Green, ethical, energy issues in the news

Martyn1981

Cheaper RE is arriving in developing countries just in time to head off new FF generation capacity.

Solar Power Surges In Vietnam, Dimming Prospects For New Coal Plants

But industry is a voracious consumer of electricity, something Vietnam will need lots of to meet the demand for consumer goods. Until a few years ago, it expected to meet that demand by dotting its countryside with new coal-fired generating stations. But a funny thing happened on the way to becoming a new economic powerhouse. Prices for renewable energy plummeted over the past several years, making wind and solar more competitive with conventional thermal sources of electricity.

Martyn1981

Cleaner burning bio-diesel being tested to displace some shipping fuel when blended with bunker oil:

Bio-Diesel Could Lower Hapag-Lloyd Cargo Ship Emissions

Hapag-Lloyd is experimenting with a new fuel called B20 that combines 80% low sulphur bunker oil with 20% biodiesel made from grease and fats sourced from restaurants and caterers. When burned, the biodiesel creates 90% fewer emissions than conventional fuels, according to a report by Renewable Energy magazine. The experimental fuel will be used to power the Montreal Express, a cargo ship that plies the waters between Canada and Europe.
“We are checking to see whether the share of biodiesel has any adverse effects on the equipment and the fuel processing on board the vessel. If the test is successful, more ships from Hapag-Lloyd’s fleet could operate using the ‘B20’ fuel in future,” explains Jan Christensen, senior director of purchasing and supply for Hapag-Lloyd.

Martyn1981

It's all about the gas today.

First off, competition in the US between FF based hydrogen production and RE based production (/storage):

Worst Idea Ever, Meet Cheapest Offshore Wind Energy Ever

It might not be the worst ever idea in all of human history, but it probably comes pretty close. Somewhere out on the frozen plains of Saskatchewan, Canada, somebody hatched a plan to produce fossil hydrogen by lighting up underground oil deposits. Good luck with that! Meanwhile, the cost of offshore wind energy in the US is falling faster than expected. That could juice the emerging market for renewable hydrogen and push fossil-sourced hydrogen out into the cold. Game on!

And FF gas in the US is starting to run up against competition/alternatives too:

Red Flags A-Plenty for Natural Gas In New Sustainable Energy Report

The Factbook cites several factors that were practically nonexistent 10 years ago but have gone practically mainstream in the more recent past. One major example is the rise of utility-scale renewable energy development, along with new financing tools that have enabled corporate energy buyers to accelerate wind and solar development.
Renewables are now winning contracts based on economic merits alone, and that renewables are now the “cheapest new generation source in many U.S. power markets,” as the Factbook notes.
Of particular concern to natural gas stakeholders is the role of state policy in renewable energy development. In a trend partly attributed to the results of the 2018 mid-term elections, the Factbook notes that 9 states increased their existing renewable portfolio standards in 2019.
On top of all this activity, in the near future the US is looking at rapid growth and falling costs in the offshore wind sector, where activity is finally ramping up after years of delay.

Energy storage is another factor pushing down demand for new natural gas power plants, as the Factbook elaborates:
“In particular, “PV+storage” projects have under-bid natural gas-fired plants to win power-delivery contracts in certain states thanks to a 77% drop in the price of typical PV module and an 87% decline in battery pack prices.”
Ouch!

Martyn1981

Pressure on lenders, in this case Barclays, to end investment in FF's continues:

Influential shareholder adds to pressure on Barclays over fossil fuel loans

Europe’s largest asset manager is backing a shareholder vote urging Barclays to stop offering loans to fossil fuel companies.
Amundi, an influential investor with more than €1.65tn (£1.4tn) in assets under management, is the latest shareholder to throw its weight behind a resolution calling on Barclays to phase out services to energy companies that fail to align with Paris climate goals.
It comes amid rising concerns over Barclays’ role as Europe’s largest financier of fossil fuel companies.
The resolution, spearheaded by campaign group ShareAction, was filed in January by a group of 11 pension and investment funds managing more than £130bn worth of assets. The Church of England has also thrown its weight behind the climate resolution, which is the first to be lodged against a UK bank.

Martyn1981

OFGEM to produce a report on how the UK grid can (or can't) cope with renewable leccy generation:

Ofgem reviews green potential of UK grid setup

Electricity regulator Ofgem is to publish a review of the UK's existing electrical system operation model in the Spring that will consider if the existing setup needs to change to facilitate renewables growth.
Under the terms of the current model the UK's electrical system operator, National Grid ESO, is a legally separate entity of multi-national utility company National Grid.
The Ofgem report will evaluate if this current system is suitable for the country as it gears up to hit its net-zero carbon emissions target in 2050.
Ofgem said wants the review to help deliver net zero at the lowest cost to consumers.

