Energy Sector News

[nativewolf]

The Huawei products perfectly illustrate the danger of Teslas battery strategy. They have come up far far short on the batteries they need to operate even the automotive side of things. It's left nothing for the energy side. I'm hopeful that the LFP wave will bring more capacity to the Tesla energy side but if they can't get powerwall production going this year/next year than I think they'll have basically lost the market.

 

[nativewolf]

Oh and thanks for the link to the johnkemp chartbook. That was a very interesting take on the global economy- I highly recommend that people give that one a gander.

 

[petit_bateau]

WTI $108.4
Brent $111.5

Recessions looming (Europe, et al)

Europe at risk of recession amid concerns Russia could cut gas supplies

Energy prices had already surged in second half of 2021 but Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has exacerbated this

www.theguardian.com

Some have it worse (Sri Lanka)

Sri Lanka limits fuel to essential services with supplies set to run out in days

Miles-long queues outside petrol stations despite ban on sales for private vehicles for at least a week

www.theguardian.com

So do others (South Africa)

Ukraine sales starting

Commercial Exchanges of Electricity With Ukraine/Moldova to Start

The start of commercial electricity exchanges with the Ukraine/Moldova power system is planned for today on the interconnection between Ukraine and Romania.

www.tdworld.com

Australian sales continuing

Australia's commodity exports in sweet spot of Russia sanctions, China hopes

Russia's invasion of Ukraine and hopes of significant economic stimulus in China are combining to boost Australia's commodity exports to record levels, at least for now.

www.reuters.com

Another day, another battery

Wärtsilä delivers SSE’s first grid-scale BESS, balancing intermittency

The BESS will be the first connected directly to the transmission network by SSE’s solar and battery division.

www.smart-energy.com

Not all prices are equal

Space, time and electricity (part 1)

DEEP DIVE: How should power prices be formed on a grid that is constraining renewables?

www.energyflux.news

Offshore wind booming

GWEC: Offshore Wind Preparing for New Era of Dramatic Growth

Offshore wind had its best year ever last year with 21.1 GW of new installations bringing global capacity to 56 GW, with China contributing 80 per cent of new offshore installations in 2021, leading offshore wind for the fourth year in a row.

www.offshorewind.biz

Solar at 3.1c/kWh (Turkey)

Turkey’s 1 GW PV tender concludes with final average price of $0.031/kWh

The Turkish authorities will provide winning projects in the nation's latest solar tender with 15-year power purchase guarantees. Domestic content requirements for equipment have played an important role in the procurement exercise.

www.pv-magazine.com

Cyprus moving

The weekend read: Solar reforms loom, Cyprus begins to move

Cyprus is a laggard in renewable energy development compared to many of its European neighbors. Given its reliance on oil and gas imports, the consequences are now being felt by electricity consumers on the island. However, as Ilias Tsagas reports, a combination of factors may soon provide the...

www.pv-magazine.com

Solar price up 40% in 18-mths (India)

Solar module price increases to affect returns on 4.4 GW of Indian solar

Solar cell and module prices have increased by more than 40% over the last 18 months in India, driven by polysilicon prices. However, bid tariffs have remained lower than what is needed to mitigate the rise in PV module prices. The risk of lower returns is significant for 4.4 GW of projects that...

www.pv-magazine.com

The Chinese are building so many solar factories I lose track of which are new announcements

Chinese PV Industry Brief: Big polysilicon deal, new 10 GW solar cell factory

JA Solar has revealed plans to build a 10 GW cell factory in Jiangsu province, while Shuangliang Eco-Energy has agreed to buy 222,5000 metric tons (MT) of polysilicon from Tongwei.

www.pv-magazine.com

 

[petit_bateau]

WTI $110.4/bbl
Brent $113.5/bbl

Warming reality

Spain and Portugal suffering driest climate for 1,200 years, research shows

Effects of human-caused global heating are blocking vital winter rains, with severe implications for farming and tourism

www.theguardian.com

High costs offshore

UPDATE: Rescuers Recover 12 Bodies from Sunken Offshore Wind Installation Vessel in China

Search and rescue teams looking for the missing crew of the installation vessel Fujing 001 off Yangjiang City in Guangdong Province, China, have found twelve deceased crewmembers, Chinese media reports.

www.offshorewind.biz

and

BREAKING: Typhoon-Hit Offshore Wind Vessel Sinks in China, SAR Underway for 26 People (Video)

A search and rescue (SAR) operation is underway offshore China's Guangdong Province for 26 people who went missing after an offshore wind installation vessel sank amid typhoon "Chaba" that hit the coast near the city of Yangjiang.

www.offshorewind.biz

Island proof

Solar-plus-storage for islands

Indonesian remote islands are increasingly resorting to solar-plus-storage to cover most of their electricity demand. According to new research from LUT University, combining PV with batteries may help islands to cover around 60% of demand with renewable energy.

www.pv-magazine.com

Big pumped storage hydro

Massive pumped-hydro storage facility comes online in Switzerland

The Nant de Drance facility began commercial operations on July 1 and is currently one of Europe's largest pumped-hydro storage stations.

www.pv-magazine.com

Made in India

India’s Websol to build 1.8 GW solar cell, module factory

The new manufacturing facility will produce high-efficiency mono-PERC and TopCon panels.

www.pv-magazine.com

Ozzie coal to battery

Australian coal power plant to host massive 1.45 GW/2.9 GWh battery

Queensland government-owned energy generator Stanwell has revealed plans to a build a massive 1.45 GW/2.9 GWh battery storage system alongside the coal-fired Stanwell Power Station in central Queensland as the state government looks to ramp up energy storage capacity to support the transition to...

www.pv-magazine.com

Russian coal gets everywhere

Russia boosts coal exports as Western sanctions yet to bite

Much of the focus on sanctions on Russia's commodity exports is on crude oil and natural gas, but coal is perhaps the best example of the challenges facing those seeking to punish Moscow for its invasion of Ukraine.

www.reuters.com

 

[nativewolf]

WTI fell below $100 this afternoon. Just thought it interesting

 

[petit_bateau]

WTI $100.5 (squeaked under $100 for a while, demand destruction is happening, aka "recession(s)")
Brent $104.3

All hat and no cattle

Can the G7 "climate club" fill the gaps to deliver on the Paris Agreement?

