Ben Richardson, CEO at SulNOx, confident they can cost-effectively decarbonise commercial shipping. Watch the video here.
https://mg.co.za/environment/2021-04-13-eskom-can-be-a-key-player-in-sas-transition-to-renewable-energy-a-new-report-finds/
Eskom can be a key player in SAâs transition to renewable energy, a new report finds...
https://www.pv-magazine-australia.com/2021/04/13/australias-vanadium-push-progresses-as-two-leading-companies-advance-flow-battery-strategies/
Australiaâs vanadium prospects progress as two leading companies evolve flow battery strategies
In a strange synchronicity, two of Australiaâs major aspiring vanadium producers have today come out with announcements. TNG Limited has solidified a deal to commercialise vanadium redox flow batteries using output from its Mount Peake project, while competitor Australian Vanadium has filed a patent application for its vanadium processing route....
https://www.pv-magazine.com/2021/04/12/battery-storage-systems-30-cheaper-than-rival-gas-peaker-plants-for-firming-renewables/
Australia's Clean Energy Council (CEC) says in a newly published paper that large-scale battery energy storage has become the best way to spread energy generated by solar and wind throughout any day, and to instantly respond to peak energy needs in the National Electricity Market (NEM) for long and short durations.
The paper compares the levelized cost of energy delivered by a new 250 MW gas peaker plant with 250 MW four-hour and two-hour grid-scale batteries. It finds that overall â when various costs are calculated â that the batteries are 17% (two-hour) and 30% (four-hour) cheaper.
Improvements in battery-operating technology mean storage now outperforms gas-fired peaking plants on speed and reliability of response, which was the basis of gas technologyâs biggest claim to a place in the future renewables-based electricity system.
Where gas plants can respond within 15 minutes, says the CEC report, battery solutions can discharge as âdemand (and correspondingly prices) approach peak levelsâ and sustain output âto cover the typical daily peak duration.â
âBatteries can ramp up quickly, have zero start-up time and provide a better frequency response,â said CEC Chief Executive Kane Thornton...
https://seekingalpha.com/article/4418625-energy-storage-is-now-booming-world-moves-faster-to-renewable-energy
Energy Storage Is Now Booming As The World Moves Faster To Renewable Energy.
BNEF forecasts a 122x increase in global energy storage from 2018 to 2040. WoodMac: Global energy storage capacity is expected to grow at a CAGR of 31% through 2030.
The March 2, 2021, CLEAN Future Act (H.R. 1512) Bill authorizes US$565B towards US carbon-free electricity by 2035. The key winners will be solar, wind, nuclear, and energy storage.
Some listed energy storage companies and some ETFs to consider...
https://www.eol.cn/tech/chuangxin/202104/t20210412_2095441.shtml
On April 8, the Liquid Flow Energy Storage Innovation Center jointly built by Xi'an Jiaotong University and Shaanxi Huayin Technology Co., Ltd. was unveiled at the Science and Technology Innovation Port in Western China. Yan Hong, Member of the Standing Committee of the Party Committee and Vice President of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Zhao Junmin, Mayor of Ankang City, Zhang Zhiqun, Director of the Science and Technology Bureau, and Zheng Jianwei, Chairman of Shaanxi Huayin Technology Co., Ltd. attended the ceremony. Li Chengfu, Secretary of the Party Branch of Xi'an Jiaotong University Science and Education Frontier, presided over the ceremony...
https://microgridknowledge.com/vandium-flow-batteries-ameresco/
The US Department of Defense has begun its second phase of research into vanadium flow batteries in partnership with Ameresco, a developer of clean energy and microgrid projects...
Governments 25 year plan to ensure there is enough water for people and the environment.
Nice little ramp.
