New Battery Center in South Carolina, Athens Wants Electric Taxis, Solar Cleans Up Wine Country in Australia — News Roundup
The green revolution is accelerating in Athens! By 2026, the city hopes to have ten times as many electric taxis on the road as there currently are. There are currently 13,661 taxis in Athens, and only 100 of them are electric. In solar news, a ramp-up of solar module production in Goodyear, Arizona, begins at Meyer Burger.
Milence’s second charging hub for electric trucks in the Netherlands, situated in Zwolle, marks the beginning of a sustainable path spanning the North Sea–Baltic corridor in Northern Europe. Milence is dedicated to a future free of fossil fuels for those massive trucks. The new hub, which is well situated next to the A28 and A50 motorways, is a crucial point on the North Sea–Baltic corridor and links important seaports like Rotterdam and Hamburg.
The 128 MW Wild Springs Solar Project in Pennington County will contribute millions in new tax revenue as the largest solar project in South Dakota when it begins operations. The solar project is located in the Southwest Power Pool (SPP) and the Basin Electric Power Cooperative (Basin Electric) has a 114 MW Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) for its electricity.
In wine country, Australia’s wine sector emitted more than 1.77 million tons of carbon dioxide equivalency into the atmosphere in 2020–2021. “Wine Australia aims to reduce emissions across the supply chain by 42% by 2030 using increased renewable electricity. As one of Australia’s largest wineries, the new solar farm is the first step in Casella Family Brands’ journey to reducing its carbon emissions by 50% by 2030 and achieving 100% by 2050.”
In battery research, we’ve got investigations into the safety of sodium-ion battery technology, and researchers taking measures to optimize battery recycling. Also, ElectroRide and Battery Smart are aiming to install 2500 battery swapping stations in India.
Check out all of the day’s cleantech news below.
Solar Power
Solar Neighborhoods Thanks to Detroit Government
“The Detroit Climate Strategy, informed by input of thousands of Detroiters, calls for our city to transition to clean renewable energy by 2034. The Neighborhood Solar initiative is the first step toward achieving these goals to address” climate change in our city by providing clean energy, combat illegal dumping, and engaging communities and nonprofits to stabilize neighborhoods.”
National Grid Renewables Announces Start of Operation at Largest Solar Project in South Dakota
Meyer Burger Makes Significant Progress in Relocating Its Core Business to the USA
Batteries
Building 8 GW of storage capacity by 2035, preferably at grid-supporting locations and former conventional power plants, is the motivation for a new joint venture between Mobility House and Green Energy Storage Initiative SE (GESI Giga Batteries). The goal is “to accelerate the next phase of the energy transition and to reduce the costs of grid congestion.”
ElringKlinger to Open New Battery Center in South Carolina, USA
ElringKlinger will initially manufacture cell contacting systems in Pickens County for a launching customer. In the first stage, the center will cover an area of 21,000 m², with additional expansion space expected. Over the coming years, the site will gradually be expanded to become ElringKlinger’s battery center for the American market. Operations at the new site are scheduled to commence in mid-2025.
Sodium-Ion Battery Safety Research: Advancing the Next Generation of Energy Storage Technology
Sandia National Laboratories’ Battery Abuse Testing Lab, the Department of Energy’s core facility for battery safety, is investigating the safety of sodium-ion battery technology. Due to sodium’s abundance and an electrochemistry that resembles lithium-ion batteries in some ways, sodium-ion batteries are being considered for grid storage and automotive applications. The research team is performing tests and collecting data to support science-based regulations, codes and standards for battery safety by design. The research team’s preliminary results were presented at the 2024 Energy Storage Systems Safety and Reliability Forum.
ElectroRide & Battery Smart to Set Up 2500 Battery Swapping Stations in India
In the next five years, the two companies want to install battery-swapping facilities at 2,500 different locations around India. Additionally, ElectroRide is diversifying into the four-wheeler market.
IN² at 10 Years: Cohort 1 Flow-Battery Creator Has the Power
“Our battery is water-based,” ESS Senior Vice President Hugh McDermott said. “We have an electrolyte composed of iron and saltwater. During charging, the iron creates a thin layer of film on the carbon plate, and the solution is clear when it’s fully charged. When we want to discharge the battery, we just reverse the polarity. We solved how to make that process without any degradation in battery performance.”
“The ESS long-duration batteries are not small—they fit inside a storage container for utility and industrial stationary storage applications. This includes microgrids, university campuses, or municipalities. These entities require energy available around the clock, making long-duration storage technology like ESS critical.”
Researchers Propose Measures to Optimise Battery Recycling
ExxonMobil and EV Battery Maker SK On Sign MOU Regarding U.S.-Produced Mobil™ Lithium
Evove and Zelandez Link Arms to Produce Lithium with New DLE Modular Plants
EVs & EV Charging
Athens Aims for Electric Taxi Takeover: Tenfold Increase by 2026
Greek City Times reports on a huge shift by 2026. “Athens is revving up its green transformation! The city aims to dramatically increase the number of electric taxis on the road, targeting a tenfold jump by 2026. Currently, only a mere 100 of Athens’ 13,661 taxis are electric.”
Milence, the joint venture between Daimler Truck, the TRATON GROUP and the Volvo Group, has announced its second charging hub in the Netherlands. The new hub is located at business park Hessenpoort in Zwolle, and is scheduled to be operational by December 2024. The hub will provide an easy and reliable charging experience for all battery-electric heavy-duty trucks, regardless of brand.
Verra Mobility Partners with Bluedot to Offer Electric Vehicle Charging Capabilities to Fleets
MAN Truck & Bus UK Showcases the Future of Decarbonised Transport — Enter the New MAN eTGX and eTGS
More Transportation News
Environmental, Research
“This analysis shows that it is highly unlikely that LNG exports can be scaled up without seriously jeopardizing Canada’s ability to meet its net-zero commitments and harming the environment through acceleration of land disturbance and water consumption in the Montney.”
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