Director’s Corner

by Brian Anderson, Ph.D.

As NETL’s talented team of scientists and engineers embark on another quarter this spring, we build on a solid foundation of recent successes. I’m proud of our work to meet clean energy goals calling for a net-zero carbon emission electricity sector by 2035 and economy-wide net-zero emissions by 2050. Our commitment to a sustainable energy future is demonstrated in this quarter’s achievements outlined in a newly released quarterly report.  

Our second-quarter successes include impressive strides across a range of energy technology development, including a novel analysis tool that will assist commercial developers and researchers in evaluating the costs of manufacturing large volumes of highly efficient and ultralow emission solid oxide cells (SOC) and stacks. The tool will aid the development and commercialization of SOC technology. 

In another project managed by NETL, commissioning tests were completed for a first-of-its-kind, full-scale prototype large power transformer (LPT) that can lead to greater grid resilience, including faster recovery through greater interchangeability of components. The LPT is now fully operational as part of the power distribution system in Columbia, Mississippi. 

Our research team also released a new database to enable the recovery of high-value carbons and critical minerals from U.S. mining and industrial waste streams. The carbons and minerals are needed to support innovative manufacturing and lower the environmental footprint of using domestic resources. The Carbon Ore Resources Database supports sustainable extraction research, as well as regulatory, commercial and research decisions and breakthroughs. 

These are only a sample of our team’s recent successes and contributions as we continue our mission to drive innovation and deliver solutions for an environmentally sustainable and prosperous energy future. I invite you to read more about these and other efforts in report (PDF).