Electrical Industry News for February 2023

Ministers of the G7 group of advanced economies recognized multiple aspects of the IEA’s work on the clean energy transition and energy security, including a recent major report on how to put carbon dioxide emissions from heavy industries such as steel and cement on a path towards net zero. After a two-day meeting in Berlin under Germany’s 2022 Presidency of the G7, Climate, Energy and Environment Ministers issued a communiqué setting out a wide range of actions to tackle &ls...

IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol met with leaders from government, industry, finance and civil society at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, this week where he highlighted the need for greater investments in the clean energy transition to address the major global challenges of energy security and climate change. “The world does not need to choose between the energy crisis and the climate crisis. We can solve both of them with the right investment,” Dr. Birol said duri...

The European Commission and the International Energy Agency are joining forces to help EU countries reduce their reliance on Russian fossil fuels. By strengthening investments in clean energy and energy efficiency, the project aims to mitigate the impact of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on the EU energy sector. Liquefied natural gas In the framework of this common endeavor, the Commission is offering support to Member States to reduce their dependence on Russian fossil fuels through the...

Policy support and flood of new models underpin sales in major markets, but greater efforts are needed to anticipate supply chain bottlenecks and boost critical mineral production. Electric car sales powered through 2021 and have remained strong so far in 2022, but ensuring future growth will demand greater efforts to diversify battery manufacturing and critical mineral supplies, in order to reduce the risks of bottlenecks and price rises, according to the International Energy Agency. Sales of...

IEA Executive Director - Fatih Birol received a visit from Mohammad Sanusi Barkindo, the Secretary General of OPEC (Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries), at the International Energy Agency (IEA) headquarters in Paris, France. During the meeting, Dr. Birol thanked Mr. Barkindo for his efforts in recent years to foster frank and open dialog between energy producers and consumers, in the interests of greater oil market stability. OPEC Secretary General visits IEA Executive Director...

New IEA report lays out recommendations to speed up technology development and overcome high costs of drastically reducing emissions from steel and cement production. G7 economies are well placed to be first movers on driving down carbon dioxide emissions from heavy industry, setting out a path for the rest of the world for this essential part of the transition to clean energy systems, according to a new report from the International Energy Agency. Achieving Net Zero Heavy Industry Sectors in...

Despite success rolling out renewables and diversifying natural gas supplies, Poland will have to redouble efforts to keep pace with new EU goals amid today’s supply challenges. Poland has made serious progress in improving the security and sustainability of its energy system in recent years. However, a major acceleration in its clean energy transition is needed to tackle the emissions resulting from coal’s dominant role in the power sector, according to the latest policy review by...

New capacity for generating electricity from solar, wind, and other renewables increased to a record level worldwide in 2021 and will grow further as governments increasingly seek to take advantage of renewables’ energy security and climate benefits, according to the International Energy Agency. new renewable power capacity The world added a record 295 gigawatts of new renewable power capacity in 2021, overcoming supply chain challenges, construction delays, and high raw material prices,...

King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden led a high-level delegation of officials, academics, and business leaders on a visit to the IEA’s headquarters in Paris where they discussed the emerging global energy crisis and the importance of clean energy technologies with IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol and other senior figures from the Agency. The King’s visit was part of the Royal Technology Mission organised by the Swedish Sovereign and the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences. The...

The International Energy Agency (IEA) announces that a High-Level Advisory Group of global energy, climate and finance leaders, chaired by UN Special Envoy Michael R. Bloomberg, will provide strategic input for a forthcoming IEA special report that will explore how to put the world’s coal emissions on a path toward net zero amid the major energy security and affordability challenges that are affecting countries worldwide with particularly severe economic impacts in the developing world. I...

Current trends raise concerns over energy security and emissions, with most nuclear power generation due to be phased out by 2025, calling for a major clean energy push. Despite notable success in expanding wind and other clean sources of power, Belgium still requires strong and sustained efforts to reduce its use of fossil fuels, cut carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and lower its reliance on energy imports, according to a new policy review by the International Energy Agency. Busy territorial wa...

The world’s demand for natural gas is set to decline slightly in 2022 as a result of higher prices and market disruptions caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, according to the International Energy Agency’s latest quarterly update. The expected small contraction in global gas demand compares with the IEA’s earlier forecast of 1% growth in the previous quarterly update published in January. The downward revision to the forecast amounts to 50 billion cubic meters, t...

The International Energy Agency’s 31 Member Countries agreed on Friday to a new release of oil from emergency reserves in response to the market turmoil caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, underscoring their strong and unified commitment to stabilizing global energy markets. The agreement was reached at an Extraordinary Meeting of the IEA Governing Board, which was held at the Ministerial level and chaired by US Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm. Energy security impacts Th...

Methane emissions are rightly associated with global warming and the climate crisis in general. A recent report by the UN and CCAC suggested that reducing methane emissions by 45% by 2030 is critical for limiting global warming to 1.5°C. This report gained significant media attention from the Guardian, Sky News, and the Financial Times, among other notable major news outlets. Methane But while the link between methane and global warming is clear to see, methane can indeed be rep...

Armenia’s electricity production is heavily reliant on fuel imports and a continued emphasis on energy efficiency and solar deployment would help diversify the country’s energy supply, though further infrastructure investments may be needed to integrate the large planned increase in variable renewable sources, according to a new policy review by the International Energy Agency. Energy Strategy While Armenia has a diverse generation mix of gas-fired thermal, hydropower, and nuc...

The electricity system in Moldova is characterized by its reliance on imports, which supplied 69% of demand in 2020. Renewable electricity accounted for just over 12% of domestic generation, though there remains over 27 GW of potential renewable generation capacity via wind, solar, biomass, and hydro. To provide Moldovan policymakers at all levels with a vision towards a clean, secure, and modern electricity system, the International Energy Agency (IEA) launched a policy roadmap on System Integ...

