The E8 Network of Expertise for the Global Environment
Research and development
ENEL
From fossil fuel to hydrogen
Enel is very attentive to capturing the opportunities arising from hydrogen research. Numerous initiatives were recently taken to apply well-established technologies and test emerging concepts for production of hydrogen and its use in transportation as well as in electricity and heat generation.
ENEL is investing in hydrogen production, usage and storage with the ambitious target of providing a competitive hydrogen production infrastructure in only a few years, speeding up the development of a complete hydrogen system on a local basis.
To begin with, hydrogen production will be from coal power plant in order to produce and use hydrogen on site, and to create, on a small scale, a whole “hydrogen system”.
The future project
In 2004 Enel joined “Hydrogen Park”. Within the Park, Enel will build a plant for hydrogen extraction from coal and for electricity and heat generation from hydrogen, fully integrated with the existing coal power plant. Enel’s plant is located in the industrial area of Marghera (Venice).
The goal of the Park is to create the largest experimental area for a demonstration of full-scale economy based on hydrogen.
6.000 tons/year of hydrogen are already available today inside the industrial area, and the future Enel production will increase this amount. The hydrogen produced will be used in various development projects: “green” boats, cogeneration systems for residential and industrial use, a high efficiency Enel plant for electricity and heat production.
In the first section of the planned plant, coal will be gasified and CO2 separated to be re-used outside the plant and hydrogen will be produced. A further section will be dedicated to high efficiency heat and power generating unit fed by hydrogen. The integration between new and existing facilities is the focal point of the project as it enables the reduction of costs by 80%. The coal required for the gasification process will be taken from the existing power plant, utilizing the same logistic chain.
Figure 1: The hydrogen project
Pilot project
In this context, to speed up hydrogen’s use, a pilot combined cycle power plant (12 MW) fed by hydrogen is being built. The hydrogen comes from a chemical industry located near an existing coal-fired power plant of Enel (about 1,000 MW).
The new power plant will be a gas turbine system fed by methane during start up and by hydrogen during normal use, with recovery of exhaust gases heat in a recovery steam generator.
In order to increase both the power of turbines and the control of exhaust gases, the system provides steam injection in the combustion chamber, achieving high efficiency.
Data of new H2 plant
Nominal power capacity: 12 MWe
Total thermal capacity: 37 MWth
Annual productivity: 60 GWh
Avoided CO2 emission: over 40,000 tons/year
KANZAI
As a technology directly tied to CO2 emission reduction, Kansai Electric is focusing on technology for recovering and fixing CO2 from flue gases of large-scale combustion facilities. Kansai Electric has worked together with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd., on developing CO2 separation and recovery technologies since FY 1990, two years before the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change was adopted. Kansai Electric set up a flue gas decarbonisation pilot plant at its Nanko Power Station, and has conducted research and development of a chemical absorption method using absorption liquid to recover CO2.
Research has already been conducted on the CO2 absorption technology using the chemical absorption methods. The chemical absorption method developed by Kansai Electric and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd., is completely different from those used in other research.
Although the research is currently concentrating on reducing operation cost through downsizing the absorption tower, improving heat recovery rate of the recycling tower, and so on, the technology has already been applied to a urea plant in Malaysia as well chemical companies in Japan, and a urea fertilizer company in India and has been accumulating operational results and proven to be practical.
As for the technologies to fix recovered CO2, Kansai Electric Group has been taking part in the CO2 Sequestration and Effective Utilization Programme of Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry since FY 2002. Kansai Electric Group has been developing a series of technologies which are to insert and sequester CO2, separated and collected from large scale emission facilities such as thermal power plants, in coal layers and to recover unused methane (CH4) substituted by CO2 in the coal layer as clean energy resources. The Kansai Electric Group has worked on discovering the substitution mechanism of CO2 for CH4, analyzing optimal fixation conditions, and studying sequestered CO2 monitoring technologies. The Kansai Electric Group also conducted verification study of inserting CO2 into coal layers and recovering methane in Yubari, Hokkaido since FY 2004.
SCOTTISHPOWER
ScottishPower is engaged in a number of significant research and development projects aimed to improve performance in providing safe, reliable and economic, low-cost power to its customers.
Energy Networks
The company has a number of strategic network projects are underway and in development. The current projected value totals £20 million. Projects cover the breadth of ScottishPower include voltage regulation, the development of fault detection and mitigation technologies, energy storage technologies and thermal modelling.
As part of the UK’s market regulation, network operators have recently been provided incentives for innovation in technical developments. ScottishPower undertook 22 projects under the Innovation Funding Incentive in 2004/05, totalling nearly £300,000 in its two network areas, the Annual Report is available though via Ofgem’s (UK Electricity & Gas Regulator) website: www.ofgem.gov.uk.
