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Hydrogen Vehicles Are on the Rise: Here’s What You Need to Know

Posted on by dishanth
Hydrogen Vehicles Are on the Rise: Here’s What You Need to Know

Hydrogen Vehicles Are on the Rise: Here’s What You Need to Know

The automotive industry is rapidly transitioning to alternative energy sources for fuel vehicles, considering the greenhouse gasses (GHGs) emitted every mile driven. Battery-electric cars are on the rise, but are better alternatives on the horizon?

Hydrogen emerged as a viable replacement for fossil fuels and could be the next big thing in the automotive industry. The rise of hydrogen fuel cells is coming sooner than you may think, so here’s what you need to know about these vehicles.

 

Rapid Market Growth

The future of hydrogen power is bright, as investors think it has massive potential for the automotive industry. Experts say the global hydrogen fuel cell vehicle market will have a compound annual growth rate of 43% until 2032, culminating in a $57.9 billion value. Automakers understand the severity of today’s climate crisis and use any means necessary to advance their sustainability goals.

 

Harnessing Hydrogen

Hydrogen is unstable, as it reacts with other atoms to form compounds. So, how can you harness this chemical element to be safe for your vehicle? Scientists typically use these methods for hydrogen fuel production:

  • Thermal: The Department of Energy (DoE) says about 95% of today’s hydrogen comes from repurposed natural gas. Scientists combine steam and hydrocarbon fuels to produce hydrogen fuel, requiring high temperatures and attention to detail.
  • Solar: Using renewable energy to produce clean fuel is smart, so experts have used solar power for hydrogen production. For instance, they can harness hydrogen fuel using bacteria and its natural photosynthetic activity.
  • Biology: Bacteria are also helpful for hydrogen fuel production through biological reactions. You can use microbes to break down biomass and wastewater, and these tiny organisms aren’t energy-intensive, as they harness sunlight for power.

 

Refueling Stations

Hydrogen fuel is already available if you live on the West Coast, as most of the existing stations are in California — primarily in Los Angeles and the Bay Area. You can also enjoy this alternative energy source in the Pacific Ocean at the Hawaii Natural Energy Institute. As hydrogen fuel grows in demand, you’ll see more opportunities to fill up with it.

The DoE says the United States has 59 retail hydrogen-fueling stations, but more projects are on the way. Fleet companies may have private areas for fueling their vehicles, especially as long-haul trucks convert to hydrogen fuel.

 

Can Semi-Trucks Use Hydrogen Fuel?

Battery-electric motors are a concern for larger vehicles like light-duty and long-haul trucks. These machines must be powerful enough to propel heavy machines for long distances, but their weight drains energy quickly. Will hydrogen fuel be a solution? The logistics industry has focused on this alternative fuel source for greener highways.

For instance, in 2025, Kenworth will begin full-scale production of Class 8 T680 hydrogen fuel cell electric trucks in collaboration with Toyota. The heavy-duty truck manufacturer will deliver its first hydrogen-powered vehicles this year and then expand production.

While the fuel source changes, the typical qualities in hydrogen-powered trucks do not. This Kenworth Class 8 T680 truck has a max payload of 82,000 pounds, demonstrating its ability to carry a significant amount of goods.

The truck uses Toyota’s 310kW Dual Motor Assembly, as the Japanese automaker has prioritized hydrogen fuel research in the last decade. It recently released the second-generation Mirai, which mixes hydrogen and oxygen to produce electricity.

States like California have imposed strict requirements for long-haul trucks and other vehicles, so hydrogen-powered trucks could be the answer for sustainability and dependable transportation. Kenworth tested hydrogen fuel cell technology at the Port of Los Angeles in 2022 and used its success to build the Class 8 T680 semi-truck. Continued success will likely mean further North American expansion.

 

Powering Outside the Highways

Hydrogen has become a viable option for passenger cars and even long-haul trucks in its early stages. However, highway vehicles are not the only method of transportation using hydrogen power. Last year, North America debuted its first hydrogen train in Quebec, Canada. This machine uses about 50 kg of hydrogen daily and eliminates dependence upon fossil fuels for these trips.

Hydro-Quebec provides energy for the train, enabling it to travel about 90 km between Quebec City and Baie-Saint-Paul. Emissions are less of a worry for the train, as you only see water vapor emerging from its pipes.

