A First-Ever Commercial Plant Extracting Carbon from Air

Heirloom Carbon Technologies has opened the first commercial carbon capture plant in the U.S. This key moment presages the start of what is widely expected to be an important new industry whose entire purpose is preventing the carbon emissions released by burning fossil fuels from destroying life on our planet.

Brad Plumer, writing in the New York Times, provides the details of this very small demonstration plant built in Tracy, California. It's an open air structure, with 40-foot racks holding hundreds of trays, each sprinkled with calcium oxide powder that turns into limestone when it binds with airborne carbon dioxide. This is a natural process that Heirloom is working to speed up.

Once the carbon dioxide is "captured" through the creation of the limestone, the company expects to heat up the limestone in a kiln at 1,650 degrees Fahrenheit, which then releases the carbon dioxide, where it then gets pumpted in a storage tank, leaving the calcium oxide to be returned and reused on another set of trays.

The carbon dioxide (called CO2) is expected to be transferred again to be permanently stored. For now, Heirloom is looking at the large concrete marketplace and working with CarbonCure, a company that was launched to mix CO2 into concrete to make concrete stronger by having it turn into limestone again where it will be permanently stored and reduce the carbon footprint of concrete (which ordinarily releases a lot of carbon emissions through its normal creation and use throughout the building industry).

Providing CO2 to CarbonCure has a value for sure but for now, that value is far below the costs of capturing the carbon. Let's look at what these economics are now. The Tracy facility will be able to absorb 1,000 tons of CO2 per year. At the estimated $50/tonne "social cost" of carbon, the Heirloom facility would earn $50,000 per year. Although Heirloom hasn't released info on its specific costs, those funding breakthrough carbon capture activity, such as Frontier (which includes Stripe, Alphabet, Shopify, Meta and McKinsey Sustainability), are typically paying between $500 and $2,500 per ton to accelerate innovation and market development. These high prices are intended to generate sufficient revenue for these early-stage ventures to actually cover their costs. At $1000/ton, Heirloom could earn $1,000,000 per year. However, Plumer estimates that Heirloom's actually costs may be in the range of $600 per ton or higher.

Fortunately for Heirloom and other ventures working in this space, there are a lot of large corporations willing to spend millions to pay for "carbon removal credits" in what has been a voluntary carbon market to effectively be able to claim that they are reducing their carbon footprints. These corporations see reputational benefits from those outlays, even if they do not result in even meaningful actual carbon reductions at this stage. The Biden Administration is also getting into the act and awarded $1.2 billion to help Heirloom

The Heirloom carbon capture plant in Tracy, California

Many people still don't know much about carbon capture and storage, or what has been called "Carbon Capture, Utilization and Sequestration" (CCUS). There are a multitude of approaches being taken to capture carbon and, as a result, a plethora of acronyms have emerged. The approach used by Heirloom is now called Direct Air Capture (DAC) and specifically involve capturing CO2 out of the air but other approaches are simply called Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) and utilize a range of methods to bind that CO2 in a semi-permanent or permanent way, such as through marine-based CDR or natural processes such increasing the CO2 content in soils or accelerating the use of CO2 by plants, such as by growing crops or trees with the intention of having them capture the CO2.

Utilization of CO2 involves finding valuable ways to use that CO2 or just the carbon (C) from captured CO2. Ventures working on the utilization part of this process pose the prospects of having profitable business models. Nucleation Capital, as a climate-focused venture fund, recognizes that CCUS is a growth industry that is anticipated to become a large consumer of energy. We are following the activity in this nascent space and we are investing in some of the most promising approaches, especially where that approach has strong profit and growth prospects or where it intersects with the need for abundant clean energy. While knowing all the acronyms isn't critical, there are a few key things to know about CCUS in general.

