Energy Storage Outranks Solar In Company Investment Plans
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Reuters.
These two paragraphs outline the findings of a survey.
Rising renewable energy capacity and the deployment of electric vehicles will make energy storage the priority technology for energy transition investments in the coming years, according to the 2023 Reuters Events Energy Transition Insights report.
Batteries are spearheading growth in energy storage but a wider range of technology types will be deployed commercially in the coming years.
580 energy professionals were surveyed in Q1 2023.
I am not surprised at these findings, as storing surplus renewable energy must be beneficial.
UK Sees Cleanest Power Grid In Q3 As Renewables Grow, Drax Report Says
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Renewables Now.
These are the first two paragraphs.
Renewables supplied over 40% of Britain’s electricity demand, the highest ever for the third quarter, helping the country achieve its cleanest power grid on record, according to the Drax Electric Insights report.
In the third quarter carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from the generation mix were an average of 143 grams per kWh, for the first time below 150 g per kWh over the quarter, says the report, which is commissioned by biomass power generator Drax and prepared by a team from Imperial College London.
We’re certainly getting somewhere!
Building Inside Mountains: Global Demand For Pumped Hydroelectric Storage Soars
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Construction-Europe.
This is the sub-heading.
Pumped hydroelectric storage plants around the world have been secretly storing electricity in remote mountain lakes for the last century. But the switch to renewable energy sources is prompting a surge in new construction.
These two paragraphs introduce the article.
Looking out over the ragged beauty of the Scottish Highlands, Coire Glas, a horseshoe-shaped valley holding a clear mountain lake above the shores of Loch Lochy, seems like an unlikely spot to build a megaproject.
In this remote location, surrounded by clumps of pine trees, a team of construction workers from contractor Strabag are tunnelling their way through the rock which they hope will form part of a vast new power storage facility.
The article is a must-read that talks about pumped storage hydroelectricity in general and SSE Renewables’s 1500MW/30 GWh Coire Glas power station in particular.
The Future Of Pumped Hydroelectric Storage
These two paragraphs from the article give a glimpse into the future.
According to the International Energy Agency, global pumped storage capacity is set to expand by 56% to reach more than 270 GW by 2026, with the biggest growth in India and China.
Current pumped storage megaprojects currently in construction include the Kannagawa Hydropower Plant near Minamiaki in Japan which when fully completed in 2032 is expected to have a total installed capacity of 2,820MW; and Snowy Hydro 2.0 in New South Wales, Australia, which is currently expected to complete in 2028.
Note.
- I can count two Indian and ninety Chinese systems under construction. All have a capacity of upwards of one GW.
- The Kannagawa Hydropower Plant appears to be the largest with a capacity of 2.82 GW. The Japanese are keeping quiet about the storage capacity.
- The Snowy Hydro 2.0 has a capacity of 2 GW and a storage capacity of 350 GWh.
- The Wikipedia entry for Snowy Hydro 2.0 states that it is the largest renewable energy project under construction in Australia.
Against this onslaught of massive systems, SSE Renewables are pitching the 1500MW/30 GWh Coire Glas and the 252MW/25 GWh Loch Sloy systems.
Pumped hydroelectric storage will have a big part to play in decarbonising the world. Even in little old and relatively flat UK.
Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners Takes FID On 1,000 MWh Battery Energy Storage Project
The title of this post, is the same as that of this press release from Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners.
This is the sub-heading.
The battery energy storage system Coalburn 1 will be one of the largest battery storage projects in Europe. Construction has commenced in November 2023 and the project will be 500 MW / 1,000 MWh once complete.
These two paragraphs outline the project.
Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP) through its Flagship Funds has taken final investment decision and commenced construction on a 500 MW / 1,000 MWh energy storage system in Coalburn, Scotland, which will be one of the largest of its kind in Europe.
The facility is the first project to be developed from the partnership between CIP and Alcemi to deploy 4 GW of energy storage assets across the UK. CIP aims to take final investment decision on two other projects next year with a combined capacity above 1 GW. The portfolio will provide vital support to the UK’s energy network, accelerating the integration of renewable energy and the transition to net zero by 2050.
Note.
- FID means final investment decision.
- 500 MW / 1,000 MWh could become a common size as it is two hours of power and easy for politicians to add up.
- CIP and Alcemi seem to be planning a total amount of energy storage, eight times bigger than Coalburn 1.
This battery could be the largest in the UK, when it is commissioned.
Who Are Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP)?
Their About CIP web page gives a lot of details.
Who Are Alcemi?
