Public Funding for Uniper Technologies Limited

The UK housing stock presents particular challenges for retrofitting wall insulation in order to reduce carbon emmissions and fuel costs. Cambridge Design Partnership is leading a consortium comprising of EON, BASF and Univeristy of Warwick to develop a new approach to external wall insulation, initially targeting properties built before 1944 which represent the bulk of the solid wall constructions. The team will be developing a complete deployment system based around BASF's foam insulation material that is applied in-situ rather than in rigid pre-formed boards. The spray application of foam insulating material has been successfully deployed in the North American timber frame, new build market. The huge potential in the retrofit market has not being realised due to challenges concerning the cost and ease of installation along with difficulties associated with addressing wall penetrations and the intersection of wall to roof and wall to floor. The team will be addressing these challenges to create a system that has an attractive ROI, minimises disruption and is aesthetically pleasing.

The project is a collaboration between Associated British Ports (ABP), Siemens Energy UK (SEU), Toyota Tsusho UK (TTUK), Uniper Technologies UK (UTL) and Uniper Hydrogen UK (UHU), to realise the potential of a green hydrogen supply to the Port of Immingham (PoI) for greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction of port operations and shipping. Thereby, a solution for GHG reduction is targeted, that is both scalable within the PoI and replicable in other ports around the UK and internationally. The PoI, located in the Humber Industrial Cluster, is the UK's largest port by tonnage, handling over 54Mt of cargo annually. For the energy transition, the port has taken steps to electrify some small port equipment. However, electrification is not (technically/economically) viable for all operations and the sector continues to rely on fossil fuels. Hydrogen and its derivatives, such as ammonia, are credible and exciting alternatives to fossil fuels, promising carbon neutral processes in the sector. However, a lack of secure and affordable hydrogen supply within ports means conversion to low emission hydrogen-based fuels is not currently a bankable solution. The study will assess the technical and economic feasibility of a green hydrogen supply to the PoI, incorporating the full hydrogen value chain from production by electrolysis, storage and transport, to direct end use and ammonia conversion. The project will explore the potential of hydrogen fuel cell port equipment such as cranes, reach stackers, yard tractors etc., and ammonia production for clean shipping fuel. If deployed, it would be the first of a kind. The study will build on the results of a 6 month "discovery phase", that assessed options for decarbonisation of operations in and around the PoI and developed a roadmap for delivery. This developed the concept to supply, in an initial phase, c.20MW of green hydrogen to the PoI. The feasibility study will determine the most economic location for siting the electrolyser; Uniper's Killingholme site or a suitable location within the PoI (both locations were identified to be attractive options during the discovery phase).To prove this concept and prepare for deployment, the feasibility study of the innovative concept is required. Besides detailed information of the components and the concept itself, the study will reveal additional opportunities and risks. The results will be of significant benefit for the decarbonisation of the maritime sector and will enable further commitment to the delivery of such a solution at the PoI by all parties.

Recent UK collaborative R&D projects have developed a novel high temperature "MARBN" type alloy, IBN1, which enables a 25°C operating temperature increase in new steam power plant, and can thereby deliver major CO2 emission savings. IMPLANT is an experienced consortium which brings together industrial and academic partners to seek innovative advances in both materials and manufacturing, thus enabling commercial market success for thick section cast IBN1 pressurised components in future boiler and turbine plant. IMPLANT will pursue innovative developments in superclean materials technology, controlled microstructural development through solidification simulation, and novel heat treatment to promote grain refinement. This will maintain and extend IBN1's competitive edge over "lookalike" competitor products. In parallel, IMPLANT will develop a novel manufacturing concept for boiler plant manufacture -- that thick section IBN1 steam headers can be made by shaped casting, with improved design to minimise the risk of weld cracking in service, making a cast product highly competitive with conventional wrought and welded headers. IMPLANT will thus create a unified UK materials and manufacturing supply chain for thick-section boiler and turbine components, in a new generation of world-leading ultrasupercritical steam plant, for a projected annual global market of £15BN. This will meet the buoyant Far Eastern demand for low emission coal, gas and biomass fired plant projected by international agencies into the medium term, and will also meet longer term demand for chemical process plant, high temperature nuclear, and thermal solar energy generation. The conservatively projected 1% UK market share, worth £41M in terms of the net present value of estimated future profits, represents a x25 return on the IMPLANT investment. IBN1 will also play a key role in Western component replacement markets. Its superior strength will help current fossil plant meet the onerous flexible operation conditions which are required to support increased deployment of intermittent wind and solar generation. IBN1 is a maturing material technology now close to commercialisation -- but innovation is as vital as ever. IBN1 must compete globally on price, sentiment, quality, experience -- and its crucial technical edge. Provided IBN1 continues to advance, both in metallurgical performance and engineering application, the UK can stay ahead of the competition. Finally, IMPLANT will undertake over 500,000 machine-hours of high temperature testing to generate long term data for component design. IMPLANT will then take the key final steps to full-scale commercialisation -- IBN1 certification by European authorities, and future US ASME Code approval.

