Blog

Wed

14

Feb

2024

Dr. Thomas Hillig Takes the Stage: Keynote Speaker Extraordinaire

Our Managing Director, Dr. Thomas Hillig, embraces a select number of opportunities to deliver keynote speeches and moderate discussions at industry and corporate events. With a proven track record in captivating audiences and skillfully engaging speakers, Dr. Hillig ensures each event is informative and entertaining.

His approachable demeanor fosters an environment where speakers feel comfortable sharing valuable insights, allowing audiences to gain maximum benefit from their expertise. 

Among his notable engagements, Dr. Hillig has had the privilege to collaborate with esteemed organizations such as Siemens, SAP, the German Foreign Office, the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action, and GIZ. Over the years, he has graced the stages of prestigious conferences including Reuters Hydrogen Europe, RE-Source, World Hydrogen Summit, World Hydrogen Congress, Energy & Mines World Summit, Intersolar, Forum Solar Plus, Charge, "Germany and Taiwan-Forum on Energy Transition", various events of German embassies and chambers.

 

Dr. Hillig's dedication to delivering impactful presentations and facilitating thought-provoking discussions underscores his commitment to advancing the clean energy industry. As he continues to share his expertise and engage with industry leaders, Dr. Hillig remains a driving force in shaping the future of sustainable energy.

 

For inquiries regarding speaking engagements or moderation opportunities with Dr. Thomas Hillig, please contact us.

Mon

31

Aug

2020

Top 5 Hydrogen News – August 2020 by THEnergy

The August edition of our “Top 5 Hydrogen News” is about hydrogen generation projects and applications for steel making, public transportation as well as fueling station and refinery applications. It features SSAB, LKAB, Vattenfall, EDF, Holcim, OGE, Ørsted, Raffinerie Heide, Stadtwerke Heide, Thüga, thyssenkrupp Industrial Solutions, Cummins, Douglas County Public Utility District, Hydrogenics, Siemens Energy, Beijing Green Hydrogen Technology Development Co., Regionalverkehr Köln, Linde, Framatome, AREVA, and Van Hool.

Top 1

Sweden: Fossil-free steel pilot plant begins operations

The so-called HYBRIT project’s objective is to demonstrate CO2 emission reductions in the steel industry by replacing coal with hydrogen in the steelmaking process by 2035. For this project, SSAB (steel making), LKAB (mining) and Vattenfall (energy) joined forces. In August, the first pilot plant was commissioned. Once fully scaled up, the HYBRIT project could reduce Sweden’s CO2 emissions by 10% and Finland’s by 7%, respectively.
https://www.h2-view.com/story/fossil-free-steel-project-ready-for-operation/

 

Top 2

Germany: EDF, Ørsted, and partners secure funding for renewable hydrogen project WESTKÜSTE 100

The partners of the WESTKÜSTE 100 project received funding confirmation from the German Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs and Energy as the first large-scale hydrogen project in Germany within the Reallabor (real-world laboratory) framework. A total of ten partners have joined forces to form the consortium: EDF Germany, Holcim Germany, OGE, Ørsted, Raffinerie Heide, Stadtwerke Heide, Thüga and thyssenkrupp Industrial Solutions, together with the Region Heide Development Agency and the Fachhochschule Westküste (West Coast University of Applied Sciences). The project has a total budget of EUR 89 million. The approved funding from the German Federal Ministry for Economíc Affairs and Energy amounts to EUR 30 million. The purpose of the Westküste 100 project is to make industrial processes, aviation, construction and heating more sustainable in the future.

https://www.offshorewind.biz/2020/08/03/german-offshore-wind-to-hydrogen-project-takes-off/

 

Top 3

USA: Cummins provides largest electrolyzer for public utility in U.S.

