The US Department of Energy’s (DOE) Wind Energy Technologies Office (WETO) and Office of Electricity (OE) plan to fund (DE-FOA-0003241) research to drive innovation and reduce costs of high-voltage direct current (HVDC) voltage source converter (VSC) transmission systems. HVDC transmission systems are more efficient than traditional alternating current (AC) transmission... Read more →

Electrify America has begun commercial operation of the new 75MW Electrify America Solar Glow 1 solar photovoltaic renewable energy generation project in San Bernardino County, CA, announced last year. Electrify America Solar Glow 1 is the result of a 15-year virtual power purchase agreement (VPPA) with developer Terra-Gen. Electrify America... Read more →

Canada-based General Fusion announced a new Magnetized Target Fusion (MTF) machine that will fast-track the company’s technical progress. To be built at the company’s new Richmond, British Columbia headquarters, this machine is designed to achieve fusion conditions of more than 100 million degrees Celsius by 2025, and progress toward scientific... Read more →

LiquidPiston, a developer of efficient engine technology and hybrid power systems, has been awarded an $8.3-million contract by Parsons Corporation to integrate its recently launched high-performance rotary X-Engine, the XTS-210 (earlier post), into a lightweight, compact 10 kW generator set to be field-tested by the Army, delivering unmatched power flexibility... Read more →

The UK government officially launched Great British Nuclear (GBN), an arms-length body operating through a repurposed British Nuclear Fuels (BNFL) Ltd to deliver the government’s long-term nuclear program and support the government’s ambition to deliver up to 24GW of nuclear power in the UK by 2050. This could mean nearly... Read more →

bp has been awarded the rights to develop two offshore wind projects in the German tender round, marking its entry into offshore wind in continental Europe. The two North Sea sites, located 130km and 150km offshore in water depths of about 40m, have a total potential generating capacity of 4GW.... Read more →

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (MHI) has been selected as the core company in charge of the conceptual design of an demonstration fast reactor which the Japanese Government aims to place into operation in the 2040s. MHI will oversee both the conceptual design as well as research and development (R&D) for... Read more →

A power generator demo unit genset, relying on a first use of FuelAdaptive engine technologies patented by ClearFlame Engine Technologies, has successfully progressed through phase one trials. The trial was conducted by Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) in partnership with ClearFlame and Duke Energy. In addition to a series of... Read more →

Lightbridge Corporation, an advanced nuclear fuel technology company, announced that Texas A&M University (TAMU) has been awarded approximately $1,000,000 by the US Department of Energy’s Nuclear Energy University Program R&D Awards to study the deployment of advanced nuclear fuels in Small Modular Reactors (SMRs). The project will be conducted over... Read more →

Rolls-Royce has approved its mtu Kinetic PowerPacks, based on the mtu Series 4000 and 1600 diesel engines, for use with renewable diesel (HVO/Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil) and the other synthetic diesel fuels of the EN15940 standard. With HVO the CO2 footprint of the mtu systems for dynamic uninterruptible power supply (DUPS)... Read more →

MAN Engines is now offering pre-chamber spark plugs adapted to the respective combustion chamber to all turbocharged natural gas engines of the current MAN E3262, E3268, E0836 and E0834 series as an option, as well as MAN E3872 as obligatory. Due to backward compatibility, existing combined heat and power plants... Read more →

According to the US Energy Information Administration (EIA), US production of uranium concentrate (U3O8) in the first quarter of 2023 totaled 2,511 pounds. This is 75% lower than first quarter 2022 production and a drop of 99% from fourth quarter 2022 as no material was produced this quarter at the... Read more →

The US Department of Energy (DOE) is seeking feedback on two draft requests for proposals (RFPs) to acquire high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU)—a crucial material needed to develop and deploy advanced reactors in the United States. The use of HALEU in advanced reactor designs can improve the fuel utilization efficiency, allowing... Read more →

China-based Dongfang Electric Corporation (DEC) reported successful testing of non-desalinated seawater electrolysis technology for hydrogen production powered by offshore wind. The floating hydrogen production platform Dongfu One is sited in an offshore wind farm in East China’s Fujian province. This project was a joint effort by DEC and a research... Read more →

The Yongsoo wave energy power plant, installed at berth 1 in the Korean Institute KRISO-Wave Energy Test Site (WETS), is preparing to produce green hydrogen from next year, according to a report from Ocean Energy Systems. Ocean Energy Systems (OES) is the short name for the Technology Collaboration Programme on... Read more →

Constellation Energy has set an industry record for blending high concentrations of hydrogen with natural gas, further evidence that hydrogen can be an effective tool to lower greenhouse gas emissions. Working with Siemens Energy and EPRI, the hydrogen blending test was conducted at Constellation’s Hillabee Generating Station, a three-unit, 753-megawatt... Read more →

According to the California Independent System Operator, battery storage capacity in the state has increased by nearly 20 times since 2019—from 250 megawatts (MW) to 5,000 MW. Today’s fleet of storage resources can capture enough electricity to power up to 5 million California homes. By 2045, capacity is projected to... Read more →

