Kenya plans to reach 100 percent renewable electricity by 2020

Lake Turkana Wind Farm (Source: Lake Turkana Wind Power)

Kenya has just launched Africa’s largest wind farm, the massive 310 MW Lake Turkana wind farm with 365 wind turbines on the eastern shores of the lake and located in a natural wind corridor. This wind farm brings Kenya’s renewable energy close to its goal of 100 percent renewable electricity by 2020. The country already gets much of its electricity from hydro and geothermal power plants.

Kenya has increased its nationwide electrification from 28% in 2013 to over 60% in 2017, and is on track to achieve 80% electrification by 2020. It was reported that currently six million homes, that is, 69.4 percent of the population have electricity grid connection. In addition, 9 million homes have access to off-grid renewable electricity and this figure is expected to increase in the near future.

Read more:
- Kenya moves closer to 100% renewables with completion of Africa’s biggest wind farm. RenewEconomy, July 23 2019.
- Lake Turkana Wind Power: https://ltwp.co.ke/

South Australia aims to have 100% ‘net’ renewable electricty by 2030

SA's Tesla big battery and wind farm (source RenewEconomy)

The South Australian (SA) Liberal government says it expects the state to reach ‘net’ 100 percent renewable electricity by 2030. Its grid will have interconnectors to other Australian grids which will allow energy to be imported but mostly exported.

SA’s grid will be supported by solar, wind, pumped hydro, big batteries, other storage, and gas and diesel fast start capacity to ensure reliability. Much of the time the wind, solar and storage energy will be in excess, so SA will be a renewable energy exporter interstate and maybe overseas. It is expected that the amount of fossil fuel generation will be minimal.

For example the first big battery to be installed, the Hornsdale Power Reserve’s Tesla big battery, performed very well in its first year by providing very fast back up to 'trips' in power in SA and the eastern states helping to keep the lights on. SA has and will be adding more batteries and other storage to its grid.

Read more:
- South Australia’s stunning aim to become “net” 100 per cent renewables by 2030. RenewEconomy, June 17 2019.
- How the Tesla big battery became the “heartbeat” of Australia’s main grid. RenewEconomy, December 5 2018.

German researchers make kerosene from sunlight, water and CO₂

Source: RenewEconomy

“Marking “groundbreaking progress,” a German pilot project has made kerosene using concentrated sunlight, water and CO₂ for the first time, according to the German Aerospace Center (DLR), which is a partner in the SUN-to-LIQUID project and also operates the Institute of Solar Research.

“The demonstration of this technology could have large effects on the transport sector, especially for aviation and shipping, that will remain dependent on liquid fuels for long distances,” said project coordinator Andreas Sizmann.”...... From RenewEconomy.

Read more:
- German pilot project produces kerosene from sunlight, water and CO₂ for first time. RenewEconomy, June 14 2019.
- Gasoline from solar and wind power: Zero carbon doesn't assure clean or efficient. GreenCarReports, August 2, 2019.

Plastic bottle tops recycled into near pure reusable plastic

Un-recycled plastic tops in this artwork by Mary Ellen Croteau (The Fifth Estate)

“The humble plastic bottle cap – scourge of waterways and a constant puzzle in terms of the recycling bin (must we take it off? Does it go in the same bin? Does it really get recycled?) is an example of the potential growth, jobs and profits waiting to be generated by the new economy.

Consumer goods giant Proctor & Gamble has invented a process for recycling the polypropylene caps into near virgin-quality reusable plastic. The technology has been made open source to enable global take-up, and a new company, PureCycle Technologies founded to put the process into practice in the USA.” …… From The Fifth Estate.

Continue reading: Bottle caps launch a green bond. The Fifth Estate, June 13 2019.