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Vicinity Energy and MAN Energy Solutions Partner to Install Industrial-Scale Heat Pump

Vicinity Energy | April 10, 2023 | Read time : 03:02 min

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Vicinity Energy, a national decarbonization leader with an extensive portfolio of district energy systems across the United States, announced its partnership with Augsburg, Germany-based MAN Energy Solutions to collaborate in the development of low-temperature source heat pump systems for steam generation. Vicinity plans to install an industrial-scale heat pump complex at its Kendall Station facility by 2026.

“Vicinity’s first heat pump complex in Cambridge, MA, which draws from proven examples in Europe, will be the largest in the U.S. It will be powered by renewable electricity to safely and efficiently harvest energy from the Charles River, returning it at a lower temperature," says Bill DiCroce, president and CEO of Vicinity Energy. “We have made a lot of progress harvesting the energy of the sun and wind, MAN’s cutting-edge technology will now enable Vicinity to renewably harvest energy at scale from rivers and oceans, which are presently warming from the effects of climate change. This is a big deal in district energy’s efforts to decarbonize cities, and Vicinity is very proud to lead the way with MAN in this exciting venture.”

“The heating sector accounts for 30-40 percent of global CO2 emissions. The global energy transition cannot succeed without decarbonizing heat,” says Uwe Lauber, CEO and CSO of MAN Energy Solutions. “At the same time, district heating systems are one of the most efficient and sustainable ways to provide heat to commercial buildings and industrial facilities. Hence the task is to reduce district heating systems’ dependence on fossil fuel-fired heat sources. Our heat pump technology can do that, with many examples in the European field to prove it. I am very happy to collaborate with Vicinity Energy on the application of our technology to support Vicinity’s impressive district energy system.”

The race to net zero
This announcement represents another significant step in Vicinity's plans to electrify its operations to achieve net zero. In 2022, the company kicked off its electrification strategy by deconstructing a steam turbine at its Kendall Facility in Cambridge, Massachusetts. In its place, Vicinity is installing an industrial-scale electric boiler that will begin supplying carbon-free eSteam™ to customers in 2024.

The company’s other 11 locations in major cities nationwide will undergo similar electrification processes in the coming years to achieve its goal of net zero by 2050.


About Vicinity Energy

Vicinity Energy is a clean energy company that owns and operates an extensive portfolio of district energy systems across the United States. Vicinity produces and distributes reliable, clean steam, hot water, and chilled water to over 230 million square feet of building space nationwide. The company is committed to achieving net zero carbon across its portfolio by 2050. It continues to invest in its infrastructure and the latest technologies to accelerate the decarbonization of commercial and institutional buildings in city centers.

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We need to do things differently if we are to avoid the impacts of climate change. To play our part in limiting global warming to 1.5°C, the Government has committed to reaching net zero for all greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

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Interim Hydrogen Roadmap

We need to do things differently if we are to avoid the impacts of climate change. To play our part in limiting global warming to 1.5°C, the Government has committed to reaching net zero for all greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

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SmartestEnergy and Woolworths Ink Landmark Agreement to Achieve 100% Renewable Electricity in NSW and ACT in 2025

