The decoupling of the global economy from fossil fuels is certainly necessary. However, it is a multi-faceted process, and far easier said than done.

Decarbonisation must drive the transition, particularly across carbon intensive sectors such as electricity generation, manufacturing, agriculture and transportation, while simultaneously providing continuous opportunities for the businesses involved to foster growth.

A stable grid with renewable electricity
Perhaps the most crucial aspect of the energy transition is electricity generation – vital in practically every aspect of the modern supply chain. An ever-present challenge is stability; many electricity grids now feature a strong renewables component, but, in almost every country, this is supplemented by a fossil fuel source.

As renewables supply an ever-greater proportion of our electricity, we need new energy storage and grid stability technologies such as battery storage, pumped storage and synchronous condensers to help compensate for the variability of wind and solar. Upstream there are some interesting new opportunities in testing to successfully implement these technologies into complex grid systems.    

For example, ABB and the Fraunhofer Institute for Wind Energy (IWES) are collaborating to build the world’s largest mobile grid simulator, which will test the stability and performance of fully renewable wind energy equipment under a variety of grid conditions. The simulator is set to begin operating later this year. To fully understand how other renewables will fare if implemented globally, more simulation and experimentation will need to be conducted worldwide.

Effective electrification
Replacing carbon-intensive equipment is often relatively simple. In some cases, electrical solutions can be direct replacements, often offering improved efficiency, reliability and safety compared to the phased-out systems.

One such example is the case of Vafos Pulp, a Norway-based producer of unbleached pulp used in the manufacturing of cardboard. Until now, the company’s process involved drying the pulp using an energy-intensive oil-based method. However, this year, Vafos will replace this method with a series of electric air heaters, which are estimated to cut annual CO₂ emissions at the company’s Kragerø plant by 12,700 tonnes, bringing the total output figure down to 59,900 t/y. This is equivalent to taking 7,000 cars off the road.

However, the heaters will require a considerable amount of power and management to ensure that they are operating both safely and efficiently. Therefore, they will be regulated by 10 specialised ABB power controllers. A key feature of the equipment is a power optimiser that will smooth the demand on the local electricity grid, ensuring that operation of the electric heaters will not cause disruption.

Another example is the Danish port city of Esbjerg, which recently switched from a carbon-based district heating method to a seawater heat pump. The pump, together with a combination of drives, electric motors and other technology supplied by ABB, can deliver ‘green heat’ to over 100,000 Esbjerg residents. This design is far superior to previous alternatives and provides a strong precedent for the use of electrification in similar projects in the future.

The first fuel: energy efficiency
While the electrification of fossil fuel equipment is essential, it is only part of the battle. The electrical equipment must itself also be energy efficient to contribute meaningfully to decarbonisation. In fact, energy efficiency is so critical that the International Energy Agency (IEA) has deemed it the ‘first fuel’ in realising the transition to net zero. This reflects the idea that the cleanest energy is the energy we don’t use at all.

In particular, the IEA has highlighted how the modernisation of existing machinery can lead to greater efficiency. For example, industrial electric motors are a necessary feature in almost every sector which uses compressors, fans, pumps and other types of machinery. These motors are so widely used that they account for more than 40% of global electricity consumption, meaning energy efficiency must be a priority. However, many motors in current use are older models and are less energy efficient than the newer designs.

While the electrification of fossil fuel equipment is essential, it is only part of the battle. The electrical equipment must itself also be energy efficient to contribute meaningfully to decarbonisation.

One way to reduce energy wastage is to replace the older motors with modern counterparts and pair them with variable speed drives (VSDs). Because VSDs can adapt their operating speed to the task in hand, using them in conjunction with a modern motor will typically cut power consumption by 25%.

The reason for this is the relationship between motor speed and power consumption – a motor running at just an eighth of its full speed will consume half the energy when operating full out. Only around 23% of motors are paired with a drive, and it is estimated that around half of the remaining unpaired motors worldwide are missing out on potential benefits.

There is clearly great scope to improve energy efficiency and reduce carbon emissions throughout the life of a motor, simply by installing a VSD. Plus, in many cases the payback time from the saving in energy costs is very fast – sometimes less than a year.

Motors can also be fitted with sensors to identify anomalies in temperature, vibration and other variables that provide useful condition monitoring data. It is also possible to use the collected data to measure energy consumption across a fleet to identify the motors that would most benefit from an upgrade.

An example of this is a paper mill in Munksund, Sweden. The management team wanted to optimise the mill’s overall efficiency but had 2,400 motors on site, many of which already conformed to high efficiency standards. As a result, knowing which motors might need replacing proved difficult.

To get a clearer picture, ABB was brought in to take a data-driven approach to measuring the efficiency of each motor. This condition monitoring process saw data collected on temperature, stress levels, equipment operation patterns and other variables to identify any long-term performance trends that could be addressed to improve efficiency.

With this data in hand, the engineers were able to ascertain the motors in need of replacement. They also provided the company with a recommended upgrade model, as well as an approximate figure on the energy savings it would bring.

The future of decarbonisation
It is certainly important to recognise how today’s technology can fight carbon emissions immediately. However, an eye must also be kept on how technologies of the future will bring us closer to realising the goal of a net zero carbon global economy.

One example of this is hydrogen. The potential of hydrogen to become a major net zero energy vector is now starting to be realised. It can serve as a bridge between fossil fuels and electrification in industries where the latter technology is not yet sufficiently developed – aviation is a key example of this.

A strong hydrogen economy will depend on the ability to build out sustainable, energy efficient and digitalised equipment and infrastructure. This can then be used to manage hydrogen production, distribution and utilisation more reliably at scale.

Carbon capture, while still requiring further development, is another area that could be significant in the push towards the net zero goal. Captured carbon can simply be sequestered (and thus prevented from entering the atmosphere) or used in the production of something else. An example of the latter would be building materials. Carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS) technology is advancing with great speed, with major advancements in both direct air carbon capture and the enhanced recovery of hydrocarbons.

Transformation at all levels
The decarbonisation of the global economy is an unprecedented challenge. Carbon is strongly connected to almost every type of production process on the planet. However, the advances in technology we have seen mean that net zero is achievable.

Whereas staying commercially viable and going ‘green’ were once at odds, it is arguably better for business to invest in sustainable technologies today than to ignore the need for them. But this must be a collective effort; we must all move together to decarbonise the global economy.