The French company Total Energies operates three huge production plants for various plastic and petrochemical products in La Port and Port Arthur in Texas and in Carvill, Louisiana. These plants need a lot of energy to produce polypropylene and polystyrene, for example.

Reducing emissions from production

To minimise emissions from plastic production, Total Energies built the huge Myrtle Solar Farm south of Houston, Texas. This will at least allow the company to reduce the CO2 emissions generated for energy production. The refining of petroleum into various petrochemical products such as fossil fuels continues to produce immense CO2 emissions. But with solar energy, at least its production is climate-neutral, which makes it only marginally better in view of the climate crisis.

70 per cent for self-consumption

Total Energies has installed about 705,000 solar modules to supply the three plants on the coast of the Gulf of Mexico. These have a combined output of 380 megawatts. About 70 per cent of the solar power generated is sufficient to supply the production facilities with electricity.

See also: Stabilisation of solar module prices seems to be in sight

Total Energies markets the remaining approximately 30 per cent to the real estate company Kilroy Reality under a power purchase agreement (PPA). The latter will purchase the profit from the solar power for the next 15 years at a fixed price and use it to supply its commercial properties.

Storage unit provides grid service

In addition, Total Energies has installed 114 containers full of battery storage on the site of the solar farm south of Houston. These were made by the subsidiary Saft. They can hold as much as 225 megawatt hours of the Myrtle solar power plant and feed it into the grid when needed. This enables it to take over grid stabilisation services from the Texas grid operator Ercot.

Tax subsidised by the IRS

The Myrtle solar power plant is, according to Total Energies, the largest project of its kind built in the USA to date. It is part of a strategy by the group to establish integrated production based on self-supply in the USA, as Vincent Stoquart, head of Total Energies’ renewable division, points out.

Also interesting: Forum Solar Plus 2023: More solar power for industry

Times are good for such a strategy in the US. This is because the project benefits from tax credits as provided for in the US government’s Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) industrial incentive programme. Based on the benefits of the IRA tax credits, Totals Energies will actively expand its portfolio of renewable energy projects in the USA. In total, this includes a green power capacity of 25 gigawatts, part of which is already in operation. (su/mfo)





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The latest edition of the World Energy Outlook (WEO) of the International Energy Agency (IEA) examines how shifting market trends, evolving geopolitical uncertainties, emerging technologies, advancing clean energy transitions and growing climate change impacts are all changing what it means to have secure energy systems. In particular, the new report underscores that today’s geopolitical tensions and fragmentation are creating major risks both for energy security and for global action on reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

The report’s projections based on today’s policy settings indicate that the world is set to enter a new energy market context in the coming years, marked by continued geopolitical hazards but also by relatively abundant supply of multiple fuels and technologies. This includes an overhang of oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) supply coming into view during the second half of the 2020s, alongside a large surfeit of manufacturing capacity for some key clean energy technologies, notably solar PV and batteries.

Downward pressure on prices

“In the second half of this decade, the prospect of more ample – or even surplus – supplies of oil and natural gas, depending on how geopolitical tensions evolve, would move us into a very different energy world from the one we have experienced in recent years during the global energy crisis,” said IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol. “It implies downward pressure on prices, providing some relief for consumers that have been hit hard by price spikes. The breathing space from fuel price pressures can provide policymakers with room to focus on stepping up investments in clean energy transitions and removing inefficient fossil fuel subsidies. This means government policies and consumer choices will have huge consequences for the future of the energy sector and for tackling climate change.”

Based on today’s policy settings, the report finds that low-emissions sources are set to generate more than half of the world’s electricity before 2030 – and demand for all three fossil fuels – coal, oil and gas – is still projected to peak by the end of the decade. Clean energy is entering the energy system at an unprecedented rate, but deployment is far from uniform across technologies and markets.

Age of Electricity

In this context, the WEO-2024 also shows that the contours of a new, more electrified energy system are coming into focus as global electricity demand soars. Electricity use has grown at twice the pace of overall energy demand over the last decade, with two-thirds of the global increase in electricity demand over the last ten years coming from China.

