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Three Energy Tech Trends To Watch This Year

Posted by Irina Slav

on Monday, 18 January 2021 9:43

Transition will be the word of the year in energy, no doubt. But this transition involves a host of technologies that many believe will help the world move beyond the fossil fuels era. Many will need years to become commercially available, which has made some industry observers skeptical about the future of this transition. The dominant sentiment, however, appears to be optimistic, despite the considerable challenges.

Here are three technology areas that, according to a recent report by Lux Research, will dominate the energy discourse for the observable future.

Green hydrogen and fuel cells

Green hydrogen is the new EV revolution in terms of media coverage. From an occasional mention in renewable energy analyses, hydrogen has won its own place among the energy transition stars. The most abundant element in the universe has been touted as an energy carrier, energy storage option, and fuel. With such versatility of use, one might imagine that economies would already be running on hydrogen.

But things are rarely as simple as they seem.

First, not all hydrogen is made equal. For the energy transition revolutionaries such as the European Union, green hydrogen is the one to aim for. Produced through the electrolysis of water using electricity generated by renewable sources, green hydrogen features heavily in the EU’s energy transition plans: it wants to build at least 40 GW of electrolysis capacity by 2030, with 6 GW of these to be up and running by 2024.

Green hydrogen, many believe, will be the best way to help industries that have proved hard to decarbonize reduce their emissions in line with the Paris Agreement. How? First, it can be used as a fuel for freight vehicles; second, it can be blended with natural gas and used to heat buildings; third, it can be used to store electricity produced by solar and wind farms.

There is just one problem with all this: it is expensive, prohibitively so at the moment. Yet the outlook is optimistic, according to most, with the costs of electrolysis expected to fall significantly.

Fuel cells are another potentially widespread use for hydrogen, but they have been off to a slow start, again because of cost constraints. Fuel cell passenger vehicles are still a rarity despite their major advantage over EVs: much faster charging time. According to the California Fuel Cell Partnership, the biggest obstacle in fuel cell cars’ wider adoption is the lack of a charging station network—a problem that is being addressed. CLICK for complete article

Is Another Crash Coming for Air Canada Stock?

Posted by Puja Tayal

on Monday, 18 January 2021 9:37

So, you thought 2021 would offer some breathing space for Air Canada stock. But the year has only brought more hurdles. The biggest challenge has been the stringent air travel restrictions, and they just got worst. It has gotten so bad that AC has reduced its capacity by another 25% in the first quarter.

In June 2020, AC slashed 20,000 employees (50% workforce), retired 75 planes, and suspended 30 domestic routes and eight stations until further notice. After six months, the airline is making more cuts. This month, it suspended services to more than six domestic routes and slashed 1,700 jobs and another 200 employees at its Express carriers. The culprit is Canada’s travel restrictions.

Air Canada frustrated with Canada’s air travel restrictions

Since March 21, Canada has had a blanket prohibition on foreign travelers coming to Canada. Canadians and residents returning to Canada have to undergo a mandatory 14-day quarantine. AC initiated voluntary COVID-19 testing for all arriving passengers to force the Justin Trudeau government to ease the quarantine requirement for passengers testing negative.

The government even agreed to the testing. But then came the second wave of mutant virus, and Canada made its already stringent requirements more stringent. Starting January 7, all travelers over five years of age flying to Canada from abroad need to get a negative result on the COVID-19 test taken 72 hours before the scheduled departure.

Now, AC proposed to replace the quarantine requirement with COVID-19 testing. But the proposal backfired. Now all travelers from abroad have to present negative test results and also fulfill the 14-day quarantine requirement.

There was confusion around which diagnostic companies’ test results the government would consider. Then even if you get the test done, there is a possibility that the airline might cancel the flight. All this hassle had an immediate impact on AC’s close-in bookings, thereby forcing it to adjust its routes to the expected demand and slow the cash burn…CLICK for complete article

Fired CBC Reporter Wins Case

on Sunday, 17 January 2021 11:43

“This week’s arbitrator’s judgment describes a largely dysfunctional bureaucracy, in which union rules and identity politics are weaponized to prosecute grubby internal feuds, and relatively little time is spent on actual journalism.”

Jonathan Kay, National Post

Metals behind EV revolution to resume volatile rally – again

Posted by mining.com

on Friday, 15 January 2021 9:48

Battery metals are set to rebound this year as an electric-vehicle boom is bolstered by post-pandemic push for a green economic recovery.

US President-elect Joe Biden has indicated the sector could get a boost, while China wants new energy vehicles to account for about 20% of total new car sales by 2025. Germany has extended subsidies on EVs for an extra four years, and the U.K. will ban sales of new petrol and diesel cars from 2030.

The markets for metals such as lithium and cobalt, which soared in 2018 before slumping on concerns about oversupply, will be underpinned by a step change in battery demand. Global EV sales are projected to surge 60% this year, according to BloombergNEF.

“Now it’s much more real,” Aleksandr Khodov, lead analyst for nickel and cobalt at Trafigura Group, said in a phone interview. “We’re not talking about hundreds of thousands of electric vehicles anymore, we’re talking about more than 5 million in 2021.” CLICK for complete article

Investors Should Be Worried About Tech Stocks

Posted by Fred Dunkley

on Friday, 15 January 2021 9:41

Even though stock market went pretty untouched following the last week’s debacle in Washington, DC, when pro-Trump rioters breached The Capitol, there could very well be consequences–at least for the tech companies that have long been behind the market rally.

In the wake of his support for the mob that stormed the Capitol, Trump’s social media accounts have been locked and banned.

Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube all took steps to restrict Trump’s ability to use their platforms, some for good.

PayPal also shut down an account raising funds for Trump supporters who traveled to Washington, DC.

Then, Amazon suspended the pro-Trump social network Parler from its web hosting service, while Apple and Google removed Parler’s app from their stores.

All of that raises some questions about our tech giants in a time of political crisis, and stock prices are potentially starting to reflect that.

Following the riot, the Dow closed up 437 points, or 1.44%, to 30,829, and the S&P 500 gained 0.57% to 3,748. Both the Dow and S&P 500 reached record intraday highs following Congress’ confirmation of Joe Biden’s presidential election win.

But on the flip side, tech companies sold off heavily on Monday, with Twitter tumbling over 6%, Facebook 4%, and others around 2%.

Americans seem unsure which beast they want to let out of its cage here–a situation that will continue to add to the uncertainty…