Could California Join China in Banning Gas Guzzlers?

29.09.2017

Zagađenje, Auspuh, Automobil — Photo: Pixabay

After China announced plans to ban new diesel and gasoline-powered cars, California Gov. Jerry Brown is said to be considering the same option, according to Bloomberg.

“I’ve gotten messages from the governor asking, ‘Why haven’t we done something already?'” Mary Nichols, chairwoman of the California Air Resources Board, told the publication. “The governor has certainly indicated an interest in why China can do this and not California.”

Besides China, Britain, France, Norway and India have announced similar intentions to phase out conventional gas guzzlers to cut fossil fuel emissions and promote electric vehicles.

Under Brown’s watch, the Golden State has become an environmental powerhouse and it’s no surprise that he would be consider such an idea. In June, Brown signed a nonbinding agreement with China to cooperate on renewable energy technology, including zero-emissions vehicles and lower greenhouse gas emissions. Brown and Chinese President Xi Jinping discussed “the importance of expanding cooperation of green technology, innovation and trade,” according to the governor’s office.

The governor has also been outspoken against President Trump’s inaction on climate change and his controversial decision to pull the U.S. out of the Paris agreement.

It’s unclear if the ban is serious. However, as Gina Coplon-Newfield, who heads the Sierra Club’s clean transportation unit, told the New York Times, “It’s an important conversation to have and we’re glad it’s starting to get some traction.”

As the Times noted, while California happens to be the nation’s top EV-adopter, sales in the state counts for less than 5 percent of the total.

Still, EV registration in the U.S. has grown significantly in recent years, from 17,425 registrations in 2011 to 209,726 this year already, according to a recent analysis from motor financing company Moneybarn.

Additionally, zero-emission vehicles are expected to be cheaper than conventional cars due to falling battery prices as well as the costs that traditional carmakers will incur as they comply with new fuel-efficiency standards.

“Falling battery costs will mean electric vehicles will also be cheaper to buy in the U.S. and Europe as soon as 2025,” a Bloomberg New Energy Finance said. “Batteries currently account for about half the cost of EVs, and their prices will fall by about 77 percent between 2016 and 2030.”

Source: ecowatch.com

2.9 Million Children Are Threatened by Toxic Air Pollution From Oil & Gas Development

29.09.2017

Termoelektrana, Ugalj, Zagađenje — Foto-ilustracija: Pixabay

A new analysis of state and federal data shows 2.9 million children enrolled in schools and daycares across the country are threatened by oil and gas air pollution. Released by the national environmental group Earthworks, this new analysis is part of a larger update to The Oil & Gas Threat Map, a map-based suite of tools designed to inform and mobilize Americans about the health risks from the oil and gas industry’s toxic air pollution.

The Obama-era U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Interior Department issued rules to limit this type of oil and gas pollution. The Trump administration is now trying to block and revoke these rules before they go into effect.

My two sons are among the millions of children who go to school near oil and gas operations that threatens their health and safety,” said Patrice Tomcik, National Oil and Gas program coordinator with Moms Clean Air Force, from Southwest Pennsylvania. She continued, “Children are especially vulnerable to these threats, including cancer, respiratory illness, fetal defects, blood disorders and neurological problems. With so many children living, playing and learning in close proximity to oil and gas production, it is unconscionable that our federal government wants to stall and revoke safeguards that protect our children from this industrial pollution. Moms want to see these vital safeguards implemented, not ignored.”

The Oil & Gas Threat Map maps the nation’s 1.3 million active oil and gas wells, compressors and processors. Using peer-reviewed research into the health impacts attributed to oil and gas air pollution, the map conservatively draws a 1/2 mile health threat radius around each facility. Within that total area are: 2,944,785 students attending 9,102 schools, colleges and day care facilities; 12.5 million people living in their homes including 3,035,508 children under 18 and 1,756,398 senior citizens 65 and over; 2,292 medical facilities; and all encompassed by the 187,413 square miles—an area larger than California—that lay within 1/2 mile of 1,292,669 oil and gas production facilities.

The searchable map also allows users to: Look up any street address to see if it lies within the health threat radius; View infrared videos which makes visible the normally invisible pollution at hundreds of the mapped facilities; and View interviews with people impacted by this pollution.

