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Search results for: “renewables”

  • Terrestrial Energy: small modular reactor breakthrough?

    Terrestrial Energy: small modular reactor breakthrough?

    Terrestrial Energy is a next-generation nuclear fission company, aiming to build a small modular reactor: specifically a 2 x 195MWe Integral Molten Salt Reactor with ultimate costs below $3,000/kWe, yielding levelized costs of 5-7c/kWh. 80 patents lock up 8 core innovations in a high-quality library that helps de-risk the potential.

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  • Pumped hydro: the economics?

    Pumped hydro: the economics?

    This data-file assesses pumped hydro costs, to back up wind and solar. A typical project has 0.5GW of capacity, 12-hours storage duration, 80% efficiency, and capex costs of $2,250/kW. Thus it requires a 25c/kWh storage spread, in order to generate a 10% IRR.

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  • Global gas prices: by country?

    Global gas prices: by country?

    Global gas prices by country are often measured at the world-famous delivery points for liquids futures contracts, such as Henry Hub and the Netherlands’ TTF. This data-file takes a broader approach, aggregating the annual gas prices by country across twenty geographies.

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  • Prysmian: power cable technology breakthroughs?

    Prysmian: power cable technology breakthroughs?

    Prysmian scores well on our patent assessment framework. We conclude an array of incremental improvements and industry specializations confer a partial moat and helps to de-risk future installation work.

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  • Wind volatility: second by second output data?

    Wind volatility: second by second output data?

    We have evaluated the second-by-second data on the power output of a 25MW onshore wind farm in Germany. A typical day sees 75 volatility events. Compared to solar, wind power drops slightly less frequently, but more extensively (often >90%) and for longer (often several hours or days). Both wind and solar show high short-term volatility.

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  • Powin: grid-scale battery breakthrough?

    Powin: grid-scale battery breakthrough?

    Powin commercializes energy storage hardware and software. Its LFP battery system is 30% more compact than peers, at 200 MWH/acre, and modular, meaning it may be 50% faster to install. Our patent review finds a moat around specific process improvements, to help back up the short-term volatility of solar and wind.

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  • Battery degradation: causes, effects & implications?

    Battery degradation: causes, effects & implications?

    This 14-page note offers five rules of thumb to maximize the longevity of lithium-ion batteries, in grid-scale storage and electric vehicles. The data suggest hidden upside in the demand for batteries, for lithium and high-quality power electronics, especially if batteries are to backstop renewables.

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  • CH4 context: the largest methane leaks of all time?

    CH4 context: the largest methane leaks of all time?

    Global methane emissions run to 360MTpa. 40% is agriculture, 40% is the energy industry and 20% is landfills. Within energy, over 30% of the leaks are from coal, 30% are from oil, 27% are from gas. This short note quantifies some of the largest methane leaks of all time, and provides context for the recent…

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  • Energy of rotation: angular momentum, inertia and flywheels?

    Energy of rotation: angular momentum, inertia and flywheels?

    This data-file calculates the energy stored in rotating masses. This includes 50Wh – 100 kWh flywheels. In power grids, the angular momentum of large rotating generators is known as ‘inertia’ and can run from 30kWh to 30MWH per turbine. Inertia has historically been a crucial part of stabilizing grids. Hence how do the physics work?…

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  • Cable installation vessels: costs and operating parameters?

    Cable installation vessels: costs and operating parameters?

    This is a database of cable installation vessels for offshore wind and power transmission; tabulating costs (in $M), contract awards (in $/km), capacity (in tons), installation speeds (in meters per hour), power ratings (in MW), crew sizes and positioning systems. There is a paradox over costs.

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