Industry Trends

March 2020

See what has been happening in Asia’s petrochemicals, agrochemicals, automotive, bio energy, and mining industries over the last weeks. What are experts and industry magazines talking about?

What has been happening?

Indoor solar cells, greener biodiesel, replacement of electrodes in lithium battery, and more. Find out what journals and industry experts have been discussing in the last four weeks.

Latest Industry Articles

New type of indoor solar cells for smart connected devices
ScienceDaily

In a future where most things in our everyday life are connected through the internet, devices and sensors will need to run without wires or batteries. Researchers present a new type of dye-sensitized solar cells that harvest light from indoor lamps.
Researchers develop greener approach for producing cheaper biodiesel from microbes, sludge
Biofuels Digest

In Canada, researchers at the Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique developed a new approach to biodiesel production that uses microbes, sewage sludge, and glycerol, a biofuel byproduct and were able to lower the production cost down to $0.72/L with their new innovative new process. Processing sludge reduces GHG. “It keeps sludge out of landfills, where it releases methane.
Cheap abundant materials replace electrodes in lithium battery
Electronics Weekly

Low-cost cobalt-free biodegradable rechargeable lithium batteries, particularly for grid-scale storage, are the dream of a research group at York University in Toronto, which might have bought them closer to reality with an organic cathode. “Organic electrode materials are considered to be extremely promising materials for sustainable batteries with high power capabilities,” said Professor Thomas Baumgartner
OPEC+ Talks Fizzle, Straining Russia-Saudi Alliance
Rigzone.com

The oil market now faces double jeopardy.
New tools show a way forward for large-scale storage of renewable energy
ScienceDaily

A technique based on the principles of MRI has allowed researchers to observe not only how next-generation batteries for large-scale energy storage work, but also how they fail, which will assist in the development of strategies to extend battery lifetimes in support of the transition to a zero-carbon future.
ExxonMobil Awards Guyana AUV Contract
Rigzone.com

Exxon Mobil Corp. has awarded subsea marine robotics firm Ocean Infinity a contract for high-resolution autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) geophysical and geotechnical data acquisition within the Stabroek Block offshore Guyana, Ocean Infinity reported Friday.
Advance in next-generation lithium metal batteries
ScienceDaily

A research team has developed a way to address a major safety issue with lithium metal batteries – an innovation that could make high-energy batteries more viable for next-generation energy storage.
Gold-coated pantyhose shows that light-emitting apparel may be feasible
MINING.com

A pantyhose coated in gold is being presented as the next viable step towards developing wearable luminous clothing. The idea is not only targeted at fashionistas aiming to attract all eyes but also at first responders and nighttime construction workers who need safety gear, as well as athletes who want light-emitting apparel.
Simple self-charging battery offers power solutions for devices
ScienceDaily

A new type of battery combines negative capacitance and negative resistance within the same cell, allowing the cell to self-charge without losing energy, which has important implications for long-term storage and improved output power for batteries. Researchers report making their very simple battery with two different metals, as electrodes and a lithium or sodium glass electrolyte between them.
Key wearable tech trends in the mining industry
MINING.com

Wearables — clothing, gear and other accessories incorporating computer and advanced electronic equipment — are evolving into important tools in the mining industry, driven by a combination of technological progress and market demand, according to data analysis company Global Data. As declining ore reserves push mines to greater depths and to remote locations, some companies are testing wearables to see how they can help cut costs, decrease risk and drive productivity.
Copper price revised up on bullish H2 2020 outlook
MINING.com

In a new report, Fitch analysts are revising up their 2020 copper price forecast to $5,900/tonne from $5,700/tonne as they now expect increased stimulus from the Chinese government to lift prices higher over the back half of the year.
EV-internal combustion price parity forecast for 2023 – report
MINING.com

A new report by Roskill suggests that the rising CO2 compliance costs that original equipment manufacturers within the automobile industry are facing in some jurisdictions are set to create a price parity between fully electric vehicles (BEV) and their internal combustion engine (ICE) counterparts. According to Roskill, the emission caps that some countries are implementing are already making ICE cars increasingly expensive on an all-in cost basis.
Gas Stocks Climb Amid Oil Market Chaos
Rigzone.com

Could the collapse in the crude market create a more constructive gas setting?
Indonesia’s B30 mandate to use 9.6 billion liters of biodiesel and save $4.5B in fossil fuel imports
Biofuels Digest

In Indonesia, Antara news agency reports that this year’s B30 biodiesel mandate will require 9.6 billion liters of biodiesel, which will in turn reduce export availability by 3 billion liters. The industry minister said that doing so will increase the value of palm oil by $930 million while reducing fossil fuel imports, and therefore drain on foreign exchange reserves, by $4.5 billion. He said using B30 will also reduce the country’s CO2 emissions by 14.
Singapore to move to hybrid, electric buses – report
Paul Tan’s Automotive News

In line with a global push towards cleaner mobility, our neighbour Singapore has announced that it will be acquiring only hybrid and electric buses moving forward, reported the Straits Times. The island nation’s senior minister of state for transport Janil Puthucheary told the parliament that the move is part to the government’s goal of having its fleet of public buses – which currently stands at around 5,400 units – run on cleaner energy by 2040.
Oil Plunges Most Since 2008
Rigzone.com

Futures plummeted more than 9 percent as talks between members of the OPEC+ group collapsed in Vienna.

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