German industry projects to boost hydrogen sector
Germany's nascent hydrogen sector got some momentum today through the announcement of two new projects.
Trading firm Mabanaft and speciality products producer H&R have established a joint venture, P2X Europe, to purchase and market synthetic fuels produced in a power-to-liquid (PtL) process. H&R will build a pilot PtL plant in Hamburg that will transform renewable hydrogen, already produced on site, and carbon dioxide into so-called e-fuels and synthetic raw waxes.
E-fuels can be used in conventional combustion engines and can be distributed through existing infrastructure and filling station systems. Mabanaft aims to be one of the first suppliers of carbon-neutral synthetic fuels in Germany.
Also today, a consortium involving utility RWE, BP, speciality chemicals company Evonik and others said it has submitted an application for double-digit million euro amount from the EU Innovation Fund. It will put any funds towards the investment and operating costs of production and purchase of green hydrogen. The GET H2 Nukleus venture aims to initiate a national expansion of a hydrogen economy in Germany.
The constortium plans for green hydrogen produced in RWE's Lingen plant to be transported in existing natural-gas grid pipelines to be used at BP's 265,000 b/d Gelsenkirchen refinery.
Under the German government's biofuels draft law, which aims to implement the EU's revised Renewable Energy Directive (RED II), the use of green hydrogen in the refining process can counted towards the country's greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction quota. But industry associations including oil body MWV and automotive group VDA have said that the proposal does not adequately promote the use of synthetic fuels such as e-fuels in road transport.
Germany's economic stimulus package, brought in as a recovery plan from the Covid-19 pandemic, includes €7bn to bring green hydrogen technology to market and €2bn for fostering international partnerships. Hydrogen development is at an early stage, but Germany is not alone in Europe in trying to develop a sector. The UK government plans to invest up to £500mn as a first step toward a target of 5GW production capacity by 2030. This will be "low-carbon hydrogen" capacity, so may not necessarily be green hydrogen generated from renewable energy.
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India mulls using more natural gas in steel sector
India mulls using more natural gas in steel sector
Mumbai, 19 April (Argus) — India's steel ministry is considering increasing natural gas consumption in the sector as it aims to lower carbon emissions from the industry. Steelmakers held a meeting with the steel ministry earlier this month, to discuss challenges and avenues to increase gas allocation to the sector, according to a government document seen by Argus . Steel producers requested that the government set gas prices at an affordable range of $7-8/mn Btu for them, to make their gas-based plants viable, as well as for a custom duty waiver on LNG procured for captive power. India's LNG imports attract a custom duty of 2.5pc. City gas distribution firms sell gas at market-determined prices to steel companies. Representatives from the steel industry also requested for the inclusion of gas under the purview of the country's goods and service tax, and to be given higher priority in the allocation of deepwater gas, which has a higher calorific value. Deepwater gas is currently deployed mostly to city gas distribution networks. Steelmakers are currently undertaking feasibility tests for gas pipeline connectivity at various steel plants. But a gas supply transmission agreement requires a minimum five-year period for investment approval. The steel industry is heavily reliant on coal, and the sector accounts for about 8-10pc of carbon emissions in the country. A task force of gas suppliers including IOC, Gail, BPCL, Shell, and HPCL and steel producers like Tata Steel, AMNS, All India Steel Re-roller Association and the Pellet Manufacturers Association has been set up, and the team is expected to submit a report on increasing natural gas usage and lowering carbon emissions by 15 May, the government document said. This team is one of the 13 task forces approved by the steel ministry to define the country's green steel roadmap. The steel ministry aims to increase green steel exports from the country in the light of the policies under the EU's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), which will take effect on 1 January 2026. Under the CBAM, importers will need to declare the quantity of goods imported into the EU in the preceding year and their corresponding greenhouse gas emissions. The importers will then have to surrender the corresponding number of CBAM certificates. CBAM certificate prices will be calculated based on the weekly average auction price of EU Emissions Trading System allowances, expressed in €/t of CO2 emitted. This is of higher importance to Indian steelmakers as the EU was the top finished steel export destination for Indian steelmakers during the April 2022-March 2023 fiscal year with total exports of 2.34mn t, and has been the preferred choice for Indian steel exports in the current fiscal year owing to higher prices compared to other regions. Indian steelmakers have started to take steps to lower their carbon emissions by announcing collaborations with technology companies to decarbonise, and are trial injecting hydrogen in blast furnaces, and increasing the usage of natural gas in ironmaking. By Rituparna Ghosh Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Wind capacity additions down 93pc under AMLO
Wind capacity additions down 93pc under AMLO