The G7 have promised a climate club and new funds to help developing countries combat and adapt to climate change. But the details are murky.

www.energymonitor.ai

LNG does glossy reports

World LNG Report 2022 | IGU

This 13th edition of the IGU World LNG report has become one of the most anticipated, in light of another, even more eventful year for the LNG sector. The 2022 report is out at a time when LNG is more vital than ever to secure and reliable functioning of energy systems around the world. It is...

www.igu.org

India throttles exports

India's export curbs, tax hike to exacerbate global diesel, gasoline shortage

India's latest measures aimed at boosting domestic oil supplies could reduce its diesel and gasoline exports in the second half of the year, keeping global supplies tight and underpinning prices, traders and analysts said.

www.reuters.com

and China too

China issues new refined fuel, LSFO export quotas - sources

China has issued a third round of petroleum-product export quotas, covering 5 million tonnes of refined fuel and2.5 million tonnes of low-sulphur fuel oil (LSFO), allowing refiners to cash out solid export margins and help ease tight global fuel supply.

www.reuters.com

Venezuelan relief

Resumption of deliveries to Europe boosts Venezuela oil exports -data

The first Venezuelan crude cargoes sent to Europe in two years helped lift the OPEC nation's oil exports by 61% last month after a series of setbacks earlier in the year, tanker tracking data and documents from state-run PDVSA showed.

www.reuters.com

Japanese offshore milestone

First Turbine Up at Japan's First Commercial-Scale Offshore Wind Farm

The first of the total of 33 Vestas 4.2 MW wind turbines has been installed at the Akita Noshiro offshore wind farm in Japan, the country's first commercial-size, fixed-bottom wind project.

www.offshorewind.biz

Dutch hydrogen

Vattenfall Wants to Build World's First Offshore Hydrogen Cluster in Netherlands

Vattenfall has submitted a bid in the Hollandse Kust West offshore wind tender in the Netherlands. According to the details of the company's plan, unveiled on 5 July, the project Vattenfall proposes to build would see Netherlands becoming the home of the world's first offshore green hydrogen...

www.offshorewind.biz

France cut red solar tape

France simplifies environmental permitting for solar up to 1 MW

The new measures are expected to accelerate solar deployment across the country.

www.pv-magazine.com

UK increases solar red tape (expect a rush of 299MW schemes)

The supply chain requirements UK solar developers will have to grapple with under CfD scheme

Any developers bidding to construct solar plants with more than 300 MW of generation capacity in the latest round of the UK's clean power auction program will have to draw up a supply chain plan showing how they will address matters ranging from skills gaps to new technology to modern slavery.

www.pv-magazine.com

Important grid non-trivia

Breaking down the FERC interconnection NOPR

FERC has proposed large-scale changes to generator interconnection procedures based on comments received from stakeholders last fall.

www.renewableenergyworld.com

Neat pump

Novel photovoltaic water pump from Spain

A Spanish startup has developed a new pumping system that can operate in DC and AC modes. It can work for direct irrigation and with a water tank.

www.pv-magazine.com

On that ruling on the EPA
StackPath
and

Supreme Court EPA ruling pressures Democrats to pass climate laws

The Supreme Court’s EPA ruling signals that the conservative majority is ready to severely curtail federal regulatory agencies.

www.energymonitor.ai

Another day another small modular reactor announcement

SaskPower Selects Nuclear Small Modular Reactor Technology for Deployment

BWRX-300 small modular reactor technology chosen after four-year evaluation process.

www.tdworld.com

Anyone spot the voting Conservative agenda ?

Rolls-Royce narrows search for site of first SMR factory : New Nuclear - World Nuclear News

Rolls-Royce SMR has shortlisted six potential locations in the UK for the first of three factories for the manufacture of its small modular reactor power plants. The first plant will produce the vessels for the 470 MWe pressurised water reactor.

www.world-nuclear-news.org

Devilish underwater detail, for Australia and Brazil

IAEA working with Australia on safeguards for nuclear subs: Grossi : Regulation & Safety - World Nuclear News

The International Atomic Energy Agency is already working with Australia on the "complex" issue of ensuring nuclear safeguards in relation to its proposed acquisition of nuclear-powered submarines under the trilateral AUKUS partnership, the organisation's Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi...

www.world-nuclear-news.org

Atucha in Argentina, extended

Refurbishment for Atucha 1 : Regulation & Safety - World Nuclear News

Argentina is preparing to refurbish Atucha I, the first nuclear power reactor in South America, so that it may generate power for a further 20 years. A framework to regulate the work has been agreed.

www.world-nuclear-news.org

 

[petit_bateau]

WTI $98.6
Brent $100.9

EU Parliament approves energy taxonomy, may affect CBAMs

MEPs back EU plan to label nuclear and gas investments as 'green'

Shouts of "traitors" and jeers could be heard as the result of the vote was revealed. #EuropeNews

www.euronews.com

or

‘Putin rubbing hands with glee’ after EU votes to class gas and nuclear as green

Parliament backs plan to classify some projects as clean power investments

www.theguardian.com

EDF renationalisation on the table

France plans full nationalisation of power utility EDF

France will fully nationalise EDF , Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne said on Wednesday, in a move that would give the government more control over a restructuring of the debt-laden group while contending with a European energy crisis.

