Abstract
First of all, I would like to thank the organizers of this Conference for their kind invitation to participate and to give me the opportunity to present a possible R&D program for a long term sustainable supply of energy in Europe. I am deeply honored to attend this important event because I consider the energy supply as one of the major challenges our European societies will have to face in the near and medium term future. If we do not solve it properly, Europe will be largely handicapped in the economical and social world competition. I believe that relying on large, sustained and wide research and development activities shall help greatly to tackle the challenges. What are the challenges? The world has to deal with an expected increase of the energy needs, despite all the efforts we have to do for a better energy efficiency and for large energy savings and while all the existing energy technologies are in question: fossil, nuclear and renewables. There is no silver bullet. In fact, let’s think about that if we offer the possibility of 2.5 tep/year/person for the 9 billions of inhabitants expected by 2050 in the world, that is to say half of the yearly energy consumption per capita to-day in Europe, we will have to increase the supply from 12 Gtep/year to-day to nearly 23Gtep/year. This is a real doubling. Furthermore, if keeping the current energy mix, with 80% coming from fossil resources, we will strongly contribute to environmental and climate change and their damaging effects while these points are of increasing concern in the public opinion. According to the French view, the constraints in terms of energy management are sustainability with a priority to free GHG emission energy sources, availability and security of supply, affordability and economical competitiveness, all of them lead to a reduction of fossil fuels. R&D large and sustained efforts naturally ensue from the key issues to solve. EPJ Web of Conferences DOI: 10.1051/ C © Owned by the authors, published by EDP Sciences, 2012 , epjconf 20123 / 00001 (2012) 33 300001
Highlights
What are the challenges? The world has to deal with an expected increase of the energy needs, despite all the efforts we have to do for a better energy efficiency and for large energy savings and while all the existing energy technologies are in question: fossil, nuclear and renewables
If keeping the current energy mix, with 80% coming from fossil resources, we will strongly contribute to environmental and climate change and their damaging effects while these points are of increasing concern in the public opinion
All studied scenarios in the frame of the proposed roadmap include an increase of renewable energy sources, a decrease of fossil fuels with gas remaining a significant source and so requesting carbon capture and sequestration policy, a contribution of the nuclear in the range 2.5% to 21% depending on several hypothesis, and a strong improvement of energy efficiency
Summary
I would like to thank the organizers of this Conference for their kind invitation to participate and to give me the opportunity to present a possible R&D program for a long term sustainable supply of energy in Europe. Let’s think about that if we offer the possibility of 2.5 tep/year/person for the 9 billions of inhabitants expected by 2050 in the world, that is to say half of the yearly energy consumption per capita to-day in Europe, we will have to increase the supply from 12 Gtep/year to-day to nearly 23Gtep/year.
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