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Cleantech, Methane, Sustainability

BHGE LUMEN: Ground & Drone-based Advanced Methane Detection & Reduction System 0

  • LUMEN provides continuous quantifiable methane detection and real-time cloud-based data for operators

  • Wireless ground-based and aerial drone-based solutions provide flexibility and cost-effectiveness

  • Among a range of innovative technologies demonstrated at BHGE’s 20th Annual Meeting

On the first day of its 20th Annual Meeting in Florence, Italy, Baker Hughes, a GE Company (NYSE: BHGE) unveiled a host of industry-leading technologies designed to “move energy forward”, including a new digital integrated platform, LUMEN,  to provide continuous and unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) methane monitoring for oil and gas operators.

The technology was among a range of innovations being demonstrated at the event which brought together more than 1,000 senior oil and gas leaders and energy ministers from around the world to discuss and debate the latest trends and challenges facing the sector, including tackling the industry’s carbon footprint.

“Methane leak detection is one of the most pressing needs in the oil and gas industry today, and we believe LUMEN is a game-changer for highly-effective methane emission monitoring,” said Diarmaid Mulholland, CEO of BHGE’s Measurement & Sensing business.  “Using advanced sensors and industrial software, LUMEN helps operators to protect the environment by detecting harmful methane leaks, and by using advanced data analysis, this technology helps identify and reduce emissions while also increase safety for operators. The applications within oil and gas are just the beginning.”

“In a carbon-constrained world, minimizing methane emissions is a critical path issue for the oil and gas industry. No operator can afford to sit still as service companies and others bring ever more innovative methane solutions to market,” said Isabel Mogstad, a methane solutions expert with the Environmental Defense Fund.

LUMEN includes a full-suite of methane monitoring and inspection solutions capable of streaming live data from sensors to a cloud-based software dashboard for real-time results.  The platform consists of two seamlessly connected formats – a ground-based solar-powered wireless sensor network, and a drone-based system for over-air monitoring, – ensuring methane emissions are monitored as efficiently and accurately as possible.

Innovative monitoring strategies like LUMEN go beyond meeting safety and regulatory requirements – which remain extremely important – and can also help increase operational efficiencies, reduce costs, and minimize pollutants for customers globally.

LUMEN’s ground-based sensor system, LUMEN TERRAIN, is a solar-powered, wireless system that creates a “digital mesh” network around a facility, outdoors, and indoors.  BHGE can also take LUMEN SKY airborne with an integrated, multi-faceted UAV system using a state of the art, a combination of  TDLAS and OGI technologies, along with high-definition aerial video streaming for unmatched data visualization.

Using proprietary algorithms and machine learning, data, LUMEN provides methane concentration data (PPM), as well as the location and rate of the leak.  The data is available in real-time at the touch of a button via a computer or smartphone, giving operators the ability to make quicker, more reliable decisions for their operations.

Visit https://annualmeeting.bhge.com to learn more about the Florence event including the conference agenda and speakers guide, and where the full proceedings from the Annual Meeting will be shared at the close of the event. Visit http://bhge.com/methane to learn more about LUMEN.

Media Relations

Global External Affairs & Financial Communications

Thomas Millas

+1 910 515 7873

thomas.millas@bakerhughes.com

COMPLIANCE & REGULATIONS, Environment, HSE, Methane, Press Release, Recycle, Regulatory

Siemens and Southern Idaho Solid Waste announce commissioning of landfill gas-to-energy project 0

Siemens and Southern Idaho Solid Waste announce the commissioning of landfill gas-to-energy project

  • Siemens gas engines generating electrical power from landfill gas to provide energy for approximately 2,000 homes in Idaho

  • Two engines convert 1,000 tons of landfill waste daily into energy

  • The project marks successful use of Siemens’ highly-energy-efficient engines to capture and use methane

Siemens and Southern Idaho Solid Waste (SISW) recently announced the successful commissioning of two SGE-56HM gas engines that are providing environmentally friendly electrical power for a landfill gas-to-energy project at the Milner Butte Landfill in Burley, Idaho. Siemens’ gas capture engines are helping to convert 1,000 tons of landfill waste daily into energy but SISW officials expect that amount to increase in the near future.

Decomposing waste gives off massive amounts of greenhouse gases, especially methane. SISW engineers worked with Siemens and Siemens’ channel partner, Industrial-Irrigation Services, to develop a solution that would capture the methane for use as a fuel gas to produce electricity. “We saw this gas and realized we were just wasting it by burning it for no productive use,” said SISW’s environmental manager, Nate Francisco.

