Climate startups button up for a post-election freeze
https://pitchbook.com/news/articles/climate-startups-election-trump-inflation-reduction-act

For the climate tech startups now navigating this stage, it’s going to be a rough six months. As the industry adjusts to a new energy policy regime under President-elect Donald Trump, there’ll be a chill in the air for project financing and major fundraising for companies in the line of fire.

Potentially on the chopping block are key provisions of the US Inflation Reduction Act, the budget of the Department of Energy and Treasury guidelines on tax credits. Offshore wind and hydrogen projects are two areas that are thought by VCs to be especially precarious.

And despite Trump’s cozy relationship with Tesla founder Elon Musk, the transition team is already planning to scrap a $7,500 EV tax credit for American consumers, according to Reuters.

“It’s going to be challenging,” said Abe Yokell, managing partner at Congruent Ventures. “My general advice is, make sure you aren’t raising right now.”

...

In the eight years since Trump’s first victory, early-stage investing in climate tech has become mainstream, as specialists like Breakthrough Energy Ventures and Lowercarbon Capital made their names on Sand Hill Road, bringing generalists along with them into climate rounds.

Huge amounts of capital have flowed into infrastructure funds dedicated to the energy transition, driven by pressure from pension holders and students as well as a belief that the energy transition is a lucrative investment.

“Most new infrastructure is clean infrastructure now,” said Yokell. Energy transition infrastructure funds raised $33.5 billion in 2024, compared to $9.5 billion for non-energy transition infrastructure funds, according to PitchBook research.

Institutional investors think in decades, not in single election cycles.

Plus, much of the climate policy cemented by the Biden administration has bipartisan support: namely, creating more resilient supply chains, nearshoring critical minerals production and creating clean-energy jobs in battleground states.

Trump’s calls to deregulate and reduce permitting roadblocks may help clean energy projects in the long run, especially for new nuclear technologies that have been bogged down in red tape.

For Yokell, there’s a strong case to stay bullish on climate-friendly projects:

“There will be some collateral damage environmentally, which I’m not excited about, but the lack of regulations will in fact allow for a lot of clean infrastructure to be built.”

CHOSIE: si mi jeste pripomnel:

"The reserves uncovered are said to contain around 511 billion barrels worth of oil, equating to around 10 times the North Sea’s output over the last 50 years."

Russia reportedly finds vast oil and gas reserves in British Antarctic territory | Offshore
https://www.offshore-mag.com/geosciences/article/55039736/russia-reportedly-finds-vast-oil-and-gas-reserves-in-british-antarctic-territory

Labour Party wins UK General Election with promising implications for the UK green economy
https://www.renewableenergymagazine.com/panorama/labour-party-wins-uk-general-election-with-20240705

The result has promising implications for the UK green economy with Labour’s intention to make Britain a ‘green energy superpower’. This includes promises to double onshore wind, treble solar power and quadruple offshore wind by 2030. The party is hoping to rid the national grid of fossil fuel generation entirely by that time.

Z cyklu #doomed

BP imposes hiring freeze and halts new offshore wind projects | BP | The Guardian
https://amp.theguardian.com/business/article/2024/jun/27/bp-imposes-hiring-freeze-and-halts-new-offshore-wind-projects

New boss Murray Auchincloss reverses move away from fossil fuels, which had weighed on company’s share price

The head of BP has imposed a hiring freeze and halted new offshore wind projects, in an apparent attempt to placate investors who are unhappy with the oil company’s green targets.
...
Looney, who had committed BP to some of the industry’s greenest climate goals, was ousted last September for failing to disclose relationships with colleagues.

The decision to slow BP’s green ambitions has stoked concerns that Looney’s plan to move the company away from fossil fuels, with a pledge to “become a net zero company by 2050 or sooner”, may soon be derailed.

BP has come under pressure from shareholders over its green targets because some renewable projects have proved more costly than expected, and profits from oil and gas have soared after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine more than two years ago.

