Here are three items that caught my eye.
An SMR serving as a CHP plant has achieved a regulatory milestone
Oregon has a new solar and battery rebate program, will sell out fast
EV battery swap stations in China are numerous. More are being added.
1. Licensing milestone for Texas SMR plant
Source: World Nuclear News
The location is Dow’s Seadrift site in Texas. The site has nine production plants on 4700 acres. It produces 4 billion pounds of chemical products and plastics used as feedstocks in other processes. There is an existing natural gas-fueled CHP plant of approximately 156 MWe.
The new set of four 80 MWe units will have a combined rated output of 320 MWe.
For both technologies, natural gas and nuclear, the thermal heat energy is more than the electric energy generated.
Link: Texas SMR CHP plant
Quote:
“Long Mott Generating Station is tipped to be the first grid-scale advanced nuclear reactor deployed to serve an industrial site in North America. The Xe-100 units are engineered to operate as a single 80MW electric unit, and are optimised as a four-unit plant delivering 320 MWe: the reactor can provide baseload power to an electricity system or support industrial applications with 200 MW thermal output per unit of high-pressure, high-temperature steam.
Dow is one of several tech giants and other major energy users to have signed the Large Energy End Users Pledge, supporting the goal of at least tripling nuclear energy by 2050.”
2. Oregon’s solar and battery rebate program opens soon. Funds may go fast
Source: Oregon Public Broadcasting
The State of Oregon is providing incentive money for residential solar and battery installations. The money will go fast!
Link: Oregon solar incentive article
Quote:
“Qualifying projects include new solar installations, new solar installations that include a battery storage system, or battery storage systems added to an existing solar installation.
In all, Headley said the agency expects to issue up to 350 rebates, and he hopes that people pursue the battery rebates.
Duard Headley is the Energy Incentives Manager at the Oregon Department of Energy.”
3. China launches first battery-swap truck network with 120-second recharge system
Source: Interesting engineering
Multiple battery-swap systems are in use already. This announcement involves a leading battery manufacturer and a truck-using delivery company.
With a battery swap the vehicle can be back on the road quickly. The batteries can be charged any time, and especially valuable feature when energy prices vary throughout the day.
Link: Battery-swap article
Quote:
“According to the company, over an eight-year vehicle life cycle, the system can save more than 2,000 hours of refueling time. CATL also said the energy replenishment cost is approximately half that of a conventional fuel-powered light truck.”
