The eCatalog News and Events information posted here and on the Home Page of the eCatalog have been carefully selected from online newsletters, websites and blogs to present current information on all things related to Combined Heat and Power systems, technologies, applications, and markets. These items are publicly available and beneficial to CHP stakeholders. If your have a news article or event you would like to have listed, you can find the application and submission instructions on the News & Events - Feature page. If you see a post of yours that you do not want to appear in the eCatalog, simply let us know and it will be removed (Contact Us). The eCatalog follows the Online Copyright Infringement Liability Limitation Act of 19981.
Combined Heat & Power
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News
Opra, green methanol expert Silent-Power announce distribution agreement
DIESEL & GAS TURBINE WORLDWIDE
Oct 14, 2021
Silent-Power AG (with its business unit Econimo) specializes in zero carbon CHP solutions using green methanol as fuel. While offering turnkey CHP solutions, they also guarantee a long-term supply of methanol to their customers at agreed rates providing an alternative to fossil fuel and its increasing emission-related cost.
After successful combustion tests on methanol and studies on how to provide a methanol-powered OP16 gas turbine, Opra and Silent-Power have now signed a distribution agreement making OP16 the exclusive core technology for Econimo’s product in the range above 1 MW.
“We are proud to extend our ECONIMO product line together with Opra with the new ECONIMO 5000, offering 5 MW CHP performance. We are looking forward to the immediate market introduction to supply clean energy to commercial customers for hotels, business buildings, factories and island operations. What has begun in 2016 with experiments on a small 30 kW turbine, will now step by step be extended to become a family of commercial ECONIMO products for global carbon-neutral power supply,” said Marco Glattfelder, project manager ECONIMO Products, Silent-Power.
Opra is a leading developer and manufacturer of advanced gas turbine-based generator sets in the 1.8 MW power range. The OP16 gas turbine has an industrial, all-radial design that provides robustness, reliability, highest efficiency, and low emissions, the company said.
“As a carbon-neutral fuel, which is safe and easy to transport, handle and store, methanol will play an important role in the energy transition. We are looking forward to successful cooperation with Silent Power (Econimo) supporting our involvement in methanol-driven CHP projects,” said Matteo Bellemo, Opra Regional Sales Manager
Silent- Power has won the Swiss Innovation Award 2016 “Idee Suisse” and is focusing on the introduction of CO2 neutral energy economy based on emission free green or synthetic methanol. One important milestone is the joint development and market introduction of the ECONIMO product line, small and midsize CHP solutions based on proven gas turbine technology, that can supply electrical as well as heating energy, close to consumers, eco-friendly, and usable for grid stabilization as well as power independency.
News
New Gaseous Hydrogen Reactor
Coates International
Oct 13, 2021
Advanced Hydrogen Power, Ltd. and Coates International, Ltd. have been working on this new Reactor Technology for approximately seven years and are now planning to establish production of this most Green Power Technology. Orders have already been received from Mexico and the USA.
Coates International has developed two natural gas powered CSRV systems, the C86GE engine and the C86GG generator, primarily for the purpose of on-site, industrial-grade power generation. The C86GE engine is a component of the C86GG power generator.
CSRV Natural Gas Industrial Power Generator
The C86GG is a fully-integrated natural gas power generator for on-site electrical power generation. Independent on-site electrical power generation is emerging as a viable cost-effective option for the industrial power user. Using on-site generators is not all that different from using the power from the utility company, but the one major difference is control. Power companies use remotely located generators to make power, but their generators are larger and they have to use a power distribution grid to get the power to the user.
On-site electrical power generation involves using a generator or series of generators to meet all or part of industrial facilities power requirements. Coates' advanced electrical generation equipment uses patented technology to provide electrical power that is reliable, safe, stable, efficient and environmentally friendly at a fraction of the cost of purchasing electricity from utility companies.
The complete generator system comes with C86GE engine, alternator, switch-gear, and radiator fully assembled on a heavy duty steel frame.
• 855 Cu. In. displacement
• Inline 6 cylinder
• HP 174 to 280 depending on the quality of the natural gas
• Patented worldwide CSRV technology
• Ultra low emissions
• CSRV system requires zero maintenance for the life of the engine
• Engine oil replacements are extended
• Low fuel consumption
Adaptable to natural gas, propane, digested land fill gas, hydrogen, and other fuels such as diesel putting out over 400 HP and putting out up to 300 KWH continuous power
News
Utilities Balk at Los Angeles County Plan for a Regional Microgrid Agency
Microgrid Knowledge
Oct 13, 2021
The county last month proposed a $41 million program that includes a regional microgrid agency to serve an area that encompasses roughly half of California’s population.
Called the Regional Public Agency Microgrid Program, the entity would create a centralized resource to help local governments and public agencies implement microgrids. It also would immediately construct three microgrids, totaling 15.95 MW.
In a joint filing, the state’s three major investor-owned utilities — Pacific Gas & Electric, San Diego Gas & Electric and Southern California Edison (SCE) — criticized the idea, describing it as speculative and saying it could lead to cost-shifting.
“It appears that the county is simply requesting that customers across the state contribute financially to the county’s preferred resource plan, without demonstrating the specific need, benefit or cost-effectiveness of that investment,” the utilities said in the filing before the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC).
The utilities’ argument centers around the idea that the microgrids might be located in the service area of one utility while ratepayers from another utility foot the bill for it. As proposed, the agency would receive part of its funding through SCE. The utilities postulated that the agency might build microgrids in the area served by a different utility, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, a municipal utility. If that were the case, ratepayers of the municipal utility would benefit from the microgrid without paying for it, the utilities argued.
But Los Angeles County countered that the utilities mischaracterized its proposal.
The microgrids would, in fact, be located within the service territory of SCE, the county said. And they would be paid for not only through SCE ratepayer funds, but also by leveraging power purchase agreements, energy service company financing and incentives, such as the state’s Self Generation Incentive Program. The first three microgrids built by the agency would leverage $51,500,000 of non-ratepayer funds (65% of project costs), according to the county.
How can microgrid developers bring projects to fruition easier, faster and cheaper? Join Microgrid Knowledge for an educational webinar Oct. 27 at 2 p.m. EST, Click here to register.
In all, Los Angeles County is asking the commission to authorize $23 million in funding over two years for the agency, with the remaining $18 million to build the three initial microgrids.
To mitigate the risk to ratepayers, the county plans to attach 84% of the agency’s annual budget to performance-based incentives that would require verification of incremental installed capacity.
The overall strategy not only empowers public agencies to pursue clean energy “but also fuels market development exponentially faster than previously approved approaches,” the county said.
News
Electricity for the people, heat for the plants
Horti-Daily
Oct 12, 2021
Although eNature feeds 100% of the electricity to the local grid, thermal energy recovered from the CHP plant will be utilized in the greenhouse. Should there not be any demand for heat in the greenhouse, while the electricity price in the grid is high enough for the plant to run, heat recovered from the engines is stored in a large buffer tank and can then be used at a later time.
News
Combined Heat and Power in Integrated Resource Planning: Examples and Planning Considerations Report
SEE Action Network
Oct 12, 2021
Significant potential exists for increasing CHP installations across the U.S. While about 81 GW of CHP capacity is in operation today, an estimated 149 GW of technically viable capacity remains to be developed. As states and utilities explore scenarios to meet energy-related goals, CHP can continue to provide value and help balance key priorities, including: 1) providing efficient and reliable electricity and thermal energy to the U.S. industrial sector; 2) increasing our power system’s resilience to support our nation’s critical infrastructure; 3) supporting grid
integration of wind, solar, and energy storage technologies; and 4) helping the U.S. maintain its global leadership position in reducing carbon dioxide and other emissions while keeping electricity prices affordable.
An integrated resource plan (IRP) is a utility plan for meeting forecasted annual peak and energy demand through a combination of supply-side and demand-side resources over a specified future period. When developing plans for future resource options, utilities can gain value from evaluating CHP as a grid resource on the supply side, as an energy efficiency resource on the demand side, or as an overall resource solution. A handful of recent state policy activities have encouraged the consideration of CHP in utility resource plans. Policymakers in some states have
updated statutory requirements or other rules to explicitly require consideration of CHP in future integrated resource plans; in other states, stakeholders have intervened in utility commission proceedings to discuss consideration of CHP and ensure utilities conduct an adequate review of CHP as a resource.
Examples of utility consideration of CHP in IRPs show that some utilities indicate a preference for owning CHP assets, while others do not take a position on ownership in their consideration of the costs and benefits of CHP.
Modeling assumptions needed to characterize CHP in an IRP include: 1) resource potential; 2) customer thermal loads; and 3) CHP system characteristics. Traditionally, utilities have compared the cost-effectiveness of CHP to other resources through reference to levelized cost of electricity (LCOE). However, many features of CHP, such as increased resilience, lower emissions, or state economic development are more challenging to value in traditional cost-benefit frameworks. New planning frameworks that consider the full range of CHP attributes may indicate that CHP can be a useful solution that minimizes system costs and maximizes customer benefits.
With an understanding of the role CHP can play in future resource planning, states and local governments can benefit from actions that: 1) evaluate how CHP is treated in state planning rules; 2) explore the role of CHP in electric utility planning; 3) provide guidance on utility ownership of CHP as a component of the rate base; 4) revise IRP rules to ensure inclusion of CHP; 5) issue guidance on modeling frameworks that value the benefits of CHP; 6) encourage collaboration across state agencies; and 7) require utilities to solicit stakeholder input in developing
resource plans. Similarly, utilities may consider moves to: 1) identify CHP potential in their service territory; 2) assess CHP interest in their service territory; 3) conduct feasibility assessments; 4) issue a Request for Proposals (RFPs) for CHP projects; 5) develop a project priority pipeline; and 6) measure CHP’s long-term benefits in
integrated resource planning.
News
Valverde Power Solutions Positions to be a Carbon Capture Leader Using Clean Energy Systems Innovative Technology
Energy Central
Oct 11, 2021
Through the Master License Agreement and CES' minority ownership position in VPS, our innovative companies are now entering into a collaborative partnership to advance the Oxy-Fuel Combustion technology in oil and gas fields and in other industrial applications, where natural gas can be converted into carbon-neutral electricity and the carbon dioxide (CO2) sequestered or provided to enhanced oil recovery (EOR) operators.
Importantly, oilfield operations can now easily be powered by clean energy reducing their carbon footprint at the field level. CO2 and electricity comprise two of the largest operating expense components of EOR operations and significant OPEX efficiencies can be achieved through the VPS plant design and the Oxy-Fuel Combustion technology. The Agreement will also enable VPS to produce a reliable and stable supply of clean electricity, complementing other clean sources of electricity from renewables and thereby contributing to an integrated, robust and environmentally friendly power grid for our economies.
As part of the consideration for granting VPS the Master License Agreement, CES will receive VPS common stock and CES CEO Keith Pronske will join the VPS Board of Directors.
Management Comments
Commenting on the License Agreement, Gareth Roberts, VPS CEO said: "At Valverde, we have expertise in the transport and sequestration of CO2. We now combine that expertise with the CES technology to provide, by far, the cheapest and most efficient method of producing dependable electric power with zero emissions. Our first priority will be to develop decarbonized electricity in existing North American hydrocarbon oilfields, but quickly we intend to expand the technology to create commercial clean electricity at scale."
Keith Pronske, CES President & CEO, stated: "We're excited about our partnership with the VPS team, and look forward to rapidly developing several carbon-neutral projects in North America. Having worked on our CCS technology for the past 25 years and tested at scale all required systems, we see a very bright future for zero emissions power plants with full carbon capture."
