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[grupo guitarlumber] 15/5/2016 07:35

11 Energy Storage Competitors Tesla Motors Needs to Worry About
There may be more competitors than you think in the energy storage market.

Energy storage is often touted as one of the growth markets Tesla Motors (NASDAQ:TSLA) is planning to target with battery production from its Gigafactory in Nevada. Partnering with SolarCity (NASDAQ:SCTY), Tesla has a natural partner to reach both residential and commercial customers.

But if you think Tesla is alone in going after the energy storage market, you're sadly mistaken. Dozens, if not hundreds, of companies around the world are building energy storage solutions, and they're attacking the market from a number of different angles. Tesla has a lot of challengers to overcome to be a big player in energy storage.
Scty Storage Inverter Highrez

Tesla Motors' commercial energy storage system for SolarCity. Source: SolarCity.

Competitors eyeing the energy storage market
Below I have just a small snapshot of 11 players to keep an eye on in energy storage. Not every company manufactures batteries themselves and there are a number of strategies being employed, but the key takeaway is that companies big and small are targeting the same market as Tesla.

Enphase Energy (NASDAQ:ENPH) is one of the largest players in the solar inverter market, and they're looking at energy storage as a way to stay relevant in inverters. The storage system, as they see it, becomes the intelligent hub between solar panels and the grid. Being able to store energy will allow Enphase to stabilize home and grid impacts, adding value for everyone involved.

Alevo is a start-up with $1 billion in funding that is building a grid energy storage system called GridBank. Recently, it announced an agreement with Customized Energy Solutions to build 200 MW of energy storage that will serve the frequency regulation services to the wholesale energy market.

Sunverge is an energy storage company with backing from Total (NYSE:TOT) and a partnership with Total's solar company SunPower (NASDAQ:SPWR). It's combining energy storage and cloud software to "automatically lower electricity bills, improve reliability, and protect the grid." With its Total and SunPower ties, this is a company to watch closely in the future.

Germany's version of the Gigafactory is being built by Batterien-Montage-Zentrum (BMZ), a manufacturer of rechargeable batteries for mobile devices. The factory is planned to be 5 Gw-hrs, much smaller than Tesla's proposed 35 GW-hr size, but still a sizable competitor as the company moves into Germany's massive renewable energy space.
Sunpower Off Grid

Energy storage could be a key to making off-grid solar reliable. Source: SunPower.

NEC Energy Solutions is a major grid storage player built from the remnants of former market high-flyer A123 Systems. Last year, it bought A123's old grid business from China's Wanxiang Group. The company says it has 110 MW of grid energy storage deployed, and now that it's under the NEC brand, the business should be given an opportunity to thrive. A new scalable storage solution launched last month is targeting off-grid solutions, which could be a big growth opportunity for energy storage.

Johnson Controls (NYSE:JCI) is a major battery supplier in the auto business but a latecomer to the grid energy storage business. It tried to acquire A123's assets before losing out to the Wanxiang Group, and it's now working on grid solutions on its own. Johnson Controls has an interesting role because it's a major HVAC systems designer and could play a role in building smarter buildings with energy storage capabilities incorporated into the building's infrastructure.

Samsung is one of the largest battery makers in the world, and it has a growing number of solutions for everything from 1-10 kW-hr residential systems to utility systems over 1 MW-hr. What Samsung could do is incorporate its many other electronic devices into smart homes powered by its energy storage solutions, which would be an innovative way to disrupt the energy storage market. No matter what it does, I wouldn't discount Samsung in energy storage.

LG Chem is another massive battery maker, and it recently partnered with grid equipment giant Seimens (NasdaqOTH: SIEGY) to collaborate on industrial battery storage. LG Chem is already one of Tesla's biggest competitors in the electric vehicle market, and energy storage will be no different.

What would the battery market be without BYD throwing its hat in the ring? BYD is making indoor and outdoor large-scale energy storage systems for wind and solar, and it's also getting into microelectronics.

Saft is a leader in batteries for renewable energy and rough industrial applications, and it may be a competitor worth watching long term. It just reported sales of 678.4 million euros in 2014, and it has extensive experience providing batteries in places like the arctic and grid storage for microgrids.

