Of the recommendations, 95 pct of climate assembly members backed the use of offshore wind technology to contribute towards the country's climate neutrality goal while 81 pct supported solar power and 78 pct onshore wind and 40 pct backed the use of bioenergy.
22 pct favored the continued use of fossil fuels combined with carbon capture and storage (CCS) which "only provides a short-term, expensive solution when better alternatives are available" according to 56 pct of the Climate Assembly members.
This contrasts with UK government support for the technologies. In March it pledged £800 million for CCS development, while in July it announced a £100 million investment in direct air carbon capture and storage (DACCS) R&D.
Download report details HERE. (Source: UK Climate Assembly, Argus, 10 Sept., 2020) Contact: UK Climate Assembly, www.climateassembly.uk
More Low-Carbon Energy News CCS,
The KNOC initiative is in line with South Korean state -owned energy sector companies efforts to expand into new eco-friendly businesses.
(Source: Korea National Oil Corporation, PR, Korea Bizwire, 8 Sept., 2020) Contact: Korea National Oil Corporation, www.knoc.co.kr/ENG/main.jsp
More Low-Carbon Energy News Korea National Oil Corporation , Offshore Wind, CCS,
The KNOC initiative is in line with state -owned energy sector companies efforts to expand into new eco-friendly businesses.
(Source: Korea National Oil Corporation, PR, Korea Bizwire, 8 Sept., 2020) Contact: Korea National Oil Corporation, www.knoc.co.kr/ENG/main.jsp
More Low-Carbon Energy News Korea National Oil Corporation news,
Of the total, $51 million will go to nine new projects for coal and natural gas power and industrial sources. These efforts seek to design initial engineering studies to develop technologies to capture CO2 generated as a by-product of manufacturing at industrial sites. The remaining $21 million will support 18 projects for "direct air carbon capture' technologies and the development and field testing of new materials for use in direct air capture.
"The primary mission of our office is to ensure that the United States can continue to rely on its fossil fuel resources for clean and secure energy. The advancement of carbon capture technologies, including direct air capture, contributes to that mission. Our ultimate goal is to mature these technologies so that they can be commercialized and brought to market", according to Assistant Secretary for Fossil Energy Steven Winberg. (Source: US DOE, 3 Sept., 2020)
More Low-Carbon Energy News U.S. Department of Energy, Carbon Capture, CCS, Direst Air Carbon Capture,
To reach Net Zero on Operations by 2050 or sooner, TOTAL will invest in renewable generated low carbon electricity, low cost oil, biofuels, and nature-based carbon sinks or carbon capture and storage (CCS). The company noted it would continue to strike a balance between enabling the energy transition by investing in renewable energy while continuing to provide oil and gas to meet the needs of customers and society. (Source: TOTAL, PR, This Day, 1 Sept., 2020) Contact: Total Group, www.total.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News Carbon Emissions, Zero-Carbon, Climate Change,
John Field, research scientist at the Natural Resource Ecology Lab at CSU, said it has been a challenge for the biofuel industry to demonstrate commercial viability for cellulosic biofuels created from switchgrass and other non-edible plants.
The research team used modeling to simulate switchgrass cultivation, cellulosic biofuel production and carbon capture and storage (CCS), tracking ecosystem and carbon flows. Scientists then compared this modeling to alternative ways to store carbon on the land, including growing forest or grassland.
CCS technology is being used by at least one facility in Illinois that is processing corn to ethanol as a conventional biofuel to create ethanol, but these systems are not yet widespread. As part of the study, researchers created models to simulate what this would look like at a cellulosic biofuel refinery. "What we found is that around half of the carbon in the switchgrass that comes into the refinery becomes a byproduct that would be available for carbon capture and storage. The resulting byproduct streams of high-purity CO2 would not require much separation or clean-up before being stored underground," the study noted.
The research team analyzed three contrasting U.S. case studies and found that on land where farmers or land managers were transitioning out of growing crops or maintaining pastures for grazing, cultivating switchgrass for cellulosic ethanol production had a per-hectare mitigation potential comparable to reforestation and several-fold greater than grassland restoration.
Using switchgrass can be particularly helpful in parts of the country where planting more trees is not an option.
This research was partially funded by the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture, the US DOE via the Center for Bioenergy Innovation, and the Sao Paulo Research Foundation in Brazil.
The study illustrates how deliberate land use choices support the climate performance of present-day cellulosic ethanol technology and how technological advancements and CCS addition could produce several times the climate mitigation potential of competing land-based biological mitigation schemes. These results affirm the climate mitigation logic of biofuels, consistent with their prominent role in many climate stabilization scenarios, the study concludes.