Valverde Power Solutions Inc., with offices in Dallas and Calgary, Canada, is a privately held clean energy company employing leading-edge technology to deliver electric power and Carbon Capture Utilization and Storage (CCUS), initially targeting the oil and gas and refining industries and other industrial end users. VPS will participate as developer and equity partner of new, emission-free power projects, primarily in North America.
Through the CES partnership, our initial projects use natural gas combusted in pure oxygen to produce power and pure carbon dioxide which can be captured and safely stored underground or supplied to oilfields suitable for tertiary recovery. The electricity produced will be a dependable and a constant supply, thereby providing an important supplement to intermittent renewable electricity supplies and to oil and gas operators for a clean oilfield power alternative.
News
USDA Requests Public Input on New Climate-Smart Agriculture Initiative
USDA
Oct 11, 2021
“Through extreme weather, drought and fire, our agriculture producers are on the frontlines of climate change,” Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said. “The new Climate-Smart Agriculture and Forestry Partnership Initiative will support pilots that create new market opportunities for commodities produced using climate-smart
practices and position U.S. farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners as leaders in addressing climate change.
The pilots will invest in the science, monitoring and verification to measure the benefits of these climate smart practices. Today, we ask for public input to inform our decision making and enhance the design of this initiative.”
USDA is committed to partnering with agriculture, forestry and rural communities to develop climate solutions that strengthen rural America. Guided by science, USDA will support a set of pilot projects that provide incentives to implement climate-smart conservation practices on working lands and to quantify and monitor the
carbon and greenhouse gas benefits associated with those practices. The pilots could rely on the Commodity Credit Corporation’s specific power to help expand or develop new and additional markets.
USDA has published a request for information seeking public comment and input on how to design the new initiative. Comments may be provided via the Federal Register.
The deadline to submit comments is 11:59 p.m. EST on Nov. 1, 2021.
Feedback will be used to inform design of the new Climate-Smart Agriculture and
Forestry Partnership Initiative. USDA is seeking input on:
• The current state of climate-smart commodity markets.
• Systems for quantification.
• Options and criteria for evaluation.
• Use of information collected.
• Potential protocols.
• Options for review and verification.
• Inclusion of historically underserved communities.
USDA encourages comments from farmers and farmer organizations, commodity groups, livestock producer groups, environmental organizations, agriculture businesses and technology companies, environmental market organizations, renewable energy organizations, tribal organizations and governments, organizations representing historically underrepresented producers, organizations representing historically underrepresented communities and private corporations.
News
DOE Invests $45 Million to Decarbonize the Natural Gas Power and Industrial Sectors Using Carbon Capture and Storage
U.S. DOE
Oct 11, 2021
“In order to dramatically reduce carbon pollution in our fight against climate change, we must deploy all of the tools at our disposal, including the innovative technologies that capture CO2 emissions before they reach the atmosphere,” said Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm. “What’s truly exciting about these projects is that not only do they put us on a path to decarbonize existing infrastructure, but they also pave the way for good-paying, union jobs—in the communities that have been impacted the most from our dependence on fossil fuels.”
Point-source carbon capture seeks to stop carbon dioxide emissions from entering the atmosphere by filtering out CO2 and other harmful gases from a power plant or industrial facility. Once deployed at a commercial scale, carbon capture can help create jobs in economically distressed power plant and industrial communities. This DOE investment puts the nation one step closer to responsible demonstration and commercialization of this technology, leading to large dollar investments in communities surrounding these facilities.
These 12 projects were selected by DOE’s Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management (FECM) and fit under three areas of interest: (1) carbon capture research and development, (2) engineering-scale testing of carbon capture technologies and (3) engineering design studies for carbon capture systems. DOE’s National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) will manage the selected projects:
1. Sustainable Energy Solutions, Inc. (Orem, UT) will design, build and operate a carbon capture process that will scale the system capacity to 30 tonnes of CO2 per day for the first time and demonstrate CO2 capture of more than 95% from the flue gas stream. This project will be housed at the Eagle Materials/Central Plains Cement Sugar Creek Plant in Sugar Creek, Missouri. Award amount: $4,999,875.
2. University of Kentucky Research Foundation (Lexington, KY) will test an innovative CO2 capture system with four new transformative techniques, treating evolved gas from an electric arc furnace. This project will be housed at Nucor Steel Gallatin Plant, in Ghent, Kentucky. Award amount: $4,999,965.
3. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) (Champaign, IL) will implement an engineering design study for retrofitting an existing cement manufacturing facility, Holcim’s Ste. Genevieve Cement Plant in Bloomsdale, Missouri, using CO2 capture technology with the ability to achieve 95% capture from flue gas. Award amount: $3,999,585.
4. Wood Environmental & Infrastructure Solutions (Blue Bell, PA) will complete an engineering design study for CO2 capture for the commercially-operated Shell Chemicals Complex in Deer Park, Texas, that will reduce its CO2 emissions by 95% using a post-combustion technology to capture CO2 from several plants, including an on-site natural gas combined heat and power plant. Award amount: $4,000,000.
5. Calpine Texas CCUS Holdings, LLC (Houston, TX) will conduct an engineering design study on a commercial-scale, second-generation carbon capture system to capture 95% of total CO2 emissions from the natural gas combined cycle (NGCC) co-generation facility, Calpine Deer Park Energy Center, in Deer Park, Texas, and applying a technology previously tested at commercial scale for CO2 capture from coal flue gas streams. Award amount: $4,791,966.
6. General Electric Company, GE Research (Niskayuna, NY) will develop a design to capture 95% of CO2 from NGCC flue gas with the potential to reduce electricity costs by at least 15%. Award amount: $1,499,992.
7. SRI International (Menlo Park, CA) will design, build and test a technology that can capture CO2 at 95% or better efficiency to demonstrate progress toward a 20% cost reduction compared with current performance of an NGCC plant with carbon capture. Award amount: $1,499,759.
8. CORMETECH, Inc. (Charlotte, NC) will further develop, optimize and test a new, lower cost technology to capture CO2 from NGCC plant flue gas, which will enhance scalability to large NGCC plants. Award amount: $2,500,000.
9. TDA Research, Inc. (Wheat Ridge, CO) will build and test a transformational post-combustion capture process using simulated NGCC flue gas that will demonstrate improved performance while meeting DOE capture targets. Award amount: $2,500,000.
10. University of Kentucky Research Foundation (Lexington, KY) will address technical challenges from low CO2 and high oxygen concentrations in NGCC flue gas, along with a high CO2 capture efficiency, through a process resulting in negative CO2 emissions and lower costs. Award amount: $2,452,268.
11. ION Clean Energy (Boulder, CO) will perform an engineering design study for a carbon capture system that will be retrofitted onto the existing Calpine Delta Energy Center (DEC), in Pittsburg, California, to capture 95% of the CO2 emissions for geologic storage in the nearby Sacramento Basin. Award amount: $5,811,210.
12. GE Gas Power (Schenectady, NY) will complete an engineering design study to incorporate a 95% commercial carbon capture solution into an existing NGCC site that will provide advanced operability, lower costs and high efficiency, and will also be scalable to other commercial sites. Award amount: $5,771,670.
“These projects demonstrate Colorado’s leadership in advancing innovative solutions to climate change while sustaining high quality jobs,” said U.S. Senator Michael Bennet (CO). “Climate change is an urgent crisis that demands an all-of-the-above approach. Investing in carbon capture will advance technological solutions, bring costs down, and cut emissions in order to prevent the worst effects of climate change.”
A detailed list of the selected projects and their associated areas of interest can be found here.
FECM funds research, development, demonstration and deployment projects to decarbonize power generation and industrial sources, to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and to mitigate the environmental impacts of fossil fuel use. To learn more, visit the FECM website, sign up for FECM news announcements and visit the NETL website.
News
Black & Veatch to Design, Build Canada’s First Electric ‘Smart Grid’
Energy Central
Oct 11, 2021
Billed as the first such community-wide utility effort in Canada, the Sault Smart Grid project for PUC Distribution Inc. – the local electricity distribution utility in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario – includes Black & Veatch’s designing and deploying a state-of-the-art network with proven technologies that enhance reliability and efficiency, improve outage management and reduce energy consumption.
That more intuitive grid, expected to be completed by late 2022, positions PUC to accommodate new distributed energy resources (DERs) such as rooftop solar, battery storage, co-generation and electric vehicles (EVs) while supporting smart city and other community growth initiatives.
Once operational, the smart grid will offer two key components – voltage optimization and distribution automation. Voltage optimization constantly regulates a consumer’s electricity supply and gives them precisely the voltage they need, saving energy and lowering electric bills. Distribution automation essentially embeds intelligence into the system, using a network of sensors and controls that provide greater reliability, flexibility and agility. Those features enable the system’s “self-healing” during power disruptions, minimizing the size of the outage and the number of affected customers.
“As the energy sector evolves, with broader investments in decarbonation, reliability and resiliency, this comprehensive smart grid initiative represents the promise of lowering generation and distribution costs while propelling the community’s modernization,” said Gary Johnson, Black & Veatch’s regional director. “Sault Ste. Marie is leading the charge in Canada, and we’re confident other utilities, regions and communities will follow suit once they see the enormous benefits.”
“With expectations that we’ll see more demand for electric vehicle hookups, rooftop solar energy and other new technology in the next decade, the Sault Smart Grid project smart grid system will help the city modernize and leap forward in meeting those challenges and opportunities,” added Kevin Bell, PUC’s vice-president. “We are excited about this project bringing our customers an energy system that is more reliable, resilient and responsive.”
News
How industry executives see the emerging ‘hydrogen economy’
DIESEL & GAS TURBINE WORLDWIDE
Oct 7, 2021
The magazine would like to thank Håkan Agnevall, President and CEO Wärtsilä Corp., Prof. KangKi Lee, senior vice president, High Power Systems, AVL List GmbH, Marty Haycraft, vice president of Caterpillar Inc. and president and CEO of Progress Rail, Javaid Riaz, general manager, Parker Gas Turbine Division, Paul Browning, president and CEO of Mitsubishi Power Americas and Carlos Lange, president and CEO of INNIO.
Oliver Riemenschneider
What do you see as your company’s role what some are touting as the emerging hydrogen economy?
Riaz: For over 50 years, GTF has worked closely with GT OEMs and Operators to make Rotating Equipment more Efficient and with enhanced Availability. The ‘new’ challenge is a natural evolution of this. Gas Turbines provide a solid path to provide power in this emerging Hydrogen economy with the stability that renewables are currently unable to achieve. GTs are already being fueled with ever increasing % of Hydrogen mix fuels. This trend will continue. There is a solid link between GT air filtration and GT performance. This can be in the form of simply reducing the lifetime pressure loss of the GT filter, allowing the operator to stay within a tight band of controlled emissions and the extension to filter life.
Javaid Riaz
Lange: INNIO is a pioneer and an integral part of the energy transition. Currently the use of combined heat and power (CHP) generation with gas engines offers a CO2 reduction of more than 30% compared to generating electricity and heat separately. Additionally, CHP provides overall efficiency levels of 90% and more. While INNIO is an industry leader in CHP, we continue to identify and deliver technologies that reduce carbon emissions even more, such as hydrogen.
Our technological progress and search for solutions for a climate-neutral, greener and safer energy future drives us to be a key enabler in the transition to deliver carbon free heat and power. I am very proud that, as one of the pioneers in the industry, we have announced the first “Ready for H2” product portfolio in the power generation range from 200 kW to 10.4 MW. With our extensive range of innovative and fuel-flexible Jenbacher gas engines – which can be operated with renewable gas, natural gas, or hydrogen-rich fuels – our role is to pave the way for a greener energy future for our customers worldwide.
Paul Browning
Riemenschneider: ABB Turbocharging’s clear mission is to enable internal combustion engines to apply pure hydrogen, blends of hydrogen or hydrogen-derived fuels in the most economical way.
