Products and Technologies, Market Outlook
PRNewswire | July 17, 2023
Air Products the world's largest producer of hydrogen and a first-mover in energy transition projects, announced that it has been selected by Edmonton International Airport as the hydrogen and technology provider for Alberta's first hydrogen fuel cell passenger vehicle fleet.
Under the agreement, Air Products will station a mobile hydrogen refueler at the airport to provide hydrogen for the fleet of Toyota Mirai hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. The airport will begin with a fleet of five hydrogen fuel cell vehicles to be used by employees and plans to expand the fleet to as many as 100 cars to serve as a taxi service at the airport. Fueling of the vehicles will begin next week.
Myron Keehn, President and CEO of Edmonton Airports, including Edmonton International Airport, made the announcement today during a luncheon with Toyota Canada, where they unveiled plans to partner to create the Province's first hydrogen fuel cell passenger vehicle fleet.
"Air Products is proud to support Edmonton International Airport in this first-mover project to establish the first passenger hydrogen fuel cell vehicle fleet in Alberta," said Eric Guter, Air Products' Global Vice President, Hydrogen for Mobility. "Access to clean hydrogen fueling infrastructure is key to the energy transition and efforts to decarbonize transportation. Air Products' innovative and efficient mobile fuelers will accelerate the use of hydrogen as an emissions-free transportation fuel as permanent hydrogen infrastructure is built in Western Canada."
Earlier this year, Air Products announced plans to build the first commercial-scale hydrogen refueling station in Edmonton. The multi-modal station, which will serve heavy-duty and light duty vehicles will be located near Air Products' net-zero hydrogen energy complex under construction in Edmonton.
The new Edmonton station, scheduled to open in 2025, will include two hydrogen refueling lanes with dispensers for heavy-duty vehicles such as commercial and municipal trucks, and Air Products' own truck fleet. In addition, the station also will have two fueling positions for light-duty hydrogen fuel cell cars. The hydrogen refueling station is supported in part by $1 million (CAD) in funding from Natural Resources Canada's Zero Emission Vehicle Infrastructure Program.
Air Products works across all facets of the hydrogen value chain, including production, distribution, storage and dispensing and has been a pioneer in hydrogen fueling for decades.
The company operates the world's largest hydrogen pipeline system, located in the U.S. Gulf Coast, and is a world-class liquid hydrogen supplier. Air Products has hands-on operating experience with over 250 hydrogen fueling station projects in 20 countries and the company's technologies are used in over 1.5 million fueling operations annually.
"With abundant natural resources and a collaborative approach between government and business, Canada is well-positioned to be a global leader in the clean energy future," said Rachel Smith, Air Products Vice President and General Manager, Canada. "We are proud to build on Air Products' investment in the Edmonton region that will help accelerate the use of hydrogen as an emissions-free transportation fuel across western Canada."
Air Products has invested heavily in the Edmonton region and is currently building a transformative new $1.6 billion (CAD) net-zero hydrogen energy complex. The hydrogen production complex will use an advanced process technology that enables the cost-effective capture of more than 90 percent of carbon emissions for permanent sequestration safely underground. The facility will also include a world-scale hydrogen liquefaction facility which will help to accelerate the use of hydrogen as emission-free transportation fuel across western Canada. In addition, to avoid the indirect emissions associated with using grid electrical power, the project includes a 100 percent hydrogen-fueled power generation unit that has the capability to export clean power to Alberta's grid.
The complex also will be integrated with neighboring Imperial Oil Limited's new renewable diesel facility, using innovative engineering. Imperial will produce renewable diesel from locally sourced non-petroleum feedstocks, using a process that produces a biogenic renewable off-gas (ROG) by-product. This ROG will be used as a feedstock within the Air Products hydrogen complex, displacing natural gas and further enhancing the overall carbon emissions profile. The combination of utilizing a renewable feedstock and power export more than offset any emissions not directly captured to produce hydrogen on a net-zero basis.
This new production facility adds to Air Products' presence in Edmonton. Air Products already operates three hydrogen production facilities, as well as a 55-kilometer hydrogen pipeline supplying customers in industries including refining, petrochemical and others.
