Alliance member companies will together invest €100 billion or more by 2030 in decarbonising their companies and products as part of their corporate strategies supporting renewable energy, the European Green Deal, far-reaching climate protection measures and cooperation on practical solutions in cross sector climate protection projects.
The Alliance is aiming for an ongoing constructive dialogue with the EU Commission, a gradual introduction of a cross-sector CO2 price, ambitious coal phase-out dates and climate protection measures to make the EU the world's leading region for climate protection while unlocking investments, driving innovations in tomorrow's technologies and creating "future proof" jobs.
The CEO Alliance is working in concrete on joint projects: cross-EU charging infrastructure for heavy duty transport, integration of EU Power systems, digital carbon footprint tracking, sustainable healthy buildings, electric buses for Europe, green hydrogen value chain and rapid build-up of battery production. (Source: CEO Alliance for Europe's Recovery, Reform and Resilience, 20 Mar., 2021)
Contact: CEO Alliance for Europe's Recovery, Reform and Resilience, Herbert Diess (Volkswagen), CEO uploads.volkswagen-newsroom.com/system/production/uploaded_files/16960/file/e194c6574115412a211500b8f19f457fa6b56e1f/210318_CEO_Alliance_Policy_Letter_Release_ENGLISH.pdf?1616136760
More Low-Carbon Energy News Low-Carbon Energy, Climate Change,
"I look forward to seeing much more support to the developing countries that are embracing the transition to renewable energy to deliver universal energy access to their citizens. I also ask all multilateral and public banks -- as well as investors in commercial banks or pension funds -- to shift their investments now in the new economy of renewable energy.
"We have a collective and urgent responsibility to address the serious challenges that come with the speed and scale of the transition. The needs of coal communities must be recognized, and concrete solutions must be provided at a very local level. That requires engagement -- from governments to power companies, from labour unions to investors, both private and public.
"We can have renewable energy and blue skies. We can have decent, healthy, and reliable jobs. We can have dependable, renewable power systems that ensure everyone has access to energy. We can power past coal and have economies that thrive on innovative businesses aligned to what the world is demanding -- sustainable development and prosperity for people and (the) planet. We can make all of this happen, together."
The Powering Past Coal Alliance is a coalition of national and sub-national governments, businesses and organisations working to advance the transition from coal power generation to clean energy. (Source: Powering Past Coal Alliance, 4 Mar., 2021)
Contact: Powering Past Coal Alliance, www.poweringpastcoal.org
More Low-Carbon Energy News Antonio Guterres , Powering Past Coal Alliance, Antonio Guterres, Coal, Renewable Energy,
With 90 pct or better efficiencies, Topsoe's proprietary SOEC electrolyzers offer superior performance in electrolysis of water into hydrogen, when compared to today's standard alkaline or PEM electrolyzers, according to the release.
"This new manufacturing facility is a concrete step to take a leading role in the ongoing energy transition towards a low carbon future. We strongly believe that one of the most viable routes to this goal lies in the efficient utilization of renewable electricity to produce green hydrogen, fuels, and chemicals. With Topsoe's SOEC electrolyzer, more than 90 pct of the renewable electricity that enters the electrolyzer is preserved in the green hydrogen it produces -- significantly more efficient than other available technologies in the market," the release notes. (Source: Haldor Topsoe, PR, 4 Mar., 2021) Contact: Haldor Topsoe, Roeland Baan, CEO, Ulrik Frohlke, Media,
+45 27 77 99 68,
ulfr@topsoe.com, www.topsoe.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News Haldor Topsoe, Green Hydrogen,
The project is a collaboration with Carbon Clean, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and RTI international which will lead the initiative. The project aims to develop and scaling-up specific CO2 capture process components and incorporate next-generation non-aqueous solvents. The collaboration will assess the integration of modular carbon capture technology with the cement plant as well as evaluate the cost and technical considerations of using the captured CO2 as a feedstock for new products.
As previously reported, in 2020 CEMEX announced its target of reducing CO2 emissions by 35 pct of cementitious products by 2030 as part of a longer-term goal of producing net-zero CO2 concrete by 2050.
