August 2022

Scientists from The University of Manchester, Tsinghua University in China and the Chinese Academy of Sciences have demonstrated that graphene can be a kind of philosopher’s stone, allowing gold extraction from waste, particularly from electronics, containing only trace amounts of gold (down to a billionth of a percent).

A group of Taiwan-based researchers have figured out how to extract residual energy from waste batteries in an efficient manner. In a paper published in the journal IEEE Transactions on Industrial Electronics, the scientists explain that even though alkaline and zinc-carbon batteries are common in many self-powered devices, once a battery is discharged, it is no longer usable and is discarded. According to estimates, nearly 15 billion batteries are produced and sold worldwide annually.

New Biofuel Source Could Provide Up to 20% of Liquid Fuel Needs by 2050 — Waste-based biofuels could be a key driver of the energy transition transforming today’s limited supply of low carbon transportation fuels and creating a local, circular economy, according to a new report by Wood Mackenzie, a Verisk business (Nasdaq:VRSK). As the world transitions to new, sustainable energy sources, the somewhat neglected biofuel sector may have a crucial part to play.

In Washington, a new study by the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) shows biorefineries can increase their financial returns by selling renewable propane versus using it as a processing fuel or as a hydrogen feedstock. The financial findings complement the proven carbon reduction benefits of renewable propane for the transportation, commercial, agricultural and residential sectors.

Researchers at the University of Delaware are exploring ways to use clay-like topsoil materials from the moon or Mars as the basis for extraterrestrial cement, which would be used for buildings, housing, or rocket landing pads. “If we’re going to live and work on another planet like Mars or the moon, we need to make concrete. But we can’t take bags of concrete with us—we need to use local resources,” Norman Wagner, co-author of the study that explores this idea, said in a media statement.

Researchers at the Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (JAIST) are proposing a solution to some of the issues plaguing silicon micron-particles (SiMP), which hinder their use in lithium-ion batteries.

Scientists demonstrate a metal — organic framework-based magnesium ion conductor showing superionic conductivity even at room temperature.

In 2021, global electric vehicle sales hit 6.6 million – more than double the 3 million in sales in 2020 — meaning EVs made up 9% of the global car market last year. That’s the good news, from a decarbonization standpoint. Here’s the bad news. Just as it begins to gain momentum, the electrification of transportation could begin stalling as early as mid-decade.

China’s EV Industry: 2022 and Beyond. Have Chinese brands reversed the tables and gained a sustainable advantage over foreign brands in the EV race? Can global OEMs catch up? GlobalAutoIndustry.com’s Ron Hesse talks with Bill Russo, CEO of Automobility Ltd, and Chair, Automotive Committee at the American Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai.

The six-day stoppage of industrial production in Sichuan province will increase prices for lithium salts and polysilicon in the short term, putting pressure on downstream players, analysts say.

US-based Tesla has reached contracts, valued at nearly $5bn, to purchase battery materials from Indonesian nickel processing companies, reported Reuters citing a senior cabinet minister as saying to CNBC Indonesia. Claiming to hold major nickel reserves, Indonesia has been looking to attract investments from US electric vehicle maker Tesla.

Electric vehicle (EV) maker Tesla must make its cars – not just batteries – in Indonesia, the country’s president said on Thursday.

‘Maintaining the energy subsidy is a heavy task. How long can we go on like this?’ says President Widodo, but while his approval ratings are high, limiting subsidies or recipients is no easy task, say experts.

In Indonesia, Reuters reports the government has kicked off road testing for B40 with a decision on public use of the higher blend expected by the end of the year. Standard B40 will be tested but also B30 together with 10% green diesel produced from refined bleached and deodorized palm oil that was developed by Pertamina. The B40 trial will run for 50,000 km using 12 of the most popular car models while the B30/GD10 trial will run for 40,000 km using the same 12 car models.

Indonesia will explore more potential areas to increase oil and gas production, Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) minister, Arifin Tasrif, said.

During a recent USDA agricultural trade mission to the Philippines, representatives from the U.S. Grains Council and Mariano Marcos State University signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on biofuels.

The country’s biofuel consumption is expected to continue to recover this year on the back of economic growth, as well as the increase in ethanol and biodiesel demand, according to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). In terms of production, the USDA said biodiesel production may rise by 25 percent to meet the demand from the B5 biodiesel blend.

Tenaga Nasional Bhd (TNB) and Petronas have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to strengthen collaboration in driving innovative solutions towards decarbonisation in support of Malaysia’s aspirations to be a carbon-neutral nation by 2050.

Indah Water Konsortium Sdn Bhd (IWK) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) and collaborated with EMB Business Sdn Bhd to pioneer the production of ethanol and biogas generated from wastewater processing for commercial purposes.

Malaysia will step up efforts to use materials derived from commodity by-product to reduce waste and generate more revenue. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said biomass sources had been identified to produce value-added products.

Many people queue under monsoon drizzle for subsidised cooking oil in Myanmar’s commercial hub Yangon, waiting for one of the many commodities that have become scarce as economic misery strikes the city.

Myanmar plans to import Russian gasoline and fuel oil to ease supply concerns and rising prices, a junta spokesperson said, the latest developing country to do so amid a global energy crisis.

In Singapore, the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS), Singapore Airlines (SIA), and GenZero, an investment platform wholly-owned by Temasek that is dedicated to accelerating decarbonization globally, have embarked on the next phase of the Singapore pilot with the delivery of blended Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) to Changi Airport via the airport’s fuel hydrant system on July 7, 2022.

The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore and the Port of Rotterdam have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to establish the world’s longest green and digital corridor to enable low- and zero-carbon shipping.

Thailand’s production of biodiesel is expected to decline for the third consecutive year in 2022, according to a report filed with the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service’s Global Agricultural Information Network.

Vietnam’s Ministry of Industry and Trade has announced that AES Corporation, a utility based in the US state of Virginia, is to develop a $13bn offshore wind farm near the central province of Binh Thuan, the Reuters news agency reports. The ministry said AES last week submitted a letter of intent to develop the project to Vietnamese delegates to the annual Vietnam-–US energy security dialogue in Washington.