Carbon Removal, Fusion, Climate Policy, Renewables
Grid-scale nuclear fusion; Geothermal heating for Germany; Brazil Electricity tariffs;
In this newsletter
CFS announces Grid-scale Nuclear Fusion Facility
Nuclear debate in Australia
Carbon Removal - Capsol x Holcim, CO280 x CREW Carbon
News from Governments - US, UK, EU, South Africa
Electricity tariffs - Brazil & Spain
Renewable Energy
Climate News, from verified sources, on every topic. All in one app.
CFS announces Grid-scale Nuclear Fusion Facility
US-based Commonwealth Fusion Systems announced it will build the world's first grid-scale commercial fusion power plant in Chesterfield County, Virginia. The plant, known as ARC, will generate about 400 megawatts of electricity, enough to power 150,000 homes. CFS will independently finance, build, own, and operate the plant, with non-financial collaboration from Dominion Energy Virginia. cfs.energy
Nuclear debate in Australia
Australia's Coalition released a nuclear power policy costing, claiming a $263 billion saving compared to Labor's renewables-only plan. The Coalition's Progressive Change scenario involves a slower transition with nuclear power, leading to higher emissions than Labor's Step Change scenario. Frontier Economics' report suggests nuclear is cheaper due to delayed coal replacement and longer plant lifespans, but CSIRO and Lazard studies show renewables are more cost-effective. reporter.anu.edu.au
Carbon Removal
Germany-based Capsol Technologies signed a cooperation agreement with Holcim Group to deliver a CapsolGo® carbon capture demonstration campaign at a cement plant in southern Germany. Holcim aims to decarbonize its global portfolio, committing to deliver 8 million tons of fully decarbonized cement per year by 2030. The CapsolGo® unit will be delivered in Q2 2025, with testing commencing in late Q2 2025 for a 4-month project. capsoltechnologies.com
US-based CO280 and CREW Carbon have signed $80 million in offtake agreements with Frontier to remove 296,378 tons of COâ‚‚ by 2030. CO280 will receive $48.0 million to remove 224,500 tons of COâ‚‚ using Biomass Carbon Removal and Storage at pulp and paper facilities, while CREW will receive $32.1 million to remove 71,878 tons of COâ‚‚ from wastewater treatment processes. Frontier members include Stripe, Google, Shopify, McKinsey Sustainability, Autodesk, H&M Group, Workday, and Salesforce. frontierclimate.com
(December 16) The UK has proposed implementing the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA) to align with international standards. This involves draft secondary legislation for offsetting requirements and interaction with the UK emissions trading scheme (ETS) for flights between the UK and the European Economic Area or Switzerland. The consultation is led by the UK government, Scottish Government, Welsh Government, and the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs in Northern Ireland.
News from Governments
The U.S. Department of Energy released a list of three potential National Interest Electric Transmission Corridors moving to Phase 3 of the designation process. These corridors include the Lake Erie-Canada Corridor, Southwestern Grid Connector Corridor, and Tribal Energy Access Corridor. The DOE aims to address transmission inadequacies that harm consumers and advance national interests like increased reliability and reduced costs. publicpower.org
The United States experienced above-average hurricane activity in 2024, disrupting energy infrastructure, particularly in the Gulf Coast and Southeast. Hurricanes Francine, Helene, and Rafael led to shutdowns in oil and natural gas production in the Gulf of Mexico. Major hurricanes Milton and Helene caused significant power outages and damage to electricity infrastructure across several states. Unplanned outages of crude oil production averaged 295,000 barrels per day in September and 110,000 barrels per day in November, while natural gas production outages averaged 0.20 billion cubic feet per day in September and 0.07 billion cubic feet per day in November. U.S. Energy Information Administration
The United Kingdom has relaunched the Net Zero Council to enhance collaboration between government, private sector, civil society, and local authorities in accelerating the transition to net zero. The Council, co-chaired by Ed Miliband and Shirine Khoury-Haq, aims to provide expert insights, drive decarbonisation, and promote climate leadership across the economy. UK Government
England's Environment Agency published new data showing 6.3 million properties are at risk of flooding from rivers, the sea, and surface water. The updated National Assessment of Flood Risk (NaFRA) and National Coastal Erosion Risk Map (NCERM) now include the latest UK climate projections. The agency is investing over £1 billion this year in flood defences to enhance national resilience. UK Government
Sri Lanka, in collaboration with the UK, has been working on shark and ray conservation through the Ocean Country Partnership Programme (OCPP). The focus is on developing an updated National Plan of Action (NPOA) for Sharks and Rays, involving knowledge exchange and data collection improvements. The plan aims to ensure sustainable fisheries and biodiversity protection. UK Government
The European Union has published a study on the greening of European sea ports, providing guidance for improving environmental performance and achieving sustainability goals. The study highlights challenges and good practices, offering a roadmap for ports, service providers, and equipment manufacturers, with a focus on smaller ports facing constraints. European Commission
South Africa's National Treasury and the South African Revenue Service published the 2025 draft Revenue Laws Amendment Bill for public comment. The bill includes tax proposals and will be tabled in Parliament during the 2025 Budget Review. Additionally, discussion papers on carbon tax, collective investment schemes, and alcoholic beverages taxation were released, with a consultation workshop on carbon tax scheduled for January 2025. Government of South Africa
Brazil electricity tariffs
Brazil's Agência Nacional de Energia Elétrica (ANEEL) has set the 2025
Optimisation Energy Tariff (TEO) at R$ 17.37/MWh
TEO: is intended to cover the incremental operation and maintenance costs of hydroelectric plants and the payment of financial compensation referring to the energy traded in the Energy Reallocation Mechanism (MRE) of the Chamber of Commercialization of Electric Energy (CCEE). It is updated annually based on the variation of the IPCA inflation index and the variation of the Annual Reference Tariff.