Key Facts to Know about CO2 and Carbon Capture, Utilization & Sequestration

While CO2 itself is natural and not toxic (except in high doses), the enormous amount that we have polluted our atmosphere with by burning fossil fuels for energy is causing our climate to warm up at a very fast rate. We need CCUS in order to lessen and possibly reverse the rate of warming, so we can restore a healthy climate.
All technological approaches to capturing carbon back out of the air or water are expensive and early stage. So are the approaches to carbon utilization and sequestration (i.e. methods to utilize and/or store the carbon so it doesn't get released back into the atmosphere).
To stop making our climate crisis worse, we have to stop burning fossil fuels, as our highest priority mitigation effort. While some might think that capturing the carbon emitted from burning fossil fuels right at the point source may warrant continuing to burn fossil fuels, that will not enable us to use carbon capture to restore the damage already done, which is the primary rationale for CCUS.
Even if we stopped burning fossil fuels today, the amount of damage the long-lived CO2 pollution is causing the world will continue to heat the planet for decades or centuries. The only way to prevent that is by removing this excess CO2 pollution.
Today, there are only a handful of dedicated carbon capture plants in existence globally but, to prevent serious damage to earth ecosystems, we will need to scale up these plants in record time to be able to reverse most of the emissions produced by the fossil fuel industry in its entire history. We will also need to scale utilization and sequestration capabilities.
The cost of cleaning up all of the emissions caused by our past use of fossil fuels will be enormous and we haven't come to any agreement as to who bears that burden. Some of that cost can be mitigated with valuable commercial utilization technologies.
Powering CCUS plants will require massive amounts of low-carbon clean energy because it makes no sense to emit carbon in the process of capturing carbon. The best and least-cost approach will likely involve using the coming generation of small modular reactors to generate 24x7 power in remote areas.
The cost of clean energy used to capture and sequester carbon will be a significant factor in the total cost of that activity but powering CCUS can help SMRs scale up, which will help reduce the manufacturing costs.
There is no scenario in which the cost of burning fossil fuels and capturing all the CO2 from that activity and permanently storing it will cost less than replacing the fossil fuels with renewables or nuclear and avoiding the release of new emissions in the first place.
Fossil fuel companies are already lobbying to earn carbon credits by pairing carbon capture with the extraction and burning of fossil fuels. This is why some environmentalists, like Al Gore, oppose providing funding for CCUS to oil and gas companies, even though the most cost-effective CO2 capture is done at or close to the fossil fuel smokestack source point.

Read more in the New York Times, "In a U.S. First, a Commercial Plant Starts Pulling Carbon From the Air," by Brad Plumer, November 9, 2023.

Learn more about Frontier a consortium that is providing advance market commitments (AMC) that aim to accelerate the development of carbon removal technologies, without picking winning technologies at the start of the innovation cycle. The goal is to send a strong demand signal to researchers, entrepreneurs, and investors that there is a growing market for these technologies.

The 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law included $3.5 billion to fund the construction of four commercial-scale direct air capture plants. In August, the Biden Adminstration announced $1.2 billion in awards for the first two, one to be built by Battelle in Louisiana and the other to be built by Occidental Petroleum, in Texas, through a 50-50 cost share.

Published by Nucleation Capital in Advanced Nuclear, Carbon emissions, Carbon markets, Carbon negative, Climate change, Climate policy, Construction costs, Government support, History Timeline, History-making, Investor activity, LINKS, Private companies, Solving climate, US competitiveness, US technological leadership

November 3, 2023

Spain’s business lobby seeks nuclear extension

Spain's top business lobby groups called for extending the use of the country's nuclear plants, a move that was first proposed by the conservative People's Party (PP) and which became a hot issue during the recent electoral campaign. Spain's current government, led by acting Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, nevertheless plans to start closing Spain's nuclear reactor fleet starting in 2027.

"Ideological positions should not prevent us from recognising the need to extend the useful life of power plants already installed, which guarantee the stability of the system," said Manuel Perez-Sala, chairman of business lobby Circulo de Empresarios, which says its members include 230 business leaders and top managers.

Nevertheless, the coalition deal between centre-left parties seeking to form a government confirmed "the orderly and progressive dismantling" of nuclear reactors starting in 2027. Teresa Riberta, Acting Energy Minister, has apparnetly subscribed to the false narratives spread by renewable advocates like Mark Z. Jacobson, and mistakenly accept the faulty and unsubstantiated notion that advanced economies can replace fossil fuel power plants with intermittent sources wind and solar.

This situation is much like the one faced by California Governor Newsom, in which energy experts from academia, industry and the state, called for the continuation of power from Diablo Canyon but the progressive left, comprising environmental groups and ideologic advocates for fossil fuels and renewables, called for the closure of Diablo Canyon. Governor Newsom was able to understand how ideologic concepts based on false assumptions will not keep California's lights on make the right call to save Diablo Canyon's 24x7 always on power. Newsom was able to get the majority Democratic California legislature to pass legislation to extend the life of Diablo Canyon.