Martyn1981

Looks like Poland may have reached peak coal generation capacity, but at around 75% of leccy generation, getting rid of the existing gen is going to be a long and tough struggle.

No more money for Polish coal

Polish power producers Enea SA and Energa SA have revealed that they will suspend financing for Ostrołęka C, the last coal power plant to be built in Poland.
The two companies said they decided to suspend financing for the project in northeastern Poland due to the new market environment and the difficulty of obtaining external financing. They also pointed to the European Union’s new policy for the electricity sector as another decisive factor in their decision to effectively suspend construction of the $1.6 billion plant with the two main contractors, GE Power and its Alstom Power Systems unit.
Just 5% of the facility had been built by the end of January, according to Enea and Energa.
“While the decision is only a first step toward the needed cancelation of the 1 GW plant, it is an important admission that the future for coal in Europe is bleak, and that Poland’s efforts to keep its coal industry on life support risk leaving it with stranded workers and stranded assets,” said Europe Beyond Coal. “Canceling the project now in favor of a switch to clean, renewable energy will reverse Energa and Enea’s declining fortunes while protecting the health of Polish people, and our climate.”

Martyn1981

Carbon Commentary newsletter extract(s)

3, Cost of green hydrogen. Although the world seems to be moving rapidly towards the conclusion that renewable hydrogen will be a central part of the future energy economy, many still disagree. S&P Global suggested that lack of cost competitiveness means that green hydrogen will provide no more than 0.5m tonnes a year in 2030, compared to the 70 million tonnes made today from natural gas. By contrast, the Hydrogen Council said that in the best locations (lots of sun and wind), the gas could be provided at costs as low as $1 per kilogramme by 2030 (or about 3 US cents per kilowatt hour). This represents a reduction of about 60% on today’s levels and would beat almost all fossil fuel sources if today’s prices are maintained.
 
 
5, Hydrogen transport corridors. The port of Rotterdam and 16 partners agreed to take forward a plan to make the Rhine transport corridor entirely fuelled by hydrogen. This means ships powered by hydrogen on the Rhine itself, with bunkers from Rotterdam up to Basel in Switzerland. The main roads from the Netherlands to Switzerland and then on to Italy will also need to be provided with hydrogen refuelling stations. Separately, an outline plan was produced by the gas distribution companies for a 5,800 km hydrogen grid across Germany. Another example of natural gas grid companies swinging behind hydrogen as the fuel of the future because it protects their role.

6, Economic impacts. Indian inflation targets are being missed because of the effect of climate change on food prices. This limits the ability of the central bank to loosen interest rates in response to falling growth. A 50% rise in the price of vegetables is a recent example, which has pushed the index up to almost 8% today. Since food makes up half of the Indian inflation basket, climate change is already seriously affecting how the country runs its economy. In Australia, the head of the central bank said that extreme weather had cut 0.5% from GDP in the last months. Talking of the impact of climate change, he accepted the new wisdom of other central bankers that “If you accept the proposition the effects are profound, then it’s going to affect asset values’, warning that increased evidence of dangerous climate change would produce major economic shifts.

7, European coal phase out. Carbon emissions from EU coal-powered generation fell by almost half from 2012 to 2019 and the rapid fall continues. For the first time, solar and wind power production exceeded electricity made from coal last year. Declining coal use in the EU and in the US (down by about 300 million tonnes of CO2 last year) is the main reason why world emissions were static last year.
 
8, ‘Net zero’. BP promised to reduce emissions very substantially by 2050, with the media interpreting its statement as a commitment to ‘net zero’. The actual wording of the BP announcement is much more confused than this and, at least to my eyes, defies understanding. It is also utterly devoid of any detail of how its unclear objectives will be met, promising more information in September. By contrast, the Norwegian giant Equinor offered a much clearer – though probably less ambitious – plan earlier this month, giving an outline of how it will achieve its 2050 climate aims and, vitally importantly, how it will calculate the GHG intensity of its emissions. Perhaps I am being cynical, but I prefer the well thought through Equinor promise of a 50% reduction in emissions intensity to BP’s unspecific proposals. But the central problem remains that all oil companies are still highly reluctant to turn towards low carbon alternatives at scale. Equinor promises just 1 GW per year of renewables investment in the next few years, while the similarly sized Italian electric utility ENEL commits to five times as much. 
 
