The Energy Blog

Large New Gasification Plant

Peabody Energy, the world's largest private-sector coal company, has entered into a memorandum of understanding with ArcLight Capital Partners, LLC to advance project development of a commercial-scale coal gasification project in Illinois that would transform coal into pipeline- quality synthetic natural gas. The initial project would be designed with ConocoPhillips "E-Gas(TM)" Technology, featuring an oxygen-blown gasification system. ConocoPhillips and Fluor have begun preliminary engineering design work for the project.

The plant would be one of the largest coal-to-natural-gas plants in the United States and would be sited in Illinois. Peabody would develop a coal mine to fuel the plant using its Illinois Basin reserves, and ArcLight, through an affiliate, would contribute its Illinois-related coal-to-natural- gas development assets.

The project would require at least 3 million tons of coal per year to fuel two gasifier trains that could produce more than 35 billion cubic feet of synthetic natural gas.  More....

Resources:

Peabody Energy and ArcLight Capital Explore Sites for Major Coal-To-Natural-Gas Project, Press release November 2, 2005
Peabody Energy, St Louis, MO
ArcLight Capital Partners, Boston, MA

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AWEA Updates Status of Wind Power

The following are highlights from the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) Third Quarter Market Report:

• The U.S. wind energy industry will install about 2,500 megawatts (MW) of new wind power this year, a record amount.
• The cumulative total of U.S. installed wind capacity to over 9,200 MW an increase of 35% over the 2004 total.
• The state with largest increment of capacity is projected to be Texas the with 712 MW.
• California has the highest total of installed capacity with 2096 MW.
• AWEA projects that over 14,000 MW of wind capacity could be part of the nation's generation supply by the end of 2007.
• The wind power that is being added in 2005 alone will offset the emission of approximately 7 billion pounds of carbon dioxide, equivalent to keeping nearly 500,000 SUVs off the road.
• “Wind power’s rapid growth provides what is potentially the quickest and best supply-side option to ease the natural gas shortage,” said AWEA Executive Director Randall Swisher. “We are hopeful that the momentum started in this record-breaking year will continue because of the Congress’s foresight in extending the wind energy production tax credit through December 31, 2007.”
• AWEA estimates that an installed capacity of 9,200 MW of wind power will save over half a billion cubic feet of natural gas per day (Bcf/day) in 2006.
• The U.S. currently burns about 13 Bcf/day for electricity generation, which means that by the end of the year wind power will be reducing natural gas use for power generation by 4-5%.

Resource:  U.S. Wind Industry to Bresk Installation Records, Expand by More Than 35% in 2005, AWEA Third quarter report, November 3, 2005

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Far Offshore Windmills

Windmills, located out to sea over the horizon, where the wind speed is higher and more consistent is the subject of two proposed developments.

Norsk Hydro, Norways second larges oil producer, after three years of research is planning on building a prototype along side one of its oil platforms. The floating windmill would be an upright steel and concrete tube about 660 feet, (200 meters) high with 260 feet (80 meters) protruding above the water and rotor blades 200 feet (60 meters) long.  The 5 megawatt windmills would be anchored to the seabed at three points to keep them stable.  Hydro hopes to deploy a 3 MW prototype in 2007, at a cost of about cost about $23 million (150 million Norwegian crowns).

Thomas Lee has invented a floating wind-hydrogen platform with battery storage.  Several wind turbines are mounted on a floating platform, much like an oil rig.  By storing the energy in batteries it is available continuously or in response to peaks.  His proprietary hydrogen production system does not employ electrolysis, but involves batteries. Not all platforms would necessarily produce hydrogen.The navigable unmanned platform would be controlled remotely and by pulling up it anchors could be navigated out of the way of approaching storms. Lee's company, Stanbury Resources Inc.,has approached U.S. companies for licensing agreements, but has not found much interest.  A large Asian conglomerate and an European group both would like exclusive agreements.

The U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory did a feasibility study on  floating turbine farms and found that they could be built using existing technology and provide electricity at approximately $0.05/kWh.

"Sea-based windmills could blunt eyesore criticisms", Reuters, November 2, 2005
"Floating offshore wind energy and hydrogen fuel generating company tipping to Europe and Asia", Open Source Energy Network, November 31, 2005

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Research Aimed at Doubling Solar Cell Effieiency

A consortium of universities and industry led by the University of Delaware could receive $53 million from DARPA for a 50 month program to more than double the efficiency of solar cells.  The consortium's goal is to create solar cells that operate at about 54 percent efficiency in the laboratory and 50 percent in production.  The award is the largest in the history of solar energy research, according to Rhone Resch, president of the Washington, D.C.-based Solar Energy Industries Association.

RUMOR: Toyota May Build PHEV

Just received notice from Felix Kramer of CalCars via hybridcars.com that an industry newsletter reported a RUMOR that Toyota may build hybrid PHEV's.  In part here is what Kramer revealed:

"Inside Fuels and Vehicles" by Editor-In-Chief Peter Rohde
Toyota Mulls Dramatic Reversal, May Be Developing Plug-In Hybrids

After years of emphasizing its hybrid vehicles do not have to be plugged in, Toyota appears to be on the verge of a dramatic reversal and may be developing plug-in hybrids, auto industry sources tell Inside Fuels and Vehicles. But they also say the auto giant is still leery of the limitations battery technology places on the endeavor. 