 

What Are the Benefits of Hydrogen-Powered Vehicles?

Hydrogen-powered vehicles are likely the future, as automakers heavily invest in the technologies required for these machines. Driving a hydrogen-powered car delivers these four benefits.

1. Reducing Emissions

Auto manufacturers like Toyota are pushing hydrogen fuel technology because of its eco-friendliness. The only emissions are water vapor and heat, thus making them better for the environment. Turning hydrogen fuel cells mainstream would reduce the amount of GHGs emitted daily, which is crucial to combating climate change.

The transition to hydrogen fuel cells would significantly boost the logistics industry, considering how many long-haul trucks hit the road daily. Research shows medium and heavy-duty vehicles in the U.S. emit over 400 million metric tons of GHGs. Converting trucks worldwide would help the surrounding environment and improve health for each road traveled.

2. Easy Transition

While converting existing trucks to hydrogen fuel cells takes time, the transition might be easier than you think. Logistics companies can keep their current gas transport and storage mechanisms, repurposing them for hydrogen fuel.

Additionally, truck owners wouldn’t have to jump through hoops to let their vehicles take hydrogen power. Retrofitting combustion engines for hydrogen power is more straightforward than with electric motors, especially with heavy trucks.

3. Beating Battery-Powered Vehicles

Battery-electric trucks are best for short drives due to their limited range. However, logistics companies need their vehicles to travel hundreds of miles each trip to keep deliveries on time. Hydrogen-powered trucks allow fleet owners to combine sustainability and efficient travel due to their range.

For instance, the Kenworth T680 hydrogen fuel-powered truck ranges up to 450 miles, depending on the driving conditions. Regardless, it’s more than you’d get from an electric truck. In fact, the Kenworth machine boasts one of the highest ranges for any semi-truck using alternative energy sources.

4. Rapid Refueling

Another significant advantage of hydrogen trucks over battery-electric vehicles is the quick refueling. Fully electric trucks will need to wait for a few hours before they can head back on the road, causing trips to be longer than scheduled. However, hydrogen machines only require a few minutes to fill up, greatly boosting logistics companies. The Kenworth hydrogen fuel cell vehicle lets fleet owners increase uptime and reduce lead times.

Foreshadowing a Bright Future

The automotive industry is pushing for fossil fuel alternatives to help the planet’s transportation sector. While battery-electric technology has existed for over a decade, hydrogen fuel cells are another way for automakers to produce cleaner vehicles.

The future of hydrogen vehicles is bright as researchers continue to improve the technology and bring it into the mainstream.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Source  Happy Eco News

Underground Hydrogen Touted As ‘Significant’ Clean Energy Resource In First U.S. Hearing

Posted on by dishanth
Underground Hydrogen Touted As ‘Significant’ Clean Energy Resource In First U.S. Hearing

The Senate held the first congressional hearing on geologic hydrogen, a promising new form of clean energy generated naturally underground, that’s attracted growing interest and investment over the past year.

The Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, chaired by West Virginia’s Sen. Joe Manchin, heard testimony on Wednesday from the Energy Department’s advanced research unit, the U.S. Geological Survey and Pete Johnson, CEO of Koloma, the best-funded startup in the geologic hydrogen space. They concurred that more research is needed to identify the most abundant, promising sites and to develop techniques to amplify the natural production process, but were upbeat about the outlook.

“The potential for geologic hydrogen represents a paradigm shift in the way we think about hydrogen as an energy source,” Evelyn Wang, director of DOE’s Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy told Senators. “This new source of hydrogen could lower energy costs and increase our nation’s energy security and supply chains.”

Federal scientists have begun working with universities and energy companies to find ways to map and locate potentially large pockets of hydrogen as current estimates are inadequate, said the Geological Survey’s Geoffrey Ellis. “The estimated in-place global geologic hydrogen resource ranges from 1000s to potentially billions of megatons,” he told the committee. “Given our understanding of other geologic resources, the vast majority of the in-place hydrogen is likely to be in accumulations that are either too far offshore or too small to ever be economically recovered. However, if even a small fraction of this amount could be recovered that would constitute a significant resource.”

