Press release from Topsoe In a new consortium, Topsoe will team up with companies and university researchers to help the rising global challenges with food insecurity and greenhouse-gas emissions from agriculture. According to a recent UN-led report, 250 million people faced severe hunger during 2022, which was an increase of 65 million compared to the year…
Press release from Topsoe
In a new consortium, Topsoe will team up with companies and university researchers to help the rising global challenges with food insecurity and greenhouse-gas emissions from agriculture.
According to a recent UN-led report, 250 million people faced severe hunger during 2022, which was an increase of 65 million compared to the year before.
The consortium aims to provide a more sustainable way of producing proteins through fermentation. Through biological and electrochemical processes, it is possible to utilize CO2 to produce proteins that can be used directly in food for humans. Topsoe will provide technical expertise and insights as well as its SOEC electrolysis technology.
“The technologies are estimated to be able to produce enough protein for more than 1 billion people every year, creating a stable source of nutritious food for people living in areas with limited potential for conventional agriculture, such as in low- or middle-income countries,” says Poul Georg Moses, Chief Technology Officer, Power-to-X at Topsoe.
While supplying nutritious food to a growing world population, this will also enable a decoupling of our food production from land use and be a major contribution to a more sustainable society.
In the consortium, funded by The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and The Novo Nordisk Foundation, Topsoe will work with Novozymes A/S, Washington University in St. Louis, USA, Lectrolyst LLC and the Novo Nordisk Foundation CO2 Research Center (CORC) at Aarhus University in Denmark.
The total funding from the two foundations is up to DKK 200 million (€27 million) and covers a two-year period. If the work of the consortium is successful, it will be possible to continue the support for later stages of the project.
About Topsoe
Founded in 1940, Topsoe is a leading global developer and supplier of decarbonization technology, catalysts, and services for the energy transition.
Our mission is to combat climate change by helping our partners and customers achieve their decarbonization and emission-reduction targets, including those in hard-to-abate sectors such as aviation, shipping, and the production of raw materials. From carbon reduction chemicals to renewable fuels and plastic upcycling, we are uniquely positioned to aid humanity in realizing a sustainable future.
Topsoe is headquartered in Denmark, with over 2,400 employees serving customers all around the globe. To learn more, visit www.topsoe.com.
For more information, please contact:
Ulrik Frøhlke, Media Relations Manager
Phone: +45 27 77 99 68
Mail: [email protected]
Press release from FAME The FAME ecosystem, which supports the growth of 3D printing in Finland, is now joined by Materflow Oy. Materflow’s approach is straightforward: understand the client’s needs, and then engineer a solution, even if it means venturing off the beaten path. “We’re engineers at heart. When faced with a unique requirement, our…
Press release from FAME
The FAME ecosystem, which supports the growth of 3D printing in Finland, is now joined by Materflow Oy. Materflow’s approach is straightforward: understand the client’s needs, and then engineer a solution, even if it means venturing off the beaten path.
“We’re engineers at heart. When faced with a unique requirement, our first instinct isn’t to say ‘it can’t be done’, but rather ‘how can we make it work?’. This often leads us to modify existing machines, experiment with materials, or adjust parameters until we get it right,” explains the Timo Peltonen CEO of Materflow.
This problem-solving mindset has led Materflow to work on projects beyond Finland’s borders, indicating a recognition of their practical and tailored approach in the international arena.
Materflow’s commitment to solutions goes beyond the immediate task at hand; it extends to the broader impact on our planet. Recognizing the environmental implications of manufacturing, Materflow has taken a proactive stance by developing cost-effective climate-neutral/negative solutions for raw materials. This approach underscores their dedication to innovation while also highlighting their commitment to a sustainable future.
Eetu Holstein, Ecosystem Lead at FAME, notes, “Materflow brings a blend of engineering tenacity and environmental consciousness to the table. Their addition to FAME aligns well with our objectives.”
Founded in 2013, Materflow is one of the leading additive manufacturing and 3D printing technology service providers in the Nordics. In joining FAME, Materflow aims to share its engineering insights, learn from peers, and continue its commitment to sustainable and tailored 3D printing solutions.
