Provisional LNG vessel tracking data from commodity market analytics firm Kpler shows that India imported 2.60 million tonnes (mt) of LNG in June, the highest in as many as 44 months. As per data from the Central Electricity Authority (CEA), power generation from gas-based units in June was 4.60 billion units (1 unit is 1 kilowatt hour), nearly 52 per cent higher than 3.03 billion units in the corresponding month of last year. In June 2023, LNG volumes delivered to India stood at 1.77 mt.

For the April-June quarter (Q1)—the peak summer quarter in most parts of India—power generation by gas-based plants jumped 62.5 per cent year-on-year to 13.49 billion units. The overall plant load factor (PLF)—capacity utilisation of power generation units—for gas-based plants in Q1 this year was almost 25 per cent, up from 15.3 per cent in the year-ago quarter. PLF for gas-based power plants in June this year was 25.8 per cent, up from 17 per cent in June 2023.

To be sure, gas-based power plants use domestic natural gas as well as imported LNG as feedstock. The CEA’s provisional data for June did not mention the total natural gas volumes consumed by the power sector as well as the split between domestic natural gas and LNG. In June of last year, over 53 per cent of natural gas consumed by gas-based power plants was imported LNG. In April 2024—the last month for which detailed fuel consumption data for gas-based units is available—imported LNG accounted for nearly 56 per cent of the total natural gas consumed by power plants.

As domestic natural gas production is able to meet just around half of India’s total gas consumption, the cheaper local gas is allocated as per a priority list in which city gas distribution and fertiliser sectors have a higher priority than the power sector. As imported LNG is usually costlier than domestic gas, gas-based power plants have been operating at very low capacity use levels mainly due to unfavourable economics.

In anticipation of a severe summer, the Power Ministry had invoked the Section 11 of the Electricity Act, 2003, on April 12, issuing a set of instructions to the power generation companies to ensure that electricity demand is met. As part of the instructions, idling gas-based power plants were asked to operate from May till the end of June. At almost 25 gigawatts, India’s gas-based power generation capacity accounts for 5.6 per cent of the country’s overall installed generation capacity, as per Power Ministry data.

In May, S&P Global Commodity Insights had said that with subdued prices of LNG in the spot market and growing demand for the fuel in India, there was a ramp-up in India’s spot LNG purchases, with deliveries for a number of cargoes scheduled in June.

“India has already set several all-time highs this year when it comes to power generation as coal-based energy alone cannot meet the country’s rising needs. It is a combination of more coal, more gas, more renewables, anything that is handy to avoid shortages,” said Viktor Katona, head of crude analysis at Kpler.

Going forward, however, LNG deliveries to India are expected to be lower than volumes seen in June due to relatively higher spot prices of the fuel as well as expectations that power demand in the country will cool off slightly in the main monsoon months.

“LNG prices across Asia have edged higher in June amid widespread heatwaves and consequently higher power generation needs…maximizing LNG imports is no longer that attractive commercially. Current outflows en route to India suggest both July and August would be lower than June (in terms of LNG import volumes),” Katona said.

https://indianexpress.com/article/business/commodities/indias-lng-imports-at-44-month-high-in-june-as-gas-based-power-output-jumps-amid-severe-heatwave-9433701/

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The company, which has backed Mahindra group’s electric vehicles (EV) arm besides other startups like Euler Motors, Turno and Battery Smart, has already invested around $ 300 million in the Indian EV sector and sees further investment opportunities in EV manufacturing, components and financing segments in the country.

“India has quite an evolved auto market… On the EV side, the penetration right now lags the rest of the world… The (overall) penetration of EVs in India is something like 6 per cent and we see it quite easily expand, double and more than double quite quickly,” Sinha told PTI in an interview.

He further said, “the leader today is China, but for India to be significantly ahead of where it is today… we think it’s a very achievable sort of an objective… So we’re quite bullish.”
Sinha was responding to a query on how British International Investment (BII) sees the EV ecosystem in India compared to the other markets in the world and investment opportunities in the country.

By 2030, he said there will be a “massive level” of EV penetration in public transportation in India and there will be “quite a bit of traction on the passenger (electric) cars, as more and more people adopt it”.

“I would imagine even if it’s not as much as China, it’ll be ahead of Europe and the US in the way it’s going and all the push coming from the government as well as the logic of total cost of ownership,” Sinha said.

On BII’s investments in India, he said, “We have invested ($) 300 million so far in this whole EV space… we’ve backed Mahindra in India, on their EV platform and that’s a very significant investment for us, almost $ 250-million.”
Moreover, it has also made investments in Euler Motors, a startup commercial EV manufacturer, Turno, an EV distribution and financing for small businesses and individuals and Battery Smart, a battery-swapping network for electric two- and three-wheelers.

When asked about BII’s further investment plans in the Indian EV ecosystem, Sinha said, “It’s hard to say an exact number but we have invested $ 300 million over the last three years and I would expect a similar sort of pace going forward.”

