Humanising Energy: The future of fuel for global transport

General 3 minute read

What does humanising energy mean to PowerCell?

From David Attenborough to Sunita Narain and Nikola Tesla to Thomas Edison, there are iconic luminaries at the forefront of the world’s environmentalism, energy transitions, and technological developments.

 

While these big names naturally get the plaudits, there have always been people working in the background with the same passion for sustainability and innovation. It is these people, in combination with the leaders they uphold, that can achieve monumental feats of creative disruption.

 

Today’s shift away from fossil fuels is no different, except that this time the scope and scale of change is arguably bigger than ever. There are thousands and even millions of people working behind the scenes to shift societies and economies worldwide to more sustainable energy sources.

 

It’s time to shine a light on those people, on the human element of the energy transition. That is the premise of the new “Humanising Energy” film presented by the World Energy Council and produced for PowerCell by BBC StoryWorks Commercial Productions.

 

Behind the scenes of the filming, we asked three energy transition pioneers at PowerCell for their thoughts on what this topic means to them.

 

 

Humanising Energy Lisa Kylhammar

 

To Lisa Kylhammar, our Senior Vice President of Engineering, humanising the energy transition “helps us to visualise the people behind new technological solutions and reminds us that they are ordinary individuals with an extraordinary drive to make sustainable energy solutions accessible to more people”.

 

Humanising Energy

 

From the perspective of our Mechatronics Engineer Bengt Vänerhall the power of people’s collective efforts and action can overcome even the most ambitious challenges. Bengt explains, “when ordinary people work together, extraordinary things can be accomplished! Humanising Energy at PowerCell means collaboration and innovation to drive real change.”

 

 

Hydrogen Fuel Cells Humanising Energy Richard Berkling

 

To our CEO Richard Berkling, people must throw their combined commercial weight behind change now; waiting for a perfect solution is not an option. “With the world fast approaching a decarbonise-or-die situation, it’s more important than ever to pull together and drive the energy transition forward,” says Richard.

 

“Finding the courage to make those all-important final investment decisions, the curiosity to try something new, and the drive to support early enablers taking action, even though they may not have the perfect solution, is equally important to having a world leading technology,” Richard elaborates.

 

Richard’s comments reflect a broader sentiment change in the energy transition, that now is the time for practical options, and a recognition that an ‘out of the box’ silver bullet solution is unrealistic. “We can’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good. Good enough is quite often better than you expect,” he continues.

 

Hydrogen fuel cells are pragmatic because they do not upend the entire fossil fuel and combustion engine business models we have built over the last 150 years. “If operators have to completely change how they do business, it will delay the energy transition, however fuel cells resemble today’s operational behaviour; you can refuel rapidly,” explains Richard.

 

 

Hydrogen Fuel Cell Production Facilities

 

As viewers of the “Humanising Energy” film will see, this entrepreneurial mindset is reflected in PowerCell’s culture too. We acknowledge that breakthroughs also require setbacks, trial and error. We give our engineers the freedom to be creative and then we take the best ideas to market, where the applications are endless.

 

From planes to trains and automobiles to ships, fuel cells can decarbonise ‘hard to abate’ sectors in the transport industry. They can replace and improve all the power generation activities currently done by polluting diesel generator sets, for example on construction sites or at event venues, all with a technology that only emits water vapour.

 

This focus on humanising energy has allowed us to reflect on the role of our technology and recognise the common goal we’re all working towards. It has caused us to appreciate the people around us who are equally passionate about eliminating pollution and driving the next technology evolution forwards. Together, we can decarbonise and electrify everything!

 

The film was produced for PowerCell by BBC StoryWorks Commercial Productions. For more insights into life at PowerCell and the role of fuel cells in the energy transition, see some behind the scenes clips from the production of “Humanising Energy” here.

 

Watch the film below!