It’s hard not to get bogged down by the negative news stories surrounding the state of energy.
As we approach winter and the cold weather rolls in, energy prices continue to rise across Europe. Gas prices are surging all over the world. In the UK, there’s a proposed 12% increase to the energy price cap.
This will be a significant blow to those people already living in fuel poverty, especially when industry experts are warning that there’s likely to be another leap in April 2022.
This, coupled with record-high gas prices, means that another 1.5m people in the UK could find themselves unable to afford to heat their homes.
But, we mustn’t lose sight of the progress being made.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson outlined plans to eliminate fossil fuels from UK energy generation by 2035. That’s a noble ambition. Today more than half of the UK’s electricity already comes from nuclear and renewable sources, but there’s still a long way to go and 2035 will be here before we know it.
Elsewhere in the world, China continues to reflect on the difficult question of how to continue economic growth while also achieving carbon reductions. China is massively reliant on steel, which is its second most polluting industry after coal, but at least the tricky conversations are happening.
COP26 is edging ever nearer, and speculation is growing around what Russia will commit to and what the country will unveil at the talks in November. There’s a suggestion that Russian President Vladimir Putin is considering a 2060 goal of carbon neutrality, which would mark a major shift in Russia’s attitude to climate change.
If 2060 feels too far away, take comfort in the way businesses are continuing to march ahead and drive the rapid adoption of new ideas.
The Spanish developer and infrastructure operator Sacyr runs an annual innovation programme called Sacyr iChallenges, and this year Alpha 311 has been invited to present.
Sacyr asked the question: “How can we build and/or convert our linear infrastructures into renewable and green energy generators to self-supply their energy needs and make surplus energy available to the market?”
We think the Alpha 311 turbine is an answer, and that’s what we’ll present to the business later this month.
