VinFast ships first EVs to the U.S.

Shipping the first batch caps a five-year effort to develop its production hub. VinFast expects to ship a second batch of cars to the U.S., its first export market, around January.

Vietnamese EV maker VinFast said on Friday it had shipped its first batch of 999 cars to the United States, capping a five-year bid to develop an auto production hub in the Southeast Asian country for North American and European markets.

The first cars are expected to be handed over to customers by the end of December, the company said.

VinFast CEO Le Thi Thu Thuy said some of the VF 8 electric crossovers being shipped Friday would be sent to U.S. car subscription service Autonomy but the majority would go to retail buyers who have ordered the car.

Thuy said VinFast expected to be able to ship a second batch of cars to the U.S., its first export market, around January.

VinFast is in the process of building an EV plant in North Carolina that is awaiting final regulatory approval from local officials.

Thuy said the company expected to start production at the North Carolina factory in July, 2024 and that electric vehicles built there would qualify for incentives under the terms of the U.S.'s Inflation Reduction Act.

The Inflation Reduction Act, as currently written, requires automakers to have 50 percent of critical minerals used in EV batteries come from North America or U.S. allies by 2024, rising to 80 percent by the end of 2026.

Major automakers have said those targets are unrealistic and it was not immediately clear how VinFast would meet the sourcing requirements.

"The IRA came as a surprise to all of us but it doesn't really impact our strategy in the U.S.," Thuy told Reuters. "As soon as we start manufacturing cars in the U.S., our customers will be eligible [for] the tax incentive."

VinFast said last week that Autonomy had ordered 2,500 EVs, its largest corporate order to date. VinFast has said it has almost 65,000 orders globally in total and expects to sell 750,000 EVs annually by 2026.

Behind schedule:

The North Carolina factory project is running months behind schedule, based on the company's initial targets, and the first shipment of EVs built by VinFast was short of the initial goal to deliver as many as 5,000 cars built at its factory in Haiphong by December.

VinFast officials said the number 999 for the vehicles shipped in the first batch had been chosen because it is considered a lucky number in Vietnam.

"There is no luckier number than 999," Thuy said. The Panamanian-chartered transport ship used to send the first shipment of VinFast EVs had the capacity to carry up to 2,000 vehicles, officials said.

Source:autonews.com

TotalEnergies Corbion Collaborates with BGF for Application Development of Its PLA

 Be Good Friends (BGF) and TotalEnergies Corbion, have entered a long-term collaborative arrangement for application development and the supply of Luminy® PLA.

Both bioplastic companies are focused on the development and production of biodegradable materials and products.

High Heat Foamed Noodle Cup:

BGF recently launched for the Korean market a single use, noodle cup which is aesthetically very pleasing and 100% biobased and compostable. The lightweight, foamed noodle cup minimizes the use of materials and is being produced using high heat Luminy® PLA as a base resin. The development of the cup has been the result of joint development efforts between the 2 companies, and more developments are set to follow in the future.

Mr. Hong, chief executive officer of BGF, said “Bringing more environmentally friendly products to the Korean market remains a key focus of our business, PLA is a part of some compounds that we formulate to meet specific customers’ functionality needs for different applications. The collaboration with TotalEnergies Corbion is supporting our long-term growth strategy.”

Thomas Philipon, chief executive officer of TotalEnergies Corbion, said, "We are delighted to have signed this long-term collaboration agreement with BGF. The biopolymers market is experiencing strong growth and customers are requesting innovative solutions tailor-made to their market needs. Collaboration through the value chain is the only efficient way to bring circular solutions to the customers."

Source: TotalEnergies Corbion

Hyundai opens new Vietnam car factory with 100,000-unit capacity

A joint venture between South Korea's Hyundai Motor and Vietnamese conglomerate Thanh Cong Group has opened a sprawling new factory in northern Vietnam, as it looks to expand production and hold on to its top spot in the market.

The plant, located in Ninh Binh province, has an annual production capacity of 100,000 units. Combined with existing facilities, the joint venture's output capacity is expected to reach 180,000 by 2025. The new plant will produce cars for export to other countries in the region, in addition to the domestic market.

Investments by the joint venture in the roughly 50-hectare plant, which includes a test track, total 3.2 trillion Vietnamese dong ($129 million).

