Newfoundland wind-to-hydrogen company eyes data centre as international market lags

By The Canadian Press

November 19, 2024

ST. JOHN’S, N.L. — A company hoping to build a multi-billion-dollar wind-to-hydrogen project in western Newfoundland is eyeing other options as Canada’s plans to supply Europe with green energy have not yet materialized.

Led by seafood mogul John Risley, World Energy GH2 is developing a concept for what it calls a “renewable energy campus,” which would use fuel produced from its operations, a company spokesperson confirmed in a recent email.

As first reported by news outlet allNewfoundlandLabrador.com, the campus would harness power from the planned wind turbines to power a data centre aimed at artificial intelligence companies.

“As the commercial-scale green ammonia market is taking longer to develop than expected, there are other opportunities for renewable energy that can combat climate change on a larger scale,” company spokesperson Laura Barron said in a recent email.

World Energy GH2 is angling to become Canada’s first commercial green hydrogen operation, but it has competition. Its Project Nujio’qonik includes plans for a plant in Stephenville, N.L., that would produce hydrogen and convert it to ammonia for shipping. Several onshore wind farms would power the plant.

It is one of at least four wind-to-hydrogen proposals registered with the Newfoundland and Labrador government for consideration, though it is the only one approved so far. The project has met with opposition from some western Newfoundland residents concerned about their region’s delicate ecosystem.

German officials flew to Stephenville in 2022 to sign a commitment with Canada to create an alliance that would see Canadian-produced green hydrogen shipped to German buyers by next year.

That goal may be too ambitious, said Amit Kumar, an engineering professor at the University of Alberta.

It’s still too expensive to produce green hydrogen in Canada and convert it to ammonia for shipment to Europe, where it would be converted back into hydrogen, Kumar explained in a recent interview. Each step in that process adds cost.

It will likely be at least another decade before the technology improves enough — and the proper infrastructure is built — to make green hydrogen produced in Canada cheap enough for German buyers, he said.

“We have not developed the infrastructure to export it, to convert it, to liquefy it — either we liquefy it or convert it to ammonia — and to export it to Germany,” Kumar said. “I think it’s going to happen, but it will take time.”

He agreed that a data centre powered by wind would likely make economic sense in the meantime.

In a recent email, the Newfoundland and Labrador government said it had not been formally advised of any data centre plans by World Energy GH2. Any such plans would need government approval, said a spokesperson for the Department of Industry, Energy and Technology.

Tom Rose, the mayor of Stephenville, said he, too, has not been informed of any data centre plans. However, he said he has met with companies interested in data centre opportunities in the region, given that World Energy GH2’s plans to develop renewable energy there.

“The economic footprint of where (artificial intelligence) is going, and its impact on on the globe, it’s just growing and growing and growing,” Rose said in a recent interview. “And here we are with an opportunity to have that data being driven by the best, greenest energy hub region in North America.”

Stephenville is home to roughly 7,300 people and a local College of the North Atlantic campus. Rose said he has no concerns that World Energy GH2 may not be able to find enough skilled workers for a data centre.

“I think it’ll be no problem to attract expatriate Newfoundlanders, people who want to immigrate into Canada and work in Stephenville, from all parts of the world,” he said.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 19, 2024.

 

OPG wraps up Darlington 1 refurbishment early

Tuesday, 19 November 2024

Refurbishment activities have been completed five months ahead of schedule at the third of four nuclear units to undergo the process at the Ontario Power Generation plant, which will soon be reconnected to the grid.

The turbine hall at Darlington 1 (Image: OPG)

The 875 MWe unit was taken offline for refurbishment in February 2022, following units 2 and 3, which completed refurbishment in 2020 and 2023, as part of a 10-year CAD12.8 billion (about USD9.7 billion) mega-project to refurbish all four Candu units at the site. The final unit undergoing refurbishment, unit 4, is currently in the reactor rebuilding phase, and is on schedule to be completed by the end of 2026.

Separately, the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) announced it has removed the fourth and final regulatory hold point for the Darlington 1 refurbishment, allowing Ontario Power Generation (OPG) to exceed 35% full operating power for the refurbished reactor and proceed with normal operations. Hold points are mandatory checkpoints where CNSC approval is required before the licensee can move on to the next stage of the process to return the unit to operation.

The refurbishment will allow the units to continue generating electricity for a further 30 years. In addition, unit 1 will become the first Darlington reactor to produce cobalt-60, a vital radioisotope whose uses include sterilising single-use medical devices, such as syringes, implants, and surgical instruments. About half of the global supply of the isotope is produced in Ontario's Candu reactors.

"With the refurbishment of another unit, OPG, our employees, and our project partners continue to demonstrate that we can execute major nuclear projects not only on time, but ahead of time, and with a clear commitment to quality," OPG President and CEO Ken Hartwick said. "This latest milestone reflects our decade of preparation and planning, as well as our dedication to quality and innovation, and the hard work of our entire project team, vendors, skilled trades, and energy professionals."

