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$17.1 million for Emissions-free Hydrogen Storage technology (Int'l, Funding) McPhy Energy has raised $17.1 million to commercialize solid-state hydrogen storage technology in a round led Sofinnova Partners. Since storage has long been the sticking point for hydrogen-based energy, McPhy's plan to store the ultra-light gas in a solid state holds great promise. What's more, the company intends to couple its storage technology with a renewable energy source to power an electrolyzer, which, in turn, produces hydrogen either to spin a turbine or for fuel cells -- with the entire process emissions-free. (Source: GreenTech Media, July 10, 2010)
Contact: David Hytha, Executive-in-Residence, Sofinnova Ventures, dhytha@sofinnova.com, www.sofinnova.com; Pascal Mauberger, CEO, McPhy Energy, +33 (4) 7571 1505, www.mcphy.com
More Energy Overviews Hydrogen Storage news, Arizona CCS project earns $14.76 million grant for Membrane Technology and Research (New Prod. & Tech, Funding) Menlo Park, CA-based Membrane Technology and Research (MTR) Inc has garnered $14.76 million in government funding to advance the company's CCS process. MTR has been testing ways to capture the carbon dioxide emissions from the Arizona Public Service's Cholla Power Plant using membranes, and this funding will offset the 30% premium associated with deploying CCS technology. (Source: Arizona Republic, July 11, 2010)
Contact: Doug Gottschlich, 650-543-3351, Membrane Technology and Research, doug@mtrinc.com, www.mtrinc.com; Arizona Public Service, www.aps.com
More Energy Overviews CCS news, $5.9 million funding for Carbon Dioxide conversion study (Funding, R&D) Research to help find ways of converting CO2 captured from emissions of power plants and industrial facilities into useful products will be conducted by six projects announced today by the US Department of Energy (DOE). The projects have a total value of approximately $5.9 million over two to three years, with $4.4 million of DOE funding and $1.5 million in cost sharing.
Converting captured CO2 into products such as chemicals, fuels, building materials, and other commodities is an important aspect of carbon capture and storage technology, viewed by many experts as part of a solution for reducing CO2 emissions and helping mitigate climate change.
It is anticipated that large volumes of CO2 will be available as fossil fuel-based power plants and other CO2-emitting industries are equipped with CO2 emissions control technologies to comply with regulatory requirements. While DOE efforts are underway to demonstrate the permanent storage of captured CO2 through geologic sequestration, there is also a potential opportunity to use CO2 as an inexpensive raw material and convert it to beneficial use. The selected projects will develop or improve scalable processes with the potential to use significant amounts of CO2.
The selected projects are described below:
Research Triangle Institute (Durham, NC) -- RTI will assess the feasibility of producing valuable chemicals, such as carbon monoxide, by reducing CO2 using abundant low-value carbon sources, such as petcoke, sub-bituminous coal, lignite, and biomass, as the reductant. The team will then evaluate whether additional processes can be added that use the carbon monoxide to produce other marketable chemicals, such as aldehydes, ketones, carboxylic acids, anhydrides, esters, amides, imides, carbonates, and ureas. (DOE share: $800,000; recipient share: $200,000; duration: 24 months).
Contact: Keith Weitz, Research Triangle Institute, (919) 541-6973, kaw@rti.org, www.rti.org.
CCS Materials, Inc. (Piscataway, NJ) -- Investigators will attempt to create an energy efficient, CO2-consuming inorganic binding phase to serve as a high-performing substitute for Portland cement (PC) in concrete. The project team will use a novel near-net-shape forming process that uses a binding phase based on carbonation chemistry instead of the hydration chemistry used in PC concrete. (DOE share: $794,000; recipient share: $545,100; duration: 36 months).
Contact: Norman Allen, CSS Materials, (203) 254-9926.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Cambridge, MA) -- In this project, researchers will investigate a novel electrochemical technology that uses CO2 from dilute gas streams generated by industrial carbon emitters, including power plants, as a raw material to produce useful commodity chemicals. This integrated capture and conversion process will be used to produce a number of different chemicals that could replace petroleum-derived products. (DOE share: $1,000,000; recipient share: $250,067; duration: 24 months).
Contact: Massachusetts Institute of Technology, www.mit.edu
Brown University (Providence, RI) -- Researchers will demonstrate the viability of a bench-scale reaction using CO2 and ethylene as reactants to produce valuable acrylate compounds with low-valent molybdenum catalysts. Exploratory experiments will be conducted to identify factors that control the current catalyst-limiting step in acrylic acid formation. (DOE share: $417,155; recipient share: $107,460; duration: 24 months).