Facts do matter and the erroneous assumptions spread about renewables' capabilities are apparent by virtue of the failure of the world to reduce emissions at all, despite enormous growth of wind and solar. We will be watching this situation develop in light of the world's failure to meaningfully reduce global emissions.

Read more at Reuters Spain's business lobby calls for extension of nuclear power, November 3, 2023.

Published by Nucleation Capital in Asset manager support, Carbon emissions, Climate policy, Corporate decarbonization, Energy abundance, Government support, International support for nuclear, LINKS, Politicians supporting nuclear, Private companies, Public companies, Solving climate, Zero emission energy

September 15, 2023

What’s NEXT? Coal to Nuclear transition

John Kerry, working on the sidelines of US Climate Action, announced the winners of Project Phoenix and a new US initiative called NEXT, short for Nuclear Expediting the Energy Transition Porgram, as part of the State Department's FIRST Program. Czechia, Slovakia and Poland were selected to participate in Project Phoenix and receive support for coal-to-SMR feasibility studies.

In a September 7, 2023 announcement issued by the State Department we learn about progress that has been made in a State Department program called Foundational Infrastructure for the Responsible Use of Small Modular Reactor Technology (FIRST).

Building on his announcement of Project Phoenix at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Sharm El Sheikh (COP27), Secretary Kerry announced that project proposals from Czechia, Slovakia, and Poland were competitively selected to participate in Project Phoenix and will receive support for coal-to-SMR feasibility studies.

So, while at the Three Seas Iniative Summit in Bucharest, Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry announced the Project Phoenix winners and a new initiative for the U.S. to accelerate the transition to clean energy which furthers the role of "new, secure, and safe nuclear technologies."

This is the NEXT program, short for Nuclear Expediting the Energy Transition, with One Stop Shop for SMR Support. The NEXT effort will provide countries in Europe and Eurasia that are approaching SMR deployment decisions at the NEXT virtual center where they can apply for a suite of advanced project preparation tools and services. These services may include in-person technical, financial, and regulatory consultancies and advisory services; expert study tours to visit U.S. nuclear facilities, national laboratories, and universities; competitively selected provision of an SMR simulator to support workforce development.

Project Phoenix and NEXT One Stop Shop are subprograms of the U.S. Department of State’s Foundational Infrastructure for the Responsible Use of Small Modular Reactor Technology (FIRST) Program. The United States is committed to supporting the use of innovative, safe, and secure clean energy technologies to power global decarbonization efforts, advance energy security worldwide, and provide options to achieve net zero transition in hard-to-abate energy sectors.

Read The State Department's Announcement at: Special Presidential Envoy for Climate Kerry Announces Project Phoenix Participants and the Nuclear Expediting the Energy Transition (NEXT) Program, September 7, 2023.

For extra color on the benefits of the Coal-to-Nuclear transition, see Level Up your coal plant by giving it a nuclear reactor!, publishd to Youtube by Thies Becker.

Published by Nucleation Capital in Advanced Nuclear, Capital reallocation, Central bank support, Construction costs, Corporate decarbonization, Future of Energy, Government support, International support for nuclear, Land Use by Energy, LINKS, Nuclear competitiveness, Nuclear financing, Nuclear innovation, Private companies, Public companies, Solving climate, US technological leadership

September 8, 2023

World is on track to miss climate targets

UN warns that the world will miss climate targets unless fossil fuels are phased out, according to an article in The Guardian by Environmental Editor, Fiona Harvey. This is a remarkable declaration by the UN, which has not previously called for the phase of fossil fuels so explicitly. Unfortunately, the UN's draft with this important language now appears to have been removed.

There is so much money being made by fossil fuel exporting countries, that in nearly all prior rounds of climate talks and negotiations, discussion of the need to phase out fossil fuels resulted in unresolved controversy. Yet, because we have failed to curtail carbon emissions, and In fact, they are still rising, the UN declared this "a critical moment" with a "rapidly narrowing window" for governments to reduce their emisisons. The language came out in the UN's report which was published in draft form on September 8th.