EDF Renewables Ireland is announcing plans to develop a c.50MW wind farm northwest of Old Leighlin in Co. Carlow. The proposed Seskin Wind Farm will be located in the townlands of Seskinrea and Ridge, and could power more than 36,000 homes. preliminary wind turbine layout The project team is currently gathering wind data and mapping the environmental constraints on site, which will be used to create a preliminary wind turbine layout. Detailed environmental studies will also be carried out at t...

EDF UK has received £2 million in funding from the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS) to support four innovative methods of storing energy for longer periods of time. The four longer-duration energy storage demonstration projects will help to achieve the UK’s plan for net zero by balancing the intermittency of renewable energy, creating more options for sustainable, low-cost energy storage in the UK. Providing vital backup The funding forms part of th...

EDF Renewables Ireland is announcing plans to develop a c.50MW wind farm on land east of Broadford in Co. Clare. The proposed Lackareagh Wind Farm, which could power more than 35,000 homes, will be located in the townlands of Killeagy and Shannaknock.  Detailed environmental studies The project team is currently gathering wind data and mapping the environmental constraints on site which will be used to create a preliminary wind turbine layout. Detailed environmental studies will also be c...

IEA Executive Director - Fatih Birol visited Cairo on 14 February 2022 delivering an opening keynote speech at the EGYPS 2022 international energy conference to a high-level audience including Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi, members of the Egyptian Cabinet and leading figures from a range of governments and global organizations. Dr. Birol also held bilateral meetings with several Egyptian Government Ministers and other officials. The visit came at an important time for energy and...

The energy company - E.ON is planning to set up a distribution network and corresponding infrastructure for hydrogen and ammonia in the Ruhr region as part of a European cooperation project. The ‘H2.Ruhr’ project is intended to give municipal, medium-sized, and industrial companies in the region access to CO2-free hydrogen and green ammonia. E.ON is planning to set up a European hydrogen value chain together with the energy companies Enel and Iberdrola. The energy required is to com...

With the help of a newly founded subsidiary, E.ON will in the future be converting electricity pylons throughout Germany so that they can also be used as radio pylons for the 4G/5G mobile network. The new company ‘E.ON TowerCo GmbH’ is thus driving digitization in Germany and preparing for the rollout of the mobile network of the future. E.ON has more than 100,000 high-voltage and medium-voltage towers across Germany, that could additionally be potential radio masts. Roofs o...

The E.ON Group has taken note of the communication from Ceconomy AG regarding the planned appointment of Karsten Wildberger as Chairman of the Board of Management. Making decisive contribution In this regard, the Chairman of the Supervisory Board of E.ON SE, Karl-Ludwig Kley, states: “We very much regret that Karsten Wildberger has decided to take on a new challenge after five years on the E.ON Board of Management.” We are happy with him for taking the next step and wish him conti...

Aggreko, the provider of mobile modular power, temperature control, and energy services, has partnered with R&A to deliver a renewable power solution at the 149th Open Championship at Royal St George's Golf Club in Sandwich, England. The hybrid system will reduce carbon emissions by up to 40% compared to the previously used fossil-fuelled systems and is a major step in Aggreko’s Net Zero journey, aiming to help clients deliver more sustainable events worldwide. renewable microgrids...

E.ON is the first energy company in the world to support the United Nations Environment Program in restoring ecosystems for climate protection and biodiversity. As Europe’s largest operator of electricity distribution networks, E.ON will create valuable biotopes under 13,000 kilometers of high-voltage lines in forest areas. This is equivalent to an area of 100,000 soccer fields. Ecological route management makes an important contribution to healthier ecosystems and greater biodiversity th...

After more than four years of research and development work, the DESIGNETZ project (part of the SINTEG funding program), funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy and led by E.ON, presented its results. 46 project partners have been working together since the beginning of 2017 in the model regions of North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate, and Saarland to develop scalable solutions that can be used to realize a sustainable, secure and at the same time cost-effi...

Aggreko, the globally renowned provider of mobile and modular power solutions, has signed a contract with Gold Fields, global mining operator, to provide a total of 25.9 MW hybrid solar and thermal power solution to the Salares Norte open pit mine in Chile.  This ground-breaking solution has been designed to provide power for the entire mine, which sits at an altitude of 4,500m in the Andes mountain range and is 190km from the nearest town. Renewable power generation The hybrid system wi...

Aggreko, the Glasgow-headquartered global provider of mobile, modular power, temperature control and energy services, announces an upgrade of its production facility in Dumbarton, with an investment totaling £4.5 million. As part of Aggreko’s Net Zero strategy, the site will turn into a future energy hub, replacing all diesel with low-emission HVO (Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil) as well as exporting surplus power generated during production tests of Next Generation Gas gensets back to...

As Britain’s greenest energy company, Ecotricity's sun parks generate electricity from the ultimate free power source – the sun. Whatever the weather, solar energy is generated when photons from the sun create a flow of electricity in the solar panel, which is why Ecotricity will sometimes see them referred to as photovoltaic panels. The technology used in solar power has come on in leaps and bounds in recent years. One particularly exciting development is bifacial solar...

As part of the EU-funded ‘IElectrix’ project, E.ON is working with partners to develop mobile and flexible battery storage systems (BESS). The goal behind this is to integrate new green power plants into the existing grid at short notice and at low cost, thus achieving rapid progress in the energy transition throughout Europe. The third mobile storage system of this type was connected to the local distribution grid in Dúzs, Hungary. Sustainable energy future “The expa...