In Detail : Swiss Steel Group has launched a new initiative to test hydrogen in steel production as part of its sustainability strategy. The project aims to reduce the sector’s heavy dependence on fossil fuels while addressing one of the most pressing challenges in industrial decarbonization. With this step, the company strengthens its commitment to building a low-carbon future.

The steel industry is one of the largest contributors to carbon emissions globally, responsible for nearly 7% of worldwide CO₂ output. Traditional production methods rely heavily on coal and other fossil fuels, creating environmental concerns. By testing hydrogen as an alternative energy source, Swiss Steel is exploring cleaner pathways to meet rising global demand sustainably.

Hydrogen has emerged as a promising solution in energy-intensive sectors due to its ability to replace carbon-based fuels in industrial processes. When used correctly, hydrogen generates water vapor as the only by-product, making it a zero-emission alternative. Swiss Steel’s decision to invest in this innovation highlights growing momentum across industries to adopt hydrogen for deep decarbonization.

The project also reflects Europe’s broader energy transition goals under the European Green Deal. Governments and industry leaders are encouraging the use of green hydrogen to reduce emissions and achieve net-zero targets by 2050. Swiss Steel’s testing is aligned with these ambitions, showcasing private sector participation in achieving continental climate milestones.

Beyond reducing emissions, the adoption of hydrogen in steel production can also enhance operational efficiency. Hydrogen-based processes could streamline energy use while lowering overall costs in the long term. This creates an opportunity for Swiss Steel to combine profitability with sustainability, offering a model for other steelmakers to follow.

However, challenges remain in scaling hydrogen adoption across the steel industry. High production costs, infrastructure requirements, and limited green hydrogen availability pose hurdles. Swiss Steel’s pilot project is designed to address these obstacles and provide practical insights into future industrial applications.

Industry experts believe that successful integration of hydrogen could reshape global steel markets. Companies pioneering such technologies are expected to gain competitive advantages while contributing to climate goals. Swiss Steel’s move positions it as a leader in innovative steel manufacturing and environmental responsibility.

The project also reflects a growing trend of industrial companies forming partnerships with technology providers and energy firms. Collaboration will be critical in scaling hydrogen adoption and reducing associated costs. By working alongside stakeholders, Swiss Steel aims to accelerate progress and drive industry-wide change.

With this initiative, Swiss Steel Group reinforces its commitment to a greener industrial future. As hydrogen use in steel production develops further, the company is set to play a vital role in advancing sustainable practices. The pilot project not only reduces emissions but also represents a significant step towards transforming one of the world’s most polluting industries.

In Detail : BANGKOK, THAILAND — The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Government of Thailand today signed a $68.74 million loan agreement to provide resilient connectivity infrastructure to the U-Tapao Airport in the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC), a manufacturing and innovation hub in eastern Thailand.

The agreement was signed by Thailand Deputy Finance Minister Julapun Amornvivat and ADB Country Director for Thailand Anouj Mehta. Representatives from the Public Debt Management Office under the Ministry of Finance and the Department of Highways (DOH) under the Ministry of Transport witnessed the signing ceremony in Bangkok.

The project will provide key access roads to the U-Tapao International Airport by constructing a 1.92-kilometer extension of Intercity Motorway No. 7 and expanding a 5.65-kilometer section of National Highway No. 3 from the Bang Phai River in the west to Motorway No. 7 interchange in the east. The project will also support the development of climate impact monitoring systems, managed by the DOH, and contribute to the country’s transition to a low-carbon transport system.

“To ensure resilient infrastructure in Thailand, ADB aims to mitigate the key risks linked to rising temperatures and increasing precipitation in the design and construction of the roads,” said Mr. Mehta. “This project will use green cement and adopt a ‘green campsite’ concept for onsite construction facilities, which incorporates solar panels, energy storage systems, and appropriate waste and water management.”

The complete road construction will provide a sustainable land transport network and support the multimodal transport connecting rail, road, and air transport linkage in the EEC, where industries such as smart electronics, agriculture and biotechnology, health care, and digital services are located.

From 1968 to 2024, ADB has provided support to Thailand’s public sector in the forms of loan, grants, and technical assistance amounting to $7.4 billion in various sectors including energy, transport, agriculture, public sector, social, and waste management.

ADB is a leading multilateral development bank supporting inclusive, resilient, and sustainable growth across Asia and the Pacific. Working with its members and partners to solve complex challenges together, ADB harnesses innovative financial tools and strategic partnerships to transform lives, build quality infrastructure, and safeguard our planet. Founded in 1966, ADB is owned by 69 members—50 from the region.

