⚡ Mega US Solar project announced, UK readies for 12GW Renewables Auction, Carbon Pricing as a Motivator, and Blockchain — Climate friend or foe?
By: Jakub Rzeplinski
Tags: Renewable Energy, Blockchain, Carbon Emissions, Solar Energy, Hydrogen

⚡ Mega US Solar project announced, UK readies for 12GW Renewables Auction, Carbon Pricing as a Motivator, and Blockchain — Climate friend or foe? Jakub Rzeplinski Follow Nov 24, 2020 · 12 min read

Good evening The Carbon Cut Readers! Today’s highlights include:

Invenergy Announces Largest Solar Project in the U.S. — 1,310MW

The American Wind Energy Association released a report outlining a vision for America’s clean energy transformation plan

UK Energy Ministry will allocate supports for up to 12GW of new renewables projects at its Contracts for Difference Round Four (CfD4) auction which will open late next year

Goldman Sachs: Renewable Power Will Become The Largest Area Of Spending In The Energy Industry In 2021

Carbon Pricing as an efficient way to tame CO2 emissions

and the European Environment Agency goes in-depth on blockchain seeking to evaluate whether it’s an energy-intensive technology undermining climate change mitigation or a game changer for the governance of sustainability transitions?

⛽ NEW FUELS

💧 Hydrogen

1️⃣ Hydrogen pushing fossil fuels out the way and becoming new source of power — (US) With fossil fuel consumption on the rise, Mayor Rex Parris of Lancaster suggests hydrogen can become the new source of energy. The city has committed to a five-year partnership with clean energy company, Heliogen, to test the new technology.

2️⃣ Plans for 100,000 hydrogen trucks and 1,000 hydrogen stations by 2030 unveiled during European Hydrogen Week — Hydrogen Europe President Valérie Bouillon-Delporte has just unveiled plans to deploy 100,000 hydrogen-powered trucks, and 1,000 hydrogen stations to serve these trucks, by 2030 — a move applauded by the EU Commissioner for Transport Adina Vălean — during day one of the first ever European Hydrogen Week.

3️⃣ Sempra develops plan to inject hydrogen into California natgas grid — Sempra said its Southern California Gas Co (SoCalGas) and San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) utilities were planning multiple hydrogen blending projects throughout their service territories.

4️⃣ Green energy giants team up to launch Renewable Hydrogen Coalition — The new group brings together leading trade bodies WindEurope and SolarPower Europe, and is supported by the Breakthrough Energy initiative backed by billionaire philanthropist and investor Bill Gates. It aims to build a “high-level and interdisciplinary network of innovators, entrepreneurs, and corporate leaders from the rapidly growing renewable hydrogen community, including industrial off-takers”.

5️⃣ Europe’s ‘hidden demand’ for green hydrogen could hit 1400TWh — Demand could see the technology become mainstream in three years according to a report from a new coalition backed by WindEurope, Nordex and RWE Renewables

6️⃣ ‘One-stop’ offshore wind platform for green hydrogen and ammonia planned — Developer and engineering group link to design ‘multiple energy outputs’ powered by turbines at sea.

7️⃣ EDF eyes making hydrogen, carbon removal at new UK Sizewell C plant — EDF has called for partners to help it test the viability of producing hydrogen and technology to remove carbon dioxide from the air at is planned Sizewell C project in the southeast of England.

8️⃣ EIB signs pact with French consortium to promote hydrogen sector — France Hydrogène, an association for hydrogen and fuel cells, has signed a deal with the European Investment Bank (EIB) to support players in the hydrogen sector. Players in the hydrogen sector will benefit from the collaboration through access to EIB’s financing solutions and France Hydrogène’s technical expertise.

9️⃣ Japan’s KHI exits nuclear sector to focus on hydrogen — Japanese engineering firm Kawasaki Heavy Industries (KHI) has decided to withdraw from its nuclear power-related business operations, shifting its focus to hydrogen in the firm’s energy and environmental solutions sector.

🔟 Enterprize Energy inks green hydrogen MoU — Asia-based offshore wind developer Enterprize Energy has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Tractebel Overdick to develop green hydrogen and ammonia technologies for offshore wind. The two companies will work together to deliver Enterprize Energy’s “Energy Plus” vision for future offshore wind projects.

