Plus: Green hydrogen in Québec; Canada to raise carbon tax to $170/t; More battery deployments in China, US, Germany and Australia
Hi Everyone,
Well this is your latest Energy Shift for 2020. Do find time over the holidays to still connect with family and friends, even if over a video call. Stuck for a gift? Why not share this excellently curated news source and encourage them to subscribe.
I wish you all a blessed Christmas. Watch for the next issue on January 10th.
Peter
Observations, Comments & Questions
- Imagine a new type of battery for electric vehicles that would nearly double the range and charge to 80% in 15 minutes. It may not be ready until at least 2024, but QuantumScape claims its new battery tech can achieve these impressive results. What kind of battery you ask? Solid state. This is an important milestone and a company to watch. Learn more in the Transportation section story by The Verge.
QuantumScape’s key breakthrough: a ceramic separator to replace liquid electrolytes. Image: QuantumScape
- I noted an interesting ecosystem of technology that is being put together in Canada’s province of Québec: using hydropower to produce green hydrogen which will then be supplied to a processing plant turning non-recyclable waste products into biofuels. That’s pretty cool. Check out the hydrogen technology story on Hydro-Québec.
- Just 2% of the products sold by the world’s biggest consumer goods firms this year came in reusable packaging – a stark reminder of how little progress has been made in moving towards a circular economy. Most consumer goods companies are chasing recycled content. Meanwhile, Nestlé intends to spend $3.6 billion over the next five year as part of its net-zero by 2050 ambition. Like those in the oil and as sector who have similar aspirations, Nestle too will be aligning executive compensation to meeting the goal. Its plans for regenerative agriculture (practices that improve soil health and reduce dependence on synthetic fertilizer) is of interest, along with moves to expand dairy alternatives. Why is this important to pay attention to? Global population growth and affluence has bearing on the demand for products and food – both arenas that matter to climate change. See stories in the Consumers section.
Consumers
BlackRock debuts software that assesses climate risk for investors | edie
Investment giant BlackRock has unveiled new software to help investors quantify climate risk and low-carbon opportunities relating to their portfolios. Called Aladdin Climate, the software has functions for measuring both physical and transition risks for whole portfolios. It is also able to measure the impact of likely and potential policy changes and technology advancements on specific investments.
PepsiCo targets 100% recycled plastic bottles in Europe | edie
Food and beverage giant PepsiCo has set a new goal to reach 100% recycled content in plastic Pepsi bottles sold in its nine biggest European markets by 2022.
Nestlé digs deeper into regenerative ag, puts $3.6B behind net-zero plan | GreenBiz
The world’s largest food company, Nestlé, last week said it plans to spend roughly $3.6 billion over the next five years to meet its net-zero by 2050 aspirations. But CEO Mark Schneider took pains to position this investment as one that will be “earnings-neutral.”
Technology
Hydrogen
China defies Elon Musk’s warnings and pushes ahead with hydrogen | JWN Energy
Tesla Inc. chief executive officer Elon Musk has spent years mocking the idea of using hydrogen fuel cells rather than electric batteries to power next-generation green vehicles. “Fuel cells = fool sells,” the boss of the world’s top electric-car maker tweeted in June.
Ofgem awards £58m to highly ambitious flexibility and hydrogen projects | Current News
Ofgem has awarded up to £58 million to five projects designed to support the UK’s transition to net zero.
Utility Hydro-Québec launches battery storage subsidiary and 90MW hydrogen project | Energy Storage News
Canadian public utility company and transmission system operator Hydro-Québec has launched a battery energy storage subsidiary as well as announcing a large-scale green hydrogen project.
Carbon Capture
There’s a Plan to Bury Asia’s Carbon Emissions Under The Ocean | BNN Bloomberg
Australian and Japanese companies are studying plans to capture carbon dioxide from industrial emitters in Asia and store it under the ocean floor off the coast of Australia.
Energy Storage
China’s energy storage deployments for first nine months of 2020 up 157% year-on-year | Energy Storage News
China deployed 533.3MW of new electrochemical energy storage projects in the first three quarters of 2020, an increase of 157% on the same period in 2019.
