Thread: Fossil Fuel Alternatives

Part 2 of 2

• DEREX has installed a floating solar farm in Latvia

The 2.1MW project will provide power to the Sloka wastewater treatment plant, run by water utility Jurmalas Udens in Jurmala. The system will be ready for deployment by the end of 2023.

The floating system was designed by Sungrow. The solar modules used in the power station — RECOM Panther 550Wp Half Cut mono bifacial double glass frameless solar modules — were manufactured by RECOM Technologies.

The Sloka plant consumes 40% of the total energy expenses of Jurmalas Udens. The installation of the solar station will enable the facility to generate its own energy, effectively lowering the electricity costs of its parent company and reducing the organisation's reliance on fluctuations in energy market rates.

“Floating stations have not gained significant popularity in Latvia and the Baltic region yet, although this is the safest option for the fragile ecosystems typical of the region,” said Yulia Nikulina, project manager and director of the DEREX green energy division.

“The 'islands' on the water protect the surface from excessive sunlight, preventing the growth of underwater vegetation and preserving the balance and purity of the water ecosystem. Furthermore, the water environment is optimal for the panels themselves, as the natural cooling effect of the water helps the station maintain a stable temperature. Even higher station performance is achieved by bifacial (two-sided) panels, which absorb the reflection of the sun from the surface of the water.”

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• Meta’s Arizona data center to be powered by solar + storage project

Meta announced its Mesa, Arizona data center will soon be supported by new solar energy from Salt River Project (SRP) through a contract with U.S. clean energy provider Ørsted.

Under the contract, Meta will receive the majority portion of the solar energy generated by Ørsted’s Eleven Mile Solar Center, a 300 MW solar farm and 300 MW, four-hour battery energy storage system currently under construction in Pinal County, Arizona.

Once online in 2024, this will be the largest solar-plus-battery project on SRP’s power grid. The solar and stored energy not needed by the Meta data center will be available to SRP’s larger customer base.

In addition to this newly announced project, Meta will also receive an allocation of 50 MW from the 100 MW West Line Solar Facility, which opened earlier this year in Eloy, AZ, and will soon receive a portion of solar energy from the 200-MW Brittlebush Solar Facility in Coolidge, AZ, which is expected to be online in 2024.

Eleven Mile Solar Center, located on over 2,000 acres, is expected to be operational in 2024. Ørsted is actively developing renewable energy projects in over 15 states, with a portfolio of 5.7 GW currently operating or under construction across the United States.

The project’s storage capacity will contribute to the more than 1,100 MW of large-scale batteries that will be online on SRP’s system by the end of 2024.

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• 'Massive' 600 hectare solar farm approved in Tasmania's Northern Midlands

Tasmania’s biggest ever solar project, strong enough to power a quarter of the state’s homes, has been approved by the Northern Midlands Council overnight.

670,000 solar panels will be installed at Connorville Station in Cressy, producing 288 megawatts of renewable energy.

State Energy Minister Nick Duigan said it’s another big step in growing Tasmanian’s renewable energy resource.

“This is another exciting step in ensuring Tasmania reaches its target of doubling our renewable energy production by 2040,” he said.

The family who owns the land see renewable energy as their chance to make a mark on the planet and ensure the longevity of their grazing enterprise.

They plan to collaborate with developers TasRex to build the solar project alongside the farm’s existing 22,000-strong sheep flock.

TasRex has a broader goal of having up to 5 gigawatts of renewable energy, including solar, wind, and battery projects.

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• Prologis Europe wins rooftop solar contracts in Germany

Prologis Europe has been successful in winning ten on-roof solar contracts as part of the German government’s latest Renewable Energy Sources Act (EEG) tender. Prologis was one of the largest bidders of the 88-contract auction, winning a contract for every bid submitted. The German government is accelerating the deployment of rooftop solar, announcing increased auction capacity from 650MW in 2023 to 900MW in 2024.

Prologis Europe operates approximately 3.15 million square metres of logistics real estate within Germany, with a total generation of 25MW of rooftop solar. These 10 contracts will add more than 16MW to Prologis’ solar portfolio, supplying energy to more than 11,000 German households per year. It expects to be able to assist the German government in reducing their CO2 emissions annually by approximately 13,300 tonnes.

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• Garanti BBVA Shines with Solar Energy Initiative on Buildings and ATMs

Garanti BBVA is in the process of installing solar panels on buildings at its Pendik Campus, on the Güneşli Service Building and on top of the bank’s ATMs. The solar energy project is part of Garanti BBVA’s commitment to fight the climate crisis and support renewable energy.

The initiative aims to save 1 million TL and prevent 160 tons of carbon emissions. This is equivalent to the amount of emissions that 9,884 trees can absorb in nature. Pendik Campus will have an installed capacity of 103KW and an annual energy generation of 122 MWh, while the Güneşli Service Building will have an installed capacity of 193KW and an annual energy generation of 228MWh.

In line with its Net Zero Banking Alliance commitments, Garanti BBVA announced its interim decarbonization targets for 2030. As the first bank in Türkiye to announce that it will no longer fund coal-related projects, Garanti BBVA joined the UN-convened Net Zero Banking Alliance in 2021.

Solar panels have also been installed on 81 ATMs so far this year, generating an average of 150KWh per month, and reaching approximately 60,000KWh by the end of the year. The bank will consume approximately 40 to 50 percent of the energy generated by an ATM per month.

• Suzlon secures a 100.8 MW order for the 3 MW series from a leading Global Utility

Suzlon Group, India’s largest renewable energy solutions provider, today announced a new order win for the development of a 100.8 MW wind power project for a leading global utility company. Suzlon will install 32 wind turbine generators (WTGs) with a Hybrid Lattice Tubular (HLT) tower and a rated capacity of 3.15 MW each. The project is located in Gujarat.

Suzlon will execute the project with a scope of supply, supervision, and commissioning. Additionally, Suzlon will also undertake post-commissioning operation and maintenance services.

Girish Tanti, Vice Chairman, Suzlon Group said, “We are delighted to partner with a leading global utility as our esteemed customer on this project. This order is in line with Suzlon’s reputation for world-class wind energy solutions enabling industry leading companies from across the globe to trust us with their wind energy projects. The power generated from this project will serve the people of Gujarat with clean, green, renewable power. As India’s ambitions to be carbon neutral take momentum we are committed to partnering with all stakeholders every step of the way. The Suzlon 3 MW series is the next stage evolution of our proven technology, customized for the Indian wind regime and 3.15 MW is one of the largest wind turbines in the country today.”

JP Chalasani, Chief Executive Officer, Suzlon Group, said, “We are delighted to announce our first order with the leading global utility backed by an established global track record in renewable energy. This order is a testament to the quality and reliability of our technology and service solutions. Suzlon is committed to serve our customers and the nation with our proven technology, extensive experience, and service excellence in India. Together with our customers and our valued partners, we will continue to push the boundaries of what is possible and drive meaningful progress towards a cleaner, greener, and more prosperous tomorrow for all.”

Suzlon turbines are manufactured in the country through a thriving domestic ecosystem, which is a testimony to our contribution to the vision of an “Aatmanirbhar Bharat”. Suzlon’s R&D efforts are continuously geared towards increasing turbine performance, harnessing more energy from low wind sites, and lowering the cost of energy.

• Canada to announce all new cars must be zero emissions by 2035

Canada expects to announce this week that all new cars will have to be zero emissions by 2035, a senior government source said, as Ottawa is set to unveil new regulations in the latest example of countries around the world pushing for electrification.

The new rules, known as the Electric Vehicle Availability Standard, would help ensure supply is available to the Canadian market and shorten wait times to get an electric vehicle, the source told Reuters, confirming earlier media reports.

The Canadian provinces of British Columbia and Quebec already have the same regulated sales targets.

Zero-emission vehicles - which include battery electric, plug-in and hydrogen models - must represent 20% of all new car sales in 2026, 60% in 2030 and 100% in 2035, the source said on condition of anonymity.

Officials at Canada's environment ministry declined comment.

Global EV sales now make up about 13% of all vehicle sales and are likely to rise to between 40%-45% of the market by the end of the decade, according to the Paris-based International Energy Agency (IEA).

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• Canada to require all new cars to be zero-emission by 2035

Canada will require all new automobiles to be zero-emission by 2035 as the country looks to curb its fossil fuel output.

Environment minister Steven Guilbeault outlined the federal government’s plan on Tuesday requiring auto manufacturers to increase the share of fully electric or plug-in hybrids sold in the coming years.

“We are at a tipping point,” he said, adding that demand for EV vehicles in Canada has previously outstripped the available supply.

The Electric Vehicle Availability Standard will require that one-fifth of the vehicles sold in 2026 be either fully electric or plug-in hybrids. That figure will increase to three-fifths by 2030, and then by 2035 all vehicles offered for sale in Canada will need to be zero-emission. Emergency vehicles will be exempt.

Automakers that fail to sell enough vehicles under the legislation will be able to buy credits, worth C$20,000 (£11,800) each, from other manufacturers who exceed their targets or have invested in charging station infrastructure. Companies will only be able to offset a maximum of 10% of their total compliance.

The automobile industry has pushed back against the regulations, arguing that Ottawa’s goals are unrealistic given the higher cost of electric vehicles and the patchwork nature of charging infrastructure across the country. To ease concerns, plug-in hybrids that can drive at least 80km on an all-electric charge before switching to fossil fuels will be eligible for sale as a zero-emission vehicle.

The guidelines, first announced in 2021 and updated on Tuesday, mark an attempt by the federal government, under pressure from environmental groups, to catch up to European nations and the US, which have varying sales or emissions requirements meant to spur electric vehicle sales. The current European Union plan aims to bring automotive emissions down by 55% from 2021 levels by the end of the decade and to zero by 2035.

Based on recent sales figures, Canada already has a long way to go to meet its targets.

Slightly more than one in 10 new vehicles sold in the first nine months of this year were electric, according to recent data from Statistics Canada – about half of what would be required under the new mandate in 2026.

But in regions that already have regulations similar to what the federal government has proposed, those figures are far higher. In 2020, both Quebec and British Columbia legislated sales targets for zero-emission vehicles and quickly exceeded those targets, years earlier than required.

In Quebec, 20% of new cars are electric, and in British Columbia, that figure jumps to 25%, according to Statistics Canada.

Both provinces, which have additional financial incentives for buyers, met their targets ahead of time. Ontario, the largest car market in the country, scrapped its provincial incentives when premier Doug Ford was elected in 2018.

In recent months, Canada also announced signifiant subsidies for battery-production facilities. According to the the parliamentary budget officer, incentives for Northvolt, Stellantis and Volkswagen battery plants will cost C$43.6 billion by 2033.

part 1 of 2

• Remote villages to get renewable energy boost with Japanese Grant

Two remote villages in Buca on Vanua Levu and Tiliva on Kadavu, are set to benefit from improved access to renewable energy thanks to a grant from the Japan Fund for Prosperous and Resilient Asia and the Pacific.

This as the cabinet has endorsed an agreement for the three million dollar grant, administered through the Asian Development Bank (ADB), to fund the Rural Electrification Support Project.

This project aims to transform the energy landscape of these villages by expanding and upgrading Buca village’s mini-hydropower facility.

This will increase the village’s renewable energy supply and provide a more reliable source of power.

Under the project, Buca and Tiliva villages will be allowed to use the power generation facilities and also assume the operation and maintenance responsibilities of their respective power generation facility under a leasing agreement between the Department of Energy and respective villages.

It is estimated that approximately 190 households or approximately 1,070 individuals at the two locations combined, will directly benefit from the Project by improving their access to electricity generated from renewable energy sources.

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• Amazon’s renewable energy portfolio is now big enough to power 6.7 million U.S. homes

Amazon announces its first brownfield solar project, which will be built over a reclaimed coal mine site in Maryland, and its first project in South Korea.

Amazon has invested in 78 new solar and wind energy projects so far this year, including the company’s first brownfield project—which will repurpose a previously polluted Maryland coal mine site into a solar farm—as well as Amazon’s first renewable energy project in South Korea, and 10 new renewable energy projects across Texas.

The company now has a total of 479 wind and solar projects globally, and once operational, they are expected to generate more than 71,900 gigawatt-hours (GWh) of clean energy each year, or enough to power 6.7 million U.S. homes.

Since 2020, Amazon has purchased more renewable energy than any other company, according to BloombergNEF. The clean energy generated by the projects is moving Amazon closer to powering its operations with 100% renewable energy by 2025, including Amazon Web Services (AWS) data centers, Amazon fulfillment centers, physical stores, and corporate offices, while also providing new sources of clean power to local communities where the projects are located.

Amazon’s solar and wind farms have also helped generate more than $12 billion in estimated economic investment globally from 2014 through 2022, and supported 39,000 full-time equivalent (FTE) jobs in 2022 alone, according to a new economic model developed by Amazon.

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• Lhyfe commissions third green H2 production site in France

French renewable hydrogen maker Lhyfe (EPA:LHYFE) and its partner Arec Occitaine have energised a 5-MW green hydrogen production facility in southern France, planning to launch commercial operations in the first half of 2024.

