Science and Technology:
¶ “Hints Of A Novel EV Battery Emerge From With Layered Oxide Material” • Researchers have been zeroing in on lithium-rich layered oxide for batteries, replacing part of the nickel on the EV battery cathode along with part of the cobalt, providing space for more lithium and manganese. The result is an increase of up to 20% in energy density. [CleanTechnica]
GM EV1 (Courtesy of GM via Smithsonian Institution)
World:
¶ “BYD Controversy In Brazil: What Is Going On?” • Last week, reports came out that workers building a BYD factory in Brazil were working in “slavery” conditions and might be victims of human trafficking. The bad conditions seem have been caused by the construction contractor, which BYD has now terminated. We will keep an eye on this. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Europe EV Sales Report: In November, 25% Of New Cars Had A Plug” • Some 268,000 plugin vehicles were registered in Europe in November, a 2% year drop over year. Battery EVs grew 1% to 185,000 units while plugin hybrids fell 9% to 83,000 units. November saw the plugin vehicle share of the overall European auto market reach 25%. [CleanTechnica]
Škoda Enyaq (Škoda image)
¶ “Renewable Energy Provider Gensol Engineering Launches First EV for India” • Gensol EV Pvt Ltd a subsidiary of renewable energy firm Gensol Engineering Ltd., has introduced its first EV, EZIO, at the Bharat Mobility Global Expo 2025, which runs on January 17 through 22. The event marks Gensol’s formal entry into the EV market. [APAC News Network]
¶ “Vestas Closes 2024 With A Flurry Of Orders” • Vestas closed out the year with a glut of orders totaling 653 MW across the US, Europe, and Africa. In the US, the company announced a pair of orders for undisclosed projects. The turbine maker will deliver sixty 4.5-MW machines through its Steelhead Americas arm for a 270-MW project. [reNews] (See below.)
Vestas wind turbine (Vestas image)
¶ “ACWA Power Enters China With More Than 1,000 MW Of Renewable Projects” • Saudi Arabia’s ACWA Power has ventured into China by securing over 1,000 MW of renewable energy projects. The portfolio consists of multiple solar PV and wind projects, which will be owned by ACWA Power, possibly along with other partners. [ZAWYA]
¶ “Suzlon And Jindal Renewables Expand Collaboration For Green Steel” • Suzlon has further strengthened its partnership with Jindal Renewables by securing another 302.4-MW wind power project in the Koppal region of Karnataka. This marks Suzlon’s largest-ever commercial and industrial order from a single customer. [WindInsider]
Wind turbine (Ph B, Unsplash)
¶ “Russia Fails To Repair Damaged Equipment At Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant” • According to Energoatom, Russia tried but failed to repair the shunt reactor of the 750-kV Dniprovska power line, which they had damaged. This reactor is connected to one of the power lines supplying electricity from Ukrainian-controlled territory. [Espreso.tv]
US:
¶ “Tesla Cybertruck Not Off To A Good Start …” • Tesla started regular deliveries of the Cybertruck in October. The company seems to have claimed that it had 2.2 million reservations. Now, after delivering only about 30,000 of the trucks, it says people ordering a Cybertruck can get it in four to six weeks. These are not good signs. [CleanTechnica]
Tesla Cybertruck (Somalia Veteran, Unsplash, cropped)
¶ “Lucid Gravity Deliveries Begin” • Lucid’s second EV model, the Lucid Gravity, is now making its way to some of its buyers. For now, it’s family, friends, and employees who are getting deliveries, but it shouldn’t be long before others start receiving theirs. The company posted the an update to X to celebrate the initial model deliveries. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Demand for Power At Data Centers Is Disrupting Harmonics In Nearby Electrical Grids” • According to Bloomberg, demands for electricity by data centers lead to something known as bad harmonics, which can damage equipment. Whisker Labs, which offer the only IoT solution, showed a strong link between data centers and worsening harmonics. [CleanTechnica]
Utility grid monitor (Whisker Labs image)
¶ “NREL Technical Assistance Advances Community Clean Energy Goals Through Communities LEAP Pilot” • The US DOE and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory have a history of partnering on a range of technical assistance programs to help meet renewable energy goals and priorities of US communities. Here we look at some. [NREL.gov]
¶ “Texas Coal Plant Will Convert To Solar Plus Storage” • San Miguel Electric Cooperative Inc, a rural electric cooperative in Texas, was awarded more than $1.4 billion through the USDA’s Empowering Rural America program to convert lignite plants to a 400-MW solar and 200-MW battery facility powering 47 South Texas counties. [POWER Magazine]
Solar panels (Jason Mavrommatis, Unsplash)
¶ “Vestas To Supply 270 MW In Turbines For Mystery Wind Project In US” • Danish wind energy giant Vestas Wind Systems announced that it is supplying 270 MW in new turbines for an undisclosed project in an undisclosed location, to be developed by its Steelhead Americas subsidiary. The subsidiary’s focus is on early development work. [The Well News]
¶ “Oak Ridge National Lab Marks Year Of Breakthroughs In Energy, Environmental Science, And Space Tech” • As we close out 2024, the DOE’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory has put a bow on its achievements in science and innovation. A report on Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s website says the year has been packed with significant strides. [Hoodline]
Have a wholly hunky-dory day.
geoharvey 