World:
¶ “Geely Becomes A Top 10 Automaker Globally” • Zhejiang Geely Holding Group, which includes Volvo Cars, has become the 10th best selling automaker in the world. That’s noteworthy in part because more than a third of its sales are now plugin vehicle sales, and the company could be a 100% plugin vehicle company by 2030. [CleanTechnica]
Geely Zeekr in New York City
¶ “IONITY Lowers Charging Prices in 12 European Countries” • IONITY, the leading pan-European HPC network for EVs of all brands, is making High Power Charging up to 350 kW affordable. It is introducing country-specific tariffs to cater to its customers’ charging needs and reducing IONITY DIRECT charging prices in twelve European countries. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Rio Tinto And BHP Collaborate On Battery-Electric Haul Truck Trials In The Pilbara” • In an industry first, Rio Tinto and BHP will collaborate on testing large battery-electric haul truck technology in the Pilbara, Western Australia. The two companies will work with Caterpillar and Komatsu to conduct trials of their battery-electric haul trucks. [CleanTechnica]
Komatsu battery-electric haul truck (Komatsu image)
¶ “China’s Emissions Fall As Renewable Energy Capacity Grows, But Coal Investments Blight Carbon Outlook” • China’s carbon dioxide emissions fell in March for the first time since economic activity reopened after the pandemic, an analysis shows. This suggests emissions may have peaked, but coal-burning power plants are still going up. [Hong Kong Free Press]
¶ “Port Of Tyne Enters HVDC Cable Factory Talks” • Port of Tyne in the UK and LS Eco Advanced Cables UK are negotiating for a long-term lease for a cables factory. LS EAC is interested in potential for a high voltage DC factory on the Tyne Renewables Quay site in the north-east of England. It would be worth an investment of £923 million. [reNews]
Port of Tyne (Port of Tyne image)
¶ “German Energy Giant Presses Go On Australia’s First Eight-Hour Big Battery” • The 50-MW, 400-MWh Limondale battery will be built next to RWE’s 249-MW Limondale solar farm near Balranald, New South Wales. It will be the first eight-hour battery in Australia after being the surprise winner of the state’s first long duration storage tender. [RenewEconomy]
¶ “Energy Giant RWE To Build Two New Wind Farms Off The German Coast” • Germany’s largest power producer, RWE AG, announced it is to construct 1.6 GW of offshore wind capacity in the North Sea. It took the decision despite ongoing supply-chain challenges and soaring costs that have halted some offshore wind projects in the UK and the US. [Euronews.com]
Offshore wind turbines (Waldemar, Unsplash)
¶ “Italy’s Solar Power Capacity Rises To 32 GW, Large Projects Jump In Q1” • Italy’s solar power capacity rose by 1.7 GW in the first quarter to 32 GW thanks to a jump in the development of large projects, according to the country’s association for the PV sector. Capacity of large-scale additions is up 373% from last year’s first quarter. [Reuters]
¶ “Hinkley Point C Nuclear Power Station Delayed And Costs Rise” • Hinkley Point C is set to be delayed and costs are likely to be £500 million more than previously thought, according to EDF, the energy giant behind it. Also, the start of electricity generation from Unit 1 is expected in June 2026, six months later than projected. [Yahoo Movies Canada]
Model of Hinkley Point C (gov.uk, CC-BY-SA 3.0)
¶ “Russia To Build Central Asia’s First Nuclear Power Plant In Uzbekistan” • Russia will build a small nuclear power plant in Uzbekistan, the first such project in post-Soviet Central Asia, Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev said at a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Uzbekistan is also interested in buying more oil and gas from Russia. [Reuters]
US:
¶ “Well Done Foundation Helps People Adopt Orphan Wells” • A favorite tactic of the Oil & Gas industry is to sell the orphan wells to an under-capitalized shell company. If pressed to clean up a well, the company files bankruptcy and sticks the taxpayers with the bill. That might sound like a crime, but it is business as usual for Oil & Gas companies. [CleanTechnica]
Abandoned well (Steve Hillebrand, USFWS, public domain)
¶ “Net Metering 3.0 Rules Create Chaos In Rooftop Solar Market In California” • The California Public Utilities Commission, with support of the state’s largest investor-owned utilities, eviscerated the net metering regulations last year. The new plan, NEM 3.0, reduces the amount the utilities have to pay their rooftop solar customers by 75%. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “BOEM Releases Final Environmental Statement On Offshore Wind Farms” • The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management is continuing its efforts to push forward with the review of US offshore wind projects. In the latest step, they are releasing the final Environmental Impact Statements approving two New Jersey projects. [The Maritime Executive]
Offshore wind farm (US Department of Interior image)
¶ “3M Knew Its Fluorochemicals Were Toxic Decades Ago And Likely To Cause Cancer” • ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. It recently released a 8,000 word exposé on how 3M knew that its PFAS chemicals were in people’s bodies. 3M had been testing human blood for PFOS contamination since 1997. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Hawaii Gas sets its sights on new renewable energy projects on Oahu” • Hawaiʻi Gas has announced the selection of two projects from its 2023 RFP for green hydrogen and renewable natural gas, key resources that will enable the company to shift away from its reliance on fossil fuel. Both projects will produce gas on Oʻahu. [Hawaii Business Magazine]
Have an acceptably splendid day.
geoharvey 