The GE Brief: March 31, 2022
Common Cause
Techonomy and the Environmental Defense Fund hosted a conference in the heart of Silicon Valley this week, where dozens of climate experts, industry leaders, entrepreneurs and investors discussed tech companies’ role in addressing the climate crisis. GE was the presenting partner, and speakers included Roger Martella, GE’s chief sustainability officer. “I think history will look back on this day, this month, this year, and say this was the era of climate innovation,” he said. “This was when companies stepped up and said, ‘We’re going to innovate the technology the world needs to succeed in the energy transition.’” Read more about the conference here.
Generation Hydrogen
Uniper, one of the world’s largest energy producers, announced in 2020 that it planned to become carbon neutral by 2035. The company has already partnered with GE Gas Power to help it decarbonize power generation. Now the two companies will be working together to lower carbon emissions at Uniper’s newest combined-cycle power plant in the U.K. “Investigating lower-carbon options for gas turbines could help the power generation industry reduce its carbon emissions over the next decade, and blending hydrogen with natural gas to lower carbon emissions is one of the options we’re exploring,” said Ian Rogers, who runs Uniper’s Asset Improvement and Making Net Zero Possible project. He added that “this project marks a tangible step toward the decarbonization of our gas assets.” Find out more here.
Euro Engine
Eurodrone, an unmanned aerial system that is being developed by Airbus and other European aerospace companies, selected GE’s new Catalyst turboprop engine to power the aircraft. Catalyst combines technology from large commercial jet engines with digital engine controls in a way that opens new design options for plane-makers. It aims to deliver fuel savings and cut CO2 emissions by up to 20% compared with engines currently on the market, and it is already running on sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), sometimes referred to as biofuel. Eurodrone, a collaboration between Germany, France, Spain and Italy, is expected to “strengthen European sovereignty by establishing and expanding an independent technological base in the field of unmanned aviation,” according to Airbus. Find out more here.
Engineering Happiness
GE engineer Harjit Birdi has always been captivated by energy systems. Today he is helping utilities and power developers build wind, solar and hydro systems and bring more renewable energy online. It’s a complex task, and Birdi has a front-row view of the challenges and opportunities. He is confident that companies and governments are making progress. “Developers always want to create more and more power,” he says. “If I can help them do that, I’m engineering happiness.” GE Reports has Birdi’s story here.
The 5 Coolest Things On Earth ?
1. A paralyzed man communicates using only his brain.
2. How wind and solar power could easily replace coal in Texas.
3. Worms that can smell cancer.
4. Detecting warning signs of suicide risk in the military.
5. An enzyme that could break down plastic.
— Quote Of The Day —
“We’ve had policy, we’ve had research, and there’s a lot of work to do, but this is clearly the era of climate innovation. It’s a common cause.”
— Roger Martella, GE chief sustainability officer
Quote: GE Reports. Images: Getty Images, Uniper, Avio Aero, Harjit Birdi.