Kobe Steel will launch “Kobenable Steel” and become Japan’s first provider of low-CO2 blast furnace steel products with significantly reduced CO2 emissions during the blast furnace ironmaking process. The company plans to start selling the new products this fiscal year. Kobenable Steel is based on the KOBELCO Group’s CO2 Reduction... Read more →
Standalone Swedish premium electric vehicle manufacturer Polestar has released its second Annual Review and Sustainability report, highlighting progress towards its ambitious climate goals. In 2021, Polestar reduced greenhouse gas-emissions per car sold by 6% through its focus on increased efficiency and use of renewable energy. Polestar is targeting a truly... Read more →
Asahi Kasei has developed a system to calculate the carbon footprint of products (CFP) for the synthetic rubber and elastomers products Asadene, Tufdene, Asaprene, Tufprene, Asaflex, Tuftec, and S.O.E. with CFP data provision to customers scheduled to begin in June 2022. CFP visualization is achieved utilizing the DEEP (Data Exploration... Read more →
Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) will host a short public webinar on 11 May, 11:15am CT, on using hydrogen in businesses. Replacing fossil fuels with hydrogen could turn manufacturing and transportation into green industries. Companies can use hydrogen to reduce their carbon footprint in many ways—for example, to generate electricity; to... Read more →
The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to approve Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) pathways for certain biofuels that are produced from canola/rapeseed oil (earlier post) and is providing an opportunity for comment on the Agency’s lifecycle greenhouse gas (GHG) analysis of these pathways. With the approval, these fuel pathways... Read more →
At its first digital ESG (Environment, Social and Governance) Conference for investors and analysts, Mercedes-Benz announced aims to at least halve CO2 emissions per passenger car over the lifecycle by the end of this decade compared to 2020 levels. To achieve this goal, the key factors include: electrifying the vehicle... Read more →
The BMW Group will use cast aluminum wheels produced with 100% green power for its BMW and MINI brands from 2024 onwards. For the BMW Group, this is another step towards its goal of creating the most sustainable supply chain in the automotive industry. The transition applies, in particular, to... Read more →
Canada-based Rock Tech Lithium will collaborate with the Fraunhofer Institute for Environmental, Safety and Energy Technology UMSICHT and Circulor, the UK-based sustainable supply chain traceability provider, to achieve comprehensive CO2 transparency of Rock Tech’s lithium value chain—from the raw material, spodumene, to the end product, lithium hydroxide. Rock Tech, which... Read more →
Keliber, a Finnish mining and battery chemical company that aims to start the sustainable production of battery-grade lithium hydroxide, has analyzed the CO2 emissions generated by its future production using two studies. Based on the work, Keliber’s lithium hydroxide will have a smaller carbon footprint than most of the competitors’... Read more →
Researchers at the University of Michigan and Ford Motor Company have conducted a cradle-to-grave life cycle GHG assessment of model year 2020 ICEV, HEV, and BEV sedans, sports utility vehicles (SUVs), and pickup trucks in the United States. Light-duty vehicles, including sedans, SUVs, and pickup trucks, are currently responsible for... Read more →
Some of the world’s leading automotive industry suppliers, including SSAB steel, Hydro renewable energy, ZF electric powertrains, ZKW control systems and Autoliv safety equipment, are joining forces with intent to collaborate on the Polestar 0 Project, which aims to develop a truly climate-neutral car by 2030 (earlier post). Polestar has... Read more →
Teijin Limited has started to carry out a life-cycle assessment (LCA) of its carbon fibers to calculate their total carbon emissions—an industry first. Teijin previously calculated the carbon footprint of its carbon fibers used in sports, recreational and industrial applications and more recently its carbon fiber filaments used in aircraft... Read more →
Researchers from three US Department of Energy (DOE) labs—Argonne National Laboratory, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL)—have investigated the economic and environmental implications of producing bioblendstocks for diesel fuels from two wet waste-to-fuel pathways: hydroprocessed esters and fatty acids (HEFA) from yellow grease and... Read more →
Over the entire lifecycle (with use over 300,000 kilometers and recycling), the new plug-in hybrid Mercedes-Benz S 580 e (earlier post) produces around 14.1 (charging with European power mix) or 36.2 percent (hydroelectric power) lower CO₂ emissions than its predecessor, the S 560 e, according to Mercedes-Benz’ 360° environmental check.... Read more →
Vulcan Energy Resources has agreed to acquire an operational geothermal renewable energy power plant in the Upper Rhine Valley at Insheim, Germany, through the acquisition of 100% of the shares in the entity which owns and operates the plant. A new Germany subsidiary of Vulcan, based in Karlsruhe, will be... Read more →
Volvo Cars has published a lifecycle analysis report on its second fully electric car, the C40 Recharge, which shows the potential CO2 reductions if a car is built and charged using clean energy sources. Key findings from the report include: The C40 Recharge has approximately 5% lower total carbon footprint... Read more →
The Biophysical Economics Institute (BPEI), a non-profit organization dedicated to bringing the natural sciences into economic analysis and decision making, has partnered with Hedgerow Analysis to evaluate the implementation of SiC chips in electric vehicle usage on behalf of silicon carbide technology leader Wolfspeed, Inc. Specifically, the study estimated the... Read more →
