'MAYBE' TECH

SHELL'S SCOTTFORD REFINERY BLUE HYDROGEN CCS PROJECT

Shell's Quest CCS plant near Edmonton, Canada, which produces 900 tonnes of blue hydrogen per day.

Photo: Shell

Climate impact of blue hydrogen would be similar to green H2 if emissions were minimised: study

Reducing natural-gas leaks in the supply chain and increasing carbon capture rates would allow blue H2 to be a 'bridging technology', says global team of academics

Blue hydrogen — produced from natural gas with carbon capture and storage — can have a similar climate impact to renewable hydrogen, if two key requirements are met, according to a yet-to-be-peer-reviewed scientific study written by 16 researchers from around the world.

“If methane emissions from natural gas supply are low and CO2 capture rates high, blue hydrogen is comparable with green hydrogen in terms of impacts on climate change,” says the report, entitled On the climate impacts of blue hydrogen production.

The study — written by academics based in the UK, the US, Canada, Swizerland, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands — looks at what could feasibly achieved in terms of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from blue hydrogen production, in contrast to the recent controversial study that largely used historic data to claim that blue H2 is worse than natural gas for the climate.

“Our LCA [lifecycle assessment] of hydrogen production with CCS shows that the term 'blue hydrogen” as such can only be taken as synonym for ‘low-carbon’ hydrogen if two key requirements are met,” states the report, which has appeared on the pre-publication academic website ChemRxiv.

“First, natural gas supply must be associated with low GHG emissions, which means that natural gas leaks and methane emissions along the entire supply chain, including extraction, storage, and transport, must be minimized.

“Second, [methane] reforming technology with high CO2 capture rates must be employed.”

The report states that current carbon capture technology can “allow removal rates at the hydrogen production plant of above 90%”, pointing out that capture rates of “close to 100% are technically feasible, slightly decreasing energy efficiencies and increasing costs, but have yet to be demonstrated at scale”.

“Our main conclusion is that, if the above requirements are met, blue hydrogen can be close to green hydrogen in terms of impacts on climate change and can thus play an important and complementary role in the transformation towards net-zero economies.

Chart from the study showing how blue hydrogen can just sneak into being comparable with green H2 in terms of climate impact, given low methane emissions and high carbon capture rates. Photo: Report authors/ChemRxiv CARBON CAPTURE IS ANOTHER MAYBE TECHNOLOGY

“In order to be competitive with green hydrogen in terms of climate impacts over the long-term, blue hydrogen should exhibit a life cycle GHG footprint of not more than 2-4 kg CO2 [equivalent per] kg. This is only possible with high CO2 removal rates [of 93%, using autothermal reforming] and methane emission rates below about 1% (GWP100) or 0.3% (GWP20).” [see panel below for explanation of GWP]

Part of this assessment is based on the assumption that “no single hydrogen production technology (including electrolysis with renewables) is completely net-zero in terms of GHG emissions over its life cycle and will therefore need additional GHG removal from the atmosphere to comply with strict net-zero targets.”

Presumably, this is a reference to greenhouse gases emitted in the process of producing, transporting and installing solar panels, wind turbines and batteries — although this is not explicitly addressed in the study.

The report states that one shale gas production region in the US has achieved methane emission rates “as low as 0.3-0.4%”, while in Norway, the UK and the Netherlands, “natural gas supply chains have emission rates typically below 0.5%”.

It adds that gas exporters such as Russia, Algeria and Libya have methane emission rates “around or significantly higher than 2%”.

The authors do concede, however, that “there is a very large uncertainty on these emissions, which needs to be urgently addressed by improved measurement, reporting, and disclosure”.

While the report states that “green hydrogen should be preferred [to blue]”, it explains: “Given the short- to medium-term capacity of green hydrogen, blue hydrogen can play a role as a bridging technology supporting the uptake of hydrogen infrastructure and hydrogen end-use transformation.”(Copyright)
GWP20 V GWP100


GWP100 and GWP20 refer to the global warming potential (ie, climate impact] over a 100-year-period and over a 20-year period. Methane is 84-87 times more powerful a greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide over 20 years, but only 28-36 times stronger over the course of a century.

Therefore, dramatically different conclusions can be reached depending on which GWP scenario is used.

Blue hydrogen 'worse than gas for the climate': landmark study's damning verdictRead more

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1 July 2021 11:48 GMT
20 September 2021 15:12 GMT UPDATED 20 September 2021 15:12 GMT
By Leigh Collins

'MAYBE' TECH

'Vast majority' of green hydrogen projects may require water desalination, potentially driving up costs


Fresh water is pumped into a reservoir after being treated at a desalination plant in southern Spain.Photo: AFP/Getty

Most of the 200GW-plus global pipeline is due to be built in arid water-stressed regions, says analyst Rystad Energy

Nearly 85% of the green hydrogen capacity in the global pipeline may need to source its water from desalination, adding substantially to the cost of the H2 produced, according to Rystad Energy.

The Norwegian analyst says that the 206GW of announced green hydrogen projects due to be built by 2040 would require a total of 620 million cubic metres (m3) of purified H2O per year, but that almost 85% of this capacity is due to be built in water-stressed regions such as Spain, Chile and Australia.


World’s first national green H2 tender attracts bids from power, gases, steel and LNG sectorsRead more


Hydrogen now firmly at the heart of the global race to net zero — for better or worseRead more

Desalination of sea water or brackish groundwater may therefore be needed — a power-hungry process that would require additional renewable energy to ensure that the hydrogen is green, pushing up costs.

According to analyst Advisian, desalination costs $0.70-3.20 per m3 of purified water, depending on the size and location of the plant.

The production of green hydrogen uses renewable electricity to split water molecules into hydrogen and oxygen, with roughly 9m3 (9,000 litres) of purified H2O required for each tonne of H2. Desalination requires about 1kWh of electricity per m3 of purified water.

The price of renewable energy is the largest component of the cost of green hydrogen, so it is little wonder that many developers are seeking to build projects in sunny, arid, water-stressed regions where solar power would be cheap to produce.

“Our analysis finds that 14 green electrolyser projects are planned in countries with extremely high water-stress levels, 53 projects are in countries with high water stress, and 162 projects are located in regions with medium to high water stress,” said Rystad. “Hydrogen electrolyser projects in the high to extremely high water-stressed countries will almost certainly require desalination for their water supply — potentially implying a demand of 125.7 million cubic meters of water annually for desalination by 2040.

“Demand for desalination could grow fivefold to 526 million cubic meters by 2040 if all the hydrogen projects within regions with water stress levels above medium are realised.”

The analyst explains that the UN expects global freshwater demand to increase by 60% by 2025 — for agriculture alone.

“Therefore, regions with water stress levels above medium will most likely need to develop this additional desalination capacity to support green hydrogen facilities.”

Currently, only 1% of desalination projects around the world are powered by renewable energy, Rystad adds.(Copyright)

'MAYBE' TECH

A New Electrocatalyst Massively Improves the Commercial Viability of Green Hydrogen

Turning ordinary nickel and cobalt into key pathways for mass producing hydrogen.

By Chris Young

Sep 20, 2021

Petmal/iStock

Researchers from Curtin University identified a more efficient and affordable electrocatalyst to make green hydrogen from water, a press statement reveals. The new material has the potential to enable green hydrogen production at an unprecedented scale.

