Germany's chemical lobby calls for regulatory reform and growth agenda
VCI, the industry lobby group in Germany, said that to achieve climate neutrality while remaining competitive and improving its performance it is necessary for regulation changes. VCI, which published two of its own studies, said that the crises in the last few years had left a mark on the balance sheet of chemical and pharmaceutical firms. Boston Consulting Group, in a study on the mood of the industry, found that nearly three-quarters of respondents are not likely to invest in new sites and plants in Germany.
Egypt reduces renewable energy targets to 40% by 2040, but keeps natural gas as the main focus
The Egyptian government has revised the renewable energy goal for 2040 from 58% to 40%, said Petroleum Minister Karim Badayi on Sunday. He also stressed that natural gas would remain an important part of Egypt's energy mix in years to come. Egypt committed to increasing renewable energy production by 42% to its energy mix before hosting the COP27 summit in 2022. Later, this target was advanced to 2030. Then-Electricity minister Mohamed Shaker announced in June 2024 an ambitious plan for this to reach 58% by the year 2040. This target has now been abandoned.
EIA: Harvest season will boost US demand for distillate fuel oil in autumn
The U.S. Energy Information Administration stated on Friday that the consumption of distillate fuel oil is expected to rise in autumn, as diesel-powered equipment is used for harvesting and transporting crops. EIA stated that the EIA has found that the harvest peaks in mid-October, and continues through November. This coincides with the beginning of winter heating season, which also drives demand for distillate fuel oil. The weak demand for diesel in the United States has led to a sharp decline in refiners' margins.
Cyprus and Greece sign an agreement on the 'world's largest' subsea cable
The energy ministers of Greece and Cyprus announced on Saturday that they had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), which will allow them to proceed with the construction of a submarine electric cable connecting continental Europe to East Mediterranean. The Great Sea Interconnector cable (GSI) will connect transmission networks in Europe with Cyprus, a project that costs 1.9 billion euro ($2.12 billion), later extending to Israel. The project's promoters claim that it will be the "world's longest" high-voltage cable when completed…
New refineries bring down profits for global refiners
Oil refiners across Asia, Europe, and the United States have seen their profitability drop to multi-year-lows. This is a significant downturn in an industry which had previously enjoyed booming returns following the pandemic. It also highlights the global slowdown. This weakness is another sign of a softening consumer and industrial demand in China due to the slowing of economic growth and increasing penetration of electric cars. The pressure on prices has been exacerbated by the addition of new refineries in Africa, Asia and the Middle East.
Sources say that Cyprus is considering ending the monopoly on gas imports to tackle project delays.
Cyprus is looking for a way to quickly resolve the serious delays that have been experienced in getting natural gas to the market. The efforts to introduce natural gases to the local market has been plagued with delays since years. The latest setback was a legal dispute between Cyprus and a Chinese group over a half finished liquefied gas import terminal (LNG). Cyprus, despite finding its own gas offshore in 2011, currently relies primarily on heavy fuel oil for electricity generation. 77% of this is produced by the dominant Electricity Authority of Cyprus.
Japan Takes the Lead on Ammonia as Maritime Fuel
Late last year Japanese maritime leaders – Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha (NYK), Japan Engine Corporation, IHI Power Systems Co., and Nihon Shipyard Co., Ltd. – signed a series of contracts to buid the world's first ammonia-fueled medium gas carrier (AFMGC) equipped with Japan-make engines. The target is a completed ship by November 2026.While the project is significant, hurdles remain, namely:While development work is underway, today there is not yet a dual-fuel ammonia engine on the market…
Shipping Rivals CMA CGM, Maersk to Collaborate on Green Fuels
Container shipping giants CMA CGM and Maersk said on Tuesday they will cooperate in efforts to reduce emissions in the sector, including by supporting the use of methanol and aiding research into potential fuels like ammonia. The shipping industry is grappling with which fuels and vessel technology to adopt on a large scale to meet an objective of net zero emissions by around the middle of the century. Danish group Maersk has focused on so-called green methanol and last week announced the creation a new company to produce fuel.
