NNL and DNV team up for nuclear-derived hydrogen study

26 November 2021

The UK's National Nuclear Laboratory (NNL) and Norwegian assurance and risk management provider DNV are partnering to explore the potential use of advanced nuclear technologies for the conversion of UK gas networks to hydrogen. The collaboration will enable both the nuclear and gas sectors to gain a deeper understanding of priorities and assess barriers and next steps on aspects including regulation, safety, siting and economics.

(Image: Pixabay)

Converting national and regional natural gas networks to hydrogen could be a powerful decarbonisation solution, by distributing the gas to millions of individual users across the country, where it can be burnt without releasing carbon dioxide, NNL said. "This will enable consumers to continue using gas in homes, businesses and industry, in an effective way that is net-zero compliant.

"To successfully achieve this transition, large quantities of hydrogen would be needed, and the ability of nuclear to drive production at gigawatt-scale could be of great value. This project is a key step in bringing nuclear-derived hydrogen into the public domain, demonstrating that a UK hydrogen network could have a wider range of options for hydrogen supply."

A wider range of organisations from the nuclear and gas sectors will be engaged via the two companies' respective networks, which will help bring together decades of learning and experience.

NNL said the Nuclear-Derived Hydrogen to Gas Networks collaboration is set to provide deeper evidence to support key upcoming government policy decisions on the role of hydrogen in buildings and for heating, scheduled for 2026.

Part of the Advanced Nuclear Skills and Innovation Campus (ANSIC) pilot, located at NNL's Preston Laboratory on the Springfields nuclear licensed site, the scheme is funded by the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), to promote academic and industrial innovation in advanced nuclear technologies (ANTs).

"ANTs have the potential to play a major role in delivering net-zero, and this scheme would consequently de-risk a future hydrogen gas network conversion programme," NNL said. "ANSIC will allow researchers and innovators to access some of the world's most progressive nuclear facilities and receive support from technical and operational subject matter experts."

As part of the ANSIC pilot's ongoing commitment to help reach net-zero, NNL is running three hydrogen workshops, with the first commencing on 30 November. This will develop a common understanding of the subject matter, with the second and final workshops taking place in January and March 2022.

"Innovation, specialist skills and expertise are recognised as fundamental to maximising the potential of ANTs to support decarbonisation and are a key focus of the ANSIC pilot programme," said NNL CEO Paul Howarth. "Nuclear offers the potential for large-scale, low-cost production of hydrogen with zero emissions and could be an ideal energy source to drive transition of our gas networks towards net-zero. This project paves the way for nuclear to support climate change mitigation across home heating, industry and transportation and we are excited about how our collaboration with DNV can drive the pace of change required to meet our clean energy goals."

Hari Vamadevan, Regional Director, UK & Ireland, Energy Systems, at DNV, added: "The pathway to 1.5 degrees requires the creation of a robust hydrogen economy. Hydrogen will account for 13% of energy demand by 2050 and crucially it is urgently needed for the decarbonisation of hard to electrify sectors. Our forecasts predict that one-third of global hydrogen and synthetic fuel demand by 2050 will be used for industrial heating. We will need to consider multiple pathways to achieve the hydrogen economy, nuclear is one such path."

The UK government says nuclear will play a significant role in developing a thriving low-carbon hydrogen sector to meet the country's ambition for 5GW of low-carbon hydrogen production capacity by 2030. Releasing its Hydrogen Strategy in September, BEIS said a hydrogen economy could support over 9000 UK jobs and unlock GBP4 billion (USD5.5 billion) in investment by 2030, potentially rising to 100,000 jobs and worth up to GBP13 billion by 2050.

By 2030, the government says, hydrogen could play an important role in decarbonising polluting, energy-intensive industries like chemicals, oil refineries, power and heavy transport like shipping, trucks and trains, by helping these sectors move away from fossil fuels. By 2050, 20-35% of the UK's energy consumption could be hydrogen-based. It says hydrogen could be critical in meeting the UK's targets of a 78% reduction in emissions by 2035 and net zero emissions by 2050.

Researched and written by World Nuclear News

NUKE NEWS

Game on for nuclear, declares Bilbao y León

30 November 2021

Nuclear energy offers a "golden opportunity" to create a cleaner and more equitable world, World Nuclear Association Director General Sama Bilbao y León said today at the World Nuclear Exhibition in Paris. However, she noted there are three major challenges hindering the nuclear industry in making its full potential contribution towards sustainable development and combatting climate change: financing, perception and regulation

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Sama Bilbao y León speaking at the World Nuclear Exhibition 

(Image: Nathan Paterson/World Nuclear Association)

Bilbao y León said about 440 nuclear power reactors are "quietly operating in the background - out of sight and out of mind - providing people across the world with always-on, inexpensive, non-polluting and reliable energy."

