Energy Science Seminar

Electroroute - Enda Molloy

  • Subsidary of Mitsubishi. similarities with Japna, island nation importing fossil fuels. So it made sense to transfer irish skillset to Japan.
  • Build their own algorithms, in house infrastructure. Estimate 5m tonnes of CO2eq abated over 10 or so years.
  • They provide balancing services to wind farms and solar farms.
  • Develop solutions for commercial entities that are generating their own energy?
    • They sell balancing products to those who actually own the assets?
  • Do they just focus on renewables?
  • 40% of employees between 25-34.
  • Electroroute academy a training program.
  • Are we talking about trading futures?
  • Who are the buyers in the market, grid operators?
  • Surely traders will be replacing themselves by algorithms in the coming years?

Advent technologies

  • High temp. PEM fuel cells. Above 100C.
  • Pretty impressive lots of patents and originating in Greece. The first> public listing from Greece on Nasdaq.
  • Any fuel under any conditions.
  • Aiming to push operating temp. to 240C, not too sure why.
  • MEA heart of the fuel cell stack (like a processor) Membrane Ecltrode Assembly.
  • General set of specifications for a fuel cell. Kind of like jet fuel. Cost is a major one for commercial viability.
  • 40-60% of costs is the catalyst (Platinum).

Hydrogen Ireland

  • Energy systems modelling. All models are net zero 2050. Where you take a point in the future and work back.
  • There wont be many new technologies in 2050, according to this guy.
  • If we get rid of biofuels and ICE, what do we replace them with?
  • The hydrogen ev has a smaller battery. Still has an electric motor.
  • Cars aren’t the future for hydrogen for transport. Used where we need range. Think buses, HGV’s.
  • Need to upskill. All the technicians for recent projects have come internationally.
  • Societal change will mainly be related to those immediately affected by Hydrogen development.
  • Hydrogen storage at scale is really cheap.

SEAI

  • Apart from grants, SEAI work on data. Publish lots of data.
  • Energy statistics looking at measurement, Energy modelling team works on projections.
  • Balance is informed by 100’s of surveys from all manor of sources.
  • Balance thoroughness is due to the ‘legal’ basis of the balance.
  • Ireland has a huge import dependency. Largely fossil fuels.
  • Change needs to come from: technology, behaviour, legislation.
  • Any imports are considered non-renewable.
  • ‘Legal requirements’ is related to ‘ring fencing’ funding for national projects.

EPA

  • Declared climate and environmental emergencies in Ireland back in 2019.
  • It’s interesting that most people don’t read the reports bodies like the EPA put out, but like Ezra Klein says (above). Its about who reads them.
  • EPA graduate recruitment campaign.
  • Trying to get specific about actions for people to take and communicating that to people.
  • Is it about communicating the impact that climate change will have?
  • I feel I don’t even understand this.
  • Good discussion at the end of this. Really get a sense that I’m in a room with people involved in making these changes (policy wise).

Powerverse