The Urgency of a Justice Energy Transition part 2

The sun is the source of energy for all living things on Earth. It is an abundant, free, and inexhaustible source of energy, except at the end of the world. The word "sun" is mentioned 25 times in the Quran and is one of the chapters mentioned by Allah in the Quran. This indicates that Allah wants to signal that there is something that humans need to explore through the sun or asy-syams. Utilizing the sun for electricity production has attracted the attention and focus of scientists worldwide. And Muslim scientists, in particular, with this divine motivation from the Quran, should be motivated and driven to research and implement it. This driving force is especially strong in the era of decarbonization, or the substitution of fossil fuels for renewable energy to address climate change and global warming.

Ibrahim Abdul Matin (2012), a Muslim from the United States (US) and environmental activist, in his book Green Deen: What Islam Teaches about Protecting the Planet, refers to renewable energy as energy from heaven. According to him, energy from heaven comes from above, meaning it is not extracted from the earth and is renewable. "Extraction causes imbalance (causes climate change), while energy from above is like energy from heaven."

In practice, solar energy has been widely utilized to generate electricity. Humanity is challenged to develop the best science and technology to maximize the harvest and utilization of solar energy. Technology and supporting infrastructure have even been widely used as a powerful weapon to address climate change and global warming. However, in practice, not all implementations of this technology have been successful and yield significant financial returns. The Ivanpah project in California, USA, is one such project. The electricity production project, utilizing solar heat with CSP (Concentrated Solar Plant) technology, failed to achieve its business objectives and lost out to the more accessible and affordable solar PV (photovoltaic) technology.

CSP technology, or solar thermal technology, uses mirrors to concentrate sunlight, generating heat to produce steam to drive turbines, generating electricity. Meanwhile, in solar PV, the solar panels will directly absorb sunlight using semiconductor materials. The Ivanpah project, which cost 2.2 billion USD (more than 35 trillion rupiah), became a bitter pill for the development of solar energy utilization technology. The Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) company, as the main buyer, even terminated its long-term contract (PPA / Power Purchase Agreement) for purchasing electricity from the previous 14-year agreement from the Ivanpah project, forcing 2 of its 3 units to shut down. This was because the Ivanpah project with CSP technology was unable to produce adequate performance or performance, even for its operations still with additional natural gas.

For solar PV power generation, China is currently the world's leader or largest producer of solar power. China's ambition is to build a "solar great wall" designed to meet Beijing's energy needs. The multi-year project, estimated to be completed in 2030, will be 400 kilometers (250 miles) long, 5 kilometers (3 miles) wide, and reach a maximum generating capacity of 100 gigawatts. Currently, the project is reported to have reached a capacity of 5.4 gigawatts. Since 2024, China has led the world in electricity production from solar panels. As of June 2024, China led the world in operating solar power generation capacity with 386,875 megawatts, representing about 51 percent of the global total, according to Global Energy Monitor's Global Solar Power Tracker. The United States ranked second with 79,364 megawatts (11 percent), followed by India with 53,114 megawatts (7 percent).

In the coming decades, large-capacity batteries, up to several MW, are predicted to be widely used in solar PV power plants. These batteries will enable solar PV power plants to continue supplying electricity at night or on cloudy days. Research and development of these batteries is ongoing, and it would be preferable if some of the battery components were derived from renewable sources, such as electrodes made from biographite (which is made from biochar), rather than synthetic graphite derived from fossil fuels, which are currently dominated by China.

Climate and weather factors significantly influence the operation of solar PV power plants. When weather conditions, such as cloudy days without sunlight, occur, electricity production is hampered or intermittent. Furthermore, the use of large-capacity batteries is not yet available and requires considerable time. This is why renewable energy sources that are ready at any time and are not affected by the weather are highly needed. Biomass energy sources such as wood pellets are one such energy source. Renewable energy sources derived from plants (bio-energy) are also in line with QS. Yaasin (36): 80. To produce these energy sources, whether from wood, fruit, seeds, or other parts of the plant, plants carry out photosynthesis. In addition to water and carbon dioxide (CO2), this photosynthesis process requires sunlight. The sun is very important as an energy source for living things, especially for plants. Renewable energy sources from biomass (bio-energy) are like "green batteries" that have great potential as a means of capturing solar energy, and for more details, please read here.  

Biochar for Biographite as a Key Component of Electric Vehicle Batteries

The use of fossil fuels makes the transportation sector contribute 24% of global CO2. With CO2 emissions from fossil fuel use estimated to reach 36.3 gigatonnes (36.3 billion metric tons) in 2024, the transportation sector contributes 8.71 gigatonnes (8.71 billion tons) of CO2. Efforts to reduce CO2 emissions from the transportation sector are carried out in two ways: the use of renewable energy and the use of electric vehicles. The use of electric vehicles must be accompanied by the provision of renewable energy sources. Do not just use electric vehicles, but the energy source still comes from fossil fuel sources. Biofuel is a renewable energy source for the transportation sector that can be used directly with minimal vehicle modifications or even without any engine modifications at all. The question of whether to prioritize electric vehicles first or the use of biofuels first can be read in more detail here.

