Contribution of cross-border renewable energy technology transfer on global carbon mitigation: A case study of solar photovoltaic and biogas projects in China and Ethiopia

Authors

  • Zhiyuan Ma 1. College of Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100083, China; 2. Yantai Institute, China Agricultural University, Yantai 264670, Shandong, China;
  • Jianbin Guo 1. College of Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100083, China;
  • Yan Fu 3. Department of Environment Science and Engineering, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China; 4. The Administrative Center for China’s Agenda 21, Beijing 100036, China;
  • Shoujun Yang 2. Yantai Institute, China Agricultural University, Yantai 264670, Shandong, China;
  • Fang Li 1. College of Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100083, China;
  • Ashenafi Abebe 5. College of Natural and Computational Sciences, Wolaita Sodo University, Wolaita Sodo, 4400, Ethiopia;
  • Jun Wang 6. Center for Futures and Financial Derivatives Research, China Agriculture University, Beijing 100083, China
  • Renjie Dong 1. College of Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100083, China;

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.25165/ijabe.v18i4.9682

Keywords:

renewable energy, carbon footprint, technology transfer, life cycle assessment, global carbon mitigation

Abstract

Renewable energy technology transfer in developing countries is vital in addressing the global challenges of climate change and energy crises. However, the environmental impact, especially the carbon emission and mitigation properties during technology transfer, has not been explored. In this study, six renewable energy technology transfer projects (four solar photovoltaic and two biogas projects) from China to Ethiopia have been studied using a life cycle assessment to identify the carbon footprint and comparative emission reduction potential between these projects. Results indicated: 1) Solar photovoltaic and biogas technologies exhibit significant differences in greenhouse gas emissions and reduction potential characteristics. 2) Solar photovoltaic technology demonstrates a more competitive effect in terms of carbon emission reduction and efficiency. 3) Biogas technology exhibits a more favorable transfer effect on global mitigation benefits and costs. This study demonstrates that the renewable energy technology transfer project maintains a better low-carbon characteristic and substantially contributes to low-carbon energy transformation and climate change mitigation. Keywords: renewable energy, carbon footprint, technology transfer, life cycle assessment, global carbon mitigation DOI: 10.25165/j.ijabe.20251804.9682 Citation: Ma Z Y, Guo J B, Fu Y, Yang S J, Li F, Abebe A, et al. Contribution of cross-border renewable energy technology transfer on global carbon mitigation: A case study of solar photovoltaic and biogas projects in China and Ethiopia. Int J Agric & Biol Eng, 2025; 18(4): 293–300.

References

Timilsina G R, Shah K U. Economics of renewable energy: A comparison of electricity production costs across technologies. Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Environmental Science, 2022; doi: 10.1093/ acrefore/9780199389414.013.693. [2] IRENA. IRENA’s energy transition support to strength climate action: Insight to impact. 2023; Available: https://www.irena.org/. Accessed on [2023-12-04] .

Agyekum E B. Energy poverty in energy rich Ghana: A SWOT analytical approach for the development of Ghana’s renewable energy. Sustain Energy Technol Assess, 2020; 40: 100760.

The Administrative Center for China’s Agenda 21. Exploration and practice of south-south cooperation renewable energy technology transfer model. Beijing: Science Press; 2020.

Weko S, Goldthau A. Bridging the low-carbon technology gap? Assessing energy initiatives for the Global South. Energy Policy, 2022; 169: 113–192.

IPCC. Methodological and technological issues in technology transfer : A special report of IPCC Working Groups III. 2000; Available: https://www.ipcc.ch/report/methodological-and-technological-issues-intechnology-transfer/. Accessed on [2024-09-06]

Chen Y N. Comparing North-South technology transfer and South-South technology transfer: The technology transfer impact of Ethiopian Wind Farms. Energy Policy, 2018; 116: 1–9.

Guo X P, Lin K, Huang H, Li Y. Carbon footprint of the photovoltaic power supply chain in China. J Clean Prod. 2019; 233: 626–633.

Samal R K, Tripathy M. Cost savings and emission reduction capability of wind-integrated power systems. Int J Electr Power Energy Syst, 2019; 104: 549–561.

Bakkaloglu S, Lowry D, Fisher R E, France J L, Brunner D, Chen H, et al. Quantification of methane emissions from UK biogas plants. Waste Manag, 2021; 124: 82–93.

Fadlallah S O, Sedzro D M, Serradj D E B, Mishra R. Steering North African countries towards REN21’s path of sustainable solar energy development. Sustain Energy Technol Assess, 2022; 53: 102735.

Okorie D I, Lin B Q. Africa’s biofuel energy and emissions prospect: Forward-looking into 2030. Sustain Energy Technol Assess, 2022; 53: 102775.

Kumar C M S, Singh S, Gupta M K, Nimdeo Y M, Raushan R, Deorankar A V, et al. Solar energy: A promising renewable source for meeting energy demand in Indian agriculture applications. Sustain Energy Technol Assess, 2023; 55: 102905.

Budzianowski W M. Negative carbon intensity of renewable energy technologies involving biomass or carbon dioxide as inputs. Renew Sustain Energy Rev, 2012; 16(9): 6507–6521.

Yu S W, Hu X, Li L X, Chen H. Does the development of renewable energy promote carbon reduction? Evidence from Chinese provinces. J Environ Manage, 2020; 268: 110634.

