Director’s Corner

by Brian Anderson, PhD.

Robust innovation, effective commercialization, exciting new research facilities and dynamic outreach were key milestones in the second quarter of 2019 with a host of NETL successes as evidence. For example:

• We joined Department of Energy leaders in Washington to formally launch a 10-year partnership with ExxonMobil and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) to advance low-emission energy technologies to commercial scales. The agreement represents a $100 million investment by ExxonMobil in technology development spearheaded by NETL and NREL.
• NETL announced that a leading -edge sensor technology developed in our Lab to enable flexible operation of gas-fired power plants took a big step toward commercialization with a partnership agreement with turbine manufacturer Solar Turbines Inc.
• The public learned about NETL-led research that offers groundbreaking insight into the mysteries of methane hydrate formation and behavior. The research represents an ability to conduct pore-scale observations in natural conditions for the first time ever. The data gleaned from this research will inform future efforts to produce clean, affordable and reliable energy from these abundant natural gas resources.
• Congressional leaders and DOE officials helped us dedicate a new Reaction Analysis and Chemical Transformation (ReACT) facility and showcase a $16.5 million upgrade to our Joule supercomputer. The ReACT facility pushes the boundaries of reaction science to boost efficiency, while Joule 2.0 enhances our computational work to deliver innovative energy technologies more quickly and at a reduced cost.
• NETL unleashed the power of microwaves to advance coal gasification technologies that are capable of providing cleaner and more affordable energy and valuable chemicals.
• An NETL research team was granted a patent for a new invention for rapid kick detection, which will help provide safer drilling operation and significant cost savings by providing real-time updates of downhole conditions to aid in maintaining control of oil or gas wells.
• NETL’s work with oxygen carrier technology is making waves in the alternative energy field by cutting costs, maximizing efficiency and mitigating environmental impacts associated with gasification technologies.
• We announced development of a new fiber-optic sensor system that can monitor vital natural gas pipelines from within to provide critical early detection of pipeline failures and maintain affordable, reliable energy for consumers.
• We hosted visits by U.S. Senators and members of the U.S. House of Representatives; sent researchers to key conferences and events all across America to highlight our achievements, share information and forge new partnerships; garnered numerous regional and national awards for commercialization successes; managed projects to help protect the nation’s electric grid from cyberattacks; forged new research partnerships with academia and private industry.

We celebrate these and many other Second Quarter highlights and look forward to even more progress throughout the remainder of 2019.