As nations worldwide confront the escalating challenges of climate change, air pollution, and energy insecurity, the Stanford study emerges as a beacon of hope, showcasing the viability of transitioning to 100% clean, renewable electricity grids. Through innovative computer modeling techniques, Jacobson and his team have shattered the myth that fossil fuels are a prerequisite for grid stability, demonstrating that a combination of battery storage and hydrogen fuel cells can ensure round-the-clock reliability at a fraction of the cost.

“The era of fossil fuels dictating our energy landscape is over,” asserts Jacobson. “This study empowers nations to embrace a future fueled by clean, renewable electricity, dispelling doubts about reliability and affordability.”

At the heart of this paradigm shift lies the fusion of battery storage and green hydrogen produced from renewable sources like wind, solar, and hydroelectricity. Unlike conventional fossil gas backups, these technologies offer versatile solutions for storing and distributing energy, mitigating the intermittency of renewable sources like wind and solar power.

Jacobson’s analysis, encompassing 145 countries, underscores the economic viability of clean energy grids, revealing a potential 61% reduction in overall energy costs. By leveraging existing hydropower infrastructure alongside batteries and green hydrogen, nations can avert power outages while ushering in a new era of sustainability.

Crucially, the study highlights the diverse applications of green hydrogen beyond grid stabilization, including steel production, ammonia synthesis, and long-distance transportation. By integrating hydrogen production and storage across sectors, economies of scale can further drive down costs, catalyzing a global transition towards a hydrogen-powered future.

Through sophisticated computer modeling, Jacobson elucidates the intricate interplay between energy supply, demand, and storage, offering policymakers and industry leaders invaluable insights into crafting resilient, cost-effective energy systems. With five countries already boasting 100% renewable electricity grids and many more making significant strides towards sustainability, the momentum towards clean energy adoption is palpable.

In the United States alone, 11 states have embraced renewable energy, with wind and solar power leading the charge. As the world witnesses a seismic shift towards renewables, Jacobson’s study serves as a clarion call for governments and businesses to seize the opportunity and embrace the clean energy revolution.

The full study, published in a prestigious scientific journal, unveils a roadmap toward a future powered by clean, renewable energy. Interviews with the research team are available upon request, providing stakeholders with invaluable insights into the transformative potential of clean energy solutions.

In a world at the precipice of environmental catastrophe, the Stanford study offers a glimmer of hope, demonstrating that a future powered by clean, reliable energy is not just feasible – it’s within reach. By harnessing the power of innovation and collaboration, we can pave the way towards a brighter, more sustainable tomorrow.

Source:
Stanford University

Charting the Future of Green Technology

WastAway’s CEO, Mark Brown, expressed optimism about the company’s future, emphasizing the potential of their multi-patented waste-to-fuel process to revolutionize green technology. Smith’s appointment is crucial as WastAway positions itself for rapid expansion, with two major MSW-to-fuel plants slated for construction this year.

The Green Revolution Unveiled: Turning Trash into Treasure

The first plant, located in Murfreesboro on Butler Drive, is strategically placed to divert 90% of the city’s waste from the Middle Point Landfill. Simultaneously, the second plant in Kern County, California, near Bakersfield, aims to divert 90% of the city’s landfill into renewable biomass fuel. These two cutting-edge facilities represent a combined investment of $120 million and are projected to process an impressive 400 tons of MSW per day each.

Environmental Impact: A Carbon Equivalent of 96,000 Automobiles Off the Road

The significance of WastAway’s innovative approach lies not only in waste reduction but also in its environmental impact. The two plants will collectively eliminate the carbon equivalent of removing 96,000 automobiles from the highway. This translates to a reduction of 866 billion pounds of carbon in the air and the addition of 517,000 acres of forest land producing clean oxygen annually.

WastAway’s Evolution: From Bouldin Corporation Subsidiary to Green Tech Pioneer

Founded in 2002 as a subsidiary of Bouldin Corporation, which originated in 1959 as Bouldin & Lawson, a manufacturer of agricultural and horticultural machinery, WastAway has evolved into a pioneer in green technology. The company’s commitment to innovation aligns seamlessly with Todd Smith’s passion for advancements in the tech world.

Todd Smith: A Journey Through Innovation and Branding Excellence

A former staff writer for The Washington Times and speechwriter for the George H.W. Bush for President campaign, Todd Smith brings a wealth of experience to WastAway. His executive roles in companies like Affinion Group and significant contributions in public relations, marketing, and advertising with HCA and Gaylord Entertainment Co. showcase a career marked by innovation and leadership.

A Visionary Partnership: WastAway and Todd Smith

As a past president of the Public Relations Society of America | Nashville, Smith’s diverse background, including a bachelor’s degree in journalism, marketing, and English from Baylor University, positions him as the ideal leader for WastAway’s communications team. Smith expressed his excitement about joining WastAway, emphasizing the company’s alignment with his passion for technology, energy, and renewable fuels.

Looking Ahead: WastAway’s Exciting New Heights

In a final statement, Smith reiterated his enthusiasm for joining WastAway, emphasizing the company’s position at the leading edge of technology, energy, and renewable fuels. As the Chief Communications Officer, Smith is poised to elevate WastAway’s brand to new heights in the marketplace, marking a significant chapter in the company’s journey.

Sources:

WastAway Names Todd Smith Chief Communications Officer

WastAway’s Environmental Impact: Turning Trash into Treasure

WastAway’s Evolution: From Bouldin Corporation Subsidiary to Green Tech Pioneer

Todd Smith’s Journey Through Innovation and Branding Excellence

Embrace Renewable Energy Sources:
Make the switch to renewable energy sources such as solar, wind, and hydroelectric power to significantly reduce carbon emissions.

Energy Efficiency Improvements:
Implement energy-efficient technologies and practices throughout operations to minimize energy wastage and lower carbon footprint.

Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS):
Invest in CCS technologies to capture carbon dioxide emissions from industrial processes and store them underground, preventing their release into the atmosphere.

Electrification of Transportation:
Support the adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) and invest in EV charging infrastructure to decrease reliance on fossil fuels in the transportation sector.

Sustainable Bioenergy:
Explore the use of sustainable biomass and biofuels as viable alternatives to fossil fuels, ensuring responsible sourcing practices to mitigate environmental impact. Energy

Storage Solutions:
Invest in energy storage technologies like batteries and pumped hydro storage to facilitate the integration of intermittent renewable energy sources into the grid.

Smart Grid Technologies:
Deploy smart grid technologies to optimize energy distribution, minimize energy losses, and support the seamless integration of renewable energy sources.

Energy Conservation Programs:
Implement energy conservation programs to incentivize consumers and businesses to reduce energy consumption through education and incentives.

Green Building Practices:
Adopt green building practices in construction and renovation projects to enhance energy efficiency and decrease emissions from buildings.

Carbon Offsetting:
Invest in carbon offset projects, such as reforestation and renewable energy initiatives, to counterbalance your company’s carbon emissions.

Circular Economy Initiatives:
Embrace circular economy principles by minimizing waste generation, promoting recycling, and designing products for longevity and recyclability.

Sustainable Supply Chain Management:
Collaborate with suppliers to ensure the sustainability of raw materials and decrease emissions across the supply chain.

Carbon Pricing:
Advocate for carbon pricing mechanisms that internalize the cost of carbon emissions and encourage emission reductions.

Research and Development:
Allocate resources to research and development efforts aimed at developing innovative decarbonization technologies and solutions.

Collaboration and Advocacy:
Collaborate with industry peers, policymakers, and stakeholders to advocate for policies and initiatives that support decarbonization efforts on a broader scale.

By implementing these strategies, energy companies can play a pivotal role in leading the charge toward a low-carbon future while simultaneously creating value for shareholders, customers, and society as a whole. It’s time to take action, drive change, and pave the way for a cleaner, greener energy landscape. Together, we can make a meaningful impact!

This is Tina Olivero signing off for Our Great Minds. Stay tuned for more insights on the latest trends and developments in the energy industry here at TheOGM.com. Let’s continue to create boundaries and shape a sustainable future for generations to come.

Oil and Gas Companies:

1. Invest in Renewable Energy: Diversify your energy portfolio by investing in renewable energy projects such as solar, wind, and bioenergy. This not only reduces carbon emissions but also future-proofs your business against the transition to a low-carbon economy.
2. Optimize Operations: Implement advanced technologies and best practices to optimize oil and gas extraction processes, minimize methane leaks, and reduce energy consumption in operations.
3. Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS): Explore opportunities for CCS technologies to capture and store carbon emissions from your operations, thereby mitigating your environmental impact.
4. Transition to Cleaner Fuels: Gradually transition towards cleaner fuels such as natural gas, which emits fewer greenhouse gases compared to coal and oil.
5. Enhance Energy Efficiency: Continuously improve energy efficiency across operations, including refineries and petrochemical plants, through upgrades and process optimizations.

Major Contractors:

1. Promote Green Technologies: Advocate for the adoption of green technologies and practices in oil and gas projects, such as energy-efficient equipment and low-emission processes.
2. Supply Chain Collaboration: Collaborate with oil and gas companies to develop and implement sustainable supply chain practices, including responsible sourcing of materials and reduced emissions in transportation.
3. Innovative Solutions: Invest in research and development to develop innovative solutions that reduce emissions during project execution, such as advanced drilling techniques and emissions-reducing technologies.
4. Efficient Project Management: Implement efficient project management practices that prioritize sustainability, including minimizing waste generation and optimizing resource utilization.
5. Education and Training: Provide education and training programs for employees to increase awareness of sustainability issues and promote the adoption of eco-friendly practices.

Suppliers:

1. Sustainable Sourcing: Adopt sustainable sourcing practices by prioritizing suppliers that adhere to environmental standards and certifications, and promote responsible extraction and production methods.
2. Energy-Efficient Products: Offer energy-efficient products and services to oil and gas companies, major contractors, and other clients to help them reduce their carbon footprint.
3. Carbon Footprint Reduction: Implement measures to reduce your own carbon footprint, such as optimizing transportation routes and reducing energy consumption in manufacturing processes.
4. Circular Economy Initiatives: Embrace circular economy principles by promoting product reuse, recycling, and waste reduction throughout the supply chain.
5. Collaborative Innovation: Collaborate with oil and gas companies and major contractors to develop and implement innovative solutions that reduce emissions across the entire value chain.

By implementing these tailored strategies, oil and gas companies, major contractors, and suppliers can play a pivotal role in driving decarbonization efforts within the industry. Rather than wait to be mandated to do “the right thing” adopt a culture of corporate responsibility that is self-governed and proactive in the quest to reach net zero. Together, we can pave the way for a more sustainable future while ensuring continued growth and prosperity for all stakeholders involved.

This is Tina Olivero signing off for TheOGM.com. Let’s continue to lead the way towards a greener, more sustainable energy industry!

The webinar delved into the unsettling revelations from recent reports by the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC), suggesting that a significant portion of the North American power system is perilously close to insufficient electricity supply during peak winter conditions. Adding to the urgency, the panel examined the ramifications of the California wildfires, where damaged grids plunged entire communities into darkness.

One poignant example of the critical role backup generators play in these crises was shared by Greg Lamberg of Peterson Power Systems. He recounted the pivotal service his company rendered to the 27,000 residents of Del Norte, California, in the aftermath of wildfires and power outages. Lamberg emphasized, “What we do matters. The consequences of losing power can be life or death, and we are able to immediately mobilize resources and keep the lights on—enabling essential operations of hospitals, telecommunications facilities, airports, and more.” In essence, backup generators emerge as the lifelines for critical infrastructures that cannot endure power loss.

Yet, the narrative takes an intriguing turn as the panelists, recognizing the need for sustainability, spotlight the role of fuel innovation and technology in reshaping the landscape of backup power systems. Greg Lamberg emphasized, “Existing backup generation can run on 100% renewable fuels. Moving from petroleum diesel to renewable diesel (RD) can offer immediate results towards the goal of reducing air emissions.”

Matt Leuck, representing Neste, the world’s largest producer of RD, chimed in, “By replacing fossil diesel with RD, greenhouse gas emissions are reduced by as much as 75%. While renewable diesel is not a ‘silver bullet,’ we need every solution to reduce carbon and emissions while maintaining access to reliable, life-saving power sources.”

The panel tackled a spectrum of technical queries and explored policy considerations for renewable diesel fuel. Tammy Klein, the mind behind a recent whitepaper on the benefits of renewable bio-based diesel fuels, asserted, “We are in an energy transition, but we are missing policies and strategies to support an actual transition.” She advocated for aligning climate and air quality goals and fostering the use of RD and biodiesel-RD blends for backup generators to drive decarbonization. Klein labeled RD for backup power generation as “the elegant interim solution.”

The discussion took a practical turn as the group outlined potential policies that could catalyze the adoption of RD for backup generators, including incentives and state tax benefits based on greenhouse gas reduction. Currently, tax credits for renewable diesel fuels are limited to transportation, leaving power generation out of the equation.

Allen Schaeffer, ETF’s Executive Director, summed up the profound potential of this solution, stating, “Virtually every person, government, and business is looking for the right balance—balancing the demand for reliable electric power for essential uses with the desire for energy to be more sustainable. We have that solution today available to us in the form of renewable diesel that can be used in any diesel engine.”

As the question and answer session unfolded, the panelists unanimously agreed that an energy transition is underway, though uneven and uncertain. While investments pour into new technologies for power generation, the undeniable insurance against unreliable electric power supplies remains the fuel in the tank.

The webinar not only dissected the challenges but also presented a tangible, sustainable solution that could revolutionize the intersection of power security and environmental consciousness.

Sources:

Engine Technology Forum (ETF)
Peterson Power Systems
Neste
Transport Energy Strategies

Honeywell announced that CVR Renewables CVL, LLC, a subsidiary of CVR Energy, Inc., will utilize Honeywell’s Ecofining™ technology in its evaluation of a potential project to produce biofuels from feedstocks such as distillers corn oil, at its facility in Coffeyville, Kansas or in the surrounding area. The potential new Ecofining™ plant is being designed to convert approximately 30,000 barrels per day of waste feeds/feedstocks to sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), renewable diesel, and other products.

Provided the project receives approval, CVR Renewables should be able to realize a capital-efficient and high-yield solution, ideal for producing biofuels from 100% renewable feedstocks. SAF produced with Honeywell’s EcofiningTM technology is a drop-in replacement fuel that requires no changes to aircraft technology or fuel infrastructure. SAF can be used in blends of up to 50 percent SAF with the remainder being conventional (fossil-based) jet fuel. Honeywell’s Ecofining™ process is a proven technology that has been used around the world for years to produce SAF that can reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by up to 80 percent when compared to the emissions from fossil fuels.

“Renewable fuels are in high demand, and Honeywell’s Ecofining technology can help CVR Renewables maximize SAF production for commercial aviation use,” said Barry Glickman, vice president, and general manager of Honeywell Sustainable Technology Solutions. “The Ecofining process was developed to deliver industry-leading performance using a wide range of feedstocks. This technology is ready now and has already been selected for use in more than 40 plants globally.”  

Honeywell’s Ecofining™ process, developed in collaboration with Eni SpA, can be used to convert waste plant-based oils, animal fats, and other waste feedstocks to renewable diesel and SAF.  It has been used to produce SAF commercially since 2016. Honeywell now offers solutions across a range of feedstocks to meet the rapidly growing demand for renewable fuels. In addition to the Ecofining™ process, Honeywell’s renewable fuels portfolio includes the UOP Ethanol to Jet process and the recently announced Honeywell UOP eFining™ process, which converts green hydrogen and carbon dioxide-derived methanol into eFuels.

“We are excited about Honeywell’s Ecofining technology and the potential role it could play in our efforts to decarbonize our business,” said Mike Wright, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of CVR Energy. 

Honeywell recently committed to achieving carbon neutrality in its operations and facilities by 2035. This commitment builds on the company’s track record of sharply reducing the greenhouse gas intensity of its operations and facilities as well as its decades-long history of innovation to help its customers meet their environmental and social goals. About 60 percent of Honeywell’s 2022 new product introduction research and development investment was directed toward ESG-oriented outcomes for customers.

About Honeywell

Honeywell is an integrated operating company serving a broad range of industries and geographies around the world. Our business is aligned with three powerful megatrends – automation, the future of aviation, and energy transition – underpinned by our Honeywell Accelerator operating system and Honeywell Connected Enterprise integrated software platform. As a trusted partner, we help organizations solve the world’s toughest, most complex challenges, providing actionable solutions and innovations that help make the world smarter, safer, and more sustainable. 

For more news and information on Honeywell, please visit www.honeywell.com/newsroom

ECO Canada is a non-profit organization that provides workforce solutions for environmental employers. They offer various funding programs to help employers attract new talent, save initial wage and training costs, and stimulate environmental career pathways, skill development, business growth, and workforce advancement. 

For over 30 years, ECO Canada has been connecting environmental employers and skilled junior talent through wage and training funding programs to drive valuable on-the-job work experience and essential skills development.

Thanks to the support of funders:
Natural Resources Canada,
Climate Change Canada,
Social Development Canada, and
Innovation, Science, and Economic Development Canada

ECO Canada offers wage dollars to increase funding capacity and support your business participation in the green economy. In helping your team with wage and training costs, Eco Canada makes hiring new talent more attractive.

Benefits for Employers:

• Increase work capacity
• Access talented youth with new ideas & skills
• Increase employee retention
• Reduce staff training costs
• Strengthen overall business operations
• Support the growth of new qualified environmental workers

The funding programs offered by ECO Canada are varied and provide many options for companies and new employees in the climate-conscious realm. Some of the programs include:

Environmental Jobs Growth Program:

This program is designed to help employers create new environmental jobs. Eligible employers can receive 75% of the candidate’s wages covered up to a maximum of $18,750 for placements of up to 12 months.

Environmental Foreign Talent Development Program:

This program is designed to help employers hire foreign talent for environmental jobs. Eligible employers can receive 75% wage coverage up to $15,000 of a participant’s salary for full-time placements of 3 to 6 months.

Nature-Based Climate Solutions Program:

• This program is designed to help employers create jobs related to nature-based climate solutions. Eligible employers can receive a $4,500 wage subsidy for a 3-month full-time or part-time placement. To qualify for these funding programs, employers must meet the following criteria:
• Be a Canadian employer
• Offer a full-time or part-time environmental job
• Provide a safe and healthy work environment
• Provide a fair and equitable work environment
• Provide a job that is not part of a labor dispute
• Provide a job that is not a self-employment opportunity

Discover a selection of wage funding programs offered by ECO Canada at ECO.ca. Explore the programs that can help your company attract new talent, and reduce initial wage and training expenses, while promoting the growth of environmental career paths, skill development, business growth, and workforce advancement.

RESPONDING TO THE ENERGY INDUSTRY – In an Eco-Friendly Way

ECO Canada has partnerships, programs, and research to support employers, professionals, educators, and students in the environmental sector. Visit eco.ca to learn about the various resources and programs that fit your organization.

These funding programs help employers create new environmental jobs, hire foreign talent, and create jobs related to nature-based climate solutions. To apply for these funding programs, employers must meet eligibility criteria and fill out an application form on ECO.ca.

For those looking to work in the new sustainable energy world, don’t miss out on this opportunity to kickstart your environmental career journey and gain meaningful work experience. 

Find out more at: www.ECO.ca

The scientific consensus is that human activities, primarily burning fossil fuels, has warmed Earth’s surface and ocean basins, causing havoc in the world’s delicate environmental system.

Our energy appetite, which currently utilizes fossil fuels such as coal, oil, and gas, is the primary contributor to global climate change, accounting for over 75% of global greenhouse gas emissions.

Burning fossil fuels releases large amounts of carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, into the air, which traps heat in our atmosphere and causes global warming. As a result, the average global temperature has already increased by 1°C, and warming above 1.5°C risks further sea level rise, extreme weather, biodiversity loss, and species extinction, as well as food scarcity, worsening health, and poverty for millions of people worldwide.

The impact of climate change also includes changes in temperature and precipitation patterns, rising sea levels, shrinking mountain glaciers, changes in flower and plant blooming times, and wildfires.

To combat climate change, we need to reduce our carbon footprint and support sustainable new energy initiatives. This means a dramatic change in the world’s top polluting industries such as fossil fuels, agriculture, fashion, transport, and construction. As well, we need to ensure the world’s top pollutant emitters are coming on board with responsible low emissions solutions. Not all countries are equal when it comes to carbon emissions. The top ten carbon-emitting countries include China, the United States, India, Russia, Japan, Iran, Germany, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, and Indonesia.

SHOULD WE STOP USING FOSSIL FUELS?

Knowing the threat of climate change, we have an immediate and fearful reaction from the world’s people to, “stop using fossil fuels right now”. What the general public doesn’t realize is the big energy picture. Eliminating the immediate use of fossil fuels has a corresponding negative impact on the world that is as bad or worse than climate change.

REMEMBERING HOW WE GOT HERE

Fossil fuels are responsible for increased economic prosperity, education, food supply, social services, health care, a revitalized manufacturing sector, the improvement of millions of lives through direct and indirect employment and lower energy costs, new sources of government revenues, and strengthened energy security for all nations.

Fossil fuels have been responsible for a higher standard of living for all. So unless we give up our cars, live in the woods, live off the land, and give up all of the amenities we enjoy today like cell phones, computers, abundant food sources, etc., then we must accept that the progress of mankind is deeply dependent on fossil fuels for at least 20-30 years.

THE IMPACT OF NOT USING FOSSIL FUELS RIGHT NOW

Not using oil and gas would have an immediate and significant global impact on poverty, food supply, global products, machinery, plastics, and other aspects of the economy.

There has to be a responsible transition from fossil fuels to renewables to mitigate further risks, which takes time.

It took 100 years for oil and gas to be integrated into society, it will take at least 25 years to remove it responsibly, to ensure there are no dire global consequences, incurred by moving too fast.

WHY DO WE USE FOSSIL FUELS?

We need fossil fuels to literally fuel our existence. According to the UN, the largest carbon-emitting systems and processes that utilize fossil fuels include:
generating power
manufacturing goods
cutting down forests
utilizing transportation
making things like cement, iron, steel, electronics, plastics, clothes, and other goods
mining and other industrial processes
operating machinery
manufacturing
utilizing plastic
transportation such as cars, trucks, ships, and planes
producing food
powering buildings
building and energizing cities and communities
clearing land for agriculture
deforestation
powering buildings
utilizing electricity and power

What would the world look like if we cut out oil and gas and then cut out these carbon-emitting processes? My guess is, the world would come to a halt, much like that of Covid 19.

Is that really where we want to go?

HOW DO WE COMBAT CLIMATE CHANGE AND STILL USE FOSSIL FUELS?

That’s a question the world’s greatest minds work on every day.

In essence, oil and gas are essential to a sustainable future. Oil and gas companies, operators, major contractors, and suppliers consider this question daily. That’s precisely why they are so effective and answering it. If you want to know how to responsibly transition from fossil fuels to renewable, watch what the oil companies are competently doing. Study their energy transition plans. Understand their vision and goals and you will find a very strategic, well-thought-out development plan for the new energy-sustainable world.

Oil and gas companies are working to transition into the renewable energy space by taking direct an decisive action to succeed in the energy transition in the following ways:

Energy Security
Oil and gas companies provide a reliable source of energy that is essential for world energy demand, economic growth, and development. Oil work to ensure we have the energy to power transportation, heat homes/buildings, and generate electricity.

Without oil and gas, many countries would be unable to meet their energy needs, leading to economic instability, social unrest, hunger, poverty, illness, homelessness, and more.

Transition Fuel
Oil and gas can serve as a transition fuel as we move towards a more sustainable future.

Oil and gas are the fuels used to generate electricity while renewable energy sources are developed and responsibly integrated into the new energy mix.

Innovation
The oil and gas industry has a successful history of implementing innovation and technological solutions to sustain our progress.

Oil and gas companies’ expertise can be leveraged to develop new technologies and solutions that can help to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and promote sustainability.

Carbon Capture & Storage
Carbon capture and storage (CCS) is used by oil and gas companies to capture carbon dioxide emissions from power plants and industrial facilities and store them underground, thereby reducing carbon emissions into the atmosphere.

Carbon capture and storage will be critical in the new energy transition equation.

Economic Benefits
The oil and gas industry provides significant economic benefits, including royalties, job creation, tax revenue, and investment in local communities. and more.

Research
Oil and gas companies are world leaders in funding research into new technologies and solutions that can help to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and promote sustainability.

