(GUL) BEHOLD - THE JET H2 FLYING BOAT

The Jet, the world’s first clean-energy, hydrogen-powered flying boat, is set to be launched in Dubai.

The Swiss based startup THE JET ZeroEmission announced that it has signed an agreement with UAE-based Zenith Marine Services and DWYN to manufacture and operate The Jet.

The announcement is a step ahead for the clean-tech industry and for the start-up itself, which garnered part of the required EUR10m funding, official news agency WAM reported.

The boat will cruise without noise over the waters at a speed of 40 knots, and has a capacity of hosting 8-12 passengers. It is equipped with two fuel cells, an air conditioner and other environmentally friendly technologies that help reduce carbon emissions.

“We are pleased to make this announcement from Dubai, and be able to manufacture and launch ‘The Jet’, which is going to be the world’s first boat to sail without noise, waves, or emissions and have the capability of flying 80cm above the waters,” said Alain Thébault, founder of THE JET ZeroEmission, and an erstwhile world sailing speed record holder. Gulf Business - link - Zainab Mansoor - link - more like this - link

(H2V) HYZON MOTORS SETS UP HOME IN NOBLE PARK

Melbourne, Australia will be home to Hyzon Motors’ brand-new headquarters, the hydrogen vehicle manufacturer confirmed today (Jan 31).

Marking a key moment for Hyzon, the site will help the company grow in the Oceania region and support existing projects and initiatives in the geography.

Once complete, Hyzon’s facility will comprise of corporate offices, a showroom, assembly warehousing and workshop, all of which is expected to generate over 100 local jobs.

Development of the new site will be carried out under a new partnership agreement with the Royal Automobile Club of Victoria (RACV), an emergency roadside assistance and motor insurance company.

Under the agreement, Hyzon will locate new headquarters at RACV’s Noble Park location and RACV has placed its first-ever hydrogen vehicle order with Hyzon for three HyMax TT7 tilt-tray trucks and one HyMax prime movers.

It is hoped RACV will begin trialling these vehicles by the end of the year (2022)

John Edgley, Managing Director for Hyzon Motors in Australia, said, “We are focused on generating new jobs, mew manufacturing and technology facilities and fundamentally new industry in Australia and New Zealand, that will underpin a sustainable future for the region.

“With the governments across Australia and New Zealand shifting their focus towards hydrogen as a cost-competitive and zero-emissions fuel source, Hyzon stands ready to support and partner on key projects and initiatives.

“Hyzon has already hit the ground running in the region, with scheduled 2022 deliveries including coaches to Fortescue Metals in Western Australia, Prime movers to Coregas in NSW and TR Group in New Zealand, Road train prime movers to Ark Energy in Queensland and the HyMax GSL garbage trucks with Superior Pak across the region. H2view - link - the brilliant Molly Burgess - link - more like this - link - more like this (Australia) - link

(ANE) GEELY'S LOTUS SIGNS DEAL WITH BRITISHVOLT

BLYTH, England -- Britishvolt said it will develop batteries for a full-electric sports car in partnership with UK automaker Lotus, the first publicly announced customer for the electric-vehicle battery startup.

Britishvolt said the research and development that will go into developing battery cells for a high-performance sports car for Lotus will ultimately trickle down to benefit battery cells for more affordable, mainstream EVs.

Lotus, which is owned by China's Geely and Malaysia's Etika Automotive, has said it plans to sell only full-electric models by 2028.

The automaker will also expand its range to include high-end electric cars and an SUV, the automaker said on Friday in a statement. The company released a sketch of one of its future electric cars.

"Lotus is delighted to be collaborating with Britishvolt to develop new battery cell technology to showcase the thrilling performance that a Lotus EV sports car can deliver," Lotus managing director Matt Windle said in the statement.

Automakers are racing to develop EVs ahead of looming fossil-fuel car bans in Europe and China.

That poses challenges for sports cars and supercars, which need a great deal of sustained power without lots of additional battery weight.

"Lotus is a performance brand with an ambitious plan," Britishvolt executive chairman Peter Rolton told Reuters during a visit to the construction site for Britishvolt's planned battery plant site in the northern English town of Blyth, a large former coal storage site overlooking the North Sea.

"In order for that to work, they need to have performance that goes with the vehicle, and you won't get that from a standard battery."

Rolton said Lotus was the first in a number of customer announcements Britishvolt would make in the coming weeks, including for high-performance vehicles, mainstream EVs and electric commercial vehicles that will require durable, long-lasting batteries.

Last week Britishvolt secured UK government backing for its Blyth plant unlocking 1.7 billion pounds ($2.28 billion) in private funding.

When the 3.8-billion-pound, 45 gigawatt-hour (GWh) plant is fully operational in 2027 it should be able to produce battery packs for over 450,000 EVs annually. Automotive News Europe - link - Nick Gibbs - link - Britishvolt - link - more like this - link

(ORC) ARCHIMEDES WAVESWING ARRIVES AT EMEC

The Archimedes Waveswing just off the boat at Hatson on its way to Stromness (Orkney Photographic)

A new wave energy converter, developed by Inverness-based AWS Ocean Energy, has arrived in Orkney ahead of its imminent deployment at the European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC).

The 16 kW Archimedes Waveswing arrived at Hatston Pier, Kirkwall on Tuesday evening, 25 January 2022, before being transported to Copland’s Dock in Stromness where it will be readied for deployment at EMEC’s Scapa Flow test site in February.

Weighing in at 50 tons, the seven-metre high, four-metre diameter device travelled to Orkney by ferry following a period of dry testing undertaken by the AWS engineering team at Muir of Ord.