“In previous World Energy Outlooks, the IEA made it clear that the future of the global energy system is electric – and now it is visible to everyone,” said Birol. “In energy history, we’ve witnessed the Age of Coal and the Age of Oil – and we’re now moving at speed into the Age of Electricity, which will define the global energy system going forward and increasingly be based on clean sources of electricity.”

“As with many other global energy trends today, China is a major part of what is happening,” Birol added. “Whether it’s investment, fossil fuel demand, electricity consumption, deployment of renewables, the market for EVs, or clean technology manufacturing, we are now in a world where almost every energy story is essentially a China story. Just one example: China’s solar expansion is now proceeding at such a rate that, by the early 2030s – less than ten years from now – China’s solar power generation alone could exceed the total electricity demand of the United States today.”

Infrastructure not keeping pace with clean energy transition

Global electricity demand growth is set to accelerate further in the years ahead, adding the equivalent of Japanese demand to global electricity use each year in a scenario based on today’s policy settings – and rising even more quickly in scenarios that meet national and global goals for achieving net zero emissions.

Also see: Double investments in power distribution or lose race to net-zero

For clean energy to continue growing at pace, much greater investment in new energy systems, especially in electricity grids and energy storage, are necessary. Today, for every dollar spent on renewable power, 60 cents are spent on grids and storage, highlighting how essential supporting infrastructure is not keeping pace with clean energy transitions. Secure decarbonisation of the electricity sector requires investment in grids and storage to increase even more quickly than clean generation, and the investment ratio to rebalance to 1:1. Many power systems are currently vulnerable to an increase in extreme weather events, putting a premium on efforts to bolster their resilience and digital security.

Also see: Battery costs fallen by more than 90%

Despite growing momentum behind clean energy transitions, the world is still a long way from a trajectory aligned with its net zero goals. Decisions by governments, investors and consumers too often entrench the flaws in today’s energy system, rather than pushing it towards a cleaner and safer path, the report finds. Reflecting the uncertainties in the current energy world, the WEO-2024 includes sensitivity analysis for the speed at which renewables and electric mobility might grow, how fast demand for LNG might rise, and how heatwaves, efficiency policies and the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) might affect electricity demand going forward.

Lack of access to energy remains the most fundamental inequity

Based on today’s policy settings, global carbon dioxide emissions are set to peak imminently, but the absence of a sharp decline after that means the world is on course for a rise of 2.4 °C in global average temperatures by the end of the century, well above the Paris Agreement goal of limiting global warming to 1.5 °C. The report underlines the inextricable links between risks of energy security and climate change. In many areas of the world, extreme weather events, intensified by decades of high emissions, are already posing profound challenges for the secure and reliable operation of energy systems, including increasingly severe heatwaves, droughts, floods and storms.

Also see: IEA: Three times more renewables by 2030

A new energy system needs to be built to last, the WEO-2024 emphasises, one that prioritises security, resilience and flexibility, and ensures that benefits of the new energy economy are shared and inclusive. In some regions of the world, high financing costs and project risks are limiting the spread of cost-competitive clean energy technologies to where they are needed most. This is especially the case in developing economies where these technologies can deliver the biggest returns for sustainable development and emissions reductions. Lack of access to energy remains the most fundamental inequity in today’s energy system, with 750 million people – predominantly in sub-Saharan Africa – without access to electricity and over 2 billion without clean cooking fuels. (hcn)





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Phoenix Contact has completely redesigned the access area to the factory premises in Blomberg in Germany on an area of around 7,600 square metres. The centrepiece is a freely accessible park that makes the vision of the All Electric Society tangible for everyone and explains it in an understandable way. A distinctive feature is a solar tracker with a diameter of twelve metres on the roundabout directly at the park. It can be rotated so that it is always at the right angle to the sun.

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Solar-electric power supply already possible today

By means of the energy flow from generation, conversion, storage and distribution to optimised energy use, the park shows how the All Electric Society can become reality. Real applications illustrate how sector coupling works and which technologies make it possible.

