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]]>Developed by the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory as part of the US Department of Energy, the system could add the treatment of wastewater to the circular economy using what is known as hydrothermal processing. This processing method combines temperature, pressure and water to convert organic matter into forms of energy normally extracted through intense geological drilling techniques.
The system has been tested with more than 100 materials that include wastewater solids, food processing wastes, brewery wastes, animal wastes, and algae.
James Oyler, president of Genifuel, said hydrothermal processing (HTP) mimics the process by which fossil fuels are formed under Earth’s surface, meaning it has the ability to produce resources such as oil and gas in a fraction of the time without using heavy infrastructure or leaving a large carbon footprint.
“Fossil fuels are created when you have geological time and you have organic matter settling down into swamps and shallow lakes. After millions of years it builds up temperature and pressure and of course it’s wet and that starts the conversion into fossil petroleum and natural gas,” he said.
“In HTP the reactions and the products are similar, but we do it in an hour instead of millions of years.”
Oyler added that the fuels created through HTP can be used and mixed as effectively as their natural counterparts. Their production via the method also avoids excess residue, he said, a result typically very expensive to manage. He said the point of the system is not to increase the energy industry’s reliance on fossil fuels but to decrease the need to seek such resources while adding no further greenhouse gases to the atmosphere.
Having trialed the system successfully with the help of its sponsor, the Water Research Foundation (WRF), Genifuel will demonstrate the system to delegates at next month’s forum with Oyler as its formal representative.
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]]>The post Vanuatu to construct US$15 million hydropower plant appeared first on The Source.
]]>The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Government of Vanuatu have signed an agreement for a US$15.1 million project to increase renewable energy generation and energy access on the islands of Malekula and Espiritu Santo.
“The project will deliver an increased supply of clean, renewable electricity to households on Malekula and Espiritu Santo,” said James Lynch, Deputy Director General of ADB’s Pacific Department. “This will have a positive effect on the livelihoods of rural households and also decrease long-term reliance on diesel fuel.”
The hydropower plant at Brenwe will provide more than 90 percent of the total generated energy for the Malekula grid through to 2040. The electricity grid will be extended to an additional 1,050 households in the two target islands. Newly connected households will be trained on options for electricity-based income generation, electricity safety, and budget management.
Around 75 percent of Vanuatu’s population live in rural areas and have limited access to electricity nationwide, with electrification rates at 33 percent. Where electricity is available in the provinces, the main energy generation source is diesel and other fossil fuels.
“We sought the assistance of ADB to help produce and deliver low-cost hydropower energy and grid extensions in the two targeted provincial centres,” said Jean Pierre Nirua, Acting Minister of Finance and Economic Management. “Once the renewable energy arrives in Malekula and Espiritu Santo, the lives of the people in both islands will significantly change for the better. The supply of low-cost energy will greatly enhance increased business activity and contribute to better economic growth in the villages.”
To help fund the project, ADB will provide a concessional loan equivalent to US$2.5 million, sourced from ADB’s ordinary capital resources. ADB’s Special Funds resources will also provide a US$2.5 million grant. The Strategic Climate Fund will contribute a US$7 million grant and the Government of Vanuatu will deliver US$3.1 million.
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