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[sarkasm] 15/9/2020 19:28

BP’s Clean Energy Push Starts With Five-Year Dash on Solar, Wind

Laura Hurst and William Mathis, Bloomberg News








Solar panels which form part of a Lightsource BP smart home solution sit on a flat roof at a residential property in Dorking, U.K., on Friday, May 3, 2019. Companies like Lightsource, in which British oil major BP Plc holds a stake, are trialing smart systems in people’s homes that will that will do everything from generating solar power, storing it and managing consumption. Photographer: Chris Ratcliffe/Bloomberg

Solar panels which form part of a Lightsource BP smart home solution sit on a flat roof at a residential property in Dorking, U.K., on Friday, May 3, 2019. Companies like Lightsource, in which British oil major BP Plc holds a stake, are trialing smart systems in people’s homes that will that will do everything from generating solar power, storing it and managing consumption. Photographer: Chris Ratcliffe/Bloomberg , Bloomberg

(Bloomberg) -- BP Plc’s journey from oil major to clean energy giant will start with a five-year sprint to dramatically boost wind and solar power.

By 2025, the company intends to have approved more than 20 gigawatts of renewable energy projects, an eightfold increase from 2019, Dev Sanyal, BP’s executive vice president of gas and low-carbon energy, said in a online presentation on Tuesday.

Most of that would be solar — putting BP on a par with today’s biggest generator of electricity from the sun. The company also plans big investments in wind, following on from last week’s $1.1 billion deal with Equinor ASA.

“With falling costs comes real growth,” Sanyal said. “Renewables have become the fastest growing source of energy and we see this continuing over the next decade and beyond.”

This rapid expansion would just be the start of the London-based oil giant‘s transformation into a low-carbon integrated energy company. Chief Executive Officer Bernard Looney has pledged to eliminate all net greenhouse gas emissions from BP and its customers by 2050.

A series of presentations this week aims to show he can achieve this while still delivering competitive returns. Investors may need some convincing, after seeing their dividends cut in half last month.

Trading Gains

BP’s in-house trading operations are at the heart of Looney’s pledge to move away from fossil fuels without sacrificing profits. Renewable energy projects typically gives returns of 5% to 6%, Looney said, but the company’s expert traders can add about 2 percentage points to that.

Lightsource BP, which currently manages about 2 gigawatts of solar plants, is already achieving returns of 8% to 10% and “we actually believe it can do better,” Looney said. Access to low-cost funds, and integration with the rest of BP and its project management experience can boost returns, said Sanyal and Looney.

BP will gradually expand its electricity trading over the next five years, increasing the amount of power it buys and sells annually by about 40% to 350 terawatt hours.

Of the 20 gigawatts of renewable energy capacity BP intends to begin developing over the next five years, 83% will be solar, 15% wind and 2% bio-energy, Sanyal said.

That much solar would give BP about the same capacity as is currently owned by the world’s biggest operator, China’s State Power Investment Corp. Ltd, according to data from BloombergNEF.

Solar power will be crucial for achieving the breakneck pace of growth BP laid out. It is relatively quick to install, taking as little as 18 months from concept to construction, Sanyal said. That’s much faster than massive offshore wind farms, which can take a decade to plan and construct.

By 2030, BP plans to have taken the final investment decision on 50 gigawatts of low-carbon energy capacity, and be trading 500 terawatt hours of power each year.

On bio-energy, the company says it will more than double its 2019 production to 50,000 barrels a day by 2025, and 100,000 by 2030. These fuels will help sectors that are hard to electrify, like aviation, marine and heavy goods vehicles, Sanyal said.

BP currently makes biofuels in a joint venture with Bunge Ltd. in Brazil, produces biogas in the U.S. and processes some renewable fuels within its refining portfolio.

“We see these businesses as generating returns of around 15% or higher,” Sanyal said. “It competes well within our disciplined financial framework.”

(Adds comments on bio-energy in final three paragraphs.)

[the grumpy old men] 14/9/2020 13:37

Up to 550GW new solar and wind capacity could be added each year by 2030

By Jules Scully Sep 14, 2020 11:26 AM BST 0


Aided by falling production costs and policies encouraging a shift to green energy, renewables’ share of the global energy mix could soar from 5% in 2018 to almost 60% by 2050, BP has said in its latest energy outlook report.

