Global Climate News

The United States hosted a technical program on Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage (CCUS) from March 3-5, 2025, at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston, TX. The event featured presentations and discussions on various themes including subsurface storage, site selection, injectivity challenges, and global CCUS implementation. Companies like Net Power, ExxonMobil, and Chevron participated, highlighting advancements in CO2 storage and utilization technologies. The program also included discussions on policy innovations for CCUS in India and a model for developing oil and gas regions globally, such as the Niger Delta.

Switzerland-based Climeworks has shared its 2024 milestones including the inauguration of Mammoth (world's largest Direct Air Capture plant), Project Cypress development in Louisiana, launch of Climeworks Solutions portfolio offering, certification under Puro Standard, and unveiling of Generation 3 technology. The company's Project Cypress, awarded USD 50 million by U.S. DOE, aims to capture 1 million tons of CO₂ annually when complete. The new Generation 3 technology promises to reduce carbon removal costs by up to 50% compared to current costs.

US-based researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory have developed a portable microwave radar system to detect moisture in building materials. The system, which has been successfully tested on wood sheathing, can detect moisture with 3% accuracy compared to conventional methods. The technology is intended to be licensed to manufacturers for use by homeowners and inspectors to prevent moisture damage and improve energy efficiency.

US-based Bezos Earth Fund, in partnership with Experiment Foundation, announced the winners and finalists of its $1M Greenhouse Gas Removal Ideation Prize. The prize, structured in two phases, awarded funding to projects focusing on diverse greenhouse gas removal technologies, aiming to significantly contribute towards removing gigatonnes of greenhouse gases annually by 2050.

US-based Portland General Electric (PGE) received approval from the Oregon Public Utility Commission for a rate increase ranging from 5.5% to 7.7%, effective January 1, 2025. The increase will fund investments in battery storage, transmission infrastructure, and grid modernization to improve reliability and integrate renewable energy sources. PGE also proposed measures to allocate costs fairly for new industrial customers.

US-based Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) has been approved as a 1% for the Planet Environmental Partner. EESI, which celebrates 40 years of advancing climate solutions, was vetted by 1% for the Planet based on its mission, structure, history, leadership, impact, and finances. A nomination by an existing 1% for the Planet member, one of EESI’s Sustaining Partners, was required for EESI to join the network.

The US-based Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), part of the Department of Energy, deployed a team to assess damage from Hurricanes Helene and Milton. Using drones, they collected over 400 gigabytes of geospatial data on energy infrastructure, providing real-time information to aid recovery efforts via the Mapster technology and the EAGLE-ITM platform. This data will be used to improve disaster response tools through machine learning models.

India's oil consumption is expected to increase by 220,000 barrels per day in 2024 and 330,000 barrels per day in 2025, surpassing China as the leading source of global oil consumption growth. This growth is driven by rising demand for transportation and cooking fuels. In contrast, China's growth is limited by factors such as electric vehicle adoption and economic deceleration.

Canada-based PyroGenesis Inc. has announced a debt-to-equity conversion agreement with HPQ Silicon Inc. to resolve an outstanding liability of $4,941,440. The liability was converted into 17,968,873 units of HPQ at $0.275 per unit, each comprised of one common share and one warrant. This is related to their collaboration on the Fumed Silica Reactor (FSR) project, which aims to produce fumed silica in an eco-friendly way.