When we think of renewable energy, it is usually constrained within the context of electricity generation. Electricity remains an essential factor in executing several of our daily economic activities. Hence decarbonizing the electricity sector is often the focus of the renewable energy movement. The importance of electricity is emphasized by its ranking at the top of the International Energy Agency’s (IEA) 2022 carbon emissions sector analysis list.
Most people believe that renewable energy is restricted to a few familiar sources – solar, wind, and hydropower. While many sectors adjacent to the electricity sector continue to benefit from the decarbonization of that sector, there is a growing slate of innovative renewable technologies currently fueling activities unrelated to electricity generation.
Renewable fuels like green hydrogen, liquid biofuel, and biomethane have proven to be solutions that can support the energy transition and decarbonization of the transport sector. The transport sector contributes 16.2% of global carbon emissions1, and the sector’s decarbonization is equally as important as the energy sector. Biofuel is also becoming a standard fixture in the aviation industry. Last week, Airbus conducted the first-ever flight of its A380 jumbo jet using 100 percent biofuel.
Green hydrogen provides another opportunity for the deployment of renewable energy fuels. Hydrogen is used in the off-grid power sector, especially for industries (e.g., Telecoms), heavy trucking, and aviation. These sectors with hard-to-abate emissions bring out more of the increasing role of renewable energy in today’s changing energy systems. For example, ZeroAvia, a UK/US startup, has developed a hydrogen-fueled prototype, the HyFlyer, a small plane that seats six people. The plane made its maiden hydrogen-powered flight on 24, 2020, emitting water vapor.
As we advance, it has become essential that the other uses of renewable energy aside from electrification be explored and maximized. If efficiently carried out, this step does not just offer hope of environmental sustainability but provides the opportunity to scale socio-economic growth sustainably.