The oil and gas major has considered three scenarios that explore different pathways for the global energy system to 2050. In its ‘rapid transition’ and ‘net zero’ scenarios, the average annual increase in solar and wind capacity in the next 15 years could be as high as 350GW and 550GW respectively. However BP's most ambitious scenario - 'net zero' - suggests annual wind and solar deployment could rocket to just below 1TW by 2035 - 2040. Since 2000, the average annual growth is said to have been around 60GW.

Even in its ‘business as usual’ case – which assumes that government policies, technologies and social preferences continue to evolve in a manner and speed seen over the recent past – the 235GW average annual rate of solar and wind capacity construction over the outlook is still considerably higher than past rates.

In all three scenarios, emerging economies account for most of the expansion in renewable energy, driven by stronger growth in power generation and by the increasing share of renewables in power, especially at the expense of coal.

However, the advances in solar and wind generation in the 'rapid transition' and 'net zero' cases is followed by a subsequent slowing as the costs of intermittency associated with greater penetration of renewables is reflected in the pattern of capacity additions, which peak around 2035 before dropping sharply. BP said this hump in the pattern of new additions raises the risk of excess capacity within the renewables supply chain.

In the two cases that feature a more rapid renewables shift, a significant amount of solar and wind energy is predicted to be used to produce green hydrogen, with this share increasing to as much as one-third of total installed capacity by 2050.

The outlook reveals that the rising role of renewable energy comes at the expense of hydrocarbons, with coal consumption declining significantly in all three scenarios and never recovering back to its peak level of 2013.

All three cases see oil demand falling over the next 30 years. The report notes the level of oil demand in both rapid and net zero does not fully recover from the sharp drop caused by COVID-19, implying that 2019 levels of 100 million barrels a day will be the peak for consumption.

BP CEO Bernard Looney said the new energy outlook was instrumental in helping the company develop its net zero strategy. ‎“Even as the pandemic has dramatically reduced global carbon emissions, the world remains ‎on an unsustainable path. However, the analysis in the outlook shows that, with decisive ‎policy measures and more low carbon choices from both companies and consumers, the ‎energy transition still can be delivered,” he said.

After increasing its stake in global solar developer Lightsource BP to 50%, BP earlier this year announced plans to become net zero by 2050 as it looks to amass a 50GW renewables portfolio in the next ten years. The company is looking to increase its annual investment in low-carbon generation from its current US$500 million level to US$5 billion by 2030.

[adrian j boris] 03/9/2020 10:27

Saft technology helps Gold Fields’ Agnew Gold Mine to switch to renewables

MiningOther CommoditiesOthers

By NS Energy Staff Writer 02 Sep 2020

The Agnew Gold Mine is an underground operation located 1,000km northeast of Perth in Western Australia
Agnew_ESS_Saft1@EDL

EDL's microgrid includes a 4MW solar farm, 21 MW gas/diesel thermal power plant, five turbines for 18 MW wind generation and Saft's 13 MW / 4 MWh energy storage system. (Credit: Saft)

A Saft lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery energy storage system (BESS) is playing a key role in helping Gold Field’s Agnew mine make the switch from fossil fuels to wind and solar power. In Saft’s first project for EDL, the BESS has been installed within a hybrid renewable microgrid with an installed capacity of 56 MW, which is the first to incorporate wind power on a large scale at an Australian mine. Energy storage is critical to enable the EDL microgrid to maintain power quality as it integrates an increasing level of volatile and unpredictable wind and solar energy.

“The Agnew hybrid renewable microgrid was completed on 1 May 2020 and has proven to be a great success – under the right weather conditions, the microgrid has delivered up to 85 percent of the site’s power requirements with renewable energy,” says EDL Chief Executive Officer James Harman. “The battery energy storage system is critical to this success. That’s why we selected Saft’s Li-ion technology – it offered a complete solution with a proven track record. We’d be happy to work with Saft again.”

The Agnew Gold Mine is an underground operation located 1,000 kilometers northeast of Perth in Western Australia. The site covers over 600 square kilometers and has the capacity to process 1.3 million tonnes of ore a year.

The remote off-grid location means that the Agnew site has to generate its own electricity. Gold Fields is committed to sustainable and innovative power solutions. It engaged EDL in a 10-year agreement to build and operate Australia’s largest hybrid renewable energy microgrid.

The first project phase involved the construction of a 4 MW solar farm and a 21 MW gas/diesel engine power plant. This was followed by five wind turbines for 18 MW of generation, a microgrid controller and Saft’s 13 MW/4 MWh energy storage system.

