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