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Energy & Environmental Research Center

Energy & Environmental Research Center View largeDownload slide View largeDownload slide 1 History The Energy & Environmental Research Center (EERC), in Grand Forks, North Dakota, USA, was officially founded in 1951 as the Robertson Lignite Research Laboratory—a federal facility under the US Bureau of Mines. However, the EERC’s roots date back to the 1890s when Earl Babcock, a chemistry professor at the University of North Dakota (UND), began studying the vast lignite coal resources of the state of North Dakota and investigating potential uses for them. The work of Babcock and others at UND led to the establishment of a US Bureau of Mines laboratory at the university and, in 1951, to the facility that is today the EERC. The Center became a federal energy technology centre under the US Department of Energy (DOE) in 1977 and was defederalized in 1983, at which time it became part of UND. Since its defederalization, the EERC, which operates as a business unit of UND, has evolved to conduct research on all fossil fuels, as well as renewable and alternative fuels, and has become a world leader in the field of pollution prevention and environmental cleanup technologies. 2 Mission The EERC is a unique organization dedicated to providing practical, pioneering solutions to the world’s energy and environmental challenges. We accomplish this mission through: our people—an extraordinary team of scientists, engineers and support staff who work together across disciplines and, with our state-of-the-art facilities and capabilities, are the foundation of our organization and sought after worldwide; our partnerships—a rich history of trusted, dynamic working relationships with industry, government and research entities throughout the world, the clients we serve; our priorities—unparalleled responsiveness to critical global issues and the organizations with which we partner and recognition as a progressive global leader working to make the world a better place in which to live. The EERC has worked with over 1300 clients in all 50 US states and 53 countries. Its multidisciplinary staff of about 200 has expertise in a broad spectrum of energy and environmental programmes, including over 60 years of research on fuel properties and variability; gasification processes; fuel ash-related impacts; synthetic fuels from coal and biomass; CO2 sequestration; the fate of pollutants including Hg, particulate and acid gases; Hg sampling, measurement and speciation; development, demonstration and commercialization of combustion and environmental control systems; conducting field testing and demonstrations; and advanced analysis of materials. 3 Major projects 3.1 Intelligent Pipeline Integrity Program The Intelligent Pipeline Integrity Program (iPIPE) is an industry-led consortium whose focus is to contribute to the advancement of near-commercial, emerging technologies to prevent and detect leaks from gathering pipelines (Fig. 1). The programme is a direct response to North Dakota Governor Burgum’s May 2017 challenge to industry to think outside the box and apply new technology to address the challenge of eliminating pipeline leaks. iPIPE was recognized by the American Petroleum Institute with its Industry Innovation award. For more information on iPIPE, visit www.ipipepartnership.com. Fig. 1. View largeDownload slide Principal Engineer Jay Almlie discusses the iPIPE partnership Fig. 1. View largeDownload slide Principal Engineer Jay Almlie discusses the iPIPE partnership 3.2 Plains CO2 Reduction Partnership Established in 2003, the Plains CO2 Reduction (PCOR) Partnership is one of seven Regional Carbon Sequestration Partnerships awarded by DOE. The partnership is led by the EERC. With over 120 public- and private-sector stakeholders, it is laying the groundwork for the permanent, safe and practical underground storage of carbon dioxide from industrial facilities in the PCOR Partnership region. This region includes all or part of nine states and four Canadian provinces. For more information on the PCOR Partnership, visit www.undeerc.org/PCOR. 3.3 North Dakota CarbonSAFE The North Dakota Integrated Carbon Capture and Storage Feasibility Study—North Dakota CarbonSAFE for short—is assessing the feasibility of commercial-scale geologic storage of carbon dioxide to manage CO2 emissions captured from coal-based energy facilities. The project is part of an ongoing effort to ensure clean, affordable energy and the wise use of North Dakota’s resources. The North Dakota project is one of 16 projects funded under DOE’s CarbonSAFE initiative. DOE’s CarbonSAFE initiative supports projects that address key research in the path towards the deployment of carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS) technologies, including the development of safe, commercial-scale geologic storage sites for CO2. For more information on North Dakota CarbonSAFE, visit www.undeerc.org/PCOR/CO2SequestrationProjects/NDCarbonSafe.aspx. 3.4 Bakken Production Optimization Program The goal of the Bakken Production Optimization Program (BPOP) is to improve Bakken system oil recovery and reduce its environmental footprint. Led by the EERC, the highly successful programme is funded by its members and the North Dakota Industrial Commission (NDIC). The research programme is an exemplary model demonstrating that state lawmakers, state regulators and industry can work together for positive results for shareholders and taxpayers alike. The results of the programme have increased well productivity and the economic output of North Dakota’s oil and gas resources, decreased environmental impacts of wellsite operations and reduced the demand for infrastructure construction and maintenance. For more information on BPOP, visit www.undeerc.org/Bakken/Default.aspx. 3.5 CO2 capture and storage Project Carbon will enable CCUS projects to move forward in the state of North Dakota by determining the best capture technology options and system configurations for an existing North Dakota lignite-fired system (Fig. 2). This project will assess the final barriers relating to efficiency and economics for implementation of postcombustion capture on the existing fleet of power systems. Project Carbon is a partnership between the EERC, Minnkota Power Cooperative, BNI Energy, NDIC, DOE, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and Burns & McDonnell. Fig. 2. View largeDownload slide Testing carbon capture from lignite-fired coal combustion systems Fig. 2. View largeDownload slide Testing carbon capture from lignite-fired coal combustion systems 3.6 CO2 storage from ethanol Red Trail Energy (RTE), which owns an ethanol plant near Richardton, North Dakota, and the EERC began investigating CCUS as a way to reduce the carbon-dioxide emissions associated with ethanol production. Reducing emissions at an ethanol facility makes the produced fuel more valuable to states that have low-carbon fuel programmes, such as California, and could qualify for federal tax credits for capturing and storing CO2 in deep geologic formations. In partnership with NDIC through the North Dakota Renewable Energy Program and with DOE, research has been ongoing since 2016. The preliminary technical and economic feasibility of CCUS technology with ethanol production has been successfully demonstrated for the RTE site in previous phases, and current activities are focused on facilities design, geologic characterization and public outreach. 3.7 Low-pressure electrolytic ammonia production technology development project The goal of this project is to develop a low-pressure electrolytic ammonia (LPEA) production process that enables commercially competitive ammonia production in small-scale plants powered by renewable and/or lower-cost off-peak electricity generated at coal/gas-fired utilities. Following successful project completion, the next step is a LPEA pilot-scale demonstration at a North Dakota utility, wind farm or other appropriate site. Partners in the project are DOE’s Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy Advanced Manufacturing Office (AMO), NDIC Renewable Energy Program, North Dakota State University Mechanical Engineering Department, UND Chemistry Department and Proton OnSite (Wallingford, CT). 3.8 Renewable jet propulsion—advanced fuel and refining technology Our renewable jet propulsion (JPx) technology converts natural oils and natural oil derivatives into 100% fungible aviation kerosene meeting JP-8, JP-5 and other fuel specifications. These ‘drop-in’ jet turbine fuels can directly supplement or replace petroleum-derived kerosene (Fig. 3). JPx fuels are ultraclean burning and have a low carbon footprint. The JPx technology is unique in that it can be easily tailored to produce the next generation of turbine fuels for high-performance applications. It also provides a solution for refineries that have a need for upgrading conventional and synthetic fuels. Fig. 3. View largeDownload slide Biofuels development at EERC Fig. 3. View largeDownload slide Biofuels development at EERC © The Author(s) 2019. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of National Institute of Clean-and-Low-Carbon Energy This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits non-commercial re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. For commercial re-use, please contact journals.permissions@oup.com http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Clean Energy Oxford University Press

