Green, ethical, energy issues in the news

Martyn1981

Climate ministers meet to discuss green recovery

A two-day conference bringing together around 30 climate ministers from around the world, the Petersburg Climate Dialogue, is set to open today with a focus on sustainable recovery from the coronavirus pandemic.

The online video conference, to be held on Monday and Tuesday, will be hosted by Svenja Schulze (pictured), Germany’s Federal Environment Minister and Alok Sharma, the UK Secretary for Business and Energy and designated President of COP26.

The meeting will focus on how the international community can emerge from the acute coronavirus pandemic more resilient and more climate-friendly.

Martyn1981

The 'no coal' record has been broken again. Yes, the shutdown is helping, but the trend was well established. Nice graph at the end of the article showing CO2/kWh changing year on year. [I also see that Grid watch has demoted coal from a large dial to a small one, and promoted bio-mass in its place.]

Britain breaks record for coal-free power generation

Britain has gone without coal-fired power generation for its longest stretch since the Industrial Revolution, breaking the existing record of 18 consecutive days this morning.

The collapse of coal and rise of renewable energy sources have led to a drastic reduction in carbon emissions from the UK power sector. Since 2012, the average carbon intensity of the grid – the amount of emissions required to produce one kilowatt hour of energy – has declined by more than two-thirds, from 507g of CO2 to 161g.

silverwhistle

In that article it also mentions that Drax are due to convert two units to burning gas. Is that investment still worthwhile, not having any idea how significant it might be?

Martyn1981

Headline says it all

'Cheaper renewables trumping fossil fuels'

Solar PV and onshore wind are now the cheapest sources of new-build generation for at least two-thirds of the global population, according to new statistics.

Battery storage is now the cheapest new-build technology for peaking purposes in gas-importing regions, like Europe, China or Japan, said the latest analysis by research company BloombergNEF (BNEF).

The report showed that the global benchmark levelised cost of electricity (LCOE) for onshore wind and utility-scale PV has fallen 9% and 4% since the second half of 2019 – to $44 and $50 a megawatt-hour (MWh), respectively

The benchmark LCOE for battery storage has tumbled to $150/MWh, about half of what it was two years ago.

It would be great if we changed what we are doing to make the World better, and to minimise the impacts of AGW as much as possible, but if we do it to save money, then so be it, a wins a win.

joefizz

silverwhistle said:

In that article it also mentions that Drax are due to convert two units to burning gas. Is that investment still worthwhile, not having any idea how significant it might be?

Very significant....
Most people think of gas as LNG or the like, there are other forms of combustible gas...

Martyn1981

silverwhistle said:

In that article it also mentions that Drax are due to convert two units to burning gas. Is that investment still worthwhile, not having any idea how significant it might be?

Hiya. Drax has six boilers/units, of 650MW each. Four have been converted to bio-mass from coal, with plans, as you say to convert the last two to gas. Investment wise, I suppose it makes sense as the whole set up already exists - steam turbines, coolers, grid connection etc, so they don't have the cost of building a ~1.3GW gas generation plant, only the cost of converting the coal boiler part.

I suspect the coal boilers already have a large gas supply , as it's used to heat up the boilers during a cold start, but this may of course be a fraction of the gas supply needed for full power, and perhaps the gas supply on site is only enough to heat one (out of six) boiler at a time ..... no idea?

Guessing here, but they might be limited on how much more bio-mass they can burn, as they are processing vast amounts, far more than the UK can supply, so they are importing wood pellets from North America. I'd also guess that gas generation will be around for decades (hopefully at ever low amounts) as we head towards 2050, so they are probably trying to maximise the efficiency of the whole Drax site. yet another guess, but perhaps a site with 2/3rds bio-mass and 1/3 gas generation, will be more competitive in the future than a gas only site, so has a better chance of survival?

silverwhistle

Yes, there's a balance between running and the sunk costs, particularly if the plant will only be called on occasionally. I'd like an EV but my current 10 year old car is working well, but even there I could sell it for a little and a first time motorist could get a good buy. Not much call for a second-hand power station.

Martyn1981

PV generation costs in sunny climes are just getting silly now ..... 1.1p/kWh!

Abu Dhabi’s 1.5 GW tender draws world record low solar bid of $0.0135/kWh

The tariff is around $0.0021 lower than the $0.0156/kWh French oil giant Total and Japanese conglomerate Marubeni Corp offered in Qatar’s 800 MW tender in late January. French energy company EDF and Chinese solar company JinkoPower reportedly submitted the record bid in the UAE exercise.

Coastalwatch

With some renewable projects in Australia stalling, due to the limitations of the ageing grid there to accommodate the increased loads placed by these, it will come with some relief that the final weak link  between Queensland and NSW has received approval for being upgraded.

AER’s final approval takes QNI to shovel-ready status

The Australian Energy Regulator has approved the final phase of the Queensland – New South Wales Interconnector upgrades. TransGrid and Powerlink are now ready to begin civil construction in the coming weeks.

AER Chair Clare Savage believes, “Consumers will get value for money from this investment, including wholesale market cost savings.” And this is despite the Regulator’s determination that TransGrid will be able to cover the $218 million in capital costs it will require to deliver the QNI upgrade from its customers.

Such an increase is certainly sustainable in order to upgrade the outdated transmission network that is hindering the flow of renewable energy into the grid, and in turn, hindering the downward pressure on wholesale prices provided by renewables. Indeed the AER estimates the investment will deliver $170 million in net benefits to consumers and producers of electricity through its support to the energy transition. Savage suggests the cost of the investment will be exceeded by its benefits within seven years.

https://www.pv-magazine-australia.com/2020/04/29/aers-final-approval-takes-qni-to-shovel-ready-status/

Martyn1981

Big predictions being made by the IEA. No idea if they stack up, but interesting times ahead I'm sure.

Covid-19 crisis will wipe out demand for fossil fuels, says IEA

Renewable electricity will be the only source resilient to the biggest global energy shock in 70 years triggered by the coronavirus pandemic, according to the world’s energy watchdog.

The International Energy Agency said the outbreak of Covid-19 would wipe out demand for fossil fuels by prompting a collapse in energy demand seven times greater than the slump caused by the global financial crisis.

In a report, the IEA said the most severe plunge in energy demand since the second world war would trigger multi-decade lows for the world’s consumption of oil, gas and coal while renewable energy continued to grow.

The steady rise of renewable energy combined with the collapse in demand for fossil fuels means clean electricity will play its largest ever role in the global energy system this year, and help erase a decade’s growth of global carbon emissions.