Plus: Wireless grids; Blue and Green hydrogen projects in Europe & US; Canada’s carbon tax ruled constitutional
Hi Everyone,
Happy Easter Sunday to you and your families. Go read my comments below, check out the feature stories and scan the rest of the headlines at your leisure. In case you were wondering, there were no circular economy stories worth flagging, a signpost in its own right.
As always, consider forwarding on to someone you know and encourage them to subscribe.
Thanks and have a great couple weeks,
Peter
Observations, Comments and Questions
A battery that weighs nothing
Imagine a battery that is incorporated into the structure and load bearing aspects of whatever it is powering and in doing so, adds no extra weight. This is what is being referred to as “massless” energy storage and is the subject of the first feature story below. Sure – it is not in commercial production just yet, but imagine the possibilities. This is just another creative breakthrough in an arena seeing a lot of smart minds and money being invested. Another example is announcements in recent months by companies (StoreDot, QuantumScape) of breakthroughs in the development of solid state batteries.
Harvesting energy from thin air
Imagine a 3D printed credit card-sized device that can harvest energy from thin air – via 5G wireless networks. Sure it, can only power very small devices, but in the advent of many small connected devices, this development opens up new possibilities. Check out the feature story below.
Why EV charging needs standards
The feature story by VICE below is worth a read. And the issue is not unique to just the US. I can’t believe we’ve gotten this far along without standards being enforced by governments. Yet here we are. Tell me what you think…how are you thinking about this?
Feature Stories
Big Breakthrough for “Massless” Energy Storage | ScitechDaily
Researchers from Chalmers University of Technology have produced a structural battery that performs ten times better than all previous versions. It contains carbon fiber that serves simultaneously as an electrode, conductor, and load-bearing material. Their latest research breakthrough paves the way for essentially ’massless’ energy storage in vehicles and other technology.
Energy-harvesting card treats 5G networks as wireless power grids | New Atlas
A team from Georgia Tech has just announced a world-first: a 3D-printed rectifying antenna the size of a playing card that can harvest electromagnetic energy from 5G signals and use it to power devices, turning 5G networks into wireless power grids.
The US Is Real Close to Screwing Up Electric Vehicle Charging Forever | Vice
There is no such thing as “the” EV charging network. It’s a complicated patchwork of plugs and proprietary software. And unless something changes, it’s only going to get worse.
Consumers & Finance
One-fifth of world’s largest corporates have set net-zero targets | edie
More than 20% of the world’s largest corporates, worth sales of more than $14trn, have now committed to net-zero targets, but more transparency and short-term targets are required to navigate potential greenwash issues. That is the key finding from a new report by the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU) and Oxford Net Zero.
SoCalGas announces net-zero emission goal by 2045, but some stakeholders remain skeptical | Utility Dive
SoCalGas plans to spend more than $2 billion on modernizing its infrastructure over the next half decade, in part to help decarbonize its business. The utility believes that its existing infrastructure could play a key role in California’s broader clean energy trajectory by providing continuous sources of energy to customers and storing renewable energy for long periods of time, even months.
Vanguard, BlackRock Join Investors Pledging Net-Zero Emissions | BNN Bloomberg
The world’s largest asset managers have joined a group of investors committing to cut the net greenhouse-gas emissions of their portfolios to zero. BlackRock Inc. and Vanguard Group Inc. are among 43 investment firms managing more than $22.8 trillion of assets that are joining the Net Zero Asset Managers initiative, according to a statement Monday. By signing up, the money managers are pledging to support efforts to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius by targeting net-zero emissions by 2050 across all their holdings. They also will set a public goal for the proportion of their assets that in 2030 will be on course for net zero.
One-third of the UK’s biggest businesses signed up to ‘Race to Zero’ ahead of COP26 | edie
Almost one in three FTSE100 companies have signed up to the UN’s Race to Zero campaign, designed to accelerate the adoption of net-zero targets ahead of COP26.
ESG Stampede Reduces Financing for Carbon-Intensive Companies | BNN Bloomberg
The flip side of the stampede into sustainable investments in recent years is that companies with the greatest need to decarbonize are increasingly starved of funding.
