Author: chatterbuzz

We’ve all noticed that gas prices are rising around the world and everyone with a gas-powered vehicle is feeling the effects.

One area that is undoubtedly being affected is Gas Power Plants. With gas becoming more expensive, running a plant does too. With the right technology, plants can convert their gas turbines to a storage engine consuming half the fuel for the same amount of energy being delivered.

In this article, we will discuss:

• Why is natural gas going up?
• What it means for power plants
• How they can combat costs
• How Powerphase technology can make your plant more efficient

Let’s dive in!

Gas Prices Have Soared

When filling up your car you must have noticed what usually costs you about $25 is now closer to $50. That’s because the average price of a gallon went up 50% in 2021!

Gas prices have soared higher than they have in the past 7 years reaching about $90 per barrel and still rising. With natural gas prices rising the cost to produce energy is increasing exponentially.

But what is the real reason behind natural gas prices rising?

Why Are Natural Gas Prices Going Up?

While there are many theories as to why the gas prices have gone up it all comes down to supply and demand.

Currently, the demand for gas is far greater than the supply. But why?

There are two main reasons for supply currently being so low:

• The Covid-19 Pandemic
• Russia Invading Ukraine

So let’s dig into those two reasons a bit more.

Covid-19 Pandemic

When the pandemic began and countries closed people were not driving around as often. Therefore there was an abundant amount of supply of natural gases and no demand. So we saw prices drop significantly and many production facilities cut back so as not to waste.

During the pandemic, many businesses shut down for a while, and some production and transit halted. But with the world opening back up again demand across the world has rebounded faster than supply.

In fact, the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) which is made up of countries that produce about 80% of the entire world’s oil is reluctant to go back to producing at the same levels they were before the pandemic.

Russia Invading Ukraine

Many people are feeling the effect of Russia invading Ukraine, even those oceans away.

Europe relies on Russia for nearly 1/3 of its natural gas. With supplies being halted, the supply is dipping below the demand. Therefore natural gas prices have soared to nearly five times the amount they were a year ago.

But Europe isn’t the only one experiencing the effects. Gas shortages are having an impact on Italy, South Korea, Germany China, Brazil, and more.

What Does it Mean for Power Plants?

With the pandemic, there has only been more of a gap in the already disproportionate difference between energy production and energy consumption.

Buying power off the grid can become quite expensive for petrochemical refineries and plants. Instead, power plants are shifting to generating more energy internally to produce more energy within their fence line. Making it more efficient from an economic standpoint.

What Can Power Plants Do?

There is nothing you can do about the amount of supply of gas and its costs. What you can change is your consumption of gas.

So let’s discuss the ways you can change your gas consumption.

Shift to Renewable Energy

Want to cut back gas costs? Well, one way to do that is to cut out gas entirely in your energy production.

How you may ask? By turning to renewable sources like wind, hydroelectric, or solar instead of using oil and gas.

While installing the equipment may have initial costs, you don’t have to pay for air or the sun. If you are worried about unreliable power from renewables you can add upgrades like compressed air energy storage.

Combat Increased Gas Supply Costs by Operating More Efficiently

If you do not want to have to reinvest in new systems you can use upgrades on your existing gas turbine to increase efficiency.

When your power plant works at a higher efficiency you can produce more energy quicker at lower costs.

Improving efficiency allows you to:

• Save on fuel
• Reduce O&M costs
• Combats fluctuations in renewable energy on the grid
• Leverage existing infrastructure

So how can you make your power plant more efficient? With Powerphase technology!

How Powerphase Technology Can Make you More Efficient

We are able to help you achieve peaking power at your simple or combined cycle power plants. How? By adding our Turbophase system that acts as a peaking power plant at your facility.

Powerphase upgrades on your existing turbines which can allow you to have:

• Shorter lead times on points
• Quicker deployment of energy
• Reduced time in installing power generation

All while lowering your production costs.

With the right partner, you can get combined cycle peaking power at higher efficiency in less than 12 months. Instead of having to have a few day outages, you can make connections during routine inspections

4 Steps to a Zero-Carbon Future

By following our four steps you can achieve a zero-carbon future and save yourself from having to rely on expensive gas.

These simple steps include:

1. An electric-driven Turbophase™ to your combustion engine
2. Add Turbophase GSX (hp compressors and storage tanks) to increase storage capacity
3. Repurpose the above addons into Fastlight Storage Engine™ (FSE)
4. Convert to hydrogen fuel source for zero-carbon capability.