When deployed, the Archimedes Waveswing is moored to the seabed and sits below the surface of the sea, reacting to changes in pressure caused by passing waves. It is moored on a single tension tether. The subsea location and ability to winch low in the water column enables extreme storm loadings to be avoided so that the device can continue to operate in rough sea conditions. The Waveswing is designed to react to long ocean swell waves as well as short, wind-driven seas, for high energy capture.

The £3.4 million prototype project has been funded by Wave Energy Scotland (WES) as part of the Novel Wave Energy Converter development programme. The demonstration at EMEC is also supported by the Interreg North-West Europe’s Ocean DEMO project.

Neil Kermode, managing director, EMEC said:

“We’re delighted to welcome AWS and the Archimedes Waveswing to Orkney and support its deployment and testing at our site in Scapa Flow.

“Real sea deployment is a vital step in proving performance, reliability and survivability of these devices. We know that prototype testing at sea is really valuable to technology developers to check how a technology and its components work and react in the environment prior to scaling up. 

We are looking forward to helping the team as they prove how to install, operate and maintain their exciting machine in Orkney’s harsh conditions.” The Orcadian - link - Muck Rack - link - more like this (Scotland) - link - more like this - link

(AUT) BAC & VIRITECH JV

Liverpool-based sports car manufacturer BAC has partnered with engineering outfit Viritech to develop a hydrogen fuel cell (FCEV) version of its Mono sports car.

Viritech, which is developing a 1100bhp FCEV supercar at the MIRA technology park, has been awarded funding via the Niche Vehicle Network Feasibility Study Grant and will use it to investigate the feasibility of powering low-volume cars with hydrogen.

BAC is supporting the project by providing the Mono as a basis for the programme. The final product, although no longer powered by a 330bhp naturally aspirated 2.5-litre four-cylinder engine, will continue "to be led by BAC’s principles of uncompromising performance and driver experience".

BAC says its partnership with Viritech is in line with a push to reduce its emissions output by 2030. The company went 'climate positive' in 2019 thanks to its carbon offsetting programme and has previously expressed a keen interest in the use of synthetic fuels as well as efficiency-boosting lightweight construction materials, including graphene and niobium.

Alternative powertrain solutions such as Viritech's hydrogen fuel cell hardware will help BAC to "preserve the delicate balance that weight plays in a vehicle’s driving dynamics". Keeping the Mono FCEV's weight down will be a priority of the project. Autocar - link - Felix Page - link - more like this - link

(INR) SCOTTISH GREEN BATTERY COMPLEX

The projects should provide grid stability services and power management across the Central Belt

Amp Energy has announced plans for Europe's two largest grid-connected battery storage facilities, with its 800 MW battery portfolio in central Scotland.

The Scottish Green Battery Complex is due to be operational in April 2024 and will be comprised of two 400 MW battery facilities, each providing 800 MWhrs of energy storage capacity.

Following consultations with stakeholders and local councils, the two sites - at Hunterston and Kincardine - received planning consent from the Scottish Government on 5 January.

The Canadian renewable energy developer stated that these projects should provide reliable grid stability services and power management across the Central Belt.

By storing and managing the dispatch of renewable energy generated from Scottish wind farms, they are aimed at future-proofing the UK's electricity infrastructure at a fraction of the cost of transmission upgrades.

Following the recent ScotWind tender conclusion, for the planned addition of 25 GW of new renewable generation capacity, the requirement for large-scale energy storage has never been more critical. insider - link - Peter A Walker - link - more like this (Scotland) - link - more like this - link

(VID) YAMAHA EMBRACES GOGORO NETWORK

Taiwan has the highest density of scooters in the world, apparently, and in March there will be a new innovative scooter in town. 

The Yamaha EMF - a fully electric scooter - is the result of a collaboration between the Japanese marque and GoGoro, an electric scooter manufacturer with a monstrous swappable battery network.

Powered by an electric motor with a 7.6 kW (10.2 bhp) motor, the Yamaha EMF is billed as the ultimate city scooter which is said to reach 30 mph in 3.5, have a top speed of around 60 mph, and weigh around 114 kg. But, importantly, the range per battery is yet to be confirmed.

Though, we suppose the range isn’t of concern (which is novel for an electric machine) as the key feature of this scooter is the utilisation of the Gogoro swappable battery network. Simply roll up, replace your battery with a fully charged one, and roll out.

“At the heart of Gogoro’s ecosystem is the Gogoro Network, a hyper-efficient battery swapping platform that was recognized in 2021 by Guidehouse Insights as the leading battery swapping company for lightweight urban vehicles in the world,” writes the company.

“With more than 450,000 riders and over 10,000 battery swapping GoStations at over 2,200 convenient locations, Gogoro Network is hosting 330,000 daily battery swaps with more than 250 million total battery swaps to date” - from the Yamaha press release.

Yamaha and GoGoro - an electric partnership?

Yamaha is widely known to be a member of the Electric Consortium with Honda, KTM and Piaggio whose chief goal is to provide interchangeable batteries across models. With this framework in place, a swappable battery network makes a lot of sense in mainland Europe. visordown - link - Alex Strange - link - more like this - link

(CNB) JIDU GETS A FURTHER $400 MILLION INVESTMENT

An outline of Jidu’s concept car is pictured here. Jidu is the electric car company set up by Chinese internet giant Baidu and automaker Geely. Jidu plans to begin mass production and deliveries of its first car in 2023. Baidu

BEIJING — Chinese tech company Baidu and auto manufacturer Geely are putting more money into the electric car venture Jidu that they partnered on just about a year ago.

