In-depth analysis of the global power infrastructure—Opportunities for sustainable evolution of the power sector
Farfan Orozco, Francisco Javier (2020-11-27)
Väitöskirja
27.11.2020
Lappeenranta-Lahti University of Technology LUT
Acta Universitatis Lappeenrantaensis
School of Energy Systems
School of Energy Systems, Sähkötekniikka
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Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:ISBN:978-952-335-573-6
https://urn.fi/URN:ISBN:978-952-335-573-6
Tiivistelmä
Over the decades, the power sector has continuously evolved, and the strategy used to provide its service has changed dramatically over time and continues to do so. Therefore, it is of paramount importance to analyse in detail the evolutionary trends of the power sector in the interest of creating more reliable projection models into the future.
In order to carry out this analysis, an exhaustive exercise of data collection, data curation and data conditioning was required. Data analysis methods were developed and implemented for the sake of discovering and revealing the geographical and temporal trends of the global power sector. The methods were then adapted to study also the particular cases of the most energy and carbon-intensive activities globally.
The results produced several relevant findings. First, over the past couple of decades, there is a clear tendency of exponential expansion of installations of wind and solar photovoltaic capacities, in contrast to a relative decrease in installations of coal-fired and oil-fired capacities. Nuclear capacities, although still relevant from the perspective of generation, have a declining trend in terms of commissioning of capacities. Gas capacities play a major role in the global energy sector and can allow deeper penetration of renewables owing to their flexibility of operation but also flexibility of fuels, potentially shifting to synthetic fuels. However, the road to a global energy system based on renewables continues to face obstacles, particularly in the developing world. The inertia of fossil fuel usage globally requires stricter policies and a higher level of commitment for carbon emissions-reduction than the currently enforced.
The cement industry can be turned into a potential large source of synthetic fuels, and a shift to renewables can be impacted, but also benefited, by the electrification of the transport sector, the steel industry and significant shares of the agricultural sector. Among other benefits, a transition towards renewables dominated by solar photovoltaics and wind can potentially liberate a significant volume of water, tackling in parallel the current food, energy and water shortages globally.
In order to carry out this analysis, an exhaustive exercise of data collection, data curation and data conditioning was required. Data analysis methods were developed and implemented for the sake of discovering and revealing the geographical and temporal trends of the global power sector. The methods were then adapted to study also the particular cases of the most energy and carbon-intensive activities globally.
The results produced several relevant findings. First, over the past couple of decades, there is a clear tendency of exponential expansion of installations of wind and solar photovoltaic capacities, in contrast to a relative decrease in installations of coal-fired and oil-fired capacities. Nuclear capacities, although still relevant from the perspective of generation, have a declining trend in terms of commissioning of capacities. Gas capacities play a major role in the global energy sector and can allow deeper penetration of renewables owing to their flexibility of operation but also flexibility of fuels, potentially shifting to synthetic fuels. However, the road to a global energy system based on renewables continues to face obstacles, particularly in the developing world. The inertia of fossil fuel usage globally requires stricter policies and a higher level of commitment for carbon emissions-reduction than the currently enforced.
The cement industry can be turned into a potential large source of synthetic fuels, and a shift to renewables can be impacted, but also benefited, by the electrification of the transport sector, the steel industry and significant shares of the agricultural sector. Among other benefits, a transition towards renewables dominated by solar photovoltaics and wind can potentially liberate a significant volume of water, tackling in parallel the current food, energy and water shortages globally.
Kokoelmat
- Väitöskirjat [1060]