North America
Motiva Ceases Plans for Multibillion Dollar Petrochemical Expansion in Texas
Saudi Aramco owned Motiva Enterprises LLC has reportedly suspended its plans to implement petrochemical operations at its 630,000 barrel per day refinery complex in Port Arthur, Texas. Saudi Aramco has been reviewing this plan since last September as the company has been deliberating on increasing its oil and natural gas production instead.
AVANGRID Poised to Build Green Hydrogen Future
AVANGRID, Inc., a leading sustainable energy company, announced today that it has submitted multiple responses as part of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Request for Information (RFI) on ways to enable low-cost clean hydrogen at scale, outlining green hydrogen concepts for Connecticut, New York, Maine, Oregon and the Gulf Coast.
chevron and cummins announce strategic collaboration on hydrogen
Chevron and Cummins Inc., a global power and hydrogen technologies leader, announced a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to explore a strategic alliance to develop commercially viable business opportunities in hydrogen and other alternative energy sources.
The World in Review
BP’s annual Statistical Review of World Energy was launched virtually by Chief Economist Spencer Dale on 8 July.
PBF Energy’s Renewable Diesel Project Wins Local Support in Louisiana
The developing renewable diesel unit at PBF Energy’s long-running refinery in Chalmette, Louisiana was recently bolstered by a tax exemption approval.
First Garbage to Zero Carbon Fuels Plant Completes Construction
Fulcrum BioEnergy of California announced on July 7th that it has indeed completed the construction work on its Sierra Biofuels Plant in Nevada. The company stated that this is the world’s first commercial scale plant that allows conversion of garbage into low-cost, zero-carbon transportation fuels.
BOEM Announces Environmental Review of Proposed Wind Energy Facility Offshore Virginia
As part of the Biden-Harris administration’s commitment to creating nearly 80,000 jobs through the development 30 gigawatts (GW) of offshore wind by 2030, Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland joined Virginia Governor Ralph Northam and Senator Tim Kaine today to announce that the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) will be conducting an environmental review for a potential wind project offshore Virginia Beach.
Ørsted awarded 1,148 MW offshore wind contract in New Jersey, fully utilizing its Ocean Wind lease area
The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (BPU) has issued an order awarding Ocean Wind 2 a 20-year OREC (Offshore Renewable Energy Certificate) for its proposed offshore wind farm with a capacity of 1,148 MW.
Renewable Diesel Project Picks up Support in Louisiana
Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards and PBF Chalmette Refinery Manager Steven Krynski recently jointly announced that the concept of a renewable refinery conversion from an idled refinery unit at the Chalmette complex has begun the study process of progressing this renewable project.
ACCIONA begins construction on first Solar PV Farm in US
ACCIONA has begun construction of the 317MWp Fort Bend Solar Farm outside Houston (Texas), its first photovoltaic plant in the United States. The project aims to kick off a period of rapid growth for ACCIONA, which plans to double its renewable energy capacity in the US with the addition of more than 1.2GW MW of solar photovoltaic energy by the end of 2023.
Navigator Plans for 1,200-Mile Carbon Capture Pipeline System
Navigator CO2 Ventures’ planned 1,200-mile carbon capture pipeline system across the U.S. Midwest should prevent up to 12 million metric tons of hydrocarbon from being released into the atmosphere each year.
Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners and Greengate Power announce construction of Travers Solar
Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP) and Greengate Power Corporation (Greengate) are pleased to announce that construction has begun on Travers Solar, the largest solar photovoltaic project ever constructed in Canada. Travers Solar represents CIP’s first investment in Canada and is expected to be fully operational by the end of 2022.
S&B Signs on to build CP Chem Hexene Plant
Chevron Philips Chemical, a joint venture of Chevron and Phillips 66, recently announced it had contracted S&B Engineers and Constructors Ltd of Houston, Texas to build its grassroots hexene plant near Old Ocean, Texas. No value was given for this contract.
Future Uncertain for St. Croix refinery in the Virgin Islands
Limetree Bay Energy recently announced that it will indeed shut in its 210,000 barrel per day St. Croix refinery indefinitely due to what the company has stated as “severe financial constraints.” This refinery had been working to reinstate production since production was suspended on May 12th 2021, but was unable to secure funding to restart successfully.
Methanol Plant in Washington Ceases Development
Northwest Innovation Works of Washington (NWIW) recently announced that it was temporizing any further development of the company’s proposed methanol plant in Kalama, Washington. The project is “effectively ended” according to the Port of Kalama, as NWIW intends to terminate its lease in the area.
