Germany, Austria and Luxembourg will provide up to €2.12bn through a joint eSAF funding scheme, using a double-sided auction to bridge the price gap between buyers and sellers of electricity-based aviation fuel. Germany, Austria and Luxembourg announced on 21 September a joint eSAF funding scheme worth up to €2.12 billion.…
Mesabi Metallics has announced an $18bn plan, including a $15bn Iowa steel complex that will pair hot direct-reduced iron with electric arc furnaces and use ore from its new Minnesota mine. Mesabi Metallics announced on 28 September an $18 billion investment to build a fully integrated steel company. The plan…
The Commission has published final terms for its second industrial heat auction, releasing €1 billion from EU Emissions Trading System revenues to cut fossil fuel use in process heat, with bidding expected from December. The European Commission published the final terms and conditions on 24 September for its second Europe-wide…
NSG Group has completed a float glass recycling trial at its Chiba Plant, reprocessing end-of-life laminated glass from a University of Tokyo building into new glass products. NSG Group has completed a float glass recycling trial at its Chiba Plant in Ichihara City, in what it calls horizontal recycling, feeding…
INEOS Energy has brought the Greensand offshore carbon storage site off Esbjerg into full operation, the European Union’s first full-scale facility, with capacity to store up to 8 million tonnes a year. INEOS Energy, with partners Harbour Energy and Denmark’s Nordsøfonden, has brought the Greensand offshore carbon storage site off…
Sanofi, UCB and Opella Healthcare have joined AstraZeneca as founding members of the Clean Heat Program, targeting industrial heat as the largest remaining source of pharmaceutical manufacturing emissions. Multinational pharmaceutical companies Sanofi, UCB and Opella Healthcare Group have joined AstraZeneca as founding members of the Clean Heat Program, an initiative…
Bulgaria’s glass packaging industry has launched a national Close the Glass Loop platform to raise collection for glass recycling, aiming to help meet the EU’s 90% target by 2030. Bulgaria’s glass packaging value chain has united to launch a new national platform for glass collection and recycling, joining a Europe-wide…
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Calgary-based Cura has closed a $10 million USD funding round to expand its electrochemical low-carbon cement pilot with Grand Forks Concrete, a step toward commercial-scale production in Alberta. Calgary-based cleantech company Cura has closed a $10 million USD ($14 million CAD) funding round on 17 September, its second tranche, to accelerate commercial development of its low-carbon cement technology near Taber, Alberta. The round was led by Zacua Ventures, with Sandpiper Ventures, Vantage Futures, Amplify Capital, the University of Calgary’s UCEED fund, the Mount Rundle Club and Sebastian Becker also participating. Zacua’s Juan Nieto joins Cura’s board of directors. Cement is…
The Hydrogen Council’s latest Hydrogen Compass report puts the global low-carbon hydrogen pipeline at $130 billion and 6.9 million tonnes a year, with ammonia the leading offtake. The Hydrogen Council said in its latest annual Hydrogen Compass report that the global low-carbon hydrogen project pipeline has grown to $130 billion and 6.9 million tonnes a year of capacity across 570 projects, with 90% of that capacity under construction or already operational. The figures mark a maturing pipeline, with a growing share of projects moving past the announcement stage into construction and operation. Ammonia remains the dominant offtake for the pipeline,…
EU member states agreed to expand free ETS allowances for energy-intensive industries from 2026 to 2030, aiming to protect steel, cement and chemicals producers from carbon leakage. EU member states have agreed to expand free ETS allowances for energy-intensive industries between 2026 and 2030, a move the Council of the European Union says will protect steel, cement and chemicals producers from carbon leakage during a sensitive stretch of the transition. Ambassadors representing member states agreed on 16 September to release around 88 million allowances that had been set aside for free allocation to sectors covered by heat and fuel benchmarks…
CAC Engineering’s pilot plant in Freiberg, Germany has produced 300,000 litres of synthetic gasoline, showing its power-to-liquids process can run reliably over a sustained period. A pilot plant in Freiberg, Germany has produced 300,000 litres of synthetic gasoline, a threshold its developer says demonstrates that its power-to-liquids process can run reliably over a sustained period rather than only in short bursts. The facility, run by CAC Engineering at TU Bergakademie Freiberg, uses the company’s METHAFUEL technology to convert e-methanol into synthetic gasoline through the DeCarTrans research programme. Reaching 300,000 litres of cumulative output matters because continuous, reliable operation, rather than…
