The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, will expand the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) (earlier post) London-wide. The expansion will come into effect on 29 August 2023 and will operate across all London boroughs up to the existing Low Emission Zone boundary for large and heavy vehicles. On 8 April... Read more →

Aral is piloting two new fuels in Germany: Aral Futura Super 95 and Aral Futura Diesel. Both fuels reduce CO2 emissions compared to pure fossil fuels by at least 25% and contain at least 30% of high-quality renewable components, including a significant share of advanced renewable components. They are now... Read more →

Rio Tinto has shown the effectiveness of a low-carbon iron-making process using ores from its mines in Australia in a small-scale pilot plant in Germany, and is now planning the development of a larger-scale pilot plant to further assess its potential to help decarbonize the steel value chain. The process,... Read more →

Rolls-Royce has successfully entered the final phase of testing it’s ALECSys (Advanced Low Emissions Combustion System) demonstrator engine, this time at altitude. (Earlier post.) The demonstrator took to the skies attached to the Rolls-Royce Boeing 747 Flying Test Bed in Tucson, Arizona. The test program has included flights up to... Read more →

The California Air Resources Board approved a $2.6-billion investment plan to support the transition to zero-emission transportation. Supported projects range from incentives for cleaner trucks and buses, and mobility options such as bike- and car-sharing, to consumer rebates for clean cars. This year’s investment dollars focus largely on underserved communities,... Read more →

Following initial contracts with European suppliers, the BMW Group has now concluded further agreements for the supply of CO2-reduced steel in the US and China. In the medium-term, the BMW Group will increase CO2 savings through agreements with additional steel suppliers and thus consistently drive forward the decarbonization of its... Read more →

The Global Carbon Project (GCP) published its annual analysis of trends in the global carbon cycle in the journal Earth System Science Data, including an updated full-year projection for 2022. Global fossil CO2 emissions are expected to grow 1.0% (with an uncertainty range of 0.1% to 1.9%) in 2022 as... Read more →

The European Commission presented its proposal for Euro 7 standards to reduce air pollution from new motor vehicles sold in the EU. While CO2 emission rules will drive the deployment of zero-emission vehicles, it is important to ensure that all vehicles on European roads are much cleaner, the EC said.... Read more →

As the world’s first truck manufacturer to do so, Volvo has begun using fossil-free steel in its trucks. The first electric trucks with fossil-free steel are now being delivered to customers. In September, Volvo Trucks started series production of heavy-duty electric, 44 tonne trucks, as the first global truck manufacturer... Read more →

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is responding to petitions from the California Air Resources Board, the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District, and the California Air Pollution Control Officers Association to address harmful nitrogen oxide (NOx) and particulate matter (PM) emissions from locomotives. EPA adopted its first regulation... Read more →

The American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) has released recommended steel industry greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions calculation guidelines to provide consistent and comprehensive data across the industry on GHG emissions from steel production, with a focus on product-level disclosures and corporate-level reporting. The proposed guidelines are the result of months-long... Read more →

A team at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) has developed a data-driven artificial intelligence (AI) framework to design liquid fuels exhibiting tailor-made properties for combustion engine applications to improve efficiency and lower carbon emissions. An open-access paper on their work is published in the Nature journal Communications... Read more →

NASA’s Earth Surface Mineral Dust Source Investigation (EMIT) mission is mapping the prevalence of key minerals in the planet’s dust-producing deserts—information that will advance our understanding of airborne dust’s effects on climate. But EMIT has demonstrated another capability: detecting the presence of methane, a potent greenhouse gas. In the data... Read more →

New research from Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden, finds that the discharge water from ships’ exhaust gas treatment systems—i.e., scrubbers—is responsible for up to 9% of certain emissions of carcinogenic and environmentally harmful substances in the Baltic Sea—considerably more than was previously known. Furthermore, the number of ships equipped with... Read more →

Rolls-Royce has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Alder Fuels, a process technology and project development company in the low-carbon transportation fuels industry (earlier post), to test Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) produced based on Alder Fuels’ proprietary greencrude technology (AGC). The testing, which will include flight tests on a... Read more →

In an open-access report in the journal Environmental Pollution, researchers from UCLA and the University of Chicago estimate that California’s wildfire carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) emissions from 2020 (~127 mmt CO2e ) are approximately two times higher than California’s total greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reductions since 2003. Without considering future... Read more →

The California Air Resources Board (CARB) reached a settlement agreement with FCA US LLC (FCA) of Auburn Hills, Mich. for $5,601,090 for violations of CARB’s air quality regulations. This is the second enforcement action against FCA in the past four years. The FCA vehicles and model years (MY) involved in... Read more →