See also: Will solar parks produce more than energy in future?

The park is a miniature representation of the real world. Glass containers for the respective applications, open-air systems and a pavilion with a control room and meeting rooms form the exhibition areas of the park. This shows a holistic picture of the sparing use of resources based on existing technologies.

Experience sector coupling at first hand

The common thread running through the park is the flow of energy and data. Along this theme, applications are placed in a meaningful context and their mutual influence is shown. The basis is the generation of renewable energy with solar and wind power. In the park itself, solar modules provide sustainable electricity. They are located on the roofs of the Cubes and the charging stations, integrated into the facade of the pavilion and used as floor panels.

Around 155 kilowatts of photovoltaics installed

A total of 550 solar modules were installed in the park. They supply 155,000 kilowatt hours of clean electricity per year. Wind energy is exemplified by a walk-in wind gondola in the park and a wind tree. Its small wind rotors turn even in weak winds and generate energy. With 36 blades, so-called aeroleafs, the wind tree has a total output of almost eleven kilowatts.

Since the sun and the wind are not always available in equal quantities, surplus energy must be stored and released when needed. Battery storage units are used for this purpose, for example. In this way, energy consumers in the park are supplied with clean energy at all times. These include the buildings, e-charging stations and the applications in the park. Optimisation measures are also demonstrated on these consumers in order to reduce energy demand and resource use.

Systems precisely balanced

The energy generators, storage units, consumers and the medium-voltage grid are connected via a local grid station. An energy management system ensures the balance between generators, storage units and consumers. The system records all relevant characteristic data and controls the energy flows via the local network station.

Also interesting: Solar power for large-scale tenants housing project in the Netherlands

In the park of the All Electric Society, not only electrical energy is needed, but also other energy sources. The cubes and the pavilion in the park are supplied with heat or cold. This energy flow is controlled by an independent hydraulic system that integrates a cold local heating network, ice storage and two heat pumps.

Site now open for visitors

The park has been freely accessible to visitors as of September 2023. Extensive information is available on the internet for an overview. This makes it possible to plan a visit in advance. (HS/mfo)

All information about the All Electric Society Park can be found here.





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Due to supportive policies and favourable economics, the world’s renewable power capacity is expected to surge over the rest of this decade, with global additions on course to roughly equal the current power capacity of China, the European Union, India and the United States combined, according to a new IEA report.

The Renewables 2024 report, the IEA’s flagship annual publication on the sector, finds that the world is set to add more than 5 500 gigawatts (GW) of new renewable energy capacity between 2024 and 2030 – almost three times the increase seen between 2017 and 2023.

According to the report, China is set to account for almost 60% of all renewable capacity installed worldwide between now and 2030, based on current market trends and today’s policy settings by governments. That would make China home to almost half of the world’s total renewable power capacity by the end of this decade, up from a share of a third in 2010. While China is adding the biggest volumes of renewables, India is growing at the fastest rate among major economies.

PV as the most important growth driver

In terms of technologies, solar PV alone is forecast to account for a massive 80% of the growth in global renewable capacity between now and 2030 – the result of the construction of new large solar power plants as well as an increase in rooftop solar installations by companies and households. And despite ongoing challenges, the wind sector is also poised for a recovery, with the rate of expansion doubling between 2024 and 2030, compared with the period between 2017 and 2023. Already, wind and solar PV are the cheapest options to add new electricity generation in almost every country.

Also see: Solar continues on its growth path – challenges remain

As a result of these trends, nearly 70 countries that collectively account for 80% of global renewable power capacity are poised to reach or surpass their current renewable ambitions for 2030. The growth is not fully in line with the goal set by nearly 200 governments at the COP28 climate change conference in December 2023 to triple the world’s renewable capacity this decade – the report forecasts global capacity will reach 2.7 times its 2022 level by 2030. But IEA analysis indicates that fully meeting the tripling target is entirely possible if governments take near-term opportunities for action. This includes outlining bold plans in the next round of Nationally Determined Contributions under the Paris Agreement due next year, and bolstering international cooperation on bringing down high financing costs in emerging and developing economies, which are restraining renewables’ growth in high-potential regions such as Africa and Southeast Asia.

