Plus: China adds 52.6GW to Sept; $12B for green steel and cement; Governments support $1.6B blue hydrogen plant in Alberta; Germany wants 70 GW wind
Hi Everyone,
2022 is quickly coming to a close. As I look to the balance of the year, I expect to prepare just one more update before taking a break over the Christmas holidays.
As you’ll see, I’ve salted in a few comments. As always, I welcome your feedback.
Thanks,
Peter
Observations & Comments
Do check out the Policy section at the bottom as you’ll find some important stories on hydrogen, wind and solar.
For stories from Canada, look for 
as a visual aid.
News about COP27 (27th Conference of the Parties, explained) has been filling up my inbox. We are through 1 week of the 2-week event and unless I’m missing something, so far there hasn’t been anything particularly groundbreaking. The $100B developed countries needed to invest annually to support developing countries address climate change has not materialized and the sizable gap does not appear to have a way of closing anytime soon. If you think I’m missing something here, please drop me a quick note.
Now, for regular readers you know that I tend to steer wide of climate change science and prefer instead to move beyond any debate to real world signposts demonstrating either speeding things up or slowing them down. So here I am stepping lightly: I’m observing something else associated with COP27 – the beginnings of acknowledgment that limiting warming to 1.5C is out of reach. Yet nobody wants to be accused of giving up, so the dance continues.
All this side-stepping risks delaying the important conversation on the investment needed to adapt to a changing climate. Climate adaptation needs to figure far more prominently than it does. Tell me what you think.
Click the images below for links to related material from Bloomberg.
Finance & Sentiment
[Comment] Broadly, you will see in this batch of headlines a very clear and obvious continuation of the long march of efforts to improve the quality and consistency of disclosure. And it’s expanding beyond emissions and climate-related risk to impacts to nature and on society. Carrying on from the last issue of Energy Shift, we are seeing more efforts to address greenwashing.
$12B committed to green steel, cement as “Buyers Club” expands| BNN Bloomberg
PepsiCo Inc., Apple Inc. and Rio Tinto Plc are among the newest members of a corporate buyers club that have now committed $12 billion to purchasing near-zero-carbon steel, aluminum and other products in the hopes of developing greener supply chains and accelerating the production of clean technology.
Report: Finance sector failing to measure or report impacts on society and the environment | edie
An assessment of the climate and societal impacts of 400 of the world’s largest financial institutions has found that most are not identifying or disclosing their human rights risks or impacts on nature. It has also revealed weak climate target-setting.
ISSB to Require Climate-related Scenario Analysis Under IFRS’ Climate Disclosure Standard | ESG Today
Companies will be required to use climate-related scenario analysis as part of their disclosures under new standards being developed by the International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB) of the IFRS Foundation, according to a statement Wednesday by the ISSB.
UN experts urge stringent rules to stop net zero greenwash | ABC News
Companies pledging to get their emissions down to net zero better make sure they’ve got a credible plan and aren’t just making false promises, U.N. experts said in a report Tuesday urging tough standards on emissions cutting vows
Net Zero Asset Managers Initiative Hits $66 Trillion AUM | ESG Today
More than 290 asset managers, representing over $66 trillion in assets under management have joined the Net Zero Asset Managers (NZAM) initiative, committing to transition their investment portfolios over time to be in line with achieving net zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2050, according to a new update report released by the group.
EU Lawmakers Adopt Corporate Sustainability Reporting Rules | ESG Today
In a major step towards the establishment of a new sustainability reporting system in Europe, the European Parliament adopted the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) on Thursday. The vote sets the stage for a dramatic overhaul and expansion of corporate sustainability reporting in the EU to be implemented by the beginning of 2024.
UK Unveils Disclosure Framework for Net Zero Transition Plans | ESG Today
[Excerpt] According to TPT Co-Chair and Aviva Group CEO Amanda Blanc, the new disclosure framework is being introduced as companies increasingly announce net zero commitments, but many have yet to publish plans to support their targets, with plans that have been disclosed varying in quality, consistency and level of detail.
