Plus: Roads that ‘talk’ help driverless vehicles; wind-driven cargo ship
Hi Everyone,
Wow. Lots to unpack here. I include a few feature stories I wanted to bring to your attention. At least skim the rest of the stories to understand the broad sweep of things going on. Driverless vehicle tech gets some profile this issue, along with efforts to decarbonize steel and aluminum production.
Continue to forward on to colleagues, friends, family and neighbors and encourage them to subscribe. Comments and feedback are always welcome.
Thanks,
Peter
Observations, Comments & Questions
- Storing energy is among the biggest challenges in moving to a lower emission future. Advances in solid state batteries are starting to be seen. Now we hear about a battery that can be charged in 5 minutes. Seemingly in response, Elon Musk tweeted “Battery cell production is the fundamental rate-limiter slowing down a sustainable energy future. Very important problem.” Check out the StoreDot story to learn more about this potentially big breakthrough.
- Driverless vehicle technology is a topic to which I used to pay a lot of attention. Then I realized how hard it is to make a truly driverless vehicle. Yet progress is being made. I include a few stories under the “Autonomous Vehicle” section, as well as a feature story profiling the approach being taken in China. Make no mistake, there is a lot of controversy over the best way to make a car drive on it’s own. Elon Musk says the approach being pursued by Waymo and others using Lidar is a fools errand, preferring instead to use a combination of cameras and radar. [LIDAR, which stands for Light Detection and Ranging, uses laser pulses to build a 3D model of the environment around the car. Essentially, they help autonomous vehicles “see” other objects, like cars, pedestrians, and cyclists]. From everything I’ve read, both technologies have limitations. That is where the Chinese development is of interest. They are pursuing technology that enables the vehicle to communicate with surrounding infrastructure – or “smart” roads – sensors, cameras and radar embedded in the road, traffic lights, street signs and more. Combine with the mega trend of more people living in cities, this kind of technology could be the pathway to Level 4 autonomous vehicles – even if only in cities.
- Over the past year, my leisure reading (listening, actually – on Audible) has included working through the Patrick O’Brian series that follows a British sea captain in the early 1800’s when sailing war ships was at its prime. It’s been truly fascinating to learn how masterful we were at harnessing the wind at sea. Fast forward a couple hundred years and we are rediscovering how wind can be harnessed for moving cargo around the world. Various concepts have been advanced recently, but now Sweden’s Wallenius Marine AB intends to build a 200 meter car carrier ship after testing a smaller 7 meter version. “The Oceanbird will be 200 metres long with capacity to carry 7,000 cars. It may be the tallest sailing ship ever built, equipped with wing sails reaching 105 metres above the water.” The concept is not without challenges, such as how to meet schedules for rigid port deadlines. That said, it is an important development worth following.
Feature Stories
Israel’s StoreDot unveils “5-minute charge” EV battery | The Driven
Israeli lithium-ion battery developer StoreDot has unveiled engineering samples of its first-generation 5-minute charge battery which the company claims proves the commercial viability of its extreme fast-charging battery technology – a claim which, if true, could revolutionise the EV industry and remove the last barriers to entry.
Back to the future: Swedish firm bets on wind-powered ships | Thompson Reuters
Two centuries after the first coal-powered steamships crossed the Atlantic Ocean, a Swedish company is designing a futuristic throwback: a huge, wind-driven cargo ship that could help end the fossil fuel era and limit climate change.
A mock-up illustration of an Oceanbird wind-powered cargo ship. Credit: Oceanbird/Wallenius Marine
China’s Huawei Develops Smart Roads That Talk to Driverless Cars | BNN Bloomberg
Shenzhen-based Huawei, with its main network business facing global pressure after the U.S. designated it a threat to national security, is targeting new growth areas such as transport.
A screen showing the driver controlling his vehicle without the use of the foot pedals in a bus where Huawei is running a pilot project for autonomous vehicle road networks in Wuxi, China on 22 December 2020. Bloomberg
Consumers
HSBC Shareholders Ask Bank to Cut Fossil-Fuel Lending Exposure | Bloomberg via Financial Post
A group of HSBC Holdings Plc shareholders have filed a resolution urging the bank to cut its support to the fossil-fuel industry. Amundi SA, Europe’s largest listed asset manager, and Man Group Plc, the world’s biggest publicly traded hedge fund firm, were among 15 institutional investors overseeing a combined $2.4 trillion that are backing the move, according to a statement from ShareAction, the U.K. nonprofit that coordinated the plan.
