CHEMICAL MANAGEMENT
KENESJAY GREEN | April 13, 2022
Hydrogène de France mnemonic code: HDF - announces that it has acquired a 70% majority stake in the NewGen project in Trinidad, led by the local company Kenesjay Green Ltd. KGL, the project developer, will retain the remaining 30% of the share capital of NewGen, which will be jointly owned by KGL and an investment vehicle that will allow for the inclusion of additional local investors. HDF Energy is thus leveraging its technological expertise in hydrogen, its know-how in the development of green energy plants and its local presence in the Caribbean.
When completed, the 200+ Million USD NewGen plant will be the world largest clean hydrogen producing facility of its kind, using a smart combination of solar and energy efficiency-sourced power. It will competitively generate carbon-free hydrogen to meet 20% of the hydrogen requirement for an existing world-scale ammonia plant in the petrochemical hub of Point Lisas, Trinidad. Once up and running, the project will save approximately 200 000 t/CO2 per year.
As a global pioneer in hydrogen power, HDF will add its in-depth experience in hydrogen technologies, procurement and project finance, to the Trinidad-specific energy and ammonia expertise contained within the KGL project development team. This is the third major investment in the Caribbean this last year for HDF, which announced hybrid “Renewstable®” baseload power plants using green hydrogen and solar power in French Guiana and Barbados alongside its regional partner and investor, RUBIS.
Together, KGL and HDF will select the optimal electrolysis technology provider from a competitive evaluation process. KGL has also recently been granted the outline planning permission for the NewGen Project by the Ministry of Planning of Trinidad and Tobago, and has made progress in further confirming the economic and financial viability of NewGen.
“KGL welcomes this significant endorsement and investment in NewGen by HDF, and looks forward to our collaboration and sharing of expertise. Our partnership enables improved local access to international finance and technology, optimum opportunities for local ownership, and an acceleration of Trinidad and Tobago’s energy transition commitments.”
Commenting on the HDF majority acquisition, KGL’s Chairman Philip Julien
Damien HAVARD, CEO of HDF Energy said: “We believe we have the ideal partners in Kenesjay Green, given their extensive knowledge of the industry, business acumen and their commitment to local development. Our investment in NewGen affirms our belief that Trinidad and Tobago’s energy industry offers a unique opportunity for the development of world scale and cost competitive carbon-free Hydrogen. This project demonstrates that green solutions can effectively support the transition of hydrocarbon-based economies like Trinidad and Tobago – and HDF is poised to be a part of leading the change.”
ABOUT HDF ENERGY
HDF Energy is a global pioneer in hydrogen energy. HDF develops, finances and operates multi-megawatts Hydrogen-Power plants. These plants provide continuous or on-demand electricity from renewable energy sources combined with high power fuel cells supplied by HDF.
HDF has developed the world’s first mass production plant for high-power fuel cells for energy, which will be commissioned in France in 2023. Through this activity, HDF Energy will also serve the maritime and data center markets.
HDF Energy is a powerful accelerator of the energy transition by offering non-intermittent, grid-friendly and on-demand renewable power. HDF is a company listed on the regulated market of Euronext Paris
ABOUT KENESJAY GREEN
Kenesjay Green Limited is a locally owned sustainable energy firm committed to leading the way to the Caribbean energy transition. Based in Trinidad and Tobago, the company is an affiliate of Kenesjay Systems Limited, and is dedicated to developing a pipeline of viable decarbonising and green project opportunities, which will create pioneering first-mover advantages for Trinidad, Tobago, and the Region (www.kenesjaygreen.com). The NewGen Hydrogen Project is the first major initiative of KGL.
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CHEMICAL MANAGEMENT
Triangle Lithium LLC | March 29, 2022
Triangle Lithium LLC is pleased to announce that its subsidiary, Triangle Lithium Argentina, SA a joint venture with Lithium Energi Argentina, SA has finalized and executed all the contracts required to kick off its drilling campaign in the Antofalla Salar in Catamarca Province, Argentina. Work will commence in the next ten days.
Trila finalized the execution of contracts with Dorado Exploraciones y Servicios, a mining services contractor owned by the former Secretary of Mines for Catamarca Province, Rodolfo Micone. Resulting from relationships derived during his many years as the head of SEM, Sr. Micone is one of the most well-known mining industry experts in the region and has hand-picked the "best of the best" for the subcontractor group being engaged for the implementation of the Campaign. Central to the sub-contracting group is Hidrotec, SRL, perhaps the most experienced salar drilling company in Argentina.
The Campaign will initially undertake 2,400 meters of drilling in six "diamantinas," narrow diameter, core holes drilled with diamond drill bits to obtain and extract physical cores samples. The average total depth ("TD") per well is anticipated to be 400 meters; however deeper horizons may also be explored based on real-time field results. The core samples will reveal porosity, permeability, and chemical analysis critical for development planning and resource valuation. Core samples are planned for analysis at Geosystems Analysis, Inc. in Tucson, Arizona, one of the foremost analytical laboratories in the world for analyzing lithium brine core samples.
