Dear reader,
in an address in Belém, Brazil, United States Secretary of the Treasury Janet Yellen said the world needs $3 trillion in financing annually to reach its 2050 climate and biodiversity goals. Yellen said transitioning to a low-carbon economy would require far more than the current amount of yearly financing, but that filling that gap is the greatest economic opportunity of this century, reported Reuters.
“Climate change poses a daily and existential threat to individuals, communities, and countries. It harms human health, damages homes and businesses, and strains government budgets,” Yellen said at the Goeldi Museum in Belém, considered Brazil’s gateway to the Amazon, according to a press release from the U.S. Department of the Treasury. “Put simply, neglecting to address climate change and the loss of nature and biodiversity is not just bad environmental policy. It is bad economic policy.”
According to a new study, global methane emissions are rising faster than they have in decades, so immediate action is needed to prevent a dangerous worsening of the climate crisis. Methane is a potent greenhouse gas responsible for around half of global warming since pre-industrial times. Methane emissions have risen rapidly since 2006, with record levels in 2021 and 2022.
Methane emissions have increased dramatically since 2006. According to the IEA study, emissions will continue to rise until the 2030s if no new measures are taken to curb them. The world is focussing on carbon dioxide as the main cause of global temperature rise, but not as much has been done about methane, even though it is 80 times more potent in the first two decades after it enters the atmosphere. Have a look at the website biotech-energy.com who have developed a technology to reduce the methane emissions caused by cattle.
India’s Minister for Road Transport and Highways, has announced that Indian car manufacturers will produce cars and two-wheelers that run entirely on ethanol. To emphasise this, Gadkari drove up to Parliament in a Toyota vehicle that can run on 100% ethanol. This is a world first with a flex engine that fulfils Euro 6 emission standards and achieves net zero emissions. The Minister emphasised that the ethanol for these vehicles can be produced from sugar cane juice, molasses and maize. He envisions ethanol dispensers becoming as common as petrol dispensers, reducing India’s dependence on fuel imports and creating new markets for farmers. Small video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HTPh4Y2y9_w
The German Federal Environment Agency (UBA) has expressed concerns about the environmental benefits of HVO100 biodiesel, contradicting the favourable stance of Transport Minister Volker Wissing. While Wissing praises HVO100, which is obtained from used cooking oil, as a high-quality and sustainable solution for reducing greenhouse gas emissions in transport, the UBA disagrees. https://www.spiegel.de/wirtschaft/kennzeichnung-hvo100-umweltbundesamt-skeptisch-bei-biodiesel-a-06c7bf8c-b0cf-413c-84b5-e20c740b6ee1
M11 Industries has commissioned its biodiesel plant in Padubidri, India. The state-of-the-art plant, built under the ‘Make in India’ initiative with an investment of £350 million, is the largest of its kind in India with a production capacity of 450 tonnes per day. The plant converts used cooking oil and other waste oils into biodiesel, which is supplied to oil marketing companies. This initiative aims to reduce India’s dependence on oil imports and fulfil the 5% blending mandate set by the government. https://bioenergytimes.com/karnataka-m11-industries-commences-operations-at-biodiesel-plant-in-padubidri/
Maruti Suzuki India Limited is gearing up to launch its first electric vehicle in the coming months. Chairman R.C. Bhargava emphasised the company’s strategy to offer different technologies to meet India’s diverse economic and social needs. According to the annual report, 60% of Maruti Suzuki’s annual sales are expected to come from internal combustion engines that run on CNG, biogas, flex-fuel and ethanol blended fuel, 25% from hybrids and 15% from electric vehicles. https://www.iamrenew.com/green-energy/maruti-suzuki-focuses-on-evs-seeks-policies-on-clean-fuel-generation/
Brazil’s President Lula approved a project to create a regulatory framework for low-carbon hydrogen and introduced the Special Incentive System for the Production of Low-Carbon Hydrogen (Rehydro), which will apply for five years from January 2025. It aims to expand Brazil’s hydrogen production capacity while utilising the country’s enormous energy resources. President Lula emphasised Brazil’s unrivalled potential in the areas of green hydrogen, solar, wind and biomass energy. https://www.mattosfilho.com.br/en/unico/bill-low-carbon-hydrogen-brazil/
DB Cargo UK announced that all trains operating for Drax Group at the UK’s largest renewable energy plant near Selby will now be powered by Hydro-treated Vegetable Oil. This switch to the environmentally friendly fuel is part of Drax Group’s ongoing efforts to reduce its carbon footprint. https://www.globalrailwayreview.com/news/176305/db-cargo-uk-transitions-to-renewable-fuel-drax-group-transport/
Seven leading Japanese companies have agreed to conduct a demonstration trial to promote the use of sustainable aviation fuel at Narita Airport through an initiative to build a new system for “Scope 3 environmental value” trading, which refers to the indirect reduction of CO2 emissions through the use of SAF. This collaboration represents the world’s first attempt to activate Scope 3 carbon trading between fuel suppliers, airlines, freight forwarders and airport companies. https://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Transportation/ANA-taps-Marubeni-for-cheaper-sustainable-aviation-fuel-at-Narita-Airport
Embraer has announced the sale of its first ethanol-powered aircraft, the Ipanema 203, through the BNDES Climate Fund programme. This sale, finalised in July under the “Automatic Climate Fund”, supports the acquisition of machinery and equipment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to climate change. The National Development Bank offers this financing at competitive interest rates of around 10% per year, securing funds for projects and equipment that promote environmental sustainability. This initiative underlines Embraer’s leadership in the Brazilian market for agricultural aircraft, where the company has a 60% market share. https://www.aeroflap.com.br/it/embraer-vende-per-la-prima-volta-un-aereo-agricolo-alimentato-a-etanolo-attraverso-il-programma-del-fondo-per-il-clima-di-Bndes/