To capture methane and convert it into electricity, the Milner Butte Landfill deployed two Siemens SGE-56HM gas generator sets to run on the waste gas from the landfill and generate electrical power. Once the landfill gas is converted to electricity, it is transported to Idaho Power through a 20-year purchase agreement and is used by the community as a low-cost source of power. To date, the two engines have been generating enough power for approximately 2,000 homes. Each set is rated at
1,300kWe and includes generator controls and a power panel.

Siemens SGE-HM series is purpose-built for landfill gas-to-energy power applications. By incorporating advanced technology and design into the cylinder heads, valves, camshafts, and turbochargers, the SGE-56HM engine provides customers like SISW with a high-performing low-operating-cost solution.

“We expect these engines to remain in operation for 20 to 30 years,” said Josh Bartlome, executive director at SISW. “They’re big engines built for endurance.”

SISW estimates that within the next 20 years the facility will generate approximately $36 million in revenue, netting about a third of that after costs and inflation. Creating a long-term revenue generator like this model used by SISW will allow the District to realize lower power costs.

“The Milner Butte Landfill project represents the future of distributed power,” said Chris Nagle, North American Regional Director for Siemens Gas Engines business. “This plant assists the local community with its power needs while being environmentally responsible. Siemens is proud to support SISW and Industrial-Irrigation Services with this project.”

This press release and press pictures are available at www.siemens.com/press/PR2018100009PGEN

For further information on Siemens Gas Engines, please see: https://sie.ag/2MOzVRJ

Contact for journalists
Janet Ofano
Phone: +1 803-389-6753; E-mail: janet.ofano@siemens.com

emissions, Gas Flaring, Methane, Press Release, Sustainability

PRESS RELEASE: ExxonMobil to Join Oil and Gas Climate Initiative 0

ExxonMobil to Join Oil and Gas Climate Initiative

  • The CEO led global initiative aims to provide practical solutions to climate change mitigation

  • Focus areas include carbon capture and storage, methane reductions, energy efficiency

  • As part of the initiative, ExxonMobil to invest in research and development of long-term solutions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions

IRVING, Texas–(BUSINESS WIRE)–ExxonMobil today said it will join the Oil and Gas Climate Initiative (OGCI), a voluntary initiative representing 13 of the world’s largest oil and gas producers working collaboratively toward solutions to mitigate the risks of climate change.

“It will take the collective efforts of many in the energy industry and society to develop scalable, affordable solutions that will be needed to address the risks of climate change”

The CEO-led organization focuses on developing practical solutions in areas including carbon capture and storage, methane emissions reductions and energy and transportation efficiency. As part of the initiative, ExxonMobil will expand its investment in research and development of long-term solutions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions as well as partnerships and multi-stakeholder initiatives that will pursue lower-emission technologies.

“It will take the collective efforts of many in the energy industry and society to develop scalable, affordable solutions that will be needed to address the risks of climate change,” said Darren Woods, chairman, and chief executive officer of ExxonMobil. “Our mission is to supply energy for modern life and improve living standards around the world while minimizing impacts on the environment. This dual challenge is one of the most important issues facing society and our company.”

ExxonMobil has invested billions of dollars in researching and developing lower-emission solutions, including carbon capture and storage technology, next-generation biofuels, cogeneration, and more efficient manufacturing processes.

Earlier this year, ExxonMobil announced initiatives to lower greenhouse gas emissions associated with its operations by 2020, including reducing methane emissions 15 percent and flaring by 25 percent. Since 2000, ExxonMobil has spent more than $9 billion to develop and deploy higher-efficiency and lower-emission energy solutions across its operations.

OGCI was established following the 2014 World Economic Forum and formally launched at the United Nations Climate Summit the same year. Members include BP, Chevron, CNPC, Eni, Equinor, ExxonMobil, Occidental Petroleum, Pemex, Petrobras, Repsol, Royal Dutch Shell, Saudi Aramco, and Total.

About ExxonMobil

ExxonMobil, the largest publicly traded international energy company, uses technology and innovation to help meet the world’s growing energy needs. ExxonMobil holds an industry-leading inventory of resources, is one of the largest refiners and marketers of petroleum products and its chemical company is one of the largest in the world. For more information, visit www.exxonmobil.com or follow us on Twitter www.twitter.com/exxonmobil.