Hydrogen is already heavily used in industry, including at oil refineries, chemical plants and as a key ingredient in ammonia for fertilizer. But nearly all of it is made by extracting hydrogen from natural gas, a dirty process that emits large amounts of carbon dioxide. Like green hydrogen — a new clean form of the element made from water and electricity, ideally from renewable power — the geologic variety is carbon-free. Scientists believe it’s generated in underground pockets of iron-rich rock in warm, moist conditions that are extremely common. Uniquely, it’s an energy source that’s just sitting there, not one that needs to be created.

“All other forms of hydrogen require more energy to produce than the hydrogen itself holds,” Koloma’s Johnson said. “This is incredibly clean energy. In multiple third-party lifecycle analyses and peer-reviewed journal articles, geologic hydrogen has been found to have a very low carbon footprint. In addition, geologic hydrogen will result in lower land use and lower water consumption than any other form of hydrogen.”

Johnson, Wang and Ellis also noted that drilling or mining for hydrogen leverages techniques used by the oil and gas industry. It’s also likely to aid domestic ammonia production.

“Hydrogen is a great feedstock and it’s used to create ammonia for fertilizer,” said Wang. “If we could really stimulate and extract this hydrogen and produce very large quantities at very low cost I think this could have significant implications to help and support farmers.”

Johnson provided no details about when Denver-based Koloma, which has raised over $300 million from investors including Bill Gates’s Breakthrough Energy Ventures, Energy Impact Partners and Amazon, would begin commercial extraction of hydrogen but is cautiously optimistic.

“This will take time, money and effort to figure out. Nobody has all the answers today,” he told the committee. “The early data looks promising and I believe that geologic hydrogen can play a very large role as we decarbonize the U.S. energy economy.”

 

 

 

 

Source    Forbes

 

Masdar: Using technology to power a sustainable future

Posted on by dishanth
Masdar: Using technology to power a sustainable future
Renewable energy company Masdar has been making strides towards its sustainability goals by utilising the latest technology

As a global leader in renewable energy and green hydrogen, Masdar has pioneered commercially viable solutions in clean energy, sustainable real estate and clean technology in the UAE and around the world for over a decade.

Headquartered in Abu Dhabi, UAE, the business is currently developing large-scale renewable energy initiatives, in a bid to drive the progression of clean technologies and further grow technology in the renewable energy sector. In doing so, Masdar is focused on creating new long-term revenue streams for the UAE.

How is Masdar utilizing technology to boost sustainable energy?

Committed to advancing clean-tech innovation, Masdar utilises technology to enhance the renewable energy sector.

Masdar hosts a range of wind farms in its offshore project portfolio, including sites in London Array and the Dudgeon Offshore Wind Farm in the United Kingdom. The business has also partnered with Hywind Scotland, the world’s first floating offshore wind farm.

Additionally, Masdar deploys solar photovoltaic (PV) technology in utility-scale and off-grid solar power plants and rooftop systems, including monocrystalline silicon panels, polycrystalline silicon panels, and thin-film panels.

Depending on the solar potential, geographical location, and financial requirements of a specific solar PV project, a suitable PV system is implemented to meet the project’s needs.

Likewise, concentrated solar power (CSP) systems – which use mirrors to focus a large area of sunlight onto much smaller areas – are used to convert concentrated light into heat, to drive a heat engine connected to an electrical power generator. CSP systems have become known as a promising solar power technology for large-scale power generation.

When CSP and thermal energy storage (TES) are used together, it is capable of producing constant power for up to 24 hours a day.

Masdar’s sustainability commitments

With the aim of investing and actively supporting the development of young people, Masdar strives to help support the sustainability leaders of tomorrow through its Youth 4 Sustainability (Y4S).

His Highness Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi invested in the initiative, ensuring it aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals to bolster the nation’s sustainability efforts.

By 2030, Y4S aims to reach up to one million youth, creating awareness of the skills needed for future jobs in sustainability.

 

 

 

 

Source Sustainability

Carbon Dioxide Livestock Feed

Posted on by dishanth
Carbon Dioxide Livestock Feed

Researchers may have discovered a protein substitute for livestock feed that is significantly less environmentally damaging than corn and soybean production. The researchers have explored the concept of synthetic nutrition, which means essential nutrients can be produced artificially, efficiently and with a small footprint. They have turned greenhouse gas emissions into an ingredient that could be used for carbon dioxide livestock feed.

