New York Unveils Radical Plans to Decarbonise State Pension Funds

22.12.2017

New York has yesterday unveiled major plans to divest the state’s public pension fund from “significant” fossil fuel investments as part of a plan to shift the investment of public money in action to tackle climate change.

The landmark move would ensure the New York State Common Retirement Fund (NYSCR) – which with $200bn in assets under management is the third largest in the US – would cease all new investment in significant fossil fuel-related activities.

Cuomo said he would set out more details in his 2018 State of the State address, but for the plan to take effect it will need the approval of state treasurer Tom DiNapoli.

Governor Cuomo also announced plans to work with DiNapoli to create an advisory committee of “financial, economic, scientific, business and workforce representatives”, who will create a decarbonisation roadmap detailing how the NYSCR’s funds could be used to accelerate climate action and support the clean tech economy.

Despite a major push for clean energy development in New York, the NYSCR is still heavily invested in fossil fuels, with holdings in more than 50 of the world’s most carbon intensive oil and gas companies. Investments include $1bn invested in oil giant Exxon Mobil alone.

“Moving the NYSCR away from fossil fuel investments will protect the retirement savings of New Yorkers,” Governor Cuomo said. “This proposal lays out a roadmap for New York’s $200bn Common Fund to take responsible steps to divest from its fossil fuel holdings, leading to a more secure retirement fund for countless New Yorkers while also helping to achieve the state’s clean energy goals.”

In a parallel move, the comptroller of New York City Andrew Stringer also yesterday announced plans to urge the trustees of the New York City pension fund to decarbonise the portfolios. Stringer said his proposal would include asking the trustees to consider stopping new investment in fossil fuels, divesting current holdings in fossil fuel companies, and boosting investment in clean energy.

“I will work with our trustees to review any and all proposals that will safeguard the pension funds,” Stringer said in a statement. “As Comptroller, I will continue in my fiduciary duty to protect the fiscal health of the City and the retirement security of our City workers and beneficiaries.”

Together the announcements cover investments worth $390bn, and round up a monumental fortnight for divestment campaigners.

Earlier this month the World Bank revealed ground-breaking plans to halt funding for upstream oil and gas projects from 2019, to bring its lending practices more closely in line with the goals of the Paris Agreement. On the same day, insurance giant AXA said it would quadruple its 2020 green investment target to €12bn ($14.3bn) by 2020 and increase its coal divestment fivefold to €2.4bn ($2.9bn), while Dutch bank ING said it would no longer finance clients in the energy sector that are more than five per cent reliant on coal fired power in their energy mix.

Meanwhile, this week UK pension authorities eased pension investment rules to allow Britain’s £2tr workplace pension schemes to dump their shares in oil, gas and coal companies more easily, in a move many expect will empower them to take bolder investment decisions to fight climate change.

And finally, just yesterday the French Parliament passed new legislation banning all oil and gas exploration in the country by 2040, the first nation in the world to do so. French President Emmanuel Macron said he was “very proud” of the move.

The moves all underscore the growing reputational, financial and operational risks governments and investors are associating with fossil fuel assets, and the increasing attractiveness of an economic strategy founded on low-carbon technology.

Source: businessgreen.com

California Poised to Hit 50% Renewable Target a Full Decade Ahead of Schedule

22.12.2017

Every year, the California Energy Commission releases its Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) report, which gives details about the mix of energy experienced by all utilities within the state during the preceding 12 months. The report for this year, released in November, shows that all three of the state’s investor-owned utilities — Pacific Gas & Electric, Southern California Edison, and San Diego Gas & Electric — are projected to derive 50% of their electricity from renewable sources by 2020. That is a full decade ahead of schedule. PG&E reports it used 32.9% renewable energy in the past year. The figure for SoCal Edison was 28.2%. San Diego Gas & Electric led the pack with 43.2% renewable energy.

California’s governor Jerry Brown has been a tireless advocate for renewable energy but his predecessor, Arnold Schwarzenegger, was the first to make California’s renewable energy goals an official part of state policy in 2002. “We’ve got to realize that we are here today because of oil — oil and gas, to a lesser extent, coal,” Brown said when announcing the 50% renewable goal in 2015. At that time, he noted that California still produces more oil than any other US state except for Texas and North Dakota. “What has been the source of our prosperity has become the source of our ultimate destruction, if we don’t get off of it,” he added. That is a point that the current US administration seems incapable of recognizing.

When Schwarzenegger began the state’s renewable energy push, state Republicans screamed that it would strangle job growth and force electricity customers to pay higher utility bills. In fact, the opposite has occurred. California has created a boom in construction jobs in the solar and wind power sectors. The price of solar power has plunged from $136 per MWh in 2008 to $30 per MWh today. Wind power costs have fallen from $97 per MWh in 2007 to under $51 per MWh.

For those who say government shouldn’t stick its nose into business decisions — that would be everyone in the Trump administration, Fox News, and the 4,672 special interest groups funded by the fossil fuel industry — Brown has some thoughts. “People want to cast it as a choice between policy or technology as a solution but those should exist hand-in-hand. We would have never gotten renewable energy prices where they are today without really ambitious public policy. It shows the importance of bold goals,” Brown says.

