Covestro, Calpine carbon capture project to start talks for US funds

A carbon capture project being developed in Baytown, Texas, by Covestro and the power company Calpine is one of three that could receive hundreds of millions of dollars from the US government, the Department of Energy (DOE) said on Thursday.

The DOE is offering up to $890m in funds for the three projects under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Before the government issues the money, DOE needs to start award negotiations with the projects.

The Covestro and Calpine project, called the Baytown Carbon Capture and Storage Project, will capture the carbon dioxide (CO2), generated from a natural gas combined cycle power plant, known as the Baytown Energy Center, according to the DOE.

Covestro will be the main consumer of the power producers by the plant. The project will use Shell's CANSOLV solvent to capture up to 2m metric tonnes/year of CO2, which will be shipped and sequestered in saline storage sites on the Gulf Coast.

The project is studying whether it can reuse wastewater for cooling, the DOE said. The government could contribute up to $270m.

We remind, Covestro is investing a mid to high double-digit million euro amount in the modernization of its production plant in Dormagen by 2025. The plant was commissioned in early 2015 and is considered one of the most advanced TDI production facilities in the world due to the use of the gas phase technology developed by Covestro. The work will include the installation of a modern reactor that will enable the reaction energy to be used for energy-efficient steam generation in the future.

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The Biden administration has initiated a formal evaluation of risks posed by vinyl chloride, the cancer-causing chemical that burned in a towering plume of toxic black smoke following a fiery train derailment earlier this year in eastern Ohio, said Cbsnews.

The Environmental Protection Agency said it will review risks posed by a handful of chemicals, including vinyl chloride, which is used to make a variety of plastic products, including pipes, wire and packaging materials. The chemical is found in polyvinyl chloride plastic, better known as PVC.

The EPA said it will study vinyl chloride to determine whether it poses an "unreasonable risk to human health or the environment," a process that would take at least three years.

Vinyl chloride is one of five chemicals the agency is reviewing, including four that are used to make plastics. Other chemicals set for review under the federal Toxic Substances Control Act include acetaldehyde, acrylonitrile, benzenamine, and a compound known as MBOCA.

We remind, Civil society organisations welcome the publication of the investigation report on PVC (polyvinyl chloride) and its additives by the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA). The findings clearly indicate environmental damage and harm to health from some substances added to PVC and the release of its microparticles. More than 60 environmental NGOs are calling on the European Commission to phase-out PVC by 2030. Therefore they are pushing for a restriction on the harmful plastic and its additives under the REACH regulation.

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Thai Airways, the flag carrier airline of Thailand, operated its first flight using Neste MY Sustainable Aviation Fuel on December 13, 2023, said Hydrocarbonprocessing.

A Thai Airways Boeing 777 was refueled with blended SAF at Phuket Airport in Thailand for the return flight to Bangkok International Airport. The blended SAF was supplied by PTT, a Thai oil and gas company, in collaboration with Petco Trading Labuan Company Ltd, the marketing and trading arm of Petronas, a Malaysian energy group.

Sustainable aviation fuel is a key lever to reduce emissions of air travel. This first flight, resulting from a strong collaboration between the companies involved, illustrates THAI’s commitment to achieving the aviation industry’s 2050 net zero carbon emission goal. A local event at Phuket Airport also involving stakeholders such as Airports of Thailand and the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT), marked this milestone for THAI.

This flight demonstrates Neste’s ongoing commitment as the world’s leading producer of SAF to support the reduction of aviation-related emissions, working together with partners across the value chain to raise the awareness of SAF and to increase its availability around the world.

“We are excited that Thai Airways used our Neste MY Sustainable Aviation Fuel for its first flight with SAF. The aviation industry is committed to ambitious climate targets, and sustainable aviation fuel plays a crucial role in reaching those goals. Neste is working together with partners such as PTT and Petco Trading to increase the availability and use of SAF, and we look forward to further growing the supply of SAF in the Asia-Pacific region,” said Sami Jauhiainen, Vice President APAC from the Renewable Aviation business at Neste.

