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Search results for: “small scale LNG”

  • Solar costs: a breakdown over time?

    Solar costs: a breakdown over time?

    Utility-scale solar costs have deflated by 75% in the past decade to around $1,000/kW. 60% has been the scale-up to mass manufacturing, and 40% has been rising efficiency of solar modules. Materials costs now look likely to dominate future costs and their trajectory. And advanced materials can help double efficiency again from here? Who benefits?

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  • Deep blue: cracking the code of carbon capture?

    Deep blue: cracking the code of carbon capture?

    Carbon capture is cursed by colossal costs at small scale. But blue hydrogen may be its saviour. Crucial economies of scale are guaranteed by deploying both technologies together. The combination is a dream scenario for gas producers. This 21-page note outlines the opportunity and costs.

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  • Geothermal energy: costs and economics?

    Geothermal energy: costs and economics?

    Geothermal energy costs are modelled from first principles in this data-file. LCOEs of 6c/kWh are available in geothermal hotspots. Outside of the hotspots, enhanced geothermal heat can cost 2-14c/kWh-th for a 10% IRR on $500-5,000/kW-th capex, while a rule of thumb is that geothermal electricity costs 5x geothermal heat.

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  • Bioleaching: case studies and examples?

    Bioleaching: case studies and examples?

    Bioleaching uses bacteria to metabolize insoluble sulfides and iron complexes. It produces 20% of the world’s copper; with 50% lower capex, at least 50% less CO2 and up to 80-90% recoveries; but it is currently limited to specific mineralogies. A prospect for the 2020s is that new technologies may unlock more minerals.

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  • Pumped hydro: generation profile?

    Pumped hydro: generation profile?

    Pumped hydro facilities can provide long-duration storage, but the utilization rate is low, and thus the costs are high, according to today’s case study within the Snowy hydro complex in Australia. Tumut-3 can store energy for weeks-months, then generate 1.8 GW for 40+ hours, but it is only charging/dischaging at 12% of its nameplate capacity.

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  • Nafion membranes: costs and hydrogen crossover?

    Nafion membranes: costs and hydrogen crossover?

    Perfluorinated sulfonate (PFSA) membranes, such as Nafion, are the crucial enabler for PEM electrolyzers, fuel cells and other industrial processes. The market is worth $750M pa. The key challenges are costs, longevity and hydrogen crossover, which are tabulated in this data-file.

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  • Silver pastes for solar contacts?

    Silver pastes for solar contacts?

    50 companies make conductive silver pastes to form the electrical contacts in solar modules. This data-file tabulates the compositions of silver pastes based on patents, averaging 85% silver, 4% glass frit and 11% organic chemicals. Ten companies stood out, including a Korean small-cap specialist.

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  • Oklo: fast reactor technology?

    Oklo: fast reactor technology?

    Oklo is a next-generation nuclear company, based in California, recently going public via SPAC at a $850M valuation, backed by Sam Altman, of Y-Combinator and OpenAI fame. Oklo’s fast reactor technology absorbs high energy neutrons in liquid metal and targets ultimate costs of 4c/kWh. What details can we infer from assessing Oklo’s patents, and can…

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  • Thermodynamics of CO2 at different temperatures and pressures?

    Thermodynamics of CO2 at different temperatures and pressures?

    This data-file aggregates thermodynamic properties of CO2 at different temperatures and pressures. Specifically, how do different pressures and temperatures dictate CO2’s density, Cp, Cv, Heat Capacity Ratio (gamma), Entropy, and Compressibility. These variables matter for CO2 compression, CCS and sCO2 power cycles.

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  • China’s Shale Challenge?

    China’s Shale Challenge?

    This data-file quantifies the most-discussed challenges for developing Chinese shale gas, after a review of the technical literature, as well as the solutions suggested to combat them, and our “top ten conclusions” on Chinese shale.

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