"Ontario needs more electricity - 75% more by 2050 - to power new homes, historic new investments and an electrifying economy," the province's Minister of Energy and Electrification Stephen Lecce said. "Delivering this massive clean energy project five months ahead of schedule is a testament to the incredible knowledge and skill of Ontario workers and positions us for success as we build out our plan to meet the soaring energy demand over the next 25 years."

According to a report by the Conference Board of Canada, the Darlington refurbishment project and the subsequent 30 years of station operation are expected to generate a total of CAD90 billion in economic benefits for Ontario and create 14,200 jobs per year.

Norway SMR options to be explored with X-energy

Tuesday, 19 November 2024

Norsk Kjernekraft has signed a memorandum of understanding with high-temperature gas-cooled pebble-bed nuclear reactor developer X-energy to explore the deployment of small modular reactors in Norway.

A conceptual rendering from earlier this year of how a data centre with an SMR power plant and a green electrolysis factory might look (Image: Norsk Kjernekraft)

The memorandum of understanding also encompasses DL Energy and DL E&C, from South Korea's DL Group, who signed a collaboration agreement with Norsk Kjernekraft in August. The Norwegian company said the aim was to combine the Korean firm's expertise and experience in building nuclear power facilities with the US-based X-energy's reactor technology.

The August agreement included a feasibility study of constructing a nuclear power plant at the Mongstad oil refinery in the Austrheim and Alver municipality, with the Norwegian firm aiming for such a plant to be built by the mid-30s if there is "political will". In August Norsk Kjernekraft also submitted a proposal to Norway's Ministry of Energy for an assessment of the potential construction of a power plant based on multiple SMRs in the municipality of Øygarden, west of Bergen. That proposal followed proposals submitted for SMR power plants in Aure and Heim municipalities, as well as Vardø municipality.

Last month internet shopping and web services giant Amazon announced it was taking a stake in X-energy with the goal of deploying up to 5 GW of its small modular reactors in the USA by 2039.

Jonny Hesthammer, CEO of Norsk Kjernekraft, said: "South Korea has extensive experience in the efficient construction and operation of nuclear power plants, while the US has the leading technology. The recent investment by Amazon, one of the world’s largest companies, in X-energy underlines the importance of this agreement. This is simply because it increases the chances of succeeding. While the SMRs to be developed by X-energy are considered fourth generation, the technology is well-proven. Their use of TRISO fuel in the form of tennis ball-sized pebbles means that meltdown is not possible, something that many worry about."

Alistair Black, Senior Director for X-energy, said: "We’re delighted to be working with DL Energy to assess the potential for an Xe-100 advanced small modular reactor project in Southwest Norway for the nuclear development company Norsk Kjernekraft. We have projects under way in the US and could help Norway decarbonise its industrial sector and transport network and meet growing electricity demand from the booming artificial intelligence and cloud computing sectors."

In June, the Norwegian government announced the appointment of a committee to conduct a broad review and assessment of various aspects of a possible future establishment of nuclear power in the country. It must deliver its report by 1 April 2026.

X-energy's Xe-100 is a Generation IV advanced reactor design which X-energy says is based on decades of high temperature gas-cooled reactor operation, research, and development, and is designed to operate as a standard 320 MWe four-pack power plant or scaled in units of 80 MWe. At 200 MWt of 565°C steam, the Xe-100 is suitable for a range of uses and power applications including mining and heavy industry. The Xe-100 uses tri-structural isotropic (TRISO) particle fuel, which has additional safety benefits because it can withstand very high temperatures without melting.

X-energy says its design makes it road-shippable with accelerated construction timelines and more predictable and manageable construction costs, and is well suited to meet the requirements of energy-intensive data centres.

Generator stator arrives at Hinkley Point C

Tuesday, 19 November 2024

The turbine generator stator for the Hinkley Point C nuclear power plant under construction in Somerset, England, has been delivered from the manufacturing plant in Belfort, France.

The stator arrives at the construction site (Image: EDF Energy)

The stator - measuring 12 metres in length and weighing 450 tonnes - was supplied by EDF subsidiary Arabelle Solutions. It was delivered to the construction site on 17 November following a journey via road, rail and sea.

(Image: EDF Energy)

The stator is a key component of the turbine generator, serving as the stationary portion of an electric generator that converts the rotating magnetic field into electric current.

(Image: EDF Energy)

EDF completed its acquisition of a portion of GE Vernova's nuclear conventional islands technology and services, including its Arabelle steam turbines, in May this year. The transaction included the manufacturing of conventional island equipment for new nuclear power plants as well as related maintenance and upgrade activities for existing nuclear plants outside of the Americas. EDF's acquisition of the business - at that time, known as GE Steam Power - was first announced in early 2022 and the final agreement was signed in the November of that year.

Construction of Hinkley Point C - composed of two EPR pressurised water reactors of 1630 MWe each - began in December 2018, with unit 1 of the plant originally scheduled to start up by the end of 2025, before that was revised to 2027 in May 2022. In January, EDF announced that the "base case" was now for unit 1 being operational in 2030, with the cost revised from GBP26 billion (USD32.8 billion) to between GBP31-34 billion, in 2015 prices.

When complete, the two EPR reactors will produce enough carbon-free electricity for six million homes, and are expected to operate for as long as 80 years.