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/managing-water-abstraction/managing-water-abstraction
https://consumerandsociety.com/2021/04/08/the-worlds-water-problem-is-chronic-but-is-not-irreversible/
A recent investigation conducted by Consumer Reports and The Guardian illustrated the alarming extent of the clean water problem across the United States. Insufficient clean water is a particular tragedy in developing countriesâwhere up to 80% of illnesses are linked to poor water and sanitation infrastructureâbut itâs also a crisis affecting large swaths of the United States..
https://ventureburn.com/2021/04/sa-asset-manager-secures-funding-towards-renewable-energy-and-infrastructure-fund/
Moshesh Partners aims to grow the fund to R2-billion in assets under management over the course of the next 18 months
Sifiso Shongwe, co-founding member and chief executive officer of Moshesh Partners explains that their goal is realistic given the companies track record in securing investments.
âOur investment team has a strong track record in renewable energy, having already raised and deployed more than R5 billion in renewable energy projects. This includes raising and deploying capital via equity, mezzanine, and debt into projects totaling 2,507 MW across solar PV, wind, CSP, plastic to fuels, and open-cycle gas turbine plants.â
The new fund follows from Moshesh Partnersâ first private equity fund, the Moshesh Partners Renewable Energy & Clean Infrastructure Fund I which launched in 2020.
The fund aims to deploy its IC-approved investments by the end of the second quarter of 2021 and estimates equity returns of 16-18%. In addition, the fund will disburse debt and equity financing to boost returns.
The previous fund reportedly focuses on renewable energy and clean infrastructure in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Moshesh Partners Fund Management
Moshesh Partners focuses on investments into renewable energy and sustainable infrastructure including energy, telecoms, transport, and water.
With offices in both Johannesburg and Cape Town, Moshesh Partners invests in local businesses that aim to add value to the economy and drive transformation in South Africa.
The importance of renewable energy in South Africa
According to reports by the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), loadshedding is estimated to continue for at least an additional three years. This has been deduced by an analysis of
Eskomâs Energy Availability Factor (EAF), which declined from 94% in 2000 to 67% in 2019.
The CSIR has proposed that increased electricity license exemption as a solution to bridge the gap in the existing power supply.
Moshesh Partners explains that this is perfect timing for the launch of their new fund and the promotion and innovation of renewable and clean energy businesses.
âWith the Minister of Minerals and Energy, Gwede Mantashe, having announced Bid Window 5 of the governmentâs Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (REIPPPP) on 18 March 2021 with a further four requests for proposals expected in the next 12 months, itâs clear that timing is ideal to participate in funding a sector that is sorely needed to enable South Africaâs recovery and growth"
https://www.proactiveinvestors.co.uk/companies/news/946038/today-s-market-view---vast-resources-rockfire-resources-power-metal-resources-and-more-946038.html
Bushveld Minerals* (LON:BMN) 17.95p, Mkt cap ÂŁ215m â Ferro-vanadium prices continue to rise in China on stimulus and environmental crackdown
(Bushveld is invested in Enerox alongside a <3% in Invinity Energy Systems)
Strong Buy 31p
Ferro-vanadium prices are reported to continue to rise in China according to one reporting agency
Prices appear to be playing catchup with the AsiaMetals price of US$36.0/kg for 80% Ferro-vanadium FOB China with higher prices in Europe and the US expected to follow.
The price hike follows on from a 5.7% price rise last week highlighting ongoing strong demand for the metal.
Vanadium imports into China have been rising as China cracks down on pollution while ramping up construction projects as part of its ongoing stimulus plan.
The ongoing crackdown on pollution by heavy industry in China and Japan is likely to continue to tighten the market for vanadium and titanium as steel producers are forced to process cleaner sources of iron ore.
US steel producers who generally process lower grade taconite ores may also be forced to reduce emissions as the Biden administration looks to cut carbon emissions.
Stimulus programs are starting to have a more substantial impact on new demand for vanadium as project in planning order structural and hardened steels for construction.
Todayâs news on positive Construction sector Purchasing Managers Indices âPMIsâ provides confirmation of strong growth in this area.
*SP Angel acts as Nomad and broker to Bushveld Minerals.
Sorry Knuts, didn't see you had already posted ??
