LI-CYCLE GOES PUBLIC

One of the biggest issues EV naysayers and fossil fuel shills bring up is the future of each and every EV. “What are we going to do with all of those batteries?” they ask. 

The more informed shills know that they’re asking a disingenuous question, but many other people buy into the argument that batteries cannot be recycled and that we’re walking into an environmental disaster with EVs. So, the thinking goes, let’s just keep rolling coal because that’s somehow better.

Now North America’s largest lithium-ion battery recycling company is going public through a deal with a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC). The new company, Li-Cycle Holdings, will be listed on the New York Stock Exchange as LICY. Jokes about bugs aside, this is important because it shows us that battery recycling is not only possible, but that it’s happening on an industrial scale - Link

SOLARIS URBINO

On 20 October 2020, during a worldwide launch in a unique online setting, Solaris unveiled its latest state-of-the-art product. 

The zero-emission, low-entry 15-metre vehicle is the first electric bus made by Solaris to be designed both for city and intercity routes. Currently, the Solaris Urbino 15 LE is undergoing tests in a few Norwegian cities and towns. 

Operators interested in the vehicle will be able to familiarise themselves with a wide array of technical solutions and other features and amenities deployed in it. The tests in Norway are to be completed by the end of March.

The bus will be demonstrated to carriers from Oslo and its surrounding areas. Next, the qualities of the vehicle will be explored by the residents of the city of Kristiansand. As for the recharging of batteries, the Urbino 15 LE electric bus will use the infrastructure already existing in the towns and cities in question: pantograph and plug-in charging stations available both in depots and on routes - Link - more like this - link

HONG GUANG MINI

A budget electric vehicle (EV) selling in China for $4,500 (£3,200) is now outselling Tesla's more upmarket cars.

The compact car is proving a big hit for state-owned SAIC Motor, China's top automaker.

The Hong Guang Mini EV is being built as part of a joint venture with US car giant General Motors (GM).

Last month sales of the budget electric car in China were around double those of Tesla, which was questioned this month over safety issues there.

While the $4,500 Hong Guang Mini is the most popular model, there is an upgraded one with air conditioning for just over $5,000. The cars are being marketed as "the people's commuting tool".

The joint venture partnership, SAIC-GM-Wuling, is known as Wuling locally - Link - Wuling - link - more like this (SAIC) - link

LA GAN 3.5 GW DEVELOPMENT

The La Gan Wind Power Development Corporation has signed four Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) covering foundation supply and harbour services for the 3.5 GW La Gan offshore wind farm in Vietnam.

The MoUs were signed with Vietnam-based suppliers: CS Wind Corporation, PTSC Mechanical and Construction, South Petroleum Construction J.S.C., and Vietsovpetro.

Under the MOUs, the La Gan offshore wind farm project and the suppliers will work together to promote offshore wind power in Vietnam.

In addition, the La Gan project will facilitate knowledge transfer and provide advice on foundation design facility layouts, logistics, and infrastructure requirements, which will enable the suppliers to serve the offshore wind market to international standards, the developer said.

According to an economic impact study carried out by BVG Associates, the La Gan project will contribute more than USD 4.4 billion to the Vietnamese economy over the project’s lifetime - Link

(ARS) HYUNDAI LAUNCH THE IONIQ 5

On Tuesday morning in Korea, Hyundai premiered its newest battery electric vehicle. 

The company has resisted the temptation to start off with a bombastic SUV like General Motors' reborn GMC Hummer or a handsome sedan like the Porsche Taycan, although those are both in the pipeline. 

Instead, the Ioniq brand will launch with that most in-demand of automobiles, the midsize crossover. In this case, a keenly styled crossover called the Ioniq 5, which will also be the first BEV to use Hyundai's new E-GMP architecture.

The production Ioniq 5 looks remarkably similar to the concept car that preceded it, the 45. At first glance, it appears to be channeling the boxy good looks of late-1980s hot hatches. But don't be fooled by the proportions; it's roughly the same size as Toyota's best-selling RAV4 crossover. The big 20-inch wheels and short front and rear overhangs conceal a 118-inch (3,000mm) wheelbase that translates to acres of interior room for the occupants.

Beyond plenty of space and a flat floor, the interior has another surprise. The center console can slide, moving back by up to 5.5 inches (140mm). This gives the front occupants the option of leaving out the other side of the car, as well as giving rear passengers access to the console's storage, USB ports, and wireless charging pad - Link

SINOPEC - 1000 H2 STATIONS BY 2025

Sinopec is planning to establish 1,000 hydrogen stations by 2025 in China as the state oil and gas producer accelerates development of its new energy business.

Formally known as China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation, the company currently operates 27 pilot stations in China and plans to significantly increase production of hydrogen infrastructure to help hydrogen energy become the most competitive Sinopec emerging business.

Sharing the news on WeChat, Sinopec said it has anchored the goal of building China’s largest hydrogen energy company and accelerated the transformation of hydrogen sources from grey hydrogen to blue hydrogen and green hydrogen - Link

BIOMASS BRITAIN

The rise of renewable power in the UK has occurred at an astonishing pace. Last year renewable power overtook fossil fuels to become the nation’s largest source of electricity for the first time.

Just a decade earlier, three quarters of the UK’s electricity came from coal and fossil gas.

Wind power has played the leading role in the transformation of the nation’s electricity grid. It now supplies nearly a quarter of the electricity. In 2010, it supplied just 3 per cent.

