Nuclear Fusion Breakthrough: What Do New Results Mean for the Future of ‘Infinite’ Energy?

 

The Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory has announced a major breakthrough in nuclear fusion, using powerful lasers to produce 1.3 megajoules of energy – about 3% of the energy contained in 1kg of crude oil.

Nuclear fusion has long been thought of as the energy of the future – an “infinite” source of power that does not rely on the need to burn carbon. But after decades of research, it has yet to deliver on its exciting promise.

How much closer does this new breakthrough bring us to the desired results? Here is a brief overview to put this new scientific advance into perspective.

What is Nuclear Fusion?

There are two ways of using nuclear energy: fission, which is used in current nuclear power plants, and fusion.

In fission, heavy uranium atoms are broken into smaller atoms to release energy. Nuclear fusion is the opposite process: light atoms are transformed into heavier atoms to release energy, the same process that occurs within the plasma core of the Sun.

A fusion reactor amplifies power: the reaction triggered must produce more energy than is needed to heat the fuel plasma for energy production to occur – this is known as ignition. No one has managed this yet. The current record was achieved in 1997 by the Joint European Torus in the UK, where 16 megawatts of power were generated by magnetic fusion, but it took 23 megawatts to trigger it.

 

Inside the fusion chamber of the DIII-D tokamak, San Diego, USA. Rswilcox, CC BY-SA

 

There are two possible ways of achieving nuclear fusion: magnetic confinement, which uses powerful magnets to confine the plasma for very long periods of time, and inertial confinement, which uses very powerful and brief laser pulses to compress the fuel and start the fusion reaction.

Historically, magnetic fusion has been favored because the technology needed for inertial fusion, particularly the lasers, was not available. Inertial fusion also requires much higher gains to compensate for the energy consumed by the lasers.

Inertial Confinement

The two largest inertial projects are the National Ignition Facility (NIF) at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in the USA and the Laser MégaJoule in France, whose applications are mainly military and funded by defense programs. Both facilities simulate nuclear explosions for research purposes, though the NIF also carries out research on energy.

The NIF uses 192 laser beams that produce a total of 1.9 megajoules of energy for a period lasting a few nanoseconds to trigger the fusion reaction. Fuel is placed inside a metal capsule a few millimeters across, which, when heated by lasers, emits X-rays that heat up and compress the fuel.

It was this process that, on 8 August 2021, achieved the landmark energy production of 1.3 megajoules, the highest value ever recorded by the inertial approach. That is, the closest we have come to ignition.

The overall gain of 0.7 equals the record achieved by JET in 1997 using magnetic confinement. Still, in this case, the fuel absorbed 0.25 megajoules of energy and generated 1.3 megajoules: fusion, therefore, generated a good part of the heat needed for the reaction, approaching the point of ignition.

Still, a reactor will have to achieve much higher gains (more than 100) to be economically attractive.

 

Magnetic Confinement

The magnetic confinement approach promises better development prospects and is thus the preferred route for energy production so far.

The vast majority of research focuses on tokamaks, and fusion reactors invented in the USSR in the 1960s, where the plasma is confined by a strong magnetic field.

ITER, a demonstration reactor under construction in the south of France involving 35 countries, uses the tokamak configuration. It will be the world’s largest fusion reactor and aims to demonstrate a gain of 10 – the plasma will be heated by 50 megawatts of power and should generate 500 megawatts. The first plasma is now officially expected by the end of 2025, with a demonstration of fusion expected in the late 2030s.

The UK has recently launched the STEP project (Spherical Tokamak for Electricity Production), which aims to develop a reactor that connects to the energy grid in the 2040s. China is also pursuing an ambitious program to produce tritium isotopes and electricity in the 2040s. Finally, Europe plans to open another tokamak demonstrator, DEMO, in the 2050s.

Another configuration called the stellarator, like Germany’s Wendelstein-7X, is showing very good results. Though stellarator performances are lower than what a tokamak can achieve, its intrinsic stability and promising recent results make it a serious alternative.

 

The Future of Fusion

Meanwhile, private nuclear fusion projects have been booming in recent years. Most of them envision a fusion reaction in the next ten to 20 years and together have attracted US$2 billion in funding to outpace the traditional development sector.

 

Two different nuclear fusion deployment scenarios, compared with wind, solar and nuclear fission. G. De Temmerman, D. Chuard, J.-B. Rudelle for Zenon

 

While these initiatives use other innovative technologies to reach fusion and could thus very well deliver operational reactors fast, deploying a fleet of reactors throughout the world is bound to take time.

If development follows this accelerated track, nuclear fusion could amount to about 1% of global energy demand by 2060.

So while this new breakthrough is exciting, it’s worth keeping in mind that fusion will be an energy source for the second part of the century – at the earliest.

 

This article was republished with permission from  The Conversation, a news site dedicated to sharing ideas from academic experts. It represents the research-based findings and thoughts of  Greg De Temmerman, Associate researcher at Mines ParisTech-PSL. Managing Director of Zenon Research, Mines ParisTech

 

Suggested Reading:

Barely an Impact on Oil Prices Despite Laura’s Wrath (Aug 2020)

Why Uranium Prices Have Been Rising

 

Noble Capital Markets Uranium Power Players Investor Forum – August 31, 2021 Starting at 9am EDT The Noble Uranium Power Players Investor Forum is a virtual conference bringing together leading companies involved in the exploration and production of uranium. Registration is fast and free.

 

 

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The National Renewable Energy Lab Sees Potential to Increase U.S. Energy Storage 3000%

 

In recent decades the cost of wind and solar power generation has dropped dramatically. This is one reason that the U.S. Department of Energy projects that renewable energy will be the fastest-growing U.S. energy source through 2050.

