Green, ethical, energy issues in the news

Grandad2b

Reads a bit like the journo has regurgitated the press release. 
Certainly looks like an interesting development.

Screwdriva

Womp womp

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-66032607

QrizB

For those worried about China's emissions:

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jun/29/china-wind-solar-power-global-renewable-energy-leader

China on course to hit wind and solar power target five years ahead of time

China is shoring up its position as the world leader in renewable power and potentially outpacing its own ambitious energy targets, a report has found.

China is set to double its capacity and produce 1,200 gigawatts of energy through wind and solar power by 2025, reaching its 2030 goal five years ahead of time, according to the report by Global Energy Monitor, a San Francisco-based NGO that tracks operating utility-scale wind and solar farms as well as future projects in the country.

It says that as of the first quarter of the year, China’s utility-scale solar capacity has reached 228GW, more than that of the rest of the world combined. The installations are concentrated in the country’s north and north-west provinces, such as Shanxi, Xinjiang and Hebei.

In addition, the group identified solar farms under construction that could add another 379GW in prospective capacity, triple that of the US and nearly double that of Europe.

China has also made huge strides in wind capacity: its combined onshore and offshore capacity now surpasses 310GW, double its 2017 level and roughly equivalent to the next top seven countries combined. With new projects in Inner Mongolia, Xinjiang, Gansu and along coastal areas, China is on course to add another 371GW before 2025, increasing the global wind fleet by nearly half.

More detail at the link.

michaels

QrizB said:

For those worried about China's emissions:

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jun/29/china-wind-solar-power-global-renewable-energy-leader

China on course to hit wind and solar power target five years ahead of time

China is shoring up its position as the world leader in renewable power and potentially outpacing its own ambitious energy targets, a report has found.

China is set to double its capacity and produce 1,200 gigawatts of energy through wind and solar power by 2025, reaching its 2030 goal five years ahead of time, according to the report by Global Energy Monitor, a San Francisco-based NGO that tracks operating utility-scale wind and solar farms as well as future projects in the country.

It says that as of the first quarter of the year, China’s utility-scale solar capacity has reached 228GW, more than that of the rest of the world combined. The installations are concentrated in the country’s north and north-west provinces, such as Shanxi, Xinjiang and Hebei.

In addition, the group identified solar farms under construction that could add another 379GW in prospective capacity, triple that of the US and nearly double that of Europe.

China has also made huge strides in wind capacity: its combined onshore and offshore capacity now surpasses 310GW, double its 2017 level and roughly equivalent to the next top seven countries combined. With new projects in Inner Mongolia, Xinjiang, Gansu and along coastal areas, China is on course to add another 371GW before 2025, increasing the global wind fleet by nearly half.

More detail at the link.

If I had a pound for every-time I read in a forum or BBC HYS 'there is no point us being green because China...' I would have a Tesla by now

Martyn1981

michaels said:

QrizB said:

For those worried about China's emissions:

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jun/29/china-wind-solar-power-global-renewable-energy-leader

China on course to hit wind and solar power target five years ahead of time

China is shoring up its position as the world leader in renewable power and potentially outpacing its own ambitious energy targets, a report has found.

China is set to double its capacity and produce 1,200 gigawatts of energy through wind and solar power by 2025, reaching its 2030 goal five years ahead of time, according to the report by Global Energy Monitor, a San Francisco-based NGO that tracks operating utility-scale wind and solar farms as well as future projects in the country.

It says that as of the first quarter of the year, China’s utility-scale solar capacity has reached 228GW, more than that of the rest of the world combined. The installations are concentrated in the country’s north and north-west provinces, such as Shanxi, Xinjiang and Hebei.

In addition, the group identified solar farms under construction that could add another 379GW in prospective capacity, triple that of the US and nearly double that of Europe.

China has also made huge strides in wind capacity: its combined onshore and offshore capacity now surpasses 310GW, double its 2017 level and roughly equivalent to the next top seven countries combined. With new projects in Inner Mongolia, Xinjiang, Gansu and along coastal areas, China is on course to add another 371GW before 2025, increasing the global wind fleet by nearly half.

More detail at the link.

If I had a pound for every-time I read in a forum or BBC HYS 'there is no point us being green because China...' I would have a Tesla by now

 .... add on 'and India', and you'd have gotten a matching set for the whole family.

Speaking, of India, got some PV articles to read now.

Martyn1981

Link with MSE dropped out as I posted, so apologies if this is a duplicate comment.

Growth of PV deployment in India is accelerating. This article points to the vast majority of new capacity being PV last year. I believe the comments about China are just fun/cheeky, since China's PV rollout is vast, just smaller %age, as it competes with other technologies, including a lot of wind.