Technology
Hydrogen
Hydrogen-producing rooftop solar panels nearing commercialization | pv magazine
Image: Comate
KU Leuven researchers have developed rooftop panels that capture both solar power and water from the air. Like traditional PV modules, hydrogen panels are also connected, but via gas tubes instead of electric cables. The researchers are now preparing to bring the tech to the mass market via a spinoff company.
Centrica, Equinor sign agreement to explore low-carbon hydrogen hub in UK | H2 View
[Excerpt] Under the co-operation plan, an area in Easington, East Yorkshire, operated by Centrica, could be transformed into a low-carbon hydrogen production hub over the coming decade, supporting the Humber region’s decarbonisation ambitions.
Nikola and KeyState announce collaboration to support hydrogen fuel cell EVs | CBT News
EV maker Nikola announced it is working with KeyState Natural Gas Synthesis, a joint venture between KeyState Energy and Frontier Natural Resources Inc., to develop Pennsylvania’s first low-carbon hydrogen production supply chain.
MPK Poznań has purchased 25 hydrogen buses from Solaris Bus & Coach | Bus News
The original tender was for 15 vehicles, but the operator exercised its option to extend the order by an additional ten vehicles. Solaris Bus & Coach will deliver these vehicles in the second half of 2023.
BP looking into large-scale hydrogen production in Mauritania | Offshore Energy
British energy company BP has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Government of Mauritania to explore the potential for large-scale production of green hydrogen in the country.
Oman launches first green hydrogen auctions in pursuit of million-tonne production goal | Hydrogen Insight
Oman has launched its first green hydrogen auction in an effort to reach its goal of producing one million tonnes of hydrogen and its derivatives by 2030.
Carbon Capture
Oxy Sources Land to Store up to 3 Billion Tons of Captured Carbon | ESG Today
International energy company Occidental (Oxy), its carbon capture, utilization and sequestration platform subsidiary, 1PointFive, and agricultural production and resource management company King Ranch announced today a new lease agreement to support mass storage of CO2 from planned Direct Air Capture (DAC) projects.
ArcelorMittal to trial carbon capture technology at Belgium steel plant | edie
Steel manufacturer ArcelorMittal has announced a new collaboration with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Engineering, global resources company, BHP and Mitsubishi Development Pty g on a multi-year trial of carbon capture (CCUS) technology.
European Union to provide €3 billion in funding to help CCS projects | Upstream
The European Union is set to launch a new €3 billion ($2.98 billion) package of incentives for carbon capture and storage (CCS) projects after Energy Commissioner Kadri Simson called for an increased sense of urgency in a field identified as fundamental for meeting climate targets.
[Comment] Upstream oversells the amount of money going to support CCS. See more detail on the EU move here: €3 billion call under the EU Innovation Fund (europa.eu). It is more like sub-€1 billion.
ABB to support Northern Lights carbon capture and storage project | Gas World
Global technology company ABB will supply key technological solutions for two carbon dioxide (CO2) carriers that will transport captured industrial emissions to storage as part of the Northern Lights carbon capture and storage (CCS) project.
Net Power announces world’s first zero-emission gas plant in Texas | E&E News via Carbon Neutral Coalition
Net Power LLC announced plans Monday to build the world’s first utility-scale gas power plant with carbon capture, which it said would generate electricity with close to zero emissions.
Nuclear
Poland Picks US, Westinghouse for First Nuclear Power Plant | BNN Bloomberg
Poland chose US-based Westinghouse Electric Co. to build its first nuclear power plant, tightening relations with Washington in the wake of Russia’s invasion of neighboring Ukraine.
Poland Signs Deal With Korea to Build Second Nuclear Plant | Financial Post
Poland reached a deal with South Korea to develop the European nation’s second nuclear power plant, accelerating its efforts to become energy independent following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Coal
Dozens of US Coal Plant Closings Delayed as Green Energy Shift Slows | BNN Bloomberg
As many as 40 US coal-fired power plants that were slated to shut will run for longer than expected, with operators delaying plans to retire them as supply-chain issues and reliability concerns slow the transition to greener energy.