Non-destructive testing (NDT) is essential for ensuring and maintaining the integrity of structures and systems from aircraft to power stations. NDT operators are trained by practising on specimens with real or artificial flaws. These samples can be rare and/or expensive. For training at clients’ premises, NDT trainers must carry samples to the training location. The shear bulk and weight of the samples turns the provision of training into a major logistical exercise, and in some cases makes it impractical. This project will develop a new system which uses real data to provide an NDT experience indistinguishable from the real one, but without the need for the test sample. The system integrates wireless position sensors, gyroscopic orientation, camera input and load sensing into a hand-held probe. TrainNDT will develop an integrated sensor platform and construct the virtual environment based on real test data from well-defined samples with a range of defects. Software will relate the recorded NDT data to the real-time probe position, orientation, and pressure to output a signal to the trainee as if they were testing the real sample. Benefits include: the ability to carry out training anywhere in the world without the need for costly transportation of test specimens; availability of a much wider variety of virtual test specimens; and the ability to vary the training programme at short notice simply by downloading a new dataset. The system can provide automated checks and feedback on the trainee’s probe movements based on actual movements, adding value to the training experience.

The INTRESTS (INTerseasonal Renewable Energy STorage System) project will develop and upscale adsorption storage for thermal energy suitable for capture and storage of low temperature heat from cost effective solar collectors. The project seeks to develop nano-composite adsorbents in order to deliver compact, commercially viable thermal stores, suitable for application in new-build and retrofit markets. Development of INTRESTS will begin with nano-composite adsorbent synthesis, progress to thermal modelling of the INTRESTS design, and implement a scaled prototype connected to a active solar air heater on a demonstration building. Monitoring and cost/value analysis will also be conducted based on real world performance, in order to determine commercial viability.

The utilisation of biomass fuels, fired in dedicated boiler plants or co-fired with fossil fuels, provides a method of generating continuous renewable energy and, combined with CO2 capture and storage, provides one of the means of reducing CO2 levels in the atmosphere, whilst helping to ensure security of power supply. However, biomass combustion products can be challenging, particularly in terms of the risks of excessive rates of metal loss of high temperature boiler components due to fireside corrosion. It is considered that the development and use of effective corrosion resistant coatings would enable power plant to operate at higher temperature & efficiencies and utilise lower grade fuels. The proposed project is intended to build on the knowledge gained from the TSB co-funded ASPECT project, which was concerned with the development and evaluation of coating materials for advanced fossil fuel plants, and to address issues related to biomass derived flue gas chemistries.

TRL are the lead partner of a consortium consisting of ecoXchange, EDF Energy, E.ON and Red Deer Technology Group. This project seeks to identify the optimal business case for EV battery reuse in the UK by determining what the highest value services for EV battery reuse could be, and how technically feasible these reuse applications are. This feasibility study is focusing on investigating the feasibility of reusing EV batteries for energy utilities applications. The project will investigate where the highest value locations for electricity storage may be; whether on transmission or distribution networks, or on community or domestic-scale installations. It will also investigate what the highest value services are, which could be: provision of back-up power, peak-shaving, load-shifting, grid-investment deferral or provision of balancing services.

