In this issue

Welcome to the new edition of Future Power Technology. 

While India has historically embraced coal power, its recent moves to invest more heavily in hydrogen have created some optimism that the world’s fastest-growing economy will come to rely on more renewable power in the future. However, this push has been met with fierce opposition, from environmental groups pointing to the significant damage caused by such dams in the Himalayas, and dismay from Pakistan that India is looking to exploit waterways that run between the countries in order to exert control over its neighbour.

Also, research led by the Vienna University of Economics and Business suggests that carbon pricing schemes are more effective than renewable subsidies, with regards to encouraging power investment while curbing carbon emissions. Indeed, the price of carbon has reached an all-time high in Europe, so there may not be a better time to back carbon pricing schemes. However, additional research indicates that such policies fail to encourage technological innovation, especially compared to the more tried-and-tested approach of subsiding renewable power infrastructure. We debate the issue.

Furthermore, a report from EnAppSys has found that, in the second half of 2020, Norway overtook France to become Europe’s largest net exporter of power. Much of this has been driven by renewable investment and geographical changes, such as a wet year that has aided the country’s vast hydropower projects, which account for 96% of its electricity generation. We look into the report and see how Norway came to such a position of strength.

For all this and more, read on.

Callum Tyndall, editor