The traditional energy landscape is changing, and emerging energy technologies are constantly breaking through.
(12/8/2019-18/8/2019)
Review of International Energy News
1. Market cooperation between the United States and Saudi Arabia, a new change in the oil market
According to Platts Energy's report on August 7, Dubai, Saudi Energy Minister Khalidal-Falih and the US Department of Energy said that while tensions in the Persian Gulf have intensified, the United States and Saudi Arabia are working together to find market cooperation to ensure the safety of the global oil supply.
The US Department of Energy said in a statement posted on its website that Falih and US Energy Secretary Rick Perry met in Washington to discuss issues such as stabilizing the oil market and Saudi Arabia's G20 summit in 2020. Perry and Falih reiterated that as the world's two largest oil suppliers, the United States and Saudi Arabia will continue to cooperate to ensure that the world oil market is adequately supplied to offset potential oil supply shortages, especially as Iran is trying to reduce its supply.
2. Germany's initiatives to promote hydrogen energy development
From the end of June, the "hydrogen strategy" was launched. By mid-July, the Green Party members drafted hydrogen production documents, and in early August, they announced the increase of hydrogen energy research funding. The German government is sparing no effort to promote hydrogen energy development.
The German "Business Daily" reported that the draft "Hydrogen Strategy" published by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) aims to accelerate the production and application of hydrogen energy in the local area. The details and contents will be announced at the end of this year. To date, the German government has allocated 2.3 billion euros for the BMBF climate research, and an estimated 8% (about 180 million euros) will be invested in the hydrogen industry. For the first time, the hydrogen production document drafted by the Green Party members clearly expressed support for hydrogen energy. In this regard, the German Minister of Economic Affairs and Energy Peter Altmaier said that hydrogen technology has great potential in accelerating energy transformation, coping with climate change and promoting employment. Jurgen Friedrich, director of the German Federal Foreign Trade and Investment Agency, also stressed that hydrogen can be one of the main driving forces in the energy sector.
3. The 11th Applied Energy Editor and Editorial Board Meeting was held in Sweden
On August 12th, the editor and editorial board meeting of Applied Energy was held at the University of Melaena, Sweden.
The conference was hosted by Professor Jian Jinyue, Editor-in-Chief of Applied Energy, and Dr. Yan Sun, publisher of Elsevier. The editorial board meeting focused on improving the quality of journals. The meeting discussed the division of responsibilities of different editors, introduced the work of new members, announced the results of the best editors in the year, and focused on how to improve the quality of peer review and optimize the process of the manuscript processing. Besides, the conference further discussed the operation plan of Progress in Applied Energy and the open-access processing solution of Applied Energy.
Finally, the meeting reviewed the growth of Applied Energy in the last five years. In the past five years, Applied Energy's manuscript processing volume, the impact factor (IF), Cite Score, and manuscript downloads have been increasing year by year.
Review of Domestic Energy News
1. Xinao built a compact fusion device "Xuanlong-50" and started the experiment
On August 8, 2019, China's first medium-sized spherical tokamak fusion experimental device, Xinao “Xuanlong-50”, was designed and built by Xinao Group. It was built in Langfang, Hebei Province and the first plasma discharge was realized, officially launching the physical experiment.
Xuanlong-50
Image from: Xinao official website
The Xinao "Xuanlong-50" device is another magnetically constrained high-temperature plasma experimental device after the Tokamak fusion and the satellite-like fusion device. Xinao began to explore fusion technology in 2016 and officially started the construction of the device in October 2018. Through system organization and division of labor, the design, manufacture, installation, and commissioning of the device were completed in about 10 months. The rapid construction of the device provides a relatively complete experimental platform for accelerating fusion research. The unit energy released by fusion is a million times higher than fossil fuel, and the fusion fuel on the earth is very rich. Fusion energy is the ideal clean energy and development power of human society. The breakthrough of fusion technology will change the pattern of world energy.
Experts and scholars who witnessed the Xuanlong-50 experimental discharge include Li Jiangang, Convener of the National Magnetic Constrained Nuclear Fusion Expert Committee, Wang Xiaogang, Member of the National Magnetic Constraint Nuclear Fusion Expert Committee, Sun Xuan, Professor of the University of Science and Technology of China, and the fusion expert team of the New Xinao Technical Committee, etc.
2. Zhang Jianhua, Director General of the State Energy Administration, wrote in the People's Daily on the high-quality development of energy in the new era
On August 13, Zhang Jianhua, Director General of the National Energy Administration, wrote in the People's Daily "Promoting the high-quality development of the energy industry in the new era (in-depth study and implementation of Xi Jinping's new era of socialism with Chinese characteristics)." This is also the first time that Zhang Jianhua published a signed article in the People’s Daily after he became the Director-General of the National Energy Administration and the party secretary in November 2018.
The article clearly stated that it is necessary to establish the energy development plan for the "14th Five-Year Plan" and the longer period in the future, formulate and introduce guidance for promoting the high-quality development of the energy industry, and accelerate the reform of the key areas and key links of the energy system. Strengthen and improve energy supervision, and actively build an effectively competitive market structure and market system. In the field of power, it is necessary to implement the reform of the distribution power, promote the independent and standardized operation of the trading institutions, and deepen the separation of the main and auxiliary power grids, and further promote the reform of the power market. In the oil and gas field, it is necessary to accelerate the introduction of supporting measures by relaxing the market access for oil and gas exploration and development and the reform of the operation mechanism of oil and gas pipelines. In addition, we must accelerate the process of autonomous energy technology and equipment, and strive to make breakthroughs in key areas such as large-scale energy storage, smart grid, advanced nuclear power, hydrogen energy, and fuel cells, and seize the opportunity of energy transformation and transformation.
3. Ministry of Natural Resources: China's oil and gas exploration and mining has made many breakthroughs
Oil and gas resources are important strategic mineral resources and an important material basis for China's economic development. Since 2018, China's oil and gas exploration and mining has made major breakthroughs in many places, effectively protecting the national energy resources. In 2018, the newly discovered proven geological reserves of China's oil reached 959 million tons, a year-on-year increase of 9.4%. This is the first time that the indicator has continued to grow after two consecutive years of decline. The newly added basins with proven reserves of more than 100 million tons include the Ordos Basin, the Bohai Bay Basin and the Junggar Basin. Among them, the Heshui billion-ton oilfield has been added to the Ordos Basin.
(News sources: Oil Circle, China Energy News, AEii International Applied Energy, Xinao Group, People's Daily, CCTV News)