The SailGP Great Britain Team, led by the world’s most successful Olympic sailors Sir Ben Ainslie and Hannah Mills OBE, have today announced a new three-year partnership with Low Carbon, a global renewable energy company.

The partnership will support three million young people to take climate action in addition to supporting The Great Britain SailGP Team to become the most sustainable elite sporting squad in the world.

Founded by Chief Executive Roy Bedlow in 2011, Low Carbon is working to generate 20 GW of renewable energy by 2030. To put this into context, this would be enough energy to power more than 7 million homes, which equates to powering every home in every city visited by the SailGP tour this season. Simultaneously the company has a target to reach net-zero energy across all measures by 2030. The longstanding certified-B Corporation was recognised as ‘Best in Class’ in the environmental category in 2022 for its impact and contribution to switch the world to 100% renewable energy in the fight against climate change.

The ground-breaking partnership will see The Great Britain SailGP Team collaborate with Low Carbon to:

• Create world-leading, action-focused educational resources for the 1851 Trust – led by Sir Ben Ainslie and Royal Patron HRH The Princess of Wales – to empower three million young people to take climate action in their communities
• Create an innovative portable solar and battery installation that will power the team’s base with renewable energy as it moves around the world
  Pursue victory in the SailGP Impact League – the competition’s podium for the planet that recognises and awards the most sustainable team of the season
• Build coalitions for climate action and innovation in every city in the Sail GP tour
• Build a pioneering, global campaign to use the power of sport to inspire climate action

Hannah Mills OBE joined The Great Britain SailGP team straight after her historic Olympic victory in Tokyo, 2021, as an IOC Sustainability Ambassador and founder of the Big Plastic Pledge. Fresh from returning to racing with team after the birth of her first child three months ago, Hannah believes you need to be more than just an athlete, she commented: “With the rise of social media and the visibility and the reach that many athletes have, we have a huge opportunity to use sport to generate climate momentum. Athletes and sport have to lead by example, and we need to build powerful communications platforms to spread the message – Low Carbon will help us to do both.

“This innovative partnership will help us connect to our fans, create climate champions across the globe and help us win the SailGP Impact League and become the world’s most sustainable elite sporting team.”

Low Carbon has a long history with Ben Ainslie having previously partnered from 2014-2017 for the 35th America’s Cup. The partnership included Low Carbon delivering a high-capacity solar panel installation at the National Museum of Bermuda to 100% offset the team’s energy consumption for their 8 months stay on the small Island situated in the North Atlantic Ocean.

Low Carbon Founder and Chief Executive Roy Bedlow is passionate about the connectivity of high-performance sport and business and the role sports can have in communicating the need for action in the climate crisis. Commenting on the partnership he says: “Sport has the ability to inspire like nothing else. Ben, Hannah, and the team live and breathe sustainability and climate action and will be incredible partners for our company. Low Carbon is solely focused on fighting climate change. This focus drives us to pursue excellence in all we do and, by partnering with The Great Britain SailGP Team, we have a historic opportunity to achieve measurable breakthroughs in climate action in this decisive decade for the planet.”

With the 1851 Trust, who are the purpose partner to The Great Britain SailGP Team, the team have declared their ambition to support over 3 million young people take action to protect nature, people, and the planet through the Protect Our Future climate digital education platform. Low Carbon will support the 1851 Trust for the next three years to produce world-class, climate-focussed education resources, to inspire and enable young people to act, whilst building global communities of climate champions.

The Great Britain SailGP Team CEO & Driver, Sir Ben Ainslie, said: “Low Carbon was one of our first partners back in 2014 and we are delighted to be continuing the journey with them. They are the perfect partner that brings both commercial value but also a key focus on purpose, to help drive positive climate action at scale. We can’t wait to start working with Roy and the team again.”

Source: sailgp

New York City, New York  : Today, Cool Food announced that early adopters of the Cool Food Pledge have reduced food-related greenhouse gas emissions per plate by 21% through 2021. The group has achieved this reduction by serving more low-carbon plant-based dishes and creating enabling environments for diners to make climate friendly choices. This puts the cohort of food providers well ahead of the pace needed to achieve the Pledge’s targets of reducing absolute emissions by 25%, and emissions per plate by 38%, by 2030.

