Articles
PTTGCA’s ethane cracker in Ohio delays FID
PTT Global Chemical America (PTTGCA) recently announced that it has delayed a previously anticipated final investment decision (FID) for its 1.5 million tons per year (MMtpy) ethane cracker project in the Ohio River Valley. The company had planned on reaching FID in the first quarter of 2021 as recently as this past September.
Yellow Hydrogen: A Carbon Free Method of Developing More Cost-Effective Hydrogen
In the hydrogen industry blue and green hydrogen get most of the press. They are seen as the two best methods of developing hydrogen while lowering carbon emissions. Blue hydrogen is the more economic choice for the near term while green is the long-term choice with the expectation that costs will be driven down through government incentives and economies of scale. But there are other methods of developing carbon free hydrogen today with lower costs. Nuclear facilities around the world are already generating large amounts of clean electricity and heat.
Support for wind's growth
The International Energy Agency (IEA) report, Renewables 2020 released on 10 November 2020, proclaims that renewable power is defying the Covid crisis with record growth this year and next. It goes on to say that renewables will account for almost 90% of the increase in total power capacity worldwide in 2020 and will accelerate in 2021 to their fastest growth in the last six years. Wind and solar additions are set to jump by 30% in both the United States and China as developers rush to take advantage of expiring incentives.
Destination China for Australia
Australia remains far and away the largest LNG exporter to China, accounting for 40% of Chinese imports in September 2020, four times the imports from the next highest suppliers, Qatar, Indonesia and Malaysia. Increased custom’s authority restrictions so far don’t appear to have affected Australian exports of LNG to China, despite other products being so. An estimated 23.5 million tonnes has already been delivered this year, much in keeping with last year’s volume.
Solar Installed capacity is dominated by China and United States
Looking into data available from the International Renewables Energy Agency (Irena) it is clear from the information that China and United States are leading the way when it comes to solar installed capacity and looks to continue
Shell halves production in Singapore under its energy transition plan
Royal Dutch Shell recently announced that its long running complex on the small island of Pulau Bukom in Singapore will reduce its 500,000 barrel per day production by half as the company continues to implement its plan to become a net-zero emissions business by 2050.
Enbridge releases energy transition strategy for a lower carbon future
Canada’s largest pipeline operator Enbridge Inc. released a long-term strategy in early November to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) 35% by 2030 and achieve net zero GHG emissions by 2050.
European Hydrogen Backbone: How European Nations Are Banding Together To Build A Continental Hydrogen Market
In June of 2020 several European gas infrastructure companies, with the support of Guidehouse, developed a report outlining plans to create an interconnected network for the development and movement of hydrogen and biomethane. As energy needs continue to increase across Europe and a global demand to decrease carbon output, clean hydrogen is increasingly becoming the biggest contender to resolve these issues.
PipeChina's LNG operations
PipeChina’s LNG operations As of 1 October 2020, China Oil & Gas Pipeline Network Corporation, better known as PipeChina, became operator of five large existing LNG import terminals, and a further two, large, under construction LNG import terminals in China. Four of the existing terminals were pre..
Solid capacity growth in China’s solar sector
Data recently released by the Chinese government indicates a rise in solar capacity in 2020 over the same period in 2019. According to the National Energy Administration (NEA), China added a further 18.5 gigawatts (GW) in the first three quarters of 2020, compared to just 16GW in 2019. Despite the COVID-19 outbreak during the early parts of the year, utility-scale projects installed made up 54 percent or just over 10GW and small-scale, on-site or off-grid solar capacity made up 46 percent or just over 8.5GW during the period January to September 2020.
Tough decisions loom for Australian refiners
Operating refineries in Australia have been operating at loss level measures due to the impact felt nationally from the pandemic driven destruction demand, even as the country comes out of lockdown and government assistance begins to form. The GEI Data Warehouse is tracking four refineries in the country that are having to make hard choices on whether they keep operating, convert to terminal operations, or possibly shut in altogether.
Canada confident in future of Keystone XL Pipeline despite US election
While a Biden presidential win could be the final blow for the Keystone XL Pipeline, O’Regan is confident the project will remain on track to come online in 2021 regardless of who’s in power.
An Arctic solution
Novatek’s plans to build two LNG trans-shipment terminals in Russia have taken a step closer to becoming realized. Two giant FSRU’s are on order with Daewoo’s Geoje shipyard in South Korea for delivery by end-2022, although they may not be operational until 2023/24. Each one is expected to have a storage capacity of 360,000cm, and be capable of receiving shipments from Novatek’s expensively assembled Arc7 Arctic-class fleet and transferring it to more conventional vessels for onward delivery.
EGP expands wind portfolio
Enel Green Power (EGP) recently commissioned the final wind turbine at its 148MW Nxuba wind farm in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. The 200 million euro, 47-turbine farm was one of the five projects awarded to EGP in the fourth round of the country’s Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (REIPPPP) in 2015.
Solar power in charge across South Australia
In October, the Australian state of South Australia reported that for one hour on the eleventh of the month, 100 percent of its electricity was generated by solar power. South Australia being the largest jurisdiction in the world to do so. The power generated came from 77 percent rooftop systems and the remaining 23 percent from the states utility-scale solar projects.
