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nworbmot.bsky.social
Tom Brown
@nworbmot.bsky.social
4K followers 610 following 310 posts
energy system modeller | professor @tuberlin.bsky.social | https://nworbmot.org | https://github.com/PyPSA | https://model.energy | openmod ally | #freethemodels | he/him
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nworbmot.bsky.social
Tom Brown @nworbmot.bsky.social · May 30
My old posts are now on a blog. Since many of our social media platforms are walled gardens and some are now owned by fascism-sympathisers, I've back-ported all my posts and threads onto a blog:

nworbmot.org/blog/

It was fun re-reading some of the older Twitter threads, here are some fun ones:
blog | nworbmot:tombrown
nworbmot.org
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nworbmot.bsky.social
Tom Brown @nworbmot.bsky.social · 22d
Explosive stuff on Elsevier's journal publishing business from the previous (now fired) editor-in-chief of Energy Economics...the rot seems deep.
richardtol.bsky.social
Professor Dr Richard S.J. Tol FREcon MAE @richardtol.bsky.social · 23d
All is not well at Elsevier richardtol.substack.com/p/fraud-and-...
Fraud and cover-up
Fraud and cover-up
richardtol.substack.com
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Reposted by Tom Brown
tuberlin.bsky.social
Technische Universität Berlin @tuberlin.bsky.social · Aug 22
🔋 Die #Energiewende erfordert Investitionen von 116–131 Mrd. €/Jahr. Gleichzeitig sinken fossile Importe & Haushalte sparen Geld. Zu diesem Ergebnis kommt @nworbmot.bsky.social von der #TUBerlin im Ariadne-Report 2025. Sein Appell: Erneuerbare & Elektrifizierung müssen vorangehen. Zum Interview ⬇️
„Wir sollten uns durch das Prüfen nicht vom Tun abbringen lassen“
TU-Professor Tom Brown über die Mehrkosten der Energiewende und seine Forderungen an die Politik
www.tu.berlin
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Reposted by Tom Brown
hannahdaly.ie
Hannah Daly @hannahdaly.ie · Aug 21
And this!

“Here comes the sun ☀️“

“Record solar growth keeps China’s CO2 falling in first half of 2025”

www.carbonbrief.org/analysis-rec...

@carbonbrief.org
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Reposted by Tom Brown
gwagner.com
Gernot Wagner @gwagner.com · Aug 21
The green transition will not be stopped by Trump or anyone else.

Just look to Ethiopia, and Morocco, and Nepal, and Pakistan, and Turkey
www.economist.com/finance-and-...
The green transition has a surprising new home
Forget about northern Europeans, with their coalition governments and love of cycling
www.economist.com
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nworbmot.bsky.social
Tom Brown @nworbmot.bsky.social · Jul 18
PS The above graphic of shipping costs is from Jerry Murphy's group at UCC.
nworbmot.bsky.social
Tom Brown @nworbmot.bsky.social · Jul 18
I don't really see those very high CO2 prices biting before 2040, and as noted elsewhere those are *marginal* costs. If the last few emissions are very expensive to decarbonise, it doesn't mean the total cost of decarbonisation is high.
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nworbmot.bsky.social
Tom Brown @nworbmot.bsky.social · Jul 18
Bio-CNG is at most as bridge until the truck fleet electrifies.

We need that biogas where sustainable carbon is most needed: chemicals, shipping and aviation.

Fully behind anaerobic digestion to mop up wastes and residues! I just see a different use case in 2035+.
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nworbmot.bsky.social
Tom Brown @nworbmot.bsky.social · Jul 18
Unfortunately it's the dual fuel low pressure engines that have the worst methane slip...if I remember right the high pressure LNG-only engines are much better.
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nworbmot.bsky.social
Tom Brown @nworbmot.bsky.social · Jul 17
Final point: the logistics of getting methanol from many decentral locations is just easier than with methane, see the arguments here:

nworbmot.org/blog/methano...
blog | nworbmot:tombrown
nworbmot.org
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nworbmot.bsky.social
Tom Brown @nworbmot.bsky.social · Jul 17
It would be great if fugitive methane was regulated all along the value chain. The technology is there. The practice has just not kept up.

theicct.org/publication/...
Fugitive and Unburned Methane Emissions from Ships (FUMES): Characterizing methane emissions from LNG-fueled ships using drones, helicopters, and on-board measurements - International Council on Clean...
The FUMES report, a collaboration between ICCT, Explicit ApS, and TNO, reveals that real-world methane emissions from LNG-fueled ships, including "methane slip" from marine engines, exceed E.U. and IM...
theicct.org
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nworbmot.bsky.social
Tom Brown @nworbmot.bsky.social · Jul 17
I would expect this to change as the long-term costs equalise:

doi.org/10.1016/j.ap...
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Tom Brown @nworbmot.bsky.social · Jul 17
The order book is not orders of magnitude, in 2024 there were 264 LNG orders, 166 methanol.

www.offshore-energy.biz/dnv-lng-domi...
DNV: LNG dominated alternative-fuel ship orderbook in 'exceptional newbuilding' year
Described as the maritime industry's "exceptional newbuilding year", 2024 yielded a record number of LNG-fueled ship deliveries, according to DNV's AFI platform.
www.offshore-energy.biz
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nworbmot.bsky.social
Tom Brown @nworbmot.bsky.social · Jul 15
Thanks!

