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Nature can provide the means to help heal itself and cause man to become more compatible with it by intelligent actions.


Description

Summary

Our team proposes to advance Solar Thermal projects that will reduce finite fossil fuel use for electrical power generation.  Heliostats reflect solar energy to collection systems that transport the heat to heat exchangers and steam generators.  In some situations a backup supply of thermal energy is ideal for 24/7 Baseload operation.  This can be supplied by natural gas, flare gas or other feedstock transporting BTUs for this purpose.  Use of power often is lower at night or early morning hours, that is a system operation advantage in itself.  Energy is stored in towers of molten salt solution and provides the energy during the sunless hours in general.  Back up is called upon as needed.

The capture of CO2 a greenhouse gas, is planned and this is supplied to Algae Bioreactors.  Sunlight and/or artificial lights provides the algae needed input for growth.  The minimum use of water with the CO2 is required along with the sunlight.  Downstream products such as Omega 3 and Jet fuel provides jobs and additional income. 

 


Category of the action

Reducing emissions from electric power sector.


What actions do you propose?

The demand for energy is high in Africa.  There are ample solar resources in Sub Saharan Africa and other resources.  Our team is now active in developing the team for these projects for electrical generating resources. 

We have been asked to establish a regional organization to facilitate energy development.  Tariff incentives exist and I have signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Energy Commission of Nigeria for the Methane to Markets (now called the Global Methane Partnership) and other renewable energy technologies. The Regional Sustainable Energy Center of Excellence (RSECE) is following the World Energy Council's plan for Africa and is one of the planned four regional zones.  This action has been completed and we have in the consortium many Ministry, University with other non profit entities as well as for profit businesses cooperators. 

Facilitation of projects is one of the things that we do at RSECE it has as the Chairman the Energy Advisor to President Goodluck Jonathan of Nigeria.  RSECE addresses all of the current Millennium Development Goals.  For sustainable development Water and Energy development is needed.

 

 


Who will take these actions?

USAID has Powering Africa as a new program.  We have contacted them and have briefly discussed our activity development.  The organization RSECE is for Sub Sahara Africa development largely focused on Energy but interacts with other sectors.  We have a Non Disclosure Agreement signed with NRG Energy a Fortune 500 company.  We have sent a Power Purchase Agreement for the activities.  The negotiation team is making ready for a visit to the USA from Nigeria.  We have a consortium established that is listed at the website for RSECE. www.rsece.org

Clouston Energy Research, LLC is a small veteran owned business incorporated in Oregon, USA  Sidney Clouston, CEO has been associated with MIT and the Sloan School of Management when he was hosted for three years when Al Essa was CIO at Sloan.  The Sustainable Development Forum and Working Groups fostered several activities, to include a Gender Issues book and presentations to the World Energy Council at a conference in Abuja, Nigeria.  Sidney Clouston gave a Solar Thermal HVAC presentation.


Where will these actions be taken?

In Nigeria we are focused presently but have regional interest in Sub Sahara Africa and beyond such discussions in India and Nepal.  The technology could be located in many places around the globe.

To capture flare gas from a refinery in Nigeria a location near Kaduna is identified.  People have complained of the flare gas and believe to have been harmed by those emissions.  The Ministry of Petroleum Resources stated in her minister reports that gas development is a future trend greater than oil expansion and that flare gas is a waste of energy.  The flare gas can be used to support solar thermal power generation and not be a complete waste and the CO2 when captured feed Algae Bioreactors. 


How much will emissions be reduced or sequestered vs. business as usual levels?

We are actively planning for a 10 MW photovoltaic project for a quick start.  Starting also a longer engineering task for a Solar Thermal project that is the focus of this report is being discussed at 300 MW.  A use of gas or flare gas for back up to the solar thermal supply would be a variable factor depending on the time of day and time of year.  Winter time is longer and colder at night so gas demand would become higher.  It is anticipated that the greenhouse gas CH4 (methane) will be used and converted into a supply of CO2 for capture and input to Algae that eats it. It is considered to be a great lowering or offset to the emissions from other generating resources by the use of Solar Energy for most of the time adjusting for season and time of day. 


What are other key benefits?

In this scenario, we discussed clean solar energy and operations with a solar thermal requirement for support heating.  Natural Gas, Flare Gas or other finite fossil fuel has been discussed briefly. Renewable resources such as Biomass from many sources may also be used.  Gas from other than wells or flare gas can be developed from landfill, anaerobic digesters and other technologies. 

Downstream products from CO2 capture and supply to Algae Bioreactors mean jobs and income for indigenous people of the area.


What are the proposal’s costs?

A NDA has been put in effect so I cannot discuss hard numbers. It is possible to extrapolate from existing systems, such as NRG Energy did for California power purchases.  Carbon Capture systems cost and Bioreactors filling various areas can be accounted for by interested parties. 


Time line

The world's largest solar thermal plant is in operation from NRG Energy selling electrical power to California.  The is a natural gas backed up system but no CO2 capture or Algae downstream products made.  Less  than five years is the timeline.


Related proposals

None are related at Climate CoLab.

 


References

1.  View project fact sheet - NRG Solar

    www.nrgsolar.com/docs/factsheet_ivanpah.pdf


2.  Biomass as a thermal resource

    Solar Drip Irrigation Project - Benin, West Africa - YouTube

    www.youtube.com/watch?v=RTtBEbf-NRs


3.  Photos of Switchgrass in Nepal and Nigeria Africa on Energy Commission Property are
    available at my page at Facebook.  

    www.facebook.com/cloustonenergy

 

4.  The Regional Sustainable Energy Center of Excellence (RSECE)

    www.rsece.org 


5.  National Algae Association

    www.nationalalgaeassociation.com


6.  The Energy Commission of Nigeria

    www.energy.gov.ng


7. USAID Power Africa

   http://www.usaid.gov/powerafrica