Category: Fuel/Gas Business

Natural Gas Market Soars To Record Heights

Fuel/Gas Business

European and UK gas prices surged Wednesday to record peaks, energised by fears of runaway demand in the upcoming northern hemisphere winter. Europe’s reference Dutch TTF gas price hit 162.12 euros per megawatt hour and UK prices leapt to 407.82 pence per therm in morning deals.

However, prices later erased gains to flatline in early afternoon trade. “It’s panic and fear with winter just around the corner,” Commerzbank analyst Carsten Fritsch told AFP.

Soaring gas prices — coupled with oil which has struck multi-year highs — have fuelled fears over spiking inflation and rocketing domestic energy bills. Gas demand is also heightened in Asia, particularly from China, while key Russian exports are falling.

However, Russian President Vladimir Putin declared Wednesday that Europe was to blame for the current energy crisis, after soaring gas prices spurred accusations that Moscow is withholding supplies to pressure the West.

“They’ve made mistakes,” Putin said in a televised meeting with Russian energy officials. He said that one of the factors influencing the prices was the termination of “long-term contracts” in favour of the spot market.

Some critics have accused Moscow of intentionally limiting gas supplies to Europe in an effort to hasten the launch of Nord Stream 2, a controversial pipeline connecting Russia with Germany.

At the same time, global gas stockpiles remain worryingly low.

“Natural gas prices have climbed to new peaks … as insufficient levels of inventories ahead of the winter season drive concerns for a spike in inflation and energy prices for consumers,” XTB analyst Walid Koudmani told AFP.

“These supply constraints could translate into higher costs of fuel moving into the winter months, a prospect which could further slow down economic recovery and worsen moods across markets.”

Europe’s energy crisis has also been exacerbated by a lack of wind for turbine sites, coupled with ongoing nuclear outages — and the winding down of coal mines by climate-conscious governments.

Gas demand has also galloped higher in recent months as economies reopened worldwide from their Covid-induced slumber. “The rebound in industrial activity across the world following months of Covid-related restrictions and widespread remote working … boosted demand for natural gas,” noted UniCredit economist Edoardo Campanella.

European gas futures have now multiplied by eight since April. And the market is set to shoot even higher, according to French bank Societe Generale. “Never before have power prices risen so far, so fast,” wrote Societe Generale analysts in a client note.

Shows evolution of the price of natural gas in Europe this past year to September 28 on the Dutch TTF Gas market Shows evolution of the price of natural gas in Europe this past year to September 28 on the Dutch TTF Gas market Photo: AFP / Patricio ARANA

“And we are only a few days into autumn — temperatures are still mild. “A cold winter could cause severe problems for Europe’s energy markets, where politicians are already trying to contain the fallout.”

European leaders are divided on how to respond to the record rise in energy prices, with France and Spain calling Wednesday for bold EU-wide action, while others urged patience. The European Commission — which is the European Union’s executive arm — will next week propose measures to mitigate the price surge for consumers.

Those suggestions will then be discussed by the bloc’s leaders at a summit in Brussels on October 21-22. Britain is particularly exposed to Europe’s energy crisis because of its reliance on natural gas to generate electricity.

By Roland Jackson

Source: Natural Gas Market Soars To Record Heights

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Heavy-Duty Hydrogen: Fuel Cell Trains And Trucks Power Up For The 2020s

Fuel/Gas Business

The 2010s saw battery-electric cars move into the mainstream led by Elon Musk’s Tesla, and as that trend gains steam there are signs the decade ahead will see hydrogen gain commercial viability in transportation, particularly for heavy vehicles like trains and long-haul semis that need a more flexible powertrain than multi-ton battery packs.

The first zero-emission “hydrail” project in the U.S. will be in Southern California, where the San Bernardino County Transportation Authority plans to operate a FLIRT H2 train from Swiss supplier Stadler from 2024. The first train, with two cars and a rooftop power pack containing fuel cells and hydrogen tanks, will run on a nine-mile commuter rail line between San Bernardino and Redlands, under a contract worth $23.5 million, according to the SBCTA, with an option to purchase four more trains.

French industrial conglomerate Alstom already has hydrogen-powered Coradia iLint trains running in Germany on a commuter rail line, with more headed to France and the U.K. Like Stadler, it wants to replace diesel models in North America, particularly on regional passenger lines. China saw the first fuel cell tram go into operation in 2015 and government-backed officials are increasingly promoting hydrogen.

