NGS’ NG/LNG SNAPSHOT -Mar 16-31, 2024
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NATIONAL NEWS
City Gas Distribution & Auto LPG
Gail Gas conducts off-site mock drill at its CNG station
GAIL Gas Limited (GGL) in association with the District Disaster Management Authority and the district administration conducted an off-site emergency mock drill on Tuesday at its Panambur CNG Station to test emergency preparedness in case of natural gas leakage.
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Observers from various district agencies, including DDMA, Karnataka State Fire, SDRF, Health, Police and Traffic Departments along with nearby industries participated. A mock scenario of an LCV mounted cascade of 3,000 WL capacity toppled due to tyre puncture followed by gas leakage and subsequent fire was created.
During the drill, emergency actuated and planned as per the emergency action plan of GGL and Natural Gas leakage dispersion and firefighting was done with the support of its emergency responsevehicle. Further, mock evacuation of causalities affected by the gas leakage and subsequent fire was done by the SDRF B Company, Mangaluru to nearby medical centres.
The affected area was cordoned off during the drill. All response agencies performed their defined tasks and responsibilities in coordination in the presence of DDMA committee members and State Government officials.
The primary objective of the drill was to evaluate and check the efficiency and adequacy of resources to be required during any such disaster and to test the promptness of technical team of GAIL Gas, other response agencies and to improve the disaster/emergency preparedness systems, said a release.
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Bajaj to launch India’s first CNG bike in June
The running cost, however, is expected to be half of petrol bikes in the same engine size segment.
NEW DELHI: India’s first CNG powered bike, manufactured by Bajaj Auto, will hit market in June, Bajaj Auto MD Rajiv Bajaj said on Friday. The new bike, likely to be in 100-125cc segment, would target mileage-conscious consumers and is expected to launch under a new brand name.
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It is expected that the CNG bike will be priced higher than its petrol counterparts due to the higher cost of manufacturing besides having a special tank to offer petrol and CNG fuel options to offer convenience to customers. The running cost, however, is expected to be half of petrol bikes in the same engine size segment.
“The government has done a good job in expanding CNG pump network and people are adopting CNG vehicles where there is availability of the fuel. Carmakers like Maruti Suzuki and Tata Motors are selling CNG vehicles in good number,” said Bajaj while announcing Bajaj Group’s commitment of `5,000 crore towards CSR spent over the next 5 years.
https://www.newindianexpress.com/business/2024/Mar/23/bajaj-to-launch-indias-first-cng-bike-in-june
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Collector flags off vehicle rally in Ranipet, Tamil Nadu to promote use of piped natural gas
The rally also promotes one month of free gas, zero security deposit, zero registration fees, zero EMI, and zero rental charges. Collector S. Valarmathi flagged off a green vehicle rally from Muthukadai junction to Collectorate in Ranipet on Friday to promote piped natural gas usage among households in the district.
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The rally, which was jointly organised by AG&Pratham and Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB), was part of the ongoing National Domestic-PNG drive that was started in January in the country.
The rally also promotes the special incentives offered under the drive that include one month of free gas, zero security deposit, zero registration fees, zero EMI, and zero rental charges. The rally witnessed various CNG-powered private and public transport vehicles from Muthukadai to the Collectorate.
On the occasion, K. R. Venkatesan, regional head, AG&P Pratham for Vellore and Kolar regions, the release said.
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Mahanagar Gas Limited’s initiatives pave way for cleaner and sustainable energy
MGL has already established a strong presence in the township, having registered more than 3600 households, with around 2500 households using PNG. Mahanagar Gas Limited (MGL), one of the largest City Gas Distribution companies in India, organised two key events recently to advance its commitment to sustainable energy solutions through the use of natural gas, for domestic and automotive use. Shri Gajendra Singh, Member of Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB) graced the two events, along with senior management of MGL including Shri Ashu Shinghal, Managing Director, Mahanagar Gas Limited; and Shri Sanjay Shende, Deputy Managing Director, Mahanagar Gas Limited.
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Aligning with the National PNG Drive launched by PNGRB across the nation from January this year for enhancing usage and awareness about safe, convenient and environment-friendly Piped Natural Gas (PNG), MGL organised a PNG Drive event at Lodha Palava City, an integrated smart city on the outskirts of Mumbai. This event organised in the vast residential complex, being provided PNG by MGL witnessed enthusiastic participation from residents. MGL has already established a strong presence in the township, having registered more than 3600 households, with around 2500 households using PNG.
Customers can avail the schemes and register through MGL’s mobile app ‘MGL Connect’ or through MGL website.
Mahanagar Gas Limited also flagged off 3 LNG trucks on the same day, marking a significant milestone after the company’s recent foray in LNG. Manufactured by Ashok Leyland, these are the first ‘Made in India’ LNG Trucks. These trucks will be used to transport CNG cascades from MGL’s gas terminals to CNG stations inside the company’s network region, helping to reduce carbon footprints.
Commenting on the initiatives, Mr. Ashu Shinghal, Managing Director, Mahanagar Gas Limited said, “We are proud to spearhead initiatives that promote clean and sustainable energy solutions. The National PNG Drive not only raised awareness but also demonstrated the convenience and benefits of using PNG as a reliable fuel source. Additionally, by introducing LNG trucks, we are not only reducing emissions but also setting a benchmark for eco-friendly logistics in the region. Aligned with our business objectives as we expand our geographical and business reach, it also emphasizes our commitment to environment and our ongoing efforts to enhance the quality of life for communities we serve.”
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HCG Group to invest ₹500 cr for Gurugram’s PNG and CNG network expansion
New Delhi: HCG Group announced an investment of ₹500 crore to expand the Piped Natural Gas (PNG) and Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) infrastructure in Gurugram. This strategic move aims to provide nearly 100,000 domestic PNG connections in the next year, with a long-term plan to reach around 300,000 households over the next five years.
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During the inauguration of PNG connections in Palam Vihar, attended by Gajendra Singh, a member of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB), the emphasis was on natural gas as a crucial step towards enhancing residents’ quality of life and meeting national sustainability goals.
Rahul Chopra, Chairman, HCG Group, and Kapil Chopra, Managing Director, announced plans to bolster infrastructure, including adding 50 CNG stations to the existing 40, thereby totaling 90 stations. This expansion also envisages extending the gas distribution network by an additional 1000 kilometers.
“HCG Group is actively contributing towards realizing the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to transition India into a gas-based economy. Our efforts aim to increase the share of natural gas from 6% to 15% in the nation’s overall energy basket,” said Kapil Chopra.
The commitment underscores HCG Group’s dedication to sustainable infrastructure development, supporting Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s initiative to enhance the role of natural gas in India’s energy sector.
The event also featured the symbolic inauguration of 101 PNG connections in Palam Vihar, representing HCG Group’s commitment to pioneering sustainable energy solutions.
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Natural Gas/ Pipelines/ Company News
Middle East: Larsen & Toubro bags major gas pipeline project in Middle East
The scope of work comprises Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) of two new pipelines along with associated work parallel to the existing pipeline corridor, the infrastructure major said in a statement.
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New Delhi: Homegrown Larsen and Toubro (L&T) on Thursday announced bagging a major order gas pipeline project in the Middle East region. The scope of work comprises Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) of two new pipelines along with associated work parallel to the existing pipeline corridor, the infrastructure major said in a statement.
The major onshore gas pipeline project has been received by the company’s hydrocarbon vertical L&T Energy Hydrocarbon – LTEH, it said.
Subramanian Sarma, Whole-time Director & Senior Executive Vice President (Energy), L&T, said, “This is the largest cross-country pipeline EPC project awarded to us till date and we are excited to bring our expertise to this strategic project.”
The company did not provide any financial details of the project.
As per its classification, a major category order is valued in the range of Rs 5,000 crore to Rs 10,000 crore.
L&T is a USD 23 billion Indian multinational engaged in EPC Projects, hi-tech manufacturing, and services.
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India’s imports of natural gas continue to surge
India‘s appetite for imported natural gas is dramatically growing with prices falling in the international markets. Imports of liquefied natural gas (LNG) surged 33% year-on-year in February, after increasing 26% in January, 12% in December last year and 5% in November.
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LNG imports cost $1.1 billion in February, as much as in the year-ago period, even though the volumes were a third higher this year at 2.45 billion cubic metres. For the first 11 months of this financial year, LNG imports cost $12 billion, lower than $15.9 billion last year, even though volumes were up 18% this year.
For consumers, gas became more attractive than alternative fuels due to unusually low prices this winter, said an industry executive, adding that industrial consumers are switching to gas as it has become more affordable. Fertiliser, city gas and power sectors accounted for two-thirds of the increase in imported gas consumption in January.
LNG is currently available for about $8.5 per mmbtu in the Asian spot market. It averaged $10 in the three months through February, about half of $21 in the year-ago period. Crude oil fell to $80 from $85 per barrel during this period. Crude is currently around $85.
Booming imports have boosted domestic consumption of natural gas, which increased 20% year-on-year in February and 11% in the April-February period. Domestic consumption was also aided by an 11% year-on-year expansion in local production of gas in February and nearly 6% in the April-February period.
Increased global gas supply, mainly from the US, milder winter, lower-than-expected demand from China and higher gas storage in Europe have all weighed on gas prices this season.
The easy and cheaper availability of LNG has induced Indian consumers to order more of it after more than a year of having to deal with extremely high spot prices and supply shortages. In 2022-23, India imported 15% less LNG even as it paid 27% more year-on-year.
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Policy Matters/ Gas Pricing/ Others
Govt extends bids submission date of OALP Round IX to May
The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas (MoPNG) has extended the bid submission date for the Open Acreage Licensing Programme (OALP) bidding round IX, which was launched by Oil Minister H S Puri on January 3. Now the last date of submission for the latest bidding round has been extended from February 29 to May 15, 2024, under which the government has offered 8 blocks spread over 0.42 lakh sq km for exploration and production (E&P) of hydrocarbons.
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Of the eight blocks, three are in the Cauvery basin, two each in Saurashtra and Assam Shelf and one in the Cambay basin. While 6 blocks are spread over Category-I basins, the other two are in Category-II.
Category–I basins are those which have proven hydrocarbon resources with established commercial production, while Category–II have contingent resources that are yet to be converted to recoverable reserves and commercial production. Category–III basins have prospective resources with no hydrocarbon discovery and few exploration inputs and data.
In the ninth OLAP round, three blocks each are in Ultra Deep-Water (27,154 sq.km) and Onland (3,666 sq.km), while another two blocks are in Shallow Water (11,039 sq.km.).
Bidding rounds
In January, state-run firms Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) and Oil India (OIL) collectively secured eight of the 10 oil and gas blocks offered under the eight round of OALP.