Itaipu Hydroelectric plant tariff (TEO Itaipu) at R$ 58.60/MWh
TEO Itaipu: is calculated based on the portions referring to the payment for the transfer of energy from Paraguay, royalties, and the administration of the plant by ENBPar. The conversion of the value, in dollars, of the estimated generation costs of the Itaipu Hydroelectric Plant to the national currency should be carried out by the daily geometric mean of the Ptax Closing Quotes of the US dollar, published by the Central Bank of Brazil, in the period from December 1st of the previous year until November 30th of the year of the calculation.
and Ancillary Services (TSA) at R$ 9.90/MWh
TSA: remunerates the additional operation and maintenance costs of generating units that are requested by the National Electric System Operator (ONS) to operate as synchronous compensators.
Settlement Price of Difference (PLD) minimum is R$ 58.60/MWh, with a maximum structural limit of R$ 751.73/MWh and a maximum hourly limit of R$ 1,542.23/MWh.
The TEO Itaipu saw a 4.04% reduction due to changes in the dollar adjustment factor and Paraguay's increased energy consumption. gov.br
Spain electricity tariffs for 2025
Spain's CNMC has approved the electricity transport and distribution tariffs for 2025, reducing them by an average of 4% compared to 2024. The reductions are greater for high and medium voltage consumers and less for low voltage consumers. The expected increase in electricity customers is 0.8%, with a 2.5% increase in billed power and a 4.2% increase in energy consumption. cnmc.es
Renewable Energy
NuVision Solar is establishing a manufacturing capacity of 2.5 GW heterojunction solar cell and module facility in the US. The modules will meet domestic content requirements, qualifying for a 10% bonus under the Inflation Reduction Act. nuvisionsolar.com
Germany-based RheinEnergie has commissioned MAN Energy Solutions to deliver Europe's largest fluvial heat-pump plant in Cologne, with a 150 MW heating capacity. The €280 million project will utilize Rhine river water as an energy source to provide climate-neutral district heating for 50,000 households, reducing CO2 emissions by 100,000 tons annually. The facility is expected to begin operation in 2027. man-es.com
Greece-based KTISTOR Energy has partnered with Sungrow to deploy PowerTitan 2.0 Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) across four facilities in Northern and Central Greece. The projects have a total capacity of 105 MWh and include installations in Rodopi, Kozani, and Viotia. The systems will be delivered in summer 2025 and will support grid stability and renewable energy transition in Greece. uk.sungrowpower.com
The EU solar sector experienced a significant slowdown in 2024, with only 4% growth compared to 53% in 2023. SolarPower Europe reported that the EU installed 66 GW of solar in 2024, slightly surpassing the 2023 record of 63 GW. Investment in solar installations dropped by 13% to 55 billion EUR due to falling component prices. The slowdown is attributed to system challenges, including low electrification rates and lack of energy system flexibility. solarpowereurope.org
Australia has seen a significant delay in the implementation of flexible exports for rooftop solar, costing households A$35 million in 2023 and potentially A$211 million over the next three years. South Australia has successfully implemented flexible exports, allowing solar inflows of up to 10kW per inverter, which could unlock A$5.08 billion in net benefits by 2042 according to Deloitte. However, inconsistent national regulations are causing increased costs for manufacturers and consumers. ieefa.org
Australia's Hithium has announced the supply of 640MWh of energy storage capacity to Lightsource bp for the Woolooga BESS project in Queensland. The project, featuring 128 units of 5MWh BESS containers, will enhance renewable energy integration and grid management. Hithium is partnering with INTEC Energy Solutions for operation and maintenance services. en.hithium.com
Vietnam-based CMA CGM Group has developed a zero-emission inland waterway transport solution featuring a 100% electric barge powered by batteries and a solar farm at Gemalink terminal. The e-barge will transport goods between Binh Duong and Cai Mep, achieving zero greenhouse gas emissions and avoiding 778 tons of CO2 annually. NIKE has committed to using this e-barge for transporting its products, supporting CMA CGM's goal of Net Zero Carbon by 2050 and promoting decarbonization of maritime activity. cma-cgm.com
Spain-based company INNDE CTAER has announced plans to build a green methanol production plant in Tabernas, AlmerÃa. The project, named Nascar, will invest over 260 million euros to produce 38,000 tonnes of green methanol annually using renewable hydrogen and captured CO2. The facility will include a 54MW solar plant for self-consumption and create 552 total jobs across construction and operation phases. juntadeandalucia.es
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