Energivarer

Energivarer are media or substances that store, transport, and deliver energy in a usable form from producers to consumers or conversion processes. They are energy carriers, vectors rather than primary sources. In modern energy systems they enable long-distance transmission, storage, and cross-sector integration of electricity, heat, transport, and industry.

Common energivarer include electricity; liquids and gases such as oil, natural gas, and hydrogen; and thermal energy carried by district heating networks. Solid fuels like coal are also energivarer. Some functions are primarily storage or transport media, such as pumped hydro or compressed-air storage, balancing supply and demand.

Markets for energivarer are organized by vector: electricity markets for electric energy, commodity markets for oil, natural gas, and coal, and emerging markets for hydrogen and biofuels. Regulation covers safety, environmental impact, pricing, and access to grids or pipelines. Infrastructure such as grids, pipelines, and storage facilities enables cross-border energy flows.

Efficiency and emissions depend on conversion steps. Each transfer between energivarer introduces losses. Decarbonization strategies favor low-carbon or zero-carbon carriers—renewable electricity, green hydrogen, and sustainable biofuels—while reducing reliance on high-emission carriers.

Key challenges include aging infrastructure, investment needs for transmission and storage, regulatory harmonization, and energy security. Policy and technology developments aim to improve flexibility, reliability, and sustainability of energivarer across sectors.