Tag Archives: zero emissions

Biggest biofuel producer in US pledges carbon neutrality by 2050

At-a-Glance:

The largest biofuel manufacturer in the U.S., POET, announced a new goal this week of reaching carbon neutrality by the year 2050. The company said in a sustainability report that it has a number of benchmarks it aims to meet toward that objective, including reducing the carbon intensity of bioethanol by 70 percent and investing in technology to advance low-carbon bioproducts. The company also said it would aim to advance policies that support these goals. To learn more, read, “Biggest biofuel producer in US pledges carbon neutrality by 2050.”

Key Takeaways:

  • Carbon neutrality differs from zero emissions as companies that commit to neutrality aim to offset their carbon footprint by attempting to remove the same amount of CO2 from the atmosphere that they contribute.
    • Many companies do this by buying carbon offset credits that go toward sustainability projects.
  • In its report, POET claimed to be the fastest-growing renewable CO2 business in the U.S.
  • The company said it would “consider” numerous ways of reducing carbon emissions including investing in solar power as well as technologies to capture and store CO2.

Path to 100% Perspective:

Government agencies, communities and organizations are pledging to reach clean energy or carbon neutrality goals with ambitious timelines. However, the only way to reach these complex solutions in the next few decades is strategic planning and integration of multiple technologies. Biofuels have been part of the energy transition since the 1980’s, but the focus on biofuels gained more traction in the early 2000’s. Since then, the cost for renewable energy has dramatically increased which has increased the popularity for fuels produced by renewable energy such as hydrogen, ammonia and synthetic methane. POET’s increased focus and investment in emerging technologies could help to propel this biofuel manufacturer towards their carbon neutral goals and milestones.

 

Photo by Guillaume de Germain on Unsplash

Hydrogen advocates look to capitalize on California’s goal to replace diesel for back-up generation

At-a-Glance:

California regulators are on the lookout for cleaner alternatives to replace the widespread use of back-up diesel generation – particularly among data centers in Silicon Valley and other areas of the state – and some industry players think hydrogen could be the answer. To learn more, read “Hydrogen advocates look to capitalize on California’s goal to replace diesel for back-up generation.”

Key Takeaways:

  • Hydrogen fuel cells are advantageous for several reasons: they occupy less space than batteries, possess long-term storage capability, are quiet, reliable, and 100% zero-emission.
  • The key draw of hydrogen is its cost effectiveness at longer durations.
    • For a completely resilient, 100% renewable data center with zero emissions, using hydrogen would translate to a levelized cost of electricity amounting to $119 per MWh.
    • Batteries would lead to over $4,000 per MWh levelized cost to ensure 48 hours of backup power.
  • Taking a step back from the issue of replacing diesel back-up generators, environmental advocates are urging the state to prioritize the adoption of renewable, zero emissions technologies.
  • Ben Schwartz, policy manager at Clean Coalition, said California could adopt policies to promote the efficiency of solar and storage alternatives to diesel generation.

Path to 100% Perspective:

Renewable fuels, such as hydrogen, can help utilities overcome the variability challenges posed by seasonal conditions and extreme weather. One approach that can be leveraged in the transition to a 100% renewable energy system is power-to-gas (PtG). PtG technology uses excess energy from wind and solar to produce synthetic hydrogen and methane. The combination of stored fuel potential and thermal capacity yields a long-term energy storage system that acts like a gigantic distributed “battery.” Coupled with traditional, shorter-term storage technologies, this system can help meet seasonal energy demands when renewables are variable, and provide a reliable and secure supply of electricity during periods of extreme weather.

 

Photo by Clayton Cardinalli on Unsplash