Environmental Stewardship
The oil and gas industry is committed to environmental stewardship and reducing its environmental impact. Many companies have implemented policies and initiatives to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, promote energy efficiency, and protect the environment.

Many oil and gas companies have set stringent targets to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions, invest in renewable energy, and promote sustainable transportation.

Integrating Renewable Energy
Oil and gas companies are integrating renewable energy into their operations to reduce their carbon footprint. For example, they use solar or wind power to generate electricity.

The Use of Biogas & Geothermal
Biogas, which is produced from organic waste, is being used as a fuel source to reduce the carbon footprint of oil and gas operations.

Geothermal energy is used to power oil and gas operations, reducing the need for fossil fuels.

Energy Efficiency:
Oil and gas companies are using energy efficiency measures, such as improving leak detection and repair, installing vapor-recovery units, or using combined heat and power, can help to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Decreasing Freshwater Usage:
Oil and gas companies are reducing their carbon footprint by decreasing freshwater usage. For example, they use recycled water for hydraulic fracturing. These recycling efforts reduce their carbon footprint.

Used Oil Recycling
More companies are utilizing small-scale, waste-oil,micro-refinery units that transform used oil into diesel fuel. This approach yields fuel for ongoing operations and is a relatively inexpensive alternative to more traditional oil disposal methods.

Streamlining and Improving Processes
IIOT, analytics, automation, reserve replacement and enhancement capabilities, and emerging artificial intelligence programs all assist in finding and eliminating operational inefficiencies.

Improving the efficiency of ongoing operational processes, oil and gas companies produce the same amount but with reduced costs and energy expenditure, leading to a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.

These and many other emerging emissions-reducing technologies are emerging. Every company is on the hunt for carbon-reducing innovations that will save the day. Here lies the $trillion opportunity for you and your company.

For countries like Canada, which are natural resources rich, the new energy evolution, means prosperity ahead. Canada is well positioned to supply its own nation with energy and supply those less fortunate in terms of land, water, and natural resources, with their much-needed energy.

THE NEW ENERGY MIX

What we know for sure is that oil and gas will fuel the incoming renewable energy economy.

Pitting one fuel source against another only divides us and deflects from the critical development of the new energy mix.

This new energy mix is imperative to meet world energy demand, mitigate energy security threats and ensure our world is fed, cared for, and prosperous.

Success looks like this:
A dramatic reduction in carbon emissions
A powerful new energy mix
Countries working together for a global renewable energy economy

ONE WORLD, ONE PEOPLE

As we venture forward into the new energy world, we must remember:
Emissions know no boundaries. We are one world.
Energy use and energy security are basic human rights.
Climate change calls for global unity, and responsibly working together.
Energy transition means responsible utilization of oil and gas to bring in renewable energy.
The new world order is a new-energy mix that means opportunity and prosperity for everyone.

Sources & Images:
natural-resources.canada.ca
Norwegian Petroleum Directorate – NDP
CNBC
Climate Trade
Earth.org
UN.org
Climate Trade
Ace Space
World Population Review

Natural Gas Vehicles for America and Coalition for Renewable Natural Gas announced that 69 percent of all on-road fuel used in natural gas vehicles in the calendar year 2022 was renewable natural gas, surpassing the previous year’s record-breaking level.

Captured above ground from organic material in agricultural, wastewater, landfill, or food waste, RNG can produce carbon-negative results when fueling on-road vehicles like short- and long-haul trucks, transit buses, and refuse and recycling collection vehicles. California Air Resources Board data confirms that the annual average carbon intensity (CI) value of California’s bio-CNG vehicle fuel portfolio in its Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) program is carbon negative and below zero at -92.26 gCO2e/MJ.¹

RNG used as a transportation fuel grew 17 percent over 2021 volumes, up 218 percent from 2018 levels. NGVAmerica and RNG Coalition report that in 2022 a total of 663 million gallons (GGE)² of natural gas were used as motor fuel. Of that, 457 million gallons (GGE) were from renewable sources.³

“RNG-fueled heavy-duty vehicles are a scalable, affordable, and carbon-free-today solution for freight and transit fleets of all sizes,” said Dan Gage, President of NGVAmerica. “And with the upcoming availability of a 15-liter engine option, commercial fleet applications with the biggest torque and horsepower needs will also be able to transition to ultra-clean renewable natural gas motor fuel and displace diesel, saving on fueling costs and slashing their greenhouse gas emissions.”

“Renewable Natural Gas supply is growing,” said Johannes Escudero, Founder & CEO of Coalition for Renewable Natural Gas. “With 281 RNG facilities transforming waste into fuel, and another 476 planned or under construction, we are increasingly able to affordably offer consumers the opportunity to decarbonize with RNG – the cleanest of any fuel available today.”

RNG used as a motor fuel in 2022 displaced 5.63 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e). Put into perspective, RNG motor fuel use last year:⁴

• Lowered greenhouse gas emissions, equivalent to removing the GHG from almost 14 billion miles driven by the average passenger car;
• Eliminated CO2 emissions, equivalent to removing CO2 emissions from almost 633 million gallons of gasoline consumed; and
• Sequestered carbon, is equal to growing over 93 million tree seedlings for ten years, or 6.66 million acres of U.S. forests for one year.

NGVAmerica is a national trade association of sustainability solutionists and experts in the clean transportation field. Our roughly 200 members are dedicated to the development of a growing, profitable, and sustainable market for vehicles, ships and carriers powered by natural gas and biomethane.  NGVAmerica member companies produce, distribute, and market natural gas and biomethane across North America, manufacture and service natural gas vehicles, engines, and equipment, and operate fleets powered by clean-burning gaseous fuels.

Find out more at: www.ngvamerica.org.

Coalition for Renewable Natural Gas is the non-profit association of renewable natural gas in North America. Membership is comprised of 360+ companies, labor organizations, municipalities, colleges, and universities.

Find out more at: www.rngcoalition.com.

TotalEnergies Marine Fuels has successfully completed its first refueling of a Hapag-Lloyd container vessel in Singapore with sustainable, UCOME-based, marine biofuel.

This inaugural bunker operation marks the start of a term supply agreement between the two companies, which commits TotalEnergies to provide VLSFO blended with 24% second-generation, waste-based and ISCC-certified UCOME to Hapag-Lloyd’s fleet.  Based on a well-to-wake assessment, this B24 biofuel blend will reduce approximately 20% of Greenhouse Gas emissions compared with conventional fuel oil. 

As part of this milestone operation, Hapag-Lloyd’s 15,000 TEU container vessel, Afif, took on 2,000 MT of biofuel on 20th January 2023. The ship-to-ship biofuel transfer was made possible with the services rendered by Jurong Port Universal Terminal Pte Ltd. JPUT also took on 100 percent UCOME bio-component into their storage tanks for the first time, which further underscores the significance of this operation. 

Jan Christensen, Senior Director, Global Fuel Purchasing of Hapag-Lloyd, said: “We are very pleased with the cooperation with TotalEnergies for the supply of biofuel in Singapore. This is another early step for Hapag-Lloyd on our decarbonization journey. In combination with other green fuels, biofuel will play an important role in a carbon-free environment by 2045. Consistent supply of biofuel in Singapore will allow us to offer sustainable transportation solutions to our customers, thereby supporting them in their efforts to reduce their carbon footprint.”

Louise Tricoire, Vice President of TotalEnergies Marine Fuels, said: “We are excited to support Hapag-Lloyd’s decarbonization strategy with the development of this new supply chain for marine biofuels. It underlines both companies’ long-term collaboration to explore and develop initiatives that promote the introduction of clean, low-carbon alternative fuels. Importantly, this biofuel bunker term contract also ushers a new chapter for TotalEnergies Marine Fuels, as we build on our operational expertise gained from multiple biofuel bunker trials we have done in 2022, to provide a scalable solution of this lower-carbon marine fuel.”

Loh Wei, Chief Executive Officer of Jurong Port Universal Terminal, said: “JPUT is excited to work with TotalEnergies Marine Fuels as our first customer for the bulk storage and delivery of biofuel bunkers in Singapore. As the largest independent petroleum storage terminal in Asia, JPUT has been working on several new initiatives for low-carbon fuels for the last two years. We are glad to be able to bring this UCOME initiative to the market in record time, thanks to the close collaboration with TotalEnergies. With this and other new initiatives focused on carbon reduction, clean fuels and sustainability, JPUT is well-positioned to be a leading clean and sustainable future fuels storage provider, reinforcing Singapore’s status as the world’s leading bunkering hub.”

About Hapag-Lloyd

With a fleet of 252 modern container ships and a total transport capacity of 1.8 million TEU, Hapag-Lloyd is one of the world’s leading liner shipping companies. The Company has around 14,500 employees and more than 400 offices in 137 countries. Hapag-Lloyd has a container capacity of 3.0 million TEU – including one of the largest and most modern fleets of reefer containers. A total of 123 liner services worldwide ensure fast and reliable connections between more than 600 ports on all the continents. Hapag-Lloyd is one of the leading operators in the Transatlantic, Middle East, Latin America and Intra-America trades.

https://www.hapag-lloyd.com/en/home.html 

About Jurong Port Universal Terminal Pte Ltd (JPUT)

Jurong Port Universal Terminal (JPUT) offers 2.33 million cubic meters of petroleum storage capacity and has been providing integrated business solutions to our customers since operations in January 2008. JPUT’s services are available 24/7 and to date, JPUT has served more than 70,000 vessels and delivered over 400 million tons of oil products. At JPUT, customers enjoy significant cost savings and faster turnaround time as we strive to provide safe, reliable and efficient services. JPUT is the preferred one-stop provider of safe, reliable and efficient services for our customers’ storage, blending and distribution needs.

https://www.jpuniversal.com.sg/ 

About TotalEnergies Marine Fuels

With over three decades of market experience, TotalEnergies Marine Fuels is TotalEnergies’ dedicated business unit in charge of worldwide bunkering activities. A long-term partner to the global shipping industry, TotalEnergies Marine Fuels serves more than 200 shipping customers across over 130 ports in Europe, Asia Pacific and Africa. Its headquarters is located in Singapore, with two satellite offices in Paris and Geneva. 

In order to help its shipping customers adopt the cleanest available marine fuels today, TotalEnergies Marine Fuels has made key commitments to supply marine LNG, bioLNG and biofuels at strategic bunker hubs. As part of its ongoing work in various maritime coalitions and cross-industry R&D initiatives, TotalEnergies Marine Fuels is also helping to shape the production of decarbonized future fuels for shipping.

About TotalEnergies

TotalEnergies is a global multi-energy company that produces and markets energies on a global scale: oil and biofuels, natural gas and green gases, renewables and electricity. Our 105,000 employees are committed to energy that is ever more affordable, clean, reliable and accessible to as many people as possible. Active in more than 130 countries, TotalEnergies puts sustainable development in all its dimensions at the heart of its projects and operations to contribute to the well-being of people.

From January 2023 onwards, all diesel-powered ground handling vehicles and machinery at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol in the Netherlands will be using Neste MY Renewable Diesel™.

There are around 1,900 ground handling vehicles with a diesel engine at Schiphol airport, varying from standard cars, vans, pushback tractors and trucks to more specialized ground support like conveyor belt loaders, pallet or container loaders, catering high lifts, aircraft fuel dispensers, passenger steps and ground power units. 

KLM Equipment Services is the fuel supplier for all vehicles and machinery in Schiphol with a fuel station at the airport as well as three fuel trucks operating seven days a week. Neste MY Renewable Diesel is supplied to KES via Neste’s distribution partner EG Group.

“At the moment, 40% of the motorized equipment at the airport runs on electricity. And that number will increase over the coming years. However, for a number of specialist heavy vehicles, it is a technical challenge to develop a battery with sufficient capacity that can also be charged quickly enough. Using Neste MY Renewable Diesel is therefore a good solution currently,” says Paul Feldbrugge, responsible for the Zero Emission Programme within KES.

“KLM Equipment Services is an existing customer of EG Group in the field of lubricants. Now, this cooperation is further expanded with Neste MY Renewable Diesel. We are very pleased with KES’s choice to use Neste-produced renewable diesel as a solution at the airport ground and that EG Group can contribute to making this happen,” says Rob Wemekamp, B2B Sales Manager, EG Group.

“This is a significant step on the way towards a zero-emission ground operation in 2030. The vehicles for which there are currently no electric or hydrogen alternatives available can run on renewable diesel. Everyone on the airside, where the loads are moved to or from the aircraft, is making use of it, including Aviapartner, dnata, Menzies, Swissport, KLM Ground Services and Viggo. We’re pleased about that. It’s also important that we all continue to expand the number of electric vehicles at Schiphol. We are also going to considerably expand the number of charging stations,” says Denise Pronk, responsible for sustainability at Royal Schiphol Group, operating the Schiphol airport.

“With KLM Equipment Services now starting to use our Neste MY Renewable Diesel for all diesel-powered ground handling vehicles and machinery at the airport, our contribution to Schiphol’s sustainability targets significantly increases. With Neste MY Renewable Diesel, greenhouse gas emissions can be reduced by as much as 75 to 95%* when emissions over the fuel’s life cycle are compared with fossil diesel. Companies can reduce their climate emissions in an instant by just changing to Neste MY Renewable Diesel,” says Peter Zonneveld, Vice President of Sales Renewable Road Transportation at Neste. “With our renewables production capacity increasing to 5.5 million tons by the end of 2023 and further to 6.8 million tons by the end of 2026, we are well-equipped to help our customers around the world to make the switch to more sustainable solutions,” Peter Zonneveld continues. 

Neste MY Renewable Diesel™ is produced from 100% renewable raw materials. It is a drop-in fuel, the use of which does not require any modifications to existing vehicles or machines, energy systems, or fuel distribution infrastructures. 

Schiphol is one of the airports in Europe in which Neste MY Sustainable Aviation Fuel™, a more sustainable alternative to fossil jet fuel, is available. The use of Nestle-produced SAF reduces greenhouse gas emissions by up to 80%** over the fuel’s life cycle, compared to using fossil jet fuel.

Neste in brief

Neste creates solutions for combating climate change and accelerating a shift to a circular economy. We refine waste, residues and innovative raw materials into renewable fuels and sustainable feedstock for plastics and other materials. We are the world’s leading producer of sustainable aviation fuel and renewable diesel and developing chemical recycling to combat the plastic waste challenge. We aim at helping customers to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions with our renewable and circular solutions by at least 20 million tons annually by 2030. Our ambition is to make the Porvoo oil refinery in Finland the most sustainable refinery in Europe by 2030. We are introducing renewable and recycled raw materials such as liquefied waste plastic as refinery raw materials. We have committed to reaching carbon-neutral production by 2035, and we will reduce the carbon emission intensity of sold products by 50% by 2040. We also have set high standards for biodiversity, human rights and supply chain. We have consistently been included in the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices and the Global 100 list of the world’s most sustainable companies. In 2021, Neste’s revenue stood at EUR 15.1 billion.

Read more: neste.com

KES in brief

KLM Equipment Services is an independent subsidiary of KLM Royal Dutch Airlines. We use our expertise and experience in the field of Ground Support Equipment for large and small players in the aviation industry. From our home base at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, we take care of the sale, rental and maintenance of all types of vehicles and equipment.

KLM Equipment Services takes care of the maintenance of equipment that is used during the handling of an aircraft on the ground. GSE is the indispensable link in all logistics processes at an airport. In total, we maintain around 1,500 motorized and 750 non-motorized vehicles from KLM Ground Services, KLM Cargo, KLM Engineering & Maintenance, KLM Catering Services, Martinair and Transavia, among others.

In addition to maintenance, KLM Equipment Services also supplies vehicles with fuel. This is done at the fixed filling station on the G-buffer or with our own tank trucks. KLM Equipment Services’ environmental department is responsible for cleaning up spills of hazardous liquids at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol.

Schiphol in brief

Amsterdam Airport Schiphol welcomed 52.5 million passengers in 2022 and processed 1.4 million tonnes of cargo. With its 313 direct destinations all over the world, Schiphol offers one of the best destination and frequency networks in Europe. This makes Amsterdam Airport Schiphol one of the most important mainports in Europe and one of the two European hubs of Air France-KLM and the SkyTeam alliance. Schiphol is an important contributor to the Dutch and regional economies. 

Amsterdam Airport Schiphol is part of the Royal Schiphol Group, an enterprise that operates airports in the Netherlands, conducts international activities and participates in airports abroad. Royal Schiphol Group’s mission is connecting your world.

EG Group in brief

EG Group is a global petrol station and convenience retailer and has a diverse portfolio of more than 6,000 petrol stations in 10 countries across Europe, North America and Australia. EG Group controls the procurement, storage and distribution of fuels and lubricants through its depots and own transportation.

EG Group is a certified distributor of Neste. In doing so, EG Group is supervised by strict audits to ensure the environmental aspects of our operations, product and services. This also allows EG Group to safeguard KLM’s strict regulations. Because EG Group controls the entire supply chain, it provides its customers with the right service, services and advice around CO₂ reduction through the use of HVO100.

While it is certainly possible to transition away from fossil fuels such as oil and gas and towards renewable energy sources, doing so will require significant changes to our energy systems and infrastructure.

Some of the challenges that will need to be addressed in order to transition to renewables include:

1. Cost: In many cases, renewable energy technologies are still more expensive than fossil fuels, at least in the short term. This can make it difficult for renewable energy sources to compete with fossil fuels without some form of financial support or regulation.
   
2. Energy storage: Many renewable energy sources, such as wind and solar power, are intermittent and cannot be produced consistently. This means that there will need to be a way to store excess renewable energy for use when it is not being produced, such as through the use of batteries or pumped hydro storage.
   
3. Infrastructure: Transitioning to renewables will require significant investments in new infrastructure, including transmission lines to carry electricity from renewable energy sources to consumers, and charging infrastructure for electric vehicles.
   
4. Political and social challenges: The transition to renewables will also require political and social changes, such as the development of new policies and regulations to support the adoption of clean energy technologies and the phasing out of fossil fuels.

Overall, while it is certainly possible to transition to renewables, doing so will require significant changes and investments, and will take time.

PETROLEUM IS IN JUST ABOUT EVERYTHING

There are many products that are made from or include oil and gas. The list is extensive which is why eliminating oil and gas entirely from our products seems like a daunting task. While it’s not impossible, it will take time to implement more environmentally friendly alternatives. Oil and gas are immersed in our daily lives in the following ways:

1. Transportation fuels: Gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel are all made from petroleum. These fuels are used to power vehicles, including cars, trucks, buses, and airplanes.
   
2. Plastics: Many plastics are made from petrochemicals, which are chemicals derived from petroleum. Plastics are used in a wide range of products, including packaging materials, toys, and household goods.
   
3. Asphalts: Asphalts, which are used to pave roads, are made from a mixture of petroleum products.
   
4. Fertilizers: Some fertilizers are made from petrochemicals.
   
5. Pharmaceuticals: Some pharmaceutical products are made from petrochemicals.
   
6. Paints: Many paints and coatings contain petrochemicals.
   
7. Cosmetics: Some cosmetics, such as moisturizers and hair care products, contain petroleum-derived ingredients.
   
8. Industrial chemicals: Petroleum is used as a raw material in the production of a wide range of industrial chemicals.

It’s important to note that while many products are made from or include oil and gas, there are often alternatives that are made from renewable resources or that are more environmentally friendly.

HOW CAN WE SWAP OUT PETROLEUM PRODUCTS FOR RENEWABLES?

There are a number of ways in which we can swap out petroleum products with renewable alternatives:

1. Transitioning to clean, renewable energy sources: This includes things like solar, wind, and hydroelectric power, which can be used to generate electricity and heat buildings, replacing the use of fossil fuels like oil and gas.
   
2. Using biofuels: Biofuels, such as biodiesel and bioethanol, are made from renewable resources, such as plant oils and grains. They can be used as a replacement for gasoline and diesel in vehicles.
   
3. Adopting electric vehicles: Electric vehicles are powered by electricity, rather than gasoline, and can be charged using renewable energy sources.
   
4. Using plant-based plastics: Some plastics can be made from plant-based materials, such as corn or sugarcane, rather than petrochemicals. These plant-based plastics are renewable and can be a more environmentally friendly alternative to traditional plastics.
   
5. Using natural fibers: Natural fibers, such as cotton, linen, and wool, can be used as a replacement for synthetic fibers, which are often made from petrochemicals.
   
6. Adopting sustainable land use practices: Sustainable land use practices, such as agroforestry and regenerative agriculture, can help to reduce the demand for petroleum-based products, as they can produce renewable resources such as food, fuel, and fibers.

WHAT CAN INDIVIDUALS DO TO COMBAT CLIMATE CHANGE?

There are a number of steps that individuals can take to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and mitigate the impacts of climate change:

1. Reduce energy consumption: By using energy-efficient appliances and turning off lights and electronics when they are not in use, individuals can reduce their energy consumption and lower their carbon footprint.
   
2. Use clean, renewable energy: If possible, individuals can switch to using clean, renewable energy sources, such as solar or wind power, to heat their homes and power their appliances.
   
3. Reduce water consumption: Conserving water can help to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, as it takes energy to pump, heat, and treat water.
   
4. Eat a plant-based diet: Meat production is a significant contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, so adopting a plant-based diet or reducing meat consumption can help to lower an individual’s carbon footprint.
   
5. Use public transportation, walk, or bike instead of driving: Transportation is a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, so using alternative modes of transportation, such as public transit, walking, or biking, can help to reduce emissions.
   
6. Support clean energy policies: Individuals can advocate for clean energy policies, such as the adoption of renewable energy sources and the implementation of carbon pricing mechanisms, by contacting their elected representatives and supporting organizations that work on climate issues.
   
7. Buy environmentally-friendly products: Choosing products that are made from recycled materials or that have a smaller environmental impact can help to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
   
8. Plant and care for trees: Trees absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, so planting and caring for trees can help to reduce greenhouse gas concentrations.

By taking these and other steps, individuals can make a positive impact on climate change and help to create a more sustainable future.

“The addition of the Romeoville station to our fueling network represents another step in the pathway for Amazon to realize significant carbon reduction for its transportation fleets,” said Chad Lindholm, senior vice president, of Clean Energy. “Trucks that operate on diesel are incredibly harmful to the air we breathe and contribute to long-term climate change. Renewable natural gas is a viable solution that provides immediate benefits, and as such this station will mitigate greenhouse gas emissions and lessen the impact of climate change in the Chicago area.”

Located at 300 Southcreek Parkway, the Romeoville station is part of an agreement between Clean Energy and Amazon for Clean Energy to build 19 stations nationwide. The station is intended to support the retailer in its adoption of RNG, a sustainable fuel produced from organic waste, which has been given an average carbon rating of -317 by the California Air Resources Board and is helping fleets to further their carbon reduction and fiscal goals.

The station initially will fuel more than 100 Amazon trucks and is designed with sufficient fueling capacity to accommodate several hundred more trucks. Amazon heavy-duty trucks have already fueled at more than 86 existing Clean Energy stations around the country and under the agreement announced last year, another 17 new Clean Energy-owned stations are slated to follow Romeoville, with several expected to open early next year.

By dispensing 1.4 million gallons of RNG annually instead of diesel, the Romeoville station will reduce carbon emissions by 15,219 MT metric tons—the equivalent of growing 253,643 trees for ten years, removing 3,308 passenger cars from the road, or reducing 6,112 tons of landfill waste.

The Romeoville station spans 8.2 acres and includes multiple public access fast-fill dispensers for easy in-and-out fueling of RNG; time-fill posts for up to 152 trucks, allowing for cost-effective fueling and the most advanced technology transmitting real-time data to customers; and 153 parking places for drivers’ personal vehicles. Beginning today, this multi-million-dollar station gives the thousands of heavy-duty trucking fleets that operate throughout the busy Chicago area the ability to fuel with clean, renewable, and sustainable fuel.

“We’re pleased that fleets that operate in Romeoville will now have the option to use RNG fuel,” said Romeoville Mayor John Noak. “It’s a fuel that will improve air quality and have a positive impact on climate change.”

Clean Energy is also investing in the production of renewable natural gas with partners, TotalEnergies and bp, at dairies throughout the Midwest. The RNG produced at these dairies and others around the country will flow into the Romeoville station and Clean Energy’s nationwide fueling infrastructure.

The RNG digesters at dairies allow their owners to solve the problem of fugitive methane while realizing an additional revenue stream.

