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
Focused New
News
RECs or green microgrids? What’s the better way to achieve ESG goals?
Microgrid Knowledge
Jun 17, 2022
A new study published in Nature finds that corporate REC purchases aren’t likely to prompt additional renewable energy production, which is key to fighting climate change.
Corporate science-based targets to reduce emissions aim to meet the global temperature goal of the Paris Agreement, said the study by UK and Canadian researchers. To date, more than 1,000 companies, including multinational firms, have set these targets for their environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) goals.
The use of RECs by companies with these targets has created an inflated estimate of the effectiveness of mitigation efforts, according to the study. The researchers calculated that when they removed the Scope 2 emission reductions the companies claimed for 2015-2019, the companies no longer meet the Paris Agreement’s 1.5 degree centigrade goal, and barely fall below the 2 degree goal.
Scope 2 emissions are indirect greenhouse gas emissions that result from the purchase of electricity, steam, heat or cooling, according to the US Environmental Protection Agency.
If the trend continues, the study said, 42% of Scope 2 emission reductions won’t achieve the goal of mitigation. When companies say that Scope 2 emissions can be cut with RECs, it’s misleading because the RECs aren’t associated with real emission reductions, said the study.
Bobby Hollis, vice president of market strategy for Mainspring Energy — which offers multifuel generators that can serve as green microgrids — said that the best option for corporations is to install clean on-site generation. RECs can be based on renewable power plants located far from the site and won’t benefit a local community. And they can be from older plants built some years ago, so when companies buy these RECs, they don’t add new renewable energy to the grid, Hollis said.
“With clean generation on that site, you control your own destiny and hopefully have more resilience. You don’t have to worry about what’s going on 100 miles from your site; it’s just what’s impacting you directly,” Hollis said. “You don’t have to worry about when it’s generated, you don’t have to worry about the geography. It takes out the variables,” he added.
However, not all RECs lack value, said Hollis.
What constitutes high quality RECs
The highest quality RECs come from new renewables. When companies buy RECs, they want to be sure their money goes toward building new renewable plants so that more clean energy is added to the grid. The plants should be located close to the corporation purchasing the RECs. And it’s important that RECs are based on renewable energy plants that are generating now, he said.
Clark Wiedetz, chief sales officer at GreenStruxure, a subsidiary of Schneider Electric, agreed that companies should be careful about purchasing RECs from renewable plants located in other states. This often involves virtual power purchase agreements (PPA). “A virtual power purchase agreement is OK for a company’s short-term goals,” he said. “On-site microgrids are great for long-term goals.”
“We are seeing large companies especially evaluate their sites and target their highest impact sites from an economic and sustainability standpoint for their first on-site projects, then continue from there and supplement the rest with virtual PPAs,” said Wiedetz.
Pierson Stoecklein, chairman of the Microgrid Resources Coalition, said that without restrictions on where the renewable energy is generated, companies can procure enough RECs to satisfy a 100% renewable energy commitment without modifying their energy consumption or reducing emissions at or near the company.
Green microgrids, on the other hand, which are local resources, ensure that emissions reductions are realized within the immediate vicinity of energy consumption, Stoecklein said.
Microgrids add resilience
And the real value of microgrids is the resilience they provide, which isn’t provided by RECs, he added.
However, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) recently proposed climate disclosure rules that may affect ESG efforts as they relate to resilience, said Stoecklein.
“Until now, an entity’s ESG commitments may largely have ignored or at least not explicitly addressed resilience,” he said. But the SEC’s proposed rules would require disclosure of information about topics related to climate threats and how a company addresses resilience. For example, companies now have to disclose how any climate-related risks have affected or are likely to affect a company’s strategy, business model and outlooks.
One major US bakery company, Bimbo Bakery — maker of Thomas’ English muffins, Arnold bread and Sara Lee pastries — is choosing the microgrid route for meeting ESG goals. To help reduce its carbon footprint, the company plans to install microgrids at six manufacturing facilities over the next year with the help of GreenStruxure.
That may be a better strategy than purchasing RECs, given the questions swirling around RECs.
According to the authors of the REC report, existing emission accounting standards allow corporations to claim emission cuts by purchasing RECs. This accounting standard assumes that certificates will lead to increased investment in renewable energy generation and will cut emissions from electricity production.
“However, existing research finds very limited empirical evidence supporting this assumption. Corporate purchasing of certificates can therefore lead to inflated estimates of emission reductions,” said an article from the authors of the report.
News
World’s largest hydrogen fuel blending project completed
Mitsubishi Power Americas
Jun 16, 2022
The 20% blend was shown to provide a roughly 7% reduction in carbon emissions compared to natural gas. “Accelerating low-carbon technology development is essential to achieve net-zero targets by mid-century. This successful hydrogen demonstration test reinforces the significant, game-changing role that this and other low-carbon technologies can play to help reach economy-wide decarbonization,” said Neva Espinoza, vice president of Energy Supply and Low-Carbon Resources, at EPRI, an independent, non-profit energy research and development organization that supported development of the project. “EPRI’s future-focused collaboration with Georgia Power and Mitsubishi Power Americas is helping bring net-zero goals within reach.”
Georgia Power’s Plant McDonough-Atkinson facility, located less than 10 miles from downtown Atlanta, has served electric customers for more than 80 years. It was fully converted to natural gas in 2012 and expanded to power up to 1.7 million homes. It currently operates six large-capacity M501G series gas turbines as well as three steam turbines running in three blocks of 2-on-1 combined-cycle configuration.
For the hydrogen fuel blending project, Mitsubishi Power provided full turnkey service including engineering, planning, hydrogen blending hardware, controls, commissioning and risk management. It partnered with Certarus to source and manage the hydrogen supply. Southern Company’s R&D organization – which engages in research focused on low-carbon hydrogen power generation, production, delivery, transportation, infrastructure and energy storage – served as technical consultant.
Hydrogen blending was completed on one gas turbine unit with approximate output of 265 MW by utilizing some results of a project commissioned by the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO), Japan’s national research and development agency. In announcing the results, Mitsubishi Power noted the dry low NOX (DLN) hydrogen blending was successful at up to 20% at the designed 100% natural gas firing temperature; within emissions compliance for the existing air permit; and without impact on maintenance intervals. The team also confirmed improved turndown by testing up to 20% hydrogen at minimum emissions-compliant load.
“This demonstration helps pave the way for long-term clean and carbon-free use for already existing infrastructure. Making these smart investments today on behalf of our customers ensures we can continue to provide clean, safe, reliable and affordable energy as Georgia grows and thrives for decades to come,” said Allen Reaves, senior vice president and senior production officer, Georgia Power. “This kind of research and development not only delivers long-term value for our customers, but also helps drive the entire energy industry forward toward a cleaner, carbon-free future. We’re proud to be playing an important role in that and excited about what we’ve been able to accomplish with our partner, Mitsubishi Power Americas.”
The project also builds upon Mitsubishi Power’s hydrogen combustion experience and ongoing hydrogen combustion development for 100% hydrogen DLN combustion at the company’s facility at Takasago Works in Hyogo Prefecture, Japan. This site encompasses the development, design and manufacture of gas turbines, as well as demonstration and verification. The overall objective is to work toward commercialization of reliable, carbon-free power generation technologies and products, including tests and collaboration with partners globally on a path to 100% hydrogen firing for small- and large-frame gas turbines.
News
‘Not backsliding on clean energy’: Officials say California’s proposed 5 GW reserve could be heavy on gas
Utility Dive
Jun 13, 2022
“The current thinking is around incremental capacity at existing gas power plants,” California Energy Commission Vice Chair Siva Gunda said Thursday. In addition, regulators are contemplating “some levels of temporary gensets that could be multi-fuel … and definitely holding on to at-risk-of-retirement resources that are thermal in nature,” he added.
California’s energy system is facing a host of simultaneous challenges. While the state has added more than 4 GW of net qualifying capacity since last summer — more than 2.7 GW of which is available at 8 p.m., a particularly precarious time for the state’s grid given high electricity demand coupled with waning solar generation — the grid is still vulnerable due to extreme drought, heat waves and other disruptions, California Independent System Operator President and CEO Elliot Mainzer said Thursday.
The grid operator has determined that the state is currently facing an estimated 1,700 MW capacity shortfall compared to meeting industry reliability standards. That figure could be as high as 5,000 MW if California experiences simultaneous extreme events, like regional heatwaves and large wildfires. And these challenges are occurring against the backdrop of several planned retirements, including the 2.2 GW Diablo Canyon nuclear plant and a suite of gas-fired plants in the coming years.
“The bottom line is that despite considerable progress, we continue to face risks to reliability this summer and for the next several years,” Mainzer said.
Newsom’s revised budget proposal included $8 billion for the state’s energy system, including the $5.2 billion electricity reserve. The reserve – a statewide resource capable of providing up to 5,000 MW of emergency generation – will not take the place of power providers’ current procurement obligations.
“It’s very fair to say a large portion of the 5,000 MW of strategic reserve will be gas,” Gunda said.
Of the 5,000 MW, California Department of Water Resources is responsible for arranging for 3,000 MW, while the CEC is responsible for the remaining 2,000 MW.
Regulators are looking for resources that meet certain requirements — for instance, resources available during that 8 p.m. period that can be deployed quickly — which is why the current thinking is focused on additional capacity from existing gas power plants and temporary gensets.
“That will definitely form a bulk of the portfolio, but there’s also a large amount that we expect to come from the distributed-side resources, including the programs for shedding load or load flexibility,” Gunda said.
According to regulators, this reserve will not lead to an erosion of California’s longer-term clean energy goals. For the most part, the agencies are looking at gas units that are operating today to keep the electric system reliable, Karen Douglas, senior energy advisor at the governor’s office, said.
If they are brought into the strategic reserve, “we are actually taking them out of the market where they would run potentially more, and we’re putting them into a status where they are only running when the grid is under stressed conditions and we really need them,” she said.
“We should be really clear here that this is not backsliding on clean energy goals,” California Public Utilities Commission President Alice Reynolds agreed.
Discussions with state lawmakers on the proposed reserve are ongoing, Douglas said, adding that “the proposals that we’re putting forward are foundational to preserving reliability in a way that keeps us moving forward…”
The Natural Resources Defense Council supports the short-term investment of state resources to protect Californians from blackouts and prevent the state from becoming a cautionary tale in the climate fight, Merrian Borgeson, a senior scientist with the organization, said in an email.
