World:
¶ “China’s July Russian Coal Imports Hit 5-Year High As West Shuns Moscow” • China’s coal imports from Russia jumped 14% in July from a year earlier to their highest in at least five years, as China bought discounted coal. Western countries have shunned Russian cargoes over its invasion of Ukraine, so China is buying Russian coal at a steep discount. [CNN]
Coal-burning plant in China (Hanno Böck, CC0)
¶ “Allies Seek More Security At Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Plant” • Britain, France, Germany, and the US have stressed the need to ensure the safety of nuclear installations threatened by the conflict in Ukraine. In a phone call on Sunday, the leaders of the four countries also reiterated their support for Ukraine against Russia’s invasion. [BBC]
¶ “In Pictures: Drought In Europe Exposes Sunken Ships, Lost Villages And Ominous ‘Hunger Stones’” • Europe has had weeks of drought, with persistent heatwaves leading to evacuations and deaths. Rivers and lakes have dried, causing major problems for shipping and other vessels. The receding water levels have also revealed some usually-buried treasures. [BBC]
‘Spanish Stonehenge’ revealed (Pleonr, CC-BY-SA 4.0, cropped)
¶ “State Of Alert Begins In Portugal Amid Wildfire Risk” • Mobile phones in Portugal have been sent a text warning of the extreme risk of wildfires as the country braces for its third heatwave of the summer. The country entered a state of alert, with temperatures expected to reach 38°C (100.4°F) and strong winds predicted in the coming days. [BBC]
¶ “A Fast Transition To Electric Mobility Can Help Reduce Kenya’s Widening Trade Deficit” • Renewables provided 89% of Kenya’s electricity generation in 2021 thanks to contributions from geothermal, wind, hydro, and some utility-scale solar. By installing more, it could reduce its trade deficit, which has grown because of increased fossil fuel prices. [CleanTechnica]
Unexpected visitor in Kenya (Jason Zhao, Unsplash)
¶ “Brits Face Substantial Energy Bill Increases” • An expected surge in UK energy prices this winter is being described as a national emergency, posing at least as great a financial threat as the coronavirus pandemic. Energy bills are predicted to push a majority of households into fuel poverty, which would strain the rest of the economy. [CNBC]
¶ “China Accounts For Nearly Half Of The World’s Renewable Energy Capacity” • With heavy investments in R&D, China has developed innovative technologies to support its rollout of renewables. Government subsidies have helped build a strong EV market. Now, China has nearly half of the world’s renewable energy capacity. [Yahoo Finance]
Wind farm (Master Wen, Unsplash)
¶ “South Africa’s Nuclear Sector Has Failed Its Test: The Koeberg Nuclear Plant Life Extension” • South Africa’s only nuclear power plant, Koeberg, has frequently been in the news in 2022, always for the wrong reasons. Its continued operation after 2024 will depend on critical refurbishments and upgrades. But work on these has run into difficulties. [Stuff]
¶ “Germany Rules Out Delay To Nuclear Phaseout” • German Economy Minister Robert Habeck said that allowing the last three nuclear power stations in Germany to remain operational would be of little help in solving the country’s energy crisis. He said, however, that he was open to extending the lifespan of one nuclear plant in Bavaria. [DW]
Isar nuclear plant (Felix König, CC-BY-SA 3.0)
Australia:
¶ “Australia Taking Bold Steps Toward Electric Car Future” • At the first ever Electric Vehicle Summit in Canberrra, Climate Change and Energy Minister Chris Bowen said the government will present a clean transportation position paper in September. The paper will outline strategies for reducing emissions from cars and trucks. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Sky News: No One In Australia Wants Electric Cars” • While Australia holds a summit to discuss car emissions standards, Sky News presenters say that no one wants electric cars. Meanwhile, ordinary citizens are fighting over what is available. Hyundai sold out a delivery of 100 EVs in minutes, and other companies are increasing imports dramatically. [CleanTechnica]
Hyundia Kona (Vauxford, CC-BY-SA 4.0)
¶ “Unions Call For Energy Authority To Manage Transition” • The Australian Council of Trade Unions has urged the federal government to establish a national energy transition authority tasked with ensuring that workers and communities affected by the exit of coal-fired generation from Australia’s energy mix are fully supported. [pv magazine Australia]
US:
¶ “First Vehicle-To-Grid System On NYC Grid Launches” • The first vehicle-to-grid system on New York City’s grid has launched, coming from a collaboration between Revel rideshare, Fermata Energy, and NineDot Energy. Revel’s rideshare system includes only fully electric cars and will start with the rideshare network’s Nissan LEAFs. [CleanTechnica]
V2G project at a Revel facility (Image courtesy of Revel)
¶ “Want Lithium From USA? Galvanic Energy May Have Enough For 50 Million EVs” • Galvanic Energy said a third-party resource report “validated Galvanic Energy’s Smackover Formation prospect as one of the largest lithium brine resources in North America, with sufficient lithium to produce enough batteries for 50 million electric vehicles.” [CleanTechnica]
¶ “EDF Renewables Activates 620-MW Solar, 200-MWh Storage Project” • EDF Renewables North America achieved commercial operations for a series of four projects at its Palen Solar site in California. The projects combine for a total capacity of 620 MW of solar and 50 MW, 200 MWh of energy storage. Construction began in early 2020. [PV Magazine]
Have a pleasantly amazing day.
geoharvey 
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