درخت حوزه‌های تخصصی

Technical and environmental challenges resulted from an off-design running condition of processes on a platform is an important issue. The weakness of strategies to stop or decrease the amount of the greenhouse gas emission production rate in the Persian Gulf is another important matter of concern which is intensively increasing. Recently, modern methods of energy generation from available renewable potentials near offshore platforms are suggested in the literature. Integration of renewable energy converters with offshore oil and gas platforms can solve both problems with machinery and environment to an acceptable extent. In this study, the economics of an offshore complex installed in the Persian Gulf is subjected to two different power generation systems. The first case defines the present condition in which the total power demand of the complex is supplied by burning the associated extracted natural gas on board the platform in its thermal power plant. The second case considers a wind farm located near Bardekhun in Bushehr province to be connected to the complex power network and shares its renewable source generated power with the platform. The economics and relative emission production of both cases are compared. Wind speed average and wind turbine power generation are considered having uncertainties. Monte Carlo Simulation (MCS) method is used to consider those uncertainties in outcomes. The second case is found obviously more beneficial however there are some conservative assumptions included due to a shortage of data and limitations which makes it more attractive.

The pipeline project, Nord Stream 2 (NS2), has been an issue of controversies. Russia and Germany consider the project an economic contract, but the United-States and Eastern European countries have concerns about its geopolitical effects. These disputes have created a divide in Europe and have posed a threat to trans-Atlantic relations. The current research suggests NS2 can influence the strategic balance between great powers in the international system, giving energy leverage to Russia against United-States, and consequently to China by strengthening projects like the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Our findings put forward that not only NS2, in case of realization, is a source of American decline, but also the debates on the issue are a sign of American struggling for protecting its precarious international position. By placing Europe in front of the United-States, NS2 could be one component of European strategic autonomy (ESA); meanwhile, it may jeopardize ESA by depending on Europe on Russia. Europe’s solution to gain ESA is to use its leverages such as normative one to manage the situation for outcomes like protecting Europe’s unity and economic interests.