Clean Energy

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EXPERT OBSERVER
As climate change worsens, the future of fossil fuel jobs and infrastructure is uncertain. But a new energy storage technology invented in Australia could enable coal-fired power stations to run entirely emissions-free.
The novel material, called miscibility gap alloy (<a href="https://www.mgathermal.com/publications" target="_blank">MGA</a>), stores energy in the form of heat. MGA is housed in small blocks of blended metals, which receive energy generated by renewables such as solar and wind.
The energy can then be used as an alternative to coal to run steam turbines at coal-fired power stations, without producing emissions. Stackable like Lego, MGA blocks can be added or removed, scaling electricity generation up or down to meet demand.
MGA blocks are a fraction of the cost of a rival energy storage technology, lithium-ion batteries. Our invention has been <a href="https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007%2F978-3-319-69844-1_48" target="_blank">proven</a> in the <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0038092X19304220?via%3Dihub" target="_blank">lab</a> – now we are moving to the next phase of proving it in the real world.
<img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/356669/original/file-20200907-114278-1w0c69l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt="Steam billows from a coal-fired power station"> MGA blocks promise to give new life to old coal stations. Themba Hadebe/AP
<h2>Why energy storage is important</h2>
Major renewable energy sources such as solar and wind power are “intermittent”. In other words, they only produce energy when the sun is shining and the wind is blowing. Sometimes they produce more energy than is needed, and other times, less.
So moving to 100% renewable electricity requires the energy to be “dispatchable” – stored and delivered on demand. Some forms of storage, such as <a href="https://about.bnef.com/blog/behind-scenes-take-lithium-ion-battery-prices" target="_blank">lithium-ion batteries</a>, are relatively expensive and can only store energy for short periods. Others, such as hydro-electric power, can store energy for longer periods, but are site-dependent and can’t just be built anywhere.
If our electricity grid is to become emissions-free, we need an energy storage option that’s both affordable and versatile enough to be rolled out at massive scale - providing six to eight hours of dispatchable power every night.
MGAs store energy for a day to a week. This fills a “middle” time frame between batteries and hydro-power, and allows intermittent renewable energy to be dispatched when needed.
<img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/356670/original/file-20200907-111081-1h20soe.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt="Researchers Alex Post and Erich Kisi, look at a MGA block."> Researchers Alex Post and Erich Kisi. The company is looking to built a pilot manufacturing plant in NSW. Authors provided
<h2>How our invention works</h2>
In the next <a href="https://www.energynetworks.com.au/news/energy-insider/the-demise-of-coal/#:%7E:text=Share%3A,%2Dintensive%20coal%2Dfired%20generation.&amp;text=Since%202016%2C%202.8%20GW%20of,end%20of%20its%20productive%20life" target="_blank">two decades,</a> many coal-fired power stations around the world will retire or be decommissioned, including <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/dec/12/almost-two-thirds-of-australias-coal-fired-generation-will-be-out-by-2040-aemo-says" target="_blank">in Australia</a>. Our proposed storage may mean power stations could be repurposed, retaining infrastructure and preventing job losses.
For coal stations to use our technology, the furnace and boiler must be removed and replaced by a storage unit containing MGA blocks.
MGA blocks are 20cm x 20cm x 16cm. They essentially comprise a blend of metals – some that melt when heated, and others that don’t. Think of a block as like a choc-chip muffin heated in a microwave. The muffin consists of a cake component, which holds everything in shape when heated, and the choc chips, which melt.
The blocks don’t just store energy – they heat water to create steam. In an old coal plant, this steam can be used to run turbines and generators to produce electricity, rather than burning coal to produce the same effect.
<iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/bt-Ux48Aohw?wmode=transparent&amp;start=0" frameborder="0" width="440" height="260"></iframe> Courtesy University of Newcastle.