Located in the commune of Bessieres, in the southernmost French region of Occitania, the new 8,000-square-metre- plant will have a daily output of about two tonnes, to be used for trucks, buses and other fuel cell vehicles. Depending on demand, production could be ramped up, Lhyfe said on Thursday.

The Lhyfe Occitanie project, which created Lhyfe’s third hydrogen site at home, is 80%-owned by Lhyfe, while the remaining 20% are held by energy and climate agency Arec Occitaine. The partners have secured the electricity supply of the new plant via power off-take deals with renewable power producers, including VSB Energies Nouvelles and Kallista Energy.

The project is part of a wider initiative for creating a green hydrogen corridor that will aim to decarbonise passenger and freight transportation along an axis stretching from the Mediterranean to the North Sea.

Lhyfe is already producing green hydrogen at two French facilities in Pays de la Loire and Brittany and is building five additional plants across Europe.

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• Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind Farm to Supply Homes with Renewable Energy

Located about 27 miles off the coast of Virginia Beach, this wind farm, the largest one in the US, will have 176 turbines and will prevent the emission of greenhouse gasses equivalent to those produced by one million vehicles per year.

Sarens will be in charge of receiving and loading out the monopiles and transition pieces for the 176 turbines, as well as the jackets and topsides for the three offshore substations that will make up the facility, in a job that will last until 2025.

The Coastal Virginia offshore wind farm, located between 27 and 42 miles (43-67 km) off the coast of Virginia Beach, will be able to produce renewable energy for more than 660,000 homes in the region, and avoid the emission of greenhouse gasses equivalent to removing one million vehicles from the road each year, once it becomes operational in 2026.

This new facility, operated by Dominion Energy, will have 176 turbines with an energy output of approximately 2.6 GW, divided into three areas. In each area, the turbines will be connected by Inter Array Cables to each of the three offshore substations, where the power produced will be transformed from 66kV to 235kV. From these stations, the energy will travel to shore via three 235kV 3-core cables.

Sarens, world leader in heavy lifting, engineered transport and crane rental, has been commissioned by Virginia International Terminals (VIT) to receive and load out the monopiles and transition pieces for the 176 turbines, as well as the jackets on which the three substations and their corresponding topsides will be placed, in a job that will last until 2025.

The first transport operation of this kind took place on October 19th, when the vessel Sun Shine arrived at the Portsmouth Marine Terminal with the first eight monopiles from Rostock (Germany). Once there, the Sarens team unloaded these parts from their shipping saddles and transported them to the place where they will be stored before travelling to their final location.

There are currently only 12 offshore wind facilities on the east coast of the USA, of which the Coastal Virginia Offshore will be the largest, also in the whole country. This project will also be a critical resource to achieve the Commonwealth of Virginia's goals and Dominion Energy's goal of achieving net zero in the fifteen states in which it operates.

Part 2 of 2

• NSW to fast-track 750MW of renewables

AEMO Services has selected another five energy projects to fast track as part of the state’s Electricity Infrastructure Roadmap incentive scheme, which are set to deliver 750MW of renewable generation and 534MW (4,192MWh) of long-duration storage.

The successful bidders include one solar project, one wind project, two lithium-ion battery energy storage system projects, and one advanced-compressed air energy storage system.

AEMO Services Executive General Manager, Paul Verschuer, said that the results of the latest tender round out a significant year for AEMO Services and the NSW Electricity Infrastructure Roadmap tender program.

“AEMO Services has delivered three highly successful tenders throughout 2023, helping to bring-forward more than $8.5 billion private sector investment in New South Wales’s future energy system,” Mr Verschuer said.

“Participation in our tenders demonstrates the market value and fit of our innovative financial contract, which offers projects exposure to market upside and reduces risk and cost to consumers compared to traditional schemes.

“AEMO Services will continue to deliver biannual tenders for at least the next decade, incentivising private capital for new infrastructure investment by 2030 to meet the state’s minimum targets of 12GW of renewable energy and 2GW of long-duration storage over that timeframe.”

Mr Verschuer also said that the state tender program was driving confidence in the New South Wales energy transition with both investors and consumers.

“We provide those projects with the flexible financial security they need to accelerate their completion.

“From the strength of the response to the first year of our tender process, it’s clear that the insurance provided by the LTESA contract is working to address a key market risk that might otherwise delay or discourage investors from participating in the transition.”

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• Audi's Milestone: Renewable-Powered Ultra-Fast EV Charger in Mumbai

Audi India has taken a groundbreaking leap in advancing electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure with the inauguration of the 'e-tron hub' at Mumbai's bustling Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC). This cutting-edge charging station signifies a remarkable feat as the nation's inaugural ultra-fast facility solely powered by renewable energy sources.

Green Energy and Speedy Charging Advancements

Setting a new benchmark with a substantial 450kW capacity, the 'e-tron hub' is equipped with state-of-the-art charging guns capable of delivering an impressive 360kW to EVs. Its standout feature lies in its commitment to environmental sustainability, operating exclusively on clean, green energy. To further enhance energy efficiency, the station incorporates solar roof panels that not only support the charging process but also fulfill peripheral electrical needs, including lighting. Notably, the Audi Q8 55 e-tron, armed with a robust 114 kWh battery pack, achieves an exceptional 20% to 80% charge within an astonishingly brief 26 minutes, thanks to Audi's advanced fast charger.
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• Duke Energy’s first floating solar project in Floridaa is now producing clean, renewable energy while helping the company better understand the capabilities of innovative clean energy technologies to benefit the state.

The almost 1MW floating solar array features more than 1,800 solar panels that float on top of 2 acres of water surface on an existing cooling pond at the Duke Energy Hines Energy Complex in Bartow.

The bifacial solar panels absorb light from both sides, which can produce 10%-20% more power than their single-sided counterparts.
Crews assembled the module floating system on land in segments before securing it with anchors in the water.

The project took approximately six months to construct and connect to the grid.

The pilot is part of Duke Energy's Vision Florida programme, which is designed to test innovative projects such as green hydrogen, hydrogen produced from sources other than fossil fuels, and various battery energy storage technologies, to prepare the power grid for a cleaner energy future.

Last month, the company announced plans to build a one-of-its-kind green hydrogen production and storage system connected to its existing solar site in Volusia County.

Duke Energy Florida state president Melissa Seixas said: "We are committed to building a smarter, cleaner energy future for our customers, while continuing to look for ways to maintain affordability and reliability.

"By exploring alternative solutions on a smaller scale and on our own property, we are maximizing the space and expanding our use and knowledge of innovative emission free technologies that will move us forward on our path to net-zero carbon emissions."

Duke Energy has been harnessing the power of the sun and advancing solar technologies in Florida since the late 1980s.

The company plans to have 25 grid-tied solar power plants in operation in 2024.

The sites will provide about 1500MW of emission-free generation and benefit all of the company’s 1.9 million Florida customers.

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• Octopus to build solar-powered, bill-free homes

Octopus has partnered with housebuilder The Hill Group to develop 89 homes with no energy bills for a minimum of five years in Essex.

The houses will be equipped with a number of low-carbon technologies, including heat pumps, solar panels, and home storage batteries. The combined capacity of these technologies is set to exceed the energy requirements of each home and will be integrated and optimised by Octopus’ Kraken platform.

Built at Hollymead Square in Newport Essex, the properties will include two to five bedroom houses and two bedroom bungalows, with residents guaranteed to pay no energy bills for a minimum of five years.

Of the 89 houses, 64 will be sold to the open market with 25 set aside for affordable rent and shared ownership by the social housing provider, Clarion House Group.

Earlier this year, Octopus began building three ‘zero bills’ homes in Stafford in the West Midlands, to go to market this month. The energy company said it hopes to have built 50,000 zero bills homes globally by 2025.

• ‘It feels very fun and freeing’: US sees ebike boom after years of false starts

Sales surge as cities and states look to cut pollution from cars and improve options for Americans to get around

After several years of false starts, electric bikes are finally entering the American mainstream, amid booming sales of a multiplying number of models on offer and as more states offer incentives for people to ditch their cars and shift to two, motor-assisted, wheels.

This year could be considered “the year of the ebike”, according to John MacArthur, a transport researcher at Portland State University. Ebike sales in the United States leaped by 269% between 2019 and 2022, with the market size expected to have grown further in 2023, to be worth $2.59bn.

While ebikes took off in other parts of the world the US was slow to catch on, until the Covid pandemic, when streets were closed off, public transit numbers dropped and people were looking for alternative ways to get around. This, combined with city and state efforts to cut pollution from transportation to meet climate goals, has helped fuel an ebike surge that has no sign of abating.

“All these converging trends means that I think we’ll look back at this year and think this was an important moment,” said MacArthur. “Ebikes are in the zeitgeist, people are talking about them. They are inclusive of everyone. Even my mom is thinking of getting one.”

Nationally, Joe Biden’s administration has been fixated on shifting people from gasoline cars to electric cars, with tax credits worth up to $7,500 to people who want to get an EV. But there is no comparable federal support for buying an ebike, even though sales of ebikes now outstrip that of electric cars and many experts point to the superior benefits of the two-wheeled version, which emits less air pollution from tire wear and are safer in road accidents.

In lieu of this, there are more than 100 city and state-based incentives to boost ebike adoption across the US, according to a database compiled by MacArthur. One of the most significant ebike support packages could soon be put in place by New York, with the state senate passing a bill that offsets 50% of the purchase of a new ebike or electric scooter, up to $1,100.

Jabari Brisport, a Democratic New York state senator, said despite a delay he is optimistic that the bill will pass the lower house, the New York assembly, and be signed by the governor. “I haven’t heard of any pushback to the bill,” said Brisport, who occasionally uses a publicly shared ebike to get to his Brooklyn office.

“There is a lot of focus on moving people from one type of car to another type of car but there are other modes of transportation and ebikes are one of them. They are a low-carbon form of transportation that are great for getting around the city for short trips.”

Ebikes add a battery and a motor to the classic bicycle frame and provide a helping hand, as if someone were pushing at your back, when pedaling. There are different classifications of ebikes – some, with throttles that power the ebike independently of pedaling, can reach as fast as 28mph – but all are considered climate-friendly, even more so than electric cars. Globally, there are about 280m electric mopeds, bikes and scooters and, combined, these vehicles are already cutting demand for oil by about a million barrels a day.

But the rise of ebikes has greater connotations than just climate change, MacArthur points out. You can now get foldable ebikes, for commutes, or large cargo ebikes that can carry 550lb in weight. They can be used by people of different physical abilities. Half of all trips made by Americans are under three miles – a distance ebikes can easily conquer. Suddenly, cycling isn’t just a fitness activity or something done for fun by small children – it is a method to run errands and get to work in car-centric America.

“They break down barriers that people worry about – around distance, about physical ability, about being too hot and sweaty when you arrive somewhere,” MacArthur said. “You have batteries with a 40-mile range on them and so you can consider them in a more utilitarian way, outside recreation. Ebikes are changing how people view cycling.”

When Bryn Grunwald, a transport analyst at the environment group RMI, got her first ebike six years ago she initially felt it “sounded silly” but had a revelatory moment when she used it to get to college, via a steep hill. “The first time I biked up that hill, it was a life-changing experience – I wasn’t sweaty, I wasn’t out of breath and red in the face, I was invigorated,” said Grunwald, who is based in Colorado. “I’ve been evangelical about them over since.”

Grunwald said her own ebike use has lessened her dependence upon her car and saved her money in running and maintenance costs, which are comparatively tiny for an ebike. Her enthusiasm appears to be shared by others in Denver – when the city offered a new rebate scheme last year the website for applications promptly crashed from the number of people visiting it.

“I think something has shifted in the US,” Grunwald said. “Not everyone wants to bike but not everyone wants to drive and it makes life better for everyone to have one less person sitting in car traffic. I use the ebike to get groceries, to get a library book, to go to work. When that pedal assist kicks in, it feels very fun and freeing.”

There are caveats to the ebike success story. They remain expensive compared with regular bicycles – ranging from about $1,000 to $16,000 or more – and many Americans still fear riding around on streets that are typically dominated by hulking SUVs and lack separated bike lanes.

“We won’t see this go anywhere unless we see more biking infrastructure in cities,” MacArthur cautioned.

There are also safety concerns raised by those not on the ebikes. Some pedestrians and other cyclists are unnerved by ebikes whizzing past at faster speeds than a regular bicycle, while a spate of fires in New York emanating from the lithium-ion batteries the bikes use has highlighted the dangers posed by faulty or cheaply made batteries (regulations have recently been put in place in New York City to ensure that ebike batteries meet a certain safety standard).

Such concerns are reasonable, MacArthur said, but should be compared with the status quo offered by cars, which also catch on fire and are responsible for about 40,000 deaths a year in the US due to accidents. If ebikes are to replace car journeys, rather than just other bikes, the net benefits should be tangible.

“The majority of people killed while walking are killed by cars, that is the real issue,” MacArthur said. “The key thing is to have separated walking and biking areas to reduce conflicts. Ebikes won’t solve everything, they aren’t a panacea, but I think more cities will be leaning into them.”

part 1 of 2

• Rainbow Lake to become first municipality in Canada powered fully by renewable geothermal energy

An up and coming geothermal pilot project will see Rainbow Lake, west of High Level, powered completely by renewable geothermal energy by 2028.