Energy & Environmental Research Center

Clean Energy , Volume 3 (2): 4 – May 25, 2019
4 pages

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Publisher
Oxford University Press
Copyright
© The Author(s) 2019. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of National Institute of Clean-and-Low-Carbon Energy
ISSN
2515-4230
eISSN
2515-396X
DOI
10.1093/ce/zkz005
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

View largeDownload slide View largeDownload slide 1 History The Energy & Environmental Research Center (EERC), in Grand Forks, North Dakota, USA, was officially founded in 1951 as the Robertson Lignite Research Laboratory—a federal facility under the US Bureau of Mines. However, the EERC’s roots date back to the 1890s when Earl Babcock, a chemistry professor at the University of North Dakota (UND), began studying the vast lignite coal resources of the state of North Dakota and investigating potential uses for them. The work of Babcock and others at UND led to the establishment of a US Bureau of Mines laboratory at the university and, in 1951, to the facility that is today the EERC. The Center became a federal energy technology centre under the US Department of Energy (DOE) in 1977 and was defederalized in 1983, at which time it became part of UND. Since its defederalization, the EERC, which operates as a business unit of UND, has evolved to conduct research on all fossil fuels, as well as renewable and alternative fuels, and has become a world leader in the field of pollution prevention and environmental cleanup technologies. 2 Mission The EERC is a unique organization dedicated to providing practical, pioneering solutions to the world’s energy and environmental challenges. We accomplish this mission through: our people—an extraordinary team of scientists, engineers and support staff who work together across disciplines and, with our state-of-the-art facilities and capabilities, are the foundation of our organization and sought after worldwide; our partnerships—a rich history of trusted, dynamic working relationships with industry, government and research entities throughout the world, the clients we serve; our priorities—unparalleled responsiveness to critical global issues and the organizations with which we partner and recognition as a progressive global leader working to make the world a better place in which to live. The EERC has worked with over 1300 clients in all 50 US states and 53 countries. Its multidisciplinary staff of about 200 has expertise in a broad spectrum of energy and environmental programmes, including over 60 years of research on fuel properties and variability; gasification processes; fuel ash-related impacts; synthetic fuels from coal and biomass; CO2 sequestration; the fate of pollutants including Hg, particulate and acid gases; Hg sampling, measurement and speciation; development, demonstration and commercialization of combustion and environmental control systems; conducting field testing and demonstrations; and advanced analysis of materials. 3 Major projects 3.1 Intelligent Pipeline Integrity Program The Intelligent Pipeline Integrity Program (iPIPE) is an industry-led consortium whose focus is to contribute to the advancement of near-commercial, emerging technologies to prevent and detect leaks from gathering pipelines (Fig. 1). The programme is a direct response to North Dakota Governor Burgum’s May 2017 challenge to industry to think outside the box and apply new technology to address the challenge of eliminating pipeline leaks. iPIPE was recognized by the American Petroleum Institute with its Industry Innovation award. For more information on iPIPE, visit www.ipipepartnership.com. Fig. 1. View largeDownload slide Principal Engineer Jay Almlie discusses the iPIPE partnership Fig. 1. View largeDownload slide Principal Engineer Jay Almlie discusses the iPIPE partnership 3.2 Plains CO2 Reduction Partnership Established in 2003, the Plains CO2 Reduction (PCOR) Partnership is one of seven Regional Carbon Sequestration Partnerships awarded by DOE. The partnership is led by the EERC. With over 120 public- and private-sector stakeholders, it is laying the groundwork for the permanent, safe and practical underground storage of carbon dioxide from industrial facilities in the PCOR Partnership region. This region includes all or part of nine states and four Canadian provinces. For more information on the PCOR Partnership, visit www.undeerc.org/PCOR. 3.3 North Dakota CarbonSAFE The North Dakota Integrated Carbon Capture and Storage Feasibility Study—North Dakota CarbonSAFE for short—is assessing the feasibility of commercial-scale geologic storage of carbon dioxide to manage CO2 emissions captured from coal-based energy facilities. The project is part of an ongoing effort to ensure clean, affordable energy and the wise use of North Dakota’s resources. The North Dakota project is one of 16 projects funded under DOE’s