The next focusIR Investor Webinar takes places on 14th May with guest speakers from Blue Whale Growth Fund, Taseko Mines, Kavango Resources and CQS Natural Resources fund. Please register here.
https://twitter.com/BigBiteNow/status/1461297667963826184?s=20
1/24
If you are interested in #BMN then you may want to pay attention to this thread.
Lots of debate of late about the company's cash position debt repayments and their effect on cash flow.
It has been a major focus for me because a BMN camp that is confirmed reaching Vanchem ramp-up to 2,600mtV without further funding looks very cheap at these sorts of levels.
https://twitter.com/BigBiteNow/status/1461300235049787397?s=20
1/4
Something else that is really important to appreciate in terms of #BMN Vanchem.
From the 2019 presentation on the Vanchem acquisition.
The chemical plant at Vanchem is capable of producing vanadium electrolytes.
https://www.argusmedia.com/en/news/2274320-eu-alloy-supply-fears-push-higher-volumes-toward-ltcs
Uncertainty about European ferro-alloy supply is causing market participants to lock in higher volumes under long-term contracts (LTCs), with buyers keen to ensure they have enough material in the first quarter of 2022 and less willing to risk exposure in the spot market.
These dynamics are also being borne out in LTC pricing terms, with several market participants negotiating premiums to indexes where in previous years discounts have been the norm.
"It is a trader's dream at the moment because consumers are focused on securing material," a ferro-molybdenum trader said, adding that "you can always find material for a certain price and if it is tied to an index with a premium then you can always ensure a margin". "It is becoming more of sellers game," a ferro-vanadium producer said.
Concerns about January-March supply — which have been rumbling on throughout this year amid global shipping concerns and production cuts — are particularly acute for ferro-vanadium and ferro-silicon, according to market participants. For the latter, this is in part due to high energy costs, with one ferro-silicon producer telling Argus they are unsure if they will be able to raise output in the near-term if those costs remain at current levels. Competing in the spot market will become even more of a challenge if lower-priced material from China moves into Europe in January, he added.
Logistical constraints remain a major concern, with ballooning lead times and port congestion being factored in as 2022 LTCs are drawn up. Vessel cancellations have become commonplace for importers of many ferro-alloys, in particular from China, while longer shipping times have been seen globally.
This year's rise in shipment cancellations and delays are making procurement decisions increasingly challenging, as buyers attempt to gauge volumes. A ferro-vanadium market participant confirmed that end-users are looking to book more material for January-March, but remarked that current conditions are making it a fraught process in some cases. "If you buy too much then you're in trouble, but if you fail to buy enough then you lose your job," he said.
Presentation
https://youtu.be/-TdqtIo4h3g?t=11287
https://webinars.qpq.international/green-energy-summit-2021/main-event
https://www.nersa.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Battery-Storage-Consultation-Paper.pdf
Apologies - Now corrected the thread Title as above to 344MW/1449MWh
https://www.nersa.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Battery-Storage-Consultation-Paper.pdf
Eskom’s Just Energy Transition
Komati Power Station will be the flagship demonstration of the JET
Eskom Presentation by Mandy Rambharos October 2021
https://www.saoga.org.za/web/sites/default/files/2021-10/1%20-%20Eskom_JET%2014%20Oct%202021.pdf
https://sahris.sahra.org.za/search/site/bess
World Bank ESKOM BESS Phase 1 @ 7 Sites Total of 197.5MW/ 827MWh
Package 1
Skaapvlei 80MW/320MWh
Package 2
Lot A:
Melkhout 35MW/140MWh
Lot B:
Pongola 40MW/160MW
Elandskop 8MW/32MWh
Package 3
Lot A:
Paleisheuwel 9.5MW/45MWh
Graafwater 5MW/30MWh
Lot B:
Hex 20MW/100MWh
WB BESS Phase 2 to follow @ 640 MWh+
IRP2019 513 MW+ of Storage Tenders Due Feb/March 2022
(Additional 1575 MW+ to follow up to to 2029)
World Bank - Eskom Investment Support Project P116410 - Procurement Tab
https://projects.worldbank.org/en/projects-operations/project-procurement/P116410
Very enlightening Presentation by Paul Christensen 12th October 21 - PV Magazine Australia
Professor of Pure and Applied Electrochemistry | Newcastle University, UK
Rundown on thermal runaway
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A9B5M8qHQQ0&t=3716s
Fortune Mojapelo, CEO of Bushveld Minerals held an analyst conference call post-release of the Company’s Q3 & 9 Months 2021 operational update.