However, it’s still relatively expensive to store energy. And since renewable energy generation isn’t available all the time – it happens when the wind blows or the sun shines – storage is essential.

 

This article was republished with permission from  The Conversation, a news site dedicated to sharing ideas from academic experts. It represents the research-based findings and thoughts of  Kerry Rippy, Researcher, National Renewable Energy Laboratory

 

As a researcher at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, I work with the federal government and private industry to develop renewable energy storage technologies. In a recent report, researchers at NREL estimated that the potential exists to increase U.S. renewable energy storage capacity by as much as 3,000% percent by 2050.

Here are three emerging technologies that could help make this happen.

Longer Charges

From alkaline batteries for small electronics to lithium-ion batteries for cars and laptops, most people already use batteries in many aspects of their daily lives. But there is still lots of room for growth.

For example, high-capacity batteries with long discharge times – up to 10 hours – could be valuable for storing solar power at night or increasing the range of electric vehicles. Right now there are very few such batteries in use. However, according to recent projections, upwards of 100 gigawatts’ worth of these batteries will likely be installed by 2050. For comparison, that’s 50 times the generating capacity of Hoover Dam. This could have a major impact on the viability of renewable energy.

 

Noble Capital Markets Uranium Power Players Investor Forum – August 31, 2021 Starting at 9am EDT The Noble Uranium Power Players Investor Forum is a virtual conference bringing together leading companies involved in the exploration and production of uranium. Registration is fast and free.

 

One of the biggest obstacles is limited supplies of lithium and cobalt, which currently are essential for making lightweight, powerful batteries. According to some estimates, around 10% of the world’s lithium and nearly all of the world’s cobalt reserves will be depleted by 2050.

Furthermore, nearly 70% of the world’s cobalt is mined in the Congo, under conditions that have long been documented as inhumane.

Scientists are working to develop techniques for recycling lithium and cobalt batteries and to design batteries based on other materials. Tesla plans to produce cobalt-free batteries within the next few years. Others aim to replace lithium with sodium, which has properties very similar to lithium’s but is much more abundant.

Safer Batteries

Another priority is to make batteries safer. One area for improvement is electrolytes – the medium, often liquid, that allows an electric charge to flow from the battery’s anode, or negative terminal, to the cathode, or positive terminal.

When a battery is in use, charged particles in the electrolyte move around to balance out the charge of the electricity flowing out of the battery. Electrolytes often contain flammable materials. If they leak, the battery can overheat and catch fire or melt.

Scientists are developing solid electrolytes, which would make batteries more robust. It is much harder for particles to move around through solids than through liquids, but encouraging lab-scale results suggest that these batteries could be ready for use in electric vehicles in the coming years, with target dates for commercialization as early as 2026.

While solid-state batteries would be well suited for consumer electronics and electric vehicles, for large-scale energy storage, scientists are pursuing all-liquid designs called flow batteries.

 

A typical flow battery consists of two tanks of liquids that are pumped past a membrane held between two electrodes. Qi and Koenig, 2017, CC BY

In these devices both the electrolyte and the electrodes are liquids. This allows for super-fast charging and makes it easy to make really big batteries. Currently these systems are very expensive, but research continues to bring down the price.

 

Storing Sunlight as Heat

Other renewable energy storage solutions cost less than batteries in some cases. For example, concentrated solar power plants use mirrors to concentrate sunlight, which heats up hundreds or thousands of tons of salt until it melts. This molten salt then is used to drive an electric generator, much as coal or nuclear power is used to heat steam and drive a generator in traditional plants.

These heated materials can also be stored to produce electricity when it is cloudy, or even at night. This approach allows concentrated solar power to work around the clock.

 

Checking a molten salt valve for corrosion at Sandia’s Molten Salt Test Loop. Randy Montoya, Sandia
Labs/Flickr, CC BY-NC-ND

This idea could be adapted for use with non-solar power generation technologies. For example, electricity made with wind power could be used to heat salt for use later when it isn’t windy.

Concentrating solar power is still relatively expensive. To compete with other forms of energy generation and storage, it needs to become more efficient. One way to achieve this is to increase the temperature the salt is heated to, enabling more efficient electricity production. Unfortunately, the salts currently in use aren’t stable at high temperatures. Researchers are working to develop new salts or other materials that can withstand temperatures as high as 1,300 degrees Fahrenheit (705 C).

One leading idea for how to reach higher temperature involves heating up sand instead of salt, which can withstand the higher temperature. The sand would then be moved with conveyor belts from the heating point to storage. The Department of Energy recently announced funding for a pilot concentrated solar power plant based on this concept.

 

Advanced Renewable Fuels

Batteries are useful for short-term energy storage, and concentrated solar power plants could help stabilize the electric grid. However, utilities also need to store a lot of energy for indefinite amounts of time. This is a role for renewable fuels like hydrogen and ammonia. Utilities would store energy in these fuels by producing them with surplus power, when wind turbines and solar panels are generating more electricity than the utilities’ customers need.

Hydrogen and ammonia contain more energy per pound than batteries, so they work where batteries don’t. For example, they could be used for shipping heavy loads and running heavy equipment, and for rocket fuel.

Today these fuels are mostly made from natural gas or other nonrenewable fossil fuels via extremely inefficient reactions. While we think of it as a green fuel, most hydrogen gas today is made from natural gas.

Scientists are looking for ways to produce hydrogen and other fuels using renewable electricity. For example, it is possible to make hydrogen fuel by splitting water molecules using electricity. The key challenge is optimizing the process to make it efficient and economical. The potential payoff is enormous: inexhaustible, completely renewable energy.

 

Suggested Reading:

Have Wind and Solar Made Hydro Irrelevant?

