Artificial Intelligence, Blockchain Powered Microgrid Pilots Renewables Trading in Port of Rotterdam, Netherlands

The new microgrid electricity trading platform was jointly developed by S&P Global Platts and Blocklab, the Port of Rotterdam’s blockchain subsidiary. In the two months of operation to date, it has brought both reduced electricity costs and increased renewables use. The platform named Distro draws on both artificial intelligence and blockchain’s distributed ledger technology to enable commercial energy consumers in the port to actively trade renewable energy derived from solar and battery storage to manage their power consumption. The trial, claimed to be the world’s first high-frequency decentralised energy market, commenced in August 2020 in the Port of Rotterdam’s Innovation Dock. The platform provides every market participant with an AI enabled ‘energy trading agent’ software tool that learns their energy needs, preferences and behaviours. The trial provided the participating buyers and sellers with a 48 hour forward market with access to dynamic local energy prices reflecting the supply and demand balances. With the technology, the energy consumers reduced their costs by 11%, while the renewable producers saw a 14% improvement in their revenues. The trial also demonstrated 92% consumption of on-site solar generation, overcoming historic wastages, and a 20% increase in battery storage return on investment.

Read more:  https://bit.ly/2SsqH26

Source:Click here

Ørsted and Yara Develop Green Ammonia Project in Netherlands

Ørsted and Yara have joined forces in developing a pioneering project, aiming to replace fossil hydrogen with renewable hydrogen in the production of ammonia. The plan has the potential to abate more than 100,000 tonnes of CO2, equivalent to taking 50,000 conventional cars off the road. The two companies will develop a 100 MW wind–powered electrolyser plant for renewable hydrogen production. Their aim is to replace fossil–based hydrogen with renewable hydrogen for ammonia production in Yara's Sluiskil plant, located in the Dutch province of Zeeland.

The renewable hydrogen would generate around 75,000 tonnes of green ammonia (approximately 10% capacity of one of the ammonia plants in Sluiskil) based on dedicated renewable energy supply from Ørsted's offshore wind farms. Ørsted is about to inaugurate its Borssele 1 & 2 offshore wind farm, the second biggest in the world, located off the coast of Zeeland close to the Sluiskil plant. The green ammonia is intended to be used in the production of carbon neutral fertilizer products, decarbonising the food value chain. It also has potential as a future climate neutral shipping fuel.

With its abundant offshore wind resources and large hydrogen consumption centres in coastal areas, the Netherlands are well-positioned to lead the way in green transformation of heavy industry powered by offshore wind. In addition to securing the competitiveness of key industrial sectors and creating economic activity and jobs, this project can be a milestone on the hydrogen roadmap of the Smart Delta Resources cluster in Zeeland, and an important step in the scaling of renewable hydrogen in the Netherlands towards 3 – 4 GW by 2030.

Read more: https://bit.ly/2Sxdepx

Source:Click here

Australian Gold Mine Goes 50% Renewable-Powered with Addition of Battery Storage

A lithium-ion battery energy storage system (BESS) supplied by French manufacturer and system integrator Saft has enabled a gold mine in Australia to meet more than 50% of its energy demand with renewable energy. Power station operating company EDL has implemented what is already thought to be Australia’s biggest microgrid operating on hybrid renewable sources - combining wind and solar - along with gas/diesel engines for backup. The system has a combined capacity of 56MW including 13MW of battery storage and is at Agnew Gold Mine, Western Australia, owned and operated by mining company Gold Fields.

The 13 MW / 4 MWh battery storage system, based on six containerized Saft Intensium Max+ 20M megawatt-scale battery storage units allows EDL’s microgrid to integrate variable renewable energy including 4MW of solar and 18MW of wind while maintaining power quality. It is also thought to be the first Australian mine microgrid to incorporate wind power. It also uses a 21 MW thermal power engine.

Read more: https://bit.ly/2Z2CCY6

Source:Click here

California Targets Nearly $400M to Fill Gaps in EV Charging Infrastructure

Key Highlights: CEC’s clean transportation plan will direct $133 million for light-duty EV charging systems, and another $130 million for infrastructure for zero-emissions medium and heavy-duty vehicles.

The California Energy Commission (CEC) is putting a “down-payment” of $384 million over the next three years on the electric vehicle charging and zero-emissions vehicle infrastructure needed to meet Gov. Gavin Newsom’s pledge to end sales of new gasoline powered cars by 2035. CEC’s clean transportation plan will direct $133 million for light-duty EV charging systems, and another $130 million for infrastructure for zero-emissions medium and heavy-duty vehicles, most of its electric charging. Another $70 million will go toward hydrogen refueling infrastructure, and $25 million for “zero-and near-zero carbon fuel production and supply,” to meet the need for alternatives to battery-powered vehicles in the decades to come.

