Renewable Resources News

The commercial maritime industry is seeking solutions to improve efficiency and reduce emissions, and a wide range of new solutions are coming to market to answer the call. Among these is a new design for a methanol-hybrid tug from naval architecture and marine engineering firm Glosten. The SA-100, developed in collaboration with systems integrator ABB, is a high-powered tug with 90-ton bollard pull that’s “intended to give operators a means to improve environmental performance…

The words “blue economy” will soon shape the future of Canada’s oceans, from the fiords and straits of British Columbia to the rugged coastlines of the Atlantic to the vast seascapes of the Arctic. The transformation of Canada’s ocean economies will be felt throughout the country and will set an example for nations around the world.But what is a blue economy? And what makes it different from business as usual?The term blue economy was first championed by small-island developing countries, including Fiji, Bahamas and Palau, to bring more local benefits from ocean industries.

Haldor Topsoe and Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller Center for Zero Carbon Shipping formalized their collaboration by signing a Partnership Agreement whereas Topsoe becomes an official partner to the Center, committing to a long-term strategic collaboration about the development of zero carbon technologies for the maritime industry.The collaboration will depart in the conversion of renewable resources - such as biomass and green electricity – to energy carriers and fuels. Topsoe is also…

U.S. Senator Charles Schumer on Monday joined Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, calling for a creation of a local offshore wind turbine assembly center at Sunset Park, Brooklyn, New York, and calling for the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) funding.According to a statement released by the Senator's office, the assembly site would position New York to play a significant role in the offshore wind supply chain, "which could create thousands of jobs…

Interest in ammonia-powered fuel cells for the maritime sector is growing, but stakeholders have been hesitant to commit to investments in large-scale systems. Now the ShipFC project is aiming to secure a place for ammonia in the future of deep-sea shipping.The project will equip the offshore supply vessel Viking Energy, owned and operated by Eidesvik and on contract to energy major Equinor, with a 2-megawatt (MW) ammonia fuel cell, allowing it to operate for at least 3,000 hours annually on clean fuel.

Ultra-luxury cruise ship Europa 2 has had its cold ironing connection certified by classification society DNV GL following testing of the undisrupted use and compatibility of the shore-to-ship power system in the Port of Hamburg.While idled due to the coronavirus pandemic, Europa 2 has been using cold ironing at the Cruise Center Altona in Hamburg for the past 30 days, reportedly marking the first time a cruise ship has been using cold ironing for a long period of time.Europa 2, with a maximum of 500 passengers requires 2.2 megawatts (MW) of power per hour during its lay time.

Luxury cruise ship Europa 2, idled by travel restrictions stemming from the coronavirus pandemic, is now using cold ironing at the Cruise Center Altona in Hamburg, Germany. The process provides shoreside electrical power to a ship at berth while its main and auxiliary engines are turned off.In this test phase, the undisrupted use and compatibility had been comprehensively tested and prepared when the Europa 2 was moored in its berth in Altona. The operator said it is targetting certification by classification society DNV GL.The small luxury ship the Europa 2…

ABB signs Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Hydrogène de France to jointly manufacture megawatt-scale fuel cell systems capable of powering oceangoing vessels.The MOU between ABB and hydrogen technologies specialist Hydrogène de France (HDF) envisages close collaboration on the assembly and production of the fuel cell power plant for marine applications.Building on an existing collaboration announced on June 27, 2018 with Ballard Power Systems, a global provider of proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell solutions…

In just a few months, the U.S. will be fully energy independent and by 2030, the country's total primary energy production will outpace primary energy demand by 30 percent.According to the Norwegian market research consultancy Rystad Energy, this milestone follows a strong period of growth in both hydrocarbon and renewable resources."We forecast that the US will have primary energy surplus – and not a deficit – by February or March 2020, depending on the intensity of the winter season,” says Sindre Knutsson, vice president on Rystad Energy’s gas markets team.“Going forward, the United States will be energy independent on a monthly basis, and by 2030 total primary energy production will outpace primary energy demand by about 30%,” Knutsson added.These developments are already in full swing.

A group of offshore wind industry members that includes Equinor, Magellan Wind and Principle Power have launched an offshore wind group in California.The Offshore Wind California (OWC) said it is  committed to providing industry expertise, innovative solutions, and a dedicated voice for offshore wind in California.OWC is poised to lead the promotion of responsible and sustainable deployment of offshore wind power in the state's energy system.California is well-positioned to break out as the next investment hot spot for America's booming offshore wind industry, which is taking off with more than 22 gigawatts (GW) in commitments by East Coast states and $70 billion in supply chain spending by 2030…

Saudi Arabian national petroleum and natural gas company Saudi Aramco said that using renewable energy at unconventional well sites in Wa’ad Al-Shamal provides multiple benefits to the company."Not only is it a reliable and less expensive way to power the remote wells, but it also reduces carbon emissions and helps to save hydrocarbons for export by providing natural gas for the region’s power generation," Saudi Arabian Oil Company said.A new collaboration between the Power Systems Renewables Department (PRSD) and Unconventional Resources (UR) is not only saving costs while creating value, but is also reducing Saudi Aramco’s environmental…

Ferries serving the Western Isles and West Coast of Scotland could soon be powered by hydrogen generated from onshore island wind power, according to a newly published feasibility study.The Scottish Western Isles Ferry Transport Using Hydrogen (SWIFTH2) project, which was led by the Point and Sandwick Trust in collaboration with seven industry partners including Wood, was part-funded by the Scottish Government’s Low Carbon Infrastructure Transition Programme.The project team also included Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy, ITM Power, ENGIE, Ferguson Marine Engineering, Caledonia Marine Assets Ltd and Johnston Carmichael.The study assessed the feasibility of deploying hydrogen-powered passenger ferries on nine existing Caledonian MacBrayne ferry routes servicing the Western Isles.

