Baltimore to partially reopen by end of April
The Port of Baltimore shipping channel will be partially reopened — to a depth of 35ft — by the end of April and will fully reopen by the end of May, the Maryland Port Administration said on Thursday.
The waterway has been blocked since the early morning hours of 26 March, when the containership Dali lost power and struck the Francis Scott Key Bridge, causing the bridge to collapse into the water. Large vessels used for coal exports and containers and vehicle imports have been unable to traverse the waterway since.
The US Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) now expects it can have a 280-foot wide, 35ft-deep channel — large enough for one-way barge container traffic and roll on/roll off car carriers — "within the next four weeks — by the of April," the port administration said.
A permanent, 700ft-wide, 50ft-deep navigation channel allowing normal port access is expected to open by the end of May.
"These are ambitious timelines that may still be impacted by significant adverse weather conditions or changes in the complexity of the wreckage," Corps Lt. General Scott Spellmon said.
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US Fed signals rates likely to stay high for longer
US Fed signals rates likely to stay high for longer
Houston, 1 May (Argus) — Federal Reserve policymakers signaled they are likely to hold rates higher for longer until they are confident inflation is slowing "sustainably" towards the 2pc target. The Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) held the federal funds target rate unchanged at a 23-year high of 5.25-5.5pc, for the sixth consecutive meeting. This followed 11 rate increases from March 2022 through July 2023 that amounted to the most aggressive hiking campaign in four decades. "We don't think it would be appropriate to dial back our restrictive policy stance until we've gained greater confidence that inflation is moving down sustainably," Fed chair Jerome Powell told a press conference after the meeting. "It appears it'll take longer to reach the point of confidence that rate cuts will be in scope." In a statement the FOMC cited a lack of further progress towards the committee's 2pc inflation objective in recent months as part of the decision to hold the rate steady. Despite this, the FOMC said the risks to achieving its employment and inflation goals "have moved toward better balance over the past year," shifting prior language that said the goals "are moving into better balance." The decision to keep rates steady was widely expected. CME's FedWatch tool, which tracks fed funds futures trading, had assigned a 99pc probability to the Fed holding rates steady today while giving 58pc odds of rate declines beginning at the 7 November meeting. In March, Fed policymakers had signaled they believed three quarter points cuts were likely this year. Inflation has ticked up lately after falling from four-decade highs in mid-2022. The consumer price index inched back up to an annual 3.5pc in March after reaching a recent low of 3pc in June 2023. The employment cost index edged up in the first quarter to the highest in a year. At the same time, job growth, wages and demand have remained resilient. The Fed also said it would begin slowing the pace of reducing its balance sheet of Treasuries and other notes in June, partly to avoid stress in money markets. By Bob Willis Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
G7 coal exit goal puts focus on Germany, Japan and US
G7 coal exit goal puts focus on Germany, Japan and US
London, 1 May (Argus) — A G7 countries commitment to phase out "unabated coal power generation" by 2035 focuses attention on Germany, Japan and the US for charting a concrete coal-exit path, but provides some flexibility on timelines. The G7 commitment does not mark a departure from the previous course and provides a caveat by stating the unabated coal exit will take place by 2035 or "in a timeline consistent with keeping a limit of 1.5°C temperature rise within reach, in line with countries' net-zero pathways". The G7 countries are Italy — this year's host — Canada, France, Germany, Japan, the UK and the US. The EU is a non-enumerated member. The announcement calls for accelerating "efforts towards the phase-out of unabated coal power generation", but does not suggest policy action. It calls for reducing "as much as possible", providing room for manoeuvre to Germany, Japan and the US. Coal exports are not mentioned in the communique. Canada and the US are net coal exporters. France, which predominantly uses nuclear power in its generation mix is already scheduled to close its two remaining coal plants by the end of this year. The UK will shut its last coal-fired plant Ratcliffe in September . Italy has ended its emergency "coal maximisation plan" and has been less reliant on coal-fired generation, except in Sardinia . The country has 6GW of installed coal-fired power capacity, with state-controlled utility Enel operating 4.7GW of this. The operator said it wanted to shut all its coal-fired plants by 2027. Canada announced a coal exit by 2030 in 2016 and currently has 4.7GW of operational coal-fired capacity. In 2021-23, the country imported an average of 5.7mn t of coal each year, mainly from the US. Germany Germany has a legal obligation to shut down all its coal plants by 2038, but the country's nuclear fleet retirement in 2023, coupled with LNG shortages after Russia's invasion of Ukraine, led to an increase in coal use. Germany pushed for an informal target to phase out coal by 2030, but the grid regulator Bnetza's timeline still anticipates the last units going offline in 2038. The G7 agreement puts into questions how the country will treat its current reliance on coal as a backup fuel. The grid regulator requires "systematically relevant" coal plants to remain available as emergency power sources until the end of March 2031 . Germany generated 9.5TWh of electricity from hard-coal fired generation so far this year, according to European grid operator association Entso-E. Extending the current rate of generation, Germany's theoretical coal burn could reach about 8.8mn t. Japan Japan's operational coal capacity has increased since 2022, with over 3GW of new units connected to the grid, according to the latest analysis by Global Energy Monitor (GEM). Less than 5pc of Japan's operational coal fleet has a planned retirement year, and these comprise the oldest and least efficient plants. Coal capacity built in the last decade, following the Fukushima disaster, is unlikely to receive a retirement date without a country-wide policy that calls for a coal exit. Returning nuclear fleet capacity is curtailing any additional coal-fired generation in Japan , but it will have to build equivalent capacity to replace its 53GW of coal generation. And, according to IEA figures, Japan will only boost renewables up to 24pc until 2030. The US The US operates the third-largest coal-power generation fleet in the world, with 212GW operational capacity. Only 37pc of this capacity has a known retirement date before 2031. After 2031, the US will have to retire coal-fired capacity at a rate of 33GW/yr for four years to be able to meet the 2035 phase-out deadline. By Ashima Sharma Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Mitsui makes delayed exit from Paiton power project
