Latest news with #energystorage
Reuters
6 hours ago
- Business
- Reuters
India extends transmission charge waiver for energy storage projects until June 2028
June 10 (Reuters) - India has extended a complete waiver of inter-state transmission charges for electricity storage projects until June 2028, the power ministry said on Tuesday, as the country races to meet its ambitious clean energy targets and boost energy storage. Purchasers, which are usually distribution companies, pay power producers for electricity, and this payment often includes a component for transmission charges. The government announced a 100% waiver of inter-state transmission system (ISTS) charges for pumped storage hydropower projects - which use excess electricity to move water from a lower reservoir to a higher one - awarded before June 30, 2028. The waiver will also apply to battery storage systems that are co-located with renewable energy projects and commissioned before the same date. The Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC) estimated last year that the ISTS waiver accounts for about 7% of monthly transmission charges for power purchasers, primarily state distribution companies. The move comes as India works toward its target of installing 500 gigawatts of clean energy capacity by 2030, nearly triple its current capacity. However, renewable energy sources such as solar and wind are intermittent and cyclical, and there is a need for storage capacity for periods when power production is not possible, India Ratings and Research said in a recent note. India's renewable energy output hit a record 24.7 billion kWh in May, jumping 17.2% year-on-year, with clean energy's share in the overall power mix reaching an unprecedented 15.4% - the highest since record-keeping began in 2018. While the government renewed waivers for energy storage projects, it is yet to provide a similar exemption for solar and wind projects commissioned after June 30 this year, when the policy lapses. Separately, the power ministry on Tuesday approved a 54 billion rupees ($631.30 million) scheme to support 30 gigawatt-hour battery energy storage systems. ($1 = 85.5380 Indian rupees)
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
AMG Critical Materials N.V. Announces New Global Head of Investor Relations
--- AMG Critical Materials N.V. ("AMG", EURONEXT AMSTERDAM: "AMG") is pleased to announce that Mr. Thomas Swoboda has been appointed the new global Head of Investor Relations, effective immediately. He is the successor to Ms. Michele Fischer, who has held that position for the last six years and has transitioned to Head of Human Resources on a global level as Executive Vice President. Thomas brings over 18 years of international capital market experience with him. He joins AMG from Société Generale/Bernstein, where he was Director of Equity Research since 2015. Before that, he was a Senior Equity Analyst at MainFirst Bank/Stifel. Thomas holds a degree in Business Administration from Mannheim University, where he was a recipient of the Research Award of the Prechel-Stiftung. He is multilingual, with proficiency in German, English and Portuguese (Brazilian). He will be based at our Frankfurt office, reporting to Dr. Heinz Schimmelbusch, CEO and Chairman of the Management Board. He can be reached directly by email at tswoboda@ or by phone at +49 176 1000 73 14. About AMG AMG's mission is to provide critical materials and related process technologies to advance a less carbon-intensive world. To this end, AMG is focused on the production and development of energy storage materials such as lithium, vanadium, and tantalum. In addition, AMG's products include highly engineered systems to reduce CO2 in aerospace engines, as well as critical materials addressing CO2 reduction in a variety of other end use markets. AMG's Lithium segment spans the lithium value chain, reducing the CO2 footprint of both suppliers and customers. AMG's Vanadium segment is the world's market leader in recycling vanadium from oil refining residues, spanning the Company's vanadium, titanium, and chrome businesses. AMG's Technologies segment is the established world market leader in advanced metallurgy and provides equipment engineering to the aerospace engine sector globally. It serves as the engineering home for the Company's fast-growing LIVA batteries, NewMOX SAS formed to span the nuclear fuel market, and spans AMG's mineral processing operations in graphite, antimony, and silicon metal. With approximately 3,600 employees, AMG operates globally with production facilities in Germany, the United Kingdom, France, the United States, China, Mexico, Brazil, India, and Sri Lanka, and has sales and customer service offices in Japan ( For further information, please contact:AMG Critical Materials N.V. +49 176 1000 73 14Thomas Swobodatswoboda@ Disclaimer Certain statements in this press release are not historical facts and are 'forward looking'. Forward looking statements include statements concerning AMG's plans, expectations, projections, objectives, targets, goals, strategies, future events, future revenues or performance, capital expenditures, financing needs, plans and intentions relating to acquisitions, AMG's competitive strengths and weaknesses, plans or goals relating to forecasted production, reserves, financial position and future operations and development, AMG's business strategy and the trends AMG anticipates in the industries and the political and legal environment in which it operates