Cautionary Statement: Statements of future events or conditions in this release are forward-looking statements. Actual future results, including the timing, results and impact of new technologies and future emission reductions, could differ significantly depending on the outcome of further research and testing; the development and competitiveness of alternative technologies; the ability to develop and scale pilot projects on a cost-effective basis; political and regulatory developments; and other factors discussed in this release and under the heading “Factors Affecting Future Results” on the Investors page of ExxonMobil’s website at exxonmobil.com.

Contacts

Exxon Mobil Corporation
Media Line, 972-940-6007

Source: Business Wire
emissions, International, Methane, Regulatory, Sustainability, Sustainability, Technology

TED Talk on methane and the oil and gas industry 0

This TED Talk heralds a new era in fighting climate change, from space

Watch this video to learn about a bold, new initiative to combat global warming

EDF and partners are launching a rocket to put a new satellite in orbit that could change the course of global warming in our lifetimes.

MethaneSAT will gather data about a pollutant – methane – that’s warming the planet, and put that data in the hands of people who can easily fix the problem.

EDF President Fred Krupp unveiled the groundbreaking project at TED’s flagship event in Vancouver, British Columbia, as part of The Audacious Project, successor to the TED Prize.

Just the first step will have the same near-term climate benefit as shutting down one-third of the world’s coal-fired power plants.

Fred Krupp, EDF President

Fred Krupp, EDF President

Our goal is to cut methane emissions 45 percent by 2025, and the data gathered by this satellite will make that possible. Nothing else will have the same kind of near-term impact at such a low cost.

The power of information

To learn the magnitude of the problem with methane, we collected data with drones, planes, helicopters, even Google Street View cars. It turned out that emissions are up to five times higher than what the government is reporting.

So we didn’t wait for Washington. We published our research, shared it with everyone and saw them take action. Leading oil and gas companies replaced valves and tightened loose-fitting pipes. Colorado became the first state to limit methane pollution. California followed suit, and the public joined in.

By bringing the right people to the table – and leveraging the best of technology, science, data and partnerships – we were able to make the invisible visible, empowering everyone. This enabled us to find new solutions that can be taken to scale and make a lasting impact.

And that’s what the emerging Fourth Wave of environmentalism is all about.

Source:  EDF Environment Defense Fund
Insights, Methane, Press Release, Sustainability

Science-based Collaboratory Brings Diverse Stakeholders Together to Study Methane Emissions from Natural Gas 0

A new industry-led collaborative research consortium will work to advance methane science to better understand global methane emissions and the need for additional solutions.

The Collaboratory for Advancing Methane Science (CAMS) will pursue scientific studies addressing methane emissions from all sectors along the entire natural gas value chain, from production to end use. Studies will focus on detection, measurement, and quantification of methane emissions with the goal of finding opportunities for reduction.

GTI will serve as the program administrator for the effort with initial participants from leading energy companies Cheniere, Chevron, Equinor, ExxonMobil, and Pioneer Natural Resources, and plans to expand participation to include other companies from across the natural gas value chain. Through scientific studies, CAMS will bring together a diverse group of experts from industry, academia, and federal and state agencies to deliver factual data that can be used to inform regulations and policy development.

GTI will manage the overall program, including individual research projects. CAMS members, with input from an independent Scientific Advisory Board, will prioritize and fund research. CAMS will focus on effectively communicating findings to program stakeholders and the general public. Results will be independently published by the research project team in peer-reviewed scientific journals.

“This is an important collaboration between industry, academia, government, and researchers,” said Amol Phadke, vice president, safety and sustainability for U.S. and Mexico operations, Equinor. “It is a great opportunity to work together in understanding emissions across the value chain, giving us a more complete picture of how we can continue to reduce methane from our operations.”

“As a leading energy company, we are committed to continually reducing methane emissions,” said Sara Ortwein, president of XTO Energy, a subsidiary of ExxonMobil. “The right partnerships are critical for success, and participating in CAMS will expand industry learning on solutions that can make a difference.”

“The use of natural gas is already reducing carbon dioxide and traditional air pollutants in the United States and around the world, but further reduction of methane emissions greater amplifies the positive impact of natural gas,” said Chris Smith, SVP for Policy, Government and Public Affairs at Cheniere, the largest U.S. exporter of LNG. “Supporting peer-reviewed science is an important first step as we look for ways to encourage the reduction of methane emissions throughout the domestic natural gas value chain.”

