Optimal Selection of Sustainable Energy Developments: A Regional Multi-Industry and Risk-Driven Approach

Objective

The overall objective of this project is to identify the optimal location for hydro-carbon based industries that can guarantee zero CO2 emissions, based on the geological characterization of the Yucatan Peninsula, and in the assessment of its inherent social, economical and environmental risk.

The specific objectives of this project are:

To collect data and develop a High Resolution Geologic Map of Yucatan Peninsula (Material physic-chemical-bio characterization, Stratigraphy, Geologic history, etc.).
To collect data and simulate risk scenarios to balance energy demand and supply with the inherent social, economical and environmental impacts.
To establish cross-disciplinary collaborations (Geohydrology, Demography, Environmental Engineering, Power Engineering, etc.)

The intellectual merit lies in the tackling of supplying energy to one of the fastest growing regions in the world (Texas and Yucatan). The need for the development of zero-CO2 emissions hydro-carbon based industries will significantly boost the economic development in these regions. Which strongly depend on hydro-carbon for power generation, but which also have some of the most delicate aquifer balance in the Americas.

The broader impacts include the possibility to create a binational task force that can analyze energy demand-supply problems when allocating hydro-carbon-based industrial corridors. Due to strong similarities on the geological conditions between Yucatan and south Texas, it is anticipated that significant collaboration can be established in studying test beds for CO2 sequestration, simulation of geohydrogeologic scenarios, and their corresponding social, economic and environmental impacts.

The anticipated binational problems include the opportunity to introduce risk as the decision-making index to balance the social, economic and environmental impacts, in light of zero-CO2 emissions targets, providing a unique opportunity to optimally select the geographical location of hydro-carbon-based industry corridors.

Some anticipated results include the generation of risk maps based on the interaction of social, economic and environmental processes related to the potential developments of zero-CO2 emissions industrial corridors.