The Carbon Trust is an independent and expert partner of organizations around the world that advises businesses on their opportunities in a sustainable, low carbon world. The Carbon Trust also measures and certifies the environmental footprint of organizations, supply chains and products.
Of the various certification categories of the Carbon Trust, Samsung's System LSI products received the CO2 Measured product carbon footprint label. The label certifies the chip's carbon footprint, which informs consumers of the impact that the product and its manufacturing process have on the environment. (Source: Samsung Electronics Co., PR, 8 Sept., 2021) Contact: Samsung Electronics Co., www.samsung.com; Carbon Trust, +44 (0)20 7170 7000, www.carbontrust.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News Samsung, Carbon Trust, Carbon Footprint ,
The test well program demonstrated that CO2, the main greenhouse gas generated during the fuel production process, can be safely and securely stored deep underground and that the storage reservoir has sufficient capacity to store all the gas produced over the plant's lifetime. Completing the test well program is an essential pre-requisite for securing the permit for the EPA Class VI sequestration well.
The design and execution of the test well program was developed by COO Bob Meredith with help from Geostock Sandia, an international consulting firm that has worked with the Department of Energy on carbon sequestration wells for almost two decades. (Source: Strategic Biofuels LLC, Aug, 2021)
Contact: Strategic Biofuels, Strategic Biofuels & Louisiana Green Fuels, [startlimk]info@info@strategicbiofuels.net[endllink]
More Low-Carbon Energy News Strategic Biofuels , Biodiesel, CCS,
CTS technology is a near zero carbon footprint system that can convert virtually any plant material -- grasses, wood, paper, farm waste, yard waste, forestry products, fruit casings, nut shells, and the cellulosic portion of municipal solid waste -- into sugars and lignin which are processed into biofuels. Lignin may be further converted into bioplastics. The CTS process is an independently-developed patented and proprietary technology that is fully owned by the Company.
The company believes that bio-fuel originating from the Company's CTS process will be eligible to receive EPA D3 cellulosic Renewable Fuel Credits (RINs) of roughly $3 per gallon of ethanol in addition to the market price of ethanol. This incentive is offered to all domestic cellulosic transportation fuel producers. (Source: Blue Biofuels Inc., PR, 1 Sept., 2021) Contact: Blue Biofuels Inc.,
Ben Slager, CEO, Ben@Bluebiofuels.com, www.bluebiofuels.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News Blue Biofuels news, Ethanol news, Bioplastic news, Cellulosic news,
The Airport's initiatives include: a carbon management system, carbon neutrality, renewable energy installations, wastewater recycling and an effective waste management system enhancement in renewable energy capacity, and others that have delivered a 35 pct reduction in energy consumption and the reduction of 31,581 units (tCO2e) of GHG Emissions.
Mumbai International Airport is an ISO 50001:2018 Energy Management System certified company committed to continuous reduction in energy consumption and carbon footprint through various initiatives.
The airport is also the only in airport in India to publish the Sustainability Report as per the latest GRI Standards and the first platinum-rated Indian airport within the Existing Building (O&M) Rating System for its environmentally sustainable profile. In addition, the airport also owns an Organic Waste Converter (OWC) project with a solar capacity of 5kWp for providing green power for its operations. (Source: Mumbai International Airport, International Airport Review, 1 Sept., 2021) Contact: Mumbai International Airport, www.csmia.adaniairports.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News Mumbai International Airport news,
Sinopec's preliminary budget will fund the necessary R&D, production of hydrogen, purification, treatment, storage and transport facilities. The company will also upgrade its refineries and petrochemical plants to use "green" hydrogen in their operations to reduce their carbon footprint. The goal is to avoid 10 million tpy of CO2 by 2025.
The company also plans to install 7,000 solar power projects totaling 400 MW at its network of 30,00 fuel stations and increase its low carbon plant-based fuel supply capacity to provide 100,000 tpy of aviation biofuel (SAF) and 1.45 million tpy of ethanol by 2025.
Sinopec emitted 170.9 million tonnes of greenhouse gases in 2020, 84 pct of which were attributed to its oil refining and chemicals manufacturing operations, according to its latest sustainability report. (Source: Sinopec, S.China Morning Post, Sept., 2021) Contact: Sinopec, www.sinopecgroup.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation , Sinopec, Hydrogen, Carbon Emissions,
The Storegga facility, which will permanently remove between 500,000 and 1,000,000 tpy of Virgin Air's CO2 from the atmosphere, follows a similar previously reported agreement between Storegga and oilfield services provider Petrofac.
Storegga is developing the facility in partnership with Squamish, British Columbia-based direct air carbon capture (DAC) provider Carbon Engineering following a feasibility study in the first half of this year. The project, which is expected to be operational in 2026, is now in the preliminary engineering and design stage, while a shortlist of potential locations has been identified around the Acorn CSS development, another Storegga project that aims to use depleted North Sea reservoirs as a repository for CO2.
(Source: Storegga, PR, Herald, Aug., 2021) Contact: Storrega Geotechnologies, Nick Cooper, +44 (0) 20 3757 4980, nick.cooper@storegga.earth, www.storegga.earth; Virgin Atlantic, www.virgin-atlantic.com; Carbon Engineering, Steve Oldham, CEO, www.carbonengineering.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News Storegga, Direct Air Carbon Capture, Carbon Engineering,
"To further enhance the project, the company will also purchase a blending unit to produce our own B-20 biodiesel product to run in the Cycle Energy Services rigs and equipment. Fuel cost is one of the largest expenses when utilizing our equipment for abandonment or work-overs and recapturing some of those costs while increasing 20 pct renewable utilization is a win-win for the company," according to the release.
The company will also integrate its priority grinding and oil extraction for maximum yield of usable oil. The spent waste will be utilized in the retrofitted incinerator to produce gas for power production.