Contact: Brown University, www.brown.edu
McGill University (Quebec, Canada) -- In collaboration with 3H Company (Lexington, KY), researchers aim to develop a curing process for the precast concrete industry that uses CO2 as a reactant. To make the process economically feasible, a self-concentrating absorption technology will be studied to produce low-cost CO2 for concrete curing and to capture residual carbon after the process. (DOE share: $399,960; recipient share: $100,000; # duration: 24 months)contact : McGill University, www.mcgill.ca
PhosphorTech Corporation - Investigators will develop and demonstrate an electrochemical process using a light-harvesting CO2 catalyst to reform CO2 into products such as methane gas. Researchers hope to achieve a commercially feasible CO2 reforming process that will produce useful commodities using the entire solar spectrum. (DOE share: $998,661; recipient share: $249,847; duration: 36 months)
Contact: PhosphorTech Corporation, www.phosphortech.com
More Energy Overviews Carbon Capture and Storage Technology news, EPA expands Greenhouse Gas reporting rules (Leg. & Reg.) The US EPA will add underground coal mines and industrial wastewater plants to the list of facilities that must track their greenhouse gas emissions and report them. Magnesium production plants, industrial waste landfills and other sites will be required to submit annual reports on emissions, though no regulations to control the emissions have yet been implemented. The agency recently added the oil and gas industries to the list of reporters, as well (see our archives for details). (Source: The Hill, July 9, 2010)
Contact: Lisa Jackson, Administrator, US Environmental Protection Agency, (202) 564-4700, jackson.lisa@epa.gov, epa.gov
More Energy Overviews Greenhouse Gas Report news, PG&E joins fight against Proposition 23 (Leg. & Reg., Ind. Report) Further to our May 5 and June 25, 2010 stories, Pacific Gas & Electric has joined the fight against Proposition 23, which would suspend 2006's AB32. Since AB32's passage, the utility has worked to implement changes to meet its emissions goals, at the lowest possible cost to customers and the California economy. PG&E says that Proposition 23 would suspend AB32 indefinitely, despite the critical need to combat climate change at the state, national and global level. "Studies show that unchecked climate change could cost California's economy alone tens of billions of dollars a year in losses to agriculture, tourism and other sectors," says PG&E Chairman Peter Darbee. "Thoughtful and balanced implementation of AB 32 is one of the most important opportunities we have to avoid this costly outcome while spurring new clean-tech investment, innovation and job creation in California." (Source: PR Newswire, July 11, 2010)
Contact: Toby Tyler, Director of Business Development, Pacific Gas and Electric, (415) 743-4001, http://www.pgecorp.com
More Energy Overviews PG&E news, Innovative approach gains MaineHousing third-party Carbon Credit verification (Ind. Report) MaineHousing has been busy quantifying the carbon emissions saved by winterizing the state's 477,000 single-family homes, and determined that it can cut CO2 pollution by two tons annually per household. MaineHousing's methodology has been verified by third-party reviewers, so the group is one step closer to earning carbon credits that can be sold to fund the state's weatherization program. It's a way of combating climate change one house at a time, and housing authorities from California to South Carolina have expressed interest in following Maine's lead, as it's an industry first. MaineHousing hopes to weatherize every home in Maine, and half the state's businesses, by 2030. (Source: Bangor Daily News, July 9. 2010)
Contact: Dale McCormick, Director, MaineHousing, (207) 626-4600, dmccormick@mainehousing.org, www.mainehousing.org.
More Energy Overviews Carbon Credit news, BioEnergy & BioFuels... read full issue Here
Today's headlines:
- CleanTech Biofuels patents Municipal Waste-to-Ethanol technology (New Prod. & Tech. - G&C)
- Biodiesel mandate delayed in Massachusetts (Leg. & Reg.)
- $800,000 CDN funding for QFI Biodiesel production (G&C)
- Brazilian Ethanol pipeline clears hurdle (Int'l - Ind. Report)
- $3 million for Biomass projects in Oregon (G&C)
- 2010 Florida Farm to Fuel Summit - August 11-13, 2010, Orlando, Florida (Conf. & Events)
Clean Transportation... read full issue Here
Today's headlines:
- Phostech Lithium led consortium scaling up Battery Cathode material development (G&C - New Prod. & Tech.)
- Tesla to deliver Electric prototypes to Toyota (G&C)
- Smith Electric Vehicles U.S. extends bid to purchase UK Partner (M&A - Int'l)
- Electrovaya wins $5 million funding for Hybrid Battery development (G&C)
- Daimler sells 130 CNG buses in California (G&C)
- Solid-state Hydrogen Storage technology commercialization funds raised by McPhy Energy (Int'l, Funding)
Energy Efficiency & Demand Reduction... read full issue Here
Today's headlines:
- $12.5 million in funding for eMeter (Funding)
- ADF lends Pakistan €20 million for CFL program (Int'l, Funding)
- Landmark LED installation set for Allegheny County Airport (G&C, New Prod. & Tech)
- $241,000 EECBG contract handed to EnergySource (G&C, Leg. & Reg.)
- Tougher Energy Star requirements in 2011 (Leg. & Reg.)
- Wenatchee to upgrade City Hall with $133,500 Energy Efficiency grant (Funding)
Renewable & Sustainable Energy... read full issue Here
Today's headlines:
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Atlantic Power purchases stake in Idaho Wind Partners project (M&A)
- Abound Solar wins $400 million DOE loan guarantee (G&C)
- Major Drilling Group acquires North Star (Geothermal) drilling company (M&A)
- Hisco and Hosiden ink Solar marketing deal (G&C)
- Vestas to build Wind R&D center in Colorado (Ind. Report)
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CanGEA's Third Annual Geothermal Energy Conference and Trade Show - August 8-10th, 2010 (Conf. & Events)
4th Annual Carbon Capture & Sequestration: The Business Summit
Meet All the Players You Will Need
to get a Commercial Scale Demonstration
Project off the Ground:
CSS Developers, EPCs, Pipeline Companies, EOR & Other Sequestration Providers, and Financiers
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