The researchers captured carbon dioxide and combined it with renewable hydrogen to make methanol powered by wind and solar energy. With the material created, they applied a series of enzymes into an eight-step process which, after several combinations, created an amino acid called L-alanine. This amino acid makes protein and is an energy source for muscles and the central nervous system. It also strengthens the immune system and helps the body use sugars.

This isn’t the first time researchers have been able to transform carbon dioxide into food products. Researchers have found a way to convert carbon dioxide into starch that typically comes from corn which requires a lot of land, water and fertilizer to grow. The process they used was 8.5 times more efficient than photosynthesis, which the corn plant uses to convert CO2 and sunlight into carbs. Moreover, their process took only four hours compared to the 120 days required for corn to grow and generate starch.

These new processes of using carbon dioxide to minimize the use of corn and starch will bypass the problem of repurposing a climate-damaging waste stream. Although there are other ways to synthesize L-alanine protein, they require emission-intensive processes that require petroleum products. Using existing carbon dioxide will reduce the need for emissions and harmful products. It also decouples production from the land because less land will be needed to produce the same amount of L-alanine. It will also use significantly less energy as the energy required will be taken from renewable sources.

The demand for animal protein continues, so the need for carbon dioxide livestock feed will also rise. Researchers are developing solutions that utilize harmful and excess emissions that can be transformed into food for these animals. These new solutions will allow us to move away from excess land and water use and monocultures and help us create more biologically diverse environments.

 

 

 

 

Source Happy Eco News

Berrow-Zeice Hydrogen; Clean Retrofits for Diesel

Posted on by dishanth
Berrow-Zeice Hydrogen; Clean Retrofits for Diesel

Berrow-Zeice Hydrogen System is Emissions Free

Steve Berrow, who is located in South Wales, has expressed his elation about Innovate UK’s involvement in the project. He claims that the Berrow-Zeice hydrogen system, with its zero-emissions technology using hydrogen, is a “thing of great beauty.” Integrating the fuel system into a conventional combustion engine can provide an emissions-free solution, significantly reducing carbon emissions. The system’s practical applications are enormous, making it a game-changer in the field of hydrogen fuel technology.

Unlike a hydrogen fuel cell, which is a device that converts hydrogen into electricity that can then be used to power an electric motor, the Berrow-Zeice hydrogen fuel system is a unique hydrogen-powered fuel system that can be applied to any petrol or diesel engine. It takes in no air and delivers no exhaust resulting in zero emissions, making it a game-changing emissions-free system. The technology ensures greater efficiency for drivers than other current zero-emission offerings and has the potential to reduce carbon emissions significantly.

This innovation can potentially revolutionize the over 2 billion internal combustion engines currently in use worldwide, creating several multitrillion-dollar revenue streams by converting current rolling stock to this emissions-free system. The system’s potential to be applied to the 2 billion plus internal combustion engines already in existence presents a massive revenue stream opportunity for investors.

Innovate UK’s substantial grant further validates the patent-pending innovation, providing increased confidence for potential investors. Overall, the potential for the Berrow-Zeice fuel system to create a massive reduction in carbon emissions while providing a more efficient and cost-effective solution for drivers presents a compelling investment opportunity.

Most current zero-emission vehicles run on either lithium batteries or hydrogen cells, both of which have negative environmental consequences when manufacturing new automobiles. In addition, there is the issue of “electric stress” caused by batteries and the high cost of hydrogen cells for consumers.

The BERROW-ZEICE system offers a “100% fuel burn” to the engine, which provides greater efficiency for drivers than other current zero-emission solutions, potentially reducing carbon emissions worldwide. This technology will significantly impact public health and the environment by reducing the harmful effects of emissions like Carbon dioxide (CO2), Carbon monoxide (CO), Nitrogen oxides (NOx), Particulate matter (PM), and other unburned toxins in the breathable environment.

For more information on Berrow-ZEICE, visit their website at www.berrow-zeice.com.

Innovate UK is a UK-based innovation agency that provides financial and advisory support to clean technology startups and other innovative businesses. The agency has supported the Berrow-Zeice hydrogen fuel system with a substantial grant, which will facilitate the conversion and commercialization of a large power generator, paving the way for a wider commercial rollout across static and mobile applications.

