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https://www.renewableenergymagazine.com/energy_saving/penso-power-adds-50-mw-to-europea-20200319

Renewable energy and battery storage company Penso Power, the originator/developer of the Minety battery storage scheme in Wiltshire, has secured land rights, planning permission and a grid connection offer to extend the 100 MW project by a further 50 MW.
Penso Power adds 50 MW to Europe’s largest battery storage scheme
Courtesy of Penso Power
The Minety project, 12 miles northwest of Swindon (Wiltshire) is Europe's largest battery storage development. Work started onsite in December 2019 and it is expected that Minety will enter operation this autumn (2020). The additional 50MW capacity is to be built on adjacent land, and will enter operation in 2021.

The development of Penso Power's Minety project has been enabled by commercial agreements with Shell Energy Europe and the energy tech company Limejump, a subsidiary of Shell. Shell has signed a major offtake agreement on the original 100 MW project, the largest of its kind globally to date, whilst the batteries will be optimised and dispatched by Limejump.

Penso Power is currently in discussions with potential offtakers regarding similar arrangements for the 50MW project extension. The offtake structure de-risks the returns for infrastructure investors while accessing deep and liquid markets to enable the deployment of battery storage at a very large scale. Scale benefits enable the provision of a range of balancing services on a cost-effective basis.

“Minety is a landmark project for UK battery storage” said Penso Power's CEO Richard Thwaites. “Its sheer size marks it as the most significant battery storage development in Europe so far, dwarfing other battery developments in scale and ambition. It shows that storage will play a more substantial role in the UK energy market as we continue our path towards Net Zero. Energy storage facilitates a greener electricity system helping balance the intermittency of renewable generation. Our focus on large projects means that we achieve scale benefits on both procurement and deployment costs, while the offtake structure helps us provide superior risk-adjusted returns to our investors.”

Penso Power established a blue-chip consortium for the initial 100 MW development, supported by investment from China Huaneng Group, one of the world's largest power generators, and CNIC, the Chinese sovereign wealth fund.

G2 Energy, the independent connection provider, is Principal Designer and Principal Contractor.

Sungrow is the integrator providing battery storage systems using Samsung and CATL batteries.

Eclipse Power Networks is the iDNO (the scheme will connect to the distribution network via the SSE / National Grid Minety substation).

https://www.smart-energy.com/industry-sectors/storage/energy-storage-merger-to-drive-vanadium-flow-battery-market/
UK-based redT energy and US-based

Avalon Battery Corporation have announced that they will merge, subject to shareholder approval, to become a global leader in vanadium flow batteries.

They aim to become key competitors to existing lithium-ion technology in the rapidly growing global energy storage market.

The merger unites the companies under a new name, Invinity Energy Systems (Invinity), and combines the existing strengths of both companies with the scale and market presence to compete with the major players in a global energy storage market, forecast for £55bn ($67bn) of new investment by 2024.

Vanadium flow batteries are a form of heavy-duty, stationary energy storage, used primarily in high-utilisation applications such as being coupled with industrial scale solar generation for distributed, low-carbon energy projects. This sort of application requires daily, heavy use and is well suited to flow battery technology, which is expected to become a £3.5bn market by 2028.

Larry Zulch, CEO of Invinity said: “The merged company will be a world leader in flow batteries. This gives us the platform to compete head-to-head against incumbent lithium-ion giants, and in so doing prove that our robust, safe, non-degrading energy storage solutions are the best solution for delivering the world’s ambitious decarbonisation targets.
“Invinity combines the best of British and North American flow battery expertise. By uniting the strengths of the two businesses under one brand, we can realise the huge potential of this game-changing energy storage technology and unlock significant commercial opportunities worldwide.”

Innovative technology

Invinity’s flow batteries store energy in a non-flammable, liquid electrolyte, held in tanks within a self-contained module. Larger, safer and more robust than lithium-ion systems, flow batteries do not degrade with use like conventional batteries and have a 20-25 year lifetime, significantly longer than comparable lithium-ion solutions.

This key characteristic means flow batteries are well suited to heavy duty, daily use alongside intermittent renewables such as solar, storing excess energy at times of peak generation then discharging it when required.
Batteries are increasingly being used in this manner to create low-cost, low-carbon, accessible energy ‘on-demand’ from renewable sources, replacing conventional fossil-fuel based generation and enabling the global transition to 100 per cent renewables.

On launch, Invinity will be active primarily across the UK, mainland Europe, North America, Asia, Australasia and sub-Saharan Africa. It will focus on key markets, with an emphasis on unlocking the maximum value from solar generation through “solar plus flow battery” solutions. This proposition maximises carbon reduction potential whilst creating attractive, investable project returns.