The research will complement recent methane emissions studies sponsored by government agencies and academia, and build on lessons learned from that body of work. New tools and technologies to better detect leaks and characterize emissions will be evaluated, and practical solutions for emissions reduction will be identified.

6/25/18 Des Plaines, IL

Source: The Collaboratory to Advance Methane Science (CAMS) 

 

emissions, Gas Flaring, Insights, Methane, Regulatory, Sustainability

Decarbonization of industrial sectors: the next frontier 0

In the Paris Agreement of 2015, member states agreed to limit global warming to 2 °C versus pre-industrial levels. This would imply reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 80 to 95 percent of the 1990 level by 2050. As industry accounted for about 28 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions in 2014, it follows that these targets cannot be reached without decarbonizing industrial activities. Industrial sites have long lifetimes; therefore, upgrading or replacing these facilities to lower carbon emissions requires that planning and investments start well in advance.

In this report, we investigate options to decarbonize industrial processes, especially in the cement, steel, ethylene, and ammonia sectors. We selected these sectors because they are hard to abate, due to their relatively high share of emissions from feedstocks and high-temperature heat compared to other sectors. We conclude that decarbonizing industry is technically possible, even though technical and economical hurdles arise. We also identify the drivers of costs associated with decarbonization and the impact it will have on the broader energy system.

The industrial sector is both a global economic powerhouse and a major emitter of GHG emissions

The industrial sector is a vital source of wealth, prosperity, and social value on a global scale. Industrial companies produce about one-quarter of global GDP and employment and make materials and goods that are integral to our daily lives, such as fertilizer to feed the growing global population, steel and plastics for the cars we drive, and cement for the buildings we live and work in.

In 2014, direct GHG emissions from industrial processes and indirect GHG emissions from generating the electricity used in the industry made up ~15 Gton CO2e (~28 percent) of global GHG emissions. CO2 comprises over 90 percent of direct and indirect GHG emissions from industrial processes. Between 1990 and 2014, GHG emissions from the industrial sector increased by 69 percent (2.2 percent per year)[1], while emissions from other sectors such as power, transport, and buildings increased by 23 percent (0.9 percent per year).[2]

Almost 45 percent of industry’s CO2 emissions result from the manufacturing of cement (3 Gton CO2), steel (2.9 Gton CO2), ammonia (0.5 Gton CO2), and ethylene (0.2 Gton CO2)—the four sectors that are the focus of this report. In these four production processes, about 45 percent of CO2 emissions come from feedstocks, which are the raw materials that companies process into industrial products (for example, limestone in cement production and natural gas in ammonia production). Another 35 percent of CO2 emissions come from burning fuel to generate high-temperature heat. The remaining 20 percent of CO2 emissions are the result of other energy requirements: either the onsite burning of fossil fuels to produce medium- or low-temperature heat, and other uses on the industrial site (about 13 percent) or machine drive (about 7 percent) (see Exhibit 1).[3]

Exhibit 1: Why are the steel, cement, ammonia, and ethylene sectors hard to abate?

Why are the steel, cement, ammonia, and ethylene sectors hard to abate?

Source: IEA data from World Energy Statistics © OECD/IEA 2017 IEA Publishing; Enerdata: global energy and CO2 data; expert interviews

After breakthroughs in the power, transport, and buildings sectors, industrial decarbonization is the next frontier

Global efforts have driven innovation and the scaling up of decarbonization technologies for the power, buildings, and transport sectors. This has led to major reductions in the costs of these technologies. Examples are the recent reductions in the costs of solar photovoltaic modules and electric vehicles. Less innovation and cost reduction have taken place for industrial decarbonization technologies. This makes the pathways for reducing industrial CO2emissions less clear than they are for other sectors.

Besides that, CO2 emissions in the four focus sectors are hard to abate for four technical reasons. First, the 45 percent of CO2 emissions that result from feedstocks cannot be abated by a change in fuels, only by changes to processes. Second, 35 percent of emissions come from burning fossil fuels to generate high-temperature heat (in the focus sectors, process temperatures can reach 700 °C to over 1,600 °C). Abating these emissions by switching to alternative fuels such as zero-carbon electricity would be difficult because this would require significant changes to the furnace design. Third, industrial processes are highly integrated, so any change to one part of a process must be accompanied by changes to other parts of that process. Finally, production facilities have long lifetimes, typically exceeding 50 years (with regular maintenance). Changing processes at existing sites requires costly rebuilds or retrofits.