Has 28 Years of Jumpstarting Renewable Energy Been Effective?

Big Tech Doing Whatever it Takes to Demonstrate Commitment to Green Solutions

The SECs Prioritizing ESG Investment Products May Uncover a Supply Problem

 

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Gevo Files for Environmental Permits in South Dakota for the Net-Zero 1 Project

 

ENGLEWOOD, Colo., Aug. 26, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Gevo, Inc. (NASDAQ: GEVO) is pleased to announce that the air quality and wastewater permit applications for the company’s Net-Zero 1 project have been filed with the South Dakota Department of Agriculture & Natural Resources.

“These permit applications are on schedule and represent the first of the permits necessary for the construction of Net-Zero 1,” commented Dr. Chris Ryan, Gevo’s President and Chief Operating Officer. “We are happy to work closely with Pinnacle Engineering, a world-class engineering firm known for specializing in environmental permitting, to draft our permits. These combined efforts are focused on minimizing environmental impact and establishing the lowest CI (Carbon Intensity) score possible,” continued Dr. Ryan.

“It’s a pleasure to work with the Gevo team and we look forward to our continued collaborations on this exciting project,” stated Steve Schleicher, Pinnacle Engineering, Partner and Vice President, Industrial Services.

About Gevo

Gevo’s mission is to transform renewable energy and carbon into energy-dense liquid hydrocarbons. These liquid hydrocarbons can be used for drop-in transportation fuels such as gasoline, jet fuel and diesel fuel, that when burned have potential to yield net-zero greenhouse gas emissions when measured across the full life cycle of the products. Gevo uses low-carbon renewable resource-based carbohydrates as raw materials, and is in an advanced state of developing renewable electricity and renewable natural gas for use in production processes, resulting in low-carbon fuels with substantially reduced carbon intensity (the level of greenhouse gas emissions compared to standard petroleum fossil-based fuels across their life cycle). Gevo’s products perform as well or better than traditional fossil-based fuels in infrastructure and engines, but with substantially reduced greenhouse gas emissions. In addition to addressing the problems of fuels, Gevo’s technology also enables certain plastics, such as polyester, to be made with more sustainable ingredients. Gevo’s ability to penetrate the growing low-carbon fuels market depends on the price of oil and the value of abating carbon emissions that would otherwise increase greenhouse gas emissions. Gevo believes that its proven, patented technology enabling the use of a variety of low-carbon sustainable feedstocks to produce price-competitive low-carbon products such as gasoline components, jet fuel and diesel fuel yields the potential to generate project and corporate returns that justify the build-out of a multi-billion-dollar business.

Gevo believes that the Argonne National Laboratory GREET model is the best available standard of scientific-based measurement for life cycle inventory or LCI.

Learn more at Gevo’s website: www.gevo.com

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements in this press release may constitute “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements relate to a variety of matters such as, without limitation, statements regarding Pinnacle Engineering; the Net-Zero 1 project, including the permits necessary for the Net-Zero 1 project, whether Gevo will receive the permits, Gevo’s ability to produce products with a “net-zero” greenhouse gas footprint; Gevo’s plans and strategy and other statements that are not purely statements of historical fact. These forward-looking statements are made on the basis of the current beliefs, expectations and assumptions of the management of Gevo and are subject to significant risks and uncertainty. Investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on any such forward-looking statements. All such forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made, and Gevo undertakes no obligation to update or revise these statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Although Gevo believes that the expectations reflected in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, these statements involve many risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from what may be expressed or implied in these forward-looking statements. For a further discussion of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ from those expressed in these forward-looking statements, as well as risks relating to the business of Gevo in general, see the risk disclosures in the Annual Report on Form 10-K of Gevo for the year ended December 31, 2020, and in subsequent reports on Forms 10-Q and 8-K and other filings made with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission by Gevo.

Investor and Media Contact

+1 720-647-9605

IR@gevo.com

	Image Credit: The Pop Culture Geek Network (Flickr)

How Troubling Energy Shortages Could Be Handled in a Few Short Years

 

Last week we reported that five
gas-powered generating plants would be added to California’s electric grid. During the prior week, the headlines read the White House called on OPEC to pump
more oil to help reduce gasoline prices.  Both of these were met by many with shock, or at a minimum, confusion. After all, California had been aggressively reducing its reliance on fossil fuels for power generation, and the U.S. had become more-or-less energy independent four or five years ago. Strangely, if supply was a problem last year, it was because there was a massive glut of oil — so large that there was essentially no place to store the commodity.

 

Change of Path?

There was a good reason for each of these diversions from the stated plan. There aren’t too many things that move in a straight line, there will always be bumps along the way. Think about the last stock you held that did well over a long period of time, were there down days?  Sure. Did this mean a change of overall direction? No.

What it does mean in the above cases is that there is some trial and error and unforeseen factors that will come up that aren’t counted on. In the case of California, an exceedingly dry summer has left many of the dams unable to create power via hydroelectric generators. As for the plea for OPEC to help us with our rising gasoline prices, the demand has been so uneven, due to pandemic-related economic gyrations, that it should come as little surprise that there are large imbalances.

Just in Time Solutions

As the current energy initiatives, new technology, and proposed “greener” solutions unfold, there will be new ways, even better solutions to quickly overcome unexpected shortfalls of energy.

One that may soon be a reality is the “nuclear battery.” The nuclear battery or microreactor is a proposed system that could have more quickly assisted California with its problem. The natural gas-powered generating ability that is now being installed will take just over a month to be up and running. However, we were told this is a temporary solution. The microreactor as envisioned, could install in the same or fewer days then run unattended for five or ten years. Similarly, these shipping container-sized, uranium-powered, generators could reduce oil consumption from electric generation allowing imbalances in petroleum demand to be corrected for without calling upon foreign nations.