She added that, so far this year, over 5 GW of new nuclear generating capacity has been brought online across the world, in China, India, Pakistan and the UAE. Meanwhile, construction has started on a further 6 GW of capacity. "The nuclear sector is gathering quite a bit of momentum," she said.

Extending the life of the current fleet of reactors as long as feasible is vitally important, she said. "We have seen positive movement on this front, particularly in the USA, where nearly 20 reactors have been saved from needless premature closure in the last five years - closures that would not only increase greenhouse gas emissions, but also undermine energy independence and result in lethal air pollution ... and leave behind many communities whose economy depends on these units."

Meeting the 1.5°C temperature rise target in a cost-effective and socially equitable manner will require the rapid deployment of much more nuclear energy, Bilbao y León said. "Nuclear power enables rapid decarbonisation on a massive scale, and it has the track record to prove it."

"Nuclear technologies will play a major role in making possible a net-zero world of abundant energy for everyone, generating electricity for large grids and small communities alike, providing district heating and cooling, supplying process heat to industry, producing hydrogen, and so much more," she said. "Because nuclear energy is the only energy source that can produce low-carbon electricity and low-carbon heat, it can be a game changer for the deep decarbonisation of the entire global economy."

For nuclear energy to play a significant role to meet the decarbonisation and sustainable development needs of the world, more than 1200 GWe of nuclear generation must be installed by 2050. This means the construction of 30 new reactors annually. "We can do it," Bilbao y León said. "We have done this before, but we have not yet reached that level today."

She said the nuclear industry urgently needs to lay down the human, physical, commercial and institutional infrastructures that will enable it to "truly scale up fast to meet the urgent and massive decarbonisation needs.

"Going further yet, we need to accelerate the development and deployment of small modular reactor (SMRs) and advanced nuclear technologies. SMRs and advanced nuclear projects will play an important role in further diversifying the nuclear sector, and bringing nuclear to new markets and applications."

Challenges to overcome

However, Bilbao y León said the nuclear industry must "build on the momentum of today to remove the remaining barriers that nuclear energy faces." These, she said, are financing, perception and regulation.

With regards to financing, she said it is essential the industry ensure nuclear power projects are included in the various ESG (environment, social and governance) finance frameworks and sustainable finance taxonomies being developed across the world.

"The global nuclear sector needs to continue to work towards ensuring that all these green financing classifications and frameworks - which will be used to build a more sustainable tomorrow - are based on scientific and technology-neutral methodologies."

She said it is also imperative to develop financial, contractual and market approaches that help align the characteristics of a nuclear project with the needs and priorities of private investors. "Indeed, nuclear power should be a natural choice for any investor with a long-term horizon, such as pension funds."

There has been growing recognition amongst policy makers and the public of the low-carbon attributes and high reliability of nuclear power, Bilbao y León noted. "But let's be clear on this: recognition is not enough. We don't want nuclear energy to be the option of last resort ... we want it to be the first choice.

"Beyond achieving decarbonisation in high-income countries, there are so many powerful stories that the nuclear community should tell, stories that will be incredibly powerful in changing public perception towards nuclear technologies. Such as painting the picture of a world in which the economies of today's developing countries thrive thanks to a reliable supply of abundant, clean and cheap electricity."

On the issue of regulation, she said the industry urgently needs to address the licensing of reactor designs across national borders. "There can be no doubt that the nuclear industry is being held back by national approaches to licensing and regulation, turning what should be an efficient series of nth-of-a-kind projects with significant learning curves, into a never-ending series of first-of-a-kind ones, with its many - and well-known - drawbacks," Bilbao y León said. "This creates unnecessary uncertainty and risk to the deployment of new reactors.

"The world has changed, and we must change with it ... Now more than ever it is essential for industry, regulators and governments to work together to align national regulatory approaches and streamline the international licensing process."

She said the future for nuclear power has "not looked brighter in many years, but it is up to us to capitalise on the current momentum and make the absolute most of this opportunity. Game on for nuclear!"

Researched and written by World Nuclear News

South Australian site to host national radwaste facility

29 November 2021

Napandee near Kimba in South Australia has been formally selected as the location of a national low and medium-level radioactive waste facility. Under the relevant legislation, the declaration today by Australia's Minister for Resources and Water Keith Pitt has the effect of the Commonwealth acquiring about 211 hectares of land for the purpose of hosting the National Radioactive Waste Management Facility (NRWMF).