“The Trump administration has at least 2.9 million reasons to support stronger safeguards against toxic oil and gas air pollution,” said Earthworks Policy Director Lauren Pagel. She continued, “Instead, EPA Administrator Pruitt and Interior Secretary Zinke are hell bent on eliminating them altogether.”

Peer-reviewed science indicates that living within a 1/2 mile of these production facilities is clearly correlated with negative health impacts including cancer, respiratory illness, fetal defects, blood disorders and neurological problems.

Source: ecowatch.com

‘Unacceptable’: European Fossil Fuel Subsidies top €112bn a Year

29.09.2017

European governments are continuing to hand out more than €112bn a year in fossil fuel subsidies, despite having signed up to a commitment to phase out harmful subsidies by 2020.

That is the conclusion of a major new report from the Overseas Development Institute(ODI) and Climate Action Network (CAN) Europe, which analysed subsidies enjoyed by oil, gas and coal across 11 European countries and the EU between 2014 and 2016.

There is considerable debate over what constitutes a subsidy and the circumstances under which subsidies can be defined as “harmful”. For example, some governments reject the accusation that tax breaks for fossil fuel companies constitute a subsidy. Similarly, today’s report acknowledged that around half the fossil fuel subsidies distributed by European governments are targeted at low income households.

Some governments, including the UK, also argue that support for gas is helping to curb emissions by accelerating the phase out of coal from the grid.

However, the ODI and CAN report maintains that the huge scale of fossil fuel subsidies is hampering the transition to genuinely low carbon technologies.

The report analysed subsidies from the EU and the governments of the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Sweden and the UK.

It found the transport sector was the largest beneficiary, receiving more than €49bn of support each year, including tax breaks that reduce the price of diesel and effectively discourages the switch to cleaner vehicles.

“The air pollution crisis in cities across Europe and the recent diesel emissions testing scandal have rightly led to increased pressure for governments to act, yet our analysis shows European countries are providing enormous fossil fuel subsidies to the transport sector,” said lead author Shelagh Whitley, head of climate and energy at ODI, in a statement.

Beyond transport, the report claims industry and business receives more than €15bn a year in fossil fuel subsidies, while oil and gas majors also continue to enjoy support for fossil fuel exploration. For example, the UK and France provided €253 million a year in public finance between 2014 and 2016 to support exploration.

Wendel Trio, director of CAN Europe, said the EU was also guilty of funnelling billions of Euros a year to the fossil fuel industry, despite being committed to curbing greenhouse gas emissions.

“The €4bn spent by the EU on fossil fuels, most of which goes to gas infrastructure, locks Europe into fossil fuel dependency for the decades to come,” he said. “This violates the Paris Agreement’s requirement to make finances work for the climate. In addition, the fact that over €2bn a year is provided by EU Member States to support coal-fired power, the dirtiest of all fossil fuels, is unacceptable.”

Economists have long argued that phasing out fossil fuel subsidies is one of the most cost effective ways of cutting carbon emissions – an argument broadly accepted by the G7 and G20, which have both pledged to phase out harmful subsidies.

The report recommends European governments should move swiftly to curb subsidies, introduce a new mechanism for publicly disclosing fossil fuel subsidies, and take steps to ensure subsidies to support the low carbon transition, such as capacity mechanisms, do not provide support for fossil fuels.

It also argues any remaining subsidies should be focused on supporting workers and communities as they move away from fossil fuels.

Source: businessgreen.com

China Cancelling Around 1/3 Of Iron Ore Mining Licenses, As Part Of Bid To Cut Air Pollution

29.09.2017

Around a third of all iron ore mining licenses in China will be cancelled as part of a bid to reduce associated emissions, and thus to reduce levels of the country’s deadly air pollution, an official from China’s mining association has announced.

Most of the iron ore mining licenses that will be cancelled belong to small, relatively heavily polluting mines, according to the report. Altogether, more than 1,000 licenses will be revoked, according to the chief engineer at the Metallurgical Mines’ Association of China, Lei Pingxi.

The comments, made at an industry conference apparently, included this explanation: “Some small miners who didn’t pay attention to environmental issues simply closed down temporarily to cope with inspections. However, these small miners will be forced to upgrade their production processes in order to survive, otherwise they will be cleared out.”

Reuters provides more: “Mining in places within natural reserves will also be banned, Lei said, citing regulations issued by the Ministry of Environmental Protection in July.