businesswire | July 12, 2023

SmartestEnergy Australia has signed a 8-year agreement with Woolworths Group to supply electricity to its entire operations in New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory. The agreement will enable a transition to 100 per cent renewable supply in 2025, securing the supply needed for Woolworths Group to achieve its 2025 renewable electricity commitment in the two states. The 8-year agreement started in January this year and will expand in 2024 to supply more than 450 sites, including Woolworths supermarkets, Big W stores and Primary Connect distribution centres. The electricity retail agreement is in the form of an innovative framework that enables Woolworths Group to procure electricity and renewable electricity certificates through SmartestEnergy, incorporating renewable generation projects. The agreement will allow Woolworths Group to develop a portfolio of power purchase agreements (PPAs) through SmartestEnergy across different generation technologies and locations with renewable generators within NSW and ACT. The first step in building this portfolio of PPAs is the incorporation of Woolworths Group’s existing PPA with Tattarang’s Squadron Energy (formerly CWP Renewables) for Bango Wind Farm. A new PPA with Octopus Investment will also join the portfolio during 2023, drawing electricity from the Darlington Point Solar Farm in the NSW Riverina, supplying enough electricity to power 110,000 households annually. The agreement provides Woolworths Group with the flexibility to continuously innovate throughout the long-term agreement to respond to market changes and new opportunities, on the path to achieving its renewable targets. “This is a landmark deal for SmartestEnergy in Australia and aligns with our strategic ambitions in bringing together businesses with net zero goals and local independent renewable developers,” said Robert Owens, Chief Executive Officer for SmartestEnergy Australia Pty Ltd. “We admire the ambitions and leadership Woolworths Group has demonstrated. It has a clear vision for a sustainable future, what it means for their business and the community. Australia is one of the most exciting energy markets in the world. As a global renewable energy retailer and PPA aggregator, we hope to continue developing solutions that support the sustainable transition to a green future.” Woolworths Group, General Manager of Green Energy Transition, Michael Shelley stated: “We’ve committed to run our entire operations on renewable electricity from 2025, and this agreement marks an important milestone in securing the supply to make it possible in NSW and ACT. We’re excited to partner with Smartest to build a portfolio of renewable electricity sources from local renewable sites in these states, on our path to decarbonise and become net carbon positive by 2050. This partnership brings our Group purpose to life – working together for a better tomorrow.” About SmartestEnergy SmartestEnergy is a people-powered renewable energy company built on a team of NEM energy experts and strong relationships with our customers and partners. We opened our Sydney office in 2020, following two decades of growth and customer focus in the UK. We’re asset-light and operating without bias in the Australian market, which means we can offer reliable, innovative retail solutions for clean energy that suit different needs and stages of the sustainability journey. With the grid mix changing, balancing supply and demand has never been more important. Today, we’re driving the worldwide transition to net zero with offices spanning Australia, the US and UK. We’re proud to be a wholly owned subsidiary of Marubeni, a Japanese corporation currently listed as a Fortune Global 500 company. About Woolworths Group Woolworths Group is a food and everyday needs retailer united by the shared purpose of creating better experiences together for a better tomorrow. With more than 1,400 stores across its Woolworths Supermarkets, Countdown Supermarkets (New Zealand) and BIG W brands, and a range of fast-growing eCommerce businesses, Woolworths Group is Australia and New Zealand’s largest retailer. A top 20 company on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX), Woolworths Group employs more than 195,000 team members and serves more than 20 million customers a week in Australia. About Octopus Australia Octopus Investments Australia is a subsidiary of the Octopus Group. Founded in 2000, it is one of the world’s largest investors in clean energy with over $6 billion deployed across more than 300 projects. Octopus has over 30 dedicated renewable energy professionals located in Melbourne, Sydney and Auckland is currently managing over $1billion of renewable assets domestically. Most notably, this includes being the owner of the 180MW Dulacca Wind Farm in QLD which has the largest wind turbines in Australia, and Australia’s largest solar site, 333MWdc Darlington Point Solar Farm, NSW.

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Globeleq to acquire the mozambican mocuba solar pv plant from scatec

prnewswire | July 19, 2023

Globeleq, the leading independent power company in Africa, has agreed to purchase Scatec A.S.A.'s 52.5% stake in the 41 MW Central Solar de Mocuba solar PV power plant (Mocuba). Globeleq will also purchase KLP Norfund Investments A.S.'s 22.5% stake in the plant at the same time. On completion of these transactions, Globeleq will hold a 75% stake in Mocuba, and will become the owner and manager of the plant. Electricidade de Moçambique (EDM), the national power company, will continue to hold the remaining 25%. The Mocuba power plant is located on 126 hectares in a rural setting approximately 13km from the city of Mocuba in Zambezia province, in central Mozambique. The project reached financial close in March 2018 and construction was completed in August 2019. EDM is the off-taker through a 25-year power purchase agreement with the electricity produced being supplied into the national grid. The International Finance Corporation and the Emerging Africa Infrastructure Fund are lenders to the project. This acquisition will significantly expand Globeleq's operational footprint in Mozambique where the company is in the process of commissioning a 19 MW solar and 7MWh energy storage project at Cuamba and constructing a 450 MW gas-to-power project at Temane. Globeleq is also leading development of a 120 MW wind project at Namaacha, near Maputo. The Mocuba transaction is subject to regulatory and lender approval and is expected to close in the first half of 2024. Following the completion of this transaction and the commissioning of the Cuamba Solar plant, Globeleq's solar portfolio in Africa will be close to 400 MW across South Africa, Egypt, Kenya and Mozambique. Mike Scholey, Globeleq's CEO commented: "I am very pleased that Globeleq is continuing to build its presence in Mozambique through the purchase of the Mocuba solar plant. This acquisition, alongside our other projects, demonstrates our commitment both to Mozambique and to building our renewable power portfolio in Africa." About Globeleq Globeleq, which is owned 70% by British International Investment and 30% by Norfund, is the leading developer, owner and operator of electricity generation in Africa. Since 2002, its experienced team of professionals have built a diverse portfolio of independent power plants, generating more than 1,500MW in 14 locations across 6 countries, with a further 722 MW in construction and more than 2,000 MW of power projects in development.

