Tuesday, November 5, 2024

Energy Solutions News

Statkraft CEO: Statkraft will sell assets in 3 countries

Statkraft's CEO announced on Wednesday that the Norwegian utility, Europe's biggest renewable energy producer and Statkraft's state-owned subsidiary, would sell assets in India as well as Croatia and The Netherlands, to concentrate the group's investment on fewer markets. Statkraft announced its strategy in June and cut its growth goals for solar, battery storage, and onshore wind, as well as their offshore wind and hydrogen ambitions. Statkraft CEO Birgitte ringstad Vartdal said that the company would divest of its onshore solar…

EU Energy Ministers Discuss Ukraine Energy Crisis and Russian LNG

Officials said that EU energy ministers met on Tuesday in Luxembourg to discuss the rising Russian LNG imports into the EU, Ukraine's energy shortages before winter and how to equalize energy prices among member states. In June, the EU approved a 14th set of sanctions including a ban of transhipments of Russian Gas as of March of next year. However, it did not impose a complete ban. Belgium and the Netherlands saw a dramatic increase in imports since then. In a Monday letter…

Germany builds LNG import terminals

Germany is expanding its natural gas import options as part of efforts to decarbonise and replace Russian supplies. Here are some details about terminals that will host floating storage regasification (FSRU) units to receive LNG. There are also plans for shore-based terminals, as well as facilities to produce and import ammonia and hydrogen. In German media, the state-owned Deutsche Energy Terminal (DET), without specifying exact dates for commissioning, said that FSRUs will be operational at Stade as well as Wilhelmshaven 2 before winter.

Germany builds LNG import terminals

Germany is expanding its natural gas import options as part of efforts to decarbonise and replace Russian supplies. Here are some details about terminals that will host floating storage regasification (FSRU) units to receive LNG. There are also plans for shore-based terminals, as well as facilities to produce and import ammonia and hydrogen. On Sept. 17, the private company Deutsche ReGas began reloading LNG from the LNG tanker Coral Energy using smaller tanks to deliver LNG in areas without pipeline access. The site was opened to regular operations on Sept.

Methanex acquires OCI's methanol division in a $2.05 billion deal

Methanex, a Canadian methanol manufacturer, announced on Sunday that it would acquire the methanol division of Dutch green fuel maker OCI Global for $2.05 billion. The deal involves $1.15 billion cash and the issuance 9.9 million Methanex shares valued at $450 millions, according to the methanol manufacturer. It also includes $450 in debts and leases. OCI, in a separate press release, said that it would become the second largest shareholder in Methanex with 13%. The deal was expected to be completed in the first half 2025.

Indonesia's President urges developed countries to invest in green economies

Joko Widodo, the Indonesian President on Thursday, urged developed countries to invest in energy solutions and climate change in Indonesia. He highlighted its enormous potential for renewable energy projects and carbon reduction. Jokowi (as the incoming president is known) said that the Southeast Asian country has over 3,600 Gigawatts of renewable power potential. He also stated that the nation's 3.3 million hectares (8.2 millions acres) of mangroves could absorb 12 times as much carbon dioxide as tropical rain forests.

Meet the CTO: Dr. Gunnar Stiesch, MAN Energy Solutions

Dr. Gunnar Stiesch, Chief Technology Officer, MAN Energy Solutions.
Image courtesy MAN ES

As the shipowners stare down decarbonization mandates that grow increasingly strict through 2050, the engine makers are at the tip of the spear of this energy transition phenomena, working to design and build engines and components that are built to operate on a long and growing list of alternative fuels. We recently visited with Dr. Gunnar Stiesch, CTO, MAN Energy Solutions, to take a look inside the research and development process at this global power leader, for insights on ‘what’s next’ in ship propulsion.Dr.

Digitalization is Drawing CCS a New Learning Curve

SLB and Microsoft have partnered with Northern Lights on a data platform that will serve as the digital infrastructure for the Northern Lights project.
Image courtesy of SLB

Digital solutions are accelerating the progress required to ensure CCS earns its place in climate change mitigation history.Carbon capture has been around since the 90s, but the behavior of CO2 in pipelines is still not that well understood. A lack of suitable multiphase flow assurance models has meant that past CCS projects have had to apply large, costly safety margins to transport and injection systems. Between 2020 and 2022, the CO2FACT project addressed the shortfalls, and along with the development of the LedaFlow simulator, the knowledge gaps are being closed.

