DIFC LEED qualifying features included: water conservation fixtures; extensive recycled content -- including concrete, steel and glass; energy efficient lighting; occupancy sensors; CO2 sensors; and others. (Source: Design Middle East, 10 Sept., 2020)
More Low-Carbon Energy News USGBC, LEED Certification, Energy Efficiency,
The marine biofuel oil is a 0.50 pct sulphur residual-based fue l (VLSFO) processed with a second generation waste-based FAME component. The fuel is expected to be available in Rotterdam before the year end.
The trial demonstrated that the marine biofuel oil, which can provide a CO2 emission reduction of up to 40 pct compared with conventional marine fuel, can be used in a relevant marine application without modification. (Source: ExxonMobil, ShipinSight, 11 Sept., 2020) Contact: ExxonMobil, Bryan Milton, Pres. ExxonMobil Fuels and Lubricants Co, www.exxonmobil.com/en
More Low-Carbon Energy News ExxonMobil, Marine Biofuel,
On the other hand, global emissions continue to increase of 0.9 pct to 38 Gt of CO2. China's emissions rose 3.4 pct, India's were up 1.6 pct while U.S. emissions dropped 2.6 pct.
(Source: European Commission Joint Research Centre, Paperjam.lu, Sept., 2020) Contact: European Commission Joint Research Centre, www.ec.europa.eu/info/departments/joint-research-centre_en
More Low-Carbon Energy News European Commission Joint Research Centre news, Carbon Emissions news,
The €2.4 billion, 62-turbine project is expected to generate sufficient power for 835,000 people and avoid 100,000 tpy of CO2 emissions.
An Eiffage Metal and Engie Solutions JV will be in charge of the engineering and construction of the project's substation foundation and topside that houses the transformers and electrical equipment. ENGIE Solutions will carry out final assembly work and commissioning tests.
Fabrication work will be carried out by Eiffage in Belgium and Poland with a scheduled completion date early in 2022.
Over the next four years, Iberdrola notes it plans to invest up to €4 billion in offshore wind over the next four years. The company presently has operating facilities in the Irish Sea, in German waters of the Baltic and in the North Sea. The company has an installed capacity of 32,695 MW and a renewable energy project pipeline exceeding 58,000 MW, according to the news release.
(Source: Iberdrola, Website News Release, Spt., 2020) Contact: Iberdrola, +34 91 784 32 32, comunicacioncorporativa@iberdrola.es, www.iberdrola.es
More Low-Carbon Energy News Iberdrola, Offshore Wind,
The pilot plant will source raw materials including recycled bark, wood chips, sawdust, and wood shaves, with more than 2 million green tons (Gt) of potential raw material from local sources. The project has received financial support from the Canadian government, the Quebec government and the city of Saguenay.
The pilot is intended to verify Elkem's technology for renewable biocarbon, with a long-term goal of contributing to climate-neutral metal production. The technology has potential other industry application while contributing to reduced CO2 emissions, the company says.
(Source: Elkem, Chemical Weeks, 9 Sept., 2020) Contact: Elkem, Michael Koenig, CEO, www.elkem.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News Elkem, Biocarbon, Woody Biomass, Biomass,
If approved by the the Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC) DTE would increase its solar generation capacity by nearly ten times by 2022 when its wind and solar energy portfolio would generate sufficient energy to power 900,000 homes as well as offset approximately 4.7 million tons of CO2e.
DTE's energy generation portfolio presently has 15 wind parks and 31 solar farms capable of producing enough clean energy to power more than 500,000 homes. with plans to add three additional wind parks to its portfolio by the end of 2020. (Source: DTE, Zacks, 2 Sept., 2020)Contact: DTE Energy, Trevor Lauer, Pres., COO, Irene Dimitry, VP Business Planning & Development, (313) 235-9994, dimitryi@dteenergy.com, www2.dteenergy.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News DTE Energy, Wind, Solar, Renewable Energy,
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,
The roughly €1 million project -- the first in Central Asia to replace fossil fuels with biofuels on an industrial scale -- "will meet the needs of the local market for 'green' thermal and electric energy in remote communities, greenhouses, schools, hospitals and industrial facilities presently using fossil fuels. As a result, the volume of CO2 emissions into the atmosphere will be significantly reduced." Additionally, the plant hopes to export over 200,000 tpy of biochar to European markets, according to a release.