“When you put a marker way out there and say, ‘We’re going to go achieve that, we’re going to write this down as a matter of policy and then go do it,’ you can accomplish an enormous amount. When you get it right, it’s this virtuous cycle where policy improves technology and that allows us to go for greater ambition without increasing prices and continuing to reduce unintended consequences.”

Now that the 50% goal is within reach, California is looking ahead to its next milestone — 80% renewables by 2050. “Once we get to about 50 percent, we’re going to start to run into new challenges — the second 50 percent will be trickier than the first 50 percent,” Brown notes. Part of the challenge will be balancing the grid using new technologies to avoid the need for fossil fueled “peaker plants” to provide additional electricity when demand is high.

Grid-scale battery storage is ideal for some situations but still too expensive for wide-scale use. “Storage is probably not the first option you want to talk about when you discuss grid integration just because batteries are still pretty expensive compared to other technologies,” Brown says. As an alternative, he recommends other strategies that may be more cost effective, such as pre-cooling buildings during times when there is low demand for electricity and increasing the interoperability of the grid.

“We have an interconnected grid, so I think it would have been foolish to say, ‘It all has to be done in California,’” Brown says. “One of the benefits of the grid is that we’re able to trade power — bring hydro down from the Northwest, bring wind in from Wyoming. These are all really good things. When you look at it, storage works, but it’s probably the last thing in the stack that we want to go to.”

Is 100% renewable power a possibility? Brown thinks it is, but that it’s not the most important thing to focus on. “I think of 100% as a bit of a red herring. If you want 100%, it should be 100% zero carbon electricity. Climate change is the existential threat and I don’t want to waste time arguing about what’s renewable or not. You have to get the carbon out of the energy system as quickly as possible.”

Statements like that make it clear that America has chosen the worst possible leader at the worst possible time. It is an open question how long progressive states like California will deem it in their best interest to support a union in which so many other states are intent on returning to the feudal practices of the Middle Ages.

Source: cleantechnica.com

Scotland promises 50 per cent clean energy by 2030 under first ever Energy Strategy

22.12.2017

The Scottish government has unveiled sweeping new plans to scale up the use of renewable fuel in electricity, transport and heat across the country, under its first ever Energy Strategy.

The Strategy, released yesterday, sets a new target for at least 50 per cent of all Scotland’s heat, transport and electricity consumption to be supplied from renewable sources by 2030. It also targets a 30 per cent increase in energy productivity across the economy.

To drive progress towards these new targets, the Scottish government also revealed £80m in new investment in the energy sector – £60m for low-carbon innovation and £20m for energy investment – and confirmed plans for a publicly owned energy company.

Crucially meanwhile, it also promised to publish an Annual Energy Statement, setting out the country’s latest energy statistics, its progress against targets and key priorities, and an up-to-date assessment of how technological advances will impact the planned changes to the energy system.

“This strategy will guide decisions of the Scottish government over the coming decades,” Business, Energy and Innovation minister Paul Wheelhouse said in a statement. “We want to make sure, within the scope of our devolved powers, good stewardship of Scotland’s energy sector – something we have called the UK government to step up to for years.”

Scotland’s electricity supply is already largely decarbonised, with renewables meeting 54 per cent of its electricity needs in 2016. But the majority of the country’s energy demand for heating and transport is still met with fossil fuels, meaning just 18 per cent of Scotland’s final energy consumption comes from renewable energy sources.

Achieving the 50 per cent target for power, heating and transport will require the share of renewable electricity to rise from 54 per cent of Scotland’s consumption to more than 140 per cent, the Strategy notes, to help offset slower gains elsewhere. Of particular focus will be driving development of deep water offshore wind and lobbying the UK government to allow new onshore wind projects. Hitting the target also depends on the rapid rollout of electric vehicles running on clean power, and renewable heating technology account for 20 per cent of non-electrical heating demand, the Strategy adds.

There are signs shifts to cleaner fuels is already underway in Scotland beyond the power sector. Earlier this week the RAC Foundation released new data suggesting the use of electric vehicle charging points has surged by 43 per cent over the last 12 months. The number of electric cars and vans registered in Scotland has also grown from just over 4,000 to 6,284 over the last year, the charity noted.

However, although the strategy champions the potential of low-carbon energy, it is careful to also stress the importance of Scotland’s oil and gas sector. “Our oil and gas industry and heritage will remain the bedrock of our future energy system – supplying energy, but also expertise and skills to support our transition to a different, low carbon energy future,” Wheelhouse wrote in a foreword.

It also warns that UK-wide progress under the Clean Growth Strategy, as well as the final negotiating agreement under the Brexit process and the promises made in the Industrial Strategy, will impact its ability to achieve the goals.