Besides, a consortium of Reliance Industries (RIL) and BP as well as Sun Petrochemicals secured a block each. While ONGC secured the highest seven blocks, OIL secured one block.
The first seven OALP Bid Rounds led to an award of 134 blocks, covering an area of about 2,07,691 sq km to leading E&P companies. Now, with the award of 10 more blocks under Round-VIII, a total of 144 exploratory blocks have been awarded under the HELP regime covering an area of 2,42,055 sq km.
OLAP
In March 2016, the government introduced OALP as a part of the Hydrocarbon Exploration and Licensing Policy (HELP).
The DGH facilitates investors in proposing, through a suo motu Expression of Interest (EoI), blocks of their choice for contracting based on the data available in the National Data Repository (NDR).
The applications for suo motu EoI can be filed for Revenue Sharing Contract (RSC) which permits exploration, development and production operations in any of the onland (including CBM), shallow water, deep water and ultra deep water block for all types of hydrocarbons.
Besides, companies selected through competitive bidding would enter into contract with the government as per the Model Revenue Sharing Contract (MRSC) published before the competitive bidding. Such model contracts will be based on the principles of HELP.
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City-gas distribution entities lag on minimum work programme: PNGRB
Only 12 million cooking gas connections have been extended by city-gas distribution (CGD) entities so far, which is half of their total prorated commitments of 22 million connections, the Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB) has said..In an emailed response to Business Standard, PNGRB said that this is the reason for issuing letters to defaulting entities to complete their minimum work programme (MWP) commitments and striving to open up gas infrastructure for common usage.
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“The present progress of CGD entities is not in keeping with their commitments. Now, PNGRB is focusing on the rapid development of piped natural gas (PNG) connections, and in this regard, it initiated PNG drives from January 26 to March 31,” the regulator said in response to questions regarding its recent decision not to extend infrastructure exclusivity to Mahanagar Gas and Vadodara Gas.
According to existing rules, the MWPs are mandated by PNGRB and techno-commercial feasibility. Apart from providing a minimum number of PNG connections, CGD entities are required to cover all charge areas through pipelines within their marketing exclusivity periods.
In line with the PNGRB Act and regulations framed under it, the regulator takes action if a CGD defaults on its MWP targets.
“PNGRB is mandated to ensure equitable distribution of natural gas across the country. To fulfil its statutory duty, the regulatory body has authorised the whole of India (mainland) for the development of CGD networks. After the awarding of authorisation, the prime function of PNGRB is to monitor the progress committed by CGD entities,” the statement added.
Ambitious plans
To ensure the momentum of connections growth remains high and on-ground infrastructure is laid out quickly, PNGRB has been strict in enforcing the MWPs, sources said.
Last year, the ministry informed Parliament that authorised entities have to provide 125 million PNG connections by 2030, including in rural and urban areas based on MWP targets.
Expanding nationwide CGD coverage is part of the government’s target of raising India’s share of natural gas in its energy basket to 15 per cent by 2030, up from the current 6.8 per cent.
As a result, as many as 300 geographical areas (GAs) covering about 98 per cent of the population and 88 per cent of the total GA of the country spread over around 630 districts in 28 states and Union Territories, including rural areas, have been authorised by PNGRB by May 31, 2023, data from the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas show. This was up from 2.54 million connections across 66 districts in 2013-14.
With the 12th round of CGD bidding concluding, and letters of intent being issued on March 4, 2024, CGD licences for the whole of India, apart from the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, and Lakshadweep, have now been issued.
Task cut out
12 mn: Cooking gas connections extended by city-gas distribution (CGD) entities so far
22 mn: Total prorated commitment of connections by PNGRB
125 mn: Total PNG connections authorised entities have to provide by 2030, according to the ministry’s response in Parliament
15% by 2030: Government’s target of raising India’s share of natural gas, up from current 6%
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Competition status quo to stay amid PNGRB notice
India’s natural gas regulator surprised I the industry earlier this month with an expiry notice of infrastructure exclusivity for some city gas markets. Although an unexpected move, industry experts and executives do not expect it to upset the current competition status quo. On March 4, the Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB) issued a public notice stating that the infrastructure exclusivity granted to geo- graphical areas (GA) in Mumbai and Greater Mumbai has expired.
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The end of the period for the stated exclusivity was mentioned as April 2021, “Marketing exclusivity for city-gas dis tribution (CGD) was already under litiga tion. However, the March notice has brought out the issue of infrastructure exclusivity for the first time,” said Piyush Joshi, partner with Clarus Law Associates, who is representing some of the CGD companies in other litigation against PNGRB. He added, “Given that PNGRB does not have a legal member on its board and its earlier notified com- mon carrier-related regula- tions are under litigation, the notice is surprising.”
The regul recently s the infras exclusivit to geogra areas in and Grea Mumbai expired
PNGRB, in an email response, did not clarify the legal member aspect, However, they stated, “Infrastructure exclusivity for a few GA has expired. However, entities have not applied for further extension to PNGRB. Accordingly, the notice dated March 4, 2024, has been issued to inform that infrastructure exclu sivity for such GA has expired. However, if such entities applied for an extension, PNGRB may consider in keeping with
PNGRB Act and regulations”. An email query sent to Mahanagar Gas (MGL) on Thursday remained unan- swered. sments, also took a toll on MGL’s stock prices, which closed at around 1,264.55 per share on Friday.
gulator y stated that rastructure vity granted graphical Mumbai eater ai has
Analysts with Nuvama in a report ear- lier this month termed the decline in stock prices as a “knee-jerk” reaction and 3 added, “The PNGRB stated MGL’s Mumbai monopoly ended in April 2021; this, we argue, can extend by 10-plus years, given prece- dents. Critically, entrants cannot market at stations Mahanagar already dispens es at, minimising competi- tion. And nothing can move forward until pending court cases are resolved”.
Executives and analysts in the industry agree on the minimised competition view.
“Technically, third-party marketing has been open for most CGD markets for many years now, but there is nothing to show as competition for any of these cir cles. Two main hindrances for new entrants not opting for it are that this mar- ket exclusivity is under litigation and sec – ond, there is unease around the possibility of non-trade barriers,” said Prashant – Vasisht, senior vice-president and co- group head, corporate ratings at ICRA.
Indore, Mumbai, Delhi, and Ahmedabad are where marketing exclu- sivity ended many years ago.
“CGD companies are conscious not to aggressively push for clients in another incumbent’s market, for fear of being met with the same in their circles,” said an executive from a CGD company.
Joshi from the law firm also highlight- ed there is a push from the new entrants in the gas trading space instead.
“”The gas sector has over the past few years seen the emergence of traders who wish to be asset-light. This will jeopardise infrastructure creation and give higher importance to volumes traded,” he said.
Vasisht from ICRA expects more liti- gation around infrastructure exclusivity. given there is already one underway about common carriage. He said, “We do not see any change in the status quo of competi tion, until and unless there is a clear and strong stand from either the judiciary or PNGRB. Current circumstances make it economically unviable for new entrants to procure new customers, without access to the existing compressed natural gas infrastructure, which lies with incum- bents besides which cost-competitive gas is a scarce resource in the country.”
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IGX seeks PNGRB approval for term-ahead gas contracts beyond one month
The gas exchange has sought approval for introduction of three-months contracts, six-months contracts and 12-months or yearly contract.. Indian Gas Exchange (IGX) on March 18 applied Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB) for the introduction of term-ahead natural gas contracts beyond a month.
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The gas exchange has sought approval for the introduction of three-month, six-month, and 12-month or yearly contracts.
Currently, IGX provides day-ahead contracts and five term-ahead contracts including daily, weekday, weekly, fortnightly and monthly.
“In recent times it has been observed that buyers specifically marketers, CGDs, and industries are preferring short to mid-term contracts of ranging from a fortnight to 1-3 year as these provide much more flexibility to buyers and do not require them to be bound in long term contracts with take or pay liability,” said IGX.
The company added that the exchange has witnessed higher participation in fortnightly and monthly contracts as compared to other contracts, indicating buyers’ need for relatively longer-duration contracts. It added that introducing term-ahead contracts beyond a month will provide an additional avenue for buyers and sellers to participate in the market.
The company has also sought approval for amendments proposed in approved market rules of IGX for incorporating the introduction of said contracts.
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LNG Use / LNG Development and Shipping
GAIL to set up LNG filling stations along NHs; to invest ₹650 crore
GAIL aims to capture more than 50% market share in LNG retailing segment in India by 2030. State-run GAIL on Thursday said that it will set up liquefied natural gas (LNG) retailing outlets, which will cater to medium and heavy commercial vehicles, along major national highways (NHs) and aims to capture more than 50 per cent market share by 2030.
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The Maharatna company will invest ₹650 crore in the venture, under which LNG filling stations will be set up along the Golden Quadrilateral, major NHs and mining hubs.
In August last year, the country’s largest gas utility announced plans to set up LNG filling stations, particularly in the long-haul, heavy-duty logistics sector.
“LNG business has the potential to grow substantially. GAIL can take a central role in driving this growth and aspire to capture 50 per cent plus market share in next five-six years. This will help GAIL in the retail LNG sector, leading to an increase in natural gas portfolio. By converting transport fuel from diesel to LNG, reduction in carbon footprint is envisaged,” the CPSE said in a BSE filing.
The natural gas industry is focusing on retail LNG by increasing usage of the commodity as a transportation fuel. Proposed line of business investment is strategic in nature which relates to exploring opportunity-based investment for the development of LNG dispensing infrastructures and last mile connectivity along golden quadrilateral, NHs and mining areas as alternatives to diesel meant to serve customers with fuel having lower carbon footprints, it added.
Transition fuel
The development assumes importance as LNG is considered a greener alternative to diesel-run vehicles and can help reduce pollution and emissions. Besides, it will help in increasing use of natural gas and raising its share in India’s energy mix to 15 per cent from around 6.7 per cent currently.
In August 2023, GAIL Chairman SK Gupta said the firm is developing an LNG supply value chain to develop new markets and increase consumption of natural gas. The present focus is on developing a retail LNG network and installation of infrastructure inclusive of LNG dispensing stations, small scale LNG skids, etc to increase its reach to newer customer segments.
LNG emits 30 per cent less CO2, 100 per cent less Sulphur Oxides (Sox), 59 per cent less Nitrogen Oxides (NOx) and 91 per cent less Particulate Matter (PM).
India imports roughly half of its requirement of natural gas as LNG. During the April-January period in FY24, the country imported 25,305 million standard cubic meters (MSCM) of gas, against 26,304 MSCM in FY23 and 31,028 MSCM in FY22.
Government support needed
A spokesperson for Ultra Gas & Energy, which operates LNG hubs in Sriperumbudur (Tamil Nadu) and Anand (Gujarat), said that India has huge potential for LNG hubs or retail points, considering that India has around four million trucks of various capacities.
