For the first time this year, StocExpo has launched a brand new Terminal Operations and safety conference at StocExpo, being held in Rotterdam on 14-16th March.

Aimed at maintenance managers, operators and engineers, the three-day conference will keep you up to date with safety best practices, changes to regulations and help you towards your net zero goals.

Safety is a key focus for this free conference, which includes an interactive session on improving behavioral safety by Ghislaine Burink, Director at CR8 Safety. Other key presentations include Lessons learnt from previous incidents by Nils Bosma, General Manager for HSSE External Affairs at Shell, a presentation on 18 years since Buncefield by Peter Savage, HSEC Manager at HG Storage, and Improving stagnating safety compliance from Nienke de Wilde, Director of inspection and enforcement, DCMR

Another highlight at the event is the panel discussion where speakers share safety best practices, including Carla Manion, Global SHE Manager at Vopak.

In order to keep you up to date with the latest regulations the event includes presentations from Casper Wassink, President, Dutch NDT Society, KINT, Arno Mensink, Senior Consultant ATEX and EFPC and Eric Paillier, Emergency and Fire Safety Coordinator, Total Energies. Topics covered include managing the transition to fluorine free foams and Challenges arising from Dutch explosion safety regulations.

To help you reach your net zero goals, Norman Bruckhaus, Senior Expert – Storage Facilities, Tank Engineering and Construction, Linde will be talking about the challenges of transforming LNG tanks to ammonia service. Arend Van Campen, Founder of Tank Storage Sustainability Initiative will cover how Terminals can map their sustainability and Nina Huijberts and Loes Knotter from the Dutch Blockchain Coalition will be discussing using blockchain to share sustainability data.

It’s an event not to be missed for any asset managers, HSE managers and operations managers wanting to improve their knowledge in the tank storage sector and best of all it is free of charge to all visitors at this year’s StocExpo.

Join Saudi Aramco, Vopak, VTTI, Zenith, Varo, PKN Orlen, Tanquid, Oikos, Advario, Stolthaven, LBC, Vesta, Shell, OCI, Koole, BP, ExxonMobil, Neste, Horisont, Uniper and so many others already registered.

Places are limited so register today: StocExpo 2023 (visitcloud.com)

Find out more: Terminal Operations & Safety Conference | StocExpo.

For more information on other features at the show including the Koole terminal tour, the Global Tank Storage Awards, the Sustainability & Innovation Trail, late-night networking reception, robotics pavilion and more, please contact: Margaret.dunn@easyfairs.com

• Improve: We reported financial results in line with 2022 expectations. FY 2022 EBITDA of EUR 887 million and operating cash return of 11.4 percent. Occupancy improved to 90 percent by the end of Q4 2022. We continued to actively manage our portfolio by divesting our Canadian oil terminals, Agencies business and started a strategic review of Vopak’s three chemical terminals in the Port of Rotterdam.
• Grow: We strengthened our leading position in China and India through an expansion in Caojing and the completion of the joint venture in India with Aegis. Gate LNG terminal continues to fulfil an important role in the energy security of Northwest Europe.
• Accelerate: We are repurposing oil capacity in Los Angeles to sustainable aviation fuel and renewable diesel and taking a share in the electricity storage company Elestor. In addition, we will redevelop a prime location in the Port of Antwerp for new energies and sustainable feedstocks and we are investing in hydrogen logistics in Europe.

Williams has announced that it has closed its acquisition of MountainWest Pipelines Holding Company (MountainWest) from Southwest Gas Holdings, Inc., in a transaction including $1.07 billion of cash and $0.43 billion of assumed debt, for an enterprise value of $1.5 billion. MountainWest comprises roughly 2,000-miles of interstate natural gas pipeline systems primarily located across Utah, Wyoming and Colorado, totalling approximately 8 Bcf/d of transmission capacity. MountainWest also operates 56 Bcf of total storage capacity, including the Clay Basin underground storage reservoir, providing valuable service to western markets.

“Our natural gas focused strategy is anchored in having the right assets in the right places to serve our nation’s growing demand for clean, affordable and abundant natural gas. This acquisition enhances our position in the western US and is complementary to our current footprint, providing us with infrastructure for natural gas deliveries across key demand markets,” said Alan Armstrong, Williams President and Chief Executive Officer. “With the acquisition now complete, we look forward to welcoming MountainWest employees to Williams and bringing value to our shareholders by delivering safe and reliable services to both Williams and MountainWest customers as we increase the utilisation of our existing large scale platforms.”

With the acquisition of MountainWest, Williams expands its infrastructure network and increases its business mix of FERC-regulated natural gas transmission and storage. The acquisition expands Williams’ services to key Rockies markets, including natural gas delivery into Salt Lake City and other demand markets not previously served by Williams.

For more information visit www.williams.com

INEOS Olefins Belgium has announced it has raised €3.5 billion to support the construction and operation of the most environmentally sustainable cracker in Europe.

This is the largest investment in the European chemical sector for a generation. The plant will have the lowest carbon footprint in Europe, three times lower than the average European steam cracker, and less than half that of the 10% best performers in Europe.

The plant also has the capability of operating entirely with low carbon hydrogen as well as room for a carbon capture facility and future electric furnaces.

Jason Meers, CFO INEOS Project ONE says “Project ONE is a game changer for Europe. It will bring new opportunities to the chemical cluster in Antwerp as well as strengthen the resilience of the whole of the European chemical sector”.

Supported by 21 commercial banks, the deal validates the strong commercial rationale of the project and its leading environmental characteristics. The debt will be drawn in stages to support the spend profile of the project through to completion.

It comprises €1.5 billion of uncovered debt, €1.2 billion of covered facilities from export credit agencies UKEF, Cesce and SACE; and an €800 million covered tranche of which up to €500 million is guaranteed by Gigarant (a vehicle of the Flemish Government that provides loan guarantees).

Jason Meers, CFO INEOS Project ONE adds: “We are thrilled to reach this milestone and secure this funding. Bringing together such a large number of environmentally focused commercial banks alongside four governmental agencies demonstrates the huge importance of the project.

The cracker will produce ethylene, which is a vital raw material for a wide range of products essential to our daily lives, from insulation, to lightweight vehicles, plastics for medical, healthcare and food hygiene, as well as technology for renewable energy.

For more information visit www.ineos.com

Ducks Unlimited has announced a $250,000 commitment by Dallas‐based Energy Transfer to wetland conservation efforts on J.D. Murphree Wildlife Management Area in Jefferson County, Texas. This most recent commitment is a continuation of Energy Transfer’s partnership with DU, having provided $5 million for wetland restoration and protection along Louisiana’s Gulf Coast and Ohio’s Great Lakes region over the past four years.

“Energy Transfer and DU have a shared commitment to environmental stewardship,” said Mike Birkett, Senior Director of Operations at Energy Transfer’s Nederland Terminal. “This project is particularly important to us because of its proximity to our Nederland Terminal, our largest facility on the Gulf Coast. The opportunity to help facilitate wetland restoration in our own backyard that will benefit waterfowl, wildlife, and the people who use this area for recreation is one we feel passionate about.”

Project work will take place on J.D. Murphree WMA, which is owned and managed by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) and part of DU’s Gulf Coast Initiative. “Working in partnership with TPWD, we will replace existing, deteriorated water control structures, refurbish levees, install a new re‐lift pump and remove flotant marsh and sediment,” said Chad Manlove, DU Managing Director of Development. “Thanks in part to the generous $250,000 contribution from Energy Transfer, the work on J.D. Murphree WMA will help enhance wetland habitat on 1,700 acres of coastal marsh.” Once completed, this project will enhance wildlife habitat, improve water quality and support community resilience.