Cool Food is a ground-breaking initiative from World Resources Institute that helps major food providers use cutting-edge environmental and behavioral science to scale healthy, climate-friendly meals that benefit people and the planet. Its members span food service companies, hotels, restaurants, hospitals, cities, and universities predominantly across Europe and North America, but also with locations in Latin America, Asia, and Australia.

“The food system is responsible for up to one-third of global greenhouse gas emissions, making it mission critical to reduce food-related emissions,” said Anne Bordier, Director of Sustainable Diets at WRI. “The challenge is how to scale action to achieve the level of emissions reduction that’s needed. We need many more organizations to set a target to reduce the climate impact of the food they serve, measure progress and take action to encourage a consumption shift to lower impact food.”

The early adopter cohort, which uses 2015 to 2018 as a baseline data period and serves more than 840 million meals per year, saw its absolute food-related emissions drop by 23% through 2021. But because the COVID-19 pandemic led to large fluctuations in food purchasing throughout 2020 and 2021, WRI considers emissions per plate to be the most meaningful climate metric until food service operations return to full capacity.

“When food providers make even small changes to what they buy and serve, they can see sizeable reductions in their food-related GHG emissions,” said Edwina Hughes, Head of Cool Food at WRI. “We’ve now reached a point with our early adopters that we can see the scale of emissions reduction that’s possible when food providers commit to serving low carbon foods. The future of climate action really is happening on diners’ plates.”

Cool Food released these figures at Climate Week at its annual celebration, where New York City Mayor Eric Adams and senior leaders from Aramark, IKEA, New York University, and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center shared how they are championing low-carbon dining as part of Cool Food. Guests were treated to an immersive pop-up food hall to experience some of the ways to engage consumers in eating more climate-friendly choices.

Since its launch in 2019, Cool Food’s total membership has grown to include 63 organizations. In the past year alone, the size of the Cool Food movement more than doubled, showing the emphasis that more companies and food providers are placing on food as a key strategy to address the climate crisis.

The Cool Food movement’s newest members include the city of Washington, DC and Bon Appétit Management Company.

“The District is taking the next step in doing our part by tackling the carbon footprint of what we buy, starting with the meals we serve to our students and seniors,” said DC Department of Energy & Environment Director Tommy Wells. “Our vision for a Sustainable DC is a healthy, green, livable city for all residents. We are proud to join the Cool Food movement that prioritizes purchasing high-quality, nutritious meals that are also helping to grow our local green economy and fight climate change.”

“At Bon Appétit Management Company, we depend on World Resources Institute’s data resources to help us track emissions impacts and drive change in our cafés nationwide,” says Chief Strategy and Brand Officer Maisie Ganzler. “We are pleased to be part of the Cool Food movement and extend our longstanding commitment to mitigating the food system’s role in climate change.”

With its rapidly increasing membership, the Cool Food movement now encompasses food providers serving approximately 3.5 billion meals every year. If the full group of Cool Food Pledge members hit the 25% absolute GHG reduction target by 2030, it would reduce annual emissions by nearly 6.4 million tons of carbon dioxide equivalent each year – an amount that equates to removing more than 1.3 million vehicles from the road, or all of the registered vehicles in Chicago. The movement, which aims to cover 12 billion meals by 2025, is demonstrating the power of changing what we eat to address the climate crisis.

About World Resources Institute

World Resources Institute (WRI) is a global research organization that turns big ideas into action at the nexus of environment, economic opportunity and human well-being. Our more than 1,700 experts and staff work in 60 countries, with international offices in Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, Mexico and the United States, regional offices in Ethiopia (for Africa) and the Netherlands (for Europe), and program offices in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Turkey, and the United Kingdom.

Source: wri

BARCELONA : In March 1st, the Global Digital Power Forum 2022 with the theme of “Lighting Up a Low-Carbon Smart Future” was held during the annual Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona, Spain. Nearly 200 industry customers and organizations around the world participated in the forum.

The industry leaders shared insights on how to innovate green low-carbon networks and data centers and promote clean energy development. Huawei invited customers and partners to attend Lighting up a Green Future for the Industry, a ceremony aiming to guide carriers on a low-carbon path. Fang Liangzhou, Vice President of Huawei Digital Power, said in his keynote speech that “carbon neutrality has become a global consensus. Huawei actively supports and participates in climate change actions to help customers become carbon neutral.

We continuously innovate clean power generation, energy digitalization, electric transportation, green ICT energy infrastructure, and integrated smart energy. By converging energy flows and information flows, Huawei Digital Power is committed to creating a better life, smarter business, more inclusive society, and greener world.”