Cummins will provide the utility Douglas County Public Utility District with a 5-MW proton exchange membrane electrolyzer at a facility where the district plans to harvest and manufacture hydrogen from water from Wells Dam on the Columbia River. The facility is expected to be operational in 2021. Cummins accelerated its entry into the hydrogen markets with the acquisition of Hydrogenics in September 2019.

http://www.therepublic.com/2020/08/31/cummins_provides_largest_electrolyzer_for_public_utility_in_us/

 

Top 4

China: Beijing Green Hydrogen Technology Development and Siemens Energy sign agreement for a megawatt green hydrogen production project 

Siemens Energy and Beijing Green Hydrogen Technology Development Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of China Power International Development Ltd. (China Power), signed an agreement on providing a hydrogen production system for a hydrogen fueling station. Located in Yanqing District, Beijing, one of the three main competition areas for a major sporting event in 2022, the green hydrogen production solution provided by Siemens Energy will help guarantee the hydrogen supply for the public transportation during and after the event. The megawatt green hydrogen production solution is the first of its kind to be built by Siemens Energy in China. The project is expected to be delivered in May 2021.

https://bioenergyinternational.com/technology-suppliers/siemens-energy-launches-its-first-green-hydrogen-production-project-in-china

 

Top 5

Germany: RVK inaugurates Europe’s largest fuel cell hybrid bus fleet

Regionalverkehr Köln GmbH (RVK) from Cologne presented a bus fleet of 35 fuel cell hybrid buses and two hydrogen refuelling stations to the public. The filling stations in Meckenheim (Framatome consortium - formerly AREVA) and in Wermelskirchen (Linde GmbH) will go into operation in 2020 along with a total of 35 A330 FC buses (Van Hool) for the RVK bus fleet.

https://www.fuelcellbuses.eu/public-transport-hydrogen/europe%E2%80%99s-largest-hybrid-fuel-cell-bus-fleet-and-first-hydrogen-0

 

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Fri

31

Jul

2020

Top 5 Hydrogen News – July 2020 by THEnergy

The first edition of our “Top 5 Hydrogen News” is about hydrogen generation projects and applications for data centers, fertilizers and cars. It features ACWA Power, Thyssenkrupp, Air Products, Haldor Topsoe, NEOM, Microsoft, Iberdrola, Fertiberia, BMW, NextEra, and Florida Power & Light.

Top 1

ACWA Power, Thyssenkrupp, Air Products, Haldor Topsoe, and NEOM to produce green ammonia from 4 GW of renewables

For 2025, Air Products, in conjunction with ACWA Power and NEOM, announced a $5 billion green hydrogen-based ammonia production facility powered by renewable energy. The project will include over four GW of renewable power from solar and wind power. The plan is to produce of 650 tons per day of hydrogen by electrolysis using Thyssenkrupp technology, an unspecified amount of nitrogen by air separation using Air Products technology and 1.2 million tons per year of green ammonia using Haldor Topsoe technology.

https://www.hydrocarbonprocessing.com/news/2020/07/world-s-largest-green-hydrogen-project-will-supply-650-tons-per-day-of-carbon-free-hydrogen-for-transportation-globally

 

Top 2

Microsoft runs data centers using hydrogen fuel cells as diesel alternative for backup power

Microsoft has successfully tested the use of hydrogen fuel cells to power its data center servers, a first step toward adopting new technologies to eliminate the use of diesel fuel in its emergency power systems.

https://datacenterfrontier.com/microsoft-runs-azure-servers-using-hydrogen-fuel-cells-as-diesel-alternative/

 

Top 3

Iberdrola to start construction of green hydrogen plant in Spain

The project in Puerollano will consist of a 100 MW solar PV plant and hydrogen production system that will use electrolysis. The hydrogen will be used at a Fertiberia ammonia factory in Puertollano to make fertilizers.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-iberdrola-hydrogen/iberdrola-to-start-construction-of-green-hydrogen-plant-in-spain-idUSKCN24P1UR

 

Top 4

BMW to pilot second-generation hydrogen fuel cell drives in its X5

From 2022 on, BMW will be piloting the second generation of its fuel cell drive in a small series in the BMW i Hydrogen Next based on the current X5.

