Latest news with #energyinnovation
Sustainability Times
3 days ago
- Business
- Sustainability Times
'Deepest Hole on Earth': Quaise Energy Unveils Revolutionary Wave Drilling Tech to Pierce the Planet's Crust Like Never Before
IN A NUTSHELL 🌍 Quaise Energy has demonstrated its cutting-edge millimeter wave drilling technology on a full-scale oil and gas rig in Houston, Texas. has demonstrated its cutting-edge millimeter wave drilling technology on a full-scale oil and gas rig in Houston, Texas. 🔧 This innovative approach leverages existing oil and gas infrastructure to access superhot geothermal energy, offering a new frontier for clean power. to access superhot geothermal energy, offering a new frontier for clean power. 🔥 Superhot geothermal energy provides a continuous, reliable, and environmentally friendly energy source by driving turbines directly at extreme depths. provides a continuous, reliable, and environmentally friendly energy source by driving turbines directly at extreme depths. 🚀 The successful demonstration marks a crucial step towards transforming the energy landscape, presenting a sustainable alternative to fossil fuels. In an era where the demand for sustainable energy solutions is soaring, Quaise Energy emerges as a pioneering force. The company, founded in 2018, is on a mission to reshape the energy landscape by tapping into the vast potential of superhot geothermal energy. Recently, the company demonstrated its groundbreaking millimeter wave drilling technology on a full-scale oil and gas rig in Houston, Texas. This innovative approach aims to leverage existing oil and gas infrastructure to unlock a clean, abundant, and globally accessible energy source. With the potential to revolutionize energy production, Quaise Energy's advancements mark a significant milestone in the journey towards a sustainable future. The Rise of Millimeter Wave Drilling Millimeter wave drilling represents a technological leap in the energy sector. Unlike conventional drilling techniques, which are limited by depth and temperature constraints, this cutting-edge technology allows for reaching unprecedented depths where temperatures are sufficiently high to tap into superhot geothermal energy. By utilizing millimeter waves, Quaise Energy can bore through hard rock formations, overcoming barriers that have long restricted geothermal exploration. This capability positions the company at the forefront of next-generation energy solutions, promising a method to access clean energy sources that are both sustainable and scalable. The recent demonstration in Houston marks the first successful operation of a hybrid drilling rig, integrating conventional and millimeter wave technologies. This breakthrough not only showcases the feasibility of the approach but also underscores the potential for the existing oil and gas infrastructure to be adapted for geothermal purposes. With the global energy demand rising, the ability to harness such a consistent and clean energy source could be transformative, reducing reliance on fossil fuels and decreasing carbon emissions significantly. 'Tesla Is Over': This New Electric Car With a Miracle Battery Promises 930 Miles of Range and Shocks the Entire Auto Industry Leveraging Existing Infrastructure One of the most compelling aspects of Quaise Energy's approach is its ability to utilize existing oil and gas infrastructure. This strategic move allows for a smoother transition towards sustainable energy production, minimizing the need for extensive new developments. By retrofitting current rigs with millimeter wave technology, the company can expedite the deployment of geothermal power, effectively bridging the gap between traditional energy systems and future innovations. This strategy is not only cost-effective but also environmentally beneficial. By adapting current infrastructure, Quaise Energy mitigates the environmental impact typically associated with building new facilities. Furthermore, this approach enables a more rapid scale-up of geothermal energy production, providing a viable solution to meet the growing demand for clean energy. The integration of millimeter wave drilling into existing platforms could thus play a critical role in the global transition to sustainable energy sources. Longest-Range Drone Ship in History: UK's New 8,500-Mile Vessel Stuns Military Analysts With Unprecedented Unmanned Capabilities The Potential of Superhot Geothermal Energy Superhot geothermal energy represents a largely untapped resource with the potential to supply vast amounts of clean power. At depths where millimeter wave drilling can reach, temperatures are high enough to drive turbines directly, offering a continuous and reliable energy supply. This form of geothermal energy is particularly attractive due to its environmental benefits, as it produces minimal greenhouse gases compared to conventional energy sources. The ability to harness such energy could significantly contribute to reducing global carbon footprints and combating climate change. By tapping into this renewable resource, Quaise Energy aims to provide a new, sustainable energy solution that could serve as a cornerstone for future energy systems. The scalability and constancy of superhot geothermal energy make it an appealing alternative for countries seeking to diversify their energy portfolios and reduce dependence on fossil fuels. Japan Stuns the World with 310,000-Ton Oil Behemoth That Shatters Records and Reinvents the Future of Energy Transport Challenges and Future Prospects Despite its promise, the deployment of millimeter wave drilling technology