Alternative energy sources
Therefore, renewable energy will play a key role in the decarbonization of our energy systems in the coming decades. But how rapidly is our production of renewable energy changing? What technologies look most promising in transforming our energy mix?
Let's have a look at what is going on in Europe. As you can see in the following map, the share of primary energy from renewable sources depends strongly on the different countries. From 1% in Belarus to 87% in Iceland there is a wide range of different shares.
Source: LINK
As you can see in the following chart, especially Wind and Solar power have experienced a strong increase over the last 10 years. Nevertheless, Hydropower is still the number one renewable energy source in Europe.
Source: LINK
Apart from the already well known energy sources, there are some newer ones that might play a role in the next decades. Let's have a look at some:
Renewable hydrogen
Renewable hydrogen can be obtained via electrolysis using renewable electricity to split water into hydrogen and oxygen and is referred to as ‘renewable fuels of non-biological origin’. It's supposed to play a key role in decarbonising sectors where other alternatives might be unfeasible or more expensive. It can be used to replace fossil-based hydrogen for transport and industrial processes and to start new industrial products, such as green fertilisers and steel. It is important to mention that it might be viable for use in certain industries – but is not yet scalable for mass consumption. (LINK)
Hydro Power
Hydro power is the energy derived from moving water. Unlike solar and wind, hydro energy is predictable and, hence, more reliable. Besides, hydroelectric dams, as well as ocean-based energy harnessed from tides, currents, and waves, offer high energy density while reducing dependency on conventional sources. LINK
Nuclear fusion energy
Fusion energy science is a multidisciplinary field focused on the science needed to develop an energy source based on a controlled thermonuclear fusion reaction. Fusion occurs when two nuclei combine to form a new nucleus. This process occurs in our Sun and other stars. Nuclear fusion reactors aim to replicate this process by fusing hydrogen atoms to create helium, releasing energy in the form of heat. Sustaining this at scale has the potential to produce a safe, clean, almost inexhaustible power source. It is important to mention that there are yet many key challenges to overcome on the way to getting nuclear fusion up and running. LINK
Nuclear fission energy (not renewable)
Nuclear fission is the process of breaking large atomic nuclei into smaller atomic nuclei to release a large amount of energy. Even though this nuclear energy is not considered renewable as they are a finite material mined from the ground and can only be found in certain locations, there are many advocates of maintaining nuclear fission energy within the energy mix in order to meet the climate targets for 2050. For a nice overview of the arguments within this debate, please check the following analysis: LINK
Bioenergy
Bioenergy constitutes a type of renewable energy derived from biomass sources. Liquid biofuels with quality comparable to gasoline are directly blended for use in vehicles. To achieve this quality, companies improve biofuel processes and upgradation techniques. The majority of biofuel conversion processes like hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL), pyrolysis, plasma technology, pulverisation, and gasification use thermal conversion for obtaining biofuels. LINK
In all this regard, it is interesting to see how different sources have different focuses on the topic. E.g. on the website of Iberdrola, (a Spanish multinational electric utility company) they mention the potential of Renewable Hydrogen. Nevertheless, at the same time they state phrases like “Our way of life needs an increasing amount of watts to function.” As we have seen in the example of Sweden, this is not necessarily true.
Therefore, it is important to evaluate our sources to determine the quality of the information provided within it. Common evaluation criteria can include: purpose and intended audience, authority and credibility, accuracy and reliability, currency and timeliness, and objectivity or bias.
