Page 5 - AfrElec Week 36

AfrElec COMMENTARY AfrElec

industry could help avoid around 40% of cumu-
lative emissions from existing infrastructure. While all this is needed to reach zero emis-
However, to do this, the report calls for accel- sions by 2070, the report also outlines a Faster
erated innovation, so that clean technology Innovation Case, which sets 2050 as the target
could be scaled up to the level required by heavy date.
industry. This would need a blistering pace of tech-
nological transformation, and would require
New fuels annual additions of new renewable generating
Electrification is not enough. The report also power capacity to be four times greater than the
highlights the role of hydrogen, especially current record year of 2019.
so-called green hydrogen, produced using
renewables energy. 70% share
Hydrogen is expected to play a large and The key actors needed to make any progress
varied role in helping the world reach net-zero towards these goals are governments. The report
emissions by forming a bridge between the says they must play an outsized role in accelerat-
power sector and industries where the direct use ing the clean energy transition.
of electricity would be challenging, such as steel They can do this by concentrating on key pol-
and shipping. icy areas, and learn the lessons of the economic
The report finds that in its IEA’s Sustainable stimulus measures put in place in response to the
Development Scenario, which would allow the COVID-19 crisis.
world to achieve the Paris Agreement inter- The report calls for governments to take the
national energy and climate goals by 2070, the opportunities on offer to take urgent action that
global capacity of electrolysers, which produce could boost the economy while supporting clean
hydrogen from water and electricity, must energy and climate goals.
expand to 3,300GW in 2070, from 0.2GW today. Global CO2 emissions are set to fall in 2020
In 2070, these electrolysers would consume because of the COVID-19 crisis, but this decline
twice the amount of electricity that China gen- will only be temporary without structural
erates today. changes to the energy system.
Another key technology is carbon capture The report highlights that oil, gas and coal
(CCUS), which would be used in a range of today account for 70% of global final energy
industrial sectors, such as the production of syn- demand. The key challenge, outlined in the
thetic fuels and some low-carbon hydrogen. Sustainable Development Scenario, is for elec-
A third technology is bioenergy, which would tricity, hydrogen, synthetic fuels and bioenergy
allow the direct replacement of fossil fuels in to account for a similar 70% share of energy
areas such as transport. demand by 2070.™

Week 36 10•September•2020 www. NEWSBASE .com P5