Last year the PLM Green Global Alliance was excited to speak with PLM solution providers SAP, Autodesk, Dassault Systems, Sustaira, Aras, and PTC to learn about them and their customers’ contributions to sustainability. This year we were equally enthused to meet with CIMdata’s Mark Reisig in a wide-ranging conversation about sustainability, climate change and green energy.
Tag Archives: Green Energy Resource
Hydrogen Electric Powered Regional Jets
This green aviation example from Aviation Week describes how “proponents of hydrogen-electric propulsion are pushing deeper into short-haul air transportation with deals that could see the conversion of large turboprops and regional jets and the first zero-emissions commercial passenger flights with smaller aircraft as soon as 2024.”
The article goes on to report that “Startup ZeroAvia has announced an agreement with Alaska Air Group to develop a hydrogen-electric powertrain for the 76-seat De Havilland Canada Dash 8-400. Another with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries’ RJ Aviation (MHIRJ) division will evaluate conversion of the Bombardier-built CRJ regional jet family.”
ZeroAvia CEO Val Miftakhov is quoted saying “We believe that in the future almost every aircraft in the world will be powered by hydrogen-electric engines, simply because it is the most viable and scalable method for eliminating carbon and also to cut other harmful emissions from the aviation sector.”
Read more HERE.
Battery Modeling from COMSOL
As more products, industries and economies become electrified to meet greenhouse gas emission goals, the performance of batteries and sustainability of their production is becoming increasing important. Engineering.com has published a new white paper on battery modeling using multiphysics simulation software from CAE solution provider COMSOL.
The authors write that “Modeling and simulation are crucial for understanding the factors that determine a good battery cell design for a specific application, from the electrodes, electrolyte, separator, and current collectors in a battery cell to processes at the molecular, microscopic, battery module, and battery stack scales. Learn about the chemistries, physics, and design variables that need to be considered in battery design.”
Learn more about the CAE analysis of battery performance by downloading the white paper HERE.
Net Zero by 2050 from IEA
The International Energy Agency has published a new report “Net Zero by 2050: A Roadmap for the Global Energy Sector.”
The authors write in their introduction that “The number of countries announcing pledges to achieve net-zero emissions over the coming decades continues to grow. But the pledges by governments to date – even if fully achieved – fall well short of what is required to bring global energy-related carbon dioxide emissions to net zero by 2050 and give the world an even chance of limiting the global temperature rise to 1.5 °C.”
“This special report is the world’s first comprehensive study of how to transition to a net zero energy system by 2050 while ensuring stable and affordable energy supplies, providing universal energy access, and enabling robust economic growth. It sets out a cost-effective and economically productive pathway, resulting in a clean, dynamic and resilient energy economy dominated by renewables like solar and wind instead of fossil fuels. The report also examines key uncertainties, such as the roles of bioenergy, carbon capture and behavioural changes in reaching net zero.”
The report may be downloaded HERE.
Hydrogen Powered Regional Aircraft from ZeroAvia
“Propelling their mission towards delivering airlines zero-carbon, hydrogen-fueled flight, ZeroAvia is launching the development program for a 2MW hydrogen-electric powertrain for full-size regional aircraft. The program kick-off is supported by a new raise of $24.3 million, led by Horizons Ventures, joined by a new investor British Airways. Existing investors Breakthrough Energy Ventures, Ecosystem Integrity Fund, Summa Equity, Shell Ventures, and SYSTEMIQ also participated in the financing.”
Image from ZeroAvia at https://www.zeroavia.com/
“This new round accelerates the larger hydrogen-electric engine development for the 50+ seat aircraft and supports additional commercial airlines initiatives to adopt hydrogen in aviation. Today’s announcement brings the company’s total private investment to over $53 million and the total funding raised since inception to nearly $74 million.”
Learn more about the use of hydrogen to power aircraft and reduce CO2 emissions at https://www.zeroavia.com/press-release-series-a4-funding.
European Green Hydrogen Infrastructure
PLM Green Moderator Bjorn Fidjeland shares good news about a consortium to develop a green energy hydrogen infrastructure in this European news release about: “The seven companies in the GET H2 initiative are working to facilitate green hydrogen in refineries, steel production and other industrial uses, which could reduce 16m tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by 2030.