About Air Products
Air Products is a world-leading industrial gases company in operation for over 80 years focused on serving energy, environmental, and emerging markets. The Company has two growth pillars driven by sustainability. Air Products' base business provides essential industrial gases, related equipment and applications expertise to customers in dozens of industries, including refining, chemicals, metals, electronics, manufacturing, and food. The Company also develops, engineers, builds, owns and operates some of the world's largest industrial gas and carbon-capture projects, supplying world-scale clean hydrogen for global transportation, industrial markets, and the broader energy transition. Additionally, Air Products is the world leader in the supply of liquefied natural gas process technology and equipment, and globally provides turbomachinery, membrane systems and cryogenic containers.
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Raw Materials, Market Outlook
Businesswire | August 01, 2023
Eureka Resources a leader in mineral recovery from unconventional sources, announced that they have successfully extracted 97% pure lithium carbonate from oil and natural gas brine from production activities with up to a 90% recovery rate. This achievement, accomplished in partnership with SEP Salt & Evaporation Plants Ltd. (SEP), marks a significant milestone in the company's mission to develop a sustainable lithium supply chain in North America. Eureka’s patented water treatment process also recycles and converts over 80% of the wastewater by volume to freshwater, which is available for beneficial use.
This breakthrough is significant because it unlocks a domestic source of lithium for the U.S. market, reducing reliance on foreign sources of lithium from China and South America while simultaneously addressing critical environmental challenges. Eureka's patented, closed loop process involves a combination of physical and chemical treatment, concentration, and crystallization using existing industrial equipment. This process has been in operation for over ten years extracting commercial-grade sodium chloride and calcium chloride as well as clean water. The expansion of these facilities to include extraction of lithium as lithium carbonate as a fourth output will be operational within two years, making it the fastest to market for a new lithium source in the U.S., setting it apart from all other domestic extraction methods, including Direct Lithium Extraction (DLE).
The recent passage of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) incentivizes electric-vehicle manufacturers to use domestic sources of lithium in their vehicles, creating significant demand for Eureka's domestic lithium supply. This helps the United States achieve its decarbonization goals without relying on foreign sources of lithium, which are in short supply and create their own supply chain complexities.
"We are thrilled to announce this advancement in our mineral extraction capabilities," said Eureka Resources CEO Dan Ertel. "Our patented process for extracting lithium from brine wastes and other industrial wastewaters is not only environmentally friendly, but also provides a reliable domestic source of lithium for the U.S. market. This is a major step forward in our mission to create sustainable, domestic solutions for critical mineral recovery."
"Sending the first lithium carbonate crystals produced from Eureka’s concentrated brine filled us with great satisfaction. It is a validation of SEP’s vast experience in the salt and lithium crystallization area and of its laboratory testing capabilities assisting development of novel recovery processes for unconventional brine sources," said Jens-Holger Schmidt, CEO of SEP.
This announcement is a testament to Eureka’s and SEP’s joint commitment to sustainability, innovation, and responsible resource development of resources in support of clean energy initiatives. With a bright future ahead, Eureka is well-positioned to become a domestic leader in the production of sustainable lithium and is poised to make a major impact in the battery industry and beyond.
About Eureka Resources
Headquartered in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, Eureka Resources has three facilities serving companies working in the Marcellus Shale. Two wastewater treatment facilities – one in Williamsport, PA and the other near Towanda, PA — have the capacity to treat 10,000 barrels of wastewater per day. A third facility, also in Williamsport, serves as a secure storage site for offloading of produced water as well as storage and distribution of coproducts. All three facilities are geographically positioned for easy access by Marcellus Shale oil and gas producers and their transportation partners. The Company is committed to providing sophisticated technology solutions that provide for the environmentally responsible treatment of wastewater and co-product generation including critical mineral recovery. Convenient locations also help reduce transportation costs and provide alternatives to disposal through deep well injection.
About SEP
SEP is an evaporation and crystallization technology firm, headquartered in Switzerland, specializing in developing, designing and supplying sustainable, efficient and high-quality recovery and production processes and plants.
About Haddington Ventures
Eureka Resources is a portfolio company of Haddington Ventures, LLC. Founded in 1998, Haddington Ventures oversees a growing portfolio of renewable energy businesses that are bringing innovative new infrastructure to the U.S. energy sector. Haddington’s unique combination of industry knowledge, investment experience and operational expertise provides an important advantage in identifying and creating value in its investment opportunities. Generally, Haddington invests in companies whose businesses support the vast operating and infrastructure requirements driven by the growing demand for energy.
