MOSCOW (MRC) -- German technology group Siemens and utility Allgaeuer Ueberlandwerk (AUEW) have launched a trading platform that allows small rooftop solar energy producers to trade power locally with other households and businesses, said Hydrocarbonprocessing.
The platform in the Bavarian village of Wildpoldsried, called Pebbles, is aimed at keeping locally produced energy in the community, by helping for instance households with solar panels to sell power to neighbouring businesses like bakeries. Using blockchain technology to link participants via an app, it allows producers to earn money from marketing their excess production, the firms said, while distributing power locally represents a more efficient use of the grid.
Germany's power industry is moving towards integrating more renewable plants to decarbonise its energy systems. As most generate only intermittently according to weather conditions, their volatility can put stress on transport grids. "If we want to achieve the energy transition, we have to get small protagonists on board and integrate them," said the project leader for Siemens, Michael Metzger, in a webcast.
Pebbles will initially run up to November 2021. Siemens delivered the technology, while AUEW operates the platform and will develop a longer-term business model. Network company AllgaeuNetz is also studying grid-stabilising services that participants can offer to earn money, such as installing batteries in their homes to store captured solar power.
In addition to the technical challenges of the green energy roll-out, thousands of wind and solar producers will no longer receive guaranteed fixed payments for their output from next year as 20-year price guarantees expire, and must look for alternative income.
As MRC informed earlier, Siemens Smart Infrastructure and WUN H2 GmbH signed a contract to build one of the largest hydrogen production plants in Germany. It will be built in Wunsiedel in the north of Bavaria. With a power intake of six megawatts in the initial development phase, the plant will run solely on renewable energy and will be CO2-free. The electrolysis plant from Siemens Energy will have the capacity to produce over 900 tons of hydrogen per year in this first phase. When fully expanded, it will be able to supply up to 2,000 tons. Groundbreaking is scheduled for the end of this year and commissioning at the end of 2021.
We remind that Russia's output of chemical products rose in August 2020 by 5% year on year. At the same time, production of basic chemicals increased year on year by 5.3% in the first eight months of 2020, according to Rosstat's data. According to the Federal State Statistics Service of the Russian Federation, polymers in primary form accounted for the greatest increase in the January-July output. August production of benzene fell to 102,000 tonnes from 95,300 tonnes a month earlier due to scheduled shutdowns for maintenance at several producers. Overall output of this product reached 918,300 tonnes over the stated period, down by 0.9% year on year.
At the same time, August production of primary polymers rose to 888,000 tonnes against 838,000 tonnes in July due to increased capacity utilisation at ZapSibNeftekhim, Stavrolen and Gazprom neftekhim Salavat. Overall output of polymers in primary form totalled 6,630,000 tonnes over the stated period, up by 15.2% year on year.
MRC