❄️ LNG & Natural Gas

1️⃣ ‘Australia’s first’ biomethane-to-gas project launched — Wastewater from Sydney’s Malabar treatment plant, which is considered to be Australia’s largest, will be used to generate biomethane to power thousands of NSW homes and businesses.

2️⃣ Finances organised for floating LNG facility in Ghana — PIDG company, the Emerging Africa Infrastructure Fund (EAIF) is lending US$31 million over 10 years to Access LNG B.V., a provider of specialist floating LNG infrastructure, to support the construction of a new LNG storage and regasification facility at Tema port in Ghana.

3️⃣ Industry groups push potential of bio-LNG as transportation fuel — In a joint paper published Nov. 23, the European Biogas Association, Gas Infrastructure Europe, NGVA Europe and SEA-LNG called on the EU to to recognize the potential for bio-LNG to meet its greenhouse gas targets. EU LNG heavy-duty transport is expected to reach 280,000 units by 2030. “Using a 40% bio-LNG mix with LNG will help reduce the CO2 emissions from those trucks by 55%,” they said.

4️⃣ Venture Global LNG awards KBR EPC contract for Plaquemines LNG — Venture Global LNG, Inc. has announced that KBR has been awarded the engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contract as lead contractor for Phase 1 of the Plaquemines LNG export project currently under development in Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana.

🚘 Mobility — EVs, Batteries & Fuel Cells

1️⃣ How A Fuel Cell Vehicle Works — Battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) dominate the talk about zero-emission vehicles, and cars like the Chevrolet Bolt EV and Tesla Model 3 are well-known examples of BEV technology. But another type of electric vehicle — the fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV) — also produces virtually no harmful exhaust emissions and has virtually all of the other advantages of a BEV.

2️⃣ Hyundai Nexo on the Kiwi commute: hydrogen is happening and here’s a car to prove it — Not for sale/lease New Zealand right now, for reasons we’ll get to in a moment. But the Toyota Mirai, Honda Clarity and Hyundai Nexo are definitely out there. Collectively, they mean you can have a fuel-cell vehicle as your daily driver in certain parts of Japan, Europe, the US and Korea.

3️⃣ Singapore spinoff Hyzon Motors makes US fuel cell trucking play — Two decades after GM predicted a fuel cell driving future, a spinoff of Singapore’s Horizon Fuel Cell Technologies may realize it. Hyzon Motors Inc. has European investors, 17 years of experience making a million fuel cells and working arrangements with two major manufacturers to retrofit their trucks.

☀️ RENEWABLE GENERATION & SUPPLY

🔋 Energy Storage

1️⃣ Gore Street energies 50MW Northern Ireland battery — Gore Street Energy Storage Fund has energised its 50MW Drumkee grid battery in Northern Ireland. Mullavilly, Gore Street’s second 50MW project in Northern Ireland, is expected to be energised in December. Both Drumkee and Mullavilly are expected to be commissioned and operational in the first quarter of 2021, bringing Gore Street’s operational portfolio to a total installed capacity of 210MW.

🔆 Solar Power

1️⃣ ReneSola Power Announces Closing of Sale of 4.3 MW Solar Projects in the UK — ReneSola Ltd, a leading fully-integrated solar project developer, today announced the closing of the sale of a portfolio of operating projects located in the United Kingdom to Atmosclear Investments Ltd, an European renewable energy and cleantech private equity group. The portfolio comprises 1,509 residential rooftop projects located in Scotland, with a combined capacity of 4.3 MW. These projects are qualified under the feed-in tariff scheme and have been operating since 2015.

💨 Wind Power

1️⃣ Ørsted Reveals Offshore Wind Plans in South Korea — Ørsted has disclosed plans to develop South Korean offshore wind projects with a potential capacity of up to 1.6 GW off the coast of Incheon City.

2️⃣ Enel targets 120GW wind and solar by 2030 — Enel intends to increase its installed renewables capacity to 120GW by 2030, from around 45GW today, as part of its 2021–2030 strategic vision. Renewables investment will total around €70bn, which will be accomplished by leveraging a growing pipeline of more than 140GW, Enel said. The group will add some 75GW, “well balanced” between solar and wind.

