A new report produced by the editors of Hemp Industry Daily
says retail sales of CBD in the United States are on track to
surpassing $1 billion in 2019. This would imply 133% growth over 2018
sales.
Even more interestingly, the newly released 2019 Hemp & CBD Industry Factbook says CBD retail sales in the U.S. may eclipse $10 billion by 2024.
“The recent surge of consumer demand for CBD, coupled with
increasingly easy access to CBD products, is expected to drive retail
sales to about $1.1 billion-$1.3 billion in 2019,†said Kristen Nichols,
editor of the Second Annual Hemp & CBD Industry Factbook. “We
project retail CBD sales will increase to $10.3 billion by 2024, a
five-year compound annual growth rate of 54%.â€
Seeking to fill the gap left by the lack of federal agencies tracking hemp as a commodity, the 2019
Annual Hemp & CBD Industry Factbook seeks to provide understanding
of the current and future challenges needed to make the most accurate
and informed business decisions. Research-driven insights, will help
business professionals understand economic, agricultural and regulatory
developments impacting their positions and growth in the industry.
“Imagine running a race with brand-new shoes and a burst of energy
but no idea what the course looks like. That’s somewhat the position in
which today’s hempy industry finds itself,†Nichols said. “Relying on
deeply researched data points along the way could make the difference
between hitting the finish line and running off course.â€
Posted by AGORACOM-JC
at 9:08 AM on Thursday, November 7th, 2019
HPQ and its partner Apollon Solar SAS have signed a non-disclosure agreement with a manufacturer of Li-ion batteries for the purposes of exchanging technical information and sending testing materials
For industry competitive reasons, the name of the battery manufacturer will remain confidential.
MONTREAL, Nov. 07, 2019 — HPQ Silicon Resources Inc. – TSX-V: HPQ; OTCPink: URAGF; FWB: UGE (“HPQ†or “the Companyâ€) is pleased to announce that HPQ and its partner Apollon Solar SAS, acting as one party, have signed a non-disclosure agreement (“NDAâ€) with a manufacturer of Li-ion batteries for the purposes of exchanging technical information and sending testing materials. For industry competitive reasons, the name of the battery manufacturer will remain confidential.
MEETINGS WITH INDUSTRY PARTICIPANTS LEAD TO NDA WITH BATTERY MANUFACTURER
In its’ press release dated August 19, 2019, HPQ announced it would
be meeting with industry participants and end users in H2 2019 about our
unique capacity to produce high purity Silicon (Si) in one step. The
NDA is a result of the manufacturer showing an interest in evaluating
porous silicon wafers made using Silicon (Si) produced by HPQ PUREVAP™Quartz Reduction Reactor
(“QRR”) and Apollon Solar patented process. Specifically, the cased use
is to explore using our porous silicon wafers as the anode for their
next generation Li-ion Si batteries.
“We are very happy to be in discussions with an innovative Li-ion
battery manufacturer and look forward to now having more substantive
technical discussions. More than four years of great technical work
culminated in the assembly of a world-class technical team in 2019 to
demonstrate the potential of silicon materials produced from the
PUREVAP™QRR as high-capacity anode materials for Li-ion batteries†said Bernard Tourillon, President and CEO HPQ Silicon. “Silicon’s potential to meet energy storage demand is undeniable and generating massive investments, as
well as, serious industry interest, so our timing could not be better.
Suffice it to say, we are very pleased to have attracted such early
interest. However, I must caution investors that although this agreement
does signal the interest in our products, we are still at the very
preliminary stages and there is no guarantee that anything, of any
commercial value, will materialize from these efforts. It does however
demonstrate the potential for new and exciting advances by HPQ and
partners in the silicon energy space.â€
GLOBAL ENERGY STORAGE MARKET READY TO EXPLODE
A recent report
projects that energy storage deployments are estimated to grow 1,300%
from a 12 Gigawatt-hour market in 2018 to a 158 Gigawatt-hour market in
2024. Meanwhile, at current growth rates of 2% per year, global energy consumption
will be an estimated 125,000 Terawatt-hours, which is 800,000 times
more than the estimated storage capacity. An estimated US$71 billion in
investments will be made into storage systems where batteries will make
up the lion’s share of capital deployment. Research suggests
that replacing graphite materials with Silicon anodes in Li-Ion
Batteries promises an almost tenfold (10x) increase in the specific
capacity of the anode, inducing a 20-40% gain in the energy density of
Li-ion batteries.
About Silicon
Silicon (Si) is one of today’s strategic materials needed to fulfil
the renewable energy revolution presently under way. Silicon does not
exist in its pure state; it must be extracted from quartz, one of the
most abundant minerals of the earth’s crust and other expensive raw
materials in a carbothermic process.
About HPQ Silicon
HPQ Silicon Resources Inc. is a TSX-V listed company developing, in
collaboration with industry leader PyroGenesis (TSX-V: PYR) the
innovative PUREVAPTM “Quartz Reduction Reactors†(QRR), a truly
2.0 Carbothermic process (patent pending), which will permit the
transformation and purification of quartz (SiO2) into Metallurgical
Grade Silicon (Mg-Si) at prices that will propagate its significant
renewable energy potential.
HPQ is also working with industry leader Apollon Solar to develop: Porous silicon wafers manufacturing using PUREVAP™
Silicon (PVAP Si) that can be used as anode for all-solid-state and
Li-ion batteries; and a metallurgical pathway of producing Solar Grade
Silicon Metal (SoG Si) that will take full advantage of the PUREVAPTM QRR
one-step production of high purity silicon (Si) and significantly
reduce the Capex and Opex associated with the transformation of quartz
(SiO2) into SoG-Si.
HPQ focus is becoming the lowest cost producer of Silicon (Si), High
Purity Silicon (Si), Porous Silicon Wafers and Solar Grade Silicon Metal
(SoG-Si). The pilot plant equipment that will validate the commercial
potential of the process is on schedule to start in 2019.
