UK deals for vanadium redox flow merger and electric vehicles announced
English partners appear to be in demand with a London-based vanadium flow supplier tying up with a U.S. partner just as an automotive design company in Coventry announces plans for electric and hydrogen vehicle production in the West Midlands.
UN-backed fund to support solar businesses in Burkina Faso
A fund backed by the United Nations and the government of Luxembourg is helping companies to provide small solar PV systems and innovative cooking stoves in the economically challenged West African nation.
Big solar+storage project linked to hydrogen production in Spain
Spanish utility Iberdrola plans to link a 100 MW/20 MWh solar-plus-storage plant to hydrogen production in Puertollano, in southern Spain. The project will require an investment of up to €150 million euros and will be one of the largest installations of its kind in Europe.
Sector coupling in Europe could see solar and wind demand double
Market intelligence firm BloombergNEF has published a report with power company Statkraft and clean energy distributor Eaton highlighting the importance of sector coupling for Europe’s decarbonization plans. Analysts examined the power markets of Germany and the U.K. and concluded effective sector coupling including the use of green hydrogen could lead to greenhouse gas emission reductions of 83% by 2050.
Cheaper flow batteries with new membrane
US scientists claim to have discovered a membrane which could lead to cheaper large scale flow batteries. The material is an ion-selective, aqueous-compatible polymer with intrinsic microporosity known as AquaPIM and is said to have tunable thickness and high conductivity in aqueous electrolytes.
Mozambique kicks off minigrid tender
The Mozambican Energy Fund and the Belgian Development Agency have kicked off a tender to facilitate the construction of five solar minigrids to improve rural electricity access in the southern African nation. Prospective developers have until the end of the month to express interest.
Hydrogen is the first viable option for seasonal storage
Compressed hydrogen is “the first viable option” to help meet wintertime electricity demand in a high-renewables grid, says DNV GL.
France’s largest storage project
Total is building a 25 MW/25 MWh lithium-ion storage system in Mardyck, northern France. The oil giant plans to commission the facility by the end of the year.
Lithium-sulfur solid-state batteries promise fire safety at high performance
The scramble for new battery solutions is accelerating as researchers from Singapore tout an electrolyte which which they say produces highly stable lithium-sulfur batteries that maintain performance metrics – a task which has proven tricky thus far.
AfDB provides $200 million to expand Nigerian power sector
The African Development Bank has agreed to invest $200 million to improve electricity access in Nigeria by building minigrids throughout the country.
