At present, 80% of the world’s energy system relies on fossil fuels as source of power. In addition, energy consumption across the globe is increasing exponentially due to urbanization, and the use of fossil fuels only adds up to global warming.
To meet the global energy needs and to reduce the emissions of greenhouse gasses and the effects of global warming in the power sector, sustainable, efficient, and clean energy sources must be utilized. A few of these sources include solar and wind power, which are currently gaining attention.
Furthermore, investments in nuclear energy are also rising worldwide, although France’s power sector faces big challenges in the redevelopment and maintenance of nuclear plants.
Issues in nuclear power development also comprise of designing affordable high geared nuclear reactors, compliance with the ceaseless changing regulatory requirements, and complicated energy plants’ life extension.
To limit climate change, worldwide greenhouse gas emissions should be reduced by 40% to 70% by 2050. By 2030, the energy sector should be able to utilize 40% of sustainable energy production.
This is a challenge every country is now facing. To make this happen, some countries have to construct new production plants with their incorporated distribution networks.
The industry is exploring new sustainable alternatives to gas, oil, and coal, as it aims to shift away from their use. In this regard, the renewable energy market’s value is forecasted to increase from $880 billion to about $2 trillion by 2030.
In addition to the use of renewable sources, experts are also continuously developing new energy sources and technologies that may improve the efficient consumption of energy.
AI is used in forecasting demand, ensuring that power is available when and where it’s needed and minimizing the wastage of energy. This is essential when using renewable energy, which cannot be stored for prolonged periods, and which must be consumed close to the place and time it was generated.
AI also enables the shift from centralized to decentralized models for generating and distributing power where more energy is produced by smaller, localized power grids such as solar farms. Complex AI algorithms are needed in coordinating the integration of these networks.
Although hydrogen is the most abundant resource in the world and creates almost no greenhouse gas emission when burnt, the problem is that converting it into a form that can replace fuel involves the use of fossil fuels, which in turn produces carbon emissions. As examples, grey hydrogen comes from natural gas while brown hydrogen comes from coal.
On the other hand, the production of green hydrogen involves the use of water and electrolysis. Electricity is then generated from renewable sources such as solar or wind power, allowing the process to be carbon-free.
Although the first major green hydrogen pipeline in Europe will not be completed until 2035, the European Union has committed to running smaller projects aimed at creating 40GW of renewable power that can be used to generate green hydrogen by 2030.
Biofuel is derived from biomass. Biological, chemical, and thermal processes are used to produce fuel from biological matter such as crops, wood, and waste materials. This also includes fermentation to create biodiesel and bioethanol.
The International Energy Agency forecasts that 30 percent of renewable energy production by 2023 will come from bioenergy.
Technology is always evolving, and companies are constantly finding ways to boost industrial performance. However, alongside the continued innovation with digitalization, a few challenges have emerged. These include ensuring the security of the linked power system, implementing the control systems in power plants, and linking the transportation network to the receiving point.
Preparing for the maintenance routines of power plants plays a crucial role in the efficiency of power supplies, and it also ensures that the plants are always optimized for better performance. In addition, digital analytics and intelligent sensors can be utilized as a practical solution for the real-time monitoring of plant statistics.
Using Nitrexo’s expertise in 3D thermal modeling and ESATAN-TMS®, the company is devising a Digital Engineer® that anyone can access. This software allows the thermal engineers to acquire the answers to any question they encounter throughout the building and implementation process, thus improving efficiency.
In addition, the depletion of fossil fuels and the environmental impact, incorporated with the use of these sources, challenge the power sector to explore alternative energy reserves such as the oceans, the wind, and the sun.
Thermal engineering concentrates on the utilization of these sources, which includes designing and optimizing the new energy systems used in the power production sector and implementing thermal technologies.
Nitrexo is filling the gap between theory and user experience. The company devises techniques and methods to reduce the time spent from constructing thermal models to deploying thermal designs by greater than 50%. As well, thermal engineers can improve their productivity with the real time help of the company’s Digital Engineer®.
Using its expertise in 3D thermal modeling and ESATAN-TMS®, Nitrexo is developing Digital Engineer®, a software application that allows thermal engineers to obtain answers to any question they might encounter throughout the building and implementation process, thus improving efficiency. Likewise, it enables engineers to share new information or knowledge, which may benefit other experts in the field.
In addition, the Digital Engineer® expedites the execution of certain engineering processes, leading to the faster completion of thermal and energy projects.
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