The market
The global market for rescue electricity generators was in 2010 by around $ 11.5 billion. In 2009, some 9.3 million energy rescue food systems had been installed worldwide. This number should reach 13 million units by 2013. While the sector was touched during the 2008 recession, the fact that around 80 countries around the world are faced with long -term electricity shortages guarantees that the demand for energy security systems will increase as soon as the economy resumes. The crisis surrounding the collapse of the three nuclear power plants in Fukushima, in Japan, has placed this country, which is also perfectly predictable, at the top of the list of emergency equipment buyers, adding 1.5 GW to the small power plants gas. The aging of the infrastructure and the increase in disasters linked to climate change have further strengthened structural demand. Any region of the world regularly affected by typhoons and hurricanes, earthquakes and tsunamis takes precautions. Even the United States, a market known for its stable and inexpensive energy supply, saw sales of rescue systems reach $ 1.2 billion in 2010. However, it was the mobile telecommunications sector that led the market at unprecedented global sales over the past decade. Each transponder round requires emergency energy. While in 2005, 81 % of all emergency systems were still fed with diesel, emissions controls to go to gas and fuel cells. The market share of gas systems has increased in five years, going from almost zero to 12 %. We expect the last push to Japan for this type of generators to make it pass over 20 %.
Innovation
In an emergency, derogations from standard environmental regulations are quickly granted. Worse still, renewable energies are rarely taken into account because solar panels and wind turbines take time to transport, install and exploit and are more fragile to handle. Another stumbling block is that most renewable energy sources cannot provide the basic energy necessary to ensure a stable supply of electricity. In addition to these drawbacks, the cost of renewable energies is considerably higher. This is why the local energy supply is generally ensured by kerosene and compressed natural gas, which are the favorite energy sources of small portable generators. Although almost all generators are noisy, they are more easily accessible due to planning and permit problems. The innovations of these systems were therefore limited to the reduction of noise and energy efficiency. Morten Sondergaard has acquired his letters of nobility over the years as a entrepreneur in telecommunications and the Internet. When central Japan was faced with power cuts due to the shortage of electricity following the collapse of Fukushima nuclear power plants, it wondered how to ensure the supply of electricity of a megalopolis Like Tokyo. The installation of a series of small generators would represent only a minor spot on a large open wound. He recalled that oil platforms have energy supply ships that provide basic energy to high seas operations. As the local network is intact-as is the case in Tokyo and Tohoku interior-it is possible to produce electricity with an energy ship, using existing turbines and co-managers already placed on the boat. This energy ship produces megawatts of electricity with great flexibility and even unprecedented mobility in industry. In the case of Tokyo, the ship can be moored in the center of the city. However, if it turns out to be difficult, the supply boat could be located in international waters, with a cable to connect to the shore and directly supply the network using a standard transformer.
The first cash flow
Mr. SONDERGAARD then equipped the energy ship based in Dubai, installed two peak generators of Siemens, and prepared the boat to house 8 generators, with a combined capacity of just under 200 MW/Hour. He then decided to rely on the biodiesel to make it the very first biofuel energy ship ready to provide electricity to a disaster area or provide additional electricity during peak periods such as the Warm and humid in Japan where nuclear disasters disrupted the local electrical supply. The energy vessel is not a unique vessel. The number of floating suppliers in electricity suppliers is estimated at 160. However, use for emergency emergency services has never been undertaken before. Mr. Morten's proposal consists in equipping several ships and putting them on hold so that, when disasters strike, like a nuclear fusion, endangering the means of subsistence of large urban areas along the coastal areas, these powerful generators May provide the massive help that we have an urgent need. These ships are generally located in areas where offshore oil platforms are operational like the Northern European Sea, the Gulf of Mexico, the Middle East, off the Brazilian coast and along West Africa, 'Angola in Ghana. Since the location of these ships extends over the whole world, it is not only possible to plan a rapid arrival, but it is also possible to plan the filling of the loading space of the ship on the path of its Destination with biofuels, making this operation as durable as possible. A full -load ship could contain up to 80,000 tonnes of biofuel and ensure an independent electricity supply for 3 non -stop months at a rate of almost 200 MW/h. This strategic choice should not be limited to emergency situations, it can also provide the additional energy necessary for major sporting events such as the Olympic Games or the Football World Cup.
The opportunity
The use of ships available to quickly provide local renewable energy is an opportunity close to the concept of the blue economy. While there are difficult questions that must be raised with the use of biofuels, which cannot compete with food security, the option of supplying this rescue supply with several renewable fuels is potentially a plus. One of the main considerations is speed and cost. As the ship can be operational on site in a few weeks, it is possible to offer large -scale electricity without the need to invest in the infrastructure. The second advantage is that the floating energy ship can deliver electricity to the end user at the same price as the network, even if the intermediary will see its margins are reduced. But in an emergency, it is quite natural that the huge increase in factor 5 to 10, that electricity companies generally impose on production costs, does not apply. How could the electricity company make a fortune on a disaster-caused by its inability to fulfill a mandate? In the case of Japan, the usual cost per kW/hour has been around 25 yen, but in recent times, the costs have increased by 25 % due to the higher cost of investments and fuel. Floating electricity can be delivered to the same rates. In the Japanese context, it represents a huge commercial advantage and a window to open the offer to qualified suppliers. Anyone interested in securing a summer without cutting can buy their needs on the internet. With the horrible experience of the inhabitants of Tokyo who had to go to work with a bag for the night, since for weeks no one was sure of how the deployment of electricity failures would affect the office or public transport , we expect Japanese citizens to turn to certainty. Floating electricity could then become the power of the people, thus breaking the monopoly of companies. This is an opportunity to develop share capital, a key concept of the blue economy.
