Green, ethical, energy issues in the news

Martyn1981

Some ocean energy research news, and orders for Siemens giant on-shore WT's:

Scots wave duo secure £1m WES boost

Two consortia have secured just under £1m from Wave Energy Scotland to explore the use of concrete and floating net buoys to bring down wave power costs.
The teams – one led by consultant engineers Arup and the other by rope and mooring specialists Tension Technology International – have each secured funding from Wave Energy Scotland (WES) to demonstrate the potential of new applications of materials to bring down the cost of wave power.

Siemens Gamesa giant rotors to debut in Sweden

Siemens Gamesa has secured its first order for turbines with 170-metre rotors from Eurowind Energy for the 46MW Knostad onshore wind farm in Sweden.
The deal is for eight 5.8-170 machines with 115-metre hub heights and will operate at a capacity of up to 6.2MW.

Martyn1981

What is one plus one ........ correct 'a farm'.

Orbital secures second Orkney test berth

Orbital Marine Power has signed up to a second berth at the European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC) in Orkney, Scotland, paving the way for delivery of its first floating tidal turbine farm.

Securing a second berth at EMEC provides a route for the company to deliver a 4MW floating farm at EMEC’s Fall of Warness tidal energy test site, off Orkney’s northern island of Eday.

EMEC managing director Neil Kermode said: "The first floating tidal energy farm marks another step forward for the sector which is demonstrating that it will be a vital part of the world’s drive towards net zero.”
Established in 2003, EMEC is a facility for testing wave and tidal energy converters in real sea conditions. 
More marine energy converters have been deployed in Orkney than at any other single site in the world, with 20 wave and tidal energy clients testing 32 marine energy devices.

This article is long by Renews standards, but still short and absolutely packed with information. Worth reading for a quick and simple rundown on potential, costs, and timelines.

'Green hydrogen could cut industry emissions by 34%'

The falling cost of making hydrogen from wind and solar power could cut greenhouse gas emissions by 34% in fossil fuel dependent sectors of the economy, such as steel, heavy-duty vehicles, shipping and cement, according to new research by BloombergNEF (BNEF).

Martyn1981

Another small milestone for the UK:

Fiddler’s Ferry: SSE closes last coal-power station after 50 years

Energy giant SSE has drawn a line on coal-fired power generation by closing the Fiddler’s Ferry power tation in Warrington, Cheshire, after almost 50 years.
The power plant began generating enough electricity to power 2m homes in 1973 and will officially close on Tuesday ahead of the government’s ban on coal-fired power from 2025.
The shutdown of SSE’s last remaining coal plant comes six months after EDF Energy closed down the Cottam plant in Nottinghamshire and leaves only five remaining coal plants in the UK.
SSE set out the “difficult decision” to close Fiddler’s Ferry last summer, saying the plant was losing about £40m a year and could not compete with the economics of modern gas-fired power stations and renewable energy.

Martyn1981

Looks like Trump might win the legal battle to roll back car efficiency standards. Gotta give those oil companies good value for their donations I suppose.

Trump to roll back Obama-era clean car rules in huge blow to climate fight

The Trump administration is rolling back the US government’s strongest attempt to combat the climate crisis, weakening rules which compel auto companies to produce more fuel-efficient vehicles. Critics say the move will lead to more life-threatening air pollution and force Americans to spend more on gasoline.
The changes to Obama-era regulations will allow vehicles to emit about a billion more tons of heat-trapping carbon dioxide – equivalent to roughly a fifth of annual US emissions.
The rollback is one of dozens Trump officials have ushered to completion, seeking to bolster the fossil fuel industry amid intense opposition from Democratic-led states and pushback from world leaders.
Experts say the world is far off track in dealing with the climate emergency, following a year of record-breaking heat, rising hunger, displacement and loss of life due to extreme temperatures and weather disasters.

The rollback has drawn opposition from nearly half of states and a significant portion of the auto industry. Twenty-three states and the District of Columbia, representing about half of US residents, sued over the changes. They said weakening the standards would kill about 2,000 more people and cause 50,000 more cases of respiratory illnesses, while making the climate crisis worse.

Martyn1981

Nice big battery for Hawaii.

Hawaiian Electric Plans Nearly 1 Gigawatt-Hour Of Battery Storage, Mostly From Tesla Megapacks

The state of Hawai’i has set a goal of getting 100% of its electricity from renewable energy sources by 2045. Clearly, in order to reach that goal, grid-scale battery storage will be required. Now Hawaiian Electric, which supplies electricity to 95% of Hawai’i residents, says it is looking at installing up to 1 gigawatt-hour of battery storage.
According to the Honolulu Star Advertiser, a major portion of that storage may be supplied by 244 Megapacks from Tesla located on 6 acres of land adjacent to its Kahe power plant in Nanakuli. Other smaller storage facilities are planned for other locations on Oahu, Maui, and Hawai’i.
The Tesla Megapack was introduced last year and has a maximum capacity of 3 megawatt-hours (MWh). Tesla says it takes up 40% less space than a conventional battery storage system would need. “Every Megapack arrives pre-assembled and pre-tested in one enclosure from our Gigafactory — including battery modules, bi-directional inverters, a thermal management system, an AC main breaker and controls. No assembly is required, all you need to do is connect Megapack’s AC output to your site wiring.” With regard to that last point, Hawaiian Electric has carefully chosen the location for the Megapacks so it will be next to an existing major grid connection point.

