SHANGHAI, Nov. 4 (Xinhua) -- Green energy revolution will play a crucial role in the low-carbon future and the world’s sustainable development, with innovative and disruptive energy technology developments as key drivers.
At the WLA Zero Carbon Forum held here in Shanghai on November 3, world’s leading scientists and industrial experts held a constructive discussion on green energy technologies such as alternative energy resources, advanced energy storage technologies and electricity generation.
"Future Energy" — Green Energy Revolution and Low-Carbon Future Session
Alternative energy resources help carbon net-zero
The need for a green energy transition in the world is becoming more urgent in light of sustainable development and the long-term good of humanity.
Renewables play a key role in clean energy transitions and the deployment of renewable power is one of the main enablers of keeping the rise in average global temperatures below 1.5°C.
According to International Energy Agency (IEA), solar PV generation increased by a record 179 TWh (up 22 percent) in 2021 to exceed 1 000 TWh. It demonstrated the second largest absolute generation growth of all renewable technologies in 2021.
Over the past two decades, the levelized cost of solar PV electricity generation (LCOE) dropped over 90 percent, and in some regions, solar PV’s LCOE has been lower than that of coal-fired electricity and gas-fired power, said Shawn Qu, fellow with Canadian Academy of Engineering, at the forum. According to Qu’s forecast, the global solar PV’s installed capacity will reach nearly 20 TW by 2050.
However, some scientists argued that renewables can not be considered as “future energy” which is really green and sustainable.
Solar energy has carbon footprints during manufacturing, and should be renovated and recycled every 50 years, said Andre Geim, 2010 Nobel laureate in Physics. “In the meantime, we need to develop solar, wind, hydroelectric, wave, tidal, hydrothermal & other energy technologies. This offsets our current hydrocarbon usage and buys time to develop nuclear fusion,” said Geim.
Importance of technologies breakthroughs and international cooperation
Despite the rapid development of green energy, such as solar and wind power, experts believed that it’s necessary to achieve technologies breakthroughs and foster international cooperation in order to push forward green energy revolution.
Energy storage will become an indispensable technology combination for wind power and PV power generation, said Huang Zhen, academician of Chinese Academy of Engineering and professor with Shanghai Jiao Tong University. As an advanced energy storage technology, renewable synthetic fuel can achieve the effective circulation of carbon element, he said.
“International cooperation is very important, as any innovative and disruptive energy technology developments depends on the collaboration among world’s top scientist,” said Yi Peiyun, chairman of Hi-Rise New Energy and professor with Shanghai Jiao Tong University.
According to Yi, Shanghai Jiao Tong University and H-Rise have been working with international research institutions on PEM electrolysis, with aim to make breakthroughs in material technology and reduce production cost.
As one of the heavy-weighted forums ahead of the 5th World Laureates Forum (WLA Forum), the WLA Zero Carbon Forum is supported by Xinhua News Agency Shanghai Branch, China Economic Information Service, Sequoia China Charity Foundation, and Parkland Foundation. (Contributed by Zhou Yuran, zhouyuran@xinhua.org)
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