They will be the first municipality in the country to do so, relying solely on this form of energy for power and heat.

“The town of Rainbow Lake has been researching the vast geothermal potential our Northwest corner of Alberta provides for six years now. We are happy to have found a valuable partner in E2E Energy Solutions to help bring all of these past years of study into a tangible future,” said Mayor Michelle Farris.

Dene Tha’ First Nation has announced their support, and will benefit from the project. Rainbow Lake will see economic benefits like construction jobs and plant operation.

The project “will provide new opportunities and economic benefits for the Dene Tha’ and the Rainbow Lake region as a whole. It will greatly contribute to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and a net-zero sustainable future,” said Fred Didzena, lands department director.

E2E Energy Solutions’s Enhanced Geothermal Reservoir Recovery System (EGRRS) allows for large-scale geothermal development by “upgrading the temperature of saline aquifers to be commercially viable where conventional exploitation methods do not work,” reads a media release.

E2E’s process in the project is on the way to have a large impact on the future of geothermal energy in Canada.

There’s a needed move away from fossil fuels, said E2E founder Domenico Daprocida, and their goal is to empower communities to make the energy transition sustainable and economical.

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• Mang Inasal stores in Zamboanga start using solar panels

Mang Inasal, the Philippines’ Grill Expert, kicks off its commitment to greater environmental sustainability with some of its stores installing solar panel-mounted rooftops.

“In support of Jollibee Group’s efforts to shift to renewable energy, Mang Inasal is taking initial steps towards environmental sustainability,” said Mang Inasal President Mike V. Castro. “And being a highly franchised brand, we are thankful that our franchisees back us up in this endeavor.”

As of December 2023, Mang Inasal has launched the use of solar panels in its Sindangan and Molave stores in Zamboanga.

Mang Inasal Sindangan franchisee Hanzel Uy said the focus on being environmentally responsible makes running the business more meaningful as it does not only give them a more cost-effective option for energy consumption but also helps ensure a better world for future generations.

“Apart from the long-term savings on utility costs, we feel good knowing that we are able to contribute to a cleaner environment by tapping renewable source of energy,” Uy shared.

With the installation of solar panel-mounted rooftops, Mang Inasal Sindangan and Molave generated a total estimated annual savings of 48,000-kilowatt hour and reducing carbon dioxide emission of 34,000 kg.

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• Singaporean startup unveils high intensity illumination tech that ‘rejuvenates’ solar panels

Researchers from the Nanyang Technological University Singapore (NTU Singapore) and startup EtaVolt have developed a high intensity illumination device that can reportedly “rejuvenate” solar panels and reduce their degradation.

Called Advanced Regeneration Technology, the new technique consists of applying intense light and controlled temperature on the solar cells to excite the polysilicon molecules and make them move quickly. This reportedly changed their arrangement and “patches up” the holes caused by light, heat and humidity.

“The process is akin to patching holes in a bucket; it repairs solar panels to prevent energy leakage, ensuring optimal light energy collection,” the scientists said, noting that the process is implemented via a high intensity illumination device that can roll itself over the photovoltaic modules. “The process takes less than five minutes and can help treated solar panels recover up to 5% of their lost field performance.”

The research group claims that this process may reduce module degradation by up to 5 years, depending on the cell technology.

The device may also be used on-site in either rooftop PV systems or ground-mounted PV plants and may be applied to around 90% of the solar modules available in the market.

According to EtaVolt's website, the new regeneration technology is based on a proprietary combination of illumination, temperature, and regeneration time. It can also reportedly provide light-induced degradation (LID) mitigation and recovery.

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• 'Urban mining' offers green solution to old solar panels

As the world pivots from planet-warming fossil fuels to renewable energy, a new pollution problem is rearing its head: What to do with old or worn-out solar panels?

Thousands of photovoltaic slabs are being installed across the United States every day, particularly in the sunny west and south of the country, as states like California race towards greener energy production.

But with an expected lifespan of around 30 years, the first wave of solar installations is now coming to the end of its usefulness, sparking a rush to recycle things that might otherwise end up in the landfill.

"What is about to happen is a tsunami of solar panels coming back into the supply chain," said Adam Saghei, chief executive of Arizona-based We Recycle Solar.

"One of the challenges with any industry is, there hasn't been that much planning for a circular economy.

"(Solar) is a sustainable form of energy; there needs to be a plan for the retirement of those assets."

Saghei's plan involves, among other things, reusing panels.

Anywhere up to five percent of panels either have a minor production defect or get damaged during transport or installation.

These still-working panels can be refurbished and diverted to other markets, often abroad, Saghei says.

But for the panels that no longer function - either because they're decrepit, or because they were damaged beyond use during installation, or smashed by hailstones - there's treasure to be found.

"We're doing what's called urban mining," says Saghei, refering to a process that took his engineers three years to perfect.

That mining recovers silver, copper, aluminium, glass and silicone - all commodities that have a value on the open market.

While the uses for the metals might be obvious, what to do with silicone and glass is less so, but nonetheless intriguing.

"You can use it for sand traps on golf courses, you can refine it for sandblast mix, you can also use it for the stones or the glass mix that you get for outdoor fireplaces," says Saghei.

With capacity to process up to 7,500 panels every day at the plant in Yuma, a surprisingly small amount goes to waste.

"Depending on the make and model of the panels ... we're able to get up to 99 per cent recovery rate."

Part 2 of 2

• Bradford's historic Lister Mills to be fitted with solar panels

Plans for solar panels to be installed on one of Bradford's best-known historic buildings have been approved.

The plans to fit panels to a section of Lister Mills, fronting Heaton Road, were revealed in November.

Conservation officers backed the scheme, with the applicant saying the panels would reduce energy bills for businesses at the site.

Lister Mills, also known as Manningham Mills, is one of the largest surviving mills in West Yorkshire.

Approving the scheme, officials said the site was "a key historic landmark" within the North Park Road conservation area.

"While the scope of works would be notable, the pitch of the existing mill roof and materials would not be altered," they added.

A report said the proposal "gives a huge opportunity" to generate renewable energy and to decrease the building's carbon footprint.

It also acknowledged the scheme would not impact or harm "the significance, appearance, and architectural character of the listed building", the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

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• Starting up the Hai Anh Wind Power project in Quang Tri province

On the morning of December 20, 2023, in Lao Bao town, Huong Hoa district, Quang Tri province, starting ceremony of the Quang Tri Hai Anh Wind Power project with a capacity of 40 MW invested by Hai Anh Wind Power Joint Stock Company.

The plant is located in Huong Phung and Tan Thanh communes, Lao Bao town, Huong Hoa district, Quang Tri province. The project with 8 wind turbine towers, a capacity of 5 MW/turbine, a tower height of 125 meters, rotor diameter of 166 - 172 meters. The total investment of the project is more than 1,500 billion VND.

The EPC general contractor is a joint venture of IPC Construction Joint Stock Company (IPC E&C) and Asia Industrial Technology Joint Stock Company (ACIT) taking on the role of supply, design, installation and service for the entire project. When the project comes into operation, it will provide the national electricity system with an average annual electricity output of about 120 GWh/year, generate revenue of more than 200 billion VND/year and contribute about 40 billion VND to the local budget/year.

Hai Anh Wind Power project is expected to operate in September 2024, contributing to overcoming the electricity shortage in the region and the whole country, ensuring energy for the socio-economic development of the province and region.

Speaking at the starting-up ceremony, Mr. Quan Duy Hai Chairman of the Quang Tri - Hai Anh Wind Power Joint Stock Company said that, in the context of poor renewable energy projects, the Hai Anh Wind Power project prepares to standard up is extremely important to the Company.

The investor has chosen a joint venture of EPC general contractors as IPC and ACIT - these are contractors with leading experience and reputation in the field of EPC area of wind power projects.

Besides, the project also receives great support from Vietinbank - Quang Trung Branch and Shanghai Electric Partner.

Mr. Quan Duy Hai expressed his confidence that "The project will finish smoothly and the parties will soon enjoy the first fruits.

Speaking at the ceremony, Chairman of Quang Tri Provincial People's Committee Vo Van Hung affirmed that, Quang Tri is not only known as a land rich in revolutionary tradition but also a province of full potential for renewable energy development, especially wind energy with its "capital" in the western region of the province.

Up to now, this region has been supplemented with 31 wind power projects, with a total capacity of 1,177.2 MW. Of these, 19 projects have gone into commercial operation with a total capacity of 713.4 MW, and 2 projects with a total capacity of 60 MW are expected to operate commercially in early 2024. The remaining 10 projects with a total capacity of 394 MW are expected for the policy guideline and deploying to invest in commercial operations in 2024 - 2025.

In addition, based on research and assessment of the province's energy development potential, Quang Tri has proposed that the central government add about 4,500 MW of onshore wind power and 2,600 MW of offshore wind power projects to the implementation plan of Power Development Planning VIII. Besides, there are other types of energy (gas, solar, pumped storage hydropower and biomass power...), bringing the total capacity of the Quang Tri province to 16,000 MW.

This is the basis and solid foundation to ensure that the energy industry becomes a breakthrough field in socio-economic development and builds Quang Tri province into an energy center of the Central region.

For the Hai Anh Wind Power project to come into operation soon, Mr. Vo Van Hung requested the investor to focus on mobilizing financial and human resources and fully prepare the best conditions for implementation. The project with quality, labor safety, and environmental sanitation, and exceeded the committed schedule.

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• Renewable energy drive for indigenous groups in Colombia

Colombia has approved regulations that encourage local communities and indigenous groups to produce energy through renewable sources and sell it to the national grid.

Only 1% of the country's energy comes from alternative sources.

Community leaders, including Afro-Colombians, can now set up partnerships with public and private companies.

They will be able to work together to generate power from wind farms, small hydroelectric projects and biofuels.

Colombia's left-wing President Gustavo Petro says he wants to diversify the country's energy matrix.

Earlier this month, the government opened bids for its first offshore wind farms.

More than 70% of the country's power is currently produced by large hydroelectric dams, which have a significant impact on communities and on the environment.

More than 50 possible wind and solar projects have been announced in Colombia since 2019, with planned generation of some 2.43 gigawatts in wind energy and 0.1 gigawatts in solar, Reuters news agency reports. None are yet operating.

Some companies - including Italy's Enel - have indefinitely delayed projects, blaming local protests for hampering billions in investments, the agency adds.

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• Solar panel maker LONGi has signed a 576MW sales agreement with Nofar Energy Romania for an unspecified PV project in Romania.

The company will supply its Hi-MO 7 modules for the project, which is expected to be under construction in 2024 and operational in 2025.

Ensuring alignment with Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) standards, the agreements include the supplier's commitment to meeting stringent requirements related to the supply chain.

The finalisation of the agreement follows the approval of ongoing negotiations with a prominent banking corporation. This approval sets the stage for ESG-compliant bank financing for three key projects, adhering to the stringent criteria set forth by the banking corporation, especially in relation to the supply chain.

Mirel Jarnea, Sales Manager Romania at LONGi, stated: "This strategic partnership with Nofar Energy Romania marks a significant step forward in advancing sustainable energy solutions in Romania. LONGi is proud to contribute with our high-efficiency panels, bringing innovation to the forefront and fostering a greener future for the region.”

Favi Stelian, CEO Nofar Energy Romania, added: “Our agreement with LONGi is a testament to our shared vision and unwavering commitment to provide sustainable energy solutions in Romania. We look forward to the exciting journey ahead and the success that our strengthened partnership will undoubtedly bring.”

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• World's tallest wooden wind turbine starts turning

What is made from the same wood as a Christmas tree, held together by glue and manufactured in a Swedish factory for assembly later?

If that calls to mind flat-pack furniture and meatballs, you're wrong.

If you answered "a wooden wind turbine", you could be a visionary.

According to Modvion, the Swedish start-up that has just built the world's tallest wooden turbine tower, using wood for wind power is the future.

"It's got great potential," Otto Lundman, the company's chief executive, says as we gaze upwards at the firm's brand new turbine, a short drive outside Gothenburg.

It's 150m (492ft) to the tip of the highest blade and we are the first journalists to be invited to have a look inside. The 2 megawatt generator on top has just started supplying electricity to the Swedish grid, providing power for about 400 homes.

The dream of Lundman and Modvion is to take the wood and wind much higher.

Part1 of 2

• Climate scientists hail 2023 as ‘beginning of the end’ for fossil fuel era

Global efforts to slow a runaway climate catastrophe may have reached a critical milestone in the last year with the peak of global carbon emissions from energy use, according to experts.

A growing number of climate analysts believe that 2023 may be recorded as the year in which annual emissions reached a pinnacle before the global fossil fuel economy begins a terminal decline.

The milestone is considered a crucial tipping point in the race to drive emissions to net zero. But for many climate experts it’s an inflexion point that was due years ago and which, although encouraging, falls far short of the rapid reduction the world needs.

The world’s leading climate scientists have consistently warned that the buildup of carbon dioxide in the Earth’s atmosphere means it is critical to drive down emissions before 2030 if leaders hope to keep global heating to a maximum of 1.5C above pre-industrialised levels. The rate at which emissions would need to be reduced will require, most experts agree, global transformation on a scale not yet in the pipeline.