We have invested a lot of time and effort to understand the pathways to net-zero or zero-carbon fuels, not only to inform how our technologies must develop, but to help end users to understand the implications for their assets. As well as our own technology roadmap we use our engineering expertise to contribute to the industry perspective. For example, we have helped to steer CIMAC committees on greenhouse gas emissions and future fuels, which have identified some of the development challenges and potential technology implications for fuels and engines.
There is no doubt that the internal combustion engine is here to stay. It has proved many times over the decades that it can burn all kinds of fuels and meet new requirements, and it will do so in the future. Turbocharging plays a critical role in enabling future fuels because they deliver the air needed to control combustion. It is clear then that turbochargers will continue to make an important contribution to the high efficiency and performance of the combustion engine and our customers’ assets.
Carlos Lange
ABB Turbocharging is already exploring the turbocharger requirement for new fuels including hydrogen and ammonia. We presented our initial findings at the Rostock Large Engine Symposium last year, and we continue to work on many industry projects, leveraging our unique strengths in turbocharger research – including our one-of-a-kind Test Center. We believe we are ready to support our customers whichever fuels and whichever engine concepts they choose.
Browning: We believe that the power sector will lead the adoption of hydrogen as part of the net zero commitments our customers are making. In regions that are heavily penetrated with renewable power, hydrogen will be used to store renewable power for long periods of time. Mitsubishi Power is helping our customers accelerate the path toward 100% carbon neutral power generation by launching Hydaptive standard packages and Hydaptive storage.
Marty Haycraft
These are the world’s first standard packages for green hydrogen integration. Mitsubishi Power’s standard packages cut through the complexity power generators and grid operators encounter when integrating renewable generation, gas turbines, electrolysis and other technologies to generate and store energy in the form of green hydrogen. The Hydaptive family of technologies includes both standalone and integrated products that reduce cost, cycle time and execution complexity through standardization of engineering and design, and also utilize patent pending integrations and TOMONI software to provide increased capabilities for the integration of intermittent renewable energy sources. Finally, they provide a truly dispatchable power source with a reduced initial carbon footprint that can be adjusted over time to fit into a net zero carbon framework.
Haycraft
: We are helping our customers achieve their climate-related goals by providing products that facilitate fuel transition, increase operational efficiency, and reduce emissions. We will provide the technology required for rail transportation – including where hydrogen could play a significant role in achieving greenhouse gas reductions and the science-based targets of certain customers.
We are actively engaged in the ongoing development of new technologies, as well as improving existing technologies. While hydrogen may be the largest component of an approach to carbon reduction in the future, several strategies remain to be implemented sooner than the infrastructure for hydrogen can be constructed, with alternate fuels and train and vessel drivetrain efficiencies, among others. Still, should hydrogen adoption and infrastructure accelerate to a closer horizon, we will be ready to help our customers succeed.
Kang-Ki Lee
Lee: It is no doubt that the future power train will be powered by hydrogen or zero carbon fuels based on hydrogen. Hydrogen is the simplest carbon free energy carrier. Current debates are ongoing on how to produce hydrogen, so that blue hydrogen will bridge the gap together with other net zero carbon fuels till green hydrogen infrastructure will be ready on industrial scale. AVL sees the significance and its potential of hydrogen and teamed-up in dedicated business groups to deal with hydrogen and zero carbon fuels throughout the entire life cycle connected by Power-to-X concepts. We can be a one stop shop for the hydrogen economy in all applications from ICE to Fuel Cells with good competences in developing storage and handling systems as well.
Agnevall: The energy sector and maritime industry are both undergoing a massive transformation as they seek to decarbonize. Hydrogen is one of the fuels that is currently being discussed in the industry. At Wärtsilä we have accelerated testing and technology development with hydrogen, amongst other promising fuels i.e., ammonia, and methanol. We are committed to provide our customers with products and technologies to help navigate the biggest change that the industry has seen.
Wärtsilä has invested in a flexible engine and energy storage portfolio that can provide the required flexibility for high renewable energy systems. Wärtsilä is conducting R&D on future fuels so that we are able to run on carbon-neutral future fuels when markets eventually turn away from fossil fuels. Hydrogen will also be used as-is and to produce other carbon-neutral compounds such as synthetic methane, methanol and ammonia. These substances already have a logistics infrastructure and market and therefore applications for these fuels may emerge faster than for pure hydrogen, accelerating decarbonization.
Combined Heat & Power
Upcoming Events
Upcoming
Event
Distributed Energy Conference
Renewable Energy Direct
October 18-21, 2021
Upcoming
Event
2021 National Conference on Energy Efficiency as a Resource
ACEEE
October 19-21, 2021
Upcoming
Event
Understanding your natural gas bills
U.S. DOE
October 19, 2021, 11am – 12pm ET
Upcoming
Event
AEE World: ENERGY EFFICIENCY & SUSTAINABILITY
AEE
October 20-22, 2021
AEE World is back! Join us at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center to do business, share advancements in the industry, and connect with your peers or Gain virtual access to the opening, closing and CWEEL keynote sessions, and high level panel discussions.
Upcoming
Event
THE BUSINESS OF LEADING ON CLIMATE AND BOLSTERING U.S. COMPETITIVENESS
Business Council for Sustainable Energy
October 21, 2021, 1:00 to 2:00 pm ET
This panel of U.S. companies will dive into the range of policies and investments that would bolster competitiveness – from manufacturing, supply chains, carbon border adjustments, workforce development and more.
Upcoming
Event
AEE World 2021
AEE
October 20-22, 2021
The conference opens and closes with leaders speaking on important energy topics. They provide insight into their company's operations, what it takes to lead, or how they innovate. AEE selects speakers, often personalities that are known globally, to challenge, entertain and motivate conference attendees. These are truly "got-to-attend" sessions that often provides the audience motivation to go out and make changes or connect with the attendees around them. After all, we are all here for one purpose…. to find improvements in energy usage, become more efficient, and save energy.
A broad selection of qualified speakers present case studies, application success stories, innovations in technology, energy service improvements and much, much, more. You can select from 11 tracks with over 140 individual technical presentations. Each one is designed to give you objective, valid information you can apply to your business projects as soon as you leave AEE World.
In 2021 the conference contains four panel discussions, each one is dedicated to a particular topic of interest to energy efficiency and energy management professionals. Join the panel sessions and join the conversation.
A wide range of industry-leading companies presents energy-efficient products, energy management services, and solutions. Register for free to attend the two-day expo.
Upcoming
Event
Understanding your water bills
U.S. DOE
October 26, 2021, 11am – 12pm ET
Upcoming
Event
Lessons learned from goal achievers
U.S. DOE
October 28, 2021, 1pm – 2pm ET
Upcoming
Event
BREWING HEAT, POWER, AND BEER WITH CHP
U.S. DOE Combined Heat and Power Technical Assistance Partnerships
October 28, 2021 1:00 to 2 pm ET
Breweries use large amounts of energy as the brewing process involves heating and cooling. Join experts from New Belgium Brewing and the Department of Energy’s Combined Heat and Power Technical Assistance Partnership (CHP TAP) for an interactive session that will explain how CHP can efficiently provide the energy needed for every stage of the brewing process.
Speakers:
● David Benavidez, Operations Support
Manager, New Belgium Brewing
● Marina Badoian-Kriticos, Assistant
Director, Upper-West CHP TAP
● Margaret Cook, Research Associate,
Upper-West CHP-TAP
Upcoming
Event
Renovate, Retrofit, Reduce, (R3) Conference and Innovation Expo
National Association of Energy Service Companies
November 9-12, 2021
We dive into how states, cities, and public institutions can leverage new opportunities as well as lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic to open back better and make our building infrastructure healthier, safer, and more resilient and energy efficient.
The R3 Conference and Innovation Expo will underscore NAESCO’s 2021 theme, “Partnering Today for a More Efficient Tomorrow.” Discussions will focus on the benefits of partnering with ESCOs and emphasize how they can help modernize our building infrastructure and improve efficiency and resiliency for a more sustainable future.
This year’s conference will take place during our second annual National ESCO Week (#ESCOWeek). The series of events will be a celebration of the entire energy efficiency industry and a reminder of the value #ESCOs bring to our country.
Combined Heat & Power
Partner News
People on the Move
Berlien new CEO of gas engine manufacturer INNIO
INNIO
Sep 23, 2021
The former CEO of lighting and sensor specialist Osram succeeds Carlos Lange, who will remain with the company and move to INNIO’s advisory board as planned at his own request.
“We are very pleased to have Olaf Berlien as INNIO’s new CEO,” said Peter Grosch, chairman of INNIO. “With his extensive expertise in technology and sales as well as his experience in international companies, he was our preferred candidate. Olaf Berlien will build on the successful work of Carlos Lange and drive INNIO’s growth course. Under his leadership, INNIO will further expand its leading position and successfully help shape the energy transition that has been initiated.”
INNIO is a leading supplier of gas engines and services for power generation and gas compression with renewable gases, natural gas as well as on the basis of hydrogen. With its Jenbacher and Waukesha gas engines, INNIO contributes to the energy supply of communities, industry, and the public. With around 3500 employees, the company generated sales of around €1.4 billion in the fiscal year 2020. INNIO’s gas engines serve as a backup for the volatile energy supply from renewable sources and thus support the expansion of green energy, the company said. This makes them an integral part of the green energy future. INNIO already offers gas engines that can run on hydrogen as part of its “Ready for H2” portfolio and will extend this option to all gas engines from 2022. The company is thus driving the global transformation of energy generation on a broad front.
Berlien has extensive experience in plant engineering with the gas and oil industry as well as in the automotive and semiconductor industries. Over the past 30 years he has held leading positions as a board member and managing director of technology companies such as IBM, Carl Zeiss, Thyssenkrupp Technologies and ThyssenKrupp Elevator as well as Exyte. Most recently, Berlien served for six years as CEO of Osram, a global leader in the semiconductor-based lighting and sensor industry.
In his new role, Lange will support INNIO in an advisory capacity in its strategic development.
“Carlos Lange has written a strong growth story at INNIO in recent years and has set the course for a successful future by establishing new technologies such as hydrogen operation. We are extremely grateful to Carlos Lange for his successful work as President and CEO in the development of INNIO and, most importantly, for successfully leading the company through the COVID-19 pandemic,” Grosch said.
INNIO was formed in 2018 when Advent International has completed the acquisition of GE’s Distributed Power business. The acquisition included the Jenbacher and Waukesha product lines, the digital platform and related services offerings, with main operating sites in Austria, Canada and the United States. Lange was CEO when the acquisition occurred and stayed on in his role.
Partner
News
Capstone supplying 2.4 MW for Caribbean resort
Capstone Green Energy
Sep 21, 2021
The order, secured by E-Finity Distributed Generation, Capstone’s exclusive distributor for the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern United States and parts of the Caribbean, is expected to be commissioned in the Spring of 2022.
Three Capstone Green Energy propane-fueled C800 Signature Series microturbine energy systems are designed to provide a reliable, environmentally friendly, and cost-effective alternative to the island’s expensive grid power. The new power plant is expected to provide all of the resort’s power while potentially generating millions of dollars in estimated annual electric cost savings and reducing the resort’s carbon footprint.
“Delivering clean, reliable, low-cost power to our Caribbean clients is E-Finity’s number one priority right now,” said Jeff Beiter, E-Finity president and CEO. “Economically, the system has the potential to save the customer millions of dollars; environmentally, it is designed to offset millions of pounds of CO2 per year, equivalent to removing 500+ cars from the road. In fact, no oil deliveries, storage, or disposal are needed with our air lubricated, air-cooled microturbines; I’d say that’s environmentally friendly.”
