Energy Sector News

[petit_bateau]

WTI $76 /bbl
Brent $83 /bbl
NL TTF gas €49 /MWh (EU Natural Gas - 2022 Data - 2010-2021 Historical - 2023 Forecast - Price - Quote)

Lest we forget

One year on: Russian war and renewables - Power Technology

Following a year of isolation from Russian power supplies, governments across the globe have decided to invest in renewables.

www.power-technology.com

Brent wanted

Platts to include U.S. crude oil in Brent benchmark from June

S&P Global Platts will include U.S. WTI Midlands crude in its Brent oil benchmark from June, as previously guided, S&P's Vera Blei said in a benchmark update at the London Energy Forum on Monday.

www.reuters.com

Nickel surplus ?

Nickel's electric dreams turn into a pricing nightmare

The global nickel market flipped from deficit to surplus over the course of 2022, according to the International Nickel Study Group (INSG).

www.reuters.com

Lithium surplus

CATL offers big battery discounts amid looming lithium surplus

CATL’s new lithium pricing structure gives Chinese original equipment manufacturers (OEM) an effective discount of more than 20%. It is making the move to win more orders amid a slowdown in the electric-vehicle market and the ongoing efforts of cell manufacturers to secure raw materials.

www.pv-magazine.com

China claims 90%

China’s polysilicon imports fell by 23% in 2022, says Bernreuter Research

After an interim high in 2021, polysilicon imports into China fell again in 2022, but the country’s share in global output still came close to 90%, according to a new report by Bernreuter Research.

www.pv-magazine.com

Regulatory capture very obviously valuable

AEP moves to ‘de-risk’ with $1.5B sale of unregulated wind and solar assets as it eyes further sales

American Electric Power expects to make a decision before July on whether it will sell AEP Energy, its competitive retail energy business, company officials said Feb. 23.

www.utilitydive.com

and

AEP Strikes $1.5B Deal to Sell Unregulated Renewables

After reporting Q4 results, CFO Ann Kelly says ‘the story is changing’ when it comes to economic and sales growth.

www.tdworld.com

Hydrogen hopium, reality

Decoding the hydrogen rainbow

Do you know your green hydrogen from your blue, grey, black, brown, yellow, turquoise, white and pink, and where they sit on the carbon emissions spectrum?

www.woodmac.com

and

The Hydrogen Stream: Global hydrogen pipeline plummets in Q4 2022

Wood Mackenzie says in a newly published report that new hydrogen capacity announcements fell year on year in 2022, while researchers claim that green hydrogen heating systems will probably not replace gas boilers in European homes.

www.pv-magazine.com

100m monopiles ?

Entrion Wind Wins ScotWind Feasibility Deal for Its 100-Metre Depth Foundation Tech

Entrion Wind has been awarded a project to evaluate the feasibility of its patent-pending fully restrained platform (FRP) offshore wind foundation technology by a Scotwind developer.

www.offshorewind.biz

Indian coal failures signal Indian renewables failures, still

India, China demand boost low-rank thermal coal prices in Asia

Signs of stronger import demand from India have arrested the decline in price of the thermal coal grades most commonly sought by the world's second-biggest importer of the fuel used to generate electricity.

www.reuters.com

China coal

China's new coal plant approvals surge in 2022, highest since 2015 -research

China approved the construction of another 106 gigawatts of coal-fired power capacity last year, four times higher than a year earlier and the highest since 2015, driven by energy security considerations, research showed on Monday.

www.reuters.com

and

China permits two new coal power plants per week in 2022 – Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air

energyandcleanair.org

Bulgaria rail

A brand-new intermodal terminal just opened in Bulgaria

A new intermodal terminal has just been opened at the Industrial Zone Bozhurishte, a logistics area near Sofia, in Bulgaria. The new facility will be used to handle shipping containers discharged at the port and intended for customers in western Bulgaria. Goods between the terminal and the port...

www.railfreight.com

Franco-Spanish third rail (that station in the photo is just bonkers if you ever visit it)

Is France giving up on this border crossing with Spain?

France might not participate in the financing for the modernisation of the Pau-Canfranc-Zaragoza railway, one of the lines crossing the France-Spain border, closed since 1970. No budget was allocated for this project in a leaked version of the report made by the Infrastructure Orientation...

www.railfreight.com

Naughty Belarus

Lithuanian customs seize tonnes of Belarusian sanctioned cargo and proceed to arrests

The Lithuanian Customs Criminal Service has been conducting an off-the-radar investigation on the possible smuggling of sanctioned fertilisers from Belarus. The authority says that it has seized 3,000 tonnes of urea fertiliser worth 2 million euros during the process. Additionally, after...

www.railfreight.com

Brexshit consequences never ending

Australian startup Recharge finalises deal to take over UK battery maker Britishvolt

Takeover of collapsed company revives hopes for the construction of a £3.8bn ‘gigafactory’ in northern England

www.theguardian.com

Hope, there is .... (some of my results for current global adoption trends)

 

[nativewolf]

So I saw a solar peaked announcement last week for a project along the Mexican USA border. 670mwh of storage (mega packs for now) 160mw solar panels. First time I can recall seeing battery capacity so much in excess of production capacity so that the entire project really replaces a gas peaker . Sure they may still have some excess solar discharge. It really this is all about time shifting low value solar to peak demand in early evenings.