After tagging bottom at TD, packer tests will be conducted from bottom hole up to surface to obtain sizable quantities of brine. Brine sample analysis will be conducted at Alex Stewart Laboratories to yield a complete spectroscopic analysis of brine chemistry and lithium concentrations.
In addition, a minimum of 10,000 gallons of brine obtained during the Campaign will be sent to Triangle's technology provider, International Battery Metals to run through its direct lithium (DLE) extraction plant to determine verifiable lithium extraction rates and other critical determinations. Moreover, these tests will enable IBAT to tailor its modular DLE plant for the particular chemistry of Trila's properties in Antofalla for maximum efficiency and efficacy.
The Antofalla basin is a long, narrow, fault-based graben – identified as one of the world's largest entrapment depressions hosting lithium-bearing brine – and its total depth is not well known. Published data from drilling campaigns executed by other exploration companies on claims near the JV's claims in the Antofalla Salar have reportedly yielded indications of significant volumes of lithium-bearing brine with concentrations ranging from 350 to 650 ppm.
Trila has engaged a highly-experienced team to plan, execute, and analyze the Campaign, including qualified persons designated to govern the sampling and testing protocols. Australian QP Murray Brooker, a well-known professional with many years of hands-on salar drilling knowledge in Argentina, will lead those aspects of the Campaign. Based on field results obtained during the Campaign, Trila may elect to expand the Campaign to include multiple rotary wells, which are larger diameter wells suited for implementation of long-term pumping tests that are requisite to determining the drawdown and recharge rates related to brine extraction from the subterranean aquifers. At its conclusion and based on the data obtained from the core samples and pump tests, the Campaign is expected to yield an NI. 43-101 resource estimate, which the company believes could be ready for publication in Q4 of 2022.
"We are proud beyond words to have assembled, in record time, a world-class team to undertake this initial drilling campaign in the Antofalla Salar. And we are confident that once undertaken, the Campaign will yield results that validate our belief that Antofalla is one of the world's great lithium resources."
Triangle's CEO, Ali Rahman
Sorcia Metal Corporation CEO and Triangle's Chairman, Daniel Layton, stated that "With our ability to utilize Sorcia's IBAT technology license, we see the potential for actual lithium production as achievable in our near-term horizon, possibly as early as Q1 2023, emerging right when the world needs these commodities the most."
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CHEMICAL MANAGEMENT
Novoloop | June 03, 2022
Advanced upcycling startup Novoloop expands its Series A to $21 million through an oversubscribed extension led by Mistletoe Singapore and Hanwha Solutions. This nearly doubles the company's raise of $11 million announced in February, which sparked additional investor interest.
"This round brings together mission-driven financial investors and industry strategics who believe in our vision of a circular economy for plastics. We're thrilled to make that vision a reality by leveraging their access to resources and markets around the world."
CEO Miranda Wang
The round's investors are decarbonizing energy, textiles, construction, and other industries across Europe, Asia, and the US. Valo Ventures' anchor LP Fortum is a hundred-year-old, publicly-listed clean energy and resource efficiency solution provider headquartered in Finland; SOSV is the world's leader in climate tech investing; Drive Catalyst is the corporate venture arm of the Far Eastern Group, a global player in the polyester and textile industries and PET recycling headquartered in Taiwan; and Alante Capital and S CAP are climate investors focused on deep tech.
"Leading this round was obvious," said Taizo Son, founder of Mistletoe. "After seeing Novoloop emerge from R&D with a product that solves real world problems, Mistletoe is a firm believer in the financial and environmental impact the company will create. We're already looking at ways to amplify this impact in places that really need it like Asian countries where the economy is fast-growing and the waste problem is serious."
Novoloop uses its proprietary ATOD™ technology to make high-performance chemicals and materials from polyethylene, which is the most commonly used yet least recycled plastic. Their first product, Oistre™ (pronounced OYST-rah), is the world's only thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) made from post-consumer waste that matches the performance of TPUs derived from petrochemicals.
With a carbon footprint up to 46% smaller than conventional TPUs, Oistre won the Plastics Industry Association's 2022 People's Choice award for Sustainable Plastic Innovation. It also put Novoloop in the World Economic Forum's 100 most promising Technology Pioneers of 2022.
"Hanwha has done an extensive assessment of the advanced plastic recycling landscape. Novoloop's technology is solid and unique," said Hanwha Solutions' spokesman. "We look forward to collaborating with Novoloop on upcycling carbon content in waste for the circular economy."