www.reuters.com

Big loans for 15MW

Vestas to Back 15 MW Turbine Development with New EIB Loan

Danish wind turbine manufacturer Vestas has entered into an agreement with the European Investment Bank (EIB) for a EUR 475 million (USD 483 million) green loan to support research, development, and innovation (RDI) activities through 2025.

www.offshorewind.biz

40-year module warranties

Energy output is over 100 times the input needed to manufacture solar panels

According to a third-party study, the projected output over the 40-year warranty period of Maxeon solar panels exceeds the energy demand of manufacturing them by over 100-fold. Plus, more details from the Maxeon 2021 sustainability report.

www.pv-magazine.com

The agrivoltaic thing

Powering EV charging stations with agrivoltaics

US researchers find that placing agrivoltaic installations along highways to power EV charging stations can reduce both carbon emissions and range anxiety.

www.pv-magazine.com

Grid capacity expansion looks like this, as electrification proceeds

Tennet to build 40 new high-voltage stations in the Netherlands

The Dutch transmission system operator said that more grid capacity is needed to address the continuous growth of wind and solar energy, as well as that of electromobility and heat pumps.

www.pv-magazine.com

P2X does heat

Europe’s largest heat storage tank

The heat storage tank is 45 m high and has a capacity of 56 million liters. It will store district heating water at a temperature of 98 C and, according to Vattenfall, will use heat produced with renewable electricity coming from the grid.

www.pv-magazine.com

Solar carports getting bigger

Waterproof all-aluminum solar carport from China

Developed by Chinese manufacturer Enerack, the carport can host all types and sizes of solar panels and relies on waterproof technology for rain protection.

www.pv-magazine.com

Rumours of Tesla Cybertruck for July 2023

https://teslamag-de.translate.goog/news/exklusiv-anlagen-bestellung-produktion-tesla-cybertruck-juli-2023-50359?

more Musk breeding

Elon Musk fathered twins with one of his executives last year – report

Musk’s nine children include pair born to Shivon Zilis, who works at his artificial intelligence company Neuralink

www.theguardian.com

 

[petit_bateau]

WTI $101.9
Brent $104.1

EU not out of woods

European Union demand reduction needs to cope with Russian gas cuts | Bruegel

Without Russian gas, the European Union would have to reduce demand by approximately 15%, with big differences between different parts of Europe

www.bruegel.org

... into freezer

Germany's largest landlord to reduce heating for tenants to save energy

Germany's largest residential landlord Vonovia will reduce heating for tenants in many of its apartments at night, as Europe's biggest economy braces for a possible gas crunch with falling Russian fossil fuel imports.

www.reuters.com

Situation normal (really)

One-third of global PV manufacturing capacity is at medium or high risk of bankruptcy, IEA says

A new report from the International Energy Agency stresses the importance of geographically diversifying the global PV supply chain. This would prevent supply chain vulnerability to bankruptcies and underinvestment.

www.pv-magazine.com

EU taxonomy

EU green taxonomy survives but not unscathed

MEPs have approved an EU green taxonomy that includes gas and nuclear, but investors may be reluctant to use it.

www.energymonitor.ai

French EDF renationalisation

French PM: EDF to be Fully Nationalized Again

The plan to purchase the remaining shares of EDF will cost more than 5 million Euros

www.tdworld.com

Big money talks

Weekly data: Renewables dominate international project finance

Renewables continue to drive international project finance, though fossil fuel projects are also on the rise.

www.energymonitor.ai

Big gas, maybe

The global LNG boom US exporters are chasing won’t materialise

Investors should realise that Europe and Asia are far from bankrolling the global LNG boom US exporters are looking for.

www.energymonitor.ai

Bavaria wants big grids and big batteries

Could Baltic winds and Berlin batteries power Bavaria?

As Germany faces power cuts, it appears the time has come for Baltic wind and Berlin batteries to power Bavaria.

www.enlit.world

more big grids, UK

ESO publishes Pathway to 2030 – major step to deliver 50GW of offshore wind by 2030 | ESO

ESO Publishes Pathway to 2030 documents including the Holistic Network Design (HND) will enable Britain’s transition to net zero through 50GW offshore wind delivery by 2030

www.nationalgrideso.com

Anyone might think the Greens are back (these FIT prices are going to trigger the mother of all solar bonanzas)

Germany raises feed-in tariffs for solar up to 750 kW

The new provisions are part of the new version of the country's renewable energy law, which was approved today by the German parliament.

www.pv-magazine.com

UK solar CfD £0.046/kWh x 2.2GW

UK allocates 2.2 GW of solar at $0.055/kWh in CfD auction

Some 66 solar projects secured 15-year contracts-for-difference (CfDs) in a procurement exercise hailed a success despite undershooting its capacity targets.

www.pv-magazine.com

UK wind CfD £0.037/kWh x 7GW

UK Secures 7 GW of New Offshore Wind, Awards CfD to World's Single Biggest OWF

The UK Government has awarded Contracts for Difference (CfDs) to five offshore wind projects at a strike price of GBP 37.35/MWh each. One of the five offshore projects, which have a total generation capacity of 7 GW, is Ørsted's Hornsea Three, for which the developer says is the world’s single...

www.offshorewind.biz

3GW offshore Italy

Two New Floating Wind Applications Filed for Tyrrhenian Sea, One for 3+ GW Project

Two companies have submitted applications to the Italian Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport for maritime concessions to build floating wind farms in the Tyrrhenian Sea.

www.offshorewind.biz

 

[petit_bateau]

