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Norway receives six CO2 storage applications

  • Market: Emissions, Hydrogen
  • 07/03/23

Norway's petroleum and energy ministry has received applications from six firms in its latest invitation for CO2 injection and storage on the Norwegian continental shelf (NCS) in the North Sea.

Norway's state-controlled Equinor, oil and gas group Sval Energi, blue hydrogen and ammonia company Horisont Energi, UK-based private equity-backed producer Neptune Energy, decarbonisation firm Storegga, and German upstream firm Wintershall Dea all submitted applications for CO2 storage land allocations in a specific area of the NCS.

The deadline for applications was 22 February and all those submitted will now be processed by the ministry, which aims to allocate the land in the first half of this year.

The CO2 storage round was the second to take place in recent months, following the ministry's previous invitation for applications in November. Horisont Energi, Neptune Energy and Wintershall Dea also submitted applications in November, along with Norway-focused independent Aker BP, offshore services firm Altera Infrastructure and Austrian refiner OMV.

Norway is a frontrunner in carbon capture and storage development. Its industrial-scale Longship project is scheduled to start up in 2024.


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06/05/25

US EIA will not release international outlook in 2025

US EIA will not release international outlook in 2025

Washington, 6 May (Argus) — The US Energy Information Administration (EIA) no longer expects to publish one of its major energy reports this year after losing some of its staff through President Donald Trump's efforts to downsize the federal workforce. The EIA does not plan to publish its International Energy Outlook (IEA) — which models long-term global trends in energy supply and demand — this year because of a loss of staff responsible for producing the report, according to an internal email initially reported by the news outlet ProPublica . The EIA confirmed the authenticity of the email. "At this point, you can assume that we will not be releasing the IEO this year," the EIA's Office of Energy Analysis assistant administrator Angelina LaRose wrote in the 16 April email. "This was a difficult decision based on the loss of key resources." Oil and gas producers, traders, utility companies, federal regulators and foreign governments have come to rely on the data and models from the EIA, an independent agency within the US Department of Energy. The 2025 version of the IEO might still be published early next year, the EIA said. The agency for now is focusing on trying to "preserve as much institutional knowledge as possible" with an "all hands-on deck" effort under which remaining staff will document models and procedures on long-term modeling, LaRose wrote in the email. Trump and his administration have worked to cut the size of the government's workforce through voluntary buyouts and a process known as a reduction in force. The EIA has yet to say how many personnel it has lost, but about a third of the agency's 350 staffers have accepted voluntary buyouts, according to a person familiar with the situation. The White House last week proposed an 18pc budget cut for the non-nuclear portions of the Department of Energy, but has yet to say if it is seeking to cut spending at the EIA. Last month, the EIA released its premier report, the Annual Energy Outlook , but omitted its traditional in-depth analysis. A technical issue on 1 May delayed the release of a key natural gas storage report by more than three hours, the EIA said. By Chris Knight Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

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Low-carbon H2 hits the skids with offtake lagging