The key goal of IMPACT is to improve the efficiency of future steel-based coal-fired power plant, and hence reduce carbon emissions, by: (1) Improved high temperature capability of welded thick section high alloy steel components in steam plant (boiler, pipework, turbine) by development of innovative materials and processes, including upscaling from laboratory development, a pilot commercial scale "MARBN" steel cast, and a demonstration welded boiler tubing product; (2) Better understood, monitored and controlled performance of these welded components to maximise efficiency while avoiding premature weld Type IV cracking as found on current high alloy steel plant; (3) Novel advanced in-service monitoring techniques to enable plant to operate at highest temperatures and challenging design conditions without prejudice to safety: creep strain monitoring to warn against plant failure risk, semi-nondestructive miniature disc sampling and testing to identify materials at risk; (4) Improved component design capabilities linked to whole-life plant condition monitoring.

The CABLED project will showcase electric cars across Birmingham & Coventry in the West Midlands. The project will make Ultra Low Carbon Vehicles available to a wide cross section of real world users and collect data on their everyday use. The CABLED project will use the data to understand how the vehicles are used in real life and to assist in the planning of the further expansion of EVs. This project will: • deliver a showcase demonstration of 100+ ultra low carbon vehicles across Birmingham and Coventry in West Midlands. • deliver the infrastructure required in the users' property, in workplaces, and in public areas. • provide extended real world vehicle evaluation and usage data to allow final development and hence ensure successful production launch of ultra low carbon vehicles. • collect data to measure vehicle performance, infrastructure usage patterns, impacts and requirements with a minimum 12 months experience of seasonal conditions from all vehicles. • publicise the benefits and progress of low carbon vehicles

