Energy transition on the move (week of May 31, 2024)

The U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) has offered to lease the vessel to the state for floating wind research after completing an environmental review and finding no significant impact, it said May 28.

This move will enable further development of the offshore wind research lease located approximately 28 nautical miles off Maine. The State of Maine has 30 calendar days to accept, reject or request a modification to the lease.

“Floating wind technology has the potential to make offshore wind a reality in the Gulf of Maine,” said BOEM Director Elizabeth Klein. “BOEM will continue to work with the State of Maine to facilitate the responsible development of offshore wind in the region, as well as the deployment of floating offshore wind technology across the country.”

In October 2021, the state requested a research lease to study floating offshore wind technology and its implementation. According to BOEM, if developed, the site would host up to 12 floating offshore wind turbines capable of producing up to 144 megawatts (MW) of renewable energy.

The United States aims to have 30 gigawatts (GW) of offshore wind capacity by 2030 and 15 GW of floating wind capacity by 2035.

Here’s some other renewable energy news this week.

Biofuels

Energy scale, Engie Ink RNG offer

Waga Energy and Engie have signed an agreement to purchase biomethane (BPA) for renewable natural gas produced at the Veolia plant in Claye-Souilly near Paris, Waga announced on May 29.

The 13-year agreement, which is the longest BPA signed so far in France, provides for a price for biomethane higher than the subsidized tariff, Waga said in a press release. “Thanks to this, Waga Energy can secure financing for the production unit through a long-term credit line with CIC and Arkéa Banque Entreprises et Institutionnels banks,” the company said.

The agreement entered into force on May 1.

According to Waga, the Veolia plant produces up to 120 gigawatt-hours (GWh) of RNG annually, equivalent to the consumption of 20,000 households.

“Veolia is a key player in bioenergy production, already producing 1.6 terawatt-hours of biogas from anaerobic digestion of waste in France alone,” said Veolia CEO Estelle Brachlianoff. “Through the partnership with Waga Energy and Engie, we are contributing to the development of a real green gas production industry at European level, essential for the ecological transition.”

Energy storage

Torus will install energy storage systems at Gardner Group Properties facilities

Energy storage provider Torus will provide 26 megawatt-hours (MWh) of energy storage capacity across part of developer Gardner Group’s portfolio, equivalent to powering almost 1,000 homes for an entire day.

In a landmark deal, Torus will install the Torus Station energy storage and management system at multiple Gardner properties, the company announced May 29.

Torus stations will integrate “advanced” battery and flywheel energy storage systems with the Torus software platform.

Torus said the integration enables energy management and demand response and connects renewable energy sources and electric vehicle charging infrastructure.

The systems will be manufactured at Torus’ facility in South Salt Lake City, Utah, and installation is expected to begin in the fourth quarter of 2024 and be completed in the first quarter of 2026.

“Working with Torus allows us to optimize energy management, reduce our carbon footprint and deliver greater value to our tenants,” said Christian Gardner, CEO of Gardner Group. “We look forward to the positive impact this project will have on our properties and the wider community.”

Hydrogen

Joint venture led by TotalEnergys, Verbund signs hydrogen partnership with Tunisia

Verbund, an Austrian electricity producer, has partnered with TotalEnergys and the TE H2 joint venture EREN Groupe to explore the feasibility of implementing a green hydrogen project in Tunisia.

The hydrogen, called H2 Notos, would be produced using electrolysers powered by onshore wind and solar energy from desalinated seawater, TotalEnergys said on May 28. The ambition is to initially produce 200,000 tonnes of green hydrogen per year, potentially increasing to 1 million tonnes per year.

“H2 Notos has the potential to become a significant supplier of green hydrogen to Europe, while supporting significant job creation in Tunisia,” said TE H2 CEO David Corchia. “We are entering a phase of greenfield site development and major technical work to assess the feasibility of the project and will need to further deepen the highly constructive and fruitful cooperation we have enjoyed with national and local authorities through H2 Notos.”

Hydrogen will be supplied to the European market via the SoutH2 Corridor hydrogen pipeline, which is expected to be operational around 2030. The pipeline connects North Africa with Italy, Austria and Germany.

According to the release, Verbund will coordinate the transportation of hydrogen to Central Europe, while TE H2 and Verbund will jointly develop, finance, build and operate the project.

Italy, Germany and Austria sign a cooperation agreement on the southern hydrogen link

Italy, Germany and Austria have signed an agreement on cooperation in the development of a hydrogen transport network from the southern Mediterranean to northern Europe, the energy ministries of the three countries announced on May 30.

The official announcement is a concrete step in the European Union’s strategy to secure renewable hydrogen supplies by 2030 to help decarbonize the most polluting industries.

“The Southern Hydrogen Corridor will ensure the import of renewable hydrogen from North Africa through southern Italy and enable further connections to the main hydrogen demand hubs in Italy, Austria and Germany,” the German ministry said in a statement.

The connection, called SoutH2, which was granted priority status by the European Commission last year, is considered important for the development of the European renewable fuels market.

A group of companies, including Italian gas network operator Snam, have joined forces to build the SouthH2 gas pipeline by the beginning of the next decade, with a financial commitment of more than 4 billion euros ($4.3 billion).

Sunny

EDP ​​Renewables launches solar park in Arkansas

EDP ​​Renewables North America has completed construction of the 175-MW Crooked Lake Solar Park in Arkansas, the company announced May 29.

The solar park, located near Blytheville in Mississippi County, is expected to generate enough electricity to power the equivalent of about 30,000 homes in Arkansas annually. The solar park is the latest addition to EDPR, which now has utility-scale facilities in 19 U.S. states.

“We are proud to continue our expansion into the South with a focus on meeting the clean energy needs of Arkansas,” said EDP Renewables North America CEO Sandhya Ganapathy. “By bringing sustainable energy to Mississippi County and surrounding areas, we generate economic growth and grid stability for future generations in the region.”

The solar park, located on approximately 1,800 acres, uses single-axis tracking photovoltaic panels.

Apricus Generation acquires Nexus Renewables, a storage company

Florida-based Apricus Generation has acquired a controlling interest in Nexus Renewables, a solar and energy storage company, according to a May 29 press release.

Nexus, which has approximately 500 MW of solar and energy storage projects in North America, is Apricus’ first strategic acquisition. The holding company started operations at the beginning of this year.

“Like many independent developers, Nexus has more design capabilities than access to capital,” said Gautam Chandra, executive chairman and co-founder of Apricus Generation. “By joining Apricus, they now have access to the capital and expertise that will enable them to implement their planned projects.”

Nexus Renewables is headquartered in Toronto, Ontario.

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Wind

Ørsted, New Jersey has reached a settlement regarding canceled offshore wind farms

New Jersey officials said the state will receive $125 million in a legal settlement with Denmark’s Ørsted over the company’s cancellation of two offshore wind projects last year.

The New Jersey Public Utilities Board said in a statement that the funds will be used to invest in wind component plants and wind farms.

The settlement comes nearly seven months after Ørsted said it would discontinue the Ocean Wind 1 and 2 projects off the coast of New Jersey due to rising costs and supply chain delays.

The cancellations sparked an angry response from New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, who is counting on offshore wind to help the state meet its climate change goals.

His administration said it would accelerate the state’s plans to acquire additional offshore wind capacity by inviting bids for new projects in the second quarter of 2025, more than a year ahead of schedule.

The energy regulator also said it would pause work on offshore wind planning with regional grid operator PJM Interconnection while it considers the impact of a new Federal Energy Regulatory Commission rule that changes how large power lines are approved and paid for.

Hart Energy and Reuters staff contributed to this report.