With the U.S. offshore wind industry poised for rapid growth, DNV GL has established a Renewables Certification office in Medford, Mass., to meet the growing demands for certification services. While the U.S. is still a generation behind Europe in the exploitation of offshore wind energy resources, it could catch up quickly, as, according to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), there is the potential to install 22,000 MW of offshore wind projects in the U.S. by 2030. Much of this activity is taking place in the Northeast…

UK port operator Peel Ports has revealed its plans for the major port and industrial centre at Hunterston, one of Scotland’s most important development sites comprising a 300-acre brownfield footprint, deepwater, and rail connections.It is calling on North Ayrshire residents and businesses to share their opinions about potential uses of the site, which is expected to support over 1,700 jobs and add over £140m in economic value to Scotland.The company has published its vision for Hunterston and how it intends to develop the site over the next twenty years. The details are contained in a Master Plan, published at the beginning of a six-week consultation process.Andrew Hemphill…

A new paper ‘Sailing on Solar’, commissioned by Environmental Defense Fund Europe and developed by Ricardo, presents a vision of how international shipping can meet its target of at least halving emissions by 2050 - while also helping developing nations benefit from the emerging clean energy economy.The paper focuses on green ammonia produced from surplus renewable electricity, one of several potential fuels for maritime transport that do not produce greenhouse gases.Green ammonia is a substitute to fossil fuels that can be used in modified shipping engines and in fuel cells. Production of the fuel requires renewable electricity at a large scale.

Eneco and Vattenfall have completed repowering of the Slufterdam wind farm in the Netherlands, boosting output to 50MW from around 25MW.The 17 existing wind turbines in the farm, which has been supplying renewable energy since 2002, have been replaced by 14 wind turbines that are much more efficient. As a result, the power has nearly doubled from 25.5 MW to 50.4 MW. The 14 wind turbines generate 180 GWh of electricity every year, enough to cover the annual consumption of around 60,000 households.The energy companies started preparations to replace the wind turbines in mid-2017. In a period of roughly 18 months, the old wind turbines were dismantled…

The global offshore wind energy market is poised to grow over USD 49.74 billion by 2023 at an estimated CAGR of around 11.12% during the period 2017 to 2023.The growth in this sector can be attributed to the increasing demand for clean and reliable energy in order to reduce the global carbon emissions and to maintain ecological balance by generating electricity through renewable resources, said a report by Market Research Future.However, high initiating capital cost of the projects with high maintenance cost and logistics issues, can hinder the offshore wind market. Also, high tidal winds and bad weather conditions making it difficult…

Officials from the Port of Long Beach, Southern California Edison and the California Energy Commission today launched the nation’s largest pilot project for zero-emissions cranes and other cargo-handling equipment for seaports. Funded mostly by a $9.7 million grant from the California Energy Commission, the project will bring 25 vehicles that are zero- or near zero-emissions to Port of Long Beach marine terminals for one year to test their performance in a real-world setting. The launch event was held at Pacific Container Terminal at Long Beach’s Pier J — operated by SSA Terminals — one of three terminals participating in the project.

Len Badal has joined the senior executive team of BioBlend Renewable Resources, LLC, as the company grows its management team to help meet growing demand for environmentally friendly lubricants. Badal is a graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point, and holds an MBA with a concentration in Finance from Rice University in Houston. Throughout his career Badal has held a number of high-level positions with both Chevron and ExxonMobil and delivers a diverse range of experience that will aid BioBlend’s future growth, the company said.

Werner von Siemens’ mission to lay 50,000 nautical miles of transatlantic cables might not have been destined to fail – but at least one business rival tried to make sure that it would. It wasn’t enough to merely execute a risky project that had never been done before. The crew aboard the Faraday, the ship that Siemens and his brothers commissioned, also had to move faster than saboteurs who planted false reports in the press and even broke cables. And it was in this pressure…

The first and only product of its type, RSC FUTERRA is a new Ecolabel-certified EAL that combines the highest performance of any EAL currently available on the market with an attractive price point for performance against other EALs. The only EAL from a renewable hydrocarbon resource, FUTERRA is a synthetic HEPR made from renewable resources. It outperforms petroleum and other EALs in tough environments, offers drop-in replacement for mineral oil or petroleum-based lubricants and was designed to outperform other EALs in both wet and dry environments.

The first and only product of its type, RSC FUTERRA is a new Ecolabel-certified EAL that combines the highest performance of any EAL currently available on the market with an attractive price point for performance against other EALs. The only EAL from a renewable hydrocarbon resource, FUTERRA is a synthetic HEPR made from renewable resources. It outperforms petroleum and other EALs in tough environments, offers drop-in replacement for mineral oil or petroleum-based lubricants and was designed to outperform other EALs in both wet and dry environments.

Manufacturer of specialty lubricants Klüber Lubrication has introduced Klüberbio LG 39-701 N, an eco-compatible operating lubricant for open gear drives used in marine applications. Klüberbio LG 39-701 N is specifically designed for manufacturers and operators of open gear drives, jack-up lifting systems or other onboard equipment that is frequently in contact with sea water. Klüber said its new lubricant offers excellent adhesion to surfaces, has good low-temperature behavior and enables operation of open drives in areas with very low ambient temperatures, down to minus 30°C.