Climate Change
Date: 2021-03-22
The CEO Alliance for Europe's Recovery, Reform and Resilience "Action Tank" of 10 European business leaders is calling for climate action.

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,  

Powering Past Coal Alliance, Antonio Guterres
Date: 2021-03-08
In a video message to the Powering Past Coal Alliance virtual meeting last week, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said:

"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,  

Haldor Topsoe
Date: 2021-03-08
In Denmark, Haldor Topsoe is reporting plans to invest in a 500 MW per -- expandable to 5 GW per year -- solid oxide electrolyzers (SOEC) production facility. Construction of the new automated manufacturing facility is expected to get underway in 2022 for commissioning and startup in 2023.

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,  

CEMEX
Date: 2021-02-19
Houston-headquartered CEMEX USA is reporting receipt of an undisclosed amount of grant funding from the US Department of Energy (DOE) to develop a pilot carbon capture unit at its Victorville, California, cement plant.

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,  

Climate Change
Date: 2021-02-12
In Washington, the White House (WH) has announced a new Climate Innovation Working Group as part of the National Climate Task Force to advance President Biden's commitment to Advanced Research Projects Agency-Climate (ARPA-C).

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:

Zero net carbon buildings at zero net cost, including carbon-neutral construction materials;

Energy storage at one-tenth the cost of today's alternatives;

Advanced energy system management tools to plan for and operate a grid powered by zero-carbon power plants;

Very low-cost zero-carbon on-road vehicles and transit systems;

New, sustainable fuels for aircraft and ships, as well as improvements in broader aircraft and ship efficiency and transportation management;

Affordable refrigeration, air conditioning, and heat pumps made without refrigerants that warm the planet;

Carbon-free heat and industrial processes that capture emissions for making steel, concrete, chemicals, and other important industrial products;

Carbon-free hydrogen at a lower cost than hydrogen made from polluting alternatives;

Innovative soil management, plant biologies, and agricultural techniques to remove carbon dioxide from the air and store it in the ground; and

Direct air capture systems and retrofits to existing industrial and power plant exhausts to capture carbon dioxide and use it to make alternative products or permanently sequester it deep underground.

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 Clean Energy,Aries Clean Technologies
Date: 2021-01-22
Franklin, Tenn.-based biomass gasification solutions specialist Aries Clean Energy is reporting a name change to Aries Clean Technologies, with a refined focus on the clean conversion of wastewater biosolids.

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,  

Chevron Corp., Blue Planet Systems
Date: 2021-01-15
In Houston, U.S. oil major Chevron Corp reports it's Future Energy Fund has invested in San Jose, California-based carbon capture and utilization (CCUS) tech start-up Blue Planet Systems Corp. The two firms intent to collaborate on potential carbon capture pilot projects and commercial development.

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 ,  

Tata Steel
Date: 2021-01-06
India's Tata Steel is reporting a collaboration with the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) Green Business Centre and relevant steel sector stakeholders to develop the GreenPro Label framework for steel rebars with the lowest environment impact. GreenPro Ecolabeled products are guaranteed to be made to the highest sustainability and quality standards and are recognized in Indian Green Building Council (IGBC) green building rating system.

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 ,  

Cambridge Carbon Capture
Date: 2020-11-27
In the UK, Government-backed research run by Cambridge Carbon Capture Ltd.(CCC) will use its patented CO2LOC technology to capture CO2 and NOx emissions from a clay roof tile kiln then converted into a solid mineral by-product made into concrete blocks. The CO2LOC technology also produces silica and metals such as Nickel and Cobalt to be used in batteries and other applications.

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 ,  

CEMEX, ENERGY STAR
Date: 2020-11-13
Houston-headquartered CEMEX USA reports its Miami cement plant has achieved US EPA ENERGY STAR® Certification for 2020 -- the tenth consecutive year the plant has earned the recognition for energy efficiency and sustainability and ranked in the top 25 pct of similar US facilities.

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 Systems
Date: 2020-10-26
Hanover, Maryland-based Blue Planet Systems Corp. reports it has raised $10 million for the commercialization of its carbon capture and utilization (CCUS) system. The system converts diluted CO2 from fossil fuel-fired electric generating stations, cement or steel mills and petroleum refineries to carbonate for mineralization into calcium carbonate (CaCO₃) -- coarse, concrete-grade synthetic limestone. The company contends their solution is scalable, economically viable and more than compensates for Portland cement's carbon footprint.

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,  

Irish Bioenergy Association
Date: 2020-10-14
According to the Irish Bioenergy Association (IrBEA), there is significant potential for bioenergy to contribute to renewable heat, transport and electricity targets, provide opportunities to farmers through farm diversification and development of alternative enterprises, development of rural jobs and addressing the climate changes and emissions challenges faced by the country. IrBEA notes the bioenergy sectors of biomass, biogas, biofuels, energy crops and wood fuels are all part of the bioeconomy and offer considerable potential and opportunity to drive the economic, jobs and growth agenda in rural areas.