The Napandee nominated site (Image: Australian Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources)

Following a call for site nominations in 2015, Napandee was voluntarily nominated in 2017 by its landowner as a possible site to host the facility.

In September 2020, an Australian Senate committee recommended that Parliament pass legislation that would make Napandee the preferred site for the facility. The bill would establish a national facility to permanently dispose of low-level radioactive waste and temporarily store intermediate-level radioactive waste by amending the National Radioactive Waste Management Act 2012 to, amongst other things, specify the site selected and enable the acquisition of additional land for the facility.

On 11 August, Pitt announced his decision to issue notices of an intention to declare Napandee as the proposed site for the facility. Following a period of further consultation, the Australian government today confirmed the site has been selected to host the NRWMF.

Construction of the facility will begin after detailed designs, technical and heritage studies are completed. The facility delivery and operation will be managed by the Australian Radioactive Waste Agency (ARWA) in Adelaide. The application and approval processes are expected to take a number of years to be completed.

ARWA noted today's announcement "is another step towards a AUD31 million (USD22 million) Community Development Package to support the local host community."

"I'm pleased to confirm we have reached a major milestone in our work to deliver this national facility, and a solution that has eluded consecutive governments for more than 40 years," Pitt said. "This new facility will create 45 new, permanent jobs in the local Kimba community, in fields as diverse as security, administration, environmental monitoring, scientific services, health and safety."

Australia does not produce nuclear energy but has a long experience of operating research reactors and producing radioisotopes for use in medicine, research and industry. According to World Nuclear Association, the country produces about 45 cubic metres of mostly low-level radioactive waste per year from the manufacture and use of radioisotopes. This waste is currently stored at over a hundred sites around the country, including science facilities, hospitals and universities. Six volunteered sites were shortlisted for a national repository for both categories of waste, and after a process lasting some 28 years Napandee was last year identified by the government as the preferred site for the low-level waste facility.

The Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO) said the development of a purpose-built, national facility is "crucial to ANSTO and its nuclear medicine and research activities, with more than 90% of the waste produced in Australia being linked to ANSTO's nuclear medicine production."

Pitt said: "Nuclear medicine is used in the diagnosis of a variety of heart, lung and muscular-skeletal conditions as well as the treatment of specific cancers, and a by-product of its production is low-level radioactive waste. Along with the benefits comes a responsibility to manage the by-products. Without a facility like this, we can't enjoy the benefits from vital nuclear medicines on an ongoing basis.

"This facility will underwrite Australia's nuclear medicine supplies, and support good, permanent, full-time jobs and a brand new industry in Kimba, for generations."

ARWA was set up in July 2020 to manage all Australia's radioactive waste and to lead the process to deliver the NRWMF. It will also lead a separate process to site a facility to permanently dispose of the country's intermediate-level waste. This will likely be a deep geological facility in a different location.

Spanish uranium project denied authorisation

29 November 2021

Spain's Ministry for Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge (MITECO) has rejected Berkeley Energia's authorisation to build a uranium processing plant at the company's Salamanca project in western Spain. The company has questioned the legality of the decision.

(Image: Pixabay)

MITECO's decision follows an unfavourable report for the grant of the Authorisation for Construction for the plant as a radioactive facility - known as NSCII - which was issued by Spain's Nuclear Safety Council (Consejo De Seguridad Nuclear, CSN) in July. Later the same month, Berkeley submitted a supplementary Improvement Report and corresponding arguments addressing all the issues raised by the CNS and requested a reassessment. Further documentation was submitted to MITECO in early August, when the company again restated the project's compliance with all requirements for the NSC II to be awarded.

"As previously reported, Berkeley strongly refutes the NSC's assessment and, in the company's opinion, the NSC has adopted an arbitrary decision with the technical issues used as justification to issue the unfavourable report lacking in both technical and legal support," the company said on 26 November, after MITECO formally notified the company of its decision.

Berkeley requested from MITECO access to the files associated with the relevant construction and dismantling and closure authorisations for previous radioactive facilities at La Haba (Badajoz) and Saelices El Chico (Salamanca), which are owned by Enusa Industrias Avandas SA, "to verify and contrast the conditions approved by the competent administrative and regulatory bodies for other similar uranium projects in Spain. Based on those files, it said, "it is clear that Berkeley, in its NSC II submission, has been required to provide information that does not correspond to: (i) the regulatory framework, (ii) the scope of the current procedural stage (i.e. at the NSC II stage), and/or (iii) the criteria applied in other licensing processes for similar radioactive facilities). Accordingly, the company considers that the NSC has acted in a discriminatory and arbitrary manner when assessing the NSC II application for the Salamanca project."