Plastics are on track to contribute more greenhouse gas emissions than coal plants in the US by 2030, according to new report by Beyond Plastics, a nationwide project based at Bennington College in Vermont. The New Coal: Plastics and Climate Change analyzes data from ten stages of plastics production, usage,... Read more →
Every year, the California Air Resources Board (ARB) posts an Annual Crude Average carbon intensity calculation, using the the Oil Production Greenhouse Gas Emission Estimator (OPGEE) Model. Crude oil from California, Alaska and 11 countries account for 95% of the volume supplied to California in any given year. Source: CARB... Read more →
A team from Argonne National Laboratory recently produced a program record for the DOE Offices of Vehicle Technologies, Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies, and Bioenergy Technologies in which the Argonne researchers documented cradle-to-grave (C2G) and well-to-wheels (WTW) greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of light-duty vehicles, assuming key parameters for a variety... Read more →
A team at yhe Universiy of Georgia has estimated the break-even price and life cycle carbon emissions of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) derived from oil obtained from Brassica carinata—a non-edible oilseed crop—in the Southeastern United States. The open-access study is published in GCB Bioenergy. Carinata has the potential as a... Read more →
A new study by the UK-based Zemo Partnership recommends that UK Government policy should increase its focus on the well-to-wheel (WTW) greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and overall energy efficiency performance of new fuels for transport. While hydrogen, electric and renewable fuels (produced from waste-based feedstocks) can all radically cut emissions... Read more →
The Argonne National Laboratory’s Systems Assessment Center announced the 2021 release of the suite of GREET models and associated documentation. GREET (Greenhouse gases, Regulated Emissions, and Energy use in Technologies) is a life-cycle analysis (LCA) tool, structured to examine systematically the energy and environmental effects of a wide variety of... Read more →
Polestar has released the LCA reports for the new Polestar 2 versions (Long-range Single-motor and Standard-range Single-motor), including all emissions from cradle to grave. The company published an evaluation of the carbon footprint of the Long-range Dual-motor Polestar 2 in 2020. The new LCAs represent a continuation of that work;... Read more →
Raven SR, a renewable fuels company, is collaborating with Republic Services Inc. to convert organic waste to produce green hydrogen at a site in Richmond, California. Raven SR’s first commercial systems will divert a blend of green waste and food waste from the landfill, thereby reducing methane emissions and will... Read more →
Researchers at Monash University in Australia have conducted a lifecycle analysis and net energy analysis (LCA/NEA) of a hypothetical large-scale solar-electrolysis plant for the production of green hydrogen. The open-access paper on the study is published in the RSC journal Energy & Environmental Science. Process flow diagram and construction phase... Read more →
The COVID-19 pandemic boosted interest in automated transport technologies as a contactless way to help customers get their purchases. However, there hasn’t been an assessment of how robots and automated vehicles impact the already energy-intensive process of transporting packages from local distribution centers to customers’ front doors. Now, researchers from... Read more →
A study by researchers at CU Boulder and Edinburgh Napier University finds that high-density, low-rise environments such as those found in Paris are the optimal urban form when looking to reduce greenhouse gas emissions over their whole life cycle. There is a growing belief that building taller and denser is... Read more →
“Blue” hydrogen—produced through steam methane reforming (SMR) of natural gas or coal gasification, but with CO2 capture and storage—is being described as having low or zero carbon emissions. However, a new lifecycle study by a team from Stanford University and Cornell University has concluded that total greenhouse gas emissions from... Read more →
Kia EV6 (earlier post)has achieved product carbon footprint certification and ‘Carbon Measured’ label from the global climate change and sustainability consultancy the Carbon Trust, becoming the first Korean vehicle manufacturer to achieve the certificate. The first EV6 models are expected to go on sale in the US in early 2022... Read more →
Growth Energy, American Farm Bureau Federation, National Biodiesel Board, National Corn Growers Association, National Farmers Union, and the Renewable Fuels Association sent a letter to the US Senate Committee on Finance and the US House of Representatives Committee on Ways and Means outlining its recommendations for a sound and effective... Read more →
A common farm weed could make a jet fuel with fewer production-related environmental impacts than other biofuels, according to a new lifecycle study by researchers at The Ohio State University. Growing the weed, pennycress—often called stinkweed—as a crop requires less fertilizer and fewer pesticides than other plants that can be... Read more →
In a post published on Medium, Gill Pratt, Toyota Motor Corporation’s Chief Scientist and the CEO of Toyota Research Institute, explains why he is not a proponent of ditching ICE and switching to only BEVs as soon as possible. He argues that a diversity of electrified drivetrain types are better... Read more →