Scientists have typically used precious metal catalysts, such as platinum to accelerate the separation of water into hydrogen and oxygen. The Curtin team found that by adding nickel and cobalt to cheaper catalysts, they could enhance their performance, making them worth exploring as a commercially viable alternative. The researchers published the results of their findings in the journal Nano Energy.

"Our research essentially saw us take two-dimensional iron-sulfur nanocrystals, which don’t usually work as catalysts for the electricity-driven reaction that gets hydrogen from water, and add small amounts of nickel and cobalt ions," said lead researcher Dr. Guohua Jia. "When we did this it completely transformed the poor-performing iron-sulfur into a viable and efficient catalyst."

Green hydrogen bolsters the fight against climate change

Jia explains that the materials used during the research teams' experiment are more abundant and therefore more affordable. They are also more efficient than ruthenium oxide, the current benchmark material. "Our findings not only broaden the existing "palette" of possible particle combinations, but also introduce a new, efficient catalyst that may be useful in other applications. It also opens new avenues for future research in the energy sector, putting Australia at the forefront of renewable and clean energy research and applications."

Other countries such as France are also making concerted efforts to improve their green hydrogen production. Green hydrogen firm Lhyfe and French engineering school Centrale Nantes recently announced they would open the world's first offshore green hydrogen production plant off the coast of Le Croisic, France. Such efforts will bolster the uptake of hydrogen fuel, which is increasingly being utilized as an alternative to fossil fuels in a bid to turn the tide on the worst effects of climate change. Next, the Curtin researchers hope to conduct further tests with a view to testing the commercial viability of their electrocatalysts. Jia feels that more effort is needed from officials in Australia to improve on the figure of 21 percent of energy coming from renewables in the national energy market.

US DENIES HUMAN RIGHTS OF REFUGEES

‘Obscene’: Rights groups slam US expulsions of Haitian migrants

More than 12,000 Haitian migrants have been camped under a bridge in Texas after wading across Rio Grande from Mexico.

More than 320 Haitian migrants and asylum seekers reportedly landed in the capital Port-au-Prince on Sunday on three deportation flights from the United States 

[Eric Gay/AP Photo]

By Jihan Abdalla
20 Sep 2021


Washington, DC – Rights groups in the United States have blasted the Biden administration for its planned expulsion of some 12,000 mostly Haitian migrants and asylum seekers who have been camped under a bridge in Del Rio, Texas, after wading across the Rio Grande River from Mexico.

US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said on Monday that 6,500 migrants and asylum seekers have been taken into custody in advance of processing and removal from the US. On Sunday, the first flights carrying migrants landed in Haiti’s capital Port-au-Prince.

“It’s completely unconscionable,” Steven Forester, immigration policy coordinator at the US-based Institute for Justice and Democracy in Haiti, told Al Jazeera. “There’s no way Haiti can handle the people that are in Haiti now given the conditions there. It can’t provide for these people.”

The US in May acknowledged the potential dangers Haitian migrants could face if they are deported back to their country

 [Ralph Tedy Erol/Reuters]

Images during the weekend showed hundreds of Haitian migrants trudging waist-deep across the Rio Grande while carrying their belongings over their heads to reach the US, heaping pressure on the Biden administration to rethink its immigration policies.

DHS said the vast majority of the migrants will be expelled under Title 42, a Trump-era health order that cites the coronavirus pandemic as a reason to quickly expel people seeking asylum at the US border.

“If you come to the United States illegally, you will be returned,” Mayorkas said during a news conference in Del Rio on Monday, adding that the US would conduct up to three deportation flights a day. “Your journey will not succeed and you will be endangering your life and your family’s lives.”

Rights groups for months have blasted Title 42 as inhumane, not based on science, and a violation of the US’s own immigration laws – and they have been calling on US President Joe Biden to reverse the policy since he took office in January.

“They should stop deportations,” said Alix Desulme, who is Haitian and serves on city council in the city of North Miami, home to a large Haitian community. “It’s been a cry way before this happened,” Desulme told Al Jazeera, referring to the planned expulsions from the Texas-Mexico border encampment, “and Title 42 needs to be repealed.”
Political, humanitarian crises

The expulsions could not come at a worse time for Haiti.

Haitian President Jovenel Moise was assassinated in July, thrusting a country already grappling with political turmoil into deeper uncertainty. A month later, a 7.2-magnitude earthquake struck, killing over 2,000 people and devastating the southern region of the small Caribbean island.

Even before those events, the US had acknowledged the potential dangers Haitian migrants could face if they are deported back to their country.

On May 22, the Biden administration announced an 18-month Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitians, shielding them from deportations. But the measure only applies to those in the US before July 29.

Many Haitian migrants have been returning to Mexico in fear of deportation from the US [Felix Marquez/AP Photo]

“Haiti is currently experiencing serious security concerns, social unrest, an increase in human rights abuses, crippling poverty, and lack of basic resources, which are exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic,” Mayorkas said in a statement at the time.

Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry said on Saturday that he was “very concerned by the extremely difficult conditions” Haitians were living through at the US-Mexico border, but said Haiti would support them upon their return to the country.

During a news briefing on Monday, White House press secretary Jen Psaki also said the US government has a “range of programme options as well as financial support in place” that would assist Haitian nationals as well as the Haitian authorities, without specifying further.

‘Nothing to go back to’

Nicole Phillips, legal director at the Haitian Bridge Alliance, another US-based support and advocacy group, said the situation in Haiti has grown worse since the TPS designation.

Hundreds of thousands of people in the south of the country are still without housing and have little access to drinking water after the most recent earthquake, Phillips explained.

The political situation also has grown more volatile with gangs in control of key areas and the country’s top prosecutor – who has since been sacked – last week asking the judge investigating Moise’s killing to charge Henry, the prime minister, for alleged involvement in the assassination.

“Many of these migrants at the border, their family members died in the earthquake and others their houses collapsed,” Phillips told Al Jazeera, “so there’s actually nothing for them to go back to. There’s no one to even pick them up at the airport.”

Some Haitian migrants used a dam to cross into the United States from Mexico, on September 18 

[Eric Gay/AP Photo]

She added that many fled Haiti years ago and have been living in South America or waiting in Mexico for months or even years for an opportunity to claim asylum in the US.

Immigration at the US-Mexico border has been a major political challenge for the Biden administration.

Last month, more than 200,000 mostly Central American migrants and asylum seekers crossed into the US. The vast majority were expelled back to Mexico under Title 42, but top Republican leaders accuse Biden of not doing enough to stop people from coming.

Meanwhile, the thousands of Haitians who remain camped under the bridge are suffering in a scorching heat, with little access to food, water and sanitation, immigration advocates say. Many others, fearing deportation, have been returning to Mexico.

“The whole message is deterrence,” Forester said. “The idea that you sacrifice human beings to send a message is obscene and it won’t work.”

SOURCE: AL JAZEERA

UN Officials 'Disturbed' by US Mass Expulsion of Haitian Asylum-Seekers

"Anyone who... claims to have a well-founded fear of being persecuted in their country of origin, they should have access to asylum and to have their claim assessed before being subjected to expulsion or deportation."



People gather on August 17, 2021 after spending the night outside in Les Cayes, Haiti as heavy rain brought by tropical storm Grace hit just after a 7.2 magnitude earthquake struck the region, killing at least 1,400 people. 