"In Berkeley's strong opinion, MITECO has rejected the company's NSC II application without following the legally established procedure, as the Improvement Report has not been taken into account and sent to the NSC for its assessment, as requested on multiple occasions by the company," it said.

"In this regard, the company believes that MITECO have infringed regulations on administrative procedures in Spain, as well as Berkeley's right of defence, which would imply that the decision on the rejection of the company's NSC II application is not legal."

Berkeley said it will "immediately consider the range of legal options available to it in relation to the adverse resolution by MITECO."

The Salamanca project has 59.8 million pounds U3O8 (23,000 tU) of measured and indicated resources as well as inferred resources of 29.6 million pounds of U3O8. According to a definitive feasibility study published by Berkeley in 2016, it would be capable of producing an average of 4.4 million pounds of uranium per year at a cash cost of USD13.30 per pound over an initial ten-year period.

Initial on-site infrastructure work began in 2016, and work began on road realignment and a power line upgrade ahead of main construction. The Municipality of Retortillo in 2020 issued Berkeley Energia a land use permit, known as an Urbanism Licence, for construction works at the project, leaving the NSC II as the only outstanding approval required for full construction to begin.

Researched and written by World Nuclear News

NUKE NEWS CANADA

Drilling completed at first Canadian repository candidate site

30 November 2021

Canada's Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO) has completed borehole drilling work at Ignace, which is being studied as a possible host area for a deep geological repository for Canada's used nuclear fuel. Some 6 km of rock has been retrieved during the four-year drilling programme.

NWMO has retrieved 6 km of rock cores from the Ignace area (Image: NWMO)

Drilling of the NWMO's first borehole, about 35 kilometres west of Ignace, between Ignace and Wabigoon Lake Ojibway Nation (WLON), began in November 2017. Since then, six boreholes - each one kilometre in length - have been drilled into a rock formation known as the Revell Batholith. Completion of drilling marks a significant milestone in the geoscience work to determine whether the site can safely host the repository, NWMO said. Downhole testing will be completed over the coming months.

Boreholes are drilled using a conventional truck-mounted or skid-mounted rotary drill rig. The drilling and on-site testing process for a 1 km-deep borehole takes about 120 days.

Lise Morton, NWMO's vice-president of site selection, said the completion of drilling at Ignace is an "exciting moment" for the organisation. "A lot of work has been done, and we literally have six kilometres of borehole samples to study," she said. "The information we gather from this work will be brought together with other data as we learn about all aspects of the proposed site."

The NWMO is a non-profit organisation responsible for implementing Canada's plan for the safe, long-term storage of used nuclear fuel inside a deep geological repository in an area with informed and willing hosts. Ignace and South Bruce, both in Ontario, are being studied as possible host areas, having been narrowed down from a list of 21 interested communities through a process launched in 2010. Borehole drilling, coring and downhole testing at South Bruce began earlier this year, and drilling is anticipated to be completed in mid-2022.

Canada's plan for a deep geological repository will only proceed in an area with informed and willing hosts. Community monitors from WLON were on-site during the borehole drilling, and were an important part of the team, NWMO said, providing input on-site as well as sharing information and insights with WLON.

"As part of the NWMO's site selection process, we need to be sure that used nuclear fuel can be safely contained in the rock to ensure water, people and the environment are safe. Borehole drilling has been a big part of that," NWMO Site Director-Ignace Bill Gascon said. "We are committed to working with communities, including municipal, First Nation and Métis communities, and others in the area to safely site this project in an area with informed and willing hosts."

A tour to the Ignace borehole sites in November 2021 (Image: NWMO)

Tours to the borehole sites have been popular, NWMO said, with some 200 people, including students, residents and people from the region, taking part.

The NWMO plans to select a site in 2023. Detailed site characterisation, federal impact assessment and licensing processes would begin in 2024. A five-year strategic plan published by NWMO earlier this year anticipates construction of the repository beginning in 2033, with operations beginning between 2040 and 2045.

First contract signed for Cernavoda completion

26 November 2021

A year-long, CAD8.4 million (USD6.6 million) contract will see Canada's Candu Energy prepare the licensing basis for two new Candu pressurised heavy water reactors at Romania's Cernavoda nuclear power plant. The signing was celebrated by the governments of Romania and Canada, as well as the USA.

