More flexibility needed to grow renewables at pace

Flexibility is a non-negotiable necessity and without a sound flexibility strategy, the energy transition won't happen.

This was the core message of an exclusive interview with Louis Strydom, Director for Growth & Development at Wärtsilä, at Enlit Europe.

Strydom emphasised the important role of flexibility in ensuring grid stability, without which we cannot continue with renewables deployment at pace.

There are multiple technologies and role players providing a variety of solutions, said Strydom, but thermal generation is needed to make the full basket of technologies work.

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And as for the future, said Strydom: "The technologies we will be talking about in the next five to ten years will be very different to those we have today."

He believes that new technology will be coming to the fore and current technologies will need to develop significantly to be a part of the future flexibility mix.

Also, he added that "in order to make as much room for renewables as possible, assets will have longer life spans and will run much more autonomously."

Listen to the full interview for more insights into the future of power generation.