NOTE: This hydrogen technology is still being developed by OEMs for many CTs and is not a commercialized solution yet, but is coming.

With this simple and economical approach, power plants can cut back on their carbon emissions and create renewable energy.

Combat High Costs with Powerphase

Combat natural gas prices rising by upgrading your technology with Powerphase.

Powerphase’s Fastlight Storage Engine removes the compression work from the gas turbine and leverages above-ground compressed air storage. It can be produced in real-time with Powerphase’s patented compression processes to operate the gas turbine at baseload constant power.

Learn more about our Faslight Energy Storage and Turbophase Air Injection and how you can start saving money.

Energy storage methods are a hotly debated topic in the renewable power industry, particularly which solutions will help plants meet both their peaking and baseline needs.

From Compressed Air Energy Storage (CAES) to Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS), experts from all sides are advocating for their technology to be the go-to form of energy storage.

While many renewable power plants have historically looked toward BESS to solve their baseload and peaking needs, the surge of new, more efficient CAES technology coupled with the advancement of international initiatives to reduce carbon output has many renewable plants asking themselves: “How can I improve energy storage that will reduce my overhead AND my carbon footprint?”

This balance of budget & clean energy can be achieved through compressed air energy storage.

In this article, we are going to dissect the main differences between these two prominent energy storage options and explore how Compressed Air Energy Storage (CAES) is able to provide significantly more value for your business (and the environment) than its Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) counterparts.

3 Problems Within the Space of BESS Technology

Recently, lowering costs of lithium-ion batteries has prompted many power plants to invest in battery energy storage solutions.

In fact, battery energy storage solutions are being used in place of “peaking” power plants, where the stored energy would only be harnessed when energy prices and demand were at their highest.

Today, there are multiple efforts across the world to create massive battery energy storage that go beyond this measure.

However, this may actually be a big mistake, as BESS is not a long-term solution for all renewable energy power plants.

Not only would the cost alone create hesitancy, but there are other factors to bear in mind such as short battery lifespans and costly replacements. Keep reading to understand the current problems facing BESS.

1. Battery Lifespan is 3-5X Less Than CAES

On average, the lifespan of a battery is 3-5 times less than that of a CAES system.

With most battery systems’ shelf lives hovering around 5 to 10 years, the ability of a battery to store energy tapers off dramatically and thus causes efficiency concerns.

According to a BESS study on IE Explore, the average lifespan of a battery is 8.31 years.

Capacity energy loss is affected by a number of factors, including:

• Ambient temperatures
• Discharge C-rate
• State of charge

The battery will lose its ability to store energy and will need to be entirely replaced, which is a costly and environmentally-hazardous endeavor, as there is currently no good solution for battery disposal.

2. Government Incentives May Fall Short

Today, governments worldwide are providing massive financial incentives to develop this type of energy storage system, significantly driving down the cost of batteries. The current U.S. administration, for example, which has launched their Net-Zero America initiative, will invest hundreds of billions in battery-dependent sectors nationwide.

But there’s a catch: Once renewable plants opt for a BESS solution, they will then be responsible for the costly endeavor of continuously replacing and disposing of the batteries – a topic which is often ignored in the acquisition process.

Furthermore, there is no real guarantee that there will be government incentives 5-10 years out from now, given alternative technologies with far greater value propositions.

And if this was the case, power plants could very well be left on their own to pay the entire cost of battery replacements, which certainly would not be cost effective.

3. Potential Breakdown is a Major Concern

There is always the chance that batteries will overheat and even catch on fire. In energy storage, excess thermal energy going in or out of the battery can create a gas bottleneck, which can rupture the battery and lead to combustion.

Additionally, if one battery fails, this increases the risk of failures in other batteries all across the grid. The reality is that this could be the result of several factors, including battery design and the control systems at work.

Solid-State Batteries May Take Years to Become Commercially Viable

Advanced battery energy storage systems, such as solid-state batteries, are years or even decades away from becoming commercially viable.

While the energy industry seems to dream that a new battery storage technology will hit the market at the perfect moment to save the day, this is optimistic thinking and batteries may not serve grid farming the way many had hoped.

Instead of BESS, compressed air energy storage (CAES) has the potential to solve peaking and baseline problems.

