H2-DRI-EAF uses hydrogen (H2) to produce direct reduced iron (DRI), which is then processed in an electric arc furnace (EAF) to produce steel. The two main challenges are ensuring an adequate supply of DR-grade iron ore, and cutting the end-to-end cost of making hydrogen. But right now, clean green hydrogen production is in its infancy, and therefore so are green steel plans. Soroush Basirat at IEEFA surveys the landscape, looking at the U.S., … [Read more...]
Buildings: how can Europe reduce emissions from Construction?
11% of global energy-related carbon emissions are embedded in the construction of buildings. Though focus has been on reducing operational emissions (28%, from heating and cooling, power etc.) there is not enough attention paid to construction, explains Carolina Kyllmann at CLEW. She looks at all the issues, including production of materials, transport to the site, construction, renovations, demolition and reuse of materials, and more. Kyllmann … [Read more...]
Iron Ore miners try different multi-billion strategies to lower emissions for Steel producers
2024 should see a further acceleration in steelâs transition away from coal, with increasing pressure on companies in the value chain to act on their Scope 3 (indirect) emissions, explains Simon Nicholas at IEEFA. Old coal-fired blast furnaces that use low-grade iron ore are already being replaced with the direct reduced iron (DRI) process in Europe and China. That means the âbig fourâ iron ore miners have to ramp up production of high-grade iron … [Read more...]
Will EU decarbonisation policies shift the Fertiliser industry into making Ammonia for energy (but outside the EU)?
The EUâs fertiliser industry must face up to the regionâs ambitious decarbonisation rules, making its carbon-intensive processes much more costly. But a door of opportunity is also being opened: the industry already produces ammonia which is increasingly being seen as an alternative clean fuel, explains Hyung-Ja de Zeeuw at Rabobank. The problem for EU nations is that it will be cheaper for the industry to relocate and make that ammonia somewhere … [Read more...]
Just Transition: UKâs Port Talbot steelworks are closing. What can be learnt from the Netherlands and Sweden?
A classic âjust transitionâ story is being played out in the UK, a high income nation and Europeâs second biggest economy. Tata Steel plans to cut almost 3,000 jobs at the UKâs largest steelworks. The location, Port Talbot, is one of the most deprived places in the UK and the steelworks there are its largest private sector employer. Tata is under pressure to decarbonise its steel production, so will switch to an electric arc furnace that recycles … [Read more...]
U.S. and EU: vastly different approaches to trade and climate put a transatlantic deal at risk
Uncertainty over the results of this yearâs elections in the U.S. and the EU have effectively postponed trade deals between the two blocks. That means when talks restart in 2025 there will be even less time to find the best compromises. As Gautam Jain, Noah Kaufman, Chris Bataille and Sagatom Saha at the Center on Global Energy Policy explain, itâs why this time should be taken to better understand the differences and lay out the possible … [Read more...]
Buying carbon allowances while decarbonising: whatâs the best strategy for an EU industrial firm?
EU industrial companies affected by the big changes to their carbon costs that come from the new EU ETS rules and the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) must create strategies to deal with them, if they havenât started already. Otherwise they will fall behind those that have. Pablo Ruiz at Rabobank summarises their analyses and conclusions. Ruiz presents a map for each of the different starting positions. The study looks at the critical … [Read more...]
Another chapter in Offshore Windâs stop-go story: New York
New York State should be leading the offshore wind ambitions of the U.S. The region enjoys high capacity factors for offshore wind, especially during the peak winter heating season. And New York is used to being a leader in so many things. Thatâs why it put its climate reputation at risk in October when the state government announced it would not renegotiate contracts with offshore wind providers Ărsted, Equinor and BP, explains Joseph Webster at … [Read more...]
Carbon Footprints for every product: the need for sector-specific, comprehensive granular data and accounting
As governments and consumers increasingly want to know the carbon footprints of individual products, all actors in the global supply chain are under pressure to measure them, and accurately. But existing voluntary emissions reporting frameworks need to greatly improve the quality of their data and accounting processes, explain Nicole Labutong, Wenjuan Liu and Iris Wu at RMI. Blind spots can lead to meaninglessly inaccurate measurements. Itâs far … [Read more...]
Middle East & Africa to export Hydrogen to Europe? Better to make green Iron & Steel and export that
The MENA region (Middle East and North Africa) is well suited to making green hydrogen. Thereâs huge potential for powering green hydrogen production with cheap solar. And Europe wants to import it. But Soroush Basirat and Simon Nicholas at IEEFA argue that MENA should use the green hydrogen to make green iron and steel and export that. It already has an established direct reduced iron (DRI) sector: now powered by gas which can be swapped out for … [Read more...]
Cost vs Resilience: Europeâs sourcing strategy will shape the regional Hydrogen economy
The upcoming EU Hydrogen Bank pilot auction and trilogue discussions are focussing minds on the future of hydrogen. Jonas Lotze and Massimo Moser at TransnetBW and Janina Erb, Roman Flatau, Felix Greven and Max Labmayr at d-fine present the results of their modelling of two hydrogen sourcing scenarios: "Global Market" (GM) where the import of hydrogen into Europe is unrestricted, and "Energy Resilient Europe" (ERE) where almost all hydrogen is … [Read more...]
How much protection from carbon-intensive imports will CBAM give to EU industries?
The EUâs Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) is not a business-as-usual instrument that allows sectors to delay decarbonisation. It applies a levy on imported goods equal to the internal EU ETS-related carbon price, so that both EU-produced goods and those imported into the EU face similar carbon cost pressures. But sectors must use the CBAM phase-in period to decarbonise. Pablo Ruiz and Barbara Kölbl at Rabobank look at how different … [Read more...]
CBAM is now active. A guide to what companies must do to comply
On October 1st 2023 the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) became effective. Its purpose is to limit carbon leakage by establishing a carbon price on imported goods that is equivalent to the carbon price on domestically produced goods. That means introducing a set of reporting and compliance obligations for importers of goods into the EU. Simon Göss and Hendrik Schuldt at carboneer explain the new mechanism and scope (aluminium, cement, … [Read more...]
IRENAâs Innovation Week 2023: Renewable solutions to decarbonise end-use sectors
At the end of September IRENA held a four-day event âInnovation Week 2023: Renewable solutions to decarbonise end-use sectorsâ in Bonn, Germany. A wide range of speakers discussed tangible solutions to decarbonise energy intensive sectors such as transportation, buildings and industry, informed by first-hand project experiences and supported by insights from IRENAâs in-depth analyses. Topics included direct and indirect electrification, green … [Read more...]
Event summary: âBioenergy after REDIII â sustainable, climate neutral fuels for industry, transport and negative emissionsâ
Sara Stefanini provides a written summary of our panel discussion held on Wednesday 4th October 2023. Itâs a full summary of the 75 minute discussion, and begins conveniently with a summary of the highlights. Under the recently revised Renewable Energy Directive (REDIII) bioenergy can be counted towards the renewable energy targets â provided that it meets strict sustainability criteria. Bioenergy already accounts for 60% of the EUâs renewable … [Read more...]
- 1
- 2
- 3
- …
- 5
- Next Page »