On the strategy for future investments, he said, “What we realised is that a lot of focus has to go on earlier stage investments and these tend to be smaller, even though the number of our typical sizes in these spaces are like $ 5 million to $ 10 million investments. Maybe the numbers may not stack up quite a bit initially but as these companies become bigger we then follow with another investment.”
For BII in India, he said climate in general has the highest attention and within that “EV is probably going to be the largest area for us to invest.”

“So, we will continue investing in the manufacturing side and we will extend that in the components and the financing side. It is a space which will take a lot of investment. We will invest across the entire value chain,” Sinha said.

https://www.business-standard.com/industry/auto/bii-bullish-on-indian-ev-ecosystem-expects-to-invest-300-mn-in-3-yrs-md-124062300139_1.html

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But it is not just the quantum but the complexity of change that will be India’s biggest challenge.  Multiple sources of funds will dry up as we consume less fossil fuel, revenues from public sector enterprises (PSEs) involved in fossil fuels will fall, and those requiring subsidies, such as for renewable energy, will require more. The dependence on revenues also differs from state to state.  Some states, such as Odisha, have higher royalty revenues due to coal mining, while others such as Maharashtra rely more on tax revenues. 

The problem, therefore, is not merely of generating additional government revenues from non-fossil sources, but also about sharing these revenues in a manner that is satisfactory for the many stakeholders. Take, for instance, the issue of state autonomy over tax generation. One of the key reasons why petroleum products could not be included in the goods and services tax (GST) was that the current value added tax (VAT) regime enables state governments to decide on the level of taxation autonomously. GST, for all its benefits, does not score high on state autonomy considerations. Any movement away from VAT will rightly be a cause for concern to states interested in maintaining some autonomy over their revenues.

There is another challenge related to the high levels of subsidies being given to the electric vehicle (EV) sector. Policy rightly focuses on steadily reducing the share of petroleum-driven vehicles and increasing that of EVs. However, the challenge is that the EV solution requires significant subsidies, whereas fossil fuel vehicles are revenue generators for the government. Reducing EV subsidies will slow down the transition, but maintaining high subsidy levels will impose a growing burden on government revenues. What makes this challenge more complex is that the EV rollout and fossil fuel reduction have different stakeholders within the government.

Yet another class of issues are related to reducing the damage that transition will cause. Take, for instance, the coal mining jobs that will be eliminated over the next few decades as dependence on coal reduces. There are two categories of jobs that will be lost. The first category includes those who are directly employed in coal mining. These are easier to deal with for two reasons. First, those directly employed in coal mining are fewer in number, and second, their numbers will fall over the next few years due to technological changes in the mining sector and natural attrition. But the key challenge is for those who are indirectly employed due to coal mining — these are the many providers who are servicing mines and miners.  They are far greater in number and typically there are few economic alternatives in the vicinity of coal mines. Another example is related to stranded assets in the thermal power sector, or the capital that will become redundant as India shifts away from thermal power towards renewable energy.

In other words, we can broadly classify the revenue needs of the transition to include those required to (a) cover falling revenues, (b) enable rapid transition, (c) correct the economic destruction that will accompany the transition, and (d) identify appropriate allocation principles that will not disempower the states. Taken individually, each of these is a tough challenge to address, but taken together, they seem insurmountable.

The rational approach in such circumstances may appear to be delaying efforts at finding the right solutions. The 2070 Net Zero target is some decades away, new technologies are emerging rapidly, and the Indian economy is undergoing a deep structural change. It might, therefore, seem that a wait-and-watch approach is the right path ahead.

And that is precisely what India cannot afford.  The transition process has already started and is irreversible. Renewable energy capacity and generation are growing rapidly, and so are EVs. The latter are also part of a (silent) strategy to use the depth of domestic markets to leverage scale economies for tapping into global markets. At the same time, the costs of transition will rise going forward, and the bulk of these will need to be borne by the government.  Therefore, doing nothing on the revenue front will lead to a situation where growth in government revenues is steadily curtailed, which will impact the fiscal situation quite significantly over the next decade or two, with obvious adverse implications for growth.

There are some solutions to the problem, but each has different characteristics and India will need to identify what works best for it. Increasing direct tax rates, for instance, is unlikely to work given experience with implementation and leakages. Carbon taxes will hasten the transition and may reduce the immediate revenue challenge but will not solve the long-term fiscal problem. Rationalising GST may work but will require significant negotiation between the Centre and the states. New forms of taxes, such as distance or road use taxes, may be easier to implement but may not address the state autonomy objective. Reducing non-productive expenditure or welfare expenditure is always easier to call for than to implement.  Moreover, it would be difficult to reduce welfare expenses in an era where trickle-down effects are operating slowly.   Some solutions, such as carbon taxes, may even require constitutional amendments, which are possible but will take time and much coordination.

An important feature of this problem is that most key stakeholders are a part of the government, namely, Central and state governments and PSEs. And here, actions within the government have already shown the path ahead. By allowing fossil fuel PSEs to enter the renewable energy space, the government has to some extent aligned the interests of the fossil fuel PSEs with that of the transition. 