Meanwhile, Canadian firm VRB Energy just announced in mid-March it plans to build a 100 MW solar photovoltaic and 100 MW/500 MWh VRFB integrated power station in central Chinaâs Hubei province.
Right now, China is the hub for vanadium redox battery development. But governments worldwide are committing billions of dollars to green energy projects, and electric grid facilities are popping up everywhere. And VRFBs are beginning to be included.
According to QY Research, the VRFB market was valued at $320 million in 2018 and is projected to reach $4.25 billion by 2025, at a CAGR of 38.3%.
The role vanadium will play in the energy storage space remains to be seen. But optimism surrounding VRFBs is rising with new development. And itâs a space investors might want to keep an eye on.
https://www.outsiderclub.com/vanadium-investing-2021/98812
In the pantheon of metallic elements, the precious metals reign supreme. Gold, silver, platinum, and palladium â these metals get all of the glory.
But just like in every polytheistic myth you've ever heard, the lesser metals end up doing most of the work.
Iron, copper, aluminum, nickel, zinc, etc. â these base metals built the infrastructure upon which the modern world operates.
Deep in the family tree of vital base metals is one that is beginning to once again attract attention. The metal I'm talking about is vanadium.
Vanadium is a bright white, soft, and ductile metal that's mostly used today to create high-strength steel alloys.
About 85% of all the vanadium produced goes into making steel alloys. Another 10% goes into making alloys of titanium. The rest goes into other uses.
Vanadium steel alloys are some of the strongest and most useful ever created. They've been used in everything from the Ford Model T to Lockheed Martin's SR-71 Blackbird.
High-strength vanadium-alloy steels are also used in high-rise buildings, bridges, heavy equipment, industrial tools, medical devices, ship plates, rail lines, and other military vehicles.
But steel alloys aren't the focus for the vanadium market right now. What's getting investors excited about vanadium is the metal's application as an energy metal for the future. Specifically, Iâm talking about the commercial arrival and proliferation of the vanadium redox flow battery (VRFB)
Originally conceived by NASA during the energy crises of the 1970s, vanadium redox flow batteries mainly consist of two tanks of liquid adjacent to each other.
This liquid flows through the tanks and past a membrane, which generates a charge by moving electrons back and forth.
Due to their size and weight, these batteries are expected to be mainly used for grid storage.
Right now, grid energy storage facilities use lithium-ion batteries to store electricity. But lithium-ion batteries have flaws.
Aside from their tendency to catch on fire, lithium-ion batteries lose their ability to recharge over time. There's no doubt you've experienced this firsthand. Cellphone batteries are notorious for losing their ability to recharge over time.
The vanadium redox battery is much safer, can last longer, and can be recharged infinitely. That could be a game changer for grid energy storage.
VRFBs attracted some investor interest back in 2018 with speculative hopes for future development. That helped push vanadium prices to multiyear highs. But now VRFBs are actually being planned and built â at least in China.
Of particular note is Rongke Power's 200 MW/800 MWh facility in northwest China, which is on track to be completed this year. When it's finished, Rongke's facility will be the largest energy storage battery in the world.
Then there are Shanghai Electric's plans for a 100 MW/400 MWh VRFB project in Yancheng in east China's Jiang
https://www.solarpowerportal.co.uk/news/zenobe_announces_europes_biggest_battery_with_100mw_capenhurst_site
Zenobe Energy has unveiled a 100MW project in Capenhurst, Chester, set to be Europe's largest grid-connected battery.
The project will be the first in the world to directly absorb reactive power from the transmission network, the company has said, and is expected to begin operations in April 2022.
It has been commissioned as a response to National Gridâs pathfinder programme, which is looking for reactive energy management services through innovative technologies. The project follows Zenobe working with the grid operator on its âworld-firstâ Power Potential Project, which saw its 10MW King Barn battery provide reactive power services...
Although they offer a good potential to store large amounts of electrical energy for long durations, can be cycled frequently without degradation to battery cells and present less of a fire safety concern than lithium, their uptake remains limited by their higher initial cost.
