World’s largest all-electric ferry completes maiden voyage

Stephan:  Here is some good news which has important implications for ferries around the world. I live on an island and to go to the mainland must take a ferry; it has made me very aware of how much diesel is consumed to power a ferry back and forth over a relatively short trip. Since distance is not an issue, an electric battery-powered ferry could very quickly completely restructure the operation of ferries to the earth's benefit.

 

Ellen will go into service at the beginning of SeptemberL
Credit: eclanché SA

We’ve seen a few all-electric ferries quietly and cleanly moving peoplecarsand goods between ports in northern Europe, but Ellen is reported to be the world’s largest. It made its first commercial trip earlier this month between two Danish islands.

The battery-electric ferry has taken over from the diesel-powered MF Skjoldnæs to carry passengers and vehicles between Søby on Ærø island and Fynshav on Als island. Named Ellen, the electric ferry made its inaugural voyage on August 15 before she goes into service in the beginning of September. MF Skjoldnæs is not being retired, but will take on another route.

Ellen has 59.5 x 12.8 m (195 x 42 ft) dimensions and a draft of 2.5 m (8.2 ft). Her hull arrived from Poland in 2017 and has since been fitted out with electric motors from Finland’s Visedo and a 4.3-MWh Li-ion battery pack from Swiss company Leclanché SA. She […]

Read the Full Article

No Comments

How Amsterdam plans to power a city of electric cars

Stephan:  Here is more good news about the transition out of the carbon era; it is fascinating to watch how the other developed nations of the world are making preparations for the new era while the United States under Trump and the Republicans are doing everything they can to keep the carbon era alive.

AMSTERDAM — Amsterdam has bold plans to ban all gasoline and diesel vehicles from the city by 2030. But if it is to meet that target, it has only a decade to build the infrastructure to power a city of electric cars.

As part of the plan, from next year certain diesel vehicles will be banned from Amsterdam’s city center. From 2022, buses and coaches will only be allowed in the city center if they have electric or hydrogen-powered engines, and by 2030, all transportation in the city must be emissions free.
Cleaner transport, cleaner air
“For Amsterdam, it is a health issue, with climate goals as a direct counterpart,” explained Sharon Dijksma, the city’s deputy mayor. “We are pursuing clean air for everyone in Amsterdam by making traffic emissions-free and reducing emissions from other sources.”
The city hopes that cleaning up its air will increase its residents’ average life expectancy by three months and reduce CO2 emissions by up to 9%.

Electric Cars are Coming, Gas Engines are Going

Stephan:  The car industry with very little discussion in the general media, but with growing concern and consternation amongst insiders in the carbon energy automotive world, is undergoing profound change, and it is happening far more quickly than most people have anticipated.

Electric car show

A great website for all transport news electric is Electrek.co.  They’ve just posted a thought provoking report on a big change coming at Volkswagen, which is restructuring a gas engine producing factory at Zwickau entirely into an electric car producing factory.  The new factory will have an electric vehicle production capacity of over 300,000 cars per year.  The first electric vehicle to be produced will be the ID3, an all-electric hatchback, set to launch by 2020.  This VW will start at less than €30,000 and have over 330 km of range (about 205 miles).  Some versions may have over 500 km of range (more than 310 miles of range).

Electrek.co’s take on this development is what is thought-provoking.  Electrik says:  “This is great. We are talking about converting a massive plant to electric car production over just over two years. That’s quick.  We think this more aggressive approach by Volkswagen, which has arguably been forced onto them after the Dieselgate fiasco, will prove successful and could influence other automakers to do the same.  At Electrek, we think […]

Read the Full Article

2 Comments

Scientists ‘Tantalised’ by Draining Every Hydropower Dam in The US For Solar Panels

Stephan:  Here is a first report on what I think is going to be a growing trend, and I think it is good news.

Hydroelectric dam
Credit: Raphael Biscaldi/Unsplash

If all the hydro-power dams in the United States were removed and replaced with solar panels, it would take up a fraction of the land and produce substantially more electricity, according to a new analysis.

The idea is ambitious, and for now, it’s really just a thought experiment. Today, hydropower is a significant source of renewable energy in the US, accounting for roughly six percent of the country’s total electricity output.

Removing all 2,603 hydro dams in America would leave a huge energy void behind, but it could also provide room for greener opportunities.

While it’s true that hydropower dams are a renewable source of energy, they still produce large amounts of greenhouse gases and can be environmentally destructive and costly to maintain in the long term.

In recent years, these criticisms have led to a growing dam removal movement. And although it’s theoretical, a massive investment in solar power might be able to cushion that loss.

To cover for all the hydro dams currently in use, scientists estimate we would need nearly 530,000 hectares […]

Read the Full Article

2 Comments

Water Stress Could Affect Half the World’s Population in Just 5 Years

Stephan:  Five years. Everything is happening more quickly than anyone imagined, and the results are worse than anyone projected. Five years, and up to three and a half billion people will see their lives changed. How much social instability, nativism, racism, and violence do you think these changes will cause. Think about the piece on Indonesia moving its capital Jakarta I published yesterday. We are just getting into this.

World Water Week kicked off this week in the shadow of a frightening reality that nearly one-fourth of the world’s population is living under extreme water stress and in just five years, half the world’s population will live in water-stressed regions, according to the Weather Channel. The dire scenarios circle the globe, from New Mexico to New Delhi.

The misuse of groundwater in Indonesia is so grave that the capital city, Jakarta, is sinking, prompting the president there to move the seat of government to Borneo, as CNN reported.

In light of the pressing need to replenish the world’s clean water systems, the 29th annual World Water Week started in Stockholm with the theme Water for Society: Including all. The event, which aims to draw the world’s attention to water-related challenges around the world, is hosted by the Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI) and supported by the United Nations water programs. UN-Water publishes the annual World Water Development Report.

“Many in our societies are not aware of the vital role that […]

Read the Full Article

No Comments