The project would convert existing gas pipelines to transport hydrogen, connecting the German sites of Lingen in Emsland, Gelsenkirchen and Salzgitter near the Dutch border in stages between 2024 and 2030.
Partners alongside Evonik include BP, German gas suppliers OGE, Nowega, and Thyssengas, multinational electricity firm RWE, German steel subsidiary Salzgitter Flachstahl.”
Read more about this substantial green energy project at https://www.icis.com/explore/resources/news/2021/03/09/10615286/germany-s-evonik-in-consortium-to-create-pan-european-green-hydrogen-infrastructure .
European Green Digital Coalition Launched
Members of the new European Green Digital Coalition (EGDC) are committing to establish science-based targets for reducing GHG by 2030 and to become climate neutral or net-zero no later than 2040. Announced by the European Commission: “The CEOs of 26 European companies have signed a Declaration to support the Green and Digital Transformation of the EU. They have formed a European Green Digital Coalition, committing on behalf of their companies to take action in the following areas:
- To invest in the development and deployment of greener digital technologies & services that are more energy and material efficient,
- Develop methods and tools to measure the net impact of green digital technologies on the environment and climate by joining forces with NGOs and relevant expert organisations, and
- Co-create with representatives of others sectors recommendations and guidelines for green digital transformation of these sectors that benefits environment, society and economy.
The European Green Digital Coalition will help not only the tech sector to become more sustainable, circular and a zero polluter, but also to support sustainability goals of other priority sectors such as energy, transport, agriculture, and construction while contributing to an innovative, inclusive and resilient society. Its members will work closely with the European Commission and others to deliver on their commitments and will report regularly on progress made. In 2022, the first available results and progress reports will be presented. 45 SMEs and startups support the European Green Digital Coalition and many will take the sustainability commitments to join in the near future.”
Learn more why European business leaders think that climate change and environmental degradation represents an existential threat at https://ec.europa.eu/digital-single-market/en/news/companies-take-action-support-green-and-digital-transformation-eu.
Resourcing the Energy Transition
PLM Green Alliance moderator Bjorn Fidjeland recommends reading the KPMG report on “Resourcing the energy transition: making the world go round” which explores the transition to renewable energy, a growing dependence on natural resources other than oil, and the crucial link to the circular economy.
From the KPMG website “A net-zero world is dependent upon renewable energies to replace traditional power sources…. But there is a threat to supplies of the mined mineral and metals that drive these green technologies. In our latest report, Resourcing the energy transition: Making the world go round, we explain how the circular economy can help address these challenges. Reusing, recycling and repurposing metals and materials can contribute to surety of supply, and potentially reduce waste, pollution and carbon emissions by minimizing the need for extraction.”
The graph below, produced by KPMG in the report, on the supply country of origin and uses of rare earth minerals for green energy capture, distribution and storage is especially informative if not somewhat worrisome.
Read more and download the report from KPMG HERE.
Digital Twins for Hydroelectric Power from Akselos
This green energy case study from Akselos profiles the use of Digital Twin modeling and CAE simulation in hydroelectric power generation that uses pumped storage where a reservoir is filled with water at times of excess power availability. Read more details HERE.
Riversimple and Siemens Collaborate on Hydrogen Vehicle Production
Riversimple and Siemens have begun collaborating towards sustainability and circular economy in the auto industry by preparing for the manufacture of Riversimple’s new hydrogen powered electric vehicle, the Rasa. Read more HERE.
Minesto and TECHNIA Collaborate to Develop Renewable Energy
This green energy example from the PLM solution provider TECHNIA illustrates the application of PLM technologies, like those available from their partner Dassault Systemes, to develop renewable energy from ocean and tidal currents. Read more HERE.
Floating Wind Turbines Buoy Hopes of Expanding Renewable Energy
This Wall Street Journal article Floating Wind Turbines Buoy Hopes of Expanding Renewable Energy looks at offshore wind farms that no longer need to be embedded in the seafloor but can float in deeper waters.
Greenhous Gas Emissions by Sector
The data from Our World in Data is a useful resource about the source of Greenhouse Gases (GHG) emissions by sector of the economy, and thus where PLM technologies may have the most value.