“However, this funding needs guardrails to ensure that it is in fact beneficial, and not harmful, to Californians. Investments in clean resources that contribute to our path toward 2030 and 2045 carbon targets, and aren’t solely short term back up, should be prioritized,” she said, adding that any investments that will increase pollution in disadvantaged communities should be last on the list, or even prohibited.
News
Massive hydrogen facility moves a step closer
Mitsubishi Power Americas
Jun 12, 2022
According to Mitsubishi Power Americas, the loan helps generate a viable market for hydrogen and will make it scalable in the western United States and electrical grid, creating the fundamental infrastructure necessary to deploy this zero-carbon energy source.
“The Advanced Clean Energy Storage team, with its world-class industry partners, is excited to secure this loan by DOE to develop the first phase of the world’s largest renewable hydrogen energy hub,” said Michael Ducker, senior vice president of Hydrogen Infrastructure for Mitsubishi Power Americas and president of Advanced Clean Energy Storage I. “This step creates a path to accelerate the long-term hydrogen market and clean energy landscape to expand decarbonization across the United States.”
The Advanced Clean Energy Storage hub will help the clean energy transition by supporting the Intermountain Power Agency’s IPP Renewed Project—upgrading to an 840 MW hydrogen-capable gas turbine combined cycle power plant, the company said. The plant will initially run on a blend of 30% green hydrogen and 70% natural gas starting in 2025 and incrementally expand to 100% green hydrogen by 2045.
The hub will use Utah’s unique geological salt domes to store green hydrogen across two massive salt caverns, each capable of storing 150 gigawatt hours of energy. The long-duration energy storage capability of the salt caverns will help improve resource adequacy and decrease costs by capturing excess renewable power when it is abundant and dispatching it back on the grid when it is needed.
The hub will produce up to 100 metric tonnes per day of green hydrogen from renewable energy using electrolysis. Green hydrogen can then be stored in two massive salt caverns, each capable of storing 150 gigawatt hours (GWh) of energy, resulting in the world’s single largest hydrogen storage site and providing capabilities for seasonal shifting of excess renewable energy. The long-duration energy storage capability of the salt caverns will help improve resource adequacy and decrease costs by capturing excess renewable power when it is abundant and dispatching it back on the grid when it is needed.
“This joint venture is historic for Mitsubishi Power Americas and the future of global hydrogen deployment,” said Bill Newsom, president and CEO of Mitsubishi Power Americas. “We’re proud to partner with Magnum Development and provide the hydrogen equipment to further advance carbon-free hydrogen as a cornerstone of our future energy supply and help chart the path towards net zero. This project sets the industry gold standard for hydrogen deployment, helping to combat the impacts of climate change and advance human prosperity.”
The development and operation of the Advanced Clean Energy Storage hub will help spur economic development locally by creating up to 400 local construction jobs throughout the 3-year construction cycle, and it will employ a projected 25 full-time operations and maintenance personnel to provide 24/7 operations and maintenance of the facility. Additionally, property tax revenue collected by Millard County, Utah, will contribute to services that benefit all nearby Utahns, which typically include law enforcement and emergency response, infrastructure, and other services.
News
MHIENG’s first attempt at capturing CO2 from gas engine flue gas
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries
Jun 9, 2022
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Engineering, Ltd. (MHIENG)’s CO2 capture technology will be installed on a generator set operated by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Engine & Turbocharger (MHIET).
The demonstration marks MHIENG’s first attempt at capturing CO2 from gas engine flue gas, the companies said. Tests will begin in July and last 10 months.
The tests will be carried out using a compact CO2 capture system manufactured by MHIENG and installed in gas engine generator sets forming a part of an in-house power station at MHIET’s Sagamihara Plant in Japan. The demonstration testing will be applied to study the impact of gas engine flue gas properties on capture performance, and to evaluate the component makeup of the captured CO2. Verification will also be performed on an operation support service utilizing MHIENG’s proprietary remote monitoring system. A fully integrated customer support structure will be put in place encompassing all aspects from CO2 capture system introduction plans for gas engines and other facilities, to after-sale services, maintenance and operation. In addition, a mass-production type compact CO2 capture system will be adopted and the system’s ease of installation and appropriateness for use in relative small-scale facilities will be evaluated, to enable enhancement of the system’s overall reliability.
News
Top states for microgrid policy activity?
Microgrid Knowledge
Jun 8, 2022
The state policy assessment marks the first time “any organization has looked specifically at the policy landscape for microgrids where it matters the most — at the state level,” said Cameron Brooks, executive director of Think Microgrid, a coalition affiliated with Microgrid Knowledge that educates regulatory and political leaders about the technology.
Together, the top microgrid friendly states, along with Puerto Rico, represent more than one-third of the electricity market in the US and have significant microgrid activity, Brooks said.
The top tier states have taken policy action to advance microgrid markets. Hawaii and California, as well as Washington DC (a second tier state) have developed microgrid tariffs driven by public utility commissions. New Jersey, New York, Connecticut and Massachusetts have created competitive microgrid grant programs. Puerto Rico stands out because it requires microgrid deployment in utility resource planning. And Texas and Florida (a second tier state) have the largest deployments of commercial microgrids, the report said.
The report also shows that numerous states are just beginning to consider the role microgids can play, said Brooks.
The assessment, which categorizes the states’ efforts into four tiers — with Tier 1 states having the most effective microgrid policies — is based on a look at five issues:
1. Deployment: The report ranked states based on an analysis of the most robust markets that include all forms of microgrids.
2. Policy: States with proactive and comprehensive efforts to establish clear objectives, modernize rules and update regulations scored higher in the ranking.
3. Resilience: The report looked at whether states focus on practical opportunities to deploy microgrids that provide resiliency to customers, communities and critical facilities.
4. Grid services: States received high marks for working on establishing open markets, clear rules and other incentives to encourage investments from both utility ratepayers and private capital.
5. Equity: The report scored states for mechanisms that advance social equity and environmental justice priorities.
“In the past year, what we’ve learned at Think Microgrid is that there is a tremendous amount of enthusiasm about microgrids, in general, but not a lot of understanding about what they are and how they can be deployed,” Brooks said. “But it’s also important to recognize that policy ‘beauty’ is in the eye of the beholder. Just because there is notable activity underway, it doesn’t necessarily mean that the policies established will support all forms of microgrids.”
From a technical and operational point of view, a single customer installing a microgrid in a commercial setting is very different from a multicustomer deployment, and the policy issues are very different, he added.
The report provides a framework for analyzing several issues that add value to microgrids — their ability to provide resilience, environmental equity and clean energy. Policy reform is also analyzed, said Brooks.
Tier 2 and 3 states
The top Tier 2 states — those that feature advancements in a few policy areas — are Illinois, Colorado, North Carolina, Virginia, South Carolina, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Alaska, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, Washington DC, Louisiana, Kentucky, Wisconsin and Minnesota.
The Tier 2 states are characterized by high deployment (Florida, North Carolina, Virginia and South Carolina), microgrid grant programs (Colorado, Wisconsin, Minnesota and Maryland), access to grid services (Vermont and Washington) and those offering microgrid feasibility studies (Rhode Island and Kentucky), the report said.
“Generally, each [Tier 2] state stands out for advancement in one or a few evaluation criteria but does not have comprehensive activity in all of the evaluation areas,” said the report.
The states and territories that comprise Think Microgrid’s Tier 3 ranking are Maine, Oregon, Michigan, Ohio, Georgia, Arizona, New Mexico, Arkansas, New Hampshire and Nevada. These states — such as Maine — offer one standout microgrid or resilience policy but have limited other activities. Michigan, Oregon and New Mexico have a patchwork of activity indirectly related to microgrid deployment. And Georgia and Arkansas have high commercial microgrid development but no other activity, the report said.
News
U.S. Department of Energy Announces Hydrogen Shot Incubator Prize
U.S. DOE
Jun 7, 2022
“For hydrogen to fulfill its role in the sustainable and fully decarbonized economy of the future, we must harness every available approach and draw deep on our proud tradition of innovation to bring solutions to the market as soon as possible,” said Kelly Speakes-Backman, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. “The Hydrogen Shot Incubator Prize is important for spurring innovation in clean energy, and I’m looking forward to seeing the novel solutions developed as part of this prize.”
News
President Biden Invokes Defense Production Act to Accelerate Domestic Manufacturing of Clean Energy
U.S. DOE
Jun 6, 2022
“President Biden has invoked the Defense Production Act so that the U.S. can take ownership of its clean energy independence,” said U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm. “For too long the nation’s clean energy supply chain has been over-reliant on foreign sources and adversarial nations. With the new DPA authority, DOE can help strengthen domestic solar, heat pump and grid manufacturing industries while fortifying America’s economic security and creating good-paying jobs, and lowering utility costs along the way.”
News
DOE Launches Bipartisan Infrastructure Law's $8 Billion Program for Clean Hydrogen Hubs Across U.S.
U.S. DOE
Jun 6, 2022
“Hydrogen energy has the power to slash emissions from multiple carbon-intensive sectors and open a world of economic opportunity to clean energy businesses and workers across the country,” said U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm. “These hydrogen hubs will make significant progress towards President Biden’s vision for a resilient grid that is powered by clean energy and built by American workers.”
News
Milton S. Hershey Medical Center CHP anchored microgrid wins Greater Good Award at Microgrid 2022
Microgrid Knowledge
Jun 1, 2022
Much of the Hershey Medical Center Microgrid’s distribution system are underground distribution lines, which hardens the facility against floods and winter storms. The microgrid seamlessly islands with an onsite load management system, said the application.
The 22-MW microgrid includes combined heat and power and energy storage. As a result of the project, overall fuel use efficiency increased from 51% to 75%. The project has produced an annual cost savings of $3.8 million and has reduced CO2 emissions by 22 kilo tons annually, said the application for the award.
Carr described the project as featuring “a comprehensive, step-by-step approach that will enable the medical center to continue learning about its energy use and production and continue making improvements.”
Combined Heat & Power
Upcoming Events
Upcoming
Event
KEEP THE LIGHTS ON THIS SUMMER WITH CHP
DOE’s Combined Heat and Power Technical Assistance Partnership
June 28, 2022, 11:00 am to 12:00 pm ET
The Department of Energy’s Upper West CHP Technical Assistance Partnership (CHP TAP) will be leading a webinar on the opportunities and applications of CHP that can be used to keep your lights on in the summer.
