Can Asia accelerate its transition to renewable energy and become a hub for clean technology?
Technology seems to be the silver bullet that societies are relying on to solve the world’s most pressing problems. While this may not always be the case, tech is certainly proving to be critical in the energy industry’s push towards decarbonisation.
An example of such innovation involves the use of hydrogen – a topic close to heart for Dr Enass Abo-Hamed, a pioneer of clean-energy storage. She is co-founder and CEO of H2Go Power, an engineering company that is developing new ways to safely store hydrogen for use as a renewable energy source.
“Hydrogen – which is my specialty, and where all my technical and business expertise lies – is a fantastic solution to introduce as an alternative in places where you want to decarbonise,” Abo-Hamed said. “Hydrogen is a very elegant molecule. If you generate it from green resources like the sun, wind or water, when you burn it or convert it, it does not generate carbon, so it gives you everything you need.”
Speaking to the Post from the inaugural Energy Asia conference, which took place in June in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Abo-Hamed emphasised that hydrogen energy can be successfully adopted in Asia. “Storing hydrogen can be a safe, efficient and economical way to introduce accelerants into the whole equation of transitioning to lower-carbon energy solutions,” she explained.
Abo-Hamed believes the region is ready to transition to renewable energy and establish itself as a hub for clean technology, therefore such efforts must start immediately. “Asia’s fast-increasing energy demand indicates that it has the growth potential and the readiness to transition to more diversified and cleaner energy opportunities,” she said.
Storing hydrogen can be a safe, efficient and economical way to introduce accelerants into the whole equation of transitioning to lower-carbon energy solutions
“There will be no decarbonisation and no net-zero achievement without the involvement of Asia. The awareness and the readiness to invest [in clean technology] is there, so I do expect a lot of progress coming out of Asia in the next few years.”
At Energy Asia, Abo-Hamed said she witnessed a high level of interest and buy-in for clean technology from the conference’s speakers as well as the policymakers, CEOs and government officials in attendance.
“Platforms like Energy Asia are of critical importance at this point in time, because acceleration [of the energy transition] is really important,” she noted. “It brings in many stakeholders that might not otherwise have come together, to discuss potential collaborative operations that can be put in place.”
