Romania advances municipal storage buildout, 500 MWh battery project
Romania’s new €150 million ($173.8 million) municipal storage program could add 385 MW of capacity and coincides with financing for one of the country’s largest standalone battery projects, according to the government.
Hydro approves largest pumped hydro project in more than 20 years in Norway
Norsk Hydro will invest about $110 million after tax to build the Illvatn pumped hydro plant in western Norway.
Sodium-ion battery storage for ultra-low temperatures
U.S. researchers have developed a sodium-ion pouch cell that operates reliably at temperatures as low as –100 C. The battery was tested with simulated and real renewable energy sources, including wind and solar, and maintained stable performance in both laboratory and field conditions.
German solar plant cleared to provide secondary control reserve
Sunnic Lighthouse says Germany’s first prequalified solar project for secondary control reserve shows how quickly PV assets can move into advanced grid-services markets.
Utility-scale BESS to drive Czechia’s storage market
Aurora Energy Research says regulatory shifts in Czechia are creating strong short-term revenue prospects for utility-scale battery storage, with a two-hour system commissioned next year projected to earn an internal rate of return above 15%.
The Hydrogen Stream: European Commission launches H2 tender
The European Commission has launched its first Hydrogen Mechanism call to link suppliers with buyers, while Italian researchers say PV, wind, storage, and electrolyzers can slash island transport emissions by 90% and cut costs nearly one-third.
US orders recall of 10,500 Tesla Powerwall 2 battery systems
Tesla says its recall and replacement effort stems from a contained battery-cell defect that has raised safety concerns in both the United States and Australia.
‘It’s not a matter of sodium versus lithium, we need both’
A US research team has developed all-solid-state sodium batteries that retain performance down to subzero temperatures. The systems utilize a special chloride-based solid-electrolyte-coated cathode.
Rinnai unveils air-to-water heat pumps for commercial, industrial use
The systems use propane as the refrigerant and range in capacity from 40 kW to 410 kW. Their coefficient of performance reaches up to 3.88.
Poland raises permit-free energy storage limit to 30 kWh
Poland’s lower house of parliament, the Sejm, has passed amendments to the Building Law to remove the requirement for building permits to construct energy storage facilities with capacities of up to 30 kWh.