An alignment between the central and state governments on transition and associated action on revenue generation may be a more difficult exercise, but it is critical. Many of the costs, whether changing expenditure profiles, stranded assets, or employment impacts, will be borne by the states, which are not ready for them. India, therefore, requires the creation of a formal mechanism that maps state-level transition requirements against revenues, identifies emerging gaps, and explores various alternatives ahead. Most importantly, it will need to identify possible revenue sources where state governments have some autonomy.

https://www.business-standard.com/opinion/columns/the-complexity-of-green-transition-124070101201_1.html

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During a daylong visit to Karachi, the prime minister chaired a meeting concerning the Karachi Port Trust (KPT), the Port Qasim Authority (PQA), and the Pakistan National Shipping Corporation (PNSC).

At the KPT, PM Shehbaz received a briefing on the operations of KPT, PQA, and the national flag carrier PNSC, the PM Office Media Wing said in a press release.

Highlighting Pakistan’s strategic regional location, Shehbaz discussed his interactions with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Central Asian leaders during his recent visit to Kazakhstan.

“Pakistan provides the most suitable sea trade route for the Central Asian states. The Central Asian states have expressed deep interest in using Pakistan’s ports for trade,” the prime minister stated.

He stressed the financial benefits of upgrading port systems and improving access, saying, “Pakistan can earn billions of dollars in foreign exchange by modernising the systems at the ports and by further improving their access. Development of existing ports in Karachi will increase our exports.”

The prime minister instructed authorities to reduce customs clearance time by installing modern equipment and scanning machinery at both ports.

He stressed the need for priority measures to fully utilise the ports’ capacities and ordered that the Lyari Expressway should remain open 24 hours to ensure uninterrupted goods delivery to and from the Karachi port.

Additionally, he directed for connecting the Malir Expressway to the port to further enhance goods delivery and called for increased rail capacity for cargo transport.

Addressing the PQA, Shehbaz stated, “Fees for the LNG [liquefied natural gas] ships at the Port Qasim should be reduced to the prevailing rates at the international level,” and sought a comprehensive action plan for shipping law regulation.

To improve the PNSC, the prime minister ordered the formulation of a comprehensive action plan to reduce costs and enhance operational efficiency.

The PM reaffirmed the government’s commitment to private sector development, ease of doing business, and investor convenience, stating, “Pakistan’s economy is stable and on the path to development. We are providing all kinds of facilities to the exporters for the development of Pakistan’s export industry.”

The meeting was attended by federal ministers Muhammad Aurangzeb, Jam Kamal Khan, Ahad Cheema, Attaullah Tarar, Qaiser Sheikh, Sindh Governor Kamran Tessori, Chief Minister Syed Murad  Ali Shah, and other high-ranking officials.

 Regional corridor

 Meanwhile, speaking during a visit to the Hutchison Port, South Asian Pakistan Terminal where he was given a briefing, the prime minister said the government was taking steps for the development of the seaports for the provision of the shortest corridor to the regional countries, especially to the Central Asian states.

He said with a spur in sea trade by the Central Asian states, China and other countries of the region via Pakistani ports, the country could earn billions of dollars as foreign revenue every year. On the occasion, he directed the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) chairman to prioritise the installation of the latest scanners at the Pakistani ports.

The prime minister said that the customs authorities in collaboration with the ports authorities should ensure immediate steps for the complete utilisation of the seaports in Pakistan.

The prime minister was briefed that the process for the installation of the latest scanners by the FBR was in the final stages, which would enable rapid scanning of containers in the shortest time with the assistance of the latest gadgets and artificial intelligence. 

For the progress of the country, the prime minister said, the ports needed to be also developed. He added that in order to increase the country’s exports, the government was taking measures on a priority basis.

The prime minister was apprised that Hutchison Port, South Asian Pakistan Terminal was amongst the few global terminals located in deep sea, which was being automatically operated upon. The terminal had been equipped with the latest technology and scanners and its operations were of international standards.

The prime minister was further informed that the port could handle the shipment of 35,00,000 containers annually. He appreciated the latest operations of the port.

https://tribune.com.pk/story/2477573/pm-orders-steps-to-enhance-port-facilities

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Once production gets under way, Adani group will hire specialized ships to export what will be the world’s cheapest green hydrogen and its derivatives to Europe and some Asian countries, three people directly aware of the conglomerate’s plans said on condition of anonymity.

“This is the most decisive entry into green hydrogen being planned by any group in the country,” one of the three people said. In the first phase, Adani plans to achieve a capacity of 1 million tonnes per annum (mtpa) of green hydrogen, which is produced by breaking down water in an electrolyzer using renewable power.

Adani Group, through Adani New Industries Ltd., is working on one of the most ambitious green hydrogen projects in India from the Rann of Kutch in Gujarat.