Originally published on 28 September.
Press release from SSC Balloon Missions, News Both BEXUS 32 and 33 were successfully launched from Esrange Space Center, despite very challenging weather with 38 cm of snowfall less than 24 hours before the first launch. REXUS/BEXUS is a bilateral student program between the German Aerospace Center (DLR) and the Swedish National Space Agency (SNSA)….
Balloon Missions, News
Both BEXUS 32 and 33 were successfully launched from Esrange Space Center, despite very challenging weather with 38 cm of snowfall less than 24 hours before the first launch.
REXUS/BEXUS is a bilateral student program between the German Aerospace Center (DLR) and the Swedish National Space Agency (SNSA). The program gives European students the opportunity to fly their experiments aboard both rockets and balloons with the support of expertise from SSC, DLR Moraba and ESA.
In total, eight different experiments was launched on the two balloons BEXUS 32 and 33.
On board were the following experiments (Links refer to LinkedIn):
HERCCULES: Universidad Politécnica de Madrid
SBGA: Technical University of Munich
HERMES: HERMES – REXUS/BEXUS Programme
ROMULUS: Sapienza Università di Roma
ALMA: ALMA on BEXUS 33
CASTOR: STAR Dresden e.V.
SPACIS: SPACIS- REXUS/BEXUS Programme
TOTORO: Totoro to Space
The balloon launches were very successful and all participating universities managed to carry out their experiments exactly according to plan. However, it is too early to comment on the results of the experiments at the moment.
One of the experiments on board BEXUS 33 was ALMA, Atmospheric Laser Measurements of Aerosols, where a low-cost detector for various particles in the atmosphere has been developed.
– Normally a sensor like that cost thousands and thousands of euros and what we are trying to do is to completely design it from scratch and make it very cheap and with open source, sager Fabian Guse, student at Luleå University of Technology.
The Technical University of Dresden in Germany had also developed sensors for measurements in the stratosphere. Ozone and humidity were measured, where it would prove to be complicated to measure the humidity at such a high altitude. The reason is that the sensors have to be stored moist, which at the same time is difficult as water boils at around 8 degrees at such an altitude.
Another experiment from the University of Porto, Portugal, looked at how infrasound travels through the different layers of the atmosphere. In this case up to the stratosphere where the balloon traveled. From speakers on the Esrange, infrasound was emitted and they were then detected by the instruments on board the balloon.
– We want to be able to detect natural transmit of infra sounds. For example, some animals are capable of transmitting these sounds and it could be useful to monitor them. Various natural phenomena such as avalanches, earthquakes and eruptions also transmit these sounds, says Fransisco Colino.
Read more about the various experiments on BEXUS 32 and 33 by following the links above.
Originally published on 26 September.
Press release from Arena Pro Ocean Hyway Cluster Enova has granted Viridis Bulk Carriers financial support of 152 million NOK to help finance the construction of 2 ammonia-powered bulk carriers. The financial support to Viridis Bulk Carriers is part of a 709 million NOK package from Enova, a Norwegian government agency. The 709 millions is…
Press release from Arena Pro Ocean Hyway Cluster
Enova has granted Viridis Bulk Carriers financial support of 152 million NOK to help finance the construction of 2 ammonia-powered bulk carriers.
The financial support to Viridis Bulk Carriers is part of a 709 million NOK package from Enova, a Norwegian government agency. The 709 millions is shared between a number of vessels and charging solutions for emission-free maritime transport. Espen Barth Eide, the Norwegian Minister for Environment and Climate, announced the award in a press conference in Oslo this morning:
“The world’s energy systems must become emission-free if we are to succeed in reaching the goals we have set ourselves in the Paris Agreement. For shipping, this requires us to adopt new technologies and sustainable zero-emission fuels. The projects that Enova supports make an important contribution to this. Here, the entire breadth is covered from demand, distribution and use of hydrogen and ammonia, development of technology for CO2 capture on board ships, all-electric operation of ships as well as charging facilities for these”.