Mexico City, 18 April (Argus) — Mexico installed just 96MW of wind power capacity in 2023, a new low amid President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador's policy to limit private sector development. Last year's wind power capacity additions were down by 93pc from the 1,281MW installed during Lopez Obrador's first full year in office in 2019, according to the Global Wind Report 2024 published by the Global Wind Energy Council. New wind power additions were also down by 39pc from the 158MW installed in 2022. Lopez Obrador's statist energy policy has sought to claw back state-owned utility CFE's market position in the face of an enormous private sector clean energy build out launched during the previous administration. Between 2016 and 2018 CFE held three long-term power auctions, contracting 7,000MW of new renewable energy projects as the government made a push to decarbonize Mexico's power matrix. But Lopez Obrador ruled out further auctions and has actively curtailed the award of new generation permits, stalling the development of 5,800MW of wind projects, according to wind energy association Amdee. Mexico has 7,413MW of installed wind capacity, accounting for 8.2pc of the country's 89,890MW total installed generation capacity, according to the energy ministry. Despite the slowed pace in Mexico, new wind installation continued to grow in Latin America last year, led by Brazil with 4.8GW to bring total onshore capacity in the country to 30.4GW in 2023. GWEC expects 28.7GW of new wind capacity in Latin America over the next five years, on top of the 50.6GW of current capacity. Globally 117GW of new wind energy capacity was installed last year, up by 50pc on the previous year and a new record. GWEC expects global wind capacity to double to 2TW by 2030, as governments agreed to triple global renewable energy capacity at the climate talks in Dubai last year. The outlook for Mexican wind power also looks more positive with both presidential candidates in the 2 June election committed to accelerating the energy transition through the build out of new clean energy capacity. Governing party candidate and current frontrunner Claudia Sheinbaum pledged to make renewable energy a "hallmark" of her administration and committed this week to investing $13.6bn in clean energy projects if elected. By Rebecca Conan Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
TUI Cruises receives methanol-ready ship
TUI Cruises receives methanol-ready ship
New York, 18 April (Argus) — Cruise ship company TUI Cruises took delivery of a methanol-ready cruise ship which will start operations at the end of June. Methanol-ready vessels allow ship owners to easily retrofit their vessels to burning methanol in the future. The 7,900t deadweight Mein Schiff 7 will operate in the North Sea, the Baltic Sea, along the European Atlantic coast and in the Mediterranean and run on marine gasoil (MGO). It was built by Finland's Meyer Turku shipyard. In January, TUI Cruises signed a memorandum of understanding with trading company Mabanaft for future supply of green methanol. Mabanaft would cover TUI's methanol needs in northern Germany, and gradually add other European locations. Grey methanol was pegged at $717/t MGO equivalent and biomethanol at $2,279/t MGOe average from 1-18 April in Amsterdam-Rotterdam-Antwerp. About 0.9 times and 2.9 times, respectively, the price of MGO, Argus assessments showed. TUI Cruises is a joint venture between the German tourism company TUI AG and US-based cruise ship company Royal Caribbean. By Stefka Wechsler Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Canada furthers investment in GHG reductions
Canada furthers investment in GHG reductions
Houston, 18 April (Argus) — The Canadian government plans to have C$93bn ($67.5bn) in federal incentives up and running by the end of the year to spur developments in clean energy technology, hydrogen production, carbon capture utilization and storage (CCUS) along with a new tax credit for electric vehicle (EV) supply chains. The Canada Department of Finance, in its 2024 budget released on 16 April, said it expects to have the first planned investment tax credits (ITCs), for CCUS and renewable energy investments, in law before 1 June. The ITCs would be available for investments made generally within or before 2023 depending on the credit. The anticipated clean hydrogen ITC is also moving forward. It could provide 15-40pc of related eligible costs, with projects that produce the cleanest hydrogen set to receive the higher levels of support, along with other credits for equipment purchases and power-purchase agreements. The government is pursuing a new ITC for EV supply chains, meant to bolster in-country manufacturing and consumer adoption of EVs with a 10pc return on the cost of buildings used in vehicle assembly, battery production and related materials. The credit would build on the clean technology manufacturing ITC, which allows businesses to claim 30pc of the cost of new machinery and equipment. To bolster reductions in transportation-related greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, the government will also direct up to C$500mn ($363mn) in funding from the country's low-carbon fuel standard to support domestic biofuel production . Transportation is the second largest source of GHG emissions for the country, at 28pc, or 188mn metric tonnes of CO2 equivalent, in 2021. But the province of Alberta expressed disappointment at the pace of development of ITC support that could help companies affected by the country's move away from fossil fuels. "There was nothing around ammonia or hydrogen, and no updates on the CCUS ITCs that would actually spur on investment," Alberta finance minister Nate Horner said. The incentives are intended to help Canada achieve a 40-45pc reduction in GHG emissions by 2030, relative to 2005 levels. This would require a reduction in GHG emissions to about 439mn t/yr, while Canada's emissions totaled 670mn in 2021, according to the government's most recent inventory. The budget also details additional plans for the Canada Growth Fund's carbon contracts for a difference, which help decarbonize hard-to-abate industries. The government plans to add off-the-shelf contracts to its current offering of bespoke one-off contracts tailored to a specific enterprise to broaden the reach and GHG reductions of the program. These contracts incentivize businesses to invest in emissions reducing program or technology, such as CCUS, through the government providing a financial backstop to a project developer. The government and developer establish a "strike price" that carbon allowances would need to reach for a return on the investment, with the government paying the difference if the market price fails to increase. CGF signed its first contract under this program last year , with Calgary-based carbon capture and sequestration company Entropy and has around $6bn remaining to issue agreements. To stretch this funding further, the Canadian government intends for Environment and Climate Change Canada to work with provincial and territorial carbon markets to improve performance and potentially send stronger price signals to spur decarbonization. By Denise Cathey Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
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