Materials that matter in the energy transition

Download Category: Materials

Materials that matter in the energy transition are a key focus in our research. They include metals (see separate category below). Plus the materials used in wind, solar, electric vehicles, CCS chemicals, power-electronics, light-weighting vehicles, and improving energy efficiency.

In solar, an obvious example is photovoltaic silicon, made by several successive steps of melting and re-crystallizing silicon from sand, at well over 1,000C.

In wind, 50% of a wind turbine’s mass is composed of glass fiber, interspersed with polymer resins, and increasingly, exotic high-strength materials, such as carbon fiber.

Commodity chemicals are important across the value chain, from incorporating clean hydrogen into the production of ammonia, methanol and advanced polymers, through to compounds such as sodium cyanide, used in the extraction of PGMs, also needed for energy transition applications.

This link contains an overview of all our research into materials that matter in the energy transition, across PDF research notes, data-files and models, in chronological order.

Fiber Optic Cables: Patents and Leading Companies?

This data-file screens for the technology leaders in fiber-optic cables, which are crucial for the digitization of industries and the world’s structural shift towards remote-working.

The file starts by tracking 37,000 patents filed into fiber optic cabling, where the pace of research has risen at a 14% CAGR since 2009, with 75% of 2019’s patents filed in China and 18% in the US.

The 2019 data are shown more granularly in the ‘2019’ tab, aggregating descriptions of 4,000 patents and the companies behind them.

From these patents, we identify and evaluate the largest listed companies in fiber-optics, including a helpful profile of each company, their revenues, and the percent of their revenues from fiber-optic cables.

Make CO2 into valuable products?

This data-file is a screen of 27 companies, which are turning CO2 into valuable products, such as next-generation plastics, foams, concretes, specialty chemicals and agricultural products.

For each company, we have assessed the commercial potential, technical readiness, partners, size, geography and other key parameters. 13 companies have very strong commercial potential. 10 concepts are technically ready (up from 8 as assessed in mid-2019), 6 are near-commercial (up from 5 in mid-2019), while 13 are earlier-stage.

A detailed breakdown is also provided for the opportunity to use CO2 enhancing the yields of commercial greenhouses (chart below).

The featured companies include c21 start-ups. But leading listed companies include BP (as a venture partner), Chevron Phillips, Covestro, Repsol, Shell, TOTAL (as a venture partner) and Saudi Aramco.

Turn the Plastic Back into Oil

Due to the limitations of mechanical recycling, 85% of the world’s plastic is incinerated, dumped into landfill, or worst of all, ends up in the oceans. An alternative, plastic pyrolysis, is on the cusp of commercialisation. We have assessed twenty technology solutions. This nascent opportunity can turn plastic back into oil, generate >30% IRRs on investment, and could displace 15Mbpd of future oil demand.

Oil demand for chemicals, by product, by region

This data-file breaks down the world’s use of oil to make chemicals (i.e., plastics). It’s split across 13 different products, and the ‘Top 10’ countries/regions. The estimate year is 2016.

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