“The J. D. Murphree WMA has been challenged by aging habitat management infrastructure in need of repair or replacement. Over the past 60 years normal wear and tear as well as numerous tropical storms and hurricanes have damaged many of the water control structures and levees to where they are not functioning to meet current management needs,” said John Silovsky, Wildlife Division Director Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. “This generous donation from Energy Transfer will allow TPWD to repair and replace much of this infrastructure, in turn improving our ability to manage habitat for waterfowl and other wildlife resources while providing quality public recreation opportunities well into the future.” Additional Gulf Coast Initiative project partners include TPWD, the North American Wetlands Conservation Act, and TCEQ. Project work is scheduled to begin in 2023.

For more information visit www.energytransfer.com

Subsea7 has announced the award of two contracts by Equinor for the Irpa and Verdande field developments, located in the Norwegian Sea. The combined project awards are defined as sizeable. The two projects will be executed in a consortium between Subsea7 and DeepOcean.

The Irpa field development project, located in the Aasta Hansteen area at 1,350 metres water depth, involves a subsea tieback of approximately 80 kilometres to the Aasta Hansteen FPSO. The contract scope includes engineering, transportation and installation of a MEG pipeline, a production riser, umbilical, subsea structures and tie-ins.

The Verdande field development project, located in the Nordland Ridge area, involves a subsea tieback to the existing Skuld field and Norne FPSO facilities. The contract scope includes engineering, transportation and installation of a 7.5-kilometre pipe-in-pipe production pipeline, umbilical, flexibles, subsea structures and tie-ins.

Project management and engineering will commence immediately at Subsea7’s offices in Stavanger, Norway. Fabrication of the pipelines will take place at Subsea7’s spoolbase at Vigra, Norway and offshore operations are planned to take place in 2024, 2025 and 2026 utilising both Subsea7’s and DeepOcean’s fleet of vessels.

Monica Th. Bjørkmann, Senior Vice President for Subsea7 Norway said: “We are delighted to have been awarded these two contracts by Equinor. The awards continue our long-standing collaborative relationship with Equinor with a focus on safe, efficient and reliable operations.”

For more information visit www.subsea7.com

Energy infrastructure company Kinder Morgan has resumed operations after a leak was detected this week in a California gasoline pipeline that supplies unleaded and diesel fuel to storage facilities in Southern Nevada, CNN reported on Saturday.

The report, citing a statement from a Kinder Morgan spokeswoman, said that the restart activities are complete for Watson Station’s associated SFPP West and CalNev pipelines and they resumed operations.

Earlier in the week, Kinder Morgan Energy Partners had disclosed a gasoline spill at the US pipeline operator’s Watson Station located in Long Beach, California, and said that it shut down all lines pumping in and out of the area.

The company expects the pipelines to resume operations this afternoon and begin delivering fuel to their respective market areas later on Saturday, the report added citing the spokesperson.

Kinder Morgan did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.

“The pipeline leak has been located, and systems are now coming back online,” Nye County, Nevada, tweeted on Saturday.

“Fuel should be flowing within the next few hours,”

Kinder Morgan had earlier reported that there were no injuries or fire reported as a result of the gasoline spill. (Reporting by Sneha Bhowmik in Bengaluru; Editing by Christian Schmollinger)

RINA, the international classification society, has announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding with ABB. The MoU focuses on establishing a collaborative relationship with the aim to develop new concepts to reduce emissions in shipping for various vessel types. The collaboration will include the development of commercially viable solutions, including fuel cell systems with carbon capture, to move the shipping industry forward with decarbonisation. It further focuses on promoting the use of hydrogen, and the introduction of modern approaches to ship propulsion.

Giosuè Vezzuto, Executive Vice President Marine at RINA, says, “We are delighted about the MoU with ABB. It demonstrates the high level of commitment between our companies. There are many challenges to overcome, and collaboration is crucial if we are to succeed in addressing them to protect the environment.”

“We are happy to strengthen our collaboration with RINA to drive decarbonisation in shipping. ABB is known for its long-standing commitment and expertise in developing electric, automated and digital technologies to make the maritime industry more sustainable. Bringing new, commercially viable solutions to the market is a long process that requires close collaboration between class societies and technology providers. I look forward to seeing the benefits these new solutions deliver to the industry and the environment,” says Rune Braastad, Business Line Manager, Marine Systems, ABB Marine & Ports.

As the classification society and third-party certification provider, RINA’s role within the agreement will be to work on providing Approval in Principle of design concepts that match the technologies available from ABB and the applicable rules and regulations, along with project and type approvals. Further areas include Hazard Identification and Operability (HAZID/HAZOP) analyses, review of feasibility studies, cyber security certification, and support with ERP and digital solutions.

As the technology provider, ABB will focus on the development of suitable solutions based on latest technologies, providing information on possible ways to increase fuel efficiency in existing systems, and presenting and discussing solutions with owners, designers, and shipyards.

For more information visit www.rina.org

Plans have been unveiled for an innovative multi-million pound green hydrogen production facility at the Ballymena headquarters of globally renowned sustainable bus manufacturer Wrightbus.

Subject to planning approval, the new facility, which is being delivered by Wrightbus in partnership with Hygen Energy, will initially produce enough clean energy to power 300 hydrogen powered buses a day in Northern Ireland.

Green hydrogen is a completely renewable fuel, meaning it does not create any carbon emissions. It is made by using renewable electricity to separate water into oxygen and hydrogen – a process called electrolysis. The hydrogen is then used onsite or transported to where it is needed.

Since being acquired by Jo Bamford in 2019, Wrightbus has been one of the most successful proponents of the clean hydrogen revolution. This has included the company introducing the world’s first hydrogen powered fleet of double-decker buses in 2020, which by November 2022 achieved the incredible milestone of travelling 1.75 million miles since first entering service.

With huge emphasis being placed by the UK government, and governments across the world, on the role of green hydrogen in the drive for net zero, a central focus for industry is ensuring there is enough hydrogen being produced to fulfil those ambitions.

Jo Bamford, Chairman of Wrightbus, says:

“Wrightbus is delighted to be working with Hygen on this hydrogen production project at our factory in Ballymena.

“One of our key objectives when we purchased Wrightbus in 2019 was to bring the first UK manufactured hydrogen double decker bus to market.

“We have done this, with our Hydroliner buses now moving passengers every day in a number of cities across the UK, including here in Belfast.

“Hydrogen is the best means of decarbonising many bus routes, but for this to happen bus operators need a reliable and voluminous supply of low cost low carbon hydrogen. It is great to see a project that is being sized to enable future demand for hydrogen here in Northern Ireland to be met.

“This project will initially be able to produce enough hydrogen to run up to 300 buses, and has the potential to triple in scale as demand for hydrogen increases. We hope it will set an example for how these projects will be designed and built.”

A community consultation process for the project is now underway, led by Renewable Connections, development partner of Hygen. This is aimed at encouraging people in the vicinity of the site to provide their feedback on the proposed project before any planning application is submitted.

It is intended that a planning application will be submitted to Mid and East Antrim Borough Council in April 2023. It is hoped a planning decision will be issued in winter 2023, meaning the facility will become operational in summer 2024.

The community consultation process for the Ballymena green hydrogen facility will include two ‘drop-in’ public exhibitions at the Wrightbus site at 201 Galgorm Road on Friday 3rd March 2023 (3pm – 7pm) and Saturday 4th March 2023 (10am – 2pm). Members of the public are encouraged to stop by, view the plans, speak with a member of the project team and provide their feedback.

For more information visit www.renewableconnections.co.uk

Neste enables its customers to reduce their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by offering renewable and circular solutions to replace fossil products. In 2022, Neste’s renewable solutions helped customers reduce their GHG emissions globally by 11.1 million tonnes altogether. This amount equals the annual carbon footprint of 1.8 million average EU citizens or the removal of four million passenger cars from the roads for a full year.

