Energy Transition Update

International political and business agendas are governed by a requirement to decarbonize daily operations. Big businesses and global corporations are working together across each continent to deliver systems of clean power distribution at lower carbon and financial costs to customers.

ThisWeekinFM Guest Editor, Daniel Lynn, has collected several newsworthy examples that demonstrate an international energy transition.

UK

UK green power company Statera Energy hopes the application for a 500MW battery energy storage system will be accepted by South Oxfordshire District Council. Statera plan to connect their battery storage system to Culham substation in 2027.

Scottish based UK energy company GreenPower has been awarded planning approval for the Argyll Hydrogen Hub. The project will be located at the Glenshellach Industrial Estate and will supply green hydrogen to local transport, ferries, HGVs, building heat and industrial processes.

UK renewable energy developer Boom Power has gained planning consent for a solar and battery storage project in West Suffolk. The 47MW Firsfield Solar Farm will be capable of providing enough power to just under 14,000 homes a year. 

Europe

Spanish bank – Banco Sabadell - has granted a €179 million loan to Spanish clean energy organization Matrix Renewables who will use the capital to finance five separate solar projects located across Castilla Leon and Extremadura regions. 

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Devlopment (EBDR) is providing €46 million to for the construction of the 102MW Urleasca wind farm in Romania. Hungarian clean energy company BIG Mega Renewable Energy will own and operate the site once construction is complete.  

German power company Energie Baden-Wurttemberg (EnBW) will invest €40 billion in the domestic energy transition by 2030. EnBW will direct finances towards gas grids and expanding renewable energy capacity.

Asia-Pacific 

Dutch offshore floating Solar company - Solar Duck and Japanese renewable powered floating technology company Kyocera have collaborated successfully and installed a pilot floating solar project in the Tokyo Bay. The project will demonstrate renewable power generation using a floating solar power facility and storage of electricity in batteries. 

World leading offshore wind company Skyborn Renewables is closing in on completion of construction on the 640MW Yunlin offshore wind project located near Taiwan. 

Swiss based energy storage company - Energy Vault Holdings and Australian renewable energy company ACEN Australia will work together on two battery storage projects totaling 200MW. Both projects will aim to be operational by 2026. 

North America

UK battery storage and renewable energy company Habitat Energy will work alongside Spanish energy company Acciona Energia at the 190MW Cunningham battery project in Hunt County, Texas. Habitat Energy will direct operations on this project from summer 2024.

US solar outfit energyRe has secured $155 million which includes $85 million in tax equity for a 108MW solar and battery storage project in South Carolina. The Lone Star Scheme is expected to be operational by the end of the year. 

French renewable organization Neoen has been awarded a 400MW battery energy storage system in Canada. The Grey Owl Storage project is planned to be operational by early 2028 and will be located in Bruce County.