AGL plans 250MW pumped hydro plant in SA to replace gas

Old Kanmantoo mine planned for pumped hydro (Source: RenewEconomy)

“AGL Energy, the owner of the biggest gas generation fleet in South Australia, has announced plans to build a massive 250MW/2000MWh pumped hydro energy storage project in an old copper mine about 55km south-east of Adelaide.”

“The company said on Tuesday [April 16] that it has agreed to pay $31 million for the rights to develop the pumped hydro project at the old Kanmantoo mine from Hillgrove Resources, using the existing open mine pit, with a new upper pond to be built on nearby land.”

“South Australia is already sourcing more than half its energy needs from wind and solar, and this is expected to grow as it adds yet more projects – to more than 70 per cent by 2021 and close to 100 per cent as early as 2026/27.” As this transition occurs, gas fired power stations will be retired.

Read more: AGL plans 250MW pumped hydro plant in South Australia as replacement for gas. RenewEconomy, April 16, 2019.

Australia’s MagniX propulsion system chosen for Eviation’s electric aircraft

Eviation Alice (Source: Renew Economy.

Australian-based electric flight propulsion tech innovator MagniX has been selected by fellow flight innovator Eviation to provide propulsion units for its 9-seater electric plane – to be known as Alice.

For both Eviation and MagniX, the focus is on medium-haul routes, ideal for regional flights. The Alice aircraft, which will begin testing later this year and will be able to handle distances of up to 1,000km on a single charge.

That range would enable the Alice to serve many existing air routes and make new connections via smaller, underserved airports. The Alice will have three pusher propellers – one behind its “V” tail and one each at the wingtips.

Read more: Australia’s magniX chosen to power Eviation electric aircraft. The Driven, April 22, 2019.

“Tesla launches battery recycling at Nevada Gigafactory”

Tesla Nevada Gigafactory. (Green Car Reports)

“In its latest environmental impact statement, Tesla announced that it will open its own battery recycling facility.

Tesla has been recycling batteries made at the factory using third-party recyclers. Now, as the earliest Model Ses reach 7 years old, and the company is starting to receive some batteries back after use in those early cars, it's setting up its own battery recycling facility.”

“The new processing center at the company's Gigafactory in Sparks, Nevada is to process both old batteries used in customers' Teslas as well as those from its own research and development.

The company says lithium, cobalt, aluminum, copper, and steel will be recovered from the batteries in a closed-loop system that optimizes the materials for new battery production.

It also says it expects to save money producing new batteries from the recycled materials, rather than buying new minerals for its batteries.”

Read more at: Tesla launches battery recycling at Nevada Gigafactory. Green Car Reports, April 16, 2019.

See also:

- BMW sets up end-to-end battery recycling in Europe. Green Car Reports, October 19, 2018.

- Australia’s first lithium battery recycling plant launched together with e-waste processing plan. Using Renewables, May 3, 2018.

Making aluminium is costly so please recycle and buy recycled

Recycled aluminium foil and golf ball size foil for recycling (photo: J May)

Making aluminium uses a tremendous amount of energy and its mining causes environmental damage. Therefore it is important to Reduce, Reuse and Recycle aluminium and to buy the resulting recycled aluminium. All forms of aluminium can be recycled and it is a valuable recycled product.

Aluminium foil is recognised if it squashes into a ball. Collect the foil (from Easter eggs, etc.) and form into a golf ball size, so it does not slip through the cracks in the recycling sorting depot.

Aluminium comes from the ore bauxite which is strip-mined in tropical and subtropical locations. This means that a lot of original vegetation is destroyed as strip-mining destroys large areas of land. In Australia, topsoil, logs and rocks are set aside. After the bauxite is removed the sites are rehabilitated with the topsoil, logs and rocks followed by planting and seeding. (Bauxite Mining, Australian Aluminium Council Ltd). The soil level is now lower, the vegetation is altered and toxins arise from bauxite dust and water leaching. (What Aluminium Extraction Really Does to the Environment).

The manufacture of aluminium from bauxite is an expensive and energy intensive exercise, using so much electricity that, in some cases, whole coal plants have been devoted to aluminium smelters. So please reduce aluminium use, recycle it and buy recycled aluminium.

London’s Ultra Low Emission Zone has come into effect

Source: ABC-Action-News

To help improve air quality in London, an Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) started operating on April 8 for 24/7 every day of the year within the same area of central London as the Congestion Charge. Most vehicles, including cars, vans and motorbikes need to meet the ULEZ emissions standards or their drivers must pay a daily charge to drive within the zone. The Daily Charge:
- £12.50 (A$23) for most vehicle types, including cars, motorcycles and vans (up to and including 3.5 tonnes).
- £100 (A$183) for heavier vehicles, including lorries (over 3.5 tonnes) and buses/coaches (over 5 tonnes).

ULEZ Emission Standards follow the European Emission Standards (NOx = nitrogen oxides, PM = particulate matter):
- Euro 3 for motorbikes, mopeds, motorised tricycles and quadricycles
- Euro 4 (NOx) for petrol cars, vans, minibuses and other specialist vehicles
- Euro 6 (NOx & PM) for diesel cars, vans and minibuses and other specialist vehicles
- Euro VI (NOx & PM) for lorries, buses and coaches and other specialist heavy vehicles.
See also European Emission Standards (Wikipedia).

For more information see: https://tfl.gov.uk/modes/driving/ultra-low-emission-zone

“Renewable energy now accounts for a third of global power capacity”

Source: Renew Economy

“The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) announced [on Apr 2, 2019] that 171GW of new renewable energy capacity was installed in 2018, a 7.9% annual increase, and helping renewable energy into a position to provide a third of global power capacity.”

“Solar energy saw the biggest increase again in 2018, adding 94 GW of new capacity, an increase of 24% – dominated by Asia which saw growth of 64 GW, led by China, India, Japan, and South Korea. Other major increases in 2018 were seen in the United States, which installed 8.4 GW of new capacity, Australia, which added 3.8 GW, and Germany, adding 3.6 GW.”

“The wind energy sector installed 49 GW of new capacity, an increase of 10%. China and the United States continued to dominate here, installing 20 GW and 7 GW respectively, while other countries which saw increases of over 1 GW included Brazil, France, Germany, India, and the United Kingdom.”

“Hydropower capacity increased by 21 GW, an increase of only 2%, while bioenergy increased by 6 GW, an increase of 5%. Overall, hydropower accounts for the largest share of renewable energy capacity around the globe, with a total of 1,172 GW – approximately half of the globe’s renewable energy capacity – followed by wind energy with 564 GW and solar energy with 480 GW.”

Read more at: Renewable energy now accounts for a third of global power capacity. Renew Economy, April 3, 2019.

Jaguar to produce and sell classic E-type coupe with an electric powerchain

E-type Jaguar (Green Car Reports)

“Jaguar announced [last year] that it plans to produce and sell classic E-type coupes, similar to the one that carried Prince Harry and Meghan Markle from Windsor Castle to their wedding reception, starting in 2020—complete with its electric powertrain.”

“The beautiful coupes are based off the E-type Zero concept shown last year and won't actually be new; the production two-seaters are original Jaguar E-types restored at the company's Classic Works center and converted to electric power. …….Jaguar says the electric E-type will use technology from Jaguar's latest electric production car, the I-Pace SUV.”

“The company will build the electric E-types at its Classic Works restoration shop alongside other classic Jaguars. The company said the E-type Zero could be among other classics restored with electric powertrains from the classic center.”

Read more at: Royal couple’s electric Jaguar E-type Zero coupe will go into production. Green Car Reports, August 23, 2018.