Kazakh Invest is seeking project funding from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), the World Bank (WB) and the Development Bank of Kazakhstan (DBK).
(Source: Kazakh Invest, Website News, 30 Aug., 2020) Contact: Kazakh Invest, +7 7172 620 620 www.invest.gov.kz
More Low-Carbon Energy News Biomass, Biofuel, Biochar,
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 three-phase project is expected to be finalized by 2030. The first stage, which could be operational by as early as 2023, will comprise a 10 MW electrolysis plant producing renewable hydrogen for trucks and potentially buses. By 2027, the stage two facility equipped with a 250 MW electrolysis plant will combine the production of renewable hydrogen with captured CO2 from combustion of municipal waste or biomass to produce renewable methanol for maritime vessels and renewable jet fuel for planes. The last phase will upgrade the electrolysis plant's capacity to 1.3 GW and capture more CO2.
In addition to major partner investments, the project is seeking substantial funding from Innovation Fund Denmark.
(Source: Haldor Topsoe, PR, 27 Aug., 2020) Contact: Haldor Topsoe, Roeland Baan, CEO,
+45 4527 2000, www.topsoe.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News Haldor Topsoe , Hydrogen, Sustainable Fuel,
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 European Commission is presently reforming the rules on monitoring and reporting for the ETS the period 2021-2030. The draft regulation requires that biomass complies with the Renewable Energy Directive Sustainability criteria to be considered carbon neutral. This is a critical point to ensure that biomass comes from sustainable managed forests, that it does not lead to a decrease to the forest carbon stock, and it doesn't damage biodiversity or soil and water quality.
The current EU ETS only accounts for smokestack emissions and rates the carbon emissions of biomass burning at zero. However, EASAC said in a statement that it "should not be possible to just assume that millions of tons of carbon coming out of a power station stack are 'zero'. The ETS should be reformed to link accounting to the real effects on CO2 levels in the atmosphere. This will require calculating the 'carbon payback period' for each biomass facility and its supply chain. Regulators need to know how long it will take until the initial perverse effects of biomass on climate are overcome and net reductions in atmospheric CO2 concentrations achieved', according to the release.
"The European Commission, in its recent biodiversity strategy, has recognised that sustainable bioenergy is a win-win solution for energy generation and a key tool to achieve carbon neutrality in 2050. EU member states, as shown in their national energy and climate plans, rely on efficient and sustainable bioenergy to decarbonise their energy mix," the release added. (Source: EASAC, Website, PR, Aug., 2020) Contact: EASAC, Professor Michael Norton, Environment Programme Director, info@easac.eu,
+32 2550 2332 www.easac.eu
More Low-Carbon Energy News EU ETS news, Biomass news, Biomass Emissions news,
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 Project, which will be implemented by the Forestry Commission (FC) of Ghana with technical support from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), in partnership with multiple national and local institutions, civil society organizations and private sector, leveraged vertical funds with $30,100,000 grant from the GCF, about $15 million from the Government of Ghana and mobilized about $9 million impact investments from the private sector .
The project's outcomes included the restoration of 200,000 hectares of off-reserve savanna forest and 300,000 hectares of degraded shea parklands as well as the establishment of 25,500 hectares of forest plantations in severely degraded forest reserves. The project is expected to cut 25.24 million tonnes of CO2 over 20 years.
The GCF is a funding mechanism under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) that supports climate change adaptation and mitigation in developing countries.
(Source: Green Climate Fund, Ghana Business News, 21 Aug., 2020)Contact: Green Climate Fund, +82.32.458.6059, info@greenclimate.fund, www.greenclimate.fund
More Low-Carbon Energy News Green Climate Fund, Carbon Emissions, Climate Change, Global Warming, Deforestation,
SustainRNG will engineer, finance, construct and operate RNG sites in collaboration with dairy farmers. Duke Energy has a minority share in SustainRNG and the option to invest in future operating projects.