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:

financing of biomass CHP, biogas CHP and local heating projects, with particular reference to community involvement, and mobilization of forest biomass;

establishment of the Midlands Renewable Energy hub to allow the repurposing away from peat to the efficient usage of bioenergy for heat and power provision and the establishment of supply chains, employment opportunities and rural development;

introduction of a biogas support scheme to mobilize an Irish biogas industry on a phased basis;

provision be made in the Finance Act for the revenue treatment of biomass chipping and related equipment to be the same as the treatment of other mobile machinery such as mobile cranes and concrete pumping equipment;

immediately increase the blending rates to E10 (10 pct Ethanol) petrol blend and B12 (12 pct Biodiesel) diesel blend in Ireland. This would increase the blending rates from the current substitution rates of E5 for petrol and B7 for Diesel, and others. (Source: Irish Bioenergy Association , PR, 13 Oct., 2020) Contact: Irish Bioenergy Assoc., Sean Finan , CEO, +44 0 87 4146480, www.irbea.org

More Low-Carbon Energy News Biogas news,  Biofuel news,  Peat news,  Forest Biomass news,  Biofuel Blend news,  

City of Iowa City ,Alliant Energy,MidAmerican Energy Company
Date: 2020-10-07
In the Hawkeye State, the City of Iowa City is reporting receipt of an Excellence in Energy Efficiency Design award for energy efficiency and energy use reduction at the new Iowa City Public Works Facility.. Candidates are selected from projects whose organizers participated in the Commercial New Construction (CNC) program offered by Alliant Energy and MidAmerican Energy Company.

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,  

UK Concrete
Date: 2020-10-07
UK Concrete, the London-headquartered trade body representing the UK's concrete and cement industry, is reporting CCS can tackle 61 pct of the industry's annual emissions by 2050, if the Government and industry collaborate to ensure that investment in arrays and related transport and carbon capture and storage (CCS) infrastructure is scaled up. The remainder of the emissions reductions needed for the sector to reach net-zero can be achieved through decarbonising transport; switching to biomass and hydrogen for heat; using lower-carbon materials and transitioning to renewable electricity. A smaller proportion of reductions can also be achieved by rolling out automated technologies in manufacturing facilities, according to UK Concrete.

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,  

C40 Cities
Date: 2020-09-30
In New York, 12 of the world's most influential cities representing over 36 million residents have signed on to C40 Groups Divesting from Fossil Fuels, Investing in a Sustainable Future declaration. The declaration champions fossil fuel-free, green finance as a key strategy for rebuilding equitable, sustainable urban economies and increasing resilience against future crises. Signatories pledge to use their financial might to promote a just and clean energy transition through concrete actions at the city, national and international levels.

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:

Taking all possible steps to divest city assets from fossil fuel companies and increasing financial investments in climate solutions to help promote decent jobs and a just and green economy.

Calling on pension funds to divest from fossil fuel companies and increasing financial investments in climate solutions to help promote decent jobs and a just and green economy.

Advocating for fossil-free and sustainable finance by other investors and all levels of government, including by promoting the importance of strong, long-term climate policies and demanding greater transparency.

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
Date: 2020-09-28
In the Netherlands, clean energy conglomerate Koolen Industries reports it is inventing €3 million in Hengelo, Germany-based thermal energy storage specialist Kraftblock. Koolen is looking to boost Kraftblock's nanotechnology-based energy storage system that captures excess heat -- an inevitable by-product of industrial operations -- and reuse it as energy for production.

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,  

CEMEX
Date: 2020-09-25
Monterray, Mexico-based global cement maker and building materials supplier CEMEX reports it is targeting a minimum 55 pct CO2 emissions reduction in its European operations by 2030 and expects to achieve a 35 pct reduction in carbon emissions from cementitious materials by the end of this year, a decade ahead of CEMEX's 2030 global commitment as outlined in its previously released Climate Action strategy.

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
Date: 2020-09-23
In Sweden, Gothenburg-based laminated wood technology engineering specialist Modvion and wind energy major Vattenfall are reporting a letter of intent to enter into a business development project for evaluating building technology and commercialization of wooden onshore wind towers for Vattenfall.

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,  

Passive House
Date: 2020-09-21
In British Columbia, a landmark, 60-storey skyscraper that will be the tallest Passive House in the world has been proposed by Henson Developments Ltd for downtown Vancouver.

