Renewable Energy

Easter influences electricity markets, with household energy use rising, industrial consumption dropping, and the UK setting record-low carbon intensity levels due to high renewable energy contributions during the holiday. Seasonal solar energy benefits and energy efficiency practices at homes and industries enhance sustainability.

The paper provides an analysis of 19 hydrogen production methods, focusing on efficiency, cost, and environmental sustainability. It identifies the efficiency of fossil fuel reforming and the high environmental impact of non-renewable sources. Renewable methods are more sustainable but less developed. Hybrid approaches offer balanced results while further innovation is needed for truly sustainable hydrogen production.

The EU project CORALIS explores biomass gasification's techno-economic feasibility for decarbonizing energy-intensive industries, highlighting its potential with syngas and biochar production as fossil fuel alternatives. Larger-scale operations demonstrate better economic returns, with significant positive impacts on industrial decarbonization efforts.

The EU aims to produce and import 20 million tonnes of renewable hydrogen by 2030 to achieve climate targets. The European Hydrogen Bank, integral to REPowerEU, supports this via subsidies and market integration. Investments in hydrogen technologies foster innovation, job creation, and international cooperation, enhancing energy security and global leadership in clean energy transitions.

EnerWhizz is a mobile quiz game designed to teach players about energy efficiency and renewable energy in an engaging and competitive format, offering rewards, multilingual support, and opportunities for global competition.

The EU's industrial carbon management strategy aims for climate neutrality by 2050, targeting innovations in carbon capture and utilization (CCU), carbon capture and storage (CCS), and CO2 transport through a 19,000 km network. This transformative approach, fostering a carbon value chain, could generate €45-€100 billion and create 75,000-170,000 jobs by 2030, while positioning the EU as a global leader in carbon management technologies. The strategy emphasizes investment, R&D, public engagement, international cooperation, and regulatory development.

Studies outline scenarios for a 100% renewable energy system by 2050, emphasizing electrification, solar and wind dominance, job creation, grid flexibility, energy storage importance, green hydrogen's role, and socio-economic benefits including health and employment gains.

Catalytic methane decomposition (CMD) offers CO2-free hydrogen production using transition metal catalysts, overcoming challenges of catalyst deactivation through strategies like bimetallic catalysts and reactor design innovations. Economically competitive, it potentially enables carbon-negative hydrogen via biogas, with valuable carbon byproducts.

The IEA's 2023 Net Zero Roadmap update outlines steps for a 1.5°C-aligned energy transition, emphasizing rapid clean energy deployment and innovation. It sets key 2030 milestones, including tripling renewables, improving efficiency, increasing EV sales, and reducing methane emissions. Global cooperation and investment are critical.