NEDO and four Japanese partners achieved 85% ammonia co-firing in a full-scale naphtha cracking furnace, a step towards decarbonising petrochemical production without a full plant redesign. A Japanese consortium has achieved an 85% ammonia co-firing rate across a full-scale naphtha cracking furnace, a milestone the group says clears one of the toughest technical barriers to decarbonising petrochemical production. NEDO, Japan’s New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization, ran the demonstration together with Mitsui Chemicals, Maruzen Petrochemical, Toyo Engineering and Sojitz Machinery, testing a furnace fitted with a newly developed ammonia-fired burner. The 85% figure covers the entire furnace on a…
China’s CESTRI has opened a demonstration plant that turns coal fly ash into fly ash geopolymer concrete, a cement-free binder the institute says cuts emissions and costs against Portland cement. The CHN Energy Science and Technology Research Institute (CESTRI) has opened a demonstration base in China that converts coal fly…
Rohrdorfer has co-fired hydrogen on the clinker kiln at its Gmunden works in Austria, the first trial of its kind at an Austrian cement plant, though the producer says the fuel still costs far too much. Austrian cement producer Rohrdorfer has run the first large-scale hydrogen combustion test at an…
Holcim Germany has commissioned a membrane-based carbon capture demonstration at its Höver cement plant in Lower Saxony, capturing up to 10,000 tonnes a year and targeting 90% of site emissions after expansion. Holcim Germany has commissioned a membrane-based carbon dioxide capture demonstration plant at its Höver cement works in Lower…
Aircapture and NGK have commissioned a direct air capture unit at AIZAWA Concrete’s Fukushima site, testing NGK ceramic substrates in commercial conditions and looking at concrete mineralisation as an outlet for the captured gas. Aircapture and NGK Corporation have started a joint direct air capture demonstration at AIZAWA Concrete Corporation’s…
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BMW’s Car2Car consortium has shown that additional sorting can strip copper from end-of-life vehicle scrap well enough to make flat steel for cars, with more than 100,000 series parts already built and installed. High-quality material loops are technically feasible in the automotive industry, and copper-bearing impurities in steel scrap can be reduced notably, BMW said after completing its Car2Car research project with partners, EUROMETAL reported on 27 August. The project focused on steel, aluminium and copper, and also considered other materials including glass. BMW’s consortium included Scholz Recycling, thyssenkrupp Steel Europe and Salzgitter Mannesmann Forschung, alongside academic partners such as…
UNEP says copper demand will rise more than 40% by 2040 while mined output peaks around 2030, leaving a projected shortfall of 6.5 million tonnes within the next five years. Demand for copper will rise more than 40% by 2040 while mined production is expected to peak around 2030 and then flatten or decline, according to the United Nations Environment Programme. The projection appears in a UNEP article published on 27 August on securing the materials the energy transition needs. Copper carries electrification. Electric vehicles use up to four times as much of it as traditional combustion engines, and it…
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Despite renewed government backing and corporate interest in scaling up nuclear energy, practical challenges such as cost overruns, regulatory delays, and financial risks threaten to impede the sector’s 2050 decarbonisation targets amid an expanding US drive for reliable, zero-carbon power. On the shores of Lake Michigan, an emblematic effort captures both the promise and perils of a US drive to scale up nuclear power to meet surging electricity demand from artificial intelligence data centres and reshored industry. According to the Financial Times, Holtec International is working to bring the decommissioned Palisades plant back into service and has received federal support…
Thirteen UK-funded demonstration projects showcase innovative solutions that could cut millions of tonnes of CO2 emissions while boosting productivity, highlighting the country’s leadership in industrial decarbonisation. Thirteen UK demonstration projects funded with a combined £7 million in grant support have shown how targeted energy- and resource-efficiency innovations can cut industrial emissions and improve productivity, according to results published by the Carbon Trust. The projects, supported by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero under its Net Zero Innovation Portfolio (NZIP) and delivered by the Carbon Trust in partnership with Jacobs and Innovate UK Business Connect, span sectors from metals…
Vincent Clerc, CEO of A.P. Moller‑Maersk, reveals the shipping giant’s focus on ethanol blending and diversified fuel pathways to accelerate decarbonisation and secure international support for low-carbon shipping. Vincent Clerc, chief executive of A.P. Moller‑Maersk, has told the Financial Times that the company is exploring ethanol as a green marine fuel in a move that could both diversify the global supply chain and advance decarbonisation of container shipping. Clerc said the United States and Brazil are the leading producers of ethanol and argued that spreading the economic benefits of a low‑carbon transition beyond a single market would help secure broader…