Technology
Hydrogen
Hydro-Quebec hydrogen storage venture increases density four-fold | Yahoo
New hydrogen storage technology is a step-closer thanks to a new research and innovation agreement between Hydro-Québec’s Center of Excellence in Transportation Electrification and Energy Storage (CETEES) and the University of South Wales (USW).
BP reveals plans for UK’s largest blue hydrogen facility | World Oil
BP announced that it is developing plans for the UK’s largest blue hydrogen production facility, targeting 1GW of hydrogen production by 2030. The project would capture and send for storage up to two million tons of CO₂ per year, equivalent to capturing the emissions from the heating of one million UK households.
Orsted to develop one of the world’s largest green hydrogen plants | NS Energy
The Danish power firm’s SeaH2Land development will link gigawatt-scale electrolysis to the large industrial demand in the Dutch-Flemish North Sea Port cluster.
Plug Power, Brookfield Renewable to build green hydrogen plant [in Pennsylvania] | Reuters
Fuel cell maker Plug Power Inc said on Tuesday it planned to build a green hydrogen production plant in south-central Pennsylvania with Brookfield Renewable Partners.
ArcelorMittal to transition two German steelmaking plants to green hydrogen | H2 View
ArcelorMittal will transition its steelmaking plants in Bremen and Eisenhüttenstadt, Germany to hydrogen in line with $1.5bn plans unveiled last week to integrate the zero emission fuel of the future into the northwest German coastline.
Carbon Capture
Proposed $2.6B Alberta methanol project inks deal to add carbon capture ability | Global News
A partner in an Alberta carbon capture and storage project that recently celebrated storing its one millionth tonne of CO2 says it has an agreement with a northwestern Alberta chemical plant developer that could result in building a second large-scale system.
Kinder Morgan seeks to expand CO2 business in clean energy push | BNN Bloomberg
Pipeline giant Kinder Morgan Inc. plans to expand its carbon-capture business, joining the ranks of major oil and gas companies capitalizing on clean energy investing.
Green steel
China Ramps Up Push to Make World’s Biggest Steel Industry Green | BNN Bloomberg
China is strengthening efforts to clean up one of the dirtiest corners of its economy, and now plans for its mammoth steel industry to reach peak emissions within four years.
Energy Storage
Renault launches battery recycling scheme | OnlineEV.com
Groupe Renault’s new initiative was introduced on Thursday (18 March) and is being delivered as a part of a consortium partnership spearheaded by useful resource administration big Veolia and innovation agency Solvay.
Coal-dependent Mongolia’s first solar-plus-storage project will use NGK’s sodium-sulfur batteries | Energy Storage News
Sodium-sulfur (NAS) batteries made by Japanese industrial ceramics company NGK Insulators will be used at a solar PV plant in Mongolia, in a project that will receive funding and loans based on its use of low carbon technologies. NGK’s NAS batteries can provide long-duration energy storage with a large capacity and have already been used in 600MW / 4,200MWh of projects worldwide. They can store and discharge for six hours at rated output and between 14-18 hours at one-third of rated output, have an expected lifetime of around 15 years, or 4,500 cycles.
Apple adding 240MWh of Tesla battery storage at California solar PV facility | Energy Storage News
While it is better known for putting lithium-ion batteries in phones, tablets and computers, consumer technology company Apple said it is building a 240MWh battery energy storage system (BESS) at a solar PV plant in California.
India’s Greenko Plans US$4.8 Billion Pumped Storage Project | Clean Technica
Greenko plans to invest US$4.3 billion to set up a solar-wind hybrid project supported by pumped hydro storage in the northern state of Rajasthan. The project is likely to be completed by 2024 and will be the world’s largest renewable energy asset, the company claimed.
Solar and Wind
Scatec unveils $11.8 billion renewable energy investment plan | Reuters
Norwegian renewable energy producer Scatec plans to invest 100 billion Norwegian crowns ($11.8 billion) by the end of 2025 in a drive to increase output capacity fivefold, the company said on Tuesday.
