The stars are aligning behind hydrogen

Here is a promising forward-looking article by Mark Newman at Sandvik regarding the future of power to gas using Hydrogen and energy storage. The take away is that a hydrogen-based economy is much more likely today than 15 years ago. The reason is the recent expansion of electricity generation via wind turbines and photovoltaic cells. According to the article, batteries have improved a great deal over the years but are unsuitable for most grid-scale applications over a long period of an electricity outage. So far, pumped hydro plants have represented the standard for grid-scale energy storage, but it is only available in some locations due to its dependence on suitable geography.

This is where hydrogen comes in, writes Mark Newman: "Like electricity, hydrogen is an energy carrier as opposed to fuel, since it needs to be manufactured. The fuel, in this case, is the wind or the sun which is used to make electricity that splits water into hydrogen and oxygen via electrolysis. The part that I think is key is the fact that hydrogen doesn't always need to be used in conjunction with fuel cells in order to make electricity again when a demand peak occurs, but can instead be added into the natural gas grid and mixed with methane and be used in the same way as the methane would be used. There are numerous projects being undertaken around the world to investigate the feasibility and limits to doing this, for example, in Leeds, UK, and in Sydney, Australia, to mention just two."

"It very much looks as if the stars are aligning behind hydrogen. Some market assessments conservatively put growth rates in high single figures, but some large and credible companies are openly saying these estimates are much too low. Some have said the truth is more likely to be close to 10-fold growth by 2050."



Source: Full article LINK

Britain's electricity since 2010: wind surges to second place, coal collapses and fossil fuel use nearly halves

According to a report in The Conversation (LINK, republished below) by  Grant Wilson, Great Britain generated 75% of its electricity from coal and natural gas in 2010. Now a decade later, these fossil fuels accounted for just 40%, with coal generation collapsing from the decade’s peak of 41% in 2012 to under 2% in 2019. Today natural gas is in the lead at 38%, followed by wind power at 21% and nuclear at about 19%.

Chart created by Grant Wilson, Lecturer in Chemical Engineering, University of Birmingham., University of Birmingham.

Full article re-publishe through Creative commons license:

Spanish oil company Repsol has announced to become a net-zero emissions company by 2050

Carbon Tracker reports that Repsol has announced to become a net-zero emissions company by 2050. This is a step forward from their previous long-term ambition, which was to lower carbon intensity by 40% by 2040.

"This ambition entails directing all of its activities and investments to meet new and more stringent plans all in alignment with the energy transition and the effort to limit the planet’s temperature rise to well below 2 degrees Celsius according to the Paris Agreement’s climate goals."

Now Repsol is one of a handful of oil companies that have set ambitions to lower the lifecycle carbon emissions intensity of their products, alongside Total and Shell.

Repsol is increasing by 3,000 MW its target for low-carbon electricity generation capacity, to 7,500 MW by 2025, and will begin to expand into other markets to become a leading international player in renewable energies such as photovoltaic and wind power.

Source: Carbon Tracker (LINK), Repsol (LINK)

2nd double-digit-gigawatt scale renewable energy project start in China

PV Magazine reports (LINK) that Huanghe Hydropower Development has started work on of a renewable energy project featuring 10 GW of solar generation capacity, 5 GW of wind and 1 GW of concentrating solar power. Trina will supply 600 MW of modules to the first phase of the facility.

This facility is one of two double-digit-gigawatt scale projects being planned by the China State Power Investment Corporation. The other is a 16 GW facility that is being constructed in Hainan prefecture.

Photo credit: Huanghe Hydropower Development LINK

In addition, JA Solar will supply 485 MW,  Longi 470 MW, Eging 420 MW, Solargiga 407 MW, JinkoSolar 314 MW, CPI Solar Power Xi’An 288 MW, Jolywood 150 MW and GS-Solar 48 MW. All of these panels will be bifacial products with an output of more than 400 Wp.

The monocrystalline manufacturer Longi willsupply the project with 445 Wp modules employing its new M6, 166mm wafer and PERC cells.

Earlier this year the big news was that Zhonghuan Semiconductor unveiled a 12-inch super solar wafer (LINK). The manufacturer said that its 12 inch "Kwafoo" product would improve efficiency and, if used in the optimal p-type PERC type of panel, could boast a module output of 610 W.

 

Credit : Zhonghuan Semiconductor (LINK)

Wind energy to become Germany's most important energy source for the first time in 2019

[Press release, BWE, German, LINK] In 2019, wind energy will for the first time generate more electricity than all other energy sources in the German energy mix and lignite will therefore replace it as the number one electricity source in Germany. 

Although the expansion of wind energy in Germany is faltering, wind power generation is reaching record levels. Due to good wind conditions worldwide in 2019, the nearly 30,000 wind turbines installed in Germany generated 118 TWh of green electricity by mid-December. Never before has so much electricity been generated from wind energy in Germany. By the end of November 2019, the total electricity generation for 2018 had already been reached and exceeded.

The record year for wind energy is associated with an important milestone in the energy turnaround: Wind energy was the first single renewable energy source to become Germany's most important energy source. Since 2011, this top position has been occupied by lignite, which is harmful to the climate. In figures, German wind energy contributed 24%, lignite 20%, nuclear 14%, gas 11%, hard coal 10%, solar 9%, biomass 9% and hydropower 4% to net electricity generation in Germany in the current year. (Source: Fraunhofer Energy Charts, figures rounded)

 

Net electricity generation from power plants for public electricity supply. Data source: 50 Hertz, Amprion, Tennet, TransnetBW, Destatis, EEX last update: 13 Dec 2019 13:37
 

"Wind energy is Germany's most important energy source for the first time. That makes us proud. Our thanks go to the medium-sized sector, which has repeatedly demonstrated its innovative strength and entrepreneurial spirit over the past 20 years, and to the EEG, which provided the right investment incentives to develop wind energy in Germany into a worldwide cutting-edge technology. Together with its members, the BWE is working on developing wind energy into a reliable foundation for a CO2-neutral energy system and further expanding this year's record figures.

However, the current figures must not obscure the fact that the German wind energy industry is in a serious crisis in view of the collapse in new construction. Politicians now have to assume responsibility for the energy turnaround and the employees in the wind industry by bringing about rapid improvements in the approval process and in the provision of land and legal security for wind energy projects. It is also necessary to flank this with a courageous, legally defined timeframe and quantity structure for the expansion until at least 2030. This record year underlines the importance of the future-oriented wind energy industry for Germany as a business location," comments Hermann Albers, President of the German WindEnergy Association.

Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)

Parkwind, Heerema and MHI Vestas announce a revolutionary construction methodology for Arcadis Ost 1

[Press release, Parkwind LINK] The announcement of the first floating WTG installation for Arcadis Ost 1 followed by the signing of a conditional agreement for turbine supply between Parkwind and MHI Vestas marked the first day of the Wind Europe conference in Copenhagen.

Parkwind’s German Arcadis Ost 1 project will be the first offshore wind farm that will make use of a floating vessel for the installation of Wind Turbine Generators. This achievement is the result of a year-long joint development between Parkwind, Heerema Marine Contractors and MHI Vestas Offshore Wind. 

Photo credit: Parkwind