Energy Sector News

[petit_bateau]

WTI $110.3
Brent $112.5

I've been wondering when this bad penny might drop, those LG pouch cells gotta go somewhere

Australia’s consumer watchdog warns about LG home batteries

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has issued a call for homeowners to check their residential energy storage systems, amid a national recall of that batteries due to concerns about overheating.

www.pv-magazine.com

which followed

Australian LG Chem Solar Battery Recall Announced

LG Energy Solution Australia issues a recall notice for various LG Chem RESU models and battery packs with cells from specific production lots

www.solarquotes.com.au

Siemens moves

Siemens Energy Makes EUR 4.04 Billion Siemens Gamesa Takeover Offer

Siemens Energy has launched a voluntary cash tender offer to acquire all outstanding shares in Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy, or approximately 32.9 per cent of Siemens Gamesa's share capital which it does not already own.

www.offshorewind.biz

Another line in the sand, more clearly, Taiwan, (US officials rush to say no change)

US would defend Taiwan if attacked by China, says Joe Biden

President says US’s responsibility to protect island is ‘even stronger’ after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine

www.theguardian.com

or

Biden says he would be willing to use force to defend Taiwan against China

U.S. President Joe Biden said on Monday he would be willing to use force to defend Taiwan against Chinese aggression in a comment that seemed to stretch the limits of the ambiguous U.S. policy towards the self-ruled island.

www.reuters.com

EU strategy critique

Opinion: REPowerEU can’t decide if it’s a climate or fossil plan

The European Commission's new REPowerEU package seems to be weighted toward replacing Russian fossil fuels with other fossil fuels.

www.energymonitor.ai

Going without Russia

Weekly data: Can Bulgaria live without Russian gas?

Will LNG and interconnectors enable Bulgaria to survive what was unthinkable just weeks ago, an end to Russian gas imports?

www.energymonitor.ai

German manufacturing suffers

How can a wind turbine factory still be closing in Europe in 2022?

German wind turbine manufacturer Nordex SE is due to close the country's last blade factory in June. How did we get here?

www.energymonitor.ai

Refiners ponder

Business is booming for oil refiners but they are also facing a dilemma

Global refining margins – the gross profit for processing one barrel of crude – typically hover between $2 and $5

www.thenationalnews.com

No *sugar*, doubletalk

Shell consultant quits, accusing firm of ‘extreme harms’ to environment

Caroline Dennett tells staff in video she made decision because of ‘double-talk on climate’

www.theguardian.com

UK attempts to stick finger in manufacturing dyke

UK Opens GBP 160 Million Floating Offshore Wind Funding Round

The UK government has opened the GBP 160 million Floating Offshore Wind Manufacturing Investment Scheme (FLOWMIS) for expressions of interest.

www.offshorewind.biz

More islands

CIP Unveils Plans for Offshore Wind-to-Green Hydrogen Energy Islands in Germany and Denmark

Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP) has unveiled plans to build an artificial island dedicated to large-scale production of green hydrogen from offshore wind in Denmark and has entered an agreement with Allianz Investment Management (AIM) to perform a feasibility study for a similar project...

www.offshorewind.biz

and that Hungary blocking EU thing ...........

EU reputation at stake as Hungary continues to block Russia sanctions

The EU has not found consensus on the new sanction package against Russia and an agreement could be still 'a week or two' away, EU's chief diplomat Josep Borrell said on 17 May, as Hungary said it would not lift its veto.

www.euractiv.com

Hungary must work with EU on Russian oil embargo, Germany's economy minister says

German Economy Minister Robert Habeck has warned Hungary against blocking efforts to impose an European Union-wide embargo on Russian oil imports in response to the war in Ukraine.

www.reuters.com

[Ticker] Germany would back Russia oil embargo without Hungary

German economy minister Robert Habeck has warned Hungary against blocking efforts to impose an EU-wide embargo on Russian oil imports in response to the war in Ukraine, Reuters reported. But the minister also added Germany would support the EU going ahead...

euobserver.com

probably related .....

EU Commission Launches Procedure That Could Cut Funding To Hungary

The European Union's executive arm has started a disciplinary procedure against Hungary that could lead to the freezing of EU funds for backsliding on democratic norms.

www.rferl.org

 

[petit_bateau]

WTI $110.3
Brent $112.5

LNG tilts east

LNG momentum swinging back to Asia as Europe demand eases

The merry-go-round of liquefied natural gas (LNG) between Europe and Asia appears to be tilting back toward Asia as buyers in the top-consuming region start to chase cargoes ahead of the summer demand peak.

www.reuters.com

EU still waiting on Hungary

EU oil embargo 'in days' as Ukraine isolation drives Russia closer to China

The EU will likely agree an embargo on Russian oil imports "within days," according to Germany, as Moscow said it saw its economic ties growing with China after being isolated by the West over its invasion of Ukraine.

www.euractiv.com

... and everyone is annoyed

The Guardian view on Viktor Orbán’s Brussels bashing: a reckoning must come | Editorial

Editorial: The contempt shown by Hungary’s prime minister for EU norms requires a response

www.theguardian.com

Russian oil in limbo

Cargoes of Russia's flagship crude oil at sea climb to record high

Some 62 million barrels of Russia's flagship Urals crude oil, a record amount, are sitting in vessels at sea, data from energy analytics firm Vortexa showed, as traders struggled to find buyers for the crude.

www.reuters.com

Taiwan .... changes ?

