Who’s Really Leading the Green Energy Revolution?

What’s the first thing that comes to your mind when someone mentions the green energy revolution? It may be solar power, wind energy, electric vehicles, etc. Whatever the case, the credit for all of it goes to tech companies, policymakers, and advocates for sustainability. And not to say that they don’t deserve any credit, but behind every innovation is a complex industrial supply chain. That’s what determines how efficient, affordable, and sustainable these technologies are to produce and deploy. Industrial supply chains are what makes green energy possible. 

That doesn’t sound right? Well, think about it. How are EV batteries made? Where do the materials for wind turbines come from? How do solar panels get to rooftops? The answer is a network of factories, transport systems, and suppliers of raw materials all working behind the scenes while someone else takes all the credit. 

Right now, these supply chains are riddled with problems, which means they’re slowing down the green revolution before it’s even properly taken off. Before we invent something new, it would make more sense to fix the way we produce and move the parts that power it, wouldn’t it? 

How Industrial Supply Chains Impact the Future of Green Energy

Green energy is the future, but currently, we’re having issues with supply chains. If you were to call supply chains the invisible backbone of renewable energy, you wouldn’t be wrong. It’s what sources raw materials, produces key components, and distributes the finished product. No supply chains – no clean energy. 

Material sourcing is one of the biggest issues they’re faced with because renewable energy relies on lithium, cobalt, and rare earth materials. They’re essential for EV batteries, solar panels, and wind turbines, but they’re very hard to get. Mining is an option, but that raises serious ethical and environmental concerns, plus most of the world’s supply comes from just a few countries. 

Manufacturing is also an issue. You’d think the factories that produce green energy components would be, well, green. But most of them still run on fossil fuels. It takes a tremendous amount of energy to produce steel, cement, and batteries, and right now, much of that energy still comes from coal and gas. It would be a great help if we were to shift to factories powered by renewable energy, but that change would be slow and expensive. 

And then, after everything is built, there’s transport. It’s not exactly eco-friendly to move all these turbine blades, solar panels, and battery packs. Cargo ships, freight trains, and trucks run mostly on diesel and they’re still the ones responsible for getting the parts where they need to go. 

All in all, it’s almost like taking one step forward and two steps back because even the greenest solutions leave behind a significant carbon footprint before they’re even installed. 

Who’s Fixing the Problem?

Green energy has a good deal of challenges ahead, but there are those working on solutions. Who and how?

Let’s see. 

Making Factories Cleaner

Those solar panels you’re proud to have on your roof didn’t exactly start off so green because most factories still rely completely on fossil fuels. But some companies are dedicated to changing this and they’re switching to factories powered by renewable energy. Another big step forward is in hydraulic and fluid power technology. They help factories use less energy and work more efficiently. A good hydraulic supply company can help manufacturers upgrade their equipment so they don’t waste as much energy, plus they’ll operate more efficiently. 

These changes might not seem big, but they add up and make the whole process cleaner. 

Finding Better Ways to Get Materials

As previously mentioned, traditional mining for cobalt, lithium, etc., isn’t really an option, so some countries are focusing on recycling old batteries and energy components to reuse the materials. Then there are those researching better mining methods that don’t damage the environment too much. 

These changes would keep a steady supply of key raw materials and make green energy cleaner right from the start. 

Cutting Down Emissions from Transport

Once the products are made, they need to be shipped to their destination, which significantly adds to pollution. Some companies are trying to solve this by investing in electric freight trucks and cargo ships powered by hydrogen. Both options produce far less emissions. 

They’re also using AI and smart tracking systems to find better delivery routes and use even less fuel. 

Conclusion

We still have a long way to go, but the more people are aware of the problem with producing green products and energy in general, the more likely it is that things will change for the better. 

Companies and industries are already working on solutions because they know that green energy isn’t really green until the entire supply chain is just as sustainable as the technology itself.