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Stem Supporting Commercial Operation of 304MW DC Solar Power Plant in Hungary

businesswire | July 07, 2023

Stem, a global leader in artificial intelligence (AI)-driven clean energy software and services, today announced that its award-winning solar monitoring and optimization solutions are now commercially operational as part of Hungary’s largest solar power plant, Mezőcsát. Athena®, Stem’s AI clean energy platform, includes AlsoEnergy’s PowerTrack and PowerManager Control Solutions (PMCS), which are designed to help the 304 MW DC power plant reduce Hungary’s reliance on natural gas and increasing electricity generated from alternative energy sources. EXTOR Energy, a Hungarian engineering, procurement, and construction provider (EPC) and Stem certified service partner in the region, is the operations and maintenance (O&M) provider for the Mezőcsát project. The announcement follows Stem’s successful launches of four other 60MW projects in Hungary over the past year and further solidifies the company’s utility scale leadership in Eastern Europe. “EXTOR Energy´s partnership with Stem has already proven to be valuable to our initial solar projects across Hungary, but this is just the beginning of our collaboration,” said CEO at EXTOR Energy. “We are excited to continue working with Stem as we enhance our PV projects with advanced storage solutions to further maximize value across those assets.” “Stem is excited to see our international strategy coming to fruition with the successful activation of utility-scale clean energy assets, especially as the European market prepares for Net-Zero Industry Act (NZIA), one of the biggest investment initiatives in the renewable energy sector,” said John Carrington, CEO at Stem. “As more businesses explore storage solutions, we look forward to continuing to deliver value and support in monetizing more clean energy projects in existing and expanding markets.” Athena’s vertically integrated hardware and software solutions are designed to enable utilities to maximize the output of renewable energy assets. The edge-to-cloud clean energy optimization solutions, combined with Stem’s professional services, provide the convenience and security of a single-source provider throughout the project lifecycle. PowerTrack, PMCS for power plant control and data acquisition, plus onsite weather sensors provide direct access to actual site conditions, to meet the demanding utility-grade monitoring and control requirements. Providing high-quality analytics of onsite conditions and remote-control functionality, PowerTrack enables informed insights to improve energy and financial performance. AlsoEnergy’s in-house experts in design, engineering, commissioning, and operations provided the SCADA system design, power plant controller (PPC) configuration, project management, and remote commissioning support for a fast installation, quick interconnection, and plant performance maximization. In addition, its dedicated engineering team helped to accelerate asset onboarding onto PowerTrack to decrease time to data. Hungary has emphasized the importance of increasing electricity from alternative sources along with new production, storage capacities and the infrastructure to support the country’s goal of energy sovereignty and energy production. The $185.9 million investment represents the largest continuous solar park in Eastern Europe, which accounts for eight percent of the electricity produced by all domestic solar power plants. Occupying approximately 1087 acres (440 hectares) and consisting of 466,000 solar panels, the massive solar power plant is already connected to the Hungarian electricity grid and can produce 372 gigawatt hours (GWh) of electricity annually (enough to power the Hungarian city of Debrecen with a population of 200,000 for half a year). About Stem Stem provides clean energy solutions and services designed to maximize the economic, environmental, and resiliency value of energy assets and portfolios. Stem’s leading AI-driven enterprise software platform, Athena® enables organizations to deploy and unlock value from clean energy assets at scale. Powerful applications, including AlsoEnergy’s PowerTrack, simplify and optimize asset management and connect an ecosystem of owners, developers, assets, and markets. Stem also offers integrated partner solutions to help improve returns across energy projects, including storage, solar, and EV fleet charging.

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SmartestEnergy and Woolworths Ink Landmark Agreement to Achieve 100% Renewable Electricity in NSW and ACT in 2025

