The Colorado School of Mines is having its Entrepreneur Showcase tomorrow, April 16, and I was encouraged to sign up for a booth and show off the project I’ve been working on. Depending on how it goes, the project could be at risk of turning into a product and business— that’s when the real work begins. If I’m being honest, I don’t know if I “want” to build this product. It’s definitely more like I “have to.” As a recent LinkedIn connection phrased it, “I’m at a point of no return and can’t not build it.”
While looking up “buying motives for B2B in oil and gas,” I stumbled across a few interesting finds, including a puzzle around a measurable increase in oxygen on the abyssal plain. Let’s dive in.
Sarah Compton
Editor, Enspired
Deepwater Batteries?
Allexxandar/Shutterstock.com
We all understand that oxygen decreases deeper in the ocean, because the amount of light decreases, depriving photosynthetic organisms (which produce oxygen) of the fuel they need to live.
New discovery: That phenomenon is what Andrew Sweetman, deep-sea ecologist with the Scottish Association for Marine Science, was studying when his sensors picked up an increase in oxygen 4,000 meters below the surface.
Initially dismissed as faulty sensors, the findings were repeated in subsequent studies, which demanded an explanation.
What Sweetman found: These findings occurred in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone between Hawaii and Mexico, a 4.5 million-kilometer-square area of abyssal plain bordered by the Clarion and Clipperton Fracture Zones.
These fracture zones are home to polymetallic nodules that have been of some interest to the mining community.
Called “batteries in a rock,” these little guys seem to produce measurable electric currents, roughly .095 volts, according to Sweetman.
Mining companies have been chomping at the bit to get at them. The risk is that these nodules are also creating oxygen in an otherwise impossible environment, and removing them could have cascading effects we don’t yet understand.
Healthy skepticism? Many researchers are calling for more studies, questioning Sweetman’s findings.
Olivier Rouxel, a geochemistry researcher at the French Research Institute for Exploitation of the Sea, said there was “absolutely no consensus on these results.”
His concerns include the possibility that sensors picked up trapped air bubbles rather than anything significant.
He also wonders how the nodules, some of which are tens of millions of years old, could still produce electric currents when normally, “batteries run out quickly.”
More info needed: Questions and doubts are great things in science, as they present opportunities for learning. This particular phenomenon screams out for geoscience expertise to investigate.
Join us for a discussion on Argentina's Vaca Muerta shale and how we can apply its key principles to enhance domestic production. We will explore strategies for a more productive energy future.
The race for clean transport is on, and Benore Logistic Systems aims to lead the pack by providing hydrogen fuel cell-powered trucks to the Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America in Georgia.
A powerful partnership: Deploying the trucks is part of a broader collaboration between Benore, Hyundai Motor Group, and HTWO Logistics—a joint venture between Hyundai and Glovis (Global Vision) America. Here’s how the partnership breaks down:
Hyundai manufactures the trucks in Savannah, GA. It has become the leading manufacturer of hydrogen fuel cell trucks.
HTWO oversees deployment. This is basically the supply chain arm of the operation.
Benore manages daily logistics to ensure seamless operations for its Glovis EV contract.
Background:
Benore Logistic Systems rolled out its first four fuel cell trucks in 2022.
The company has expanded its fleet with these additional 14 trucks, which are operating on dedicated routes in Savannah and offer an all-electric range of nearly 450 miles.
Each truck is capable of eliminating more than 400 metric tons of CO2 per year.
Funding: In February, hydrogen fuel cell company HydroFleet announced plans to invest $33 million in a hydrogen production and refueling hub near Savannah’s container port. This facility will initially refuel up to 21 trucks per day, but it could reach a capacity of more than 300 trucks per day in the future.
What’s next: Further scaling is going to require a leveling up of the hydrogen fuel cell tech. It will need to overcome these hurdles:
High production costs: Hydrogen currently costs about $16.51 per gallon equivalent—much higher than diesel. The price varies greatly depending on the region and production method.
Green or not so green: Most hydrogen today is derived from fossil fuels (gray or blue hydrogen).
Safety concerns: Public concerns about safety persist due to historical incidents such as the Hindenburg, so innovations and messaging around tank durability and emergency response systems are crucial for public trust.
Distribution challenges: Hydrogen requires specialized storage and refueling infrastructure. Converting existing gas stations could lower costs, but widespread adoption demands significant investment.
Get to gettin’: Hydrogen vehicles offer faster refueling times and lighter energy storage compared to EVs. However, hydrogen production is more energy-intensive, while EV batteries face sustainability concerns due to rare earth mining and recycling issues.
Challenges mean opportunities, and there’s a lot of work for geoscientists that could help push this tech forward, including lifecycle emissions analyses to identify sustainable production methods, hydrogen resource discovery, and materials studies for better storage options.
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