Plus: Battery mineral prices on decline; Clean energy investment hits $1.77 trillion; Holcim orders 1000 hydrogen trucks; Sustainable Aviation Fuels
Hi everyone,
I continue my urbanism learning journey – this week looking at lane widths and how here in North America there is an incredible opportunity to improve safety while also making our cities more livable.
As always, continue to share this around and encourage others to subscribe.
Thanks,
Peter
Peter’s take: Narrower lanes can help make streets safer
I recently listened to a podcast where Charles (Chuck) Marohn, author and founder of Strong Towns (yes, it is a book and a movement) interviews Shima Hamidi, the principal investigator of a John Hopkins study. The 129 page paper, A National Investigation on the Impacts of Lane Width on Traffic Safety lays out the key finding that “narrowing travel lanes is associated with significantly lower numbers of non-intersection traffic crashes and could actually contribute to improvement in safety.” I found this article an easy read: Study: Wide Lanes Are Deadlier — So Why Do Many DOTs Build Them Anyway? And this website by the study gives a good overview.
We know this to be true in our own experience: we naturally slow down when driving in narrower spaces.
Solving for climate change necessarily means thinking about cities and how we design them. Denser cities create the conditions for being more energy efficient, less car dependent, better for biking, walking and public transit. The study notes: “The findings of this paper cut into the core assumptions of the civil engineering profession in regard to traffic design.” Yet we continue to build cities that are biased to car dependency – and it is all about how to move more cars faster. There is another way. Cities can be made to be more livable. We should be challenging our elected officials to ask more “why not” questions.
I live in a suburb. And there are attributes I like. But many of those attributes could also be found in well-designed neighborhoods. Getting all the ingredients just right isn’t easy for developers. Some of it is the chicken/egg situation – developers choose not to include commercial space in condominiums because it will sit empty until the residents show up in numbers. A Strong Towns approach would have developers create flex space that is initially used as residences but could also be later converted to businesses.
A common challenge with North American cities is how to enable the retrofit to becoming more dense. Inevitably, this means running up against zoning bylaws. I recently joined and attended a More Neighbours Calgary event to learn about how to support a proposed a city-wide zoning change to improve housing options. If you live in Calgary, consider joining us. Wherever you are, follow my lead: get involved locally.
Finance & Sentiment
Global clean energy investment hit $US1.77 trillion in 2023, up 17% | RenewEconomy
[Excerpt] A new report from energy analysts BloombergNEF (BNEF) published this week, Energy Transition Investment Trends 2024, found that investment in renewable energy, electric vehicles, hydrogen, and carbon capture all saw growth in investment in 2023. Electrified transport was the primary driver of increased investment in 2023, overtaking renewable energy to be the largest driver of spending in 2023 at $634 billion, up 36% year-on-year.
[Comment] This article nicely summarizes the BloombergNEF findings.
Shifting Climate Scenarios Muddy the Picture for Investors | BNN Bloomberg
[Excerpt] Climate activists and advocacy groups pay particular attention to banks’ interim targets because they are the clearest indicators of how financial institutions are following through on their climate promises. Any changes are therefore closely scrutinized for any hint of greenwashing. Activists are on high alert for any indication that banks aren’t meeting their commitments.
Five Climate Lessons From the $1.8 Trillion Race to Net Zero | BNN Bloomberg
[Excerpt] From the perspective of a decade ago, the gains in clean energy and climate tech are miraculous. From the likely perspective of a decade hence, the transition is moving way too slowly. BloombergNEF finds that investment needs to triple to start aligning with its net zero scenario. Climate Policy Initiative, which has a tighter focus on greenhouse gas emissions reductions and includes adaptation finance, projects the need for a fivefold jump as soon as possible.
[Comment] It bears repeating: investment needs to triple to start aligning with net zero by 2050. We are collectively a very long way off. IEA says the same thing – investment in renewables needs to triple. Fossil fuels make up nearly 80% of global energy supply and renewables (wind, solar, hydro) barely 11%. What this tells us is that the global energy system is VERY large and even with all the investment in renewables and electrification (EVs, heat pumps, etc), is that we are not yet moving the needle to lower demand for oil and gas – rather demand is still growing.
Technology
Hydrogen
‘Germany agrees €16bn plan to subsidise first 10GW of hydrogen-ready power plants’ | Hydrogen Insight
After months of negotiations, German ministers have today (Monday) agreed a plan to spend a reported €16bn ($17bn) subsidising the construction of up to 10GW of “hydrogen-ready” gas-fired power plants.
