Energy Infrastructure

How will energy look in 2030? My 10 predictions for the next 10 years!

Ten years ago Matt Cardle was Christmas number one (anyone remember Mr Cardle?) and David Cameron had just started his 6 years in office. The UK Government predicted in its base case energy scenario that in 2020 electricity generation would be delivered with 75TWHr from Coal. But the reality today is more like one TWHr. And I suspect this may open up to a significant amount of debate and challenge. I would predict that by 2030 at least one third of houses in the UK will be heated by heat pumps. This will be driven by regulatory intervention as well as changing consumer perception of methane Methane gas as an environmentally damaging option over electricity. ‘Zombie Gas Grids' will increase - pushing costs on those unable to switch away. ‘Brown Hydrogen will become a political issue - with higher electricity costs, using green electricity to make hydrogen will become challenging. to make hydrogen made from cracking methane with steam reformation (a not so carbon friendly process.

Read Full article

Ceramics industry and the transition to a Circular Economy
Energy Infrastructure

Ceramics industry and the transition to a Circular Economy

The EU ceramic industry represents an annual production value of around €30 billion. The EU Emissions Trading System covers over 1200 ceramic installations. Ceramic products can be reused, recycled or recovered after their end-of-life.

Read Full article

EUROPEAN ALUMINIUM: sustainable industrial recovery plan
Energy Infrastructure

EUROPEAN ALUMINIUM: sustainable industrial recovery plan

2019 data show primary production in Europe is flat, despite a growing demand for aluminium products. This is due to tensions on the aluminium supply chain caused by trade issues at global level and high energy prices. There are 15 smelters in the EU,.

Read Full article

CEMBUREAU’s roadmap towards #Cement2050 – a Carbon Neutrality Roadmap
Energy Infrastructure

CEMBUREAU’s roadmap towards #Cement2050 – a Carbon Neutrality Roadmap

The European Cement Association published its Carbon Neutrality Roadmap. Roadmap sets out the cement industry's ambition to reach net zero emissions by 2050. By 2030, CEMBUREAU aspires to be in line with the Paris Agreements two.

Read Full article

How Energy Efficiency and Renewables will benefit from COVID-19
Energy Infrastructure

How Energy Efficiency and Renewables will benefit from COVID-19

Since 1900 only three events had a greater impact on global energy demand than COVID-19: the Spanish flu, the Great Depression and World War II. Can we already predict the near and/or long term impact? Likely not. But we need.

Read Full article

Two walls may beat one for solar-panel nanotubes
Energy Infrastructure

Two walls may beat one for solar-panel nanotubes

Engineers already knew that size matters when using single-walled carbon nanotubes for their electrical properties. Until now, nobody had studied how electrons act when confronted with the Russian doll-like structure of multiwalled tubes. Now, researchers have calculated.

Read Full article

Escaping the horns of a dilemma
Energy Infrastructure

Escaping the horns of a dilemma

Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance has written a blog about the hydrogen economy. He argues that electrifying everything is the right way to go. Using hydrogen in the gas grid is an understandable effort by the gas industry to maintain their position.

Read Full article

Mythbusting: The footprint of renewable energy
Energy Infrastructure

Mythbusting: The footprint of renewable energy

By 2017, only 43,500 tons of PVP waste was created worldwide. By 2050 this number is expected to rise to 60 million tons. With better eco-design and new technologies, we may soon be able to re-use all of it.

Read Full article

Calorimeters for thermal propagation research on Lithium-ion batteries
Energy Infrastructure

Calorimeters for thermal propagation research on Lithium-ion batteries

Lithium-ion batteries have the advantages of high energy density, fast charge/discharge ability, no memory effect and low self-discharge. The last step is to prevent the propagation of the thermal runaway from one cell to the neighbouring cells.

Read Full article

Russia's hydrogen for Japan
Energy Infrastructure

Russia's hydrogen for Japan

Russia is all set to gain a foothold in the global hydrogen sector. It looks like a bid to be a key supplier for Japan, which has ambitious targets for adoption of the fuel by 2050. Russi hs been burned erlier on by delys in securing .

Read Full article