Thoughts On The Cambo Oil Field
There is an article in The Times today which is entitled Sturgeon Faces Backlash After Shell Pulls Out Of North Sea Oilfield.
I have been following the technology of Carbon Capture and Use and some very good ideas have come forward in the last couple of years.
- Carbon dioxide is becoming increasingly important in the growing of flowers, salad vegetables, soft fruits and tomatoes in greenhouses.
- At COP26, Australian company, Mineral Carbonation International won an award for their process that turns carbon dioxide into building materials like blocks and plasterboard.
- A big investment was also made recently in an Italian company, who are using the properties of liquid and gaseous carbon dioxide to store energy.
- Carbon dioxide has for years made a good fire extinguisher, which can’t be said for some chemicals currently used.
- I suspect that some clever chemists are working on using carbon dioxide to create sustainable aviation fuel.
If the number of ideas for the use of carbon dioxide continues to increase, I can see gas-fired power stations being built, that are also used to produce much-needed high-quality carbon dioxide.
It should also be noted, that many like me, live in houses that are unsuitable for the fitting of heat pumps at an economical cost.
So we must wait for better technology or for hydrogen to be piped into our houses.
In the meantime, we will have to rely on gas. Or freeze!
I don’t know whether Cambo will produce any gas, but if it doesn’t, I can’t see much point in developing it.
Perhaps, Shell would prefer to develop a gas field.
Energy Dome Secures Funding, Partner For New CO2 Energy Storage Projects
The title of this post is the same as that of this article on Renewables Now.
This is the first paragraph.
Energy Dome SpA announced on Tuesday that it has closed a funding round securing USD 11 million (EUR 9.7m) to finalise the construction of a demonstration 2.5-MW/4-MWh carbon dioxide (CO2) battery storage project in Sardinia and to speed up business growth.
Note.
- It appears that Energy Dome has weaponised carbon dioxide against climate change.
- Providing 2.5 MW for over an hour and a half is an impressive performance.
- I think this project has the style we associate with Italy and Italians.
I have found their website at energydome.com and behind their energy storage system is unusual technology.
Their web site says this about their choice of storage medium.
CO2 is the perfect fluid to store energy cost effectively in a closed thermodynamic process as it is one of the few gases that can be condensed and stored as a liquid under pressure at ambient temperature. This allows for high density energy storage without the need to go at extreme cryogenic temperatures.
That is breathtakingly simple!
The main tank for the gaseous carbon dioxide is an inflatable dome and the liquid carbon dioxide is stored in steel tanks.
A turbine -compressor moves the carbon dioxide between gaseous and liquid states storing it appropriately.
It is very impressive! And I suspect extremely affordable!
Singapore-Based Enterprize To Build $10bn Wind Farm Off Irish Coast
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on the Irish Times.
This is the first paragraph.
A Singapore-based offshore wind developer has signed an agreement to build a huge $10 billion (€8.88 billion) wind farm off the coast of Ireland to power a green hydrogen facility.
This is certainly a large investment.
- The windfarm will have a capacity of 4 GW.
- Hydrogen will be produced for the Irish market and some will be converted to ammonia for export.
- The hydrogen will be produced at the Green Marlin hydrogen facility at Bantry Bay.
- I’ve not heard of Enterprize before, but the company is also developing a 3.4 gigawatt offshore wind farm in Vietnam and is looking at Brazil.
Enterprize Energy are obviously very ambitious.
This article on Fuel Cell Works, which is entitled Zenith Energy And EI-H2 Announce Joint Venture For Green Facility At Bantry Bay, gives more details of the Green Marlin project.
Conclusion
There are some big companies investing billions of pounds, dollars and euros in hydrogen.
1.5GW Of Irish PV To Receive Grid Connection Offers Through ECP Process
The title of this post is the same as that of this article on Solar Power Portal.
Note.
- There are 85 projects in total.
- Several also involve energy storage
- Gresham House and Gore Street Energy Storage Funds are involved.
It all seems to be happening in Ireland.
KEPSA Signs Large-Scale Green Energy Projects MoU In Kenya
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on ESI Africa.
This is the first paragraph.
The Kenya Private Sector Alliance (KEPSA) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with green energy company Fortescue Future Industries (FFI) to help facilitate its members participation in new large scale green energy projects in Kenya.
FFI are planning a possible green hydrogen and green ammonia facility in the country, that will use renewable energy.
Andrew Forrest is building up the air miles again.
Whitelee Green Hydrogen Facility To Power Public Transport
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on the BBC.
Some points from the article.
- It will be the country’s largest electrolyser. Is that Scotland or the UK?
- The facility is being built by Scottish Power, ITM Power and BOC.
- Friends of the Earth think it’s wrong and the electricity should be used immediately.
In ScottishPower’s Green Hydrogen Project Looks To Build UK’s Largest Electrolyser, the title says that the Whitelee project will be the UK’s largest electrolyser.
With Southwest Airlines Deal, Velocys Presells 100% Of The Output From Its US Biobased Jet Fuel Project
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on the American Chemical Society.
This is the first paragraph.
The biofuel maker Velocys has signed jet fuel purchase agreements with Southwest Airlines and International Airlines Group. Velocys says it now has agreements for the entire output of the facility it plans to open in Mississippi in 2026. The plant, known as Bayou Fuels, will use gasification and Fischer-Tropsch chemistry to make the fuel from wood waste. It will be fitted with carbon-capture equipment from Oxy Low Carbon Ventures, making its fuel net-negative in CO2 emissions. The two airlines have also agreed to buy the resulting greenhouse gas.
Note that the technology is net-negative in carbon dioxide emissions.
This must be a short-term route to decarbonise existing aviation.
Rolls-Royce Submits SMR Design For UK Assessment
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on World Nuclear News.
This is the first paragraph.
Rolls-Royce SMR Limited has submitted its 470 MWe small modular reactor (SMR) design for entry to the UK’s Generic Design Assessment (GDA) regulatory process. The review of the SMR design – based on a small pressurised water reactor – will formally begin once the government has assessed the company’s capability and capacity to successfully enter the GDA process.
It’s good to see this project progressing.
Gravitricity Explores Czech Coal Mine For MW-Scale Storage
The title of this post, is the same as that as this article on renews.biz.
This is the first paragraph.
Scottish energy storage outfit Gravitricity is exploring the potential to transform a former Czech coal mine into an energy storage plant with a capacity of up to 8MW.
It all sounds like a good use for a disused coal mine.
According to the article, future systems with multiple weights could store up to 25 MWh.
Upcycling A Truck
Whilst walking through the City of London this morning, I came across this truck.
It’s even got its own web page on the Refuse Vehicle Solutions web site.
This is the first paragraph.
Paper Round, part of BPR Group, has received its very own fully electric-conversion vehicle from Refuse Vehicle Solution (RVS) this week. The company is committed to transforming the future of resource management and the switch to electric is a major step in achieving this goal.
And this paragraph describes the conversion.
We have converted a Mercedes Econic 2630, 6×2 RS with a MOL VDK body and bin lift into a fully electric truck. It was being used by Paper Round as part of their commercial waste and recycling collection services in London. The RCV was converted from a diesel euro 5 engine to electric at RVS’s headquarters in Berkeley using the innovative EMOSS technology. With zero emissions, this new addition will contribute towards reducing Paper Round’s carbon footprint.
The performance seems impressive with a top speed of 56 mph and a range of around 250 km.
The economics of the truck indicate, that it is cheaper to go electric by converting an existing vehicle, rather than buying a new one.
Hence the title of this post.
The Anonymous Widower 