The 709 million NOK from Enova is divided between:
3 ammonia-powered vessels
1 bunkering facility for ammonia
2 hydrogen-powered vessels
3 fully electric vessels
3 high-power charging systems
1 vessels with carbon capture
The investment grant is an important and necessary step to realize the carbon free transportation system including ships, cargo and bunkering that Viridis Bulk Carriers and its ecosystem of partners have developed for the past three years. The Viridis vessels which are designed to support charterers cargo capacity needs, have similar sailing range as the current fleet of short sea bulk vessels, and to maintain the crew and societal safety at the level of conventional vessels. Viridis Bulk Carriers expect to place orders for ships around year end 2023, with deliveries starting in 2025.
The ENOVA grant enables construction of these highly innovative vessels, which we expect will be amongst the very first ships to kickstart the ammonia-powered green shift in shipping, says André Risholm, Co-founder and board member at Viridis Bulk Carriers.
The Viridis vessels have been designed with the customer in focus and close collaboration with client partners and key suppliers. The company has collaborated with the 8 charterers in the ‘Flexbulk NH3 Ammonia Power‘ consortium project to ensure that cargo capacities and operational capabilities are just as future-proof as the power technology and emissions reductions. Ocean Hyway Cluster has the role as project controller. The vessel design is by Kongsberg Maritime, one of the world’s premier marine technology groups and the leading ship designers.
This is a key milestone in our long-term commitment to decarbonize the short sea bulk market together with forward-thinking clients and leading technology makers, says Espen Nordstrøm, Co-founder and board member at Viridis Bulk Carriers.
Solving the chicken-and-egg dilemma of new ships and new bunkering infrastructure has been a key challenge that the partners around Viridis Bulk Carriers have been working to solve. Together with Yara Clean Ammonia, Azane Fuel Solutions and other partners in the “Ammonia fuel bunkering network” project, Viridis is making sure that ammonia fuel will be available by the time the vessels start operations.
We are building a new fuel value chain by leveraging partnerships from production to bunkering to providing an ammonia-powered shipping service. We solve the “chicken-and-egg” dilemma by having them both appear at the same time, says Peder N. Jarlsby, Board member at Viridis Bulk Carriers.
Ocean Hyway Cluster is part of the Flexbulk NH3 Ammonia Power project. You can read more about our projects here. This article is based on press releases from Viridis Bulk Carriers and Enova.
Originally published on 26 September.
Press release from ACEP Photo by Michelle Wilber/ACEP A person takes data from a solar farm in Shungnak, Alaska. Islanded power systems — local power grids that are not connected to a wider electric power system — generally cost more to maintain and are less stable compared to larger interconnected grids….
Press release from ACEP
Islanded power systems — local power grids that are not connected to a wider electric power system — generally cost more to maintain and are less stable compared to larger interconnected grids. The interconnection of islanded power systems can provide numerous advantages.
ACEP’s Power Systems Integration team and their partners studied techno-economic modeling of the interconnection of two remote communities in Alaska to explore the feasibility and the economic advantages of an electrical intertie as well as technical challenges.
This study, entitled “Evaluation of MVDC Electrical Interties Connecting Remote Communities: an Alaska Case Study” has been published here. This report is also available at no cost from ACEP.
For more information about this work, contact Mariko Shirazi at [email protected].
Originally published on 22 September.
Press release from H2 Green Steel By recognizing H2 Green Steel as a Climate Solutions Company, the Exponential Roadmap Initiative, a partner of the UN-backed Race to Zero, validates the Swedish industrial start-up’s plan to deliver significant emissions reductions compared with traditional steel manufacturing. The Exponential Roadmap Initiative was launched to accelerate climate action and…
Press release from H2 Green Steel
By recognizing H2 Green Steel as a Climate Solutions Company, the Exponential Roadmap Initiative, a partner of the UN-backed Race to Zero, validates the Swedish industrial start-up’s plan to deliver significant emissions reductions compared with traditional steel manufacturing.
