Red Trail Energy
Date: 2020-03-13
Following up on our 13th Dec., 2019 report, Richardton, North Dakota-based corn ethanol producer Red Trail Energy LLC reports that with the completion of a drill pad at its Richardton ethanol facility it expects to begin drilling a one-mile or deeper stratigraphic well for carbon dioxide (CO2) sequestration in April. (Source: Red Trail Energy, KFGO, 11 Mar., 2020) Contact: Red Trail Energy, Gerald Bachmeier, CEO, (701) 974-3308, www.redtrailenergy.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News Red Trail Energy,  CCS,  Carbon Capture,  

TGS
Date: 2020-03-13
Global geoscience data for exploration & production specialist TGS reports completion of a Geological Carbon Storage Atlas for British Columbia (Canada) for a major oil and gas company. The study provides the most up-to-date understanding of geological carbon storage locations, onshore and offshore, throughout the province of British Columbia.

Through collaboration with its partner Canadian Discovery Limited, TGS leveraged its world-class basin evaluation expertise, subsurface data library, and geological knowledge and experience through working in British Columbia, to create a framework for carbon storage assessment and atlas for potential storage locations, according to the TGS release. (Source: TGS. Strategic Research Institute, SteelGuru,, Gasoil News , 12 Mar., 2020) Contact: TGS, Katja Akentieva, Global.Marketing@tgs.com, www.tgs.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News CCS,  Carbon Storage ,  

Neste
Date: 2020-03-13
Espoo, Finland-headquartered biofuels and sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) producer Neste Oyi reports it is committed to reaching carbon neutral production by 2035. The commitment complements Neste's other strategic climate commitment of reducing customers' greenhouse gas emissions by at least 20 million tpy by 2030. To that end, the company:

Continues to focus on energy efficiency to optimize the use of fuel gas, electricity, hydrogen and steam in its production. The improvements in the turnaround at Porvoo refinery in 2020 will decrease production emissions by more than 100 kt CO2eq annually;

Increases the use of renewable electricity at its production sites. As an example of this, Neste has already agreed to start using wind power in Finland;

Increases the weight of greenhouse gas emissions in the investment calculations and business case evaluation;

Explores new, less emitting production methods, for example utilizing biogas or electrolysis for hydrogen production;

Has started a project for GHG emission reductions at the Porvoo production site, focusing on carbon capture and storage (CCS) and identifies reliable compensation models for the remaining part which cannot be achieved by emission reductions.

Neste is working on rolling out the detailed plan and timeline for implementing the initiatives aimed at carbon neutral production by 2035. (Source: Neste Oyi, PR, Mar., 2020) Contact: Neste Oyi, Salla Ahonen, VP Sustainability, +358 50 458 5076, media@neste.com, www.neste.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News Neste,  Carbon Neutral,  Carbon Emissions,  

BP,Santos
Date: 2020-03-11
Independent Asia-Pacific region oil and gas producer Santos and UK-based oil industry giant BP are reporting a non-binding agreement which could see BP invest $20 million to support Santo's Moomba carbon capture and storage (CCS) project in Australia's Cooper Basin.

The CCS project aims to capture 1.7 million tpy of CO2 currently separated from naturalthe CO2 back into the same geological formations for permanent storage. The Cooper Basin reinjection capacity is assessed at up to 20 million tpy of CO2 for 50 years. The non-binding agreement, which is subject to finalization of terms and a final investment decision, is targeted for the end of 2020. (Source: BP, GasWorld, 9 Mar., 2020) Contact: BP Press Office, +44 (0) 20 7496 4076, bppress@bp.com, www.bp.com; Santos, Kevin Gallagher, CEO, + 61 2 8016 2832, www.santos.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News BP,  Santos,  CCS,  

Costain,Pale Blue Dot
Date: 2020-03-09
Following up on our 28th June, 2019 report, in the UK, London-headquartered construction firm Costain reports it will provide engineering design services for clean energy developer Pale Blue Dot's Acorn Carbon Capture Scheme and hydrogen project at St Fergus gas terminal.

Costain will deliver concept design and front-end engineering design support for the project to repurpose Shell's Goldeneye pipeline and field to capture CO2 emissions while using some of the existing CO2 emissions at the St Fergus gas terminal (around 340,000 tonnes) in order to commission a very large scale CO2 transport and storage infrastructure that can support much larger future volumes.

Once this detailed engineering phase is complete Pale Blue Dot hopes to reach a final investment decision in late 2021. The second phase will see full-scale production of hydrogen at a St Fergus production hub with waste CO2 pumped back into the depleted Goldeneye gas field. (Source: Costain, Construction Inquirer , 2 Mar., 2020) (Contact: Costain, Rob Phillips, Energy Sector Director, +44 20 7796 5840, www.costain.com; Pale Blue Dot Energy, Emma Anderson, +44 (0) 1330 826890, www.pale-blu.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News Costain,  Cabon Capture,  Pale Blue Dot,  

Eni S.p.A.
Date: 2020-03-04
is reporting plans to planning to have 55GW of installed renewable energy capacity by 2050. Under its Long-Term Strategic Plan to 2050, Italian oil and gas firm Eni S.p.A. is aiming to slash net greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of its energy products by 80 pct by 2050 by using renewable energies, biomethane, hydrogen, carbon capture and storage (CCS), methanol and products from the recycling of waste materials.

According to a release, the Rome-headquartered company has "quantified our carbon footprint reduction targets giving ourselves a comprehensive method of calculating emissions, which includes both direct and indirect emissions deriving from the end-use of our products, whether from our own production or purchased from third parties." (Source: Eni S.p.A., Bioenergy Insight, Mar., 2020) Contact: Eni S.p.A., Claudio Descalzi, CEO, +39 06 598 21, +39 06 598 22141 - fax, www.eni.com/en-IT/home.html

More Low-Carbon Energy News Eni,  Biodiesel,  Green Diesel,  Biomethane,  

OGCI Climate Investments
Date: 2020-03-04
OGCI Climate Investments, a $1-billion investment fund of The Oil and Gas Climate Initiative, is reporting the formation of a consortium of OGCI members -- BP, Eni, Equinor, Shell, and Total -- to accelerate the development of the Net Zero Teesside carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) project in the northeast of England.

Net Zero Teeside aims to capture up to 6 mtpa of CO2 emissions from local industries. There are also plans for a combined-cycle gas turbine (CCGT) facility with carbon capture technology which will provide low-carbon power as a complement to renewable energy sources and underpin the investment in the infrastructure. Net Zero Teesside also said it signed memorandums of understanding (MOUs) with three existing industrial partners demonstrating the strong local commitment to decarbonizing existing local industry. (Source: OGCI, OIL GAS Facilities, 2 Mar., 2020)Contact: OGCI Climate Investments, +44 (0) 203 922 0853, contact@climateinvestments.energy, www. oilandgasclimateinitiative.com › climate-investments; Oil and Gas Climate Initiative, www.oilandgasclimateinitiative.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News CCUS,  Teeside,  Oil and Gas Climate Initiative,  ,  

Carbon Capture
Date: 2020-02-26
In Washington, the U.S. Department of Treasury and the Internal Revenue Service issued two draft guidance documents relative to Carbon Capture.

The 45Q tax credits were initially established under President Barack Obama's administration in 2008 and later enhanced in 2018 to promote the development of carbon capture projects throughout the United States.

