DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ What are Gallium and Germanium and which countries are producers?
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Germanium ores are rare and most germanium is a by-product of zinc production and from coal fly ash. Gallium is found in trace amounts in zinc ores and in bauxite, and gallium metal is produced when processing bauxite to make aluminium. U.S. imports of gallium metal and gallium arsenide (GaAs) wafers in 2022 were worth about $3 million and $200 million, respectively, according to USGS. U.S.-based Indium Corporation also produces germanium, while Belgium's Umicore (UMI.BR) makes both germanium and gallium. "Zinc selenide and germanium glass substitute for germanium metal in infrared applications systems, but often at the expense of performance."

Persons: Belgium's, Eikon, Dominique Patton, Mai Nguyen, Melanie Burton, Pratima Desai, Tom Hogue, Himani Sarkar, Catherine Evans, David Evans Organizations: Alliance, . Geological Survey, WHO, Teck Resources, Shanghai Metal Exchange, Thomson Locations: China, Canada, Finland, Russia, United States, Europe, Japan, U.S, South Korea, Germany, Kazakhstan, Teck, North America, British Columbia, Beijing

☆ Which countries produce strategic materials Gallium and Germanium?
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Germanium ores are rare and most germanium is produced as a by-product of zinc production and from coal fly ash. China produces around 60% of the world's germanium, according to the European association Critical Raw Materials Alliance (CRMA), with the rest coming from Canada, Finland, Russia and the United States. Gallium is found in trace amounts in zinc ores and in bauxite, and gallium metal is produced when processing bauxite to make aluminium. U.S. imports of gallium metal and gallium arsenide (GaAs) wafers in 2022 were worth about $3 million and $200 million, respectively, according to USGS. U.S.-based Indium Corporation also produces germanium, while Belgium's Umicore (UMI.BR) makes both germanium and gallium.

Persons: Belgium's, Eikon, Dominique Patton, Mai Nguyen, Melanie Burton, Tom Hogue, Himani Organizations: Alliance, WHO, United States Geological Survey, Teck Resources, Shanghai Metal Exchange, Thomson Locations: China, Canada, Finland, Russia, United States, Europe, Japan, U.S, South Korea, Germany, Kazakhstan, Teck, North America, British Columbia, Beijing

☆ Concrete is a huge source of carbon emissions. These researchers are working to make it greener
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-16 | by ( Mark Tutton | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

With pressure on the construction industry to decarbonize, researchers around the world are looking for ways to make concrete greener. CarbonCure injects captured CO2 into concrete as it’s mixed, where it reacts with cement to increase the strength of the concrete. As well as sequestering CO2, the company says this extra strength means the concrete can be made with less cement. From salt water to cementIn the United Arab Emirates (UAE), researchers are working on a process to cut concrete’s carbon footprint while tackling another environmental problem. “The construction industry is one of the oldest industries and we might have some resistance to change the material that (it is) currently using.

Persons: ”, Sam Draper, ” Draper, Barney Shanks, Draper, Shanks, Helene Sandberg “, Seratech’s, we’ve, Carbicrete, Kemal Celik, Kemal, CNN Celik, Celik, ” Adrian Lydon Organizations: CNN, Imperial College London, Imperial College, United Arab Emirates, Civil, Urban Engineering, NYU Abu, Celik Locations: Portland, UAE, NYU Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi

LONDON, June 13 (Reuters) - BlackRock (BLK.N) on Tuesday launched the "Brown to Green Materials Fund" targeting undervalued carbon-intensive companies that produce the raw materials and products driving the energy transition. Those companies that produce the materials and have a quality plan to decarbonise - and their suppliers - should re-rate as their margins get a boost and sustainability risks decrease, it said. "This broad materials universe is trading at such (a) large discount relative to the broader market and growth opportunity," based on how they have historically been viewed, he told Reuters. "Once people understand that these businesses are becoming increasingly green in their production processes, it is likely that the discount that is applied to them is going to reduce." Editing by David EvansOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Brown, BlackRock, Evy Hambro, BlackRock's, David Evans Organizations: Tuesday, Green Materials, Reuters, Thomson Locations: BlackRock

North America has seen the largest increase in planned hydrogen projects in the past six months, according to the Oxford-based consulting firm. Clean hydrogen is a small but fast-growing area of the transition to lower-polluting energy sources. However, low-emission hydrogen production is currently small compared with where analysts believe it will need to be. Europe’s shrinking share of hydrogen projects is “a direct consequence of the bloc’s slow response to the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act and [its] delay in developing concrete regulation for renewable hydrogen,” said Dilara Caglayan, lead hydrogen researcher at Aurora. Only 1% of the one terawatt of planned hydrogen projects have begun construction, while 86% are in the early planning stages of development.

