Plus: VW to make 100,000 ID.3’s in 2020; Volvo adds blockchain to trace ethical cobalt for its EV batteries
Hi Everyone,
If you have time to read just one article, read the first one – McCrone from BNEF does a look-back at the impressive developments over the last decade. In the following piece, we see Lazard’s analysis shows the levelized cost of energy (LCOE) for unsubsidized utility-scale solar has fallen 89% over the last 10 years. I also highlight a few other stories, like VW planning to produce 330,000 ID.3’s in 2021 having rapidly converted a German factory to make electric vehicles.
There are the usual collection of other headlines, but I point you to the movement by Shell and Tata into micro-grids in Africa and India, respectively (See ‘Transition’ section). “With more than 600 million lacking access to electricity in Africa, the majority of which live in rural areas, microgrids have emerged as a particularly effective way in bringing clean power to African communities” (Current News).
Forward on to others you think would be interested and encourage them to subscribe.
Thanks and have a great week.
Peter
McCrone: Clean Energy’s Decade Nearly Gone, And Its Decade Ahead | BloombergNEF
Excerpt: …two-thirds of the world population are living in countries where either solar or wind is now the cheapest choice for electricity generation in terms of all-in costs.
Renewables continue to get cheaper, just not as fast as before, Lazard analysis finds | Utility Dive
Excerpt: …two-thirds of the world population are living in countries where either solar or wind is now the cheapest choice for electricity generation in terms of all-in costs.
Source: Lazard
Recycling cars’ lithium batteries is more complicated than you might think | Ars Technica
Photo Credit: City of San Diego
Excerpt: In contrast to cars, grid-scale electricity storage isn’t sensitive to either the amount of space taken up by batteries or their weight. As such, a battery that’s no longer appropriate for a car could still work perfectly well on the grid.
Thus, the authors argue strongly that reuse should be given a much higher priority than recycling. While grid-scale storage is relatively rare, it’s growing, and a number of US states have mandated that their utilities provide on-grid storage over the next few years.
Carbon Cure, Mangrove Water Technologies awarded $10 million in ERA Grand Challenge | JWN Energy
Excerpt: CarbonCure’s technology injects CO₂ into concrete where it is permanently stored as a mineral. The addition of CO₂ also strengthens the concrete, which allows the industry to achieve production efficiencies and cost savings to offset the cost of the technology. CarbonCure’s masonry and ready mix concrete applications are commercially available today, with technology installations at a dozen concrete plants across Alberta.
VW starts production of ID.3 electric car, converts factory to EV production | Electrek
Excerpt: Before the conversion, the Zwickau factory was producing several variants of the VW Golf, as well as bodies for the Bentley Bentayga and Lamborghini Urus. It produces over 250,000 vehicles per year and employs 8,000 people. Now VW plans to ramp up the plant to produce 100,000 ID.3 as soon as next year, and the number of electric vehicles built in Zwickau will increase to 330,000 units in 2021.
Shell to buy French floating wind farm specialist | Reuters
Excerpt: Shell, which generates most of its revenue from oil and gas, wants to become the world’s largest electricity company and expects to invest $2 billion (£1.6 billion) to $3 billion a year — nearly 10% of its overall spending — on its power division by 2025.
Volvo implements blockchain to trace ethical sources for cobalt in EV batteries | Electrek
Excerpt: Volvo Cars announced today that it would become the first carmaker to implement global traceability of cobalt by applying blockchain technology. The Swedish carmaker said that it reached an agreement with its two global battery suppliers, CATL of China and LG Chem of South Korea, to trace cobalt supplies starting this year.
Other headlines of interest…
Energy Storage
- China to ‘dominate recycling and second life battery market worth US$45bn by 2030’ | Energy Storage News
Solar (& Battery)
- 8 Countries (Besides the US) With Solar Under $25 per Megawatt-Hour | Greentech Media
- Mirvac hits go on solar and battery as “standard” in new townhouses | One Step Off The Grid
- Massive Solar-Battery Plant Wins Approval in L.A., Overcoming Union Concerns | Greentech Media
- Singapore advances large-scale floating solar plant | E&E News
Wind (& Battery)
- Top turbine manufacturer reports record orders | SF Chronicle
Transport
- Daimler Dumps Gas-Powered Truck Bid to Build CO2-Neutral Fleet | Bloomberg
- Infiniti could court controversy with ‘gas-generated EV’ | E&E News
- Ford stuns with one-off “Mustang Lithium” electric muscle car | The Driven
Transition
- How 100% renewables backfired on a Texas town | Energy News Network
- Tata Power, Rockefeller Foundation Plan 10,000 India Microgrids | BNN Bloomberg
- Shell invests in African microgrid provider PowerGen | Current News
- Hailing a driverless ride in a Waymo | TechCrunch
- Australia’s main grid reaches 50 per cent renewables for first time | RenewEconomy
- US Cracks 100GW of Wind as Post-Subsidy Era Looms | Greentech Media
- This Company Wants to Cut Emissions to Zero in the Dirty Cement Business | BNN Bloomberg
Finance
- Tackle climate change or face funding pressure, gas conference told | Reuters
- Oil Rich Norway’s Central Bank Sounds Warning on Climate Risk | BNN Bloomberg
Carbon Capture
- Exxon, FuelCell Energy make big CCS bet | E&E News
- Carbon Cure, Mangrove Water Technologies awarded $10 million in ERA Grand Challenge | JWN Energy