Gujarat government and Vedanta group sign MoU to set up semiconductor unit

 The Gujarat government and mining giant Vedanta group have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) as a part of which the company will invest more than Rs 1.54 lakh crore in the state to set up a semiconductor and display fabrication unit, the state government said in a statement on Tuesday.

“The proposed semiconductor manufacturing fab unit will operate on the 28nm technology nodes with wafer size 300 mm; and the display manufacturing unit will produce Generation 8 displays catering to small, medium and large applications,” a joint statement released on Tuesday read.

The union minister for electronics and information technology Ashwini Vaishnaw was also present in Gandhinagar at the signing of the MoU, along with the state’s chief minister Bhupendrabhai Patel and the minister for education, science and technology Jitubhai Vaghani.

Of the Rs 1.54 lakh crore investment, Rs 94,500 crore will be used to set up a display fabrication manufacturing unit, while another Rs 60,000 crore will be invested in the state to manufacture a semiconductor fabrication and outsourced semiconductor assembly and test (OSAT) unit.

ET had on Monday reported that the Vedanta-Foxconn JV was likely to pick Gujarat as its home state for setting up semiconductor and display fabrication units. The JV was in talks with other states such as Maharashtra as well. Sources had told ET that Maharashtra lost out at the last moment as it did not agree to some of the incentives being demanded by the two companies.

Vedanta is the third - and the last - applicant to decide its investment destination under the central government’s Rs 78,000 crore semiconductor manufacturing incentive scheme to create a semiconductor ecosystem in the country.

As of now, Gujarat, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu would play host to the semiconductor fab and display units to be set up by the three applicants - Vedanta Foxconn, ISMC Analog, and IGSS Ventures.

The semiconductor manufacturing scheme has triggered intense competition among the rival states, each sending large teams regularly to meet with company representatives and lobby for their states.

A senior executive of one of the applicant companies told ET: “It’s obvious that the states fought a tough war to bag these investments. One only has to look at Taiwan to know what semiconductors can do to a nation”.

Source:Economic times

Altered pH greatly increases solid oxide fuel cell lifespan, say MIT researchers

 Researchers from MIT have determined that by changing the pH level of a solid oxide fuel cell, those systems – and many other types of technology – can benefit from notably longer lifespans.

The research would apply to cells and electrolyzers using solid metal oxides for their chemical reactions.

The MIT researchers published their study in the RSC journal Energy & Environmental Science as an open access paper. The reason that electrolyzer technology using solid metal oxides are an important focus is due to their efficiency for using renewable energy (such as solar or wind) as a source of electricity that can be converted into storable fuel such as hydrogen.

Similarly, within a fuel cell, that H2 can be used to produce electricity regardless of whether there is sun or wind to generate the power at that precise moment. In this way, the fuel cell system makes it possible to benefit from using renewable energy while overcoming its reliability challenges. Moreover, that type of system also functions without reliance on rare and expensive metals such as platinum.Still, that specific type of system has been slow to achieve commercial viability due to a few notable hurdles. Among them, a major challenge has been that solid metal oxides degrade over time.

Therefore, metal atoms from the interconnects of fuel cell systems gradually taint the devices.

Fuel cells run at high temperatures, causing the evaporation of solid metal oxides such as chrome, allowing them to make their way into the cathode and electrolyte interface, tainting the reaction from the incorporation of oxygen, explained R.P. Simmons Professor of Ceramics and Electronic Materials Harry L. Tuller of MIT’s Department of Materials Science and Engineering (DMSE). Over time, the cell efficiency falls so low that it is no longer usable.

“So if you can extend the life of the fuel/electrolysis cell by slowing down this process, or ideally reversing it, you could go a long way towards making it practical,” said Tuller. “What we’ve been able to demonstrate is that we can not only reverse that degradation, but actually enhance the performance above the initial value by controlling the acidity of the air-electrode interface.”

Initial funding for this study came from the US Department of Energy (DoE), by way of the Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management (FECM) National Energy Technology Laboratory. The research can support the DoE’s strategy to substantially reduce solid oxide fuel cell degradation rates by 2035 to 2050. Additional funding came from the MIT Department of Materials Science and Engineering by way of Tuller’s appointment as the RP Simmons Professor of Ceramics and Materials, as well as from the National Research Foundation of Korea and the US Air Force Office of Scientific Research.

Source:hydrogenfuelnews

#hydrogen #fuelcell #electrolysis #research

The usage of composite materials on the Boeing 787 Dreamliner project!

 📢It's Story-Time!📢

The usage of composite materials on the Boeing 787 Dreamliner project!

The Boeing 787 makes greater use of composite materials in its airframe and primary structure than any previous Boeing commercial airplane. Undertaking the design process without preconceived ideas enabled Boeing engineers to specify the optimum material for specific applications throughout the airframe.