(Source: CEMEX, The Chemical Engineer, 18 Feb., 2021)
Contact: CEMEX USA, Jaime Muguiro, Pres., 713-650-6200, www.cemexusa.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News CEMEX, Cement, Carbon Emissions, CCS,
The working group is intended to help coordinate and strengthen federal government-wide efforts to foster affordable, game-changing technologies that can help achieve the goal of net-zero economy-wide emissions by 2050. The Climate Innovation Working Group will focus on:
The Climate Innovation Working Group will also emphasize research to bolster and build critical clean energy supply chains in the U.S. and strengthen American manufacturing and coordinate climate innovation across the federal government, research and universities. (Source: White House, PR, 12 Feb., 2021)
More Low-Carbon Energy News Climate Change,
Aries' gasification solutions divert biosolids and biomass from landfills and convert them into clean energy and useful byproducts -- Bio-Fly-Ash™ for use in concrete production and Aries GREEN™ Biochar for carbon filtration and as a soil amendment.
Aries Clean Technologies develops, designs, and builds innovative proprietary fluidized bed and downdraft gasification systems and projects using its eight patents granted to date. The company's projects provide the sustainable conversion of biosolids and biomass, reduction of carbon emissions, and the production of clean thermal and electrical energy. (Source: Aries Clean Technologies, PR, Website, Jan., 2021) Contact: Aries Clean Technologies, Nancy Cooper, 615-616-8235, nancy.cooper@ariescleantech.com, www.ariescleantech.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News Aries Clean Energy, Biomass Gasification,
Blue Planet's technology uses CO2 as a raw material for making carbonate rocks. The carbonate rocks produced are used in place of natural limestone rock mined from quarries, which is the principal component of concrete. CO2 from flue gas is converted to carbonate (or CO3=) by contacting CO2 containing gas with a water-based capture solutions. This differentiates Blue Planet from most CO2 capture methods because the captured CO2 does not require a purification step, which is an energy and capital intensive process. As a result Blue Planet's capture method is extremely efficient, and results in a lower cost than traditional methods of CO2 capture, according to the company website. (Source: Chevron, PR, Reuters, Jan., 2021)
Contact: Blue Planet Systems Corp., 408.458 3900, info@blueplanet-ltd.com, www.blueplanet-ltd.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News Chevron Corp., CCUS, Carbon Capture, Blue Planet Systems ,
To date, more than 125 building products and materials manufacturing companies have adopted GreenPro Ecolabel for more than 1,800 products for Green Building construction.
Buildings and construction together account for nearly 36 pct of global energy use and 39 pct of energy related CO2 emissions. Embodied carbon accounts for 11 pct of the building’s emissions and is primarily from materials like steel, cement, concrete, glass, according to CII. (Source: Tata Steel, CII Green Business Centre, Jan., 2021) Contact:
CII Green Business Centre, +91 40 4418 5111, www.greenbusinesscentre.com; Tata Steel, www.tatasteel.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News Tata ,
CCC's "patented CO2LOC technology offers a realistic solution to climate change by enabling industry to profitably sequester CO2 through a two-stage mineralization process. The mineralization process permanently locks the sequestered CO2 in rock form and due to its flexibility, can be utilized across a range of industries. CO2LOC is unique in that it approaches the planet's dependency on fossil fuels by introducing a profit motive to industry to invest in emission-reduction. Our advanced mineralisation processes combine low cost inputs to de-carbonise the emissions, whilst simultaneously producing valuable by-products," accoring to the company website.
(Source: Cambridge Carbon Capture, Express & Star, 26 Nov., 2020) Contact:
Cambridge Carbon Capture, Michael Evans, CEO, michael.evans@cacaca.co.uk,
+44 (0) 7795 025550, www.cacaca.co.uk
More Low-Carbon Energy News Cambridge Carbon Capture ,
Since 2007, CEMEX USA cement plants have earned more than 50 ENERGY STAR® Certifications. In addition, dozens of CEMEX USA cement terminals and ready-mix concrete operations have achieved the ENERGY STAR Challenge for Industry. (Source: CEMEX USA, PR, 10 Nov., 2020) Contact: CEMEX USA, Jaime Muguiro, Pres., 713-650-6200, www.cemexusa.com; US DOE, ENERGY STAR, www.energystar.gov
More Low-Carbon Energy News CEMEX, ENERGY STAR, Energy Efficiency,
Blue Planet directly converts CO2 diluted in flue gas to carbonate, avoiding the costs and parasitic loads of purifying the greenhouse gas from a dilute stream in order to liquify it for underground disposal. Instead, the synthetic limestone is used in concrete where the CO2 is stored permanently.
The company's first commercial plant is now under construction in Pittsburg, California.