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This is happening as startup truckmaker Nikola Motor raises funds and lines up partnerships to begin delivering fuel-cell semis from 2021, Hyundai moves ahead with a multibillion-dollar plan to commercialize hydrogen cars, trucks and ships and Toyota builds up a fleet of fuel cell trucks operating at the sprawling Port of Los Angeles.

Electric cars have become viable because “battery costs plummeted when production scaled up and the same is likely with fuel cells and renewable hydrogen,” says transportation researcher Dan Sperling, a University of California, Davis, professor and a member of the state’s Air Resources Board which sets the nation’s toughest exhaust pollution rules.

“Increasing pressure—and demand—for zero-emission vehicles is likely to be the impetus for the hydrogen fuel cell revolution. Will the U.S. lead or follow?”

The proliferation of electric-drive vehicles–both battery- and hydrogen-powered–and growth in the clean energy market are a marked contrast to current U.S. federal policies. Under President Donald Trump, fuel-economy rules have slackened, environmental guidelines on air and water pollution have eased amid the administration’s advocacy of domestic drilling, mining and fracking. Nevertheless, with broad global concern about the cost and dangers of climate change fueled by carbon emissions, billions of dollars continue to be funneled into creating consumer and commercial markets for cleaner, more sustainable alternatives.

Electric trains are common, but traditionally require costly catenary power lines or electrified rails to operate. By contrast, a fuel cell system creating electricity onboard the vehicle allows trains to run on existing tracks with no additional investment in infrastructure needed. Alstom estimates that 90% of the rail network in the U.S. isn’t electrified, meaning there’s a vast potential for its next-generation vehicles. That makes California, where the state is focused on reducing harmful diesel exhaust and carbon emissions, a natural early market.

Hydrogen power technology has been around for decades, used in past NASA spacecraft, but costly materials, including precious metals in fuel cell membranes that help generate electricity and carbon fiber fuel tanks, as well as long-term durability issues limited its appeal for transportation. What’s more, industrial production of hydrogen from natural gas, with byproduct carbon emissions, undercut its appeal as a green fuel. But aggressive R&D over the past decade have chipped away at costs, with synthetic alternatives replacing metals like platinum in fuel cells, while durability and performance in extreme heat and cold continue to improve. At the same time, the rising availability of cheap renewable wind and solar power and improved use of electrolysis to extract hydrogen from water rather than natural gas developed by companies such as Norway’s Nel Hydrogen may be a gamechanger for the fuel’s environmental profile.

From 2000 through the end of 2019, just 252 megawatts of green hydrogen generation were installed globally, according to an estimate from industry researcher Wood MacKenzie. That’s poised to change sharply. “By 2025, an additional 3,205 MW of electrolyzers dedicated to green hydrogen production will be deployed globally – a 1,272% increase,” it said in a recent report.

Access to cheap solar power in Southern California is key to Nikola’s hydrogen truck plans. The Phoenix-based startup, working with Nel, intends to build and operate a network of highway-adjacent hydrogen fuel stations that are also close to its initial customers, starting with beermaker Anheuser-Busch. Led by entrepreneur Trevor Milton, Nikola aims to build 25 trucks next year and 400 in 2021. If all goes well, by 2022 the company will be making eight tons of green hydrogen daily from renewable electricity at each fuel station, enough to keep 250 trucks running.

While near-term projects such as the Redlands commuter line and regional passenger trains using Alstom’s models in Europe are viable, hydrogen isn’t ready to move into heavier freight rail, a far bigger market, according to U.S. Energy Department researchers.

25% FDD“Freight locomotives for long-distance hauling is the most technically challenging but has the highest societal value in that the diesel volume displacement with hydrogen fuel would add significantly to economies-of-scale and reduced fuel cost,” according to a recent report for the Energy Department and Federal Rail Administration prepared by Sandia National Laboratories.

“Future critical developments needed to move the technology forward include higher efficiency fuel cell systems, taking advantage of lower projected costs and modularity, higher durability membrane electrode assemblies using advanced materials, tighter system controls and optimized operating conditions, and the ability to deliver hydrogen to the locomotives at a competitive cost.”

                         

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Alan Ohnsman

From Los Angeles, the U.S. capital of cars and congestion, I try to make sense of technology-driven changes reshaping transportation, cities and how we get around. I’ve tracked global automakers, advanced vehicle tech and environmental policy for more than two decades, including 15 years at Bloomberg, and squeezed in stints in the financial and corporate worlds. What’s your story?