This could be set to change in the coming years if policy support from countries like China and more recently the US grows as expected, with US Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm recently pointing out that flow batteries are "good for grid storage" and China in the gradual process of deploying several vast flow battery projects around the country as well as a planned 1,000MW per annum factory in Hubei Province. Meanwhile, in other territories including the UK, there have been growing calls for the creation of market mechanisms and regulatory frameworks that recognise the value of long-duration energy storage technologies in the fight to decarbonise the grid.
Bushveld has previously invested in Invinity Energy Systems, the VRFB company formed by the merger of North American player Avalon Battery and UK manufacturer redT. Mojapelo said that Bushveld made a âhealthy returnâ from an initial US$5 million investment and that Invinity is now sitting on a market capitalisation value of more than US$150 million as well as having a âwell-funded programme to scale up its production capacity to support a solid pipeline of announced VRFB projectsâ.
However, despite the success of its investment in Invinity, Bushveld Minerals could sell on its stake in the company in order to put its own energy subsidiary Bushveld Energy on a self-funding and sustainable footing. CEO Mojapelo said that the sell down of the Invinity stake âis no reflection of any diminishing faith in the potential of the companyâ.
âWe are proud of its (Invinityâs) achievements and continue to cooperate on other topics, including vanadium supply, vanadium electrolyte rental and the overall growth of the VRFB industry. Our decision is rather informed by our conservative capital allocation strategy across the Group, which focuses resources on our mining and processing operations and seeks to place (energy subsidiary) Bushveld Energy on a path to self-fund its future plans,â Mojapelo said.
Bushveld already cashed in on its Invinity holding for about US$8.8 million and now only retains a stake of less than 3% in the Anglo-American company, but a first refusal supply agreement for vanadium and vanadium electrolyte â which can constitute roughly a third to 40% of a VRFBâs capital cost â remains in place. As well as helping fund Bushveld Energy, the return on investment will also fund activities for the vanadium rental partnership that Bushveld created with Invinity to lower the upfront cost of vanadium battery storage to customers, called Vanadium Electrolyte Rental Limited.
âOur investment in Enerox follows the same script of mobilising third-party financing to scale up manufacturing capacity and sales, while establishing a platform for collaboration in developing projects into which we will supply vanadium,â Bushveld Mineralsâ Mojapelo said.
âThe funding commitments of Enerox's shareholders are a strong vote of confidence in the potential and strategy of the company. We believe that this additional capital will place Enerox on the path to becoming a major player in the industry. It further cements VRFB technology in the rapidly growing stationary energy storage sector.â
While manufacturing of lithium-ion batteries for energy storage has scaled up rapidly and enormously in recent years, driven on in large part by their use for electric transport and consumer electronics, vanadium flow batteries are more limited in application to use for grid and off-grid battery storage.
https://www.energy-storage.news/news/vanadium-producer-bushveld-invests-in-scale-up-of-enerox-flow-battery-manuf
South African vanadium producer Bushveld Minerals is investing US$7.5 million in vanadium redox flow battery (VRFB) energy storage company Enerox, which is planning to scale up its manufacturing capabilities.
Bushveld is among the consortium, Enerox Holdings Limited, that owns Enerox, which makes and markets its energy storage systems from offices in Austria under the brand name Cellcube. The South African company, which is listed on the London Stock Exchange, said it has already put US$5 million towards Eneroxâs US$30 million plan to reach annual production output and sales of 30MW / 120MW - 240MWh by 2022.
The remaining US$2.5 million is payable this month, Bushveld said in a regulatory announcement on 1 April. Prior to this new injection of investment, EHL has invested US$14.6 million into Enerox to fund various activities and Bushveldâs energy sector subsidiary owns a 25.5% stake in EHL.
The VRFB business was acquired from Eneroxâs parent company, junior mining group Stina Resources from Gildemeister in 2016, buying up technologies and business development activities that had been in development for more than a decade before that. After a long lead-in to commercialisation Enerox has now deployed 23MWh of VRFB energy storage across 130 systems worldwide and reported 13MWh in orders for its systems in the second half of 2020.