(Source: Blue Planet Systems Corp., PR Concrete News, Oct., 2020) Contact: Blue Planet Systems Corp., 800-921-1144, www.blueplanet.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News CO2, Carbon Emissions, CCUS, Carbon Capture, Cement,
IrBEA notes that despite Ireland's natural climate and fertile soil advantage in producing bioenergy, out of 28 member European Union states Ireland is 27th in terms of its use of renewable heat and derives only 4 pct of its energy from Bioenergy. IrBEA also calls for:
The Iowa City Public Works complex achieved 52 pct kBTU energy savings when compared to the CNC's program baseline. This means that the City's Public Works Facility uses less than half the energy as compared to other buildings of the same type and size.
The buildings energy and environmental energy conservation features include: LED lighting, daylight dimming and skylight systems, precast insulated concrete walls, insulated roof with translucent panels; dedicated outdoor air system and others, all of which is projected to realize a $21,000 per year energy costs savings and an anticipated payback within 9.3 years.
(Source: City of Iowa City, PR, Oct., 2020)Contact: Alliant, Jeff Hanson, Environmental Serv. And Sustainability Director, (608) 458-3956, www.alliantenergy.com; MidAmerican Energy, Mike Fehr, VP Resource Development, (888) 427-5632, www.midamericanenergy.com; Iowa City Public Works Dept., 319-356-5140,
www.icgov.org/city-government/departments-and-divisions/public-works
More Low-Carbon Energy News Energy Efficiency, Alliant Energy , MidAmerican Energy Company,
To go beyond net-zero, the sector will need to develop innovative concrete blends which absorb CO2 from the atmosphere through a process called carbonation. Concrete produced in the UK is currently not performing in line with the global average carbonation rate -- but if it was, an amount of CO2e equivalent to 12 pct of the sector's footprint in mid-century could be captured, according to the trade group's UK Concrete and Cement Sector Roadmap for Beyond Net Zero report.
According to the International Energy Agency , CCS is "virtually the only technology solution for deep emissions reductions from cement production."
Download UK Concrete's UK Concrete and Cement Sector Roadmap for Beyond Net Zero report
HERE. (Source: UK Concrete, PR,edie, 6 Oct., 2020) Contact: UK Concrete, +44 (0) 207 963 8000, info@thisisukconcrete.co.uk, www.thisisukconcrete.co.uk
More Low-Carbon Energy News Concrete news, Carbon Emissions news, Cement news,
Cities signing on to the new declaration -- Berlin, Bristol, Cape Town, Durban, London, Los Angeles, Milan, New Orleans, New York City, Oslo, Pittsburgh, and Vancouver -- commit to build momentum for fossil-free and sustainable investment by:
According to Energy Policy Tracker, more than $200 billion in COVID-19 recovery funds are being pledged to fossil fuels, though risky investments in coal, oil, and gas are key drivers of the climate emergency. Continued investment in fossil fuels drives emissions that endanger the Paris Climate Agreement goals, jeopardize efforts to limit temperature rise to 1.5 degrees C, and threaten to lock dangerous carbon emissions into economies.
The Divesting From Fossil Fuels, Investing in a Sustainable Future declaration is a critical next step towards realizing the vision for a Global Green New Deal, announced last October at the C40 World Mayors Summit in Copenhagen, Denmark. Endorsed by a broad coalition of business and labor leaders, youth activists, and civil society representatives, the Global Green New Deal reaffirms a commitment to protecting the environment, strengthening the economy, and building more equitable communities through inclusive climate action, according to the release.
C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group, Inc. is a non-profit organization and is tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code. (Source: C40 Cities, PR, 22 Sept., 2020) Contact: C40 Cities Group, www.c40.org
More Low-Carbon Energy News C40 Cities, Climate Change, Renewable Energy,
Kraftblock's high-temp storage system is significantly more efficient than other thermal storage systems on the market, which mostly use salt or concrete as a storage medium. The German company's solution uses granules, consisting of 85 pct recycled material, storing temperatures of up to 1,300 degrees. By utilizing a modular structure, the system is cost-effective, easily scalable and has a lifespan of some 15,000 cycles, which compares to lithium battery cells that are limited to a maximum of 8,000 cycles.
(Source: Koolen Industries, PR, Sept., 2020) Contact: Koolen Industries, Kees Koolen, CEO, +31 88 007 6000, www.koolenindustries.com; Kraftblock, +49 6897 936 161, welcome@kraftblock.com,
www. kraftblock.com/en
More Low-Carbon Energy News Kraftblock news, energy Storage news,
To that end, CEMEX has driven the conversion away from fossil fuels to alternative fuel sources in its factories, with substitution rates now at 60 pct -- significantly higher than the European average of around 40 pct.
The company also introduced its Vertua® carbon-neutral concrete in the UK and France and will gradually make it available its other markets.
