Talking Climate Tech 002 redux
Startup battery tech, COP29 Cop-out, UK Geothermal, and Pylon of the Month!
Issued to subscribers 29th Vovember 2024.
We made it back for the second newsletter at least 😆 off we go...
💸 Startup News
🔎 Deeper Dive
🏡 Konfab News
😃 Other Stuff
The thing is with startups, there are ups, and then downs. Particularly when it comes to bridging the 'valley of death' and scaling. Northvolt was the answer in the EU to the global battery tech battle. Seen as a cornerstone of our automotive transition, then it wasn't. Big order book, big debt, read more about the multi-billion $$$ collapse here.
Which plucky startups are jostling for position in battery innovation, here are 3 to watch:
💸 Startups to Watch
🇬🇧 Molyon, is developing lithium-sulfur batteries, raised $4.6m in funding. IQ Capital and Plural led the round. Lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries have significantly higher energy density than Li-ion and utilise readily available materials, which could also solve those range anxiety issues.
Why it matters - we continue to need innovation in battery technology, especially in the EU, after the Northvolt collapse 🔋
🇬🇧 Echion Technologies, is developing niobium-based, fast-charging battery materials, closed £10m in funding. Investors included Barclays Sustainable Impact Capital, via Sustainable Ventures, and BGF.
Why it matters - we continue to need innovation in battery technology! The target market is OEM for fast charge [10mins], high density - think battery electric trains, trucks, buses, and heavy-duty transport. 🔋
🇩🇪 tozero, is building out its new li-ion production facility after securing €11m from NordicNinja, In-Q-Tel (IQT), Honda, and existing investors.
Why it matters - we continue to need innovation in battery recycling technology! Global lithium demand is set to quadruple by 2030, to an estimated 3.1 million metric tons. Last year’s total lithium production from mining was only 180,000 metric tons. 🪫
🔎 Deeper Dive
COP29 COP-Out
I wasn't going to talk about it, but you know it's there, we had better, I suppose. They scrabbled $300 billion over the line, late, up on the previous $250 billion. But it is woefully short as almost any country affected by climate change - floods, drought, food security, energy equality, population relocation, etc - has a qualified. Summary from Reuters:
The agreement would provide $300 billion annually by 2035, boosting rich countries' previous commitment to provide $100 billion per year in climate finance by 2020. That earlier goal was met two years late, in 2022, and expires in 2025.
What was the ask? Well, it's a big one, $1.3 trillion per year by 2035, which is substantial. But considering it's approximately 1% of global GDP, it doesn't seem that bad to help save the planet, does it? 🌍
Next year for COP, everyone is flying into the Amazon Rainforest, which will help. Trump will probably put it to the sword anyway. Perhaps that's a good thing 🤷♂️ time for a new way of working...
COP29 Shenanigans
Same old, same old by the looks of it. COP is amazing at bringing nations and people together who want to make change happen. The balance on those scales is of course tipped back the other way by the vested interests of the fossil fuel industry, big food and agriculture and other parties. ⚖️
Excellent work as always from DeSmog - 10 Oil & Gas PR firms were on hand to 'smooth' negotiations. Conflict of interest anyone?
The hoards of lobbyists smothering proceedings and negotiations were there as usual, around 1,800 from the oil & gas sector this time, more info here. Plus rising numbers from agribusiness here.
The UK couldn't manage to keep its nose clean either. Chris O’Shea, CEO of Centrica, the UK's largest Gas supplier, attended undercover, attached to an African NGO. 🤔 While the UK country pavilion, opened its doors to the offshore drilling sector, read more here. 😩
🏡 Konfab News
Climate Tech Show 24
I will be up in London at this exhibition and conference on 28th Nov. In fact, I've already been by the time you are reading this; we might even have met!
If we don't or haven't, you can meet my tree instead 🌱 As an attendee, I got a gift via EcoMatcher - nice touch. An interesting use for blockchain. Here it is, going well in Madagascar by the looks of it, and it has sequestered 20kgs of CO2 already!
👀 This is my actual tree 🌱
Geothermal Energy
Could we be coming into the golden age? A lot of chatter on LinkedIn this last couple of weeks in advance of the IEA Future of Geothermal report to be issued on 13th December. There are also some very interesting startups out there, with innovations in technologies, data and migration of skills and innovation from the Oil & Gas sector. 💡
More on Geothermal startups next week. In the meantime I saluted a local legacy geothermal project in Southampton, UK, on LinkedIn this week:
Kane Watkinson
😃 Other Stuff
More EV News
Last week's newsletter mentioned VW having to dip its hand in the big back pocket for $5.8 billion to keep EV-cool SUV builders Rivian in the game. They had posted losses of $1.45 billion in Q1 of 2024...just in Q1!!
To top that up, the US Dept. of Energy has thrown a further $6.6 billion loan to help them get their paused 9 million sq ft factory build going again 😵💫. Who knows if Trump will axe it as a favour to his new bud Elon?
He has certainly had his fair share over the years, so it's a bit churlish to pull up the drawbridge now. According to USA Today via Gov. public data, he's collected around $4.9 billion for Tesla 💰
Rewilding
There is lots of good stuff happening out there; have a look at some of the missions and impact Planet Wild has been working on. 🌍
Just how old are you?
Conversations around rewilding are never far from those about population growth and the need for degrowth [some further reading here]. In the meantime, for a lighter touch, take a look at this website.
Put your DOB and country in and see your age in world terms, how long you will live, and which countries you would be expected to live longer in [or less]. Plus, watch the hypnotic newborn baby counter 👶 !! 🤯
Pylon of the Month
Many of you appreciated last month's beauty, so we are dipping into the back catalogue while we wait for November 2024 to be revealed. Here is last year's champion of electrification, November 2023 in all its glory ⚡
That's it for this week, see you next Friday!
Kane 🌱