4 Ways Compressed Air Energy Storage Systems Offer More Value Than BESS

Instead of storing excess energy in a battery, CAES systems allow you to store surplus energy during low-demand hours in the form of compressed air. This creates a stream of clean energy that can be accessed on-demand, significantly lowering overall energy costs and cutting certain emissions in half.

And that’s not all. Let’s address all of the ways that CAES systems may, in fact, offer additional benefits over traditional battery storage.

1. Modern CAES Systems are Power Dense & Easy to Site

Older CAES systems were once limited by location, as they stored compressed air underground, meaning significant setup and excavation overhead.

This is not the case with modern CAES systems. Take our FastLight Energy Storage, for example. This modular technology can be added directly onto an older gas turbine, transforming that combustion engine into an above-ground energy storage system that also works as a peaking asset.

The easy site ability and cost-effectiveness of this system can be installed in nearly every power plant in the world, without cumbersome construction or overhead.

2. Longer Lifespan Increases Economic Viability & Reduces O&M Costs

Compressed air energy storage typically has a much longer lifespan compared to battery energy storage. These systems can last as long as 30 years and don’t require any toxic disposal.

Furthermore, renewable energy can be stored in the compressed air energy storage for much longer units of time than a battery, from 4 hours to 4 days, greatly increasing the lifespan of the excess energy itself.

And now, unlike batteries, power plants can even lease modular CAES technology instead of purchasing the equipment outright – meaning less capital and faster return on investment. To learn more about how you can lease our CAES storage system, reach out to a member of our team.

3. Better Efficiency Features Fulfill Fluctuating Demand

Modern CAES systems have the ability to smooth peak energy by absorbing and storing energy when demand is lower. Later on, the system can turn around to be used to resupply energy during peak demand.

With that being said, CAES systems have the ability to both power up from shut-down conditions depending on the power grid’s needs and are able to reach capacity within minutes after starting up.

4. CAES Addresses Inertia, Leading to Greater Output

Battery storage systems fail to address a critical problem in the electrical grid equation: inertia.

Even if batteries can store surplus energy for a short period of time, they do not provide the inertia to physically push the electrons down the transmission line, meaning they still require mass spinning generators to feed that stored energy to the grid, thus compromising output.

That’s why sophisticated CAES technology, like the FastLight Storage Engine, utilizes existing gas turbines to both store energy and deploy it back to the grid on-demand, solving for the problem of inertia and offering exponentially more output.

Renewable Power Plants Should Consider Their Next Investments Carefully

Modern power plants should carefully consider which energy storage method to invest in.

Battery storage may work in some cases, such as “peaking” power plants, but most renewable energy power plants require a different solution. The brilliant design of CAES systems provide a solution to handle both the peaking and baseline power needs of most renewable energy power plants.

To learn more about how CAES systems can provide clean energy and a stable grid at a fraction of the cost, head to our Fastlight Energy Storage page and get a glimpse into our modern CAES model.

In 2021, savvy companies want to switch to renewable energy. Doing so helps them to save money through tax deductions and establishes them as environmentally friendly companies.

But businesses often question whether or not the cost of using more environmentally friendly processes is worth it.

Well good news; switching to renewable energy can definitely be worth it! We’ll show you how you can get $18/MwH (megawatt an hour) while reducing your net carbon footprint.

How Do You Calculate Renewable Energy Cost?

Most people know that renewable energy is our future, and think that it is overly expensive since the government is pouring in tax benefits for scaling renewable energy.

For pragmatists, the answer is, “whatever the cost, can we afford not to?” But what if it is cheaper than you actually think?

For the purpose of this article, we’ll discuss renewable energy in terms of megawatts and identify real life examples of the costs involved. What we uncover may surprise you, so keep reading!

The Cost Factors of Renewable Energy vs. Fossil Fuels:

A Side-by-Side Comparison One of the easiest ways to look at renewable energy costs is to compare it to something we are more familiar with: fossil fuels.

The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) reported in 2019 that the energy produced from renewable sources was comparable in price to that of fossil fuels.

Comparing the cost of electricity alone, we can see very similar costs per kilowatt (kWh). According to an article by Forbes, the cost of electricity from developing fossil fuel plants varies in price from $0.05/kWh to $0.15/kWh. Here are the comparable prices of renewable sources of energy:

Hydroelectric: $0.05/kWh

Onshore wind, solar voltaic, biomass, and geothermal: Less than $0.10/kWh

Offshore wind: $0.13/kWh

*It’s important to mention that these costs are worldwide averages and prices can vary wildly based on the specific scenario.

