Plans for Norwegian graphite battery factory
Norwegian polysilicon maker and silicon business Elkem is planning to build a manufacturing facility in Herøya.
The ‘rubber-band effect’ on renewable energy project margins
David Riester of Lacuna Sustainable Investments, looks at how, on the journey from concept to monetized power plant, renewables and energy storage projects tend to get tugged toward ‘zero’ margin, from either direction. The further the rubber band is stretched, the stronger the pull back toward zero.
New membrane promises cheaper electrolysis
A novel anion exchange membrane has been developed by German chemical company Evonik. Its creators claim it can make hydrogen generation cheaper, as the cells used for electrolysis featuring the device would not require precious metals.
Energy storage investment to approach $10bn in 2025
Analyst IHS Markit has predicted storage will rebound this year following its first year-on-year decline in 2019. The technology is being rolled out at pace despite Covid-19 with state-level policies set to keep the US the global capital for the next five years.
Aluminum energy storage coming to Abu Dhabi
Swedish start-up Azelio says it will have a pilot project up and running in Masdar City by the end of next month. The technology sees electricity used to super heat aluminum with energy released on demand via a heat transfer fluid to drive a Stirling engine.
Isle of Man tenders for 20 MW of solar and wind
The call is part of a government action plan for achieving net zero emissions by 2050.
Mexican regulator opposes solar energy communities and storage
With the government having already introduced measures which will reduce the volume of renewables in the national energy mix, further new provisions will restrict the deployment of energy storage and the ability of solar energy generators to sell excess power to nearby consumers.
Toshiba’s power and heating hydrogen solution
The Japanese electronics giant has deployed a 3.5 kW hydrogen fuel cell system for at its Michinoeki-Namie site in the Fukushima prefecture. The fuel will be provided by the company’s 10 MW Fukushima Hydrogen Energy Research Field nearby.
Energy deal activity down in the Americas but renewables show strength
An Ernst & Young report has found power and utility deals fell off markedly in the Americas during the first half of the year because of the Covid-19 pandemic but commitment to clean energy investment appeared to remain strong.
“Capacity deferral is the primary source of storage value”
Big batteries derive most their value from replacing gas peaker plants and averting the installation of excessive amounts of transmission and generation infrastructure. However, batteries cannot replace all gas plants, MIT researchers found. From a holistic economics perspective, there is a certain share of storage that is considered cost-efficient. With battery costs declining, that share is constantly increasing.
