KOCHI: A session on the ‘Future of Energy’ was organised in the city on Monday. P Raghavendran, president Refinery Business, Reliance Industries, delivered the keynote address. The speaker dispelled a few widespread myths such as the fear of running out of fossil fuels as well as its immediate replacement of renewable energy sources like solar and wind power . He addressed the realistic threats of global warming, huge degrees of concentrated carbon deposits and the prospect of leaving an increasingly inhospitable ecosystem for our future generations.
“Hydel energy is the most efficient energy sources which is clean and affordable currently available,” said Raghavendran. He spoke at length on the prospects as well as perils of nuclear energy, bio fuels, solar and wind energy and the increasing consumption due to industrial, domestic and transport needs. He opined that without the invention of more advanced light-weight and cost effective batteries, electric power as an alternative to fossil energy is still a distant dream. “Though electric energy production is becoming less expensive, unless the storage technology is not getting a revolutionary make-over, it will not be viable to replace petroleum products being used in transportation. Hence natural gas is the next cleaner and more practical energy source which is currently available,” he said.