SPEAKERS:
• Carlos Gamarra, Assistant Director, Southcentral CHP TAP
• McKenzie Roberts, Research Assistant, Upper West CHP TAP
• Margaret Cook, Research Associate, Upper West CHP TAP
Upcoming
Event
CHP’s and its role in decarbonization
NECHPI
June 29, 2022, 8:00 am to 3:30 pm ET
The conference is targeting a broad set of stakeholders and end-users. This is a special opportunity to network in person, and to dialogue with policymakers, regulators, influencers and thought leaders, and important end-user communities.
Agenda:
8:00 Registration opens
8:00 – 10 AM Breakfast and Networking
10:00 Introduction and welcome
John Rathbun, Executive Director, NECHPI
10:10 National view on CHP’s Present CO2 Benefits and future decarbonization with CHP
Bruce Hedman, DOE
10:30 CHP is “Renewable Now”: Featuring RNG & CHP
Dan Robb, Frontier Energy
10:50 Break and Networking
11:00 National Grid’s Plan to decarbonize by 2050,
Donald Chahbazpour Director – Future of Heat at National Grid
11:20 Operating the MIT CHP district system to optimize carbon and cost reduction
Mike Webster ICETEC and Carlo Fanone MIT
Noon Lunch
1:00 CHP as a Potential Grid Support Asset
Mike Swider, NYISO, Senior Market and Technologies Strategist (Invited)
1:20 Critical Infrastructure and Resiliency
Jennifer Kearney, Executive Partner & Gotham 360, LLC
1:40 NECHPI Awards Morristown Medical Center and Kings County Hospital
TBD
2:00 Decarbonization and CHP
Gearoid Foley / Tom Bourgeois
2:20 Town Hall Group Discussion followed by Meeting Summary / Next Steps
John Rathbun, Executive Director, NECHPI
3:30 PM Meeting Concludes
Upcoming
Event
JENBACHER DIGITAL SOLUTIONS
INNIO
July 13, 2022, 1:00 to 2:00 pm ET
Register now to learn how INNIO can help you solve your key challenges with a Digital approach.
Key Learning Objectives
Learn how INNIO is leveraging Digital solutions to create new customer value
Learn about the portfolio of Digital tools offered by INNIO
Learn how INNIO can help you solve your key challenges with a digital approach
Upcoming
Event
ASHE Annual Conference & Technical Exhibition
ASHE
July 17-20, 2022
This event is your opportunity to:
EARN 15+ continuing education credits and use them towards Certified Healthcare Facility Manager (CHFM) and Certified Healthcare Constructor (CHC) renewal.
CONNECT with other leaders and solution providers in health care facility management through innovative networking opportunities.
PARTICIPATE in sessions covering topics related to codes and compliance, sustainability and efficiency, infection prevention and more.
Upcoming
Event
World Cogeneration Day
worldcogenerationday.org
September 4, 2002
Upcoming
Event
Gastech Milan 2022
Gastech
September 5-8, 2022
Governments and CEOs will take stock of the evolving energy landscape; assess the state of the industry post-pandemic and navigate a route to a ‘just’ energy transition whilst managing the current gas supply crisis.
Celebrating its 50th anniversary in Milan, an international centre of business with a thriving gas industry, Gastech will gather Ministers, CEOs, policy makers, business leaders, engineers, innovators and disruptors.
Ideally timed 2-months ahead of COP-27, the four-day exhibition and conference will provide a forum for exhibitors, sponsors and speakers, to showcase to a global audience, their solutions to the challenges faced on the journey to net-zero.
Upcoming
Event
Facilities and Campus Energy North America Summit
RSC
September 14-15, 2022
Upcoming
Event
RNG WORKS - the North American RNG industry’s annual two-day Technical Workshop & Trade Expo
Coalition for Renewable Natural Gas
September 20-22, 2022
The Technical Workshop program and Trade Expo (90,000 sq feet) combine to educate, demonstrate and promote RNG industry best practices, for purposes of helping realize sustainable development, deployment and utilization of renewable natural gas - and for purposes of helping achieve greater energy independence and access to domestic, renewable, clean fuel and energy supply.
Upcoming
Event
A mix of strategy, learning and networking events to save energy
AEE
Sept. 21-23, 2022
Save the dates or register today and take advantage of our early bird pricing.
... The Association of Energy Engineers invites you to join your peers at our events in 2022. Learn, connect with other professionals and discuss key energy issues on energy management, efficiency, automation, data analytics, policy, supply, procurement, resiliency, sustainability, and more.
Save the dates or register today and take advantage of our early bird pricing.
Upcoming
Event
COGEN Europe Annual Conference
COGEN Europe
October 11 -12, 2022
This will be an excellent opportunity for participants to network and share knowledge about the latest and upcoming developments in the world of cogeneration. We look forward to bringing the European cogeneration community together again and we hope you'll be able to join us! You will receive further information about the programme of our Annual Conference and how you can register to attend it in the coming weeks.
In the meantime, we invite you to watch the recordings from our last Annual Conference, which took place as an online event on 18-19 November 2021. The various sessions featured some highly informative and interesting contributions from high-level speakers representing the EU institutions, energy industry players and other stakeholders. We are very grateful to all of the speakers and panellists for their contributions, as well as the event sponsors (2G, AB, Baker Hughes, CENTRAX, Clarke Energy, INNIO Jenbacher, Solar Turbines, TEDOM and Wärtsilä) for their generous support
Click link to view highlights of the 2021 Annual Conference. More to come soon.
Combined Heat & Power
Partner News
Partner
News
How Energy Upgrade Will Reduce Wastewater Treatment Plant Emissions by 93%
2G
Jun 27, 2022
The new comprehensive infrastructure project will help WCW achieve its vision. Led by ENGIE North America, the initiative will include significant upgrades to WCW’s Water Quality and Resource Recovery Plant. Two new digesters, an addition of 1.1 megawatts (MW) of solar power generation, a thermal sludge drying system, and solids dewatering, among other improvements, will greatly improve WCW’s control over its handling of biosolids.
Historically, biosolids produced by WCW have been sent to landfill due to the fact they did not meet the high-quality standards required for beneficial reuse. By generating Class A biosolids—suitable for agricultural and other reclamation uses—these upgrades will eliminate organic material being sent to landfill. This will prepare the organization for the 2022 implementation of SB 1383, the “Short-Lived Climate Pollutants: Organic Waste Reductions” regulations and reduce ongoing disposal costs. The project will also result in a substantial reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from the decomposition of sludge in the landfills.
ENGIE will implement the plant improvements and maintain the installed equipment over the next 20 years under an energy savings performance contract. ENGIE is targeting a 4.2 million kWh reduction in WCW’s annual energy use.
The scope of the project comprises a 1.1 MW solar power system, LED lighting, electric vehicle charging stations and wastewater treatment plant upgrades including a new grit separation system, rotary drum thickeners, a high efficiency aeration blower, new digesters, a 450 kW 2G cogeneration system powered by biogas from the digester, a sludge dewatering system, a sludge thermal dryer system and equalization basins. Together, these systems’ onsite generation will meet close to 100% of the district’s facilities and wastewater treatment electricity needs.
Partner
News
What all grid regulators and policy makers should know about greenhouses and combined heat and power (CHP)
International Greenhouse Guide
Jun 17, 2022
For years CHP has been an important asset in the greenhouse industry to deliver electrical power, heat (cooling) and CO2 to the greenhouse to reduce the cost of growing. CHP delivers energy with a typical total fuel use efficiency greater than 90%. Electrical power and CO2 can be produced when needed while the produced heat (hot water) can be stored in on site thermal storage tanks for use during other times of the day. The captured CO2 is used to raise productivity, crop yields and improve crop quality in the greenhouse. To scrub the CO2 from the exhaust gasses a catalyst is installed which reduces the stack emissions to very low levels, as a result the CHP systems comply with required local emission guidelines.
As we all now CO2 is needed for plants to grow and an essential fertilizer in the greenhouse industry. Onsite production of CO2 avoids offsite production and transportation of CO2 from somewhere else, which reduces the carbon footprint. The industry is working on new technologies to scrub the CO2 even more effectively in the future.
The world is striving towards a carbon neutral/negative electric grid. CHP systems serving greenhouses can play a very important role in maximizing the use of renewable energy sources like wind and solar. Due to presence of onsite thermal storage, CHP systems serving greenhouses can help to stabilize the grid when there is a shortage of power by supplying power back into the grid.
The future electric renewable grid will require significant grid stabilization tools to maintain reliability because of the intermittency of electricity production from wind and solar power. Greenhouses with grow lights can switch off the lights, shed load, to supply maximum electric power to the grid as a low cost means of providing grid stabilizing services. The only thing required is a simple signal from the grid operator as the CHP units can offer 24/7 stand by power. Greenhouses can also create load by using electrical boilers. The heat produced by the electrical boilers is not lost can be stored in the thermal storage tank.
Greenhouses with CHP can also run independently from the grid when there is a grid outage, securing our food supply. We have seen many examples in the US where nature disasters caused long lasting grid outages, with onsite CHP growers can overcome this issue.
An additional advantage is that CHP units are ready to run on renewable natural gas which makes the system future proof when renewable gas starts to become widely available. There is not a single technology that is as efficient as onsite greenhouse CHP supplying electricity, heat, cooling and CO2 to a greenhouse running on renewable natural gas.
Ideally greenhouses will have their own microgrid where CHP, solar, battery storage, boilers and heat storage can secure the most efficient and sustainable energy supply to grow local food for local consumption.
Greenhouses and CHP will be an important tool in the transition towards a carbon neutral/free world. Solving our water and food shortages as the world will need at least 50% more food by 2050 to feed the growing population.
We hope that grid regulators and policy makers will recognize the importance of the greenhouse sector using CHP and having a more favorable approach accelerate the use of this technology using natural gas today and renewable fuels when they become available.
AB Energy is for many years a leading player in the global greenhouse CHP industry supplying a fully integrated standardized modular built greenhouse CHP solution with the highest possible energy efficiencies. AB Energy understands the full integration into greenhouses, greenhouse microgrids and can support in designing an optimal solution which has all the flexibility to support grid regulators to solve the growing instability of their electric grids by the growth of renewable energy sources and the growing demand of electrical power.
Dick Kramp
Partner
News
AB Energy Introduces ECOMAX NEXT
AB Energy
Jun 9, 2022
Partner
News
First North American 100% Hydrogen CHP
2G
Jun 9, 2022
The customer has its own electrolyzer and consequently large volumes of hydrogen, which will be converted into electricity and heat as needed with the help of 2G's H2 CHP system.