Novoloop will use the capital to begin developing industrial capabilities. Key initiatives include scaling up pilot production to make Oistre more readily available for customers in footwear, apparel, sporting goods, automotive, and electronics. It will also set up a feedstock pretreatment unit to assess the quality of post-consumer plastic waste from material recovery sources.
Other Series A investors announced earlier this year include Envisioning Partners, Bemis Associates, and TIME Ventures.
About Novoloop
Novoloop was founded in 2015 to deliver quality chemicals and materials made from plastic waste through ATOD™, their patented, low-carbon upcycling technology. By transforming hard-to-recycle plastic waste into virgin-quality materials, Novoloop offers superior sustainability and performance at competitive pricing. With their upcycled product Oistre™, Novoloop provides thermoplastic polyurethane solutions for footwear, sporting goods, automotive and more. To learn more, visit novoloop.com and oistre.com.
About Hanwha Solutions
Hanwha Solutions aims to deliver sustainable solutions for the planet through smart energy solutions and customer-focused materials. The Company operates its business through five divisions: Qcells, Chemical, Advanced Materials, Galleria and City Development. The Qcells Division offers total energy solutions from photovoltaic module manufacturing, power plant operation to electricity retailing service. The Chemical Division, the first in Korea to produce polyvinyl chloride (PVC), manufactures various chemical products and eco-friendly plasticizers. The Advanced Materials Division produces high-tech materials for automotive, photovoltaic and electronic devices. The Galleria Division, an operator of premium department store chain, provides premium fashion and food services. The City Development Division is a leading real estate developer specializing in industrial complexes. With its innovative technologies for sustainable growth, Hanwha Solutions strives to become a global leader in bringing a better future for humanity.
About Mistletoe
Founded by Taizo Son, Mistletoe is a Collective Impact Community based in Japan and Singapore with a mission to create a sustainable human-centered future using deep technologies. Their international community comprises more than 400 entrepreneurs, investors, researchers, and visionaries who are at the forefront of the global startup movement. They are building an environment for various talents to come together and discover solutions to societal challenges that are impossible for single companies to solve alone.
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CHEMICAL MANAGEMENT
Flowserve | March 25, 2022
Flowserve Corporation a leading provider of flow control products and services for the global infrastructure markets, announced it has entered into a non-exclusive partnership agreement with Gradiant to help address the most challenging problems in water and wastewater treatment.
Flowserve has more than two centuries of experience serving the global water industry, providing low maintenance, energy efficient pumps, valves, seals and services to both the municipal and industrial water sectors. This partnership will combine Flowserve’s flow control solutions and product expertise with Gradiant’s innovative tailored water treatment technology to provide unparalleled total water treatment solutions for our customers. Flowserve also continues to upgrade its water portfolio with market leading flow control products and solutions for the water industry. Recent additions include the H2O+ submersible pump, a suite of highly efficient pumps for desalination, as well as our RedRaven IoT platform, which enhances our overall solutions portfolio and aftermarket services.
“As we further diversify, decarbonize and digitize to drive growth and continue to support our customers, this partnership is a tangible way we’re advancing our offerings in new geographies, new marketing applications and new technology synergies. This new partnership with Gradiant not only strengthens Flowserve’s commitment and offering to the water market, but it also supports our sustainable development goals to make the world better for everyone.”
Scott Rowe, Flowserve president and chief executive officer
Gradiant develops and delivers advanced water and wastewater treatment facilities around the world, with a primary focus in the rapidly growing Asia Pacific and Americas for customers with mission-critical needs in cleantech water and sustainable operations. The company offers a broad portfolio of proprietary and patented technologies and services that focus on water reuse, resource recovery, brine concentration for minimum and zero liquid discharge (MLD / ZLD), and digital solutions for plant performance optimization. Gradiant offers flexible models for the design-build, operate-maintain, and financing of projects based on customers’ specific needs and situations.
“Working with a global flow control leader like Flowserve gives us access to a wider range of industry for our total solutions,” said Anurag Bajpayee, Gradiant co-founder and CEO. “This collaboration allows more rapid adoption of Gradiant’s cleantech water solutions into new market segments, leveraging Gradiant’s established project delivery resources and process expertise with Flowserve’s distribution reach.”
About Flowserve
Flowserve Corp. is one of the world’s leading providers of fluid motion and control products and services. Operating in more than 50 countries, the company produces engineered and industrial pumps, seals and valves as well as a range of related flow management services.
About Gradiant
Gradiant is a global solutions provider and developer of cleantech water projects for advanced water and wastewater treatment. Gradiant's end-to-end solutions and technology expertise enable sustainable and cost-effective treatment of the world's most important water challenges. Today, with over 400 employees, Gradiant operates from its corporate headquarters in Boston, regional headquarters and global R&D center in Singapore, and offices across ten countries. At Gradiant, we create New Possibilities for Water for our clients and the communities they serve to ensure a safer and more promising tomorrow.
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