E.ON’s wholly owned subsidiary - PreussenElektra GmbH has reached an agreement with the Federal Ministry of Economics and Climate Action (BMWK) and the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection (BMUV) on the cornerstones of a potential continued operation of the Isar 2 nuclear power plant beyond 31 December 2022. Regarding a potential continued operation of Isar 2, the operators have recently been in close exchange with the Federal M...

RWE’s Pembroke Power Station recently marked 10 years of safe and successful operations. Staff, past and present, and their families, came together in several events to celebrate this milestone and to hear more about the future decarbonization of the site. UK’s energy transition RWE is Wales’ largest energy generator and also the largest renewable generator with 12 sites including onshore and offshore wind, hydro, and the most efficient gas plant in the UK - Pembroke. The s...

The International Energy Agency (IEA) and several partners have launched a new tool to track financing costs for energy projects around the world, with the aim of identifying and addressing risks that have impeded vital investment flows to emerging and developing economies. Cost of Capital Observatory The Cost of Capital Observatory was developed by the IEA, together with the World Economic Forum, ETH Zurich and Imperial College London. It will be hosted on the IEA’s website and regularl...

Despite encouraging signs of progress across a number of sectors, stronger efforts are needed to bring the world on track to reach net zero emissions by mid-century, according to the IEA’s latest appraisal of global progress on clean energy technologies. The annual Tracking Clean Energy Progress (TCEP) update assesses 55 components of the energy system – sectors, technologies, infrastructures and cross-cutting CO2 mitigation strategies – and evaluates their progress in 2021 to...

The first annual Breakthrough Agenda Report, requested by 45 world leaders, delivers a progress report on the actions needed to deliver on the historic clean technology commitment by governments representing two-thirds of the global economy. The Breakthrough Agenda, as the commitment is known, aims to align countries’ actions and coordinate investment to scale up deployment and drive down costs across five key sectors including – power, road transport, steel, hydrogen and agricultur...

Momentum continues to build behind low-emissions hydrogen amid the global energy crisis, with electrolyzer manufacturing expected to grow strongly and pilot projects proliferating in new applications such as steel and transport, a new IEA report says. But these areas remain a small part of the overall hydrogen landscape, highlighting the need for greater policy support. carbon capture and storage The encouraging developments in hydrogen technologies that can support the clean energy transitio...

At RE+ 2022, Panasonic Eco Systems North America, a Division of Panasonic Corporation of North America, unveiled two new lines of all-black compact EverVolt® solar modules, developed with performance, accessibility, flexibility and pleasing aesthetics in mind. The new 430W/420W HK Black Series panels, with half-cut cells and heterojunction technology with gapless connections, offer the most powerful modules in the company’s portfolio. Adding to Panasonic’s suite of modules made...

Large-scale and prolonged power outages, waste piling up as waste disposal ceases to function, disruptions to water or gas supplies, and successful cyber attacks on critical infrastructures, especially the power grid, can have serious consequences.  Holistically conceived cyber security is necessary to prevent such scenarios. As part of the Fraunhofer Center for Digital Energy, Fraunhofer FKIE is working with partners to increase IT security and make the sector resilient to attacks....

GaN is the chemical symbol for gallium nitride, which is an III-V semiconductor material commonly referred to as a 'wide bandgap' (WBG) material, because it has a relatively high energy requirement (compared to silicon or Si) to knock an atom’s electron from a valence band (e.g. – insulator) to a conduction band (e.g. – conductor). semiconducting devices When it comes to an electronically-controlled switch, users want a material that has a high breakdown electric field (e.g....

In late August, after Russia announced it would shut down the Nord Stream 1 pipeline for repairs, gas prices at the Dutch TTF trading point, the European benchmark, reached €339 euros per megawatt hour. This was 140% higher than the week before and an 848% increase in prices in August 2021, where they sat at around €40/MWh. Such staggering price hikes have had a huge impact on consumers. Rising energy prices in the UK have contributed to the biggest drop in living standards...