The result is an airframe comprising nearly half carbon fiber reinforced plastic and other composites. This approach offers weight savings on average of 20 percent compared to more conventional aluminum designs. Without preconceived ideas, Boeing engineers were able to specify the optimum material for specific applications throughout the airframe. The result couldn't be different: the 787 is 50% composites by weight and by 80% volume with each aircraft containing approximately 32,000 kg of CFRP composites.

Selecting the optimum material for a specific application meant analyzing every area of the airframe to determine the best material, given the operating environment and loads that a component experiences over the life of the airframe. For example, aluminum is sensitive to tension loads but handles compression very well. On the other hand, composites are not as efficient in dealing with compression loads but are excellent at handling tension. The expanded use of composites, especially in the highly tension-loaded environment of the fuselage, greatly reduces maintenance due to fatigue when compared with an aluminum structure. This type of analysis has resulted in increased use of titanium as well.

In addition to lowering the overall airplane weight, moving to a composite primary structure promises to reduce both the scheduled and nonroutine maintenance burden on the airlines. In total, the reduced risk of corrosion and fatigue associated with composites combined with the composite repair techniques described will lower overall maintenance costs and maximize airline revenue by keeping airplanes flying as much as possible!

Source:managingcomposites

Visit MY BLOG http://polymerguru.blogspot.com

Avantium to Sell PEF to AmBev for Soft Drink Bottles

Avantium N.V., a technology company in renewable chemistry, announces that it has signed an offtake agreement with AmBev, the Brazilian brewing company, part of the AB InBev Group.

100% Plant Based and Recyclable Alternative to Plastic:

AmBev will purchase PEF (polyethylene furanoate) - a 100% plant-based and recyclable alternative to plastic - from Avantium’s Flagship Plant and will use it to make bottles for its soft drinks portfolio. Avantium is currently constructing the world’s first commercial plant for the production of FDCA (furan dicarboxylic acid) from plant-based sugars in Delfzijl, The Netherlands.

FDCA is the key ingredient for making the plant-based, highly recyclable plastic material PEF, which has superior performance properties compared to today’s widely used petroleum-based packaging materials. Avantium expects to open this FDCA Flagship Plant by the end of 2023, enabling the commercial launch of PEF from 2024 onwards.

Over the past year, AmBev and Avantium have worked closely together to develop multilayer bottles for AmBev soft drinks, where PEF is used as a 100% plant-based and recyclable high-barrier liner in PET bottles. In addition to the sustainability benefits, PEF also has excellent functional advantages, such as outstanding barrier properties. PEF’s oxygen barrier is ten times better than PET, and its CO2 barrier is sixteen times better. This not only leads to longer shelf life but also maximizes the taste and fizziness of the soft drink.

Karina Turci, sustainability manager of AmBev, comments: “AmBev is always looking to make a meaningful impact in the world. And to do so, 2020, we are committed to eliminating plastic pollution from our packaging in Brazil - by 2025. To accomplish this, AmBev is not only looking into recycling and reducing plastic use but is also investing in innovative sustainable solutions. Over the past year, AmBev has assessed PEF as a sustainable packaging solution for the soft drinks portfolio and we are impressed with the sustainability and performance characteristics of this innovative material.”

Tom van Aken, CEO of Avantium, comments: “We are delighted with the successful cooperation with AmBev, making PEF available for the soft drinks portfolio of AmBev in Brazil and Latin America. This opens up new geography and market for Avantium, accelerating the further adoption and growth of PEF. This partnership is a great example of our common understanding that bold action is the key to lasting positive impact for a sustainable future.”

Source: Avantium/omnexus specialchem

Mitsui and Teijin to Jointly Develop Biomass-derived BPA & PC Resins

Mitsui Chemicals, Inc. and Teijin Limited jointly announced that they will become Japan’s first companies to develop and market biomass-derived bisphenol A (BPA) and polycarbonate (PC) resins, which will support efforts to achieve carbon neutrality by reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions throughout product lifecycles.

ISCC PLUS Certified:

The joint initiative follows Mitsui Chemicals’ receipt of ISCC PLUS certification from the International Sustainability and Carbon Certification (ISCC), based on which Mitsui Chemicals will begin supplying biomass BPA produced with the mass-balance approach.

In the ISCC PLUS-certified mass-balance approach, materials are verifiably tracked through complex value chains, as in the case of biomass-derived raw materials being mixed with petroleum-derived raw materials to create products. Teijin also will begin developing and producing biomass PC resin using the same BPA.

In May 2022, Mitsui Chemicals acquired ISCC PLUS certification for BPA raw material used in PC resins. Mitsui Chemicals will now become the first Japanese company to produce commercial biomass-derived BPA offering the same physical characteristics as those of conventional petroleum-derived BPA.