This News Release is available on the company’s CEO Verified Discussion Forum, a moderated social media platform that enables civilized discussion and Q&A between Management and Shareholders.
Disclaimers:
The Corporation’s interest in developing the PUREVAP™ QRR and any
projected capital or operating cost savings associated with its
development should not be construed as being related to the establishing
the economic viability or technical feasibility of the Company’s
Roncevaux Quartz Project, Matapedia Area, in the Gaspe Region, Province
of Quebec.
This press release contains certain forward-looking statements,
including, without limitation, statements containing the words “may”,
“plan”, “will”, “estimate”, “continue”, “anticipate”, “intend”,
“expect”, “in the process” and other similar expressions which
constitute “forward-looking information” within the meaning of
applicable securities laws. Forward-looking statements reflect the
Company’s current expectation and assumptions and are subject to a
number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to
differ materially from those anticipated. These forward-looking
statements involve risks and uncertainties including, but not limited
to, our expectations regarding the acceptance of our products by the
market, our strategy to develop new products and enhance the
capabilities of existing products, our strategy with respect to research
and development, the impact of competitive products and pricing, new
product development, and uncertainties related to the regulatory
approval process. Such statements reflect the current views of the
Company with respect to future events and are subject to certain risks
and uncertainties and other risks detailed from time-to-time in the
Company’s on-going filings with the security’s regulatory authorities,
which filings can be found at www.sedar.com. Actual results, events, and
performance may differ materially. Readers are cautioned not to place
undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. The Company
undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any
forward-looking statements either as a result of new information, future
events or otherwise, except as required by applicable securities laws.
Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services
Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture
Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this
release.
For further information contact Bernard J. Tourillon, Chairman, President and CEO Tel (514) 907-1011 Patrick Levasseur, Vice-President and COO Tel: (514) 262-9239 http://www.hpqsilicon.com Email: [email protected]
Posted by AGORACOM-JC
at 7:25 AM on Thursday, November 7th, 2019
Empowers’ Q3 2019 preliminary unaudited revenue saw a year over year growth of approximately 138%
Company’s Q3 preliminary total direct clinic expenses have been reduced by approximately 40% even with the addition of the six Sun Valley clinic locations.
Company also has patient visits in corporate clinics increase by triple digits, with October 2019 patients seen increasing by 336% to 1,847 versus October 2018 with 550 patients seen.      Â
Earnings results are set to be released on November 14, 2019 at 9:00 am Eastern Time
VANCOUVER, Nov. 7, 2019 – EMPOWER CLINICS INC. (CSE: CBDT) (OTC: EPWCF) (Frankfurt 8EC) (“Empower” or the “Company“), a vertically integrated and growth-oriented CBD life sciences company, a multi-state operator of medical health & wellness clinics, a CBD product producer and operator of an extraction facility in Oregon, is pleased to announce preliminary unaudited year over year revenue growth of 138% for the three months ended September 30, 2019. The company also decreased total direct clinic expenses by approximately 40%, while adding six new clinics as a result of the Sun Valley clinics acquisition.
The Company also has patient visits in corporate clinics increase by triple digits, with October 2019 patients seen increasing by 336% to 1,847 versus October 2018 with 550 patients seen.
“The Company is starting to feel the positive impact that the Sun Valley clinics acquisition has provided with their strong operational performance in Arizona, in conjunction with continued cost cutting measures with operations in Oregon and Washington State,” said Steven McAuley,
CEO of Empower. “We have also been able to integrate key back office,
admin, payroll & human resource functions from the Pacific Northwest
into the operational controls of Sun Valley, bringing improved productivity to the organization.”
As part of the Company’s continued expansion of our health &
wellness clinic model, we have already set up retail CBD product sales
in-clinic, and now we have launched expanded physician based services
starting with key Arizona clinics.
New Modalities and Services
Physician’s CBD Enhanced Massage, Acupuncture, or Cupping Sessions
Neurotransmitter (urine) Profile & Physician Consultation/Action Plan
Spectracell Micronutrient Test & Physician Consultation/Action Plan
Empower plans to release its third quarter results ending September 30th, 2019 on November 14, 2019 at 9:00AM Eastern time.
Financial Measures
This news release makes reference to certain non-IFRS measures,
including certain industry metrics. These metrics and measures are not
recognized measures under IFRS do not have meanings prescribed under
IFRS and are as a result unlikely to be comparable to similar measures
presented by other companies. These measures are provided as information
complimentary to those IFRS measures by providing a further
understanding of our operating results from the perspective of
management. As such, these measures should not be considered in
isolation or in lieu of review of our financial information reported
under IFRS. These non-IFRS measures, including the industry measures,
are used to provide investors with supplementary measures of our
operating performance that may not otherwise be apparent when relying
solely on IFRS metrics.
ABOUT EMPOWER
Empower is a vertically-integrated health & wellness brand with
it’s first hemp-derived CBD extraction facility under development, the
Company produces its proprietary line of cannabidiol (CBD) based
products and distributes products through company owned and franchised
clinics, with wholesale partnerships, online channels and with new
retail opportunities nationwide in the U.S. The company is a leading
multi-state operator of a network of physician-staffed wellness clinics,
focused on helping patients improve and protect their health, through
innovative physician recommended treatment options. The company has
commenced activity on how to connect its significant data, to the
potential of the efficacy of alternative treatment options related to
hemp-derived cannabidiol (CBD) therapies.
ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS:
Steven McAuley Chief Executive Officer
DISCLAIMER FOR FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This news release contains certain “forward-looking statements”
or “forward-looking information” (collectively “forward looking
statements”) within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws. All
statements, other than statements of historical fact, are
forward-looking statements and are based on expectations, estimates and
projections as at the date of this news release. Forward-looking statements
can frequently be identified by words such as “plans”, “continues”,
“expects”, “projects”, “intends”, “believes”, “anticipates”,
“estimates”, “may”, “will”, “potential”, “proposed” and other similar
words, or information that certain events or conditions “may” or “will”
occur. Forward-looking statements in this news release include
statements regarding; the Company’s intention to open a hemp-based CBD
extraction facility, the expected benefits to the Company and its
shareholders as a result of the proposed acquisitions and partnerships;
the terms of the proposed acquisitions and partnerships; the
effectiveness of the extraction technology; the expected benefits for
Empower’s patient base and customers; the benefits of CBD based
products; the effect of the approval of the Farm Bill; the growth of the
Company’s patient list and that the Company will be positioned to be a
market-leading service provider for complex patient requirements in 2019
and beyond. Such statements are only projections, are based on
assumptions known to management at this time, and are subject to risks
and uncertainties that may cause actual results, performance or
developments to differ materially from those contained in the
forward-looking statements, including; that the Company may not open a
hemp-based CBD extraction facility; that legislative changes may have an
adverse effect on the Company’s business and product development; that
the Company may not be able to obtain adequate financing to pursue its
business plan; general business, economic, competitive, political and
social uncertainties; failure to obtain any necessary approvals in
connection with the proposed acquisitions and partnerships; and other
factors beyond the Company’s control. No assurance can be given that any
of the events anticipated by the forward-looking statements will occur
or, if they do occur, what benefits the Company will obtain from them.
Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on the forward-looking
statements in this release, which are qualified in their entirety by
these cautionary statements. The Company is under no obligation, and
expressly disclaims any intention or obligation, to update or revise any
forward-looking statements in this release, whether as a result of new
information, future events or otherwise, except as expressly required by
applicable laws.
Investors: Steve Low, Boom Capital Markets, [email protected], 647-620-5101; Investors: Steven McAuley, CEO, [email protected], 604-789-2146; For French inquiries: Remy Scalabrini, Maricom Inc., E: [email protected], T: (888) 585-MARICopyright CNW Group 2019
Tags: Cannabis, CSE, Hemp, Marijuana, stocks, tsx, tsx-v, weed Posted in All Recent Posts, Empower Clinics Inc., Featured | Comments Off on Empower Clinics $CBDT.ca Announces Record Preliminary Unaudited Q3 2019 Revenue with 138% year over year increase and Details for Release of Financial Statements $WEED.ca $CGC $ACB $APH $CRON.ca $HEXO.ca $OGI.ca $FAF.ca
Posted by AGORACOM-JC
at 4:50 PM on Wednesday, November 6th, 2019
Annual General and Special Meeting at 1:00 p.m. on Monday, December 16, 2019 at the office of McMillan LLP World Exchange Plaza, Suite 2000, Ottawa, Ontario. Â
Announce that on November 6, 2019, the board authorized the issuance of up to 4,000 convertible debenture units of the Company at a price of $1,000 per Unit for total gross proceeds of up to $4,000,000.
TORONTO, Nov. 06, 2019 — North Bud Farms Inc.(CSE: NBUD) (OTCQB: NOBDF) (“NORTHBUD” or the “Company”) today announces that the Company will hold its Annual General and Special Meeting at 1:00 p.m. on Monday, December 16, 2019 at the office of McMillan LLP World Exchange Plaza, Suite 2000, Ottawa, Ontario. Â
Additionally, the Company is pleased to announce that on November 6,
2019, the board authorized the issuance of up to 4,000 convertible
debenture units (“Unitsâ€) of the Company at a price of
$1,000 per Unit for total gross proceeds of up to $4,000,000. Based on
this decision the Company will not be closing any additional tranches of
the previously announced equity private placement.
Each Unit is comprised of one $1,000 principal amount of secured convertible debenture (a “Convertible Debentureâ€)
accruing interest at 10.0% per annum, payable semi-annually in arrears
until maturity, and 2,000 common share purchase warrants of the Company
(each, a “Warrantâ€). The Convertible Debentures will have a maturity date of 36 months from the date of issuance.
Each Convertible Debenture shall be convertible into common shares in the capital of the Company (each, a “Conversion Shareâ€) at a price of $0.30 per Conversion Share.
Each Warrant entitles the holder thereof to acquire one common share in the capital of the Company (each, a “Warrant Shareâ€) for an exercise price of $0.25 per Warrant Share for a period of 18 months following the closing date.
The Convertible Debentures are direct secured obligations of the Company and rank pari passu in right of payment of principal and interest with all other Convertible Debentures issued under the Offering.
The Company is pleased to announce that on November 6, 2019 it closed
an initial tranche of 1,264 Units for gross proceeds of $1,264,000.
These Units were purchased by one insider and existing shareholders. The
Company intends to close the remaining Units in one or more tranches
over the coming weeks.
Ryan Brown, the Chief Executive Officer, of the Company participated
in the private placement and beneficially acquired 664 Units for a total
proceeds of $664,000. The purchase constitutes a “related party
transaction†within the meaning of Multilateral Instrument 61-101 –
Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions (“MI 61-101â€).
The issuance is exempt from the formal valuation and minority
shareholder approval requirements of MI 61-101 as the fair market value
of the Units issued to or the consideration paid by such insider did not
exceed 25% of the Company’s market capitalization.
Certain finders (the “Findersâ€) received a cash
commission on the sale of the Offering of $48,000. The Finders also
received 48,000 compensation warrants (the “Compensation Warrantsâ€),
each carrying the right to purchase 3.3333 common shares in the capital
of the Company at a price of $1.00 per Compensation Warrant for a
period of 18 months from the closing date.
The proceeds of the Offering will be used by the Company for
expansion of the Company’s facilities and for general corporate and
working capital purposes.
The Convertible Debentures, Warrants and Compensation Warrants issued
pursuant to the Offering and any common shares in the capital of the
Company issued on conversion of the Convertible Debentures or exercise
of the Warrants or Compensation Warrants are subject to a statutory hold
period in Canada of four months and one day following the closing date
in accordance with applicable securities laws, which shall expire on
March 7, 2020. Additional resale restrictions may be applicable under
the laws of other jurisdictions, if any.