Taiwan overshadows Quad talks, Japan scrambles jets

Japan scrambled jets after Russian and Chinese warplanes neared its airspace during a visit by U.S. President Joe Biden on Tuesday, with Tokyo conveying "grave concerns" about what it saw as a provocative move timed to coincide with the Quad summit.

www.reuters.com

Venezuela ...... Iran

Exclusive: After revamping Venezuela's smallest oil refinery, Iran to fix the largest

Iranian state firms have started preparations to revamp Venezuela's largest oil refinery, the 955,000-barrel-per-day Paraguana Refining Center, four people close to the talks said, following a contract to repair its smallest facility.

www.reuters.com

Korean reactor builds just keep going like clockwork

South Korean APR-1400 starts up : New Nuclear - World Nuclear News

Unit 1 of the Shin Hanul nuclear power plant in South Korea has attained a sustained chain reaction for the first time, Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power announced. The unit - the first of two APR-1400 reactors at the site - is scheduled to be connected to the grid next month.

www.world-nuclear-news.org

France on the other hand

French regulator gives update on corrosion issue : Regulation & Safety - World Nuclear News

Bernard Doroszczuk, President of France’s Autorité de Sûreté Nucléaire, told a parliamentary hearing that the "discovery of unexpected stress corrosion" had led to checks of 35 welds so far, a third of the total to be examined by the end of June.

www.world-nuclear-news.org

and

EDF revises Hinkley Point C schedule and costs : New Nuclear - World Nuclear News

The start of electricity generation for unit 1 of the Hinkley Point C plant in the UK is now expected in June 2027 and the project completion costs are now estimated in the range of GBP25 to 26 billion (in 2015 prices), EDF has announced following a review.

www.world-nuclear-news.org

but UK has its own self-nflicted woes

UK parliament committee reviews AGR decommissioning funding : Waste & Recycling - World Nuclear News

The terms of the 2009 sale of seven advanced gas-cooled reactor nuclear power plants to EDF Energy "placed a disproportionate amount of risk for meeting future decommissioning costs on the taxpayer," the UK House of Commons Public Accounts Committee said in a report published on 20 May.

www.world-nuclear-news.org

Which is relevant because more to come

Nuclear included in EU's repowering plan : Nuclear Policies - World Nuclear News

The European Commission has formally adopted the REPowerEU plan which aims to rapidly reduce EU dependence on Russian fossil fuels. The plan recognises that nuclear will have a role to play in ensuring security of EU energy supplies, and highlights the importance of coordinated action to reduce...

www.world-nuclear-news.org

So this sort of thing will keep on going

UK reprocessing plant to end operations : Waste & Recycling - World Nuclear News

The Magnox reprocessing plant at Sellafield will end its operations in July, marking the completion of the UK Nuclear Decommissioning Authority's Magnox Operating Programme.

www.world-nuclear-news.org

LG to LFP for storage

LG Energy Solution unveils new battery storage solutions, moves to LFP

South Korean battery manufacturer LG Energy Solution presented its latest innovations at the Smarter E event in Munich last week. It also announced its transition from nickel-manganese-cobalt (NMC) battery chemistry to lithium iron phosphate (LFP) in its future products.

www.pv-magazine.com

... but unclear if also for vehicles

LG Energy Solution unveils its plans for LFP batteries

LG Energy Solution finally unveiled its plans for LFP (LiFePO4) batteries at the 2022 Smarter E event in Munich. Jorg Jurgens, LGES director of energy storage systems EMEA (Europe, the Middle East, and Africa), revealed the company’s plans to pv magazine. The new RESU Flex series will feature...

pushevs.com

... old rumours

LG Energy Solutions rumoured to be developing LFP pouch cells | electrive.com

www.electrive.com

 

[petit_bateau]

Update, Orban trying to win both ways

Hungary Reportedly Won’t Discuss EU Ban On Russian Oil—Crushing Brief Moment Of Hope For Cursed Embargo

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said he won’t talk over the proposed oil ban at a key summit of EU leaders next week in a letter to a top EU official viewed by the Financial Times.

www.forbes.com

Victor Orban refuses to discuss Russia oil embargo at EU summit – LAKI

 

[petit_bateau]

WTI $110.0
Brent $113.7

Hungary stretches the EU blockage
EU summit unlikely to find solution on Russia oil embargo, von der Leyen says

EU deals on LNG

Investing in liquefied natural gas in a carbon constrained world

On May 2, prospective exporter of liquefied natural gas (LNG) NextDecade announced the signing of a 15-year sale and purchase agreement (SPA) with French utility Engie. It was a significant event for two reasons.

www.naturalgasworld.com

Glencore bribes, fined $1.1 bn

Glencore Entered Guilty Pleas to Foreign Bribery and Market Manipulation Schemes

Glencore International A.G. (Glencore) and Glencore Ltd., both part of a multi-national commodity trading and mining firm headquartered in Switzerland, each pleaded guilty today and agreed to pay over $1.1 billion to resolve the government’s investigations into violations of the Foreign Corrupt...

www.justice.gov

Demand destruction, aluminium

Europe's aluminium output slides as energy crunch bites

Europe's primary aluminium smelters are continuing to curtail production in the face of soaring energy costs.

www.reuters.com

Plugg in offshore

World's First Offshore Vessel Charging Points to Be Installed on UK Wind Farms This Summer

The world's first offshore charging points for electric vessels will be installed on the Lynn and Inner Dowsing wind farms off the UK around late summer, according to the UK's Department for Transport.

www.offshorewind.biz

USA at risk, can anyone say climate change ?

