Aiymgul Kerimray

Quantifying trace elements in the emitted particulate matter during cooking and health risk assessment

Particulate matter (PM) measurements were conducted during heating corn oil, heating corn oil mixed with the table salt and heating low fat ground beef meat using a PTFE-coated aluminum pan on an electric stove with low ventilation. The main objectives of this study were to measure the size segregated mass concentrations, emission rates, and fluxes of 24 trace elements emitted during heating cooking oil or oil with salt and cooking meat. Health risk assessments were performed based on the resulting exposure to trace elements from such cooking activities. The most abundant elements (significantly different from zero) were Ba (24.4xa0ugxa0m−3) during grilling meat and Ti during heating oil with salt (24.4xa0ugxa0m−3). The health assessment indicates that the cooking with an electric stove with poor ventilation leading to chronic exposures may pose the risk of significant adverse health effects. Carcinogenic risk exceeded the acceptable level (target cancer risk 1xa0×xa010−6, US EPA 2015) by four orders of magnitude, while non-carcinogenic risk exceeded the safe level (target HQxa0=xa01, US EPA 2015) by a factor of 5–20. Cr and Co were the primary contributors to the highest carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risks, respectively.

Climate change mitigation scenarios and policies and measures: the case of Kazakhstan

This article illustrates the main difficulties encountered in the preparation of GHG emission projections and climate change mitigation policies and measures (P&M) for Kazakhstan. Difficulties in representing the system with an economic model have been overcome by representing the energy system with a technical-economic growth model (MARKAL-TIMES) based on the stock of existing plants, transformation processes, and end-use devices. GHG emission scenarios depend mainly on the pace of transition in Kazakhstan from a planned economy to a market economy. Three scenarios are portrayed: an incomplete transition, a fast and successful one, and even more advanced participation in global climate change mitigation, including participation in some emission trading schemes. If the transition to a market economy is completed by 2020, P&M already adopted may reduce emissions of CO2 from combustion by about 85 MtCO2 by 2030 – 17% of the emissions in the baseline (WOM) scenario. One-third of these reductions are likely to be obtained from the demand sectors, and two-thirds from the supply sectors. If every tonne of CO2 not emitted is valued up to US

Causes of energy poverty in a cold and resource-rich country: evidence from Kazakhstan

10 in 2020 and

Improving Efficiency in Kazakhstan’s Energy System

20 in 2030, additional P&M may further reduce emissions by 110 MtCO2 by 2030.

Long-Term Climate Change Mitigation in Kazakhstan in a Post Paris Agreement Context

ABSTRACT Kazakhstan is an upper-middle-income country and one of the coldest countries in the world with rich energy resources and energy prices considerably lower than in developed countries. This paper presents the first comprehensive overview of household fuel use in Kazakhstan and assesses the causes and extent of energy poverty using the Households Living Conditions Survey dataset of 12,000 households. The results show that there is an overwhelming reliance on coal in Kazakhstan: 40% of all surveyed households use coal for heating, cooking and other needs. In general, liquefied petroleum gas is mainly used for cooking, coal and firewood for heating, while electricity is rarely used for heating. Energy poverty was less prevalent in oil and gas rich regions, due to low gas prices and higher income levels in those regions, while households located in the North Kazakhstan, Central and East Kazakhstan mainly suffer from lack of cleaner fuel options, income poverty, longer and colder winters and consequently energy affordability. Despite low energy prices in Kazakhstan, the results demonstrate that 28% of surveyed households spend more than 10% of their income on energy. Gas and district heating infrastructure coverage and income inequality across its regions contributed the most to energy poverty in Kazakhstan. Energy prices are regulated and indirectly subsidised. Removing energy subsidies alone may worsen energy affordability of households. Offering direct subsidies to cover part of the energy expenditures may not fully solve the problem, but subsidies, interventions for efficient technologies and fuels, dwelling energy-efficiency improvements are necessary.

Electricity and heating system in Kazakhstan: Exploring energy efficiency improvement paths

Kazakhstan is one of the most energy-intensive countries in the world, almost 4 times higher than the world average and 7 times higher than the OECD average. There are various reasons for inefficiencies in Kazakhstan’s energy system: administrative and economic (statistical double counting of energy flows, above normative losses and low profitability), geographic (the extremely continental climate and low population density) and technical considerations (high share of coal in generation mix, high wear on main and auxiliary equipment in energy intensive sectors, high wear on electric lines, dilapidation of housing stock, and an absence of control systems for energy savings) all contribute to the high energy intensity. This study explores energy efficiency potential by analyzing the evolution of the Kazakh energy system. All the technical inefficiencies have been taken into consideration through the explicit representation of existing inefficient technologies/chains in a TIMES-based model. Under the assumptions of a market-oriented development of the economic system, even without specific policies (Business as Usual), the model suggests significant energy efficiency improvement: 22 Mtoe (million tons of oil equivalent) by 2030 and a 40 % reduction in energy intensity of GDP by 2030. The more ambitious policy target of reducing energy intensity of GDP by 40 % by 2020 also appears easily achievable via economically viable solutions.

Coal use for residential heating: Patterns, health implications and lessons learned

Under the Paris Agreement, Kazakhstan’s nationally determined contribution (NDC) target is to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) by between 15 and 25% by 2030 compared with 1990 levels. Kazakhstan’s energy system is highly carbon intensive and GHG emissions continue to steadily grow, indicating insufficient progress towards achieving the NDC emissions reductions announced under the Paris Agreement. This chapter presents modelling analysis that assesses a least-cost long term (2050) pathway towards achieving these NDC targets. An additional scenario with a ban on coal across all sectors is also considered. We utilize a TIMES-based sub-national disaggregated 16-region energy systems model for Kazakhstan. The results demonstrate how ambitious a 25% GHG emissions reduction pathway is compared with the current energy policies and mitigation actions. Such a reduction requires an almost full phase-out of coal consumption in power generation by 2050. The share of renewable energy (including hydro) could represent half of the electricity generation mix, the other half being attributed to gas-fired power plants. In other words, the overall target as set by Kazakhstan’s Strategy 2050 and Green Economy Concept to reach 50% of renewable and alternative energy sources by 2050 is very close to the least-cost 25% emissions reduction pathway. The corresponding abatement costs reach levels as high as 59 USD (constant prices of 2013) per tonne of CO2 eq. in 2030 and 281 USD per tonne of CO2 eq. in 2050. A coal ban alone is not sufficient to reduce GHGs, additional actions are needed to promote renewables.