and other information that is not historical information. When used in this press release, the words 'expects,' 'believes,' 'anticipates,' 'plans,' 'may,' 'will,' 'should,' and similar expressions, and the negatives thereof, are intended to identify forward looking statements. By their very nature, forward looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties, both general and specific, and risks exist that the predictions, forecasts, projections and other forward looking statements will not be achieved. These forward looking statements speak only as of the date of this press release. AMG expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward looking statement contained herein to reflect any change in AMG's expectations with regard thereto or any change in events, conditions, or circumstances on which any forward looking statement is based. Attachment AMG IR AppointmentError in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
AMG Critical Materials N.V. Announces New Global Head of Investor Relations
--- AMG Critical Materials N.V. ("AMG", EURONEXT AMSTERDAM: "AMG") is pleased to announce that Mr. Thomas Swoboda has been appointed the new global Head of Investor Relations, effective immediately. He is the successor to Ms. Michele Fischer, who has held that position for the last six years and has transitioned to Head of Human Resources on a global level as Executive Vice President. Thomas brings over 18 years of international capital market experience with him. He joins AMG from Société Generale/Bernstein, where he was Director of Equity Research since 2015. Before that, he was a Senior Equity Analyst at MainFirst Bank/Stifel. Thomas holds a degree in Business Administration from Mannheim University, where he was a recipient of the Research Award of the Prechel-Stiftung. He is multilingual, with proficiency in German, English and Portuguese (Brazilian). He will be based at our Frankfurt office, reporting to Dr. Heinz Schimmelbusch, CEO and Chairman of the Management Board. He can be reached directly by email at tswoboda@ or by phone at +49 176 1000 73 14. About AMG AMG's mission is to provide critical materials and related process technologies to advance a less carbon-intensive world. To this end, AMG is focused on the production and development of energy storage materials such as lithium, vanadium, and tantalum. In addition, AMG's products include highly engineered systems to reduce CO2 in aerospace engines, as well as critical materials addressing CO2 reduction in a variety of other end use markets. AMG's Lithium segment spans the lithium value chain, reducing the CO2 footprint of both suppliers and customers. AMG's Vanadium segment is the world's market leader in recycling vanadium from oil refining residues, spanning the Company's vanadium, titanium, and chrome businesses. AMG's Technologies segment is the established world market leader in advanced metallurgy and provides equipment engineering to the aerospace engine sector globally. It serves as the engineering home for the Company's fast-growing LIVA batteries, NewMOX SAS formed to span the nuclear fuel market, and spans AMG's mineral processing operations in graphite, antimony, and silicon metal. With approximately 3,600 employees, AMG operates globally with production facilities in Germany, the United Kingdom, France, the United States, China, Mexico, Brazil, India, and Sri Lanka, and has sales and customer service offices in Japan ( For further information, please contact:AMG Critical Materials N.V. +49 176 1000 73 14Thomas Swobodatswoboda@ Disclaimer Certain statements in this press release are not historical facts and are 'forward looking'. Forward looking statements include statements concerning AMG's plans, expectations, projections, objectives, targets, goals, strategies, future events, future revenues or performance, capital expenditures, financing needs, plans and intentions relating to acquisitions, AMG's competitive strengths and weaknesses, plans or goals relating to forecasted production, reserves, financial position and future operations and development, AMG's business strategy and the trends AMG anticipates in the industries and the political and legal environment in which it operates and other information that is not historical information. When used in this press release, the words 'expects,' 'believes,' 'anticipates,' 'plans,' 'may,' 'will,' 'should,' and similar expressions, and the negatives thereof, are intended to identify forward looking statements. By their very nature, forward looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties, both general and specific, and risks exist that the predictions, forecasts, projections and other forward looking statements will not be achieved. These forward looking statements speak only as of the date of this press release. AMG expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward looking statement contained herein to reflect any change in AMG's expectations with regard thereto or any change in events, conditions, or circumstances on which any forward looking statement is based. Attachment AMG IR AppointmentError in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
The Independent
5 days ago
- Business
- The Independent
How fruit peels could be used to jump-start your car