One of the US's first solar peaker plants – with Tesla Megapack – just broke ground

Arevon Energy and San Diego Community Power have broken ground on the Vikings Energy Farm, one of the first solar peaker plants in the US.

electrek.co

Where I saw it, had to dig a bit to find the planned capacity

 

[petit_bateau]

So I saw a solar peaked announcement last week for a project along the Mexican USA border. 670mwh of storage (mega packs for now) 160mw solar panels. First time I can recall seeing battery capacity so much in excess of production capacity so that the entire project really replaces a gas peaker . Sure they may still have some excess solar discharge. It really this is all about time shifting low value solar to peak demand in early evenings.

One of the US's first solar peaker plants – with Tesla Megapack – just broke ground

Arevon Energy and San Diego Community Power have broken ground on the Vikings Energy Farm, one of the first solar peaker plants in the US.

electrek.co

Where I saw it, had to dig a bit to find the planned capacity

Yeah, that is 4-hours duration at max inverter rating. That is the new normal for a lot of utility solar projects.

Here in the UK about 95% of domestic sloar installs are going in with batteries, it simply doesn't make sense otherwise now. They are typically 4kW solar with 10-12kWh storage, i.e. 3-hour duration.

It goes fast from here

 

[nativewolf]

I have seen some households going that route but not large farms. Great to see, this will kill profits in peaker business

 

[CorneliusXX]

Yeah, that is 4-hours duration at max inverter rating. That is the new normal for a lot of utility solar projects.

Here in the UK about 95% of domestic sloar installs are going in with batteries, it simply doesn't make sense otherwise now. They are typically 4kW solar with 10-12kWh storage, i.e. 3-hour duration.

It goes fast from here

Where does the 95% domestic number come from? It's much higher than I would have guessed.

 

[petit_bateau]

Where does the 95% domestic number come from? It's much higher than I would have guessed.

From talking with installers and suppliers.

A little secret, hiding in plain sight, is that no-one in the UK gathers any data on domestic (residential) battery installs. It is not on any info that the installers send to MCS. It is not on any info that either the installer or the home owner send to the DNO. The govermnent and the utilities simply don't know*. I can phone around my contacts list and get more info in an hour than anybody in government or running the electricity grid is even vaguely interested in finding out.

I've got a little spreadsheet for the UK market that records the approximate year-by-year swing in this number for the UK. It is quite a swing.

That's why distributors place £20m orders with manufacturers for container loads of residential battery systems. Repeatedly.

The underlying reason is because exports are sold for a trivial amount (£0.03 or something) whereas imports are about £0.34/kWh at present. For the example of my own house that is worth about £600/yr, so a 10-year payback in cash terms. Which happens to be in the magic range of 7-10 year paybacks that cause most folk to press the buy button (speaking from experience in this market).

* the only one vaguely interested is HMRC !

 

[petit_bateau]

WTI $77 /bbl
Brent $83 /bbl
NL TTF gas €47 /MWh (EU Natural Gas - 2022 Data - 2010-2021 Historical - 2023 Forecast - Price - Quote)

NordStream FUD flying

Gas contracts central to Nord Stream pipeline mystery

The attack on the Nord stream gas pipeline has fueled an enormous amount of speculation

www.woodmac.com

Grid scale storage : data
(EM-GlobalData has 2022 utility scale at 26 GW; I estimated 20GWh. BNEF estimate was higher (30GWh). It is unclear whether EM-GD has an estimate or a data-backed actual; and it is unclear whether they mean GW or GWh .......... )

https://www.energymonitor.ai/tech/energy-storage/weekly-data-booming-battery-pipeline-heralds-era-of-renewables-dominated-grids

Russia sanctions

Assessing the Impact of International Sanctions on Russian Oil Exports

We use a unique high-frequency Russian customs dataset to evaluate the impact of international sanctions on Russia – focusing on Russian crude oil and oil produ

papers.ssrn.com

.... and ... evading sanctions via Turkey

A rail route in Russia was reopened to send LPG to Turkey

Sibur, Russia’s largest producer and exporter of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), resumed rail transportation between Tobolsk and the Russian port of Taman after a four-year hiatus. This new initiative will see significantly more Russian LPG being sent to Turkey via the Black Sea for the North...

www.railfreight.com

Don't stop now

Opinion: Why the EU must hold fast on its clean energy ambitions

The Ukraine war has boosted renewables but continued ramping up of EU clean energy ambitions will require a steady nerve and policy support.