This 2.4 MW power plant is designed for N+1 redundancy and is expandable to 3 MW by adding another 200 kW module to each C800S package, making it a C1000S system should the resort expand in the future. The Signature Series products also meets the wind-resistant provisions of the 2018 International Building Code, ASCE 7-16, for wind speeds up to 180 mph.
“This project exemplifies what I call the new breed of forward-looking, progressive developers who are finding creative ways to reduce their carbon footprint as well as lowering their annual operating costs - thus making green by being green,” said Darren Jamison, Capstone Green Energy president and CEO. “This low emission development will adapt to the resort’s growing energy needs over time and is expected to significantly reduce their carbon footprint. All the while, it is anticipated that they will generate reliable electricity at a lower cost than other resorts on the island that still buy power from the utility, which is generated using outdated, higher emissions technologies and more expensive fuels.”
Partner
News
Caterpillar acquires carbon capture company
Caterpillar
Sep 17, 2021
Carbon capture systems using CarbonPoint Solutions’ patented processes can be applied to engines and turbines at oil and gas sites, distributed power and industrial plants and waste-to-energy sites.
“Combining CarbonPoint Solutions’ patented technology with Caterpillar Oil & Gas solutions enables us to further reduce greenhouse gas emissions while helping our customers meet their climate-related objectives,” said Rod Shurman, vice president of Caterpillar’s Oil & Gas and Marine Division.
“We are extremely pleased to join Caterpillar and look forward to rapid deployment of the Semi-Closed Cycle and carbon capture for Cat engines and Solar gas turbines,” said Paul Dunn, president and founder of CarbonPoint Solutions.
Caterpillar is committed to contributing to a reduced-carbon future. We demonstrate this in many ways including our continued investment in new products, technologies and services to help our customers achieve their climate-related objectives as they build a better, more sustainable world.
Partner
News
Caterpillar to Offer Power Solutions Operating on 100% Hydrogen to Customers in 2021
Caterpillar
Sep 1, 2021
These market-focused innovations leverage power generation projects currently operating on natural gas blended with up to 80% hydrogen to help address customers’ carbon-reduction goals with high-performing, cost-effective technologies that demonstrate the near-term viability of hydrogen as a fuel source. Building on 35 years of experience across multiple end markets, Caterpillar continues to improve the performance of hydrogen-fueled power technologies with minimal impacts on maintenance costs and schedules, availability, and operations.
“The power solutions landscape is transforming as customers look to maximize the environmental and economic benefits of reducing their carbon intensities,” said Bart Myers, general manager for Caterpillar Large Electric Power. “We’re extending our leadership through numerous initiatives that demonstrate the viability of power solutions that can utilize many types of hydrogen, including fully renewable, in order to shorten the path to commercial availability.”
In the fourth quarter of 2021, Caterpillar will begin offering the Cat G3516H gas generator set specifically configured to use 100% hydrogen for fuel. Initially available as demonstrator units in North America and Europe with initial deliveries in late 2022, the Cat G3516H generator set will be offered with a rating of 1250 kW for 50 or 60 Hz continuous, prime, and load management applications.
Later this year, Caterpillar will also begin a staged roll-out of commercially available Cat CG132B, CG170B, G3500H, G3500 with Fast Response, and CG260 gas generator sets configured to enable operation on natural gas blended with up to 25% hydrogen for continuous, prime, and load management applications in North America and Europe. Additionally, the company will offer retrofit kits that provide hydrogen blending capabilities up to 25% hydrogen for select generator sets built on these engine platforms. Production of new natural gas generator sets and retrofit kits capable of 25% hydrogen will begin in the fourth quarter of 2022.
Plans for operating on 100% hydrogen include developing a range of commercially available products and upgrades for existing Cat gas generators. The development and launch of these solutions address potential customer demand growth as the hydrogen supply infrastructure matures, and these initiatives demonstrate Caterpillar’s comprehensive, wide-ranging commitment to helping customers meet their climate-related objectives.
Partner
News
Endurant Enters High-Tech AG Sector with $30 CHP-Based Million Microgrid
Microgrid Knowledge
Aug 20, 2021
The project is Bluehouse’s first greenhouse. The company is also scouting sites in the Southwest and Northeast with a goal of starting work on three more greenhouses in the next three years, according to Shane Holland, a company spokesman.
“We are very excited about our partnership with BHGH and our participation in the expanding agriculture tech sector,” Tom Chadwick, Endurant chief executive officer, said Aug. 9. “Endurant understands the importance of reliable, affordable and efficient energy generation to CEA.”
The project will include four 3.3-MW, natural gas-fired ECOMAX combined heat and power (CHP) systems built by AB Energy USA, according to Jeff Bogg, Endurant senior vice president for service solutions.
The CHP systems will produce electricity, hot water, chilled water and recover carbon dioxide. The hot water can be used directly in the greenhouse or stored in thermal energy storage systems. The project also includes hot water driven absorption chillers for cold water, which can also be used directly or stored. Recovered carbon dioxide will be pumped into the greenhouse to accelerate plant growth and productivity.
There will also be a backup natural gas boiler and two, 2-MW emergency diesel generators, according to Bogg. Endurant hasn’t settled on a microgrid control for the project yet, he said.
The microgrid system is called Bluehouse Energy. By using typically wasted byproducts of power generation such as heat, water and carbon dioxide, the Bluehouse Energy system’s efficiency increases from an average of 50% to more than 95%, according to Bluehouse.
The greenhouse will get “fairly significant” cost savings through the CHP generation compared to buying power off the grid, according to Bogg.
The project won’t be connected to the grid to avoid the time it takes to move through the interconnection process, which can take years, according to Bogg.
“We’re going full island mode, which is a fairly common decision, at least here in California, whether they’re greenhouses or cannabis grow facilities,” Bogg said.
Eventually, Endurant could add generation and batteries to the microgrid and connect to the local grid to sell energy and resource adequacy services to a community choice aggregator, according to Bogg.
When planning the microgrid, Endurant considered solar power and battery storage for the project but they weren’t feasible, Bogg said.
For solar, there wasn’t any available land and rooftop solar doesn’t work on a greenhouse. The project wasn’t eligible for the California Public Utilities Commission’s Self-Generation Equity Resiliency Incentive Program, which provides subsidies for energy storage. Without subsidies, batteries didn’t make economic sense at the greenhouse, according to Bogg.
The CEA market is poised for growth, partly driven by a growing sense that the US should grow more food locally, according to Bogg.
“Even before the pandemic, there was certainly an awareness that we’re very dependent on imported fruits and vegetables,” Bogg said.
That dependence can lead to price volatility and shortages triggered by supply chain disruptions, he said, noting that locally grown food has a smaller carbon footprint.
At the same time, the cost of indoor agriculture technology has dropped while its precision has increased, according to Bogg.
“It really sets the scene for cost-effective, agricultural production in a highly controlled environment that minimizes the use of water, which is a big consideration here in California,” Bogg said.
Partner
News
Capstone completes UK facility expansion
Capstone Green Energy
Aug 18, 2021
“Continuing to invest in our UK operation is critical to Capstone’s key objectives to reduce and drive down freight dependency and offset manufacturing costs through our remanufacturing program,” said Darren Jamison, Capstone’s president and chief executive officer. “In parallel, we are improving response times for all our existing Distributor partners and growing our Energy as a Service (EaaS) business as we expand the global rental fleet.
“By adding complex remanufacturing processes, the UK facility now mirrors the Capstone US-based testing facilities. These capabilities will accelerate Capstone’s ability to provide parts and services to EMEA and improve future aftermarket margins.”
Partner
News
MEA’s Resilient Maryland Returns to Push the Envelope on Distributed Energy: FY22 Program Now Accepting Applications
Maryland Energy Administration
Aug 18, 2021
Program Purpose: Resilient Maryland is provided to help organizations identify potential ways to incorporate DERs into organizational energy management plans that improve resilience and sustainability, reduce energy burden, and safeguard essential infrastructure, services, and businesses from prolonged power outages.
In its FY22 year, the program is seeking projects that pursue creative solutions, incorporate innovation, explore potentially replicable and scalable project models, and enhance energy equity to Maryland communities experiencing vulnerabilities and challenges.
Partner
News
AB changes its logo, changes its image, changes its positioning.
AB Energy
Aug 15, 2021
Partner
News
MPC Energy Solutions invests in energy efficiency through CHP in Puerto Rico
MPC Energy Solutions N.V.
Aug 15, 2021
This is MPC Energy Solutions' first acquisition since its listing on the Oslo Stock Exchange's Euronext Growth segment in January 2021. The acquisition is subject to customary closing conditions and expected for August 2021.
The project is currently under construction with expected commissioning to take place in August 2021. Once complete, it is expected to produce 25,000-30,000 MWh of energy supply annually and will lead to a reduction of 100,000 tons of CO2 over the 12-years contract period. The investment aligns perfectly with MPC Energy Solutions' strategy to focus on the corporate sector as a source of clients and to build strategic partnerships for accelerated capital deployment such as with Enernet Global Inc.
Cogeneration projects offer substantial economic and environmental benefits to its users as they simultaneously produce heat and power. These benefits include lower overall energy costs, improved reliability, and reduced thermal energy consumption. The implementation of this project will lead to a reduction of carbon emissions of up to 30%.
Partner
News
DelFrescoPure® Greenhouse Introduces Expansion of its CHP System
DelFrescoPure®
Aug 14, 2021
CHP is the onsite generation of electricity from the use of natural gas. The byproducts of CHP are heat that can be stored and used to create the desired microclimate within the greenhouse, and CO2 that is used to fertilize the crops. The CHP units will additionally produce the electricity required to power the grow lights as well as the mechanical load of the facility. While electricity generation alone is typically 40% efficient in converting fuel to power, adding heat recovery to the equation can bring that efficiency to 90%, a reality that suits greenhouses well.
DelFrescoPure® intends to use the electricity to power the lights at Via Verde Hydroponics Ltd. These grow lights allow for an extended growing season, making produce that would originally be grown in the summer available all year round. The heat harnessed by CHP will also be recycled to heat the greenhouses and meet all daily power needs. Being able to produce electricity more cost-effectively onsite also means DelFrescoPure® does not have to worry about voltage fluctuation from the area maxing out the local grid. With electricity no longer being a concern DelFrescoPure® is primed and ready for the 25-acre expansion currently underway.
“DelFrescoPure® is excited to increase our Cogeneration Power units. We are very pleased to be working with Martin Energy again to install the new CHP technology and solutions they offer. The results from using the Cogeneration technology over the past three years have been great. We look forward to expanding the system so we can continue to provide fresh produce all year long.” said Carl Mastronardi, President of Del Fresco Produce Ltd.
Along with the financial benefits, CHP power is better for the environment. This method ensures that fewer resources are wasted and required to produce electricity. The extended growing season also reduces our carbon footprint by decreasing the need for local retailers to import high mileage commodities. DelFrescoPure® is taking a sustainable approach to provide consumers with the freshest items possible.
CHP is perfectly suited for the greenhouse environment since it is able to harness all three attributes of the technology (electricity, heat & CO2). DelFrescoPure® will never have to worry about where their energy is coming from and can continue to expand as market demand increases.
DelFrescoPure® is an innovator and leader in the premium greenhouse industry that grows and markets greenhouse tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, beans, eggplants, and strawberries. We are family-owned and have been operating for over 50 years in Kingsville, Ontario, Canada. We pride ourselves on the quality of our produce, unsurpassed flavor and personalized customer service. Learn more at DelFrescoPure.com.
