Friday, March 27, 2020
Recycling, Renewables and Sustainable Business 28
1 Scientists find bug that feasts on toxic plastic
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/mar/27/scientists-find-bug-that-feasts-on-toxic-plastic
A bacterium that feeds on toxic plastic has been discovered by scientists. The bug not only breaks the plastic down but uses it as food to power the process.
The bacterium, which was found at a waste site where plastic had been dumped, is the first that is known to attack polyurethane. Millions of tonnes of the plastic is produced every year to use in items such as sports shoes, nappies, kitchen sponges and as foam insulation, but it is mostly sent to landfill because it it too tough to recycle.
2 How much PV is needed in an hybrid solar-diesel mini-grid?
https://www.pv-magazine.com/2020/03/26/how-much-pv-is-needed-in-an-hybrid-solar-diesel-mini-grid/
The use of solar radiation databases and a solar simulator when designing solar-plus-diesel mini-grids could improve operation, costs and output, according to a study by researchers from Brazil’s Federal University of Santa Catarina.
The researchers said, whereas solar irradiation data is relatively important for urban, grid-connected PV projects, it is absolutely crucial for solar-diesel mini-grids in remote areas.
3 Green hydrogen can power green Alpine tourism
https://www.pv-magazine.com/2020/03/26/green-hydrogen-can-power-green-alpine-tourism/
Winter tourism, arguably more than any other form, is particularly prone to the effects of climate change, as sub-zero temperatures and plenty of snow are prerequisites.
In Austria, one of Europe’s most popular winter sport destinations, a consortium led by Canadian-owned BRP-Rotax has presented a green hydrogen solution for snowmobiles.
4 Coronavirus Lockdowns Cause Dramatic Drop In Air Pollution
https://www.forbes.com/sites/davekeating/2020/03/27/coronavirus-lockdowns-cause-dramatic-drop-in-air-pollution/
The dramatic slowdown in economic activity across Europe as a result of Coronavirus lockdowns can already be seen from space.
Almost all of the European Union has gone into lockdown, with the exception of Sweden, Hungary and the Netherlands. Today the European Space Agencypublished satellite images showing what a difference this has made to nitrogen dioxide concentrations over cities such as Paris, Madrid and Rome.
5 Oil Price Crash Opens A Window Of Opportunity For Renewables
https://oilprice.com/Alternative-Energy/Renewable-Energy/Oil-Price-Crash-Opens-A-Window-Of-Opportunity-For-Renewables.html
Just a month ago, companies and investors had a financial incentive to continue investing in new oil and gas projects despite the societal and environmentalist backlash against fossil fuels. Not anymore.
In just a couple of weeks, the oil price crash made investments in renewable energy starting to look more attractive. Or at least as attractive as investment in oil and gas.
6 What is the Safest Energy for the Future?
https://www.altenergymag.com/article/2020/03/what-is-the-safest-energy-for-the-future/32904
Emotional not rational reasons are why people have rejected nuclear energy. Looking at the basic facts, nuclear energy is the cleanest, safest, and cheapest approach to energy production. The risks of nuclear energy are greatly exaggerated by activists, politicians, and the media, which promote agendas rather than fact.
7 Twelve U.S. states generate more than 30% of their electricity from nuclear power
https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=43256
Nuclear power plants play an important role in U.S. electricity generation, consistently providing about 20% of total annual generation. Of the 30 U.S. states with operating commercial nuclear power plants, 12 states generated more than 30% of their electricity from nuclear power.
8 Sweden Reaches 26% Electric Vehicle Market Share!
https://cleantechnica.com/2020/03/25/sweden-reaches-26-electric-vehicle-market-share/
Yes, the Swedish electric vehicle market is an odd one in which approximately 80% of electric vehicle sales are plug-in hybrids, leaving only 20% of the market for fully electric vehicles. Most EV markets are around 50–50 or favor fully electric vehicles (BEVs). Nonetheless, an overall EV market share of 26% is a stunning achievement in early 2020.
9 Detroit’s near future based on SUVs, not EVs, production plans show
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-autos-emissions-suvs-insight-idUSKBN21D1KW
General Motors Co (GM.N) and Ford Motor Co (F.N) have widely touted their commitment to emission-free electric cars, but their production plans show a growing reliance on ever-larger gas-powered vehicles.
10 First Solar’s PV Module Factories All Still Running Amid Coronavirus Shutdowns
https://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/first-solars-factories-all-still-running-amid-coronavirus-shutdowns
First Solar, the largest PV module maker in the Western hemisphere since opening a second factory in Ohio last year, said on Thursday that all of its global factories remain in production despite the coronavirus outbreak.
11 Nacero selects Topsoe’s TIGAS™ technology for USD 3 billion natural gas-to-gasoline plant
https://blog.topsoe.com/nacero-selects-topsoes-tigas-technology-for-usd-3-billion-natural-gas-to-gasoline-plant
Nacero has signed agreements with Haldor Topsoe for basic engineering and license for a planned natural-gas-to-gasoline facility in Casa Grande, Arizona, with a capacity of 35,000 barrels-per-day of finished gasoline. Pending final investment decision, Topsoe will also supply proprietary hardware, catalysts, and services.
12 Bio and synthetic LNG provide viable path to decarbonisation
https://www.lngindustry.com/small-scale-lng/26032020/bio-and-synthetic-lng-provide-viable-path-to-decarbonisation/
The CE Delft study looks at both the availability and costs of liquefied bio methane (LBM) and liquefied synthetic methane (LSM). The study came to the conclusion that both fuels could become available in sufficient quantities to make a contribution towards future decarbonisation for the shipping industry, and that the costs need not be significantly higher than those of other low and zero carbon fuels.
13 Joined at the hip: A hybrid future for onshore renewables
https://www.energy-storage.news/blogs/joined-at-the-hip-a-hybrid-future-for-onshore-renewables
Such is the maturation of the renewables sector as we enter the 2020s that simply co-locating generation with storage is almost old hat. Now renewables developers the world over are pushing the envelope even further, adopting their onshore wind cousins to bring forward hybrid projects that profess to unlock the full value of a grid connection and unleash the potential of onshore renewables as a whole.
14 Coronavirus Forces Rethink on Plastic Bag Bans
https://www.plasticstoday.com/medical/coronavirus-forces-rethink-on-plastic-bag-bans/150312389262698
Several years ago — 2012 to be exact — just after San Francisco banned plastic T-shirt bags, there was a sudden uptick in the number of E. coli cases caused by the adoption of reusable cotton or polyester non-woven bags as alternatives. Obviously, people weren’t aware that these reusable bags were being used to carry raw meat one time and produce the next without being washed. As a result, people were getting sick from the E. coli bacteria. I blogged about that at the time and explained why single-use plastic retail bags are really not single use, and why they are much safer for consumers and more eco-friendly than alternative bags that require washing in hot, soapy water after each use.
15 World’s wind power capacity up by fifth after record year
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/mar/25/worlds-wind-power-capacity-up-by-fifth-after-record-year
The world’s wind power capacity grew by almost a fifth in 2019 after a year of record growth for offshore windfarms and a boom in onshore projects in the US and China.
The Global Wind Energy Council found that wind power capacity grew by 60.4 gigawatts, or 19%, compared with 2018, in one of the strongest years on record for the global wind power industry.
