{"query_echo":{"q":"","filters":{"analysis_type":["economic viability analysis"]},"warnings":[{"code":"facet_value_not_in_vocabulary","message":"Value 'economic viability analysis' for facet 'analysis_type' is not in the controlled vocabulary."}]},"total":{"value":4,"relation":"eq"},"page":1,"page_size":20,"self":"https://climateinsightsdirectory.org/api/v1/search?analysis_type=economic+viability+analysis","stability":"beta","ai_marking":{"digital_source_type":{"uri":"http://cv.iptc.org/newscodes/digitalsourcetype/trainedAlgorithmicMedia","name":"Created using Generative AI"},"notice":"Summary and key insights are generated using artificial intelligence."},"results":[{"id":"rmi-000972","url":"https://climateinsightsdirectory.org/document/rmi-000972","title":"Assessing the Economic Viability and Environmental Benefits of Treating Organic Waste Using Anaerobic Digestion","publisher":{"name":"RMI","organization":"rmi"},"document_type":"case study","language":"en","date_published":"2024-12","source_url":"https://rmiwastemapprod.blob.core.windows.net/cms/assets/RMI_Oko_Oba_Biogas_Analysis_3cf3086de6.pdf","generator":"Climate Insights Directory","generated_fields":["summary","key_insights","climate_tags","geography_discussed","analysis_type"],"summary":{"text":"The report analyzes the Oko Oba Abattoir's anaerobic digestion (AD) facility, finding that while the current 'business-as-usual' (BAU) model is economically viable with a 6% IRR, scaling the facility to achieve a 100% fuel switch from charcoal to biogas would increase the IRR to 14%. The study highlights that high upfront capital expenditures (CAPEX) are a primary barrier to private investment, suggesting that grants, low-interest loans, and investment tax credits could improve project economics. Environmentally, the project reduces methane emissions by up to 726 MT/year and improves local air quality by avoiding PM2.5 emissions from charcoal burning. The facility is currently non-operational due to storm damage and requires approximately $21,400 for repairs.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"rmi-000972#summary","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},"key_insights":[{"text":"The business-as-usual (BAU) scenario, which processes 330 kg/day of feedstock and replaces approximately 20% of charcoal fuel used for animal skin cleaning, is economically viable with a project internal rate of return (IRR) of approximately 6% and a payback period of about 12 years.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"rmi-000972#insight-1","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},{"text":"Scaling the facility to achieve a 100% fuel switch from charcoal to biogas would increase the project IRR to 14%, though it requires an additional CAPEX investment of approximately $129,000 (₦ 45,798,000) during the expansion year.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"rmi-000972#insight-2","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},{"text":"Further capacity expansion to co-digest 2 tons per day of animal waste and 200 kg per day of food waste for domestic cooking (Scenario 2) maintains an IRR of 14% but reduces the payback period to 10.5 years, which is 8 months shorter than the 100% fuel switch scenario.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"rmi-000972#insight-3","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},{"text":"High upfront costs are a significant barrier to private sector investment; for the BAU scenario, the upfront CAPEX investment was ₦ 43,650,000 (approximately $103,000).","ai_generated":true,"unit":"rmi-000972#insight-4","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},{"text":"Financial and policy mechanisms can significantly improve project viability: a grant covering 50% of upfront CAPEX in the BAU scenario more than doubles the equity IRR, and an investment tax credit (ITC) covering 30% of CAPEX would increase the IRR by 2 percentage points for scenarios 1 and 2.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"rmi-000972#insight-5","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},{"text":"The project provides substantial environmental and health benefits, with methane mitigation ranging from 108 MT/year in the BAU scenario up to 724-726 MT/year in the most expanded scenario, and PM2.5 avoidance increasing from 0.03 MT/year (BAU) to 0.15 MT/year (full fuel switch).","ai_generated":true,"unit":"rmi-000972#insight-6","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},{"text":"The facility is currently non-operational due to storm damage and requires ₦ 36 million (approximately $21,400 as of November 2024) for repairs, including a new storage balloon and roofing.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"rmi-000972#insight-7","date_modified":"2026-10-23"}],"climate_tags":["methane emissions","organic waste","biogas","climate finance","circular economy"],"geography_discussed":["Abuja","Ogun State","Abeokuta"],"frame_perspective":[],"analysis_type":["economic viability analysis","environmental impact assessment","case study"]},{"id":"sei-002451","url":"https://climateinsightsdirectory.org/document/sei-002451","title":"Risks for New Natural Gas Developments in Appalachia","publisher":{"name":"Stockholm Environment Institute","organization":"stockholm-environment-institute"},"document_type":"research paper","language":"en","date_published":"2021-03","source_url":"https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/risks-of-new-natural-gas-developments-in-appalachia-march-2021-final-3.9.21.pdf","generator":"Climate Insights Directory","generated_fields":["summary","key_insights","climate_tags","geography_discussed","analysis_type"],"summary":{"text":"The report argues that new natural gas developments in Appalachia are high-risk investments due to low domestic prices and the global transition toward low-carbon energy. Analysis of 216 prospective gas fields indicates that average 2020 prices for gas and oil do not support widespread expansion. The authors highlight that deep decarbonization consistent with the Paris Agreement would likely keep gas prices below the $3/Mbtu threshold required for average profitability, potentially rendering new fields and associated petrochemical infrastructure, such as ethane crackers, unprofitable.