Both companies announced Wednesday they are putting nearly $400 million into Jidu in a Series A financing round. The capital injection comes less than a year after Jidu was launched in March 2021 with $300 million in initial capital from undisclosed investors.

Baidu has majority ownership of Jidu, with a 55% share of the company, while Geely has a 45% stake, according to records accessed through Wind Information. Both companies declined to share how much each contributed to the latest funding round.

The money will fund research and development and mass production, according to Jidu.

Global deal making in electric vehicles has surged in the last two years as companies rush to develop cars that analysts expect will soon replace combustion-engine ones. The Chinese government has been particularly supportive of the domestic industry’s growth, helping spur the rise of many start-ups.

Electric vehicle deals in China tripled in value to $6.61 billion in 2021 from $2.17 billion in 2020, according to Dealogic. Electric vehicle deals in the U.S. more than doubled to $924 million last year from $353 million in value in 2020, the data showed.

Baidu announced in January 2021 it planned to launch Jidu with Geely as a strategic partner and later named Xia Yiping, co-founder of bike sharing start-up Mobike, as CEO of the electric car company.

In 2010, China-based Geely acquired Swedish auto brand Volvo, which previously belonged to Ford Motor. CNBC - link - Evelyn Cheng - link - more like this (China) - link - more like this - link

(OFF) OFFSHORE VESSEL CHARGING

Maersk Supply Service and Ørsted plan to launch the world’s first full-scale offshore charging station for vessels, at an offshore wind farm, in the third quarter of 2022.

As part of the project, Maersk Supply Service has now launched its offshore vessel-charging venture, Stillstrom, to support the decarbonisation of the maritime industry by eliminating idle emissions.

Stillstrom, meaning quiet power in Danish, is an early-stage technology spin-out, whose full-scale product launch will be the first-to-market in offshore charging, enabling idle vessels to power from clean electricity.

The new company will deliver offshore electric charging solutions to vessels at ports, hubs, and offshore energy operations, Maersk Supply Service said.

Offshore charging for idle vessels is said to be critical to facilitating the decarbonisation of the maritime industry, since it allows vessel owners to replace fossil fuels with electricity while being safely moored to the charging buoy.

”Stillstrom is part of our commitment to solving the energy challenges of tomorrow,” said Steen S. Karstensen, CEO of Maersk Supply Service.

”By investing in this ocean cleantech space at an early stage, we can help lead the green transition of the maritime industry. Stillstrom has been developed within Maersk Supply Service and the timing is right to create a venture that will be focused on delivering offshore charging solutions.”

Overnight Power for Ørsted’s SOV

The full-scale power buoy will supply overnight power to one of Ørsted’s Service Operations Vessels (SOV), thereby supporting Ørsted’s target of climate-neutral operations in 2025. Ørsted will be responsible for the grid integration of the charging buoy.

Ørsted intends to make publicly available any intellectual property generated during the design of the buoy’s integration into the offshore wind asset, to maximise the potential uptake of this carbon-reducing innovation across the offshore wind sector.

The charging buoy itself is large enough to charge an SOV-sized battery- or hybrid-electric vessel. The same solution will be scaled and adapted to supply power to larger vessels, enabling vessels of all sizes to turn off their engines when lying idle. offshoreWIND.biz - link - Adnan Durakovic - link - more like this - link

(H2V) BEHOLD - AUSTRALIA'S DART AE H2 DRONE

Hypersonix will integrate its hydrogen scramjet engine to launch a DART AE multi-mission hypersonic drone demonstrator as a means to further progress Australia’s aerospace sector, the company said today (Jan 25).

The launch, expected to be performed in 2023, will support the Hypersonix DART AE, a multi-mission, hypersonic drone, which will be fully 3D-printed out of exquisite high-temperature materials.

This will then be powered by a single, fifth-generation SPARTAN, zero emission, clean hydrogen scramjet engine with a publicly disclosable range of 500km.

As part of the agreement, Kratos will bring its extensive digital engineering capabilities and sounding rocket booster integration and launch experience to enable a smooth launch for the system.

Kratos’ extensive involvement in past hypersonic experimental flight test programs demonstrates their ability to launch a variety of hypersonic vehicles and makes them a unique and highly qualified partner and teammate for Hypersonix, as the launch provider for the first DART AE flight in 2023.

David Carter, President of Defence Rocket & Support Services Division at Kratos, said, “Kratos is excited to team up with Hypersonix on this innovative project and we look forward to supporting their development and the integration and flight of this truly disruptive and enabling Australian technology.

“DART AE is an ideal opportunity for Kratos to further showcase our extensive hypersonic launch system capability.” H2VIEW - link - George Heynes- link - more like this - link - hypersonix - link - more like this (Australia) - link

(PVM) BBOXX SECURES KENYAN LOAN

The London-based company said the funds would create 100 jobs in Kenya.

English off-grid solar company Bboxx says it has secured a Kenyan shilling-denominated loan to fund enough solar products to benefit 470,000 people in the East African state over the next two years.

The London-based business, which bills itself as a “next-generation utility,” said the fact the KES1.6 billion (€12.3 million) loan is denominated in local currency will encourage other commercial lenders in Africa to fund solar projects.

Announcing the finance package today, Bboxx said the cash would pay for equipment including 89,600 solar home systems plus appliances such as solar-powered telephones and fridges, with all of the gear destined for Kenya and some 80% of the anticipated 470,000 people to benefit living in rural areas. The company added, the finance will also lead to the creation of 100 new long-term jobs in the country.