The securities of the Company have not been and will not be
registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended
(the “U.S. Securities Actâ€) or any state securities
laws. Accordingly, the securities of the Company may not be offered or
sold within the United States unless registered under the U.S.
Securities Act and applicable state securities laws or pursuant to an
exemption from the registration requirements of the U.S. Securities Act
and applicable state securities laws. This news release does not
constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any of
the securities of the Company in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful.
Corporate Update Since the submission of our
evidence package to Health Canada, the Company has received some minor
comments from the regulators all of which have been responded to within
24 hours. The Company will update shareholders with any material
developments related to the application process.
About North Bud Farms Inc. North Bud Farms Inc.,
through its wholly owned subsidiary GrowPros MMP Inc., is pursuing a
licence under The Cannabis Act. The Company has built a
state-of-the-art purpose-built cannabis production facility located on
135 acres of Agricultural Land in Low, Quebec, Canada. NORTHBUD through
its wholly owned U.S. subsidiary, Bonfire Brands USA has entered into
agreements to acquire assets in California and Nevada.
Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange (the “CSEâ€) nor its
Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of
the CSE) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this
release.
Forward-looking statements Certain statements
included in this press release constitute forward-looking information or
statements (collectively, “forward-looking statementsâ€), including
those identified by the expressions “anticipateâ€, “believeâ€, “planâ€,
“estimateâ€, “expectâ€, “intendâ€, “mayâ€, “should†and similar expressions
to the extent they relate to the Company or its management. The
forward-looking statements are not historical facts but reflect current
expectations regarding future results or events. This press release
contains forward- looking statements that include, but are not limited
to, statements related to the intended use of proceeds from the
Offering. These forward-looking statements are based on current
expectations and various estimates, factors and assumptions and involve
known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors. Such risks and
uncertainties include, among others, the risk factors included in North
Bud Farms Inc.’s final long form prospectus dated August 21, 2018,
which is available under the issuer’s SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com.
FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT: North Bud Farms Inc. Edward Miller VP, IR & Communications Office: (855) 628-3420 ext. 3 [email protected]
Tags: Cannabis, CBD, CSE, Hemp, Marijuana, otc, stocks, tsx, tsx-v, weed Posted in North Bud Farms Inc | Comments Off on North Bud Farms $NBUD.ca Announces Annual General and Special Meeting on December 16th and the Closing of the First Tranche of its Non-Brokered Private Placement of Secured Convertible Debenture Units $CGC $ACB $APH $CRON.ca $HEXO.ca $TRST.ca $OGI.ca
Posted by AGORACOM-JC
at 3:18 PM on Wednesday, November 6th, 2019
SPONSOR:Â BetterU Education Corp. aims to provide access to quality education from around the world. The Company plans to bridge the prevailing gap in the education and job industry and enhance the lives of its prospective learners by developing an integrated ecosystem. Click here for more information.
BTRU: TSX-V
How Edtech players are contributing to the Indian economy
In this fast-paced transformation era, education and skilling are crucial to the progress of the country
It is a key benefactor not just to economic growth but also to greater economic equality. Governments and academic institutes, as well as entrepreneurs, are jointly transforming the definition of learning.
This collaborative approach and deep knowledge have led to the rise of vibrant and dynamic edtech industry. (Representational Image)
In this fast-paced transformation era, education and skilling are
crucial to the progress of the country. It is a key benefactor not just
to economic growth but also to greater economic equality.
Education indeed transforms lives but the fundamental question today
is, what is transforming education? It is the digital disruption, and
the inception of edtech players in the market are significant holders of
the transforming norms of education around the corner. Governments and
academic institutes, as well as entrepreneurs, are jointly transforming
the definition of learning. This collaborative approach and deep
knowledge have led to the rise of vibrant and dynamic edtech industry.
Startups in edtech sector
The edtech industry has emerged over the past few years, propelled by
startups looking to address the issue of both reach and quality of
education by leveraging modern-day technology. These startups have also
started contributing to the economic prosperity of India by accelerating
the process of job creation, an increase in GDP and wealth creation.One
such promising paradigm of the startup ecosystem is the EdTech or
Education Technology. Startups in edtech sector have rolled out
offerings such as personalized assessments, VR content, parent
engagement, gamification, soft skills development, digital libraries,
student networking, test preparation, procurement marketplaces, learning
analytics, language tools, internship location, and real-time scenario
engagement.
Didactics of edtech
Mr. Piyush Nangru, COO and Co-founder, Sunstone Eduversity, says,
“With the help of technology, edtechs are bridging the skill gaps,
therefore generating employment for the youth. Tech-enabled pedagogy
helps quantify the learning outcomes, measure student performance and
determine appropriate remedial actions.”
Edtech industry in India
India is no doubt set to be one of the leading players in the global
ed-tech space with innovation taking center-stage. The ed-tech industry
is expected to touch about USD 2 billion in India by 2021, industry
trackers said. The country today has more than 4000 Ed-tech startups who
are fuelling the education system; thus in return, accelerating the
economy. According to the report released by Google and KPMG, the online
education industry will grow at a healthy rate of 8x, to become a 1.96
billion dollar industry by 2021. Also, it says that the paid user base
will grow 6X from 1.6 million users in 2016 to 9.6 million users in
2021.
Contribution of Govt
The Government of India is also driving major initiatives in terms of
leveraging technology for education. The spirit of innovation along
with an emphasis on skill-based development, has been the primary
objective of the government led by Hon’ble Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
SWAYAM is an initiative by the Ministry of Human Resource Development
to provide courses from Standard IX to post-graduation via its IT
platform, free of cost to all residents of India. E-Basta is a platform
that allows publishers of schoolbooks to upload digital formats of their
books online for easy access by students. Diksha, an initiative by the
National Council for Teacher’s Education, provides interactive learning
resources to teachers, students as well as parents.