The Grid
[UK] More than 300,000 sign up for scheme which pays households to cut energy at peak hours to help stave off blackouts | Daily Mail
Hundreds of thousands of UK households have agreed to cut back on their energy usage in return for cash amid fears of rolling power cuts this winter.
[UK] OVO is giving away hew high-tech £7,500 boilers for free in trial | MSN
A groundbreaking new trial will see innovative Zero Emission Boilers (ZEBs) installed for free in OVO customers’ homes, as part of UK Power Networks’ project Neat Heat. The project sees OVO, Distribution Network Operator UK Power Networks, and UK clean tech company tepeo come together to provide real-world data on how tepeo’s innovative new solution interacts with the electricity network, allowing OVO Energy to develop new offerings that will reduce costs to customers and UK Power Networks to use its existing infrastructure in a smarter way.
Heat pumps are now mandatory in new homes in Washington State | Electrek
Washington State will require new homes and apartments to have heat pumps installed from July 2023, the State Building Code Council ruled on Friday.
Energy Storage
RWE to build 220MW battery storage units in NRW, Germany | Energy Storage News
Global energy firm RWE has finalised its investment decision for two battery energy storage systems (BESS) totalling 220MW, in North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW), Germany.
Westbridge gets approval for Alberta solar-plus-storage project with 100MW/200MWh BESS | Energy Storage NewsWestbridge Renewable Energy has received approval for one of its four large-scale solar-plus-storage projects in Alberta, Canada.
Solar and Wind
Image: Unéole
French startup Unéole has developed a rooftop system that combines solar and silent wind turbines. It claims its system can produce 40% more energy than standalone rooftop solar arrays. It is now testing the device, with plans to commercialize it by 2023.
U.S. Wind Power Just Crossed an Important Milestone | The Street
Onshore wind power is likely to provide at least 10% of the nation’s electricity in 2022. Renewable energy hasn’t hit that mark since the 1980s.
Google Sources Nearly 1 GW of Solar Energy from SoftBank’s Renewables Platform | ESG Today
SoftBank Group’s U.S. renewable energy-focused platform SB Energy announced today an agreement with Google for the purchase of nearly 1 GW of renewable energy from four of its solar projects currently under development. The renewable energy from the power purchase agreement (PPA) will be used to power Google’s data center in Midlothian, Texas and cloud region in Dallas.
Trina Solar Starts 15GW Solar Cell and 15GW High-Power Module Projects in China | PVTime
As planned, the annual output of 5GW solar cell and 10GW solar module will be achieved in the first phase of the project, and then another 10GW solar cell and 5GW solar module for the second phase which may be adjusted according to the processing of the first phase as well as the market conditions.
China Added 52.6 GW of New Solar Capacity in 9M 2022 | Mercom India
China installed 52.6GW of new solar capacity in the first 9 months of 2022, according to the latest data released by the National Energy Administration. Installations were up 106% year-over-year, compared to 25.56 GW installed during the same period last year.
Microsoft signs 15-year Wind PPA with Potentia and Greengate in Canada | Power TechnologyTech giant Microsoft has signed a power purchase agreement (PPA) with Potentia and GreenGate for Paintearth Wind project in Canada. Under the 15-year PPA, Microsoft will purchase approximately 543GWh of renewable energy annually from the wind project, which is in Alberta’s Paintearth County.
Longi, JA Solar and Yingli to supply 1.05 GW of PV modules to China | pv magazine
Longi, JA Solar and Yingli won contracts to supply 1.05 GW of PV modules to China Southern Power Grid. The state-owned utility released the results of its second module procurement tender on its website. The companies each won 350 MW contracts, totaling 1.05 GW.
Vestas to supply US developer Apex’s 300MW wind farm | Wind Power Monthly
Danish wind giant Vestas has received a 50-turbine order from US renewable energy company Apex Clean Energy for its 300MW Goose Creek Wind project in Illinois, United States.