“We are on track towards reaching our commitment of helping our customers to reduce their GHG emissions by at least 20 million tonnes of CO2e annually by 2030. Our ongoing strategic projects will expand our renewables production capacity in the coming years, which supports our efforts to increase our carbon handprint,” says Matti Lehmus, President and CEO of Neste.

Neste’s current global production capacity of renewable products is 3.3 million tonnes annually. Neste’s ongoing Singapore refinery expansion project and the joint operation with Marathon Petroleum in Martinez, California will increase the total production capacity of renewable products to 5.5 million tonnes by the end of 2023, and make Neste the only global provider of renewable fuels and renewable feedstock for polymers and chemicals with a production footprint on three continents. When completed, the Rotterdam refinery expansion project will further increase the company’s total production capacity of renewable products to 6.8 million tonnes by the end of 2026. Furthermore, Neste has started a study on transitioning its refinery in Porvoo, Finland into a globally leading renewable and circular solutions site.

“Neste calculates the carbon footprint of its products and solutions over their entire life cycle: from the production of the raw materials to the end use of the final product. Our renewable and circular solutions offer significant GHG emissions savings that help our customers reduce their carbon footprint or the carbon footprint of their products,” Lehmus continues.

Neste is committed to reducing the GHG emissions from its production by 50 percent by 2030 and reaching carbon neutral production by 2035. Neste is also committed to reducing the use phase emission intensity of sold products by 50 percent by 2040 compared to 2020 levels and working with its suppliers and partners to reduce the indirect GHG emissions from its entire value chain.

For more information visit www.neste.com

We are pleased to announce that Qlayers and Confined Space Robotics have signed a cooperation agreement, under which CSR has officially become one of our clients in the North American region to deploy our robot for tank refurbishment projects.

Confined Space Robotics is a Canadian robotic technology provider that offers blasting and coating solutions to eliminate workers’ exposure to the hazards of confined spaces during abrasive blasting and spray-coating operations.

Improving operational safety and efficiency are the top missions of both Qlayers and CSR; hence, this partnership is a big step towards delivering a fully automated turnkey solution for storage tank inspection, blasting, and coating, which leads to saving time and money while minimising safety risks.

For more information visit www.qlayers.com

BlastOne is excited to announce a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Australasian Corrosion Association (ACA) to deliver the AMPP Craftworker Series C6, C7, and C12 certification to the industry.

This MOU signifies a commitment to enhance the skills and knowledge of abrasive blasting professionals by providing comprehensive training and certification. The AMPP C-Series certification is designed to meet the requirements of the industry and provide individuals with the knowledge and skills necessary to safely operate and maintain abrasive blasting equipment.

“We are thrilled to build on our current relationship with the ACA to establish a new level education and training for the coatings industry. We look forward to delivering the AMPP Craftworkers Series (C-Series) industry education and training across Australia in conjunction with the ACA. We believe that by engaging with asset owners, protective coating applicators and industry participants we will be able to increase the certification standard of leading operators in our industry. From our experiences we have witnessed the positive impact of training to deliver a significant improvement in quality, application efficiency and coating performance.” – Matthew Rowland, BlastOne Global CEO

“The Australasian Corrosion Association (ACA) is pleased to be delivering the AMPP C6, C7 and C12 training across Australia and New Zealand in partnership with ACA Member, BlastOne. This suite of training provides a highly recognised, and high quality, certification relating to surface preparation and coating application.

BlastOne provides advice, products and service to the blasting and coating industry, and have long been a supporter of the ACA and its mission. This partnership has now enabled the ACA to expand its training offering to include practical coating applicator training, improving skills across our industry and representing a clear professional development pathway for our members.

On behalf of the ACA and our members, we thank BlastOne for their ongoing support” – Dean Ferguson, ACA Board Chair.

For more information visit www.blastone.com.au

Flowserve Corporation, a leading provider of flow control products and services for the global infrastructure markets, and Velan Inc., a leading manufacturer of highly engineered industrial valves, today announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement under which Flowserve will acquire Velan in an all cash transaction valued at approximately $245 million (C$329 million), including the purchase of all of the issued and outstanding Velan equity for approximately $209 million (C$281 million) and the assumption of approximately $36.3 million (C$48.9 million) in outstanding gross debt as of November 30, 2022. Flowserve will also assume Velan’s $31.4 million (C$42.2 million) of cash and cash equivalents, also as of November 30, 2022. The Transaction is expected to close by the end of the second quarter of 2023.

Founded in Montreal in 1950, Velan is a leading manufacturer of industrial valves with a strong presence in the nuclear, cryogenic and defence markets. Velan is a family-controlled business, with a team of 1,650 people and manufacturing facilities in nine countries. Through its fiscal third quarter ended November 30, 2022, Velan reported trailing twelve-month revenues of approximately $380 million with reported EBITDA of approximately $21 million. Upon completion of the Transaction, Velan will become part of Flowserve’s Flow Control Division (FCD) segment.

Velan adds significant value within Flowserve’s existing valves portfolio and further builds upon Flowserve’s existing assets through the addition of Velan’s premier brands, strong heritage and technical expertise in attractive and diverse end markets. The additional scale, footprint consolidation and procurement opportunities provided by the combination is expected to result in substantial synergies. Further, the Transaction is expected to increase Flowserve’s aftermarket potential, based on the large installed base of Velan products and the expansive network of Flowserve’s Quick Response Centres (QRCs.)

In addition to revenue synergies created through a global aftermarket footprint, Flowserve expects to realise approximately $20 million (C$26 million) of run-rate cost synergies within two years after close. The Transaction is expected to be accretive to Flowserve’s adjusted EPS in the first full year following close. Including anticipated synergies, the economics imply an EBITDA multiple of less than 7x.

“We are excited about the opportunity to add Velan and its talented team to the Flowserve family,” said Scott Rowe, Flowserve’s President and Chief Executive Officer. “With its strong positioning in the nuclear, cryogenic, industrial and defence markets and highly complementary product portfolio, the addition of Velan furthers our Diversification, Decarbonisation and Digitisation (3D) strategy. The Transaction also meets our disciplined financial criteria, bringing meaningful aftermarket revenue and synergy opportunities.”

Velan’s Chairman of the Board and of its Special Committee, James Mannebach, commented, “This agreement is the culmination of an extensive and robust review of strategic options to maximise shareholder value and reflects the incredible efforts of our team members to serve customers with a focus on innovation and excellence. The Transaction provides Velan shareholders an opportunity to realise an immediate and attractive premium for their shares and is recommended by the Board of Directors and Special Committee of Velan. We see a very bright future for Velan as part of Flowserve’s leading global flow control business, and we look forward to working closely with their team to quickly integrate and realise the significant benefits of this complementary combination.”

Velan Holding Co. Ltd. (“Velan Holding”), Velan’s controlling shareholder, the sole holder of multiple voting shares, representing approximately 72 percent of the total shares outstanding of Velan and 92 percent of the aggregate voting rights attached to all Velan shares, respectively; together with Kernwood, an affiliate of Ed Kernaghan, a director of Velan, holding 1,405,500 subordinate voting shares, have entered into support and voting agreements pursuant to which they have agreed to vote all of their shares in favour of the Transaction at the Special Meeting.

Following closing of the Transaction, Flowserve expects to maintain a significant presence in Québec, including Velan’s Montreal, Québec head office and the combined company will continue to maintain a significant global presence.

For more information visit www.flowserve.com/en/

Gasum’s next new biogas plant in Götene, Sweden, received final construction permits at the end of January. For Gasum the Götene plant marks the beginning of a string of investments into new biogas production in accordance with the company’s new strategy.

After a careful and thorough planning and permit process, Gasum is starting the construction work on its latest biogas plant project in the Swedish community of Götene. The plant will be producing 120 gigawatt hours (GWh) worth of liquefied biogas or LBG per year from early 2025 onwards.