Teijin will procure biomass-derived BPA from Mitsui Chemicals to produce biomass-derived PC resins possessing the same physical characteristics as the company’s existing petroleum-derived PC resins, which will allow these new biomass-derived versions to be used in commercial applications such as automotive headlamps and electronic components.

By expanding sales of products containing plastics produced through biomass conversion, the two companies aim to develop and produce more environmentally friendly products throughout their supply chains. Mitsui Chemicals, for example, is considering expanding its procurement network for bio-based hydrocarbons in order to provide stable supplies of related products to the market. The company, which is in the process of acquiring ISCC PLUS certification for biomass naphtha derivatives, has already received certification for phenol, acetone, BPA, and alpha-methyl styrene.

The aim is to acquire ISCC PLUS certification for all of the company’s phenol-chain products and then begin sales within fiscal 2023 ending in March 2024. Teijin also expects to acquire ISCC PLUS certification in the first half of fiscal 2023 and thereafter start commercial production of biomass-derived PC resins. Teijin plans to emphasize to customers that conventional petroleum-derived PC resins can be easily replaced with biomass-derived versions for more environmentally friendly products.

Source: Teijin

Union Minister Jitendra Singh unveils India's first Hydrogen fuel cell bus

Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science & Technology Jitendra Singh launched India's first indigenously developed Hydrogen Fuel Cell Bus developed by KPIT-CSIR in Pune on Sunday.

At the event, Singh called Green hydrogen an excellent clean energy vector that enables deep decarbonization of difficult-to-abate emissions from the refining industry, fertiliser industry, steel industry, cement industry, and also from the heavy commercial transportation sector.

The minister informed the gathering that the fuel cell utilizes Hydrogen and Air to generate electricity to power the bus and the only effluent from the bus is water which could be the most environmentally friendly mode of transportation to date.

For instance, a single diesel bus plying on long-distance routes typically emits 100 tons of CO2 annually and there are over a million such buses in India.

Fuel Cell vehicles also give zero greenhouse gas emissions in stark contrast to diesel-powered heavy commercial vehicles which account for 12-14% of CO2 and particulate emissions.

He believes Hydrogen fuelled vehicles provide an excellent means to eliminate the on-road emissions from the heavy commercial transportation sector.

Singh further added the high efficiency of fuel cell vehicles and the high energy density of hydrogen ensure that the operational costs in rupees per kilometre for fuel cell trucks and buses are lower than diesel-powered vehicles and this could bring freight revolution to India.

Singh says India can pole-vault from being a net importer of fossil energy to becoming a net exporter of clean hydrogen energy and thus, providing global leadership in hydrogen space by becoming a large green hydrogen producer and supplier of equipment for green hydrogen.

Source:Livemint

L&T commissions a green hydrogen plant

 Indian engineering firm Larsen & Toubro (L&T) has commissioned a green hydrogen plant at its AM Naik heavy engineering complex in Hazira, Gujarat.

L&T informed that the production of green hydrogen based on an alkaline electrolysis process started on 20 August. The plant will produce 45 kilograms of green hydrogen per day, which will be used for captive consumption in the company’s Hazira manufacturing complex. 

The Green Hydrogen Plant is designed for an electrolyser capacity of 800 kilowatts (kW) comprising both Alkaline (380 kW) and PEM (420 kW) technologies. It will be powered by a rooftop solar plant of 990kW peak DC capacity and a 500kWh battery energy storage system (BESS).

As part of the first phase of the project, 380 kW alkaline electrolyser has been installed, while the 420 kW PEM electrolyser along with solar plant capacity augmentation to 1.6 MW peak DC, will be part of future expansion. 

Subramanian Sarma, whole-time director & senior executive vice president (Energy) at L&T, said: “We are proud that our engineers have set up the green hydrogen generation plant at Hazira complex and integrated it with the existing manufacturing shops for use of the green hydrogen.” 

“This initiative is in line with L&T’s climate leadership targets of Lakshya-2026 that will help reduce greenhouse gases footprint for us as well as our clients by approximately 300 tonnes/annum. We believe that green hydrogen is a promising alternative fuel, and this plant is a testimony that we are committed to creating a greener tomorrow.” 

The first phase of the project has been installed, tested, and commissioned. The scope involves the generation of high-purity green hydrogen (99.99 percent) and oxygen, and their captive consumption in the manufacturing shops. A blend of 15 percent hydrogen with natural gas will be used as a fuel, and oxygen will supplement the existing usage in cutting and welding applications. 

As part of its ESG commitments, L&T has pledged to achieve water neutrality by 2035 and carbon neutrality by 2040. Making green hydrogen an integral part of its clean fuel adoption policy. 

L&T’s climate change, energy efficiency, and renewable energy programs are aligned with the National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC), released by the Government of India. The company’s programs are also being aligned to the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) ratified by the Government of India during the COP 21 – Paris Agreement.

Source:Offshore Energy