The flexibility in power that the future holds will be necessary. As demonstrated in California (and last year’s Texas freeze), relying on nature is a risky proposition; having acceptable, just-in-time solutions available reduces this risk.

Take-Away

New power generating designs and technology rely on many non-fossil fuel solutions. Part of the growing need is flexibility, another is the consistency of nuclear generation and the flexibility being designed in new options.

The number of ways the future may include uranium as a power source is increasing.  Add microreactors to the list — they could be well suited to provide for the needs of industry and many other sectors of the economy by producing a steady, dependable source of carbon-free electricity.

 

Noble Capital Markets Uranium Power Players Investor Forum – August 31, 2021 Starting at 9am EDT The Noble Uranium Power Players Investor Forum is a virtual conference bringing together leading companies involved in the exploration and production of uranium. Registration is fast and free.

 

Sources:

Nuclear
Powers New Paradigm Includes Microreactors

Traditional
Energy Resources Have Been Shrinking

Contango
and the Unknown Risks to ETFs

California
to Add Five Natural Gas Power Plants

 

Stay up to date. Follow us:

	Image Credit: The Pop Culture Geek Network (Flickr)

How Troubling Energy Shortages Could Be Handled in a Few Short Years

 

Last week we reported that five
gas-powered generating plants would be added to California’s electric grid. During the prior week, the headlines read the White House called on OPEC to pump
more oil to help reduce gasoline prices.  Both of these were met by many with shock, or at a minimum, confusion. After all, California had been aggressively reducing its reliance on fossil fuels for power generation, and the U.S. had become more-or-less energy independent four or five years ago. Strangely, if supply was a problem last year, it was because there was a massive glut of oil — so large that there was essentially no place to store the commodity.

 

Change of Path?

There was a good reason for each of these diversions from the stated plan. There aren’t too many things that move in a straight line, there will always be bumps along the way. Think about the last stock you held that did well over a long period of time, were there down days?  Sure. Did this mean a change of overall direction? No.

What it does mean in the above cases is that there is some trial and error and unforeseen factors that will come up that aren’t counted on. In the case of California, an exceedingly dry summer has left many of the dams unable to create power via hydroelectric generators. As for the plea for OPEC to help us with our rising gasoline prices, the demand has been so uneven, due to pandemic-related economic gyrations, that it should come as little surprise that there are large imbalances.

Just in Time Solutions

As the current energy initiatives, new technology, and proposed “greener” solutions unfold, there will be new ways, even better solutions to quickly overcome unexpected shortfalls of energy.

One that may soon be a reality is the “nuclear battery.” The nuclear battery or microreactor is a proposed system that could have more quickly assisted California with its problem. The natural gas-powered generating ability that is now being installed will take just over a month to be up and running. However, we were told this is a temporary solution. The microreactor as envisioned, could install in the same or fewer days then run unattended for five or ten years. Similarly, these shipping container-sized, uranium-powered, generators could reduce oil consumption from electric generation allowing imbalances in petroleum demand to be corrected for without calling upon foreign nations.

The flexibility in power that the future holds will be necessary. As demonstrated in California (and last year’s Texas freeze), relying on nature is a risky proposition; having acceptable, just-in-time solutions available reduces this risk.

Take-Away

New power generating designs and technology rely on many non-fossil fuel solutions. Part of the growing need is flexibility, another is the consistency of nuclear generation and the flexibility being designed in new options.

The number of ways the future may include uranium as a power source is increasing.  Add microreactors to the list — they could be well suited to provide for the needs of industry and many other sectors of the economy by producing a steady, dependable source of carbon-free electricity.

 

Noble Capital Markets Uranium Power Players Investor Forum – August 31, 2021 Starting at 9am EDT The Noble Uranium Power Players Investor Forum is a virtual conference bringing together leading companies involved in the exploration and production of uranium. Registration is fast and free.

 

Sources:

Nuclear
Powers New Paradigm Includes Microreactors

Traditional
Energy Resources Have Been Shrinking

Contango
and the Unknown Risks to ETFs

California
to Add Five Natural Gas Power Plants

 

Stay up to date. Follow us:

Gevo Files for Environmental Permits in South Dakota for the Net-Zero 1 Project

 

ENGLEWOOD, Colo., Aug. 26, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Gevo, Inc. (NASDAQ: GEVO) is pleased to announce that the air quality and wastewater permit applications for the company’s Net-Zero 1 project have been filed with the South Dakota Department of Agriculture & Natural Resources.

“These permit applications are on schedule and represent the first of the permits necessary for the construction of Net-Zero 1,” commented Dr. Chris Ryan, Gevo’s President and Chief Operating Officer. “We are happy to work closely with Pinnacle Engineering, a world-class engineering firm known for specializing in environmental permitting, to draft our permits. These combined efforts are focused on minimizing environmental impact and establishing the lowest CI (Carbon Intensity) score possible,” continued Dr. Ryan.

“It’s a pleasure to work with the Gevo team and we look forward to our continued collaborations on this exciting project,” stated Steve Schleicher, Pinnacle Engineering, Partner and Vice President, Industrial Services.

