Energy & Decarbonization

Solar power is one of the fastest growing renewable energy technologies. In 2023 alone, over 340 GW of new solar power was installed. With rising energy demands, concerns over energy security, and increasing decarbonization goals, solar power installations are only anticipated to rise.

Hydrogen engines offer a fundamentally different approach to decarbonizing transport. IDTechEx Technology Analyst Mika Takahashi explains more about the technology in this short video.

Global demand for low-carbon cement is increasing. Government regulation for low-carbon cement production is strongest in the European Union, and the US government has been particularly active in green public procurement. Private sector demand is growing, and the advent of book and claim systems could accelerate this market even further.

Thursday 9 January 2025 - Navigating Emerging Trends for the Economic Development of Second-Life EV Batteries; Applications of second-life electric vehicle batteries; Overview of the global second-life electric vehicle battery market, including commentary on key players, regional activity, and an introduction to policies; Discussion on cost bottlenecks identified by IDTechEx in the second-life battery repurposing process, informed by primary interviews with key repurposers; Emerging trends to impact repurposing costs and economic development of second-life EV batteries. This includes business-to-business (B2B) battery marketplaces, advanced battery testing / grading / diagnostics technologies, semi-automated EV battery disassembly technologies, EV battery trends, and revenue sharing business models; IDTechEx's outlook and conclusions on the global second-life EV battery market

IDTechEx forecasts the second-life EV battery market to grow to US$4.2B in value by 2035, given the increasing availability of retired EV batteries over the coming decade. Li-ion batteries in electric vehicles may be used for 6-15 years, depending on the application and their degradation over time. Once these batteries reach a capacity, or State-of-Health (SOH), that is too low to facilitate the driving range requirements of the EV, these are retired. These batteries could be recycled to reclaim critical and valuable raw materials, which could be reintroduced into new EV battery manufacturing.

The e-fuels sector stands at a critical juncture in its evolution from laboratory innovation and demonstration projects to industrial-scale production. While significant progress has been made in technology development and market interest, evidenced by substantial corporate investments and supportive policy frameworks, considerable challenges remain.

IDTechEx predicts the stationary fuel cell market is expected to grow with a CAGR of 16.7% between now and 2035, with targets in place in countries worldwide to help achieve maximum growth and deployment of fuel cell technology. Despite the hype of low carbon benefits attached to fuel cells, this is only applicable when green hydrogen is used, with other gases producing carbon as a by-product of their sourcing, or reaction process within the fuel cell.

IDTechEx projects that the annual water electrolyzer market will exceed US$70 billion by 2034. However, access to more low-cost renewable electricity and stronger policy support for green hydrogen is needed to make it more competitive in various applications.

IDTechEx predicts that the annual demand for stationary fuel cells in the commercial market will surpass 1.9GW by 2035, with the main applications being in residential, industrial, utilities, commercial, and data sectors. Currently, over 80% of power worldwide is still obtained from fossil fuels, meaning there is lots of opportunity for growth and expansion of sustainable energy sourcing, with large demand and potential for fuel cells.

Friday 13 December 2024 - Building Towards Net-Zero: Which Technologies Can Decarbonize Cement? Discussion of key drivers and barriers for cement sector decarbonization, including stimulating public sector and private sector demand; Benchmarking the most impactful cement decarbonization technologies over the coming decade (leading supplementary cementitious materials, biomass-based fuels, waste-derived fuels, and CCUS), alongside emerging cement decarbonization technologies (new cement production processes and materials, kiln electrification, concentrated solar power, hydrogen); Contextualizing the impact of cement decarbonization technologies in 2035 within global progress towards net-zero by 2050