www.energymonitor.ai

Guilty flyers, no end in sight

Scientists pour cold water on UK aviation’s net zero ambitions

Country would need to devote half its farmland or more than double its renewable electricity supply, says study

www.theguardian.com

Mainstream media sensing lithium story

Analysis: Lithium price slide deepens as China battery giant bets on cheaper inputs

Rare discounts offered by Chinese battery giant CATL to automakers have accelerated a plunge in lithium prices, and the market is set to drop a further 25% with supply growth outpacing demand, analysts and traders say.

www.reuters.com

US grid still messed up

Advanced Energy United warns frameworks needed for transmission buildout ‘don’t really exist’

Building out transmission in the U.S. will require strong federal leadership as well as interstate and interregional coordination, said AEU’s transmission campaign director, Verna Mandez.

www.utilitydive.com

German offshore grid moves

Germany to Interconnect 10 GW of Offshore Wind in North Sea

Transmission system operators, 50Hertz, Amprion, and TenneT, have , together with Germany's Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection, presented initial plans for inter-connecting offshore wind farms in the North Sea.

www.offshorewind.biz

Pretty normal, yet another solar company nigh-on doubling

Axitec expands solar panel capacity to 2 GW

Module manufacturer Axitec is ramping up its production capacity in China, India and Vietnam to meet growing demand for PV modules in Germany, Austria and Switzerland.

www.pv-magazine.com

Rig count down (JohnKempReuters)

https://fingfx.thomsonreuters.com/gfx/ce/gdvzqmmrwpw/US%20OIL%20DRILLING%20ACTIVITY.pdf

Uk utility solar new normal

Boom Power secures grid connection for solar project in UK

Boom Power has secured a 237.5MWac import and export grid connection for the Thorpe Marsh Power Station in Doncaster, South Yorkshire.

www.power-technology.com

India - very limited ambitions

India tenders 1 GW of pumped hydro storage, 200 MW of solar

Karnataka Ltd. has started accepting bids to develop up to 1 GW of pumped hydro storage, while Assam Power Distribution has revealed plans to procure 200 MW of PV capacity.

www.pv-magazine.com

Crikey, actual progress in South Africa, maybe

South Africa introduces rebate scheme for rooftop PV

South Africa’s new rebate program for private rooftop solar arrays has a budget of ZAR 4 billion ($216.7 million). It does not cover inverters, battery storage systems, or installation costs. However, some industry analysts have already criticized the scheme for failing to fully address the...

www.pv-magazine.com

Please no to deep seabed mining

‘One of the most important talks no one has heard of’: why the high seas treaty matters

The pressure is building around critical negotiations that could, if successful, shield swathes of the world’s ocean

www.theguardian.com

 

[nativewolf]

Lithium supply seems to be there til 2026 at least. One input to the question- can we get to 2030 producing at max ev production rates

 

[petit_bateau]

WTI $76 /bbl
Brent $82 /bbl
NL TTF gas €47 /MWh (EU Natural Gas - 2022 Data - 2010-2021 Historical - 2023 Forecast - Price - Quote)

ZNPP woes

IAEA to continue Zaporizhzhia safety zone efforts as war enters second year : Regulation & Safety - World Nuclear News

International Atomic Energy Agency director general Rafael Mariano Grossi said the agency will do all it can to ensure nuclear safety, as it publishes a report covering the events of the past year called Nuclear Safety, Security and Safeguards in Ukraine.

world-nuclear-news.org

and

Grossi's appeal over delay to IAEA staff rotation at Zaporizhzhia : Regulation & Safety - World Nuclear News

The planned rotation of the three International Atomic Energy Agency Support and Assistance Mission to Zaporizhzhia staff has now been delayed for more than two weeks, with Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi urging both sides to help facilitate the change in experts at the site.

world-nuclear-news.org

Sanctions tussles

Russia urges Bangladesh to resist sanctions pressure : New Nuclear - World Nuclear News

Bangladesh's ambassador in Moscow was summoned to the Russian Foreign Ministry after "several dozen" Russian vessels were banned from calling at ports in Bangladesh, including at least one ship carrying equipment for the Rooppur nuclear power plant under construction.

world-nuclear-news.org

Solar performance - worsening or not ?
- these folks say yes

Solar project performance is worsening, analysis shows

Solar project performance is worsening, analysis shows Solar - Renewable Energy World

www.renewableenergyworld.com

- but my capacity factor trend calculation suggests no

- I think what is happening is that the projects they are analysing are perhaps not meeting their financial prospectus predictions, but that globally solar PV is improving

15MW floater, conventional semisub

Floating Foundation for 15+ MW Offshore Wind Turbines Launches

Odfjell Oceanwind has launched the Deepsea Star™ harsh environment floating wind foundation designed to support wind turbines with a capacity of 15 MW and more.

www.offshorewind.biz

Chinese wind

China widens renewable energy supply lead with wind power push

China has been the world's largest and fastest-growing producer of renewable energy for more than a decade, but has widened its lead over international rivals through a steep acceleration in the roll out of wind capacity since 2021.