In response, the company set out plans earlier this year to cut oil and gas production by just 25% between 2019 and 2030 – well short of its previous target of a 40% reduction over the same timeframe.
...
Earlier this month BP’s rival Shell set out its own plans to scale back its green growth ambitions, reducing the number of staff working on low-carbon solutions by about 200 roles while shifting the focus towards high-profit oil projects and expanding its gas business.

via Hlavenka

- Dánsko vypisuje výběrové řízení na stavbu a provozování 6 GW instalovaného výkonu mořských větrných elektráren (1), s možností rozšiřování na 10 GW
- tendr je bez JAKÝCHKOLI dotací ze strany státu. Vítězné firmy budou muset navíc Dánsku platit roční poplatek za využívání plochy plus na to musí založit nové firmy, ve kterých získá dánský stát automaticky 20%. Výše poplatku je zásadní parametr pro výběr vítěze.
- Dánsko uvádí, že zadání tendru je výsledkem předsoutěžního dialogu s řadou firem, kde i za těchto podmínek je zaznamenán značný zájem
- hotovo a spustěno musí být do konce roku 2030.


Odhaduje se, že náklady na 1 GW instalovaného výkonu 50 miliard Kč (v přepočtu). Větrná energie z moře má tzv. kapacitní faktor okolo 55%, tedy dá se říci, že 1 GW mořského větrníku poskytne stejný objem elektřiny jako 550 MW reaktor jaderky, který jede na permanentně na stálý výkon. (Což zcela neplatí, ale teď to zanedbejme).
Zajímavé je pak srovnání s chystanými bloky v Dukovanech. Dva nové bloky (výkon přes 2 GW) mají stát 160 miliard Kč (nabídku zatím neznáme, kolik to bude stát doopravdy po dostavění nikdo neví, jaderky se obvykle dost prodražují; též jde o konstrukci smlouvy, na čí účet půjdou vícenáklady). Výkonově - měřeno dodaným množstvím elektřiny - adekvátní větrné farmy v Dánsku tak vyjdou na 180 miliard Kč.


Vychází to tedy podobně (160 vs 180 miliard), jenomže je tam mnoho dalších rozdílů a důležitých faktorů:
- Dánsko spouští nejpozději v roce 2030, Dukovany mají naskočit v r. 2036, nicméně to je hodně optimistický odhad
- Dánsko nedává žádnou záruku cen a neručí za financování; v Dukovanech je garantovaná výkupní cen. Pokud bude cena na volném trhu nižší, spotřebitel zaplatí tu vyšší (garantovanou).
- ČEZ samozřejmě žádný poplatek státu neplatí (u Dánska není jasné, jak bude velký - to vzejde z nabídek)
- větrné elektrárny mají nižší provozní náklady než jaderné (ale porovnání je velmi individuální a nesnadné, případ od případu)
- je samozřejmě pravda, že rychlost větru je kolísavá (na rozdíl od stálého výkonu jaderky), nicméně zrovna v Severním moři je větrné proudění velmi stabilní; vedle toho ten jaderný "baseload", tedy permanentně stálý a skoro neregulovatelný výkon je taky nevýhodou, protože spotřeba elektřiny během dne velmi silně kolísá (ranní a večerní špička, mezi tím průměr, v noci velký útlum)


Žádný závěr "co je lepší" nebude :-); ostatně nejsme Dánsko a nemáme foukavé moře. Chci tím jen ukázat na v podstatě srovnatelnou výhodnost obou řešení - že tedy obnovitelné zdroje jsou plně konkurenceschopné konvenčním. Dle mého názoru čas ukáže, že zejméně offshore vítr bude nejlevnějším komerčním zdrojem elektřiny vůbec, kapacita je takřka nevyčerpatelná, bude se stavět ostošest a výsledně to SRAZÍ cenu silové elektřiny na trhu na brutálně nízké hodnoty. Rozhodující ve výsledné ceně, kterou zaplatí zákazník pak bude jednak cena za přenos a jednak cena za stabilizaci soustavy (vyrovnávání výkyvů).
The biggest offshore wind tender in Danish history has been published
https://en.kefm.dk/news/news-archive/2024/apr/offshore-tender?

#synergies

6 tun sklizen 2025 + ocean co2 removal

World's First Seaweed Farm In An Offshore Wind Farm
https://cleantechnica.com/2024/03/18/worlds-first-commerical-seaweed-farm-in-an-offshore-wind-farm/

XCHAOS: Ne. Zaklady na vetrniky maji 2 zasadni omezeni.

1] Jednak pro konkretni danou vetrnou elektrarnu jsou konkretne presny zaklady! To treba vedlo k tomu jak kdyz CEZ stavel svoji prvni vetrnou elektrarnu ve Francii tak v prubehu projektu musel zmenit typ elektrarny a dodavatele. A vedlo to k tomu ze se cele betonove zaklady musely vyrubat a udelat tam nove.