☆ Canadian dealmakers expect low-carbon shift will drive mining M&A
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( Maiya Keidan | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

TORONTO, April 20 (Reuters) - Canadian advisors to mergers and acquisitions (M&A) expect a shift toward low-carbon technologies and government subsidies for them will spur dealmaking in mining for years to come and some are already gearing up for it. Clients are hiring mining people within dealmaking teams, and boutique M&A advisory firms are adding talent, mostly in mining, he said. Canada this year expanded an investment tax credit to equipment needed by mining companies - and any other companies in the EV supply chain - to extract or process critical minerals. For copper and nickel deals, it was the best quarter on record since at least 1990, the data showed. "Mining is one of those sectors where you really want to be prepared for the inevitable market pickup."

☆ Canada to ramp up clean-tech push in budget to level playing field with US
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-28 | by ( Steve Scherer | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

In Canada, there's more pressure to step up green investments to level the playing field with the United States, which passed a series of massive incentives in the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) last year. Last week Freeland said Canada is at a "crucial crossroads" for the green transition and that it would be "reckless" not to make major investments in clean tech. But she has also said she does not want to fuel inflation and slowing growth means fiscal responsibility is warranted. The budget will also include an increase in federal healthcare spending promised earlier this year to the provinces, which administer the public health system. Reporting by Steve Scherer; Editing by Andrea Ricci and Chizu NomiyamaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Exclusive: Canada budget sees contracts for differences for large clean-tech projects -source
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-27 | by ( Steve Scherer | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

So-called contracts for differences set a price on tradable carbon credits, which heavy emitters can get if they reduce pollution. They are also concerned that costly projects could be a waste of money if carbon pricing is scrapped in future. Contracts for differences could be used by companies investing in carbon capture or hydrogen projects, the source said. Under Canada's carbon pricing rules, large industrial polluters pay per tonne of carbon emitted above a certain sector-specific threshold. It will benefit 11 million households, the source told CBC, who called the measure a "grocery rebate".

The profits follow similar reports in February from international peers BP, Shell, Exxon Mobil and Chevron which have mostly posted record profits for last year. Aramco's capital expenditure rose 18% to $37.6 billion in 2022 and the company said it expects this year's spending to be around $45.0 billion to $55.0 billion including external investments. Aramco declared a dividend of $19.5 billion for the fourth quarter, an increase of 4% from the previous quarter. Free cash flow reached a record of $148.5 billion in 2022, compared to $107.5 billion in 2021. Prices cooled rapidly in the second half of 2022 as central banks hiked interest rates and fanned worries of recession.

☆ Saudi Aramco, the world's largest oil company, announces record profit of over $161 billion for 2022
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-12 | by ( Aaron Mcdade | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Oil and gas giant Saudi Aramco announced a record $161 billion profit for 2022 on Sunday. The record profit comes amid all-time high oil and gas prices after Russia invaded Ukraine. Commonly referred to as Saudi Aramco, the oil and gas giant saw its profits increase nearly 50% from $110 billion in 2021 to a record $161.1 billion for 2022, the company announced Sunday. Other oil companies including ExxonMobil, BP, and Shell also recorded all-time high profits in 2022 as global oil and gas prices reached record highs last year. However, all of those earnings at $55.7 billion, $28 billion, and about $40 billion, respectively, were dwarfed by Aramco's $161 billion.

☆ Saudi oil giant Aramco reports record profits in 2022, up 46% from the year before
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-12 | by ( ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

Dubai CNN —Saudi Arabian oil giant Aramco on Sunday reported a record annual net profit of $161.1 billion for 2022, up 46% from the year earlier, on higher energy prices, increased volumes sold and improved margins for refined products. The profits follow similar reports in February from international peers BP, Shell, Exxon Mobil and Chevron which have mostly posted record profits for last year. Oil prices swung wildly in 2022, climbing on geopolitical worries amid the war in Ukraine, then sliding on weaker demand from top importer China and worries of an economic contraction. Aramco’s capital expenditure rose 18% to $37.6 billion in 2022 and the company said it expects this year’s spending to be around $45.0 billion to $55.0 billion including external investments. Free cash flow reached a record of $148.5 billion in 2022, compared to $107.5 billion in 2021.