Governments are failing to cut greenhouse gas emissions fast enough to meet the goals of the Paris agreement and to stave off climate disaster. Meeting the goals will require "phasing out all unabated fossil fuels," according to the draft report entited "Sythesis Report of the Technical Dialogue of the First Global Stocktake." The UN published this draft, despite recognizing that that some oil-producing countries may find that statement hard to take. Meanwhile, the draft now appears to have been embargoed and removed from the UN's website, which is very much the way things have been going all along. We know what we need to do but those profiting from fossil fuels continue to have the power to block progress in phasing down use of those fossil fuels.

Read The Guardian's 'A critical moment’: UN warns world will miss climate targets unless fossil fuels phased out, by Fiona Harvey, Environmental Editor, published September 8, 2023.

Published by Nucleation Capital in Carbon emissions, Climate change, Climate mayhem, Climate policy, Government support, LINKS, Private companies, Solving climate

May 30, 2023

Bank of America: “The Nuclear Necessity”

Bank of America's Research Investment Committee issued a landmark report on May 9th to its securities clients entitled "The Nuclear Necessity," finding evidence of increasing demand and giving a bold "BUY" recommendation for nuclear and uranium. (Note: Initially, only a summary image of the top-line take-aways was shared on Twitter. More recently, BofA has chosen to share the report online.)

This report gave a bullish assessment of the nuclear power industry and its new growth prospects. (Note: Initially, a summary image of the top-line take-aways was shared on Twitter. More recently, BofA has chosen to share the report online.) The entire report is worth reviewing but there were two bullish catalysts not priced into the market in the analysts' opinion: 1) a potential G7 sanction on Russian uranium and 2) policy shifts towards nuclear "as the best climate solution."
We are very excited to see this analysis by a big bank and expect that many others will follow, as it has become clear that nuclear has hit an inflection point. We also believe there are several other very important catalysts not included in the BofA analysis. Reach out to us if you'd like to learn more about what we are seeing happening in the public markets and especially if you are intrigued to participate in the growing private markets. Nucleation provides investors with several unique vehicles which enable affordable access to the nascent but growing areas of deep tech innovation, expansion and improvement of collateral support, supply and integration services through our venture fund offerings.

References

Bank of America Securities/BofA Global Research: The RIC Report, The Nuclear Necessity, published May 8,2023.

Updated: October 2023

Published by Nucleation Capital in Asset manager support, Capital reallocation, Carbon emissions, Climate policy, Corporate decarbonization, Energy abundance, International support for nuclear, Investor activity, LINKS, Nuclear competitiveness, Nuclear financing, Nuclear innovation, Private companies, Public companies, Solving climate, Zero emission energy

May 15, 2023

Parnassus Shows True ESG Leadership and Embraces Nuclear

Parnassus Investments reverses its 40-year ban on nuclear energy investments, and demonstrates rare but critical leadership within the sustainable investment community.

There is nothing more difficult and potentially risky than breaking ranks with one's ideologic tribe. In deciding to eliminate its own negative screen on nuclear power, Parnassus Investments, a leader in sustainable investing, has demonstrated not just that it has done its homework (unlike, say, Green Century Funds), but that it is an organization that adheres to science and facts, rather than ideology and takes its commitments seriously. This takes exceptional courage and confidence in world riven by fearful ideologues and the furious misinformed.

We have been through what we imagine is a similar awakening process to that which the senior leadership team at Parnassus, led by Marian Macindoe, head of ESG stewardship at Parnassus, and its board of trustees clearly partook. If you are courageous enough to look and listen, the facts and experts all point to the inevitable conclusion that nuclear power, despite all of the controversy around it, is much better than we've been led to believe and it provides a key tool in the clean energy toolbox that doesn't otherwise exist: firm clean power. Only that can compete with the firm dirty power to which we are addicted.

It is a thing of beauty, so we reproduce the entire statement issued by Parnassus itself below:

San Francisco, CA May 1, 2023

In support of the transition to a low-carbon economy, Parnassus Investments, a pioneer in responsible investing, is removing its long-held exclusion on companies that make more than 10% of their revenue from nuclear power generation and/or related activities. This change was approved by the Funds’ board of trustees and will be reflected in the Prospectus dated May 1, 2023.