2] Betonove zaklady pro vetrniky zasadne trpi prenasenymi vibracemi (i u tech nejnovejsich a nejlepsich typu) a to postupne narusovani vede k tomu ze jejich zivotnost je cca 30 let, nebo malinko pres 30, ale ne tak aby to zvladlo 2 zivotnosti vetrniku.
Vetrnik ma zivotnost dle aplikace 20-25 let s stim ze prodlouzit na 30 let je to mozne, ale ne vzdy hospodarne.

Ale tyhle omezeni nevadi. Cela elektrarna se pri umisteni na vhodna mista energeticky zaplati za nizke jednotky let. Dalsi nizke jednotky let stoji energeticko/materiolovy offshore udrzby a likvidace. Tzn. vetrniky se urcite z tohodle pohledu vyplati.

Jeji jediny a opravdu realny technicky problem je stroboskopicky efekt. A energeticky problem je to, ze proklamovana nizka cena elektriny je ucetni trik protoze nezahrnuje kompenzaci site pri nadbytku jeji produkci a hlavne akumulaci na dobu kdy je opravdu potreba. Tohle take neni v zasade problem, ale vsechny ty grafiky jak je jaderna elektrina 3x drazsi nez vetrna je nesmysl protoze porovnavame nesrovnatelne a navic bez korekce dotaci ktere tu cenu deformuji v obou pripadech.

'Largest wind farm in Baltic states' | Nordex wins 255MW order in Estonia | Recharge
https://www.rechargenews.com/wind/largest-wind-farm-in-baltic-states-nordex-wins-255mw-order-in-estonia/2-1-1390108

Nordex has won an order to supply turbines to Enefit Green’s 255MW Sopi-Tootsi wind project in Estonia – the largest wind farm in the Baltic states when up and running in 2024.

The German OEM according to an over €200m ($217m) contract signed today will deliver 38 of its 6.8MW machines to the project in Põhja-Pärnumaa municipality, which is slated to meet more than 8% of Estonia’s electricity consumption, according to the developer.


https://investinestonia.com/

Recently, a would-be tender was announced that has already attracted interest from 30 companies planning to build offshore wind farms, and the government adopted a decision that by 2030, 100% of the electricity consumed in Estonia must come from renewable resources. To simplify the development process, Prime Minister Kaja Kallas has stated that Estonia is adopting an integrated planning permit for offshore wind farms. To meet all of the goals, the government is simplifying permit granting processes and shortening deadlines – projects of societal importance should be completed within three years. Integrated planning permits give the developers an opportunity to launch their project more quickly. Estonia has a grand goal of becoming the largest producer of wind energy per capita in the world.

Extinct Offshore Volcano Could Store Up to 8.6 Gigatons of Carbon Dioxide
https://scitechdaily.com/extinct-offshore-volcano-could-store-up-to-8-6-gigatons-of-carbon-dioxide/

A new study published in the scientific journal Geology concludes that an extinct volcano off the shore of Portugal could store as much as 1.2-8.6 gigatons of carbon dioxide, the equivalent of ~24-125 years of the country’s industrial emissions. For context, in 2022 a total of 42.6 megatons (0.0426 gigatons) of carbon dioxide was removed from the atmosphere by international carbon capture and storage efforts, according to the Global CCS Institute. The new study suggests that carbon capture and storage in offshore underwater volcanoes could be a promising new direction for removal and storage of much larger volumes of the greenhouse gas from the atmosphere.

Could Wind Turbines Be A Secret Weapon Against Hurricanes? Today’s Fantasy May Be Tomorrow’s Reality
https://www.forbes.com/sites/jamesbroughel/2022/11/11/could-wind-turbines-be-a-secret-weapon-against-hurricanes-todays-fantasy-may-be-tomorrows-reality/

Large-scale, offshore wind turbine installations could affect wind strength, storm surge, and even potentially precipitation levels of hurricanes. The wind turbines are turned off as a hurricane approaches, but the physical structures themselves when congregated in large numbers can slow down a storm, extracting some of the kinetic energy as it passes over.