There are several costs that are associated with the cost of energy which we will quickly explore in this 10,000ft comparison.

Average Renewable Energy Costs

While coal is at $102/MWh – on average, renewable energy costs in comparison are as follows:

• Wind power: $20/MWh
• Solar power: $37/MWh
• Hydro power: $85/MWh

At Powerphase our Fastlight storage-engine costs are lower than any of the renewable energy costs above. Fastlight comes in at just $18/MWh due to its hybrid combination of renewable powered compressed air.

Fastlight stores renewable energy in the form of compressed air and provides a firm, baseload renewable energy to the grid. When storage is depleted, the system also functions as an efficient peaker asset to deliver power as needed.

Economic Costs Associated with Renewable Energy

Clean energy can help the economy in the long term. Renewable energy reduces the cost of energy, creates jobs, and reduces pollution. As time passes and technology continues to improve, renewable energy will become more and more affordable for businesses and households alike. Renewable energy also requires more workers per unit of energy than fossil fuels, thus creating more jobs.

Some experts believe that the world will reach 100% renewable energy use in the future. The exact date is yet to be determined but some experts say it could happen as early as 2032. That means the potential for jobs in renewable energy is rising.

A Comparison of Different Renewable Energy Technologies

All of the renewable forms of energy are much safer than nonrenewable sources according to this illustration from “Our World in Data”. If we look at the top four we can see the death toll is very low in hydropower, wind, and solar, with nuclear energy only being slightly more harmful.

The main takeaway is that the cleanest sources of energy are nuclear, wind and solar, with nuclear energy being marginally cleaner than wind energy. Fastlight Storage Engine comes in at about 200 tonnes per gigawatt hour of energy. Although it is not as low as renewable energy, the Fastlight Storage Engine has the capability to generate 50% of its energy with renewable energy even when the renewable energy is not available through its energy storage system.

How Renewable Energy Technologies Tackle Intermittency

Lasting 30+ years, our FastLight Storage Engine technology is a long-term storage asset that diminishes the need for battery replacement and disposal. With superior durability and storage capacity, compressed air storage offers a more flexible and environmentally-friendly alternative to batteries at a fraction of the levelized cost of energy. Intermittency in the use of renewable energy can be a thing of the past with FastLight.

Renewable Energy Can Have A Low Cost When Using the Right Technology

As you can see, renewable energy can in many cases be less expensive than nonrenewable renewable energy. It is also, on average, cleaner and safer than other energy sources. To save even more money, & reduce intermittency, we recommend our FastLight Storage Engine to get $18/MWh using compressed air.

Renewable Energy Can Have A Low Cost When Using the Right Technology

As you can see, renewable energy can in many cases be less expensive than nonrenewable renewable energy. It is also, on average, cleaner and safer than other energy sources.

To save even more money, & reduce intermittency, we recommend our FastLight Storage Engine to get $18/MWh using compressed air.

Baseload Renewables in 2 Years Time

As the energy world grapples with oncoming climate change legislation, a rapidly increasing number of utilities worldwide are attempting to successfully integrate renewables into their energy portfolios. This change, albeit welcome, comes with a number of inevitable challenges, including baseload renewables.

Power plants are expected to consistently generate baseload electricity in order to meet energy demands. Any lower amount can result in blackouts and incurring additional costs

from purchasing electricity from other electric grids.

So how can intermittent sources of renewable energy successfully and consistently produce baseload electricity?

Renewable energy storage. 

Power plants can store different forms of renewable energy in order to meet varying energy demands. Storing renewables to meet baseload electricity requirements is more feasible

now than ever before, particularly with advancements in compressed air energy storage technologies that can be implemented within an existing plant in 2 years.

But first, let’s set the stage with why non-renewable baseload energy is an issue.

The Issue With Non-Renewable Baseload Energy

The term “baseload” is often misunderstood, as the term has historically referred to energy-producing resources, such as coal, that provided low-cost electricity to meet expected minimum energy levels. This requires coal and gas to be heated throughout the night in order to meet the required energy threshold.

Typically, these are believed to be the limitations of the different types of energy (baseload, intermediate peaking, & fast peaking):

However, the above are not – in fact – the only effective sources of baseload.