Combined Heat & Power
Focused News
News
Opra, green methanol expert Silent-Power announce distribution agreement
DIESEL & GAS TURBINE WORLDWIDE
Oct 14, 2021
Silent-Power AG (with its business unit Econimo) specializes in zero carbon CHP solutions using green methanol as fuel. While offering turnkey CHP solutions, they also guarantee a long-term supply of methanol to their customers at agreed rates providing an alternative to fossil fuel and its increasing emission-related cost.
After successful combustion tests on methanol and studies on how to provide a methanol-powered OP16 gas turbine, Opra and Silent-Power have now signed a distribution agreement making OP16 the exclusive core technology for Econimo’s product in the range above 1 MW.
“We are proud to extend our ECONIMO product line together with Opra with the new ECONIMO 5000, offering 5 MW CHP performance. We are looking forward to the immediate market introduction to supply clean energy to commercial customers for hotels, business buildings, factories and island operations. What has begun in 2016 with experiments on a small 30 kW turbine, will now step by step be extended to become a family of commercial ECONIMO products for global carbon-neutral power supply,” said Marco Glattfelder, project manager ECONIMO Products, Silent-Power.
Opra is a leading developer and manufacturer of advanced gas turbine-based generator sets in the 1.8 MW power range. The OP16 gas turbine has an industrial, all-radial design that provides robustness, reliability, highest efficiency, and low emissions, the company said.
“As a carbon-neutral fuel, which is safe and easy to transport, handle and store, methanol will play an important role in the energy transition. We are looking forward to successful cooperation with Silent Power (Econimo) supporting our involvement in methanol-driven CHP projects,” said Matteo Bellemo, Opra Regional Sales Manager
Silent- Power has won the Swiss Innovation Award 2016 “Idee Suisse” and is focusing on the introduction of CO2 neutral energy economy based on emission free green or synthetic methanol. One important milestone is the joint development and market introduction of the ECONIMO product line, small and midsize CHP solutions based on proven gas turbine technology, that can supply electrical as well as heating energy, close to consumers, eco-friendly, and usable for grid stabilization as well as power independency.
News
New Gaseous Hydrogen Reactor
Coates International
Oct 13, 2021
Advanced Hydrogen Power, Ltd. and Coates International, Ltd. have been working on this new Reactor Technology for approximately seven years and are now planning to establish production of this most Green Power Technology. Orders have already been received from Mexico and the USA.
Coates International has developed two natural gas powered CSRV systems, the C86GE engine and the C86GG generator, primarily for the purpose of on-site, industrial-grade power generation. The C86GE engine is a component of the C86GG power generator.
CSRV Natural Gas Industrial Power Generator
The C86GG is a fully-integrated natural gas power generator for on-site electrical power generation. Independent on-site electrical power generation is emerging as a viable cost-effective option for the industrial power user. Using on-site generators is not all that different from using the power from the utility company, but the one major difference is control. Power companies use remotely located generators to make power, but their generators are larger and they have to use a power distribution grid to get the power to the user.
On-site electrical power generation involves using a generator or series of generators to meet all or part of industrial facilities power requirements. Coates' advanced electrical generation equipment uses patented technology to provide electrical power that is reliable, safe, stable, efficient and environmentally friendly at a fraction of the cost of purchasing electricity from utility companies.
The complete generator system comes with C86GE engine, alternator, switch-gear, and radiator fully assembled on a heavy duty steel frame.
• 855 Cu. In. displacement
• Inline 6 cylinder
• HP 174 to 280 depending on the quality of the natural gas
• Patented worldwide CSRV technology
• Ultra low emissions
• CSRV system requires zero maintenance for the life of the engine
• Engine oil replacements are extended
• Low fuel consumption
Adaptable to natural gas, propane, digested land fill gas, hydrogen, and other fuels such as diesel putting out over 400 HP and putting out up to 300 KWH continuous power
News
Utilities Balk at Los Angeles County Plan for a Regional Microgrid Agency
Microgrid Knowledge
Oct 13, 2021
The county last month proposed a $41 million program that includes a regional microgrid agency to serve an area that encompasses roughly half of California’s population.
Called the Regional Public Agency Microgrid Program, the entity would create a centralized resource to help local governments and public agencies implement microgrids. It also would immediately construct three microgrids, totaling 15.95 MW.
In a joint filing, the state’s three major investor-owned utilities — Pacific Gas & Electric, San Diego Gas & Electric and Southern California Edison (SCE) — criticized the idea, describing it as speculative and saying it could lead to cost-shifting.
“It appears that the county is simply requesting that customers across the state contribute financially to the county’s preferred resource plan, without demonstrating the specific need, benefit or cost-effectiveness of that investment,” the utilities said in the filing before the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC).
The utilities’ argument centers around the idea that the microgrids might be located in the service area of one utility while ratepayers from another utility foot the bill for it. As proposed, the agency would receive part of its funding through SCE. The utilities postulated that the agency might build microgrids in the area served by a different utility, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, a municipal utility. If that were the case, ratepayers of the municipal utility would benefit from the microgrid without paying for it, the utilities argued.
But Los Angeles County countered that the utilities mischaracterized its proposal.
The microgrids would, in fact, be located within the service territory of SCE, the county said. And they would be paid for not only through SCE ratepayer funds, but also by leveraging power purchase agreements, energy service company financing and incentives, such as the state’s Self Generation Incentive Program. The first three microgrids built by the agency would leverage $51,500,000 of non-ratepayer funds (65% of project costs), according to the county.
How can microgrid developers bring projects to fruition easier, faster and cheaper? Join Microgrid Knowledge for an educational webinar Oct. 27 at 2 p.m. EST, Click here to register.
In all, Los Angeles County is asking the commission to authorize $23 million in funding over two years for the agency, with the remaining $18 million to build the three initial microgrids.
To mitigate the risk to ratepayers, the county plans to attach 84% of the agency’s annual budget to performance-based incentives that would require verification of incremental installed capacity.
The overall strategy not only empowers public agencies to pursue clean energy “but also fuels market development exponentially faster than previously approved approaches,” the county said.
News
Electricity for the people, heat for the plants
Horti-Daily
Oct 12, 2021
Although eNature feeds 100% of the electricity to the local grid, thermal energy recovered from the CHP plant will be utilized in the greenhouse. Should there not be any demand for heat in the greenhouse, while the electricity price in the grid is high enough for the plant to run, heat recovered from the engines is stored in a large buffer tank and can then be used at a later time.
News
Combined Heat and Power in Integrated Resource Planning: Examples and Planning Considerations Report
SEE Action Network
Oct 12, 2021
Significant potential exists for increasing CHP installations across the U.S. While about 81 GW of CHP capacity is in operation today, an estimated 149 GW of technically viable capacity remains to be developed. As states and utilities explore scenarios to meet energy-related goals, CHP can continue to provide value and help balance key priorities, including: 1) providing efficient and reliable electricity and thermal energy to the U.S. industrial sector; 2) increasing our power system’s resilience to support our nation’s critical infrastructure; 3) supporting grid
integration of wind, solar, and energy storage technologies; and 4) helping the U.S. maintain its global leadership position in reducing carbon dioxide and other emissions while keeping electricity prices affordable.
An integrated resource plan (IRP) is a utility plan for meeting forecasted annual peak and energy demand through a combination of supply-side and demand-side resources over a specified future period. When developing plans for future resource options, utilities can gain value from evaluating CHP as a grid resource on the supply side, as an energy efficiency resource on the demand side, or as an overall resource solution. A handful of recent state policy activities have encouraged the consideration of CHP in utility resource plans. Policymakers in some states have
updated statutory requirements or other rules to explicitly require consideration of CHP in future integrated resource plans; in other states, stakeholders have intervened in utility commission proceedings to discuss consideration of CHP and ensure utilities conduct an adequate review of CHP as a resource.
Examples of utility consideration of CHP in IRPs show that some utilities indicate a preference for owning CHP assets, while others do not take a position on ownership in their consideration of the costs and benefits of CHP.
Modeling assumptions needed to characterize CHP in an IRP include: 1) resource potential; 2) customer thermal loads; and 3) CHP system characteristics. Traditionally, utilities have compared the cost-effectiveness of CHP to other resources through reference to levelized cost of electricity (LCOE). However, many features of CHP, such as increased resilience, lower emissions, or state economic development are more challenging to value in traditional cost-benefit frameworks. New planning frameworks that consider the full range of CHP attributes may indicate that CHP can be a useful solution that minimizes system costs and maximizes customer benefits.
With an understanding of the role CHP can play in future resource planning, states and local governments can benefit from actions that: 1) evaluate how CHP is treated in state planning rules; 2) explore the role of CHP in electric utility planning; 3) provide guidance on utility ownership of CHP as a component of the rate base; 4) revise IRP rules to ensure inclusion of CHP; 5) issue guidance on modeling frameworks that value the benefits of CHP; 6) encourage collaboration across state agencies; and 7) require utilities to solicit stakeholder input in developing
resource plans. Similarly, utilities may consider moves to: 1) identify CHP potential in their service territory; 2) assess CHP interest in their service territory; 3) conduct feasibility assessments; 4) issue a Request for Proposals (RFPs) for CHP projects; 5) develop a project priority pipeline; and 6) measure CHP’s long-term benefits in
integrated resource planning.
News
Valverde Power Solutions Positions to be a Carbon Capture Leader Using Clean Energy Systems Innovative Technology
Energy Central
Oct 11, 2021
Through the Master License Agreement and CES' minority ownership position in VPS, our innovative companies are now entering into a collaborative partnership to advance the Oxy-Fuel Combustion technology in oil and gas fields and in other industrial applications, where natural gas can be converted into carbon-neutral electricity and the carbon dioxide (CO2) sequestered or provided to enhanced oil recovery (EOR) operators.
Importantly, oilfield operations can now easily be powered by clean energy reducing their carbon footprint at the field level. CO2 and electricity comprise two of the largest operating expense components of EOR operations and significant OPEX efficiencies can be achieved through the VPS plant design and the Oxy-Fuel Combustion technology. The Agreement will also enable VPS to produce a reliable and stable supply of clean electricity, complementing other clean sources of electricity from renewables and thereby contributing to an integrated, robust and environmentally friendly power grid for our economies.
As part of the consideration for granting VPS the Master License Agreement, CES will receive VPS common stock and CES CEO Keith Pronske will join the VPS Board of Directors.
Management Comments
Commenting on the License Agreement, Gareth Roberts, VPS CEO said: "At Valverde, we have expertise in the transport and sequestration of CO2. We now combine that expertise with the CES technology to provide, by far, the cheapest and most efficient method of producing dependable electric power with zero emissions. Our first priority will be to develop decarbonized electricity in existing North American hydrocarbon oilfields, but quickly we intend to expand the technology to create commercial clean electricity at scale."
Keith Pronske, CES President & CEO, stated: "We're excited about our partnership with the VPS team, and look forward to rapidly developing several carbon-neutral projects in North America. Having worked on our CCS technology for the past 25 years and tested at scale all required systems, we see a very bright future for zero emissions power plants with full carbon capture."
Valverde Power Solutions Inc., with offices in Dallas and Calgary, Canada, is a privately held clean energy company employing leading-edge technology to deliver electric power and Carbon Capture Utilization and Storage (CCUS), initially targeting the oil and gas and refining industries and other industrial end users. VPS will participate as developer and equity partner of new, emission-free power projects, primarily in North America.
Through the CES partnership, our initial projects use natural gas combusted in pure oxygen to produce power and pure carbon dioxide which can be captured and safely stored underground or supplied to oilfields suitable for tertiary recovery. The electricity produced will be a dependable and a constant supply, thereby providing an important supplement to intermittent renewable electricity supplies and to oil and gas operators for a clean oilfield power alternative.
