RIL to invest in renewables, green H2 in Gujarat

Spanish Market: Electricity, Hydrogen
13/01/22

Indian conglomerate Reliance Industries (RIL) said it has signed an initial agreement with the government of Gujarat to develop renewable energy and green hydrogen, with an aim to make the state "net zero and carbon free".

The deal envisages total investment of 5.96 trillion ($80.6bn) rupees, of which RIL proposes to spend Rs5 trillion ($67.6bn) over 10-15 years on a 100GW renewable energy power plant and a green hydrogen eco-system.

The company has begun scouting for land for the renewables power project in Kutch, Banaskantha and Dholera, in consultation with the state government. It said it has requested 450,000 acres of land in Kutch.

The firm plans to invest another Rs600bn ($8.1bn) on solar photovoltaic (PV) modules, electrolysers, energy storage batteries and fuel cells.

RIL is shifting its focus to renewables and has committed to becoming a net-zero carbon emissions firm by 2035. It has already committed to investing around $10bn to build four gigafactories — an integrated solar PV module factory, an energy storage battery plant, an electrolyser factory to produce green hydrogen and a fuel cell plant — over the next three years.

By Sathya Narayanan

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23/04/25

US generators weigh delaying coal plant retirements

New York, 23 April (Argus) — US utilities are considering additional extensions to coal plant retirements in response to recent policy changes, even though the benefit for the coal industry may be short-lived. US utilities are still mostly reviewing US president Donald Trump's executive orders issued earlier this month plus other actions initiated by his administration. One of the more concrete recent actions were the two-year exemptions from complying with updated Mercury and Air Toxics Standards granted to dozens of power plants on 15 April. But even though utilities had applied for these exemptions, the majority of those that spoke to Argus indicated they are still evaluating their options. "Granting a two-year compliance extension at Labadie and Sioux will enable Ameren Missouri to further refine its compliance strategy and optimize planned monitoring mechanisms to ensure accuracy," said Ameren Missouri director of environmental services Craig Giesmann. "We are committed to selecting cost-effective solutions that minimize the impact on customer rates." Ameren's 1,099MW Sioux plant is scheduled to be closed by 2028 and the 2,389MW Labadie plant has no concrete retirement date. Tennessee Valley Authority said it is "carefully reviewing" the mercury and air toxics exemptions "for how it might apply and benefit our efforts to support load growth across our seven-state region." The federal utility was granted exemptions for all of its coal facilities, including units of the Cumberland and Kingston plants that had been scheduled to close by the 1 July 2027 compliance deadline for the new mercury and air toxics standards. NRG Energy and Xcel Energy also said they are still considering how to proceed. "It will take our regulatory and environmental teams some time to evaluate and access the new guidelines, so we do not have any update to share at this time," NRG said. The utility was granted exemptions for four coal plants with a combined 7,092MW of capacity. None of these units currently has concrete retirement dates scheduled. Companies need to take into account other factors before committing to extending a coal unit's life, including natural gas price expectations and whether government regulations will stay in place. In addition, the planning process for retiring and adding generating assets takes time. These factors also are being taken into account by utilities that do not have coal units on the list of mercury rule exemptions but could be affected by other efforts the Trump administration is making to try to preserve coal generation. "Whatever impacts may arise from policy changes this year will be assessed in a future [Integrated Resource Plan], with the best analysis of information available at that time," utility PacifiCorp said. The utility just filed its latest integrated resource plan with state regulators on 31 March and does not expect to file another one until early 2027. Another utility that did not have coal units on the list of mercury rule exemptions but would be affected by other regulatory actions said it is considering extending coal unit operations by a few years. A US coal producer reported receiving increased inquiries from utilities about the feasibility of continuing to get coal supply beyond power plant units' planned retirement dates. Both buyers and sellers that talked to Argus agree that contract flexibility is gaining importance. But "even if you roll back some regulations and push deadlines on various retirements and certain requirements out into the future, you still can not justify taking more coal unless it is going to be competitive" with natural gas, one market participant said. While profit margins for dispatching coal in US electric grids were above natural gas spark spreads for a number of days this past winter, that was an anomaly when compared with recent years. Coal may bridge generating gap But recent policy changes could help utilities use coal generation to bridge any gaps in generating capacity caused by delays in bringing other energy sources online. These include possible delays in adding solar generation following increased tariffs the Trump administration has imposed on imports from China as well as legislation moving through some state governing bodies aimed at inhibiting renewable projects. On 15 April, the Texas Senate passed a bill that would impose restrictions on solar and wind projects, including new permits, fees, regulatory requirements, and taxes. Separately, North Carolina legislators are reviewing a bill that proposes reducing solar tax breaks from 80pc to 40pc and limiting locations for utility-scale projects. Other states are moving forward with efforts to encourage less carbon-intensive generation. Colorado governor Jared Polis (D) on 31 March signed legislation classifying nuclear energy as a "clean" power source. Increased renewable energy generating capacity still is expected to be the "main contributor" to growth in US electricity generation, according to the US Energy Information Administration's (EIA) Short-Term Energy Outlook (STEO). But EIA's latest outlook did not take into account the coal-related executive orders Trump signed on 8 April. "We are currently evaluating these developments, and they will be reflected in the May STEO," EIA chief economist Jonathan Church said. Most market participants do not expect substantial long-term changes to come from recent coal-supporting efforts because of various other factors including the fundamental economics of coal-fired power plants. By Elena Vasilyeva Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

