The Next Economy in Ukraine: Developing Alternative Energy with the Help of Nbic-Technologies

Aims: The next economy development is inseparably connected with alternative energy development in the world leading countries. However, each country elaborates its own the most prospective energy technologies. The main aim of the research is to find out, which technologies could be the foundation for Ukrainian energy independence in near future under conditions of new Nano-bio-info-cognitive (NBIC) technological revolution.

Study Design: The reviews were carried out in the period 2010–13 on the basis of studying the world countries alternative energy development trends as well as on the basis of the research results obtained by Ukrainian academic institutions.

Place and Duration of Study: Scientific research center for industrial development problems of the National academy of sciences of Ukraine, Department of Foreign Economic Relations and Touristic Business between June 2014 and December 2014.

Methodology: Content analysis has been used as the main method of research, which allowed making a meaningful analysis of classic papers and researches of modern economists-practitioners devoted to the peculiarities of the modern prospects of alternative energy in the World and Ukraine with using NBIC-technologies.

Results: It has been demonstrated that in connection with energy and environmental problems exacerbation the gradual exhaustion of fossil hydrocarbons would lead in ever increasing scale to wide attraction of renewable energy sources, to searching for new efficient and environmentally friendly energy carriers. It has been identified that Ukraine, which as of today struggles for its energy independence, carries out intensive research in creating alternative energy foundations using NBIC-technologies as a basis for the Next Technology development - highly efficient, environmentally friendly, independent from the whims of other countries that possess hydrocarbon resources. It has been proved that hydrogen could become the most prospective energy carrier capable to satisfy industrial consumers and private households’ energy needs both in the world countries and in Ukraine. It has been ascertained that only inconsiderable part of the world produced hydrogen reaches high-technology industries, which could be attributed to the insufficient development of up-to-date technologies of hydrogen production, especially the ones with using alternative and renewable energy sources, technologies for hydrogen efficient and safe storage, technologies and materials to produce cheap and smooth-running Fuel cells as the most attractive end-element of the hydrogen-energy cycle. It has been discovered, that the development of up-to-date technologies using the potential of NBIC-technologies to generate hydrogen, creation of the corresponding materials and highly efficient processes could entail considerable costs decrease both in hydrogen generation and in supplementary systems build-up, especially the costs of fuel cells, that would provide for wide commercialization of the mentioned technologies, which are a component of hydrogen power engineering. It has been shown that the majority of the developed countries as well as Ukraine continue intensive fundamental and applied research along the identified directions. Moreover, the further development and wider application of hydrogen technology coincides with the general developmental trend of industrial countries energy parks, which rests on wider utilization of solar, wind, geo-thermal energy as well as on maximum possible decentralization of power supply capabilities. It has been proved that hydrogen technology, based on NBIC-technologies, being of universal character, environmentally friendly, being fit to utilize any primary energy sources would play a leading role in creating the next economy in Ukraine and could satisfy nearly 20% of the general national energy need with no environmental risks.

Conclusion: Alternative energy with NBIC-technologies utilization could become a basis for the Next Technology development – highly efficient, environmentally friendly, and independent from the whims of other countries that possess hydrocarbon resources. The spheres of NBIC-technologies utilization in Ukrainian power engineering sector, which consists of energy generation (transformation, production), storage, transfer and conservation, include: production of synthetic hydrocarbon fuel; solar energy conversion; ethanol production; oil products reprocessing; Fuel cells; batteries and other energy accumulators; energy transfer and distribution; hydrogen production; light emitting diodes (LED) production. Ukraine together with the majority of the developed countries continue intensive fundamental and applied research in the mentioned branches as well as in the sphere of hydrogen power engineering creation, which could satisfy nearly 20% of the general national energy resources need. With the application of NBIC-technologies the hydrogen power engineering, being of universal character, environmentally friendly, being fit to utilize any primary energy sources, could play a leading role in creating Ukrainian next economy.