The loan was secured from Mauritian-owned SBM Bank Kenya and three-quarters of the sum has been guaranteed by London-based financial services entity GuarantCo. The latter body is funded by the governments of the U.K., Switzerland, Australia, and Sweden, via the Private Infrastructure Development Group trust; and by the Netherlands through its international development bank the FMO (Nederlandse Financierings-Maatschappij voor Ontwikkelingslanden). 

French public funds supply a standby facility, if needed, to back GuarantCo, and government department Global Affairs Canada has financed the organization with a loan. pv magazine - link - Max Hall- link - more like this - link - more like this (Sweden) - link

(TDR) FIRST EV WITH SOLID STATE BATTERY DEMONSTRATED

In what could be described as something of a ground-breaking moment, Dongfeng Motor has delivered 50 electric cars with solid-state batteries for demonstration in China.

The difference between a traditional battery and a solid-state battery is in its electrolyte: by using a solid material for the electrolyte between the anode and the cathode, battery makers can increase energy density (and therefore driving range), or reduce battery weight.

They are considered something of a holy grail for the EV industry, and solid-state batteries also have fewer production processes, can charge more quickly and have a longer life than batteries with liquid electrolytes.

However, despite years of research, there have been no EVs with solid-state batteries released to the market to date. While Nio announced in early January 2021 it would start making EVs with 150kWh solid-state batteries, it does not plan to bring these to market until the fourth quarter of this year. The Driven - link - Bridie Schmidt - link - more like this (China) - link - more like this - link

(INS) LI-CYCLE

A Li-Cycle employee oversees lithium-ion batteries on a conveyor belt at the company’s plant near Rochester, New York. Photo courtesy of Li-Cycle

The battery economy is booming, and with it a recycling industry is bracing itself for a wave of battery waste.

Battery Resourcers of Worcester, Massachusetts, said last week that it is planning to build a plant in Georgia that will be capable of recycling 30,000 metric tons of lithium-ion batteries per year. It will be the largest battery recycling plant in North America when it opens later this year.

But its reign will be brief because Li-Cycle, based in the Toronto area, is building an even larger battery recycling plant near Rochester, New York, that is scheduled to open in 2023. The company said last month that it is modifying its plans in a way that increases the plant’s size, a response to forecasts of high demand for recycling.

To help understand what’s happening, I reached out to Jeff Spangenberger, a researcher at Argonne National Laboratory in Illinois and also director of the ReCell Center, a collaboration between the government and industry to improve battery recycling technologies.

“If the process is good enough, there’s no reason why you can’t make battery materials from the battery materials,” he said.

For him, the development of a battery recycling industry is one of the most important and exciting parts of the transition to clean energy.

It’s important because the growth of electric vehicles and battery storage systems will eventually lead to millions of tons of batteries that are unusable unless they are recycled. And it’s exciting because researchers and entrepreneurs are coming up with cost-effective ways to reuse most of that waste.

The recycling industry is changing and growing to prepare for a projected five-fold increase in the amount of lithium-ion batteries available for recycling globally by 2030, according to figures from Li-Cycle and Benchmark Mineral Intelligence.

Lithium-ion batteries are used to power electric vehicles, battery storage and consumer electronics. The batteries contain rare and expensive metals like cobalt and nickel.

As companies manufacture more batteries, governments and environmental advocates have growing concerns about environmental damage from across the battery lifecycle, including the mining of metals to manufacture batteries, and the pollution that happens when old batteries end up in landfills. Inside Climate News - link - Dan Gearino - link - more like this (USA) - link - more like this - link - more like this (Massachusetts) - link

(EUN) GWYNT GLAS

EDF Renewables UK Teesside wind farm - Copyright EDF

At 20 times the size of the world’s current largest floating wind farm, a new renewable energy project is being built off the coast of England and Wales.

Called “Gwynt Glas” or “blue wind” in Welsh, it will provide power for around 927,400 homes. While an exact site has not yet been confirmed, a 1,500 square kilometre patch of the Celtic Sea 70km off the coast is being assessed for its suitability.

Kincardine off the coast of Aberdeen, Scotland is currently the world’s largest floating wind farm generating around 50MW of power. But this new project from French energy company EDF and DP, a renewable energy company from Ireland, will be 20 times as large, generating around 1GW of power.

The offshore wind farm will bring opportunities for both local and national communities, says Scott Sutherland, EDF Renewables UK Head of Offshore Wind.

“This is a great start to 2022 for us and we are very pleased to announce this partnership with DP Energy. euronews - link - Rosie Frost - link - DP Energy - link - more like this - link

(BLO) RUSSIAN POWER

A gas drilling rig on the Gazprom PJSC Chayandinskoye oil, gas and condensate field, in the Lensk district of the Sakha Republic, Russia.Photographer: Andrey Rudakov/Bloomberg

European Union climate chief Frans Timmermans called on member states to increase investment in renewable energy and eventually wean the continent off Russian gas.

Tensions between the bloc and Russian President Vladimir Putin have been escalating amid accusations that Gazprom PJSC, Russia’s state-owned energy company, isn’t doing more to fill up Europe’s depleted stocks of gas.

The threat of a Ukrainian invasion is also giving rise to fears that gas prices could spiral even higher, tightening the energy squeeze on EU citizens.

“If we really want to stop long-term making Putin very rich, we have to invest in renewables and we need to do it quickly,” Timmermans said Friday at an informal meeting of EU energy and environment ministers in Amiens, France.

“If you really want to make sure that you can provide stable, affordable energy to your citizens, renewables is the answer,” he said.

Rising energy prices pose a major challenge to the EU’s plans to transition the region’s economy away from a reliance on fossil fuels. Some member states, including Poland, argue that the Green Deal is one of the factors behind the increase.