To help carriers walk on the green development path, Huawei proposed “More Bits, Less Watts” strategy. Through this comprehensive solution that integrates green site, green network, and green operation, carriers can enjoy increased network capacity at lower energy consumption per bit. Michel FRAISSE, Vice President and CTO of Huawei Digital Power in West Europe, said that Huawei green energy target network aimed to help carriers build green and low-carbon networks. * Site: The energy efficiency can be improved from 60% to 97% after sites are evolved from equipment rooms to cabinets or from cabinets to poles.

* Equipment room: The energy efficiency of equipment rooms can be improved from 55% to 75% after capacity expansion and reconstruction. In addition, innovative technologies, such as the precise cooling and intelligent voltage boosting, eliminate the need for adding equipment rooms, replacing cables, and adding air conditioners. * New construction: Cabinets, instead of equipment rooms, are used for the new sites, improving the energy efficiency from 60% to 90%. * Data center: By reconstructing the architecture, power supply, cooling, and O&M, Huawei manages to build simplified, green, intelligent, and safe next-generation data centers with reduced energy consumption and shortened construction period. *

Power generation: Huawei helps carriers deploy PV panels in their existing sites, equipment rooms, and campuses, transforming carriers from energy consumers to green energy producers. Guest speakers shared wonderful insights at the summit. Luis Neves, CEO of the Global Enabling Sustainability Initiative (GeSI), shared how digital technologies can help the traditional energy industry improve energy efficiency and how ICT carbon handprint can reduce carbon footprint in the industry. Bernd Leven, Head of Energy Performance at Vodafone, shared their practices in using renewable energy at global sites, recycling network waste, reducing carbon emissions in the supply chain, as well as the 2040 net zero carbon emission strategy.

Maria Yolanda C. Crisanto, Chief Sustainability Officer at Globe Telecom, shared their 2030 low-carbon target network plan, which includes simplified site deployment, indoor-to-outdoor reconstruction of existing sites, PV deployment, and genset removal. Seppo Ihalainen, CEO of Ficolo, and Santiago Hernández Onís, CEO of XDATA, talked about operating data centers with 100% green power and lower PUE, and enabling the industry to reduce carbon footprint through data centers.

Source : indianweb2

Shareholders and governments are insisting they plot a path to sharply cut greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Chevron said half of its spending will go to curb emissions from fossil fuel projects, with $3 billion for carbon capture and offsets, $2 billion for greenhouse gas reductions, $3 billion for renewable fuels and $2 billion for hydrogen energy.

U.S. oil producer Chevron Corp on Tuesday pledged to triple to $10 billion its investments in low-carbon fuel and projects through 2028. Oil producers globally, under mounting pressure to join the fight against climate change, have stepped up plans to transition to less carbon-intensive production. Shareholders and governments are insisting they plot a path to sharply cut greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

Chevron said half of its spending will go to curb emissions from fossil fuel projects, with $3 billion for carbon capture and offsets, $2 billion for greenhouse gas reductions, $3 billion for renewable fuels and $2 billion for hydrogen energy. It reaffirmed a goal of paring greenhouse gas intensity by 35% through 2028, compared to 2016 levels from its oil and gas output. However, it did not commit to 2050 net-zero emission reduction targets as some rivals have.

European oil producers have ambitious plans to shift away from fossil fuels with large investments in renewables and mid-century net-zero emission targets. Chevron, Exxon Mobil Corp and Occidental Petroleum sought to reduce carbon emissions per unit of output while backing cBP Plc has said it will invest $3-4 billion a year in low-carbon projects by 2025 and shrink oil and gas production by 40% in the next decade. Royal Dutch Shell Plc in February set annual investments of $2-3 billion in clean energy.

Chevron said it would expand renewable natural gas production to 40 billion British thermal units (BTUs) per day and increase renewable fuels production capacity to 100,000 barrels a day to meet customer demand for renewable diesel and sustainable aviation fuel.

BP Plc has said it will invest $3-4 billion a year in low-carbon projects by 2025 and shrink oil and gas production by 40% in the next decade. Royal Dutch Shell Plc in February set annual investments of $2-3 billion in clean energy.

Chevron said it would expand renewable natural gas production to 40 billion British thermal units (BTUs) per day and increase renewable fuels production capacity to 100,000 barrels a day to meet customer demand for renewable diesel and sustainable aviation fuel.