“The group is in the first stage. Around $4 billion will be invested for setting up the manufacturing components and equipment needed to operate the plants, stacks and balance of plant (BoP) in the production cycle. This is the most critical part of the cycle. Once it is ready, it can support the next two phases too with some degree of expansion,” the person added.

Adani’s potential rivals in green hydrogen include Larsen and Toubro Ltd, Indian Oil Corp. Ltd, Acme group and Oil India Ltd.

Green hydrogen has become the chosen route for many countries’ climate roadmaps and net-zero pledges, as they look to eventually stop burning fossil fuels to generate energy or produce other chemicals.

A “stack” is an assembly of electrolyser-based fuel cells, which acts as a unit that produces electricity. It is the core working element in an electrolyzer-based power plant. A single stack consists of hundreds of fuel cells. The company aims to minimize the cost of green hydrogen equipment by making them in-house as much as possible, the three people said.

 

The $9 billion green hydrogen plan includes a $5 billion investment in manufacturing and operating electrolyzers.

“There will be 4-5 different stages. The plan is to quickly develop ½ mtpa in the next 2-3 years and take it up from there to 1 mtpa. During this phase, the full chain for a 5GW electrolyzer manufacturing capacity planned may need an investment of $4.5 – 5 billion,” the second person said.

An email sent to Adani group remained unanswered till press time.

The first phase will be based on alkaline electrolyzers, composed of electrodes with a porous separator and an alkaline electrolyte. Alkaline electrolysrers typically have a maximum power input of 30 kW. To produce one kg of hydrogen, at least nine kg of water is required with a total of 50-55 kWH of electrical unit.

At a later stage, Adani plans to manufacture electrolyzers based on anion exchange membrane as well, which has higher operational flexibility and better efficiency as compared to alkaline.

Eventually, Adani group aims to manufacture over 17.5GW of electrolysers, according to the three persons.

Adani New Industries, which contributed 9% of the group’s total income in FY24, has established 4GW capacity of solar cell and module manufacturing, 2GW of ingot-wafer manufacturing and 1.5GW capacity of wind manufacturing.

The capex also include building a Balance of Plant (BoP), an auxiliary set-up of machinery and components within a power plant, which is required to keep energy generation stable and safe. This becomes critical since hydrogen is far more explosive than other fuels.

The Adani group, plans to use its own ports on the west coast of India to transport green hydrogen and its derivatives and off-takes to other countries in Europe and Asia by ships that will be specially designed, said the third person. Adani operates the country’s largest private port in Gujarat.

“Transportation of green hydrogen is an elaborate task that needs a separate focus,” said the third person, adding the special ships which are being designed may cost $300-400 million each.

He said green hydrogen needs to be liquefied and cooled below -240 degree Celsius to transport it in bulk. “Adani won’t build or operate those ships at this stage,” said the third person.

“There are specialized ship-makers for this, which will be used by Adani as well. The number of ships will depend specifically on the amount of orders for green hydrogen or its off-takes or derivatives that Adani receives from offshore markets post production. Currently, very few companies are designing such ships. Such type of cargo is currently not readily available in the market,” said the third person.

In September, Adani formed a joint venture with Japan’s Kowa Group to sell its green hydrogen and other derivatives in Japan, Taiwan and Hawaii. “The group is in discussions with several other key players in Japan, Korea, Singapore and Europe for selling products that comes as off-takes from green hydrogen,” said the second person.

“The end users of green hydrogen will mostly be government and municipal entities. It can be used for operating city buses, trains, metro and so on,” added the third person.

Adani’s green hydrogen business is expected to create 7,500-10,00 new jobs, according to the first two persons. “Alongside, it may create further employment externally, especially in the logistics sector,” said the first person.

“At Adani, the port infrastructure for loading and discharging terminals meant for green hydrogen and its off-takes are being made ready. These are like Petronet’s LNG terminals. We have to use cryogenic liquid carrier tanks for transporting green hydrogen. The off-takes can be carried by conventional ships. This space itself will create many new jobs externally,” said the third person.

Adani is expecting to do significant business making and selling green hydrogen and its derivatives and off-takes including ammonia and urea. The group wants to attain a 5.6 mtpa target in producing green ammonia and other such derivatives by 2030, which could be further used to produce fertilizers and methanol.

The group’s Mundra port will export the off-take products to Europe, Singapore, Japan and Korea.

The green hydrogen plan being critical to their future plans, according to the two persons, in the next two years the group looks to increase its ingot, wafer, solar modules and cells manufacturing capacities to 10 GW each, which will be crucial in the production of green hydrogen.

The two persons said the group will manufacture electrolyzers based on both alkaline and anion exchange membrane technologies.

As per International Energy Agency, by 2030, the total hydrogen demand globally is estimated to increase by 1.5 times to reach more than 150 mtpa, with nearly 30% of it from new applications.

Currently, the country depends on grey hydrogen, with over 6.5 mtpa in annual consumption. Most of this is used by the country’s fertilizer and refining companies.