The European Commission has designated 235 cross-border energy initiatives as Projects of Common Interest, unlocking financing and permitting to fast-track Europe’s transition to a more integrated, decarbonised energy system amid unprecedented investment needs. The European Commission has this month designated 235 cross‑border energy projects as Projects of Common Interest (PCIs) and Projects of Mutual Interest (PMIs), a move that unlocks access to Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) financing and accelerated permitting for initiatives spanning electricity, hydrogen, electrolysers and CO₂ transport and storage. According to Energies Media, the package includes 113 offshore and smart grid electricity projects, 100 hydrogen and electrolyser projects…
PepsiCo has announced a multi-year collaboration with Siemens and NVIDIA to implement large-scale digital twin technology, promising faster, cost-effective manufacturing through virtualisation and AI-driven simulations unveiled at CES 2026. PepsiCo has begun a multi-year collaboration with Siemens and NVIDIA to apply artificial intelligence and large-scale digital‑twin technology to its manufacturing and supply‑chain operations, a step the company says will allow it to virtualise facility design and operational changes before committing to physical construction. According to PepsiCo’s announcement, the initiative , unveiled at CES 2026 , uses Siemens’ newly introduced Digital Twin Composer, integrated with NVIDIA Omniverse libraries, to build high‑fidelity…
Rio Tinto’s plan to sell up to USD15 billion of assets and downsize decarbonisation investments prompts a re-evaluation of how major miners balance shareholder returns with climate commitments amidst a broader industry trend towards portfolio simplification and disciplined capital allocation. Rio Tinto’s decision to sell up to USD15 billion of assets while sharply reducing planned decarbonisation capital has forced a re-examination of how mining majors balance investor returns with climate commitments. According to ESG News, the package, announced under chief executive Simon Trott, is being pitched as a strategic reset built around “simplicity, discipline and productivity,” refocusing the company on…
McKinsey highlights the rising importance of energy management systems in reducing operational emissions across commercial and industrial sectors, with markets set to grow rapidly and play a pivotal role in achieving net-zero goals. According to a McKinsey report, software , and energy management systems (EMS) in particular , is emerging as a “hidden catalyst” for decarbonising buildings and industrial processes by enabling real‑time monitoring, optimisation and orchestration of energy use across complex portfolios. Commercial EMS (CEMS) centralise energy data to optimise lighting, heating, cooling and equipment operations, support integration of renewables and provide remote asset optimisation, the report says. The…
Emerging AI‑native digital twin technology is delivering unprecedented emissions reductions of up to 30% in manufacturing, signalling a pivotal shift in industrial sustainability practices and operational efficiencies. In January 2026 the industrial decarbonisation story entered a new, technology-driven phase. What had long been framed as distant “net‑zero” pledges is now being realised in operational practice: AI‑native digital twins are being credited with cutting factory emissions by roughly 15–20% within the first year of deployment, with leading adopters approaching 30%. According to Siemens and NVIDIA, whose high‑profile announcements at CES 2026 accelerated this narrative, the combination of physics‑based simulation, generative AI…
NATS’ introduction of Pairwise separation at London Heathrow marks a breakthrough in aviation efficiency, increasing landings and reducing CO2 emissions through more precise aircraft spacing, with future developments promising further environmental benefits. In August 2025 NATS introduced Pairwise separation at London Heathrow, a world-first refinement to the Intelligent Approach arrival‑spacing tool that has delivered measurable improvements in on‑time performance and emissions, according to a NATS press release. The six‑month analysis cited by NATS shows a 3.2% increase in average landing rate between 06:00 and 10:00, a 6.2 percentage‑point rise in arrivals with no delay, a 19.6% fall in average delay…
Australia’s energy sector grapples with extreme weather and increased demand as it moves swiftly towards renewable expansion, requiring urgent upgrades in transmission and resilience measures to meet 2035 emissions targets. Australia’s energy system is confronting a simultaneous surge in demand and an intensification of climate risk that together are reshaping investment, operations and policy across the National Electricity Market. According to GridBeyond’s Global Energy Trends 2026: Australia Regional Outlook, 2025 was marked by extreme weather that exposed vulnerabilities across generation, transmission and distribution. Cyclone Alfred and widespread flooding in Queensland and New South Wales produced major outages and communications failures,…
