The Sonata battery, the next generation fast-charge, longer-life lithium-ion battery from Boston-Power

A review of the technologies attracting venture capital fund raising in the energy storage area

This is an abridged, edited and updated version of an article by Caroline Ohrn, a senior research analyst at Venture Business Research (VBR). This article was first published by Venture Business Research Limited in October 2007. VBR is an independent intelligence and research organization focused on the Clean Technologies and Renewable Energy sectors: www.vbresearch.com

Storage solutions in various power ratings are market ready and more are coming. Technologies include compressed air energy storage (CAES), thin-film batteries, lithium batteries, li-ion batteries, flywheels, flow batteries, fuel cells, pipe storage on-board ships and thermal energy storage.

by Denis Gross

First published in InFocus: Nuclear, a supplement to Cleantech magazine January/February 2008. Copyright Cleantech Investor 2008

ITER Central Solenoid Model Coil Project (L-1); outer coil being lowered into cryostat

In February 2008 the US National Academy of Engineering (NAE) revealed what its committee of experts believes are the grand challenges for engineering in the 21st century. One of them is providing energy from fusion.  Fusion energy is the process that powers the sun, in the interior of which immense heat and gravitational pressure compress nuclei of certain elements into heavier nuclei, releasing binding energy.  While reactors on earth are incapable of recreating the enormously high pressures of the sun’s interior, this can be compensated to a large extent by the ability to achieve far higher temperatures. For the past five decades fusion has been seen as one of the most promising inexhaustible clean energy sources for the future, with the fuel abundantly available and no carbon dioxide or long-lived radioactive decay products being produced. However, mainstream research has yet to identify a route to a commercial fusion power plant.

Since research on fusion got under way in the early 1950s, the problems with which international researchers have grappled are containing the fusion reaction and getting more energy out than is put in. The Burning Plasma Assessment Committee, formed by the US National Research Council, backed one approach that has consumed a significant proportion of fusion research money through the years. This approach – magnetic confinement – was outlined in its 2004 report ’Burning Plasma: Bringing a Star to Earth’. A burning plasma is a plasma (an ionised gas) in which at least 50% of the energy to drive the fusion reaction is generated internally. As a result, Washington was persuaded to commit the US to becoming a significant partner in a project that is expected to provide a breakthrough step in fusion energy, ITER.

Pedro Miguel Locks, Panama Canal

The environmental threat from the shipping industry has been in the news for decades – but the emphasis has changed with the times. The main concern in the 1970s was the prevention and cleaning up of oil slicks. Today, the most pressing challenges are to reduce emissions of SOx and CO2. The environmental category in the Seatrade Awards for “excellence in shipping” appears to mirror the issues which are most prominent for the industry.

The International Maritime Organization (IMO), a United Nations body, is responsible for the regulation of international shipping. The IMO International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships was signed in 1973. Subsequently modified by the MARPOL protocol, it covers accidental and operational oil pollution; pollution by chemicals; goods in packaged form; sewage; garbage and air pollution. The IMO Convention on the Prevention of Marine Pollution by Dumping of Wastes and Other Matter (known as the London Convention) was signed in 1972 and updated by a 1996 Protocol.

The Seatrade Awards, which “celebrate excellence in shipping”, are approaching their 20th anniversary. From the outset the awards included an environmental category: “Countering Marine Pollution”. The list of early winners features a host of companies with solutions for cleaning up or preventing oil spillage – which was the major issue at the time. For example, Unitor won the award in 1989 for its Enviroclean water based cleaner and featured again amongst the runners-up in 1991 with its “oil bag”. In 1991 the award went to Elf Aquitaine, for an oleophilic nutriment for enhancement of oil biodegradation.

Choren cars © CHOREN Industries GmbH.

German firm Choren is the present leader in biomass gasification, but is currently only working on gasification of solid biomass which could limit plant size to the availability of local resources.

It may be beneficial for ‘two platform’ biorefineries, which are likely to rely on the large scales of commercial gasifiers, to piggy-back on existing hydrocarbon infrastructure.

by Simon Bennett

Simon Bennett is a researcher in the Centre for Energy Policy and Technology (ICEPT), Imperial College London, and part of the EU Biopol biorefinery consortium.

 First published in Cleantech magazine, January/February 2008. Copyright Cleantech Investor 2008

Nano solar energy panel

Photo by MARK THIESSEN, National Geographic Collection

While many solar cell manufacturers are struggling with the rising cost of silicon, others are reaping the benefits. For the new generation of companies developing photovoltaic (PV) cells based on alternative materials, high silicon costs can only increase demand for their own products.

The most advanced alternatives are in thin-film technology. Thin-film PV has a lower material cost than traditional crystalline silicon cells as it typically uses just 1% as much semiconductor material for the same output.

There are other benefits too. Thin-film cells can be more flexible in their applications and, depending on the substrate, physically more flexible. Solar panels can be wrapped around different structures and, because the PV film can be applied to a range of base materials, can be integrated into buildings, vehicles or even clothing.

The second in a series of articles by Tim Chapman discussing the next generation of solar power technology. Tim Chapman is a business and technology journalist, who tracks cleantech VC at www.cleanventures.co.uk

  First published in Cleantech magazine, January/February 2008. Copyright Cleantech Investor 2008

The Earthrace Boat

The illustration on the cover of the special ‘clean shipping’ issue of Cleantech magazine features photographs of vessels powered by a set of innovative new technologies which are emerging in the maritime space. In this feature we discuss some of the background behind the pictures.

  by Anne McIvor