Sustainable energy to power the world

Bioenergy is produced from organic material, known as biomass, which originates from forestry, agriculture, waste and residues of biological origin as well as the biodegradable segment of waste. It can be used for heating, electricity generation, and the production of transport fuels. It is the largest source of renewable energy globally, accounting for 55% of renewable energy and over 6% of the global energy supply.

The production of bioenergy takes place inside a thermal plant, where the combustion of organic materials generates heat, which transforms the water of the thermodynamic circuit into steam. The steam rotates a turbine which puts into action the rotor of an alternator, producing alternating electric current.

Biogas is a mixture of methane, CO2 and small quantities of other gases produced by anaerobic digestion of organic matter in an oxygen-free environment. Biogas is produced from the decomposition of organic materials which, once placed in a biogas digester, break down With the help of a range of bacteria releasing a blend of gases which can be used for multiple applications.

The energy produced by biogas plants can be used to generate heat and electricity. It can be directly fed into the power grid and serve one or more communities, depending on the size of the biogas plant.

Geothermal energy allows the use of the Earth’s thermal energy, which is extracted from geothermal reservoirs. Accessible geothermal energy from the Earth’s interior supplies heat for direct use and to generate electric energy and this could play a meaningful role in mitigating climate change.

Geothermal energy is currently extracted using wells or other means that produce hot fluids from a) hydrothermal reservoirs with naturally high permeability; and b) engineered geothermal systems (EGS)-type reservoirs with artificial fluid pathways. Geothermal resources have been commercially used for more than a century and the energy obtained from them is currently used for base-load electricity generation in 24 countries.

By far the cleanest, most abundant and cheapest of all energy resources, solar energy can be harnessed by technologies that convert sunlight into electrical energy. Solar technologies include photovoltaic panels, solar heating & cooling (SHC), and concentrating solar power (CSP). These technologies can deliver heat, cooling, natural lighting, electricity, and fuels for a host of applications.

Solar energy is a very flexible energy technology which can also allow energy storage for distribution after the sun sets, using cutting-edge solar + storage technologies. Although not all countries are equally endowed with solar energy, a significant contribution to the energy mix from direct solar energy is possible for every country.

Wind energy offers significant potential for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Although nowadays several different wind energy technologies are available, the primary use of wind energy is to generate electricity from larger, grid-connected wind turbines, deployed either on- or offshore. The former is already being deployed in many countries, allowing the wind energy market to expand rapidly.

The global technical potential for wind energy exceeds current global electricity production. Economic constraints, institutional challenges associated with transmission access and operational integration, and concerns about social acceptance and environmental impacts are more likely to restrict growth than the global technical potential.