According to the terms of the definitive merger agreement, Prysmian Group will pay $290 per share in cash to shareholders of the Nasdaq-listed Encore Wire.

The consideration represents about 20% premium to the 30-day volume weighted average share price (VWAP) of the US-based Encore Wire as of 12 April 2024.

Encore Wire chairman, president, and CEO Daniel Jones said: “This transaction maximises value for Encore Wire shareholders and provides an attractive premium for their shares. Encore Wire and Prysmian are two highly complementary organisations, and we anticipate a bright future for Encore Wire as part of Prysmian.

“Furthermore, as part of a larger, global operation, we expect this transaction will bring additional future opportunities for our employees, whose dedication and hard work made this transaction possible.”

Through the acquisition, Prysmian Group aims to boost its exposure to secular growth drivers as well as improve the company’s presence in North America.

Besides, the cabling solutions provider intends to utilise Encore Wire’s operational efficiency and best in class service across the former’s portfolio.

The deal will also allow the combined company to better address customers’ requirements in North America by expanding Prysmian Group’s product offering.

Prysmian Group is expected to generate approximately €140m in run-rate EBITDA synergies expected within four years from the closing of the transaction.

Prysmian Group designated CEO Massimo Battaini said: “The acquisition of Encore Wire represents a landmark moment for Prysmian and a strategic and unique opportunity to create value for our shareholders and customers.

“Through this acquisition, Prysmian will grow its North American presence, enhancing its portfolio and geographic mix, while significantly increasing the exposure to secular growth drivers.”

Subject to Encore Wire’s shareholders’ approval, regulatory approvals, and other customary conditions, the transaction is anticipated to be completed in the latter half of this year.

The deal has been unanimously approved by each company’s board of directors.

Goldman Sachs Bank Europe SE, Succursale Italia is sole financial adviser to Prysmian Group while Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz is the company’s legal adviser.

For Encore Wire, J.P. Morgan Securities is serving as financial adviser while O’Melveny & Myers is the legal adviser.

In February this year, Prysmian Group secured a contract worth €1.9bn for the 2GW Eastern Green Link 2 (EGL2) subsea electricity superhighway project between Scotland and England.

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The permit has been issued by the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (NCDEQ)’s Division of Energy, Mineral, and Land Resources (DEMLR) after a thorough review. It is subject to customary conditions as well as those tailored to the project’s specifics.

The application for the mining permit was submitted by Piedmont Lithium on 30 August 2021.

Located in Gaston County, the Carolina project is to become a fully-integrated lithium project, encompassing mining, spodumene concentrate production, and lithium hydroxide conversion, all within a single site.

Currently, the American lithium project is in the development stage.

The Carolina lithium project is being designed to have an annual output of 30,000 metric tons of lithium hydroxide.

According to Piedmont Lithium, the projected capacity would more than double the present US production capacity of about 20,000 metric tons annually.

Besides, the Carolina lithium project is expected to greatly contribute to the energy security of the US.

The construction of the American lithium project is expected to begin after obtaining the remaining necessary permits, rezoning approvals as well as project financing activities.

Piedmont Lithium president and CEO Keith Phillips said: “The North Carolina mining permit approval is the precursor for the county rezoning process, and we look forward to continued engagement with the local community and the Gaston County Board of Commissioners.

“Construction would commence following receipt of all required permits, rezoning approvals, and project financing activities.

“We have had extensive and ongoing dialogue with possible funding sources for Carolina Lithium, including the U.S. Department of Energy’s Loan Programs Office and strategic parties who could provide some combination of capital, offtake, and technical support.”

In February 2024, Piedmont Lithium completed a 27% reduction in its workforce as part of the company’s cost-cutting measures amid a decline in lithium prices.

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Located in Gladstone, the 15,000m² advanced manufacturing facility will have the capacity to manufacture more than 2GW of proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolyser stacks per year.

The Gladstone electrolyser facility was built and fully commissioned in a little over two years. It is said to be one of the first facilities across the world to incorporate an automated assembly line.

According to Fortescue, over 100 jobs were generated during the construction process of the new plant.

Fortescue Energy CEO Mark Hutchinson said: “The process of splitting hydrogen and oxygen isn’t new – but the innovative ways the world is looking to use green hydrogen to decarbonise are, and that means demand for green hydrogen and for the electrolysers to produce it is growing rapidly.”