☆ This startup wants to replace oil and gas with Co2 and hydrogen captured from the air. Check out the 11-slide pitch deck Greenlyte Carbon Technologies used to raise $3.5 million.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-10 | by ( Tasmin Lockwood | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Greenlyte Carbon Technologies wants to replace oil and gas with Co2 and hydrogen captured from the air. The direct air capture startup just raised a $3.5 million round co-led by N26 investor Earlybird. The team behind Greenlyte Carbon Technologies pass old coal towers every day on their way to the company's office in Essen, Germany's historical industrial center. Greenlyte Carbon Technologies' device can be turned on and off, meaning it will work well with intermittent renewables like solar and wind, he added. Greenlyte Carbon Technologies will use the cash to build out its team to 15 by summer and continue developing its tech.

The more emitters have to pay for EU carbon permits to cover each tonne of C02 they produce, the greater the incentive to invest in low carbon technologies and switch to less polluting fuels. Still, rising carbon prices are a cause of political tensions in the EU and breaching the 100 euro threshold is likely to reignite debates over prices. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez last year called for a CO2 price cap to help tackle soaring inflation. Other EU countries view a robust carbon price as vital to meeting climate goals. Years of weak prices followed until CO2 prices began to recover in 2018 when the EU agreed to remove surplus permits from the market.

The debate - which focuses on hydrogen produced from nuclear or renewable energy - has already delayed negotiations on new EU renewable energy targets and threatened a multi-billion-euro hydrogen pipeline. Some EU officials fear it could spill into other green energy policies, potentially delaying laws needed to meet EU climate targets. "There are outstanding obstacles, but they will be resolved," EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said of the climate conclusions on Monday, without specifying what the obstacles were. A draft of the conclusions, seen by Reuters, said: "EU energy diplomacy will promote the increasing uptake and system integration of renewable energy, hydrogen and its derivatives." They says they acknowledge nuclear's low-carbon contribution, but that it should not be put on a level footing with renewable energy sources like wind and solar.

SummarySummary Companies ClientEarth files novel UK case to hold directors accountableUK, Swedish, Danish, Belgian and French funds support lawsuitClaim alleges Shell board mismanaging climate risk, breaches lawLONDON, Feb 9 (Reuters) - A group of European institutional investors is backing a novel London lawsuit against energy giant Shell's (SHEL.L) board over alleged climate mismanagement in a case that could have far-reaching implications for how companies tackle emissions. Shell rejected the allegations, saying its climate targets were ambitious and on track and that its directors complied with their legal duties and acted in the company's best interests. "ClientEarth's attempt ... to overturn the board's policy as approved by our shareholders has no merit," a spokesperson said. London CIV said its Shell stake was a "primary hotspot of risk and exposure within our portfolio". The case comes two years after Shell was ordered to slash carbon emissions in a landmark Dutch climate case.

☆ Test proves that CO2 sucked from the air can be trapped in concrete
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-03 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

To do that, two things are needed: first, capturing carbon dioxide with nature or technology, and second, locking it up for centuries. The rock is then heated to release the collected ambient carbon dioxide, and the cycle repeats. Canada's CarbonCure, the concrete technology company, mixes CO2 with concrete ingredients, turning it into a mineral that strengthens the concrete, cutting the need for cement — the part of concrete with the biggest carbon footprint. The U.S. government and industry broadly see $100-a-tonne carbon dioxide as a reasonable price for broad deployment. However, concrete's ubiquity is attractive, because there are few places to securely hold carbon dioxide at present.

☆ When it comes to the energy transition, one analyst sees the market making a big mistake
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-24 | by ( Anmar Frangoul | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Thomas Hohne-Sparborth, head of sustainability research at Lombard Odier, highlighted the huge shifts taking place in the field of low and zero-carbon technologies and, by extension, wider society. "We've seen past industrial revolutions, including past energy transitions," Hohne-Sparborth said. We were, Hohne-Sparborth said, "looking at investment needs in the trillions of dollars." When it comes to the energy transition, the sums being discussed are indeed significant. Last year, the International Energy Agency's "World Energy Outlook 2022" report said clean energy investment could be on course to exceed $2 trillion per year by 2030, an increase of over 50% compared to today.

☆ We'll need natural gas for years — but can start blending it with green hydrogen today, CEO says
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-23 | by ( Anmar Frangoul | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

As the planned transition takes shape, there's been a lot of talk about the relationship between hydrogen and natural gas. "Now, what we can start to do today is … start to blend it with green hydrogen," he added. "But it's just difficult to see that you're going to have enough green hydrogen to substitute it like, in the next 10 years." Produced using electrolysis and renewables like wind and solar, green hydrogen has some high-profile backers. "We see green hydrogen as playing probably the most important role in the energy transition," she said.