The Exponential Roadmap Initiative was launched to accelerate climate action and solutions through the exponential scaling of ground-breaking products, services and projects. H2 Green Steel is a living example of such a project as it was founded in 2020 to accelerate the decarbonization of the steel industry. By qualifying as a Climate Solutions Company, H2 Green Steel not only commits to the Exponential Roadmap Initiative’s strict overall criteria in the 1.5°C Business Playbook, but also fulfills additional criteria.
Established companies can set ambitious greenhouse gas reduction targets for their operations. For an industrial cleantech company building an operation from scratch, other targets are more relevant. The Exponential Roadmap Initiative presents a framework in which a cleantech company can screen and verify its ambition and ability to scale climate solutions – exponentially. To be considered a Climate Solutions Company, the candidate needs to bring an offer to the market that reduces emissions intensity by more than 50 percent compared to the prevailing technology. In the case of H2 Green Steel, that number is 95 percent.
“Our goals at H2 Green Steel are anchored in science. In times where greenwashing is a real problem, the Exponential Roadmap Initiative offers a route for serious cleantech companies to validate that their ambitions and plans are Paris-aligned. It’s in our DNA to accelerate change towards sustainable solutions and to scale them exponentially. It’s why the company was established. When we start operations in Boden at the end of 2025, no other steel maker will have as small an environmental footprint as we do, but we hope all the others will follow quickly,” says H2 Green Steel CEO Henrik Henriksson
H2 Green Steel is building the world’s first large scale green steel plant. When H2 Green Steel’s plant in Boden begins operations the carbon intensity will be approximately 95 to 195 kg* of CO2 per tonne of steel, including Scope 1 and 2 emissions, compared to about two tonnes of CO2 in blast furnace-based steel making. Starting its green steel operations at the end of 2025, H2 Green Steel beats the steel sector by some 15 years based on the current Science Based Targets initiative’s 1.5°C-aligned steel roadmap. By demonstrating that it’s possible, H2 Green Steel hopes that others will be pushed to speed up and follow suit.
However, to H2 Green Steel that is not enough. In addition to the immense abatement via the steel production, H2 Green Steel also commits to and fulfills other criteria including:
– A net-zero target for the Boden plant in 2040, including both its own emissions (Scope 1 and 2) and those of its suppliers (upstream Scope 3).
– A commitment to cut the carbon intensity of our products (Scope 1 and 2) in half by 2035.
– An exponential acceleration of its decarbonization impact, through establishment of new sites and by engaging in new industry verticals leveraging green hydrogen production in the years to come.
– Collaboration with organizations, including civil society, that are pushing the climate action agenda.
“We are delighted to welcome H2 Green Steel as a member in the Exponential Roadmap Initiative together with other world-leading companies. H2 Green Steel is a true climate solutions company because over 90 percent of its income is derived from a climate solution – a climate solution that reduces emissions by 95 percent compared to business as usual. This is exactly the kind of solution that needs to be scaled exponentially to shift out fossil-based solutions. We look forward to collaborating on removing remaining barriers and scaling solutions faster through radical collaboration,” says Johan Falk, CEO of the Exponential Roadmap Initiative.
H2 Green Steel’s plant in Boden, Sweden will be the first of its kind to combine production of green hydrogen, green iron, and green steel in a single flow, using renewable electricity throughout the production process. Europe’s largest electrolyzer will produce the hydrogen used in the direct reduction-reactor process. It is in the direct reduction step that the bulk of the emissions reduction is achieved. A hot sponge iron product is then processed through an electric arc furnace together with steel scrap to a homogenous melt of liquid steel then onward to continuous casting and rolling as well as fining.
* depending on which steel product is being manufactured.
Originally published on 19 September.
Press release from BODENNXT Once again, Boden has the best business climate in the county and remains in the top 50 list – despite an accelerating societal transition with the challenges it entails. The Confederation of Swedish Enterprise carries out an annual survey of the business climate in the country’s municipalities. The results were published…
Press release from BODENNXT
Once again, Boden has the best business climate in the county and remains in the top 50 list – despite an accelerating societal transition with the challenges it entails.
The Confederation of Swedish Enterprise carries out an annual survey of the business climate in the country’s municipalities.
The results were published on Wednesday and the municipality of Boden maintains the top position in the county for the third consecutive year.