It was supposed to go out to tender in the first quarter of this year, but as of last month, it had not done so, Eskom confirmed to News24.
While Eskom is legally bound to take on these projects because of its contract with the World Bank, the question many experts are asking is: Can the embattled power producer take on another mega-project like the BSP while overseeing its massive restructuring programme, finding a way to reduce its R450-billion debt, completing the mammoth and overbudget Medupi and Kusile projects, upping the maintenance on its ageing fleet, and keeping the lights on.

Ultimately, Eskom’s contribution to the country’s greenhouse gas emissions has been of concern for years, as it is the largest emitter in the country. South Africa is the 13 th larger of greenhouse gas emitters on Earth, largely thanks to Eskom’s coal fleet and emissions from Sasol.

Eskom was unable to put a timeline on when the procurement process would be finalised when asked by News24, and said this was dependent on “internal and external governance”.

But it said that it was committed to reducing its emissions and had a “comprehensive” climate change strategy.

Asked why the World Bank had not held Eskom to account for continually postponing the completion dates of these projects, it said:

“The power sector in South Africa is facing major supply challenges with frequent load shedding. Eskom’s Investment Support Project, co-financed by the World Bank , was extended to assist Eskom to finalise critical infrastructure, that will improve the operational performance of Medupi, install battery storage facilities to improve network stability and finalise the Majuba Railway, to enhance power supply in a sustainable manner and support South Africa’s long-term carbon mitigation.
Due to implementation delays, a project extension was necessary to ensure the project objectives are achieved…”The World Bank continues to support Eskom in the implementation of the Eskom Investment Support Project to ensure compliance with applicable emissions requirements and that the project contributes as intended to improving the power supply situation in South Africa.”

https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/citizen.co.za/business/2255073/flat-batteries-eskom-risks-another-default-on-world-bank-loan/amp/A commitment by the public power utility to build battery storage technology in South Africa has yet to get off the ground, once again raising the possibility of it breaching its loan agreements with the World Bank.One of these projects, the Sere Wind Farm, is complete and is operating successfully. Another project, the Majuba Railway Line is also years overdue, but some progress has been made to complete it.As News24 reported last week, another project, the installation of flue gas desulphurisation technology, to reduce the sulphur dioxide emissions at Medupi, is also years overdue and is only expected to be implemented in 2030.The World Bank loans were part of an effort to assist Eskom in funding the construction of the mammoth Medupi power station. As part of the agreement, Eskom was to invest in renewable and emissions-reduction technology, in theory, to offset the impact of building another enormous coal power station.The loan agreement was finalised in April 2010.Initially, Eskom was supposed to invest in a project called the Kiwano Concentrated Solar Power project, but little progress was made.Around October 2017, with little progress to show for the Kiwano funding, Eskom proposed to convert the project to a battery storage one. The World Bank agreement was amended accordingly in November 2018, according to World Bank documentation.According to the documents, $245 million was committed to the Battery Storage Project (BSP). Technical, social and environmental assessments for the selected sites have been made and Eskom has “substantially advanced” discussions with the market. This included a webinar held in September 2019.But procurement processes for the project were due to legal and technical considerations. News24 understands that this was due to a clash between the World Bank’s contracting procedures, which as the creditor it sought to enforce, and the Public Finance Management Act, by which the South African government had to abide.Project will cost R7.5bnEskom needed approval from the minister of finance to deviate from the PFMA strictures, which it received in August 2019. In November, it received sign-off from the Department of Public Enterprises to start work on phase one of the project, which will cost about R7.5 billion, or $485 million. Other financing institutions are expected to make up the shortfall for the costs of the project.The deadline for phase one of the project has been shifted to June 2021.The BSP project will see the installation of batteries at some of Eskom’s substations located where wind and solar energy from Renewable Energy Independent Power Producers feed into the grid. The project, when completed, will be one of the largest of its

https://www.spglobal.com/platts/en/market-insights/latest-news/metals/031320-oil-price-drop-shields-miners-only-partially-from-metals-demand-prices-slide

London — The oil price slump of recent weeks will benefit miners by reducing costs, but only partially offset the impact of falling metals prices and sales as coronavirus rattles the global economy, miners and analysts say.

For some miners the impact of lower oil and related energy prices will nonetheless be substantial. "For every 10% move in the oil price, we see about a $50-million swing in EBITDA," diversified global miner Anglo American said. "If the oil price comes down, that is a net positive benefit for our business, all other things being equal," a spokesman said.