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"sei-002451#summary","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},"key_insights":[{"text":"The natural gas industry in Pennsylvania, Ohio, and West Virginia is highly vulnerable to sustained low prices for domestic gas and natural gas liquids (NGL), with recent prices being insufficient to support widespread investment in new gas fields, pipelines, and export terminals.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"sei-002451#insight-1","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},{"text":"Global decarbonization efforts aligned with the Paris Agreement are expected to fundamentally alter oil and gas markets, likely making new Appalachian gas fields unprofitable on average.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"sei-002451#insight-2","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},{"text":"Low-carbon energy transition scenarios suggest a significant decline in U.S. gas consumption, with most reviewed studies forecasting demand dropping to less than 20 TCF by 2040, compared to the U.S. Department of Energy's reference case of approximately 31 TCF annually.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"sei-002451#insight-3","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},{"text":"While LNG exports could provide a market for U.S. gas, their role in global decarbonization is limited; LNG use may peak before 2040 in 2°C scenarios, and export terminals may need to be shut down prematurely.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"sei-002451#insight-4","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},{"text":"New ethane crackers in Appalachia face substantial financial risk if oil prices remain at or below $40/barrel, as this lowers the cost of naphtha-based ethylene production globally, reducing the competitive advantage of ethane-based production.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"sei-002451#insight-5","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},{"text":"An analysis of 216 prospective new gas and gas-condensate fields shows that average 2020 prices (approximately $2/Mbtu for gas and $40/barrel for oil) fall below the breakeven frontier required for profitability.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"sei-002451#insight-6","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},{"text":"The financial risk for new developments is further increased by rising cost of capital; while the baseline analysis assumes a 10% discount rate, industry risk perceptions may have pushed hurdle rates to 15%, raising the bar for development.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"sei-002451#insight-7","date_modified":"2026-10-23"}],"climate_tags":["natural gas","hydraulic fracturing","decarbonization","Paris Agreement","renewable energy","liquefied natural gas","petrochemical product","methane leak","Carbon lock-in","energy transition"],"geography_discussed":["United States","Asia","Africa"],"frame_perspective":[],"analysis_type":["economic viability analysis","risk assessment","scenario analysis"]},{"id":"clipolin-000526","url":"https://climateinsightsdirectory.org/document/clipolin-000526","title":"FERROGRÃO: FRAGILIDADES E LIÇÕES PARA A IMPLEMENTAÇÃO DE UMA AGENDA DE INFRAESTRUTURA SUSTENTÁVEL","publisher":{"name":"Climate Policy Initiative","organization":"climate-policy-initiative"},"document_type":"executive summary","language":"pt","date_published":"2020-09","source_url":"https://www.climatepolicyinitiative.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Ferrograo-Fragilidades-e-Licoes-para-a-Implementacao-de-uma-Agenda-de-Infraestrutura-Sustentavel.pdf","generator":"Climate Insights Directory","generated_fields":["summary","key_insights","climate_tags","geography_discussed","analysis_type"],"summary":{"text":"The Climate Policy Initiative (CPI/PUC-Rio) analyzed the Ferrogrão railway project, finding significant gaps in its economic planning, socio-environmental governance, and risk assessment. The project, intended to lower soy export costs from Mato Grosso, faces risks of inducing 2,043 km² of deforestation. The analysis highlights a lack of transparency and a failure to align the project's technical studies with international socio-environmental standards.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"clipolin-000526#summary","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},"key_insights":[{"text":"The economic analysis of the Ferrogrão project is flawed because it ignores the impact of competing investments, such as the modernization of the BR-163/MT/PA highway and other railway projects like the Ferrovia de Integração Centro-Oeste (FICO), the expansion of the Norte-Sul central section, and the extension of Ferronorte to Lucas do Rio Verde.