Sustainable Energy Future News

In the global quest for achieving net zero emissions and slowing down global warming, carbon capture and storage (CCUS) technology has emerged as an important solution. Among the notable projects being developed in the field is the Northern Lights offshore carbon capture and storage project in Norway, a country with long experience with offshore CO2 storage.The transition to a sustainable energy future requires innovative solutions that go beyond simply halting fossil fuel projects.

U.S. offshore wind farm developer Vineyard Wind will deploy and test a secondary bubble curtain noise mitigation system during foundation installation at the Vineyard Wind offshore wind farm, the first commercial-scale wind farm installation project in the U.S.For this, the company is investing in ThayerMahan, a firm that specializes in seabed surveys, acoustic mitigation and monitoring, and other maritime-related services, with facilities in Connecticut and Massachusetts. The $5 million in funding comes from Vineyard Wind's Industry Accelerator Fund…

Energy Perspectives 2022: Long-term development in the world’s energy markets and how politics, technologies, companies, and consumers can influence it, is an overarching theme of the energy transition.With inflation raging, geopolitical disruption and resultant energy security concerts, and continued logistics woes, the table is set for Equinor to deliver its insights on energy courtesy of its "Energy Perspectives 2022" report.“Russia’s invasion of Ukraine earlier this year has not only tragically impacted the lives and livelihoods of those directly affected…

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…

Singapore's Energy Market Authority (EMA) and Keppel Offshore & Marine have jointly awarded a research grant to pilot Singapore’s first floating Energy Storage System (ESS). This project was awarded to a consortium led by Envision Digital International Pte Ltd (Envision Digital), aspart of the $10 million partnership between EMA and Keppel O&M  - announced in April 2020 - to develop innovative energy solutions in the marine sector.Keppel O&M said Monday it would work with the consortium to deploy a 7.5 MW/7.5MWh lithium-ion battery ESS on Keppel O&M’s Floating Living Lab (FLL).

Singapore-based offshore rig builder Keppel Offshore & Marine has partnered up with Energy Market Authority (EMA) to develop energy solutions in the areas of distributed energy resources, digitalization and emerging low carbon alternatives.As part of the $10 million partnership, EMA and Keppel O&M are launching a grant call for solutions relating to energy storage systems and smart power grids for the offshore and marine environment. "These solutions should seek to reduce overall energy usage and carbon footprint while enhancing overall operational efficiency.

The provider of testing and advisory services to the energy value chain including renewables and energy management, DNV GL has joined European signatories including ABB, EDP Renewables, Enel Green Power, Ge Renewable Energy, Pöyry, Prysmian, PwC, Siemens Gamesa and Vestas."DNV GL has signed a ‘declaration of intent’ to commit its interest and participation to the initiative renewAfrica, aimed at boosting renewable energy investments in Africa, alongside leading players in the African and European renewable energy market," said a statement.The renewAfrica launch event was hosted by RES4Africa and reflects the need for a strong joint effort…

The International Energy Agency (IEA) held a high-level workshop on the outlook for offshore wind energy yesterday (May 13), bringing together 80 senior representatives from government, the private sector, research groups, academia and international organisations.Participants joined from countries around the world, including many from Europe, the United States, Japan and China, said a press release from the Paris-based autonomous intergovernmental organization which works to ensure reliable, affordable and clean energy.Altogether, the countries represented at the workshop account for 97% of current and planned offshore wind development.Technological improvements for offshore wind are improving performance and lowering the costs of the electricity it produces…

There is a growing international consensus that clean hydrogen will play a key role in the world’s transition to a sustainable energy future, said  Noé van Hulst, who chairs the High-Level Advisory Panel for the International Energy Agency (IEA)’s forthcoming hydrogen study.Hulst, the Hydrogen Envoy for the Ministry of Economic Affairs & Climate Policy, The Netherlands, said that it is crucial to help reduce carbon emissions from industry and heavy transport, and also to provide long-term energy storage at scale.Hydrogen is a versatile energy carrier that can be produced from a wide range of sources and used in many ways across the entire energy sector.

