Energy Sector News

[nativewolf]

Ford, Sunrun to backup solar homes with the electric F-150

With Ford Intelligent Backup Power and the Home Integration System, F-150 Lightning will automatically kick in to power the home if the grid goes down, while also giving customers the freedom to charge their truck or power their home using their residential solar installation.

pv-magazine-usa.com

Not sure where to post this but lets leave it here. Not quite full V2G but interesting that Ford is making this move with Sunrun. Continue to be impressed by Ford

 

[petit_bateau]

Climate, weather, whatever ...

Extreme weather has cost Europe about €500bn over 40 years

European Environment Agency data shows worst-hit countries to be Germany, France and Italy

www.theguardian.com

More info on the ship collision off NL

Vattenfall Shows Damage Caused by Cargo Ship Adrift at Hollandse Kust Zuid Offshore Wind Farm

Julietta D, the bulk carrier that had drifted in the Hollandse Kust Zuid wind farm offshore the Netherlands for several hours on Monday, 31 January, collided with one of the wind turbine monopile foundations at the 1.5 GW wind farm.

www.offshorewind.biz

Hydrogen demonstrator

Ørsted to Put Its First Green Hydrogen Project Into Operation in Next Six Months

Ørsted's H2RES offshore wind-to-hydrogen demonstration project in Denmark is expected to go into operation in the first half of 2022.

www.offshorewind.biz

Nuclear taxonomy ..... EU proposal for transitional inclusion ....... tbd

Press - World Nuclear Association

Press statements from World Nuclear Association

world-nuclear.org

ROPEC+ struggle to pump

Crude oil remains hostage to OPEC+'s underperformance: Russell

The latest meeting of the OPEC+ group of oil exporters apparently took just 16 minutes to decide to stay on their current course. Perhaps they should have spent more time working out how they will actually meet their production targets.

www.reuters.com

Heating decarbonisation is difficult if you never try to start ....

https://committees.parliament.uk/publications/8742/documents/88647/default/

Chinese progress on air pollution

https://aqli.epic.uchicago.edu/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/China-Report_FEB2022-2.pdf

UK trade difficulties ... not Brexit of course

‘It is soul-destroying’: lorry drivers face hours stuck in queues at Dover

Emergency traffic controls triggered 20 times this year as extra Brexit checks and freight volumes cause logjams

www.theguardian.com

... might quickly get a lot worse ...

Northern Ireland minister orders halt to Brexit agri-food checks

DUP’s Edwin Poots says he has ordered top civil servant to stop port checks, but not clear whether he will comply

www.theguardian.com

... very soon ...

Boris Johnson ambushed by DUP over halt to Northern Ireland Brexit checks

Unilateral move by Stormont agriculture minister sets UK on new collision course with Brussels

www.theguardian.com

... one way or another ...

Northern Ireland first minister resigns over Brexit checks on goods

Paul Givan’s move triggers parallel departure of deputy first minister and could bring forward elections

www.theguardian.com

And the Russian naval task force that is heading for the Black Sea is basically an invasion fleet

Russia to move naval drills away from Irish coast

Russia has agreed to relocate a live-firing exercise that was planned to take place in international waters in the Irish Sea, Moscow's ambassador to Ireland has...

www.janes.com

which might be some distraction from household energy costs caused by utter stupidity by UK Cons

British households face record 54% energy bill rise as price cap is raised

Move by Ofgem means millions likely to be driven into fuel poverty unless government acts to ease cost of living crisis

www.theguardian.com

but more jam tomorrow

Britishvolt and Glencore to build plant capable of recycling lithium-ion batteries

Facility at Northfleet, Kent, will be able to recycle a minimum of 10,000 tonnes of batteries a year

www.theguardian.com

 

[petit_bateau]

Ford, Sunrun to backup solar homes with the electric F-150

With Ford Intelligent Backup Power and the Home Integration System, F-150 Lightning will automatically kick in to power the home if the grid goes down, while also giving customers the freedom to charge their truck or power their home using their residential solar installation.

pv-magazine-usa.com

Not sure where to post this but lets leave it here. Not quite full V2G but interesting that Ford is making this move with Sunrun. Continue to be impressed by Ford

I'm not sure where V2G will go though I expect it will continue to be a ra-ra poster child by the marketing types. Most people who are proponents are technically incompetent and/or economically delusional. To make a vehicle V2G-ready at (say) 5kW level requires hauling around a $2k grid-tie inverter for the whole lifetime if it is AC-linked. (and the weight and volume). On the other hand to be DC-linked typically ties one into proprietary solutions and simply moves the cost into the house. Overall I don't think we will see huge V2G uptake.

