The Sustainable Aviation Challenge has identified 16 innovative firms that can accelerate the development and adoption of sustainable aviation fuel and other propulsion solutions. Aviation accounts for 2% of global emissions and, so long as lightweight compact clean aviation fuels are unavailable, this number is likely to increase along with air travel projections. Gianluca Gygax at the World Economic Forum lists the 16 firms, who will now be … [Read more...]
Chemicals Industry needs Sustainable Feedstocks to complete their net-zero journey
The chemicals industry is crucial to decarbonisation because itâs a major supplier of products to other industries. Many are very high profile - such as automotive, construction, food, and personal-care â so scrutiny will be high. Itâs why two-thirds of Europeâs largest chemical end users in Europe are committed to reducing greenhouse-gas emissions by 2030, and over a third have pledged net-zero targets by 2050. But although chemicals industry … [Read more...]
Fuel Cells and Electrolysis: nanoparticle catalyst electrodes can advance clean power and Hydrogen production
Fuel and electrolysis cells both involve electrochemical reactions (one is the reverse of the other), and their efficiency depends on the catalysts used on the electrodes. Conventional metal catalysts coarsen at high temperatures, reducing activity and durability. Elizabeth Thomson at MIT describes new research there that uses ion irradiation to precipitating metal nanoparticles onto the surface of the electrode. The process allows close control … [Read more...]
China is still playing the long game with its ânew threeâ: solar cells, lithium batteries, EVs
Chinaâs ânew threeâ â or xin san yang â are solar cells, lithium-ion batteries, and EVs. The term harks back to the concept of its âold threeâ that were once the pillars of its exports: clothing, home appliances and furniture. Chinaâs success is seen in the numbers: it accounts globally for 80%+ of solar cell exports, 50%+ of lithium-ion batteries and 20%+ of EVs. You Xiaoying, writing for China Dialogue, interviews experts and quotes reports … [Read more...]
Making solid fuel from captured CO2 (with a 96% conversion rate)
What if CO2 could be captured and, rather than locked away underground for eternity, turned into a stable powder that can be used in fuel cells to produce electricity? David Chandler at MIT describes research there and at Harvard that has demonstrated a new process that has a 96% conversion rate. Itâs been tried before, but the conversion rates were an unusable 20%. The CO2 is converted into formate and used like hydrogen or methanol (both strong … [Read more...]
Improved âSolar Thermochemicalâ process captures 40% of the sunâs heat to produce Green Hydrogen
The U.S. Department of Energy has set a goal to make green hydrogen domestically at $1 per kilogram by 2030. Current costs range from $3 to $8 and none of it is being done at scale. Getting the cost of green hydrogen down is a serious concern for policymakers and industry alike. Most efforts are through electrolysis, which used electricity to split the water that delivers the hydrogen production. Jennifer Chu at MIT describes research there on … [Read more...]
Why we need a European Central Carbon Bank within the EU ETS framework
The EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) is at a critical juncture as it navigates a path towards achieving a net-zero Europe by 2050. Amidst this transformation, the proposal to create the European Central Carbon Bank (ECCB) has sparked a range of criticisms. Some critics have raised valid concerns about the feasibility, necessity, governance, and potential drawbacks of such an institution. Robert Jeszke and Sebastian Lizak at the Centre for … [Read more...]
Using Generative AI to speed up and improve the Wind Turbine blade design process
Justin Daugherty at NREL describes research there on using generative AI to accelerate and improve the wind turbine blade design process. To keep up with the pace of change in the market (not just customer demands, but policy regulations and technological innovations), the current method uses simplified low-fidelity modelling because itâs quicker to turn around. But it is also less accurate. Researchers are exploring deep-learning models using … [Read more...]
Simple superconducting diode can dramatically cut energy use in transistors, data centres
Some estimates say data centres could be consuming up to 20% of all power globally in ten years. Thatâs largely because the billions of transistors have to be cooled. Elizabeth Thomson at MIT describes breakthrough research that has made a superconducting diode thatâs twice as efficient as the standard, therefore generating and wasting far less heat. Whatâs surprising is that some straightforward physics of materials was utilised, in contrast to … [Read more...]
What can todayâs Energy Revolution learn from the previous Industrial and Information Revolutions?
What can the Industrial Revolution and the more recent Information Revolution teach us about the Energy Revolution we are going through now, ask Yuki Numata, Laurens Speelman and Marissa Gantman at RMI. Importantly, the same questions that were ignored or dismissed in those past transitions will help us shape our energy transition to make it better, faster, less wasteful and polluting, as well as more equitable. The authors reveal a 4-part … [Read more...]
IRENAâs Innovation Week 2023: Renewable solutions to decarbonise end-use sectors
At the end of September IRENA held a four-day event âInnovation Week 2023: Renewable solutions to decarbonise end-use sectorsâ in Bonn, Germany. A wide range of speakers discussed tangible solutions to decarbonise energy intensive sectors such as transportation, buildings and industry, informed by first-hand project experiences and supported by insights from IRENAâs in-depth analyses. Topics included direct and indirect electrification, green … [Read more...]
The final hurdle for 100% Sustainable Aviation Fuel? Turning Lignin biomass into the âaromaticâ component
Making 100% sustainable aviation fuel seems a long way away. Aircraft need energy-dense power, as delivered by fossil fuels, and sustainable alternatives are being developed. But a big challenge is that 10% - 25% of the fuel must be âaromaticâ which neither thickens nor freezes at cold altitudes. Also, aromatics get absorbed by the plastic seals, make them swell, and ensure those seals between various components in the aircraftâs fuel system are … [Read more...]
Spain: as Renewables rise, managing supply and demand is the next challenge
In May this year Spain reached a landmark day when it was powered 100% by renewables - solar, wind and hydroelectric power - from ten o'clock in the morning until seven o'clock in the evening. In four years the share of renewable energy generation rose from 37% to 50%, while non-renewables dropped from 62% to 49%. Its draft Law on Climate Change and Energy Transition targets 35% of renewable energy in final consumption by 2030 and 100% in the … [Read more...]
Sodium-ion batteries ready for commercialisation: for grids, homes, even compact EVs
Sodium-ion (Na-ion) batteries, a much more abundant and cheaper alternative to the standard Lithium-ion, are on the verge of commercialisation, explain Carlos Ruiz, Martina Lyons, Isaac Elizondo Garcia and Zhaoyu Wu at IRENA. Though thereâs enough Lithium in the world to support global electrification targets, tightening demand and supply chain constraints point at the urgent need for an alternative. The cost of a Na-ion battery cell is expected … [Read more...]
Iron and Steel: how can Hydrogen and Direct Electrification replace fossil-based production?
Karan Kochhar, Luis Janeiro and Francisco Boshell at IRENA look at the decarbonisation of iron and steel. They account for about 7% of global energyârelated carbon emissions. The authors explain whatâs needed for green hydrogen and direct green electrification to take over from traditional fossil-based production. Many projects are in the pipeline, and the authors reference case studies like H2 Green Steel, SIDERWIN and Boston Metal. Though that … [Read more...]
- « Previous Page
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- …
- 9
- Next Page »
![](https://energypost.eu/wp-content/themes/dynamik-gen/images/content-filler.png)