(Source: Colorado State University, Green Car Congress, Aug., 2020) Contact: Colorado State University, Natural Resource Ecology Lab, John Field, (970) 491-1604,
John.L.Field@colostate.edu,
www.nrel.colostate.edu
More Low-Carbon Energy News Advanced Biofuel, Cellulosic Biofuel, Switchgrass,
The planned facility will
have the capacity to remove 4,000 tpy of carbon dioxide (CO2) from the air using Climeworks' direct air capture (DAC) technology and Reykjavik Energy subsidiary Carbfix's natural underground mineralisation carbon storage method. (Source: Climeworks, PR 26 Aug., 2020) Contact:
ON Power, Berglind Ran Olafsdottir, CEO, www.on.is; Climeworks, Christoph Gebald, CEO, +41 44 533 2999, www.climeworks.com; CarbFix, www.carbfix.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News Carbfix, Climeworks , CCS, Geothermal,
The company noted that carbon capture and storage (CCS), an increased reliance on renewable energy and other initiatives will be funded through a $400 million climate investment program announced in 2019.
The company also plans to update its portfolio assessment to take into account its Paris Climate Agrement agreement goals, and will sell or demerge some of its coal mines to help meet those goals. Additionally, future executive remuneration will include an element tied to climate change actions. (Source: BHP Billiton, mining.com, 27 Aug., 2020) Contact: BHP Billiton, Dr. Fiona Wild, VP Sustainability and Climate Change, +61 3 9609 3333, www.bhpbilliton.com, www.bhp.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News BHP, Climate Change, Carbon Emissions, Carbon Neutral, CCS,
Since coming online in October, 2014, the facility has prevented roughly 3.48 million tonnes of CO2 from entering the atmosphere. (Source: SaskPower, Contact: SaskPower, Mike Marsh, (306) 566-2121, www.saskpower.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News SaskPower, CCS, Boundry Dam,
"The trillion tons of excess carbon in our atmosphere are the main driver of climate change. Therefore, even with net-zero emissions, which is critically important, we are not addressing 95 pct of the problem. Carbon capture technologies that remove this excess CO2, paired with uses for the captured carbon that are permanent, scalable, and financeable, must be our foremost commitment. This is critical to restoring a healthy, pre-industrial level of atmospheric carbon.
The CREATE Act of 2020 recognizes the importance of research and development of carbon capture and sequestration through direct air capture, enhanced carbon mineralization, bioenergy with carbon capture and sequestration, forest restoration, soil carbon management, and direct ocean capture. These avenues of capture and sequestration have enormous potential to remove the excess carbon dioxide from our atmosphere and restore a safe and healthy climate. We are thus thrilled at the bipartisan effort to mobilize and scale these restorative technologies. Removal of atmospheric carbon, in concert with net-zero emissions, will safeguard the planet and ensure its survival for future generations."
(signed) Rick Parnell, CEO, Foundation for Climate Restoration (Source: Foundation for Climate Restoration, PR, Aug., 2020) Contact: Foundation for Climate Restoration, Rick Parnell, CEO, (650) 906-3016, www.f4cr.org
More Low-Carbon Energy News Foundation for Climate Restoration, Carbon Emissions, CCS, Climate Change,
Aker Offshore Wind Holding AS and Aker Carbon Capture AS will secure funds for their future operations in private placements and list on the Oslo Stock Exchange's Merkur Market. In the offshore wind industry, Aker is involved in projects in California, South Korea and Norway, and has plans to bid in the upcoming ScotWind lease round. In addition, the company is closely monitoring markets like Japan, Vietnam, France and Italy.
Download Aker's offshore wind business details HERE.
(Source: Aker Solutions, PR, Aug., 2020) Contact: Aker Solutions, Aker Offshore Wind, Astrid Onsum, CEO, www.akersolutions.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News Aker Solutions , CCS, Offshore Wind,
Through the partnership, the two companies will jointly support and develop Carbon Capture Utilisation and Storage (CCUS) projects on a build-own-operate model. Projects in Europe will start immediately, focusing on capturing CO2 for utilisation in each market locally. Marubeni Corporation and CCSL will be actively looking to advance the partnership by investing in additional global projects.
