Air Liquide and Dunkerque LNG have received a significant boost for their carbon capture and storage project, D’Artagnan. The European Commission has pledged over €160 million in funding as part of the Connecting Europe Facility for Energy (CEF-E) program. D’Artagnan is a key element of the wider “Cap Décarbonation” initiative, aiming to slash CO2 emissions by 1.5 million tonnes annually in the Dunkirk industrial basin. The project involves: This new terminal, jointly operated by Air Liquide and Dunkerque LNG, will liquefy CO2 for shipment to permanent North Sea storage sites. The design allows other regional industries to join the project, with a potential future capacity of up to 4 million tonnes per year – equivalent to over 5% of French industrial greenhouse gas emissions. Emilie Mouren-Renouard, member of Air Liquide’s Executive Committee and Chief Executive Officer of the Europe Industries Hub, said: “Today is the first time that a CO2 infrastructure project in France receives support from the European Union. Together with our partner Dunkerque LNG we are delighted with this major milestone! Decarbonizing industry will be pivotal to achieving the European Union objective of reducing emissions by 55% by 2030. This is why we are involved in the D’Artagnan…
Global engineering and construction leader KBR (NYSE: KBR) has secured a five-year contract with options to support the Iraqi government’s ambitious plans for infrastructure development and a more sustainable future. The $46 million contract will see KBR provide advisory and consultancy services to the Iraqi Ministry of Planning, focusing on creating an effective framework for delivering large-scale infrastructure projects. KBR’s expertise will encompass areas like economic planning, strategy development, feasibility studies, technical reviews, and project management. This comprehensive contract builds on KBR’s existing work in Iraq’s energy sector. The company has partnered with various ministries to identify, design, and implement critical projects to strengthen the country’s economy and social well-being. Notably, KBR’s focus on innovation and sustainability will be central to achieving these ambitious goals, aligning with Iraq’s long-term vision for environmentally responsible growth. Jay Ibrahim, President of KBR Sustainable Technology Solutions, said, “This is a great example of KBR utilizing its growing global capabilities to support regeneration and sustainable growth of a nation. We are proud to further our partnerships in country, where we are already helping make our customers’ ambitious plans a reality. With our deep expertise in engineering and energy solutions, KBR is well positioned to help…
Terraformation, a forest restoration company, has partnered with Grosvenor, a UK property business, to sell the first carbon credits from its Seed to Carbon Forest Accelerator program. The project, known as Regenerative Development of Anlo Wetlands (ReDAW), will restore 1,536 hectares of mangroves in Ghana’s Keta Lagoon. Funded by Grosvenor, the project is expected to sequester over 1 million tonnes of CO2 by 2064, with an initial credit sale generating 15,000 tonnes at an average price of nearly $50 per tonne. Payments are structured to support the first two years of forest restoration. Beyond carbon capture, ReDAW will deliver significant benefits for local communities. The project will create full-time jobs, with over half filled by women, and train 350 people in planting and caring for the mangroves. Additionally, the project will promote regenerative aquaculture, agriculture, and beekeeping, leading to increased food security and environmental resilience. Joella Korczak, Chief Programme Officer, ReDAW, said: “The land in this area is prone to floods in the wet seasons and extended drought periods in the dry season. Restoring mangrove forests offers flood resilience through natural water management. The improved ecological function and enhanced fisheries resulting from more mangroves contribute to increased food production, ensuring…
NASA has selected Blue Canyon Technologies, a small satellite manufacturer owned by RTX, to provide multiple spacecraft buses for the PolSIR mission. The mission aims to study ice clouds that form at high altitudes throughout tropical and sub-tropical regions. PolSIR, which stands for Polarized Submillimeter Ice-cloud Radiometer, will employ two 12U CubeSats equipped with radiometers to observe the daily cycle of ice content in the clouds. The spacecraft will fly in separate orbits, collecting data on the clouds across two spectral bands. This data will be crucial for improving climate forecasts and providing climate models with valuable insights on how Earth’s atmosphere changes over time. “Supporting this critical mission builds on our heritage of weather monitoring missions including TEMPEST-D and TROPICS,” said Chris Winslett, general manager of Blue Canyon Technologies. The project is led by a team from Vanderbilt University, with NASA Goddard providing the project management team for building the instruments and the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Space Science and Engineering Center handling science operations.
