American Petroleum Institute
Date: 2021-02-17
The American Petroleum Institute (API) is reporting receipt of $100 million funding under the US DOE's Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy programme. The program aims to identify and develop innovative technologies to further reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and tackle climate change.

According to API, over the past decade, the oil and gas industry has provided low-cost natural gas, while reducing CO2 emissions in the electric power sector and addressing methane emissions. Methane emissions have declined by nearly 70 pct between 2011 and 2019 in five of the largest US oil and gas producing regions, according to the EPA's new Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program data.

API notes its members are already investing in direct air carbon capture, carbon capture use astorage, CCS, decarbonisation infrastructure such as CO2 pipelines, sustainable and efficient fuels, and lower cost, low-carbon hydrogen. (Source: API. PR, Website, 16 Feb., 2021) Contact: API, Mike Sommers, CEO, (202) 682-8114, www.api.org

More Low-Carbon Energy News American Petroleum Institute,  GHG,  Climate Change,  Carbon Emissions,  Methane,  

Fintoil
Date: 2021-02-15
In Finland, Helsinki-headquartered Fintoil reports all necessary environmental and construction permits are now in hand for its planned €100 million biorefinery in Hamina and construction is slated to get underway before the month end.

Fintoil's 200,000 tpy refinery -- the world's third largest crude tall oil (CTO) refinery -- is expected to begin commercial operations mid summer of 2022 using Neste Engineering Solutions's patented NEXPINUS technology to refine a kraft pulp byproduct to produce feedstock for renewable second-generation renewable diesel.

In addition to crude fatty acid, the distillation process separates rosin, sterol pitch, and turpentine, which are sold for further refinement. (Source: Fintoil, PR, 10 Feb., 2021) Contact: Fintoil, Timo Saarenko, +358 50 310 4425, timo.saarenko@fintoil.com, info@fintoil.com, www.fintoil.com; Neste Engineering Solutions, www.neste.com/about-neste/who-we-are/neste-engineering-solutions

More Low-Carbon Energy News Fintoil ,  Tall Oil,  Renewable Diesel,  

Growth Energy
Date: 2021-02-12
In Washington, in testimony at the EPA virtual hearing on the proposal to extend the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) compliance deadlines for the 2019 and 2020 Renewable Volume Obligations (RVOs), Growth Energy's Senior VP of Regulatory Affairs Chris Bliley called on the agency to reject calls to delay RFS compliance and instead take immediate steps to restore integrity to the RFS and restore lost biofuel demand.

"The intent of the RFS is to blend more biofuels into our nation's transportation fuel supply. Period. It is not meant to have oil companies use questionable legal tactics to avoid blending biofuels and then demanding that the agency further delay compliance," Bliley said.

Bliley also reminded EPA about the benefits of biofuels as America works toward its clean climate goals, stating that "With recent research showing that greenhouse gas emissions from corn ethanol are 46 pct lower than gasoline, it makes no sense why EPA should continue to exempt oil companies and further delay them from complying with their blending obligations."

EPA's proposal would extend the RFS compliance deadline for the 2019 compliance year to November 30, 2021 and extend the RFS compliance deadline for the 2020 compliance year to January 31, 2022. (Source: Growth Energy, PR, Website, 9 Feb., 2021) Contact: Growth Energy, Emily Skor, CEO, Chris Bliley, (202) 545-4000, www.growthenergy.org

More Low-Carbon Energy News Growth Energy,  RFS,  

Trucent Renewable Chemicals
Date: 2021-02-12
In the Buckeye State, Trucent Renewable Chemicals (TRC) reports it will invest more than $10 million in its first facility to commercialize its proprietary fluid separation technology to process of raw vegetable oils into chemical intermediaries at new site in Van Wert. Work on the facility is expected to begin early this spring.