Apple links executive pay to performance against ESG targets | edie
Apple has confirmed plans to modify the bonuses its executives receive depending on how much progress the business makes towards key environmental and social targets.
McKinsey: Global fossil fuel demand will peak in 2027 | edie
One of the world’s largest consultancies has published analysis outlining how global fossil fuel demand could peak by 2027, due to the Covid-19 pandemic accelerating trends in electrification and energy efficiency.
Technology
Hydrogen
Canada is set to have one the world’s biggest green hydrogen plants | CNBC
A major green hydrogen project in Canada took another step forward with an engineering contract awarded to a subsidiary of German industrial giant Thyssenkrupp.
Retired German Coal Plant to Get New Life as a Hydrogen Hub | BNN Bloomberg
Vattenfall AB plans to turn the site of its recently shuttered Moorburg coal power plant in northern Germany into a hub for turning wind and solar power into hydrogen.
Total, Engie Seek Aid for France’s Biggest Green Hydrogen Plant | BNN Bloomberg
Total SE and Engie SA plan to build France’s largest green hydrogen facility to feed the oil company’s biodiesel plant in the south of the country from 2024, provided they get subsidies to make the project viable.
Exclusive: Siemens spin-offs tap hydrogen boom in wind alliance | Reuters
Siemens Gamesa and Siemens Energy are developing a commercial offshore wind turbine that produces hydrogen via electrolysis, the companies said, marking a breakthrough for the mass production of renewable hydrogen. The companies are investing 120 million euros ($146 million) in the system.
UAE Targets Low-Cost Blue Hydrogen to Cut Emissions by 24% | Bloomberg via Financial Post
Oil and natural gas producer the United Arab Emirates aims to become one of the world’s lowest-cost producers of hydrogen, helping in the Middle Eastern state’s effort to slash polluting carbon emissions by nearly a quarter. The country will use carbon-capture technologies to create what’s known as blue hydrogen, supplying cleaner energy, Sultan Al Jaber, chief executive officer of Abu Dhabi National Oil Co. and UAE Industry Minister, said at a virtual conference on Tuesday.
[UK] Major gas grid companies team up to outline hydrogen deployment plans | edie
Britain’s five major gas grid companies have launched a major collaborative plan to create the UK’s first hydrogen town by 2030 as well as creating a network of hydrogen refuelling stations for transport and helping to decarbonise industrial clusters.
World’s Biggest Offshore Wind Producer Moves Into Hydrogen | Bloomberg via Financial Post
Danish utility Orsted A/S took a final investment decision on its first hydrogen project as it expands beyond wind power.
[Australia] Call to develop 1.5GW green hydrogen hub gets “super major” response | RenewEconomy
The Western Australian government has received 65 expressions of interest to produce and export renewable hydrogen at an industrial estate north of Geraldton – at least 10 of which were said to have come from global corporate “super majors.”
Carbon Capture
Elon Musk says he will give US$100M for carbon capture prize | BNN Bloomberg
Elon Musk said he plans to donate US$100 million toward a prize for the best carbon capture technology, weeks after he became the world’s richest person.
Qatar Raises Carbon Capture Ambitions, Touting Green Credentials | BNN Bloomberg
Qatar Petroleum will build facilities capable of capturing and storing more than 7 million tons per year of carbon dioxide in the tiny peninsular nation by 2030, the company said in a statement.
Shell-Exxon aims at $2.5 billion in Dutch subsidies for carbon storage | Reuters
A consortium that includes oil majors Royal Dutch Shell and ExxonMobil has requested a total of 2.1 billion euros ($2.55 billion) in subsidies for a project to store CO2 gasses in empty Dutch gas fields in the North Sea, the Dutch Economy ministry said on Thursday.