(Source: CEMEX, Website PR, 24 Sept., 2020) Contact: CEMEX, Fernando A. Gonzalez, CEO, Jorge Perez ,
+52 (81) 8888-4334,jorgeluis.perez@cemex.com, www.cemex.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News CEMEX, Cement, Carbon Emissions,
Vattenfall's portfolio has the potential of approximately 5000 MW for projects on land, under development or construction in its various markets.
Lighter weight wooden towers can be constructed in modules and assembled on site allowing higher towers to be built while still using normal access roads for transportation. Wooden designs also enable radical reductions in emissions by replacing emission-heavy material such as steel and concrete, according to the Vattefall release.
(Source: Vattenfall Website News Release, 19 Sept., 2020)
Contact: Modvion AB, Otto Lundman, CEO, , +46 (0)702-72 06 24,otto@modvion.com, www.modvion.com;
Vattenfall, Magnus Kryssare, +46 (0)76-769 56 07, magnus.kryssare@vattenfall.com, www.vattenfall.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News Vattenfall, Turbine Tower, Wind,
The building will be 586 feet tall and have 102 social housing units, 50 market rental units and 328 market condo units.
The tower, designed by U.K.-based WKK Architects and IBI Group, the local architect of record, will be constructed to exacting energy efficient standards including: reinforced concrete constructure with embedded structural steel components with exterior tuned mass dampers to control building sway; coated triple-glazed windows and other energy efficiency and Passive House features. The project is awaiting permitting but a construction start date has not been fixed. (Source: Journal of Commerce, 21 Sept., 2020) Contact: Passive House, International Passive House Association, , www.passivehousecanada.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News Passive House, Energy Efficiency,
The European Commission (EC) proposed that reporting obligations by the EU and the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) should be aligned. While MEBs agree, they noted that the IMO has made insufficient progress in reaching a global agreement on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Parliamentarians have therefore asked the Commission to examine the environmental integrity of the measures decided by the IMO as well as the targets set under the Paris Agreement.
Although the Parliament demands that ships of 5000 gross registered tons or more should be included in the ETS, many parliamentarians still feel that this is not enough and are calling for shipping companies to reduce their annual average CO2 emissions per transport service for all their ships by at least 40 pct by 2030. (Source: EP, elecdrive, 17 Sept., 2020)Contact: International Maritime Organization (IMO), Stefan Micallef, Director of Marine Environment Division, +44 (0) 20 7735 7611, www.imo.org
More Low-Carbon Energy News IMO, Maritime Emissions, Carbon Emissions, EUETS,
The commercial-scale carbon-capture project, based in Florence, Colorado, is a partnership of Svante Inc., LafargeHolcim, Kiewit Engineering Group Inc., Oxy Low Carbon Ventures, LLC (OLCV), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Occidental Petroleum, and Total.
With DOE funding in place the partnership has committed to evaluate the feasibility of the facility designed to capture up to 2 million tpy of CO2 directly from the Holcim cement plant and the natural gas-fired steam generator, which would be sequestered underground permanently by Occidental.
Santa Clarita, California-based Electricore, Inc. will facilitate management of the federal grant, and Kiewit Engineering Group Inc. will lead the engineering development.
This joint initiative follows the recently-launched Pilot Plant Project CO2MENT between Burnaby, British Columbia-based Svante, cement maker LafargeHolcim and Total in Canada at the Lafarge Richmond B.C. cement plant where progress has been made towards re-injecting captured CO2 into concrete. (Source: Total, PR, Business Wire, 17 Sept., 2020) Contact:
Savante, (604) 456-0504, info@svanteinc.com; www. svanteinc.com; Total, www.total.com; Oxy Low Carbon Ventures, www.oxy.com; Electricore, 661-607-0160, www.electricore.org; Kiewit Engineering, www.kiewit,ca
DOE NETL, www.doe.netl.gov
More Low-Carbon Energy News DOE NETL, Total, Carbon Capture, DOE NETL, LafargeHolcim, Kiewit ,
DIFC LEED qualifying features included: water conservation fixtures; extensive recycled content -- including concrete, steel and glass; energy efficient lighting; occupancy sensors; CO2 sensors; and others. (Source: Design Middle East, 10 Sept., 2020)
More Low-Carbon Energy News USGBC, LEED Certification, Energy Efficiency,
The company noted that carbon capture and storage (CCS), an increased reliance on renewable energy and other initiatives will be funded through a $400 million climate investment program announced in 2019.