Xfuels Inc. produces responsible energy products both traditional and renewable with a focus on carbon footprint reduction and cutting-edge technologies, according to its website. (Source: Xfuels, PR, Aug., 2021)
Contact: Xfuels, Michael McLaren, mikem@xxfuels.com, www.xxfuels.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News Xfuels Inc., Biodiesel,
The investment will help remove barriers to decarbonization across the manufacturing sector and advance the goal of reaching a clean-energy economy by focusing on: improving productivity; enhancing cybersecurity; promoting resiliency planning; providing training to entities located in disadvantaged communities; and engage in a new pilot project to expand to the commercial-building market.
To date, the program has provided nearly 20,000 no-cost assessments for small- and medium-sized manufacturers and more than 147,000 recommendations for improvement measures. Assessments typically identify more than $130,000 in potential annual savings opportunities.
The program is managed by the DOE Advanced-Manufacturing Office. (Source: Syracuse University, PR, CNYBJ, 23 Aug., 2021)
Contact: DOE Advanced-Manufacturing Office, www.energy.gov/eere/amo/advanced-manufacturing-office; Syracuse University, www.syracuse.edu
More Low-Carbon Energy News Carbon Emissions, Energy Efficiency,
Indianapolis-based PSG Energy Group managed construction of the array which produces 1.5 million kWh of electricity for an estimated $140,000 in annual electric utility savings. (Source: Bendix Corp., PR, 18 Aug., 2021)
Contact: Bendix, Bill Schubert, Environmental and Sustainabilityy Manager, Contact: Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems, www.bendix.com; PSG Energy Group, 317-892-8195, www.psgenergygroup.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News Bendix, Solar,
To reach net-zero carbon emission by 2050, Birla Carbon will focus on all three scopes in the measurement, reduction, and offsetting of carbon emissions. A majority of its carbon footprint reduction is expected to come from Scope 1 and 2 based on its direct and indirect emission reduction initiatives. A smaller portion of its reduction will come from scope 3 based on the operations of upstream and downstream industries in the value chain. The company will focus on research to discover new ways for the capture and conversion of carbons; reducing dependence on traditional manufacturing processes; increasing energy efficiency; increased use of alternative energy and feedstocks; and the addition of renewable energy solutions.
Part of the Aditya Birla Group, Birla Carbon provides innovative sustainable carbon black solutions that enhance the performance of paints and coatings, inks and toners, plastics, adhesives, sealants, textile fibers, mechanical rubber goods, and tires. The company's footprint extends across 12 countries with 16 manufacturing facilities and two technology centers in Marietta, Georgia (USA) and Taloja, India). (Source: Brila Carbon, 13 Aug., 2021) Contact: Birla Carbon, John Loudermilk, CEO, www.birlacarbon.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News Net-Zero Carbon Emissions, Carbon Black, Carbon Emissions, Carbon Neutral,
"Blue hydrogen provides no benefit. We suggest that blue hydrogen is best viewed as a distraction, something than may delay needed action to truly decarbonize the global energy economy, in the same way that has been described for shale gas as a bridge fuel and for carbon capture and storage (CCS) in general."
"In the past, no effort was made to capture the carbon dioxide byproduct of gray hydrogen, and the greenhouse gas emissions have been huge. Now the industry promotes blue hydrogen as a solution, an approach that still uses the methane from natural gas, while attempting to capture the byproduct CO2", study co-author Robert Howarth noted.
The vast majority of hydrogen (96 pct) is generated from fossil fuels, particularly from steam methane reforming (SMR) of natural gas, but also from coal gasification. In SMR, heat, and pressure are used to convert the methane in natural gas to hydrogen and carbon dioxide. The hydrogen so produced is often referred to as "gray hydrogen" -- this type is responsible for 6 pct of all-natural gas consumption globally, the study notes.
Blue hydrogen is produced using the same reforming process that is used to create other types of hydrogen, but the CO2 that would ordinarily be released is captured and stored underground. As of 2021, there were only two blue-hydrogen facilities globally that used natural gas to produce hydrogen on a commercial scale, according to the study.
The full study is available HERE. (Source: Cornell University, PR, Aug., 2021)
Contact: Cornell University, Robert Howarth, Dept. of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, (607) 255-6175, howarth@cornell.edu, www.eeb.cornell.edu/howarth
More Low-Carbon Energy News Blue Hydrogen, Alternative Fuel. Climate Change,
The pilot project -- the first of its kind in Canada -- aims to retrofit a four-unit townhouse in Ottawa , Ontario, into net-zero energy home while extending the building's life-cycle. The energy related upgrades and retrofits include; new roof, windows, prefabricated exterior panels, rooftop solar panels and others to increase energy efficiency and reduce the building's carbon footprint and the building's energy consumption by roughly 55 percent.
Canadian Federal funding is provided through the NRCAN Green Infrastructure Energy Efficiency for Buildings Program. This program supports the development and implementation of building codes for existing buildings and new net-zero energy-ready buildings through research, development and demonstration projects. CanmetENERGY-Ottawa is also collaborating with OCHC to monitor the performance of the retrofit, as well as providing ongoing research on Prefabricated Exterior Energy Retrofits (PEER). (Source: NRCAN, PR, 9 Aug., 2021) Contact: Ottawa Community Housing Corp, www.och-lco.ca; NRCAN Green Infrastructure Energy Efficiency for Buildings Program, www.nrcan.gc.ca/netzerobuildings
More Low-Carbon Energy News Energy Efficiency, NRCAN,
The MSU College of Engineering with provide the nucleus for the IAC which will capitalize on the experience found in MSU Extension, the Office of Sustainability, Infrastructure, Planning, and Facilities and the Construction Management programs. The IAC will also utilize the Construction Management Education and Research Lab space for student training and will capitalize on existing teaching, outreach and research efforts related to safety, green building, sustainability, and energy efficiency at all the partner institutions.