Fratelli Cosulich Inks Charter Deal for LNG Bunkering Vessel

(Credit: Fratelli Cosulich)

Italian shipowner Fratelli Cosulich and PETCO Trading Labuan Company Limited (PTLCL), a trading arm of Malaysian energy company Petronas, have signed a two-year charter agreement for Paolina Cosulich LNG bunker barge.Operating under PTLCL, a global energy solutions provider in key bunker hubs with network in Southeast Asia, Japan, Middle East and South Africa, Paolina Cosulich will cater to the increasing demand for LNG as bunker fuel in the Straits.Fratelli Cosulich’s latest LNG bunger barge features a cargo capacity of 8…

Vestas Wins 46 MW Order in Japan

© Ricochet64 / Adobe Stock

Vestas has secured a 46 MW repowering order with Eurus Energy Holdings Corporation for Eurus Kamaishi Wind Farm in Iwate prefecture, Japan. The order includes supply and supervision of installation of 11 units of V117-4.2 MW wind turbines.Vestas will also deliver a multi-year Active Output Management 4000 (AOM 4000) service for the wind farm, providing an energy-based availability guarantee to ensure optimised performance and long-term business case certainty for the…

LPG: Dual-Fuel Engines Prove Their Worth

2022 was the first year all 15 VLGCs of BW LPG’s dual-fuel LPG retrofitted ships were sailing. Image courtesy of BW LPG

BW LPG has demonstrated the value of dual-fuel LPG operations beyond the company’s initial aim of meeting IMO 2020 Sulphur Cap regulations.In October 2020, the LPG carrier BW Gemini became the first very large gas carrier (VLGC) to have its low-speed main engine converted to an LPG dual-fuel engine. The project started several years earlier, sparked by Oslo-listed BW LPG’s preparations for the IMO’s 2020 Sulphur Cap regulations.Compared to heavy fuel oil, LPG reduces Sox emissions by approximately 97%…

SLB Launches Cement-free System to Cut CO2 Footprint of Well Construction

©SLB

Oilfield services giant SLB, until recently known as Schlumberger,  on Monday introduced the EcoShield geopolymer cement-free system that it says minimizes the CO2 footprint of a well’s construction." This innovative technology eliminates up to 85 percent of embodied CO2 emissions compared with conventional well cementing systems, which include portland cement. The EcoShield system has the potential to avoid up to 5 million metric tons of CO2 emissions annually—the equivalent of removing 1.1 million cars from the road each year…

Petronas Clean Energy Arm Sees India, Australia as Key in Rapid Growth Plans

© Dan / Adobe Stock

Gentari, the clean energy arm of Malaysia's state oil firm Petronas, sees India and Australia as its key markets for growth and expects to tap more financing to meet its ambitious targets, its chief executive told Reuters.Petronas launched Gentari as a separate entity in June, aiming to build renewable energy capacity of 30-40 gigawatts and produce up to 1.2 million tonnes per year of hydrogen by 2030 in Asia Pacific.It also plans to establish 25,000 public charging points for electric vehicles.In an interview on Wednesday…

MAN ES: Moving Forward on Ammonia Engines

MAN ES will start testing on its ammonia engine in Copenhagen in Q1 2023. Images courtesy MAN ES

As shipowners ponder future fuels, MAN Energy Solutions is sailing full speed ahead optimizing dual fuel marine powerplants while preparing to start testing ammonia fueled engines in early 2023. Bjarne Foldager, Senior Vice President, head of two stroke business at MAN ES hosted Maritime Reporter & Engineering News in Copenhagen for a look behind the scenes at a cornerstone of its mandate to ‘Move big things to Zero.’Just 10 years ago, in December 2012, word came that General Dynamics NASSCO finalized a contract with TOTE…

Incoming Shell Boss Aims Fire up Renewables Drive

Shell's incoming Chief Executive Wael Sawan. Copyright Miquel Gonzalez; Photographic Services, Shell International Limited.