“The number of iron ore mines in China have dropped from more than 3,000 to around 1,900 in recent years and was continuing to fall, Peter Poppinga, executive director at top iron ore producer Vale said at the conference. … China’s raw iron ore is mostly low grade, with iron content of around 30 percent or less, compared with more than 60 percent for iron ore produced by international miners such as Brazil’s Vale.”

On that note, China’s iron ore output actually fell by around 3% in 2016, down to 1.28 billion tonnes. It seems likely that the recent announcement is related to this reality in numerous ways.

Source: cleantechnica.com

General Electric Installing First 1,500 Volt Solar Power Plant In Egypt

28.09.2017

solarka-iran — Photo-illustration: Pixabay

The first utility-scale solar power facility in Egypt will be provided by General Electric and feature the company’s 1,500 volt inverters. Thanks to a new government-sponsored feed-in tariff policy, Egypt is rapidly becoming a focus of solar power in the region. Because of that, General Electric Power Conversion, a division of GE, will build a 50 megawatt solar power plant for the Egyptian Electricity Transmission Company (EETC). GE will provide both the equipment and the financing for the project, which will generate enough power for up to 15,000 homes.

Lamya Yousef, an executive at EETC, says that Egypt’s New & Renewable Energy Authority (NREA) has set a target of generating 20% of its energy from renewable sources by the year 2020. Solar will play a vital part in meeting that objective. “In order to achieve the government’s renewable target, it requires partners that have strong financing capacity and technology expertise,” says Sabri Asfour, general manager at FAS ENERGY. “We are impressed to find GE as a reliable partner that embodies both capabilities. Furthermore, Egypt is an excellent market for the renewable projects, FAS is expanding our investment portfolio to install on their roof top and car park as well. Now FAS ENERGY already signed a few PPA’s in Pakistan and Saudi Arabia.”

This will be GE’s first full turnkey contract for a solar power plant. Azeez Mohammed, CEO of GE Power Conversion, notes that taking an integrated approach helps limit risk and and enhance reliability and revenues. “With the digital technology coming as the next piece among our solar solution portfolio, we are committed to building tomorrow’s solar farms that are set to bring greater efficiency and productivity.”

General Electric’s 1,500 volt high-efficiency inverters help improve annual energy production, leading to increased project revenues. The integrated system will result in 3% lower system costs and reduce maintenance costs by 15% compared to 1,000 volt systems. They also help reduce costs associated with infrastructure, deployment, and operation expenditures.

GE will be responsible for obtaining the solar modules, trackers, and cables needed to create the completed system. It will also be responsible for the civil, mechanical, and electrical engineering solutions needed to ensure the successful asset deployment and commissioning of the power plant, in addition to providing a favorable financing program to assist EETC in getting the project funded and moving forward in a timely fashion.

Source: cleantechnica.com

France Commits €20 Billion To Energy Transition Plan, Including €7 Billion In Renewables By 2022

28.09.2017

paris-843229__340 — Photo-illustration: Pixabay

France has launched what it is calling its ‘Great Investment Plan 2018-22’ which will include €20 billion for its energy transition plan, made up of €9 billion for energy efficiency measures, €7 billion for renewables, and €4 billion to expedite the switch to electric vehicles.

Reuters is reporting that the French government published a €57 billion investment plan on Monday that it intends to run from 2018 to 2022, presented by Prime Minister Edouard Philippe. Included in this larger investment plan is €20 billion for the country’s energy transition.

Included in this is €9 billion to fund a thermal insulation program that will focus on the country’s low-income housing and government buildings. Buildings account for 20% of the country’s greenhouse gas emissions, so the new program will look to renovate 75,000 dwellings per year, or 375,000 over the five-year term.

“The number of badly insulated low-income housing and social housing will be divided by two, and a quarter of government buildings will be renovated in line with environmental norms,” the Government said in a statement.

A further €7 billion has been committed to invest into renewable energy, aiming to boost the country’s renewable energy industry by 70% over the next five years.

The remaining €4 billion will be focused on catalyzing a national transition to electric vehicles. France is aiming to not only speed up the transition to electric vehicles, however, and will also look to revamp its road and railway network, boost local transport networks, and help low-income households exchange older vehicles for more environmentally friendly models. Specifically, the French government is aiming to retire 10 million old vehicles.