(Photo: Reginald Louissant Jr./AFP viaGetty Images)


BRETT WILKINS

COMMON DREAMS

September 21, 2021


As the Biden administration continues deporting thousands of Haitian asylum-seekers, United Nations refugee and human rights officials Tuesday called on the U.S. to respect the legal right of people fleeing violence and natural disasters to seek asylum in the United States

"No matter who you are, regardless of your migration status, everyone has the same rights, and... the right to have the same protection."
—Marta Hurtado, OHCHR

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is in the process of deporting an estimated 14,000 Haitians under what critics claim is the pretext of the Covid-19 pandemic. The Biden administration is invoking Title 42, a section of the Public Health Service Act first used during the tenure of former President Donald Trump in the early months of the coronavirus pandemic to expedite the removal of asylum-seekers before their cases are processed.

Last week, a federal judge ordered an end to Title 42 expulsions. The Biden administration is appealing the order, set to take effect 14 days from the judge's ruling, while ramping up removal flights. U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas on Monday called Title 42 a way to "protect the American public" and "the migrants themselves" from Covid-19.

Many of the asylum-seeking Haitians are encamped under a bridge at the U.S.-Mexico border near Del Rio, Texas. Accounts and images of the camp's squalid conditions, as well as photos and videos of mounted U.S. Border Patrol agents menacing Haitians with horse reins as whips, have sparked widespread alarm and calls to respect migrants' human and legal rights.

"We are disturbed by the images that we have seen and by the fact that we've seen all these migrants and refugees and asylum-seekers in transport to Port-au-Prince," said Marta Hurtado, spokesperson for the U.N. Office for the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), at a Tuesday press briefing in Geneva.

"We are seriously concerned by the fact that it appears that there have not been any individual assessments of the cases ... and that therefore maybe some of these people have not received the protection that they needed," Hurtado added. "What we always repeat is no matter who you are, regardless of your migration status, everyone has the same rights, and... the right to have the same protection."

Shabia Mantoo, the spokesperson for the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), said at the briefing that "while some people arriving at the border may not be refugees, anyone who... claims to have a well-founded fear of being persecuted in their country of origin, they should have access to asylum and to have their claim assessed before being subjected to expulsion or deportation."

"We have been calling for an end to these Title 42 public health-related asylum restrictions for quite some time," she added, "and to ensure access to asylum for those who lives really depend on it."

Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.

Expelled from US, Haitian migrants return to a country wracked with poverty, crime

Issued on: 22/09/2021 -

Migrants cross the Rio Grande river near the US-Mexico border on September 20, 2021 PAUL RATJE AFP/File

Port-au-Prince (AFP)

First, they fled to Latin America in hopes of a better life. When that failed, they set off for the United States. Now, expelled by the hundreds from American soil, young Haitians are forced to return to their impoverished homeland that has no means of welcoming them.

Deported to Haiti with his wife and two-year-old son, Belton has no idea how he will feed his family there. The young man, who asked his real name be withheld out of fear for his safety, is deeply scarred by his three-month-long journey across the American continent.

"We crossed nine countries. We saw a lot of dead people, bodies. We slept in the jungle. And now it's over," Belton said.

Many of the migrants left Haiti years ago. Some of them traveled to Brazil, which was looking for cheap labor at the World Cup in 2014. From there, they headed to Chile, which was experiencing an economic upturn. But in 2018, Chile shut its doors to migrants, and the Haitians set off for the United States.

"They sold everything they had in Chile and spent thousands of US dollars to cross Latin America. And they are now returning to Haiti with only the clothes on their backs," said Haitian economist Etzer Emile.

- 'No work here' -

As thousands of mostly Haitian migrants crammed under a bridge in the town of Del Rio on the US-Mexico border, the Biden administration sped up deportation proceedings, sending the migrants home without giving them a chance to apply for asylum.

A recently deported migrant arrives in Port-au-Prince on September 19, 2021

 Richard Pierrin AFP/File

"We know we were a problem because it was really starting to get crowded under the bridge. But to send us back here, to do what?" asked Raphael, 32, who was deported to the Haitian capital Port-au-Prince on Sunday.

"When I was in Chile, I was able to send some money for my family," he added.

The migrant diaspora in Latin America had become a lifeline for their loved ones back in Haiti. Last year, private remittances from Chile totaled $134 million.

"There is no work here, there is nothing for us to do," said Raphael.

For now, each person deported from Texas received a payment of 10,000 gourdes ($100) from the US government, half of which was paid via a mobile app to prevent the arrivals from being targeted by thieves in Haiti.

Amoce Auguste, lawyer and deputy director of the Office of Citizen Protection, says the government does not help the repatriates, leaving people who haven't lived there for many years on their own.

"Once people leave the airport with a small lump sum, it's over," Auguste said.

They also must reintegrate into Haitian society, no small feat for people who have been gone for "five, seven or 10 years," he added.

- 'All Haitians would like to flee' -

Having once left their country because they couldn't find work, they must now return to a place where the economy is in free fall.

Deported Haitian migrants arrive at the Port-au-Prince airport on September 19, 2021 Richard Pierrin AFP/File

"What we are experiencing is an unprecedented situation: we will see negative economic growth for a third consecutive year," said Emile, the economist.

And if economic hardship were not enough, Haiti is also plagued by gang violence.

"They come at a time when all Haitians would like to flee the insecurity of gangs," said Auguste.

Over the past year, the armed gangs that ruled the shantytowns in the capital have extended their hold across the country.

And the country continues to be mired in deep political turmoil after the assassination of President Jovenel Moise by a hit squad in July.

Dozens of people have been arrested, but the identity of those who orchestrated the crime remains a mystery. Prime Minister Ariel Henry has dismissed suspicions raised against him, and he fired the prosecutor who wanted to charge him in the crime.

Haiti has neither the experience nor the logistics to manage so many incoming migrants, Emile warned.

"But the worst thing is that this is not the authorities' priority," he said.

© 2021 AFP

'We're desperate': Haitian migrants' hopes fade at US border

Issued on: 22/09/2021 -

Haitian migrants stranded at the US border cross the Rio Grande river to get food and water in Mexico 

PEDRO PARDO AFP

Ciudad Acuña (Mexico) (AFP)

Clinging to ropes, some carrying children on their shoulders, Haitian migrants stranded at the US border cross the Rio Grande back into Mexico in search of food, water or medical treatment.

With US authorities deporting planeloads of Haitians back to their crisis-wracked country from Texas, the migrants' fears that their long and treacherous journey was in vain are mounting.

"We're desperate," said 28-year-old Maximil Marcadieu, who spent nearly two months traveling from Chile where he was living, only to find himself stuck with thousands of others in a dusty camp under a bridge.

"Many people dream of going to the United States and now they're deporting everyone," he said.

The United Nations said Tuesday that it was "seriously concerned" about the mass US deportations of Haitian migrants, warning that people with genuine asylum claims may be in danger.

The migrants also risk being picked up by the Mexican authorities when they venture into Ciudad Acuna across the border from Del Rio, Texas.

But many take the chance to look for somewhere to rest, something to eat or treatment for their medical ailments.

Tens of thousands of undocumented migrants, mostly Haitians, have arrived in recent months in southern Mexico, heading north in search of a new life in the United States.

Those who manage to cross Mexico without being detained find only disappointment at the US border.

Migrants cross the Rio Grande holding onto ropes so they won't be swept away 

PEDRO PARDO AFP

The Haitians have been mistakenly told that they will be able to stay in the United States as refugees under "temporary protected status" (TPS), US Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said Monday.

TPS has been in place for years for Haitians who were stuck in the United States after the massive earthquake of 2010.

