Konfab

Fortune favours the brave! It was the hottest day of the year so far, with travel not recommended, chaos on the trains, dangerous heat levels, etc. 🥵 We had a strong turnout despite the obvious challenges, and the overall session and roundtables were very animated [must have been the AC!].

Sura's Insights — 4 min read Photo by Nikhita Singhal / Unsplash Li-ion battery storage is undoubtedly one of the leading technology developments of the energy transition. It has literally changed the way our energy system works at grid scale, and the way we operate and interact with technology and transport daily. What could the lesser known lithium-sulphur (Li-S) chemistry offer us by comparison? Could it possibly be the next evolution in battery technology?

Could iron-ore electrolysis be the revolutionary, zero-carbon alternative to traditional blast furnaces? Steelmaking accounts for approximately 8% of global fossil-based CO2 emissions. The dominant manufacturing process, which produces 90% of the global primary steel, is via blast furnace / basic oxygen furnace. This utilises metallurgical coal (coke) as a chemical reducing agent to remove oxygen from iron ore. This reaction inherently generates large quantities of CO2.

For those who have been reading for some time, know that I convene a community and ecosystem building event series in Southampton. More info on the website here: Climate Tech Impact_South Events So what I hear you say - I live in a country far and away! My quick note today is to share with you, the audience insights we capture from these events, with support from our partners Lorefully.

6 quick cuts from the long-form interview with Stephen Crosher for you today! In case you aren't familiar, RheEnergise is a UK based scale-up with technology innovation in pumped hydro energy storage. Pumped hydro is fantastic - the trouble is, sites are huge in scale, require a lot of land, long development times, big money, etc. We only have 4 facilities in the UK, developed some 40 years ago - things have moved on since then in the energy transition.

Video Podcast — 1 min read A selection of short clips taken from my conversation with Stephen Crosher of RheEnergise. 🎬 You can read more about RheEnergise here: RheEnergise High-Density Hydro® Bringing innovation to pumped storage hydropower with High-Density Hydro®

Cement has the weight of the world on its shoulders in more ways than one. A vital binding agent in construction, used to create concrete. Essential for building foundations, walls, roads, and bridges, providing structural strength, durability, and fire resistance. As global construction and infrastructure moves inexorably forward, there is a price to pay - cement production contributes approximately 8% to global CO2 emissions. This post is for subscribers only

Hydrogen, always the next 'big thing' with politicians and investors. We hear about the 'hydrogen economy' and building 'Europe's backbone infrastructure'. The challenge is actually finding a techno-economic argument that supports H2, and therefore offtake agreements and actual market traction. One perceived route to market is to blend hydrogen into existing gas networks, keeping the status quo and the gas-based economy flowing. Why is hydrogen blending another "predatory delay" tactic?

Interlude — 5 min read What's going on at Konfab HQ, posts flying in all over the place! Kind of like buses [not hydrogen ones, they are all broken down and getting written off 🥴] - no posts for ages, then a bunch in a week! Part of that flurry of activity has been building up the Sura Insights collection before they move over to a paid subscription. Recap on those here - expect another 2 or 3 next week! Check them out 💡 Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup.

Testimonial Sharing the Love.... Two minutes to share a testimonial for this newsletter? Photo by Sid Balachandran / Unsplash Think of all the reading we have done together - the learning, insights, shocks, horrors, the fun times we have had, and the sad times too. This post is for subscribers only Subscribe now Already have an account? Sign in