International Collaboration in Energy Technology

Enhanced energy technology is the key to ensuring environmental sustainability together with economic growth and energy security. In the drive to develop cleaner, more efficient energy technologies, what role does international collaboration play? This publication provides an array of success stories illustrating how the International Energy Agency’s collaborative framework for energy technology development has speeded advances towards more comprehensive solutions. In coal combustion sciences, for example, one project generated equipment sales worth over $400 million in one participating country alone. More than 30 countries world-wide participate in the programme, which mobilises close to $150 million annually. Costs and resources are shared among participating governments, utilities, industries and universities, thus ensuring maximum yield from research budgets and avoiding unproductive duplication of effort. The technology collaboration programme operates through agreements among governments. The 40 currently active agreements focus on the dissemination of energy technology information, cleaner use of fossil fuels, development of renewable energy sources and systems, more efficient energy use and nuclear fusion technologies.