WTI $102.3
Brent $105.0

iffy Russian gas woes

Germany braces for ‘nightmare’ of Russia turning off gas for good

Ministers fear flow may never restart as maintenance work soon begins on Nord Stream 1 pipeline

www.theguardian.com

getting ready for the 20MW units

Dutch Company to Build Prototype Crane for 20 MW Offshore Wind Turbines

The Netherlands-based Tetrahedron, together with its consortium members Jack-Up Barge BV, TNO, Shell, and GE, has unveiled plans to construct a 130-metre tall prototype crane for next-generation offshore wind turbines. This comes after the consortium received a grant from the Dutch Government, a...

www.offshorewind.biz

Chinese solar avalanche

Chinese PV Industry Brief: Trina starts building silicon-to-module factory, Jolywood opens TOPCon cell plant

Trina Solar has started building a silicon-to-module production base in Qinghai province, while Jolywood said it is now producing new TOPCon solar cells in Shanxi province. Tongwei, meanwhile, said it believes that its net profit soared in the first half.

www.pv-magazine.com

Europeans try to fight back

The weekend read: Europe’s inverted solar ambition

Solar inverter makers in Europe continue to ship a healthy proportion of the world’s premium string and central inverters, despite shrinking margins as Chinese competition grows. But the Europeans aren’t simply waiting around…

www.pv-magazine.com

Huawei top dog

Huawei tops inverter supply rankings for 2021

China's Huawei has been named the world’s biggest inverter supplier for the seventh year in a row, followed by Sungrow and Growatt, according to Wood Mackenzie.

www.pv-magazine.com

note, inverter market take is a proxy for solar market take, "The Asia-Pacific region was once again the biggest market last year, accounting for more than half of total shipments. Europe and the United States had shares of 23% and 14%, respectively."

Another day another residential battery product ( .... yawn, what about the cells)

New residential battery from the Netherlands

Dutch startup Charged has developed a lithium-ion battery with a storage capacity of 5 kWh. It can be stacked in a six-unit configuration to reach 30 kWh. It measures 400 mm x 500 mm x 200 mm and weighs 45 kg.

www.pv-magazine.com

Another day another huge utility battery project ( ... presumably with cells)

Quinbrook unveils plans for 2 GWh big battery in Australia

Australia's Quinbrook Infrastructure has unveiled plans to build a AUD 2.5 billion (§1.7 billion) data storage precinct in Brisbane that will be powered by renewable energy. It will include one of the largest battery storage installations in the National Electricity Market.

www.pv-magazine.com

Musk may need to pay up

Elon Musk may have to complete $44bn Twitter takeover, legal experts say

Tesla chief wants to terminate deal but he could be compelled to go through with it or pay a break fee

www.theguardian.com

 

[petit_bateau]

WTI $101.5
Brent $104.8

We can't rely on more hydro

Why hydropower's human rights problem may be insurmountable

Long delays and countless human rights abuses make it hard to see hydropower playing a major net-zero role.

www.energymonitor.ai

France won't rely on (Russian) gas

France prepares for total cutoff of Russian gas

The French government is preparing for a total cutoff of Russian gas supplies, which it sees as the most likely scenario in its forward planning, French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said on Sunday.

www.reuters.com

Nobody should rely on Saudi oil

With world in energy shock, Saudi oil cushion gets very thin

When French President Emmanuel Macron whispered in Joe Biden's ear last month that top global oil exporter Saudi Arabia has very little additional capacity to increase output, the U.S. President looked surprised.

www.reuters.com

We can rely on increasing costs

Energy bills to rise more than predicted, says Ofgem boss

The regulator's chief executive tells MPs its previous estimate on winter bills will prove to be too low.

www.bbc.co.uk

Vapourware disappears

Progress since COP26: Climate leaders paint gloomy picture

A sombre mood at the opening of London Climate Action Week reflects modest progress on climate action since COP26.

www.energymonitor.ai

 

[petit_bateau]

Oil prices significantly down imho, demand destruction is real
WTI $96.7
Brent $100.4 (which is more significant as it is on the water)

High energy prices can seriously damage your day

Sri Lanka: PM orders military to do ‘whatever it takes’ to maintain order

State of emergency declared as protesters reject premier Ranil Wickremesinghe acting as president and demand he and Gotabaya Rajapaksa resign

www.theguardian.com

EU taxonomy stuff

European Parliament backs nuclear and gas in EU taxonomy : Nuclear Policies - World Nuclear News

The proposed inclusion of certain nuclear and gas activities within the European Union's list of officially approved "green" investments is set to become law after an attempt to block it fails in the European Parliament.

www.world-nuclear-news.org

VW batteries

Volkswagen enters EV battery business with €20bn investment in PowerCo

Volkswagen announced new company PowerCo, set to invest more than €20 billion for the Group’s global battery activities.

www.smart-energy.com

Chinese solar avalanche continues
Chinese PV Industry Brief: Longi, Shenzhen Energy partner on inverters

... and wind (the other China, being Taiwan)

First Turbine Stands at Changfang & Xidao Offshore Wind Farm

The first of the total of 62 Vestas V174-9.5 MW wind turbines has been installed at the Changfang & Xidao offshore wind project in Taiwan, according to an update shared on social media by Dennis Sanou, CEO of the Changfang & Xidao Projects at Copenhagen Offshore Partners.

www.offshorewind.biz

... and small reactors (SMR)

Rapid construction of Chinese SMR containment shell continues : New Nuclear - World Nuclear News

The upper section of the steel containment shell has been installed for the ACP100 small modular reactor demonstration project at the Changjiang nuclear power plant on China's island province of Hainan. The operation was completed 70 days ahead of schedule.

www.world-nuclear-news.org

Hacks muddling through

Ed's Note: Gas... It's Complicated | Smart Energy International

Paddy Young looks for answers to complicated questions around gas, based on his insights from a Eurogas get together in Brussels.

