How Is The Landscape Of Power Generation Moving Toward Decarbonization?

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A November 2024 article called “The Changing Landscape of Power Generation & Decarbonization Pathways“ offers several insights into ways that the grid is quickly evolving due to the increased adoption of renewable and other energy sources.

Here’s a synthesis of the findings from authors René Leven, Aravind Rajagopal, and John Crane.

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What is power generation? Power generation is a term used to describe electricity production using different types of technology. It transforms diverse energy sources into the electricity that powers homes, industries, and technologies.

How has power generation changed over the last century? Some sources such as steam boilers are more than a hundred years old. Power generation has been historically dominated by fossil fuels like coal and natural gas.

What’s new on the power generation front? Today this industry also harnesses nuclear energy and an expanding array of renewable resources such as wind, solar, and hydroelectric power.

How is power generation changing? More countries around the world are turning to sustainability and reducing carbon emissions. That has reshaped the methods of producing electricity. The day when renewable energy surpasses fossil fuels is within sight, and power generation, driven by technology advancements and supportive policy decisions, will be an important transformational element in overall global decarbonization.

What do the numbers from 2023 tell us? In 2023, the global energy mix for electricity generation reflected a growing shift toward cleaner, low-emission technologies, with 39% of global power generation coming from low-emission sources. This includes 9% from nuclear power and 30% from renewables such as solar, wind and hydroelectric power.

How prominent were fossil fuels for power generation in 2023?Fossil fuels — especially coal — still dominate the global energy mix, although their share is steadily declining. Natural gas is growing in importance, particularly in regions like the United States.

Which renewables are growing the fastest? Wind and solar power have experienced the fastest growth among renewables. That’s because they’ve become more cost-competitive over the past decade, largely due to technological improvements, economies of scale, and government incentives.

What’s the forecast ahead to 2026? The share of low-emission sources is expected to rise to 46%, with renewables making up 37% of total generation. Wind and solar will lead the way, and other technologies such as bioenergy and geothermal power will gain prominence.

What’s the role of investing to support renewable power generation? As the global energy mix shifts toward low-emission sources, significant investments are required to modernize infrastructure and ensure the reliability of power generation. This includes upgrading transmission grids and expanding energy storage systems to support the integration of variable renewable energy sources like wind and solar.

How much work does grid infrastructure need? The grids today were originally designed for centralized fossil fuel-based power generation. They must be upgraded to accommodate decentralized and variable renewable energy sources. Large-scale transmission grid enhancements are necessary to connect renewable energy sources located in remote areas to demand centers.

How crucial is establishing energy storage systems? Intermittency inherent in renewable energy sources like wind and solar can lead to frequency imbalances in the grid. That means significant investments in energy storage systems are needed to ensure a consistent power supply. Battery energy storage systems (BESS) and long-duration energy storage (LDES) technologies enable the storage of excess renewable energy for use during periods of low generation.

What can be done to decarbonize fossil fuel power generation pathways? The authors point to technologies such as carbon capture, hydrogen-ready turbines, and ammonia co-firing. As the world undergoes this energy transition, engineering advancements and specialized sealing technologies will play a vital role in ensuring the efficient and reliable operation of both renewable and fossil fuel power generation systems. The energy transition presents an opportunity for the industry to drive innovation and ensure a sustainable, low-carbon future for power generation worldwide.

Of course, progress in achieving carbon reduction targets will depend mainly on global efforts to address energy security and meet climate commitments. So, too, will identifying and stabilizing alternatives pathways to lower the carbon footprint of fossil fuel assets, “extending their operational life while aligning with global climate goals.”

Other News About Moving Toward Decarbonization

Reducing Scope 3 emissions: A group of transportation industry veterans has launched Scope23, a technology company dedicated to making sustainability achievable for shippers and transportation service providers. Scope23 designs supply chain and logistics solutions focused exclusively on helping companies reduce their emissions footprint, providing AI-powered recommendations that help companies reduce scope 3 emissions.

Scope23, which is receiving initial funding from Schneider and Pilot Company, intends to fill the gap for shippers and carriers with a platform that operationalizes carbon accounting into existing transportation and purchasing procedures. As reported by Yahoo! finance, Scope23, based in Chicago, began publicly showcasing its product and growing network of investors, partners, and customers at the Verge 2024 Conference held this October in San Jose.

Hard-to-abate sectors of steel and cement: During COP29’s Technology Day on Transformative Industry, policy and technology innovations that can deliver rapid, impactful emission reductions in heavy industries were the focus. Steel, cement, chemicals, and petrochemicals alone contribute about 70% of industry-related emissions. Only a fraction of national climate plans, known as nationally determined contributions (NDCs), include emission reduction targets in the industrial sector. During the event, examples were showcased of technology developed to decarbonize production processes.

The TEC also launched its latest policy brief providing actionable guidance to integrate hard-to-abate industries into national climate targets, in alignment with the Paris Agreement’s 1.5°C goal. The resulting policy brief outlines a possible pathway toward decarbonizing the steel and cement sectors:

• highlights the need for transforming hard-to-abate industries (steel, cement, chemicals) to significantly reduce GHG emissions and meet the 1.5°C Paris Agreement goal;
• encourages targeted policies for decarbonizing hard-to-abate industries through electrification and renewable energy;
• identifies zero- and low-emission technologies like hydrogen-based steelmaking, electric boilers, and CCS as essential to reducing industrial GHG emissions;
• emphasizes tracking progress through clear roadmaps and robust MRV systems aligned with IPCC guidelines;
• recommends collaborative efforts among industries, governments, and financial institutions to accelerate the deployment of zero- and low-emission technologies; and,
• stresses the importance of international support, cooperation, and knowledge sharing for innovation, technology transfer, and capacity-building, including through South-South and Triangular cooperation.