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This study represents a pioneering initiative in the printing industry, especially in Poland, which assessed the environmental impacts and eco-efficiency of proof printing through the life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology. The process of proof printing on a target substrate was compared with the traditional hard proofing process, which requires trial printing in production conditions. The analysis adhered to the ISO 14040 and 14044 standards, assessing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, raw material use (e.g., plastics, water), and environmental toxicity. The innovative proofing on the target substrate process exhibits a lower environmental impact, as confirmed by the GHG emissions and plastic and water demand of the process. The GHG emissions were reduced from 2610 kg of CO2e to 68.4 kg of CO2e per functional unit (FU). The water demand for the proofing on the target substrate process was 40 times lower, and the plastic demand was also 40 times lower, decreasing to 20 kg per FU. The toxicity impact of the method based on the proofing system on the target substrate on living organisms is more than six times lower than that of the conventional method. The proof printing on the target substrate process offers an environmentally friendly alternative to the traditional hard proofing process, with lower GHG emissions and a lower environmental impact.

The energy transition requires substantial financial investments and the adoption of innovative technological solutions. The aim of this paper is to analyze the economic and technological aspects of implementing zero-emission strategies as a key component of the transition toward a carbon-neutral economy. The study assesses the costs, benefits, and challenges of these strategies, with a particular focus on wind farms and nuclear power, including small modular reactors (SMRs). The paper presents an in-depth examination of key examples, including onshore and offshore wind farms, as well as nuclear energy from both large-scale and small modular reactors. It highlights their construction and operating costs, associated benefits, and challenges. The investment required to generate 1 MW of energy varies significantly depending on the technology: onshore wind farms range from $1,300,000 to $2,100,000, offshore wind farms from $3,000,000 to $5,500,000, traditional nuclear power plants from $3,000,000 to $5,000,000, while small modular reactors (SMRs) require between $5,000,000 and $10,000,000 per MW. The discussion underscores the critical role of wind farms in diversifying renewable energy sources while addressing the high capital requirements and technical complexities of nuclear power, including both traditional large-scale reactors and emerging SMRs. By evaluating these energy solutions, the article contributes to a broader understanding of the economic and technological challenges essential for advancing a sustainable energy future.

The transition to clean energy is crucial for mitigating the impacts of climate change and achieving sustainable development. Reliance on fossil fuels, which are integral to manufacturing and transportation, remains a major contributor to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Biomass gasification presents a renewable energy alternative that can significantly reduce emissions. However, proper disposal of municipal solid waste (MSW) and agricultural residues, such as date palm waste (DPW), is an increasing global challenge, including in Qatar. This study evaluates the economic feasibility of implementing an MSW and DPW gasification plant for clean electricity generation in Qatar. The country’s growing population and economic development have led to substantial waste production, making it an ideal location for waste-to-energy (WTE) initiatives. Using discounted cash flow (DCF) analysis, the study estimates the capital cost of a 373 MWth facility at approximately $12.07 million, with annual operating costs of about $4.09 million and revenue of $26.88 million in 2023. The results indicate a net present value (NPV) of $245.77 million, a return on investment (ROI) of 84.80%, a payback period of approximately 5 years over a 20-year project lifetime and a net reduction of 206,786 tonnes CO2 annually. These findings demonstrate the economic viability of biomass gasification in Qatar while contributing to reduced GHG emissions and advancing the country’s sustainability goals under Qatar National Vision 2030.

The main objective of this study was to identify the status and development opportunities and evaluate the economic viability of investments in large-scale photovoltaic installations in Southeastern Poland. The primary data sources used in the study were empirical materials from all photovoltaic installations implemented with support from the Regional Operational Program of the Lublin Voivodeship (ROP WL) for 2007–2013 (31 projects). The following indices were used to evaluate the economic efficiency of the investments studied: rate of return on investment (ROI), simple payback period (SPP), net present value of investment (NPV), internal rate of return (IRR), discounted payback period (DPBT), and averaged unit cost of electricity generation (LCOE). They were carried out for three scenarios–baseline, conservative, and optimistic–in two variants, for actual capital expenditures considering financial support used and without subsidies. It was determined that the expected lifetime of the studied investments would be 25 years. The sensitivity analysis shows that, regardless of the adopted scenario, investments in solar thermal power with the level of support that took place under the 2007–2013 financial perspective were reasonable long-term investments. In the least favorable scenario (conservative) included in the analysis, the discounted payback period ranged from 8.1 to 22 years. In the optimistic scenario, DPBT values ranged from 5.6 years to more than 15 years. The payback period (both simple and discounted) for investments with the subsidy was, on average, almost twice as fast as for investments without the subsidy, while the average unit cost of electricity generation with the subsidy was about 30% lower than without it.