Download US DOE IAC details HERE (Source: Michigan State University, PR, dbusiness, 9 Aug., 2021) Contact: MSU College of Engineering, www.egr.msu.edu
More Low-Carbon Energy News Michigan State University news, Energy Efficiency news, Green Building news,
"Low-carbon renewable fuels like ethanol are already helping our nation confront climate change by significantly reducing GHG emissions from the transportation sector. In fact, since 2008, the use of ethanol and other renewable fuels in the U.S. prevented nearly 1 billion metric tons of GHG from entering the atmosphere.
"Today's ethanol already reduces GHG emissions by 52 pct, on average, when compared directly to gasoline. Furthermore, many of us (RFA members) are already producing advanced and cellulosic ethanol that is certified by the California Air Resources Board (CARB) as providing a 65-75 pct GHG reduction compared to gasoline. But given the urgency of the climate crisis and the need to reasonably decarbonize, the RFA are committing today to the pursuit of the following carbon performance goals:
"Ethanol's carbon footprint continues to shrink rapidly, as new technology and innovation have
improved the efficiency of the entire production process. In fact, a recent study by DOE scientists found that ethanol's carbon footprint shrunk by 23 percent between
2005 and 2019. While we are proud of these advances in efficiency and sustainability, many
opportunities exist to deliver even greater GHG reductions in the near term," the letter noted. (Source: RFA, PR, 27 July, 2021) Contact: RFA, www.ethanolrfa.org
More Low-Carbon Energy News Renewable Fuels Association news, GHG Emissions news, CCUS news, Ethanol Low-Carbon Fuel news,
Summit Carbon Solutions has partnered with 31 biorefineries across the U.S. Midwest to capture and permanently sequester their CO2 emissions and reducing the carbon footprint of ethanol produced at these facilities by approximately 50 pct, which will greatly accelerate their ability to produce a net zero or even carbon negative fuel, according to the release.
(Source: Summit Carbon Solutions , PR 28 July, 2021) Contact: Summit Carbon Solutions , Summit Agricultural Group, Bruce Rastetter, CEO, www.summitcarbonsolutions.com; John Deere, Cory Reed, President, Ag & Turf Div., www.deere.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News Summit Carbon Solutions, CCS, John Deere,
ECOPlanet's sustainability profile is driven by innovative low-emission raw materials, including calcined clay and recycled construction and demolition waste. Its lower carbon footprint is further enhanced by decarbonizing its production process led by the use of alternative fuels.
ECOPlanet is available in Germany, Romania, Canada, Switzerland, Spain, France, and Italy and will be distributed across 15 countries in 2021, with the objective of doubling its market presence by the end of 2022 to enable low-carbon construction at scale.
(Source: Holcim Group, PR, 27 July, 2021)
Contact: Holcim Group, ECOPlanet, Jan Jenisch, CEO, Magali Anderson, Chief Sustainability and Innovation Officer, +41 58 858 58 58, www.holcim.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News Holcim, Carbon Footprinf Cement, Low-Carbon Cement,
To guide implementation of the Climate Strategy, CP has established two science-based emissions reduction targets that address 100 pct of CP's Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions, and more than half of Scope 3 emissions. CP commits to reducing Scope 1, 2 and 3 GHG emissions intensity of its locomotives -- the company's largest source of emissions -- by in excess of 38 pct by 2030. CP also commits to reducing absolute Scope 1 and Scope 2 GHG emissions from non-locomotive operations by in excess of 27 pct t by 2030. These targets are based on the most current methodology available to the transportation sector through the Science-Based Targets initiative (SBTi).
CP has already taken significant steps to reduce GHG emissions, including installing a large solar farm at its Calgary corporate campus capable of generating more power than consumed annually by the main headquarters building. CP has also initiated a pioneering hydrogen locomotive program, and is currently building a hydrogen-powered locomotive using fuel cells and batteries to power the locomotives' electric traction motors. This initiative is important to generate critical industry knowledge and experience that will inform future development while supporting CP's emissions reduction targets.
CP participates in leading sustainability disclosure frameworks including CDP, Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB) and the Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures (TCFD). Aligned with these frameworks, CP will continue to disclose annual emissions, management practices and ongoing energy efficiency initiatives, and commencing in 2022 will report to its shareholders on its progress on the Climate Strategy.
In other railroad emissions and climate news, Norfolk, Virginia-based railroad Norfolk Southern Corp. has announced its science-based target to achieve a 42 pct reduction in scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions intensity by 2034 from a 2019 base year.
Norfolk Southern's emissions reduction target has been approved by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) and aligns with the goals of the Paris Agreement on climate change. Validation from the SBTi -- a joint initiative of CDP, UN Global Compact, the World Resources Institute, and World Wide Fund for Nature -- confirms the company's target is consistent with reductions required to keep warming to well-below 2 degrees C above pre-industrial levels.
(Source: Canadian Pacific Railway, PR, 26 July, 2021) Contact: CP, Keith Creel, Pres., CEO, 888-333-6370, www.cpr.ca
More Low-Carbon Energy News Science Based Targets, Climate Change, Carbon Emissions, CP Rail,
TotalEnergies, the world's second largest privately owned LNG player, also produces biofuels, natural gas, green gases, renewables and electricity.
Technip Energies is a leading Engineering & Technology company with leadership positions in LNG, green and blue hydrogen, sustainable chemistry and CO2 management, according to the company website. (Source: TotalEnergies, Website PR, 21 July, 2021) Contact:
TotalEnergies , Investor Relations: +44 (0)207 719 7962, ir@totalenergies.com, www.totalenergies.com;
Technip Energie, Phil Lindsay, Vice-President Investor Relations, +44 203 429 3929,
investor.relations@technipenergies.com, www.technipenergies.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News CCUS, TotalEnergies, Technip Energies, LNG,
The facility will use the steam methane reforming method to break natural gas into hydrogen and carbon dioxide which will be captured and stored permanently. Notably, hydrogen is considered clean when produced from natural gas.