Cernavoda has two operational reactors, and two that are only partly constructed (Image: Nuclearelectrica)

"The potential to develop two new-build nuclear reactors demonstrates that the Romanian government, along with several other of our public sector clients around the world, recognise that safe, reliable, affordable, low-carbon nuclear energy is how we will combat and ultimately, win the battle against climate change,’’ said Ian Edwards, president and CEO of SNC-Lavalin, which owns Candu Energy. The deal was signed with EnergoNuclear, the project company set up to complete Cernavoda.

The contract was described as the first in a 24-month 'prepatory stage' towards completing the partially-built Candu-6 units Cernavoda 3 and 4, on which work stopped in 1991.

Candu Energy will update the licensing basis documents and safety design codes for Cernavoda 3 and 4 to bring them in line with the latest Canadian codes and standards as well as European Union safety directives. It will also define the engineering work needed in 'phases 2 and 3' sufficient for their real work content and complexity to be estimated.

Candu Energy will also produce a document that outlines the 'architecture options' for completing the reactor units' steam supply system, as well as the design changes needed to meet today's standards.

Lastly, Candu Energy will re-evaluate the existing buildings at the site to confirm they are fit for a proposed 60-year operational life, assuming a retubing overhaul and refurbishment that is routine for Candu units after about 30 years of service.

"I am glad and I salute the signing of the first contract which advances the development of the Candu units 3 and 4 project in Cernavoda," said Romanian Minister of Energy Virgul Popescu. "The partnership with the USA and Canada will allow our country to achieve our decarbonisation targets. This is an important step and I am very optimistic that in future we will be an energy-independent country."

On behalf of Canada, Ambassador Annick Goulet said, "Nuclear energy is an essential tool on our way to a net-zero economy. It has been a pillar for economic development in Canada since the late 1960s when the Candu nuclear reactor technology became operational. All those years, it has proven incredibly reliable and efficient. We have been happy to share this know-how with our friends and allies."

Although this contract is focused on Canadian contribution, the USA is a major partner for Romania in this project. US Charge d’Affaires in Romania David Muniz said, “The United States is working to provide Romanians with clean, safe, reliable, and affordable energy while ensuring trusted partners contribute to Romania’s vital national and energy security needs."

Kathryn Huff, the US Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Nuclear Energy, called the signing "a major milestone" adding that it supports the goals of the intergovernmental agreement between the USA and Romania and "continues the strong relationship between our countries in the field of nuclear energy."

In addition, Nuclearelectrica's announcement included a statement from Thomas White, the CEO of US engineering firm Sargent & Lundy, which has previously worked on Candu projects in Canada and Romania. He said, "We’re thrilled to continue our business relationship with Candu Energy and Romania," but details of the company's involvement were not immediately available.

Today's 12-month contract represents a major engineering aspect of the project's 24-month 'preparatory phase'. Nuclearelectrica said EnergoNuclear would also be contracting technical, legal and financial support during this period as well as conducting necessary studies and evaluations.

Nuclearelectrica CEO Cosmin Ghita noted that completion of Cernavoda 3 and 4 will bring up to 19,000 indirectly generated jobs while raising nuclear to 36% of electricity supply and 66% of Romania's clean energy total. When all four units are in operation, Cernavoda will avoid a total of 20 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions per year, he said.

AN ELECTRIC TRACTOR MAY BE IN YOUR FUTURE

By 

Tharran Gaines

11/28/2021

It’s been nearly 30 years since Steve Heckeroth designed and built his first electric tractor. Since then, he’s converted diesel tractors to electric power, custom-built electric tractors, and assembled an experimental electric tractor for Ford New Holland as early as 1995. Today, as founder of Solectrac, Heckeroth is finally seeing electric tractors taken seriously by both customers and other manufacturers.

California-based Solectrac has sold about two dozen of its battery-powered tractors since 2018 and has accumulated about $1 million worth of back orders because of pandemic-related issues.

“The biggest problem with electric cars is the weight of the batteries,” says Heckeroth, who has a background in solar power and electric vehicles. “I realized very quickly that weight on a tractor is actually an asset that improves traction.”

More than 14 countries and over 20 cities have proposed or enacted bans on the sale of cars, and in some cases light trucks, powered by fossil fuels; the bans will go into effect from five to 20 years from now. Heckeroth expects a ban on small gasoline- and diesel-powered tractors to follow, especially in large cities. The push to reduce air pollution is primarily driving the market, but he lists a number of benefits an electric tractor offers over its diesel counterpart.