SMRs to help decarbonise Dutch energy system, study concludes

Monday, 18 November 2024

Small modular reactors could play an important role and contribute to the Dutch energy transition, a joint report by NRG-Pallas and TNO concludes. The study shows that there is room for more than 13 SMRs in 2050.

(Image: NRG-Pallas / TNO)

The study, the partners said, utilises "NRG-Pallas' expertise in innovative reactor technologies and TNO's energy system model OPERA".

Two scenarios drawn up by TNO were used in this study: ADAPT and TRANSFORM. These scenarios are based on different visions of the future for the Dutch energy system. In both visions, the aim is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 55% by 2030 and to achieve greenhouse gas neutrality by 2050.

In order to investigate the sensitivity of the results with respect to boundary conditions and assumptions, a few 'what-if' analyses were performed. These what-if analyses examined whether investment in and use of SMRs change when input parameters are varied.

"The results show that SMRs have a role to play in the Dutch energy transition," the study says. "The optimal contribution of SMRs to 2050 was calculated for various assumptions about future society. The results show that two to more than 13 SMRs (of 150 MWe) can be deployed with room for further expansion of this number in 2050."

It adds: "These results are contingent on policy objectives, expected market availability and realisation periods. If constraints on the potential deployment capacity are partially lifted, as is done in some of the what-if analyses, it is observed that there may even be room for more than 27 SMRs (of 150 MWe). This what-if analysis result can be interpreted as a more economically optimal solution, but is obviously conditional on the aforementioned aspects used to define the potential limits for the scenarios being sufficiently adjusted to allow for this to occur.

"On the other hand, with delayed introduction of SMRs or no nuclear at all, a carbon neutral energy system in 2050 is possible as well. The exact optimum depends mainly on the future of industry, and more specifically on the future heat demand from activities such as refineries and (bio-)aromatics production, and the degree of electrification in society. Nevertheless, it can be concluded that SMRs are an important option for decarbonisation of the industry by supplying process heat."

An earlier scenario study by TNO showed that in an energy system without new nuclear power plants, the system costs are 1% to 2.5% higher than with nuclear energy. "Although nuclear power plants are initially more expensive than wind turbines and solar panels, the loss of nuclear energy as an energy supply should be compensated for by greater use of more expensive flexibility options, such as energy storage," NRG-Pallas noted.

In April 2023, in its draft Climate Fund for 2024, the Dutch government budgeted funds totalling EUR320 million (USD352 million) for the development of nuclear energy. The funds will be used for the preparation of the operational extension of the existing Borssele nuclear power plant, the construction of two new large reactors, the development of small modular reactors and for nuclear skills development in the Netherlands.

In August 2022, the UK's Rolls-Royce SMR signed an exclusive agreement with ULC-Energy to collaborate on the deployment of Rolls-Royce SMR power plants in the Netherlands. ULC-Energy - established in 2021 and based in Amsterdam - aims to accelerate decarbonisation in the Netherlands by developing nuclear energy projects that efficiently integrate with residential and industrial energy networks in the country.

Chernobyl considered as site for new small modular reactors

Monday, 18 November 2024

The area around the Chernobyl nuclear power plant is one of the places being looked at as potential locations for Ukraine's planned future wave of small modular reactors.

The former Chernobyl nuclear power plant is surrounded by an exclusion zone (Image: CHNPP

Representatives of the State Agency of Ukraine on Exclusion Zone Management and specialists from Ukraine's nuclear energy giant Energoatom, joined Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant (CNPP) officials last month to visit several areas within the exclusion zone and around the plant, CNPP reported. "This was followed by a technical discussion on the suitability of these sites for future SMR construction," it added.

It was the second on-site meeting to "review potential locations for small modular reactors (SMRs) proposed by Chornobyl NPP and discuss land allocation matters".

The Chernobyl nuclear power plant lies about 130 kilometres north of Kiev and about 20 kilometres south of the border with Belarus. Following the 1986 accident, a 30-kilometre exclusion zone was created around it. (Read more: World Nuclear Association's guide to the Chernobyl accident)

Ukraine's big plans for SMRs
 

Ukraine has plans for as many as nine new Westinghouse AP1000 large reactors across the country, as well as developing a programme for SMRs. Progress on its new nuclear has continued amid the on-going war with Russia, which has seen its largest nuclear power plant - Zaporizhzhia NPP - under Russian military control since early March 2022.

Energoatom signed an agreement last year which could pave the way for up to 20 of Holtec's SMRs. It has also been exploring options with a number of other potential SMR providers.

On Saturday at the COP29 UN climate conference in Baku, Azerbaijan, US Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security, Bonnie Jenkins, and Ukraine Minister of Energy Herman Halushchenko announced three project partnerships:

- To build a pilot plant in Ukraine to demonstrate production of clean hydrogen and ammonia "using simulated safe and secure small modular reactor technology". The project is being carried out by a multinational public-private consortium from Japan, South Korea, Ukraine, and the USA.
- Project Phoenix funding to help facilitate the transition of Ukraine’s coal-fired power plants to SMR nuclear power plants, carrying out siting and feasibility studies.
- To develop a roadmap and provide technical support to rebuild, modernise, and decarbonise Ukraine’s steel industry with SMRs.  The roadmap will pave the way for using clean electricity, process heat, and hydrogen from SMRs for clean steel manufacturing and production

The American Society of Mechanical Engineers (AMSE) said it would be working to support the clean steel programme, with CEO Tom Costabile saying: "Small modular reactors are an important part of the clean energy future, as well as an economic redevelopment opportunity for Ukraine."