After political turmoil sparked by the July 7 assassination of President Jovenel Moise, the United States extended TPS for Haitians who were in the country on or before July 29.

- 'Want to live together' -

Marcadieu said that he left Chile with his wife and two-year-old daughter and traveled through Bolivia, Peru, Colombia, Panama, Costa Rica, Honduras, Nicaragua, Guatemala and Mexico.

The migrants cross to the Mexican side of the Rio Grande to look for somewhere to rest, buy food or seek medical treatment

 PEDRO PARDO AFP

The journey included a four-day trek through the lawless jungle of the Darien Gap between Panama and Colombia that has claimed the lives of some migrants.

After coming so far, the risk of being deported by the United States is not enough to deter Marcadieu from trying to cross the last border in his way.

"I have family there in the United States, and Haitians always want to live together -- that's why I left Chile," he told AFP while visiting Ciudad Acuna to look for food.

Volunteers from organizations including medical aid group Doctors Without Borders offer assistance at a park next to the Rio Grande, where several dozen immigrants have set up another camp.

People also arrive in cars and trucks to sell food, water or soft drinks to the migrants.

US authorities pledged to investigate reports that Haitians may have been abused by border patrol officers on horseback while crossing the Rio Grande river to look for something to eat.

Pictures and video footage that spread quickly over social media appeared to show riders swinging their long reins to threaten migrants and push them back toward the river.

Many of the Haitians at the border were previously living in Chile or Brazil and have traveled overland from South America

 PEDRO PARDO AFP

The Haitians, some carrying food on their heads, cross the Rio Grande holding onto ropes that allow them to wade through apparently calm waters that can sometimes hide strong currents.

When the water level rises, border agents close the river crossing.

Elvinson Saintil, 16, traveled from Chile with his parents and three siblings but is nervous about what fate awaits them.

"They say they're also deporting families and pregnant women," he said. "We are afraid."

© 2021 AFP

Haitian migrants' tortuous journey ends in Mexico limbo


Issued on: 22/09/2021 - 

Murat "Dodo" Tilus set off from Chile with his wife, daughter and two grandchildren on August 8, 2021 

CLAUDIO CRUZ AFP

Tapachula (Mexico) (AFP)

After weeks on the road, traversing mountains and jungles, risking assault and drowning, thousands of Haitian migrants hoping to reach the United States have instead found themselves stranded in Mexico.

Many embarked on the journey encouraged by family and friends already living the American dream -- but who often failed to mention the dangers that lay in wait.

Tens of thousands of migrants, including many Haitians previously living in South America, are stuck in the southern Mexican city of Tapachula, waiting for documents 

Those who tire of waiting or run out of money try crossing Mexico anyway, hoping not to be caught by the authorities and deported to Guatemala.

But when they reach the border with the United States, they find themselves trapped again.

Thousands of migrants, many of them Haitians, are now crowded under a bridge in Texas after crossing the Rio Grande river, hoping to be allowed into the country.

Despite the hardships, migrants keep pouring into southern Mexico from Guatemala.

- Fleeing quake fallout -

Every night, Murat "Dodo" Tilus wakes with an excruciating pain in his arm -- the result of a fall on a Colombian mountain on his way to the United States, where he hopes to join his brother.

Haitian migrant Judith Joseph and her children spent two months traveling overland between Chile and Mexico

 CLAUDIO CRUZ AFP

He set off from Chile with his wife, daughter and two grandchildren on August 8, leaving a country that had welcomed him following the 2010 earthquake that left 200,000 dead in Haiti.

"My house collapsed (in the quake), my relatives died, then I decided with my wife to go to another country," the 49-year-old electrician told AFP.

But the "Chilean dream" began to fade in 2018 when the government imposed measures making life harder for migrants.

These days in Chile, "it's very difficult to get a work permit. Everything became more expensive, so people want to leave to look for a better life", he said.

He and his wife Rose Marie raised about $5,000 for the journey, setting off by bus.

After a month-long odyssey crossing 10 countries, they arrived in Tapachula.

Now, they sleep in a room in a home that they share with four other Haitian families, while they wait for an appointment to process their refugee claim.

Haitian and Central American migrants march to the immigration offices in the southern Mexican city of Tapachula to demand documents 

CLAUDIO CRUZ AFP/File

It is only thanks to money sent by Tilus's brother that they are not sleeping in the streets like some migrants.

The Mexican Commission for Refugee Assistance is struggling with a backlog of requests for documents.

So far this year, it has arranged about 77,559 permits for migrants, compared with 70,400 for all of 2019.

Hundreds of migrants tried to cross Mexico on foot this month in caravans but were blocked by the Mexican authorities.

"I want to continue (to the United States) legally," Tilus said.

- Perilous journey -

Judith Joseph fled to Chile from Haiti in 2017 after one of her three children was murdered.

Despite suffering from ailments including diabetes and difficulty walking, the 43-year-old set off on July 10 and arrived in Tapachula nearly two months later with her other two children, Samuel and Cristelle.

The worst part of the journey was crossing the Darien Gap, an area of jungle between Colombia and Panama infested with armed gangs and drug traffickers.

Migrants, mostly from Haiti, gather at a makeshift encampment under the International Bridge in Del Rio, Texas on the border with Mexico 

Jordan Vonderhaar GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP

They saw some migrants drown, while others lost their few belongings.

Life in Haiti, where his mother worked in a market, was equally difficult, said 11-year-old Samuel.

"There were mice in the kitchen at night. During the day there were always Haitian soldiers shooting outside the house," he said.

Now they share a room with others on the outskirts of Tapachula, while they wait for refugee status to continue a journey that Samuel wishes they had never begun.

"I didn't want to leave. I wanted to stay in Chile," he said.

© 2021 AFP

Migrants in Texas: US probes horseback charge on Haiti migrants

Published1 day ago


Images which appear to show border agents on horseback driving migrants back to a river like cattle have sparked an investigation in the US.

The pictures widely shared on social media show the riders using their reins against the migrants and pushing them back towards the Rio Grande in Texas.

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas says his department will investigate reports of alleged abuse.

He said the officers were trying to manage the migrants crossing the river.

Some 13,000 mainly Haitian migrants have gathered in a makeshift camp under a bridge connecting Del Rio to Mexico's Ciudad Acuña on the US-Mexico border.

White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said the footage was horrible to watch.

"I have seen some of the footage. I don't have the full context. I can't imagine what context would make that appropriate. But I don't have additional details and certainly I don't think anyone seeing that footage would think it was acceptable or appropriate."

Some social media users said the pictures were reminiscent of the violence seen in slavery times in the US.

The pictures taken by AFP photographer Paul Ratje show Haitians going back and forth across the border to get food for their families, and finding themselves blocked by the horses.

"Some of the migrants started running to try to get around the horsemen, and one of the agents grabbed the Haitian in the picture by the shirt and he ended up swinging him around while the horse trotted in a circle," he said of a couple of particular photographs.




Ratje says he does not think the man was hurt; shortly after that, he said they "kind of calmed down, and they started letting people in".




US Border Patrol chief Raul Ortiz said the incident was being investigated to make sure there was not an "unacceptable" response by his officers, adding they operated in a difficult environment, trying to distinguish migrants from smugglers.


I

US Border Patrol agents on horseback have been trying to close off crossing points along the Rio Grande river

The UN's refugee agency, the UNHCR, has said it is monitoring US expulsions to Haiti, adding it was imperative that people fearing persecution had access to asylum, Reuters news agency reports.