The UK’s second-largest source of renewable electricity is the burning of “biomass” – a term for organic fuels such as wood, other types of plant matter and animal waste. Biomass power accounted for around 12 per cent of the UK’s electricity in 2020 - Link

PORCELANOSA DECARBONISE

 

Spanish multinational utility Iberdrola has partnered with ceramic tiles producer Porcelanosa to decarbonise the industry with green hydrogen and electrification projects.

The aim of the partnership is to drive the decarbonisation of ceramic production in line with EU objectives and the fight against climate change.

Iberdrola and Porcelanosa will conduct joint research into energy solutions for the ceramic firm’s plants.

The research projects will include maximum efficiency, high-temperature heat pumps in driers, as well as the combined use of renewable energy and a green hydrogen supply to reach the temperatures required in atomisers and hybrid ovens - Link

CHINA EMBRACES GREEN HYDROGEN

China has already accelerated the adoption of solar power around the world, and now there is hope that it could do the same for hydrogen. 

Already the world’s largest producer of hydrogen power, much of this production is tied to fossil fuels, raising the question of whether China can ever fully embrace green hydrogen.

While wind and solar power dominate much of the discussion around renewable energy, hydrogen is quietly emerging as a key component of the world’s renewable energy mix. Figures from the International Energy Agency reveal that global low-carbon hydrogen production has increased from just 0.04 million tonnes in 2010 to 0.36 million tonnes in 2019, and is expected to reach 1.45 million tonnes in 2023 based on new hydrogen plants opening around the world - Link

JAGUAR ALL ELECTRIC BY 2030

As it prepares to go all-electric Jaguar, is cancelling its previously announced EV flagship.

All new Jaguar model introductions will be electric by 2025, the automaker announced in a press release Monday, with the aim of achieving 100% electric sales by 2030. But an all-electric replacement for the Jaguar XJ sedan is no longer part of the plan.

"Although the nameplate may be retained, the planned Jaguar XJ replacement will not form part of the lineup, as the brand looks to realize its unique potential," the automaker said.

The XJ nameplate was a fixture in Jaguar's lineup for five decades, until production ended in 2019. A new all-electric version was due this year and had been promoted as a flagship for the brand with an unconventional design.

The electric XJ was due to be a rival to the Tesla Model S, and would have been the debut model for a new generation of EVs from Jaguar and sibling brand Land Rover.

However, it's not entirely surprising that the electric XJ has been cancelled.

Earlier this year reports cited inside sources suggesting the company was putting development weight behind big Jaguar J-Pace and Land Rover Road Rover electric SUVs.

The current new-car market overwhelmingly favors SUVs over sedans like the XJ. Jaguar chose to make its first all-electric production model—the I-Pace—an SUV, after all - Link

LUXEMBOURG FOCUSES ON GREEN HYDROGEN

Hydrogen is often seen as a source of clean energy but most of the world’s supply of this potentially plentiful gas, which can be used to power everything from cars to heating systems, is produced with energy from fossil fuels. 

Now, with backing from the EU, Luxembourg has joined the hunt for fossil-free technologies for hydrogen production. “Hydrogen right now is not clean,” says Nicolas Boscher, a researcher at the Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST), which works on researching products and services for both the public and private sectors.

Many countries are looking at clean hydrogen technology. Luxembourg, one of 11 EU member states to have implemented or announced hydrogen strategies, is particularly focused on clean production methods of hydrogen.

According to a report by KPMG, the consultancy, hydrogen produced through renewable energy sources, such as solar or wind-power, accounts for less than 2 per cent of the total supply. This so-called “green” hydrogen is more expensive to produce than hydrogen made using fossil fuels, though the cost will fall as solar and wind energy become cheaper - Link

HOME 2

SIMEC ATLANTIS AR500

A tidal turbine built and tested in Scotland has been installed in waters off a Japanese island chain, representing the latest example of how the East Asian country is investigating the potential of marine-based forms of energy production.

In a statement Monday, London-listed firm Simec Atlantis Energy said its pilot turbine had generated 10 megawatt hours in its first 10 days of operation.

The AR500 turbine was put together at a facility in Scotland before being shipped to Japan, where it was installed in waters off Naru Island, which is part of the larger Goto Island chain - Link - more like this - link

VESTAS UNVEILS 15 MW - THE NEW MUTT'S NUTS IN TURBINES

Vestas Unveils World’s Most Powerful Offshore Wind Turbine

Vestas has announced the V236-15 MW offshore wind turbine, the most powerful in the world.

The Danish wind turbine company, announced this week that it has developed a new offshore wind turbine designed specifically for use in typhoon-prone areas. As the name implies, the company’s V236-15.0 MW will produce 15 megawatts of electricity — the highest output of any offshore wind turbine in the world. 

The next closest is the GE Haliade X-13 that will be installed in the UK’s Dogger Bank offshore wind project in the North Sea - Link

AIRBUS SE

 A turboprop design is gaining momentum within Airbus SE as the solution to its challenge of developing a hydrogen jet by 2035, according to people familiar with the matter.

The propeller plane would carry around 100 passengers for about 1,000 nautical miles -- roughly the distance between Rome and Dublin. 

It’s seen as the option most capable of meeting Airbus’ aggressive goal of introducing a zero-emission plane by the middle of the next decade, said the people, who asked not to be named because a formal decision is still several years away.

Airbus unveiled three design concepts including the turboprop last September, when it said it would focus on hydrogen technology to tackle the problem of growing carbon-dioxide emissions. While no final decision has been made on which design to take forward, the company is beginning to evaluate the potential of each proposal, the people said - Link