NuScale Power Corporation and Nucor Corporation signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to explore co-locating NuScale’s VOYGR small modular nuclear reactor (SMR) power plants to provide clean, reliable baseload electricity to Nucor’s scrap-based Electric Arc Furnace (EAF) steel mills. The companies will also explore an expanded manufacturing partnership through which... Read more →

Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (AECL), Canadian Nuclear Laboratories (CNL) and Global First Power (GFP) announced that GFP has selected a location at the Chalk River Laboratories to site its proposed Micro-Modular Reactor (MMR) project. GFP is proposing to construct and operate a 15 megawatt thermal (MWth) (approximately 5 MW... Read more →

Dow and X-Energy Reactor Company, a developer of advanced nuclear reactors and fuel technology for clean energy generation, announced that Dow has selected its UCC Seadrift Operations manufacturing site in Texas for its proposed advanced small modular reactor (SMR) nuclear project. The project is focused on providing the Seadrift site... Read more →

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has proposed new CO2 standards for coal and natural gas-fired power plants. The proposal for coal and new natural gas power plants would avoid up to 617 million metric tons of total CO2 through 2042—equivalent to reducing the annual emissions of 137 million passenger... Read more →

Westinghouse Electric Company launched its newest nuclear technology, the AP300 small modular reactor (SMR), a 300-MWe (900MWth) single-loop pressurized water reactor. The AP300 SMR design is scaled from the advanced, proven AP1000 reactor and is the only SMR truly based on an Nth-of-a-kind operating plant. The AP300 SMR is an... Read more →

Project InnerSpace, a non-profit organization focused on removing barriers to exponential geothermal growth by 2030, announced that the US Department of Energy (DOE) has awarded a $165-million Geothermal Energy from Oil and gas Demonstrated Engineering (GEODE) grant (earlier post) to a consortium formed by Project InnerSpace, the Society of Petroleum... Read more →

by Michael Sivak, Sivak Applied Research The overall advantage of battery electric over gasoline vehicles, in terms of well-to-wheels emissions of greenhouse gases, has been well documented. However, the emissions of electric vehicles depend greatly on the energy source used to generate the electricity that powers them. The calculated relative... Read more →

Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP), Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI) and Seaborg Technologies announced a consortium to develop floating nuclear power plants with Seaborg Technologies’ compact molten salt reactor (CMSR) technology. The power plants will be installed on barges with a modular design able to deliver from 200MWe to 800MWe,... Read more →

Through a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) award from the Department of Defense, Radiant will develop base modeling and simulation capabilities for key energy resilience scenarios at Hill Air Force Base. Founded by former SpaceX engineers, Radiant is developing Kaleidos, a gas-cooled, high-temperature 1.2MWe portable nuclear microreactor focused on replacing... Read more →

The technology group Wärtsilä and WEC Energy Group have successfully tested the capabilities of a Wärtsilä engine running on 25 vol% hydrogen-blended fuel. The tests, which were completed in October 2022, were conducted at WEC Energy Group’s 55 MW A.J. Mihm power plant in Michigan using an unmodified Wärtsilä 18V50SG... Read more →

The US Department of Energy (DOE) has released a set of reports—Pathways to Commercial Liftoff—that provide guidance for bringing advanced nuclear, clean hydrogen and long-duration energy storage into the commercial mainstream. The reports conclude that by 2030, cumulative investments must increase from approximately $40 billion to $300 billion across the... Read more →

The US Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) awarded a grant to PLN Indonesia Power (Indonesia Power) for technical assistance to help develop the country’s first small modular reactor (SMR) nuclear power plant. Indonesia Power selected Oregon-based NuScale Power OVS, LLC (NuScale) to carry out the assistance in partnership with a... Read more →

Controlled Thermal Resources (CTR) (earlier post) and Fuji Electric Corp. of America (FEA) signed a Memorandum of Understanding to complete multiple Equipment, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) contracts for the delivery of geothermal power facilities at CTR’s Hell’s Kitchen Lithium and Power Project located in Imperial County, California. The EPC contracts... Read more →

In 2022, US natural gas consumption averaged a record 88.5 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d)—the highest annual natural gas consumption, according to records beginning in 1949, according to the US Energy Information Administration (EIA). US natural gas consumption last year increased 5% (4.5 Bcf/d) from 2021, the second-fastest year-over-year... Read more →

Eni and Commonwealth Fusion Systems (CFS), a spin-out of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) signed a Collaboration Framework Agreement with the aim of accelerating the industrialization of fusion energy. Eni made its first investment into CFS in 2018 and is a significant shareholder. This strategic agreement will leverage Eni’s... Read more →

The CEA, France’s Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission, has spun out two start-ups—Hexana and Stellaria—to develop small fourth-generation modular nuclear reactors (SMRs). Hexana aims to implement a fast neutron and sodium-cooled reactor, integrating a high-temperature storage device. This installation will be based on a set composed of two small... Read more →