Electric vehicles can indeed be a decarbonization solution in the transportation sector, with the aforementioned considerations. And it would certainly be even better if the production of these electric vehicles also used materials from renewable sources, such as graphite for batteries derived from biochar or components such as chassis, body, and other metal components from "green steel" or "low carbon steel." Regarding graphite from biochar or biographite, with an average of 70 kg per car required, with projections according to the International Energy Agency (IEA) that electric car production by 2030 (including buses, vans, and heavy trucks) reaching 145 million units, the need for biographite will reach more than 10 million tons. In fact, according to the Economist, in that year, graphite demand is expected to exceed supply by 2 million metric tons, thus threatening the steel and battery industries. This means graphite production needs to be increased, but of course, that production will be biographite for better environment aspect, not synthetic graphite derived from fossil fuels. Meanwhile, in Indonesia itself, the government is targeting 2 million electric cars and 13 million electric two-wheeled vehicles by 2030. The use of biographite is intended to replace graphite derived from fossil sources which is still commonly used and with China as the main producer (controlling more than 80% of global (synthetic) graphite production).

Furthermore, Indonesia is rich in nickel, with reserves reaching approximately 5.3 billion tons of ore, equivalent to approximately 55 million metric tons of nickel metal (East Asia Forum, 2024), and holds the world's largest reserves. Australia ranks second with approximately 24 million metric tons of nickel metal, while global nickel reserves are estimated at approximately 130 million metric tons. This should place Indonesia in a strategic position in the era of electric vehicle use. In 2023, Indonesia produced approximately 1.8 million metric tons of nickel, accounting for nearly half of total global production (Statista, 2023). Nickel helps increase the energy density and storage capacity of batteries, enabling electric cars to have a longer range. Each electric car battery is estimated to use 30 kg of nickel. With the International Energy Agency (IEA) projecting electric car production by 2030 to reach 145 million units, the need for nickel will reach nearly 4.5 million tons.

In addition to properly managed nickel mining for environmental sustainability, the country's natural resources, particularly nickel, should also be processed into finished products domestically. Exporting semi-finished products or even raw materials, which offer little added value and are less profitable, should be avoided. Furthermore, if all nickel were exported to China, the world's largest graphite producer, it would make China a major global producer of electric car batteries. With biographite production, Indonesia would become less dependent on imports, and downstream nickel processing would make its own electric battery production highly feasible, potentially even becoming a major player in the battery industry. Nickel is also used in the production of stainless steel, a widely used material. 

Biochar for Biographite, Important Material for Future Strategic Industries

The decarbonization trend continues in all sectors, especially in strategic industries such as the energy industry, iron and steel industry, and transportation equipment industry. The contribution of a number of these industries in producing CO2 emissions that increase concentrations in the atmosphere (carbon positive) is very significant, namely the energy industry, especially power plants, contributing 27.45%, the steel industry contributing 8%, and the transportation sector industry 24%. Various efforts have been made to reduce CO2 emissions from these fossil sources. Biographite is one of the important components for this purpose. The use of graphite currently comes from fossil sources, namely petcoke and coal tar, which are synthetic graphite. This is because graphite mined in nature cannot meet the expected technical specifications in the form of strength, density and conductivity.

Graphite is a material that is used for steel making, lithium ion batteries, nuclear power plants, fuel cells and the defense industry. In the steel industry, every ton of steel produced with EAF uses 2-4 kg of graphite electrodes. On average, each electric car battery contains 70 kg of graphite. According to the Economist, in 2030, the demand for graphite is expected to exceed supply by 1.2 million metric tons, threatening the steel and battery industries. Meanwhile, according to the IEA for Europe, the need for graphite is predicted to increase by around 20-25 times from 2020 to 2040. Including why currently there is no very large battery capacity so that even coal-fired power plants or from fossil sources can be eliminated, it is very possible because of this graphite problem. In addition to graphite, nickel is an important component in lithium-ion batteries used in electric cars with an average of 30 kg, especially in the cathode. Nickel helps increase the energy density and storage capacity of batteries, allowing electric cars to have a longer range.

In the steel industry, carbon neutral production conditions will be achieved when iron and steel production in the industry uses 100% renewable energy. The use of electric furnaces (EAF / Electric Arc Furnace) can be done as long as the electricity is generated from renewable energy sources. And the fact is that currently to achieve this goal is still far because the construction of blast furnaces - basic oxygen furnaces (BF -BOF) is still widely carried out, which should be EAF (Electric Arc Furnace) or currently only around 30% of the global iron and steel industry uses this EAF. Even the International Energy Association (IEA / International Energy Association) highlighted this critical issue to achieve the Paris Agreement's net-zero target by 2050. With an average blast furnace life of 20 years, the iron and steel industry's efforts to achieve the target must be formulated and programmed properly. Even if the blast furnace replacement effort does not follow the target time, it will put the achievement of net zero emissions 2050 in danger. This makes the use of renewable energy as an energy source for EAF increasingly important and must be accelerated, which should also be in line with the use of bio-graphite in the EAF.