Their Who We Are web page gives a lot of details.
Environmental Considerations
The press release says this about environmental considerations.
The Coalburn 1 facility has been developed with extensive landscaping and ecological mitigation measures, including the maintenance of peat reserves, tree and wildflower planting, and new habitats, promoting biodiversity across the site.
I’ll agree with that, but add that I hope that they look after the hares. It will be interesting to see how big batteries and big bunnies co-exist. As co-exist they will!
Operation
The press release says this about operation.
The scheme will reduce the need for fossil fuel power generation during periods of peak demand leading to a decrease in CO2 emissions but also provide balancing services to help lower the costs for end consumers to manage the UK Power system.
As a Control Engineer, I suspect, it will act in a little-and-large mode with Scotland’s pumped storage.
Location
This page on the SP Energy Networks web site is entitled Coalburn Connection – South Lanarkshire.
There is this introductory paragraph.
SP Energy Networks own and maintain the electricity network in central and southern Scotland. As part of our infrastructure, Coalburn Grid Substation is a key installation in the transmission network situated to the south of Lesmahagow in South Lanarkshire.
Underneath is this map.
Note.
- The orange arrows are wind farms and there appear to be around a dozen of them.
- The blue arrow is Coalburn Grid Substation.
- Running through the area is the M74 between Glasgow and Carlisle.
- There are some remains of opencast coal-mines in the area, which have been restored and turned into wind farms.
- I have found the capacity of fourteen of the existing wind farms and it totals 946 MW, which is an average capacity for each wind farm of 67 MW.
- During my search for capacity, I found a couple of wind farms that were being upgraded with larger turbines.
- The SP Energy Networks page gives a date of Q3 2025 for connection of the Coalburn battery to the sub-station.
With the 500 MW/1000 MWh Coalburn 1 battery, I wouldn’t be surprised that this massive onshore wind farm complex has been designed to provide a guaranteed 1000 MW to the grid.
Cheltenham Football Stadium’s New Solar Array To Provide Over 25% Of Power
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Solar Power Portal.
These five paragraphs describe the installation.
Cotswold Energy Group (CEG) has completed the installation of a solar array at Cheltenham football stadium with an annual power generation capacity of 77MWh.
The £90,000 renewable energy project saw 213 solar photovoltaic (PV) panels placed on the south and east-facing stands of the stadium and is expected to yield annual energy savings of £21,000, and a full return of investment in no more than four years.
These returns rise to £650,000 over a 20-year period.
The football club did not provide the capacity of the solar PV installation. However, the solar array will provide more than 25% of the stadium’s power and, alongside other energy saving measures such as the installation of LED floodlights, 30% of the stadium will be powered by renewable energy.
The project was made possible by low-interest load granted by Cheltenham Borough Council to Cheltenham Town Football Club (CTFC), as well as contributions received from shareholders.
Note.
- There is a full return in investment in no more than four years.
- Returns rise to £650,000 over a 20-year period.
- The club has also installed LED floodlights.
- The council and shareholders appeared to have contributed.
- There is no mention of a battery. Surely, a small one would help to spread out the energy during the day.
There must be lots of sports stadia, that could do something similar.
Crown Estate Details Round 5 Plans
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on offshoreWIND.biz.
This is the sub-heading.
The Crown Estate has revealed details of a new leasing round, known as Round 5, for three commercial-scale floating wind projects in the Celtic Sea.
These are the first two paragraphs, which outline the three initial projects.
Located off the coast of South Wales and South West England, the sites will have a combined capacity of up to 4.5 GW, enough to supply four million homes with renewable energy.
The new wind farms are expected to be the first phase of commercial development in the region, with the UK Government confirming as part of its Autumn Statement in November its intention to unlock space for up to a further 12 GW of capacity in the Celtic Sea.
It looks like there could be another 7.5 GW available.
These four paragraphs indicate that the Crown Estate. expect the developers to to develop the local infratructure.
New details about the Round 5 auction include upfront investment in important workstreams to de-risk the process for developers and accelerate the deployment of projects.
This includes a multi-million-pound programme of marine surveys to better understand the physical and environmental properties around the locations of the new wind farms, as well as carrying out a Plan-Level Habitats Regulations Assessment early on in the process.
An Information Memorandum published today, on 7th December, also includes details of a series of contractual commitments for developers to create positive social and environmental impacts, focused on skills and training, tackling inequalities in employment, environmental benefits, and working with local communities.
In addition, bidders will be required to demonstrate commitments for the timely access to the port infrastructure needed to develop their projects, the Crown Estate said.
