The awareness of the importance of moving towards green energy has been growing over the last few years, particularly due to the impact of climate change and global renewable energy targets.
The UK, for instance, is committed to having a decarbonised electricity system by 2030, which involves generating 95 per cent of power from low-carbon energy sources. These will primarily come from solar and wind energy.
This goal, known as the government’s Clean Power Action Plan, will help the UK achieve its mission of delivering net-zero power emissions by 2050. This will be achieved by using wind, nuclear, solar and hydrogen to produce all electricity.
It will also require a country-wide shift towards using electric vehicles (EVs), utilising hydrogen as a reliable energy source, and deploying Greenhouse Gas Removals to handle emissions from large-scale industrial toll processes.
What processes boost green energy?
While the government can provide incentives for the public to buy EVs or install solar panels on their home, its main obstacle in reaching its 2050 energy goals is with industries.
By establishing practical and financially viable alternatives for the industrial sector, this makes it far more likely the government will achieve its green ambitions.
One way it can do this is by encouraging the use of domestic and agricultural waste, such as biomass, as this can provide a good source of renewable fuel.
Manure from livestock, industrial food waste, garden debris, and crop residuals can all be converted into fuel through an anaerobic digestion (AD) process to produce biogas. This can then be used to create biomethane.
Other ways to convert these products into fuel include the thermochemical process to create bio-oil; exposing them to high temperatures to produce syngas; making biodiesel with the transesterification process of waste oils and animal fats; and utilising public waste to make pellets that can be used as fuel.
What role do alkali materials play in green energy production?
Biomass contains a high content of alkali materials, and the use of these in the energy sector is increasing all the time.
Potassium and sodium are the most prevalent alkali materials in this agricultural and domestic waste.
Potassium helps in the production of renewable energy when it is in the form of potash for many reasons.
- It can be spread on crops to encourage growth and strengthen plants, enabling a greater yield of biofuels.
- It activates enzymes in the plants to optimise the production of energy.
- It reduces the need for fertiliser on plants by boosting nitrogen absorption.
- It can be used in batteries as an alternative to lithium. As there is more availability of potassium, it is easier and cheaper to make potassium-ion batteries.
Potassium is not the only alkali material that plays a key role in renewable energy production, as sodium is important too.
Like potassium, it can be used to make batteries. There are many benefits to using sodium-ion batteries instead, including:
- Sodium is readily available and, therefore, low in cost.
- It still functions at very low temperatures of -20C.
- Batteries are fast to charge, which makes them ideal for EVs.
- It does not rely on raw materials, which means it will remain a good energy source even if there are supply problems with other minerals.
- Sodium batteries are also considered to be safer than lithium ones, as they are non-flammable.
As a result of these benefits, BloombergNEF has predicted that sodium-ion batteries could account for nearly a quarter of the stationary storage market by 2030.
With the increase in demand for EVs from the public, and green electric production in the industrial sector, sodium could become even more valuable in years to come.
£1 billion investment in green energy projects
This will be seen across the UK in the near future, as the government has pledged £1 billion of new funding for local energy projects.
The idea behind the biggest public investment in community energy is that it will help local venues reduce their energy bills and work towards the country’s net-zero goals.
More than 1,000 clean energy projects are expected to be launched by 2030, helping to provide energy security for the whole of the UK, reduce fuel bills, and protect the environment.
At the same time, Great British Energy has committed £255 million for 250 schools, 260 NHS sites and military locations across England to boost their renewable energy input.
By installing solar panels or improving battery storage at these sites, this will dramatically reduce the demand on fossil fuels, helping the UK to reach its ambitious climate change goals.