Timmermans said that in one country, consumers had received energy bills that blamed the EU for the price rise. Bloomberg - link - John Ainger - link - more like this (Russia) - link - more like this - link

(DOR) DORSET GREEN H2

A green hydrogen production facility using only renewable energy is set to be operational later this year after completion of a £6.5 million funding package.

Dorset Green H2 will be delivered by Canford Renewable Energy Ltd and is the first of its kind in the South West.

Unlike many other hydrogen projects, which may use fossil fuels, the facility will have only renewable energy generated by on-site solar and landfill gases to make green hydrogen, a clean, zero-emission fuel.

The site, at Canford Resource Park in Poole, was previously used for landfill.

It has generated electricity by harnessing naturally occurring methane gases since 1996.

Dorset Green H2 is being funded via:

• £3 million from Dorset Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP)’s Growing Places Fund loan scheme
• £1.5 million grant from Low Carbon Dorset
• £1.7m loan from NatWest
• Equity funding from Canford Renewable Energy

Green hydrogen power is expected to play an important role in moving polluting, energy-intensive industries and heavy transport, such as shipping, HGV lorries and trains, away from fossil fuels.

It is recognised by the government as an emission-free fuel for use in vehicles, homes and much more.

Producing only water vapour and oxygen as by-products, green hydrogen is a central part of the UK government’s plan to reach net zero.

Published in August 2021, the UK Hydrogen Strategy states an ambition to have a world-leading hydrogen economy.

Hydrogen is identified as having the potential to provide a third of the UK’s energy in the future. dorsetbiznews - link - Andrew Diprose - link - more like this - link

(CNB) SCOTWIND PROPOSED CAPACITY HITS 24.8 GW

Offshore wind turbines in waters near Aberdeen, Scotland - Gannet77 | E+ | Getty Images

The Scottish offshore wind sector received a boost this week after a program to lease areas of Scotland’s seabed for wind farm developments raised just under £700 million (around $952 million).

According to Crown Estate Scotland — a public corporation which manages the country’s coastline and seabed — 74 lease applications were made, and 17 were successful.

The program, dubbed ScotWind, raised £699.2 million, or around $951 million. Crown Estate Scotland said the fees would be “passed to the Scottish Government for public spending.”

The capacity of the proposed facilities amounts to 24,826 megawatts. To put that figure into some sort of context, trade association RenewableUK says the U.K.’s operational capacity for offshore wind stands at just over 10,463 MW. Capacity refers to “the amount of electricity a generator can produce when it’s running at full blast,” according to the U.S. Department of Energy.

Successful applicants include BP Alternative Energy Investments, SSE Renewables, Vattenfall, ScottishPower Renewables and Shell.

“The variety and scale of the projects that will progress onto the next stages shows both the remarkable progress of the offshore wind sector, and a clear sign that Scotland is set to be a major hub for the further development of this technology in the years to come,” Simon Hodge, Crown Estate Scotland’s chief executive, said in a statement Monday. CNBC - link - Anmar Frangoul - link - more like this (Scotland) - link - more like this - link

(GUA) BRITISHVOLT SECURES £100M FUNDING

A rendering of the electric car battery Britishvolt plant set to be built near Blyth, Northumberland. Photograph: Britishvolt

The UK government will invest £100m in Britishvolt as the car battery manufacturing startup seeks to build Britain’s first large-scale “gigafactory” in the north-east of England.

The government’s Automotive Transformation Fund will invest alongside asset management company Abrdn and its majority-owned property investment arm, Tritax, to fund a sale and leaseback deal for the huge building that will house the electric car battery factory, near Blyth in Northumberland.

Peter Rolton, Britishvolt’s executive chairman, said: “The UK automotive industry needs a local source of batteries. Chinese or other Asian imports are not going to be an option. There will be very, very significant shortfalls of batteries. We are absolutely vital to maintain the UK industry and support those jobs.”

Britishvolt is one of two major UK battery manufacturing projects that has secured funding, alongside an expansion of an existing plant at Sunderland owned by China’s Envision that supplies to Nissan.

The company is hoping to build the plant rapidly with the aim of supplying a large part of the UK car industry’s needs as it transitions from internal combustion engines to electric cars that produce zero exhaust emissions. It is in talks with several potential clients, and sportscar maker Lotus has signed a memorandum of understanding, Bloomberg reported on Thursday.

The plant will employ about 3,000 workers when it is at full capacity in around 2028. The first batteries are scheduled to start production in 2024 to take advantage of rising demand ahead of the UK’s 2030 ban on new cars without a battery.

The government and Britishvolt declined to detail the size of the government investment, citing commercial confidentiality. However, a source with knowledge of the negotiations said it was worth about £100m. The Guardian - link - Jasper Jolly - link - Britishvolt - link - more like this - link

(IAN) OXFORD 164

St Clements Street- link - more like this - link

(ENV) THE MOST SUSTAINABLE COMPANY IN THE WORLD

Wind turbine manufacturing giant Vestas (CPH: VWS) has been named as the most sustainable company in the world for 2022.

It is a marked improvement for the Danish company, which ranked 21st in the 2021 index.

There was further success for Denmark with Orsted, one of the world’s biggest renewables company, receiving the title of most sustainable energy company.

It marks four years as the top perfoming energy company for Orsted (CPH: ORSTED), which came in 7th overall, down from 2nd last year.

Spanish company Iberdrola (BME: IBE) also made the cut, ranking 25th, a slight drop on last year’s position.

Published by Corporate Knights, the 18th annual ranking of the world’s most sustainable corporations was released on Wednesday.