Download IRS and Treasury documents HERE and HERE. (Source: US IRS, US Treasury Dept., Feb., 2020)

More Low-Carbon Energy News Carbon Capture,  CCS,  

Hawaiian Legacy Reforestation Initiative
Date: 2020-02-26
In the Aloha State, the Hawaiian Legacy Reforestation Initiative (HLRI) is reporting the planting of 500,000 native trees in February as part of its effort to reduce the effects of climate change through carbon sequestration. The February plantings covered more than 1,200 acres of former pastureland on both Oahu and Hawaii Island.

According to the release, over the 50-year lifetime of a single tree, it will produce $31,250 worth of oxygen and $62,000 worth of air pollution control. Each tree will recycle $37,500 worth of water and prevent $31,250 of soil erosion. This data suggests that one tree will produce a societal benefit of $162,000. (Source: Hawaiian Legacy Reforestation Initiative, Big Island Now, 23 Feb., 2020) Contact: Hawaiian Legacy Reforestation Initiative , www.legacyforest.org

More Low-Carbon Energy News Carbon Capture,  Reforestation,  Carbon Emissions,  

Carbon Clean Solutions Limited
Date: 2020-02-19
London-headquartered cleantech startup Carbon Clean Solutions Limited (CCSL) is reporting completion of an equity investment of $16 million from three global investors --- WAVE Equity Partners, Chevron Technology Ventures, and Marubeni Corporation.

IIT Kharagpur-incubated Carbon Clean is developing affordable carbon capture technology for utilisation and storage, as used by steel, cement, refining and petrochemicals and waste incineration plants.

The new investment will be used to deliver an existing pipeline of global projects to lower carbon emissions from industry. CCSL will also invest in the development of "containerised" solutions to achieve $30/tonne cost of CO2 capture by 2021. (Source: CCSL, Your Story, 18 Feb., 2020) Contact: Carbon Clean Solutions Ltd., Aniruddha Sharma, CEO, +44 (0) 20 3755 1600, ccs@kekstcnc.com, www.carboncleansolutions.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News Carbon Clean Solutions,  CCS,  Carbon Capture Limited ,  

Climate Change
Date: 2020-02-14
In Washington, the Trump administration Republicans -- led by a president that proposes to cut down Alaska's Tongass National Forest and famously claimed "climate change is a hoax invented by China to gain a competitive edge" -- will reportedly soon introduce new energy, environmental and climate change legislation.

The legislation will reportedly call for a tax credit for carbon capture utilization and sequestration (CCUS) technology R&D and -- here's the exciting part -- the planting of 3.3 billion trees per year over the next 30 years -- well beyond the widely accepted crucial 2050 date -- when the fight to contain climate change may well be lost.

"The Donald" reportedly wholeheartedly backs the proposed legislation which includes no targets, dates or quantities for reducing carbon and other greenhouse gas emissions. (Source: Various Public Media, Feb., 2020)

More Low-Carbon Energy News Climate Change,  Trump Climate Change,  

Chevron Technology Ventures,SVante
Date: 2020-02-12
Oil giant Chevron reports its Houston-based investment and innovation arm Chevron Technology Ventures has has commissioned a carbon capture study with Vancouver-based Svante Inc., an at-scale carbon capture technology company.

The study, which will explore the success of a 10,000 tpy carbon capture unit in a California Chevron facility, is expected to be completed in the first half of this year.

Chevron first invested in Svante in 2014, and established its $90 million Future Energy Fund in 2018 to focus on technologies that enable the low-carbon energy transition, according to the release.

Burnaby, British Columbia-based Svante -- f.k.a. Inventys Inc. -- has developed a commercially viable option to capture large-scale CO2 emissions from existing infrastructure. (Source: Chevron Technology Ventures, PR, Feb., 2020) Contact: Chevron Technology Ventures, Barbara Burger, Pres., techventures@chevron.com, www.chevron.com/technology/technology-ventures; Svante Inc., Claude Letourneau, , Pres., CEO, Julia McKenna , Inv. Relations, 604.456.0504, jmckenna@svanteinc.com, www.svanteinc.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News Chevron Technology Ventures,  Svante,  

Heriot-Watt University
Date: 2020-02-10
As previously reported chemical engineers from Heriot-Watt University in the UK are reporting a collaboration with international researchers to design materials that could synthesize new metal-organic framework materials (MOFs) -- porous crystals that combine metal nodes with organic linkers -- that can capture CO2.

To that end, the research team conducted experiments that mimicked real industrial operations and compared the performance of their new materials with those that are currently commercially available.

According to Dr Susana Garcia, Assoc. Dir., Heriot-Watt Research Centre for Carbon Solutions, "Instead of the conventional trial and error, we computer-generated 325,000 MOFs and identified the features of the best performers. We now have the tools to tailor-make a material that will separate carbon dioxide in the most economical way for a given source, like industrial emissions, and make it available for other purposes like carbon storage or as a resource for the chemical industry," Dr. Garcia noted. (Source: Heriot-Watt University, PR, Engineer Live, 17 Dec., 2019) Contact: Heriot-Watt University, Dr Susana Garcia, Assoc. Dir., Heriot-Watt Research Centre for Carbon Solutions, www.hw.ac.uk

More Low-Carbon Energy News Heriot-Watt University ,  Carbon Capture,  

Heriot-Watt University
Date: 2020-02-07
In the UK, Heriot-Watt University reports its researchers led by Professor John Underhill are to map out the UK's best sites for carbon capture by studying the geology of depleted gas fields in the North Sea. The team will use data from the Oil and Gas Authority's (OGA) National Data Repository (NDR), which was opened up to access for the first time in 2019.

Prof. Underhill believes the southern North Sea is one of the UK's most promising options for large-scale carbon capture and storage (CCS).

The £1.4 million study, which is funded by the Oil and Gas Technology Centre's (OGTC) Subsurface Solution Centre and matched funding from industry and Heriot-Watt University, is intended to help policymakers determine the most suitable CCS sites. (Source: Heriot-Watt University Website, insider.co.uk, 5 Feb., 2020) Contact: Heriot-Watt University, Prof. John Underhill, Dr Susana Garcia, Assoc. Dir., Heriot-Watt Research Centre for Carbon Solutions, www.hw.ac.uk; Oil and Gas Technology Centre, +44 1224 063200, www.theogtc.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News Heriot-Watt University,  CCS,  Carbon Storage,  Carbon Sequestration,  

Chatham House
Date: 2020-02-03
Further to our 23rd Feb., 2017 Chatham House, biomass and climate change report coverage, according to Net-Zero and Beyond -- What Role for Bioenergy with Carbon Capture and Storage?, new report from the London-headquartered NGO Chatham House, the UK Government is over-prioritizing carbon capture, usage and storage (CCUS) and biomass in its net-zero plans and failing to account for the impact these technologies could have on land use.

The potential unintended consequences of scaling up biomass energy carbon capture and storage (BECCS} in the UK and assesses the extent to which the technologies could deliver true and sustainable decarbonisation to the energy sector.

BECCS has received a swathe of Government support and media coverage in recent times, both in the build-up to the ratification of the UK's 2050 net-zero goal, and after its implementation. Supporters of the technologies point out that biomass, unlike gas or other fossil fuels, is renewable, and that it is produces less emissions when burned. If these emissions can be captured for storage and reuse, the process can become carbon neutral or even carbon negative, firms including Drax have claimed.

The report, however, warns that BECCS is "no silver bullet" for a net-zero energy sector. It claims that there has not been enough research into the likely energy output of BECCS or the environmental impacts of scaling up biomass supply chains, making it difficult to determine whether BECCS systems can be carbon-neutral across the life cycle.

