Portugal is taking an early lead in renewables to such an extent that for the month of March it produced 4.3% more renewable electricity, at 4,812 GWh, than its total electricity consumption of 4,647 GWh. Perhaps more impressively, Portugal put up these numbers in the face of a massive 9.7% year over year increase in electricity consumption versus 2017.
In the last couple of years, there has been a growing a number of news articles and blog posts published about energy storage, particularly in the form of battery systems. This interest is very reasonable and the news is exciting because these systems can fill in wind power and solar power electricity production gaps. In many places, they could replace gas-powered peaker plants.
Australian energy company AGL has announced plans to close the 2 gigawatt coal-fired Liddell Power Station and replace it with at least 1.6 gigawatts of renewable energy, battery storage, and demand response.
A new report published last week by the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Energy Storage concludes that installing 12 gigawatts of battery storage is achievable in the United Kingdom by the end of 2021, but that a “medium” target of 8 gigawatts is more likely.
Pintail Power offers a new technology that combines solar power, conventional steam generators, and molten salt storage to take the duck curve.
The Australian Government is moving forward with plans to investigate the possibility of constructing a second Basslink interconnector between Tasmania and the mainland in a move which could bring to reality dreams of turning the country’s southern-most state into the “battery of Australia.”
New research from the Alternative Technology Association has showed that Australia could transition to a fully renewable energy electricity grid by 2030, which would be cheaper and less risky than building new coal-fired power stations.
IRENA projects that the cost of batteries for stationary energy storage systems could drop by as much as two-thirds by 2030, and if the global share of renewables doubles by 2030, energy storage capacity could triple.
Solar and wind power are slashing the cost of electricity in Australia and driving coal and natural gas out of business. That’s a good thing for the country and an even better thing for the planet.
GE Renewable Energy has landed the contract to supply and build the 344 MW Kokhav Hayarden hydro pumped storage station in Israel, which is expected to help stabilize the country’s electricity grid.
