Energy Transition Update

Notable national governments have imposed time limits towards the task of domestic decarbonisation. Various new items have been collected from across the globe by ThisWeekinFM Guest Editor, Daniel Lynn, to better understand the progress being made towards achieving international NetZero objectives.

UK

UK electrical grid upgrades costing £700 million that assist in carrying renewable energy from source to the end user will go ahead. Upgrades between Suffolk and Essex will help transport carbon reducing offshore wind and nuclear power to UK customers.

UK solar and battery storage developer Infrabee will construct an £8.5 million 15MW solar facility in Hampshire, southern England. This solar installation will supply clean power that equivalates to removing 2140 petrol fueled cars off UK roads for forty years.

UK solar and battery storage developer Island Green Power (IGP) aims to construct a large 500MW solar and BESS (Battery Energy Storage System) in Norfolk, Eastern UK.

Europe

International renewable investment firm Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners has successfully entered into a huge financial agreement with Norway’s central bank - Norges Bank Investment Managment. Norway’s national bank will invest €900 million into CIP’s latest renewable energy fund. This hedge fund will target onshore and offshore wind, solar, national grid and battery storage projects.

An innovative wave energy project WEDUSEA (Wave Energy Demonstration at Utility Scale to Enable Arrays) comprised of 14 European partners across business and academia has been granted permission by the EU to commence work. The €19.6 million organization headed by Irish wave power company OceanEnergy will demonstrate the 1MW OE35 Floating Wave Energy Converter in Orkney, Scotland. 

Renewable investment platform Qualitas Energy will invest €1.2 billion into Germany’s national energy transition. Investments will target wind farms across Germany. 

Asia-Pacific

Iberdrola Australia – part of the international Iberdrola group has begun construction at the 556MW Broadsound Solar and Battery project located in Queensland. Broadsound solar farm will generate 376MW, whilst the accompanying battery storage system will store 180MW of energy.  

Philippine renewable developer SUSI Partners has agreed to acquire the 39MW Dam Nai wind farm located in Vietnam from Norwegian renewable energy organization Scatec ASA.

UK renewable power company Harmony Energy have been granted consent to construct two solar farms across New Zealand, located in  Ōpunake and Marton. Both solar facilities will combine to create 149MW of clean capacity.  

USA

American renewable developers National Grid Renewables have begun construction on their 117MW Dodson Creek solar facility located in Highland County, Ohio. 

American solar construction and engineering company MCR (Mill Creek Renewables) has begun commercial operations at the 220MW Great Cove Solar farm located in Pennsylvania. 485,000 solar PV panels will generate enough clean power for 38,060 homes.

American renewable developer and operator Hecate Energy will work alongside American construction company Bechtel in delivering the 360MW Sunfish Solar 2 PV project located in Michigan. Construction will aim to be completed by 2026. This project will require 620,000 bifacial solar panels spread across 1300 acres of land.