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Chemical Management
businesswire | August 14, 2023
Origin Materials, Inc. the world’s leading carbon negative materials company with a mission to enable the world’s transition to sustainable materials, and Proman, a global leader in natural gas-derived products and one of the world’s largest producers of methanol, today announced a strategic partnership centered on low-carbon biofuel production utilizing Origin’s technology platform and Proman’s worldwide fuels capabilities and expertise.
As part of the partnership, Proman and Origin Materials signed an agreement to explore the production and global distribution of low-carbon biofuels.
“We are excited to partner with Proman, a leader in natural gas-derived products with extensive global shipping and supply chain capabilities, to take this step forward in low-carbon biofuels commercialization,” said Origin Materials Co-CEO Rich Riley. “Biofuel is a rapidly growing market. Low-carbon-intensity biofuels made from wood waste reflect the future of biofuels as industry moves aggressively towards decarbonization. Origin’s technology platform is uniquely positioned to deliver these renewable fuels using our ‘oils and extractives’ intermediate stream. We are thrilled to partner with Proman, a company that brings significant expertise across engineering, procurement, and construction related to world-scale sustainable technology development. Over the long-term, we see the potential for biomass-derived, low-carbon-intensity fuels to be used in marine and other transportation fuels, industrial applications, heat and power generation, and more.”
Origin expects to produce bio-based fuels using its patented technology platform, which turns the carbon found in sustainable wood residues into useful products.
Proman’s Chief Executive David Cassidy welcomed today’s agreement, saying: “Certified lower-carbon fuels and feedstocks will play a vital role in enabling the transition to a more sustainable world. From the production of the materials and packaging that we all use every day, to the fuels that power our global supply chains and transport these products around the world, biofuels have huge potential to drive down emissions. That’s why we are delighted to be partnering with Origin Materials, who shares our commitment to innovation and our belief in methanol’s potential to enable more sustainable manufacturing. By combining Proman’s production expertise and extensive distribution network with Origin’s patented technology platform, we will explore new ways to create the building blocks for reduced environmental impact across our everyday lives.”
About Origin Materials
Headquartered in West Sacramento, Origin Materials is the world’s leading carbon negative materials company. Origin’s mission is to enable the world’s transition to sustainable materials. For over a decade, Origin has developed a platform for turning the carbon found in inexpensive, plentiful, non-food biomass such as sustainable wood residues into useful materials while capturing carbon in the process. Origin’s patented technology platform can help revolutionize the production of a wide range of end products, including clothing, textiles, plastics, packaging, car parts, tires, carpeting, toys, fuels, and more with a ~$1 trillion addressable market. In addition, Origin’s technology platform is expected to provide stable pricing largely decoupled from the petroleum supply chain, which is exposed to more volatility than supply chains based on sustainable wood residues. Origin’s patented drop-in core technology, economics and carbon impact are supported by a growing list of major global customers and investors.
About Proman
Proman is an integrated energy company and the world’s second largest methanol producer.
Headquartered in Switzerland, with offices across Europe, production assets in the United States, Trinidad and Oman, and ongoing expansion into Mexico, Canada and the UAE, Proman is a global leader in methanol, fertilizer and other products such as melamine. We have extensive experience in project management, petrochemical plant construction and operations, marketing and logistics, and shipping.
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Chemical Management
PRNewswire | July 27, 2023
SIGMA Lithium Corporation a leading global lithium producer dedicated to powering the next generation of electric vehicles with environmentally sustainable and carbon neutral battery-grade lithium, announced that it has successfully achieved net zero carbon emissions with the successful execution of its first shipment of Triple Zero Green Lithium and Triple Zero Green By-Products.
Sigma Lithium has begun generating revenue from Phase 1 and expects to produce approximately 130,000 tonnes of Triple Zero Green Lithium in calendar year 2023 as it ramps up to full-scale Phase 1 production. The Company expects to reach Phase 2 & 3 full production capacity in 2024, positioning it as one of the world's largest lithium producers.
Ramp-up of Phase 1 production continues to advance, currently operating at approximately 75% of nameplate throughput capacity. Importantly, Sigma Lithium has achieved maximum DMS recoveries of 60% and is tracking towards design recoveries of 65% while also achieving expected high-quality technical specifications and purity for the Company's Triple Zero Green Lithium, even achieving recent production of up to 6.4% Li2O lithium concentrate.