Edtech players driving the force of economy
Arman Ahmed, Co-Founder & CEO, EdYoda, explained how edtech
players are helping students to outshine their way out. He said, “Today
the Indian economy is suffering because there is a shortage of skilled
manpower. The education sector in India is not just inefficient- it is
nearly broken. Only a few leading universities and colleges provide
quality education- a prerequisite for professional success. Also, having
many well-educated professionals is essential to drive innovation,
which in turn is essential for a robust economy.†He further said that
the vast majority of Indian graduates don’t have skills that allow
either. Rather than learning in a traditional university or college,
most of which don’t educate well, students will do better when they
enroll in courses offered by ed-tech players. After graduation, they
will be more likely to achieve professional success and contribute to
the economy because they will be productive and, unlike traditional
graduates, more successful entrepreneurs.
Global Energy Storage to Hit 158 Gigawatt-Hours by 2024, Led by US and China
Wood Mackenzie Power & Renewables projects a thirteenfold
increase in grid-scale storage over the next six years. Here’s a
market-by-market breakdown.
Report projects that energy storage deployments will grow thirteenfold over the next six years, from a 12 gigawatt-hour market in 2018 to a 158 gigawatt-hour market in 2024.Â
Equates to $71 billion in investment into storage systems excluding pumped hydro, with $14 billion of that coming in 2024 alone.
For the energy storage industry, the past five years have been
something of a stage rehearsal for a market explosion to come, led by
the U.S. and China, but expanding to cover markets across the globe.
That’s the picture painted by Wood Mackenzie Power & Renewable’s latest report, Global Energy Storage Outlook 2019: 2018 Year in Review and Outlook to 2024.
Tuesday’s report projects that energy storage deployments will grow
thirteenfold over the next six years, from a 12 gigawatt-hour market in
2018 to a 158 gigawatt-hour market in 2024.
That equates to $71 billion in investment into storage systems
excluding pumped hydro, with $14 billion of that coming in 2024 alone.
This growth will be concentrated in the United States and China, which
will account for 54 percent of global deployments by 2024, followed
by Japan, Australia and South Korea in a second tier of growth markets,
and Germany, Canada, India and the U.K. rounding out the list.
Each of these markets is taking its own approach to integrating
energy storage into its grid operations and market structures, from the
state-by-state development in the U.S. to China’s five-year plan. But
they share a commitment to relatively aggressive renewables growth
targets, along with the attendant challenges of integrating an
increasing share of intermittent wind and solar power into the grid.
And much like the renewables that are driving their growth, the
batteries that make up the lion’s share of new storage systems being
deployed are falling in price.
That’s positioning them for a much broader integration into grid
operations beyond renewables integration, Ravi Manghani, WoodMac’s head
of storage research, noted in a Tuesday interview: “Over the last five
years, the world began to experiment with storage; in the next five,
storage will become a key grid asset.â€
Last year saw global energy storage deployments grow 147 percent
year-over-year to reach 3.3 gigawatts, or 6 gigawatt-hours, the report
states. That’s nearly double the average 74 percent compound annual
growth rate for the industry from 2013 to 2018. In fact, last year’s
deployments made up more than half of the total amount of storage
deployed in the past five years, “indicating an inflection in storage
demand,†Manghani said.
This inflection point is measured not only in terms of project
volume, but in the variety of regulatory and market structures allowing
these projects to be financed and built, he noted. The past half-decade
of energy storage growth has been driven by a relatively limited and
isolated set of revenue streams, as well as government incentives
designed to jump-start development in advance of the market structures
to unlock the value of storage, he said.
From 2019 to 2024, WoodMac projects a more mature but still
early-stage compound annual growth rate of 38 percent for key storage
markets, but with a far broader set of money-making opportunities for
the systems being installed. This will include a shift
from short-duration systems providing high-value, but limited-size
markets such as frequency regulation, to long-duration systems that can
start to displace diesel, oil and natural-gas peaker plants.
A market-by-market breakdown
We’ve already covered WoodMac’s growth projections for the U.S. energy storage market,
the world’s biggest at present, and still expected to retain that
position by 2024, if only just ahead of China. The U.S. deployed a
record 311 megawatts and 777 megawatt-hours of energy storage in 2018,
but that market is expected to double in 2019 and triple in 2020,
according to last month’s Energy Storage Monitor from WoodMac and the Energy Storage Association.
This growth will continue to be driven by key markets like
California, the country’s leader in behind-the-meter batteries, and
other states with gigawatt-scale energy storage deployment mandates such
as New York and Massachusetts. But it will also be driven by utilities
adopting storage for capacity or as part of large-scale solar projects,
as with recent large-scale contracts in Hawaii, Texas, Minnesota and
Colorado.
And of course, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Order 841, which
orders the country’s regional wholesale market operators to open up
energy, capacity and ancillary services markets to energy storage, will
create new market opportunities.
Turning to Asia, “we’ve seen China wake up in terms of energy
storage, and slightly ahead of schedule,†Manghani said. China saw a 40
percent year-over-year energy storage market growth in 2018, driven by
more than 300 megawatts, or nearly 500 megawatt-hours, of utility-scale
deployment.
In November 2017, China’s government announced a 10-year plan for developing its own grid-scale energy storage industry.
This was partly a means of supporting and building upon its already
massive dominance in battery manufacturing for electric vehicles, but
it’s also a response to China’s mounting grid challenges — namely,
integrating the massive amounts of wind and solar power being built in
remote western regions to the country’s urban east.
And when China decides to build grid batteries, it builds them at
scale. “The majority of the deployments are currently pilot-scale
projects — but when China does pilot-scale projects, we’re talking about
tens of megawatt-hours,†Manghani said. Last year saw one
101-megawatt/202-megawatt-hour energy storage project come online in
Jiangsu, and another 240-megawatt/720 megawatt-hour project approved in
Gansu to reduce renewables curtailment.
