WEMO24-Compiled Report-Interactive compressed (002) 4154-7882-8116 v.1 - Flipbook - Page 46
Global
Outlook
The world is not on track to meet the Paris Agreement's
target of a 1.5% increase in global temperature by the end of
the century, with the current trajectories leading to an increase
of more than 3°C.
To get closer to these targets, existing technologies
(intermittent renewables, hydroelectricity, green heat, nuclear
including SMRs.) would have to be deployed at scale by 2030.
This deployment requires favourable legislation, public
and private funding, which is currently lacking (especially in
developing countries).
While Generative Artificial Intelligence is not specific to the
energy sector, it will have a major impact on it: it helps to combat
climate change, but the associated data centres will consume
a huge amount of energy and water. Besides construction of
massive renewable or nuclear production plants, measures
should be taken to limit this consumption increase.
In conclusion, in addition to mitigation measures to limit
GHG emissions, adaptation measures fast implementation
is needed to increase energy infrastructures (and other
WEMO 2024
Public acceptance is increasingly difficult to get because of the
energy transition related price rises caused by the cohabitation
of two subsidized energy systems: fossil fuels and renewables.
By 2040, some technologies may be promising, such as Advanced
Modular Reactors, White Hydrogen or Space-Based Solar Power,
but they have yet to prove their industrial and economic viability.
Despite progress in laser fusion, it is very likely that nuclear
fusion will not produce significant amounts of electricity
before 2050.
46
The massive production of green hydrogen is encountering
problems as its cost is much higher than grey hydrogen’s, the
availability of additional quantities of renewable energy and
nuclear power is limited, and the long-distance transport of
hydrogen remains complex. In this situation a large enough
green hydrogen market is not foreseen. One can therefore
assume that the European political promises of a very rapid
increase in volumes of green hydrogen will not materialise
within the timeframes announced.
HOME
NEXT
ARTICLE