05/05/25
News
05/05/25

Low-carbon H2 hits the skids with offtake lagging

Houston, 5 May (Argus) — Multiple North American proposals to make hydrogen from natural gas with carbon capture have taken a pause as tariffs add to cost uncertainties and potential buyers balk at making long-term commitments at current prices. Dow has iced its Path2Zero ethylene plant in Alberta that is to use low-carbon hydrogen supplied by Linde. Air Products has delayed the start-up of a hydrogen and ammonia plant in Louisiana. And US nitrogen fertilizer producer LSB Industries said it is [pausing development] of an ammonia project on the Houston Ship Channel in Texas. Lower-carbon hydrogen produced from autothermal reforming with carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) is still expected to lead the nascent sector's development, with renewable-powered production seen as too costly for general takeoff. Most large-scale low-carbon hydrogen projects in the US have focused on exports in the form of ammonia or methanol to Asia and Europe, where governments have promised more support to implement decarbonization mandates. Long-term offtake agreements have so far lagged as regulatory uncertainty, cost concerns and now the added threat of US import tariffs muddle demand perspectives. "Demand has certainly ramped up slower than expected," said LSB chief executive Mark Behrman in an interview with Argus . "In the conversations that we've had with many offtakers in Asia and Europe, and even here domestically, there's been a lack of willingness to commit at the prices that we were able to talk about based on our capital costs," said Behrman, who also cited uncertainty around tariffs as a complicating factor. For long-term supply contracts, buyers were seeking prices below $600/metric tonne fob, said Behrman. LSB partnered with industrial gas firm Air Liquide, Japanese oil company Inpex and Vopak to build the 1.1mn t/yr ammonia facility in Texas. Air Liquide would supply the project with low-carbon hydrogen. The project's costs were largely calculated using 45Q tax credits that are awarded to companies using CCS to reduce emissions. But the release of 45V guidelines in January seemed to offer the possibility of accessing the more lucrative hydrogen production incentive because of a new section pertaining to cryogenic separation, a process that captures carbon dioxide from industrial gas streams, said LSB vice-president of clean energy, Jakob Krummenacher, while speaking at Argus' recent Green Ammonia North America conference in Houston. Cryogenic separation generates more steam than conventional solvent absorption and, if that steam is exported to another process, it may lower the carbon intensity of the resulting hydrogen to such an extent that the project could potentially qualify for 45V, Krummenacher said. As a result, many of the assumptions baked into the engineering studies related to the Houston ammonia venture have to go back to the drawing board. Air Liquide did not respond to requests for comment. If Air Liquide can avail itself of 45V, capital costs may decline and result in more competitive offers to the market. But Berhman cautioned against concluding the project will resume if it is found to qualify for 45V. "We still need a customer to move forward," Behrman said. Dow, which planned to build a hydrogen-fueled ethylene cracker at a petrochemical complex northeast of Edmonton, Alberta, paused its multibillion-dollar project citing uncertainty around US tariffs and the potential for retaliatory tariffs by US trading partners. Linde, which announced last year it would invest $2bn to build a low-carbon hydrogen facility to supply Dow's Path2Zero project, has not responded to questions about what Dow's pause means for its plans in Alberta. Linde has said it was working with Dow to them meet their goals while maintaining Linde's interest in the project. Air Products, meanwhile, further pushed back its $7bn Louisiana low-carbon hydrogen plant to late 2028 or early 2029 as it seeks to control costs by delegating CCS operations and ammonia production to partners. There have been some exceptions to the delays. Early last month, fertilizer producer CF Industries said it was moving ahead on a $4bn ammonia venture with Japan's Jera and investment firm Mitsui at its Blue Point complex in Louisiana. LSB similarly said it is forging ahead with plans to produce low-carbon ammonia at its existing plant in El Dorado, Arkansas, where it will decarbonize production by adding a CCS facility that will be operated by Lapis Carbon Solutions. "We're still big believers in global decarbonization," Behrman said. "I believe that new demand for power generation, power supply, and of course, the marine industry will evolve. I just think it's going to take longer than what everyone initially thought." By Jasmina Kelemen Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

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Australia's Labor win may aid low-carbon Fe, Al sectors


05/05/25
News
05/05/25

Australia's Labor win may aid low-carbon Fe, Al sectors

Sydney, 5 May (Argus) — The Australian Labor party's victory in the country's 3 May parliamentary election could support low-carbon iron and aluminium developers, providing policy clarity and public capital to the sectors. Labor's victory provides more certainty around Australia's A$14bn ($9.06bn) green hydrogen subsidy scheme, which will help steel producers transition towards hydrogen-powered steel furnaces. The opposition Coalition during the election pledged to scrap the programme, which will allow producers to claim A$2/t of green hydrogen produced from 2027. Australian steelmaker NeoSmelt and South Korean steelmaker Posco are developing electric iron smelters in Western Australia (WA) that produce hot-briquetted iron, which is used in the green steel process. Both projects will initially rely on natural gas but may transition to hydrogen-based processing as hydrogen production rises. Australia's hydrogen tax credits may prove crucial given ongoing hydrogen production challenges. South Australia's state government closed its Office of Hydrogen Power SA on 2 May, following a funding cut earlier this year. Labor can now also move forward with plans for A$2bn in low-emissions aluminium production credits, beginning in 2028-29. Smelters will be able to claim credits per tonne of low-carbon aluminium produced, based on their Scope 2 emission reductions. The party's proposal does not include any blanket credit for producers. Labor's aluminium production credits are aimed at supporting the Australian government's goal of doubling the country's share of renewable power from about 40pc to 82pc by 2030. Australian producers export about 1.5mn t/yr of aluminium, according to industry body Australian Aluminium Council, from four smelters located around the country. Green iron funding Labor's election win also secures its A$1bn lower-emission iron support pledge , first announced in late February. Half of the fund will go towards restarting and transitioning the 1.2mn t/yr Whyalla steelworks in South Australia into a green steel plant. The other half will support new and existing green iron and steel projects to overcome initial funding barriers. Labor has not allocated any funding through the programme yet. By Avinash Govind Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

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Australia’s election gives LNG, fuels sector certainty