The issue is that coal, natural gas, and nuclear energy are incapable of ramping output down on short notice, resulting in a preponderance of energy when it is not required. When baseload from these sources is higher than actual energy demand, energy is wasted.

Additionally, power plants often cannot measure grid outputs as necessary.

The Myth About Baseload Renewable Energy

Renewable energy baseload is even more misunderstood. There is a prevalent myth that renewables cannot provide baseload, as the sun is not always shining and the wind is not always blowing.

This myth is simply not true, as multiple studies have shown that renewable energy can power entire electrical grids.

This study from ECOFS details how renewable energy could be used for effective energy production over time:

But, how can power plants achieve baseload renewable energy?

Renewable energy is susceptible to some volatility, as the energy-producing structures are at the whims of nature.

However, power plants can reduce instability by storing off-peak renewable energy in batteries or in highly flexible compressed air energy storage, resulting in clean energy generation on-demand and a stable grid. Flexibility is the key to achieving baseload renewable energy.

Harnessing Baseload Renewables Through Energy Storage

When renewable plants think about storing energy, battery storage is often the default solution proposed.

However, in a recent article comparing CAES vs. BESS, we uncovered that despite aggressive government incentives to invest in battery storage energy systems, they are still not a feasible solution for many power plants due to the excessive overhead and replacement costs associated with them, not to mention the disposal conundrum.

Utilities and power plants have often experimented with multiple forms of energy storage, but have not been able to achieve a rate at which baseload renewables are possible.

However, now, in just two years, baseload renewables are within reach with above-ground CAES.

Compressed Air Energy Storage as a Key Solution to Reaching Baseload Renewable Energy

Compressed air energy storage (CAES) technology is transforming the landscape around baseload energy. The idea to use compressed air as a potential storage solution for power plants has been around for decades, but recent advances in technology have made this idea possible for many power plants.

The logic behind compressed air renewable energy storage is simple: excess clean energy powers an air compressor to store compressed air in the appropriate CAES system, which can then be deployed on demand to power a turbine. The heat from the air can also help accelerate the turbine process.

Above-Ground CAES (Compressed Air Energy Storage) Technology is Transforming the Industry

Historically, compressed air was stored underground, which added complexities and costs to the storage process. However, new renewable energy storage technology, like our FastLight Storage Engine, can leverage existing combined cycle infrastructure, such as gas turbines, to significantly lower energy storage costs and overhead.

Additionally, the FastLight Storage Engine lasts up to 30 years, reducing turnover and O&M costs.

Baseload Energy in Just 24 Months

The FastLight CAES system can be implemented into an existing combined-cycle power plant in just under two years, allowing plants to achieve renewable baseload power once fully installed.

Electrical grids can harness the power of this technology in order to reduce the amount of wasted energy and lower costs per kWh.

A Greener Energy Future

As utilities expand their renewable generation, they must prepare themselves for a renewable baseload future.

Surplus renewable generation can be stored by the FastLight Compressed Air Energy Storage for later use during on-peak hours.

Not only does it result in a more efficient power grid, but also hundreds of millions per year in ratepayer savings and significant reductions in CO2 emissions, which are all desirable benefits to utilities, ratepayers and the environment.

In 2019 59 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent were released into the atmosphere, according to the UN Emissions Gap Report of 2020. These emissions, of course, are continuing to quickly change global climates.

Companies can save money in tax deductions and establish themselves as environmentally friendly leaders by switching to renewable energy and reducing carbon emissions.

Consequently, many in the power industry are now asking, “How can we reduce our carbon footprint to zero in power plants”?

More will need to consider how to reach a zero-carbon footprint in the near future, as renewable energy becomes imperative. After all, “the carbon footprint is currently 60 percent of humanity’s overall Ecological Footprint and its most rapidly growing component” according to Global Footprint Network.

Big brands such as Intuit, IBM, and a number of power plants have pledged to reduce and/or eliminate their carbon footprint in the coming years. These brands have their work cut out for them though, since switching to renewable energy is easier said than done.

However, Powerphase has a solution to help bring your power plant to have a zero carbon footprint. Keep reading to learn how to have a zero-carbon footprint with Powerphase in just 4 steps.

But first, let’s discuss what we do here at Powerphase and how exactly we are able to offer a solution of this nature.