News
USDA Requests Public Input on New Climate-Smart Agriculture Initiative
USDA
Oct 11, 2021
“Through extreme weather, drought and fire, our agriculture producers are on the frontlines of climate change,” Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said. “The new Climate-Smart Agriculture and Forestry Partnership Initiative will support pilots that create new market opportunities for commodities produced using climate-smart
practices and position U.S. farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners as leaders in addressing climate change.
The pilots will invest in the science, monitoring and verification to measure the benefits of these climate smart practices. Today, we ask for public input to inform our decision making and enhance the design of this initiative.”
USDA is committed to partnering with agriculture, forestry and rural communities to develop climate solutions that strengthen rural America. Guided by science, USDA will support a set of pilot projects that provide incentives to implement climate-smart conservation practices on working lands and to quantify and monitor the
carbon and greenhouse gas benefits associated with those practices. The pilots could rely on the Commodity Credit Corporation’s specific power to help expand or develop new and additional markets.
USDA has published a request for information seeking public comment and input on how to design the new initiative. Comments may be provided via the Federal Register.
The deadline to submit comments is 11:59 p.m. EST on Nov. 1, 2021.
Feedback will be used to inform design of the new Climate-Smart Agriculture and
Forestry Partnership Initiative. USDA is seeking input on:
• The current state of climate-smart commodity markets.
• Systems for quantification.
• Options and criteria for evaluation.
• Use of information collected.
• Potential protocols.
• Options for review and verification.
• Inclusion of historically underserved communities.
USDA encourages comments from farmers and farmer organizations, commodity groups, livestock producer groups, environmental organizations, agriculture businesses and technology companies, environmental market organizations, renewable energy organizations, tribal organizations and governments, organizations representing historically underrepresented producers, organizations representing historically underrepresented communities and private corporations.
News
DOE Invests $45 Million to Decarbonize the Natural Gas Power and Industrial Sectors Using Carbon Capture and Storage
U.S. DOE
Oct 11, 2021
“In order to dramatically reduce carbon pollution in our fight against climate change, we must deploy all of the tools at our disposal, including the innovative technologies that capture CO2 emissions before they reach the atmosphere,” said Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm. “What’s truly exciting about these projects is that not only do they put us on a path to decarbonize existing infrastructure, but they also pave the way for good-paying, union jobs—in the communities that have been impacted the most from our dependence on fossil fuels.”
Point-source carbon capture seeks to stop carbon dioxide emissions from entering the atmosphere by filtering out CO2 and other harmful gases from a power plant or industrial facility. Once deployed at a commercial scale, carbon capture can help create jobs in economically distressed power plant and industrial communities. This DOE investment puts the nation one step closer to responsible demonstration and commercialization of this technology, leading to large dollar investments in communities surrounding these facilities.
These 12 projects were selected by DOE’s Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management (FECM) and fit under three areas of interest: (1) carbon capture research and development, (2) engineering-scale testing of carbon capture technologies and (3) engineering design studies for carbon capture systems. DOE’s National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) will manage the selected projects:
1. Sustainable Energy Solutions, Inc. (Orem, UT) will design, build and operate a carbon capture process that will scale the system capacity to 30 tonnes of CO2 per day for the first time and demonstrate CO2 capture of more than 95% from the flue gas stream. This project will be housed at the Eagle Materials/Central Plains Cement Sugar Creek Plant in Sugar Creek, Missouri. Award amount: $4,999,875.
2. University of Kentucky Research Foundation (Lexington, KY) will test an innovative CO2 capture system with four new transformative techniques, treating evolved gas from an electric arc furnace. This project will be housed at Nucor Steel Gallatin Plant, in Ghent, Kentucky. Award amount: $4,999,965.
3. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) (Champaign, IL) will implement an engineering design study for retrofitting an existing cement manufacturing facility, Holcim’s Ste. Genevieve Cement Plant in Bloomsdale, Missouri, using CO2 capture technology with the ability to achieve 95% capture from flue gas. Award amount: $3,999,585.
4. Wood Environmental & Infrastructure Solutions (Blue Bell, PA) will complete an engineering design study for CO2 capture for the commercially-operated Shell Chemicals Complex in Deer Park, Texas, that will reduce its CO2 emissions by 95% using a post-combustion technology to capture CO2 from several plants, including an on-site natural gas combined heat and power plant. Award amount: $4,000,000.
5. Calpine Texas CCUS Holdings, LLC (Houston, TX) will conduct an engineering design study on a commercial-scale, second-generation carbon capture system to capture 95% of total CO2 emissions from the natural gas combined cycle (NGCC) co-generation facility, Calpine Deer Park Energy Center, in Deer Park, Texas, and applying a technology previously tested at commercial scale for CO2 capture from coal flue gas streams. Award amount: $4,791,966.
6. General Electric Company, GE Research (Niskayuna, NY) will develop a design to capture 95% of CO2 from NGCC flue gas with the potential to reduce electricity costs by at least 15%. Award amount: $1,499,992.
7. SRI International (Menlo Park, CA) will design, build and test a technology that can capture CO2 at 95% or better efficiency to demonstrate progress toward a 20% cost reduction compared with current performance of an NGCC plant with carbon capture. Award amount: $1,499,759.
8. CORMETECH, Inc. (Charlotte, NC) will further develop, optimize and test a new, lower cost technology to capture CO2 from NGCC plant flue gas, which will enhance scalability to large NGCC plants. Award amount: $2,500,000.
9. TDA Research, Inc. (Wheat Ridge, CO) will build and test a transformational post-combustion capture process using simulated NGCC flue gas that will demonstrate improved performance while meeting DOE capture targets. Award amount: $2,500,000.
10. University of Kentucky Research Foundation (Lexington, KY) will address technical challenges from low CO2 and high oxygen concentrations in NGCC flue gas, along with a high CO2 capture efficiency, through a process resulting in negative CO2 emissions and lower costs. Award amount: $2,452,268.
11. ION Clean Energy (Boulder, CO) will perform an engineering design study for a carbon capture system that will be retrofitted onto the existing Calpine Delta Energy Center (DEC), in Pittsburg, California, to capture 95% of the CO2 emissions for geologic storage in the nearby Sacramento Basin. Award amount: $5,811,210.
12. GE Gas Power (Schenectady, NY) will complete an engineering design study to incorporate a 95% commercial carbon capture solution into an existing NGCC site that will provide advanced operability, lower costs and high efficiency, and will also be scalable to other commercial sites. Award amount: $5,771,670.
“These projects demonstrate Colorado’s leadership in advancing innovative solutions to climate change while sustaining high quality jobs,” said U.S. Senator Michael Bennet (CO). “Climate change is an urgent crisis that demands an all-of-the-above approach. Investing in carbon capture will advance technological solutions, bring costs down, and cut emissions in order to prevent the worst effects of climate change.”
A detailed list of the selected projects and their associated areas of interest can be found here.
FECM funds research, development, demonstration and deployment projects to decarbonize power generation and industrial sources, to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and to mitigate the environmental impacts of fossil fuel use. To learn more, visit the FECM website, sign up for FECM news announcements and visit the NETL website.
News
Black & Veatch to Design, Build Canada’s First Electric ‘Smart Grid’
Energy Central
Oct 11, 2021
Billed as the first such community-wide utility effort in Canada, the Sault Smart Grid project for PUC Distribution Inc. – the local electricity distribution utility in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario – includes Black & Veatch’s designing and deploying a state-of-the-art network with proven technologies that enhance reliability and efficiency, improve outage management and reduce energy consumption.
That more intuitive grid, expected to be completed by late 2022, positions PUC to accommodate new distributed energy resources (DERs) such as rooftop solar, battery storage, co-generation and electric vehicles (EVs) while supporting smart city and other community growth initiatives.
Once operational, the smart grid will offer two key components – voltage optimization and distribution automation. Voltage optimization constantly regulates a consumer’s electricity supply and gives them precisely the voltage they need, saving energy and lowering electric bills. Distribution automation essentially embeds intelligence into the system, using a network of sensors and controls that provide greater reliability, flexibility and agility. Those features enable the system’s “self-healing” during power disruptions, minimizing the size of the outage and the number of affected customers.
“As the energy sector evolves, with broader investments in decarbonation, reliability and resiliency, this comprehensive smart grid initiative represents the promise of lowering generation and distribution costs while propelling the community’s modernization,” said Gary Johnson, Black & Veatch’s regional director. “Sault Ste. Marie is leading the charge in Canada, and we’re confident other utilities, regions and communities will follow suit once they see the enormous benefits.”
“With expectations that we’ll see more demand for electric vehicle hookups, rooftop solar energy and other new technology in the next decade, the Sault Smart Grid project smart grid system will help the city modernize and leap forward in meeting those challenges and opportunities,” added Kevin Bell, PUC’s vice-president. “We are excited about this project bringing our customers an energy system that is more reliable, resilient and responsive.”
News
How industry executives see the emerging ‘hydrogen economy’
DIESEL & GAS TURBINE WORLDWIDE
Oct 7, 2021
The magazine would like to thank Håkan Agnevall, President and CEO Wärtsilä Corp., Prof. KangKi Lee, senior vice president, High Power Systems, AVL List GmbH, Marty Haycraft, vice president of Caterpillar Inc. and president and CEO of Progress Rail, Javaid Riaz, general manager, Parker Gas Turbine Division, Paul Browning, president and CEO of Mitsubishi Power Americas and Carlos Lange, president and CEO of INNIO.
Oliver Riemenschneider
What do you see as your company’s role what some are touting as the emerging hydrogen economy?
Riaz: For over 50 years, GTF has worked closely with GT OEMs and Operators to make Rotating Equipment more Efficient and with enhanced Availability. The ‘new’ challenge is a natural evolution of this. Gas Turbines provide a solid path to provide power in this emerging Hydrogen economy with the stability that renewables are currently unable to achieve. GTs are already being fueled with ever increasing % of Hydrogen mix fuels. This trend will continue. There is a solid link between GT air filtration and GT performance. This can be in the form of simply reducing the lifetime pressure loss of the GT filter, allowing the operator to stay within a tight band of controlled emissions and the extension to filter life.
Javaid Riaz
Lange: INNIO is a pioneer and an integral part of the energy transition. Currently the use of combined heat and power (CHP) generation with gas engines offers a CO2 reduction of more than 30% compared to generating electricity and heat separately. Additionally, CHP provides overall efficiency levels of 90% and more. While INNIO is an industry leader in CHP, we continue to identify and deliver technologies that reduce carbon emissions even more, such as hydrogen.
Our technological progress and search for solutions for a climate-neutral, greener and safer energy future drives us to be a key enabler in the transition to deliver carbon free heat and power. I am very proud that, as one of the pioneers in the industry, we have announced the first “Ready for H2” product portfolio in the power generation range from 200 kW to 10.4 MW. With our extensive range of innovative and fuel-flexible Jenbacher gas engines – which can be operated with renewable gas, natural gas, or hydrogen-rich fuels – our role is to pave the way for a greener energy future for our customers worldwide.
Paul Browning
Riemenschneider: ABB Turbocharging’s clear mission is to enable internal combustion engines to apply pure hydrogen, blends of hydrogen or hydrogen-derived fuels in the most economical way.
We have invested a lot of time and effort to understand the pathways to net-zero or zero-carbon fuels, not only to inform how our technologies must develop, but to help end users to understand the implications for their assets. As well as our own technology roadmap we use our engineering expertise to contribute to the industry perspective. For example, we have helped to steer CIMAC committees on greenhouse gas emissions and future fuels, which have identified some of the development challenges and potential technology implications for fuels and engines.
