{"id":14389,"date":"2021-01-13T11:55:02","date_gmt":"2021-01-13T09:55:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sweco.fi\/?p=14389"},"modified":"2022-12-05T18:35:36","modified_gmt":"2022-12-05T16:35:36","slug":"power-to-x-technology-to-play-a-key-role-in-climate-change-control-and-energy-transition","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sweco.fi\/en\/insight\/news\/power-to-x-technology-to-play-a-key-role-in-climate-change-control-and-energy-transition\/","title":{"rendered":"Power-to-X technology to play a key role in climate change control and energy transition"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Power-to-X technology to play a key role in climate change control and energy transition<\/h1>\n

We need to move away from fossil fuels. This energy transition is supported by power-to-X technology, which, if adopted on an industrial scale, would entail great export potential for Finland. Sweco is involved in several projects studying the possibilities of this technology.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Finland aims to achieve carbon neutrality by 2035; the EU by 2050. This climate change combatting takes place amidst an energy renovation. The solution can be summarised by the abbreviation P2X. According to\u00a0Jarmo Partanen<\/strong>, professor of electrical engineering at LUT University, a huge buzz has emerged around power-to-X in the past two years.<\/p>\n

\u201cCarbon neutrality is the key driver. Getting rid of fossil energy sources is a global effort that can be supported by power-to-X,\u201d Partanen says.<\/p>\n

Power-to-X acts as a kind of energy storage with the basic idea of converting electricity into another form and back to electricity as needed. It is a key technology in the energy transition, as the role of storage and flexibility is emphasised as the production of renewable energy increases. Wind and solar power production cannot be adjusted.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe challenge facing electricity distribution is that electricity cannot be stored. Renewable electricity is not produced and consumed simultaneously, meaning that flexibility in production and consumption is key,\u201d says\u00a0Erkki H\u00e4r\u00f6<\/strong>, energy specialist from Sweco.<\/p>\n

Large-scale solutions already supported<\/strong><\/p>\n

According to Partanen, power-to-X enables converting zero-emission electric power into a number of different forms. Clean electricity can be turned into synthetic fuels that could replace oil as a raw material in the chemical industry. Start-ups such as Solar Foods are busy with the industrial production of protein out of soil microbes, carbon and hydrogen made out of clean electricity.<\/p>\n

\u201cPower-to-X helps us cut emissions from agriculture, traffic and energy production. Hydrogen made out of electricity can be pushed from one place to another and used as an energy source or processed further into synthetic fuels equivalent to current fuels,\u201d Partanen says.<\/p>\n

Of course, electricity is best used as electricity where it makes most sense. Combustion engine vehicles, for example, could utilise power-to-X solutions alongside full electrification.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe electrification of transport and banning of combustion engine cars does not need to be the only solution, since electric cars also involve challenges. If we are able to come up with a sustainable fuel for combustion engine cars, the distribution solutions are already available,\u201d H\u00e4r\u00f6 says.<\/p>\n

Power-to-X has not yet turned into large-scale industrial activity. However, Partanen finds it positive that the technical solutions and skills required to harness the technology already exist. Now it needs to be made cost-efficient.<\/p>\n

Finland to lead the industrial-scale development<\/strong><\/p>\n

LUT University is constantly looking for new solutions. Researchers in the applied interface are studying whether an industrial-scale pilot could be established in Joutseno, where the plant could produce methanol, petrol or kerosine out of the chemical industry\u2019s surplus hydrogen and the carbon dioxide released in the Finnsementti cement facility\u2019s production process. Sweco\u2019s long-term client Kemira operates in the area and is involved in the project.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe university carries out technological modelling, process modelling and cost analysis. The plant would of course be realised by industrial operators. This is one way of accelerating development keeping Finnish operators at the forefront of industrial-scale development,\u201d Partanen says.<\/p>\n

That is where he feels Finnish industrial operators should be. Finland has optimal wind conditions and plenty of space for turbines. The forest industry can produce bio-based carbon dioxide cost-efficiently. Compared with Germany, for example, the Nordic countries have better access to raw materials and industrial operators.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe production of technology falls on the research institutes. However, we are already involved in carrying out preliminary assessments and cost estimates for industrial operators. We are figuring out what it takes to build such a plant. Most preliminary assessments we are involved in are still kept confidential,\u201d H\u00e4r\u00f6 explains.<\/p>\n

Sweco\u2019s expertise is used in evaluating the costs of the plant infrastructure. Once the investment decision is made, Sweco will be involved in the structural and plant design, project management and procurement.<\/p>\n

Objective is to solve global issues<\/strong><\/p>\n

The energy transition is talked about as a future development, but Partanen emphasises that it is already underway. Markets and technologies will determine its speed. H\u00e4r\u00f6 uses wind power as an example, the promotion of which with tariffs began in the early 2010s. The production type became profitable and its growth is now exceeding all estimates.<\/p>\n

Power-to-X can help Finland reach its ambitious carbon neutrality objective, but Partanen feels that the efforts should focus on solving global issues.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis can support Finland in exporting both competence and products. We can reach our own goals and export the technologies we have discovered to support the global solution,\u201d H\u00e4r\u00f6 adds.<\/p>\n

Time will tell whether power-to-X can be our new Nokia. This small country has proved its ability to act quickly with a shared national willpower to get things done.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen the British adopted nuclear power in 1963, Finland established a committee to see what we could do here. The first nuclear plant was in operation 13 years later. I do not think that we have lost our ability to act quickly when needed,\u201d Partanen says.<\/p>\n

According to H\u00e4r\u00f6, there are several potential projects and dozens of assessments of new production types underway. He feels that we are still unaware of the full possibilities of power-to-X.<\/p>\n

\u201cDue to the enormous hype we are bound to hit some bumps along the way. In the long term, however, I am convinced that this will be a major technology with a central role in managing climate change,\u201d Partanen says.<\/p>\n

What do storage technology comparisons reveal? What is the role of energy-storage-as-a-service in the industrial transition? Read the\u00a0Sweco Urban Insight report on energy storage and visions for the future regarding storage cities >><\/a><\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

We need to move away from fossil fuels. This energy transition is supported by power-to-X technology, which, if adopted on an industrial scale, would entail great export potential for Finland. Sweco is involved in several projects studying the possibilities of this technology.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":42,"featured_media":13071,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"none","_seopress_titles_title":"Power-to-X to play a key role in climate change control ","_seopress_titles_desc":"Power-to-X technology helps us cut emissions from agriculture, traffic and energy production. Sweco is involved in projects studying the technology.","_seopress_robots_index":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[139],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-14389","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sweco.fi\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14389","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sweco.fi\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sweco.fi\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sweco.fi\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/42"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sweco.fi\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=14389"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/www.sweco.fi\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14389\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":38510,"href":"https:\/\/www.sweco.fi\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14389\/revisions\/38510"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sweco.fi\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/13071"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sweco.fi\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=14389"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sweco.fi\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=14389"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sweco.fi\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=14389"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}