Cummins Launches Accelera By Cummins To Advance The Transition To A Zero-Emissions Future
The title of this post, is the same as that of this press release from Cummins.
These paragraphs outline the creation of the new brand.
Global power and technology leader Cummins Inc. (NYSE: CMI) today announced the launch of Accelera by Cummins, a new brand for its New Power business unit. Accelera provides a diverse portfolio of zero-emissions solutions for many of the world’s most vital industries empowering customers to accelerate their transition to a sustainable future.
The launch of Accelera is a significant step forward in Cummins’ efforts to achieve its Destination Zero strategy, focused on evolving Cummins technologies to reach zero emissions across its product portfolio. Cummins’ Destination Zero strategy is rooted in the understanding that multiple solutions are required to achieve industry-wide decarbonization across the diverse applications the company powers. Over the past several years, Cummins has invested more than $1.5 billion in research and technology, capital and acquisitions to build Accelera’s leadership and technological capabilities. Accelera is now a global leader in zero-emissions technologies, providing battery electric and fuel cell electric solutions across commercial and industrial applications with hundreds of electrolyzers generating hydrogen around the world today.
The press release then gives details of the zero-carbon products, that are in Accelera’s portfolio.
The press release finishes by announcing some zero-carbon projects. These are ones, thaat are new to me.
- Accelera by Cummins will supply a 90-megawatt proton exchange membrane electrolyzer system for Varennes Carbon Recycling’s plant in Quebec, Canada.
- Accelera and Blue Bird aim to power a new fleet of 1,000 electric school buses across the United States over the next 12-18 months.
- Cummins’ breakthrough technologies have reduced the company’s product emissions by more than 90% over the past 25 years, and Accelera will continue to advance the company’s path toward a zero-emissions future.
- Increasing global electrolyzer manufacturing capacity with gigawatt-scalable plants in Fridley, Minnesota – its first in the United States – and in Spain (now under construction).
- Powering the world’s first hydrogen refueling station for ships, cars, trucks and industrial customers in Antwerp, Belgium
- Powering the world’s first megawatt-scale demonstration plant for storing wind energy in the natural gas grid in Windgas Falkenhagen, Germany
- Deploying four hydrogen-fuel-cell-powered class 8 heavy-duty trucks with several marquis fleet customers in the United States.
- Powering refuse trucks with FAUN across Europe.
Cummins has arrived and will be a big player, as we more towards a zero-carbon world.
Only two people are mentioned in the press release.
- Jennifer Rumsey, Cummins President and Chief Executive Officer.
- Amy Davis, who has led the New Power business unit since 2020, will serve as President of Accelera.
Cummins has changed itself! Is it changing the world?
UK Consortium Wins GBP 1.5 Million Funding For Offshore Charging Station
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on offshoreWIND.biz.
This is the sub-heading.
A collaboration of UK green technology pioneers has been awarded GBP 1.5 million in funding to install what they say is “the world’s first offshore charging station within a UK wind farm”
These three paragraphs outline the project.
The funding was awarded as part of the Department for Transport and Innovate UK’s GBP 60 million Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition (CMDC).
Project leaders Oasis Marine have partnered with Turbo Power Systems, Verlume, and the Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) Catapult to deliver the Offshore Charging Station solution.
This smart energy and charging infrastructure could enable fully electric maritime operations within offshore wind farms.
Note.
- The offshore charging station would enable many more wind farms to be served by electric or hybrid ships.
- Impressive reductions of carbon dioxide emissions are claimed in the article.
- The tests will be carried out in Aberdeen Bay.
Given, that it is intended that offshore oil and gas operations are being decarbonised, I can see no reason, why ships working in that industry, can use similar technologies.
Maritime UK Launches Offshore Wind Plan
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on offshoreWIND.biz.
This is the sub-heading.
Maritime UK has unveiled its Offshore Wind Plan which makes a series of recommendations for how the maritime sector, the offshore wind sector, and governments can work together to maximise growth
These are the first three paragraphs and they outline the plan.