Mitsubishi has thrown its hat in the ring with an investment in Lithium Energy Japan. The manufacturing giant's thought is that electric vehicles will play a major role in building grid level energy storage, a thesis others have had in the past. That strategy may evolve, but this is another big player in the energy storage market.

Tesla Motors is far from alone
I'm just scratching the surface of the number of companies who make batteries or are investing in the energy storage market. The point here is that Tesla Motors is far from alone, and it's really trying to disrupt a battery market that is well established, with many large players.

What I question is whether or not Tesla can do anything fundamentally different than any of these competitors. If it can't, Tesla will be entering the commodity battery market and competing on price rather than with a high-margin differentiated technology. There's a big difference between the profit potential of the two markets, which investors should keep in mind.

Tesla has big goals for energy storage, but it's not a guaranteed success considering the stiff competition already in the market.

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[grupo guitarlumber] 15/5/2016 07:31

BUSINESS:
Oil major buys battery maker, with grid storage in mind

Nathanial Gronewold, E&E reporter
EnergyWire: Tuesday, May 10, 2016

An oil and gas major is placing a big bet on the future of battery technologies and renewable power.

French energy company Total SA yesterday said it would move to fully acquire Saft Groupe SA, an advanced battery manufacturer. The move is the latest sign that Total's leadership intends to realign the company's priorities away from a focus on oil and gas and toward greater holdings throughout the diverse energy sector.

It may be a sign that parts of the oil industry could be nudging back toward a fuller embrace of renewable energy, as well. Many major oil and gas companies had moved away from or attempted to pull back from renewable power investments in recent years (EnergyWire, Oct. 3, 2014).

Saft and Total announced the proposed deal in a joint release. The estimated value of the transaction was put at €950 million, or slightly more than $1 billion.

The offer appears generous. The companies said the sale price values Saft shares at nearly 40 percent above what the battery maker's stock was selling for before the offering, and more than nine times Saft's 2015 earnings, "which represents a significant control premium compared to recent valuation multiples in the battery industry."

Saft's board will recommend that its shareholders accept the acquisition by Total. The deal also has to clear French regulatory scrutiny but is unlikely to raise antitrust concerns, as the two companies' core business models are so different.

Among the top five of the world's largest publicly traded, vertically integrated oil and gas companies, Total has a global presence and over 100,000 employees. Its hydrocarbons production stands at about 2.15 million barrels of oil equivalent per day, 20 percent of that represented by liquefied natural gas. Total's LNG presence is about to greatly expand with the forthcoming Yamal LNG project in Russia.

Saft describes itself as "the world's leading designer and manufacturer of advanced technology batteries for industry." It sells solutions to a variety of industries, including oil and gas, but also renewable energy, the marine industry and for motor vehicles.

In a recent call with analysts, CEO Patrick Pouyanné said Total's restructuring drive is on track. The company recently announced a separate natural gas and renewables business unit and a separate services unit to drive business gains throughout all segments "that has an objective to improve the global efficiency of the group and position the company as a global energy leader."
Looking for storage solutions

In purchasing Saft, Pouyanné said, his firm has one particular future business opportunity in mind: grid electricity storage, especially for utility-scale renewable energy projects.

"Saft's renowned technological know-how and unique expertise have allowed it to develop innovative and competitive solutions for its clients," he said. "It will notably allow us to complement our portfolio with electricity storage solutions, a key component of the future growth of renewable energy."

This isn't Total's first foray into renewable energy. In 2011, the company bought a solar power company. Meanwhile, Total has come out recently with announcements that suggest that, although oil and gas will remain a central part of its business, changes are afoot that will see Total extending its reach into renewables and even the future lightweight and electric vehicle market.

The restructuring and addition of the natural gas and renewables department was announced in late April (EnergyWire, April 20).

One year ago, Total announced an investment in future advanced plastics manufacturing for German automakers (EnergyWire, March 6, 2015).