By planning to invest $5 billion in electrolyzer manufacturing, Adani group aims to capture this market by 2030, by when the country’s hydrogen demand may nearly double to around 11 mtpa due to rising demand from existing firms and across emerging sectors.

To be sure, to boost its electrolyzer production capacity based on alkaline technology, Adani has forged multiple tie-ups with technology providers such as Australia’s Cavendish Renewable Technology and Italy’s HyDep (Hydrogen for Development of Environmental Projects s.r.l.) Adani has completed its design for prototype for alkaline electrolyzers.

In its latest presentation a fortnight ago, Adani group said it plans to commission the first complete electrolyzer manufacturing facility by 2025.

Besides, the group is developing a supply chain for achieving 90% indigenization of electrolyzers, which will be key to the group’s commitment to keep green hydrogen cost less than $1 per kg as compared to $4-5 per kg globally now.

Emphasizing on his $50 billion green hydrogen investment plan, Gautam Adani, in his address to the shareholders in the latest annual report said the group has identified the components of its six types of capital, within which the financial capital component included a strong balance sheet, funds allocation and capital management approach.

While saying this, Adani mentioned this financial capital as the main driver of the group’s incubation strategy, green hydrogen journey, and efficient project execution.

Adani group has earmarked $100 billion in investments to transition to green energy-related capabilities by 2030. This includes building an integrated green hydrogen ecosystem, encompassing three giga factories to develop 10 GW solar panels, 5 GW wind turbines and 5 GW hydrogen electrolysers and expanding the overall portfolio of Adani renewables to 50 GW.

At present, the total electrolyser manufacturing capacity is estimated to be barely 2GW-4GW per annum globally, while India alone will require over 30GW electrolyser installation capacity and over 100 GW renewable capacity by 2030 for production of its planned 5MTPA of green hydrogen, according to the two persons.

The government has earlier said that by 2030, at least 40% of hydrogen consumption in the country should be met by green hydrogen, while India becomes the global hub for production, usage and export of green hydrogen and its derivatives.

Adani is also competing with other industrial powerhouses to capitalize on this domestic demand. Rival Larsen and Toubro Ltd in August 2022 commissioned a 380kW alkaline electrolyser-based (45kg/day) green hydrogen plant at its engineering complex in Hazira.

State-run GAIL is in the process of implementing a 4.3 tonnes per day green hydrogen plant in Madhya Pradesh, which is expected to be commissioned shortly.

Indian Oil Corp. Ltd is about to implement a 5KTPA and 2KTPA green hydrogen plants at its Mathura and Panipat refineries, respectively.

ACME Group has already set up an integrated pilot project for green hydrogen and green ammonia plant at Bikaner in Rajasthan, which can save about 4,400 tonnes per annum of carbon dioxide emissions.

State-owned crude oil and natural gas production firm Oil India Ltd has commissioned a 99.999% pure green hydrogen pilot plant with an installed capacity of 10kg per day at its Jorhat Pump Station in Assam in April 2022.

https://www.livemint.com/companies/adani-plans-9-bn-capex-to-kickstart-green-hydrogen-biz-11720358251426.html#:~:text=The%20Adani%20group%20will%20spend,polluted%20country’s%20net%2Dzero%20transition.

 

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At the heart of this technology is a tandem PEC module. It’s similar to its traditional photovoltaic counterpart, but with one crucial difference: the electricity is not generated for purposes of later electrolysis elsewhere. The entire process takes place in one unit. Caution is needed throughout — since the process results in hydrogen and oxygen, the structure must be designed to maintain a strict separation between the two elements during generation and after.

“To produce the tandem cell, experts coated standard commercially available float or plate glass with semiconducting materials on both sides,” notes a press release from the institute. When the sunlight hits the glass, one side of the module absorbs the short-wavelength light. Meanwhile, the long-wavelength light passes through the upper layer of glass and is absorbed on the reverse side. The module releases hydrogen on the reverse or cathode side and oxygen on the upper/anode side.

Over the project’s three-year term, the Fraunhofer scientists researched and developed high-purity semiconductor materials, which they apply using ultra-gentle coating methods. This allows them to increase the method’s hydrogen yield.

“We use the vapour phase to form layers that are just a few nanometres thick on the glass. The structures created in the process have a huge impact on reactor activity, in addition to the actual material properties, which we have also optimised,” explains Dr Arno Görne, group manager of Functional Materials for Hybrid Microsystems at the Fraunhofer Institute for Ceramic Technologies and Systems IKTS. The photovoltaic elements linked in the module supply the system with additional voltage — that accelerates activity and boosts efficiency.

The result is a reactor with an active surface area of half a square metre. Separated from the oxygen, it generates hydrogen, which can be captured and quantified. Right now, a single module exposed to sunlight under European conditions can generate over 30 kilograms of hydrogen per year over 100 square metres.

