50,000 and counting. EV charging is not as scarce as some suggest.
COMPANY NEWS
Downing acquires land housing 200MW wind farm
Downing LLP has acquired the land and associated lease income related to a 200MW operational onshore wind farm in the Scottish Highlands.
This investment was made by Downing Sustainable Investment, a bespoke investment vehicle for UK charitable institutions that provides exposure to stable, long-term inflation linked cashflows that are derived from core renewable energy assets. Downing believes that this type of investment fits well with the objectives of charities, foundations and endowments, and they plan to roll out more such bespoke vehicles. (newpower)
UK NEWS
Britain tots up 50k public EV charging points
Device counters at Zapmap calculate that Britain has crossed the threshold of 50,000 public EV chargers. On current rates of deployment, the nation will plug in its 100,000th in August 2025, its analysts believe.
The milestone reflects encouraging growth, the firm argues, in two areas of the country’s charge point infrastructure. Last week, its latest quarterly figures showed that the number of ultra-rapid charge points in the UK increased by 68% since September 2022. Britain’s tally of slow chargers rose by the same extent.
This month’s 50,000 milestone follows hot on the heels of the 40,000 mark, surpassed in February, only nine month ago. (theenergyst)
photo: Instavolt
Church of England commits £30m for low carbon upgrades
The Church of England has earmarked £30 million for initiatives focused on reducing emissions and improving energy efficiency.
This allocation aims to support various Church properties, including churches, cathedrals, schools, and clergy houses, in their efforts to achieve net zero emissions.
In addition to addressing carbon emissions linked to energy consumption, the Church seeks to enhance energy efficiency and transition to renewable energy sources.
The funding for these initiatives is provided by the Church Commissioners for England, with the project structured in several phases. (energylivenews)
photo: Kate Bunker/Flikr
Report addresses groundwork challenges for UK North Sea carbon storage
The newly published “Seismic Imaging within the UKCS Energy Transition” report by the North Sea Transition Authority (NSTA) assesses the role technology can play in carbon capture and storage (CCS) and offshore wind in the UK North Sea.
To date, Britain’s government has issued 21 carbon storage licenses, and the NSTA estimates that up to 100 will be needed to meet CO2 sequestration targets.
Carbon storage sites will require redevelopment of large parts of the UK basin. According to the report, the options for characterizing the subsurface for both carbon storage and offshore wind include deploying techniques originally developed for the oil and gas industry and adapted for new purposes. (offshore-mag)
Kleanbus repowering diesel buses to electric for Lothian
Kleanbus has begun a pilot project with Edinburgh-based bus operator Lothian to repower 18 of its existing open-top mid-life diesel vehicles to electric.
The Volvo B5TL buses that have been identified for the pilot will be repowered using Kleanbus’ modular electric platform featuring an optimised battery size to perfectly suit its duty cycle without overburdening the vehicle with unnecessary weight, which would otherwise waste energy. (theenergyst)
photo: Kleanbus
Ørsted and Amazon open 16MW Northern Ireland onshore wind farm
A new 16MW onshore wind farm in Northern Ireland has become the nation’s first to enter into operations under a corporate power purchase agreement (PPA), with the project set to provide renewable electricity to supply US tech and online retail giant Amazon’s operations in the province.
Developed by clean energy giant Ørsted, the wind farm is located in Ballykeel in County Antrim, where its seven turbines begun generating electricity this week.
The project was funded through a corporate PPA between the Danish energy developer and Amazon, and is one of several such agreements between the two firms that are funding projects such as the Kennoxhead onshore wind farm in Scotland, the Borkum Riffgrund 3 offshore wind farm in Germany, and an onshore wind farm in Texas, USA. (businessgreen)
UK boosts energy efficiency in public buildings with £230m
The UK government has announced £230 million in funding for public buildings, including schools, hospitals and leisure centres.
This funding, part of the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme, will support low-carbon heating and energy efficiency measures, with the goal of reducing energy consumption and cutting costs.
Starting on 10th October, public sector organisations can apply for a share of this government funding.
The funds will be used for various low carbon upgrades, such as heat pumps, solar panels, insulation, and energy efficient lighting.
Over the past three years, several organisations have significantly benefited from the scheme.
Examples include the University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust, Staffordshire County Council, and the Upper Norwood Library and the Waterloo Action community centre in the London Borough of Lambeth. (futurenetzero)
Marubeni and partners to invest $12.3 billion in UK clean energy
Japan’s Marubeni Corp has pledged to invest 10 billion pounds with partners over the next decade in clean energy in the United Kingdom, according to a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed on Wednesday.
Marubeni and the UK government signed the MoU, which includes Scotland’s floating offshore wind power business, in Tokyo.
Marubeni, which plans to invest around 1 billion pounds on its own, expects various support from the UK government, including helping the offshore wind power project to ensure stable revenue from selling power.
Among the planned investments, the 3.6 gigawatt Ossian floating offshore wind farm in Scotland will be the biggest project, according to Marubeni. (channelnewsasia)
EV OF THE WEEK
A Toyota EV for space cadets
Toyota recently unveiled an EV concept that blends styling elements from classic Land Cruiser off-roaders with those of the automaker’s proposed lunar rover.