According to the report, deployment of BECCS at the scales assumed by the UK's modelling, on a global scale, would consume land equivalent to that currently accounted for by cropland. This could pose problems for food security, result in biodiversity loss and hamper plans to re-assess land-use in line with net-zero, Chatham House concludes. Chatham House claims that failures to account for biomass supply chain emissions undermine the assumption that BECCS systems are inherently carbon-neutral and is accordingly calling for stricter sustainability requirements for biomass feedstock and urging the Government to prioritise decarbonisation across carbon-intensive sectors, reshape its land-use strategies to ensure BECCS decisions are made after full considerations of all alternatives, both technology-based and nature-based.

Download the report HERE. (Source: Chatham House, edie news, February 2020) Contact: Chatham House, Royal Institute of International Affairs, +44 (0) 20 7957 5710, contact@chathamhouse.org, www.chathamhouse.org

More Low-Carbon Energy News BECCS,  Chatham House,  Carbon Emissions,  Biomass,  Bioenergy,  

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
Date: 2020-02-03
In its Getting to Neutral: Options for Negative Carbon Emissions in California report, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) notes the identification of a suite of technologies -- natural and working lands; carbon capture from biomass conversion to fuels; and direct air capture -- that could help California become carbon-neutral -- and ultimately carbon-negative -- by 2045 by removing roughly 125 million tpy of CO2 from the atmosphere. according to the report.

The report was funded by the Livermore Lab Foundation (LLF) with grant support from the ClimateWorks Foundation LLNL

Download the Getting to Neutral: Options for Negative Carbon Emissions in California report HERE.(Source: LLNL, Jan., 2020) Contact: LLNL,www.llnl.gov

More Low-Carbon Energy News Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory,  Carbon Emissions,  Negative Carbon Emissions,  

ExxonMobil
Date: 2020-01-31
In the Lone Star State, Houston-headquartered ExxonMobil has filed an application with the Wyoming Industrial Siting Council to construct and operate the LaBarge Carbon Capture Project about 33 miles northeast of Kemmerer, according to a Kallanish Energy report.

If approved, the project would include the installation of additional equipment at the Shute Creek gas Plant in Lincoln County and at the CO2 Sales Facility in Sweetwater County, and construction of a CO2 disposal well in Lincoln County.

The project is expected to come in at roughly $263 million when completed in late 2022. (Source: ExxonMobil, Kallanish Energy , 30 Jan., 2020) Contact: ExxonMobil, Robert Armstrong, www.exxonmobil.com, www.twitter.com/exxonmobil

More Low-Carbon Energy News CCS,  ExxonMobil CCS,  ExxonMobil,  Carbon Capture,  

Lundin Petroleum
Date: 2020-01-29
In Stockholm, Swedish oil firm Lundin Petroleum AB reports it is aiming make its operations carbon neutral by 2030. To that end the company is cutting emissions from operations, boosting energy efficiency and developing carbon capture (CCS) mechanisms. The company, which is changing its name to Lundin Energy AB, is also seeking to invest in renewable energy projects. (Source: Lundin Petroleum, Hellenic Shipping News, Reuters, 28 Jan., 2020) Contact: Lundin Petroleum, Tel +46 8 440 54 50, Fax +46 8 440 54 59, www.lundin-petroleum.com

Svante ,Climeworks
Date: 2020-01-29
Burnaby, British Columbia-based Svante IncCarbon capture experts Svante Inc of Canada and Zurich-headquartered carbon capture technology specialist Climeworks AG are reporting a joint development agreement that should facilitate the quicker scale-up of their technologies climate-positive carbon solutions for both carbon removal and sectors with unavoidable emissions, such as the concrete and steelmaking industries.

Svante -- f.k.a. Inventys Inc. -- has developed a commercially viable option to capture large-scale CO2 emissions from existing infrastructure. Climeworks offers Direct Air Capture (DAC) solutions that help remove CO2 from the atmosphere. (Source: Climeworks AG, Renewables Now, 28 Jan., 2020) Contact: Svante Inc., Claude Letourneau, , Pres., CEO, Julia McKenna , Inv. Relations, 604.456.0504, jmckenna@svanteinc.com, www.svanteinc.com; Climeworks AG, Jan Wurzbacher and Christoph Gebald, co-founder and co-CEO, +41 44 533 2999, www.climeworks.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News Svante ,  Climeworks,  CO2,  Carbon Emissions,  Carbon Capture ,  

Stockholm Exergi,Fortum
Date: 2020-01-29
In Sweden, Stockholm Exergi, a joint venture between Helsinki, Finnish utility Fortum Oyi and the city of Stockholm, reports it is looking to make Swedish capital's district heating the world's first to become carbon negative.

To that end, the company this spring will close its last coal-fired boiler and has replaced most of its coal-based production with biofuels. The company is also investigating the implementation of carbon capture systems to achieve a positive carbon footprint by 2040.

Fortum Oyi is also testing carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology in Oslo at its joint venture Fortum Oslo Varme. Both the Stockholm and Oslo projects are partnering with the Northern Lights initiative, which is studying carbon storage in the bedrock of the North Sea. (Source: Stockholm Exergi, Recharge, 28 Jan., 2020) Contact: Stockholm Exergi, www.stockholmexergi.se; Fortum Oyi, www3.fortum.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News CCS,  Fortum,  Carbon Negative,  Carbon Emissions,  Stockholm,  

Gas Technology Institute
Date: 2020-01-27
In Des Plaines, Illinois, the not-for-profit Gas Technology Institute (GTI), a research, development and training organization focused on natural gas and energy markets, is reporting the launch of a hydrogen fuel technology center.

GTI focuses its R&D efforts on the generation of clean hydrogen using hydrocarbon fuels that incorporate carbon capture and/or carbon sequestration CCS) in a cost-effective manner. These technology efforts are directed at both large-scale hydrogen production using natural gas feedstock, and smaller distributed hydrogen production for transportation or remote power generation using either gaseous or liquid hydrocarbon fuels, according to the release.

Additionally, GTI is partnered with private industry to develop, evaluate, and demonstrate technologies that further the use of hydrogen (H2) as a transportation fuel by delivering infrastructure, vehicle, engine, fuel dispensing, and system solutions for clean transportation fuel cell vehicles. (Source: GTI, Green Car Congress, 26 Jan., 2020) Contact: GTI, 847-768-0500 847-768-0501 - fax, info@gti.energy, www.gti.energy

More Low-Carbon Energy News Gas Technology Institute ,  Alternative Fuel,  Hydrogen Fuel,  Alternative Fuel,  GTI,  ,  

Abu Dhabi National Oil Company
Date: 2020-01-13
In the UAE, the state-owned Abu Dhabi National Oil Company reports it plans to lower its greenhouse gas emissions intensity by 25 pct by 2030. The company, which produced about 3 million bpd of oil and 10.5 billion cubic feet of natural gas, is currently among the five lowest greenhouse gas emitters in the oil and gas industry and has one of the lowest methane intensities in the world of 0.01 per cent, according to a release.

Additionally, ADNOC plans to scale up its carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS) programme, from 800,000 tpy of captured CO2 to 5 million tpy by 2030. (Source: ADNOC, N Business, 13 Jan., 2020) Contact: ADNOC, Dr Sultan Al Jaber, CEO, +971 2 7070000. +971 2 6023389 - fax, www.adnoc.ae

More Low-Carbon Energy News Abu Dhabi National Oil Company,  

ExxonMobil
Date: 2020-01-13
"As we wrap up 2019, it's useful to take stock of the past year and keep looking ahead to the future and what we need to do to accomplish our energy goals. We need to do a lot. We are at a crucial inflection point with climate change, as is all too clear from the regular stream of updates in our news feeds every day. ExxonMobil’s annual Energy Outlook, which came out recently, discusses how the world is still offtrack to meet certain climate goals without a lot of additional effort.