For high-resolution photos, video and more information visit https://www.cleanenergyfuels.com/amazon-stations.

About Clean Energy

Clean Energy Fuels Corp. is the country’s largest provider of the cleanest fuel for the transportation market. Our mission is to decarbonize transportation through the development and delivery of renewable natural gas (RNG), a sustainable fuel derived from organic waste. Clean Energy allows thousands of vehicles, from airport shuttles to city buses to waste and heavy-duty trucks, to reduce their amount of climate-harming greenhouse gas. We operate a vast network of fueling stations across the U.S. and Canada.

Visit www.cleanenergyfuels.com and follow @ce_renewables on Twitter.

Based in Denmark, Nature Energy is a producer of Renewable Natural Gas (RNG) from agricultural, industrial, and household wastes. 

By purchasing the shares in Nature Energy, Shell will acquire the largest RNG producer in Europe, its portfolio of cash-generative operating plants, associated feedstock supply and infrastructure, its pipeline of growth projects, and its in-house expertise in the design, construction, and operation of innovative and differentiated RNG plant technology. 

This acquisition will further increase Shell’s ability to work with its established customer base across multiple sectors to accelerate its transition to net-zero emissions. It will also support Shell’s ambition to profitably grow its low-carbon fuel production and customer offering in our world-leading customer-facing Marketing business. 

“Shell’s competitiveness in low carbon fuels derives from capabilities across the value chain, combining a world-class Trading and Supply organization with access to differentiated technology and production assets,” said Huibert Vigeveno, Shell’s Downstream Director. “Acquiring Nature Energy will add a European production platform and growth pipeline to Shell’s existing RNG projects in the United States. We will use this acquisition to build an integrated RNG value chain at a global scale, at a time when energy transition policies and customer preferences are signaling strong growth in demand in the years ahead.” 

The transaction is subject to regulatory approvals and is expected to close in Q1 2023. Nature Energy is cash generative, and the acquisition is expected to be both accretive to Shell’s earnings from completion and deliver double-digit returns.

The cutting-edge Spindletop Project will utilize System 1000 to convert sustainably sourced woody biomass into renewable synthesis gas for the production of approximately 345,000 barrels annually of renewable gasoline with a negative carbon intensity score. SunGas will supply Arbor Gas with the System 1000 design, equipment components, and services required to support the startup of the Spindletop Project in the second half of 2024.

“We are very pleased to make this important announcement which marks a positive step forward for SunGas, Arbor Gas, and for decarbonization of transportation fuels. We have designed our System 1000 product line to be a cost-effective, dependable, and safe source of renewable synthesis gas for producing a wide range of biofuels,” stated Robert Rigdon, CEO of SunGas. “We believe Arbor Gas has laid a strong foundation for growing their renewable fuels business and we are committed to supporting the company in this endeavor.”

“The agreement announced with SunGas marks the construction kickoff of our Spindletop Renewable Gasoline project,” said Timothy E. Vail, CEO of Arbor Renewable Gas. “The proven SunGas System 1000 product line fits well with our strategy to modularize our renewable fuels production unit such that we can realize cost and schedule benefits as we deploy additional trains of renewable fuels production at our Beaumont and Louisiana sites.”

Under the terms of the agreement, SunGas will supply System 1000 to Arbor Gas including gasification technology, process design, and the major equipment systems such as wood waste feeding, gasifier reactor, fines separation, ash removal, tar conversion, syngas cooling, and syngas filtration. SunGas also provides training and technical services during construction, commissioning, and startup. The package also includes conventional equipment warranties and a guarantee for syngas performance.

About SunGas Renewables

SunGas is a global clean energy and technology solutions company providing proven technology systems that transform sustainably sourced renewable feedstocks such as wood waste into hydrogen and carbon monoxide – the building blocks necessary for large-scale production of renewable fuels. SunGas has developed its System 1000 product line for renewable synthesis gas production needed for manufacturing hydrogen and renewable biofuels such as gasoline, diesel, sustainable aviation fuel, and marine shipping fuels. SunGas is taking a leading role in decarbonization and offers its System 1000 to third parties for hydrogen and biofuel production while also developing and investing in low-carbon biofuel businesses.

SunGas Renewables Inc. was established in 2019 as a subsidiary of GTI International and is headquartered in Houston, Texas.

For more information, visit www.sungasrenewables.com

About Arbor Renewable Gas™

The mission of Arbor Renewable Gas is to build a portfolio of cost-effective, safe, and reliable woody biomass to negative carbon renewable gasoline, sustainable aviation fuel, renewable marine fuels, and renewable hydrogen plants around the world. With an initial focus on the Texas and Louisiana Gulf Coast, Arbor Gas brings a unique blend of management, financing, technology, and project execution skills to successfully advance its vision of clean, low-carbon transportation fuels utilizing our existing infrastructure, vehicles, ships, and aircraft. Arbor Renewable Gas is backed by EnCap Investments L.P., Yorktown Partners, and Mercuria Energy, and is headquartered in Houston, Texas.

For more information, visit www.arborgas.com or contact info@arborgas.com

About EnCap Investments L.P.

Since 1988, EnCap Investments has been the leading provider of venture capital to the independent sector of the U.S. energy industry. The firm has raised 22 institutional investment funds totaling approximately $38 billion and currently manages capital on behalf of more than 350 U.S. and international investors.

For more information, visit www.encapinvestments.com

Manure storage on dairy farms results in the release of methane, a highly potent greenhouse gas. CalBio brings technology and operational experience to help dairy farmers build digesters and methane capture projects to convert this methane to beneficial use as renewable natural gas, which is considered carbon negative on a lifecycle basis under California’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard. Per the agreement, Chevron will provide additional funding for as many as seven digesters and one central upgrading facility across a cluster of dairy farms in Merced County.

The cluster of digesters has been awarded California Department of Food and Agriculture grants, which must be augmented with additional capital to complete the projects. When complete – expected in 2023 – Chevron will take 100 percent of the renewable natural gas produced to market in the California vehicle fuels market.

“This project brings together support from many groups, including seven California Dairy farmers, who are national leaders in milk and cheese production; Chevron, one of California’s largest energy companies; and grant funding from the California Department of Food and Agriculture. The strong support from these partners will help California with its emission reduction targets,” said Neil Black, president of CalBio. “These projects are also benefiting the local community through job creation and protecting local air and water quality.”

As part of its lower carbon objectives, Chevron is complementing the strength of its traditional products business with new offerings that help customers support a lower carbon future. Carbon-negative renewable natural gas produced from dairy biomethane is an essential part of its portfolio of solutions.

“We are excited to continue our partnership with CalBio and work with local communities and farmers to develop lower carbon fuel solutions,” said Andy Walz, president of Americas Fuels & Lubricants for Chevron. “The investment underscores our commitment to produce 40,000 MMBTU/D of the RNG by 2030 and grow the lower carbon businesses that we believe will be a bigger part of the future.”

ABOUT CALIFORNIA BIOENERGY

CalBio is a leading developer of dairy digesters for generating renewable electricity and vehicle fuel in California. Founded in 2006, CalBio has worked closely with the dairy industry and state agencies to develop programs to help the state achieve its methane reduction goals while delivering a new revenue source to California dairies. For more information, visit: www.calbioenergy.com

ABOUT CHEVRON

Chevron is one of the world’s leading integrated energy companies. We believe affordable, reliable, and ever-cleaner energy is essential to achieving a more prosperous and sustainable world. Chevron produces crude oil and natural gas; manufactures transportation fuels, lubricants, petrochemicals, and additives; and develops technologies that enhance our business and the industry. We are focused on lowering the carbon intensity in our operations and growing lower carbon businesses along with our traditional business lines. More information about Chevron is available at www.chevron.com.

GlobalData’s latest report, ‘Thailand Power Market Size, Trends, Regulations, Competitive Landscape and Forecast, 2022-2035’, reveals that depleting natural gas reserves and rising fuel import bills have become major challenges for Thailand. The country’s natural gas reserves are expected to decline sharply by 2030 if no new reserves are found.

Attaurrahman Ojindaram Saibasan, a Power Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “The Erawan field, the largest gas field in Thailand, is facing a decline in output, mainly due to a dispute between Chevron and Thailand’s state-owned oil and gas company, PTT Exploration & Production (PTTEP), which took over the field’s operations in April 2022. A lack of innovation from PTTEP is also a growing concern since gas deposits are found in small pockets in the Erawan field and hundreds of wells are required to be drilled every year to maintain output.”

Due to a decline in supplies from the Gulf of Thailand, the share of domestic gas supply in Thailand fell from 64% to 40% in the first half of 2022, leading to an increase in imports of liquified natural gas (LNG), which, in turn, resulted in high electricity bills for end-consumers.

In April 2022, the government reassured consumers that there would be no electricity shortages like those seen in Vietnam or Sri Lanka. However, the Prime Minister of Thailand ordered the country to cut its power use by 20% as a precaution.

Saibasan continues: “The plan to meet the demand through the coal-based generation and imports create a risky scenario for the country. While environmental activists have opposed the increased use of coal-based power, electricity imports from neighboring countries, such as Malaysia and Laos, to meet the growing demand may not be a viable solution for the country in the long term given the rise in the price of fossil fuels.”

In its Power Development Plan (PDP), the government aims to increase the country’s power capacity from 46,090 MW in 2017 to 77,211 MW in 2037. The country is aiming to generate 53% of its electricity from natural gas, 35% from non-fossil fuels, and 12% from coal in 2037.

The government also announced that under the Feed in Tariff (FiT) mechanism, 282.92 MW of renewable power capacity from small power producers (SPP) and very small power producers (VSPP) will be realized. The electricity generated from these plants will be used to supply to commercial users in 2025–2026.

Saibasan concludes: “Although such measures are encouraging for the renewable power industry, the government should look to bolster its renewable capacity on a large scale to overcome its dependence on thermal power and on fossil fuel imports. The country has a developed market for biopower and there are several solar PV projects underway. The country should look to leverage on its strengths.”

About GlobalData

4,000 of the world’s largest companies, including over 70% of FTSE 100 and 60% of Fortune 100 companies, make more timely and better business decisions thanks to GlobalData’s unique data, expert analysis, and innovative solutions, all in one platform. GlobalData’s mission is to help our clients decode the future to be more successful and innovative across a range of industries, including the healthcare, consumer, retail, financial, technology, and professional services sectors.

For more than 10 years, Restaurant Technologies has provided Chevron Renewable Energy Group with used cooking oil, collected from its 34,000+ customers including quick-service and full-service restaurant chains, independent restaurants, grocers, hotels, casinos, universities, and hospitals. The used oil is utilized as a feedstock to produce biodiesel and renewable diesel. With Restaurant Technologies now utilizing these lower carbon fuels in its own fleet, the two organizations are creating a working circular economy.

“At Restaurant Technologies, our goal has always been to reduce the impact on humans and the environment by better managing cooking oil,” said Jeff Kiesel, president, and CEO of Restaurant Technologies. “And as a company focused on sustainability, we are really excited to be able to ‘walk the walk’ by fueling our own commercial fleet with biofuel created from the used cooking oil we collect.”

“Chevron believes the future of energy is lower carbon. And bio-based diesel is a lower carbon solution for the transportation sector,” said Kevin Lucke, president of Chevron Renewable Energy Group. “Our collaboration with Restaurant Technologies to secure renewable feedstocks has been critical to our work for years. Now it’s our turn to help them achieve their sustainability goals through the use of biofuels, with the adoption of our EnDura Fuels™.”

Biodiesel and renewable diesel are lower carbon alternatives to traditional petroleum diesel that may help fleet operators reduce the lifecycle carbon intensity of their operations. The fuels are traditionally utilized as a blend, either being blended with one another to produce a 100% renewable fuel or blended with petroleum diesel. Restaurant Technologies will initially utilize a B30-B50 blend, 30-50% InfiniD™ (biodiesel), with the remainder petroleum diesel.

“Restaurant Technologies runs the most effective proprietary closed-loop oil management system through its extensive network of depots across the United States,” said Tyler Reeder, managing partner, ECP, and board member at Restaurant Technologies. “By adopting a process where the company can use biofuel created through its own business model, Restaurant Technologies is setting an example for those who prioritize sustainability as a business practice.”

Chevron Renewable Energy Group is already delivering biofuels to power Restaurant Technologies’ fleet located at the Des Moines, Iowa depot, with plans to expand to more depot locations across the nation.

The Lethbridge facility is expected to convert 120,000 tonnes of organic waste into renewable natural gas annually. The facility generates revenue primarily through the intake of organic waste and producing Renewable Natural Gas (RNG). 

The asset operates under a 20-year RNG contract with FortisBC. 

“The Skyline Clean Energy Fund team is thrilled to announce the acquisition of another biogas facility into our portfolio,” said Rob Stein, President, Skyline Energy. 

“This asset is SCEF’s first outside of Ontario, as well as its largest acquisition to date and the first to earn income from RNG sales. SBE LP, along with Woolwich Bio-En Inc., which manages the Elmira, Ontario biogas facility, will be able to provide oversight and knowledge that will enable future synergies between the two biogas plants. We’re excited to add more clean energy facilities to the SCEF portfolio to complement our existing assets, with the goal of increasing value for SCEF investors.” 

“The Canadian Biogas Association congratulates Skyline on their recent acquisition of Lethbridge Biogas,” said Jennifer Green, Executive Director, Canadian Biogas Association.  

“As the Canadian biogas and RNG market grows, the success of operating biogas and RNG facilities will be instrumental in demonstrating the great value that is provided to Canadians in emission reductions, clean energy production, and economic opportunity.” 

The Lethbridge facility is expected to process 120,000 tonnes of organic waste in the first year, producing 280,000 GJ(1) of RNG. 

This is equivalent to more than 78 million kilowatt-hours – which would provide electricity to 12,174 homes for one year. (2)  

Together with SCEF’s biogas facility in Elmira, Ontario (purchased August 2021), SCEF is now responsible for facilities capable of receiving 240,000 tonnes of organic waste – equivalent to the annual food waste produced by more than 566,000 Canadians. (3) 

Skyline Clean Energy Fund now comprises 76 clean energy assets: 74 solar assets totaling 38.356 MW/DC(4) and two biogas facilities totaling 184,000 tonnes in annual Organic Waste Capacity. (5)  

(1) Gigajoule (GJ) is a metric energy measurement used for Renewable Natural Gas (RNG). One GJ of natural gas has the same amount of energy as 27 liters of fuel oil, 39 liters of propane, 26 liters of gasoline, or 277-kilowatt hours of electricity. Source: https://www.nrcan.gc.ca/energy/energy-sources-distribution/natural-gas/natural-gas-primer/5641 

(2) The number of homes powered was determined by dividing the total amount of energy (kWh) produced at the Lethbridge facility by the energy intensity per Alberta household in kWh, which was derived from the total electricity consumption divided by the total number of Alberta households. Source: https://oee.nrcan.gc.ca/corporate/statistics/neud/dpa/menus/trends/comprehensive_tables/list.cfm   

(3) Annual food waste equivalency was derived by dividing total Canadian waste diverted and disposed of by total biogas facility capacity. Total Canadian waste is calculated by adding waste diverted from residential sources and waste disposed of residential sources then converting it from kg to tonnes. Source: https://www.canada.ca/en/environment-climate-change/services/environmental-indicators/solid-waste-diversion-disposal.html#DSM  

(4) MW/DC: Megawatt of direct current energy; a unit measurement of the output of power. 

(5) Skyline Clean Energy Fund’s total MW/DC (solar) and annual Organic Waste Capacity (biogas) figures are expressed in accordance with the Fund’s percentage ownership of the assets. 

”One of Canada’s largest biogas providers” based on an annual waste processing capacity of 240,000 tonnes between Skyline Clean Energy Fund’s Elmira and Lethbridge facilities.

The Parish-specific legislation, which goes into effect on August 1, 2022, extends the eminent domain acquisition of the pore rights for underground CO₂ storage with a prohibition of third-party drilling through the storage reservoir. This drilling ban substantially reduces the risk of stored CO₂ leakage. This legislation was passed unanimously by both houses of Louisiana’s State Legislature and signed into law by Governor John Bel Edwards as Act 163 on May 26, 2022. It received support from both the Louisiana Oil & Gas Association and the Louisiana Mid-Continent Oil & Gas Association.

The drilling ban in the law aligns the Caldwell Parish project with the carbon sequestration requirements of the California Air Resources Board’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) and facilitates qualification for credits for fuel delivered to that state. These credits, together with the credits under the Federal Renewable Fuel Standard and the Federal sequestration tax credits are significant contributors to the project’s revenues.

“This legislation is a major win for Strategic Biofuels and is another way that we worked together with the State and our governor to achieve numerous milestones that help ensure the LGF project succeeds,” said Dr. Paul Schubert, CEO of Strategic Biofuels. “Our working relationship with the State is a solid example of industry commitment and public policy paving the way for the unprecedented innovation of the LGF project.”

The project will produce clean renewable diesel fuel using waste wood from managed, sustainable forestry as well as all its own green power. Because both the carbon converted into fuel and the carbon permanently sequestered were first directly captured from the atmosphere by trees, the project will produce the lowest carbon footprint liquid fuel in the world.

Strategic Biofuels and the State have worked to achieve numerous milestones that will ensure that the Louisiana Green Fuels project succeeds. In February, the Governor allocated $250M of private activity bonds to the LGF project in addition to the $200M allocated the previous year. In January, the Port of Columbia was awarded a $15M grant for infrastructure improvements to help support Strategic Biofuels. This working relationship reflects the State’s focus on reaching net carbon zero by 2050 and is a solid example of industry commitment and public policy paving the way for the unprecedented innovation of the Louisiana Green Fuels project.

“I’m proud to have signed this bill into law,” said Gov. John Bel Edwards. “It advances our State’s climate initiative while bringing new opportunities for the traditional oil and gas industry and its workers. The Caldwell Parish project will bring significant economic benefits to the entire Northeastern Louisiana region.”

The law was originally introduced as HB267 to the State House by District 20 Representative, Neil Riser, and in the State Senate by Sen. Glen Womack and was signed into law as Act 163.

For more information about Strategic Biofuels or the Louisiana Green Fuels project, visit www.strategicbiofuels.com.

About Strategic Biofuels

Strategic Biofuels LLC is a team of energy, petrochemical, and renewable technology experts focused on developing a series of deeply negative carbon footprint plants in northern Louisiana that convert waste materials from managed forests into renewable diesel fuel and renewable naphtha. The fuel qualifies for substantial Carbon Credits under the Federal Renewable Fuel Standard Program and under the California Low Carbon Fuels Standard.

About Louisiana Green Fuels

Louisiana Green Fuels is the first of a series of projects by Strategic Biofuels LLC in Caldwell Parish, Louisiana. Located at the Port of Columbia, the plant will produce renewable diesel fuel from Renewable Fuel Standard compliant forestry waste and will produce all its own green power from sawmill and forestry waste materials. The plant and its accompanying Class VI Carbon Capture and Sequestration (CCS) Wells will produce renewable diesel fuel with a carbon footprint that is nearly a 400% reduction compared to fossil diesel, making it the most deeply carbon-negative liquid fuel in the world.

By utilizing the Honeywell Ecofining™ process, Tüpraş should realize a capital-efficient and high-yield solution, ideal for producing biofuels and petrochemical precursors from renewable feedstocks. SAF and renewable diesel have similar molecules to petroleum-based diesel and jet fuels and can be used as a drop-in replacement without engine modifications. In the case of SAF, it can be used in blends of up to 50 percent with the remainder as conventional (fossil-based) jet fuel. Apart from SAF, Bio-naphtha, and Bio – LPG are used in the production of plastics, specifically olefins that are building blocks for other chemicals and aromatics used to produce polyester and other packaging materials.

Depending on feedstock choice, renewable diesel and SAF, which are produced from the Ecofining™ process, are expected to result in a significant reduction in lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions compared to conventional diesel or aviation fuel from petroleum[1]. Honeywell is an early pioneer in SAF production with its Ecofining™ technology, which has been used to produce SAF commercially since 2016.

Serdar Kemaloğlu, Assistant General Manager at Tüpraş for Technical Affairs, said, “As Tüpraş, we have set out to become carbon neutral by 2050, as we expand into new sustainable business areas. A large portion of our investments will be allocated to new energy sources such as sustainable aviation fuels, green hydrogen, and zero-carbon electricity. Biofuels will play a major role in the decarbonization of the industry. We aim to process 400,000 tons of bio feedstock by 2030 and triple our sustainable aviation fuel production capacity by 2035. We plan to become the largest SAF supplier in our country. In line with our future roadmap, Tüpraş selected Honeywell Ecofining™ technology to produce sustainable aviation fuel from plant and animal-based waste feedstocks because it produces high yields of high-value renewable products.”

“This project is the first awarded in Türkiye and is significant because renewable fuels from waste feedstocks are the key to reducing the refining industry’s carbon footprint and meeting regulatory compliance. We, as Honeywell, are proud to be implementing this technology, which we pioneered, for the first time in our country, together with Tüpraş,” said Uygar Doyuran, Honeywell Türkiye, Israel & CA President.

The Honeywell UOP Ecofining™ process, developed in conjunction with Eni SpA, can convert waste plant-based oils, animal fats, and other waste feedstocks to renewable diesel and SAF.

Honeywell recently committed to achieving carbon neutrality in its operations and facilities by 2035. This commitment builds on the company’s track record of sharply reducing the greenhouse gas intensity of its operations and facilities and its decades-long history of innovation to help customers meet their environmental and social goals. About half of Honeywell’s new product introduction research and development investment is directed toward products that improve environmental and social outcomes for customers.

Based in Izmir, Izmit, Kirikkale, and Batman, Tüpraş is the first producer in the refining sector in Türkiye, and the largest industrial enterprise in the country. This makes it the 7^th largest in Europe, operating four oil refineries with a total of 30 million tons of annual crude oil processing capacity. Tüpraş is also among the few refineries in the Mediterranean region with a high complexity – an average Nelson Complexity Index of 9.5. The company launched its Carbon Neutrality Target by 2050 as part of its strategic transformation plan, focusing on four business areas: sustainable refining, zero-carbon electricity, green hydrogen, and biofuels.

Honeywell (www.honeywell.com) is a Fortune 100 technology company that delivers industry-specific solutions that include aerospace products and services; control technologies for buildings and industry; and performance materials globally. Our technologies help aircraft, buildings, manufacturing plants, supply chains, and workers become more connected to make our world smarter, safer, and more sustainable.

When operational in 2023, this will be the first Green Gas Mill in the U.K, making an important step towards creating a green economy. The proven technology process works with grass that has been broken down in a silage container for approximately two months. It is then put into a digester, where it gives off a methane-rich gas to be fed into the domestic gas network. The Wärtsilä biogas upgrading plant refines the gas before it is sent to the grid.

“Replacing fossil fuels with grass-fed gas provides significant green energy benefits. Importantly, existing gas boilers installed in homes all around Britain can still be used, but in a much more sustainable way. Wärtsilä has a strong track record in delivering highly efficient biogas upgrading solutions, and their Puregas system is a key element of this project,” commented Chris Ives of Paul Winter Consulting Ltd, the Consulting Engineer appointed by Ecotricity to manage this project.

“As a company committed to helping decarbonize the industries we serve, we are delighted to be involved in this exciting green energy project. In addition to its technological advantages, our Puregas CA50 biogas upgrading plant provides the customer with the lowest total cost of ownership, which is central to our product development,” said Steven Scott, Sales Manager, Biogas Solutions, Wärtsilä Gas Solutions

Green grass is carbon neutral in that the CO2 it absorbs whilst growing is released back into the atmosphere when the methane is burned. Fossil gas, by comparison, releases CO2 that is not in the atmosphere now, meaning that it is a net addition to atmospheric CO2.

Ecotricity plans to build many more Green Gas Mills in the future. The company calculates that 3000 installations would provide enough gas to fuel all 22 million homes that are currently on Britain’s gas grid.

Wärtsilä Gas Solutions is a market leader with innovative systems and lifecycle solutions for the gas value chain. Our main focus areas are handling of gas in seaborne transport (storage, fuel, transfer, and BOG management), gas to power, liquefaction and biogas solutions. We help our customers on the journey towards a sustainable future through a focus on lifecycle, innovation, and digitalization.