Source: cleantechnica.com

Global Carbon Emissions Stood Still in 2016, Offering Climate Hope

28.09.2017

Global emissions of climate-warming carbon dioxide remained static in 2016, a welcome sign that the world is making at least some progress in the battle against global warming by halting the long-term rising trend.

All of the world’s biggest emitting nations, except India, saw falling or static carbon emissions due to less coal burning and increasing renewable energy, according to data published on Thursday by the Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency (NEAA). However other mainly developing nations, including Indonesia, still have rising rates of CO2 emissions.

Stalled global emissions still means huge amounts of CO2 are being added to the atmosphere every year – more than 35bn tonnes in 2016 – driving up global temperatures and increasing the risk of damaging, extreme weather. Furthermore, other heat-trapping greenhouse gases, mainly methane from cattle and leaks from oil and gas exploration, are still rising and went up by one per cent in 2016.

“These results are a welcome indication that we are nearing the peak in global annual emissions of greenhouse gases,” said climate economist Prof Lord Nicholas Stern at the London School of Economics and president of the British Academy.

“To realise the goals of the Paris agreement and hold the increase in global average temperature to well below 2C, we must reach peak emissions as soon as possible and then achieve a rapid decline soon afterwards,” Stern said. “These results from the Dutch government show that there is a real opportunity to get on track.”

Jos Olivier, the chief researcher for the NEAA report, sounded a note of caution: “There is no guarantee that CO2 emissions will from now on be flat or descending.” He said, for example, a rise in gas prices could see more coal burning resume in the US.

The flat CO2 emissions in 2016 follow similar near-standstills in 2014 and 2015. This lack of growth is unprecedented in a time when the global economy is growing. As the number of years of flat emissions grows, scientists are more confident a peak has been reached, rather than a temporary halt. In July 2016, senior economists said China’s huge coal burning had peaked, marking a historic turning point in efforts to tame climate change.

Stern said many of the big emitting nations had achieved significant reductions in 2016: “However, all countries have to accelerate their emissions reductions if the Paris goals are to be met.” He said this could also drive development in poorer nations: “We can now see clearly that the transition to a low-carbon economy is at the heart of the story of poverty reduction and of the achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goals.”

The new Dutch report shows CO2 emissions from China, the world’s biggest emitter, fell 0.3 per cent in 2016. US CO2 emissions fell 2.0per cent and Russia’s by 2.1 per cent, with the EU flat, although UK emissions tumbled by 6.4 per cent, as coal burning plunged.

Of the top five emitters, only India’s CO2 emissions rose, by 4.7 per cent. Significant increases were also seen in Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Turkey and Ukraine.

However, over a quarter of the warming effect seen by the world comes from non-CO2 greenhouse gases, with methane by far the most significant. Cattle belch the gas and are responsible for 23 per cent of global methane emissions, and this source rose by 0.4 per cent in 2016. Scientists have warned that the growing global appetite for meat, especially beef, cannot continue if climate change is to be kept under 2C.

Another quarter of methane emissions come from fossil fuel production and leaks in gas distribution pipes. Since 2000, emissions from coal and gas production have grown by more than 65.

Carbon emissions from forest destruction and other land use changes were not included in the main analysis as they are more difficult to estimate and vary strongly from year to year.

Source: businessgreen.com

Wetherspoons Bans Plastic Straws

28.09.2017

JD Wetherspoons has announced it will stop using plastic straws across its 900 pubs in the UK and Ireland by the end of this year, in a bid to curb plastic pollution.

Instead it will switch to biodegradeable paper straws, with staff at the pub chain reducing the use of plastic straws during the transition, the firm said earlier this week. Wetherspoons believes the decision will stop 70 million plastic straws being used every year.

Plastic straws take hundreds of years to biodegrade. Billions end up in landfill or the world’s oceans each year, often causing serious damage to the health of seabirds and other marine animals.

“These changes are part of an overall commitment from the company to reduce the amount of non-recyclable waste produced,” chief executive John Hutson said. “We believe that Wetherspoon pub-goers will welcome this.”

It follows a similar move from rival bar chain All Bar One, which promised earlier this year to ban plastic straws at all its UK bars, a pledge it said would avoid the use of 4.7 million plastic straws a year.

Meanwhile, governments across the UK are stepping up action against plastic waste.

Scotland has recently announced plans to trial a bottle deposit scheme to cut plastic bottle waste, while the UK government said it will ban the use of microbeads – tiny plastic balls – in cosmetic products.

