The population of the world is expected to increase from 7.7 billion to 9.7 billion by 2050 [1]. Energy generation is estimated to increase with this by an estimated 47% compared to 2020 generation figures, and carbon dioxide emissions also due to rise to over 40 billion metric tons [2]. Emission agreements such as the Paris Agreement are in place to counter this rising emission problem, but the generation of renewable and cleaner energy is needed to replace existing carbon-intensive fuels such as coal, oil and gas [4].
Renewable or energy sources, such as solar power, wind power and geothermal power is used worldwide by countries which have a tendency to have an excess sun, wind and volcanic activity respectively. Many warmer countries such as Australia and China are electing to use solar power to generate solar power not just for themselves, but also to export it to other countries as a business [4] [5]. In windier countries such as the UK, wind energy, both on-shore and off-shore has a lot of investment; being called the "Saudi Arabia of wind" by Boris Johnson [6]. In New Zealand, which has a lot of volcanic energy and geothermal activity, there are geothermal energy power stations to supplement the power grid [7]. Nuclear energy, although isn't renewable, is considered a green energy that some countries are using to generate large amounts of 'baseline', consistent energy without the carbon emissions associated with coal and gas fuels.
In order to meet the carbon emission levels set by the Paris Agreement, a careful combination of renewable and clean energy generation, energy storage and energy security (ensuring that each country can generate enough energy under all circumstances) needs to be developed to account for the rising population and electric vehicle which, amongst other things, will increase the electricity demand for all countries as they attempt to meet the Paris Agreement.
Your team represents an engineering consultancy firm hired by an EU government of your choosing to assess and upgrade the energy network in that country to be more renewable in the future. You will develop an energy strategy which will describe how you will generate and transmit electricity in your country, accounting for a growing population and changing energy demands. Each country has it's own geography, meteorology, and political stance on energy, which provides specific considerations for your team. The energy strategy must prioritise and maximise renewable energy generation such that the country can meet the emission standards set by the Paris Agreement [4]. It is up to you to choose a country, analyse it's energy and political landscape and develop a strategy to meet environmental targets while being economically viable.
How will the population change over the next 50-100 years? What do you expect this will do to the energy demand? What else may impact the energy demand over time (e.g. electric vehicles)?
The proposed energy system will need to be able to meet the growing energy demand and be able to transmit that energy to homes and businesses without power outages. What causes power outages? A selection of power generation sources may be useful to ensure power is generated during a variety of weather scenarios.
Costing and financing is important when considering the energy system. There are many routes to achieving a near zero-carbon emission energy generation which all cost different amounts - it is important to consider how you will pay for them without inciting energy poverty to the population of the country.
If you select a variable power source such as wind power or solar power, how will you store the energy that they generate so the energy can be used at a later time? How will your power sources cope with seasonal changes to weather?
What existing power generation sources are there & can they be adapted (e.g. coal power plant to biomass power plant)? Are there geographical features that are ideal for a type of energy generation?
[1] UN, "Global Issues Population", UN. https://www.un.org/en/global-issues/population
[2] U.S. Energy Information Administration (U.S. EIA), "International Energy Outlook 2021" U.S. EIA. https://www.eia.gov/outlooks/ieo/pdf/IEO2021_Narrative.pdf
[3] UN Climate Change, "The Paris Agreement" UN. https://unfccc.int/process-and-meetings/the-paris-agreement/the-paris-agreement
[4] T Nace, "China Just Built A 250- Acre Solar Farm Shaped Like A Giant Panda" Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/trevornace/2017/07/25/china-just-built-250-acre-solar-farm-shaped-giant-panda/?sh=24a5cd74685f
[5] P Dockrill, "World's Largest Solar Farm to be Built in Australia - But They Won't Get The Power", Science Alert. https://www.sciencealert.com/world-s-largest-solar-farm-to-pipe-power-internationally-from-australia-under-the-sea
[6] W Mathis, R Morison, T Gillespie, "Record Wind in Scotland Means Grid Tells Some Turbines to Stop" Bloomberg UK. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-05-25/uk-wind-power-sets-record-on-gusty-weather
[7] Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment (MBIE) "Geothermal Energy Generation" MBIE. https://www.mbie.govt.nz/building-and-energy/energy-and-natural-resources/energy-generation-and-markets/geothermal-energy-generation
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