Energy
TDK Ventures | December 19, 2023
TDK Corporation (TSE: 6762) announced today that subsidiary TDK Ventures has invested in battery and charging system innovator Exponent Energy and its reimagining of EV battery technology, tailor-made for the Indian last-mile logistics market. Coming fresh off helping build the 2W EV OEM Ather, now a highly valued EV startup in India, Exponent Energy founders Arun Vinayak and Sanjay Byalal Jagannath have led a top-notch team of technical experts to bring a much-needed solution to the Indian battery market, where cost efficiency and last-mile logistics are crucial.
Exponent's proprietary energy stack – comprised of the battery pack (e^pack), charging station (e^pump), and charging connector (e^plug) together unlock a 0%-100% rapid charge, in 15 minutes for EVs and a 3000-cycle lifetime warranty using regular LFP cells. Exponent partners with OEMs to integrate its e^pack to create a rapid charging variant and sets up a network of e^pumps for users operating in logistics to seamlessly charge their Exponent-powered EVs.
In the last 9 months, its technology has achieved product market fit with customers in India, with over 500 Exponent-powered EVs covering over 3 million kilometers and completing 60,000+ rapid charging sessions.
Energy transformation shouldn't be restricted to a subset of society; decarbonization is important for everyone, and through its technology, Exponent Energy provides greater access to energy-transformative technologies. That is exactly why TDK Ventures partnered with Exponent Energy: to support both organizations' mutual vision for improving tomorrow through technology. The TDK Ventures team hopes to scale Exponent's solution and help accelerate their development.
Exponent Energy CEO, Arun Vinayak stated, "Mobility is about freedom and accessibility. To unlock EV adoption at scale, we need EVs to charge faster, last longer, and cost a whole lot less. Our mission to simplify the broken energy ecosystem and provide greater access to energy-transformative technologies struck a chord with TDK – making this a perfect partnership. We're excited to work closely together to transform the EV industry."
Nicolas Sauvage, TDK Ventures President commented, "I was impressed by Arun and his talented team when I met them in their office in Bengaluru earlier this year. Exponent's groundbreaking achievement in crafting an economical and scalable 15-minute rapid charging solution utilizing standard LFP cells is revolutionary, allowing electric vehicles to adopt a more compact battery pack that can swiftly charge within a concentrated public charging infrastructure, effectively removing range anxiety. We share the vision of expanding rapid charging accessibility at a reasonable cost, making electric mobility an option for everyone. This collaboration represents an exciting stride toward a more sustainable and electrified future."
About TDK Corporation
TDK Corporation is a world leader in electronic solutions for the smart society based in Tokyo, Japan. Built on a foundation of material sciences mastery, TDK welcomes societal transformation by resolutely remaining at the forefront of technological evolution and deliberately "Attracting Tomorrow." It was established in 1935 to commercialize ferrite, a key material in electronic and magnetic products. TDK's comprehensive, innovation-driven portfolio features passive components such as ceramic, aluminum electrolytic and film capacitors, as well as magnetics, high-frequency, and piezo and protection devices.
The product spectrum also includes sensors and sensor systems such as temperature and pressure, magnetic, and MEMS sensors. In addition, TDK provides power supplies and energy devices, magnetic heads and more. These products are marketed under the product brands TDK, EPCOS, InvenSense, Micronas, Tronics and TDK-Lambda. TDK focuses on demanding markets in automotive, industrial and consumer electronics, and information and communication technology. The company has a network of design and manufacturing locations and sales offices in Asia, Europe, and in North and South America. In fiscal 2023, TDK posted total sales of USD 16.1 billion and employed about 103,000 people worldwide.
About Exponent Energy
Led by Arun Vinayak & Sanjay Byalal, Exponent Energy aims to simplify energy for EVs. The company has built a battery pack named e^pack; charging station called e^pump; and charging connector e^plug that together unlock a 0 to 100% charge in 15 minutes for EVs with any number of wheels & provide a 3000-cycle life warranty – all while using regular Li-ion cells to make rapid charging truly affordable and scalable.
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Products
PR Newswire | January 05, 2024
Digital Power Optimization, Inc. ("DPO") a developer and operator of green data centers announced the binding execution of a power purchase agreement with a major, multinational producer of renewable energy (the "Seller"). The Seller owns a number of large renewable power assets, including multiple 150MW+ wind farms in Texas. Under the new power purchase agreement, DPO and the Seller expect data center deployments to reach 100MW in total size and extend across as many as six of the Seller's Texas wind assets.
Unlike most traditional computing facilities procuring clean power through virtual PPAs or offsets, DPO's data centers will draw power behind the meter, directly from the renewable wind generation facilities. Funding for the first phase buildout at the initial project site has been secured and data center operations are expected to begin in 2024, with the remaining sites coming online over the following 12-18 months.
DPO's CEO, Andrew Webber, commented, "We're extremely pleased to have this PPA finalized and the project now officially underway. We have been running a pilot on-site for this power producer for over a year now and have developed an outstanding partnership with them. Together, we crafted a custom and innovative PPA structure which creates zero-cost economic upside for the Seller while bringing to life some of the cleanest and most sustainable computing facilities on Earth for DPO's investors and data center tenants."
Since 2020, DPO has worked directly with power producers to utilize power-dense computing functions like Proof-of-Work network security and AI training as a more profitable physical offtake for undervalued power. DPO is the only company in the world to have developed and operated data center projects behind the meter on wind, solar, hydro, and natural gas plants, as well as grid-connected facilities.