Renewable refinery conversions increase across Europe
The energy transition continues across the globe as Preem AB of Sweden recently announced that it is indeed proceeding with its newly announced plan to convert the long-running Lysekil refinery into what is designed to become the largest renewable fuel facility in Scandinavia.
Carbon Capture Utilization and Storage: The technology helping us to bridge energy use from hydrocarbons to renewables
Carbon Capture Utilization and Storage (CCUS) is a technology designed to capture almost 90% of CO2 left by the generation of electricity or the separation of hydrogen from hydrocarbons. While this technology is nothing new, the interest surrounding CCUS has gained momentum in recent months as hydrogen production has become a hot button topic around the globe. Why is CCUS of interest in the hydrogen community?
"Yes, Joe Biden really does want to end America’s oil and gas industry," says Gulf Energy Information CEO
The Biden energy plan has dire consequences for the oil and gas industry and the American economy.
Pipelines to restore harmony
The Eastern Mediterranean region has been a much-discussed area in recent months, with claim and counterclaim flying around. Turkey has managed to antagonize almost every nation in the region at some point, inparticular neighbouring countries Greece and Cyprus, with its maritime claims and offshore surveys and drilling. It even threatened to suspend diplomatic relations with the UAE over their proposed deal with Israel. However, beyond the geopolitics, 2 pipeline projects may restore some semblance of harmony in the near future.
The UK to rely even more on Qatar
The UK to rely even more on Qatar | Qatar Petroleum and National Grid of the UK, operator of the 14.80 million t/y Grain LNG import terminal, recently entered into a long-term agreement for LNG storage and regasification capacity.
Crude Oil to Chemicals technology: a revolution for the petrochemicals industry
Refiners are looking to integrate petrochemical activity into their production in a big way. Crude-oil-to-chemicals (COTC) projects will be a powerful tool for refiners looking to maximize chemical production through increasingly efficient technology expected to consistently improve in chemical yields from the crude feedstock.
Electricity’s new king will be solar PV
The latest World Energy Outlook published in October from the International Energy Agency (IEA) suggests that solar photovoltaic generation will be the largest source of power by 2040. Unlike other sectors during the Covid-19 pandemic the renewable electricity market has remained buoyant throughout 2020. The IEA suggests that renewables is set for rapid growth. In the Stated Policies Scenario (STEPS), renewables will rise by two-thirds between 2020 to 2030.
Alberta’s Industrial Heartland to Expand Hydrogen Footprint
The Government of Alberta released its long-term Natural Gas Vision and Strategy in October, detailing key initiatives to strengthen the provinces’ hydrogen sector.
How to utilize solar potential
In an age where traditional methods of energy generation, such as burning coal and gas to generate electricity emit greenhouse gases, the energy transition movement has seen the need to investigate alternative or renewable energies. Wind and solar seem to be favored forms of alternative energies to be scaled up first.
As COVID-19 conditions persist, some struggling refineries are trending towards renewable diesel conversions to survive
With the continuing pandemic driven reduction in fuel demand, refineries in North America have worked to survive in ways ranging from reducing production, additional maintenance scheduling, and the permanent shutting in of some complexes altogether. But another direction has begun to persist in North America and abroad with the decision to convert aging refineries away from traditional crude oil production into renewable diesel plants.
Mountain Valley reweighs timeline, budget due to regulatory hurdles
Earlier this month, Equitrans Midstream Corp. said that the timeline and budget for the planned Mountain Valley Pipeline will depend on ongoing litigation and impending federal permits. In a recent statement, the company said "As the litigation process progresses and as we receive additional inform..
Hydrogen in Asia-Pacific: Creating the model of green hydrogen import/export for the next decade
Australia, Japan, and South Korea are leading the way when it comes to hydrogen delivery. Both Japan and South Korea have long term plans for hydrogen utilization and the importation and exportation of green hydrogen plays a critical role in the roadmap for these nations. Australia’s heavy investment along their western shoreline of green hydrogen facilities makes them an excellent partner in fulfilling the future hydrogen needs of Japan.
Hydrogen’s growing influence in the US: How can the US take part in the global hydrogen industry
October 5, 2020 saw a major development in how the United States views hydrogen and its usefulness in clean energy and fuel cell transportation. With support from major global corporations including Air Liquide, Chevron, Cummins, Daimler AG, Microsoft, Nikola Motors, Plug Power, Shell, Toyota and many others, the Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Energy Association (FCHEA) released their “Roadmap To A US Hydrogen Economy”.
US brings 5 Bcf/d of pipeline capacity online and cuts planned projects
The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) reported that an estimated 5 Bcf/d of new natural gas pipeline capacity came online in the first half of 2020 due to the completion of several major pipelines.
Japan’s offshore ambitions
Macquarie’s Green Investment Group (GIG), a global investor and developer of green infrastructure assets, recently announced that it has formed a joint venture with Iberdrola, a global energy leader and the world’s largest wind producer.