Biogas is a fully renewable and climate friendly fuel, as it is produced using different types of organic waste. The Götene plant will utilise mainly manure as feedstock from the agriculture sector in the surrounding area. The plant will process approximately 400 000 tonnes of feedstock yearly.

Manure is a feedstock that has the ability to turn biogas from a low-carbon to a carbon-negative fuel. It both lowers the greenhouse gas emissions when used, for example, in cars and trucks but also mitigates emissions generated by traditional treatment of manure, where it is simply spread out onto fields.

Recycled fertilisers to farms

In addition to energy, the plant will produce 350 000 tonnes of high quality environmentally friendly fertilisers, which are returned to the farmers providing the feedstock. Compared to fossil fertilisers, recycled fertilisers contain organic matter which is important in maintaining the growing conditions and weather resistance of farmlands.

Gasum is investing nearly 54 million euros in the Götene plant, of which 15 million has been provided as a grant from the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency’s Klimatklivet investment programme.

“We are extremely happy to be proceeding with this project in Götene, because in the last couple of years we have seen interest in biogas intensify in the Nordic countries as well as across the whole of Europe. The Götene biogas plant will be the first step in Gasum’s ambitious plan for increasing the availability of renewable energy to our customers whether they are in the traffic, industry or maritime segment”, says Erik Woode, Head of Project Development & Execution at Gasum.

First of five large plants in Sweden

The Götene plant is the first one in a series of five large scale biogas plants that Gasum plans to construct in Sweden during the next few years. The other locations will be Borlänge, Kalmar, Sjöbo, and Hörby.

Gasum is also planning a biogas plant near Trondheim in Norway. These upcoming projects are part of Gasum’s renewed strategy to invest strongly in increasing Nordic biogas availability in the coming years.

Gasum’s strategic goal is that by 2027 a significant portion of its profits will come from green energy sources. This means increasing the role of biogas and trade in renewable electricity.

Natural gas, and its liquefied form LNG, continues to be an important stepping stone and a pathway to biogas and possibly synthetic methane use in the future. This is because the existing infrastructure built for LNG is directly usable for the transfer of LBG and synthetic methane.

For more information visit www.gasum.com

Honeywell has announced that New Fortress Energy Inc. will use a series of technologies from Honeywell UOP to remove various contaminants from natural gas prior to liquefaction at its Fast LNG (liquefied natural gas) projects.

Each project is a nominal 1.4 million tonnes per annum LNG gas treating and liquefaction plant. Honeywell UOP will provide engineering services and process technology which will pretreat feed gas at the facilities.

“Honeywell’s ready-now technology allows for the critical removal of impurities from natural gas streams through the use of the most reliable, efficient and cost-effective technology which translates directly to greater throughput and reduced utility consumption,” said Bryan Glover, President, Honeywell UOP.

Honeywell UOP is the global leader in gas processing technologies. Its solutions for contaminant removal and hydrocarbon management are used in the production of about 40 percent of the world’s liquefied natural gas. These technologies are optimised for onshore and offshore natural gas conditioning, treating, natural gas liquids recovery, LNG pretreatment and synthesis gas purification from single unit to highly integrated, multiple technology operations.

Honeywell recently committed to achieve carbon neutrality in its operations and facilities by 2035. This commitment builds on the company’s track record of sharply reducing the greenhouse gas intensity of its operations and facilities as well as its decades-long history of innovation to help its customers meet their environmental and social goals. About 60 percent of Honeywell’s new product introduction research and development investment is directed toward products that improve environmental and social outcomes for customers.

For more information visit www.pmt.honeywell.com/us/en

This January, Tradebe Port de Barcelona was awarded the Gold Medal by the EcoVadis organisation, whose objective is to contribute to the improvement of companies’ social, environmental and governance practice. The qualification was obtained with a score of 70 points, placing it in the top 5 percent of the companies evaluated.

The EcoVadis Rating provides a company sustainability rating service offered through a global software platform. Its rating covers a wide range of non-financial management systems including environmental impact, labour practices and human rights, ethics and sustainable procurement, with each company assessed on the material respects relevant to its size, location and the sector in which it operates.

To encourage supply chain sustainability, large multinational corporations partner with EcoVadis, tapping into supplier leverage, to move their business partners and suppliers beyond mere compliance.

Assessed companies can see how their score compares to others in their sector. Combining the results of the performance report with the areas for improvement triggers a “race to the top”, in which entire sectors compete for overall best practice.

Scoring is distributed as follows:

• Overall score: 70/100
• Environment: 80/100
• Labour practices and human rights: 70/100
• Ethics: 70/100
• Sustainable procurement: 30/100

The recent assessment marks a starting point for continuous improvement in sustainability.

For more information visit www.tradebe.com

Casa dos Ventos, a renewable energy company, and Comerc Eficiência, an energy efficiency company of the Comerc Energia Group, signed a partnership with the TransHydrogen Alliance (THA), whose objective is to create new supply chains for the energy transition of European countries. The purpose of the agreement is to enable the export of green ammonia produced in the Industrial and Port Complex of Pecém (CIPP), in Ceará. The plant is to be built on a 60-hectare site with a capacity of up to 2.4 GW of electrolysis, producing 960 tons of hydrogen per day, and with all phases implemented, will enable the production of 2.2 million tons of ammonia per year. Today the parties signed a Memorandum of Understanding to jointly develop a viable partnership targeting production of the first phase for export to Europe through the Port of Rotterdam, in the Netherlands in the year 2026.

Expand low carbon energy solutions abroad

“We want to use the abundant renewable resources in Ceará and neighbouring states to expand our low carbon energy solutions abroad”, says Lucas Araripe, CEO at Casa dos Ventos. The company and Comerc have already signed a pre-contract with the CIPP. “We are joining forces with a group of companies that will be able to contribute to the technological development of the project and with a portfolio of international clients”, explains Araripe.

Green hydrogen and ammonia

“The essence of Comerc is the energy transition, combining economy, excellence, and sustainability in all its solutions. And together with Casa dos Ventos and THA, through green hydrogen and ammonia, we take an important step towards decarbonisation, both nationally and globally” says Marcel Haratz, President of Comerc Eficiência. “Green hydrogen is the fuel of the future, but it is already a reality and a global trend. So, we will be at the forefront with a project of this size and partnered with European companies it puts Brazil in a leading position to become an important player in the sector”, concludes Marcel.

Pecém the most promising place

“With the vision that Brazil can be a global power in the production and export of green hydrogen through leveraging one of the cleanest energy matrices in the world, the THA chose Pecém as one of the most promising places to produce and supply green hydrogen to Europe. By combining forces with Casa dos Ventos and Comerc, we provide industry-leading skills and capabilities across the entire value chain, from renewable energy supply, hydrogen and ammonia production technology, storage and logistics, maritime transport, and delivery to customers in the port of Rotterdam ” notes Paul Baan, CEO of THA.

Production market in Brazil

Brazil occupies a prominent place in the green hydrogen and ammonia market. It is one of the few countries in the world where the characteristics of the energy matrix allow the production of competitive and large-scale renewable energy, as well as its derivatives. Surveys indicate that the green hydrogen production market in Brazil could be between US$ 15 billion and US$ 20 billion annually by 2040.

For more information visit www.protonventures.com

Air Liquide and TotalEnergies announce their decision to create an equally owned joint venture to develop a network of hydrogen stations, geared towards heavy duty vehicles on major European road corridors. This initiative will help facilitate access to hydrogen, enabling the development of its use for goods transportation and further strengthening the hydrogen sector.

The partners aim to deploy more than 100 hydrogen stations on major European roads – in France, Benelux and Germany – in the coming years. These stations, under the TotalEnergies brand, will be located on major strategic corridors.

