Latest news with #GlobalMethanePledge
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Asahi Kasei Successfully Demonstrates Biomethane Production with High Yield and High Purity Using Biogas from Organic Waste
Launching concerted effort for global licensing TOKYO & NOVI, Mich. & DÜSSELDORF, Germany, August 05, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Diversified global manufacturer Asahi Kasei has successfully completed a demonstration trial of an innovative biogas purification system using zeolites in Kurashiki, Okayama Prefecture, Japan. Begun in February 2025, the trial achieved biomethane production with yield of up to 99.5% or more and purity of 97% or more. With such exceptional performance in both yield and purity, the system holds promise for the cost-effective production and utilization of biogas and biomethane across industries. Targeting commercialization in 2027, Asahi Kasei has launched full-fledged activity to license the technology to partners worldwide. As the use of renewable energy accelerates around the world, biomethane derived from biogas is attracting attention as a sustainable energy source. As of November 2024, 159 countries have signed the Global Methane Pledge, affirming their commitment to reducing methane emissions. Because biomethane can utilize existing natural gas infrastructure, it provides a unique opportunity to establish a circular economy that reduces waste while obtaining usable energy. Particularly in Europe, the demand for utilization in gas pipelines and conversion to bio-compressed natural gas (bio-CNG) is growing. In India, biogas is being promoted as part of a national policy to address waste disposal and energy supply issues associated with rapid urbanization. It is also used as a substitute for natural gas in the United States. Asahi Kasei has a long track record in catalyst development and gas separation technologies. Based on this technological foundation, the company has developed a system that separates CO2 and methane from biogas using the optimum combination of a special pressure vacuum swing adsorption (PVSA) process technology and a novel zeolite as an adsorbent. This unique configuration removes CO2 from biogas to obtain biomethane with high purity and high yield. A zeolite is a crystalline aluminosilicate having regular pores and cavities controlled on the order of angstroms (ten-millionths of a millimeter) with a specific surface area of several hundred square meters per gram. Commercialization planned for 2027 To verify the performance and operational stability of this system under actual operating conditions, Asahi Kasei has conducted a demonstration trial using a portion of biogas generated from sewage sludge at the Kojima Sewage Treatment Plant in Kurashiki City, Okayama Prefecture, since February 2025. In the purification of biomethane, there tends to be a trade-off between high purity and high yield; achieving both together has been a significant technical challenge. The first course of this demonstration was performed with continuous operation for a period of one month. The biomethane obtained was confirmed to be over 97% pure, suitable for use as fuel by feeding into a natural gas pipeline injection or as CNG. A high yield of over 99.5% was also confirmed, indicating successful achievement of both high purity and high yield performance. "We're beginning to have concrete discussions with potential licensees around the world," commented Kazuya Noda, Senior General Manager of Asahi Kasei's Material Business Research & Development. "After commercial-scale pilot studies, we plan market launch in 2027." Asahi Kasei aims to achieve a better future for people and the Earth by creating intangible assets and providing value through R&D with a vision of "Where transforming tomorrow begins." About Asahi Kasei The Asahi Kasei Group contributes to life and living for people around the world. Since its foundation in 1922 with ammonia and cellulose fiber business, Asahi Kasei has consistently grown through the proactive transformation of its business portfolio to meet the evolving needs of every age. With more than 50,000 employees worldwide, the company contributes to sustainable society by providing solutions to the world's challenges through its three business sectors of Healthcare, Homes, and Material. For more information, visit Asahi Kasei is also dedicated to sustainability initiatives and is contributing to reaching a carbon neutral society by 2050. To learn more, visit View source version on Contacts Europe Contact: Asahi Kasei Europe GmbHSebastian North America Contact: Asahi Kasei America
Business Wire
5 days ago
- Business
- Business Wire
Asahi Kasei Successfully Demonstrates Biomethane Production with High Yield and High Purity Using Biogas from Organic Waste
TOKYO & NOVI, Mich. & DÜSSELDORF, Germany--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Diversified global manufacturer Asahi Kasei has successfully completed a demonstration trial of an innovative biogas purification system using zeolites in Kurashiki, Okayama Prefecture, Japan. Begun in February 2025, the trial achieved biomethane production with yield of up to 99.5% or more and purity of 97% or more. With such exceptional performance in both yield and purity, the system holds promise for the cost-effective production and utilization of biogas and biomethane across industries. Targeting commercialization in 2027, Asahi Kasei has launched full-fledged activity to license the technology to partners worldwide. We're beginning to have concrete discussions with potential licensees around the world. After commercial-scale pilot studies, we plan market launch. Share As the use of renewable energy accelerates around the world, biomethane derived from biogas is attracting attention as a