“We expect to grow our dividend, buy back shares and invest in lower-carbon businesses,” Wirth said. Chevron, the second-largest U.S. oil producer, aims to increase hydrogen production to 150,000 tonnes a year to supply industrial, power and heavy duty transport customers and raise carbon capture and offsets to 25 million tonnes a year by co-developing regional hubs.

Environmentalists said Chevron’s focus is on offsetting emissions from oil and gas output, not reducing oil output. “Chevron’s new announcement does not represent a particularly large strategic shift,” said Axel Dalman, an associate analyst with climate change researcher Carbon Tracker. “The main item is that they plan to spend more on ‘lower-carbon’ business lines.”

This year, Chevron announced creation of a new unit to manage low-carbon investments, with an initial focus on alternative energy sources such as hydrogen and technologies including carbon capture. Chevron on Tuesday reaffirmed its expectation to generate $25 billion in cash flow, above its dividend and capital spending, over the next five years.

Source: devdiscourse

Energy Policy: Supporting Low Carbon Transition in Asia and the Pacific.

For more information please see below link:

The South Africa Photovoltaic Industry Association (SAPVIA) has launched a first of its kind report that details the impact of solar PV on South Africa’s employment statistics.

Launching the Solar PV Industry Jobs Report, SAPVIA COO Niveshen Govender, said: “The impact of COVID-19 on the South African economy will be long lasting, but it also presents us with opportunities to rethink our economy and re-focus on a just energy transition. Renewable energy, and solar PV, specifically deliver for both the environment and the economy.”

He continued: “SAPVIA has long recognised the need to quantify the jobs created by a transition to renewables, not least because we understand the impact that any move away from our traditional fuels such as coal will have on communities across South Africa.”

The Solar PV Industry Jobs Report takes stock of the socio-economic impact that has resulted from the deployment of solar PV. The research was conducted by the CSIR on behalf of SAPVIA.

Dr Clinton Carter-Brown, head of the energy centre at the CSIR, stressed: “It is important for South Africa to have a fact and evidence base supporting the job and economic implications of the energy transition and the impacts that emerging industries such as solar PV are having on employment and job creation.”

He added: “This requires the creation and maintenance of related datasets supporting the analysis of the solar PV value chain so that policy and decision-makers have well-informed analytics of historical and present-day jobs in the solar PV sector, and an understanding of the future potential and how policy decisions and localisation can directly support job creation.

In addition to providing low-cost sustainable power, solar PV is also making a direct and significant contribution to job creation, now and into the future.”

According to Govender the study will allow “us to estimate the job creation opportunities from solar PV given the focus on deployment of renewables through the IRP and the current policy directive for enhanced localisation.

“The results of the study show that in the long term the Solar PV industry has the potential to create substantial sustained Operations & Maintenance jobs which accounts for almost 30% of the total current jobs in Solar PV. In the near-term, as we scale up solar PV, job creation will be predominantly in the construction period of projects.”

Key report outcomes
Through the research, the CSIR clearly shows the rate of growth of jobs in the Solar PV sector is linked to the localization of manufacturing [and other services] and the opportunity to increase the job intensity. Increasing local content requires a consistent year on year new build of capacity, as is evident from the modelling results in the report.

“The study further confirms that the Small Scale Embedded Generation (SSEG) market will present considerable opportunity for increased job creation, but the ability to achieve such will be dependent on related policy certainty and enabling frameworks.

The SSEG market segment supports 39 Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) jobs for every MW installed compared to the 17 FTE jobs per MW created through the implementation of utility-scale projects.”

The ability of local Solar PV developers and supply chains to support both the utility-scale and embedded SSEG markets will provide agility to move between these markets and sustain jobs in periods where new build capacity in one market may be lower in any particular period of time.

Wido Schnabel, SAPVIA Chairperson, added: “This Jobs Report has clearly demonstrated the contribution the solar PV industry has already made to job creation and the potential trajectory over the next few years.

As uptake of solar PV continues to increase, the sector will deliver enhanced skills development for South Africans as we transition away from fossil fuels and other traditional fuel sources and provide youth and local communities with additional employment opportunities.”

“The solar PV industry is an enabler for affordable energy, and will support a cleaner environment and create a sustainable pipeline of future-proofed jobs for generations to come. For this to happen we need bold steps and commitment from the government and from the private sector.”

The Solar PV Industry Jobs Report is the start to understanding the status quo of employment benefits of renewable energy and solar PV specifically and SAPVIA will continue to build on this research to track the growth of the industry.