“Reaching 50 per cent in 13 years will be challenging, particularly in more uncertain market conditions compared to those in the preceding decade, and due to the fact that not all the relevant policy levers are devolved to the Scottish government,” the report admits. “But the target demonstrates the Scottish government’s commitment to a low carbon energy system and to the continued growth of the renewable energy sector in Scotland. It also underlines our belief in the sector’s ability to build on its huge achievements and progress thus far.”

The new strategy is ambitious in its scope and targets, but much of its success will depend on how effectively it manages to convert ministers in Westminster to its cause. After all, it is UK-wide policy that controls much of the decision-making around large scale renewables developments, while it is an Industrial Strategy drawn up in Westminster that will provide the blueprint for solving much of the infrastructure challenges, from EV charging to low-carbon heating, facing the country. The Energy Strategy is a bold statement of intent, but it’s a journey Scotland may find tricky to complete without the rest of the UK by its side.

Source: businessgreen.com

Dutch Government Confirms Zero-Subsidy Wind Farm Will Go Ahead

22.12.2017

wind-power-plant — Photo-illustration: Pixabay

The Dutch government’s decision to hold the first zero-subsidy auction for offshore wind has paid off, with the government announcing yesterday that bidders have come forward and the site will be developed without state support.

Last week Swedish utility Vattenfall revealed it had put in an offer to the auction, which is seeking to find developers for 700MW of offshore wind capacity off the Netherlands‘ southwest coast.

This was followed by confirmation from the Dutch government that the Hollandse Kust (zuid) Wind Farm Sites I and II will be built without any subsidy, after the auction closed to bidders yesterday.

Auction winners will be chosen over the next few months, with a view to getting the wind farm up and running by 2022, supplying one million households with clean electricity. The winner will receive a permit to develop the site, but no state subsidy.

“This is wonderful news for the energy transition process,” Dutch minister for economic affairs and climate policy Eric Wiebes said in a statement. “If these applications do indeed result in an offshore wind farm being constructed without any subsidy, it will be a huge breakthrough. This development also shows that we can keep down the costs for the energy transition if we address these issues intelligently and if the market and government work well together.”

The Dutch authorities changed the rules of the auction after renewable developers offered to build offshore wind farms at market prices in Germany earlier this year.

Source: businessgreen.com

Arctic Experienced 2nd Warmest Year & Lowest Winter Sea Ice Extent On Record In 2017

21.12.2017

The Arctic region experienced its second-warmest year (by air temperature) and its lowest winter sea ice extent on record in 2017, according to the 12th edition of NOAA’s Arctic Report Card.

The peer-reviewed report — comprising the work of 85 different researchers from 12 different countries — also revealed that the Arctic is continuing to warm at a rate roughly or greater than twice that of most of the rest of the world.

The only year where land temperatures in the region were hotter than in 2017 was 2016 — air temperatures in the region were on average a good 2.9° Fahrenheit (1.6° Celsius) higher during 2017 than the 1981–2010 average for the region.

The region also experienced its lowest ever (since modern record keeping began, that is) winter sea ice extent — with the maximum during March 2017 being substantially more limited than during any years on record. 2017’s maximum sea ice extent represents the 8th lowest on record — with almost all of those ahead of 2017 being post-2000 years.

Overlapping all of that, Arctic sea ice is continuing to get thinner and younger by the year — with multi-year sea ice now representing just 21% of total extent, down from 45% in 1985.

Sea surface temperatures are continuing to rise rapidly as well — with August 2017 sea surface temperature averages in the Barents and Chukchi seas being 7.2° Fahrenheit (4° Celsius) above the long-term average. The surface waters of the Chukchi Sea have actually increased in temperature by around 1.26° Fahrenheit (0.7° Celsius) per decade since 1982.

The press release details a couple of other interesting data points:

— Arctic ocean plankton blooms increasing. Springtime melting and retreating sea ice which allows sunlight to reach the upper layers of the ocean, continues to stimulate increased chlorophyll as measured by satellite, which indicates more marine plant growth across the Arctic. This increase has occurred since measurements began in 2003.

— Greener tundra. Overall vegetation, including plants getting bigger and leafier, and shrubs and trees taking over grassland or tundra, increased across the Arctic in 2015 and 2016, as measured by satellite. The greatest increases over the last 3 decades are occurring on the North Slope of Alaska, Canada’s tundra, and Taimyr Peninsula of Siberia. The annual report on vegetation is based largely on data from sensors aboard NOAA weather satellites.

— Snow cover up in Asia, down in North America. For the 11th year in the past 12, snow cover in the North American Arctic was below average, with communities experiencing earlier snow melt. The Eurasian part of the Arctic saw above average snow cover extent in 2017, the first time that’s happened since 2005.

— Less melt on Greenland Ice Sheet. Melting began early on the Greenland Ice Sheet in 2017, but slowed during a cooler summer, resulting in below-average melting when compared to the previous 9 years. Overall, the Greenland Ice Sheet, a major contributor to sea level rise, continued to lose mass this past year, as it has since 2002 when measurements began.