05/05/25
News
05/05/25

Australia’s election gives LNG, fuels sector certainty

Sydney, 5 May (Argus) — Australia's governing Labor party's second majority term could mean that changes to the offshore permitting regime promised last year are signed into law, while east coast LNG businesses will avoid a planned reservation system proposed by the opposition. Labor's victory at the 3 May election combined with the election of fewer members from the Greens party and climate-focused independents, could mean it faces less pressure to cancel fossil fuel projects. But it will remain reliant on the Greens to pass laws through the nation's upper house — the senate — meaning Labor may need to negotiate the passage of bills with the leftist party if the Liberal-National-based coalition opposes its measures. The Greens ran on a promise to ban new coal, oil and gas projects but won fewer seats than in 2022 because of preference flows. A federal decision on the lifetime extension of the Woodside Energy-operated 14.4mn t/yr North West Shelf (NWS) LNG delayed by Labor, is now looking more positive for the firm. The firm sees approval as vital to progressing its Browse gas development offshore northwestern Australia. Voters' rejection of the opposition Coalition on the nation's east coast means its policy to reserve a further 50-100PJ (1.34bn-2.68bn m³/yr) from the Gladstone-based LNG exporters will not proceed. The result provides an opportunity for certainty and stability for the energy sector, upstream lobby Australian Energy Producers said. The group urged the government to focus on new supply as Australia's gas reserves for domestic use rapidly deplete. The government will need to specify exactly how it aims to secure supplies to ensure stable supply, once coal-fired generators retire at the end of the 2020s and into the 2030s. This is because the nation's integrated system plan is based on Labor's policy of reaching 82pc renewable energy in the power grid, backed up by about 15GW of gas-fired power. Industry will await further direction stemming from the Future Gas Strategy which canvassed solutions to Australia's declining gas supply including new pipelines, storage and seasonal LNG imports. Permitting concerns In the government's previous three-year term, a series of court-ordered requirements to consult with affected Aboriginal groups briefly disrupted multi-billion dollar LNG developments. Labor promised to specify through new laws exactly which groups must be consulted before approvals could be granted. But these were dropped from the agenda in early 2024 following opposition by the Greens. Labor's resources minister Madeleine King blamed the Greens for obstructionist manoeuvres on this legislation, but it remains unclear if and when Labor might introduce such laws. Conversely, the Coalition promised to end government support for anti-gas lobbies such as law group the Environmental Defenders Office — set to continue under Labor. In liquid fuels, Labor's victory should boost Australia's electric vehicle (EV) sales, with emissions standards laws set to remain enforced. The Coalition had said it would soften the laws because of concern over cost of living pressures. Plans to temporarily cut the fuel excise will also not progress. Australia's EV take-up has stalled, and industry has blamed this on poor investment in recharging infrastructure and other policy settings, including the removal of the fringe benefits tax exemption for plug-in hybrid car models. A re-elected Labor government is likely to further policy towards a mandate for sustainable aviation fuel or renewable diesel, given the growing share of Australia's emissions projected to come from the transport industry. It pledged A$250mn ($162mn) for low-carbon liquid fuels development in March , for low-carbon liquid fuels development in March, as part of its commitment to the nascent sector. Local market participants are optimistic that further biofuels support will be provided as urgency to meet net zero ambitions builds, including a 2030 target of 43pc lower emissions based on 2005 levels. About A$6bn/yr of feedstocks like canola, tallow and used cooking oil are exported from Australia, while existing ethanol and biodiesel producers are running underutilised plants, making about 175mn litres/yr at present, because of poorly-enforced blending mandates. By Tom Major Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

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Australia re-elects renewable-focused Labor party


05/05/25
News
05/05/25

Australia re-elects renewable-focused Labor party

Sydney, 5 May (Argus) — Australia's Labor party has been voted in for another term in a landslide majority, reaffirming the party's targets on renewable energy and emissions reduction. The election held on 3 May saw overwhelming support for the incumbent Labor government led by prime minister Anthony Albanese, which prioritised renewable energy, compared to the opposition's plans to install nuclear plants to replace coal-fired power . Labor now face pressure to meet key energy policy targets, including 82pc renewable energy in electricity grids by 2030 and a 43pc reduction in greenhouse gas emissions on 2005 levels by 2030. The government said late last year that Australia was on track to reduce emissions by 42.6pc by 2030 , nearly within the target and rising from previous estimates of 37pc in 2023 and 32pc in 2022. This was mostly because of the reformed safeguard mechanism , the expanded Capacity Investment Scheme (CIS) and the fuel efficiency standards for new passenger and light commercial vehicles. Lobby groups now expect the government to set a strong 2035 emissions reduction target , within the range of 65-75pc below 2005 levels indicated last year by the Climate Change Authority (CCA). The CCA is yet to formally recommend a target, and the government will then need to make a decision and submit Australia's next Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) under the Paris Agreement later this year. In metals, a plan to buy critical minerals from commercial projects and keep stockpiles to steady prices by withholding or releasing stock will now be pursued by the re-elected government. The previous Albanese government was not forthcoming in meeting calls for a biofuels mandate or production incentives but it announced it would allocate A$250mn ($162mn) of its A$1.7bn Future Made in Australia innovation fund to low-carbon fuels (LCLF) research and development in March. In agriculture, a planned ban on live sheep exports will go ahead by 1 May 2028 under laws passed last year. The coalition campaigned heavily to revoke the laws, but the re-election of Labor has raised concerns in the live export sector. By Grace Dudley Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

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