The unit will be delivered near the end of 2022 and installed and in service in early 2023.
This project is strategically significant and the first of its kind in North America. The project size will be scaled up to support larger facilities in the future, further reducing emissions while ensuring the reliability and sustainability of energy.
In addition to offering 100% Hydrogen CHP systems that are commercially available today, 2G’s natural gas engines can blend up to 40% hydrogen and have the ability to be retrofitted to run on up to 100% hydrogen in the field. 2G is leading the way in future-proof technology that is reducing emissions and providing reliability and sustainability today.
Partner
News
Capstone to supply microturbines to waste-to-energy projects in Italy
Capstone Green Energy
Jun 9, 2022
Soon, two Italian wastewater treatment facilities will be taking advantage of CHP in their operations. IBT Connecting Energies GmbH, the exclusive distributor for Italy for Capstone Green Energy, has secured orders to supply three Capstone C65 microturbines for two waste-to-energy projects in the Sardinia region of Italy, the first of their kind in the region. The microturbines will be deployed at facilities operated by Acciona Agua SA in Alghero and Cagliari, Italy, and are expected to be commissioned in December 2022.
“We are pleased to see continued order flow out of the European region given the unprecedented macroeconomic conditions in their energy markets,” said Darren Jamison, chief executive officer, Capstone Green Energy. “This is a perfect example of how customers are reducing their dependence on fossil fuel sources for power generation through sustainable biogas to energy projects.”
According to the company’s specs, the C65 microturbines are rated at 65 kW, have a voltage of 400 to 480 VAC, frequency of 50/60 Hz and can be paralleled up to 30 MW of power. Once commissioned, they will operate on biogas produced on site from municipal solid waste.
Partner
News
Caterpillar to demonstrate hydrogen CHP
Caterpillar
Jun 2, 2022
Supported and partially funded by the U.S. Dept. of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), the project will be led by Caterpillar in collaboration with District Energy St. Paul of St. Paul, Minnesota, USA, and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL).
With preparations starting in the second quarter of this year and operations commencing in 2023, participants will develop and demonstrate a hydrogen-fueled power delivery and control system to evaluate its greenhouse gas emissions profile, reliability, durability and barriers to adoption. To fully assess every aspect of the hydrogen solution under real-world operating conditions, power and heat from the demonstration project will feed into District Energy St. Paul’s distribution system.
“As a leading authority on CHP systems and the deployment of advanced energy technologies that promote sustainability, District Energy St. Paul is the ideal choice for hosting this demonstration,” said Jason Kaiser, vice president for Caterpillar’s Electric Power Division. “The project will help Caterpillar further extend our expertise in hydrogen-fueled power systems performing under the highest expectations of real-world applications.”
For the demonstration project, Caterpillar will deploy a flexible-fuel CHP system that includes the Cat Master Microgrid Controller (MMC) and a Cat G3516 generator set packaged in a standardized, factory-assembled solution designed to minimize complexity and infrastructure requirements.
The MMC will manage load dispatch requirements as the power system demonstrates the performance, efficiency and emissions characteristics of a hydrogen-fueled solution. Using 100% hydrogen fuel, 100% natural gas fuel, or natural gas blended with up to 25% hydrogen, the project will compare how hydrogen and hydrogen blends can be integrated into a waste-heat-and-power solution.
Ziegler, the local Cat dealer, will provide on-site support and system maintenance for the project.
Caterpillar has begun offering demonstrator generator sets capable of operating on 100% hydrogen, including fully renewable green hydrogen, on a designed-to-order basis. The Cat G3516H gas generator set is available in North America and Europe with a rating of 1250 kW for 50 or 60 Hz continuous, prime, and load management applications.
Additionally, Caterpillar offers commercially available power generation solutions from 400 kW to 4.5 MW that can be configured to operate on natural gas blended with up to 25% hydrogen. In the fourth quarter of this year, Cat said customers will be able to order retrofit kits that provide blending capabilities up to 25% hydrogen for generator sets built on select engine platforms.
Caterpillar has also launched a three-year project through a collaboration with Microsoft to demonstrate a power system incorporating a large-format hydrogen fuel cell to produce reliable and sustainable backup power for data centers. The project is supported and partially funded by the DOE under the H2@Scale initiative and backed by the NREL.
Partner
News
Middletown Recreation Center Choose CHP Anchored Microgrid, Fully Engineered by Clarke Energy
Clark Energy
May 31, 2022
In line with the facility being set for the future of the community, sustainable and resilient energy for the recreation center is essential. Clarke Energy was chosen to provide the power solution for the building and to develop and deliver a turnkey microgrid for the site. This facility incorporates several different power generation and storage technologies that will be integrated and optimised to provide both parallel and back-up power for the community center.
The base energy source for the community center is one of Clarke Energy’s CHP units supplying 35kW of electricity and 204.1kBTU/hr of hot water at high efficiency. The CHP can provide black-start capability for the microgrid. In addition, there will be a solar photovoltaic array providing renewable electricity from the sun. Surplus energy can be stored in a battery energy storage system for peak shaving. Finally, the resiliency of the site will be further supported with the addition of a KOHLER KG100 back-up gas-fueled generator. The site’s energy resources will be coordinated by a centralized microgrid controller. It is estimated the microgrid will reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 192 tons per year
Middletown’s Acting Director of the Department of Public Works, Chris Holden commented
“The town is looking forward to the finalization of the upgrades to this recreation center. We see sustainable, resilient energy as key to the longevity of these community facilities and we are pleased to be supported by Symbiont Energy and Clarke Energy in this endeavor.
X-Caliber Rural Capital’s Jordan Blanchard, Co-Founder and Executive Manager said
“We were pleased to be able to provide long-term financing for this critical community infrastructure that will serve thousands of residents with clean energy. We are committed to providing excellent financing solutions that support our nation’s local communities and this is a perfect example of a successful execution for a project that will make an impact.”
Andy Malcolm, Managing Director of Clarke Energy, USA commented
“This installation will be the most complex microgrid supplied yet by Clarke Energy and will integrate numerous sustainable and low carbon power generation and storage technologies. We are delighted to have been selected by the Middletown Recreation Center to deliver this resilient energy solution.”
Partner
News
AGR 217,000m² Glasshouse and Energy Centre with 33MWth Heat Pump System and 9MW Combined Heat and Power Plant
Clark Energy
May 31, 2022
The Energy Centre for the glasshouse combines a 33MWth heat pump system with a combined heat and power (CHP) plant comprising three high-efficiency INNIO Jenbacher gas engines with CO2 recovery. The installation of heat pumps will provide renewable hot water heating to the glasshouse and will qualify for the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI). IES Energy are leading heat pump manufacturers and will be supplying and installing the heat pumps for the project. Their trusted partner Pure Renewables will be designing and installing the open-loop collection system which will run over a total distance of 750m. Clarke Energy and AGR opted for an ammonia (R717) refrigerant system as opposed to a hydrocarbon refrigerant from IES Energy as ammonia has a higher efficiency value and global warming potential of zero.
Partner
News
Clarke Energy USA and BioTown Biogas Work on First Project to Diversify Energy Portfolios into Renewable Natural Gas (RNG)
Clark Energy
May 29, 2022
BioTown AG is an existing renewable energy business with a long track record of success in the sector. BioTown is expanding into the generation of biogas to be cleaned to gas grid injection standards as biomethane.
Five farming groups from the locality close to the plant will supply agricultural waste feedstock for the digesters. This will help to reduce emissions from the farms and provide the 500-600,000 gallons per day of slurry from approximately 25,000 milking cows equivalent, for the biogas plant to operate on.
The biogas from the digesters will be used for two functions – firstly 460 scfm of treated biogas will fuel the INNIO engine to generate renewable electricity and heat to support the local operations. In addition, over 1,500 scfm of raw biogas will be cleaned and injected into the national gas grid where it will be marketed into the California Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) program and capturing D3 Renewable Identification Numbers (RINs). The installation enables the avoidance of 150,000 tons per annum of carbon dioxide emissions to the atmosphere.
The system will be delivered as part of a turnkey solution to the customer, backed up by Clarke Energy’s established local service network.
Partner
News
Energetyka Cieplna Chooses Eneria Poland to Supply Cogeneration System from Caterpillar
POWERinfo Today
May 13, 2022
Eneria Poland will deliver the key components of the system, which includes four Cat G3516H gas generator sets, heat recovery components, controls, silencers, and exhaust components. Scheduled to begin operating in early 2022, the new system upgrades the current district heating system, which delivers over a half million gigajoules of heat annually to more than 24,000 customers. Power will be sold to the local distribution network operator. Poland’s National Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management supplied a portion of the project financing.
The new system helps to modernize the heating capabilities and improve the environmental impact of Energetyka Cieplna, which used coal for more than 97% of its district heat production in 2019. Through the cogeneration system, officials expect to reduce the heat produced from coal by about 136 gigajoules per year while decreasing annual emissions of carbon dioxide by more than 52 tons. The plant is expected to exceed 86% efficiency and was selected on the basis of several performance factors, including unit availability and total life cycle costs.
Eneria Poland will also provide ongoing support to help the managers of Energetyka Cieplna achieve the maximum long-term value from the system and focus on running their enterprise. Through a tailored customer value agreement (CVA), Eneria Poland will assume responsibility for on-site maintenance and service, which includes scheduled inspections and oil changes, technical support 24 hours a day, remote monitoring and control, dealer replacement of maintenance parts, and Cat S•O•SSM fluid analysis.
“Energetyka Cieplna has undertaken numerous initiatives to reduce the impact of its operations on the environment while continuing to serve its customers,” said Sven Buehler, territory manager for gas product sales at Caterpillar. “Caterpillar and Eneria Poland have the portfolio of advanced power solutions and deep technical expertise needed to help Energetyka Cieplna achieve its sustainability goals.”
Cogeneration Capabilities from Caterpillar
Facilities can reduce operating costs by implementing a Cat cogeneration combined heat and power (CHP) system or a cogeneration system incorporating cooling. This enables the units to simultaneously provide power for electrical loads as well as heat and cooling energy for a facility’s requirements. Any gas-fueled Cat engine can be configured to support facility processes or heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) requirements.
Caterpillar delivers innovative power systems engineered for durability, reliability and value. The company offers worldwide product support, with parts and service available globally through the Cat authorized service and dealer network. In addition, dealer technicians are trained to service every aspect of Cat equipment.