Currently, setting up a LNG hub takes time due to various Central and State government clearances. Setting up a single-window clearance medium can fast-track the implementation.
The government can also aid the sector by conceptualising a policy for LNG. The policy should offer incentives such as those provided for the adoption and proliferation of electric vehicles (EV).
Another issue that needs to be addressed is that VAT rates across states for auto LNG ranges from 5 per cent to 28 per cent, which needs to be addressed. Besides, for the sector to take off, the GST on LNG vehicles, which is at 28 per cent, also needs to be reduced.
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Maharashtra: CM Shinde Launches Country’s 1st LNG Fuel Powered Bus
The initiative ms to convert 5,000 diesel buses of the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) into LNG-fuelled buses in the first phase to reduce carbon emissions and combat rising diesel prices.
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Maharashtra’s first LNG-fueled bus, converted from diesel, was launched by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Friday. The initiative aims to convert 5,000 diesel buses of the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) into LNG-fueled buses in the first phase to reduce carbon emissions and combat rising diesel prices.
MSRTC plans to put the newly converted bus into service after completing the certification process. The collaboration between MIDC and Kings Gas Pvt. Ltd. aims to ensure seamless supply and distribution of LNG for transportation purposes.
Transitioning to LNG is expected to significantly reduce pollution and fuel expenditure for MSRTC, with around 34% of the corporation’s total expenditure currently allocated to fuel. This initiative marks a comprehensive shift towards greener energy solutions, promising both environmental benefits and long-term cost savings.
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Electric Mobility/ Hydrogen/Bio-Methane
BPCL to pioneer compressed bio gas production in Chhattisgarh
Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL), a leading Fortune 500 Maharatna Energy Conglomerate, is proud to announce a significant milestone in its commitment to sustainable energy solutions.
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A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed on Wednesday between BPCL, the Chhattisgarh Biofuel Development Authority, and Municipal Corporations of Raipur and Bhilai for the production of Compressed Bio Gas (CBG) in Chhattisgarh, marking a transformative leap towards a cleaner and greener future.
Under the terms of the agreement, BPCL will spearhead the establishment of CBG plants in Raipur and Bhilai with an investment of approximately Rs 100 crore each. These state-of-the-art plants will boast a processing capacity of 100-150 tonnes per day, harnessing the potential of municipal solid waste to produce biofuel.
The MoU signing ceremony took place in the presence of Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai and Deputy Chief Minister Arun Sao at the former’s official residence. Sai underscored the pivotal role of CBG plants in fostering clean cities, clean energy, and zero carbon emissions, emphasizing the government’s unwavering commitment to environmental stewardship.
Approximately 200-250 metric tonnes of municipal solid waste will be utilised daily in the production of biofuel, laying the foundation for a sustainable and circular economy. Moreover, the establishment of these plants is poised to generate approximately 60,000 man-days of employment directly and indirectly every year, bolstering economic growth and livelihoods in the region.
Highlighting the economic benefits of the initiative, Sai noted that the state stands to receive GST revenue to the tune of Rs 45 lakh per year upon production and sale at full capacity.
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100 e-buses to run on Bhopal roads in a year
100 electric buses will be introduced on the roads of Bhopal within a year as part of the PM e-Bus Sewa scheme.
Besides the state capital, 150 e-buses would run in Indore, 100 in Jabalpur, 32 in Sagar and 30 each in Gwalior and Ujjain. Ujjain and Gwalior will also get 70 and 40 7m electric buses respectively.
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The city bus service in Bhopal is diesel-driven.
Unlike Indore, CNG in public transport was not introduced in the state capital. Last year, through international funding, CNG vehicles were introduced in Bhopal Municipal Corporation (BMC) as garbage collection vehicles.
Low on emissions, electric buses will be operated by contractors. It is a departure from the existing Bhopal City Link Limited (BCLL) model. According to sources, the bus contractors will also have to develop allied electric and civil infrastructure. e-Buses are being centrally procured by the public sector undertaking, Convergence Energy Services Limited (CESL).
Assured km per month for 7m electric buses is 4800km, while for 9m buses, 5400km are assured per month.
The electric buses will get a grant support of Rs 22 per km. e-Buses are expected to bring financial sustainability for public transport operators like BCLL. As of now, BCLL needs to double its earnings to have a no-profit no-loss operation.
According to estimates, the revenue collection of BCLL is about Rs 20 to Rs 25 per km, whereas the cost of operation of diesel buses is about Rs 40 per km. Currently, the state govt does not offer any viability gap funding. Neighbouring states have a conditional grant of Rs 5 per km, according to experts.
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Tata Motors unit, HPCL partner to install 5,000 EV charging stations
Tata Passenger Electric Mobility on Wednesday said it has tied up with Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd to set up 5,000 public charging stations across the country by the end of the year.. The collaboration will leverage Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd (HPCL’s) fuel station network and company’s insights from over 1.2 lakh Tata EVs on Indian roads, to set up chargers at locations frequently visited by Tata EV owners, Tata Passenger Electric Mobility (TPEM), a unit of Tata Motors, said in a statement.
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The companies are also exploring the introduction of a convenient payment system through a co-branded RFID card, which will make the charging experience hassle-free.
HPCL has a nationwide network of over 21,500 fuel stations and aims to install 5,000 electric vehicle charging stations by December 2024.
“This strategic partnership with HPCL emphasises our dedication to advancing India’s EV ecosystem in which the growth of charging infrastructure plays a pivotal role. This collaboration is essential for facilitating infrastructure development to support the expanding EV customer base,” TPEM Chief Strategy Officer Balaje Rajan noted.
HPCL Chief General Manager (Retail Strategy & BD) Debashis Chakraverty said through the alliance the PSU shall leverage Tata Motors’ vehicle base to enable its strategic expansion in EV charging infrastructure at places with higher charging demand.
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IPHE meeting in New Delhi focuses on advancing green hydrogen technologies
The opening day of the five-day gathering was dedicated to IPHE Academic Outreach, held at IIT Delhi, where conference attendees shared insights into the future of hydrogen and fuel cell technologies.. The opening day of the five-day gathering was dedicated to IPHE Academic Outreach, held at IIT Delhi, where conference attendees shared insights into the future of hydrogen and fuel cell technologies.New Delhi: The 41st Steering Committee Meeting of the International Partnership for Hydrogen and Fuel Cells in the Economy (IPHE) began in New Delhi on March 18, 2024, and will continue until March 22, 2024.
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The opening day of the five-day gathering was dedicated to IPHE Academic Outreach, held at IIT Delhi, where conference attendees shared insights into the future of hydrogen and fuel cell technologies.
Addressing the inaugural session, Prof. Ajay Sood, Principal Scientific Advisor to the Government of India, underscored the imperative of making hydrogen more economical and environmentally friendly. He emphasized the significance of skill development and research and development (R&D) in the sector, noting efforts across various ministries toward the adoption of green hydrogen.
Sudeep Jain, Additional Secretary of the Ministry of New & Renewable Energy, emphasized the challenges posed by climate change and stressed the necessity for collaborative efforts between academia and research institutions to facilitate the transition to clean energy, particularly by moving away from grey hydrogen toward green alternatives.
Noe Van Hulst, Vice-Chairperson of IPHE, acknowledged India’s pivotal role in shaping the global clean energy landscape and emphasized the importance of education, research, and innovation in advancing clean hydrogen technologies.
Prof. Naresh Bhatnagar, Dean of Research and Development at IIT Delhi, highlighted the institute’s longstanding involvement in hydrogen-powered vehicle research and its academic programs focusing on energy systems.
Kishor Nair, Chief Executive Officer of Avaada Group, discussed India’s and other nations’ initiatives toward energy transition and urged academia and research communities to contribute technology ideas for enhancing the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of hydrogen-related processes.
Ajay Yadav, Joint Secretary of the Ministry of New & Renewable Energy, underscored the significance of green hydrogen as a future alternative fuel and outlined the government’s efforts to promote it under the National Green Hydrogen Mission.
The event featured interactive sessions, including poster presentations and a quiz competition, culminating in the recognition of top achievers.
Two panel discussions were also held as part of the IPHE Academic Outreach. The first panel, titled “Empowering Expertise: Cultivating Skill Development in the Clean/Green Hydrogen Arena,” highlighted the need for skilled personnel in the green hydrogen sector and stressed the importance of safety, security, and regulatory standards.
The second panel, “Unveiling the Future: Clean/Green Hydrogen Technologies and Its Transformative Applications,” explored the potential of clean hydrogen across various industries and discussed strategies for reducing production, storage, transportation, and consumption costs through technological advancements and regulatory frameworks.
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Oil companies jump into EV charging; Offer facilities at over 15,000 petrol pumps
India has 89,000 petrol pumps, of which 17% now have EV charging facilities. Indian Oil, the largest fuel retailer in the country, has 8,760 filling stations with EV chargers, or nearly a quarter of the total 32,000 pumps it operates. HPCL’s 3,050 pumps and BPCL’s 2,640 pumps have chargers.
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Oil companies jump into EV charging; Offer facilities at over 15,000 petrol pumps
Oil companies are now offering electric vehicle (EV) charging facilities at more than 15,000 petrol pumps across India, helping build an ecosystem to spur the growth of low-emission vehicles.
The number of pumps with charging facilities has more than doubled from 6,700 in March 2023, according to the petroleum and natural gas ministry data. The increase in charging facilities at pumps has been driven by state-run corporations – Indian Oil, Hindustan Petroleum and Bharat Petroleum. These three companies account for 95% of the pumps with chargers, with the private sector accounting for the balance. Rosneft-backed Nayara Energy accounts for most private sector pumps with EV chargers.
India has 89,000 petrol pumps, of which 17% now have EV charging facilities. Indian Oil, the largest fuel retailer in the country, has 8,760 filling stations with EV chargers, or nearly a quarter of the total 32,000 pumps it operates. HPCL’s 3,050 pumps and BPCL’s 2,640 pumps have chargers.
Companies have followed diverse strategies for EV charging, with some concentrating on highways and others focusing on certain geographies. They have also rolled out battery swapping facilities at many places mainly to serve two-wheelers and three-wheelers.
Capacity utilisation is low at these EV charging stations, which mainly serve two-wheelers these days, said an industry executive. “If you don’t have enough charging facilities, people won’t buy EVs. And if you don’t have enough EVs on the road, charging facilities will have limited utilisation. This is a chicken-and-egg problem. And we are trying to solve the charging problem, which will ultimately help boost EV sales,” said the executive, who did not wish to be identified.
Setting up charging facilities hasn’t been easy for oil companies, which face delays in getting electricity connections from distribution companies. Some state distribution companies levy fixed charges even though power ministry guidelines don’t allow that, hurting the economics of EV charging, another industry executive said. In some places, a three-phase electricity connection is not available.
