Exxon, Qatar Petroleum sign deal to export LNG out of planned plant in Texas

May 10, 2013, 2:06 PM

By Claudia Assis

Golden Pass Products

Exxon Mobil Corp. XOM  and Qatar Petroleum International have signed an agreement to sell liquefied natural gas from a planned export plant in Sabine Pass, Texas.

The subsidiary, Golden Pass Products LLC, has Department of Energy authorization to export to countries with free trade agreements with the U.S. but not to countries without a FTA. Golden Pass would invest about $10 million to build the plant, but that investment is contingent to permits and whether it would be allowed to export to non-FTA countries.

More than a dozen planned plants planned LNG export terminals are also waiting for that green light. The U.S. has FTAs with 20 countries, none of which are particularly large LNG buyers. Non-FTA countries include several Asian and European nations that are keen on LNG, such as Japan and Spain.

Only one, Cheniere Energy Inc.’s Sabine Pass plant, is approved to export to both FTA and non-FTA countries. Cheniere’s plant is expected to operate by the end of 2015. The company filed a request in early March to expand its planned facility.

Golden Pass’ planned LNG export plant would be added to an existing import terminal, as it is also common in the industry — the glut in natural gas in the U.S. has made these import facilities all but idle. Golden Pass expects to ship up to 15.6 million metric tons of natural gas per year from the facility.

“This agreement sets out a highly competitive commercial blueprint for Golden Pass Products, with a commitment that builds on the unique combined strengths of QPI and ExxonMobil throughout the global downstream LNG value chain,” Bill Collins, president of Golden Pass Products, said in a statement.

Shell, Drax Named Preferred Bidders for $1.5 Billion CCS Funding

The U.K. selected two projects led by companies including Royal Dutch Shell Plc (RDSA) andDrax Group Plc (DRX) as preferred bidders for 1 billion pounds ($1.5 billion) of funding forcarbon capture and storage.

The Peterhead project in Aberdeenshire, Scotland by Shell and SSE Plc (SSE) was selected along with the White Rose venture in northern England by Drax, Alstom SA (ALO) and BOC Group Ltd., according to a statement on the Department of Energy and Climate Change website. The projects were chosen from among eight original bids last year.

The government wants to spur a carbon capture industry by the 2020s by supporting commercial operations that bury emissions under the seabed. The plans appeared to falter after British CCS projects missed out on a first round of European funding and a first attempt at the 1 billion-pound contest failed in 2011.

“Today’s announcement moves us a significant step closer to a carbon capture and storage industry,” Energy Secretary Ed Davey said in the statement.

DECC will make an investment decision to build “up to two” projects in early 2015, with facilities slated for operation from 2016, according to the statement. The department plans to agree on contracts to carry out early engineering and design studies for the projects by summer.

Capture Power Ltd., the CCS venture comprising Drax, Alstom and BOC, said in a separate statement it will get government funding for preliminary engineering work for carbon capture at a coal-fired power station at the Drax site near Selby in northern England.

Shell and SSE plan to fit equipment to trap 90 percent of the emissions from the Peterhead power station in what would be the world’s first commercial CCS demonstration at a gas-fired plant, for storage in the depleted Goldeneye gas reservoir offshore Scotland.

“The government’s decision sends a strong signal of support for the role of gas in meeting the rise in global energy demand,” Ed Daniels, chairman at Shell U.K., said in a separate statement.

Warren Buffett In $2 Billion Solar Deal

Warren Buffett In $2 Billion Solar Deal

Making a big bet on solar energy, Warren Buffett’s MidAmerican Energy Holdings Company has acquired two SunPower solar photovoltaic power plant projects inCalifornia for between $2 billion and $2.5 billion,
the companies said Wednesday.

The adjacent Antelope Valley Solar Projects will be
built in Los Angeles and Kern counties and will generate
579 megawatts of electricity for utility Southern
CaliforniaEdison. At peak output that’s the equivalent
of a big fossil fuel power plant.

SunPower, the Silicon Valley solar panel manufacturer
and developer, will build and operate the projects for
MidAmerican Renewables, a division of
MidAmerican Energy, which is controlled by
Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway.