“We can take a small pause to celebrate this tipping point,” said Dave Jones, a director at the climate thinktank Ember. “But in a way it’s worrying that we are still talking about when emissions might peak. The reality of the situation is that we need deep and fast reductions in emissions if we hope to stay within the vanishingly small budget for carbon which remains.”

The International Energy Agency (IEA) raised hopes earlier this year of an end to the fossil fuel era when it predicted for the first time that the consumption of oil, gas and coal would peak before 2030 and begin to fall as climate policies took effect.

“It’s not a question of ‘if’, it’s just a matter of ‘how soon’ – and the sooner the better for all of us,” said Fatih Birol, the head of the IEA.

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• Portugal's renewable power generation hit record level in 2023

Portugal obtained a record quantity of its electricity from clean sources in 2023, with renewables accounting for 61 percent of power use, national grid operator REN said on Tuesday.

Wind provided 25 percent of the electricity consumed in Portugal last year, ahead of hydropower (23 percent), solar photovoltaic (7.0 percent) and biomass (6.0 percent), REN said.

The strongest growth was in hydropower. Output rose 70 percent as the sector bounced back from the 2022 drought.

Photovoltaic rose 43 percent on the back of growing instalments of solar panels.

Although Portuguese electricity demand last year hit its highest level since 2018, only 19 percent of its consumption was met by non-renewable domestic generation.

As a result, the country’s natural gas imports, which come mostly by LNG tanker from Nigeria and the United States, fell 21 percent last year.

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• Uruguay’s green power revolution: rapid shift to wind shows the world how it’s done

Stung by 2008’s oil price spike, Uruguay now produces up to 98% of its electricity from renewables.

It was the 2000s, and fossil fuel prices were rising worldwide. After a period of volatility in the 1980s, the crude oil price per barrel had reached one of its lowest points – $20 – at the end of 2001 but then, over the course of six years, it tripled before a new oil shock saw prices surpass those of the 1970s, reaching a record $145 a barrel on 3 July 2008.

Uruguay imports its oil, so it had a problem. Demand for energy in the country had grown by 8.4% the previous year and household energy bills were increasing at a similar rate. The 3.4 million-strong population was becoming restless. Lacking alternatives, President Tabaré Vázquez was forced to buy energy from neighbouring states at higher prices, even though Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay had a mutual aid agreement in case of emergency conditions.

To escape the trap, Vázquez needed rapid solutions. He turned to an unlikely source: Ramón Méndez Galain, a physicist who would transform the country’s energy grid into one of the cleanest in the world.

Today, the country has almost phased out fossil fuels in electricity production. Depending on the weather, anything between 90% and 95% of its power comes from renewables. In some years, that number has crept as high as 98%.

Phasing out fossil fuels was a central issue at Cop28. After a week of tense negotiations in Dubai, countries agreed to transition away from fossil fuels within energy systems – but campaigners, governments and environmental experts continue to debate how to make that transition.

One answer could lie in what Uruguay has achieved within a decade and a half.

“I had been working abroad for 14 years, and when I came back, there was this energy crisis, but the only solution people were giving was to install a nuclear power plant – that was it,” Galain remembers. “I was a nuclear physicist, so I thought I could understand a little about this problem.”

The more Galain researched the issue, the more he became convinced that nuclear power was not the answer for Uruguay. Instead, he argued, it was renewables. He published his findings in a paper that laid out his belief that the country should go all in on wind power. Soon after, he received a phone call inviting him to become Uruguay’s energy secretary and to implement his plan.

“Imagine my surprise,” Galain says. “This was crazy. But I did something even more crazy: I accepted.”

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• ACWA Power Signs Agreement to Develop Green Project in Egypt

ACWA Power has signed the framework agreement, following the MoU that was signed in December 2022 to outline the development of the first phase of the green hydrogen project in Egypt with a capacity of 600,000 tonnes-per-year of green ammonia, with an investment in excess of USD 4bn, with the intention of scaling up to a second phase with a potential capacity of 2 million tonnes-per-year.

The agreement was signed between ACWA Power and The Sovereign Fund of Egypt (TSFE), the Suez Canal Economic Zone (SCZone), the Egyptian Electricity Transmission Company (EETC), and the New and Renewable Energy Authority (NREA).

The framework agreement lays out the development of the first phase of a green ammonia project with a capacity of 600,000 tonnes-per-year powered by wind and solar plants, with the intention of working on a larger green hydrogen project in the country which could have a capacity of up to two million-tonnes-per-year of green hydrogen.

"As a first mover in green hydrogen, ACWA Power is proud to bring its expertise in this new and exciting market to Egypt. We commend our partners for their bold step into producing the fuel for the future, for which there will be great demand in Europe and the rest of the world. Egypt is well-positioned to become one of the world’s top producers of green hydrogen and we are elated to be a part of the country’s energy transition", said Marco Arcelli, Chief Executive Officer of ACWA Power

Part 2 of 2

• Analysis: UK electricity from fossil fuels drops to lowest level since 1957

The amount of UK electricity generated from fossil fuels fell 22% year-on-year in 2023 to the lowest level since 1957, Carbon Brief analysis reveals.

The 104 terawatt hours (TWh) generated from fossil fuels in 2023 is the lowest level in 66 years. Back then, Harold Macmillan was the UK prime minister and the Beatles’ John Lennon and Paul McCartney had just met for the first time.

Electricity from fossil fuels has now fallen by two-thirds (199TWh) since peaking in 2008. Within that total, coal has dropped by 115TWh (97%) and gas by 80TWh (45%).

These declines have been caused by the rapid expansion of renewable energy (up six-fold since 2008, some 113TWh) and by lower electricity demand (down 21% since 2008, some 83TWh).

As a result, fossil fuels made up just 33% of UK electricity supplies in 2023 – their lowest ever share – of which gas was 31%, coal just over 1% and oil just below 1%.

Low-carbon sources made up 56% of the total, of which renewables were 43% and nuclear 13%. The remainder is from imports (7%) and other sources (3%), such as waste incineration.

Overall, the electricity generated in the UK in 2023 had the lowest-ever carbon intensity, with an average of 162g of carbon dioxide per kilowatt hour (gCO2/kWh).

This remains a long way from the government’s ambition for 95% low-carbon electricity by 2030 – just seven years from now – and a fully decarbonised grid by 2035.

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• Germany’s emissions hit 70-year low as it reduces reliance on coal

Germany’s emissions hit a 70-year low last year as Europe’s largest economy reduced its reliance on coal.

A study by the thinktank Agora Energiewende found that Germany emitted 673m tonnes of greenhouse gases in 2023, 73m tonnes fewer than in 2022.

The drop was “largely attributable to a strong decrease in coal power generation”, Agora said, accounting for a reduction of 46m tonnes in CO2 emissions.

Emissions from industry fell significantly, largely due to a decline in production by energy-intensive companies.

Electricity generation from renewable sources was more than 50% of the total in 2023 for the first time, while coal’s share dropped to 26% from 34%, according to the federal network agency.

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• 'World’s largest solar project’ breaks ground in PH, says SPNEC

SP New Energy Corporation (SPNEC) has started the “world’s largest solar project” in the Philippines, it said on Monday.

The solar project is owned by its subsidiary Terra Solar Philippines, Inc. Clearing operations have already started in the 3,500 hectares of land in Nueva Ecija and Bulacan, SPNEC vice chairman Leandro Leviste said in a statement.

More than 5 million solar panels will be installed. The construction of the project’s interconnection with the national grid would also take hold, added Leviste.

“The first phase of the project is scheduled to be delivered by the first quarter of 2026. To meet this timeline, SPNEC is expediting its site clearing activities,” he said.

The Terra Solar project, the executive said, would be focused around Peñaranda, Nueva Ecija.

“SPNEC has already completed the solar panel installation for the first of its Nueva Ecija solar developments in the same town,” the statement said.

The project aims to have 3,400 megawatts of solar panels and 4,000 megawatt hour (MWh) of battery storage. This alone costs P200 billion, SPNEC said.

Once finished, the firm said it would generate around 5 billion kilowatt-hour (kWh) yearly “or an estimated 5% of the total volume of the Philippine grid and 12 percent of its total demand.”

“This would be larger than India’s Bhadla Solar Park and China’s Golmud Solar Park, currently the world’s largest solar farms at over 2.2 GW,” SPNEC said.

“This would also exceed the capacity of all grid-connected solar projects operating in the Philippines combined at over 1.5 GW,” it added, citing figures from the energy department.

This comes after MGen Renewable Energy, Inc. (MGreen) completed its P15.9-billion investment in SPNEC last Dec. 27, 2023.

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• Sterling Bank sets world record with Africa’s first solar-powered HQ

In a historic move that marks Nigeria’s leadership in renewable energy, Sterling Bank has officially become the first bank headquarters in Africa to operate entirely on solar power, setting a new world record.

The transition at Sterling Towers, the bank’s headquarters, underscores major leap in Nigeria’s push towards sustainable and eco-friendly business practices. Nestled in the vibrant city of Lagos, Sterling Towers is a pioneering model for the banking sector in Africa, functioning with cutting-edge technology.

This conversion from traditional energy sources to solar not only propels the bank to forefront of environmental stewardship but paves the way for other institutions to embark on a journey to green energy.

Group Chief Marketing Officer, Ibidapo Martins, said: “Adopting solar power is a conscious move that mirrors our pledge to responsible business and societal leadership. We’re not just charting a new course for financial sector in Africa but demonstrating our resolve to be catalyst for sustainable growth.

“This pioneering project, the most extensive of its kind in Africa, consists of over 3,250 solar panels expected to generate more than 10,500 MWh over the next 25 years. Our 17-story head office is now a landmark of sustainability, boasting a solar power capacity of 995 kWp.”

• Brazil grows 8.4 GW of installed energy capacity in 2023

Brazil expanded its installed capacity of electrical energy by 8.4 gigawatts (GW) in 2023, and new plants from renewable wind and solar sources correspond to 90.4% of the growth, the Ministry of Mines and Energy reported this Tuesday.

According to the ministry, the Brazilian electricity matrix reached 196.6 GW at the end of this year, with renewable generation sources (hydraulic, wind, photovoltaic and biomass thermal) representing 83.6% of the total.
In the ranking of the States with the greatest participation in the expansion, Rio Grande do Norte, Minas Gerais and Bahia stood out, with around 2 gigawatts (GW) of new power added in each.

The strong growth of renewable energies in the Northeast and in Minas Gerais, mainly in the State for photovoltaic solar sources, has led the country to reinforce its energy transmission network to the load centers of the Southeast and the South.

After a battery of transmission auctions between this year and March 2024, with the offer of projects for a total of more than 50 billion reais in investments, the government evaluates the need for a new transmission bipole to flow the energy, a venture that could be auctioned in 2025 or 2026.

Another aspect that continued to grow rapidly this year was distributed micro and mini generation, solar plants of up to 5 MW installed on roofs, facades and land that meet the locality’s own energy consumption.

According to the ministry, the self-generation modality of photovoltaic energy reached 24.4 GW of installed capacity in 2023, already representing around 11% of the country’s electricity generation.

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• DEWA’s adoption of clean energy storage technologies enhances energy security in Dubai

DUBAI: Reliance on clean and renewable energy sources, especially solar power, is increasing. This is driven by their low cost, in light of the global direction to combat the effects of climate change by reducing gas emissions that cause global warming. The main challenge is the efficient storage of this energy to ensure it is available when there is no sunlight or in different weather conditions, emphasising the importance of energy storage technologies. Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) is one of the leading organisations in adopting the latest and best technologies for storing clean energy, and several of its energy storage projects are among the largest regionally and globally.

“We follow the vision and directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to ensure energy security and sustainability. Energy storage is a vital aspect in ensuring energy sustainability and increasing the reliance on clean and renewable energy sources. In addition to our energy storage projects that are completed or in progress, we plan on establishing a wide-range energy storage system using electric batteries that are supplied with photovoltaic energy at the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park. We also have a roadmap and a strategy for green hydrogen that will be implemented in phases. This supports the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050 and the Dubai Net Zero Carbon Emissions Strategy 2050 to provide 100% of the energy production capacity from clean energy sources by 2050,” said HE Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD & CEO of DEWA.

The fourth phase of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park

In December 2023, HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, inaugurated the 950MW fourth phase of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park. This project will provide approximately 320,000 residences with clean energy, and it will reduce carbon emissions by about 1.6 million tonnes annually. The fourth phase of the Solar Park, the largest single-site solar park in the world, uses three hybrid technologies to produce clean energy: 600MW from a parabolic basin complex, 100MW from the solar power tower, and 250MW from photovoltaic solar panels. Built at an investment of AED15.78 billion, using the independent power producer (IPP) model, the project features the tallest solar tower in the world, at 263.126 metres, and the largest thermal energy storage capacity with a capacity of 5,907 megawatt hours (MWh), according to the Guinness World Records.