Economic factors add to the challenge. Cement, steel, ammonia, and ethylene are commodity products for which cost is the decisive consideration in purchasing decisions. With the exception of cement, these products are traded globally. Generally, across all four sectors, externalities are not priced in and the willingness to pay more for a sustainable or decarbonized product is not yet there. Therefore, companies that increase their production costs by adopting low-carbon processes and technologies will find themselves at an economic disadvantage to industrial producers that do not.

Industrial companies can reduce CO2 emissions in various ways, with the optimum local mix depending on the availability of biomass, carbon-storage capacity and low-cost zero-carbon electricity and hydrogen, as well as projection changes in production capacity

A combination of decarbonization technologies could bring industry emissions close to zero: demand-side measures, energy efficiency improvements, electrification of heat, using hydrogen (made with zero-carbon electricity) as feedstock or fuel, using biomass as feedstock or fuel, carbon capture and storage (CCS), and other innovations.[4]

The optimum mix of decarbonization options depends greatly on local factors. The most important factors are access to low-cost zero-carbon electricity and access to a suitable kind of sustainably produced biomass because most processes in the focus sectors have significant energy- and energy-carrier-related feedstock requirements that could be replaced by one or both of these alternatives. The local availability of carbon storage capacity and public and regulatory support for carbon storage determine whether CCS is an option. The regional growth outlook for the four focus sectors matters, too, because certain decarbonization options are cost-effective for use at existing (brownfield) industrial facilities while others are more economical for newly built (greenfield) facilities.

Since the optimum combination of decarbonization options will vary greatly from one facility to the next, companies will need to evaluate their options on a site-specific basis. To help industrial companies narrow down their options and focus on the most promising ones, we offer the following observations, which account for current commodity prices and technologies (see Exhibit 2):

    • Energy efficiency improvements can reduce carbon emissions competitively, but cannot lead to deep decarbonization on their own. Energy efficiency improvements that lower fuel consumption by 15 to 20 percent can be economical in the long run. However, depending on the payback times on energy efficiency required by companies (sometimes less than two years), implementation can be less than the potential of 15 to 20 percent.

    • Where carbon-storage sites are available, CCS is the lowest-cost decarbonization option at current commodity prices. However, CCS is not necessarily a straightforward option for decarbonization. CCS imposes an additional operational cost on industrial companies, whereas further innovation could make alternative decarbonization options (for example, electrification of heat) cost competitive vis-à-vis conventional production technology. CCS can only be implemented in regions with adequate carbon-storage locations, and supportive local regulations and public opinion. CCS has the distinction of being the only technology that can currently fully abate process-related CO2 emissions from cement production.[5]

    • At zero-carbon electricity prices below ~USD 50/MWh, using zero-carbon electricity[6] for heat or using hydrogen based on zero-carbon electricity becomes more economical than CCS. Electricity prices below USD 50/MWh have already been achieved locally (e.g., hydro and nuclear-based power-system of Sweden) and could be achieved in more places with the current downward cost trend in renewable electricity generation. The minimum price that makes it less expensive to switch to zero-carbon electricity than to apply CCS for decarbonization depends strongly on the sector, local fossil fuel and other commodity prices and the state of the production site.

» At electricity prices below ~USD50/MWh, electrifying heat production at greenfield cement plants is more cost-competitive than applying CCS to the emissions from fuel consumption, provided that very-high-temperature electric furnaces are available.[7, 8]

» At electricity prices below ~USD35/MWh, hydrogen use for greenfield ammonia and steel production sites is more cost-competitive than applying CCS to conventional production processes.

» At electricity prices below ~USD25/MWh, electrification of heat in greenfield ethylene production and in brownfield cement production and usage of hydrogen for brownfield steel production are more cost-competitive than applying CCS to conventional production processes.

» Finally, below an electricity price of ~USD15/MWh, usage of hydrogen for brownfield ammonia production and electrification of heat for ethylene production are more cost-competitive than applying CCS to conventional production processes. This means that electric heat production and usage of electricity to make hydrogen are more economical approaches to decarbonization than CCS in all four focus sectors at this electricity price level.

Exhibit 2: With low electricity prices, cost-based trade-offs will favor more electrification and hydrogen than CCS

With low electricity prices, cost-based trade-offs will favor more electrification and hydrogen than CCS

Lower costs for capital equipment or process innovations could make electrification or the use of zero-carbon electricity based hydrogen economical at higher electricity prices.