The company also plans to update its portfolio assessment to take into account its Paris Climate Agrement agreement goals, and will sell or demerge some of its coal mines to help meet those goals. Additionally, future executive remuneration will include an element tied to climate change actions. (Source: BHP Billiton, mining.com, 27 Aug., 2020) Contact: BHP Billiton, Dr. Fiona Wild, VP Sustainability and Climate Change, +61 3 9609 3333, www.bhpbilliton.com, www.bhp.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News BHP, Climate Change, Carbon Emissions, Carbon Neutral, CCS,
Using a floating concrete hull designed to last 100 years the project will support a 10- to 12-MW wind turbine 2 miles south of Monhegan Island and 14 miles from the Maine coast. Three mooring lines will anchor the hull in 300 feet of water.
UMaine's Advanced Structures and Composites Center will continue with design and engineering, research and development and post-construction monitoring. So far, the VolturnUS technology has been issued 43 patents and is being licensed by UMaine to New England Aqua Ventus for this project. Aqua Ventus will own and manage permitting, construction, assembly, deployment and ongoing operations.
Following extensive permitting, deployment is expected by 2023. (Source: University of Maine, Kennebec Sentinel, 5 Aug., 2020) Contact: Maine Aqua Ventus, Meghan Collins, (207) 581-2117, www.maineaquaventus.com; University of Maine Advanced Structures and Composites Center, Dr. Habib Dagher, Exec. Dir., 207-581-2123, www.composites.umaine.edu
More Low-Carbon Energy News University of Maine, Floating Wind, Offshore Wind, Aqua Ventus ,
The system will incorporate 256 Tesla Megapack battery units on 33 concrete slabs. Transformers and switch gears will be installed along with the Megapacks to connect energy stored in the batteries with the 115-kilovolt electric transmission system.
When fully operational in Q2, 2021, the BESS will have the capacity to store and dispatch up to 730 MWh of energy to the electrical grid at a maximum rate of 182.5 MW for up to four hours during high demand periods .
(Source: PG&E, Tesla, Aug., 2020) Contact: PG&E, www.pg&e.com;
Tesla Powerwall, www.tesla.com/en_CA/powerwall
More Low-Carbon Energy News Pacific Gas & Electric, Tesla, Energy Storage,
The system will incorporate 256 Tesla Megapack battery units on 33 concrete slabs. Transformers and switch gears will be installed along with the Megapacks to connect energy stored in the batteries with the 115-kilovolt electric transmission system.
When fully operational in Q2, 2021, the BESS will have the capacity to store and dispatch up to 730 MWh of energy to the electrical grid at a maximum rate of 182.5 MW for up to four hours during high demand periods .
(Source: PG&E, Tesla, Aug., 2020)Contact: PG&E, www.pge.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News Pacific Gas & Electric, Tesla, Battery Energy Storage,
ECOPact is sold at a range of low-carbon levels, from 30 pct to 100 pct less carbon emissions compared to ordinary (CEM1) concrete. Up to 80 pct less carbon is achieved primarily through the use of lower CO2-intensive materials. For a fully carbon-neutral solution, the last 20 pct is reached through offsets with certified carbon projects.
In the United States, LafargeHolcim's low-carbon products and solutions portfolio includes low-carbon concrete, low-clinker cements, recycled aggregates and services that promote sustainability. LafargeHolcim companies include close to 350 sites in 43 U.S. states.
(Source: LafargeHolcim, PR, July, 2020) Contact: LafargeHolcim, Jay Moreau, CEO, US Aggregates and Construction Materials, Stephanie Sulcer, Communications, 847 716 0368,
stephanie.sulcer@lafargeholcim.com, www.lafargeholcim.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News LafargeHolcim, Low-Carbon Cement, Cement, Carbon Emissions ,
CO2Concrete has a carbon footprint 50-70 pct lower than traditional concrete, and captures carbon dioxide from raw flue gas emitted by cement plants and other sources. One particular attraction of the process is that it does not need a conventional carbon capture system. Cement production reportedly accounts for 8 pct of man-made carbon dioxide emissions.
A test centre to demonstrate the process is located at Dry Fork Station, a coal-based power plant near Gillette, Wyoming.