“This facility positions Fortescue and Gladstone as a large-scale producer of what will be an increasingly sought-after commodity in the global shift to green energy.

“We’re strategically focused on building out our Energy business. Not only are we developing a pipeline of green energy projects, we’re also now designing and manufacturing the specialised equipment and technology that will underpin our green hydrogen projects and that of others.”

The electrolyser manufacturing plant is the initial phase of the broader Green Energy Manufacturing Centre, an initiative developed by Fortescue on the 100ha Gladstone site.

Green Energy Manufacturing Centre’s subsequent stages will encompass a hydrogen system testing facility and Fortescue’s PEM50 green hydrogen project.

It entails a capital expenditure of $150m and is projected to have a production volume of approximately 8,000 tonnes of green hydrogen per annum from 2025.

Fortescue stated that the development of the site was made possible with support from the government of Queensland.

The support included the provision of an electrical sub-station, local scheme water connection, allocation of land, road network, and communications infrastructure.

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Located 13km south of the Brage field, the Brasse development has an estimated 24 million barrels of oil equivalent gross in recoverable reserves. It will be developed as a two-well subsea tieback to the Brage field.

The Norwegian oil and gas field development will use the existing processing capacity on the Brage platform, where the initial production commenced in 1993.

OKEA operates PL740 with a stake of 39.3%. Other partners are DNO Norge, Lime Petroleum, and M Vest Energy with 39.3%, 17%, and 4.4% interests, respectively.

The Brage unit partnership includes OKEA as operator (35.2%), Lime Petroleum (33.84%), DNO Norge (14.25%), Petrolia Noco (12.25%), and M Vest Energy (4.44%).

OKEA intends to submit the plan for development and operation (PDO) this month. Following the approval of the PDO, the Brasse development will be renamed to Bestla.

The Norwegian oil and gas field development is anticipated to start operations during the first half of 2027, with operation expected to extend until 2031. It will also hold the potential for extension.

OKEA projects and technology senior vice president Knut Gjertsen said: “Brasse is an important addition to our portfolio and represents a significant value creation opportunity for OKEA and our partners.

“As a tie-back to Brage, both licences will benefit from synergies and economies of scale.”

OKEA has also awarded contracts pertaining to the offshore development to Aker Solutions, Subsea7, and OneSubsea.

Under its contract, Aker Solutions will provide engineering, procurement, construction, installation, and commissioning services for the Brage field. This involves preparing the platform’s topside to receive oil and gas from the Brasse field.

Subsea7 and OneSubsea have been awarded contract for the subsea scope of the Brasse development. Rig and drilling services contracts for the Norwegian field development will be awarded in Q2 2024.

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Triggered by broad industry concerns about dam safety following the 2017 spillway failure at California’s Oroville Dam, the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), alongside the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and the Bureau of Reclamation, contracted a panel of external dam experts to review their practices at the direction of US congress.

“Many agencies including USACE took a much closer look at how we have been evaluating safety at our dams. Congress was also interested in what the Oroville incident meant for the nation and for federal dams specifically. They asked USACE to coordinate an independent review of the risk policies and methods used to assess risk across the three major federal agencies that own, operate, or regulate dams in the US. It was congress’ intent to inform improvements broadly in national dam safety practices,” explains Nate Snorteland, Risk Management Centre’s Director whose work falls under USACE’s Institute for Water Resources.

The panel included a broad range of experience and expertise, encompassed individuals from the US, the Netherlands, and Australia, and included academics and private sector consultants. In addition to evaluating agencies’ use of risk in dam safety and regulation, the panel also considered how dam safety practices are affected by human factors, as well as how risk-informed analysis in other industries may be applicable to dam safety practices.

Overall, the review showed that the programmes for dam safety in the three agencies are appropriate and sound. Additionally, the agencies’ implementation of risk-informed decision-making are consistent with federal guidance despite differing levels of dam safety programme development between them. The panel felt the level of cooperation between agencies and progress made by the agencies over the last ten years was important and had improved safety overall.

The report also highlighted issues that warrant further attention. Specifically, it was recommended that the agencies incorporate practices used in other industries more fully, such as incorporating human factors into risk methods. The team also recommended agencies fully calibrate models used in risk analyses and employ expert judgments to support safety assessments. Other recommendations of note included improving communication with the public on their risk exposure. USACE concurred with each of the recommendations and has developed a plan to implement improvements over the next several years.

