Global Climate News - April 26
Microbial Fuel Cells; Efficiency of Different Solar Cell Technologies; Belgium's Hydrogen Transmission Network; UK's anti-greenwashing rule;
Solar Cell Efficiencies by US’ NREL
The US National Renewable Energy Laboratory maintains a record of solar cell efficiencies for different technologies reported by researchers and companies. Note the Red line with triangular pointers, in the middle on the right of the chart below - the line for Perovskite. Reported efficiency has risen from 23.6% in 2016 (Stanford/ASU) to 33.9% in 2023 (LONGI).
You can see the interactive chart and the PDF here
Top Stories
Belgium is developing a hydrogen transmission network that will also include a connection to Germany, and infra to connect the major industrial centres - Ghent, Antwerp, Mons, Charleroi and Liège. Fluxys has been chosen as the hydrogen network operator. Offshore Energy | Belgium - Regulation of Hydrogen Transport
Japan began trading carbon credits on the Tokyo Stock Exchange in October, 2023. It is now looking to implement a ‘Market Maker Scheme’ to improve liquidity for both energy saving and renewable energy credits.
"Market making," as specified by Tokyo Stock Exchange (TSE), means the continuous quoting of bids and offers by a market maker.
- TSE will implement the Scheme with the following points in mind:
(1) Contribution to fair price formation of carbon credits through market transactions
(2) Smooth circulation of carbon credits on the TSE market
JPX Press Release | Outline of Specifications - Introduction of Market Maker Scheme for the Carbon Credit Market (PDF)
UK’s anti-greenwashing rule that “requires firms to ensure that any reference to the sustainability characteristics of a product or service is: consistent with the sustainability characteristics of the product or service, and is fair, clear and not misleading”, will come into force on May 31, 2024. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has published guidance to help firms comply with the rule.
Our anti‑greenwashing rule applies when a firm:
• communicates with clients in the UK in relation to a product or service, or
• communicates a financial promotion (or approves a financial promotion for communication) to a person in the UK.
Carbon Pulse | FCA Press Release | Finalised non-handbook guidance on the anti-greenwashing rule
A survey of 120 companies in the hydrogen industry in Europe finds that high electricity prices, not enough offtake contracts, and a low carbon price, are the key issues keeping hydrogen production from scaling. Reducing low carbon hydrogen investment and operating costs - A preqrequisite for mass adoption (PDF) | Renewable Watch
Japan has launched an anti-dumping duty investigation of graphite electrodes originating in China. METI Press Release
UN has established a Panel on Critical Energy Transition Minerals with participation from 24 governments, and international and development institutions. UN Press Release (PDF)
Climate tech startups and funding in Indonesia National Observer
TIL - An abandoned mine in Springhill (Canada) filled up with water over time. The water gets heated to 18℃ naturally due to heat from the Earth, and has been used in a district heating system in the area since the late 1980s.
The heat in the water is derived from the normal heat of the rocks, and the contribution from chemical heating is negligible. Water is used as the input to heat pumps for heating and cooling industrial buildings. Annual heat exchange with the mine by the largest user puts more heat into the mine in summer than is taken out in winter. Other buildings may be a small net drain of heat, so that many systems could operate indefinitely, without significant depletion of the heat source. Initial costs of heat-pump installation are higher than the costs of conventional oil furnaces, but in Springhill operating costs of geothermal heating are substantially lower than heating by fuel oil.
Geothermal Energy from Old Mines at SpringHill, Nova Scotia, Canada (PDF)
Microbial Fuel Cells
Some bacteria can release electrons beyond their cell membranes into the external environmental. They have been used in microbial fuel cells - a two-chamber setup in which carbon electrodes are used both for the anode and cathode, separated by a micro-filter that allows protons (hydrogen ions) to pass. The anode is placed in a solution with organic matter (such as wastewater sludge) and bacteria are added. The bacteria break down the organic matter, releasing electrons which travel to the cathode via wires. At the cathode, the electrons reduce oxygen, combine with protons producing (clean) water as a by-product.
MFCs are being researched for use in wastewater treatment systems as they are more energy-efficient than traditional treatment methods, produce electricity from waste and release water which can be cycled back into the plant.
One of the problems with MFCs is the release of CO2 when organic matter is broken down by the bacteria at the anode. To handle this, photosynthetic microbes - like algae - are added to the anode. These consume the CO2 released by the bacteria for photosynthesis, reducing emissions from the process.
Most research has been done on dark MFCs - those operating in the absence of light and oxygen. In recent research, authors operate a Microbial Fuel Cell in the presence of light, and use a combination of bacteria and photosynthetic algae (to consume the CO2). They achieve a power output of 836 mW/m2, significantly above the previous high of 619.1 mW/ m2.
Light-driven photosynthetic microbial fuel cell for carbon-negative bioelectricity production
New Reports & Data
US-based oncology company, BeiGene’s 2023 Responsible Business & Sustainability Report (via businesswire)
Deep sea data on the area opened for seabed minerals in the Norwegian Sea and the Greenland Sea, by the Norwegian Offshore Directorate
Nova Scotia (Canada) has published its Green Hydrogen Action Plan National Observer | Nova Scotia Green Hydrogen Action Plan (PDF) | Nova Scotia’s 2030 Clean Power Plan (PDF)
Accelerating private sector investments in green mini-grids, African Development Bank (via pv magazine)
Gold Standard has published its methodology that will allow carbon credits to be issued for carbon capture from biomass fermentation processes, Press Release | Methodology (via Carbon Pulse)
You can find all previous posts of this newsletter here.
Have the best day!
Best,
Soumya Gupta
Founder, Telborg.com | SummaryWithAI.com
LinkedIn | Twitter | soumya@telborg.com
