Science and Technology:
¶ “EV Battery Makers Have Been Doing It Wrong This Whole Time” • Our of the blue, we have new and important news on lithium batteries. In the past, lithium-ion batteries got their first charge at low power. Researchers recently found that while some lithium was lost when the first charge was at high power, battery life was extended an average of 50%. [CleanTechnica]
Weird trick (Greg Stewart, SLAC National Accelerator Lab)
World:
¶ “Europe EV Sales Report: After a Small Sales Rush in June, a Small Sales Hangover in July” • Some 220,000 plugin vehicles were registered in Europe in July. That is a 6% decline, YOY, as the overall market rose 2% YOY. Taking a more focused look at the market, at -6% YOY, battery EVs behaved slightly better than plugin hybrids, which fell by 8%. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Most Car Sales in China Are Now Plugins! Full Report” • In China’s auto market, plugin vehicles scored 887,000 sales, to get 51% of a 1.73-million-unit overall market. That figure is up 33% year over year. In fact, it is the second best month ever, while the overall market is down 3% YOY. And we expect August to be a record month. [CleanTechnica]
Charging an EV (Michael Fousert, Unsplash)
¶ “QatarEnergy Unveils 2-GW Solar Project” • State-owned petroleum company QatarEnergy unveiled a plan for a 2-GW solar power plant that will more than double the emirate’s solar energy production and enable the nation to reach its 2030 target. Qatar will have nearly 4 GW by 2030, making up about 30% of the country’s total capacity. [Renewables Now]
¶ “Cero’s 100-MW Greek Solar Farm Goes Live” • The 100-MW Delfini solar farm in Greece has reached commercial operation, Cero Generation announced. The project will generate 157 GWh of electricity annually, equivalent to powering 58,140 homes and avoiding 65,300 tonnes of CO₂ emissions. The PV array was built on mountainous terrain. [reNews]
Delfini solar farm (Cero Generation image)
¶ “UK Onshore Wind Pipeline Doubles Growth” • The UK’s onshore wind project pipeline has expanded by 4.2 GW over the past year, bringing the total from 38.5 GW to 42.7 GW, according to a report by RenewableUK. The report suggests that the growth is double the amount recorded in the previous year, which saw a rise of 1.5 GW. [Energy Live News]
¶ “Sunshine State’s Solar Recycling Plans Power Up A Circular Economy” • The Queensland government launched a solar panel recycling project with the first of 15 collection sites it plans to establish. The program is expected to save 26 tonnes of broken or end-of-life solar panels from landfill annually and may inform a nationwide effort. [pv magazine Australia]
Solar farm in Queensland (Kgbo, CC-BY-SA 4.0, cropped)
¶ “Australia Sets 11.4-GW Offshore Wind Zone” • Australia has declared the Bunbury offshore wind zone in the Indian Ocean. The Albanese government’s said its Reliable Renewables Plan is being rolled out across Western Australia, with the 11.4 GW area off the coast of Bunbury. This new industry will help secure WA’s energy future. [reNews]
US:
¶ “The Largest Dam Removal Project In The US Is Completed – A Major Win For Indigenous Tribes” • The largest dam removal project in US history is finally complete, after crews demolished the last of the four dams on the Klamath River. It’s a significant win for tribal nations on the Oregon-California border who for decades have fought to restore the river. [CNN]
Wetlands on the Klamath River (David Menke, US F&W)
¶ “Green Hydrogen To Chase Diesel From Waste Hauling Business” • In California, a first-of-its-kind hydrogen fuel cell garbage truck is being tested. Instead of blasting neighborhoods with fumes, it runs on electricity generated by green hydrogen in the fuel cell, setting a new standard for thousands of heavy duty work trucks across the US. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “DNV Completes First Stage Of US HVDC Project” • The internationally accredited registrar and classification society DNV has concluded the first phase of its high voltage direct current transmission (HVDC) Standards joint industry project. The project was conducted to identify deficiencies in standards for HVDC systems in the US. [reNews]
Transmission cable (SSEN Transmission image)
¶ “Three Blade Failures Unrelated, GE Vernova Says” • GE Vernova said three recent turbine blade failures are unrelated. Two of the blades failed under unusual conditions that came up while work was being done on the turbines. The first of the three was the failure that happened at the Vineyard Wind project off the coast of Massachusetts. [reNews]
¶ “Michigan Plotting To Re-Open Shuttered 1970s Nuclear Plant” • After shutting it down in 2022, Michigan is making an abrupt u-turn and is now planning to reopen the Palisades nuclear plant, according to The Wall Street Journal. The move has serious money behind it: The federal government and the state are pouring $2 billion into the plant. [Futurism]
Have an invitingly gleeful day.
geoharvey 
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