U.S., UK and EU to end public finance for fossil fuels

Coal-fired power plant (Source: change.org)

In late January, President Biden put out an executive order which directs federal agencies to eliminate fossil fuel subsidies, including coal, and to spur "innovation, commercialisation, and deployment of clean energy technologies and infrastructure" (CleanTechnica). Biden has signalled that part of his administration's focus will be cutting off international public finance for new fossil fuel projects (Coal Wire).

This announcement from the United States (U.S.) comes on the heels of similar commitments from the United Kingdom (UK) and the European Union (EU). For example, it is estimated that the U.S. directs fossil fuel subsidies of around $20 billion per year of which 20% goes to coal and 80% to natural gas and crude oil. The EU fossil fuel subsidies are estimated to be around 55 billion euros annually (CleanTechnica).

If the US, UK and EU join forces to end the tens of billions of dollars per year in public finance for fossil fuels internationally they can work together to make this a reality by the UN Climate Summit in Glasgow this November (Oil Change International). This is huge!

References: 

- CleanTechnica: Biden orders end to fossil fuel subsidies, promotes equity for underserved communities, January 28, 2021 

- Coal Wire Editorial, 354, January 29, 2021 

- Oil Change International: http://priceofoil.org/2021/01/27/biden-order-international-finance/

- Biden's climate agenda: is this the beginning of the end for fossil fuels? BBC News, January 31, 2021.

Nissan dealers in the UK to provide EVs with green-flash number plates

 

Source: CleanTechnica

“Nissan dealers [in the UK] are preparing for the arrival of a new kind of numberplate this autumn.

The plates are being brought in especially for electric vehicles and have an eye-catching green flash on the left-hand side to highlight the fact that EVs are emission-free.

As 70-plate models are introduced at Nissan dealers, trial green number plates have been fitted to show electric vehicle customers how they could look when they hit the road later this year.

The initiative was announced by Transport Secretary, Grant Shapps, in June as part of a wider plan to drive a ‘green economic recovery’ after the turmoil caused by the coronavirus pandemic.” 

Read more: New Nissan plates to identify emission-free cars in UK. CleanTechnica, August 28, 2020.

UK relaxes rules to allow more storage on the grid that makes way for “liquid air” storage

Highview Power cryogenic energy storage system

As the UK moves to net zero emissions by 2050 it is going to need much more battery storage to stabilise the grid as the number of solar and wind energy plants increase. So much so, the government is to relax the planning laws to make it easier to develop larger battery storage systems. The legislation will be introduced to remove barriers for storage projects above 50MW (megawatts) in England and 350MW in Wales. 

This will allow the UK company Highview Power (and others) to plan to build much larger electricity storage systems. Highview Power makes cryogenic storage plants that use [renewable] electricity to cool air to a liquid and store it in insulated tanks. The liquid air is then warmed by stored heat from the process to expand the gas 700 times to drive turbines which can add electricity back to the grid when required. 

The advantage of this system over chemical batteries is that it can be stored for days and can supply power for an extended period of time whereas chemical batteries can only supply power for a short period of time. Also, most of the materials and infrastructure needed are easy to obtain so the manufacture of this cryogenic battery is simple and possibly more sustainable (i.e. does not need rare metals). 

Video of Highview Power Cryogenic Energy Storage System 

Read more: 

- UK hopes to ramp up battery storage and boost renewables by loosening planning rules. CNBC, July 15 2020.  

– Highview Power to build Europe’s largest battery storage system. The Chemical Engineer, November 29, 2019. 

– Highview Power to build UK’s first “liquid air” energy storage facility. RenewEconomy, October 24, 2019. 

– Highview Power: https://highviewpower.com/.

UK solar farm's inverter provides an overnight reactive power service

Source: NS Energy

Lightsource BP in the UK has been trialling the first night-time reactive power from a solar farm. This was achieved by using: “Specially modified electrical inverters installed at the solar facility [which] were able to transform power taken from the grid overnight – while not in use for their usual purpose of generating power from sunlight – and then feeding back optimised voltage to the grid.”

It is a way of providing a network service and in this case it is network voltage. It is also a way of adapting to a fast changing electricity network that now has a lot of solar power in the daytime. It is calculated that such an innovation will contribute to significant cost savings and additional grid capacity. Infact, Lightsource BP says reactive power could lead to £400m in customer savings by 2050.

Read more: Lightsource BP trials UK’s first night-time reactive power from a solar farm. NS Energy, November 27, 2019.

