Leda Zimmerman at MIT describes a method of removing CO2 electrochemically, now being taken forward by MIT spin-off company Verdox. Electrodes are coated with polyanthraquinone. When it is charged, CO2 sticks to it. When itâs time to store it away, the charge is reversed and the gas is expelled as a pure stream of CO2. The technology works in a wide range of CO2 concentrations, from the 20% or higher found in cement and steel industry exhaust … [Read more...]
New U.S. âBuy Cleanâ plan earmarks billions for low-carbon cement, steel and other building materials
New guidance from the U.S. federal government, combined with historic Inflation Reduction Act investments, could turbocharge markets for low-carbon cement, steel, and other building materials. Victor Olgyay, Anish Tilak and Connor Usry at Rocky Mountain Institute explain how the new âBuy Cleanâ recommendations will mean the procurement of green building materials for federal building and transportation projects. That will lead to a boost in … [Read more...]
Carbon Capture is a risky decarbonisation pathway: 13 flagship projects reviewed
The debate around the effectiveness of carbon capture (you can register now for our CCUS session on Wednesday at 10.45 - Editor) has led to polarising views. Although the first implementations began 50 years ago, serious efforts to capture large volumes cost-effectively are in their infancy and unproven at scale. Is it, given time and support, a solution to excess emissions worldwide? Or is it a distraction that will allow fossils to be used yet … [Read more...]
Event summary: âUnlocking the potential of Bioenergyâ
Sara Stefanini provides a written summary of our panel discussion held on Thursday March 17th 2022. Itâs a full summary of the 90 minute discussion (including audience questions), but it begins conveniently with a summary of the highlights (potential for bioenergy, hard-to-abate sectors, sustainability, policy needs). Those highlights include the need to scale bioenergy up from around 50 EJ today to 150 EJ by 2050; the importance of carbon … [Read more...]
Aviation, Steel, Shipping CEOs ask COP26 to back their decarbonisation pathways
The seven âhardest to abateâ industries together account for 30% of global greenhouse gas emissions. They are aviation, steel, shipping, cement, aluminium, trucking and chemicals. John Matson at RMI explains how a growing number of sector-leading corporates in aviation, steel and shipping are now openly backing net-zero pathways. He quotes CEOs and top executives (ArcelorMittal, United Airlines, Trafigura) on what they say they are determined to … [Read more...]
CBAM needs universal adoption of methods for measuring carbon intensity
Europe needs to account for the emissions of imported goods. That cannot happen without the international agreement on standards and certification systems for the carbon intensity of all steps in the value chain for all relevant products. Dolf Gielen and Francisco Boshell at IRENA and Massamba Thioye at the UNFCCC explain that several such systems exist around the world, but they need to be harmonised and widely adopted to truly reflect what is … [Read more...]
EU âFit for 55â: how it impacts the EU ETS to accelerate emissions reductions
Christoph Kellermann, Lun Zhou and Simon Göss at Energy Brainpool explain how the EUâs new âFit for 55â proposals, released in July, will impact the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS), hailed as one of the most effective ways of reducing emissions. The authors cover the changes to the existing ETS, the planned new ETS for road transport and buildings, the controversial Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), and the new CO2 standards for … [Read more...]
Cement: replacing limestone with volcanic rock could slash energy use, and emissions by two-thirds
Cement production accounts for 8% of global emissions, and it will rise as nations get richer and build more. Itâs mainly because of the energy needed for the high heat process, and the carbon released from the limestone used. Itâs one of the leading hard-to-abate sectors, and coming up with an alternative process and cement recipe is firmly on the industryâs agenda. Josie Garthwaite at Stanford University summarises a study that aims to replace … [Read more...]
EUâs Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism lacks the detail to drive industry’s relocation near clean energy
High emissions industries should be relocated to where the cheap clean energy is. So long as the shipping costs (in terms of price and emissions) arenât prohibitively high, those locations can be anywhere in the world. To get the calculations right, Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanisms (accounting for the emissions of imported goods) must be harmonised internationally. They must also â crucially â count all relevant emissions. But the EUâs draft … [Read more...]
EU-India cooperation: how to tap the large potential for climate action
India is the worldâs fifth largest economy, the second most populous, and over the next few decades is expected to see energy demand grow more than any other country. Ritu Ahuja and Mekhala Sastry at TERI, Abhishek Kaushik at the Centre for Global Environment Research, and Alexandra Deprez and Lola Vallejo at IDDRI look at Indiaâs challenges and which areas show the most potential for partnership with the EU. They focus on five themes: energy, … [Read more...]
Bidenâs Leaders Summit: turning climate commitments into solutions
President Biden's Leaders Summit on Climate last month helped focus minds on making firm commitments to reducing global emissions. As we all know, targets are one thing, credible and realistic solutions are another. To understand the challenge better, Dolf Gielen, Ricardo Gorini and Gayathri Prakash at IRENA break down into themes those areas that need much more effort and, if dealt with successfully, can get us to net zero by 2050: structural … [Read more...]
Industrial Clusters: the logic of co-location now has a new driver, net-zero emissions
Industrial clusters locate plants and factories in one area to share resources, problems and solutions. They already have a long history of collaboration. But the logic of co-location now has a new driver: net-zero emissions. The sectors can range from heavy industry (e.g. steel and cement) to light (food, paper, etc.) The challenge is to make the most of new clean technologies and processes, and at the same time maintain or increase … [Read more...]
Carbon Border Adjustments: can the EU create a mechanism that is fair?
The proposed EU carbon border adjustment mechanism (CBAM) is meant to control imports of high-carbon goods from places that are not bound by Europeâs rising de-carbonisation rules. The obvious targets are commodities like steel, aluminium and cement. But it could be extended to all EU imports, including agricultural products. Michel Colombier at IDDRI warns that the EU is in danger of not listening nearly enough to its trading partners. He … [Read more...]
Decarbonising Industry is key to Chinaâs net-zero strategy
China has committed to a CO2 emissions peak before 2030 and carbon neutrality before 2060. Itâs 14th 5-year plan will be released in March, followed by sector-oriented plans. For the first time it will include a dedicated plan addressing climate change. Dolf Gielen, Yong Chen and Paul Durrant at IRENA start by laying out Chinaâs energy mix for scrutiny, then dive into its industrial sector which accounts for 60% of gross final energy use. Success … [Read more...]
Bioenergy is the undervalued pillar of the clean energy transition
Bioenergy is already the worldâs largest source of renewable energy, responsible for 70% of the supply (and around 10% of total primary energy). Burning organic matter goes back to the invention of fire and is still commonplace around the globe. Yet it gets hardly any of the attention and policy support thatâs given to other clean energy technologies like solar, wind and now hydrogen. Bioenergy can and should play an even greater role, explain … [Read more...]
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