According to a report by Lappeenranta University of Technology and the non-profit organization Energy Watch (EWG) in Finland, a global grid powered by renewable energy alone could be built by 2050 at a much lower cost than the current The energy system is even lower, and the report was released offsite at the COP23 climate conference in Bonn, where researchers say the combination of promising renewable energy and storage technologies could potentially meet the global demand for electricity by the middle of this century.
Approximately 48,800 TWh of electricity are estimated to be used globally each quarter by 2050, about twice the current electricity consumption, while the study authors estimate that the cost of one hundred percent renewable energy by 2050 would be about 403 yuan per megawatt (Including storage and power grid losses), compared with 2015 costs of about 542 yuan per MWh.
Christian Breyer, the lead author of the article, professor of solar economy at LUT and chairman of the EWG science department, said: 'With the current technology it is possible to create a complete low-carbon power system by 2050. This conversion of energy will no longer be a technology or Economic feasibility, but policy issues. '
According to the researchers, solar photovoltaic power generation and battery storage will be the center of energy conversion. The rapid reduction in both technology costs is conducive to more widespread adoption and solar energy will account for 69% of the energy supply by 2050. Total storage output is projected Will increase from 33 TWh to 15,128 TWh, most of the output will be provided by batteries, and pumped-storage power plants now account for 93% of the total generating capacity, which is expected to be reduced to 1% by 2050.
The report also suggests that if fully renewable energy is available, the global greenhouse gas emissions from the power generation industry will be reduced from 11GT in 2015 to zero by 2050. In addition, the report also suggests that jobs in the electricity sector will shift from 19 million Increase to 36 million.
Hans-Josef Fell, head of the EWG organization, said: 'We should not invest more in fossil fuels or nuclear power generation. Renewable energy can provide us with low-cost electricity. All further development of coal, nuclear energy, gas and oil Plans will be halted and investments in renewable energy, storage facilities and electricity grids should increase further, and the current generation systems used will incur unnecessary costs and exacerbate global warming. "