NERC: Extreme Weather Heightens Reliability Risks this Summer

According to NERC’s 2022 Summer Reliability Assessment, several parts of North America are at elevated or high risk of energy shortfalls this summer.

www.tdworld.com

Advertorial, but correct, intelligent grids have substations at their heart

Powering the Way to a Decarbonized Future through Utilities Substation Modernization

Changes in power grid architecture require a modernized infrastructure to maximize the utilization of renewables at the edge.

www.tdworld.com

Distributed (i.e. smaller) wind in USA, the fight goes on

U.S. has potential for 1,400 GW distributed wind energy, NREL finds

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory analyzed the most promising locations in the U.S. for distributed wind projects.

www.renewableenergyworld.com

 

[petit_bateau]

WTI $110.4
Brent $114.2

Depressing opinion piece, some facts in support

Thread by @akoz33 on Thread Reader App

@akoz33: According to Arestovych: the “Old Europe” block (France, Germany, Italy) + Hungary (which has its own separate interest) is now trying to slow down the necessary heavy arms supplies to Ukraine deliberately t...…

threadreaderapp.com

Russian forces grinding away, very delicate situation

Invasion Day 91 – Summary - MilitaryLand.net

The summary of the 91st day of Russian invasion to Ukraine, as of 22:00 – 25th of May 2022 (Kyiv time). Day summary: The hottest points in Donbas remain Lyman and the area between Bakhmut and Popasna. Russian army has superiority in the region and are slowly advancing north-west, threatening to...

militaryland.net

and

Institute for the Study of War

Some pro-Russian milbloggers on Telegram continued to criticize the Kremlin for appalling treatment of forcefully mobilized Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics (DNR and LNR) servicemen–contradicting Russian information campaigns about progress of the R

understandingwar.org

Don't ask, don't tell (how you paid)

Payments in euros or dollars for Russian gas are working - German govt sources

Recent payments for Russian gas made in euros or dollars have worked, German government sources said on Wednesday, adding that the payments were in line with European Union rules.

www.reuters.com

India gets cheap Russian

India to continue buying 'cheap' Russian oil, discount to be finalised - source

India will continue to buy "cheap oil" from Russia but has not finalised terms of the discount, a senior government official familiar with the matter said on Wednesday.

www.reuters.com

LNG outlook obscured

Global LNG markets sail into the unknown ahead of winter

Global liquefied natural gas (LNG) buyers and sellers are bracing for more uncertainty over Russian supplies and an unclear demand outlook from Europe and top importer China in the run-up to the peak winter season, industry executives said.

www.reuters.com

A good global battery storage forecast, with a data point of interest now "Globally in 2021, the grid had 30 gigawatt-hours (GWh) of battery storage installed. We expect that number to be 400 GWh by 2030". Summary interesting, download required for more

Battery market forecast to 2030

Pricing, capacity, and supply and demand

www.tdworld.com

download as pdf

Battery market forecast to 2030: Pricing, capacity, and supply and demand

We used data-driven models to forecast battery pricing, supply, and capacity from 2022 to 2030. EV battery prices will likely drop in half. And the current 30 gigawatt-hours of installed batteries should rise to 400 gigawatt-hours by 2030. With such changes, how should a utility prepare?

www.esource.com

ABB battery for Egotricity

ABB, Ecotricity Partner on 10 MW UK Battery Storage Project

The partners hope this partnership will help pave the way for the National Grid’s journey to Net Zero by 2050.

www.tdworld.com

European urban heat islands

Copernicus Climate Data Store | Copernicus Climate Data Store

cds.climate.copernicus.eu

 

[mspohr]

Mostly for fossil fuels... Not really as a last resort. More like a first priority.

California's plan to avoid blackouts relies on fossil fuels as last…

Gov. Newsom is seeking $1B for home batteries, $300M to reduce demand — and $5.2B that would likely go to gas plants and diesel generators.

www.canarymedia.com

Now California Governor Gavin Newsom (D) has proposed $6.7 billion in additional spending over the coming years to shore up grid reliability. Some of that spending — nearly a billion dollars — would be aimed at expanding carbon-free energy. But much more of it — about $5.2 billion — would likely end up going to gas power plants and diesel backup generators the state hopes it won’t have to use.

 

[bkp_duke]

Mostly for fossil fuels... Not really as a last resort. More like a first priority.

California's plan to avoid blackouts relies on fossil fuels as last…

Gov. Newsom is seeking $1B for home batteries, $300M to reduce demand — and $5.2B that would likely go to gas plants and diesel generators.

www.canarymedia.com

Now California Governor Gavin Newsom (D) has proposed $6.7 billion in additional spending over the coming years to shore up grid reliability. Some of that spending — nearly a billion dollars — would be aimed at expanding carbon-free energy. But much more of it — about $5.2 billion — would likely end up going to gas power plants and diesel backup generators the state hopes it won’t have to use.

