France shows the way, EVs cheaper than PHEVs and zero emissions coal
In this issue:
France maps a fossil fuel free future
France is claiming a world first in publishing a roadmap that will see it eliminate fossil fuels by 2050. Announced at a conference in Colombia dedicated to transitioning away from fossil fuels, the map outlines a plan to eliminate the use of coal by 2030, oil by 2045 and gas by 2050. While the French electricity system is dominated by nuclear (70%), fossil fuels still make up 60% of total energy use. The map aims to reduce this to 30% by 2035 and includes a ban on gas boilers in new buildings from next year, an expectation of 2/3 of new vehicle sales being electric by 2030 and a tripling of solar capacity by 2035. Those targets and timelines would not be out of reach of New Zealand and with an election coming up this year, wouldn’t such a roadmap be an excellent addition to any party’s manifesto?
Calls for continent-wide electrification
An open letter has been sent to EU officials calling for Europe to become the world’s first electro-continent. The letter has been signed by investor groups, retailers and food producers, mostly domiciled in Scandinavian countries. The drive is for extensive electrification of the European economy with a target of 50% of the economy running on domestic electricity by 2040.
Shifting sands on litigation risk
The landscape on climate litigation has shifted markedly over the last few years according to a new report from Baker McKenzie and the WEF. The shift has seen a move from isolated, ad hoc claims to climate litigation emerging as a systemic threat to corporates, one which needs to be incorporated into governance and strategy. The report indicates risks are emerging in five areas:
- The expansion of liability beyond a company’s own operations to its entire value chain;
- Growing court scrutiny of whether climate transition plans are reflected in project approvals and capital investment;
- The rise of rights‑based and duty‑of‑care claims that challenge how boards consider foreseeable climate risks;
- Greenwashing litigation intensifying as climate commitments and sustainability claims are treated as legally significant representations; and
- Litigation‑driven policy shifts increasingly influencing regulation, markets and investor expectations.
EVs cheaper to buy and run than PHEVs
A new analysis of retail prices in the UK has concluded 8 out of the top 10 selling PHEVs are more expensive than the battery-only equivalents from the same manufacturer, the average price differential being of the order of 10%. The study cites the recent revelation about real world consumption figures of PHEVs and concludes, with current fuel prices, the PHEV costs around £1,000 (NZ$2,300) a year more to own and operate, on top of the 10% higher purchase price.
24/7 renewable baseload for islands
Global OTEC (OTEC standing for Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion) has just completed the installation of its first offshore platform to generate electricity from the temperature differential between shallow and deep water, claiming a world first in the process. The process uses the warm, surface water to heat a low boiling point fluid to produce vapour to drive a turbine. The cold water condenses the medium back to fluid to repeat the cycle. The platform sits off the Canary Islands and Global OTEC believes there is the potential to replace 25GW of fossil fuel capacity across island nations around the world.
Zero emissions electricity from coal
With what is potentially a game changing innovation, scientist from Shenzhen University have developed a technology to extract the energy from coal without burning it. The technology is described as a coal fuel cell, converting the chemical energy in the coal directly into electricity. The coal is pulverised, dried and purified before being mixed with oxygen in the cell to create an electrochemical reaction generating electricity. No burning, heat or steam production is needed in getting from coal to electricity, although carbon dioxide emissions from the chemical reaction would need to be captured to make the whole process zero emissions. The process could be transformational for mining as well. The researchers believe generation could take place underground, eliminating the need to extract the coal from depth.
Did you know ……..
The national rail network of India is 99.4% electric? The network is the second largest in the world (by number of passengers) with over 7 billion passengers and 1 trillion passenger kilometres travelled each year. India’s Central Organisation for Railway Electrification was founded in 1979. 69,744 Kms of the 70,117 Km network has been electrified so far.