www.smart-energy.com

European consumers push the pace

Heat pump sales grew 34% in Europe in 2021

The heat pump markets with the highest growth in Europe last year were Poland, Ireland, Italy, Slovakia, Norway, France, and Germany.

www.pv-magazine.com

UK struggle on nuclear

Outstanding issues in Sizewell C nuclear site licence application : Regulation & Safety - World Nuclear News

Two issues remain to be resolved before the UK's Office for Nuclear Regulation can issue a nuclear site licence for the proposed Sizewell C nuclear power plant in Suffolk, England. The first relates to the current ownership of the land on which the plant will be constructed, while the second...

www.world-nuclear-news.org

and

UK government delays Sizewell C decision : New Nuclear - World Nuclear News

A decision on whether to approve plans to build the proposed Sizewell C nuclear power plant has been delayed to 20 July - the announcement came the day before the original deadline.

www.world-nuclear-news.org

Big transformer boom bust cycle continues

Transformative Times: Update on the U.S. Transformer Supply Chain

The U.S. is running short on a critical power grid component – large transformers.

www.tdworld.com

Hydrogen pencils in sales

The Hydrogen Stream: Global electrolyzer market to reach 8.5 GW by 2026

GlobalData has predicted that the global electrolyzer market will hit 8.52 GW by 2026. BP and Thyssenkrupp have agreed to cooperate on the use of hydrogen in the steel sector, while electrolyzer supplier Nel Hydrogen has secured orders in Australia and Denmark.

www.pv-magazine.com

Negative sum game

Twitter sues Elon Musk over bid to exit $44bn takeover deal

Company seeks to force completion of sale, saying billionaire ‘refuses to honor his obligations’

www.theguardian.com

 

[petit_bateau]

Falling ....
WTI $93.4/bbl
Brent $97.4/bbl

EU gets ready re gas

EU to urge countries to curb gas use to buffer against Russian cuts

The European Union will encourage member countries to cut gas demand by incentivising industries to use less, as it prepares for possible further cuts to Russian supply, according to a draft plan seen by Reuters.

www.reuters.com

Baltics ready re grid

Baltics would switch to European grid in a day if Russia cuts power - Lithuania

European power grid network ENTSO-E will connect to the Baltic states' grids within 24 hours if the countries were to be disconnected by Russia, Lithuanian power grid operator Litgrid said.

www.reuters.com

Mmmm......

OPEC sees slower 2023 oil demand growth, no big shale gain

OPEC expects global oil demand to rise in 2023 but at a slower pace than 2022, the producer group said in its first forecast for next year, citing still robust economic growth and progress in containing COVID-19 in China.

www.reuters.com

Rain boosts China hydro

China's surging hydropower a boon for its climate goals, energy bills

A surge in hydropower output in China this year, boosted by record-breaking rainfall, is helping the world's biggest polluter meet green targets as well as cut liquefied natural gas imports (LNG) amid tight global supplies.

www.reuters.com

Smart embargo detail

Russian Oil’s Achilles Heel

A new paper by Craig Kennedy proposes ways to enhance the economic impact of oil sanctions while mitigating their harmful effects on the world economy.

daviscenter.fas.harvard.edu

Found in time

Faulty Towers Set World's Largest Floating Offshore Wind Farm Back

The 11-turbine Hywind Tampen, the world's largest floating offshore wind farm under construction, will be completed in 2023 and not by the end of 2022 as initially planned, Equinor said.

www.offshorewind.biz

Shell sticks to hydrogen path

Shell to build Europe's largest green hydrogen plant

Shell has taken the final investment decision to build Holland Hydrogen I, which will be Europe’s largest renewable hydrogen plant once operational in 2025.

www.renewableenergyworld.com

Pure US electric

Over one-quarter of U.S. households use electricity as the only source of energy - U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA)

www.eia.gov

... fed from US wind

Four Wind Farms Constructed at Once

The development totals more than 1050 MW of wind energy, which supplies New Mexico and other Western energy markets.

www.tdworld.com

Panasonic picks Kansas, midway between Austin and Detroit

https://twitter.com/x/status/1547391619661709312

and

https://twitter.com/x/status/1547341987895984134

France does solar manufacture (they keep trying)

REC Group secures EU funding for HJT solar factory in France

REC Solar has announced plans for a PV module gigafactory in France, along with 17 other clean tech projects that will share €1.8 billion ($1.8 billion) of grants from the European Union’s Innovation Fund.

www.pv-magazine.com

A greenhouse by any other name

New method to evaluate performance, LCOE of elevated agrivoltaics

Scientists in Belgium have developed a way to assess elevated agrivoltaic projects, by calculating key performance indicators such as energy yield and levelized cost of energy (LCOE). They have found that shade-tolerant crops such as potatoes could potentially be paired with around 1,290 GW of...

www.pv-magazine.com

Detail devilish

Poland’s transition from net metering to net billing

Poland's micro-installation market is rapidly consolidating as it shifts from net metering to net billing.

www.pv-magazine.com

 

[petit_bateau]

WTI $95.6/bbl
Brent $99.7/bbl

John Kemp straight talk on recession & sanctions

Recession would make tough oil sanctions on Russia more likely

Recession in the major economies is the only sure-fire way to reduce Russia’s petroleum revenues – an uncomfortable truth Western policymakers have tried to obfuscate from voters at home.

www.reuters.com

The rationing word

Europe could face energy rationing as ‘really tough winter’ looms, Shell boss warns

Ben van Beurden says Ukraine war fallout means big rise in bills and possible need to ration supplies

www.theguardian.com

Agrivoltaic bees

Novel method to turn existing solar parks into agrivoltaic facilities

An international research team has developed a new methodology to increase levels of pollination at ground-mounted solar plants. It involves the development of new vegetated land cover below and around solar parks.