www.reuters.com

BMW expects to survive at least 7-years, .... on hydrogen

The Hydrogen Stream: BMW unveils hydrogen car demonstration fleet

BMW has launched its iX5 Hydrogen vehicle pilot fleet, with plans to start production by the end of the decade. Everfuel and Hy24, meanwhile, have launched a joint venture to accelerate hydrogen development in Scandinavia.

www.pv-magazine.com

Battery recycling, your loan gte in their hands

Battery recycler Li-Cycle Holdings inks $375m DOE loan pledge

Battery recycler Li-Cycle Holdings inks $375m DOE loan pledge Storage - Renewable Energy World

www.renewableenergyworld.com

Indian solar +15GW (vs world at +268GW) ......... so not fast enough

India installed 15 GW of solar in 2022, says Bridge To India

Adani accounted for the largest share of India’s 15 GW of solar installations last year, with 1.75 GW of capacity additions. The developer was followed by NTPC with 1.61 GW and Avaada with 1.38 GW, according to Bridge To India’s latest report.

www.pv-magazine.com

.... because, Indian coal

India cheers the return of 'King Coal' as industry sees buoyant future

India's coal industry celebrated the return of its major conference after a three-year pandemic hiatus by presenting a bullish view of demand, rising supply from new mines and strong demand for imports.

www.reuters.com

Storage control

Tranquillity Co-Located Solar + Storage - PXiSE Energy Solutions

Download a case study of how our Renewable Power Plant Controller (PPC) manages the Tranquillity utility-grade solar and storage site.

pxise.com

UAE nuke goes quickly

Third Barakah unit begins commercial operation : New Nuclear - World Nuclear News

The third unit at the UAE's nuclear power plant has been declared in commercial operation, less than a year after Barakah 2 reached the same milestone.

world-nuclear-news.org

UK nuke goes slowly

In Pictures: Hinkley Point C's first reactor arrives : New Nuclear - World Nuclear News

The first new nuclear reactor for a UK power station in more than three decades has finished its journey - by barge and then road - at the site in Somerset in southwest England.

world-nuclear-news.org

Japanese nuke favour

Poll finds record support for Japanese reactor restarts : Nuclear Policies - World Nuclear News

For the first time since the March 2011 accident at the Fukushima Daiichi plant, the majority of respondents in an annual survey conducted by the Asahi Shimbun are in favour of Japan's nuclear power reactors being restarted. Rising energy costs following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022 was...

world-nuclear-news.org

Dreadful accident in Greece

Greece: at least 38 dead, 85 injured following passenger and freight train collision

A collision between a passenger train and a freight train in northern Greece has left at least 38 dead and 85 injured, of which 53 remain in serious condition. Among the deceased are the drivers of both trains and four staff members of the passenger train. The accident happened shortly after...

www.railfreight.com

China-Russia axis

China-Russia trains keep increasing with new Langfang-Moscow line

The first international freight train left the city of Langfang, in northeast China, on 25 February and is heading towards Moscow. This new service is another example of how the flow of China-Europe trains this year is heavily skewed toward Russia. According to the official website of the Belt...

www.railfreight.com

US derail more info

Ohio derailment: the incriminated wheelset was 122°C too hot

The wheelset that caused a disastrous accident in Ohio, United States, at the beginning of February was 122°C hotter than the ambient temperature. This is what transpired from the preliminary report published by the National Transport Safety Board (NTSB) on 23 February. Norfolk Southern (NS)...

www.railfreight.com

 

[nativewolf]

think someone posted a link to Reuter about Russia export income falling year on year. Both due to sanctions and the overall fall in oil prices

 

[nativewolf]

Wind Power Accounted For 25% Of Texas’ Electricity Generation In 2022 | OilPrice.com

Texas is quietly becoming a model for renewables, with wind power accounting for 25% of the state’s electricity generation

oilprice.com

 

[petit_bateau]

WTI $78 /bbl
Brent $84 /bbl
NL TTF gas €47 /MWh (EU Natural Gas - 2022 Data - 2010-2021 Historical - 2023 Forecast - Price - Quote)

Tesla reconfirms 20m in 2030 ambitions etc

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

Global energy-related CO2 emissions grew by 0.9% or 321 Mt in 2022, reaching a new high of over 36.8 Gt.

https://iea.blob.core.windows.net/assets/3c8fa115-35c4-4474-b237-1b00424c8844/CO2Emissionsin2022.pdf

Simple cycle high, USA

U.S. simple-cycle natural gas turbines operated at record highs in summer 2022 - U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA)

www.eia.gov

Ooops, 10GW trip, Argentina

Argentina power line fire sparks huge blackout amid heat wave

Large swathes of Argentina were left without power on Wednesday afternoon after blackouts in the national grid due to a fire, officials said, as the country endures a major heat wave that has increased demand for energy.

www.reuters.com

Another day, another 1.6GW wind

Vestas to supply turbines for 1.6GW wind project in Germany

RWE and Northland Power have selected Vestas as the preferred turbine supplier for their Nordseecluster wind project in Germany.

