Battery tech company teams with miner on lithium project
Mining heavyweight Mineral Resources has signed a deal to progress Lithium Australia’s lithium extraction technology by funding the development and operation of a pilot plant that would produce lithium iron phosphate to be used in electric vehicle batteries.
Posco says rust-resistant steel has promise as BIPV solution
South Korean companies Posco and East-West Power are developing a new building-integrated solar photovoltaic solution. The new product uses special galvanized steel as the panel’s backside that Posco says lasts five to 10 times longer than standard steel.
The Hydrogen Stream: Scientists see iridium as obstacle to hydrogen aviation
A German research team says that demand for iridium, lanthanum and nickel could weigh on the growth of the global hydrogen-powered aviation market.
Enel develops robot for waterless cleaning of PV plants
Enel says it will work with Italian startup Reiwa to develop a robot for waterless cleaning of PV plants. The innovative device features brushes and can autonomously navigate across panel rows, eliminating the need for human intervention.
End-of-life PV panels used as building material
Scientists in India have proposed using solar modules at the end of their lifecycle as a building material for low-cost small housing units. With solar module recycling currently not viable economically, the researchers said their approach makes conventional solar panels into BIPV products without any modifications.
PVC knife-scratch coated fabric to increase albedo, energy yield in bifacial PV
China-based Halead is offering a reflective material for ground-mounted bifacial PV projects, which it claims can increase the annual power production of a solar plant by over 9%. Germany’s TÜV SÜD certified the performance of the solution.
Australian lithium miner gives go-ahead for on-site processing plant
Pilbara Minerals and Australian technology company Calix have received board approvals to build a ‘game changing’ processing plant to produce value-added lithium product at the miner’s flagship Pilgangoora project in Western Australia.
First commercial gravity-based energy storage tower begins commissioning
Energy Vault has begun commissioning a 25 MW / 100 MWh energy storage tower adjacent to a wind power facility outside of Shanghai.
State taps local companies to test out flow battery technology
Flow battery technology is under the microscope with the Queensland government committing $24 million (USD 15.83 million) to further evaluate and assess the capacity of the technology to support the next stage of the state’s battery capability and help meet its renewable energy targets.
Lightweight solar panel provides solution for rooftop install
Queensland installer UV Solar has for the first time rolled out a new frameless solar panel that manufacturer GoodWe says is 60% lighter than conventional modules, making it ideal for rooftops that are unable to support traditional PV and racking.