Read More: https://bit.ly/37eQ2VY

Source:Click here

LG CNS to Lead Smart City Development in Sejong

Key Highlights: The total cost of the project scheduled to be completed in April 2023 is 2.5 trillion.

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and the Korea Land and Housing Corp. announced on October 8, 2020 that the Sejong O1 consortium led by LG CNS has been selected as the preferred bidder for the Sejong smart city project. The project is to build a smart city in a 2.74 million square meter area in Hapgang-ri, Sejong City. The total cost of the project scheduled to be completed in April 2023 is 2.5 trillion. The city is expected to come with smart IT services such as autonomous driving, telemedicine, smart education, drone-based delivery and smart traffic light control.

Read More: https://bit.ly/37exHs4

Source:Click here

Hitachi ABB Power Grids Launches Transformer Digitalization Ecosystem

Hitachi ABB Power Grids is launching the TXpert Ecosystem for the digitalization of transformers. The ecosystem is designed to drive data-driven intelligence and decision making in the operations and maintenance of transformers and power grids. It is a complete suite of products, software, services, and solutions that work together and have the capability to integrate with new and existing digital equipment from other manufacturers. Using TXpert Ecosystem solutions for digital asset management of bushings, the real-time status of the bushing health can be monitored and corrective action taken before failure probability becomes high. At the heart of the ecosystem is the TXpert Hub from Hitachi ABB Power Grids – a data monitoring and diagnostics device that also provides connectivity.

Read More: https://bit.ly/3lT5QS3

Source:Click here

UK Energy Company Develops First-of-its-kind EV Charging Technology System

Key Highlights: ZPN Energy’s new energy network technology is the first of its kind using the new Open Charge Point Protocol (OCPP 2.0.1), which paves the way for universal contactless charge points for all-electric vehicles.

Coventry-based energy tech company ZPN Energy has become the first business to develop technology using the new standard for electric charging infrastructure. ZPN Energy’s new energy network technology is the first of its kind using the new Open Charge Point Protocol (OCPP 2.0.1), which paves the way for universal contactless charge points for all electric vehicles. OCPP 2.0.1 also enables a number of other benefits, including integration of renewable technology, payment processing and better security and device control. The company’s smart technology can also be used in commercial or domestic property, utilizing green energy tariffs to store and use energy at the optimum levels.

Read More: https://bit.ly/352mO9S

Source:Click here

Germany looks to Blockchain to help Decentralize their Energy Economy

The Deutsche Energie-Agentur, also known as DENA, the main governmental group responsible for energy innovation in Germany is looking to move its energy ecosystem to a decentralized database. Working with over 20 other crypto and blockchain entities, Energy Web will build a distributed energy resource database for Germany at the request of DENA. Germany’s energy innovation wing, combined with Energy Web and numerous blockchain and crypto companies, essentially want to digitize the country’s energy system by storing necessary components on a decentralized database.

Built for the next generation of energy ecosystems, Energy Web’s open-source blockchain-based decentralized operating system, called EW-DOS, holds as a key component of the new decentralized database’s test model. The project, however, plans to utilize multiple blockchains, and include technology from KILT Protocol and Parity Substrate — which come from BOTLabs and Parity Technologies respectively.

Read more: https://bit.ly/3dwmLqJ

Source:Click here

World-first Robotics Technology being developed for Wind Turbine Maintenance

British consortium is pioneering new technology to boost the maintenance capabilities of the industry coinciding with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s recent announcement of plans for offshore wind to power every home in the country by 2030

A lightweight robot capable of carrying out an X-ray maintenance survey of wind turbines - offshore and onshore - is being developed to help make the wind power industry operate more efficiently in Britain. Forth Engineering, in Cumbria, together with a consortium of industrial and academic partners - Innvotek, TWI, ORE Catapult, Renewable Advice and London South Bank University - are developing the RADBLAD technology, which should be able to complete a full X-ray survey of a Vestas V47 size turbine and all its blades in just a few hours. The businesses and organisations involved have a wide range of expertise in robotic development and manufacture, radiography development, and AI algorithm software development. The innovation is in line with the UK government’s policy of increasing renewable power to bring all greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2050.

There has already been a significant growth in installed wind power capacity within the last decade, especially in offshore wind power in the UK which is the world’s sixth largest producer of wind power. This growth has also meant a higher level of maintenance required across the industry with more wind turbines and more blades needing to be checked for faults.At the moment one of the ways surveys are carried out is manually by maintenance engineers climbing the wind turbine and its blades with rope access.