(Source: UCLA, Global Construction Review, 27 July, 2020) Contact: UCLA, Civil Engineering Prof. Gaurav Sant, www. samueli.ucla.edu/gaurav-sant
More Low-Carbon Energy News UCLA, CO2, Cement, Concrete, CO2Concrete,
The two companies have developed concrete formulations based on Hoffmann's H-UKR technology, a binder that has a substantially lower carbon footprint than traditional cement. (Source: Hoffmann Green Cement Technologies, World Cement, 15 July, 2020) Contact: Hoffmann Green Cement Technologies, David Hoffman, +33 2 51 460 600, contact@ciments-hoffmann.fr, www.ciments-hoffmann.com; GCC, Jacques Marcel, CEO, GCC, www.gccgroupe.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News Carbon Footprint, Low Carbon Cement, Cement,
Printing a variable height base directly on-site with 3D-printed concrete technology will enable the construction of towers up to 150-200 metres tall, according to the release.
For the project, GE Renewable Energy will provide expertise related to the design, manufacture and commercialisation of wind turbines, COBOD will focus on the robotics automation and 3D printing and LafargeHolcim will design the concrete material, its processing and application. (Source: GE Renewables, World Cement, Various Media, 17 June, 2020) Contact: COBOD, Asger Dath, +45 2067 9535,
ad@cobod.com, www.cobod.com;
GE Renewable Energy , Matteo Bellucci, Advanced Manufacturing Leader, www.ge-energy.com; LafargeHolcim, www.LafargeHolcim.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News GE Renewable Energy, Wind Tower, LafargeHolcim,
The €5-million, 2,200 sq-ft building consists of a precast box and a double-curved roof made possible with the use of lightweight and pliable carbon fiber composite materials. The carbon provides the tensile strength of steel at one-quarter the weight, is more durable than steel , energy efficient and saves up to 70 pct in greenhouse gas emissions. The project is being funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research.
(Source: Technical University of Dresden, Composites Manufacturing, 12 June, 2020) Contact: Institute of Concrete Construction Technical University Dresden, Manfred Curbach, +49 351 463-0, www. tu-dresden.de/bu/bauingenieurwesen/imb/?set_language=en
More Low-Carbon Energy News Technical University of Dresden news, Concrete news, Carbon Fiber news, Energy Efficiency news,
CarbonCure technology injects waste CO2 captured by industrial gas suppliers into concrete during mixing, enabling the production of stronger, more sustainable concrete. Every cubic metre of concrete made with this technology reduces an average of 17 kg of carbon emissions, meaning an average high-rise built with CarbonCure concrete would save approximately 680 tonnes of CO2 emissions.
CarbonCure's technology is installed in nearly 250 concrete plants across North America and Southeast Asia, with more than 4.2 million cubic metres of concrete supplying a wide range of construction projects from airports, roads to high-rise towers.
(Source: World Cement, PR, 2 June, 2020) Contact: World Cement Assoc., Ian Riley, CEO , +44 333 939 80 83, www.worldcementassociation.org;
CarbonCure Technologies, Robert Niven, CEO, (902) 442-4020, info@carboncure.com, www.carboncure.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News CarbonCure, CO2,
The Green Recovery Alliance was launched in the European Parliament on April 14, 2020, based on calls from 12 EU environment ministers. They had signed the appeal for a green recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic which is causing unforeseen consequences to people's health and the economy. The Alliance for a Green Recovery calls for the mobilisation of post-crisis green investment packages and other concrete measures including job protection and creation and support for companies, regions and sectors that have suffered from the pandemic.
According to Bioenergy Europe, the "With 10.3 pct of contribution to the energy mix and more than 700,000 jobs, the bioenergy sector is already a strong socio-economic reality and is committed to contributing to the post-crisis investment decisions needed to reboot and re-boost our economy." (Source: Bioenergy Europe, PR, News Europe, Trade Media, 16 April, 2020)
Contact: Bioenergy Europe
Jean-Marc Jossart, Sec. Gen., www.bioenergyeurope.org
More Low-Carbon Energy News Bioenergy, Biofuel, Biomass, Bioenergy, Green Energy Europe,
The 88 MW Hywind Tampen wind farm, which is being developed by Equinor, will incorporate 11 Siemens Gamesa SG 8.0-167 DD wind turbines mounted on floating concrete spar substructures with shared anchors supplied by Kvaerner.
Hywind Tampen is slated for start-up at the end of 2022. (Source: Norwegian Ministry of Petroleum and Industry, Maritime Exec., 8 April, 2020) Contact: Equinor, Eldar Sætre, Pres., CEO, www.equinor.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News Equinor, Offshore Wind, Floating Wind, Wind,
The project aims to help cut the levelized cost of floating wind energy to roughly €40-60 MWh by 2030. The development falls under the European Commission Horizon 2020 programme and could qualify for roughly €25 million in grant funding from the EC Innovation and Networks Executive Agency.