To create the steam, the blocks can be designed with internal tubing, through which water is pumped and boiled. Alternatively, the blocks can interact with a heat exchanger – a specially designed system to heat the water.
Old coal plants could run on renewable energy that would otherwise be switched off during periods of oversupply in the middle of the day (in the case of solar) or times of high wind (wind energy).
Our research <a href="https://www.rees-journal.org/articles/rees/full_html/2017/01/rees170037s/rees170037s" target="_blank">has shown</a> the blocks are a fraction the cost of a lithium battery of the same size, yet produce the same amount of energy.
<img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/356781/original/file-20200907-14-2qzvko.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt="Coal worker"> The technology may help prevent job losses in the coal industry. KYDPL KYODO/AP
<h2>Proving MGA blocks in the real world</h2>
Our team perfected the novel material through research at the University of Newcastle between 2010 and 2018. Last year we formed a company, MGA Thermal, and are focused on commercialising the technology and conducting real-world projects.
In July this year, MGA Thermal received a A$495,000 grant from the federal Department of Industry, Innovation and Science, to establish a pilot manufacturing plant in Newcastle, New South Wales. This project is due to start operating in the second half of next year. The goal is to begin manufacturing a commercial quantity of MGA blocks economically, at scale, for large demonstration projects.
MGA Thermal have partnered with a Swiss company, E2S Power AG, to test the technology in the rapidly changing coal-fired power industry in Europe. Beginning next year, the testing will include retrofitting a functioning coal power plant with MGA storage. This will also verify the economic case for the technology.
We are aiming for a cost of storage of A$50 per kilowatt hour, including all surrounding infrastructure. Currently, lithium-ion batteries cost <a href="https://about.bnef.com/blog/behind-scenes-take-lithium-ion-battery-prices" target="_blank">around A$200 per kilowatt hour</a>, with added costs if energy is to be exported to the electricity grid.
So what are the downfalls? Well, MGA does have a much slower response time than batteries. Batteries respond in milliseconds and are excellent at filling short spikes or dips in supply (such as from wind turbines). Meanwhile MGA storage has a response time above 15 minutes, but does have much longer storage capacity.
A combination of all three options – batteries, MGA/thermal storage and hydro – would provide large-scale energy storage that can still respond quickly to fluctuating renewable supply.
<iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/y3uwcBLBv-o?wmode=transparent&amp;start=0" frameborder="0" width="440" height="260"></iframe> Courtesy University of Newcastle.
<h2>Safe and recyclable</h2>
MGA blocks are safe and non-toxic – there is no risk of explosion or leakage, unlike some other fuels.
The blocks can also be recycled. They are expected to last 25-30 years, then can be easily separated into their individual materials - to be made into new blocks, or recycled as raw materials for other uses.
Like any new technology, MGA blocks must be financially proven before they’re accepted by industry and used widely in commercial projects. The first full-scale demonstrations of the technology are on the horizon. If successful, they could allow coal-fired power plants to be used cleanly, and provide hope for the future of coal workers.<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/144864/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important;">
<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/erich-kisi-1148200" target="_blank">Erich Kisi</a>, Professor of Engineering , <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-newcastle-1060" target="_blank">University of Newcastle</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/alexander-post-1148206" target="_blank">Alexander Post</a>, Conjoint Lecturer, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-newcastle-1060" target="_blank">University of Newcastle</a>
This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com" target="_blank">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/aussie-invention-could-save-old-coal-stations-by-running-them-on-zero-emissions-lego-blocks-144864" target="_blank">original article</a>.
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jrobinson-rf4aSBido9

