The promise of a sustainable European energy system

Description

A sustainable European energy system is achievable by 2050, but that will not happen by itself. To truly reduce the risks of climate change and secure the long-term supply of – affordable – energy, major changes in energy supply are needed. ECN and NRG have developed a realistic and achievable vision of a sustainable European energy system by 2050. The starting point of the 'Energy Vision' is a 60% reduction in CO2 emissions and significantly less import of oil and gas. By 2050, renewable energy sources will account for more than 35% of the energy supply, with a significant role for biomass, wind energy and solar energy. Efforts have also been made to save energy. The share of nuclear power remains the same. Coal with CO2 storage is used for the production of electricity and hydrogen. This hydrogen is used in the transport sector. Biomass is mainly used as a fuel for freight transport and in industry because there are few other alternatives to oil products. The energy demand of homes and buildings has been greatly reduced, and is mainly filled with solar energy and electricity. Even after 2050, opportunities will still exist and need to be exploited for further energy savings and development of renewable energy. However, the major bottlenecks of the current energy supply can then be removed. Not all energy sources deployed in 2050 will be fully sustainable. In particular, nuclear energy, CO2 storage and biomass must be subject to additional requirements in order to integrate them responsibly into a sustainable energy system. None of the options can be ruled out given the major challenges we face today. In the 2050 picture, the focus is on the application of new technologies (such as affordable solar cells, advanced biofuels and reliable carbon capture and storage) and new energy infrastructure. These changes only have a chance of success in combination with new organizational forms and behavioral changes.

Resources

Name Format Description Link
33 https://data.groningen.nl/sites/default/files/open-data/energievisie-ecn-nrg-07.pdf

Tags

  • klimaatverandering
  • energiehuishouding
  • europa
  • energiebronnen

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