https://www.electrive.com/2020/07/27/bmw-confirms-small-series-fcev-for-2022/

 

Top 5

NextEra Energy to build green hydrogen plant in Florida

Through its Florida Power & Light utility, NextEra plans to build a USD65 million project that will use a 20 MW electrolyzer to produce green hydrogen from solar power. If the project receives approval from state regulators it is supposed to be online by 2023.

https://www.eqmagpro.com/nextera-energy-to-build-its-first-green-hydrogen-plant-in-florida/

 

 

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Thu

09

Jul

2020

Top 5 Microgrid News – H1/2020 by THEnergy

The new edition of our “Top 5 Microgrid News” features microgrids on islands, at office and university buildings and small community. It covers projects in the United Emirates, USA, UK, and Switzerland. It features Nurai Island Resort, Enerwhere, Isle au Haut Electric Power Company, Kilowatt Labs, Electricity Works Walenstadt, Swansea University, Redflow, EDF, and PowerFlex.

Top 5 Microgrid News – H1/2020 by THEnergy

The new edition of our “Top 5 Microgrid News” features microgrids on islands, at office and university buildings and small community. It covers projects in the United Emirates, USA, UK, and Switzerland. It features Nurai Island Resort, Enerwhere, Isle au Haut Electric Power Company, Kilowatt Labs, Electricity Works Walenstadt, Swansea University, Redflow, EDF, and PowerFlex.

 

Top 1

Nurai Island Resort integrates floating solar to reduce diesel costs

More and more hotels & resorts go green! In Abu Dhabi, this island resort goes green with a microgrid provided by Enerwhere that integrates floating solar.

https://www.thenational.ae/lifestyle/travel/how-abu-dhabi-s-luxury-zaya-nurai-island-is-championing-sustainability-with-floating-solar-panels-1.979011

 

Top 2

Remote Isle au Haut in Maine (USA) is building a microgrid that integrates solar power and a supercapacitors

The Isle au Haut Electric Power Company compared several renewable energy alternatives and opt for 300kW due to cost reasons. The microgrid will have a 1MW supercapacitor storage housed in two, 20-foot containers and provided by the US manufacturer Kilowatt Labs.

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/tiny-island-off-coast-maine-could-be-renewable-energy-model-for-rest-world-180974415/

 

Top 3

Swiss community completes trial of solar blockchain microgrid

37 households in Walenstadt (Switzerland) traded locally produced power on a blockchain-based system covering 33% of their electricity demand with self-generated solar power. The local utility, Water and Electricity Works Walenstadt (WEW), bought any surplus generation bridged supply gaps with additional power if local generation couldn’t meet the demand.

https://onestepoffthegrid.com.au/switzerland-community-completes-trial-of-solar-blockchain-microgrid/

 

Top 4

Zinc-bromine flow battery used as storage solution for a building microgrid

A 120kWh Redflow zinc-bromine flow battery has been commissioned and is operating at Swansea University. It is storing and suppling renewable energy on a microgrid that powers the Swansea University Active Building demonstrator.

https://www.world-energy.org/article/10430.html

 

Top 5

Microgrid provides cost reductions at EDF’s North America headquarters

The utility’s microgrid comprises a 209KWp solar carport, 182KWp solar rooftop, 280KW battery storage system and 43 PowerFlex electric vehicle chargers. The system helps to reduce both energy and demand charges.

https://www.smart-energy.com/renewable-energy/edf-launches-innovation-drive-microgrid-at-north-america-headquarters/

 

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Thu

23

Jan

2020

Bye-bye dirty diesel gensets for remote mines

THEnergy-Triogen report analyses how remote microgrids can be optimized by efficiency improvements of diesel gensets

The year 2019 was the turning point for renewable energy projects at remote mines. More than a dozen projects were commissioned or announced. Mining companies have adopted solar and wind power to reduce their energy cost and carbon footprint.