About Gevo

Gevo’s mission is to transform renewable energy and carbon into energy-dense liquid hydrocarbons. These liquid hydrocarbons can be used for drop-in transportation fuels such as gasoline, jet fuel and diesel fuel, that when burned have potential to yield net-zero greenhouse gas emissions when measured across the full life cycle of the products. Gevo uses low-carbon renewable resource-based carbohydrates as raw materials, and is in an advanced state of developing renewable electricity and renewable natural gas for use in production processes, resulting in low-carbon fuels with substantially reduced carbon intensity (the level of greenhouse gas emissions compared to standard petroleum fossil-based fuels across their life cycle). Gevo’s products perform as well or better than traditional fossil-based fuels in infrastructure and engines, but with substantially reduced greenhouse gas emissions. In addition to addressing the problems of fuels, Gevo’s technology also enables certain plastics, such as polyester, to be made with more sustainable ingredients. Gevo’s ability to penetrate the growing low-carbon fuels market depends on the price of oil and the value of abating carbon emissions that would otherwise increase greenhouse gas emissions. Gevo believes that its proven, patented technology enabling the use of a variety of low-carbon sustainable feedstocks to produce price-competitive low-carbon products such as gasoline components, jet fuel and diesel fuel yields the potential to generate project and corporate returns that justify the build-out of a multi-billion-dollar business.

Gevo believes that the Argonne National Laboratory GREET model is the best available standard of scientific-based measurement for life cycle inventory or LCI.

Learn more at Gevo’s website: www.gevo.com

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements in this press release may constitute “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements relate to a variety of matters such as, without limitation, statements regarding Pinnacle Engineering; the Net-Zero 1 project, including the permits necessary for the Net-Zero 1 project, whether Gevo will receive the permits, Gevo’s ability to produce products with a “net-zero” greenhouse gas footprint; Gevo’s plans and strategy and other statements that are not purely statements of historical fact. These forward-looking statements are made on the basis of the current beliefs, expectations and assumptions of the management of Gevo and are subject to significant risks and uncertainty. Investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on any such forward-looking statements. All such forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made, and Gevo undertakes no obligation to update or revise these statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Although Gevo believes that the expectations reflected in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, these statements involve many risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from what may be expressed or implied in these forward-looking statements. For a further discussion of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ from those expressed in these forward-looking statements, as well as risks relating to the business of Gevo in general, see the risk disclosures in the Annual Report on Form 10-K of Gevo for the year ended December 31, 2020, and in subsequent reports on Forms 10-Q and 8-K and other filings made with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission by Gevo.

Investor and Media Contact

+1 720-647-9605

IR@gevo.com

	Image Credit: Fabio Puscicelli (Flickr)

Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program – How Does it Work, What’s the Timeline?

 

The coming innovations in nuclear power generation are designed to serve various purposes. Those now under development and headed for the U.S. Government’s Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program (ARDP) are part of a larger plan to reduce energy production from fossil fuels. Just as with other industries overseen by, and having to pass government testing, new nuclear power designs need to be vetted, tested, and brought online with caution, yet expeditiously.

Nuclear Reactor Demonstration

The idea of reactor demonstration is to prove the new engineering, design, construction, ability to operate, and correct licensing. The ARDP is unusual in that it is a partnership between the public and private sector. The intent is to add nuclear generation to be used for powering residential and commercial property.

As much as the partnerships between the public and private sector are intended to speed the development of reactors. Other more talked about reasons include providing clean energy while creating jobs. But there is another critical reason; this is the need for speed. Moving as fast as prudent is necessary because the supply chain of the fuel could further diminish if not exercised.  Bringing plants online, or at least operating in a test phase will help stop the infrastructure from decaying.

 

The Power of Grant Money

Through a government grant, the ARDP will be providing initial funds of $160 million to support demonstrating a plant’s concept, and design.  The purpose, according to the grants.gov portal is “…to facilitate the development of U.S. private industry advanced nuclear reactor demonstrations.” The grant portal also describes, “These designs are expected to enable a market environment in which commercial reactor services are available that are safe and affordable to both construct and operate when compared to competing alternative sources of energy in the near- and mid-term. These designs are expected to provide significant improvements in safety, security, economics, and environmental impacts over current nuclear power plant designs.”

Who Can Apply is Limited

Each project’s funding has various avenues for approval. The goal of the Department of Energy and non-federal parties is on the construction and actual demonstration that a reactor design is safe and affordable to build in the near- to mid-term. If the reactor would take ten years to build, the benefit may be much more limited.

ARDP identifies three separate pathways to meet this goal:

1). Advanced reactor demonstrations, which supports two reactor designs to be operational in 5-7 years

2). Risk reduction for future demonstration awards which supports two to five additional novel advanced reactor designs that have a commercialization horizon that is approximately 5 years longer than the advanced reactor demonstrations.

3). A third path, is identified in Congresses Appropriations Act of 2020, (H.R. 1865, Advanced Reactor Concepts). This supports the development of at least two new public-private partnership awards focused on advancing reactor designs toward the demonstration phase; these have a commercialization horizon that is approximately five years longer than the risk reduction for future demonstration awards.

The ARDP will use the National Reactor Innovation Center to test and assess ARD technologies by engaging the full capabilities of the U.S. National Laboratory system to safely walk these reactors from blueprints to reality

 

Take-Away

Knowing expected time frames used in the development of a plant or product is important. This is true whether you’re investing in plant and equipment, future patents, potential medicines, or anything involved in nuclear energy production. The U.S. is supporting bringing online new-tech nuclear plants with grant money under the Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program, there may be potential for investors to benefit.

Answers as to whether an allocation to the nuclear sector in the form of uranium production is appropriate for your portfolio may be found at next week’s uranium companies investor forum. Registration is free to registered Channelchek users.

 

Noble Capital Markets Uranium Power Players Investor Forum – August 31, 2021 Starting at 9am EDT The Noble Uranium Power Players Investor Forum is a virtual conference bringing together leading companies involved in the exploration and production of uranium. Registration is fast and free.

