The largest in the world carbon capture plant is build in Iceland

 The largest in the world “direct air capture” (DAC) plant will allow to capture and remove annually from the atmosphere the amount of carbon dioxide equivalent to emissions produced by 870 cars. CO2 is filtered out, mixed with water, and pumped into deep underground wells, where over the course of a few years it turns to stone. The plant was opened in September 2021 in Iceland, and it is operated by the Swiss engineering startup Climeworks.

Heliogen, a solar energy company backed by Bill Gates, made a breakthrough

Heliogen, a solar energy company, has discovered a way to use artificial intelligence and a field of mirrors to focus reflected sunlight so precisely that it generates extreme heat - up to 1500ºC. For the first time, concentrated solar energy can be used to create the high-temperature heat required to make cement, steel, glass and other industrial products. The Heliogen’s technology could eventually be used to create carbon-free, green hydrogen which could then be turned into fuel for cars, trucks and airplanes. 

About a role of hydrogen in transition to clean energy and economy decarbonisation

Hydrogen Energy Ministerial Meeting (HEM) 2018 in Japan declared  that "hydrogen can be a key contributor to the energy transitions underway to a clean energy future and an important component of a broad based, secure, sustainable and efficient energy portfolio". The meeting brought together over 300 stakeholders, including ministerial officials, top executives from related companies and representatives from 21 countries, regions and organizations from around the world.

Key economic sectors, including transportation, industrial manufacturing, heat and power generation, can use hydrogen. Fuel cell technologies are can efficiently generate electricity and heat from hydrogen. And, what is very important, hydrogen stands out for its versatility and storage capability. 

Hydrogen can be produced from various sources, including renewable energy, nuclear and fossil fuels, using carbon dioxide capture, utilization and storage. Sourcing options can be categorised as “grey” (fossil fuel-based), “blue” (fossil fuel-based production with carbon capture, utilisation and storage) and “green” (renewables-based) hydrogen when considering associated CO2 emissions. Green hydrogen produced through renewable-powered electrolysis is projected to grow rapidly in the coming years, and this could create opportunities for decarbonisation of a number of economic sectors where it is difficult to essentially reduce CO2 emissions. 

How to boost the transition to low carbon technologies?

Source: UK BEIS, 2019

Luck of the strategic incentives is an important reason behind the slow progress in the transition to low carbon technologies. Three major overlapping transition phases may explain where and how technological transition actually occurs: emergence of new technology, diffusion through markets, and reconfiguration of socioeconomic systems.
Based on the detailed analysis of these transitional phases, authors of the report Accelerating the Low Carbon Transition considered ten key economic sectors (see above figure) in a broad sense, including not just the technology and its production, but also the systems of its use, financing, ownership, infrastructure and governance.
The key message for policymakers on a national level is that it is not enough just put a price on carbon or adopt ambitious emissions reduction goals.

Projected Earth power mix in 2050 - 100% clean energy

Researches from Stanford University developed  Green New Deal roadmaps for each of 143 countries, representing 99.7% of global human-produced CO2 emissions. Approach is based on transitioning each country’s all-purpose energy (electricity, transportation, building heating and cooling, industry, etc.) to 100% clean, renewable electricity and heat that is provided by wind, water, and solar (WWS) power after accounting for energy efficiency.

Hyperloop Pod prototypes competition in California

27 teams from the US and around the world participated in the world's first Hyperloop Pod Competition just outside SpaceX headquarters in Hawthorne, CA, USA. Acceleration of the development of functional prototypes and encouragement of student innovation to design and build the best high-speed pod were the purposes of the competition.

Mitsubishi can now transmit solar energy from space

Using microwave technology, Mitsubishi has sent 10 kilowatts of power wirelessly through the air to a receiver positioned 1,640 feet away. Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) said that it also moved power wirelessly, sending 1.8 kilowatts of power through the air. Japan is looking for ways to expand its ability to power themselves, especially since the Fukishima Daiichi nuclear reactor meltdown in 2011.

What is a wind turbine and how it works

Article, posted on US DOE web portal, describes technical principles and types of wind turbines, variety of their applications and future of wind turbine technology.
Since the turn of the century, total U.S. wind power capacity has increased more than 24-fold. Currently, there’s enough wind power capacity in the U.S. to generate enough electricity to power more than 15 million homes.