“In addition to being cleaner and quieter, an electric tractor is much more efficient, since all the energy goes into work; whereas, in a diesel tractor, much of it is wasted as heat,” he explains. “In addition, maximum torque is available immediately rather than at rated engine speed. Finally, since the power source has just one moving part, they require very little maintenance. Even the batteries are projected to last 10 years, pending operating cycles and depth of discharge.”

Solectrac currently offers a 30-hp. compact and a 40-hp. utility model. The company just introduced a 70-hp. vineyard and orchard tractor, which addresses the specific needs of that specialty market with its narrow width and greater horsepower.

MONARCH TRACTOR

Equipped with an electric drivetrain capable of providing 40 hp. of continuous power and short-duration peak power up to 70 hp., the Monarch combines electrification, automation, machine learning, and data analysis to bring a fully electric, driver-optional, smart tractor to the farm in a single platform.

“Monarch Tractor is moving farming toward a safer, sustainable future by eliminating harmful emissions, reducing the need for herbicides, and keeping workers out of harm’s way with its driver-optional capabilities,” says Carl Mondavi, Monarch Tractor chief farming officer.

The California company recently received a minority investment from CNH Industrial that will share Monarch Tractor’s electric and autonomous tractor technology across CNH’s portfolio of ag brands.

“This partnership underscores our commitment to rapidly improving our alternative propulsion and precision-farming portfolio, while extending our world-leading sustainability credentials,” says Scott Wine, CEO, CNH Industrial.

• READ MORE: Monarch introduces fully electric, driver-optional smart tractor

KUBOTA PROTOTYPES

Kubota recently released two prototype machines powered by lithium-ion batteries that will be tested in France later this year. One is a compact tractor, while the other is a mini excavator. The company says the maximum output of both machines will be equivalent to that of models with diesel engines.

FENDT E100 VARIO

AGCO has looked to its Fendt division to take the lead in electric tractor production. The company has already developed a 75-kW (100 hp.) electric tractor. Known as the Fendt e100 Vario, the all-electric compact tractor operates up to 10 hours under actual operating conditions and can be recharged to 80% in just 40 minutes.

“The technology developed by the auto industry has been a big driver in development of electric tractors,” says Tom Turner, AGCO strategic marketing manager for high-horsepower tractors, pointing to higher-capacity batteries with faster charging cycles. “Now, we’re just trying to get ahead of the curve.

“The Fendt e100 is similar in size and power to the Fendt 200,” he adds. “Thanks to its quiet and emissions-free operation, we see real potential for an electric tractor that size, particularly among small farms and livestock operations and for use in urban and residential areas. Compact tractors aren’t typically used a long distance from home or the shop; they often spend a fair amount of time idle.”

Like Heckeroth, Turner points out that an electric tractor eliminates the cost of fuel, oil, DEF, etc., and the batteries can be charged via renewable energy sources, such as solar or wind power for an even lower cost of operation. Thanks to the three-point hitch, hydraulic remote valves, and PTO, an electric tractor can operate any existing implement as well as electric-powered implements being developed.

JOHN DEERE GRIDCON

Unfortunately, Turner doesn’t see electric tractors going much higher than 100 hp. or much longer than a few hours on a charge with current technology. John Deere has attempted to remedy those issues with its cable-powered prototype GridCON. Unlike its earlier battery-powered prototypes, the fully electric, autonomous tractor provides up to 400 hp. (300 kW) and is powered by an electric cable connection from the field border to the tractor via a drum that carries more than 1,000 yards of cable.

“The biggest challenge for battery electric tractors is available energy capacity in batteries today compared with the energy required for typical farming operations,” says Dennis Muszalski, director, module and electrification system engineering, John Deere. “During the critical windows of planting and harvesting, availability of equipment is paramount. Our customers can’t afford any delays due to limitations of battery capacity resulting in frequent and lengthy recharging.”

Although prices aren’t available yet for prototype models, the Monarch has a base price of $50,000. Solectrac tractors currently list for about 20% more than a comparable diesel model. However, the lower maintenance costs should offset much of that.

Ontario Teachers' buys stake in U.S. renewable energy portfolio

TORONTO -- Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan Board says it has signed a deal with a subsidiary of NextEra Energy Inc. to buy a 50 per cent stake in a portfolio of 13 wind, solar and energy storage assets in the U.S. for US$849 million.

The pension fund manager has also committed to buy at least a 25 per cent interest in a US$824-million convertible equity portfolio financing announced by NextEra Energy in October.

NextEra Energy manages and owns contracted clean energy projects.

