Tide turning for tidal ?
CONNECTED ENERGY
GEIDCO and IRENA push renewables agenda The Global Energy Interconnection Development and Cooperation Organisation ( GEIDCO ) is an international non-governmental organisation that works towards promoting the establishment of a global energy interconnection system ( GEI ) to meet the global demand for electricity in a clean and green way , as well as to implement the United Nations Sustainable Energy for All initiative . Made up of enterprises , institutions and individuals in 80 countries , GEIDCO is a strong advocate for the construction of a global pattern of interconnected power grids across regions , countries and continents that has the potential to solve the challenge of renewable energy production , allocation and trade .
According to GEIDCO ’ s calculations , with the implementation of a Global Energy Interconnection ( GEI ) pattern with an ultra-high voltage ( UHV ) smart grid as the backbone , the installed capacity of global clean energy is expected to reach 2,5 times that of 2014 or about 5.3 TW in 2030 .
The organisation calculates that energy interconnectivity could not only reduce carbon emissions but also enable the distribution of power to one-fifth of the world ’ s population who still have no access to electricity , relying on firewood , coal , and animal waste for cooking and heating .
Variable Renewable Energy ( VRE ) is understandably gaining attention in line with the boom in the renewables sector . HVDC-based supergrids can help better integrate VRE from such remote locations across a wider geographic area while minimising line losses and increasing the controllability of the AC – DC network .
Tide turning for tidal ?
Stuart Murphy , Founder ,
TPGen24 , said while immediate high capital investment is required for tidal systems , costs are offset by an asset life “ of over a century ”. He believes this makes tidal power stations more durable , lowermaintenance and potentially more cost-competitive than other renewables .
“ I ’ m not saying we should sideline solar , wind and other renewables . I am highlighting that we should have as broad a mix as possible , using as many green resources as we have available ,” he said .
“ Importantly , from a construction industry perspective , we are also trying to find the best ways for infrastructure developers , contractors and energy companies to earn a profit from them . Tidal should be viewed as an attractive opportunity for a sector that stands to truly benefit . We see this not only from a financial perspective but also giving UK construction the opportunity to play a more active , direct role in the growing ‘ green revolution .”
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