The ranking is based on a detailed assessment of 6,914 companies, each with more than $1 billion in revenue, where performance across a range of sustainability metrics is evaluated.

The index revealed circularity and ambitious carbon emissions reduction goals as highly prevalent amongst high performers.

Henrik Andersen, chief executive and president of Vestas, said: “Vestas has successfully helped our partners avoid more than 1.7 billion tonnes carbon emissions over the past four decades.

“Building a more sustainable future for our planet however, demands that we do more.

“As the energy transition accelerates, Vestas is dedicated to making sure this transformation unfolds sustainably, in close collaboration with our partners.” Energy Voice - link - Hamish Penman - link - more like this - link

(GAS) VEOLIA CARBON CLEAN JV

A joint venture (JV) between carbon capture specialist Carbon Clean and resource management company Veolia has announced its first project milestone, a two-year contract that will see the partners taking on the operation and maintenance of a carbon capture plant for Tata Steel.

Having revealed its new corporate identity, Veolia Carbon Clean aims to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in India’s hard-to-abate industrial sectors through carbon capture and compressed biogas (CBG) projects.

The JV’s first project, based in Jamshedpur, is capturing 5 tonnes of CO2 per day directly from the steel plant’s blast furnace gas before being reused onsite and, once depleted, sent back to the gas network.

Calling it a ‘significant mark’ of Veolia’s commitment towards combating climate change, Preet Brar, CEO, Country Director, Veolia India, said, “It will bring great opportunities for Veolia Carbon Clean in implementing decarbonisation solutions.”

“Through this partnership we are building a model that will support our industrial partners to accelerate their transition to a low carbon economy.”

According to International Energy Agency (IEA) estimates, recycled CO2 products account for a multibillion-dollar market value and carbon capture now accounts for a trillion-dollar market value.

The JV will also support India’s pledge to obtain 50% of its energy renewable resources and reduce its total projected carbon emissions by one billion tonnes by 2030. gasworld - link - Anthony Wright - link - more like this - link

(H2V) HYUNDAI ADDING H2 FUELLING TO MACQUARIE PARK HQ

$1.7m hydrogen station to be developed at Hyundai Australia’s HQ

Hyundai Motor Company Australia is investing $1.7m in a new state-of-the-art hydrogen station to support fuel cell electric vehicles at its corporate headquarters in Macquarie Park.

The new station will be supplied by US-based PDC Machines and will produce up to 20kg of hydrogen daily, offering a 700 bar refuelling capability.

Australian gas technology company ENGV will also help develop the site, providing local integration, installation and ongoing operational services.

Once operational, the new station will replace the company’s existing hydrogen station, which has been operational since 2014.


With faster refuelling capabilities, the new site will enable the Hyundai Nexo vehicle to travel up to 666km on a single tank of fuel, with a refuelling time of less than five minutes.

Ted Lee, CEO of Hyundai Motor Company Australia, said, “This investment forms part of Hyundai’s long-term commitment to a zero-emission future for Australia.

“Hydrogen fuel cell mobility is anticipated to play an integral role in the country’s transition to cleaner drivetrains and we intend to help lay the stepping-stones toward making this vision a reality.”

Sean Blythe, CEO of ENGV, added, “We are excited to bring our hands-on experience developing hydrogen refuelling infrastructure across Australia to the HMCA project. H2VIEW - link - Molly Burgess - link - Macquarie Park - link - more like this - link - more like this (Australia) - link

(RIG) SCOTWIND AWARDS 5 GW TO SHELL/SCOTTISHPOWER

Shell and ScottishPower have secured joint offers for seabed rights to develop large-scale floating wind farms as part of Crown Estate Scotland’s ScotWind leasing.

The partners have won two sites representing a total of 5 GW off the east and north-east coast of Scotland.

The new wind farms will be delivered through two joint ventures called MarramWind and CampionWind. They bring together ScottishPower’s and Shell’s decades of experience working offshore and significant presence in Scotland, as well as their strong innovation capabilities for delivering world-class offshore energy projects.

“Shell and ScottishPower can now look forward to generating floating wind power at significant scale in the UK to accelerate the country’s transition towards net-zero,” Wael Sawan, Integrated Gas and Renewables and Energy Solutions Director at Shell, said.

“Floating wind plays to our strengths in deeper offshore projects, and we are well placed to help advance the wider take-up of this important clean energy source. Renewable electricity will play an increasingly important role in our customer-focused strategy, as we provide more low-carbon products and services customers need for their journey to net-zero,” he added.

Once built, MarramWind’s and CampionWind’s floating wind projects could accommodate a total generation capacity of around 3 GW and 2 GW, respectively, bringing clean energy to power the equivalent of 6 million homes in Scotland. This is more than double the number of homes in Scotland today.

The joint ventures have already started initial development planning and will continue to work at pace towards final investment decisions.

“Offshore wind is set to become the backbone of the UK’s energy mix and will do the heavy lifting as we ramp up the production of clean electricity on the journey to net-zero. Our ScotWind projects will make the best use of our fantastic natural resources to help power the UK’s transition from fossil fuels to renewables and a better future, quicker,” Keith Anderson, CEO of ScottishPower, claimed. Rigzone - link - Bojan Lepic - link - Shell Wind Power - link - more like this (Scotland) - link - more like this - link

(PVM) H2 - TURNING ENERGY TRADE ON ITS HEAD

While there are still many uncertainties as to the way in which hydrogen trade might evolve and change economic ties and political dynamics between countries, experts agree that green hydrogen can bring winds of change to the global energy arena. 

According to the International Renewable Energy Agency, significant geoeconomic and geopolitical shifts are just around the corner.