A small amount of V2H may come through - the 1kW non-grid-tie inverter in the site-vehicle market and/or recreational vehicle market.

I have more time for Ford than for GM or Chrysler, so I share that sentiment.

 

[nwdiver]

I'm not sure where V2G will go though I expect it will continue to be a ra-ra poster child by the marketing types. Most people who are proponents are technically incompetent and/or economically delusional. To make a vehicle V2G-ready at (say) 5kW level requires hauling around a $2k grid-tie inverter for the whole lifetime if it is AC-linked. (and the weight and volume). On the other hand to be DC-linked typically ties one into proprietary solutions and simply moves the cost into the house. Overall I don't think we will see huge V2G uptake.

A small amount of V2H may come through - the 1kW non-grid-tie inverter in the site-vehicle market and/or recreational vehicle market.

I have more time for Ford than for GM or Chrysler, so I share that sentiment.

You can have a bi-directional charging module or engineer the drive inverter to output a grid waveform.

 

[petit_bateau]

You can have a bi-directional charging module or engineer the drive inverter to output a 60Hz waveform.

You can do many things, but not all of them are economically viable, technically attractive, or regulatorily permissible.

My own suspicion is that until a dominant design emerges in the residential stationary storage market, it will not be possible for a tesselating dominant design to emerge in the V2G market. I also suspect that by the time (if ever...) a dominant design emerges in the stationary residential storage market the motivation for V2G will have largely gone. I think V2G must necessarily come second.

I have the scars from working in this area as an engineer and as a business owner, and I am considerably poorer as a result, and I can assure you I tried to thread a way through the minefield carefully. Pretty much the only company that I think might make a go of it is Tesla, and so far as we can all see they are holding back - for what I consider to be very sound reasons. Pretty much the only state that I think could realistically impose a pathway on its industrial players at this point is China, and they too are holding back.

 

[nwdiver]

You can do many things, but not all of them are economically viable, technically attractive, or regulatorily permissible.

My own suspicion is that until a dominant design emerges in the residential stationary storage market, it will not be possible for a tesselating dominant design to emerge in the V2G market. I also suspect that by the time (if ever...) a dominant design emerges in the stationary residential storage market the motivation for V2G will have largely gone. I think V2G must necessarily come second.

I have the scars from working in this area as an engineer and as a business owner, and I am considerably poorer as a result, and I can assure you I tried to thread a way through the minefield carefully. Pretty much the only company that I think might make a go of it is Tesla, and so far as we can all see they are holding back - for what I consider to be very sound reasons. Pretty much the only state that I think could realistically impose a pathway on its industrial players at this point is China, and they too are holding back.

Using an EV to export to the grid is probably going to be a silly idea for another ~10 years. The first step is opportunistic charging as demand response. Exporting makes no sense until we've mastered that skill and we're still A LONG way off.

But using it as an emergency power source would be great. And it's an engineering challenge not a material one. I have an EcoFlow that I'm pretty sure uses the same board that converts DC => AC to convert AC => DC since the charge rate is suspiciously the same as the inverter power. If a $500 battery generator can do this I'm confident a $50k EV can.

 

[petit_bateau]

Using an EV to export to the grid is probably going to be a silly idea for another ~10 years. The first step is opportunistic charging as demand response. Exporting makes no sense until we've mastered that skill and we're still A LONG way off.

But using it as an emergency power source would be great. And it's an engineering challenge not a material one. I have an EcoFlow that I'm pretty sure uses the same board that converts DC => AC to convert AC => DC since the charge rate is suspiciously the same as the inverter power. If a $500 battery generator can do this I'm confident a $50k EV can.

I think we agree ...

I think the islanded cases of Vehicle-to-Site (V2S) or Vehicle-to-Home (V2H) are relatively trivial to achieve, provided of course you laggardly USians agree to accept the global dominant design of 220/240V (none of this wishywashy 110V nonsense) and that we will see vehicles progressively coming to market that do that in the 1-3kW range. I expect they will typically do that with a dedicated DC>AC inverter as they won't want to risk the main vehicle modules on it, plus it will likely typically be an optional factory-specified extra, i.e. real hardware, not just a software-enabled feature.