“The rapid and dramatic changes we continue to see in the Arctic present major challenges and opportunities,” stated retired Navy Rear Admiral Timothy Gallaudet, the acting NOAA administrator. “This year’s Arctic Report Card is a powerful argument for why we need long-term sustained Arctic observations to support the decisions that we will need to make to improve the economic well-being for Arctic communities, national security, environmental health, and food security.”

Major challenges and opportunities? I guess at this point it’s no mystery — every country from the US, to Norway, to Russia, to Denmark, to Canada, to China is gearing up to compete for Arctic resources as the climate continues warming. Such resources should probably remain undeveloped — if extreme anthropogenic climate warming and weirding is to be avoided, then they will essentially have to be, that is.

Since I’ve already written a rather long article on the subject, I’ll keep it fairly brief here — even after the Arctic region warms substantially, it will not be well suited to human habitation. To put that another way, the sorts of population numbers that the Arctic region will be able to support after warming will be very limited — perhaps even lower than they are now as the result of fisheries possibly collapsing and the disappearance of high-calorie game (seals, caribou, etc.)

The “soil” of the region is largely non-existent, and what does exist is quite poorly suited to agriculture. It’s not simply a matter of populations moving northwards as the tropics warm and bringing their lifestyles with them — the Arctic is a fundamentally different place. It’s not simply a matter of the temperatures being somewhat lower there.

Source: cleantechnica.com

Hope for Domestic Automotive Industry

21.12.2017

Company AQOS Technologies gives us faith in the possibility of developing the car industry in Serbia after years of silence in this industrial branch

In order to present to our readers innovative solutions from AQOS Technologies, implemented in the current prototype model AQOS and find out when will their long-term research turn into a means of transport, that we will often see on the streets, we talked to Mr Saša Milovančević, the founder of the company, a graduate architect, affiliated designer and constructor in automotive industry.

We are witnessing that at this moment, “green” cars represent a world trend and that the largest automotive companies have made significant efforts in the research and development of electric and hybrid vehicles in recent years. During his rich career, Saša Milovančević had the opportunity to work very successfully with some of the most important companies in the automotive industry.

As an initial motive for the creation of a new brand, Milovančević cited the need to redefine the entry approach to the development of a new automobile brand that has the ability to respond to the challenges of the modern era. So far, AQOS has presented prototypes of more than ten modern cars, which have already become recognizable among high-performance vehicles.

The idea of projects that AQOS Technologies develop is the platform for the integration of scientific, technological and technical research, which is corroborated by the cooperation and support of numerous educational and research institutions such as Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Technology and Metallurgy and Vinča Institute.

– With no intention of compromising the idea of coupling electric cars with ecology, electric cars have advantages over classical, even when the environmental impact is excluded. AQOS, as a brand, has undertaken research on all limitary issues. Contemporary design and technical solutions, combined with environmental awareness and the technologies that accompany all these, definitely represent the distinction that distinguishes AQOS from other brands. Although diversity is not a prerequisite for success, it is enough just to be better for the same subject– Milovančević was clear.

In the past decades, insufficiently explored options for the use of solar panels on cars have left room for tolerance in terms of aesthetics and functionality. The concept of an alternative-powered vehicle, such as an electric one, usually included massive batteries. When asked what had to be balanced during the development of the AQOS models and whether they were forced to give up on some aspects for better performance, Saša Milovančević answered sharply – We did not have to, we are AQOS!

– Of course, we cannot talk about all the technologies at this stage for obvious reasons, but in the first place, the use of nanotube-enriched composites and highly sensitive solar cell functional even with poor light are topical. But the least tested and strongest technology we use is the will to take the process all the way to the end, Milovančević told us.

Bearing in mind the current state of the road infrastructure for electric vehicles in the Republic of Serbia, we were interested in the team’s assessment of the possibility of placing AQOS cars on the domestic and foreign market.

– The car is a global product and as such, it cannot be treated locally in any sense. As far as the assembly of the cars themselves, our intention is to do that in Serbia, but whether this will be achieved depends on many factors that we cannot influence to the full extent – Mr. Milovančević is clear.

While AQOS works hard on the development of solar foils that are adaptable and integrated to the design of the vehicle, we hope that this domestic brand will be recognized as one of the main players in the new automotive revolution.

AQOS Technologies

Established in Belgrade in the beginning of the current decade, AQOS has focused on research in all aspects of car development. Experienced experts in the field of design, architecture, technology, materials and other engineering sciences participate in the creation of vehicle prototypes under the auspices of AQOS, and this company consists of domestic and foreign experts from Great Britain, Germany, and Italy.

Prepared by: Marija Nešović

This content was originally published in the eighth issue of the Energy Portal Bulletin, named ECOMOBILITY.

France Bans All Fossil Fuel Extraction & Fracking

21.12.2017

This is a story that leaves people scratching their heads. The French parliament has passed a new law banning fossil fuel extraction within its borders, or in any of its territories, by 2040. That includes fracking or any other forms of shale gas extraction. The new legislation is in line with president Macron’s stated goal of making France a leader in the switch to renewable energy. The oddity here is that France imports 99% of its fossil fuel requirements. The total produced within the nation and its territories amounts to just over 800,000 tons annually — about the same amount Saudi Arabia produces in a matter of hours.