https://www.brrmedia.co.uk/broadcasts/61714755013c91413d5db926/bushveld-minerals-q3-and-9-months-2021-operational-update/
2 of 2
The replacement market for engines for inland vessels is a huge growth market, according to Van Meegen. "Of the 7,200 Dutch inland vessels, at least 7,000 will have to replace their diesel engines if we want to meet the requirements of the Climate Agreement by 2050. Just stand on it. That is a huge job. "
Van Meegen argues that replacing a diesel engine with an electric motor that is powered by a flow battery requires a different kind of entrepreneur. "Namely a skipper who looks to the long term, who really wants to sail green. The traditional skipper has been brought up, just like me, with different strategies. You have to be willing and daring to discard those ideas. "As an additional argument for the flow battery, Van Meegen argues that a flow battery installation requires no maintenance, hardly any wear and tear and has a much longer life than a traditional diesel engine.
Cost
According to Van Meegen, the modern skipper does not have to give up on costs. The entrepreneur has calculated that the operation of a flow inland vessel is 6% more than that of a diesel vessel. According to him, the environmental gain more than makes up for that 6%. "You can also fill up a flow battery in 30 minutes. Just as fast as a diesel. And you will sail with an emission-free ship that does not have to take into account the upcoming price increases of gas oil and special taxes that are coming. "
Van Meegen has now spent five years developing a green inland vessel. He has gone through various stages and has often bumped his nose. "It has already cost me about five million euros in development costs. I was promised a European grant for the earlier development of a lithium-ion vessel, but when I stopped that project because I found it no longer feasible, that commitment was naturally reversed. I haven't seen a penny of it, but I have had to invest a lot for it. "
For example, one of the "endurance tests" that Van Meegen had carried out was to ship a sea container filled with lithium-ion batteries. "Through the entire logistics process, we discovered that the containers sometimes put up to 42 G. Not a single lithium-ion battery survives that. "The flow batteries, so praised by Van Meegen, had also come to his attention five years ago.
"At the time, however, the density of the cells was still too low, so it did not yet meet my requirements. Now the flow battery is really "seaworthy", to stay in shipping terms. And another advantage: you have to keep producing a hydrogen cell and a lithium-ion battery, but not a flow battery. You make the liquid once, after which you can load it again and again and therefore reuse it."
Translated from
https://www.nt.nl/binnenvaart/2020/06/17/vergroening-binnenvaart-kan-prima-met-flowbatterijen/
PortLiner are working in Partnership with CellCube.
https://www.cellcube.com/cooperations/
Wonder who will supply the electrolyte ?
1 of 2
While there is a lot of national attention for hydrogen and lithium-ion batteries for greening inland shipping, former inland shipping entrepreneur and developer Ton van Meegen of PortLiner from Huissen in Gelderland consciously opts for the flow battery, which allows an inland vessel to run on electrolyte.
In a flow battery, the energy is stored in electrolyte instead of in the currently commonly used lithium-ion cells. The flow battery is an invention that has been around for sixty years, but according to Van Meegen it is the current answer to the need for a profitable fuel for inland shipping. The flow battery on an inland vessel can be fully charged within 30 minutes, according to Van Meegen. He no longer believes in hydrogen.
"I did seriously consider it and it took years of research, just like lithium-ion batteries. But it simply won't be hydrogen. Hydrogen has an efficiency of only 30%. In addition, you need heavy tanks that can handle pressure of up to 700 bar. That requires expensive tanks and certification for ships, so substantial investments for inland skippers. "
Van Meegen outlines the enormous investments that the network of charging stations for electric inland vessels running on lithium-ion batteries alone would require. "Despite the fact that lithium-ion has a very good efficiency of 96%. You then have to charge a ship roughly every two days. That takes five to ten hours, so you cannot sail, but you can still take that for granted. However, you need approximately 3,600 charging points for that charging in the Netherlands. And if you are going to work with a swap system, so always have pre-charged batteries hoisted in your ship, which can make charging faster, that will even cost a multiple of the number of batteries required, plus an enormous infrastructure on shore. That will run into the billions. And don't forget that you need to replace those batteries every eight years. Then they are gone. And you are left with an enormous mountain of chemical waste. "
No need for replacement
The need for replacement does not apply to the flow battery, on which PortLiner is advised by the German Fraunhofer Institute, according to Van Meegen "the best supplier". "The flow battery also has a very good efficiency of 91%. And you only need the flow once, then you simply charge it every time. And that over and over again. You can also fully charge a flow battery, for 100%, and a lithium-ion battery cannot. Certainly not if you want to give it a longer lifespan. "
Van Meegen, together with 41 mainly Dutch suppliers, is currently building a demo vessel of 135 metres. That ship will be ready by mid-2020 and it is expected to be operational by the end of this year after a series of sea trials. In addition, Van Meegen is already building a series of flow inland vessels for charterers. According to him, this is also an answer to the future of inland shipping. "We deliver them complete with crew. Every year we plan four of these ships."