But it also appears that the Crown Estate are doing their bit by carrying out marine surveys.
Conclusion
It looks like the Crown Estate are making thing easier for developers, so that they increase the interest in Celtic Sea wind farms.
We’ll see if the strategy is successful, when contracts are awarded.
Vertical Farming Consortium Secures UK Government Funding To Advance Low-Emission Food Production Using Energy Storage
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Renewable Energy Magazine.
This is the sub-heading.
A consortium of four British companies, comprising UK Urban AgriTech (UKUAT), Intelligent Growth Solutions Ltd, RheEnergise and James Hutton Institute has received a grant from the UK Government to advance the development of low-carbon and low-cost food production by co-locating renewable energy with vertical farms.
These paragraphs outline the project.
The V-FAST consortium’s £488,000 project will explore how co-locating RheEnergise’s HD Hydro Energy Storage system with vertical farms can support a low-emission route to growing protein-rich crops in a controlled environment.
Last year, V-FAST – Vertical Farming And Storage Technologies – started investigating sites in Scotland’s Central Belt for the location of Scotland’s next generation of hectare+ scale vertical farms, powered by 100 percent renewables and using RheEnergise’s High-Density Hydro energy storage system. These farms would provide locally produced fresh foods (salads and fruits) to over 60 percent of the Scottish population and help meet the Scottish Government’s ambitions to produce more homegrown fruit and vegetables. These site investigations in Scotland continue.
Now, with the Innovate UK and BBSRC funding as part of the Novel Low Emission Food Production Systems competition, V-FAST will broaden the area for its site feasibility studies to across the UK, using GIS to identify and rate suitable locations for vertical farms that are co-located with renewables and High-Density Hydro energy storage. As part of the project, V-FAST will also undertake crop trials to establish optimal climate recipes in terms of their energy efficiency relative to produce metrics (e.g. protein per kWh or kg of CO2e).
It certainly sounds unusual to pair vertical farming with energy storage, but if it works, why knock it?
RheEnergise’s HD Hydro Energy Storage system is effectively pumped storage hydroelectricity using a fluid with a specific gravity of 2.5.
So instead of needing mountains to store energy, it can use medium-sized hills.
The Wikipedia entry for vertical farming, introduces the concept like this.
Vertical farming is the practice of growing crops in vertically stacked layers. It often incorporates controlled-environment agriculture, which aims to optimize plant growth, and soilless farming techniques such as hydroponics, aquaponics, and aeroponics. Some common choices of structures to house vertical farming systems include buildings, shipping containers, tunnels, and abandoned mine shafts.
As both HD Hydro Energy Storage system and vertical farming seem to need some form of vertical space, can colocation be advantageous in terms of cost?
Wikipedia also says that vertical farms also face large energy demands due to the use of supplementary light like LEDs.
So could V-FAST be an unusal marriage made in heaven of plant science and energy storage?
Fashion Companies Pledge To Invest In Bangladesh First Offshore Wind Project
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on offshoreWIND.biz.
This is the sub-heading.
Fashion companies, BESTSELLER and H&M Group have pledged to invest in the first utility-scale offshore wind project off the coast of Bangladesh, which is being developed by Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP) together with local partner Summit Power.
These four paragraphs give a lot more detail.
The announcement was made Tuesday at the ongoing COP28 in Dubai.
The 500 MW offshore wind project, which is in early-stage development, could significantly increase the availability of renewable energy in one of the fashion industry’s most important manufacturing countries, said the non-profit organisation Global Fashion Agenda (GFA).
More than 70 per cent of the fashion industry’s GHG emissions come from upstream activities and current operations predominantly rely on non-renewable energy sources, such as petroleum, gas, oil, and coal, said GFA.
To ensure and accelerate decarbonisation, GFA is advocating collective investments by fashion brands in new renewable energy generation.
This would appear to be one of those circular stories, where a lot of parties benefit.
- There will be less greenhouse gas emissions from manufacturing in Bangladesh.
- Jobs will be created in the renewable energy industry in Bangladesh.
- The fashion industry gets product with a smaller carbon footprint.
- The fashion industry gets a safe investment for its spare cash, that improves their product.
It might also create an industry in Bangladesh, that makes steel structures for the world’s offshore wind industry.
But consider.
- As of June 2022, Bangladesh had 25.7 GW of electricity generation.
- Much of Bangladesh’s electricity is generated by gas.
- Bangladesh is aiming for a 7 % growth rate so will need a lot more electricity.