The US government has reported a surge of migrants arriving at the border with Mexico this year.

The number of people detained there in July exceeded 200,000 for the first time in 21 years, according to government data.

White House investigating ‘horrific' footage of border patrol agents confronting Haitian immigrants

Jason Hoffman, Priscilla Alvarez, Geneva Sands and Paul LeBlanc
CNNDigital
Published Monday, September 20, 2021 

White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Monday that the White House is seeking more information on the "horrific" viral videos that appear to show U.S. Border Patrol agents on horseback confronting Haitian refugees at the U.S. border.

"I've seen some of the footage. I don't have the full context. I can't imagine what context would make that appropriate, but I don't have additional details, and certainly I don't have additional context," Psaki said at the White House press briefing. "I don't think anyone seeing that footage would think it was acceptable or appropriate."

Videos taken by Al Jazeera and Reuters appear to show law enforcement officers on horseback using aggressive tactics when confronting migrants, including authorities swinging long reins near migrants who crossed the US-Mexico border near Del Rio, Texas.

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500 Haitians reported walking through Mexico toward U.S.

Reuters video shows the officers at the water's edge, twirling the long reins as migrants crossed the border at the US shoreline of the Rio Grande. At one point in the video, the officer's horse nearly charges into one of the migrants, who falls back and into the water.

In the Al Jazeera video, a law enforcement officer on horseback is seen swirling the long reins near a group of migrants. Shortly beforehand, another individual on horseback is heard yelling at the migrants, saying, "You use your women? This is why your country's sh*t, because you use your women for this."

Although the profanity is redacted in the video report, Al Jazeera English reporter John Holman published the full quote -- he attributed it to an unnamed Border Patrol agent -- on his Twitter.

Then, as the law enforcement officers attempt to corral the migrants, one of the officers appears to whirl the horse reins near one of the migrants.

The scene played out near a crowded makeshift encampment in Del Rio, where thousands of migrants -- including families, pregnant women and babies -- have gathered under the Del Rio International Bridge. They sleep in the dirt, surrounded by growing piles of garbage, exposed to the elements and without much food and water, in hopes of being processed by the overwhelmed US Border Patrol.

Pressed by reporters Monday for response to the footage, Psaki called it "horrible to watch."

"I can't imagine what the scenario is where that would be appropriate, I'm certainly not suggesting that, but we've just seen the footage earlier this morning," she said. Asked if the agents seen in the footage should be fired for their actions in dealing with migrants, Psaki said: "Of course they should never be able to do it again."

"I don't know what the circumstances would be. It's obviously horrific, the footage. I don't have any more information on it, so let me venture to do that and we'll see if there's more to convey," she added.

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas defended the use of horse patrols but said the department would investigate the situation. Speaking at a news conference near the border, Mayorkas said that, according to US Border Patrol Chief Raul Ortiz, long reins are used to ensure control of the horse.

"[B]ut we are going to investigate the facts to ensure that the situation is as we understand it to be, and if it's anything different we will respond accordingly," he said.

Speaking alongside Mayorkas, Ortiz said horse patrol units play an integral part in the security response in Del Rio. "As you know, we have about half of this area locked down, and we're working on trying to get the other side of the bridge completely locked down," he said.

Ortiz said he had asked that the horse patrol unit do an assessment on Sunday to find out if any individuals were in distress and to provide information and intelligence on the smuggling organization's activities in and around the river.

"As was witnessed in the video and some of the pictures, the migrants were going back-and-forth. We do not know who are the smugglers or who are the migrants, so it's important that those Border Patrol agents maintain a level of security for both themselves and for the migrant population," he said.

Ortiz, who said he has ridden horses for several years, also pointed to the difficulty of operating in a riverine environment on horseback.

Maintaining control of the horses "so we do not get in a position where we injure a migrant as they're trying to make that treacherous trek across that river is probably more important than anything," he said. "And I'm pretty sure and confident that that's exactly what was happening, but we will certainly look into the matter, to make sure that we do not have any activity that could be construed as a response to a law enforcement effort that is unacceptable."

When asked about whether whirling the long reins around migrants was a humane way to treat them, Mayorkas responded by saying, "You're assuming facts that have not yet been determined."

Many of the Haitians currently at the border are believed to have been living in South America after the 2010 earthquake in Haiti, but the toll of the coronavirus pandemic on the region fueled migration to the US southern border.

Haiti is also still reeling from an earthquake in August that resulted in more than 2,000 deaths and thousands more injuries, as well as the assassination of President Jovenel Moise in July. For those reasons, more than 50 Democratic lawmakers urged the Biden administration in a letter earlier this month to halt deportations to the country.

Migrants, many from Haiti, wade across the Rio Grande river from Del Rio, Texas, to return to Ciudad Acuña, Mexico, Monday, Sept. 20, 2021, to avoid deportation from the U.S. The U.S. is flying Haitians camped in a Texas border town back to their homeland and blocking others from crossing the border from Mexico. (AP Photo/Felix Marquez)

U.S. Customs and Border Protection mounted officers attempt to contain migrants as they cross the Rio Grande from Ciudad Acuña, Mexico, into Del Rio, Texas, Sunday, Sept. 19, 2021. (AP Photo/Felix Marquez)

U.S. Customs and Border Protection mounted officers attempt to contain migrants as they cross the Rio Grande from Ciudad Acuña into Del Rio, Texas, Sunday, Sept. 19, 2021. (AP Photo/Felix Marquez)

LONG READ

SPECIAL REPORT-BP gambles big on fast transition from oil to renewables

CONTRIBUTOR
Ron Bousso 

Reuters
PUBLISHED SEP 20, 2021

CREDIT: REUTERS/PETER NICHOLLS

Deep in the Oman desert lies one of BP's more lucrative projects, a mass of steel pipes and cooling towers that showcases the British energy giant's pioneering natural gas extraction technology. The facility earned BP Plc more than $650 million in profits in 2019, according to financial filings reviewed by Reuters. Yet the oil major agreed to sell a third of its majority stake in the project earlier this year.

LONDON, Sept 20 (Reuters) - Deep in the Oman desert lies one of BP's more lucrative projects, a mass of steel pipes and cooling towers that showcases the British energy giant's pioneering natural gas extraction technology.

The facility earned BP Plc BP.L more than $650 million in profits in 2019, according to financial filings reviewed by Reuters. Yet the oil major agreed to sell a third of its majority stake in the project earlier this year. The deal exemplifies a larger strategy to liquidate fossil-fuel assets to raise cash for investments in renewable-energy projects that BP concedes won't make money for years.

BP's big bet is emblematic of the hard choices confronting Big Oil. All oil majors face mounting pressure from regulators and investors worldwide to develop cleaner energy and divest from fossil fuels, a primary source of greenhouse-gas emissions that cause global warming. That scrutiny has increased since early August, when the United Nations panel on climate change warned in a landmark report that rising temperatures could soon spiral out of control.

BP Chief Executive Bernard Looney, who took office in February 2020, is gambling that BP can make the clean-energy transition much faster than its peers. Last year, he became the first major oil CEO to announce that he would purposely cut future production. He aims to slash BP's output by 40%, or about 1 million barrels per day, an amount equal to the UK's entire daily output in 2019. At the same time, BP would boost its capacity to generate electricity from renewable sources to 50 gigawatts, a 20-fold increase and equivalent to the power produced by 50 U.S. nuclear plants. (For a graphic on BP's clean-energy investment plans, see https://tmsnrt.rs/3fbaCJP)


To hit those targets, Looney plans $25 billion in fossil-fuel asset sales by 2025. That's equivalent to about 13% of the company's total fixed assets at the end of 2019. Under his watch, BP has already sold legacy projects worth about $15 billion. In addition to the Oman deal, Looney unloaded oil and gas fields in Alaska and the North Sea and sold off BP's entire petrochemical operation, which produced a $402 million profit in 2019.

