Science and Technology:
¶ “This Boat Runs On 100% Renewables. Can It Help Clean Up Bigger Ships?” • The Energy Observer has sailed the world as a floating lab of zero-emission technologies. Now its owners want to apply what they’ve learned to dirty freighters. The boat’s fossil-free generators and storage can provide all the energy it needs for weeks on end. [Canary Media]
Energy Observer in 2017 (Margauux P, CC-BY-SA 4.0)
World:
¶ “Record Oil Imports Into China In 2023” • “China, the world’s largest importer of crude oil, imported 11.3 million barrels per day of crude oil in 2023, 10% more than in 2022, according to China customs data,” the US EIA said. Refiners in China imported record amounts of crude oil in 2023 to supply the transportation and petrochemical industries. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Dubai Sees Severe Flooding After Getting Two Years’ Worth Of Rain In 24 Hours” • Dubai was hit with severe flooding after 6.26 inches of rain fell in just 24 hours. Dubai receives 3.12 inches of rain per year on average, and typically just 0.13 inches of rain during the month of April. Climate change is making weather worse, scientists say. [ABC News]
Dubai (Nathan John, Unsplash)
¶ “Italy’s Edison Officially Opens 41-MW Solar Park In Sicily” • Italian energy supplier Edison SpA has opened a 41-MW solar PV park in Sicily, pressing ahead its strategy to grow its renewable energy fleet. A company goal is to add around 1 GW of wind and 2 GW of solar, along with 1 GW of renewables to produce green hydrogen and energy storage. [Renewables Now]
¶ “Ecuador Rations Electricity As Drought Persists In Northern Andes” • Ecuador began to ration electricity in its main cities as a drought linked to El Niño depletes reservoirs and limits output at hydroelectric plants. A climate change professor at Bogotá’s Javeriana University said it was a mistake to rely so heavily on hydroelectric power. [ABC News]
Mountains in Ecuador (Camilo Fierro, Unsplash)
¶ “CUC: Solar Power Only Way To Reduce Fuel Factor Costs” • The Caribbean Utilities Company says large solar projects are the only way to reduce expensive fuel factor costs facing Cayman’s growing population, and it hopes to reduce them by 50% in the next six years. It is “committed to the pursuit of achieving a 60% reduction in emissions by 2030.” [Cayman Compass]
¶ “GreenGo Cleared To Build 49.5-MW Battery In Italy” • Italian renewable energy developer GreenGo Srl said it has secured the green light to install a 49.5-MW battery energy storage system in the Calabria region of southern Italy. The Environment Ministry granted the authorisation around seventeen months after the application was filed. [Renewables Now]
Battery system (GreenGo Energy Group image)
¶ “Tepco Suspends Loading Nuclear Fuel At Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Plant” • TEPCO is suspending nuclear fuel loading for a reactor at its Kashiwazaki-Kariwa power station. Work was suspended after the company found an equipment problem while loading fuel into the 1,356-MW reactor No 7. There are no safety-related issues, the company said. [The Japan News]
¶ “Seven Countries Generate 100% Of Their Electricity From Renewable Energy” • Seven countries generate nearly all of their electricity from renewable energy, data shows. Albania, Bhutan, Nepal, Paraguay, Iceland, Ethiopia, and the Democratic Republic of Congo produced over 99.7% of their electricity using solar, wind, hydro or geothermal power. [MSN]
Punakha, Bhutan (Nihar Modi, Unsplash)
US:
¶ “US DOE Report Highlights Ways To Address Significant Wind Energy Workforce Gap” • A report from the US DOE’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory finds that while there is likely to be a significant shortage of wind energy workers in the coming decades, impactful opportunities exist to close the wind energy workforce gap. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “The Safest Truck In The USA Is The Rivian R1T” • EVs have innate safety advantages. It’s also easier to design them to be safe in multiple ways. CleanTechnica has a new report on the subject: The EV Safety Advantage. Apparently, it already needs updating, because the Rivian R1T just set a new high bar for safety among pickup trucks. [CleanTechnica]
Rivian R1T (Rivian image)
¶ “US DOE Commercial Heat Pump Initiative Brings Together Multiple Partners” • The US DOE is bringing together businesses and manufacturers to promote development of advanced heat pump technology for commercial buildings. The Commercial Building Heat Pump Accelerator is part of the DOE’s Better Buildings, Better Plants initiative. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Governor Josh Green Outlines Diverse Energy Strategies For Hawaii’s Renewable Goals” • Governor Josh Green has outlined alternate energy ideas to help the state reach its energy goal: Using 100% renewable energy by 2045. While Hawaii leads the nation in renewable energy, there is more the state can do to become more energy efficient. [KITV]
Hawaii (Christian Joudrey, Unsplash)
¶ “US Attracts Europe’s Beleaguered Solar Companies” • The US Solar Energy Industries Association says the Inflation Reduction Act will drive 160 GW of extra solar capacity over the next ten years and lead to over $565 billion in new investments. But the IRA is also having one unintended effect, attracting struggling European solar firms to the US. [OilPrice.com]
¶ “Nova Acquires 1-GW Texas Wind-Solar-PtX Project” • Nova Clean Energy has acquired a 1-GW wind-solar and power-to-X project on the Texas Gulf coast. The HyFuels project consists of mid-to-late-stage wind and solar development projects as well as an earlier stage green ammonia project. Nova acquired HyFuels from BNB Renewable Energy. [reNews]
Have an invigoratingly nifty day.
geoharvey 
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