Wärtsilä Marine Systems in brief:

Wärtsilä Marine Systems supports customers with high-quality products and lifecycle services related to the gas value chain, exhaust treatment, shaft line, underwater repair, and electrical integrations. We are committed to providing the latest and most efficient solutions, in line with Wärtsilä’s vision for a safe and sustainable future for our customers, our communities, and our planet.
www.wartsila.com/marine

Wärtsilä in brief:

Wärtsilä is a global leader in innovative technologies and lifecycle solutions for the marine and energy markets. We emphasize innovation in sustainable technology and services to help our customers continuously improve their environmental and economic performance. Our dedicated and passionate team of 17,000 professionals in more than 200 locations in 68 countries shapes the decarbonization transformation of our industries across the globe. In 2021, Wärtsilä’s net sales totaled EUR 4.8 billion. Wärtsilä is listed on Nasdaq Helsinki.
www.wartsila.com

Joshua Smith, CEO of Gas Pos, says that underground storage tanks are in the midst of a crisis now bubbling up — sometimes even literally — in backyards or playgrounds. The problem stems from a 1999 regulatory change that mandated all underground tanks for petroleum products or other hazardous waste must feature two walls to prevent leaking. Not surprisingly, many stations waited until the deadline to begin installing the more expensive, safer tanks. As a result, stations with tanks older than 23 years are faced with a dual problem: Those tanks are likely out of warranty and are sufficiently aged as to be more prone to leaks and failure. Out-of-warranty tanks may not even be coverable by private insurance, and those that do cover it will likely not do so for an extended time.

As a result, Smith estimates that up to 90% of North America’s roughly 180,000 fueling systems may be in violation of their underground tank storage covenants. Smith would know, as Gas Pos specializes in fueling equipment and gas station point of sale systems. He states that store owners want to be compliant and update their tank systems, but the costs associated with doing so can be crippling. According to Dr. Ron F. Sickels, with Accredited Fuel Solutions, Inc.: “The average cost of a new gas station with four gas dispensers and associated petroleum equipment such as underground storage tanks, concrete footings, piping, spill buckets, etc. is in the millions. The average cost to replace existing gas station components with new pumps, tanks, and accessories is $200-$300K. Not to mention several months to make these changes compared to several weeks for an Aboveground Storage Tank, (AST) system. This doesn’t take into consideration the environmental impact that Underground Storage Tanks, (UST’s) put on the owner, station location, and the ongoing maintenance necessary to stay compliant with the local, state, and federal regulatory agencies. If the location has the necessary footprint to accommodate an AST system utilizing the latest environmentally compliant storage, infrastructure, and dispensing system, you will produce a station that is easier to maintain, environmentally safer, and less costly to install and operate.”

According to Josh Smith: “Both gas station owners and consumers are suffering right now. Store owners often can’t afford to upgrade, leading the state to red tag the station or outright shut them down. In a world where fuel supplies are already limited and gas prices are skyrocketing, taking supply off the market only exacerbates our problems. We’re here to help both owners & consumers.”

Putting PAGS in Its Place

North America is quite comfortable with aboveground tank systems. They are commonly used for propane, natural gas, hydrogen, and many other fuels. However, aboveground systems remain extremely rare for gasoline and diesel due to cost and anachronistic regulatory constraints. This contrasts with many markets in Asia, where aboveground fuel systems have been in regular use for nearly three decades. Fortunately, regional and national North American authorities are beginning to understand that a better option now exists.

PAGS use cases typically fall into three scenarios:

1. Replacement. Conventional underground tank upgrading requires digging all tank infrastructure out of the ground, potentially including plumbing and electrical. With PAGS, all underground equipment can potentially be left in place until time and cost make excavation feasible. All PAGS equipment deploys onto the site surface and can typically be running within a short period of time. Gas Pos estimates that PAGS deployment “can be done for 80% less than the cost of digging everything out and dropping in new underground tanks.” 

2. New stations. It typically takes about 10 months to go from breaking ground to a finished gas station with underground storage and a convenience store. Again, a PAGS will deploy significantly faster and at roughly one-third the cost of a traditional gas station. 

3. Supplementation. Station owners may wish to add a new fuel, such as diesel while preserving their existing (and perfectly compliant) underground tank systems. PAGS offers this capability in a fraction of the time and cost required for underground additions.

Ethan Henderson, director of operations at AMS, notes that a PAGS can be installed at sites that have never had a gas station. He points to one deployment in Nevada, where the town was built on a large aquifer, and the town council never wanted to risk contamination from an underground fuel system. However, because PAGS technology met all environmental regulations and posed so little long-term risk, the town approved a PAGS gas station.

“We seized on a regulatory change in 2008 that allowed for the development and patenting of several technologies around PAGS innovations,” says Henderson. “It meets UL, ANSI, and other regulations — and then some. The testing process is rigorous for the PAGS UL2085 rating, with tests including 2 hours in a 2,000-degree furnace, 12,000lb per square inch impact testing, and ballistics testing with several high caliber rounds, all of which are performed sequentially to push success to the limit. These systems are incredibly safe, and the regulations for success ensure that.”

Gas Pos’ Smith notes that PAGS is already deployed or deploying in several states including Kentucky and Nevada, and most states are eager to adopt code allowing for PAGS once they learn about its details.

About Gas Pos

Gas Pos is the fastest-growing Equipment as a Service (EaaS) program for gas stations & truck stops across the USA. By combining a modern fuel point of sale system, new EMV Compliant gas pumps & payment processing, Gas Pos helps owners upgrade their gas station at a lower cost. Advanced payment security includes EMV, PCI, and point-to-point encryption to protect merchants from fraud, hacking, and fines. This integrated solution carries no capital expense investment costs for gas stations, truck stops, and convenience stores. For more information, visit www.gaspos.co, connect with Josh on LinkedIn or call 1-800-209-1241.

About AMS Energy Technologies

AMS owns the exclusive U.S. retail rights to portable, above-ground fueling stations (“PAGS”) that are EPA, NFPA, and UL approved. PAGS technology was developed by a pioneering company in the field of hazardous liquid storage and dispensing that has 35 years of experience and holds over 25 U.S. and international patents for fuel delivery systems. PAGS can be installed in days, carry a significantly lower cost than underground storage tanks, and pose little to no environmental risk. For more information, visit www.amspags.com, or call 516-216-2727.

This will be one of the first cases where hydrogen is tested for use to reduce the carbon footprint of an existing gas-fueled power plant delivered by Wärtsilä. The 55 MW plant currently operates with three Wärtsilä 50SG engines running on natural gas. The parties will aim for testing fuel blends of up to 25 vol.% hydrogen mixed with natural gas, thus demonstrating the capability of the plant to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The Wärtsilä engines can operate with this level of hydrogen blended with gas with little to no modification needed. Though Wärtsilä engines can be operated on even higher hydrogen-blend levels, these tests will be restricted to the limit of 25 vol% hydrogens for natural gas systems, according to the international equipment standard IEC/EN 60079-20-1.

“These hydrogen tests reinforce the viability of the internal combustion engine as a future-proof technology that plays a key role in decarbonizing the power industry. We have long had a focus on creating solutions that enable zero-carbon power generation, and are excited to begin this hydrogen testing project in the USA as a natural next step in developing our products to meet customer needs for a decarbonized future. Our engines already have the flexibility for both balancing the input of renewables into the power system, and baseload generation with a continuously increasing range of fuels,” commented Jon Rodriguez, Director, Engine power plants, Wärtsilä North America.

One engine will be selected for the test program, during which time it will continue to deliver power to the grid. For defined engine load levels, the hydrogen content within the fuel will be gradually increased to a maximum of 25 vol.%. Measurements of the engine’s performance will be made throughout the testing. Wärtsilä has already successfully carried out engine tests at its testing facilities in Vaasa, Finland, and Bermeo, Spain, to assess the optimum engine parameters for operating with hydrogen fuel.

In addition to the A.J. Mihm power plant, Wärtsilä has also supplied WEC Energy Group with seven Wärtsilä 50SG gas engines for the F. D. Kuester power plant in Michigan.

Wärtsilä already has engine generating sets operating successfully on a natural gas and hydrogen blend in a newbuild power plant at an offshore floating testbed in Singapore.

Wärtsilä Energy in brief

Wärtsilä Energy leads the transition towards a 100% renewable energy future. We help our customers in decarbonization by developing market-leading technologies. These cover future-fuel-enabled balancing power plants, hybrid solutions, energy storage, and optimization technology, including the GEMS energy management platform. Wärtsilä Energy’s lifecycle services are designed to increase efficiency, promote reliability and guarantee operational performance. Our track record comprises 76 GW of power plant capacity and 110 energy storage systems delivered to 180 countries around the world.
https://www.wartsila.com/energy

Wärtsilä in brief

Wärtsilä is a global leader in innovative technologies and lifecycle solutions for the marine and energy markets. We emphasize innovation in sustainable technology and services to help our customers continuously improve their environmental and economic performance. Our dedicated and passionate team of 17,000 professionals in more than 200 locations in 68 countries shapes the decarbonization transformation of our industries across the globe. In 2021, Wärtsilä’s net sales totaled EUR 4.8 billion. Wärtsilä is listed on Nasdaq Helsinki.
www.wartsila.com

The Wärtsilä engine at the site is already capable of operating on gas with up to 3% hydrogen. In order to reach the targeted level of 10% blending to meet the specific needs for Capwatt, modifications will be made to the engine, as well as its control system and the plant automation system. Capwatt intends to produce green hydrogen using an electrolyzer, powered by renewable energy.

“We are committed to decarbonizing our operations and we see the blending of hydrogen and natural gas for fueling this plant as a significant step towards achieving this goal. Wärtsilä is a company with great experience and know-how in this field, and we look forward to working closely with them on this ground-breaking project,” commented Sérgio Rocha, CEO at Capwatt.

“This project concretely shows how existing power plants can take steps towards carbon-neutral power generation,” said Sushil Purohit, President, Wärtsilä Energy, and EVP Wärtsilä Corporation. “As a technology, the combustion engine represents a viable solution for enabling the transformation to utilize future fuels. The flexibility of the Wärtsilä engines already plays an important role in allowing a far greater share of renewable energy to be incorporated into power systems.” 

The project is in line with the country’s National Hydrogen Strategy, which aims to increase the share of hydrogen in energy consumption by 5% by 2030 in the industry sector. During the coming decade, the aim is to have 2.0 to 2.5 GW of installed hydrogen-producing capacity and to have 10 to 15% hydrogen injected into the natural gas grid.

Capwatt has a portfolio of nearly 160 MW of cogeneration plants that can benefit from this project’s know-how, which will play a significant role in the decarbonization of thermal energy demand, enabling the energy transition of its industrial clients.

Wärtsilä engines can be operated on hydrogen/natural gas blends with up to 25% hydrogen, and the company is working towards an engine and power plant concept for pure hydrogen operations by 2025.

Wärtsilä already has engine generating sets operating successfully on a natural gas and hydrogen blend in a newbuild power plant at an offshore floating testbed in Singapore.

Wärtsilä Energy in brief

Wärtsilä Energy leads the transition towards a 100% renewable energy future. We help our customers in decarbonization by developing market-leading technologies. These cover future-fuel-enabled balancing power plants, hybrid solutions, energy storage, and optimization technology, including the GEMS energy management platform. Wärtsilä Energy’s lifecycle services are designed to increase efficiency, promote reliability and guarantee operational performance. Our track record comprises 76 GW of power plant capacity and 110 energy storage systems delivered to 180 countries around the world. https://www.wartsila.com/energy

Wärtsilä in brief

Wärtsilä is a global leader in innovative technologies and lifecycle solutions for the marine and energy markets. We emphasize innovation in sustainable technology and services to help our customers continuously improve their environmental and economic performance. Our dedicated and passionate team of 17,000 professionals in more than 200 locations in 68 countries shapes the decarbonization transformation of our industries across the globe. In 2021, Wärtsilä’s net sales totaled EUR 4.8 billion. Wärtsilä is listed on Nasdaq Helsinki. www.wartsila.com

With the U.S. administration encouraging the accelerated transition to clean energy resources and climate concerns challenging critical industries and services to reinforce the resilience of their power facilities in the event of increasingly frequent and severe weather incidents that increase the risk of power outages, private and public service providers across the United States are growing the demand for innovative energy technologies to meet these seemingly contradictory challenges. Faced with the tough job of keeping trains moving 24/7 or risking financial losses and customer churn, railroads and transit agencies have an especially low tolerance for power interruptions.

Since the early 1980’s RedHawk Energy has helped commercial and industrial customers tackle their critical prime and backup power challenges with innovative solutions supporting diverse power loads.  With rich experience in design, engineering, and deployment of a broad variety of alternative energy systems from solar and wind to sophisticated ultracapacitors to power different applications, and with a particular focus on rail signaling and communications, RedHawk recognizes the unique value of GenCell’s solutions for its customer base.  

The partners have joined forces to meet the needs of rail and other industries requiring uninterrupted power for the continuous operations of their signal & communications equipment.  Incorporating comprehensive operational intelligence software and enabling extended runtime and compliance with sustainability targets while requiring minimal maintenance and support, GenCell’s product portfolio offers RedHawk customers an attractive value proposition at a cost comparable to or less than that of pollutant diesel alternatives.

“We’re excited to join forces with GenCell Energy to promote and supply their innovative alkaline fuel cells,” comments Matt Ulrich, Technical Sales Manager, RedHawk Energy. “We feel that GenCell’s fuel cells powered by hydrogen and/or ammonia fit nicely into our existing alternative energy portfolio and give our customers a new option to meet their critical prime and backup power requirements as well as support their sustainability initiatives.”  

Rami Reshef, CEO GenCell, commented “We are most enthusiastic to work with RedHawk Energy Systems and to demonstrate the value of our technologies to their strong customer base including virtually every Class 1 railroad in North America, shortline railroads, midstream, upstream and downstream oil & gas companies, telecommunication companies, shipping companies, government agencies, and many Fortune 500 & 1000 corporations.  We appreciate this opportunity to collaborate with RedHawk’s experienced engineering team, to gain deeper knowledge and understanding of the issues facing U.S. railroads and transit agencies, and to increase our brand exposure and install base in these key industry sectors and regions in the United States.”

About RedHawk Energy

RedHawk Energy Systems, LLC is an ISO 9001-2015 certified manufacturer and a value-added subsidiary of the Arthur N. Ulrich Company. Since the early 1980s RedHawk has been a leader in the design, engineering, and supply of alternative energy systems (Solar & Wind, Fuel Cells, Stirling Engines, TEGs, Ultracapacitors) for the critical infrastructure needs of a variety of industries with 1000+ systems in service to date.

About GenCell Energy

GenCell Energy develops total green power solutions based on reliable, zero-emission alkaline fuel cells and green ammonia-to-energy technology which deliver uninterrupted power to help the world #SayNoToDiesel and transition to clean energy.  The ability to produce not only clean power from GenCell’s fuel cells but also the green fuel on which the fuel cells run sets GenCell in a far superior position as a well-to-wheel total green energy solution provider.  GenCell delivers resilient, robust, and weather-resistant backup power for utilities, telecom, and other mission-critical applications which have been deployed in 22 countries. Our hydrogen-on-demand solution provides primary power for off-grid and poor-grid sites, as well as for rural electrification. GenCell Energy numbers more than 130 employees, including veterans of space and submarine projects. The Company is headquartered in Israel with a worldwide distribution and support network and retains unique intellectual property that includes patents, trade secrets, and know-how.

If passed, Bill 52, An Act to Amend the Petroleum Products Act, which governs fuel pricing in Newfoundland and Labrador, will be amended to require the PUB to publicly disclose: 

·         The maximum wholesale and retail prices;

·         The minimum and maximum mark-up between the wholesale price and retail price; and

·         The procedure for determining adjustments to the petroleum base wholesale and retail prices.

While the PUB’s website currently provides details regarding the fuel pricing process, it is not readily accessible by the public. With these new requirements, this information will become more accessible. 

If passed, the Bill will also allow the government to require the Public Utilities Board to publish additional information, as identified and as deemed necessary, to improve the public’s knowledge of the fuel pricing process.  

Amendments to the Petroleum Products Regulations would provide additional guidance to the PUB on the information to be released. 

The Act currently only provides authority for the Minister of Digital Government and Service NL to require the PUB to complete a review of the benchmark price for fuel products. If passed, Bill 52 will give the Minister authority to direct the Board to conduct a review of any other component of the fuel pricing process, including the various mark-ups charged. In addition, the Bill would allow the Minister to direct the Board to hold public hearings as part of these reviews, providing the people of the province with a direct opportunity to be heard.

Quotes

“I appreciate the concerns I have heard from residents and advocates regarding fuel prices. While the Provincial Government has established the legislative framework and formula used to set fuel prices, price setting rests with the Public Utilities Board. The proposed legislation is about improving transparency in the fuel pricing process within the current regulatory regime.” 
Honorable Sarah Stoodley
Minister of Digital Government and Service NL

Renewable Energy Group and Manchester United announced their global partnership in the summer of 2021 after Manchester United sought out a partner that would help them with their sustainability goals. Earlier this year, Renewable Energy Group began providing the Club with UltraClean BlenD™, its proprietary blend of biodiesel and renewable diesel, which the Club initially utilized in their groundskeeping equipment on their training grounds and since has expanded to the facilities and equipment at historic Old Trafford stadium.

“As we celebrate world Earth Day, it’s absolutely remarkable to see one of the biggest sports teams in the world taking this step to create a cleaner world,” said Bob Kenyon, Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing at REG. “REG is proud to be Manchester United’s clean fuels transition partner of choice, and our proprietary line of EnDura Fuels™ provides a solution that allows them to improve their operations TODAY, without requiring significant infrastructure investments.”

The trial of UltraClean BlenD™ has yielded great results, and the organizations hope to reach a commercial agreement for fuel purchasing in the coming months. In addition, Manchester United wants to explore incorporating renewable fuels into additional Club operations, including generators.

“We want to use the power of football to really have a positive impact on our people, on the environment in which we operate, and also on the wider society,” said Collette Roche, Chief Operating Officer of Manchester United. “We constantly want to get better in every area, and push the boundaries further, and we look to our partners to help us do that.”

About Renewable Energy Group

Renewable Energy Group is leading the energy and transportation industries’ transition to sustainability by converting renewable resources into high-quality, sustainable fuels. Renewable Energy Group is an international producer of sustainable fuels that significantly lower greenhouse gas emissions to immediately reduce carbon impact. Renewable Energy Group utilizes a globally integrated procurement, distribution, and logistics network to operate 11 biorefineries in the U.S. and Europe. In 2021, Renewable Energy Group produced 480 million gallons delivering 4.1 million metric tons of carbon reduction. Renewable Energy Group is meeting the growing global demand for lower-carbon fuels and leading the way to a more sustainable future.

Source and Image: www.regi.com

“This month’s IPCC Working Group III report was clear that continued fossil fuel finance of any kind is misaligned with the Paris climate goals, and that public finance, in particular, plays a key role in determining our global future energy system,” said Nicole Rodel, Communications Campaigner at Oil Change International. “Yet, our new Public Finance for Energy Database shows that public finance remains skewed to fossil fuels. Between 2018 and 2020, G20 international public finance institutions provided at least $63 billion per year ($188 billion in total) for oil, gas, and coal projects. This preferential, government-backed fossil fuel financing was 2.5 times more than their support for clean energy, which averaged $26 billion per year over the same period.”

“This year the balance can tip in favor of a just energy transition if countries follow through on their commitments. At the global climate conference in Glasgow last November, 39 countries and institutions committed to ending international public finance for fossil fuels by the end of 2022 and instead prioritize public finance for clean energy. They now have a few months left to turn their commitments into strong policy,” said Matt Maiorana, Communications Director at Oil Change International. “There is an important opportunity for these signatories to encourage other countries and the MDBs to follow suit and to use opportunities to cement their commitments in existing policy processes at the international level, including at the G7, G20, and the OECD.”

Civil society has been clear that implementing the Glasgow Statement with integrity means meeting the 2022 deadline, avoiding loopholes that allow continued financing for gas, and delivering an exponential increase in support for a just energy transition. 

The new Public Finance for Energy Database is available at energyfinance.org and can be configured to visualize key trends:

• By country: Canada, Japan, Korea, and China are the largest providers of public finance for fossil fuels, respectively providing $11.0 billion, $10.9 billion, $10.6 billion, and $7.3 billion annually between 2018 and 2020.
• By energy subtype: fossil gas is receiving more public finance than any other energy source, currently $32 billion a year, and this amount is set to increase. This is 51% of all public finance – an amount that is greater than all renewable energy finance combined.
• By recipient country: between 2018 and 2020 the top recipient countries were not the poorest. The top recipient countries were Mozambique, Russia, Canada, and Nigeria. Twelve of the top 19 recipients of public finance were in high or upper-middle-income countries. The greatest shares of renewable energy public finance also flowed to the wealthiest countries, with France, Australia, Spain, and the United Kingdom in the top ten.
• By institution or institution type: ECAs are the worst public finance actors, providing 11 times as much support for fossil fuels than renewable energy with $40 billion per year for fossils between 2018 and 2020 and just $3.5 billion for renewable energy.
• By year: The site’s interactive tools show data from 2013-2020, and the full downloadable dataset includes earlier data from MDBs only from 2008 onwards.

The website also has a policy tracker that rates G20 country and multilateral development bank policies limiting oil, gas, and coal finance as well as for “indirect” public finance for fossil fuels through related infrastructure, advisory services, technical assistance, and policy support, and financial intermediaries.

OCI invites civil society organizations, researchers, journalists, and government and institution officials to explore the database and help ensure public finance works towards a liveable future.

“In a time of great uncertainty, it is vital that our long-term energy transition strategy remains on track,” said Ben van Beurden, Shell’s Chief Executive Officer. “This report shows the strong progress we have made towards our target to become a net-zero emissions energy business by 2050.”

This progress includes critical investment decisions in the production of low-carbon fuels, solar and wind power, and hydrogen, and significant changes to Shell’s Upstream and refinery portfolios. The company has also simplified its share structure and moved its headquarters to the UK from the Netherlands.

In 2021, Shell continued to work with customers across sectors, from aviation to marine and road freight, forming more than 50 collaborations with other leading companies.

Today’s publication shows Shell’s progress against concrete climate goals. Last year, the company set a new target to reduce absolute emissions from its operations and the energy it uses to run them by 50% by 2030, compared with 2016 on a net basis. By the end of 2021, Shell had made a reduction of 18%.

Shell also achieved its short-term target to reduce the net carbon intensity of the energy products it sells by 2-3% by the end of 2021, compared with 2016 as well. The company is now working towards a 9-12% reduction in net carbon intensity by 2024, and a 20% reduction by 2030, both compared with 2016.

“We are helping our customers to identify and use low- and zero-carbon alternatives to the energy products they have used for many decades,” said Andrew Mackenzie, Shell Chair. “We see great business opportunities for Shell in the fast-growing low- and zero-carbon markets where we are well-positioned to provide the different products and solutions our customers need.”

Shell’s energy transition strategy was put to an advisory shareholder vote at the Annual General Meeting in 2021 where it secured around 89% of the vote. This year, Shell is asking shareholders to vote on its progress, as it will do every year until 2050. The vote on progress is purely advisory and not binding on shareholders.

Cautionary note

The companies in which Shell plc, directly and indirectly, own investments are separate legal entities. In this announcement “Shell”, “Shell Group” and “Group” are sometimes used for convenience where references are made to Shell plc and its subsidiaries in general. Likewise, the words “we”, “us” and “our” are also used to refer to Shell plc and its subsidiaries in general or to those who work for them. These terms are also used where no useful purpose is served by identifying the particular entity or entities. “Subsidiaries”, “Shell subsidiaries” and “Shell companies” as used in this announcement refer to entities over which Shell plc either directly or indirectly has control. Entities and unincorporated arrangements over which Shell has joint control are generally referred to as “joint ventures” and “joint operations”, respectively. “Joint ventures” and “joint operations” are collectively referred to as “joint arrangements”. Entities over which Shell has significant influence but neither control nor joint control is referred to as “associates”. The term “Shell interest” is used for convenience to indicate the direct and/or indirect ownership interest held by Shell in an entity or unincorporated joint arrangement, after exclusion of all third-party interest. 