Fabrication of the test platform could start in Q2, 2021 for installation in Q1, 2022. (Source: Iberdrola, PR, reve, 30 Mr.,2020)Contact: Iberdrola, Jonathan Cole, Global Managing Director Offshore Wind, www.iberdrolarenewables.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News Iberdrola, Wind, Floating Wind,
While CCS technologies could reduce GHG emissions from concrete production by as much as 28 pct , the study found it could actually increase human health impacts from air pollutants unless the technology itself is powered by clean energy.
Cement production is responsible for about 32 pct of the total climate damages and 18 pct of health damages of making concrete. That is followed by aggregate production, which is responsible for 34 pct of health damages and 4 pct in climate damages.
To reduce these impacts, the study suggests the following readily implementable methods to reduce climate damages: cleaner combusting kiln fuel; increase use of limestone filler or other low-impact mineral additions to partially replace cement; clean renewable energy; amine scrubbing and calcium looping which could reduce climate damage costs over 50 pct and 65 pct respectively. They are not yet readily implementable but may become so in the future.
While the effectiveness of strategies varies by region, the study says that overall, a mixture of the strategies could reduce climate and health damages by 85 pct and 19 pct respectively.
(Source: UC Davis, Nature Climate Change, Daily Democrat, UC Davis, Mar., 2020) Contact: UC Davis, Assist. Prof.,Frances Moore, UCD Department of Environmental Science and Policy, fmoore@ucdavis.edu, www.ucdavis.edu
More Low-Carbon Energy News Concrete, Cement, Carbon Emissions, Climate Change, UC Davis,
A typical ecobrick is filled with 250 small size chip packets or 56 shopping plastic bags and weighs an average of 600 grams. The plastic filled bottles are used as fillers usedEcobricks are used to fill space and reduce the amount of concrete required in non-load-bearing parts of a building.
The building is designed to meet Deloitte's commitment the energy efficiecy and United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. (Source: Ecobrick Exchange, Creemers Eng. News, Mar.,2020) Contact: Ecobrick Exchange, Ian Dommisse , info@ecobrickexchange.org, ecobrickexchange.org; United Nations Sustainable Development, www.sustainabledevelopment.un.org
More Low-Carbon Energy News Cement, Green Building,
The combination of the consumption of CO2 during curing, and lowered carbon emissions achieved in the production of low-energy Solidia Cement that is used to bind the concrete, results in an up to 70 pct reduced carbon footprint compared to traditional concrete, according to the release.
Air Liquide is Solidia's preferred supplier of CO2 and the equipment used for its injection in the cement-concrete production process.(Source: Air Liquide, Chemical Engineering 28 Jan., 2020) Contact: Air Liquide, Corporate Communications, +33 (0)1 40 62 58 49, media@airliquide.com, www.airliquide.com; Solidia, 908-315-5901, www.solidiatech.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News Air Liquide, CO2, Cement, Concrete,
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 ,
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,
The next phase of Project CO2MENT will demonstrate of CO2 utilization solutions such as reinjecting it into low-carbon fuels, CO2concrete, and fly ash, will begin in 2020.
The CO2MENT Project -- a partnership between LafargeHolcim and TOTAL S.A. -- is constructiung a 1 tpd plant in Richmond, BC that will re-inject captured CO2 into concrete as a storage solution. A 30 tpd demonstration plant was completed this summer at Husky Energy's Pikes Peak South thermal project in Saskatchewan, Canada. (Source: Lafarge Canada Inc., PR, Businesswire, 29 Nov., 2019) Contact: Lafarge Jill Truscott, (403) 723-7151, jill.truscott@lafargeholcim.com; Svante, Claude Letourneau, Pres., CEO, www.svanteinc.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News Lafarge,
The team matches the ERC's expertise in power generation and energy with appropriate expertise in civil engineering within Lehigh's Advanced Technology for Large Structural Systems (ATLSS) Engineering Research Center.
Other project partners include: Advanced Cooling Technologies Inc., Dominion Energy-Virginia, Slaw Precast (concrete), Nycon (steel fiber), Hanson Cement and others.
The research group recently received a three-year, $2 million grant from the US DOE Transformative Power Generation Program to support the design, engineering, optimization, and testing of the Lehigh team's heat Thermal Energy Storage (TCM-TES) concept.
