Least surprising news of the week: Hinkley Point C nuclear project is behind schedule and over budget. Whilst UK tax payers won’t be on the hook for the cost over run, the delays do put a dent in the idea that nuclear is going to be a viable route to hitting climate targets.
BlackRock commits $500M to Recurrent Energy
BlackRock has agreed to pour $500 million into Recurrent Energy, a utility-scale solar and energy storage project developer, for a 20% stake in a bid to expand its renewable energy portfolio. The transaction marks the inaugural investment for BlackRock’s fourth climate infrastructure fund, which the asset manager launched last year.
The investment will allow Recurrent to grow its project development pipeline and transition into being a developer and long-term owner and operator of assets in markets including the United States and Europe. The company is a subsidiary of Canadian Solar, which will continue to be Recurrent’s majority shareholder. (utilitydive)
UK NEWS
Government Approves Planning Application for BECCS at Drax Power Station
The Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, Claire Coutinho, has approved the Development Consent Order for Drax Power Limited’s plans to convert two of its biomass units at Drax Power Station to the carbon removals technology bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS).
Drax Power Station currently has four biomass generating units and produces around 4% of the country’s power and 9% of its renewable electricity.
The DCO is a milestone for the project, providing planning consent for its development. BECCS is currently the only credible large-scale technology that can both deliver carbon removals and generate renewable power. Drax’s BECCS plans will enable Drax Power Station to continue to play a critical role in supporting UK energy security and would enable it to remove approximately 8 million tonnes of carbon dioxide per year when both units are fully operational. (renewableenergymagazine)
EDF’s Hinkley Point C delayed again as costs continue to soar
The cost of the UK’s Hinkley Point C nuclear plant has been projected to rise again, with figures from French energy major EDF published on Tuesday now suggesting final costs of up to £35bn
The figure is based on 2015 price values. In today’s terms, once inflation is taken into account, the number will be significantly higher.
The company, which is building and financing much of the project, also said in its 2024 update that the plant won’t be operational until 2029 at the earliest, adding that the first reactor might not come online until 2031 in an “unfavourable scenario”. It said that the cost of completing Hinkley will be between £31bn and £34bn, although if completion is delayed to 2031, costs would rise to £35bn. (power-technology)
photo: EDF
North Sea oil investments face 60% cash flow drop
Private equity firms invested in North Sea oil and gas could see a significant drop of over 60% in cash flow if global warming is limited to 1.7°C.
That’s according to a recent report by Carbon Tracker, which highlights challenges for these firms amid a faster-than-expected energy transition, contrary to their current investment assumptions.
Many oil and gas companies base their financial plans on existing climate pledges, assuming a slower energy transition aligned with a 2.4°C pathway.
However, the International Energy Agency anticipates a decline in global demand for fossil fuels due to clean technologies and government climate policies.
The report identifies ten private equity-backed companies in the North Sea, pointing out risks such as falling demand and stricter climate policies. (energylivenews)
Church of England Targets a New Group of Emitters
Just months after announcing plans to sell its oil and gas holdings, the Church of England Pensions Board is now going after the biggest consumers of fossil fuels.
Those include automakers, utilities, steel companies—and also banks. The focus is on “the key blockers of climate policy,” said Laura Hillis, the board’s director of climate and environment, while speaking last week at an event about the 2024 proxy season.
Among investors, the Church of England stands out for its aggressive stance against the world’s largest polluters. Many asset managers say they’re serious about climate change, but far fewer actually do anything concrete to back up their words. (Bloomberg)
BT suggests that phone switchboxes could power EV charging
The U.K. telecom firm BT Group this week announced a pilot program to add EV charging to street cabinets typically used to house broadband and phone cables.
The first such refit has already been completed in Scotland, with more planned in the coming months, according to a BT Group press release (via IEEE Spectrum). The company aims for as many as 600 refits by the end of 2024.