Renewables the cheapest option

“Renewables are moving faster than national governments can set targets for. This is mainly driven not just by efforts to lower emissions or boost energy security – it’s increasingly because renewables today offer the cheapest option to add new power plants in almost all countries around the world,” said IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol.

„This report shows that the growth of renewables, especially solar, will transform electricity systems across the globe this decade. Between now and 2030, the world is on course to add more than 5 500 gigawatts of renewable power capacity – roughly equal the current power capacity of China, the European Union, India and the United States combined. By 2030, we expect renewables to be meeting half of global electricity demand.”

Also see: Global boom in renewables by almost 50 per cent to nearly 510 gigawatts

Renewables are on course to generate almost half of global electricity by 2030, with the share of wind and solar PV doubling to 30%, according to the forecast. However, the report emphasises the need for governments to ramp up their efforts to securely integrate variable renewable sources such as solar PV and wind into power systems.

Recently, rates of curtailment – where renewable electricity generation isn’t put to use – have been increasing substantially, already reaching around 10% in several countries today. To address this, countries should focus on integration measures such as increasing power system flexibility. Making a concerted push to address policy uncertainties and streamline permitting processes – and to build and modernise 25 million kilometres of electricity grids and reach 1 500 GW of storage capacity by 2030, as highlighted in previous IEA analysis – would enable even larger shares of generation from renewables.

Renewable fuels lagging behind

Overall, led by the massive growth of renewable electricity, the share of renewables in final energy consumption is forecast to increase to nearly 20% by 2030, up from 13% in 2023. Meanwhile, renewable fuels – the subject of a special chapter in the report – are lagging behind, underscoring the need for dedicated policy support to decarbonise sectors that are hard to electrify.

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Meeting international climate goals would require not only accelerating the rollout of renewable power, but also significantly speeding up the adoption of sustainable biofuels, biogases, hydrogen and e-fuels, the report notes. Since these fuels remain more expensive than their fossil counterparts, their share in global energy is set to remain below 6% in 2030.

The report also looks at the state of manufacturing for renewable technologies. Global solar manufacturing capacity is expected to surpass 1 100 GW by the end of 2024, more than double projected demand. While this supply glut, concentrated in China, has supported a decline in module prices – which have more than halved since early 2023 as a result – it also means that many manufacturers are seeing large financial losses.

Global diversification in PV manufacturing

Given the growing international focus on industrial competitiveness, solar PV manufacturing capacity is forecast to triple in both India and the United States by 2030, helping global diversification. However, producing solar panels in the United States costs three times as much as in China, and in India, it is twice as expensive. According to the report, policymakers should consider how to strike a balance between the additional costs and benefits of local manufacturing, weighing key priorities such as job creation and energy security. (hcn)





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2023 saw the highest ever increase in renewable energy jobs, from 13.7 million in 2022 to 16.2 million, according to the newly released Renewable Energy and Jobs – Annual Review 2024 by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) and the International Labour Organization (ILO).

The 18% year-on-year leap the strong growth of renewables generating capacities, together with a continued expansion of equipment manufacturing.

A closer look at the report’s data, however, shows an uneven global picture. Close to two-thirds of new global solar and wind capacity were installed in China alone last year.

PV related jobs with the highest growth

China leads with an estimated 7.4 million renewable energy jobs, or 46% of the global total. The EU followed suit with 1.8 million, Brazil with 1.56 million, and the United States and India, each with close to 1 million jobs.

As in the past few years, the strongest impetus came from the rapidly growing solar photovoltaics (PV) sector, which supported 7.2 million jobs globally. Of these, 4.6 million were in China, the dominant PV manufacturer and installer. Enabled by significant Chinese investments, Southeast Asia has emerged as an important export hub of solar PV, creating jobs in the region.