businesswire | July 12, 2023

SmartestEnergy Australia has signed a 8-year agreement with Woolworths Group to supply electricity to its entire operations in New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory. The agreement will enable a transition to 100 per cent renewable supply in 2025, securing the supply needed for Woolworths Group to achieve its 2025 renewable electricity commitment in the two states. The 8-year agreement started in January this year and will expand in 2024 to supply more than 450 sites, including Woolworths supermarkets, Big W stores and Primary Connect distribution centres. The electricity retail agreement is in the form of an innovative framework that enables Woolworths Group to procure electricity and renewable electricity certificates through SmartestEnergy, incorporating renewable generation projects. The agreement will allow Woolworths Group to develop a portfolio of power purchase agreements (PPAs) through SmartestEnergy across different generation technologies and locations with renewable generators within NSW and ACT. The first step in building this portfolio of PPAs is the incorporation of Woolworths Group’s existing PPA with Tattarang’s Squadron Energy (formerly CWP Renewables) for Bango Wind Farm. A new PPA with Octopus Investment will also join the portfolio during 2023, drawing electricity from the Darlington Point Solar Farm in the NSW Riverina, supplying enough electricity to power 110,000 households annually. The agreement provides Woolworths Group with the flexibility to continuously innovate throughout the long-term agreement to respond to market changes and new opportunities, on the path to achieving its renewable targets. “This is a landmark deal for SmartestEnergy in Australia and aligns with our strategic ambitions in bringing together businesses with net zero goals and local independent renewable developers,” said Robert Owens, Chief Executive Officer for SmartestEnergy Australia Pty Ltd. “We admire the ambitions and leadership Woolworths Group has demonstrated. It has a clear vision for a sustainable future, what it means for their business and the community. Australia is one of the most exciting energy markets in the world. As a global renewable energy retailer and PPA aggregator, we hope to continue developing solutions that support the sustainable transition to a green future.” Woolworths Group, General Manager of Green Energy Transition, Michael Shelley stated: “We’ve committed to run our entire operations on renewable electricity from 2025, and this agreement marks an important milestone in securing the supply to make it possible in NSW and ACT. We’re excited to partner with Smartest to build a portfolio of renewable electricity sources from local renewable sites in these states, on our path to decarbonise and become net carbon positive by 2050. This partnership brings our Group purpose to life – working together for a better tomorrow.” About SmartestEnergy SmartestEnergy is a people-powered renewable energy company built on a team of NEM energy experts and strong relationships with our customers and partners. We opened our Sydney office in 2020, following two decades of growth and customer focus in the UK. We’re asset-light and operating without bias in the Australian market, which means we can offer reliable, innovative retail solutions for clean energy that suit different needs and stages of the sustainability journey. With the grid mix changing, balancing supply and demand has never been more important. Today, we’re driving the worldwide transition to net zero with offices spanning Australia, the US and UK. We’re proud to be a wholly owned subsidiary of Marubeni, a Japanese corporation currently listed as a Fortune Global 500 company. About Woolworths Group Woolworths Group is a food and everyday needs retailer united by the shared purpose of creating better experiences together for a better tomorrow. With more than 1,400 stores across its Woolworths Supermarkets, Countdown Supermarkets (New Zealand) and BIG W brands, and a range of fast-growing eCommerce businesses, Woolworths Group is Australia and New Zealand’s largest retailer. A top 20 company on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX), Woolworths Group employs more than 195,000 team members and serves more than 20 million customers a week in Australia. About Octopus Australia Octopus Investments Australia is a subsidiary of the Octopus Group. Founded in 2000, it is one of the world’s largest investors in clean energy with over $6 billion deployed across more than 300 projects. Octopus has over 30 dedicated renewable energy professionals located in Melbourne, Sydney and Auckland is currently managing over $1billion of renewable assets domestically. Most notably, this includes being the owner of the 180MW Dulacca Wind Farm in QLD which has the largest wind turbines in Australia, and Australia’s largest solar site, 333MWdc Darlington Point Solar Farm, NSW.

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Globeleq to acquire the mozambican mocuba solar pv plant from scatec

prnewswire | July 19, 2023

Globeleq, the leading independent power company in Africa, has agreed to purchase Scatec A.S.A.'s 52.5% stake in the 41 MW Central Solar de Mocuba solar PV power plant (Mocuba). Globeleq will also purchase KLP Norfund Investments A.S.'s 22.5% stake in the plant at the same time. On completion of these transactions, Globeleq will hold a 75% stake in Mocuba, and will become the owner and manager of the plant. Electricidade de Moçambique (EDM), the national power company, will continue to hold the remaining 25%. The Mocuba power plant is located on 126 hectares in a rural setting approximately 13km from the city of Mocuba in Zambezia province, in central Mozambique. The project reached financial close in March 2018 and construction was completed in August 2019. EDM is the off-taker through a 25-year power purchase agreement with the electricity produced being supplied into the national grid. The International Finance Corporation and the Emerging Africa Infrastructure Fund are lenders to the project. This acquisition will significantly expand Globeleq's operational footprint in Mozambique where the company is in the process of commissioning a 19 MW solar and 7MWh energy storage project at Cuamba and constructing a 450 MW gas-to-power project at Temane. Globeleq is also leading development of a 120 MW wind project at Namaacha, near Maputo. The Mocuba transaction is subject to regulatory and lender approval and is expected to close in the first half of 2024. Following the completion of this transaction and the commissioning of the Cuamba Solar plant, Globeleq's solar portfolio in Africa will be close to 400 MW across South Africa, Egypt, Kenya and Mozambique. Mike Scholey, Globeleq's CEO commented: "I am very pleased that Globeleq is continuing to build its presence in Mozambique through the purchase of the Mocuba solar plant. This acquisition, alongside our other projects, demonstrates our commitment both to Mozambique and to building our renewable power portfolio in Africa." About Globeleq Globeleq, which is owned 70% by British International Investment and 30% by Norfund, is the leading developer, owner and operator of electricity generation in Africa. Since 2002, its experienced team of professionals have built a diverse portfolio of independent power plants, generating more than 1,500MW in 14 locations across 6 countries, with a further 722 MW in construction and more than 2,000 MW of power projects in development.

