Tertiary sector lags, Transition credits and the Return of the dippy bird – as a generator
In this issue:
Tertiary sector way behind in the energy transition
An analysis of degree programmes of 6,142 universities around the world that offer energy specific programmes reveals 68% of the world’s energy educational degrees are still focused on fossil fuels, with only 32% focused on renewable energy. As well as falling short on delivering clean energy skills to the workforce, it also means many students could, in a few years, be holding stranded qualification assets. At the current rate of switching, fossil fuel degrees wouldn’t disappear until 2107.
Scope 3 data issues compromising targets
Since 2019, over 1,000 companies have joined SBTis Business Ambition for 1.5C campaign. A recent survey of 971 of these companies (some were excluded because of things like merger and acquisition) showed 84% have either set targets or are in the process of validating them. However, 29%, including names like Diageo, Microsoft, Unilever, Marks & Spencer and Proctor & Gamble have retracted some of their commitments. The main reason cited was problems in assessing Scope 3 emissions, followed by concerns over emerging technologies.
Transition credits – could they make a difference?
Transition credits are emerging as another financial mechanism to accelerate the decommissioning of coal-fired generation in developing countries where the funding gap currently prohibits, or at least slows down, the energy transition. Several large corporates looking to use the credits as offsets, including Bank of America, Boston Consulting Group, Mastercard, McDonald’s, Morgan Stanley, PepsiCo, Salesforce, Standard Chartered Bank, and Schneider Electric, have expressed interest and there are a couple of frameworks currently being developed. The Rocky Mountain Institute has taken a look and thinks there could be mileage in them as an accelerator but only if the crediting framework is robust.
The future of Tiwai
Tiwai plays such a large part in our electricity market that developments in the global market for aluminium, and from its parent company, can’t be ignored. Rio Tinto is keen to decarbonise its production and Tiwai holds a strong position because of the ratio of renewable energy in its mix. It’s interesting, then, that Australia’s biggest aluminium smelter, Tomago (NSW), which has a demand of 8 terawatt hours a year, is set to issue a massive tender for wind and solar projects next week. This comes on the back of record-breaking contracts for wind and solar earlier this year for its Queensland smelter and refineries. If Tiwai were to see its renewables competitive edge eroded, its attractiveness could take a corresponding hit.
The battery fountain of youth
While a fountain of youth continues to elude people, it seems one has been uncovered for batteries. Toyota researchers have come up with a simple injection that revitalises lithium-ion batteries rather than sending them away to expensive and complex recycling processes. Results will vary but on average the injection reverses the degradation of tired batteries to around 80% of original capacity. The process works for small and large batteries, including EV batteries.
Dippy bird returns as a generator
Many of us will have been gifted dippy birds over the years. Hours of endless fun watching the thirsty little creature satiate its thirst! Researchers in China have now exploited the science of the dippy bird and used it to generate electricity from water. The bird operates by dipping its beak in water which makes it wet. It then returns to the vertical. As the water evaporates it creates a slight pressure difference which draws the liquid from the bottom bulb up the stem. The extra weight at the top tips the beak back down into the water and the cycle continues. The scientists fitted two nano generators to the bird to create a triboelectric hydrovoltaic generator which generated a voltage greater than 100V and ran for several days using just 100ml of water. They are now working on upscaling. Could we soon be seeing Manapouri populated by thousands of dippy birds?