Innovate UK’s support for Berrow-Zeice underscores its commitment to fostering the growth of the clean technology sector and driving economic growth by supporting innovative ideas and solutions. By connecting businesses with partners, customers, and investors that can help them turn their ideas into successful products and services, Innovate UK plays a crucial role in helping to realize the potential of new technologies that can address global challenges such as climate change and air pollution.

 

 

 

 

Source  Happy Eco News

Hydrogen’s potential in the net-zero transition

Posted on by dishanth
Hydrogen’s potential in the net-zero transition

Hydrogen as a climate solution is generating a lot of excitement right now. Approximately $10 billion worth of hydrogen projects are being announced each month, based on activity over the past six months. Policy packages such as the recent Inflation Reduction Act in the United States and the Green Deal Industrial Plan in Europe support hydrogen production and use. According to McKinsey research, demand is projected to grow four- to sixfold by 2050. Hydrogen has the potential to cut annual global emission2050s by up to 20 percent by 2050.

Today, most hydrogen is produced with fossil fuels. This type is commonly known as grey hydrogen, which is used mostly for oil and gas refining and ammonia production as an input to fertilizer. To maximize hydrogen’s potential as a decarbonization tool, clean hydrogen production must be scaled up. One variety of clean hydrogen is known as green hydrogen, which can be made with renewables instead of fossil fuels. Another variety, often called blue hydrogen, can be produced with fossil fuels combined with measures to significantly lower emissions, such as carbon capture, utilization, and storage. Clean hydrogen has the potential to decarbonize industries including aviation, fertilizer, long-haul trucking, maritime shipping, refining, and steel.

Total planned production for clean hydrogen by 2030 stands at 38 million metric tons annually—a figure that has more than quadrupled since 2020—but there is a long way to go to meet future demand. According to McKinsey analysis, demand for clean hydrogen could grow to between 400 million and 600 million metric tons a year by 2050.

To scale clean hydrogen, three things must happen. First, production costs need to come down so that hydrogen can compete on price with other fuels. One way to keep costs down is by producing hydrogen in locations with abundant, cheaper renewable energy—where the wind blows or the sun shines. While renewables development has accelerated in recent years, a lack of available land could become an issue for the deployment of renewables and could limit location options for green-hydrogen producers. Constructing plants for both renewable generation and green-hydrogen production has become more expensive recently because of increased material and labor costs and constrained supply chains.

“Approximately $10 billion worth of hydrogen projects are being announced each month, based on activity over the past six months.”

Second, building up infrastructure, particularly for transportation of hydrogen, will be key. The most efficient way to transport hydrogen is through pipelines, but these largely need to be built or repurposed from current gas infrastructure. Investment is critical in this and other areas across the value chain, including electrolyzer capacity (electrolyzers use electricity to produce green hydrogen) and hydrogen refueling stations for hydrogen-powered trucks.

Third, more investments will be needed to help advance this solution. Our work with the Hydrogen Council, a CEO-led group with members from more than 140 companies, has shown that achieving a pathway to net zero would require $700 billion in investments by 2030. Despite the recent momentum, McKinsey research last year showed a $460 billion investment gap. Additionally, many announced projects still need to clear key hurdles before they can scale. Producers of clean hydrogen, for example, are looking to address the commercial side of investment risk by solidifying future demand, often in the form of purchase agreements.

A set of actions can help accelerate the hydrogen opportunity, to realize its decarbonization potential and the growth opportunity for businesses. Progress will likely require collaboration among policy makers, industries, and investors. Policy makers can continue supporting the hydrogen economy through measures such as production tax credits or by setting uptake targets. These actions should help boost private investors’ confidence in the future markets for hydrogen and hydrogen-based products. Industry can increase capacities, such as by ramping up production of electrolyzers, and build partnerships through the value chain. Investors can help industry by structuring and financing new ventures, as well as by developing standards for how hydrogen projects can be assessed and how risks can be managed.

As the energy transition unfolds, hydrogen will increasingly be a consideration for both businesses and governments. While the challenges to scaling hydrogen are real, so are the opportunities.

 

 

 

 

By  Markus Wilthaner

Source  McKinsey & Company

 

BMW’s hydrogen-powered cars come off the assembly line

Posted on by dishanth
BMW’s hydrogen-powered cars come off the assembly line
A new day has dawned at BMW after it was announced that the Munich-based automobile manufacturer has launched a pilot fleet of hydrogen vehicles known as the iX5 Hydrogen model.