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Stem Supporting Commercial Operation of 304MW DC Solar Power Plant in Hungary

businesswire | July 07, 2023

Stem, a global leader in artificial intelligence (AI)-driven clean energy software and services, today announced that its award-winning solar monitoring and optimization solutions are now commercially operational as part of Hungary’s largest solar power plant, Mezőcsát. Athena®, Stem’s AI clean energy platform, includes AlsoEnergy’s PowerTrack and PowerManager Control Solutions (PMCS), which are designed to help the 304 MW DC power plant reduce Hungary’s reliance on natural gas and increasing electricity generated from alternative energy sources. EXTOR Energy, a Hungarian engineering, procurement, and construction provider (EPC) and Stem certified service partner in the region, is the operations and maintenance (O&M) provider for the Mezőcsát project. The announcement follows Stem’s successful launches of four other 60MW projects in Hungary over the past year and further solidifies the company’s utility scale leadership in Eastern Europe. “EXTOR Energy´s partnership with Stem has already proven to be valuable to our initial solar projects across Hungary, but this is just the beginning of our collaboration,” said CEO at EXTOR Energy. “We are excited to continue working with Stem as we enhance our PV projects with advanced storage solutions to further maximize value across those assets.” “Stem is excited to see our international strategy coming to fruition with the successful activation of utility-scale clean energy assets, especially as the European market prepares for Net-Zero Industry Act (NZIA), one of the biggest investment initiatives in the renewable energy sector,” said John Carrington, CEO at Stem. “As more businesses explore storage solutions, we look forward to continuing to deliver value and support in monetizing more clean energy projects in existing and expanding markets.” Athena’s vertically integrated hardware and software solutions are designed to enable utilities to maximize the output of renewable energy assets. The edge-to-cloud clean energy optimization solutions, combined with Stem’s professional services, provide the convenience and security of a single-source provider throughout the project lifecycle. PowerTrack, PMCS for power plant control and data acquisition, plus onsite weather sensors provide direct access to actual site conditions, to meet the demanding utility-grade monitoring and control requirements. Providing high-quality analytics of onsite conditions and remote-control functionality, PowerTrack enables informed insights to improve energy and financial performance. AlsoEnergy’s in-house experts in design, engineering, commissioning, and operations provided the SCADA system design, power plant controller (PPC) configuration, project management, and remote commissioning support for a fast installation, quick interconnection, and plant performance maximization. In addition, its dedicated engineering team helped to accelerate asset onboarding onto PowerTrack to decrease time to data. Hungary has emphasized the importance of increasing electricity from alternative sources along with new production, storage capacities and the infrastructure to support the country’s goal of energy sovereignty and energy production. The $185.9 million investment represents the largest continuous solar park in Eastern Europe, which accounts for eight percent of the electricity produced by all domestic solar power plants. Occupying approximately 1087 acres (440 hectares) and consisting of 466,000 solar panels, the massive solar power plant is already connected to the Hungarian electricity grid and can produce 372 gigawatt hours (GWh) of electricity annually (enough to power the Hungarian city of Debrecen with a population of 200,000 for half a year). About Stem Stem provides clean energy solutions and services designed to maximize the economic, environmental, and resiliency value of energy assets and portfolios. Stem’s leading AI-driven enterprise software platform, Athena® enables organizations to deploy and unlock value from clean energy assets at scale. Powerful applications, including AlsoEnergy’s PowerTrack, simplify and optimize asset management and connect an ecosystem of owners, developers, assets, and markets. Stem also offers integrated partner solutions to help improve returns across energy projects, including storage, solar, and EV fleet charging.

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