Tesla acquires storage specialist Maxwell Technologies
The target company, which specializes in supercapacitors, will become a wholly-owned subsidiary of Elon Musk’s business.
Massive solar-plus-storage projects move forward in Australia
The Robertstown region could host two big renewable energy projects – a 500 MW solar farm co-located with a 250 MW/1 GWh battery storage capacity, and a construction-ready 200 MW PV project with 120 MWh of storage that forms part of the Solar River Project, the size of which could eventually double.
Japanese scientists seek to lower costs of PV-powered hydrogen
A research team has conducted a demonstration of the economic feasibility of battery-assisted, low-cost hydrogen production from solar. The scientists claim their system will mean hydrogen could be produced for $0.15-0.25 per cubic meter in 2030.
DEWA begins work on hydrogen facility at Rashid Al Maktoum park
Only three months after issuing the project tender, the Dubai Water and Electricity Authority is building the plant with the support of Expo 2020 Dubai and Siemens.
Tokyo Gas invests further in solar and creates JV for storage
The acquisition of a 4.8 MW solar plant in the Kyoto prefecture and creation of a joint venture with Japanese storage specialist Exergy are part of the group’s 2020 plan to diversify its business into renewables and acquire 1 GW of capacity in them.
Australian senate: Don’t leave us in the slow lane for EV uptake
Federal and state governments need to do a whole lot more to help the transition to electric vehicles, says the senate, after poll results indicated strong popular backing for the switch from fossil fuel transport.
Debunking the low-cost nuclear myth
An article published in the FT this week was right to point out that pricing new energy capacity involves more than just comparing strike prices, but if you are in the business of calculating real costs, do it properly. For nuclear in particular, that’s a case of ‘in for a penny, in for (several) pounds’.
Australian city will get 4 MW community battery as grid back-up
Queensland is in line for its first community-scale battery – to be installed on Townsville’s outskirts – because of the high number of rooftop solar systems and close proximity of electricity infrastructure. The energy storage system should be operating by the end of the year.
New Caledonia sees 10 MW solar-plus-storage plant come online
The Wi Hâche Ouatom project is the first of its kind in the southwest Pacific French overseas territory. The facility is 51% owned by Enercal Energies Nouvelles and 49% by Promosud, both of which are based in the archipelago.
Shell Foundation and Rockefeller support $11bn African mini-grids fund
Crossboundary Energy Access – which claims to be the continent’s first mini-grid financing facility – wants to unlock $11 billion in private capital to bring energy to 100 million people in sub-Saharan Africa. Raising capital has been a struggle despite mini-grids being lauded as a solid solution for electrification.