The process of thermally storing solar energy in molten (liquified) salt uses heliostats to concentrate sunlight on the solar tower, then pumping the molten salt to the steam generator, which heats the water and turns it into steam capable of moving the turbines of the electricity generator, allowing the production of electricity round the clock. Molten salt is a mixture of two or three salts, such as sodium nitrate, potassium nitrate, and calcium nitrate. Molten salt has many properties that make it ideal for use in solar thermal power plants, such as high boiling point, low viscosity, and low evaporation pressure.

The pumped-storage hydroelectric power plant

DEWA is implementing a pumped-storage hydroelectric power plant in Hatta. The hydroelectric power station will utilise water from the Hatta Dam and a newly constructed upper reservoir in the mountains. During off-peak hours, sophisticated turbines will use clean energy generated at the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park to pump water from the dam to the upper reservoir. This is converted to kinetic energy during the water flow through the 1.2 kilometre subterranean tunnel, and this kinetic energy rotates the turbine and converts mechanical energy to electrical energy. This system boasts high efficiency in power generation and storage, reaching up to 78.9%, with a rapid 90-second response to electricity demand. The 250MW station will have a storage capacity of 1,500 MWh and a life span of 80 years. It is the first of its kind in the GCC region.

Generators are currently being assembled, and the construction of service and operational facilities is ongoing. The water upper intake structure and the associated bridge in the upper dam has been successfully completed. Construction of the 72-metre main Roller Compacted Concrete (RCC) wall of the upper dam has been completed, and preliminary measures to commence filling the upper dam have begun. The 1.2-kilometre-long water tunnel is presently being linked to the power generators. With investments of up to AED 1.421 billion, the project is planned for completion in Q1 of 2025.

The Green Hydrogen project

DEWA has implemented a pilot Green Hydrogen Project at the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park. This is the first project of its kind in the Middle East and North Africa to produce green hydrogen using solar energy, storing it, and converting it back into electrical energy, among other uses. The plant produces about 400 kilogrammes of hydrogen daily, and the hydrogen gas tank can store up to 12 hours of hydrogen. The plant uses hydrogen through a hydrogen gas motor to produce about 280 kilowatts of electrical energy. The project has been designed and built to accommodate future applications and test platforms for various uses of hydrogen.

In collaboration with DEWA, ENOC Group’s first green hydrogen station was opened within the Service Station of the Future (SSoF) at Expo City Dubai. The station uses the green hydrogen, which DEWA produces at its pilot plant at the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park. The station can fuel approximately 32 cars (FCEV- Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles) at a fuelling speed of approximately 7 minutes. The dispensing facility offered by DEWA and ENOC can be integrated with any digital solution for fleet management.

Storage using batteries

DEWA is conducting experiments on several advanced experimental systems for storing energy using batteries. DEWA’s Research and Development (R&D) Centre has filed a new patent for an innovative method for improving the performance of electrodes in lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries, sodium–sulfur batteries, and electrolyte distribution batteries. This is achieved by treating the electrodes chemically using a polymer to increase the number of active groups on the surface of the electrodes, which leads to improving their performance. The low-cost, environmentally friendly method requires low temperatures and ensures stable battery performance. This is part of the Centre’s efforts to promote energy production and storage. The patent supports the pilot project for energy storage that DEWA inaugurated at the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park using Tesla’s lithium-ion battery solution. The project has a power capacity of 1.21 MW and an energy capacity of 8.61 MWh with a life span of up to 10 years. This is the second battery energy storage pilot project by DEWA at the solar park. The first project was implemented in collaboration with AMPLEX–NGK to install and test a sodium sulphur (NaS) energy solution with a power capacity of 1.2 MW and an energy capacity of 7.5 MWh. This was the first utility-scale energy storage pilot project in the region.

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• England and Denmark Inaugurate World's Longest Interconnector Cable: Good News for Wind Energy

Summary: England and Denmark have just inaugurated the world’s longest interconnector cable, strengthening the connection between both countries and facilitating the exchange of energy. This initiative is particularly relevant for the wind energy sector, as it will allow the transfer of electricity generated from offshore wind farms. This milestone marks a significant step in the promotion of renewable energy sources in Europe and promises a more sustainable future.

Analysis: The inauguration of the interconnector cable between England and Denmark represents a major advancement in the field of renewable energies. With a length of X kilometers, this cable is the longest of its kind in the world, demonstrating the commitment of both countries to promoting a cleaner and more sustainable energy matrix. This infrastructure will enable the exchange of energy between the two countries, optimizing the utilization of renewable sources, such as wind energy, and reducing dependence on fossil fuels.

One of the most notable aspects of this initiative is its positive impact on the wind industry. Both England and Denmark are recognized leaders in electricity generation from wind energy, and the new interconnector cable further strengthens this position. Now, both countries will be able to share the electricity generated by their offshore wind farms, making the most of favorable maritime conditions for wind energy production.

Another important aspect to consider is the impact on regional energy security. Increased energy interconnection provides greater resilience in the face of potential interruptions or fluctuations in energy generation in a country. Additionally, it contributes to the diversification of energy sources, reducing reliance on a single source or provider.

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• Acciona Energia Completes Spanish Hybrid Plant

Acciona Energia has completed its first hybrid renewable energy plant with the construction of a solar plant at the site of its operational Escepar wind farm in Spain.

The hybrid wind (36MW) and solar (29MW) park is located in the municipalities of Villalba del Rey and Tinajas (Cuenca).

The PV farm generated up to 130 jobs during the peak of its construction.

In addition, the project is part of the Social Impact Management (GIS) programme that Acciona Energia implements at all its facilities with the aim of generating a positive impact on the communities in which it operates by reinvesting part of its annual income in the area.

In the specific case of Villalba del Rey, the company is carrying out a programme to revitalise the Santos Sebastián e Isidro Cooperative, one of the main economic engines of the municipality, and financing various measures to boost its performance.

In addition, the company has organised different activities in the Association of Retirees and Pensioners of Tinajas and is financing the improvement of its facilities.

Escepar is the company's first hybrid renewables facility, where two or more renewable energy generation technologies use the same connection point, optimising the use of the grid.

By combining alternating technologies, such as wind and solar, dependence on environmental conditions is reduced and a more constant and stable renewable production is achieved.

In addition, by sharing infrastructure, the construction of new power lines, substations, facilities and roads is avoided, reducing the environmental impact that two independent projects would have.

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• GE Businessa to Fill Order for Turbines to Power Western Hemisphere’s Largest Wind Project

A business to be spun off by General Electric will build hundreds of turbines for what will be the largest wind project in the Western Hemisphere, part of a massive equipment order and long-term service agreement with the global renewable-energy giant Pattern Energy.

GE Vernova officials announced the agreement Tuesday, saying it is the largest onshore wind turbine order received by the company, both in quantity and in the amount of electricity that the 674 turbines will eventually generate when the SunZia Wind Project comes online in 2026.

Construction already is underway on the SunZia wind farm and an associated multibillion-dollar transmission line that will funnel power to populated markets in the western United States. Pattern Energy just weeks ago announced that it had closed on $11 billion in financing for the projects.

Backers see SunZia — described as an energy infrastructure undertaking larger than that of the Hoover Dam — as a pivotal project. The venture has attracted significant financial capital and stands to boost the percentage of the nation’s electricity that comes from renewable sources amid escalating state and federal energy mandates.

Still, some Native American tribes and environmentalists worry about the location of a 50-mile (80-kilometer) segment of the transmission line where it will pass through Arizona’s San Pedro Valley. The federal government already had approved the siting, but tribal leaders said there should have been more consultation.

In December, the U.S. Energy Department reported that the private sector over the past three years has announced investments of more than $180 billion in new or expanded clean energy manufacturing projects across the nation, including spending on development of larger, higher capacity wind turbines. GE has been among the companies to take advantage of tax credits included in the federal Inflation Reduction Act.

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• Statkraft to invest $6.56bn on hydro and wind in Norway

Norwegian state-owned energy company Statkraft has announced plans to invest €6bn to enhance its hydro and wind power facilities in the country.

The initiative underscores Statkraft’s commitment to bolster renewable energy infrastructure.

The company has earmarked between €1.8bn and €3bn for the refurbishment and transformation of Norwegian hydroelectric plants.

Between €1.2bn and €2bn will be dedicated to dam rehabilitation and the modernisation of older hydropower stations. This work will be carried out between 2024 and 2030.

The hydropower plants to be upgraded include the Mauranger, Aura, Alta and Svean plants in western, central and northern Norway.

The work will enhance their resilience against extreme weather, flood damage and potential security threats.

• Executive summary – Renewables 2023 – Analysis - IEA

2023 saw a step change in renewable capacity additions, driven by China’s solar PV market

Global annual renewable capacity additions increased by almost 50% to nearly 510 gigawatts (GW) in 2023, the fastest growth rate in the past two decades.

This is the 22nd year in a row that renewable capacity additions set a new record. While the increases in renewable capacity in Europe, the United States and Brazil hit all-time highs, China’s acceleration was extraordinary. In 2023, China commissioned as much solar PV as the entire world did in 2022, while its wind additions also grew by 66% year-on-year. Globally, solar PV alone accounted for three-quarters of renewable capacity additions worldwide.

Achieving the COP28 target of tripling global renewable capacity by 2030 hinges on policy implementation

Prior to the COP28 climate change conference in Dubai, the International Energy Agency (IEA) urged governments to support five pillars for action by 2030, among them the goal of tripling global renewable power capacity. Several of the IEA priorities were reflected in the Global Stocktake text agreed by the 198 governments at COP28, including the goals of tripling renewables and doubling the annual rate of energy efficiency improvements every year to 2030. Tripling global renewable capacity in the power sector from 2022 levels by 2030 would take it above 11 000 GW, in line with IEA’s Net Zero Emissions by 2050 (NZE) Scenario.

Under existing policies and market conditions, global renewable capacity is forecast to reach 7 300 GW by 2028. This growth trajectory would see global capacity increase to 2.5 times its current level by 2030, falling short of the tripling goal. Governments can close the gap to reach over 11 000 GW by 2030 by overcoming current challenges and implementing existing policies more quickly. These challenges fall into four main categories and differ by country: 1) policy uncertainties and delayed policy responses to the new macroeconomic environment; 2) insufficient investment in grid infrastructure preventing faster expansion of renewables; 3) cumbersome administrative barriers and permitting procedures and social acceptance issues; 4) insufficient financing in emerging and developing economies. This report’s accelerated case shows that addressing those challenges can lead to almost 21% higher growth of renewables, pushing the world towards being on track to meet the global tripling pledge.

Cumulative renewable electricity capacity in the main and accelerated cases and Net Zero Scenario

The global power mix will be transformed by 2028

The world is on course to add more renewable capacity in the next five years than has been installed since the first commercial renewable energy power plant was built more than 100 years ago. In the main case forecast in this report, almost 3 700 GW of new renewable capacity comes online over the 2023‑2028 period, driven by supportive policies in more than 130 countries. Solar PV and wind will account for 95% of global renewable expansion, benefiting from lower generation costs than both fossil and non‑fossil fuel alternatives.

Over the coming five years, several renewable energy milestones are expected to be achieved:

• In 2024, wind and solar PV together generate more electricity than hydropower.
• In 2025, renewables surpass coal to become the largest source of electricity generation.
• Wind and solar PV each surpass nuclear electricity generation in 2025 and 2026 respectively.
• In 2028, renewable energy sources account for over 42% of global electricity generation, with the share of wind and solar PV doubling to 25%.

Much more in the link above

Part 1 of 2

• US Unveils Solar Energy Plan for Western Public Lands

The Biden administration on Wednesday unveiled a proposal for solar energy projects on federal lands that identifies 22 million acres in 11 western states best suited for development.

The announcement is part of the Interior Department's push to site more renewable energy facilities on federal lands, a cornerstone of President Joe Biden's goal to decarbonize the U.S. electricity grid by 2035 and combat climate change.

The draft plan published on Wednesday would update an Obama-era policy that established special zones for solar projects in six states - Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico and Utah.

Interior said changes to the Bureau of Land Management's (BLM) 11-year-old Western Solar Plan were necessary due to advances in technology, soaring demand for renewable energy and increased interest in solar development in northern states.

The new plan includes areas in Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington and Wyoming and is focused on lands within 10 miles of existing or planned transmission lines because those areas are easier to develop, Interior said.

It also excludes 126 million acres from development due to conflicts with things like critical wildlife habitats, recreation, historic places and old growth forests.

The plan relied on federal forecasts for clean energy needs to determine that 700,000 acres of public lands would be needed for solar energy over the next 20 years.

"By updating this plan, we will facilitate faster and easier responsible permitting in priority areas and improve consistency in processing rights of way for utility-scale solar projects," Laura Daniel-Davis, Interior's acting deputy secretary, said on a call with reporters.

The proposal is open for public comment until April 18. A final plan is expected to be published before the end of the year.

Separately, Interior said it had taken steps toward approval of six solar projects and a transmission line in Nevada, California and Arizona. BLM has approved 47 clean energy projects, enough to power more than 3.5 million homes, during the Biden administration.

https://www.usnews.com/news/top-news...n-public-lands

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• SSE Renewables' 101MW Yellow River Wind Farm, which is currently under construction in Rhode, Ireland, has reached a key moment following the successful installation of the project’s first turbine.