Source: Heavy-Duty Hydrogen: Fuel Cell Trains And Trucks Power Up For The 2020s

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http://www.h2innovationlab.com SCRIPT FOR TRANSLATION: Imagine driving off in your fuel cell car and stopping just outside your gate for a two minute fuel-up from a self-powering hydrogen production facility that is also providing all the needed electricity to your neighborhood. Imagine a world with public transportation and trains free of polluting noisy diesel or overhead power lines. Not slow charge batteries but rather high speed fuel up from a facility that produces a clean, reusable fuel on-site. Large marine vessels powered on-board using the very substance they are floating on. This reality is closer than we may think. A recent breakthrough in science has discovered a means of sustainable self-powering hydrogen energy generation. A system so efficient that it does not requiring any external power source. Self-powering energy with a 2000% efficiency makes On-site production a viable option and opens doors to so many possibilities. Stimulating a rapid move to hydrogen fuel-cell cars and transportation. Eliminating greenhouse gas emissions from transportation and rectifying earths depleting supply of oil. Finally an efficient means of producing clean, re-usable, self-sustaining hydrogen energy to fuel cars, buses, trains and almost any type of transportation. Just 100 years ago crude oil was the catalyst of the industrial revolution. Today this new break-through in science could be the biggest discovery since energy itself. A technology owned and maintained by the energy supplier and easily integrated into existing infrastructure. Imaginable energy supply capabilities that were once considered impossible. Hydrogen will soon be the predominant fuel, the question is whose name is going to be associated with the technology that paves the way to our future energy supply. Sound too good to be true? Does it defy laws of physics and energy? How would it be integrated into the energy infrastructure? To answer these questions and learn more, please view the full indexed series on the ‘H2 Innovation Lab’ website. Please see the description for this link.

How Scientists Are Tapping Algae & Plant Waste To Fuel A Sustainable Energy Future -The New York Times

Biochemicals, Content Marketing, Energy/Plants, Fuel/Gas Business, Live Organism

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The water isn’t for drinking. It’s salty, warm and thick with microscopic algae: tiny organisms that might be the future of green energy. In a world that relies on oil, fuels made from these organisms could offer a lower-carbon alternative to diesel, providing cleaner energy for trucks, planes, boats and pretty much anything else with a diesel fuel tank. “We’re working to decrease our overall carbon footprint,” says Kelsey McNeely, who leads ExxonMobil’s biofuels research and development. “I think that’s why we recognize fuels made from algae and plant-based sources could be part of the solution……..

Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/paidpost/exxonmobil/the-future-of-energy-it-may-come-from-where-you-least-expect.html?%2520tbs_nyt=2018-Oct-nytoffsite_pocket&cpv_dsm_id=190678299&sr_source=lift_pocket

 

 

 

 

 

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Norway’s Equinor Shows Big Oil Can Survive Putting A Price On Carbon – Christopher Helman

Biochemicals, Business Hacks, business News, Chemicals, Content Marketing, Economy/Business News, Fuel/Gas Business, Oil Market/opec

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Norway, thanks to decades of oil and gas drilling in its coastal waters, has the world’s largest sovereign wealth fund, with more than $1 trillion in invested assets. That’s equivalent to roughly $200,000 for each of the 5.2 million Norwegians. Rare among those struck with the “resource curse,” Norwegians feel kind of sheepish about owing their birthright to fossil fuels. Among the world’s most zealous environmentalist states, Norway has pledged to become “climate neutral” by 2030, and has imposed all manner of emissions trading and carbon taxes to get there…….

Read more: https://www.forbes.com/sites/christopherhelman/2018/10/12/norways-equinor-shows-big-oil-can-survive-putting-a-price-on-carbon/#5cd5b73a5c05

 

 

 

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Get Miles And Hotel Points For Buying Gas? This Startup Is Making It Happen – Jeff Erickson

Bonus/Reward Tools, Business Hacks, Business Owners/Boosters, Business Reputation/Reputation, Content Marketing, Fuel/Gas Business, Miles/Points

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When you take that convenient right turn into a gas station, a colorful sign tells you what brand of fuel you’re buying. But that’s where the simplicity ends. Of the 100,000-plus gas stations across the US, roughly 65% are independently owned under a patchwork of local groups—each with different point-of-sale equipment, a different mix of products, and different customer loyalty programs.With Oracle Autonomous Data Warehouse Cloud, Drop Tank can “automatically set load marks and scale, making it easy to support new campaigns without having to focus our time on data security…….

Read more: https://www.forbes.com/sites/oracle/2018/09/06/get-miles-and-hotel-points-for-buying-gas-this-startup-is-making-it-happen/#137e78791099

 

 

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