Two of BP's key renewables investments, by contrast, are losing tens of millions of dollars, according to a Reuters review of financial filings with Companies House, Britain's corporate registry. BP owns half of Lightsource, a solar energy company that lost a combined 59.3 million pounds ($81.8 million) in 2018 and 2019, the last year for which data is available. The company's UK-based electric-vehicle charging firm, bp pulse, lost a combined 22.3 million pounds ($30.8 million) over the two years.

Performance figures for other assets recently bought or sold by BP are not available because, like other oil majors, it does not usually disclose financials of individual projects. The performance numbers for the two renewable projects and the Oman unit have not been previously reported. BP did not give Reuters updated financials for those projects or others beyond 2019.

The company acknowledged that its fast-growing clean-energy business - including its solar, EV-charging and wind ventures - continues to lose money. BP does not expect profits from those businesses until at least 2025.

The losses are not slowing Looney's spending on renewable energy. He aims to boost annual investment to $5 billion by 2030, a 10-fold increase over 2019. For bp pulse, that means operating 70,000 charging points by 2030, up from 11,000 now. Lightsource, meanwhile, recently completed a $250 million solar farm in rural north Texas and, separately, acquired a U.S. solar company for $220 million. BP is also moving aggressively into offshore wind power, and paying a high cost of entry relative to companies who got established in the business earlier.

As he launched the transition, Looney has slashed jobs, cutting 10,000 employees, or about 15% of the workforce he inherited. BP's share price, meanwhile, has fallen 39% since Looney arrived, the worst performance by any oil major during the period. (For a graphic comparing BP share prices to other oil majors, see https://tmsnrt.rs/3hhM0Ak)

In an interview with Reuters, BP Chief Financial Officer Murray Auchincloss dismissed the importance of the company's recent share performance and said BP and its investors can weather the rapid transformation. The declining oil-and-gas revenue this decade will be offset, in part, by higher expected revenues from gasoline stations and their attached convenience stores, he said. Those stations will increasingly offer electric vehicle charging, a business Auchincloss said is growing much faster than BP had expected, especially in Europe, because of plans by automakers including BMW and Daimler AG, the parent company of Mercedes-Benz, to introduce more electric models.

"Electrification is growing at a much faster pace than we ever could have dreamed," Auchincloss said.

When BP's wind and solar investments start returning healthy profits, Auchincloss said, the returns will be lower than BP expects from oil and gas. But they will be far more stable, he said, compared to the "super volatile" oil business, where prices can rise or fall dramatically. The company also plans to boost profits through its energy-trading operation, one of the world's largest, which will benefit from BP's new focus on generating electricity, Auchincloss said.

Seven current and former BP executives spoke with Reuters on condition of anonymity and shared their views on Looney's transition plan. The executives generally supported the direction but expressed varying levels of concern that Looney is moving too fast in trading high-quality oil assets for more speculative renewable-energy investments. Some worried in particular that selling higher-quality oil assets now could leave BP with mostly lower-quality assets, which will become harder to unload later as the entire industry looks to transition to cleaner energy sources.

A recent attempted sale illustrates the increasing challenge of selling oil assets. When BP tried to sell two stakes in North Sea fields to Premier Oil, it slashed its price by two-thirds in negotiations, to $205 million, only to see the deal collapse entirely late last year when Premier hit financial difficulties.

One former senior BP executive said that Looney may have erred in setting a specific target for renewable-power capacity - one that would be difficult to meet while also hitting profit targets. Meeting those two conflicting goals will become harder as industry competition to acquire renewable assets heats up, said the former executive, who recently left BP. Missing either mark will not go over well with investors, the executive said.

A current senior BP executive countered that Looney, backed by company directors, has taken a bold but reasonable strategy to tackle the vexing challenges facing the industry. "The board knows that you can't please everybody," this executive said, "and the worst thing you can do is take no stand."

BP spokesman David Nicholas said the company has been "strictly disciplined" in choosing renewable investments that meet certain financial criteria and will allow Looney to continue hitting corporate profit targets.

Looney faces a steep challenge in convincing shareholders to come along on what promises to be a wild ride for BP, said Russ Mould, the investment director for AJ Bell, one of UK's largest consumer-investing platforms, serving 368,000 people.

"BP is still looking to sell assets, at a time when demand for them is not great, and recycle that cash into renewable-energy assets, where competition for them is fierce," Mould said in an August note to investors. "That sounds like a potential recipe for selling low, buying high and destroying shareholder value along the way."

'BEYOND PETROLEUM' REDUX

Looney is a 50-year-old Irishman who grew up on a family farm in County Kerry with four siblings. He joined BP in 1991 as a drilling engineer and rose through the ranks of its oil-and-gas exploration and production division -- "upstream" in industry parlance -- before becoming its head in 2016. Confident and charismatic, Looney set his ambitions on "reinventing" BP as a green-energy provider when he took over the CEO's job from Bob Dudley.

Looney's transition may unnerve shareholders who recall BP's late-1990s foray into renewables -- the ultimately abandoned effort to rebrand BP as "Beyond Petroleum." Then-CEO John Browne was the first oil major chief to publicly acknowledge that fossil fuels contributed to climate change. He invested billions of dollars in wind and solar projects, only to see most of them fail over the next decade. Browne did not respond to a request for comment.

This time, BP is going beyond investing in renewables; it's unloading core oil and gas assets. The Oman project is among the world's largest natural-gas fields, and BP reported to Companies house that the field earned a 17% return on capital deployed in 2019.

When BP expanded the Oman project in October 2020 to boost its gas output, Looney called it central to BP's strategy. He has said he envisions natural gas, which has lower emissions of atmosphere-warming carbon than crude oil or coal, as a long-term revenue source to finance the company's metamorphosis.

Late last year, however, Looney faced rising pressure to steady the ship amid the coronavirus crisis, which sapped global fuel demand and crushed oil and gas prices. BP ended the year with $39 billion in net debt, a level that concerned executives including Looney, according to one senior BP executive with knowledge of their internal deliberations. The debt had become problematic because of the company's falling value, which increased its debt-to-equity ratio and jeopardized its credit rating. The concerns, the executive said, also stemmed from a difficulty in convincing bankers and investors that BP's growing renewable-energy business could make money.

In early 2021, Looney called a meeting of BP's top leadership and told them to urgently find ways to cut debt to below $35 billion, the executive said.

Soon after, on February 1, BP announced the agreement to sell part of its stake in the Oman gas field for $2.6 billion to Thailand's PTT Exploration and Production. BP gave up a third of its 60% ownership - or 20% of the whole project - in the deal. That sale and others helped BP cut debt to $33 billion by the end of March. The effort was also aided by rising oil and natural gas prices.

Three current and former BP executives told Reuters that the company decided to sell the stake in such a profitable project because it struggled to find buyers for other assets during the pandemic, which left few firms with an appetite for acquisitions.


BP spokesman Nicholas said that BP had started planning to sell a stake in the Oman project before Looney launched the drive to cut debt.