www.power-technology.com

Uk wind bleats

UK wind developers call for extra tax breaks - Power Technology

Large renewable companies call for wind tax breaks from the UK government, in addition to the Contracts for Difference scheme.

www.power-technology.com

Juicy French FITs

France unveils new FIT rates for PV systems up to 500 kW

France's new feed-in tariffs (FITs) for the first quarter range from €0.2349 ($0.25)/kWh for installations below 3 kW in size to €0.1287/kWh for arrays ranging in capacity from 100 kW to 500 kW.

www.pv-magazine.com

People increasingly keen on offshore solar

Dutch Take Aim at Lower Green Hydrogen Costs by Combining Offshore Wind and Floating Solar

A consortium of Dutch companies has launched a government-backed project to explore the synergies between offshore wind, offshore solar and hydrogen production at sea for improved sustainability of North Sea renewable energy projects.

www.offshorewind.biz

Surely not ?

Will Ukrainian grain get stuck in Poland?

Transporting Ukrainian agricultural products, especially grain, via Poland may become significantly more difficult in 2023. The export of grain from Ukraine to Poland via the Izov-Hrubieszów rail border crossing has been prohibited since 27 February, according to the Ukrainian Agri Council...

www.railfreight.com

not good reading

Rail accident Greece: human error or systematic neglect?

The tragic railway accident involving a passenger and freight train in Greece has shocked the country and the world. With at least 46 people dead, and dozens missing and wounded, the accident triggered a series of resignations, including that of the Greek minister of transport. So far, it is...

www.railfreight.com

(done now, waiting on chembolts)

 

[petit_bateau]

WTI $78 /bbl
Brent $84 /bbl
NL TTF gas €45 /MWh (EU Natural Gas - 2022 Data - 2010-2021 Historical - 2023 Forecast - Price - Quote)

Winter is coming

Europe: Why analysts are so worried about energy security next winter

Drawing on a series of expert opinions, Energy Monitor explains why there remain serious energy security concerns in Europe.

www.energymonitor.ai

Problems ahead with Russia nuclear

EU reliance on Russian nuclear undermines energy security goals

Planned and existing nuclear projects with Russia threaten the energy security of many EU and non-EU nations, finds new research.

www.energymonitor.ai

UK VPP SolarEdge

SolarEdge launches battery virtual power plant to support the UK’s grid

Smart energy technology provider, SolarEdge Technologies, has announced the launch of its first battery virtual power plant (VPP) which will help stabilise Britain’s grid by allowing SolarEdge Home Battery owners to partake in National Grid ESO’s Demand Flexibility Service (DFS) scheme for the...

www.current-news.co.uk

Storage boom

The U.S. battery energy storage boom is just getting started

New analysis of large-scale battery storage deployments in the U.S. in 2022 underscores an industry in the midst of rapid growth.

www.renewableenergyworld.com

and

UK power capacity auctions turbocharging battery storage sector

Battery energy storage saw a major increase in contracted capacity in British auctions this year, with many utility-scale projects securing long-term deals. The business case, however, is not as strong for all storage durations.

www.pv-magazine.com

The airborne wind thing

Airborne wind energy is finally ready for lift-off

After 15 years of trial-and-error conceptual development, airborne wind energy finally looks set to take its seat at the net-zero table.

www.power-technology.com

Tesla not-neo

Implications: Tesla Announces Next Generation Rare-Earth-Free PMSM

At Tesla’s 2023 Investor Day on March 1st the company revealed that its next generation PMSM traction motors would not use rare earth permanent magnets. As stated by Colin Campbell, VP Powertrain Engineering at Tesla, “as the world transitions to clean energy, demand for rare earths...

www.adamasintel.com

Islands

Belgians to Start Building World's First Artificial Energy Island Next Year (VIDEO)

Belgian offshore construction companies Jan De Nul and DEME have won the tender for the construction of the world's first artificial energy island.

www.offshorewind.biz

Slovenia-China-rail : the first trans-Caspian China-Europe train from Jiaozhou, in eastern China, to the port of Koper, in Slovenia. The convoy, loaded with new electric vehicles, covered the 13,000-kilometre route in 45 days.

KTZ tests new China-Europe route to avoid the congested Black Sea

Kazakhstan Railways (KTZ) sent the first trans-Caspian China-Europe train from Jiaozhou, in eastern China, to the port of Koper, in Slovenia. The convoy, loaded with new electric vehicles, covered the 13,000-kilometre route in 45 days. This was the first time that this route was tested. The...

www.railfreight.com

 

[petit_bateau]

If you pull up the UK 2022 solar install data from MCS there were 130,596 PV installs done of which 106,671 were domestic.