About 1.53 million electric vehicles were sold in India in 2023, up 50% from the previous year. These included about 860,000 two-wheelers, 580,000 three-wheelers and 82,000 cars. Indian Oil, HPCL and BPCL plan to set up charging facilities at 22,000 pumps and have achieved two-thirds of their target. Their stations have a mix of slow and fast chargers. They have also tied up with carmakers, fleet owners and power companies to build and operate charging infrastructure. Some of the oil companies are also operating charging infrastructure beyond pumps.
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INTERNATIONAL NEWS
Natural Gas / Transnational Pipelines/ Others
US: AES Indiana wants to convert its remaining coal units to natural gas
AES Indiana has filed a request with the Indiana Utility and Regulatory Commission (IURC) for a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity (CPCN) to convert its remaining coal units, Petersburg Units 3 & 4, to natural gas.
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The refueling will result in a carbon intensity reduction of 70% by 2030 compared to 2018 levels, AES Indiana said. The coal-to-gas conversion is expected complete by the end of 2026, which would make AES Indiana the first investor-owned utility in the state to cease burning coal.
AES Indiana says converting Petersburg Units 3 & 4 aligns with its 2022 Integrated Resource Plan (IRP). In addition to repowering, the Company’s portfolio includes adding approximately 1,300 MW of wind, solar and battery storage through competitively bid projects.
Last week, AES Indiana announced it acquired the Hoosier Wind project, a 106 MW wind farm in Benton County, Indiana. Earlier this year, AES Indiana received IURC approval for a 200 MW, 4-hour standalone battery energy storage system, the largest in the MISO region.
Petersburg Units 3 and 4 each have a nameplate capacity of 690 MW and came online in 1977 and 1986, respectively. AES Indiana retired the 230 MW Petersburg Unit 1 in May 2021 and the 415 MW Petersburg Unit 2 in June 2023.
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Middle East: Larsen & Toubro bags major gas pipeline project in Middle East
The scope of work comprises Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) of two new pipelines along with associated work parallel to the existing pipeline corridor, the infrastructure major said in a statement.
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New Delhi: Homegrown Larsen and Toubro (L&T) on Thursday announced bagging a major order gas pipeline project in the Middle East region. The scope of work comprises Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) of two new pipelines along with associated work parallel to the existing pipeline corridor, the infrastructure major said in a statement.The major onshore gas pipeline project has been received by the company’s hydrocarbon vertical L&T Energy Hydrocarbon – LTEH, it said.
Subramanian Sarma, Whole-time Director & Senior Executive Vice President (Energy), L&T, said, “This is the largest cross-country pipeline EPC project awarded to us till date and we are excited to bring our expertise to this strategic project.”
The company did not provide any financial details of the project.
As per its classification, a major category order is valued in the range of Rs 5,000 crore to Rs 10,000 crore.
L&T is a USD 23 billion Indian multinational engaged in EPC Projects, hi-tech manufacturing, and services.
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Venezuela: BP Seeking Natural Gas Opportunities In Trinidad-Venezuela Waters
On Wednesday, BP president for Trinidad and Tobago, Sir David Campbell met with Trinidadian energy minister Stuart Young and Venezuelan oil minister Rafael Tellechea.The British oil and gas “supermajor” is exploring opportunities in the cross-border region, as it would be trying to follow in the footsteps of Shell to extract natural gas mostly from Venezuelan waters while using Trinidad’s existing LNG export infrastructure.
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In December, Shell announced plans to export gas from the Venezuelan-Trinidadian offshore gas field known as Dragon; most of the reserves are in the Andean country’s waters.
According to PDVSA, the meeting was held to evaluate granting a license to explore, exploit and export nonassociated gas from the Cocuina field in Venezuelan waters, which is contiguous to Manakin in the maritime area of Trinidad and Tobago. BP did not respond to a request for comment.
In December, Reuters reported that Venezuela was trying to have ChevronCVX +1.2%, BP and Shell revive the Plataforma Deltana offshore project.
Antero Alvarado, director of Gas Energy Latin America, says that in this area there is a favorable policy and a strong alienation between government and enterprise. “This is the opposite of what has been happening with Colombia, which has been considering the import of natural gas from Venezuela, but deals are yet to materialize.”
Venezuela sits on 80% of Latin America’s natural gas reserves, though it is only a minor producer. Whereas Trinidad and Tobago’s reserves are dwindling, but it counts on a large industry dependent on the resource, from LNG terminals to steel manufacturing.
Top of Form
Unresolved recognition dilemma
U.K.-based corporations will eventually have to face their home country’s recognition dilemma. Since 2019, Downing Street does not recognize the administration in Miraflores Palace, as it said the legitimate authority in Venezuela was that led by Juan Guaido and his Interim Government.
In December 2022, the Interim Government was dissolved, so Downing Street does not formally recognize any Venezuelan ruler. This could become an obstacle if British firms continue to seek opportunities in Venezuela.
The Bank of England is holding 31 tonnes of gold from the Central Bank of Venezuela. The reserves are immersed in a legal battle between Caracas and what was the Interim Government, which continues.
The U.K. government initially supported Guaido’s legal case by saying that recognition was “clear and not ambiguous”. After the dissolution of the Interim Government, the Foreign Office reiterated that it did not recognize President Nicolas Maduro, and the reserves remain unaccessible for Venezuela.
However, recognition was ambiguous from the start. Unlike the U.S., the U.K. never expelled the ambassador representing the government of Maduro, Rocio Maneiro. She remained in charge of the embassy and consulate in London, as she was still recognized by the head of state—the monarch. The U.K. also maintained its embassy in Caracas, again contrasting with the U.S.
Meanwhile, Downing Street said it recognized Guaido from February 2019, whose self-appointed ambassador was Vanessa Neumann. However, the U.K. government at the time never accepted credentials from any Interim Government diplomats. Neumann said that she resigned in late 2020.
On Saturday, The Times said that former Prime Minister Boris Johnson visited President Maduro secretly in February. He also spoke to the British chargé d’affaires, Collin Dick. Johnson and Maduro spoke about the war in Ukraine, the territorial dispute over the Essequibo, and elections this year.
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Columbia: Nisga’a Nation and Western LNG buying TC Energy’s plans for natural gas pipeline in B.C.
The Nisga’a Nation and Western LNG are buying TC Energy Corp.’s TRP-T -0.67%decrease plans for a pipeline across British Columbia in an effort to bolster a proposal for exporting liquefied natural gas.
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After the deal closes by the end of June, the new owners will be taking over TC Energy’s Prince Rupert Gas Transmission (PRGT) pipeline plans in an effort to supply natural gas to the Ksi Lisims LNG project on the West Coast.
The PRGT route was originally intended to stretch nearly 900 kilometres from northeast B.C. to Lelu Island near Prince Rupert, and transport natural gas to Pacific NorthWest LNG. But Malaysia’s state-owned Petronas cancelled the Pacific NorthWest joint venture in 2017.
Revisions need to be made to shorten the pipeline route so that natural gas would be transported from northeast B.C. to the Ksi Lisims site at Wil Milit on Pearse Island.
Eva Clayton, the elected president of the Nisga’a Lisims government, said the purchase of PRGT marks a historic time for the Nisga’a, which will co-own PRGT with Western, an LNG developer based in Houston.
“In taking an equal ownership role in this pipeline, we are signalling a new era for Indigenous participation in the Canadian economy,” Ms. Clayton said in a statement on Thursday. “First Nations are no longer being left behind as generational wealth is built from the resources of our lands. At long last, hope and optimism are returning to Indigenous communities across northern B.C.”
François Poirier, TC Energy’s chief executive officer, said he is pleased with the transaction.
“This is an important agreement that will see Indigenous co-ownership and development of an integrated LNG project,” he said in a statement.
While TC Energy has spent more than a decade on preparing PRGT, the Calgary-based company said “initial proceeds from the transaction are not expected to be material” and there could be extra payments to TC Energy in the future, assuming the pipeline gets built.
Western CEO Davis Thames also welcomed the announcement. “PRGT is fully engineered, permitted and ready to construct. Our collaboration with TC Energy has given us the benefit of their team’s experience and insight,” he said in news release. “Under our new partnership and leadership model, we will build on those learnings and on their work done to date.”
The Nisga’a, Western and a group of natural gas producers called Rockies LNG are partners in the Ksi Lisims project.
Ksi Lisims is undergoing a regulatory review to obtain environmental approval. The project has said it will comply with what the B.C. government calls credible plans to reach net-zero emissions of greenhouse gases, as outlined in the province’s Energy Action Framework announced last year.
But Gitanyow hereditary chiefs in northwest B.C. have expressed climate concerns about both Ksi Lisims and PRGT. The Gitanyow chiefs issued a news release only three hours before the joint announcement from the Nisga’a, Western LNG and TC Energy. The Gitanyow leaders say their calls for the B.C. government to pause the environmental assessment of Ksi Lisims have been rejected.
The Wilderness Committee, David Suzuki Foundation, Dogwood, Stand.earth, Sierra Club and Northwest Institute are among the climate and environmental groups warning about fossil fuels such as LNG, saying there are substantial deficiencies in Ksi Lisims’s application to the province’s Environmental Assessment Office.
Ksi Lisims plans to use two floating facilities to produce LNG, with hydroelectricity powering motors for compressors in the liquefaction process. The project would then deploy other vessels to export LNG to Asia, starting by 2029.
The contentious Coastal GasLink pipeline project, to be operated by TC Energy, will be supplying the Shell PLC-led LNG Canada joint venture in Kitimat, B.C., where exports of natural gas in liquid form to Asia are slated to begin by mid-2025.
LNG Canada is the first LNG export project to be under construction in the country. If Ksi Lisims gets built, it would be Canada’s second-largest LNG export facility, after the Shell-led terminal.
Ksi Lisims is among only a handful of remaining LNG prospects in B.C. Others include Cedar LNG in Kitimat; Woodfibre LNG near Squamish; and FortisBC’s expansion plans at its domestic Tilbury LNG site in Delta.
Cedar, which is co-owned by the Haisla Nation and Pembina Pipeline Corp., awarded a contract in January for engineering, procurement and construction of a floating production unit to Samsung Heavy Industries and Black & Veatch, subject to Cedar making a final investment decision by mid-2024.
Earlier this year, Ksi Lisims signed Shell Eastern Trading Pte Ltd. as its first purchaser of LNG.
An analysis released last week by the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis, a U.S.-based research group, said Canadian LNG proposals face continuing uncertainty.
In January, U.S. President Joe Biden decided to pause new export permits south of the border for LNG. Seven U.S. LNG export terminals are already operating, and another five facilities are likely to open by 2028.