Imagine turning fruit waste into technology that stores electricity. This would reduce food waste and promote clean energy storage. Postdoctoral researcher Vianney Ngoyi Kitenge transformed mangosteen peels into specialised carbon materials that he used to make supercapacitor energy storage cells. He came up with a simplified way to do this, hugely reducing the cost. This breakthrough converts agricultural waste into valuable components for energy storage technology. He sets out how it works and what's needed to make it happen. What is a supercapacitor? Supercapacitors are a type of energy storage cell, similar to a battery, but with some key differences. They are standalone devices that store and release energy on their own. The biggest difference between a supercapacitor and a battery is how quickly a supercapacitor can charge and release energy. While batteries are designed to provide energy steadily over a longer period (like minutes or hours), supercapacitors are built to deliver energy very quickly – within seconds or minutes. This makes them perfect for applications that need a quick burst of power. You probably use supercapacitors every day without realising it. They help devices like flashes in your smartphone camera, portable jump starters for cars, fitness trackers, and smartwatches that need quick energy boosts to work efficiently. When making devices, the manufacturers choose whether to use a battery or a supercapacitor. This decision is based on how much power is needed and how fast it's needed. Most of the time, consumers aren't even aware of whether there's a battery or supercapacitor inside their devices. In energy storage cells where electrical charges are stored, electrodes are key. Supercapacitors' electrodes can be made with activated carbon. This can be made from biomass waste, such as coconut shells, banana peels, mangosteen peels, and coffee grounds. I used mangosteen peels in my research. What are supercapacitors used for? Apart from camera flashes and emergency doors, supercapacitors are useful in renewable energy. They act like super-fast energy sponges that can quickly soak up extra electricity when solar panels or wind turbines produce too much. They can also quickly release this energy when too little is produced. This helps keep the power flow steady even when it's not sunny or windy. Supercapacitors are still a small player in the energy storage world, with sales at around US$3 billion to US$4 billion yearly. To put this in perspective, the sales of lithium-ion batteries are US$50 billion to US$60 billion annually. Most are made in China and Japan, with some production in Europe and America, too. Supercapacitors haven't caught on widely yet. This is why scientists continue to work to increase supercapacitors' total energy storage while maintaining their speed and longevity. What role can mangosteen peels play? There has been little research into using the peels of the mangosteen fruit to create carbon. Yet, mangosteen trees grow abundantly from the east coast of South Africa to Somalia and Guinea, and they can withstand drought and rainstorms. Their peels naturally contain 35%-45% carbon-rich compounds. When processed through drying, oxygen-free heating and chemical activation, these peels transform into activated carbon. Through my research, I developed a simplified method to transform mangosteen shells into highly porous activated carbon. By combining the dried shells with potassium carbonate and directly heating to 700°C in a single step, I created valuable activated carbon from agricultural waste. Usually, creating activated carbon is a longer process of pre-heating fruit peels and reheating. So my method speeds the process up. This faster method makes activated carbon much cheaper by eliminating the initial five-hour heating phase at 400-500°C. This saves on electricity and reduces both production costs and the amount of time the furnace needs to operate. This then makes it more affordable for widespread commercial use. Using fruit peels to create activated carbon also prevents them from being dumped on landfill sites and instead uses them to make valuable energy storage devices. Just three to five kilograms of fruit peels are enough to produce hundreds of supercapacitors. The global demand for supercapacitors is projected to grow significantly over the coming decade. This demand will be driven primarily by electric vehicles, renewable energy systems, and consumer electronics markets seeking high-power, rapid-cycling energy storage solutions. Citrus peels can also be used to make activated carbon. Worldwide, the citrus juice industry generates 15 million tonnes of wasted peels, pulp and seeds every year. This waste could be used to make supercapacitors. What's needed to make this happen? Some companies are already turning food and agricultural waste into activated carbon. For example, Haycarb, based in Sri Lanka, turns coconut shells into activated carbon. Takachar in the US is also developing small-scale technology to turn agricultural waste into useful products like activated carbon. In Africa, fruit processing plants could set up facilities to turn their waste into activated carbon. They could then sell it to energy storage companies or other industries that need it. To make this happen, experts are needed to further develop the science. Governments and the private sector will need to fund equipment and facilities. Then, the factories making supercapacitors need to be connected with industries that could buy them (electric vehicles, renewable energy and electronics manufacturers). Making supercapacitors from fruit peels could create jobs and support Africa's renewable energy goals.