The partnership builds on an existing and close relationship between the two companies. Marubeni invested in CCSL via the latest $22m Series B funding round. The funds will be used to grow the CCSL team and deliver its proven CO2 capture technology for CCUS projects across the steel, cement, waste management and refining & petrochemicals sectors. (Source: Carbon Clean Solutions, Website News, 6 Aug., 2020) Contact: Carbon Clean Solutions, Aniruddha Sharma, CEO, +44 (0) 20 3755 1600, ccs@kekstcnc.com, www.carboncleansolutions.com; Marubeni, www.marubeni.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News Carbon Clean Solutions , Marubeni, CCS, CCUS, CO2,
SwRI is leading one of 12 teams that received a competitive award to conduct Phase 1 of ARPA-E's FLExible Carbon Capture and Storage (FLECCS) program. FLECCS sup-ports research to develop enabling technologies that better respond to grid conditions in a highly variable renewable energy environment, such as natural gas power generators . At the conclusion of Phase 1, a sub-set of teams will advance to Phase 2 of the pro-gram, receiving additional funding to focus on building components, unit operations and prototype systems. (Source: SwRI,PR, Eureka, Aug., 2020)
Contact: SwRIDr. Jeff Moore, Research Leader, (210) 684-5111, www.swri.org; ARPA-E, Lane Genatowski, Director, arpa-e.energy.gov
More Low-Carbon Energy News SwRI, ARPA-E, Zero-Emission, Carbon Capture,
Since coming online in Jan., 2017, Petra Nova, the world's largest coal-fired power plant post-combustion CO2 capture system, captured over 3.9 million short (US) tons of CO2 which was used to produce over 4.2 million barrels of oil through enhanced oil recovery (EOR).
(Source: US DOE Office of Fossil Energy, NRG Energy, Australia Financial Review, 30 July, 2020)Contact: US DOE Office of Fossil Energy, www.energy.gov/fe/office-fossil-energy; NRG Energy, Mauricio Gutierrez, CEO, (609) 524-4500, www.nrgenergy.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News CCS, Enhanced Oil Recovery, Petro Nova, NRG Energy, CCS,
Editor's Note: To ensure unbiased and equal coverage to all candidates , this publication will provide detailed coverage of the incumbent Republican Donald Trump's position on clean energy and climate change if and when his position paper is released.
More Low-Carbon Energy News Climate Change, Clean Energy,
Laboratory tests indicate the patent-pending materials -- tetraamine-functionalised metal organic frameworks -- capture CO2 emissions up to six times more effectively than conventional amine-based carbon capture technology.
By manipulating the structure of the metal organic framework material, the team of scientists and students demonstrated the ability to condense a surface area the size of a football field, into just one gram of mass -- about the same as a paperclip -- that acts as a sponge for carbon emissions, according to the release.
"Through collaborations with strong academic institutions and national labs like UC Berkeley and the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, we are developing a portfolio of lower-emissions energy solutions. This provides yet another example of one of the many new materials ExxonMobil is researching to reduce CO2 in the production of energy," according to the release. (Source: ExxonMobil, Smart Energy, 26 July, 2020)Contact: ExxonMobil www.exxonmobil.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News ExxonMobil, Carbon Capture, CCS,
The Jet Zero Council will bring together the government, environment sector and aviation and aerospace industry experts to work towards an ambition of the first-ever zero emission long-haul passenger plane.
The UK government's overall net zero by 2050 funding package will support the transition from natural gas to clean hydrogen power; scaling up carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology; a drive towards the use of innovative materials in heavy industry; support for advanced new building techniques; state of the art construction techniques; research and development for the automotive sector, and others. (Source: Various Media, Economic Times India, 22 July, 2020)
More Low-Carbon Energy News Net Zero Emissions, Aviation Emissions, Carbon Emissions,
Aker Solutions intends to spin off its wind development business as well as the carbon capture technology business to Aker Solutions' shareholders in two separate companies. Oslo-based Kvaerner and Aker Solutions have entered into a merger plan, whereby the two entities will join forces to create Aker Solutions ASA, Combined 2019 revenues for the companies were about NOK 38 billion ($4.1 billion US) with an EBITDA of NOK 2.7 billion.
Aker Solutions intends to separate its CCUS business in a separate entity, Aker Carbon Capture followed by a private placement in the company, guaranteed by Aker ASA, to secure sufficient funding for the next phase of the development. The shares in the CCUS Company are expected to start trading on Merkur Market during August 2020. (Source: Aker Solutions, PR, Chemical Engineering, 20 July, 2020) Contact: Aker Solutions, Fredrik Berge, Inv. Relations, +47 22 94 62 19, fredrik.berge@akersolutions.com, www.akersolutions.com; Kvaerner, www.kvaerner.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News CCS, Norcem, Aker Solutions,
The CCS Norway project is a central part of Norway's efforts to reduce its carbon footprint and meet the European goal of climate-neutrality by 2050. The project would allow for the establishment of carbon capture facilities at Norcem, a cement factory in Brevik, and Fortum Oslo Varme, a waste-to-energy plant.
The captured CO2 is then to be transported and stored deep below the seabed in the North Sea. This part of the process is to be carried out by a joint venture between Shell, Total and Equinor, known as Northern Lights.