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US: Duke Energy unveils plans for new natural gas plant in North Carolina
Duke filed an application to construct a new plant with the N.C. Utilities Commission late last week. It would contain two units, for a total capacity of 850 megawatts, to replace the existing Marshall Steam Station. One of Duke’s largest plants in the Carolinas, Marshall currently burns both coal and natural gas.
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The new plant would “allow for the orderly, planned retirement of coal capacity, while increasing flexibility of the system,” Duke officials said in the company’s filings with the Utilities Commission.
If the commission approves Duke’s application, construction is scheduled to begin in the third quarter of 2026, with completion by early 2029. The plant is expected to operate for 35 years and could incorporate hydrogen power, should that technology mature. Duke Energy’s new natural gas plants would replace the coal-fired units at the Marshall Steam Station in Catawba County. (Map: Utilities Commission filings)
The application piggybacks on Duke’s revamped energy forecast, issued Jan 31. In that document, Duke cited “unprecedented” energy demand as a reason for its natural gas projects. In addition to the new Marshall natural gas plant, Duke plans to build another plant in Person County, which will connect to a proposed pipeline to be operated by Dominion Energy.
While Duke’s new natural gas plants would reduce carbon dioxide emissions as legally required, they would still emit significant amounts of methane, a potent greenhouse gas and driver of climate change. (Marshall would still use ultra-low sulfur diesel, also a greenhouse gas, as a backup fuel.)
Twenty years ago, natural gas accounted for just 2% of North Carolina’s greenhouse gas emissions; now that figure is 44.6%, according to the state’s new Greenhouse Gas Inventory, released in late January.
Climate change is altering temperatures and weather patterns worldwide, with catastrophic consequences: stronger hurricanes and tornadoes, wildfires, droughts, floods and heat waves. The year 2023 was the warmest since global records began in 1850, according to NOAA. The 10 warmest years since then have all occurred in the last decade.
To address the existential threat of climate change, the Utilities Commission has required Duke to pursue a “least-cost” path to reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 70% over the next decade. Duke also must achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, unless the Utilities Commission grants an extension.
Cost details of building the new Marshall plant are not yet publicly known. Utilities Commission filings with those figures are not public because they contain commercially sensitive information.
However overall, construction of the new natural gas plants, plus three small modular nuclear reactors planned for Stokes County, would spike customers’ average monthly energy bills, according to the utility’s own estimates. By 2033, Duke Energy Progress customers would pay 39% more over previous estimates; Duke Energy Carolinas would pay 73% more per month.
Will Scott, Southeast Climate and Clean Energy director at Environmental Defense Fund, criticized Duke’s plans to build the new Marshall plant.
“It’s unfortunate to see this unnecessary, polluting gas plant proposed when Duke Energy’s own plans show that this kind of unit can be replaced economically with clean alternatives like solar and batteries,” Scott said. “At a time when $1 billion of unanticipated gas costs from last year are pushing bills skyward, it’s the wrong choice to put customers on the hook for even more of this dirty, price-volatile fuel for decades to come.”
Duke does plan to incorporate 17,500 megawatts of solar energy within 15 years. Additional battery storage paired with solar could boost the resource’s availability at night.
And the utility still plans to build an offshore wind farm off the Brunswick County coast, even after selling the company’s commercial renewable energy arm last year. However, the first pulse of energy won’t arrive until 2033 or 2034, about two years later than originally planned. Duke had not factored onshore wind into the mix, but now plans to build a farm — somewhere — to be in service by 2033. The two wind power sources are projected to make up a total of 2% of the energy mix in 2033, increasing to 12% by mid-century.
Still, those renewable energy projects are dwarfed by the enormous and interconnected natural gas infrastructure undertaken by several utilities: power plants, liquified natural gas storage facilities, pipelines and compressor stations.
“Duke’s actions suggest that they are mostly interested in building expensive methane gas infrastructure, as quickly as possible,” said Mikaela Curry, the Sierra Club’s field manager for several southeastern states, “while dragging their feet on clean, renewable energy.”
NC Newsline is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. NC Newsline maintains editorial independence.
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Natural Gas / LNG Utilization
Brazilia: Petrobras lifts LNG imports to offset major pipeline maintenance
Brazilian state-controlled oil company Petrobras is turning to liquefied natural gas imports this month to secure supplies while it carries out maintenance work at a major offshore pipeline.
Petrobras is making regasification terminals in Bahia state and Rio de Janeiro’s Guanabara bay fully available for up to 50 million cubic meters a day of imports, the company said in a response to questions. It’s also maximizing supply from other domestic sources of gas, reducing the use of the fuel at its refineries and maximizing imports from Bolivia, it said.
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Petrobras also coordinated maintenance work at thermal power plants to coincide with the pipeline outage, it said. Petroleo Brasileiro SA, as the company is formally known, didn’t specify when the work on the Rota 1 pipeline and Mexilhao platform will end.
Javier Toro, a senior research manager at Wood Mackenzie who covers gas and power for the southern cone of South America, said the work on Mexilhao started March 3 and should last about 20 days. Going forward, Toro said Brazil’s hydroelectric reservoirs are relatively high and that LNG imports to cover power dispatches will only be needed during the dry season from August through October.
https://www.ajot.com/news/petrobras-lifts-lng-imports-to-offset-major-pipeline-maintenance
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Nigeria: Army begins CNG conversion of vehicles, trains officers
The Nigerian Army has trained eleven officers in the operation of 15 newly converted compressed natural gas vehicles.
Disclosing this on Thursday at Bonny Cantonment of the Nigerian Army, Victoria Island, Lagos, the Commander, Corps of Supply and Transport, Maj. Gen. A.A. Adeyinka, said the conversion of the vehicles from petrol and diesel engines to CNG-powered engines would boost the operational efficiency of the force.
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Adeyinka, who represented the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja, at the event, said the development was an initiative of President Bola Tinubu to cushion the effect of the fuel subsidy removal.
Adeyinka said the army on Tuesday had the first leg of the event in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory, where the COAS was also represented.
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He said, “We are on the second leg of the start of our journey. The first part that was launched in Abuja was the stage of the conversion of the 15 vehicles to CNG compliance. Eleven of our colleagues are undergoing training, comprising the Corps of Supply and Transport as well as the Corps of Mechanical Engineers. At our Lagos centre, we will equally be converting 15 vehicles and having 11 personnel (trained) during the conversion.
“The projects are just the first step in the long journey which the Nigerian Army has availed itself the opportunity of being assisted by the presidential initiative, to ensure that not only the operational efficiency is improved, but also that we are seen to be in compliance with all efforts to ensure that we run our business in a manner that aligns with the global environmental trends.”
He added that the army would ensure that the initiative by President Tinubu “sees the light of the day.”
He said, “We are on the second leg of the start of our journey. The first part that was launched in Abuja was the stage of the conversion of the 15 vehicles to CNG compliance. Eleven of our colleagues are undergoing training, comprising the Corps of Supply and Transport as well as the Corps of Mechanical Engineers. At our Lagos centre, we will equally be converting 15 vehicles and having 11 personnel (trained) during the conversion.
“The projects are just the first step in the long journey which the Nigerian Army has availed itself the opportunity of being assisted by the presidential initiative, to ensure that not only the operational efficiency is improved, but also that we are seen to be in compliance with all efforts to ensure that we run our business in a manner that aligns with the global environmental trends.”
He added that the army would ensure that the initiative by President Tinubu “sees the light of the day.”
Some of the vehicles were handed over to the Army at the Bonny Camp by the Project Director, Presidential Compressed Natural Gas Initiative, Michael Oluwagbemi.
While speaking, Oluwagbemi thanked the Army for taking the lead in the initiative by becoming the first national institution to take on the task of converting their fleets in line with the presidential initiative of energy transition in the transport sector.
Oluwagbemi said, “For us at the P-CNGi, it was a noble move to work with the Nigerian Army as they seek to move Nigeria forward. The president recognises the most important need of a nation which is security. Energy security being a part of the overall security of the nation must consider three parameters – availability, affordability and accessibility. In any of these three factors, gas is above PMS and diesel in the Nigerian energy need. Gas is widely available in the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.”
Last year, the Federal Government made known its plans to introduce one million CNG-powered vehicles by 2027.
The announcement was made by the Special Assistant to the President on Special Duties and Domestic Affairs, Toyin Subaru, during a stakeholders’ meeting held at the Bank of Industry headquarters in Abuja.
As part of this initiative, Subaru disclosed that 11,500 CNG-powered buses were expected to be deployed in November.
The move, according to the FG, aimed to address transportation challenges occasioned by fuel subsidy removal and to provide a viable solution to the public.
https://punchng.com/army-begins-cng-conversion-of-vehicles-trains-officers/
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Japan: MOL welcomes LNG-powered car carrier Cerulean Ace
Japanese shipping major Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL) has taken delivery of LNG-powered car carrier Cerulean Ace from compatriot shipbuilder Shin Kurushima Dockyard.
As informed, the company held a naming and delivery ceremony for the vessel on March 13 at Onishi Shipyard. The ship is the first out of eleven new LNG-fuelled car carriers to be built in Japan for MOL. The car carrier will transport cars produced by Japan’s car manufacturer Mazda Motor Corporation.
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The ship is almost 200 meters long, with a breadth of 38 meters and a capacity of 7,050 units. It comes equipped with an AI system installed in the cargo hold that detects fire and notifies crewmembers of abnormalities based on images captured by cameras.
Furthermore, Starlink satellite communications service installed onboard the ship will provide high-speed, low-latency connectivity.
MOL selected LNG as a fuel to run the vessel. By using LNG, the company expects to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by about 25-30 percent, sulfur oxide (SOx) emissions by about 98 percent, and nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions by about 85 percent compared to comparable vessels using conventional fuel oil.
Last year, the Japanese shipowner revealed a new name and new hull color design for its car carriers, which will be primarily fuelled by LNG. The new name, ‘BLUE’ series, embodies the MOL’s corporate mission “From the blue oceans, we sustain people’s lives and ensure a prosperous future”.
https://www.offshore-energy.biz/mol-welcomes-lng-powered-car-carrier-cerulean-ace/
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US: U.S. Energy, Ohio Transit System Sign Long-Term RNG Supply Agreement
U.S. Energy, a provider of refined products, alternative fuels and environmental credits, signed a long-term renewable natural gas (RNG) supply agreement with the Canton, Ohio-based Stark Area Regional Transit Authority (SARTA), a low/no-emission public transit system. Under terms of the agreement, U.S. Energy will provide landfill-based RNG to SARTA’s fleet of 36 compressed natural gas (CNG) transit buses.
