Vattenfall supports ECN in upscaling torrefaction technology
Fresh biomass is difficult to transport and store. It is often not immediately suitable as fuel for power stations. It is too wet, too inconsistent in shape, difficult to grind and varies too significantly in heating value. “Purchasers from power stations are willing to use biofuel, providing it does not cause problems,” states Jaap Kiel from the Biomass, Coal and Environmental Research unit. “Our response to that is torrefaction.” Read more...
The stainless solar cell
"The blueprint for the production process is ready," says Wim Soppe of ECN Solar Energy. "Including the financial calculations. We are aiming at a cost per watt-peak below 70 cents - less than half the price of crystalline modules." Read more...
Pyrolysis reactor is the linchpin of future biorefinery
In principle, it is possible to produce the same types of fuels and chemicals from wood, grass and straw as those made from petroleum. This can be done with the aid of biorefineries that convert the green raw materials into valuable products. ECN is looking for ways to extract as much raw material and therefore money as possible from each tonne of biomass, in an environmentally friendly manner of course. Herman den Uil from ECN Biomass, Coal and Environmental Research: “Pyrolysis is one of the important technologies to this end.” Read more...
Smartfacade still waiting for that last little push
“As soon as someone says: We’ll launch this system on the market on a large scale, the parties involved in Smartfacade can join forces again and pick up where they left off. I have every confidence that our concept will take off eventually”, says Bart de Boer of Efficiency & Infrastructure. Read more...
'Synthetic jets' against fatigue
"Calculations indicate that we can reduce material fatigue by 70 percent," says Herman Snel of ECN Wind Energy. "And that would allow us to build much larger wind turbines." Read more...
Reducing investments in renewable energy...and still meeting the targets for 2020
The Dutch government can probably save several hundred million euros in subsidies every year and yet still meet its targets for renewable energy, according to ECN researcher Jaap Jansen. Working on instructions from the Energy and Climate Review Commission, which was looking to identify cost-cutting measures, the economist conducted a comparison with Ayla Uslu and Paul Lako of the four so-called flexibility mechanisms in the European Directive on renewable energy. One of these in particular caught their attention. Read more...
New catalysts help make CO2 capturing cheaper
ECN is developing a new technology that will soon allow power stations to capture CO2 more cheaply. This technology requires new catalysts, something which ECN is conducting research into. “We recently submitted a patent application for one of those catalysts,” says Jean-Pierre Pieterse, a researcher from the ECN unit Hydrogen & Clean Fossil Fuels. Read more...
Over the next four years, a consortium of nine parties will be investigating how to...
>>ECN is front runner in the field of solar energy technology and together with the Dutch...
>>4th MWT Workshop held in Amsterdam MWT (Metal Wrap Through) technology is ready for the...
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