Hardware supplier Nordex Group has been commissioned by the developer to manufacture, deliver and install 29 of its N117/3600 units at the project, the first of which was installed last week.

The first convoys of turbine components, delivered to the Midlands site from the Port of Galway, got underway in November 2023 with the installation programme beginning shortly after.
Deliveries, which are expected to continue until April 2024, are taking place between midnight and 4am to ensure minimum disruption to local residents, SSE said.

All turbines are expected to be installed by the end of summer 2024 with commissioning expected in early 2025.

Yellow River has secured a contract for all of the site’s planned installed capacity of renewable energy power under the Irish government’s latest RESS 3 auction round for new onshore wind farms.

The contract is due to commence shortly after commissioning.

When complete, the wind farm will generate enough low-carbon renewable energy to power 66,000 homes annually and offset 65,000 metric tonnes of carbon per annum, contributing significantly to Ireland’s 2030 renewable energy targets.

The project is expected to support up to 80 full-time construction jobs at peak delivery.

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• EDP Renewables connects Spain's first wind-solar hybrid project to the grid

This is the first hybrid in the country park that combines wind and solar energy at the same connection point. With this milestone, EDPR maintains its pioneering spirit in maximizing renewable energy production, as it was also the first company to commission the first hybrid projects in Portugal and Poland.

EDP Renewables, a leading company in the development of renewable energies worldwide, announces the successful connection of Spain's first wind-solar hybrid park to the grid.

Located in Santa María del Cubillo (Ávila), the "Cruz de Hierro" wind farm has 22 wind turbines, an installed capacity of 14.5 MW and has been in operation since 2000. Now, with more than 25,000 bifacial photovoltaic solar panels installed on the same site, the complex will significantly increase the production of renewable energy, with a combined installed capacity of 28.75 MW. Together, the two projects will produce more than 58 GWh of electricity per year, enough energy to supply the equivalent of more than 17,000 homes in the area annually.

By adding solar technology to an operating wind project, EDPR is accelerating the region's energy transition while avoiding more than 24,000 tons of CO2 every year with the production of this energy, which is equivalent to the capture of more than 40,000 adult trees.

Connecting Spain's first hybrid farm to the grid is a breakthrough in the country's clean energy sector, as it maximizes the production of renewable energy at the same point and allows the energy transition goals to be achieved more quickly. In addition, it promotes the complementarity of energy sources, and when one source is inactive due to a possible lack of natural resources, the other can guarantee power and contribute to the stability of the electricity supplied to the grid, one of the main concerns of the sector.

Part 2 of 2

• TotalEnergies Begins Construction of a 216 MW Hybrid Solar Plant in South Africa

TotalEnergies last month announced the commencement of construction on its hybrid renewables project in Northern Cape province, South Africa. The project comprises a 216 MW solar plant and a 500 MWh battery storage system.

The project is being developed by a consortium of TotalEnergies (35%), Hydra Storage Holding (35%) and Reatile Renewables (30%) and is being deployed under the Risk Mitigation Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (RMRPPPP).

In its statement, TotalEnergies noted that the project reached a financial close last December and is expected to commence operations in 2025. When completed “the plant will supply dispatchable renewable electricity to the South African national grid for twenty years, equivalent to over 400 GWh per year.”

Under the Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) TotalEnergies signed with Eskom last November, the project will supply 75 MW of dispatchable power to the national utility continuously from 5 a.m. to 9.30 p.m.

Vincent Stoquart, the Senior Vice President, Renewables at TotalEnergies stated that the company is “pleased to launch this major solar power generation and storage project in South Africa. Thanks to its innovative hybrid design, it will enable us to supply continuous green electricity over a longer period and beyond the hours of sunshine. This project will not only contribute to the country’s energy transition but also to strengthening the resilience of its power system.”

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• Renewable energy: Wind power 'saved Northern Ireland £243m last year'

Locally generated wind power meant Northern Ireland saved £243m in 2023.

The figures are from Wind Energy Ireland's annual report and a report by energy specialists Baringa.

They found that without wind energy, an additional £176m would have had to be spent on gas to generate power, with an additional almost £70m on carbon credits to burn it.

That reduced emissions by about 0.9m tonnes, equivalent to the amount of carbon produced by 200,000 homes.

Renewable energy, predominantly wind, accounts for about half of the power generated in Northern Ireland.

Specialists in the sector told a Commons committee this week that development was being hampered by a number of barriers.

The latest figures from Stormont's Department for the Economy show 47.4% of total electricity consumption in Northern Ireland was generated from renewable sources in the year to September 2023.

Of this, 83.8% was generated by wind.

The director of RenewableNI, Steven Agnew, said the reduction in reliance on fossil fuels was due to investment in the previous decade, but that that had stalled because of planning issues and grid development.

He called for a taskforce to be established urgently to get Northern Ireland back on track to meet its target of generating 80% electricity consumption from renewable energy by 2030.

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• Amazon is the world's largest corporate purchaser of renewable energy for the fourth year in a row

With more than 500 solar and wind projects globally, Amazon's portfolio is now big enough to power 7.2 million U.S. homes each year.

Amazon invested in more than 100 new solar and wind energy projects in 2023, becoming the world’s largest corporate purchaser of renewable energy for the fourth year in a row. Amazon’s investments include the company’s first brownfield project—which will repurpose a previously polluted Maryland coal mine site into a solar farm—as well as Amazon’s first renewable energy project in South Korea.

The company now has more than 500 wind and solar projects globally, and once operational, they are expected to generate more than 77,000 gigawatt-hours (GWh) of clean energy each year, or enough to power 7.2 million U.S. homes.

Since 2020, Amazon has purchased more renewable energy than any other company, according to BloombergNEF and publicly available sources. The projects are moving Amazon closer to having 100% of the electricity powering its operations be attributable to renewable energy sources by 2025. The projects are already helping power Amazon Web Services (AWS) data centers, Amazon fulfillment centers, physical stores, and corporate offices, while also providing new sources of clean power to local communities where the projects are located.

Amazon’s solar and wind farms have also helped generate more than $12 billion in estimated economic investment globally from 2014 through 2022, and supported 39,000 full-time equivalent (FTE) jobs in 2022 alone, according to a new economic model developed by Amazon.

“Amazon’s investments in solar and wind projects are helping power our operations, while also providing new sources of clean energy to the grid, spurring economic growth, and supporting jobs in the communities where our customers live and work,” said Adam Selipsky, CEO of AWS. “More than 90% of our operations were powered by renewables last year, but we’re not done. We’re focused on continuing to find innovative ways to bring new projects online, address grid constraints, and work with policymakers to mitigate the impacts of climate change, all of which is helping Amazon move closer to achieving 100% renewable energy by 2025.”

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• Renewable energy surge: Southeast Asia’s wind, solar power grow by 20% in a year

Operating solar and wind capacity in Southeast Asia grew in 2023 by a fifth, reaching over 28 gigawatts (GW), accounting for 9% of the total electricity generation capacity, a new report by Global Energy Monitor said.

The ASEAN countries, which include Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, and Timor Leste, added 3 GW of solar capacity and 2 GW of wind power in 2023, according to GEM’s report.

However, it said that the slow pace in initiating new projects, combined with a difficult regulatory landscape for renewable energy and persistent dependence on fossil fuels, presents a significant challenge for achieving a transition to clean energy.

Despite having a substantial potential capacity of 220 GW in announced and various stages of construction projects, only a tiny fraction – 6 GW or 3% – is actively being constructed in Southeast Asia, according to the San Francisco-based think tank tracking global energy projects.

With the exception of China, which has the world’s largest and fastest renewables growth, the global average under construction is over twice that of ASEAN countries.

The ASEAN nations, known for their rapidly expanding economies, are experiencing a corresponding surge in energy demand, which has grown by a quarter between 2015 and 2021, much higher than the global average.

In November, the ASEAN Centre for Energy reported that the region has an installed power capacity of 310 GW, predominantly comprising coal, gas and hydropower, with capacities of 106.3 GW, 89.6 GW, and 61.2 GW, respectively.

The growth of renewable energy in 2022 was hindered by the prevalence of fossil fuel capacity, partly due to project delays caused by COVID-19 restrictions, resulting in a small shortfall from the ASEAN goal of a 35% renewable energy share in installed capacity by 2025.

This week’s report said ASEAN would have to build just 17 GW of utility-scale wind and solar capacity by 2025 to reach this goal, thanks to a large hydropower base.

In ASEAN, the potential for offshore wind power (124 GW) is nearly five times greater than that of onshore wind and almost double the global operating capacity for offshore wind (69 GW).

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• Record new offshore wind farm capacity installed in Europe in 2023

A RECORD LEVEL of new offshore wind farm capacity was installed in Europe in 2023.

Wind industry association WindEurope has said that 4.2GW worth of new offshore wind farms were built last year, a 40% increase since 2022.

Additionally, €30 billion – another record figure – was invested in eight wind farms to finance 9GW of new offshore capacity in the years to come.

As global greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise despite the threat posed by the climate crisis, renewable energy sources like wind power are a crucial component of plans to shift away from fossil fuels.

Ireland has onshore wind farms dotted across the country but only began the process of seriously developing offshore wind in recent years.

In 2023, without wind energy, Ireland would have spent an additional €918 million on gas for power generation, most of which would have been imported, as well as another €358 million on carbon credits for burning that gas, recent analysis found.

Wind farms in Ireland saved around 4.2 million tonnes of carbon last year – about the same as the amount of carbon produced by 1.9 million cars.

WindTrade has said today that the increased investment in offshore wind farms around Europe comes despite “legal uncertainty and unhelpful market intervention” that had previously “led to a drop in offshore wind investments, falling to an all-time low of €0.4bn in 2022″.

“It also means that projects which had to postpone their final investment decision in 2022 are now moving ahead – excellent news for Europe’s energy security and competitiveness.”

However, it noted that forecasts showing Europe will install 5 GW of offshore wind annually over the next three years is still “not enough to reach Europe’s climate and energy security targets”.

“It adds to the need to install more offshore wind towards the end of the decade. European countries will need to build 24 GW a year in the period 2027-2030 to reach the 2030 targets, but today’s offshore wind supply chain can only produce around 7 GW each year.”

The Netherlands, France and the UK were the European countries that installed the most new offshore wind capacity last year, including the 1.5 GW “Hollandse Kust Zuid” project in the Netherlands, which is now the world’s largest operational wind farm.

The Irish government has set a target of delivering 5GW of offshore wind capacity by 2030.

Speaking to The Journal last year, Minister for Climate Eamon Ryan said that wind is “increasingly the cheapest form of power, so it actually helps bring down the price of electricity and gives us much greater security because we won’t be relying on imported gas from other distant locations”.

Originally Posted by S Landreth

Brazil expanded its installed capacity of electrical energy by 8.4 gigawatts (GW) in 2023, and new plants from renewable wind and solar sources correspond to 90.4% of the growth, the Ministry of Mines and Energy reported this Tuesday.

at the expense of dwindling rain forest, lost to soya, beef for mcDs and now chinky produced solar panels

Originally Posted by S Landreth

“We follow the vision and directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to ensure energy security and sustainability.

yep he was certainly leading the way at COP28

You actually spending time googling this shite without reading it or understanding context, you are giving SoCal a run for his money

53 articles about renewable energy on this page and you find 2 to criticize

pick it up

• NASA and Archer partner on next-gen battery tech for electric aircraft

Air taxi developer Archer Aviation is collaborating with NASA on advanced battery technology, it announced Monday.

Why it matters: The future of advanced air mobility, including electric planes and vertical takeoff and landing aircraft (eVTOLs) like Archer's Midnight aircraft, will require more powerful and efficient batteries.

Details: The collaboration will kick off with a project focused on developing high-performance battery cells for electric aircraft, and potentially spacecraft.

• NASA will test the safety, energy and power performance capabilities of Archer's battery cell and system design using one of the world's most advanced high-speed X-ray facilities: the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility.
• The goal is to understand how the cells function while being subjected to extreme abuse.

What's next: NASA will share the results publicly as a way to push progress across the entire industry and keep the U.S. at the forefront of aviation, Archer said in a press release.

What they're saying: "Many countries around the world are challenging the U.S. in this new era of flight, and our country is at risk of losing its global leadership position unless we work together, government and industry, to ensure we seize the moment and pioneer this new era of aviation technology," Archer founder and CEO Adam Goldstein said.

• USDA invests nearly $3 million in renewable energy in Kansas

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is investing $2.8 million in renewable energy projects across Kansas.

The funding comes from the Rural Energy for America Program, which provides loans and grants for farmers, agricultural producers, and rural small business owners to improve energy efficiency and lower energy costs. It is part of the Inflation Reduction Act.

“Rural Development is helping farmers, ranchers, and small businesses be a part of the clean energy economy and directly benefit from it,” says USDA Rural Development Director for Kansas Christy Davis. “These investments expand renewable energy infrastructure and save Kansans money on their energy costs that can be invested back into their businesses and communities.”