There is no doubt that the internal combustion engine is here to stay. It has proved many times over the decades that it can burn all kinds of fuels and meet new requirements, and it will do so in the future. Turbocharging plays a critical role in enabling future fuels because they deliver the air needed to control combustion. It is clear then that turbochargers will continue to make an important contribution to the high efficiency and performance of the combustion engine and our customers’ assets.
Carlos Lange
ABB Turbocharging is already exploring the turbocharger requirement for new fuels including hydrogen and ammonia. We presented our initial findings at the Rostock Large Engine Symposium last year, and we continue to work on many industry projects, leveraging our unique strengths in turbocharger research – including our one-of-a-kind Test Center. We believe we are ready to support our customers whichever fuels and whichever engine concepts they choose.
Browning: We believe that the power sector will lead the adoption of hydrogen as part of the net zero commitments our customers are making. In regions that are heavily penetrated with renewable power, hydrogen will be used to store renewable power for long periods of time. Mitsubishi Power is helping our customers accelerate the path toward 100% carbon neutral power generation by launching Hydaptive standard packages and Hydaptive storage.
Marty Haycraft
These are the world’s first standard packages for green hydrogen integration. Mitsubishi Power’s standard packages cut through the complexity power generators and grid operators encounter when integrating renewable generation, gas turbines, electrolysis and other technologies to generate and store energy in the form of green hydrogen. The Hydaptive family of technologies includes both standalone and integrated products that reduce cost, cycle time and execution complexity through standardization of engineering and design, and also utilize patent pending integrations and TOMONI software to provide increased capabilities for the integration of intermittent renewable energy sources. Finally, they provide a truly dispatchable power source with a reduced initial carbon footprint that can be adjusted over time to fit into a net zero carbon framework.
Haycraft
: We are helping our customers achieve their climate-related goals by providing products that facilitate fuel transition, increase operational efficiency, and reduce emissions. We will provide the technology required for rail transportation – including where hydrogen could play a significant role in achieving greenhouse gas reductions and the science-based targets of certain customers.
We are actively engaged in the ongoing development of new technologies, as well as improving existing technologies. While hydrogen may be the largest component of an approach to carbon reduction in the future, several strategies remain to be implemented sooner than the infrastructure for hydrogen can be constructed, with alternate fuels and train and vessel drivetrain efficiencies, among others. Still, should hydrogen adoption and infrastructure accelerate to a closer horizon, we will be ready to help our customers succeed.
Kang-Ki Lee
Lee: It is no doubt that the future power train will be powered by hydrogen or zero carbon fuels based on hydrogen. Hydrogen is the simplest carbon free energy carrier. Current debates are ongoing on how to produce hydrogen, so that blue hydrogen will bridge the gap together with other net zero carbon fuels till green hydrogen infrastructure will be ready on industrial scale. AVL sees the significance and its potential of hydrogen and teamed-up in dedicated business groups to deal with hydrogen and zero carbon fuels throughout the entire life cycle connected by Power-to-X concepts. We can be a one stop shop for the hydrogen economy in all applications from ICE to Fuel Cells with good competences in developing storage and handling systems as well.
Agnevall: The energy sector and maritime industry are both undergoing a massive transformation as they seek to decarbonize. Hydrogen is one of the fuels that is currently being discussed in the industry. At Wärtsilä we have accelerated testing and technology development with hydrogen, amongst other promising fuels i.e., ammonia, and methanol. We are committed to provide our customers with products and technologies to help navigate the biggest change that the industry has seen.
Wärtsilä has invested in a flexible engine and energy storage portfolio that can provide the required flexibility for high renewable energy systems. Wärtsilä is conducting R&D on future fuels so that we are able to run on carbon-neutral future fuels when markets eventually turn away from fossil fuels. Hydrogen will also be used as-is and to produce other carbon-neutral compounds such as synthetic methane, methanol and ammonia. These substances already have a logistics infrastructure and market and therefore applications for these fuels may emerge faster than for pure hydrogen, accelerating decarbonization.
Combined Heat & Power
Upcoming Events
Upcoming
Event
Distributed Energy Conference
Renewable Energy Direct
October 18-21, 2021
Upcoming
Event
2021 National Conference on Energy Efficiency as a Resource
ACEEE
October 19-21, 2021
Upcoming
Event
Understanding your natural gas bills
U.S. DOE
October 19, 2021, 11am – 12pm ET
Upcoming
Event
AEE World: ENERGY EFFICIENCY & SUSTAINABILITY
AEE
October 20-22, 2021
AEE World is back! Join us at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center to do business, share advancements in the industry, and connect with your peers or Gain virtual access to the opening, closing and CWEEL keynote sessions, and high level panel discussions.
Upcoming
Event
THE BUSINESS OF LEADING ON CLIMATE AND BOLSTERING U.S. COMPETITIVENESS
Business Council for Sustainable Energy
October 21, 2021, 1:00 to 2:00 pm ET
This panel of U.S. companies will dive into the range of policies and investments that would bolster competitiveness – from manufacturing, supply chains, carbon border adjustments, workforce development and more.
Upcoming
Event
AEE World 2021
AEE
October 20-22, 2021
The conference opens and closes with leaders speaking on important energy topics. They provide insight into their company's operations, what it takes to lead, or how they innovate. AEE selects speakers, often personalities that are known globally, to challenge, entertain and motivate conference attendees. These are truly "got-to-attend" sessions that often provides the audience motivation to go out and make changes or connect with the attendees around them. After all, we are all here for one purpose…. to find improvements in energy usage, become more efficient, and save energy.
A broad selection of qualified speakers present case studies, application success stories, innovations in technology, energy service improvements and much, much, more. You can select from 11 tracks with over 140 individual technical presentations. Each one is designed to give you objective, valid information you can apply to your business projects as soon as you leave AEE World.
In 2021 the conference contains four panel discussions, each one is dedicated to a particular topic of interest to energy efficiency and energy management professionals. Join the panel sessions and join the conversation.
A wide range of industry-leading companies presents energy-efficient products, energy management services, and solutions. Register for free to attend the two-day expo.
Upcoming
Event
Understanding your water bills
U.S. DOE
October 26, 2021, 11am – 12pm ET
Upcoming
Event
Lessons learned from goal achievers
U.S. DOE
October 28, 2021, 1pm – 2pm ET
Upcoming
Event
BREWING HEAT, POWER, AND BEER WITH CHP
U.S. DOE Combined Heat and Power Technical Assistance Partnerships
October 28, 2021 1:00 to 2 pm ET
Breweries use large amounts of energy as the brewing process involves heating and cooling. Join experts from New Belgium Brewing and the Department of Energy’s Combined Heat and Power Technical Assistance Partnership (CHP TAP) for an interactive session that will explain how CHP can efficiently provide the energy needed for every stage of the brewing process.
Speakers:
● David Benavidez, Operations Support
Manager, New Belgium Brewing
● Marina Badoian-Kriticos, Assistant
Director, Upper-West CHP TAP
● Margaret Cook, Research Associate,
Upper-West CHP-TAP
Upcoming
Event
Renovate, Retrofit, Reduce, (R3) Conference and Innovation Expo
National Association of Energy Service Companies
November 9-12, 2021
We dive into how states, cities, and public institutions can leverage new opportunities as well as lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic to open back better and make our building infrastructure healthier, safer, and more resilient and energy efficient.
The R3 Conference and Innovation Expo will underscore NAESCO’s 2021 theme, “Partnering Today for a More Efficient Tomorrow.” Discussions will focus on the benefits of partnering with ESCOs and emphasize how they can help modernize our building infrastructure and improve efficiency and resiliency for a more sustainable future.
This year’s conference will take place during our second annual National ESCO Week (#ESCOWeek). The series of events will be a celebration of the entire energy efficiency industry and a reminder of the value #ESCOs bring to our country.
Combined Heat & Power
Partner News
People on the Move
Berlien new CEO of gas engine manufacturer INNIO
INNIO
Sep 23, 2021
The former CEO of lighting and sensor specialist Osram succeeds Carlos Lange, who will remain with the company and move to INNIO’s advisory board as planned at his own request.
“We are very pleased to have Olaf Berlien as INNIO’s new CEO,” said Peter Grosch, chairman of INNIO. “With his extensive expertise in technology and sales as well as his experience in international companies, he was our preferred candidate. Olaf Berlien will build on the successful work of Carlos Lange and drive INNIO’s growth course. Under his leadership, INNIO will further expand its leading position and successfully help shape the energy transition that has been initiated.”
INNIO is a leading supplier of gas engines and services for power generation and gas compression with renewable gases, natural gas as well as on the basis of hydrogen. With its Jenbacher and Waukesha gas engines, INNIO contributes to the energy supply of communities, industry, and the public. With around 3500 employees, the company generated sales of around €1.4 billion in the fiscal year 2020. INNIO’s gas engines serve as a backup for the volatile energy supply from renewable sources and thus support the expansion of green energy, the company said. This makes them an integral part of the green energy future. INNIO already offers gas engines that can run on hydrogen as part of its “Ready for H2” portfolio and will extend this option to all gas engines from 2022. The company is thus driving the global transformation of energy generation on a broad front.
Berlien has extensive experience in plant engineering with the gas and oil industry as well as in the automotive and semiconductor industries. Over the past 30 years he has held leading positions as a board member and managing director of technology companies such as IBM, Carl Zeiss, Thyssenkrupp Technologies and ThyssenKrupp Elevator as well as Exyte. Most recently, Berlien served for six years as CEO of Osram, a global leader in the semiconductor-based lighting and sensor industry.
In his new role, Lange will support INNIO in an advisory capacity in its strategic development.
“Carlos Lange has written a strong growth story at INNIO in recent years and has set the course for a successful future by establishing new technologies such as hydrogen operation. We are extremely grateful to Carlos Lange for his successful work as President and CEO in the development of INNIO and, most importantly, for successfully leading the company through the COVID-19 pandemic,” Grosch said.
INNIO was formed in 2018 when Advent International has completed the acquisition of GE’s Distributed Power business. The acquisition included the Jenbacher and Waukesha product lines, the digital platform and related services offerings, with main operating sites in Austria, Canada and the United States. Lange was CEO when the acquisition occurred and stayed on in his role.
Partner
News
Capstone supplying 2.4 MW for Caribbean resort
Capstone Green Energy
Sep 21, 2021
The order, secured by E-Finity Distributed Generation, Capstone’s exclusive distributor for the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern United States and parts of the Caribbean, is expected to be commissioned in the Spring of 2022.
Three Capstone Green Energy propane-fueled C800 Signature Series microturbine energy systems are designed to provide a reliable, environmentally friendly, and cost-effective alternative to the island’s expensive grid power. The new power plant is expected to provide all of the resort’s power while potentially generating millions of dollars in estimated annual electric cost savings and reducing the resort’s carbon footprint.
“Delivering clean, reliable, low-cost power to our Caribbean clients is E-Finity’s number one priority right now,” said Jeff Beiter, E-Finity president and CEO. “Economically, the system has the potential to save the customer millions of dollars; environmentally, it is designed to offset millions of pounds of CO2 per year, equivalent to removing 500+ cars from the road. In fact, no oil deliveries, storage, or disposal are needed with our air lubricated, air-cooled microturbines; I’d say that’s environmentally friendly.”
This 2.4 MW power plant is designed for N+1 redundancy and is expandable to 3 MW by adding another 200 kW module to each C800S package, making it a C1000S system should the resort expand in the future. The Signature Series products also meets the wind-resistant provisions of the 2018 International Building Code, ASCE 7-16, for wind speeds up to 180 mph.
“This project exemplifies what I call the new breed of forward-looking, progressive developers who are finding creative ways to reduce their carbon footprint as well as lowering their annual operating costs - thus making green by being green,” said Darren Jamison, Capstone Green Energy president and CEO. “This low emission development will adapt to the resort’s growing energy needs over time and is expected to significantly reduce their carbon footprint. All the while, it is anticipated that they will generate reliable electricity at a lower cost than other resorts on the island that still buy power from the utility, which is generated using outdated, higher emissions technologies and more expensive fuels.”