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“SARTA’s commitment to sustainability and alternative fuels sets an example for public transit systems across the country,” says Scott Hanstedt, vice president of business development at U.S. Energy. “We’re proud to partner with them on their RNG initiatives and pleased to help the agency achieve its decarbonization goals. Through our network of 40-plus RNG projects and our polyfuel portfolio, we’re able to provide fleets with supply security and comprehensive support — for any fuel type.”
Besides its RNG-powered buses, SARTA also operates one of the largest fleets of hydrogen fuel cell-powered transit vehicles in the Western Hemisphere. Together the low/no-emission vehicles enable the system to reduce emissions as it provides more than 2 million rides per year to thousands of destinations in Stark County and beyond.
“Our drive to sustainability began more than a decade ago when we decided to replace our diesel buses with vehicles powered by clean CNG,” says Kirt Conrad, CEO of SARTA. “Our innovative partnership with U.S. Energy will literally fuel our ongoing efforts to make Stark County a healthier place to live, work and raise a family.”
Through this supply agreement, SARTA’s annual RNG usage will displace the equivalent greenhouse gas emissions of nearly 1,000 gasoline-powered passenger cars for one year or sequester the same amount of carbon as over 73,000 tree seedlings that are grown for 10 years.
U.S. Energy is supplying renewable and compressed natural gas as a transportation fuel at 50 of its owned and operated fueling stations as well as through 180-plus third-party dispensing contracts. Pairing its project development expertise with its in-house trading floor, regulatory and compliance teams, and supply and marketing tenure, U.S. Energy is committed to providing tailored fueling plans and agreements for any fuel contract type.
https://ngtnews.com/u-s-energy-ohio-transit-system-sign-long-term-rng-supply-agreement
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Global LNG Development
Germany : Germany grants clearance for Stade’s first land terminal for liquid gases
The green light has been given by Germany for development of the country’s first land-based terminal for liquefied gases at the Hanseatic Energy Hub (HEH) in Stade.
After completing permitting and commercial phases in late 2023, Partners Group (on behalf of its clients), Enagas, Dow and the Buss Group have secured financing for the HEH project.
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Tecnicas Reunidas and partners FCC and Enka will construct the energy hub at Stade Industrial Park.
According to HEH, around one billion euros will be invested in the construction of the terminal. Which will initially act as an import terminal for LNG, SNG and liquefied biomethane and ammonia as a hydrogen-based energy carrier.
Commenting on the milestone, Carsten Koenig, Managing Director Infrastructure at Partners Group, said, “As an LNG terminal in a strategic location, HEH will play a significant role in securing the energy supply and supporting the energy transition in both Germany and wider Europe in the future.”
Equipped with a total capacity of 13.3bn m2 (metres squared)of natural gas per year, the remaining 10% of its capacity is reserved for short-term bookings.
Long-term contracts allow for future transitioning to hydrogen-based energy carriers, while the terminal is certified as ammonia-ready by permitting bodies.
In development for over six years, the project will see Enagas increasing its ownership stake from 10 to 15%.
Arturo Gonzalo, CEO of Enagas, said that this increase is ‘fully aligned’ with the company’s strategy to contribute to the security of energy supply in Europe.
“Enagas will operate the Stade LNG terminal allowing us to support this strategic project with all our broad expertise,” he added.
Having helped scale up the project, entrepreneur Johann Killinger will hand over his management role to CEO Jan Themlitz following the FID.
“Stade it is! Especially in the last two years, we have surmounted all the hurdles and will not be getting to work on making Germany’s first land-based terminal a reality,” said Killinger.
“For me, as a co-initiator and driver, it is particularly gratifying to make an important contribution to Germany’s energy security with this project.”
Originally announced in 2018, the project’s momentum was boosted by the gas crisis following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
The Brunsbuttel LNG Terminal and the Wilhelmshaven FSRU Terminal have also been fast-tracked for development by the German state to reduce reliance on Russian LNG.
Since its first FSRU arrived in mid-December 2023, Germany has handled a total of about 1.58m m3 (cubic metres)of LNG. This represents roughly 20% of the Russian supplies that reached Germany via the 55bn m3Nord Stream 1 pipeline in January 2022, based on data from the European Network of Transmission System Operators for Gas.
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South Korea: Hyundai Steel to invest $595mn to build LNG generation plant
Hyundai Steel Co., a steelmaking arm of South Korea’s Hyundai Motor Group, has decided to invest 800 billion won ($595 million) over three years to build a facility that produces liquefied natural gas (LNG) in Dangjin, South Chungcheong Province, a move that will help the company secure stable low-carbon energy.
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According to sources from the steel industry on Monday, Hyundai Steel has internally decided to invest more than 800 billion won over the next three years, starting from 2025, to build the LNG power generation plant by 2028.
The planned investment is larger than Hyundai Steel’s operating profit of 798.3 billion won in 2023.
In order to engage stakeholders, Hyundai Steel has conducted briefing sessions with environmental activist groups and local residents earlier this year. Additional briefing sessions for residents will begin from June.
In April 2023, Hyundai Steel unveiled its carbon neutrality initiative, a commitment to transitioning its Dangjin Integrated Steelworks from a blast furnace-centered production plant to an electricity-powered facility.
The steelmaker aims to reduce carbon emissions by 12 percent from 2018 levels by 2030 and ultimately achieve net zero emissions by 2050.
Hyundai Steel is expected to use low-carbon raw materials and enhance its processes.
The adjustment, however, could reduce the proportion of coal used with iron ore in the blast furnace, which could decrease by-product gas generation and overall power generation capacity.
https://pulsenews.co.kr/view.php?year=2024&no=221942
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Germany: Factbox-Germany builds up LNG import terminals
(Reuters) – A final investment decision has been taken to build an onshore liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal by 2027 at the German port of Stade on the Elbe River. The project is part of Germany’s push to widen its gas import options and wean itself off of Russian supply
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Germany has three floating storage regasification units(FSRUs) working at the ports of Wilhelmshaven, Brunsbuettel and Lubmin and a fourth arrived on Feb. 24 at Mukran for testing.
State-owned Deutsche Energy Terminal (DET) in January commissioned Lithuania’s Klaipedos Nafta (KN) to manage four LNG terminals on the North Sea: Wilhelmshaven 1 and 2, Brunsbuettel and Stade.
Here are details about Germany’s LNG sites:
MUKRAN
The FSRU Energos Power moored at Mukran on Ruegen Island in February to test the regasification equipment and commission operations, private company Deutsche ReGas reported.
Mukran is expected to supply onshore grids via grid firm Gascade’s new OAL pipeline in the first quarter. Gascade said on Feb. 26 the 50-km (30-mile) OAL was complete and feed-in was possible.
The Energos Power will be joined by the FSRU Neptune from Lubmin for deliveries to the mainland.
Once the Neptune has moved to Ruegen, a complicated shuttle service to cope with shallow water near Lubmin can be abandoned.
The Mukran project has triggered local opposition. Two legal challenges by environmental groups DUH and Nabu were thrown out by the federal administrative court.
WILHELMSHAVEN
Utility Uniper launched Germany’s first FSRU operations, Wilhelmshaven 1, in December 2022. [LNG/TKUK]
Tree Energy Solutions (TES) plans to operate a second FSRU, Wilhelmshaven 2, between 2024 and 2027.
Further ahead, Uniper plans to add a land-based ammonia reception terminal and cracker in the second half of this decade. Ammonia is at times used as a carrier for hydrogen, whose low density otherwise makes transportation over long distances complicated.
TES plans to eventually convert its operations to clean gases.
LUBMIN
The FSRU Neptune, chartered by Deutsche ReGas, began receiving LNG at Lubmin on the Baltic Sea coast in early 2023
The gas is first delivered to another storage vessel, the Seapeak Hispania, and shuttled to Lubmin in a set-up taking account of shallow water.
ReGas holds long-term supply deals with France’s TotalEnergies and trading group MET.
The Neptune is designated to move to Mukran to join the FSRU Energos Power.
ReGas plans hydrogen electrolysis plants at both Lubmin and Mukran.
Gascade has also created a grid connection to the Eugal 1 and 2 pipelines for a green hydrogen production project by developer HH2E at Lubmin. it will be able to transport gas and hydrogen blends.
BRUNSBUETTEL
The Brunsbuettel FSRU went into operation in April 2023, initially chartered and operated by utility RWE’s trading arm before it was handed over to DET at the start of 2024.
It is the forerunner of a land-based LNG facility which has been cleared to receive 40 million euros of state support, that could start operations at the end of 2026, when an adjacent ammonia terminal could also start up.
State bank KfW, Gasunie and RWE are stakeholders and Shell has committed to sizeable purchases.
STADE
The FSRU Energos Force arrived on March 15 where it is expected to operate until 2027 when an onshore terminal is expected to start operations.
A final investment decision to build the terminal was announced on March 21 by project firm Hanseatic Energy Hub (HEH).
The terminal, to be built by Spain’s Tecnicas Reunidas, is expected to cost around 1 billion euros ($1.09 billion).
Gas has been allocated to state-controlled SEFE, utility EnBW and Czech utility CEZ.
HEH said the terminal will be equipped to handle LNG, synthetic natural gas and liquefied biomethane.
HEH is backed by investment firm Partners Group, logistics group Buss, chemicals company Dow and Spanish grid operator Enagas.
($1 = 0.9168 euros)
(Reporting by Vera Eckert; editing by Jason Neely)
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/money/other/factbox-germany-builds-up-lng-import-terminals/ar-BB1ki8cM
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Abu Dhabi : ‘ADNOC’s 9.6Mtpa Ruwais low-carbon LNG plant will use electric motors’
The project’s LNG trains will use electricity from zero carbon energy sources ADNOC’s low-carbon liquefied natural gas (LNG) project in Al Ruwais Industrial City will use electric-driven motors instead of conventional gas turbines and be powered by nuclear energy, a press statement issued by Technip Energies said.
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The French company leads the joint venture – TJN RUWAIS JV – with JGC and NPCC, which was recently awarded the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract for the project by ADNOC.
The plant, with a total production capacity of 9.6 Mtpa, is set to be the first LNG export facility in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region to run on clean power, making it one of the lowest-carbon intensity LNG plants in the world, the statement noted.
(Writing by Senthil Palanisamy; Editing by Anoop Menon)
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Oman: Oman LNG signs sales and purchase deal with Germany’s SEFE, state news agency says
Oman LNG has signed a sales and purchase agreement with Germany’s Secure Energy for Europe (SEFE), Oman’s state news agency said on Thursday
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The agreement follows a prior commitment where Oman LNG inked a binding term sheet to supply SEFE with 0.4 million metric tonnes a year of liquefied natural gas (LNG) starting in 2026, the state news agency added.(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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LNG as a Marine Fuel/Shipping
Qatar: QatarEnergy awards bumper LNG carriers’ prize
QatarEnergy on Sunday signed time-charter party (TCP) agreements with Qatar Gas Transport Company (Nakilat) for the operation of 25 conventional-size liquefied natural gas (LNG) carriers as part of the second ship-owner tender under QatarEnergy’s historic LNG fleet expansion programme.