“When it comes to the management of our dams, public safety is our top priority,” USACE Headquarters Dam and Levee Branch Chief, Travis Tutka, added. “USACE conducts self-assessments of our programmes and contracts external reviews periodically. Overall, the review validated our efforts with some room for improvement. By maintaining openness and transparency of our programmes with the public through reviews such as this, we hope to increase trust in our management of USACE dams on behalf of the nation.”

Better communication

ICOLD recently issued a statement in response to a short film it posted on LinkedIn by the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR), calling for the dismantling of old dams. The commission said that although it was pleased to see UNDRR addressing the critical issue of dam safety, it would have appreciated a slightly less simplistic analysis of the subject.

“Deconstruction is far from being the only way to address the potential safety problems posed by ageing dams,” ICOLD said.” It is even completely unrealistic on the scale of nearly 60,000 large dams according to the World Register of Dams.”

ICOLD then went on to give the examples of many dams that have given hundreds of years of “good and loyal service” which is “a little more than the 50 years mentioned by UNDRR”. It noted there are many dams built by the Romans in Spain that they are still in operation, such as the Proserpina Dam which was built in 130 of modern times under the reign of Emperor Hadrian and is still in service. While the Japanese Sayamaïke Dam, dating from the 7th century, continues to provide water storage service for the population for which it was built. In Europe, many dams were built between the 17th and 19th centuries, in particular to supply the navigation canals. They are still in service and, undergoing renovation since the 1970s, are now up to the same safety standards as modern dams. Of particular note is France’s 35m high Saint Ferréol Dam in the Montagne Noire, built in 1672 with a capacity of 6.2Mm3, which supplies water to the Canal du Midi and is a major tourist attraction.

ICOLD also noted that in 2019 it adopted, at the initiative of Michael Rogers, a World Declaration on Dam Safety, addressed to governments, funding institutions and dam operators, which sets out the essential principles of dam monitoring. If these principles are followed, there is no reason to deconstruct structures that are essential to the population. ICOLD stated that it “is in no way opposed to the deconstruction of dams when they have ceased to serve a purpose and when the economic and environmental costs of maintaining them exceed the services they can provide” but does not believe that the message that UNDRR was giving in its film, that an ageing dam is a dangerous dam and that safe dams are those that have been dismantled or deconstructed, is correct.

Denouncing the “anxiety-provoking communication” of the UNDRR, ICOLD noted that last year its President Michael Rogers wrote to the President of the United Nations University to express his willingness to work with the institution “to take a more realistic view of the problem of ageing dams”. ICOLD said it reiterates its wish to work on dam safety with all concerned institutions and believes that this very important subject deserves better communication.

Australian action

WaterNSW has announced that investigations are underway to address safety concerns and ensure the long-term security of Warragamba Dam in Australia. The dam, one of the largest domestic water supply dams in the world which supplies more than 80% of Sydney’s water, currently remains safe for day-to-day operations and is structurally sound, but is being examined in light of the potential risks posed by extreme floods and the impact of climate change on downstream communities.

WaterNSW regularly conducts risk assessments of its dams and implements upgrades as necessary to meet contemporary dam safety regulations, it said. A recent risk assessment of Warragamba Dam has identified potential climatic and geotechnical risks under extremely rare weather conditions. Although there are no immediate structural concerns regarding the dam wall, additional measures may be required to mitigate the effects of extreme floods associated with climate change, considering the large population downstream.

WaterNSW emphasised that Warragamba Dam is capable of withstanding even the most severe floods. However, in accordance with evolving safety standards and in anticipation of climate-related challenges, the organisation is committed to ensuring the dam’s compliance with the latest NSW dams’ safety regulations. The specific actions, whether they involve infrastructure modifications or non-infrastructure solutions, required to address the identified risks are yet to be confirmed. Investigations are now underway to evaluate the necessary measures and guarantee the dam’s ongoing compliance with safety regulations.

Earlier in the year WaterNSW successfully restored function to critical inlet infrastructure at Lake Brewster that was extensively damaged during major flooding in late 2022. Crews working extended shifts successfully completed the most urgent repairs, including more than one kilometre of inlet channel, used to control water flow into the lake which is major water storage on the lower Lachlan River and an important pelican breeding area.

