The 10 most-read articles on Czech oEnergetice in 2017

1. HE3DA launches CZK 5.5 billion battery production project in the Karviná region

Czech company HE3DA, which develops battery technologies, is launching the MES (Magna Energy Storage) battery production project worth CZK 5.5 billion in Horní Suchá in the Karviná region. It plans to build two production lines for batteries with 3D spatial electrodes based on lithium nanomaterials, as well as a new hall for further development. The company plans to begin production next year, employing up to 250 people once production is fully ramped up, and expects annual revenues of USD 450 million (more than CZK 11.5 billion). HE3DA co-owners Vladimír Jirka and Radomír Prus told ČTK.

The project is based on a globally registered patent by inventor Jan Procházka, who is the company’s president. Thanks to the use of nanomaterials, the batteries can store energy for long periods without significant losses and are also substantially smaller than current lithium-ion batteries.

2. Hundreds of thousands of households without power as ČEZ declares emergency

“Fault repair crews are in the field and are working to repair faults and restore electricity supplies to customers,” the spokesperson said.

Strong winds have been sweeping across the country since the morning, causing damage especially in western and northern Czechia.

3. First private fusion reactor capable of reaching plasma temperatures of up to 100 million °C launched

British company Tokamak Energy has launched a private fusion reactor which, it says, can create plasma at a temperature of 100 million degrees Celsius. According to the company, reaching this temperature in a compact and cost-effective reactor will enable the commercial use of fusion energy around 2030.

A temperature of 100 million degrees, around seven times higher than the temperature of the Sun’s core, is necessary to achieve controlled nuclear fusion. However, Tokamak Energy’s ST40 reactor must go through further stages of development to reach this temperature.

4. Imported wood is replacing coal not only in Denmark – is another green fiasco looming?

Denmark, the United Kingdom and a number of other European countries are beginning to convert coal-fired power plants to burn biomass. This is intended to be an important step towards cutting emissions and greener electricity generation. These countries do not have enough forests, so they import the required wood chips and pellets from abroad. There is therefore a major risk that a mass shift from coal to biomass will have environmental impacts very similar to the use of, and intensive subsidies for, biofuels made from palm oil.

Recent articles (here, here and here) described how the turn of the year showed that weather-dependent wind and solar sources will not be able to replace fossil and nuclear sources, not even in Germany. Germany and Denmark are thus falling short of their declared targets for reducing emissions and replacing coal-fired power plants. A complete switch from coal to gas is economically demanding and would reduce carbon dioxide emissions by only half. At least on paper, switching to biomass combustion reduces carbon dioxide production to zero. In reality, the situation is different. Emissions of pollutants and carbon dioxide from biomass combustion do exist. However, it is assumed that the biomass will regrow and absorb the same amount of carbon dioxide that was produced during combustion. Formally, this gives us an emission-free source. One issue is that growing the trees used to produce pellets can take many decades, which is also the length of the carbon dioxide cycle in this case.

5. Households with solar panels to pay more in Belgium, fees also under discussion in Czechia

The energy regulator of Belgium’s Wallonia region has officially approved fees for households with rooftop photovoltaic systems. These households will pay an additional EUR 330 to EUR 560 annually (CZK 8,580 to CZK 14,560). The Czech Energy Regulatory Office is also considering additional fees for households with solar panels.

Rooftop residential PV system owners have already been affected in Belgium. Following a consultation period, the local regulator announced new charges for residential rooftop installations, the amount of which depends on installed capacity and the geographical location of the house.

These fees are relatively high, reaching up to CZK 15,000 per year, which will ultimately affect the return on investment in the purchased system. By the end of last year, installed capacity in solar power plants in Belgium had exceeded 3.4 GW, of which 916 MW was located in Wallonia.

6. Tesla starts producing new “best and cheapest” battery cell type at Gigafactory

Tesla yesterday began producing new battery cells at its Gigafactory, which it will use in its Powerwall 2 and Powerpack 3 battery storage systems. Production of the same cell type for the company’s most affordable electric vehicle, the Model 3, will begin in the second quarter of this year. The company said so on its website.

Tesla designed the new 2170 lithium-ion cell together with Panasonic to offer the best possible performance, lower production costs, and an optimal size and shape for use in electric vehicles and energy products.

The cell designation itself defines its dimensions and shape. The current standard is 18650 cells, or cylindrical cells with a diameter of 18 millimetres and a length of 65 millimetres. Tesla had used this type of cell in its products until now.

7. Windstorm drives Czech wind farms to record output, PST transformers also used

In addition to causing hundreds of millions in damage, the weekend windstorm set a record for the highest output achieved by wind farms in Czechia, at least since the start of 2016. According to Energostat data, they supplied up to 237 MW to the grid overnight from Saturday to Sunday.

Exceptionally windy weather in Europe also significantly affected the operation of the Czech electricity system. The windstorm not only caused hundreds of millions in damage, but the system also had to cope with higher-than-usual output from wind farms in Czechia and neighbouring countries.

A wind generation record was even set in Czechia. Overnight into Sunday, wind farms supplied up to 237 MW of electrical output, using around 84 % of their installed capacity. As of the end of the second quarter, Czechia had a total of 282 MW of wind power capacity.

8. Germany to seek exemptions for its lignite plants under new NOx limits

On 28 April, European Union member states voted under the revised Best Available Techniques Reference Document (BREF) for stricter limits on emissions of NOx, SO2, mercury and particulate matter from large combustion plants, which will enter into force during 2021. In addition to Germany, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, Hungary, Bulgaria, Romania and Finland voted against them.

“In the interest of proper implementation, exemptions may be granted in individual cases,” the German Environment Ministry said in response to the vote.

9. Bitcoin: Cryptocurrency mining consumes more energy than all of Ireland, exceeds 19 European countries

The Bitcoin mining network consumes more energy in a single year than all of Ireland. The operation of the network, which many predict will see tremendous growth, already consumes more electricity than 19 European countries. If the value of this cryptocurrency continues to rise, interest from miners and consequently the electricity consumption associated with operating the network can also be expected to grow. Compared with the energy intensity of other payment systems, Bitcoin appears to be an enormous electricity guzzler.

According to estimates by Digiconomist, the annual consumption of the entire Bitcoin network is 30.14 TWh. This exceeds the consumption of 19 European countries, and among EU countries is closest to that of Slovakia (see Statistics). The average power demand of the Bitcoin network is an enormous 3.4 GW. For comparison, this is 1.7 times the installed capacity of Temelín nuclear power plant, or more than five times the installed capacity of Europe’s largest wind farm (London Array – 0.63 GW). An average transaction then consumes around 300 kWh. Such an amount of electricity would be enough, for example, to power one energy-saving 20W light bulb (the lighting equivalent of a conventional 100W bulb) for 20.5 months.

10. Battle over Nord Stream 2: Germans, Austrians and Czechs in the same boat

The planned construction of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline under the sea directly from Russia to Germany is currently one of Europe’s most controversial energy issues. Everyone understands that Russia wants to bypass Ukraine, through which the most important route for transporting Russian gas to Europe has long passed. And everyone also understands why Ukrainians, Poles and other countries are protesting against Nord Stream 2: they face economic losses because they will lose their role as key transit countries. They also fear Russia’s growing influence in European energy and gas markets. As do the United States.

However, an entirely different factor may decide whether Nord Stream 2 is ultimately built: Germany’s strong interest in the project. Germans are convinced that the pipeline, which will double the capacity of the existing transport route under the Baltic Sea (to 110 billion cubic metres per year), will be very economically worthwhile for them.