The €2.57 billion Full-Scale CCS Project promises to become the first of its kind to go live in Europe. The Norwegian government would cover around 80 pct of the project's estimated cost, according to a release. (Source: CCS Norway, GreenCar Congress, 19 July, 2020) Contact: CCS Norway, www.ccsnorway.com; Equinor, www.equinor.com; TOTAL, Investor Relations: +44 (0) 207 719 7962 l, ir@total.com, www.total.com; Norcem, www.norcen.no
More Low-Carbon Energy News CCS, Norway CCS, Norcem, Total, Equinor,
The first stage of activities involves: separation, capture and liquefaction of CO2 emitted from steelworks; transportation of liquefied CO2 by ship to a hydrogen supply site; generation of synthetic methane from CO2 and hydrogen by methanation reaction; and liquefaction of the synthetic methane and using it as marine fuel.
The participating members include EX Research Institute Ltd, Hitachi Zosen Corp., Japan Marine United Corp., JFE Steel Corp., JGC Corp., Mitsui O.S.K. Lines Ltd., Nippon Kaiji Kyokai (ClassNK), Nippon Steel Corp.; and Sanoyas Shipbuilding Corp.
(Source: Mitsui OSK Line, PR, Dry Bulk, July, 2020)
Contact: Mitsui OSK Line, www.mol.co.jp
More Low-Carbon Energy News CCS, Alternative Fuel, Maritime Emissions,
FLECCS project teams are developing CCS retrofits to existing power generators as well as greenfield systems that intake fossil carbon-containing fuel like natural gas or bio-gas and output electricity. FLECCS Phase 1 teams will design, model, and optimize CCS processes that enable flexibility on a high-VRE grid. Later in the program, teams that move to Phase 2 will focus on building components, unit operations, and prototype systems to reduce technical risks and costs.
In FLECCS Phase 2, up to $31 million in additional funding will be available for teams. At the conclusion of the Phase 1 period, teams will be down-selected based on an engineering design review and the projected economic impact of their Phase 1 projects on a future electricity grid. Selected teams will move on to receive additional funding, further develop their technologies and address Phase 2 challenges.
Download a sampling of FLECCS projects and details HERE. (Source: US DOE ARPA-E, July, 2020) Contact:
ARPA-E, Lane Genatowski, Director, arpa-e.energy.gov
More Low-Carbon Energy News DOE ARPA-E, CCS,
The new, five-year agreement builds on ExxonMobil's participation in Princeton's E-filliates Partnership, a corporate membership program aimed at accelerating R&D and deployment of energy and environmental technologies through academia and industry partnerships.
ExxonMobil is the world-leader in carbon capture, sequestering (CCS) more carbon in the last 20 years than any other company. Princeton is advancing this technology with new research to better understand how stored CO2 flows within rocks and interacts with minerals and improving the understanding of underground storage capacity, according to the Princeton release.
Princeton researchers are also working to better understand the barriers, technology needs and opportunities of the global energy transition. This research is taking a comprehensive look at potential pathways to achieve net-zero emissions in the U.S. by 2050, and the investments in technology, infrastructure, and skill development to achieve that goal.
Princeton's Andlinger Center is one of five university energy centers ExxonMobil has partnered with to undertake fundamental research to provide low-carbon energy solutions while meeting global energy demand.
(Source: Princeton, Strategic Research Institute, PR, GasOil News, 7 July, 2020)
Contact: ExxonMobil, Princeton Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment, 609-258-4899, www.acee.princeton.edu
More Low-Carbon Energy News ExxonMobil, Princeton, Carbon Emissions, CCS,
The partnership follows Total's 2019 acquisition of Atos's Quantum Learning Machine, a quantum simulator used to test and accelerate algorithms for various fields, and in particular can be useful in discovering new materials for carbon capture or energy storage (CCS).
(Source: Atos SE, Market Screener, 7 July, 2020) Contact: Atos SE, +33 1 73 26 00 00, www.atos.net; Total SA, +33 1 47 44 46 99, www.total.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News Carbon Neutral, Carbon Emissions, Total SA, CCS ,
The plan is to develop systems that can be deployed locally in Singapore, and potentially exported overseas. Cryogenic carbon capture, which can reduce emissions from power plants by 95 to 99 pct at about half of the cost of conventional technologies, and membrane-based carbon capture, whereby CO2 is separated from other exhaust gases via a membrane, and is then collected and stored, are among the CCS technologies being considered. The effort is being supported by the National Research Foundation.
In February, the city-state pledged to hit peak greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, and cut emissions by half by 2050. (Source: EcoBusiness, 5 July, 2020)
Contact: Singapore National Research Foundation, +65 6684 2900, www.nrf.gov.sg
More Low-Carbon Energy News Singapore news, CCS news,
The research will involve drilling a stratigraphic test well to examine the geology near the Blue Flint facility to
determine the potential and viability of permanently storing CO2 in a deep saline formation. If the sequestration project is successfully completed, the Blue Flint facility anticipates sequestering approximately 200,000 tpy of CO2.