Source: businessgreen.com

Going Dutch: Lightsource Continues International Push with Netherlands Launch

28.09.2017

Lightsource Renewable Energy has spotted an “exciting new growth opportunity” in the Dutch solar market, the company announced this week, as it unveiled the latest phase of its international expanion plans.

A new Netherlands-based team will now set about developing large-scale solar projects across the country, including floating solar projects, in an effort to help Holland meet its 2020 renewable energy targets, Lightsource said.

Under EU goals, the Netherlands has to supply 14 per cent of its energy from renewable sources by 2020 – a target Lightsource CEO Nick Boyle said represented a great opportunity for the firm.

“The Dutch solar market is an exciting new growth opportunity for Lightsource,” he said in a statement. “With our extensive expertise, Lightsource is ideally placed to assist in the delivery of this target. Our financing and track-record, alongside our experienced local Dutch management team who will lead the business, puts us in the perfect position.”

It follows Lightsource’s expansion earlier this year into North America and Asia, where the solar developer is pursuing large scale solar and storage opportunities.

In related news, the UK’s leading solar trade body, the Solar Trade Association (STA), is on the hunt for a new chief executive, it announced this week.

Current CEO Paul Barwell announced plans to step down earlier this summer, and recruiters Igloo3 are now leading the search for his successor.

Barwell admitted his decision to leave the STA was a hard one, but said he plans to remain within the industry with plans to pursue some “commercial interests” in the market.

“It has been a real privilege to support the growth of a unique and special technology that is so vital for a prosperous future,” he added.

Source: businessgreen.com

Wales Sets Renewables Target to Make Country World-Leader in Clean Energy

28.09.2017

wind-turbin-vetroturbina — Photo illustration: Pixabay

The Welsh government this week announced ambitious new clean energy targets that would make the country one of the world’s leading renewables hubs.

Cabinet Secretary Lesley Griffiths announced Wales should aim to source 70 per cent of its power from renewables by 2030, building on progress that has seen renewables generation treble since 2010, to account for 32 per cent of the country’s power last year.

“Wales must be able to compete in global low carbon markets, particularly now we face a future outside the EU,” she told the Welsh Assembly. “The ability to meet our needs from clean energy is the foundation for a prosperous low carbon economy.”

In addition to the 70 per cent goal for renewables’ share of the power mix, she also announced a target for one GW of renewable electricity capacity in Wales to be locally owned by 2030 and for all new projects to have an element of local ownership by 2020.

“I believe these are stretching but realistic targets which will help us to decarbonise our energy system, reduce long-term costs and deliver greater benefits to Wales,” she said.

Griffiths said the Welsh government would continue to support the roll out of renewables, citing the decision to make around €100m of EU Structural Funds available for investment in marine energy.

However, she also stepped up calls for the Westminster government to remove barriers to investment in new clean energy capacity, including new onshore wind farms and solar projects.

“The rapid changes of UK government policy have decimated large parts of the renewable sector in Wales and developments potentially valuable to Wales have been stopped in their tracks by UK Ministers,” she said. “The bulk of UK government renewables investment is now going to offshore wind projects outside Wales. This investment is paid for by Welsh bill payers, amongst others.

“There is a need for the bulk of energy supply to come from the most affordable technologies, if the costs are to be found from energy bills. These technologies therefore need a route to market if we are to meet our ambitious targets and deliver the most benefit to Welsh bill payers. That is why I have called repeatedly on UK government to stop the ideological exclusion of onshore wind and solar from the Contracts for Difference process.”

The Conservative manifesto raised the prospect of onshore wind development being permitted in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, but the government is yet to provide any further details.

Industry insiders are hoping for clarification on the government’s upcoming clean energy plans in the imminent Clean Growth Strategy.

Source: businessgreen.com

Vietnam To Launch Solar Power Auctions

27.09.2017

The World Bank and the Vietnam’s Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) have joined hands to implement a pilot auction program for solar projects.

According to a local media report, the program is aimed at accelerating the development of registered projects, while simultaneously attracting new capital investment in the emerging solar sector of Vietnam.

This plan was announced by Tran Hong Ky, energy expert of the World Bank, at the inception workshop themed “National Assessment of the Development Potential of Grid-Connected Solar Photovoltaic Projects in Vietnam until 2020 with a Vision to 2030,” organized recently in Hanoi.

