This text is part of the special Energy Transition section
On the front line of the energy transition, engineers have embarked on a race for innovation to help businessesits to achieve the carbon neutrality objective in 2050. Lopportunity to develop new technologies, but also to design infrastructure capable of withstanding extreme climatic events.
According to the federal government’s most recent National Inventory Report, published last May, Canada’s greenhouse gas emissions reached their lowest level since 2005 in 2022 (if we put aside the two years of the pandemic of COVID-19). Encouraging results, even if the road is still long to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. In this quest for a more ecological future, engineers have a leading role to play in supporting governments, societies governments and private companies in their journey towards decarbonization.
To meet this challenge, a race for innovation has begun in the field of so-called mature technologies. Whether for the integration of green hydrogen into industrial processes or for the electrification of transport. “At this level, innovation comes down to finding technical-economic relevance to meet the needs of an industrialist who will consume green hydrogen in tonnes and not in kilos, or of a company which wants to electrify a fleet of “around a hundred trucks,” explains Alexandre Bonaldi, senior director of the Energy and Utilities team at PwC Canada.
A necessary questioning
Besides this, less mature technologies are being developed, while already on the radar of companies. This is the case for high-temperature electrolysis, oxy-combustion reactors and carbon capture, which is expected to become increasingly important in the coming decade. “We are no longer here on a logic of scaling up, but rather on a logic of research and development, of access to financing,” explains Mr. Bonaldi. You have to find candidates to do proofs of concept, which is not always easy. »
For some, the fear of disrupting a well-established industrial process can actually be a barrier to innovation. Why stop production for two months to install a process that we don’t yet know if it will work 100%? Just like engineers, companies have a major role to play in decarbonization by agreeing to take risks or question their business model. “Decarbonization should not only be the task of a small team of experts, but must be integrated into a more global project,” emphasizes Alexandre Bonaldi.
If we are the last generation to be able to change the course of events, we are also the first generation to experience climate change head-on. Which presents its share of challenges. “We may say that we are going to decarbonize Canada, but we still anticipate an increase in temperatures by 2050 across the world and new climate problems,” confides Sébastien Mousseau, head of operations for Canada and global market manager. Energy and renewable energies at the engineering firm AtkinsRéalis (formerly SNC-Lavalin).
Resilience to build
With the increase in extreme weather events, this expert recommends working simultaneously on two lines: offensive and defensive. “The attack is to convert fossil fuels and create more available green energy. Defense means protecting ourselves as a society from climate change, explains Mr. Mousseau. It’s much more sexy to talk about the attack. But engineers also have an important role to play on the defense side, which will require a lot of investment in the coming years. »
These challenges represent opportunities to be seized to strengthen resilience to climate change and build infrastructure capable of withstanding the most severe weather. “We must strengthen the dimensioning of Hydro-Québec infrastructure to provide better resistance to ice. We should also think about burying cables in municipalities when possible. There are still too few buried cables in Quebec,” recalls Innocent Kamwa, full professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Engineering at Laval University.
Using electric vehicle batteries to return energy to the grid in the event of a breakdown could be another option thanks to emerging V2G technology (Vehicle-to-grid). “This amounts to using your car as a source of production if the electricity is cut off,” explains Mr. Kamwa. We could also convert residential areas into autonomous electrical microgrids. » More than ever, resilience, like decarbonization, appears to be everyone’s business.
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