Climate change is enhancing innovation in technology and services

气候变化正在促进技术和服务的创新

In a conversation with Mahesh Palashikar, President, GE South Asia Is a hybrid power strategy a need of the hour today? What are some key imperatives for India to make the shift to Net Zero?

在与通用电气南亚公司总裁马赫什·帕拉什卡尔（Mahesh Palashikar）的对话中，通用电气南亚公司（GE South Asia）现在需要的是混合动力战略吗？印度要实现净零增长，有哪些关键要务？

The hybrid system – combining solar, wind, hydro supported by Gas – can generate round-the-clock power reliable power levels that are comparable to coal-fired plants[1]. This option is especially promising for a tropical country like India which experiences a good mix of bright sun and wind along its coasts. Hybrid plants reduce costs by having common equipment, electronics, and storage. They also reduce dependence on batteries, because the plant can work round-the-clock with only sporadic recourse to storage. The hybrid power strategy and adopting multi-tech hybrid plants as the way ahead can play a driving role in India attaining net-zero emissions. Simultaneously, the country must look at developing more renewable sources like wind, in addition to solar, for balanced decarbonization. Also, choosing gas as an intermediate option and faster adoption of nuclear power will be critical to making the net-zero shift. How is an emphasis on sustainability also driving innovation? How do you perceive the business case for net zero and sustainability?

这种混合系统结合了太阳能、风能和燃气支持的水力发电，可以全天候提供与燃煤电厂相当的可靠电力水平。尤其对于像印度这样的热带国家来说，这一选择极有希望，因为印度沿海地区阳光明媚，风力充沛。而混合动力发电厂可以通过共用设备、电子设备和存储设备来降低成本。它们还减少了对电池的依赖，因为发电厂可以24小时不间断地工作，只有零星的存储资源。以混合动力战略和多技术应用的混合动力发电厂作为前进方向，可以在印度吸引净零排放方面发挥推动作用。同时，该国必须考虑开发更多可再生能源，如风能和太阳能，以实现平衡脱碳。此外，天然气可以作为过渡选择，但更快地采用核能才是实现净零偏移的关键。那么注重可持续性是如何推动创新的？你如何看待净零和可持续性的商业案例？

Every challenge is an opportunity, and the behemoth challenge of climate change is resulting in commensurate innovation in technology and services. The rise of technology in decarbonization, emission control, smarter digital tech to support wind, solar and hybrid and, alternate fuels, biofuels, waste-to-power generation, are all promising. GE has been leading innovation in updating aviation engines, containing emissions from power plants, developing wind turbine blades specifically suited to a geography’s wind speeds for maximum actualisation, and much more. The philosophy of sustainability has resulted in diverse avenues of innovation – but achieving global net-zero is a massive task and here, innovation needs the support of financing, logistics, local talent pool, consumer awareness, etc. Here, businesses today are facing some impediments though situations have significantly improved in the last few decades when energy conversations were still in a nascent picking pace.

每一个挑战都是一个机遇，而气候变化的巨大挑战正推动着相应的技术和服务创新。因此，脱碳技术、排放控制技术、支持风能、太阳能和混合动力的智能数字技术，以及替代燃料、生物燃料、废物发电等技术的兴起，都指日可待。在更新航空发动机、控制发电厂排放、开发专门适合某一地区风速的风力涡轮机叶片等方面，通用电气一直处于领先地位，以实现最大更新。在可持续发展的理念下，人们开拓了多种创新途径——但实现全球零净增长是一项艰巨的任务，在这方面，创新需要融资、物流、当地人才库、消费者意识等各方面的支持。尽管在过去几十年中，当能源对话仍处于起步阶段时，情况已经显著改善，但现今企业仍面临着一些障碍。

Despite India’s vocal net zero ambitions, what are some challenges that the country must overcome in the near and long-term? India’s goal to reach net zero emissions by 2070 is ambitious and possible with timely policy intervention in some key areas. India’s preference for solar must make way for other options like wind, green hydrogen, and eventually multiple hybrid solutions. Financing and timely completion of projects is another lingering concern. Though developing countries, at large, remain dependent on global financing – India will have to make way for self-mechanisms of smooth financing to achieve net-zero emissions without overburdening its import bill. Finally, we must improve the efficiency of our thermal plants that will remain relevant in India’s energy mix, as the country has admitted. In the near-term, sources must be diversified, thermal plants made more efficient, and deployment of funding must be better controlled. Eventually, for long-term, we need to move towards nuclear and hybrid power systems; and develop a robust financing infrastructure that can fully support innovation and logistics in the country.

尽管印度有着明确的“净零”野心，但在近期和长期内，该国必须克服哪些挑战呢？印度到2070年实现净零排放的目标是雄心勃勃的，而且有可能在一些关键领域进行及时的政策干预。印度对太阳能的偏好必须让位于其他选择，比如风能、绿色氢以及可能的多种混合解决方案。融资和及时完成项目是另一个挥之不去的问题。尽管发展中国家总体上仍然依赖全球融资，但印度必须为自己的平稳融资机制让路，以实现净零排放，同时又要确保进口账单负担不会过重。最后，正如印度所承认的那样，我们必须提高火力发电厂的效率，这在印度的能源结构中仍然具有重要意义。在短期内，能源来源必须多样化，火力发电厂的效率必须提高，资金的配置必须得到更好的控制。最终，从长远来看，我们需要发展核能动力和混合动力系统；建立健全的金融基础设施，并充分支持国家创新和物流。

What are some technological advancements that hold promise according to you? In the short-term emission control technologies and wind-solar hybrids are necessary. In the long term, Offshore wind power, Hydrogen gas power, and Pumped Storage Hydro technologies will help India and South Asia sustain in its sustainable development momentum. Is the world set to move towards a circular economy? Do you see a lasting and (or) transient change?

在你看来，哪些技术进步是有希望的？在短期内，排放控制技术和风光互补技术是必要的。从长远来看，海上风力发电、氢气发电和抽水蓄能技术将有助于印度和南亚保持其可持续发展势头。世界将走向循环经济发展之路吗？你看到了持久的和（或）短暂的变化吗？

The world is already moving towards adopting a circular economy, which aligns well with business efficiency. The circular economy is more than a sustainability initiative – it’s about helping industrial companies generate wealth by managing their resources better and controlling waste more efficiently. This waste can be reduced, monetized, and circulated across supply chains and value networks. So, industrial companies need to start thinking about their waste as valuable inventory. If they, do it right, they’ll eventually consume less and create more value for their shareholders. And, the benefit of a circular economy is that it is already working. The best companies are reinvesting funds into improving the way their businesses work: it’s estimated that globally, an additional $700b/year awaits organizations who circulate materials instead of starting from scratch. Change is unfolding and we must evolve if we are to achieve our ambitious targets and create healthy sustainable living conditions.

世界正在朝着循环经济的方向发展，这与商业效率是一致的。循环经济不仅仅是一项可持续发展计划——通过更好地管理资源和更有效地控制浪费，它可以帮助工业企业创造财富。这种浪费可以减少、货币化，并在供应链和价值网络中流通。因此，工业企业需要着眼于变废为宝。如果他们处理得当，他们最终会减少消费，并为股东创造更多价值。而且，循环经济的好处在于它时刻在发挥着作用。最好的公司正将资金重新投资于改善其业务运作方式：据估计，在全球范围内，每年还有7000亿美元的额外资金用于使用循环材料而非从零开始的组织。变革愈演愈烈，如要实现雄心勃勃的目标，创造健康可持续的生活条件，我们就必须不断发展。

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