sustainable energy source. As of November 2024, 159 countries have signed the Global Methane Pledge, affirming their commitment to reducing methane emissions. Because biomethane can utilize existing natural gas infrastructure, it provides a unique opportunity to establish a circular economy that reduces waste while obtaining usable energy. Particularly in Europe, the demand for utilization in gas pipelines and conversion to bio-compressed natural gas (bio-CNG) is growing. In India, biogas is being promoted as part of a national policy to address waste disposal and energy supply issues associated with rapid urbanization. It is also used as a substitute for natural gas in the United States. Asahi Kasei has a long track record in catalyst development and gas separation technologies. Based on this technological foundation, the company has developed a system that separates CO 2 and methane from biogas using the optimum combination of a special pressure vacuum swing adsorption (PVSA) process technology and a novel zeolite as an adsorbent. This unique configuration removes CO 2 from biogas to obtain biomethane with high purity and high yield. A zeolite is a crystalline aluminosilicate having regular pores and cavities controlled on the order of angstroms (ten-millionths of a millimeter) with a specific surface area of several hundred square meters per gram. Commercialization planned for 2027 To verify the performance and operational stability of this system under actual operating conditions, Asahi Kasei has conducted a demonstration trial using a portion of biogas generated from sewage sludge at the Kojima Sewage Treatment Plant in Kurashiki City, Okayama Prefecture, since February 2025. In the purification of biomethane, there tends to be a trade-off between high purity and high yield; achieving both together has been a significant technical challenge. The first course of this demonstration was performed with continuous operation for a period of one month. The biomethane obtained was confirmed to be over 97% pure, suitable for use as fuel by feeding into a natural gas pipeline injection or as CNG. A high yield of over 99.5% was also confirmed, indicating successful achievement of both high purity and high yield performance. "We're beginning to have concrete discussions with potential licensees around the world," commented Kazuya Noda, Senior General Manager of Asahi Kasei's Material Business Research & Development. "After commercial-scale pilot studies, we plan market launch in 2027." Asahi Kasei aims to achieve a better future for people and the Earth by creating intangible assets and providing value through R&D with a vision of 'Where transforming tomorrow begins.' About Asahi Kasei The Asahi Kasei Group contributes to life and living for people around the world. Since its foundation in 1922 with ammonia and cellulose fiber business, Asahi Kasei has consistently grown through the proactive transformation of its business portfolio to meet the evolving needs of every age. With more than 50,000 employees worldwide, the company contributes to sustainable society by providing solutions to the world's challenges through its three business sectors of Healthcare, Homes, and Material. For more information, visit Asahi Kasei is also dedicated to sustainability initiatives and is contributing to reaching a carbon neutral society by 2050. To learn more, visit
Canada Standard
03-07-2025
- Business
- Canada Standard
Canada Signs On as Co-Convener of Global Methane Pledge
Canada is receiving international praise after signing on as a co-convener of the Global Methane Pledge, a 2021agreement to cut methane emissions 30% from 2020 levels by 2030. As part of a wide-ranging joint statement last week, Canada and the European Union agreed to co-convene the global pledge, first adopted at the COP26 climate summit in Glasgow, in which more than 100 countries representing more than 70% of the global economy agreed to a minimum 30% methane cut by 2030. The coalition has since grown to more than 160 members, Global Methane Hub CEO Marcelo Meno wrote on LinkedIn. Methane is a climate super-pollutant with about 84 times the warming potential of carbon dioxide over the crucial 20-year span in which humanity will be scrambling to get climate change under control. View our latest digests Canada also signed on to the Global Energy Transition Forum, an EU initiative "to deliver on the goals of tripling the world's renewable energy capacity and doubling the global annual rate of energy efficiency improvement by 2030 in parallel to a transition away from fossil fuels in energy systems." In March 2023, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) identified methane reductions, along with rapidly scaling up energy efficiency and renewable energy deployment, as the quickest, cheapest routes to the deepest reductions in climate pollution by 2030. But that memo doesn't appear to have landed in Alberta, where the provincial government recently eliminated its ceiling on methane gas flaring after the oil and gas industry blew through the regulatory limit in 2023 and 2024. In the months before countries adopted the Global Methane Pledge at the Glasgow COP, the Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC) and the UN Environment Programme concluded that a 45% methane reduction this decade could shave almost 0.3C off future global warming by the 2040s. That was an achievable but considerably more ambitious target than the one enshrined in the global pledge, but on track with a trilateral agreement that Canada, Mexico, and the United States reached in June, 2016, before the U.S. withdrew all support from international climate initiatives for four deeply dysfunctional years, and now the beginning of four more. But last month's announcement still drew recognition