As any of us know who have ever dealt with real customers - who are 100x worse than even our own Sales&Marketing colleagues - the average user will then go and plug the above V2H solution into their own home whilst it is grid-connected and BAD THINGS WILL HAPPEN. Sooner rather than later. That in turn will mean a suefest, making the trivial profit in selling the factory-option go up in smoke even faster than the power electronics. (And that is why they won't want to risk the main modules on it).

I'm cool with Tesla hanging back on this. As I said the only company I think can make a go of it at scale at present is Tesla and they too have people thinking like me saying "whoa there". In fact I have worked with some of them on some aspects of this over the past few decades.

But yes I agree, V2H / V2S will come during this decade. After that let's see where V2G goes.

 

[nativewolf]

Terraform Industries Whitepaper

Cheaper hydrocarbons from CO2 direct air capture and sunlight. terraformindustries.com Executive Summary Terraform Industries is a bet on cheap solar, synthetic hydrocarbon supremacy, and hyperscal…

caseyhandmer.wordpress.com

Ok not really sure where to post this either but we'll put here. Casey is a bit of a polymath. He's quite brilliant, not a bad writer, and a huge fan of space exploration.

I thought the posters here would appreciate this latest missive, a private corporation looking to solve CO2 challenge and make a buck. Impact capitalism. FYI he's a huge Tesla and SpaceX fan.

 

[petit_bateau]

Different countries pay for their roads different ways. In the UK toll roads are very rare and tolls are very detested.

‘No viable alternative’: UK must introduce road pricing, MPs say

Transport committee concludes that drop in fuel-duty revenues from shift to electric requires urgent action

www.theguardian.com

A lot of the elements of [EU programme] 'Fit for 55' are going to make driving more expensive, there is no way around it.

Where do drivers fit into the energy transition?

The FIA’s Laurianne Krid says the battle between industry and NGOs over the energy transition in transport could leave drivers stranded.

www.energymonitor.ai

DeltaEE are one of my favourite consultancies. Here they are sniffing the hydrogen kool-aid

2022 – green hydrogen tipping point predicted

Consultants Delta-EE anticipates 2022 as the tipping point year that policy support will create a viable business case for green hydrogen.

www.smart-energy.com

Gas price spike effects give coal a respite

Gas crisis results in 26% drop in EU coal decline

Coal power declined by just 3% from 2019 to 2021, down from 29% in the two years previous, as new renewables replaced gas instead of coal.

www.energymonitor.ai

Thoughts on German view re Ukraine/Russia

Weekly data: Germany’s stance on Ukraine-Russia dispute isn’t just about gas

Germany has reacted in a more restrained manner than the US over Russia's threat to Ukraine, but this is about more than gas security.

www.investmentmonitor.ai

Sino-Soviet axis strengthening again, expect OPEC to become their client-states (not US-clients)

Xi and Putin urge Nato to rule out expansion as Ukraine tensions rise

Chinese and Russian leaders call on west to abandon ‘cold war’ approach at pre-Olympic meeting

www.theguardian.com

1600MW stationary storage good for PGE, so why don't they like homeowners doing it

PG&E Proposes Nearly 1600 MW of New Battery Energy Storage Capacity

Projects expected to deliver clean energy to customers by 2024.

www.tdworld.com

Some choose early exits

Another Danish Company Drops Fossil Fuel Business and Turns Fully to Renewables

Danish-based Muehlhan has sold its oil and gas business as the company decided to focus entirely on the renewable energy market.

www.offshorewind.biz

India tries to monetise coal before it gets locked in the ground by the energy transition

EXCLUSIVE India's state coal giant plans bulk exports for first time

Coal India Ltd , the world's largest coal miner, plans to directly export output to neighbouring countries, according to sources and documents seen by Reuters, after decades of exclusively supplying domestic consumers.

www.reuters.com

The hardliners increasingly control fate of UK's Johnson (and most of them hate renewables)

Brexit: ‘30% chance’ of new deal for Northern Ireland – Johnson

Democratic Unionist party leader says prime minister made admission during private meeting last week

www.theguardian.com

 

[petit_bateau]

Oooh and some more teeth being shown on Nordstream 2

Von der Leyen warns Russia of gas pipeline sanctions over Ukraine

European Commission president says Nord Stream 2 ‘cannot be excluded’ from possible measures

www.theguardian.com

 

[nativewolf]

Lots of interesting things to note there. Did you read Casey's terraforming whitepaper? process require enormous amounts of low cost renewables and result in some interesting feedstocks.