This agreement will lead to the creation of a major player in hydrogen refueling solutions and contribute to the decarbonisation of road transportation in Europe. The two companies will combine their know-how and expertise in infrastructure, hydrogen distribution and mobility:

• Air Liquide will contribute with its expertise in technologies and its mastery of the entire hydrogen value chain;
• TotalEnergies will bring its expertise in the operation and management of stations networks and the distribution of energies to B2B customers.

The joint venture, which will be jointly managed by Air Liquide and TotalEnergies, will invest, build and operate these stations, as well as procure hydrogen from the market and dispense it to its transport customers.

Matthieu Giard, Vice President and Executive Committee Member of the Air Liquide Group, supervising the Hydrogen activities, underlines:

“Hydrogen offers clear benefits for heavy duty mobility. To promote its widespread use, it is imperative to accelerate the development of refuelling infrastructures and to offer vehicle manufacturers and transport operators a sufficiently dense network of stations. It is precisely the ambition of this joint venture, which will benefit from the complementary expertise of Air Liquide and TotalEnergies. As a leader for over 60 years and with unique know-how and technologies, Air Liquide is a major player to accelerate and scale up the development of hydrogen, a key element for the emergence of a low-carbon society.”

Thierry Pflimlin, President Marketing & Services de TotalEnergies, says:

“Following the recent signature of a partnership for the production of renewable and low-carbon hydrogen on our Grandpuits Zero Crude Platform, we are pleased to once again join forces with Air Liquide and continue our common efforts to decarbonise mobility. As pioneers in hydrogen mobility, we are convinced of the necessity to start building now a heavy-duty network that will benefit our customers. This new partnership with Air Liquide will enable us to continue our development across the entire hydrogen value chain.”

The two partners plan to establish their joint venture in 2023, subject to the finalisation of the appropriate contractual documentation and to the receipt of the necessary regulatory approvals.

For more information visit www.airliquide.com

WSG Industrial Services BV (WSG) has extended its reach into the European gas and petrochemicals sector with the 100 percent acquisition of French company Nitrovia for an undisclosed sum.

Nitrovia, based near Aix-en-Provence, provides a full range of services to the petrochemical, refineries and pipeline industries and has experienced strong growth since its inception by the Air Flow Group in October 2020.

WSG is the largest independent provider of process, pipeline and industrial services to the UK and European refinery and LNG terminal sectors and the 1000-strong business also provides commissioning, valve services, specialist NDT, inspection, and well intervention services.

Nitrovia’s core management team, David Delquignie and Marc Montagut, will continue to grow the business across continental Europe under the WSG brand. Widely respected in the French industrial services sector, Mr Delquignie and Mr Montagut have a combined 40 years’ experience in engineering, sales, maintenance and project design.

WSG European Regional Director, Steve Jones, said: “It has been our vision to expand our operations into France and by aligning with Nitrovia, who have an excellent long-standing reputation in the petrochemicals and refineries space, we can build on their strong foundation by consolidating existing relationships and pursuing new opportunities.

“This strategic acquisition adds value to our proposition and propels us forward on the road to achieving our stated objective of expanding the WSG brand across key European markets.”

Nitrovia have particular expertise in providing inert services and also provide leak testing, nitrogen purging and drying, hot stripping, pre-commissioning and decommissioning, pipeline displacement and pigging services.

Harry Schepers, General Manager for WSG Industrial Services BV, added: “Nitrovia have a business model very similar to existing WSG operations in the Netherlands and the UK and we can mutually benefit from synergies and knowledge sharing.

“The industrial services sector in France is massive and this acquisition is an exciting opportunity to stake our claim in that market and to eventually expand in to the neighbouring Benelux countries where presently we don’t have representation.”

David Delquignie said: “With WSG’s proven technologies and investment capabilities, we can fast forward the growth trajectory of Nitrovia, which will create job opportunities and elevate the company to a new level.”

For more information visit www.wellservices-group.com

Jadestone Energy plc, an independent oil and gas production company focused on the Asia-Pacific region, provides the following update on the Montara Project offshore Australia.

On 18 January 2023, the Company disclosed that DNV’s independent review of Jadestone’s remediation plans and operational readiness for the Montara Venture FPSO had been completed and submitted to NOPSEMA, as required by the General Direction issued to the Company in September 2022. NOPSEMA’s review has now been concluded and the General Direction closed.

Both hull and tank repair activity and the scheduled 4-yearly planned topsides maintenance activities on the Montara Venture FPSO are progressing well, with operational readiness and production restart still targeted to occur later in February 2023.

Paul Blakeley, President and CEO commented:“The closing of the General Direction is a very important step towards restarting production at Montara. As previously reported, we have elected to carry out most of this year’s planned annual shutdown work in parallel with the tank work to maximise efficiency during this period. The combined work scope is making good progress and when completed, we will declare operational readiness and deliver a safe restart of production, which is still targeted before the end of this month.

I would like to use this opportunity to recognise the onshore and offshore teams working tirelessly on Montara, across the Christmas and summer holidays to get Montara operationally ready again. Jadestone is looking to ensure Montara delivers safe and reliable operations going forward as well as capture the significant value we believe this asset holds.”

For more information visit www.jadestone-energy.com

CIRCOR International, Inc., a leading manufacturer and marketer of differentiated technology products and sub-systems, announces that it will showcase its Hale Hamilton brand valves for the hydrogen economy at the 2023 Hydrogen & Fuel Cell Seminar February 7-9 in Long Beach, California. Visit booth #215 to learn about Hale Hamilton’s innovative valve solutions and their applications in hydrogen tube trailer technology, conversion, storage, and transportation.

CIRCOR’s valves for the hydrogen economy are offered under the trusted Hale Hamilton brand. Valves used in the hydrogen to power conversion process include pressure regulators, over-pressure protection valves, back pressure maintaining valves, and isolation valves. These valves operate in a variety of conversion processes including in tube trailers, fuel cell, gas turbine, and gas engine applications. Control accessories and panel & skid solutions from CIRCOR aid in the transportation and storage of hydrogen by respectively providing gas control, isolation, and filtration and maintaining stable pressure.

CIRCOR’s high pressure primary isolation valves and pressure control technologies have been used to enable the supply of hydrogen to hydrogen fuelling stations. When a supplier of Hydrogen Trailers required valves qualified in accordance with the latest European Transportable Pressure Equipment Directive, a requirement for all valves used to isolate transportable hydrogen storage modules, CIRCOR’s engineers provided a solution in the ASV Series Pneumatically Actuated Stop Valve. This valve is based on CIRCOR’s highly reliable balanced valve concept but includes sealing technologies capable of performing across the range of pressures temperatures and leak rates required, setting a new standard for high pressure balanced valve design. In addition, CIRCOR has specialty engineering capabilities for automated cascade manifold systems for hydrogen tube trailers.

Standard and custom engineered fluid- and gas-handling solutions from CIRCOR support a wide range of mission critical applications and are essential for the reliable and safe operation of all types of industrial hydrogen systems.

For more information visit www.circor.com

Linde Engineering has signed an agreement with BASF for the engineering, procurement and construction of a synthesis gas plant in Zhanjiang, China.

“Linde Engineering’s one-stop solution for BASF combines state-of-the-art technology with a comprehensive EPC execution package. Our long-standing relationship and understanding of our customers’ needs has enabled us to develop a tailor-made package of technology and services which will support their growth in China,” said John van der Velden, Senior Vice President Global Sales & Technology at Linde Engineering.

Linde Engineering will implement the newly awarded contract in a consortium together with its Chinese partner East China Engineering Science and Technology Co., Ltd (ECEC). The two companies have previously worked together in the design and construction of several Rectisol® Acid Gas Removal units in China. For the new BASF project Linde will be acting as consortium leader, including the provision of basic engineering and key equipment. ECEC will be responsible for the detailed design and the construction.

Linde Engineering brings more than 30 years of experience in the partial oxidation (POX) of hydrocarbon feedstocks to serve its customers. It has installed over 300 hydrogen and syngas plants with various process units including steam methane reformers, amin wash units and pressure swing adsorption plants.