Forward-Looking Statements

This announcement contains forward-looking statements (within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995) concerning its financial condition, results of operations, and businesses of Shell. All statements other than statements of historical fact are, or may be deemed to be forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements of future expectations that are based on management’s current expectations and assumptions and involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results, performance, or events to differ materially from those expressed or implied in these statements. Forward-looking statements include, among other things, statements concerning the potential exposure of Shell to market risks and statements expressing management’s expectations, beliefs, estimates, forecasts, projections, and assumptions. These forward-looking statements are identified by their use of terms and phrases such as “aim”, “ambition”, “anticipate”, “believe”, “could”, “estimate”, “expect”, “goals”, “intend”, “may”, “milestones”, “objectives”, “outlook”, “plan”, “probably”, “project”, “risks”, “schedule”, “seek”, “should”, “target”, “will” and similar terms and phrases. There are a number of factors that could affect the future operations of Shell and could cause those results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements included in this announcement, including (without limitation): (a) price fluctuations in crude oil and natural gas; (b) changes in demand for Shell’s products; (c) currency fluctuations; (d) drilling and production results; (e) reserves estimates; (f) loss of market share and industry competition; (g) environmental and physical risks; (h) risks associated with the identification of suitable potential acquisition properties and targets, and successful negotiation and completion of such transactions; (i) the risk of doing business in developing countries and countries subject to international sanctions; (j) legislative, judicial, fiscal and regulatory developments including regulatory measures addressing climate change; (k) economic and financial market conditions in various countries and regions; (l) political risks, including the risks of expropriation and renegotiation of the terms of contracts with governmental entities, delays or advancements in the approval of projects and delays in the reimbursement for shared costs; (m) risks associated with the impact of pandemics, such as the COVID-19 (coronavirus) outbreak; and (n) changes in trading conditions. No assurance is provided that future dividend payments will match or exceed previous dividend payments. The contents of the websites referred to in this announcement do not form part of this announcement. All forward-looking statements contained in this announcement are expressly qualified in their entirety by the cautionary statements contained or referred to in this section. Readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Additional risk factors that may affect future results are contained in Shell plc’s Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2021 (available at www.shell.com/investor and www.sec.gov). These risk factors also expressly qualify all forward-looking statements contained in this announcement and should be considered by the reader. Each forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date of this announcement, April 20, 2022. Neither Shell plc nor any of its subsidiaries undertake any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement as a result of new information, future events, or other information. In light of these risks, results could differ materially from those stated, implied, or inferred from the forward-looking statements contained in this announcement. 

Shell’s net carbon footprint

Also, in this announcement, we may refer to Shell’s “Net Carbon Footprint” or “Net Carbon Intensity”, which includes Shell’s carbon emissions from the production of our energy products, our suppliers’ carbon emissions in supplying energy for that production and our customers’ carbon emissions associated with their use of the energy products we sell. Shell only controls its own emissions. The use of the term Shell’s “Net Carbon Footprint” or “Net Carbon Intensity” is for convenience only and is not intended to suggest these emissions are those of Shell plc or its subsidiaries.

Shell’s net-Zero Emissions Target

Shell’s operating plan, outlook, and budgets are forecasted for a ten-year period and are updated every year. They reflect the current economic environment and what we can reasonably expect to see over the next ten years. Accordingly, they reflect our Scope 1, Scope 2, and Net Carbon Footprint (NCF) targets over the next ten years. However, Shell’s operating plans cannot reflect our 2050 net-zero emissions target and 2035 NCF target, as these targets are currently outside our planning period. In the future, as society moves towards net-zero emissions, we expect Shell’s operating plans to reflect this movement. However, if society is not net zero in 2050, as of today, there would be a significant risk that Shell may not meet this target.

Forward-Looking Non-GAAP measures

This announcement may contain certain forward-looking non-GAAP measures such as cash capital expenditure and divestments. We are unable to provide a reconciliation of these forward-looking Non-GAAP measures to the most comparable GAAP financial measures because certain information needed to reconcile those Non-GAAP measures to the most comparable GAAP financial measures is dependent on future events some of which are outside the control of Shell, such as oil and gas prices, interest rates and exchange rates. Moreover, estimating such GAAP measures with the required precision necessary to provide a meaningful reconciliation is extremely difficult and could not be accomplished without unreasonable effort. Non-GAAP measures in respect of future periods which cannot be reconciled to the most comparable GAAP financial measure are calculated in a manner that is consistent with the accounting policies applied in Shell plc’s consolidated financial statements. Investors are urged to consider closely the disclosure in our Form 20-F, File No 1-32575, available on the SEC website www.sec.gov.

Source and Image: www.shell.com

The proposed facility would supply the aviation and terrestrial fuel needs of the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), home to 6 million Canadians while lowering the CO2 emissions for the end-users by up to 80%; it is also strategically located for exporting to the US Northeast.

“This is an important milestone in the development of Refuel YYZ. We are thrilled to be building such a strong team with Topsøe and Fluor to produce our renewable fuels, ensuring a successful project execution,” said Zohrab Mawani, director and co-founder of Refuel. “There is much exciting news to share as we continue development and get closer to a low carbon future.”

The plant would utilize Haldor Topsøe’s proprietary HydroFlex^TM and H2bridge^TM technologies for the production of HDRD and SAF. Planned feedstocks include a mix of waste fats, oils, and greases (FOG), such as regionally sourced used cooking oil, animal fats, and non-edible crop oils.

“We are very pleased that Refuel has selected Topsøe’s HydroFlex™ and H2bridge™ technologies for this state-of-the-art, standalone renewable diesel and SAF facility. Our market-leading technologies are complementary and together they will produce some of the lowest carbon intensity renewable fuels in the world,” says Henrik Rasmussen, Managing Director, The Americas at Topsøe.

Fluor Corporation is the contractor for Refuel YYZ and will be providing front-end engineering and design (FEED) services, as well as detailed engineering, procurement, and construction management (EPCM) support.

The company expects to make a final investment decision in 2023. If approved, production at the new facility would start in 2025.

About Refuel

Refuel Energy Inc. is a Canadian company utilizing proven technologies to decarbonize transportation. The company will be an early producer of renewable fuels in Ontario, supplying renewable diesel and sustainable aviation fuel to fleet operators and allowing them significant reductions in their emissions. Refuel’s products can decarbonize right away without the need for changes in vehicles or delivery infrastructure. These products are poised to be a key contributor to Canada’s emissions reduction goals.

About Haldor Topsøe

Haldor Topsøe is a global leader in the supply of catalysts, technology, and services to the chemical and refining industries. Topsøe aims to be the global leader in carbon emission reduction technologies by 2024. By perfecting chemistry for a better world, we enable our customers to succeed in the transition toward renewable energy. Topsøe is headquartered in Denmark and serves customers around the globe. In 2020, our revenue was approximately DKK 6.2 billion, and we employ around 2,100 employees.

Source and Image: www.refuelthefuture.com and www.topsoe.com

Honeywell Process Solutions is a pioneer in automation control, instrumentation, and services for the oil and gas; refining; energy; pulp and paper; industrial power generation; chemicals and petrochemicals; biofuels; life sciences; and metals, minerals, and mining industries. It is also a leader in providing software solutions and instrumentation that help manufacturers find value and competitive advantage through Honeywell Connected Plant, Honeywell’s Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) solution. Process Solutions is part of Honeywell’s Performance Materials and Technologies strategic business group, which also includes Honeywell UOP, a leading international supplier and licensor of process technology, catalysts, adsorbents, equipment, and consulting services to the petroleum refining, petrochemical, and gas processing industries.
Honeywell is a Fortune 100 technology company that delivers industry-specific solutions that include aerospace products and services; control technologies for buildings and industry; and performance materials globally. Our technologies help aircraft, buildings, manufacturing plants, supply chains, and workers become more connected to make our world smarter, safer, and more sustainable. For more news and information on Honeywell.

“More fleets are finding RNG to be the easiest and cost-effective way to achieve significant carbon reductions,” said Chad Lindholm, Clean Energy’s senior vice president for sales. “As we continue to see growing demand for RNG, we’re working on the production side so that more customers can turn their sustainability goals into reality.”

LA County Metro has renewed its maintenance agreement with Clean Energy for six stations that will power 1,417 transit buses with an expected 137 million gallons of RNG for the length of the contract.

Estes Express Lines, the nation’s largest privately-owned freight transportation carrier, is deploying an additional 100 natural gas trucks that will fuel with an expected three million gallons of fuel in California and Texas.

The Los Angeles County Sanitation Districts have entered into a contract with Clean Energy to construct a new public access fueling station in Carson, CA. The contract also includes maintenance services and a fueling agreement for RNG. When the station is complete it will power regional trucks, transit buses, and refuse trucks with an anticipated 10 million gallons of RNG over the contract term.

Offering services that are a vital part of San Diego’s regional transportation network, the North County Transit District (NCTD) has extended its RNG supply agreement with Clean Energy to operate its fleet of 143 buses with an expected 8.2 million gallons of RNG.

One of the most environmentally conscious cities in the country, Santa Monica, CA has extended its RNG fueling agreement with Clean Energy for an expected two million gallons of RNG to power 200 municipal buses.

The Morongo Basin Transit Authority (MBTA) in the Yucca Valley region of California has signed an RNG supply agreement for an anticipated 750,000 gallons of RNG to power 24 transit buses.

Gold Coast Transit District in Oxnard, CA has signed a maintenance contract for a station that fuels 54 transit buses with an estimated 725,000 gallons of RNG.

Custom Lumber Designs, a freight company in Corona, CA, has signed a fueling agreement for 240,000 gallons of RNG to power its heavy-duty trucks.

The City of Tempe in Arizona has extended its maintenance agreement with Clean Energy. The station fuels 250 transit buses with an expected 15 million gallons of compressed natural gas (CNG) fuel over the contract term.

MJ Transport Logistics, a trucking company in Falls Creek, PA, was awarded the new Centre County Recycling and Refuse Authority transfer hauling contract fueling approximately 1.6 million of CNG to power eight new natural gas trucks over the contract term.

Suburban Disposal, a refuse company in Spencerport, NY, has signed a maintenance contract with Clean Energy for an expected 700,000 gallons of fuel to power 37 refuse trucks.

Silvi Concrete, a ready mix company in Downingtown, PA, has signed a maintenance contract for a station that Clean Energy constructed five years ago. The station houses 20 natural gas trucks that fuel an estimated 500,000 gallons of CNG.

Long-time Clean Energy customer Saddle Creek Logistic Services in Lakeland, FL has signed a maintenance agreement with Clean Energy. The supply chain solutions company is adding 13 new natural gas trucks to its fleet that will fuel with an expected 350,000 gallons of CNG.

The Town of Oyster Bay, NY has signed a maintenance contract for its refuse fleet which fuels with an anticipated 100,000 gallons of CNG for 10 vehicles.

Stark Area Regional Transit Authority in Canton, OH has signed an agreement with Clean Energy for a significant station expansion project to accommodate additional CNG transit buses being added to its fleet.

In Canada, Hiller Truck Tech, a heavy-duty truck repair service, has signed a fueling agreement for an estimated 150,000 gallons of CNG to power 20 trucks.

RNG Supply Advances

Clean Energy continues to make significant investments in the production of additional RNG sources and has partnered with two of the most sustainability-committed global energy companies, TotalEnergies and bp, to sign partnerships with dairy owners around the country.

The first of these projects was Del Rio Dairy in Friona, TX, where in late 2021 Clean Energy broke ground on construction for a digester that is anticipated to turn the manure from 7,500 milking cows into more than a million gallons of RNG a year. The project continues to progress, and digester tanks have been erected on the property.

At Millenkamp Dairy in Idaho, engineering and procurement are being finalized, and construction of the front-end manure handling facility is underway.

Construction has started at dairy farms Marshall Ridge, Drumgoon, and Victory, located in South Dakota and Iowa. With more than 30,000 cows, these dairies have the estimated potential to convert the methane produced from waste into more than seven million gallons of RNG annually.

Clean Energy has also started a digester project with South Fork Dairy in Hart County, TX. When complete, the project will produce an anticipated 2.9 million gallons of RNG.

Additionally, Clean Energy has acquired manure rights for its first swine project at the O’Bryan Grain Farms in Owenboro, KY.

About Clean Energy

Clean Energy Fuels Corp. is the country’s largest provider of the cleanest fuel for the transportation market. Our mission is to decarbonize transportation through the development and delivery of renewable natural gas (RNG), a sustainable fuel derived from organic waste. Clean Energy allows thousands of vehicles, from airport shuttles to city buses to waste and heavy-duty trucks, to reduce their amount of climate-harming greenhouse gas. We operate a vast network of fueling stations across the U.S. and Canada.

Source and Image: www.cleanenergyfuels.com

Waga Energy will build a landfill gas upgrading unit using its patented WAGABOX® technology. Once completed, the unit will produce grid compliant RNG (also known as biomethane) from the methane generated by the decomposition of the waste in the landfill.

The WAGABOX® unit will be commissioned by March 2023. It will purify 1,000 standard cubic feet per minute (1,600 cubic meters per hour) of raw landfill gas to deliver 207,000 mmBtu (60 GWh) of RNG. The facility will produce RNG that can be used for residential consumption or as a transportation fuel, equivalent to supplying around 4,000 homes with clean, local, and renewable energy, saving an estimated 13,500 tons of carbon dioxide per year.

Selling RNG through a purchase agreement

Waga Energy will fund, build, operate and maintain the WAGABOX® unit under a 20-year landfill gas supply contract with Steuben County. The entire facility will be built in North America, with the exception of one of the components of the cryogenic module that will be imported from France.

Waga Energy will generate revenues by selling RNG to a private offtaker through a purchase agreement similar to the PPAs (power purchase agreements) commonly used for renewable electricity projects. The revenue generated by the project will be shared with Steuben County.

Steuben County is home to approximately 99,000 residents, and its solid waste landfill in Bath is authorized to dispose of 150,000 tons of waste per year. In July 2020 the County issued a competitive RFP (request for proposals) for a landfill gas utilization project to collect and upgrade the gas which is currently flared.

WAGABOX® is a breakthrough technology for upgrading landfill gas into grid compliant RNG. The result of fifteen years of research and development, the technology combines membrane filtration and cryogenic distillation to separate methane from landfill gas. Over the last five years, ten WAGABOX® facilities have been commissioned in France. An additional eleven projects—eight in France, one in Spain, and two in Canada—are under construction. The Steuben County WAGABOX® project is Waga Energy’s first project in the United States.

Waga Energy CEO and cofounder Mathieu Lefebvre said, “We are honored to have been selected by Steuben County to upgrade the methane from its Bath landfill. This first contract in the United States marks a major milestone to introduce our WAGABOX® solution to the US market. We are eager for landfill operators in the United States to see how efficient our technology is, and how our hassle-free operating model can help small and medium-sized landfills generate additional revenues while taking concrete action against climate change.”

Steuben County Manager Jack Wheeler said: “Steuben County is thrilled to partner with Waga Energy in leveraging landfill gas in an environmentally conscious and economically advantageous project.  Waga Energy has proven to be a highly innovative international firm and bringing this collaboration to fruition will benefit Steuben County and our region for many years to come.”

About Waga Energy

Waga Energy (ISIN: FR0012532810, symbol: WAGA) produces competitively priced Renewable Natural Gas (also known as “biomethane”) by upgrading landfill gas using a patented purification technology called WAGABOX®. The RNG produced is injected directly into the gas distribution networks that supply individuals and businesses, providing a substitute for natural gas. Waga Energy finances, builds and operates its WAGABOX® units under long-term contracts with landfill operators for the supply of raw gas, and generates income by selling the RNG it generated. Waga Energy operates 10 WAGABOX® units in France, representing an installed capacity of 225 GWh/year. Ten units are under construction in France, Spain and Canada. Each project initiated by Waga Energy contributes to the fight against global warming and the helps the energy transition. Waga Energy has been listed since October 27, 2021, on Euronext Paris. waga-energy.com

About Steuben County

Established March 18, 1796, Steuben County covers 1,397 square miles with a population of approximately 99,000 people living in rural agricultural areas, quaint small towns, and small city communities. Steuben County (steubencony.org)

The result was a whole new E-World that ultimately will make us more versatile, globalized, and resilient.

When people stopped flying planes and the world pretty much shut down, people had to implement new business models for marketing, sales, hiring, investor relations, PR, supply/vendors and processes, partnerships, and more.

This new E-world means harnessing zoom and teams platforms and ensuring online meetings are connected and professional even if you were meeting from your bedroom.

While we now start to get back to a ‘new normal’ and travel becomes more available, the power of E-business will forever play a role in how we expand and grow from here forward.

See it as an opportunity rather than a problem.

Six E-Sales Opportunities To Grow Your Company In The New Digital World

If you want to sell a product or position your company for an important bid, how are you going to accomplish your goals in Covid times?  

When we are working from home, using zoom, or dealing with outside distractions, how can we succeed? Those are the challenges of the day. It is a new challenge, to find ways to keep ourselves and our clients connected, online.

Believe it or not, with creativity and engagement, we can have an effective E-Work environment that can out-perform old sales models.

1. Think about it, less travel, more meetings, less cost, more communication. It adds up. Business is nothing more than a network of conversations. People who organize meetings effectively, stack meetings, and create an E-Flow work environment will win the game of the E-work world.
   
2. Building great relationships that create trust and rapport is still the foundation of any relationship. Having clients get to know, like, and trust you is key; so, the rules have not changed. Building rapport still means a professional appearance online and an appropriate zoom background. It means good communication, understanding your client, finding common ground, discovering needs, sharing experiences, matching mannerisms and speech, future pacing, and finding solutions. 
   
3. Quickly adapting to this new E-World means recreating the outside world inside the computer world. It means finding new ways to connect and get personal with relationships so that there is a strong foundation of trust established online.
   
4. Computer advances and algorithms have taken over the laborious job of research and client acquisition. Business development costs came down, workflows became more efficient, and sales grow from there. 
   
5. The E-world will expedite globalization, and before we know it, doing business anywhere in the world at any time will be an affordable proposition. Global commerce is emerging, and the opportunities are truly endless.
   
6. We must look into the future and see where nations will unite in common goals. Languages will merge, and borders and boundaries will fall away. Free markets will be the foundation of the global playing field of business as we grow exponentially with E-Business automation and processes.

PAAS – PUBLISHING AS A SERVICE

As publishers of a global energy magazine, The OGM served clients around the globe ensuring suppliers and energy companies got their message to the right market.

Publisher Tina Olivero says, “During the pandemic it became apparent that tradeshows and flying to meetings was not an option for us or our clients. E-meetings became the norm and suddenly, the world got much smaller. Client contact became easier, faster, and automated. Computer advances and algorithms took over the laborious job of research and client acquisition. Business development costs came down, workflows became more efficient, and sales took off for us. That would not have happened, except for the pandemic. Long story short, there’s a silver lining in everything, when we are willing to embrace the challenges, we then reap the rewards.”

PaaS is a client solution that searches out potential clients, matches content with buyer and seller and creates an automated lead generation system. Where traditional advertising could be hit and miss at times, PaaS connects those interested, with those selling and the computer algorithm does all the work of bringing them together. As a result, expanding into new markets is now affordable. Finding your exact right client is now easier. All of this is because of the new E-Work environment and computer AI.

Visionary Tina Olivero says, “The E-world will expedite globalization and before we know it, doing business anywhere in the world at any time, will be an affordable proposition. Global commerce is emerging, and the opportunities are truly endless.”

WHAT INDUSTRY SAYS

Ryan Burrowes, CEO of Warehouse Transport Group and head of Canada/Guyna operations said, “As a CEO of a growing logistics and investment company, I was in dire need of new digital technology to take my business online. We needed a marketing and sales enhancement solution and a way to scale. I found everything and more with Tina and TheOGM Agency team. Having lived all over the world, Tina is a visionary who sees things from a global perspective.

Our operations have a foothold in Guyana, Ontario, Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland. So Tina and her team are a perfect fit for us. The OGM’s new digital business development solutions are strategic and sustainable for the new world order where everyone is doing business on Zoom.

The OGM digital tools come with algorithms and automation that provide us with a flow of never-ending, high-level opportunities to quote on new work. Not just any work but leads with key decision-makers for our business. That is invaluable. The OGM is a platform with new digital tools that we all need in a business in this day and age. This new digital game is entirely different and capitalizing on that makes for really exciting times. Tina and her team have gone over and above our contractual agreement and, honestly I wouldn’t have it any other way. That’s the people we want to work with. Already, I consider her a part of our family, for now, and for the future.”

Ryan Burrowes CEO, Warehouse Transport Group Canada-Guyana – WarehouseTransport.ca

PICK THE RIGHT PARTNERS

There are many companies out there that are trying to adapt online. For energy companies choosing the right partners who have extensive experience in the energy industry is key.

Tina Olivero says, “The most important part of outreach and communication right now is content. You have to partner with key marketing and sales people who speak “energy”. Otherwise you are trying to bring your clients into your world, with someone who does not understand your business and most importantly, doesn’t understand what your clients need. That’s a one way ticket to no success.

Aligining with The OGM as 30-year publishers of energy content, coupled with our digital media agency, makes The OGM a premium choice. When you have that level of business competence, communication is easy. Adapting with new digital processes and creating automations has to be routed in powerful words, which create powerful actions, which create powerful results. It’s that simple. These are truly incredible times. Reach out and lets what we can create.

www.TheOGM.com

About the Author Tina Olivero

Tina Olivero is a conscious entrepreneur, managing a publishing company – TheOGM.com, a digital media firm – DigitalCollateral.ca and a new Sales Engine company – TheOGM.ca. She has 30 years in the marketing and sales business in the energy sector. She is committed to energy and sustainable development with her Our Great Minds. This innovative magazine shares the great minds and collective intelligence that are combating climate change and eradicating carbon emissions. 

The site is a center of research, development and scale-up for LanzaTech’s commercial carbon capture and utilization technology with a specialized biomanufacturing center producing the “secret sauce” that is shipped from the United States to commercial partners around the world.

LanzaTech has scaled and demonstrated multiple technologies at the site in partnership with the Department of Energy (DOE), DOE’s National Laboratories, and several industrial partners, including piloting a next generation bioreactor, making chemicals, and converting ethanol made from recycled waste gases into sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). This “recycled carbon” SAF was used on October 2, 2018 on a world first transatlantic flight from Orlando to London with Virgin Atlantic.

With the support from the Department of Energy, the site in Soperton has become a sustainable innovation hub, leveraging local talent to support domestic energy security and meet climate goals. Today, products can be found on store shelves manufactured with these technologies, including household cleaners and laundry detergents, packaging and soon textiles and fragrances.

As part of President Biden’s climate agenda, his Administration recently announced the Sustainable Aviation Grand Challenge, an ambitious commitment involving several federal departments and agencies to scale up production of SAF to 3 billion gallons per year by 2030. LanzaTech and LanzaJet pledged to produce a combined 1 billion gallons of SAF in the U.S. by 2030.

The first step will be a first-of-a-kind SAF facility called Freedom Pines Fuels, in Soperton. Producing 10 million gallons of SAF and renewable diesel per year from sustainably sourced ethanol from rural communities, the facility will use LanzaJet’s Alcohol to Jet (ATJ) technology, developed with Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL). There are also plans to install solar power production to provide renewable electricity to the entire site for all operations.

The ethanol sourced will be complemented by the ethanol produced from a pre-pilot facility utilizing CO₂ and renewable hydrogen being built at the site.  This facility, which is also co-funded by the DOE, will demonstrate a potentially limitless supply of sustainable feedstocks for domestic SAF and diesel production right in the heart of Georgia. Argonne National Lab will be a life cycle assessment partner.

Suncor, British Airways, Boeing, Alaska Airlines, and All Nippon Airways (ANA) have already made commitments to purchase and use all the SAF and renewable diesel produced at this site.

The Soperton site currently employs over 30 people and continues to attract talent from the surrounding counties. It was recognized by the Heart of Georgia Transition Alliance, in 2019, for their support in employing individuals with vocational disabilities.

With the support of the DOE, the new Freedom Pines Fuels plant, which is in the late stages of development, will create an additional 30 permanent clean tech jobs and 200+ construction and engineering jobs.

Such public and private sector partnerships are essential for rapidly transitioning to a cleaner economy, in line with President Biden’s ambitious climate objectives.

Jennifer Holmgren, CEO of LanzaTech, Commented:

“We are grateful to President Biden, Secretary Granholm and Senator Ossoff for their commitment to a carbon-smart economy and partnering with the private sector to drive innovation. LanzaTech’s Biorefinery and LanzaJet’s ATJ plant show how public private partnerships can support scale up throughout America, including rural communities like Soperton.”