Rio Tinto is partnering with the Government of Canada to invest up to C$737 million (US$537 million) over the next eight years to decarbonize its Rio Tinto Fer et Titane (RTFT) operations in Sorel-Tracy, Québec, and to position the business as a center of excellence for critical minerals processing. The... Read more →

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a proposed determination that emissions of lead from aircraft that operate on leaded fuel cause or contribute to air pollution that may reasonably be anticipated to endanger public health and welfare. Under the Clean Air Act, EPA reviews information on air pollutants and... Read more →

The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) has established a 2050 net-zero carbon dioxide emission goal for international aviation. That agreement came at the ICAO 41st Assembly in Montreal after almost a decade of negotiations, and reflects increased urgency to align aviation with the Paris Agreement. Previous ICAO negotiations have focused... Read more →

Electra has raised $85 million to produce Low-Temperature Iron (LTI) from commercial and low-grade ores using zero-carbon intermittent electricity. Electra’s process emits zero carbon dioxide emissions and carries zero green premium, meaning it will cost the same or less than existing production methods powered by fossil fuels. Electra, founded by... Read more →

Oil and gas producers rely on flaring to limit the venting of natural gas from their facilities. New research led by the University of Michigan shows that in the real world, this practice is far less effective than estimated, releasing five times more methane in the US than previously thought.... Read more →

BNSF Railway plans to invest more than $1.5 billion to construct a master-planned rail facility in Southern California—the first being developed by a Class 1 railroad. The Barstow International Gateway will be an approximately 4,500-acre new integrated rail facility on the west side of Barstow, consisting of a rail yard,... Read more →

New York Governor Kathy Hochul directed the State Department of Environmental Conservation to take major regulatory action that will require all new passenger cars, pickup trucks, and SUVs sold in New York State to be zero emissions by 2035. This regulatory step will be complemented by new and ongoing investments... Read more →

Researchers have used a novel near-infrared light imaging technique to capture the first cross-sectional images of carbon dioxide in the exhaust plume of a commercial jet engine. The technique—using chemical species tomography—could help accelerate turbine combustion research aimed at developing engines and aviation fuels that are more environmentally friendly. The... Read more →

A tax on frequent flying could generate revenues needed to deeply decarbonize aviation through midcentury while concentrating the cost burden on those who fly the most, according to a new study from the International Council on Clean Transportation. (ICCT) The study comes as policymakers gather in Montreal this week to... Read more →

Rio Tinto and Shougang Group, one of the world’s top 10 steel producers, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to promote research, design and implementation of low-carbon solutions for the steel value chain. The MoU’s focus areas include low-carbon sintering technology, blast furnace (BF) and basic oxygen furnace (BOF)... Read more →

The US Department of Energy (DOE) released draft guidance for a Clean Hydrogen Production Standard (CHPS), developed to meet the requirements of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), Section 40315. The CHPS is not a regulatory standard, and DOE may not necessarily require future funded activities to achieve the standard. However,... Read more →

The California Air Resources Board today approved a statewide plan for attaining the federal health-based standard for ozone, typically experienced as smog. The 2022 State Implementation Plan Strategy identifies the state’s control strategy for meeting the federal 70 parts per billion, 8-hour ozone standard over the next 15 years. The... Read more →

Amtrak has pledged to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions across the Amtrak Network by 2045. Amtrak plans to take the following actions: Achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions across Amtrak’s network by 2045: Begin with efforts to increase energy efficiency, followed by the implementation of renewable fuels and energy. Reduce diesel... Read more →

Steelmaker SSAB has started a partnership in fossil-free steel applications with Oshkosh Corporation, a leading producer of mission-critical vehicles and essential equipment, including heavy-duty truck bodies, fire apparatus, access equipment and other specialty trucks. The first use of this fossil-free steel will be to prototype advanced, environmentally sustainable McNeilus refuse... Read more →

General Motors and Environmental Defense Fund announced a set of recommendations that seek to accelerate a zero-emissions, all-electric future for passenger vehicles in model year 2027 and beyond. The recommendations were jointly developed by GM and EDF to support the next tier of EPA clean car standards. GM and EDF... Read more →

thyssenkrupp Steel is supplying low-CO2 “bluemint” steel to its customer Accuride for the production of truck wheels. To improve the carbon footprint of the wheel for the customer Accuride, several parameters in flat steel production have been optimized with regard to sustainability. Compared with conventional steel, bluemint Steel used for... Read more →

Polestar is welcoming twelve new partners to the Polestar 0 project to develop a climate-neutral car. (Earlier post.) Each partner will focus on certain materials, components and processes involved in the production of cars. New partners, listed below, cover areas such as plastics, composites, chemicals and metals. The transport sector... Read more →