For more information visit www.linde-engineering.com

Cognite, a global leader in industrial software, has announced data product-based, advanced data modelling capabilities coming to its Industrial DataOps platform, Cognite Data Fusion®. Data modelling is critical to build and maintain a standards-based Open Industrial Digital Twin. Managing data models as data products accelerates deployments and drives down the costs and complexity of industrial digital solution scaling through standardization and governance.

Cognite Data Fusion® enables multiple data users to leverage common data in their unique tools and workflows, all from a single, trusted source. It allows them to build data products and populate data models that reduce the complexity of developing and scaling a wide variety of Asset Performance Management (APM) solutions across the enterprise. Cognite Data Fusion® makes it easy for industrial companies to establish sound DataOps practices where the experts who know the data – data engineers and architects – collaborate with the experts who know the business context of the data – the subject matter experts and data scientists.

Previously, application developers and data scientists needed to query, filter, and stage data explicitly for their needs. With advanced data modelling practices, the data consumers who use these solutions can find and interpret data more easily than ever before. Thanks to the more robust search, filter, sorting, and aggregation capabilities, asset-heavy organizations can build, deploy, and scale industrial digital solutions 10-25x faster, resulting in 400% ROI, as identified by the Forrester Total Economic Impact™ study.

“With the latest updates to Cognite Data Fusion®, we continue to make it easier to synchronize IT and OT systems and provide simple access to complex industrial data,” said Moe Tanabian, Chief Product Officer at Cognite. “Cognite Data Fusion® makes it simple to connect to and operate data flows for a number of industry solutions. In this release, you’ll see a specific focus on features that help optimize production, reliability, maintenance, and environmental KPIs.”

Book a 30-minute Cognite Value Review for a complimentary consultation to uncover the economic impact your organisation can expect from Cognite Data Fusion®: www.cognite.com/en/value-review

For more information visit www.cognite.com

CITGO Petroleum Corporation today named Chris Kiesling as the company’s new Assistant Vice President Light Oils Operations and Marketing, where he will oversee all activities related to Terminals and Pipelines, Brand Development, Light Oils Sales, Light Oils Pricing and Business Analysis.

“Chris Kiesling brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to his new role,” said CITGO Vice President Supply and Marketing Karl Schmidt. “He understands our extensive supply network and the needs of our marketers, who rely on the strength of the CITGO brand to build their business. Chris will be laser-focused on exceeding customer expectations and growing our share of the light oils market.”

Kiesling has 21 years’ experience at CITGO, beginning his career in Credit Card and Light Oils Customer Service before advancing to roles such as Senior Hydrocarbon Scheduler, Region Supply Manager, Manager Business Services, Manager of Product Supply and Exchanges, and General Manager Light Oils Marketing. Kiesling holds a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from the University of Arkansas.

Greg Caponegro, who previously served as Manager Wholesale Region Sales-Northeast, has been named General Manager Light Oils marketing replacing Kiesling. Caponegro brings more than 30 years of industry experience to his new role, 11 of which he served at CITGO. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Marketing and Organizational Behavior from La Salle University.

Bill Fagan has been named Manager Wholesale Region Sales-Northeast, replacing Greg Caponegro. Fagan brings 20 years of industry experience to the role. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Justice from Salve Regina University and an MBA from the University of Notre Dame.

CITGO also named Jack McCrossin as General Manager Terminal Facilities and Pipeline. McCrossin brings more than 39 years of health, safety and environmental experience to his role. Most recently, McCrossin served as the Manager Safety, Health, Environment and Security within Terminals and Pipelines before assuming the General Manager role on an interim basis. McCrossin holds a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science from Slippery Rock University.

For more information visit www.citgo.com

OKEA has selected Aker Solutions as the main contractor for engineering, procurement, construction, and installation (EPCI). The project will involve major modifications of the existing platform to enable power from shore. As a result of this, the emissions from Draugen are estimated to be reduced by as much as 200,000 tons of CO2 per year.

“Replacing the current power generation from gas turbines at the offshore platform and instead electrifying these from shore will enable production of oil and gas from Draugen with significant reductions in CO2 emissions. Lifetime-extension of these platforms are of crucial importance for the increasing need for energy and energy security in Europe,” said Paal Eikeseth, Executive Vice President and head of Aker Solutions’ Electrification, Maintenance and Modifications (EMM) business.

Lifetime-extension of this important field can result in 20 years of production and value creation.

“Being awarded this important electrification contract is a true testament of our strong track-record and leading solutions for decarbonising oil and gas production. Reduction of climate footprint is very high on the agenda for our customers and the strong competence across our organisation is a true enabler of our customer’s success in this area,” said Eikeseth.

The project has started up and are scheduled to be completed in 2026. The project is managed from Aker Solutions’ offices in Trondheim in Mid Norway. Several Aker Solutions offices will be engaged in the engineering phase, and the construction will be executed at the company’s yard in Egersund.

“Aker Solutions in Mid Norway has unique competence in technical disciplines and project execution that will be utilised for the electrification of these assets,” added Eikeseth.

Aker Solutions will recognise an order intake of around NOK 2.5 billion in the first quarter of 2023 in the EMM segment.

Aker Solutions defines a substantial contract as between NOK 2.5 billion and NOK 4.0 billion.

For more information visit www.akersolutions.com

Square Robot, the world leader in robotic tank inspection, is pleased to announce that Karishma Prasad has joined the company as Director of Technical Operations. Karishma brings a wealth of technical and practical field operational experience that will further enhance the capability of the Senior Team.

Karishma has over ten years experience in the upstream oil and gas services industry. She started her career as a field engineer for Halliburton before moving to Schlumberger (SLB). Following four years of hands-on field work, delivering frac services in the Rockies, she stepped up to manage the Williston district’s eight frac fleets and service personnel.

Karishma then progressed through various development positions in supply chain, workforce management, and new technology development for the remainder of her five years at SLB.

Square Robot, founded in 2016, is an innovator in the world of robotic tank inspections, providing leading edge in-service inspections across the globe. Through its development of robotic technology, data acquisition, and processing, Square Robot is uniquely positioned to provide data driven solutions in an ever growing range of products and industry segments.

For more information visit www.squarerobots.com

Today, the UK Government has announced the creation of a new Department for Energy Security and Net Zero and a combined Department for Business and Trade.

Commenting on the announcement, Peter Davidson, Executive Director of the Tank Storage Association, said: “The tank storage industry is an essential part of the UK’s energy infrastructure, providing resilient, innovative and flexible solutions to the energy, industrial, transport and defence sectors. The industry has a key role to play in the energy transition and in creating the necessary infrastructure flexibility to manage change in support of the UK’s net-zero goals. Terminals are also an essential part of global infrastructure networks, ensuring that bulk liquids, from transport and heating fuels, chemicals, animal feed and foodstuffs, are supplied when they are needed in the quantities required. We look forward to working in partnership with the new Department for Energy Security and Net Zero and the Department for Business and Trade as we look to the future and opportunities ahead for our sector.”

For more information visit www.tankstorage.org.uk

Aidan Doherty has been appointed Managing Director of Re-Gen Robotics to lead the development of the company which uses no-man entry, explosion proof robots to clean a huge variety of storage tanks in the oil and gas industry.

Aidan is a founding member of the Re-Gen Group which employs over 300 people and has a group turnover of £58 million and previously held the post of Commercial Director of Re-Gen Waste and latterly Re-Gen Robotics. He will be the driving force in developing Re-Gen Robotics as it enters the European and US markets.

Speaking of his new appointment Aidan said: “I’m delighted to take up the role at Re-Gen Robotics at an exciting time when we have been recognised as revolutionising safety in industrial oil tank cleaning.