The turnkey BESS at the Agnew mine comprises six of Saft’s Intensium Max+ 20M 20-foot containers together with a power conversion system (PCS), transformer and MV switchgear installed in three 40-foot containers. Its main role is to provide power quality support for the microgrid to maximize the usage of variable renewable energy. It will also provide ultra-fast-reacting spinning reserves to help maintain grid stability, minimize the need for fossil fuel-based generation units to run idle for this purpose.

The rugged Intensium Max+ 20M design means that no modifications were required to ensure a long operational life in the demanding dusty and sandy desert conditions, where peak temperatures can reach 48°C. To maintain maximum uptime and availability for the BESS, Saft is providing remote monitoring together with a service contract including yearly onsite maintenance.

The Intensium Max+ 20M is fully fitted out and tested by Saft at its manufacturing hub in Jacksonville, Florida. As a result, the containers were delivered to site ready to ‘plug and play’.

Source: Company Press Release

[uppompeii] 27/8/2020 13:14

It would make a change from relatives...

[jonc] 27/8/2020 12:46

Fortunately I have a headache.


Could be welcomed in Norfolk.

[florenceorbis] 12/8/2020 09:45

Renewables Overtake Coal, But Lag Far Behind Oil And Natural Gas

Tom Kirkman

[pvb] 30/7/2020 18:51

I knew it couldn't last...

[jonc] 30/7/2020 14:05

That is their plan.

[uppompeii] 30/7/2020 14:04

The pile of birds falling from the sky is getting that I can't get out of my bunker

[ariane] 16/7/2020 07:34

The world’s sunniest PV testing field

French energy giant Engie recently commissioned a solar module testing facility in Chile’s Atacama Desert, a region which has the world’s highest solar radiation. Thore Müller – head of bifacial PV R&D and solar services at Engie Laborelec, talked to pv magazineabout the advantages of testing panels, inverters and cleaning systems in hot, arid environments.
July 15, 2020 Emiliano Bellini


The testing site offers perfect conditions for assessing PV use in dry climates.


The Engie Laborelec unit of the French energy giant recently commissioned a PV module testing facility and innovation center in northern Chile’s Atacama Desert – an area with the world’s highest solar radiation.
Trackers and inverters are also being tested at the site.

Image: Engie Laborelec

The center is designed to test technology, including inverters and cleaning systems, for large scale solar projects. “The test bed is designed for large scale applications and will help optimize designs based on a systemic approach,” said Thore Müller, head of bifacial PV R&D at Engie Laborelec. “We want to shift the general view away from a linear project development [approach] where components are evaluated and picked individually and towards … making design choices based on their combined impact on the LCOE [levelized cost of energy]. Then, we want to test and develop innovative technologies to maximize the yield.”
Six bifacial panels are currently under scrutiny at the Atacama site.

Image: Engie Laborelec

Engie Laborelec is testing six bifacial panels from three manufacturers as well as two trackers, plus string inverters. “But, most importantly, we test combinations of these to see how they affect each other,” said Müller.

The center will use measurements of albedo, rear and front-side plane-of-array irradiance and soiling. There will be a special focus on the distribution of rear-side irradiance measurements to assess mismatch losses stemming from design choices.
Thore Müller said conditions at the center are typical of those in which several large scale PV projects are planned.

Image: Engie Laborelec

The desert environment and high solar radiation offer advantages including small day-to-day variability, high soiling levels and low rainfall. “These conditions are typical for many sites where new large scale power plants are planned: Chile, Mexico [the] Middle East,” said Müller. “We believe that a test center that reflects such conditions will be especially helpful.”

Engie announced a 1 GW renewables development plan for Chile in late 2019, with a planned investment of up to $1 billion. The first two projects in the plan – the Capricorn Solar Park and the Calama Wind Site – are currently being built and construction also started on a third project, the Tamaya Solar Park, in the first quarter.

Emiliano Bellini
Emiliano joined pv magazine in March 2017. He has been reporting on solar and renewable energy since 2009.

[e-mail]

[sarkasm] 10/7/2020 17:57

Climate change
‘Courageous217; push could create 14,000 solar power jobs
Floating barges with solar panels are pictured on the Lac des Toules
Floating barges with solar panels on the "Lac des Toules" reservoir lake in southern Switzerland, on November 18, 2019. Keystone / Laurent Darbellay
July 10, 2020 - 15:55
Keystone-SDA/sb

Around 14,000 additional jobs could be created in the Swiss solar power sector if there is a post-Covid push, according to a new study.

