Friday, May 29, 2020
Recycling Renewables and Sustainable Business 37
1 Among oil majors promising renewable investments, only one is putting serious money on the table
https://www.rystadenergy.com/newsevents/news/press-releases/among-oil-majors-promising-renewable-investments-only-one-is-putting-serious-money-on-the-table/
Investments in solar and wind energy projects by the world’s oil majors over the next five years are expected to reach $17.5 billion, a Rystad Energy analysis finds. But a closer look at the numbers reveals that some $10 billion, or 57% of the amount, is expected to be invested by a single company, Equinor, the only investor whose majority of greenfield capex will be towards renewable energy.
2 COVID-19 Strangles Global Energy Investment
https://solarindustrymag.com/covid-19-strangles-global-energy-investment
At the start of 2020, global energy investment was on track for growth of around 2%, which would have been the largest annual rise in spending in six years. But after the COVID-19 crisis brought large sectors of the world economy to a halt in a matter of months, global investment is now expected to plummet by 20%, or almost $400 billion, compared with last year, according to the IEA’s World Energy Investment 2020 report.
3 Global electric vehicle sales to drop 43% in 2020
https://www.woodmac.com/press-releases/global-electric-vehicle-sales-to-drop-43-in-2020/
Wood Mackenzie’s analysis notes that China will catch up to 2019 demand by November 2020, while Europe will do so by December. Year-over-year demand in the US is projected to lag 2019 demand by 30% by the close of 2020.
“At the end of January, sales of all cars in China were down by 21% compared to 2019. By February, they had plunged by 80%. EV sales were hit harder, with January numbers down 54% and February projected to be down more than 90%. EVs have constituted approximately 5% of all vehicles sales in China for the past two years.
4 Volkswagen in final talks to seal biggest M&A deals in China EV sector
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-volkswagen-investment-china-exclusive-idUSKBN2330F1
Volkswagen AG (VOWG_p.DE) is in final talks to seal its largest investment deals with Chinese electric vehicle (EV) firms, two sources said, as the German automaker accelerates its push into the world’s largest market for environmentally friendlier cars.
5 The Clock Is Ticking On The Electric Vehicle Supply Chain of the Future
https://cleantechnica.com/2020/05/27/lithium-supply-fears-loom-over-electric-vehicle-happy-talk-or-not-as-the-case-may-be/
Spring has sprung, which means it’s time for another round of guess how much lithium automakers will need to make enough lithium-ion batteries for the electric vehicle of the future, of which there are expected to be many millions on the road within the next ten years or so. Spoiler alert: we’re going to need a lot more lithium mines than we have right now. Or, maybe not.
6 Three ways we could improve lithium-ion batteries
https://www.energy-storage.news/blogs/three-ways-we-could-improve-lithium-ion-batteries
Driven by an ever-increasing world population as well as global economic growth, our energy needs have been rising rapidly, peaking 113,000TWh in 2017 according to the International Energy Agency. The impact of this growth on the environment and well-being of society is becoming more apparent, intensifying the need to decarbonise the transportation and power generation sectors – the two highest polluting sectors in the European Union (EU).
7 Used EV batteries for large scale solar energy storage
https://www.pv-magazine.com/2020/05/25/used-ev-batteries-for-large-scale-solar-energy-storage/
MIT scientists have suggested used electric vehicle batteries could offer a more viable business case than purpose-built systems for the storage of grid scale solar power in California. Such ‘second life’ EV batteries, may cost only 60% of their original purchase price to deploy and can be effectively aggregated for industrial scale storage even if they have lost 80% of their original capacity.
8 Germany Aims To Become World’s Hydrogen Hotspot
https://oilprice.com/Alternative-Energy/Renewable-Energy/Germany-Aims-To-Become-Worlds-Hydrogen-Hotspot.html
The energy transition can be compared to a marathon instead of a sprint. As the costs of photovoltaic cells and wind turbines have significantly decreased, decarbonizing the economy has become attainable. The wealthier countries of northern Europe are, arguably, some of the most ambitious societies when it comes to the energy transition. Germany, especially, is an important country due to the size of its economy, political influence in Europe, and technological prowess.