The facility, which is expected to become a major supplier of alternative fuels for the marine shipping industry, fits with the Norwegian government's strategy to develop hydrogen and create long-term value from the country's energy resources.
"Hydrogen will play a vital role to accelerate decarbonisation. It has the potential to close as much as 50 percent of the gap in CO2 emissions required to achieve the 2-degree scenario, by replacing fossil feed-stock and fuel through clean hydrogen and ammonia production and thus reducing the carbon footprint of industrial companies and in the shipping sector", according to the Aker Clean Hysdrogen website.
Shell aims to become a net-zero emission business by 2050. (Source: Aker Clean Hydeogen, PR, Website, July, 2021) Contact: Royal Dutch Shell,
Aker Clean Hydrogen, post@akercleanhydrogen.com,www.akercleanhydrogen.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News Shell, Aker Clean Hydrogen, Blue Hydrogen, Hydrogen,
Fossil fuels currently provide the lowest cost pathway for producing hydrogen, according to cost data in a recent DOE Hydrogen Strategy Document. The U.S. will authorize new and advanced technologies capable of improving the performance, reliability, and flexibility of methods to produce, transport, store, and use hydrogen to enable the U.S. to extract the maximum economic value from fossil fuel energy resources. When coupled with carbon capture and storage (CCS) capabilities, low-cost hydrogen sourced from fossil energy feedstocks and processes will significantly reduce the carbon footprint of these processes and enable progress toward hydrogen production with net-zero carbon emissions.
The National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) will manage the projects, which fall under the following areas: Solid Oxide Electrolysis Cell (SOEC) Technology Development for Hydrogen Production; Advanced CCUS Systems from Steam Methane Reforming Plants; Advanced CCUS Systems from Autothermal Methane Reforming Plants; and Hydrogen Combustion Systems for Gas Turbines.
The DOE Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management funds R&D projects to reduce the risk and cost of advanced fossil energy technologies and further the sustainable use of fossil resources. (Source: NETL, DOE Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management, PR July, 2021) Contact: DOE Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management, www.energy.gov/fe/office-fossil-energy; National Energy Technology Laboratory, www.netl.doe.gov
More Low-Carbon Energy News CCS, CCUS, Hydrogen, Fossil Fuel, Carbon Emissions,
The financing will be awarded through a three-stage competition through June 2022, and
is in line with the Empire State's pledge to cut its carbon footprint by 85 pct by 2050.
(Source; Office of NY Gov. Andrew Cuomo, 8 July, 2021)
Contact: Office of NY Gov. Andrew Cuomo, Press Office, (518) 474-8418, (212) 682-4640, Press.Office@exec.ny.gov, www.governor.ny.gov, twitter.com/NYGovCuomo
More Low-Carbon Energy News NY Gov. Andrew Cuomo, Energy STorage, Green Hydrogen ,
"On a positive note, 98 pct of respondents said that their organisation is investing in decarbonisation initiatives for the 12 months ahead. But the professionals, broadly, seemed keen to invest in initiatives with a low upfront cost and with quick payback times, in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. The most popular move cited by respondents is joining the UN's Race to Zero Initiative. There was also strong support for making processes more efficient, procuring renewable electricity and investing in emissions management and tracking.
"Only one-third of respondents worked for organisations with sustainable sourcing strategies, with two-thirds saying they would only align their sourcing strategies with net-zero if there were cost benefits. Similarly, only 35 pct of respondents worked for organisations that have already appointed a head of sustainability or are planning to do so this financial year."
The survey also revealed a gap in knowledge among members of the C-suites themselves. 74 pct of the respondents admitted that they do not have a complete understanding of their company's absolute carbon footprint and the changes that will need to be made to reduce emissions. (Source: Vendigital, July, PR, 2021) Contact: Vendigital, www.vendigital.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News Carbon Emissions, Carbon Footprint,
"This is the express goal of (Washington, DC-based) Carbon Capture Shield, Incorporated; a Delaware C-Corp formed in 2021, by a team with decades of experience in global farming, renewable energy, and government contracting: To shift 1 billion acres of farmland to Regenerative Agriculture by 2030. According to co-founder and President, Darryl J. Nicke II, 'Antibiotics have saved millions of lives but they also cause many problems by upsetting the natural balance of microorganisms that live in our gut. Probiotics can reverse and even completely cure many diseases caused by such imbalances. Similarly, herbicides, pesticides, and even chemical fertilizers have destroyed the natural balance of life in the soil. By supplementing and restoring that natural balance, you return Earth's Surface to its natural healthy state. This is Earth's natural defense against human activity and pollution. This is Earth's Carbon Capture Shield.'
"With a clear vision, they have begun Phase 01 of a 10-year, multi-phase plan to transform the way humans care for our shared home, starting in your own backyard - literally. Americans dump more than 60 million ppy of pesticides on their lawns. Fourteen of the most used lawn pesticides are neurotoxins and suspected carcinogens, yet this is where our children play. Not only that, but lawn fertilizers are also a major source of water pollution. The EPA reports that pollution from fertilizers is "one of America's most widespread, costly and challenging environmental problems." This does not even consider the dire effects on bees, butterflies, and other pollinators who visit these toxic home gardens.
"Numerous solutions have been found by farmers and researchers all around the planet, and Carbon Capture Shield aims to "bring these solutions home" to anyone with a lawn - by introducing a line of lawn and garden products that are non-toxic and protect the environment while fertilizing your soil and helping the microcosmos of Living Soil.
