EGEB: Solar leads German electricity generation, Abu Dhabi’s 2 GW solar project, and more

In today’s EGEB:

• German electricity generation was led by solar for the first time this June.
• 24 firms are being considered to develop Abu Dhabi’s next “world’s largest” solar plant.
• The London Stock Exchange now lists oil and gas companies as non-renewables.

Electrek Green Energy Brief: A daily technical, financial, and political review/analysis of important green energy news.

Germany has experienced a number of renewable milestones in recent months, as the country has generated nearly half of its electricity from renewables in 2019.

In June, renewables surpassed non-renewables in electricity generation, but also, for the first time, solar made up the bulk of net public electricity generation in the country:

In June 2019, solar energy was the strongest source of net electricity generation in Germany for the first time:
1. solar: 7.17 TWh (19%)
2. lignite; 7.02 TWh (18.6%)
3. wind: 6.69 TWh (17.7%)
4. nuclear energy 4.59 TWh (12.2%)https://t.co/TiGcTlPuMZ pic.twitter.com/cWtLNKZ4hT

— Bruno Burger (@energy_charts) July 1, 2019

Germany differentiates between lignite (brown coal) and hard coal. When combined, those two still have the lead, but solar has surpassed lignite, with wind lagging just behind. So although there’s been progress, there’s a lot more work to be done in the transition.

Abu Doubled

Just this week, oil-rich Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates brought the world’s largest single solar plant online. But the 1,177 megawatt plant won’t be the largest in the world for too long — in fact, it won’t even be the biggest in Abu Dhabi.

The UAE capital is planning to almost double that with a 2,000 MW plant, and 24 firms are on the shortlist to build it, according to Reuters — half of the 48 companies that expressed interest.

Whichever bidder ends up as the choice to develop will hold a 40% stake in the project. The rest will be owned by local entities.

Abu Dhabi hopes to open the new solar plant by the first quarter of 2022.

Non-Renewable

Oil and gas companies listed on the London Stock exchange have been moved into a new non-renewable energy category by index provider FTSE Russell. According to The Guardian, the move is specifically “designed to distinguish between heavily polluting companies and greener producers.”

BP, Royal Dutch Shell, and many others now find themselves in the new category, along with coal companies that were previously found under “basic materials/mining.”

Further differentiating the divide, a number of green energy producers — like Vestas Wind Systems and Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy — have been moved from “alternative energy” to renewable energy.

Susan Quintin, the managing director of product management at FTSE Russell, told The Guardian that the changes would provide “greater visibility to other forms of energy such as renewables.”

Trade body Oil & Gas UK “expressed concern” about the change because of their broadening energy strategies.

Oil & Gas UK policy director Mike Tholen told The Guardian:

“Any change to classification has to recognise that many oil and gas companies have a diversity of energy interests and are active right across the energy spectrum. We would hope that any change which seeks to help the advance to a low carbon future does not have unintended consequences which might in fact slow down the pace of change, having the opposite effect of what it’s set out to do.”

We think it’s a good move.