Kiran Sunil I MEL CEEN 2023 I Dec 14 | 9:30 -10:00 am | UBC Robson Square Room C-400 I Mentor: Amanda Drew, Department of National Defense
ABSTRACT
On 14th July 2019, the highest temperature ever was recorded at the most northerly permanently inhabited spot on Earth – Alert, Nunavut, Canada. In response to the Paris agreement, Federal GHG Emissions reduction targets were outlined in Federal Sustainable Development Strategy (FSDS). DND adopted the FSDS targets in their Defence Energy and Environment Strategy. Department of National Défence(DND) had pledged to invest $225 million by 2020 in a wide range of infrastructure projects across Canada to reduce DND’s carbon footprint and is on track. DND has an energy performance contract(EPC) with a capital investment of $63 million in place that will reduce emissions by nearly 50% by 2027 and is committed to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. Current GHG emissions at Alert are to be 5,700 tonnes of CO2e per year.
Alert is home to one of three Global Atmospheric Watch laboratories that continuously records and reports the state of our planet’s atmospheric conditions. For four months, Alert exist in total darkness. For another four months, the sun never leaves. It is roughly 600 miles from the North Pole. Currently, The Alert facility currently utilizes four Caterpillar reciprocating engine generators, Each generator uses JP 8 aviation fuel (single source of energy for the location) and is currently rated for 855 kW output bringing the main power plant capacity output to a maximum of 3,420 kw. Each of these engine generators is equipped with a heat recovery island effectively making them “co-generators”. The peak ranges from 650kW during summer period when exterior lights are off and there is less dependency on electric heating, to approaching 1,000 kW during the winter
INTRODUCTION
This project will look into detail analysis of replacing the diesel powered reciprocating engines which provides energy to total area of 23,232 m2 with renewable forms of energy & energy storage options to achieve net-zero targets. The proposed options considers the physical constraints of the station such as extreme weather, equipment interference limiting the use of wind turbines, 24-hour darkness and equipment that must be air-transportable by C130 or C17 military aircrafts.
The objective of this project is to provide an energy solution to support net-zero GHG reduction targets at Alert. The proposed options shall include a microgrid with ultra small modular nuclear reactor to sustain base loads and peak demands during winters, solar PV for the summers along with various energy storage feasibility options like gravitational, solid-state batteries, aqueous air & cryogenic storage.
Wind speeds at Alert are well below 3.5 m/s which is the minimum cut-in required for wind turbines in the market today and thus wind turbines were ruled out.
DISCUSSION
Upon further research, modular reactor seemed to be the best fit in terms of economical, reliable and stable a solution. But overcoming the policies surrounding this clean source of energy would be a hurdle
An alternate option would be to consider large scale solar PV of 20 MW capacity integrated with 1 MW BESS for 4000 hours or 4000 MWhe of usable energy. Through energy storage feasibility study, it is found that Solid-State Batteries or Solid oxide fuel cell is considered the best fit for this project.
METHODOLOGY
The baseline consumption was derived from the Energy Audit report using generator run time data and Heat Recovery System(HRS) heat flow. Weather data like solar irradiance, wind & precipitation levels was calculated at 10m elevation using RETScreen® .
CONCLUSION
@ $ 387/kWh for storage, using a battery source as primary source of energy is still a challenging economic equation to solve.
Micro nuclear reactors have the potential to revolutionize energy generation, but they poses many challenges before they can be realistically implemented.