Decarbonizing hard-to-abate sectors is critical to achieve climate change goals given the unique and often fossil fuel-based manufacturing processes. For developed and emerging economies, evaluating power and heavy industry sectors are pertinent given the immense growth expected in the upcoming decades. This presentation will focus on cost and emission models that have been developed and evaluated using the Sesame platform. Specifically, case studies for Hydrogen, Iron and Steel, and Power will be presented demonstrating the impact of technology options, supply chain choices and regional differences. In addition to the plant-level analysis, a system view will be taken to estimate emissions and energy consumption for the entire fleet. By comparing the various technology routes on a cost and emission basis, potential decarbonization strategies, marginal abatement cost, and sensitivities to fuel and other operational costs will be analyzed. The sectoral analysis indicates the immense increase in energy consumption and corresponding infrastructure support for industrial decarbonization. A combination of resource efficiency and technology improvements will be important for reducing emissions from a business-as-usual operation. Overall, the analysis indicates the role of system analysis in evaluating plant-level and system level changes in legacy sectors that are expanding and will be transitioning from traditional production methods. This study is timely as the global community sets climate goals and must consider hard-to-abate sectors, during the energy transition. Using system analysis provides insight to future plant-level and sectoral-level emission and cost challenges.
Global electricity demand is projected to nearly double by 2050, driven by the rapid electrification of buildings, transportation, and manufacturing. Compounding this pressure is the exponential growth of AI. While AI offers transformative potential across industries, it is also emerging as a significant energy consumer. Data centers, the digital engines powering AI, have more than doubled their electricity consumption since 2018 and now account for 4.4% of global demand. In the U.S., they are expected to consume up to 12% of total electricity by 2028.
This track will explore how the world can meet rising energy needs through the rapid expansion of sustainable energy production. From fusion and next-generation nuclear to renewables, grid-scale storage, decentralized systems, and forward-looking policies, we will examine the innovations and frameworks critical to building a resilient, low-carbon energy future. Addressing this challenge will require a bold vision, accelerated technological advancement, and unprecedented global collaboration.
State-of-the-art information and communication technologies have become absolutely essential for all industries as the world is becoming more and more interconnected and data-driven. This trend has been further accelerated by the COVID pandemic. Where is the digital frontier today and what lies ahead? The annual MIT Information & Communication Technologies (ICT) event explores the latest research from across the Institute and its potential impact across industries. The webinar series will feature three sessions by six MIT faculty on the following topics: wireless communications, low power/edge computing and urban infrastructure. Additionally, a fourth session will feature MIT-connected startups presenting on the same topics.
Advances in materials science and engineering are key components of the innovation process. In this four-part series we highlight areas of materials research driving breakthroughs in technology.