    • Using biomass as a fuel or feedstock is financially more attractive than the electrification of heat or the use of hydrogen in cement production and at electricity prices above ~USD 20/MWh in steel production. Mature technologies are available for using biomass as fuel and feedstock in steel and as fuel in cement production. These technologies reduce emissions more economically than CCS on the conventional process. Biomass can also replace fossil fuel feedstocks for ethylene and ammonia production. Though this approach costs more than electrification or hydrogen usage, it also abates emissions in both the process and at end-of-life of the product, such as the emissions from incineration of plastics made from ethylene. The global supply of sustainably produced biomass, however, is deemed limited at the global level. Additionally, re-forestation to generate offsets might be a counter use of biomass rather than the shipping and usage in industrial processes.

    1. Demand-side measures are effective for decarbonization but were not a focus of this report. Replacing conventional industrial products with lower-emission alternatives (e.g., replacement of cement with wood for construction) would result in significant reductions in CO2 emissions from the four focus sectors. Radical changes in consumption patterns driven by technology changes could further offset demand, such as reduced build-out of roads (and therefore cement) through autonomous driving, reduced demand for ammonia through precision agriculture. Moreover increasing the circularity of products, by e.g., recycling or reusing them can also cut CO2 emissions. Producing material based on recycled products generally consumes less energy and feedstock than the production of virgin materials. As an example, producing steel from steel scrap requires only about a quarter of the energy required to produce virgin steel.

Industrial decarbonization will require increased investment in industrial sites and has to go hand in hand with an accelerated build-out of zero-carbon electricity generation

  • Completely decarbonizing the energy-intensive industrial processes in the four focus sectors will have a major impact on the energy system. It is estimated that it would require ~25 EJ to 55 EJ per year of low-cost zero-carbon electricity. In a business-as-usual world, only 6 EJ per year would be needed, indicating that, regardless of the mix of decarbonization options chosen, electricity consumption will go up significantly. The transition in the power and industrial sectors should thus go hand in hand. The industrial sector might be able to lower the costs of the power sector transition, e.g., by providing grid balancing, while being a large off-taker that can support increased build-out of generation capacity.

  • The total costs of fully decarbonizing these four sectors globally are estimated to be ~USD 21 trillion between today and 2050. This can be lowered to ~USD 11 trillion if zero-carbon electricity prices come down further compared to fossil fuel prices (see Exhibit 3).[9] These estimates are based on cost assumptions that do not allow for process innovations or significant reductions in the costs of capital equipment. Furthermore, they heavily depend on the emission reduction target, local commodity prices, the selected mix of decarbonization options, and the current state of the production site. The estimated costs for complete decarbonization of the four focus sectors are equivalent to a yearly cost of ~0.4 to 0.8 percent of global GDP (USD 78 trillion). According to the estimations in this report, about 50 to 60 percent of these costs consist of operating expenses and the remainder consists of capital expenditures, mainly for cement decarbonization.

An analysis of the effects of different electricity prices suggests that decarbonization would have an upward impact on the costs of the industrial products: cement doubling in price, ethylene seeing a price increase of ~40 to 50 percent, and steel and ammonia experiencing a ~5 to 35 percent increase in price.[10]

Exhibit 3: The total costs of decarbonization are highly dependent on the electricity price

The total costs of decarbonization are highly dependent on the electricity price

Source: McKinsey Energy Insights

Advance planning and timely action could drive technological maturation, lower the cost of industrial decarbonization and ensure the industry energy transition advances in parallel with required changes in energy supply

    • Governments can develop roadmaps for industrial decarbonization on local and regional levels. Setting such a longer-term direction for decarbonization could support planning for decarbonization by other parties, including industrial companies, utilities and owners of key infrastructure (such as the electricity grid or hydrogen pipelines), and unlock investments with long payback times. Such a roadmap should take a perspective, e.g., on the production outlook, resource availability (including carbon-storage sites), additional resources required (zero-carbon electricity generation, etc.), coordinated roll-out of infrastructure and demand-side measures, as well as the role government would play (e.g., in the development of critical infrastructure).

    • Adjust regulation and incentives in line with decarbonization roadmaps. Various policy mechanisms could support industrial decarbonization. These might include direct incentives for companies to decarbonize or adjustments to the financial requirements placed on utilities and other companies involved in energy generation and distribution.