Partner
News
Caterpillar acquires carbon capture company
Caterpillar
Sep 17, 2021
Carbon capture systems using CarbonPoint Solutions’ patented processes can be applied to engines and turbines at oil and gas sites, distributed power and industrial plants and waste-to-energy sites.
“Combining CarbonPoint Solutions’ patented technology with Caterpillar Oil & Gas solutions enables us to further reduce greenhouse gas emissions while helping our customers meet their climate-related objectives,” said Rod Shurman, vice president of Caterpillar’s Oil & Gas and Marine Division.
“We are extremely pleased to join Caterpillar and look forward to rapid deployment of the Semi-Closed Cycle and carbon capture for Cat engines and Solar gas turbines,” said Paul Dunn, president and founder of CarbonPoint Solutions.
Caterpillar is committed to contributing to a reduced-carbon future. We demonstrate this in many ways including our continued investment in new products, technologies and services to help our customers achieve their climate-related objectives as they build a better, more sustainable world.
Partner
News
Caterpillar to Offer Power Solutions Operating on 100% Hydrogen to Customers in 2021
Caterpillar
Sep 1, 2021
These market-focused innovations leverage power generation projects currently operating on natural gas blended with up to 80% hydrogen to help address customers’ carbon-reduction goals with high-performing, cost-effective technologies that demonstrate the near-term viability of hydrogen as a fuel source. Building on 35 years of experience across multiple end markets, Caterpillar continues to improve the performance of hydrogen-fueled power technologies with minimal impacts on maintenance costs and schedules, availability, and operations.
“The power solutions landscape is transforming as customers look to maximize the environmental and economic benefits of reducing their carbon intensities,” said Bart Myers, general manager for Caterpillar Large Electric Power. “We’re extending our leadership through numerous initiatives that demonstrate the viability of power solutions that can utilize many types of hydrogen, including fully renewable, in order to shorten the path to commercial availability.”
In the fourth quarter of 2021, Caterpillar will begin offering the Cat G3516H gas generator set specifically configured to use 100% hydrogen for fuel. Initially available as demonstrator units in North America and Europe with initial deliveries in late 2022, the Cat G3516H generator set will be offered with a rating of 1250 kW for 50 or 60 Hz continuous, prime, and load management applications.
Later this year, Caterpillar will also begin a staged roll-out of commercially available Cat CG132B, CG170B, G3500H, G3500 with Fast Response, and CG260 gas generator sets configured to enable operation on natural gas blended with up to 25% hydrogen for continuous, prime, and load management applications in North America and Europe. Additionally, the company will offer retrofit kits that provide hydrogen blending capabilities up to 25% hydrogen for select generator sets built on these engine platforms. Production of new natural gas generator sets and retrofit kits capable of 25% hydrogen will begin in the fourth quarter of 2022.
Plans for operating on 100% hydrogen include developing a range of commercially available products and upgrades for existing Cat gas generators. The development and launch of these solutions address potential customer demand growth as the hydrogen supply infrastructure matures, and these initiatives demonstrate Caterpillar’s comprehensive, wide-ranging commitment to helping customers meet their climate-related objectives.
Partner
News
Endurant Enters High-Tech AG Sector with $30 CHP-Based Million Microgrid
Microgrid Knowledge
Aug 20, 2021
The project is Bluehouse’s first greenhouse. The company is also scouting sites in the Southwest and Northeast with a goal of starting work on three more greenhouses in the next three years, according to Shane Holland, a company spokesman.
“We are very excited about our partnership with BHGH and our participation in the expanding agriculture tech sector,” Tom Chadwick, Endurant chief executive officer, said Aug. 9. “Endurant understands the importance of reliable, affordable and efficient energy generation to CEA.”
The project will include four 3.3-MW, natural gas-fired ECOMAX combined heat and power (CHP) systems built by AB Energy USA, according to Jeff Bogg, Endurant senior vice president for service solutions.
The CHP systems will produce electricity, hot water, chilled water and recover carbon dioxide. The hot water can be used directly in the greenhouse or stored in thermal energy storage systems. The project also includes hot water driven absorption chillers for cold water, which can also be used directly or stored. Recovered carbon dioxide will be pumped into the greenhouse to accelerate plant growth and productivity.
There will also be a backup natural gas boiler and two, 2-MW emergency diesel generators, according to Bogg. Endurant hasn’t settled on a microgrid control for the project yet, he said.
The microgrid system is called Bluehouse Energy. By using typically wasted byproducts of power generation such as heat, water and carbon dioxide, the Bluehouse Energy system’s efficiency increases from an average of 50% to more than 95%, according to Bluehouse.
The greenhouse will get “fairly significant” cost savings through the CHP generation compared to buying power off the grid, according to Bogg.
The project won’t be connected to the grid to avoid the time it takes to move through the interconnection process, which can take years, according to Bogg.
“We’re going full island mode, which is a fairly common decision, at least here in California, whether they’re greenhouses or cannabis grow facilities,” Bogg said.
Eventually, Endurant could add generation and batteries to the microgrid and connect to the local grid to sell energy and resource adequacy services to a community choice aggregator, according to Bogg.
When planning the microgrid, Endurant considered solar power and battery storage for the project but they weren’t feasible, Bogg said.
For solar, there wasn’t any available land and rooftop solar doesn’t work on a greenhouse. The project wasn’t eligible for the California Public Utilities Commission’s Self-Generation Equity Resiliency Incentive Program, which provides subsidies for energy storage. Without subsidies, batteries didn’t make economic sense at the greenhouse, according to Bogg.
The CEA market is poised for growth, partly driven by a growing sense that the US should grow more food locally, according to Bogg.
“Even before the pandemic, there was certainly an awareness that we’re very dependent on imported fruits and vegetables,” Bogg said.
That dependence can lead to price volatility and shortages triggered by supply chain disruptions, he said, noting that locally grown food has a smaller carbon footprint.
At the same time, the cost of indoor agriculture technology has dropped while its precision has increased, according to Bogg.
“It really sets the scene for cost-effective, agricultural production in a highly controlled environment that minimizes the use of water, which is a big consideration here in California,” Bogg said.
Partner
News
Capstone completes UK facility expansion
Capstone Green Energy
Aug 18, 2021
“Continuing to invest in our UK operation is critical to Capstone’s key objectives to reduce and drive down freight dependency and offset manufacturing costs through our remanufacturing program,” said Darren Jamison, Capstone’s president and chief executive officer. “In parallel, we are improving response times for all our existing Distributor partners and growing our Energy as a Service (EaaS) business as we expand the global rental fleet.
“By adding complex remanufacturing processes, the UK facility now mirrors the Capstone US-based testing facilities. These capabilities will accelerate Capstone’s ability to provide parts and services to EMEA and improve future aftermarket margins.”
Partner
News
MEA’s Resilient Maryland Returns to Push the Envelope on Distributed Energy: FY22 Program Now Accepting Applications
Maryland Energy Administration
Aug 18, 2021
Program Purpose: Resilient Maryland is provided to help organizations identify potential ways to incorporate DERs into organizational energy management plans that improve resilience and sustainability, reduce energy burden, and safeguard essential infrastructure, services, and businesses from prolonged power outages.
In its FY22 year, the program is seeking projects that pursue creative solutions, incorporate innovation, explore potentially replicable and scalable project models, and enhance energy equity to Maryland communities experiencing vulnerabilities and challenges.
Partner
News
AB changes its logo, changes its image, changes its positioning.
AB Energy
Aug 15, 2021
Partner
News
MPC Energy Solutions invests in energy efficiency through CHP in Puerto Rico
MPC Energy Solutions N.V.
Aug 15, 2021
This is MPC Energy Solutions' first acquisition since its listing on the Oslo Stock Exchange's Euronext Growth segment in January 2021. The acquisition is subject to customary closing conditions and expected for August 2021.
The project is currently under construction with expected commissioning to take place in August 2021. Once complete, it is expected to produce 25,000-30,000 MWh of energy supply annually and will lead to a reduction of 100,000 tons of CO2 over the 12-years contract period. The investment aligns perfectly with MPC Energy Solutions' strategy to focus on the corporate sector as a source of clients and to build strategic partnerships for accelerated capital deployment such as with Enernet Global Inc.
Cogeneration projects offer substantial economic and environmental benefits to its users as they simultaneously produce heat and power. These benefits include lower overall energy costs, improved reliability, and reduced thermal energy consumption. The implementation of this project will lead to a reduction of carbon emissions of up to 30%.
Partner
News
DelFrescoPure® Greenhouse Introduces Expansion of its CHP System
DelFrescoPure®
Aug 14, 2021
CHP is the onsite generation of electricity from the use of natural gas. The byproducts of CHP are heat that can be stored and used to create the desired microclimate within the greenhouse, and CO2 that is used to fertilize the crops. The CHP units will additionally produce the electricity required to power the grow lights as well as the mechanical load of the facility. While electricity generation alone is typically 40% efficient in converting fuel to power, adding heat recovery to the equation can bring that efficiency to 90%, a reality that suits greenhouses well.
DelFrescoPure® intends to use the electricity to power the lights at Via Verde Hydroponics Ltd. These grow lights allow for an extended growing season, making produce that would originally be grown in the summer available all year round. The heat harnessed by CHP will also be recycled to heat the greenhouses and meet all daily power needs. Being able to produce electricity more cost-effectively onsite also means DelFrescoPure® does not have to worry about voltage fluctuation from the area maxing out the local grid. With electricity no longer being a concern DelFrescoPure® is primed and ready for the 25-acre expansion currently underway.
“DelFrescoPure® is excited to increase our Cogeneration Power units. We are very pleased to be working with Martin Energy again to install the new CHP technology and solutions they offer. The results from using the Cogeneration technology over the past three years have been great. We look forward to expanding the system so we can continue to provide fresh produce all year long.” said Carl Mastronardi, President of Del Fresco Produce Ltd.
Along with the financial benefits, CHP power is better for the environment. This method ensures that fewer resources are wasted and required to produce electricity. The extended growing season also reduces our carbon footprint by decreasing the need for local retailers to import high mileage commodities. DelFrescoPure® is taking a sustainable approach to provide consumers with the freshest items possible.
CHP is perfectly suited for the greenhouse environment since it is able to harness all three attributes of the technology (electricity, heat & CO2). DelFrescoPure® will never have to worry about where their energy is coming from and can continue to expand as market demand increases.
DelFrescoPure® is an innovator and leader in the premium greenhouse industry that grows and markets greenhouse tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, beans, eggplants, and strawberries. We are family-owned and have been operating for over 50 years in Kingsville, Ontario, Canada. We pride ourselves on the quality of our produce, unsurpassed flavor and personalized customer service. Learn more at DelFrescoPure.com.
1The Online Copyright Infringement Liability Limitation Act, passed into law in 1998 as part of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act provides safe harbour protection to "online service providers" for "online storage" in section 512(c). Section 512(c) applies to online service providers that store copyright infringing material. In addition to the two general requirements that online service providers comply with standard technical measures and remove repeat infringers, section 512(c) also requires that the online service providers: 1) do not receive a financial benefit directly attributable to the infringing activity, 2) are not aware of the presence of infringing material or know any facts or circumstances that would make infringing material apparent, and 3) upon receiving notice from copyright owners or their agents, act expeditiously to remove the allegedly copyright infringing material. These news items and event posting do not represent any guidance by the U.S. DOE, nor are they intended to influence any party. The news and events are only for the general interest information provided to CHP stakeholders.