Science and Technology:
¶ “One Simple Trick To Send The Cost Of An EV Battery Rocketing Downwards” • The cost of an EV battery has been sailing rapidly along a downward path. The UK firm Zircotec is introducing a high-tech coating that can free up the EV battery supply chain from expensive, heavy materials in favor of less expensive alternatives. [CleanTechnica]
Ceramic battery coating (Courtesy of Zircotec)
¶ “Kia EV9’s Motor Does The Electric Equivalent Of Shifting Gears” • Unlike most electric motors, Kia EV9’s motor can change the way its winding is configured on the fly, effectively doing something like shifting gears in an internal combustion vehicle. This makes the motor even more powerful and efficient across its entire range of speeds. [CleanTechnica]
World:
¶ “The US Led On Nuclear Fusion For Decades. Now China Is In Position To Win The Race” • A controlled fusion reaction will release around four million times as much energy as burning coal, oil, or gas, and four times as much as fission, the kind of nuclear energy in use now. The Chinese government is pouring up to $1.5 billion into fusion annually. [CNN]
Energy Singularity experiment with fusion (Energy Singularity)
¶ “Brazil Drought Punishes Coffee Farms And Threatens To Push Prices Even Higher” • In Brazil, which is the world’s largest coffee producer, farmers are grappling with both their worst drought in more than seven decades and above-average temperatures. One farmer expected to harvest 120 sacks of coffee beans this season, but he managed just 100. [ABC News]
¶ “Youth Activists Plan Protests To Demand Action On Climate As Big Events Open In NYC” • Activists are perparing for protests around the world to demand action on climate change just as a pair of major week-long climate events – Climate Week NYC and the UN General Assembly – are starting to get underway in New York City. [ABC News]
Climate protest (Mika Baumeister, Unsplash)
¶ “Climate Disruption Will Be The Precursor To Global Political Disruption” • Writing in The Guardian, Anatol Lieven, director of the Eurasia program at the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, sees a direct link between alterations in the Earth’s environment that are fully evident and the prospects for stable governments in the future. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Hamburg 2024: R&D Progresses 25-MW Test Rig” • R&D Test Systems in Denmark completed the 3700 tonne foundation for its 25-MW turbine test bench. After the foundation’s completion the center is now designing and welding the test bench parts that will perform extreme test loads on main bearings for 25-MW wind turbines. [reNews]
Test for a 25-MW turbine (R&D Test Systems)
¶ “South Australia Joins Denmark In Elite Club Of Two, “Pushing The Boundaries” Of Renewable Energy Integration” • South Australia joined an elite global club. It is listed with Denmark as the two energy systems in the world to be successfully managing significant volumes of surplus variable renewable energy across the year. [RenewEconomy]
¶ “Over 500 GW Of Solar Power To Be Installed In 2024” • The world is on track to install 593 GW of solar power this year, according to Ember. This is 29% more than what was installed last year. In its latest analysis, Ember said solar “will likely add more GWs in 2024 than the entire global increase in coal power capacity since 2010 (540 GW).” [Asian Power]
Solar farm (Kelly, Pexels)
¶ “China And Japan End Their Dispute Over Fukushima Water Discharge” • China and Japan reached a consensus on discharges of radioactive water from the Fukushima nuclear plant, the Chinese foreign ministry said. This brings to an end a diplomatic dispute that had rumbled on for over two years. The two sides agreed on international monitoring. [NBC News]
US:
¶ “GM Electric Cars Can Now Charge At Tesla Supercharger Location” • As of Wednesday, September 18, 2024, the Tesla Supercharger network is available to all electric cars made by General Motors (except the EV 1, of course!). We can say that this is a hugely important announcement for owners of GM electric cars in North America. [CleanTechnica]
Charging cars (General Motors image)
¶ “2023 Was Another Big Year for Newly Installed And Proposed Hybrid Power Plants” • Improving battery technology and the growth of variable renewable generation are driving interest in “hybrid” power plants combining renewable generating capacity with co-located batteries. A briefing from Berkeley Lab tracks operating and proposed plants. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Ford Has A Huge, Honking Renewable Energy Trick Up Its Sleeve” • A few months ago, Ford appeared to have ceded a good chunk of the market to China. However, the company is back on the affordability track again, this time with a focus on pumping up the nation’s renewable energy profile. This is a multi-faceted project, and each facet is big. [CleanTechnica]
Solar array (Courtesy of Ford Motor Company)
¶ “TGS Completes New York Bight Surveys” • TGS completed an ultra-high-resolution survey in the New York Bight on behalf of Community Offshore Wind. The lease area could host 3 GW of capacity, enough to power more than one million homes and businesses. The survey characterized soil conditions at the site and took over eight months. [reNews]
¶ “Arkansas Solar Plant Starts Operating” • Entergy Arkansas has begun commercial operations at a 100-MW solar plant. The utility had acquired Walnut Bend Solar Energy Center, in Lee County, from Invenergy which led development, engineering, and construction of the facility. The Walnut Bend facility uses bifacial solar panels and tracking. [reNews]
Have an immaculately convenient day.
geoharvey 