1. INTRODUCTION
‘the worlds energy system is at a crossroads’
Thus states the International Energy Agency’s (IEA) World Energy Outlook 2008 (WEO).1 It further questions the implications of ‘uncertain’ oil prices for the energy infrastructure. Civil engineers have a vital role in generating solutions for the development of a sustainable energy infrastructure and this issue of the journal concentrates on current and future developments, and the key role played by our profession.
The WEO recognises that whatever scenario unfolds it is likely that there will need to be massive investment in energy infrastructure over the next 20 years or more. Cumulatively this could be a staggering $26 trillion by 2030. How we develop, distribute and utilise new energy sources, from what has primarily been carbon-based sources will need to significantly change over the same period. As the IEA report states
Preventing catastrophic and irreversible damage to the global climate ultimately requires a major decarbonisation of the world energy sources.
It will only be with hindsight that man’s impact on the environment can be fully assessed. In the mean time engineers have an obligation to provide workable and effective solutions that anticipate the possible scenarios.
These issues will make a greater difference if tackled globally. For this to be most effective, information and best practice must be shared and national interests should take second place. The role of international learned societies, such as the Institution of Civil Engineers, and peer reviewed journals such as the Proceedings are vital in disseminating the knowledge and experience of engineers.
This issue of Energy addresses a number of important components of the current developments to decarbonise world energy sources. The decommissioning nuclear power plants, relative performance of different forms of biomass, and the whole angle of developing effective models to support good policy frameworks.
2. WHOLE LIFECYCLE ENGINEERING
As new nuclear power will play a significant role in meeting future energy demand, then designing and building of these plants will have to consider the whole lifecycle; from conception and construction through operation to decommissioning. This therefore includes taking the plant away at the end of its life. Versemann’s paper,2 summarising the complexity of decommissioning nuclear power plants, addresses an important area in its own right, but also offers important insights for the conception and design of the future generation of nuclear plants.
Versemann’s paper describes how the German experience has to contend with a number of different nuclear power plant designs and technologies as well as private and public sector ownership. The complexity of decommissioning – including the management of materials and waste, and the different dismantling techniques, are addressed in detail. In particular the paper considers the alternative cutting techniques including oxy-fuel, plasma arc, laser beam and contact arc metal cutting, as well as mechanical cutting and the specific issues and difficulties that need to be considered when working with contaminated materials.
3. DECARBONISING CARBON FUELS
Given the huge quantities of coal used in electricity generation in the UK and elsewhere, there is a very significant potential to reduce the carbon intensity by co-firing. Fossil fuels will continue to be the single most significant source in meeting future energy needs. Alternative sources need to be developed to reduce the carbon intensity and to provide diverse and sustainable primary energy sources. This decarbonising can be achieved using biomass which captures carbon from the atmosphere immediately prior to its use for energy production. Marsh et al’s paper3 analyses different performance characteristics of a range of biomass feedstocks and compares these to municipal waste and sub-bituminous coal.
The paper is able to quantify how one key characteristic, the moisture content of the different biomass feedstock, directly affects calorific value. The paper also highlights how the variability of municipal waste makes its careful auditing essential for co-firing applications. Changes in the UK renewable obligations requiring a greater proportion of locally grown energy crops4 mean that this research will no doubt not be the last in this field!
4. ENERGY POLICY DEVELOPMENT
The analysis and modelling carried out by the specialist working groups of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) have important implications. The basis of international climate change agreements are derived from these analyses. Lightfoot’s paper is challenging some fundamental relationships between primary, secondary and final energy, in particular, the method of calculating primary energy from final energy in the IPCC scenarios.5
A similar understanding of the sensitivity of international and national agreements to the assumption behind the underlying models is that in many cases investments in renewable technologies is only economic as a consequence of government policies that support the technology. In their paper Murrall and Bailey look at the whole area of ‘policy learning’,6 considering some of the same issues as Lightfoot, and examining the implications for UK renewable energy policies in more detail. These policies have a very real and direct impact on investments.7
The process by which policy and regulations are developed and changed is important in its own right. In most human societies there will be a regulatory framework. This should be changed and improved to anticipate and correct unintended consequences and to adapt to changes in societies’ values, technology or economics.
We engineers have an obligation to understand this process in order to influence successfully the development of policy and regulations that deliver the optimum infrastructure for generations to come.