The Executive Board of thyssenkrupp AG has released the corresponding capital resources for the construction of the first direct reduction (DR) plant at its Duisburg site. The Supervisory Board of thyssenkrupp AG supports this decision. The major project remains subject to public funding. The plant, with a capacity of 2.5... Read more →

Mercedes‑Benz Vans, the Österreichische Post and MANN+HUMMEL have launched a pilot project to reduce fine dust pollution and to gain comprehensive insights into effectiveness, weather influences and durability in real-life operation. For this purpose, two eSprinter series production vehicles of the Österreichische Post were equipped with optimized fine dust filters... Read more →

DAMEN Naval and Rolls-Royce business unit Power Systems have signed a contract to deliver 16 mtu diesel generator sets, for the four new F126 Frigates for the German Navy. Although DAMEN and Rolls-Royce, whose business unit Power Systems is based in Friedrichshafen, Germany, have a long-standing cooperation in shipbuilding, this... Read more →

JFE Steel Corporation, Itochu Corporation and Emirates Steel Arkan, the largest steel company in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), will conduct joint detailed feasibility studies on the establishment of a supply chain of ferrous raw material for green ironmaking with low-carbon emission at the project site in Abu Dhabi. Emirates... Read more →

The California Air Resources Board (CARB) recently previewed the Heavy-Duty Inspection and Maintenance Program (HD I/M), which is due to begin phasing in on 1 Jan 2023 (earlier post), at an enforcement truck event held at the Port of Los Angeles. CARB used the event, where more than 1,200 trucks... Read more →

A new University of Michigan study finds that making the switch to all-electric mail-delivery vehicles would lead to far greater reductions in greenhouse gas emissions than previously estimated by the US Postal Service (USPS). (Earlier post.) In its analysis of the potential environmental impacts of the Next Generation Delivery Vehicle... Read more →

An anti-pollution helmet developed by a Delhi-based startup can help 2-wheeler riders breathe cleaner air. The helmet developed by Shellios Technolabs has a Bluetooth-enabled app that lets the rider know when the helmet requires cleaning. The helmet titled PUROS is integrated with air purifying accessories which include the patented innovations... Read more →

The California Air Resources Board approved the Advanced Clean Cars II (ACC II) rule. The rule establishes a year-by-year roadmap so that by 2035 100% of new cars and light trucks sold in California will be zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs). The ACC program was first... Read more →

Commercial Japan Partnership Technologies Corporation (CJPT) is expelling Hino Motors, Ltd. (Hino) in light of Hino’s misconduct concerning certification testing. An on-site inspection conducted by Japan’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism found that Hino committed additional wrongdoings related to applications for engine emissions certification, in addition to the... Read more →

Large pieces of plastic can break down into nanosized particles that often find their way into the soil and water. Perhaps less well known is that they can also float in the air. It’s unclear how nanoplastics impact human health, but animal studies suggest they’re potentially harmful. As a step... Read more →

The world’s biggest cities and urban areas face some of the worst air quality on the planet, according to a new report published by HEI (Health Effects Institute). The report, Air Quality and Health in Cities, released by HEI’s State of Global Air Initiative, provides a comprehensive and detailed analysis... Read more →

The San Joaquin Valley Air District Governing Board unanimously voted to accept $12.9 million in additional California Air Resources Board (CARB) funding to replace heavy-duty trucks through the Valley Air District’s grant program. Reducing emissions from mobile sources is key to the San Joaquin Valley meeting federal ambient air quality... Read more →

In a recent simulation study reported in Porsche Engineering Magazine, Porsche Engineering examined the potential of hydrogen combustion engines. The result is a high-performance powertrain with emissions at the same level as ambient air. Current work on hydrogen combustion engines worldwide is predominantly being done for commercial vehicles with a... Read more →

The Department of Transportation’s Federal Transit Administration announced $1.66 billion in grants to transit agencies, territories, and states across the US to invest in 150 bus fleets and facilities. More than 1,100 of those vehicles will use zero-emissions technology; this year’s funding will nearly double the number of no-emission transit... Read more →

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is inviting small businesses to participate as Small Entity Representatives (SERs) for a Small Business Advocacy Review (SBAR) Panel. This Panel will focus on the agency’s development of a rule that proposes to set a new phase of greenhouse gas requirements for heavy-duty engines... Read more →

Researchers in the Transport Technologies Division of Saudi Aramco have used using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and advanced machine learning (ML) techniques to co-optimize the piston bowl and the injector design of a gasoline compression ignition (GCI) engine. The optimum ML design provided similar performance at mid-load but a 3.8%... Read more →