Liquid biofuels had the second-largest number of jobs, followed by hydropower and wind. Brazil topped the biofuels ranks, accounting for one third of the world’s 2.8 million jobs in this sector. Soaring production put Indonesia in second, with a quarter of global biofuels jobs.

Also interesting: PV 56 % cheaper than fossil fuels or nuclear

Due to a slowdown in deployment, hydropower became an outlier to the overall growth trend, with the number of direct jobs estimated to have shrunk from 2.5 million in 2022 to 2.3 million. China, India, Brazil, Viet Nam and Pakistan were the largest employers in the industry.

In the wind sector, China and Europe remain dominant. As leaders in turbine manufacturing and installations, they contributed 52% and 21% to the global total of 1.5 million jobs, respectively.

Africa lacking behind

Despite immense resource potential, Africa continues to receive only a small share of global renewables investments, which translated into a total of 324,000 renewables jobs in 2023. For regions in urgent need of reliable and sustainable energy access like Africa, and especially in remote areas, decentralised renewable energy (DRE) solutions–stand-alone systems that are not connected to the utility grids–present an opportunity to both plug the access gap and generate jobs. Removing barriers for women to start entrepreneurship initiatives in DRE can stimulate the sector, resulting in improved local economies and energy equity.

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Acknowledging the high degree of geographic concentration, Francesco La Camera, IRENA Director-General, said, “The story of the energy transition and its socio-economic gains should not be about one or two regions. If we are all to fulfil our collective pledge to triple renewable power capacity by 2030, the world must step up its game and support marginalised regions in addressing barriers impeding their transitions progress. Strengthened international collaboration can mobilise increased finance towards policy support and capacity building in countries that are yet to benefit from renewables job creation.”

Need for more diverse job opportunities

To meet the energy transitions’ growing demand for diverse skills and talents, policies must support measures in favour of greater workforce diversity and gender equity. Representing 32% of the renewables total workforce, women continue to hold an unequal share even as the number of jobs keeps rising. It is essential that education and trainings lead to diverse job opportunities for women, youth, and members of minority and disadvantaged groups.

“Investing in education, skills, and training helps reskill all workers from fossil fuel sectors, address gender or other disparities, and prepare the workforce for new clean energy roles. It is essential if we are to equip workers with the knowledge and skills that they need to get decent jobs, and to ensure that the energy transition is a just and sustainable one. A sustainable transition is what the Paris Agreement requires of us, and what we committed to achieving when we signed up to the Agreement,” explained ILO Director-General, Gilbert F. Houngbo.

11th edition of the Annual Review

This 11th edition of the Annual Review is part of IRENA’s extensive analytical work on the socio-economic impacts of a renewables-based energy transition. This edition—which is the 4th edition developed in collaboration with ILO–underscores the importance of a people- and planet-centred approach to achieve a just and inclusive transition.

It calls for a holistic policy framework that goes beyond the pursuit of technological innovation to rapidly meet the tripling target at the lowest-possible cost, and prioritises local value creation, ensures the creation of decent jobs, and builds on active participation by workers and communities in shaping the energy transition. Building on its expertise on the world of work, the ILO contributed the report’s chapter on skills. (hcn)





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“Our ‘Growing Green’ strategy is paying off – more than half of our adjusted EBITDA is already coming from our wind and solar energy business. Our power production from renewables reached a record level of 26 terawatt hours and accounted for 45 per cent of total generation. At the same time, we have significantly reduced our CO2 emissions.

We are continuing to invest billions of euros in the value-creating expansion of our geographically and technologically broadly diversified portfolio. At the same time, the demand for green electricity continues to rise. RWE is ideally positioned to continue to drive the energy transition both in Germany and internationally”, Markus Krebber, CEO of RWE AG said.

45% of generated power from renewables

In the first half of 2024, the company invested €4.5 billion net in new plants and made the final investment decision for the construction of further wind, battery and solar projects with a total capacity of 2.9 gigawatts (GW). These include the offshore wind projects Nordseecluster in Germany and OranjeWind in the Netherlands. A total of 10.2 GW of new capacity is currently under construction.