9 Deferred expansion plans fuel prospect of lithium price spike after 2022
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-metals-lithium-graphic-idUSKBN2341AK
Auto sales including electric vehicles have slumped this year due to economic damage from the coronavirus. But sales are expected to accelerate over coming years as auto makers plough on with plans to meet stringent emission regulations.
“When demand comes back, the supply side won’t be able to react quickly enough,” said Simon Moores, managing director at Benchmark Minerals Intelligence, adding that lithium prices would bounce after 2022.
10 U.S. renewable energy consumption surpasses coal for the first time in over 130 years
https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=43895
In 2019, U.S. annual energy consumption from renewable sources exceeded coal consumption for the first time since before 1885, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration’s (EIA) Monthly Energy Review. This outcome mainly reflects the continued decline in the amount of coal used for electricity generation over the past decade as well as growth in renewable energy, mostly from wind and solar. Compared with 2018, coal consumption in the United States decreased nearly 15%, and total renewable energy consumption grew by 1%.
11 Spain and Italy are European renewables investment hot spots, says CEO, and Mexico really should be too
https://www.pv-magazine.com/2020/05/28/spain-and-italy-are-european-renewables-investment-hot-spots-says-ceo-and-mexico-really-should-be-too/
The zero-subsidy segment of the Spanish and Italian solar markets has hoisted them near the top of the list of most attractive PV locations for a privately-owned renewables investment company which recently launched in London.
Susgen will manage the renewables assets of the real estate and clean energy-focused PP Asset Management vehicle owned by Philip Pels, which has already developed more than 1 GW of renewable energy generation capacity.
12 Hydrogen from natural gas instrumental in decarbonisation of energy
https://www.offshore-energy.biz/wintershall-dea-hydrogen-from-natural-gas-instrumental-in-decarbonisation-of-energy/
German oil and gas company Wintershall Dea believes that hydrogen from natural gas will be instrumental in the decarbonisation of energy system and that the much-needed hydrogen market will not succeed without natural gas.
As reported by DNV GL, carbon-free hydrogen production, transmission, and distribution are now widely recognized as central components to the oil and gas industry’s decarbonisation efforts.
13 How Long Until Hydrogen Is Competitive At The Pump?
https://oilprice.com/Alternative-Energy/Fuel-Cells/How-Long-Until-Hydrogen-Is-Competitive-At-The-Pump.html
Hydrogen might have a way to break through one of the barriers that keeps it from reaching mass-scale adoption for fuel cell electric cars and trucks.
French fuel company Air Liquide just released a new product in the US that can make hydrogen competitive with the average gasoline and diesel fuel station. Its high capacity of 1,000 kg and dual filling positions are capable of fueling 250 vehicles per day.
14 Hydrogen on oil and gas industry’s decarbonisation horizon
https://www.offshore-energy.biz/hydrogen-on-oil-and-gas-decarbonisation-horizon/
Hydrogen has surged up the priority list of many oil and gas organizations, taking a primary position in the sector’s decarbonisation efforts, according to a new report by DNV GL.
The classification society said on Thursday that a fifth of senior oil and gas industry professionals claimed their organization was already actively entering the hydrogen market.
Also, the proportion intending to invest in the hydrogen economy doubled from 20 to 42 per cent in the year leading up to the coronavirus-induced oil price crash.
15 EU green recovery package sets a marker for the world
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/may/28/eu-green-recovery-package-sets-a-marker-for-the-world
The European commission has put down a marker for the world with its green recovery package. It sets a high standard for other nations, using the rebuilding of coronavirus-ravaged economies to tackle the even greater threat of the climate emergency, in principle at least.
With the world fast approaching the point when climate chaos becomes inevitable, how the trillions of recovery dollars – or euros – are spent is a use-it-or-lose-it moment, so what the EU does really matters. Climate change is a global crisis, meaning all nations must act and some must lead the way.
16 Startups Give U.K. Hope in the Battery Manufacturing Race
https://about.bnef.com/blog/startups-give-u-k-hope-in-the-battery-manufacturing-race/
Two startups, AMTE Power and Britishvolt, are set to help save the U.K.’s battery manufacturing ambitions. The companies have announced that they will build a 30 gigawatt-hour, or larger, facility in the country.