The workshop was jointly implemented by the Power and Renewable Energy Agency under the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT), and Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit GmbH (GIZ) on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).

According to the plan, the Vietnamese government will issue set capacities and interested developers can bid with complete project plans along with feed-in tariff. The winner offering the lowest price will be awarded the project. It is presently unclear how much solar capacity will be made available for the investors under this program.

Vietnam has attracted the interest of foreign companies to invest in the solar sector after the launch of the country’s feed-in-tariff program in June of this year, which offers a new 20-year FIT rate of VND2,086 per kWh (not including value added tax), equivalent to 9.35¢/kWh to support the development of utility-scale PV projects.

Companies in Vietnam are slowly warming up to renewable energy technologies. Last year, a company proposed to set up 100 megawatts of solar PV in the Quang Tri province. Canada’s CMX Renewable Energy announced plans to invest $150 million to set up a solar power project in the province of Ninh Thuan.

Renewable energy majors, including JA Solar and GE, had also announced plans to set up base in the south-east Asian country.

JA Solar Holdings announced plans to set up its largest overseas solar modules manufacturing factory in Vietnam. The factory will be spread across 88 hectares at Quang Chau industrial zone. The company is expected to invest $1 billion to set up the factory. GE signed an agreement with the government of Vietnam for the development of 1 gigawatt of wind energy capacity.

This solar power auction program will likely play a huge role in Vietnam’s attempt to achieve its renewable energy targets.

According to the current national plan, the government plans to increase hydropower capacity from 17,000 MW at present to 21,600 MW by 2020 and 27,800 MW by 2030. Wind energy capacity is envisaged to be increased from current 140 MW to 800 MW by 2020 and 6,000 MW by 2030. The government has set a target to increase installed solar power capacity from current 850 MW to 4,000 MW by the end of this decade and 12,000 MW by the end of next.

Source: cleantechnica.com

Scatec Solar Plans 500 Megawatts Of Solar In Iran

27.09.2017

Norway’s renewable energy giant, Scatec Solar, is in discussion with Iranian authorities to build its first solar power plant in Iran.

According to Reuters, Scatec Solar aims to set up 120 megawatts of solar power in Iran with an ambitious plan of increasing it further to 500 megawatts in a phased manner.

The initial project is currently under discussion and expected to entail an investment of about $120 million per 100 megawatts installed capacity, told Scatec Solar CEO, Raymond Carlsen.

Iran’s solar energy installed capacity is still at a very nascent stage and stands at 53 megawatts, however, several international firms have signed contracts to build an additional 932 megawatts of capacity. Investment in renewable energy sector is booming in Iran after international sanctions against the Islamic Republic lifted following the 2015 nuclear deal.

Earlier this year, Iran’s biggest solar plant was commissioned in the eastern province of Kerman in six months with capacity of 20 megawatts. It was financed with $27 million by the Swiss company Durion AG, while project construction was supervised by a German company, Adore.

Also, another 30 megawatt solar project in North Khorasan province is currently under construction, being developed jointly by Swiss Ecofinance Company and Italian partners.

Currently, Iran relies heavily on fossil fuels and has just 360 megawatts of installed renewable power plants. The country’s total installed power capacity is 77,000 megawatts. In order to diversify its power mix, Iran aims to have more than 5000 megawatts of renewable energy facilities by 2022, which would include 4,500 megawatts of wind power and 500 megawatts of solar power according to the Renewable Energy Organisation of Iran.

Source: cleantechnica.com

Australia Needs 75% Renewable Electricity By 2030 To Meet Paris Commitments

27.09.2017

A new major report has concluded that Australia needs between 66% and 75% renewable energy for electricity generation by 2030 in order to meet its Paris Climate Agreement commitments, or face delaying a necessary transition and increasing the eventual cost to the national economy.

The primary conclusion from the first major report from The Australia Institute’s newly-formed Climate & Energy Program, Meeting our Paris Commitment, is that the country must increase its share of renewable energy electricity generation to between 66% and 75% by 2030 in order to meet its emissions targets and in order to avoid transferring the major burden of emissions reductions onto other sectors.

Australia’s commitment to the Paris Climate Agreement is to reduce carbon emissions by 26–28% below 2005 levels by 2030. Considering that Australia’s energy sector accounts for 35% of the country’s emissions, this means that it will have a huge part to play in reducing those emissions.

