Page - 6 - in options, Volume summer 2020

News in brief The energy sectors of most countries are undergoing a transition to renewable energy sources, particularly wind and solar generation. However, these sources have seasonal variations and are intermittent. According to IIASA researchers, seasonally pumped hydropower storage (SPHS) could fill a critical gap and provide an affordable way to store renewable energy over the long-term, and support the transition to renewable energy. SPHS, an already established yet infrequently used technology, means pumping water into a deep storage reservoir built parallel to a major river during times of high water flow or low energy demand. When water is scarce or energy demand increases, stored water is released from the reservoir to generate electricity. The study, published in the journal Nature Communications, is the first to provide a global, high-resolution analysis of the potential and costs for storing energy and water seasonally with SPHS, focusing on the locations with the highest potential and lowest cost. The results show that compared with other mature storage solutions such as natural gas, there is considerable potential for SPHS to provide highly competitive energy storage around the world. “With the need for a transition to a more sustainable world with lower CO2 emissions, renewable energies and energy storage will play a major role in the near future. Given the vast untapped and cheap potential of SPHS, it will soon play an important role in storing energy and water on a yearly basis,” says IIASA postdoc Julian Hunt, the study lead author. river power house tunnel reservoir dam Using water to store renewable energy Julian Hunt: hunt@iiasa.ac.at Further info: pure.iiasa.ac.at/16301 Methane contributes to almost half of human-made global warming in the short-term. Keeping to the Paris Agreement of staying well below two degrees warming will require significant reductions to methane emissions in the period leading up to 2050. The many diverse sources of this greenhouse gas make it particularly challenging for policymakers to design strategies that will effectively reduce emissions. IIASA researchers used the most recent version of the IIASA Greenhouse Gas and Air Pollution Interactions and Synergies (GAINS) model to explore the potential and costs for lowering methane emissions relatively quickly in different countries and source sectors. The study found that within the 2050 timeframe, there is broad potential to reduce emissions with available technologies. The results provide detailed information on the possible global impacts and costs of various actions at the regional and sectoral levels that is useful to policymakers. “There is no one-size fits all solution for the whole world. In the Middle East and Africa, for instance, oil production is a major contributor to methane emissions with relatively extensive potentials for emission reductions at low cost. In Europe and Latin America, dairy and beef production are the main sources with relatively limited technical mitigation potentials, while in North America it is emissions from shale gas extraction that can significantly contain emissions at a low cost. Our study illustrates just how important it is to have a regional- and sector-specific approach to mitigation strategies,” explains study lead author Lena Höglund-Isaksson. Containing methane’s contribution to global warming Lena Höglund-Isaksson: hoglund@iiasa.ac.at Further info: pure.iiasa.ac.at/16324 By Rachel Potter By Rachel Potter 6 Options www.iiasa.ac.atSummer 2020