from the CCAC. "Reducing methane emissions remains one of the fastest and most cost-effective ways to combat climate change," Environment and Climate Minister Julie Dabrusin said in the release. "Canada recognizes the urgency of driving progress toward the global goal of significantly cutting methane emissions. We're proud to stand alongside other global leaders taking meaningful action to reduce methane, both at home and around the world." The Global Methane Hub's Marcelo Meno said Canada's new role as a co-convener for the pledge reflects its "growing leadership in tackling one of the fastest and most cost-effective levers for climate mitigation: methane reductions." Canada "has set an ambitious domestic target to cut methane emissions from oil and gas by at least 75% by 2030," Meno wrote. "With new regulations expected this year, the country is sending a clear signal: major emitters must act-and fast." The methane and energy transition pledges were part of a broader statement released jointly by the EU secretariat in Brussels and the Prime Minister's Office in Ottawa. "We stand united in our objective to forge a new ambitious and comprehensive partnership that responds to the needs of today and will evolve to meet the challenges and opportunities of the future," the statement said. "Our citizens are looking for responses to the unprecedented challenges we face. This is why it is more important than ever to work together to promote our shared values and the rules-based international order. We will also pursue our common interests, while continuing to promote and deepen our vibrant trade and investment relationship, and our strong people-to-people contacts." Source: The Energy Mix
Canada News.Net
03-07-2025
- Business
- Canada News.Net
Canada Signs On as Co-Convener of Global Methane Pledge
Canada is receiving international praise after signing on as a co-convener of the Global Methane Pledge, a 2021agreement to cut methane emissions 30% from 2020 levels by 2030. As part of a wide-ranging joint statement last week, Canada and the European Union agreed to co-convene the global pledge, first adopted at the COP26 climate summit in Glasgow, in which more than 100 countries representing more than 70% of the global economy agreed to a minimum 30% methane cut by 2030. The coalition has since grown to more than 160 members, Global Methane Hub CEO Marcelo Meno wrote on LinkedIn. Methane is a climate super-pollutant with about 84 times the warming potential of carbon dioxide over the crucial 20-year span in which humanity will be scrambling to get climate change under control. View our latest digests Canada also signed on to the Global Energy Transition Forum, an EU initiative "to deliver on the goals of tripling the world's renewable energy capacity and doubling the global annual rate of energy efficiency improvement by 2030 in parallel to a transition away from fossil fuels in energy systems." In March 2023, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) identified methane reductions, along with rapidly scaling up energy efficiency and renewable energy deployment, as the quickest, cheapest routes to the deepest reductions in climate pollution by 2030. But that memo doesn't appear to have landed in Alberta, where the provincial government recently eliminated its ceiling on methane gas flaring after the oil and gas industry blew through the regulatory limit in 2023 and 2024. In the months before countries adopted the Global Methane Pledge at the Glasgow COP, the Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC) and the UN Environment Programme concluded that a 45% methane reduction this decade could shave almost 0.3C off future global warming by the 2040s. That was an achievable but considerably more ambitious target than the one enshrined in the global pledge, but on track with a trilateral agreement that Canada, Mexico, and the United States reached in June, 2016, before the U.S. withdrew all support from international climate initiatives for four deeply dysfunctional years, and now the beginning of four more. But last month's announcement still drew recognition from the CCAC. "Reducing methane emissions remains one of the fastest and most cost-effective ways to combat climate change," Environment and Climate Minister Julie Dabrusin said in the release. "Canada recognizes the urgency of driving progress toward the global goal of significantly cutting methane emissions. We're proud to stand alongside other global leaders taking meaningful action to reduce methane, both at home and around the world." The Global Methane Hub's Marcelo Meno said Canada's new role as a co-convener for the pledge reflects its "growing leadership in tackling one of the fastest and most cost-effective levers for climate mitigation: methane reductions." Canada "has set an ambitious domestic target to cut methane emissions from oil and gas by at least 75% by 2030," Meno wrote. "With new regulations expected this year, the country is sending a clear signal: major emitters must act-and fast." The methane and energy transition pledges were part of a broader statement released jointly by the EU secretariat in Brussels and the Prime Minister's Office in Ottawa. "We stand united in our objective to forge a new ambitious and comprehensive partnership that responds to the needs of today and will evolve to meet the challenges and opportunities of the future," the statement said. "Our citizens are looking for responses to the unprecedented challenges we face. This is why it is more important than ever to work together to promote our shared values and the rules-based international order. We will also pursue our common interests, while continuing to promote and deepen our vibrant trade and investment relationship, and our strong people-to-people contacts."