 

 

 

“In terms of the dimensions of the tandem cell, we are limited by the fact that our module splits water directly. But it is also necessary for electricity to get from one side to the other to achieve this. As the module area increases, the rising resistance has an unfavourable effect on the system. Currently, the existing format has proven to be optimal. It is stable, robust and significantly larger than any comparable solution,” Görne notes. The compact elements can be connected as needed without any negative side effects, from a single module to large areas – a significant advantage, the release says.

https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/business-tech/fraunhofers-semiconducting-glass-generates-hydrogen-from-sunlight/article68378345.ece

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“This grant will help the Sangamon Mass Transit District modernize its bus fleet and lower fuel costs, as well as reduce harmful air pollution and help build a healthier future for our community,” she said in a news release. “I’m glad to see the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law continuing to deliver for Central and Southern Illinois with yet another transformational investment.”

 

Last month, SMTD unveiled the first of eight new hybrid buses — the $7.2 million price tag being covered by a mix of state and federal funding according to the transit district. The new funding announced on July 9, SMTD managing director Steve Schoeffel said, will add 19 buses with 12 new hybrid buses and seven compressed natural gas buses replacing older models.

 

Schoeffel told The State Journal-Register the transit district is transitioning its current fleet of 56 buses to zero-emission vehicles. Right now, its focus is on replacing diesel vehicles with diesel-electric hybrids which he projects will take place over the next six to seven years.

“With these new buses that this grant will provide, those will probably be purchased and hopefully in service by spring of 2026,” he said. “When that happens, we’ll be at over 82% low-emission so this gets us well on our way to a 100% low-emission fleet.”

The funding comes as state lawmakers begin to review potential changes to public transit as the Chicagoland’s Regional Transportation Authority could be facing a $730 million budget deficit beginning in 2026, according to the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning.

https://www.sj-r.com/story/news/local/2024/07/11/new-hybrid-compressed-natural-gas-buses-coming-to-springfield-sangamon-mass-transit-district/74340614007/

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Advantages and challenges of Bio-LNG

The appeal of Bio-LNG lies in its ability to significantly reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Under the EU’s Renewable Energy Directive (RED 3), biofuels must account for 42.5% of the energy market, with a sub-target of 29% for transport. GHG savings for Bio-LNG range from 89% to 200%, making its adoption economically viable compared with traditional fossil fuels.

Nevertheless, Bio-LNG production is still under development. The sector faces significant challenges, including the cost of production and the adaptation of existing bio-methane infrastructures. Producers also need to balance subsidies and incentives to switch from grid-injected bio-methane to Bio-LNG.

Growth in the Transportation Market

The European transport sector is preparing for a significant increase in demand for Bio-LNG. The Natural Gas Vehicle Association (NGVA Europe) predicts that 400,000 trucks could be powered by LNG by 2030, compared with just 2,000 today. This expansion is essential to reduce carbon emissions in a sector where low-emission alternatives are limited.

The European Commission is stepping up its energy targets for 2030, requiring hard-to-decarbonize sectors such as shipping and heavy road transport to switch to cleaner fuels. Bio-LNG offers an immediate and practical solution for reducing CO2 emissions, especially as the cost of emissions rises under the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS).

Production prospects and future developments

The number of Bio-LNG production plants in Europe is growing rapidly. At the end of 2022, there were 27 active plants, a figure set to rise to 42 by 2024 and over 109 by 2025. Combined generation capacity is expected to reach 15.4 TWh/year by the end of 2025.

At the same time, the fleet of LNG/Bio-LNG trucks and refueling stations is growing. Italy, the European leader in this field, uses all the biomethane it produces as transport fuel, backed by a favorable legislative framework and a robust support scheme. Shell, for example, plans to add 2,000 LNG-fueled trucks in Europe and offer a Bio-LNG blend to its customers in the Netherlands and Germany by the first quarter of 2024.

Bio-LNG represents a significant step towards a low-carbon Europe. With growing production and adoption, this biofuel actively supports the EU’s ambitious environmental objectives. As environmental regulations tighten, the use of Bio-LNG will become not only a viable option, but also a necessary one for companies seeking to reduce their emissions costs and remain competitive.

https://energynews.pro/en/bio-lng-a-pillar-of-europes-energy-transition-to-net-zero/

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Under a signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), the duo has agreed to set up a jointly owned ship management company to meet increased demands in Indonesia.

In turn, this will focus on CO2 and LNG movements. As part of this focus, the companies have said they hope to offer liquid CO2 (LCO2) transportation services for storage operators and CO2 emitters.

Playing its role, PIS will focus on the transportation part of the CCS project, which requires ships to move the product [CO2] to carbon storage facilities, such as underground wells.

Yoki Firnandi, CEO of PIS, noted the importance of collaboration for CCS transportation.

He said, “This MoU with NYK drives PIS’ initiative to unlock value and grow beyond Indonesia through long-term partnerships and close relationships with our shareholders. The MoU also symbolises PIS’ readiness to become a leading aggregator of CCS transportation and logistics in the region.”

In addition to supporting Indonesia’s country-wide goals, the collaboration also aligns with Pertamina’s commitment to achieve Net Zero emissions by 2050 through CCS technology and other emission reduction initiatives.

