Dubai, UAE, 22 April 2018: Cooling plays an integral role in our energy demand, said Frank Wouters, Director, EU GCC Clean Energy Technology Network, emphasising that identifying clean types of cooling plays an important role in efforts to avoid climate change. Wouters said that while it is not clear which technologies will play what role in decarbonising the energy system, the energy systems of the future will be massively different from that of today, if we are to achieve the necessary targets. He said, “It will require more than a mix of technologies but [will require] comprehensive policies and consumers that make the right choices. This is what the network is about.”

Wouters spoke on the findings of two major reports, the ‘BP Technology Outlook 2018’ and ‘Shell’s Sky Scenario’, to outline challenges that lie ahead. The BP report, Wouters said, showcases available technologies in the bid to decarbonise energy systems by 2050, though it is unclear what sort of energy infrastructure will emerge at such a time. This, he said, emphasises the importance of debate and exchange of knowledge to encourage stakeholders to make the right choices. Speaking on ‘Shell’s Sky Scenario’, Wouters said massive and ambitious efforts are necessary to successfully meet the objective of reducing CO₂ to 0 by 2070, and going negative beyond that. “We have to plant a rainforest the size of Brazil to get to those negative emissions,” Wouters said. “In terms of electricity, there is also going to be a massive shift. We will be using three times more electricity and for that we need five times bigger capacity in generation than we have right now.” Additionally, Wouters said, Carbon Capture and Storage is crucial. “If we want to keep burning fossil fuels,” he said, “then we need to capture the CO₂ and store it. For this, we need 10,000 installations.”

Hannah Jo Uy is Features Writer at Climate Control Middle East magazine. She may be contacted at hannah@cpi-industry.com