Optimization Model for Estimating GHG Reduction Potential from Transport Sector

Abstract:

Pollution from vehicular traffic has become a major concern in India. With motorization
growing at 10.5% annually, the problem is likely to increase drastically in the near future
unless action is taken now. The transport sector accounts for 25% of energy consumption
and 15% of greenhouse gas (GHG) emission in India. Hence, simple decision making
tools to facilitate policy makers regarding techno-economic feasibility of various alternate
technologies/ fuels to curb energy consumption and GHG emissions are required.
In this paper, a mathematical application is developed to estimate and project transport
related GHG emissions in the baseline scenario and to provide solutions to reduce GHG
emissions in the alternate scenarios for horizon year up to 2030. It is an optimization
model, which, given a particular emission reduction target, calculates the percentage of
each category of vehicle required to move to clean fuel and/or alternate technologies to
meet that target and the associated GHG abatement costs.