Parnassus initially established the nuclear power screen in 1984 because of the safety and cost issues involved with building and running nuclear plants. Today, we believe nuclear energy offers a critical source of fuel, with benefits that include low to no emissions, safety and stability. Tighter regulations governing nuclear plants have also led to improved designs and equipment as well as training and emergency response requirements. We are also pleased with the potential that the new generation of nuclear technology offers for higher safety and lower costs.

“We believe this is the right thing to do at this time because nuclear energy will be an essential source of fuel in the transition to the renewable sources required to support a low-carbon economy, and because we view nuclear power generation, in a highly regulated environment, as a reasonable choice,” said Marian Macindoe, head of ESG stewardship at Parnassus.

The change will have no immediate impact on Parnassus Funds, but it will enable nuclear power companies to be part of the universe of securities considered for investment. Any potential investment in a company with revenue exposure to nuclear power generation would not only be subject to extensive risk review but would also require deep examination of its traditional investment characteristics.

Parnassus research analysts will evaluate companies involved in nuclear generation and engineering for robust governance, oversight and safety processes, including risk assessments and preparedness for climate, geologic and geopolitical events; a commitment to science-based emissions-reduction targets; and strong policies for nuclear-waste storage and disposal.

In addition to acting in support of a low-carbon economy, Parnassus is removing the nuclear screen in response to investor preferences shifting from exclusionary screens and toward investments in companies with positive social and environmental attributes. The changes also reflect the firm’s Climate Action Plan, adopted in December 2022, to establish a goal of net-zero emissions in all our funds by 2050, in alignment with the Paris Agreement.

Shareholders in Parnassus Funds can obtain more information by calling (800) 999-3505 or emailing shareholder@parnassus.com.

Click here to go to Parnassus Investments own press announcement: Parnassus Investments Removes Investment Screen for Nuclear Power in Support of Our Transition to Low-Carbon Economy, published May 1, 2023.

Published by Nucleation Capital in Carbon emissions, Climate change, Climate mayhem, Climate policy, Government support, LINKS, Private companies, Solving climate

May 9, 2023

Support for nuclear power soars

Grist writes: "US support for nuclear power soars to highest level in a decade: As the country looks to decarbonize, nuclear’s popularity continues to climb." This is what Akielly Hu, Grist's News and Politics Fellow, reports following the release by Gallup of a survey that found that 55 percent of US adults support the use of nuclear power. This total is up four percentage points in a year, and "reflects the highest level of public support for nuclear energy use in electricity since 2012."

Among other findings, the survey found that Republicans are more likely to favor nuclear energy than Democrats, which partisan divide is particularly visible at the state level, with more pro-nuclear policies adopted in Republican-controlled states than left-leaning ones. Nevertheless, support for nuclear energy by Democratic is also on the rise, in part due to advances in nuclear technologies and new federal climate laws that clarify the fact that nuclear power is carbon-free energy and can help in efforts to solve climate change.

The Biden administration has identified nuclear energy as a key climate solution to achieve grid stability in a net-zero future. The administration is pushing for the deployment of advanced nuclear reactor models that improve on the safety and efficiency of traditional reactor designs. These designs will all be far more consistent and reliable than wind and solar energy, which vary depending on the weather. The broader shift in public opinion and, in particular, Democratic opinion toward nuclear energy, is at least partially a function of strong pronuclear leadership coming from the Biden Administration and the DOE under Secretary Jennifer Granholm.

Read more at Grist, US support for nuclear power soars to highest level in a decade, by Akielly Hu, May 9, 2023.

February 15, 2023

Energy Insiders Plan for More Nuclear

RTO Insider has reported on the discussion at the NARUC meeting in mid-February, in which the Tennessee Valley Authority CEO, Jeff Lyash, made the case for his need for nuclear energy to achieve his goals of 80% carbon-free generation by 2035 and net-zero by 2050.

The TVA already has an early has an early site permit from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to build its first SMR at Clinch River. But Lyash is not interested in building one reactor. “In order for us to be successful, TVA needs something on the order of 20 reactors over that period of time," Lyash remarked to those gathered at the National Associate of Regulatory Utility Commissioners Winter Policy summit in Washington, D.C.

