There have been some fantastic developments in the world of renewable energy during 2024 and renewable gas is an important part of the renewable energy future. Here are some of the biggest milestones in local and international renewable energy over the past 12 months:
January: New Zealand’s biggest solar farm to be developed
At the start of 2024, First Renewables, a Clarus company, announced its plan to develop the largest solar farm in New Zealand. Since then First Renewables has been putting plans in place to install 330,000 solar panels on a 182-hectare site near Te Aroha. The Tauhei Solar Farm once in operation will generate enough electricity to supply around 35,000 Kiwi homes.
February: Renewable energy in the EU reaches a new record
In the first two months of 2024, renewable energy provided 60% of Europe’s electricity needs – a new record and a 12% increase compared to the first two months of 2023. Fossil fuel generation declined from 46.53% to 39.31% in the same period.
March: Construction starts on first hydrogen-powered container ships
Construction on the world’s first-ever hydrogen-powered container ships began in March, as part of a joint project between an Indian shipbuilding company and a Dutch logistics provider. The vessels will be 135 metres long, powered by a 3.2-megawatt hydrogen fuel cell, and are due for delivery in late 2025.
April: GNS Science opens hydrogen lab in Lower Hutt
In April, crown research institute GNS Science officially opened its new hydrogen lab. Located in Lower Hutt, the lab is focused on producing green hydrogen and is also working with marae to improve local energy resilience.
May: New Zealand’s first hydrogen refuelling station opens
New Zealand’s first hydrogen refuelling station started operating in May, located in Wiri, South Auckland. It’s the initial site for the Hiringa hydrogen refuelling network, which is forecast to have 100 stations by 2028.
June: The world’s largest solar farm connects to the grid
The world’s largest solar farm was connected to the Chinese electricity grid in June. It is based on nearly 33,000 acres of desert and will generate over 6 billion kilowatt hours of electricity each year – which is enough electricity to power the entire nation of Papua New Guinea.
July: Hydrogen standards adopted in New Zealand
In July, New Zealand’s new hydrogen safety standards were adopted. The 13 standards are designed to help us develop a safe and thriving hydrogen industry. It took three years to develop the new standards and they are based on best international practice.
August: Report released showing over 40% of world’s electricity generated by zero-carbon sources in 2023
In August, BloombergNEF released a report showing that zero-carbon sources produced more than 40% of the electricity generated worldwide in 2023. One author noted: “We have seen a step-change in renewable energy compared to a few years before. There’s now no question this is the largest source of new power generation, wherever you go.”
September: Kiwi hydrogen blending pilot gets the green light
In September, Firstgas got the go-ahead to start its hydrogen blending pilot, which will inject a small percentage of hydrogen into the gas pipeline for a select few households. This is an exciting step toward a lower-emissions gas future for New Zealand.
October: World’s largest wind turbine unveiled
The world’s largest offshore wind turbine was unveiled in China in October, a 26-megawatt behemoth that stands 185 metres tall and has a rotor with a diameter of 310 metres. It can generate 100 million kilowatt-hours of renewable electricity each year, which is enough to power 55,000 homes. There is huge potential for excess power generated from offshore wind to convert to hydrogen that can be stored and shipped.
November: Renewable gas flows in the New Zealand pipeline
For the first time in New Zealand’s history, renewable gas has started flowing through our pipelines. It all starts with Auckland’s food scraps, which are anaerobically digested at the Ecogas facility in Reporoa. One of the byproducts is biogas, which is then upgraded into biomethane by the new First Renewables plant. The biomethane is then injected into the pipeline for gas customers throughout the North Island.
December: Report reveals that Europe experienced a 21% increase in biogas production in 2023
Europe produced 22 billion cubic meters of biogas and biomethane in 2023, according to a recent report. That represents 7% of the total natural gas consumption in Europe and could help the EU avoid 106 million tonnes of CO2 emissions each year.
To learn more about how Clarus is supporting the transition to a net carbon neutral New Zealand, visit Future of Energy.