How Does Powerphase Reach a Zero-Carbon Footprint in Power Plants?

Powerphase has an amazingly simple product that can maintain or increase your capacity by upgrading and converting your existing power plant to a zero-carbon power producer within your existing permits.

Powerphase is working with a leading gas turbine service supplier to provide 100% coverage of the upgraded gas turbine and BOP under an optional Long Term Service Agreement.

In California, Forested areas are monitored for winds, humidity, and temperature and PSPS (public safety power shut off) has been initiated. Hydro is down 1000MW, Diablo Canyon is scheduled to be decommissioned. Severe capacity shortages exist and new gas assets are not desirable, meaning it doesn’t align with Pathway 45. The drive for more renewables will only increase the demand for faster/low carbon firm capacity.

Powerphase has a near term simple step-by-step plant upgrade and conversion to get to 30% carbon footprint reduction and increase capacity with the introduction of Hydrogen and consuming 30% less H2 compared to a traditional CCGT.

The Problem:

On hot days when plants need the most output, the CCGTs are missing 10-20% of their mechanical/electrical potential output.

Here’s an illustrated example using a 7FA Combustion Turbine.

To solve this problem, let’s get right into the 4 steps to reduce carbon emissions and bring power plants to a zero-carbon footprint.

1. Add Electric Driven Turbophase™ to Your Combustion Engine

The first step to reducing carbon emissions is to add the electric driven Turbophase to your engine to add 6% incremental capacity offsetting less efficient peaking power Carbon Neutral

Turbophase can help reduce your engine’s carbon footprint by injecting compressed air into existing gas turbines for peaking capacities at combined cycle efficiency.

So what is Turbophase™?

Turbophase is a gas driven plant upgrade. It utilizes all the current plant capacity with gas powered air injection. It produces simple peaking power at combined cycle efficiency.

Variations of Turbophase can be added to a wide variety of turbines. Let’s look at some of the variations of Turbophase and compare the benefits of each. Each add-on will be tested on a 7FA Combustion Turbine in the following examples.

Results of Turbophase™ Gas Driven CCGT Plant Upgrade: 12% added power

Stats:

7FA Combustion Turbine with Turbophase:

• Energy Storage = 0 MW
• Capacity = 267 MW net (per 1×1 CCGT on a hot day)
• Incremental Plant Heat Rate with Turbophase= Baseline Inc GT Fuel / Net Output ~6400
• O&M = Incremental Maintenance/cost ~$1.0/MWh

Reference California 4×2 CCGT on a hot day = 1070MW (total net load of TPMs ~50MW):

• Air injection optimized to meet generator capacity
• Air heated with PPI’s proprietary patent pending technology
• 0.5 minute start up to full power – no maintenance penalty for starts
• PPI will integrate with the Global Service provider to integrate controls into model based Mark 6E for TPMs and maintaining TIT during injection
• Exhaust temperature dropped 25F eases HRSG concerns and would enable peak firing more often
• 6% carbon savings compared to generating additional energy with CCGT, 30% carbon savings compared to generating the same energy with SSGT
• More efficient than current duct burners

Results of Turbophase™ All Electric – No New Air Permit Required: 6% Power

Stats:

7FA Combustion Turbine with Turbophase:

• Energy Storage = 0 MW
• Capacity = 267 MW net (per 1×1 CCGT on a hot day)
• Incremental Plant Heat Rate with Turbophase= Baseline Inc GT Fuel / Net Output ~6400
• O&M = Incremental Maintenance/cost ~$1.0/MWh

Reference California 4×2 CCGT on a hot day = 1070MW (total net load of TPMs ~50MW):

• Air injection optimized to meet generator capacity
• Air heated with PPI’s proprietary patent pending technology
• 0.5 minute start up to full power – no maintenance penalty for starts
• PPI will integrate with the Global Service provider to integrate controls into model based Mark 6E for TPMs and maintaining TIT during injection
• Exhaust temperature dropped 25F eases HRSG concerns and would enable peak firing more often
• 6% carbon savings compared to generating additional energy with CCGT, 30% carbon savings compared to generating the same energy with SSGT
• More efficient than current duct burners

As you can see, both the electric and gas driven Turbophase plant upgrades provide significant benefits in the reduction of the overall carbon footprint.

Next, let’s look at how the Turbophase GSX™ can further assist in reducing the power plant’s overall carbon emissions, with additional energy storage.