“If we are to meet our goals in mitigating the climate crisis, the private sector often needs government partnerships to accelerate technology from initial R&D to full-scale production and deployment, and that is what we are doing today with Secretary Granholm.”

“Soperton, Treutlen County, and rural communities like these also have a critical role to play in addressing climate change. They offer a rich supply of agricultural, and forestry wastes along with a large supply of renewable power for producing hydrogen, which are key feedstocks for LanzaTech’s gas fermentation process. With these key ingredients for our fermentation process, we will replace fossil fuels in the production of ethanol, SAF, chemicals, and other products we use in our daily lives, from right here in Middle Georgia.”

“We appreciate Sen. Ossoff’s leadership in working to ensure this project becomes the model of American innovation and how rural communities can seize one of our greatest global challenges, to create jobs and new market opportunities for sustainable economic growth. We also are grateful for the bipartisan support from local, state, and federal officials to help transform the Freedom Pines facility into a hub of innovation.”

“In making the transition to a carbon smart economy, it is vital to obtain bipartisan support for a plan that will create jobs and change the economies of our local communities. We are grateful to have Rep. Allen’s longstanding support and Sen. Warlock’s advocacy as an original cosponsor of the Sustainable Skies Act (S. 2263) that will help expedite the aviation industry’s transition to sustainable fuel.”

Secretary Jennifer M. Granholm, Department of Energy, said:

“LanzaTech is exactly the kind of innovation we need to slash emissions from tough-to-decarbonize industries like aviation. This site is what President Biden envisions in every pocket of the country through the Build Back Better Agenda.”

U.S. Senator Jon Ossoff added:

“Thank you to the team at LanzaTech and LanzaJet for your innovation, your investment in Georgia and hospitality. I believe Georgia should lead the nation in clean energy and renewable energy technology, and now LanzaTech and LanzaJet are leading the world in sustainable aviation fuel.”

Jimmy Samartzis, LanzaJet CEO, stated:

“It’s clear that our global community must take action today to decarbonize society. The US is leading the way as an example of the effort required across the public and private sectors to innovate and build new industries to help our country and our global society transition to sustainable growth, sustainable travel, and a sustainable economy. President Biden, his Administration, and the US Congress have made decarbonizing aviation a priority. Today’s visit by Secretary of Energy Granholm and Senator Ossoff represents the joint work required across the executive and legislative branches, and in collaboration with the private sector. At LanzaJet, we’re committed to enabling the production of 1 billion gallons of sustainable aviation fuel in the US by 2030 which will enable local and national economic growth and international leadership in addressing climate change.”

About LanzaTech

LanzaTech harnesses the power of biology and big data to create climate-safe materials and fuels. With expertise in Synthetic biology, bioinformatics, Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning coupled with engineering, LanzaTech has created a platform that converts waste carbon into new everyday products that would otherwise come from virgin fossil resources. LanzaTech’s first commercial scale gas fermentation plant has produced over 27M gallons of ethanol which is the equivalent of keeping over 130,000 metric tons of CO₂ from the atmosphere.

Additional plants are under construction globally. LanzaTech is based in Illinois, USA and employs more than 200 people. Further information is available at www.lanzatech.com.

About LanzaJet Inc.

Launched in June 2020, by carbon recycling company, LanzaTech; LanzaJet, Inc., will produce sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) for a sector requiring climate friendly fuel options as it starts to recover from the impacts of COVID-19. With its approach to commercialization of SAF, LanzaJet is creating regional jobs while enabling global decarbonization of the aviation sector. The LanzaJet process can use any source of sustainable ethanol for jet fuel production, including, but not limited to, ethanol made from recycled pollution, the core application of LanzaTech’s carbon recycling platform.

Commercialization of this process, called Alcohol-to-Jet (AtJ) has been years in the making, starting with the partnership between LanzaTech and the U.S Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL). PNNL developed a unique catalytic process to upgrade ethanol to alcohol-to-jet synthetic paraffinic kerosene (ATJ-SPK) which LanzaTech took from the laboratory to pilot scale. The first ATJ plant (38M liters per year) will be located in Soperton Georgia, USA and is planned for start-up in 2022. 

Investors include LanzaTech, Canada’s leading integrated energy company, Suncor Energy Inc., the flag carrier airline of the United Kingdom, British Airways, global energy company, Shell, and leading Japanese trading and investment company, Mitsui & Co., Ltd. Initial offtake agreements are in place with Suncor, British Airways, and All Nippon Airways (ANA). Further information is available at https://www.lanzajet.com

Source(s) and Image(s): North Coast Strategies, Lanzatech, LanzaJet

 “Preem’s production of renewable petrol is an important piece of the puzzle that Sweden must solve to achieve the climate goals. Residual products from our Swedish forests have a unique potential and this is an exciting step in our work to develop the fuel of the future,” said Peter Abrahamsson, Head of Sustainable Development at Preem AB.

To meet Sweden’s long-term goals of greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reductions, fuel suppliers must reduce the carbon intensity of transportation fuels. Co-processing of biomass-based pyrolysis oil is one method to reduce the carbon intensity of transport fuels at the refinery compared to blending of biofuels downstream. Pyrolysis oil produced from sustainable solid biomass materials such as sawdust or agricultural residuals is a low carbon feedstock suitable for refinery upgrading. Biomass-based pyrolysis oil can qualify as an Annex IX Part A feedstock under the European Union Renewable Energy Directive, which is directly supported by Sweden’s Integrated Energy and Climate Plan. Pyrolysis oil co-processed in an FCC is an economically attractive method of meeting RED biofuel mandates for Advanced Biofuels.

Ben Owens, vice president and general manager, Honeywell Sustainable Technology Solutions stated, “UOP is excited to support Preem for the production of low-carbon transportation fuels. FCC co-processing of biomass-based pyrolysis oil is an integrated production solution using existing refinery infrastructure to convert sustainable feeds into advanced biofuels.” 

FCC co-processing technology is part of a portfolio of renewable fuel solutions offered by the Sustainable Technology Solutions group at Honeywell UOP. Using the UOP Optimix GF Feed Distributor system, many types of bioliquids can be successfully co-processed in an FCC unit.  Refinery co-processing is one method for meeting biofuel mandates and produce low carbon fuels. Preem AB is the largest fuel company in Sweden, with a refining capacity of more than 18 million cubic meters per year. Preem refines and sells gasoline, diesel, heating oil and renewable fuels to companies and consumers in Sweden and worldwide. By 2030, Preem will produce approximately 5 million cubic meters of renewable fuels, and thereafter aims to become the world’s first climate neutral biofuels- and refining company. Honeywell recently committed to achieve carbon neutrality in its operations and facilities by 2035. 

This commitment builds on the company’s track record of sharply reducing the greenhouse gas intensity of its operations and facilities as well as its decades-long history of innovation to help its customers meet their environmental and social goals. About half of Honeywell’s new product introduction research and development investment is directed toward products that improve environmental and social outcomes for customers. Honeywell UOP is a leading international supplier and licensor of process technology, catalysts, adsorbents, equipment, and consulting services to the petroleum refining, petrochemical, and gas processing industries.

Honeywell UOP is part of Honeywell’s Performance Materials and Technologies strategic business group, which also includes Honeywell Process Solutions, a pioneer in automation control, instrumentation and services for the oil and gas, refining, petrochemical, chemical and other industries. Honeywell is a Fortune 100 technology company that delivers industry-specific solutions that include aerospace products and services; control technologies for buildings and industry; and performance materials globally. Our technologies help aircraft, buildings, manufacturing plants, supply chains, and workers become more connected to make our world smarter, safer, and more sustainable.

Source(s) and Image(s): Honeywell and Preem

Renewable energy sources are important when trying to win the fight against climate change. They allow us to stop relying on fossil fuels for our energy. The UK Government has pledged by 2050 we will have net zero emissions, and renewable energy sources are a way this can be achieved. In 2019, UK emissions were 42 per cent lower than they were in 1990, which proves the introduction of these energy sources is helping.

You may have already made changes in your home, such as getting an electric car and having an EV charger installation. But there are other things you can do to make your home eco-friendly, such as getting solar panels and having a more economical form of electricity. Every little helps on the way to a greener UK.

Of course, it’s not just in the UK where these electricity sources are being adopted. Renewable energy sources are going to account for more than half of global electricity production by 2035. But what will be powering this eco-friendly future?

In this article, we will show you five of the fastest-growing renewable energy sources across the world and how they are being used.

Hydropower

Hydropower is the most widely used form of renewable energy in the world, producing 1,295 gigawatts of energy. This amounts to 54 per cent of the global renewable power generation capacity. The most common hydropower comes from water in dams. The water gets released from the reservoir to drive the turbines which generate the power. However, it can also be used by the natural running of a river or tide to drive the turbines.

In the UK our biggest hydropower station is the Dinorwig in Wales. It produces 1,728 megawatts, which is enough to power 2.5 million homes. Plus, because hydropower can be generated quickly, it is used as a pumped-storage plant that can provide backup energy at short notice.

In the UK, hydroelectric power is also used as our main backup power source. When there are big TV events on in the UK such as the World Cup or a Royal Wedding, during breaks in the events millions of people will use electricity at once to make a drink. This is when hydropower can be used to deal with the spike in demand as pumped up power stations can be used in these moments.

China has the biggest hydroelectric generation in the world. The Three Gorges generate 22.5 GW. China has made large investments in hydropower so that they are not as reliant on coal. It gets around 15 per cent of its energy from hydropower. In Southwest China many of its rivers are high above sea level, and China knows that hydropower is the only renewable energy they can use on a big scale, therefore they make big investments in the sector.

Wind energy

Wind turbines are normally used to get kinetic energy from the wind to generate energy. Wind energy is the second most used renewable energy source in the world, producing 563 GW and produces 24 per cent of the world’s total renewable energy generation capacity.

The UK is a big producer of renewable wind energy which makes us the sixth biggest producer in the world, producing 13,603 megawatts. Offshore wind farms are constructed in bodies of water, and in the UK, wind farms power the equivalent of 4.5 million homes. Onshore wind farms deliver less energy for the UK, only providing around 10 per cent of UK energy by 2020, despite being the most cost-effective alternative for new electricity in the UK compared to traditional fossil fuels.

Solar power

Solar power works by converting light from the sun into energy. These days you will see many people have solar panels on their homes. In fact, the UK is installing solar panels faster than any other European country.

Even though it can be dark and rainy a lot in the UK, solar panels still work even when the light is reflected or partially blocked by the clouds. In fact, the Energy Saving Trust estimates that an average four kilowatts peak solar power system can help save you between £85 and £220 a year on your energy bills.

Solar power has an annual average growth rate of 25 per cent over the last five years across the world. Spain is a major producer of solar power, contributing 75 per cent of the global concentrated solar power.

The biggest solar power plant in the world is located in the United Arab Emirates. The Noor Abu Dhabi solar project produces 1.17 GW. It produces enough electricity to power the demand of 90,000 people. It will reduce their carbon footprint by 1 million metric tonnes a year, which is the same as taking 200,000 cars off the road, proving the UAE is making good progress in the fight against climate change even though the country is still oil-dependent.   

Bio-power

Modern biomass includes biofuels and wood pellets as well as traditional ones that were already used, such as agricultural by-products. These products are then burned to create steam, which powers a turbine that generated energy.

China, the UK, and India accounted for more than half of the world’s total bioenergy capacity expansion in 2018.

Bioenergy provides 11 per cent of the UK’s energy and bioenergy. Biomass boilers have provided 96 per cent of non-domestic renewable heat in the UK. It is also the biggest contributor to the decarbonisation of heat, which helps the UK’s pledge to be net carbon neutral by 2050.

Geothermal

Geothermal energy is thermal energy generated and stored in the earth. Global Geothermal production exceeded 13.2 GW in 2018. One-third of green energy that is made using geothermal sources is electricity. Iceland is one of the world’s biggest producers of geothermal electricity, producing 26.5 per cent of the country’s electricity and 87 per cent of their housing and building needs coming from  natural hot water sourced underground.

In the UK, geothermal energy is not the best viable option as the ground is not hot enough. But we have increasingly been using shallow resources from the upper crust of the earth that is heated by the sun. With the help of ground source heat pumps, the energy is extracted.

Overall, it is great that the world is using more renewable energy sources. The UK is making great progress towards achieving net zero and becoming carbon neutral by 2050 as can be seen by the Government announcing they will phase out the sales of new petrol and diesel vehicles by 2030. From the examples in this article, you can see that many countries across the world are making the effort to change their energy sources to be renewable and help combat climate change and move away from traditional fossil fuels.

Sources

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-plans-to-make-uk-world-leader-in-green-energy#:~:text=The%20government’s%20plan%20for%20renewable,build%20back%20greener%20from%20coronavirus.&text=In%202019%2C%20UK%20emissions%20were,grew%20by%2072%20per%20cent.

https://www.renewableuk.com/page/WindEnergy#:~:text=The%20UK%20is%20the%20world,of%20UK%20electricity%20by%202020.

https://theswitch.co.uk/energy/guides/renewables/geothermal

https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/utilities/free-solar-panels/

https://theswitch.co.uk/energy/guides/renewables/hydroelectric-power

https://www.c40.org/case_studies/the-worlds-largest-geothermal-heating-system-saves-up-to-4m-tons-co2-annually#:~:text=There%20are%20five%20geothermal%20plants,building%20heating%20needs%20(2005)%3B

https://www.techspot.com/news/80740-uae-powers-noor-abu-dhabi-world-largest-solar.html

https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/utilities/free-solar-panels/

“At Neste’s future service station, motorists can significantly reduce their carbon footprint with Neste MY Renewable Diesel. In addition, it is great that our station also offers climate-friendly alternatives for electric and gas car owners. The combined use of renewable diesel, biogas and electricity will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by more than 80% per year compared to average refueling products,” says Katri Taskinen, Vice President for station network in Finland, Marketing & Services, Neste. 

Leppäkosken Energia and Unified Chargers are delivering Finland’s first intelligent fast charging field  for charging up to four electric vehicles at the same time. 

“It is a smart solution where the total power of the field is split between the cars being charged. When the battery of one car is full, the released charging power is automatically transferred to the remaining chargers. The customer only needs a debit card and can charge the electric vehicle,” says Juha Koskela, Sales Director, Leppäkosken Energia Oy. 

The first gas filling station in central Uusimaa will also be opened at Neste’s service station, offering both biogas and natural gas for passenger cars and delivery vehicles. 

“We make it possible to fill up with fully renewable and Finnish biogas at Rykmentinpuisto. This is our company’s first gas filling station, and it is great to present it as part of Neste’s service station of the future,” says Mika Paloranta, Managing Director, Suomen Kaasuenergia Oy.  

Emissions from the service station of the future real estate are more than 70% lower   

Several low-emission solutions have been developed in building the Rykmentinpuisto station**. Cross-laminated timber elements have been used in the construction of the Easy Deli and fueling station. Crushed rock has been partially replaced with crushed concrete and rubber granules have been used in the asphalt. Later this autumn Neste will also open a gasoline filling point to the station, where the fuel reservoir is located above the ground, thus avoiding excavation and quarrying work that are a burden on the environment.

The energy used by the station comes from solar panels installed on the Easy Deli roof, as well as electricity generated by wind power and hydroelectric power. 

“The idea originated from the competition organized by the municipality of Tuusula and the Housing Fair in the summer of 2019. With the help of the Tuusula pilot station, we can test responsible construction and new services in cooperation with our partners. Thanks to the construction and maintenance solutions, the emissions from the station real estate are more than 70%* lower than the emissions of a conventional station over the entire life cycle. In addition, the location of the station is excellent, so as many people as possible can try out the services and give us feedback,” Taskinen continues.  

Self-service enables faster shopping and growth of e-commerce   

Easy Deli self-service store utilizes RFID technology that scans all purchases at once, for example through a shopping bag. The store serves customers around the clock seven days a week. A similar Easy Deli self-service store opened in central Helsinki at the beginning of June 2020.
  
The future service station will also include a Posti OmaPosti kiosk, where packages and registered letters can be collected, returned and sent to Finland and abroad daily. The service point complements South Tuusula’s postal services, bringing online purchases close to residents of the area and others passing through. Personal video chat support is also available when necessary.

“The growth in e-commerce and parcel volumes has been enormous during the past spring. To support the growth, we need to offer our customers flexible service options close to their everyday routes. This will also reduce emissions from deliveries. The arrival of online purchases can be easily tracked using the OmaPosti application,” says Heiko Laubach, Head of Retail Network at Posti.

As part of the development of emission-free e-commerce logistics, Posti announced in June 2020 that it will start using Neste MY Renewable Diesel in its light delivery fleet.  

Read more: neste.fi/rykmentinpuisto (in Finnish)

*) Ramboll has calculated the buildings and infrastructure of the Rykmentinpuisto fuel station as well as the carbon footprint and handprint of refueling products. The total station is 31% lower in emissions than a fuel station built using conventional construction methods and selling average filling products, taking into account the climate impact of the fuel station real estate and transport energy products sold there. Emissions from the fuel station’s real estate are 73% lower than for a conventional station over the entire life cycle of the station. The emissions reductions over the period of use are 83% lower, and construction emissions are 24% lower. For products, 82% do not take into account fossil-based gasoline. If gasoline is included in the calculations, the annual emissions reduction is 24%. Neste MY Renewable Diesel reduces motorists’ own greenhouse gas emissions over the life cycle by up to 90% compared to fossil diesel. The methodology for calculating life cycle emissions and emissions reduction of Neste MY Renewable Diesel is in line with the European Union’s renewable energy directive (2009/28/EC).

**) Kreate Oy was responsible for the infrastructure construction of the fuel station. 

Neste Corporation

Susanna Sieppi
Vice President, Communications (act.)

Further information: Katri Taskinen, Vice President for station network in Finland, Marketing & Services, Neste. Please contact Neste’s media service, tel. +358 50 458 5076 / media@neste.com (weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.).

Heiko Laubach, Head of Retail Network, Posti. Contacts to Posti MediaDesk, tel. +358 20 452 3366 (Mon–Fri 9 am to 4 pm).

Juha Koskela, Sales Director, Leppäkosken Energia Oy. juha.koskela@leppakoski.fi / 358 44 750 3355.

Riku Rahikka, Chief Commercial Officer, Unified Chargers Oy, riku.rahikka@unifiedchargers.fi / +358 400 974194.

Mika Paloranta, Managing Director, Suomen Kaasuenergia Oy, mika.paloranta@suomenkaasuenergia.fi / +358 50 452 4138.

Neste in brief

Neste (NESTE, Nasdaq Helsinki) creates sustainable solutions for transport, business, and consumer needs. Our wide range of renewable products enable our customers to reduce climate emissions. We are the world’s largest producer of renewable diesel refined from waste and residues, introducing renewable solutions also to the aviation and plastics industries. We are also a technologically advanced refiner of high-quality oil products. We want to be a reliable partner with widely valued expertise, research, and sustainable operations. In 2019, Neste’s revenue stood at EUR 15.8 billion. In 2020, Neste placed 3rd on the Global 100 list of the most sustainable companies in the world. Read more: neste.com

The Power-to-Gas facility would use carbon dioxide emissions and electricity to produce carbon-neutral synthetic biogas, at the waste-to-energy plant.

Once feasible, synthetic biogas would replace the use of conventional natural gas in district heating, thereby reducing Vantaa Energy’s carbon dioxide emissions.  

“We need to take fast and determined action in order to stop the climate crisis. In this situation, we energy companies have a significant role to play. We have stepped up the pace, and we will end the use of coal in 2022. We want to be a driver for change in the energy sector. We are actively and with an open mind seeking the best possible methods of producing energy in a smart and sustainable way and at a reasonable price. This project is an important step towards our goals,” says Jukka Toivonen, CEO of Vantaa Energy Ltd.

Both Vantaa Energy and Wärtsilä share a vision of a 100% renewable energy future, and this project is a perfect place to start building that vision into concrete business,” says Matti Rautkivi, Director, Strategy and Business Development at Wärtsilä Energy Business.

Wärtsilä will contribute its know-how in Power-to-Gas process and technologies, while Vantaa Energy will bring its experience and understanding of the district heating business and project-specific requirements to the feasibility study.

Would you like to read more: 
Twentyfour7 article Synthetic fuels supporting Wärtsilä’s vision of a 100 percent renewable energy future
 
For more information, please contact:
Www.Wartsila.com/energy

Wärtsilä Energy Business in brief 
Wärtsilä Energy Business leads the transition towards a 100% renewable energy future. We help our customers unlock the value of the energy transition by optimising their energy systems and future-proofing their assets. Our offering comprises flexible power plants, energy management systems, and storage, as well as lifecycle services that ensure increased efficiency and guaranteed performance. Wärtsilä has delivered 72 GW of power plant capacity in 180 countries around the world.
https://www.wartsila.com/energy/

Wärtsilä in brief
Wärtsilä is a global leader in smart technologies and complete lifecycle solutions for the marine and energy markets. By emphasising sustainable innovation, total efficiency and data analytics, Wärtsilä maximises the environmental and economic performance of the vessels and power plants of its customers. In 2019, Wärtsilä’s net sales totalled EUR 5.2 billion with approximately 19,000 employees. The company has operations in over 200 locations in more than 80 countries around the world. Wärtsilä is listed on Nasdaq Helsinki. 
www.wartsila.com

There is no renewable energy on the planet that has been built without the use of oil and gas.

Think construction of a wind farm ….and how that energy product requires trucks, cars, transport and clearly gas in tanks to build it.

Think aviation and how it requires oil and gas to make planes, choppers and other carriers as well as fuel them!

Think products and plastics and how they are required in the building of renewable structures like solar panels. Many components are made of… Petroleum.

Even basic office tools like the plastics used in computers require petroleum.
The phone in your hand is made from many types of petroleum plastics!

There is no renewable energy without the use of some type of oil and gas and it’s related products.

Oil and gas is the number one commodity on the planet…Why? Because it is in just about everything we make and in every project we are involved in.

This is not the time of renewable energy. This is the time where oil and gas bridge us to the development of new energy. It is NOT an either-or situation! Both are critical and essential to the other.

Oil and gas is the bridge to solar energy, wind energy, hydropower, geothermal and every other type of renewable energy source. None of them would exist nor could they be constructed and developed without oil and gas fuel and products.

Next time someone argues about oil and gas vs renewables realize it’s a non-issue! These are the facts. There is no renewable energy without oil and gas.

If Canada doesn’t get its priorities straight and focus on its position as being one the most powerful oil and gas producers in the world, we are going to be in really bad shape. Because if we are not supplying the world with oil and gas someone else will take our place and we will no longer hold the ticket to new energy at the levels we could!

Canada is ranked number three in the world of oil-producing nations. We must do everything in our power to maintain that position and to elevate it….which includes pipeline progress.

We must have pipelines that extend to the west and the east of Canada to get our oil to buying markets beyond the US! We can’t rely on the US anymore as our primary buying partner because as we have seen, the US has developed their own resources with their success in the Gulf and the incoming fracking industry. The reality is, they are becoming more energy independent and they need our oil less and less.

Selling oil and gas around the world means that we can diversify our portfolio! We can capitalize on globalization and the selling of oil and gas to the rest of the world from both sides of Canada. This would ensure that oil-producing provinces like Newfoundland are in a primary and powerful position for world oil demand. This would, in turn, create a further exploration and production offshore Newfoundland because more infrastructure, builds more infrastructure … that’s how it works!

We must realize that gas is a cleaner fuel and where there is gas there is oil and all of that must be cumulatively developed in order to sustain our current standard of living in Canada! If we don’t, our standard of living will drop dramatically. It already has the price of oil drop.

We all feel the pinch of a low oil price in Canada. It has affected every single one of us in some way shape or form. Let the drop of oil price be our strongest lesson and our strongest teacher ….in realizing that a nation without oil and gas is crippling to our economy, our livelihood and affects every single one of us.

Think about a nation without oil and gas and how that will stifle every other industry sector that we hope to develop, from renewables to new technology and other incoming industry sectors. Every one of them requires oil and gas to fuel them into existence. Every one of them requires strong financial companies to invest to build and to scale.

We must not throw away our strengths and try to replace it with a new and renewable powered world. It won’t work that way because that’s like trying to win the Olympics in hockey if the players don’t have hockey sticks. It’s like trying to write the number one hit song, without a voice to sing it. It’s like trying to create the best business plan with no financial backing to bring it to life. Get the picture?

