3D Printing Nuclear Reactors, Autonomous bots for seabed mapping,more Top Climate News

Norway grants CO2 storage licenses; UK to support Long Duration Energy Storage; NZ to track synthetic refrigerants;

In this newsletter

• 3D Printing Nuclear Reactor

• Autonomous bots for seabed mapping

• UK energy regulator scheme for Long Duration Energy Storage

• Norway grants CO2 storage licenses

• EU to expand offshore energy capacity

• News from Governments

• Insights from research & reports

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3D Printing Nuclear Reactors

France-based Framatome and Sweden-based Vattenfall have installed 3D-printed fuel components in the Ringhals 4 reactor. This is part of a multi-year irradiation program to confirm the integrity of the components and enhance reactor performance and safety. Framatome plans to produce these filters in-house by 2026 at its new Additive Manufacturing facility in Romans-sur-Isère, France. Framatome

Autonomous bots for seabed mapping

MIT Lincoln Laboratory and MIT Department of Mechanical Engineering have developed a new surface-based sonar system called the Autonomous Sparse-Aperture Multibeam Echo Sounder. The system uses autonomous surface vehicles (ASVs) to map the ocean floor at 50 times the coverage rate of underwater vehicles and 100 times the resolution of surface vessels, enabling better understanding of ocean geology, currents, and climate impacts. The technology has been recognized with a 2024 R&D 100 Award. MIT News

UK energy regulator scheme for long duration energy storage

The UK's Ofgem, tasked by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ), is implementing a cap and floor regime for Long Duration Electricity Storage (LDES) to encourage investment. Ofgem will publish technical details this winter and aims to decide on approved projects by mid-2026. Ofgem

Norway grants CO2 Storage licenses

Norway has offered exploration licenses for CO2 storage to three companies: Aker BP ASA, Equinor Low Carbon Solutions AS, and Harbour Energy Norge AS. The licenses are for two areas in the North Sea, marking the seventh time acreage has been awarded for CO2 storage under the CO2 Storage Regulations. Norwegian Offshore Directorate

EU to expand offshore energy capacity

EU Member States have agreed to significantly expand offshore renewable energy capacity. The goal is to install approximately 88 GW by 2030 and around 360 GW by 2050 across five sea basins. This builds upon the revised Regulation on trans-European energy networks (TEN-E Regulation) and involves collaboration with the European Network of Transmission System Operators for electricity (ENTSO-E). European Commission

News from Governments

• In September 2024, Poland notified the European Commission of its plan to support the State-owned company Polskie Elektrownie Jądrowe sp. z o.o (PEJ) in constructing a new nuclear power plant in Lubiatowo-Kopalino with an electricity generation capacity of up to 3750 MW. The total investment costs are estimated at approximately €45 billion (PLN 192 billion), with planned support including a €14 billion equity injection, State guarantees covering 100% of PEJ's debt, and a two-way contract for difference providing revenue stability for 60 years. The Commission has now opened an in-depth investigation to assess if this support complies with EU State aid rules. European Commission

• New Zealand is implementing regulations to support a product stewardship scheme for synthetic refrigerants, aiming to reduce emissions from leaks and improper disposal. The scheme, managed by the Trust for the Destruction of Synthetic Refrigerants through their Cool-Safe program, will track refrigerants throughout their lifecycle and require industry-recognized training standards. New Zealand Government

• The UK government, through the Environment Agency and in collaboration with the Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR), has published technical guidance on radioactive substances regulation (RSR) for nuclear site operators. This includes joint guidance on managing radioactive waste, climate change and the nuclear industry, and land quality management on nuclear sites. The guidance aims to improve environmental protection and safety within the nuclear sector. Environment Agency (EA) | GOV.UK

• The UK government has implemented extended producer responsibility (EPR) for packaging, requiring organizations to collect packaging waste data, meet recycling obligations (e.g., 83% for paper packaging), and pay waste disposal fees from October 2025. Organizations must obtain Packaging Recycling Notes (PRNs) and Packaging Export Recycling Notes (PERNs) as evidence of meeting obligations. A transition plan is in place, using the National Packaging Waste Database (NPWD) until January 2025 and then shifting to a new Report Packaging Data (RPD) service. GOV.UK

• The EU's gross final energy consumption from renewable sources reached 24.5% in 2023, a 1.4 percentage point increase from 2022. However, this is 18 percentage points short of the 2030 target of 42.5%, requiring an annual average increase of 2.6 percentage points from 2024 to 2030. Sweden led with 66.4% renewable energy, primarily from solid biofuels, hydro, and wind, while Luxembourg, Belgium, and Malta had the lowest shares. European Commission

• The European Commission has released a study showing that the trans-European transport network (TEN-T) requires significant climate adaptation investments. The study warns of 30-fold increase in heatwaves and more frequent extreme weather events by century's end, recommending implementation of climate risk assessments and a tracking system to monitor cross-border projects' progress and climate-related challenges. European Commission

• Norway's Offshore Directorate has reported vigorous activity on the Norwegian continental shelf in 2024, including high investments, significant oil and gas production, increasing interest in CO2 storage, and exploration of seabed minerals. The report highlights discoveries like oil and gas in the North Sea (31/1-4) by Equinor and partners, and oil near the Goliat field (7122/8-2 S) by Vår Energi and Equinor. Norwegian Offshore Directorate

• The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has implemented a Gasoline Sulfur program that uses tradable credits to help refiners and importers comply with reduced sulfur content limits in gasoline (from 30ppm to 10ppm). In 2023, suppliers continued to draw down the credit bank by 70 billion credits (27% reduction), following a 40% reduction in 2022, indicating increasing pressure on refiners to meet stricter environmental standards. U.S. Energy Information Administration