The result of the sequestration will be a lower carbon footprint for the facility and the ability to participate in the IRS 45Q tax credit program, incenting such activities.
(Source: Midwest AgEnergy, Daily News, 29 June, 2020) Contact: Midwest AgEnergy, Jeff Zueger, CEO, (701) 442-7500/(701) 251-3900, www.midwestagenergygroup.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News Midwest AgEnergy, Ethanol, Blue Flint Ethanol, CCS,
The pilot, which is expected to get underway this autumn, will test two of MHI's proprietary solvents -- KS-1TM Solvent which is presently being used at 13 commercial plants including Petra Nova in Texas where it is capturing 1.4 million tpy of CO2 , and KS-21TM Solvent which is designed to achieve significant performance improvements and cost savings, according to MHIE.
Implementing BECCS at Drax could deliver 16 million tpy of negative emissions -- a third of the negative emissions the UK needs from BECCS to reach its zero carbon targets by 2050, according to DRAX. (Source: DRAX, MHI, Cdn. Biomass, 24 June, 2020) Contact: DRAX, Will Gardiner, CEO, +44(0)1757 618381
www.drax.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, DRAX, CCS, Biomass,
The $7 million project was proposed by Blue Flint Ethanol, also of Underwood. The ethanol plant uses the CO2 in its processing of corn.
(Source: Prairie Public Broadcasting News, 22 June, 2020)
Contact: Lignite Energy Council, Jason Bohrer, Exec. Dir., 701-258-7117, www.lignite.com; Blue Flint Ethanol -- MidWest Ag Energy, 701-442-7500, 701-442-7514, www.midwestagenergy.com/fccp-blue-flint-19634; Blue Flint Ethanol, Midwest AgEnergy, Jeff Zueger, CEO, (701) 442-7500/(7010 251-3900, www.midwestagenergygroup.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News Blue Flint Ethanol, COs, CCS,
To find savings, CCSD personnel worked closely with Cenergistic engineers, experts, and energy specialists to audit and optimize energy-using systems across the school district to achieve peak efficiency. Cenergetic tracked energy consumption at all CCSD campuses through state-of-the-art smart technology to identify and correct areas that need immediate attention.
Since 2016, Cenergetic has created more than $7 million in savings, seen 61 different facilities gain ENERGY STAR® certification, and created a culture of sustainability among students and staff. The energy saved from the program equates to avoiding the carbon emissions produced by the average car driving approximately 100 million miles, according to the company. (Source: Cenergetic, Website, June, 2020)
Contact: Cenergistic, Dr. Wm. Spears, CEO, (855) 798-7779, info@cenergistic.com, www.cenergistic.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News Cenergetic news, Energy Efficiency news,
The project will use Aker Solutions' Advanced Carbon Capture (ACC) technology and its HSE-friendly S26 amine solvent.
The Akers Solutions--Norcem project is subject to Norwegian government approval and funding of the project. If completed, the plant could become the world's first large-scale capture plant at a cement producer.
(Source: Aker Solutions, Cement News, 17 June, 2020)
Contact: Aker Solutions, Fredrik Berge, Inv. Relations, +47 22 94 62 19, fredrik.berge@akersolutions.com, www.akersolutions.com; Norcem, www.norcem.no
More Low-Carbon Energy News Aker Solutions, CCS, Carbon Storage, Norcem, Cement, CO2,
JCOAL operates under the supervision of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry of Japan and is supported by more than 120 member coal-related businesses, including Kawasaki Heavy Industries Ltd., Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems, Nippon Steel and Toshiba.
The organization works to promote overall coal activities, from coal mining to the field of coal utilization, toward a stable energy supply, sustainable economic growth and the reduction of the global environment emissions. (Source: Wyoming News Exchange, Laramie Boomerang, 12 June, 2020) Contact:
Wyoming Integrated Test Center, 307-635-3573, info@wyomingitc.org, www.wyomingitc.org; JCOAL, www.jcoal.or.jp › eng; Kawasaki Heavy Industries, www.global.kawaski.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News Kawasaki Heavy Industries, JCOAL, CCS, Carbon Capture, ,
Project partners, including Chrysaor, Shell and Total, aim to reform North Sea natural gas into clean hydrogen, with carbon dioxide emissions safely mitigated through the carbon capture and storage (CCS) infrastructure.
The Acorn project holds the first UK CO2 appraisal and storage licence to be awarded by the Oil and Gas Authority.