The preliminary works at Lake Brewster are only the first in what will be an extensive rehabilitation process. Initial investigations indicate that much of the embankment network at the lake has incurred some degree of damage, and aerial inspections continue in consultation with dam safety experts to better understand the scale of the repair project.

US safety concerns

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has embarked on a plan to address public safety and infrastructure concerns surrounding the Cornwall Flooding Dam. Earlier this year, the DNR announced its intention to draw down the impoundment behind the dam, and since then, it has been working with partners to secure funding and execute a detailed inspection. Such an inspection will enable DNR to gather comprehensive data to help identify the safest and most efficient course of action for the high-hazard dam.

Randy Claramunt, chief of the DNR Fisheries Division, stressed the crucial role of partner support and funding in determining the future of the Cornwall Flooding dam. “With additional support and more complete data, we can explore various options for high-hazard dams like Cornwall,” Claramunt stated.

Built in 1966, the Cornwall Flooding plays a significant role in the local community as an outdoor recreation spot for fishing, kayaking, and wildlife observation. It has been classified as a high hazard by the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy which means that a potential dam failure could result in severe damage to homes and infrastructure downstream, significant environmental degradation, and even loss of life.

In the absence of funding, whether internal or external, the DNR says it will still address safety concerns. Furthermore, it is currently conducting evaluations of more than 200 other state-owned dams across Michigan. These evaluations aim to determine the most prudent actions moving forward, as the agency navigates the intricate considerations of environmental impact, social implications, safety concerns, and financial constraints associated with dam ownership, maintenance, and repair.

Meanwhile, the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works and the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) have announced the finalisation of a rule that will establish a credit assistance programme for dam safety projects. Known as the Corps Water Infrastructure Financing Programme (CWIFP), it aims to provide financial support in the form of direct loans and loan guarantees to non-federal dam safety projects.

The CWIFP will focus on the maintenance, upgrade, and repair of dams identified in the National Inventory of Dams, accelerating investments in water resources infrastructure. By offering long-term, low-cost loans with flexible repayment options to creditworthy borrowers, it aims to enhance dam safety, promote resilience, and generate financial savings for crucial infrastructure investments.

“By expanding the tools for infrastructure financing, the programme will accelerate completion of dam safety projects nationwide.” Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works, Michael Connor, said, adding that the initiative aims to support local communities and address the challenge of funding rehabilitation, improvement, and expansion of ageing civil works infrastructure, particularly dam infrastructure. The programme will prioritise projects benefiting economically disadvantaged communities, offering fee waivers and project financing of up to 80% of total project costs.

USACE believes that the scheme will help address the nation’s significant challenge in financing dam infrastructure projects, and is an innovative approach to supporting infrastructure investment while reducing reliance on federal funding. It is expected to provide approximately US$7.5 billion in total project financing, supporting up to US$15 billion in infrastructure investment nationwide.

This article first appeared in International Water Power magazine.

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The USA is leading the pack

Some of this recent increase in activity is, in part, thanks to shifts in policy and regulatory frameworks, particularly in the USA. While tax credits have been available for US-based CCUS projects for some time, President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) boosts the 45Q tax credit for point sources from USD$50 to $85 per ton of CO2 sequestered. The goal of this tax credit is to incentivise CCUS for hard-to-abate applications such as gas-fired power plants, cement, steel, hydrogen, and petrochemicals. Given that 49% of CCUS projects were cancelled because of financial and economic challenges (according to Rystad Energy) the 45Q expansion is a major catalyst in revitalising and accelerating the CCUS industry.

The IRA also lowers the carbon emissions threshold that facilities must meet to qualify, creating the potential for many more projects to come forward in the USA. For power generation, the capture threshold for credit-eligible facilities will fall from 500,000 tons per year of CO2 emitted to 18,750 tons per year. Further, the introduction of an option for direct payment ensures that participants will benefit from CCUS, not just those with high cash tax liabilities, although non-tax-exempt entities will only benefit for 5 of the 12-year crediting period. These changes create more certainty for investors, which will ultimately unlock more investment options and stimulate the market in a way that tax liability limited credits do not. In fact, a study by the Bipartisan Policy Center found that “one dollar in cash has nearly double the value of a dollar in tax credits to a project developer.”