“We’ll be focusing on our excellent customer service and problem-solving expertise, offering realistic and cost-effective alternatives to our customers in order to reduce accidents and fatalities in confined spaces.”

Re-Gen Robotics has been working with some of the world’s oil majors including Phillips 66, Shell, Valero and Vermillion and Aidan believes that the sector is now seeing the many benefits of using robotic equipment to complete industrial tank cleaning.

Mr Doherty said; “I believe that the greatest ethical investment a company can make is to the health and safety of its employees. Our system significantly reduces the man hours involved in cleaning tanks, and accompanying reductions in accidents and health and safety incidents.”

Since 2019, Re-Gen Robotics has contributed to eliminating tens of thousands of hours of confined space cleaning and is seen by the oil majors as the safest tank cleaning option.

He added: “Our R&D department has been working hard on improving all aspects of our equipment especially in terms of reliability and productivity and I can see many opportunities in developing our talented team over the next five to 10 years as we take our service to global markets.

“I would also like to thank former Managing Director Fintan Duffy who led the company from 2019 to 2022. Fintan steered the company’s international recognition in health and safety, innovation, and was responsible for gaining globally acknowledged safety technology awards for the company.”

For more information visit www.regenrobotics.com

VFlowTech, the Singapore-based provider of vanadium-based redox flow batteries, has raised US$10 million in a Series A funding round. Led by Japan-based venture capital (VC) firm Real Tech Holdings, the oversubscribed round was participated in by returning investors ranging from corporate investors including SEEDS Capital, Wavemaker Partners and Sing Fuels to personal investors like Michael Gryseels (Chairman of VFlowTech), as well as new international VC and strategic investors including İnci Holding (Türkiye), Pappas Capital (US) and Carbon Zero Venture Capital (Singapore).

VFlowTech will use the funds to set-up a 200MWh production line capacity and scale up the manufacturing of its 250 kWh modular vanadium-based long duration energy storage solutions. It will also use the funds to expand its market presence to Türkiye, the US, Japan and India with new partners. The company also plans to intensify research and development efforts to further improve its best-in-class technology, as well as increase system capacity and explore new markets with emerging demand for sustainable energy storage solutions.

To date, VFlowTech has commercially deployed 30 kWh and 100 kWh units for residential applications and has completed the production of its MWh system for large-scale microgrid applications. VFlowTech has a team of 60 people and is looking to use the funds to strengthen the management team in the next year.

“Advancements in renewable energy storage solutions will drive the acceleration of cleantech and help other industries come one step closer to meeting their sustainability goals. We are already seeing increased demand for our batteries in creating infrastructure for electric vehicle (EV) charging, peak shifting of renewables, grid services, gated communities, telecom towers, and for round-the-clock renewable energy integration. We are excited to bring our offerings into new and emerging markets where there is ample opportunity to help kickstart the energy transition,” said Dr Avishek Kumar, Co-founder and CEO of VFlowTech.

Conventional energy storage technologies such as lithium-ion and lead acid batteries have limited functionality, are not environmentally-friendly and experience performance degradation over time. Meanwhile, standard vanadium redox flow batteries are costly, experience high parasitic losses, have poor round trip efficiency and are difficult to operate in tropical conditions. With its unique IPs and combined decades’ worth of experience in renewable energy, VFlowTech aims to overcome these longstanding vulnerabilities through its modular vanadium redox flow-based energy storage solutions.

“We are excited to support VFlowTech in its mission to produce renewable energy storage solutions that are not only advanced and efficient, but also sustainable and accessible. This is a nascent but highly important industry that will lay the foundation for a greener future. We believe that VFlowTech has the potential to become a changemaker in this space, particularly with their expertise and unique IP,” said Louis Christian Murayama, Director, Real Tech Holdings Singapore.

VFlowTech’s vanadium redox flow batteries – called PowerCubes – feature a unique power stack design that enables a more compact design, a round-trip efficiency higher than the industry standard, reduced parasitic losses and effective operation in temperatures of over 55°C. This makes them one of the most economical and versatile renewable energy storage solutions in the market. Different PowerCubes can be deployed anywhere from residential settings to solar and wind farms.

Additionally, VFlowTech’s own smart energy management system enables the seamless management of dynamic energy supply and load demand, as well as efficiently stabilising the energy grid infrastructure. The intelligent solution features optimal charging profiles, smart pump and stack management as well as smart charging and discharging – making it future-ready to manage modern energy needs such as EV charging and hourly electricity tariffs.

“Grid-level energy storage is critical in the transition to sustainable energy and is among our chief focus areas. VFlowTech is accelerating the transition to renewable energy while offering a solution to the current bottleneck in efficiency with its technology. We are happy to invest in this innovation, which offers a long-lasting, efficient and safe solution to the rapidly increasing energy storage need. With the signing of our binding framework agreement , we will also have the opportunity to popularize this technology in the Turkish market. İnci Holding will continue to keep our finger on this pulse with our strategic investments, our clear and focused goals and our unending drive,” said Zeki Şafak Ozan, CEO and Board Member, İnci Holding.

For more information visit www.vflowtech.com

Elogen, a GTT group company, announces the signature of a contract with CrossWind, a joint venture between Shell and Eneco for the development of the Hollandse Kust Noord (HKN) offshore wind project, to design and manufacture a Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) electrolyser with a power of 2.5 MW.

The project will start with an initial engineering phase, followed by fabrication and topside integration. Elogen’s PEM electrolyser will be installed offshore in 2025, off the coast of the Netherlands, and will convert electricity produced on-site into green hydrogen, giving the project more flexibility to adapt to variations in power output.

The HKN offshore wind project puts a strong emphasis on innovation, with the objective of being able to store energy during periods of high electricity generation from renewable sources and release it during periods of low generation. Among the five key innovations identified by CrossWind to meet the challenge of the intermittency inherent to renewable energy, a hydrogen production unit will be installed on site to produce and store hydrogen and convert it back to electricity when required.

CrossWind is looking at opportunities to efficiently integrate these innovations within the wind farm. They have commissioned further research to explore opportunities for a more optimized, balanced, stable and efficient grid use. CrossWind’s aim – together with partners, including Elogen – is to help the world build intelligent wind farms that can match supply with demand for renewable electricity and to further power the transition into a lower-carbon future.

Jean-Baptiste Choimet, Managing Director of Elogen, declares: “We are thrilled that the PEM technology developed by Elogen has been chosen by CrossWind to contribute to this highly innovative offshore wind farm project. This new contract highlights the main advantages offered by this efficient technology to produce hydrogen from renewable energies, particularly in the context of an offshore project: it easily adapts to the intermittency inherent in renewable energies and makes it possible to manage power fluctuations, while requiring limited space.”

Philippe Berterottière, Chairman and CEO of the GTT Group, comments: “This contract with CrossWind constitutes a major technological breakthrough since it will be the first time that an electrolyser of such power will be installed offshore as part of a very innovative offshore wind project. We are proud that CrossWind recognizes and values the offshore and maritime expertise of the GTT group, which, combined with the technological know-how of Elogen, will enable us to achieve this major new technological milestone.”

Tjalling de Bruin, CEO of CrossWind, states: “We are looking forward to this partnership with Elogen to innovate offshore wind at Hollandse Kust Noord in the North Sea. With the contract in place, and the electrolyser instated with the latest technologies, we will be able to demonstrate and accelerate the energy transition by 2025.”

For more information visit www.elogenh2.com/en/

Dutch tank storage company Vopak is acquiring the shares of Gunvor Petroleum Antwerp from commodity trader Gunvor Group Ltd, giving it access to the Gunvor concession in the Antwerp port area. Vopak is committed to sustainably redeveloping the site. For example, together with the Port of Antwerp-Bruges, the company will focus on joint development and implementation to support renewable energy. This is another important step towards a climate-neutral economy.