Russia places 'tit-for-tat' ban on US uranium exports

Monday, 18 November 2024

Russia has announced restrictions on exports of enriched uranium to the USA. The temporary ban is in response to US restrictions on imports of Russian uranium products which came into force earlier this year.

President Vladimir Putin said in September that Russia would consider placing restrictions on uranium exports (Image: Kremlin)

The Russian government announced the ban on its official website on 15 November as an amendment to Government Decree No 313 of 9 March 2022. It covers exports "to the United States or under foreign trade contracts concluded with persons registered in the jurisdiction of the United States". Exemptions will be made for deliveries under one-off licences issued by the Russian Federal Service for Technical and Export Control.

"The decision was made on the instructions of the President in response to the restriction imposed by the United States for 2024-2027, and from 2028 - a ban on the import of Russian uranium products," the Russian government said. "Vladimir Putin instructed to analyse the possibility of restricting supplies to foreign markets of strategic raw materials in September at a meeting with the Government."

According to the Tass news agency, Russian state nuclear corporation Rosatom said the ban was legal and the expected "tit-for-tat response to actions of the US authorities". Deliveries of Russian uranium to countries other than the USA "will continue without changes, on conditions agreed with customers and subject to requirements of national laws", Rosatom said.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told Tass that "in cases where it serves our interests, Russia’s Federal Service for Technical and Export Control may decide to exclude certain items from this list of bans", but said the government had assessed the implications and consequences of the "absolutely reciprocal" countermeasures. "But the key point is that this should fully align with our interests and not undermine them. That is the basis for what has been done," he said.

US President Joe Biden signed the Prohibiting Russian Uranium Imports Act in May after the bill was passed unanimously by the US Senate. The prohibition came into effect in August, and will last until the end of 2040. Waivers may be granted to allow the import of limited amounts of Russian-origin LEU, under certain circumstances, until 1 January 2028.

US enrichment company Centrus received such a waiver from the US Department of Energy in July, allowing it to import low-enriched uranium from Russia for delivery to US customers in 2024 and 2025. Tenex - a Russian government-owned company - is Centrus' largest supplier of low-enriched uranium for delivery to its US and international customers pursuant to a 2011 contract.

Tenex has now notified Centrus that its general licence to export the material to the USA has been rescinded under the decree, "effective through December 31, 2025", and that it is now required to obtain a specific export licence from the Russian authorities for each of its remaining 2024 shipments to Centrus and for shipments in 2025.

"Tenex has informed Centrus of its plan to seek the necessary export licences, in a timely manner, to allow it to meet its delivery obligations for the pending Centrus orders," Centrus said in a filing to the US Securities and Exchange Commission. The US company said it will be in communication with its customers whose pending orders may be affected and is assessing actions to mitigate adverse impacts.

"If TENEX is unable to secure export licences for our pending or future orders, it would affect our ability to meet our delivery obligations to our customers and would have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, and competitive position," the company said.

According to US Energy Information Administration data, owners and operators of US nuclear power plants purchased a total of 51.6 million pounds U3O8 (19,848 tU) of deliveries from domestic and foreign suppliers in 2023. Most of this came from Canada (27% of total deliveries), Australia (22%) and Kazakhstan (22%): Russian-origin material accounted for 12% of total deliveries. Domestically produced material accounted for 5%. But while US facilities provided 28% of the uranium enrichment services - measured in separative work units, or SWU - purchased by US owners and operators in 2023, 27% came from Russia, more than any other foreign supplier.

World Nuclear News

 

Project to Build First Hydrogen-Power Containership Receives EU Funding

EO2 would carry 1,100 TEU and be powered by hydrogen fuel cells (Energy Observer)

Published Nov 19, 2024 3:54 PM by The Maritime Executive

 

Energy Observer’s efforts to build the world’s largest liquid hydrogen-powered cargo ship are being advanced with the support of the European Union’s Innovation Fund. The containership concept known as EO2 was selected from 85 applications to the fund and awarded €40 million (US$42 million) to advance the development of the vessel.

The current design of EO2 is a 160-meter (525-foot) containership with a carrying capacity of 1,100 TEU. Energy Observer started the project in 2022 with the ambition to develop a demonstration ship that would be the world’s lowest carbon-emitting cargo ship. Energy Observer launched in 2017 with a laboratory vessel using a combination of solar, wind, and hydropower along with storage systems of batteries and hydrogen to be self-sufficient in energy, with zero emissions, zero fine particles, and zero noise. They conducted a global demonstration voyage and now are focusing their ambitions on the containership.

