ACWA Power Signs Strategic Agreements with Chinese Firms on Green Hydrogen and Renewables
During the third Belt and Road Forum in Beijing, ACWA Power, a Saudi-based worldwide leader in water desalination and renewable energy, signed seven cooperation agreements with notable Chinese enterprises. The agreements encompass a variety of projects in solar power, green hydrogen, and water desalination, marking an important step forward in joint sustainable development.
The collaboration between ACWA Power and Chinese stakeholders aims to encourage ecologically responsible activities. State Power Investment Corporation, Bank of China, Power China Group, Energy China Group, and Jinko Solar are among the key Chinese institutions engaging in these agreements. ACWA Power has been working with Chinese companies for over a decade, including collaborative projects in Saudi Arabia and other international markets.
Chinese investors, bankers, contractors, and material suppliers have made major contributions to ACWA Power’s global project portfolio, with investments exceeding $10 billion and participation in 47 projects totaling more than $30 billion. These initiatives span the globe and include renewable energy, green hydrogen production, and seawater desalination.
Source: ACWA
Duke Energy Florida, One Tree Planted collaboration encourages customers to support clean energy, restoration efforts
Duke Energy Florida and One Tree Planted are collaborating to offer subscribers of the Clean Energy Connection community solar program an opportunity to support clean energy and contribute to the restoration of the Lake Wales Ridge State Forest in Florida. Customers can earn credits towards their electricity bills by subscribing to solar power, without the need for rooftop panels. For every kilowatt subscribed before November 15th, Duke Energy Florida will plant a tree in the state forest together with One Tree Planted.
This initiative aligns with Duke Energy Florida’s commitment to a cleaner and brighter energy future. One Tree Planted will focus on planting longleaf pines and South Florida slash pines in the state forest, benefiting recreational opportunities and improving soil and water conditions for various plant and animal species. Customers who enroll before the deadline will contribute to the ongoing tree planting efforts, adding to the over 7,000 trees already planted on behalf of current subscribers.
Source: Duke Energy
ADNOC Gas signs $700 million LNG supply agreement with JERA Global Markets
Responsible corporations recognise that their impact goes beyond monetary rewards. They recognise the significance of addressing technical and market issues while also taking the environmental and social aspects of renewable energy projects into account. These organisations can develop sustainability and have a good impact on the communities in which they operate by taking a holistic approach. Climate change presents particular difficulties to Asia’s diversified ecosystems and vulnerable inhabitants. Predictions show that the intensity and frequency of physical events that can affect valued assets will grow.
This emphasises the importance of improving climate resilience and tackling the accompanying societal and biological concerns. Corporate organisations can map their value chain to identify dependencies on ecosystem services, develop a nature strategy to identify risks and opportunities, and collaborate with key stakeholders to implement the strategy to integrate nature risk and opportunity into decision-making. These practical steps can contribute to a more sustainable future that balances economic growth and environmental stewardship.
Source: ADNOC
Biden’s 2030 Wind Goal Looks Like It Simply Won’t Happen
President Joe Biden announced plans in 2021 to deploy 30 gigatonnes of offshore wind capacity in the United States by 2030, which was viewed as a bold and ambitious target. However, two years later, the industry has deemed it impossible. The offshore wind industry in the United States has suffered a series of setbacks, including cost revisions and potential impairment charges in the billions of dollars. BloombergNEF, which was initially sceptical of the goal, has gradually lowered its forecast.
In June, the forecast for 2030 was 23.1 gigatonnes. However, the industry was dealt another setback recently when New York rejected developers’ requests for higher rates, raising serious concerns about some of their projects. Atin Jain, senior wind analyst at BNEF, has now reduced his estimate by 29%, and expects total US capacity to reach just 16.4 gigawatts by the end of the decade, a little over half of Biden’s target.
Energy Recovery awarded desalination contracts in Algeria totaling $28 million
Energy Recovery, Inc. (NASDAQ: ERII) has received contracts totaling more than $28 million to supply its PX® Pressure Exchanger® (PX) technology to Algerian desalination projects. These initiatives are part of Algeria’s efforts to combat water scarcity and increase the proportion of desalinated water in the country’s supply to 50% by 2030. The contracts call for PX devices to be supplied to municipal desalination projects, which will provide clean drinking water to residents. All orders should be delivered by 2023.
PX technology can cut energy consumption in desalination by up to 60%, making it an efficient and cost-effective solution. According to Energy Recovery, these PX units will also help prevent over 560,000 metric tonnes of carbon emissions per year, which is equivalent to removing approximately 120,000 passenger cars from the road.
Source: Energy Recovery, Inc.
Ingenza and Phibro Ethanol Accelerate the Green Fuel Transition
KinetX, a novel yeast strain developed by Ingenza and Phibro Ethanol, increases bioethanol production. This strain is highly thermotolerant and secretes glucoamylase (GA) throughout growth and fermentation, thanks to proprietary strain construction and ALE technology. KinetX increases ethanol yield significantly by reducing the need for enzyme addition and improving fermentation performance.
This breakthrough helps to accelerate the transition to clean biofuels and contributes to global sustainability goals. Ingenza and Phibro intend to introduce additional yeast lines in the future to boost bioethanol yields even further. Their collaboration aims to make biofuels a viable commercial and environmentally friendly alternative to fossil fuels.
Source: Ingenza
Integrating AI and Clean Technology to Enhance Hydrogen Fuel Cell Efficiency
Korean researchers have made ground-breaking advances in renewable energy technology by developing an innovative catalyst screening approach utilising artificial intelligence (AI). This technology has the potential to dramatically reduce the cost of hydrogen fuel cells, which are critical for developing clean energy solutions. Because they only emit water, hydrogen fuel cells are a possible alternative to traditional combustion processes. However, the exorbitant cost of platinum catalysts has prevented their widespread use.
The researchers investigated elemental combinations and compositions, which resulted in the development of a more cost-effective catalytic material based on a Cu-Au-Pt ternary alloy. This substance has exhibited double the performance of pure platinum catalysts. The AI model used, called Slab Graph Convolutional Neural Network (SGCNN), accurately predicts the surface properties of catalysts, enabling efficient screening and selection of materials with stability, high performance, and affordability. This achievement highlights the role of AI in reshaping the clean energy landscape and reducing reliance on fossil fuels.
Delta Electronics Foundation and National Museum of Marine Science & Technology Set Up Asia’s First Zero-Carbon Coral Conservation Center for Endangered Corals
The Delta Electronics Foundation and the National Marine Science and Technology Organisation have announced the establishment of the Chaojing Coral Conservation Centre in Taiwan, with the goal of restoring endangered corals. Delta Electronics’ experience in industrial and building automation will be used to create an energy-efficient greenhouse for coral growth at the centre. Heat-resistant corals will be transplanted into the Wanghaixiang Chaojing Bay Resource Conservation Area, and it is estimated that over 10,000 corals will be regenerated within three years.
Delta will contribute renewable energy to assist the centre achieve carbon neutrality. The centre is also an important place for environmental education, with visitors able to learn about the importance of corals in marine ecology and how they contribute to marine biodiversity. The Delta Foundation is collaborating with coral experts from NMMST and conservation organizations to promote and expand marine education and encourage more people in Taiwan to value the restoration of coral habitats.
Source: Delta Electronics