Its acquisition of Saft will see the battery maker accessing a huge new pool of financial resources that can be used to scale up research and development in grid storage for renewables, Saft CEO Ghislain Lescuyer said in a release. "I am convinced that Total will provide Saft with the required expertise and resources needed for its future development, particularly in terms of technological and commercial capabilities."

In an interview, Jérôme Pécresse, CEO for renewable energy at General Electric, identified grid storage technologies for counteracting the variability of wind and solar power as one of the most promising new frontiers in energy to watch in the coming years.

"It's going to be about storage, it's going to be about digital," Pécresse said. "It will take a bit of time, but it will get to scale and to cost solutions. We are not there today."

Pécresse said big hurdles to overcome before wider distribution of grid battery storage can be accomplished are "technology, and also the big unknown is what kind of cost solution do we get when we scale it." He said GE is actively investing in finding the answers.

Some players in battery technology are predicting a forthcoming breakthrough that will enable wider deployment on the grid via expanding renewable energy projects. Throop Wilder, CEO of 24M Technologies Inc., said that the breakthrough will come with the simplification of the design and manufacturing of lithium-ion batteries, and that a cost-effective solution will be key if battery makers ever hope to make it big with renewable energy generators. Quality and reliability also matter greatly.

"When you get to things like the grid, you need a different level of quality, especially you need much longer life, and you need these ultra-safe batteries that are built into large systems," he said. "In a gird application where you have storage, storage is the application. If it's expensive, the whole solution is going to be expensive."
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[sarkasm] 14/5/2016 18:10

[OIL]
A storage tank is seen at the ExxonMobil oil refinery in Houston, Texas. Exxon Mobil, Royal Dutch Shell, Chevron Corp, Total, BP and Eni have together sold the equivalent of $37bn of bonds this year, about double the amount issued in the period before oil prices plunged, according to Bloomberg data.
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Bloomberg/London

The world’s biggest oil companies are borrowing record amounts of money to cope with a slump in crude prices. Luckily, there’s rarely been a better time to go on a debt binge.
Exxon Mobil Corp, Royal Dutch Shell, Chevron Corp, Total, BP and Eni have together sold the equivalent of $37bn of bonds this year, about double the amount issued in the period before oil prices plunged, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. While this is stretching their balance sheets and even resulting in credit-rating downgrades, the lowest debt costs in a year are softening the blow.
“They’re making hay while the sun shines,” benefiting from improved investor sentiment as oil prices have recovered, said Alex Griffiths, a London-based managing director at Fitch Ratings. “Treasurers are making use of good market conditions to maintain liquidity buffers.”
Even though oil has increased from the lows of January as a global surplus diminished, prices are still less than half their level two years ago. The world’s biggest companies have sought to keep investors happy through the downturn by maintaining dividend payouts and investing for the future at the same time. With profit and revenue sharply down, the only way to do that is borrow more money.
Debt markets are opening up for companies worldwide as central banks in the US and Europe keep benchmark borrowing rates low. Investors currently demand a return of 3.09% to hold dollar-denominated debt of companies with an investment- grade rating, the lowest level in a year, according to data from Bank of America Merrill Lynch. For euro securities, they seek 1.01%, close to the record low of 0.93% in March 2015, the data show.
Oil companies have further benefited from the recovery in prices. Brent crude, the global benchmark, has increased 70% since January, aided by supply disruptions from Canada to Nigeria and falling production in the US This has seen the 20-company Stoxx Europe 600 Oil & Gas Index rebound 3.9% in 2016 following two years of declines.
At the same time, the premiums for credit default swaps for the biggest US and European oil companies, which investors use to protect against defaults, have dropped from the highest level in at least five years.
Shell sold $1.5bn of five-year bonds this month, which were priced to yield 1.99%, data compiled by Bloomberg show. A $2bn five-year debt sold by the company about a year ago yielded 2.13% on the first day of trading, the data show.
BP sold $1.25bn of 10-year notes last month with a 3.12% coupon, versus 3.51% for a similar issue in March 2015. Both bonds were sold at face value. Chevron issued $1.35bn of five-year notes this month with a yield that was 32 basis points, or 0.32 of a percentage point, lower than a sale in November.
Shell’s net borrowing has increased to about $70bn and its gearing - the ratio of net debt to total capital - has risen to above 26% from 14% at the end of last year. In addition to the plunge in oil prices, the $54bn acquisition of BG Group added to Shell’s debt, prompting Fitch to cut the company’s credit rating in February. BP’s gearing was 23.6% at the end of the last quarter compared with 21.6% in December.
“The majors still have strong balance sheets to raise debt at competitive rates so they can manage their capital agenda, for example, to maintain dividends and strategic capital investments,” said Jon Clark, leader for oil and gas transaction-advisory services in Europe, the Middle East and Africa at Ernst & Young. “It’s also a good opportunity to refinance more expensive debt.”
Oil’s slide has forced companies to cut billions of dollars of spending, delay or cancel projects and renegotiate contracts, yet they continue to make dividends their top priority. Shell hasn’t cut its payments to investors since at least the Second World War. Exxon even increased its payout a day after losing its coveted AAA credit rating last month.
Shell, BP, Eni, Total, Exxon and Chevron will together pay out about $14bn for the first quarter, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Some of those companies may pay a portion of these dividends in shares rather than cash.
BP Chief Executive Officer Bob Dudley said in February he is happy to let the company’s debt rise this year to maintain dividends. Debt and gearing is “something that I might lose sleep about, but not just yet,” Shell’s Chief Financial Officer Simon Henry said on a conference call last month.
“You’ve recently seen an easing of bond market risk aversion and a higher oil price,” Fitch’s Griffiths said. “That makes it a good time for Big Oil to tap the market.”