TVA, a federally-owned utility, will still need a construction permit for the 300 MW GE Hitachi MWRX-300 SMR that it is planning to build but what Lyash really needs is for the construction to reach "nth-of-a-kind costs, supply chain, workforce, project execution" to make constructing a portfolio of 20 or more reactors and slam dunk.

The rising need for nuclear power as a critical technology to enable full decarbonization was a major theme of the NARUC conference. As such, the formation of a new initiative, the Advanced Nuclear State Collaborative, to bring together members of NARUC and the National Association of State Energy Officials was announced by David Wright, an NRC commissioner, and Tricia Pridemore, chair of the Georgia Public Service Commission. The initiative, sponsored by the Department of Energy, will provide technical assistance and expertise for states deploying or considering new nuclear projects, Commissioner Pridemore said.

The new collaborative is the response to growing interest in nuclear by energy insiders. In at least 20 states, “public service commissions and state energy offices are engaged in feasibility studies for advanced nuclear reactor site selection, strategies to reduce regulatory and policy barriers to new nuclear, and other activities to pave the way for advanced reactors,” Commissioner Pridemore said.

With the two new AP1000 reactors at Vogtle just starting to come online, one might think that the troubled Southern Co. experience of building them at more than double the original cost and six years delayed might put a damper on interest in building more nuclear. In fact, Lyash and LPO Director, Jigar Shah, agreed that Vogtle showed that "America is deciding to do big things."

As a result of completing these AP1000s, there are now 13,000 trained men and women with experience in building new power plants. They will next be deployed in building the next AP1000s in Poland, which selected the Westinghouse AP1000 in part because the Vogtle plant got done, produced valuable lessons, and there is current knowhow for building it.

Now, this experience is available to benefit all new buyers, de-risk new builds and improve the financial and public trust in the technology. If more customers step up, whether for the AP1000 or other new designs, the valuable lessons learned can actually benefit the U.S., other nations and our decarbonization efforts and help keep nuclear power competitive in general.

In fact, according to Lyash, nuclear power plants are "highly competitive." And he should know because nuclear generates 42% of TVA's power supply. So while nuclear plants require large up-front capital expenditure, "they have a tremendously long and beneficial life," per Lyash. "They also deliver all the attributes to a power system that you need—voltage, frequency and maneuverability." The key need going forward: Buidling them on time and on budget.

Read more at RTO Insider, Making the Case for Nuclear at NARUC, by K. Kaufman, Feb 15, 2023.

December 30, 2022

Net Zero Needs Nuclear

"Rather quietly, a new age of atomic energy may be approaching. Splitting atoms may not be as exciting as fusing them, or as modish as wind and solar projects. Yet old-fashioned fission is poised to make a comeback thanks to innovative new reactor designs. The world will be better for this revolution — if policymakers allow it."

So begins an online article in the Washington Post with the unflinching title "Net Zero Isn't Possible Without Nuclear." This piece is described as "Analysis by The Editors | Bloomberg."

[Aside: This is an amazing piece of writing—which we entirely agree with and truly admire—but it is all highly unusual. Newspapers typically do not publish "analysis." Also, newspapers typically will not publish opinion pieces from "The Editors" of other organizations. Yet, here it is, Bloomberg Editors (might that include Michael Bloomberg?) have effectively placed an OpEd in the WaPo on the last business day of the year that is, we suspect, going to serve as the exclamation mark for the year. End aside.]

This piece packs a punch. It's not too long. It's not too technical. It just makes the case that we need tons more nuclear energy if we hope to reduce emissions and yet our progress in that direction is blocked by a Nuclear Regulatory Commission that is effectively disfunctional and unable to understand relative risks.

Sadly, we agree. The NRC as it is now, is not well-suited for supporting the success of an innovative nuclear tech sector. Today's NRC could remain the regulator for the traditional industry, which is used to slow and plodding and isn't building all that much. But what the Advanced Nuclear sector needs is a new, more innovative regulatory body which operates at the pace of technology and which can be empowered to use different methods and objectives to provide suitable guidelines and support for innovators but which doesn't stop them from innovating and commercializing good designs, simply because those designs haven't been tested for decades. This group should be empowered to use probabilistic risk assessments, advanced technologies, modeling and even AI to help launch the advanced nuclear sector and ensure that we get the commercial reactor designs we need to prevent climate change from destroying humanity.

