The goal of the EUâs âClean Energy for all Europeans packageâ (CEP), adopted in 2019, is to improve the functioning and design of Europeâs energy markets and systems. Luca Arfini, writing for ESCI, explains how, as part of the CEP, new market actors called âactive customers/consumers and citizensâ and âenergy communitiesâ are being established. As variable renewable generation grows, the whole system needs to be more decentralised, smarter and … [Read more...]
Chinaâs Belt and Road Initiative is now building more Renewables, less Coal
Energy has always made up the majority of investments and construction deals signed through Chinaâs Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Until very recently these investments were dominated by fossil fuel projects. But in the first half of this year, over 40% of BRI energy projects announced were wind and solar, with 22% each for gas and oil, and zero for coal projects. The reasons include Chinaâs stated commitment to clean energy, avoiding the risk … [Read more...]
Will AI queries increase Data Centre energy use by an order of magnitude?
Data centres globally consumed 220-330 TWh in 2021 (California uses around 278 TWh/year). How much more will they consume if AI takes off, given AI queries consume an order of magnitude more energy, and there are over 5bn internet users worldwide? The first step is to make a decent evidence-based prediction, but the U.S. and the EU are only expected to enforce reporting requirements next year, explains Meredith Fowlie at UC Berkeleyâs Energy … [Read more...]
Using Generative AI to speed up and improve the Wind Turbine blade design process
Justin Daugherty at NREL describes research there on using generative AI to accelerate and improve the wind turbine blade design process. To keep up with the pace of change in the market (not just customer demands, but policy regulations and technological innovations), the current method uses simplified low-fidelity modelling because itâs quicker to turn around. But it is also less accurate. Researchers are exploring deep-learning models using … [Read more...]
Europeâs big Hydrogen ambitions wonât deliver. Stick to ammonia-fertiliser, refining, shipping, aviation (maybe later)
Europeâs hydrogen ambitions need a reality check. The EUâs goal to produce and import 20m tonnes of clean hydrogen by 2030 is now widely seen as completely unrealistic, says William Todts at T&E. The business case is not good enough because of the high costs that arenât coming down as hoped. Itâs why only 4% of hydrogen projects get financed. Far better to focus on no regrets, low infrastructure hydrogen applications for ammonia-fertiliser, … [Read more...]
Nations are on track to meet their NDC targets. The catch is those targets arenât high enough for net zero by 2050
Globally, current Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) targets are within reach thanks to the increasing speed of clean energy transitions around the world. Thatâs as NDCs have, as planned, got more ambitious as nations have updated them every five years. The problem is current NDCs are still not ambitious enough to meet our actual 2050 net zero target. Daniel Wetzel, Gabriel Saive, Luca Lo Re and Alice Latella at the IEA summarise the … [Read more...]
China can learn from the EU about power market design and infrastructure build-out
How will China integrate its growing Variable Renewable Energy generation and create a nationwide energy system that avoids the risks of curtailment, stranded assets and blackouts? A good place to start is to learn from Europe. Helen Farrell at ECECP summarises their report that uses the European experience to model scenarios for China. Chinaâs key challenges is that its power market lacks an effective auxiliary service market, a capacity market, … [Read more...]
How much protection from carbon-intensive imports will CBAM give to EU industries?
The EUâs Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) is not a business-as-usual instrument that allows sectors to delay decarbonisation. It applies a levy on imported goods equal to the internal EU ETS-related carbon price, so that both EU-produced goods and those imported into the EU face similar carbon cost pressures. But sectors must use the CBAM phase-in period to decarbonise. Pablo Ruiz and Barbara Kölbl at Rabobank look at how different … [Read more...]
Simple superconducting diode can dramatically cut energy use in transistors, data centres
Some estimates say data centres could be consuming up to 20% of all power globally in ten years. Thatâs largely because the billions of transistors have to be cooled. Elizabeth Thomson at MIT describes breakthrough research that has made a superconducting diode thatâs twice as efficient as the standard, therefore generating and wasting far less heat. Whatâs surprising is that some straightforward physics of materials was utilised, in contrast to … [Read more...]
Annual Energy Efficiency improvements must double to meet climate targets. We know how to do it
Global energy intensity â a measure of how efficiently the global economy uses energy â improved by just over 2% in 2022. That needs to double to 4% annually to 2030 to meet global efficiency targets, explains Brian Motherway at the IEA. If achieved, by 2030 one unit of energy used will generate 40% more economic output than today. Thatâs huge, and shows why few other policy areas offer such widespread benefits. More than half of the 150 … [Read more...]
When 0.2% Methane leakage can make Gas dirtier than Coal
Around the world gas is replacing coal to reduce emissions. But even small amounts of methane leakage in the gas life-cycle can make emissions on par with or even worse than coal, explain Shannon Hughes and Deborah Gordon at RMI. They present their calculator that shows if West Virginia state's gas methane leakage rate is just 1.4% their emissions equal the coal it replaces. Texas Permian LNG exported to China only needs a leakage rate of 0.2% to … [Read more...]
CBAM is now active. A guide to what companies must do to comply
On October 1st 2023 the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) became effective. Its purpose is to limit carbon leakage by establishing a carbon price on imported goods that is equivalent to the carbon price on domestically produced goods. That means introducing a set of reporting and compliance obligations for importers of goods into the EU. Simon Göss and Hendrik Schuldt at carboneer explain the new mechanism and scope (aluminium, cement, … [Read more...]
EU legislators must avoid crippling clean tech with a blanket ban on PFAS (per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances)
A blanket ban on all types of PFAS (per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances), or âforever chemicalsâ, is currently being considered by the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA). PFAS are used in cleaning products, non-stick pans, personal care products and more, so a ban on these will save lives and deliver sustainable practices. But, as Daniel Fraile at Hydrogen Europe explains, the PFAS subgroups of fluoropolymers and perfluoropolyethers are used in … [Read more...]
Green Methanol: an alternative fuel for heavy vehicles and shipping?
Itâs very early days but pilot projects for green methanol are underway, explains Gabi Thesing writing for WEF. Itâs a low-carbon fuel that can be produced from renewable sources such as biomass or using carbon capture. Compared to traditional fossil fuels it can reduce CO2 emissions by 60-95%, nitrogen oxide by 60-80%, and almost completely eliminate sulphur oxide and particulate matter emissions. Green methanol can be blended with traditional … [Read more...]
1,500GW of Renewables deployment delayed globally because Grids arenât modernising fast enough
A first-of-its-kind global country-by-country study, âElectricity Grids and Secure Energy Transitionsâ by the IEA finds that electricity grids are not keeping pace with the rapid growth of clean energy technologies. Without greater policy attention and investment, shortfalls in the reach and quality of grid infrastructure puts at risk our climate goals. Worldwide, we need to add or replace 80m kms of power lines by 2040 â an amount equal to the … [Read more...]
