Development: System Dynamics Analysis

Applied Sciences

The development of a complex and dynamic system such as the energy sector requires a comprehensive understanding of its constituent components and their interactions, and thus requires approaches that can adapt to the dynamic complexity in systems. Previous efforts mainly used reductionist approaches, which examine the components of the system in isolation, neglecting their interdependent nature. Such approaches reduce our ability to understand the system and/or mitigate undesirable outcomes. We adopt a system dynamics approach to construct an integrated model for analysing the behaviour of the energy sector. Although the Australian energy sector is used as a case study, the model can be applied in other context elsewhere around the world The results indicate that the current trajectory of the Australian energy sector is unsustainable and growth is not being controlled. Limits to growth are fast approaching due to excessive fossil fuel extraction, high emissions and high energy depe...

An insight into the system dynamics method: a case study in the dynamics of international minerals investment

Environmental Modelling & Software, 2001

This paper presents an explanation of the system dynamics method. It is based on the development of a detailed simulation model designed to examine the effectiveness of various environmental, fiscal and corporate policies on the flow of investment funds and mineral resources among a number of simulated mining firms and competing countries. Emphasis is placed on the development process and the reader is referred elsewhere for presentation and discussion of model output. 

Examination of Iran's Crude Oil Production Peak and Evaluating the Consequences: A System Dynamics Approach

Energy Exploration & Exploitation, 2014

Despite considerable efforts to give diversity to world's energy supply portfolio, oil still has a significant share among energy carriers and plays a major role in economy of countries. Regarding dependency of Iran's economy on revenues of crude oil exports, investigations on the dynamics of crude oil production rate (considering the factors such as technological, economic, political, etc.) are of high importance for the country. In this paper, factors influencing the Iran's crude oil production peak are investigated by system dynamics approach. Through results obtained by the model it is shown how different factors, within causal relationships, affect the occurrence time and the volume of produced oil at its peak. The model is also used to evaluate different scenarios on oil price, geological uncertainty, production depletion, and foreign investment level in the country. Moreover, it can be used to simulate behavior of main variables in the industry under different pol...

Environmental policy-making for Persian Gulf oil pollution:A future study based on system dynamics modeling

Energy Sources, Part B: Economics, Planning, and Policy, 2016

Environmental degradation due to economic activities is a key challenge facing sustainable development. The fossil fuel production sector is a very polluting industry. In this research, the future trends of pollution accumulation in the region due to direct/indirect oily discharge into the semienclosed area of the Persian Gulf are studied. The purpose of the study was not only to alert policy-makers about potential future threats in the region but also to conduct a trial to develop potential solutions to these problems. Four different environmental cases were studied via the principle of system dynamic modeling simulation. The cases consisted of three situations: relaxed, simple policy, and restricted policies. The results show that a rational environmental policy imposing penalties on producing firms is very effective in mitigating environmental pollution. However, while these penalties are not powerful enough to discourage or reduce the highly profitable oil production in the region, they may prevent the disposal of pollutants harmful to the marine environment to some degree.

Fossil fuel depletion and socio-economic scenarios: An integrated approach

2014

The progressive reduction of high-quality-easy-to-extract energy is a widely recognized and already ongoing process. Although depletion studies for individual fuels are relatively abundant, few of them offer a global perspective of all energy sources and their potential future developments, and even fewer include the demand of the socio-economic system. This paper presents an Economy-Energy-Environment model based on System Dynamics which integrates all those aspects: the physical restrictions (with peak estimations for oil, gas, coal and uranium), the techno-sustainable potential of renewable energy estimated by a novel top-down methodology, the socio-economic energy demands, the development of alternative technologies and the net CO2 emissions. We confront our model with the basic assumptions of previous Global Environmental Assessment (GEA) studies. The results show that demand-driven evolution, as performed in the past, might be unfeasible: strong energy-supply scarcity is found in the next two decades, especially in the transportation sector before 2020. Electricity generation is unable to fulfill its demand in 2025–2040, and a large expansion of electric renewable energies move us close to their limits. In order to find achievable scenarios, we are obliged to set hypotheses which are hardly used in GEA scenarios, such as zero or negative economic growth.

Policy Development for the Energy Mix in Indonesia Using System Dynamics (DISSERTATION)

Unpublished Doctoral Dissertation, 2018

National Energy Vision is designed to manage a sustainable balance of energy supply and demand through sorting out the energy challenges in acquiring quality resources at an affordable cost and with due respect the environment. In Indonesia, through the Presidential Regulations No.5/2006 and No.79/2014 on the national energy policy, the government introduced the National Energy Mix 2025 and 2050 successively, aimed at improving the portfolio by means of suppressing the burning of fossil fuels while gradually increase the uses of renewable resources. Most recently, through the Presidential Regulation No. 22/2017 on General Planning of National Energy or well known as RUEN, the government details the energy vision with all the projections of demand and supply until 2050. In reality, Statistics show continuously declining oil lifting, ramping up imported oil, uncontrollable exploitation of environmentally unfriendly coal, and stagnant growth of new and renewable energy (NRE) technologies. The country is facing tremendous challenges prior to developing a steady energy vision. With those premises, this research is to introduce new approaches of preference in examining the national Energy Mix Vision, discusses qualitative models of the current energy circle against the proposed one, share the results of simulation and the quantitative modelling challenges. It is designed to prove that the modeling - examined by statistical analyses on the past performance - may simply simulate the dynamically complex realm prior to being rerun and compared to the linear, non-simulation model of General Planning of National Energy (RUEN) to examine appropriateness of the new model to be able to offering more reliable alternative solution in the development of energy policies towards the vision. The literature review defines System Dynamics as the preferred modelling approach. The qualitative model finds the presence of “energy vicious circle” in the country energy management, while empirical data of the supply mix trends demonstrate the past problematic behaviors in implementing the energy vision. The initial quantitative model fairly succeed in simulating the historical trends and validates the model structure. Resetting, upgrading and reruns of the simulation model towards the future suggest a more realistic energy mix pattern compared to the existing and so may be offering a more reliable solution. It reveals that the RUEN projections for fossil energies are mostly too optimistic, while the other way around for renewables. The simulation model suggests an alternative Energy Mix 2025 to compose of 14.4% NRE, 17.3% Oil, 26.3% Gas and 42% Coal. Based on the model, the level ii of 23% NRE may just be reached by 2037, while the alternative Energy Mix 2050 to consist of 94.2% NRE and 5.8% Gas only with no more Oil and Coal prior to growing exponentially to fully renewables afterward. The use of System Dynamics in Indonesia is unprecedented and the results are noteworthy in supporting the formulation of a viable alternative National Energy Mix Vision. Keywords: Empirical Data; System Dynamic Modelling; Model of Indonesia Today; RUEN; Energy Mix Vision