 

[petit_bateau]

Terraform Industries Whitepaper

Cheaper hydrocarbons from CO2 direct air capture and sunlight. terraformindustries.com Executive Summary Terraform Industries is a bet on cheap solar, synthetic hydrocarbon supremacy, and hyperscal…

caseyhandmer.wordpress.com

Ok not really sure where to post this either but we'll put here. Casey is a bit of a polymath. He's quite brilliant, not a bad writer, and a huge fan of space exploration.

I thought the posters here would appreciate this latest missive, a private corporation looking to solve CO2 challenge and make a buck. Impact capitalism. FYI he's a huge Tesla and SpaceX fan.

Interesting. Thank you for sharing.

The most obvious use-cases for carbon-neutral fuels are; as liquid in aviation and shipping (or heavy military vehicles, i.e. tanks/AFVs); or as gas in cement manufacture and nitrogen-fertliser manufacture. Pretty much all other use-cases would appear to be better served by direct electrification.

If one constrains the target market to those use-cases alone, then - after noting the "four orders of magnitude" improvement that the authors handwave away - then I wonder how good the business case really looks.

Which is not to say that these things should not be tried. There are many paths to heaven.

I would prefer a few SpaceX shares personally, but they are unobtainable to those of us who are i. smallbeer and ii. non-US. Meanwhile I'll pass on Terraform for now.

Sigh

Am I missing something ?

 

[petit_bateau]

Oil majors back in big profits, for example

Exxon Mobil returns to Q4 profit as oil demand continues to improve

Our effective pandemic response, focused investments during the down-cycle, and structural cost savings positioned us to realise the full benefits of the market recovery in 2021, CEO Darren Woods said

www.business-standard.com

Russia-China new gas pipeline for Sakhalin gas

Russia, China agree 30-year gas deal via new pipeline, to settle in euros

Russia has agreed a 30-year contract to supply gas to China via a new pipeline and will settle the new gas sales in euros, bolstering an energy alliance with Beijing amid Moscow's strained ties with the West over Ukraine and other issues.

www.reuters.com

Putin arrives in Beijing for Winter Olympics with gas supply deal for China

Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in Beijing on Friday for the 2022 Winter Olympics and a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, bringing with him a deal to increase natural gas supplies to China amid rising tension with the West.

www.reuters.com

UK protectionists try to squeeze more domestic business out of wind; hampered by WTO barriers same as old EU barriers

UK Government's Reforms to CfD Scheme Focus on Supply Chains, Floating Wind

The UK government has launched consultation on changes to the Contracts for Difference (CfD) scheme to boost supply chains.

www.offshorewind.biz

Denmark on the renewable liquids trail

Danish Consortium Accelerates Offshore Wind-Powered Clean Fuel Project, Eyes Green Jet Fuel Production by 2025

The second phase will be able to supply enough jet fuel to cover significantly more than the expected Danish domestic consumption of jet fuel.

www.offshorewind.biz

Pretty pictures in crane spat show advantages of onshore assembly & tow-out of offshore floaters, and challenges

Mammoet Starts Patent Infringement Probe Against Huisman and BMS

Dutch heavy lifting company Mammoet said it has started investigating what the company describes as ”the possible violation of its intellectual property rights by Huisman and BMS Heavy Cranes.” The investigation concerns the recently announced series of land cranes, including a 3000-ton ring...

www.offshorewind.biz

LNG investment trepidation

Why aren’t investors piling in to build new LNG projects?

Energy transition risks are holding up investments in additional LNG export plants in the US, despite the current record high gas prices.

www.energymonitor.ai

It is not often one sees a 20-year HV grid transmission forecast

California ISO Releases First-Ever 20-Year Transmission Outlook

Draft outlines long-term infrastructure needs to meet clean energy goals.

www.tdworld.com

Reuters distillates chartbook (for oil @ $90/bbl ...... and very often $100+ triggers a recession)

https://fingfx.thomsonreuters.com/gfx/ce/zjpqkanmrpx/US%20DISTILLATE%20CONSUMPTION%20AND%20INVENTORIES.pdf

 

[petit_bateau]

I am so glad I didn't pin my career on Vineyard Wind back in 2002 ...