Methane (biogas) is more than 80 times more potent as a global warming agent in its first 20 years in the atmosphere compared with CO2. (Source: Duke Energy, PR, 17 Aug., 2020) Contact: Duke Energy Renewables, Rob Caldwell, Pres, (704) 594-6200, rob.caldwell@duke-energy.com, www.duke-energy.com; SustainRNG, Michael Shore, CEO, michael@SustainRNG.com, www.sustainrng.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News RNG, Biogas, SustainRNG, Duke Energy,
The consultation document includes proposals aimed at avoiding confusion, especially as the country's vehicle fleet is heavier than the 27 country EU fleets. Moving from the EU fleet average to a UK specific value would "immediately make regulatory targets more demanding for all manufacturers," the consultation document notes.
When made into legislation as proposed, the UK will keep the EU's 15 pct CO2 emission reduction target for cars and vans from 2025, and a 37.5 pct reduction for cars and 31 pct for vans come 2030. Carmakers will face fines of £86 instead of €95 for every gram of CO2 exceeded. The limit is 95 grams per km, and manufacturers will still base their targets on the average weight of vehicles sold.
Download the Department for Transport document details HERE. (Source: UK Gov. Department for Transport, electrive.com, Aug., 2020)
More Low-Carbon Energy News Carbon Emissions, Transportation Emissions, Vehicle Emissions ,
Since inception, businesses and organizations signed up to the Commitment now cover nearly 6,000 assets, over 32 million sq-meter total floor area and $100 billion in annual turnover. By 2030, this means that the operational portfolio emissions of these Commitment signatories will be at net zero, affecting approximately 3.4 million tonnes of CO2 (tCO2e).
(Source: World GBC, PR, Aug., 2020) Contact: World GBC, Cristina Gamboa, CEO, Net Zero Carbon Buildings Commitment, www.worldgbc.org/thecommitment, www.worldgbc.org
More Low-Carbon Energy News World Green Building Council, Energy Efficiency, Net Zero Carbon,
The EPA is proposing to penalize the current Tier 3 test fuel that all automakers will use to meet CO2 emission standards because it contains 10 pct ethanol. This Tier 3 test fuel lowers CO2 emissions compared to the prior E0 test fuel from 1975. The EPA is creating this new penalty against ethanol by manipulating test procedures to inflate the tailpipe CO2 emissions of vehicles certified as using E10. Since the penalty would presumably increase with higher ethanol volumes, this rule would be a major disincentive for automakers to transition to higher ethanol blends.
"Basically ethanol can't win. First EPA ignores ethanol's ability to reduce toxic aromatics, and now it wants to penalize ethanol for being a more efficient, lower-carbon fuel additive. The EPA is making this more complicated than it needs to be. It's creating rules based on older, non-representative fuels in its testing. Plus, EPA has no authority to penalize a particular fuel. Automakers can take advantage of high octane ethanol but not if they are penalized before they even start. In short, let the market work," Urban Air President Dave VanderGriend commented.
"EPA's anti-ethanol bias is not limited to how it has badly mismanaged the Renewable Fuel Standard, it extends to the Agency's proposal to artificially inflate CO2 emissions from vehicles being tested on E10 blends for Tier 3 Test Fuel Procedures," ACE CEO Brian Jennings commented.