The projects in Kansas include:

• A $79,960 grant will help purchase and install two 15 kilowatt (kW) wind turbines for Viets Brothers Inc. of Girard. The project is expected to generate 71,699 kilowatt hours (kWh) per year, 100 percent of the company’s electrical usage, and enough to power 6.7 homes.
• A $43,800 grant will help purchase and install a 15 kW wind turbine for Blevins Farms Inc. of Highland. The project is expected to generate 37,337 kWh per year, 100 percent of the company’s electrical usage, and enough electricity to power 3.5 homes.
• A $22,300 grant will help purchase and install a 16.28 kW solar photovoltaic system for Casey Andersen of Gove County. This project will realize $2,335 per year in savings and will replace 21,358 kWh, enough energy to power two homes.
• A $39,800 grant will help purchase and install a 15 kW wind turbine for Gene Moritz of Greely County. This project will realize $3,424 per year in savings and will replace 35,124 kWh, enough electricity to power three homes.
• A $1,000,000 grant will help install an anaerobic digester to produce biomethane gas for Rio Vista Farms LLC of Hamilton County. This project will generate an estimated 80,286 Million British Thermal Units (MMBtu) per year.
• A $1,000,000 grant will help install an anaerobic digester to produce biomethane gas for Frontier Dairy LLC in Hamilton County. This project will generate an estimated 84,629 MMBtu per year.
• A $98,720 grant will help purchase and install a 149 kW solar array for Mackey & Sons Inc. of Newton. The project is estimated to replace 187,991 kWh per year, enough energy to power 17 homes. Mackey & Sons Inc. currently has 22 employees.
• A $100,728 grant will help purchase and install a 180 kW solar array for Bold LLC in Hutchinson. This project is estimated to replace 158,385 kWh per year, enough energy to power 14 homes. Bold LLC currently has 85 employees.
• A $25,182 grant will help purchase and install a 13.5 kW solar array for Mid Kansas Marine and RV Inc. of Hutchinson. This project is estimated to replace 19,068 kWh per year, enough energy to power one home. Mid Kansas Marine & RV currently has eight employees.
• A $216,000 grant will help purchase and install a 180 kW solar array for Ade-Wifco Steel Products Inc. of Hutchinson. This project is estimated to replace 277,933kWh per year, enough energy to power 26 homes. Ade-Wifco Steel Products currently has ten employees.
• A $162,845 grant will help purchase and install a 175 kW solar array for the Board of Trade Management LLC of Salina. This project is estimated to replace 237,078 kWh per year, enough energy to power 22 homes. Board of Trade Management currently has four employees.
• A $26,875 grant will help purchase and install a 15 kW wind turbine for Flat Land Farms in Wichita County. This project will realize $2,024 per year in savings and will replace 19,216 kWh, enough electricity to power 1.5 homes.

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• The US says it needs 22m acres for the solar energy transition – here’s what that looks like

The Bureau of Land Management proposed using 22m acres of public land for solar projects – roughly the size of Maine, or an area larger than Scotland

If the US is to rid itself of fossil fuels then one of its primary replacements, solar energy, is going to need land. A lot of land.

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM), which oversees more of the public realm than any other federal government agency, has outlined exactly how much of western America should be made available for solar panels and their associated cables and transformers – 22m acres. That is roughly the size of Maine, or an area larger than Scotland.

This total, part of a new administration plan to accelerate solar energy in the US west, will give the US “maximum flexibility” to meet climate goals, the BLM said.

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• Orange Romania contracts renewable power from Enery

Vienna-based renewable energy company Enery has entered into an agreement to supply of 70,000 MWh of clean energy annually in Romania to entities affiliated with the local unit of French telecoms group Orange SA (EPA:ORA).

Enery has signed two virtual power purchase agreements (vPPAs) with Orange Romania, Orange Romania Communications and NextGen Communications, part of the Orange Romania Group. The contracts include a groundbreaking virtual cross-border PPA, a novel approach in the Eastern European region, the Austrian firm noted in a recent statement.

Last year, Orange Romania Group signed a six-year solar VPPA with French energy firm Engie, securing 30 GWh of clean power annually.

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• Italy set new solar and wind records last year but is still off track for 2030, expert says

It's good news, but the recovery of hydro after Italy's 2022 droughts makes the renewables data look better than it really is.

Solar and wind energy produced a record amount of power in Italy last year, the country’s grid operator Terna said yesterday.

Wind farms generated a record 23.4 Terawatt hours (TWh) of energy last year, while solar panels pipped their previous total to hit 30.6 TWh.

All renewable sources, including hydro, met almost 37 per cent of the Mediterranean nation’s electricity demand - up from 31 per cent in 2022.

But Italy is still off track to meet its energy transition target of 70 per cent electricity from renewables by 2030.

“These records show that the Italian renewables sector is finally waking from its slumber,” Chris Rosslowe, senior energy and climate data analyst at think tank Ember tells Euronews Green.

“However, the reported increase in renewable generation looks better than it really is due to a recovery in hydropower production after a drought-affected 2022.”

To achieve its 2030 goal, Italy’s national energy and climate plan (NECP) shows that wind and solar production needs to grow by 17 per cent a year - compared to around 13 per cent last year.
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• New Jersey OKs two new offshore wind farms that would be farther from shore and beachgoers''' view

Stung by the pullout of the world’s largest offshore wind developer from two projects off the New Jersey coast last fall, state energy regulators on Wednesday approved two new wind farm projects, saying they remain committed to making the state a leader in the nascent industry.

Both the projects chosen by the state Board of Public Utilities would be considerably farther offshore than earlier projects that generated significant opposition from onshore communities, one of whose concerns was that the turbines would be visible on the horizon from the beach.

The board chose projects called Leading Light Wind and Attentive Energy, which together would generate enough electricity to power 1.8 million homes, the board’s president, Christine Guhl-Sadovy said. But in statements announcing their applications last year, the companies gave a combined total of 1.6 million homes, slightly less than the number given by state officials.

Damian Bednarz, managing director of Attentive Energy, said his company’s project would be built 42 miles (67 kilometers) off Seaside Heights and would not be visible from the shoreline.

“We are over the curvature of the Earth,” he said.

The action brings the state’s total of preliminarily approved offshore wind projects to three — the same level it was at before Danish wind developer Orsted scrapped its two wind farms proposed for the state’s southern coast in October.

Tim Sullivan, CEO of the New Jersey Economic Development Authority, said Wednesday’s approvals came “despite the challenges we experienced last fall.”

“As of today, New Jersey and Gov. (Phil) Murphy are back on our front foot in terms of offshore wind,” he said.

The projects join Atlantic Shores, a previously approved wind farm.

One of the projects chosen Wednesday is from Chicago-based Invenergy and New York-based energyRE. Called Leading Light Wind, it would be built 40 miles (64 kilometers) off Long Beach Island and would consist of up to 100 turbines, enough to power 1 million homes.

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Just for fun.

• US oil company ExxonMobil sues to block investors’ climate proposals

The US oil company ExxonMobil has filed a lawsuit to block a vote on a climate resolution brought by a green activist, in move that will be watched closely by fossil fuel companies worldwide.

The company hopes to stop investors voting on a motion put forward by Follow This, a Dutch green activist investor group, which called for Exxon to accelerate its attempts to cut greenhouse gas emissions.

The company filed the lawsuit at a US district court in Texas on Sunday, arguing that the proposal violates SEC investor petition rules. It asked the court to make a decision by 19 March, before its annual meeting on 29 May.

The move will be followed closely by other oil and gas companies and green groups, as environmental campaigners attempt to hold the world’s biggest fossil fuel companies to account for their emissions.

Follow This, which put the motion forward with the investment adviser Arjuna Capital, has registered motions at a series of oil companies’ annual general meetings for years, in a campaign to tighten their commitments to reducing their emissions.

Shell is facing a rebellion from investors that own about 5% of its shares over a Follow This resolution at this year’s AGM, after a chaotic meeting disrupted by green campaigners last year.

It is unclear whether Exxon also sent a “no action letter” to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the typical route taken by listed companies attempting to stop a vote on a resolution. The company has argued that the Follow This and Arjuna proposal breaks the US regulator’s rules designed to prevent shareholders being able to “micromanage” businesses’ decisions through proposals.

The SEC has come under pressure for allowing environmental groups to register too many motions at annual shareholder meetings, after it revoked policies adopted by the Donald Trump administration.

Last year, ExxonMobil announced it planned to reach net zero by 2050 for greenhouse gas emissions from its own operations.

In 2021, an activist hedge fund, Engine No 1, won three seats on Exxon’s board at its annual meeting after demanding it reduced its emissions more quickly.

An Exxon spokesperson said: “The breakdown of the shareholder proposal process, one that allows proponents to advance their agendas through a flood of proposals, does not serve the interests of investors.

“We are simply asking the court to apply the SEC’s proxy rules as written to stop this abuse and eliminate the significant resources required to address them.”

Mark van Baal, of Follow This, said: “With this remarkable step, ExxonMobil clearly wants to prevent shareholders using their rights. Apparently, the board fears shareholders will vote in favour of emissions reductions targets. We don’t know why ExxonMobil took this remarkable step.”

Part 1 of 3

• West of England coalmines to be mapped for renewable energy potential

When Bryn Hawkins worked in coalmines through the 1960s and early 1970s he says few understood the impact the burning of fossil fuels would have on the planet.

Now, public officials are hoping disused mines that provided millions of tonnes of fossil fuels could be used as a potential source of renewable energy across the country.

It has already been a success in Gateshead, where the council-owned Gateshead Energy Company is using warm water from the extensive network of old mine workings 150 metres below the town to supply heat and hot water.

Other authorities are catching on to the potential with the metro mayor for the west of England, Dan Norris, betting £1.5m that some of the 100-plus mines in Somerset and South Gloucestershire will be able to provide a renewable source of heat in the region.

Speaking at the launch of a mapping study in the former mining town of Radstock, Somerset, Hawkins, 82, is buoyed up by the prospect of the mines that provided a livelihood for him and his family being repurposed for the benefit of the environment.

“It’s wonderful,” he says. “In my lifetime, the concerns about the environment have come up relatively recently. We didn’t think anything of the smoke going out of the chimneys. But now there’s more interest, more attention – and I understand it a little bit more.”

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• Dominion Energy has received the last two key federal approvals needed to begin construction of its 2600MW Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind (CVOW) project.

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) provided its final approval of CVOW's Construction and Operations Plan (COP), which authorises construction offshore.

The US Army Corps of Engineers issued its permit to allow for permitted impacts to US waters, including the route of the electric transmission line that will connect the clean, renewable energy generated offshore to the electric grid onshore.
"Virginia is leading the way for offshore wind as we near the start of offshore construction for Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind," said Bob Blue, Dominion Energy's chair, president, and chief executive officer.

"These regulatory approvals keep CVOW on time and on budget as we focus on our mission of providing customers with reliable, affordable and increasingly clean energy."

More than 750 Virginia-based workers – nearly 530 in the Hampton Roads region – have been engaged on the CVOW project or with other businesses supporting CVOW.

This work includes redevelopment activities at the Portsmouth Marine Terminal, construction of the offshore wind monitoring and coordination centre, maritime provisioning, ship upkeep, heavy lift and rigging, cyber security, food service and hospitality.

More than 1000 local jobs will be needed to support ongoing operations and maintenance of this facility after the project begins commercial operation.

Senator Mark Warner, Senator Tim Kaine and Representative Bobby Scott said in a joint statement: "The progress on this project to date speaks volumes about the level of cooperation between the Biden administration, the Commonwealth of Virginia, and Dominion Energy, and their commitment to the future of green energy in the Commonwealth.

“We look forward to continuing to work together to see this project through to the finish line."

CVOW will consist of 176 turbines and three offshore substations in a nearly 113,000-acre lease area off the coast of Virginia Beach.

Some onshore construction activities began in November 2023 following BOEM's Record of Decision.

Initial offshore construction activities related to the export cable and the monopile foundation installation is expected to begin in the second quarter of this year.

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• CIP to invest USD 1.92bn in 650-MW Philippine offshore wind project

Danish investment firm Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners P/S (CIP) is expected to plough PHP 108 billion (USD 1.92bn/EUR 1.77bn) into an offshore wind farm development off the coast of the Philippines, according to an announcement by the government of Northern Samar province.

Northern Samar Governor Edwin Ongchuan met with CIP’s executives on January 25 to discuss plans for the 650-MW wind project, the provincial government said.

The turbines of the wind farm, dubbed North Samar, would pop up off the coast of Bobon, Catarman, Mondragon, San Roque, Pambujan, and Laoang municipalities.

The project is currently in the pre-development phase and site investigations are expected to begin in the first quarter of 2024 and continue through 2025. Discussions are also underway with National Grid Corporation to secure grid connection points.

CIP became the first foreign investor to be granted site exclusivity in the Philippines once foreign ownership of renewables was authorised in November 2022. In March 2023, it became the first 100% foreign-owned company to be awarded renewable energy service contracts in the country.

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• Suzlon has won a 642MW turbine order for a wind project in Andhra Pradesh, India

An Evren subsidiary, ABC Cleantech Private, has placed the order for 214 3MW turbines to be installed on Hybrid Lattice Tubular (HLT) towers.

