Energy Futures
Critical minerals, climate neutrality and transition pathways
Explore the exhibits at Dipoli Gallery, Otaniemi, 16.03.23-15.09.23
Utställningen fokuserar på energiomställningen och visar upp forskning från alla skolor vid Aalto-universitetet tillsammans med toppexperter. Vilka är de utmaningar och lösningar som driver vårt agerande mot den globala energikrisen inom forskning och industri?
Energiomställning är en term som avser processen för att ändra den globala energiproduktionen och energikonsumtionen från fossila bränslen till förnybara energikällor. Den globala energikrisen och klimatkrisen är sammankopplade och internationella politiska mandat från FN, t.ex. klimatrapporten från Förenta nationernas klimatpanel (IPCC), de globala målen för hållbar utveckling (SDGs) och United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), inklusive fördrag som Parisavtalet där man strävar till att avsevärt minska koldioxidutsläppen. Men är denna strategi tillräckligt effektiv?
Förutom att minska koldioxidutsläppen krävs en radikal omstrukturering av hela energisystemet, inklusive hur vi lagrar energi och de miljömässiga och ekonomiska konsekvenserna av mineralbrist. Vad kräver en effektiv övergång till förnybara energikällor och vilken roll spelar vätgas- och vindkraften för vår framtids energi?
Utställningen kommer att erbjuda en kombination av tvärvetenskapliga perspektiv på energiomställningen från ekologi och påverkan på den biologiska mångfalden, miljöekonomi och ny energiteknik till vindkraft, vätgas, omvandling av bränsleceller och infrastrukturer.
Utställningen kommer att erbjuda en kombination av tvärvetenskapliga perspektiv på energiomställningen från ekologi och påverkan på den biologiska mångfalden, miljöekonomi och ny energiteknik till vindkraft, vätgas, omvandling av bränsleceller och infrastrukturer.
Finnish Renewable Energy
Thanks in part to its large geography and low population density, Finland has great wind power generation potential. Aside from questions of who will build turbines and where, Finland’s national energy grid must receive investments in transmission capacity to meet future electricity demand.
Engineering education has long been concerned with innovation, while ecologists have been occupied with biodiversity loss and climate change for decades. Researchers at Aalto University are creating an interdisciplinary textbook and learning materials set to better prepare tomorrow’s engineers to create sustainable future energy infrastructures.
Multinational electricity utilities firms are major forces in the global energy sector. A successful energy transition to a world run on renewables therefore requires huge investments on behalf of electricity utilities firms. Researchers from Aalto University help shine a light on the dynamics determining their cross-border investments into renewables.
Sustainable energy production technologies like wind turbines are common knowledge, but what about sustainable energy storage solutions? Researchers from Aalto University have developed a compact, long-term thermal energy storage system comprised of some surprising household materials.
Hydrogen Futures
Hydrogen Futures
Hydrogen has huge potential as an energy source in transport and as a raw material in industry. However electrochemical energy conversion devices, used to convert electrical energy as hydrogen bond energy via splitting water, contain critical metals. FinH2 looks to develop new technologies which drastically reduce these metals - or even remove them altogether.
Reversible fuel cells offer great potential for storing renewable energy in large quantities for long periods, two drawbacks of batteries. Yet their production creates chemical waste. Aalto’s researchers are working to improve the cell efficiency in both electrolyser and fuel cell modes and reduce waste production through novel printing technology.
As both an energy carrier and a combustible fuel, hydrogen plays a key role in providing solutions for a world powered by electrical energy. Researchers at Aalto University are developing direct injection technologies which could lead to carbon-neutral solutions for logistics, with particular focus on the maritime industry.
Critical Minerals and Circular Economy
Europe is embracing renewable energy but is less enthusiastic about establishing local mines to extract the metals needed to facilitate the energy transition. ENiCoN looks to establish comprehensive, responsible mining practices through sustainable processing of lower-grade raw materials and repurposing waste materials.
Lithium-ion batteries and photovoltaic panels are major elements of future energy infrastructures. However, their production requires critical raw materials, whereas untreated end-of-life devices harm the environment. RESTART aims to develop recycling processes that maximise finite critical materials recovery, minimise environmental damage and enhance overall sustainability of these essential energy technologies.
Batteries are a critical element enabling the renewable energy architecture and their production is extremely mineral-intensive. BATCircle 2.0 looks at all aspects of the battery material value chain to develop sustainable battery production and recycling processes in Finland.
Climate Neutrality and Decision-Makers
Climate targets serve to spur action to reduce emissions. Without concrete planning and an idea of how to reach those targets, they remain mere numbers. Scenario modelling conducted at Aalto University provides national governments and international organisations pathways and illustrations to make reaching targets more feasible.
Technology alone won’t be enough to transition to climate neutral energy infrastructures. Transition arena processes supported by the mid-range transition pathway design toolset (MTPT) unite participants with a broad range of expertise to co-create feasible, medium-term steps towards creating sustainable energy systems.
Like all European countries, Portugal is looking to rapidly reduce carbon emissions and meet nationally determined and European-mandated climate targets. Finnish businesses have an opportunity to leverage their skills and technical expertise in the Portuguese energy market, but as this project demonstrates, a systemic approach is required.