Rooftop-mounted microgrid combines wind, solar, storage | pv magazine
Image: Image: Hover Energy LLC
Hover Energy, a Texas-based wind power tech company, said it will begin commercial-scale production of its residential and commercial 36 kW wind-powered microgrids at its facility in Memphis, Tennessee, in January 2023. Hover’s first installation survived the recent Hurricane Ian storm system that ravaged southwestern Florida.
Transportation
XPeng’s G9 arrives as first unmodified, mass-produced EV to qualify for autonomous robotaxi testing | Electrek
Just over a month after officially launching its G9 SUV in China, XPeng Motors has announced its latest EV has received a permit for autonomous driving tests on public roads.
Canada’s zero-emission vehicle registrations hit all-time high of 9.4 percent in Q3 | Electric AutonomyThe market share of zero-emission light-duty vehicle (ZEV) registrations in Canada — combining battery electric (BEV) and plug-in hybrid (PHEV) — is pushing towards the 10 per cent threshold, hitting 9.4 per cent in third quarter, according to data compiled by S&P Global Mobility (formerly IHS Markit).
VW Slow-Rolls Faster EV Charging, Handing Hyundai an Advantage | BNN Bloomberg
[Excerpt] One of the engineering decisions that’s put Hyundai toward the head of the pack in this regard was its adoption of an 800-volt architecture. This enables its car batteries to more quickly take in electricity at higher power by lowering the current, which can be a limiting factor for other vehicles.
Circular Economy
The Canadian recycling company Li-Cycle and Vines Energy Solutions (VinES), a battery company of Vingroup, have agreed on a global recycling partnership. [Excerpt] Li-Cycle can thus not only recycle old batteries and production waste, but also provide the reprocessed raw materials for a closed battery supply chain.
Policy
The European Union has agreed to a law that sets national targets to reduce overall carbon emissions by the end of the decade across sectors including agriculture, buildings and transport. These sectors, not now included in the EU emissions trading system, generate about 60% of EU greenhouse gas emissions. The planned law should reduce them by 40% compared to 2005.
Canada unveils tax credits of 30-40% for investment in clean technology and hydrogen | Finacial Post
Ottawa has proposed new tax credits for investments made in clean technology and hydrogen in its fall economic statement, hoping to keep pace with the financial support provided to manufacturers in the United States through President Joe Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act.
Federal, Alberta governments pour $461 million into Edmonton hydrogen plant | CBCConstruction on the largest hydrogen plant in the world will proceed in northeast Edmonton after the provincial and federal governments agreed to contribute hundreds of millions of dollars.
[Excerpt] The federal government is contributing $300 million and once the plant is operational — which is expected in 2024 — the Alberta government will give Air Products a $161.5-million grant over three years.
Germany sets new 70GW offshore wind target | RenewEconomy
[Excerpt] The government has decided to expand the country’s offshore wind capacity from just under 8 gigawatts (GW) to 40 GW by 2035, and to 70 GW by 2045 – a substantial increase from previous targets of 20 GW by 2030 and 40 gigawatts by 2040.
US, UAE sign deal on $100 bil global investment in clean energy to 2035 | S&P Global
The US and the UAE have signed an agreement that will help galvanize $100 billion in investments to develop 100 GW of clean energy globally by 2035, as the two oil producers seek to boost their renewables portfolios amid net zero emissions targets.
[Comment] See also this White House Fact Sheet. CCS, Hydrogen, Nuclear and methane are among noted areas.
New French law will require parking lots to install solar panels | engadget
[Excerpt] The French Senate has approved a bill that should increase that markedly, requiring parking lots with a minimum of 80 spaces to be covered by solar panels, according to Public Senat. Parking lots with between 80-400 spaces will have five years starting in July 2023 to be in compliance.
EU and Namibia sign MoU to develop green hydrogen | H2 View
[Excerpt] The partnership aims to ensure the development of a secure and sustainable supply of raw materials, refined materials and renewable hydrogen to support the green and digital transformation of the partners’ economies.
[Comment] Am I the only one wondering where the water will come from for producing green hydrogen in a place like Namibia?