The pilot adds a device to existing street cabinets that can route power to street-side chargers while retaining existing broadband hardware. EV-charging capability can also be added to cabinets due for retirement, BT Group noted. (greencarreports)
EV OF THE WEEK
Porsche Macan EV
It is easy to see why the Macan has been, for a while, Porsche’s best seller. It hits an excellent balance of sport vs practical at just about affordable price. It is interesting therefore that the second generation Macan is going to be EV only. Kudos to VW for their commitment, but it is a brave choice and an important one. The Macan is showcasing the new VW high end electric platform called Premium Platform Electric, which runs on 800v architecture, but its launch had to be delayed by problems and a restructuring at Cariad, VW’s software division. An Audi Q6 e-tron will soon follow on the PPE platform.
If the software issues that have blighted VW’s electric ambitions are behind them, this car could set an important benchmark going forward. The Macan Electric, as it will be called, will come in two guises, standard and Turbo (Porsche associate the name with performance). The latter will boast 630bhp and 0-60 in 3.3sec. Also on offer will be rear wheel steering for manoeuvrability and a third screen for the front seat passenger to watch tv whist being driven. It is tinted to ensure the driver can’t see it. The new model is slightly larger than the existing one in all aspects except height, and is expected to cost around £70,000 for the base model with a range of 381 miles and just under £100,000 for the Turbo with a range of 341 miles.
One imagines that VW are feeling the heat in EV’s. They have made a big commitment, but have suffered issues that have held back their progress, especially the bugs in their software. They need a robust response to fend off Tesla on the one hand and rising Chinese on the other. Whilst a Porsche can’t do it single handedly, if this car and the new platform is well received it could presage better times.
photo: Porsche
EUROPEAN STORIES
Vestas unveils new wind turbine made from low-emission steel
In a bid to decrease lifetime carbon emissions from the production of wind turbines, Danish turbine manufacturer Vestas has unveiled its newest offering, turbines made from low-emission steel. The low-emission steel turbine will be seen in action in 2025 at the Baltic Power Offshore Wind Project off the coast of Poland.
Vestas collaborated with steel manufacturer ArcelorMittal to source low-emission steel. Low-emission steel is manufactured using 100 percent steel scraps. At Industeel Charleroi in Belgium, the steel maker can melt the scrap in an electric furnace powered only by wind energy.
The molten steel is allowed to cool into steel slabs, which are then transformed into heavy plates for manufacturing turbine towers. As per the company’s press release, the low-emission steel is currently suitable to make an entire onshore wind turbine but only the top section of offshore wind turbine towers.
Steel and iron constitute up to 90 percent of the turbine’s material mass, contributing to about 50 percent of the turbine’s total lifecycle emissions. By using low-emission steel, Vestas aims to bring this number down considerably. As per the press release, Vestas aims to achieve a 66 percent decline in emission intensity per kg with low-emission steel compared to conventionally made steel. (interestingengineering)
FOCUS ON: GEOTHERMAL ENERGY
XGS Energy Secures $9.7M in New Financing
XGS Energy, a geothermal energy technology company, announced that it has raised an additional $9.7 million in financing. The round was led by Constellation Technology Ventures, with BlueScopeX and Thin Line Capital, as well as individual inside investors. This new financing will accelerate XGS’ North American prototype demonstrating its proprietary Thermal Reach Enhancement™ (TRE) geothermal technology at full commercial scale.
XGS’ upcoming prototype will demonstrate the commercial readiness and scalability of its TRE technology and further validate its proprietary predictive performance models. The prototype builds on the successful completion of more than 24 months of lab testing and is a key milestone for XGS’ first commercial projects in the Western United States, Japan, and the Philippines.
XGS’ proprietary TRE system leverages materials 50 times more conductive than native rock to deliver high-efficiency thermal energy without dependence on water or geology. XGS’ technology can be deployed anywhere in the world, unlike traditional geothermal solutions that require access to hot water reservoirs and specific geological formations. (renewableeneergymagazine)
Leeds University digs deep for geothermal gold
The University of Leeds has initiated a project, exploring the potential of geothermal heat as part of their net zero delivery plan.
