The latest renewable energy news includes announcements from Realta Fusion, Madison Gas and Electric, Skyven Technologies, Ecobat, and others.
Realta Fusion and MGE Explore 200 MW Fusion Power Plant in Wisconsin
Realta Fusion and Madison Gas and Electric have formed a partnership to evaluate development of a 200 MW electric fusion power plant in Wisconsin, representing a potentially significant next-generation clean-energy deployment. MGE Energy has also made a direct equity investment in Realta, although the investment amount was not disclosed. The utility will provide equipment, engineering expertise and technical support while assisting with siting, permitting, grid interconnection and financing for the proposed 200-MWe facility. Realta is developing magnetic-mirror fusion technology aimed at delivering continuous zero-carbon electricity. The company is separately preparing approximately 250,000 square feet of research and industrial space at its Realta Forge facility in Madison. The partnership moves fusion closer to utility-led project development rather than purely laboratory research.
Skyven Industrial Heat Pump Reaches COP 8.0, Cutting Steam Energy Requirement About 10-Fold
Skyven Technologies says its Arcturus industrial heat-pump demonstration plant in Dallas, Texas, has achieved a sustained coefficient of performance of 8.0, more than 20 percent higher than the COP of 6.5 recorded at commissioning. The achievement resulted from improvements in system design, controls and integration. Arcturus can deliver temperature lifts ranging from 38°C to 185°C, with COP performance ranging from 8.0 to 2.0 depending on operating conditions. At COP 8.0, Skyven says the system requires roughly 10 times less energy per unit of steam than conventional boilers. The technology targets industrial process-heat decarbonisation and is offered through an Energy-as-a-Service model, allowing manufacturers to deploy the system without upfront capital expenditure.
Ecobat Completes Exit From Lithium Recycling With Sale of Arizona Operations Ecobat has completed the sale of its lithium-ion battery recycling operations and assets in Casa Grande, Arizona, finalising the company’s exit from the lithium recycling business. The transaction follows previous disposals of lithium operations in Darlaston in the UK and Hettstedt in Germany. Ecobat will now focus entirely on its North American lead-recycling operations. The company operates three critical-mineral recovery facilities in the US that process millions of batteries annually and recover lead, tin, antimony and other materials for reuse in manufacturing. Although the buyer and transaction value were not disclosed in the latest release, completion of the Arizona sale represents a material restructuring of Ecobat’s battery-recycling portfolio and removes its remaining lithium recycling assets from the group.