☆ UK outlines electricity capacity market reforms, incentivising clean suppliers
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

LONDON, Jan 9 (Reuters) - Britain announced new proposals on Monday aimed at avoiding electricity blackouts and incentivising greater investment in low carbon technologies. The so-called capacity market ensures there is reliable electricity supply to meet peaks in demand, safeguarding against the possibility of blackouts if intermittent sources such as those dependent on weather, are not generating enough. Security of energy supply has become a more urgent political issue in light of threats to long-term gas supplies across Europe following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. "The plans set out today will deliver this reliable energy and ensure the scheme that sits at the heart of Britain’s energy security is fit for the future." Addressing industry concerns, the government is proposing multi-year contracts for low carbon flexible capacity.

☆ Bill Gates upbeat on climate innovation, even if 1.5C goal out of reach
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-20 | by ( Katy Daigle | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The software-developer-turned-philanthropist was nevertheless upbeat about climate innovation - ticking off numerous areas advancing low-carbon technologies with funding from the Breakthrough Energy Group, which Gates founded in 2015. Gates has invested more than $2 billion toward climate technologies, including direct air capture, solar energy and nuclear fission. Breakthrough Energy, however, operates separately from the Gates Foundation charity. But any Breakthrough Energy profits are funneled back into the group or to the foundation. He did not elaborate on the DAC companies' plans.

☆ Analysis-Bumper green aluminium output is good news for carmakers, and climate
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-17 | by ( Eric Onstad | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Next year’s forecast increase in “green aluminium” output would reduce that by 13 million tonnes, or about 1.2%. Polestar said it pays slightly more for green aluminium, partly due to the administrative costs of changing suppliers, but did not say how much more. Producers, however, are still managing to sell some of their low-carbon output at higher prices under quarterly and annual contracts. Rising output of both will keep green premiums relatively low in the coming years, said Marcelo Azevedo at the McKinsey consultancy. GRAPHIC: Abundant Supplies of Green Aluminium - here

☆ Analysis: Bumper green aluminium output is good news for carmakers, and climate
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-17 | by ( Eric Onstad | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Next year's forecast increase in "green aluminium" output would reduce that by 13 million tonnes, or about 1.2%. Polestar said it pays slightly more for green aluminium, partly due to the administrative costs of changing suppliers, but did not say how much more. "The cost per reduced kg of CO2 emissions when shifting to green aluminium is still significantly lower than many other ways of reducing raw material emissions," a company spokesperson told Reuters. Producers, however, are still managing to sell some of their low-carbon output at higher prices under quarterly and annual contracts. Rising output of both will keep green premiums relatively low in the coming years, said Marcelo Azevedo at the McKinsey consultancy.

☆ Big Oil has engaged in a long-running climate disinformation campaign while raking in record profits
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-09 | by ( René Marsh | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —Big Oil companies have engaged in a “long-running greenwashing campaign” while raking in “record profits at the expense of American consumers,” the Democratic-led House Oversight Committee has found after a year-long investigation into climate disinformation from the fossil fuel industry. The committee found the fossil fuel industry is “posturing on climate issues while avoiding real commitments” to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Lawmakers said it has sought to portray itself as part of the climate solution, even as internal industry documents reveal how companies have avoided making real commitments. Many of their requests for internal documents were heavily redacted by the companies, which did not specify reasons for withholding the information. “These companies know their climate pledges are inadequate but are prioritizing Big Oil’s record profits over the human costs of climate change,” Maloney said.

☆ A Microsoft Leader’s COP27 Takeaway: It’s Time for Companies to Get Things Done
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-01 | by ( Dieter Holger | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +9 min

Microsoft Corp. President Brad Smith says there are plenty of emerging opportunities for business leaders to take climate action. The executive who has helped spearhead the tech giant’s sustainability efforts says companies need to step up and do their part. I thought some of the European companies were present but not with senior leadership, not with as many senior leaders as a year ago. But I think if you look over the next 30 years, companies are going to locate manufacturing where there is green energy. It really does serve the world well and our individual companies well if we can standardize some aspects of this.

☆ Some Companies Band Together to Support Nascent Low-Carbon Products
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-21 | by ( Dieter Holger | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +5 min

Global companies are combining their purchasing power to help commercialize low-carbon technologies as part of their efforts to meet net-zero commitments. One of the biggest corporate spending plans announced at the United Nations climate conference, known as COP27, was the First Movers Coalition. Its 65 member companies promise to collectively purchase $12 billion of nascent low-carbon products and services by 2030 to help suppliers develop their offerings and scale up. Once commitments are made, companies and suppliers meet regularly to share progress and work together. “Microsoft did not join [the First Movers Coalition] in Glasgow last year.

Search resuls for: "Carbon Technologies"

25 mentions found