Energy Storage

French power group Engie has started up its first minigrid installation in Zambia, while also announcing plans to expand Fenix, its PV home system unit for the African market. It did not disclose the specifications or size of the minigrid system. 

Solar households that choose to participate in the trial in New South Wales will receive direct cash payments of up to AUD $135 ($95) per year, depending on the size of their battery systems.

Gridserve has revealed plans to install more than 100 electric-vehicle charging stations throughout the U.K. It will start building the first of these facilities later this year, backed by a £1 billion ($1.7 billion) investment.

Green hydrogen has been exported from Australia to Japan, under a trial executed by researchers from JXTG, Japan’s largest petroleum conglomerate, using Queensland University of Technology’s cutting-edge Redlands Research Facility. The Queensland government has also announced AUD 250,000 ($177,000) in funding toward the establishment of a renewable hydrogen production pilot plant.

Australia’s Coalition government has announced funding to support up to 50 off-grid and fringe-of-grid feasibility studies that will investigate whether building a microgrid is cost-effective and whether existing off-grid capabilities can be upgraded with more up-to-date technology.

Macquarie has closed on funding for a third portion of a 340 MWh project in Southern California, and LADWP is planning 1.8 GW of batteries.

Senate Bill 1121 has been given final approval by the Puerto Rico legislature and is headed to the desk of Governor Ricardo Rosselló. When passed, it will make the island the fifth U.S. state-level jurisdiction to establish a 100% zero-carbon and/or renewable energy mandate.

The University of Cyprus announced plans a few years ago to build a solar PV farm in the United Nations buffer zone in the capital city of Nicosia. The project is finally coming to fruition, but with two additional elements: battery storage and testing for a blockchain system.

Energy Storage Europe was held in Düsseldorf from March 12-14. Our editors checked out all the latest technologies at the exhibition. Watch as they review new products and discuss the future of power-to-gas technology.

Lithium-ion batteries are increasingly posing a competitive threat to coal- and gas-fired generating plants when paired with solar and wind projects in a number of markets throughout the world, without the need for subsidies, according to new research by BloombergNEF (BNEF).