The MoU was signed at Pertamina’s headquarters and attended by the President Director of PT Pertamina, Nicke Widyawati, CEO of PIS, Yoki Firnandi, and Managing Executive Officer of NYK Hironobu Watanabe.

https://www.gasworld.com/story/pertamina-and-nyk-to-form-jv-focused-on-co2-and-lng-transportation/2140796.article/

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The Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC Ltd.), says the drive to bring Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) closer to Nigerians has commenced and is irreversible.

Malam Mele Kyari, Group Chief Executive Officer, NNPC Ltd, said in addition to the massive deployment of CNG stations nationwide, the company and its partners would also build three Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) stations in Ajaokuta.

Stunned by thousands of storks flying over the sky in Gia Viễn dike, Ninh Bình – Nếm TV

Kyari said this on Thursday during the simultaneous commissioning of 12 CNG stations in Abuja and Lagos by Mr Ekperikpe Ekpo, Minister of State Petroleum Resources (Gas).

“There is simply no way to turn back on delivering CNG for all Nigerians. It is the right thing to do. Is it late? Yes, but we will make progress.

“We will cover the gap in order to ensure that the volatility we see with Premium Motor Spirit (petrol) does not apply to gas,” Kyari said.

He commended President Bola Tinubu for providing the needed support to drive domestic gas utilisation aimed at delivering cleaner and cheaper sources of energy to Nigerians.

In his remarks, the Managing Director, NNPC Retail Limited, Mr Huub Stokman, said the NNPC Retail planned to set up over 100 CNG sites, including 16 NNPC Gas Marketing and NIPCO Gas JV sites in the next year.

“CNG provides Nigeria with affordable alternatives to existing available fuel products. It will be about 40 per cent cheaper than petrol in Nigeria and with continued investments, it will become a significant part of our energy mix,” Stokman added.

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The Chairman of the NNPC Board of Directors, Chief Pius Akinyelure, said increased CNG adoption would foster economic benefits by reducing fuel costs for consumers and businesses alike.

The NNPC Ltd. has taken the lead in the deployment of Auto-CNG Stations across Nigeria sequel to the removal of fuel subsidy and the declaration of the Presidential Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) initiatives.

 

Already, NNPC Gas Marketing Limited, a subsidiary of NNPC Limited, in partnership with NIPCO Gas Limited has developed an Auto-CNG rollout plan for the construction of 35 CNG stations across the country. (NAN)

https://dailytrust.com/nnpc-ltd-plans-3-lng-stations-100-cng-sites-nationwide/

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Stefan Weil, the Minister President of Lower Saxony, said: “Following the first floating LNG terminal, Germany’s first land-based LNG terminal is now also being built in Lower Saxony. My sincere thanks go out to all involved. Our federal state is playing a key role in the expansion of infrastructure to import energy. It is also at the centre of the planned Germany-wide hydrogen core network, which will link all the main production sites, storage locations and industrial consumers. In conjunction with the further expansion of wind energy, we are strongly pursuing the goal of a green hydrogen economy and strengthening Lower Saxony’s position as Germany’s energy hub.”

Besides the two German energy suppliers EnBW and SEFE, which have respectively booked annual capacities of 6 billion m³ and 4 billion m³ at the terminal, also the Czech energy company CEZ has secured long-term import rights for 2 billion m³/y. All customers have the option to switch their contracts to hydrogen-based energy sources, such as ammonia, as part of the energy transition in their home countries.

Jozef Síkela, the Czech Minister of Industry and Trade, added: “We are constantly working to ensure the best possible future for our energy industry in the Czech Republic. Capacities for importing LNG from overseas are also an essential part of all this. After securing capacity in the floating LNG terminal in the Netherlands, we also managed last autumn in cooperation with CEZ to secure capacity in the first German land-based terminal, Stade. In three years, it will contribute to covering up to a third of today’s Czech consumption. Thanks to the convenient location, the terminal can also contribute to the reduction of fees for transporting gas to the Czech Republic.”

Jan Themlitz, CEO of the Hanseatic Energy Hub, emphasised: “After six years of planning and permitting, the construction phase now begins. We are proud that Germany’s first land-based terminal is taking shape in Stade – this being not only a major German but also a major European project. Privately initiated and funded we are benefiting from the vast experience of our shareholders. Partners Group is one of the largest private investors in the infrastructure sector. And Enagás, Europe’s leading LNG-terminal operator, will be assuming operational responsibility and is teaming up with Dow, the ideal industrial partner on the site in Stade. As an initiator, the Buss Group has played a key role in driving the project forward and bringing the shareholder-team together.”

