Pulling fertiliser out of thin air with PV
Nitricity has developed an experimental plasma reactor that uses PV electricity to produce competitively priced, environmentally clean, nitrogen fertiliser. Its onsite fertiliser production eliminates emissions from transport, and provides a viable alternative to fossil-based nitrogen fixation methods like the Haber-Bosch process.
Three major miners jump on electric train trend
In the past fortnight, Rio Tinto, Fortescue Metals, and now BHP Group have all announced they will buy electric trains to haul iron ore across Western Australia. All three companies will purchase their electric locomotives either from Progress Rail or Wabtec, both U.S based.
Victorian government doles out over $7 million toward green hydrogen applications in heavy transport
Transport accounts for approximately 20% of the Victoria’s emissions while also being one of the more hard to decarbonise sectors. Due to its commitment to halve its emissions by 2030, the Victorian government has announced over $7 million in grands for a number of projects seeking to commercialise real world applications in the transport sector powered by renewable hydrogen.
Japanese consortium builds lithium-air battery with energy density of 500 Wh/kg
A Japanese group has developed a storage system with potential applications in residential storage, electric vehicles, drones and Internet-of-Things devices.
Micro-inverter for high-power solar panels from Hoymiles
The device has a 4-in-1 design, which means it can be connected with four solar panels with a power output of up to 625 W each, through four independent connections. The output of each panel is tracked and converted individually. According to the Chinese manufacturer, the micro-inverter can ensure savings of up to 50% due to the lower number of devices and cables needed.
Panasonic unveils 410 W solar panel with 22.2% efficiency
The new heterojunction module series is compatible with Panasonic’s Evervolt battery and has a power output ranging from 400 to 410 W. It also features a temperature coefficient of -0.26% per degree Celsius.
Modelling finds building with WA company’s solar windows nearly eliminate operational emissions
Western Australian solar window company ClearVue says it has proven its products can reduce buildings’ carbon emissions by as much as 90%, qualifying the technology for the world’s most comprehensive future building standards for energy performance.
Improving compressed air energy storage efficiency via chemical reactions
Scientists in the United States have proposed to use a thermochemical energy storage (TCES) technique that stores energy in chemical bonds to recover the heat produced during air compression operations. According to them, this innovation may increase the round-trip efficiency of compressed air energy storage to 60%.
Utility scale ocean battery, a bedfellow for floating PV
A new underwater battery storage technology is coming from Netherlands-based Ocean Grazer to address the issue of offshore long-duration storage. The company’s Ocean Battery is touted as innovative yet simple, based on existing technology, and capable of enhancing marine life along the way.
Foton, BOC to collaborate on scaling Australia’s hydrogen bus sector
Vehicle manufacturer Foton and gas company BOC have signed an agreement to develop the hydrogen bus sector in Australia and New Zealand, allowing technology they say is already “widely used” around the world to become affordable in a region where it is still nascent.