www.pv-magazine.com

Solar LCOE 13% down last year, but forecast to rise this year

Solar power costs continued to fall in 2021, despite rising panel prices

The average global price of solar kilowatt-hours fell 13% on 2020's prices, as around two-thirds of the renewables capacity installed last year was cheaper than the lowest-cost fossil fuel alternative.

www.pv-magazine.com

Greece 1GW tender

Greece to launch 1 GW renewables tender in September

The Greek energy regulator has published the details of a 1 GW joint renewable power tender scheduled for September. The nation has planned a number of additional competitive tenders up to 2024, in order to procure about 3 GW of renewables, including energy storage.

www.pv-magazine.com

French floaters

Floaters for French Pilot Wind Farm Taking Shape

The three floating foundations for the Provence Grand Large wind farm in France are taking shape at Eiffage Métal's site in Fos-sur-Mer, where the assembly of the structures is being carried out by the French company and Smulders, its Belgium-based subsidiary.

www.offshorewind.biz

 

[petit_bateau]

WTI $99.6/bbl
Brent $103.6/bbl

Gas warnings red, EU

Coordinated actions across Europe are essential to prevent a major gas crunch: Here are 5 immediate measures – Analysis - IEA

Coordinated actions across Europe are essential to prevent a major gas crunch: Here are 5 immediate measures - A commentary by Dr Fatih Birol

www.iea.org

Energy charter lawfare looming

The Energy Charter Treaty has not aged well

Net zero requires an end to new oil and gas, but the Energy Charter Treaty "modernisation" still protects fossil fuels.

www.energymonitor.ai

Storage analysis (good read)

The weekend read: Energy storage efficiency and prices determine economics

Estimating the total cost of energy storage connected to a rooftop PV installation is a complex affair, involving factors such as tax, the policy environment, system lifetimes, and even the weather. As part of its extensive overview of distributed energy storage in Germany, <b>pv magazine...

www.pv-magazine.com

Tesla storage in PGE VPP

Tesla and PG&E launch virtual power plant programme

PG&E and Tesla have launched a pilot program that creates a virtual power plant to help support electric grid reliability.

www.smart-energy.com

Long life inverters, 15 yrs

Study confirms rule of thumb that PV inverters should run without faults for around 15 years

A new study by Bern University of Applied Sciences shows that the performance of most PV inverters and power optimizers remains optimal for up to 15 years. The inverters considered came mainly from the manufacturers Fronius, Sputnik, and SMA and most of the power optimizers examined came from...

www.pv-magazine.com

UK national grid energy scenarios

https://www.nationalgrideso.com/document/263951/download

Australian energy planning study

CSIRO Research Publications Repository

publications.csiro.au

IEA EV battery supply chain study

https://iea.blob.core.windows.net/assets/961cfc6c-6a8c-42bb-a3ef-57f3657b7aca/GlobalSupplyChainsofEVBatteries.pdf

Hydro worries

The ever-growing risk of big dam failure

The world's big dams are ageing, and data shows investment in maintenance must massively increase to avoid dam failures.

www.energymonitor.ai

US offshore wind worry

ACP CEO: New Vessel Crewing Rule in US 'Gut Punch' to Offshore Wind Projects

A new amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that passed the House in the US Congress has triggered response from the renewable energy industry, with the CEO of American Clean Power (ACP) Association calling the move "a gut punch to offshore wind projects".

www.offshorewind.biz

Wind 2 reef

Offshore wind farms could turn the tide for ocean biodiversity

Wind developers are teaming up with marine biologists to turn offshore wind farms into safe havens for biodiversity.

www.energymonitor.ai

 

[petit_bateau]

WTI $102.2 nervous
Brent $105.6
physical market tight

Oil market sees support from physical tightness

Benchmark oil prices have dropped by about $15 a barrel in the past 10 days as the threat of recession clouds the demand outlook, but the physical oil trade and the futures market structure tell a quite different story.

www.reuters.com

Russia's Gazprom declares force majeure to Europe

Russia’s Gazprom tells European buyers it cannot guarantee gas supplies

Force majeure declared in letter to customers concerns supplies via Nord Stream 1 pipeline, says source

www.theguardian.com

Positioning for rationing

German chemical industry has no gas left to cut, warns association

Germany's chemical industry has already done everything it can to conserve gas use, said chemical association VCI on Tuesday, which warned that the only steps left for the industry would be to scale back or abandon production altogether.

www.reuters.com

Indian pork well distributed, welcome

Indian Railways launches 2.6 GW renewables tender

The REMC Limited unit of Indian Railways has invited bids to install 1 GW of renewable power projects, with or without storage, for round-the-clock power supply to different zonal railways. It has also tendered the installation of a cumulative 1.548 GW of land-based solar plants near the...

www.pv-magazine.com

Climate kills close to home

Heatwaves show us climate adaptation must be a policy priority in Europe

The current heatwave in Europe is a wake-up call that the climate crisis is also a health and productivity crisis.

www.energymonitor.ai

So need to crack on with things

US Supreme Court EPA ruling should not stop international climate efforts

The Supreme Court's EPA ruling may make it more challenging for the US to meet its climate goals but that’s no excuse at international level.

www.energymonitor.ai

6MW floater tests

NextFloat Project to Test 6 MW Floating Wind Prototype Offshore France

The European Commission has selected Technip Energies, X1 Wind and a consortium of ten international entities to deliver the NextFloat project, a programme accelerating industrial-scale floating wind as part of which the partners will test a 6 MW floating wind platform offshore France.

www.offshorewind.biz

Shetlands link unlocks northern wind

Major Milestone Reached As First Subsea Cable Installation Begins On Shetland HVDC Link

Specialist vessel NKT Victoria begins first 100km of subsea cable laying.

