In this issue

Welcome to the latest issue of Future Power Technology.

COP26 has dominated the international press for weeks now, and with good reason, as such a rare meeting of the world’s decision-makers and national leaders provides an incredible opportunity to reach international agreement on the one threat facing us all: climate change. Some of the takeaways have been positive, such as a ratification of earlier proposals, and a global agreement that the world’s reliance on traditional means of energy generation, namely coal, must be reduced in order to protect the planet.

However, there have been as many, if not more, objections to the agreements made at the event. From the lopsided nature of climate change discourse, where wealthy countries are often responsible for, but protected from, the most significant environmental destruction, to a compromise that stopped short of phasing out coal across the world, there are fears that the summit has all been too little, too late. We review the Glasgow Climate Pact, the agreement that was produced by the summit, and ask if this can be the start of a shift in global climate management.

We also cast an eye over a number of particular power sources, to see what their future could hold in a post-COP world. From diplomatic incidents arising from hydropower dams, to processes to phase out coal, and an interview with Orbital Marine over the much-hyped promise of tidal power, the future looks uncertain for many of these power systems.

Elsewhere we consider two of the greatest obstacles to large-scale renewable power generation: price and administration. Using the example of solar panels for the former, and the steady spread of smart technology to aid in the latter, we consider the future of renewables across these pieces, and ask if financial fluctuations and technological innovation can break down these barriers.

All this, plus our usual news, analysis and comment pieces.

JP Casey, editor