Exploring the surge in Power-to-X: An Interview with Tomas Kåberger

Over the last few weeks, there has been a surge of interest and activity in Power-to-X. Electro-fuels are now top of the energy agenda in many parts of the world, creating a strong opportunity for Liquid Wind.

The knowledgeable Renewable Energy Professor Tomas Kåberger, kindly shared his thoughts on these recent developments.

What have you seen happening recently within renewable energy?

We passed another milestone in 2019 as fossil based electricity generation decreased globally despite economic growth. Renewables now grow faster than electricity demand. Renewable electricity will continue to grow in 2020 while fossil based electricity and nuclear will decrease. 

What does this mean for Power-to-X Projects?

Industrial experience and scale up of renewable energy deployment have brought down costs to the extent that renewable electricity is not only able to outcompete fossil fuel for electricity generation. Electricity is now so cheap it can out-compete fossil fuels in transportation and industry – directly, using batteries, and by producing fuels from electricity.

Charging batteries and producing electro-fuels can not only reduce fossil fuel dependence, it can also help with balancing the electricity system.

These opportunities have put electro-fuels on top of the energy agenda I many parts of the world.

Strategies to produce fuels from electricity are often titled ‘Hydrogen Strategies’, but because of the difficulties in storing hydrogen gas they will often conclude that other chemicals formed from hydrogen will in practice be desired.

Renewable alternates to fossil energy have now become economically ripe and deployment is likely to accelerate

What is the status of Power-to-X in Sweden?

Here too, a hydrogen strategy is under development. The inability of the transmission grid operator to keep pace with the development of new production and demand for renewable electricity has created a situation with locked in renewable electricity and volatile prices creating opportunities for production of electro-fuels.

How do you see that this activity will impact Liquid Wind?

Liquid wind is fundamentally right. Timing is good. Still, Liquid Wind will need good friends and a fair bit of luck.