However, part of the national discussion is whether the energy sector should reduce its own emissions by 26–28%, or whether the energy sector should account for a larger part of the abatement task, therefore preventing other industries having to take on an unnecessarily weightier burden.

The Australian Institute’s analysis of government-commissioned modeling found that, in order for Australia to meet its Paris commitments, the country faces a choice: Adopt a least-cost path, involving a transition to between 66–75% renewable energy by 2030; or Further delay the transformation of the electricity sector, which will increase the cost to the economy as a whole and push a greater proportion of the emission reduction task onto other sectors, such as agriculture, transport and manufacturing.

“This analysis of the economic modelling demonstrates meeting these targets for the electricity sector with a policy like the clean energy target is likely to require 66–75% of electricity to be supplied by renewables,” Executive Director of The Australia Institute, Ben Oquist said. “If Australia adopts a weak clean energy target which does not provide a strong signal for renewables, we risk turning Australia’s moderate Paris targets into an extremely expensive task.

“While there are emissions reductions that can be made in all sectors of the economy, electricity generation is an area where the technology to make major emissions cuts is cheaper, and is here now.

“The Government has been consistent in its commitments to Australia’s international emissions targets. It remains to be seen if we choose to meet those Paris commitments the easy way, or the hard way.”

Source: cleantechnica.com

Enel Commissions Largest Solar Project In South America

27.09.2017

Italian developer Enel’s subsidiary Enel Green Power Brasil Participações (EGPB) announced the operation of two solar power plants located in Brazil with an aggregate capacity of 546 megawatts.

The two solar plants include the 254 megawatt Ituverava and the 292 megawatt Nova Olinda solar parks. According to Enel, they are currently the biggest solar parks in South America. Both the plants will be operated under a 20-year long-term power purchase agreement (PPA) with the Brazilian Chamber of Commercialization of Electric Energy.

The 254 megawatt (MW) Ituverava plant is located in Bahia state’s Tabocas do Brejo Velho municipality. The plant comprises of 850,000 PV panels with an expected annual output of over 550 gigawatt-hours, which will be enough to meet the electricity requirement of more than 268,000 Brazilian households each year.

The 292 MW Nova Olinda plant is located in Ribeira do Piaui municipality. The plant is comprised of 930,000 modules which are expected to generate more than 600 gigawatt-hours of electricity per year, or enough for the consumption of 300,000 local homes.

The company stated that it has invested about $400 million for the 254 megawatt Ituverava solar plant. This solar plant was financed by Enel’s own resources, Bank of China and Santander, backed by China Export & Credit Insurance Corporation (Sinosure). The second plant, the 292 megawatt Nova Olinda was constructed with a budget of $300 million. The financing was provided by Enel’s own resources and assistance from local lender Banco do Nordeste (BNB).

Enel currently has 2,276 megawatts of operational renewables capacity in Brazil comprising of 670 megawatts of wind and 716 megawatts of solar projects and an additional 275 megawatts capacity is under construction.

The projects commissioned by Enel in Brazil will be surpassed as the largest in South America in a few months as the Italian company’s Mexican subsidiary commissions the Villanueva solar power complex. The solar power complex will include two projects –- the 427 megawatt Villanueva 1 and 327 megawatt Villanueva 3. The projects are scheduled to be commissioned in the second half of 2018. An estimated 1,700 GWh electricity would be generated from the park every year, or enough to meet the power consumption of more than 1.3 million households. The projects will also offset more than 780,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions. Enel Green Power will invest $650 million on these projects.

Enel Green Power Peru will likely commission a 160 megawatt solar power project in Peru in few months as well. This will add to another 160 megawatts of solar projects that Enel currently operates in Chile.

Source: cleantechnica.com

India Can Go 100% Renewable By 2050 & Avoid Western Emissions Issues

27.09.2017

New research has concluded that India can transition and function on a fully 100% renewable energy system by 2050 and bypass the traditional western reliance upon linking increasing living standards with heavy emissions from electricity generation.

For those who have been following the renewable energy industry and its attendant news cycles you may remember that the Lappeenranta University of Technology (LUT) in Finland has been sporadically releasing the results of a long-running research program which evaluates the potential of a country or region’s ability to transition to a 100% renewable electricity system. So far LUT has presented a case for a 100% Russia & Central Asia by 2030; a 100% South America by 2030; a 100% Iran & Middle East by 2030; and its biggest accomplishment, a successful model of a 100% renewable energy planetary system.

