The consensus is clear: the world must urgently move away from burning fossil fuels which emit planet-warming carbon dioxide.
But upending coal, oil, and gas systems that have powered human progress for centuries is arguably our most complex task to date.
Solar, wind, and other forms of renewable generation tend to dominate the headlines but the transition to net zero requires a wholesale shift in virtually every way that people use energy – from revamped grids that minimize electricity losses to fossil fuel-free cooking.
These were among the critical innovations discussed by experts and policymakers at ADB’s Asia Clean Energy Forum (ACEF) this year.
“Some of the innovative solutions need to be contextualized for countries that are at different stages of development,” said ADB Sectors Group Director General and Group Chief Ramesh Subramaniam at ACEF. “But overall countries do aspire to move up on the growth and technology ladder.”
Here are six clean energy technologies and systems and what ACEF delegates had to say about them.
1. Smart grids
Smart grids are electricity transmission and distribution networks that have been upgraded with digital technology to better manage the flow of electricity from where it is generated to where it is needed.
With access to real-time information and by deploying things like smart meters and the latest communication infrastructure, smart grids enable a two-way flow of electricity and data. This helps them balance often fluctuating demand from homes, industries, businesses, with intermittent supply from renewable sources like solar and wind.
“Smart grids are vital to the energy transition because they help improve energy efficiency and enable the integration of more renewable energy capacity into the power mix,” said ADB Senior Director for Energy Priyantha Wijayatunga. “Governments should invest more in upgrading grids, including transmission and distribution systems – these are crucial in expanding access to clean, reliable, and affordable electricity.”
According to the International Energy Agency, around $600 billion needs to be invested in electricity grids annually until 2030 to achieve net zero – double what is being invested today. ADB has invested about $19.8 billion in Asia and the Pacific’s electricity grids since 2010.
2. Batteries
Battery energy storage systems are essential to the energy transition. They store solar and wind power for later dispatch to meet peak load demand, and can be used to compensate quickly when there are sudden dips or surges in electricity supply.
According to Jon Canto, Managing Partner at McKinsey & Company Philippines, Southeast Asia has enormous potential to localize battery manufacturing, and the region could learn from global leaders on how to realize that potential.
“The first one is the role of government which can adopt the mindset of ‘we’re going to go all in, we’re going to put together a coalition between the private and public sectors, and we’re going to say what do we need to get this done,’” said Mr. Canto. “The second thing is building an end-to-end value chain, so you need the manufacturing side, infrastructure, etc. And you need to bring in partners globally that really help provide the technology transfer and know how to do this.”
Mr. Canto added that there’s a projected 30% growth in global lithium-ion battery demand in the next five to seven years – and 90% of the demand is for vehicle electrification.
3. Electric vehicles
An estimated 97% of all electric vehicles worldwide are in Asia and the Pacific – most of which are two- or three-wheeled vehicles. “The capital cost of the battery is the largest part, but being a light vehicle, they only need small batteries,” said ADB Transport Sector Group Chief James Leather. “They’ve already made a lot of that transition, which is why this region is so dominant in e-vehicles. Those are the lowest-hanging fruits.”
Mr. Leather also said Asia and the Pacific is making good progress on electrifying urban fleet vehicles—around 98% of electric buses in the world can be found in the region. But more needs to be done to expand charging infrastructure and ensure more reliable power for electrified metro systems.
Approximately 80% of greenhouse gas emissions from the transport sector, however, come from freight movement, primarily in the maritime sector. Mr. Leather said it’s unlikely ships will go electric, but other clean energy options are being explored. “We will be looking at hydrogen and ammonia for those sorts of things,” he said. “The technology is being evolved.”
4. Green hydrogen
Green hydrogen has the potential to decarbonize various specific sectors when used as an alternative to fossil fuels – in powering vehicles and marine vessels and in industrial processes such as steel and iron production. It can also be used to store renewable energy.
But most of the world’s hydrogen is currently produced using natural gas or coal. So to be an effective decarbonization tool, hydrogen must be “green” — extracted from water using electricity from renewable energy sources.
Efforts are underway in several countries to make green hydrogen more accessible and affordable. For example, Japan was among the first to adopt a green hydrogen strategy in 2017 and has been working on developing related technologies.
“Kawasaki has been focusing on establishing a liquified hydrogen energy supply chain,” said Yuko Fukuma, Senior Manager of the Hydrogen Strategy Division of Kawasaki Heavy Industries. “To liquify hydrogen can reduce its volume significantly. So this is really an appropriate approach to transport hydrogen in mass quantities.”
5. Green buildings
The building and construction sectors emit about 38% of global greenhouse gas emissions. An ADB Institute study says around 35% of total energy consumption also comes from these sectors.
“Buildings pollute,” said Dina Azhgaliyeva, one of the study’s co-authors. “So if we can improve and make buildings greener, that can lead to great emissions reduction and energy demand reduction as well.”
Truly green buildings, however, are more than just highly energy-efficient. They are constructed using sustainable materials such as green steel, they’re highly water efficient, and they factor in proper waste management. Governments must put in place policies that promote constructing green buildings by setting building codes and standards or providing tax incentives, grants, and subsidies.
6. Electric cooking
In Asia and the Pacific, about 1.2 billion people lacked access to clean cooking facilities in 2020. Many people in the region still cook with biomass, charcoal and kerosene, and are exposed to dangerous levels of indoor air pollution — particularly women and children.
According to Hongpeng Liu, director of the energy division of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, we must radically scale up access to clean cooking.
“We need to raise awareness and build policy commitments,” said Mr. Liu. “We need to mobilize finance which is appropriate to the needs of the sector. And we really need to embrace better technologies, particularly electric cooking, and the digitalization of the clean cooking sector, while recognizing existing cooking cultures and customs.”
While technological innovations are critical for gender and social inclusion, these remain complex challenges with no quick fixes, explained Reihana Mohideen, Principal Advisor on the Social Implications of Technology at the University of Melbourne.
“We have to target (technological innovations) towards the participation of women … vulnerable groups, young people, and so on,” she said. “That’s important, and that involves raising awareness about the opportunities, it involves skills training, capacity development, and so many other things.”
Source: adb
