| | March 20238E ERGYTech ReviewIN MY OPINIONEnergy system designBut a building block alone doesn't make a building. At Siemens Energy, we foresee and support a wide array of different measures supporting a future net-zero economy. Obviously, there are more elements that will shape it. And that's why each customer's individual needs can be met with a tailored mix of technologies. Finding this optimal technology mix that accounts for both technological and economic boundary conditions is a challenge. Overcoming this challenge is the key to energy transition. We call it Energy System Design, and it involves all available levers for decarbonization, enabling future-proof solutions.To give you an idea of the diversity, let me describe three major approaches we see towards decarbonization. I'll include examples to show that we don't just talk the talk, but also walk the walk.Necessary steps for a coal-to-gas-shiftAs I mentioned earlier, the first approach we see concerns, the coal-to-gas shift. But a new CCPP like Komotini is not the only option. Some existing coal-fired power plants can also be converted into CCPPs, thereby reducing emissions while reusing infrastructure.TURNINGDECARBONIZATIONINTO REALITY By Dr. Johannes Merkel, Head of Decarbonized Energy Systems, Siemens EnergyThe energy industry finds itself in a unique situation. While political objectives are often a matter of debate, when it comes to the energy sector, the world is united be-hind one single goal: decarbonization. Such consensus is rare and offers an enor-mous opportunity for our industry.At the same time, it's clear that reaching this goal requires hard work. No doubt, a lot of necessary technologies have been developed, and some of them have been implemented. But a lot more needs to be done by all of us suppliers, utilities, and those in politics, who are responsible for the regulatory framework. And we need to do it together!Enabling renewables: highly efficient gas-fired power plants Let's take a closer look. At the center of global efforts to reach net zero are renewables, namely solar and wind. Their shares continuously need to be increased. By 2050, IEA World Energy Outlook foresees renewables reaching 40-70 percent of electricity generation, and even more in some countries. But renewables are only part of the story. Their supply fluctuates. Therefore, it's necessary to supply balancing as well as dispatchable power while ensuring grid stability. Only then can the share of renewables continue to rise.So far, in many countries coal-fired power plants have been supplying balancing power and grid stability. Yes, they are being phased out. At Siemens Energy, we still believe thermal power plants to be part of the solution ­ gas-fired power plants, which supply dispatchable power relatively quickly. Also, they could be transformed from (L) NG to hydrogen in the future. The share of gas-fired power plants is roughly a quarter of the global power generation, and the annually added capacity is thought to be stable at 40-60 GW in most market scenarios. For instance, a new 877-MW Combined Cycle Power Plant (CCPP) with gas turbines by Siemens Energy, which is to be built in Komotini in northeastern Greece, will reduce CO2 emissions by up to 3.7 million tons per year compared to a coal-fired power plant. Undoubtedly, the coal-to-gas-shift is an important building block for a decarbonized energy system.Dr. Johannes Merkel
< Page 7 | Page 9 >