Dubbed the Baby Lunar Cruiser, the concept was created to celebrate 50 years of CALTY, Toyota’s California design studio, according to a press release from the automaker.
The new concept draws inspiration from the original FJ40 Land Cruiser, a car with a cult following. While it’s just a design study, it wouldn’t be surprising if some styling elements from the Baby Lunar Cruiser made their way onto future earthbound electric SUVs.
Toyota is definitely flirting with EV updates of the FJ40. Not long ago they showed the Compact Cruiser EV, which, whilst less outrageous, was pointing in the same direction. (greencarreports)
Baby Lunar Cruiser (FJ40 in the background)
Compact Cruiser EV
Photos: Toyota
EUROPEAN STORIES
Stockholm to ban petrol and diesel cars from centre from 2025
Stockholm has announced plans to become the first big capital city to ban petrol and diesel cars from its centre, in an effort to slash pollution and reduce noise.
From 2025, 20 blocks of Stockholm’s inner city area, spanning its finance and main shopping districts, will be restricted to electric vehicle traffic only. A decision on whether to expand the zone will be made in early 2025. (guardian)
FOCUS ON: THE LABOUR PARTY
Labour to “Rewire Britain” and boost renewables
The Labour Party has announced plans to double onshore wind, treble solar and quadruple offshore wind in the UK.
This is according to Ed Miliband, shadow secretary of state of climate change and net zero, who announced the plans as part of his speech at the Labour Party conference.
Labour’s pledge to double onshore wind directly appeals to those that have fought to overturn the Conservatives’ ban of onshore wind legislation in England. This is what Ed promised, should we need to remind him later:
“I am proud that Keir Starmer’s 2030 mission is for the greatest investment in homegrown energy in British history. We’ll double onshore wind. We’ll treble solar. We’ll quadruple offshore wind. We’ll invest in nuclear and hydrogen and carbon capture and tidal power,”
Labour also set out its plan to “rewire Britain” and unlock £200 billion of private investment to build a clean energy grid. According to a statement released by Labour, the party will “remove the barriers to facilitate the largest upgrade to national transmission infrastructure in a generation”.
One of the biggest aspects included within the plans is the creation of a publicly-owned energy company called GB Energy. Should this be pursued, the organisation would help coordinate the transmission operators to launch a “super-tender” to procure a grid supply chain. (currentnews)
GLOBAL STUFF
Rivian is funding a $1bn solar project built on a former coal mine in Kentucky
Rivian, the Californian electric truck and SUV manufacturer, just signed its largest contract yet to buy renewable energy as a means of working toward its net-zero emissions commitment.
The 100MW deal is notable not just for its size but also for its location in rural Kentucky atop the former site of one of the largest coal mines in Appalachia. It’s a massive infrastructure project with an estimated price tag of $1bn, although Rivian’s exact financial commitment is undisclosed. The company’s motivation to support renewable energy in the state is easier to see: Earlier this year, Rivian said it planned to build a remanufacturing site in Bullitt County, potentially creating 218 jobs.
Rivian’s motives for this investment run deeper than just the MW’s of clean energy. Their evaluators consider both the company’s requirements and those of their customers looking to recharge their cars. They also consider the wider environmental benefits of the scheme, such as the climate, conservation and community benefits generated. Thus, it is a key consideration that the solar farm is being built on a landfill. (businessgreen)
Farm in Kenya to Produce Fossil-Free Fertilizer On Site
The Kenya Nut Company, near Nairobi, will be the first farm in the world to produce fertilizer, on site, that’s free of fossil fuels.
A small fertilizer plant, built by U.S. startup Talus Renewables, will use solar power to strip hydrogen from water; the liberated hydrogen then bonds with nitrogen in the air to form liquid ammonia. Every day, the plant will produce 1 ton of ammonia, which can be applied to crops as fertilizer.
Typically, ammonia is made by stripping hydrogen from natural gas, not water, in a process that unleashes large volumes of heat-trapping carbon dioxide. Globally, the climate impact of ammonia production rivals that of air travel. (yale360)
photo: Talus Renewables
TECHIE CORNER
A solution to cooking oil’s deforestation problem
The plants cultivated to make various types of vegetable oils now cover nearly a quarter of the planet’s cropland, and demand for them is still growing. That’s not good news for the Earth. To grow oil crops, particularly palm and soybeans, farming corporations are cutting down carbon-rich forests, threatening climate goals and biodiversity.
But what if there was a cooking oil that didn’t drive deforestation? A California startup called Zero Acre Farms claims to have created just that. Zero Acre hopes its product, called Cultured Oil because it’s made by fermenting sugarcane, will shift American diets like other oils have, but to a different end. The company says its oil requires 90 percent less land and accounts for 86 percent fewer greenhouse gas emissions than soybean oil, the most widely consumed vegetable oil in the United States.
The startup’s new cooking oil is starting to gain attention. Zero Acre has raised millions of dollars from venture capital funds linked to Chipotle Mexican Grill, Richard Branson’s Virgin Group, and the actor Robert Downey Jr.
Cultured Oil, which has a soft yellow hue like other oils, is made by microorganisms. Add sugarcane to a vat filled with algae, and the microscopic beings convert the sugar into oil. The result, according to Zero Acre, is a liquid that’s healthier than its counterparts because it’s low in saturated and polyunsaturated fats. (grist)