Singapore-based energy company YTL PowerSeraya and LNG terminal operator Singapore LNG Corp (SLNG) announced that they have appointed new chief executive officers (CEOs).YTL PowerSeraya said that han Swee Huat has decided to step down as CEO of the Group with effect from 15 January 2019. Chan plans to retire but will continue to serve as an advisor to parent company YTL Power International.He will be succeeded by industry veteran John Ng, who was most recently the CEO of Singapore LNG Corporation (SLNG). Not new to YTL PowerSeraya,  Ng had served as the company’s CEO (2009 to 2013) and prior to the appointment, held numerous leadership positions within the company.Chan took over the helm as CEO of YTL PowerSeraya from Ng in October 2013, a role which he has held for five years.

New research by DNV GL, the technical advisor to the oil and gas industry, has revealed that confidence in growth in the Malaysian oil and gas sector has tumbled since 2014, from 96% to 21%, with tough, short-term, cost-cutting efforts expected to increase in 2017. Diversification will be a hallmark of 2017, with 49% of those surveyed looking to increase investment in, or diversify into, areas beyond oil and gas. Thirty-seven per cent of senior oil and gas professionals in Malaysia are actively looking for new gas projects as a result of falling oil prices, compared to 31% globally. However, the Malaysian respondents' views on renewable energy investment in 2017 are divided, with 49% expecting it to decrease while 44% expect it to rise or stay the same.

New research by DNV GL, the technical advisor to the oil and gas industry, reveals that confidence in oil and gas sector growth in China in 2017 has fallen sharply from 61% last year to 23% - lower than global opinion (32%). Chinese respondents are also less confident about their organization’s prospects, profits and revenue. However, the research also shows that Chinese companies are rebalancing business portfolios and reorganizing for a new era where gas will be an important part of the energy mix. The research by DNV GL reveals signs of deep, strategic changes for sustainable growth in China, beyond the sector’s usual cyclical patterns.

Petronas has selected Jotun’s Hull Performance Solutions (HPS) antifouling system for two LNG vessels chartered from MISC. The advanced antifouling coatings and a full suite of performance measurement sensors will now be applied to Seri Amanah and Puteri Zamrud in a move that will increase vessel efficiency, cut fuel costs and reduce CO2 emissions by 10 percent, according to Jotun. Jotun’s antifouling coatings limit the growth of organisms on hulls and HPS provide measurable hydrodynamic performance gain.

To meet the growing demand in the region, DNV GL opened a new office in Malaysia. The official opening of the office coincided with the company’s celebration of a double milestone: 150 years of history as a world leader in classification and technical assurance services and its first year as a newly merged company. "According to the OECD, growth in the Emerging Asian economies (South East Asia, China and India) is expected to be a robust 6.9% for the 2014-18 period. Registering a 6.4% growth in Q2 of 2014, Malaysia has a well-diversified economy, with major contributors coming from export-driven service and manufacturing industries as well as the mining and agricultural sectors. The country is a key driver of offshore investments and is building substantial offshore infrastructure.

In a review of Finnish energy policies launched, the International Energy Agency praised Finland for its commitment to a sustainable energy future. With its energy-intensive industries and its cold climate, Finland’s energy consumption per capita is the highest in the IEA. Yet the IEA noted that Finland’s energy policy framework was broad and coherent, covering all sectors and paving the way for a more sustainable energy system in the longer term. “Finland is highly dependent on imported fossil fuels, making security of supply a priority,” IEA Executive Director Maria van der Hoeven said as she presented the report in Helsinki. The report…

U.S. Navy's Self Defense Test Ship successfully transits on alternative fuel blend. The U.S. Navy successfully has concluded its largest demonstration of shipboard alternative fuel use with the successful arrival of the Self Defense Test Ship (SDTS) to Naval Surface Warfare Center Port Hueneme. The SDTS is a decommissioned Spruance-class destroyer ex-Paul F. Foster (EDD 964) reconfigured to provide the Navy an at-sea, remotely controlled, engineering test and evaluation platform without the risk to personnel or operational assets.

The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) has postponed a top-level seminar on oil markets, originally scheduled for March, until later in the year. The seminar, "OPEC and the global energy balance: towards a sustainable energy future," was to be held in Vienna the two days before the March 16 meeting of oil ministers in which they are to discuss output policy for the next few months. "It will be postponed because a various ministers are not going to be able to attend," OPEC Secretary-General Ali Rodriguez told Reuters. Another OPEC official said the seminar was tentatively rescheduled for September. - (Reuters)