The ICCT has conducted a comprehensive global and temporal life-cycle assessment of GHG emissions from a variety of alternative passenger car powertrains and fuels. The results show there is no realistic pathway to full decarbonization of internal combustion engine vehicles, and that only battery and hydrogen fuel-cell EVs have potential... Read more →
Researchers at Argonne National Laboratory have conducted life cycle analyses (LCAs) for battery-grade lithium carbonate (Li2CO3) and lithium hydroxide monohydrate (LiOH•H2O) produced from Chilean brines (Salar de Atacama) and Australian spodumene ores. An open-access paper on the study is published in the journal Resources, Conservation and Recycling. The team also... Read more →
Origin Materials launched its Net Zero Automotive Program with Ford Motor Company. The Net Zero Automotive Program is a sustainable automotive supply chain initiative focused on industrializing new materials to drive decarbonization in the automotive industry. Origin Materials has developed technology which turns sustainable wood residues into cost-advantaged, carbon-negative materials... Read more →
Electric cars do not emit carbon on the road, but the generation of electricity also produces carbon emissions—far more when the power is generated from fossil fuels than from renewable energy sources. Audi is thus partnering with energy providers to support the expansion of renewable energy sources in Europe. The... Read more →
The US Department of Energy (DOE) has published a Beyond Tailpipe Emissions Calculator that provides estimates of total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions associated with driving an electric vehicle (EV) or plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV), including emissions from the production of electricity used to power the vehicle. The consumer chooses... Read more →
If a ban were introduced on the sale of new gasoline and diesel cars, and they were replaced by electric cars, the result would be a significant reduction in lifecycle carbon dioxide emissions primarily due to reduced tailpipe CO2 emissions, according to a new lifecycle study by researchers at Chalmers... Read more →
A new lifecycle analysis by researchers at Argonne National Laboratory has found that the carbon intensity of corn ethanol has decreased 23%—from 58 to 45 gCO2e/MJ—from 2005 to 2019. Their open-access paper is published in the journal Biofuels, Bioproducts and Biorefining. Carbon intensity (gCO2e/MJ undenatured ethanol) of corn ethanol without... Read more →
SQM, a Chilean company that is one of the world’s biggest producers of lithium, and Argonne National Laboratory are collaborating to study SQM’s process for producing lithium with an eye toward better understanding sustainability challenges associated with lithium products. Chile has long been a leading producer of lithium, which has... Read more →
The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine’s (NASEM’s) Board on Environmental Studies and Toxicology (BEST) announced the provisional committee for a new consensus study, Current Methods for Life Cycle Analyses of Low Carbon Transportation Fuels in the United States. Low carbon fuel standards, such as the Federal Renewable Fuel... Read more →
Aemetis, Inc. has selected Axens Vegan Renewable Hydroprocessing technology for its “Carbon Zero 1” production plant in Riverbank, California. Axens Vegan technology is designed to hydrotreat a wide range of lipids and to produce a flexible slate of low-density and high cetane renewable diesel as well as renewable jet fuel.... Read more →
A recent update by The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) now includes carinata as a renewable fuel feedstock for hydroprocessed esters and fatty acids (HEFA) sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) with a similar greenhouse gas (GHG) footprint as waste and residuals, such as used cooking oil, for the same fuel type.... Read more →
Researchers from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), the University of Dayton, Yale University, and Oak Ridge National Laboratory have demonstrated the production of sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) from food waste–derived volatile fatty acids (VFA) by targeting normal paraffins for a near-term path to market and branched isoparaffins to increase... Read more →
A new study by Zemo Partnership (formerly LowCVP) shows that with a market average of 30% high blend renewable fuels (HBRF), used in place of fossil fuels (diesel and natural gas) by 2030, the transport sector could save an additional 46m tonnes in GHG emissions over the next decade, with... Read more →
by Mike Millikin A team at Argonne National Laboratory’s Systems Assessment Center has evaluated the well-to-wheel (WTW) greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of Fischer–Tropsch (FT) fuels produced via various electrolytic H2 pathways and CO2 sources; using various process designs (i.e., with and without H2 recycle); and two different system boundaries: a... Read more →
The co-chairs of the US House Biofuels Caucus introduced two new pieces of legislation to increase access to biofuels and to recognize fully their environmental benefits. Rep. Cindy Axne (IA-03) and Rep. Rodney Davis (IL-13) led introduction of the Renewable Fuels Infrastructure Investment and Market Expansion Act, which would expand... Read more →
The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine is forming a committee that will conduct a study on the current methods for life cycle analyses (LCA) of low-carbon transportation fuels in the United States. Low carbon fuel standards, such as the Federal Renewable Fuel Standard and the California Low Carbon... Read more →
Rio Tinto, Paul Wurth S.A. and SHS-Stahl-Holding-Saar GmbH & Co. KGaA (SHS) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to explore the viability of transforming iron ore pellets into low-carbon hot briquetted iron (HBI) (a form of Direct Reduced Iron, DRI), a steel feedstock (earlier post) using green hydrogen generated from... Read more →