A report by Zurich’s University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW) estimates that 14,000 new solar jobs could be created if photovoltaic systems can be set up in the areas most readily accessible in Switzerland.

Of these, 12,000 jobs could be added for specialists and technicians involved in assembling solar power infrastructure.

The Swiss Energy Foundation (SES), which commissioned the study released on Friday, said this would be possible if there was a “courageous solar offensive”.

The national Energy Strategy 2050, which was accepted by voters in May 2017, aims to promote renewable energy, ban new nuclear power plants and lower energy consumption. In early April this year, the Federal Council (executive body) launched a consultation process concerning various changes to Swiss energy regulations. One change under consideration calls for financial contributions towards small-scale solar power installations to be ramped up from 2021.
Why melting glaciers affect us all

Alpine glaciers could disappear by the end of the century. The consequences will be felt not only in Switzerland’s mountains but throughout Europe.

Switzerland currently meets only 4.2% of its electricity needs with wind and solar power, compared with more than 50% for Denmark and 33% for Germany, according to the foundation. The main source of energy in Switzerland is hydropower, which covers 60% of the grid.

The potential to further develop solar energy in the Alpine nation has been revised upwards since the Energy Strategy 2050 was finalised. But the pandemic has unfortunately dampened the hopes of some investors and entrepreneurs, the foundation noted.

[ariane] 26/6/2020 10:57

Wells Fargo signs renewable energy agreements with Shell Energy

PowerSolarPlant

By NS Energy Staff Writer 25 Jun 2020

The agreements will support the development of solar projects in Riverside County, in California, Prince George’s County, Chesapeake County, and Appomattox County in Virginia
photovoltaic-system-2742302_640

Wells Fargo meets 100% of its annual global electricity requirements with renewable energy. (Credit: Pixabay/Sebastian Ganso)

US-based financial services company Wells Fargo has signed agreements with Shell Energy North America (US) and its subsidiary MP2 Energy to buy around 150,000 MWh of renewable power.

The bank said the purchased energy will address 100% power consumption of around 1,200 properties it has in California and the mid-Atlantic states.

It meets 100% of the company’s eligible load in California, Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, Illinois, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and the District of Columbia.

The long-term agreements will support the development of new utility-scale solar projects in Riverside County, in California, Prince George’s County, Chesapeake County, and Appomattox County in Virginia.

Wells Fargo said that the new energy sources are expected reduce the overall carbon emissions, create jobs, and support resiliency efforts in the respective regions.

The contract with Shell Energy, a unit of oil giant Royal Dutch Shell, and MP2 Energy will be in force for 7- and 6.7-year terms, respectively.
Shell Energy and MP2 Energy will use the renewable energy certificates (RECs)

Wells Fargo Corporate Properties head Richard Henderson said: “Entering into long-term contracts that support the development of net-new sources of renewable energy that are geographically close to our facilities is a critical piece of Wells Fargo’s renewable energy strategy.

“We appreciate the collaboration with Shell Energy and MP2 in developing these creative transactions to deliver retail renewable energy supply to our California and mid-Atlantic real estate portfolios, and support the communities where we work and live.”

Additionally, Shell Energy and MP2 Energy will use the renewable energy certificates (RECs) from the plants towards compliance with state renewable energy mandates, directly or through third-party sales.

Since 2017, Wells Fargo has been meeting 100% of its annual global electricity requirements with renewable energy, mainly by buying RECs.

In October last year, Wells Fargo entered a ten-year structured renewable energy agreement with NRG Energy company Reliant.

[waldron] 16/6/2020 15:32

Total Solar DG forays into Vietnam market with first project with Ching Luh

PowerSolarContract

By NS Energy Staff Writer 16 Jun 2020

Total Solar DG expands its business into Vietnam, with an inaugural project which will provide 3.2MW of solar power to leading sports footwear manufacturer
solar-panel-1393880_640(1)

Total Solar DG expands into Vietnam. (Credit: Jukka Niittymaa from Pixabay.)

Total Solar Distributed Generation (DG) has signed an agreement with Ching Luh Group to provide the manufacturing company with 3.2 MW of solar-powered rooftops for two of its facilities in Vietnam.

This marks a milestone for Total Solar DG as it secures its first solar project in Vietnam. Total Solar DG has been active in Southeast Asia since 2018 and has a portfolio of in-operation solar systems across seven countries, currently generating around 17 GWh of solar energy annually. Alongside other projects in current development, this project with Ching Luh Group will add 4.4 GWh upon its completion later in 2020.