The U.K. has been trying to develop lithium-ion battery manufacturing in order to help it secure its automotive industry as the vehicle market electrifies. In 2018, the government launched the £246 million Faraday Battery Challenge to help develop industry know-how, support startups and attract battery manufacturing. However, uncertainties around a post-Brexit U.K. resulted in companies like Tesla turning to Germany to build their European facilities.
17 European Grid Operators Move to Scale Up Blockchain Platform for Batteries
https://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/european-tsos-embrace-blockchain-platform
Three major European grid operators are rolling out a new blockchain platform to tap the growing penetration of small-scale distributed energy resources for grid balancing.
As behind-the-meter resources like batteries, heat pumps and electric cars proliferate, challenges remain in finding ways for them to benefit the wider grid. Aggregating such systems — and compensating their owners — requires large numbers of transactions to be balanced and validated constantly.
18 Renewable energy firms scooping up cast-off oil and gas workers
https://www.worldoil.com/news/2020/5/29/renewable-energy-firms-scooping-up-cast-off-oil-and-gas-workers
Jeff Bishop’s LinkedIn post gets right to the point: “Houston Oil & Gas Folks — we’re hiring in Texas” for jobs in clean tech.
His company, battery developer Key Capture Energy, is making the pitch even as tens of thousands of renewable-energy jobs have dried up amid the coronavirus pandemic. That’s because Bishop and a handful of other clean-power executives see an opportunity to recruit talent from the oil and gas industries, which have been even harder hit.
19 China excludes clean coal projects from list eligible for green bonds
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-environment-finance-idUSKBN2350FW
China has excluded “clean coal” from a list of projects eligible for green bonds, according to long-awaited new draft guidelines published by the central bank on Friday.
The new catalogue of eligible projects replaces the previous one published in 2015, and will be open to public consultation until June 12, the People’s Bank of China said in a notice.
20 Chevron shareholders want evidence of climate change performance
https://www.worldoil.com/news/2020/5/28/chevron-shareholders-want-evidence-of-climate-change-performance
In a rare move against Chevron Corp.’s board, shareholders of the U.S. oil giant are calling on the company to disclose lobbying efforts and ensure that they support international goals to combat global warming.
The proposal was the only one where a majority of Chevron’s investors diverged from the board’s recommendations in an annual meeting held virtually Wednesday. The matter was brought by BNP Paribas Asset Management, which has stepped up efforts in recent years to help further the international Paris Agreement on climate change. BlackRock Inc., Chevron’s second-biggest shareholder, also backed the measure.
21 Survey Tracks Health of Energy Transition Amid COVID-19
https://www.rigzone.com/news/survey_tracks_health_of_energy_transition_amid_covid19-28-may-2020-162217-article/
“The COVID-19 crisis has highlighted many of the attributes that could accelerate the energy transition as companies re-evaluate supply chains, collaborate within and across sectors and pioneer capex-light scalable solutions with digital technologies and analytics at the core,” commented Kate Hardin, executive director with the Deloitte Research Center for Energy and Industrials. “The coming months will likely show how enduring these innovations may prove.”
22 Climate change could mean a Mediterranean basin without a Mediterranean climate
https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/sustainability/our-insights/a-mediterranean-basin-without-a-mediterranean-climate
Year-round, millions of visitors from all over the world flock to enjoy the mild climate, wine and food, and stunning scenery. However, climate change may harshen the Mediterranean climate and disrupt vital industries such as tourism and agriculture. The mean temperature in the Mediterranean basin has increased 1.4 degrees Celsius since the late 19th century, compared with the global average of 1.1 degrees—and absent targeted decarbonization, temperatures are projected to increase by an additional 1.5 degrees by 2050. Rising temperatures are expected to raise hydrological variability, increasing the risk of drought, water stress, wildfires, and floods, and noticeably change the Mediterranean climate.
23 US south-west in grip of historic ‘megadrought’, research finds
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/may/29/megadrought-us-south-west-fires-water-research
“We had periodic [fire] sieges in the 80s, but there were breaks in between,” said Pimlott, the former head of the California department of forestry and fire protection. But no longer. “That doesn’t really happen any more. Now you can’t even blink” between fires, he said. “We’re seeing the kinds of fires we have never seen before.”