Newsom is pretty much in the utilities' back pocket. The way he's not taken a stand against their fight against solar has been very telling.

 

[petit_bateau]

WTI $114.2
Brent $117.5

There is a China strategy ?

The Administration’s Approach to the People’s Republic of China - United States Department of State

中文 (中国) | العربية | Français | हिन्दी | Português | Русский | Español | اُردو SECRETARY BLINKEN: Thank you. Good morning. It’s a real pleasure to be here at The George Washington University. This is an institution that draws outstanding students and scholars from around the world and where...

www.state.gov

Don't mention the ban anything

EU's awkward summit: Don't mention Russian oil ban

The EU's latest sanctions are held up by infighting, but a summit on Monday is unlikely to solve it.

www.bbc.com

EU help for households

Europe's efforts to shield households from soaring energy costs

Britain on Thursday announced a 15 billion pound ($18.9 billion) package of support for households struggling to meet soaring energy bills.

www.reuters.com

UK help for households

Sunak U-turns on ‘energy profits levy’ in £15bn cost of living package

Chancellor’s measures, including tax on oil and gas companies, criticised as too late and a ‘drop in the ocean’

www.theguardian.com

A significant issue, not talked about, "the wind supply wind chain, which is already operating at a loss." (or "why I no longer run a wind turbine manufacturer")

Germany Pondering 'Negative Bidding' in Offshore Wind, WindEurope Warns About Consequences

Germany is looking to introduce the so-called "negative bidding" for some of its new offshore wind auctions, according to WindEurope, which warned about the effects this approach could have on consumers and the supply chain.

www.offshorewind.biz

A GW at a time, we get there

All Jackets Installed at Greater Changhua 2a Offshore Wind Farm

Heerema Marine Contractors has announced that its heavy lift vessel Aegir completed the jacket foundation installation of the Greater Changhua 2a and will now move on to work on the foundation installation for the Greater Changhua 1 offshore wind farm in Taiwan.

www.offshorewind.biz

Solar in space ....

Can solar panels in space power the race to net zero?

The UK government is weighing up a £16bn project to put a solar power station in space. Although it sounds stranger than fiction, it isn’t.

www.energymonitor.ai

Onshore wind's biggest problem

How to overcome local opposition to wind projects - Energy Monitor

The "not in my backyard" or Nimby effect is too simple an explanation for local opposition to wind projects across Europe.

www.energymonitor.ai

Minerals, minerals,

Exponential EV sales highlights critical mineral shortages - IEA

According to the IEA, greater efforts are needed to anticipate EV supply chain bottlenecks and boost critical mineral production.

www.smart-energy.com

This would be good to see completed

Google and UK Power Networks chart AI-driven electric cable maps

Google’s DeepMind engineers have partnered with UK Power Networks to create digital maps covering more than 180,000km of electricity cables.

www.smart-energy.com

Oil under the sea

Offshore oil rig rates lifted by pandemic recovery, race to replace Russian crude

Rental rates for offshore oil and gas rigs have rocketed higher, boosted by a race to lift production because of the war in Ukraine and a recovery in demand after the COVID-19 pandemic.

www.reuters.com

EDF stuff

French utility EDF centres innovation strategy on AI and blockchain

Chief innovation officer Julien Villeret talks about what EDF's innovation strategy means for nuclear power, hydrogen and renewables.

www.energymonitor.ai

Boring subject #1, grid reliability

Wide Area Blackouts: Triggers

To create a reliable electric grid for years to come, a reasonable goal is to decrease the occurrence of wide area blackouts to once every 100 years.

www.tdworld.com

 

[petit_bateau]

A few things I missed recently

Brexit dividends are not just Irish ferries

Irish authorities approve subsea power link to France

Ireland has given the green light to install a 700 MW, high-voltage direct current submarine power cable between its southern coast and the northwestern coast of France.

www.pv-magazine.com

More payback for Russia happening already, well done Bulgaria & Greece

Greece-Bulgaria gas interconnector operational from 1 July

www.euractiv.com

 

[mspohr]

A few things I missed recently

Brexit dividends are not just Irish ferries

Irish authorities approve subsea power link to France

Ireland has given the green light to install a 700 MW, high-voltage direct current submarine power cable between its southern coast and the northwestern coast of France.

www.pv-magazine.com

More payback for Russia happening already, well done Bulgaria & Greece

Greece-Bulgaria gas interconnector operational from 1 July

www.euractiv.com

Electricity good.
NG bad. Gas Infrastructure will be used to destroy the environment long past the current crisis.

 

[petit_bateau]

Electricity good.
NG bad. Gas Infrastructure will be used to destroy the environment long past the current crisis.

I agree with that .

In this case one can either view this as environmentally neutral, replacing Russian gas with Azeri gas. Or an environmental win as otherwise the Bulgaruans (and Greeks) would need to bring back some mothballed coal plants.

There are also some coal plants (I think) in some of the other Balkan countries that may benefit from replacement by the Azero gas feed, before in due course being replaced by renewable.

So ... let's hope. But I agree with your point.

 

[mspohr]

I agree with that .

In this case one can either view this as environmentally neutral, replacing Russian gas with Azeri gas. Or an environmental win as otherwise the Bulgaruans (and Greeks) would need to bring back some mothballed coal plants.