2. Add Turbophase GSX (HP Compressors and Storage Tanks) to Increase Storage Capacity

Step two towards a zero-carbon footprint is to Add HP compressors and storage tanks to the step above.

You’ll get combined electric driven Turbophase plus with 6% capacity increase plus energy storage (Turbophase GSX) that can add a total of 12% capacity where the storage can be from a renewable energy resource providing ~6% carbon footprint reduction for incremental power, 0.4% plant reduction.

The Turbophase GSX also utilizes all the current plant capacity with gas powered air injection and uses simple peaking power at combined cycle efficiency (similar to the examples above).

However, the Turbophase GSX add-on provides the capability of additional energy storage.

In the following example on a 7FA Combustion Turbine with Turbophase GSX, you’ll see the capability of 120 MW of energy storage for 4 hours.

Turbophase GSX™ Off-Peak Renewables Converted to On-Peak Power

Stats:

7FA Combustion Turbine with Turbophase GSX:

• Energy Storage = 120 MW for 4 hours
• Capacity = 280 net (per 1×1 CCGT on a hot day)
• Incremental Plant Heat Rate with Turbophase GSX = Inc GT Fuel / Output ~3750
• O&M = Incremental Maintenance/cost ~$1.0/MWh

Reference California 4×2 CCGT on a hot day = 1120MW (total net load ~1MW when injecting):

• Air injection optimized to meet generator capacity
• Air heated with PPI’s proprietary patent pending technology
• 0.5 minute start up to full power – no maintenance penalty for starts
• PPI will integrate with the Global Service provider to integrate controls into model based Mark 6E to control BOP and maintain TIT during injection
• Exhaust temperature dropped 25F eases HRSG concerns and would enable peak firing more often
• 70MW continuous available with LP compressors running only (same as electric driven TPMs)
• 45% carbon savings compared to generating additional energy with CCGT, 60% carbon savings compared to generating the same energy with SSGT

The Turbophase GSX is a great way to reduce emissions and simultaneously store energy.

The next step to reducing carbon emissions is to repurpose these parts into the Fastlight Storage Engine™ (FSE).

3. Repurpose the Above Addons into Fastlight Storage Engine™ (FSE)

The next step is to repurpose 100% of the above add-ons and convert the CCGT to a Fastlight Storage Engine, repurposing the HRSG to a recuperator, and add 30% capacity with a 30% carbon footprint reduction.

Our FastLight Storage Engine is developed with grid-scale energy storage in mind. It’s an economical and eco-friendly technology supporting the widespread deployment of renewables worldwide.

Using established gas turbines, the FastLight Storage Engine stores renewable energy in the form of compressed air and provides firm, baseload renewable energy to the grid. When storage is depleted, the system also functions as an efficient peaker asset to deliver power as needed.

Fastlight Storage Engine™ (FSE) Conversion Provides Low Carbon & Low Risk Multiphase Approach to a Zero Carbon Future

Turbophase GSX compression, storage, and HRSG can be repurposed, and additional identical compression and storage modules added to realize FSE conversion

Stats:

7FA Fastlight Storage Engine (FSE):

• Energy Storage = 400 MW for 4 to 18 hours
• Capacity = 400 MW net (per GT on any day) using stored air and 230MW net continuous mode with no stored air “Peaker Mode”
• Plant Heat Rate ~4800 (30% carbon footprint reduction compared to CCGT)
• O&M = (Similar to SCGT + FSE) ~$3/MWh

Reference California 4 FSE = 1600MW (60% increase relative to current hot day capacity):

• Generators increased to 400MW
• Air heated with GT exhaust
• 5 minute start up to full power with PPI’s heat up technology
• 400MW generator synced to grid 24/7 (Var support when not producing power)
• PPI will integrate with Global Service Supplier to provide FSE hardware conversion, integrate GT + BOP controls into model based Mark 6E
• 3 out of 4 GT converted to FSE would produce the same power as 4×2 CCGT, but not ambient temp sensitive

4. Convert The Combustion System of FSE for Increased Capacity

The final step is to convert the combustion system of FSE for increased capacity.

When Hydrogen conversions are available for 7FA, convert the combustion system of FSE resulting in 30% more capacity and zero carbon.

That’s it! With these 4 steps, you will be well on your way to reducing carbon emissions and having a zero-carbon footprint.