(Source: Urban Air Initiative, PR, 17 Aug., 2020) Contact: Urban Air Initiative, Dave VanderGriend, Pres., www. fixourfuel.com; Clean Fuels Development Coalition, 301-718-0077, www.cleanfuelsdc.org; American Coalition for Ethanol, Brian Jennings, (605) 334-3381, www.ethanol.org
More Low-Carbon Energy News RFS, American Coalition for Ethanol, ACE, Urban Air Initiative, Ethanol, Ethanol Blend,
According to the IEA, Thailand's experience of carbon market mechanisms began in 2007, when the government established TGO to implement and manage GHG emissions projects. In 2103, the public body launched the Thailand Voluntary Emission Reduction programme, a baseline and credit programme. By 2020 it had 191 registered projects that are due to reduce emissions by 5.28 Mt CO2-eq annually and the Thailand Carbon Offsetting Program which encourages public and private organisations to calculate their carbon footprint and buy carbon credits to offset their unavoidable emissions.
In 2015 TGO launched the Thailand Voluntary Emission Trading Scheme to serve as a pilot, setting up the infrastructure to develop a national emission trading system and identify gaps and opportunities. The first phase (2015-17) established and tested the market's design features and the measurement, reporting and verification system. During the second phase (2018-20) TGO aims to encourage wider participation and develop participants' trading capabilities.
Thailand is aiming to reduce GHG emissions to 20.8 pct below the business-as-usual level by 2030. (Source: IEA , New Europe, Aug., 2020)Contact: IEA, Fatih Birol, Exec. Dir., +33 1 40 57 65 00, www.iea.org
More Low-Carbon Energy News Carbon Tax, IEA,
According to O2 UK, the next-generation networks to shed up to 269 megatonnes of CO2 from the country's emissions by 2035 making the technology vital to the UK achieving carbon neutral status by 2050.
According to a company release, smart technology could cut 181 megatonnes of carbon emissions from the utility and home energy sectors over the 15 year period. In 2018, England's total emissions amounted to 280 megatonnes.
O2 UK is aiming to become the UK's first net-zero mobil network by 2025.
(Source: O2 UK, PR, MobilWorld, 12 AUG., 2020) Contact: O2 UK, Mark Evans, CEO, www.o2.co.uk
More Low-Carbon Energy News Carbon Emissions, O2 UK,
Because CO2 is not emitted when ammonia is burned, ammonia is expected to be used as an alternative fuel for vessels.
The IMO aims to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 40 percent by 2030, and 70 percent by 2050. (Source: IMO, SeaNews, 12 Aug., 2020) Contact: International Maritime Organization (IMO), Stefan Micallef, Director of Marine Environment Division, +44 (0) 20 7735 7611, www.imo.org
More Low-Carbon Energy News IMO, Amonia, Marine Fuel, Maritime Fuel, Maritime Emissions,
POET is the world's largest producer of biofuels and has marketed various bio-based products including several animal feed solutions, renewable CO2, and JIVE, an eco-friendly asphalt rejuvenator and modifier. (Source: POET, Website News, Aug., 2020) Contact: POET, Jeff Broin, CEO, (605) 965-2200, www.poet.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News POET, Ethanol,
According to the study, CO2 emissions grew to 1,056 million tonnes in 2018 versus 962 million tonnes in 2012.
The report also noted emissions in 2020 and 2021 would be significantly lower due to the impact of COVID-19 and that emissions over the next decades may be a few percent lower than projected depending on the recovery trajectory.
The non-profit International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT) said the growth of shipping was outpacing efficiency improvements and by 2050 emissions from the industry were projected to be up to 130 pct higher than 2008 levels.
(Source: IMO, Brinkwire, Aug., 2020) Contact: International Maritime Organization (IMO), Stefan Micallef, Director of Marine Environment Division, +44 (0) 20 7735 7611, www.imo.org; International Council on Clean Transportation, www.theicct.org
More Low-Carbon Energy News Maritime Emissions, IMO, International Council on Clean Transportation ,
"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,
"In terms of CO2, we estimate that 205 megatons of CO2 was emitted from wildfires within the Arctic Circle between June 1 and July 31 -- the annual total wildfire emissions for the Arctic Circle in 2019 were 182 megatons of CO2 -- more CO2 emissions than the annual output of Denmark, Sweden, Norway, and Finland combined.