At a ceremony for the new facility, Thanh Cong Chairman Nguyen Anh Tuan said, "We have transferred the latest technology from South Korea and will be producing high-quality environmentally friendly vehicles here."

Hyundai entered the Vietnamese market in 2009 as a joint venture with Thanh Cong. In 2021, it sold about 70,000 vehicles there, surpassing Toyota, and is believed to currently be the number one seller in the country.

According to the Vietnam Automobile Manufacturers' Association (VAMA), domestic sales of new cars in 2021 were approximately 304,000 units, up 2.5% from the year before. Total auto sales in the country are estimated to be over 400,000 units, including Hyundai, which is not a VAMA member.

With a strong economy creating an expanding middle class, the domestic auto market is expected to grow in the future.

As for local producers, Vietnam's largest conglomerate, Vingroup, opened an automobile factory in the northern city of Haiphong in 2019 and is currently focusing on electric vehicles.

Source:Asia.nikkei.com

Cummins, Tata Motors to collaborate on hydrogen ICEs and fuel cells in India

Hydrogen internal combustion engines (ICEs) and fuel cell systems are set to be in focus under a collaboration between Cummins and Tata Motors following a freshly inked agreement.

Under the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), the companies will collaborate on the design and development of low- and zero-emission propulsion technology solutions for commercial vehicles in India, including hydrogen ICEs, fuel cells, and battery electric systems.
According to the new partners, India is set to become to first market to receive Cummins’ hydrogen engines in a bid to help the country meet its 2070 Net Zero carbon emissions goal.

The MoU builds off an existing relationship, established in 1993 where the two companies came together to fulfil their goal of introducing cleaner vehicle technology solutions to the India market.
“We are taking definitive steps to drive this global megatrend forward in each of our businesses,” said Natarajan Chandrasekaran, Executive Chairman of Tata Sons, and Chairman of Tata Motors. “Working with partners who share the same vision is essential for this transition and we are delighted to strengthen our long-standing relationships with Cummins for their next generation hydrogen propulsion systems.”

Chandrasekaran added, “We are excited to indigenise the cutting-edge hydrogen technology to offer our customers an expanded portfolio of green and future-ready commercial vehicles, accelerate the adoption of sustainable mobility in the country, and to contribute towards India’s Net Zero carbon emission goals.”
Tom Linebarger, Executive Chairman of Cummins commented, “Climate change is the existential crisis of our time, and this collaborate between Cummins and Tata Motors accelerates our ability to address it.

“Our collaboration in India is an important milestone for Cummins and Tata as we work together to accelerate the shift to a carbon-free economy and a zero-emissions world.”

Source:h2-view.com

BMW will have a hydrogen car on the road by 2030

Chairperson Oliver Zipse has stated that he is confident the German automaker will be driving H2 soon.

BMW Group Chair Oliver Zipse has stated that the automaker is aligned to achieve a viable hydrogen car model as an alternative to battery electrics by the end of the decade.

Zipse has stated that while battery electric vehicles are having their moment for now, they will reach their peak within a decade and that after that point, the hydrogen car will be the “hippest thing” on the road. In that light, he has now also said that it won’t be long before one of those “hip” vehicles powered by H2 will be rolling out of BMW’s own factories.

He pointed out that while electric vehicles have their appeal, not everyone wants one, and they’re not necessarily compatible for all locations and situations. Instead, those drivers will be better served by vehicles powered by H2, he said. Moreover, they will be able to shop BMW for those vehicles by as early as the end of the decade.

According to Zipse, a hydrogen car makes better sense than battery electric in many areas.

“We believe in hydrogen for many reasons. We believe that – and I’m speaking now from the BMW side but that ends up being for every brand in the Group – if you want to ride emissions-free and you do not have a charging station, this is the only possibility we have,” said the BMW Chair at a recent event. “In some areas to implement a hydrogen infrastructure is easier than an electric infrastructure, for example in areas where you don’t have any connection to a power grid. For hydrogen, you just need the tank.”

Source:hydrogenfuelnews

Volkswagen is developing a hydrogen car with a 1,250-mile range

The automaker is working on creating a fuel cell far cheaper to own than current forms of H2 vehicle.