A recent Toyota presentation at the Tokyo auto show on hybrid vehicles extolling the environmental and practical virtues of plug-in hybrids seems to provide the intellectual underpinnings of the decision. The presentation, obtained by Inside Fuels and Vehicles, concludes that based on five criteria: 1. well-to-wheels carbon dioxide emissions; 2. missions of criteria pollutants; 3. refueling infrastructure; 4. driving range; and 5. fuel diversity. Under these criteria, plug-in hybrids would perform as well as or better than other motor vehicle technology -- including regular battery-electric hybrids, all-electric vehicles and even fuel cell vehicles (if the hydrogen is obtained from natural gas). ...

A123Systems Li-Ion Battery Delivers longer life, More Power & Faster Recharging

A123Systems has developed a new generation of Lithium-ion batteries, that will deliver up to 10X longer life, 5X power gains and dramatically faster charge time compared to conventional Lithium technology, as validated by independent testing at Motorola and government research labs. They are delivering batteries to Black and Decker with unprecedented power, safety, and life as compared to previously used batteries.  Their batteries use proprietary nanoscale electrode technology built on research at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and exclusively licensed from MIT.  The initial family of batteries is targeted at applications such as power tools, advanced medical devices, hybrid electric vehicles, mobility products such as electric scooters, robotics, and consumer electronics.

The company is working with the U.S. Department of Energy as part of a major undertaking to develop battery materials for future use in hybrid electric vehicles.  Preliminary performance results show a technology with great promise for the future of electric and hybrid electric vehicles.  DOE is evaluating whether it can replace the NiMH batteries in hybrid vehicles with lithium-ion batteries weighing one-fifth as much. Their batteries will enable a significant cost and weight savings vs. NiMH or conventional Li-Ion technology for hybrid and plug-in vehicles.  These advantages include: 

• Twice the energy density of other Li-Ion HEV cells, While having the highest power to weight ratio of any commercially available battery (100C pulse capability). 
• The lowest impedance of any cell/packs in its class
• Low impedance growth even at very high charge/discharge rates
• Proven to withstand thousands of discharge cycles with outstanding calendar life
• A design that withstands extreme shocks and vibration
• Operable over a wide temperature range (-30 to 60 degrees C)
• Intrinsically safe chemistry which is especially important for vehicular applications

Controller Boosts Small-Scale Wind Generator Output

Professor Andy Knight of the University of Alberta and his colleagues have developed a simple, reliable controller for small-scale wind turbines that is cheaper than competing technologies. A study of wind conditions at the Edmonton Airport indicated that the controller could increases the output by 50% over a three month period. This is accomplished by capturing energy when the wind is blowing at speeds below that necessary to generate enough voltage to be used with the conventional controllers used with small wind turbines. The low cost open loop control system can convert the low voltage energy into power even when winds fall below cut off speeds of normal systems.  The controller can be built with a few, simple electronic components that are cheap and easy to find, use and repair. 

Generally, current small-scale wind energy generators require wind speeds of at least 18 km/h (11 mph) to generate any power, but Knight's device could be used in low wind environments, such as the Edmonton, Alberta area, where the average wind is 10 km/h (6 mph). On an average wind speed day a typical small generators can now produce about 5 kWhr per day but with this controller could produce an average of 7.5 kWhr.  Controllers for large-scale wind turbines have this capability, but here-to-for this technology has not been economically available for small wind turbines.

Although Knight and his colleagues have not yet built anything that is ready to sell, they have designed and tested a generator that they are further improving before they apply for a patent and possibly bring it to market.

Resources:

"Researchers make advances in wind energy generation", Express News, University of Alberta, July 13, 2005
Fueling the Future, Kristin Roth, Popular Mechanics.com, October 2005

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Rate of Increase of Chinese Oil Consumption Slows

Some good news from China on their oil consumption, which did not grow nearly as fast as it did last year; as reported in this XINHUA news item:

China's refined oil consumption increased only by 5.6 percent year-on-year in the first nine months on stable coal supply, sharply lower than the 19.7 percent growth in the same period last year, a government report said Tuesday.

The country's coal production increased by 10.2 percent to 1.3 billion tons during this period, said the report from the National Development and Reform Commission.

China produced 136 million tons of crude oil in the first three quarters, a year-on-year increase of 4.2 percent. The crude oil import increased 10.6 percent to 94.86 million tons.

Their imports still increased significantly, they will still have a large impact on world oil production. They are the second largest consumer of oil in the world, consuming about 1/3 the quantity of the U.S.  They may have substituted some coal for oil, although they are building power plants at a very rapid pace.  There internal supplies of oil are close to peaking, so they will not be able to increase production much longer, thus their imports will increase.

Via the Energy Bulletin, "Oil consumption growth drops 14% Jan-Sept", XINHUA online, October 25, 2005

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