We must build on our strengths and that’s how we will bring in the future of new energy! Anything less…. and we will have limited financial resources, tools and funds to elevate ourselves into new methodologies like renewables!

If there’s one smart thing we could do right now, it is to educate our nation about what life would be like if we developed our oil and gas industry to its highest capacity and brought in new energy.

And comparatively we need to educate our people on what life would be like without Canada’s oil and gas production and where Canada would be without it….so we have time to get it right. We would then understand that the outcome would be devastating!

The smartest thing we could do right now is using our PUBLICALLY-funded media channels like CBC to report and educate on these nationally impactful topics rather than write stories that diverts us from the important matters of the day!

The most important and pressing topic of the day is Canada’s oil and gas position and the development of Alberta’s oil and gas which allows us to hold our position as number three in the world of oil-producing nations!

Are we really going to allow environmentalists to stop oil and gas progress at the expense of bringing in our renewable energy? Is that a logical proposition?

In order to ‘really’ understand what’s going on in Canada, we have to look at the big picture and the big impacts and how they link to the future of the prosperity of this nation and the future for our kids.

Like it or not it’s oil and gas that will elevate us to the highest possible level of success.

Oil and gas is the pavement on the road to sustainable energy. It is the necessary fuel that will bring us to a clean energy future. It is the resource that will provide us with a global competitive advantage to sell into world markets and bring us the financial foundation we need in order to bring in emerging sectors like renewables and tech.

As for environmental concerns. EVERY SINGLE INDUSTRY has an environmental footprint, including renewables. Just building those projects impacts the environment in many and varied ways.

The reason why the oil and gas industry is the number one strongest sector on the planet in terms of safety and environmental stewardship is that of its income level.

The fact that the oil and gas industry is lucrative is the exact reason that it has allowed that sector to be environmentally conscious and proactively compliant. Even renewables won’t have that level of income to be that compliant environmentally. Wait until we get the results of renewable energy impacts in terms of their green footprint. They will be right up there with oil and gas and without the resources to be compliant at the level that oil and gas is.

Let’s get educated people. Let’s utilize the media in all it’s various channels to do so.

Let’s be assertive with our resources and don’t let minority voices who are paid with self-interested agendas sway us from our goals. Those minority groups advocating new energy should keep those funds for when their new energy projects come in to play. They are going to need them to be environmentally compliant themselves. It’s a costly business

Diamond Green Diesel, a joint venture of Valero Energy Corp. and Darling Ingredients Inc, currently is the largest commercial advanced biofuel facility in the United States, producing 275 million gallons per year of Honeywell Green Diesel™, a high-quality renewable fuel. The plant expansion is expected to be completed in late 2021, and will increase the facility’s annual production by nearly 150 percent, to 675 million gallons.

“Demand has steadily increased for renewable diesel in the United States, Canada and Europe as advanced biofuel mandates seek to reduce greenhouse gas emissions,” said Jim Andersen, senior business leader of Honeywell UOP’s Renewable Energy and Chemicals business. “With the expansion of its facility using our Ecofining technology, Diamond Green Diesel will continue to meet growing demand for low-carbon fuels, and become one of the largest plants in the world for producing those fuels.”

With low carbon mandates in North America and Europe projected to continue driving strong demand and premium pricing for renewable diesel, the expansion will add a second, parallel plant adjacent to the existing facility. With the expansion, Diamond Green Diesel will also produce about 60 million gallons per year of renewable naphtha for the production of gasoline.

The Honeywell Ecofining process, developed in conjunction with Eni SpA, converts non-edible natural oils, animals fats and other waste feedstocks to Honeywell Green Diesel, which is chemically identical to petroleum-based diesel. Honeywell Green Diesel offers improved performance over commercial biodiesel and petroleum-based diesel, and can be used as a drop-in replacement in vehicles with no equipment modifications. It also features an 80 percent life cycle reduction in greenhouse gas emissions compared to diesel from petroleum, and features a higher-cetane diesel value to provide better engine performance with fewer emissions.

The biomass-based diesel produced by Diamond Green Diesel is a qualified Advanced Biofuel under the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Renewable Fuel Standard, which requires a minimum volume of transportation fuels sold in the U.S. to contain renewable fuel as a way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

In addition to Ecofining technology, Honeywell has commercialized the UOP Renewable Jet Fuel Process™, which originally was developed to produce renewable jet fuel for the U.S. military. Honeywell Green Jet Fuel™ produced by this process technology can be blended seamlessly with petroleum-based fuel. When used in up to a 50-percent blend with petroleum-based jet fuel, Honeywell Green Jet Fuel requires no changes to aircraft technology and meets all critical specifications for flight. Learn more about Honeywell UOP renewable energy technologies at www.uop.com/biofuels.

Honeywell UOP (www.uop.com) is a leading international supplier and licensor of process technology, catalysts, adsorbents, equipment, and consulting services to the petroleum refining, petrochemical, and gas processing industries. Honeywell UOP is part of Honeywell’s Performance Materials and Technologies strategic business group, which also includes Honeywell Process Solutions (www.honeywellprocess.com), a pioneer in automation control, instrumentation and services for the oil and gas, refining, petrochemical, chemical and other industries.

Honeywell (www.honeywell.com) is a Fortune 100 technology company that delivers industry specific solutions that include aerospace products and services; control technologies for buildings and industry; and performance materials globally. Our technologies help everything from aircraft, buildings, manufacturing plants, supply chains, and workers become more connected to make our world smarter, safer, and more sustainable. For more news and information on Honeywell, please visit www.honeywell.com/newsroom.

The 80-acre parcel is adjacent to the 25 acres NEXT recently secured from Teevin Bros, providing a contiguous 105-acre site where NEXT will develop a facility to produce 37,500 barrels per day of Advanced Green Diesel. Both parcels are zoned for industrial use.

“This step affirms our commitment to Columbia County and will allow us to immediately move forward on permitting Oregon’s first Advanced Green Diesel production facility. Our unique product uses all renewable feedstock and will help Oregon and the nation meet clean fuels standards,” said NEXT President Lou Soumas.

Specifically, the Port and NEXT have amended the Site Development and Option Agreement, which they entered into on Sept. 12, 2018, to reflect NEXT’s selection of the 80-acre property adjacent to its existing 25-acre plot. The planned Advanced Green Diesel production facility is projected to create more than 200 full-time, family-wage jobs, generate more than $12 million a year in local property tax revenues, and pay more than $5.5 million Port fees. While the new site is in the Enterprise Zone, NEXT has committed that it will not accept any tax breaks, and will pay the full amount to the local community.

“We are encouraged in this latest step to bring a renewable, environmentally friendly energy project to the Port District. NEXT will enhance our region, bringing jobs and economic impact and making Oregon a leader in renewable fuel production,” said Doug Hayes, executive director of the Port of Columbia County.

NEXT recently announced an agreement to source its feedstock through BP. The feedstock will include used cooking oils, animal fats and tallows, greases and seed oils. NEXT’s feedstock will not include any virgin palm oil. Moreover, the NEXT facility will only be permitted or able to process renewable feedstock for biofuels.

About Advanced Green Diesel

Advanced Green Diesel is a second-generation biofuel, meaning it is a drop-in replacement for fossil fuel-based diesel. While you can blend Advanced Green Diesel with traditional diesel, you don’t have to. Our advanced biofuel can be used in diesel engines without modification and without negative long-term effects while burning cleaner than other fuel options.

About NEXT

NEXT is focused on the development and production of second-generation advanced biofuels, including renewable diesel, renewable propane and renewable naphtha to supply contracted off-take agreements for customers in the western United States and Canada. NEXT’s fuels reduce life-cycle greenhouse gas emissions by up to 80%, improving the environment and moving us forward to a greener future. More information at www.NEXTrenewables.com.

About the Port of Columbia County

The Port of Columbia County offers a variety of sites for industrial development in its 9-site portfolio of about 2,400 acres of land, sites with excellent highway, rail, and river access, including the Port Westward Industrial Park. The Port of committed to being stewards of our environment. Every project and practice in our industry has some impact on the natural surroundings, so we always ensure balance given our environmental impact within the Port District. More information at www.portofcolumbiacounty.org

About Oregon’s Clean Fuels Program

The Oregon legislature set a clean fuels standard in 2015 that transitions the state toward low-carbon transportation fuels. The standard takes into account the pollution created during the entire life cycle of the fuel – from when it’s harvested, through refining and finally out of the tailpipe. When analyzed over the entire life cycle of the product, NEXT’s Advanced Green Diesel reduces greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to removing more than 1 million automobiles from the road. In California, new data show that biodiesel and renewable diesel have delivered the largest-ever reduction in transport-related greenhouse gas emissions in the state

Gas alert, gas alert! Those are words you hope you never hear. Hazards left unchecked put people in danger. Your best chain of defence against unimaginable outcomes and explosions is to ensure that gas detection and monitoring is well thought out and executed in your organization.

Are you prepared?

Poisonous gas puts people at risk. Are you prepared?

WHO USES GAS DETECTORS?

At an industrial facility, on oil rigs, in manufacturing facilities, processing units, and throughout the firefighting sector, gas detection has become common place as a foundation of safety! And with good reason, our team’s safety depends on a working environment gas monitoring is a priority and sensors that alert you to the presence of gas leaks are readily available. 

Gas detection and monitoring devices can be found in industrial plants, refineries, manufacturing plants, fumigation facilities, paper pulp mills, aircraft and shipbuilding facilities, hazmat operations, waste-water treatment facilities, vehicles manufacturers, distilleries, indoor air testing and even in our homes.  Applications are varied and wide.

PORTABLE GAS DETECTORS

Portable detectors are used to monitor the atmosphere around workers on the job and are either hand-held or worn on clothing or on a belt/harness for convenience sake. These gas detectors transmit warnings via audible and visible signals, such as alarms and flashing lights, when dangerous levels of gas vapours are detected and they may be monitored at another location especially in the case of remote gas monitoring.

FIXED GAS DETECTORS

Fixed type gas detectors may be used for detection of one or more gas types and are generally mounted near the process area of a plant or control room, or an area to be protected, such as a residential bedroom. Industrial sensors are usually installed on fixed type mild steel structure and a cable connects the detectors to a SCADA system for continuous monitoring.

HOW DO GAS DETECTORS WORK?

Gas detection equipment is used to detect a gas leak or other emissions and can interface with a control system so a process can be automatically shut down. A gas detector can sound an alarm to operators in the area where the leak is occurring, giving workers the opportunity to leave safely. There are many gases that can be harmful and it’s your job to understand those hazards and mitigate them if you play a role in your companies safety regime.

HOW DO GAS DETECTORS WORK?

Gas leak detection is the process of identifying potentially hazardous gas leaks by sensors and alarms that alert people when a dangerous gas has been detected. Exposure to toxic gases can also occur in operations such as painting, fumigation, fuel filling, construction, excavation of contaminated soils, landfill operations, entering confined spaces, so it is important to ensure the right type of gas detectors are used with the right application.

WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF GAS DETECTORS?

Common sensors include combustible gas sensors, photoionization detectors, infrared point sensors, ultrasonic sensors, electrochemical gas sensors, and semiconductor sensors. More recently, infrared imaging sensors have come into use.

CEO, Lee Parmiter of EnviroMed Detection Services in St. John’s, Newfoundland says, “At the end of the day, we want to ensure people to come home safe to their families. Gas monitoring is essential, and gas leaks must be detected so that hazardous environments are eliminated.  Gas detectors can be used to detect combustible, flammable and toxic gases, and oxygen depletion so they are essential in the infrastructure of most industrial companies and any business really that has processing facilities.”

WHAT IS GAS LEAK DETECTION ALL ABOUT?

Gas leak detection is the process of identifying potentially hazardous gas leaks by sensors. These sensors usually employ an audible alarm to alert people when a dangerous gas has been detected.  Today technology is so advanced that systems not only alert to a gas leak but also alert incidences and failures in systems.  We have vastly advanced the gas detection world with the advancement of new tracking and monitoring devices.

Gas leak detection is essential in your facility.

HOW TO SELECT YOUR GAS DETECTOR

How to select the gas detector primarily depends on your operation, and it’s functions. You will want to consider what systems will ensure the safety of workers and help your company save time and money.

Lee Parimeter says, “There are several models with constantly evolving technologies are available on the market. It is therefore essential to understand the available features and options to make an informed decision.  Understanding the systems that are out there and ensuring your system is right for your facility is key.”

SELECTING THE RIGHT SYSTEM
5 KEY POINTS FOR GAS DETECTION & MONITORING THAT YOU MUST KNOW

According to Don Galman of Honeywell Analytics, selecting the right gas detection considers the following, “There are many gas detection products on the market that might appear to be the same, but a closer inspection of specification, functionality, and features reveals major differences in what products can do and the potential value they can offer. Similarly, individual applications are also unique in their respective designs, needs and processes undertaken.

1. DO A RISK ASSESSMENT

Before beginning to consider gas detection equipment, a risk assessment needs to be conducted. Any company employing staff should conduct risk assessments to identify potential hazards, and these can include potential gas, vapour or Oxygen deficiency risks. If gas hazards are identified, gas detection is applicable as a risk reduction method.

2. IDENTIFY YOUR PRIME OBJECTIVE

Depending on the processes being undertaken and the gases being detected, remote or off-site alarm notification plus event data logging/reporting may also be required for Health and Safety management records. Another factor impacting on the need for enhanced reporting functions might be regulatory compliance or a condition of insurance.

3. ASK THE RIGHT QUESTIONS

Having identified the primary objective, the suitable equipment is selected by asking a number of key questions. These fall into three broad categories:

• The gases to be detected and where they may come from

• The location and environmental conditions where detection is to take place

• The ease of use for operators and routine servicing personnel

Identify the gases to be detected and where they may come from

The risk assessment should identify the gases to be detected; however, experienced gas detection equipment manufacturers and their approved distributors are often able to help in this process, based on their experience of similar applications. However, it is important to remember that it is the end user’s responsibility to identify all potential hazards.

It is also essential to identify the potential source of a gas release as this helps determine the number and location of detectors required for a fixed gas detection system.

4. CONSIDER THE ENVIRONMENT

The performance, accuracy, and reliability of any gas detection equipment will be affected by the environmental conditions it is subjected to. Temperature, humidity and pressure levels at the location all have a direct bearing on the type of equipment that should be selected. Additional factors such as potential variations resulting from a production process itself, diurnal/nocturnal fluctuations and seasonal changes may also affect the type of device which is suitable.

5. UNDERSTAND THE PRODUCT

The next area of consideration relates to additional product functionality. Aspects like wiring configuration are important, especially when retrofitting into an existing application. If the apparatus is being integrated into a separate safety system, certain communication protocols may also be required such as HART®, Lonworks or Modbus®.

Consideration will also need to be given regarding the requirement for local displays on transmitter units, and local configuration of the unit and gas displays may also be a useful addition.

MEASURE EASE OF USE AND MAINTAINABILITY

Routine maintenance is another important consideration. Some gases and vapours can be detected with a number of different sensing technologies, e.g., Hydrocarbon gases with catalytic beads or Non-dispersive Infrared NDIR. Catalytic beads do not provide fail-to-safety operation and therefore can require a high frequency of routine maintenance; however, NDIR based solutions tend to have a higher initial purchase price but may require less routine maintenance. In-house resource to undertake such routine maintenance needs to be identified, and in the absence of such a resource, budgeting for third-party maintenance is an important factor in selecting the right equipment.”

ENVIROMED DETECTION SYSTEMS

EnviroMed Detection Services, located in St. John’s Newfoundland has been serving the industrial based businesses in the region for 30 + years. EnivroMed is a safety/environmental instrumentation company specializing in the sale, installation, and servicing of life-saving detection instrumentation. As an ISO 9001:2008-certified, a full-service laboratory, EnviroMed offers repairs, N.I.S.T. traceable calibrations, maintenance, service and training on most of the equipment it provides today.

In addition to its specialization in gas detection equipment, EnviroMed also sells, rents and leases a wide variety of products in the areas of Gas Detectors, Water, Soil & Noise Monitors, Ambient Air, Indoor Air Quality, Meteorology, and other specialty areas related to safety/environmental instrumentation.

EnviroMed’s expertise and instrumentation inventory assist in providing an additional three-month labor warranty on most equipment purchased, refurbished, or calibrated at its facility. All installations, stationary or portable, must meet our quality assurance/quality control program, verified by a preventative maintenance schedule. Working closely with our clients, EnviroMed continues meeting today’s environmental challenges while understanding industry’s regional and economic requirements.

CEO, Lee Parmiter says, “The complexities of choosing, installing and maintaining gas detectors can be overwhelming. That’s why we’ve created a full-service detection and monitoring company that ensures we support our customers in the best possible way.  We work every day to ensure that people onsite, in confined spaces and requiring a high level of protection, get what they need.

The Blackline G7 Gas Detection Safety Monitor reports back to your head monitoring office. The Blackline G7 is state-of-the-art technology and is Ideal for remote location monitoring.

DON’T FEEL UP TO THE JOB OF SELECTING YOUR GAS DETECTOR?

For many people not directly involved in the gas detection and monitoring sector of their industry, the whole process can be overwhelming. Lee Parmiter says, “EnviroMed Detection Systems, with their gas detection consulting specialization, take the headache out of assessing and implementing your safety worksite systems. Are you bump testing? Did everything calibrate and is it up to date? Know who’s safe and not safe on site? Does your team know how your systems work and are they compliant right now, in the field today? Can I locate a person in the field in real time if something goes wrong? These are the safety questions that EnviroMed will take care of you.”

With the EnviroMed locally serviced and supported wireless real-time monitoring system, sensor deterioration and other unit shortfalls are relayed in real-time through the customer’s choice of media and with an established protocol to its operators and supervisors for appropriate recall and the avoidance of false alarms creating unnecessary downtime expense in operations.  Lee says, Our products are new state-of-the-art systems that are fit for the times, for example, EnviroMed G7 Gas Detection Tracking and Monitoring System covers all the bases of your situation. In my 35+ years of using, servicing and promoting safety in gas detection applications, this system hits a ‘grand slam home run’!

For more information go to www.EnviroMed.ca

YES, I WOULD LIKE A FREE CONSULT WITH ENVIROMED ABOUT MY GAS DETECTION AND MONITORING SYSTEM

[contact-form-7]

Under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and organized by Dubai Electricity & Water Authority (DEWA) and World Green Economy Organisation, WGES will highlight this year the Climate Innovations Exchange (CLIX) initiative launched by the UAE’s Ministry of Climate Change & Environment (MOCCAE) to provide a platform for young international green entrepreneurs to pitch ideas to investors.

This specialized session at WGES will discuss how CLIX model has managed to attract hundreds of innovators and discuss the most appealing aspects of the winning ideas.

CLIX conducts a global search for breakthrough innovations, attracting hundreds of applications from all over the world ahead of the official launch of the forum. At last year’s CLIX, 27 finalists exhibited their inventions and met with investors, resulting in nearly half the finalists receiving funding pledges from investors, totalling more than USD 17.5 million.

HE Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, Vice Chairman of the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy in Dubai, Managing Director and CEO of DEWA, and Chairman of WGES.

“We relentlessly work to achieve the vision of HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai which prioritise the importance of empowering youth to ensure further progress to the society in the UAE. This stems from the fact that ‘The youth are present and the future hope. They are the UAE’s most valuable asset’. WGES and CLIX offer an opportunity to reinforce our commitment to support youth and underscore their role in achieving comprehensive sustainable development. WGES will also be an interactive platform to communicate with youth and know their opinions and views, build their capacities, unleash their creativity and engage them in building a better future for our country and the world ,” said HE Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, Vice Chairman of the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy and Chairman of WGES. 

Fahed Al Hammadi, Acting Assistant Undersecretary for Green Development & Climate Change Sector at MOCCAE, said: “The forum is an opportunity to interact with young entrepreneurs about clean tech opportunities and innovations in air pollution, clean mobility, and agriculture.  It is for this reason that we invited shortlisted applicants to directly pitch their ideas to investors, successful entrepreneurs, and high-level government officials.”

“WGES through CLIX serves as an ideal venue to encourage brilliant minds to come forward with their innovations and accelerate the global movement to a green economy. Inspired by its success this year, CLIX has become an annual search. CLIX will accept ideas in three new fields for the 2019 edition, namely sustainability in space, the future of energy, and innovation in agriculture and water. We are confident that we will receive a bigger number of entries next year,” Al Hammadi added.

Set to take place from October 24 to 25 under the theme ‘Driving Innovation, Leading Change,’ WGES 2018 will provide opportunities for knowledge sharing focusing on new technologies that drive the growth for a green economy, including improvements in energy efficiency, energy conservation and waste reduction.

WGES 2018 will focus on three main pillars, green capital, digital transformation, and leadership and social engagement. It will gather financial executives, investment professionals, and thought leaders to discuss ways to increase green capital flows into regional and global environment-friendly projects and how to de-risk those investments.

“It is time to reimagine the traditional trade show and focus on education and training for the energy industry,” says Wes Scott, President and CEO of EventWorx Corporation, which purchased the Show from dmg events in 2017.

Scott says exhibitors want to see more of the right people attending, and the right attendees want access to more education, training, live demonstrations and networking options.  “We have spent a lot of time talking to exhibitors and attendees, to help us shape a new focus to a more grass-roots approach,” says Scott.

“A lot of business still needs to be done face-face – large contracts in the energy sector are built on relationships and fostered by face-face interactions. We look forward to generating a refreshed platform for both companies and individuals to get together to find innovative supply chain solutions.”

Like the industry it supports, the upcoming Atlantic Canada Petroleum Show is evolving to include clean technologies, renewables and environmental technologies.  For the first time in the Show’s history, for example, the Newfoundland & Labrador Environmental Industry Association will be hosting a new clean technology pavilion.

Kieran Hanley, Executive Director of the Newfoundland & Labrador Environmental Industry Association, (NEIA), says the association’s new clean technology pavilion will include members with environmental, clean and renewable technologies. NEIA is celebrating its 25th year in 2018.

 “What we want to do through participation in the Show is to start telling the story about the connection between cleantech and oil and gas, and continue to build that story and encourage others to really get involved and explore opportunities in that space,” says Hanley.

 The pavilion is important as it begins to shift the Show from primarily an offshore oil and gas event, towards becoming Canada’s east coast premier all-energy event.

 “We’re a not-for-profit association of businesses that are involved in the development of cleantech and the growth of the green economy here in Newfoundland & Labrador,” says Hanley.  “The Government of Canada is now aggressively supporting clean technology, environmental sustainability. Newer studies have shown that if Canada is to gain a competitive advantage in the clean technology business it’s likely going to be related to our natural resource sectors,” says Hanley.  “NEIA sees a real opportunity for Atlantic Canada to leverage its expertise in ocean industries and ocean technology to really become competitive globally in the clean technology space. And of course, from a Newfoundland & Labrador perspective…we see a great opportunity to really become leaders on a global scale in terms of how clean technology can apply to oil and gas.”

Curtis Jerrom, President of DHVI (Downhole Video & Intervention), is a long-time supporter of Atlantic Canada Petroleum Show. DHVI, a Calgary-based company supplies the oil and gas sector in Canada with downhole video camera and calliper inspection services for leak detection, fishing assistance, fluid entry surveys and mechanical failures.

Jerrom has been exhibiting at the show for 12 years.   “One of the things I like about Newfoundland it’s a different type of oilfield environment. They’re down-to-earth people. They’re easy to talk to. They still do business the old way. They like to do meetings face-to-face,” says Jerrom, adding the Show is a great place for him to get exposure for his company. “We’re bringing new technology. By the time we get to that Show, we’ll have our latest and greatest camera sitting in that Show for the first time.”

The Show is proudly held in conjunction with the Newfoundland & Labrador Oil & Gas Industries Association’s (Noia) annual conference.

“People don’t want to just come and walk the aisles – they don’t have time for that,” says Scott. “They need solutions to their challenges and have questions answered.  Atlantic Canada Petroleum Show will allow for that real connection and collaboration.”

Atlantic Canada Petroleum Show will attract 125 exhibiting companies and over 2,000 attendees. Fresh content on the Show floor includes the “Meet the Experts” Series – a parade of experts on a variety of different topics across the supply chain, which allows attendees to get questions answered during scheduled meet-ups. Live, interactive demonstrations and ample networking events will add more value to the Show experience. Networking experiences include the VIP Industry Reception with live entertainment, food and refreshing cocktails from the Martini Ice Bar; The Fish and Chips Day on the Show Floor on June 21, and Craft Beer Tasting to close out the last two hours of the Show on June 21.