    • Industrial companies should prepare for decarbonization by conducting a detailed review of each facility in their portfolio. Such a review should include the availability of low-cost zero-carbon electricity, zero-carbon hydrogen, biomass, and carbon-storage capacity near the facility as these will differ on a country-by-country basis. Interaction with other stakeholders, such as governments, utilities, and other industrial companies, could help to identify synergies between industrial decarbonization and decarbonization in other sectors or companies, driving targeted innovation and driving down costs. For example, companies in an industrial cluster might benefit from shared carbon-storage infrastructure.

    • Governments, industrial companies, and research institutions can support innovation and the scale-up of promising decarbonization technologies, which is required to reach full decarbonization of the industrial sector. Innovative decarbonization technologies could potentially lower the costs of the industry transition. Governments can support the development of innovative decarbonization options, including the scale-up of global markets, e.g., in certain types of biomass, or the introduction of innovative processes to lower implementation costs. Overall, decarbonizing industrial sectors requires collaboration across governments, industrial players, and research institutes, similar to the effort that led to the cost reduction and scale-up of renewable energy generation.

McKinsey & Company, www.mckinsey.com. Copyright (c) 2018 McKinsey & Company. All rights reserved. Reprinted by permission.

About the authors

Occo Roelofsen is a Senior Partner, Arnout de Pee is a Partner, Eveline Speelman is an Associate Partner, and Maaike Witteveen is an Engagement Manager in McKinsey’s Amsterdam office. Dickon Pinner is a Senior Partner in McKinsey’s San Francisco office and Ken Somers is a Partner in McKinsey’s Antwerp office.

References

[1] Feedstocks are the raw materials that companies process into industrial products. High-temperature heat is defined in this report as a temperature requirement above 500 °C.

[2] Based on IEA data from the World Emissions Database © OECD/IEA 2018, IEA Publishing; modified by McKinsey.

[3] Breakdown of emissions is defined by the use of various reports and datasets, most importantly IEA, Enerdata, heat and cooling demand, market perspective (JRC 2012), and sector energy consumption flow charts by the US Department of Energy combined with input from experts. Activities up and down the value chain are not included in these numbers and could lead to additional emissions, e.g., transportation of fuel to the production site or incineration of ethylene-based plastics at end of product life.

[4] Other innovations can be non-fossil-fuel feedstock change (e.g., alternatives for limestone feedstock in cement production) and other innovative processes (e.g., reduction of iron ore with electrolysis).

[5] At the current state of technology, process emissions from cement production can only be abated by a change in the feedstock. Alternatives for the conventional feedstock (limestone) are not available (yet) at scale. Hence, decarbonizing cement production currently relies on CCS.

[6] The zero-carbon electricity price should be the average wholesale industrial end user price, so including, e.g., transmission, distribution, and storage costs.

[7] Electrification of very-high-temperature heat (>1,600 °C) required in cement production would require research, as these temperatures are not yet reached in electric furnaces.

[8] Process emissions from cement production cannot be abated by a fuel change and therefore require CCS, irrespective of electricity prices.

[9] These total costs include all capital and operational costs on industrial sites, but exclude other costs, e.g., build-out of zero-carbon electricity generation capacity.

[10] Conventional prices assumed are: cement USD 120/ton, steel USD 700/ton, ammonia USD 300/ton and ethylene USD 1,000/ton.

emissions, Gas Flaring, Land Operations, Methane, Regulatory, Sustainability

Schlumberger tests new technologies to find oil and gas methane leaks 0

Increased awareness of methane’s impact on the environment is leading to increased monitoring for methane leaks. In order to reduce the amount of methane emitted into the atmosphere, we need better detection technologies. Last summer, EDF collaborated with the world’s largest oilfield service company – Schlumberger – to test a variety of stationary and hand-held technologies to detect methane leaks from equipment in the upstream oil and gas sector. To learn more about how technology and innovation can help solve the methane problem visit business.edf.org.

Published on Mar 29, 2018

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emissions, Methane, Sustainability, Sustainability, Viewpoints

Our fresh commitment to low carbon 0

The world is demanding more energy every day to support growth and prosperity. At the same time, it’s demanding energy with fewer emissions. At BP we’re taking on this dual challenge across all of our business activities. We’re growing our business, providing more energy to the world. And at the same time, we’re reducing emissions in our operations, improving our products and creating low carbon businesses. This is how BP is helping the world transition to a low carbon future. As part of this, we are setting some new and important targets. Head to bp.com/energytransition for details.