In the next five years, several more large-scale energy storage
projects to support grid reliability and flexibility are expected to
come online. About 65 percent of China’s 2018 installed capacity was
developed by the State Grid Corporation of China for ancillary services
purposes, indicating the importance of central planning for growth.
South Korea represents a similar story of how government planning can
drive massive energy storage market growth, with a new policy to allow
storage-backed wind and solar projects to earn renewable energy
certificates worth five times their capacity value driving a massive
boom in 2018. From less than 10 megawatt-hours deployed in 2017, South
Korea’s utility-scale and commercial-industrial behind-the-meter
deployments boomed to 1,100 megawatt-hours in 2018, with nearly $400
million in energy storage investments and a pipeline of projects that’s
already overshot its goal of 800 megawatt-hours by 2020.
Australia, by contrast, has been driven by solar-plus-storage projects on the residential side of the market,
due to its competitive energy markets and the increasingly attractive
economics of self-generated solar power. Australia led the world in
residential storage in 2018 with 150 megawatts, or 300 megawatt-hours,
of systems deployed. Japan ranked a close second in residential storage,
taking a slight lead over Germany in terms of 2018 deployments,
although Germany still retains the lead in total number of systems
deployed, at about 860 megawatt-hours.
At the same time, policy shifts can have an impact on global energy
storage markets. The U.K. installed its own record-setting 408
megawatts/325 megawatt-hours of utility-scale storage in 2018. But as
these figures indicate, this boom was largely in the form of
shorter-duration battery systems, which could see their value decrease
significantly under changes to the U.K.’s capacity market mechanism to
de-rate shorter-duration systems in favor of multi-hour storage.
At the same time, a November European court ruling against the U.K.’s
capacity market mechanism — along with the broader uncertainty over how
the country’s departure from the EU under Brexit could affect its
energy future — has created challenges for the market.
Likewise, in Canada, last year’s efforts to incorporate energy
storage into wholesale markets in Ontario and Alberta have been
counterbalanced somewhat by the new Ontario government’s decision to
cancel hundreds of renewable energy projects.
Posted by AGORACOM-JC
at 11:49 AM on Wednesday, November 6th, 2019
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Palladium soaring: the quiet precious metal
Traditionally, gold, silver and platinum have received all the attention.
But like a spurned sibling that everyone ignored, the palladium spot price has broken free and there’s been no looking back just yet.
In notes to our clients we’ve talked a couple of times about gold,
and touched on silver and platinum which are all members of the precious
metals family. The potential for gains in all three of the metals has
been sizeable in the last few months. There has been some notable
pullbacks and profit-taking of late, particularly in gold stocks,
however there is a member of the family we have yet to discuss in any
depth. Palladium.
Traditionally, gold, silver and platinum have received all the
attention. But like a spurned sibling that everyone ignored, the
palladium spot price has broken free and there’s been no looking back
just yet.
Palladium Price $US/ounce
Source: Macrotrends
Much lesser known than the other three major precious metals,
palladium has in a very short period of time become the most expensive,
overtaking gold. Similar to platinum, not much is known about the metal –
what it is used for, how it is mined, and more importantly, how or why
has it become so darn expensive?
The majority of palladium ends up in car exhaust systems where it
aids in converting toxic pollutants into less-harmful CO2 and water
vapour. To a lesser extent, it is also used in electronics, dentistry
and jewellery. The metal is mined primarily in Russia and South Africa,
and mostly extracted as a secondary product from mines focused on other
metals such as platinum or nickel. Who would have thought a by-product
could have surged to a value of over US$1,800/oz!
Simply put, supply hasn’t responded to growing demand. Usage is
increasing as governments, especially China, tighten regulations to
crack down on pollution from vehicles, forcing automakers to increase
the amount of precious metal they use. Globally, it also looks like
we’ve been buying fewer diesel cars (which mostly use platinum) and
instead sticking with petrol powered vehicles (which use palladium)
following news that some diesel car makers were cutting corners on
carbon emissions tests.
Furthermore, population growth has not eased, and the electric car
take-up has been slower than many predicted, perhaps due to pricing and
convenience. We are still relying on petrol power (particularly in the
emerging markets).
Source: Metals Focus
Palladium’s status as a by-product to platinum or nickel mining means
output tends to lag price gains. In fact, the amount of palladium
produced is projected to fall short of demand for an eighth straight
year in 2019. That’s helped drive price to all-time high. While some
obscure metals are still more valuable, such as rhodium, palladium has
ballooned and has outpaced gold for most of this year.
Gaining any direct exposure to an investment in palladium is a
difficult proposition and would be most easily achieved via ETFs e.g.
the Aberdeen Standard Physical Palladium Shares ETF (PALL).
Posted by AGORACOM-JC
at 10:30 AM on Wednesday, November 6th, 2019
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Cannabis use could be helping Canadians cope with some of the effects of post-traumatic stress disorder, according to new research from the BC Centre on Substance Use and University of British Columbia.Â
By: Jeremiah Rodriguez
Cannabis use could be helping Canadians cope with some of the effects of post-traumatic stress disorder, according to new research from the BC Centre on Substance Use and University of British Columbia.Â
Cannabis use could be helping Canadians alleviate some of the effects
of post-traumatic stress disorder, according to new research from the
BC Centre on Substance Use and University of British Columbia.
People who suffered trauma — including survivors of acute injury,
violence, conflict and disasters — suffer at disproportionately higher
rates of depression, suicide and substance abuse than the general
population.
The research team found that among non-cannabis users, PTSD was
“significantly associated†with a major recent depressive episode and
suicidal thoughts.
More specifically, PTSD sufferers who didn’t use pot were seven times
more likely to have a depressive episode and nearly five times more
likely to have suicidal thoughts compared to non-cannabis users without
PTSD.