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,  

Eueopean Union, IMO
Date: 2020-09-18
In Brussels, the European Parliament reports it has voted for the inclusion of CO2 emissions from maritime shipping in the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS) and will begin negotiations with the 27-member trading bloc states on concrete legislation. Maritime transport is the only sector in which the EU has no specific obligations to reduce CO2 emissions.

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,  

DOE-NETL
Date: 2020-09-18
As previously reported, the US DOE National Energy Technology Laboratory (DOE-NETL) awarded $1.5 million in funding for cost-shared R&D to support the initial engineering analysis and advancement of the LH CO2MENT Colorado Project which was launched earlier this year.

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 ,  

Amazon, Climate Change
Date: 2020-09-18
Amazon, which pledged to have "net zero" emissions by 2040, has named the first recipients of money from the $2 billion Climate Pledge venture fund it rolled out in June to help companies develop climate friendly technologies. The dollar amounts of the each individual investment have not been announced to the following recipients:

CarbonCure Technologies, a firm with technology that sequesters CO2 in concrete. (902) 442-4020, info@carboncure.com, www.carboncure.com

Pachama, which provides forest carbon offsets and touts use of machine learning and satellite imagery to measure and verify CO2 removal. info@pachama.com, www.pachama.com

Redwood Materials, the battery and electronic waste recycling company launched by Tesla's former chief technology officer. info@redwoodmaterials.com, www.redwoodmaterials.com

Turntide Technologies, which provides efficient electric motors. 669-224-4377, www.turntide.com (Source: Amazon, PR, Axios, 17 Sept., 2020) Contact: Amazon, amazon-pr@amazon.com, www.amazon.com/pr

More Low-Carbon Energy News Amazon,  Climate Change,  Carbon Emissions,  CarbonCure,  

USGBC
Date: 2020-09-11
In Dubai, the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) Gate Avenue has been awarded US Green Building Council LEED Gold accreditation and Green Building Certification Inc. for energy efficiency and building excellence from integrative design to human health to material use.

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,  

BHP
Date: 2020-08-28
In the Land Down Under, Melbourne-based mining giant BHP reports the revamping of its strategy to reduce the company's operational emissions and set concrete targets to be reached by 2030 and its ultimate goal to become carbon-neutral by 2050.

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,  

University of Maine, Aqua Ventus
Date: 2020-08-07
The University of Maine (UMaine) reports it will collaborate with New England Aqua Ventus LLC, which includes Diamond Offshore Wind, a subsidiary of Mitsubishi Corp., and RWE Renewables , that are investing $100 million in a project aimed at showing the feasibility of a full-scale, floating wind turbine in deep water. The $100 million investment is in addition to $47 million in grants already awarded by the U.S. DOE.

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 ,  

PG&E, Tesla
Date: 2020-08-05
In the Golden State, Pacific Gas and Electric Co. (PG&E) and Tesla are reporting construction is underway on a massive lithium-ion battery storage system (BESS) at PG&E's electric substation in Moss Landing in Monterey County, Calif. Upon completion, the facility will be one of the largest utility-owned, lithium-ion energy storage systems in the world.

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,  

Pacific Gas and Electric, Tesla
Date: 2020-08-03
In the Golden State, Pacific Gas and Electric Co. (PG&E) and Tesla are reporting construction is underway on a massive lithium-ion battery storage system (BESS) at PG&E’s electric substation in Moss Landing in Monterey County, Calif. Once operational, the Moss Landing substation will be one of the largest utility-owned, lithium-ion energy storage systems in the world.

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,  

LafargeHolcim
Date: 2020-07-29
Chicago-based Aggregate Industries, a member of the LafargeHolcim family of companies in the US, is reporting the introduction of the ECOPact low-carbon concrete brand in the US Mid-Atlantic and Northeast Regions.

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 ,  

UCLA,CO2Concrete
Date: 2020-07-27
UCLA is reporting receipt of US DOE grant funding for the development of concrete from carbon dioxide emissions. The project is one of 11 sharing funding of $17 million from the US DOE's carbon utilization programme. A further $905,000 has been raised from industry partners and the UCLA discretionary funds.

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,  

Hoffmann Green Cement Technologies
Date: 2020-07-17
French low-carbon cement pioneer Hoffmann Green Cement Technologies reports it is extending its partnership contract with Les Mureaux, France-headquartered construction giant GCC to develop effective low-carbon concrete buildings.

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,  

GE Renewable Energy,LafargeHolcim
Date: 2020-06-19
GE Renewable Energy, 3D printed construction specialist COBOD and cement giant LafargeHolcim are announcing a collaboration to co-develop processes for 3D-printed concrete wind town bases as well as produce a wind turbine prototype with a printed pedestal, a production ready printer and materials to scale up production.