"Phase 01 will supply education and solutions for anyone with a lawn, in the form of edutainment and consumer products. Carbon Capture Shield has launched this initiative to educate and empower both farmers and consumers! Using their ability to create engaging media to inspire an avid base of conscious consumers, they will then use this market demand to encourage wary farmers into adopting the protocols of Regenerative Agriculture, and thereby restore the environment through promoting and upholding stewardship by all landholders, large and small."
(Source: Carbon Capture Shield Inc., PR, 8 July, 2021) Contact: Carbon Capture Shield Inc.,
Darryl J. Nicke II, Pres., 407 603 6417, djnicke@carboncaptureshield.com, www.carboncaptureshield.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News Carbon Capture, Carbon Capture Shield, Soil Carbon, CCS, Climate Change, Carbon Footprint,
According to the report, "Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF) will have to play a major role if the aviation sector is to significantly reduce its carbon footprint. However, to date it added, commercialization has been slow and current policies have proved inadequate to accelerate commercialization and widespread deployment of the various technologies" described in the report.
As described in IEA's recent publication Net Zero by 2050: A Roadmap for the Global Energy Sector, although synthetic hydrogen-based jet fuels will also play an important role in the future, in the short-to-mid-term biojet fuels will predominate.
Annual volumes of biojet fuel have increased in recent years, from less than 10 million litres in 2018 to likely more than 1 billion litres by 2023 (and potentially 8 billion litres by 2030). (Source: International Energy Agency, PR, July, 2021) Contact: International Energy Agency, Fatih Birol, Exec. Dir., www.iea.org; IEA Bioenergy Task 39, www.task39.ieabioenergy.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News International Energy Agency, SAF, Bioenergy,
The IMF notes carbon pricing has a wide environmental and social aim of encouraging producers and companies to reduce their carbon footprint in a bid to combat climate change, which is linked to greenhouse gas emissions.
According to IMF, 80 pct of global emissions are currently un-priced and the average price for global emissions is only $3 a tonne. "As a knock-on effect, some countries and regions with high or rising carbon prices are considering placing charges on the carbon content of imports from places without similar schemes," the IMF said. But the IMF notes that the "charges on carbon content are insufficient instruments (to fight climate change) as carbon embodied in trade flows is typically less than 10 pct of a countries' total emissions."
According to the IMF, a minimum carbon price "is an efficient, concrete, and easily understood policy instrument. Simultaneous action among large emitters to scale up carbon pricing would deliver collective action against climate change while decisively addressing competitiveness concerns. The focus on a minimum carbon price parallels the current discussion on a minimum for the tax rate in international corporate taxation."
(Source: IMF, Daily Maverick 168, 24 June, 2021) Contact: IMF, Kristalina Georgieva, Dir., www.imf.org
More Low-Carbon Energy News International Monetary Fund, Climate Change Carbon Tax,
The new facility, which is slated for commissioning in 2023, will recover lithium, nickel, cobalt and manganese from old electric vehicle (EV) lithium-ion batteries and recycle other materials back into the battery supply chain, according to the release.
Fortum uses a combination of mechanical and low-CO2 hydrometallurgical technologies to recycle the batteries with the lowest carbon footprint.
(Source: Fortum Waste Solutions, PR, 17 June, 2021) Contact: Fortum Waste Solutions, +45 80 31 71 00, www.fortum.com/products-and-services/fortum-battery-solutions/recycling/lithium-ion-battery-recycling-solution
More Low-Carbon Energy News Fortum news, Lithium-Ion Battery news, Battery news,
To that end, Neste has committed to approximately 40 pct of the electricity used at its Porvoo refinery will be renewable wind power in 2025 and will increase the share of renewable electricity with Guarantees of Origin, based on existing renewable electricity generation capacity. Guarantees of Origin will help increase the share of renewable electricity to 100 pct of Neste's electricity needs by 2023.
Neste aims to reduce the indirect greenhouse gas emissions of electricity purchases at its Porvoo refinery by approximately 50,000 tpy of CO2 equivalent. With all the wind power agreements combined, Neste will reduce indirect GHG emissions of its electricity purchases at its various Finnish production sites by approximately 120,000 tpy CO2 equivalent -- roughly the annual carbon footprint of more than 19,000 average EU citizens.
(Source: Neste Oyi, PR, June, 2021) Contact: Neste Oy, Carl Nyberg, Exec. VP, +358 50 458 5076, www.neste.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News Neste Oyi, Renewable Energy, Carbon Neutral,
The study recommendations provide a concrete basis for developing global and regional -- for example, European Union -- standards for green infrastructure. The aim is to ensure claims of carbon storage hold true, as well as eventually have a tool for landscape designers to help plan new areas or refurbishing existing urban spaces.
The recommendations are particularly relevant for countries and regions like the Nordics, where nature has been traditionally integrated into urban landscapes. However, they can also help other areas meet their carbon targets.
Researchers at Aalto University, together with consortium partners of the Co-Carbon project, are currently starting field tests to determine the exact carbon sequestration potential of plants at various stages of growth. While the carbon storage potential of trees is relatively well-known, the study is set to be the first to focus on plants and bushes, elements commonly used in urban landscaping. At Luke, researchers are developing a tool to model the changes in carbon storage of plants and soil at regional level due to land use changes. Such a tool could help planners target and maintain existing carbon storage in plants and soil.
(Source: Aalto University, PR, Website, June, 2021) Contact: Aalto University, Dr. Matti Kuittinen, Dr. Matti Kuittinen, +358 5059 47990,
matti.kuittinen@aalto.fi, www.aalto.fi; Natural Resources Institute Finland, Dr. Eeva-Maria Tuhkanen,
Research scientist, +358 2953 26595, eeva-maria.tuhkanen@luke.fi, www.luke.fi
More Low-Carbon Energy News Carbon Foot Print,
The platform allows users to offset purchases made on e-commerce businesses including grocery orders, food and fuel delivery, and online stores, among others.