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"clipolin-000526#insight-1","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},{"text":"The project's socio-environmental governance is weak, with the Technical Study of Technical, Economic and Environmental Viability (EVTEA) failing to meet its own Terms of Reference (TR) and government manuals. Specifically, the EVTEA followed only 63% of the Valec manual, and only three of ten key international socio-environmental components were included in its TR.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"clipolin-000526#insight-2","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},{"text":"The construction of the railway is projected to induce the deforestation of 2,043 km² of native vegetation across nearly forty municipalities in Mato Grosso by increasing land demand for farmers and ranchers. The estimated carbon emission cost of this deforestation is US$ 1.9 billion, based on a carbon price of US$ 25/tCO2e.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"clipolin-000526#insight-3","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},{"text":"There is a significant lack of transparency regarding the project's documentation, as some information was not available on the internet or provided through the Access to Information Law (LAI), which hinders the ability of civil society and academia to monitor the project.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"clipolin-000526#insight-4","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},{"text":"The project's administrative sequence is logically inconsistent, notably because the Environmental Impact Study (EIA) is being developed during and after the public hearings, whereas logically the EVTEA should precede the EIA.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"clipolin-000526#insight-5","date_modified":"2026-10-23"}],"climate_tags":["deforestation","carbon dioxide emissions","carbon price","green infrastructure","environmental impact assessment"],"geography_discussed":["Mato Grosso","Pará","Itaituba","Miritituba"],"frame_perspective":[],"analysis_type":["ex-ante risk assessment","governance analysis","economic viability analysis"]},{"id":"clipolin-000419","url":"https://climateinsightsdirectory.org/document/clipolin-000419","title":"Meeting Energy Concept Targets for Residential Retrofits in Germany","publisher":{"name":"Climate Policy Initiative","organization":"climate-policy-initiative"},"document_type":"briefing","language":"en","date_published":"2011-05","source_url":"https://www.climatepolicyinitiative.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/Costs-Benefits-and-Financial-Support-for-Thermal-Retrofit.pdf","generator":"Climate Insights Directory","generated_fields":["summary","key_insights","climate_tags","analysis_type"],"summary":{"text":"The briefing examines the feasibility of Germany's goal to reduce building primary energy requirements by 80% by 2050. It finds that deep thermal retrofits for multi-family houses are economically viable for owners who capture full energy savings, especially when supported by KfW loans and grants. To achieve a 2% annual retrofit rate, public support would need to increase to between 2 billion and 8 billion EUR per year, depending on the energy standard targeted. If these targets are met, Germany could save 110 TWh and 7.5 billion EUR in energy bills annually by 2020.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"clipolin-000419#summary","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},"key_insights":[{"text":"The German government's 2010 Energy Concept aims to reduce the primary energy requirement of buildings by 80% by 2050 and increase the annual thermal retrofit rate from 0.8% to 2%.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"clipolin-000419#insight-1","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},{"text":"Energy-related incremental costs for retrofitting multi-family houses to the new building standard range from 80 to 185 EUR/m2, while costs to reach 55% of that standard range from 105 to 230 EUR/m2.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"clipolin-000419#insight-2","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},{"text":"Deep thermal retrofits are economically viable for building owners across all cost estimates if they capture full energy savings and utilize KfW public support, which covers approximately one-third of costs for the new building standard and 50% for the 55% standard.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"clipolin-000419#insight-3","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},{"text":"To achieve a 2% annual retrofit rate without increasing individual support levels, annual public funding would need to rise to 2-4 billion EUR for the new building standard, or 4-8 billion EUR for the 55% standard.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"clipolin-000419#insight-4","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},{"text":"By 2020, Germany could save 110 TWh of energy and 7.5 billion EUR in energy bills annually if retrofits average 70% of the new building standard and tighten to 55% by 2015.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"clipolin-000419#insight-5","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},{"text":"Approximately 70% of German residential units were built before 1978, prior to the first energy ordinance, making them the primary target for retrofit efforts.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"clipolin-000419#insight-6","date_modified":"2026-10-23"}],"climate_tags":["energy efficiency","residential building","climate finance"],"geography_discussed":[],"frame_perspective":[],"analysis_type":["economic viability analysis","cost-benefit analysis","policy assessment"]}]}