[waldron] 14/5/2016 07:10

UK pledges greater security for oil and gas sector

May 14, 2016 Priyanka Shrestha Coal, Gas & Oil, Policy & Legislation, Top Stories 0

The government has pledged greater security for the North Sea oil and gas industry as the Energy Bill becomes law.

It has received Royal Assent after a month-long game of ping pong between the House of Lords and House of Commons, with DECC winning the battle without having to make any amendments to its proposed policies.

That includes the early closure of the Renewables Obligation for new onshore wind projects.

The government states the Energy Bill will give new powers to the Oil and Gas Authority (OGA) “to better support” the industry.

It is being established on the recommendations of the Wood Review into North Sea oil and gas to maximise collaboration and management of resources from the UK Continental Shelf.

Energy Secretary Amber Rudd said: “The Energy Act is a vital part of our plan to ensure our families and businesses have access to secure, affordable and clean energy supplies they can rely on while keeping bills down.

“By strengthening the Oil and Gas Authority and giving it powers to drive greater collaboration and efficiency in the industry, this Act shows that the broad shoulders of the UK are committed to helping our oil and gas industry attract investment, support jobs and remain competitive for the future.”

DECC, Energy Bill, North Sea, Royal Assent, UK

[waldron] 12/5/2016 18:01

Total. HSBC relève son cours cible de 46,5 euros à 47.

[sarkasm] 09/5/2016 16:57

Monday 9 May 2016 14:18 GMT
Oil major Total makes near €1bn wager on renewable energy with bid for battery maker Saft
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Total said last month it had created a new gas, renewable energy and power division (Source: Getty)

French oil major Total made a €950m (£750m) bid for battery maker Saft, effectively increasing its wager on the renewable energy sector.

It said that the €36.5 per share offer represents a 38.3 per cent premium to Saft's closing price as of Friday.

The friendly offer has already received unanimous approval from Saft's board, but it's still subject to a review by the French financial markets authority (AMF).

It also marks Total's latest fray into the renewable energy market, after spending $1.4bn on a controlling stake in American solar energy firm SunPower in 2011.

Read more: Is Tesla's new battery the next big threat to energy firms?

Total has been hamstrung by oil prices which have tumbled more than 60 per cent since the middle of 2014.

Last month, it announced the creation of a new gas, renewable energy and power division as part of its drive to become a top renewables and electricity trading player within 20 years.

"The acquisition of Saft is part of Total's ambition to accelerate its development in the fields of renewable energy and electricity," Patrick Pouyanné, Chairman and chief executive of Total, said.

