Green finance & renewable, sustainable energy supply & storage.
How investors are backing this globally sensitive expectation to invest in a lowcarbon economy for a zero emissions future.
Green finance is a relatively new concept to the general public, but has been an initiative spearheaded by government for many years. The ideals of Green Finance lay in the need for a global financial system which supports the transition to a lowcarbon economy.
The United Kingdom promoted Green GB week recently & one of the foci was for:
“Financing the lowcarbon economy: Setting out the role of the finance sector in delivering clean growth” (1)
For innovators & industry leaders who are forging the way with technologies for carbon neutrality; these companies can only be successful with the right underpinning investment & investors.
However, recent events in the media have sent some very conflicting messages about how British companies are actively being a part of the Green Financial Growth of the British economy.
Dyson have announced this week that they will build their first EV in Singapore. Mixed messages from Dyson. A Dyson Engineering degree option is set to launch September 2019, as Dyson wants to be part of the education of our future engineers. Yet, we now have the first Dyson EV being built in Singapore, not tapping in the outstanding British engineer pool already here in the UK. How does this benefit the UK’s Clean/Green Growth economy & support the UK Green Finance economy? Dyson’s CEO Jim Rowan “Singapore offers access to high-growth markets, as well as an extensive supply chain and a highly- skilled workforce. It has a comparatively high cost base, but also a strong bias towards developing and using advanced technologies. “It is therefore the right place to make high-quality, technology-loaded machines, and the right place to make our electric vehicle,” Rowan added. (2)
Yet, in the same week that Dyson announces it’s plans, Swedish startup ‘Uniti’ have announced that they will be building their first EV factory at the Silverstone racing circuit. ‘Uniti said it decided to switch production to Britain because the technology needed to make the car – light weight and strong carbon fiber – was centred there.’ (3) Furthermore, iconic brand McLaren have brought the manufacturing of their carbon fibre ‘tubs’ back to the UK. Another boost for the UK economy.
‘McLaren is opening a £50m factory in Sheffield – the supercar company’s second plant in the UK – as it brings manufacturing work on its high-performance vehicles back to the UK.’
The company will create 200 jobs at the new composites plant which will develop and build the carbon-fibre “tubs” around which its cars are built.
McLaren has pioneered the use of composites – which are lighter and stronger than traditional metals – and more than 30 years ago the company’s Formula 1 team was the first to race a car with a carbon-fibre chassis.’ (4)
Dolphin N2 are already collaborating with several partners & have presented to interested parties more recently during the Green GB ‘Accelerating Green Finance in Emerging Markets’, event at the Tate Modern, Wednesday 17th October.
Chris Dodwell, Director of climate change & clean growth at Ricardo who presented at the event said:
“Globally the green finance sector is growing, but not fast enough to raise the trillions needed to meet the targets agreed in Paris. What the Climate Finance Accelerator has shown is that by establishing a focused dialogue between climate policymakers across the world and finance professionals in the City of London, we can speed up the process of accessing private sector finance for climate action, helping to overcome one of the greatest barriers to implementation.” (5)
During a recent interview, Chris Dodwell also told us that he was very mindful of expressions of interest about the Dolphin N2 Split cycle CryoPower engine, particularly in relation to the way in which the CryoPower generators can produce sustainable & renewable energy.
One of the Earth’s biggest obstacles is energy storage, energy production & sustainability. With wind farms & solar farms being reliant on the elements, nuclear energy still having a very negative press & the ‘fracking’ of shale gas causing environmental disharmony: the Dolphin N2 CryoPower technologies could be a game changer & some of those in government & in industry are beginning to take notice.
Benjamin West – Operations Manager of Dolphin N2 said “The results of the first running engine are confirming the simulation and theory. The Cryopower split cycle engine has very low engine-out Nox and particulate emissions. With the addition of aftertreatment this can further be reduced to ambient or in some areas better than ambient conditions. The questions are; Where could it have the most impact on the environment in the shortest time frame? Which market has the best conditions for innovation for first implementation? Not just finance but appetite for joint ventures and expedience through bureaucracy to an early demonstrator. “
‘How does CryoPower work?
CryoPower and ThermoPower are Recuperated Split Cycle Engines. The revolutionary step is to separate the “cold” and “hot” parts of the traditional internal combustion engine.
A first set of cylinders draw in air and compresses it – in the CryoPower version, Liquid Nitrogen is injected to keep this process cool for maximum efficiency; the simpler ThermoPower omits it.
Then the compressed air passes through a recuperator, where the engine’s exhaust heats it up – saving fuel which normally has to do this.
The air now passes to the second, hot cylinder set, which are thoroughly insulated – infeasible in a normal ICE where the same cylinder handles hot and cold processes. These cylinders host the combustion and expansion events, which produce power; they are bigger than the compressor cylinders (again impossible in a standard engine) because that is most efficient.
As a final twist, the hot air passing into these combustion cylinders does so at the speed of sound, leading to extraordinary mixing with the fuel, and a unique “cool combustion” regime.
The very low level of emissions, especially NOx and Particulates, can be reduced to at least SULEV and potentially lower using known “SCR” (Urea-based) after-treatment.’ (6)
Understanding the energy applications of the Cryogenic split cycle technologies, has created considerable interest amongst energy companies & the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy have also begun to show an interest. Chris Dodwell’s presentation as part of the ‘Accelerating Green Finance in Emerging Markets’ was met with great curiosity, as thus far, the Dolphin N2 CryoPower split cycle engine technologies have been interpreted as having a haulage & truck application only.
To redress the balance & to engage further interest, Chris Dodwell, while speaking with us, reiterated the need for greater understanding in how companies such as Dolphin N2 can & will identify & secure Green Finance initiatives to enable them to be part of the UK’s Clean Growth programme. Furthermore, he commented on the potential for export in these markets & how Dolphin N2 are hinged to embrace the global need for zero emissions air quality & renewable, sustainable, energy supply.
Written by Katy-Jane Mason on behalf of Dolphin N2
- https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/749084/180911GBW_Toolkit.pdf
- https://www.autoexpress.co.uk/car-news/104462/new-2021-dyson-ev-to-be-built-in-singapore
- https://www.forbes.com/sites/neilwinton/2018/10/24/swedens-uniti-switches-initial-production-of-two-seat-electric-cars-to-britain/#13056e4b739c
- https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2017/02/08/mclaren-reshores-work-opens-new-factory-sheffield/
- https://ee.ricardo.com/news/ricardo-announces-next-phase-of-climate-finance-accelerator-at-green-gb-week
- Simon Brewster, CEO, Dolphin N2 Ltd , Nick Owen, Technical Director, Dolphin N2 Ltd