In the last years, successful flagship projects have removed concerns about production loss and independent power producers (IPPs) have started financing solar and wind plants at remote mining sites; IPPs sell electricity to miners on a power purchase agreement (PPA) basis. To mining companies, the PPA-cash flow is similar to what they are used to from diesel contracts – but it comes with cost reductions. IPPs are highly specialized in electricity generation, they are also looking at other solutions for cost reduction. It is no surprise that diesel genset efficiency optimization have also sparked interest. Diesel engines only convert 40% of the fuel energy into electricity, while the rest is not used. Waste heat recovery can reduce diesel consumption by approximately 7%. The approach is based on conventional steam turbine technology, but advances have allowed this to be deployed at a smaller scale. It is already proven in applications like biogas engine heat recovery, biomass combustion, industrial waste heat, and geothermal heat.

 

“Waste heat recovery is the low hanging fruit in the diesel reduction game,” points out Dr. Thomas Hillig, Managing Director of THEnergy, a Germany-based management consultancy specialized in cleantech innovations. “Renewables have recently opened the door for new approaches because they have increased the acceptance of more capital-intensive solutions in the mining industry.” The report “System optimization of renewable energy microgrids with heat-recovery in remote mining” shows that heat recovery can also go hand-in-hand with renewable energy approaches for diesel reduction. In a time when cost optimization and carbon mitigation are gaining importance, the question is not which of the two solutions to choose. The answer is to combine both solutions together.

The Dutch manufacturer Triogen has developed a containerized “e-box”, a solution that is tailor-made for remote mine sites. It has been designed for easily upgrading any diesel genset without changing its operations and thus without affecting maintenance or warranty requirements. The solution is based on the conventional steam turbine technology, yet is fully automated, compact and simple to install. Two standard 20-foot shipping containers are connected to the exhaust gas stack of diesel gensets and the e-box generates electricity from the waste heat. The electricity is fed into the local grid, so that diesel gensets do not need to produce this power and subsequently consume less fuel.

Triogen’s technology has accumulated over 1 million operating hours on 50 installations. The e-box solution has successfully been field-tested for mining applications and is now being deployed at the remote site of a blue-chip mining company. Henning von Barsewisch, CEO of Triogen adds: “Our containerized e-box has created sustained awareness from mining companies, IPPs, diesel genset OEMs and rental companies because of its short payback time of 2 years and its quick and easy deployability.” Since the Triogen e-box converts waste heat, it is a zero-carbon technology which addresses the drive for cleaner mining. A single e-box saves 300.000 liters of diesel per year. This is approximately the same as a 0.7 MW solar power plant in a rather sunny region. Annual CO2 reductions amount to 800 tons per e-box. In the quickly growing market of renewable energy solutions for remote mines, efficiency improvements of gensets can generate competitive advantages for mining companies and energy providers by pulling all the cost-efficient diesel reduction levers of onsite power plants.

 

For more information, please download the report: https://www.th-energy.net/english/platform-renewable-energy-and-mining/reports-and-white-papers/

Thu

12

Dec

2019

Renewables to become the new normal at remote mines

The Energy and Mines World Congress shows that 2019 will be considered the tipping point for solar and wind projects in the mining sector 

The Energy and Mines World Congress that took place in Toronto provided great insights into the recent developments of onsite renewable energy applications at remote mines. Generally, the year 2019 has been identified as the tipping point. The business case for partly substituting expensive fuel like diesel, heavy fuel oil (HFO) or gas by solar and wind had been positive on paper for years. However, actual projects have evolved slowly. In 2019, almost a dozen new projects have been officially announced and at the same time many more projects are under development and on the verge of being announced.

Major on-site solar and wind power projects in mining
Major on-site solar and wind power projects in mining

Nick Holland, CEO of Gold Fields, a mining company that is a pioneer in integrating renewables, pointed out in his keynote that costs savings are possible, and a cost-efficient decentralization of power generation enabled by renewables comes with further advantages: “Renewables make for great business – lower cost and supply security. Independence from the grid is critical – microgrids are the future!”