Maiden Shipment of Triple Zero Green Lithium and By-Products
The maiden shipment consists of 15,000 tonnes of Triple Zero Green Lithium and 15,000 tonnes of Triple Zero Green By-Products produced from its Grota do Cirilo project in Brazil. This first shipment was produced at Sigma Lithium's state-of-the-art Greentech Plant, the first lithium project in the world without a tailings dam. With 100% dry-stacked tailings and the absence of hazardous chemical products for processing lithium, the Company is preventing water and soil contamination and contributing to the preservation of rivers and forests in the region.
Further, due to the low carbon content of Sigma Lithium's products, the Company's carbon footprint after carbon abatement initiatives and implementation of environmentally sustainable production methods was offset with 59,000 tonnes of carbon credits purchased from Carbonext (which are verified through Verra Verified Carbon Standard) resulting in the Company reaching net zero this year.
"We are thrilled with our partnership with Sigma Lithium," said Carbonext CEO, Janaína Dallan. "Ana Cabral is notoriously committed to the Company's environmental and socioeconomic agenda and we would like to congratulate Sigma for engaging in the fight against climate change with Carbonext. Projects like the ones Sigma is supporting protect more than 2 million hectares in the Amazon biome with support for constant local and satellite monitoring to ensure high integrity and quality of forest preservation projects and socio-environmental benefits to local communities."
As a result, Sigma Lithium is able to deliver the world's first Triple Zero shipment of battery-grade lithium concentrate with zero hazardous chemicals, zero tailings and net zero carbon.
"We were founded with the mission to produce environmentally sustainable lithium with the lowest possible greenhouse gas emissions and the elimination of hazardous tailings dams," said Ana Cabral, Sigma Lithium CEO and Co-Chairperson. "With the successful execution of our first shipment, we celebrate the accomplishment of our mission: we were able to reach our net zero target well in advance of our estimated timeframe, and ahead of the overall metals and mining sector. More importantly, as we reached our climate action goals, we are well on the way to lift the communities around us with initiatives such as microcredit and irrigation for subsistence farmers."
"At Sigma Lithium, we believe that businesses have a critical role to play in combating climate change, particularly in the mass transition to electric vehicles. Our state-of-the-art Greentech Plant, which uses 100% renewable energy, 100% recycled water and 100% dry-stacked tailings, is a model of sustainability to fully support the electric vehicle industry in reducing its environmental footprint. By successfully achieving net zero carbon production, we have proven that our industry can effectively embrace sustainable practices and pave the way towards a greener future," she added.
Premium Product with Premium Pricing
This shipment is the first installment of the previously announced Green By-Products Environmental Offtake agreement signed on May 3, 2023, with Yahua International Investment and Development Co., Ltd. ("Yahua") for the sale of up to 300,000 tonnes of Green By-Products per year for up to three years. In addition, the Company concurrently entered into a spot sale agreement with Yahua for the sale of 15,000 tonnes of Triple Zero Green Lithium which is also included in the first shipment.
Due to the high-purity nature of its Triple Zero Green Lithium and By-Products, Sigma Lithium was able to achieve premium pricing, calculated using 9% of the average lithium hydroxide price for China, Japan and South Korea. The resulting prices for the maiden shipment, FOB Vitoria Brazil, are ~US$3,500/t of concentrate (adjusted one month post shipment) and ~US$350/t of by-product (adjusted two months post shipment).
Of note, the per tonne price of Triple Zero Green By-Products obtained by Sigma Lithium more than offsets the FOB site gate cash cost estimate of US$289 per tonne of Triple Zero Green Lithium estimated in the Company's Updated Technical Report which was issued June 12, 2023. 100% of the Triple Zero Green By-Products are expected to be upcycled into battery grade lithium concentrate for use in electric vehicle battery production.
ABOUT SIGMA LITHIUM
Sigma Lithium is a leading global lithium producer dedicated to powering the next generation of electric vehicle batteries with environmentally sustainable and high-purity lithium.
Sigma Lithium has been at the forefront of environmental and social sustainability in the EV battery materials supply chain for six years and it is currently producing Triple Zero Green Lithium from its Grota do Cirilo Project in Brazil. Phase 1 of the project is expected to produce 270,000 tonnes of Triple Zero Green Lithium annually (36,700 LCE annually). If it is determined to proceed after completion of an ongoing feasibility study, Phase 2 & 3 of the project are expected to increase production to 766,000 tonnes annually (or 104,200 LCE annually). The project produces Triple Zero Green Lithium in its state-of-the-art Greentech lithium plant that uses 100% renewable energy, 100% recycled water and 100% dry-stacked tailings.
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