The Olive Gaea platform supports carbon offsetting projects that are handpicked and verified by Verra , Plan Vivo and other third party organizations. (Source: Olive Gaea, PR, Kahleej Times, 10 June, 2021) Contact: Olive Gaea, Vivek Tripathi, CEO, info@olivegaea.com, www.olivegaea.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News Carbon Offset news, Carbon Credits news,
BrainBox AI technology leverages AI to improve building operational efficiency while reducing energy consumption and costs. Combining machine learning, cloud-based computing and self-directed decision-making, BrainBox AI enables a building HVAC system to operate autonomously and in real-time, generating up to a 25 pct reduction in total energy costs, 20-40 pct reduction in carbon footprint and 60 pct increase in occupant comfort.
(Source: BrainBox, PR, 8 June, 2021) Contact: ATS Automation, Josh Cales, Pres.,
Brian Veach, brianv@atsinc.org, www.atsinc.org; BrainBox, 888 585 2630, www.brainboxai.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News BrainBox, Artifical Intelligence, Energy Efficiency, Energy Management ,
EESL and its subsidiary companies Convergence Energy Services Limited (CESL) and EPSL Trigeneration will complete the projects which are aimed at improving the energy efficiency and cutting energy consumption of the hotels chain's various properties and reducing the company's overall carbon footprint. (Source: EESL, PR, PTI 8 June, 2021)Contact: Energy Efficiency Services Limited (India), www.eeslindia.org
More Low-Carbon Energy News EESL, Energy Eficiency, Energy Conservation ,
The Company is adding its first 20 new AssetCare customer buildings to benefit from this capability in partnership with local utilities in British Columbia, California, and New York.
Through AssetCare, mCloud offers a subscription-based solution enabling customers to automatically respond to utility requests to reduce energy consumption at peak times to decrease the concurrent load on a local utility grid during periods of high demand. Any utility supporting the industry-standard OpenADR protocol for grid interactivity is directly supported by AssetCare. Likewise, AssetCare customers can track their energy savings and reductions in their carbon footprint anywhere, anytime
(Source: mCloud Technologies Corp., PR, 8 June, 2021) Contact: mCloud, Dr. Patrick O'Neill, Pres.,Connected Buildings, 403.569.6480, www.mcloudcorp.com/HVAC-and-indoor-air-quality, www.mcloudcorp.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News mCloud, Energy Management, Energy Efficiency,
To that end, the bank will implement a three-pronged strategy to reduce energy consumption, transition to renewable energy, and offset carbon footprint. The strategy calls for a decrease in absolute emissions and energy consumed from the current level of 3,15,583 MT CO2 emissions, converting 50 pct of its total sourced electricity to renewable energy, creating single-use plastic-free corporate offices, planting 250 million trees and reducing water consumption by 30 pct. The bank will also focus on offering loans for green products like electric vehicles at lower interest rates and is also working on a framework for issuing green bonds. (Source: HDFC Bank, PR, June, 2021) Contact: HDFC Bank, www.hdfcbank.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News Carbon Neutral news, Carbon Emissions news, Carbon Footprint news, Green Bond news,
Using IBMS's food waste and biomethane expertise and BayoTech's modular SMR technology the partnership will create renewable hydrogen and high-grade fertiliser products from a multi-purpose eco facility. The project will produce 1,000 kilograms of renewable hydrogen per day to fuel zero-emission vehicles in London and Surrey.
Further phases of the project will see carbon capture introduced to take the project from carbon neutral to carbon negative. The system is due to be online by Q2 of 2022, following which the system will be deployed at multiple locations around the UK to create a national network of carbon negative hydrogen production facilities.
According to the release, regional hydrogen production and distribution reduces unnecessary costs, storage, and transport leading to a reduced carbon footprint overall when compared with traditional production models and electrolyser systems. (Source: IBMS Group, Website PR, 24 May, 2021) Contact: BayoTech, Steve Jones, VP Europe, 505-977-7954, www.bayotech.us, IBMS Group, Steve Sharratt, CEO, www.ibmsgroup.co.uk
More Low-Carbon Energy News IBMS Group, BayoTech, Renewable Hydrogen, Biomethane,
The proposed CCS project would give biorefineries and other industrial participants a long-term, economic path to materially reduce their carbon footprint by capturing and transporting CO2 through 1,200 miles of pipeline across five Midwest states to a permanent sequestration site. At full capacity, the CCS could capture and store CO2 equivalent to removing approximately 2.6 million cars per year from the road or planting 550 million trees per year.
Navigator will use the information received during the non-binding open season to continue working with interested shippers on binding commercial agreements. The framework of these agreements will form the basis to launch the binding open season, expected early June 2021.
This CCS project, which is expected begin operation in late 2924, is one of the first large-scale, commercially viable, carbon pipelines to be developed in the U.S. (Source: Navigator CO2 Ventures LLC, PR, 1 June, 2021) Contact: Navigator CO2 Ventures LLC, L. McGlothlin, Chief Commercial Officer, lmcglothlin@navigatorco2.com, www.navigatorco2.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News Navigator CO2 Ventures news, CCS news,
The Slite cement plant carbon-capture project, the cement maker's second such facility, is slated to be fully operational by 2030. As previously reported, the company is building another carbon-capture plant in Brevik, Norway, that will capture 400,000 metric tpy of CO2 from 2024. (Source: HeidelbergCement, 2 June, 2021) Contact: HeidelbergCement, Dr Bernd Scheifele, CEO, Jan Theulen, Director Alternative Resources, www.heidelbergcement.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News HeidelbergCement, CCS, Carbon Capture,
The UAE National Energy Plan 2050 calls for a 70 pct reduction in carbon dioxide emissions and a 50 pct increase in renewable energy use by 2050 when clean energy will represent 50 pct of the nation's total energy mix -- reducing the carbon footprint of power generation by 70 pct for an estimated saving of $190 billion. Contact: UAE Minister of Energy and Infrastructure, www.moel.gov.ae
More Low-Carbon Energy News Low-Carbon Energy, UAE, Renewable Energy, Carbon Emissions, Carbon Footprint,
Ethanol, biodiesel and other products derived from organic material are almost exclusively produced by fermentation processes that create carbon as a by-product, with some processes wasting more than a third of this carbon as CO2 emissions. Accordingly, new pathways is needed for biofuel conversion that reduces carbon waste, prevents the loss of CO2 emissions, and in turn, maximises the amount of renewable fuel a conversion process yields.
