Green, ethical, energy issues in the news

QrizB

I hadn't realised quite how much battery storage the world has been adding until I read this report from BNEF:

https://about.bnef.com/insights/clean-energy/energy-storage-enters-the-100-gigawatt-era-three-things-to-know/

How much battery storage did the world install last year?

112 GW / 307 GWh.

That's a lot of storage. The UKs winter electricity demand is around 40GW, and is currently around 30GW.

Martyn1981

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82000326#Comment_82000326

Then you'll love this article showing how quickly battery storage in Queensland has been able to displace OCGT gas for the evening peaking role:

Big batteries took a bite out of gas generators’ evening peak party, then they ate the whole dinner

Netexporter

Brilliant graphic, that.

Martyn1981

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82000638#Comment_82000638

Blew my mind too. And we're not alone given they ran an article on it, from the response they got including it the wider monthly review. That's worth a read too.

We included this graph below as part of the monthly review written by the good folk over at Open Electricity and published here earlier this week, but it is so stunning, and has sparked so much interest on LinkedIn and elsewhere, that it’s worth highlighting all by itself.

Netexporter

Another step up in the sodium battery story. Gotion (30% owned by VW) has a new range of sodium ion batteries that rival lithium ion in energy density, but with the low temperature and long life performance that sodium confers. They claim their static storage version has a cycle life of 20,000; essentially they last forever (well longer than a human life cycle, so you won't be there to claim on the warranty!).

Big nail in the coffin of fossil fuels.

Gotion Unveils Gnascent Sodium-Ion Batteries at GW Scale - Battery-Tech Network

michaels

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82006104#Comment_82006104

Does anyone know how cheap sodium batteries could get per kwh?

Netexporter

CATL have mooted prices below $20/kWh, against the current approx $60/kWh for LFP, at cell level. Probably in around 5 years time, when production is fully scaled up.

QrizB

Note also that lithium isn't a particularly expensive material; it's currently around $26/kg. Google suggests around 0.2-0.3 kg of lithium per kWh of battery, so maybe $8 per kWh.

Replacing it with sodium isn't going to save a huge amount, even if sodium is free.

Netexporter

So is it cheaper anode/cathode materials? Seems a bit unlikely.

thevilla

I had the misfortune to listen to Richard Tice explaining Reform's energy policy on Bloomberg zero's podcast. Basically we just need to ignore science and refuse to look at evidence then drill baby drill. When challenged, threaten to walk out. Simple.

zero's podcast

Disclaimer: I am not responsible for damage to your listening device as you throw it through the window 😁