Energy is the driving force behind civilization. It is not enough just to have sufficient amounts of energy available. It also has to be reasonably priced, and the way it is used must reflect increasing environmental awareness.

The sometimes opposing objectives of -security of supply, economy, and environmental protection must be harmonized as well as possible. This is becoming increasingly important, because it is assumed that there will be a 40 percent increase in the world's energy demand over the next 25 years as the availability of fossil reserves continues to decrease.

Every fuel has individual advantages and disadvantages

Fossil fuels offer the advantage of being readily available; supplies are reliable and needs can be met at a reasonable price. Therefore, their share of the world's energy supply will remain at around 80 percent in the medium term.
While coal deposits are distributed all over the world, the major natural gas and oil fields are limited to certain regions. Coal's disadvantages include its comparatively high specific emissions. The disadvantages of natural gas and oil are the increasing -dependency of the supply on a few regions and countries, some of which are politically unstable.

Of the renewable energy sources – in addition to hydro power, which is already quite widely used – wind, biomass and solar -energy will increasingly be used to produce electricity in the future. The renewable energy sources are practically inexhaustible and cause almost no environmental pollution, in contrast to conventional fossil fuels. They can also be referred to as "domestic" energy sources. The main disadvantage of the renewable is their fluctuating availability over time. Reserve service must be supplied by traditional power plants.

Taking advantage of all potential

Coal accounts for a large share of today's fuel mix. Future power generation using this type of fuel will increase in absolute terms. However, the mix will shift considerably in favor of natural gas and new -renewable energy sources. Power needs will experience the greatest percentage -increases in the Middle East, the Asia--Pacific region, and Latin America. The Asian countries, particularly China and India, will dominate in absolute terms.

It is already evident today that a much broader portfolio of technologies, processes, and service measures will be needed for power generation and distribution in the future. Overall, only a combination of all available energy sources, technologies, and measures will be successful.