Mint
14-05-2025
- Business
- Mint
David Fickling: How a simple valve can cut fossil fuel emissions but won't
A world that's serious about cutting a quarter of the world's emissions that come from methane should be expecting a boom in electric valve actuators. If your response is 'a what?" you're not alone. But this humdrum piece of equipment is one of the lowest-hanging fruit if we want to rein in methane leaks, which warms the atmosphere 72 times as rapidly as carbon dioxide. At the 2021 Glasgow climate conference, global leaders unveiled the Global Methane Pledge, a promise to cut emissions of this gas 30% by 2030. Nearly four years on, progress isn't just falling short, it's non-existent. Our failure to replace millions of devices that routinely vent methane (CH4) into the atmosphere is a sign of how lacklustre efforts have been. Also Read: Reduce oil and gas production, don't just make it leak less methane Actuators are ubiquitous throughout the oil and gas industry, which uses them as automated taps to control pressure and flow in the millions of miles of pipes connecting petroleum fields to refineries and processing plants. Traditionally, they're powered not by electricity, but by the pressure of the gas itself. The side effect of that method is that they're constantly leaking small amounts into the atmosphere. Across more than 6 million such devices in the US alone, this pollution adds up: More than half of CH4 leaks result from such pressure-powered controllers. A single one can seep 260 million cubic feet of gas a year, equivalent in emission terms to burning 33 barrels of oil. There's a better way of doing things. Electric actuators cost $3,500 and, hooked up to a solar panel, can be set up anywhere. They avoid the routine venting caused by traditional controllers while also sending useful data back to operators. The initial cost is higher, but they pay for themselves in a few years, thanks to lower maintenance costs and revenues from all the gas that stays in the pipe. Also Read: We want FTA with India and it will be fair to both: New Zealand envoy Indian plans to open LNG terminal in Iraq run into How is that business doing? Not so great. Rotork, a British manufacturer with about half the North American market for wellhead electric actuators, is currently trading around its lowest valuations in nearly a decade. The odds of a quick retrofit at the millions of operating sites seem remote. Despite the US Environmental Protection Agency finally mandating low-emission controllers on new wells last May after three years of wrangling, Rotork isn't expecting more than 40% to go electric until 2040. The idea behind the Global Methane Pledge was that fossil-fuel producers were leaving money on the table by wasting gas via leaks and oilfield flares. With US gas priced at $5.54 per million British thermal units at the time and global consumption forecast to increase 21% by 2040, the economics of installing new equipment to turn the waste into revenue seemed compelling. Things look different now. Gas prices are a third lower, while demand is not expected to ever increase more than about 5% from current levels. Optimists about voluntary promises have had a brutal lesson in the efficient markets hypothesis. If there was really a financial advantage in replacing gas-leaking actuators with less polluting ones, the industry would have done it already. That's a small, but telling, symptom of a wider failure. The latest estimates of methane emissions by the International Energy Agency (IEA) show no sign of change. Almost halfway to the pledge's target date, pollution by the fossil-fuel sector is still roughly the level it was at the start of the decade. If the US under former President Joe Biden was unable to get the industry to make the most basic of plumbing upgrades to cut its carbon footprint, what hope is there that the likes of Russia and Iran will do the same? Also Read: Counter-intuitive: Why Opec wants lower oil prices To the extent we've made any climate progress on methane in recent years, it's come not from the earnest do-gooders in Glasgow, but the worst actors on the global stage. Vladimir Putin's 2022 invasion of Ukraine was intended to make the world even more dependent on the biggest gas exporter, Russia. Instead, it caused consumers to switch from cheap piped methane to costlier but more energy-secure shipped LNG. That has driven up average long-term prices and weakened the prospects for demand growth. The IEA has cut its estimates for gas consumption in 2030 by about 250 million tonnes relative to where they were at the time of the Glasgow conference. In 2050, it reckons we'll be 735 million tonnes shorter. In climate terms, that reduction in demand makes almost as much difference as all our efforts to clean up the industry's waste. The Global Methane Pledge may have failed, but our efforts to rein in emissions have not. The best prospect was always to count not on the fossil-fuel industry's altruism or self-interest, but its ability to sabotage itself. ©Bloomberg The author is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering climate change and energy.