Fishing Industry Alliance Sues US Interior Department Over Vineyard Wind 1

Responsible Offshore Development Alliance (RODA) has sued the US government over the decision to approve the Vineyard Wind 1 offshore wind farm.

www.offshorewind.biz

Everything you ever wanted to know about smart meter comms but were afraid to ask, 101

Smart meters: Which next gen cellular and why

Smart meters have the potential to improve sustainability of grids by reducing energy losses and avoiding new network build-out.

www.smart-energy.com

Frankentwins of hydrogen and carbon capture

2022 trends to shape global CCUS and green hydrogen markets

Wood Mackenzie highlights developments within the global carbon capture, storage and utilisation and green hydrogen markets.

www.smart-energy.com

LNG may get political (er, but wasn't it always)

LNG market dynamics may be shifting to geopolitical drivers: Russell

The global liquefied natural gas (LNG) market is experiencing a short-term shift as Europe sucks up cargoes amid a winter shortage of the fuel, but the long-term implications of the current crisis stand to reshape the industry.

www.reuters.com

Apparently France has enough gas

France has enough gas to make it through winter despite Ukraine crisis, minister says

France has enough secured gas supplies to get through this winter, French European Affairs Minister Clement Beaune told France 2 TV on Tuesday, adding this was the case in "any scenario", in particular referring to the crisis in Ukraine.

www.reuters.com

Which is just as well because Ukraine ain't solved by Macron chatting to Putin

Macron claims Putin gave him personal assurances on Ukraine

French president’s statement that Russian leader vowed not to escalate crisis met with scepticism in Kyiv

www.theguardian.com

... but bridging equipment is on the move

https://twitter.com/x/status/1490744195379777544

Meanwhile the British continue to dither

Low energy efficiency standards cost owners of new homes £234m last year

Exclusive: Lib Dems analysis shows scrapped zero carbon standard would have saved owners £200 a year

www.theguardian.com

Putin primer

The Reason Putin Would Risk War

He is threatening to invade Ukraine because he wants democracy to fail—and not just in that country.

www.theatlantic.com

Ukraine energy etc

What the Ukraine conflict means for Europe's energy crisis

If Russia invades Ukraine, Europe could handle short-term gas disruptions but the energy transition can provide a long-term solution.

www.energymonitor.ai

EU carbon border tax

Weekly data: EU’s CBAM to impact Russia, China and the UK the most

Under current plans, more than half of the imports covered under the EU’s carbon border adjustment mechanism would come from five countries.

www.energymonitor.ai

 

[petit_bateau]

these two stories are closely related, and not just a UK issue
far right attack net zero

Tories fighting net zero plans are dragging climate into new culture war, experts say

More than half of members of Net Zero Scrutiny Group were also in group that promoted Brexit vote, as fears grow for UK’s green agenda

www.theguardian.com

far right attack public health measures

5G and QAnon: how conspiracy theorists steered Canada’s anti-vaccine trucker protest

Ottawa’s occupation was a result of unrivaled coordination between anti-vax and anti-government organizations

www.theguardian.com

US middle distillates chartbook (courtesy Reuters)
https://tmsnrt.rs/3spHrIX

relates Reuters middle distillates explainer

Fund managers focus on middle distillates: Kemp

Hedge fund managers purchased petroleum derivatives for the second week running, though buying was in small volumes in most contracts, with trading quiet around the end-of-summer holiday period.

www.reuters.com

and

Depleted U.S. distillate stocks show supply chain pressure: Kemp

U.S. distillate fuel oil inventories have fallen to the lowest seasonal level for eight years, a sign of booming manufacturing and freight transportation demand.

www.reuters.com

(but in both cases the copy editors have hacked most of the good analysis out of JohnKemp's piece)

more Jones Act compliant vessels

US Oil & Gas Vessel Operator Eyes Offshore Wind for Newly Acquired Vessels

US offshore support vessel (OSV) operator Hornbeck Offshore plans to offer vessels from its fleet for deployment on offshore wind projects in the country, according to the company's latest press release on acquiring three OSVs from the US Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration...

www.offshorewind.biz

network stabilisation via offshore wind

Dogger Bank C First UK Offshore Wind Farm to Support Network Stabilisation

Dogger Bank C will become the first UK offshore wind farm to use the functionality of its transmission assets to help stabilise voltage on the grid and support multi-million-pound consumer savings, according to National Grid ESO, which selected Dogger Bank C following a competitive tender process.