“EO2 represents an exceptional challenge, turning laboratory research into reality,” said Didier Boix, Managing Director of EO Concept. “With an onboard power of 4.8 MW, it’s equivalent to managing a fleet of one hundred hydrogen-powered vehicles, which means we need to step up our skills and rigorous management. We’re working at 360 degrees to integrate the ship’s technologies, structure a port ecosystem dedicated to liquid hydrogen, and develop a digital twin, not forgetting team training.”

To complete the project, the initial investment is estimated at over €100 million. That will cover studies and construction of the vessel. The group submitted its application to the EU in April 2024 as part of the solicitation that sought to encourage the development of clean technologies in sectors that are difficult to decarbonize. 

The initial concept for EO2 calls for a vessel with a range of 14 days and 1,600 nautical miles. They plan to equip the vessel with an electric propulsion system powered by hydrogen fuel cells with 12 modules each capable of 400 kW LH2 to provide an average speed target of 12.5 knots. Reserve power and boost capacity would provide the vessel with a maximum speed of 16 knots. The fuel cells are being developed by EODev and its industrial partner Toyota.  

It will be approximately 12,000 dwt and operate with a crew of 18. They project the vessel could reduce CO2 emissions by 112,250 tons over 10 years. The current plan projects commercial operations beginning in 2029 on Europe’s Atlantic and Channel coasts.

Accor a French hospitality company provided initial seed funding. Others including CMA CGM, Air Liquid, Toyota, EODev, LMG Marin, Bureau Veritas, Dassault Systems, and recently Chart Industries, have participated over the past two years in the feasibility studies. The project explored the optimum techno-economic model. Energy Observer reports the project selected the technical and logistical solutions required for the pilot project.

The aim is to demonstrate the technical and economic viability of liquid hydrogen for maritime transport on short segments. They also hope to contribute to consolidating Europe’s position as a leader in the energy transition to clean technologies.

 

Report: Green Corridors Face “Feasibility Wall” Due to Fuel Costs

Green corridors have made progress but fuel costs could be an impediment

Published Nov 19, 2024 7:04 PM by The Maritime Executive

 

 

A new report warns that a “feasibility wall” could jeopardize the significant progress being made for the adoption of green corridors, a key part of efforts to support sustainable shipping. The Getting to Zero Coalition and the Global Maritime Forum report that the lack of policies to bridge the cost of switching to zero-emission fuels has emerged as the number one bottleneck creating a “feasibility wall” risking the implementation of the concept.

The initiative to form green corridors as a way to support and encourage the adoption of sustainable fuels and new technologies was one of the cornerstones at the UN’s COP 26 event in Scotland in November 2021. A total of 22 nations signed the initial decree, pledging to support the launch of net-zero corridors.

The Annual Progress Report on Green Shipping Corridors 2024 released today, November 19, highlights significant growth in programs seeking to launch the corridors. It reports the number of initiatives increased by 40 percent in 2023 with a total of 62 initiatives globally. 

The first demonstration took place in the Baltic this summer. Viking Line ran two of its ferries, Viking Grace and Viking Glory, fueled exclusively with liquid biogas. The Baltic emerged as one of the early proponents of the green corridor concept while there are also proposals for long-distance runs such as between Singapore and Rotterdam, which was first announced in August 2022.

The report highlights that six frontrunning initiatives are now preparing for real-world implementation. They note that these would provide a blueprint for green corridors worldwide. They highlight that a third of the proposed corridors have advanced to a new phase of exploration, including feasibility studies, implementation roadmaps, and cost assessments.

“Green shipping corridors have an essential role to play in accelerating zero-emission shipping. This year saw a handful of advanced corridors setting the pace, but continued progress is not inevitable,” said Jesse Fahnestock, Director of Decarbonisation at the Global Maritime Forum. “If industry and national governments make a concerted effort to share the costs and risks associated with new fuels, these leading corridors could together generate a breakthrough for zero-emission shipping before 2030.”

The cost of green fuels and the premium over traditional fuels is an often-cited barrier with many in the industry calling for efforts to bridge the gap. The corridor concept was to create significant demand to encourage investment in the production and distribution of new fuels. The report concludes that progress could stall without urgent action from governments to overcome the cost challenges.

The groups warn that the initiative “initiatives risks hitting a ‘feasibility wall’ if the cost of transitioning to sustainable energy sources is not urgently addressed by national policy incentives. This lack of national policy to bridge fuel costs is now the number one bottleneck and will soon limit the development of green corridors.”

The six frontrunning initiatives they believe could require over two million tonnes of hydrogen-based fuel per year by 2030. 

The report calls on national governments to step up support and help unlock the business case for alternative energy, such as hydrogen-based fuels. With an increased number of governments focusing on incentivizing the adoption of hydrogen in multiple sectors, they write that providing shipping-specific support could catalyze both national hydrogen economies and the decarbonization of the maritime sector.

They are making five recommendations to ensure progress on the green corridor initiative. They believe the cost gap could be addressed by tapping into existing schemes designed to support hydrogen adoption. Furthermore, they also call for the development of innovative commercial agreements for fuel procurement and chartering within the green corridors and additional government efforts to encourage participation as well as financing policies. 