EV battery prices are expected to drop 2-4 times in next six years

IEA's report states that the year 2015 saw the global threshold of 1 million electric cars on the road exceeded, closing at 1.26 million. In 2014, only about half of today's electric car stock existed. 2015 also saw more than 200 million electric two wheelers on the road,and 170 000 buses, primarily in China.

Scientists from Iceland convert carbon dioxide into basaltic rock

Turning Carbon Emissions to Stone from Earth Institute on Vimeo.

According to a paper published in the journal Science, carbon dioxide emissions from an   geothermal electric power plant have been captured, pumped underground and solidified. Scientists, working on a project called CarbFix were able to turn CO2 into a chalk-like solid material in two years, while earlier studies suggested it could take thousands of years for large amounts of carbon dioxide to be converted to chalk.

First ever grid-connected wave power station in Europe was launched in Gibraltar

Last month, the first ever grid-connected wave power station in Europe was opened for business in Gibraltar, tiny British territory. Eco Wave Power (EWP) developed innovative wave energy station, which is installed on the ammunition jetty and will be producing 15 percent of the territory's energy needs.

Can concentrated solar power compete with photovoltaics?

Technical problems, including fire at the world's largest solar plant, are the least among the challenges, which concentrated solar power technology faces. At the time when Ivanpah Solar Power Facility (California) was just a proposal in 2007, the cost of electricity made using concentrated solar power technology was approximately the same as that from photovoltaic solar panels.

Morocco’s concentrated solar power plant will help to meet the electricity needs of 1.1 million people

In February this year Morocco launched the first phase of the largest concentrated solar power (CSP) plant in the world. The three-plant Noor-Ouarzazate CSP complex called NOORo expects to achieve over 500 megawatts  installed capacity, ultimately supplying power to 1.1 million Moroccans by 2018. It is estimated that the plant will save for country about 2.5 million tons of oil annually and will reduce carbon emissions by 760,000 tons per year.

3D printing has significant potential to lower GHG emissions

Study, published in Energy Policy journal,contains a qualitative assessment of 3D printing induced sustainability implications and quantifies changes in life cycle costs, energy and CO2 emissions globally by 2025.

Fuel cell demo buses are almost twice more fuel efficient than conventional buses

Recent NREL's report provides a summary of results from evaluations of the fuel cell electric bus (FCEB) demonstration projects in California. The results for these buses account for more than 1,045,000 miles traveled and 83,000 hours of fuel cell power system operation.

Solar Impulse 2: flight from Hawaii to California without a single drop of fuel

The experimental solar-powered aircraft SI2, piloted by Swiss explorer Bertrand Piccard and working on circumnavigating the planet, landed yesterday in California after 62:29 hours flight across the Pacific.

Has fracking really reduced greenhouse gases in U.S.?

A publication in NEWSMAXFINANCE states that hydraulic fracturing for shale oil and gas drilling (fracking) is the primary reason of  recent reduction in GHG emissions in the U.S. The author argues that fracking produces massive amounts of natural gas, and, as a consequence, natural gas prices have fallen in the past decade from above $8 per million BTUs to about $2 this year, what led America to use more natural gas instead of significantly much more carbon intensive coal. However this statement contradicts with results of an international scientific studies,

Save energy when making a cup of tea or coffee

You can use various kitchen electric appliances to boil the same cup of water, but electricity consumption for everyone of them will be different. The rough estimate of energy efficiency for a microwave is 50%, for stovetop - 70%, for electric teakettle - 80%, and for induction stove - 85%.

EDF Renewable Energy added 40 MW of battery storage

This is the first battery storage project in North America, reached commercial operation. The battery and power electronics were supplied by BYD America, consisting of 11 containerized units totaling 20 MW (22MVA) and is performing at expectation.

Liquid air energy storage demonstration plant in the UK

The pre-commercial scale 5MW liquid air energy storage (LAES) plant has received delivery of its main components and will be built in Manchester (UK).The project is expected to have a 15MWh storage capacity and should be completed by the end of this year. LAES operates by using excess electrical energy to drive an air liquefier. The liquid air is stored in an insulated tank at low pressure, which functions as the energy store.