“We are excited about these projects because they
support our core business principle of environmental
respect,” Bill Fehrman, president of MidAmerican
Renewables, said in a statement. “We are very proud
to add SunPower technology to our portfolio of projects,”

It’s just the latest solar deal for Buffett. MidAmerican
Energy also owns the 550-megawatt Topaz Solar
Farms built by First Solar in San Luis County, Calif.,
and holds a 49% stake in a 290-megawatt solar power
plant in Yuma, Ariz.

Construction of the Antelope Valley Solar Projects is
set to begin this year with the power plants going online
at the end of 2015.

Next-Gen Solar Cells Receive Efficiency Boost from Graphene

Solar Ink can be sprayed on any surface 

Graphene, a greatly promising new nanomaterial, may be able to substantially boost the efficiency of the next generation of solar panels, according to new research from Michigan Technological University.

Graphene is a two-dimensional, one-atom-thick honeycomb of carbon atoms. It’s a much-hyped material because of its unique and radical properties, potentially allowing for great innovation and improvements in efficiency across a wide variety of fields. CleanTechnica has posted numerous stories on graphene in recent years.

One of its most interesting properties is its electrical conductivity, which could make it an important part of the next generation of photovoltaic (PV) solar cells.

Dye-sensitized solar cells use common and relatively inexpensive materials, making them cheaper than solar cells based on silicon and thin-film technologies. But they do not work as well as silicon-based cells at converting light into electricity.

“In dye-sensitized solar cells, photons knock electrons from the dye into a thin layer of titanium dioxide, which relays them to the anode. The researchers found that adding graphene to the titanium dioxide increased its conductivity, bringing 52.4 percent more current into the circuit.”

 

“The excellent electrical conductivity of graphene sheets allows them to act as bridges, accelerating electron transfer from the titanium dioxide to the photoelectrode,” said Yun Hang Hu, a professor of materials science and engineering.

The researchers also created a “comparably foolproof method for creating sheets of titanium dioxide embedded with graphene. It first made graphite oxide powder, then mixed it with titanium dioxide to form a paste, spread it on a substrate (such as glass) and then baked it a high temperatures.”

“It’s low-cost and very easy to prepare,” said Hu. But not just any recipe will do. “If you use too much graphene, it will absorb the light in the solar cell and reduce its efficiency,” he said.

The researchers presented a talk on their work, “Graphene for Solar Cells,” at the US-Egypt Joint Workshop on Solar Energy Systems, held March 12-14 in Cairo. It was funded by the American Chemical Society Petroleum Research Fund and the National Science Foundation.

Altaeros balloon boosts wind turbine power

A prototype of Altaeros Energy's high-altitude wind turbine in Maine.

(Credit: Altaeros Energy)

Startup Altaeros Energy is going up for more energy.

The company yesterday said it has successfully tested a prototype of its
airborne wind turbine, which is a traditional small wind turbine enclosed
in an inflatable shell. The Boston-based company is seeking to partner
with others to build and test a commercial-scale turbine.

Altaeros Energy is one of a few companies developing systems to
capture the stronger and steadier winds at high altitudes.
Others include Makani Power, Joby Energy, and Windlift.

For its prototype test in Maine, Altaeros Energy placed a Southwest
Skystream turbine, which is normally placed on a pole, inside a helium-filled shell.
The entire machine is tethered by a cable which transmits electricity
and was lifted to 350 feet.

At that height, the Skystream turbine produced more than twice the
power than a typical tower-mounted one, according to Altaeros Energy.
The prototype test also automatically hoisted and lowered the
airborne turbine, which was attached to a towable trailer.

"Modern inflatable materials can lift wind turbines into more
powerful winds almost everywhere -- with a platform that is cost
competitive and easy to setup from a shipping container,"
CEO Ben Glass said in a statement. The technology is designed
to capture wind over 1,000 feet, he added.

Altaeros Energy is going after a very specific market with its first-generation
product of locations that rely on diesel generators.
That could include military bases or remote off-grid industrial sites or villages.
Longer term, it hopes to deploy its inflatable turbines offshore.

The shell itself was made by a sail-making company and the l
auncher was converted from industrial blimps called aerostats used
 for heavy communications and radar equipment.

