The deployment of energy storage systems can play a role in peak and frequency regulation, solve the issue of limited flexibility in cleaner power systems in China, and ensure the stability and safety of the power grid. This paper presents a comprehensive environmental impact analysis of a lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery system for the storage and delivery of 1 kW-hour of electricity. Quantities of copper, graphite, aluminum, lithium iron phosphate, and electricity consumption are set as uncertainty and sensitivity parameters with a variation of [90%, 110%]. The results show that global warming potential is 9.08E+01 kg CO₂ eq. and fossil resource use is 1.21E+03 MJ, with uncertainty ranges of [8.54E+01, 9.23E+01] and [1.15E+03, 1.23E+03], respectively. Electricity consumption during the manufacture and installation process is the greatest contributor to climate change (CO₂ eq. emissions), accounting for 39.71% and largely owing to non-renewable sources, followed by cathode materials at 27.85% and anode materials at 18.36%. The disposal and recycling process offers emission reductions but requires an additional 1.17% use of fossil resources. Sobol T indices for the quantity of electricity are the highest for acidification, climate change, fossil resource use, and ionizing radiation. By considering the pathway of China’s electricity mix from 2020 to 2050 under the Paris Agreement’s 2° target, the potential for environmental emission reduction in the system is evaluated. The results show that the greener electricity mix could lead to a 24.59% reduction in acidification impact, a 35.74% reduction in climate change impact, a 33.24% reduction in fossil resource use, and a 44.13% reduction in ionizing radiation impact. This study offers a comprehensive view of the environmental impact reductions associated with the lithium iron phosphate battery and its industry.

To enhance the prediction accuracy of offshore wind speed, this study employs an interpolation algorithm to improve spatial resolution based on the ERA5 reanalysis dataset. The objective is to identify the optimal interpolation method and apply it to wind energy assessments in the South China Sea. This paper compares the interpolation effects and accuracy of Linear, Cubic, and Bicubic interpolation methods on wind speed data, with the optimal method subsequently applied to evaluate wind resources in the South China Sea for 2023. The findings indicate that, while different interpolation methods minimally affect the correlation of wind speed data, there are notable differences in their impact on overall accuracy. The Cubic interpolation method proved to be the most effective, tripling spatial resolution and reducing wind speed errors in ERA5 data by 26%. Using this method, wind resource assessments were conducted in selected areas of the South China Sea. Results reveal that the annual available operational hours for wind turbines in most parts of the region range from 2000 to 4000 h, with fluctuations in turbine output power increasing alongside available operational hours.

To achieve carbon neutrality goals, offshore wind power combined with a hydrogen energy storage system (OWP-HESS) is critical for integrating intermittent renewables. This study applied a “cradle-to-grave” process-based life cycle assessment (PLCA) to evaluate a 77.4 MW offshore wind farm coupled with a 45.0 MW electrolysis cell system, covering manufacture, transportation, construction, operation and maintenance, and decommissioning phases. It focuses on two hydrogen production routes, alkaline electrolysis (AEL) and proton exchange membrane (PEM), and covers 12 environmental indicators. Moreover, considering optimal economic efficiency, to adapt to the characteristic of “electricity–hydrogen cogeneration”, as well as to facilitate reflecting the efficiency differences between the two electrolysis technologies, the functional unit is defined as “0.4 kWh green electricity + corresponding green hydrogen”. Results show that offshore wind’s environmental impacts mainly come from manufacture (79.00%, driven by concrete/steel), while hydrogen storage impacts focus on operation/maintenance (66.03% for AEL and 96.61% for PEM, driven by electricity). PEM’s green hydrogen global warming potential (GWP) (0.96 kg CO₂-eq/kg) is much lower than AEL’s (1.81 kg CO₂-eq/kg) and China’s fossil-based hydrogen (≈40 kg CO₂-eq/kg). With an initial system lifespan of 25 years, a wind farm capacity factor of 41.30%, and a hydrogen production efficiency of 68.72% (AEL) and 69.89% (PEM), extending system lifespan by 5 years, raising wind farm capacity factor to 43%, and enhancing hydrogen production efficiency to 71% reduce emissions by 16.67%, 4.00%, and 2.16%, respectively. This study clarifies OWP-HESS’s environmental characteristics, confirms PEM’s low-carbon advantage, and provides support for its sustainable development.

By virtue of the hedging and price discovery function, carbon futures trading may help carbon market function more effectively. Is it necessary to establish carbon futures trading in China? The authorities have endorsed the idea since 2015, however, the scheme has not yet started; no antecedent pre-assessment quantitative research has been carried out. Therefore this study that attempts to fill this gap in the literature, could be of real significance. Through deriving a potential decarbonization roadmap, this study tries to give some clues pertaining to the converted mitigation strategy imposed by carbon futures trading in China. A model chain has been proposed, which is composed of the Optimal Production Decision-making Model for Producers, Life Cycle Impact Assessment, Monetization, and Genetic Algorithm based optimization, to quantify the environmental benefits (including improvements to human health, ecosystem damage and increased temperature induced GDP losses) of the assumed mitigation trajectories. By setting the maximization of environmental benefits as the objective, the optimal decarbonization roadmap with carbon futures trading is derived. Results show that the optimal emission reductions for power enterprises (covered by the carbon market) for the next 10 years (2021–2030) are around 3.27 billion tonnes CO ₂ e. If 36% of this amount is assigned to previously discussed mitigation trajectories, it is found that 106.98 GW ultra-super critical units, 160.85 GW mono-Si PV facilities and 167.26 GW doubly-fed induction generator wind capacity should be installed. Overall environmental benefits are 4.6 trillion CNY ₂₀₁₈ , over 5% of China’s 2018 GDP. Results demonstrate the optimal emission reductions and potential decarbonization roadmap for China’s power enterprises (those covered by the carbon market) under the context of carbon futures trading, which can be an important reference for the authorities and therefore encourage the establishment of the scheme.