Combined Heat & Power
Focused News
News
RECs or green microgrids? What’s the better way to achieve ESG goals?
Microgrid Knowledge
Jun 17, 2022
A new study published in Nature finds that corporate REC purchases aren’t likely to prompt additional renewable energy production, which is key to fighting climate change.
Corporate science-based targets to reduce emissions aim to meet the global temperature goal of the Paris Agreement, said the study by UK and Canadian researchers. To date, more than 1,000 companies, including multinational firms, have set these targets for their environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) goals.
The use of RECs by companies with these targets has created an inflated estimate of the effectiveness of mitigation efforts, according to the study. The researchers calculated that when they removed the Scope 2 emission reductions the companies claimed for 2015-2019, the companies no longer meet the Paris Agreement’s 1.5 degree centigrade goal, and barely fall below the 2 degree goal.
Scope 2 emissions are indirect greenhouse gas emissions that result from the purchase of electricity, steam, heat or cooling, according to the US Environmental Protection Agency.
If the trend continues, the study said, 42% of Scope 2 emission reductions won’t achieve the goal of mitigation. When companies say that Scope 2 emissions can be cut with RECs, it’s misleading because the RECs aren’t associated with real emission reductions, said the study.
Bobby Hollis, vice president of market strategy for Mainspring Energy — which offers multifuel generators that can serve as green microgrids — said that the best option for corporations is to install clean on-site generation. RECs can be based on renewable power plants located far from the site and won’t benefit a local community. And they can be from older plants built some years ago, so when companies buy these RECs, they don’t add new renewable energy to the grid, Hollis said.
“With clean generation on that site, you control your own destiny and hopefully have more resilience. You don’t have to worry about what’s going on 100 miles from your site; it’s just what’s impacting you directly,” Hollis said. “You don’t have to worry about when it’s generated, you don’t have to worry about the geography. It takes out the variables,” he added.
However, not all RECs lack value, said Hollis.
What constitutes high quality RECs
The highest quality RECs come from new renewables. When companies buy RECs, they want to be sure their money goes toward building new renewable plants so that more clean energy is added to the grid. The plants should be located close to the corporation purchasing the RECs. And it’s important that RECs are based on renewable energy plants that are generating now, he said.
Clark Wiedetz, chief sales officer at GreenStruxure, a subsidiary of Schneider Electric, agreed that companies should be careful about purchasing RECs from renewable plants located in other states. This often involves virtual power purchase agreements (PPA). “A virtual power purchase agreement is OK for a company’s short-term goals,” he said. “On-site microgrids are great for long-term goals.”
“We are seeing large companies especially evaluate their sites and target their highest impact sites from an economic and sustainability standpoint for their first on-site projects, then continue from there and supplement the rest with virtual PPAs,” said Wiedetz.
Pierson Stoecklein, chairman of the Microgrid Resources Coalition, said that without restrictions on where the renewable energy is generated, companies can procure enough RECs to satisfy a 100% renewable energy commitment without modifying their energy consumption or reducing emissions at or near the company.
Green microgrids, on the other hand, which are local resources, ensure that emissions reductions are realized within the immediate vicinity of energy consumption, Stoecklein said.
Microgrids add resilience
And the real value of microgrids is the resilience they provide, which isn’t provided by RECs, he added.
However, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) recently proposed climate disclosure rules that may affect ESG efforts as they relate to resilience, said Stoecklein.
“Until now, an entity’s ESG commitments may largely have ignored or at least not explicitly addressed resilience,” he said. But the SEC’s proposed rules would require disclosure of information about topics related to climate threats and how a company addresses resilience. For example, companies now have to disclose how any climate-related risks have affected or are likely to affect a company’s strategy, business model and outlooks.
One major US bakery company, Bimbo Bakery — maker of Thomas’ English muffins, Arnold bread and Sara Lee pastries — is choosing the microgrid route for meeting ESG goals. To help reduce its carbon footprint, the company plans to install microgrids at six manufacturing facilities over the next year with the help of GreenStruxure.
That may be a better strategy than purchasing RECs, given the questions swirling around RECs.
According to the authors of the REC report, existing emission accounting standards allow corporations to claim emission cuts by purchasing RECs. This accounting standard assumes that certificates will lead to increased investment in renewable energy generation and will cut emissions from electricity production.
“However, existing research finds very limited empirical evidence supporting this assumption. Corporate purchasing of certificates can therefore lead to inflated estimates of emission reductions,” said an article from the authors of the report.
News
World’s largest hydrogen fuel blending project completed
Mitsubishi Power Americas
Jun 16, 2022
The 20% blend was shown to provide a roughly 7% reduction in carbon emissions compared to natural gas. “Accelerating low-carbon technology development is essential to achieve net-zero targets by mid-century. This successful hydrogen demonstration test reinforces the significant, game-changing role that this and other low-carbon technologies can play to help reach economy-wide decarbonization,” said Neva Espinoza, vice president of Energy Supply and Low-Carbon Resources, at EPRI, an independent, non-profit energy research and development organization that supported development of the project. “EPRI’s future-focused collaboration with Georgia Power and Mitsubishi Power Americas is helping bring net-zero goals within reach.”
Georgia Power’s Plant McDonough-Atkinson facility, located less than 10 miles from downtown Atlanta, has served electric customers for more than 80 years. It was fully converted to natural gas in 2012 and expanded to power up to 1.7 million homes. It currently operates six large-capacity M501G series gas turbines as well as three steam turbines running in three blocks of 2-on-1 combined-cycle configuration.
For the hydrogen fuel blending project, Mitsubishi Power provided full turnkey service including engineering, planning, hydrogen blending hardware, controls, commissioning and risk management. It partnered with Certarus to source and manage the hydrogen supply. Southern Company’s R&D organization – which engages in research focused on low-carbon hydrogen power generation, production, delivery, transportation, infrastructure and energy storage – served as technical consultant.
Hydrogen blending was completed on one gas turbine unit with approximate output of 265 MW by utilizing some results of a project commissioned by the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO), Japan’s national research and development agency. In announcing the results, Mitsubishi Power noted the dry low NOX (DLN) hydrogen blending was successful at up to 20% at the designed 100% natural gas firing temperature; within emissions compliance for the existing air permit; and without impact on maintenance intervals. The team also confirmed improved turndown by testing up to 20% hydrogen at minimum emissions-compliant load.
“This demonstration helps pave the way for long-term clean and carbon-free use for already existing infrastructure. Making these smart investments today on behalf of our customers ensures we can continue to provide clean, safe, reliable and affordable energy as Georgia grows and thrives for decades to come,” said Allen Reaves, senior vice president and senior production officer, Georgia Power. “This kind of research and development not only delivers long-term value for our customers, but also helps drive the entire energy industry forward toward a cleaner, carbon-free future. We’re proud to be playing an important role in that and excited about what we’ve been able to accomplish with our partner, Mitsubishi Power Americas.”
The project also builds upon Mitsubishi Power’s hydrogen combustion experience and ongoing hydrogen combustion development for 100% hydrogen DLN combustion at the company’s facility at Takasago Works in Hyogo Prefecture, Japan. This site encompasses the development, design and manufacture of gas turbines, as well as demonstration and verification. The overall objective is to work toward commercialization of reliable, carbon-free power generation technologies and products, including tests and collaboration with partners globally on a path to 100% hydrogen firing for small- and large-frame gas turbines.
News
‘Not backsliding on clean energy’: Officials say California’s proposed 5 GW reserve could be heavy on gas
Utility Dive
Jun 13, 2022
“The current thinking is around incremental capacity at existing gas power plants,” California Energy Commission Vice Chair Siva Gunda said Thursday. In addition, regulators are contemplating “some levels of temporary gensets that could be multi-fuel … and definitely holding on to at-risk-of-retirement resources that are thermal in nature,” he added.
California’s energy system is facing a host of simultaneous challenges. While the state has added more than 4 GW of net qualifying capacity since last summer — more than 2.7 GW of which is available at 8 p.m., a particularly precarious time for the state’s grid given high electricity demand coupled with waning solar generation — the grid is still vulnerable due to extreme drought, heat waves and other disruptions, California Independent System Operator President and CEO Elliot Mainzer said Thursday.
The grid operator has determined that the state is currently facing an estimated 1,700 MW capacity shortfall compared to meeting industry reliability standards. That figure could be as high as 5,000 MW if California experiences simultaneous extreme events, like regional heatwaves and large wildfires. And these challenges are occurring against the backdrop of several planned retirements, including the 2.2 GW Diablo Canyon nuclear plant and a suite of gas-fired plants in the coming years.
“The bottom line is that despite considerable progress, we continue to face risks to reliability this summer and for the next several years,” Mainzer said.
Newsom’s revised budget proposal included $8 billion for the state’s energy system, including the $5.2 billion electricity reserve. The reserve – a statewide resource capable of providing up to 5,000 MW of emergency generation – will not take the place of power providers’ current procurement obligations.
“It’s very fair to say a large portion of the 5,000 MW of strategic reserve will be gas,” Gunda said.
Of the 5,000 MW, California Department of Water Resources is responsible for arranging for 3,000 MW, while the CEC is responsible for the remaining 2,000 MW.
Regulators are looking for resources that meet certain requirements — for instance, resources available during that 8 p.m. period that can be deployed quickly — which is why the current thinking is focused on additional capacity from existing gas power plants and temporary gensets.
“That will definitely form a bulk of the portfolio, but there’s also a large amount that we expect to come from the distributed-side resources, including the programs for shedding load or load flexibility,” Gunda said.
According to regulators, this reserve will not lead to an erosion of California’s longer-term clean energy goals. For the most part, the agencies are looking at gas units that are operating today to keep the electric system reliable, Karen Douglas, senior energy advisor at the governor’s office, said.
If they are brought into the strategic reserve, “we are actually taking them out of the market where they would run potentially more, and we’re putting them into a status where they are only running when the grid is under stressed conditions and we really need them,” she said.
“We should be really clear here that this is not backsliding on clean energy goals,” California Public Utilities Commission President Alice Reynolds agreed.
Discussions with state lawmakers on the proposed reserve are ongoing, Douglas said, adding that “the proposals that we’re putting forward are foundational to preserving reliability in a way that keeps us moving forward…”
The Natural Resources Defense Council supports the short-term investment of state resources to protect Californians from blackouts and prevent the state from becoming a cautionary tale in the climate fight, Merrian Borgeson, a senior scientist with the organization, said in an email.