There are also some coal plants (I think) in some of the other Balkan countries that may benefit from replacement by the Azero gas feed, before in due course being replaced by renewable.

So ... let's hope. But I agree with your point.

It also makes a difference if it is existing or new infrastructure.
From the article, it sounds like this is an already completed pipeline that was just waiting for approval. So the infrastructure was already built.
I would be more concerned if they were building new NG infrastructure.

 

[petit_bateau]

It also makes a difference if it is existing or new infrastructure.
From the article, it sounds like this is an already completed pipeline that was just waiting for approval. So the infrastructure was already built.
I would be more concerned if they were building new NG infrastructure.

My understanding is the spur to Bulgaria is construction that had been previously authorised, but the construction itself has been accelerated. (much like the Norway-Poland line). As you drive through Greece and Bulgaria (and Hungary and North Macednia, etc) you can see the old coal stations, the various reactor plants, and the oil refineries and the various pipelines.

(Plus increasing numbers of Teslas. In fact a Y parked opposite me now that I see around here a lot. About 3-4 hours drive from the nearest Supercharger, there needs to be a huge Supercharger build out in central and eastern Europe).

People misunderstand how much the EU has done to put in place (or revise) critical energy and military/logistics infrastructure since 2014. It is only because many of these things were done - however slowly - that EU is at all able to withstand Russian energy blackmail. Excpting of course Hungary and Serbia who do their best to support it

(A fair bit of the road and port infrastructure that has been going in is - deliberately - sted so as to have a dual military/civil purpose in support of NATO. If you know where to look.)

Anyway it will be interesting to observe the EU summit this week -

EU debates watering down Russian oil ban in face of Hungarian opposition

A deal to placate Hungary’s prime minister, Viktor Orbán, could allow pipeline imports via Ukraine

www.theguardian.com

 

[petit_bateau]

US markets closed today, in fact lots of countries have hols this week, prices from somewhere

WTI $115.7
Brent $120.1 (both up !)

EU tries again and again and again (Hungary .....)

EU, resolving a deadlock, in deal to cut most Russia oil imports

European Union leaders agreed in principle on Monday to cut 90% of oil imports from Russia by the end of this year, resolving adeadlock with Hungary over the bloc's toughest sanction yet on Moscow since the invasion of Ukraine three months ago.

www.reuters.com

some one still loves Russia

Negative views of Russia mainly limited to western liberal democracies, poll shows

Annual global survey of attitudes to democracy finds many countries maintain positive views of Russia

www.theguardian.com

Tanker traffic rerouting

Analysis: How the Ukraine conflict is reshaping global oil markets

Russia's invasion of Ukraine has reconfigured the global oil market, with African suppliers stepping in to meet European demand and Moscow, stung by Western sanctions, increasingly tapping risky ship-to-ship transfers to get its crude to Asia.

www.reuters.com

Not enough ships (I've read 500 Suezmax needed, only 200 exist, so this may be frontrunning the excuses for curtailment)

Russia should cut oil output by 30% to get better price, Lukoil's Fedun says

Russia should cut oil production by 20%-30% to 7 million-8 million barrels per day (bpd) to get a better price and avoid selling it at a discount, Leonid Fedun, the vice-president with Russian company Lukoil , wrote in RBC newspaper.

www.reuters.com

Iran not playing nicely

Iran seizes two Greek tankers amid rising tensions in the Gulf

IRGC forces swoop on ships in what appeared to be a reprisal for Greece’s role in earlier seizure of Iranian oil tanker

www.theguardian.com

Pacific wary of China bearing gifts

China’s foreign minister tells Pacific leaders ‘don’t be too anxious’ after they reject regional security pact

Several Pacific nations reportedly want to defer action on the draft agreement or have it amended

www.theguardian.com

India hot on coal, not enough

Exclusive: India faces wider coal shortages, worsening power-outage risks

India is expected to face a wider coal shortage during the quarter ending September over expectations of higher power demand, an internal power ministry presentation seen by Reuters showed, worsening risks of widespread power outages.

www.reuters.com

US offshore West coast wind leases

US Proposes First-Ever Offshore Wind Lease Sale on West Coast

On 26 May, the Department of the Interior (DOI) and its Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) issued a Proposed Sale Notice (PSN) for potential commercial wind energy development at up to five areas within the two previously identified Wind Energy Areas (WEAs) off California.

www.offshorewind.biz

Recycle big blades, starting now

Siemens Gamesa Producing First Recyclable Blades for Offshore Deployment

Siemens Gamesa is currently producing the first recyclable blades to be installed on an offshore wind farm at its factory in Hull, the UK.

www.offshorewind.biz

fossil aid to be cut by G7

G7 countries to stop funding fossil fuel development overseas

Ministers from world’s biggest economies reach agreement that could shift estimated $33bn a year to clean energy sources

www.theguardian.com

 

[mspohr]

Not a good as it could be.

G7 countries to stop funding fossil fuel development overseas

Ministers from world’s biggest economies reach agreement that could shift estimated $33bn a year to clean energy sources

www.theguardian.com

The G7 communique also failed to cover domestic public sector finance for fossil fuels, with some of the member countries still subsidising fossil fuels and providing hefty tax breaks.