Sun Cable submits plans for gigawatt-scale solar manufacturing plant in Darwin | RenewEconomy
The $26 billion, gigawatt-scale solar export plans of the Sun Cable consortium made important progress this week, with the lodgement of a development application for the first phase of a solar manufacturing and assembly facility in Darwin.
As RenewEconomy has reported, the Sun Cable project – backed by billionaires Mike Cannon-Brookes and Andrew Forrest – is proposing a massive solar array of 14GW, battery storage facilities of up to 33GWh, and a high voltage direct current sub-sea cable of 3,750km linking to Singapore. Each component will be the biggest of its type in the world, by some margin.
Construction begins on Australia’s biggest solar and battery hybrid in New England | RenewEconomy
Construction has officially begun on the huge New England Solar Farm, the first stage of a proposed 720 megawatt hybrid solar and battery project developed by UPC\ACRenewables Australia near Uralla in northern New South Wales.
Iowa’s only nuclear power plant will be turned into a solar farm | Electrek
The Duane Arnold Energy Center in eastern Iowa, a now-idle nuclear power plant, will soon become a 690-megawatt solar farm. The new solar farm plus storage will produce more energy than the single-unit 615-megawatt nuclear plant generated, which powered more than 600,000 homes.
Canada predicts largest oil province Alberta to lead growth in renewables | Reuters
Canada’s biggest oil-producing province Alberta is expected to see the fastest growth in renewable energy capacity between 2018 and 2023, the Canada Energy Regulator forecast in a Tuesday report, as new wind and solar projects help replace coal-fired electricity.
Pennsylvania makes ‘largest government solar commitment’ in the US | Electrek
Pennsylvania’s state government will source 50% of its electricity from seven new solar energy arrays. It will go into operation on January 1, 2023.
Singapore completes one of the first floating solar farms in the sea | Electrek
Singapore-based solar energy provider Sunseap says it has completed construction of a 5MW peak offshore floating solar farm in the Straits of Johor, between Singapore and Malaysia. It’s one of the world’s largest floating solar farms on sea water.
Ørsted starts offshore construction of 900MW Greater Changhua 1 & 2a wind farms | NS Energy
Denmark-based Ørsted has commenced the full-scale offshore construction activities at the 900MW Greater Changhua 1 and 2a offshore wind farms in Taiwan.
[Australia] Booming rooftop solar growth pushes renewables to 28 pct of energy mix | RenewEconomy
Rooftop solar has continued to lead the rapid growth in Australia’s renewable energy sector, with more than 3 gigawatts of new small-scale solar capacity pushing the total renewable mix to almost 28 per cent, says the Clean Energy Council.
Neoen wins approval for 350-MW Aussie solar-plus-storage project | Renewables Now
France’s Neoen (EPA: NEOEN) has been awarded planning consent for an up-to-350-MW solar project in New South Wales, Australia, to be coupled with battery storage.
Ørsted takes FID on 518-MW wind-solar project in Texas | Renewables Now
Danish energy major Ørsted A/S (CPH:ORSTED) has taken a final investment decision (FID) on what will be its largest onshore project to date — a 518-MW hybrid wind-solar scheme in Texas.
GE lands ‘largest combined onshore wind project’ in its history | Electrek
GE Renewable Energy has made an agreement with Chicago-based Invenergy, a global clean energy developer and operator, to provide wind turbines for the 1.48 gigawatt North Central Wind Energy Facilities in Oklahoma.
Transportation
UPS Getting 10,000 Electric Delivery Vans; Take That, Postal Service | Car & Driver
U.K. startup Arrival is building a U.S. microfactory to fulfill UPS’s order for the vans, which are meant for local deliveries and will have 150 miles of range. U.K.-based startup Arrival, which has signed a contract with UPS for 10,000 delivery vans, has announced plans to open a second microfactory in the United States in the Charlotte, North Carolina, area not too far from its first one, in York County, South Carolina. The new plant will produce electric delivery vans for the United Parcel Service (UPS), the company said.
