The Copenhagen Conference will conclude this Friday. Facing the climate challenge, Emmanuel Kerrand, Technology Director for GE Energy, notes that new energy will not mature in time.

Question : The Copenhagen conference concludes with a feeling of incompleteness. Final agreement or not, it was the technological response to climate challenge?

Emmanuel Kerrand : Technology is the heart of climate change. She leaves a footprint on the planet. But experts give us only 10 years to act. The climate not wait the new energies. The breakthrough innovations such as nuclear fusion, hydrogen or Marine current, are still in the labs. They will not be available until more than 15 years. It will be too late. In the short term, reducing our CO2 emissions must involve finding solutions already mature.

Question : Wind, solar, nuclear ... Candidates abound. But how do you choose?

Answer: If we were to replace all coal plants by gas turbines, could be reduced to one third of their emissions. Wind power is a mature alternative. The performance of these two technologies are improving steadily increasing their yields. Otherwise, the technological breakthroughs take time. Renewable energies are essential. We must continue to develop. But solar is not yet developed. The photovoltaic thin film gives the change in a decade. Nuclear power will play a role, but limited. Its investments are in very long cycles. As for electric cars, they reduce local emissions ... It's useless if it starts to power stations for recharging.

Question : gas turbines as short-term solution ... Their environmental impact is not yet neutral ...

Answer: Theorists call a "clean" energy does not use fossil fuels. But not for now. We increase the efficiency of our turbines by improving the gas compression, reducing leakage and increasing the flame temperature. Then, if we develop capture and storage of CO2, the gas turbines will be less polluting. This solution must first go through testing on an industrial scale. It still consumes too much energy. But from a technological standpoint, nothing prevents proceeding to the industrial pilot phase to prove the validity of this system.