Green, ethical, energy issues in the news

EVandPV

UK battery storage pipeline surpasses 16GW

https://www.energylivenews.com/2021/02/08/uk-battery-storage-pipeline-surpasses-16gw/

Martyn1981

Some news on flow batteries - the idea that they may be able to provide longer term storage cheaper than conventional batteries. These ones are scaled for 6-16hr duration.
Bit light on details, such as cost predictions, efficiency etc, but an interesting article on how this form of storage is developing.

ESS Makes 12+ Hour Flow Battery For Sustainable Energy Storage

“Energy Storage Systems (ESS) is developing a cost-effective, reliable, and environmentally friendly all-iron hybrid flow battery,” enthused ARPA-E. They went on to note that “The ESS flow battery technology is distinguished by its cost-effective electrolytes, based on earth-abundant iron, and its innovative battery hardware design that dramatically increases power density and enables a smaller and less costly battery.”

“Creating a high-performing and low-cost storage system would enable broad adoption of distributed energy storage systems and help bring more renewable energy technologies—such as wind and solar—onto the grid,” ARPA-E added.

“The Energy Center utilizes an environmentally benign and sustainable flow battery chemistry composed of earth-abundant iron, salt, and water, and containing no hazardous chemicals or rare-earth metals,” ESS explains. “The iron flow battery presents no fire, chemical, or explosive risk, eliminating the need for fire suppression, secondary containment, and hazmat precautions, resulting in the greenest, most sustainable, and easiest-to-permit storage technology available.”

Coastalwatch

Impressive efficiency from this compressed air storage method. Instead of generating heat by directly compressing air it pumps water to achieve the same goal with a claimed greater efficiency. I do however suspect the 80% claimed might be for single transfer only. Certainly not to be sneered at and either way at the agreed price of $0.0544/kWh is very competitive.

Augwind’s compressed air tech for renewables storage

Augwind, an underground compressed-air storage specialist, was one of the biggest winners in Israel's latest solar+storage tender, which was finalized in early January. The Israeli company secured 166 MWh of storage capacity across five solar projects in the procurement exercise, which saw the authorities assign 608.95 MW of PV capacity to seven developers across 33 projects.

Augwind will build the projects at a fixed tariff of ILS 0.1745 ($0.0544)/kWh, which will ensure their bankability, while providing better investment returns than behind-the-meter projects relying on lithium-ion storage, Yogev claimed. The company's energy storage tech will generate recurring revenues based on two factors.

“First, offsetting off-peak to peak electricity consumption and, secondly, providing all compressed air requirements using 40% more efficient compression cycle,” Yogev explained.

https://www.pv-magazine.com/2021/02/11/augwinds-compressed-air-tech-for-renewables-storage/?utm_source=pv+magazine+USA&utm_campaign=2902c20c4c-RSS_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_80e0d17bb8-2902c20c4c-159341337

Exiled_Tyke

I have to confess I haven't really been interested in Hydrogen. So if this old news, I apologise - and then regard it is a nicely explained piece on the subject.  Any way I'm now very interested. 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-55763356

Martyn1981

I've mentioned Beavers a few times before on here, partly because they help the environment, and partly because they are so 'dam' cute.
This article references the expansion of UK releases, and the benefits that they have already brought.

Record number of beavers to be released in Britain this year

A record number of beavers will be released by the Wildlife Trusts into Britain this year as the industrious mammal is restored to five counties where they have been extinct for hundreds of years.

The popular rodent, whose dams have been shown to boost hundreds of species of insects, amphibians, birds, fish and plants, is returning to Dorset, Derbyshire, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, Nottinghamshire and Montgomeryshire.

“The benefits for people are clear – beavers help stop flooding downstream, filter out impurities and they create new homes for otters, water voles and kingfishers. What’s more, people love seeing them and their presence boosts tourism in the countryside.”

A five-year study of fenced and wild beavers last year revealed how beaver dams prevent flooding by drastically slowing the flow of streams, purify water polluted by nitrates and phosphates, store carbon and create an explosion in other wildlife.

After beavers were released into a two-hectare enclosure in west Devon, frogspawn increased from 10 clumps to 681 clumps, attracting predators such as herons and egrets, while dragonflies, butterflies, aquatic plants, flowers and trees thrived in new pools created by the beavers.

Martyn1981

Belgium / Denmark link with a twist ..... via an energy island.

Belgium, Denmark study energy island link

Belgian and Danish transmission system operators Elia and Energinet have entered into an agreement to study potential links between the two countries via an energy island to be built in the Danish North Sea.

The agreement is a continuation of the political cooperation agreement, which was concluded between the ministers of the two countries last week.

Coastalwatch

Good to see the Scandinavians getting to grips with car and battery recycling given the concerns of those only too ready to dismiss EV's as rubbish tips of the future!

Hydrovolt constructing battery recycling plant

Hydrovolt has started construction of a battery recycling plant in Fredrikstad, Norway. The newly founded joint venture between the Swedish battery manufacturer Northvolt and the Norwegian aluminium producer Norsk Hydro says the plant will be operational at the end of 2021.

“Norway has long been a global leader in electric car adoption. At the start of 2021, we became the first country in the world in which over half of all new cars sold are electric. We should therefore also aim to be world-leading in recycling the used car batteries when the electric cars reach their end-of-life,” says Hydrovolt CEO Fredrik Andresen.

Arvid Moss, Executive Vice President for Energy and Corporate Development in Hydro says: “We are laying the foundations for a circular supply chain for batteries in Europe.”

https://www.electrive.com/2021/02/11/hydrovolt-constructing-battery-recycling-plant/

Coastalwatch

Don't know if the VW CEO has come to this conclusion under his own volition or if he might have been influenced by his chat with Elon.

The problem with hydrogen generation as I see it is that whatever method is proposed it is normally considered to be a decade away before mass roll out could occur. As for using it as a substitute for gas domestically then firstly, the whole infrastructure would need replacing as would any existing boiler.

Mind you, if it's still a decade away then the majority would need replacing by then anyway.

It’s time for politicians to accept science: Green hydrogen is needed for steel, chemical, aero,... and should not end up in cars. Far too expensive, inefficient, slow and difficult to rollout and transport. After all: no #hydrogen cars in sight.

@Herbert_Diess

11 Feb

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https://twitter.com/Herbert_Diess/status/1359775142445015042

EVandPV

The UK Supreme Court has ruled that polluted Nigerian communities can sue oil giant Shell in English courts.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-56041189

Coastalwatch

Originally announced as part of The Green Recovery another of the Goverments many "world class" projects seems to be biting the dust!

Unspent funds in £2 billion Green Homes Grant to be scrapped in ‘outrageous’ move

Any of the initial £2 billion promised for the Green Homes Grant that goes unspent this year will not be rolled over.

This was confirmed by energy minister Anne-Marie Trevelyan in a parliamentary answer, with Trevelyan stating that this original funding was announced as a “short term stimulus for use in the 2020/21 financial year only”.

Indeed, earlier this month the Environmental Audit Committee warned that at the current rate, it will take ten years to meet the government’s target, with only 20,000 vouchers issued out of a total of 600,000 on offer. This followed evidence coming to light that many installers are yet to be paid for their work and members of the public are waiting months to be issued vouchers. 

The scheme - which was unveiled last summer and is administered by American firm ICF - was billed as supporting a number of green technologies to decarbonise the UK’s housing stock, including solar PV within the Local Authority allocation as well as solar thermal and heat pumps. It was expected to support 100,000 jobs.

https://www.solarpowerportal.co.uk/news/unspent_funds_in_2_billion_green_homes_grant_to_be_scrapped_in_outrageous_m