Irish Times
6 days ago
- Business
- Irish Times
New batteries based on rusting will help make Ireland's energy secure and clean
One of Ireland's most exciting and important energy projects is quietly being developed at a remote outpost in Donegal, not far from Malin Head. FuturEnergy Ireland, a joint venture between Coillte and ESB, has been granted planning permission to build Europe's first iron-air battery facility, a new technology that promises to store renewable energy for weeks while enhancing and supporting the electricity grid. Known as the Ballynahone Energy Storage project, it will look modest – a collection of weatherproof containers on a three-hectare site beside an electrical substation – but what it represents could be transformative. Iron-air batteries are a new form of long-duration energy storage (LDES) that is needed to help Ireland reduce its dependence on fossil gas and keep the lights on during the so-called Dunkelflaute – periods of still, dark weather when neither wind nor solar can contribute meaningfully to electricity supply. Ireland is particularly vulnerable to such events. We lack large hydro dams or the kind of strong power grid interconnection that allows countries like Denmark or the Netherlands to share surpluses with neighbours. We remain deeply reliant on gas, an increasingly insecure and volatile source of energy, with rising prices, geopolitical risks and high emissions. Plans to allow liquefied natural gas terminals and gas-fired power-generation capacity risk locking us into this dependency for decades. READ MORE There are two main routes away from this: interconnection and storage. Both are needed. Mass interconnection was the cornerstone of the late Eddie O'Connor's vision for a pan-European 'supergrid', where electricity flows freely across borders, smoothing out supply and demand of renewable energy. But even that won't cover us when entire regions are becalmed and dark. Until recently, most storage solutions were either short-duration lithium-ion batteries or pumped hydro schemes – both useful, but limited to hours, rather than days or weeks. A new generation of long-duration storage technologies is emerging. Iron-air batteries, like those planned in Donegal, work on an elegant principle: they store electricity through reversible rusting . They're slow, responding over hours and days, not seconds – but that's exactly what's needed to back up renewables over longer timescales. The key material, iron, is cheap, abundant and non-toxic – unlike lithium or cobalt, which are costly and face supply constraints. Lithium-ion batteries are more suitable for cases where size and weight are a priority, like electric vehicles and phones, whereas iron-air is more suitable for stationary storage. Form Energy, the US firm behind the iron-air technology in Donegal, say their batteries will store electricity at one-tenth of the cost of lithium-ion. They also say it is very safe, with no risk of thermal runaway. Donegal was chosen for a good reason. A greater share of wind energy is curtailed there than anywhere in Ireland, because the electricity grid can't absorb it. This lost energy, known as curtailment, increases our electricity bills, discourages investment in renewables and triggers the need for costly and controversial overhead transmission lines. Batteries located near substations, like Ballynahone, can soak up surplus power locally, reducing curtailment and pressure on the grid. This won't be a silver bullet. A hundred projects like this would be needed to replace the generation capacity of Moneypoint, which has long been a bedrock of Ireland's electricity security – albeit a highly polluting one. Ireland's energy future depends on more than just building wind and solar farms A critical challenge now is how clean storage can compete with fossil gas, when today's infrastructure and market is built around it. While Form Energy says the technology can compete with legacy power plants, the cost of the project in Donegal has not been disclosed and the technology is only at the cusp of commercial development. Ireland also already has a pipeline of new gas-generation capacity which is designed to fill the gaps in wind and solar, diminishing the immediate case for clean storage. That said, legal challenges to new gas infrastructure may shift the balance. Friends of the Irish Environment has recently lodged a judicial review of a proposed 600 megawatt gas power plant at the proposed site of the Shannon LNG terminal, in a case that could set precedent. If gas projects are delayed or blocked on climate grounds, clean alternatives like storage may have more space to scale. Battery technologies, being modular and factory-built, also have the advantage of rapid deployment and steep cost declines – as we've seen with solar panels and lithium-ion. Other storage technologies may yet outcompete iron-air. I'm sceptical that hydrogen will play any role in everyday energy use, but it could become a strategic storage option. Likewise, there are exciting developments in battery chemistries based on sodium, zinc or flow technology, and systems that store energy via heat, gravity or air compression. Ireland's energy future depends on more than just building wind and solar farms. We need energy to be both clean and dependable – when the wind blows and when it doesn't. That requires strategically located, long-duration storage. Donegal's rusting battery containers might be a critical step towards that future. Prof Hannah Daly is professor of sustainable energy at University College Cork