The MCS Data Dashboard - MCS

datadashboard.mcscertified.com

A typical system is 4kW and these days 95% of them get an approx 10 kWh battery. Plus there are quite a lot of battery retrofits going into existing systems, so for simplicity let's say that all newbuild get 10kWh. This represents approximately a 2h battery sizing (strictly speaking 2.5h but many folk set upper and lower buffers). So that is 0.4 GW x 1.0 GWh of domestic battery install in UK in 2022.

To put that in perspective the UK grid just contracted via auction for 5 GW x approx 10 GWh grid capacity for delivery in five years time ! (I'm simplifying the auction data to assume all avge 2h systems). But by then the domestic build rate will be approx 3 GWh/yr at current mkt growth rates (this is likely a low estimate as a I expect things to accelerate)

UK power capacity auctions turbocharging battery storage sector

Battery energy storage saw a major increase in contracted capacity in British auctions this year, with many utility-scale projects securing long-term deals. The business case, however, is not as strong for all storage durations.

www.pv-magazine.com

Now you can see why the VPP effort is gathering pace everywhere :

SolarEdge launches battery virtual power plant to support the UK’s grid

Smart energy technology provider, SolarEdge Technologies, has announced the launch of its first battery virtual power plant (VPP) which will help stabilise Britain’s grid by allowing SolarEdge Home Battery owners to partake in National Grid ESO’s Demand Flexibility Service (DFS) scheme for the...

www.current-news.co.uk

 

[petit_bateau]

In yesterday's IEA release it noted that "Renewables met 90% of last year’s global growth in electricity generation". Out of interest I pulled the corresponding number up from my model which is 75%. The difference is that IEA has the 2022 actuals whereas I only have my 2022 forecast. Anyway very soon that number will repeatedly be over 100%, which is the point at which fossils are in irrecoverable decline even as electrification grows. Also from that point on the emissions from electrical energy are diminishing even as electricity use grows. By the way nuclear is barely growing, that is why the blue and the orange lines are pretty similar.

https://iea.blob.core.windows.net/assets/3c8fa115-35c4-4474-b237-1b00424c8844/CO2Emissionsin2022.pdf

 

[petit_bateau]

WTI $78 /bbl
Brent $84 /bbl
NL TTF gas €42 /MWh (EU Natural Gas - 2022 Data - 2010-2021 Historical - 2023 Forecast - Price - Quote)

EU automotive - 2035 problems

EU’s death sentence for cars hits a German roadblock

The effort to end the sale of combustion engine cars by 2035 is sparking a rearguard action from key countries.

www.politico.eu

and

Germany, Italy protest strict EU plan for combustion-engine ban

The threat to the EU's proposed ban on ICE cars comes as automakers have already moved well down the path of an all-electric future with unprecedented investments into the battery supply chain and new models.

europe.autonews.com

EU / US-IRA stuff

Fears of European industry exodus to U.S. may be overdone

European policymakers and executives have become less worried that billions of dollars of U.S. green subsidies will trigger an exodus of European firms across the Atlantic, and many think a huge new package of rival aid would not be the right response.

www.reuters.com

UK woes

Leading UK CEOs attack energy support policy as brake on investment

Criticism by Shell, DS Smith and ScottishPower chiefs add to sense of UK’s waning attractiveness to business

www.theguardian.com

More UK woes

Revealed: cabinet ministers warned of legal action over UK’s failure to tackle climate crisis

Senior civil servants have issued the warnings as government is way behind on net zero pledges, according leaked documents

www.theguardian.com

German solar installs almost doubling (this is a common theme for many places)

Germany registered 780 MW of new solar in January

Germany's cumulative PV capacity hit 68.2 GW at the end of January.

www.pv-magazine.com

Grid forecasting renewables

Forecasting model to manage renewables-powered grids

Scientists in South Korea have developed a forecasting model to better manage electric grids with high penetration of intermittent renewables. The model was tested using historic data from Pennsylvania-New Jersey-Maryland (PJM) grid in the United States, and shown to accurately forecast the...

www.pv-magazine.com

Remote solar, very

Solar, storage provides energy solution for remote Australian town

The remote town of William Creek in the Australian outback is now entirely powered by solar backed by a battery energy storage system, after the switch was flicked on a 200 kW PV array that eliminates the need for diesel generation.

www.pv-magazine.com

Danish off and on

Denmark Unsuspends Two Open-Door Offshore Wind Projects, 31 Still On Hold

The Danish Energy Agency has resumed the processing of the Aflandshage and the Frederikshavn offshore wind farm projects which are part of the recently paused open-door tendering scheme.

www.offshorewind.biz

Miners out the way

Column: Automakers rush in where miners fear to tread

The race for electric vehicle (EV) battery metals is heating up.

www.reuters.com

China coal

China leans on coal amid energy security push

China's state planner underlined a greater role for coal in its power supply on Sunday, saying the fossil fuel would be used to improve the reliability and security of its energy system.

www.reuters.com

 

[petit_bateau]

Methane matters

Revealed: 1,000 super-emitting methane leaks risk triggering climate tipping points