In a brief interview at a company announcement in April, Looney told Reuters that he was happy with the price for the Oman stake and didn't sell it under duress.

"We're not in a panic here," Looney said. "There is no rush; net debt is very much under control."

Anish Kapadia, head of energy at the investor advisory service Palissy Advisors, said the price for the Oman stake was relatively low compared to comparable sales of natural-gas assets. Based on the project's earnings, Kapadia said he would have expected a value about 25% higher. BP also might have made substantially more money, Kapadia said, by waiting until the oil-and-gas industry rebounded.


"They're selling a profitable, long-life, long-reserve business," Kapadia said of BP. "They're selling it and using those proceeds to fund alternative businesses that aren't going to generate free cash flow for the best part of this decade."

Several months before the Oman deal, in June 2020, BP sold its petrochemicals business for $5 billion to chemicals giant INEOS. The business generated about 4% of BP's total annual profit in 2019.

Some other majors, by contrast, have targeted petrochemicals as a growth area and a hedge against expected long-term declines in oil demand. Royal Dutch Shell RDSa.L and Exxon Mobil XOM.N have in recent years invested heavily in petrochemicals, which supply industries including plastics.

BP spokesperson Nicholas said the company had long ago, in 2005, sold a bigger piece of its petrochemical business to INEOS INEOSE.UL and only retained two specialist operations that were not integrated with the rest of BP. "We sold for a very good price," he said, "to a company that could integrate them into their business."


Looney has often delighted in taking a different path - especially more recently, as the company reported strong second-quarter profits of $2.8 billion on the strength of its recovering oil-and-gas business. Looney has indicated, however, that the fresh influx of cash only makes him want to sell BP's oil assets faster - while it can fetch higher prices for them to finance more renewable investments.

"While we understand the questions in some investors' minds, we do see a compelling proposition to deliver competitive returns" in renewable energy, Looney told investors on the August earnings call.

Mould, the AJ Bell investment director, said Looney's strategy may prove to be the "least bad option" facing BP and other oil firms under pressure to overhaul their businesses. Investors who buy BP shares at their current, beaten-down prices, he said, could see strong long-term returns.

LOSS LEADERS

As BP's fossil-fuel footprint shrinks, it faces a steep challenge in filling the financial void with profits from clean-energy ventures.

For now, BP's renewable projects are taking losses. The firm bought its bp pulse electric-vehicle charging firm - then named Chargemaster - in June 2018 for 130 million pounds ($179.3 million). The oil major hopes to boost the firm's fortunes in part by installing thousands of fast EV chargers alongside gas pumps at its large service-station network. The stations and their attached convenience stores have been a key profit driver, and BP is betting that EV drivers will shop and snack more while charging their cars, which takes longer than a gasoline fill-up.

BP announced a deal to acquire a 43% stake in Lightsource in December 2017 for $200 million. It now owns 50% of the firm, which operates solar farms in 15 countries and has tripled capacity since 2017 to 20 gigawatts.

Dev Sanyal, chief of BP's natural-gas and renewables businesses, said that solar-power businesses start delivering profits more quickly than offshore wind, where development can take much longer. But solar initially delivers lower returns than wind, Lightsource BP CEO Nick Boyle said in the 2019 filing reviewed by Reuters. The returns increase gradually, in part because solar has lower maintenance costs than wind facilities.

BP this week announced the appointment of Anja-Isabel Dotzenrath, a veteran renewables and power sector executive, as its new head of natural gas and renewables, replacing Sanyal. The move was seen as further sign of Looney's drive to diversify away from oil and gas.

PRICEY WIND PROJECTS

BP moved aggressively into offshore wind in October 2020 when it bought a 50% stake from Norwegian energy giant Equinor EQNR.OL in two projects off the U.S. East Coast for about $1 billion. Offshore projects, the industry's next frontier, are far more complex and capital-intensive than onshore projects and use newer technology.

Many top oil companies with experience in operating deepwater oil and gas fields have made a similar push. Some, such as Shell and Equinor, started their offshore wind ventures several years ago. Utilities such as Spain's Iberdrola IBE.MC and Denmark's Orsted ORSTED.CO are also well established.

That stiff competition means BP is paying a hefty price of entry, some rivals say privately. In February, BP and its partner Energie Baden-Württemberg AG paid 900 million pounds ($1.24 billion) for the rights to build two projects in the Irish Sea in Britain's offshore wind licensing round.

BP's Sanyal acknowledged the high costs of entry. But he said the prospect of long-term power-supply contracts will make the returns more reliable.

"You don't have the highs and lows of oil and gas," Sanyal said.

It will be years before investors know the outcome of Looney's wager on renewables. Still, even BP's relatively fast transformation doesn't go far enough in reducing climate damage, said Kim Fustier, an oil-and-gas analyst at HSBC bank. She expects BP's earnings from renewables and low-carbon businesses to represent 4% to 5% of total earnings by the middle of the decade and 10% to 15% by 2030.

"This is nowhere near enough for investors to start thinking of these companies as being part of the solution," Fustier said.

($1 = 0.7251 pounds)

BP shares lag rivals as it makes rapid clean-energy transition https://tmsnrt.rs/3hhM0Ak

BP plans big increases in clean-energy investments https://tmsnrt.rs/3fbaCJP

(Reporting by Ron Bousso; editing by Simon Webb and Brian Thevenot)

The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

'MAYBE' TECH

California "green hydrogen" facility claims to displace more CO2 than electrolysis from renewable energy

 STEPHEN EDELSTEIN

SEPTEMBER 14, 2021

Hydrogen firm SG H2 Energy plans to build a hydrogen production facility that, the companies claim, will significantly reduce greenhouse-gas emissions.

Located in Lancaster, California, the facility will use SG H2 Energy's gasification process, which the company claims reduces carbon-dioxide (CO2) emissions even more than electrolysis from renewable energy, which is generally considered to be the cleanest hydrogen-production method.

The company said a preliminary lifecycle analysis from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory shows its process displaces 30 tons of CO2 for every ton of hydrogen produced, which it claims is 13-19 tons more CO2 displaced than electrolytic hydrogen. SG H2 also claims its hydrogen will be four to five times cheaper to produce.


Hyundai Hydrogen Wave concepts


The facility will use waste paper as a feedstock, along with recycled water, according to an SG H2 Energy press release. Both will be provided by the City of Lancaster, which will also be co-owner of the facility. This arrangement will reduce landfill methane, and save the city $50 to $75 per ton, according to SG H2 Energy.

Located on a five-acre plot, the facility is scheduled to break ground in Q1 2022, and start production in Q3 2023, according to SG H2 Energy. At full capacity, it will produce 3.85 million kilograms of hydrogen annually, and process 42,000 tons of recycled waste, the company claims. Japanese industrial-gas company Iwatani will purchase the bulk of the hydrogen for use at its stations in California.

Not all hydrogen advocates are thinking as green. The bipartisan infrastructure bill includes provisions for so-called "hydrogen hubs" that could use coal as a potential source. That could prove shortsighted in multiple ways.


Karma Automotive tests Blue World Technologies fuel-cell system


An analysis from IHS Markit last year found that hydrogen from renewables could be cost-competitive by 2030. So any economic advantage from dirtier hydrogen could soon disappear.

And according to a report from the California Energy Commission, hydrogen could reach price parity with gasoline by 2025. Part of the issue includes not just creating the demand, but creating the infrastructure to distribute it. That's led some companies to consider solutions that bring the actual hydrogen production onboard—such as the Blue World system Karma said that it was testing.