Every carmaker that’s truly going all electric to compete with Tesla | Mashable
No gas. No hybrids. Just pure electric. That’s the lofty goal of many legacy carmakers that have been making gasoline-powered vehicles for decades. The switch from gas to electric is part of an industry-wide effort to contribute fewer emissions.
This tiny car beat Tesla’s Model 3 as the best-selling EV in the world for January and February | The Verge
The Hong Guang Mini EV edged out Tesla’s Model 3 as the top-selling electric vehicle in the world in January and February, not a small feat for the relatively new hatchback. More than 36,000 of the tiny cars sold in January, compared to about 21,500 Model 3s, and the Hong Guang sold just over 20,000 units last month, compared to just under 13,700 Tesla 3s.
Australia’s first mass-made electric trucks go into production | The Driven
SEA Electric has announced the launch of volume production of its first locally-assembled electric trucks, the SEA 300 and SEA 500.
DHL Express to deploy 100 EVs produced by Lightning eMotors | Electrek
International express shipper DHL just announced plans to expand its “Green Fleet” in the US. It plans to do so with the help of EV manufacturer Lightning eMotors. After a successful pilot run of nine EV vans, DHL Express will acquire 89 more from Lightning eMotors this year.
Japan’s Toyota, Isuzu, Hino Join in Truck Technology Tie Up | Transport Topics
Toyota, Isuzu and Hino are setting up a partnership in commercial vehicles to work together in electric, hydrogen, connected and autonomous driving technologies, the three Japanese automakers said March 24.
BP Pulse unveils UK rollout of ultra-fast EV charging hubs | Current±
BP Pulse has unveiled new plans to rollout ultra-fast charging hubs across the UK, with these to be developed in partnership with the Electric Vehicle Network (EVN).
ABB and Amazon Web Services to help fleets switch to EVs | Smart Transport
Smart Transport member ABB is partnering with Amazon Web Services (AWS) to develop a cloud-based digital solution for the real-time fleet management of electric vehicles (EVs).
Policy
Trudeau’s Carbon Tax Upheld by Top Court, Cementing Green Agenda | BNN Bloomberg
Canada’s efforts to combat climate change scored a major victory after the country’s top court ruled Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s national carbon tax is constitutional.
Largest U.S. oil and gas trade group backs carbon price | Reuters
The industry group representing oil and gas companies including Exxon Mobil Corp and Chevron Corp said on Thursday it supports a carbon price as one measure to mitigate climate change risk.
Los Angeles now has a road map for 100% renewable energy | LA Times
Los Angeles is one of the last places in California still burning coal for electricity — and if all goes according to plan, it could become one of the country’s first major cities to nearly eliminate fossil fuels from its power supply.
U.S. pledges to slash solar energy costs by 60% in a decade | Reuters
The Biden administration on Thursday set a goal to cut the cost of solar energy by 60% over the next decade as part of an ambitious plan to decarbonize the United States’ power sector by 2035.
Biden administration launches major push to expand offshore wind power | Washington Post
The White House announced on Monday an ambitious plan to expand wind farms along the East Coast and jump-start the country’s nascent offshore wind industry, saying it hoped to trigger a massive clean-energy effort in the fight against climate change. The plan would generate 30 gigawatts of offshore wind power by the end of the decade — enough to power more than 10 million American homes and cut 78 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions.
Biden Proposal: $174 Billion for EVs, New Funds for Renewable Power | Energy Now
President Joe Biden’s vast infrastructure plan includes $174 billion to boost the markets for electric vehicles and billions more for renewable power – both provisions aimed at weaning the U.S. off of fossil fuels and combating climate change.
Massachusetts Gov. Baker signs sweeping climate change bill | Associated Press
Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker signed a sweeping climate change bill into law Friday, ending months of negotiations as the legislation shuttled back and forth between the Democratic-controlled Legislature and the Republican governor.
[UK] Government announces £30m of battery, hydrogen and EV supply chain investment | Current±
The government has announced over £30 million of investment for battery technology, the electric vehicle supply chain and hydrogen vehicles.