www.tdworld.com

Anything but Tesla is pants

Charging my electric car is a pain as I can’t use BP Pulse credit

At the public charging point my balance is always shown as zero and when it should be £175

www.theguardian.com

Lipstick slips on hydrogen pig

Oil and gas reservoirs are cheapest options for underground hydrogen storage

New research from Ireland shows that depleted oil and gas reservoirs may be used to store hydrogen at a cost of $1.29/kg. According to the researchers, underground hydrogen storage may benefit from the technological maturity of the geologic storage of natural gas and CO2, which are associated...

www.pv-magazine.com

Heat pumps neglected in Australia

Heat pumps ‘grossly underestimated’ technology for Australia’s decarbonization

Interest and investment in heat pumps have surged in Europe, but in Australia the technology has struggled to find a serious foothold. Despite the potential, dodgy technology suppliers and schemes gone awry have left a bad taste in Australia’s mouth, CEO Jarrod Leak tells <b>pv magazine...

www.pv-magazine.com

ESG introspection

Can embracing ESG be bad for business?

All companies and investors want to show off their ESG credentials, but get it wrong and its bad for business.

www.energymonitor.ai

 

[petit_bateau]

WTI $103.1
Brent $105.9

Bangladesh next up

Bangladesh Rolls Out Power Rationing Including 2 Hours Of Daily Load-shedding, Weekly Closure Of Filling Stations, Shutdown Of Diesel Power Plants

Bangladesh has announced that it is implementing several measures to restrict energy consumption and shut down power plants Tuesday as a major power crisis threatens to engulf the country

swarajyamag.com

EU rationing worries

Germany worries about gas rationing as supply from Russia halted

Temporary closure of Nord Stream 1 prompts fears for private consumers as well as industry

www.theguardian.com

and

EU asks countries to cut gas demand by 15% until spring

The European Union set out emergency plans on Wednesday for countries to cut their gas use by 15% until March, warning them that without deep cuts now they could struggle for fuel during winter if Russia cuts off supply.

www.reuters.com

or

How a Russian Natural Gas Cutoff Could Weigh on Europe’s Economies

How a Russian Natural Gas Cutoff Could Weigh on Europe’s Economies

blogs.imf.org

... food easing

EU to soften sanctions on Russian banks to allow food trade

The European Union will amend its sanctions on Moscow on Wednesday by allowing the unfreezing of some funds of top Russian banks that may be required to ease bottlenecks in the global trade of food and fertilisers, a draft document showed.

www.reuters.com

Offshore solar gets bigger

German-Dutch consortium to build 500 kW offshore solar pilot in North Sea

Germany's RWE is partnering with offshore PV specialist SolarDuck to build a 0.5 MW floating solar plant near an offshore wind farm in the North Sea.

www.pv-magazine.com

and

RWE to Test Floating Solar Tech on Dutch Offshore Wind Farm

RWE has selected SolarDuck as an exclusive provider for offshore floating solar technology with integrated storage in the company's bid for the Hollandse Kust West (HKW) site VII in the Netherlands.

www.offshorewind.biz

South Korea aims to resume steady nuclear build

South Korea aims to resume reactor construction by 2024 : Nuclear Policies - World Nuclear News

South Korea's new President Yoon Suk-yeol has encouraged a speedy restoration of the country's "nuclear power plant ecosystem" - after Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Lee Chang-yang set out plans, including the aim for work on the Shin Hanul 3 and 4 reactors to resume as early as 2024.

www.world-nuclear-news.org

China never stops nuclear builds

Construction starts on third Haiyang unit : New Nuclear - World Nuclear News

The first safety-related concrete has been poured for the nuclear island of unit 3 at the Haiyang nuclear power plant, the Shanghai Nuclear Engineering Research and Design Institute has announced. It marks the official start of construction of the first of two CAP1000 pressurised water reactors...

www.world-nuclear-news.org

... or on solar

Chinese PV Industry Brief: Solar glass capacity hits 64,000 MT per day

The Chinese government has revealed that the nation's solar glass capacity has reached 64,000 metric tons per day, while State Grid Corp. of China has announced plans to allocate CNY 26.07 billion ($4.3 billion) for solar incentives.

www.pv-magazine.com

UK offshore

UK Greenlights Further 8 GW of Offshore Wind

Six fixed offshore wind projects with the potential to generate renewable electricity for more than seven million homes have been given the green light by the UK Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy to enter into an Agreement for Lease with The Crown Estate.

www.offshorewind.biz

Big grids in India

A Mega Interstate Transmission Project Powers Northeast India

India strengthens its grid by adding more than 3000 MW of power to the Northeastern region of the country, supplying 53 million people.

www.tdworld.com

and in Brazil

Iberdrola wins 1700km+ Brazil power line project

Iberdrola has been awarded its largest power grid line in the world in the 1,700km power transmission line auction for Brazil.

www.smart-energy.com

 

[ThomasD]

How do you minimize the effects of weather on Wind generation? Too warm they can't produce enough electricity. Too cold same thing. Too windy wind turbines must be shut down. They plan to put turbines in the Gulf Of Mexico. How do you make sure they don't get tore up by Hurricanes? Most oil platforms can be moved out of harms way. Are they planning on wind generation being portable?

 

[petit_bateau]

How do you minimize the effects of weather on Wind generation? Too warm they can't produce enough electricity. Too cold same thing. Too windy wind turbines must be shut down. They plan to put turbines in the Gulf Of Mexico. How do you make sure they don't get tore up by Hurricanes? Most oil platforms can be moved out of harms way. Are they planning on wind generation being portable?