Read more: Total ramps up cost-cutting measures to combat low oil prices

"Saft's renowned technological know-how and unique expertise have allowed it to develop innovative and competitive solutions for its clients. It will notably allow up to complement our portfolio with electricity storage solutions, a key component of the future growth of renewable energy."

Ghislain Lescuyer, Saft’s chief executive, added: "I am convinced that Total will provide Saft with the required expertise and resources needed for its future development, particularly in terms of technological and commercial capabilities."

Total shares were largely flat at €42.57 this afternoon.

[waldron] 09/5/2016 14:26

French oil firm Total bets on renewable energy with near €1bn bid for battery maker Saft

Total employees
Total is betting on renewable energy

Agence France-Presse

9 May 2016 • 11:47am

French oil giant Total is buying high-tech battery maker Saft for €950m (£749m) as it seeks to expand its electricity and renewable energy business.

The offer values Saft's shares at €36.50 apiece, a 38pc premium to the company's share price on Friday, before the acquisition was made public.

Total, which like other oil majors has been battling with persistently weak oil prices, said last month it would set up a new branch for gas, renewable energy and electricity.

The company already has a more than 57pc stake in US solar panel and power station maker SunPower.

"The combination of Saft and Total will enable Saft to become the group's spearhead in electricity storage," said Patrick Pouyanne, chairman and chief executive of Total.

“The acquisition is part of Total’s ambition to accelerate its development in the fields of renewable energy and electricity."

Saft, which employs more than 4,100 staff across 19 countries, designs and makes nickel and lithium batteries for industries including transportation and civil and military electronics.

Total has sought to expand in clean energy, announcing last month it was combining its renewables, gas and power units with its energy innovation and efficiency business. In September, the company said it would invest $500m (£346m) a year in renewables to expand in biofuels and solar

"Saft's renowned technological know-how and unique expertise have allowed it to develop innovative and competitive solutions for its clients. It will notably allow us to complement our portfolio with electricity storage solutions, a key component of the future growth of renewable energy," Mr Pouyanne added.

The deal needs final approval from shareholders as well as from financial regulators.

[waldron] 09/5/2016 09:18

French oil firm Total to buy Saft battery maker
AFP/File / Fred Dufour Total has announced a 950-million-euro ($1.1-billion) friendly takeover bid for high technology battery maker Saft

French oil giant Total announced Monday a 950-million-euro ($1.1-billion) friendly takeover bid for high technology battery maker Saft as it seeks to expand its electricity and renewable energy business.

The agreed bid targets all of Saft's shares at a price of 36.50 euros per share, representing a premium of 38.3 percent compared to Friday's closing price, the oil company said in a statement.

Total, which like other oil majors has been battling with persistently weak oil prices, said last month it would set up a new branch for gas, renewable energy and electricity.

The company already has a more than 57-percent stake in US solar panel and power station maker SunPower.

"The combination of Saft and Total will enable Saft to become the group’s spearhead in electricity storage," chairman and chief executive Patrick Pouyanne said in a statement.

"Saft's renowned technological know-how and unique expertise have allowed it to develop innovative and competitive solutions for its clients.

"It will notably allow us to complement our portfolio with electricity storage solutions, a key component of the future growth of renewable energy," he added.

The offer is due to be launched at the beginning of June and needs approval by the financial markets regulator.

Saft employs more than 4,100 staff in 19 countries and posted net profits in 2015 of 13.6 million euros.

[waldron] 09/5/2016 09:13

Total to Buy Saft to Boost Renewable Energy Competitiveness
09/05/2016 8:01am
Dow Jones News

Total (EU:FP)
Intraday Stock Chart

Today : Monday 9 May 2016
Click Here for more Total Charts.

By Nick Kostov



Total SA said on Monday it would make a bid to acquire Saft Groupe SA in a deal that aims to bolster the French oil company's competitiveness in renewable energy and electricity.

Total said it would offer to pay 36.50 euros ($41.62) per share, valuing Saft at EUR950 million.