Italy to spend €550m to help industrial giants switch from fossil fuels to green hydrogen | Hydrogen Insight
The EU gave state-aid approval to the programme, which envisages the Italian government handing out direct grants of up to €200m per beneficiary in the industrial sector, including the production of chemicals, fertiliser and steel, and oil refining.
Carbon Capture
Microsoft-Backed Clean Jet Fuel Startup Fires Up New CO2 Converter | BNN Bloomberg
Climate technology startup Twelve took a major step towards producing sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) on Thursday by launching its commercial-scale carbon transformation unit. Twelve is one of a number of emerging companies working on ways to transform captured CO2 into useful products.
India Bets On Carbon Capture to Keep Its Coal Sector Viable | BNN Bloomberg
India is set to launch a carbon capture policy that it says will allow it to keep exploiting its vast coal resources and deal with its growing emissions, according to to a top government energy adviser. The policy is expected to be unveiled later this year – should Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government retain power in upcoming elections.
The Grid
Albertans turned off lights to protect power grid, would they do it to save money? | Calgary Herald
[Excerpt] The idea of demand-side management — such as trying to encourage consumers to lower consumption at certain times — and energy efficiency are ways to reduce the load on the grid. “It’s going to be a big part of our plan going forward, (it’s) the concept and understanding of demand-side management, where we don’t just have to continue to build and build and build our system larger,” Affordability and Utilities Minister Nathan Neudorf said in a recent interview.
[Comment] Try not to laugh for those of you where time of use pricing is normal and has been for years (practically every other jurisdiction besides Alberta). I guess it needs to be framed as novel for those unfamiliar with this common practice. I definitely take this as a “win” to finally hear the provincial government here talking about demand side management.
Urban Design & Buildings
Can 15-Minute Cities Work in America? | Bloomberg City Lab
As the first country to be built for the car, the US pioneered single-use neighborhoods that require long drives to travel between them. New research proves there’s a better way.
Paris Set to Triple Parking Fees for SUV Drivers After Vote | BNN Bloomberg
Heading into Paris in the comfort of a big car appears set to become an expensive endeavor after voters approved a referendum on Sunday, with on-street parking fees that will rise above €100 ($108) for just a few hours of shopping or errands.
Energy Storage
Battery Metals Bust Spurs Output Cut at Leading Lithium Project | BNN Bloomberg
[Excerpt] A slump across battery materials has upended projects worldwide as gluts emerge, even as optimism about the outlook for electric vehicles persists. With prices in freefall, miners are imposing production cuts and seeking to rein in costs.
“I’ll take matters into my hands:” Why demand for household batteries is surging | one step off the grid
[Australia] Solar panel and battery installer Smart Energy is expanding further into Queensland and New South Wales (NSW), as customer demand for batteries rockets. Driving the shift is dissatisfaction with current offers from traditional energy retailers as feed-in tariffs fall while night time rates rise, making batteries a more alluring proposition.
Zenobē Energy to start construction on 300MW/600MWh Battery in Scotland | Energy Storage News
[Excerpt] The two-hour duration BESS [battery] will be used to reduce the cost of wasted wind generation in Scotland and therefore reduce energy prices for consumers.
Origin to build AU$400 million Battery at Victoria peaker plant | Energy Storage News
[Excerpt] The 650MWh project will have a 2-hour duration with 300MW output and will also be equipped with grid-forming capabilities via advanced inverters.
Home battery storage now costs 20% less for everyone in the UK – here’s why | electrek
The UK slashed value-added tax (VAT) to zero for folks installing battery storage in their homes from February 1, 2024.
GM, LG Chem ink $19B cathode material supply deal | Supply Chain Dive
GM and LG Chem have reached a long-term supply agreement that will provide the automaker with over 500,000 tons of cathode material for electric vehicle production between 2026 and 2035, according to a Wednesday release from LG Chem. The approximately $18.8 billion deal (25 trillion South Korean won) provides enough material to supply five million high-performance EVs, LG Chem said.
Solar and Wind
Google inks major new offshore wind deal | The Verge
Google announced its biggest deal yet to purchase offshore wind energy for its data centers in Europe, signing power purchase agreements to support two new wind farms off the coast of the Netherlands. [Excerpt] It shared “the next step” of that plan for Europe today, where it says it’s adding more than 700 megawatts of clean energy capacity to the grid.
Germany allocates 1.61 GW in latest utility-scale PV tender | pv magazine
Germany’s latest auction for utility-scale solar concluded with prices ranging from €0.0444 ($0.048)/kWh to €0.0547/kWh. The procurement exercise was significantly oversubscribed.
India moves to kick-start offshore wind with subsidy and tender notice | Recharge News
India has taken the next steps to kick-start its offshore wind ambitions by tendering 4GW of seabed for projects and announcing details of viability gap funding.