The project involves drilling eight geothermal boreholes at key locations on campus.
James Dixon Gough, Head of Net Zero at the University of Leeds, said: “Testing new solutions is a crucial part of our approach to delivering net zero, and geothermal heat can provide a more efficient form of heating as we move our campus towards delivering net zero.
“It also supports a growing area of research that can be applied locally and globally.” (energylivenews)
How Kenya found an extraordinary power source beneath its feet
The Kenyan stretch of the Great Rift Valley is breathtaking. Vast plains between the two escarpments teem with wildlife, creating one of the world’s largest animal migrations – the Mara-Serengeti wildebeest migration. The alkaline lakes in the east African rift system are home to elegant and graceful flamingos, pink wonders that reels in visitors from around the world and are a vital cog in Kenya’s thriving tourism industry.
But it is what lies beneath the valley floor that has had a literally seismic impact on Kenya in recent years – vast geothermal resources that have made the country a world leader in clean energy.
In 1956, the government drilled two wells specifically to harness geothermal power, at a depth of 950 metres and 1,200 metres respectively, but they failed to discharge.
In 1971, a well was drilled and discharged. Everybody got excited again. Between 1981 and 1985, Kenya had an installed capacity of 45MW through the first three power plants in Olkaria.
Now, at Olkaria, 56 miles from Nairobi, there are close to 300 geothermal wells providing steam that runs turbines in five geothermal power plants operated by KenGen.The power plants and 15 wellheads have a combined capacity of 799MW. With additional geothermal power generated by independent power producers, Kenya’s total geothermal power capacity is 988.7MW, putting the country in sixth position globally (and first in Africa) in terms of geothermal power development.
As a result, Kenya sources up to 91% of its energy from renewables: 47% geothermal, 30% hydro, 12% wind and 2% solar. The country hopes to transition fully to renewables by 2030, with KenGen saying the country has the potential to increase its capacity to as much as 10,000MW of geothermal energy. That would more than match peak demand in Kenya, currently about 2,000MW. (guardian)
photo: Wikimedia Commons
GLOBAL STUFF
Caterpillar Demonstrates Hydrogen Fuel Cell For Backup Power
Caterpillar announced the success of its collaboration with Microsoft and Ballard Power Systems to demonstrate the viability of using large-format hydrogen fuel cells to supply backup power for data centers. The demonstration provided valuable insights into the capabilities of fuel cell systems to power multi-megawatt data centers, ensuring uninterrupted power supply to meet 99.999% uptime requirements.
The demonstration was conducted in a challenging environment and validated the hydrogen fuel cell power system’s performance at 6,086 ft. above sea level and in below-freezing conditions.
The project simulated a 48-hour backup power event at Microsoft’s data center in Cheyenne, Wyoming, where a hydrogen fuel cell was integrated into a data center electrical plant to support its critical load. A Caterpillar Microgrid Controller was used to operate two Cat® Power Grid Stabilization (PGS) 1260 battery energy storage systems along with the 1.5 MW hydrogen fuel cell.
Caterpillar led the project, providing the overall system integration, power electronics, and microgrid controls that form the central structure of the hydrogen power solution. (renewableenergynews)
Canadian tar sands pollution is up to 6,300% higher than reported
Toxic emissions from the Canadian tar sands – already one of the dirtiest fossil fuels – have been dramatically underestimated, according to a study.
Research published in the journal Science found that air pollution from the vast Athabasca oil sands in Canada exceed industry-reported emissions across the studied facilities by a staggering 1,900% to over 6,300%.
The study, published on Thursday, reveals the scale of air pollution caused by the process. Using aircraft to measure pollutants, it found that there are many organic compounds being released during the process that are missed by traditional ways of measuring air pollutants – with devastating health consequences.
For decades Indigenous communities in the region have complained about the health impact of toxic air caused by the oil sands operations. (guardian)
Photo: Steve Roberts/Creative Commons