The site is some 105 hectares in size and offers deep-sea, river, road and rail access, as well as pipeline connections to Northwest Europe. The adjacent and future pipelines are suitable for transporting i.a. propylene, ethylene, CO2 and hydrogen.

New green energy hub

Vopak will reconfigure the concession with the primary aim of making a positive contribution to the decarbonisation of the industrial cluster on the Antwerp port platform. Where necessary, soil remediation will take place in close consultation with internal and external experts and authorities. Furthermore, the Port of Antwerp-Bruges and Vopak will continue their discussions to structure their common strategic ambition, which is to jointly develop a new green energy hub.

Jacques Vandermeiren, CEO Port of Antwerp-Bruges: “As Port of Antwerp-Bruges, we’re very pleased that Vopak has found expansion opportunities on the Gunvor site. This Dutch global player has been an established value on the Antwerp port platform for many years and will continue to focus on green ammonia, sustainable fuels and finer chemical products at the new site. Not only does this allow Vopak to continue to grow within our port in line with the strategy of the Port of Antwerp-Bruges, but we’re also demonstrating how, as a port, we’re shaping the energy transition together with businesses.”

Patrick van der Voort, President Europe & Africa, Royal Vopak: “We’re very pleased to have access to this prime location in Europe’s leading petrochemical cluster. It offers us a unique opportunity to implement our strategy, forge new partnerships and support the industry in its decarbonisation by developing critical infrastructure. The site’s extensive size, strategic location and connectivity to Northwest Europe offer unparalleled opportunities.”

Shahb Richyal, Global Head of Portfolio, Gunvor: “Since rescuing GPA from insolvency in 2012, Gunvor has been committed to operating the refinery and terminal as a responsible tenant and employer in the Port of Antwerp. Over many years of operations, Gunvor invested considerably in the asset, and even through the mothballing process and subsequent cessation of all activities sought to ensure that all stakeholders and employees were treated fairly, and that the environment remained respected. By reaching an agreement with Vopak for the acquisition of the shares of GPA, Gunvor is ensuring the site will have a new future under responsible leadership”.

Annick De Ridder, Vice-Mayor of the City of Antwerp and President of the board of directors of Port of Antwerp-Bruges: “The collaboration with Vopak fits perfectly with Port of Antwerp-Bruges’ ambition to become the energy gateway to Europe as a green port. That this global player that has been anchored in our port for years can now sustainably expand within Europe’s largest petrochemical cluster is excellent news. In this way, the Dutch company Vopak makes Flanders’ economic engine continue to turn swiftly”.

For more information visit www.vopak.com

OCI N.V. and Linde plc, a leading global industrial gases and engineering company, has announced a partnership where Linde will supply clean hydrogen and nitrogen to OCI’s new blue ammonia facility under development in Beaumont, Texas under a long-term agreement.

Linde will build, own and operate an on-site complex which will include autothermal reforming with carbon capture, plus a large air separation plant. The new complex will be integrated into Linde’s extensive Gulf Coast industrial gas infrastructure. It will supply clean hydrogen and nitrogen to OCI’s 1.1 million ton per annum blue ammonia plant, the first greenfield blue ammonia facility of this scale to come onstream in the United States.

Linde will supply OCI with clean hydrogen, by sequestering more than 1.7 million metric tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions each year. OCI will upgrade the hydrogen to produce blue ammonia, which allows OCI to materially reduce the carbon footprint of its downstream customers along the value chain across a wide range of industries.

Linde’s total investment will be approximately $1.8 billion, and OCI’s total investment cost is expected to be below $1 billion, including spending on upsized utilities and available land to allow for doubling to 2.2 mtpa capacity in the future. The project is expected to start up in 2025.

“The Beaumont facility will allow us to build and strengthen our world-leading blue ammonia and clean fuels platform, supplying both the US and export market with blue ammonia, an ideal solution to decarbonise hard-to-abate sectors such as agriculture, power and marine fuels at a competitive cost,” said Ahmed El-Hoshy, Chief Executive Officer of OCI N.V. “Linde’s expertise in managing large-scale and complex engineering projects, and safely and reliably delivering industrial gases, made it a solid choice as a partner for this project.”

“Linde’s capabilities are already enabling the transition to a low carbon intensity economy,” said Sanjiv Lamba, Chief Executive Officer, Linde. “Our strategy is to support decarbonisation by working with off-takers, like OCI, to safely and reliably supply low-carbon industrial gases at scale. With Linde’s track record in successfully executing complex projects, its extensive pipeline network, and support from the US Inflation Reduction Act, the company is well positioned to secure many more clean energy projects.”

For more information visit www.oci.nl

India is among the top five aviation markets globally, and robust growth is expected over the next two decades. In its pursuit of Net Zero target, Government of India is mulling over introducing SAF mandates to decarbonise the aviation sector.

The ASTM approved ATJ pathway (ATJ-SPK) involving conversion of low-carbon ethanol or low-carbon isobutanol into SAF will play a major role in meeting India’s requirement of SAF production.

Praj brings to the table proven expertise in modularised solutions, integration services for complete project and technology for production of low carbon isobutanol and ethanol from conventional bio-sourced feedstock.

Axens will provide its Jetanol™ Alcohol-To-Jet technologies (dehydration, olefin oligomerization and hydrogenation steps), catalyst solution, equipment and services (training, technical assistance) for conversion of alcohols to SAF.

Axens and Praj will continue to individually offer technology for production of low carbon ethanol from cellulosic biomass in India and abroad.

For more information visit www.axens.net

German-Danish cooperation project aims to realise 140-kilometre pipeline connection from Bornholm to Lubmin with import capacity of up to 10 GW.

H2 Interconnector Bornholm-Lubmin is scheduled to bring hydrogen from the Danish island Bornholm to Lubmin from 2027. The cross-border hydrogen infrastructure aims to support and enhance an accelerated development of offshore wind in the region and wider Baltic Sea, while securing a reliant and cost-efficient decarbonisation pathway for the north-eastern European energy system.

The project is being developed by GASCADE together with Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners’ (CIP) dedicated CI Energy Transition Fund as a potential financial investor. The Danish transmission system operator Energinet is also involved in the project. A PCI application has been submitted to the European Commission for the 140-kilometer interconnector.

The offshore pipeline, for which a feasibility study has already been carried out with positive results, is intended to connect the island of Bornholm and the offshore wind farms around it with the German Baltic Sea coast close to Lubmin. There, the hydrogen is fed into the onshore infrastructure and transported further south. The pipeline will be dimensioned to be future ready with an incremental capacity increase towards 10 GW in the 2030’s.

This makes the adjacent Project Flow – making hydrogen happen even stronger and more European. With a length of over 1,100 km and an entry capacity of up to 20 GW in the final stage, this project has large dimensions right from the beginning. The newly built interconnector extends the new hydrogen highway, which will connect Denmark with several large hydrogen demand centres in Germany.

“In this way we support the climate targets for 2030 and ensure that Germany and Europe can supply themselves with hydrogen produced in Europe,” emphasises GASCADE Managing Director Christoph von dem Bussche on behalf of those responsible for the project.

The Baltic Sea holds a significantly untapped potential which can contribute to increased energy security as well as the European Union’s 2030 targets for energy and climate and its 2050 climate neutrality objective.

“The Baltic Sea is a powerhouse of wind energy, and Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners is proud to partner with GASCADE and Energinet in realizing the first hydrogen pipeline in the Baltic Sea, while supporting the emergence of an EU-wide network for hydrogen transport. The project will enable several projects planning to develop large scale hydrogen production to move forward with accelerated timelines,” says Karsten Plauborg, Partner at CIP.

In addition to the direct connection between Denmark and Germany, there are considerations to connect to a future Baltic Sea offshore backbone to Sweden and Finland. In this way, additional amounts of hydrogen could be transported to Europe in the future.

For more information visit www.gascade.de/en/