Maersk as it launched its first large dual-fuel methanol containerships this year repeatedly cited the cost differential and lack of supply as major concerns for alternative fuels. At the International Maritime Organization’s MPEC committee meeting this year, member states were also called on to support a carbon pricing mechanism to support R&D and close the price gap between traditional and alternative fuels. This industry has highlighted for years the cost gap as a major impediment to the early adoption of alternative fuels.

EU Operators Brace for Cost and Complexity of FuelEU Carbon Regs

iStock

Published Nov 19, 2024 4:38 PM by The Maritime Executive

 

The European Union's FuelEU Maritime regulation takes effect on Jan. 1, 2025, and it is expected to give European shipping interests a big compliance challenge - or opportunity, depending on how they operate. The regulation is highly technical and is driven more by math than text, opening the door to strategization - but many owners do not like the game, believing it will make them less competitive on the global market. 

FuelEU Maritime requires operators to calculate the well-to-wake greenhouse gas intensity of each ship's fuel consumption, then reduce it over the course of a 25-year ratchet-down schedule, starting with a two percent cut next year.

Noncompliance is a law-abiding strategy for this regulation, but it is an expensive choice. The penalty for high carbon operation will be €2,400 per tonne of VLFSO energy equivalent - about triple the price of bunker fuel - for emissions over the limit. Repeat noncompliance in sequential years increases the penalty, though operators can also pool their emissions or borrow from future year compliance in order to reduce cost. The other cost-saving alternative is compliance, whether by improving vessel efficiency, adding wind propulsion or buying green fuels. 

FuelEU Maritime's greenhouse gas intensity formula (EU Consilium)

At least a dozen consultants and class societies offer solutions for navigating this sophisticated ruleset, and some go further to attempt to monetize the regulation for finance-minded shipowners. Veson, NAPA, StormGeo, BV, DNV, Normec, BSM, LR, Wilhelmsen, OrbitMI, ABS, OceanScore and countless others have developed compliance assistance services for this new market.  

Owners are paying close attention, and some are reprioritizing to take action, according to a recent qualitative survey by consultancy Houlder. "[The Emissions Trading System] is not a particularly big deal. It’s small penalties compared to FuelEU. What [FuelEU] has done is shocked businesses into realizing the penalties they are going to have to pay if they don’t act on energy efficiency . . . and then eventually future fuels," one industry member told Houlder. "From an R&D point of view, these have helped secure support and budget."

FuelEU Maritime is opposed by the German Shipowners' Association (VDR), whose chief executive recently called the regulation "terrible." The association is worried that it will make EU owners uncompetitive, and it wants to see international, IMO-led rules as fast as possible. 

"Well-intentioned is not always well done. Shipping is international, and emissions know no borders. Regional regulations such as FuelEU Maritime create a patchwork of rules. They distort international competition and are ineffective in the fight against climate change," VDR said in a statement. "The mandate from shipping to the new European Commission is clear: the EU rules and above all FuelEU Maritime must be integrated into the IMO's international measures as quickly as possible."

Liberation Is Not Propaganda

By James Granelli, Raíra Fróes 

November 19, 2024

Source: Africa Is A Country

Image by Africa Is a Country

In the same week known climate denialist and convicted felon Donald Trump was re-elected to the White House, Africa Energy Week took place in Cape Town. Both spin lies, half-truths, and hypocrisy, claiming the benefits of fossil fuels for the poor, a sovereign state, and the key to self-determined development.

The argument against oil and gas due to their carbon emissions and resulting extreme weather across the continent has been regularly made and is now playing out materially in the form of droughts and floods that have wiped out 80 percent of Zimbabwe’s harvest and affected hundreds of thousands in Sudan respectively. However, what is missing is a rebuttal to the industry’s co-option of liberatory language and sustainable development critiques. Co-option is not unique to the African continent. As cases from Brazil show, the appropriation of sovereignty discourse by oil and gas companies never leads to equal benefits and, instead, continues to defend private (and mostly Western) interests.

Africa Energy Week, hosted by the Africa Energy Chamber, was a congregation in the supposed search for solutions to Africa’s energy crises. However, with the number of fossil fuel corporations, speakers from the African Petroleum Producers Organisation (APPO) and Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), and the number of energy ministers from across the continent, it was clearly a gathering on how to hook the continent on the false promises of oil and gas as transition fuels and argue that the environmental goals of the Global North were standing in the way of Africa’s development.

In his opening address, NJ Ayuk, the Executive Chairman of the African Energy Chamber and a convicted fraudster in the US, remarked on the importance of oil and gas for job creation and the continent’s right to energy sovereignty and economic growth. Disguised in the language of hope for Africa’s liberation and development is a new form of climate denial that appropriates progressive rhetoric in service of fossil fuel companies.

Researcher and activist Dr Alex Lenferna details in a recent publication how the appropriation of progressive causes, such as racial justice, decolonization, and anti-imperialism, was used as propaganda by Shell and Gwede Mantashe, South Africa’s Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy, to attack critiques and local opponents to Shell’s seismic surveys on the west coast of the country.

Although not as explicit as Mantashe calling environmental activism “colonialism and apartheid of a special type,” the language of oil and gas giants and their critique of northern interference is used to enable the extraction of Africa’s resources with minimal protest.