Read more: https://bit.ly/2T2Ekp4

Source:Click here

Russia’s State Atomic Energy Corporation, Rosatom launches Lithium Battery Storage business unit

Nuclear technology company Rosatom, Russia’s biggest electricity provider and the country’s supplier of nuclear fuel for power plants, has opened an energy storage business unit based around lithium-ion batteries. The state corporation - State Atomic Energy Corporation Rosatom to give it its full name - said last week that it has completed incorporation of the energy storage business development arm, to be called RENERA. RENERA was previously Cathode Materials LLC, an enterprise company launched by Rosatom’s nuclear fuel cycle company TVEL. Rosatom said the new unit will develop and trade module type lithium-ion traction batteries. In addition to electric vehicle (EV) industry segments, the company will focus on energy storage systems for applications including emergency power supply, renewable energy and smoothing load demand on the grid.

Rosatom called lithium-ion batteries one of the most cost-efficient and technologically advanced solutions for intralogistics, as well as describing lithium-ion traction batteries as explosion-proof, environmentally-friendly and said that the modules are sealed and do not require maintenance.

Read more: https://bit.ly/376Pp0m

Source:Click here

Christian Buchel re- appointed as the E.DSO Chair for a New Two-Year Term

European Distribution System Operators (E.DSO) Board of Directors re-elected Christian Buchel as E.DSO Chair for  another two-year term on the 15^th of October 2020. Five Vice-Chairs of the E.DSO Association have also been reappointed or appointed for the next two years: João Torres, Armando Martínez Martínez, Joachim Schneider, Franz Strempfl and Mindaugas Keizeris.

It is an honour and privilege for me to continue my journey as chair of E.DSO, an Association that in just a decade has become an impressive force and community of leading the DSO companies in Europe said Christian Buchel. Buchel further quoted  'I affirm my strongest commitment to continue our intensive work together with European Colleagues in the usual trustful, open and transparent way.' Christian Buchel whose carrier has spanned the entire value chain of the electricity industry is a member of the management board and director for clients and territories and Europe at Enedis. He previously served the association as Vice-Chair and has been E.DSO Chair since 2017.

Framework Of Future Co-Operation Memorandum Of Understanding Global Smart Energy Federation And Association Of Power Utilities Of Africa

APUA is the Association of Power Utilities of Africa, formerly known as UPDEA (Union of Producers, Conveyors and Distributors of Electrical Energy in Africa) formed of 56 member utilities within 46 counties in Africa. It was established in the year 1970 with headquarters in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire. APUA is a non-profit, non-governmental continental organization. APUA is a Member of AFREC Executive Council and Permanent Member of the Council and Management Committee of AFSEC (African Electro-technical Standardization Commission). APUA’s vision (adopted at the Durban Congress in June 2002) is to be the “main catalyst for the realization of access to electricity for all the peoples of Africa”.

In 2012, APUA adopted a mission which is "to bring together African electricity companies and stakeholders in order to make electric energy more accessible, affordable and reliable for African populations”.

The overall objective of the MOU is to launch the creation of a long-term partnership between APUA and GSEF, with the view to develop and implement cooperation programs between members.

The main objective of the APUA and GSEF partnership is to Improve the Development of Smart Grids of African Power Sector.

Specific synergies have been identified in the following areas:

• Conducting studies to identify grid, mini-grid and off grid solutions to provide affordable and reliable energy access.
• Exchange experiences in the data collection, processing, database management and dissemination mechanism to facilitate policy and strategic planning in order to develop smart grids implementation projects
• Organize interregional congress and seminars in issues relevant for their members
• Cooperate in the capacity building and the training of human resources, particularly in virtual training and other e-learning programs.
• Jointly identify opportunities in respective regions which offer the potential to meet the three sustainable energy goals faster and at lower costs.
• Jointly assist electric utilities in Africa to formulate smart grid roadmaps that could guide them in systematic and phase-wise grid modernization to enhance energy access and integration of renewable energy resources and electric vehicles.    

The MOU will be signed during the next APUA congress to be held in June 2021 in Dakar Sénégal. The implementation of specific programs and projects under the MOU will be developed through Annual Work Plans. The first work plan will start in 2021.

Article By: Marc Boillot Ambassador for Europe and Africa (Francophone), GSEF.

ICEF-Top 10 Innovations

About

Innovation for Cool Earth Forum's "Top 10 Innovations" is an event to select the most notable among recent innovative developments in energy and climate change mitigation. By examining the field "Top 10 Innovations" will provide the latest snapshot of technology development and diffusion with the potential to transform society in the fields of energy and environment. The event helps us to understand the state and trends of innovations in each respective area, and helps find areas where further efforts are needed in the future.

ICEF 2020 WINNERS 

Electromobility in Grids: Interview with Marc Petit

Marc Petit, Professor at Centrale Supélec and member of the Scientific Council of Think Smartgrids, is the lead author of the Global Smart Energy Federation (GSEF) report "Electromobility in Smart grids: State of the Art and Challenging Issues ". In the report, Prof Petit discussed the challenges of electromobility in France and around the world.