The Lappeenranta University of Technology has published its latest effort this week, concluding that India can function entirely on a 100% renewable electricity system by 2050.

An important secondary outcome from LUT’s research concerning India is the conclusion that developing countries that have an abundance of renewable energy resources are in a position to bypass the traditional and historical Western method of increasing living standards while relying on fossil fuel-heavy energy generation sources, which for so long saw increased prosperity matched with increased emissions. Rather, India — and other developing nations — is in a position to skip straight to an emissions-free future.

“The possibility that a country like India could move to a fully renewable electricity system within three decades and do it more economically than the current system, shows that the developing countries can skip the emission intensive phase in their economic development,” said Principal Scientist Pasi Vainikka. “It is a competitive advantage to not to take the road of the developed world.”

The specific 100% renewable electricity system designed for India by LUT is heavily reliant upon solar energy and batteries — solar deemed by LOT as “the most economical electricity source” for the country, and batteries satisfying the need for electricity at night (read: sans Sun). Further, LUT’s modeling took into account the regular monsoon season that impacts the country and which would naturally reduce the amount of solar power for some regions. To make up for this, India’s modeled 100% renewable electricity system includes increased wind and hydro sources, as well as reliance upon solar from unaffected regions.

According to LUT’s research, the predicted renewable electricity system is cheaper than India’s current coal-reliant electricity system. Specifically, the cost of electricity would be 3640 Indian rupees (€52/$61) per megawatt-hour (MWh) in 2050 (taking account only for the power sector). However, LUT’s research also covers for seawater desalination and synthetic natural gas, at which point the cost of electricity drops to 3220 Indian rupees (€46/$54) per MWh. Currently, India’s existing cost of electricity sits at €57/$67 per MWh.

The total investment necessary for India to achieve LUT’s specific 100% renewable electricity future would be around €3,380/$3982 billion (spread across the next 30 years).

“Given India’s burgeoning electricity demand and the persistent supply demand gap along with the summer shortages and outages, solar PV prosumers will have a crucial role in enabling the country’s transition to a fully sustainable energy system,” explained Professor Christian Breyer.

As we have seen play out elsewhere, however, the transition to a 100% renewable electricity system would yield secondary benefits such as helping the country meet its climate change targets, as well as improving health conditions which in turn reduces the burden of sick people on the country.

“Not to mention benefits from reduced health costs or even substantial reduction of pre-mature deaths due improved air quality,” says researcher Ashish Gulagi.

Source: cleantechnica.com

Siemens Gamesa Awarded First Hybrid Wind-Solar Project In India

27.09.2017

Siemens Gamesa has been awarded the contract to build its first hybrid wind-solar project, a 28 megawatt solar facility connected to an existing 50 megawatt wind farm in India.

Siemens Gamesa, the resulting company from the merger of Spanish wind energy giant Gamesa and the Siemens Wind division, announced on Tuesday that it had received its first ever hybrid contract, which the company claims “evidences its determination to explore business opportunities that add value for its customers.”

The project will see Gamesa handle the design, engineering, and commissioning of the new 28.8 megawatt (MW) solar plant — including the supply of photovoltaic inverters made by Gamesa Electric — and its hybridization with an existing 50 MW wind farm, which is likely to be the 50 MW wind farm Gamesa was awarded the contract for a year ago in Bijapur, in the state of Karnataka.

Siemens Gamesa was light on information in this week’s press release, but the company did state that the existing 50 MW wind farm it will be working with is in the state of Karnataka and is “equipped with the Siemens Gamesa turbines.” This matches up with a September 22 2016 announcement by then-independent Gamesa that it had been awarded a contract by ReNew Power to construct a 50 MW wind farm located in Bijapur, in the state of Karnataka.

The new hybridization project is expected to be up and running by the end of this year.

“This is a very important milestone for our company,” said Ramesh Kymal, CEO of Siemens Gamesa’s Onshore business in India. “We are truly proud to be rolling out this new hybrid solution — namely the optimal combination of solar and wind power technology — on a commercial scale. With a market potential of around 15 GW in India, our customers are increasingly interested in this type of integrated renewable system.”

Source: cleantechnica.com

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