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Seventeen of the 25 LNG vessels are being constructed at HD Hyundai Heavy Industries’ shipyards in South Korea, while the remaining eight are being constructed by Hanwha Ocean (formerly Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering), also in South Korea. Each of the 25 vessels will have a capacity of 174,000 cubic metres and will be chartered by Nakilat to affiliates of QatarEnergy pursuant to the 15-year TCP agreements.
Financial and other more detailed terms of these TCP agreements were not divulged.
“These agreements firm up last month’s selection of Nakilat as the owner and operator of up to 25 conventional-size LNG carriers, underscoring our continued confidence in Qatar’s flagship LNG shipping and maritime company… as we move forward with the expansion of our LNG production capacity to 142 million tonnes per annum by 2030, ensuring additional cleaner and reliable energy supplies to the world,” commented QatarEnergy chief executive Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi.
The agreements were signed by Al-Kaabi and Abdullah Al Sulaiti, the chief executive of Nakilat, in a special ceremony held at QatarEnergy’s headquarters in Doha, and attended by senior executives from QatarEnergy, QatarEnergy LNG and Nakilat.
https://www.upstreamonline.com/lng/qatarenergy-awards-bumper-lng-carriers-prize/2-1-1617184
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South Korea: Hanwha Ocean inks 12 LNG carrier deal with unnamed client
Korean shipyard says memorandum of agreement (MoA) is with Middle East shipping company Hanwha Ocean signed the MoA to build 12 liquefied natural gas (LNG) carriers with a client widely believed to be Qatar Energy, the state-run energy company of Qatar, according to Korean press outlets.
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South Korea’s HD Hyundai Heavy Industries was awarded a contract to build 17 modern LNG carriers in another deal widely linked to QatarEnergy, in September 2023. The deal, valued at QR14.2Bn (US$3.9Bn), marked the start of the second phase of QatarEnergy’s LNG ship acquisition programme.
Another major building contract followed in February 2024 when Samsung Heavy Industries reported its KRW4.6Tn (US$3.4Bn) contract to build 15 liquefied natural gas carriers and press reports linked the deal to the second phase of Qatar’s giant LNG project.
Rumours about Qatar Energy’s newbuilding slot reservations predicted as many as 40 reservations are thought to be in place across multiple shipyards. In late January 2024, marine enginegroup WinGD said QatarEnergy would soon make decisions on the specifications for the remaining vessels to be ordered.
QatarEnergy’s LNG shipbuilding programme will support its expanding LNG production capacity from the North Field LNG expansion in the Middle East and Golden Pass LNG export projects in the US as well as its long-term fleet replacement requirements.
Some 49 mta of new capacity is considered likely to come online during 2027 and 2028, increasing Qatar’s liquefaction volume from 77 mta to 126 mta, and requiring more than 90 LNG carriers holding an average of 170,000-m3 of cargo capacity to transport. QatarEnergy also plans to offtake 70% of the capacity from the US’ Golden Pass LNG project, with the remaining 30% to be marketed by ExxonMobil. In total, Qatar reserved 151 newbuilding slots across Asian shipyards to meet its upcoming cargo transport needs.
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South Korea: Venture Global announces fleet of state of the art LNG vessels
Venture Global LNG announced the acquisition and construction of a new large fleet of LNG-powered vessels.
Venture Global’s fleet will include nine vessels, currently under construction in South Korea, that will be delivered starting later this year. Six vessels will have a cargo capacity of 174,000 m3 and three a cargo capacity of 200,000 m3. All nine ships will deploy best-in-class environmental and efficiency technology and will be primarily fueled by Venture Global’s liquefied natural gas.
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“Venture Global is pleased to announce our new fleet of world-class, next generation LNG vessels, further strengthening our growing role as a major global energy provider. This investment builds on our recent execution of a long-term terminal use agreement for regasification capacity at Europe’s largest LNG import terminal, further advancing the integration of our business across the entire LNG supply chain; from natural gas transmission, to liquefaction and export, to best-in-class LNG cargo ships and regasification capacity. This will be complementary to our core business as a supplier to long-term customers while also enabling optimization and optionality by allowing for the transport of LNG directly to the customer’s point of need. We are sending a strong signal to the global market of our long-term commitment to meeting the world’s growing energy demand at a large scale, bolstering the security of our customers and allies by providing them with clean, affordable, and reliable U.S. LNG as efficiently as possible,” said Venture Global CEO Mike Sabel.
The vessels are propelled by the latest 2-stroke MEGA/MEGI engines which, in combination with the use of the most recent hull forms, shaft generator and air lubrication systems, result in the highest fuel efficiency and lowest GHG emissions based on currently available LNG carrier technology. The selected main engine type supported by the shaft generator technology significantly reduces methane slip compared to the previous generations of 2-stroke and 4-stroke propelled LNG carriers. LNG vessels are mainly powered by natural gas which is cleaner-burning than traditional fuel oil. Pollutants like nitrogen oxides and sulfur oxides are significantly reduced, and CO2 emissions are 25% lower than CO2 emissions from ships powered by fuel oil.
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Finland: Finland’s Hamina LNG terminal hosts first-ever ship bunkering
Hamina LNG terminal, located in Southeastern Finland, at the port of Hamina (Baltic Sea), has, for the first time ever, served as a ship bunkering site. Hamina LNG, the terminal’s operator, revealed on social media that the ship bunkering was completed this week in cooperation with Rohe Solutions and Glander International Bunkering.
The operator said that since the amount of ships that run on LNG/LBG is growing, it is a benefit when bunkering is done using a refuelling arm at its berth, adding that the end result will be a full tank and colder LNG, directly from storage.
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Commenting on the availability of spot capacity during April-June 2024, Hamina LNG noted: “At the moment storage booking level is high, however, from April onwards there is still space…”To remind, Hamina LNG terminal operator is a joint venture between Finnish company Hamina Energy, compatriot technology group Wärtsilä and Estonian energy company Alexela.
Hamina terminal provides LNG storage services with a storage capacity of 30,000 m3 and regasification and injection services into the Finnish gas transmission network with a daily capacity of 4,800 MWh. Other services include LNG truck loading, vessel unloading and loading and vessel bunkering.
The terminal received its first commercial LNG carrier in October 2022, shortly after it had started supplying natural gas to the grid, following the cooldown procedure and commissioning tests of the systems and equipment.
https://www.offshore-energy.biz/finlands-hamina-lng-terminal-hosts-first-ever-ship-bunkering/
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Algeria: Algeria’s Sonatrach says new Skikda jetty gets first large LNG carrier
Algeria’s Sonatrach has received the first large liquefied natural gas (LNG) carrier at the new jetty in Skikda. According to a statement by Sonatrach, the 2017-built 171,800-cbm, Ougarta, owned by Sonatrach’s unit Hyproc Shipping, docked at the new “M3” jetty in Skikda on March 9.
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The firm conducted high-level tests to ensure that the Skikda port is ready to receive ships efficiently and safely after the expansion of the port.
This achievement reflects Sonatrach’s keenness to increase the loading and unloading capacities at the port of Skikda, it said.
Back in 2019, Sonatrach awarded a contract to China Harbor Engineering Company (CHEC) to build the LNG jetty to optimize the Skikda LNG complex’s production and allow the loading of large-capacity LNG carriers with a capacity of up to 220,000 cbm.
Besides the new jetty, Sonatrach awarded a contract in February 2022 to units of China’s state-controlled giant Sinopec to build one storage tank at its 4.5 mtpa Skikda LNG export plant.
Under this deal, the Chinese group built a new LNG storage tank with a nominal capacity of 150,000 cbm at the Skikda GL1K liquefaction complex.
Prior to this, the contractor dismantled two existing tanks.
The deal also included the supply and installation of equipment for the connection of the storage tank to the LNG loading system of the new Skikda jetty.
Algeria became the world’s first LNG producer in 1964 when Sonatrach’s Arzew facility came online.
The Arzew facility has in total three trains and they have a total capacity of about 20.8 mtpa, but the plant has been operating below its capacity.
Last year, Sontrach extended its LNG supply deal with France’s TotalEnergies for 2 mtpa.
In addition, the company also extended its LNG supply deal with Turkey’s Botas for about 3.2 mtpa.
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Norway: Fourth LNG dual-fuel LR1 tanker joins Hafnia fleet
Hafnia Lillesand is the final vessel in a series of four LNG-powered Aframax-type LR2 vessels ordered by Hafnia through its Vista Shipping joint venture with CSSC Shipping. The first two tankers were delivered during 2023, to serve long-term charters with France’s TotalEnergies. 2023-delivered Hafnia Larvik and the latest delivery, Hafnia Lillesand, serve Norway’s Equinor under charter deals.
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Hafnia chief executive Mikael Skov stated, “We are delighted to take delivery of Hafnia Lillesand, the fourth and final vessel in our dual-fuel LNG newbuild series. This milestone underlines our commitment to sustainability and innovation in the shipping industry and we especially thank our partners at GSI and CSSC for their collaboration during this project in constructing and delivering these newbuilds”.
The naming ceremony for Hafnia Lillesand took place 29 February 2024, at GSI Shipyard in Guangzhou, China.
Hafnia is also collaborating with GSI to construct four 49,800-dwt methanol dual-fuel IMOII MR2 chemical and product tankers with French joint venture partner Socatra, which are set to be delivered 2025 and 2026.
Also on the books is a collaboration with Mercuria Shipping Sarl with the Hanfia pool, Hafnia Pools Pte, to commercially operate Panamax tankers in the new Hafnia Panamax Pool.
Mercuria is initially committing 10 vessels with an average age of 13 years to bridge the gap across a rapidly ageing segment.
This partnership will launch March 2024, and aims to capitalise on the extensive expertise and resources of Hafnia and Mercuria.
Hafnia vice president, commercial Søren Skibdal Winther said, “With this venture, we look forward to leveraging our combined expertise, and are confident that customers and partners will see immediate and obvious advantages.”
Mercuria global head of freight and shipping Larry Johnson added, “As charterers ourselves, we have noticed a deficit of modern tonnage in this segment, and we are delighted to team up with industry-leading tanker owner and pool operator Hafnia in our efforts to service this need.”
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Russia: Russia’s Gazprom ships first LNG cargo from Portovaya to Spain
MOSCOW: Russia’s Gazprom shipped a cargo of liquefied natural gas (LNG) from its small-scale Portovaya LNG plant on the Baltic Sea to Spain for the first time, LSEG data showed on Monday. LNG, unlike some other Russian hydrocarbons, such as crude oil, has not been under the Western sanctions.
