Cleaning Up: Leadership in an Age of Climate Change

Can You Run a Grid Entirely On Renewables? Ep208: Anders Lindberg

61 snips
May 14, 2025
Anders Lindberg, President of Energy at Wärtsilä, discusses the feasibility of running power grids on 100% renewable energy. He highlights the €65 trillion cost by 2050 if we choose this path. The conversation delves into the importance of maintaining some flexible generation, especially gas, to ensure grid reliability. Lindberg also covers Finland's energy challenges, the link between renewables and grid resilience, and the need for innovative technologies to stabilize power systems as renewable integration increases.
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INSIGHT

Flexible Generation Saves Trillions

  • Small flexible generation significantly lowers decarbonization costs and improves grid resilience.
  • A study shows adding flexible engines can save €65 trillion by 2050 compared to renewables and storage alone.
INSIGHT

Flexibility Replaces Most Coal

  • Flexible engine power plants can replace high-emitting coal by providing only a few percent of power with gas.
  • This strategy greatly reduces curtailment and costs, speeding renewables adoption in grids like Chile's.
INSIGHT

Minimal Flexible Generation in Finland

  • Finland needs only about 3% flexible engine generation despite significant wind and nuclear capacity.
  • Hydro provides flexibility but cannot fully cover peak demands during low wind and dark winters.
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