The Week in Cleantech: 28 May 2023

Last week witnessed a continued wave of new deals and partnerships being announced across cleantech sectors. Holcim placed record order of up to 1,000 Volvo electric trucks in Europe, Hyundai and LG formed a joint venture to produce 30 GWh of battery cells annually, and Natilus and ZeroAvia partnered to develop a zero-emission cargo aircraft. Meanwhile, a new investigation by Corporate Accountability found that Chevron's climate pledge relied on "junk" carbon offsets and "unviable" technologies.

Enel North America plans to build a $1 billion solar factory in Oklahoma, which could become one of the first to produce crystalline silicon solar cells in the US. The factory is expected to begin manufacturing up to 3 GW of panel capacity in 2025, rising to 6 GW in subsequent years, and is one of the largest solar manufacturing deals since the Inflation Reduction Act was passed. (E&E News - Energywire and 16 other sources)

BOEM clears path for Ocean Wind 1 wind project off New Jersey shores. The proposed project could have up to 98 turbines and a capacity of 1.44 GW. (North American Wind Power and 5 other sources)

Blue Bird opens EV build-up center to produce 5,000 electric school buses annually. The facility will assemble electric versions of the Vision and All American model buses, with the company expecting to sell thousands of additional EV school buses in the next five years. (Elektrek and 3 other sources)

Diageo funds consortium to create circular economy for aluminium in the UK. The British Aluminium Consortium for Advanced Alloys plans to build a plant to recycle hundreds of thousands of tonnes of aluminium sheet, reducing dependency on raw materials and decreasing energy usage. (Materials Recycling World and 2 other sources)

Aggreko partners with Farmers Powering Communities to develop a 500MW US community solar portfolio. The projects will represent around $1bn in investment and will be realised by the end of this decade. (PV Tech and 1 other source)

Nike and Future Proof Shipping have unveiled the world's first hydrogen-powered inland container vessel, H2 Barge 1, which will transport Nike products in Europe. The converted diesel barge will reduce 2,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions per year and is part of Nike's goal to create a zero carbon, zero waste future. (Renewables Now and 8 other sources)

Ford to offer Tesla Supercharging ports on its electric vehicles from 2025. Ford will also offer adapters to its EV owners starting in early 2024 to use Tesla Superchargers. (CleanTechnica and 8 other sources)

The Confederation of Paper Industries launches Papercycle, an online recyclability assessment and certification service for fibre-based packaging. Papercycle identifies whether materials can be recycled in the UK and which types of mills can reprocess them, and can conduct laboratory testing for more complex products or materials. (Materials Recycling World and 2 other sources)

Purdue's agrivoltaic structures optimize food production and maximize solar energy production, with a dual, off-axis rotation system and sensors. The structures are mounted lower, making them more affordable and decreasing the time needed for a return on investment. (Global Ag Tech Initiative and 1 other source)

4AIR launches blockchain-based registry to track sustainable aviation fuel sustainability attributes. The Assure SAF Registry provides transparency for SAF's feedstock, blend, and certification, simplifying inventory accounting and preventing double-counting of benefits. (Biomass Magazine and 1 other source)

Holcim places record order of up to 1,000 Volvo electric trucks in Europe. The first 130 trucks will be delivered in Q4 2023 and throughout 2024. (InsideEVs and 12 other sources)

Hyundai and LG to invest $4.3bn in Georgia battery venture for EVs. The joint battery venture will produce 30 GWh of battery cells annually, potentially fully supporting the Georgia plant’s projected production of 300,000 EVs annually. (Green Car Reports and 7 other sources)

Keppel joins the CQ-H2 project consortium and signs an MoU with Incitec Pivot Limited on an industrial-scale green ammonia production facility in Gladstone, Queensland. The MoU targets the development of up to 850,000 tonnes per annum of green ammonia production. (H2 View and 6 other sources)

BW Ideol and Elawan Energy to jointly develop multi-gigawatt floating offshore wind projects. The exclusive agreement will focus on tenders in Spain and Portugal. (Power Technology and 6 other sources)

Suzlon wins fifth order in a month for 204 MW wind farm in India. Serentica Renewables placed the order for 68 turbines in Karnataka. (Renewables Now and 5 other sources)

