Transcript Introduction to the UK Energy Research Centre

Low Carbon Energy
International Parliamentary
Conference on Climate Change
Professor Jim Skea
Research Director, UK Energy Research Centre
Park Plaza, Westminster Bridge, London
15 July 2010
 Decarbonisation: the big
picture
 Power sector
 Transport
 Bringing it all together
The decarbonisation story…
Reducing power sector emissions:
Renewables (Wind, solar, tidal and marine, biomass), nuclear, CCS
Application of
power to transport
and heat
Reducing transport
emissions:
• Fuel efficiency
• Electric/plug-in hybrids
• Sustainable Bio fuels
Source: Committee on Climate Change
Reducing heat emissions:
• Energy efficiency
• Behaviour change
• Electric heat (e.g. heat
pumps, storage heating)
• Biomass boilers
• CCS in industry
Therefore we need to
significantly
decarbonise
electricity generation
by 2030
600
600
500
500
400
400
300
300
200
200
100
100
0
0
2010 2015 2020 2025 2030 2035 2040 2045 2050
Carbon-intensity
Source: Committee on Climate Change
Total generation
Total electricity generation (TWh)
The electrification
of other sectors will
see demand increase
in 2020s and 2030s
Carbon-intensity of electricity
(gCO2/kWh)
Decarbonising power
Generic options for reducing CO2
behaviour
bio-energy
fossil fuels with carbon
capture and storage
renewables
efficiency
nuclear
Renewables
Global wind capacity
Source: Global Wind Energy Council
Costs of generating power
Source: ExxonMobil
Integrating low carbon power
 We built our grids, markets and
regulatory systems for coal and gas
generation
 Need arrangements for low carbon
energy that has:
 high capital costs
 low running costs
 We need to cope with intermittent
renewable energy
CO2 emissions – new UK cars
Source: SMMT
Incremental transport improvements
Source: ExxonMobil
Electrification of transport…
mild hybrid
battery electric
full hybrid
plug-in hybrid
And don’t forget……..
biofuels
the hydrogen
economy
The smart grid
Source: Wang
Technology’s contribution to a 2OC world
Source: IEA
UK Energy Research Centre
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www.ukerc.ac.uk