"That further work means continued technology innovation. We have to keep finding and inventing solutions to the myriad of individual problems posed by the dual challenge. These different efforts -- both within and outside of our own research labs -- are all essential to moving us forward. They include the important renewables work being done with wind, solar and geothermal by so many around the world; they also include research focused on carbon capture technology and biofuels -- and everything in between. On ExxonMobil’s end, we are proud of our portfolio of innovative emission-lowering projects that have led to more than 10,000 patents in the last decade. Since 2000, we've spent $16.5 billion on this kind of R&D.

"Moving into 2020, we need to stay focused on several key themes related to solving the dual challenge: scale, speed, collaboration and training the next generation of scientists, engineers and other problem solvers. Scale is everything in our efforts. Reducing carbon emissions to fight climate change as we simultaneously deliver more and more energy to a growing world is a big job. And it's not just one job. As I said earlier this year, 'Not only are the sizes we are talking about so big they are sometimes unfathomable, but we must deploy solutions globally AND across countless end uses. It's not one equation with one unknown, but multiple equations with multiple unknowns.'

"As we work to solve for these multiple unknowns, we are pursuing projects big and small. What they share in common is the strict requirement that they must lead to a scalable solution. Energy is gigantic, from the infrastructure that supports it to the markets that drive its supply and demand. Any solution we find in the lab, however brilliant, must be ready to immediately scale.

"And it needs to happen quickly. As we know, scientific discovery is an ongoing endeavor -- you can't put a deadline on invention. But we can accelerate innovation. First, we can follow the example of parallel processing from computer science. In our labs, we don't wait for the basic science to be definitively 'concluded' (if it even can be). We start the engineering while we're still doing the science and iterate between the two. That requires collaboration between different types of researchers and innovators – between our corporate lab and government and academic labs, for example -- and that's the other way we speed up scalable solutions: with partnerships. Partnerships are a force multiplier. They are absolutely key when it comes to solving the dual challenge. When I look back on the past year, I am proud of the scope and variety of partnerships we undertook as a company. To name just a few:

National Renewable Energy Laboratory and the National Energy Technology Laboratory (and other DOE-funded labs) -- in a 10-year, $100 million collaboration to bring advanced energy technologies to market at scale, focused on reducing carbon emissions.

IBM -- to collaborate on quantum computing that could help make energy exploration and extraction enormously efficient.

MIT Energy Initiative -- to extend our existing relationship supporting this project, which is committed to discovering new emission-reducing technology.

Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT) locations in Madras and Bombay -- to continue our research with scientists and students working on the ground in India to address the energy needs and challenges on the subcontinent, including studying life cycle greenhouse gas emissions in India's power sector.

Clariant and Genomatica -- to convert residue left over from farming into biofuel that can power trucks, ships and more. Clariant has expert processes to extract sugars from agricultural leftovers like wheat straw, while Genomatica turns sugars into biofuels.

Global Thermostat -- to evaluate the scalability of their innovative carbon capture technology, which removes CO2 from the atmosphere and industrial sources.

Microsoft -- to digitally transform 1 million acres of unconventional oil and gas fields in the Permian Basin, making it the largest-ever oil and gas acreage to use cloud technology, and also making it more efficient. Energy efficiency is an often overlooked area when we think about the dual challenge.

(Source: ExxonMobil, PR, , 31 Dec., 2019) Contact: ExxonMobil, Dr. Vijay Swarup, VP Research and Development , www.linkedin.com › dr-vijay-swarup-120a95159, (972) 444-1107, www.exxonmobil.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News Climate Change,  ExxonMobil,  Vijay Swarup ,  

Clean Air Task Force
Date: 2020-01-13
"If you were to start a large power plant or steel plant (with carbon capture facilities) today after the rules came out, it would be almost impossible to reach commenced construction in that time frame. It's not that there aren't projects we think are going to go forward, but it's the larger projects. It takes about six years from the original concept to the design and the detailed engineering and permitting and then getting to final investment decision and starting construction." -- Kurt Waltzer, Managing Dir., Clean Air Task Force,discussing delays in construction of Carbon Capture facilities, Houston Chronicle, 13 Jan., 2020.

Clean Air Task Force (CATF) is a research and policy centre that combines technology innovation, policy advocacy, and thought leadership expertise to leverage workable solutions to the global climate crisis. Above all, CATF are practical climate problem solvers, according to its website. Contact: Clean Air Task Force, Kurt Waltzer, 617.624.0234, 617.624.0230 - fax, info@catf.usinfo@catf.us, www.catf.org

More Low-Carbon Energy News Clean Air Task Force,  Carbon Capture,  CCS,  

SakPower
Date: 2020-01-10
On the Canadian Prairies, SaskPower reports its carbon capture and storage (CCS) facility at its Boundary Dam Power Station captured 57,590 tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the month of December, for a total of 616,119 tonnes captured in 2019. The facility's average daily capture rate in December was 2,504 tonnes with a peak one-day capture rate of 2,863 tonnes. The facility was online 72 pct of the time, compared with an average of 70 pct for the previous 12 months.

Since first coming online in October 2014, the Boundary Dam CCS unit has captured 3,081,452 tonnes of CO2. (Source: Saskpower, Estevan Mercury, 9 Jan., 2020) Contact: SaskPower, Mike Marsh, (306) 566-2121, www.saskpower.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News SaskPower,  CCS,  Boundary Dam,  

Svante Inc., LafargeHolcim, Oxy Low Carbon Ventures,
Date: 2020-01-08
Burnaby, British Columbia-based Svante Inc., LafargeHolcim, Oxy Low Carbon Ventures, LLC, and Paris-based Total SA are reporting a joint study to assess the viability and design of a commercial-scale carbon-capture facility at the Holcim Portland Cement Plant in Florence, Colorado.

The study will evaluate the cost of the facility designed to use Svante's technology to capture up to 725,000 tpy of CO2 from the cement plant, which would be permanently sequestered underground by CO2 management and storage specialist Occidental.

This joint initiative follows the recently-launched Project CO2MENT between Svante, LafargeHolcim and Total in Canada at the Lafarge Richmond cement plant, where progress has been made towards re-injecting captured CO2 into concrete. (Source: Savante Website, BusinessWire, 6 Jan., 2019) Contact: Svante Inc., Claude Letourneau, , Pres., CEO, Julia McKenna , Inv. Relations, 604.456.0504, jmckenna@svanteinc.com, www.svanteinc.com; LafargeHolcim, www.lafargeholcim.com; Oxy Low Carbon Ventures, Jeff Alvarez, IR, (713) 215-7864, jeff_alvarez@oxy.com, www.oxy.com; Total SA, +33 1 47 44 46 99, www.total.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News Total SA,  Svante Inc.,  LafargeHolcim,  Oxy Low Carbon Ventures,  CCS,  CCUS,  CO2,  Carbon Capture,  

UK Renewable Energy
Date: 2019-12-30
In London, the newly elected majority Conservative government of Prime Minister Boris Johnson has confirmed its election manifesto pledge to "enable new floating turbines" and increase the country's new offshore wind capacity from 30GW to 40GW by 2030.

The Johnson government's commitment to wind energy is part of its effort to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.

