In the last forty years the world’s population has doubled, and forecasters estimate that it will double again in the next 40 years. The International Energy Agency (IEA) and the Shell scenarios expect energy use to grow by more than half over the next quarter century. A wide range of energy options will be needed to avoid over-dependence on any one region or energy source. Alternative energy such as wind and advanced solar power can provide some of the energy required. The term ‘alternative energy’ embraces energy from a wide variety of sources: from wind and waves to harnessing the power of the sun:
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 Wind energy - Annual wind kinetic energy available is about 25 times the global annual energy production. More about Shell WindEnergy, a major wind farm developer and operator, on our  Shell WindEnergy website.
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 Solar energy - The earth receives as much energy from sunlight in twenty days as the planet’s entire reserves of fossil fuels contain. Read more about how sunlight is converted into energy and how we are developing lower cost next generation solar technologies on ourShell Solar website.
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 Transport Biofuels - The term ‘biofuels’ describes transport fuels produced from crops such as sugar and oil seed or from plant residues such as straw. Biofuels can be used either 'pure' form or blended with conventional automotive fuels and used in today’s vehicles. Because the plants absorb CO2 as they grow, they can result in lower overall carbon dioxide emissions, despite the extra energy needed to harvest and process them. We are one of the largest distributors of today’s first generation biofuels and are investing in advanced biofuels that avoid competing with food production, reduce C02 much more, and have the potential to be lower cost. Read more on our biofuels website.
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 Biomass for power - The world produces enormous amounts of organic material each year. This can be agricultural and forestry material, but also industrial and household waste. These forms of biomass can be burned in energy-for-waste facilities to generate electricity. Shell is not active in biomass energy, but we provide more information on our biomass section.
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 Hydro-electricity - This is the biggest source of renewable energy, currently providing 14% of the world’s electricity. The force of moving water flowing through a turbine generates hydroelectricity. In most cases, water is stored behind a dam in a reservoir. Water pressure forces the water through an intake onto the blades of a turbine. The "run of a river" and ocean or tidal waves can also be used to generate electricity. Shell is not active in hydro-electricity, but we provide more information on our hydro-electricity section.
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 Geothermal Energy - Geothermal energy is generated in many places, where heat from the earth’s core rises to the surface, for example where volcanoes and hot springs are present. This heat can also be exploited in some parts of the world by drilling down 3-5 km to reach ‘hot rocks’ with temperature at or above 200°. At this moment, Shell is not active in developing ‘hot rocks’ technology because we are not convinced that significant cost reductions can be achieved. Read more about this energy source in our geothermal energy section.
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Links: - Shell Scenarios - Sustainibility Report - energy challenge - Shell Hydrogen - Iogen Energy - Fuelling mobility 21st century transportation fuels (PDF, 883Kb)
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