The overall score looks the same as last year, but in the ranking Boden drops five places, from 44 to 49.
“We see a slight dip in the ranking nationally, which is not entirely unexpected given the increasing complexity of the processes we deal with on a daily basis. It requires hard work as well as resources,” says Mats Berg, Head of Business relations in the municipality of Boden.
“Cornerstone of growth journey”
For several years, the municipality has worked strategically to strengthen and develop cooperation with Boden’s entrepreneurs and the local business community. This has also yielded positive results.
The ongoing societal transition places greater pressure on the municipal organization as a whole, but it does not mean that long-term development work is deprioritized.
“We have a good dialogue with our local business community and constantly tweak things to improve and optimize, as an attractive and well-functioning business climate is a cornerstone of our ongoing growth journey,” says Mats Berg.
Mats Berg, Head of business relations in the municipality of Boden.
Mats Berg, Head of business relations in the municipality of Boden.
Every year, the Confederation of Swedish Enterprise measures more than 30,000 companies’ experiences of running a business in their municipalities. The survey responses provide a picture of how the business environment is perceived by businesses. The answers are then combined with five statistical factors to produce a ranking that allows comparison of Sweden’s 290 municipalities.
Originally published on 20 September.
Press release from Aker Solutions September 19, 2023 — Aker Solutions has secured a sizeable1) contract from Shell to provide brownfield modifications services and maintenance support for the Nyhamna facility in Norway. Shell, as technical service provider to Gassco, has executed an option to extend a framework agreement for another four years, or until September…
Press release from Aker Solutions
September 19, 2023 — Aker Solutions has secured a sizeable1) contract from Shell to provide brownfield modifications services and maintenance support for the Nyhamna facility in Norway.
Shell, as technical service provider to Gassco, has executed an option to extend a framework agreement for another four years, or until September 2028. The scope of the contract includes maintenance and modification services on the onshore Nyhamna natural gas processing plant in Aukra. The plant serves the Ormen Lange field and is connected to the Polarled pipeline in the Norwegian Sea.
Aker Solutions has, since 2007, delivered projects and provided services to the Nyhamna facility, where gas first arrives onshore before it transports to the UK.
“This contract will be included in our already strong backlog built on long-term customer relations. We’re pleased that Shell is giving us renewed trust to be its main contractor on this significant facility, and look forward to continuing the successful collaboration,” said Paal Eikeseth, executive vice president and head of Life Cycle, Aker Solutions.
The contract is of significance to the over 150 Aker Solutions’ employees in Kristiansund.
“This extension secures work for our employees on site at Nyhamna, our engineering office in Kristiansund, and it will provide ripple effects to local subcontractors and others,” said Eikeseth.
The contract will be booked as part of Aker Solutions’ third-quarter order intake.
1) Aker Solutions defines a sizeable contract as between NOK 0.5 billion and NOK 1.5 billion.
Originally published on 19 September.
Press release from Luke As fish consumption is growing in Europe, new methods for sustainable fish farming are needed. Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke) together with European fish farmers, breeders and feed producers as well as researchers raised selective breeding and fish farming to a new level by linking the effects of fish genome and…
Press release from Luke
As fish consumption is growing in Europe, new methods for sustainable fish farming are needed. Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke) together with European fish farmers, breeders and feed producers as well as researchers raised selective breeding and fish farming to a new level by linking the effects of fish genome and nutrition. Some of the methods developed in the five-year project have already been taken into use by European companies.
Fish consumption in Europe is growing alongside vegetarianism, and at the same time there is a growing need for fish farmers to meet demand more safely, efficiently and with less environmental impact. Selective breeding of fishes has helped and continues to help to develop fish farming. Breeders select individuals for breeding that have been found to make effective use of feed for growth and remain healthy.
In addition to selective breeding, sustainable fish farming is promoted by feed developed specifically for certain fish species and certain conditions. However, so far fish feed developers have had only limited information about the changes in fish traits brought about by breeding, even though the trait changes affect nutrition. Feed developers are also challenged by the fact that as fish consumption increases, more fish feed is needed, and therefore new sustainable raw materials must be found.