 

Sustainability goes well beyond renewables

Mining companies see the need to decarbonize and pursue initiatives that go well beyond renewables, such as electrification of mining vehicles. These initiatives will further increase the electricity demand in mining and in the long run the need for locally generated renewable energy.

 

Trust in renewables has been building up over the years

Miners are gaining trust in renewable energy solutions. The fear of production losses has been decreasing over the past years with every new renewable energy system that has been added to a mine globally. Before, the general attitude was characterized by “wait and see”, but the mode has been changing in 2019 to “let’s act now”. The individual decision makers today run a relatively low perceived risk by driving forward renewable energy projects. The solutions that are being built now are often more sophisticated than they were before, and they incorporate a higher share of renewables that is also enabled by storage solutions.

 

Australia and Africa are leading the way

The epicenters of these developments are Australia and Sub-Saharan Africa, two regions having substantial areas with insufficient public grids and typically excellent solar resources. At the same time, renewable energy development also has a local driver. Though the mining sector is rather global, the word-of-mouth and political pressure on mining players to add renewables unleashes additional speed on a local level.

 

Shorter power purchase agreements (PPAs)

In comparison to the physical lifetime of solar and wind assets, the lifetime of mines or the mining licenses are often rather short. In addition, miners are used to relatively short-term energy supply for diesel, HFO and gas. Long-term purchase agreements for renewable energy often require a change of thinking and have slowed down the development of many projects in the past. More and more companies have come up with redeployable solar solutions that allow for offering short-term PPAs. On the hardware-side, the costs of redeployable solar solutions have come down significantly, but at the same time this approach is a bet on future growth of this segment. Redeployability also means that new target projects need to be available within a reasonable time period in the future. If not, the solar assets would have to be stored in warehouses until new deployment, which can prove to be costly.

 

Combining different renewable energy sources and energy storage

Several newly announced projects combine solar and wind power. One of the biggest disadvantages of solar and wind solutions is that they generate unsteady energy. Solar and wind output are often negatively correlated, which means that when solar irradiation is high wind speeds are typically low, and vice versa. This phenomenon allows for increasing the renewable energy share in the system while minimizing the need for storage.

THEnergy CEO, Thomas Hillig, during a presentation at the Energy and Mines World Congress 2019 in Toronto
THEnergy CEO, Thomas Hillig, during a presentation at the Energy and Mines World Congress 2019 in Toronto

In his presentation at the Energy and Mines World Congress, Thomas Hillig, Managing Director of the consulting firm THEnergy, said that for mining companies it makes sense to consider all sustainability levers and that also hydro could experience a real renaissance: “In a research project that is supported by the German government with approximately USD 1 million, THEnergy is analyzing in collaboration with two universities, RWTH Aachen and TU München, the potential of hydro-electric solutions in the mining sector. We are still looking for mines in Peru to participate - free of any charge.”

Mon

28

Oct

2019

Renewables require real marketing and branding – like other sectors

Renewables require real marketing and branding – like other sectors

Electricity is extremely abstract, which makes it nearly impossible to differentiate at the product marketing level. For the first hundred and fifty years of the category, especially in regulated or nationalized markets, differentiation was not even required. Liberalization and deregulation of the energy markets has produced new and unstable playing fields for energy providers. The pace of accelerating liberalization across global markets has created extraordinary challenges for energy companies as they struggle in their nascent efforts at brand building and product marketing.

For energy companies, differentiation, is mainly done based on product-support services and the origin of the electricity. The origin, or source of their power, is one of the most top-of-mind topics in the global consciousness, especially for the millions of young people demonstrating each week in the streets against the ticking clock of climate-death countdown

The energy industry is acutely aware that electricity and heat generation accounted for more than 40% of the world’s total greenhouse gas emissions. To achieve the 1.5-degree objectives from the Paris Agreement, it will be mandatory to decarbonize these two sectors almost fully. Although clean or renewable energy generation costs have come down significantly during the last several years, this trend hardly reaches the end-customers – neither private households nor corporations.

