Science and Technology:
¶ The Mammal Society and Natural England study said almost one in five British mammals was at risk of extinction. Factors such as climate change, loss of habitat, use of pesticides and disease are to blame, the report said. The hedgehog and water vole have seen their populations decline by almost 70% over the past 20 years. [BBC]
Endangered red squirrel (PA)
¶ Clariant Catalysts and Hydrogenious Technologies formed an alliance to provide reliable, scalable and safe hydrogen supplies for a wide variety of applications. They will use Hydrogenious Technologies’ innovative means of storing H2 by chemically binding the molecules to Liquid Organic H2 Carriers, from which it can later be released. [gasworld]
World:
¶ The oil markets shrugged off the historic meeting in Singapore between President Trump and North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un. Both sides hailed the summit as a breakthrough, with a pledge towards denuclearization, but as expected, there was a lack of even the most basic details on how they might get there. Oil was flat at the start of Tuesday. [OilPrice.com]
Singapore (chensiyuan, Wikimedia Commons)
¶ Chinese battery heavyweight CATL looks to invest up to €1 billion into a new battery factory in Germany, according to a report from Bloomberg. The move would put one of the largest plug-in vehicle battery manufacturers right in the backyard of Germany’s luxury automotive makers, including BMW, Daimler, Volkswagen, and Porsche. [CleanTechnica]
¶ Germany’s KfW IPEX-Bank said it structured non-recourse financing for the 101.4-MW Pomona wind project, which power producer Genneia is developing in Argentina. The deal supports German exports, as German wind turbine maker Nordex won the contract to supply and install 26 units of its N131/3900 turbine for the project. [Renewables Now]
Nordex 2.4-MW turbines (Source: Nordex SE)
¶ The Swiss company ABB will install a 30-MW battery system in South Australia. It is expected to improve the reliability of power supplies and help balance the network on a daily basis. But in the event of a grid outage, it will support a microgrid powered by the 90-MW Wattle Point wind farm and distributed rooftop solar PV. [Renewable Energy Magazine]
¶ The World Bank is providing an additional $125 million for Morocco’s innovative solar technology. The increased financing, including $25 million from the Clean Technology Fund, will support the development and construction of the Noor-Midelt I and II plants. The plants will have a total capacity of 600 MW to 800 MW. [Renewable Energy Magazine]
Concentrating solar power plant
¶ In the last two months, India has seen 2.5 GW of wind tenders completed at record low tariffs at or slightly below $37/MWh, and the Indian Energy Minister increased India’s renewable goal from 175 GW to 227 GW by 2022. Meanwhile, the largest import coal plant in India, the relatively new 4.6-GW Mundra facility, sits idle, unable to compete. [RenewEconomy]
¶ Italian energy giant Eni is to build, develop and operate the 50-MW Badamsha wind farm in north-west Kazakhstan, its first large-scale investment in wind power. Eni said construction of the plant, which is located at Aktobe Oblast, will start in the coming months. The plant is expected to be in commercial operation by the end of 2019. [reNews]
Wind turbines (Pixabay image)
US:
¶ Bailing out nuclear and coal-fired power plants will not help toughen the US power grid against cyber attacks as the Trump administration claims, according to cyber experts. Hackers have a wide array of options for hitting high-profile targets such as electric infrastructure and nuclear facilities. The ability to store fuel is not relevant. [Reuters]
¶ The Department of Defense has a goal to produce or procure at least 25% of its energy from renewable sources by Fiscal Year 2025. Renewable sources provided 12.6% of its energy in 2016. To go further, while managing their solid waste, individual branches have partnered with industry to build or study waste-to-energy projects. [waste360]
The Pentagon (US Air Force via Getty Images)
¶ Two new reports, published in the span of a few days, have shed light on the state of the US solar industry in 2018. They reveal that billions were lost in cancelled projects due to the Trump administrations imposition of its solar tariffs. But they expect flat growth that, according to GTM Research, is “actually pretty good news.” [CleanTechnica]
¶ A report by the American Jobs Project indicates that offshore wind projects could lift Maine’s flagging manufacturing sector. It contends that wholehearted commitment could boost the state with thousands of new, long-term jobs, millions in financial windfall and helping Maine meet its clean energy goals while paying off handsomely. [Electric Light & Power]
Pilot offshore project in Maine
¶ Federal Energy Regulatory Commission members criticized President Trump’s order to prevent the closing of financially struggling coal and nuclear plants. Republican FERC Chairman Kevin McIntyre dismissed claims that the reliability of the grid is at immediate risk because of planned coal and nuclear plant closures. [Washington Examiner]
¶ As Fort Calhoun’s reputation as the home of nuclear power in eastern Nebraska comes to an end, a deal has been struck that could make the area a home for Nebraska solar power. Omaha Public Power District has worked with city officials to create plans for a 35-acre, 5-MW, community solar facility just east of the city limits. [Blair Enterprise Publishing]
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