Vast releases of gas, along with future ‘methane bombs’, represent huge threat – but curbing emissions would rapidly reduce global heating

www.theguardian.com

‘We don’t feel safe’: US community in shock after record methane leak

A billion cubic feet of the potent greenhouse gas were spewed into atmosphere in rural Pennsylvania amid state’s fracking boom

www.theguardian.com

 

[petit_bateau]

WTI $80 /bbl
Brent $86 /bbl
NL TTF gas €42 /MWh (EU Natural Gas - 2022 Data - 2010-2021 Historical - 2023 Forecast - Price - Quote)

Food matters

Meat, dairy and rice production will bust 1.5C climate target, shows study

Emissions from food system alone will drive the world past target, unless high-methane foods are tackled

www.theguardian.com

Digital ecosystem ... meets market failures

Common digital energy infrastructure proposed for GB flex market

Regulator Ofgem has proposed the “world’s first distributed energy 'super’ marketplace” in the form of a common digital energy infrastructure.

www.smart-energy.com

Transmission wanted

DOE finds ‘pressing’ transmission needs, with interregional links offering the biggest benefits

“Large amounts of low-cost generation potential exist in the middle of the country and accessing this generation through increased transmission is cost effective for neighboring regions,” DOE said in a draft report discussed Friday.

www.utilitydive.com

Long duration hope/

Weekend Read: Light weight

When it comes to gravity batteries, pumped-hydro storage is the gold standard, but its cost and topography-specific limitations are driving innovations ranging from freight-train braking to super-dense liquids. We consider whether any of the new technologies can punch above their weight.

www.pv-magazine.com

Spanish renewables rise, note how it really is swinging towards solar and a summer glut is emerging

Spain installed 6.93 GW of PV in 2022

Spain installed 8,312 MW of new renewable energy capacity last year, including 4,281 MW of utility-scale solar, 2.64 GW of distributed-generation PV systems, and 1,382 MW of wind power.

www.pv-magazine.com

... and in USA, and note also the battery rise

Wind, solar, and batteries increasingly account for more new U.S. power capacity additions

www.eia.gov

(if we don't soon address permitting issues for wind there is going to be a real winter problem, globally)

Real island steps

Boa Barge 33 Hired for World's First Energy Island

TM Edison, a joint venture between Jan De Nul and DEME that was just awarded the tender to build the world's first artificial energy island in Belgium, has contracted Norwegian company BOA for the launching of 23 concrete caisson foundations for the energy island.

www.offshorewind.biz

OPEC-shale duo dance

CERAWEEK-OPEC, US energy executives discuss tight capacity at Houston huddle

U.S. energy executives and top OPEC officials on Monday discussed concerns about a lack of spare oil production capacity at a private dinner on the sidelines of a Houston conference, an executive who attended said.

www.reuters.com

BP seeks added value

Inside BP's plan to reset renewables as oil and gas boom

BP hasn't fallen out of love with renewables. It just wants to have more power.

www.reuters.com

Russian leakage

Exclusive: Russian crude oil heads to UAE as sanctions divert flows

The United Arab Emirates has been taking more cargoes of Russian crude oil, according to ship tracking data and trading sources, in another example of how Western sanctions on Russia have adjusted traditional energy trade flows.

www.reuters.com

 

[petit_bateau]

WTI $77 /bbl
Brent $83 /bbl
NL TTF gas €43 /MWh (EU Natural Gas - 2022 Data - 2010-2021 Historical - 2023 Forecast - Price - Quote)

NordStream rumours, unclearness

Officials believe pro-Ukraine group may have sabotaged Nord Stream – reports

Kremlin dismisses tentative intelligence from European and US agencies as a bid by the perpetrators to divert attention

www.theguardian.com

ZNPP rotation

Delayed rotation of IAEA experts at Zaporizhzhia takes place : Regulation & Safety - World Nuclear News

The changeover of International Atomic Energy Agency staff at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant has taken place, following a month-long delay, with the experts having to make part of the journey across the frontline by foot.

world-nuclear-news.org

EU : US-IRA response beginning to emerge

EU targets 40% of clean tech to be made within the bloc by 2030

Draft regulation is response to US subsidies and Chinese state support for green-tech sector

www.theguardian.com

Dollar switching

Insight: India's oil deals with Russia dent decades-old dollar dominance

U.S.-led international sanctions on Russia have begun to erode the dollar's decades-old dominance of international oil trade as most deals with India - Russia's top outlet for seaborne crude - have been settled in other currencies.

www.reuters.com

Good German heat pump grid integration modelling

Heat pumps vs. renewables – a dilemma for Germany’s way out of gas

Researchers have looked at whether Germany can substitute more gas with renewables-powered heat pumps or renewable electricity to reduce load hours at gas-fired power plants. They argue that heat pumps are the fastest way to cut German gas consumption.

www.pv-magazine.com

... and UK bad

Weekly data: One-third of UK funding for heat pumps and insulation is unspent

The UK government continues to underspend on home retrofits while there is already an investment gap of more than £8bn, a new analysis finds.