(Source: EU Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service, Dhaka Monitor, 6 Aug., 2020) Contact:
Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service, atmosphere.copernicus.eu
More Low-Carbon Energy News Carbon Emissions,
The EU carbon market is the 28-member trading bloc's flagship policy for cutting greenhouse gas emissions, which it does by forcing power plants, factories and airlines to buy permits to cover some of the pollution they emit.
The EU carbon market covered just shy of 1.6 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) last year. The Swiss carbon market coveredless than 5 million tonnes of CO2e from industrial facilities in 2019.
(Source: European Commission, europa.eu, Reuters, Aug., 2020)
More Low-Carbon Energy News Carbon Market, EU ETS, Carbon Trading,
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,
The report also noted 75 pct of the world's offshore wind farms are in European waters but by the end of the decade China is expected to host more than a fifth of the world's offshore wind turbines, equating to 52GW.
The report notes the offshore wind industry could create 900,000 jobs globally over the next decade and that every 1GW of offshore wind helped to avoid 3.5 million tonnes of CO2 from entering the atmosphere .
(Source: GWEC, PR, reve, 6 Aug., 2020)
Contact: GWEC, Ben Blackwell, CEO, Alyssa Pek, +32 490 56 81 39, alyssa.pek@gwec.net, www.gwec.net
More Low-Carbon Energy News Global Wind Energy Council, Wind, China Wind,
As previously reported, Repsol is aiming to be zero emissions company by 2050 in accordance with the Paris Climate Agreement. To that end,
The company recently announced the launch of two major pioneering decarbonization industrial projects at the Petronor refinery. The first project involves the construction of one of the largest plants in the world for producing net zero emissions fuels from CO2 and green hydrogen, generated with renewable energy. This facility will set a new benchmark in Europe thanks to the cutting-edge technology applied and the use of captured CO2 as raw material in the Petronor refinery. The second project is a plant for generating gas from urban waste, which will replace part of the traditional fuels used in Petronor's production process. (Source: Repsol, The Corner, Aug., 2020)Contact: Repsol SA, Josu Jon Imaz, CEO, (+34) 91 753 8100, 91 753 8000, sacportal@repsol.com, www.repsol.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News Repsol, Aviation Biofuel,
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,
Select Carbon partners with farmers and other landowners to develop carbon farming projects throughout Australia which aim to reduce emissions and capture CO2 while benefiting biodiversity and local communities. Carbon credits generated through Select Carbon's projects are offered through the Australian government's Emissions Reduction Fund and other markets, creating an additional revenue stream for farmers and landowners, according to the Shell release.
Select Carbon has to date developed and manages a portfolio of over 70 projects covering 9 million hectares across various ecosystems and agricultural uses in Australia, according to the Shell release.
The acquisition of Select Carbon is subject to Australian regulatory approvals and expected to close before the year end. (Source: Shell Australia, S&P, 3 Aug., 2020) Contact: Shell Australia, +61 8 9338 6600, www.shell.com.au; Select Carbon, +61 414 334 170, www.selectcarbon.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News Carbon Farming, Carbon Credit, Shell Australia, Select Carbon, Carbon Credits,
The bank noted it is working to measure, manage and reduce the climate risk and impact of its portfolio of clients and to that end is is participating in the development and rollout of the Partnership for Carbon Accounting Financials, a framework that will help it measure the carbon footprint of its lending portfolios. Additionally, Citi is testing the methodology for the 2016 Paris Agreement Capital Transition Assessment, a tool that will enable it to look at its most carbon-intensive sectors and clients and measure their progress toward reducing global warming.
Citigroup is also aiming for a 45 pct CO2 emission reduction reduction in its operations by 2025 from a 2010 baseline and, to that end, aims to only use renewable electricity to power its facilities globally by the end of 2020.
In 2019, Citigroup assets totaled $1.951 trillion, equity totaled
$193 billion and net income came in at
$19.471 billion. (Source: Citigroup, PR, MarketScreener, 29 July, 2020) Contact: Citigroup, www.citigroup.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News Citigroup, Low Carbon Energy,
Vestas will supply a total 99 Vestas V150-4.2MW turbines and is responsible for the project's engineering, procurement and construction under an (EPC) contract.