The new law will most directly affect fossil fuel exploration in Guyana, a French territory in South America.

France has previously announced its intention to shutter up to 17 nuclear power plants by 2025, which provide the nation with most of its zero-emissions electricity. However, the aim is to replace that with renewables, not pollution producers.

No new permits will be granted to extract fossil fuels and no existing licences will be renewed beyond 2040, when all production in mainland France and its overseas territories will stop, reports The Guardian. Delphine Batho, a member of parliament, says she hopes the ban will be “contagious” and inspire other countries to follow suit. France has already announced that it intends to ban the sale of new cars powered by internal combustion engines by the year 2040.

The news is not begin greeted with rapturous joy by environmental groups in France, however. Apparently, the country has many signed contracts for oil and gas extraction that predate the new ban.

Abrogating those legal obligations could subject it to substantial financial penalties. “There are at least 55 exploration licenses that were previously approved and will likely be extended, and 132 extraction permits awaiting approval,” said Juliette Renaud, a fossil fuel industry expert with Friends of the Earth. “If we continue to exploit conventional hydrocarbons, it will be impossible to keep global temperatures from rising above 2° C.”

Even if the new law is mostly symbolic, it is an important step forward, especially at a time when the United States is committed to reinvigorating its moribund coal industry. The way is now wide open for other nations like China and France to take the lead in transitioning to renewable energy.

Source: cleantechnica.com

Germany Predicted To Set Renewable Energy Record In 2017

21.12.2017

Obnovljivi izvori energije — Foto-ilustracija: Pixabay

Clean Energy Wire is reporting that renewables will account for 33% of Germany’s total electricity usage once all the numbers for 2017 are in. That’s up from 29% last year. The projections are from the German Association of Energy and Water Industries. Its CEO, Stefan Kapferer, says, “The gap between coal and renewables in Germany’s power production fell from 11 to under 4 percentage points in just one year.”

The share of renewables among all electricity produced in Germany this year was actually closer to 36%, since Germany exports power to other European countries. The nation’s power system is “decarbonizing itself in big steps,” Kapferer says. According to his organization’s calculations, coal has fallen from 40.3% of total electric production last year to 37% this year. “The reduction of coal-fired power production is in full swing,” he told the press in Berlin recently. He added that the trend is bound to continue in coming years, as “nobody will invest in hard coal plants any longer,” due to changes in the marketplace.

Kapferer went on to say he was confident that Germany’s utility industry would hit its carbon reduction targets as part of the Paris climate accords and that renewables will be fully capable of taking up any slack in electricity production caused by the closing of any fossil fuel generating facilities. He was not so charitable when it came to the transportation sector, however. He said that industry, “unfortunately makes no appropriate contribution” to carbon reduction goals and will be responsible if the country does not achieve its overall national goals for greenhouse gas reductions.

Germany still operates a number of brown coal generating plants but a recent report from Agora Energiewende claims up to 20 of those highly polluting installations could be closed down without endangering the nation’s energy supply. “The shutdown of coal power plants would not make Germany dependent on electricity imports. It would only have to reduce its electricity exports,” Agora director Patrick Graichen told German newspaper Der Bild.

The good news is that Germany is making progress toward integrating renewables into its energy grid, but as in most countries, there is still a long way to go.

Source: cleantechnica.com

Brits to Throw Out 100 Million Plastic Straws and Cups this Christmas

21.12.2017

New research has this week estimated that the British public will use almost 300 million plastic straws and cups over the festive party season, with a third of the resulting waste not being recycled.

A survey of over 2,000 people commissioned by Sky as part of its Ocean Rescue campaign found that 84 per cent of consumers are concerned too much plastic packaging is used on gifts, while 69 per cent regard the amount of waste generated over Christmas as ‘unacceptable’.

However, the survey also found widespread confusion over recycling practices over the festive season. It found that 37 per cent mistakenly believe Christmas cards with glitter can be recycled and nearly two thirds incorrectly plan to recycle shiny and glittery wrapping paper.

In addition, the use of single use plastics and wrapping paper is showing no signs of slowing, despite growing concerns over their environmental impact.

Around 177 million plastic straws and 122 million plastic cups are expected to be used over the next few weeks, while Brits are expected to use enough wrapping paper to wrap around the world twice.

The research found a significant proportion of people would like to see waste levels curbed, with half saying they would happily receive an unwrapped Christmas present and 46 per cent saying they would prefer a digital Christmas card.

Sky’s campaign is urging people to curb their use of single use plastics, check council recycling policies on what Christmas materials can be recycled, and ensure waste is properly separated.

Jodie Kidd, former supermodel and a supporter of the campaign, said: “The stats about how much single-use plastic is used at Christmas are alarming but there are small, simple behaviour changes that can make a big difference. For starters, say no to straws and plastic cups when you’re celebrating this Christmas. As a pub owner, banning plastic straws and cups was one of the first decisions I made. The small things we can all do can help make all the difference to protect the health of our beautiful oceans.”