About Digital Power Optimization
Digital Power Optimization is a leading developer and operator of green data centers for power-dense computing. DPO partners with utilities and IPPs to locate data center facilities on-site at power generation plants to directly utilize renewable energy for the operation of HPC/AI and Proof-of-Work computing. DPO is privately held.
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Energy
PR Newswire | January 25, 2024
Greenwood Sustainable Infrastructure LLC (GSI), one of the renewable energy subsidiaries of Libra Group, announced that Iyuhána Solar (Iyuhána), a GSI-led partnership with Saturn Power Inc. and Ocean Man First Nation, has been awarded a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) to construct and operate a 100-megawatt (MWac) utility-scale solar facility in Saskatchewan, Canada. Developed in partnership with Ocean Man First Nation, the project will be one of Canada's top 10 solar facilities by size.
Under an exclusive PPA, the largest with a utility in Canada since 2015, Iyuhána plans to invest approximately $200 million (CDN) to construct the solar facility, which it will operate, supplying generated power to the principal municipal utility company, SaskPower, for 25 years. Located in the Rural Municipality of Estevan in southeast Saskatchewan, this emissions-free solar facility will produce enough power for the equivalent of approximately 25,000 homes.
"We are proud to bring the transformative power of solar energy to Saskatchewan by working with partners such as Ocean Man First Nation," said Mazen Turk, CEO of GSI. "This unique collaboration shows the power of renewable energy to harness resources and empower communities responsibly. This work is core to our ethos as a Libra company, and we look forward to continuing to help support a clean energy future across Canada and beyond."
As a founding partner, Ocean Man First Nation will have an ownership stake in Iyuhána Solar. Band members will also receive specialized training to maintain the solar facilities and employment opportunities with the project. Additionally, partnering with two of Saskatchewan's leading post-secondary academic institutions, Iyuhána will provide scholarships, internships, and direct research projects in clean energy to benefit the community.
"Our partnership with GSI and SaskPower will bring great opportunities for Ocean Man First Nation, including employment and revenue that will provide stability and sustainability for our Band," said Chief Connie Big Eagle, Ocean Man First Nation. "We are proud that this project, which is able to generate clean power, will be known as Iyuhána Solar, which, in Nakotah translates to 'everyone' or 'all of us.' This is derived from our Nakotah belief that everyone and everything is related and therefore we must care for each other."
While investment in renewable energy grows across Canada, Saskatchewan's clean power supply mix has predominantly consisted of hydro and wind. This is the first of many planned solar projects in the province; by 2035, SaskPower plans to support approximately 3000 MW of new renewable energy capacity in the region.
"This new solar facility will play an important role in our path to net-zero by 2050 or sooner," said Rupen Pandya, SaskPower President and CEO. "We are proud of our ongoing collaboration with Indigenous peoples and the critical role they are playing in the successful expansion of renewable energy in our province."
GSI is one of four renewable energy subsidiaries of Libra Group, a privately owned, global business group that encompasses 20 businesses in six sectors, including renewable energy, maritime, aerospace and more. The Group's renewable energy portfolio encompasses approximately 3.5 gigawatts (GW) of projects owned, developed, or pending development in 10 countries, including solar, wind, battery storage, and waste-to energy projects. This is the second partnership with an indigenous community led by a Libra Group subsidiary.
"Libra Group is proud of this novel partnership, which has come together through shared values and a commitment to driving economic growth and positive outcomes for communities," said Libra Group's CEO Manos Kouligkas. "Sustainability is core to our global business, and we look forward to continuing to leverage synergies across our six sectors in 60 countries with agility and impact."
Last year, GSI acquired Saturn Power Inc.'s solar and battery development portfolios, including its team of seasoned developers and an approximate 1.4-gigawatt (GW) pipeline of early- to late-stage solar and energy storage projects. Today, GSI has a footprint across Canada and in 12 U.S. states.
About Greenwood Sustainable Infrastructure
Greenwood Sustainable Infrastructure (GSI) is one of the clean energy subsidiaries of Libra Group. GSI is a renewable energy company focused on the development, construction, and operation of distributed generation and utility-scale solar energy and battery storage projects in North America. As of January 2024, the company developed approximately 388 MW DC across 71 renewable energy projects, many of which are still owned or operated by GSI and have an additional project pipeline of 1.6 GW. GSI's seasoned team has a proven track record of investing in power assets and partnering with multiple top-tiered investors. For more information on Greenwood Sustainable Infrastructure (GSI), visit: http://www.greenwoodinfra.com/
About Ocean Man First Nation
The Ocean Man First Nation is a Nakota, Cree, and Saulteaux Band Government in southeast Saskatchewan. OMFN is led by Chief Connie Big Eagle & Council and features a population of 565 members. Ocean Man First Nation created a renewable energy company in 2019 called Second Wind Power. The name Second Wind Power reflects Ocean Man First Nation's history of relocating, re-establishing and starting over as a new community since 1989.
About Libra Group
Libra Group is a privately owned, global business group encompassing 20 businesses predominately focused on aerospace, renewable energy, maritime, real estate, hospitality, and diversified investments. With assets and operations in nearly 60 countries, the Group applies the strength of its global network and capabilities to deliver cross-sector insights and growth at scale.
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