A city in China is planning an offshore wind farm so big that it could power all of Norway
https://electrek.co/2022/10/22/china-offshore-wind/

The city intends to start work on the 43.3-gigawatt (GW) offshore wind farm before 2025, according to the city’s five-year plan, which is published online. The plan does not disclose how much the offshore wind farm is expected to cost.

The city of Chaozhou will build the wind farm between 47 and 115 miles (75 and 185 km) off the city’s coast, on the Taiwan Strait.

“The area has unique topographical features that mean wind will be strong enough to run the turbines 3,800 to 4,300 hours a year, or 43% to 49% of the time, an unusually high utilization rate,” Bloomberg wrote.

Here’s a plan for green King Charles: sell the family silver and use the cash to save the planet | John Vidal | The Guardian
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/oct/06/king-charles-green-environmental-reforms-monarchy

he receives a quarter of the profits made by the crown estate, the monarch’s property corporation which owns nearly 8,000 sq km of farmland and is valued by Forbes at more than $17bn (£16.3bn). It is no wonder that Charles backs renewable energy. Aside from vast acres of wild lands suitable for onshore wind, the estate owns most of the British foreshore to a distance of 12 miles – perfect for selling leases for offshore wind, tidal and wave power.

It might not go down well to do a Patagonia and try to give it all away to fight climate breakdown. But he could start his green reforms of the monarchy by publicly divesting the institution of all fossil fuel interests. Again, we do not know what these investments amount to, but it is likely to be in the many hundreds of millions of pounds. Far from diminishing his wealth, the Treasury might even see divestment as a shrewd move if Britain is to reach net zero emissions.

Switching The World To Renewable Energy Will Cost $62 Trillion, But The Payback Would Take Just 6 Years - CleanTechnica
https://cleantechnica.com/2022/09/06/switching-the-world-to-renewable-energy-will-cost-62-trillion-but-the-payback-would-take-just-6-years/

The researchers looked at onshore and offshore wind energy, solar power, solar heat, geothermal electricity and heat, hydroelectricity, and small amounts of tidal and wave electricity. Batteries were the most common electricity storage solution, with the team finding that no batteries with more than four hours of storage were necessary.

The researchers say switching to renewable energy would avoid utility grid blackouts and save consumers trillions of dollars. One of the main reasons for that finding is that the combustion-based energy systems most countries rely require a lot of energy just to function. In switching to a clean, renewable energy system, Jacobson states that worldwide energy usage would go down by 56% immediately.

Those savings are attributable to the efficiency of clean energy over combustion systems, as well as the efficiency of electrified industry. There would no longer be a need to explore for oil, coal, and gas, drill wells or dig new mines, transport oil to refineries, build and maintain pipelines, or truck petroleum products to end users, according to My Modern Met.

...

The cost of making the changeover to 100% renewable energy would be a staggering $62 trillion. Wow! That is a ton of money, people. But here’s the thing. Jacobson and his team say the savings from switching the world to 100% renewable energy would be $11 trillion a year. In other words, the initial investment would be paid back in just 6 years! Many people have a hard time distinguishing between an investment and an expense. They tend to see that $62 trillion as an expense and ignore the payback.

There’s one other aspect of renewable energy that you can’t put a price on but it’s extremely valuable nonetheless — energy security. Nations that generate their own electricity don’t need to be at the mercy of lunatics and despots who can decide at any time to cut off the supply of oil, or unnatural gas, or coal. How much is that worth? It may be hard to answer that question, but it is clearly not nothing. The people of Europe are facing a long cold winter because the supply of cheap methane from Russia has ended abruptly.

#offshore #infrastructure

The first US offshore wind farm has had no negative effect on fish, finds groundbreaking study
https://electrek.co/2022/04/18/the-first-us-offshore-wind-farm-has-had-no-negative-effect-on-fish-finds-groundbreaking-study/

The only meaningful effect they found by the wind turbines was positive: a lot more black sea bass were congregating around the Block Island wind farm, probably because they like to hang out near physical structures like wind turbine foundations. Scientists also found more Atlantic cod there, but not often enough to draw any firm conclusions.

The study not only looked at what fish were caught, but also what sort of condition they were in and what was in their stomachs. Some were eating more mussels, which indicated they were feeding off of mussels growing on the turbines themselves.

...

This study, which was designed by scientists and commercial fishermen at INSPIRE International, has the potential to help remove obstacles for the young offshore wind industry in the United States