Extreme weather conditions in the North create serious problems in the way of reliable and environmentally friendly energy supply. This has led to a particularly strong dependence of the Arctic regions on the supply of diesel and other types of fossil fuels, which, when burned, lead to significant greenhouse gas emissions. This is happening in the Arctic, which is among the regions most susceptible to climate change. Arctic renewable energy projects are designed to address this.
Polar Knowledge Canada, the country's federal agency for the development of Arctic science and technology, works in collaboration with other research groups at the Canadian scientific station in Cambridge Bay (Nunavut). Currently, they are working on a project to build a 15-metre wind turbine, which is expected to withstand harsh climatic conditions.
The new wind turbine is designed for Arctic weather conditions and provides electricity to buildings adapted to the harsh climate of the Arctic. Innovative wind power equipment will help Nunavut maintain a high level of electricity supply and reduce pollution due to the burning of diesel fuel.
Arctic wind turbines must be lower than usual so that they can withstand severe weather conditions. However, the significant wind speeds at high latitudes make it possible not to lose power generation capacity, which only confirms the potential for the development of renewable energy in the Arctic, making "green" projects in the North viable.
A wind energy project in the high latitudes of Canada will help ensure the supply of environmentally friendly electricity, while so far all 25 power plants that make up the Nunavut power grid are powered by diesel fuel, the annual supply of which for these purposes can reach about 55 million litres. Canada is no exception here; diesel fuel remains the main source of energy for about 80% of the Arctic regions around the world.
In the village of Tiksi in the Russian Arctic, the Japanese Organisation for the Development of New Energy and Industrial Technologies (NEDO), together with RusHydro and in cooperation with the governments of the two countries, created an innovative energy system, reducing diesel fuel consumption by 500 tonnes per year, while using a hybrid solution of wind power and diesel capacities. Tiksi's new energy infrastructure is part of a broader energy modernisation programme in remote areas of the Russian Far East that will significantly reduce diesel fuel consumption through renewable energy sources such as wind and solar energy.
Due to huge investments in wind power, hydropower, tidal energy, and biogas, the Faroe Islands were able to increase the use of renewable energy to 50% by the end of 2022.
Until recently, energy consumption in the Faroe Islands depended on imported hydrocarbons and petroleum products. As an island in the Arctic region, the Faroes are subject to the growing effects of climate change, and the local government has set a goal to become the "greenest island group in the world" and lead the movement to develop "clean" technologies, reaching "net zero" and 100% renewable energy by 2030. The Faroe Islands' energy transition has attracted numerous international investors, including Hitachi, Minesto, ABB, and Norwegian Rock Energy, who have tested an impressive array of renewable energy sources on the islands, including experimental technologies such as innovative heating systems and tidal stations.
In addition to energy self-sufficiency and combating climate change, there are many reasons to invest in renewable energy in the northern regions. Thus, in Finland and Sweden, the demand for "green" electricity and hydrogen is growing due to the boom in industry, transport, and tourism. In addition, renewable energy sources should meet the huge energy needs of the innovative steel industry in the region, which is interested in reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Arctic Renewable Energy is building the first solar park, ARE Park Pello One, in Finland's Pello. The commissioning of this solar power plant is scheduled for 2026. In the future, Arctic Renewable Energy aims to build industrial-class solar parks in the Arctic regions, primarily in western Lapland, where there are all the necessary conditions for the creation of solar energy systems.
In the long term, the company plans to combine Arctic solar generation with the production of so-called green hydrogen (produced using renewable energy sources). Renewable and hydrogen energy will help the energy transition of numerous industrial clusters located in the North of Finland and Sweden. According to Arctic Renewable Energy, the construction of solar parks in the European North can be called environmentally friendly. There is no need to cut down forests or decommission agricultural land to make way for solar power plants.
In the second half of this decade, the company plans to build several large solar parks using technologies adapted to Arctic conditions. Innovative double-sided solar panels will allow the use of radiation reflected from snow, making the operation of the solar energy systems profitable even in winter.
The situation is typical for the northern climate: when the sun is shining, it is rarely very windy. When there is no wind in Finland and Sweden, these countries require a significant number of alternative energy generation opportunities. Solar energy will be able to replace wind power plants in the Arctic. In the long term, when technological development makes this possible, the company will build solar power plants that will produce Arctic "green" hydrogen directly using photocatalytic panels powered by sunlight, Arctic Renewable Energy notes.
Initial investments in the energy transition in northern communities are high, but the potential savings and environmental benefits are undeniable. Several Arctic states—with varying success—have launched initiatives aimed at reducing dependence on diesel fuel.
The United States has established a Renewable Energy Fund (REF) in Alaska; $250 million has been allocated to finance 73 projects currently underway in the region. In Canada, under the energy innovation programme, US$49 million is also directed to support renewable energy projects, which in the foreseeable future should lead to maximum use of renewable energy in remote settlements instead of diesel.
According to the Association for the Development of Renewable Energy (AVE), the total capacity of renewable energy sources (RES) launched in the russian energy system in July 2023 exceeded 6 GW. By the end of 2022, this figure was 5.78 GW, that is, in six months there were 4% more renewable capacities in Russia. The ARVE notes that the increase in capacity was due to wind farms, while the total capacity of small hydroelectric power plants increased by 25 MW, and solar power plants — by 44 MW. More about Russian green energy in this article.
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