Geothermal Energy Market worth $12.94b

"The Geothermal Energy Market to be Worth $12.94bn in 2012" According to New Visiongain Report As traditional fossil fuel energy sources dwindle and increase in price, renewable energies become a more attractive prospect and more cost competitive. Geothermal energy, whether used to produce electricity by driving a turbine, or used directly for heating, has considerable potential for growth due to its ability to consistently deliver energy. This new report explains how the market will develop as a multi-billion dollar sector, revealing geothermal energy developments throughout the world and including regional or country specific forecasts and analysis for both the electricity and direct use parts of the market. This report covers all the major companies involved in the industry and includes the latest contract developments, newest partnerships and the most significant technological advances. A wealth of data is analysed to provide a clear breakdown of how the geothermal energy market will develop over the next ten years. The report includes 158 tables and graphs quantifying the geothermal energy market in detail, and includes two original interviews with companies involved in geothermal energy. In addition, the report provides a SWOT analysis of the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats facing the market over the next ten years, and offers profiles of 23 leading companies involved in the geothermal energy industry. The various drivers and restraints of the market are evaluated in order to provide readers with specific insights into the future direction of the geothermal energy market. This visiongain energy report will be valuable to those already involved in the geothermal energy market or to those wishing to enter this important market in the future. For sample pages and further information concerning the Visiongain report The Geothermal Energy Market 2012-2022 please visit: www.visiongain.com/Report/838/The-Geothermal-Energy-Market-2012-2022 For an executive summary of this report or to order it today, please contact: Email: Sara Peerun on sara.peerun@visiongainglobal.com Tel: +44 (0) 20 7336 6100 About visiongain Visiongain is one of the fastest growing and most innovative independent media companies in Europe. Based in London, UK, visiongain produces a host of business-2-business conferences, newsletters, management reports and e-zines focusing on the Energy, Telecoms, Pharmaceutical, Defence, Materials sectors. Visiongain publishes reports produced by its in-house analysts, who are qualified experts in their field. Visiongain has firmly established itself as the first port-of-call for the business professional, who needs independent, high quality, original material to rely and depend on.

A Wave Power Generator with a Twist: It Generates Electricity On Dry Land

By Nicholas Brown On January 31, 2012 — Leave a Comment

A relatively new* type of reciprocating wave-powered electricity generator called Searaser has been developed and is moving forward. Searaser, acquired by Ecotricity, is not a typical wave power plant.

The first peculiarity is that it does not generate electricity out at sea. Due to the fact that waves move up and down in the ocean, they can continuously move a float attached to a reciprocating pump that can pump water through a water-powered onshore electricity generator for the sake of keeping the electrical parts of the system out of the water.

As Damian Carrington of The Guardian notes, its is a bit like an aquatic “bicycle pump.”

Searaser Skips the Challenges of Ocean- or Sea-Based Electricity

“If you put any device in the sea, it will get engulfed in storms, so it all has to be totally sealed,” the inventor, Alvin Smith, says. ”Water and electricity don’t mix – and sea water is particularly corrosive – so most other devices are very expensive to manufacture and maintain.”

Ecotricity founder, Dale Vince, claims: “We believe Searaser has the potential to produce electricity at a lower cost than any other type energy, not just other forms of renewable energy but all ‘conventional’ forms of energy too.”

A prototype of the Searaser has already been tested successfully.

Where the Idea for Searaser Came From

Smith’s Searaser idea has fun but simple origins, as so many great technologies do. “The idea of Searaser came to Smith when he was playing with a ball in his swimming pool and felt the energy released when the ball bobbed to the surface,” Carrington writes. “He said the device has the advantages of being extremely simple – like a bicycle pump – contains no lubricating or hydraulic oil, and is not a rigid structure and so can go with the flow in heavy seas.”

Another benefit of the system is that the energy produced could be stored in reservoirs and released for later use, helpful given the increasing amount of intermittent renewable energy going on the grid.

Wave-powered generators are a member of the family of hydroelectric power plants, which all use the movement of water to generate electricity. But it’s obviously a bit different than the hydroelectric power technologies you’re used to, isn’t it?

Source: Clean Technica (http://s.tt/15tYS)