Uso não-energético dos combustíveis fósseis: oportunidade para o desenvolvimento sustentável em moçambique na era da transição energética global

Abstract

The environmental problems caused by the use of fossil fuels, like greenhouse gas emissions, have led to the search for sustainable alternatives. One option is the non-energy use of natural gas, especially in the petrochemical industry to produce polyethylene. Mozambique has large fossil fuel reserves, but the challenge is to use them in a sustainable way to reduce environmental impacts like tropical cyclones and droughts. The goal of this work is to suggest and evaluate the non-energy use of natural gas as a way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and support sustainable development. The method used data from the 2006 IPCC report, including emission factors for both energy and non-energy uses of natural gas, to estimate CO₂-equivalent emissions. The results show that for energy use, emissions range from about 3837.407 to 2878.05 kgCO₂eq per MWh, which is high and contributes to climate change. But for petrochemical use (non-energy), emissions are close to zero (X kgCO₂ ≈ 0), especially when using CCS (Carbon Capture and Storage) technology, which captures CO₂ from burning the primary fuel. Therefore, using natural gas in the petrochemical industry to make polyethylene and other products greatly reduces greenhouse gas emissions and creates chances for social and economic development. This approach is a good way to fight climate change and use fossil resources more sustainably in Mozambique.