Global Climate News

India is aiming to produce 5 million metric tonnes of green hydrogen annually by 2030, and potentially 10 million tons by the same year. The country's National Green Hydrogen Mission, supported by industrial clusters like Mundra Port, focuses on reducing production costs to less than $2 per kilogram by leveraging renewable energy and optimizing energy demand. Mundra Port, near the world’s largest renewable energy park (30 gigawatt Khavda facility), integrates hydrogen production with industries such as chemicals, cement, and fertilizers, facilitating both domestic use and export.

Switzerland-based ETH Zurich has made several breakthrough developments in climate and sustainability technologies in 2024. These include a new light-based CO2 capture solution, improved lithium metal batteries for EVs, a solar thermal trap for high-temperature industrial processes, efficient rare earth metal recovery from e-waste, and an iron-ore based hydrogen storage system. The university has also found that direct air carbon capture remains twice as expensive as previously estimated.

The UK Government has announced a £15 million increase to steel support funds, bringing the total to £30 million, to support businesses and workers affected by changes at Tata Steel's Port Talbot site. The funding, part of an £80m Tata Steel Transition Board fund, will provide grants up to £250,000 for businesses to invest in equipment, property, and technology, while also supporting workers through training and job transitions.

Australia's BlueScope, BHP, and Rio Tinto have selected the Kwinana Industrial Area for a pilot plant to develop an electric smelting furnace for ironmaking. The project, part of the NeoSmelt collaboration, aims to use Pilbara iron ore to produce lower-carbon emissions molten iron, initially using natural gas and later hydrogen. The Western Australian Government supports the project with a A$75 million contribution.

Australia's NeoSmelt consortium announced Kwinana as the location for the nation's largest ironmaking electric smelting furnace, backed by a $75 million investment from the Cook Labor Government. The project, in collaboration with BlueScope, BHP, Rio Tinto, and Woodside Energy, aims to produce near-zero emission iron using Pilbara iron ore and renewable energy, positioning Western Australia as a leader in low-emissions iron ore processing.

Australia's BlueScope, BHP, and Rio Tinto have selected the Kwinana Industrial Area for the development of the country's largest ironmaking electric smelting furnace pilot plant. The NeoSmelt collaboration aims to use Pilbara iron ore to produce lower-carbon emissions molten iron using DRI-ESF technology, with Woodside Energy joining as an energy supplier. The project received a A$75 million contribution from the Western Australian Government.

US-based Electrified Thermal Solutions has developed a pioneering technology for heating industrial furnaces without fossil fuels, supported by Vale Ventures' investment. Vale Ventures participated in ETS's $19 million funding round, aiming to decarbonize industrial processes in hard-to-abate sectors like mining and steel. This investment aligns with Vale's goal to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050.

Belgium-based ArcelorMittal's Steelanol facility achieved a milestone by producing ethanol volumes sufficient for barge shipping. LanzaTech took title to the first shipment, which will be purified and sold to CarbonSmartä customers. The facility converts carbon-rich industrial emissions into ethanol, reducing carbon emissions by 125,000 tonnes annually, supporting the EU's 2030 Climate Target Plan.

Belgium's ArcelorMittal and LanzaTech achieved a milestone with the first barge shipment of ethanol from the Steelanol facility in Ghent. The facility converts industrial emissions into ethanol, reducing carbon emissions by 125,000 tonnes annually. The plant can produce 80 million litres of ethanol per year, supporting the EU's 2030 Climate Target Plan.