Some countries have a date to phase out coal and a few already have high percentages of renewables

The Nesjavellir Geothermal Power Plant in Þingvellir, Iceland (Wikipedia Commons)

“In order to limit warming to 1.5°C, coal needs to go from the world's electricity generation by 2050 and in OECD countries by 2030. With an average lifetime of 40 years, any new coal plant coming online is at risk of becoming a stranded asset, as the world implements the Paris Agreement.” (The Lowdown)

The following countries have made a commitment to phase out coal power by a certain date and take up more renewable energy for electricity: - Austria by 2020 - Chile by 2040 - Finland by 2029 - France by 2021 - Germany by 2038 - Italy by 2025 - Netherlands by 2029 - Portugal by 2030 - Slovakia by 2023 - Sweden by 2022 - United Kingdom by 2025. (The Lowdown interactive tool)

Many countries have not made a date for the phase out coal, some are increasing its use and others use different fossil fuels such as oil and gas for electricity.

However, a small number of countries already have high percentages of renewable energy. They include: Iceland 100%, Paraguay 100%, Costa Rica 99%, Norway 98.5%, New Zealand ~85%, Austria 80%, Brazil 75% and Denmark 69.4%. The main renewables in these countries are hydropower, wind, geothermal and solar.

References:

- The Lowdown v1.0, Climate Analytics: http://tools.climateanalytics.org/lowdown/ , accessed September 17, 2019.

- A 100% renewable grid isn’t just feasible, it’s already happening, RenewEconomy, May 23, 2018.

- Renewable energy New Zealand Environment Guide, accessed September 17, 2019.

Modified e-cargo bike to deliver parcels for DPD in the UK

DPD's e-cargo bike (Source: The Driven)

“DPD and Electric Assisted Vehicles Limited (EAV) have launched a sustainable initiative that will see parcels delivered by the new Project 1 (P1) e-cargo bike in July 2019. Launched at the eBike Summit in Oxford, UK on April 10 [2019], the new P1 scheme focuses on neutralizing DPD’s carbon footprint through the use of e-cargo bikes in the UK.” (Parcel and Post Technology International).

The electric bike, devised in Oxfordshire, is designed to carry many parcels that can be easily accessed. Such a zero-carbon vehicle will be useful in the Ultra Low Emission Zone in London and help other UK cities reduce carbon emissions. They will also assist the UK to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2050.

Read more:
- DPD and EAV launch e-cargo bike initiative. Parcel and Post Technology International, April 16, 2019.
- Electric assisted cargo bike rethinks delivery van. The Driven, August 5, 2019.

UK government to commit to net-zero emissions by 2050

Offshore wind turbines - cheapest source of energy in the UK (Source: The Telegraph)

After a recommendation from the UK’s Committee on Climate Change in May, Prime Minister Theresa May announced that the UK government will set a target for net-zero greenhouse gas emissions (i.e. carbon neutral) by 2050. Mrs May said there was a “moral duty to leave this world in a better condition than what we inherited.”

That means greenhouse gas emissions from homes, transport, farming and industry will have to be eliminated by using renewables or - in the most difficult examples - offset by planting trees or having industries that suck CO₂ out of the atmosphere.

It is important to note that Theresa May has announced that a group of young people will be selected to advise the government on priorities for environmental action. They will start their review in July.

Britain is the first G7 nation to propose this target, it has a population close to 67 million. Other nations (and states) have more ambitious or similar targets. Some of those with plans to be carbon neutral include:
- Norway (population ~5.4 million) by 2030.
- Finland (population ~5.6 million) by 2035.
- Sweden (population ~10 million) by 2045.
- California (population ~40 million) by 2045.
- Scotland (population ~5.3 million) by 2045.
- Denmark (population ~5.8 million) by 2050.
- New Zealand (population ~4.8 million) by 2050.
- Costa Rica (population ~5 million) by 2050.
- South Australia (population ~1.7 million) by 2050.
- The Australian Capital Territory (population now ~452,500) by 2045.

Read more:
- Climate Change: UK government to commit to 2050 target. BBC News, June 12 2019.
- Theresa May’s net-zero emissions target is a lot less impressive than it looks. The Guardian, June 13 2019.
- Net zero emissions by 2050, says UK government - now what? The Conversation, June 12 2019.

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

The UK's CO₂ fell for a record sixth consecutive year in 2018

UK CO₂ Emissions 1850 to 2018 (Source: Carbon Briefs via RenewEconomy)

The Carbon Brief’s analysis shows UK’s CO₂ emissions are continuing to fall and in 2018 they fell to the lowest level since 1888, outside years with strikes (see graph above).

"The estimated 1.5% reduction was once again driven by falling coal use, down 16% compared to a year earlier, whereas oil and gas use were largely unchanged."

“Notably, coal CO₂ emissions now make up just 7% of the UK total. This small share will shrink even further as coal-fired power stations continue to close ahead of a 2025 phase out deadline. Only 5% of UK electricity generation in 2018 was from coal, a record low.”

“Since 1990, the UK has cut its emissions faster than any other major economy in the world, even as its GDP has continued to grow. Recent Carbon Brief analysis suggests reduced energy demand and a shift to cleaner sources of electricity explain most of the CO₂ reductions since 1990.”

Read more: UK shows how climate action [is] done, with cuts to emissions for six years in a row. RenewEconomy, March 6 2019.