4 Steps to Reducing Carbon Emissions in Power plants

To recap, the 4 steps to achieve a Zero-Carbon Footprint in Power plants are as follows:

• Add Electric Driven Turbophase™ to Your Combustion Engine
• Add Turbophase GSX (HP Compressors and Storage Tanks) to Increase Storage Capacity
• Repurpose the Above Addons into Fastlight Storage Engine™ (FSE)
• Convert the Combustion System of FSE for Increased Capacity

Powerphase’s Vision for a “Zero Carbon Future” is a Simple and Economical approach. All components are off the shelf/modular and can be deployed quickly. All of our systems offer carbon reduction and consume zero water. Additionally, all compression systems generate potable water from the intercooling process of compression.

For more information about renewable energy, you can read our recent article about how peaking power can help California’s ongoing energy crisis.

If you have any questions regarding our technology here at Powerphase, we are always eager to help!

Developments in renewable energy such as “peaking power” can assist greatly with energy crises that are emerging nationwide.

California is one such state which is in jeopardy. They are facing wildfires, heat waves, and floods. Consequently, California is nearing an energy supply shortage.

With a high penetration of intermittent renewable energy on the Californian power grid, the delivery of clean reliable power is challenging.

However, at Powerphase we are always working to support and provide highly efficient Peaking Power and Energy Storage technologies for a clean and stable power grid. Turbophase and Fastlight technologies can help support California’s need for capacity and storage.

Why California Could Benefit from a Diverse Portfolio of Power Plants

So why is California suffering from an energy crisis and the effects of climate change at the same time?

That’s right, it’s because of natural disasters straining California’s production of energy.

California’s current energy crisis is caused by the effects of severe natural disasters in many areas of California.

To provide some tangible examples we’ll look at a few specific situations.

1. Hydroelectric plants had to reduce production: According to Governor Newsom, drought conditions have depleted water supplies in California’s reservoirs. This is forcing hydroelectric power plants to reduce or cease production, leading to a reduction of nearly 1,000 megawatts of capacity. This forms a vicious cycle that further exacerbates the drought’s impact on California.
2. Increased heat leads to increased energy use: Record-breaking extreme heat increased residents’ demand for energy use (i.e. Air Conditioning. This placed significant demand and strain on California’s energy grid.
3. Massive WildFires: Jeopardize the main power transmission lines from neighboring states that deliver energy on the California Grid. 

Gavin Newsom, Governor of California is calling for procurement and deployment of clean energy production, understanding that it is necessary to end the vicious cycle in which generating energy contributes to the very climate-impacted emergencies that threaten energy supply.

By diversifying the existing portfolio of power plants in California, we can create renewable energy options that can be relied on in times of crisis.

At Powerphase, our Turbophase and Fastlight technologies can add peaking power to combined-cycle power plants, adding increased capacity and increased efficiency in energy production.

How Can Turbophase Support Renewable Energy Deployment in California and Beyond?

Turbophase provides peaking power at combined cycle power plants when it’s needed most. Peaking Power generally is utilized at times of “high demand”. This alone can help to alleviate some of the problems California plants are having in meeting the demand for energy given their decreased supplies.

Turbophaser adds 10-15% of power plants capacity that can be utilized as Peaking Power or Base Load Capacity…”

Another benefit of Turbophase peaking power is that it can be quickly deployed as a spinning reserve, with no fuel being consumed, to meet demands at times of increased energy use. This could alleviate the problems powerplants are having with meeting demands due to increased AC use during heatwaves. This allows for combustion turbine power plants to operate at their highest efficient operation “Bae Load” while having the peak power available when needed. 

Plants using Turbophase can offset lower efficiency plants by operating on higher efficiency combined cycle plants using our peaking capacity on combined cycles (500-1000 megawatts).  Turbophase offers additional benefits such as:

• Save on fuel 
• Reduce O&M costs 
• Combats fluctuations in renewable energy on the grid
• Leverage existing infrastructure

The Effects California’s Energy Crisis Can Be Lessened

The energy crisis in California is not ideal. However, with the introduction of renewable technologies & and a diverse array of power plants, the strain on California’s resources can be reduced. Adding Turbophase or Fastlight Energy Storage to existing combined cycle plants is a great way to help out.

To learn more about renewable energy and the innovative solutions that exist, you can always read more of our content here at Powerphase.