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Energy And Environment News

04 Dec 2023

Alicia Barton Named CEO of Vineyard Offshore

Alicia Barton (File photo courtesy FirstLight Power)

U.S.-based offshore wind developer Vineyard Offshore on Monday announced it has named Alicia Barton as the company’s new CEO, starting in January.Barton will take over for Lars T. Pedersen, who has led the company since it was founded in 2022 and before that led the team developing Vineyard Wind, the first commercial-scale offshore wind project in the United States, now under construction.“I had the pleasure of working with Alicia during the very early days of the Vineyard Wind project and know she brings an outstanding mix of skills and talent to Vineyard Offshore,” Pedersen said.

14 Sep 2023

Shippers Launch Tender to Accelerate Zero-Emission Shipping

© EvrenKalinbacak / Adobe Stock

The Zero Emission Maritime Buyers Alliance (ZEMBA) has launched a Request for Proposals (RfP) for 600,000 TEUs over a three-year period on ocean vessels powered by zero-emission fuels.This will help its member companies reduce nearly one million metric tonnes of carbon emissions, equivalent to taking 215,000 cars off the road. The RfP is the first major buyer-led initiative to accelerate the transition to zero-emission maritime fuels. ZEMBA was launched as a nonprofit membership organization in March 2023 by the Aspen Institute…

10 Jul 2023

Former BOEM Head Amanda Lefton Joins RWE

Amanda Lefton (Photo: BOEM)

German energy company RWE announced it has hired Amanda Lefton as Vice President of Offshore Development, U.S. East.Lefton was previously Director of the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) during a period of sigificant growth for the U.S. offshore wind industry under direction from the Biden Administration. Lefton resigned from here position at BOEM effective January 19, 2023.RWE is one of the world's largest producers of offshore wind energy, with projects in Asia, Europe and the United States.

01 Mar 2023

Japan to Promote Gas, LNG, Hydrogen During G7 Presidency

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Japan will stress the importance of investment in natural gas, liquefied natural gas as well as cleaner fuels such as hydrogen and ammonia during its presidency of the G7 this year, a source said, but would keep it clean to meet 2050 carbon neutral goal.Japan, president of the rich-country grouping for 2023, will hold a ministerial meeting on climate, energy and environment in the city of Sapporo on April 15-16, ahead of the main G7 summit in Hiroshima on May 19-21.Japan expects global energy markets to remain tight for years and it would "emphasise investment into natural gas…

26 Sep 2022

Lhyfe Launches World First Offshore Hydrogen Pilot

The Sealhyfe platform on WAVEGEM.

France-based clean hydrogen producer Lhyfe has launched the world’s first offshore renewable green hydrogen production demonstrator.The pilot was launched yesterday (September 22) in Saint-Nazaire, France, which will now begin an 18-month wind-powered pilot, as part its drive towards large-scale carbon reduction.It involves Lhyfe's new Sealhyfe 400 kg/day (1MW equivalent) green hydrogen producing electrolyser platform, which has been installed on the WAVEGEM wave energy platform developed by Geps Techno.

09 Aug 2022

Third Oil Storage Tank Collapses in Cuba Terminal Following Fire, Spill

Credit:vichie81/AdobeStock

A third crude tank caught fire and collapsed at Cuba's main oil terminal in Matanzas, its governor said on Monday, as an oil spill spread flames from a second tank that caught fire two days earlier in the island's biggest oil industry accident in decades.Cuba had made progress fighting off the raging flames during the weekend after drawing on help from Mexico and Venezuela, but late on Sunday the fire began spreading from the second tank, which collapsed, said Mario Sabines, governor of the Matanzas province…

08 Aug 2022

Mexico, Venezuela Assisting Cuba Fight Massive Fire in Main Oil Storage Facility

©Albert/AdobeStock

Cuba sought on Sunday to bring under control a fire at its main oil storage facility that has killed one firefighter, drawing on help from Mexico and Venezuela to fight the raging flames.A lightning strike on Friday ignited one of eight storage tanks at the Matanzas super tanker port 60 miles east of Havana. A second tank caught fire on Saturday, catching firefighters and others at the scene by surprise. Sixteen people were missing.The second explosion injured more than 100 people…

24 May 2022

US Navy Climate Plan Aims to Cut Emissions, Move to Low Carbon Fuels

USS Makin Island, an amphibious assault ship deployed in 2009, uses GE hybrid systems with electric and natural gas or diesel fired turbines to increase efficiency. (Photo: U.S. Navy)