Canada election’s CO2 pricing issue one to watch for H2

23/04/25

Canada election’s CO2 pricing issue one to watch for H2

Canada's two main parties have clashed on the carbon pricing system ahead of the general election, but there is also common ground, writes Jasmina Kelemen Houston, 23 April (Argus) — Industrial carbon pricing has become one of the key issues in the run-up to Canada's forthcoming general election on 28 April, and the future course on this is expected to affect the country's nascent clean hydrogen sector. Prime minister Mark Carney's first major act after assuming office in early March was to scrap the consumer carbon tax . The tax had become the focus of popular anger against former prime minister Justin Trudeau after Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre blamed Liberal climate policies for rising household costs. But Carney, who served five years as the UN Special Envoy for Climate Action, left the federal carbon pricing system on industrial emissions intact and has vowed to keep it. In contrast, Poilievre has said he will eliminate it, arguing the system raises costs for consumers while merely shifting emissions abroad. Scrapping the federal carbon pricing system would not mean that emissions immediately become free of charge across Canada. The federal law serves as a "backstop" for provinces that do not have their own carbon pricing mechanisms in place, and sets minimum standards for others. Most provinces have their own systems in place for now, but they could alter or altogether eliminate these if the federal law on carbon pricing is removed. Climate activists say retaining the carbon pricing would be crucial for meaningful emissions cuts. "Without the signal industrial pricing systems send, other types of incentives... will not be enough to meaningfully drive down carbon pollution from big industry or deliver on Canada's climate goals," Canadian Climate Institute president Rick Smith said in March. Under the federal system, the minimum carbon tax is currently set at C$95/t ($68.60/t) of CO2 and is set to increase by C$15/t each year, plateauing at C$170/t in 2030. If such pricing is retained, it could help drive a shift towards cleaner hydrogen production , including from natural gas with carbon capture and storage (CCS), compared with existing production pathways with unabated emissions. For now, it seems likely that the federal carbon pricing system will survive the election. The Liberals were ahead in a rolling three-day Nanos poll released on 21 April, with 43.7pc favouring Carney compared with the Conservatives' 36.3pc. Corridor train Carney and Poilievre appear more aligned on other energy issues and policies that could have implications for the hydrogen sector. Both have embraced Canada's potential for fossil fuel output. Carney wants to turn the country into a "superpower in both clean and conventional energy", and has vowed to build out pipelines, trade corridors and other infrastructure — including electricity grids — to diversify energy exports away from the US. Some of this could support hydrogen ventures, such as in British Columbia where a slew of proposed renewable and CCS-based projects have failed to advance , partly because of high power prices and limited gas infrastructure. Despite the support for conventional energy, Carney and Poilievre have also stressed their commitment to retain investment tax credits for clean technologies and manufacturing. Renewable and CCS-based hydrogen projects can benefit from these , with tax credits depending on the carbon intensity of production. Both have vowed to streamline and accelerate permitting processes for large infrastructure projects, which could benefit hydrogen ventures if realised. Canada's clean hydrogen ambitions will also be dependent on the sector gaining traction elsewhere. Eastern Canada's goal to leverage its renewable resources and help meet what was expected to be burgeoning demand in Europe has stalled as the transatlantic market has failed to materialise as anticipated. Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