Volkswagen is developing a new fuel cell hydrogen car that is intended to be substantially cheaper than the currently available H2 vehicles. They are aiming to roll out a model that will have a range of 2,000 kilometers per full tank.

Until recently, Volkswagen has openly stated its preference for battery electric vehicles instead of focusing on a hydrogen car model among its zero emission offerings. In fact, the automaker’s CEO Herbert Diess has publicly denied (via tweet) the potential of using H2 as a fuel for passenger vehicles as recently as May 2022.

“It has been shown that the Hydrogen car is not the solution to the climate problem,” said Diess at that time in his tweet. “In transport, electrification has taken over. Fake debates are a waste of time. Please listen to science.”

That said, Volkswagen has now applied for a new fuel cell vehicle patent, which it will be developing along with the Kraftwerk Tubes company from Germany. This shows that Volkswagen does not intend to be left behind in the rapidly evolving and growing H2 fuel and technology market.

The VW hydrogen car will be using different materials for its fuel cell membranes than are traditionally used.

Kraftwerk CEO Sascha Kühn pointed out that the primary difference between the traditionally used fuel cells in H2-powered vehicles are plastic, but their team is working with a ceramic membrane instead.

“The big advantage of our solution is that it can be produced much cheaper than polymer fuel cells and it does not require any type of platinum,” said Kühn. As platinum is a rare metal, using it drives up the cost of a traditional fuel cell. Avoiding the use of precious metals means that the cost of a fuel cell can be kept much lower.

Kühn compared the hydrogen car technology to solid-state batteries. Both the fuel cell being developed and a solid-state battery have a similar material structure and the same electrolytes. The primary difference between them is that compact material is used by a solid-state battery for energy storage, whereas H2 gas assumes that role in a fuel cell.

Source:hydrogenfuelnews

China’s BYD orders 8 RoRo cargo ships in the amount of $689 million Eyes global car market

China’s BYD (Build Your DreamsThe company has placed an order to purchase 8 RoRo cargo ships that can carry up to 8 vehicles. This is worth $5 billion Yuan Shipyard in Incheon, CA: $689 Million Yantai. The Each ship can carry 7,700 vehicles and eight of them will be used to expand the brand’s global reach.

Out There are 8 cargo ships available. 6 orders have been placed, with options to add 2 more. MoreoverBYD was the largest company in the world. EV Overtaking maker by volume during the second quarter. Tesla. The Chinese Recent market entry by carmaker includes Thailand, Laos, Mongolia, NepalAlso, India.

Source:BYD/timesofindia

Hexagon Agility receives new order from Xpress Natural Gas (XNG) for Mobile Pipeline® modules to meet customer demand for clean energy

Hexagon Agility, a business of Hexagon Composites, received a new order from Xpress Natural Gas LLC (XNG), a leading full-service provider of compressed natural gas (CNG) in the United States, to deliver Mobile Pipeline® modules to transport clean and renewable natural gas (RNG).

This order has an estimated value of USD 14.8 million.

Delivering safe and innovative solutions:
“We look forward to continuing to grow our relationship with Hexagon Agility as a key supplier to XNG as we work to provide safe, reliable cleaner energy solutions to an increasing number of customers and sectors unserved by traditional energy pipelines” said Simon Richards, Chief Executive Officer at XNG. We’re really pleased to continue to expand our fleet with Hexagon Agility’s Mobile Pipeline products. “TITAN 53 modules, allow us to safely and efficiently deliver CNG to communities with the fewest number of trips. As we continue to expand our market areas Hexagon products give us the flexibility to serve all types of industries and end users seeking a lower carbon, less expensive energy solution.”

No pipeline. No problem. TITAN® 53 modules offer the highest capacity in North America and can serve multiple communities and industries that do not have access to natural gas or lack sufficient pipeline capacity to meet anticipated demand.

“The Northeastern part of the United States continues to struggle from a lack of infrastructure to deliver natural gas to the region" said Seung Baik, President of Hexagon Agility. “The winter season is particularly challenging. We are pleased to work with XNG to help keep homes warm and factories running."