Dr Lenferna classifies this language appropriation as propaganda, specifically arguing that it classifies as undermining demagoguery propaganda. He writes: “Echoing colonizers before them, the neocolonial push for oil and gas extraction comes masked as being good for the people who are trying to resist it.” As the propaganda echoes the colonial narratives of “development,” so too do the extractive practices as the profits and products are shipped offshore.

Calling out this appropriation of language is not a disagreement with the progressive claims themselves. Yes, we need energy. Yes, the continent needs to break from the neo-colonial chains imposed by structural adjustment and other “development” initiatives. But implying that oil and gas, an industry drenched in the colonial practices of extraction, destruction, resource appropriation, violence, and racial capitalism, is the way forward is hypocritical and an insult to those who wish and work for African sovereignty on Africa’s terms.

If the industry was genuine in its message on African sovereignty and liberation perhaps they might read the likes of anti-colonial leader Amilcar Cabral, agreeing with his quote: “we can affirm, without fear of contradiction… that, to defend the Earth is the most efficient process to defend Humankind.” However, this may sit uncomfortably with the ecocidal realities of oil extraction in the Niger Delta or plans to build an oil pipeline through national parks in East Africa.

In a similar fashion to the economic liberation rhetoric, Ayuk also pointed out that Africa should not compromise its development goals to fall in line with wealthier countries’ environmental standards—another tactic to justify fossil fuel expansion on the continent.

Here we are pointed to the valid critiques of sustainable development that highlight the injustices of the climate crisis and its multilateral solutionism, whereby rich countries dictate the playbook while the Global South suffers.

Even sustainable development conferences on the continent, such as the 2023 African Climate Summit, have offered little hope of change from the status quo—brimming with corporate solutions from the global North, including loans and carbon credit schemes, and relegated civil society voices to the background. These financialised solutions rehash histories of carbon colonialism and sideline local communities dealing with crop failures, flooding, pollution, and intense cyclones.

Likewise, we must also be attentive to green colonialism already unfolding in North Africa, where people are being displaced from the land for solar mega projects that serve European energy use and the current prospectors of green hydrogen, continuing relations of extraction and resource appropriation on the continent.

Notwithstanding these notable critiques of profiteering environmental policy, to claim that oil and gas are aligned with the climate justice critiques is a disservice to Global South activists, communities, and researchers who continue to counter climate solutions that perpetuate resource appropriation and skirt the issue of reparations from colonial plunder. Simply put, oil and gas are not part of the deep and radical Just Transition needed to avert climate catastrophe and ensure African prosperity.

The appropriation of Africa’s right to development subverts real concerns and aspirations about what kind of development we want. The case of TotalEnergies gas exploration in Cabo Delgado, Mozambique is a perfect example of the type of “development” the industry wishes to bring. Displacement, radicalization, war, suppression of the press, human rights violations, thousands killed, and a French corporation eventually pulling out of its “development” plans after leaving a region in chaos. This is by no means the radical, African-led, development that the likes of Kwame Nkrumah and others spoke about in their opposition to neocolonial development in the 1960’s and 70s. The “development” of Cabo Delgado, and many other places on the frontlines of extraction, is not the revolution the fossil fuel industry spins it to be.

Africa Energy Week 2024 had the slogan: “Making energy poverty history by 2030.” Energy poverty is a timely issue on the continent, and it needs solutions and infrastructure that ensure sovereignty as well as security. However, we have seen time and time again that fossil fuels are not aligned with such democratic or riotous principles. Betting on oil and gas, predominantly explored and extracted by foreign companies, for African energy sovereignty is like betting on the colonizer’s cannons to sink its ships. This bet is not unique to the continent and there are lessons to be learned from others in the Global South who have made these fairytales a reality.

Brazil’s Petrobras was founded in 1953 and conceived under the “Oil is ours” slogan – a movement focused on resource and financial sovereignty. The oil company was key to the Brazilian industrialization movement and held a monopoly over oil extractivism for a few decades as a state-owned company.

After decades of toe-dipping in international markets, a neoliberal shift turned it into a mixed capital enterprise in the 1990s, pushing Brazil’s oil economy into the murky waters of profit accumulation. Since then, its scope has expanded to oil, natural gas, and petrol derivatives. Truth be told, great efforts were made to maintain petrol economies outside of the hands of Western giants, but within a highly commodified market escaping its claws is a hard task.

Decades after its birth, Petrobras has been the protagonist of corruption scandals, has failed to meet sustainability goals, and kept profit margins high. Between 2014 and 2015, Operation Car Wash became globally known for its uncovering of one of the world’s largest corruption scandals—the accompanying media coverage was later captured by polarized political discourse, pushing community interests and ecological impacts to the background of the conversation once more.

This neoliberal turn was also felt by the national electricity provider, Eletrobras, where the privatization of service providers marked its lack of commitment to community interests. Although the company strives to be known for its role in expanding the Brazilian electricity grid and bringing affordable power to urban and rural areas alike, recent research shows that over 45% of Brazilian households spend at least half of their income to keep the lights on.

