The new energy world is full of ambition about future developments, not least nuclear. At some point hard questions have to be asked and answered. Dan Yurman is asking questions about next generation Small Modular Reactors (SMRs). For example, why take on the unknown material and regulatory risk of SMRs over the known risks of proven LWRs? Which governments and/or investors will back the $500m needed to get an SMR into production? Where are the … [Read more...]
Children today must emit eight times less CO2 than their grandparents
No wonder young people have taken the reins of the climate demonstrations away from the adults. Zeke Hausfather at Carbon Brief shows that the global budget for avoiding warming of 1.5C or 2C has already been mostly used up. To put that in numbers, if children emit like their parents they’ll exhaust their carbon budget in just 9 years. It’s why emissions must peak in the next few years and then rapidly decline to hit the Paris targets. That’s … [Read more...]
China plans UHV transmission lines that span continents
China’s Global Energy Interconnection (GEI) project aims to create a worldwide network of UHV transmission lines that can deliver electricity between continents. If successful, generating electricity in the most remote areas – think deserts and the Arctic – becomes viable, as does China’s ability to sell electricity directly to Europe. First, two main technological challenges have to be overcome: energy loss along transmission lines spanning … [Read more...]
Transition: nation-by-nation review of race to phaseout coal
The global effort to phase out coal consumption is speeding up. However, a lot of necessary work is still to be done, both to align with the ambition of the Paris Agreement and to ensure a just transition for affected workers and citizens. Oliver Sartor at the IDDRI runs through the leading examples of coal's phase-out across the world, nation by nation, and warns that coal producing and consuming countries that do not adapt are in danger of … [Read more...]
Electric buses: China leads through policy ambition but Europe could overtake
News comes of another renewables record for China. Shenzhen based manufacturer BYD has launched the world’s largest pure electric double decker bus fleet, to be delivered to the city of Xi’an. To illustrate China’s drive to dominate this market, they have already won the international tender to deliver 37 of a total of 68 new electric double decker buses to London, where the red double decker is an icon. That’s more than the remaining 31 that … [Read more...]
EXCLUSIVE: Chinese government’s plan to meet the Paris goals
China is leading the energy transition as the world’s largest producer, exporter and installer of solar panels, wind turbines, batteries and electric vehicles. It has a clear lead too in renewable energy patents, ahead of the U.S. and twice that of the EU. But it is also still heavily dependent on coal, the air pollution in its cities is legendary, and the economy is expected to quadruple by 2050. Against this background, Kaare Sandholt, Chief … [Read more...]
The Saudi Dilemma: To Cut Or Not To Cut
Following November's G20 meeting in Buenos Aires and the ensuing OPEC meeting earlier this month, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is still left scratching its head. 90% of the Kingdom's income comes from Oil. As US shale keeps piling on the pressure, some argue they have enough in the bank to fund higher production levels and even lower prices for another 10-years. But their Vision 2030 initiative, to radically diversify their economy, also requires … [Read more...]
China’s Belt and Road as a conduit for clean power projects
China’s Belt and Road Initiative is arguably the biggest regional connectivity and cooperation programme in operation today. But with China being a major polluter, there are also concerns the Initiative could just be adding to global environmental stress. Not so, argue John A Mathews and Carol X Huang of Macquarie University, Sydney: it’s actually a magnet for renewable energy investments. Courtesy of The Asia-Pacific Journal. … [Read more...]
The ice beneath the EU-China climate bonhomie
When it comes to clean technology, German chancellor Angela Merkel views China no longer as a developing country but a competitor, writes Karl Mathiesen of Climate Home News. From a European perspective, China is joining the club of industrialised countries, competing for their markets, and should be treated as such. Courtesy Climate Home News. … [Read more...]
Electric buses can save local governments billions – China’s showing how it’s done
New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco - America's largest cities are switching their entire bus fleets from diesel to electric. They will save money in the long run, but how to overcome upfront financing hurdles? According to Silvio Marcacci of think tank Energy Innovation, Shenzhen in China, which has the world's first 100% all-electric bus fleet, provides useful lessons. … [Read more...]
Prospects of fuel-cell electric vehicles boosted with Chinese backing
Who believes in the future of fuel-cell electric vehicles (FCEVs)? Many experts feel they are too expensive and can’t compete with battery EVs. But now the Chinese government is throwing its weight behind FCEVs. Ankit Mishra spoke with Daniel Teichmann, CEO of Hydrogenious Technologies, about the brightening prospects of fuel cell cars. … [Read more...]
China’s green energy revolution has saved the country from catastrophic dependence on fossil fuel imports
China’s shift to green energy has made a huge contribution to reducing the country’s dependence on imported fossil fuels, write researchers John A. Mathews and Xin Huang. But for China’s renewables revolution, the world would have faced potentially catastrophic geopolitical tensions over oil and gas. Courtesy John Mathews’ Global Green Shift blog. … [Read more...]
Donald Trump’s China First, Russia Second, America Third foreign policy
By letting his foreign policy be governed by a simplistic “America First” principle, Donald Trump is achieving the exact opposite of what he intends. His way of putting America First, is enabling China and Russia to position themselves as the paramount nations on the world stage, writes energy and foreign policy specialist Michael Klare. Courtesy of Tomdispatch. … [Read more...]
China’s renewable energy revolution continues on its long march
In one year China added almost as much generation from renewable power as Germany’s total renewable energy generation, according to the end of January statistics for 2016 by the National Energy Administration of China and the China Electricity Council. Yet the country’s electricity supply still relies strongly on coal, notes Simon Göß of Berlin-based consultancy Energy Brainpool. … [Read more...]
Why China’s new coal plants won’t stop it from meeting its climate goals
In a fascinating article, Collin Smith, graduate student at the Hopkins-Nanjing Center in China, explains why China has been building a large amount of new coal-fired capacity the past two years, despite its climate commitments and drive for renewable energy. He also explains why this capacity does not necessarily translate into more coal power production: the power plants are and will be heavily underutilised. There is a danger though that the … [Read more...]
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