“However, this funding needs guardrails to ensure that it is in fact beneficial, and not harmful, to Californians. Investments in clean resources that contribute to our path toward 2030 and 2045 carbon targets, and aren’t solely short term back up, should be prioritized,” she said, adding that any investments that will increase pollution in disadvantaged communities should be last on the list, or even prohibited.
News
Massive hydrogen facility moves a step closer
Mitsubishi Power Americas
Jun 12, 2022
According to Mitsubishi Power Americas, the loan helps generate a viable market for hydrogen and will make it scalable in the western United States and electrical grid, creating the fundamental infrastructure necessary to deploy this zero-carbon energy source.
“The Advanced Clean Energy Storage team, with its world-class industry partners, is excited to secure this loan by DOE to develop the first phase of the world’s largest renewable hydrogen energy hub,” said Michael Ducker, senior vice president of Hydrogen Infrastructure for Mitsubishi Power Americas and president of Advanced Clean Energy Storage I. “This step creates a path to accelerate the long-term hydrogen market and clean energy landscape to expand decarbonization across the United States.”
The Advanced Clean Energy Storage hub will help the clean energy transition by supporting the Intermountain Power Agency’s IPP Renewed Project—upgrading to an 840 MW hydrogen-capable gas turbine combined cycle power plant, the company said. The plant will initially run on a blend of 30% green hydrogen and 70% natural gas starting in 2025 and incrementally expand to 100% green hydrogen by 2045.
The hub will use Utah’s unique geological salt domes to store green hydrogen across two massive salt caverns, each capable of storing 150 gigawatt hours of energy. The long-duration energy storage capability of the salt caverns will help improve resource adequacy and decrease costs by capturing excess renewable power when it is abundant and dispatching it back on the grid when it is needed.
The hub will produce up to 100 metric tonnes per day of green hydrogen from renewable energy using electrolysis. Green hydrogen can then be stored in two massive salt caverns, each capable of storing 150 gigawatt hours (GWh) of energy, resulting in the world’s single largest hydrogen storage site and providing capabilities for seasonal shifting of excess renewable energy. The long-duration energy storage capability of the salt caverns will help improve resource adequacy and decrease costs by capturing excess renewable power when it is abundant and dispatching it back on the grid when it is needed.
“This joint venture is historic for Mitsubishi Power Americas and the future of global hydrogen deployment,” said Bill Newsom, president and CEO of Mitsubishi Power Americas. “We’re proud to partner with Magnum Development and provide the hydrogen equipment to further advance carbon-free hydrogen as a cornerstone of our future energy supply and help chart the path towards net zero. This project sets the industry gold standard for hydrogen deployment, helping to combat the impacts of climate change and advance human prosperity.”
The development and operation of the Advanced Clean Energy Storage hub will help spur economic development locally by creating up to 400 local construction jobs throughout the 3-year construction cycle, and it will employ a projected 25 full-time operations and maintenance personnel to provide 24/7 operations and maintenance of the facility. Additionally, property tax revenue collected by Millard County, Utah, will contribute to services that benefit all nearby Utahns, which typically include law enforcement and emergency response, infrastructure, and other services.
News
MHIENG’s first attempt at capturing CO2 from gas engine flue gas
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries
Jun 9, 2022
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Engineering, Ltd. (MHIENG)’s CO2 capture technology will be installed on a generator set operated by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Engine & Turbocharger (MHIET).
The demonstration marks MHIENG’s first attempt at capturing CO2 from gas engine flue gas, the companies said. Tests will begin in July and last 10 months.
The tests will be carried out using a compact CO2 capture system manufactured by MHIENG and installed in gas engine generator sets forming a part of an in-house power station at MHIET’s Sagamihara Plant in Japan. The demonstration testing will be applied to study the impact of gas engine flue gas properties on capture performance, and to evaluate the component makeup of the captured CO2. Verification will also be performed on an operation support service utilizing MHIENG’s proprietary remote monitoring system. A fully integrated customer support structure will be put in place encompassing all aspects from CO2 capture system introduction plans for gas engines and other facilities, to after-sale services, maintenance and operation. In addition, a mass-production type compact CO2 capture system will be adopted and the system’s ease of installation and appropriateness for use in relative small-scale facilities will be evaluated, to enable enhancement of the system’s overall reliability.
News
Top states for microgrid policy activity?
Microgrid Knowledge
Jun 8, 2022
The state policy assessment marks the first time “any organization has looked specifically at the policy landscape for microgrids where it matters the most — at the state level,” said Cameron Brooks, executive director of Think Microgrid, a coalition affiliated with Microgrid Knowledge that educates regulatory and political leaders about the technology.
Together, the top microgrid friendly states, along with Puerto Rico, represent more than one-third of the electricity market in the US and have significant microgrid activity, Brooks said.
The top tier states have taken policy action to advance microgrid markets. Hawaii and California, as well as Washington DC (a second tier state) have developed microgrid tariffs driven by public utility commissions. New Jersey, New York, Connecticut and Massachusetts have created competitive microgrid grant programs. Puerto Rico stands out because it requires microgrid deployment in utility resource planning. And Texas and Florida (a second tier state) have the largest deployments of commercial microgrids, the report said.
The report also shows that numerous states are just beginning to consider the role microgids can play, said Brooks.
The assessment, which categorizes the states’ efforts into four tiers — with Tier 1 states having the most effective microgrid policies — is based on a look at five issues:
1. Deployment: The report ranked states based on an analysis of the most robust markets that include all forms of microgrids.
2. Policy: States with proactive and comprehensive efforts to establish clear objectives, modernize rules and update regulations scored higher in the ranking.
3. Resilience: The report looked at whether states focus on practical opportunities to deploy microgrids that provide resiliency to customers, communities and critical facilities.
4. Grid services: States received high marks for working on establishing open markets, clear rules and other incentives to encourage investments from both utility ratepayers and private capital.
5. Equity: The report scored states for mechanisms that advance social equity and environmental justice priorities.
“In the past year, what we’ve learned at Think Microgrid is that there is a tremendous amount of enthusiasm about microgrids, in general, but not a lot of understanding about what they are and how they can be deployed,” Brooks said. “But it’s also important to recognize that policy ‘beauty’ is in the eye of the beholder. Just because there is notable activity underway, it doesn’t necessarily mean that the policies established will support all forms of microgrids.”
From a technical and operational point of view, a single customer installing a microgrid in a commercial setting is very different from a multicustomer deployment, and the policy issues are very different, he added.
The report provides a framework for analyzing several issues that add value to microgrids — their ability to provide resilience, environmental equity and clean energy. Policy reform is also analyzed, said Brooks.
Tier 2 and 3 states
The top Tier 2 states — those that feature advancements in a few policy areas — are Illinois, Colorado, North Carolina, Virginia, South Carolina, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Alaska, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, Washington DC, Louisiana, Kentucky, Wisconsin and Minnesota.
The Tier 2 states are characterized by high deployment (Florida, North Carolina, Virginia and South Carolina), microgrid grant programs (Colorado, Wisconsin, Minnesota and Maryland), access to grid services (Vermont and Washington) and those offering microgrid feasibility studies (Rhode Island and Kentucky), the report said.
“Generally, each [Tier 2] state stands out for advancement in one or a few evaluation criteria but does not have comprehensive activity in all of the evaluation areas,” said the report.
The states and territories that comprise Think Microgrid’s Tier 3 ranking are Maine, Oregon, Michigan, Ohio, Georgia, Arizona, New Mexico, Arkansas, New Hampshire and Nevada. These states — such as Maine — offer one standout microgrid or resilience policy but have limited other activities. Michigan, Oregon and New Mexico have a patchwork of activity indirectly related to microgrid deployment. And Georgia and Arkansas have high commercial microgrid development but no other activity, the report said.
News
U.S. Department of Energy Announces Hydrogen Shot Incubator Prize
U.S. DOE
Jun 7, 2022
“For hydrogen to fulfill its role in the sustainable and fully decarbonized economy of the future, we must harness every available approach and draw deep on our proud tradition of innovation to bring solutions to the market as soon as possible,” said Kelly Speakes-Backman, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. “The Hydrogen Shot Incubator Prize is important for spurring innovation in clean energy, and I’m looking forward to seeing the novel solutions developed as part of this prize.”
News
President Biden Invokes Defense Production Act to Accelerate Domestic Manufacturing of Clean Energy
U.S. DOE
Jun 6, 2022
“President Biden has invoked the Defense Production Act so that the U.S. can take ownership of its clean energy independence,” said U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm. “For too long the nation’s clean energy supply chain has been over-reliant on foreign sources and adversarial nations. With the new DPA authority, DOE can help strengthen domestic solar, heat pump and grid manufacturing industries while fortifying America’s economic security and creating good-paying jobs, and lowering utility costs along the way.”
News
DOE Launches Bipartisan Infrastructure Law's $8 Billion Program for Clean Hydrogen Hubs Across U.S.
U.S. DOE
Jun 6, 2022
“Hydrogen energy has the power to slash emissions from multiple carbon-intensive sectors and open a world of economic opportunity to clean energy businesses and workers across the country,” said U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm. “These hydrogen hubs will make significant progress towards President Biden’s vision for a resilient grid that is powered by clean energy and built by American workers.”
News
Milton S. Hershey Medical Center CHP anchored microgrid wins Greater Good Award at Microgrid 2022
Microgrid Knowledge
Jun 1, 2022
Much of the Hershey Medical Center Microgrid’s distribution system are underground distribution lines, which hardens the facility against floods and winter storms. The microgrid seamlessly islands with an onsite load management system, said the application.
The 22-MW microgrid includes combined heat and power and energy storage. As a result of the project, overall fuel use efficiency increased from 51% to 75%. The project has produced an annual cost savings of $3.8 million and has reduced CO2 emissions by 22 kilo tons annually, said the application for the award.
Carr described the project as featuring “a comprehensive, step-by-step approach that will enable the medical center to continue learning about its energy use and production and continue making improvements.”
Combined Heat & Power
Upcoming Events
Upcoming
Event
KEEP THE LIGHTS ON THIS SUMMER WITH CHP
DOE’s Combined Heat and Power Technical Assistance Partnership
June 28, 2022, 11:00 am to 12:00 pm ET
The Department of Energy’s Upper West CHP Technical Assistance Partnership (CHP TAP) will be leading a webinar on the opportunities and applications of CHP that can be used to keep your lights on in the summer.
