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Fossil Fuels Here To Stay, Focus On CO2 Reduction

International experts overwhelmingly believe that the world’s reliance on fossil fuels will continue well into the foreseeable future, according to an international energy conference.

By Peter Hall - 24th June 2005 - Back to News

Gippsland MP Peter Hall, The Nationals spokesman on Resources and Environment and Energy Industries, has just returned from the Riso International Energy Conference 2005 held at Riso National Laboratory in Denmark, where delegates from 19 countries around the world gathered to look at "Technologies for Sustainable Energy Development in the Long Term."

Mr Hall, in a report to Parliament following his trip, made the point that while the experts all believe renewable energy technologies will grow and assist in meeting the future increased demand for energy, it was acknowledged that renewables contribute only a small fraction of total energy needs.

Major breakthroughs in new renewable technologies that could make a significant contribution to energy demand, such as Hydrogen fusion, appear to be a long way off.

"Wind energy was described as a "developing technology" and is being employed broadly world wide; however even countries like Germany with some 17,000 turbines (the most of any European country) only meets 5% of its energy needs through wind power," his report said.

The real debate, Mr Hall said, is about how to reduce CO2 emissions by improving the efficiency of fossil fuel use.

"The need to reduce CO₂ emissions for environmental purposes was a given. There was no debate as to the need to do so. What was debated was how this was to be done given the three competing interests: Environment, Economic Development and Security of Supply.

"World energy demand will increase by 60% by the year 2030, and 85% of that increase will come from developing countries," Mr Hall reported.

"If there is no significant change in current Government policies, 90% of this increase will be met by the use of fossil fuels. The net loss of nuclear power will also exacerbate the increase of CO₂ emissions bought about by increased demand. Between 1990 and 2030, world emissions of CO₂ will have doubled.

"The debate is on how this (reduction of CO₂ emissions) can be done, taking into account the need to alleviate poverty and bring about economic development in undeveloped countries, and improve supply security and address environmental issued in developed countries."

Mr Hall said presenters at the conference were "overwhelmingly" of the view that energy efficiency and savings, often referred to as energy conservation, offered the greatest short term potential to reduce CO₂ emissions.

"Because of the world’s great reliance on fossil fuel energy, it was claimed by some that as much as 60% of CO₂ emissions could be reduced with energy efficiency and savings alone. Efficiency measures will be identified as an outcome of Research, Development and Demonstration (R.D&D) activity.

"In this regard Victoria’s efforts into improving the efficiency of brown coal generation and employment of carbon capture and storage (sequestration) are certainly positive steps."

Overall, international energy savings have suggested that, comparatively, CO₂ savings between now and 2030 will come from energy efficiency and savings (60%), increase use of renewables (20%) and fuel switches (7%). A further 10% savings could be achieved by use of nuclear technologies. And in the area of renewables, it was suggested that bio-energies and hydrogen had the most potential.

It was argued that the intermittent nature of wind and solar generation limited their ability to make major impacts on CO₂ reductions, Mr Hall added.

Mr Hall noted too that, with wind providing just 0.05 percent of total world energy production, the biggest new wind developments are now occurring off-shore.

Other major discussions related to use of energy sources such as hydrogen and nuclear sources.

"While hydrogen potentially offers a very significant alternative to fossil fuels, its commercial application appears a long way off.

"A hydrogen-based society will require fundamental breakthroughs in both science and technology. Most studies agree that key hydrogen technologies are still too inefficient and too expensive to meet our energy demands in the near future.

Nuclear power was discussed by a number of presenters in the context of global energy needs and future outlooks, Mr Hall said. "All were of the view that nuclear power production was a political issue rather than a practical one.

Source: http://gippsland.com/

Published by: news@gippsland.com

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