Aussie invention could save old coal stations by running them on zero-emissions 'Lego' blocks

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GUEST OBSERVATION
 
Australia’s energy market is outdated. It doesn’t encourage competition and that’s holding back the <a href="http://www.unswlawjournal.unsw.edu.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/39-4-6.pdf">transition</a> to renewable energy. Important reforms to modernise the market are on the way, but big energy companies are seeking to use the cover of COVID-19 to prevent the change.
This is bad for consumers, and for climate action. Reform would help create a modern grid <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://relp.lexxion.eu/article/RELP/2011/2/44">designed</a> around clean energy, pushing coal-fired generators to retire earlier. Over time, it would also bring down power costs for households and business.
Renewable energy is the cheapest form of new electricity. It’s far better for the environment than coal and gas, and can deliver reliable supplies when backed by batteries and other energy storage.
Instead of delaying reform, Australia should be advancing it.
What’s this all about?
Regulators and governments recognise the need to modernise the rules governing the National Electricity Market. That market, established in 1998, supplies all Australian jurisdictions except Western Australia and the Northern Territory.
Reliable electricity requires that supply and demand be kept in balance. This balance is primarily provided by a system known as the <a href="https://www.aemc.gov.au/sites/default/files/content//Five-Minute-Settlement-directions-paper-fact-sheet-FINAL.PDF">wholesale spot market</a>. Every five minutes, electricity generators bid into the spot market, specifying how much energy they will provide at a certain price.
An entire <a href="http://www.coagenergycouncil.gov.au/publications/post-2025-market-design-national-electricity-market-nem">redesign</a> of the market rules is scheduled for 2025. This should make the market work efficiently and reliably as coal retires and is replaced by renewable energy.
In the meantime, one important rule change is due to start in July next year, known as “<a href="https://www.aemc.gov.au/rule-changes/five-minute-settlement">5-minute settlement</a>”.
Currently, electricity is sold and sent out from generators in 5-minute blocks. But the actual price paid for this electricity in the wholesale market is averaged every 30 minutes. This means there are six dispatch periods, each with their own price, which are then averaged out when the market is settled.
This strange design has enabled big electricity generators to <a href="https://www-sciencedirect-com.ezp.lib.unimelb.edu.au/science/article/pii/S0140988316301839">game the market</a>. One method involves placing high bids in the first interval, then placing low or even negative bids in the remaining five intervals. This ensures that electricity from the big generators is purchased, but that they and all other generators receive an artificially high average price for the whole 30-minute period.
In 2017, the Australian Energy Market Commission (AEMC) <a href="https://www.aemc.gov.au/sites/default/files/content/97d09813-a07c-49c3-9c55-288baf8936af/ERC0201-Five-Minute-Settlement-Final-Determination.PDF">decided</a> to replace 30-minute settlement with 5-minute settlement.
<a href="https://www.aemc.gov.au/sites/default/files/content//Five-Minute-Settlement-directions-paper-fact-sheet-FINAL.PDF">The commission says</a> the current system was adopted more than 20 years ago due to technological barriers which have since been overcome. It argues moving to 5-minute settlement would better reflect the value to consumers of fast-response technologies, such as batteries storing renewable energy and so-called “demand response” (a concept we’ll explain later).
<a href="https://www.aemc.gov.au/rule-changes/five-minute-settlement">According to</a> the AEMC, the rule change would lead to lower wholesale costs, cutting electricity prices for consumers.
But on March 19 this year, the Australian Energy Council, which represents most coal-fired power stations and the big three electricity retailers, sought to delay the reform. It wrote to federal energy minister Angus Taylor and his state counterparts, arguing the pandemic means energy companies must focus on “<a href="https://www.energycouncil.com.au/analysis/covid-19-brings-reform-challenges/">critical supply and reliabilty</a>” issues, rather than implementing the rule change.
But energy consumption has <a href="https://www.tai.org.au/content/national-energy-emissions-audit-april-2020">barely changed</a> during the pandemic, the Australia Institute’s national energy emissions audit shows. So delaying the reform to deal with supply and reliability issues appears unjustified.
Despite this, the Australian Energy Market Operator has proposed delaying the change for a year. Our <a href="https://www.tai.org.au/content/delaying-energy-market-reform-increase-costs-slow-transition-renewables-think-tank-industry">submission</a>, endorsed by energy and technology leaders, opposes the delay.
Moves by regulators to delay another <a href="https://reneweconomy.com.au/regulators-flag-delays-to-16-energy-reform-projects-as-fossil-fuel-interests-dig-in-15284/">16 market reforms</a> due to COVID-19 also seem to be afoot.
Change is possible
Last week, one big rule change to the National Electricity Market did proceed as planned. <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-06-11/customers-paid-for-reducing-electricity-demand-radical-change/12343790">It allows</a> “demand response” energy trading from 2021.