The world’s largest EV battery maker will build its own $1.83B, 800MW offshore wind farm | electrek
Contemporary Amperex Technology (CATL), the world’s largest EV battery maker, is going to build its own $1.83 billion offshore wind farm. [Excerpt] The Chinese EV battery and battery storage giant’s offshore wind farm will provide clean energy to power its own operations.
Choppy conditions continue to rock US offshore wind market | RenewEconomy
The United States’ offshore wind industry remains in a state of flux as major players Ørsted, BP, and Equinor shuffle their plans, even as the US government approved funding for floating offshore wind in California. While the offshore wind industry in regions such as Europe and Asia continue to experience setbacks due to global inflation and increasing material costs, their relative maturity and importance to national decarbonisation efforts have helped ensure necessary support.
Hydro-Québec approves eight wind projects that could generate 1,550 megawatts | Montreal Gazette
[Excerpt] Analyst Brent Stadler of Desjardins World Markets believes Quebec companies Innergex and Boralex, listed on the stock exchange, are in a good position to obtain more contracts from the state-owned company. “We expect that Hydro-Québec will need between 10,000 and 12,000 megawatts (MW) of wind energy by 2032. That would mean recurring calls for tenders of more than one gigawatt per year.”
Transportation
Holcim places massive 1,000 unit order for Mercedes electric semi trucks | electrek
Swiss building materials and solutions provider Holcim took a significant step towards meeting its stated sustainability goals by placing an absolutely MASSIVE order for 1,000 Mercedes-Benz eActros 600 electric semi trucks.
[Comment] And here I was thinking hydrogen was a better option for semis hauling heavy loads long distances.
The global state of EVs: Nat Bullard publishes kaleidoscope of fascinating data | The Driven
As part of his annual decarbonisation presentation, climate and clean-tech researcher Nat Bullard has published some fascinating charts on various trends in renewable energy and electric vehicles. Posted on twitter this week, Bullard’s 200 page slide deck is packed with well presented charts covering global warming, clean energy growth, deforestation and sustainable finance trends as well as a series of graphs covering EV battery manufacturing, EV uptake and global EV public charging capacity.
Volvo, An Early Electric Car Adopter, Cuts Off Funding For Its EV Affiliate | WSJ via MSN
Volvo Car said it won’t provide further funding to Polestar, the electric-car maker it created with Volvo’s Chinese owner Geely—the latest EV retrenchment by the global auto industry. The auto industry’s pivot to electric vehicles has been rocked by setbacks this year, just as a flood of new battery-powered models is hitting showrooms.
World’s first ethanol-to-jet fuel plant takes flight in Georgia | World Bio Market
In a groundbreaking development for the aviation industry, LanzaJet Inc. has opened the world’s first plant to produce ethanol-to-jet biofuel. Located in rural Georgia, the $200 million facility received funding from the US government and has investors including Suncor Energy Inc. And British Airways’ parent company IAG SA. The plant, which will produce 10 million gallons of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and renewable diesel annually, is seen as a wake-up call for the industry to accelerate decarbonization efforts.
MFG to install 800 ultra-rapid EV chargers across acquired Morrisons forecourts in UK | Current
The Motor Fuel Group (MFG) has announced a £2.5 billion agreement with Morrisons to acquire 337 petrol forecourts as it targets 800 installations of 150kW chargepoints in five years.
Battery Fire Fears Are Slowing Korea’s Switch to Electric Cars | BNN Bloomberg
[Excerpt] Yet EV sales slipped last year for the first time since 2017 — dipping 0.1% to 157,823 units — according to data from the Korea Automobile Manufacturers Association. While high prices and rising interest rates helped cool demand, two of the biggest factors standing in the way of drivers ditching their gasoline cars for an EV are safety concerns and a lack of fast charger.
Toyota to invest $1.3B to build EVs at its Kentucky plant | electrek
Toyota just announced a $1.3 billion investment in its Kentucky factory to build EVs, including its three-row electric SUV for the US market. The investment supports the previously announced future battery EV assembly at Toyota Kentucky. It’s also adding a battery pack assembly line, with batteries being supplied by Toyota Battery Manufacturing North Carolina.
Policy
EU Aims to Cut 90% of Emissions by 2040. What Does That Mean? | BNN Bloomberg
The European Union’s aim to cut 90% of emissions by 2040 is its most ambitious move yet to try to keep global warming below 1.5C. The plan recommended by the European Commission would put the world’s largest trading bloc at the forefront of global climate efforts and require a significant overhaul of its economy and trade. Yet it’s likely to face intense debate among member states and the broader public — particularly as the region is lagging on its existing goals.