Chris Ireland, managing director, greenfield and renewables at Ontario Teachers', says the investment marks the beginning of what is expected to be a long-term partnership with the company.

The deal is expected to close later this year or in early 2022, subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory approvals.

The pension fund manager committed earlier this year to having net-zero greenhouse gas emissions across its portfolio by 2050.

Municipal employees pension fund commits to net-zero emissions by 2050

Author of the article: Brigid Goulem
Publishing date: Nov 29, 2021

The Ontario Municipal Employees’ Retirement System, the pension plan for  municipal employees, committed this week to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050.

The recent announcement by OMERS follows in the footsteps of net-zero commitments by other major pension funds across Canada, including Caisse de depot et placement du Quebec, the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan and the Investment Management Corporation of Ontario, and only six weeks after city council passed a motion calling on the pension fund to implement targets to eliminate fossil fuels and invest in renewable energy.

“We’ve seen some action from municipal councils, and the resolution that was passed by Kingston I think was very significant and increased the pressure on the plan to have a coherent response to the climate crisis. I can also say that internationally a large and growing number of major pension plans have been moving towards finally setting up a plan for alignment for their investments (with the 2050 goal from the Paris Accord),” Adam Scott, director of Shift: Action for Pension Wealth and Planet Health, said in an interview with the Whig-Standard.

While this week’s announcement does not commit to divesting from fossil fuels, Scott believes it is an important step for both the health of the planet and the sustainability of the fund’s investments.

“The commitment that was made, they do not have a plan in place to meet yet, I think that’s fair to say. But we can give them some credit. They’ve just announced this long-term target, (so) they’re obviously going to come back with more detail,” Scott explained.

The goal of achieving net-zero emissions by 2050 builds on an existing commitment by OMERS to reduce the carbon intensity of the total portfolio by 20 per cent by 2025, which Scott says will require divestment from fossil fuels.

“It’s going to be very difficult for a pension fund like OMERS to remain heavily invested in fossil fuels and hit any interim target that it’s going to set for itself. The largest highest carbon in its portfolio needs to be removed quickly,” Scott said.

While he believes that some higher carbon industries have room to decarbonize, there is no viable pathway to net-zero emissions for fossil fuel production and transportation.

“Lots of companies have credible and profitable pathways to decarbonize themselves over time, but fossil fuel companies by and large, do not … there’s no credible pathway for companies that extract, produce and transport fossil fuels directly for combustion. So that’s why we single out of fossil fuels as being particularly high risk,” he said.

While Scott is glad to see a commitment to reduce emissions, he expressed concern regarding the ambiguity of “net-zero” emissions.

“The net-zero is sort of an attempt at providing some flexibility globally,” he explained. “It’s interpreted very problematically in most of these (commitments), and I’m assuming net-zero could mean that they (think they) can somehow purchase offsets or something, which just isn’t true. For an investor like OMERS, the portfolio needs to really reach absolute zero emissions by 2050.”

Despite some concerns, Scott is glad to see OMERS following the lead of other major pension funds across Canada and committing to achieve net-zero emissions.

“OMERS manages the investments of municipal employees across Ontario, and municipalities are leading on climate action in many cases. Most municipalities now have strong climate plans and they’re implementing them, and they’re also on the front lines of the impacts, so it’s about time that the pension fund manager for those employees is also aligning the strategy with the same goals. So that’s really good to see,” he said.

Canadians all crash their cars on the first snow day, it's because we're idiots

If you cause a collision on the first snow day of the year, it’s not an “accident"; it's because you're a dope

Author of the article: Tristin Hopper
Publishing date:Nov 30, 2021 

PHOTO BY NATIONAL POST GRAPHICS

When Edmonton had its first winter snow day in 2017, the city suffered more than 213 crashes, including several that put passengers in hospital in critical condition. For Toronto’s first winter snowfall in 2016, the city logged an incredible 500 crashes in just 24 hours. Just last week, the first snow around London, Ont. yielded 65 crashes before 6 a.m. (the normal number of crashes is around six) .

How could this be? How could one of the most predictable natural phenomenons in Canada — snow — consistently yield landscapes of spun-out cars and smushed fenders?

I’m afraid the answer is that we’re all idiots. Watch the video (first posted in 2018) or read the transcript below to learn more.

We Canadians talk a big game about being a “winter country.” Well explain this: How come every single time the first snowfall of the year arrives, our roads are turned into a Götterdämmerung of twisted metal?