and the harnessing of superhot geothermal energy are not without challenges. Technical hurdles, such as maintaining equipment integrity at extreme depths and temperatures, must be addressed to ensure the viability of this energy source. Additionally, regulatory frameworks will need to adapt to accommodate this new technology, balancing innovation with safety and environmental considerations. However, the successful demonstration of Quaise Energy's drilling technology provides a hopeful outlook for overcoming these challenges. As the company moves towards full-scale production, the potential for significant advancements in sustainable energy is vast. The continued development and refinement of this technology could lead to widespread adoption, fundamentally altering the energy landscape and paving the way for a cleaner, greener future. As the world continues to grapple with the challenges of climate change and energy security, Quaise Energy's innovations offer a promising glimpse into the future of sustainable energy. By leveraging millimeter wave drilling technology and existing infrastructure, the potential to transform how we produce energy is immense. Could this be the breakthrough that finally shifts the global reliance from fossil fuels to a more sustainable, cleaner energy source? Our author used artificial intelligence to enhance this article. Did you like it? 4.5/5 (25)
Daily Mail
4 days ago
- Science
- Daily Mail
Nuclear fusion breakthrough: Germany's reactor sets a new record after running for 43 seconds - taking the world closer towards limitless clean energy
In the core of the sun, a fiery reaction known as nuclear fusion is taking place 24/7. The process involves two light atomic nuclei combining to form a single heavier one while releasing massive amounts of energy. If we can replicate nuclear fusion on Earth for long enough, we may be able to unlock clean, affordable energy for people's homes. Now, scientists in Germany have taken a giant step closer towards making this a reality. Using the Wendelstein 7-X nuclear fusion reactor in the city of Greifswald, they've set a new world record for a crucial metric in fusion physics. The record marks the highest performing sustained fusion experiment that ran longer than 30 seconds – with fusion lasting for an impressive 43 seconds. Wendelstein 7-X is part of a worldwide effort to harness nuclear fusion, which could replace fossil fuels and conventional nuclear fission reactors. The pretzel-shaped machine, which has a diameter of 50 feet and a height of 16ft, uses an extremely low-density and electrically charged hydrogen gas as fuel. The €1.6 billion (£1.3 billion) Wendelstein 7-X device, which began operations in December 2015, was built to 'recreate conditions inside stars'. Officially, it is a 'stellarator' – a type of fusion device that confine hot, charged gas, otherwise known as plasma, that fuels fusion reactions in twisty magnetic fields. Plasmas must meet three conditions for nuclear fusion to occur – reaching sufficient temperature, density and confinement time. Together, these factors comprise what is known as the 'triple product', described as a crucial metric of nuclear fusion physics. A higher triple product indicates greater fusion power and better potential for a successful, self-sustaining fusion reaction. According to the researchers, the Wendelstein 7-X stellarator managed to achieve a new world record for the triple product. On May 22, the final day of its latest research campaign, plasma inside Wendelstein 7-X was raised to over 20 million °C, reaching a peak of 30 million °C. In the record-breaking experiment, the machine sustained a high-performance plasma for 43 seconds. The device is the world's biggest of its kind and is paving the way for operational nuclear fusion technology, which, if successful, would revolutionize electricity production. Nuclear fusion fuses hydrogen nuclei to form helium, which generates energy from a nearly endless supply of hydrogen on the Earth What is the triple product? The triple product - also known as the Lawson criterion - is the key metric for success on the path to a fusion power plant. Only when a certain threshold is exceeded can a plasma produce more fusion power than the heating power invested. This marks the point where the energy balance becomes positive, and the fusion reaction can sustain itself without continued external heating. The triple product is derived from three factors: - the particle density of the plasma - its temperature (more precisely the temperature of the ions between which fusion reactions take place) - energy confinement time - the time it takes for the thermal energy to escape from the plasma if no additional heat is supplied. The new record beats previously set values by the Japanese Tokamak JT60U (decommissioned in 2008) and the European Tokamak facility JET in Britain (decommissioned in 2023). Both of these devices were the more widely-used tokamaks, which are slightly different fusion machines from stellarators. Stellarators have the same doughnut shape as a tokamak but use a complicated system of magnetic coils instead of a current to achieve the same result. Tokamaks are much better studied due to their simpler design compared with stellarators, which are far harder to build, but easier to operate. Novimir Pablant, the division head for stellarator experiments at the US Department of Energy's Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL), said passing the 30-second mark is a key milestone. If a stellarator can reach this record for 30 seconds, there's no reason these plasma conditions couldn't be sustained for weeks, months or even years because 30 seconds is long enough for the scientists to see the relevant physics at work. 