Today, Brazil faces climate disasters almost daily, including soaring deforestation rates, destructive wildfires, droughts, and floods. Ongoing developments may worsen this crisis: Petrobrás is currently expanding plans for deep-sea drilling off the Brazilian equatorial coast, closing in on the Amazon river mouth and dozens of indigenous communities who strongly oppose the project. The dangers of deep-sea extractivism are growing in South Africa; both oil and gas licenses continue to be negotiated in the Orange Basin, their ongoing efforts hard to track. Multinationals continue to pull in and out of contracts, while the majority of South Africans remain out of the loop when it comes to control of the country’s natural resources.

As yet another climate conference begins in the petro-state of Azerbaijan, the lessons from Brazil should be front and center of the Global South delegations displeased with the Global North’s reluctance to pay up for loss and damage while demanding shifts in energy regimes across the South. The fossil fuel industry will continue to spin its “solutions” as anti-imperial and for the people. However, like in Brazil, the industry will never be revolutionary but will forever be tied to a business model that places profit over habitability. We must ask what kind of development we want and need, implementing solutions from and for the continent that improve habitability for all.

James Granelli  is a MPhil candidate with Environmental Humanities South at the University of Cape Town, researching multi-species politics and relations in the Cape Town critical zone.

 

Novel magnetic field integration enhances green hydrogen peroxide production

Advanced Institute for Materials Research (AIMR), Tohoku University

 

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Credit: ©Hao Li et al.

Researchers have achieved a breakthrough in improving the efficiency of an electrochemical reaction that produces hydrogen peroxide - a vital chemical for industrial applications such as disinfection, bleaching, and sewage treatment. This reaction, called the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), was improved by developing a new class of heterogeneous molecular catalysts with an integrated magnetic field.

The conventional methods of producing hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) have unfortunate downsides. The process is energy-intensive, and the concentrated end product is difficult to transport safely. To face this issue, the research team looked towards an electrochemical method that is not only more efficient, but also environmentally friendly.

The research team designed a novel catalyst by anchoring cobalt phthalocyanine (CoPc) molecules on carbon black (CB), then integrating it with polymer-protected magnetic (Mag) nanoparticles. This unique structure enables effective spin state manipulation of the cobalt active sites, significantly enhancing catalytic performance.

The researchers discovered the CoPc/CB-Mag catalyst achieved a remarkable H2O2 production efficiency of 90% and significantly enhanced the reaction's efficiency. Notably, the catalyst requires only minimal amounts of magnetic materials - up to seven orders of magnitude less than previous approaches - making it both safer and more practical for large-scale applications.

"Our integrated magnetic field approach can shift the cobalt center from low-spin to high-spin state without modifying its atomic structure," said Di Zhang of the Advanced Institute for Materials Research (WPI-AIMR), "This spin transition dramatically improves the catalyst's intrinsic activities in both oxygen reduction and evolution reactions."

To understand the fundamental mechanism behind this new catalyst, they used a technique called comprehensive density functional theory (DFT) calculations. Understanding why and how it works is important for future studies. "We found that the high-spin Co site exhibits stronger binding with oxygen-containing intermediates, which is crucial for efficient catalysis," explained Associate Professor Hao Li, "The magnetic field-induced spin polarization also facilitates electron transfer and spin transitions during the reaction steps, boosting the catalytic kinetics."

"The combination of experimental results and theoretical insights provides a comprehensive picture of how magnetic fields can enhance catalytic performance," added Li, "This can serve as guidance when designing new catalysts in the future."

The findings could lead to the rational design of catalytic active materials, targeting for more efficient and environmentally friendly pathways to produce hydrogen peroxide and other value-added chemicals, contributing to global efforts in sustainable industrial processes and carbon-neutral energy technologies.

Integration of magnetic nanoparticles with molecular catalysts: Schematic illustration showing the CoPc/CB-Mag catalyst with polymer-protected magnetic nanoparticles, enabling spin state manipulation of cobalt centers. 

Catalytic performance enhancement: Comparative results showing improved hydrogen peroxide production efficiency and oxygen evolution reaction performance with the magnetic field-integrated catalyst.

CREdit

©Hao Li et al.

About the World Premier International Research Center Initiative (WPI)

The WPI program was launched in 2007 by Japan's Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) to foster globally visible research centers boasting the highest standards and outstanding research environments. Numbering more than a dozen and operating at institutions throughout the country, these centers are given a high degree of autonomy, allowing them to engage in innovative modes of management and research. The program is administered by the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS).

See the latest research news from the centers at the WPI News Portal: https://www.eurekalert.org/newsportal/WPI
Main WPI program site:  www.jsps.go.jp/english/e-toplevel

 

Advanced Institute for Materials Research (AIMR)
Tohoku University
Establishing a World-Leading Research Center for Materials Science

AIMR aims to contribute to society through its actions as a world-leading research center for materials science and push the boundaries of research frontiers. To this end, the institute gathers excellent researchers in the fields of physics, chemistry, materials science, engineering, and mathematics and provides a world-class research environment.

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Journal

Advanced Materials

DOI

10.1002/adma.202408461 

Article Title

Spin Manipulation of Heterogeneous Molecular Electrocatalysts by an Integrated Magnetic Field for Efficient Oxygen Redox Reactions