Black & Veatch (Overland Park, Kan.) has joined the Low-Carbon Resources Initiative (LCRI), “a unique international collaboration, spanning the gas and electricity sectors, that will help advance global economy-wide decarbonization.”
Black & Veatch is a provider of decarbonization solutions in the power generation, power transmission, fuel and chemicals and transportation sectors; with expertise in established renewable technologies including wind and solar – as well as nascent decarbonization pathways like energy storage, hydrogen and ammonia. With the goal of helping companies and governments meet ambitious decarbonization goals, the LCRI seeks to accelerate the development and demonstration of low-carbon technologies.
“Our active involvement in the LCRI aligns with our industry leading position to bring methodical and innovative carbon reduction solutions to our clients,” said Mario Azar, president of Black & Veatch’s global power business. “Technology is at the leading edge of the energy transition towards net-zero. Being part of the LCRI will help keep us at the forefront of the applied engineering developments and acceleration of the most promising pathways to decarbonization.”
The initiative is led jointly by the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) and the Gas Technology Institute (GTI) and underscores the collaborative research model employed by both, bringing industry stakeholders together to conduct clean energy research and development. Funding for the initiative, which has surpassed US$100 million, is expected to be leveraged many times over through public and private collaboration. The initiative’s aims include:
- Identify and accelerate fundamental development of promising technologies
- Demonstrate and assess the performance of key technologies and processes
- Inform key stakeholders and the public about technology options and potential pathways to a low-carbon future
Black & Veatch will be able to share, with other LCRI members and beneficiaries of the initiative’s work, insights and experience gained on projects such as:
- Working with Long Ridge Energy Generation to retrofit a 485-megawatt (MW) combined-cycle power plant making it the nation’s first large gas turbine plant to transition operations to hydrogen fuel” and the Intermountain Power Project Renewal Project, an 840-MW combined-cycle gas facility in Utah.
- Teaming-up with Daimler Trucks North America and Portland General Electric on a first-of-its-kind, public charging station specially designed for medium and heavy-duty electric commercial trucks
- Feasibility studies central to the development of the world’s largest green hydrogen plant, Enegix Energy’s Base One facility, in Ceará, Brazil which has the potential to produce more than 600 million kilogrammes of green hydrogen annually
In January 2021, as further evidence of the company’s commitment to decarbonization and the development of a more balanced energy portfolio, Black & Veatch joined the Hydrogen Council – a global initiative of leading energy, transport and industry organizations with a vision for hydrogen’s ability to foster the energy transition.