SPEAKERS:
• Carlos Gamarra, Assistant Director, Southcentral CHP TAP
• McKenzie Roberts, Research Assistant, Upper West CHP TAP
• Margaret Cook, Research Associate, Upper West CHP TAP
Upcoming
Event
CHP’s and its role in decarbonization
NECHPI
June 29, 2022, 8:00 am to 3:30 pm ET
The conference is targeting a broad set of stakeholders and end-users. This is a special opportunity to network in person, and to dialogue with policymakers, regulators, influencers and thought leaders, and important end-user communities.
Agenda:
8:00 Registration opens
8:00 – 10 AM Breakfast and Networking
10:00 Introduction and welcome
John Rathbun, Executive Director, NECHPI
10:10 National view on CHP’s Present CO2 Benefits and future decarbonization with CHP
Bruce Hedman, DOE
10:30 CHP is “Renewable Now”: Featuring RNG & CHP
Dan Robb, Frontier Energy
10:50 Break and Networking
11:00 National Grid’s Plan to decarbonize by 2050,
Donald Chahbazpour Director – Future of Heat at National Grid
11:20 Operating the MIT CHP district system to optimize carbon and cost reduction
Mike Webster ICETEC and Carlo Fanone MIT
Noon Lunch
1:00 CHP as a Potential Grid Support Asset
Mike Swider, NYISO, Senior Market and Technologies Strategist (Invited)
1:20 Critical Infrastructure and Resiliency
Jennifer Kearney, Executive Partner & Gotham 360, LLC
1:40 NECHPI Awards Morristown Medical Center and Kings County Hospital
TBD
2:00 Decarbonization and CHP
Gearoid Foley / Tom Bourgeois
2:20 Town Hall Group Discussion followed by Meeting Summary / Next Steps
John Rathbun, Executive Director, NECHPI
3:30 PM Meeting Concludes
Upcoming
Event
JENBACHER DIGITAL SOLUTIONS
INNIO
July 13, 2022, 1:00 to 2:00 pm ET
Register now to learn how INNIO can help you solve your key challenges with a Digital approach.
Key Learning Objectives
Learn how INNIO is leveraging Digital solutions to create new customer value
Learn about the portfolio of Digital tools offered by INNIO
Learn how INNIO can help you solve your key challenges with a digital approach
Upcoming
Event
ASHE Annual Conference & Technical Exhibition
ASHE
July 17-20, 2022
This event is your opportunity to:
EARN 15+ continuing education credits and use them towards Certified Healthcare Facility Manager (CHFM) and Certified Healthcare Constructor (CHC) renewal.
CONNECT with other leaders and solution providers in health care facility management through innovative networking opportunities.
PARTICIPATE in sessions covering topics related to codes and compliance, sustainability and efficiency, infection prevention and more.
Upcoming
Event
World Cogeneration Day
worldcogenerationday.org
September 4, 2002
Upcoming
Event
Gastech Milan 2022
Gastech
September 5-8, 2022
Governments and CEOs will take stock of the evolving energy landscape; assess the state of the industry post-pandemic and navigate a route to a ‘just’ energy transition whilst managing the current gas supply crisis.
Celebrating its 50th anniversary in Milan, an international centre of business with a thriving gas industry, Gastech will gather Ministers, CEOs, policy makers, business leaders, engineers, innovators and disruptors.
Ideally timed 2-months ahead of COP-27, the four-day exhibition and conference will provide a forum for exhibitors, sponsors and speakers, to showcase to a global audience, their solutions to the challenges faced on the journey to net-zero.
Upcoming
Event
Facilities and Campus Energy North America Summit
RSC
September 14-15, 2022
Upcoming
Event
RNG WORKS - the North American RNG industry’s annual two-day Technical Workshop & Trade Expo
Coalition for Renewable Natural Gas
September 20-22, 2022
The Technical Workshop program and Trade Expo (90,000 sq feet) combine to educate, demonstrate and promote RNG industry best practices, for purposes of helping realize sustainable development, deployment and utilization of renewable natural gas - and for purposes of helping achieve greater energy independence and access to domestic, renewable, clean fuel and energy supply.
Upcoming
Event
A mix of strategy, learning and networking events to save energy
AEE
Sept. 21-23, 2022
Save the dates or register today and take advantage of our early bird pricing.
... The Association of Energy Engineers invites you to join your peers at our events in 2022. Learn, connect with other professionals and discuss key energy issues on energy management, efficiency, automation, data analytics, policy, supply, procurement, resiliency, sustainability, and more.
Save the dates or register today and take advantage of our early bird pricing.
Upcoming
Event
COGEN Europe Annual Conference
COGEN Europe
October 11 -12, 2022
This will be an excellent opportunity for participants to network and share knowledge about the latest and upcoming developments in the world of cogeneration. We look forward to bringing the European cogeneration community together again and we hope you'll be able to join us! You will receive further information about the programme of our Annual Conference and how you can register to attend it in the coming weeks.
In the meantime, we invite you to watch the recordings from our last Annual Conference, which took place as an online event on 18-19 November 2021. The various sessions featured some highly informative and interesting contributions from high-level speakers representing the EU institutions, energy industry players and other stakeholders. We are very grateful to all of the speakers and panellists for their contributions, as well as the event sponsors (2G, AB, Baker Hughes, CENTRAX, Clarke Energy, INNIO Jenbacher, Solar Turbines, TEDOM and Wärtsilä) for their generous support
Click link to view highlights of the 2021 Annual Conference. More to come soon.
Combined Heat & Power
Partner News
Partner
News
How Energy Upgrade Will Reduce Wastewater Treatment Plant Emissions by 93%
2G
Jun 27, 2022
The new comprehensive infrastructure project will help WCW achieve its vision. Led by ENGIE North America, the initiative will include significant upgrades to WCW’s Water Quality and Resource Recovery Plant. Two new digesters, an addition of 1.1 megawatts (MW) of solar power generation, a thermal sludge drying system, and solids dewatering, among other improvements, will greatly improve WCW’s control over its handling of biosolids.
Historically, biosolids produced by WCW have been sent to landfill due to the fact they did not meet the high-quality standards required for beneficial reuse. By generating Class A biosolids—suitable for agricultural and other reclamation uses—these upgrades will eliminate organic material being sent to landfill. This will prepare the organization for the 2022 implementation of SB 1383, the “Short-Lived Climate Pollutants: Organic Waste Reductions” regulations and reduce ongoing disposal costs. The project will also result in a substantial reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from the decomposition of sludge in the landfills.
ENGIE will implement the plant improvements and maintain the installed equipment over the next 20 years under an energy savings performance contract. ENGIE is targeting a 4.2 million kWh reduction in WCW’s annual energy use.
The scope of the project comprises a 1.1 MW solar power system, LED lighting, electric vehicle charging stations and wastewater treatment plant upgrades including a new grit separation system, rotary drum thickeners, a high efficiency aeration blower, new digesters, a 450 kW 2G cogeneration system powered by biogas from the digester, a sludge dewatering system, a sludge thermal dryer system and equalization basins. Together, these systems’ onsite generation will meet close to 100% of the district’s facilities and wastewater treatment electricity needs.
Partner
News
What all grid regulators and policy makers should know about greenhouses and combined heat and power (CHP)
International Greenhouse Guide
Jun 17, 2022
For years CHP has been an important asset in the greenhouse industry to deliver electrical power, heat (cooling) and CO2 to the greenhouse to reduce the cost of growing. CHP delivers energy with a typical total fuel use efficiency greater than 90%. Electrical power and CO2 can be produced when needed while the produced heat (hot water) can be stored in on site thermal storage tanks for use during other times of the day. The captured CO2 is used to raise productivity, crop yields and improve crop quality in the greenhouse. To scrub the CO2 from the exhaust gasses a catalyst is installed which reduces the stack emissions to very low levels, as a result the CHP systems comply with required local emission guidelines.
As we all now CO2 is needed for plants to grow and an essential fertilizer in the greenhouse industry. Onsite production of CO2 avoids offsite production and transportation of CO2 from somewhere else, which reduces the carbon footprint. The industry is working on new technologies to scrub the CO2 even more effectively in the future.
The world is striving towards a carbon neutral/negative electric grid. CHP systems serving greenhouses can play a very important role in maximizing the use of renewable energy sources like wind and solar. Due to presence of onsite thermal storage, CHP systems serving greenhouses can help to stabilize the grid when there is a shortage of power by supplying power back into the grid.
The future electric renewable grid will require significant grid stabilization tools to maintain reliability because of the intermittency of electricity production from wind and solar power. Greenhouses with grow lights can switch off the lights, shed load, to supply maximum electric power to the grid as a low cost means of providing grid stabilizing services. The only thing required is a simple signal from the grid operator as the CHP units can offer 24/7 stand by power. Greenhouses can also create load by using electrical boilers. The heat produced by the electrical boilers is not lost can be stored in the thermal storage tank.
Greenhouses with CHP can also run independently from the grid when there is a grid outage, securing our food supply. We have seen many examples in the US where nature disasters caused long lasting grid outages, with onsite CHP growers can overcome this issue.
An additional advantage is that CHP units are ready to run on renewable natural gas which makes the system future proof when renewable gas starts to become widely available. There is not a single technology that is as efficient as onsite greenhouse CHP supplying electricity, heat, cooling and CO2 to a greenhouse running on renewable natural gas.
Ideally greenhouses will have their own microgrid where CHP, solar, battery storage, boilers and heat storage can secure the most efficient and sustainable energy supply to grow local food for local consumption.
Greenhouses and CHP will be an important tool in the transition towards a carbon neutral/free world. Solving our water and food shortages as the world will need at least 50% more food by 2050 to feed the growing population.
We hope that grid regulators and policy makers will recognize the importance of the greenhouse sector using CHP and having a more favorable approach accelerate the use of this technology using natural gas today and renewable fuels when they become available.
AB Energy is for many years a leading player in the global greenhouse CHP industry supplying a fully integrated standardized modular built greenhouse CHP solution with the highest possible energy efficiencies. AB Energy understands the full integration into greenhouses, greenhouse microgrids and can support in designing an optimal solution which has all the flexibility to support grid regulators to solve the growing instability of their electric grids by the growth of renewable energy sources and the growing demand of electrical power.
Dick Kramp
Partner
News
AB Energy Introduces ECOMAX NEXT
AB Energy
Jun 9, 2022
Partner
News
First North American 100% Hydrogen CHP
2G
Jun 9, 2022
The customer has its own electrolyzer and consequently large volumes of hydrogen, which will be converted into electricity and heat as needed with the help of 2G's H2 CHP system.