As well as supply the turbines Suzlon will undertake installation and commissioning for the project and will also provide O&M services, post-commissioning.
Girish Tanti, Vice Chairman, Suzlon Group said: "It is a delight to start the year with a significant order announcement from Evren.

“Suzlon is committed to partnering with Evren to enhance their green energy portfolios while helping advance India's renewable energy goals.”

JP Chalasani, Chief Executive Officer, Suzlon Group, added: "We are happy to announce our first order with Evren.

“Suzlon's comprehensive and proven product portfolio, customised for the Indian wind regime will be instrumental in ramping up India's renewable energy capacities in line with our national targets.”

Every Suzlon turbine is manufactured in the country.

part 2 of 3

• Standard Solar Expands into Texas Renewable Energy Market with Acquisition of 9.9 MW Solar Project

In a significant move marking its entry into the Texas renewable energy sector, Standard Solar has announced the acquisition of a 9.9-megawatt (MWac) behind-the-meter solar project to power part of an industrial process load for Messer Americas in Texas. This latest endeavor underscores Standard Solar’s commitment to sustainable energy solutions and further solidifies its position as a leader in the ownership, operation, funding, and development of commercial and community solar assets across 23 states.

The acquisition of the Bluebonnet project from EDF Renewables North America represents a notable stride for Standard Solar. The project, developed by EDF Renewables’ Distribution-Scale Power team, is slated for completion in Q2-2024, with construction currently underway. Standard Solar will serve as the long-term owner and operator of the project.

Eric Partyka, Director of Business Development at Standard Solar, expressed the company’s enthusiasm about the venture, stating, “This project represents a significant milestone for Standard Solar as we expand our footprint into the Texas renewable energy market.”

The Bluebonnet project, located in McGregor, Texas, will feature bifacial modules on single-axis trackers. Expected to generate approximately 25,000 megawatt-hours (MWh) of clean, renewable energy annually, the project will contribute to a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and support a more sustainable energy future.

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• GE Vernova’s Grid Solutions business in partnership with Polimex Mostostal (PXM) has received a contract to build the onshore transmission infrastructure for the 1500MW Baltica 2 offshore wind project in Poland.

The onshore connection infrastructure will involve constructing a 275/400kV high voltage substation, along with onshore export lines, vital for feeding the generated power into the Polish grid.

GE Vernova, through its Polish company GE Power, acting as consortium leader, will provide the technology, including Gas Insulated Switchgear, Transformers and Static Synchronous Compensators (STATCOMs), which are crucial for maintaining a stable electrical grid, especially when integrating renewable energy sources like offshore wind farms.

PXM will be responsible for all civil work, equipment installation, and laying the onshore export lines needed for the onshore electrical substation.

“This significant project reinforces GE Vernova's commitment to the advancement of renewable energy and Poland's strategic shift to sustainable energy sources.

“GE Vernova has been supporting PGE’s modernisation efforts with various leading technologies, and with this agreement we are proud to bring our collaboration to a new level.

“Together with our consortium partner Polimex Mostostal, we are ready to bring our expertise and cutting-edge technology to Baltica 2 to ensure the efficient integration of its energy into the Polish Power System,” said Johan Bindele, head of Grid Systems Integration at GE Vernova’s Grid Solutions business.

Covering approximately 190 sq km in the Polish Baltic Sea, Baltica 2 is anticipated to be fully operational by 202 and is being developed by Orsted and PGE.

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• Vestas and TagEnergy have reached an agreement to develop a 220MW wind portfolio in Castilla y Leon, Spain.

The joint venture will see Vestas acting as lead developer, while TagEnergy will draw on its experience developing wind farms to determine and the most cost-efficient model.

TagEnergy will also use its battery energy storage systems (BESS) expertise, gained through more than 270MW of BESS under construction in the UK, to lead potential hybridisation of the projects to help stabilise the grid.

The co-development agreement in Spain deepens the already successful relationship between the Portugal-based independent power producer and Vestas, which began with the 756MW Golden Plains Wind Farm East, stage one of TagEnergy’s 1300MW Golden Plains Wind Farm project in Victoria, Australia.

TagEnergy appointed Vestas as the lead engineering, procurement and construction provider, and long-term service and maintenance supplier for the first stage of the project.

TagEnergy Deputy CEO, Jean-Baptiste Fournier, said: “Spain is an increasingly important part of TagEnergy’s family of projects as we work towards a renewables dominated energy future.

“While these are our first wind projects in Spain, we are already developing two solar PV plants in Murcia in the south-east, and the 100MW Tabiella BESS project in Asturias in the country’s north-west.”

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• Faria gets licenses for 650 MW of Greek wind, solar

Greek renewable energy company Faria Renewables SA has secured authorisation for the construction of 650 MW of wind and solar farms with storage facilities, across its home country, local news portal Newmoney reports.

The power producer certificates were issued by the Regulatory Authority for Waste, Energy and Water (RAAEY). They cover 17 renewable energy projects, of which 12 envisage the construction of wind farms with a combined capacity of 485.7 MW and five schemes for 164.3 MW of photovoltaic (PV) parks.

The largest of the approved projects call for the construction of two 81-MW wind farms in the Evrytania regional unit of Central Greece. Six more pants totalling 234 MW will be built at the same location and additional wind turbine capacity will be installed in Thessaly, Central Macedonia and Western Macedonia.

The proposed solar parks will be located in Thessaloniki, northwestern Macedonia and Central Macedonia.

Faria was launched in 2023 by Faria Group and Omnes Capital’s Capenergie 5 Fund. Its current development pipeline, including onshore wind, solar, hybrid sites and battery storage, tops 2 GW. Some 40 MW of solar farms are under construction, with this capacity to reach 200 MW by end-2024.

Part 3 of 3

• Californians bought a record number of EVs in 2023, despite industry setbacks

Golden State drivers purchased a record number of new electric cars in 2023, achieving a 29 percent jump over the previous year, a new report has found.

Californians bought 446,961 new light-duty zero-emissions vehicles in 2023 — a significant increase from the 345,818 they purchased in 2022 and the 250,279 in 2021, according to a new analysis from the nonprofit Veloz and the California Energy Commission.

The data showed that such cars — which include battery-electric, plug-in hybrid and fuel cell powered vehicles — held a 25 percent share of the light-duty automotive market, which generally includes passenger cars and lightweight trucks.

In comparison, these types of zero-emissions vehicles only made up an 18.84 percent share of that market in 2022 and a 12.41 percent share in 2021, per the data.

Despite industry-wide concerns about a decline in the public’s appetite for light-duty zero-emissions vehicles, 2023 proved to be a record-breaking year for these sales both in California and on a national level, the analysis noted.

Across the U.S. in 2023, the country saw more than 1.2 million new light-duty zero-emissions vehicle sales — a 43 percent increase from 2022 — with California responsible for 34 percent of last year’s total, according to the Veloz report.

The increase in Golden State light-duty zero-emissions vehicle sales from 2022 to 2023 occurred regardless of a plunge in total light-duty car sales, which dropped by 2.7 percent from year to year, per the data.

Although Californians set a new bar for the sheer number of zero-emissions vehicle purchases, year-over-year sales increases have plunged from a 38.17 percent rise from 2021 to 2022 to a 29.25 percent rise from 2022 to 2023, per the data.

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• Statkraft aims to roll out 3000MW of renewable energy projects in Ireland by 2030, including its 500MW North Irish Sea Array (NISA) offshore wind project.

Statkraft’s roadmap to 3000MW includes 1500MW of projects that have recently been built or are already in construction; an additional 330MW with signed route to market through the Government’s Renewable Electricity Supply Scheme (RESS) or via Corporate Power Purchase Agreement (CPPA), and 500MW from the offshore RESS contract for the company’s NISA project, proposed for an area off the coast of counties Dublin, Louth, and Meath.

The company cites an additional 400MW of wind and solar projects that have full planning permission, with routes to market planned for this year.
Furthermore, Statkraft has several grid services projects that have also been granted planning permission. A route to market will be sought for these projects this year.

In addition, the Irish arm of the Norwegian state-owned renewables giant pointed out that plans for over 375MW of wind and solar projects have been submitted to An Bord Pleanala and are awaiting a decision.

Finally, sufficient land has been secured to allow for a pipeline of projects totalling between 200MW and 250MW to be submitted for planning permission every year for the next three or four years.

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• US Auto Industry Rose 8% in 4th Quarter, While EV Industry Grew 29%

The US auto industry continues to grow following its long recovery from the COVID-19 epidemic and economic shutdown of 2020–2021. In the 4th quarter of 2023, US auto sales rose 8% compared to the 4th quarter of 2022. Meanwhile, pure electric vehicle (BEV) sales rose by 29%. So, despite the narrative about people not wanting electric vehicles or buying electric vehicles, EV sales growth has been much stronger than normal auto sales growth.

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• The Batteries Of Tomorrow Are In The Laboratories Of Today

I had dinner last night with a neighbor who asked me why sales of electric cars in America appear to be slowing. He was referring specifically to the decision by Ford to lower its production plans for the F-150 Lightning electric pickup truck. That conversation clarified several things for me. One, the charging infrastructure in America is inadequate for the needs of many drivers. Two, the batteries available today simply don’t charge fast enough or deliver enough range to suit mainstream drivers.

Batteries are the issue and, as we have said on more than one occasion, the batteries that will power our electric vehicles in the future have not been invented yet. When they are, the affect on the market for electric vehicles will be similar to how the self starter and the automatic transmission made the automobile accessible to many more drivers. Scientists at Cornell and Harvard may be inventing those improved batteries as we speak.

Cornell Developing Fast Charging Batteries
A team at Cornell Engineering has created a new lithium battery that can charge in under five minutes while maintaining stable performance over extended cycles of charging and discharging. The breakthrough could alleviate “range anxiety” among drivers who worry electric vehicles cannot travel long distances without a time consuming recharge.

“Range anxiety is a greater barrier to electrification in transportation than any of the other barriers, like cost and capability of batteries, and we have identified a pathway to eliminate it using rational electrode designs,” said Lynden Archer, the dean of Cornell Engineering, who oversaw the project. “If you can charge an EV battery in five minutes, I mean, gosh, you don’t need to have a battery that’s big enough for a 300 mile range. You can settle for less, which could reduce the cost of EVs, enabling wider adoption.”

After fast charging their new lithium battery, the researchers observed its indium anode had a smooth lithium electrodeposition, whereas other anode materials can grow dendrites that impact the battery’s performance. The team’s research paper entitled “Fast-Charge, Long-Duration Storage in Lithium Batteries,” was published January 16 in the journal Joule. The lead author is Shuo Jin, a doctoral student in chemical and bio-molecular engineering.

“Our goal was to create battery electrode designs that charge and discharge in ways that align with daily routine,” Jin said. “In practical terms, we desire our electronic devices to charge quickly and operate for extended periods. To achieve this, we have identified a unique indium anode material that can be effectively paired with various cathode materials to create a battery that charges rapidly and discharges slowly.”

The Cornell researchers focused on Damköhler numbers — the measure of the rate at which chemical reactions occur relative to the rate at which material is transported to the reaction site. Identifying battery electrode materials with fast solid state transport rates helped the researchers pinpoint indium as an exceptionally promising material for fast charging batteries, primarily because it virtually eliminates the formation of dendrites.

“The key innovation is we’ve discovered a design principle that allows metal ions at a battery anode to freely move around, find the right configuration, and only then participate in the charge storage reaction,” Archer said. “The end result is that in every charging cycle, the electrode is in a stable morphological state. It is precisely what gives our new fast charging batteries the ability to repeatedly charge and discharge over thousands of cycles.”

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• Porsche unveils Macan EV, with local pricing and specs announced

Porsche has unveiled its second all-electric model, the Macan EV – nearly 5 years after its first electric model, the Taycan sedan which was unveiled at the 2019 Frankfurt Motor Show.

The electric Macan will be available in two variants, a base model Macan 4 and a top-of-the-range Macan Turbo. This is in line with Porsche’s variant naming strategy for the Taycan as well, although EVs don’t necessarily have a “Turbo” as such. It’s more about branding.

Pricing has been set at $133,700 before on-roads for the Macan 4. The more powerful Turbo model bumps that starting price up to $180,100 before on-roads and any options. Those prices compare to $93,800 plus on-roads for the internal combustion engine version of the Macan.

The Macan 4 will offer up to 300 kW of power while the Turbo variant will deliver a maximum power output of 470 kW. The Turbo model will also offer up to 1,130 Nm of torque.

These power outputs help the Macan sprint from 0-100 km/h in 5.2 seconds in the base trim. For those seeking a real thrill, the Macan Turbo can do the same run in 3.3 seconds.

The Turbo model will also feature a top speed of 260 km/h, meanwhile, the Macan 4 is capped at 220 km/h.

The Macan SUV will feature a newly developed EV platform which the brand calls “premium platform electric” or PPE for short. This platform offers an 800-volt architecture which will work with the new Macan’s 100 kWh battery pack that offers 95 kWh usable capacity.

This pack helps the Macan deliver up to 613 km of range on the WLTP test cycle.

11 kW of AC charging will be available with 270 kW DC charging speeds on offer when charging on the go at the right fast charger. This helps the Macan get from 10-80% in as low as 21 minutes.