The problem

A comprehensive reference document is needed to outline the situation of Europe in the long-term outlook for world energy demand, supply and price in the period to 2050. In addition, the impact various technological breakthroughs could make over the next half-century needs to be assessed. Such projections are vital for long-range energy strategy development and to support international negotiations. The projections and the evaluations will be made in a quantitative way using the POLES model – a global sectoral model of the world energy system.

Overview:

WETO-H2 will forecast the world energy outlook for the period to 2050 to support EU energy, technology and environmental policies.

The project will:

• Produce long-term energy demand, supply and price reference projections for the main regions of the world, focusing on European issues (renewables and CO2 emissions reductions)
• Evaluate the consequences of technological breakthroughs on energy demand and supply
• Consider the implications of two EU energy-environment strategies: implementation of a hydrogen-based energy system, and reduction of energy-related CO2 emissions by a ‘factor 4’

Contribution to policy development:

• WETO-H2’s forecasts will help enhance the implementation of energy policy measures towards sustainability
• It will contribute to long-term technology planning issues
• Its long-term and global coverage will support climate change negotiations related to the Kyoto Protocol

Project deliverables

• A world energy and technology reference case to 2050 – January 2004 to November 2004
• Assessment of technological breakthroughs and trajectories – January 2004 to April 2005
• Design and evaluation of EU strategies towards sustainability – April 2005 to November 2005
• Long-term world energy and technology outlook report and final conference – December 2005 to January 2006

Dissemination

•  Workshop to review the progress of the reference scenario building – July 2004
•  Mid-term assessment meeting to review results of the reference scenario – January 2005
•  A workshop to review work on technology breakthroughs – July 2005
•  Conference in Brussels to present and disseminate the final WETO-H2 results – January 2006

Technical information

Project acronym: WETO-H2
Project’s official full title: World Energy Technology Outlook - 2050
Research priority: 3.2. The development of tools, indicators and operational parameters for assessing sustainable transport and energy systems performance (economic, environmental and social)
Specific webpage: http://www.enerdata.fr
Proposal/contract no: 501669
Start date: 01/01/2004
Kick off meeting: 02/02/2004
Completion date: 31/12/2005
European Commission scientific officer: 
Domenico Rossetti di Valdalbero (Domenico.Rossetti-Di-Valdalbero@ec.europa.eu)

Coordinator:
Name: ENERDATA s.a.
Abbreviated Name: ENERDATA
Address: 2 Avenue de Vignate, 38610 Gieres
Country: France
Tel: +33 (0) 4 76 42 25 46
Fax: +33 (0) 4 76 51 61 45
Website: http://www.enerdata.fr

Partners

Name: Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique/ Energy and Environmental Policies
Abbreviated Name: CNRS/LEPII-EPE
Country: France

Name: Joint Research Centre/ Institute for Prospective Technological Studies
Abbreviated Name: JRC/IPTS
Country: Spain

Name: Federal Planning Bureau
Abbreviated Name: FBP
Country: Belgium

Name: Science Policy Research Unit, University of Sussex
Abbreviated Name: SPRU/UoS
Country: United Kingdom

Name: Mineral and Energy Economy Research Institute of the Polish Academy of Sciences
Abbreviated Name: MEERI
Country: Poland

Name: Energy Research Centre of the Netherlands
Abbreviated Name: ECN
Country: The Netherlands