“Solar PV will not be a silver bullet that addresses all our unemployment issues, but with targeted planning, clear policy direction and the support of government and industry, the solar PV sector can contribute decent, skilled jobs now, in the medium and long-term,” says Schnabel.

Source: esi-africa

Producing clean and versatile hydrogen will fulfil a vital role in meeting global decarbonisation goals.

A new 1.5 MWth pilot plant is being built at Cranfield University to test an innovative hydrogen production technology that substantially reduces greenhouse gas emissions.

The HyPER project (Bulk Hydrogen Production by Sorbent Enhanced Steam Reforming) is an international collaboration led by Cranfield University with £7.4 million funding from the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy’s (BEIS) £505m Energy Innovation Programme.

It is set to examine the potential for low-carbon hydrogen to be the clean fuel of the future. The project also involves US-based research and development organisation GTI and Doosan Babcock, a specialist in delivery of low-carbon technologies. The project centres on a novel hydrogen production technology invented by GTI.

Global impact

Dr Peter Clough, Lecturer in Energy Engineering at Cranfield University, said: The first pieces of equipment are already on order and construction is beginning, so we’re looking forward to the plant being operational in autumn this year.

It will be a fantastic opportunity to demonstrate the scale-up of the technology and process, and offer a unique teaching and research facility for students.”

He continued: “In the year of the COP26 climate conference it’s significant that the kind of technology we are exploring could have an important impact globally.

It will minimise greenhouse gas emissions and make the production, storage and transportation of low-carbon hydrogen a reality. We anticipate great benefits for consumers, industry and the hydrogen sector.”

“Energy companies have to meet the reliability, cost, and safety needs that their customers demand at the same time they are reducing the impact on the environment.

Hydrogen is a great solution for that, and this technology offers great market potential and makes economic sense,” said Mike Rutkowski, GTI Senior Vice President, Research and Technology Development. “GTI is developing the technologies for a safe, reliable, affordable pathway to a low-carbon energy future.”

The pilot plant is designed to demonstrate key components of the process and enable future scale-up and lead to commercially operating facilities. The pilot plant will be equipped with state-of-the-art equipment and instrumentation.

Hydrogen could become a widespread resource

Hydrogen (H2) is a vital compound that goes into the production of fertilisers and chemicals, as well as an essential reactant for many processes. The demand for low-carbon hydrogen is expected to increase significantly in the future, as H2 is used to decarbonise the gas grid, industry, power generation and transportation.

New process could offer lower cost and more efficiency

GTI’s innovative hydrogen production technology inherently captures the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide (CO2) during the hydrogen production process and shifts the chemical reactions to favour the production of more hydrogen.

The outputs are high purity streams of hydrogen and carbon dioxide which can be then stored, sold or transported to where they are needed.

The process for the direct production of hydrogen from natural gas that will be used in the project is compact yet scalable to very large plants. It has the potential to produce high purity hydrogen, typically 25% lower in cost than conventional steam methane reforming methods that require CO2 capture as an additional expensive process step.

Conventional technology is also limited in the portion of CO2 emissions that can actually be avoided with reasonable economics. The key benefits of this technology are its significant reduction in capital cost, compact size, and higher efficiency without generating excess steam.

With the HyPER project beginning its construction phase, the University and project team is looking forward to the process insights from the research data generated. Bulk quantities of low-carbon hydrogen will be vitally important for the UK, and globally, to meet 2050 decarbonisation targets.

Source: cranfield

High-skilled oil and gas workers and the supply chain will not be left behind in the transition to a low carbon future, the Britain government vowed on Wednesday as a landmark North Sea Transition Deal is agreed with industry.

London: High-skilled oil and gas workers and the supply chain will not be left behind in the transition to a low carbon future, the Britain government vowed on Wednesday as a landmark North Sea Transition Deal is agreed with industry.

The sector deal between the UK government and oil and gas industry will support workers, businesses, and the supply chain through this transition by harnessing the industry’s existing capabilities, infrastructure and private investment potential to exploit new and emerging technologies such as hydrogen production, carbon capture usage and storage, offshore wind and decommissioning.

Through the deal, the oil and gas sector, largely based in Scotland and the North East, government and trade unions will work together over the next decade and beyond to deliver the skills, innovation and new infrastructure required to decarbonise North Sea production.

Not only will the deal support existing companies to decarbonise in preparation for a net zero future by 2050, but it will also create the right business environment to attract new industrial sectors to base themselves in the UK, develop new export opportunities for British business, and secure new high-value jobs for the long-term.

