Andrew Forrest's Pilbara Energy is proposing the Bonney Downs wind farm in Western Australia's Pilbara region, aiming to halve the number of turbines while maintaining a target installed renewable energy capacity of 2.1 GW. The project, referred for federal environmental approval, seeks to decarbonize iron ore operations with potential use of Nabrawind self-erecting tower technology. Separate from the Nullagine Pilot Wind Farm, this controlled action under the EPBC Act includes plans for post-construction habitat rehabilitation to restore fauna habitat lost during construction, focusing on re-establishing critical habitat for EPBC Act listed species.
Category: FALO & Nature-Based Carbon Removal
Cut Emissions & Remove Carbon:
– Shift Agriculture Practices
– Protect & Manage Ecosystems
– Biomass Carbon Removal & Storage
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Increased spacing between solar module rows boosts agrivoltaics viability
U.S. researchers from Colorado University, National Laboratory of the Rockies, Colorado State University, and the Colorado Department of Agriculture have developed a framework showing that wider spacing between solar PV rows can make agrivoltaic systems economically viable for large-scale mechanized farming. Their simulations in Colorado demonstrated that optimized row spacing maintains crop production while improving combined agricultural and energy revenues. The study found that wider-row agrivoltaic solutions can provide economic benefits over traditional utility-scale PV systems, with $200/acre in agricultural profit justifying spacing panels at least 9.662 m apart. The framework defines different PV row-spacing scenarios, determines installed PV capacity, incorporates agricultural equipment constraints, calculates crop revenues, estimates electricity generation and revenue, and calculates metrics such as net present value and levelized cost of energy. The team simulated a 160-acre project in Colorado with different crop scenarios and PPA prices, highlighting the sensitivity of results to equipment size.
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Research shows conventional solar arrays can support livestock grazing
A new research report by the Federal Association for New Energy Industry (bne) in Germany found that conventional solar parks can support sheep and cattle grazing, as the vegetation under and between PV modules provides adequate feed quality. The study concluded that agricultural use is possible without dedicated agrivoltaic systems, with researchers analyzing vegetation, biomass, and animal behavior in five solar parks across different regions. They found higher species diversity and protein content in plants growing under modules, suggesting that solar parks should be considered agricultural land that can generate electricity while enabling agricultural use.
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Japan establishes national benchmarks for agrivoltaics as sites expand
The Japanese government has set new standards for agrivoltaics in response to reports of reduced crop yields under solar panels. By the end of fiscal 2023, 6,137 agrivoltaic sites covering 1,361.6 hectares of farmland had been approved. The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries convened a meeting in May 2025 to define "desirable" installations, tightening rules and requiring developers to submit cultivation plans, financial projections, and evidence that crops can grow beneath panels. Advanced solar-agricultural designs like dual-axis tracking can optimize panel angles seasonally for better crop growth and power production, with companies like Idemitsu Kosan leading commercial agrivoltaic projects.
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Technology for Good
Wetlands International has been training rangers, forest managers, and decision-makers in Kenya on the Global Mangrove Watch platform to use satellite alerts for timely protection of mangroves. The training focused on tools like Kobo Collect and Survey123, GIS basics, mobile GIS, and data visualization to empower participants to detect and respond to disturbance alerts effectively. Efforts to monitor and restore mangroves in Lamu have been made, with a mangrove alert command center opened as part of the Save Our Mangroves Now! Programme. Despite degradation from urban development, Kenya has potential for mangrove restoration, and the Global Mangrove Watch platform offers high-resolution imagery for monitoring mangrove changes in near-real time, enabling rapid response to threats like illegal logging. The training aims to support faster action and protection of mangroves through digital monitoring.
