Colombia and Ecuador battle to protect vital wetlands during drought
As water and energy restrictions hit both countries, rural communities in Colombia and Ecuador fight to protect fragile high altitude wetlands which regulate the area's waters cycles. Scientists say that climate change and human activity have exacerbated the effects of El Nino, which has led to drought in Colombia and Ecuador. The grassroots activists of the two countries have worked with…
Minister: Colombia and Germany in discussions over debt swaps
HAMBURG - On Monday, the Foreign Minister of Colombia, Luis Gilberto Murillo, said that the country is in discussions with Germany about a debt for nature swap to help fund a $40 billion plan by the country to move away from fossil fuels while protecting the environment. Last month, Colombia launched a new portfolio of investments for its climate-adaptation plans. It hopes to attract $40 billion.
New Industry Minister: Japan will keep nuclear but boost renewables as part of its energy mix
Japan will continue to restart nuclear power plants safely and use as much renewable electricity as possible, said Industry Minister Yojimuto on Wednesday. This indicates that the policy of newly appointed Prime Minister ShigeruIshiba is not likely to change significantly. Ishiba had promised to eliminate nuclear power before he was elected leader of the Liberal Democratic Party. He was sworn into office on Tuesday. He was the sole candidate who opposed nuclear power in Japan.
UK faces legal action for new North Sea oil and Gas Licences
A marine conservation group is challenging in court the decision of Britain to issue new oil and natural gas exploration licenses. The organization claims that ministers failed to take into account the impact of these licences on marine life. Oceana UK has filed a lawsuit against 31 licenses granted by the previous British government to the North Sea Transition Authority in May of this year, as part of its latest round for oil and gas licensing.
China wants to invest more in energy upgrades
China's State Planner has called for increased investment in equipment upgrades, to support the energy transformation. He said the market should be a leader. The National Development and Reform Commission issued a notice on Wednesday calling for an increase of 25% in investment to upgrade China's equipment to improve energy efficiency from 2023-2027. According to the notice, these investments…
US opponents of offshore wind projects form national group in order to combat the project
According to two organizations and the founder of this effort, U.S. opponents to offshore wind developments are creating a coalition to fight projects in California as well as New England.According to Mandy Davis, the president of NOOA, it aims to give a national voice to a movement that is currently fragmented into dozens of groups.Offshore wind in the United States is still a young industry and an important part of President Joe Biden’s climate-change plan.
Wave of New LNG Export Plants Threatens to Knock Gas Prices
A flood of liquefied natural gas (LNG) export projects due online worldwide in mid-decade will vie against lower-cost renewable energy and a revived nuclear power sector, which could rock gas prices and hurt some proposed projects, analysts say.Proposed and approved new LNG plants would boost LNG supply by 67% increase to 636 million tonnes per annum (mtpa) by 2030 from 2021 levels, potentially…
Biden Administration Suspends Federal Oil and Gas Permitting
The Biden administration has temporarily suspended oil and gas leasing and permitting on federal lands and waters while it evaluates the legal and policy implications of the program, according to a Department of Interior memo.The move appears to be a first step in delivering on newly sworn-in President Joe Biden's campaign promise to ban all new federal drilling permits, part of his wider…
Meet the World's First Digital Smart Ship, the Japanese Built LNG-Fueled PCTC Sakura Leader
The run up to 2050 and dramatic reductions in emissions from ships will, by most expert’s thinking, be an evolution of small steps premised on melding new fuels and digitalization technologies. The recent delivery of the LNG-fueled PCTC Sakura Leader to NYK can be considered a sizable leap in this regard, as the ship has been designated as the world’s first digital smart ship.A Big Step Toward CO2 Reduction TargetsOn October 28…
Taiwan Gets 1st Carbon Neutral LNG Shipment
Taiwan accepted its first carbon neutral shipment of liquefied natural gas (LNG). State-owned CPC Corporation, a natural gas, and gasoline company in Taiwan announced receipt of LNG cargo from Shell.Nature-based carbon credits have been used to compensate the full carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions generated – from exploring for and producing the natural gas, to use by the final consumer.The cargo…
USA Ups BOEM Offshore Wind Budget
The Trump Administration has proposed a $189m fiscal year 2021 budget for the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), designating just under $27m for offshore wind.The FY 2021 budget includes approximately $26.5 million to advance offshore renewable energy development.In recognition of the role renewable energy can play in securing the Nation’s energy independence and supporting economic growth…
U.S. Needs to Revive Shallow-Water GoM E&P
The US should define the Gulf of Mexico Shallow Water Province as a distinct entity to avoid stranding more than $20 billion of its oil and gas resource, said a new research.According to a research from the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) and Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) the GOM Shallow Water Province, comprised of water less than 200 meters deep, is a historically energy-rich area which now produces natural gas…
Drilling Ban Proposals Divide Democrats
In the southeast corner of New Mexico, new houses, hotels and jobs are sprouting like flowers in the desert. Trucks hauling equipment and laborers jam once-barren highways on the way to thousands of oil rigs.The Democrats who control the state's government have lofty plans for the billions of dollars in projected tax revenues from the drilling industry in the Permian Basin, the world’s biggest oil field, starting with an overhaul of New Mexico's ailing public education system.
