How to harness abundant, clean energy for 10 billion people | Julio Friedmann
Nov 30, 2023
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Physicist Julio Friedmann discusses the infrastructure, innovation, and investment needed to provide energy for 10 billion people. He shares case studies from Chile's supply chain partnership with Japan and Namibia's clean hydrogen production. The podcast explores the challenges and importance of abundant, sustainable, and cheap energy, as well as systemic investment mechanisms for harnessing clean energy and promoting sustainable development.
Developing countries possess the potential to be energy superpowers and play a vital role in meeting global energy demands.
Infrastructure, innovation, and investment are crucial for achieving abundant, sustainable, and cheap energy for all.
Deep dives
The Potential of the Global South
The speaker highlights that the global south, often seen as future climate victims, actually possesses the potential to be energy superpowers. He emphasizes the need for abundant, sustainable, and cheap energy to power the planet. Specific examples like Chile, with its abundant hydro, solar, and wind resources, and Kenya, with its productive wind farm and geothermal program, demonstrate the progress being made in harnessing this potential.
Addressing Energy Challenges
The speaker discusses the top energy challenges, including water, food, climate, and poverty, and emphasizes the role of abundant clean energy in addressing these challenges. He mentions the Earth's vast energy capital from the sun, wind, geothermal, hydro, and other clean energy sources. Notably, the speaker highlights that these resources are particularly abundant in the global south and can be harnessed for sustainable development and decarbonization.
Infrastructure, Innovation, and Investment
To achieve abundant, sustainable, and cheap energy for all, the speaker outlines three key factors: infrastructure, innovation, and investment. He emphasizes the need for significant investments in transmission lines, roads, ports, and fueling stations to support the distribution of energy resources. The speaker also highlights the importance of continuous innovation and cost reduction in clean energy technologies. Additionally, he discusses the shift towards systemic investment mechanisms that recognize the value chain and involve multiple projects and countries, promoting global positive growth.
We can produce abundant, sustainable and cheap energy — for everyone, says physicist Julio Friedmann. He explores the infrastructure, innovation and investment needed to supply energy to 10 billion people, offering case studies from Chile's refurbished supply chain, built in partnership with Japan, to Namibia's budding clean hydrogen production, inviting us to envision a greener, more equitably powered world.