South Africa is a top-5 market for BESS in the world.
Bushveld Energy thought piece - June 2021
https://www.slideshare.net/mikenikomarov/south-africa-is-a-top5-market-for-bess-in-the-world
While most forecasting agencies for energy storage discount the size of African markets in this segment, the reality is quite different. In 2020, South Africa was already the 6th larges residential market for energy storage. Based on Bushveld's analysis, it will likely be a top-5 market with 10-15% of the global market share for utility scale storage in 2022.
Vale’s red-tape headache is boon for sagging iron-ore market
https://www.miningweekly.com/article/vales-red-tape-headache-is-boon-for-sagging-iron-ore-market-2021-09-10
Further reporting
https://www.energy-storage.news/us-vanadium-and-cellcube-partner-on-flow-battery-electrolyte-production-ramp-up-in-arkansas/
9th April 21 - 4MW Tesla battery storage fire @ Townsville, North Queensland Australia
Fire investigators are looking into the cause of a blaze at a Townsville Tesla battery power storage site.
It happened yesterday afternoon in Bohle Plains, 5 appliances attended and were on scene until the early hours of this morning.
https://m.facebook.com/9NewsNorthQueensland/videos/fire-investigators-are-looking-into-the-cause-of-a-blaze-at-a-townsville-tesla-b/521143382214706/?extid=SEO----
19th April 21 - 2MW Lithium battery storage fire @ Standish, Michigan USA
A large battery fire made for some tense moments……
One Standish woman says she lives about 50 feet from the site, and when she heard about the advisory, her first thought was to tell as many people as she could….. ”If it caught on fire in the crate, would it catch fire once they install it? I’m hoping not. I’m hoping this was just an oops, and we don’t have to worry about our backyard being on fire”
https://www.abc12.com/2021/04/20/all-clear-for-shelter-in-place-advisory-issued-for-standish-during-hazardous-materials-fire/
The development bank says projects that are in an advanced stage of planning will be prioritised.
https://www.businesslive.co.za/bd/national/2021-08-04-dbsa-has-200m-to-kick-start-green-self-generation-projects/
The Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA) announced on Wednesday that it would put $200m into first-loss funding for companies wishing to build their own solar photovoltaic (PV) and wind generation facilities.
With the announcement by President Cyril Ramaphosa in June that companies wanting to establish embedded generation plants of up to 100MW would no longer require a licence, it is anticipated that more enterprises will be keen to do so. Embedded generation is regarded as the quickest way to get more megawatts onto the grid.
https://www.dbsa.org/press-releases/dbsa-opens-call-proposals-embedded-generation-investment-programme-south-africa
EEVblog 1411 - Tesla Victoria Big Battery FIRE!
The Tesla "Victoria Big Battery" 450MWh battery storage facility at Moorabool in Victoria Australia caught on fire before it was even operational!
https://youtu.be/ukuSxK5VpI8
Last year RFIs with specific conversion options were requested which included PV & battery storage.
Eskom seeking authorisation to proceed with the repurposing of four Coal Power stations
https://www.engineeringnews.co.za/article/eskom-to-seek-authorisation-to-proceed-with-repurposing-of-four-coal-stations-2020-07-07
1 - Grootvlei Power station due for 0 MW production in 2022
https://tenderbulletin.eskom.co.za/Tenders/Docs?TENDERID=43981
2 - Komati Power station due for 0 MW production in 2022
https://tenderbulletin.eskom.co.za/Tenders/Docs?TENDERID=43983
3 - Camden Power station due for 0 MW production in 2025
https://tenderbulletin.eskom.co.za/Tenders/Docs?TENDERID=43980
4 - Hendrina Power station due for 0 MW production in 2027
https://tenderbulletin.eskom.co.za/Tenders/Docs?TENDERID=43982
Peter Oldacre talks about the Vametco Mini-Grid Project
https://youtu.be/JCvTmcd-Ozw