On Thursday, the UK announced a windfall tax on fossil fuel companies, with a loophole that allows them to escape 90% of the levy if they invest in new oil and gas production in the North Sea, despite the UK’s carbon budgets. Critics said this would not help alleviate short-term supply issues as new exploration sites can take decades to come into production, and that it amounted to a de facto subsidy worth billions of pounds for new oil and gas.

 

[petit_bateau]

WTI $118.5/bbl
Brent $123.9/bbl

.... because EU has finally inked a deal on banning Russian oil imports, 70+% now, 93% by end year. And there aren't enough tankers to substitute for the pipelines so that oil is going to become substantially stranded inside Russia ....

Press corner

Highlights, press releases and speeches

ec.europa.eu

EU agrees Russia oil embargo, gives Hungary exemptions; Zelenskiy vows more sanctions

European Union leaders have agreed an embargo on Russian crude oil imports that will take full effect by end-2022, but Hungary and two other landlocked Central European states secured exemptions for the pipeline imports they rely on.

www.reuters.com

... full EU gas block deal unlikely, but one by one taps going off

Russia cuts gas supplies to Netherlands and firms in Denmark and Germany

Gazprom turns off the taps after EU move to embargo most Russian oil imports and companies miss deadline to pay in roubles

www.theguardian.com

EU leaders say gas unlikely to be part of new round of Russia sanctions

Estonian PM says gas sanctions would be more difficult because it would affect whole of Europe

www.theguardian.com

EU taxonomy, lobbying re vote in swing

EU taxonomy: Trade unions urge MEPs not to oppose plan : Nuclear Policies - World Nuclear News

The 20 unions representing Belgian, Bulgarian, Czech, Finnish, French, Hungarian, Lithuanian, Romanian, Slovakian and Slovenian energy workers say the inclusion of nuclear and gas in the EU taxonomy is vital for tackling climate change and increasing energy independence.

www.world-nuclear-news.org

War may go on a long time

https://twitter.com/x/status/1531535757768134656

... and in litigation, energy assets are likely to be attractive targets

Mass civil legal action to seek compensation for Ukrainian war victims

Exclusive: Lawyers to target assets of Russian state, military contractors and affiliated business figures across globe

www.theguardian.com

.... and nuclear in the frame

Ukraine says any IAEA visit to occupied Zaporizhzhia ‘unacceptable’ : Regulation & Safety - World Nuclear News

The State Nuclear Regulatory Inspectorate of Ukraine says that an inspection mission from the International Atomic Energy Agency should not take place until the six-reactor nuclear power plant is no longer under Russian control.

www.world-nuclear-news.org

... and HUngary of course

Hungary bolsters energy diplomacy : New Nuclear - World Nuclear News

The Hungarian government has organised energy issues, including the Paks II project, to be under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, citing the changing situation in energy as well as around the project to build a Russian-supplied nuclear power plant.

www.world-nuclear-news.org

Hydrogen not an answer

Why hydrogen is not the answer to petrostates’ woes

Hydrogen production may help some petrostates diversify during the energy transition. But it will be no replacement for oil and gas.

www.energymonitor.ai

African diesel boom ... until high prices

Weekly data: Africa's diesel generation boom - Energy Monitor

With solar power deployment unable to keep up with economic growth, off-grid diesel generation is booming across Africa.

www.energymonitor.ai

the shipping thing

A net-zero Maersk: turning around an emissions super-tanker

The shipping sector poses some of the greatest challenges to climate action, but Denmark's Maersk is heading towards net zero undeterred.

www.energymonitor.ai

uranium stocpiles R us

US brokers and traders increase uranium inventories : Uranium & Fuel - World Nuclear News

The "vast majority" of uranium delivered in the USA in 2021 was of foreign origin, according to the US Energy Information Administration. Uranium inventory held by US brokers and traders has grown for the second consecutive year, and has almost tripled since 2019.

www.world-nuclear-news.org

standard nuclear

Viewpoint: The nuclear industry’s need for harmonisation : Perspectives - World Nuclear News

International collaboration and initiatives to harmonise the regulatory process for new nuclear are of fundamental importance to the safe and successful deployment of small modular reactors across the world, with positive steps already being taken, says Ramzi Jammal, executive vice-president and...

www.world-nuclear-news.org

That crane is back

Saipem 7000 Back in Action Following Crane Incident

Semi-submersible crane vessel, Saipem 7000, is returning to the Seagreen wind farm offshore Scotland to resume the installation of jacket foundations at the 114-turbine site. Saipem 7000 and support vessels are expected to arrive on site on or around Wednesday, 1 June, the project’s latest...

www.offshorewind.biz

China floater at 6MW

CSSC Installing 'Largest Floating Wind Turbine in China'

China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC) has towed what it says is the country's largest floating wind turbine to its designated location.

www.offshorewind.biz

China compressed air storage

China’s first salt cavern for compressed air energy storage goes online

Huaneng Group has finished building a 300 MWh storage project in Changzhou, in China's Jiangsu province. The state-owned company has already started operating the facility, which is situated in a salt cavern.

www.pv-magazine.com

US DoE storage study, magic is 2-4 hours

Solar-plus-storage vs. wind-plus-storage

US scientists have come up with an analytical way to evaluate the costs and net value of different configurations of large-scale wind and solar projects paired with battery storage. They identified six trends in the US electricity market and found that their framework is aligned with current...