The government also confirmed its planned £800 million investment in a carbon capture storage (CCS) cluster by the mid-2020s. A further £500 million will also be provided to help energy-intensive industries move to low-carbon techniques and a low-carbon economy. (Source: BBC, Various Media,Dec., 2019)

More Low-Carbon Energy News CCS,  Offshore Wind,  UK Renewable Energy,  

Heriot-Watt University
Date: 2019-12-20
In the UK, chemical engineers from Heriot-Watt University are reporting a collaboration with a team of international researchers to design materials inspired by drug design tools used by the pharmaceutical industry that could synthesise new metal-organic framework materials (MOFs) -- porous crystals that combine metal nodes with organic linkers -- that can capture CO2.

The researchers conducted experiments that mimicked real industrial operations and compared the performance of their new materials with those that are currently commercially available. According to Dr Susana Garcia, Assoc. Dir., Heriot-Watt Research Centre for Carbon Solutions, "Instead of the conventional trial and error, we computer-generated 325,000 MOFs and identified the features of the best performers. We now have the tools to tailor-make a material that will separate carbon dioxide in the most economical way for a given source, like industrial emissions, and make it available for other purposes like carbon storage or as a resource for the chemical industry." (Source: Heriot-Watt University, PR, Engineer Live, 17 Dec., 2019) Contact: Heriot-Watt University, Dr Susana Garcia, Assoc. Dir., Heriot-Watt Research Centre for Carbon Solutions, www.hw.ac.uk

More Low-Carbon Energy News Carbon Capture,  Carbon Emissions,  

Port of Antwerp
Date: 2019-12-20
In the Netherlands, a collaboration of eight players in the port sector -- Air Liquide, BASF, Borealis, INEOS, ExxonMobil, Fluxys, Port of Antwerp and Total -- are reporting an agreement to conduct a study of the economic and technical feasibility of developing carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS) at the Port of Antwerp.

The consortium believes that both storing and using carbon can make a useful contribution to achieving the energy and climate objectives at Flemish, Belgian and European level and lead to reductions in CO2 emissions in the run-up to 2030. To that end, the Port of Antwerp and a number of other partners have submitted the necessary applications to the European Commission.

The Port of Antwerp in Flanders, Belgium, is a port in the heart of Europe accessible to capesize ships. It is Europe's second-largest seaport, after Rotterdam. Antwerp stands at the upper end of the tidal estuary of the Scheldt which is navigable by ships of more than 100,000 Gross Tons as far as 80 km inland. -- Wikipedia. (Source: Port Staretegy, 18 Dec., 2019) Contact: Port of Antwerp , Jacques Vandermeiren, CEO, +32 (0)3 205 20 11, www.portofantwerp.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News CCS,  CCUS,  

Greenhouse Gas,Center for Biological Diversity
Date: 2019-12-18
Bill Would Pause New Fossil Fuel Leasing, Tie Future Fossil Fuel Permits to Carbon Sequestration WASHINGTON— In Washington, House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Raúl Grijalva (D-Ariz.)has introduced legislation aiming to set an overall cap on greenhouse gas emissions from public lands and to achieve "net zero" emissions from public lands by 2040.

The legislation would temporarily pause all new fossil fuel leasing on public lands until the Department of the Interior develops a comprehensive strategy to achieve "net zero" emissions on these lands.

If interim benchmarks for greenhouse gas emissions reductions are not met by 2025, fossil fuel leasing, as well as drilling and other permits to develop fossil fuels on existing leases, would be curtailed until the bill's targets were achieved. Unfortunately the legislation fails to permanently end new fossil fuel leasing which would be allowed to continue even beyond 2040 if emissions resulting from federal lands fossil fuel use were sufficiently offset by carbon capture and sequestration (CCS), forest regrowth and other land-use changes, or by the deployment of large-scale renewable energy facilities on public lands.

The federal government owns roughly 640 million acres, about 28 pct of the 2.27 billion acres of land in the United States. Four major federal land management agencies administer 610.1 million acres of this land (Source: Center for Biological Diversity, 17 Dec., 2019) Contact: Center for Biological Diversity, www.biologicaldiversity.org

More Low-Carbon Energy News GHG,  Greenhouse Gas Emissions,  

Red Trail Energy
Date: 2019-12-13
Following on our June 16th coverage, Richardton, North Dakota-based corn ethanol producer Red Trail Energy LLC reports preparations for its carbon dioxide emissions underground storage project are underway with plans to drill a test well within the next few months. Depending on the tests results, Red Trail could start injecting CO2 by fall 2021, according to the company. (Source: Red Trail Energy, Star Tribune, 11 Dec., 2019) Contact: Red Trail Energy, Gerald Bachmeier, CEO, (701) 974-3308, www.redtrailenergy.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News Red Trail Energy,  Ethanol,  CCS,  Carbon Capture & Storage,  

University of Virginia
Date: 2019-12-11
A recently released study from the University of Virginia notes that farming, agriculture and other land practices presently contribute around 11 gigatons to CO2 emissions per year -- roughly one quarter of all greenhouse gas emissions worldwide. However, the study argues that the land could actually be converted into an absorber of carbon, given the right conditions.

Among the measures recommended by the study were richer countries transitioning to plant-based diets and reducing food waste, while aiding poorer nations to curb deforestation and restore degraded land. If a concerted global effort was made, land could be absorbing three gigatons of carbon by 2050, turning one of our biggest liabilities into a helping hand in the fight against climate change. The study also recommends:

95 pct reduction in deforestation and land degradation by 2050. This would include more robust conservation policies in developing tropical countries, as well as the conversion of coastal wetlands into protected areas and the prohibition of peatland burning.

25 pct reduction in agricultural emissions by 2050. This would include introducing synthetic or organic fertilizers, enhancing the water-agriculture interface in places where rice cultivation is a primary industry and managing emissions from fermentation and manure.

50 pct adoption of plant-based diets by 2050. This would involve encouraging a healthier diet through consumer campaigns and governmental policies, as well as the development of new foodstuffs to entice unconvinced consumers.

50 pct reduction of current level of food waste by 2050. This would involve tightening up gaps in the supply chain, improving consumer awareness through advertising campaigns and enhancing refrigeration and distribution capabilities in the developing world.

Restoration of forests, coastal wetlands and drained peatlands. This would involve financing ecosystem services, improving in local and national conservation policies and investing in restoration practices.

Improving forestry and agroforestry management. This would include optimising current forestation conservation process and integrating agroforestry into lands currently used for agriculture and grazing.

Enhancing soil carbon sequestration capabilities. This would include controlling soil erosion, reducing tillage of the land and restoring degraded soils, as well as the application of biochar where appropriate.

Deploying bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) in developed countries. This would involve investing into the research and development of BECCS technologies and deploying them in relevant sites. (Source: University of Virginia, Environmental Technology, 1 Dec., 2019) Contact: University of Virginia, Stephanie Roe, Environmental Researcher, Report Lead Author, 434-924-7761, www.evsc.as.virginia.edu

More Low-Carbon Energy News Carbon,  Carbon Storage,  

Packard Foundation
Date: 2019-12-09
According to the newly released Global Change Biology study from the Los Altos, California-based David and Lucile Packard Foundation, the burgeoning bioenergy sector must peak and decline in the next 30 years to alleviate extreme pressure on land. The study researchers assert that projections envisioning the use of biomass from crops, trees or grasses for fuel through 2100 overlook the technology's high carbon footprint and excessive land use.

An Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report released last year found that many scenarios capable of reducing the threat of climate change relied heavily on bioenergy, predicting that energy from biomass could make up 26 pct of primary energy in 2050 -- up from 10 pct in 2020 -- and predicting that solar and wind combined would likely only account for 22 pct. Those scenarios often relied on significant use of bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS), which involves growing trees across a large area of land to produce wood pellets burned for energy, then capturing and sequestering the carbon emissions. In its analysis, though, the IPCC found significant challenges associated with a high reliance on bioenergy, noting in particular that the vast areas of land required to produce biomass for energy would compete with food production and other human needs.

The Global Change Biology assessment examine a flurry of recent reports that suggest even more problems with large-scale bioenergy projects reliant on large tracts of land, and also show that more cost-effective alternatives will be available in the coming decades. Pulling from these recent studies, the authors establish three reasons why large-scale bioenergy must and can peak and decline in the next 30 years:

Large-scale bioenergy emits carbon. Carbon emissions from bioenergy can be greater in the near-term than emissions from the fossil fuels it is replacing, undermining the assumption that bioenergy is always a relatively low-emission and low-cost form of energy. Burning wood pellets, for example, creates a "double climate problem." Manufacturing and shipping wood pellets entails substantial emissions of fossil CO2, and it can take decades or centuries for harvested areas to return to pre-harvest carbon stocks.

Large-scale bioenergy puts a squeeze on land. Land is already a scarce resource, and it will become even scarcer with time due to an increase in the human population and a rise in the appreciation of the conservation value of natural and mostly-natural ecosystems--even if agricultural yields continue to increase. Because land is so limited, we should use it as efficiently as possible for energy production. In contrast to land-intensive bioenergy, the amount of electricity that can be produced from a hectare of land using photovoltaics is at least 50-100 times that from biomass.

Large-scale bioenergy is inferior to other solutions. And, by mid-century, land-intensive bioenergy will face fierce competition from superior technologies such as wind and solar energy, the development of efficient storage and other flexibility solutions, and the advent of more effective carbon removal technologies such as direct air capture with carbon storage.

The assessment comes at a time when the bioenergy industry is ramping up worldwide, with the EU in the lead. Bioenergy currently accounts for 10 pct of the world's energy, and 50 pct of our renewable energy. In the EU, bioenergy accounts for two-thirds of all renewable energy (nearly half from wood). Two-thirds of the EU's "20 pct Renewable Energy by 2020" target depends on bioenergy. And the bloc is also about to greenlight the conversion of five large coal plants to bioenergy plants that burn imported wood pellets from overseas forests.

Land-intensive electrical power projects in particular are picking up steam as governments and industry leaders seek to transform disused coal factories into new profit centers. Between 2006 and 2015, the production of wood pellets for biomass energy use quadrupled to 26 million tons. Worldwide, demand for globally traded wood pellets destined for use in phased-out coal plants or new dedicated bioenergy plants is expected to rise 250 pct by 2027.

The study lays out a bioenergy trajectory that policymakers can use to encourage sustainable bioenergy while also opening the door for new technologies to replace land-intensive bioenergy in the very near future. These recommendations include improved accounting of the actual carbon emissions associated with the use of biomass, favoring biomass from waste, residues or land management practices that enhance carbon storage, and providing incentives for energy storage, direct air capture technologies, and low-carbon alternatives to fossil fuels. Above all, the authors argue that bioenergy projects should be avoided if they involve natural forests, such as converting natural forests to bioenergy plantations, or use land best suited for food crops. And the authors caution that claims that bioenergy projects are a zero-carbon form of energy should be met with skepticism.

The Packard Foundation through 2020, will have awarded nearly $1 billion in grants to reduce carbon emissions, one of the its greatest program commitments in its 55-year history. (Source: David and Lucile Packard Foundation, Dec., 2019) Contact: David and Lucile Packard Foundation, Walt Reid, Director Conservation and Science Program, Report Author, 650-948-7658, www.packard.org

More Low-Carbon Energy News Bioenergy,  CO2,  CCS,  Biofuels,  Carbon Emissions,  

University of Wyoming
Date: 2019-12-06
In the Cowboy State, the Casper Star-Tribune is reporting the US DOE will partner with and fund University of Wyoming researchers in Laramie with $5 million to study the economics and technology behind carbon capturing at two of the state's coal-fired power plants -- the Dave Johnston power plant in Glenrock and the Naughton power plant in Kemmerer.

To advance the project, the University Energy Resources Council is seeking proposals for the construction of coal-based generation technology that can collect carbon emissions. Proposals until be accepted until 5 p.m. Feb. 14, 2020. (Source: University of Wyoming, Casper Star-Tribune, News Observer, AP, 4 Dec., 2019) Contact: University of Wyoming Energy Resources Council, Trish Steger, Executive Administrative Assistant, 307-766-6897, Fax: 307-766-6701, psteger@uwyo.edu, www.uwyo.edu/ser/about-us/energy-resources-council, www.uwyo.edu

More Low-Carbon Energy News University of Wyoming ,  CO2,  Carbon Capture,  

MIT
Date: 2019-12-04
In the Bay State, MIT engineers are reporting the creation of a device to trap carbon dioxide while consuming less energy and at a lower cost than current technologies, according details published in the journal Energy and Environmental Science.

The devise works much like a battery and absorbs the CO2 from the air that passes on its electrodes. And, unlike current carbon capture techniques, it works in a wide range of sizes ranges of concentrations. It could therefore be used to purify CO2 from flue gases from factories and power plants, or even extract it directly from the atmosphere.

The new MIT system contains two thin sheets of soft electrodes covered with two different chemical compounds. During charging, one of the compounds -- polyanthraquinone -- reacts with CO2 and incorporates the gas into the electrode. The idea is to let a stream of flue gas or air through the unit during charging to clean it of CO2. Once the electrode is saturated, the device would go into discharge mode and pure CO2 released could be compressed to be stored underground or used for the manufacture of fuels and other chemicals.

The system uses about one gigajoule of energy per ton of CO2 captured. Other existing methods can use up to 10 times more, according to Sahag Voskian, developer of the technology. (Source: MIT, Anthropocene Magazine, Tech Ballad, 1 Dec., 2019) Contact: MIT, Sahag Voskian, 617.253.4588, svoskian@mit.edu, www.hattongroup.mit.edu/sahag-voskian

More Low-Carbon Energy News CO2,  Carbon Captute,  MIT,  

CCS
Date: 2019-12-04
A group of world leading maritime shipping companies and ship builders, including NYK, Sovcomflot, DSM and others, are reported to have joined forces with the København, Denmark-based Maritime Development Center to develop DecarbonICE, an on-board carbon capture and storage (CCS)solution.

The DecarbonICE concept captures ship exhaust CO2 and other GHGs in a cryogenic process and turns it into dry ice. Proven offshore technology is then applied during normal ship operations to transport the dry ice into the seafloor sediments for permanent sequestration as liquid CO2 and CO2 hydrate.

In combination with future carbon neutral fuels like biofuels and electro fuels, the DecarbonICE technology can create carbon negative shipping and thus contribute to atmospheric carbon reduction at a significantly lower cost than shore-based CCS. capture.

The shipping industry is looking for carbon free solutions to achieve the IMO 2050 target of a 50 pct CO2 emissions reduction compared to the 2008 level. (Source: Maritime Development Center, Port News, 1 Dec., 2019) Contact: Maritime Development Center, +45 33 33 74 88, www.mdc.center

More Low-Carbon Energy News CCS,  Carbon Capture & Storage,  CO2,  Maritime Emissions,  IMO,  

Air Liquide, Air Products, ExxonMobil , Shell
Date: 2019-12-04
In the Netherlands, the Port of Rotterdam CO2 Transport Hub and Offshore Storage Project (PORTHOS) is reporting a non-binding agreement with Air Liquide, Air Products, ExxonMobil and Shell to collectively work on preparations for the capture, transport and storage of carbon dioxide in Rotterdam for eventual storage in empty gas fields beneath the North Sea.