The robot vacuum cleaner uses about 15 times less energy than the standard manual vacuum cleaner and can truly be described as an energy-saving appliance.  A traditional, standard vacuum uses around 1.4kWh of power per hour; the humble robot charges on about 60-90 watts (over three hours), with one charge fuelling roughly an hour of cleaning. It’s a no-brainer! However, it’s just not as simple as all that. There are things to consider. And it’s not all great, or green.&nb...

The replacement of the internal combustion engine (ICE) by the electric motor is touted as key in reducing pollution from automobiles, but the trend isn’t confined to the road: converting diesel locomotives to electric or hybrid operation is also attracting much attention as a means to combat global warming. maintenance, and reliability For locomotives, switching to electric power has multiple benefits, including a reduction in NOx emissions, noise levels, and fuel consumption, improved...

Prioritizing energy efficiency and renewables while reducing fossil fuel use and diversifying supplies can address major energy security challenges, as per the new International Energy Agency (IEA) policy review. Hungary’s transition to clean energy can enable it to achieve greater energy security and independence as it navigates the supply challenges that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has created for countries across Europe, according to a new in-depth policy review by the Internati...

IEA provides first ever assessment of energy jobs worldwide by region and technology, offering vital analysis in the context of the global energy crisis and clean energy transitions. Global employment in the energy sector has risen above its pre-pandemic levels, led by increased hiring in clean energy, according to a new IEA report that offers the first worldwide benchmark for employment across energy industries. Clean energy transitions The inaugural edition of the World Energy Employment Re...

Smart home technology is rapidly on the rise. From remote-controlled security cameras to the humble solar garden light – many users are starting to wake up to the benefits of smart.  New technologies are, without a doubt, making lives more convenient, comfortable, and safer while also helping users save time, energy, and effort. Smart gadgets On the interior front, smart gadgets can add modern flourishes to the home décor replacing old-fashioned models with sleeker...

Greater Gabbard Offshore Wind Farm celebrates its 10-year anniversary of generating clean energy on Wednesday 7 September. All 140 turbines of the joint venture between RWE Renewables (50%) and SSE Renewables (50%) have been operational since September 2012 and in the last 10 years, they generated enough renewable energy to power the equivalent of over 400,000 UK homes each year.  Reduce CO2 emissions Located in the North Sea, around 20km off the coast of Suffolk, the 504MW Greater Gabba...

Two professors have called on businesses to invest in technological solutions to tackle their energy costs. ZPN Energy offers just those solutions. Energy optimization Prof David Bailey, of the Business Economics, University of Birmingham, and Prof Phil Tomlinson, Deputy Director of Centre for Governance, Regulation, and Industrial Strategy (CGR&IS), at the University of Bath, have said in an article that businesses need to look at technology as a means to tackl...

From driving LEDs to powering laptops and smart consumer devices, high-efficiency power supplies are a must to minimize power losses and optimize performance. Inefficient power supplies have higher internal power dissipation, which translates into heat. Removing unwanted heat from the unit translates into additional cost, bigger size, lower reliability, and a decrease in the overall performance of the electronic system. thermal management As systems get more powerful and compact, optimal ther...

International Energy Agency’s (IEA) contributions to Indonesia’s G20 Presidency include Net Zero Roadmap for Indonesia and new report on Security of Clean Energy Transitions. IEA Executive Director - Fatih Birol addressed energy ministers from the world’s biggest economies at the G20 Energy Transitions Ministerial Meeting in Bali, Indonesia, where he urged them to prioritize actions to ensure secure, affordable and sustainable energy, in response to the crisis the world curren...

Indonesia has a viable path to reaching its target of net zero emissions by 2060, bringing major benefits to its citizens in the process such as more secure and affordable energy supplies, according to a new IEA report. But key policy reforms and international support will be crucial to the success of the clean energy transition in the world’s fourth most populous country as it enters a new phase of its economic development. IEA’s Energy Sector Roadmap The IEA’s Energy Secto...

