þorsteinn Ingi Sigfússon at Innovation Forum in Reykjavik, May 2012Presentation Transcript
The Greening of Icelandic IndustriesProf. Thorsteinn I. Sigfusson, Director General Lighthouse Day in Reykjavik, 24 May 2012 1
The Lighthouse in Eyjafjördur 2
Greening: Definition• Greening is the process of transforming artifacts such as a space, a lifestyle, process or a brand image into a more environmentally friendly version (i.e. greening your home or greening your company).• The act of greening involves incorporating "green" products and processes into ones environment, such as the home, work place, and general lifestyle. • Wikipedia 3
Mr. Brown and Dr. Green(Alias Dr. Jeckyl and Mr. Hyde)! • Much of Icelandic industry can be characterised as brown • Waste treatment in municipalities is weakly founded • We have perhaps the cleanest aluminium industry in the world – but its carbon footprints are very visible • We are producing lots and lots of excess heat in our geothermal systems – efficiency of use must be improved • We have a relatively efficient fishing-quota system but the way we catch fish and spend fossil energy doing that – can be improved considerably 4
The sought-after green qualities• reduced toxicity• re-usability• energy efficiency• responsible packaging and labelling• recycled content• intelligent design• responsible manufacturing techniques• reduction of personal environmental hazards 5
Possible decarbonizationactions• Hydrogen from renewable energy replacing imported fossil fuels: pure hydrogen and/or Artificial Liquid fuels made from hydrogen and CO(2)• Capture of CO2 through vegetation and soil• Capture and storage of CO2 by geological methods
CO2 can be fixed in solid basaltReykjavik Energy Corporation and University of Iceland 9
A new green methanol plant was opened in Iceland last month• One of the ideas we are working on concerns making methanol from CO2 emitted from geothermal gas.• We use hydrogen from water electrolysis to create green methanol to be blended into gasoline..... Carbon Recycling International 10
InertCarbon electrodeselectrodes OpticalTrawls Fishing netsFossil fuels Designer fuels with green hydrogen 11
Eco-Ethical• The Innovation Center is urging industry to carry out a twofold agenda concerning the greening:• On one hand ECOLOGICAL approach involving selecting the greenest technologies• On the other hand to be open and transparent in their dealing with the public – reporting on mishaps and informing about troubles: ETHICAL 12
2012 marks the five year anniversaryof Innovation Center Iceland – theyear will be marked as: 13
We have an exciting commongoal and a beautiful innovationtarget:• To make Iceland 100% renewable energy economy before not so long! 14