Enerox wants to later expand to âat leastâ 150MW / 600MWh - 1,200MWh by 2025, in a market which has been earmarked for significant growth by others including another vanadium producer Largo Resources which said earlier this year that it wants to launch its own VRFB products within 18 months and that demand for vanadium is rising on the back of "growing interest" from the battery sector.
Bushveld Minerals CEO Fortune Mojapelo said in the regulatory release last week that the investment in Enerox follows his companyâs own strategy of investing in VRFB manufacturers, which he said is âdesigned to play a catalytic role in mobilising third-party capital to assist VRFB manufacturers scale up of sales and manufacturing capacity in order to meet the fast-growing demand for long duration energy storage solutionsâ.
In recent related developments, Energy-Storage.news reported in November 2020 that Enerox is working with Bushveld along with Spanish engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) company Abengoa to deploy a 1MW / 4MWh battery system alongside 3.5MW of solar PV at a vanadium mining and processing facility in South Africa, while Enerox signed a deal to support local manufacturing and supply chains for VRFBs in Australia with Australian Vanadium Limited. Back in August 2018, Cellcube company president Stefan Schauss told this site in an interview that he saw vertical integration from delivering vanadium to complete systems as an important strategy.
The electrolyte is 100% reusable in a new battery and recycled vanadium retains full functionality. Vanadium flow batteries are not flammable, donât explode, and are more resilient to temperature extremes, making them safer for long term energy storage.
Vanadium redox flow batteries are a greener battery for the green future.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/gritdaily.com/vanadium-redox-flow-battery-whats-next-in-renewable-energy/%3famp
By 2025, the global market for renewable energy will reach $1.5 trillion. That is major growth from where the industry was in 2019, when solar and wind energy generated $18.7 billion and $14 billion in respective investments. In that year, renewable energy powered millions of homes and hundreds of thousands of jobs, a figure likely to grow as the market does. Letâs take a deeper look at renewable energy solutions which include the vanadium redox flow battery.
While world governments are encouraging the switch to sustainable energy, private demand is also strong. 71% of America thinks clean energy should be a priority, and nearly half of consumers would be willing to pay more per month in electricity bills if it meant their energy came from a renewable source. Beyond environmental concerns, 58% of Americans also believe renewable energy will improve the economy, in no small part due to the jobs it creates.
Renewable Energy to the Rescue
For renewable energy to achieve its potential will require a battery, such as the vanadium redox flow battery. In 2019, less than 5% of behind-the-meter solar systems had a battery. Batteries address the biggest shortfall in the most popular renewable energy sources. Batteries can store energy generated on windy and sunny days to be used on cloudy days and windless nights. Prior to battery usage, residential solar users simply sold their excess power to utility companies in a system called ânet meteringâ. Since utility companies are lobbying in 43 states to phase out net metering, a power storage system is the only way residential solar will remain financially viable.
Lithium-ion batteries, invented in 1912, today power everything from electric vehicles to smartphones. By next year, lithium-ion batteries are expected to fuel 61% of demand. This battery class is the best available option for mobile applications, but it has a few limitations in long duration, energy intensive, and stationary uses. To start, the battery storage capacity degrades over time. Fully discharging the battery shortens its usable lifespan. Also, for a technology indispensable for the green revolution, lithium-ion production and disposal have many sustainability problems. Lithium mining scars landscapes and creates mountains of discarded salt. Extracting lithium can leach toxic chemicals into the water supply. Variation in materials makes recycling difficult and costly, and improper disposal can contaminate soil and water. Those deeply invested in sustainability should look for an alternative to lithium-ion batteries.
That alternative? Vanadium redox flow batteries. Unlike their lithium-ion counterparts, vanadium flow batteries donât degrade. They can fully charge and discharge throughout 25 years of useful life. These batteries more sustainable than lithium-ion.
BBC News - Florida declares state of emergency over toxic wastewater leak
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-56629013