Volta Trucks, the pioneering and disruptive full-electric commercial vehicle manufacturer and services provider, has completed a rigorous program of hot weather testing of its full-electric 16-ton Volta Zero. Taking place over six weeks at the purpose-built Nardo Technical Center in Southern Italy, the hot weather testing program was designed to ensure that the Volta Zero will deliver outstanding levels of reliability and durability when series production of customer specification vehicles star...

Volta Trucks, the disruptive full-electric commercial vehicle manufacturer and services provider, and DB Schenker, one of the world’s major logistics service providers and the pioneer in European land transport, have together completed the first test phase of the full-electric Volta Zero in Europe. For the first time, a Design Verification prototype - Volta Zero operated on roads and in real distribution environments in Paris. Volta Zero In 2021, both companies confirmed an intense part...

Volta Trucks, the disruptive full-electric commercial vehicle manufacturer and services provider, has confirmed that the first Volta Zero vehicle has been completed at the company’s contract manufacturing facility in Steyr, Austria. Volta Zero vehicle The landmark vehicle, the first of a series of second-generation ‘Production Verification’ prototypes, will form part of a Pilot Fleet of trucks. These will be loaned to customers for extended periods in late 2022 and early 202...

Volta Trucks, the disruptive full-electric commercial vehicle manufacturer and services provider, has appointed Adam Chassin as its Chief Commercial Officer with immediate effect. Having received nearly €300 million of investment funding to date, and with the first prototype purpose-built full-electric medium-duty trucks for last-mile delivery now being tested by customers, Volta Trucks is poised to supercharge its commercial growth across Europe.  Extensive industry experience ...

There are many benefits to using the latest protective relays available in the market. Fast communication and better system protection are two such examples. This article explores both concepts about source synchronization for generator paralleling schemes. To meet the requirements for large-scale electrical distribution systems, multiple generators often need to be paralleled (operate in tandem). Hence, the synchronization of generator sources becomes a very important aspect when multiple gene...

Though it may go out the window with the next PM appointed, the current UK government is planning to reform the way energy is sold on the wholesale markets, so cheaper renewable energy prices get passed onto consumers. This could well bring about new usage patterns across the board that are similar to those used by people using micro-generation and storage at home. The government consultation announced last week is intended to help tackle the cost of living crisis by passing on the lower c...

RWE Offshore Wind Poland, a subsidiary of RWE Renewables, has chosen UL Solutions, an experienced certifier for its F.E.W. Baltic II offshore wind farm. UL Solutions will certify the design fundamentals of the 350 MW project, which will be built in the Polish Baltic Sea about 55 kilometers from the shore, covering an area of 41 square kilometers, at a water depth of 30–50 meters. Ongoing local content strategy Lukas Prietz, Project Director of the F.E.W. Baltic II Wind Farm Project at...

Major economies sharply increased support for the production and consumption of coal, oil and natural gas, with many countries struggling to balance longstanding pledges to phase out inefficient fossil fuel subsidies with efforts to protect households from surging energy prices, according to analysis released today by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development and the International Energy Agency. New OECD and IEA data show that overall government support for fossil fuels in 51 c...

Data is at the heart of modern railway infrastructure. Both freight and passenger trains require robust communications to transfer location data between rolling stock systems, between trains, and between trains and control centers. Furthermore, modern passenger trains are equipped with convenience and entertainment functions such as internet access, information display screens, charging sockets, and vending machines. Wireless standards Due to the variety of these use cases, railway networks u...

Two fast-growing companies are joining forces to accelerate the mobility transition: gridX, the smart grid company recently acquired by E.ON, announced a collaboration with Charge Construct, a holistic charging infrastructure provider based in Ingolstadt, Germany. With the dynamic load management (DLM) solution based on gridX technology, Charge Construct aims to become one of the leading full-service providers for charging infrastructure in Germany and the DACH region. gridX and Charge Constru...