Chevron invests in carbon capture startup Blue Planet Systems | Reuters
U.S. oil major Chevron Corp said on Thursday it has invested in Blue Planet Systems Corp, a startup that manufactures and develops carbon capture technology to reduce carbon footprint.
Biogas
Total adds to renewable gas push with Fonroche acquisition | Reuters
French oil group Total said on Monday it had acquired Fonroche Biogaz, a leading producer of renewable gas in France with nearly 500 gigawatt-hours of installed capacity.
Nuclear
[Canada] Canada’s Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) Action Plan Released
The SMR Action Plan sets out Canada’s path for the development, demonstration and deployment of SMRs. The Action Plan brought together key enablers from across the country including, various levels of government, Indigenous peoples and communities, power utilities and industry, among others. Each enabler was involved in crafting a chapter of the plan which describes concrete actions they are taking towards SMRs. Alberta Innovates, the Government of Alberta and the Government of Saskatchewan are a few of the Western Canadian enablers that contributed to the Action Plan
Energy Storage
An electric-car battery that can be charged as fast as filling up your gas tank was just shown off by a startup | Business Insider
An electric-car battery that can be charged in 5 minutes, the amount of time it takes to fill up a tank of gas, has been produced for the first time in a factory in China.
Neoen plans massive 500MW big battery west of Sydney | RenewEconomy
Australia’s largest battery storage project could be built just outside of Sydney, with planning documents revealing the plans of renewable energy developer Neoen kick-starting the planning process for a 500MW/1,000MWh big battery in New South Wales.
Largest battery in Australia to be built at ageing NSW coal-fired power plant | ABC News
An energy provider’s plan to build Australia’s largest battery is the latest development in a quickly transitioning energy market. Origin Energy has unveiled plans to build a giant 700-megawatt [2,800 MWh] capacity battery at its coal-fired power plant in Eraring, south of Newcastle, in the New South Wales Hunter region.
Why Fluence, the AES-Siemens Joint Venture, Just Raised $125M From Qatar | Greentech Media
Fluence, one of the largest suppliers of large-scale energy storage for the grid, is not a startup. It was formed as a joint venture between two massive global energy companies, power producer AES and German energy equipment giant Siemens.
AGL picks Wärtsilä and Fluence to deliver on 1000MW big battery vision | RenewEconomy
AGL Energy will partner with battery technology firms Wärtsilä and Fluence to deliver on up to 1,000MW of planned big battery energy storage projects.
Solar and Wind
As priorities shift, world’s largest cement firm inks $3.4 billion deal to focus on solar, green roofs | CNBC
Cement maker LafargeHolcim has agreed to buy specialist roofing company Firestone Building Products for $3.4 billion, in the latest example of shifting priorities within the building industry.
Q4 2020: Amazon, AT&T, McDonald’s and Starbucks lead the way as clean energy procurement matures | Greenbiz
After a strange year, corporate renewable procurement deals ended on a high note, with corporations inking some of the biggest, most complex transactions to date. The result was a blockbuster fourth quarter, with more than 7.3 gigawatts of contracts inked — more than any other single quarter since the start of the GreenBiz deal tracker.
Lightsource bp starts commercial operation of 260-megawatt solar project in Texas | bp
Lightsource bp today announced that its Impact Solar project, located in Lamar County, 120 miles northeast of Dallas, has successfully completed construction and entered full grid-connected commercial operation. Through a long-term agreement, bp will sell the energy generated by the 260-megawatt (MW) project. The project represents an investment of $250 million in the Texas region.
New York’s Latest Clean Energy Push Includes 2.5GW of Offshore Wind Contracts for Equinor and BP | Greentech Media
The state of New York has awarded 2.5 gigawatts of offshore wind projects to developers Equinor and BP, the largest yet in the state’s massive offshore wind build-out and one of the single largest U.S. renewable energy contracts yet awarded.
Almost All New US Power Plants Built in 2021 Will Be Carbon-Free | Greentech Media
Wind and solar make up a small share of U.S. electricity production today, but they’re poised to supply 70 percent of new power plant capacity built this year.
Transportation
Lordstown claims more than 100,000 pre-orders for its electric pickup truck | Electrek
Lordstown claims to now have received more than 100,000 pre-orders for its electric pickup truck ahead of the start of production later this year.