(Source: Lehigh University Energy Research Center, PR, Nov., 2019) Contact: Lehigh University, Energy Research Center, Carlos E. Romero
Director and Principal Research Scientist,
(610) 758-4092, cerj@lehigh.edu, www.lehigh.edu
More Low-Carbon Energy News Energy Storage, Battery,
Under the MoU, the companies will also work to contribute to the acceleration as well as the growth of the domestic floating offshore wind market. (Source: Ideol, Taisei Corp, PR, Offshore, 25 Nov., 2019) Contact: Ideol and Taisei Corp
Contact: Ideol, +33 (0)4 86 20 80 50, www.ideol-offshore.com/en; Taisei Corp., www.taisei.co.jp
More Low-Carbon Energy News Ideol, Taisei Corp, Floating Wind, Offshore WindOffshore Wind, Wind,
The two-year project scope includes the conceptual design, preliminary design, and feasibility assessment of the fixed-bottom, suction-bucket support structure and heavy-lift-vessel alternative for the US DOE National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) 15MW reference turbine.
According to its website, RCAM Technologies was "founded to develop concrete additive manufacturing technologies initially for wind energy technologies -- RCAM's vision for wind energy is to develop land-based and offshore wind turbine towers and substructures up to 200-meter tall at half the cost of conventional tall tower technologies."
(Source: RCAM Technologies, PR,
19 November, 2019) Contact:
RCAM Technologies, Jason Cottrell, CEO, www.rcamtechnologies.com;
National Offshore Wind Research and Development Consortium, www.energy.gov/eere/wind/national-offshore-wind-rd-consortium
More Low-Carbon Energy News Offshore Wind Foundation,
The NOK 1.5 billion ($164,964,000 - US) contract
includes full project management, engineering, assembly site management, mooring system installation, units tow-to-field and installation of the floating wind turbine units.
(Source: Kvaener, PR, 31 Oct., 2019) Contact: Kvaener, Karl-Petter Loken, Pres., Torbjørn Andersen, IR & Communications, +47 928 85 542, torbjorn.andersen@kvaerner.com,
www.kvaerner.com;
Equinor, Pal Eitrheim, VP New Energy Solutions, www.equinor.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News Kvaerner, Wind, Offshore Wind, Equinor,
Many Swiss cantons (states), cities and towns have already declared a 'climate emergency' since February. Similar moves are also pending in the Swiss parliament.
Critics mote the declaration of a 'climate emergency' has largely symbolic value as long as it is not linked to a concrete action plan.
(Source: Swiss Info, 19 Oct., 2019)
More Low-Carbon Energy News Climate Change,
The angular office building is wrapped by 3,000-square-metres of solar panels that generate approximately 500,000 kWh of power to meet 100 pct of the buildings electric power needs. The surplus power is stored in batteries and/or sold to neighboring buildings and city transport.
The building's energy efficiency features
include a lighting motion detection system, extremely efficient insulation, smart systems that regulates HVAC, and a low-emission concrete structure that helps regulate the building's temperature using thermal mass.
(Source: Dezeen Snohetta Architects, Sept., 2019) Contact: Snohetta, contact@snohetta.com, www.snohetta.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News Energy Efficiency,
The Quito airport Operator, Corporacion Quiport, joined the Airport Carbon Accreditation programme in 2015 and has achieved carbon-neutral status through concrete actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, reduce fuel consumption, increase energy efficiency, improve water management, maintain conservation areas for flora and fauna and more. The Quito Airport's 2018 carbon footprint was calculated at 3,273 tons of CO2 emissions, a 41 pct drop compared to 2014 as the base year (5,534 tons of CO2).
The airport offsets its direct emissions by buying certified carbon credits in sustainable projects including the MANOA REDD+ Project which works to preserve 74,000 hectares of forest in Rondônia State, Brazil. (Source: TASS, World Airport, 27 Aug., 2019) Contact: Airport Carbon Accreditation, +44 845 868 2708, www.airportcarbonaccreditation.org
More Low-Carbon Energy News Carbon Neutral, Airport Carbon Accreditation,
Biden's $1.7 trillion plan calls for a $400 billion over ten years investment in R&D targeted at: grid-scale storage; small modular nuclear reactors; zero net energy buildings; using renewables to produce carbon-free hydrogen; decarbonizing industrial heat needed to make steel, concrete, and chemicals; leveraging agriculture to remove carbon dioxide from the air; and sequestering carbon dioxide from power plants deep underground. A climate adaptation agenda.
Biden's plan has all the usual "shoutouts to climate justice and protection for fossil-fuel workers who lose their jobs" and a program to "rally the world" to address climate change and reach zero-emissions by 2050.
See the former Vice-President's website for details.
(Source: Mother Jones, 24 Aug., 2019) Contact: Joe Biden, www.joebiden.com/climate
More Low-Carbon Energy News Climate Change,