Off Grid

Developments in the renewable energy sector are increasingly generating attention, as sustainability and decarbonization goals are becoming exponentially prevalent. This article covers new technologies from green hydrogen to nuclear fusion.

One solution to growing economic uncertainty, energy price increases, and fuel uncertainty may be turning towards oil and gas reserves that have previously been untapped. This article covers technologies including carbon dioxide enhanced oil recovery and gas separation membranes.

In April 2024, global energy, technology, and utility provider Hitachi Energy announced a US$1.5 billion investment program to ramp up global transformer production by 2027. IDTechEx's research into electrical grids indicates that transformers are a critical component and potential supply bottleneck for large-scale grid upgrades. These upgrades are essential as society shifts from a transportation sector fuelled by petrochemicals transported in tankers to a sector powered by electricity carried by wires.

Creating a circular economy is an essential sustainability target for numerous stakeholders in the supply chain: governments, brands, suppliers, and consumers. A key element of this is reducing plastic waste; the OECD estimated that over 350 million metric tonnes of plastic waste was generated globally in 2019

Heating and cooling accounts for approximately 50% of global energy consumption, with 30% of this consumption represented by heating demand from industry. Given that the great majority of industrial heating processes use fossil fuels to generate heat, this has caused industrial heating processes to be responsible for ~25% of global emissions.

According to IEA's 2023 update to its net zero roadmap, carbon capture technologies, more efficient space cooling equipment, and clean energy transitions are all cornerstones of achieving net zero by 2050 and limiting global warming to 1.5°C. Emerging technologies utilizing metal-organic framework (MOF) materials for carbon capture, refrigerant reclamation, direct lithium extraction, HVAC equipment, and various other chemical separations and purification processes can see the advent of disruptive next-generation technologies that are essential for industrial decarbonization.

Wednesday 5 June 2024 - Carbon Credit Markets: The Rise of Durable, Engineered Carbon Dioxide Removal Technologies; Importance of carbon dioxide removal in reaching global net-zero emissions targets; Overview of all negative emission technologies (NETs): Direct air carbon capture and storage (DACCS), Biomass with carbon removal and storage (BiCRS), Nature-based CDR methods, Mineralization NETs, and ocean-based CDR approaches; Contextualization of CDR within carbon markets and how voluntary carbon credits are accelerating NETs in the short-term; Identifying the key factors driving the market pivot from nature-based solutions such as afforestation/reforestation to durable, engineered, CDR approaches; Discussion of environmental, technical, and economic drivers/barriers for DACCS and BECCS

In a world where fossil fuels are increasingly being avoided, and the mounting problem of plastic waste management intensifies, a new approach to plastic waste has attracted much attention. Advanced recycling technologies such as chemical recycling and the dissolution of plastic waste aim to increase the circularity of the plastics economy.

Thursday 23 May 2024 - An overview of metal-organic frameworks and their emerging applications; Scaling MOF production for industrial applications; Considerations of production cost and selling price of MOFs; Examples of MOF-based point source carbon capture and direct air capture solutions and comparisons with incumbent technology; Outlook for MOFs in carbon capture including opportunities and challenges