From: University of Copenhagen
Published March 11, 2009 10:02 AM
New renewables to power 40 per cent of global electricity
demand by 2050
With global cooperation and investment, renewables’ share will exceed all
previous estimates
With adequate financial and political support, renewable energy technologies
like wind and photovoltaics could supply 40 percent of the world's
electricity by 2050, according to findings from the International Scientific
Congress "Climate Change: Global Risks, Challenges & Decisions." However, if
such technologies are marginalized, its share is likely to hover below 15
percent.
This research was presented at a press conference by Peter Lund of the
Helsinki University of Technology's Advanced Energy Systems in Espoo,
Finland, ahead of the scheduled congress session titled, "Renewable
Energies: How Far Can They Take Us?"
"Our findings demonstrate that with global political support and financial
investment, previous notions that the potential for renewables was in some
way limited to a negligible fraction of world demand were wrong," said Lund.
"If we prioritize and recognize the value of renewable energy technologies,
their potential to supply us with the energy we need is tremendous."
ADVERTISEMENT
Previous projections put renewables' share at only 12 percent by 2030. Other
research within the same congress session further supports the viability of
renewables, examining closely the limitations and potential of wind, biomass
and biofuels.
According to Erik Lundtang Petersen of Risoe DTU's Wind Energy Department in
Roskilde, Denmark, in order for the wind sector to deliver its full
potential, it must focus on efficiently delivering, installing and
connecting large amounts of wind power to the grid, with strong concern for
reliability, availability and accessibility of the turbines.
"We have identified specific areas of priority for the wind sector to
effectively deliver the overall objective of cost reductions," said
Petersen. "Research areas including turbine technology, wind energy
integration and offshore deployment will be crucial to maximizing future
growth."
Within biofuels and biomass, research conducted by Jeanette Whitaker of the
Centre for Ecology and Hydrology in Lancaster, UK found that second
generation biofuels, such as ethanol from woody crops/straw, had
substantially lower energy requirements and greenhouse gas emissions than
first generation biofuels, such as ethanol made from foodstuffs, for example
wheat and sugar beet.
"These findings are important and relevant, as the current biofuel debate
has centered on the issue of the competing need for crops to be used for
food versus fuel," said Whitaker.
All of these findings and hundreds more are being presented by thousands of
climate researchers from more than 70 countries at "Climate Change: Global
Risks, Challenges & Decisions" taking place in Copenhagen, Denmark, 10-12
March 2009 (www.climatecongress.ku.dk).
The purpose of the congress is to deliver an update on our knowledge of
climate change and how to address the risks and opportunities ahead. The
results will be presented to world leaders as they gather later this year in
Copenhagen for the post-Kyoto negotiations at the United Nations Climate
Change Conference (COP15).
About the congress
The International Scientific Congress on Climate Change is taking place in
Copenhagen 10 — 12 March. More than 2,000 participants are registered. The
congress has received almost 1,600 scientific contributions from researchers
from more than 70 countries. The preliminary conclusions from the congress
will be presented Thursday 12 March at the closing session of the congress
and will be developed in a synthesis report to be published in June this
year. The synthesis report will be handed over to all participants at the
United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP15) in December in Copenhagen
by the Danish Government.
The congress is organized by International Alliance of Research Universities
(IARU):
Australian National University
ETH Zürich
National University of Singapore
Peking University
University of California, Berkeley
University of Cambridge
University of Copenhagen
University of Oxford
University of Tokyo
Yale University
DISCLAIMER: THIS PRESS RELEASE IS WRITTEN BY THE CLIMATE SECRETARIAT AT THE
UNIVERSITY OF COPENHAGEN. THE PEOPLE QUOTED DOES NOT NECESSARILY SHARE THE
OPINIONS EXPRESSED BY OTHERS IN THIS TEXT. |