The survey comes amid a flurry of reports on Environment Secretary Michael Gove’s plans to introduce a series of new policies to crack down on plastic waste.

Reports suggested Defra’s upcoming 25 Year Plan for Nature could include proposals for a new plastic bottle deposit scheme, a push to encourage businesses to streamline the number of plastics they use, and the introduction of new standards that would see councils adopt similar waste policies.

Source: businessgreen.com

Macquarie Sells Off Solar Assets to Canada’s Fiera Infrastructure

21.12.2017

solar-panel-array-1591359__340 — Photo: Pixabay

Australian bank Macquarie has sold a 41MW bundle of solar assets to Canada’s Fiera Infrastructure, a subsidiary of investment giant Fiera Capital Corporation, for an undisclosed sum.

The deal, announced yesterday, sees Macquarie hand over a set solar assets which includes 13,000 residential rooftop arrays alongside commercial rooftop and ground-mounted arrays.

Over the last year the residential portfolio alone has generated 33GWh of renewable electricity and avoided 11,500 tonnes of carbon emissions, Macquarie said.

Many of the installations are backed by the UK government’s Feed-in Tariff, which guarantees returns on energy generated for 20 years.

Alina Osorio, president at Fiera Infrastructure, said the deal “enhances and diversifies” the firm’s portfolio, which already includes stakes in solar and wind projects across the US.

“As a leader in the alternative investment industry, Fiera Infrastructure is always looking to offer its clients the best investment opportunities and the infrastructure asset class is a segment which offers superior growth potential,” Osorio added.

Source: businessgreen.com

BMW Achieves Goal Of Selling 100,000 Plug-In Electric Vehicles In 2017, Company Reveals

20.12.2017

bmw-electric — Photo-ilustration: Pixabay

The Germany luxury auto manufacturer BMW has achieved its goal of selling at least 100,000 plug-in electric vehicles in 2017, the company revealed in an email sent to CleanTechnica.

That means that BMW experienced year-on-year plug-in electric vehicle sales growth (as compared to 2016) of over 60% — as the company sold “just” 62,255 plug-in electric vehicles worldwide in 2016.

The goal was achieved largely on the back of strong and growing demand in Western Europe and in the US — where the BMW Active Tourer PHEV (plug-in hybrid) and the BMW i3 sold decently.

Yes, as you can see, BMW is counting plug-in hybrids. It has several plug-in hybrid models. However, the BMW i3 still leads the way for the company.

To mark the occasion (the achievement of the goal), BMW’s headquarters tower was “transformed” on December 18th via a lighting installation to resemble “4 upright batteries” — meant to represent the company’s plans regarding plug-in electric vehicles.

“We deliver on our promises,” commented Harald Krüger, Chairman of the Board of Management of BMW AG. “This 99-meter-high signal is lighting the way into the era of electro-mobility. Selling 100,000 electrified cars in 1 year is an important milestone, but this is just the beginning for us. Since the introduction of the BMW i3 2013, we’ve delivered over 200,000 electrified cars to our customers and by 2025, we will offer 25 electrified models to our customers. Our early focus on electro-mobility has made this success possible — and electro-mobility will continue to be my measure for our future success.”

Plug-in electric vehicles now account for around 6% of BMW Group sales, according to the email sent to CleanTechnica — putting the company’s adoption rate well above the current overall European plug-in electric vehicle market-share of ~2% or the slightly lower share in the USA.

With regard to the 25 plug-in electric models on sale by 2025 that Krüger mentioned, the next model to be released will be the BMW i8 Roadster (an updated version of the earlier i8), followed by an all-electric MINI in 2019, an electric version of the X3 in 2020, and the iNext in 2021.

This news follows on recent announcement that the company would be spending €100 million or so on a new self-driving vehicle and electric vehicle test track, and also the news that BMW is partnering with the US-based firm Solid Power to develop commercial solid-state electric vehicle batteries.

Source: cleantechnica.com

Vestas & Northvolt Create Wind Energy Grid Storage Partnership

20.12.2017

Headquartered in Denmark, Vestas is the largest manufacturer of wind turbines in the world. This week, it announced the formation of a partnership with young Swedish battery manufacturer Northvolt to improve the integration of grid-scale battery storage systems into wind energy systems. The two companies will share research and development duties and create products for the wind energy sector that utilize products from each.

According to Utility Dive, the partnership will be known as Northvolt Labs. The collaboration will help the Vestas “define, challenge, and improve battery storage offerings for customers that need hybrid and storage solutions,” says Anders Vedel, chief technology officer at Vestas. “There is a strong shared purpose and strategic fit with Northvolt.” Peter Carlsson, the CEO of Northvolt, formed the company in 2015 after working for many years at Tesla. Vestas will contribute nearly $12 million to the partnership over the next 7 years.