Mitsui makes delayed exit from Paiton power project
Tokyo, 1 May (Argus) — Japanese trading house Mitsui completed on 30 April the ¥109bn ($690mn) sale of its stake in Indonesia's 2,045MW Paiton coal-fired power plant in east Java following multiple delays. Mitsui originally tried to complete its exit by the end of March 2022 . It said the procedures with Paiton's offtaker Indonesian state-owned power firm Persero took more time than expected without providing further details. Japanese thermal power producer Jera withdrew from Paiton by selling its 14pc share in 2021. Mitsui sold its 45.515pc share in Paiton Energy, as well as a 45.515pc stake in Netherlands-based subsidiary Minejesa Capital and a 65pc stake in Singapore-based IPM Asia that are related companies of the Paiton project. Mistui sold the stakes to RH International (RHIS), which is a Singapore-based subsidiary of Thai power producer Ratch, and Indonesian power company Medco Daya Abadi Lestari's subsidiary Medco Daya Energi Sentosa (MDES). Paiton Energy is now owned by RHIS, MDES and Qatar-based company Nebras Power. Mitsui did not disclose their ownership ratios. Paiton consists of the 615MW No.7, 615MW No.8 and the 815MW No.3 units, which sell electricity to Persero through an unspecified long-term contract. Mitsui now holds 9.6GW of power capacity assets globally, with 8pc being coal-fired projects. The exit from Paiton cut its coal-fired ratio by 8 percentage points, while raising its renewable ratio by 3 percentage points to 32pc. Growing global pressure against coal-fired power generation likely prompted Mitsui to exit Paiton. Energy ministers from G7 countries this week pledged to accelerate "efforts towards the phase-out of unabated coal power generation". By Nanami Oki Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
US Treasury updates SAF tax credit guidelines
US Treasury updates SAF tax credit guidelines
Houston, 30 April (Argus) — The US Treasury Department released long-awaited guidance on tax credit eligibility for ethanol-derived sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) Tuesday, incorporating so-called climate-smart agricultural (CSA) practices. As part of the new guidance, the agencies comprising the SAF Interagency Working Group (IWG) are jointly releasing the 40B SAF-GREET 2024 model, which provides another methodology for SAF producers to determine lifecycle greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions rates of their production for the credit. It also incorporates a pilot program to encourage the usage of CSA practices for SAF feedstocks. In collaboration with the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), the major changes include further guidance on farming practices, including no-till farming, planting cover crops and enhanced efficiency fertilizer. The $1.25/USG 40B SAF credit applies to a qualified fuel mixture containing SAF for certain sales or uses after 31 December 2022, and before 1 January 2025. To qualify for the credit, the SAF must have a minimum lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions reduction of 50pc compared with petroleum-based jet fuel. Additionally, there is a supplemental credit of one cent for each percent that the reduction exceeds 50pc, for a maximum credit of $1.75/USG. The modified version of the Greenhouse gases, Regulated Emissions, and Energy use in Technologies (GREET) also incorporates new data, including updated modeling of key feedstocks and processes used in aviation fuel and indirect emissions. The modified GREET model also integrates key GHG emission reduction strategies, such as carbon capture and storage, renewable natural gas, and renewable electricity. The notice provides a safe harbor for use of the USDA Climate Smart Agriculture Pilot Program to further cut the emissions reduction percentage calculated for domestic soybean and domestic corn feedstocks and for certifying the related requirements. For corn ethanol-to-jet, the pilot provides a greenhouse gas reduction credit if a "bundle" of certain CSA practices — no-till farming, cover crop planting, and enhanced efficiency fertilizer — are used. It would also allow a greenhouse gas reduction credit for soybean-to-jet production if the soybean feedstock is produced using similar CSA practices. This is a pilot program specific to the 40B credit under the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), which is in effect for 2023 and 2024. A new 45Z-GREET will be developed for use with the 45Z tax credit, which starts on 1 Jan 2025. Given the similar language between section 40B and section 45Z of the IRA regarding methods for determining lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions reduction percentages, it is expected that the positions taken by Treasury and the IRS related to the section 40B credit will be similar for the new clean fuel producer credit under section 45Z. Industry reaction mixed Renewable fuels groups welcome the updated pathway for ethanol-to-jet, but the groups expressed concern over the scope of the guidance. "We are encouraged that, for the first time ever, this carbon scoring framework will recognize and credit certain climate-smart agricultural practices," Renewable Fuels Association president and chief executive Geoff Cooper said. "However, RFA believes less prescription on ag practices, more flexibility, and additional low-carbon technologies and practices should be added to the modeling framework to better reflect the innovation occurring throughout the supply chain." Kailee Buller, chief executive of the National Oilseed Processors Association, also said the new guidance has shortcomings. "We are concerned the requirement to implement climate-smart ag practices simultaneously will limit this opportunity, particularly in parts of the country where it may not be possible to plant a cover crop or the cost to implement new practices is too steep," Buller said. Both groups said they would continue to work with the Biden administration to further opportunities for SAF development. By Matthew Cope and Payne Williams Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
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