Técnicas Reunidas – the global specialist for planning, procurement and construction – and its partners FCC and Enka will be responsible for the construction. To make the central Hanseatic Energy Hub a reality by 2027:

• Workers will have to drive around 4600 piles into the ground. The foundation is already statically designed to allow a subsequent conversion to ammonia.
• In addition, for the terminal, more than 60 000 m3 of concrete will be poured, the equivalent of around 20 Olympic swimming pools.
• Almost 11 000 t of structural steelwork will be erected, weighing 1.5 times as much as the Eiffel Tower.

https://www.lngindustry.com/liquid-natural-gas/01072024/construction-starts-on-germanys-first-land-based-lng-terminal/

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Environmentalists say this is defeating the Biden administration’s goals of weaning the U.S. off of fossil fuels to avert climate change-driven catastrophes in the future

LNG is natural gas that is supercooled into a liquid so it can be loaded onto tankers and shipped overseas. Natural gas, while considered cleaner than coal, produces both carbon dioxide and methane emissions which are rapidly warming the planet. John Allaire’s Louisiana property is just a mile from a liquefied natural gas export terminal called Calcasieu Pass. Allaire is a former oil industry engineer and is documenting what’s known as “flaring” – when the plant burns off excess gas. He’s not only worried about breathing potentially toxic air but also about America’s natural resources being sent to Europe and Asia. “It makes no sense,” he said. “It’s all about let’s monetize it, you know make as much money as we can.”

He said he would feel differently if it was staying domestic.

The plant near Allaire is owned by Venture Global. It denied CBS News’ request for an interview, but said in a statement that it has made “dramatic progress in minimizing flaring” and that “the world needs more energy, specifically natural gas.”

It is one of eight operating LNG export terminals in the U.S. Seven more are under construction. U.S. capacity has more than tripled since 2018 and is expected to double again by 2030, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

The unprecedented boom worries climate activists who call the new LNG plants “carbon bombs.” 

CBS News spoke with Energy Secretary Jennifer Granhom earlier this year after the White House paused approving any new LNG exports. She said the administration is looking at the impacts on the environment, rising domestic prices for natural gas and America’s energy security.

“Are we gonna continue to just authorize and authorize? Or should we take a beat and say ‘What is all of this doing?” Granhom previously said.

Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill is one of 16 state attorneys generals suing the Biden administration over the pause. She thinks President Biden is trying to appeal to climate voters, saying there is no legal basis for the pause. She added she isn’t worried about the potential climate impacts.

“Because that’s not my job. My job is to hold them accountable under the law,” she said.

Allair is also fighting another LNG plant that would be built right next to his property. He said the companies making billions selling gas overseas should think about more than just money.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/markets/environmental-impact-of-liquefied-natural-gas-as-u-s-is-top-supplier/ar-BB1pe3dL?item=flightsprg-tipsubsc-v1a?season=2024/

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The company said that Tilbury Jetty Limited Partnership’s Tilbury Marine Jetty (TMJ) project will now proceed with securing the necessary remaining approvals and permits and will work towards making a final investment decision.

The TMJ project involves the construction of a jetty, or dock, on the south arm of the Fraser River, FortisBC said in a news release. Strategically located adjacent to its existing Tilbury LNG facility, the jetty will leverage the facility’s production of LNG, which is less carbon-intensive compared to the global average due to its use of hydroelectric power, the company noted.

LNG reduces local air pollutants, which is especially important for ports and populated coastal areas, FortisBC said. With about 3,100 ships calling on the Port of Vancouver each year, switching from conventional marine fuel to LNG marine fuel could remove 90 percent of the particulate matter associated with marine shipping from the local airshed, the company said, citing a third-party study.

FortisBC President and CEO Roger Dall’Antonia said, “We are excited to announce that the Government of Canada has approved the Tilbury Marine Jetty (TMJ) project. This significant milestone allows the project to move forward in its goal of reducing emissions in the marine industry and provide benefits to our local economy, including through our agreement with Musqueam”.

In 2022, FortisBC and Musqueam Indian Band signed an agreement to work together in close collaboration as the Tilbury projects are developed. A shared goal of the agreement is to develop a world-leading LNG facility that provides mutual benefits for Musqueam and the region, according to the release. The TMJ will help create economic and employment opportunities for Delta, neighboring communities and Indigenous communities, the company noted.

FortisBC Holdings Inc. is a subsidiary of Fortis Inc., which describes itself as a leader in the North American regulated electric and gas utility industry. FortisBC Holdings Inc. is also the direct parent company of FortisBC Energy Inc., a regulated utility operating in British Columbia.

Earlier in the week, EverGen Infrastructure Corp. finalized an agreement to supply Canadian renewable natural gas (RNG) to FortisBC Energy Inc. for 20 years. The RNG will come from Fraser Valley Biogas Ltd., which Vancouver, British Columbia-based EverGen acquired in 2021. EverGen completed the expansion of Fraser Valley Biogas last December, raising its RNG nameplate capacity to 160,000 gigajoules annually.

FortisBC will inject the RNG from Fraser Valley Biogas into its natural gas system, EverGen said in a separate statement. FortisBC operates the interconnection facility at the RNG production facility.

https://www.rigzone.com/news/fortisbc_gets_ok_to_build_lng_refueling_dock_in_vancouver_region-05-jul-2024-177322-article/

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