The controversial topic of resource adequacy (RA) is undergoing fundamental reassessment to function properly with the future resource mix. From a legal standpoint, while FERC’s authority over resource adequacy in the ISO/RTO setting has been construed expansively, the Commission has declined to mandate capacity markets in circumstances where reliability and economic problems have not been demonstrated.
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The objective of study is to determine the cost of producing lithium-ion battery precursors in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and benchmark the cost to that of the U.S., China and Poland. In addition to the cost, the study assesses the emissions associated with the production of precursors in the DRC for the global electric vehicle market compared with producing them in China and Poland. Building a 10,000 metric-ton precursor facility in the DRC could cost $39 million. This is three times cheaper than what it would cost for a similar plant in the U.S.
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South Africa is Africa’s largest PV market by far and reached GW-scale in 2016. Operation and Maintenance (O&M) has become a standalone segment within the solar industry, and it is widely acknowledged by all stakeholders that highquality O&M services mitigate potential risks, improve the Levelised Cost of Electricity (LCOE) and Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) prices, and positively impact the return on investment (ROI).
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A high degree of coordination and flexibility is required between the different systems in the power sector value chain as well as in the O&M of individual wind power generation assets. Artificial intelligence (AI) has emerged as a key enabler in this respect, offering a host of benefits from efficient integration of intermittent wind power into the grid, to enabling automation of various construction and O&M activities, to better grid management.
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Interest in hydrogen is expanding rapidly in transport, power generation, data centers, and other industrial sectors seeking to decarbonize. Hydrogen provides opportunities to decarbonize industries that have historically relied on conventional gas and liquid fuels. It also has one significant advantage: It can repurpose existing infrastructure that might otherwise be rendered obsolete in a zero-emissions future.
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Pumped storage hydropower (PSH) operates by storing electricity in the form of gravitational potential energy through pumping water from a lower to an upper reservoir. First built since the end of the 19th century, PSH is a mature and proven technology for long-duration energy storage. It has continuously evolved to suit the needs of changing power systems, providing a suite of power systems flexibility services such as inertia, frequency control, voltage regulation, and black-start capability, which are vital to support the growing shares of variable renewable energy in grid systems.
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The market for wind turbine rotors and blades is expected to grow with the greater uptake of both onshore and offshore wind projects. The falling cost of wind power, coupled with favourable government policies and incentives, is expected to further drive market growth. However, manufacturing and transportation constraints, and a further decline in solar power prices are expected to be the key hurdles in the demand growth of blades and rotors.
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The manufacturing of solar modules can be classified into two stages – pre-cell or silicon-to-wafer stage and post wafer, that is, wafers-to-cells-and-modules. In India, however, there is very little incentive for domestic players to move into the former. This is because the pre-cell process for making wafers from silicon is highly capital intensive. Moreover, China has a stronghold in this domain. With massive investments and a dominant market share, Chinese players supply cost-effective and efficient wafers.
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With the introduction of new technologies, artificial based solutions for addressing such challenges become available. Drones and other unmanned aerial systems (UAS) are increasingly being utilised to automate the planning, construction, and maintenance of energy plants around the world. UAS and digital technologies are making energy sector operations faster, safer, and more cost-effective. The main issue for emerging Asia is to stay up to speed with the rapid pace of global technical innovation while also seizing the opportunities that are available.
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Energy systems around the world must transition to renewable and clean energy sources and experience significant changes, owing to a combination of technology advancements, the need for affordable energy sources, and the compelling need to combat climate change. In this regard, the world’s oceans are a source of abundant renewable energy, which can be tapped through offshore wind (with fixed and floating foundations, or airborne), floating solar photovoltaics and other emerging ocean energy technologies.
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Major solar module manufacturers continue to make technological advancements, with several now offering modules that are equal to or exceed a power output of 600 watts (W). In June 2020, we highlighted the solar module manufacturers push towards offering high-efficiency solar modules that are equal to or exceed 500W capacity, with Risen Energy being the first to announce a 500W+ module in late 2019.
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For the power and utilities (P&U) sector, the long-imagined future of energy is becoming the present: governments are aggressively planning to decarbonize, the prices of renewables and electric vehicles (EVs) are falling, and both customer and investor expectations are becoming more aligned with sustainability. EV adoption will soar, creating a vast replacement market, new fuel opportunities and a new ecosystem tapping into new value pools, but the market is highly competitive.
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Reliable electricity supply directly impacts the functioning of society, so no wonder why this sector is an extremely attractive target for a range of cybersecurity adversaries. In the EMEA region alone, the energy industry is one of the top sectors prone to a cyberattack, with rising numbers of daily reported incidents. Not only are attacks increasing, but EY’s recent survey also suggests that detecting many of these attacks is getting harder.
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For years, European countries have built “waste-to-energy” incinerators, saying new technology minimized pollution and boosted energy production. But with increasing concern about the plants’ CO2 emissions, the EU is now withdrawing support for these trash-burning facilities.
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The Nordic transmission system operators (TSOs) face the challenges of the transition to a cleaner energy system and are preparing to act as enablers. In this context, the four TSOs – Energinet.dk (Denmark), Fingrid Ojy (Finland), Statnett SF (Norway) and Svenska Kraftnät AB (Sweden) – are in the process of formulating a common strategy for the next 10 years (up to 2030) to meet the developments in wind power and sector integration.
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Dust and soils have negative impacts on the efficiency of PV panels. Therefore, the importance of cleaning PV panels is considerable from both economic and performance points of view. A key factor to maximizing the economic advantage is the determination of cleaning times. There is no specified cleaning cycle for PV panels, and the soiling rate of the region mostly determines the cleaning frequency.
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Globally, aviation connectivity is a strong driver of economic growth, jobs, trade and mobility. At the same time, the growth in air traffic demand needs to be concomitant with maintaining high standards of aviation safety as well as reducing aviation’s environmental footprint.
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The European Commission’s policy scenario evaluation concluded that the best way to further regulate PV panels was via a combination of mandatory and voluntary policy instruments. This scenario evaluation considered mandatory instruments such as eco-design measures for photovoltaic panels and inverters, augmented by the use of the Energy Label for residential PV systems, and voluntary instruments such as Green Public Procurement Criteria.
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IEEFA believes that a focused effort to prioritize particular regions could be more viable than chasing the dream of an ambitious nation-wide deployment plan. A targeted deployment plan focused on demonstrating commercial viability and PLN’s willingness to support long-term purchase agreements would send a stronger positive signal to attract major investments for the biomass industry. Indonesia has the potential to become a powerhouse for the biomass industry, and the cofiring ambition could be a starting point to spark its development.
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A transition to renewable methanol could expand methanol’s use as a chemical feedstock and fuel while moving industrial and transport sectors toward net carbon neutral goals. The cost of renewable methanol production is currently high and production volumes are low. But with the right policies, renewable methanol could be cost competitive by 2050 or earlier.
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