The plan outlines how the growth of offshore wind can provide opportunities across the maritime supply chain in sectors like ports, shipbuilding, crewing, and professional services.
Opportunities identified in the Offshore Wind Plan include building vessels in the UK to support developments and further growing UK ports as centres for manufacturing and assembly for offshore developments
Key recommendations and proposals within the plan include: creating quality career pathways for young people; rewarding higher UK supply chain content in offshore wind projects; reforming the planning system to enable green projects to be delivered quicker; and encouraging lenders and investors to finance infrastructure and vessels
Note.
- Maritime UK have a web site.
- The report seems to be comprehensive.
- The report predicts hundreds of ships to build and service wind farms will be needed.
Overall, Maritime UK feel that the maritime sector has a lot to gain from co-operation with the offshore wind sector.
Improved Service Operation Vessels (SOVs)
I don’t see why the large number of Service Operation Vessels (SOVs) needed to serve all the wind farms around our shores, can’t be designed and substantially built in the UK.
In the 1970s, one of Metier Management Systems’ customers for Artemis were the shipbuilders; Austin & Pickersgill, who at the time were building a cargo ship called the SD14, which had been designed to replace the American Liberty ships.
In total 211 SD14s were built in the UK, Greece, Brazil and Argentina.
SD14 stands for Shelter Deck – 14,000 tonnes.
We surely have the technology from companies like BAe Systems, Rolls-Royce and others to design an advanced Service Operation Vessel.
SSE Thermal Outlines Its Vision For The UK’s Net Zero Transition
The title of this post is the same as that of this news item from SSE Thermal.
This is the opening statement.
SSE Thermal, part of SSE plc, is calling on government to turbocharge the delivery of low-carbon technologies to help deliver a net zero power system by 2035.
Two paragraphs then outline what the company is doing.
The low-carbon developer is bringing forward multiple low-carbon projects across the UK. This includes Keadby 3 Carbon Capture Power Station in the Humber – which is being developed in collaboration with Equinor and recently became the first power CCS project in the country to receive planning permission – and Aldbrough Hydrogen Pathfinder, which would unite hydrogen production, storage and power generation in one location by the middle of this decade.
These projects would form part of SSE’s £24bn investment programme in the UK, and in addition to supporting the decarbonisation of industrial heartlands and powering a low-carbon future, they would also help to secure a just transition for workers and communities.
The news item then talks about the future.
Now, SSE Thermal has published ‘A vision for the UK’s net zero transition’ which outlines the need for these low-carbon technologies and the potential of carbon capture and hydrogen in providing flexible back-up to renewables.
It also outlines the steps Government should take to facilitate this:
- Progress the deployment of carbon capture and storage (CCS) and hydrogen infrastructure in a minimum of four industrial areas by 2030.
- Support first-of-a-kind carbon capture and storage and hydrogen projects to investment decisions before the end of next year.
- Increase its ambition for power CCS to 7-9GW by 2030, with regular auctions for Dispatchable Power Agreements.
- Set out a policy ambition for hydrogen in the power sector and a strategy for delivering at least 8GW of hydrogen-capable power stations by 2030.
- Accelerate the delivery of business models for hydrogen transport and storage infrastructure, to kickstart the hydrogen economy.
These are my thoughts.
Carbon Capture And Use
There is no mention of Carbon Capture And Use, which in my view, should go hand in hand with Carbon Capture And Storage.
- Sensible uses for carbon dioxide include.
- Feeding it to plants like tomatoes, flowers, salad vegetables, soft fruit and herbs in greenhouses.
- Mineral Carbonation International can convert a dirty carbon dioxide stream into building products like blocks and plasterboard.
- Deep Branch, which is a spin-out from Nottingham University, can use the carbon dioxide to make animal feed.
- Companies like CarbonCure add controlled amounts of carbon dioxide to ready-mixed concrete to make better concrete and bury carbon dioxide for ever.