Martyn1981

More storage, this time UK / S. Africa:

South African mines to take weight for Scots storage

Scottish start-up Gravitricity has won a £300,000 (€334,000) grant from the UK government to support an investigation of suitable sites in South Africa for its energy storage system.
Gravitricity has teamed up with South African energy consultancy RESA and specialist consultancy Caelulum.
They will scope out retired mine shafts as suitable sites for the system which works by raising multiple heavy weights – up to 12,000 tonnes – in a deep shaft and releasing them when energy is required.

Martyn1981

On-shore wind and PV tender in France secure 1.4GW of new capacity.

Wind, solar secure 1.4GW in latest French tenders

The French Ministry for the Ecological and Inclusive Transition has procured approximately 750MW of wind and 630MW of ground-mounted photovoltaic capacity in its latest round of tenders.

Martyn1981

Spain to rollout 2GW of wind every year for a decade. [This news is under the on-shore wind section].

Spain sets sights on 22GW of new wind by 2030

The Spanish government is targeting over 2GW of annual wind energy installations out to 2030 as part of its new 10-year plan for renewables.
Madrid has submitted its National Energy & Climate Plan (NECP) to the EU and wants renewables to account for 42% of the country’s energy mix and generate 74% of its electricity by the start of the next decade.
Part of the plans will see yearly additions of 2.2GW in new wind capcity.

And an interesting idea/solution. Toyota is setting up a RE business, which will provide them with the energy they need.

Toyota motors into renewables

Japanese car manufacturer Toyota Motor Corporation is to set up a renewables business called Toyota Green Energy with Chubu Electric Power.
Toyota Green Energy, which also includes Toyota Tsusho Corporation as a partner, will obtain and manage clean power sources in Japan for the Toyota Group.
The new company is planned to be set up by July and based at Nagoya City in Aichi Prefecture.

Martyn1981

A powerful and growing organisation, the Clean Energy States Alliance (CESA) in the US is pushing RE forward.

Virus Or Not, US States Foment 100% Renewable Energy Rebellion

Renewable Energy = Economic Power
Sure, there have been other state-based clean energy initiatives over the past few years, and the corporate sector has also been pushing clean power.
This new initiative, though, is a horse of a different color. It is spearheaded by states that wield considerable influence over the US economy and, for that matter, the global economy.
Called the “100% Clean Energy Collaborative,” the initiative comes under the umbrella of the organization Clean Energy States Alliance.
As a group, CESA members pack an economic punch, and the new collaboration is spearheaded by an advisory committee that picks from the top. Two members of the advisory committee, for example, are California — aka the world’s 5th-largest economy — and New York State, which weights in as the world’s 11th-largest economy.
Also lending economic force to the effort is the 9-state Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, a consortium of 9 northeastern states that includes two other advisory committee members — Connecticut and Rhode — as well as New York.
As of 2018, those 9 northeastern states accounted for more than 1/7 of US GDP.

As for the collaboration itself, CESA notes that 14 states and Washington, DC already have established aggressive clean energy goals leading to 100%. The main thrust of the collaboration is to accelerate those efforts, with the ultimate aim of pulling the rest of the nation along with them.
In a public statement, New York State connected the new collaboration with nationwide economic growth.
“Convening with sister states to achieve nation-wide success under the 100% Clean Energy Collaborative will support sustained growth of the nation’s green economy at a critical time in the fight against climate change,” explained Doreen Harris, who is VP of large-scale renewable energy for the state’s energy research agency NYSERDA.
Basically, the 100% Clean Energy Collaborative will serve as a platform for clean energy states to help each other out. CESA already has a solid track record in that area, by facilitating renewable energy portfolio standards in a collaboration of 29 states plus Washington, DC.
But wait, there’s more. The Collaborative also seeks to network with municipalities and utilities that are seeking 100% clean energy, as well as private sector stakeholders.

Martyn1981

Interesting article on Australia and what it could do (and cost) to up their game to meet tougher targets, 'like  most countries'. It seems the falling costs of RE, BEV's etc  help with the transition.

Australia’s path to net-zero emissions lies in rapid, stimulus-friendly steps

Net-zero emissions targets have been adopted by 121 countries responsible for a quarter of CO2, asset owners worth $4tn and an expanding list of major companies. The Morrison government is yet to join them, having promised a long-term strategy later this year, but all Australia’s states and territories have net-zero goals for mid-century.
ClimateWorks spent 18 months examining each part of the Australian economy in detail to consider what would be involved in getting there. The resulting report, Decarbonisation Futures, is an update of similar work in 2014. It found net-zero emissions were possible not just by mid-century but by 2035 – soon enough for Australia to play its part in an effort to limit global heating to 1.5C.

The report finds the progress and fall in cost of clean technology since the last analysis six years ago has been faster than expected, with renewable energy becoming cheaper than fossil fuels and the cost of batteries plunging 80% in a decade. It says much of the shift needed now could be rolled out quickly by rapid and large-scale deployment of familiar technology.
It would include upgrading homes and commercial buildings to boost energy efficiency and run on solar power; building more large-scale clean energy plants and storage; installing electric vehicle charging stations; boosting the use of recycled goods in supply chains; and supporting more carbon forestry by planting and protecting trees to store CO2.
“It’s a lot of relatively small transactions that get this job done,” Skarbek says. “That’s why it is stimulus-friendly.”

Denis-Ryan stresses the report reveals both what is possible and the urgency of the task. Achieving the Paris goals will require national emissions being cut in half by 2030 at the latest.
“We now know we have enough technological capacity in the Australian economy to get there,” she says. “But we need to get these technologies out the door at every opportunity.”