Saft, a French firm that makes batteries for telecommunications, railway and aerospace companies, said its supervisory board unanimously approved the proposed takeover by Total, which it considers "to be in line with the interests of the company, its shareholders and its employees."

Total last month said it would create a gas, renewable energy and power trading unit, a move designed in part to diversify the company's revenue away from highly volatile oil prices.

The new unit, Total's fourth alongside exploration and production, marketing and services, and refining and chemicals, will start operating on Sept. 1. The oil company plans to become a major operator in renewable energy and electricity trading within 20 years.



By Nick Kostov at [e-mail]



(END) Dow Jones Newswires

May 09, 2016 03:46 ET (07:46 GMT)

[sarkasm] 08/5/2016 14:33

June 06, 2016
Ex-dividend date for the remainder of the 2015 dividend

[ariane] 07/5/2016 13:04

Iran Says Ready to Join Oil Freeze Plan

Energy Selected

5 hours ago
Iran oil

Iran said on Friday that it is ready to join an oil freeze plan that has been proposed by several key peer producers to help stabilize the market.

Mohsen Qamsari, the director for international affairs of the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC), told reporters that Iran has already reached the desirable level of oil output to proceed with freezing its production.

Qamsari said Iran’s current production of oil, based on OPEC calculations, stands at around 4.2 million barrels per day (bpd) by considering the daily production of 500,000 bpd of condensate.

“Accordingly, the desirable figure for Oil Minister [Bijan Zangeneh] has been reached and we can join the oil freeze plan,” he has been quoted as saying by Tasnim news agency.

Nevertheless, the official emphasized, the decision to join the plan should be taken by the oil minister, himself.

“It is expected that he will make a decision over this,” other news agencies have quoted Qamsari as saying.

The oil freeze plan that has been raised by key OPEC and non-OPEC producers requires the global production of oil to remain at January levels. The plan is meant to boost the prices that have fallen 65 percent since peaking in June 2014 due to oversupply.

Iran had so far rejected the call to freeze its output as unfair and emphasized that it will go ahead with its plans to increase its oil production.

Nevertheless, it had made it clear that it is ready to join the plan after its output reaches 4 million barrels per day.

The country had been under multiple years of sanctions that limited its oil exports to 1 million barrels per day and also barred foreign investments in its oil industry.

The sanctions were lifted in mid-January with the implementation of a deal that the country had reached with the P5+1 – the five permanent members of the Security Council plus Germany – over its nuclear energy program.

Shortly after the removal of the sanctions, Iran increased its oil production by several hundred thousand barrels per day.

NIOC’s Qamsari told reporters on Friday that Iran’s oil exports already stand at 2.2 million bpd of which at least 0.5 million bpd is exported to Europe.

He also emphasized that any fresh rise in the country’s oil production will depend on market conditions and its domestic capabilities.



source IRAN FRONT PAGE

[waldron] 06/5/2016 08:33

Total, SunPower eyeing solar JV in Qatar: report

May 6, 2016 Company News, Europe, Featured, Middle East, News, Renewables 0

French oil Supermajor Total, owner of U.S.-based solar developer SunPower, is studying the prospects of establishing a solar business in Qatar, where it has operated in the Mideast country’s oil and gas sector for over 80 years, Kallanish Energy understands.

Earlier this year, Qatar Petroleum (QP) and Qatar Electricity and Water Co. (QEWC) announced a joint venture to develop 1,000 megawatts (MW) of solar capacity in Qatar, through investments totaling roughly $500 million.

“We understand that Qatar Petroleum is establishing a new company in association with Qatar Electricity and Water Co. to develop solar farms in Qatar. We intend to study the possibility of setting up a joint venture between Sun Power and this new company,” the Gulf Times quoted Total’s CEO Patrick Pouyanné as saying.

Total has become a global player reference in solar power after acquiring SunPower, the second largest solar company in the world. The Supermajor, which already operates a solar business in Abu Dhabi, has said it’s willing to expand its reach to Qatar.

Qatar will host the 2022 FIFA World Cup soccer games and has proposed air-conditioned stadiums to be powered by solar panels, which would produce the smallest carbon footprint for said games ever — a potentially huge public relations opportunity for Total.