Here in Edmonton, there is approximately 57 weeks of snow every year. Despite this, on the first day of major snowfall last year, there were more than 200 collisions. Not ice, not a blizzard: Just some snow.

Let me be very clear: If you are the cause of a collision on the first snow day of the year, it’s not an “accident”: It’s because you are an idiot.

You drove on summer tires, you drove too fast for the conditions, or you thought you could operate a motor vehicle in Canada without owning an ice scraper.

Virtually any automobile crash is preventable, but this fact is particularly obvious on the first day of snow because, every year, the crash rate immediately goes down on the second day of snow as people become accustomed to the conditions.

It apparently only takes us 24 hours each year to remember how to drive in snow. So here’s a controversial idea: During that 24 period how about driving carefully?

Drive slower. Take corners slower. Give yourself more stopping distance. Appreciate that a truck is actually worse in snow than other vehicles due to its uneven weight distribution

A 2005 analysis of U.S. snow driving concluded that the first day of snow is indeed the most dangerous driving day of any other day in the winter. Furthermore, they found that if drivers were just a little more prepared on that first day, they would prevent 30 fatal crashes and 600 non-fatal crashes every year.

The numbers would be lower in Canada, but the fact remains: Every single year we have a day where people die and millions of dollars in property will be destroyed simply because we’re all too cocky to have basic respect for the arrival of the one season that defines us more than any other.

So this year, celebrate your first snow day by leaving the house a few minutes earlier, making sure you’re prepared with proper tires and an ice scraper and firmly removing your head from your derriere.

Canadian Pacific’s hydrogen fuel cell locomotive to debut before year’s end

By Bill Stephens | November 30, 2021

First hydrogen-powered freight unit to enter test service next year

A rendering of Canadian Pacific’s hydrogen fuel-cell locomotive. CEO Keith Creel says the engine will make its debut before the end of the year. (Canadian Pacific)

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NEW YORK – Canadian Pacific’s first hydrogen fuel cell locomotive, a converted SD40-2F dubbed H2 0EL for “hydrogen zero-emissions locomotive,” will roll under its own power by the end of the year and then enter test service next year, CEO Keith Creel says.

CP’s homebuilt locomotive test bed, along with its headquarters solar array and other sustainability efforts, were recognized this month at the United Nations COP26 Conference in Glasgow, Scotland, Creel told the RailTrends 2021 conference on Nov. 18.

“I think this could be a needle-mover for the industry,” Creel says of the hydrogen project, the first to use fuel cells and batteries to power a freight locomotive’s electric traction motors.

But Creel emphasizes this is an experiment. “And again, it may not work out. But I think it’s the right thing to do,” Creel says. “We’re not betting the farm on it, for lack of a better term.”

The $15 million CP is investing in the project was matched this month by a grant from Emissions Reduction Alberta, which will fund the conversion of a switcher and a high-horsepower unit. Also included in the grant: Funding for hydrogen production and fueling facilities at CP’s yards in Calgary and Edmonton, Alberta [see “CP to build additional hydrogen locomotives …,” Trains News Wire, Nov. 1, 2021]. Emissions Reduction Alberta released this video about the project.

The Calgary facility will include an electrolysis plant to produce hydrogen from water, with electricity supplied by CP’s solar array. The Edmonton plant will include a small-scale steam methane reformation system that extracts hydrogen from natural gas produced in the energy-rich province. The facility will be built to accommodate equipment that can capture greenhouse gases.

CP’s hydrogen-powered locomotive project is the brainchild of Kyle Mulligan, the railway’s chief engineer.

Creel says he was on an inspection trip last year when the “talented Dr. Mulligan” pitched the concept. “He said, ‘I’ve got an idea. I believe I can connect all these components and we can create the first ever freight version of a hydrogen battery locomotive,’” Creel says.

Creel says he wants a hydrogen locomotive that has the power and range of a diesel-electric. “I’m operationally minded,” he says. “Don’t come to me with a solution that causes more headaches. So if you don’t get the range of a diesel locomotive, we’re not going to have that discussion.”

Mulligan went through CP’s railroader training programs and is a certified conductor and locomotive engineer who understands both operations and technology.

“For a modest investment, he said just let me prove the concept,” Creel says. “This has gone from concept to reality. We’ll be running the locomotive this year. It will move this year, we’ll be switching with it next year.”

Mulligan and a five-person team are developing the prototype locomotive in Calgary.

“Our vision is to prove the concept,” Creel says of the locomotives and related fueling systems. CP will share information with locomotive manufacturers and, if the project is successful, see if they have an interest in building production versions of hydrogen locomotives.