3️⃣ Nordex swoops on 63MW Lithuania wind — Nordex has secured a turnkey order for turbines and construction of a 63MW wind project in Lithuania from Ignitis Renewables. Nordex will also maintain the 14-turbine wind farm in the Mazeikiai region for a period of 15 years. VVP Investment, a company controlled by Ignitis Group’s subsidiary Ignitis Renewables, signed the agreement with Nordex. The turbines are due to be installed by the end of 2022.

4️⃣ EBRD finances 59MW Polish wind — The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is providing a €39m loan to finance two new wind farms with a combined capacity of 59MW. The loan will support the development, construction and operation, under the Polish renewable energy auction support scheme, of a 40MW wind farm in Kuslin, central-western Poland and a 19MW wind farm in in the north-western village of Krzecin.

5️⃣ Maine Governor Unveils New Floating Wind Project — Maine Governor Janet Mills has announced a plan for the state to set up U.S. first floating offshore wind research array in the Gulf of Maine to advance new technology in collaboration with the state’s fishing industry.

🏦 POLICY & INVESTMENTS

📜 Policy

1️⃣ Tested by taxonomy — EU green finance rules leaky for ships, tight for houses — Months of EU deliberation to decide which business activities can be marketed as green investments have produced a set of draft standards some finance officials and NGOs say are lax for the polluting shipping sector and challenging for buildings.

2️⃣ Maryland commission backs fuel CO2 program — Maryland should move ahead with its plans to join a regional cap-and-trade program to reduce CO2 from the transportation sector to keep the state on a path to slash its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, a government advisory panel says.

3️⃣ EU, UN-led pact commits oil and gas firms to tackle methane emissions — Oil majors such as BP, Royal Dutch Shell, Eni, Equinor and Total have signed up for the Oil and Gas Methane Partnership (OGMP) under the umbrella of the United Nations, the European Union and NGO the Environmental Defense Fund.

4️⃣ Boosting the EU’s offshore renewable energy capacity — To help meet the European Union’s goal of climate neutrality by 2050, the European Commission has put forward an EU-wide Strategy on Offshore Renewable Energy, which proposes to increase Europe’s offshore wind capacity from its current level of 12 GW to at least 60 GW by 2030 and to 300 GW by 2050. The Commission aims to complement this with 40 GW of ocean energy and other emerging technologies such as floating wind and solar by 2050.

5️⃣ IEA: Carbon border taxes, a key part of EU Green Deal, carry ‘big risk’ of international trade wars — One of the key tenets of the EU’s Green Deal — to introduce a “carbon border adjustment mechanism” that would charge import taxes on carbon-rich products made outside the bloc — carries a “big risk” of international trade wars, according to the head of renewables at the International Energy Agency (IEA).

6️⃣ EC to consider hydrogen produced from nuclear power as low-carbon — The European Commission (EC) will consider hydrogen produced from nuclear power as “low-carbon”, Paula Abreu Marques, head of unit for renewables and CCS policy told the European Commission’s energy directorate. “Electrolysis can be powered by renewable electricity, which would then be classified as renewable hydrogen,” she said.

💰 Investments & Funding

1️⃣ Australia moves into top three countries for renewable investment — Australia has moved into the three most attractive countries in the world for renewables investment for the first time due to rapid solar photovoltaic (PV) deployment, research showed on Tuesday. In a bi-annual index of the top 40 renewable energy markets worldwide by consultancy EY, the United States held on to top spot, followed by China.

2️⃣ ADB approves $600 mln loan for Indonesia’s PLN for renewable power — The Asian Development Bank (ADB) on Tuesday approved a $600 million loan for Indonesian state utility Perusahaan Listrikk Negara (PLN) to expand electricity access and promote renewable energy. The loan is part of the second phase of an electricity grid development programme covering the outer regions of Kalimantan, Maluku, and Papua in the east of the country, which began in 2017.

3️⃣ Victoria to invest $1.1bn in renewable energy hubs — It is expected to improve power grid infrastructure, decarbonise energy system and reduce emissions while supporting more solar homes in the state. With this investment, the government aims to create new jobs in the state and help Victorian families decrease their energy costs.