Project Title Advanced Surface Protection to Enable Carbon abatement Technologies (ASPECT) Project partners and grant funding Doosan Babcock Energy Ltd (co-ordinator) £204,722 E.ON UK (partner) £107,130 RWE UK (partner) £73,731 Cranfield University (partner) £538,328 National Physical Laboratory (partner) £171,266 Sulzer Metco (partner) £15,590 Monitor Coatings (partner) £163,585 Total grant £1,274,352 Project description The ASPECT project is concerned with the developments in materials necessary for the successful implementation of advanced coal-fired utility boiler technologies, with advanced steam conditions and high efficiencies, and fitted with CO2 capture and storage technologies. The reduction of greenhouse gas production from power generation is a key element of the British government's Carbon Abatement Technology strategy, and is a core priority of the Materials for Energy programme. The more arduous operating environments associated with the emerging Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) technologies and with biomass co-firing are of specific concern. Both the fireside and steam-side of the superheaters/reheater tubes, and the internal surfaces of the steam pipework will be subject to increased wastage rates, as both steam temperatures and pressures are increased in pursuit of the increased cycle efficiencies required to compensate for the efficiency penalties associated with CO2 capture technologies. The Surface Engineering of both the fireside and steam-side surfaces represents one of the preferred options for the mitigation of risks to the key high temperature boiler components. An existing project, funded through the former DTI Technology Programme (Modelling Fireside Corrosion of Heat Exchanger Materials in Advanced Energy Systems), which was completed in 2011, was concerned with the development of the modelling capability to predict the levels of damage that might be expected with the introduction of oxy-combustion and biomass co-firing in existing and new power station boilers. It became clear from the results of this work that there are significant concerns that the materials used in existing boilers, and those being specified for future plant may not be able to deliver the reliability expected from modern power station, principally due to the increased risks of excessive rates of fireside corrosion and steam side oxidation. One of the potential responses is to develop a new generation of protective coatings for key components. To be successful, the fireside coatings have to be suitable for in-situ application in boilers, for installation and repair purposes, while the steam-side coatings have to be applied before the installation of the boiler tubes, and should not cause problems with boiler component fabrication. This approach to the development of protective systems for protection against corrosion in large coal boilers is relatively novel. For the fireside, the emphasis is on the development of a portfolio of sprayable, particulate-based coating compositions and application technologies that can be used in-situ in either new build or retrofit applications, as well as for repair purposes. One of the key innovations here will be to investigate the use of ‘exothermic reaction synthesis’ (ERS) to consolidate coatings of appropriate thicknesses, following their application using cheap, low temperature spraying methods. For steam-side protection, the emphasis is on the development and testing of diffusion coating systems and application methods for the protection of the internal surfaces of boiler tubes and steam pipework. The key issue here is the development of cost-effective application methods for diffusion or slurry coatings, which can be used inside tubular components of many metres in length. The application will probably be after they have been formed into the required shapes, but prior to installation. These components will then be welded together during installation. The coating technology will have to be compatible with these operations both for new build applications and for replacement/repair in plant following periods of service The ASPECT Work Programme is divided into the following tasks: Task 1 Boiler Environments (led by Doosan Babcock Energy Ltd.) This task builds on the knowledge developed in the existing project on modelling corrosion in the fireside environment, and adds similar information for the range of steam-side environments in existing and advanced boilers. A key deliverable from this task is the definition of the components at greatest risk, the description of the metal wastage mechanisms and the specification of the required protective properties of the coatings. The proposed work in this task will also help to define in detail the more practical issues associated with the application and performance of the coatings. Task 2 Coating Design (led by Cranfield University) This task is aimed at building on corrosion data from existing coating compositions to identify the preferred compositions to resist the forms of attack on the fireside and steam-side, as defined in Task 1. For the fireside, this information will be combined with knowledge of the reactive elements required to drive the ERS process for the formulation of powders suitable for spraying the required coating composition. The required compositions will be produced by depositing surface layers on to existing powders using a new facility at Cranfield. Trials of coatings made from these powders will then take place to relate the powder compositions to the ‘fired’ coating compositions. For the steam-side, it is envisaged that existing coating chemistries which are expected to provide good oxidation resistance under the relevant conditions, will be used in vapour or slurry form. The basic characteristics of both types of coating in providing protection from fireside corrosion and stem side oxidation will be evaluated at laboratory scale. Task 3 Coating Application (led jointly by Sulzer Metco and Monitor Coatings) This task is focused on the application methods for both fireside and steam side protection. As indicated above, existing cold spraying methods are preferred for the fireside coatings. Sulzer Metco will develop these methods, within the constraints established for in-situ application in boilers. They will prepare test coupons for screening trials, and further coupons and sub-components for evaluation under Task 4, below. For the steam-side, the coating applications will be further developed by Monitor and coated coupons and test specimens will be prepared for the screening and performance trials. Task 4 Performance Trials and Benchmarking (led jointly by Cranfield and NPL) This task is intended to provide the critical performance data on the new fireside and steam-side coatings, and benchmark this performance against existing alloys and coatings. The metal wastage rate data and coating performance information will come from medium term, i.e. >1000 hour, laboratory tests to assess the coating behaviour under the ranges of expected fireside and steam-side environments, and the results of shorter term tests in pilot scale rigs. Task 5 Plant Trials (led jointly by E.ON and RWEnpower) The final technical task involves the performance of two validation trials in host coal power plants. These start in the final year of the project and run on past the end date. Work started in preparation for this at the beginning of year 2 of the project, leading on to the fabrication of the parts in the second half of year 2. Installation and execution of the trials took place in year 3/4. Task 6 Cost Benefit Analysis and Guidelines (led jointly by Sulzer Metco and Monitor) To assist the rapid deployment of these newly developed fireside and steam-side coatings, a technical and commercial guideline document on the coating technologies and their application, with a number of appropriate illustrative Case Studies, will be prepared. Task 7 Project Management, Dissemination and Exploitation (led by Doosan Babcock Energy Ltd.) Dissemination of the outcomes from the project to the global power generation market place is being pursued through a range of measures. These include the preparation of press releases and technical articles for appropriate publications, participation in relevant international conferences and, where appropriate, the direct organisation of awareness events.