“Among the cannabis-non-using population, there was a strong
association between having PTSD and experiencing these indicators of
severe mental distress,†lead author Stephanie Lake said during a phone
interview with CTVNews.ca, adding that pot users didn’t see this same
association.
Her research was the first to track the relationship between PTSD,
cannabis use and “severe mental health outcomes†among the average
Canadian population, according to a university press release.
Lake, a research assistant at the British Columbia Centre on
Substance Use, said this was the first study examining how PTSD’s
connection to suicidal thoughts or severe depression “could be
interrupted by the use of cannabis.â€
Her study also found one in four Canadians with PTSD said they used
cannabis — which is “remarkably high†compared to the prevalence of pot
use among the general Canadian population (which is an estimated 11.4
per cent).
STUDY DIDN’T SHOW CAUSAL LINK BETWEEN POT, PTSD RATES
Lake stressed her study didn’t outright show a definitive, causal link between cannabis use and decreased PTSD symptoms.
The PhD candidate at UBC’s School of Population and Public Health
said the study “didn’t tell us whether people are successfully using
cannabis to treat PTSD … but it is a promising signal that there might
be a therapeutic (benefit) to cannabis use.â€
Of the 24,089 respondents to the 2012 Canadian Community Health
Survey – Mental Health, 420 people had a clinical diagnosis of PTSD.
From those with PTSD, 106 of them — 28 per cent — said they used
cannabis. This rate is nearly three times the rate of pot users without
PTSD (11.2 per cent).
Lake’s overall findings could be extremely helpful to many Canadians,
as the study mentions that 9.2 per cent of Canadians have PTSD — one
of the highest prevalence rates for the disorder in the world.
HOW CANNABIS POTENTIALLY HELPED WITH PTSD
Lake explained that cannabinoid receptors in people’s bodies help
regulate mood and sleep, and some research suggests that trauma from
PTSD could compromise this endocannabinoid system.
“So when you introduce external cannabinoids (from pot products) to
the body, it might help to get the system working as normal again,†she
suggested.
Lake also noted that, according to the study, PTSD patients did have
cannabis-use disorders at a higher rate than the general population.
In a press release, senior author Dr. M-J Milloy, BCCSU research
scientist and Canopy Growth Professor of Cannabis Science at UBC, said
that “we’re only just beginning to understand what the therapeutic
potential of cannabis may be for a variety of health conditions.â€
“These findings are promising, and merit further study in order to
fully understand the benefits of cannabis for people living with PTSD,â€
he added.
Lake added that UCB researchers are currently conducting a clinical
trial looking at the effectiveness of cannabis products in specifically
treating PTSD.
Posted by AGORACOM-JC
at 9:47 AM on Wednesday, November 6th, 2019
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China reverses decision to ban crypto mining in 2020
The plan to include cryptocurrency mining in China into a list of industries that would be banned in the country has reportedly been scrapped.
Earlier this year, the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) in China revealed it was considering putting crypto mining on a list of banned industrial activities, which would have effectively phased out the industry from the country.
The plan to include cryptocurrency mining in China into a
list of industries that would be banned in the country has reportedly
been scrapped. Earlier this year, the National Development and Reform
Commission (NDRC) in China revealed it was considering putting crypto mining on a list of banned industrial activities, which would have effectively phased out the industry from the country.
Crypto mining industry now safe in China
The future of the crypto mining industry in China has
been uncertain for the past six months, as the country’s State Council
has been considering implementing guidelines that would have forced the
entire industry out.
Back in April, the Chinese National Development and Reform Commission
(NDRC) published a draft proposal of its Industry Restructuring
Catalog, in which it recommended that crypto mining be put on a list of industries to be restricted in the country.
While just a draft, the proposal garnered a lot of negative reactions
in China, with many industry leaders arguing that it could be
detrimental to China’s dominance in the field. The country is not only
home to some of the largest mining hardware manufacturers, including Bitmain, Canaan, and Ebang, but also has some of the largest mining operations in the world.
However, the country seems to have scrapped its plans to blacklist crypto mining, as NDRC has published an updated version of its guidelines that come into effect on Jan. 1, 2020.
According to local media reports, NDRC, which works under China’s State Council, has removed cryptocurrency mining
from the list of industries that should be removed from the country.
The catalog contains detailed descriptions of what constitutes “virtual
currency mining.â€
Half of Bitcoin’s hashpower will remain in China
Officials from NDRC held a press conference on Wednesday, Nov. 6, where they explained
their decision behind updating the draft they published back in April.
The commission said they received over 2,500 suggestions on how to deal
with various issues raised by the draft catalog, adding that most of
them were “taken into consideration.â€
While there were no comments on NDRC’s decision to scrap plans for phasing out crypto mining, the commission was most likely responding to overwhelming pressure from the industry.
It’s important to note that even if the commission hadn’t changed its draft proposal, crypto mining
wouldn’t have been immediately banned from the country. The proposal
only included guidelines for local governments advising them on how to
gradually phase out the burgeoning industry from the country, not
legislation outlawing it.
When the news about the potential “ban†broke earlier this year, many
argued that it could ultimately be beneficial to the industry,
especially Bitcoin mining. The problem with Bitcoin mining centralization has been a looming one and dethroning China as the place responsible for more than half of Bitcoin’s hashpower could have brought much-needed decentralization to the space.
But, the latest NDRC guidelines show that Bitcoin mining will continue to be centralized in China—at least for now.
Posted by AGORACOM-JC
at 5:57 PM on Tuesday, November 5th, 2019
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Nickel Is Hot Right Now – The Nickel Boom May Have Just Begun
Indonesia announced they will ban nickel ore exports beginning 2020.
Indonesia currently accounts for about 27-28% of global nickel ore supply.
Other sources of nickel supply appear somewhat constrained, while demand for nickel looks strong, especially boosted by EVs.
