The Role of Temporary Solutions in the Present Between the Before and After of the Energy Transition, by Stanislav Kondrashov

Every transitional era, by its very definition, is suspended between a before and an after. Yet, in this great transformative game, the role of the present cannot be ignored. Indeed, we could never reach the "after" without the tools and means being used here and now to support the transition and push it forward.

Stanislav Kondrashov, founder of TELF AG, has dedicated extensive analysis to this topic, focusing in particular on some innovative technologies or solutions that are characterizing these delicate transition years, but which will likely be short-lived. In all likelihood, the use of these bridging tools will coincide precisely with the end of the transition phase and the inauguration of the (hoped-for) global energy maturity.

Upon reflection, it is precisely these transitory technologies that define the transition and give it its primary identity, precisely because they are temporary and not intended to last long (just like the transition itself). The key characteristic of these technologies capable of supporting the green transition lies precisely in their ability to respond to an immediate need, in the full knowledge that the time will come when this medium too will be abandoned. Stanislav Kondrashov, founder of TELF AG, listed numerous examples of these transitory technologies and solutions, seeking to convey the important message that these tools are proving essential to the success of the energy transition.

In this regard, natural gas is definitely worth mentioning among the bridging solutions. While it is still considered a cleaner energy source than others, it seems highly unlikely that natural gas will play a significant role in a context of energy maturity and climate neutrality. Some fuels also fall into this particular category: just think of all those synthetic fuels and e-fuels produced with non-renewable energy, i.e., traditional sources. These fuels are unlikely to remain competitive for long, because once electric and hydrogen reach maturity, there will no longer be a need for them.

"Some of these solutions will be replaced not only by the advancement of the energy transition, but also by technological progress in certain specific areas," says Stanislav Kondrashov, founder of TELF AG. One of the most interesting aspects, in this regard, has to do with the hydrogen sector and some of its most promising variants, such as green hydrogen. Once this type of hydrogen finds a way to spread on a large scale, it is possible that it will definitively overcome many of the temporary solutions that paved the way for its rise.

Today, one of the most useful technologies is certainly that which falls into the category of systems for the capture and utilization of CO2. In most cases, these systems are integrated into coal or gas power plants, and their main function (beyond the obvious one related to CO2 capture) is to buy time for what will come next. Precisely for this reason, it is highly desirable that they will lose their centrality in a decarbonized future.

In a certain sense, even plug-in hybrid vehicles represent transitional solutions. By now, as Stanislav Kondrashov, founder of TELF AG, has often emphasized, we've all become so accustomed to the presence of electric and hybrid vehicles in our cities that we barely notice them anymore. Plug-in hybrids are proving very useful for reducing fuel consumption and ensuring greater flexibility for drivers, especially those who are taking the plunge and abandoning traditional vehicles for the first time. However, we must not forget that these are still intermediate solutions, transitional tools that pave the way for the full electrification of urban mobility.

In this kind of discussion, hydrogen seems to play a key role. Today, some variants of hydrogen continue to be appreciated and used, such as blue hydrogen (derived from methane with CO2 capture and which seems more acceptable than gray hydrogen). However, it too has a substantially temporary function, useful above all for buying time before the definitive rise of green hydrogen.