A energia hidrelétrica é a espinha dorsal de redes elétricas em todo o mundo, fornecendo mais de 15% da eletricidade global e atuando de forma essencial para viabilizar o uso de outras fontes renováveis, como a eólica e a solar. Ela desempenha um papel fundamental em países como o Brasil, onde a geração hidrelétrica representa aproximadamente 60% da matriz elétrica.

Hydropower is the backbone of grids all over the world, supplying more than 15% of global electricity and acting as a key enabler of other renewables like wind and solar. It plays a key role in countries such as Brazil, where hydropower represents approximately 60% of its energy matrix.

The global energy transition is moving at pace, and the sheer speed of technological change and project expansion has left the workforce playing catch-up. As countries work to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, the energy industry is expected to create 30 million jobs that need to be filled by 2030.

GE Vernova, together with Technip Energies and their construction partner Balfour Beatty, are preparing to build a giant power plant with carbon capture and storage (CCS) in Teesside, an industrial hub in northeast England. Net Zero Teesside Power (NZT Power) is expected to be the world

Every industry is aspiring to minimize their CO₂ emissions and achieve net zero. But in some industries, reducing CO₂ emissions is not as straightforward as in others, due to constraints such as mobility, footprint, or inherent process steps that make it hard to decarbonize these sectors. That’s where an innovative solution and a scalable technology called direct air capture (DAC) comes in.

As global energy demand grows and nations seek out lower-carbon, more secure power supply, next-generation nuclear can play an important role. Outside Bowmanville, on the north shore of Lake Ontario, Canada, Ontario Power Generation (OPG) and GE Vernova Hitachi Nuclear Energy (GVH), along with other collaborators, are laying the groundwork for the first of four BWRX-300s, a group of small modular reactors (SMRs) that will reliably and safely scale up the country’s grid with 1.2 gigawatts of 24/7 carbon-free power.

The world’s energy system has changed dramatically over the past 50 years, and it is set to transform even more radically in the decades to come. For policymakers, producers, consumers and other stakeholders in developed and developing economies alike, building a low-carbon global energy system will take time and will happen in multiple stages. Extensive collaboration and cooperation - every step of the way – are needed to address the gaps between today’s systems and the one we aspire to create.

Her Highness Sheikha Shamma bint Sultan bin Khalifa Al Nahyan is an entrepreneur, thought leader, and researcher who has dedicated her career to advancing sustainability, climate action, and gender equity. In this interview, she shares her insights on the energy transition, the critical role of youth in sustainability, and the importance of collective action in solving the global climate crisis.