<a href="http://www.tai.org.au/content/finkel%E2%80%99s-forgotten-finding-%E2%80%93-%E2%80%98negawatts%E2%80%99">Demand response</a> involves reducing energy consumption during peaks in demand, such as during heatwaves. Basically, the rule means big energy users, such as smelters and manufacturing plants, could power down in these periods, and be paid for doing so.
Technology pioneers such as battery entrepreneur <a href="https://www.afr.com/companies/energy/covid-19-may-delay-national-electricity-market-reform-20200419-p54l3s">Simon Hackett</a> and Atlassian chief <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/ambitious-energy-reforms-set-to-cut-household-power-bills-20200611-p551rs">Mike Cannon-Brookes</a> have backed this change.
Australia has successfully used demand response to provide <a href="https://arena.gov.au/assets/2019/03/demand-response-rert-trial-year-1-report.pdf">emergency</a> electricity capacity and <a href="https://www.afr.com/news/demand-response-worth-half-a-liddell-to-energy-queensland-20180404-h0ybij">other</a> <a href="https://www.aemc.gov.au/rule-changes/demand-response-mechanism">benefits</a>. But it’s never been unleashed in the wholesale energy market.
The rule change doesn’t involve smaller users such as households. But it’s a promising start that creates new competition for fossil fuel generators and allows energy users to help make the grid more reliable.
Political warfare over climate policy has held back Australia, <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/1467-8500.12328">and the electricity market</a>, for more than a decade. But energy reform that encourages greater market competition can readily be supported by political conservatives.
The demand-response rule change is a clear example: it has been <a href="https://www.minister.industry.gov.au/ministers/taylor/media-releases/wholesale-demand-response-help-lower-costs-and-strengthen-energy">championed by Taylor</a> and his predecessors <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-07-13/negawatts-touted-as-solution-to-growing-energy/8707232">Josh Frydenberg</a> and <a href="https://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/climate/coalition-seeks-deal-to-cut-power-demand/news-story/5b7a3dd86ddf11c91d5f817405bb43a9">Greg Hunt</a>.
Getting future-ready
Once the health crisis is over and economic recovery has begun, Australia will need the economic and social benefits of electricity market reform even more than before.
Such reform “<a href="https://www.tai.org.au/content/energy-reform-after-covid-19">stimulus</a>” would help ready the grid for the inevitable retirement of coal-fired power stations, such as Liddell in 2023.
It would also align with state government investments in renewable energy, and boost private investment in new generation (which has <a href="https://reneweconomy.com.au/cec-calls-for-action-on-grid-issues-as-renewables-investment-cut-in-half-28289/">recently slumped</a>) and <a href="https://thenewdaily.com.au/finance/finance-news/2020/05/26/coronavirus-manufacturing-industry/">large-scale batteries</a>.
Electricity remains Australia’s <a href="https://theconversation.com/australia-to-attend-climate-summit-empty-handed-despite-un-pleas-to-come-with-a-plan-123187">highest-polluting sector</a>. Around the world, electricity markets are planning the <a href="https://www.ren21.net/renewables-report-launch/">transition</a> from high to low emissions.
Delaying reform in Australia would be a major setback on the path to our essential energy transition.
Richie Merzian, Climate &amp; Energy Program Director at The Australia Institute, contributed to this piece.
<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/daniel-j-cass-909838">Daniel J Cass</a>, Research Affiliate, Sydney Business School, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-sydney-841">University of Sydney</a>
This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/energy-giants-want-to-thwart-reforms-that-would-help-renewables-and-lower-power-bills-140640">original article</a>.
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j.ballantyne1990-6AQqhLzZaK

Energy giants want to thwart reforms that would help renewables and lower power bills

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A new report has found in 2015 Australia’s had the 7th highest number of solar PV systems installed in the world, equating to one solar panel per Australian resident.
The Clean Energy Australia 2015 report shows renewable energy provided 14.6 percent of Australia’s electricity in 2015 - enough to power 6.7 million homes, up on the 13.5 per cent of electricity delivered by renewables the year before despite a significant drop in hydro generation due to lower rainfall. 
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<ul>
<li>Wind and solar generation rose by more than 20 percent. </li>
<li>Rooftop solar power is now at 5 gigawatts capacity which is equivalent to a power station large enough to light up all the homes in Brisbane and Perth. </li>
<li>Five new wind farms were built in 2015 as well as eight solar farms larger than 1 megawatt capacity. </li>
<li>More than 14,000 people are employed in the renewable energy industry, which is still recovering from the 5000 jobs that were lost (one in four) between 2011-12 and 2014-15.</li>
</ul>
For more information, or to download the report, click <a href="https://www.ren21.net/gsr" target="_blank">here</a>.
 
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