Thursday, March 03, 2022

ORNL, TVA to drive decarbonization, explore carbon-free technologies

The Oak Ridger
Tue, March 1, 2022

The U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the Tennessee Valley Authority are joining forces to advance decarbonization technologies from discovery through deployment through a new memorandum of understanding.

High-voltage power lines carry electricity generated by the Tennessee Valley Authority to Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

Eliminating carbon dioxide emissions in the production of U.S. electricity is essential to achieving the federal government’s goal of net-zero carbon emissions. TVA — which provides electricity for 153 local power companies serving 10 million people in Tennessee and parts of six surrounding states — is actively implementing a variety of new technologies in pursuit of this goal, according to a news release issued by both ORNL and TVA.

As DOE’s largest science and energy laboratory, ORNL offers research and development capabilities and expertise that can further accelerate the transition to a carbon-free electricity sector.


“ORNL applies a broad range of scientific capabilities to the development of clean energy solutions, and TVA is an invaluable partner for deploying these technologies for the benefit of East Tennessee and the nation," ORNL Director Thomas Zacharia said in the release.

Partnerships between TVA and ORNL date to the earliest days of the lab, with recent collaborations including the first full-scale computer simulation of a working nuclear reactor and installation of 3D-printed reactor components, all aimed at accelerating cost-effective deployment of carbon-free nuclear power.

“TVA is proud to partner with Oak Ridge National Laboratory to identify and scale innovative nuclear and other technologies that will create a cleaner, carbon-free future,” Jeff Lyash, TVA president and CEO, said in the release. “This is right in TVA’s wheelhouse, and our partnership will redefine what’s possible for the national and global energy industry.”

The institutions will work together to promote, pursue, evaluate and demonstrate the feasibility, operability and affordability of utility-scale decarbonization technologies. These technologies will focus on electricity, but the partners may also explore related developments such as hydrogen generation and grid modernization and security.

Thomas Zacharia

Under the new MOU, the partners intend to explore:


Direct air carbon capture from power-generating plant exhaust and from dilute sources such as the atmosphere;


Converting carbon dioxide into valuable products;


Hydrogen generation and utilization;


Static and dynamic electric vehicle, or EV, charging and applications that pair EVs and the electrical grid;


Light water small modular reactors and fourth-generation advanced nuclear reactors, building on the partners’ 2020 advanced reactor technology MOU;


Long-duration energy storage;


Electrification of parts of the economy currently fueled by fossil energy, as well as solutions related to geothermal heating and cooling along with process heating; and


Modernization of the grid to enhance reliability and resiliency, improve cybersecurity and prevent outages due to extreme weather.


Jeff Lyash

Throughout the partnership, ORNL’s campus will serve as a living laboratory to accelerate the development, demonstration and deployment of these emerging technologies.

This article originally appeared on Oakridger: ORNL, TVA to drive decarbonization, explore carbon-free technologies



Israeli GenCell achieves scientific breakthrough with zero-emission green ammonia project

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
© (photo credit: MAX PIXEL) Spray Fertilizer Pesticide Tractor Agriculture.

Israeli company GenCell Energy has announced they've achieved a major scientific breakthrough that enables the production of green ammonia directly from water at a very low temperature and pressure in comparison to the traditional ammonia production processes typically carried out around the world today.

Following their evaluation of GenCell's scientific breakthrough, Japanese technology provider TDK Corporation announced they plan to continue investing in and developing GenCell's innovative zero-emission green ammonia synthesis project towards its next milestone.

GenCell, based in Petah Tikva, is the leading provider of hydrogen and ammonia to power solutions.

The company has developed green power solutions based on zero-emission alkaline cells and green ammonia-to-energy technology, which allow for uninterrupted power that can help the world move away from diesel and shift to clean energy.

GenCell co-founder and CEO Rami Reshef says they've developed a "novel approach to producing green ammonia, the fuel of the future, within the framework of the project [they] are carrying out together with the support of TDK."

Their hydrogen-on-demand solution provides central power for off-grid, poor-grid sites, and for rural electrification.

“We believe that the new process will expand the availability of green ammonia for diverse uses, not only as fuel for the backup and off-grid solutions used by our customers, but also for a far wider range of industrial and agricultural applications," Reshef added.

© Provided by The Jerusalem Post Rami Reshef, CEO of GenCell 
(credit: COURTESY OF GENCELL ENERGY)

The company's clean and energy efficient method for producing green ammonia offers an emission-free alternative to some 235 million tons of ammonia produced each year through traditional processes involving pollutant carbon emissions.

The success of this project could allow green ammonia to serve as a central hydrogen carrier for the energy industry and be a key component of fertilizers for agriculture.

Reshef says this breakthrough reaffirms their keen interest in pursuing the project.

Green ammonia could also serve as a key resource for maritime, aviation, semiconductors, and be implemented in many other useful ways.

"This news will certainly be of interest to the broader market seeking innovative solutions to reduce carbon emissions," Reshef said.

The project's completion may help companies meet their carbon neutrality targets.

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