As energy typically accounts for 25%-35% of miners' costs, an oil price currently 45% lower than at the start of the year should certainly lower fuel costs. The benefit will be comparatively greater for gold and platinum group metal producers, often with higher production costs than base metals operations because their mines may be deeper and because their product prices have until this week held up despite the crisis. Still, their gains are not sacrosanct, given current volatility. After weeks of rallying, a selling spree Thursday took safe-haven gold down from seven-year highs as investors sought liquidity in falling markets, while PGM palladium was knocked off its pedestal despite short supplies, shedding nearly 20% as weakness in the automotive sector dulls demand prospects for auto-catalyst metals.

Industrial metals prices have fallen 10-15% during the current market plunge. Copper, a barometer of global economic health, slid to four-year lows this week.

For Tharisa, a Cyprus-based PGMs and chrome miner with operations in South Africa's Bushveld complex, oil typically represents about 15%-17% of input costs, "making a halving of price welcome," according to Ilja Graulich, Tharisa head of investor relations and communications.

"To the extent that the price drop is sustained, all things being equal, we expect it [the oil price drop] to have a positive impact on our direct and indirect costs," said Merafe Resources' CFO Ditabe Chocho. Johannesburg-listed Merafe has a 20.5% stake in the Glencore-Merafe Chrome Venture in South Africa -- the world's largest ferrochrome producer -- with the rest held by Glencore.

South African Impala Platinum, one of the world's leading platinum producers, sees lower diesel prices will have some impact at its mechanized mines (Impala Canada, Zimplats, Mimosa and Two Rivers).

Impala Group corporate relations executive Johan Theron, also sees oil's fall will help stem inflationary pressures arising from currency devaluation in emerging nations. Recent currency devaluations in both South Africa and Russia will doubtless aid these nations' minerals and metals exports until such time as protectionist measures spring up elsewhere in counterattack.

Got in yesterday, so first post. Always happy to share any research which maybe of interest.

https://www.pmlive.com/pharma_news/potential_universal_flu_vaccine_shows_efficacy_in_clinical_trial_1329078?SQ_DESIGN_NAME=2&

A new study, published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, has found a potential universal flu vaccine could soon be on the horizon after a candidate demonstrated promise in a small clinical trial.
The single-dose vaccine – named Flu-v – was found to be potentially effective and safe among a patient population of 175 volunteer participants.
Following the initial positive phase 2 results, the vaccine candidate will now progress to later-stage clinical testing to determine its efficacy against the flu.
Currently, the only vaccine against the flu is the ‘seasonal flu vaccine’, which is developed each year based on which strains experts predict will be the most common, to try and prevent as many infections as possible.
The process can be both time- and resource-consuming, with vaccines manufactured using eggs or cell cultures and the World Health Organization releasing the data on the most likely strains only a few short months before the flu season begins.
This in turn puts manufacturers on a very short time-scale to develop and distribute enough vaccines before the season begins.
Flu vaccine shortages can occur as a result, and the virus can sometimes mutate midseason which makes the vaccine ineffective.
The Flu-v candidate, on the other hand, targets common features found across a range of flu virus strains, making it potentially effective against all types of flu.
"We're on the cusp of a universal flu vaccine," said Dr. Amesh Adalja, an infectious-diseases specialist and senior scholar at Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security.
"It's long been a joke that a universal flu vaccine is always five years away. But I think, this time, it really is coming within the next five years," he added.
Last year, there was a delay in the WHO's strain recommendation and then in the subsequent manufacture of AstraZeneca’s paediatric flu vaccine, which led to concerns that the product would have to be rationed in the UK.
Delays such as this highlight the need for a universal flu vaccine, and a number of developers have been endeavouring to bring one to market.
A larger phase 3 trial of Flu-v will now go ahead to see if the vaccine can prevent 'real-life flu', rather than only increasing the number of antibodies against flu produced in an individual's body.
"This is a hugely successful study in a prestigious journal," said Adalja.
"But the next step is to see whether these antibodies are effective and how the vaccine works against real-life flu," he added.

https://investingnews.com/daily/resource-investing/battery-metals-investing/vanadium-investing/vanadium-comeback-on-hold-coronavirus/

A rebound in the vanadium space is now on hold as market watchers wait to see how the coronavirus outbreak may impact the space.

At the end of last year, experts expected the vanadium market to remain balanced, setting their sights on developments in China in terms of higher demand or lower supply.