500 MW is literally a drop in the ocean.
This Goggle Map shows most of Bangladesh and the location of the wind farm, by Cox’s Bazar, which is marked by a red arrow.
I shall be interesting to see how this and other similar projects develop.
RWE’s Welsh Offshore Wind Project Powers Ahead
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on offshoreWIND.biz.
This is the sub-heading.
Natural Resources Wales has awarded marine licences for RWE’s Awel y Môr offshore wind project off the North Wales Coast.
These two paragraphs outline the project.
The offshore wind farm, which could power more than half of Wales’ homes, has secured all of its necessary planning approvals with the award of its marine licences from Natural Resources Wales, RWE said.
The marine licences have been awarded on behalf of Welsh Government ministers following the granting of a Development Consent Order in September.
With all the wind action in the East, we tend to forget that the Liverpool Bay area has a lot of wind.
- Awel y Môr – 500 MW – Before 2030
- Barrow – 90 MW – 2006
- Burbo Bank – 90 MW – 2007
- Burbo Bank Extension – 258 MW – 2017
- Gwynt y Môr – 576 MW – 2015
- Mona – 1500 MW – 2029
- Morecambe – 480 MW – 2028
- Morgan – 1500 MW – 2029
- North Hoyle – 60 MW – 2003
- Ormonde – 150 MW – 2012
- Rhyl Flats – 90 MW – 2009
- Walney – 367 MW – 2010
- Walney Extension – 659 MW – 2018
- West Of Duddon Sands – 389 MW – 2014
Note.
- This is a total of 6709 MW to be delivered before 2030.
- All the wind farms have fixed foundations.
- RWE have an interest in three of the Welsh wind farms.
The Times today has this article which is entitled Energy Minnow Sees Pathway To Irish Sea Gasfield Via London IPO, where these are the first three paragraphs.
An energy minnow that is seeking to develop a gasfield in the Irish Sea is planning to list on Aim, the junior London stock exchange, in an attempt to buck the downturn in initial public offerings.
EnergyPathways has announced its intention to float, seeking to raise at least £2 million.
It owns the rights to Marram, a small gasfield discovered in 1993 about 20 miles offshore from Blackpool. It is seeking permission from the government for its plan to develop the field in the Irish Sea quickly by connecting it with existing infrastructure that serves the already-producing gasfields in Morecambe Bay. It aims to be producing gas as soon as 2025.
This gasfield should produce enough gas until the large Liverpool Bay wind farms come on stream at the end of the decade.
Masdar To Invest In Iberdrola’s 1.4 GW East Anglia Offshore Wind Project
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on offshoreWIND.biz.
This is the sub-heading.
Iberdrola and Masdar have signed a strategic partnership agreement to evaluate the joint development of offshore wind and green hydrogen projects in Germany, the UK, and the US, which also includes an investment in Iberdrola’s 1.4 GW East Anglia 3 offshore wind project in the UK.
These first two paragraphs outline the del.
After the parties’ successful co-investment in the Baltic Eagle offshore wind farm in Germany, the new milestone of this alliance will be to achieve a further co-investment concerning the 1.4 GW East Anglia 3 offshore wind project in the UK, said the companies.
According to the partners, the deal has been under negotiation for the last few months and could be signed by the end of the first quarter of 2024. Masdar’s stake in the wind farm could be 49 per cent.
This deal appears to be very similar to Masdar’s deal with RWE, that I wrote about in RWE Partners With Masdar For 3 GW Dogger Bank South Offshore Wind Projects.
- The Iberdrola deal involves the 1.4 GW East Anglia 3 wind farm, which has a Contract for Difference at £37.35 £/MWh and is scheduled to be completed by 2026.
- The RWE deal involves the 3 GW Dogger Bank South wind farm, which doesn’t have a Contract for Difference and is scheduled to be completed by 2031.
- Both deals are done with wind farm developers, who have a long track record.
- Both wind farms are the latest to be built in mature clusters of wind farms, so there is a lot of production and maintenance data available.
I suspect, that many capable engineers and accountants can give an accurate prediction of the cash flow from these wind farms.
I will expect that we’ll see more deals like this, where high quality wind farms are sold to foreign energy companies with lots of money.
Just over five years ago, I wrote World’s Largest Wind Farm Attracts Huge Backing From Insurance Giant, which described how and why Aviva were investing in the Hornsea 1 wind farm.
Conclusion
It appears that Masdar are doing the same as Aviva and usind wind farms as a safe investment for lots of money.
The Anonymous Widower 