J1. Green Tech Industry & Utilities

AGL to trial nickel hydrogen battery that offers potential lower cost, long cycle and longer life storage options.

The post AGL to pilot first-of-its-kind nickel hydrogen battery at Torrens Island hub appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Wind and solar output has surged past 20 gigawatts for the first time on Australian main grid, marking yet another significant milestone in the green energy transition.

The post Wind and solar output surges past 20 gigawatts for first time on Australia’s main grid appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Integrity issues have arisen with landfill gas projects because baselines have been set too low – and do not properly account for two drivers of methane combustion.

The post Carbon credits from landfill gas projects are on the nose appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Wind and solar developers are running out of excuses. It's time they started committing to their projects.

The post Renewable energy developers are running out of excuses: It’s time to start building appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Updated: Australia's biggest energy utility and the country's biggest super fund promise to maintain status quo and continue their not-so-fast switch to green energy.

The post Not so fast: Origin and AusSuper vow to continue slow pace of green energy switch appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Bridie Salmon has gone from slicing fish on the docks of Grimsby to becoming a team leader on the world's biggest offshore wind farm.

The post From nets to nacelles: A day in the life of an offshore wind technician appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Wind giant Vestas signs deal on sidelines of COP28 conference to build a second phase of the biggest wind project in Ukraine.

The post War-torn Ukraine signs deal to build second stage of its largest wind farm appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Leading researcher says solar industry will install a stunning 413GW of new capacity this year, with production also growing and pushing module prices to record lows.

The post Solar’s stunning year: BNEF says 413GW of new PV capacity to be installed in 2023 appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Construction begins on Mortlake Turn-In project, to pave way for 1,500MW of additional renewables hosting capacity and ease voltage stability constraints.

The post “Critical boost” for wind as work starts on 1.5GW transmission upgrade appeared first on RenewEconomy.

New Australian developer founded by ex Neoen staff unveils plans for what would be the biggest wind farm in NSW in the state's south-west.

The post New Australian developer unveils plan for what would be biggest wind farm in NSW appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Headline News:

• “New England’s Decades-Old Shrimp Fishery, A Victim Of Climate Change, To Remain Closed Indefinitely” • In New England, the shrimp business fell victim to warming waters in 2013 because of a moritorium by regulators. A healthy shimp population needs cold water. The moratorium will remain in place indefinitely, fishery regulators ruled. [ABC News]

Shrimp (Jerry Shen, Unsplash)

• “COP28 Host UAE To Ramp Up National Oil Production” • United Arab Emirates, the country hosting COP28 climate talks aimed at cutting fossil fuel emissions is massively ramping up its own oil production, the BBC has learned. Should this surprise us? Sultan al-Jaber, the president of COP28, is also the chief executive of the UAE’s state oil firm Adnoc. [BBC]
• “Record-Low EV Battery Prices In 2023” • Thanks to a variety of factors, lithium-ion battery packs are at record low prices. After dropping 14%, they are down to $139/kWh. The steep price drop and record low average price come on the heels of price increases in 2022 that had brought battery prices back to 2020 levels. The world changes fast. [CleanTechnica]
• “Lower US CO₂ Emissions Due In Part To Shifts In Power Generation Sources” • A forecast by the US Energy Information Administration is for the US energy sector to emit about 4,790 million metric tons of CO₂ in 2023, a 3% decrease from 2022. Much of this decline results from lower electricity generation from coal-fired power plants. [CleanTechnica]
• “New Jersey Plans To Restart Offshore Wind In 2024 After ‘Bump In The Road’” • The Governor of New Jersey is looking to restart the state’s offshore wind programs reiterating that it is committed to offshore wind as a key component of its renewable energy program. The state is commitment to having 100% clean energy by 2035. [The Maritime Executive]

For more news, please visit geoharvey – Daily News about Energy and Climate Change.

Masdar is set to acquire a stake in RWE’s 3 GW Dogger Bank South offshore wind projects, as part of the UAE company’s £11 billion investment in the U.K. renewable sector.

Located more than 100 km off the northeastern coast of England, the DBS offshore wind farms will be split across two sites. Each site is expected to have a 1.5 GW capacity and span 500 square km. Masdar will acquire a 49% stake in the renewables project, while RWE, with a 51% share, will remain in charge of development, construction and operation throughout the life cycle of the projects.

The construction phase could start as early as 2025, and the first 800 MW of electricity is planned to come online in 2029. The DBS projects are expected to be fully commissioned by the end of 2031, says Masdar.

“We are delighted to have come onboard at the early stages of this pioneering project, enabling us to leverage our shared passion and expertise in renewables,” says Masdar CEO Mohamed Jameel Al Ramahi. “The U.K. is the world’s second largest offshore wind market and offers huge growth potential.” 

“We’re delighted to welcome Masdar onboard as our partner and co-investor in the delivery of our Dogger Bank South projects which, at 3 GW in size, make up RWE’s largest offshore wind development in the U.K.,” adds RWE’s Markus Krebber. “With Masdar, we have a strong and renowned partner at our side who shares our ambition to further drive the growth of offshore wind energy.”