'This experiment ran long enough that nothing is changing any longer in terms of the plasma or experiment conditions,' Pablant said. In the experiments, a key role was played by a new pellet injector, developed at Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee. which injects a steady supply of frozen hydrogen pellets into the plasma, enabling long plasma durations through continuous refueling. During the experiment, about 90 frozen hydrogen pellets, each about a millimeter in size, were injected over 43 seconds, while powerful microwaves simultaneously heated the plasma. W7-X demonstrates that stellarators can achieve the outstanding properties predicted by nuclear fusion theory, the Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics (IPP) said in a statement. There are already nuclear power plants around the world, but they use nuclear fission, which has the disadvantage of generating unstable nuclei, some of which are radioactive for millions of years. Fusion, on the other hand, does not create any long-lived radioactive nuclear waste but instead helium, which is an inert gas. Fusion fuel is made up of deuterium and tritium, which are isotopes of hydrogen, the most abundant element in the universe, giving scientists hopes of 'unlimited energy'. Thomas Klinger, head of operations at Wendelstein 7-X, said the new record is a 'tremendous achievement' by the international team. 'Elevating the triple product to tokamak levels during long plasma pulses marks another important milestone on the way toward a power-plant-capable stellarator,' he said. WHAT IS A STELLARATOR REACTOR AND HOW DOES IT DIFFER FROM A TOKAMAK? Stellarators are a type of nuclear fusion reactor and are less widely used than tokamak reactors. Instead of trying to control plasma with just a 2D magnetic field, which is the approach used by the more common tokamak reactors, the stellerator works by generating twisted, 3D magnetic fields. Stellarators confine the hot, charged gas, otherwise known as plasma, that fuels fusion reactions in these twisty magnetic fields. In contrast, tokamaks use a strong electric current to trap plasma inside a doughnut-shaped device long enough for fusion to take place. The tokamak was conceived by Soviet physicists in the 1950s and is considered fairly easy to build, but extremely difficult to operate. The twisty configuration of stellarators enables them to control the plasma with no need for the current that tokamaks must induce in the gas.
Arab News
24-05-2025
- Business
- Arab News
New geopolitical great game in Central Asia
Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan have many challenges, not least as some of the most vulnerable climate change nations in the region. However, rarely a month goes by in which world powers do not double down on their diplomatic wooing of them. Earlier this month, for instance, Beijing signed the China-Central Asia Energy and Power Innovation Alliance. This aims to boost innovation and cooperation in power technology for sustainable development. However, China is just one of many key world powers devoting more focus to the region, owing in large part to its abundance of critical minerals for clean energy technologies. Take the example of Central Asia's huge deposits of natural mineral resources which include around 40 percent of global supplies of manganese ore, 30 percent of chromium, 20 percent of lead, and 10 percent of titanium. Little wonder that a wider range of powers, including Russia, Japan, the US, and Europe, are paying close attention. Russia's interest in the region is long-standing and, of course, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan were formerly part of the Soviet Union and are now members or associate members of the Commonwealth of Independent States. Since the end of the Cold War, however, China has increasingly sought influence in Central Asia, including through its Belt and Road agenda. Beijing has become the region's leading trade partner. Moscow remains very much in the game of regional influence, however, including in energy politics. In 2023, for instance, Russia intensified exports of gas to Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan after demand fell from Europe after the Ukraine war began. While Russia and China, which share an agenda of promoting political stability of the region's regimes, have the upper economic hand in the region, there is a narrowing window of opportunity for other powers to deepen ties too. This was shown last year when Kazakhstan refused to apply for full membership of BRICS, despite encouragement from Russia and China, and only later agreed with Uzbekistan to accept partner status. This shows how much Central Asian leaderships want to engage a wide range of powers, not just Moscow and Beijing. The Central Asia agenda promoted by other powers, including Europe, the US, and Japan, focuses more on promoting democracy and regional economic integration. Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, for instance, Europe's interest in Central Asia has intensified in a bid to diversify global supply chains, including for the green and digital transitions that will power future prosperity. This EU-driven agenda was showcased last month when the bloc hosted its first-ever summit with Central Asia. Europe's interest in Central Asia has intensified in a bid to diversify global supply chains. Andrew Hammond The agenda focused on four key areas of the EU's Global Gateway scheme. This initiative will disburse some €300 billion across the world in the period to 2027, including sustainable energy, critical raw materials, digital connectivity, and transport. Key EU Global Gateway commitments so far to Central Asia include the digital transformation of Kyrgyzstan. Plus also Turkmenistan's economic enhancement, including helping it to join the World Trade Organization. On the transport front, since 2022 the EU has pushed for a major Trans-Caspian International Transport Route land and sea initiative (also called the Middle Corridor) to boost its presence in the region, which traverses not only Central Asia, but also the Caspian Sea, the South Caucasus, and Turkiye. While the Middle Corridor is not yet a serious competitor to the long-standing Northern Route, which passes through Russia, the EU is investing much in it to change that. The EU is already Kazakhstan's leading trade and investment partner. The last couple of decades has also seen huge foreign direct investment from the EU to the wider region. Monies from the EU have been buttressed by other European governments and wider bodies, including the European Investment Bank, and European Bank on Reconstruction and Development. For instance, the EIB has signed an agreement with the Development Bank of Kazakhstan for a multi-million-dollar framework loan for sustainable projects. It is not just the EU, but also individual member states including Germany and France forging close ties with Central Asia. Kazakhstan is, for instance, the biggest producer of uranium in the world with over 40 percent of world supply. Amid competition with Russia for these resources, France wants to engage more on this agenda given the importance of nuclear power to its economy. Under the Biden administration, the US held its first summit with Central Asia under the so-called C5+1 format with Washington also throwing its support behind the Middle Corridor project. While it is not fully clear yet how much emphasis US President Donald Trump will give to the region, his America First agenda will surely also see him seeking to secure a greater share of Central Asia's natural resource wealth. Japan is also doubling down on ties with the region via a 'Central Asia Plus Japan' dialogue. Japan has a positive influence in the region, and has been a significant donor of aid for much of the post-Cold War period. Yet another power jockeying for position is Turkiye, which shares a common heritage with Central Asia. The Organization of Turkic States also includes Turkiye, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan. One of Turkiye's recent initiatives in the region is a new natural gas deal that will see Turkmenistan ship natural gas via Iran. Gas supplies under the contract began to Turkiye on March 1. Taken together, Russia and China therefore have the upper economic hand in the region. However, competition is only likely to intensify with growing interest from other powers, including Europe, the US, Japan, and Turkiye, all seeking to tap the region's resource richness.
Forbes
24-05-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Can Our Waterways Provide A New Source Of Baseload Power?
Virginia is the first state to formally press for the creation of a virtual power plant. Glenn Youngkin, the state's Republican governor, signed the Community Energy Act on May 2, which mandates Dominion Energy to launch a 450-megawatt virtual power plant (VPP) pilot program. Virginia isn't alone in this endeavor, but it is certainly the most out front. There are many incipient VPPs clustered around utilities across the country. A virtual power plant is the ultimate realization of something that has been going on for a long time as utilities have been hooking up various power sources, managed conservation and underused generation, known as distributed energy resources (DER). These, according to even small utilities, can contribute up to and possibly over 10 percent electricity to a utility system. Organized and formalized and with enough coverage, DER becomes a VPP. Sometimes the terms are used interchangeably. A virtual power plant not only depends on managed conservation and underused generation but also on some imaginative use of resources, like hooking up transportation fleets to discharge their batteries onto the grid when they aren't in use. Electric school buses are frequently cited as playing a role in future VPPs. Conservation and solar roofs with related batteries are the backbone of DER and VPPs. Eventually, they are expected to be common to most utilities or consortia of utilities. In Owings Mills, Maryland, an engineer and inventor with a slew of patents to his name, Key Han, dreams of a different kind of VPP, one which could, if widely deployed, provide a new source of baseload power. Han, CEO and chief scientist at DDMotion, has pioneered speed-converter technology which, if widely deployed, would produce inexpensive, reliable energy in sufficient quantity to be described as baseload. Indeed, he said in an interview, 'It would be a huge new source of baseload.' Han's technology converts variable energy inputs into constant speed outputs. For example, the flow of water in a stream is variable but with his speed-converter technology, the energy in the flow can be captured and converted to a constant speed output. With his technology, grid-quality frequency can flow from many sources without extensive civil engineering or major construction, he told me. In particular, Han cited non-power dams, like the ones in New England which were built in the 19th century to drive the textile mills. 