(Source: Pale Blue Dot, Thomson Media, 10 June, 2020) Contact: Petrofac Engineeing, Johm Pearson, CEO, www.petrofac.com: Pale Blue Dot, Ian Phillips, Project Director, info@pale-blu.com, www.pale-blu.com;
pale-blu.com › acorn
More Low-Carbon Energy News CCS, Pale Blue Dot,
Research for the facility will build on the successful outcomes of three phases of work which have been carried out since 2016.
A CO2 Storage Facility Permitting Guidance Document will be compiled as part of the project to serve as a resource for other North Dakota renewable energy or biofuel producers interested in pursuing utilization of CCS technology, according to the release. "This project continues to help maximize the marketability of North Dakota ethanol through evolving CCS incentive programmes," the commission noted in a statement. (Source: North Dakota Industrial Commission, 6 June, 2020) Contact: North Dakota Industrial Commission, www.dmr.nd.gov; UNDEERC, 701-777-5000, www.undeerc.org
More Low-Carbon Energy News UNDEERC, CCS, Ethanol,
The facilities added continue trends in CCS deployment that include innovative applications such as natural gas power, negative emissions and cement, as well as stacked and offshore geologic storage, according to the report.
Download the The Value of Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS)
report HERE.
(Source: Global CCS Institute, PR, 8 June, 2020) Contact: Global CCS Institute , Brad Page, CEO, +61 3 8620 7300 , info@globalccsinstitute.com,, www.globalccsinstitute.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News Global CCS Institute , CCS ,
Climeworks' technology captures CO2 from the air and stores it in solid state underground.
(Source: Climeworks, Bloomberg, June, 2020) Contact: Climeworks, Christoph Gebald, co-CEO, +41 44 533 2999, www.climeworks.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News Direct Air Carbon Capture, Climeworks AG, CCS, Carbon Emissions, Carbon Capture,
Neither of these new credits is subject to a limitation on the number of metric tons of qualified carbon oxide captured. The new law also expanded carbon capture to include "qualified carbon oxide". Prior to the change in law, carbon capture was limited to a total of 75,000,000 metric tons of qualified carbon oxide.
The proposed regulations address procedures to determine adequate security measures for the geological storage of qualified carbon oxide, exceptions to the general rule for determining who the credit is attributable to, procedures for a taxpayer to make an election to allow third-party taxpayers to claim the credit, standards for measuring utilization of qualified carbon oxide and rules for credit recapture.
In Notice 2020-12, the IRS provides guidance to help businesses determine when construction has begun on a qualified facility or on carbon capture equipment that may be eligible for the carbon capture credit. This notice provides broad guidance in lieu of taxpayers requesting private letter rulings in this area.
In Revenue Procedure 2020-12, the IRS creates a safe harbor for the allocation rules for carbon capture partnerships similar to the safe harbors developed for partnerships receiving the wind energy production tax credit and the rehabilitation credit. The safe harbor simplifies the application of carbon capture credit rules to partnerships able to claim the credit. (Source: US IRS, US Treasury Dept., MyChesCo, 30 May, 2020)
More Low-Carbon Energy News Carbon Oxide, Carbon Monoxide, CO2, Carbon Capture, CCS, Carbon Credit,
For its scope of work, Fluor will leverage its proprietary Econamine FG Plus carbon capture technology -- an energy-efficient and cost-effective process for the removal of CO2 from flue gas streams. The process will incorporate Fluor's advanced solvent formulation together with a number of patented energy savings features.
The FEED is being funded by the U.S. DOE Office of Fossil Energy and managed by its National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) as part of a larger initiative to advance carbon capture technology development.
(Source: Fluor Corp., PR, Chem Engineering, 21 May, 2020) Contact: Fluor Corp., www.fluor.com; Minnkota Power Coop, 701-795-4000, www.minnkota.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News CCS, Project Tundra, Fluor,
If approved, the spending would focus on projects across Britain between 2021 and 2026, under the RIIO-2 price control. The gas networks claim that spending could help the UK use "blue hydrogen" developed from carbon capture and storage (CCS) projects, and "green hydrogen" from renewable electricity -- with the latter becoming cost-competitive by 2030.
Under the plan, £446 million would be spent on a new network infrastructure for the industrial use of hydrogen, including £391 million for carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS) projects in the north-west of England, Aberdeenshire and the Isle of Grain. A further £264 million would be spent on projects to expand the capacity of local gas networks by connecting hydrogen and bio-methane generation projects and transport refueling stations. £150 million would be used to run large-scale trials for domestic use of hydrogen heating, cooking and transportation and how these are connected to the gas grid. £43 million would be spent to research blending more zero-carbon hydrogen with the natural gas currently used in the UK's gas networks.
