Heirloom says no oil and gas in carbon removal

Heirloom doesn’t want oil and gas in the carbon removal business

• Heirloom emphasizes the need for rigorous and transparent principles in the climate economy to avoid repeating past exploitative behaviors.

• Heirloom’s primary focus is on carbon dioxide removal (CDR) through direct air capture using advanced technology.

• They believe that CDR, along with emissions reduction, is essential to addressing climate change.

• Heirloom is committed to responsible carbon removal and has developed four principles for “high-road” carbon removal in consultation with experts, activists, and equity groups.

• The first principle ensures that CDR isn’t used as an excuse for further fossil fuel emissions and sets governance standards, such as not granting equity to fossil fuel companies or EOR use.

• The second principle emphasizes transparency through Measurement, Reporting, and Verification (MRV) and safety data disclosure.

• The third principle focuses on strong worker protections, competitive wages, and apprenticeships in CDR projects.

• The fourth principle involves co-creating community benefits agreements and agile investment plans with room for evolution, especially when working with Indigenous communities.

• These principles aim to ensure ethical and responsible practices in the carbon removal sector while addressing climate change and benefiting communities.

• Heirloom believes that a responsible approach to climate innovation can lead to a manufacturing renaissance, creating quality jobs and a sustainable future.

This comes 6 weeks after Oxy’s massive Carbon Engineering acquisition. They certainly won’t be pleased with today’s announcement…

Oxy and ADNOC exploring Direct Air Capture in the UAE

• Occidental’s subsidiary, 1PointFive, and ADNOC are starting a preliminary engineering study for a 1 million tonne-per-year Direct Air Capture (DAC) facility in the UAE.

• The study is part of their joint exploration of carbon capture, utilization, and storage projects.

• They aim to build the first megaton-scale DAC facility outside the United States, using the same CO2 extraction technology as the Stratos plant in Texas.

• Stratos, with DAC technology from Carbon Engineering, is designed to capture up to 500,000 tonnes of CO2 annually.

• 1PointFive offers carbon dioxide removal (CDR) credits and has agreements with Amazon and All Nippon Airways for DAC-captured CO2.

• If approved, CO2 from the UAE DAC facility will be connected to ADNOC’s CO2 infrastructure for storage in saline reservoirs.

• The collaboration aims to advance direct air capture technology and contribute to global-scale climate solutions.

• The memorandum of understanding includes evaluating participation in DAC facilities, CO2 sequestration hubs, and innovative CO2-based technologies.

• The MOU is part of the UAE-U.S. Partnership for Accelerating Clean Energy, focusing on clean energy and carbon management projects.

Honeywell teams up with SK E&S to deploy carbon capture tech in Korea and SE Asia

• Honeywell is collaborating with SK E&S, an affiliate of SK Group, to deploy carbon capture technology in Korea and Southeast Asia.

• They will use Honeywell UOP’s Advanced Solvent Carbon Capture (ASCC) system at an SK E&S natural gas power plant to showcase its role in decarbonizing industries like power generation, steel, cement, and petrochemicals.

• Honeywell’s ASCC technology is designed for post-combustion flue gas applications and can capture over 95% of carbon dioxide (CO2).

• The technology can be retrofitted into existing plants or integrated into new installations.

• SK E&S aims to provide sustainable solutions and become a leader in sustainability in the region.

• This collaboration will demonstrate Honeywell’s technology in decarbonizing fossil-fuel power generation, contributing to the energy transition.

• It is a significant milestone in showcasing post-combustion capture technology in natural gas power plant applications.

Adani group plans to expand Indian solar manufacturing capacity to 10 GW

• Adani Group plans to expand its integrated solar manufacturing capacity to 10 gigawatts (GW) by 2027, doubling its current capacity.

• The conglomerate, owned by Gautam Adani, currently produces solar photovoltaic cells (solar PVs) through Adani Solar, with a manufacturing capacity of 4 GW.

• Adani Solar has secured confirmed orders for over 3,000 megawatts (MW) of solar PVs.

• A unit of Adani Group recently raised a working capital loan of $394 million from Barclays and Deutsche Bank for its integrated solar module manufacturing facility.

• India’s current annual solar panel manufacturing capacity is 32 GW, falling short of the required 52 GW.

• The country is considering reducing import taxes on solar panels and seeking tax rollbacks to boost local production in the solar industry.

Air Liquide and Trillium team up on heavy-duty hydrogen fueling

• Air Liquide and Trillium Energy Solutions have signed an MoU to collaborate on developing the heavy-duty hydrogen fueling market in the United States.

• The partnership aims to accelerate the heavy-duty hydrogen transportation ecosystem by focusing on hydrogen supply and refueling infrastructure.