More certainty equals more attractiveness

Previously interrupted, delayed and cancelled projects across the US, eg, Kemper County in Mississippi and Petra Nova in Texas (pictured above), had created doubts about the viability of CCUS technologies. However, the changes instigated by the IRA are a welcome departure from this uncertainty and bring a new level of investor confidence to the CCUS market. This is particularly welcome news for those investors that had previously invested hundreds of thousands of dollars in feasibility studies, development plans and community engagement, only to fail to meet the criteria for government funding or lose in the competitive application process.

The investor attractiveness of the USA’s newly enhanced 45Q tax credit has not been lost on the governments of international CCUS hotspots such as Canada, the UK, the European Union, and Australia. As with the impact of the IRA more broadly, governments are concerned about the extent to which these announcements will redirect investment from their jurisdictions and are beginning to respond in turn, accelerating the commercial viability of CCUS as they do.

Canada’s 2023 budget, for example, expanded the investment tax credits available for CCUS and hydrogen production, and clean technology projects designed to stimulate investment to support the country’s energy transition. Similarly, the European Union’s Green Deal Industrial Plan and its Net Zero Industry Act (NZIA) look to address Europe’s main bottlenecks to a successful CCUS industry.

Clusters require collaboration

Early on, the UK found that approaching the deployment of CCUS through industrial clusters – which allow several businesses to share carbon transport and storage infrastructure – would maximise economies of scale and reduce total investment. Not only does the cluster approach drive down the unit cost of CCUS, but it also creates opportunities for smaller emitters to decarbonise and the potential to create new products and services using carbon dioxide.

While the US already has several of its own clusters in the making, the expansion of the 45Q credit programme could support many more industrial clusters to follow in these footsteps.

A collaborative and integrated approach will be key in bringing neighbouring industries together to benefit from the synergies of sharing infrastructure for transport and storage.

This approach not only supports CCUS first movers to achieve their decarbonisation goals, but it also accelerates the speed of innovation to market, benefiting future decarbonisation efforts too.

Credits can open the door to new construction

Altogether, the increase in global competitiveness brought about by the USA’s 45Q tax credit expansion is having a measurable impact on the interest in CCUS both in the USA and beyond its borders. These credits, along with the broadened definition of “qualified facilities”, open the door wider to developers and investors in the power industry seeking to construct new CCUS facilities. However, with varied policy instruments and technologies in play, and new announcements being made frequently, an experienced partner is vital for navigating the various economic, technology, infrastructure, and resource challenges to unlock CCUS’s full potential.

Whilst the US tax credit will not directly impact every company present in the CCUS space, it helps to prove the commercial viability of the technology and increase the confidence of developers and investors. With greater positive awareness and interest in CCUS technologies, it should encourage other regional jurisdictions to explore the role that incentives can play.

This article first appeared in Modern Power Systems magazine.

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IDTechEx projects the total SOFC market value (mobility plus stationary power) to reach US$6.8 billion by 2033.

Continuous power

Due to high operating temperatures, ramp-up/ down times can be long for solid oxide fuel cells, while the associated large change in temperature can lead to degradation of ceramic components, specifically if there is a mismatch of thermal expansion coefficients between neighbouring components.

As such, SOFCs are best suited to applications where continuous power output is required, and utility-scale power generation is one such market sector. The use of the generated thermal energy to provide heat and hot water to nearby facilities adds to the appeal of the overall system.

The IDTechEx report details OEMs providing SOFC systems for zero-emission utility-scale power generation, partnerships that have been established with utility providers and case studies illustrating key examples of applications.

Grid independence allows companies to operate with reliable power generation, even during power outages. A clear example of this ability can be seen with Walmart making use of SOFCs provided by Bloom Energy to ensure supermarkets can remain open at all times, 24/7.

An advantage for SOFCs in commercial and industrial applications is their ability to operate in CHP mode, raising the overall efficiencies of the fuel cell system towards 90%, higher than competing alternative fuel cell technologies, and providing heat directly to the commercial or industrial space.

On the other hand, data centres and telecommunication networks are also energy intensive, but in these cases, CHP is not required as overheating of the servers is the main cause for concern with respect to temperature control. For this reason, several players have stated to IDTechEx that they will not pursue power generation for data centres as a viable application area for their SOFCs. One notable exception is Bloom, which says data centres are a good fit for its SOFC offerings.