Nio ET7 has 620 miles of range and a powerful self-driving system | Mashable
Chinese automaker Nio has announced a new flagship model called the ET7, and it hits all the right spots when it comes to specs.
Audi sells almost 50,000 e-tron electric SUVs in 2020 | Electrek
Audi sold almost 50,000 e-tron electric SUVs in 2020 – a significant increase over last year and launching Audi’s electrification effort ahead of new models hitting the market.
China’s Geely, Baidu announce electric car ventures | AP via Yahoo
Chinese automaker Geely says it will form an electric car venture with tech giant Baidu, adding to a flurry of corporate tie-ups in the industry to share soaring technology development costs.
Renault announces 7 new electric cars, unveils Renault 5 electric prototype | Electrek
French automaker Renault announced its plan for the next 5 years and it includes 7 new electric cars to hit the market.
GM debuts all-electric van in battle to capture ‘last mile’ e-commerce deliveries | NBC News
FedEx has already placed “a large order” for the electric trucks, after a test showed they resulted in a 25 percent increase in productivity, GM said. General Motors wants to electrify the delivery side of e-commerce, launching a new subsidiary, BrightDrop, that will deliver “an ecosystem” of products and services to speed up the shipping and delivery process.
Rivian announces another major funding haul | The Verge
Amazon-backed electric vehicle startup Rivian has raised another $2.65 billion, bolstering its position as one of the most well-funded EV startups in the world.
Autonomous vehicles
Tesla files to use new ‘millimeter-wave radar’ in electric cars | Electrek
Tesla has applied with the FCC for the use of a new “millimeter-wave radar” inside the automaker’s electric cars. Tesla uses a front-facing radar sensor hidden inside the front fascia of its vehicles as part of its Autopilot/Full Self-Driving (FSD) sensor suite.
Intel’s self-driving tech division Mobileye is picking up speed, set to become a true threat to Tesla | Techspot
Tesla has long overtaken the headlines around self-driving vehicles, but Intel’s autonomous vehicle division Mobileye is laying the groundwork to be its biggest competitor. Mobileye’s CEO revealed its upcoming lidar tech at CES 2021, and marked an exciting, differentiating strategy between the industry’s leading giants.
GM jumps as Microsoft joins US$2B self-driving venture | BNN Bloomberg
General Motors Co. and Microsoft Corp. are leading a US$2 billion investment round in self-driving car startup Cruise LLC in a deal that will bring the software giant’s cloud and edge-computing capabilities to the venture. Shares of GM surged on the news.
Steel and aluminum
BHP Invests in Startup Seeking to Make Emissions-Free Steel | Bloomberg via Financial Post
BHP Group, the world’s biggest mining company, has invested in a startup company seeking to develop less-polluting ways of making steel.
Dubai solar park says it has started powering aluminium production | RenewEconomy
The 1GW Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park in the United Arab Emirates has reportedly begun powering the production of aluminium, a world first and a major milestone on the path to decarbonising the global manufacturing industry.
Circular Economy
New Flyer and Li-Cycle complete heavy-duty lithium-ion battery recycling pilot; 3,200 lbs of Li-ion batteries | Green Car Congress
New Flyer Industries Canada ULC and New Flyer of America Inc., subsidiaries of NFI Group Inc., one of the world’s leading independent global bus manufacturers, announced the successful completion of a battery recycling pilot with North America’s largest lithium-ion battery recycler, Li- Cycle Corporation.
Policy
Here Are All the Climate Actions Biden Took on Day One | E&E News via Scientific American
U.S. climate policy hung a U-turn yesterday, with President Biden using his Inauguration Day to launch a domestic and international response to climate change that is diametrically opposed to that of his predecessor.
Germany Paid Record $38 Billion for Green Power Growth in 2020 | Bloomberg via Financial Post
Germany paid a record sum to foster green electricity last year as new wind, solar and biomass plants weathered the worst of the coronavirus crisis afflicting other sections of the economy.
[UK] Future Homes Standard: Heat pumps to be ‘the primary heating technology for new homes’ | Current News
The government has restated its commitment to heat pumps following the most recent Future Homes Standard consultation.