 

Sources:

https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=326997

https://www.energy.gov/ne/advanced-reactor-demonstration-program

https://www.energy.gov/ne/articles/infographic-advanced-reactor-development

https://www.terrapower.com/advanced-nuclear-reactor-demonstration/

https://www.id.energy.gov/

 

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Capstone Green Energy Expands Rental Fleet to 13.1 MW With C1000S Microturbine Rental System Contracted for a Remote Data Center Handling Blockchain and Cryptocurrency Mining in Louisiana

 

The 1 MW Rental System Will Provide Reliable Power Using the Site’s Waste Gas as Fuel

VAN NUYS, CA / ACCESSWIRE / August 23, 2021 / Capstone Green Energy Corporation (www.CapstoneGreenEnergy.com) (NASDAQ:CGRN) formerly Capstone Turbine Corporation (www.capstoneturbine.com) (NASDAQ:CPST) (“Capstone” or the “Company”), a global leader in carbon reduction and on-site resilient green energy solutions, announced today that its southern U.S. distributor, Lone Star Power Solutions, has contracted with a remote data center in Louisiana to provide a long-term rental of a Capstone C1000S microturbine system.

Capstone Green Energy continues to expand its Energy as a Service (EaaS) business, including its long-term rental program, which is an important element in achieving its profitability goals as rentals generate higher contribution margin rates than traditional product sales. With this latest contract, the Capstone microturbine rental fleet now stands at 13.1 MW with a goal of expanding to 21.1 MW by March 31, 2022. By offering customers Energy as a Service, Capstone Green Energy is strengthening its commitment to creating smarter energy for a cleaner future, as carbon reduction continues to have ever-increasing value to global customers.

This customer, which is located on an oil and gas well, handles large volume blockchain and cryptocurrency mining, approached Lone Star looking for an innovative way to take advantage of their existing on-site production gas, a byproduct that would otherwise go to waste. Because Capstone microturbines are designed to offer fuel flexibility, the system will use the waste gas, essentially as free fuel, a benefit that not only reduces emissions but also offers operational savings. Further, the added reliability and low maintenance requirements of microturbine-based systems make them an ideal solution for remote locations, which can be hard to reach and often deal with challenging climate conditions.

Cryptocurrency mining is the process by which new crypto “coins” are entered into circulation. Their production requires highly sophisticated computers, often in a data center, to solve complex computational math problems. By their very nature, data centers, like the one in Louisiana, require tremendous amounts of electricity. At a time when the utility grid is strained due to extreme weather, aging infrastructure, and inadequate transmission, on-site power provides a resilient alternative for energy-intensive facilities.

The system is expected to be commissioned in October 2021.

“The ability of Capstone Green Energy microturbines to operate on a wide variety of fuel sources was an integral part of our customer’s operational requirements,” said Doug Demaret, President of Lone Star Power Solutions. “Capstone’s innovative products allow Lone Star Power Solutions to provide its customers with 100% uptime, extremely low emissions, and infrequent visits under the harshest conditions, allowing our customers to focus on their core business.”

“It’s exciting to see this relatively new industry taking progressive steps to address their energy use, especially in using an existing waste stream as a fuel source,” said Darren Jamison, President and Chief Executive Officer of Capstone Green Energy. “Doing so not only dramatically reduces emissions, it provides the customer with essential operational benefits like added power security and reduced maintenance costs,” concluded Mr. Jamison.

About Capstone Green Energy

Capstone Green Energy (www.CapstoneGreenEnergy.com) (NASDAQ:CGRN) is a leading provider of customized microgrid solutions and on-site energy technology systems focused on helping customers around the globe meet their environmental, energy savings, and resiliency goals. Capstone Green Energy focuses on four key business lines. Through its Energy as a Service (EaaS) business, it offers rental solutions utilizing its microturbine energy systems and battery storage systems, comprehensive Factory Protection Plan (FPP) service contracts that guarantee life-cycle costs, as well as aftermarket parts. Energy Conversion Products are driven by the Company’s industry-leading, highly efficient, low-emission, resilient microturbine energy systems offering scalable solutions in addition to a broad range of customer-tailored solutions, including hybrid energy systems and larger frame industrial turbines. The Energy Storage Products business line designs and installs microgrid storage systems creating customized solutions using a combination of battery technologies and monitoring software. Through Hydrogen Energy Solutions, Capstone Green Energy offers customers a variety of hydrogen products, including the Company’s microturbine energy systems.

For customers with limited capital or short-term needs, Capstone offers rental systems; for more information, contact: rentals@CGRNenergy.com. To date, Capstone has shipped over 10,000 units to 83 countries and estimates that, in FY21, it saved customers over $217 million in annual energy costs and approximately 397,000 tons of carbon. Total savings over the last three years are estimated at 1,115,100 tons of carbon and $698 million in annual energy savings.

For more information about the Company, please visit: www.CapstoneGreenEnergy.com. Follow Capstone Green Energy on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This release contains forward-looking statements as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements regarding expectations for green initiatives and execution on the Company’s growth strategy and other statements regarding the Company’s expectations, beliefs, plans, intentions, and strategies. The Company has tried to identify these forward-looking statements by using words such as “expect,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “could,” “should,” “estimate,” “intend,” “may,” “will,” “plan,” “goal” and similar terms and phrases, but such words, terms and phrases are not the exclusive means of identifying such statements. Actual results, performance and achievements could differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, these forward-looking statements due to a variety of risks, uncertainties and other factors, including, but not limited to, the following: the ongoing effects of the COVID-19 pandemic; the availability of credit and compliance with the agreements governing the Company’s indebtedness; the Company’s ability to develop new products and enhance existing products; product quality issues, including the adequacy of reserves therefor and warranty cost exposure; intense competition; financial performance of the oil and natural gas industry and other general business, industry and economic conditions; the Company’s ability to adequately protect its intellectual property rights; and the impact of pending or threatened litigation. For a detailed discussion of factors that could affect the Company’s future operating results, please see the Company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the disclosures under “Risk Factors” in those filings. Except as expressly required by the federal securities laws, the Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, changed circumstances or future events or for any other reason.