The ECOSynBio award winners will work on the following methods to optimise biofuel production:
carbon-optimised fermentation strains that avoid CO2 waste; engineered organisms that can use a mix of different sources of energy and carbon and avoid evolving CO2; biomass-derived sugar or carbon oxide gas fermentation with internal CO2 recycling; cell-free carbon-optimised biocatalytic biomass conversion and/or CO2 use; and cross-cutting carbon-optimided bioconversion methods that have the potential for high-impact emissions reductions, according to the release. (Source: US DOE, May, 2021) Contact: US DOE
ECOSynBio, www.arpa-e.energy.gov/technologies/programs/ecosynbio
More Low-Carbon Energy News Biofuel news, Biofuel Carbon Footprint news,
Summit Carbon Solutions aims to address the global challenge of decarbonization by developing the world's largest carbon capture and storage (CCS) project. The company will accelerate the transition toward sustainable, renewable energy by dramatically lowering the carbon footprint of biorefineries and other industrial CO2 emitters throughout the U.S. Midwest.
(Source: Summit Agricultural Group, PR, Apr,2021) Contact: Summit Agricultural Group, Bruce Rastetter, CEO, www.summitcarbonsolutions.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News Summit Carbon Solutions,
Between 2019 and the end of 2020, Phase One of Drawdown Georgia brought together experts from across the state to research and analyze the best possible solutions to reduce carbon emissions for the specific needs of the state economy, public health, environment and "social equity."
Phase Two looking to implement these solutions and evaluate their effectiveness got underway in Jan., this year.
(Source: University of Georgia, PR 2 May, 2021) Contact: Drawdown Georgia, www.drawdownga.org; UGA, 706-542-3000, www.uga.edu
More Low-Carbon Energy News Climate Change, Carbon Emissions,
Through the provable "burning" of MCO2 tokens (via UNISWAP), ORDAM created the world's first carbon neural crypto asset offering. For every Bitcoin owned, ORDAM will buy and "plants" MCO2 tokens, offsetting carbon emissions.
ORDAM is the first asset management company to offer carbon offsetting globally. (Source: MOSS, ORDAM, PR, 27 Apr., 2021) Contact:
MOSS, www.moss.earth/en/home; One River Digital Asset Management, (203) 489-1440 , info@oneriveram.com, www.oneriveram.com/digital-assets-strategies
More Low-Carbon Energy News Carbon Offset, Carbon Credits,
When fully developed, SCS will have an infrastructure network capable of capturing and permanently storing more than 10 million tpy of CO2 -- equivalent to removing 2 million cars off the road per year. The company has already secured binding agreements with a select group of leading biorefiners located in Iowa, Minnesota, South Dakota and North Dakota to partner with SCS for CO2 offtake.
Tiger Infrastructure Partners is a middle-market private equity firm that invests in growing infrastructure platforms in communications, energy transition, transportation, and related sectors, primarily in North America and Europe.
Summit Agricultural Group is a diversified agribusiness operator and investment manager with operations in the United States and Brazil. Summit deploys capital across the agricultural supply chain with a particular focus at the intersection of agriculture and renewable energy.
(Source: Tiger Infrastructure Partners, PR, Apr., 2021) Contact: Summit Carbon Solutions, Bruce Rastetter, CEO, www.summitcarbonsolutions.com; Tiger Infrastructure, Emil W. Henry, CEO, www.tigerinfrastructure.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News Summit Carbon Solutions, CCS,
To that end, Hershey has a 15-year PPA with BayWa r.e. that will enable the financing and construction of Hershey's first utility-scale, 20-MW solar farm in Camden, NC. Hershey also has a PPA with National Grid Renewables for 50 MW, 118,000 MWh per year solar project currently under construction in Denton County, Texas.
Combined, the two solar projects are projected to cut Hershey's CO2 footprint by 115,650 tpy and support the company's science-based GHG reduction targets. (Source: Hershey, PR, Baking Business, 21 Apr., 2021) Contact: BayWa r.e. Solar Projects LLC, Jam Attari, CEO, Christine Owens, VP Marketing, www.us.baywa-re.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News BayWa r.e., Solar,
Halifax, Nova Scotia-headquartered CarbonCure's technology enables the production of concrete with a reduced water and carbon footprint without sacrifice to the material's reliability. Utilizing CarbonCure Technologies system, CO2 is injected into a concrete plant's reclaimer system which contains the water used to wash out concrete trucks and mixers. The CO2 is converted to a permanently embedded mineral with strength-enhancing properties which can then be incorporated into new concrete mixes. CarbonCure is backed by Bill Gates' Breakthrough Energy Ventures, Amazon Climate Pledge Fund and others.
Los Angeles-based UCLA CarbonBuilt Inc. technology reduces the carbon footprint of concrete by more than 50 pct while reducing raw material costs and increasing profitability. The CarbonBuilt concrete formulation significantly decreases the need for ordinary Portland cement while enabling the increased use of low-cost waste materials. During the curing process, CO2 is directly injected from flue gas streams (like power plants or cement factories) into the concrete mixture where it is chemically transformed and permanently stored. Development began at the UCLA Samueli School of Engineering in 2014 with support from private and corporate sponsors, the U.S. DOE and others.