www.pv-magazine.com

 

[petit_bateau]

WTI $116.3
Brent $117.3

Russia adjusting

EU's phased-in oil embargo allows Russia time to adjust, say analysts, sources

Europe's phased-in rather than immediate embargo on Russian oil gives Moscow time to re-route volumes to new customers in Asia in the next six months, Russian analysts and traders said on Tuesday.

www.reuters.com

US aircon usage now at 88% ..... and I expect Europe will start increasing

Nearly 90% of U.S. households used air conditioning in 2020 - U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA)

www.eia.gov

Significant renewables wedge in India

Record renewables output helps India ease coal shortage in May

Record green energy output reduced Indian dependence on coal in May, despite 23.5% growth in power demand, contributing to a rise in utilities' coal inventories, a Reuters analysis of government data showed.

www.reuters.com

Dedicated storage cell factory

SolarEdge opens 2 GWh battery cell facility in South Korea

The manufacturer of solar PV inverters and battery storage solutions will add 2 GWh of battery cell production capacity with the addition of the "Sella 2" facility.

www.renewableenergyworld.com

47.6% efficiency ...

Fraunhofer ISE achieves 47.6% efficiency with III-V four-junction CPV cell

Fraunhofer ISE have improved the performance of a cell structure originally developed by France’s Soitec in 2014. The German scientists managed to reduce resistance losses and the reflection on the cell front side.

www.pv-magazine-india.com

Hydrogen sense

Green hydrogen megaproject in SA discontinued

Kallis Energy Investments has confirmed it will shelve its proposal to build a 6 GW renewable hydrogen project in Moolawatana, South Australia, due to water supply issues.

www.pv-magazine-australia.com

Notice the scale difference

Chinese PV Industry Brief: China’s NEA predicts 108 GW of solar in 2022

The Chinese government says the nation is on track to install 108 GW of PV this year. Huaneng says it will build a new 10 GW module factory, while Akcome has revealed plans to increase its heterojunction panel capacity by 6 GW.

www.pv-magazine.com

vs

Germany deployed 553 MW of solar in April

Germany's new solar additions for April included 517 MW under the country's incentive scheme and 35 MW of unsubsidized installations.

www.pv-magazine.com

 

[petit_bateau]

WTI $111.5
Brent $112.8

Serbian wind

Serbia Pushes for Green Power in First Wind Project Between State-Owned EPS and Siemens Gamesa

The 66 MW Kostolac project is the first for Siemens Gamesa in Serbia. The project will sit on former coal mining land as EPS expands its energy sources.

www.tdworld.com

Battery forecasts to 2030

Battery market forecast to 2030

Pricing, capacity, and supply and demand

www.tdworld.com

Grid planning used to be so simple

Into the Void: Distributed Planning Poses Questions that Need to be Addressed

Since grid planning has always been the domain of electric utilities, the concept of distributed planning poses some interesting questions that need to be addressed.

www.tdworld.com

Advertorial for ABB grid stuff

Grid Resilience: A Balancing Act

The inherently complex challenge of achieving grid resilience and the latest breakthrough technologies that can help.

www.tdworld.com

Complicated widgetry for homes

PVT-biomass system for space heating in small homes

A US-Chinese research group has developed a hybrid system proposal based on photovoltaic-thermal (PVT) modules, a heat pump, a backup electric boiler, and biomass generating units. They say it could be used as space heating in a single-floor home.

www.pv-magazine.com

Brazil solar gangbusters

Brazil imported 5.2 GW of solar modules in Q1

High-power solar panels with outputs above 500 W accounted for more than 60% of all PV module imports to Brazil by volume in the January-March period.

www.pv-magazine.com

Italy solar pricing .... read those prices baby

Italy allocates 300 MW of solar in latest renewables auction

Italy’s energy agency has awarded 300 MW of solar capacity at 34 locations, but it only selected a 6 MW wind project in its latest auction. All developers offered a maximum discount ranging from 2% to 3.02% off the auction ceiling price of €0.065 ($0.07)/kWh.

www.pv-magazine.com

Big grids needed for bigwind and big solar projects

Transgrid builds high-voltage interconnector to link Australian states

Transgrid, the transmission network owner in the Australian state of New South Wales, has started building its section of the AUD 2.3 billion ($1.64 billion) Project EnergyConnect. The high-voltage electricity transmission interconnector will link power grids across three states, unlocking...

www.pv-magazine.com

JohnKempReuters chartbook on US natgas

https://fingfx.thomsonreuters.com/gfx/ce/zgpomelogpd/US%20GAS%20EXPORTS%20PRODUCTION%20AND%20INVENTORIES.pdf

Get ready to hear lots more about CBAM --- as I have said before

EU’s carbon border tax moving (too?) fast

The EU’s carbon border adjustment mechanism now picking up speed in the European Parliament will have ripple effects worldwide.

www.energymonitor.ai

careful Poland

Opinion: Poland’s false sense of energy security - Energy Monitor

New research suggests Poland's energy security is at risk if it sleepwalks into a gas supply deficit as ageing coal plants close.

www.energymonitor.ai

lithium recycling

EV battery recycling: As EV sales rise, recyclers are getting ready

With governments investing in electric cars, securing future critical mineral supplies – including through recycling – is top of mind.

www.energymonitor.ai

UK nuclear blame game

A history of radioactive decay: Who really messed up the UK’s nuclear industry?