https://www.mangrovealliance.org/news/technology-for-good-global-mangrove-watch-training-in-kenya
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Photovoltaics for cattle dung gasification
An international team of researchers has developed a solar PV system that efficiently converts cattle dung into syngas, reducing CO2 emissions and demonstrating a net energy recovery of 40.17%. The system has a payback period of 3.75 years and can generate annual revenue of 98,703 PKR ($352.1) at a processing capacity of 5 kg/day. Gasification at 800 C was found to produce optimal syngas yields and is scalable for larger CAFOs. The study highlights the importance of system utilization, operational factors, and maintenance in determining the overall feasibility of biomass energy systems. Further research will focus on scaling up the system, optimizing syngas yield, and evaluating its performance in different environmental conditions.
https://www.pv-magazine.com/2026/03/09/photovoltaics-for-cattle-dung-gasification/
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Women’s leadership is key to unlocking the global phaseout of fossil fuels
Women around the world, such as Osprey Orielle Lake, Nemonte Nenquimo, and Sharon Lavigne, are leading efforts to stop fossil fuel expansion and implement just transitions. The Fossil Fuel Treaty, founded by Tzeporah Burman, is a key cornerstone for upcoming government convenings on fossil fuel phaseout. Research shows that countries with higher representation of women in parliament are more likely to ratify environmental treaties and see decreased CO2 emissions. Despite persistent gender inequality, women are indispensable leaders in climate solutions, defending land, water, climate, and health. Bold and transformative solutions are needed to address the increasing climate crisis and hold long-term warming below the critical 1.5°C threshold. An all-women team in Cape Town, South Africa is producing high-quality solar panels, highlighting the urgent need for a global phaseout of fossil fuel extraction and production, as fossil fuels are a primary driver of the climate crisis. Despite historic but nonbinding agreements to transition away from fossil fuels at the U.N. Climate Summit, implementation has been hindered. In response to stalled progress, Colombia and the Netherlands are convening the First Conference on Transitioning Away from Fossil Fuels to advance cooperation towards a managed phaseout, recognizing women's leadership as vital in ensuring a healthy and equitable outcome in transitioning away from fossil fuels.
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Kelp Restoration Guidebook
This chapter highlights the significance of incorporating social, cultural, and economic factors into kelp restoration projects, stressing the importance of collaboration with communities and partners for successful outcomes. It underscores the need to consider human elements in ecological restoration efforts, emphasizing the interconnectedness of environmental and societal factors in climate solutions.
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The Role of Kelp Forests in Carbon Dioxide Removal and Climate Mitigation
Various studies have highlighted the importance of kelp forest ecosystems in terms of biodiversity, stability, resilience, and future prospects, with global estimates emphasizing their value in providing ecosystem services. The world map of laminarian kelp has been updated to include more Arctic data, solidifying its status as the largest marine biome. Research is being conducted on the potential use of seaweeds for carbon removal offsets to help address climate change, including the use of macroalgae for carbon sequestration and the potential of ocean afforestation using the Great Atlantic Sargassum Belt. The focus on blue carbon and the importance of human actions for carbon credit in kelp forest conservation are also highlighted, along with the method of aquatic eddy covariance for defining oxygen and carbon fluxes in marine environments.
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Startup Aims To Help US Farmers With Green H2 & Wind Power
The global green hydrogen industry is facing challenges, but solutions are emerging, such as efforts in the US to replace imported ammonia fertilizer with a domestic product. Startups like TalusAg are developing solar-powered green hydrogen-to-ammonia systems for local deployment, with plans for widespread application in agriculture. Two facilities in Minnesota and northern Iowa will produce green ammonia using electrolyzers powered by Blue Earth Light & Water, benefiting farmers by reducing fertilizer costs and allowing them to participate in overseas carbon markets. The project is supported by organizations like PepsiCo and the Minnesota Conservative Energy Forum, aiming to reduce curtailment, create revenue for rural counties, and strengthen industries while also reducing dependence on foreign supply chains. The initiative is seen as a valuable alternative to natural gas for fertilizer production, providing relief to farmers facing challenges such as rising fertilizer and fuel prices, trade wars, and labor shortages.