The Week in Cleantech: 2 Apr 2023

Last week in cleantech was packed with trending news from the renewable energy sector. Eolian completed the world's largest energy storage facility, Vestas received the largest onshore wind turbine order in Brazil, and LG announced its plan to invest $5.5bn in US battery production. Meanwhile, the EU has banned sales of new polluting cars by 2035 and agreed to significantly raise its renewables target.

Eolian completes world's largest energy storage facility in Texas. The Madero and Ignacio plants have a combined power capacity of 200 MW and a two-hour discharge, making it the world's largest fully merchant energy storage facility. (pv magazine and 7 other sources)

Siemens Gamesa to supply world's second-largest wind farm with its largest turbine. The 1.4 GW East Anglia 3 project will feature 95 of the SG 14-236 DD turbines, each with an output of 14 MW. (Elektrek and 6 other sources)

Vestas receives largest onshore wind turbine order in Brazil from Casa dos Ventos. The 1.3 GW order includes supply, installation, and maintenance services for two wind parks. (Renewables Now and 6 other sources)

EDF Renouvelables and Maple Power win 1 GW offshore wind project in Normandy. France now has 4 GW of offshore wind projects under development. (Renewables Now and 6 other sources)

EnerVenue to open Kentucky factory for metal-hydrogen battery production. The $1bn facility will have a 1GWh annual capacity and will manufacture the company’s Energy Storage Vessels. (Energy Storage News and 6 other sources)

Kia unveils EV9 SUV with long-range battery, third-row seating, and Level 3 autonomy. The car is expected to go into production in South Korea this fall, with pricing details to be provided at that time, and will be manufactured in Georgia beginning in 2024. (CleanTechnica and 5 other sources)

Jeep unveils all-electric Wrangler-based Magneto 3.0 concept with 650 hp and 900 lb-ft of torque, three driver-selectable functions, and aggressive hill-descent mode. The vehicle features a custom-built axial flux electric motor, 20-inch off-road beadlock wheels, and 40-inch mud-terrain tires. (InsideEVs and 3 other sources)

Precision Planting's Radicle Agronomics wins Davidson Prize for world's first fully automated soil lab. The solution provides professional growers with precise, effective, and efficient soil nutrient management tools. (Agriculture Post and 2 other sources)

Fluence's LED lighting solutions revolutionize cannabis cultivation with custom light spectrum and cost efficiency. The VYPR series offers increased control over energy expenditure, and horticultural experts tailor and design lighting solutions specific to facility footprints. (iGrow News and 1 other source)

Lab-cultured meat start-up Magic Valley has created pork mince that is molecularly identical to its farm-produced counterpart, using skin cells from a living pig. The process is cruelty-free and ethical, and the nutritional profile of the meat can be tailored to reduce saturated fat or increase vitamin content. (The Fifth State and 1 other source)

Nordex and ACCIONA Energía form a new joint venture to develop competitively priced green hydrogen projects in areas with abundant wind resources. They aim to produce 0.5 million tons of green hydrogen per year within the next ten years. (REVE and 5 other sources)

Ford partners with PT Vale Indonesia and Zhejiang Huayou Cobalt to advance sustainable nickel production. The collaboration will help make EV batteries more affordable and support Ford's plan to deliver a two-million EV production run rate by the end of 2026. (Green Car Congress and 4 other sources)

Green Investment Group and Shell Energy are co-developing a 200MW/400MWh battery storage project in Victoria, Australia. The project is expected to be ready in late 2024. (Enegy Storage News and 2 other sources)

ZeroAvia partners with Swedish airport and energy company to develop hydrogen-electric powertrain systems for commercial routes, with a launch target of 2025 for 9-19 seat aircraft and 2027 for 40-80 seat aircraft. The project aims to achieve Sweden's net-zero targets for aviation and increase regional connectivity in a sustainable way. (Bioenergy International and 2 other sources)

BHP partners with China's HBIS for carbon capture and utilization technology. The agreement includes pilot-scale demonstrations of two utilization technologies. (Green Car Congress and 1 other source)

Republic Services expands organics recycling in California with North State Bioenergy acquisition. The anaerobic digestion facility will help customers comply with California's climate strategy. (Biomass Magazine and 5 other sources)

Agilitas Energy acquires $75M portfolio of standalone energy storage projects in Texas, expanding its renewable energy and battery storage pipeline by 60MW. The six projects will be based in ERCOT and deliver low-cost energy for CenterPoint Energy's customers. (NS Energy and 2 other sources)