'A simple harnessing module with a generator behind the spillway coupled with my technology can produce frequency that is constant and ready to go on the grid. If you have enough of these simple, low-cost generators installed, you have created a new baseload source, a virtual power plant of a different and exceptionally reliable kind,' Han said. Another use of the same DDMotion technology would remedy what is becoming a growing problem for wind and solar generators: the lack rotating inertia. Inertia is essential for utility operators to fix sudden changes in frequency caused by changes in generation or consumption (50 cycles in Europe and 60 cycles in the United States). Lack of inertia has been blamed for the widespread blackout on the Iberian Peninsula and is becoming an issue for utilities with a lot of solar and wind generation, so called inverter power. This refers to the grooming with an inverter to power to grid-quality alternating current from its original direct current. Here, again, his technology can inexpensively resolve the inertia problem for wind and solar generation, Han said. Either using a mechanical system or an electronic one, wind and solar systems could provide rotating inertial. Increasingly, utilities are looking for untapped sources of power which can be bundled together into VPPs. Renew Home, a Google-financed company, claims 3 gigawatts of electricity savings, which it says makes it the leader in VPPs. It relies on managing end-use load primarily in homes with load shedding of high energy-consuming devices during peaks. This is accomplished by using special thermostats and smart meters. Industry experts believe artificial intelligence will be a key to extracting the most energy out of unconventional sources as well as fine tuning usage. VPPs are here and many more are coming.
National Post
13-05-2025
- Business
- National Post
Serco and Prodigy Clean Energy Partner on Transportable Nuclear Power Plant Development
Article content Team completing prototypical testing to fortify power plant robustness and resilience Article content Article content OTTAWA, Ontario — Today, Prodigy Clean Energy and Serco announced progress on a prototypical test program demonstrating the robustness of Prodigy's Transportable Nuclear Power Plants (TNPPs) to resist accidental and threat scenarios. Funded in part by a (CAD) $2,750,000 Government of Canada award to Prodigy under the Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) Enabling SMRs program, this first-of-its-kind effort is generating critical data needed to support licensing and public engagement, as Prodigy prepares TNPPs to enter commercialization by 2030. Article content 'Serco's world class expertise ensures that Prodigy achieves its top priority – that TNPPs operate safely and securely, safeguarding and protecting local communities and the environment.' Fabricated at a qualified maritime facility then transported to site, Prodigy's TNPPs provide rapid deployment solutions to bring new nuclear power online sooner and at competitive costs. TNPPs require a very small shoreline footprint and are customizable by reactor type and size. The partnership with Serco is testing 360-degree layered countermeasures to secure the nuclear plant from air, land and water. Article content 'Prodigy is completing the real work needed to bring TNPPs to market in North America on schedule. Our technologies are now at a suitable level of readiness to engage sophisticated partners on detailed engineering exercises. Serco's world class expertise ensures that Prodigy achieves its top priority – that facilities operate safely and securely, safeguarding and protecting local communities and the environment,' said Mathias Trojer, President and CEO of Prodigy Clean Energy. Article content Serco has decades of experience managing large-scale procurement and production programs for military and civilian vessels, and provides design modernization and sustainment services to the Navies of Canada, the U.K., Australia and the U.S. The company's extensive maritime and defence background will help drive Prodigy's next milestone to complete the microreactor TNPP basic design. Article content Developing a Prodigy TNPP is a complex exercise merging maritime fabrication, transport and site preparation practices, with requirements for civil nuclear construction and operation. Serco is testing TNPP resilience and structural performance under the most challenging conditions, including against aircraft impact and ship collision; seismic, ice, and other severe weather and ocean events; fire and flooding; and for robustness to withstand internal and external physical threat scenarios, including missile impacts. The test program demonstrates how Prodigy's mitigating design measures keep safety systems intact and contain radioactive materials under emergency situations, even in remote and arctic deployment conditions. Article content Russell Peters, General Manager of Serco Canada Marine, said, 'Serco is proud to bring its design and engineering capabilities, and proven, mission-tested defence in depth know-how to Prodigy's TNPP program. These innovative facilities will expand civil nuclear deployment, supplying clean, affordable and reliable energy to remote communities and industry, and coastal regions.' Article content Work performed by Serco is complemented by others such as Lloyd's Register, Kinectrics, Risktec and C-Job Naval Architects who are part of the Prodigy TNPP development consortium. Article content Article content Article content Article content Article content Article content