 “To some extent, this is due to a lack of marketing and branding”, points out Dr Thomas Hillig, Managing Director of the Germany based energy consultancy THEnergy. And this is why THEnergy and New York based Free Radicals have set up a new partnership. Hillig continues: “We help our client partners to pull the available and appropriate marketing and branding levers. In the end, this will also contribute to accelerate the energy transition.”

Free Radicals and THEnergy combine two approaches that will give customers radical insights – also quantitative. Research is generative, focused on value outcomes for the business. The partnership leverages the complementary tensions between the unique disciplines of the two consultancies.

Both partners highlight the importance of “unMcKinsey-thinking”. “You have to make some trouble to get attention for your brand”, emphasizes Thom Kennon, Managing Director of Free Radicals. “Happy talk about innovation and disruption will not solve the business, brand and marketing problems these energy companies face. In our unorthodox workshops we develop street-ready strategies that can start paying bottom-line dividends within weeks and months not quarters or years.”

The brand-building and marketing functions within energy companies do not historically enjoy a central seat at the business planning table.  The new approach tackles this problem in two ways. First, Marketing insights around the customer can and should inform all strategic planning. Second, leveraging the marketing function as the essential connection point with the customer and the market to deploy, test and optimize rapid and cost-effective initiatives for business-building.

 

”Making some trouble means  designing initiatives where the brand shows up in the customers life with surprising saliency. It’s about a new kind of value marketing, suited to the needs, lives and consciousnesses of the emerging generation of energy consumers.   

 

The target clients for the new approach include both large  utilities who have read the signs of the times and are prepared to join the honest fight for new customers, as well as emerging energy providers  who are poised opportunistically to make some trouble for the incumbents – both in B2C and B2B electricity markets.

For more information about our newly combined offering please ping Thomas Hillig at thomas.hillig@th-energy.net or +4915236186442.

Wed

07

Aug

2019

Africa: New microgrid with 30 MW solar announced

B2Gold announced that its Fekola gold mine would be upgraded with 30 MW solar by 2020.

The mine that is located in Mali currently runs on heavy-fuel oil. The addition of the solar power plant and a "significant battery storage component" is estimated to cost around USD38 million and has a four-year payback period. The project is scheduled for completion in August 2020. For B2Gold it will be the second off-grid solar power plant, after having inaugrated in May 2018 the Otjikoto gold mine solar plant, in Namibia. 

 

For more details, please have a look at: https://im-mining.com/2019/08/07/b2gold-soak-solar-power-fekola-gold-mine/

Wed

17

Jul

2019

Top 5 Microgrid News – Summer 2019 by THEnergy

The new edition of our “Top 5 Microgrid News” features two mining microgrids, a military application, an island solution, and an investment in an innovative microgrid company. It covers two projects in Australia, one in the USA and one in Nicaragua. 

Top 1

Australian gold mine to be powered with wind, solar and battery

The Western Australian Agnew gold mine will be the first mine to be powered by a wind, solar, battery and gas microgrid. The South African mining company Gold Fields continues its sustainability efforts in Australia after a first project at Granny Smith gold mine.

The new project will consist of five wind turbines (18 MW total capacity), a 4 MW solar system, a 13 MW / 4 MWh battery energy storage system (BESS) and a 16 MW gas and diesel engine power station. Energy producer EDL has signed a 10-year agreement with Gold Fields. In a first step, EDL will build the thermal and solar power plants which are due to be completed in mid-2019. The wind and battery systems will be added in a second step are expected to be commissioned in 2020. The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) is funding the project with AUS13.5 million. JuWi has been selected as solar EPC, Saft will provide the battery and Goldwind the wind turbines.

https://arena.gov.au/news/gold-fields-gold-mine-to-be-powered-with-wind-solar-and-battery/ 

James Harman, EDL CEO, explains: “The Agnew hybrid renewable project is the first in Australia to utilise wind generation as part of a large hybrid microgrid in the mining sector, and will enable EDL to provide Agnew gold mine with greater than 50% renewable energy over the long term, without compromising power quality or reliability. This ground-breaking project is a major step in Australia’s journey to sustainable energy, and EDL has been an active contributor in this transition through our demonstrated success in hybrid renewable projects.”