Launched in 2015, the NRG COSIA Carbon XPRIZE was a five-year global competition developed to address rising CO2 emissions by challenging innovators around the world to develop breakthrough technologies that convert the most CO2 into products with the highest net value.
(Source: XPRIZE, PR Website, 19 Apr., 2021) Contact: Carbon XPRIZE, www.carbon.xprize.org; CarbonCure,
Jennifer Wagner, Pres., (902) 442-4020, www.carboncure.com; CarbonBuilt Inc., info@carbonbuilt.com, www.carbonbuilt.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News Carbon XPRIZE, Carbon Cure, Carbon Emissions, Climate Change,
Under the program, Schneider's Energy & Sustainability Services division will provide tools and resources to program participants to help them set and achieve their own carbon reduction targets. Suppliers will be first encouraged to quantify their CO2 emissions using the company's digital tools. Suppliers will then use that data to set goals and strategies for emissions reduction. Suppliers will also work towards their goals through decarbonization initiatives such as energy efficiency or renewables. The Zero Carbon Project will enable best practice exchange with peers and partners to access other innovative solutions for decarbonization.
(Source: Schneider Electric, PR, Construction Week, 19 Apr., 2021)Contact: Schneider Electric, Vicki True, 774-613-1158, vicki.true@se.com, www.se.com, twitter.com/SchneiderElec
More Low-Carbon Energy News Schneider Electric, Carbon Emissions, Carbon Footprint,
According to the NATA release, the global aviation industry currently accounts for around 2 pct of man-made CO2 emissions. The aviation industry is committed to limit and reduce these emissions through the deployment of advanced technology, operational measures, infrastructure improvements and SAF.
While most SAF transactions to date have involved a limited set of SAF producers and aircraft operators, there is increasing interest in multiple-party purchase and deployment agreements, according to the release.
CoSAFA represents a unified vision across the aviation industry for advancing consistent, accurate accounting practices documenting the production and use of SAF in such multi-party transactions -- a crucial tool for further reducing the industry's carbon footprint.
CoSAFA aims to work through an orderly, global approach toward providing the necessary transparency for multi-party SAF transactions, the release notes.
(Source: National Air Transportation Association, PR, 16 Apr., 2021) Contact: National Air Transportation Association, CoSAFA, Tim Obitts, 202-774-1535, www.nata.aero
More Low-Carbon Energy News National Air Transportation Association news, SAF news,
Other organizations joining the effort include the Construction Trades Workforce Initiative, Emerald Cities Collaborative, The Greenlining Institute, several builder groups, and the cities of San Francisco, Berkeley, and Oakland.
According to Rising Sun, most housing in the Bay Area uses natural gas for cooking, water heating, and space heating. Reducing residential carbon dioxide emissions will require new housing to be all electric new construction, as well as significant retrofitting of existing housing.
The effort is being funded by California High Road Training Partnership and California Climate Investments program. (Source: Rising Sun, PR, The Independent, 10 Apr., 2021) Contact: Rising Sun, Julia Hatton, CEO, 510-665-1501, www.risingsunopp.org
More Low-Carbon Energy News Carbon Emissions, Carbon Footprint,
Specifically, WBCSD and NBI are seeking to develop and disseminate effective solutions for full life cycle decarbonization of new and existing buildings and districts. In addition, the collaboration will work to expand the number of businesses and building owners investing in net-zero performance as well as grow capability of the building industry to meet this demand. Other intentions include accelerated adoption of zero-energy and zero-carbon standards and tools across the entire life cycle of buildings and promotion of the Building System Carbon Framework as a tool enabling decarbonization.
Both organizations work with a variety of stakeholders including building owners, designers, operators, consultants, government officials and businesses with building portfolios. The partnership is intended to engage with the critical market actors to accelerate and scale net-zero policies and practices that will dramatically reduce the carbon footprint of the built environment in the United States and share lessons learned across the world, according to the release. (Source: WBCSD, PR, Apr., 2021) Contact: WBCSD
Bill Sisson, Exec. Director, North America, www.wbcsd.org; NBI, Ralph DiNola, CEO, (503) 761-7339,
Fax: (503) 968-6160, www.newbuildings.org
More Low-Carbon Energy News World Business Council for Sustainable Development , Energy Efficiency, Net-Zero Emissions, New Buildings Institute,
According to the release, each truckload of SAF that Avfuel delivers to Monterey Jet Center will provide a 22 metric ton reduction in carbon emissions over the lifecycle compared to petroleum-based jet fuel. SAF is the most effective way to reduce a flight's carbon footprint and in the future could deliver up to 80 pct less greenhouse gas emissions versus traditional jet fuelif used in its neat form.
Avfuel is one of the first United States companies able to supply the fuel on a regular basis. Neste expects to produce 515 million gpy of SAF by 2023.
(Source: Avfuel, PR, 29 Mar., 2021) Contact: Avfuel, Craig Sincock, CEO, 734-663-6466, www.avfuel.com; Monterey Jet Center, 831-373-0100, www.montereyjetcenter.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News Neste, Avfuel, SAF, Aviation Biofuel,
To that end,
the Board of Regents plans to move away from fossil fuel holdings in favor of a $140 million investment in solar and wind developments and projects to limit carbon emissions and to hasten
the transition to a low-carbon economy, according to a release. (Source: University of Michigan, PR, Mining Journal, 27 Mar., 2021) Contact: University of Michigan,
Mark Schlissel, Pres, 734-764-1817, www.umich.edu
More Low-Carbon Energy News Net-Zero Emissions, Carbon Footprint,