www.offshorewind.biz

don't forget the nuclear medical isotopes

South Africa seeks proposals for new research reactor : New Nuclear - World Nuclear News

Necsa - the South African Nuclear Energy Corporation - has released a Request for Information for the Multipurpose Reactor to replace the 56-year-old Safari-1 research reactor located at Pelindaba.

www.world-nuclear-news.org

US nuclear West Virginia

West Virginia to remove nuclear construction ban : Nuclear Policies - World Nuclear News

A bill removing West Virginia's ban on the construction of new nuclear power plants has completed its passage through the state's legislature and will now go to the state's governor for signature. The ban has been in place since 1996.

www.world-nuclear-news.org

nuclear take on EU taxonomy draft

European Commission presents text of nuclear and gas CDA : Energy & Environment - World Nuclear News

The European Commission has presented the final version of the Complementary Delegated Act of the EU Taxonomy Regulation covering certain gas and nuclear activities. The final version contains only minor changes from the draft leaked at the end of December, with nuclear remaining a transitional...

www.world-nuclear-news.org

UK design approval of China HPR reactor (I'm not clear on where this differs from the EPR design)

UK regulators approve China's UK HPR1000 design : Regulation & Safety - World Nuclear News

The UK HPR1000 is the Hualong One design that General Nuclear Services - a subsidiary of EDF and China General Nuclear - proposes to use at a prospective new nuclear power plant in Bradwell, England.

www.world-nuclear-news.org

lithium prices

‘Gone ballistic’: lithium price rockets nearly 500% in a year amid electric vehicle rush

Labour shortages at West Australian mines contribute to rise but some analysts urge caution to investors

www.theguardian.com

 

[petit_bateau]

more nasty politics by the Cons

‘It’s all a bit cynical’: the politicians behind the Tory attack on net zero agenda

Amid fears about the cost of living crisis, those opposed to government’s climate agenda appear to have sensed an opportunity

www.theguardian.com

an invasion fleet just playing around ....

https://twitter.com/x/status/1491280841250865161

California solar NEM 3.0 paused

California regulators halt NEM3.0 plan, at least for now

California regulators halt NEM3.0 plan, at least for now News - Renewable Energy World The proposal is widely opposed by solar advocates.

www.renewableenergyworld.com

bankers pivot

Insight: Oil and gas bankers confront their own energy transition

Can oil bankers learn renewable tricks?

www.reuters.com

shale divestment

EXCLUSIVE New York pension fund to divest half its shale companies

New York's state pension fund will sell $238 million worth of stock and debt it holds across 21 shale oil and gas companies including Chesapeake Energy Corp, Hess Corp and Pioneer Natural Resources , saying they have not shown they are ready to move to a low-emissions economy.

www.reuters.com

 

[petit_bateau]

UK shale capped

Fracking firm Cuadrilla to permanently abandon UK shale gas sites

Firm sets out plan to seal two shale gas wells in Lancashire two years after government shutdown order

www.theguardian.com

US gets EVs

Electric vehicles and hybrids surpass 10% of U.S. light-duty vehicle sales - U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA)

www.eia.gov

Offshore wind accelerates

UK to Hold Yearly Contracts for Difference Auctions from 2023 Onwards

The UK government will increase the frequency of auctions for funding through the Contracts for Difference (CfD) scheme to every year rather than every two years.

www.offshorewind.biz

Record global EV sales and battery production

A Record 286.2 GWh Deployed Onto Roads in Passenger EV Batteries in 2021

Following a towering fourth quarter, 2021 saw a record 286.2 GWh of passenger EV battery capacity deployed onto roads globally (just 5% shy of our earlier projection), a remarkable 113% increase over 2020 as EV sales, especially battery electric vehicle (“BEV”) and plug-in hybrid electric...

www.adamasintel.com

 

[petit_bateau]

Siemens wind struggles

Siemens Gamesa Sees Red as Supply Chain Tensions, Onshore Woes Take Their Toll

Wind turbine manufacturer Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy has reported a EUR 309 million loss in the preliminary results for the first quarter of the Fiscal Year 2022 (October 2021 - December 2021).

www.offshorewind.biz

Vestas wind struggles

Vestas Wind Systems A/S (VWDRY) CEO Henrik Andersen on Q4 2021 Results - Earnings Call Transcript