Offshore Wind: a Freshening Breeze?
July brought news about offshore wind. There was something for everyone: optimism, disappointment, and construction, too.Finally, starting with Dominion Energy’s Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind Project, a joint venture with Danish wind developer Orsted is underway. True, this is a small project – just two wind turbines to be installed 27 miles east of Virginia Beach. But considering all the preceding hurdles, news about Dominion blew in as proverbial, hopeful fresh air.
Offshore Wind & Politics: Bernie Sanders
Offshore wind is hot, and so too is the race to win the Democratic presidential candidate nomination for the 2020 U.S. presidential election. In its October 2019 edition of Marine Technology Reporter, government reporter Tom Ewing takes a closer look at each of the Dem candidates to give insight and overview on their policies and their potential impact on the offshore wind industry.Ten…
BOEM Announces New GoM Lease Sale
The US Department of the Interior's Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) plans to offer about 78 million acres in a region-wide Gulf of Mexico lease sale scheduled for March 2020.Lease Sale 254, which would include all unleased areas in federal waters in the gulf that are not subject to congressional moratorium, will be the sixth held under the 2017-22 federal OCS leasing program, BOEM…
MOL Gets AIP for Wind Challenger Design
Japan’s shipping major Mitsui O.S.K. Lines and Oshima Shipbuilding have jointly obtained Approval in Principle (AIP) from Nippon Kaiji Kyokai (ClassNK) for the design of a hard sail system.The system converts wind energy to propulsive force with telescopic hard sail, and is a fundamental technology of the "Wind Challenger Project" that MOL and Oshima Shipbuilding are spearheading.Along with other participating organizations…
GoM Lease Fetches $159mln in High Bids
Gulf of Mexico (GoM) Lease Sale 253 in New Orleans generated over $159 million in high bids for 151 tracts covering 835,000 acres in federal waters.Twenty-seven companies participated in the lease sale, submitting approximately $175 million in bids, said Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM).“We are excited about the results from today’s lease sale, which show a continued upward trend for the year.
Offshore Wind: Regulatory “Takes” – Take a Close Look
On April 30 the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) published a notice, requesting public comments, on a proposed “incidental harassment authorization” (IHA). An IHA is a legal and enforceable document presenting the terms and conditions with which a company must adhere in order to protect wildlife. In this case, the draft IHA was for Vineyard Wind, the wind energy company ready to start construction on an 800 MW offshore wind farm in the Atlantic…
NOIA Weighs in on The COASTAL Act
National Ocean Industries Association (NOIA) Vice President for Government and Political Affairs Tim Charters issued the following statement after the introduction of the Conservation of America’s Shoreline Terrain and Aquatic Life (COASTAL) Act:“It is vital that American offshore energy production promote equity for the states immediately adjacent to these offshore areas. By amending GOMESA and establishing a revenue sharing program for Alaska…