Extracting oil and gas on the UK Continental Shelf is directly responsible for around 3.5 per cent of the UK’s greenhouse gas emissions.

Through the package of measures, the deal is expected to cut pollution by up to 60 million tonnes by 2030, including 15 million tonnes from oil and gas production on the UK Continental Shelf — the equivalent of annual emissions from 90 per cent of the UK’s homes — while supporting up to 40,000 jobs across the supply chain.

Key commitments in the North Sea Transition Deal include: The sector setting early targets to reduce emissions by 10 per cent by 2025 and 25 per cent by 2027 and has committed to cut emissions by 50 per cent by 2030.

Joint government and oil and gas sector investment of up to 16 billion pound by 2030 to reduce carbon emissions.

This includes up to 3 billion pound to replace fossil fuel-based power supplies on oil and gas platforms with renewable energy, up to 3 billion pound on Carbon Capture Usage and Storage, and up to 10 billion pound for hydrogen production.

By 2030, the sector will voluntarily commit to ensuring that 50 per cent of its offshore decommissioning and new energy technology projects will be provided by local businesses, helping to anchor jobs to the UK.

Business and Energy Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng said: “Today, we are sending a clear message around the world that the UK will be a nation of clean energy as we build back better and greener from the pandemic.

“We will not leave oil and gas workers behind in the United Kingdom’s irreversible shift away from fossil fuels.

Through this landmark sector deal, we will harness the skills, capabilities and pent-up private investment potential of the oil and gas sector to power the green industrial revolution, turning its focus to the next-generation clean technologies the UK needs to support a green economy.”

COP26 President Alok Sharma said: “The UK is once again showing global leadership, and delivering on the Prime Minister’s promise, as we end direct government support for the fossil fuel energy sector overseas.

“By supporting green technology and renewable energy through our overseas finance, we will help to drive international growth in low-carbon industries and create new jobs as part of a global green recovery. We invest in our future ahead of COP26 in Glasgow later this year.”

The offshore oil and gas industry has been a major British industrial success story.

For decades, the sector has strengthened its energy security, generated significant tax revenue to fund its public services, and supported hundreds of thousands of jobs across the UK.

From the Shetland Islands and Aberdeen, to Teesside and the Humber, the industry is critical to the health of local economies.

Source: IANS

This paper outlines design considerations for an effective low-carbon cement standard in the United States, including how to set benchmarks and stringency, how to address leakage and competitiveness, and how to structure cost containment policies.

A low-carbon cement standard offers several advantages as part of a broader climate change policy portfolio and can serve dual purposes: moving the market in the nearer term through existing technological opportunities while setting a clear regulatory roadmap to inspire long-term investment in deep emissions reductions.

We envision that this publication will equip policymakers to consider such a standard as an element of relevant climate policy packages and help ensure that if it is included, it will be designed in a sensible manner based on our recommendations.

• A low-carbon cement standard that sets a limit on the emissions intensity of cement by using tradable credits can encourage the adoption of existing abatement opportunities while setting a clear regulatory road map to inspire long-term investment in deep emissions reductions.
• Cement producers and importers would generate or need to surrender credits based on their performance against an emissions intensity benchmark. These credits would be tradable, rewarding companies that reduce emissions intensity.
• Such a standard would provide a targeted incentive to catalyze decarbonization in the sector in a potentially more effective manner than under economy-wide carbon pricing. The standard would provide incentives to adopt existing abatement options and to invest in emerging technologies.
• Addressing the technological, financial, market, and other barriers to abatement in the cement-concrete value chain will require a suite of complementary policies. Although a low-carbon cement standard can play a significant role, additional policies will be needed to decarbonize the full cement-concrete value chain.
• This paper outlines design considerations for an effective low-carbon cement standard, including how to define an emissions intensity metric, set the benchmark stringency, establish a price ceiling and floor for credits, and address the risk of leakage and competitiveness concerns.

Source: wri.org

–         Renewable energy to be the mainstay of responsible growth for India’s largest data centre operator

–         Company targets to source large part of its electricity from renewable sources to power its data centres by 2025

–         With 17 operational facilities across eight cities, this commitment towards renewable energy is one of largest in the country by a data centre operator

Mumbai, India: ST Telemedia Global Data Centres (India) (STT GDC India) announced today a partnership with Avaada MHKhamgaon Private Limited, a subsidiary of Avaada Energy Private Limited (henceforth referred to as Avaada Energy)  to procure 99MUs/annum (99 Million kWh) of renewable energy under a captive structure. The 99MUs would cater to the company’s facilities in the state of Maharashtra.