Insights from Research & Reports

• IEA’s new report “Sustainable aviation fuels in Southeast Asia: A regional perspective on bio-based solutions” emphasizes the urgent need to accelerate the sustainable scale-up of biofuel supply chains in Southeast Asia. Biofuels are considered the most viable short-term option for significantly reducing aviation emissions, but securing feedstock requires strategic planning, infrastructure investment, and careful consideration of social and environmental impacts. The report offers an economic assessment of various ICAO-approved SAF pathways and reviews policy frameworks and investment activities in the region. International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA)

• India's oil consumption is expected to increase by 220,000 barrels per day in 2024 and 330,000 barrels per day in 2025, surpassing China as the leading source of global oil consumption growth. This growth is driven by rising demand for transportation and cooking fuels. In contrast, China's growth is limited by factors such as electric vehicle adoption and economic deceleration. U.S. Energy Information Administration

• Italy has launched the Italian Energy Storage Capacity Procurement Mechanism (MACSE) to support the installation of 50 GWh of new utility-scale energy storage capacity by 2030, aiming to achieve the country’s renewable energy target of 131 GW by 2030. Most of this new capacity will be in Southern Italy and the islands. The MACSE auction system balances risk and return, offering developers a 15-year contract with fixed remuneration and additional revenue streams. Aurora Energy Research

• The US government, under President Biden, has significantly increased its estimate of the social cost of carbon (SCC) from $51 to $185 per ton of CO2. This new figure, supported by research from Rennert et al. (2022) and Hambel et al. (2024), reflects a more comprehensive understanding of climate change risks, including tipping points and recurring climate disasters. The updated SCC necessitates stronger climate policies, such as higher carbon taxes and stricter regulations. CEPR

• US-based organizations and municipalities have made significant strides in clean energy adoption in 2024. Over $100 billion in federal grants and millions in tax credits fueled projects like Big Sky SNO's solar-powered affordable housing, Tri-State's rural clean energy expansion ($9.7 billion), and the Port of Los Angeles's $412 million air pollution reduction initiative. The City of San Antonio implemented one of the largest municipal on-site solar projects, saving an estimated $7-11 million. RMI

• Great Britain has experienced a six-fold increase in negative price periods in its power market between 2022 and 2024. This surge is attributed to oversupply conditions stemming from weak power demand, robust renewable energy output, and legacy subsidy schemes. Aurora Energy Research highlights the need for increased electrification in sectors like heat and transport to maintain renewable investment profitability and achieve Net Zero targets. The analysis also emphasizes the importance of improving system flexibility through storage and price-responsive demand sources. Aurora Energy Research

• McKinsey analysis projects that demand will outpace base-case supply for certain battery raw materials by 2030, requiring additional investment. The report highlights the need to balance availability, affordability, and sustainability of materials, emphasizing the importance of reducing carbon emissions across the battery value chain. Several challenges are outlined, including supply chain concentration in a few countries and the need for increased transparency and ESG standards. McKinsey Insights & Publications

• Globally, McKinsey has identified the need to decarbonize the steel industry, responsible for 7 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions. They propose establishing green-steel hubs in locations with access to low-cost energy and metallics feedstock, focusing on producing hot briquetted iron (HBI) for transport to electric-arc furnaces (EAFs). This requires collaboration among mining companies, energy companies, investors, equipment manufacturers, governments, and logistics companies to create a supportive ecosystem. McKinsey Insights & Publications

• France has seen improved market conditions for grid-scale battery projects, with a more than 2% increase in IRR for investment scenarios due to high short-term aFRR capacity prices and energy trading opportunities. The transition to a pay-as-clear mechanism for its aFRR capacity market on June 19, 2024, significantly boosted short-term revenues. Aurora Energy Research estimates additional upsides with the new TURPE 7 grid tariff structure, offering benefits in high-production zones. Aurora Energy Research

• In Latin America, there has been a rapid increase in zero-emission public transport projects. Santiago has 2,480 electric buses and plans to add 1,200 more by 2025, while Bogotá has decided to allow only zero-emission buses in its BRT system from 2022 and already has 1,486 electric buses. The International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT), through the ZEBRA initiative, supported two pilot projects in Medellín's transport system between February and May 2023, focusing on addressing technological, organizational, and regulatory challenges in scaling electric bus services. International Council on Clean Transportation

• India aims to achieve net-zero emissions by 2070. Kerala, India, is leading the adoption of hydrogen-powered vehicles for transport, aiming for net-zero emissions by 2050. The Kerala Green Hydrogen Valley project, led by ANERT, seeks to establish a fully integrated hydrogen ecosystem, including hydrogen-powered buses, trucks, and boats. The project includes subsidies for refueling stations and tax incentives for hydrogen production, and aims to overcome infrastructure gaps and high production costs of green hydrogen. weforum.org

• The Asian Development Bank Institute (ADBI) published "Sustainable Cooling: How to Cool the World Without Warming the Planet", a book exploring sustainable cooling solutions. The book proposes policy recommendations, financing solutions, and technological insights to accelerate the adoption of low-carbon cooling systems and mitigate climate change. Asian Development Bank - Publications

• China's infrastructure lending in Africa, primarily focused on transport and communications, has significantly increased African countries’ participation in global value chains (GVCs). A one standard deviation increase in Chinese infrastructure lending is associated with a 0.11 standard deviation increase in GVC participation after four years. This positive association is concentrated in the downstream component of GVCs, potentially enhancing exports and productivity. CEPR