SWEDEN
Vattenfall aims to quadruple wind and solar to reach net-zero by 2040

20 September 2021 by Craig Richard

Swedish utility plans to grow renewables fleet, phase out coal and help hard-to-decarbonise sectors boost electrification

Vattenfall CEO Anna Borg said the energy transition offers opportunities for her company


Swedish energy giant Vattenfall plans to quadruple its wind and solar fleet to help it reach net-zero emissions across its full value chain by 2040.

The company also plans to reduce its emissions intensity – the volume of emissions per unit of GDP – by more than 77% between 2017 and 2030.

It aims to help partners and society to electrify industrial processes in sectors such as steel, cement, heavy transport and chemicals, enabling emissions reductions beyond its own value chain.

More concrete measures include increasing the number of electric charging points 25-fold from the number it had in operation in 2020 and switching its last two operational coal-fired heat plants in Berlin, Germany, to a mix of biomass, heat pumps, power-to-heat and natural gas. However, it has not given a target date for either of these plans.

Vattenfall CEO Anna Borg said: “The climate crisis is for real and not only do we have a responsibility to step up and move fast, we also see many opportunities for us at Vattenfall in being a leader in this urgent transition.

“Achieving 2C is not enough. The 0.5C difference means the world to us and is a huge step towards fossil free living within one generation.”

A panel of independent scientists has verified that Vattenfall’s emissions reduction targets are now in line with the most ambitious goal of the Paris Climate Agreement: limiting global warming to 1.5C above pre-industrial levels. The Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) has also verified climate targets for Siemens Gamesa and Vestas.

Vattenfall set climate targets in 2019 – reducing direct emissions from activities under its control and indirect emissions from electricity purchased by 38% by 2030 from a 2017 baseline, aw well as reducing emissions from the rest of its value chain 20% by 2030 – which were consistent with 2C of global warming. It met these targets last year.

The company has stakes in 5.6GW of operational onshore and offshore wind power capacity, according to Windpower Intelligence, the research and data division of Windpower Monthly.

MORE IMAGINERY FUTURE TECH VS REALITY
Indonesia clings to coal despite green vision for economy

Even as Indonesia wins cautious praise from some green groups for ambitious plans to cut carbon emissions, the world's biggest exporter of thermal coal shows no sign of weaning itself off the polluting fuel any time soon.

Fransiska Nangoy Reuters
Gayatri Suroyo Reuters
PUBLISHED SEP 20, 2021

CREDIT: REUTERS/WILLY KURNIAWAN

JAKARTA, Sept 20 (Reuters) - Even as Indonesia wins cautious praise from some green groups for ambitious plans to cut carbon emissions, the world's biggest exporter of thermal coal shows no sign of weaning itself off the polluting fuel any time soon.

Indonesia, the eighth-biggest carbon emitter, recently brought forward its goal for net zero emissions from 2070 to 2060 or sooner, ahead of the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Glasgow in November, and joined a U.S.-led Global Methane Pledge.

It also plans to stop commissioning new coal-fired power plants and phase out coal for electricity by 2056 under a new, greener long-term economic vision.

But - as with other coal producers such as Australia and India - Indonesia is wrestling with how to balance its environmental targets with the cost of pulling the plug on an industry that contributed $38 billion in export earnings in the first seven months of 2021.

"We are phasing out coal power plants. But if you ask whether we're closing down mines, we have the coal and there are other utilisation options," Dadan Kusdiana, the energy ministry's head of renewable energy, told Reuters.

The U.N.'s climate change report warned that global warming was dangerously close to being out of control in what has been described as "a death knell for coal and fossil fuels".

Still, Indonesia is exploring ways to keep consuming and extracting value from coal by using carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology, although environmentalists say CCS is unproven and expensive.

COAL GASIFICATION

With nearly 39 billion tonnes of reserves, coal remains the economic backbone of parts of Indonesia and miners are among the biggest taxpayers.

The government has been encouraging miners to invest in production of dimethyl ether (DME) from coal. Under new laws passed in 2020, it no longer requires them to pay royalties to the government on such processes, and their mine permits can be extended.

It has touted DME as a replacement for imported liquefied petroleum gas and a feed stock for chemicals and fertilizer.

Making DME requires burning coal, so it needs to be paired with CCS to be environmentally friendly, Dadan said.

However, if Indonesia can adopt CCS more widely and cheaply, the technology could also be applied to coal power plants, extending their usage, he said.

"This appears like a win-win move to accommodate all sides because they don't dare to firmly shut down coal completely," said Egi Suarga of the World Resources Institute Indonesia.

He said that although using CCS technology is feasible, there is risk of leakage in trying to capture emissions from burning and mining coal.
RECORD PRICE

Coal power generation is Indonesia's second-biggest emissions source after deforestation, contributing 35% of its 1,262 gigatonnes of CO2 equivalent a year, government data showed.

Indonesia consumes about 130 million tonnes of coal annually to fuel 60% of its 73 gigawatt (GW) electricity capacity, and exports about three times that amount.

Renewable sources like solar, hydro and geothermal make up just 11% of its energy mix, even though experts say Indonesia has 400 GW of renewable potential.

The government has pledged to increase the renewable share to 23% by 2025. Still, data from energy think-tank IEEFA shows that about 16 GW of new coal power capacity is expected to come online between 2021 and 2030.

"Because all the demand in Java and Bali has been met by coal, and there is even an oversupply, that is effectively killing renewable energy," said Adhityani Putri, executive director of the Indonesia Cerah Foundation.

Coal power remains the cheapest option, costing about 600 rupiah (4.22 U.S. cents) per kilowatt-hour (kWh) last year, versus gas at about 1,600 rupiah per kWh and geothermal at 1,100 rupiah per kWH, the state utility data showed.

Cerah and other green groups have campaigned to retire coal plants early, but officials have said this could trigger fines for breaching contracts with independent power producers.

Meanwhile, coal prices hit all-time highs this year, helping Indonesia book record exports and a trade surplus in August. The government raised its 2021 coal output target by 14% to 625 million tonnes to cash in.

On the flip side, parliament is reviewing a government-proposed carbon tax, and Indonesia has ambitious plans to use its nickel reserves to become a production hub for batteries and electric vehicles.

As an archipelago, Indonesia is aware of its vulnerability to climate change, but policies must consider economic developments, including the future of coal and the jobs it provides, Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati said.


"If you don't think about things like this, the people could get lost in all of these transitions and it could become a social problem," she told Reuters, citing how anger over U.S. coal mine closures created "populist" voters.

($1 = 14,227.0000 rupiah)

Coal's share of Indonesia's primary energy mixhttps://tmsnrt.rs/2XKnUr4

Indonesia carbon dioxide emissions vs coal's share in energy mixhttps://tmsnrt.rs/39kz881

Indonesia electricity generation by sourcehttps://tmsnrt.rs/3hQ6MXP

(Additional reporting by Bernadette Christina Munthe; Editing by Ed Davies and Gerry Doyle)

Greta Thunberg ‘Will Be Back On The Streets’ For Global Climate Strike

NESTLE GREEWASHING 'MAYBE' TECH

Agriculture is one of the world’s top polluting industries, accounting for up to one-fifth of global greenhouse gas emissions. Ahead of COP26, many major food groups have committed to slashing their carbon emissions and reaching net zero in the coming decades. CNBC gets an inside look at how Nestlé, the world’s largest food and beverage company, will use regenerative farming to reach net zero by 2050.