CONTACT:
Capstone Green Energy
Investor and investment media inquiries:
818-407-3628
ir@CGRNenergy.com

SOURCE: Capstone Green Energy Corporation

EuroDry Ltd. Announces Agreement to Acquire M/V Ruby Asia II, a 2014- Built Ultramax Bulker EuroDry Ltd announced that it has agreed to acquire M/V Asia Ruby II, a 62,996 dwt drybulk vessel built in 2014, for $24.5 million Research, News & Market Data on EuroDry Watch recent presentation from EuroDry

Voyager Digital Announces Conditional Approval to List on the Toronto Stock Exchange Voyager Digital announced that its stock will trade on the TSX under the new ticker symbol VOYG and de-list from the CSE Research, News & Market Data on Voyager Digital Watch recent presentation from Voyager Digital

TAAL Announces 2021 Second-Quarter Revenue of $6.7 Million, and Adjusted EBITDA of $629,000 TAAL Distributed Information Technologies announced its financial results for the three and six months ended June 30, 2021 Research, News & Market Data on TAAL Watch recent presentation from TAAL

Capstone Green Energy Expands Rental Fleet to 13.1 MW Capstone Green Energy announced that its southern U.S. distributor, Lone Star Power Solutions, has contracted with a remote data center in Louisiana to provide a long-term rental of a Capstone C1000S microturbine system Research, News & Market Data on Capstone Green Energy Watch recent presentation from Capstone Green Energy

Ceapro Inc. Enters into Research Collaboration with the Angiogenesis Foundation for Beta Glucan and Avenanthramides Ceapro Inc. announced that it has established a formal research collaboration with the Boston-based Angiogenesis Foundation Research, News & Market Data on Ceapro Watch recent presentation from Ceapro

 

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California’s Electric Grid to Add Five New Gas-Powered Plants

 

Five new natural gas-powered generators will be installed in California as energy supply concerns in the state keep mounting. According to the California Department of Water Resources (CDWR) announcement, the state will be temporarily expanding natural gas-generated power by adding new power plants to meet growing concerns.

The CDWR announcement, made last Thursday (August 19), states California has decided to, on a temporary basis, install the new generating capability in existing power plants. Each generator is expected to be able to produce up to 30 megawatts of power for a combined total of 150 megawatts at full capacity. According to the announcement, this is enough additional generating ability to power roughly 25,000 homes. All five new generators are expected to be online around mid-September.

 

Power Need

Expectations for the addition of new gas-powered plants had been increasing over the last several months, according to an article in The
California Globe. Last year the state experienced rolling blackouts during the summer months when energy use is typically highest. These were the first production-related blackouts in 20 years.  

California has been reducing its reliance on fossil fuel power generation in favor of fulfilling its needs through hydroelectric dam generation. The problem has been the very low water levels in the reservoirs have caused many of these generating facilities to go offline.  As part of the solution, the state also has “green” energy plans to help fulfill the needs of the populous state. The natural gas generators coming online are meant as a stop-gap measure, according to the announcement.

 

Removing Hurdles

In July, Governor Newsom issued a state of emergency over the power grid. He ordered solar, wind, and other non-carbon emitting power plants to be expedited. The Governor also temporarily removed air quality rules; this opened the door for increasing the amount of generation that relies on fossil fuels like natural gas.

According to an article originally published by Bloomberg, earlier in 2020, regulators in California were opposed to ordering utilities to add new gas-fired generation. The concern was environmental groups said it would run counter to the state’s decarbonization goals. Officials have been challenged to shore up power output ever since the 2020 blackouts. 

Despite opposition from environmental groups, studies found that that the state may be short by as much as 3,500 megawatts during peak energy times for the rest of the year. While conservation measures would help, it was decided more production would be needed. The idea of the generators came from the CDWR and was backed by the California Energy Commission (CEC). The CEC approved the licenses last Tuesday for up to five plants.

 

Take-Away

The planned demise of reliable fossil fuels may take longer than planned in California and elsewhere. California has demonstrated this with its announcement last week. How possible it will be for other states and the nation to keep on proposed timelines remains to be seen. If California is a representative example, companies whose primary business is production or distribution of the more traditional carbon-emitting fuels may have more time to reinvent and shift some of their business lines to better match the plans, goals, and dictates of governments throughout the world.

 

Paul Hoffman

Managing Editor, Channelchek

 

Noble Capital Markets Uranium Power Players Investor Forum – August 31, 2021 Starting at 9am EDT The Noble Uranium Power Players Investor Forum is a virtual conference bringing together leading companies involved in the exploration and production of uranium. Registration is fast and free.

 

 

Sources:

https://www.rigzone.com/news/wire/california_building_temporary_gas_plants-20-aug-2021-166229-article/

https://californiaglobe.com/section-2/california-adding-5-temporary-natural-gas-power-plants-to-help-alleviate-energy-shortage/

https://www.energy.ca.gov/data-reports/california-power-generation-and-power-sources

https://www.latimes.com/environment/story/2020-10-06/california-rolling-blackouts-climate-change-poor-planning

 

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Capstone Green Energy Expands Rental Fleet to 13.1 MW With C1000S Microturbine Rental System Contracted for a Remote Data Center Handling Blockchain and Cryptocurrency Mining in Louisiana

 

The 1 MW Rental System Will Provide Reliable Power Using the Site’s Waste Gas as Fuel

VAN NUYS, CA / ACCESSWIRE / August 23, 2021 / Capstone Green Energy Corporation (www.CapstoneGreenEnergy.com) (NASDAQ:CGRN) formerly Capstone Turbine Corporation (www.capstoneturbine.com) (NASDAQ:CPST) (“Capstone” or the “Company”), a global leader in carbon reduction and on-site resilient green energy solutions, announced today that its southern U.S. distributor, Lone Star Power Solutions, has contracted with a remote data center in Louisiana to provide a long-term rental of a Capstone C1000S microturbine system.