UK mulls GB Energy forced labour PV panels plan

23/04/25

UK mulls GB Energy forced labour PV panels plan

London, 23 April (Argus) — The UK government is mulling steps to position the state-owned GB Energy investment vehicle as a "sector leader" in preventing solar panels produced by forced labour from entering the supply chain. The department for energy security and net zero (Desnz) is "considering" how the government can "go further" to ensure forced labour is removed from the solar supply chain. The ministry states that "no industry in the UK should rely on forced labour", a Desnz spokesperson told Argus . The government previously voted down a Lords amendment introduced by David Alton on 11 February that would have prevented the Secretary of State from disbursing GB Energy funds "if there exists credible evidence of modern slavery". The government defended rejecting the amendment on 25 March, arguing that the existing "debarment list" mechanism — introduced by the Procurement Act 2023 — was adequate "to ensure that suppliers with unethical supply chains cannot participate in [GB Energy] procurement", according to energy minister Michael Shanks. He added that the amendment would "force the government to cease all [GB Energy's] activities". The ministry has now revised that view "having listened carefully to the views of MPs and peers", and expects to "provide an update shortly" on revised guidance. Domestic industry body Solar Energy UK "welcomed" the government's move to push on with a plan to strip modern slavery from industry supply chains and added that it "look[s] forward to seeing the [amendment] text and responding in more detail." The body also stated its confidence that removing forced labour solar panels from the supply chain would produce "no slowdown in solar deployment". By Daniel Craig Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

Belgian H2 pipeline faces year delay in fruit dispute

17/04/25

Belgian H2 pipeline faces year delay in fruit dispute

London, 17 April (Argus) — The construction of Belgium's first hydrogen pipeline between the ports of Ghent and Antwerp could be delayed by a year, after its environmental permit was suspended, gas transport system operator Fluxys has said. The 35km pipeline linking the towns of Zelzate and Kallo — part of a "first phase" of Belgium's "open access" hydrogen pipeline network — was to be completed in 2026 following the start of construction last month . But Belgium's council for permit disputes suspended the environmental permit following appeals from fruit growers related to discharge of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) — sometimes referred to as "forever chemicals" — into the water, Fluxys said. "Work has been halted pending a decision on the merits of the case, which could take up to a year," said Fluxys spokesperson Tim De Vil. "This clearly puts our timetable at risk." A final decision is expected next year at the earliest. De Vil said Fluxys is talking to the Flemish government and farmers' organisations to ensure the permit can still be approved. Fluxys' permit included permission to dispose of PFAS-contaminated water into surface water under "certain conditions." But the regulatory body ruled the impact on areas already exceeding the PFAS limits had been evaluated inaccurately. By Alexandra Luca Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

Japan’s Mitsui invests in US e-fuel producer

17/04/25

Japan’s Mitsui invests in US e-fuel producer

Tokyo, 17 April (Argus) — Japanese trading company Mitsui has invested in California-based synthetic fuel (e-fuel) producer Infinium, aiming to acquire knowledge on technology and commercialisation in the emerging sector. The investment in Infinium was conducted in March, Mitsui told Argus on 16 April, declining to disclose the specific amount. This marks Mitsui's second investment in e-fuel producers. The firm invested in California-based synthetic sustainable aviation fuel (e-SAF) producer Twelve Benefit . Infinium produces green hydrogen from water by electrolysis, and converts the hydrogen and CO2 into e-fuels by using renewable energy. The firm is planning to launch its second plant, which will specialise in e-SAF production. International Airlines Group (IAG) and American Airlines have agreed to receive the e-SAF that will be produced at the plant. E-fuels can help reduce over 90pc of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions compared with conventional fossil fuels, and are notable as "drop-in" substitutes for conventional fuels, applicable to existing engines and infrastructures, Mitsui said. Mitsui is observing the e-SAF market. SAF is a relatively promising prospect in the renewable energy sector, on the back of the target by the UN's International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) to achieve net-zero emissions in international aviation by 2050, as well as governmental policies bolstering the deployment of SAF, a representative of the firm told Argus . Japan plans to replace 10pc of the jet fuel consumed by domestic airlines with SAF in 2030. By Kohei Yamamoto Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

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