Surely, the more carbon dioxide that can be used, the less that needs to be moved to expensive storage.
Note.
- There is a lot of carbon dioxide produced in Lincolnshire, where there are a lot of greenhouses.
- At least three of these ideas have been developed by quality research in Universities, in the UK, Australia and Canada.
- I believe that in the future more uses for carbon dioxide will be developed.
The Government should do the following.
- Support research on carbon capture.
- Support Research on finding more uses for carbon dioxide.
Should there be a disposal premium or tax credit paid to companies, for every tonne of carbon dioxide used in their processes? It might accelerate some innovative ideas!
Can We Increase Power CCS to 7-9GW by 2030?
That figure of 7-9 GW, means that around a GW of CCS must be added to power stations every year.
Consider.
- It is probably easier to add CCS to a new-build power station, than one that is a couple of decades old.
- Better and more affordable methods of CCS would probably help.
- In Drax To Pilot More Pioneering New Carbon Capture Technology, I wrote about a promising spin-out from Nottingham University
- In Drax Secures £500,000 For Innovative Fuel Cell Carbon Capture Study, I wrote about another system at Drax, that captures carbon dioxide from the flue gases at Drax.
If we develop more ways of using the carbon dioxide, this will at least cut the cost of storage.
Can We Deliver At Least 8GW Of Hydrogen-Capable Power Stations By 2030?
Do SSE Thermal mean that these power stations will always run on hydrogen, or that they are gas-fired power stations, that can run on either natural gas of hydrogen?
In ‘A vision for the UK’s net zero transition’, this is said about the hydrogen power stations.
Using low-carbon hydrogen with zero carbon emissions at point of combustion, or blending hydrogen into existing stations.
So if these power stations were fitted with carbon capture and could run on any blend of fuel composed of hydrogen and/or natural gas, they would satisfy our needs for baseload gas-fired power generation.
Hydrogen Production And Storage
SSE’s vision document says this about Hydrogen Production.
Using excess renewables to create carbon-free hydrogen, alongside other forms of low-carbon hydrogen, which can then be stored and used to provide energy when needed.
SSE’s vision document also says this about Hydrogen Storage.
Converting existing underground salt caverns or creating new purpose-built caverns to store hydrogen and underpin the hydrogen economy.
This page on the SSE Thermal web site is entitled Aldbrough Has Storage, where this is said about storing hydrogen at Aldbrough.
In July 2021, SSE Thermal and Equinor announced plans to develop one of the world’s largest hydrogen storage facilities at the Aldbrough site. The facility could be storing low-carbon hydrogen as early as 2028.
With an initial expected capacity of at least 320GWh, Aldbrough Hydrogen Storage would be significantly larger than any hydrogen storage facility in operation in the world today. The Aldbrough site is ideally located to store the low-carbon hydrogen set to be produced and used in the Humber region.
From my own experience, I know there is a similar salt structure in Cheshire, which has also been used to store gas.
Earlier, I said, that one of the things, that SSE would like the Government to do is.
Progress the deployment of carbon capture and storage (CCS) and hydrogen infrastructure in a minimum of four industrial areas by 2030.
If Cheshire and Humberside are two sites, where are the other two?
Deciding What Fuel To Use
If you take the Humberside site, it can provide electricity to the grid in three ways.
- Direct from the offshore and onshore wind farms.
- Using natural gas in the gas-fired power stations.
- Using hydrogen in the gas-fired power stations.
SSE might even add a battery to give them a fourth source of power.
In the 1970s, I used dynamic programming with Allied Mills to get the flour mix right in their bread, with respect to quality, cost and what flour was available.
Finance For SSE Thermal Plans
The news item says this.
These projects would form part of SSE’s £24bn investment programme in the UK.
£24bn is not the sort of money you can realise solely from profits or in sock drawers or down sofas, but provided the numbers add up, these sorts of sums can be raised from City institutions.
Conclusion
I like SSE Thermal’s plans.
The Anonymous Widower 