Plus: Ships can ride a carpet of micro-bubbles; Equinor to build blue hydrogen plant; Electric bus uptake expands
Hi everyone,
I hope all the Americans getting this are enjoying this 4th of July holiday weekend – and safely at that.
I’m continuing with the new format again, but please do send a quick note with any thoughts on what you like/don’t like. Again, if you only have time to read a little, read my comments section and then skim the headlines. Dive deeper where you wish.
Thanks and please continue to forwards on to colleagues, friends and family you think would be interested.
Thanks,
Peter
Observations, Comments & Questions
- Among the most impactful developments to report is the story on California requiring trucks and delivery vans to be electric. By 2024, 40% of vehicles sold must be electric. The vehicles range from medium duty trucks (e.g. Ford F-250) all the way to big rigs. California continues to be a policy pioneer in this area and prove out what is possible. Which other states will follow and when is the question. Meanwhile, electric buses continue to see uptake everywhere from Chile to the UK, the latter with an innovative deal that separates ownership of the battery.
- Analysts differ on what to expect for oil demand. Goldman Sachs expects demand to return to pre-coronavirus levels by 2022, whereas Citigroup says demand for oil products has peaked.
- I thought the microbubble technology profiled in the first technology story and pictured below was pretty nifty. A fuel reduction of 5-12% ought to get the shipping industry’s attention. Any ship with 20% or more flat bottom can have the tech retrofitted while ships are in dry-dock, with the process only taking a matter of days to install.
Silverstream Technologies’ innovative system pumps tiny bubbles through vents on a boat’s hull to reduce friction between the vessel and the water. Credit: Silverstream
Technology
Carnival Cruises inks deal to deploy ‘microbubble carpet’ technology | Greenbiz
A clean technology firm that has developed a system that spreads a carpet of microbubbles between a ship’s hull and the water to reduce drag and enhance fuel efficiency has landed a $1.23 million deal with Carnival Cruises. Silverstream Technologies’ innovative system, which pumps tiny bubbles through vents on a boat’s hull to reduce friction between the vessel and the water, reduces fuel consumption by between 5 to 12 percent.
Equinor to build hydrogen plant with carbon capture in Britain | Reuters
Equinor plans to build in Britain a plant to produce hydrogen from natural gas in combination with carbon capture and storage, the Norwegian oil firm said on Wednesday. The plant, which Equinor said was the largest of such kind in the world, aims to reduce CO2 emissions by nearly 900,000 tonnes per year by replacing gas with hydrogen at the Saltend Chemicals Park near the city of Hull in north-east England.
Jaguar launches high-powered wireless charging for taxi networks | The Driven
Jaguar will offer rapid wireless charging for taxi services in a partnership with the City of Oslo that will use the company’s all-electric I-PACE model in a world leading trial. The wireless charging system uses a transmitter embedded into the road at common stopping points, and generates an electromagnetic field that allows power to transferred to a receiver embedded in the bottom of a vehicle.
Huge 720MW solar farm and very big battery approved for connection to NSW grid | RenewEconomy
Plans to build a 720MW solar farm and a very big battery of around 400MWh in the New South Wales New England region have cleared another major hurdle, after locking in a grid connection agreement with network provider Transgrid.
Australia’s Energy Storage Capacity to More Than Double in 2020: WoodMac | Greentech Media
Front-of-the-meter battery deployments are surging in Australia, but an economic downturn could dent momentum, analysts say. Australia is set to add 1.2 gigawatt-hours of energy storage capacity in 2020, more than double the 499 megawatt-hours installed in 2019. This will increase the country’s cumulative storage capacity to 2.7 gigawatt-hours this year, according to Wood Mackenzie’s latest report on Australia’s energy storage market.
Million-mile battery is ready to go, Chinese battery maker CATL says | Autoblog
The “million-mile battery” is one of three grails thought necessary to power widespread adoption of electric vehicles, along with getting more range from a single charge and building out charging infrastructure.
UK electric buses boosted by innovative £20m battery deal | The Guardian
One of Britain’s biggest battery companies has secured a loan to help increase the UK’s electric bus fleet by taking ownership of the batteries inside scores of UK buses.
Chile’s capital sees 150 new Chinese-made electric buses | XINHUANET
A fleet of 150 electric buses manufactured by Chinese company BYD have joined the Chilean capital’s public transport system, the company said in a statement released on Monday. The new units bring BYD’s total electric bus fleet in Chile to 455. Santiago’s electric bus fleet is projected to reach 800 units by the end of this year.
Volkswagen invests extra $200 million in U.S. battery company QuantumScape | Reuters
Volkswagen is increasing its stake in U.S. company QuantumScape by up to $200 million to boost the development of solid-state battery technology that aims to increase the ranges of electric cars and shorten charging times, the German carmaker said on Tuesday.
Tesla to send up to 1,000 Powerwalls to Vermont per year under new deal | Electrek
Tesla will deploy up to 1,000 Powerwalls in Vermont per year under two new programs with a longtime partner. Green Mountain Power (GMP) was one of the earliest adopters of Tesla Powerwall. It’s a relatively small electric utility operating in Vermont, but it has been leading the deployment of Tesla Powerwalls with 2,000 units deployed to date.
Policy
California shakes up auto industry, says all vans and trucks must be electric by 2024 | NBC News
California regulators have approved new rules that would see a massive shift from conventional gas and diesel trucks and vans to ones powered by batteries and zero-emission hydrogen fuel cells.
Nevada to join other states in adopting California zero emission vehicle rules | Reuters
Nevada’s governor said on Monday his state plans to adopt California’s zero emission vehicle (ZEV) mandate and tailpipe emissions rules even as the Trump administration has moved to strip states of the right to implement such requirements. Nevada will be the latest state to adopt California’s low-and zero-emission vehicle rules following similar announcements by Washington in March and Minnesota and New Mexico in September.
Two Australian cities reach deals to achieve 100% renewable power: Sydney and Adelaide.
Consumers
ArcelorMittal Europe unveils 2050 net-zero roadmap | Renewables Now
Steel manufacturer ArcelorMittal Europe said it is investing in two routes to lower emissions by 30% by 2030 and become carbon neutral by 2050.The company, part of Indian multinational ArcelorMittal SA (AMS:MT), will rely on smart carbon and direct reduction of iron (DRI) technologies to reach carbon neutrality in steel making, according to an official statement.
Union workers are strong allies for electric vehicles, as Canada’s Unifor demonstrates | Electrek
Unifor, Canada’s largest private-sector union, wants the Canadian government to build an aggressive plan to produce and sell more electric vehicles. The union’s proposals come as it prepares to negotiate with the Detroit Three – and as the Canadian government makes plans for a post-pandemic economic recovery.
Shell plans major overhaul around climate drive, CEO tells employees | Reuters
Royal Dutch Shell will announce a major restructuring by the end of the year as the energy company prepares to accelerate its shift towards low-carbon, CEO Ben van Beurden told employees according to a company source.
Amazon to launch $2B venture capital fund to invest in clean energy | Fox Business
Amazon.com Inc. is launching a $2 billion internal venture-capital fund focused on technology investments to reduce the impact of climate change, the latest sustainability initiative from the technology giant after criticism of its environmental record.