DBS is set to power up to 3 million British homes, with the project building on the £10 billion UAE-UK Sovereign Investment Partnership to invest in technology, infrastructure and the energy transition. Closing of the transaction is subject to customary approvals and expected in the first quarter of next year.

The post Masdar Acquires Stake in Dogger Bank South Offshore Wind Project appeared first on North American Windpower.

Headline News:

• “Vestas 15-MW Prototype Certified” • Vestas has received a type certificate for its V236-15MW offshore wind turbine. The turbine manufacturer installed the first prototype unit at the beginning of the year. After reaching it nominal power rating of 15 MW in April, the turbine broke the world record for power produced by one turbine in a 24-hour period – 363 MWh. [reNews]

Vestas prototype turbine (Vestas image)

• “Why Hold UN Climate Talks 28 Times? Do The Talks Even Matter?” • The Conference of Parties process gives every nation in the world, whether rich or poor, large or small, a seat at the table to discuss how climate change is impacting them and how they believe the world should confront it. And ultimately, COP is the only game in town. [ABC News]
• “The Global Impact of Renewable Electricity On Energy Security and Economy” • According to the International Renewable Energy Agency, the adoption of renewable energy sources in 2022 resulted in a remarkable $521 billion saving, primarily by reducing the reliance on expensive fossil-fuel imports. [EnergyPortal.eu]
• “COP28: Poor Countries Win 30-Year Fight For Climate Cash” • In a surprise, COP28 delegates agreed to launch a long-awaited fund to pay for damage from storms and drought worsened by climate change. Such deals are normally sealed last minute after days of negotiations, but COP28 president Sultan al-Jaber put the decision on the floor on day one. [BBC]
• “Renewable Energy Power In China Reached Record High” • Installed capacity of China’s renewable energy power generation surpassed 1.4 billion kilowatts (1,400 GW) as of end-October, accounting for 49.9% of the country’s total, according to the National Energy Administration. This marks a year-on-year growth of 20.8%. [China Daily]

For more news, please visit geoharvey – Daily News about Energy and Climate Change.

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy has directed the state’s board of public utilities to launch its fourth offshore wind solicitation early next year. 

“I have directed the BPU to take this action in recognition of the strong future of New Jersey’s offshore wind industry,” says Murphy. “New Jersey can, and will, continue to remain a burgeoning offshore wind development hub that attracts new projects and their accompanying economic and environmental benefits for generations to come.”

“Today’s announcement affirms New Jersey’s commitment to offshore wind and to meeting Governor Murphy’s clean energy goals,” adds NJBPU president Christine Guhl-Sadovy. “Offshore wind is vital to our clean energy economy and our efforts to mitigate climate change, and we are resolute in our efforts to ensure New Jersey realizes its benefits.”

New Jersey’s fourth solicitation project awards are expected in early 2025.

The post New Jersey Set to Launch Next Offshore Wind Solicitations appeared first on North American Windpower.

Vestas has received a 203 MW order, consisting of 45 V163-4.5 MW wind turbines, to power an undisclosed wind project in the U.S. 

The order includes supply, delivery and commissioning of the turbines, as well as a multi-year Active Output Management 5000 service agreement.

Turbine delivery begins in the fourth quarter of next year, with commissioning scheduled for the first quarter of 2025.

The post Vestas Receives 203 MW Turbine Order appeared first on North American Windpower.

The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) today announced the launch of expedited renewable energy solicitations as part of the state’s plan to bolster its large-scale renewable industry. 

The solicitations, initially announced by New York Gov. Kathy Hochul earlier this month, are open to all project developers. As part of these solicitations, NYSERDA included provisions from the latest rounds of renewable energy procurements such as inflation indexing and agricultural land preservation. This was done in order to maintain policy objectives introduced in prior solicitations.

“These expedited solicitations will continue to build upon our momentum toward achieving a zero-emissions electric grid,” says Doreen M. Harris, president and CEO of NYSERDA. “We welcome into this competitive process all developers who are committed and eager to participate in New York’s energy transition, and we look forward to working together to deliver significant economic, public health, and grid reliability benefits to New York State.”

NYSERDA is streamlining these expedited solicitations by selectively removing certain bid requirements that historically required substantial efforts to develop, but provided nominal value in bid evaluations. 

Final proposals for both offshore wind and land-based projects are due in January. These expedited solicitations support progress toward achieving New York’s Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act goals to obtain 70% of the state’s electricity from renewable sources by 2030 and develop 9,000 MW of offshore wind by 2035.

The post NYSERDA Opens Expedited Renewable Solicitations for Large-Scale Projects  appeared first on North American Windpower.

“Despite recent events and economic impacts, there are good signs New York remains committed” to offshore wind, said Anne Reynolds, executive director of the Alliance for Clean Energy New York.

The grid infrastructure is severely outdated in most regions, companies are facing a huge upskilling and reskilling challenge in their workforce, and customers are demanding more reliable and affordable clean electricity options.

“We continue to work, but there's more work to be done,” Willie Phillips, FERC acting chairman, said. Environmental justice advocates agree.

PJM’s “siloed, reactive planning" has created concerns for years at state utility commissions beyond a pending $5 billion set of transmission upgrades, a letter to the grid operator states.