See also what EDP does: “Investment plan of 17 billion € in the energy transition by 2026”

Green electricity production reached a record level of 26 terawatt hours (TWh) in the first half of 2024. 45% of the power generated by RWE came from renewable sources. At the same time, RWE has further reduced its CO2 emissions significantly, by 27% compared to the first half of 2023.

Business development in the first half of 2024 by segment

Offshore Wind: Adjusted EBITDA in the Offshore Wind segment amounted to €828 million, compared to €762 million in the first half of 2023. The increase in earnings is mainly due to improved wind conditions compared to the previous year.

Onshore Wind/Solar: The Onshore Wind/Solar segment recorded adjusted EBITDA of €730 million compared to €519 million in the first half 2023. The positive earnings development is due to the commissioning of new capacity and the recognition of the business activities of Con Edison Clean Energy Businesses in the US for the full six months. In addition, RWE realised higher electricity prices than in 2023 – above all in the US – and benefited from more favourable weather conditions.

Flexible Generation: Adjusted EBITDA of the Flexible Generation segment decreased to €1,014 million in the first half of 2024 from €1,949 million in the prior-year period. The margins on electricity forward sales and income from the short-term optimisation of power plant dispatch fell short of the exceptionally high level recorded last year.

Supply & Trading: At €318 million, the segment’s adjusted EBITDA was significantly below the previous year’s figure of €799 million. Performance was below the extraordinarily high level of 2023.

As of fiscal 2024, RWE has pooled the lignite-fired power generation business and the nuclear decommissioning activities as ‘Phaseout Technologies’ and has been managing them based on adjusted cash flows. This business is no longer included in adjusted EBITDA, adjusted EBIT and adjusted net income. (hcn)





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The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is providing a sovereign-guaranteed loan of up to €28 million to Crnogorski Elektroprenosni Sistem (CGES) for the upgrade of the electrical substation Brezna in north-western Montenegro.

The project is highly significant as it will allow to integrate 400 MW of renewable energy into the national grid, thereby helping the country to decarbonise its economy. Moreover, it will reduce transmission losses by 13 GWh/year and secure a safe and reliable electricity supply in Montenegro as well as in the region by further strengthening the Trans-Balkan corridor which connects countries in the region to Italy and the EU.

Bring the facility`s capacity up to 400/110 kV

The works involve installing two power transformers and connecting them to the national transmission network via the new Lastva – Pljevlja transmission line.
The new transformers will bring the facility’s capacity up to 400/110 kV and means that a large number of renewable energy power plants can be connected with the Brezna substation, presently in the preliminary stages of development by private entities.

Also see: More PV and wind to save Balkan rivers

The Brezna substation is an important part of the Montenegrin electric transmission system as it connects the 400 kV Cevo – Pljevlja 2 transmission line with the country’s existing power grid to form a 400 kV ring. It also lays the groundwork for a prospective power link to Sarajevo, an initiative supported by the EBRD that is in the preliminary planning stages.

Reform of the electricity market – level playing field for renewables

The European Union is providing a technical assistance grant of €1.05 million from the Western Balkans Investment Framework (WBIF) to develop the feasibility study, an environmental and social impact assessment, and the preliminary design. The EBRD’s Shareholder Special Fund has contributed €90,000.

As part of the project the EBRD and the EU will provide capacity building opportunities and create guidelines where needed so that the regulators and other key local stakeholders can work effectively with CGES in making the electricity market in Montenegro a level playing field for renewable energy.

Also interesting: EBRD supports renewables in Romania and Moldova

The EBRD is also helping CGES obtain a WBIF investment grant for this project. A decision is expected in December. Since the EBRD began operations in Montenegro in 2007 it has invested €846 million in 88 projects. The Bank’s priority for the country is to support private sector competitiveness, the green transition and further integration into regional and global markets. (hcn)





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