Vestas Wind Systems A/S (OTCPK:VWDRY) Q4 2021 Earnings Conference Call February 10, 2022 4:00 AM ETCompany ParticipantsMathias Dalsten - VP, Head of...

seekingalpha.com

Everybody struggles

Power supply challenges leave 350 million in major outages - study

Some 350 million people were impacted by major power outages in 2021, according to a new report released by research firm IHS Markit.

www.smart-energy.com

Intelligent grid trials (UK)

National Grid ESO and Octopus Energy launch winter flexibility trial

The almost two month trial running until the end of March will assess the role households can play during periods of high demand.

www.smart-energy.com

China heft in LNG rising

U.S. supplies give China muscle to become major force in global LNG trade

Chinese firms are set to become a major trading force in the global liquefied natural gas market in coming years, thanks to liberalisations at home and recently signed long term contracts for record amounts of LNG from U.S. suppliers.

www.reuters.com

Carbon price action foreseen

Lead lawmaker eyes EU carbon market rules to respond to price spikes

European Parliament's lead negotiator on an overhaul of Europe's carbon market on Thursday said he was considering changes to rules that allow policymakers to intervene in the scheme if prices rise too fast.

www.reuters.com

Human rights and renewables

Why wind and solar companies need to address human rights

An influx of allegations from land grabs to violations of workers’ rights risks upending renewable energy projects and the energy transition.

www.energymonitor.ai

2022 light vehicle ride

2022 and the global sales picture - Just Auto

After a bumpy ride in 2021, what can we expect in 2022 and where are the risks?

www.just-auto.com

IEA finds 800k oil

Oil Market Report - February 2022 – Analysis - IEA

Oil Market Report - February 2022 - Analysis and key findings. A report by the International Energy Agency.

www.iea.org

SpaceX update

 

[Fred42]

The Scottish offshore wind licencing round results just in are very relevant to all USA seabords, Taiwan, Korea, Japan, and some France and Med littorals.

Scotland's New Floating Wind Projects – What We Know So Far

Scotland made headlines yesterday (17 January) by awarding seabed lease rights to 17 offshore wind projects totalling almost 25 GW in capacity, well beyond the expected 10 GW, and by the fact that more than half of this massive capacity is coming from floating wind farms.

www.offshorewind.biz

How vulnerable are floating wind installations to serious storms?

 

[petit_bateau]

How vulnerable are floating wind installations to serious storms?

Thats basically three questions. The gist of the answer is "not that vulnerable" :

1) Do they get destroyed in bad storms ?
= If the storm exceeds the design survival load for the turbine and/or its support assembly, then yes, they can get destroyed. That's exactly why before starting the design process we capure all the environmental data corresponding to the site, then account for deterioration during the turbine & support structure life, then add safety margins on top of that, then add extra margins to account for global warming issues, and then design to meet all that. But this is stuff at sea in the wild, so bad things can still happen, but it would only tend to be the odd failure, not all of them at once.

2) Do they stay running in bad storms ?
= Our technology keeps improving. It used to be that all big turbines stopped completely during bad storms. Now some of them stay operating a little bit except for during the very worst bit. There are control centres onshore where engineers take decisions - typically about when to be more cautious than the atomatic safeties. This is an interesting subject because the geographical span of a typical storm event (approx 500 miles) tends to be larger than the geographical span of a high-power high-voltage grid, i.e. one can end up closing down all the turbines feeding a major load centre (human city region) during the middle of a storm, and not being able to bring in sufficient power from the next-along-area of wind-farms because the grid-connection isn't big enough. The Feb-2021 onshore Texas ERCOT power outage had aspects of this as many of the ERCOT area turbines were shut down due to iceing reasons, but Texas ERCOT is only lightly connected to the adjacent grid zones in the USA and Mexico.

3) Can humans visit them to do Operations & Maintenance (O&M) in bad storms ?
= No, this we plan to definitely not do. This is not like being a hero on an offshore oil & gas platform (where even we were thoughtful about what we did in the worst weather). Instead we basically just monitor if any issues arise on individual turbines, then go out and conduct post-storm O&M when it all calms down. Some of the really big offshore wind farms are getting accomodation units on the main transformer hub platforms so that the post-storm O&M can get going again a bit faster, but the aim is not to be in the individual turbines during severe weather events.