The carbon capture will take place at Air Liquide, Air Products, ExxonMobil and Shell refineries and hydrogen production facilities in Rotterdam. The transport and storage of the CO2 beneath the North Sea will be prepared by Porthos.

The Netherlands has clear climate objectives: the emission of greenhouse gases must be reduced by 49 pct by 2030 and by 95 pct by 2050 compared with 1990. One way to achieve the climate objectives is to capture CO2 for use or for storage underground (CCUS). The national coalition agreement and the national Climate Agreement underline the importance of CCUS for the energy transition. (Source: PORTHOS, Gas World, Dec., 2019) Contact: PORTHOS, +31 6 2246 6553, info@rotterdamccus.nl. www.rotterdamccus.nl/en

More Low-Carbon Energy News Air Liquide,  Air Products,  CCS,  CCUS,  ExxonMobil ,  Shell ,  Carbon Capture,  

Southern California Gas ,Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Date: 2019-11-27
Southern California Gas Co. (SoCalGas) and the Richland, Washington-based US DOE Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) are reporting receipt of $300,000 in US DOE funding to design, fabricate and demonstrate a modular Integrated CO2 Capture and Conversion to Methanol (ICCCM) prototype for the combined capture and conversion of CO2 into methanol at an industrial CO2 source -- electric generation or anaerobic digestion facility.

Over the next two years, the project will evaluate the compatibility of certain catalysts and solvents, design and build and test a reactor a project that would advance the development of Integrated CO2 Capture and Conversion to Methanol (ICCCM). SoCalGas has spent more than $10 million on the research and development of low or zero carbon technologies in the last three years. (Source: SoCalGas, Energy Global, 26 Nov., 2019) Contact: SoCalGas, Yuri Freedman, Senior Director of Business Development, www.socalgas.com; PNNL, Dr. David Heldebrant, www.pnnl.gov

More Low-Carbon Energy News Methanol,  Carbon Capture,  ,  Southern California Gas ,  Methanol,  Pacific Northwest National Laboratory,  

Ervia,Equinor
Date: 2019-11-27
On the Emerald Isle, Dublin-based utility company Ervia is reporting a MoU with Stavanger, Norway-based Equinor ASA under which the two firms will assess the potential for Ireland to benefit from Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS).

Under the MoU, Ervia will work with Equinor, a world leader in CCS technology, and the Norwegian Government's wider Northern Lights project, which aims to drive CCS development across Europe. If successful, the project would see carbon emissions from Ireland's electricity production and large industry captured and sequestered in Norway's geological reserves in the North Sea. Northern Lights project partners include ArcelorMittal, Air Liquide, Shell, Total, Equinor and others. (Source: Ervia, Chemical Engineering, 25 Nov., 2019) Contact: Ervia, Cathal Marley, Interim CEO , www.ervia.ie; Equinor ASA, www.equinor.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News Ervia,  CCS,  Equinor,  

Qatar Science & Technology Park,Total
Date: 2019-11-25
Reporting from the Qatar Science & Technology Park, Total Research Centre-Qatar (TRC-Q) is announcing the launch of two new research projects using locally sourced microalgae to produce sustainable biofuels and for carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS). The Centre is also collaborating with Hamad Bin Khalifa University's Qatar Environment and Energy Research Institute to develop various clean energy technologies, products and solutions.

According to the release, TRC-Q currently has projects for analytical organic geochemistry and acid stimulation of wells to improve production, as well as flagship projects related to sustainable development, marine biodiversity biofuels and solar energy Microalgae is a promising pathway to sustainable Biofuels and TRC-Q is working with QU and universities and research organisations in the Netherlands, France and China to explore biofuels, as an option for limiting transportation-related greenhouse gas emissions, according to the release. (Source: Total Research Centre-Qatar, Gulf Times, 25 Nov., 2019) Contact: Total, www.total.com/en; Total Research Centre-Qatar, Yousef al-Jaber, Dir., www.afaq.total.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News Algae news,  Microalgae.Biofuel news,  

MMA Offshore
Date: 2019-11-20
Freemantle, WA-based MMA Offshore Limited is reporting three new multi-vessel contract awards and extensions from AGR Australia and Esso.

Two of the contracts will support a project exploring commercial-scale carbon capture and storage in Australia -- including the CarbonNet Offshore Appraisal Well Drilling Programme which is part of the Victoria State Government's CarbonNet Project. MMA Offshore's contract is expected to commence in late November, lasting approximately 45 days.

The CarbonNet Project is exploring the viability of commercial-scale carbon capture and storage (CCS) from multiple CO2 capture projects. (Source: MMA Offshore, Riviera, Nov., 2019) Contact: MMA Offshore, David Ross, CEO, +61 8 9431 7431, +61 8 9431 7432, www.mmaoffshore.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News CCS,  Australia CCS,  Carbon Capture,  

COAL21
Date: 2019-11-20
In the Land Down Under, COAL21, Australia's largest industrial low emissions technology fund, reports it will provide additional funding towards establishing the country's first commercial scale carbon capture hub in Queensland.

The new funding will support consideration of a final investment decision for construction of a $150 (Aus) million carbon capture plant at the Millmerran Power Station as part of the Carbon Transport and Storage Company's estimated $230 million, scalable Integrated Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage (CCUS) project in the Surat Basin. When fully operational, the facility will remove and store emissions equivalent to to the emissions 25,000 cars per year over the project's potential 25-30-year life, according to COAL21.

According to COAL21, the investment will provide: an emissions reduction solution for carbon exposed industries in southern Queensland; improved energy security in the national electricity market; and the foundation of a commercially competitive emission reduction and removal solution for new high efficiency low emission power stations, as well as emissions reduction infrastructure, for Australian industries.

COAL21 is a $550 million low emission technology fund established by the Australia black coal industry with the purpose of investing in research and deployment of carbon reduction technologies.

The Surat Basin investment continues more than a decade of COAL21 investing in low emission technologies, including a world first project that demonstrated carbon capture technology can be applied to coal-fired power stations to generate electricity with low emissions -- the Callide Oxyfuel project. (Source: COAL21, International Mining, 19 Nov., 2019) Contact: COAL21, www.coal21.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News Carbon Capture,  CCS,  Carbon Emissions,  Coal,  

TOTAL, Qatar University
Date: 2019-11-20
French energy giant TOTAL and Qatar University's Center for Sustainable Development in Doha are reporting the launch of two research projects for the investigation of micro-algae for biofuels production and Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage (CCUS). Both projects are sponsored by Total R & D Group and will be performed at Qatar University.

The partnership supports the investigation into sustainable solutions to support the increasing global requirements for biofuels, lubricants, and raw materials, whilst capturing carbon dioxide.

According to TOTAL, algae are sustainable sources of biomass which can be used for a multitude of applications including biofuels production and CO2 sequestration using non-arable lands. (Source: Qatar University, TOTAL, MENAFN, 19 Nov., 2019) Contact: TOTAL Research Center Qatar University, Yousef Al Jaber, Director, +974 4403 3333, www.qu.edu.qa; TOTAL, Marie-Noelle Semeria, Snr. VP, Group CTO, https://fr.linkedin.com › marie-noëlle-semeria-859b8897, www.total.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News Algae,  Algae Biofuel,  TOTAL,  CCUS ,  

Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Date: 2019-10-30
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) researchers are reporting a new technology to capture CO2 and other greenhouse gases from a stream of air. While most methods of removing CO2 from a stream of gas require higher concentrations -- such as those found in the flue emissions from fossil fuel-based power plants -- the new MIT method requires significantly smaller concentrations and little energy to suck out the gas even when present in very low concentrations, according to the MIT release.