We remind, ndia's Russian oil imports in November rose to a 4-month high of 1.6 million barrels per day (bpd), up 3.1% from October, making up about 36% of the nation's overall imports last month, data obtained from trade sources showed. Russia became India's top oil supplier this year as the south Asian nation was drawn to Russian oil discounts after some Western companies shunned purchases from Moscow following its invasion of Ukraine in February last year.

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India's Russian oil imports in November rose to a 4-month high of 1.6 million barrels per day (bpd), up 3.1% from October, making up about 36% of the nation's overall imports last month, data obtained from trade sources showed, as per Hydrocarbonprocessing.

Russia became India's top oil supplier this year as the south Asian nation was drawn to Russian oil discounts after some Western companies shunned purchases from Moscow following its invasion of Ukraine in February last year.

India, the world's third biggest oil importer and consumer, has traditionally relied on Middle Eastern producers for meeting the bulk of its oil needs and rarely made purchases from Russia in the past due to high transportation costs.

Last month, India overall imported about 4.5 million bpd oil, a decline of about 4.5% from October and a growth of 13% over the same month last year, the data showed.

The sources declined to be identified as they are not authorized to speak to the media. Iraq and Saudi Arabia were the next top oil suppliers to India after Russia in November. Higher purchase of Russian oil has dented the share of Middle Eastern oil in India's crude diet.

The share of Middle Eastern oil in India's November oil imports was about 46% compared with 48% in October, while that of the Commonwealth of Independent States - Russia, Kazakhstan, and Azerbaijan - rose to 39% from 36%, the data showed.

In the first eight months of this fiscal year that began April 1, India's imports of Russian oil rose by 77% to an average 1.7 million bpd, the data showed.

Increased Indian imports of Russian oil have also dragged down the share of oil from the member nations of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries in April-November to 48% from about 62% in the same period last year, the data showed.

We remind, Finland's Neste said it will have a major turnaround at its Porvoo refinery for about nine weeks between April and June next year. During the scheduled time, the Porvoo refinery will be shut for regulatory inspections, maintenance works and selected asset improvement initiatives, Neste said.

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For the third time in four years, the CITGO Corpus Christi Refinery has earned the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's ENERGY STAR certification, distinguishing the plant as a leader in energy and environmental management in the petroleum industry, said Hydrocarbonprocessng.

"We are proud to have earned the 2023 ENERGY STAR certification," said Dennis Willig, Vice President and General Manager Corpus Christi Refinery, "and our employees remain committed to producing our products safely, reliably and with respect to our environment and surrounding communities. This certification is proof of that."

Energy management is a priority of CITGO operations, and the Corpus Christi refinery has applied dozens of programs and improvements to achieve high efficiency and ultimately earn ENERGY STAR recognition, including:

"CITGO became an ENERGY STAR partner in 2022, but our focus on energy efficiency began at Corpus Christi several years prior," said CITGO Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice President Edgar Rincon. "I want to congratulate our Corpus Christi employees, as earning this certification is a refinery-wide commitment. Every plant employee should be proud of this significant achievement."

ENERGY STAR certification eligibility requires that refineries achieve top quartile energy performance according to the Solomon Associates Energy Intensity Index (Solomon-EII). Eligible plants then must apply for certification by undergoing a third-party environmental screening and issuing a Statement of Energy Performance from Solomon Associates verified by a certified professional engineer.

The CITGO Corpus Christi Refinery has been a community staple for 88 years, providing over 1,000 local jobs and generating over $345 million per year for the local economy. In addition to producing high-quality products, refinery employees are dedicated to serving the local community and preserving the natural environment for the enjoyment of all.

We remind, India's Russian oil imports in November rose to a 4-month high of 1.6 million barrels per day (bpd), up 3.1% from October, making up about 36% of the nation's overall imports last month, data obtained from trade sources showed. Russia became India's top oil supplier this year as the south Asian nation was drawn to Russian oil discounts after some Western companies shunned purchases from Moscow following its invasion of Ukraine in February last year.

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