Natilus and ZeroAvia partner to develop zero-emission cargo aircraft for the aviation industry. The Natilus Kona will be powered by ZeroAvia's hydrogen-electric engine, offering low-cost, low-carbon emissions, and extended flight range. (Inceptive Mind and 3 other sources)

CNH Industrial partners with ONE SMART SPRAY to integrate precision spraying system. The system will provide green-on-green and green-on-brown weed detection and selective spraying. (Global Ag Tech Initiative and 2 other sources)

Intelinair and NVisionAg partner to provide nitrogen management technology for corn growers. The collaboration will integrate NVision Ag's nitrogen management technology into Intelinair's AGMRI® platform, offering real-time insights to farmers. (iGrow News and 2 other sources)

Lindsay Corporation partners with Pessl Instruments to integrate advanced field monitoring systems with FieldNET irrigation management platform. The partnership will allow farmers to remotely monitor and adjust their operations based on atmospheric conditions, enhancing their ability to make informed irrigation decisions. (iGrow News and 1 other source)

Marlow Ingredients has announced its first supply deal with Tempty Foods, a Dutch food start-up that uses mycoprotein as a primary protein source. Tempty Foods aims to make plant-based and fungi-based food products the preferred choice for everyone, focusing on taste and nutrition rather than meat imitation. (FoodNavigator and 1 other source)

Ørsted to acquire Eversource's stake in US offshore wind lease for $625m. The deal includes contracts, partnerships, and lease area with a potential of 4GW, awaiting regulatory clearance. (Power Technology and 7 other sources)

RWE acquires Northland Power's stake in Nordseecluster for €35m. The 1.6GW offshore wind complex in the German North Sea will be fully owned by RWE, with operations starting in 2027 and 2029. (Power Technology and 6 other sources)

Andrew Forrest's Squadron Energy did not make a binding offer for the Sun Cable solar and battery project, which was sold to Mike Cannon-Brookes. Forrest said his company chose to focus on its own 20GW pipeline of renewable and storage projects on Australia's main grid. (Renew Economy and 6 other sources)

TotalEnergies invests in Finnish biotech start-up Ductor for biogas projects across US and Europe. The French energy major acquires a 20% stake in Ductor and will set up a joint venture to develop 15 to 20 anaerobic digestion facilities. (Renewables Now and 5 other sources)

Reconomy Group acquires UK Waste Solutions to deepen its capabilities and footprint in the circular economy, waste management and sustainability sectors. The acquisition includes all four of UK Waste Solution's primary brands and its 160 employees. (Packaging News and 1 other source)

US Department of Energy (DOE) invests $42m in clean hydrogen projects to reduce carbon emissions in heavy transportation and industry sectors. The 22 projects across 14 states will develop technologies for solar fuels and demonstrate higher-density and lower-pressure hydrogen storage technologies. (Utility Dive and 2 other sources)

DouxMatok rebrands as Incredo after raising $30m in series C funding to expand its sugar reduction platform. The Israeli firm uses an inert mineral particle as a carrier for sugar molecules, enabling sugar reductions of 30-50%. (AFN and 2 other sources)

ConnectDER raises $27M to expand its fast connection adapter for solar and EV-ready homes. The low-cost meter collar technology enables residential electric power systems upgrade without expensive service panel upgrades. (Solar Builder Magazine and 1 other source)

DOE awards $3M for waste-to-energy projects, including biosolids-to-fuel conversion. Virginia and California-based projects receive $1.5M each for community-scale organic waste energy recovery. (Biomass Magazine and 1 other source)

Blue Radix secures investment to expand AI-powered greenhouse technology. Crop Controller, an innovative tool that fulfills crop strategies without human intervention, has been implemented in various greenhouses across 13 countries. (iGrow News and 1 other source)

Recycling is still worth the effort despite local governments pulling back on curbside recycling services due to cost, according to a study by the University of Florida. The study found that recycling can help small municipalities reach their climate goals, and that kerb-side recycling provides communities with a return on investment similar to or better than climate change mitigation strategies such as voluntary green power purchases and transitioning to electric vehicles. (GRIST and 2 other sources)

Walkers trials new 'bagless' multipack packaging for Snack A Jacks range with 86% less plastic. The new packaging is made from a tape-like strip and is officially recyclable under the UK On-Pack Recycling Label Scheme. (Food and Drink Technology and 2 other sources)