 

Top 2

Ameresco completes microgrid with an 8MWh battery at US Marine Corps Depot

The project at the United States Marine Corps Recruit Depot (MCRD) in Parris Island, South Carolina generates power with a 3.5MW combined heat and power plant and a 5.5MW solar system. The microgrid project is expected to save USD6.9 million in annual utility and operational costs, cut utility energy demand by 75%, and lower water consumption by 25%. It did not require any upfront capital from the Marine Corps depot.

https://www.energy-storage.news/news/ameresco-completes-8mw-battery-storage-system-at-us-marine-corps-recruit-de

 

Top 3

Microgrid with 2.1 MW solar and 2.4 MWh storage inaugurated on Caribbean island in Nicaragua

The microgrid is located on Big Corn Island and includes besides PV plant also a lithium-ion battery solution and diesel gensets. It will be operated by the state-owned utility ENATREL. The project was supported by the Inter-American Development Bank and the Nicaraguan government. The hybrid power plant provides electricity to 1.940 households. There are plans to expand the system to two other villages on the island.

https://www.el19digital.com/articulos/ver/titulo:92081-inauguran-planta-de-energia-solar-con-sistema-hibrido-mas-grande-de-la-region-en-corn-island-

 

Top 4

Shell Ventures and Sumitomo invest in microgrid blockchain start-up LO3

In 2016, LO3 become famous with its Brooklyn Microgrid project that aggregates solar energy from several roof-tops and allows neighbors to buy and sell solar power among themselves using blockchain technology. Shell has made other investments in blockchain technology, e.g. using blockchain-based oil, derivatives and commodities trading platforms.

https://www.publicpower.org/periodical/article/shell-sumitomo-invest-blockchain-start-lo3

Kirk Coburn, Investment Director Shell Ventures, adds:Utilizing market principles at the grid edge can efficiently compensate customers for the value their DERs provide – both to other community-members seeking local clean energy, as well as the grid itself. A platform which allows that value to be shared within communities today, critically, engages people in new ways and establishes a market-based foundation from which to manage the grid of the future.”

 

Top 5

OZ Minerals to power their Australian mine with solar, wind and storage

Australian mining company OZ Minerals will integrate solar, wind and battery storage to power its Carrapeteena copper and gold mine, located to the north of Port Augusta. OZ Minerals will partner with SunSHIFT to deploy a pilot-scale hybrid energy system, that includes 250kW solar, 10kW wind and a 250kW lithium-ion storage solution. As part of the project, electric vehicle charging facilities for light vehicles used at the mine site will also be incorporated.

https://reneweconomy.com.au/copper-and-gold-turns-to-renewables-oz-minerals-to-power-site-with-solar-wind-and-storage-67306/

Andrew Cole, CEO OZ Minerals, comments about the potential role of microgrids in the Australian mining industry: “The ability for microgrids to be established in remote locations, often where renewable sources like wind, solar, thermal and hydro are found, also make them a potentially attractive, environmentally-friendly, reliable and cost-effective source of power for mining operations.”

 

 

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Mon

06

May

2019

Top 5 Hybrid Energy News (Solar- and Wind-Diesel-Hybrid + Microgrids) – Spring 2019 by THEnergy

The new edition of our “Top 5 Hybrid Energy News” features four projects and a partnership announcement. Interestingly all microgrid projects included an energy storage solution. Two projects were in mining, one in rural electrification and one in the hospitality sector.  The selected projects are located in South Africa, Argentina, the Philippines,and the Maldives. This edition features Bushveld Minerals and Energy, Millennial Lithium, Ergy Energy, ADB, ANTECO, OREEI, Four Seasons, Swimsol, ABB, Rolls Royce, and MTU Onsite Energy.