TRC is a division of Dexter, Michigan-based Trucent, a processor of vegetable oils into renewable oleo-chemicals for machining fluids, paints, adhesives, plastics, animal feed and other applications. (Source: Trucent Renewable Chemicals, PR, 10 Feb., 2021) Contact: Trucent, 734-212-8014, www.trucent.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News Renewable Chemicals,  

Wartsila
Date: 2021-02-10
Helsinki-headquartered Wartsila Corporation reports it has contracted to install a 10MW battery energy storage system at the Eolica Coromuel Wind Farm near the city of La Paz, Mexico. The 50MW wind energy project is under construction by San Diego-based by Eurus Energy America Corp. -- part of the Tokyo-headquartered Eurus Energy Group -- which operates wind and solar farms globally.

Wartsilia will provide a grid-connected battery storage system and long-term servicing to the system including remote monitoring, performance guarantees and replacing and repairing components as needed. Wartsilia will use the Finland-headquartered energy storage system integrator's recently launched GridSolv Max containerised lithium-ion battery storage and run on the company's GEMS energy management software platform.

Mexico is aiming to reach 30 pct renewables by 2021 and 35 by 2024. (Source: Wartsilia, PR, Energy Storage, 8 Feb., 2021) Contact: Eurus Energy Holdings, +81-3-5404-5300 / FAX: +81-3-5404-5301, www.eurus-energy.com; Eurus Energy America, Eurus Energy America, Nick Henriksen, VP, 858-638-7115, 858-638-7125 -- fax; info@eurusenergy.com, www.eurusenergy.com; Wartsila, www.wartsila.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News Wartsila,  Eurus Energy,  Wind,  Energy Storage,  

UC Davis, LADWP
Date: 2021-02-08
In California, a collaborative study conducted by the University of California-Davis (UC Davis) and the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) has found customer-focused water conservation programs are just as cost-effective -- and in some cases more cost-effective -- as energy efficiency programs in reducing electric power use, GHGs and other energy-intensive operations.

In the study, UC Davis applied three different estimates of energy intensity, which is the amount of energy embedded within water. The first directly assessed the LADWP service territory; the second had an expanded boundary that included LADWP's imported water infrastructure systems; and the third was a broader estimate for the entire regional hydrologic zone. Researchers also analyzed data on the costs and estimated savings of LADWP's water conservation and energy efficiency programs.

LADWP's estimated energy savings secured through water conservation programs -- high-efficiency washing machines, toilets/urinals and irrigation systems, and others -- was cost-competitive with LADWP's energy efficiency programs such as more efficient lighting, HVAC and refrigeration systems. (Source: UC Davis, PR, India Education Diary Bureau Admin, 7 Jan., 2021) Contact: UC Davis Civil and Environmental Engineering Department, Prof. Frank Loge, www.cee.engineering.ucdavis.edu; LADWP, Nancy Sutley, Regulatory Affairs and Chief Sustainability Officer, (800) 342-5397, www.ladwp.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News UC Davis,  LADWP,  Energy Efficiency,  

Carbon Emissions
Date: 2021-02-08
Following up on our 3 Jan coverage -- Guilty as Charged! -- €1 Fine for Climate Inaction, the French Environment Ministry has acknowledged France failed to meet its target for reducing carbon emissions in 2019 with the caveat that the country's climate change progress has been "underestimated."

"In 2019, France kept its climate commitments and that's excellent news," the Ministry said announcing that emissions fell by 1.7 pct that year, exceeding the target of 1.5 pct.

In June 2020, the national emissions inventory agency CITEPA estimated that France produced 437 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent in 2019, which represented a drop of only 1 pct from the previous year. But the environment ministry noted CITEPA has since revised its estimate to 441 million tonnes, a fall of 1.7 pct.

Under the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement, France pledged to cut emissions by 40 pct by 2030 compared with 1990 levels, and aims to become carbon neutral by 2050. (Source: French Environment Ministry, AFP, Space Daily, 7 Jan., 2021) Contact: French Environment Ministry, +33 140812122, www.ec.europa.eu/environment/ecoap/etv/ministry-ecology-sustainable-development-and-energy_en

More Low-Carbon Energy News Paris Climate Agreement,  Carbon Emissions,