The NRC, as it exists now, does not recognize that climate change is barreling down on the world with an absolute certainty, if we don't eliminate emissions. For the sake of zeroing out risks so miniscule that they don't pose a realistic threat, the NRC is standing in the way of important, planet-saving climate solutions.

Read more at the Washington Post, "Net Zero Isn't Possible Without Nuclear," by The Editors, Bloomberg, December 30, 2022.

Published by Nucleation Capital in Advanced Nuclear, Brilliant thinkers, Energy abundance, Future of Energy, History-making, Investor activity, LINKS, Nuclear competitiveness, Nuclear innovation, Nuclear R&D, Politicians supporting nuclear, Private companies, Solving climate, US technological leadership, Zero emission energy

December 13, 2022

LLNL Scientists Report Fusion Breakthrough

On Dec. 5, a team at Lawrence Livermore National Lab’s (LLNL) National Ignition Facility (NIF) conducted the first controlled fusion experiment in history to reach fusion "ignition," which is believed to be a breakthrough milestone, where the fusion reaction begins to produce more energy from fusion than the energy applied to drive it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AxQQxCvTSUM

Scientists studying fusion energy at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) in California determined via calculations that they had crossed a long-awaited threshold in reproducing the power of the sun in a laboratory. It took a few days for them to do their analysis of the energy product but by Sunday, Dec. 11th, word had begun to leak out. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) , having provided the primary funding for this work, took the lead in taking credit for the achievement and scheduled a press announcement for Tuesday, Dec. 13th. Meanwhile, various results were reported in the press, some claiming 120% gain, some going as high as 150% gain. While the exact number is not that critical, what is important is that these scientists and experts believe that there was a notable achievement in the operation of the plasma ignition that took place, even though it lasted for all of a fraction of a second.

“This is a landmark achievement for the researchers and staff at the National Ignition Facility who have dedicated their careers to seeing fusion ignition become a reality, and this milestone will undoubtedly spark even more discovery,” said U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm. “The Biden-Harris Administration is committed to supporting our world-class scientists — like the team at NIF — whose work will help us solve humanity’s most complex and pressing problems, like providing clean power to combat climate change and maintaining a nuclear deterrent without nuclear testing.”

LLNL’s experiment surpassed the fusion threshold by delivering 2.05 megajoules (MJ) of laser energy to the target, resulting in 3.15 MJ of fusion energy output, demonstrating for the first time a most fundamental science basis for inertial fusion energy (IFE). Many advanced science and technology developments are still needed to achieve simple, affordable IFE to power homes and businesses, and DOE is currently restarting a broad-based, coordinated IFE program in the United States. Combined with private-sector investment, there is a lot of momentum to drive rapid progress toward fusion commercialization.

Led by physicist John Nuckolls, who later served as LLNL director from 1988 to 1994, this revolutionary idea became inertial confinement fusion, kicking off more than 60 years of research and development in lasers, optics, diagnostics, target fabrication, computer modeling and simulation and experimental design.

To pursue this concept, LLNL built a series of increasingly powerful laser systems, leading to the creation of NIF, the world’s largest and most energetic laser system. NIF — located at LLNL in Livermore, California — is the size of a sports stadium and uses powerful laser beams to create temperatures and pressures like those in the cores of stars and giant planets, and inside exploding nuclear weapons.

[Note: Nucleation Capital has invested in Focused Energy, a private venture which has chosen to develop fusion by following the same Inertial Fusion Energy approach as that used by LLNL. Focused was founded by scientists who had worked at LLNL and who have spent their careers studying both fusion and lasers. Focused Energy has based their ability to deliver fusion upon their expertise in developing the next generation of high-powered laser and the next generation of fuel target, taking what LLNL has done forward with proprietary technology.]

Read more at Lawrence Livermore National Lab: National Ignition Facility achieves fusion ignition, published December 13, 2022; The New York Times, Scientists Achieve Nuclear Fusion Breakthrough With Blast of 192 Lasers, by Kenneth Chang, December 13, 2022; and the Financial Times, Fusion energy breakthrough by US scientists boosts clean power hopes, by Tom Wilson, December 13, 2022. Also see the statement from TAE, a fusion competitor, TAE Technologies’ statement on US nuclear fusion advancement.