Recycle Tracks Systems acquires RecycleSmart, including Pello waste sensor technology. The AI-powered device detects waste levels and contaminants, with cloud-based AI software and third-party integration. (Recycling Production News and 1 other source)

Birch Creek Energy has acquired greenfield developer Foundation Solar Partners, creating a pipeline of 13.5GW, with 5GW of solar and storage projects coming from Foundation Solar. Both companies have primarily focused on developing projects in the US, and the deal is expected to increase optionality for their projects. (PV Tech and 1 other source)

Engie buys 50MW Scottish battery storage project, expanding its battery capacity in Europe, and aiming to have 10 GW of battery storage systems installed globally by 2030. The Broxburn site will connect to the 33-kV network and be operational in 2H 2024. (Renewables Now)

LG to invest $5.5bn in US battery production, building two manufacturing facilities in Arizona. The largest investment ever for a stand-alone battery manufacturing facility in North America, the complex will produce cylindrical batteries for electric vehicles and lithium iron phosphate batteries for energy storage systems. (Modern Power Systems and 5 other sources)

USDA offers $1B in grants for renewable energy and energy-efficiency improvements. The Rural Energy for America Program is part of Biden's initiative to combat climate change and support disadvantaged communities. (California Ag Network and 2 other sources)

Agreena raises €46m in Series B funding to support farmers' transition to regenerative agriculture and expand Agri data services. The climate and fintech company aims to become a leader in supporting the road to net-zero for the full value chain. (iGrow News and 1 other source)

United Airlines invests $15m in carbon capture and removal technology provider Svante, as part of its sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) plans. The investment was made from the United Airlines Ventures Sustainable Flight Fund, which was launched last month with over $100m of investments from United and its partners. (ESG Today and 1 other source)

Carbonaide raises EUR1.8m to make carbon-negative concrete, aims to disrupt $130bn market. The Finnish company's solution uses CO2 capture and mineralisation technology to halve CO2 emissions of traditional concrete. (CemNet and 2 other sources)

MIT team discovers new additives that could turn concrete into a carbon sink. The addition of sodium bicarbonate during concrete mixing and pouring could reduce up to 15% of carbon dioxide emissions associated with cement production without altering concrete’s bulk mechanical properties. (Nanowerk and 2 other sources)

Destinus wins €27m grant to develop hydrogen-propelled supersonic jets, cutting flight times. The Spanish Ministry of Science's investment will boost the capacity of Destinus' hydrogen engine test facility near Madrid. (Renew Economy and 2 other sources)

ORNL develops eco-friendly insulation alternative to polystyrene panels. The thermoplastic foam is made using hollow glass spheres and expandable polymer microspheres. (CleanTechnica and 1 other source)

New polymeric binder for high-capacity anode material offers 10-fold increase in EV range. The functional binder leverages hydrogen bonding and Coulombic forces, and is developed by a joint research team from POSTECH and Sogang University. (Nanowerk and 1 other source)

Coconut and lemon wood composite may heat and cool your home. Researchers at KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm developed the wood composite thermal battery, which is capable of storing both heat and cold, and could be used for exterior and interior building material. (Tech Xplore and 1 other source)

Tesla's Giga Berlin-Brandenburg plant in Germany produced 5,000 electric cars in a week, a 25% increase from February, and could produce over 250,000 cars annually, with potential for one million units per year. Tesla must balance supply and demand as the Model Y is one of Europe's best-selling cars, and may require price reductions to attract more orders. (InsideEVs and 2 other sources)

Europe's EV market share remains at 20%, with BEVs gaining momentum and PHEVs suffering from the loss of incentives; Tesla's Model Y was the top-selling EV, followed by Volvo's XC40 and Volkswagen's ID.3. Volkswagen Group is ahead in the automotive group ranking, with Tesla making a move to surpass Geely and BMW. (CleanTechnica and 1 other source)

Meat companies face profit loss due to climate change, warns FAIRR report. North American firms could see an average 11% decrease in profit margins, while half of the companies assessed, including Tyson Foods and Cal-Maine, would be pushed into net operating losses. (edie and 1 other source)

"2023 Sustainable Business Leadership Report: Key Findings and Insights" edie's free-to-download report offers a comprehensive overview of corporate sustainability and climate action. (edie and 1 other source)

US onshore wind-farm installations dropped 56% due to a decline in tax breaks, while the offshore sector struggles with inflation and political pushback, according to S&P Global. Despite identifying a five-year project pipeline of 77.2 GW, wind developers need to install an average of 15.4 GW of wind capacity annually to meet the figure. (Energy Now)