The U.S. Navy released on Tuesday a climate strategy that aims to make the force more resilient to changes like sea level rise and coastal erosion while moving faster to low-carbon fuels and hybrid engines for ships and planes.The Climate Action 2030 plan, is part of the Biden administration's wider goal of decarbonizing the economy by 2050."By building a climate ready force, our sailors and Marines will be able to fight and win anywhere in the world in any condition," Meredith Berger…

25 May 2022

US Inland Waterways: Big Money, New Projects, Help Wanted

(Photo: North Mississippi Industrial Development Association)

New federal money promises dramatic impacts throughout the United States’ inland waterways system in 2022 and beyond. This report focuses on America’s central rivers; the Western rivers will be covered in a future report. These central rivers reach 11,000 miles, from Pennsylvania to Florida and from Texas to South Dakota.Consider the money within the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers “Civil Works Program Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), 2022 Construction Spend Plan.”In Arkansas…

01 Mar 2022

OpEd: Time To Shine for US Offshore Wind

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It is clear only a few weeks into 2022 that this year can be a watershed moment for American offshore wind. The Department of the Interior has positioned 2022 to be a record year in terms of offshore wind lease offerings and project greenlights.At the end of 2021, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), the regulatory agency responsible for offshore wind lease sales, released the document, Offshore Wind Leasing Path Forward 2021–2025. The document maps out potential new wind lease sales.

18 Nov 2021

Chevron, Exxon Among Top Spenders at Biden Offshore Auction

Illustration - Credit: scandamerican/AdobeStock

U.S. oil majors Exxon Mobil Corp and Chevron Corp were among the top buyers at a federal auction of oil leases in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico on Wednesday that generated more than $190 million - the highest since 2019.The auction was a boon for federal coffers, but a potential setback for the climate policies of U.S. President Joe Biden, whose administration tried to suspend federal lease sales to fight global warming before a court forced them to proceed.The United States was also…

08 Jul 2021

Spain Plans to Install 1-3 GW of Floating Wind Turbines by 2030

Illustration - Credit:Untrakdrover/Wikimedia Commons - CC BY-SA 3.0

Spain plans to install floating wind turbines on the deep waters off its coasts with capacity to generate between 1 and 3 gigawatts of power by 2030, its Energy and Environment Ministry said on Wednesday.As part of a global shift away from carbon-emitting fossil fuels, governments and companies are seeking new ways to harness power generation from renewable energies like wind and solar.Spain has one of the world's largest onshore wind fleets, but its coastal waters are too deep to allow the installation of turbines that have allowed greater wind speeds and extra space to be exploited offshore

09 Nov 2020

Biden Expected to Roll Back Trump's Offshore Energy Rollbacks

© Lukasz Z / Adobe Stock

Joe Biden could erase much of President Donald Trump’s four-year legacy of energy and climate deregulation with the stroke of his pen, according to regulatory experts, but replacing it with something new and durable may prove trickier.Trump’s rollbacks are on shaky ground because most were done not through Congressional lawmaking but via presidential executive orders that can be easily torn up by a new administration. That means signature measures ranging from the withdrawal of…

03 Nov 2020

Sivandran Named Managing Director of BMT Asia

Suba Sivandran (Photo: BMT)

Suba Sivandran has been appointed the new Head of Asia for BMT based in Singapore, a move that coincides with the organization’s growth initiative in the region launched this month. He will oversee all commercial operations with a focus on driving new business into more complex, emerging markets including defense, offshore renewable energy and marine infrastructure engineering and advisory offerings.With more than a decade of consulting experience throughout Europe and the APAC region…

29 Sep 2020

Keppel Starts Review of Struggling Offshore and Marine Business

Singaporean conglomerate Keppel Corp said on Tuesday it had identified assets worth S$17.5 billion ($12.8 billion) that could potentially be monetized, including through sales, and started a review of its loss-making offshore and marine (O&M) business.The plans unveiled on Tuesday are part of Keppel's 10-year strategy that it had flagged earlier this year to refocus its portfolio to energy and environment, urban development, connectivity, and asset management.Keppel said it was exploring options including strategic mergers and disposals for its offshore and marine business…

01 Jul 2019

Austal Christens USS Oakland

Photo: Austal

Austal USA hosted the christening of the future USS Oakland (LCS 24). This is the first of three U.S. Navy ships to be christened at Austal’s state-of-the-art ship manufacturing facility in 2019.Oakland is the 12th of 19 Independence-variant littoral combat ships (LCSs) Austal USA has under contract with the U.S. Navy. The ship’s sponsor, Kate Brandt, a recipient of the Distinguished Public Service Award, the highest award the U.S. Navy can give to a civilian, headlined the group of officials…

