Impact of COVID-19 on the Renewable Energy Sector and Mitigation Strategies

Valentina Olabi; Tabbi Wilberforce; Khaled Elsaid; Enas Taha Sayed; Mohammad Ali Abdelkareem

doi:10.1002/ceat.202100504

Impact of COVID-19 on the Renewable Energy Sector and Mitigation Strategies

Chem Eng Technol. 2022 Apr;45(4):558-571. doi: 10.1002/ceat.202100504. Epub 2022 Mar 7.

Authors

Valentina Olabi¹, Tabbi Wilberforce², Khaled Elsaid³, Enas Taha Sayed^{4

5}, Mohammad Ali Abdelkareem^{4

5

6}

Affiliations

¹ University of Glasgow College of Social Sciences Glasgow UK.
² Aston University Mechanical Engineering and Design School of Engineering and Applied Science Aston Triangle B4 7ET Birmingham UK.
³ Texas A&M University at Qatar Chemical Engineering Program P.O. 23874 Doha Qatar.
⁴ University of Sharjah Centre for Advanced Materials Research P.O. Box 27272 Sharjah United Arab Emirates.
⁵ Minia University Chemical Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering Egypt.
⁶ University of Sharjah Department of Sustainable and Renewable Energy Engineering P.O. Box 27272 Sharjah United Arab Emirates.

Abstract

This review explores the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the renewable energy (RE) sector, especially in countries with the highest RE capacities, e.g., the USA, China, India, and the EU. It highlights stimulus packages put in place by governments worldwide and their sustainability to cushion the RE sector. Commissioning of RE projects has stalled due to lack of funding allocation and interruptions in the supply of equipment and components due to lockdown measures. Despite the need to fund COVID-19 vaccination programs and other related health services, the world must not neglect other sectors of the economy, creating more problems, such as worsening the climate change situation in the long run. This review aims to present the information needed to sustain future energy during the COVID-19 global pandemic.

Keywords: COVID‐19; Energy resources; Mitigation strategies; Renewable energy.

Publication types

Review