The unit will be delivered near the end of 2022 and installed and in service in early 2023.
This project is strategically significant and the first of its kind in North America. The project size will be scaled up to support larger facilities in the future, further reducing emissions while ensuring the reliability and sustainability of energy.
In addition to offering 100% Hydrogen CHP systems that are commercially available today, 2G’s natural gas engines can blend up to 40% hydrogen and have the ability to be retrofitted to run on up to 100% hydrogen in the field. 2G is leading the way in future-proof technology that is reducing emissions and providing reliability and sustainability today.
Partner
News
Capstone to supply microturbines to waste-to-energy projects in Italy
Capstone Green Energy
Jun 9, 2022
Soon, two Italian wastewater treatment facilities will be taking advantage of CHP in their operations. IBT Connecting Energies GmbH, the exclusive distributor for Italy for Capstone Green Energy, has secured orders to supply three Capstone C65 microturbines for two waste-to-energy projects in the Sardinia region of Italy, the first of their kind in the region. The microturbines will be deployed at facilities operated by Acciona Agua SA in Alghero and Cagliari, Italy, and are expected to be commissioned in December 2022.
“We are pleased to see continued order flow out of the European region given the unprecedented macroeconomic conditions in their energy markets,” said Darren Jamison, chief executive officer, Capstone Green Energy. “This is a perfect example of how customers are reducing their dependence on fossil fuel sources for power generation through sustainable biogas to energy projects.”
According to the company’s specs, the C65 microturbines are rated at 65 kW, have a voltage of 400 to 480 VAC, frequency of 50/60 Hz and can be paralleled up to 30 MW of power. Once commissioned, they will operate on biogas produced on site from municipal solid waste.
Partner
News
Caterpillar to demonstrate hydrogen CHP
Caterpillar
Jun 2, 2022
Supported and partially funded by the U.S. Dept. of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), the project will be led by Caterpillar in collaboration with District Energy St. Paul of St. Paul, Minnesota, USA, and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL).
With preparations starting in the second quarter of this year and operations commencing in 2023, participants will develop and demonstrate a hydrogen-fueled power delivery and control system to evaluate its greenhouse gas emissions profile, reliability, durability and barriers to adoption. To fully assess every aspect of the hydrogen solution under real-world operating conditions, power and heat from the demonstration project will feed into District Energy St. Paul’s distribution system.
“As a leading authority on CHP systems and the deployment of advanced energy technologies that promote sustainability, District Energy St. Paul is the ideal choice for hosting this demonstration,” said Jason Kaiser, vice president for Caterpillar’s Electric Power Division. “The project will help Caterpillar further extend our expertise in hydrogen-fueled power systems performing under the highest expectations of real-world applications.”
For the demonstration project, Caterpillar will deploy a flexible-fuel CHP system that includes the Cat Master Microgrid Controller (MMC) and a Cat G3516 generator set packaged in a standardized, factory-assembled solution designed to minimize complexity and infrastructure requirements.
The MMC will manage load dispatch requirements as the power system demonstrates the performance, efficiency and emissions characteristics of a hydrogen-fueled solution. Using 100% hydrogen fuel, 100% natural gas fuel, or natural gas blended with up to 25% hydrogen, the project will compare how hydrogen and hydrogen blends can be integrated into a waste-heat-and-power solution.
Ziegler, the local Cat dealer, will provide on-site support and system maintenance for the project.
Caterpillar has begun offering demonstrator generator sets capable of operating on 100% hydrogen, including fully renewable green hydrogen, on a designed-to-order basis. The Cat G3516H gas generator set is available in North America and Europe with a rating of 1250 kW for 50 or 60 Hz continuous, prime, and load management applications.
Additionally, Caterpillar offers commercially available power generation solutions from 400 kW to 4.5 MW that can be configured to operate on natural gas blended with up to 25% hydrogen. In the fourth quarter of this year, Cat said customers will be able to order retrofit kits that provide blending capabilities up to 25% hydrogen for generator sets built on select engine platforms.
Caterpillar has also launched a three-year project through a collaboration with Microsoft to demonstrate a power system incorporating a large-format hydrogen fuel cell to produce reliable and sustainable backup power for data centers. The project is supported and partially funded by the DOE under the H2@Scale initiative and backed by the NREL.
Partner
News
Middletown Recreation Center Choose CHP Anchored Microgrid, Fully Engineered by Clarke Energy
Clark Energy
May 31, 2022
In line with the facility being set for the future of the community, sustainable and resilient energy for the recreation center is essential. Clarke Energy was chosen to provide the power solution for the building and to develop and deliver a turnkey microgrid for the site. This facility incorporates several different power generation and storage technologies that will be integrated and optimised to provide both parallel and back-up power for the community center.
The base energy source for the community center is one of Clarke Energy’s CHP units supplying 35kW of electricity and 204.1kBTU/hr of hot water at high efficiency. The CHP can provide black-start capability for the microgrid. In addition, there will be a solar photovoltaic array providing renewable electricity from the sun. Surplus energy can be stored in a battery energy storage system for peak shaving. Finally, the resiliency of the site will be further supported with the addition of a KOHLER KG100 back-up gas-fueled generator. The site’s energy resources will be coordinated by a centralized microgrid controller. It is estimated the microgrid will reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 192 tons per year
Middletown’s Acting Director of the Department of Public Works, Chris Holden commented
“The town is looking forward to the finalization of the upgrades to this recreation center. We see sustainable, resilient energy as key to the longevity of these community facilities and we are pleased to be supported by Symbiont Energy and Clarke Energy in this endeavor.
X-Caliber Rural Capital’s Jordan Blanchard, Co-Founder and Executive Manager said
“We were pleased to be able to provide long-term financing for this critical community infrastructure that will serve thousands of residents with clean energy. We are committed to providing excellent financing solutions that support our nation’s local communities and this is a perfect example of a successful execution for a project that will make an impact.”
Andy Malcolm, Managing Director of Clarke Energy, USA commented
“This installation will be the most complex microgrid supplied yet by Clarke Energy and will integrate numerous sustainable and low carbon power generation and storage technologies. We are delighted to have been selected by the Middletown Recreation Center to deliver this resilient energy solution.”
Partner
News
AGR 217,000m² Glasshouse and Energy Centre with 33MWth Heat Pump System and 9MW Combined Heat and Power Plant
Clark Energy
May 31, 2022
The Energy Centre for the glasshouse combines a 33MWth heat pump system with a combined heat and power (CHP) plant comprising three high-efficiency INNIO Jenbacher gas engines with CO2 recovery. The installation of heat pumps will provide renewable hot water heating to the glasshouse and will qualify for the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI). IES Energy are leading heat pump manufacturers and will be supplying and installing the heat pumps for the project. Their trusted partner Pure Renewables will be designing and installing the open-loop collection system which will run over a total distance of 750m. Clarke Energy and AGR opted for an ammonia (R717) refrigerant system as opposed to a hydrocarbon refrigerant from IES Energy as ammonia has a higher efficiency value and global warming potential of zero.
Partner
News
Clarke Energy USA and BioTown Biogas Work on First Project to Diversify Energy Portfolios into Renewable Natural Gas (RNG)
Clark Energy
May 29, 2022
BioTown AG is an existing renewable energy business with a long track record of success in the sector. BioTown is expanding into the generation of biogas to be cleaned to gas grid injection standards as biomethane.
Five farming groups from the locality close to the plant will supply agricultural waste feedstock for the digesters. This will help to reduce emissions from the farms and provide the 500-600,000 gallons per day of slurry from approximately 25,000 milking cows equivalent, for the biogas plant to operate on.
The biogas from the digesters will be used for two functions – firstly 460 scfm of treated biogas will fuel the INNIO engine to generate renewable electricity and heat to support the local operations. In addition, over 1,500 scfm of raw biogas will be cleaned and injected into the national gas grid where it will be marketed into the California Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) program and capturing D3 Renewable Identification Numbers (RINs). The installation enables the avoidance of 150,000 tons per annum of carbon dioxide emissions to the atmosphere.
The system will be delivered as part of a turnkey solution to the customer, backed up by Clarke Energy’s established local service network.
Partner
News
Energetyka Cieplna Chooses Eneria Poland to Supply Cogeneration System from Caterpillar
POWERinfo Today
May 13, 2022
Eneria Poland will deliver the key components of the system, which includes four Cat G3516H gas generator sets, heat recovery components, controls, silencers, and exhaust components. Scheduled to begin operating in early 2022, the new system upgrades the current district heating system, which delivers over a half million gigajoules of heat annually to more than 24,000 customers. Power will be sold to the local distribution network operator. Poland’s National Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management supplied a portion of the project financing.
The new system helps to modernize the heating capabilities and improve the environmental impact of Energetyka Cieplna, which used coal for more than 97% of its district heat production in 2019. Through the cogeneration system, officials expect to reduce the heat produced from coal by about 136 gigajoules per year while decreasing annual emissions of carbon dioxide by more than 52 tons. The plant is expected to exceed 86% efficiency and was selected on the basis of several performance factors, including unit availability and total life cycle costs.
Eneria Poland will also provide ongoing support to help the managers of Energetyka Cieplna achieve the maximum long-term value from the system and focus on running their enterprise. Through a tailored customer value agreement (CVA), Eneria Poland will assume responsibility for on-site maintenance and service, which includes scheduled inspections and oil changes, technical support 24 hours a day, remote monitoring and control, dealer replacement of maintenance parts, and Cat S•O•SSM fluid analysis.
“Energetyka Cieplna has undertaken numerous initiatives to reduce the impact of its operations on the environment while continuing to serve its customers,” said Sven Buehler, territory manager for gas product sales at Caterpillar. “Caterpillar and Eneria Poland have the portfolio of advanced power solutions and deep technical expertise needed to help Energetyka Cieplna achieve its sustainability goals.”
Cogeneration Capabilities from Caterpillar
Facilities can reduce operating costs by implementing a Cat cogeneration combined heat and power (CHP) system or a cogeneration system incorporating cooling. This enables the units to simultaneously provide power for electrical loads as well as heat and cooling energy for a facility’s requirements. Any gas-fueled Cat engine can be configured to support facility processes or heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) requirements.
Caterpillar delivers innovative power systems engineered for durability, reliability and value. The company offers worldwide product support, with parts and service available globally through the Cat authorized service and dealer network. In addition, dealer technicians are trained to service every aspect of Cat equipment.
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.