India is also building out PV module production, as they've recognised the new need for domestic production of the new technologies taking over, such as RE, BEV's, batts etc.

Solar = 82% Of Power Capacity Growth In India In 2022!

But here’s the stat where India crushes China, and probably everyone else: solar PV capacity growth accounted for 82% of the country’s total power capacity growth. It absolutely dominated the new power plant market. In China, which did well itself on this front, 44% of new power capacity came from solar. That’s dominance — forget 2050.

And don’t expect the Indian solar power market to slow down. At the end of 2022, 58 GWac of large solar power projects were still in the pipeline and yet another 51 GWac were pending auction. There’s plenty more solar PV project growth for years of growth like 2022 saw. In fact, just combining those numbers, you could have more than 8 years of growth at the 13 GWac level, or you could have more than 5 years of solar power growth above 20 GWac a year. And that’s not even counting rooftop solar power.

Martyn1981

OK, not the UK, but not too far away either. 

€65m backing for French tidal project

Trade body Ocean Energy Europe has hailed the French government’s announcement of at least €65m of funding, plus dedicated revenue support, for the pioneering tidal energy pilot farm FloWatt.

Due to start operating in 2026, France’s first tidal pilot farm will meet the electricity needs of 20,000 people for 20 years. FloWatt is a strategic collaboration between project developer Qair, technology developer HydroQuest and industrial partner Constructions Mécaniques de Normandie (CMN). Building on a successful two-year test programme in Paimphol-Bréhat, the seven 2.5MW turbines will be installed in one of the most powerful tidal sites in the world, Normandy’s Raz Blanchard.

Lots of promise in the area, as per this report from 2018:

ATLANTIS STUDY CONCLUDES 2GW OF TIDAL ENERGY IS IMMEDIATELY AVAILABLE TO BE HARNESSED IN THE RAZ BLANCHARD, NORMANDY AND 1GW COULD BE OPERATIONAL BY 2025

The plan concludes that the construction of a 2GW project in Le Raz Blanchard would attract €3.3bn of investment and open up an export market worth an estimated €400m in turbine sales each year and with potential to create 10,000 jobs.

Martyn1981

If it was a film: "Windpower part 2 - This time it's bigger."

What happens to ageing wind farms?

Scottish windfarm built in 1995 to be ‘repowered’ with new turbines

One of Britain’s oldest onshore windfarms will soon be “repowered” so it can generate five times as much green electricity as it did in 1995 – with almost half as many turbines.

The owner of the Hagshaw Hill windfarm, ScottishPower, began dismantling 26 turbines on its site in rural South Lanarkshire on Wednesday.

The renewables developer will replace the ageing turbines with 14 larger versions that use updated technology to generate renewable energy more efficiently.

The tip of each new turbine will stand at a height of over 650ft, compared with the older turbines that had a height of 180ft, according to ScottishPower.

The windfarm will also be equipped with a battery storage facility of about 20 megawatts to help make better use of the green electricity.

The “repowering” project means the 16MW windfarm, which was the first commercial windfarm to operate in Scotland when it began generating 28 years ago, will have a capacity of 79MW once complete.

thevilla

I saw this posted on the Ripple forum and haven’t seen it here:

https://www.businessgreen.com/news/4120027/track-net-zero-report-reveals-exponential-growth-putting-power-track-global-climate-goals

We are on track for net zero': Report reveals how exponential growth is putting power system on track for global climate goals

Maybe a bit optimistic but positive all the same.

michaels

Martyn1981 said:

If it was a film: "Windpower part 2 - This time it's bigger."

What happens to ageing wind farms?

Scottish windfarm built in 1995 to be ‘repowered’ with new turbines

One of Britain’s oldest onshore windfarms will soon be “repowered” so it can generate five times as much green electricity as it did in 1995 – with almost half as many turbines.

The owner of the Hagshaw Hill windfarm, ScottishPower, began dismantling 26 turbines on its site in rural South Lanarkshire on Wednesday.

The renewables developer will replace the ageing turbines with 14 larger versions that use updated technology to generate renewable energy more efficiently.

The tip of each new turbine will stand at a height of over 650ft, compared with the older turbines that had a height of 180ft, according to ScottishPower.

The windfarm will also be equipped with a battery storage facility of about 20 megawatts to help make better use of the green electricity.

The “repowering” project means the 16MW windfarm, which was the first commercial windfarm to operate in Scotland when it began generating 28 years ago, will have a capacity of 79MW once complete.

I wonder if there is any support for this 'new' windfarm through cfd or if it is entirely commercial?