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,  

Technical University of Dresden
Date: 2020-06-15
In Germany, the Technical University of Dresden is touting "Carbonhaus" as the world's first building made from carbon fiber reinforced concrete ,

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
Date: 2020-06-05
In London, the World Cement Association has announced that Nova Scotia, Canada-based CarbonCure has joined its international community as an Associate Corporate Member.

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,  

Bioenergy Europe
Date: 2020-04-17
In Brussels, Bioenergy Europe has joined forces with 180 stakeholders and energy industry decision makers to form a European alliance for a Green Recovery.

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,  

Offshore Wind, Equinor
Date: 2020-04-10
Maritime Executive is reporting the Norwegian Ministry of Petroleum and Industry has approved plans for development and operation of the to $488 million Hywind Tampen offshore floating wind farm which will supply power to the Snorre and Gullfaks offshore oil platforms.

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,  

Iberdrola
Date: 2020-04-01
In Norway, Madrid-based wind energy major Iberdrola, in partnership with France's EDF and Germany's DNV-GL and others, is reporting plans to test two semi-submersible concrete floating wind power demonstration projects.

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,  

UC Davis
Date: 2020-03-25
According to a study from the University of California-Davis, concrete production contributes 8 pct of global greenhouse gases and caused $335 billion per year in damages while strategies to reduce the concrete sector's global GHG emissions could, under some scenarios, increase local air pollution and related health damages.

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,  

Ecobricks
Date: 2020-03-20
In South Africa, a new custom-designed "green" building to accommodate the Cape Town offices of international professional services firm Deloitte is reportedly among the first commercial buildings in the world to use ecobricks -- recycled beverage bottles filled to constant density with a wide range of waste plastics. The project will use 12,000 ecobricks that will displace of 57 tons of concrete.

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,  

Air Liquide,Solidia
Date: 2020-01-29
Air Liquide reports the renewal of its 2016 partnership with Piscataway, New Jersey-based cement and concrete technology specialist Solidia Technologies. Under their 2016 agreement, a team of Air Liquide and Solidia Technologies experts "industrialized" Solidia Concrete, which uses carbon dioxide (CO2) to cure concrete.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Lafarge,SVante
Date: 2019-12-02
Following the implementation of Project CO2MENT, cement giant Lafarge Canada reports flue gas from its Richmond Cement Plant is now being captured using a $28-million Savante system that purifies cement flue gas by trapping its contaminants to enable an efficient and durable CO2 capture process.

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,  

Lehigh University
Date: 2019-11-27
According to Carlos Romero, director of Lehigh University's Energy Research Center (ERC) in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, the addition of renewable energy into the electrical grid is forcing conventional power plants to adapt to new power generation realities. To address the new realities, an interdisciplinary team, promoted by Lehigh's Institute for Cyber Physical Infrastructure and Energy (I-CPIE), is launching a project on thermal energy storage (TES) for applications in fossil-fired power plants.

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,  

Ideol, Taisei Corp
Date: 2019-11-27
Paris-headquartered wind energy developer Ideol and Tokyo-based construction company Taisei Corp. are reporting a MoU for the joint development and promotion in Japan of concrete foundations for floating offshore wind using Ideol's patented Damping Pool technology.

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,  

RCAM Technologies
Date: 2019-11-20
US start-up RCAM Technologies reports it has been selected by and received funding from the National Offshore Wind Research and Development Consortium for contract negotiations as part of the consortium's second round of wind research and development projects. RCAM's award, which is one of two totaling $1.9 million, will go towards "proving the feasibility and advance the design" of the company's modular "3D Printing" concrete foundation.

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,  

Kvaerner,Equinor
Date: 2019-11-01
Oslo, Norway-based offshore engineering and construct firm Kvaerner reports it has contracted with Equinor to deliver 11 floating concrete hulls for offshore wind power turbines for Equinor's Hywind Tampen project off the coast of Norway -- the world's largest floating offshore wind farm.

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,  

Climate Change
Date: 2019-10-21
Swiss Info is reporting the Geneva cantonal parliament has overwhelmingly approved the declaration of a "climate emergency" and is urging the Swiss federal government to adapt climate-related regulations and climate change action plan.

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,  

Snohetta Architects
Date: 2019-09-09
In Norway, the Oslo-based international architectural firm Snohetta is reporting the recently completed 18,000 square-meter Powerhouse Brattorkaia office in Trondheim, is producing more than double the amount of electricity it consumes daily.

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,  

Airport Carbon Accreditation
Date: 2019-08-28
In Ecuador, Quito's Mariscal Sucre International Airport reports it is Latin America's first international airport to achieve carbon-neutral status in ACI's Airport Carbon Accreditation programme.

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,  

Climate Change
Date: 2019-08-26
US Democratic former V.P. and 2020 presidental hopeful Joe Biden, like every candidate, has released his plan to address the climate change crisis.

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,