Carbon Neutral

What’s all the buzz about Carbon footprints and why are we in pursuit of a carbon neutral goal?

The answer is simple. We are no longer willing to sit around and watch the planet die of pollution. People are becoming conscious about the earth like never before. Climate Change is the catalyst but so is our own desire to do and be better. A fundamental commitment to create a sustainable future for our kids. We are moving into the era or environmental responsibility and ensuring a sustainable future. It’s simple – we give a damn!

Calculate your companies carbon footprint and offset what you emit! Turn emissions into trees!

The Post-Carbon Economy

In an effort to reduce carbon emissions the global consensus believes that we can do two things to make it happen. Reduce carbon emissions and if you can’ fully reduce them, purchase carbon credits to offset carbon emissions. The combination of both allows us to fulfil the goal of being a carbon neutral, company, organization, town or city.

Said in another way, Carbon neutrality, or having a net zero carbon footprint refers to achieving net zero carbon emissions by balancing a measured amount of carbon released with an equivalent amount to offset it or buying enough carbon credits to make up the difference. Best practice for organizations and individuals seeking carbon neutral status entails reducing and/or avoiding carbon emissions first so that only unavoidable emissions are offset.

Carbon offsetting is the process of paying others to remove carbon dioxide emitted from the atmosphere by methods such as planting trees or funding ‘carbon projects’ that lead to the prevention of future greenhouse gas emissions, or by buying carbon credits to remove them through carbon trading. These practices are often used in parallel, together with energy conservation measures to minimize energy use overall.

Masdar City, Abu Dhabi

I lived in Abu Dhabi in the Middle East for three years. Abu Dhabi is progressively well known as one of the worlds great oil and gas developing nations. What’s not as commonly known is how progressive they are in renewable energy. My home was situated just outside Abu Dhabi in a place called Khalifa City. Out my front window, I overlooked what is touted as one of the most progressive Carbon reduction projects in the world – Masdar City.

Masdar is a testament to how fresh innovative ideas and collaboration can create eco-friendly outcomes. Masdar is home to some of the greatest minds on the planet when it comes to sustainable energy and it is now the Middle East’s largest exporter of renewable energy.

Masdar City was hooked into the public system and by 2016 it achieved incredibly advanced renewable energy solutions. The home of IRENA (International Renewable Energy Agency) is housed in Masdar, along with a major graduate research university – Masdar Institute of Science and Technology. A visit to Masdar City takes approximately 60-90 minutes, including the driverless vehicle experience in our personal rapid transit system and a comfortable walk through the city.

Today, Masdar is powered by 54 acres of solar panels with additional panels on the roofs. There are now light switches or water taps in the city; movement sensors control lighting and water to cut electricity consumption by over 50%. Approximately 80% of the water used will be recycled and wastewater will be reused as grey water for crop irrigation.

You get the picture. Not only companies, but entire cities are emerging with the goal of becoming net zero, and it’s happening fast.

Greener Buildings In Canada

Today, LEED v4 is the most rigorous green building rating system in the world. From improving energy performance to emphasizing human health and integrative building design, LEED is encouraging project teams to operate beyond the status quo and create new and innovative green building solutions.

Canadians are stepping up, with over 350 registered projects to date and the early adopters have proven their abilities and helped drive change in the industry including greater manufacturer transparency and disclosure.
From buildings to operational efficiencies, to our overall green footprint, the game of energy efficiency and carbon reduction is changing at exponential rates. It’s proving to be a place of job creation, economic savings and environmental sustainability. That’s the good news.

For more information on LEED:
LEED video

Eaight Avenue Place, Calgary, Alberta has earned LEED Platinum Status: Featuring a winter garden, green roof, thermal monitoring and control. Source: Flickr

A Greener Oil and Gas Industry: Sharp Management + Aker Solutions

Offshore Newfoundland, Aker Solutions is breaking ground by progressively committing to a carbon neutral goal. Aker Solutions is the first company operating in Newfoundland’s oil and gas sector to purchase carbon credits from Sharp Management, that are generated from wastewater treatment facilities in Appleton-Glenwood and Stephenville.

“We don’t have to wait for someone to tell us what to do. Carbon neutrality is the right thing to do”, said Dave Billard, Newfoundland’s Aker vice-president and general manager. Aker of St. John’s is currently assessing operations and predicts they will purchase between 100 and 200 equivalent offsets along with other green goals that will allow them to achieve a carbon neutral status.

Newfoundland and Labrador’s First Carbon Offset Project

Glenn Sharp, President of Sharp Management is planning information sessions for companies interested in environmentally conscious action. The goal of Sharp Management is to assess companies and allow them to purchase credits if need be. Working with the oil and gas industry, municipalities and construction, Sharp Management is poised to offer carbon reduction solutions before it is even mandated in the province.

Glenn Sharp says, “For the first three months, the carbon credits are selling for $25 per tonne and are offered exclusively to Newfoundland and Labradorian companies. After that three month period, we will be offering carbon credits internationally. I’m excited that Aker has taken the first step and has become a leader in environmental initiatives such as this carbon reduction program. We’re looking to work with other companies like Aker Solutions that wish to follow suit and make a difference in the environment. We predict many companies will be interested in doing the right thing before it is legislated.”

Glenn Sharp (left) presents an official Newfoundland Climate and Ecosystems Conservancy Project carbon credit to Aker Solutions Canada HSE manager Melissa English-Barbour and vice-president and general manager Dave Billard. Credit: The Telegram/SaltWire Network

The Newfoundland Climate and Ecosystems Conservancy Project (NCECP) is publicly listed on the CSA Clean Projects Registry and has been 3rd party verified under the ISO-14064-2 by Fournier Toupin CPA Inc. The project mitigates greenhouse gas by engineering wetland systems for wastewater treatment, thereby offsetting carbon. Treating wastewater and sludge from municipalities eliminates environmental impacts of discharging raw wastewater and produces fewer greenhouse gases (GHG). A first for the province.
You can calculate your carbon footprint at www.carbonzero.ca/projects/ncecp and you can also contact Sharp Management for an assessment.

It takes a provincial commitment to ensure a sustainable energy future and working together in our own unique ways will achieve that goal. An expression of unity and collaboration, the goal of carbon zero is an objective that we can all get behind and be proud of. It is our future after all.

Tracking and Responding

Technology has allowed our workplaces, remote locations and hazardous environments to be much safer. New detection, tracking and responding devices are taking over the scene and allowing us to feel much better about our workspaces and goals of zero incidences on the job. Technology is now working where it matters most – safety. With safety alerts, monitoring, tracking and full transparent communication, workplaces are now connected and much safer.  Knowing who’s on your site, where people are, how they are, where evacuation needs to take place, real-time response, remote area access, real-time incidence response, and following leading indicators of “near misses”, are all possible with the new state-of-the-art G7 Blackline system.

Lee Parmiter, CEO of EnviroMed Detection Services says, “Technology mitigates risk. It’s that simple. New advances in detection and response are so effective these days that we reduce human error dramatically. For example, the Blackline G7, which is a real-time, state-of-the-art, electronic gas detection unit is far outperforming what humans can do in much less time. Detection and reporting are replacing human reporting. Extensive gas detection training is no longer necessary. These day’s people have full access and communication in difficult places, remote locations and hazardous regions. This is the future of safety”

The G7 tracks workers and their performance and positioning. For example, if a worker trips, falls and goes down a G7 alert is triggered, transmitted and help is on the way within seconds. It’s all automated and immediate.

The G7 is breaking new ground through no motion detection, fall detection, missed check in’s, gas detection and just about anything you can think of on the job. It provides operator tracking, real-time tracking and communication, remote communication, third-party communication, in-house monitoring with two-way voice communications and on-the-spot Reporting. The system itself takes care of data logging so that follow-up and paperwork becomes a thing of the past.

Think Ahead

The G7 excels in proactive safety protocols. It provides an SOS Pull-Station Emergency feature for on the job emergency situations. It also allows for gas detection monitoring and “PREDETERMINED” maintenance execution which mitigates the possibility of accidents in the future.

Lee says, “offshore or on land this G7 devise works via satellite or cellular, allowing a full scope and range of communication, tracking and detection. We are extremely proud to be supplying such an advanced system to the industry because at the end of the day, our goal is the same goal as our clients – zero incidence.  We sleep at night knowing that the technology we provide keeps people safe.”

Would you like to know about the upcoming Blackline G7 device for your company?

Let us know how to reach you and we will have an ENVIROMED representative contact you.

____________________________________________________________________________

[contact-form-7]

____________________________________________________________________________

Publisher & Content Strategist

Tina Olivero is the Publisher and Content Strategist for clients around the globe through TheOGM.com and The OGM magazine.

With a passion for progress and a sustainable high tech future, tina combines digital strategies into a conversation that builds your business.

SPEAK TO TINA:  
To gain more insight into how content can support your business goals please contact:
tinaolivero@theogm.com

ADFD concessional loans will fund transformative renewable energy projects in developing countries

November 2017

The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), in partnership with the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development (ADFD), is inviting applications for renewable energy projects in developing countries.

Within the framework of the ADFD-funded US$350 million (AED1.285 billion) IRENA/ADFD Project Facility, the current funding round of US$50 million in concessional loans marks the sixth of seven annual cycles.

“In just the last few years, renewable energy has emerged as one of the most economical choices for new power generation in countries around the globe. Accelerated renewable energy deployment in developing countries expands access to energy, improves health and welfare, creates jobs and drives economic growth,” said IRENA Director-General Adnan Z. Amin. “This new funding cycle provides greater opportunity for developing countries to access low-cost capital for renewable energy projects to drive the energy transformation and achieve sustainable development. The continued partnership between ADFD and IRENA connects a stable and reputable source of funding to places where it can have the most impact and where financing is one of the greatest challenges.”

For his part, His Excellency Mohammed Saif Al Suwaidi, Director General of ADFD, said: “Since the announcement of the first funding cycle of the IRENA/ADFD Project Facility back in 2014, this unique partnership has continued to support replicable, scalable and economically feasible renewable energy projects in developing countries.”

He added: “The five previous cycles have attracted a host of impressive, innovative and sustainable projects that go a long way in enhancing energy security worldwide. Following their contribution to advancing the global sustainability mandate, we are delighted to open funding for the sixth cycle and continue our journey of socio-economic growth.”

Funding from ADFD, provided through the IRENA/ADFD Project Facility, offers sustainable and affordable energy to millions of people with limited or no access to electricity. In the first four cycles, the Facility allocated US$189 million to 19 renewable energy ventures across the globe, covering up to 50 percent of the project costs. The loan approval process saw ADFD and IRENA conduct a thorough assessment of entries in close collaboration to select projects that best fulfilled the eligibility criteria.

The ventures funded in the first four cycles will bring online more than 100 megawatts of renewable energy capacity and improve the livelihoods of over a million people through providing better access to energy. Spanning Asia, Africa, Latin America and Small Island Developing States, the projects span the complete spectrum of alternative energy sources – wind, solar, hydro, geothermal and biomass – and utilize a wide range of systems, such as hybrid, off-grid, mini-grid and on-grid including backup storage.

The projects selected for the fifth funding cycle will be announced in January 2018.

Applications for the sixth cycle will be accepted until 17:00 GST on February 15, 2018.

For more information, please visit www.irena.org/adfd

About the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA)

IRENA is mandated to be the global hub for renewable energy cooperation and information exchange by 153 Members (152 States and the European Union). 27 additional countries are in the accession process and actively engaged. IRENA promotes the widespread adoption and sustainable use of all forms of renewable energy, in the pursuit of sustainable development, energy access, energy security and low-carbon economic growth and prosperity. www.irena.org

About Abu Dhabi Fund for Development (ADFD)

Abu Dhabi Fund for Development is a national organisation owned by the Abu Dhabi government. Established in 1971, its purpose is to help emerging countries by providing concessionary loans to finance sustainable development projects alongside other long-term investments and direct contributions. In addition, the Fund manages government grants offered by the Abu Dhabi government and monitors the course of the relevant projects. To date, it has invested around AED80 billion in development projects across 84 countries.

www.Irena.org
www.twitter.com/irena
www.facebook.com/irena.org

Biomass an alternative energy solution that can be derived from domestic renewable feedstock such as crop and forest residues, dedicated energy crops, and plant oils.  But what are the technical and financial considerations of using biomass-based diesel and jet fuel?  To answer that question, new energy enthusiasts have to consider data on production, capacity, cost, market demand, and feedstock availability in the total equation of market acceptance and profitability.

NREL is a national laboratory of the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Energy

Efficiency & Renewable Energy, operated by the Alliance for Sustainable Energy, LLC. According to the NREL, Dec. 2013 study eight key considerations which still hold true today when looking at the feasibility of producing and using Biomass.  The study entitled, “Feasibility of Producing and Using Biomass-Based Diesel and Jet Fuel in the United States by A. Milbrandt, C. Kinchin, and R. McCormick summarizes their key findings as follows:

1. It is technically feasible to produce biomass-derived diesel and jet fuel substitutes in the United States. Many conversion technology options exist. Some are commercially available or in demonstration stage; others are still in the research and development phase.

2. Biodiesel, consisting of fatty acid methyl esters (FAME) produced from lipids (fats, oils, and greases), is currently the predominant form of biomass-based diesel. Production reached a record 1.1 billion gallons in 2011 and remained at that level in 2012. It is expected to be higher in 2013. Biodiesel blends cannot yet be considered fully “drop-in” fuels because they cannot be transported in all petroleum product pipelines. For pipelines that transport jet fuel, there is a concern that the jet fuel will be contaminated with biodiesel, making it unsuitable for use. Ongoing research aims to determine what, if any, level of FAME can be tolerated in jet fuel.

3. In comparison, the current U.S. renewable diesel and jet fuel production capacity is small, about 225 million gallons per year. These fuels can be produced from various biomass resources and through several different approaches which all target hydrocarbon products that are similar to petroleum fuels in chemical makeup, and therefore may be considered “drop-in” fuels. It is anticipated that, as “drop-in” fuels, they can be blended with petroleum diesel/jet fuel at high levels, or possibly used in neat form.

• Renewable diesel is produced at commercial scale primarily by hydroisomerization of lipid feedstock. Currently, there are two commercial facilities utilizing this process: Dynamic Fuels, a joint venture between Syntroleum Corporation and Tyson Foods,
  (Geismar, Louisiana) and Diamond Green Diesel, a joint venture between Valero subsidiary Diamond Alternative Energy LLC and Darling International Inc. (Norco, Louisiana).
• A number of processes are under development for production of renewable diesel from biomass-derived sugars (corn, sugarcane, and sorghum, as well as sugars from thermochemical or biochemical depolymerization of cellulose and hemicellulose).
• Processes are also being developed for direct conversion of lignocellulosic biomass by fast pyrolysis, gasification, and other thermochemical means. The first commercial plant is operated by KiOR in Columbus, Mississippi and became operational in early 2013.

4. The costs for producing renewable diesel and jet fuel are not well known and involve a high degree of uncertainty. The process economics for these fuels is highly dependent upon the cost of the feedstock, similar to biodiesel. Additionally, variables such as plant size and coproduct credits can have a significant impact on the overall production cost. Hydroisomerization of lipids is performed commercially by Dynamic Fuels and Diamond Green Diesel and internationally by Neste Oil. The KiOR technology, utilizing pyrolysis, is at an initial commercial scale. Other technology routes are not yet commercial and display a wide range of estimated costs in public sources. As these technology pathways mature and become more widespread, more specific information regarding their economics will be available, which will enable a more detailed analysis and performance comparison.

5. From a feedstock perspective, enough lignocellulosic material is projected to be available in support of the Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS) mandate of 21 billion gallons of advanced biofuels. Crop and forest residues alone could yield about 8-24 billion gallons of biomassbased diesel/jet fuel in 2022 (assuming a conversion via fast pyrolysis).This potential could be larger if the conversion technologies achieve higher yields and if additional feedstock, such as dedicated energy crops, become available. However, there will be competition for lignocellulosic feedstock with the ethanol industry and renewable gasoline producers to meet the RFS mandate. Thus, it is unclear what share the renewable diesel/jet fuel would have in the total biofuels contribution. Ultimately, it will depend on the rate of commercialization of these technologies, selling price, and the transportation market demands.

6. Based on current statistics, and proven by the biodiesel industry, there is enough lipid feedstock to support the production of 1 billion gallons of biomass-based diesel mandated by the RFS. Today, roughly half of the biodiesel in the United States is produced from soybeans. The remaining portion consists of animal fat, used cooking oil, canola, and some other minor feedstocks. While soybean production is projected to grow in coming years, the biodiesel industry hopes to achieve higher output through advanced technologies for increasing oil supply and production of new feedstock. If algal oil becomes commercially available, as projected within the next 5-10 years, it would greatly benefit both biodiesel and renewable diesel/jet fuel industries. Given the right resources, algal oil productivity can be quite high. Algae are a potential aquatic oil crop, but may also yield carbohydrates that can be converted to sugar.

7. Demand for diesel and jet fuel in the United States is projected to grow. As easily recoverable crude oil resources are diminishing and as their prices rise, more substitutes are expected to enter the market.

• Among the diesel consumers in the country, freight trucking has the largest share. The number of light-duty vehicles using diesel is projected to increase, the rate of which will depend on the market penetration of other alternatives such as hybrid and electric vehicles.
• Jet fuel is forming as a large and profitable market for the renewable fuels industry. Success in this area could stimulate a significant increase in the production of biofuels and associated feedstock. It is expected that jet fuel consumption by commercial carriers will continue to grow over the next years, whereas jet fuel consumption by the military will remain flat.

8. For biomass-based diesel and jet fuel to be successful among the trucking and aviation companies, they must be cost-competitive with petroleum-based fuels. It is uncertain what the future holds for these substitutes, but it is expected that the next several years, as more facilities come online, will answer many questions about the economic viability of these technologies. Much will depend on the rate of recovery of U.S. and world economies, oil prices, carbon market, and political climate.

To review the full study: http://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy14osti/58015.pdf

ExxonMobil and Biomass

Focused on the potential of Biomass as a new energy solution for the future, ExxonMobil and University of Wisconsin-Madison (UW-Madison) have entered into an agreement to research the conversion of Biomass into transportation fuel. The two-year agreement to study chemistry of converting biomass to diesel and jet fuel is part of effort to identify meaningful and scalable solutions to meet increasing global energy demand.

ExxonMobil, the largest publicly traded international oil and gas company, uses technology and innovation to help meet the world’s growing energy needs. ExxonMobil holds an industry-leading inventory of resources and is one of the world’s largest integrated refiners, marketers of petroleum products and chemical manufacturers.  These day’s ExxonMobil is heavily invested in early-stage innovative projects through partnerships with leading universities around the world. ExxonMobil has established partnerships with MIT, Princeton, Michigan State, Northwestern, Stanford and Iowa State University, and UW-Madison, to support new energy solutions coming into the new energy mix.

The UW-Madison College of Engineering is among the most innovative and consistently highly ranked U.S. colleges of engineering. At UW-Madison there are 40 research centers and more than 15 research consortia making it a mega research facility. The College is renowned for leading-edge research and is recognized for its ability to transfer technological advances into real-world applications through patents, licenses, spin-off and start-up companies, and industry partnerships. UW-Madison is well known for its expertise in biomass conversion and this new Biomass project leverages the University’s expertise alongside the resources and technology development of ExxonMobil. 

According to George Huber, the Harvey D. Spangler professor of chemical and biological engineering at UW-Madison, he is, “working closely with ExxonMobil scientists to build a stronger understanding of the basic chemical transformations that occur during biomass conversion into diesel and jet fuels and is a catalytic process that looks at what’s possible, and what’s not possible. Researchers have used expensive precious metal catalysts such as platinum for biomass conversion.”

“This agreement continues ExxonMobil’s commitment to partner with top universities and scientists to research and discover next-generation energy solutions,” says Vijay Swarup, vice president of research and development for ExxonMobil Research & Engineering Company. “We are continuously investigating new ideas and technologies and we are looking forward to working with the team at the University of Wisconsin on this project.”

For more information, visit www.exxonmobil.com

When Canadian instructors Keith Williams and Carla Eskow submitted a research project funding proposal to the Qatar Foundation in the Middle East, they had no idea it would grow beyond their projected 25-page paper into a 73-page hardcover book with international distribution.

From Acacia to Ziziphus: Arabian Plants to Nourish the Body and Earth is a beautiful reference guide with colour photos of each plant profiled – some 21 species. It provides a summary of each plant, including where it grows, what it needs to thrive, its appearance and physical composition, and its medicinal and environmental properties. It also provides a scientific profile and references to scientific studies undertaken on each plant.

The project, led by Williams, a Biology instructor, and Eskow, Environmental Health Technology instructor at College of the North Atlantic’s (CNA) Middle East campus in Qatar, was titled Bioprospecting Qatar’s Plant Genetic Resources and encompassed research to explore connections between healthy environment and healthy communities. They began in June 2008.

“We started by identifying some of the key environmental and health challenges faced by Qatar, and we did this by reviewing government documents such as the National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan and National Health Authority documents on causes of death,” explains Williams.

“We came up with ways in which plants could be used to treat some of those problems. For example, some plants are anti-cancer while others have the ability to sequester polyaromatic hydrocarbons from oil spills.”

As Williams and Eskow point out in the project’s synopsis, the development of the oil and gas industry in Qatar (which holds the world’s largest natural gas field and the third-largest reserves of natural gas and has the second-highest GDP per capita in the world) and the ensuing urbanization and industrialization of the country over the past 60 years have had a profound influence on the population’s health. This shift has resulted in the increased incidence of “diseases of affluence,” those that result from an increase in wealth.

“For example, in 2003, 65 per cent of the Qatari male deaths and 70 per cent of the Qatari female deaths were due to cardio-vascular illness, diabetes, malnutrition, neoplasms and traffic accidents…” state Williams and Eskow in the synopsis.

Before the urbanization of Qatar, the paper continues, the population’s diet was one consisting of camel milk, meat, dates, and wild plants. These wild plants have significant medicinal properties and – therefore, made considerable contributions to the well-being of the people of Qatar, and they can again.

Plants are still playing a role in modern pharmaceuticals, but, recently, the popularity of natural medicines is bringing Qatar’s plant life back into the light.

“Nutraceuticals, which are chemical compounds with health stimulating effects isolated from natural sources and herbal treatments, are enjoying a popular global resurgence as their efficacy is increasingly validated by scientific study (Wildman, 2006),” states the synopsis.

It seems the time was ripe for this book. Also, the one-year project enabled a group of six students to participate; they helped collect data on a total of 170 of Qatar’s 310 documented plants. Williams and Eskow developed a worksheet for students to evaluate the most beneficial plants in treating diseases such as cancer, HIV, diabetes, heart diseases and fertility issues. Other plants were chosen for their ability to significantly offset the effects of environmental challenges such as pollution, climate changes, and soil and habitat destruction. Plants that scored highest in treating these problems made it to the book, along with some other noteworthy flora.

One such plant, profiled on pages 14-17, is the Calotropis procera. Among its many valued attributes is its capacity to be used as a biofuel, its antioxidant and anti-diabetic qualities, its cancer-combating properties and the fact that it contains enough latex rubber and fibre to make a variety of organic products such as bags, fishing nets and robes. It also is comparable to wood in the manufacturing of pulp and paper. As an added bonus, the plant is attractive enough to be used as ornamental horticulture for one’s home or garden.

Upon the completion of the project one year later, the group gave a formal presentation to a variety of stakeholders in associated fields, including petroleum, medicine and architecture. One such company was the GHD Group, one of Qatar’s largest consulting firms, and a member of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development. They offer a range of services including urban development, engineering and environmental services, among others. Manager Tony Russell attended the presentation and was impressed with the research and the book.

“The innovative combination of outcomes [in the book is] very relevant for our rapidly developing urban environments, providing cultural and ecological identity along with all the positive effects local plants provide,” says Russell.

“It’s important to realize the contribution local Qatar plant species effectively deliver in terms of traditional medicine benefits, healthy food alternatives for humans and sustainable forage food and shelter for local fauna, plus the vital role local plants have in preventing desertification.”

As Qatar’s oil and gas industry thrives and its population (some 1,500,000) continues to grow, so will its urbanization. It is the hope of Eskow and Williams that the knowledge found in their book and amongst the valuable traditions of Qatari people will once again be tapped to also build on the health of the Qatari nation.