Dumat Al Jandal will be Saudi Arabia's first wind farm and the largest in the Middle East when completed and commissioned in Q1, 2022 when it will generate sufficient power for as many as
70,000 Saudi households while displacing around 988,000 tpy of CO2. (Source: MASDAR, July, 2020)
Contact: MASDAR, Mohamed Jameel Al Ramahi, CEO, +971 2 653 3333, www.masdar.ae; EDF Renewables, www.edf-re.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News EDF Renewables, MASDAR, Wind,
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,
The energy efficiency works are a priority project under the Green City Action Plan for the Sarajevo Canton. The expected energy savings are estimated to be around 13.7 GWh and would result in 4,774 tpy of CO2 savings. Energy efficiency measures will include the introduction of cleaner and more efficient heating, better insulation, better lighting and overall improvements.
The 43-member EBRD Green Cities initiative is designed to help cities articulate a sustainable development vision and their strategic objectives as well as define actions and investments necessary to address priority environmental issues. (Source: EBRD, New Europe, 30 July, 2020) Contact: European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, www.ebrd.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, EBRD, Energy Efficiency ,
Methane is more than 80 times more potent as a global warming agent in its first 20 years in the atmosphere compared with CO2.
(Source: Duke Energy PR, BNN, 30 July, 2020) Contact: Duke Energy Renewables, Rob Caldwell, Pres, (704) 594-6200, rob.caldwell@duke-energy.com, www.duke-energy.com; SustainRNG, www.sustainrng.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News RNG, Duke Energy, SustainRNG, Methane, Biogas,
BASF will start with selected product and customer segments in the coming months and plans to make PCF data available for the entire portfolio by the end of 2021.
BASF SE is the largest chemical producer in the world. The BASF Group comprises subsidiaries and joint ventures in more than 80 countries and operates six integrated production sites and 390 other production sites in Europe, Asia, Australia, the Americas and Africa. (Source: BASF, PR, 28 July, 2020) Contact: BASF, Andreas Bode, Program Leader for Carbon Management R&D, +49 (0)621 60-0, www.basf.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News BASF, Carbon Emissions, Carbon Footprint,
ECOPact is sold at a range of low-carbon levels, from 30 pct to 100 pct less carbon emissions compared to ordinary (CEM1) concrete. Up to 80 pct less carbon is achieved primarily through the use of lower CO2-intensive materials. For a fully carbon-neutral solution, the last 20 pct is reached through offsets with certified carbon projects.
In the United States, LafargeHolcim's low-carbon products and solutions portfolio includes low-carbon concrete, low-clinker cements, recycled aggregates and services that promote sustainability. LafargeHolcim companies include close to 350 sites in 43 U.S. states.
(Source: LafargeHolcim, PR, July, 2020) Contact: LafargeHolcim, Jay Moreau, CEO, US Aggregates and Construction Materials, Stephanie Sulcer, Communications, 847 716 0368,
stephanie.sulcer@lafargeholcim.com, www.lafargeholcim.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News LafargeHolcim, Low-Carbon Cement, Cement, Carbon Emissions ,
The plant is powered by waste heat from a geothermal energy plant using direct air carbon capture technology (DAC).
Climeworks technology consist of modular CO2 collectors that can be stacked to build machines of any size. Climeworks direct air capture machines are powered solely by renewable energy or energy-from-waste. Grey emissions are below 10 pct, which means that out of 100 tons of carbon dioxide that our machines capture from the air, at least 90 tons are permanently removed and only up to 10 tons are re-emitted, according to the company website.
