The Argonne National Laboratory’s Systems Assessment Center has released the suite of R&D GREET 2024 models and associated documentation. R&D GREET is a life cycle analysis (LCA) model, structured to systematically examine the energy and environmental effects of a wide variety of transportation fuels and vehicle technologies in major transportation... Read more →
Hyundai Motor Company and Kia Corporation announced the development of the Integrated Greenhouse Gas Information System (IGIS), a platform designed to monitor, quantify and manage carbon emissions throughout the entire vehicle lifecycle. By leveraging Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology, IGIS provides detailed quantification and tracking of carbon emissions throughout the... Read more →
A study coordinated by Agroicone in partnership with national and international researchers finds that the second crop corn ethanol production system in Brazil provides renewable and affordable energy, animal feed, contributes to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, in addition to improving food security. Double-cropping is the practice whereby two crops are... Read more →
In 2024, a small electric SUV with a range of 300 miles produces 52% fewer life cycle greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions than a comparable gasoline vehicle, according to Argonne National Laboratory’s R&D GREET Model. R&D GREET is a life cycle analysis (LCA) model that assesses the energy use and environmental... Read more →
The auto industry can eliminate more than 95% of greenhouse gas emissions from producing the steel for passenger vehicles by switching to fossil fuel-free steel, according to a new report released by the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT). Primary steel, a critical component of today’s auto sector supply chain,... Read more →
Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. announced that it will use low-CO2 emission aluminum parts made from green or recycled aluminum in new and current models from fiscal year 2024 onward and aims to complete the full transition to such parts by 2030. Aluminum accounts for approximately 10% of vehicle weight. By... Read more →
Volvo CE is publishing the construction equipment industry’s most extensive catalogue of Product Carbon Footprint (PCF) reports, making it easy for customers to take active steps to reduce their environmental impact. The reports confirm that electric machines are a more sustainable choice compared to conventional diesel machines, when looking at... Read more →
The US Department of the Treasury and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) released guidance on the Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) Credit established by the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). The Treasury Department worked closely with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Department of Transportation (DOT), Department of Agriculture (USDA), and Department of Energy... Read more →
The BMW Group showcased current fields of application for the Catena-X data ecosystem (earlier post) at the Hannover Messe. Working together with partners and suppliers, the company has modeled a complete data chain for the first time using real-world CO2 data from the manufacture of the iconic kidney grille on... Read more →
Vianode, an advanced battery materials company providing sustainable anode graphite solutions, announced that Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of its planned industrial scale production of graphite verified a climate change impact of 1.9 kg CO2 equivalents per kilogra, graphite produced in Vianode’s process. Feedstock material production and processing are considered the... Read more →
The total cradle-to-gate carbon footprint of Polestar’s first electric performance SUV, Polestar 3, is lower than that of the smaller Polestar 2 when it was launched in 2020 at 24.7 tCO2e versus 26.1 tCO2e. The majority of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions stem from the extraction and processing of various materials... Read more →
The European Parliament has adopted the deal reached with the Council on the Euro 7 regulation (type-approval and market surveillance of motor vehicles). Vehicles will need to comply with the new standards for longer, ensuring they remain cleaner throughout their lifetime. The vote was 297 in favor, 190 against and... Read more →
A team at Hamburg University of Technology (TUHH) has compared the Fischer-Tropsch (FT) and methanol pathways for the production of Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF) derived from renewable energy sources. The results, published in an open-access paper in the journal Fuel, show a very high carbon efficiency of the FT pathway... Read more →
Vibrantz Technologies announced the results of a life cycle assessment (LCA) evaluating the greenhouse gas emissions of its high-purity manganese sulfate monohydrate (HPMSM), a key raw material for lithium-ion batteries used in electric vehicles (EVs). The LCA analyzed Vibrantz’s processes at its existing Tertre, Belgium, facility and planned production in... Read more →
A new Carnegie Mellon study finds that the climate change and human health costs of owning and operating a plug-in electric vehicle in coal-heavy regions of the eastern United States have dropped significantly as coal-fired power plants that supply electricity to charge electric vehicles have been displaced by natural gas.... Read more →