Top 1

First vanadium redox flow battery project at mine announced in South Africa

Bushveld Energy has initiated the development of a microgrid project at Bushveld Minerals’ Vametco mine. It will consist of a solar power plant and a 1 MW/4 MWh vanadium redox flow battery and will feed electricity directly into the internal distribution network of the mine. The project is structured on an unsubsidized, commercial basis with project finance and aims at showcasing the commercial viability of both renewable energy and energy storage technologies. The new mini-grid will be able to deliver up to 1 MW of power to the grid-connected mine, the largest size permittable without a generation license under current regulations in South Africa.

https://im-mining.com/2019/03/28/bushvelds-vanadium-redox-flow-battery-projects-progress/

Top 2

Millennial Lithium’s exploration project in Argentina adds solar

Millennial Lithium announced that its Pastos Grandes Salar lithium project in Argentina has inaugurated a solar power plant that was provided by Ergy Solar. The exploration project includes a 60-100 person camp with dorms and other facilities, an on-site laboratory, and a first process pilot plant under construction. The power plant consists of 178.2 KWp of solar power and 500 kWh energy storage solution and still diesel generators. The solar-plus-storage solution can provide power at maximum capacity for more than 18 hours throughout the daily 24-hour cycle, with diesel generator back-up only for some peak energy consumption times and infrequent non-sun events.

http://www.mining.com/millennial-lithiums-project-center-argentina-goes-solar/

 

Top 3

ADB launches PV-plus-storage plant on Philippine island

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) announced the inauguration of a 50kW solar system with the 273-kW lithium-ion energy storage unit bringing uninterrupted electricity supply to a rural community living on the Malalison Island in the Philippines. The Malalison PV-plus-storage hybrid system is a pilot project carried out by a private joint venture (JV) between Philippine utility Antique Electric Cooperative (ANTECO) and One Renewable Energy Enterprise, Inc (OREEI), with the ADB providing technical assistance. Previously, the island community relied on costly diesel-fueled generators, which supplied power for only four hours a day, leaving residents in the situation of limited economic opportunities. Now the solar-plus-storage solution will generate electricity during the day while a 54-kW diesel generator will serve as support.

https://renewablesnow.com/news/adb-launches-50-kw-pv-plus-storage-plant-on-philippine-island-649560/

 

Top 4

Solar at Four Seasons Resort Maldives will replace diesel consumption

Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Landaa Giraavaru commissioned an 838.35kWp solar plant which is one of the Maldives' largest resort-based solar installations. The project installed by Swimsol on the roof of the staff village comprises 3,105 panels and covers 5,380m². It is estimated that the new solar plant will produce between 900,000 and 1.1 million kWh of energy every year and save between 250,000 and 300,000 liters of diesel, which corresponds to 650-800 tons of CO2.

https://www.hospitalitynet.org/news/4092579.html

 

Top 5

ABB and Rolls-Royce announce global microgrids cooperation

ABB and Rolls-Royce have announced a global partnership on microgrid technology and advanced automation. Together the two companies will offer microgrid solution for utilities, commercial and industrial entities.

https://www.esi-africa.com/industry-sectors/renewable-energy/global-partnership-to-advance-micro-grid-technology-with-automation/

“The partnership with Rolls-Royce combines the footprint and technology leadership of two industry leaders to extend the benefits of microgrids to various applications worldwide.”, says Markus Bruegmann, Global Product Group Manager, Grid Edge Solutions, Power Grid business, ABB. Andreas Schell, CEO, Rolls-Royce Power Systems adds: “Combining our integrated MTU diesel and gas genset system technology and our control solutions, with ABB’s modular microgrid solution, control capability, and remote service, will offer customers the combined strengths of the two world leaders in technology.”

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Our Managing Director, Dr. Thomas Hillig, embraces a select number of opportunities to deliver keynote speeches and moderate discussions at industry and corporate events. With a proven track record in captivating audiences and skillfully engaging speakers, Dr. Hillig ensures each event is informative and entertaining.

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