Rapid growth of the global hydrogen economy can bring significant geoeconomic and geopolitical shifts disrupting global trade and bilateral energy relations, according to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA). Already today, over 30 countries and regions are planning for active commerce heralding a considerable growth in cross-border hydrogen trade.

The agency estimates that over 30% of hydrogen could be traded across borders by 2050, a higher share than natural gas today. According to its latest analysis Geopolitics of the Energy Transformation: The Hydrogen Factor, hydrogen is set to change the geography of energy trade and regionalize energy relations, with the emergence of new centers of geopolitical influence built on the production and use of hydrogen, as traditional oil and gas trade declines.

Net energy importers such as Chile, Morocco, and Namibia are emerging as green hydrogen exporters while fossil fuel exporters, such as Australia, Oman, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE, are increasingly considering clean hydrogen to diversify their economies. Some countries that expect to be importers are already deploying dedicated hydrogen diplomacy such as Japan and Germany. pv magazine - link - Marija Maisch - link - more like this - link

(NAT) NO UFO

Zeva has released the first off-tether flight footage for its full-scale eVTOL UFO prototype - Zeva Aero

Zeva's tail-sitting one-person eVTOL flying saucer proposes to fling its pilot head-first through the sky at high speed, encased in a stamped-composite disc body that doubles as a lift-generating wing. 

It's far and away one of the strangest air taxi concepts we've seen, demanding some pretty extreme cojones of its occupants, but as we learned when we spoke to the company a couple of months ago, its unique form factor confers some interesting advantages that could overcome its obvious discomforts and make it a genuine contender in certain niches.

For starters, it's tiny in comparison to other air taxis, taking up little more room in a garage than a large motorcycle. That means it'll also land on a far smaller pad, so it could offer extra flexibility where space is tight. 

Secondly, its super-simple design, without tilting propulsion or separate lift/cruise systems, can achieve fast, agile, efficient flight – both in hover and cruise modes – in an extremely cheap and easily manufactured package.

The vast majority of commuting, reasons Zeva, is done solo, so why waste space, drag and weight adding empty seats? With a 160-mph (257-km/h) top speed and range up to 50 miles (80 km), this could prove a horizon-broadening device for developing countries – particularly ones with lots of islands. 

And of all the eVTOLs we've seen thus far, this one's got to rank first among adrenaline junkies for the sheer Superman factor and face-down views. New Atlas - link - the brilliant Loz Blain - link - more like this - link

(GUA) SCOTTISH WATERS AUCTION HOPING FOR 10GW

The winning bids – and the prices paid – are expected to be announced at 10am today. Photograph: Xinhua/Alamy

Scotland’s largest-ever auction of permits to construct offshore windfarms is expected to raise up to £860m when the results are announced today.

Crown Estate Scotland, which is running the auction, hopes that windfarms with as much as 10 gigawatts of new generating capacity will be built over the next decade, effectively doubling the amount of electricity generated in Scottish waters in a transition which has the potential to create tens of thousands of jobs.

The programme, known as ScotWind, has attracted frenzied interest from domestic and international bidders, and could set new records for values placed on the plots of seabed being leased for turbines.

Scotland’s largest-ever auction of permits to construct offshore windfarms is expected to raise up to £860m when the results are announced on Monday.

Crown Estate Scotland, which is running the auction, hopes that windfarms with as much as 10 gigawatts of new generating capacity will be built over the next decade, effectively doubling the amount of electricity generated in Scottish waters in a transition which has the potential to create tens of thousands of jobs.

The programme, known as ScotWind, has attracted frenzied interest from domestic and international bidders, and could set new records for values placed on the plots of seabed being leased for turbines. The Guardian - link - Julia Kollewe - link - more like this (Scotland) - link - more like this - link

(OFF) TRITON KNOLL POWERS UP

All 90 Vestas 9.5 MW wind turbines have been commissioned at the 857 MW Triton Knoll wind farm offshore Lincolnshire.

The wind farm, constructed by RWE on behalf the project partners, has reached this milestone on time, overcoming the challenges posed by the global pandemic, the developer said.

Standing at 164 metres tall, full operations of the 90 turbines are expected in the first quarter of 2022.

Julian Garnsey, Project Director for RWE and Triton Knoll, said: ”I am very proud of the Triton Knoll team’s achievement in completing the commissioning of the turbines on this nationally significant infrastructure project. The construction team has shown a huge amount of resilience in reaching this milestone. I want to thank our supply chain partners and all those that have worked so hard on our sites to keep the project on track, despite the many challenges posed by the coronavirus pandemic.”

The Triton Knoll project represents an investment of around GBP 2 billion that includes the construction of the wind farm and the grid connection.

The wind farm is jointly owned by RWE (59 per cent), J-Power (25 per cent) and Kansai Electric Power (16 per cent). RWE led the wind farm’s development as well as construction and will also operate and maintain it on behalf of the project partners. offshoreWIND.biz - link - Adnan Durakovic - link - RWE - link - more like this - link

(TIM) TAYCAN EV OUTPERFORMS 911

Porsche has confirmed that it sold more Taycan electric vehicles than models of the German car maker's legendary 911 sports cars in 2021, as it posted the highest sales in its 91-year history.

It confirmed on Wednesday morning deliveries of 41,296 battery-powered Taycans - which cost from £72,850 - worldwide last year.

That compared with 38,464 sales of its most iconic performance model, which was itself an annual record for the 911 nameplate in its 59-year history.

Demand for Taycans helped push Porsche to a new record of 301,915 sales last year and is further evidence of the increasing demand for electric models, even in the sports car sector. However, it was Porsche's SUVs that still sold in the biggest numbers.