CarbonSAFE initiative. DOE’s CarbonSAFE initiative supports projects that address key research in the path towards the deployment of carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS) technologies, including the development of safe, commercial-scale geologic storage sites for CO2. For more information on North Dakota CarbonSAFE, visit www.undeerc.org/PCOR/CO2SequestrationProjects/NDCarbonSafe.aspx. 3.4 Bakken Production Optimization Program The goal of the Bakken Production Optimization Program (BPOP) is to improve Bakken system oil recovery and reduce its environmental footprint. Led by the EERC, the highly successful programme is funded by its members and the North Dakota Industrial Commission (NDIC). The research programme is an exemplary model demonstrating that state lawmakers, state regulators and industry can work together for positive results for shareholders and taxpayers alike. The results of the programme have increased well productivity and the economic output of North Dakota’s oil and gas resources, decreased environmental impacts of wellsite operations and reduced the demand for infrastructure construction and maintenance. For more information on BPOP, visit www.undeerc.org/Bakken/Default.aspx. 3.5 CO2 capture and storage Project Carbon will enable CCUS projects to move forward in the state of North Dakota by determining the best capture technology options and system configurations for an existing North Dakota lignite-fired system (Fig. 2). This project will assess the final barriers relating to efficiency and economics for implementation of postcombustion capture on the existing fleet of power systems. Project Carbon is a partnership between the EERC, Minnkota Power Cooperative, BNI Energy, NDIC, DOE, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and Burns & McDonnell. Fig. 2. View largeDownload slide Testing carbon capture from lignite-fired coal combustion systems Fig. 2. View largeDownload slide Testing carbon capture from lignite-fired coal combustion systems 3.6 CO2 storage from ethanol Red Trail Energy (RTE), which owns an ethanol plant near Richardton, North Dakota, and the EERC began investigating CCUS as a way to reduce the carbon-dioxide emissions associated with ethanol production. Reducing emissions at an ethanol facility makes the produced fuel more valuable to states that have low-carbon fuel programmes, such as California, and could qualify for federal tax credits for capturing and storing CO2 in deep geologic formations. In partnership with NDIC through the North Dakota Renewable Energy Program and with DOE, research has been ongoing since 2016. The preliminary technical and economic feasibility of CCUS technology with ethanol production has been successfully demonstrated for the RTE site in previous phases, and current activities are focused on facilities design, geologic characterization and public outreach. 3.7 Low-pressure electrolytic ammonia production technology development project The goal of this project is to develop a low-pressure electrolytic ammonia (LPEA) production process that enables commercially competitive ammonia production in small-scale plants powered by renewable and/or lower-cost off-peak electricity generated at coal/gas-fired utilities. Following successful project completion, the next step is a LPEA pilot-scale demonstration at a North Dakota utility, wind farm or other appropriate site. Partners in the project are DOE’s Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy Advanced Manufacturing Office (AMO), NDIC Renewable Energy Program, North Dakota State University Mechanical Engineering Department, UND Chemistry Department and Proton OnSite (Wallingford, CT). 3.8 Renewable jet propulsion—advanced fuel and refining technology Our renewable jet propulsion (JPx) technology converts natural oils and natural oil derivatives into 100% fungible aviation kerosene meeting JP-8, JP-5 and other fuel specifications. These ‘drop-in’ jet turbine fuels can directly supplement or replace petroleum-derived kerosene (Fig. 3). JPx fuels are ultraclean burning and have a low carbon footprint. The JPx technology is unique in that it can be easily tailored to produce the next generation of turbine fuels for high-performance applications. It also provides a solution for refineries that have a need for upgrading conventional and synthetic fuels. Fig. 3. View largeDownload slide Biofuels development at EERC Fig. 3. View largeDownload slide Biofuels development at EERC © The Author(s) 2019. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of National Institute of Clean-and-Low-Carbon Energy This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits non-commercial re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. For commercial re-use, please contact journals.permissions@oup.com

Journal

Clean EnergyOxford University Press

Published: May 25, 2019

There are no references for this article.