BlackRock's largest ESG ETF, iShares ESG Aware MSCI USA, has experienced a significant drop in assets from $25bn to $13.8bn, leading to questions about the industry's long-term growth prospects. The decline in assets is due to shareholders pulling money from the ETF and its investment performance trailing benchmark indexes, raising concerns about the concentration risk that exists in the ESG sector. (Energy Now and 1 other source)

Siemens Energy issues EUR 1.5bn green bond for renewable energy refinancing. The bond has two tranches and can only be used for ESG projects. (ESG News and 1 other source)

Vistara becomes the first Indian carrier to use sustainable aviation fuel on a long-haul route. The airline used a blend of 30% SAF and 70% conventional jet fuel to reduce CO2 emissions by 150,000 pounds. (Biodiesel Magazine and 1 other source)

UK supermarkets sign up to new plan to measure carbon footprint of food and drink supply chains. The Retailer Net-Zero Collaborative Action Plan, facilitated by NGOs WRAP and WWF, aims to unify approaches and methods used to measure emissions accounting, with the supermarkets working with 17 key suppliers this year to trial WRAP’s new measurement and protocols for measuring Scope 3 (indirect) emissions. (edie and 2 other sources)

Weetabix achieves recyclable packaging target two years early, reducing carbon footprint by 648.4 tonnes annually. All paper-based packaging and drinks bottles are widely recyclable at home. (Packaging News and 1 other source)

Shell restructures renewable energy operations, eliminates global role of executive VP for renewable generation, and appoints Anna Mascolo as executive VP for low carbon products and sectors. The restructuring embeds operations such as wind and solar within regional divisions of Shell Energy, the company’s power business, and signals a renewed focus on its oil and gas business. (Energy Now and 2 other sources)

Luxury EV maker Lucid to lay off 18% of workforce amid recession, restructures by end of Q2. The California-based company falls short of analysts' predictions, aiming to produce 10,000-14,000 EVs instead of the anticipated 21,815 units. (InsideEVs and 1 other source)

ISRI names Sean Daoud 2023 Young Executive of the Year for his contributions to the recycled materials industry. Daoud, a second-generation recycler, serves as VP, treasurer, and shareholder of PNW Metal Recycling and holds several leadership positions in ISRI. (Recycling Production News and 1 other source)

J.P. Morgan appoints Alex Bell as Partner of Sustainable Growth Equity platform. Bell's focus on energy and climate technology will support the platform's climate solutions investing efforts. (iGrow News and 1 other source)

Martin Skov Hansen has been appointed as interim chief financial officer of Everfuel. He will take over from Anders Berlelsen, who is stepping down to pursue other opportunities. (H2 View and 1 other source)

EU ministers agree to ban sales of new polluting cars by 2035. The legislation raises the 2030 emissions reduction target, forcing automakers to sell more electric vehicles. (POLITICO and 10 other sources)

US Treasury announces new EV tax credit guidance, reducing tax credit amounts for many vehicles purchased on April 18 or later, due to battery component and critical mineral sourcing requirements of the Inflation Reduction Act. The act limits the $7,500 EV tax credit to vehicles assembled in North America, with a certain percentage of each car’s battery components needing to be built in North America, and critical minerals needing to be sourced from the US or a US free trade country. (Elektrek and 9 other sources)

EU agrees to raise renewables target to 42.5% by 2030, aiming for 45%. New law simplifies permitting procedures and includes industry as a key energy-consuming sector. (Renewables Now and 7 other sources)

EU to deploy more recharging and refueling stations for alternative fuels. The Alternative Fuel Infrastructure Regulation (AFIR) will ensure sufficient infrastructure network for recharging or refuelling road vehicles or ships with alternative fuels. (Bioenergy International and 4 other sources)

UK's Plastic Packaging Tax generates over £200m in revenue in its first year. The tax is expected to exceed HMRC's first-year target by more than £30 million, with businesses calling for the revenue to be reinvested in the UK's recycling infrastructure. (Circular and 1 other source)

WasteExpo 2023: North America's largest solid waste event in New Orleans. Attendees can join professional development workshops and learn about sustainability topics. (Biomass Magazine and 1 other source)

CEA Summit East to return in 2023, co-hosted by Indoor Ag-Con and Virginia Tech-IALR CEA Innovation Center. The two-day event will feature keynotes, panels, breakout conference sessions, tabletop exhibits, and research facility tours. (Urban Ag News and 1 other source)

2023 AD and Biogas Industry Awards winners announced in Birmingham. Awards celebrate excellence and innovation in the global anaerobic digestion and biogas sector. (Envirotec Magazine and 1 other source)

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