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‘Global energy consumption and emissions will double by 2050’ – EIA


Worldwide Energy policy The US Energy Information Administration projects that without significant changes in policy or technology world energy consumption will grow by nearly 50% between 2020 and 2050. In its ‘International Energy Outlook 2021’ (IEO2021), EIA predicts that strong economic growth, particularly with developing economies in Asia, will drive global increases in energy consumption despite pandemic-related declines and long-term improvements in energy efficiency. If current policy and technology trends continue, global energy consumption and energy-related carbon dioxide emissions will increase to 2050 as a result of population and economic growth. According to the IEO2021 Reference case, which projects future energy trends based on current laws and regulations, renewable energy consumption has the strongest growth among energy sources through 2050. Liquid fuels remain the largest


source of energy consumption, driven largely by the industrial and transportation sectors. “Even with growth in renewable energy, without significant policy changes or technological breakthroughs, we project increasing energy-related carbon dioxide emissions to 2050,” said EIA Acting Administrator Stephen Nalley.


Renewables will be the primary source for new electricity generation, but natural gas, coal, and increasingly batteries will be used to help meet load and support grid reliability. EIA projects electricity generation to almost double in developing non-OECD countries by 2050. Falling technology costs and favourable laws and regulations mean that much of the new electricity generation will come from renewable energy sources, although natural gas, coal, and batteries will remain critical parts of the electric grid, backing up solar and wind resources.


“The worldwide push to generate more


electricity from renewables and also increase electric grid reliability could push more expansion of battery storage on a global scale,” Nalley commented.


Oil and natural gas production will continue to grow, mainly to support increasing energy consumption in developing Asian economies. Driven by increasing populations and fast-growing economies, consumption of liquid fuels will grow the most in non-OECD Asia, where total energy consumption nearly doubles from 2020 to 2050. EIA projects that consumption will outpace production in these countries, driving an increase in imports of crude oil or finished petroleum products, primarily from the Middle East.


“The fast-growing economies in Asia could combine to become the largest importer of natural gas and crude oil by 2050, given their significant increase in energy consumption,” Nalley said.


The full IEO2021 is available on the EIA website.


KS-21 CO2 tested


solvent successfully


Norway Carbon capture Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Engineering has concluded testing of its new proprietary solvent for capturing CO2


at the Technology


Centre Mongstad (TCM) in Norway, one of the world’s largest carbon capture demonstration facilities that is recognised for its state-of-the- art equipment and specialised expertise. What MHI is calling outstanding test results complete MHIENG’s commercialisation of KS-21, a new amine-based solvent used in the Advanced KM CDR process developed by MHIENG in collaboration with The Kansai Electric Power Co. (KEPCO); it paves the way for the future expansion of MHIENG’s carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS) business. The testing was carried out between early May and late August 2021 in Norway. The KS-21TM’s performance was tested to confirm a carbon capture rate of 95-98%, which is above the current industry standard (approximately 90%), from flue gas emitted by a gas turbine at TCM’s test facility. The results indicate ‘outstanding’ energy-saving performance, reduced operating costs and low amine emissions, which exceed both the amine-based solvent, Monoethanolamine (MEA), used in the chemical absorption process and MHI’s own existing solvent, KS-1. In addition, in testing conducted under modified operating conditions, the KS-21 solvent


delivered an industry-leading carbon capture rate of 99.8% and demonstrated the successful recovery of CO2


from flue gas of lower concentration than the CO2 in the atmosphere.


Identical tests were performed for flue gas emitted by a fluidised catalytic cracker at the Mongstad refinery located adjacent to TCM, and identical results were obtained. “MHI Group is delighted with the test results achieved by our new solvent KS-21. The test results constitute a major milestone for MHIENG as we launch the commercialization of KS-21. We expect the KS-21 solvent to be a key factor in driving lower operating costs and further growth of CCUS technology worldwide to achieve decarbonized society,” said Kenji Terasawa, MHIENG president & CEO. MHIENG acquired data from the testing of KS-21 at TCM, such as degradation volumes during operation and handling, that could enable it to improve its KS-21 solvent further. In addition, amine emission data was obtained during the testing which will support the various regulatory approval processes and environmental assessments and open the way to the further expansion of MHIENG’s carbon capture technology.


MHI Group is currently strengthening its energy transition business, and the development of a CO2


to those initiatives. 6 | October 2021 | www.modernpowersystems.com ecosystem is central


World’s first T-pylon is installed


The world’s first ‘T-pylon’, the first new design for an electricity pylon in Great Britain for nearly a century, has been erected in Somerset. It will be one of 116 such pylons along a 57km route. The pylons have a single pole and T-shaped cross arms that hold the cables in a diamond ‘earring’ shape. They are 35 m high, 30% shorter than National Grid’s traditional lattice pylons, and have a smaller footprint using less land. The new pylons form part of National Grid’s Hinkley Connection project, a £900m investment to transport electricity produced by Hinkley Point C nuclear power station. They will run between Bridgwater and Portbury, other than through the Mendip Hills, a protected area, where the new connection goes underground. The project also includes the removal of 249 electricity pylons between Bridgwater and Avonmouth.


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