www.energymonitor.ai

French Med floaters

First French Floating Wind Connection Starts Taking Shape

French transmission system operator RTE Réseau de Transport d'Electricité has started work to connect the country's first floating offshore wind farm to the national grid.

www.offshorewind.biz

India woes

India’s booming economy stretches coal and power supplies to limit

India’s power generators and coal mines are being stretched to the limit to meet surging demand for power stemming from a fast-growing economy and rapid electrification.

www.reuters.com

Turkey EV tariffs

Turkey imposes 40% tariff on electric cars imported from China

Turkey will impose a 40 per cent additional tariff for the import of new energy vehicles (NEVs) from China. The increase was announced by the Turkish government on Friday 3 March. According to Chinese state media, the new tariff imposed by Turkey on Chinese electric vehicles will damage the...

www.railfreight.com

French nuclear

France collects new EU nuclear allies after Brexit

Nuclear proponents lost significant voting power after the UK let the EU, but France is cobbling together a new nuclear alliance.

www.energymonitor.ai

and

EDF teams up with Italian partners on SMR development : New Nuclear - World Nuclear News

France's EDF has signed a Letter of Intent with Italy's Ansaldo Energia, Ansaldo Nucleare and Edison to assess potential industrial cooperation for the development of nuclear power in Europe, including in Italy, specifically in the field of small modular reactors.

world-nuclear-news.org

Orkney gets only 220MW

Ofgem Gives Green Light for Scotland Orkney Transmission Link

The Orkney Islands are home to some of the world’s greatest resources of renewable electricity, from established onshore wind, to emerging marine technologies.

www.tdworld.com

Hydrogen coal nonsense

The Hydrogen Stream: Japan finances Australia’s plan to produce H2 from coal

A Japanese state innovation fund has agreed to finance a coal-to-hydrogen project in Australia, while Honda says it has taken another step toward the commercialization of zero-emission backup power generation.

www.pv-magazine.com

Shenyang rail hub

Sixth consolidation hub in China, closer to Russian border

China has launched a sixth consolidation hub for trains to Europe and Russia: the city of Shenyang in the east of China, conveniently located near the border with Russia. The first train from the new facility, translated as the Shenyang Puhe Logistics Center, departed on Saturday 4 March, with...

www.railfreight.com

 

[petit_bateau]

WTI $77 /bbl
Brent $83 /bbl
NL TTF gas €41 /MWh (EU Natural Gas - 2022 Data - 2010-2021 Historical - 2023 Forecast - Price - Quote)

Russia targets Ukraine energy (again, a war crime)

Ukrainian energy targeted in biggest Russian missile attack in weeks

Latest barrage reported to include use of hypersonic missiles, of which Moscow is believed to have only a few dozen

www.theguardian.com

EU carbon definitions

EU looks to define guidelines for carbon removals

An EU expert group will look to define potential EU guidelines for quantifying and verifying the climate benefits of carbon removals.

www.energymonitor.ai

Indonesia coal woes

How will Indonesia’s JETP move it beyond coal?

Indonesia's Just Energy Transition Partnership announced last year – with more details due in mid-2023 – targets coal-fired power plants.

www.energymonitor.ai

US coal woes

EPA proposes stricter wastewater discharge limits for coal-fired power plants

“We have attempted with this rule, and with some other rules, to align our rulemaking schedule, so that the power sector can be thoughtful about the investments that they have to make,” EPA Administrator Michael Regan said.

www.utilitydive.com

India coal woes

India taking steps to ensure adequate power supply during summer

India's power ministry on Thursday said it has taken several steps to ensure adequate power availability during the upcoming summer months, in an attempt to allay fears of power cuts due to surging demand in the country.

www.reuters.com

and not enough and not fast enough on the clean stuff .......

Adani to develop 15 GW of renewables in India

Adani Group has agreed to build 15 GW of renewable energy projects in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh.

www.pv-magazine.com

UK keeps on struggling on rail projects

Parts of HS2 to be delayed or cut as ministers prepare to reveal rising costs

At least £2bn extra needed for London-Birmingham section as inflation fuels yet more budget overruns on troubled rail project

www.theguardian.com

.... and Greek rail

Greece puts aside more money, wants to complete signalling system

The Greek government has announced a new set of measures to increase the safety system of the railways. The state budget will be increased and the signalling network will be completed. This was announced on Wednesday by the newly appointed Minister of Transport Giorgos Gerapetritis, who replaced...

www.railfreight.com

Brazil rail (inc for mining .........)

Deutsche Bahn to operate new 520-km line for port terminal in Brazil

Deutsche Bahn (DB) and Brazilian logistics firm Grão-Pará Maranhão (GPM) signed a 3-billion-euro agreement for the Alcantara Port Terminal (APT), in Sao Luis, northeastern Brazil. According to the agreement, DB will also become the rail operator of the new railway line connecting the terminal...

www.railfreight.com