The researchers described the device as a large, specialized battery with a stack of electrodes that absorbs CO2 from the air passing over its surface as it was being charged, and then released the gas as it was being discharged.

According to the researchers, the pure CO2 stream could be compressed and sequestered underground or processed into fuel through a series of chemical and electro-chemical processes. (Source: MIT, The Tribune, Press Trust India, 29 Oct., 2019) Contact: MIT, Sahag Voskian, 617.253.4588, 617.253.8723 - fax, svoskian@mit.edu, www.hattongroup.mit.edu

More Low-Carbon Energy News Carbon Capture,  Massachusetts Institute of Technology ,  

Oil and Gas Climate Initiative
Date: 2019-10-28
In London, the thirteen-member Oil and Gas Climate Initiative (OGCI) is reporting a $1 billion commitment to support the goals of the Paris Climate Accord -- including investments in carbon capture, use and storage (CCUS) and supporting carbon taxes and economic incentives aimed at reducing emissions.

Initially, OGCI will help decarbonize multiple industrial hubs in the United States, United Kingdom, Norway, the Netherlands and China. The OGCI also aims to build on the industry's reduction in methane emissions (9 pct in 2018) and to include carbon emissions in hope that future temperature increases will not exceed 2 degrees Celsius. To complement its methane emissions-intensity target, OGCI seeks to reduce collective average carbon intensity by 2025.

The OGCI member companies -- BP, Chevron, CNPC, Eni, Equinor, ExxonMobil, Occidental, Pemex, Petrobras, Repsol, Saudi Aramco, Shell and Total -- account for 32 pct of global operated oil and gas production, according to the OGCI website. (Source: OGCI, Alex Mills, Tims Record News, 28 Oct., 2019) Contact: Oil and Gas Climate Initiative, +44 (0)203 922 0853, contact@climateinvestments.energy, www.oilandgasclimateinitiative.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News Oil and Gas Climate Initiative ,  

International Energy Agency
Date: 2019-10-28
"We must accelerate the deployment of all low-carbon technologies, from renewables to nuclear power to carbon capture, utilization and storage." -- Dr. Fatih Birol, Exec. Dir. International Energy Agency, +33 1 40 57 65 00, www.iea.org

More Low-Carbon Energy News Renewable Energy,  International Energy Agency,  

ExxonMobil,MIT Energy Initiative
Date: 2019-10-21
Irving, Texas-headquartered oil giant ExxonMobil reports it has extended its support of the MIT Energy Initiative's (MITEI) low-carbon energy research and education mission by renewing its status as a founding member for another five years. ExxonMobil first signed on as a member of the initiative in 2014.

With its renewed membership, ExxonMobil will: extend its membership in MITEI's Center for Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage CCUS; join MITEI's Center for Energy Storage, which seeks to develop new energy storage technologies for use in renewables-heavy electric power systems, electricity-powered transportation, and other applications; and join MITEI's Mobility Systems Center, its newest Low-Carbon Energy Center.

Among MITEI projects supported by ExxonMobil is a new multi-level energy assessment tool, the Sustainable Energy System Analysis Modelling Environment, which assesses lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions from various energy sectors. Other ExxonMobil-supported MITEI research includes an assessment of the future role for carbon capture and storage (CCS)technology in a portfolio of climate mitigation options and a project that models the lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions of solar power and demonstrates its low carbon intensity.

ExxonMobil will also continue to support energy education through MITEI's undergraduate and graduate programs, including the Energy Fellows Program, which enables graduate students to engage in research in low-carbon energy areas of their choice and prepares them for careers addressing energy and climate challenges.(Source: ExxonMobil, PR, 21 Oct., 2019) Contact: ExxonMobil , Robert Armstrong, www.exxonmobil.com, www.twitter.com/exxonmobil; MIT Energy Initiative, Louis Carranza, Assoc. Dir., energy.mit.edu

More Low-Carbon Energy News CCS,  CCUS,  ExxonMobil,  

Air Liquide,ArcelorMittal
Date: 2019-10-18
Paris-headquartered Air Liquide reports it is partnering with steel maker ArcelorMittal and its partner LanzaTech in the first industrial scale demonstration plant to capture CO2 from the steelmaking process and recycle it into advanced bioethanol.

Air Liquide Engineering & Construction will provide a technology solution that purifies blast furnace offgas which will be injected into a bioreactor to produce bioethanol.

The project, which is supported by the EU Horizon 2020 research and innovation program, will be constructed ArcelorMittal's steel plant in Ghent, Belgium and is slated to become operational at the end of 2020 when it will produce 80 million lpy bioethanol. (Source: Air Liquide, PR, 17 Oct., 2019) Contact: Air Liquide, Corporate Communications, +33 (0)1 40 62 58 49, media@airliquide.com, www.airliquide.com; LanzaTech, Dr. Jennifer Holmgren, CEO, (630) 439-3050, jennifer@lanzatech.com, www.lanzatech.com; ArcelorMittal, Alan Knight, Corporate Responsibility GM, +32 9 347 31 11, www.corporate.arcelormittal.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News Air Liquide,  LanzaTech,  ArcelorMittal,  Bioethanol,  LanzaTech,  

Aroura Energy Research
Date: 2019-10-18
In a recently published report, Oxford, UK-headquartered Aurora Energy Research notes the UK will need more than 100GW of additional wind and solar capacity and 30GW of short duration energy storage to meet its net-zero grid system obligations.

The report presupposes capacity increases of more than 100GW of solar and wind, rising from 33GW today to more than 140GW in 2050, as well as 20GW of new nuclear and the inclusion of 3GW of carbon capture and storage (CCS) in the system.

In this scenario, there could be an 'excess' in renewable generation of 185TWh by 2050. Aurora suggests this could be used to produce hydrogen to decarbonise heating, transport or industry, however. To meet these necessary increases in storage and flexibility, Aurora has called on government, Ofgem, and the system operator to follow three principles: price the externalities, define the system needs and to let the market decide.

Aurora Energy Research is a consultancy which offers data-driven analytics on European and global energy markets to provide intelligence on the global energy transformation through forecasts, reports, forums and consultancy services. (Source: Aroura Energy Research, Current News UK, 16 Oct., 2019) Contact: Aurora Energy Research, Ana Barillas, Principal, Richard Howard, Research Director, +44 (0) 1865 952 700, oxfordoffice@auroraer.com, www.auroraer.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News Renewable Energy,  

Qatar
Date: 2019-10-09
In Qatar, the Ministery of State for Energy Affairs reports the commissioning of a previously unannounced carbon capture and storage (CCS) facility aimed at storing as much as 5 million tonnes of carbon from Qatar's liquefied natural gas (LNG) facilities by 2025.

According to the Ministry announcement, the 2.1 million tpy capacity facility is the region's largest such facility. (Source: Qatar Ministery of State for Energy Affairs, The Peninsula, Reuters, 8 Oct., 2019) Contact: Qatar Minister of State for Energy Affairs, www.gco.gov.qa › ministries › minister-of-state-for-energy-affairs

More Low-Carbon Energy News CCS,  Carbon Capture,  CO2,  Qatar,