For on-grid residential applications, a suitable choice for backup power would be lithium-ion batteries charged from the grid. Batteries are more readily available and at a cheaper price point than low-power SOFCs. Another drawback of SOFCs is their longer start-up time and therefore fewer possible cycles.

With connection to the gas network, SOFCs can supply combined heat power on a continuous basis and pairing with batteries provides a buffer for dealing with intermittent demand in residential applications.

Japan is the most mature, and largest, market for residential CHP SOFCs.

The off-grid operation, with on-site gas storage coupled to a solid oxide fuel cell, can provide continuous power.

The possibility of running the fuel cell in reverse (rSOC), powered by renewables such as solar, and producing hydrogen on site is an interesting concept – allowing the fuel cell to then run on this generated fuel.

However, the hydrogen must be stored on-site, a much less convenient fuel than a hydrocarbon. Residential off-grid applications are a relatively small market with approximately 0.1% of people in high-income countries living off-grid.

Future outlook, and the return of major players

So, what does the future look like for the solid oxide fuel cell market? Partnerships have been announced aimed at high-volume manufacturing, due to come online within the next five years, with different companies targeting varied applications. In other cases, such as vehicles (including marine), limited success for SOFCs is expected, with alternative fuel cell technology (PEM) set to dominate.

The major negative aspect of PEM technology is the necessity for ultra-high purity hydrogen. Solid oxide fuel cells overcome this thanks to their ability to operate on a range of fuels and, therefore, potential use in a wide range of applications.

High operating temperatures are a double-edged sword for SOFCs: enabling this fuel flexibility due to the capability to internally reform light hydrocarbons but, as already noted, introducing potential stresses due to mismatched thermal expansion coefficients of neighbouring components.

Despite the positive aspects of SOFCs, with commercial opportunities ranging from utility-scale power generation to off-grid residential applications, many large players exited the market between 2010 and 2018. Siemens Energy was an early mover in the early 21st century, but its focus shifted to PEM fuel cells and electrolysers. Delphi produced a SOFC auxiliary power unit (APU) for heavy-duty trucks circa 2010, but little commercial activity has been seen recently, including after its acquisition by BorgWarner. Ballard is a recognisable name in the fuel cell industry and was one of the first major players to enter the SOFC market when it acquired Protonex in 2015. However, this new solid oxide division was quickly divested in 2017, leading to the formation of Upstart Power. Perhaps the most notable movement was seen when LG Fuel Cell ceased operations alongside Rolls Royce Fuel Cell Systems in 2018, despite reportedly investing over $350m into SOFC R&D and launching a prototype system.

Haldor Topsoe was another company to cease activity, when its focus was shifted to solid oxide electrolysers in 2014. However, arguably, the first green shoots of recovery for the SOFC market were seen when Haldor joined the SOFC4 Maritime project in 2021. GE Power Conversion also returned to the market in 2021. Previous activity was seen between 2006 and 2014 before a partnership was announced with Ceres Power in 2021 – also focusing on the marine sector, particularly cruise ships. Ceres operate a licensing model and have entered into partnerships with several large players, such as Bosch, Weichai, and Doosan, with high-volume manufacturing of the licensed SOFC technology to commence in the coming years. In terms of internal R&D, Cummins is developing SOFC technology of its own and stated to IDTechEx that system availability is set for 2024.

Regulation and economic policy are determining the demand for fuel cells in the APAC region specifically, and a JV has been established between Noritake, Toto, and NGK Spark Plug, targeting the commercial launch of SOFCs by 2025.

So does the movement of big players towards the SOFC market, either entering or returning, indicate impending growth for the sector? The hype must be tempered by comparing to the status of PEM fuel cells, which are the leading solution for fuel cell power in the mobility sector for a variety of reasons, while also being better suited to emergency power than SOFCs due to shorter ramp-up times and longer lifetime across multiple cycles.

Despite strong opportunities in sectors requiring 24/7, always-on power, such as commercial and industrial applications, the total annual MW installation of SOFCs is expected to be an order of magnitude lower than that for PEM fuel cells over the coming decade.

However, the emergence of promising opportunities, coupled with fuel flexibility and the onset of high-volume manufacturing by big players, could accelerate the growth of the SOFC market and change the outlook dramatically.

This article first appeared in Modern Power Systems magazine.

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By shipping the first batch of cathodes to customers, the Adani group has made its debut in the metal industry.

