Technological Innovations for Global Decarbonisation

There are many energy technologies to implement to achieve the International Energy Agency’s (IEA) 2021–2050 Net Zero Scenario goal. Some of these include electrification, nuclear energy, and renewable energy.

FREMONT, CA: Global warming has to be limited to 1.5°C to avoid the unfavourable impacts of climate change, and for this to transpire, global carbon dioxide emissions have to reach net zero by the year 2025. It is especially vital to find ways to decrease emissions from the energy sector since it is accountable for around three-quarters of global greenhouse gas emissions. Various technological innovations have played a significant role in decreasing emissions from energy systems across the globe.To reach the net zero emissions target, the use of such technology should escalate.

The transition to net zero energy systems will be influenced by geographical, political, economic, and social circumstances specific to different parts of the world. In a broader sense, cutting carbon emissions from energy systems worldwide necessitates accelerating the implementation of technologies to attain two objectives, which are to electrify as much of the energy demand as possible, and to completely decarbonise the electricity supply by using renewable sources of energy.

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Renewables and electrification are two of the most important mitigation measures according to the International Energy Agency’s (IEA) 2021–2050 Net Zero Scenario, accounting for 54 per cent of required emission reductions.

Electrification

Electrifying energy demands pertain to utilising low-carbon electricity to meet energy requirements that would traditionally come from fossil fuels. This is rendered achievable by technological switches, such as swapping internal combustion engine vehicles with electric vehicles and replacing oil boilers, or natural gas, with heat pumps, while heating buildings. Fossil fuels can be replaced with clean energy to provide low- to medium-temperature heat or be used to power specific steel production processes.

Electrification maintains the immense potential to decrease final energy demand and, by extension, emissions, as electric technologies are typically more efficient than their fossil fuels-based counterparts, which provide similar energy services. The IEA estimates that electrification provides almost 19 per cent of the total emission reductions necessary to reach the net zero target.

It is important to remember that electrification decreases emissions only if the electricity is obtained from low-carbon sources, such as renewable energies, nuclear or thermal generation coupled with carbon capture, and more. The decarbonisation of the existing supply will not suffice, as the global demands of electricity are predicted to double by 2050, therefore, investment in additional sources of low-carbon electricity and energy efficiency will be necessary.

Nuclear Energy

Nuclear technology presently provides around 30 per cent of the world’s low-carbon electricity supply. As stated by the IEA, 5 per cent of the emission reductions could come from changing coal and oil with lower-carbon energy sources, which also include nuclear. Although companies possess disparate views on the role of nuclear energy in the energy mix, the consensus expresses safety or cost concerns. Numerous governments are taking a second look at nuclear energy to reduce emissions and reliance on fossil fuels in their respective countries. The continual investment in nuclear innovations could introduce advanced nuclear technologies into the market, which will enable nuclear energy to reduce emissions, not just in the electricity sector, but in the heating industry.

Renewable Energy

Renewable energy sources, wind and solar in specific provide low-carbon electricity of large qualities and according to IEA, contribute nearly 35 per cent of the total emission reductions necessary to achieve the 2050 net-zero energy goal. Equipment to make use of wind and solar energy has been installed increasingly in all countries over the past decade, and unit costs have decreased faster than predicted. Solar photovoltaic (PV) unit costs have decreased by 85 per cent and the costs of wind energy have fallen by 55 per cent, between 2010 and 2019. This is the result of the combination of innovation policies and deliberate technological choices made by the government in numerous countries, over decades.

Hydrogen

Hydrogen is an easy substitute for fossil fuels as it is a clean and versatile energy carrier, specifically in areas of energy use that are expensive or difficult to electrify. Hydrogen is a vital enabler for decarbonisation in multiple sectors, such as heavy industry, chemical production, and long-haul transport. Hydrogen also possesses the potential to replace natural gas for residential heating, even though electrification is expected to be the primary decarbonisation option in this industry, in many parts of the world.

Hydrogen, however, is not readily found in nature and is required to be produced beforehand. Low-carbon methods of hydrogen production include electrolysis, which is powered by low-carbon electricity and steam reforming natural gas, where carbon emissions are captured using CCUS. Hydrogen is essential as it has the potential to make meaningful contributions to net zero transitions. As a result, technologies for the production and usage of hydrogen have to be implemented on a wide scale. According to the IEA, hydrogen could contribute 6 per cent to the total emissions reductions by 2050, contributing to the net zero goal.

Carbon Capture, Usage, and Storage (CCUS)

CCUS is decarbonisation technology that is designed to capture carbon dioxide from high-emitting industrial facilities, which would be transported and stored permanently. CCUS also can enable low-carbon ways of electricity and hydrogen production, which are the two vital energy carriers that can aid in decarbonising a wide range of sectors. In addition, two CCUS applications, bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) and direct air carbon capture and storage (DACCS), can remove existing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. BECCS and DACCS both fall under the umbrella of a wider set of methods, known as carbon dioxide removal (CDR) or negative emissions techniques (NETs). These are created to counter the effects of climate change by decreasing the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

Although the commercial applications of CCUS are limited, almost all forecasted solutions to achieve global net zero involve some percentage of CCUS involvement. The IEA predicts that CCUS could deliver 11 per cent of reduced emissions, but to achieve this, governments must implement the correct policies and also incentivise investments into the sector.

Avoided Demand and Technology Performance

The combination of renewable energy, nuclear energy electrification, CCUS, and hydrogen could result in up to 70 per cent of emission reductions. Further emission savings can be made through technological improvements, such as its performance and efficiency. These changes account for another 13 per cent of the predicted emission reductions.

Artificial intelligence (AI) and digitisation can also contribute to reduced emissions as they optimise the operations of energy systems and reduce the overall demand for energy by eliminating avoidable consumption.

In addition to the contributions of digital technologies, building retrofits such as loft insulation, window grazing, and building fabric upgrade also save large amounts of energy as well.

Change in Behaviour

The majority of implementation of the emission-saving potential of low-carbon technology depends on the actions and behaviours of consumers and citizens, as decisions, such as installing a heat pump, purchasing an electric vehicle, or even switching to more efficient light bulbs, depending on them. A small but essential amount of emission reductions also arise from other types of changes such as reduced travel by planes or consumption of less red meat.

By combining behavioural change and avoiding demands, the remaining 11 per cent of emission reductions can be achieved.

The economic and environmental reasons for the creation and implementation of low-carbon technologies are clear. Innovation can add to decarbonisation by bringing new technologies to the market. The effectiveness of these implementations depends on policies created by governments around the world to unleash the maximum potential of established and new technologies to deliver the required transition to global net zero.