About the market
Mobile Pipeline is vital to driving energy transformation away from petroleum fuels to clean and renewable natural gas. Companies like XNG are leaders in the industry, enabling customers without pipeline access to adopt natural gas and meet their environmental goals.
Natural gas is today’s low carbon, cost effective alternative energy. RNG is pipeline quality gas fully compatible with today’s infrastructure and Mobile Pipeline equipment. Because RNG is the only carbon negative energy source, it is being rapidly adopted to drive decarbonization of industrial and vehicle fleet operations.
With more than 1,800 Mobile Pipeline modules now deployed around the world, Hexagon Agility continues to set the standard for safety, reliability, and performance.
Timing
The modules are expected to be delivered in the second quarter of 2023.

Source:Hexagongroup

Shell and Raízen sign 3.2 billion litre cellulosic ethanol deal

Oil and gas major Shell has agreed to purchase a total of 3.25 billion litres of sugarcane-based cellulosic ethanol under a long-term agreement with Brazil’s Raízen.

The low-carbon fuel is expected to be produced by five plants that Raízen plans to build in Brazil - bringing its total portfolio of cellulosic ethanol facilities in the Latin American country to nine.

Shell contributed the cellulosic ethanol technology during the formation of Raízen, a joint venture with Cosan in 2011.

Since then, Raízen has developed and scaled-up the process for making low-carbon intensity ethanol from sugar-cane waste.

The new plants will enable Raízen to operate highly integrated bio-energy parks, while the supply deal will help Shell with its strategy of becoming a net-zero emissions energy business by 2050.

Andrew Smith, executive vice president for Shell Trading and Supply, said: “Global demand for sustainable fuels is growing. Combining Raízen’s innovative sugar-cane waste technology with Shell’s global distribution network and customer relationships will help to meet that demand.”

By making use of sugarcane waste, Raízen’s second-generation ethanol (E2G) technology can produce about 50% more ethanol from the same amount of land.

The new plants, the first of which is expected to begin production in 2025, will enable Raízen to provide significantly more low-carbon fuel without creating land-use competition with food crops.

Raízen expects to invest around $1.5 billion (€1.5 billion) in the plants, the last of which is expected to be operational by the end of 2027, at the latest.

Ricardo Mussa, CEO of Raízen, added: “Large-scale production of sugar-cane based cellulosic ethanol will position Raízen as a leading global provider of waste-based, low-carbon fuels and feedstock to replace fossil fuels.

“The size of this deal underscores that our E2G technology has achieved commercial scale and is able to support our customers’ decarbonisation journeys around the globe.”

Source:Biofuels-news

Amcor Develops Technology for 50% Lighter PET Bottles

 Taking a quantum leap forward in reducing weight in packaging, Amcor Rigid Packaging (ARP) has developed a revolutionary two-step, lightweighting technology that eliminates more than 50% of the material and weight in the finish of the bottle.

100% Recycled Material Use:

A leader in developing technology that produces more sustainable packaging options, ARP’s new Quantum™ technology for polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles delivers sustainability benefits, lowers cost, and improves packaging appearance.

By removing more than 50% of the material and weight from the finish, the new Quantum™ technology reduces manufacturing costs and GHG emissions, resulting in energy savings and lower carbon emissions compared to bottles with a traditional finish. Quantum™ technology also allows for up to 100% recycled material use and provides a superior consumer experience with a more sustainable, fully recyclable package.

“Our customers and consumers alike are looking for ways to support the circular economy and eliminate waste, and our engineers have developed a new technology that meets their needs and advances more sustainable packaging,” said Terry Patcheak, vice president of R&D, Sustainability and Project Management at ARP. “We’re helping our customers support source reduction, reduce material use and reduce weight, which means a lighter and more sustainable package.”

70% Less Greenhouse-gas Emissions:

Initially developed for the spirits industry, the Quantum™ optimized finish technology can be used for packaging in multiple segments including healthcare, home and personal care, food and dairy.

PET, which has rapidly become the world’s preferred packaging material, is lightweight, shatterproof, reclosable, resealable, reusable, and infinitely recyclable. In addition, PET bottles often have the lowest carbon footprint, and their production results in up to 70% fewer greenhouse-gas emissions than other packaging materials, according to Amcor’s lifecycle analysis.

Source: Amcor/omnexus.specialchem