What is energy transition?
The shift to a new era of energy
We hear more and more about it and the term often occupies the front pages of newspapers, but what is energy transition?
The term energy transition means the shift from an energy mix based on fossil fuels that includes petrol, methane and coal, to one that mainly consists of renewables, such as wind, solar, hydroelectric and biomethane.
It is therefore a new, low-carbon or zero-emission way of producing and using energy, that aims to save energy, achieve sustainable economies and climate neutrality.
The fight against climate change
Energy transition as a tool to safeguard the Planet
Global warming is out there for all of us to see because of the extreme weather events it causes, such as hurricanes, droughts and fires. Climate change is also responsible for melting glaciers, rising sea levels and desertification, which are causing a real climate crisis.
Data from Nasa shows that in 2020 the average world temperature rose by 1.02 degrees over the 1950-1980 period.
The causes of climate change can be traced back to greenhouse gas emissions in the atmosphere, the effects of which can be devastating for our planet’s ecosystem. Among these gases, carbon dioxide in particular, comes primarily from some human activities, such as electric power generation.
A paradigm shift is needed to turn the tide. Energy transition is the main solution to climate change.
Coal, petrol and gas consumption are the primary cause of greenhouse gas emissions. Fossil fuels are responsible for 83% of total CO2 emissions (2019 data from Global Energy Perspective). And the energy sector is responsible for 73% of emissions, based on calculations by the United Nations.
CO2 emissions from coal burning are responsible for about one third of the 1-degree Centigrade increase in average temperatures above pre-industrial levels.
Petrol emissions come next with more than 12 billion tons of CO2 produced in 2019.
Deforestation and logging cause further damage, as trees are fundamental to climate regulation because they absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
Last, intensive livestock farming and over-fertilization also contribute to the increase in greenhouse gas emissions.
Benefits of energy transition
Why a paradigm shift is important
The main advantages of an energy transition are its benefits in terms of environmental sustainability. The model is seen as a solution to fight climate change and limit global warming.
Other benefits of energy transition include:
- Improvements in people's health and quality of life: the use of renewable energy sources and electric mobility would reduce air pollution, with a positive impact on society;
- Benefits for the community and new services for consumers: digitization makes networks intelligent, which makes for more customized offers and real-time information on consumption;
- New green economy investment opportunities, increasing the capacity for the development of green technologies;
- Increased employment: energy transition could lead to the creation of more than 30 million new jobs according to the UNDP (United Nations Development Program).
In addition, the model is an opportunity to ensure our country's energy independence from other countries (such as Russia and Algeria for example) and to reduce energy prices and the energy crisis.
It is clear therefore that overall, the impact of an energy transition can go far beyond the energy and environment sectors alone, touching almost every aspect of life. Indeed, the aim is to promote the consumption and production of clean energy that is safe and efficient for the generations of the future and the present.
A transition offers many opportunities to increase the economic well-being of society through the creation of new professions, or green jobs.
The 5 pillars of an energy transition
Key factors and enabling technologies for a transition
In order to achieve decarbonization targets and a complete energy transition, action must be taken on the 5 key pillars identified by the Energy & Strategy Group at the Polytechnic of Milan:
- Renewable energy production, with a focus on hydrogen as a new energy carrier;
- Upgrading and modernization of the network infrastructure;
- Energy efficiency and digitization;
- Promotion of sustainable mobility;
- Development of energy communities and self-consumption models.
More specifically, to help the energy transition process, it is necessary to introduce enabling technologies, among which:
- district heating and highly efficient heating systems, with the possibility of producing heat in thermal power plants from biomass;
- electrification of consumption, which enables the use of clean energy and improves energy efficiency;
- Carbon & Capture storage solutions, to capture emitted CO2 and mitigate the negative impact of greenhouse gas emissions.
Energy transition in Italy
Where are we in our country?
Ecological transition is one of the pillars of the EU Next Generation project and our NRP (National Recovery and Resilience Plan).
Mission 2 provides funding for a range of initiatives to speed up the decarbonization process. M2C2 specifically refers to "energy transition and sustainable mobility" with more than €25 billion in funding.
The NRP also aims to support the hydrogen supply chain to promote the increased use of renewable energy sources.
Mission earmarks resources to enhance the capacity of electricity grids to make grids smart, and focuses on increasing their reliability, security, resilience and flexibility.
The NRP also provides specific funding (more than €2 billion) to encourage the spread and development of collective self-generation and self-consumption as Renewable Energy Communities (RECs).
Italy has some outstanding examples, such as Siena, the first carbon-free city in Europe, which can absorb all the CO2 emissions produced in the city.
Europe's role in energy transition
European strategies and agreements on decarbonization
The European Union is leading the way in the global energy transition. At COP21 in 2015, the Paris Agreement was signed with the goal of keeping global warming below 2 degrees from pre-industrial levels, and possibly limiting it to 1.5 degrees.
After COP21, the EU set very ambitious targets to keep the average temperature rise below 2°C, such as cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 55 percent by 2030, compared to 1990 levels.
In early 2019, Europe approved the Clean Energy Package, which outlines the European energy and climate regulatory framework to achieve the new targets and lay the groundwork for decarbonization and net zero by 2050. Each member state has developed its own proposal for an integrated National Energy and Climate Plan (NECP) for 2021-2030. The NECP is a key tool for decarbonization and energy transition.
At COP26 in Glasgow in 2021, a commitment was made to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. The European Union has approved and published the Fit for 55 package, which aims to achieve climate neutrality by 2050 as part of the European Green Deal. The EU expects this to be achieved not only through the contribution of renewable energy and energy efficiency, but also by better integrating the electricity markets of the various European countries.
Green hydrogen
New energy frontiers
A real revolution has been taking place in recent years thanks to a chemical element that can provide a fuel with a high energy density. We are talking about hydrogen, which has the highest energy content per unit weight of any fuel (two and a half times more than methane and three times more than petrol).
Hydrogen is the fuel with the highest energy density: for the same amount of energy produced, hydrogen weighs significantly less than petrol and methane.
1kg
Hydrogen
2,4kg
Methane
2.8
Petrol
Hydrogen is an extraordinary element but is found in nature bonded to other chemical elements. For example, in water it is combined with oxygen, in hydrocarbons instead, it is bonded with carbon.
The process of separating or extracting hydrogen requires energy, so hydrogen is considered a carrier rather than an actual energy source. Green hydrogen offers even greater potential. It is obtained through electrolysis, i.e. the separation of hydrogen from water using electrolyzers. Renewable energy is used in this process, so this type of hydrogen is truly carbon neutral as it does not involve the use of natural resources or produce polluting emissions.
The use of hydrogen is particularly useful in achieving full decarbonization through its use in situations where electrification is technically complicated or not competitive, i.e. the so-called hard-to-abate sectors (industrial, maritime, and aviation).
In addition, due to the ease of converting electricity into hydrogen, the latter is also very suitable for storing electricity in case of any surplus production.
A2A's commitment to energy transition
We focus on renewable energy, electrification of consumption and district heating
As a Life Company we are very much involved in the process of changing the energy paradigm.
We are committed to electrifying consumption and the spread of renewable energy through our hydroelectric, wind, solar and biomethane power plants.
To make the electricity system more flexible and resilient, we are working on battery storage and hydroelectric pumping, and actively developing new hydrogen-based technologies.
Our heat-to-energy plants recover electric and thermal energy. In this way, we achieve a dual objective: firstly, by reducing the waste that goes to landfills and CO2 emissions for greater sustainability, and secondly, by recovering energy, which is fed back into our district heating network in a virtuous and circular system.