Reducing the ecological footprint towards CO2 neutrality is a significant goal for many industries and value chains, including the coating and pre-treatment processes of the automotive industry. Through its GLASS tool, BASF’s Coatings division offers an analysis approach that enables transparency and supports customers in making informed decisions for sustainable... Read more →
Researchers at Chalmers University of Technology Sweden have performed the first life cycle assessment (LCA) of an existing two-seater all-electric aircraft with a direct comparison to an equivalent fossil fuel-powered one. According to the study, after just one quarter of the expected lifespan of the electric aircraft, the climate impact... Read more →
Researchers from LUT University in Finland have compared the climate change impacts and the main factors affecting them for different categories of hydrogen production, including grey hydrogen (SMR), blue hydrogen (SMR-CCS), turquoise hydrogen (TDM), and green hydrogen (PEM electrolysis). The comparative lifecycle analysis is published as an open-access paper in... Read more →
US coal exports increased by 5.7 million short tons (MMst) in the 12 months after EU sanctions on coal from Russia went into full effect in August 2022, according to the US Energy Information Administration (EIA). The increase was driven almost exclusively by a 22% jump in U.S coal exports... Read more →
Polestar has published the first Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) for Polestar 4. The LCA ahows that Polestar 4 has the lowest carbon footprint of all Polestar cars to date—as low as 19.4 tons of CO2e at launch. Polestar 4 is produced in Geely Holdings’ SEA factory in Hangzhou Bay, China,... Read more →
The greenhouse gas intensity of western Canadian condensate—which averaged 35 kilograms of carbon dioxide equivalent per barrel (kgCO2e/bbl) in 2021—is expected to decline in the coming years as domestic supply from unconventional production in western Canada, as well as recycling, increases, according to a new analysis by S&P Global Commodity... Read more →
Mid-nickel lithium ion battery cells can have a lower carbon footprint than high nickel or lithium iron phosphate (LFP) cells, according to new data from Benchmark’s Battery Emissions Analyser. While LFP cells maintain a cost advantage over the majority of nickel-based chemistries, the carbon intensity of these variants can in... Read more →
BASF and Nanotech Energy, a developer and manufacturer of graphene-based energy storage products, have agreed to partner to reduce the CO2 footprint of Nanotech’s lithium-ion batteries for the North American market. The agreement aims to close the loop for lithium-ion batteries in North America, with BASF producing cathode active materials... Read more →
Phil Ansell, an aerospace engineer at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, modeled the life cycle carbon dioxide equivalent emissions of liquid hydrogen production required to meet the fuel needs of Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport (ORD) with today’s electric grid mix. His analysis found that if electrolyzed hydrogen were to be... Read more →
Shell Aviation has introduced a new lifecycle sustainability approach for its AeroShell aviation lubricants to avoid, reduce and then compensate for lifecycle carbon emissions, improving aircraft performance while helping customers meet their net-zero greenhouse gas (GHG) or carbon emissions ambitions. In alignment with Shell’s target to become a net zero-emissions... Read more →
More than three-fourths of all oil and gas production in the US Gulf of Mexico has a lower greenhouse gas (GHG) intensity than the basin-wide average, according to a new S&P Global Commodity Insights analysis. The analysis is the latest in an ongoing series that utilizes a new comprehensive model... Read more →
Major ridesourcing companies Uber and Lyft have promised all-electric fleets by 2030 in an effort to reduce their carbon footprint. To understand the additional impacts of this transition, researchers from Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) and the University of Michigan conducted life-cycle comparisons of battery-powered electric vehicle fleets to a gas-powered... Read more →
The results of the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of greenhouse gas emissions and primary energy demand of the cars tested by Green NCAP in 2022 show that the current and continuous trend towards larger and heavier cars, significantly increases the negative impact on climate and energy demand. This drives not... Read more →
Lithium chemicals derived from hard rock sources such as spodumene can be more than three times as carbon-intensive as that from brine sources, according to Benchmark Mineral Intelligence’s (Benchmark Minerals’) Lithium ESG Report. Hard rock sources of lithium currently make up 60% of global mined lithium supply and are forecast... Read more →
In a new roadmap launched by the International Copper Association (ICA), members have aligned on an ambition to reach net zero in Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions by 2050, and work toward the same goal for Scope 3 emissions. The Copper—The Pathway to Net Zero roadmap builds on previous... Read more →
SLB (Schlumberger) introduced the EcoShield geopolymer cement-free system that minimizes the CO2 footprint of a well’s construction. This innovative technology eliminates up to 85% of embodied CO2 emissions compared with conventional well cementing systems, which include portland cement. The EcoShield geopolymer cement-free system matches the rheology, thickening time, and compressive... Read more →