Ching Luh Group, one of the world’s leading athletic footwear manufacturers, will have two of its Vietnam facilities equipped with a 2 MWp and 1.2 MWp rooftop solar system, respectively, by Total Solar DG. In line with Ching Luh Group’s sustainability initiative, an estimated 19,000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions will be reduced over the 12-year contract period.

“Adopting renewable energy by going solar reinforces Ching Luh Group’s ‘Make It Right’ philosophy. This emphasises environmental awareness, quality and maximising shareholder value as part of our corporate mission. Total Solar DG plays a vital role, enabling us to reduce carbon emissions, be more self-sufficient in our power needs and lower our operation costs,” said David Wang, Group Facility Management Head of Ching Luh Group.

“This is a win-win for RE100 brands[1], their outsourced manufacturing partners such as Ching Luh Group, and Governments seeking to improve energy security. Total Solar DG continues to be the partner of choice for global RE100 brands seeking to drive sustainability commitments through their supply chains. For manufacturing groups, Total Solar DG drives down power costs over the long term and improves budgeting. Meanwhile, Vietnam can reduce the strain on power transmission networks with co-located, clean solar power. Vietnam looks set to become one of the largest solar rooftop markets in the region,” said Gavin Adda, CEO of Total Solar DG Southeast Asia.

Source: Company Press Release

[pvb] 14/6/2020 10:29

solsticefire13 Jun '20 - 18:38 - 19340 of 19341

hxxps://mfame.guru/wmm-2020-earths-magnetic-poles-headed-for-a-polarity-flip/

The Raven knew.There will be sloshing,mark my words.

Well if this: "Some fear that the rapid movement of the magnetic north pole could cause problems for Global Positioning Systems (GPS), military operations, airlines, and other navigation systems that rely on pinpointing where precisely the pole is located."

... is typical of it's accuracy, perhaps we shouldn't worry?

Changes in the magnetic field might have effects on GPS via propagation conditions but I have no idea why GPS should "rely on pinpointing where precisely the [magnetic] pole is located." I see it was sourced by Zero Hedge - 'nuff sed! :-)

[trentendboy] 14/6/2020 10:02

Good to see thread back in operation - just a waiting game

[solsticefire] 13/6/2020 18:38

hxxps://mfame.guru/wmm-2020-earths-magnetic-poles-headed-for-a-polarity-flip/

The Raven knew.There will be sloshing,mark my words.

[waldron] 05/6/2020 08:19

5 Jun 2020
Coal to play integral part in Japan’s power sector as COVID-19 hurts solar projects’ development, says GlobalData
Posted in Power

In the wake of the COVID-19, electricity demand in Japan has dropped and the power prices have declined. The drop in demand and the increase in solar power generation are eventually driving down the wholesale electricity prices. The ongoing economic contraction, delays in the shipment of photovoltaic (PV) modules from China, and low nuclear availability are likely to facilitate the use of coal and gas to support the baseload power requirement in the country, says GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.

Solar is the major driving force for renewable deployment in the country. Before the COVID-19 outbreak, revisions in the tariff structure and grid interconnection issues were likely to slow down deployment. Amid these times, the country witnessed a halt in construction activity, which is expected to further delay the installation of fresh capacities.

With hiccups in the solar front, coal is expected to continue to play an integral role in the country’s power sector. Despite the low power demand, the abnormal weather conditions and low availability of nuclear facilities are expected to support the high consumption of coal for electricity generation. In the first three months of 2020, Japan imported 44.8 million tons of coal, which increased by 3.4% in comparison to 43.3 million tons imported in the first quarter of 2019.

Somik Das, Senior Power Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “ Japan, in its quest to meet the target of having 24% of its energy use from renewables by 2030, made investments in the solar and offshore wind a priority. However, these efforts are expected to experience a set back due to the COVID-19 outbreak. As China forms an integral part of the solar supply chain, the onset of the pandemic has affected the shipment of photovoltaic modules and other equipment for many Japanese developers.

“As per the last amendments to Renewable Energy Act, solar projects have to meet strict deadlines to reach commercial operation, the government has released an aid to help the projects bound by power purchase agreements (PPAs). In the US$1.1 trillion stimulus package, the government has made provisions of US$1bn for the development of onsite renewables which are expected to support corporate power purchase agreements (PPA) under their commitment to the RE100 initiative.”