Published by BP on Apr 16, 2018

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Gas Flaring, Methane, ONSHORE OPERATIONS

Geoscience BC – GHGMap project 0

 

Full project details are available on the Geoscience BC website: http://www.geosciencebc.com/s/2016-06… GHGMap uses novel sensors, developed by NASA/JPL , on drones to improve the speed, accuracy, safety and cost of measuring greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The technology will be used to remotely map emissions of gases such as methane, ethane and carbon dioxide — providing the independent measurement data needed for informed decisions. Developing and using new technologies to better understand GHG emissions helps Canada to maintain its reputation as a leader in clean resource development, in GHG emission reduction and in innovation. By bringing technology closer to commercialization, GHGMap will also create new economic opportunities for Western Canada. GHGMap meets a need to accurately and cost-effectively measure emissions of methane, ethane and carbon dioxide from sites that may be high sources of GHGs. These include natural and manmade sites such as, wetlands, landfills, sewage treatment plants, agricultural feedlots, gas wells, infrastructure and pipelines, dams and thawing permafrost. – Accurate measurement is essential to reliably assess true GHG emissions, not just modelled values. – As legislation evolves to work towards emissions reduction targets, governments need measurement-based GHG budgets to develop robust GHG inventories and quantify and verify reductions. – The petroleum energy sector and others want GHGMap to identify and reduce emissions. – Communities are demanding comprehensive, accurate and economical ways to obtain GHG emissions data, as they seek to make balanced resource development and the environmental decisions. Initially running from 2017 to 2020, GHGMap will: – Provide the first Canadian GHG inventory based on real-time, remote data collection, rather than the emissions models currently used for reporting. – Deploy laser spectrometer (OPLS) technology from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) to measure GHG emissions. – Rapidly obtain and report measurements of trace quantities of greenhouse gas emissions on a regional scale or within just a few metres of GHG emitting site. – Identify and test greenhouse gas emissions at a variety of petroleum energy sites in Western Canada to improve identification and remediation. – Train highly qualified personnel to use equipment to survey GHG emissions. – Demonstrate real-time GHG emission monitoring and attract future commercial investment in and use of the technology by demonstrating a sustainable business model. The technology will be tested at selected gas sites in northeast British Columbia before being rolled out to other parts of Western Canada. Project Benefits GHGMap uses a laser spectrometer (OPLS) originally designed by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory that measures critical GHGs, including methane, ethane and carbon dioxide at parts-per-billion levels. This tiny, 400 g OPLS instrument is mounted and flown on a small Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (sUAV or drone) to map GHG concentrations and distributions. The GHGMap team, which includes Geoscience BC, Geochemical Analytic Services, InDro Robotics and NASA/JPL, is also partnering with Optical Knowledge Systems to build the next generation system, a Capillary Absorption Spectrometer (CAS), which will add the powerfully diagnostic gas fingerprinting of carbon isotope to the measurement palette. This will use ‘atmospheric dispersion’ and ‘eddy covariance flux’ modelling to pinpoint locations and intensities of specific emissions. An important feature is the integration of large-scale methane and carbon dioxide measurements using Canada’s new GHGSat satellite. GHGMap bridges the scale and data gaps between satellite data and on-site pointsource measurements.

Geoscience BC

Published on Feb 22, 2018

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Gas Flaring, Methane, Robotics, Safety, Sponsored Content, Sustainability, Technology

See How Panasonic’s Rugged Tech Is Making the Energy Industry Safer 0

Detecting methane gas leaks is serious business—for both worker safety and the energy industry’s bottom line. But manual emissions inspections are time-consuming and costly to execute. To deliver on the promise of a new highly efficient drone-based leak detection system, SeekOps needed a mobile solution that was reliable, versatile, rugged and easy to read in the field.

SeekOps turned to the Panasonic Toughpad FZ-G1 tablet for its streamlined size, extensive battery life, rugged dependability and easy screen readability in bright sunlight. The unparalleled durability and portability of the Toughpad FZ-G1 enables the SeekOps technology platform to bring fast, accurate and cost-effective detection of methane gas leaks to the industry.

“There’s really nothing on the market that could contend with these devices,” said Andrew Aubrey, CEO of SeekOps, “And we knew when we took it out into the field, that we had made the right mobile hardware choice.”

To see Panasonic and SeekOps together in action, watch the video below:

Jo Satili with Panasonic Mobility

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