Image from Vancouver Clear Bra
In this week’s solar wrap up:
- Tesla’s Battery- Elon Musk announces a bigger, better and faster EV battery.
- Infamous for its damaging mining practices, Adani is making waves in solar as one of the largest solar producers in the world.
- A 1.5GW Hydrogen Hub is proposed for WA.
- The QLD supermarket, Coles, will soon source almost all of its electricity from solar.
Tesla Battery | The New Battery Changing Electric Vehicle Production
Finally, a new era for Tesla batteries is here! On Wednesday this week, Tesla announced a new generation of electric vehicle batteries that will be longer-lasting, cost- effective and extremely powerful.
Dubbed “Battery Day,” the announcement promised large cylindrical cells that provide five times more energy than previous models and six times the power.
Estimated to be released in 2023, Elon Musk boasted the Tesla battery’s 16% longer driving range and stricter renewable practices.
With over 270,000 online viewers overseeing the event, Musk’s announcement was held in a company parking lot. Complying with COVID-19 distancing regulations, 240 shareholders sat in Tesla Model 3 cars in the lot, honking their car horns at the announcement.
Musk’s new line of battery hopes to reduce the cost of Tesla’s so that more customers will be able to afford the prestigious vehicles. Aiming for a price point of just $35,000, Tesla’s new Model 2 will match the price of a Toyota RAV4!
Adani Leading In Solar Energy
Adani is an infamous name across environmental sectors for its controversial Queensland coal mine, but did you know that Adani is actually a leader in solar energy?
Figures published by Mercom Capital Group show that Adani is one of the world’s largest owners of solar power infrastructure and assets. Producing almost 12.32GW of solar power, Adani so far has offset 1.4 billion tonnes of CO2.
Named Adani Green Energy, the renewable energy subgroup first delved into solar projects in 2015 and since then has collected some of the largest solar and wind projects in the world, including the Ruby Run solar farm and a 1.69GW solar-wind hybrid park.
Adani’s move into renewable energy industries explores the group’s commitment to a clean-powered future.
WA Open To 1.5GW Hydrogen Hub
Although not actually a reality yet, WA has invited expressions of interest for a 1.5GW hydrogen development plant in the Okajee Strategic Industrial Area.
As part of the state’s Recovery Plan, the WA government has brought forward its Renewable Hydrogen Strategy by a decade. Originally estimated to be completed in 2040, the hopes for a renewable hydrogen industrial precinct now is on track for completion by 2030.
Located 435km north of Perth, the Okajee Strategic Industrial Area can support, 270MW of wind generation and 1250 MW of solar. Its prospects as a hydrogen hub additionally has just as much potential and has had significant support from the community.
With the deadline for submissions set to close on December 24, 2020, Western Australia aims to set itself as Australia’s leader in green hydrogen production.
Coles Goes Green In QLD
The QLD supermarket, Coles, will soon source almost all of its electricity from the state government-owned wind and solar retailer, CleanCo.
By the year 2022, Coles aims to power 90 percent of its Queensland sites purely by renewable energy. In a 10-year contract between Coles and CleanCo, Coles will buy an estimated 300GWh of electricity from Neoen’s Western Downs Green Power Hub and MacIntyre Wind Farm.
This isn’t the first time Coles has jumped on the renewable band wagon. Since 2009, the supermarket has committed to using energy more efficiently and has already reduced its greenhouse gas emissions by 36.5%.
As part of Queensland’s economic recovery plan from COVID-19, $500 million has been allocated to state-owned energy corporations to invest in renewable projects. The Renewable Energy Fund is open to other outlets that wish to transition to green energy.
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