I'm not an expert on those CDR options, but if the experts say they lead to permanent removals (500+ years) then I'm on board with whatever works.

Yes, methanol is used for seasonal backup, like gas is today (although it's mostly stored underground as a gas, not LNG), see here:
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nworbmot.bsky.social
Tom Brown @nworbmot.bsky.social · Jul 14
This article about the Israeli plant conversion has good info on additional benefits for e.g. SO2 and particulate emissions:

www.methanol.org/wp-content/u...
www.methanol.org
nworbmot.bsky.social
Tom Brown @nworbmot.bsky.social · Jul 14
Hi Stefano, sorry for slow response. I've tried to answer questions around CH4 versus MeOH here.

Short version: demand for MeOH is more robust than for CH4; MeOH is better for the many biogas units far from CH4 pipeline network; LNG for ships less preferable because slip.

bsky.app/profile/nwor...
nworbmot.bsky.social
Tom Brown @nworbmot.bsky.social · Jul 14
A minimal methanol economy - I have so many questions! Then this Frequently Asked Questions post is for you.

All your questions about using methanol for gaps in highly-electrified scenarios are answered here:

nworbmot.org/blog/methano...
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nworbmot.bsky.social
Tom Brown @nworbmot.bsky.social · Jul 14
Blog post: nworbmot.org/blog/minimal...

Slide deck: nworbmot.org/energy/brown...

Paper preprint: arxiv.org/abs/2505.09277

FAQ again: nworbmot.org/blog/methano...
blog | nworbmot:tombrown
nworbmot.org
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nworbmot.bsky.social
Tom Brown @nworbmot.bsky.social · Jul 14
If your question is missing, then ask away and I'll add the answer. This is meant to be a living FAQ that is extended over time.

For those looking for an introduction to a minimal methanol economy, see this BlueSky post:

bsky.app/profile/nwor...
nworbmot.bsky.social
Tom Brown @nworbmot.bsky.social · May 19
As the hydrogen bubble deflates, what are the alternatives? We present a "minimal methanol economy": using methanol as a gap-filler for the few sectors electrification can't reach.

New working paper together with Philipp Glaum, @fneum.bsky.social, @millinger.bsky.social:

arxiv.org/abs/2505.09277
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nworbmot.bsky.social
Tom Brown @nworbmot.bsky.social · Jul 14
A minimal methanol economy - I have so many questions! Then this Frequently Asked Questions post is for you.

All your questions about using methanol for gaps in highly-electrified scenarios are answered here:

nworbmot.org/blog/methano...
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Reposted by Tom Brown
lkstrp.bsky.social
Lukas Trippe @lkstrp.bsky.social · Jun 30
Join us for the third PyPSA User Meeting 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐖𝐞𝐝𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐝𝐚𝐲, July 2, from 10am-12:30pm (CEST) for exciting lightning talks from the community and to get a preview of the new 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐜 𝐨𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐢𝐳𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐜𝐚𝐩𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬 coming in PyPSA v1.0!

Agenda and registration: forum.openmod.org/t/3rd-pypsa-...

#PyPSA
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nworbmot.bsky.social
Tom Brown @nworbmot.bsky.social · Jun 27
Our universities, public institutions, and in particular the guardians of our critical infrastructure, should set an
example.
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nworbmot.bsky.social
Tom Brown @nworbmot.bsky.social · Jun 27
Free software is the only way to ensure there are no back-doors, and to ensure continued access to digital services.

The German state Schleswig-Holstein is switching to free software, as are others in France, Italy, Turkey and China, lots of examples and tips here:

licenseware.io/from-microso...
From Microsoft to Open Source: How One German State is Rewriting the Rules of Public Sector IT – Licenseware
licenseware.io
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nworbmot.bsky.social
Tom Brown @nworbmot.bsky.social · Jun 27
Here's @nytimes.com coverage:

www.nytimes.com/2025/06/20/t...
Europe’s Growing Fear: How Trump Might Use U.S. Tech Dominance Against It
www.nytimes.com
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nworbmot.bsky.social
Tom Brown @nworbmot.bsky.social · Jun 27
Free software is critical for digital sovereignty.

After Trump's Executive Order in February targeting the International Criminal Court and its chief prosecutor, Microsoft promptly withdraw his access to his emails.

www.heise.de/en/news/Crim...

Yet another wake-up call (TM)
Criminal Court: Microsoft's email block a wake-up call for digital sovereignty
Microsoft blocked the email account of Chief Prosecutor of the International Court of Justice after Trump's sanctions. Critics: “We urgently need alternatives.”
www.heise.de
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nworbmot.bsky.social
Tom Brown @nworbmot.bsky.social · Jun 15
While I would love this to be true, every other actor has struggled in this space, so until there is independent verification of their cost claims, I think we should remain quite sceptical. There were some very low numbers coming from Terraform that are almost certainly too good to be true.
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nworbmot.bsky.social
Tom Brown @nworbmot.bsky.social · Jun 15
I think it was meant to be a cement plant, but this needs to be balanced with CCS, so perhaps a brewery/bakery would be better, you're right!
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