ENERGY Solutions “Along with Petroleum” – a programme for the future In 2007, eni has launched “Along with Petroleum”, a research and technological development programme, focussing on the conversion of solar energy and the production of biofuels from non-food biomass. Text: Carlo Perego O ver 80 percent of the world’s consumption of primary energy is currently guaranteed by fossil sources such as oil, coal and natural gas. In the future, likely for several decades, these sources will continue to guarantee a large portion of the world’s energy demand. All these fossil sources have some environmental impacts and discharge carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, although in different quantities. Nuclear energy and hydroelectric energy, whose impact is lower in terms Dr. Carlo Perego is Senior Vice President of the Donegani <strong>Institut</strong>e – the eni research centre for nonconventional energy of greenhouse gases emissions, satisfy about eight percent of world energy demand. The traditional biomasses assure an additional ten percent of the world’s energy consumption. The excessive dependence on fossil energy, even if easily accessible, flexible and at acceptable price, will be not sustainable for the future of our planet. Finding a solution to this problem represents a requirement to survival and long term prosperity to the Oil and Gas industry, and only scientific and technological research can actually provide effective answers. These are the reasons why eni, starting from 2006, chose to put technology innovation at the core of its sustainable growth strategies. eni has spotted ten key technological platforms with high priority as far as investment for future business development is concerned. These platforms involve core sectors (oil and gas exploration, production, transportation, and production of high performing fuels with low environmental impact) renewable energies (solar energy and biomasses) as well as environmental sustainability of operating activities. At present, renewable energy provide little contribution to the world energy offer. This is due to the fact that the technologies presently available only allow for limited production of energy at high prices. For example, solar energy satisfies less than one percent of global energy needs and the production cost of energy from photovoltaic plants is several times higher than the one in gas or oil-fuelled plants. The availability of innovative technologies for the exploitation of alternative energy sources will provide a fundamental answer to the need of a world that asks for increasing energy, but cannot afford it unless it is clean. In 2007 eni has launched the “Along with Petroleum” Program. Besides eni has defined a new mission for the Donegani <strong>Institut</strong>e in Novara, which became eni’s Research Centre for the development of technologies in the field of non-conventional energy – giving its new name “The Donegani <strong>Institut</strong>e – the eni research centre for non-conventional energy‘. The centre’s activities are focused on the R&D programme “Along with Petroleum”, ”The excessive dependence on fossil energy, even if easily accessible, flexible and at acceptable price, will be not sustainable for the future of our planet.” which aims to achieve technological breakthroughs in the use of solar energy and biomass. eni is also committed to researching technologies to reduce Co 2 emissions and is therefore developing the Green- House Gas project (GHG) for the injection of CO 2 in depleted gas and oil fields. SOLAR ENERGY Solar energy can be considered the primary energy source by excellence. Its exploitation can be obtained through direct conversion of light into electric power (photovoltaic effect). The basic components of photovoltaic systems are solar cells made by a wafer a few tenths of millimeter thick or by a thin layer of semiconductor material (e.g. silicon) only a few microns thick, suitably treated. Presently, the cost of power generation from photovoltaic plants is still high (0.2-0.5 €/kWh). In order to overtake the current limits of solar energy exploitation, it is fundamental to introduce technologies that can reduce the quantity of silicon used, while producing the same amount of energy, and in the longer term to substitute silicon with polymer or organic materials whose production costs are significantly lower, with performances comparable to those of silicon whose conversion efficiency reaches 20 percent. Solar energy can also be exploited to fuel power conventional thermodynamic cycles. In this case vast fields of mirrors are used (taking up to 2-5 hectares for every MW installed) so as to focalize the reflected light onto apposite receiving 14 HANNOVER MESSE 2010 PARTNER COUNTRY ITALY
ENERGY Solutions PARTNER COUNTRY ITALY HANNOVER MESSE 2010 15