A delegation comprised of representatives from the European Union, the United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF), the New Zealand Government, and Solomon Islands government entities, undertook a field visit on May 22nd, 2024, to inspect completed Provincial Capacity Development Fund (PCDF) projects in Guadalcanal Province. The visit included stops at Tenaru School (boy’s dormitory), Rate School Hall, Chichinge Rural Health Centre, and the Guadalcanal Women’s Resources Center in Henderson, all located within the Malango Ward of Central Guadalcanal. This visit provided an opportunity for donor representatives to witness the tangible impact of their contributions firsthand. The PGSP and PCDF: A Testament to Collaboration The Provincial Governance Strengthening Program (PGSP) and its funding vehicle, the PCDF, serve as a prime example of the unwavering support from the Solomon Islands government and its development partners. The PGSP has demonstrably invested in these critical projects: Project Continuity and Enhanced Support Phase I of the PGSP (2008-2014) received funding from RAMSI, the EU, UNCDF, UNDP, and the Solomon Islands government, totaling USD 18.1 million. The Solomon Islands government sustained the PCDF from 2015-2021. Phase II of the PGSP, launched in 2022, incorporates the World Bank-funded Integrated Economic Development and Community Resilience (IEDCR) initiative. Additional…
Blackwater Environmental Group (Blackwater), a Maryland-based environmental planning services company, has implemented Unanet CRM to streamline its business development efforts and drive strategic growth. This move replaces Blackwater’s reliance on manual processes for managing client relationships. Blackwater, a certified minority and disadvantaged business enterprise, serves local, state, and federal government clients in the mid-Atlantic region. Known for developing innovative solutions for environmental compliance projects, the company is positioned for significant growth. To support these goals, Blackwater recently welcomed Kaitlyn Conner to spearhead marketing and business development. Conner identified the limitations of Blackwater’s previous approach, which relied on spreadsheets for tracking contacts and proposals. She recognized the need for a modern CRM solution to streamline manual processes and provide data-driven insights for informed decision-making. Following a comprehensive evaluation of nearly a dozen CRM solutions, Conner chose Unanet. Unanet stood out for its ability to offer a comprehensive solution, encompassing contact capture, pipeline management, and proposal management – all within a single, user-friendly, and cost-effective system. “We pride ourselves on being at the forefront of the environmental industry and having the expertise to provide innovative solutions to complex problems for our clients. Unanet provides that same experience for us,” said Conner. “Even…
The National Centre for Good Governance (NCGG) successfully concluded a two-week capacity building program for public works officers from Tanzania. The program, titled “Project and Risk Management for Public Works,” ran from May 6th to 17th, 2024, and was organized in partnership with the Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). A total of 39 Tanzanian officers representing various ministries and organizations participated in the program. These included representatives from the National Roads Agency, the Ministry of Energy, the Planning Commission, and various agencies focused on housing, transportation, energy regulation, and good governance. The program provided participants with essential skills in project and risk management, specifically tailored to the public works sector. They explored topics like project selection, formulation, management frameworks, risk management strategies, public-private partnerships, and innovative approaches to project delivery. Learning from Experience The program wasn’t just theoretical. Participants also embarked on immersive field visits, gaining valuable insights from real-world projects like the Dakpathar Hydropower Dam, the Dwarka Expressway, and the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation. Additionally, a visit to the iconic Taj Mahal served as a cultural touchstone. During the closing ceremony, Shri V. Srinivas, Director General of NCGG, highlighted India’s extensive experience in infrastructure development. He encouraged the…
The Association for Project Management (APM) has issued a response to the National Infrastructure Commission’s (NIC) 2024 Infrastructure Progress Review. APM echoes the concerns raised in the report, highlighting the need for a robust, long-term plan to ensure successful delivery of critical infrastructure projects across the UK. The report reflects growing industry anxieties about the increasing difficulty of delivering projects. While ambition exists, government initiatives are hampered by skills shortages, supply chain disruptions, and a general lack of confidence. The uneven progress across different infrastructure sectors is particularly concerning. Timely completion of these projects is essential for unlocking economic growth and achieving crucial climate goals. Andrew Baldwin, Head of Policy and Public Affairs at APM, commented: “Years of instability have reduced confidence in investment, but drastic policy U-turns like on HS2 are simply aggravating the issue. We must now assume instability is a given in project planning to enable us to prepare and gain more control over fluctuations. “Under-resourced project teams limit project delivery across the country, so we want to see a drastic increase in the supply, and training, of project professionals. “Transparency is needed across the sector to champion accountability, enable effective decisions, and achieve value for money…
The UK Space Agency has announced a significant £9 million investment to develop a new generation of satellite instruments for monitoring Earth’s atmosphere. This funding, delivered through the Centre for Earth Observation Instrumentation (CEOI), will support 12 innovative projects focused on measuring critical emissions like carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrogen dioxide. This investment marks a doubling of the CEOI program’s previous largest funding round, showcasing the UK’s commitment to tackling climate change. The advanced instruments developed through this initiative hold the potential to revolutionize our understanding of global emissions. Andrew Griffith MP, Minister for Space at the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, said: “This exciting new generation of satellite instruments, backed by £9 million in government funding, will play a key part in our efforts to tackle climate change, pinpointing where emissions are highest on our planet and cementing UK leadership in Earth observation, while helping to attract more private investment into this fast-growing sector.” These instruments offer a clearer picture of activities and incidents causing high emission levels. This data will be crucial for pinpointing sources like wildfires or inefficient farming practices, enabling targeted interventions to reduce their environmental impact. Beth Greenaway, Head of Earth Observation and Climate at…
The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies Office (HFTO) has unveiled its Multi-Year Program Plan (MYPP), a roadmap outlining its mission, goals, and strategic approach to advancing clean hydrogen and fuel cell technologies. Aligned with the National Clean Hydrogen Strategy and Roadmap, the MYPP identifies key challenges and proposes solutions through HFTO’s research, development, and demonstration (RD&D) activities. These activities aim to unlock the full potential of clean hydrogen and fuel cells in the near, mid, and long term. A Guide for Stakeholders and the Public Structured with an Executive Summary followed by sections on program implementation, specific focus areas, and technical details, the MYPP serves as both an operational guide for HFTO and a valuable resource for stakeholders and the public. It provides a clear overview of HFTO’s priorities and the critical RD&D pathways that will de-risk and advance technologies crucial to a thriving clean hydrogen economy. The MYPP outlines specific cost reduction targets for key technologies, including: The document also provides summaries of the technical areas covered and links to detailed information on targets and resources for each technology. You can read the full report here Overall, the HFTO’s MYPP signifies a significant step…
