Energy & Decarbonization

Thursday 22 April 2021 - The webinar, presented by Senior Technology Analyst Dr Michael Dent, will include an introduction to CCUS; the current state of CCUS; emerging technologies in CCUS; challenges facing the industry; and an outlook for the next 20 years.

In Switzerland monster trucks carry ore down from mountainside quarries, the regenerative braking creating almost enough energy to get the empty truck back up again. The latest forestry example is carrying trees down from the mountains of Canada.

Electrical Vertical Take-off and Landing aircraft (eVTOL) are moving from science fiction to reality, enabled by rapid advancements in electric motor, battery, and computing technology, the new report from IDTechEx, "Air Taxis: Electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing Aircraft 2021-2041", finds.

The strong potential of hydrogen is driven by the fact that it is impossible to electrify some of the most polluting sectors, including the steel, ammonia, and glass industries. In these sectors, hydrogen will be produced from renewable energy employing electrolyzer systems.

While technologies are emerging for cities to be independent in food, water and energy, safe and pleasant, progress is mostly poor and global warming threatens migrants overwhelming cities. By all means, let us see the smart city advances take place that are in the IDTechEx report, "Smart Cities Market 2021-2041: Energy, Food, Water, Materials, Transportation Forecasts", but it would be prudent to try to reverse the move to cities that the UN and others see resulting in 70-80% of us in them by 2050.

Photovoltaics is now a key enabling technology for land vehicles and boats. The favorite type is single crystal silicon - it used to be protected by an acrylic sheet on either side, making it bendable when being fitted, but that has strength and weathering issues. Now, much stronger, long-life polycarbonate is taking over.

Carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) is generating much enthusiasm across the world, with the hopes that it could play a major role in the fight against climate change. However, amidst this enthusiasm, the industry suffered an apparent setback in mid-2020 when the Petra Nova facility in Texas, then the world's largest CCUS facility for a coal-fired power station, was closed down.

We are looking for entrepreneurial, enthusiastic people to join IDTechEx to apply their technical knowledge. You will be involved with technology scouting, market research and consultancy in a rapidly growing, exciting, global firm.

The IDTechEx report, "Robot Shuttles and Autonomous Buses 2020-2040," predicted second-generation robot shuttles, and here they come - vectored traction and steering, smart windows, robotic fast charging, and solar bodywork, so 10-40% less charging is needed.

6G Communications will become one of the largest technology investments. It is currently in the healthy first stage of promising everything to widely deploy some in 2030. Even at this early stage, some myths are emerging.