Adani Enterprises is investing approximately $1.2bn to establish the copper smelter, which will have a capacity of 0.5 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) in the first phase.

The second phase of the greenfield copper refinery project at Mundra is expected to bring an additional capacity of 0.5MTPA.

According to Adani Enterprises, the completion of the second phase will make the facility the largest single-location custom smelter in the world.

The Indian greenfield copper refinery project is anticipated to generate 2,000 direct and 5,000 indirect employment opportunities.

Adani Enterprises said that one-third of the plant area has been allocated as green belt space. Besides, 15% of the capital has been allocated towards environmental protection.

Furthermore, the Mundra copper unit plant deployed a zero-liquid discharge model to mitigate the ecological impact. The plant also leverages desalinated water for operations, and to reduce waste, it recycles treated wastewater within processes.

Adani Group chairman Gautam Adani said: “With Kutch Copper commencing operations, the Adani portfolio of companies is not only entering the metals sector but also driving India’s leap towards a sustainable and aatmanirbhar (self-reliant) future.”

“Our speed of execution in this ambitious, super-sized project underscores our commitment to take India to the forefront of the global copper sector.

“We believe the domestic copper industry will play a crucial role in achieving our nation’s goal of carbon neutrality by 2070 by strengthening our green infrastructure hand in hand with mature environmental stewardship.”

Last month, Adani signed contracts to purchase 1.6MTPA of copper concentrate for the Mundra copper smelter.

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Thistle Wind Partners is a consortium comprising DEME, Qair, and Aspiravi. It is engaged in the development of Scottish offshore wind projects.

Under the terms of the pre-FEED contract, Ramboll will provide substructure design for the wind turbine generators (WTGs) for the Bowdun offshore wind project. The WTGs will feature a base case jacket design concept for water depths up to 70m.

The Danish company’s scope of work also involves studying multiple parallel geotechnical sensitivity assessments to advise on the future development of the Scottish offshore wind project.

Besides, Ramboll will deliver offshore substation foundation concepts for the Bowdun offshore wind project and Thistle Wind Partners’ Ayre offshore wind farm in Scotland.

Ramboll wind global executive director Tim Fischer said: “Assessing the foundations in a holistic manner and with input to the overall delivery package, including fabrication and logistics, is one of our key services on the market.

“We look forward to applying these skills through our local UK team of experts and to collaborating with our project partners to bring this exciting project forward.”

According to Thistle Wind Partners, the design will support the formation of a full design envelope for the projects as well as contribute to the determination of the fabrication, transportation, and installation requirements at a later stage.

Upon the completion of the work, FEED and detailed design procurement is anticipated to begin next year.

Thistle Wind Partners project director Ian Taylor said: “These contract announcements demonstrate the good progress we have made on the concept designs for both of our projects.”

The Bowdun offshore wind farm will be built on a 187km² area of seabed. The project site is approximately 44km from Stonehaven in Aberdeenshire.

Once operational, the offshore wind facility is expected to generate clean energy to power over 1.2 million households.

Construction of the Bowdun project is slated to commence in 2029 with first power expected to be produced from 2032.

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The consortium comprises funds managed by Equitix Investment Management and Kyuden Group, which includes Kyuden International and Kyushu Electric Power Transmission and Distribution.

According to the consortium, the Dogger Bank A offshore wind farm project is the first OFTO project in the UK to utilise direct current (DC) transmission technologies.

Valued at about £928m, the Dogger Bank A project’s offshore electricity transmission assets include land cables, subsea cables, an offshore substation, and an onshore substation.

The OFTO assets will link the offshore wind farm project to the onshore grid under a transmission licence awarded by Ofgem.

Kyuden Group and Equitix will operate Dogger Bank A project’s electricity transmission business for a period of 25 years.

The formal acquisition of the assets and award of an OFTO licence are expected following negotiations and contracts with regulatory authorities in the UK, the offshore wind farm developer, and others.

Located about 130km from the coastline of Yorkshire, England, the Dogger Bank A offshore wind farm project is being developed as a joint venture partnership between SSE Renewables, Equinor, and Vårgrønn.

The offshore wind project will be equipped with 95 13MW turbines from General Electric and is anticipated to produce enough clean energy for over two million households.

In December 2023, Ofgem selected the EKITD consortium as the preferred bidder for the OFTO project of phase 1 of the 1.1GW Seagreen offshore wind farm in Scotland.

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