Renewable Energy

The global energy landscape is shifting towards renewables, with wind and solar as the fastest-growing sources. Innovation in efficiency, storage, and smart grids are driving this transformation. Despite challenges like grid integration and policy development, renewable energy is pivotal for job creation, energy independence, and fighting climate change, offering diverse career opportunities.

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.

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.

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.

Methane catalytic cracking generates hydrogen and solid carbon without CO2 emissions, utilizing catalysts like nickel in reactors like fluidized beds. Catalyst deactivation and reactor challenges exist, but advancements may make this process a competitive, clean energy solution.