Part of mission of the partnership is to create advanced data management systems that will improve the ability of wind energy systems to meet the needs of utility companies by making renewable energy more predictable and reliable. “Northvolt, with the support of Vestas, is looking to better understand the needs of the renewable energy sector in order to develop batteries for solution providers and OEMs,” the companies said in a joint press release. “Northvolt is building a next generation battery factory with the aim to produce the world’s greenest batteries to enable and accelerate the transition to renewable energy.”

Despite the news, shares in Vestas fell more than 20% on Monday after it announced quarterly earnings well below analysts’ expectations. “The drop wiped out all of the company’s gain in stock price for 2017. An increasingly competitive environment and emerging trend of aggressive capacity auctions is resulting in price and margin pressure at Vestas,” wrote James Evans, a Bloomberg Intelligence analyst. While cleantech fans applaud ever lower auction prices, seeing them as signs the renewable energy revolution is moving forward, the companies doing the heavy lifting are operating on razor-thin margins that squeeze profitability — a condition that puts that revolution at risk.

Source: cleantechnica.com

‘Monumental’: China Launches National Emissions Trading System

20.12.2017

China has today announced further details of its forthcoming national emissions trading scheme (ETS), revealing the rollout will start in the energy sector before full implementation from 2020 onwards.

In a move that campaigners hailed as a “monumental” step in the global fight against climate change, the Chinese government confirmed the long-awaited ETS – which was trailed last week at the One Planet Summit in Paris – will create the world’s largest carbon market once it comes into operation, dwarfing Europe’s ETS in size and scope.

The cap and trade scheme will sees high emitting companies buy and sell emissions credits below a defined, gradually declining limit. The market is set to initially cover around 3.5 billion metric tonnes of carbon from 1,700 stationary sources across China’s power sector, including the country’s coal plants.

The scope means the ETS will initially account for around 34-39 per cent of China’s total emissions, before gradually expanding to also include other high emitting industries such as aluminium and cement in the coming years. The scheme is also expected to grow to include the heating sector, with China having on Sunday announced a five-year plan to convert northern cities to clean heating during the winter through to 2021 in order to avert a deepening heating crisis, according to Reuters.

Green NGO the Environment Defense Fund said that by the time the program is fully implemented from 2020 it is expected to cover some five billion metric tonnes of CO2, which would account for a sizeable chunk – roughly 15 per cent – of total global emissions.

“The world has never before seen a climate program on this scale,” said EDF president Fred Krupp. “It is important that the world’s largest emitter should lead on climate, and that is precisely what China is doing by launching its national emissions trading system. China has stepped up its climate leadership dramatically in recent years, and is now increasingly seen as filling the leadership void left by the US.”

Initially nine regions and cities, including Jiangsu, Fujian and seven regions where pilot schemes have been operating, will coordinate to establish the ETS system, Reuters reports. The intention is that the market will become the primary mechanism for ensuring China remains on course to peak its total emissions by 2030 at the latest, in line with the country’s Paris Agreement pledges.

However, there are still no firm details as to precisely when trading in the long-awaited carbon market will actually begin, nor a timetable for the phase-in of other industries. Chinese media site Shoudian reported that is “probable” that formal trading will not start until 2019, but officials are yet to provide an official start date.

Some commentators have suggested the lack of clarity is because China is still not ready to launch the ETS. Having begun piloting emissions trading programmes four years’ ago, China’s President Xi Jinping had promised to launch the cap and trade programme before the end of 2017. But analysts have warned much of the technical infrastructure required for a national roll out is still not in place.

However, in a statement EDF president Krupp said it was “smart” for China to take its time over developing and gradually phasing in the scheme. “Chinese leaders have drawn lessons from the experience of other countries, and they’re moving in a gradual and sure-footed way to make sure they get this right,” added Krupp. “I think that’s smart.”

It is also not yet known what price will be placed on carbon emissions to start with, although some have estimated the initial price could be 50 yuan ($7.50) per tonne of emissions, with a longer term aim for the figure to rise to around 300 yuan ($45) per tonne.

Critics of the EU ETS have long argued that it has failed to deliver on its early promise because a glut of emissions credits has led to low carbon prices. However, supporters of the scheme have countered that it has normalised the practice of carbon pricing and has encouraged investment in energy efficiency mneasures and the switch away from carbon intensive coal power.

Commentators said China’s new market will form part of a global trend. Once China’s system launches there will be 19 carbon trading systems operating globally, covering almost half of the world’s economic output.

Jonathan Grant, director of the climate change team at PWC UK, welcomed today’s news as a “massive step forward in China’s efforts to tackle emissions – and one that could have global ramifications”, but he stressed the importance of ambitious policy to ensure the ETS is effective.

“China’s action could reduce concerns about competitiveness which is often a barrier to implementing climate policy in other countries,” said Grant in a statement. “For the trading system to be effective, the NDRC [China’s state planning commission] will need to set an ambitious emissions cap, roll-out the trading system to other sectors and allow the price to flow through to consumers. Carbon pricing regulation has been implemented in many countries around the world, but to reduce emissions, prices need to be high enough to prompt companies to change their investment decisions and operations.”

