In late January, torrential rains fell over areas of the equatorial state of South America. As a result, an oil pipeline in the eastern province of Napo in the Amazon region was severely damaged – thousands of liters of oil began to leak and contaminate the surrounding land.
“The accident is a disaster for the environment,” Hans-Joseph Fell, founder of the Energy Watch Group, which is investigating a global transition to renewable energy sources, told DW. “The effects of climate change, such as heavy rainfall or drought, have a very strong effect on the availability of conventional energy.”
Conventional energy: Low resistance to extreme weather conditions
Oil is particularly at risk, as shown by the recent series of oil accidents. But it is not the only energy source affected by the growing number of extreme weather events. During the warmer months, nuclear power plants sometimes have to close because rivers are too hot to be used as cooling water.
During the hot European summer of 2018, for example, France was forced to shut down four reactors and the Grohnde nuclear power plant in Germany almost followed suit. Offshore nuclear power plants do not have this problem, but in turn they could be threatened by rising sea levels.
The extremely low water levels on the Rhine in 2018 also caused a sharp rise in the price of heating oil. Like many other goods, it was no longer possible to simply transport oil across the river by ship.
Extreme drought also damages serious hydropower plants. This has global implications. After long periods of extreme heat in the summer of 2021, many reservoirs in the United States and many parts of Latin America have almost dried up. The Lake Mead hydroelectric plant near Las Vegas generated a quarter less electricity than usual in July.
According to an analysis by the Institute of Energy Economics at the University of Cologne (EWI), the lowest levels of hydroelectric power generation in Latin America led to high demand for liquefied natural gas from the US in 2021. Gas sold to the US or Europe , affecting the volume of gas available in Europe this winter.
Meanwhile, heavy rains and floods in Indonesia, heavy storms in Australia and the US, as well as floods in China, meant less carbon was mined in 2021, according to the study. As a result, demand for gas – and gas prices – has risen even further.
The financial sector is investing in wind and solar energy
“Unlike fossil fuels, the use of wind and solar energy to generate electricity is more resistant to extreme weather conditions and therefore more resistant to crises,” said Tim Bachmann, who manages the clean technology fund at the asset management company. data, DWS Group.
Decentralized wind and solar power generation has proven to be an advantage in extreme weather conditions, according to Bachmann.
“That’s why many large companies in the US, including Internet companies, automakers and others, have signed long-term electricity contracts with wind and solar carriers,” he said.
There are also far fewer logistical problems to deal with, because electricity is generated directly from wind and solar. Coal, oil, gas or uranium on the other hand must first be transported to power plants, where they are converted into energy. And there are various dangers that even exist in the transportation of fuel.
How Climate Resistant is Wind Energy?
But what about the dangers of extreme weather when it comes to wind and solar power – for example, when hurricanes hit wind farms?
Martin Dörenkämper, of the Department of Site Evaluation at the Fraunhofer Institute for Wind Power Systems (IWES), explained the importance of decentralized networks, so if wind turbines in the north have to leave the network, they can go to other areas instead.
“Even in a strong winter storm, only the wind turbines in the heart of the storm should shut down, but not those on the edge of the wind farm,” he told DW, adding that modern wind turbines can withstand high speeds. and that engineers are currently working to equip them for winds of up to 200 miles per hour.
He says no other major measures are needed to adapt to climate change. In places where winters become wetter as a result of global warming – such as in Scandinavia – power plants must be heated to prevent ice from forming. In hot weather, stronger cooling measures are required.
Solar panels against quartz
The risks posed by the climate crisis also appear to be manageable in terms of solar energy, according to the latest findings. In order to withstand stronger storms, the infrastructure and frameworks of future installations, as well as the glass of solar units, must be strengthened. So says Harry Wirth, who is in charge of photovoltaic cells and power stations at the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems (ISE). And everything is technically possible.
Wirth says solar systems are also preparing for stronger hailstorms. According to the insurance company Munich Re, this risk has already increased significantly in Europe due to climate change.
“For this purpose, the units are being bombarded with artificial hail in the laboratory,” he told DW. “Hail with a diameter between 2.5 and five centimeters is used.”
High voltage heat resistant lines in the frames
Whether conventional or renewable energy needs to be transferred where it is needed – either to private households, municipalities or industrial companies. And this means that the entire electricity grid must be able to withstand the risks of the climate crisis.
Mathias Fischer is the spokesperson for Tennet Electricity Operators. The group operates the entire Dutch high voltage network and is the largest network operator in Germany.
“To make power grids better suited to the challenges of the energy transition, we are increasingly relying on high-temperature conductor cables for electricity pylons,” Fischer explained. “They can heat up more than conventional cables without bending.”
The point of renewal of renewable energy sources: Stability and storage
“The biggest challenge for the industry during the energy transition is to keep the grid frequency constant at 50 Hertz,” Fischer said.
This is easier with conventional power stations, because they can always be turned on when electricity is needed and stopped when there is already enough electricity in the grid. But it gets more complicated when we are dealing with many decentralized systems that produce different amounts of energy, depending on the wind and sun that is available.
This means that the expansion of the grid is necessary for the transfer of large quantities of offshore wind energy to areas with high electricity demand. Storage opportunities for renewable energy should also be realized and constructed quickly, for example in the form of green hydrogen.
This can be converted to energy whenever electricity is needed. However, electricity from renewable sources stored in hydrogen is also more sensitive to the effects of climate change, as storms, floods and heat waves pose a threat to hydrogen reservoirs or pipelines.
This article was originally published in German.
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