Conservatives like to blame Labour for a lack of UK nuclear power investment, but the cause is privatisation and neglect under both parties.

www.energymonitor.ai

 

[petit_bateau]

WTI $116.1
Brent $117.0

Opec mumbles elephant

Opec agrees to ramp up oil production, but fails to exclude Russia

Brent crude makes small rise to $116.94 as group sets extra output higher at 650,000 barrels a day

www.theguardian.com

Please actually make something in UK,

Scotland Invites Manufacturers to Homeport at Floating Wind Port Cluster

Scotland's Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) has partnered with Scottish Development International (SDI) and the Department for International Trade (DIT) to launch a global initiative to attract overseas manufacturing companies of scale to the Scottish Floating Wind Port Cluster.

www.offshorewind.biz

Deeply sceptical am I

German Industry Calls for 10 GW, EUR 10 Billion Push for Offshore Green Hydrogen Production

Eight associations and networks in Germany, through a joint initiative called Offshore-Wind-H2-Eight (Offshore-Wind-H2-Achter), have called for bigger and concrete steps in bringing hydrogen production at sea, powered by offshore wind, to a more significant spot in German plans for producing...

www.offshorewind.biz

Spanish floaters

Saitec Unveils Plans for 50 MW Floating Wind Farm Offshore Spain

Saitec Offshore Technologies wants to build a 50 MW pre-commercial pilot floating wind farm offshore Costa Brava by 2025.

www.offshorewind.biz

French solar

France deployed 484 MW of PV in Q1

France's cumulative installed PV capacity reached 14.6 GW at the end of March.

www.pv-magazine.com

Indian solar

India installed 456 MW of rooftop solar in Q1

India’s rooftop solar installations increased by 34% year on year in the January-March period, despite a 17% increase in system costs.

www.pv-magazine.com

(comment -
(1: similar sized deployments
(2: "despite a 17% increase in system costs." is imho where solar is really going

 

[petit_bateau]

WTI $119.6
Brent $120.4

Portugal going big offshore

Portugal Postpones First Offshore Wind Auction, Doubles Capacity Target

Portugal plans to hold its first offshore wind auction in 2023 with the aim of awarding between 6 GW and 8 GW of capacity, according to João Galamba, the country's Secretary of State for Energy.

www.offshorewind.biz

maybe onshore solar too

The weekend read: Portugal’s enormous PV potential

Portugal’s PV tenders have generated headlines on the back of world-record tariffs. But the country has failed to add meaningful capacity and is now struggling to establish a workable licensing system. Merchant solar shows enormous potential to drive the market, but will politicians listen?

www.pv-magazine.com

OPEC saying doing gap

OPEC+ words contrast with Saudi action of raising oil prices

The gap between what is said in crude oil markets and what actually happens in the physical trading world has been illustrated by a commitment by the OPEC+ group to boost output being followed by its top member, Saudi Arabia, raising prices.

www.reuters.com

Texas ERCOT gap

Texas power use to hit record as temperatures soar

Power demand in Texas is set to break its all-time record this week, testing the resilience of the grid after generation issues this year and a days-long blackout during a deep freeze in 2021.

www.reuters.com

Midwest MISO gap

NERC assessment highlights potential electricity reliability concern for central U.S. - U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA)

www.eia.gov

Dutch picking up splinters with wind

Dutch Gas Platform to Be Powered by German Offshore Wind Gets Go-Ahead

The Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate has granted ONE-Dyas the permits for the development of a gas field whose platform will run entirely on the electricity from the Riffgat offshore wind farm in the German part of the North Sea.

www.offshorewind.biz

I wonder how long before 15MW floaters ? (the gap between going out fixed and going out floating is closing, by 20MW could be reversed)

First Hywind Tampen Floating Wind Turbine Heads Offshore

The first of the 11 Siemens Gamesa 8.6 MW floating wind turbines has started its journey from the Wergeland Base in Gulen towards the installation site some 140 kilometres offshore the Norwegian coast.

www.offshorewind.biz

and there will be lots

WindEurope Expects Over 10 GW of Floating Wind in Operation by 2030

Based on current targets and tendering activities for floating wind in several European countries, WindEurope expects the continent to have more than 10 GW of installed floating wind capacity by 2030.

www.offshorewind.biz

HV cables need sources

Ocean Winds to Apply for Consent for 1.6 GW Irish Project

Ocean Winds, a joint venture between EDP Renewables and ENGIE, has opened public consultation for the development of its proposed Réalt na Mara wind farm offshore Ireland, for whose Maritime Area Consent (MAC) the developer plans to apply early next year.

www.offshorewind.biz

Solar doing the normal

Chinese PV Industry Brief: LDK to invest in 600 MW HJT solar cell factory as price of polysilicon soars

A Chinese metals industry group said the price of polysilicon is rising, just as Comtec Solar revealed that it is gearing up to sell off its shuttered wafer factories in Shanghai. Flat Glass, meanwhile, has announced plans to expand solar glass production capacity.

www.pv-magazine.com

and again

SMA to raise inverter capacity to 40 GW

SMA Solar Technology has announced plans to build a new manufacturing facility at its headquarters in Niestetal, Germany.

www.pv-magazine.com