Indonesia has declared that they will ban nickel ore exports as of January 1st, 2020
(previously scheduled for 2022). However, on Monday, September 2, 2019,
Indonesia’s Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry confirmed plans to move the ban up and place it ahead of schedule. Indonesia currently accounts for about 27-28% of global nickel ore supply. Nickel prices surged higher on the news.
The 2007/08 nickel spike coincided with record low LME nickel
inventory levels (see chart below) and a China construction boom. Today,
LME nickel inventory is at 153,000 tonnes and has been falling steadily
for some time now. The Indonesia export ban could easily send nickel
inventories back below 50,000 tonnes in 2020 and cause another huge
nickel price spike.
Indonesia’s Coal and Minerals Director General Bambang Gatot Ariyono stated:
“The government decided, after weighing all the pros and cons, that we
want to expedite smelter building. So we took the initiative to stop
exports of nickel ores of all quality.â€
Indonesia will soon have 36 smelters, and if exports were to
continue, there would have been only enough reserves for seven to eight
years. These smelters can process low-grade nickel ores and they can be
used for batteries to help Indonesia meet its electric-vehicle goals.
Bambang continued: “We already exported 38 million
tons up until July this year. At this rate, we would need to think
about our reserves especially if we keep issuing exports permits.â€
Put simply, Indonesia has long wanted to encourage investments within
Indonesia that can value-add to their nickel ore. The end game would be
for Indonesia to be able to produce their own finished nickel,
stainless steel, and lithium-ion batteries (NMC batteries require plenty
of nickel).
“Indonesia currently has 13 operating nickel smelters with input
capacity of 24.52 million tonnes. Government data showed that 22 more
nickel miners are currently under development with additional capacity
of 46.33 million tonnes. Lengkey said the installed capacity will not be
enough to process the country’s ore output.”
Nickel supply by country
Source: Own chart with data sourced from Investing News
Other sources of nickel supply
The Philippines is the number two global nickel supplier. No doubt Philippine nickel miners will tryto boost
ore production next year when the Indonesia export ban kicks in. The
Philippines has 29 nickel mines and two nickel processing plants.
However, strict environmental law changes in the Philippines in recent
years have reduced their nickel supply. Also, it is said that many
Chinese buyers prefer higher-grade ores from Indonesia. Current
Philippine nickel ore production has dropped to about 340,000
tonnes in 2018 due to the closure of 23 mines as the government seeks
to curb environmental damage from mines in the Philippines.
Perhaps the boost will come from New Caledonia, Russia, Australia,
Canada, China and some contributions from the new Indonesian smelters.
But will this be enough?
Overall, it appears for now that very large new sources of nickel
supply appear somewhat constrained, especially given the Philippines
recent focus on environmental protection and nickel mine closures.
Nickel demand looks set to increase boosted by electric vehicles
All experts agree that demand for nickel sulphate is set to go
through the roof as electric vehicles [EVs] take off. Fastmarkets stated last year:
“Demand for nickel in the EV space is expected to total 36,000 tonnes in 2018… That figure is expected to surge to 350,000-500,000 tonnes by 2025.â€
That’s more than a tenfold increase, in just 7 years. Wow!
The best source of nickel sulphate will come from the nickel sulphide miners.
No doubt new sources of nickel will start to fill the supply gap that
Indonesia will leave, but this takes time. Indonesia will also step up
their processing of ores, but this will take several years to raise
capital and then build out the processing plants. Many companies that
halted nickel sales due to the recent bear market years for base metals
will start to come back online, as will new nickel projects assuming the
nickel price stays strong. Will we see nickel over USD 10/lb in 2020?
Yes, I would say this is very possible, as with most severe supply
disruptions, the industry usually takes a couple of years to catch up.
The chart below shows nickel is forecast to be in deficit after ~2020-2022 (and this was before factoring in the Indonesia ban).
The top global nickel producers by nickel production volume are Vale [BZ: VALE3](NYSE:VALE), Norilsk Nickel [LSX: MNOD] (OTCPK:NILSY), Jinchuan International Group Resources [HK:2362], Glencore (OTCPK:GLCNF)[LSX:GLEN], and BHP Group [ASX:BHP] (NYSE:BHP). Good smaller producers include Independence Group [ASX:IGO] (OTC:IIDDY) and Western Areas [ASX:WSA](OTCPK:WNARF). Some top nickel developers with very large resources include RNC Minerals [TSX:RNX] (OTCQX:RNKLF), Ardea Resources [ASX:ARL] (OTCPK:ARRRF), and Australian Mines [ASX:AUZ].
Rather than repeat information from my other recent nickel articles
here, I refer to the further reading section below that gives plenty of
company information.
Forecast leading companies based on finished nickel production worldwide in 2020 (in 1,000 metric tons)
A China or global slowdown could reduce demand for nickel. China and
the stainless steel industry are by far the largest consumers of
nickel.
Nickel prices falling. Indonesia may reverse their decision, or
other countries may bring on excess new supply. Also, the new Indonesian
smelters once running will be a new source of nickel supply from
Indonesian nickel ore. Noting Indonesia already has 13 operating
smelters.
This article is for the purpose of alerting Trend Investing members
that the nickel boom may have just begun. Certainly all the signs are
there.
The further reading section above gives plenty of good information on
the better nickel plays. My standout nickel miner continues to be
Norilsk Nickel due to their massive (sulphide) resources, very low cost
of production when taking into account by-products (palladium, copper),
low valuation (2020 PE of 8.3),
and high dividend yield (2020 estimate 10.9%). Vale offers some
attraction right now after recent price falls, but is mostly an iron ore
miner. My top nickel developers are RNC Minerals, Ardea Resources, and
Australian Mines.
Tags: CSE, nickel, nickel demand, stocks, tsx, tsx-v Posted in Tartisan Nickel | Comments Off on Tartisan #Nickel $TN.ca – Nickel Is Hot Right Now – The Nickel Boom May Have Just Begun $ROX.ca $FF.ca $EDG.ca $AGL.ca $ANZ.ca
