- Clean energy company PhosEnergy wins grant to develop power generation units without a fuel source
- Global Energy Ventures’ EPA referral submission advancing on track for completion in the June quarter
- WA Mid West base for Pilot Energy’s hydrogen project receives tick of approval in feasibility study
Adelaide-based sustainable power company and developer PhosEnergy has won a $2.4mn grant under the Federal Government’s Cooperative Research Projects program to build cutting edge power generation units without a fuel source for space and remote defence applications.
PhosEnergy, backed by Pilbara Minerals chairman Tony Keirnan and Chalice Mining’s Tim Goyder has developed GenX power generation technology, which combines metals, semiconductors, and beta-radiation to produce constant DC power over very long periods.
Rather than capturing energy from an external source like the sun, the technology works by using electrode-semiconductor arrangements in a flexible panel fitting to heat emitting infrastructure, effectively capturing and converting waste radiant heat to electrons.
In an interview with Stockhead PhosEnergy managing director Bryn Jones – who along with chief scientists Dr Julian Kelly invented the technology – said the grant provides the company with a two-year time frame to begin producing commercial prototypes.
“In space applications traditional power sources are pretty hard to use as there is no oxygen so you can’t burn fuel – you have to use some other form of power,” he said.
“At the moment the space industry mainly uses solar and battery combinations, so we see great demand in the burgeoning space industry for long-life, fuel-free power sources.
“The market for power generation in space is already estimated to be worth $2.8 billion a year and is forecast to continue double-digit growth for the foreseeable future on the back of commercial and government space programs focused on extended missions, lunar occupation and resource recovery.”
Jones said demand from the defence industry is also soaring as more power-hungry technology is installed in remote locations.
“Secured integrated communications and sensor developments are driving the requirement for a portable and autonomous long term power source,” he said.
“Both these industries need smart power generation capability which can continue to supply energy across long time frames in remote locations where there are no other options for power and GenX ticks all these boxes.”
Jones said the prototypes would then be used in field tests anticipated to start in less than three years.
Engineering and environmental permitting underway at Tiwi H2 Project
Global Energy Ventures (ASX:GEV) is making solid moves at its 2.8GW green hydrogen export on the Tiwi Islands with latest activities including the grant of several permissions, allowing for the completion of an EPA referral submission to the NT Environment Project Authority to take place shortly.
The project, on Munupi land, Melville Island is set to deliver a fully integrated green hydrogen production and export supply chain, producing up to 100,000 tonnes per annum of green hydrogen for export into the Asia-Pacific region.
One of the key permissions granted includes an increase in the land available to the referral submission, with the scope to include solar generation now based on around 2,580 hectares of land adjacent to the existing port facilities for hydrogen production and compression.
Munupi Landowners also granted permissions to GEV for the solar monitoring to get underway in the September quarter of 2022.
This will be based on agreed sites for clearing and installation with further meetings and permissions required at various stages for the project as and when future activities on Munupi land are required.
GEV executive director and chief development officer Garry Triglavcanin said the project’s EPA referral submission is advancing “on track for completion in the June quarter.”
“This is an important step forward, as the environmental process is likely to drive the project schedule for a target investment decision in the latter part of 2023,” he said.
Specialist consulting group, CE Partners, has been engaged to advance the design of the solar farm and transmission line in the areas of construction, operation, and generation modelling.
Global Energy Ventures (ASX:GEV) share price today
WA Mid-West region confirmed as viable clean hydrogen production centre
Feasibility studies conducted by Pilot Energy (ASX:PGY) has found the Mid West region is well placed to develop clean energy on a globally competitive basis, leveraging existing operations already in available.
PGY says each of these feasibility studies have confirmed the significant opportunity to develop a large-scale clean hydrogen production project integrating CCS and renewable energy generation to produce hydrogen and electricity for both domestic and export markets.
The studies included the Mid-West Integrated Renewable Energy Project, the Mid West Blue Hydrogen and Carbon Capture and Storage study focused on the Cliff Head Oil field, the Mid West Renewable Energy Study, the 8 Rivers Blue Hydrogen Technology Study and the WA 481P CCS Study.
This included consultants to be on-country for required environmental surveys, with further engineering surveys and studies to follow in the first half of 2022 and included in the project pre-feasibility.
GEV says the company continues to receive support from the various stakeholders involved in the Tiwi H2 project such as Munupi Landowners and the Plantation Corporation.