-
Border taxes: a carbon curtain has descended?
Europe has proposed a ‘border adjustment mechanism’ to mitigate carbon leakage. Its initial formulation is modest. But it will snowball. And ultimately divide the global economy in two. This 15-page report lays out our top five predictions for CO2 border taxes to reshape energy markets and the world.
-
LNG in the energy transition: rewriting history?
A vast new up-cycle for LNG is in the offing, to meet energy transition goals, by displacing coal. 2024-25 LNG markets could by 100MTpa under-supplied, taking prices above $9/mcf. But emerging technologies are re-shaping the industry, so well-run greenfields may resist the cost over-runs that marred the last cycle.
-
Prevailing wind: new opportunities in grid volatility?
UK wind power has almost trebled since 2016. But its output is volatile, now varying between 0-50% of the total grid. Hence this 14-page note assesses the volatility, using granular, hour-by-hour data from 2020, to outline which backup opportunities are best-placed.
-
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 22-page note outlines the opportunity and costs.
-
Hydrogen: lost in transportation?
Transporting hydrogen will be more challenging than any other energy commodity ever commercialised. This 19-page note reviews the costs and complexities of cryogenic trucks, pipelines and chemical carriers (e.g., ammonia). Midstream costs will be 2-10x higher than natural gas, while up to 50% of hydrogen’s embedded energy may be lost in transit.
-
The future of offshore: fully subsea?
Offshore developments will change dramatically in the 2020s, eliminating production platforms in favour of fully subsea solutions. The opportunity increases a project’s NPV by 50% and effectively eliminates upstream CO2. We reviewed 1,850 patents to find the best-placed operators and services. Others will be disrupted. The theme supports the ascent of low-carbon natural gas.
-
Ten Themes for Energy in the 2020s
We presented our ‘Top Ten Themes for Energy in the 2020s’ to an audience at Yale SOM, in February-2020. The audio recording is available below. The slides are available to TSE clients.
-
Decarbonized power: how much wind and solar fit the optimal grid?
What is the optimal mix of wind and solar in a low-cost, zero-carbon power grid? We find renewables cannot surpass 45-50% due to curtailment, which trebles prices. Batteries help little, under grid conditions. Decarbonized gas is the best backstop. A grid of 50% decarbonized gas, 25% renewables and 25% nuclear has the lowest incentive price,…
-
Electric Vehicles Increase Fossil Fuel Demand?
It is widely believed that electric vehicles will destroy fossil fuel demand. We find they will increase it by 0.7Mboed from 2020-35. The reason is that 3.7x more energy is consumed to manufacture each EV than the net road fuel it displaces each year; while manufacturing of EVs is seen growing exponentially. The finding is…
-
MCFCs: what if carbon capture generated electricity?
Molten carbonate fuel cells (MCFCs) could be a game-changer for CCS and fossil fuels. They capture CO2 from combustion facilities; while at the same time, generating electricity from natural gas. The first pilot plant is being tested in 1Q20, by ExxonMobil and FuelCell Energy. Economics range from passable to phenomenal.
Content by Category
- Batteries (85)
- Biofuels (42)
- Carbon Intensity (49)
- CCS (63)
- CO2 Removals (9)
- Coal (36)
- Company Diligence (87)
- Data Models (799)
- Decarbonization (156)
- Demand (105)
- Digital (51)
- Downstream (44)
- Economic Model (196)
- Energy Efficiency (75)
- Hydrogen (63)
- Industry Data (264)
- LNG (48)
- Materials (79)
- Metals (70)
- Midstream (43)
- Natural Gas (144)
- Nature (75)
- Nuclear (22)
- Oil (161)
- Patents (38)
- Plastics (44)
- Power Grids (118)
- Renewables (147)
- Screen (108)
- Semiconductors (30)
- Shale (50)
- Solar (67)
- Supply-Demand (45)
- Vehicles (90)
- Wind (40)
- Written Research (338)