Empire Midstream Acquires Offshore Gulf of Mexico Pipeline
Empire Midstream announced that its affiliate Empire Auger 12 has acquired the Auger 12” pipeline from Pecten Midstream, a subsidiary of Shell Midstream Partners, with specific terms of the transaction not disclosed.
One Password Allowed Hackers to Disrupt Colonial Pipeline
The head of Colonial Pipeline told U.S. senators on Tuesday that hackers who launched last month's cyber attack against the company and disrupted fuel supplies to the U.S. Southeast were able to get into the system by stealing a single password.
Driftwood LNG Export Project in Louisiana to Start Construction This Year
According to recent comments from Tellurian Executive Chairman Charif Souki, the Driftwood LNG export terminal under development in Louisiana is now expected to begin construction this summer.
Tellurian and Vitol sign 10-year LNG agreement for 3 mtpa
Tellurian Inc. (Tellurian) (NASDAQ: TELL) announced today it has finalized a liquefied natural gas (LNG) sales and purchase agreement (SPA) with Vitol Inc. (Vitol).
bp boosts its renewables business in the US with 9GW solar acquisition to be developed by Lightsource bp
bp reached an agreement today to purchase 9GW of solar development projects in the US from independent US solar developer 7X Energy. The acquisition represents a significant step towards bp’s target of growing its net developed renewable generating capacity to 20GW by 2025 and aim to increase this to 50GW by 2030. The deal will also grow bp’s renewables pipeline from 14GW to 23GW. These assets will be developed through bp’s 50-50 solar joint venture Lightsource bp, a global leader in solar energy, applying Lightsource bp’s capabilities to accelerate bp’s renewables targets.
Nacero Awards FEED Contract to Bechtel for GTG plant
Nacero of Houston has awarded a Front End Engineering and Design (FEED) contract to Bechtel for a proposed natural gas to gasoline (GTG) plant in Penwell, Texas. This multibillion-dollar facility has an anticipated capacity for 115,000 barrels per day and is believed to the first gasoline manufacturing facility to include carbon capture, its storage, and 100% renewable power.
Tellurian and Gunvor sign 10-year LNG agreement for 3 mtpa
Tellurian Inc. (Tellurian) (NASDAQ: TELL) and Gunvor Singapore Pte Ltd (Gunvor) announced today a liquefied natural gas (LNG) sales and purchase agreement (SPA) for three million tonnes per annum (mtpa) for a ten year period, indexed to a combination of two indices; the Japan Korea Marker (JKM) and the Dutch Title Transfer Facility (TTF), netted back for transportation charges.
Shell’s Closed Louisiana Refinery Draws New Interest
Royal Dutch Shell continues to assess the future of its idled Convent refinery as it continues to receive purchase bids from an investment group in Louisiana.
Pemex is Buying Out Shell’s Interest in Shared Texas Refinery
Petroleos Mexicanos (Pemex) and Royal Dutch Shell announced in late May that they have reached an agreement for Shell to sell its interest in the long running Deer Park Refinery of Texas, which has been a 50/50 joint venture consisting of Shell subsidiary Shell Oil Company and Pemex subsidiary P.M.I. Norteamerica, S.A. Once completed, this refinery will see Pemex take over 100% ownership of the facility.
Mayflower Next Up in Massachusetts
Following on from Vineyard Wind’s final approval, Mayflower Wind is next up seeking permits at the start of the so-called “offshore wind era”.
Enbridge, Fluxys, EIG Bid for Brazil's Top NatGas Import Pipeline
A consortium of Canada's Enbridge, Belgium's Fluxys and U.S. private equity firm EIG Global Energy Partners has submitted a non-binding offer for Brazil's largest natural gas import pipeline, three people with knowledge of the matter told Reuters this week.
Canada's West Coast Woe
With Woodside deciding to exit its 50% non-operated participating interest in the long-planned Kitimat LNG development in British Columbia, the west coast of Canada no longer looks to be quite the export hotspot it was once considered.
Woodside to exit Kitimat LNG
Woodside has decided to exit its 50% non-operated participating interest in the proposed Kitimat LNG (KLNG) development, located in British Columbia, Canada.
Haldor Topsoe Signs on to Supply Technology for Renewable Refinery in Kansas
Seaboard Energy of Kansas has chosen Haldor Topsoe’s HydroFlex technology for its upcoming renewable diesel facility in Hugoton, Kansas.
Vineyard wind receives record of decision for first in the nation commercial scale offshore wind project
Vineyard Wind, a joint venture between Avangrid Renewables, a subsidiary of AVANGRID, Inc. (NYSE: AGR), and Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP), today received the Record of Decision (ROD) from the U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), the final major step in the federal review process for the first commercial scale offshore wind farm in the United States.
