More than $226 billion of Australian assets are exposed to coastal erosion which is only getting worse with climate change. A collaboration of researchers, industry and the Mid-West Ports Authority are exploring the use of wave energy converters to absorb and harness the damaging waves that hammer Australia’s vulnerable coastlines during severe weather events. They aim for better management of coastal erosion, generation of renewable energy for guilt-free power and recovery of costs, and perhaps even the support of stronger ecological values in the local area. https://www.swinburne.edu.au/news/2022/02/producing-electricity-while-protecting-vulnerable-coastlines/
The UK Government recently announced funding for 11 Floating Off-shore Wind (FOW) projects - each project showcasing and trialling something reasonably unique in the sector. One of these projects is a hybrid wind and wave project by Marine Power Systems. The company is proposing to demonstrate a 2MW scale platform that also simultaneously harnesses 0.5MW of wave energy. Being able to cost-effectively combine the two provides reliability benefits, as well as obvious cost benefits.
It is both. Denmark has the highest penetration of wind energy in the world. It is also a country with a love of cycling. It is estimated that 9 out of every 10 Danes own a bike. So it is really no wonder they are looking at ways to combine the two! This image shows a re-purposed wind turbine as a bike shed.
The effective use of heat pumps for high temperature industrial processes, such as drying in brick making, has been advancing well thanks to a 13 party consortium in Europe called DryFiciency. By working through the challenges of lubricants, refrigerants, compressors and many other aspects of high-temp industrial processes, DryFiciency's pilot projects have; saved 80% of energy used in industrial drying processes, reduced CO2 emissions by up to 75% and reduced the cost of production up to 20%/kg product. https://youtu.be/tvtnUKl2GHQ
The Hydrogen Energy Release Optimiser (HERO) converts hydrogen into continuous industrial heat without combustion. This means high-heat, high emission processes such as coal-fired or gas-fired boilers, could be replaced with zero emission options. The inventor of the Optimser, Star Scientific, apparently won the inaugural World Hydrogen Awards’ Industrial Application category and was also awarded the 2020 S&P Platts Global Energy Awards’ Emerging Technology of the Year. Mars Food Australia, is looking at a piloting the technology in its manufacturing operations during 2022 and 2023.