The launch of China’s scheme will fuel hopes it could in future link up with other markets operating elsewhere, such as in the EU and California.

Last week, national state leaders across North and Central America announced a declaration promising greater cooperation on carbon trading. Together Canada, Colombia, Costa Rica, Chile and Mexico pledged to set up a working group with a view to developing a common framework to deepen regional integration of carbon markets throughout the region. The declaration was also signed by the Governors of California, Washington and the Premiers of Alberta, British Columbia, Nova Scotia, Ontario and Quebec.

Moreover, a new €10m, three-year EU-China cooperation project on emissions trading started just a few weeks ago.

Miguel Arias Cañete, EU Commissioner for Energy and Climate Action, also welcomed China’s announcement today. “As the US government turns its back on the fight against climate change, China, the EU and many others are forging ahead with strong climate policies and measures,” he said in a statement. “This major announcement sends a very strong signal: the world is changing with new, broad climate leadership. With both the EU and China committed to emissions trading, two major international players are championing carbon markets as a key policy tool to curb emissions and put a price on carbon.”

With specific details of China’s ETS and rollout timetable still unknown, it remains to be seen just how ambitious or rapid the decarbonisation of the world’s second largest economy will be over the coming years. Nevertheless, China has sent a strong signal that carbon is a pollutant that industrial emitters must pay for, and many will hope the move could prompt other governments to move in the same direction.

Source: businessgreen.com

EV Charge Point Use in Scotland Surges 43 Per Cent in One Year

20.12.2017

The use of electric vehicle charge points in Scotland has surged by nearly half in the space of a year, putting the UK region “on the cusp of a motoring revolution”, according to the RAC Foundation.

The motoring charity’s analysis of the ChargePlace Scotland public network shows that both number and usage of chargepoints is rapidly increasing across Scotland, as more people adopt electric vehicles.

Data from Scotland’s charging network, which was developed by the Scottish Government and local authorities, shows chargepoints were used almost 37,500 times in August 2017, up from the just over 26,000 times during the same month in 2016 and less than 13,000 uses in August 2015.

Meanwhile, the total number of public chargepoints available to drivers also continues to rise, with 1,133 charging stations with a total of just over 2,000 connectors – or sockets – installed in Scotland as of the end of August this year. This compares to the 870 charge points and 1,700 connectors available to Scottish EV drivers at the same time year before.

Rapid chargers make up 16 per cent of units, but were used for almost half – 49 per cent – of all charging sessions in August 2017.

However, despite the overall increase in usage, a large number of charge points in the network are still not being used at all, the data shows. Almost a quarter – 23 per cent – of charge points were not used at all during August 2017, only a fraction less than the 25 per cent that went unused the in August 2016.

Steve Gooding, director of the RAC Foundation, welcomed the findings, but said EVs would only enjoy a mass market once they became as easy to use and recharge as refuelling currently is for petrol and diesel vehicles.

“Scotland may be on the cusp of a motoring revolution, but step-changes in electric vehicle technology must be matched by equally big strides in recharging infrastructure,” said Gooding. “It is pleasing to see the use rapid chargers are getting. But the stubbornly high number of charge points that get little or no use shows that we still need to think not just about the total amount of charging infrastructure but what type it is and where it is located.”

In related news, global consultancy Capgemini has partnered with Norwegian digital tech firm Smartly to launch a new mobile phone app which allows subscribers to access and pay for the use of EV car chargers in housing co-op networks across Norway.

The app, launched earlier this week, tracks identities of different users of the EV charge points, allowing for households in the co-ops to be accurately billed for their vehicle energy consumption and providing app users with the ability to keep track of their electricity use and pay accordingly, Capgemini said.

“We brought together our expertise in cloud native apps, digital innovation and customer experience with the Microsoft Azure cloud platform to help Smartly create an innovative app that not only provides a great user experience for Smartly’s customers, but also contributes to a greener future for Norway,” said Jens Middborg, VP at Capgemini in Norway.

Source: businessgreen.com

Toyota Sets Sights on One Million Electric Vehicle Sales by 2030

20.12.2017

Toyota has set a bold new target to sell at least one million zero-emission cars by 2030, as it places the environment at the centre of its strategy for the coming decade.

In an update yesterday the Japanese automaker, which also owns the Lexus brand, said it plans to have sold at least one million fuel cell or battery electric cars, out of a total of more than 5.5 million hybrid and low emission vehicles.

To achieve the sales targets, Toyota said it would introduce at least 10 new all-electric vehicle models by the early 2020s, and by 2025 every model in the Toyota and Lexus line-up will have an electrified option.

The move echoes similar transformative strategies unveiled in recent months by carmakers such as Volvo, and marks a new focus on electric vehicles for Toyota, which has spent years investing in hybrids and hydrogen fuel cell cars.

Executive vice president of Toyota, Shigeki Terashi, said the first new electric cars will go on sale in China before being rolled out across the rest of the world.

A new partnership with Panasonic, announced last week, is also expected to give Toyota a major boost in the development of better battery technology for the new models.

Source: businessgreen.com

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