A $10 million USDA grant has been awarded to the University of Maine for its “Sustainable Wood to Fuel and Fish Feed for Strengthening the U.S. Bioeconomy” project. This initiative aims to utilise low-value wood from Maine’s forests to produce sustainable jet fuel. https://www.globalseafood.org/advocate/maine-researchers-seek-to-transform-wood-waste-into-aquafeed-ingredient/
Poste Italiane’s ground and air fleet will be powered by biofuels supplied by Enilive, Eni’s company specialising in mobility services and products. This will accelerate Poste Italiane’s progress towards achieving its 2030 energy transition and carbon neutrality targets, Eni said. The two companies signed a letter of intent to start a collaboration based on the supply of biofuels produced in Enilive’s biorefineries through the processing of waste materials such as used cooking oil, animal fat and by-products from the agri-food industry. More at: https://www.safinvestor.com/news/145652/poste-italiane/
The Indian government said the blending of ethanol with diesel was still at the experimental stage and there were no plans to make it mandatory at present, as initial tests had shown the formation of deposits in fuel tanks and other effects. Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said: “The issue of blending ethanol with diesel is still at the experimental stage and I can say with certainty that there are no plans to make it mandatory at this stage. https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/energy/oil-gas/no-plan-to-mandate-blending-of-ethanol-with-diesel-govt/articleshow/112106442.cms?from=mdr
Masdar from the United Arab Emirates has signed an agreement with TotalEnergies to assess the feasibility of developing a commercial green hydrogen to methanol conversion project in SAF. The project will focus on decarbonising hard-to-decarbonise, emissions-intensive sectors such as aviation and the maritime industry. The project will also capture CO2 from an industrial source and use it as a feedstock to produce green methanol and SAF in addition to green hydrogen from renewable energy-fuelled electrolysis, Masdar said. https://hydrogentechworld.com/masdar-and-totalenergies-to-explore-green-hydrogen-to-methanol-to-saf-project-in-abu-dhabi
LanzaTech Global has been awarded a contract by Jakson Green to provide its 4G ethanol technology to India’s largest power utility, NTPC Ltd. This new plant in central India will utilise LanzaTech’s second generation bioreactor to convert CO2 emissions and green hydrogen into ethanol to support India’s energy transition. https://www.marketscreener.com/quote/stock/LANZATECH-GLOBAL-INC-150653322/news/LanzaTech-Global-Inc-Secures-Contract-by-Jakson-Green-to-Supply-NTPC-its-4G-Ethanol-Technology-for-47582287/
NEXTCHEM has been awarded a feasibility study to optimise and increase the efficiency of an existing maleic anhydride plant in North America. The study, to be conducted by NEXTCHEM’s subsidiary CONSER, will utilise the company’s proprietary technology to modernise the plant and potentially increase its capacity. Maleic anhydride is critical to the production of malic and fumaric acids, which are essential in the food industry for improving the texture, flavour and stability of products. https://www.chemanalyst.com/NewsAndDeals/NewsDetails/nextchem-maire-secures-feasibility-study-for-innovative-maleic-anhydride-29257
Verbio has begun commercial production of corn-based ethanol at its biorefinery in Nevada, USA. The plant, a subsidiary of European biofuel and bioenergy producer Verbio SE, has undergone a thorough commissioning process over the past six months, leading to the successful start of bioethanol production, the company said. Verbio has installed a total capacity to produce 60 million gallons (225 million liters) of corn-based ethanol per year. https://bioenergyinternational.com/verbio-launches-ethanol-production-at-its-nevada-biorefinery/
South Jersey Industries and OPAL have begun construction of a renewable natural gas generation facility in Burlington, Florence Township. This is the second collaboration between the two companies in the development and operation of RNG facilities. The facility, with an annual capacity of nearly 0.92 million MMBtus, will capture methane from the landfill and convert it into RNG. This will generate approximately 6.5 million gas gallon equivalents annually, significantly reducing heavy-duty truck emissions and lowering fuel costs. Once fully operational, the project is expected to displace over 530,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide per year. https://biomassmagazine.com/articles/sji-opal-fuels-begin-construction-on-burlington-rng-facility
In Germany, RWE and the Westfalen Group have started construction of a hydrogen refuelling infrastructure in Lingen to support RWE’s 14 MW pilot electrolyser. In addition, Provaris Energy and Norwegian Hydrogen have signed an agreement with Uniper Global Commodities to strengthen co-operation in the development of hydrogen supply chains from Norway and other potential Nordic locations. https://www.rwe.com/en/press/rwe-generation/2024-08-05-rwe-and-westfalen-group-construct-h2-fuel-station-and-filling-line-at-emsland-gas-fired-power-plant-site/
VARO Energy will build a large-scale SAF plant at Gunvor Energy’s site in Rotterdam together with the Gunvor Group as part of a planned joint venture. The large-scale SAF plant, with a planned total capacity of 350,000 tonnes per year, has made good progress, according to Gunvor. Under the terms of the agreement, the costs and risks of developing the plant will be shared equally until the final investment decision is made. The design basis has been finalised and the front-end engineering design is expected to be completed in the fourth quarter of 2024. The plant will be designed to process a variety of raw materials. It will also be capable of producing either SAF or HVO end products. More on this topic. https://www.varoenergy.com/en/news/varo-s-rotterdam-saf-project-gains-momentum-with-gunvor-s-50-investment/