Dow and X-Energy Reactor Company entered into a joint development agreement (JDA) to demonstrate the first grid-scale advanced nuclear reactor for an industrial site in North America. (Earlier post.) As a subawardee under the US Department of Energy’s (DOE) Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program (ARDP) Cooperative Agreement with X-energy, Dow intends... Read more →

The California Energy Commission (CEC) approved a staff analysis recommending the state pursue extending operation of Diablo Canyon Power Plant (DCPP) through 2030 to ensure electricity reliability. DCPP is currently scheduled for phased retirement in 2024 and 2025. The determination is based on data showing California risks energy supply shortfalls... Read more →

SK Inc. Materials and ExxonMobil signed a Heads of Agreement (HOA) for SK Inc. Materials to pursue the offtake of blue ammonia from ExxonMobil’s planned low-carbon hydrogen project at its integrated complex in Baytown, Texas. SK seeks to import blue ammonia produced from ExxonMobil to South Korea in support of... Read more →

Volvo Penta has expanded its genset range and launched its most powerful engine to date with the introduction of the D17. The new power generation 17-liter engine delivers exceptional power-to-weight ratio from the same footprint as the proven, compact D16. The D17 offers up to 5% less fuel consumption per... Read more →

Following the start of series production of fuel cells in December 2022, the Danish fuel cell developer and manufacturer Blue World Technologies is now launching the CellPack Stationary, a methanol fuel cell-based power generator. The CellPack Stationary is specially developed for the telecommunication industry, an industry that every year installs... Read more →

GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy (GEH), Ontario Power Generation (OPG), SNC-Lavalin and Aecon have signed a contract for the deployment of a BWRX-300 small modular reactor (SMR) at OPG’s Darlington New Nuclear Project site. This is the first commercial contract for a grid-scale SMR in North America. The BWRX-300 is a... Read more →

Geothermal lithium producer Vulcan Energy Resources signed a Binding Term Sheet (BTS) with Stellantis for the first phase of a multiphase project aimed at decarbonizing the energy mix of the Rüsselsheim manufacturing site in the Upper Rhine Valley, Germany, by developing new geothermal projects. In June 2022, Stellantis made a... Read more →

Controlled Thermal Resources (CTR) reports that its engineering team has improved several process stages, including optimization of the brine preparation stage, to achieve highly efficient recovery of lithium, in real-time, from the company’s live Salton Sea geothermal brine resource. (Earlier post.) CTR took an integrated design approach to optimize the... Read more →

Renewable energy sources are central to the energy transition toward a more sustainable future. However, because sunshine and wind are inherently variable and inconsistent, finding ways to store energy in an accessible and efficient way is crucial. While there are many effective solutions for daily energy storage, the most common... Read more →

Norwegian state-owned energy company Equinor and Germany-based energy company RWE have agreed to work together to develop large-scale value chains for low carbon hydrogen. The partners aim to replace coal-fired power plants with hydrogen-ready gas-fired power plants in Germany, and to build production of low carbon and renewable hydrogen in... Read more →

The US Department of Energy (DOE) and DOE’s National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) announced the achievement of fusion ignition at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL). On 5 December, a team at LLNL’s National Ignition Facility (NIF) conducted the first controlled fusion experiment in history to reach this milestone—known as scientific... Read more →

Allianz Capital Partners, on behalf of Allianz insurance companies, has signed an agreement to acquire a minority stake in Ren-Gas Oy, a green hydrogen and power-to-gas project developer based in Finland. Allianz will provide funding of €25 million to Ren-Gas to support the company’s project portfolio towards execution. Allianz will... Read more →

The Department of the Interior announced results from the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management’s (BOEM’s) wind energy auction for five leases offshore California. (Earlier post.) The lease sale represents the third major offshore wind lease sale this year and the first ever for the Pacific region. The sale drew competitive... Read more →

NuScale Power, along with Shell Global Solutions (Shell) and industry participants will develop and assess a concept for an economically optimized Integrated Energy System (IES) for hydrogen production using electricity and process heat from a NuScale VOYGR small modular reactor (SMR) power plant. The project entitled, “Development and Demonstration of... Read more →

Rio Tinto is planning to invest a further $600 million in renewable energy assets in the Pilbara as part of the company’s efforts to decarbonize its Western Australian iron ore operations. The investment will fund the construction of two 100MW solar power facilities as well as 200 MWh of on-grid... Read more →

ABB has secured its first order from COSCO Shipping, China’s largest shipping company, for in-line permanent magnet shaft generator systems. Compared with traditional diesel generator sets (single unit), the permanent magnet shaft generator system will yield fuel savings of up to 17%. Permanent magnet shaft generators are small, light, and... Read more →

In Japan, JERA concluded memorandums of understanding (MoUs) with Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha (NYK) and Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL) related to cooperation in transporting fuel ammonia for the Hekinan Thermal Power Plant, expected to begin commercial operation in the late 2020s. JERA is a 50-50 joint venture between TEPCO Fuel... Read more →