Energy Transition - Part 1 (Why?)
AbdelRahman Kamal El Hawary
Process Engineer | HAZOP/ SIL Scribe | CCPSf | M.Sc. Candidate
What does Energy Transition mean?
Energy transition refers to the global energy sector’s shift from fossil-based systems of energy production and consumption including oil, natural gas and coal to renewable energy sources like wind, solar, as well as lithium-ion batteries.
Furtherly, only renwable sources can't meet the increasing global demand, so that other types of fuel can be used but it should have two constraints:
Some of these fuels are hydrogen, ammonia.
Why Energy Transition ?
Energy transition being required as a result for Climate Change or what is known as "Global Warming" due to huge amount of emissions resulted from combustion of fossil fuels along 20th & 21th century since the industrial revoultion.
Fossil Fuel: is a hydrocarbon-containing material formed underground from the remains of dead plants and animals that humans extract and burn to release energy for use. The main fossil fuels are coal, petroleum, and natural gas, which humans extract through mining and drilling. Fossil fuels may be burnt to provide heat for use directly (e.g., for cooking), to power engines (such as internal combustion engines in motor vehicles), or to generate electricity
Fossil fuels are of great importance because they can be burned (oxidized to carbon dioxide and water), producing significant amounts of energy per unit mass.
All fossil fuels release CO 2 when they burn, thus accelerating climate change. Burning coal, and to a lesser extent oil and its derivatives, contribute to atmospheric particulate matter, smog, and acid rain, where burning fuels generates sulfuric and nitric acids, which fall to Earth as acid rain, impacting both natural areas and the built environment.
The burning of fossil fuels has a number of negative externalities – harmful environmental impacts where the effects extend beyond the people using the fuel. The actual effects depend on the fuel in question. All fossil fuels release CO 2 when they burn, thus accelerating climate change.?
Global Warming (Greenhouse Effect)
There are observed changes in our world climate over the twenth century including increasing in global average air and ocean temperature, which rises global sea level, long-term widespread reduction of snow and ice cover, and changes in atmospheric and ocean circulation and regional weather patterns, that affects seasonal rainfall conditions.
These changes are caused by extra heat in the climate system due to the addition of greenhouse gases to the atmosphere. The additional greenhouse gases are primarily due to human activities such as the burning of fossil fuels, agriculture, and land clearing which increase the amount of heat trapping greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.
What is Green House Effect ?
The greenhouse effect is a natural process that warms the Earth’s surface.
When the Sun’s energy reaches the Earth’s atmosphere, some of it is reflected back to space and some is absorbed and re-radiated by greenhouse gases.
Greenhouse Gases are Methane (CH4), Carbon dioxide (CO2), nitrous oxide (N2O) , Ozone Gas (O3) and some artificial chemicals such as chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs).
Carbon Dioxide accounts for about 76% of total greenhouse gas emissions. Methane, primarily resulted from agricultural activties, contributes 16 percent of greenhouse gas emissions and nitrous oxide, mostly from industry and agriculture, contributes 6 % to global emissions. figure here are expressed in CO2-equivalents.
Most significantly, the burning of fossil fuels produces around 35 billion tons (35 gigatons) of carbon dioxide per year, which represent about 89% of all carbon dioxide emissions.?
These data from World Resources Institute shows the history and emission level of methane and carbon dioxide through different?time stages since using fossil fuels as major energy source.
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Consequences of Greenhouse Effect and Global Warming
There are several and fatal consequences for global warming and increase in earth' temprature. Some of these are increasing of oceans heat content, increasing of sea surface temperature, decreasing and melting of glaciers and ice sheets which causes decreasing of?arctic sea ice, changing Southern Ocean currents and increasing sea level.
Another effect is increasing in air temperature, which causes increasing in ocean acidification, increasing the number of hot days per year, decreasing number of cold days per year, changing rainfall pattern
All of theses consequences cause increasing in intensity and frequency of extreme natural events (fires, floods).
The major sign about this effect we observe these days are earth temprature rise, which is now near by 1.1 degree Celcuis in 2022.
Some of non-experts consider this change is a small change in ecosystem, like previous US. President which considered this as a secondary issue.
In contrast, Will Steffen,the climate researcher at the Australian National University declared to DW journal in 6 Aug. 2018 saying "Human emissions of greenhouse gas are not the sole determinant of temperature on Earth," said " Our study suggests that human-induced global warming of 2 degrees Celsius may trigger other Earth system processes, often called 'feedbacks,' that can drive further warming — even if we stop emitting greenhouse gases," he said. The global average temperature in such a case would in the long-term settle between 4 to 5 degrees warmer compared to pre-industrial levels, their study found .
Major Contribters in Greenhouse gases emissions.
Globally, the primary sources of greenhouse gas emissions are electricity and heat (31%), agriculture (11%), transportation (15%), forestry (6%) and manufacturing (12%). Energy production of all types of accounts for 72 percent of all emissions.
Major Countries contribute in global CO2 emmesions are Giant Industrial Countries like
This Statitical graph views the world top Co2 emitters in 2018, we can see that China is the highest country in carbon dioxide emissions, followed by United States, European Union, and India.
The following graph shows the cummilative top countries in CO2 emissions since Industrial Revolution in 1750 until 2019, and shows that United States historically is the highest country in emmsions.
How can we decrease the global warming consequences ?
Reducing the amount of electricity generated from coal and gas, and increasing the amount of electricity from clean, renewable energy sources like solar and wind, which is called the energy transition.
2. Decreasing deforestation & Tree-Clearing
The plants and trees play an important role in regulating the climate where they absorb carbon dioxide from the air and release oxygen back into it. Forests and bushland act as carbon sinks and are a valuable means of keeping global warming to 1.5°C.
As a conclusion, we can see that the Climate is the main driving force for Energy Transition.
Sources:
Freelance Geophysicist
3 年Thanks for the invitation . Hopefully the green energy will be used in the near future.
Distinguished Innovator, SME, Chemical Engineer
3 年Do the solar panels rob energy from the plants underneath?
Managing Director at Business Improvment & Development
3 年Well said...thanks for sharing
Thank you Sir for the private tag. I skimmed through the article & I’am supremely confident the green energy transition is not going to happen in its current form! Why?? 1. To make a transition between two energy forms requires, money! 2. Green energy depends on using existing resources (fossil fuels & nuclear energy) to create the infrastructure for renewables. 2. Considering the current Ukraine-Russia crisis and China-Taiwan crisis, not only will semiconductors like chips become scarce, but also Oil prices will shoot up, to fuel the war efforts. 3. If Oil is poised to go beyond 100 USD/barrel, it will not only hurt the American Economy in terms of per gallon prices, but the Europeans will also feel the heat when the Nord Stream 2 & Yamal pipeline is shutdown by the Russians, sending Natural Gas prices through the roof! 4. The 2 popular contestants of green energy are solar & wind. Wind is unpredictable & the sun does not often shine all the time. And since battery tech is still evolving, Natural gas power plants are needed when the sun goes down! In short, the world wants to save the planet when new age technology is still in its infancy, while it wants to make the transition when the world is going bankrupt!!