According to the Energy Networks Association (ENA), £182 billion could be invested to make hydrogen cost-competitive with the current natural gas-based system and would reduce energy system costs to the UK public by £189 billion by 2050. (Source: ENA, edie, 28 May. 2020)
Contact: Energy Networks Association, www.energynetworks.org; OFGEM, Chris Lock, +44 0207 901 7225, www.ofgem.gov.uk
More Low-Carbon Energy News Blue Carbon, Ofgem, Net-Zero Emissions,
The project, a collaboration between Sweden's largest fuel company Preem, Aker Solutions, Chalmers University of Technology, Equinor, and the Norwegian research institute SINTEF, is funded by the Swedish Energy Agency and the Norwegian research and development programme CLIMIT. (Source: Aker Solutions, Website, 27 May, 2020)
Contact: Aker Solutions , Luis Araujo, CEO, +47 67 51 30 00,
+47 67 82 69 50 fax, www.akersolutions.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News Aker Solutions, CCS,
On April 24, the U.S. DOE Office of Fossil Energy announced $131 million in grants for carbon capture, utilization and storage research and development. Five projects, including the one in Kemper County, were selected for funding. The other carbon capture projects receiving DOE grants include:
The projects will assess safe and cost-effective commercial scale geologic storage sites and examine the technological and economic viability of carbon capture or purification technologies and the National Energy Technology Laboratory will manage the selected projects.
The $7.5 billion Kemper County plant was originally intended to be fueled by synthesis gas produced from lignite coal and was to have to have removed 65 pct of the carbon emissions and other byproducts from the gas stream for sale to industrial customers. The plant was supposed to cost $2.4 billion, but the cost ballooned by 212.5 percent to $7.5 billion. (Source: U.S. DOE Office of Fossil Energy, Northside Sun, 27 May, (2020) Contact: U.S. DOE Office of Fossil Energy, www.energy.gov › office-fossil-energy
More Low-Carbon Energy News DOE Office of Fossil Energy news,
When completed, PORTHOS will store approximately 2.5 million tpy of CO2 beneath the North Sea. The CO2 will be captured by various companies in the Rotterdam port area which accounts for roughly 16 pct of the Netherlands total CO2 emissions, according to the release.
MAN Energy Solutions' scope of work for Porthos covers the engineering of two RG 25-4 and one RG 31-4 type compressor trains with an order for three additional units intended at a later stage. PORTHOS is expected to store the first CO2 by the end of 2023.
(Source: MAN Energy Solutions, WoldOil, 26 May, 2020) Contact: MAN Energy Solutions, Uwe Lauber, CEO, www.man-es.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News CCS, CCUS, Carbon Capture & Storage,
When completed, PORTHOS will store approximately 2.5 million tpy of CO2 beneath the North Sea. The CO2 will be captured by various companies in the Rotterdam port area which accounts for roughly 16 pct of the Netherlands total CO2 emissions, according to the release.
MAN Energy Solutions' scope of work for Porthos covers the engineering of two RG 25-4 and one RG 31-4 type compressor trains with an order for three additional units intended at a later stage. Porthos is expected to store the first CO2 under the North Sea by the end of 2023. The finalization of MAN's engineering contract is scheduled for late-summer 2020.
(Source: MAN Energy Solutions, WoldOil, 26 May, 2020) Contact: MAN Energy Solutions, Uwe Lauber, CEO, www.man-es.com
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Another $7.9 million in non-DOE funding from the North Dakota Industrial Commission (NDIC), through Minnkota, as well as Computer Modelling Group Ltd. and Schlumberger, brings the total funding to $24.9 million for the CarbonSAFE Phase III project. DOE recently awarded a total of $131 million for cost-shared R&D CCUS projects in the U.S.
Project Tundra is currently in the advanced R&D phase. If the project moves forward, construction will commence in 2022–2023. (Source: UND Today, University of North Dakota, PR, 19 May, 2020) Contact: Minnkota Power Co-op, Mac McLennan, Pres., CEO, 701-795-4000, www.minnkota.com;
UND EERC, Charlie Gorecki, CEO, 701.777.5000, eercinfo@undeerc.org, www.undeerc.org
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The project to be located off the Norwegian coast would capture and sequester 5 million tpy of CO2 from some of the EU's heaviest emitters.
A final investment decision on the project hinges on approval by the Norwegian authorities and rubber-stamping by the EFTA Surveillance Authority.
"The Northern Lights project could become the first step to develop a value chain for CCS, which is vital to reach the global climate goals of the Paris Agreement," according to Equinor Exec.VP Anders Opedal.
