Spanish company Ferry Group is to invest €42/US$55.2 million in a project for the production of biomass fuel pellets in Bulgaria.
The 3-year project consists of establishing plantations of paulownia trees near the city of Tran. Paulownia is a fast-growing tree used for the commercial production of fuel pellets.
Growth in green energy storage technologies may give hydrogen the edge over first generation biofuels - report
The renewable energy sector is attracting over $30 billion of investment a year, but future growth will depend on advances in energy storage technology. This is the conclusion of the report "Watts In Store - Storing Renewable Energy", by Cambridge UK based analysts, CarbonFree. According to the report, emphasis will shift away from photovoltaic technology and towards fuel cell, hydrogen generation and geothermal systems. According to CarbonFree, this shift will provide investment opportunities in downstream renewable energy products such as hydrogen and electricity - at present only polysilicon, rather than the energy it generates, is traded as a commodity.
The report highlights key areas where established renewable energy companies should partner with emerging energy storage technology providers. One of these is the production of hydrogen using wind power. According to Senior Analyst, Remi Wilkinson, "As the proportion of energy generated from wind energy increases, the integrity of power grids becomes an issue unless energy can be stored."
In the short term, CarbonFree sees biofuels remaining the dominant clean energy store for the transport sector. However, the report notes that biofuels themselves will come under pressure due to supply shortfalls and concerns over their environmental impact. This, according to CarbonFree, could give hydrogen fuel cell technology an edge in the carbon neutral transport sector.
The report does not mention second and third generation biofuels, let alone the vast bioenergy potential in the developing world (earlier post), which makes its conclusions highly biased. We do agree though that first generation biofuels made from ultra-low yielding crops cultivated in the North (such as corn) may be competed out of the market rather soon. But as many analysts have noted, both the EU and the US should import biofuels from the South, where the potential is vast and untapped and where the agro-ecological circumstances result in biofuels that can be produced very efficiently and competitively.
Due to their high energy density, biofuels can be shipped all over the world in tankers, unlike hydrogen. This is why a global trade in biofuels is emerging, that is gradually unlocking the potential of the South (earlier post). The report does not mention this basic scenario.
Moreover, several comprehensive well-to-wheel analyses show that hydrogen produced from the electrolysis of water by electricity generated from wind, is highly inefficient and very expensive. The well-to-tank path also faces tremendous barriers when it comes to the distribution of the hydrogen. This fuel path is only marginally feasible when the hydrogen (which acts as an energy storage medium) is produced locally, at the wind turbine (see earlier post). The question then becomes: what to do with the many places where it makes no sense to build wind turbines? Given these many disadvantages, we remain highly sceptical about this report's findings:
:: bioenergy :: biofuels :: energy :: sustainability :: developing world :: storage :: hydrogen :: wind :: trade ::
Another potential market identified within the report is the use of geothermal technology in urban areas. 'Urban Heat Islands' - built up areas that have microclimates several degrees warmer than the surrounding countryside - are a significant contributor to global warming. However, technology is emerging that can be used to manage heat in cities, and CarbonFree sees scope for the development of a business model based on the storage and re-supplying of this energy. The report suggests this business model will operate along similar lines to a hedge fund and will attract the attention of energy traders skilled at setting up deals between energy suppliers and large energy consumers.
Other storage technologies analysed in the report are hydro-storage, phase change materials, rock and water based geothermal systems, batteries, compressed air and flywheels.
More information:
CarbonFree: Watts In Store - Storing Renewable Energy [*.pdf] - table of contents.
The report highlights key areas where established renewable energy companies should partner with emerging energy storage technology providers. One of these is the production of hydrogen using wind power. According to Senior Analyst, Remi Wilkinson, "As the proportion of energy generated from wind energy increases, the integrity of power grids becomes an issue unless energy can be stored."
In the short term, CarbonFree sees biofuels remaining the dominant clean energy store for the transport sector. However, the report notes that biofuels themselves will come under pressure due to supply shortfalls and concerns over their environmental impact. This, according to CarbonFree, could give hydrogen fuel cell technology an edge in the carbon neutral transport sector.
The report does not mention second and third generation biofuels, let alone the vast bioenergy potential in the developing world (earlier post), which makes its conclusions highly biased. We do agree though that first generation biofuels made from ultra-low yielding crops cultivated in the North (such as corn) may be competed out of the market rather soon. But as many analysts have noted, both the EU and the US should import biofuels from the South, where the potential is vast and untapped and where the agro-ecological circumstances result in biofuels that can be produced very efficiently and competitively.
Due to their high energy density, biofuels can be shipped all over the world in tankers, unlike hydrogen. This is why a global trade in biofuels is emerging, that is gradually unlocking the potential of the South (earlier post). The report does not mention this basic scenario.
Moreover, several comprehensive well-to-wheel analyses show that hydrogen produced from the electrolysis of water by electricity generated from wind, is highly inefficient and very expensive. The well-to-tank path also faces tremendous barriers when it comes to the distribution of the hydrogen. This fuel path is only marginally feasible when the hydrogen (which acts as an energy storage medium) is produced locally, at the wind turbine (see earlier post). The question then becomes: what to do with the many places where it makes no sense to build wind turbines? Given these many disadvantages, we remain highly sceptical about this report's findings:
:: bioenergy :: biofuels :: energy :: sustainability :: developing world :: storage :: hydrogen :: wind :: trade ::Another potential market identified within the report is the use of geothermal technology in urban areas. 'Urban Heat Islands' - built up areas that have microclimates several degrees warmer than the surrounding countryside - are a significant contributor to global warming. However, technology is emerging that can be used to manage heat in cities, and CarbonFree sees scope for the development of a business model based on the storage and re-supplying of this energy. The report suggests this business model will operate along similar lines to a hedge fund and will attract the attention of energy traders skilled at setting up deals between energy suppliers and large energy consumers.
Other storage technologies analysed in the report are hydro-storage, phase change materials, rock and water based geothermal systems, batteries, compressed air and flywheels.
More information:
CarbonFree: Watts In Store - Storing Renewable Energy [*.pdf] - table of contents.
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
Links to this post:
Create a Link
<< Home