The car will use fuel cells developed by Toyota, this new car, a milestone in the use of hydrogen power, can reach speeds of up to 112 miles per hour.

The hydrogen itself is stored in two tanks which can be refilled in a matter of three to four minutes. Once the tanks are filled, the vehicle has displayed a range of 313 miles in the Worldwide Harmonised Light Vehicle Test Procedure.

The car is being assembled at a factory in Munich.

While it enters service in 2023, initially the rollout will be relatively small: fewer than 100 cars will be coming off the assembly line and sent abroad for trialling and demonstrations for sundry target groups.

 

A path to the future

The star of hydrogen appears to be rising in the automotive world. BMW is one of the larger manufacturers looking to innovate with the element, but others include Nissan, Hyundai and the aforementioned Toyota.

Commented BMW Chairman of the Board of Management Oliver Zipse: “Hydrogen is a versatile energy source that has a key role to play in the energy transition process and, therefore, in climate protection. After all, it is one of the most efficient ways of storing and transporting renewable energies.

“We should use this potential to also accelerate the transformation of the mobility sector. Hydrogen is the missing piece in the jigsaw when it comes to emission-free mobility. One technology on its own will not be enough to enable climate-neutral mobility worldwide.”

 

 

 

 

Source Sustainability

Encirc and Diageo turn to hydrogen to create net-zero glass bottles by 2030

Posted on by dishanth
Encirc and Diageo turn to hydrogen to create net-zero glass bottles by 2030

Encirc will build new furnaces at its Elton plant in Cheshire that will utilize green electricity and low-carbon hydrogen that will help reduce emissions from glass bottle manufacturing by 90%.

The hydrogen will be supplied by Vertex Hydrogen, a partner of the government-backed HyNet North West cluster and when combined with carbon capture technology could deliver net-zero glass bottles by 2030.

The furnaces are expected to be fully operational by 2027 and will produce up to 200 million Smirnoff, Captain Morgan, Gordon’s and Tanqueray bottles annually by 2030.

The two companies previously worked on a process that used waste-based biofuel-powered furnaces to reduce the carbon footprint of the bottle-making process by up to 90%. In total, 173,000 bottles were made using 100% recycled glass during a trial period.

Diageo committed to achieving net-zero operational emissions within a decade and to halving its indirect (Scope 3) emissions within the same timeframe, as part of a new ten-year strategy.

The 2030 strategy is aligned with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and commits Diageo to deliver a ‘Decade of Action’ on environmental sustainability, inclusion and diversity and responsible drinking.

Diageo’s chief sustainability officer Ewan Andrew said: “We are really excited to be a part of this world leading announcement which forms part of our commitment to halve our Scope 3 carbon emissions by 2030.

“All renewable energy options are important to us and we’d like to see Government and industry further accelerating the direct supply of green energy as a mainstream option. Ultimately, we look forward to a world where people can enjoy their favorite drinks from zero carbon glass bottles.”

On carbon, Diageo’s headline target is a commitment to achieve net-zero operational emissions through a mix of energy efficiency improvements and renewable energy procurement and generation.

Also included in the strategy is a commitment to halve indirect (Scope 3) emissions. Diageo will support smallholder farmers with training programmes on low-emission methods and trial regenerative farming practices – some of which purport to help land sequester more carbon than farming work emits.

 

 

Ten green bottles…

Encirc has worked with other beverage giants to help reduce emissions. Last year, it worked with Molson Coors, which owns brands such as Carling and Coors Light, to introduce low-carbon bottles across the UK.

Encirc manufacturers the bottles using up to 100% recycled or waste glass – called cullet. The process had previously used 75% recycled or waste content. Production is also powered by renewable energy and sustainable biofuels which has helped deliver a reduced carbon footprint for each bottle of up to 90%.

The bottle manufacturer has also worked with the likes of Carlsberg to reduce the carbon impact of their bottles.

The manufacturer is also part of Net Zero North West – a group of businesses backing a project to develop a “cluster plan” to prepare the North West and North East Wales to remove more than 40 million tonnes of carbon from the atmosphere every year and creating thousands of new jobs.

Encirc’s managing director Adrian Curry said: “This will be a major step in our goal of producing net zero glass by 2030. With support from the Government and key partners, Encirc and Diageo we believe it will be possible to have this first-of-its-kind furnace up and running at the beginning of 2027.”