Active Network Management, ITI Energy Partnership
The biggest project – in partnership with ITI Energy, Rolls Royce and Strathyclyde University – is investigating the potential technologies required to actively manage power distribution networks that to allow more flexible and cost-effective implementation of distributed generation and demand-side management while mitigating the need for expensive infrastructure upgrades and reducing capacity constraints in existing networks.
The project, in early stages, could develop into a five-year programme and £10 million investment from partners. ITI Energy estimates that the European and US markets alone could see markets for new active network management technologies expand to up to $300 million per year over the next five to ten years, following the move from large-scale centralised power generation to smaller scale, more localised forms.
Though transmission networks are simple in lay-out, but complex in their operations, as they require active management between demand in the network and the various power plants. On the contrary, Distribution networks are complex in lay-out as they have many branches and transformer steps to lower voltage level, consisting of a complex system of power cables, lines, transformers, switching and protection & control devices at voltage levels ranging from 400V to 400kV. But they are relatively passive with respect to connectivity, communications and self diagnostic capabilities. This project is about making the distribution networks active and smarter. Power network systems are currently updated using technology which is largely like-for-like replacement. As a result the current generation of systems are largely unable to address the increasing complexity in distribution networks. Power networks are not only present in public network systems, but also in stand-alone, islanded systems, such as electric (ships), aircraft, and offshore oil and gas platforms.
The project is responding to market factors including ageing assets, more localised distribution, the need for improved security and quality of supply and the increasing prominence of energy efficiency. The increasing incorporation of intermittent renewable sources such as wind and new technologies such as fuel cells are affecting networks. The project has been acknowledged by the Scottish Government, which has cited the work as an important component of the its aggressive targets for adoption of distributed generation and renewables, such as combined heat and power and wind.
The ageing networks in industrialised countries and the quickly evolving need for power in developing countries together make a significant market for new networking solutions. Many elements of the power network have already aged well beyond their economic life.
Nevertheless, operators do not replace these elements, because of the high costs involved, but also because most elements still function properly. This means the ageing network was designed for yesterday’s requirements, not for modern power supply and demand requirements. In the developing countries, particularly in South East Asia, the enormous growth in electricity demand is driving not only significant new build of generation capacity, but also power network infrastructure. Mostly new infrastructure is built according to the safe, western concepts and using existing technologies, but cost and network complexity may force local network operators to use new technologies that would not yet be accepted in the West.
In large parts of Africa and South America, power networks will be required to increase the standard of life and local economy, either by connecting distributed generation, or by connecting large central generation plants to (often) remote consumers. The key here is to reduce the infrastructure cost. The demand for network elements in islanded power systems is growing rapidly, caused mainly by the significant growth in electric ships, and increased sophistication of airplane electrical systems.
Innovation Funding Response
As part of the UK’s market regulation, network operators are provided incentives for innovation in technical developments. ScottishPower undertook 22 projects under Innovation Funding Incentive in 2004/05, totalling nearly £300,000 in its two network areas.
Generation
In addition to Networks, ScottishPower is engaged in a range of new and renewable technologies projects, including:
Offshore Wind – The company is part of a joint venture with Shell and Elsam to develop a windfarm with up to 90 turbines at Shell Flats off the Blackpool coastline. In December 2003 ScottishPower, in partnership with Shell and Eurus, was offered the option by the Crown Estate to investigate siting up to 500 MW of wind capacity offshore at Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria. Surveys and consultations continue, though construction is not expected to occur before 2009.
Biomass – During the year ScottishPower introduced the co-firing of biomass fuels at coal-fired power stations in the UK. Cockenzie Power Station has been successfully co-firing sawdust along with coal, up to a proportion of 10%. Energy derived from the biomass fuels qualifies for Renewable Obligation Certificates (ROCs), helping to ensure our supply business complies with its Renewables Obligation, to supply a specific proportion of its energy from certified renewable sources. Longannet Power Station commenced commercial co-firing of wood pellets in June 2005.
Wave Power – ScottishPower has partnered on a large-scale trial of wave power, in association with Ocean Power Delivery (OPD), designers and manufacturers of the Pelamis Wave energy Converter and Amec, a company with wide experience in marine engineering. The project is assessing the technical and commercial viability of a demonstration project using OPD’s floating
Pelamis generator. Each Pelamis machine has a maximum output of 750 kW and on average could produce enough green energy to power 600 homes. A full-scale prototype is being tested across a range of marine and weather conditions in advance of the full scale trial, which could include up to 30 generators. The commercial viability of the project will depend on some funding support from the Government. If the trials are successful, they could pave the way for large scale use of the UK’s wave resource, creating significant environmental and economic benefits.
Global environment and sustainable energy development
The e8, comprising ten leading electricity companies from the G8 countries, was formed in 1992 following the Rio Summit to examine and co-operate on major global electricity-related issues, with an emphasis on the global environment and sustainable energy development.