Today, as part of its sustainability initiatives, 34% of power for all STT GDC India’s facilities comes from renewable sources, making it one of the largest users of renewable sources among data centre operators in India. The partnership with Avaada Energy along with all the existing sustainability initiatives, will lead to an annual reduction of 4,56,500 tonnes of CO₂ emissions by 2025. This is equivalent to reducing carbon emissions by removing more than 90,000 passenger vehicles from India’s roads in a year. 

By sourcing a large part of its power requirements from carbon-free sources within the next four years, STT GDC India reinforces its firm commitment towards reducing its carbon footprint and fostering sustainable practices whilst continuing to support the growth of the digital economy in India.  This initiative sets a new standard for sustainability for the data centre sector in India.

Announcing the partnership, Sumit Mukhija, CEO at STT GDC India said, “Ever since the inception of STT GDC India, we have strived towards best practices in innovation and sustainability. This decision reflects our relentless commitment to champion sustainable best practices and lead the industry in a similar direction. Going forward, a significant portion of all incremental power for all our new and existing facilities will come from carbon-free sources. We are also closely working with regulators, government agencies and power generation companies to explore suitable environment and banking regimes that can enable us to eventually reach close to 100 percent net renewable energy in terms of power sourcing for our operational data centres. Avaada Energy, understands the global benchmarks of excellence that we hold to as we seek to strengthen our position as the market leader in supporting all our mission critical applications.”

Green initiatives and sustainability are an indispensable part of STT GDC India’s corporate direction.  The company has deployed renewable power via captive power generation structures that offer clean and reliable power in close partnership with established energy players. 

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BENGALURU: This red solar-powered tuk-tuk (autorickshaw) on the Bengaluru roads on Monday was a head turner. Inside it were two excited foreign women, who were on a world expedition on their auto to spread the message of a sustainable, electric and low-carbon future.

Having started in Melbourne, Australia, in November 2018, SolarTuk Expedition team completed 3,000km in the continent before going global. The global expeditition started with Thailand and the tuk-tuk was shipped to India.

The current team — Talia Rose, 25, a biomedical and electrical engineer from Australia and Claire Jenkins, 35, an entreprenur in human resources from the UK — started their India journey of 1,500 km from Chennai on August 15. They arrived in Bengaluru on Sunday and is now on their way to Mumbai.

“India has been an amazing journey. We are still getting used to Indian roads and its rules. We have had problems with cows on roads and curious people taking selfies while riding motor bikes! People are even more interested as we are two women in an auto,” said Talia. The team covers around 200-300km in one day at a maximum speed of 50km per hour. “But Bengaluru traffic made it slower than usual,” she said.

“It was amazing to meet like-minded people. We wanted to have an e-auto race with them, but again Bengaluru traffic played spoil sport,” she said.

“We try to reach as many people as possible who are interested in solar power and renewable energy and we plan our route to meet them. Global greenhouse practices have to come to transport. There is already awareness on the benefits of solar energy here — it is renewable, non-polluting, less noisy and cost-effective. However, it’s not enough. Not only should awareness levels be higher, but people should be given financial aid to convert vehicles to renewable sources of energy. Government should also provide supporting infrastructure like charging points,” said Claire.

Another team from Australia will drive the auto to Delhi from Mumbai before it is shipped to Iran. Around 20 countries will be covered, including those in Europe and North America.

The tuk-tuk was designed by students of Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) and can carry four passengers besides the driver.

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes

The Games will be the first major global sporting event held in China since the Beijing Olympics in 2008. Co-host Zhangjiakou, located approximately 200 kilometers from Beijing, has been identified as having a strong renewable energy resource endowment, with abundant wind, solar and biomass potential in the region. The city aims to generate 50 % of its power from renewable sources by 2020, which will enable 2022 Winter Olympics to be the most green one ever, and also see its pioneer a movement towards the cost-effective decarburization of the world’s greatest spectacles.

“According to the scrutiny thoughts of ‘demonstration pioneering technology with innovation guide ,high-efficient standardization’ , we are honored to be selected as one of the main suppliers of panel for this demonstration project of combining the most advanced technology and products of solar, wind and storage, ” said Gener Miao, CMO of JinkoSolar, “ Our high performance  products will contribute to the new mode and serve for Low Carbon Winter Olympics.”

Source: jinkosolar