LPG: Dual-Fuel Engines Prove Their Worth
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%…
US Steps Up Heavy Crude Imports
U.S. refiners last month imported the most heavy crude in nearly two years, customs data showed, as they cranked up motor fuel production and sought to replace sanctioned Russian oil.Higher heavy-crude imports are common in summer-driving months, but this year's increase comes as the Biden administration is calling on for refiners to ramp up output and shave profit margins to ease soaring prices. The administration has asked for a parley to explore further efforts.Heavy crudes…
New Fuel Additive from NYK, Nippon Yuka Kogyo Aims to Reduce Sludge in VLSFO
NYK and Nippon Yuka Kogyo Co., Ltd., an NYK Group company, have jointly developed a new fuel-oil additive effective in dispersing sludge and reducing fuel consumption in VLSFO.NYK and Nippon Yuka Kogyo have been investigating the properties of VLSFO as one of the measures to comply with SOx emission requirements, and in 2019 developed the sludge-dispersing fuel oil additive Yunic 800VLS.The companies observed Yunic 800VLS is effective against most of deteriorated compliant fuel oil…
Future Fuels: The Pros and Cons of Methanol
To say there is uncertainty regarding 'future fuels' in the maritime sector is a big understatement. With numerous options evolving, we asked William Stoichevski to produce the 'future marine fuel manifesto' for the May 2022 edition of Maritime Reporter & Engineering News. Here we look at methanol.In just 12 years, the EU has moved from compelling the use of LNG to renouncing it in favor of battery power and then putting LNG partly back on the mantle of clean fuels. In Norway…
India's June Fuel Demand Recovers as Lockdowns Ease
India's fuel demand recovered last month after slumping to a nine-month low in May, as restrictions to curb the spread of the pandemic were eased and mobility picked up.Fuel consumption, a proxy for oil demand, rose 8% from May to 16.34 million tonnes, data from the Petroleum Planning and Analysis Cell (PPAC) of the Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas showed on Friday.A second COVID-19 wave, which stalled mobility and dulled economic activity, dragged fuel consumption to its lowest since August in May.Pandemic infections have…
Venezuelan Oil Exports Rise on Larger Sales to Asia
Venezuela’s oil exports rose in February to over 700,000 barrels per day (bpd), their highest level in 10 months, pushed by more sales of fuel oil cargoes to new clients in Asian markets, according to Refinitiv Eikon’s tanker tracking data and documents.A growing number of clients with no track record in oil trading has been helping Venezuela’s state-run PDVSA to allocate crude and fuel in Asia, especially since the U.S. Treasury Department halted oil swaps by PDVSA’s long-term customers in the last quarter of 2020 as part of tightening sanctions.These buyers…
Exxon Committed to Singapore Refinery Expansion
Exxon Mobil Corp said on Thursday it remained committed to expanding its refining-petrochemical complex in Singapore amid an ongoing review of its projects globally.Along with other oil producers, Exxon has been slashing costs due to a collapse in oil demand and ill-timed bets on new projects. The top U.S. oil company earlier outlined more than $10 billion in budget cuts this year.Exxon made a final investment decision in 2019 on the multi-billion dollar expansion of its integrated manufacturing complex in Singapore…
Ship Power: MAN Energy Solutions Unveils New LNG Dual-fuel Engine
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.
China's INE Considers Singapore for Marine Fuel Futures Delivery
The Shanghai International Energy Exchange (INE) is considering using oil storage sites in Singapore owned by PetroChina Co as a delivery point for its low-sulphur fuel oil futures contract, according to two sources with direct knowledge of the matter.The INE’s move would be the first time a Chinese futures contract would be deliverable outside of China and could boost liquidity for the contract, as well as help to influence pricing for shipping fuel.Low-sulphur fuel oil (LSFO) is required as ship fuel to meet new maritime emissions regulations that went into effect this year.
Tech File: Wärtsilä Delivers Last of 15 LPG Fuel Supply Systems
Wärtsilä said it completed delivery of its liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) fuel supply system (LFSS) to 15 very large gas carrier (VLGC) vessels owned and operated by BW LPG, which has the world’s largest fleet of VLGC vessels.BW LPG ordered the first four of these 15 systems in 2018, immediately following Wärtsilä’s full-scale testing of a full-sized two-stroke marine engine operating with LPG fuel. This was the world’s first such testing protocol, and the performance attained was seen as exceeding expectations.
VLSFO Plus Older Engines Can Presents New Maintenance Challenges
As shipowners mull the pros and cons associated with new fuels to meet tightening emissions rules, Chevron Marine is finding that some ship owners that switched older engines to very low-sulfur fuel oil (VLSFO) are reporting build-up of red deposits on piston crowns and top edges, sometimes combined with red iron burrs in scavenge ports. The deposits are associated with abnormal liner wear since the fuel switch, particularly on older two-stroke marine engines.“While newer ships do not have a problem using these fuels, engines already closer to an overhaul did struggle sometimes.
World's First Barge-to-Ship Methanol Bunkering Carried out in Rotterdam
On May 10, 2021, the methanol-dual fueled chemical tanker Takaroa Sun, owned by NYK Bulkship (Asia) Pte. Ltd. participated in what is touted as the world’s first barge-to-ship bunkering of methanol fuel. The bunkering of methanol fuel was conducted in Rotterdam port under the leadership of the charterer Waterfront Shipping Company Limited, together with the cooperation of the Port of Rotterdam, Royal Vopak N.V., and TankMatch B.V.Methanol fuel produces up to 15% less carbon…
