|
Background: Meeting Energy Demand through Innovation
Approach: Investing Wisely in Promising Technologies
Background: Meeting Energy Demand through Innovation
 |
 |
|
 |
|
| ChevronTexaco Technology Ventures employees Alicia Boutan and Greg Romney, with an advanced battery for hybrid cars, at the company's fuel-processing facility in Bellaire, Texas. |
|
|
Meeting the world's demand for energy in ways that are environmentally, socially and economically sound requires creativity and technological innovation. ChevronTexaco believes fossil fuels will provide the vast majority of near-term energy supplies, and that improvements in fossil fuel technologies and products hold the promise of substantially improved efficiency and reduced environmental impacts.
Still, concerns about society's dependence on these fuels have stimulated increased research and investment in alternative and renewable energy technologies. Hydrogen-based fuels and fuel cells, in particular, are considered by some to be promising, although major technological and economic hurdles must yet be overcome before hydrogen will be a practical alternative as a mass-market energy source.
Approach: Investing Wisely in Promising Technologies
ChevronTexaco invests in new and emerging technologies that may create economic value for the company, while offering the potential for reduced environmental impacts. We identify promising new technologies; invest in start-up companies and venture capital funds; and form alliances and joint ventures for research and development projects. Between 1999 and 2003, we estimate that ChevronTexaco will have spent an average of approximately US$110 million per year on investments in renewable energy, alternative energy and energy efficiency.
Two wholly owned ChevronTexaco subsidiaries focus on the development and commercialization of new and emerging energy sources:
- ChevronTexaco Technology Ventures develops advanced energy sources, through ChevronTexaco-sponsored research and development and in collaboration with others, to demonstrate new technologies and infrastructure solutions.
- Chevron Energy Solutions markets and implements promising new commercial energy technologies, as well as more traditional technologies to help customers save energy costs.
In addition to continuing major investments in natural gas, oil and cleaner-burning fuels, ChevronTexaco investments in cleaner technologies are focused in the following areas:
- Fuel cells and processing: Fuel cells, which combine hydrogen and oxygen to create electricity, can be a more efficient and environmentally preferable source of energy. In fuel cells, use of hydrogen produces no unburned hydrocarbons, nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide or greenhouse gases, such as those produced by burning fossil fuels. But depending on the source, some emissions may result from making the hydrogen.
ChevronTexaco believes that converting readily available fossil fuels, such as natural gas, into hydrogen to power fuel cells is the most realistic near-term method for enabling fuel cell technology to mature and markets to develop. While the use of renewable energy sources - such as solar or wind - to power fuel cells offers the potential to minimize the environmental impacts even further, existing infrastructure, cost considerations and other practical issues mean that widespread use of renewable energy sources is not yet economically feasible.
ChevronTexaco Technology Ventures has developed the HALIASTM fuel processor, a stand-alone unit that turns natural gas or propane into hydrogen fuel. Several production-ready HALIASTM prototypes are now in long-term testing.
Additionally, ChevronTexaco Energy Technology Company and its downstream companies are working with auto companies and others to develop fuel processors to convert familiar fuels such as gasoline into hydrogen. To date, this work primarily has involved fuel processors on vehicles, but the results also support other applications.
To gain firsthand experience with fuel cell technology, we have installed fuel cell systems to supply power to run information technology systems at our headquarters in San Ramon, California, and research laboratories at our facility in Bellaire, Texas.
- Hydrogen storage: Efficient and safe hydrogen storage technology is a key component in enabling the hydrogen and fuel cell markets to develop. Through Texaco Ovonic Hydrogen Systems, a 50-50 joint venture between ChevronTexaco and Energy Conversion Devices (ECD), we are working to advance the commercialization of hydrogen storage solutions. The advanced technology developed by the joint venture enables hydrogen to be stored in a solid state at low pressure and ambient temperature, two important improvements over other existing hydrogen storage technologies. The systems being developed are for hydrogen storage in small portable applications such as backup power systems to replace batteries; bulk storage for stationary uses, such as distributed power facilities and hydrogen service stations; and on-board storage for vehicles.
- Advanced batteries: Through Texaco Ovonic Battery Systems, another 50-50 joint venture between ChevronTexaco and ECD, we are working to commercialize nickel-metal hydride (NiMH) batteries, which can be used to power transportation vehicles and stationary devices, such as telecommunications equipment. In addition to providing more than twice the energy and lasting longer than conventional lead-acid batteries, NiMH batteries are an environmentally preferable alternative because the materials used in the batteries do not contain cadmium or lead, both of which are environmentally hazardous substances.
- Renewable Energy: ChevronTexaco also has invested in renewable energy development, which helps us learn about renewables and their role in our future global energy mix. For example, through a joint venture, we have invested in a wind farm that is now producing electricity at a refinery in the Netherlands. It has nine turbines capable of producing 22.5 megawatts of power. Two geothermal plants at Darajat, West Java, together produce 145 megawatts of electricity. ChevronTexaco's Upstream Indonesia Business Unit supplies the steam for both plants, and constructed and operates one of them.
In another renewable-energy project, we have installed a solar photovoltaic facility to help power our oil field operations in California's San Joaquin Valley. The demonstration project provides 500 kilowatts of power and is one of the largest photovoltaic installations in the United States and the largest array of flexible, amorphous-silicon solar technology in the world.
- Gasification Technology: With more than 50 years of experience in the field, ChevronTexaco is among the world leaders in gasification technology. The company licenses or has equity interests in more than 60 commercial gasification plants that are either in operation or in advanced development around the world.
The Texaco Gasification Processes (TGP) are efficient and versatile technologies that can convert a variety of different hydrocarbons - including waste oil, coal, coke, fuel oils and gas streams - into cleaner synthesis gas, or syngas. The syngas is used for generating electricity and for producing industrial chemicals and gases, as well as cleaner liquid fuels. TGP offers advantages over conventional combustion processes, including having a higher fuel efficiency, which can mean that fewer greenhouse gases are generated for a comparable energy output. The technology also can be used to remove CO2 , allowing for integration with CO2 sequestration processes.
|
|
|