(Source: Total, Equinor, Shell Oil, ReCharge, 15 May, 2020) Contact: Equinor, www.equinor.com; TOTAL, Investor Relations: +44 (0) 207 719 7962 l, ir@total.com, www.total.com
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TOTAL presently invests up to 10 pct of its $1 billion annual R&D effort on CCS related technologies and initiatives. TOTAL is working on nanoporous materials (adsorbents) that could eventually be used to trap the CO2 emitted by the Group's industrial operations or those of other major emitters. Absorbents could also be used to capture CO2 directly from the air (Direct Air Capture or DAC).
(Source: TOTAL, PR, Business Wire, 15 May, 2020) Contact: TOTAL, Investor Relations: +44 (0) 207 719 7962 l, ir@total.com, www.total.com; Cambridge Quantum Computing, www.cambridgequantum.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News TOTAL, CCUS, CCS, CO2, Carbon Capture, Direct Air,
The Feasibility study will assess options for Carbon Capture and Sequestration (CCS), alongside blue hydrogen production relating to oil and gas fields in South East Asia, a region where JX Nippon continues to expand on its global track record of CCS/CCUS projects.
Under the agreement, KBR's Singapore hub will provide technical consultancy services in relation to developing concepts and technology recommendations for the capture of CO2, reinjection, and production of blue (i.e. carbon free) hydrogen.
KBR will also evaluate the feasibility of conversion and transport of hydrogen in other forms for sale into the market, including liquified cryogenic hydrogen, liquid organic hydrogen carrier (LOHC), ammonia, and methanol (utilizing CO2).
(Source: KBR, PR, 13 May, 2020) Contact: JX Nippon Oil & Gas Exploration, www.nex.jx-group.co.jp › english; KBR,
Jay Ibrahim, Pres., Energy Solutions, www.kbr.com
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MAG's move is occasioned by Great River Energy's planned 2022 closure of its Coal Creek Station which provides water and steam to the Blue Flint facility. Great River's Spiritwood Station provides steam and electricity to Midwest AgEnergy's Dakota Spirit facility. To ensure long-term operations at the Blue Flint facility the company is:
In a method never tried before and described in the research paper, aluminum oxide supports in pellet and tubular form were used to grow the silver membrane. Silver was added to the membrane, and the conditions experienced during operation forced the silver to grow within the membrane, bestowing higher performance.
The researchers used X-ray micro-computed tomography to look inside the membrane and confirm that the permeation of CO2 and O2 stimulated self-assembly of silver dendrites.
The researchers believe the system may be applicable for use in CO2 separation processes, either to protect the environment or in reaction engineering. Researchers also note "the performance of the membrane is at the level required to be competitive with existing carbon capture processes -- in fact, it would likely reduce the size of the equipment required significantly and potentially lower operating costs."
(Source: Newcastle University, Website, Technology Networks, May 04, 2020) Contact: Newcastle University, Dr. Greg Mutch, www.ncl.ac.uk
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To that end, the Authority proposes to amend its principle objective of maximizing economic recovery to bring in a number of low carbon obligations on operators, who would be open to penalties if they are not met. Changes include reducing flaring and emissions as much as possible, fully assessing low carbon development options like platform electrification, and requiring "good faith" negotiations on carbon capture and storage (CCS).
Greenpeace noted "the Oil and Gas Authority's plan to achieve net-zero is unworkable, because it demands a continued reliance on fossil fuels, which is destroying our climate -- what we really need is a zero-carbon economy."
(Source: UK Oil and Gas Authority, Energy Voice, Evening Standard, 6 May, 2020) Contact: UK Oil and Gas Authority, Mike Tholen, Sustainability Director,
Andy Samuel, CEO,
+44 0300 020 1010, oga.correspondence@ogauthority.co.uk, www.ogauthority.co.uk
More Low-Carbon Energy News UK Oil and Gas Authority, CCS, Net-Zero Emissions, CO2 ,
Of the total 550 million ISK, roughly 200 million ISK will be invested in projects aiming to naturally store carbon dioxide long-term in order to reduce levels of greenhouse gases in the earth's atmosphere. Carbon sequestration is a key part of the government's plan to achieve the Paris Climate Agreement's terms.
Additional grants totaling 75 million ISK will support the creation of new birch forests; 25 million ISK will address land reclamation projects; 60 million ISK for land quality recovery schemes; and 20 million ISK will be dedicated to wetland recovery.
A further 300 million ISK will be used to reduce Iceland's energy consumption and 50 million ISK has been earmarked for the government's recently launched climate fund to support climate change research and projects raising awareness of the impacts of global warming.
The release notes the government aims to reduce carbon emissions by 40 pct by 2030.
(Source: : Iceland Minister for the Environment, Reykjavik Grapevine, 1 May, 2020) Contact: Iceland Minister for the Environment, Gudmundur Ingi Guobrandsson, www.government.is/ministries/ministry-for-the-environment-and-natural-resources
More Low-Carbon Energy News Climate Change, CCS, Carbon Emissions,