Topping the charts in 2021 was the Macan, with 88,362 deliveries. This was marginally ahead of the bigger Cayenne with 83,071 sold last year.

Porsche said the 911, which was first launched back in 1963 as the 901, was handed over to more customers than ever before, but appetite for its all-electric Taycan eclipsed its long-running sports car icon.

Taycan sales were boosted by the arrival of the Cross Turismo shooting brake body style and the arrival of an entry-level rear-wheel drive version in 2021.

The bumper Taycan sales are another example of how traditional car makers are eating into Tesla's dominance of the luxury electric car market. This is Money - link - Rob Hull - link - more like this - link

(NCE) 10% TIDAL

Undersea turbines could generate a tenth of Britain’s power in the future, according to a government-backed sustainable energy research company.

Tidal stream energy uses turbines to extract energy from moving water in oceans and rivers, with UK waters holding around half of Europe's tidal stream resource.

Stephen Wyatt, director of of research and disruptive innovation at Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult (ORE) - which was established in 2013 by the government - said the 2020s could be a “golden decade” for the approach.

He told The Independent: “Tidal stream technologies are proven and on the cusp of commercialisation, with the most advanced being home-grown in the UK.

“One of the appealing aspects of tidal is its predicatability. We can forecast tides hundreds of years into the future, covering fluctuations from other power sources – you can’t predict when the sun is going to shine months in advance.

“10% is a significant number. In a world where we’re pushing for net zero, it can really move the dial in terms of UK energy demand.”

According to Wyatt, investment and subsidies could enable the technology to become cost-effective. It could create 26,600 jobs by 2040.

“Tidal energy is on track to be cheaper than both nuclear power and fossil fuels, providing clean and sustainable energy around the world,” he added.

“The UK has put significant funding into innovation and research and development, and a total of 80% of components are made in the UK. There is huge potential to create a lot of jobs in this emerging sector.”

In November it was announced that the UK government will invest £20M per year in tidal stream electricity as part of its flagship renewable energy auction scheme. New Civil Engineer - link - Catherine Kennedy - link - more like this - link

(UOM) BEHOLD - THE LITHIUM SULFUR BATTERY

A diagram of the battery shows how lithium ions can return to the lithium electrode while the lithium polysulfides can’t get through the membrane separating the electrodes. In addition, spiky dendrites growing from the lithium electrode can’t short the battery by piercing the membrane and reaching the sulfur electrode. Image credit: Ahmet Emre, Kotov Lab

A new biologically inspired battery membrane has enabled a battery with five times the capacity of the industry-standard lithium ion design to run for the thousand-plus cycles needed to power an electric car.

A network of aramid nanofibers, recycled from Kevlar, can enable lithium-sulfur batteries to overcome their Achilles heel of cycle life—the number of times it can be charged and discharged—a University of Michigan team has shown.

“There are a number of reports claiming several hundred cycles for lithium-sulfur batteries, but it is achieved at the expense of other parameters—capacity, charging rate, resilience and safety. The challenge nowadays is to make a battery that increases the cycling rate from the former 10 cycles to hundreds of cycles and satisfies multiple other requirements including cost,” said Nicholas Kotov, the Irving Langmuir Distinguished University Professor of Chemical Sciences and Engineering, who led the research.

“Biomimetic engineering of these batteries integrated two scales—molecular and nanoscale. For the first time, we integrated ionic selectivity of cell membranes and toughness of cartilage. Our integrated system approach enabled us to address the overarching challenges of lithium-sulfur batteries.”

Previously, his team had relied on networks of aramid nanofibers infused with an electrolyte gel to stop one of the main causes of short cycle-life: dendrites that grow from one electrode to the other, piercing the membrane. The toughness of aramid fibers stops the dendrites.

But lithium sulfur batteries have another problem: small molecules of lithium and sulfur form and flow to the lithium, attaching themselves and reducing the battery’s capacity. The membrane needed to allow lithium ions to flow from the lithium to the sulfur and back—and to block the lithium and sulfur particles, known as lithium polysulfides. This ability is called ion selectivity.

“Inspired by biological ion channels, we engineered highways for lithium ions where lithium polysulfides cannot pass the tolls,” said Ahmet Emre, a postdoctoral researcher in chemical engineering and co-first author of the paper in Nature Communications. University of Michigan - link - Kate McAlpine - link - more like this - link

(REU) LANZAJET RECEIVES MICROSOFT BACKING

Jan 13 (Reuters) - Microsoft (MSFT.O) is investing $50 million in a LanzaJet facility in Georgia that will produce jet fuel from ethanol next year, LanzaJet said.

The airline industry is considered one of the hardest to decarbonize. Renewable aviation fuel accounted for less than 0.1% of current global jet fuel demand of about 330 million tonnes in 2019, investment bank Jefferies said last year. Governments and investors are trying to boost incentives to produce lower-carbon emitting jet fuel.

LanzaJet, based in Chicago, said it has nearly completed on-site engineering at its Freedom Pines Biorefinery, with plans to start producing 10 million gallons of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and renewable diesel per year from sustainable ethanol, including from waste-based feedstocks, in 2023.

Oil majors, airlines and other petroleum trading companies including Suncor Energy Inc., British Airways and Shell are also funding the company.

The White House said last year that it wants to lower aviation emissions by 20% by 2030, as airlines face pressure from environmental groups to lower their carbon footprint.

The Biden Administration has touted tax credits for production of sustainable jet fuel as part of its Build Back Better legislation, which is currently stalled in Congress. read more - Reuters - link - Laura Sanicola - link - Lanzajet - link - more like this - (USA) - link - more like this - link