But the start of the year is changing the outlook for most metals, including vanadium, as the coronavirus crisis, which started in Wuhan, Hubei, in China, has everyone in a wait-and-see mode.

Most vanadium output is used in the Asian country for steel applications, particularly the high-strength, low-alloy steel used to make construction rebar.

Last year, rebar production in China increased by 19.1 percent, according to research firm Roskill. Demand from the rebar segment is forecast to increase moderately in 2020 and 2021, in line with the country’s crude steel production.

But there probably isn’t much supply upside in 2020, Roskill Director Jack Bedder told the Investing News Network (INN).

“China’s large steel producers are producing close to full capacity in terms of vanadium **** capacity, so there isn’t much upside via the co-production route.”

Co-producers are low-cost vanadium producers that account for about 50 percent of vanadium output.

“All in all, with the outlook for demand solid and with co-production constrained, we expected a balanced market in 2020,” Bedder said. “But the situation could be significantly impacted by COVID-19.”

The World Health Organization, which declared the coronavirus outbreak a pandemic on Wednesday (March 11), has said that more than 125,000 people around the world have been infected, with the death toll standing at more than 4,600. Recovery cases are above 67,000.

“This is hard to predict,” Bedder said. “Vanadium is mostly produced and consumed in China, and thus China’s recovery from the epidemic will be a key factor.”

According to Roskill, data suggests a significant drop in construction and rebar production so far this year, with rebar inventories at record highs in February.

Similarly, CRU Group Senior Consultant Willis Thomas told INN that what happens with vanadium prices in 2020 will depend on the impact of the coronavirus.

“Pre-COVID-19, we expected vanadium prices to more likely rise to the end of the year than fall, but the virus rules all at this point,” he said.

For the expert, if the coronavirus crisis had happened five years ago, there might have been more price action in the initial stages of the outbreak.

“Why? Because at that time China was a major net exporter,” he said. “However, recent demand moves in China have moved the market to a slim net exporter in 2019 overall.” That resulted in a more muted loss than in other commodities.

https://www.juniorminingnetwork.com/junior-miner-news/press-releases/2014-tsx-venture/dia/74294-margaret-lake-announces-new-vanadium-redox-flow-battery-models.html

Margaret Lake Diamonds Inc. ("Margaret Lake" or the "Company") (TSX.V:DIA) (FKT:M85) (OTCPINK:DDIAF) is pleased to announce specifications for four models of its Vanadium Redox Flow Battery energy storage systems ("VFRB-ESS"), and is now in pre-sales and booking orders for projected 2021 delivery. The Company encourages interested system integrators and utilities to contact them for further details.

"We believe our systems will appeal to a wide variety of system integrators and utilities in the renewable energy and power distribution markets, as they have been designed for commercial, industrial, and utility scale operations," said Jared Lazerson, President and CEO of Margaret Lake.

The Company's models now offered for pre-sales are the 25kW / 100kWh and 50kW / 200kWh long life modules in 20ft and 40ft container format as well as scalable 5kW and 10kW indoor and outdoor modules. The Company offers utility level modules of 3.6MW / 14.4MWh. Storage systems are available in 4 and 8 hour capacities. The energy storage systems have been designed for the commercial, industrial, and utility scale storage for renewables, peak shaving, and infrastructure applications. Remote management and monitoring are available for all systems.

VRFB Energy Storage Systems

ELECTRICAL DETAILS

Energy Capacity

100kWh

Nominal Power

25kW

Depth of Discharge Allowed

100%

Inverter Capacity

25kW

Output Voltage :

415V/3phase/50Hz/60Hz

Cycle Life

>15,000

KORID WARRANTY

DC-DC Efficiency

78%

Cycle Efficiency

75%

AC-DC-AC Efficiency

70%

ENVIRONMENTAL

Operating Conditions

0~50?, @ 90% humidity

Enclosure Rating

IP 54

Electrolyte Rating

Non - Flammable

Battery Design

The proprietary Vanadium Flow Battery has been developed, tested and is patent protected. The flow battery design allows for limitation of storage only based on the capacity of the electrolyte tanks versus the fixed capacity of lithium-ion. The battery is non-flammable and non-explosive. There is no degradation as a result of cycling, partial charging, or time with a 100% depth of discharge and projected lifetime of 20 years. Battery efficiency is currently rated at up to 80%. The battery is scalable into the MW-range through simple parallel connection of multiple units. The systems are shipped in self-contained weatherproof and securely protected housing. The systems can be managed and maintained by remote or online maintenance through intelligent battery management. Temperature management and climate controlled containers eliminates weather impact on energy efficiency.

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