ExxonMobil and Abu Dhabi

in alternative-energy resources.
Chaired by Neil Hirst of the
International Energy Agency, the
conference included speakers
such as the chief scientific advisor
to the British government, representatives
from eight leading universities
and research institutions,
and specialists from Schlumberger,
BP, General Motors, GE, Air
Liquide, ALSTOM Power and
IBM. Professor Lynn Orr, former
Global Climate and Energy Project
director, Stanford University, was a
speaker, along with ExxonMobil’s
Nazeer Bhore, Corporate Strategic
Planning senior technology advisor.
In addition, Professor M. Stanley
Whittingham of the State University
of New York, who helped invent
lithium-ion battery technology as
an Exxon employee in the 1970s,
was a key speaker.
Technology improvements
During the conference, Bhore
discussed how new technologies
can improve vehicle efficiency
and reduce greenhouse gas
emissions.
“In the short term, we need to
improve the efficiency of engines
and transmissions, use improved
tires, and also make vehicles
lighter and more aerodynamically
efficient,” he said.
“In the mid-term, we will also
need to further develop advanced
power trains, such as hybrids and
advanced diesels, such that their
cost is lowered to promote widespread
adoption.
“For the longer term, we need
step-out technologies involving
hydrogen fuel cells, electric cars
and next-generation biofuels. I’m
enthusiastic about all of these
options.”
Bhore said ExxonMobil is
developing a highly promising
technology that can produce
hydrogen from liquid fuels
onboard a vehicle. The technology
uses a process called
reforming to chemically convert
gasoline, diesel or biofuel into
fuel cell-ready hydrogen.
“This is very exciting because it
offers the potential to avoid many
of the problems that make hydrogen
use for transportation fuel
such a huge challenge,” he said.
“These challenges include finding
ways to make hydrogen in large
volumes, and then distributing it
and storing it economically and
safely. None of that is easy.”
Bhore reported that
ExxonMobil engineers estimate
this new on-board hydrogengeneration
technology on a fuelcell
vehicle can reduce fuel consumption
and greenhouse gas
emissions by 45 percent or boost
fuel economy by 80 percent.
He noted that this hydrogen
technology is just one of many
innovations ExxonMobil is pursuing,
through its own research or
in collaboration with others, to
improve vehicle efficiency. Other
efforts include the company’s
recently introduced battery
separator
film technology,
as well
as numerous
projects involving biofuels and
step-out engine technologies.
“As a society, we must
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aggressively pursue a portfolio
of options that potentially can
improve vehicle efficiency and
reduce greenhouse gases,
while also meeting society’s
continuing needs for reliable
and affordable transportation
fuels,” he said. the Lamp
Some findings
There is no silver bullet to the energy challenges
the world is facing, and a variety of innovative and
collaborative solutions is required.
The energy future will be more diverse, with
energy efficiency playing a major role in meeting
the challenges.
Carbon capture and storage is a key option that
must be further developed and explored as part
of efforts to manage greenhouse gas emissions.
Meeting the challenges will require substantial
progress in technology, and will depend on scientists
and engineers to come up with solutions that
are both scalable and cost effective.
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