4️⃣ New York is launching a $10 million program to support climate tech startups, following Massachusetts’ lead — The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) is introducing a $10 million convertible note program aimed at supporting climate technology startups while building back the state’s economy, which has been hit hard by Covid-19. Earlier this year, Massachusetts Clean Energy Center’s (MassCEC) launched a similar program that offered $1.9 million to eight early-stage clean tech companies.

📈Pricing & Trading

1️⃣ Dominion to execute 75-MW PPA with Savion — Dominion Energy Virginia has signed a power purchase agreement (PPA) with Savion, LLC to receive 75 MW of renewable solar power from Wythe County Solar Project LLC, located in Wythe County, Vir. The PPA is subject to approval from the Virginia State Corporation Commission as part of a recent Dominion Energy filing.

2️⃣ Sunrun to put 5MW of home systems into VPP for California utility’s resource adequacy programme — US residential solar installer and leasing company Sunrun will aggregate home solar-plus-storage systems into a virtual power plant (VPP) capable of providing 5MW of grid support, with California utility Southern California Edison (SCE).

3️⃣ Shell, Ørsted Ink Power Offtake Agreements for 60% of Dogger Bank A & B — Dogger Bank Wind Farm developers, SSE Renewables and Equinor, have signed four agreements for power offtake for the entire output of the first two phases of the world’s largest offshore wind farm, Dogger Bank A and B. Ørsted and Shell Energy Europe have inked 15-year Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) for 40 per cent and 20 per cent of the wind farm, respectively.

⚙️ OTHERS

🧭 General

1️⃣ Goodbye, Centralized Power Grid. Hello, Autonomous Energy Grids — How to build a massively decentralized power grid with AI, renewable energy, and energy storage.

2️⃣ Renewable energy sources ‘dominated’ new US generating capacity this year — Renewable energy sources (solar, wind, hydropower) have dominated new U.S. electrical generating capacity in the first nine months of 2020, according to a review by the SUN DAY Campaign of data released by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). Combined, they accounted for nearly two-thirds or about 64.1% of the 16,886 MW of new utility-scale capacity added during the first three-quarters of this year.

3️⃣ ‘Direction of Travel Is Set’ in Climate Fight, Says Paris Accord Architect — A slew of international commitments to cut carbon emissions including from U.S. President-elect Joe Biden point to a bright future for the fight to save the environment, former U.N. climate chief Christiana Figueres said.

4️⃣ There Will Be (More) Blood: Exxon Should Acquire BP — The 2007 movie thriller There Will be Blood portrayed the ruthless quest for wealth throughout the 1920s oil boom. Wannabe oil barons menacingly clamored for land and used any method to extract and convert crude oil to wealth. Fast forward to 2020 and we have a new script being written as the oil industry moves from thriller to horror story: Oil demand is getting crushed by a COVID-related slowdown.

🏭 Emissions

1️⃣ Hybrid cars emit way more pollution than advertised — Top auto brands are getting smoked by environmental analysts who have found that their carbon emissions are much higher than what carmakers had reported. The European group Transport and Environment (T&E), which campaigns for renewable energy in transportation, found three top-selling plug-in hybrid SUVs — BMW’s X5, Volvo’s XC60 and Mitsubishi’s Outlander — are emitting 28% to 89% more carbon dioxide than advertised, even under ideal road conditions.

🧩 Tech and R&D

1️⃣ Creating higher energy density lithium-ion batteries for renewable energy applications — Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) that function as high-performance power sources for renewable applications, such as electric vehicles and consumer electronics, require electrodes that deliver high energy density without compromising cell lifetimes. In the Journal of Vacuum Science and Technology A, by AIP Publishing, researchers investigate the origins of degradation in high energy density LIB cathode materials and develop strategies for mitigating those degradation mechanisms and improving LIB performance.

2️⃣ PPPL awarded total of $4 million to simplify design and construction of stellarators — The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL) has been awarded the lead role in a grant worth $3 million in DOE Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) funding for the design and construction of permanent magnets far more powerful than those on refrigerator doors to facilitate the development of fusion energy. Such magnets could provide a highly innovative basis for simplifying stellarators, complex facilities for experiments in producing fusion energy.