Thermal transition
Generating power in the age of net zero means moving away from carbon-rich fuels and replacing them with increasingly cost-competitive renewable technologies.
This transition must be handled carefully to ensure that energy security is strengthened, access to affordable energy is improved, and social and economic development is supported effectively.
To aid the switch, owners and operators must consider which existing assets and infrastructure can best be leveraged, and how.
What can we do for you?
Our global power team — 1,600 people strong — understands all aspects of thermal energy.
Carbon capture utilization and storage (CCUS)
This technology is crucial to minimizing emissions from hard-to-abate sectors, the production of hydrogen from fossil fuels, and the continued use of carbon-rich fuels in developing and emerging markets.
Decarbonization pathways
We have supported countries around the world to assess different decarbonization options. Our award-winning 2050 Calculator program enables users to develop pathways to net zero, taking account of climate science, social, environmental and economic impacts, and commercial considerations.
Fuel switching
We plan, design, and help implement projects using alternative fuels. These include the production of green hydrogen by electrolysis using renewable power.
Energy efficiency
We support clients to achieve energy efficiencies by upgrading or replacing equipment and assets, in line with planned asset management and investment cycles. We also repurpose existing assets, such as gas pipelines, which can be used to deliver hydrogen or biogas.
Delivering the right support
We combine global expertise and experience with local knowledge and delivery to identify and deliver sustainable solutions.
Redcar hydrogen community, Teesside, England. Switching from natural gas to 100% hydrogen presents a raft of capacity and network challenges, which our team are tackling in a project that could revolutionize the UK’s energy supply and cut emissions hugely.
Delivering the right support
Our global power team understands all aspects of thermal energy. We combine international expertise and experience with local knowledge, to identify and deliver sustainable solutions.
Our experience
Explore this selection of recent project stories to discover how we are working with owners and operators to deliver thermal transition:
-
Carbon capture and storage, ThailandWe identified the right location for a carbon capture and storage facility on Thailand’s eastern seaboard that will enable PTT Exploration & Production to reduce its emissions and those of nearby industries, as well as help the country achieve its 2050 carbon neutrality and 2065 net-zero greenhouse gas emissions goals.
-
Energy Transition Mechanism, Indonesia, Philippines and VietnamThis project by the Asian Development Bank is a blended finance approach that seeks to accelerate the retirement of coal-fired power plants and replace them with clean power capacity. We provided technical advisory services for the feasibility study, including identifying suitable renewable energy replacement options for coal-fired power plants.
-
INGAA hydrogen in natural gas infrastructure, USAThe INGAA Foundation, a trade association representing the entire value chain for the design, construction, maintenance, and operation of interstate natural gas pipeline and storage, selected us to conduct its Comprehensive Study of Hydrogen in Natural Gas Infrastructure. The aim of the study is to identify and summarize state-of-the-art practices for blending hydrogen into natural gas transmission network. Repurposing existing natural gas pipeline infrastructure can potentially reduce the technical and economic barriers for delivering hydrogen to consumers, accelerating the adoption of hydrogen at scale.
-
NortH2, EuropeThe NortH2 project will create the world’s largest system of offshore wind farms, transmitting power onshore to produce green hydrogen by electrolysis, then transporting the hydrogen via converted gas infrastructure to industrial centers in Germany, Belgium, and the Netherlands.
-
North Sea Wind Power Hub, EuropeWorking with a consortium of transmission system operators, we’re designing a new concept for hydrogen production integrated with the export of electrical power to the onshore grid. This will use cutting-edge hydrogen production technology to support energy recovery from offshore wind on an unprecedented scale across northwest Europe.
-
Redcar hydrogen community, Teesside, EnglandOur engineers used their expertise gained from other hydrogen projects as well as oil and gas pipelines to design a new high-pressure hydrogen network to supply 2,000 homes and businesses in Redcar.
People and Planet
People and Planet demonstrates and quantifies social and environmental outcomes. It combines publicly available data with project data to assess social and environmental factors alongside project priorities. Risks and opportunities are displayed on maps and dashboards, empowering decisions that create long-term benefits for people and the planet.