 

 

 

 

Source edie

SpaceX’s Elon Musk is going into the carbon capture business

Posted on by dishanth
SpaceX’s Elon Musk is going into the carbon capture business

SpaceX and Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who is Time magazine’s current Person of the Year, is often accused of neglecting problems on Earth in favor of conducting his private space program. The accusation is unfair on a number of levels. After all, Musk also runs an electric car company. Now, the space entrepreneur has announced on Twitter a new initiative that may prove flying into space could also benefit the Earth.

“SpaceX is starting a program to take CO2 out of atmosphere & turn it into rocket fuel. Please join if interested,” he tweeted.

Human-caused climate change, created by the emission of greenhouse gasses such as carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, is an obsession with many both in government and in the media. Musk’s proposal has interesting implications for the issue and the accusations that he wants to abandon Earth to go live on Mars. The project will not only help alleviate climate change on Earth but will be instrumental to Musk’s desire to build a settlement on Mars.

Making rocket fuel with CO2 is the easy part of the proposal. A century-old process invented by a Nobel Prize-winning chemist named Paul Sabatier combines CO2 with hydrogen and a catalyst to create methane and water. Musk’s rocket being developed by SpaceX in Boca Chica, Texas uses engines that burn liquid methane and liquid oxygen. NASA uses the Sabatier system on the International Space Station (ISS) to create water for the crew. The methane is vented from the ISS.

The first part of Musk’s plan, sucking CO2 out of the atmosphere, is likely to be more challenging. The idea that carbon capture from the air would reduce the Earth’s greenhouse gasses and thus alleviate climate change is a controversial one. One such project, reported by Techcrunch, is being conducted by a company called Climeworks in Iceland. Thus far, the company spends between $600 and $800 to remove a ton of carbon dioxide, which is considered prohibitively expensive. Climeworks wants to reduce the cost to between $100 and $200 a metric ton (also known as tonne) to make the project more economically feasible.

Another form of carbon capture involves sequestering CO2 directly from power plants. Indeed, NET Power has a pilot plant a few hours’ drive away from Boca Chica in La Porte, Texas. It burns natural gas but saves and store the CO2 emissions. Could Musk buy the CO2 he needs from the NET plant or a similar source? Perhaps, but ever the environmentalist, the Musk might be reluctant to ship the gas to Boca Chica by diesel-fueled tanker truck. Would Tesla be interested in developing an electric-powered tanker truck?

In any case, Musk is interested in developing both the carbon capture from the air and the Sabatier technologies for his planned Mars settlement. The idea is to capture CO2 from the Martian atmosphere, hydrogen from water ice, and then convert them to rocket fuel for spacecraft headed back to Earth from the Red Planet.

Musk has funded a $100 million X-Prize to encourage development of carbon capture technologies, noting that “to win the grand prize, teams must demonstrate a working solution at a scale of at least 1000 tonnes removed per year; model their costs at a scale of 1 million tonnes per year; and show a pathway to achieving a scale of gigatonnes per year in future.”

If and when a direct air capture solution is achieved, a win-win result will have been achieved. Human civilization will have available one or more technologies that will go a long way toward solving the climate crisis. Musk will have a source of CO2 to make his own rocket fuel and continue pursuing his grand design to build a Mars settlement, not to mention taking humans back to the moon and a number of other goals.

A rocket whose engines burn liquid methane and liquid oxygen will create water and CO2 in its exhaust. But a world that has technology that can capture carbon from the atmosphere will likely be more than able to handle the situation.

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) has denounced carbon capture as a “false solution.” But the delicious irony is that while Green New Dealers concoct schemes to deal with climate change that involve destroying the fossil fuels industry, billionaire capitalists such as Musk are developing solutions that do not involve such a wrenching, economic calamity. Musk and people like him are more likely to succeed where politicians and activists are certain to fail. Musk promises to save the Earth and go to Mars.

Mark R. Whittington is the author of space exploration studies “Why is It So Hard to Go Back to the Moon?” as well as “The Moon, Mars and Beyond,” and “Why is America Going Back to the Moon?” He blogs at Curmudgeons Corner.

