Utility Scale Storage

At Australia’s University of Newcastle hydrogen production starts with water extracted from the atmosphere and electrolysis powered by free energy from the sun; sucking CO2 from the air is the next step to filling Angus Taylor’s beloved gas infrastructure with green methane that can bring spuds to the boil and power the economy while helping to flatten the nation’s emissions curve.

Around 4.2 MWh of energy storage capacity will be connected to a solar and diesel micro-grid on Rarotonga, the largest of the islands in the South Pacific nation. Three 40-foot containers with a total power output of 4.8 MVA will be used as a power reserve and for grid support by utility Te Aponga Uira.

Large solar projects are surging in the United States. We’ve gathered up the latest news in big solar, with Indiana set to double its solar capacity, and Texas galloping along.

In general, the tale of photovoltaics in Europe has been a success story, albeit one not completely devoid of obstacles and hurdles. The idea of producing clean energy was pushed by tailwinds when CO2 emissions skyrocketed and the catastrophic Fukushima incident once more made us recognize the hazards of nuclear energy. However, the PV industry still has a long way to go to reach its full potential.

An international group of scientists has discovered a ‘space charge’ mechanism that explains why certain metal oxides used as electrodes in lithium-ion batteries exhibit higher storage capacities than should be theoretically possible. The research, according to the group, will unlock new pathways to the development of more advanced energy storage systems.

According to the 2020 Global Gas Report by Snam, the International Gas Union and BloombergNEF, public policies are required to support clean hydrogen reach industrial clusters and to facilitate large-scale use. The authors of the report acknowledged the advantages of using wind and solar to directly power electrolysis, but they do not discard the possibility of using gas power with carbon capture storage. The experts of the three parties also identified barriers to remove for future development.

Neoen has successfully expanded the Hornsdale Power Reserve, otherwise known as the Tesla Big Battery, in Australia. If testing goes well, Hornsdale could start to function with an expanded remit of synthetic inertia services, which could have a big impact on regulatory changes.

Portugal’s recent PV auction marks a new era of battery storage for the country, says UK consultancy Everoze. It notes that the auction was so competitive that the winners had to cut their expected remuneration in the solar+storage category to negative values. It claims that the real winner is the government, as it is maximizing the value of scarce grid capacity, and argues that the auction could become a benchmark for nations with limited grid space.

The large-scale green hydrogen facility is being developed by Dutch energy company VoltH2 at the North Sea Port. The project is planned to be expanded to 100 MW.

An EU-funded research project coordinated by German research institute Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin has tested several configurations for solar-powered hydrogen generation. First results showed which may be the most suitable PV technologies for electrolysis.