Where does France stand today on these issues of Electromobility and their integration into electricity grids?

Today, the active integration of electric vehicles into electric grids (notably through the use of their batteries) is no longer just a subject for laboratory or experimentation: these are technologies that are developing rapidly. France is contributing to this development, with stakeholders in electric networks and mobility present in France and abroad. These include PSA, Renault, Bouygues Energies & Services, Siemens, EDF and Engie, as well as collaborations with Enedis, such as the aVEnir project. The French Energy Regulatory Commission is also interested in the subject: it published in 2018 a report giving guidelines for electric mobility integration, some of which are intended to facilitate the connection of two-way terminals that would allow power to be injected from electric vehicles into the grid. Thus, we can see that the French sector is dynamic on these subjects, which no longer only brings together academic laboratories and startups, but also major players in the field.

What is the situation in other countries?

Some countries are currently in more advanced stages. This is the case of the United States, which is doing a lot of experimentation, with different types of fleets such as electric buses. We can talk about the NUVVE company, specialized in vehicle-to-grid (V2G), which is currently carrying out projects in Europe, notably through the creation of DREEV with EDF.

What are the challenges for players in the French ecosystem?

We can consider three of them. First, the problem of standardization. Secondly, we still need to define appropriate regulations to allow power to be injected into the network from electric vehicles. Finally, there is the problem of finding a good business model that will make equipment or infrastructure costs profitable: the organization of markets and network services must be compatible with V2G equipment and vehicles. More generally, this involves making the most of flexibility in electrical systems. These are issues that the players in the sector need to work on.

GBCI Announces New Safety First Pilot Credits for PEER Rating System in Response to COVID-19 Pandemic

Today, Green Business Certification Inc. (GBCI), the premier organization independently recognizing excellence in green business industry performance and practice globally, announced the release of Safety First Pilot Credits for its PEER rating system in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

PEER (Performance Excellence in Electricity Renewal) promotes best practices and establishes performance measures that enhances power system performance to make it more reliable, resilient and efficient. To ensure that the electrical systems are operated safely during re-occupancy or restarting of equipment post-pandemic, PEER has introduced the Safety First Pilot credits for all cities, utilities, campuses, and transit projects.

PEER pilot credits are a group of credits which are designed to test new innovative strategies that bring out sustainable power system design and/or facilitate introduction of new credits to PEER. These credits are not part of the current version of the rating system and can be used in the PEER Innovation credit category. These credits are awarded based on project teams attempting and achieving the credit requirements. The credits may change as feedback is received.

PEER Safety First Pilot Credit 1: Electrical System Operations, Management and Safety (for Cities and Utilities, and Campuses)

There’s a lot of uncertainty, on restarting operations during the ongoing phase and post-COVID work environment. In this regard, Cities, Utilities, and Campuses are looking for guidance on how to restart their operations and how to reduce their impact due to COVID-19.

It is the need of the hour to implement safety procedures as listed in the PEER’s safety first pilot credit 1 on re-starting the power system and other electrical equipments with special focus on the health and hygiene measures, more than ever.

PEER Safety First Pilot Credit 2: Electrical System Operations, Management and Safety (for Transit)

With the easing of COVID-19 restrictions, some governments throughout the world have planned or planning to reopen public transport systems as people would return to work, school, and other leisure activities. Still, many cities are struggling with the safe operation of transit systems and also, passengers seem reluctant to travel in masses.

PEER’s safety first pilot credit 2 provides guidance on the strategy and measures that transit operators should implement to prevent the spread of COVID-19 both in trains and stations, and also lists the safety procedures that transit projects should follow, especially in recommissioning any electrical system post pandemic, in order to prevent damage to electrical equipments.

PEER Safety First Pilot Credit 3: Accelerate Digital Transformation (for Cities and Utilities, and Campuses)

As we navigate from current work environment towards a remote way of working, we want to help all employees to be:

• Safe & Healthy, and
• Digitally Prepared

So, projects can leverage digital technologies which are capable to deliver decisive advances in customer experience, and operational efficiency across power system operations. Digital transformation should drive positive outcomes for all project types which will enhance the power system performance.

PEER’s safety first pilot credit 3 promotes best digital practices that reduce manual operations and enhance data driven control and optimization of electrical equipments, as intelligence and meaningful data availability have historically been key factors in bringing about paradigm shifts, and there is vast promise in what digitalization can bring to the power ecosystem.

The requirements outlined in these Pilot credits are some of the best practices that facilities should consider implementing at any time (not restricted to episodic events such as the COVID-19 pandemic) for safe operation of electrical equipments and to promote health and safety of their personnel.  Please see the Pilot Credit Language in the PEER Resources page for more details on the requirements.

Contact us at peer@gbci.org with any questions on these pilot credits.