White Paper Highlights
Mining & drilling: Providing on-site power in remote areas with wind and solar energy
Energy costs can represent 20-40% of mining operational costs. Renewable energy currently provides only a small fraction of power at mines and wells. This will likely change, and quickly, as prices for renewables and advanced storage continue their steep declines.
- Investment in renewables just for mining will reach nearly $4 billion by 2022.
- Mining companies alone can reach 8GW of renewable power by 2025.
Coupling nuclear power with renewable energy: Greater efficiency and more profitability
Hybrid nuclear-renewable energy may play a key role in reducing greenhouse gas pollution, along with increasing the efficiency and reliability of the energy supply. Examples covered include solar, wind, and geothermal systems. Converting nuclear waste to electricity is another option explored.
Waste-to-energy (WtE): A sustainable alternative to conventional energy production
Global waste is estimated to reach 6 million tonnes/day by 2025. Biological WtE will grow at an average rate of 9.7% as it becomes more commercially feasible.
- Thermal conversion techniques lead the market among WtE technologies
- Europe is said to be the largest market for WtE technologies (47.6%)
- An upcoming technology called Dendro Liquid Energy (DLE) is a nearly ‘zero-waste’ WtE innovation from Germany. It is said to be four times more efficient than anaerobic digestion and costs less.