“Selective breeding and fish feeds have been developed extensively in Europe, but typically in separate projects. Inside Luke, we had the experience of combining these fields of research, and now we did it on a large scale. For the international EU-funded AquaIMPACT project, we gathered challenges of fish farming and experts from 10 companies and 12 research institutes to solve them,” says Antti Kause, principal scientist at Luke, who leads the project.
The five-year project is nearing its end, and Kause says the goals have been met.
“We developed a method based on a mathematical model, which allows feed manufacturers to predict how feed composition will affect, for example, the growth or health of a fish, when its genetic characteristics are known. This is a significant breakthrough in the industry.”
A groundbreaking feature in the AquaIMPACT project was that breeding experts based their selection on the genome of the fish and not, as has been customary, on the family tree. According to Kause, genomic selection is already common in the selective breeding of cattle, pigs, chickens and plants, and thus familiar work at Luke as well.
“We have 25 animal and plant breeders in Luke, who analyze the genomic data from breeding programmes. We also have 40 years of experience in selective breeding of fish and responsibility for the national breeding programme for rainbow trout. This made it natural for us to take responsibility for genetics research and the development of breeding methods in the project.”
The experimental work was divided among different countries according to, among other things, fish species, which were rainbow trout and Atlantic salmon from cool waters as well as gilthead sea bream and European sea bass from the Mediterranean. For example, researchers at Luke and a Finnish company developed selection methods to improve disease resistance of rainbow trout in their own aquaculture facilities.
“We also showed that selective breeding has yielded results even when the selection has been based on the family tree. We have managed to improve the feed efficiency of rainbow trout by about 18 percent over the past 25 years. This means that breeding has made fish farming more efficient and reduced the nutrient emissions from fish farms into the sea.”
Although the AquaIMPACT project focused on European fish species, according to Kause, the computing and genomic methods developed can be used anywhere. Some of the methods have already been implemented by European companies that participated in the project.
“The absolute strength of the project was that the same people who have participated in the development work get to use the results right away.”
Press release from BotH2nia A research consortium led by the University of Oulu, which aims to achieve a fair hydrogen transfer, is boosting hydrogen research communication in Finland. Together with the BotH2nia hydrogen network, the consortium will start producing general-interest articles on hydrogen research, in addition to future research articles and conference presentations. [caption id=””…
Press release from BotH2nia
A research consortium led by the University of Oulu, which aims to achieve a fair hydrogen transfer, is boosting hydrogen research communication in Finland. Together with the BotH2nia hydrogen network, the consortium will start producing general-interest articles on hydrogen research, in addition to future research articles and conference presentations.
As part of the project, many meetings and interviews will be organised with those whose lives will be affected in practice by the green transition. With BotH2nia, the consortium also organises regular events where researchers meet officials from municipal, regional and national governments. The Hydrogen Impact Forum, which meets four times a year, uses scientific findings to address issues raised by both the private and public sectors. The aim is to generate, develop and disseminate hydrogen best practice across the country.
Funding has been secured for a new communication effort. The Strategic Research Council (STN) of the Academy of Finland has allocated €27 million for research into a just green revolution. The STN awarded funding of almost €3 million to the JustH2Transit project, a small part of which will be used for new hydrogen communication.
The multidisciplinary consortium brings together the University of Oulu, the Natural Resources Institute of Finland (LUKE), the University of LUT and VTT. The project aims to lead the change in Finnish society related to the increasing use of hydrogen on the basis of researched knowledge.
The project will map the current situation of hydrogen transition in Finland and the related system-level bottlenecks. In parallel, the environmental, techno-economic and social impacts of hydrogen transition will be examined. The linkages of the hydrogen economy to the bio- and circular economy will be assessed from the perspectives of resource use and sufficiency. Answers and alternatives to these themes will be sought to strengthen our societies’ resilience, resilience and equity.
Read more: Nearly €3 million for a just hydrogen transition research project
Further information:
Marko Huttula, Director of the Just H2 Transit research consortium, Professor, University of Oulu
p. +358 40 056 6218
Originally published on 15 September.