Li C, Yang X F, Wang L P. The Impact of renewable energy development on regional carbon emission reduction: Based on the spatio-temporal analysis of 30 provinces in China. Environ Manage, 2024; 74(3): 439–460.

Wang Q, Zhang C, Li R R. Does renewable energy consumption improve environmental efficiency in 121 countries? A matter of income inequality. Sci Total Environ, 2023; 882: 163471.

Kongkuah M. Impact of Belt and Road countries’ renewable and nonrenewable energy consumption on ecological footprint. Environ Dev Sustain, 2024; 26(4): 8709–8734.

Yang Z K, Zhang M M, Liu L Y, Zhou D Q. Can renewable energy investment reduce carbon dioxide emissions? Evidence from scale and structure. Energy Econ, 2022; 112: 106181.

Kirchherr J, Urban F. Technology transfer and cooperation for low carbon energy technology: Analysing 30 years of scholarship and proposing a research agenda. Energy Policy, 2018; 119: 600–609.

Louwen A, van Sark W G J H, Faaij A P C, Schropp R E I. Re-assessment of net energy production and greenhouse gas emissions avoidance after 40 years of photovoltaics development. Nat Commun, 2016; 7: 13728.

ISO. 14067. Greenhouse gases-Carbon footprint of products-Requirements and guidelines for quantification. 2018.

ISO. 14044. Environmental management-Life cycle assessmentRequirements and guidelines. 2006.

ISO. 14040. Environmental management-Life cycle assessment-Principles and framework. 2006.

Chen W, Hong J L, Yuan X L, Liu J R. Environmental impact assessment of monocrystalline silicon solar photovoltaic cell production: A case study in China. J Clean Prod, 2016; 112: 1025–1032.

Shipxy. Shipxy Maritime Information Service. 2023; Available: https:// www.shipxy.com. Accessed on [2023-09-15]

Hsu D D, O Donoughue P, Fthenakis V, Heath G A, Kim H C, Sawyer P, et al. Life cycle greenhouse gas emissions of crystalline silicon photovoltaic electricity generation. J Ind Ecol, 2012; 16(S1): S122–S135.

Fu Y Y, Liu X, Yuan Z W. Life-cycle assessment of multi-crystalline photovoltaic (PV) systems in China. J Clean Prod, 2015; 86: 180–190.

GB/T 51366-2019. Chinese Standard for Building Carbon Emission Calculation, 2019. (in Chinese)

Gu D J, Zhu Y X, Gu L J. Life cycle assessment for China building environment impacts. Journal of Tsinghua University (Science and Technology), 2006; 12: 1953–1956. (in Chinese)

Du W J, Jiang Y, Guan M Q, Liu X L, Kang M Y. Whole lifecycle assessment of carbon reduction benefits of polysilicon photovoltaics in Xinjiang. Journal of Natural Resources, 2023; 38(3): 694–706. (in Chinese)

Turconi R, Boldrin A, Astrup T. Life cycle assessment (LCA) of electricity generation technologies: Overview, comparability and limitations. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 2013; 28: 555–565.

Xu L, Zhang S F, Yang M S, Li W, Xu J. Environmental effects of China’s solar photovoltaic industry during 2011–2016: A life cycle assessment approach. J Clean Prod, 2018; 170: 310–329.

CMEE. Implementation Program for the setting and allocation of total national carbon emission trading allowances for 2019 and 2020 (Power generation sector). 2023; Available: https://www.mee.gov.cn/xxgk2018/ xxgk/xxgk03/202012/t20201230_815546.html. Accessed on [2024-10-18] . (in Chinese)

Latunussa C E L, Ardente F, Blengini G A, Mancini L. Life Cycle Assessment of an innovative recycling process for crystalline silicon photovoltaic panels. Sol Energy Mater Sol Cells, 2016; 156: 101–111.

IPCC. 2019 Refinement to the 2006 IPCC guidelines for national greenhouse gas inventories-Volume 4 agriculture, forestry and other land use. 2019; Available: https://www.ipcc-nggip.iges.or.jp/public/2019rf/ index.html. Accessed on [2024-11-23]

IPCC. 2019 Refinement to the 2006 IPCC guidelines for national greenhouse gas inventories-Volume 5: Waste, 2019. Available: https:// www.ipcc-nggip.iges.or.jp/public/2019rf/vol5.html. Accessed on [2024-1123]

San Miguel G, Bañales B M, Ruiz D, Álvarez S, Pérez J, Arredondo M T. Carbon footprint and employment generation produced by ICT networks for Internet deployment: A multi-regional input-output analysis. Sci Total Environ, 2024; 914: 169776.

Chen S, Lu F, Wang X K. Estimation of greenhouse gases emission factors for China’s nitrogen, phosphate, and potash fertilizers. Acta Ecologica Sinica, 2015; 19(35): 6371–6383. (in Chinese)

Downloads

Published

2025-08-21

How to Cite

Ma, Z., Guo, J., Fu, Y., Yang, S., Li, F., Abebe, A., … Dong, R. (2025). Contribution of cross-border renewable energy technology transfer on global carbon mitigation: A case study of solar photovoltaic and biogas projects in China and Ethiopia. International Journal of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, 18(4), 293–300. https://doi.org/10.25165/ijabe.v18i4.9682

Issue

Vol. 18 No. 4 (2025): IJABE

Section

Renewable Energy and Material Systems

License

IJABE is an international peer reviewed open access journal, adopting Creative Commons Copyright Notices as follows.


Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:


  1. Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.

  2. Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.

  3. Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).