27 May 2019

SENER Names Álvaro Lorente as MD

Spanish engineering and technology group SENER has appointed Alvaro Lorente, former Operations Manager in the energy division as Managing Director.He graduated in Industrial Engineering from the Pontificia Comillas University (ICAI), majoring in Electrical Engineering, and joined SENER in 1991. Among other posts, he has been head of SENER's Mechanics Section, Operations Manager for Renewables, Power, Oil & Gas and International General Manager at SENER.He was also appointed General Manager of Torresol Energy (a company in which SENER holds a 60% stake) and General Manager for the Energy and Environment Business Area of the SENER Group.In Energy…

10 May 2018

Croatia Acts to Cut Red Tape for FSRU Terminal Project

© Wojciech Wrzesien / Adobe Stock

The Croatian government proposed a special law on Thursday to facilitate the construction of an EU-backed liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal in the northern Adriatic.The floating terminal is expected to start operations in 2020.The European Union wants the facility to help diversify sources of supply and reduce dependence on Russian gas, most notably for countries in central Europe.Brussels will invest 101.4 million euros ($121 million), or 28 percent of the project's assessed value.The law…

10 Dec 2018

Tepco Launches First Commercial Offshore Wind Farm

Japan's largest power company group Tokyo Electric Power Company (Tepco) announced  that the company’s first commercial offshore wind power facility will launch on January 1, 2019.According to a press release from the utility giant, since 2013, Tepco has been conducting Japan’s first demonstration test of offshore wind power facility (rated output: 2,400 kW; bottom-fixed foundation turbine), which is located south of Choshi, Chiba Prefecture.During the demonstration, Tepco continuously monitored test data with the aim of confirming technologies necessary to introduce and expand offshore wind power facilities. The demonstration provided Tepco with valuable experience in operating and maintaining the facility in harsh weather and marine conditions…

24 May 2019

VTAS All Set to Go

The Vessel Technology Assessment System Project (VTAS Project) has finished its development stage and is set to go live.The UK-based design, engineering and risk management consultancy firm BMT, in collaboration with Black & Veatch, created VTAS for the Energy Technologies Institute (ETI) in the UK. Watson Farley & Williams (WFW) is the advisor of the project.The VTAS Project ran from 1 January 2018 to 31 March 2019 and brought together the combined maritime and engineering consultancy expertise of BMT and Black & Veatch to inform the commercial maritime industry of the benefits of investing in and promoting fuel efficient technologies.The £1.8m initiative was funded by the ETI…

02 Dec 2018

New Jersey Board of Public Utilities Backs Offshore Wind

The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (NJBPU) is remaining committed to supporting the state’s goals of generating 3.5GW of offshore wind by 2030 and reaching 100% of renewable energy by 2050.The Offshore Wind Supply Chain Networking Event at Princeton University’s Andlinger Center for Energy and Environment provided information about the state’s plans for offshore wind, supply chain opportunities, available incentives, and workforce development programs.The event was co-sponsored by the New Jersey Economic Development Authority, Department of Environmental Protection, and Department of Labor and Workforce Development, as well as several offshore wind related businesses.

30 Jan 2018

US Coal Firms Plead for West Coast Export Terminals

© Standard Primitive / Adobe Stock

The ailing U.S. coal industry is ramping up its political and legal offensive to win approval for West Coast export terminals that could provide a lifeline to lucrative Asia markets. Coal producers filed two recent lawsuits against governments in Washington state and California challenging local decisions to block port projects on environmental grounds. The industry is also lobbying the Trump administration to override the local bans. The fight reflects the sector’s desperation to boost exports as U.S.

23 Feb 2018

Enhancing Historic Lake Michigan Docking Facilities

(Photo: Foth)

A federal FASTLANE grant has been approved for S.S. Badger Ports & Harbor project impacting Manitowoc, Wis. and Ludington, Mich. A primer on how things get done. This is a story about two communities on the shores of Lake Michigan and the unique car ferry that connects them. The SS Badger provides a nautical “highway” across one of our nation’s major waterways, carrying passengers, oversized loads and trucks of nearly every kind. Essentially, the ferry provides a vital lifeline of commerce, tourism and economic growth between the cities of Manitowoc, Wis. and Ludington, Mich.