Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Success requires a set of actions, which are all interlinked:
- ensuring technological progress;
- introducing a new lifestyle;
- defining new governance rules and beyond legislation, a new project
for our society.
Ensuring technological progress
As already mentioned, in order to succeed, the energy transition will have
to rely upon innovative technologies, some of which have been described
in the previous chapters (hybrid systems, biofuels, batteries, CCS, etc.).
These different technologies will be introduced progressively and
will need to be deployed through successive stages, in order to ensure a
transition without any interruption.
During a first phase, improving energy efficiency is the main solution
for reducingCO 2 emissions before 2030and to respond to the limitationof
the oil and gas production. It will be a key factor for the next two decades.
Then, between 2015 and 2030, subject to a rapid and massive move
in the right direction, other options such as second-generation biofuels,
electricity generation from low carbon sources and CCS will play an
increasing role.
In the longer term, by 2030 to 2050, more radical technological changes
are expected: namely fourth generation nuclear power plants, large scale
photovoltaic electricity generation, distributed energy storage systems
and use of hydrogen as an energy vector.
Table 9.1 presents the different phases of implementation of the energy
transition technologies, according towhat seems likely now. It is of course
possible to be more optimistic or pessimistic about this forecast.
Table 9.1 Future implementation of the energy transition technologies
Short term (before 2020)
Mid term (2015-2030)
Long term (2030-2050)
Increased energy efficiency
Hybrid systems
Hydrogen as
an energy vector
New materials
Second-generation
biofuels
Fourth generation
nuclear power plants
Control and regulation
systems
CCS
Electricity storage
Energy from biomass
Photovoltaic systems
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