Page 15 - ATZ11 November 2019 Professional

GROWING DEMAND FOR ENERGY tional grids. Countries like Germany, increase grid capacity with “new tech-
whose power consumption has tradi- nologies and greater digitization” and
The important goals outlined in the tionally been based on coal and nuclear storage capacity via sector coupling, as
Paris Agreement cannot be reached if power, that are aiming to switch nearly is suggested in the current governing
we limit our focus to the transportation entirely to sources of sustainable energy, coalition’s platform [6, 7].
sector. Experts around the world, includ- find themselves confronted by the need The three high-voltage power lines
ing those at the International Energy to secure stable power production. If that have been planned to distribute
Agency (IEA), agree that energy produc- Germany is to succeed in sustainably wind power from the north of Germany
tion and heating account for the lion’s reducing its carbon emissions from the via three north-south corridors will also
share of global greenhouse gas emis- current level of 474 g/kWh in 2018 [4] by not suffice. Experts say that it would
sions. In fact, global energy consumption switching to solar and wind power, then take a grid-wide expansion of 30 to 35
increased in 2018 at a rate almost twice it will also need to overhaul its grid and lines of a similar size [8] to secure distri-
that of the average rate of increase since create high-capacity storage systems to bution in a manner that would meet the
2010. This development was accompanied store the electricity generated by the vol- relevant international grid requirements.
by a 1.7 % increase in carbon emissions. atile sources. And the same will have to An energy sector transformation of the
[1] According to the IEA, global electri- be done throughout Europe. The problem sort currently targeted would require
city generation from renewable sources is that the existing storage systems have a simultaneous expansion of all Euro-
(including hydropower) grew in 2018 by been developed in the context of pilot pean grids, as well as their digitization,
more than 7 % (or 450 TWh) to account projects, and are by no means capable to secure a reliable supply of power.
for around 25 % (> 6000 TWh) of total of securing supply. Storage facilities with Although new power storage facilities
electricity generation (26,700 TWh). An sufficient capacity are currently neither feature prominently in the governing
increase in nuclear power added another under construction nor even in the plan- coalition’s platform and other govern-
90 TWh to total low-emissions power pro- ning in Europe. And yet they, as well as ment publications [7], there are as yet
duction. However, given the spike in de- a vehicle charging infrastructure, would no signs of implementation. This has
mand, an additional 1000 TWh or more be “essential to meeting the demand that contributed to pervasive inertia in the
would have been necessary [1]. would follow the market success of elec- area of Electric Vehicle (EV) charging
The key to transforming the energy tric vehicles,” says Klaus Fröhlich, CEO infrastructure. Around 10 to 15 EV
sector is to minimize our dependence of Development at BMW, before adding, fast-charge stations would have to be
on fossil fuels, which currently account “From my point of view, the issue of installed for each conventional gasoline
for around one-quarter of global green- infrastructure has been neglected” [5]. pump to accommodate a robust EV mar-
house gas emissions. Here we need to Renewable energies are to account for ket penetration. No existing power grid
avoid limiting our focus to the regio- 65 % of total production in Germany could come close to accommodating the
nal or national level. While it remains by 2030. Still, this will not suffice to power demand associated with simulta-
essential to reduce carbon emissions
in Europe, it is instructive to consider
that China, the United States and India
account for around half of the emis- Expected growth in power generation Expected growth in power generation
in billion (10 ) kWh worldwide in billion (10 ) kWh in the EU
9
9
sions [1], which entails that a Europe-
45,000 4500
wide reduction of 5 % would have no
more than a minimal global impact. 40,000 4000
Achieving the stated reduction aims in
Germany would be exemplary, but prac- 3500
tically irrelevant in global terms.
30,000 3000
REGIONAL DIFFERENCES 2500
20,000 Current policies (IEA) New policies scenario (IEA) BP – Energy outlook EIA – reference scenario ExxonMobil 2000
Countries like China, France, India, Current policies (IEA) New policies scenario (IEA)
Japan, Russia, Sweden and the United 1500
States have it easier because their use of
10,000 1000
nuclear power, and in some cases, even
their willingness to expand its use [3],
500
gives them access to significant quanti-
ties of low-emissions power that can be 0 2016 2040 0 2016 2040
fed into the grid at any time in a regu- Year Year
lated manner to avoid the volatility asso- IEA: Current policies Wind, biomass, solar Current policies Wind, biomass, solar
ciated with wind and solar power. More- © VGB Power Tech e. V. + 71 % Water + 0.2 % per year Water
+ 5 %

over, conventional coal and gas-fired + 2.0 % per year Nuclear energy New policies scenario Nuclear energy
power plants capable of rapid deploy- New policies scenario Fossile energies + 8 % Fossile energies
+ 61 %
ment usually need to be maintained + 1.9 % per year + 0.3 % per year
as sources of reserve power for interna- Expected growth in global and European power production by 2040
ATZ worldwide 11|2019 9