Capstone Green Energy continues to expand its Energy as a Service (EaaS) business, including its long-term rental program, which is an important element in achieving its profitability goals as rentals generate higher contribution margin rates than traditional product sales. With this latest contract, the Capstone microturbine rental fleet now stands at 13.1 MW with a goal of expanding to 21.1 MW by March 31, 2022. By offering customers Energy as a Service, Capstone Green Energy is strengthening its commitment to creating smarter energy for a cleaner future, as carbon reduction continues to have ever-increasing value to global customers.

This customer, which is located on an oil and gas well, handles large volume blockchain and cryptocurrency mining, approached Lone Star looking for an innovative way to take advantage of their existing on-site production gas, a byproduct that would otherwise go to waste. Because Capstone microturbines are designed to offer fuel flexibility, the system will use the waste gas, essentially as free fuel, a benefit that not only reduces emissions but also offers operational savings. Further, the added reliability and low maintenance requirements of microturbine-based systems make them an ideal solution for remote locations, which can be hard to reach and often deal with challenging climate conditions.

Cryptocurrency mining is the process by which new crypto “coins” are entered into circulation. Their production requires highly sophisticated computers, often in a data center, to solve complex computational math problems. By their very nature, data centers, like the one in Louisiana, require tremendous amounts of electricity. At a time when the utility grid is strained due to extreme weather, aging infrastructure, and inadequate transmission, on-site power provides a resilient alternative for energy-intensive facilities.

The system is expected to be commissioned in October 2021.

“The ability of Capstone Green Energy microturbines to operate on a wide variety of fuel sources was an integral part of our customer’s operational requirements,” said Doug Demaret, President of Lone Star Power Solutions. “Capstone’s innovative products allow Lone Star Power Solutions to provide its customers with 100% uptime, extremely low emissions, and infrequent visits under the harshest conditions, allowing our customers to focus on their core business.”

“It’s exciting to see this relatively new industry taking progressive steps to address their energy use, especially in using an existing waste stream as a fuel source,” said Darren Jamison, President and Chief Executive Officer of Capstone Green Energy. “Doing so not only dramatically reduces emissions, it provides the customer with essential operational benefits like added power security and reduced maintenance costs,” concluded Mr. Jamison.

About Capstone Green Energy

Capstone Green Energy (www.CapstoneGreenEnergy.com) (NASDAQ:CGRN) is a leading provider of customized microgrid solutions and on-site energy technology systems focused on helping customers around the globe meet their environmental, energy savings, and resiliency goals. Capstone Green Energy focuses on four key business lines. Through its Energy as a Service (EaaS) business, it offers rental solutions utilizing its microturbine energy systems and battery storage systems, comprehensive Factory Protection Plan (FPP) service contracts that guarantee life-cycle costs, as well as aftermarket parts. Energy Conversion Products are driven by the Company’s industry-leading, highly efficient, low-emission, resilient microturbine energy systems offering scalable solutions in addition to a broad range of customer-tailored solutions, including hybrid energy systems and larger frame industrial turbines. The Energy Storage Products business line designs and installs microgrid storage systems creating customized solutions using a combination of battery technologies and monitoring software. Through Hydrogen Energy Solutions, Capstone Green Energy offers customers a variety of hydrogen products, including the Company’s microturbine energy systems.

For customers with limited capital or short-term needs, Capstone offers rental systems; for more information, contact: rentals@CGRNenergy.com. To date, Capstone has shipped over 10,000 units to 83 countries and estimates that, in FY21, it saved customers over $217 million in annual energy costs and approximately 397,000 tons of carbon. Total savings over the last three years are estimated at 1,115,100 tons of carbon and $698 million in annual energy savings.

For more information about the Company, please visit: www.CapstoneGreenEnergy.com. Follow Capstone Green Energy on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This release contains forward-looking statements as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements regarding expectations for green initiatives and execution on the Company’s growth strategy and other statements regarding the Company’s expectations, beliefs, plans, intentions, and strategies. The Company has tried to identify these forward-looking statements by using words such as “expect,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “could,” “should,” “estimate,” “intend,” “may,” “will,” “plan,” “goal” and similar terms and phrases, but such words, terms and phrases are not the exclusive means of identifying such statements. Actual results, performance and achievements could differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, these forward-looking statements due to a variety of risks, uncertainties and other factors, including, but not limited to, the following: the ongoing effects of the COVID-19 pandemic; the availability of credit and compliance with the agreements governing the Company’s indebtedness; the Company’s ability to develop new products and enhance existing products; product quality issues, including the adequacy of reserves therefor and warranty cost exposure; intense competition; financial performance of the oil and natural gas industry and other general business, industry and economic conditions; the Company’s ability to adequately protect its intellectual property rights; and the impact of pending or threatened litigation. For a detailed discussion of factors that could affect the Company’s future operating results, please see the Company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the disclosures under “Risk Factors” in those filings. Except as expressly required by the federal securities laws, the Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, changed circumstances or future events or for any other reason.

CONTACT:
Capstone Green Energy
Investor and investment media inquiries:
818-407-3628
ir@CGRNenergy.com

SOURCE: Capstone Green Energy Corporation