The use of biographite will reduce CO2 emissions and reduce dependence on imports. Bio-graphite which is basically derived from biomass offers a sustainable alternative solution to graphite derived from fossil materials. When applied in steel mills with EAF, although biographite emits CO2 emissions when used, this CO2 or carbon comes from biomass. And the biomass from the plant absorbs CO2 from the atmosphere when it grows, making the process carbon neutral. The bio-graphite production process begins by converting biomass into biochar. Furthermore, with special purification, the biochar is converted into high-purity graphite which is suitable for electric arc furnace (EAF) steel electrodes and battery anodes.

Graphite demand / supply showing market deficit beginning 2025E

 

 Source: Macquarie Research (March 2023)

With the potential for various applications in a number of strategic industries, bio-graphite is not just a new environmentally friendly material but an important material supporting future industries. The shortage of this material could slow the transition to electric vehicles and renewable energy storage, which has an impact on many industries. And specifically in the steel industry, the shortage of this material will threaten to increase the cost of steelmaking and hinder progress towards climate goals. This is why the development of biochar production for biographite is very important and needs to be accelerated for the growth of various green industries or renewable industries in the future. 

From Carbon Neutral to Carbon Negative : Development of Batteries, Wood Pellets, Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) and Biochar

Research to develop large capacity batteries continues to be carried out so that electricity produced from renewable energy power plants such as wind and solar can be stored and used at any time. Electricity generation that comes from wind and sun is intermittent, that is, at any time the wind may not blow or there will be thick clouds or at night so there is no sunlight and electricity cannot be produced. In this condition, it is necessary to use a large capacity battery that can store this electricity. It is predicted that the development of this battery will not only require large costs but will also take a long time. It is predicted that it will take several decades for this battery to become a reality.

The current electricity supply, the majority of which still uses fossil fuels, especially coal, which has been proven to be environmentally unfriendly (carbon positive), needs to continue to be reduced and the portion of renewable energy in the form of wood pellets (carbon neutral) added by cofiring. The portion or ratio of cofiring can continue to be increased and can even be 100% using wood pellets (fulfiring). If the coal power plant can be changed 100% to a biomass or wood pellet fueled power plant, the power plant will become environmentally friendly or carbon neutral. And at a time when renewable energy sources are abundant and the electrical energy products can be stored in large capacity batteries, it is possible that power plants using combustion technology could be closed or stopped.

The use of wood pellets can be said to be an intermediate solution before the battery era. Large capacity wood pellet production will ideally use energy plantations as a supplier or source of raw materials. Fast rotation crops and plantations from legume groups such as calliandra and gliricidae are the right choice for these energy plantationns. Energy plantations themselves can act as carbon sinks or absorb CO2 from the atmosphere. With good management so that the volume of biomass or wood harvested is smaller or maximum equal to the plant growth rate, the function of energy plantations as carbon sinks continues to be maintained. Using wood pellets as carbon neutral fuel while managing energy plantations as a carbon sink or negative carbon provides optimal environmental benefits.

 

The use of 100% biomass fuel in power plants is carbon neutral, the same as the use of renewable energy from wind, water and sun. However, the use of biomass energy, especially wood pellets, is not intermittent and is always available when needed. Using batteries will be a solution to the intermittent problem. This 100% biomass fueled power plant can become carbon negative when using CCS (carbon capture and storage) devices. And this is very good because it can return the CO2 emitted into the atmosphere back to the bowels of the earth (carbon negative). And when coal power plants are installed with CCS devices, they will become carbon neutral. However, the CCS device is still very expensive and its operation is also not cheap.

And when the battery era arrives so that electricity generation using combustion technology is closed or stopped, the wood from the energy plantations that have been created will be used as raw material for biochar. It is possible that the wood from these energy plantations is still made into wood pellets to save transportation costs and make handling easier and then taken to pyrolysis facilities for biochar production. Biochar used in agriculture has dual benefits, namely improving soil quality and as a carbon sink. Using biochar with fertilizer will create slow release fertilizer, thereby increasing NUE (nutrient use efficiency) for plants, thereby saving fertilizer costs and reducing environmental pollution. Biochar is able to last or not decompose for hundreds of years or is permanent in the soil. The more biochar used, the more benefits it will provide for soil fertility and climate. Biochar as a carbon sink or carbon sequestration is also carbon negative. Energy plantations with good management will become carbon sinks and the biochar is also a carbon sink in the form of carbon sequestration, of course this provides the most optimal climate benefits.