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AboutEmployees
Stefano Ninfole

Stefano Ninfole

University Lecturer

  • School of Economics and Business

I am a PhD researcher in economics, specializing in:

✔ Carbon storage market analysis using numerical modeling
✔ Direct Air Capture (DAC) and electricity market dynamics
✔ Econometrics of emissions and emission forecasting in the energy sector

I have a background in Economics and Finance from Università del Salento, where I developed my interest in applied econometrics and microeconomics. My Master’s thesis focused on the efficiency of human capital and productivity growth in European countries using advanced econometric techniques, specifically Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA).

Research Specializations:

  1. Carbon Storage Market:
    My current work uses R for numerical simulations, focusing on the competition between different storage suppliers of CO2 in the North Sea. Theoretical insights from my research are based on a Hotelling model, exploring whether higher carbon prices enhance competition among storage services, thereby reducing the costs of carbon capture and storage (CCS). The model reveals three competition regimes that are influenced by the level of the carbon tax. For low taxes, competition is absent; for intermediate taxes, there is partial competition with multiple equilibria; and for high taxes, standard Bertrand competition occurs. Surprisingly, under some conditions, monopoly pricing may lead to lower prices than partial competition.

  2. Direct Air Capture (DAC):
    My research also covers the capital and operational costs of DAC, with a specific focus on energy and heat requirements. I examine how these requirements interact with future electricity market dynamics, particularly how increased demand for electricity could create bottlenecks in scaling DAC technologies.

  3. Econometrics of Emissions:
    In my econometrics work, I focus on emissions forecasting using variables such as oil, gas, and coal usage, along with macroeconomic variables like GDP and capital stock. This allows me to assess the impact of economic activity on emissions and energy consumption across different sectors.

I use R extensively for numerical simulations and data analysis in my research. I aim to deepen my understanding of energy and environmental challenges and contribute through my work.