(Source: Climeworks, BTN News, 28 July, 2020) Contact: Climeworks, Jan Wurzbacher, co-founder and co-director, +41 44 533 2999, www.climeworks.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News Carbon Capture, Climeworks, Carbon Offset, Carbon Credit, Climate Change,
The project, the world's largest such facility will be located roughly 35 kilometers from Abu Dhabi city, has signed power purchase and shareholders' agreements with EWEC. When fully operational, the plant is projected generate sufficient energy for as many as 160,000 households and to reduce Abu Dhabi's CO2 emissions by more than 2.4 million metric tpy -- equivalent to removing approximately 470,000 cars from the road. It will also increase Abu Dhabi's total solar power capacity to approximately 3.2 GW. (Source: EWEC, Utilities Middle East, 26 July, 2020) Contact: Emirates Water and Electricity Company, www.ewec.ae/en/home; JinkoSolar, www.jinkosolar.com; MASDAR, MASDAR, +971 2 653 3333, www.masdar.ae;EDF RE, www.edf-re.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News EDF, Emirates Water and Electricity Company, Solar, Masdar, JinkoSolar,
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,
Although these figures do not take into account the impact of the recently-strengthened Emissions Trading Scheme, the impact of that policy is expected to be limited over the next decade -- in 2030, net emissions will be 64.01 Mt CO2e with the stronger ETS as opposed to the 66.07 Mt CO2e projected in the MfE figures.
They will also be well above where they need to be for New Zealand to meet its commitment under the Paris Agreement. (Source: New Zealand Ministry for the Environment, newsroompro, 27 July, 2020)
Contact: New Zealand Ministry for the Environment, www.mfe.govt.nz
More Low-Carbon Energy News New Zealand Carbon Emissions, Carbom Emissions,
Gas flaring, the burning of natural gas associated with oil extraction, takes place because of technical, regulatory, and/or economic constraints.
It results in more than 400 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent emissions every year and wastes a valuable resource, with harmful impacts to the environment from un-combusted methane and black carbon emissions. (Source: World Bank Global Gas Flaring Reduction Partnership, This Day, 26 July, 2020) Contact: Global Gas Flaring Reduction Partnership, World Bank, (202) 473-1000,
www.worldbank.org › programs › gasflaringreduction
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In addition to plant heavy equipment renovations and replacements as needed, the facility will also be upgraded to utilize new motors and inverters for electric components to increase energy efficiency and reduce CO2 emissions by around 4 pct annually.
The ¥7.6 billion ($72.2 million U.S.) project is scheduled for completion in January 2023. (Source: MHI Environmental & Chemical Engineering Co., Contact: MHI Environmental & Chemical Engineering Co., www.mhiec.co.jp
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CO2Concrete has a carbon footprint 50-70 pct lower than traditional concrete, and captures carbon dioxide from raw flue gas emitted by cement plants and other sources. One particular attraction of the process is that it does not need a conventional carbon capture system. Cement production reportedly accounts for 8 pct of man-made carbon dioxide emissions.
A test centre to demonstrate the process is located at Dry Fork Station, a coal-based power plant near Gillette, Wyoming.
(Source: UCLA, Global Construction Review, 27 July, 2020) Contact: UCLA, Civil Engineering Prof. Gaurav Sant, www. samueli.ucla.edu/gaurav-sant
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OGCI members include: Saudi Aramco, ExxonMobil, BP, China's CNPC, Total, Chevron, Royal Dutch Shell, Repsol, Petrobras, Occidental Petroleum, Eni and Equinor. (Source: OGCI, July, 2020) Contact: Oil and Gas Climate Initiative, +44 (0)203 922 0853, www.oilandgasclimateinitiative.com
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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,
"Methane has a warming potential 28 times greater than CO2 over a 100-year period and its concentration in the atmosphere has more than doubled since the Industrial Revolution," according to the report.
Download the report HERE. (Source: IOP Science, AFP, Science Alert, July, 2020) Contact: IOP, www.iop.org
More Low-Carbon Energy News Methane, Methane Emissions,
Vodafone's energy efficiency initiatives are focused on sourcing and implementing more efficient network equipment, reducing energy demand by installing lower-energy power and cooling technologies, and cutting energy use by decommissioning and replacing legacy equipment. Vodafone's energy efficiency initiatives include:
More Low-Carbon Energy News Vodafone news, Energy Efficiency news,