10 RENEWABLE ENERGY
X marks the spot – sustainability’s une-X-pected treasure trove Sandra Au
With no country untouched by climate change, governments, organisations and stakeholders are galvanizing effor ts for a global energy transition. Through extensive collaboration and large-scale investments, the momentum for the decarbonisation of key sectors and economies has reached fever pitch. Green hydrogen plays a primary role in fronting this change, with its potential to simultaneously meet the world’s growing appetite for energy while realising net-zero ambitions for a sustainably energized future. According to the United Nations, around 770 million people still lack access to electricity. With alleviating measures delayed by Covid-19, it remains probable that a population nearly twice that of the United States will continue to experience restricted electricity access until 2030. On top of that, it is predicted that global energy demand will increase by around 25 per cent through 2040, with emission levels consequently increasing in tandem. While fossil fuels remain dominant in the energy sector, advances in clean energy solutions and renewables make them increasingly cost-effective and viable for large-scale adoption. On the demand side, combining innovative technologies and fostering ecosystem par tnerships with public and private stakeholders has significantly accelerated adoption.
A match made in heaven – coupling sectors and Power-to-X Green technology and innovation can help to bridge the sustainability gap and drive decarbonisation among energy-heavy industries. Despite a sharp focus on decarbonising the electricity sector, it only accounts for about 40 per cent of total carbon emissions. Usage-heavy sectors like mobility, building, industry and heating constitute the bulk of total emissions.
Sector coupling can suppor t the decarbonisation agenda, reducing primary fossil fuel consumption by up to 50 per cent. Enter Power-to-X, a process that converts electrical energy to liquid or gaseous chemical energy sources. When combined with sector coupling, Power-to-X is the key to creating closed CO 2 cycles and CO 2 -neutr al infrastructures. It enables energy-dense synthetic fuels (e-fuels) to be generated from renewable electrical energy. E-fuels are sustainable, carbon-neutral and easily stored, including e-methanol, e-methane, e-jet fuel and e-diesel. Most crucially, they can be mixed with conventional fuels to reduce the latter’s carbon content over time without the need to change existing vehicle or fuel logistics infrastructure. This is critical for adoption by long-haul heavy transportation in the marine and aviation sectors, where the potential for electromobility is limited or non-existent.
UPDATE 4/2021