 

 

Source The Hill

Liquid marbles: how this tiny, emerging technology could solve carbon capture and storage problems

Posted on by dishanth
Liquid marbles: how this tiny, emerging technology could solve carbon capture and storage problems

Carbon capture and storage (CCS) has been touted, again and again, as one of the critical technologies that could help Australia reach its climate targets, and features heavily in the federal government’s plan for net-zero emissions by 2050.

CCS is generally when emissions are captured at the source, such as from a coal-fired power station, trucked to a remote location and stored underground.

But critics say investing in CCS means betting on technology that’s not yet proven to work at scale. Indeed, technology-wise, the design of effective carbon-capturing materials, both solid and liquid, has historically been a challenging task.

So could it ever be a viable solution to the fossil fuel industry’s carbon dioxide emissions?

Emerging overseas research shows “liquid marbles”—tiny droplets coated with nanoparticles—could possibly address current challenges in materials used to capture carbon. And our modelling research, published yesterday, brings us a big step closer to making this futuristic technology a reality.

 

Issues with carbon capture

Under its Technology Investment Roadmap, the Morrison government considers CCS a priority low-emissions technology, and is investing A$300 million over ten years to develop it.

But the efficacy and efficiency of CCS has long been controversial due to its high-operational costs and scaling-up issues for a wider application.

An ongoing problem, more specifically, is the effectiveness of materials used to capture the CO₂, such as absorbents. One example is called “amine scrubbing“, a method used since 1930 to separate, for instance, CO₂ from  and hydrogen.

The problems with amine scrubbing include its high costs, corrosion-related issues and high losses in materials and energy. Liquid marbles can overcome some of these challenges.

This technology can be almost invisible to the naked eye, with some marbles under 1 millimetre in diameter. The liquid it holds—most commonly water or alcohol—is on the scale of microlitres (a microlitre is one thousandth of a millilitre).

The marbles have an outer layer of nanoparticles that form a flexible and porous shell, preventing the liquid within from leaking out. Thanks to this armour, they can behave like flexible, stretchable and soft solids, with a liquid core.

 

What do marbles have to do with CCS?

Liquid marbles have many unique abilities: they can float, they roll smoothly, and they can be stacked on top of each other.

Other desirable properties include resistance to contamination, low-friction and flexible manipulation, making them appealing for applications such as gas capture, drug delivery and even as miniature bio-reactors.

In the context of CO₂ capture, their ability to selectively interact with gases, liquids and solids is most crucial. A key advantage of using liquid marbles is their size and shape, because thousands of spherical particles only millimetres in size can directly be installed in large reactors.

Gas from the reactor hits the marbles, where it clings to the nanoparticle outer shell (in a process called “adsorption”). The gas then reacts with the liquid within, separating the CO₂ and capturing it inside the marble. Later, we can take out this CO₂ and store it underground, and then recycle the liquid for future processing.

This process can be a more time and cost-efficient way of capturing CO₂ due to, for example, the liquid (and potentially solid) recycling, as well as the marbles’ high mechanical strength, reactivity, sorption rates and long-term stability.

 

So what’s stopping us?

Despite recent progress, many properties of liquid marbles remain elusive. What’s more, the only way to test liquid marbles is currently through physical experiments conducted in a laboratory.

Physical experiments have their limitations, such as the difficulty to measure the  and surface area, which are important indicators of the marble’s reactivity and stability.

In this context, our new computational modelling can improve our understanding of these properties, and can help overcome the use of costly and time-intensive experiment-only procedures.

Another challenge is developing practical, rigorous and large-scale approaches to manipulate liquid marble arrays within the reactor. Further computational modelling we’re currently working on will aim to analyse the three-dimensional changes in the shapes and dynamics of liquid marbles, with better convenience and accuracy.

This will open up new horizons for a myriad of engineering applications, including CO₂ capture.

 

Beyond carbon capture

Research on liquid marbles started off as just an inquisitive topic around 20 years ago and, since then, ongoing research has made it a sought-after platform with applications beyond .

This cutting-edge technology could not only change how we solve climate problems, but environmental and medical problems, too.

Magnetic liquid marbles, for example, have demonstrated their potential in biomedical procedures, such as , due to their ability to be opened and closed using magnets outside the body. Other applications of liquid marbles include gas sensing, acidity sensing and pollution detection.

With more modelling and experiments, the next logical step would be to scale up this  for mainstream use.

 

 

Source Phys.org