The fixed offshore oil & gas platforms I've worked on couldn't move out the way of bad weather, and I very clearly recall running reduced level production during a hurricane event, and being shut down due to extreme weather occasionally. The Texas ERCOT outages last year were mostly due to oil & gas facilities not being able to handle the cold weather. The floating offshore oil & gas stuff I've worked on couldn't function when pulled off station either. I've seen shutdowns caused by both hot and cold weather, and by wind, and other stuff (rain, flooding, civil unrest, etc) in my oil & gas years.

The first point being that us engineers design & operate equipment of this nature to be economically viable. Generally, for most things, that means designing to survive extreme weather events, but not produce during those events. And for severe (but not extreme) weather events generally the kit can be operated in a reduced output mode.

With wind turbines and their associated bits and pieces it is no different. The design requirements are very clearly set out in terms of both normal and extreme weather conditions. There are very clear international (and in some countries, national) standards on this, just as there are in the oil & gas sector. And for that matter, just as in solar or in hydro. Again I've worked on - designed and operated, and written the standards - all this stuff.

And at system design levels, i.e. aggregating the oil & gas, nuclear & coal, wind & solar, storage & diesel, and etc the overall systems are designed to work together to give stability to users. Clearly there is a trade off. Generally the more money invested in a given system the better performance it can deliver in terms of overall reliability. The less the politicians and vested interests meddle the better engineers can do their thing. As an example one reason the ERCOT problems are so bad is because politicians and vested (oil & gas) interests have meddled with the rules such that Texas/etc are only weakly connected to the adjacent grids, and so the adjacent grids can't help out much when Texas/ERCOT get into trouble. These ERCOT grid interconnections are much weaker than an engineer would ordinarily design, they have been deliberately crippled and weakened by political interests. Humans do this stuff to each other ...

The second point being that those of us who do this stuff are not newbies. This is not our first rodeo and we've pretty much seen it all before, and know how to go about it in a responsible manner as professional engineers.

 

[petit_bateau]

WTI $94.7
Brent $101.6

Tesla Q2 results out, good

Tesla Investor Relations

Tesla's mission is to accelerate the world's transition to sustainable energy. Today, Tesla builds not only all-electric vehicles but also infinitely scalable clean energy generation and storage products.

ir.tesla.com

Nordsteam 1 flowing again, for now

Russia pumps Nord Stream gas to Europe again - but it's not enough

Russia resumed pumping gas via its biggest pipeline to Europe on Thursday after a 10-day outage, allaying some of Europe's immediate supply fears but not enough to end the threat of rationing to cope with potential winter shortages.

www.reuters.com

China cranking out the solar

China solar installations more than double in first half - assn

China built nearly 31 gigawatts (GW) of new solar power capacity from January to June, up 137% from a year earlier, with full-year installations on course to hit a record high, an industry group said on Thursday.

www.reuters.com

UK climate lawfare

UK High Court orders nation to revise net zero strategy

The UK High Court has sided with environmental groups in a judgment that will require the government to re-evaluate its climate strategy for the 2030s and make up for an apparent shortfall that would see it miss the target of lowering carbon emissions by 78% from 1990 levels by 2035.

www.pv-magazine.com

Slovakia action

Slovakia restarts rebate program for residential PV, heat pumps

The authorities in Slovakia are offering rebates to cover up to 50% of the cost of buying and installing solar water heaters, PV systems with generation capacities of up to 10 kW, heat pumps, biomass systems, and solar-thermal collectors.

www.pv-magazine.com

UK shite housing

Edwardian morals, Thatcher and bad design – why Britain's homes are so hot | Phineas Harper

Compared with our European neighbours, Britain’s homebuilders disregard environmental performance, says Phineas Harper of Open City

www.theguardian.com

UK buries nuclear go-ahead

UK government gives go-ahead to Sizewell C nuclear power plant

Decision goes against advice of Planning Inspectorate, which rejected project owing to impact

www.theguardian.com

JohnKempReuters coalbook

https://fingfx.thomsonreuters.com/gfx/ce/zdpxobkamvx/GLOBAL%20COAL%20CONSUMPTION%20AND%20PRICES.pdf

 

[petit_bateau]

WTI $96.3
Brent $103.8

No sh1t sherlock, making stuff is difficult

Utility Supply Chain Chaos

Short supply of large transformers is concerning, but it’s not the only challenge electric utilities face when it comes to supply chain.

www.tdworld.com

Steel blackmail, expect to see lots more of this

Future Tory PM tasked with Tata talks over demand for £1.5bn in subsidies

South Wales plant’s owner wants government to help it move to greener production methods

www.theguardian.com

Hard wind data in Blatics

Metocean Measurement Campaign Starts Offshore Lithuania

Two buoys with specialised equipment have been deployed at two predefined locations in the Baltic Sea, as part of a contract signed between Lithuania’s Ministry of Energy and the Spain-based EOLOS Floating LiDAR Solutions.

www.offshorewind.biz

IMF talks carbon taxes

Carbon Taxes or Emissions Trading Systems?: Instrument Choice and Design

Carbon pricing should be a central element of climate mitigation strategies, helping countries transition to ‘net zero’ greenhouse gas emissions over the next three decades. Policymakers considering introducing or scaling up carbon pricing face technical choices between carbon taxes and...

www.imf.org

Cooling

Europe: What about cooling?

Demand for cooling is surging as heatwaves reach 40°C in Europe, but there is a long way to go before carbon-free cooling becomes law.

www.energymonitor.ai

Efficiency

Energy efficiency financing: Jessica Stromback, CEO of Joule Assets

Binding standards for buildings and energy efficiency financing innovations such as tax rebates could unlock the ESCO market in Europe.

www.energymonitor.ai

NATO

NATO disappoints with tepid climate action - Energy Monitor

Though momentum was building for a NATO-wide emissions reduction target, at the Madrid summit there was no consensus for bold climate action.

www.energymonitor.ai