Industry Trends

October 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?

Environmentally friendly supercapacitors, Fueling milk trucks with methane produced from cows, California to ban gas-powered cars by 2035, and more. See what journals and industry experts have been discussing in the last four weeks.

Latest Industry Articles

New findings pave the way to environmentally friendly supercapacitors
ScienceDaily

Similar to batteries, supercapacitors are suitable for the repeated storage of electrical energy. Researchers have now presented a particularly safe and sustainable variant of such a supercapacitor.

Arla launching pilot project fueling milk trucks with methane produced from farmers’ cows
Biofuels Digest

In the UK, Arla is getting in gear with its sustainability efforts and transforming cow manure from its farms into vehicle-friendly fuel in a major new trial. Arla’s initiative will mean that for the first time, farmers will send their cows’ poo to a nearby anaerobic digestion plant where it will be broken down into different components, including clean bio-methane, and converted into usable fuel.

California's ban of gas-powered cars by 2035 looks great for Tesla, but could distract the young automaker from its best chance to grow
Business Insider

California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed an executive order banning the sale of gas-powered cars by 2035, on the hood of a Ford Mustang Mach-E. Tesla is ideally positioned to take advantage of California’s move to ban internal-combustion vehicle sales by 2035. But Gov. Gavin Newsom’s executive order could also be seen as a potential distraction from a much bigger opportunity for Tesla to grow outside of California and the US.

It is possible to recover lithium cobalt oxide from spent batteries
MINING.com

Researchers at Washington University in St. Louis, Shanghai Jiao Tong University in China and Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, published a study where they show that it is possible to regenerate the complete lithium cobalt oxide compounds in lithium-ion batteries, as opposed to recovering individual elements and then putting them together.

Sodium-ion batteries are a valid alternative to Lithium-ion batteries
ScienceDaily

A team of scientists combined their knowledge and expertise to assess the current status of the Na-ion technology from materials to cell development, offering a realistic comparison of the key performance indicators for NBs and LIBs.

Evonik and Siemens Energy launch pilot to produce chemicals from CO2 and water
Biofuels Digest

In Germany, Evonik and Siemens Energy commissioned a pilot plant sponsored by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) that uses carbon dioxide and water to produce chemicals. The necessary energy is supplied by electricity from renewable sources. The pilot plant is located in Marl, in the northern Ruhr area, and its innovative technology of artificial photosynthesis should contribute to the success of the energy revolution.

Lallemand launches new Convergence yeast, enzyme platform: could save ethanol producers $1M/year in replacing all external fermentation enzymes

Biofuels Digest

In Wisconsin, Lallemand Biofuels & Distilled Spirits has announced a next generation advanced yeast and enzyme platform called Convergence, which combines a new yeast that generates virtually all the glucoamylase (GA) required for fermentation combined with a small amount of complementary exogenous enzyme. The bottom line impact for a corn starch ethanol producer would be in the range of $1 million per year, according to Lallemand Biofuels & Distilled Spirits President, Angus Ballard.

ExxonMobil completes successful trial of its marine biofuel oil
Biodiesel Magazine

ExxonMobil has completed a successful sea trial of the company’s first marine biofuel oil with shipping company Stena Bulk, bunkered in the port of Rotterdam. The marine biofuel oil is a 0.50 percent VLSFO processed with a waste-based FAME component.

Rayong to supply LNG to power plants
Bangkok Post

Energy policymakers plan to have two liquefied natural gas (LNG) receiving terminals in Rayong supply gas to power plants instead of the offshore Erawan gas field in the Gulf of Thailand, which may not begin operation in 2022 under its new operator, PTT Exploration and Production Plc (PTTEP).

China pushing forward with ethanol but E10 unclear
Biofuels Digest

In China, Agence France Presse reports that the country to move forward with its ethanol expansion plans for 2020 with an eye towards promoting large-scale cellulosic ethanol production using straw and forestry waste but no mention was made of the E10 mandate originally planned and later put on hold.

Singapore researchers convert pineapple waste into aerogels
Biofuels Digest

In Singapore, researchers have developed a method to convert pineapple leaf fibers into aerogels with applications in food preservation and wastewater treatment. National University of Singapore Associate Professor Duong Hai-Minh says the aerogels are very versatile. “They are effective as oil absorbents and for heat and sound insulation,” he says. “We have also demonstrated their potential applications in food preservation and wastewater treatment.

Chinese Companies Flocking to Southern Myanmar’s Industrial Complex Megaproject

Consult Myanmar

Despite the surge in COVID-19 in Myanmar, Chinese companies including state-owned energy giants are seeking opportunities to invest in the Dawei Special Economic Zone (SEZ), a US$8-billion (10.4-trillion-kyat) strategic project in southern Myanmar’s Tanintharyi Region that is set to be Southeast Asia’s largest industrial complex. The Dawei SEZ management committee has invited international companies to invest in the full phase of the long-delayed Dawei project. 

Exxon narrows bidders for US$3 billion Malaysian assets
New Straits Times

EXXON Mobil Corp has narrowed the list of bidders for its oil-producing offshore assets in Malaysia that could potentially raise US$2 billion to US$3 billion in a sale, according to people with knowledge of the matter.

Indonesia in talks with Tesla on potential investment
Paul Tan’s Automotive News

Indonesia says that it is in early talks with Tesla about a potential investment by the electric car maker in the ASEAN country. This is according to Ayodhia Kalake, a senior official at the republic’s coordinating ministry for maritime and investment, reported by Reuters. Ayodhia said Tesla had reached out to the government informally about a possible venture, but he did not specify what Elon Musk’s company had in mind. “It was still an early discussion and was not detailed yet.

Great Wall plans to invest RM2.9 billion in Thailand
Paul Tan’s Automotive News

Great Wall Motor is gearing up to increase its presence in Thailand, the Bangkok Post reports. The Chinese automaker is planning to invest 22 billion baht (RM2.9 billion) into business expansion in the Kingdom, with local assembly set to begin next year. The company is in the midst of upgrading the Rayong production facility it took over from GM earlier this year, and expects that upgrade works will be completed in the final quarter of the year.

China says it has completed development of CAP 1400 third-generation nuclear technology
South China Morning Post

China has completed the development of a third-generation nuclear technology that could help cut greenhouse gas emissions by millions of tonnes a year, the State Power Investment Corporation announced on Monday.

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