Review on State-of-the-art Energy Systems in the Arctic

RESUMO

The Arctic regions remain heavily dependent on fossil fuels for energy generation. At the same time, the Arctic is warming at a rate considerably faster than the global average, increasing the need for low-carbon and climate-resilient energy systems. This review documents the current energy systems and assesses state-of-the-art energy solutions applicable to Arctic and cold-climate regions, as well as the future direction of these emerging energy systems, and analyses the role of energy storage, heating requirements, and advanced energy solutions. A total of 88 research articles were systematically reviewed. The reviewed studies indicate the potential for wind and solar to reduce dependence on fossil-fuel based energy generation. For energy storage, the reviewed solutions include hydrogen for long-term storage, battery-based system for short-term storage and regulation, and thermal storage using boreholes to meet heating demand. Where a fully renewable system cannot provide the required reliability, diesel can serve as back up generation. Some barriers to widespread adoption are technological, such as the need for specialized planning tools and equipment resilient to harsh weather, and social and institutional, such as the need for governmental support, subsidies, and appropriate legal frameworks.