US’ record-high quarterly energy storage deployments a ‘sign of things to come’ | Energy Storage News
The US energy storage industry collectively deployed 476MW / 764MWh in a single three-month period between July to September, with analysis firm Wood Mackenzie Power & Renewables describing the record-breaking performance as a “sign of things to come”.
Germany: Growth in home and industrial sectors but large-scale battery storage slowed down in 2019 | Energy Storage News
Around 2.1GWh of battery storage had been installed in Germany by the end of 2019, in households, at commercial and industrial (C&I) facilities and at large-scale in grid-connected applications.
California Could Need 55GW of Long-Duration Storage to Meet Its 2045 Carbon-Free Grid Goal | GTM
A new study calculates a drastically higher need for long-duration storage than state officials had recognized. Solar is taking over California’s grid, and the state has to eliminate carbon emissions from power plants by 2045. Those trends suggest the grid will benefit from energy storage that covers a longer period of time than the lithium-ion batteries getting installed today.
This new material can store solar energy for months | Electrek
Researchers at the UK’s Lancaster University studied a crystalline material — a solid material with parts such as atoms, molecules, or ions that are arranged in a highly ordered microscopic structure — and discovered it has properties that allow it to capture solar energy. The energy can be stored for several months at room temperature, and it can be released on demand in the form of heat.
Solar and Wind
[Australia] Corporate demand for wind and solar hits record level of $2.4bn in 2020 | RenewEconomy
2020 is expected to be a record year for corporate renewable energy Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) in Australia with governments and businesses investing $AU2.4 billion and buying over 1GW through the year.
Power prices spike to £720/MWh as low winds continue to stretch grid | Current
It has been a tumultuous weekend for energy prices in the UK, with an unprecedented day-ahead clearing price for a Sunday of £350/MWh.
South Australia gives new interconnector more money, to keep momentum of wind and solar boom | RenewEconomy
The South Australia state government says it will underwrite another $12.25 million in funding for early works on the proposed new inter-connector to NSW, which it says will help unlock more than $4 billion in renewable and associated investment.
GE and Veolia’s recycling drive turns wind turbine blades into cement | Power Engineering International
GE Renewable Energy has announced that it signed a multi-year agreement with Veolia North America (VNA) to recycle blades removed from its US-based onshore turbines during upgrades and repowering efforts.
Transportation
VW-backed QuantumScape says its solid-state batteries will enable EVs to travel farther and charge faster | The Verge
After nearly a decade in operation, QuantumScape, a San Jose-based startup backed by Volkswagen and Bill Gates, is finally breaking its silence. In a virtual “battery day” event for investors, the recently public company announced that its “solid state” batteries for electric vehicles will charge faster, hold more power, and last longer than traditional EV batteries.
Toyota reveals its first battery electric SUV, and says it is nearly in production | The Driven
Toyota, the car maker that pioneered mass volume hybrid vehicles sales, has finally announced it will introduce its first battery electric SUV.
Toyota Bets On a Hydrogen Future With New Fuel-Cell Car | BNN Bloomberg
Toyota Motor Corp. unveiled a sleeker and longer-traveling version of Mirai, its hydrogen-powered car, but what it’s targeting isn’t sales. The automaker sees the futuristic vehicle as a bridge to a difficult-to-realize future society that runs on hydrogen.
Airbus Bets on Hydrogen to Deliver Zero-Emission Jets | BNN Bloomberg
There are plenty of obstacles standing in the way of developing the first zero-emission, hydrogen-powered plane. It’s tricky to safely store and use the highly combustible fuel. There aren’t any airports equipped to refuel jets with it. And the cost of hydrogen itself is prohibitive, at least if you want to avoid producing greenhouse gases.
Policy
Denmark to End North Sea Oil Production in Milestone Deal | BNN Bloomberg
Denmark, the European Union’s biggest oil producer, will stop offering new licenses in the North Sea and phase out production altogether in 2050 as it takes an historic step toward a fossil-fuel free future.
Trudeau Hikes Carbon Tax, Positions Canada to Hit Climate Goal | BNN Bloomberg
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stepped up efforts to hit Canada’s emissions targets by 2030, pledging billions in new money to combat climate change and increasing in his marquee carbon tax. [See the government announcement here]