The BMW Group intends to source aluminum with significantly reduced CO2 emissions from Rio Tinto’s hydro-powered operations in Canada starting in 2024 and has signed a memorandum of understanding to this effect. Compared to conventionally manufactured aluminum, this approach can save around 70% of CO2 emissions. The planned supply volumes... Read more →
The TranSensus LCA project has kicked-off in Brussels, gathering 60 representatives from the project partners. The goal is to develop a standardized and transparent LCA approach to support the transition towards a climate-neutral transport system. For that to happen, the project will define and harmonize a commonly accepted and applied... Read more →
Vitesco Technologies, a leading international supplier of modern powertrain technologies and electric mobility solutions, has joined the Polestar 0 project, an initiative to create the world’s first completely climate-neutral vehicle. (Earlier post.) Vitesco Technologies has been selected as a collaboration partner to develop the power electronics with the target to... Read more →
In February 2022, GTI Energy, S&P Global Commodity Insights and the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) launched the Open Hydrogen Initiative (OHI), a collaboration to further transparency into the environmental impact of hydrogen production and help unlock its full potential as an important driver of energy transitions. According to S&P... Read more →
Euro Manganese (EMN), a Canada-based company developing the Chvaletice Manganese Project in the Czech Republic (earlier post), released the results from a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) study comparing the global warming potential (GWP) of EMN’s high-purity manganese products from the Chvaletice Project with those produced by the incumbent industry in... Read more →
6K Additive, a division of 6K, a leader in the sustainable production of engineered materials for additive manufacturing and lithium-ion batteries, and Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology ILT are collaborating to create a complete life cycle assessment (LCA) for additive manufacturing. The study will use sustainably manufactured Ni718 powder produced... 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 →
NTT DATA Corporation and DENSO Corporation have started to build an industry-wide ecosystem for electric vehicle (EV) batteries to create a global trusted dataspaces where only necessary data can be shared, while also protecting private data. The new battery regulation currently being reviewed in Europe will require disclosure of CO2... Read more →
Vitesco Technologies, a leading international supplier of advanced drive technologies and solutions for e-mobility has joined the Catena-X Automotive Network. Catena-X, founded in 2021, is the first comprehensive, collaborative and open data ecosystem along the entire automotive value chain. In June, Catena-X reported that it had grown to 104 members.... 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 →
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 →
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 →
Argonne National Laboratory has published a new cradle-to-grave (C2G) lifecycle analysis (LCA) of US LDV vehicle-fuel pathways. The report was prepared by Argonne researchers and members of the US Drive Integrated Systems Analysis Technical Team. This analysis builds on a previous comprehensive life cycle analysis, updating that study’s 2016 assumptions... Read more →
Steel produced by electric arc furnace (EAF) steelmakers in the US has a carbon intensity that is approximately 75% lower than traditional blast furnace steelmakers. This is the finding of an independent study of steelmakers worldwide conducted by CRU Group, a global business intelligence firm specializing in metals manufacturing. The... Read more →
Solid-state batteries could reduce the carbon footprint of electric vehicle batteries by up to 39%, according to a study commissioned by European environmental NGO Transport & Environment (T&E) from Minviro, a company specializing in raw material life-cycle analysis, which compared emerging solid-state technology to current battery chemistries. Solid state technology... Read more →
Teijin and Fujitsu launched a joint project to realize a blockchain-based commercial platform for enhancing the environmental value of recycled materials for manufacturers. The collaboration will promote environmentally conscious design by leveraging Teijin’s Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) Calculation Method for measuring the environmental impact of manufacturing processes across the value... Read more →
A study by researchers in Australia and China has determined that global food-miles account for nearly 20% of total food-systems emissions; moving fruit and vegetables in refrigerated vehicles is particularly emissions-intensive. Their paper appears in the journal Nature Food. Food trade plays a key role in achieving global food security.... Read more →
ArcelorMittal published a concept for a low-carbon emissions steel standard to help incentivize the decarbonization of steelmaking globally and support the creation of market demand for physical steel products which would be classified as lower, and ultimately near-zero, carbon emissions steel. The creation of clear definitions for low-carbon emissions physical... Read more →
Gevo has entered into a partner agreement with Google Cloud to measure and verify the efficacy of next-generation biofuels across the supply chain via full lifecycle sustainability data tracking. Utilizing technology developed by Verity Tracking , a division of Gevo, the collaboration is expected to enable users to track and... Read more →