January’s IRENA report “A New World” has kick-started the debate on how the accelerating deployment of renewables will affect and alter the global distribution of political and economic power. Jan Frederik Braun and Daniel Scholten review its findings and build on the list of issues that must be faced. For example, although the IRENA report focuses on electrification the authors say power-to-gas is likely to play a major role, and we must face up … [Read more...]
Solar consumption and manufacturing: can Europe re-take the lead?
As a solar consumer Europe already plans to re-establish itself as a leader. European solar’s share of total consumption, 5% in 2018, is set to be 36% by 2050. There are three main drivers for progress: increasingly ambitious national targets, the rise of low-cost solar helped by the increase in CO2 costs, and digitalisation. But what about manufacturing? Practically all Europe’s solar cells are bought in cheaply from China and the Far East. … [Read more...]
Nuclear – critical choice for 2050
As the urgency of the climate crisis becomes more obvious, nuclear power is drawing another look. The power sector needs to develop to meet climate targets. Renewables (RES) have taken significant share of the energy mix in recent years but going further means securing far more investment and solving the complex challenge of integrating variable power. There is a need for alternatives to run alongside RES, keeping us on track. Matthew Wald from … [Read more...]
Hy-Society – flexible hydrogen’s winning formula
Open the papers and you'll see that hydrogen-based transport, mobility and infrastructure are securing serious investment. In the past, the high cost of fuelling infrastructure - and "stupid" concept of using electricity to make hydrogen to make electricity - have stalled the advancement of this ultra-versatile clean fuel and energy storage solution. However, thanks to the availability of surplus power from RES and hydrogen's remarkable … [Read more...]
Interview Iberdrola’s Director of Climate Change Saenz de Mira: “Europe is losing leadership” (Energy Post Weekly)
“In renewables there are more investments today in the US and China”, says Gonzalo Saenz de Miera, Director of Climate Change at Iberdrola, a world leader in renewables, in an interview with Energy Post. “Europe is losing its leadership.” Saenz de Miera calls for a binding target for 2050, not just 2030, and for it to be more ambitious than the current 80-95% greenhouse gas emission reduction. He also advocates “polluter pays” taxation that puts … [Read more...]
EU gas and power transmission grid operators map out energy future (Energy Post Weekly)
For the first time ever, the gas and electricity transmission system operators in the EU have joined forces to develop a series of joint scenarios for the European energy system out to 2040. Takeaways: high carbon prices, no shale gas, hardly any CCS, less gas in heating/more gas in transport, less nuclear and more biomethane and power-to-gas. The scenarios matter because they will ultimately help decide which energy infrastructure projects get … [Read more...]
The hydrogen economy is much nearer than we think
For over 30 years promoters of green energy have proclaimed the hydrogen economy is around the corner. Now this could finally become true. While some energy experts claim that hydrogen from renewable energy is prohibitively expensive, companies like ITM in the UK are proving in the market that this technology is already competitive. They produce hydrogen for use in cars and in the form of power-to-gas to be used in the gas network. Energy … [Read more...]
Connect North Sea oil and gas platforms to offshore wind farms to produce green gas
Abandoned oil and gas platforms in the North Sea can be profitably converted into production and storage units that convert electricity from offshore wind farms into hydrogen and synthetic gas. That’s the main finding of a new study carried out by the Dutch Energy Delta Institute (EDI). A positive business case can be made for this application if the gas can be sold to a dedicated niche market for green gas, e.g. the chemical industry or the … [Read more...]
French government study: 95% renewable power mix cheaper than nuclear and gas
A new French government study shows that the cost to the French consumer of a 100% renewable scenario is more or less equal to a scenario close to today’s, with only 40% renewables. It is yet another instance of leading energy experts asserting that a 100% renewable future is possible, writes Terje Osmundsen, Senior Vice-President of Norwegian independent solar power producer Scatec Solar. … [Read more...]
World’s first power-to-liquids production plant opened in Dresden
A Power-to-Liquids (PtL) demonstration rig which is the first of its kind in the world was officially inaugurated on 14 November by Dresden-based sunfire GmbH. The ceremony was attended by German Federal Minister of Education and Research Johanna Wanka, Board Member Pieter Koolen of venture capitalist Bilfinger, as well as a number of other high-ranking representatives from the worlds of politics, industry and research. French energy companies … [Read more...]
German Environment Ministry says CO2-neutral Germany “almost possible”
Can an industrialized country such as Germany avoid nearly all of its man-made greenhouse gas emissions? “Clearly yes”, answers a new study by the German Federal Environment Agency (Umweltbundesamt). And it can be done without carbon capture and storage, nuclear power and first generation biomass. However, energy demand must be reduced by half and “unnecessary transport” must be avoided. “It is technically possible to reduce greenhouse gas … [Read more...]
ENTSOG’s big plan for the European gas market
European transmission system operators are building the network for the gas flows of the future – but will there be any gas flowing in Europe ten years from now? At a workshop in Riga in March 2013 organised by ENTSOG (the European Network of Transmission System Operators for Gas), representatives from the gas industry discussed the implications of ENTSOG’s Ten-Year Network Development Plan (TYNDP), which was adopted in February. The participants … [Read more...]
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