• Air Liquide, a leader in low-carbon and renewable hydrogen production, will work with Trillium Energy Solutions, a sustainable fueling infrastructure supplier, to establish vital hydrogen refueling infrastructure for heavy-duty hydrogen truck applications.

• The collaboration includes the deployment of an extensive hydrogen retail network, starting with hydrogen stations along a strategic trucking route, supporting Truck OEMs’ vehicle deployments and fleet operators’ transition to low-carbon and zero-emission vehicles.

• The partnership’s initial goal is to support the development of 150 tons per day of hydrogen production and the necessary refueling infrastructure for over 2,000 heavy-duty vehicles.

• Air Liquide will contribute expertise in hydrogen technology facets like production, liquefaction, transportation, and storage, while Trillium will leverage its experience in operating alternative fueling stations and its nationwide infrastructure footprint.

• The collaboration aims to revolutionize transportation with hydrogen, contributing to a more sustainable and low-carbon future in the heavy-duty sector.

Electric Hydrogen’s plan to make green hydrogen the norm

• Electric Hydrogen, a green hydrogen startup, recently became the first unicorn in the green hydrogen industry by raising $380 million from investors, including BP, United Airlines, Microsoft, and Fortescue Metals.

• The company’s success hinges on its innovative approach to splitting water molecules to create green hydrogen, utilizing advanced electrolyzers.

• Electric Hydrogen aims to make green hydrogen competitive in the market by leveraging government subsidies and producing it at low costs in areas with cheap renewable power.

• The company’s founders, Raffi Garabedian and Dave Eaglesham, are former chief technology officers of First Solar and have applied their expertise to develop new materials and designs for electrolyzers.

• Electric Hydrogen plans to sell electrolyzers to hydrogen producers, following a similar model to solar panel manufacturers.

• The company’s electrolyzers utilize metal-coated membranes to split water into hydrogen and oxygen, with a focus on performance and cost efficiency.

• Electric Hydrogen envisions producing hydrogen in renewables-rich states like Texas for $1.50 per kilogram by 2030, with potential tax credits making it profitable for customers.

• The company will open a large electrolyzer factory near its lab, aiming to produce twice the global installation capacity of electrolyzers in 2022.

• Electric Hydrogen’s long-term success will depend on supply ramp-up, customer installations, and connections to green power, which may take years to assess.

• The company was founded based on the vision of building a better electrolyzer, and it got its start through discussions with industry experts and collaboration with Breakthrough Energy Ventures.

• Electric Hydrogen’s journey from skepticism about hydrogen to a billion-dollar valuation is marked by innovative thinking and determination.

• The company’s CFO celebrated its unicorn status with a stuffed toy unicorn.

Aemetis closes $53 million sale of IRA tax credits

• Aemetis, Inc. closed the sale of $53 million of Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) investment tax credits generated by its subsidiary Aemetis Biogas LLC to a corporate purchaser on September 29, 2023.

• These tax credits were generated from biogas projects, including diary digesters, a biogas pipeline, and a renewable natural gas (RNG) production facility.

• The Inflation Reduction Act, signed into law in August 2022, provides transferable federal income tax credits for certain renewable fuel projects and products.

• Aemetis plans to qualify for over $800 million of IRA investment and production tax credits in the next four years to support its biogas projects, CO2 re-use by its ethanol plant, the construction of a sustainable aviation fuel plant, and CO2 sequestration.

• Aemetis Biogas captures biomethane from animal waste at California dairies, with seven operating digesters and five more under construction, involving 37 dairies under contract.

• The captured biogas is upgraded into below zero carbon intensity RNG and injected into PG&E’s natural gas pipeline for transportation fuel customers in California.

• The project aims to capture methane from the waste produced by over 150,000 cows at dairy farms in California, reducing greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to approximately 6.8 million metric tonnes of carbon dioxide over ten years.

More executive shakeup at BP

• Dave Lawler, BP’s top executive in the United States, is leaving the company.

• His departure comes less than three weeks after the resignation of BP’s CEO, Bernard Looney.

• Lawler has been with BP since 2014 and led the company’s shale business, BPX Energy.

• BPX Energy, under Lawler’s leadership, acquired BHP’s onshore shale assets for $10.5 billion, making BP one of the top producers in the Permian oil basin.

• Orlando Alvarez will replace Lawler as head of BP America, while Kyle Koontz will become the CEO of BPX Energy.

DISCLAIMER: None of this is financial advice. This newsletter is strictly educational and is not investment advice or a solicitation to buy or sell any assets or to make any financial decisions. Please be careful and do your own research.