Today, there is a marked increase in interest in the share of renewable energy sources in the energy mix, which benefits the environment. This also applies to the energy of sea (wave) current, as, without a doubt, the offshore area is becoming one of the leading areas of renewable energy, which translates into changes in energy production. This can be exemplified by the latest research in the context of theory, design, modeling, as well as application, control, and monitoring of wave turbines to enhance their performance. This article reviews the research in this context, systematizes information, identifies literature gaps, and presents future directions in this area. For this purpose, 3240 English-language publications from 2015 to 2024 were identified in the Scopus database. The data are analyzed according to the selected research domains. Some of them are review or conceptual in nature, while others are empirical in nature (experimental attempts and case studies). From this point of view, it becomes possible not only to systematize the state-of-the-art but also to identify future research prospects.

AbstractIn the context of a rapidly growing global population and significant climatic and environmental change, there is an urgent need to produce nutritious food in a sustainable manner. Some crops are underutilised in Europe, despite their suitability to local environments, viability for sustainable production and potential to improve diets. Rye (Secale cereale) has a long history of cultivation in Europe, yet is underutilised owing to complex historical, socio‐cultural, socio‐political, socio‐economic and agronomic factors. This paper explores an innovative, cross‐sectoral approach that harmonises existing datasets from archaeology, plant science, nutrition and policy, and establishes an interdisciplinary dialogue to tackle this challenge.

The successful commercialisation of underground hydrogen storage (UHS) is contingent upon technological readiness and social acceptance. A lack of social acceptance, inadequate policies/regulations, an unreliable business case, and environmental uncertainty have the potential to delay or prevent UHS commercialisation, even in cases where it is ready. The technologies utilised for underground hydrogen and carbon dioxide storage are analogous. The differences lie in the types of gases stored and the purpose of their storage. It is anticipated that the challenges related to public acceptance will be analogous in both cases. An assessment was made of the possibility of transferring experiences related to the social acceptance of CO2 sequestration to UHS based on an analysis of relevant articles from indexed journals. The analysis enabled the identification of elements that can be used and incorporated into the social acceptance of UHS. A framework was identified that supports the assessment and implementation of factors determining social acceptance, ranging from conception to demonstration to implementation. These factors include education, communication, stakeholder involvement, risk assessment, policy and regulation, public trust, benefits, research and demonstration programmes, and social embedding. Implementing these measures has the potential to increase acceptance and facilitate faster implementation of this technology.

Diffusers producing radial jets attached to the ceiling are most often used in ventilation and air conditioning systems. In building ventilation, the temperature of the jet supplying the air into the rooms is usually different to the surrounding air temperature. To save energy for air transportation during periods of low heat gains, the air flow should be reduced as low as possible, to about 20% of its nominal value. A significant decrease in the air flow supply in cooling mode may cause cold air dumping and, consequently, increase the risk of local discomfort due to drafts in the occupied zone. In this study, a method for assessing the effect of non-isothermality on the speed distribution of radial wall jets has been developed. The measured terminal speed isolines, W = 0.2 m/s, were compared with the isolines determined for isothermal jets. The test results have shown that, for radial wall jets supplying air at an Archimedes number higher than approximately 50 × 10−4, the risk of jet dumping is significant.

Contemporary fluid motion modelling techniques, including the phenomenon of liquid sloshing in tanks, are increasingly associated with the use of artificial intelligence methods. In addition to the still frequently used traditional analysis methods and techniques, such as FEM, CFD, VOF and FSI, there is an increasing number of publications that use elements of artificial intelligence. Among others, artificial neural networks and deep learning techniques are used here in the field of prediction and approximation, as well as genetic and other multi-agent algorithms for optimization. This article analyses of the current state of research using the above techniques and the possibilities and main directions of their further development.