The September 2021 edition of the SSAE Newsletter provides updates about recent research initiatives undertaken within NETL’s Strategic Systems Analysis and Engineering (SSAE) directorate. Click here to access this month’s newsletter and learn about activities that SSAE is leading to gain insights into new energy concepts, support the analysis of energy system interactions and advance its capabilities. This month’s edition highlights:

NETL Director Brian Anderson, Ph.D., who also serves as executive director of the Interagency Working Group (IWG) on Coal & Power Plant Communities & Economic Revitalization, will deliver a keynote address when the Marshall Plan for Middle America holds its Kick-Off Summit on Sept. 27-28 and Oct. 4-5. Anderson will discuss “Energy Transition in America: A Whole-of-Government Approach” during his remarks at 2:25 p.m. ET on Tuesday, Sept. 28. Joining Anderson at the summit will be Briggs White, Ph.D., advisor to the Office of the Director, NETL, and deputy executive director for the IWG.

NETL Director Brian Anderson, Ph.D. joined the Lab’s carbon capture technology manager, Dan Hancu, Ph.D. at the 2021 International Pittsburgh Coal Conference (PCC) to discuss how to cost-effectively implement carbon capture and storage technologies to support the deep decarbonization of the power industry. “The future will be a balancing act between carbon management and responsibly leveraging our nation’s vast resources, and with the right technology and teamwork, there’s nothing we can’t accomplish,” said NETL Director Brian Anderson, who served as a plenary speaker during the conference. “With our facilities in Pittsburgh and Morgantown in the heart of energy-rich Appalachia, NETL committed to finding ways to power the future without carbon emissions while ensuring the power plant communities that kept the lights on for so long aren’t left behind and can rely on good paying jobs in our nation’s energy sector.”

Richard Dennis, whose professional accomplishments at NETL span 35 years, is serving as a key organizer and technical review co-chair for the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Advanced Manufacturing & Repair for Gas Turbines Symposium, a virtual event to be held event Oct. 5-8, 2021.

The September 2021 edition of RWFI E-Note Monthly, the newsletter of NETL’s Regional Workforce Initiative, highlights how communities can apply for funds to recover from the coronavirus pandemic and build economic diversity and resiliency to mitigate impacts during future economic challenges. This month’s newsletter also outlines how to submit proposals to fund innovative projects to reclaim land after mining operations have ceased and develop training programs in brownfield assessment and cleanup.

In June 2021, the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management announced up to $6.75 million in funding for the Subsurface Hydrogen Assessment, Storage, and Technology Acceleration (SHASTA) project, which will leverage the unique capabilities and demonstrated expertise of NETL, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) to determine the viability, safety, and reliability of storing pure hydrogen and challenges associated with hydrogen/natural gas blends in subsurface environments.

A new superalloy, developed by Haynes International and tested by a collaborative effort led by NETL, has received American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) approval for use in the next generation of power plants that will operate with enhanced efficiency and produce fewer greenhouse gas emissions. The ASME, whose code and standards are regarded as the world’s leading set of rules for the design of pressure equipment, approved the nickel-based superalloy for use in boilers, fired heaters, pressure vessels and other key components at conditions of up to 875 degrees Celsius (1,607 degrees Fahrenheit), which covers maximum anticipated operating conditions of Advanced Ultra-Supercritical (AUSC) plus carbon dioxide (CO2) capture power plants. Across much of the U.S. and in more than 100 countries, the ASME code stamp is required for boiler and pressure vessel installations and is a mandatory requirement of many insurance companies.

As part of NETL’s continued efforts to advance net-negative carbon emission technologies, the Lab has embarked on several projects to study gasification systems capable of cleanly and affordably producing hydrogen, a versatile fuel and chemical precursor that will enable U.S. energy security and resiliency and provide economic value and environmental benefits for diverse applications across multiple sectors. NETL is working with partners Auburn University, the Electric Power Research Institute, the University of Kentucky Research Foundation and the University of Utah to conduct lab-scale investigations into how co-gasification of waste plastics and other diverse waste feedstocks such as biomasses affect gasifier hardware and gasification processes. These investigations will yield valuable data to inform future upscaling efforts that could provide a pathway to decarbonized energy systems.

Today, the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management (FECM) announced up to $3 million in funding for four national public power associations to help increase regional and state-level engagement in DOE’s emerging carbon management work and advance energy storage technologies at U.S. power generation facilities. The cooperative agreements issued with these awards will support the development of tools, educational resources and training in long-term planning and policy analysis to improve the conditions of frontline communities impacted by the legacy of fossil fuel use and support a healthy transition to a clean energy economy. DOE’s National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) will serve as the contracting authority for the cooperative agreements and will manage the following awards:

NETL’s José Figueroa, supervisor, Carbon Capture Team, has received the Great Minds in STEM™ (GMiS) Hispanic Engineer National Achievement Award for advancing projects critical to the success of U.S. decarbonization efforts while serving as an exemplary professional who is helping to ensure a talented and diverse pipeline of researchers for the future. Figueroa will be recognized as a Luminary Honoree by the GMiS Hispanic Engineer National Achievement Awards Corporation at the 33rd annual GMiS Conference, which will be held virtually Oct. 11-22.