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The tanker, the Cool Rover, which loaded LNG ship-to-ship from the floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU), the Marshal Vasilevskiy, discharged in the Spanish port of Huelva at the Enagas LNG terminal, the data showed.
Gazprom and Portovaya LNG did not respond to a Reuters request for comment.
State-controlled Gazprom has practically lost the European pipeline gas export market, once the main source of foreign currency revenues for Moscow.
Russia supplied a total of around 63.8 billion cubic metres (bcm) of gas to Europe by various routes via pipelines in 2022, according to Gazprom data and Reuters calculations.
The volumes plummeted further, by 55.6%, to 28.3 bcm last year.
The Portovaya LNG plant with a capacity of 1.5 million metric tons per year was launched in September 2022.
Most LNG cargoes from the plant have been sent to Turkey or Greece, while three were shipped to China.
https://www.brecorder.com/news/40295361
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Technological Development for Cleaner and Greener Environment Hydrogen & Bio-Methane
German: Duvenbeck switches to biogas for its long-distance transport services for ZF Saarbrücken
Duvenbeck will convert all 40 trucks used in long-distance transport for ZF Saarbrücken to biogas. As Duvenbeck explained, when converting from diesel to Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG), CO2 emissions can be reduced by 20 per cent. With biogas, however, CO2 and nitrogen oxide emissions can be reduced by up to 90 per cent, and sulphur dioxide and particulate matter by almost 100 per cent.
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Duvenbeck uses biogas from ViGo bioenergy. The fuel comes from the processing of biological waste from the agricultural industry.
Duvenbeck also has electric екгслі in its fleet, which are used for short-distance transport.
At the Saarbrücken plant, one of ZF’s largest production sites, the technology group produces automatic transmissions for vehicles. The plant is currently preparing to produce drives for purely electric vehicles.
https://autonews.autoua.net/en/49812-audi-change-engine-naming-structure-again.html
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UK: Material advances could help usher in a hydrogen revolution
Whilst hydrogen has the potential to play a key role in the push for decarbonisation, challenges handling it mean we can’t rely on traditional materials to deliver a hydrogen economy. Prof Krzysztof Koziol, Head of Composites and Advanced Materials Centre at Cranfield University explores some of the material advances that could help make widespread hydrogen adoption possible.
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Hydrogen has huge potential in delivering zero carbon energy. But hydrogen has very different qualities to natural gas, meaning the need for networks of storage and transportation that can cope with extreme variations in temperatures, its leachable nature, and all the related safety issues. We can’t rely on standard materials to deliver a hydrogen economy — long term use will have an impact on structural integrity, leading to safety concerns.
Take our national network of around 7,600 km of pipelines supplying industry and commercial and domestic properties with natural gas. National Gas Transmission, the UK’s gas network operator, has made a commitment to upgrading the full network to allow for a switch to hydrogen, and has an objective of connecting up with continental Europe’s network of hydrogen-ready pipelines by early 2030s. Made up of tiny molecules, hydrogen is known for its diffusion into any type of material, causing different forms of structural damage to whatever material it might be. Using traditional metals for example, such as steel or aluminium, the hydrogen works its way into the lattice of the metal and causes it to become brittle over time, leading to cracking.
Made up of tiny molecules, hydrogen is known for its diffusion into any type of material, causing different forms of structural damage to whatever material it might be
Cranfield, in partnership with Levidian Nanosystems, has developed a graphene-based paint which can be used to secure pipelines for safe hydrogen use. The simplicity of the structure means it’s easy to anticipate how it will behave — as well as being incredibly strong (estimated to be 200 times stronger than steel). The effectiveness of the new paint has been validated in the laboratory environment following National Gas standards. The next step is for large-scale production of the graphene paint, expected to begin this year, leading to general market availability for industry. The graphene itself comes from a new, scalable process developed by Levidian, making use of greenhouse gases such as methane as a feedstock, taken from sources such as organic wastes from agriculture and the venting and flaring release of natural gas.
The future viability of liquid hydrogen flight is dependent on safe storage on-board aircraft. Lightweight, cryogenic storage tanks need to be able to withstand extreme variations in temperature: between -253 degrees centigrade and room temperature. There is the need for a type VI cryogenic tank. This involves a new bill of materials and deployment of three levels of safety features: ensuring the hydrogen is kept at the right temperature; that the materials used will keep the liquid hydrogen at a safe temperature and pressure environment in the event of a failure; and so the tank can be disposed of safely — and the aircraft still has enough fuel to land — if there is an unforeseen event.
One type of material under development is a new form of self-healing polymers: particularly effective in repairing minor cracks and avoiding a worsening of the damage. The next critical material for the tank is a lightweight insulator, an aerogel: the synthetic porous ultralight materials derived from a gel which retain their form even when the liquid element is replaced with a gas. Finally, a two-dimensional graphene layer is being used to maximise the reduction of hydrogen leaks and to take the mechanical stability of the overall structure to another level.
Extensive work is ongoing at Cranfield around the material development and molecular tuning to achieve the levels of performance needed, as well as the use of different combinations in order to find the optimal mix of tank materials for performance and safety. The very first prototype of the type VI cryogenic hydrogen tank will be tested over the coming year, with flight testing (possibly from Cranfield airport) expected to start in 2026, and a system in use between 2030-35.
Other new materials are making alternative forms of transport possible in the form of zero-carbon balloon-power. A form of graphene-infused, impermeable rubber means hydrogen-filled balloons can be a practical alternative to carbon- intensive helium. Cranfield has developed and patented technology to make such structures. These kinds of balloons are able to float for very long periods of time without maintenance, and positioned below geo-orbit space will act as hubs for Internet access for remote populations previously cut off from communications networks. They are also a means of transporting hydrogen itself, moving supplies of fuel between balloon platforms, again supporting more inaccessible areas of the world. Plans are being made with partners in Malaysia to introduce balloon projects for its many islands, for example.
Big ideas for a new world of zero-carbon energy come loaded with design and materials problems. There’s no easy switch to new fuels. That means design engineers will be increasingly important when it comes to their work with new materials, assessing their potential, the scope for new combinations and configurations.
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US: EV charging for the U.S. freight trucking market is starting to scale
EV trucking company Einride is opening one of the biggest EV charging stations in the U.S. for freight trucks with EV infrastructure developer Voltera, including 65 chargers and the ability to charge 200 vehicles a day. Port trucks are seen as a key entry point for EV technology at scale in the freight market, and the Lynwood, California, EV station is near the major ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach.
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Shipping giant Moller Maersk is the among the initial users as freight companies and their clients look to eliminate emissions at every step of a container’s journey from Shanghai to Chicago.
One of the first EV charging stations of scale for freight trucks is opening near the major ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, California, as the trucking market takes some limited, but significant steps to build the infrastructure required for a long-term transition to EV trucking and net-zero shipping.
Built by Sweden-based freight mobility company Einride and EV charging infrastructure company Voltera, the Lynwood Smartcharger Station along Interstate 710 has 65 chargers and the ability to charge 200 vehicles a day, initially for routes run by global shipping giant A.P. Moller-Maersk, which is also a venture investor in Einride, which was named to the 2023 CNBC Disruptor 50 list.
The Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach handle 29% of all ocean cargo container traffic coming into the U.S.
“The launch of Einride’s first Smartcharger station in the U.S. marks a momentous stride in establishing digital, electric freight as an important enabler to a more resilient U.S. freight system,” Robert Falck, CEO and founder of Einride, said in a statement.
Founded in 2016, Einride operates one of the largest fleets of heavy duty electric trucks for large companies, including Pepsi.
Voltera, which develops, owns and operates EV infrastructure, said the site was permitted, built, electrified and operational in under 18 months. “In the world of charging infrastructure, that’s pretty remarkable,” its CEO Matt Horton said in a statement.
Einride plans to open many EV charging stations for freight trucking on the West and East coasts, though California is the only state in which there are any EV freight charging stations of scale today. In addition to the new Lynwood station, logistics company NFI announced a freight EV charging station in February that can handle up to 50 trucks, including from Volvo, in a collaboration with Electrify America and Southern California Edison. The NFI EV charging station for port drayage trucks is located at its warehouse facility in Ontario, California, also a strategic location to serve the major southern California ports.
Due to the limitations that EV truck batteries face in range, trucking companies and EV partners are focusing on drayage transportation, and the movement of goods across short distances, for use at ports and intermodal logistics facilities.
Erik Neandross, CEO of transportation consultant GNA, which works with clients on low-carbon and zero-emissions freight, said servicing 50 trucks or more is a different level of magnitude than what’s been done to date in the freight market, but he added that it is still early in the development of EV charging at scale for trucks. “We’re super early. It’s fair to say we’re in the first half of the first inning. California really is the epicenter of activity at this scale and magnitude,” he said.
California’s government has been aggressive in offering grants and incentives to build EV infrastructure, and also approved its utilities to spend $750 million on the development, which makes a significant difference in a market where there are still few EV trucks on the road or charging stations in operation, making it difficult to prove the cost competitiveness versus diesel fuel.
Government and utility spending, combined with regulations to reach net zero by 2040 — and the need among major shippers such as consumer products companies and big-box retailers, from Pepsi to Walmart, to meet their own carbon goals — create an environment in which more investment across the U.S. freight market will be occurring.
The California Air Resources Board is requiring truck manufacturers to begin phasing in available heavy-duty EV technology this year, with expectations to have all zero-emission short-haul drayage fleets by 2035. Medium and heavy trucks make up only about 4% of vehicles in the U.S., but consume more than 25% of total highway fuel and represent nearly 30% of highway carbon emissions, according to the Department of Energy.
Additional EV charging projects at ports in New York and New Jersey, as well as the Pacific Northwest, are planned.
“Now is the time to test it before the next few fleet buying cycles,” Neandross said. “There is nothing like building the infrastructure to go out and see, learn. That’s where we are today.”
The entire supply chain, from the manufacturing of products, to a container being shipped all the way from Shanghai to Chicago, will require a complex net zero equation, and shippers and freight companies are targeting everything from energy use at plants to source materials, packaging and logistics. “To get to net zero, you have to do all of it,” Neandross said. “A lot of the companies we work with have been hard at work on the non-transport side. Take Pepsi, they’ve done all they can do to put in LED lights and buy renewable energy and maximize the efficiency of production. Now it’s time to get to work on trucks and the logistics side. It’s hard, but it has to be done.”
The Environmental Protection Agency released new emissions mandates for cars and pickups this week, and the EPA is expected to soon issue new emissions requirements for medium and heavy-duty trucks, which will make alternatives to diesel engines more competitive, including both compressed natural gas-powered trucks and zero-emission EV trucks.
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