Shell's incoming Chief Executive Wael Sawan is set to accelerate the group's drive to build its renewable energy business, including through a possible "transformative" clean power acquisition, company and industry sources said.Sawan will from January take on a firm with a strong balance sheet after a surge in oil and gas prices, but whose renewables capacity has lagged peers like TotalEnergies and BP as green issues come increasingly into vogue. Shell aims to halve its greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 and to become a net-zero emitter by 2050…

Making Waves @ OSU: Energy Secretary, Senators, Governor tour Oregon State Wave Lab

Senator Ron Wyden discusses the importance of renewable energy at a visit to the O.H. Hinsdale Wave Research Laboratory on the Oregon State campus (photo: Theresa Hogue)

U.S. Department of  Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm, Oregon U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley and Oregon Gov. Kate Brown visited the O.H. Hinsdale Wave Research Laboratory at Oregon State University on Tuesday afternoon, with Granholm touting wave energy as “the elixir that we need” to address climate change by ending the nation’s reliance on fossil fuels.The visit was organized by OSU and the Pacific Marine Energy Center, a consortium of universities including Oregon State that is focused on advancing marine renewable energy.“We’ve all been in the ocean…

TES Wilhelmshaven Import Terminal Deemed a 'Priority Project'

(Image: TES)

Tree Energy Solutions’ (TES) import terminal has been included in the list of priority projects supported by the German Government’s LNG Acceleration law. The law was passed by parliament on May 19th, 2022 and was approved by the Federal Council on May 20th, 2022. The aim of this law is to accelerate the implementation of the critical infrastructure needed to secure the energy supply of the country and its short-term gas imports.The new law is designed to reduce permitting…

Energy @ Sea: Powering Up in the Blue Desert

A graphic rendering depicting C-Power’s SeaRAY autonomous offshore power system as configured for the demonstration at the U.S. Navy’s Wave Energy Test Site in Hawaii. © C-Power

Last year marked the beginning of the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development, lasting from 2021 until 2030. With 10 years comes 10 challenges—goals for regional, national and global participants to work towards for positive, collective impact on our oceans. Included in the 10 are ocean-based solutions for climate change, expanding the Global Ocean Observing System, creating a digital representation of the sea, and access to data and technology across all marine stakeholders.

Ship Power: MAN Energy Solutions Unveils New LNG Dual-fuel Engine

The new dual-fuel ME-GA engine from MAN Energy Solutions comes with the company’s proven Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) technology for optimized performance, with specific gas/fuel oil consumptions reduced by ~3% and 5%, respectively.
(Photo: MAN Energy Solutions)

In a live-stream presentation from its Copenhagen Research Center, MAN Energy Solutions has demonstrated advanced dual-fuel engine technology for low-cost, fuel-efficient operation of liquefied natural gas (LNG) carriers and other vessels where low capital outlay is a priority. Tom Mulligan, science &and technology correspondent, reports.MAN Energy Solutions has demonstrated its latest low-speed, dual-fuel engine, the MAN B&W ME-GA type, an Otto-cycle variant of the company’s successful ME-GI engine, at a ceremony live-streamed from its Copenhagen Research Center.

World First LPG-Retrofit BW Gemini Heads for Sea Trials

BW Gemini, a VLGC from the BW LPG fleet, had its MAN B&W 6G60ME-C9.2 main engine retrofitted to an MAN B&W 6G60ME- LGIP dual-fuel type, capable of operating on fuel oil and LPG. The conversion is the first of 12 for a series of LPG carriers owned by BW LPG (picture courtesy BW LPG)

BW LPG’s low-speed main-engine converted to dual-fuel runningReportedly the first successful conversion of the main engine aboard the LPG carrier – from an MAN B&W 6G60ME-C9.2 type to an MAN B&W 6G60ME- LGIP dual-fuel type capable of operating on fuel oil and LPG – has been carried out on BW Gemini, which is part of the fleet of Oslo-listed BW LPG – the world's leading owner and operator of LPG vessels.The conversion and start of gas and sea trials will make the BW Gemini the world’s first commercial vessel to be propelled by a two-stroke LPG dual-fuel engine.