10, Offshore wind. Wood Mackenzie, not always a bullish commentator on renewables, forecast 158 GW of offshore wind by 2028, compared to about 30 GW now. That will supply about 2% of current world electricity demand but offshore growth will continue rapidly after that date. The volume of new capacity installed in 2028 will equal the industry’s total size at the end of 2018. Wood Mackenzie predicts that the cost of electricity from offshore wind will halve between now and 2028. No numbers are provided but the analysts comment that falling costs imply that the capital expenditure on offshore wind is approaching the level of offshore oil and gas in terms of cash per unit of energy recovered. 

Martyn1981

Those dam beavers are back!

Beavers cut flooding and pollution and boost wildlife populations

The scientists also found that the beavers played a significant role in filtering pollutants including manure, slurry and fertilisers from the river, while new wetlands created by the beavers have benefited water voles, riverine birds such as dippers and wildfowl including teal. There were 37% more fish in pools created by beaver dams than in comparable stretches of river. Trout have been recorded leaping over beaver dams during high river flows.

While beavers prevent flooding by slowing floodwater flows, their dams can also flood valuable valley farmland. The study identified an “adverse impact” at just five sites in the 250km2 river catchment over five years.

In one case, a small organic potato field was flooded. Riverside orchards were also at risk from beavers gnawing the trees, but negative impacts were mostly solved with active management.

Wire guards were provided to protect trees while Devon Wildlife Trust and Clinton Devon Estates – a supportive local landowner – occasionally removed beaver dams or installed “beaver deceivers” to prevent flooding. Beaver deceivers are pipes that carry water through beaver dams without the beavers realising, to lower water levels and stop flooding.
“Following five years of detailed research work, the report concludes that the positive impacts of beavers outweighed the negatives,” said Brazier. “However, it also makes clear that those who benefit from beaver reintroduction may not always be the same people as those who bear the costs, highlighting that the reduction of flood risk in communities downstream may come at a cost of water being stored on farmland upstream.”

Mark Elliott, who led the River Otter beaver trial for Devon Wildlife Trust, said: “We’ve all been surprised by these amazing animals’ ability to thrive, once again, in our wetland ecosystems. It also shows their unrivalled capacity to breathe new life into our rivers and wetlands, very few of which are in good health.

“There are overwhelming reasons why beavers should be reintroduced back into the wider countryside.”

Martyn1981

Good news, but a 'slight' bias given it's from Drax (aka bio-mass). Also reflects shift away from coal, and large reduction in leccy demand, both of which can't be sustained going forward, but still excellent news:

Clean power 'puts UK in GHG reduction fast lane'

The move to renewable energy sources in the UK has helped drive a faster rate of decarbonisation over the last decade than anywhere else in the world, according to a new study by Imperial College London for Drax Electric Insights.

The report – 'Electric Insights Quarterly October to December 2019' – said carbon emissions in Britain’s power sector fell by around two thirds to 54 million tonnes in 2019 from 161 million tonnes in 2010.

This was driven by a shift away from coal and natural gas to clean power, the report said.

Electricity demand, which fell 13% over the decade, delivered around a third of the decline in carbon emissions in the sector over the period, while wind energy delivered a quarter of the reduction, it added.

The fall in power demand came despite the population growing by 7% and GDP rising by a quarter, as measures such as more energy efficient lighting, manufacturing and other efficiency measures took hold.

Pile_o_stone

Martyn1981 said:

Good news, but a 'slight' bias given it's from Drax (aka bio-mass). Also reflects shift away from coal, and large reduction in leccy demand, both of which can't be sustained going forward, but still excellent news:

The move to renewable energy sources in the UK has helped drive a faster rate of decarbonisation over the last decade than anywhere else in the world, according to a new study by Imperial College London for Drax Electric Insights.

The report – 'Electric Insights Quarterly October to December 2019' – said carbon emissions in Britain’s power sector fell by around two thirds to 54 million tonnes in 2019 from 161 million tonnes in 2010.

This was driven by a shift away from coal and natural gas to clean power, the report said.

Electricity demand, which fell 13% over the decade, delivered around a third of the decline in carbon emissions in the sector over the period, while wind energy delivered a quarter of the reduction, it added.

The fall in power demand came despite the population growing by 7% and GDP rising by a quarter, as measures such as more energy efficient lighting, manufacturing and other efficiency measures took hold.

It will be interesting to see what happens when demand starts to increase as people replace gas boilers with heat pumps and fossil fuel cars with electric ones. Hopefully the increase in demand will be more than met with an increase in renewable generation.