Biffa recovers 1,600 tonnes of plastic waste for circular economy. The waste management company developed a new technology to recycle tiny flakes of contaminated waste. (Packaging News and 1 other source)

Lab-grown meat's environmental impact could be worse than beef, according to a study by the University of California, Davis. The research found that the global warming potential of lab-based meat using purified media is four to 25 times greater than retail beef, although meat created using food-grade ingredients could be up to 80% less damaging than beef. (California Ag Network and 1 other source)

Carbon pricing revenues hit record high of almost $100 billion in 2022, with carbon taxes and emissions trading systems (ETS) contributing to the increase, according to the World Bank's State and Trends in Carbon Pricing 2023 report. The study also found that the number of ETS and carbon taxes implemented slightly grew, while carbon credit markets slowed, and nature-based carbon credits may overtake renewable energy. (Carbon Credits and 1 other source)

DOE launches Clean Fuels & Products Shot to reduce emissions and develop sustainable carbon resources for critical fuels and products. The initiative aims to achieve at least 85% lower GHG emissions than fossil-based sources by 2035, supporting the national goal of achieving net-zero emissions by 2050. (ESG News and 5 other sources)

JPMorgan to remove and store 800k metric tons of CO2 from the atmosphere, matching its emissions by 2030. The deals aim to accelerate the development of CDR technologies and support scaling up carbon removal projects. (ESG Today and 4 other sources)

Chevron's climate pledge relies on "junk" carbon offsets and "unviable" technologies, according to a new investigation by Corporate Accountability. The fossil fuel company's net zero aspiration only applies to less than 10% of its carbon footprint, and almost all of the carbon offsets Chevron bought and counted towards its climate targets were too environmentally problematic to be classified as anything other than worthless or junk. (The Guardian and 3 other sources)

ISS ESG and Qontigo launch cobranded index suite to reduce biodiversity impact. The suite excludes companies causing harm to biodiversity and enhances alignment with biodiversity-oriented U.N. Sustainable Development Goals. (FinTech Global and 2 other sources)

PepsiCo and UEFA aim to make UEFA Champions League Finals zero waste to landfill by 2026. The partnership is implementing circular economy practices, centered around the 3Rs (reduce, reuse, recycle), to minimize the impact of football on the environment and drive resource efficiencies. (ESG News and 1 other source)

Standard Chartered appoints Oliver Withers as Head of Biodiversity to integrate biodiversity considerations into business operations and decision-making processes. Withers, previously Global Head of Biodiversity at Credit Suisse, will facilitate the seamless incorporation of biodiversity aspects into Standard Chartered’s business practices. (FinTech Global and 1 other source)

CEO of Verra, world's largest carbon credit standards organization, steps down amid increased scrutiny. Indigenous groups want more financing and a bigger role in discussions about climate change mitigation projects and carbon credits. (Mongabay and 2 other sources)

Goldman Sachs appoints Kara Mangone as Head of Sustainable Finance Group Mangone will lead the firm's sustainable finance expertise and help achieve its $750 billion goal. John Goldstein moves to Asset & Wealth Management as Global Head of Sustainability and Impact Solutions. (ESG Today and 1 other source)

Encina Development appoints sustainability expert Allison Lin to its board of directors. Lin, who is currently the Global VP of Packaging Sustainability at Mars, will help Encina expand its business globally and drive growth towards a more sustainable future. (Interplas Insights and 1 other source)

UK announces sweeping ban on most single-use plastics, including compostable and biodegradable items, affecting food and beverage manufacturers across the country. The ban, which takes effect on October 1, also covers polystyrene containers, but excludes plastic soft-drink bottles and packaging designed to be filled at the point of sale or pre-filled. (FoodNavigator and 1 other source)

Ireland's Nature Restoration Law targets could be met entirely from state-owned land, according to Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue. The minister said that "flexibility" had been secured at EU Council level, which would reflect the Irish situation, and provide "reassurance" to farmers that there would be no requirement on them to mandatorily rewet their land. (Agriland and 1 other source)

Hyundai's US EV leases on the rise after IRS update on tax credit eligibility. Hyundai CEO, Jose Muñoz, says the company is "still committed to electrification" with 17 electric models by 2030. (Elektrek and 1 other source)

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