Steps that can be taken now to get to zero emissions

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“Urgent action.” Those are the words Shell and Deloitte used to describe what it will take to get the world’s trucks and buses to produce net-zero emissions by 2050.  Their report, Decarbonizing Road Freight: Getting into Gear, offered 22 solutions that could be employed over the next decade to help address the factors — economic, technical, regulatory, and organizational — behind decarbonization.

Let’s put the problem in perspective. According to Huibert Vigeveno, Shell downstream director, road freight is currently responsible for around 9% of global CO2 emissions. And freight is expected to double by 2050 which will add to the existing problem. The 2015 Paris Agreement, which the U.S. just rejoined under President Biden’s leadership, requires road freight emissions to drop 60% by 2050 from their 2018 levels. That is a significant challenge.

GM commits to be carbon-neutral by 2040

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The largest U.S. automaker, General Motors, has pledged to become carbon-neutral by 2040, an ambitious plan with a deadline a decade sooner than many global automakers.

While GM previously had aimed to become a “zero-emissions automaker” by 2050, the news unveiled Thursday both ramps up and codifies the company’s plans. The commitment includes a strategy to “eliminate tailpipe emissions” from light-duty new vehicles by 2035.

The amped-up ambition shows how global automakers are increasingly setting more aggressive paths to transition away from fossil fuels, the resource that has been the key to powering their industry for a century. Most are embracing batteries as the next-generation fuel resource and prioritizing electrification as the key technology that will power vehicles of the future.

Study shows corn ethanol lowers GHG emissions by 46%

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A new study published by researchers from Environmental Health and Engineering Inc., Harvard University and Tufts University shows corn ethanol emits 46 percent fewer greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions than gasoline.

According to EH&E, conventional wisdom based on a prior analysis completed by the U.S. EPA estimated that corn ethanol achieved only a 20 percent GHG reduction. EH&E’s topical review of the latest science, however, shows that corn ethanol is less carbon intensive and more climate-favorable than previously thought.

Propane Autogas: The Year Behind and the Year Ahead

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As we say goodbye to 2020 and welcome in what will hopefully be a healthy and prosperous 2021, it’s giving us all time to reflect on the year behind and the new year ahead. While 2020 brought challenges many of us had never imagined, the resiliency of the automotive fuel industry shone through, including for propane autogas. That resiliency continues to act as a beacon for 2021.

In both the year behind and the year ahead, propane autogas has been, and will continue to be, the energy source for fleets looking to reduce their operating costs and lower their emissions without compromising on performance, reliability, or range.

Fortistar, NRSWA Partner on Methane-Converting RNG Facility

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Fortistar, a privately-owned investment firm that acquires companies and projects that address global environmental challenges, and the New River Solid Waste Association (NRSWA) in Raiford, Fla., have partnered to construct a facility that will capture and convert approximately 1,900 dekatherms per day of landfill methane to renewable natural gas (RNG).

“As an investment firm that’s focused on implementing more decarbonization solutions across the country, funding and supporting this renewable energy project in Florida was an easy decision,” says Mark Comora, president of Fortistar. “Creating fuel for transportation is a solution available today to significantly decrease human-related greenhouse gas emissions. NRSWA maintains an excellent reputation in waste management in Florida and we’re looking forward to working with them to capture greenhouse gases, displace diesel trucks and produce cleaner fuel for a more sustainable future.”

Hyundai, Daimler, Toyota Announce Hydrogen Fuel Cell Initiatives

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Hydrogen fuel cells have long been considered a dark horse zero-emissions fuel – one that held great potential, but with technical hurdles in its path toward implementation that would take decades to resolve.

But now, it appears that dark horse is coming up from behind as a viable fuel alternative for long-haul trucking applications. Just take as an example the headlines from Dec. 10 that three of the leading global car, truck and bus manufacturers are making major moves now to help set the stage for hydrogen-powered transportation.

WASDE maintains outlook for soybean oil use in biodiesel

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The USDA maintained its 2020-’21 forecast for soybean oil use in biodiesel in its latest World Agriculture Supply and Demand Estimates report, released Dec. 10. The forecast for soybean crush was increased, with the outlook for ending stocks lowered.

The forecast for soybean area harvested is unchanged at 82.3 million acres. The outlook for yield per harvested acre is also maintained at 50.7 bushels, while production is expected at 4.17 billion bushels. Soybean crush for 2020-’21 is increased 15 million bushels to 2.195 billion on strong crush margins and record early-season crush. With exports unchanged, soybean ending stocks for 2020-’21 are projected at 175 million bushels. If realized, ending stocks would be the lowest since 2013-’14.

WASDE: Forecast for 2020-’21 corn use in ethanol maintained

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The USDA maintained its forecast for 2020-’21 corn use in ethanol production in its latest World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates report, released Dec. 10. The forecasts for U.S. corn supply, use and season-average farm price were also unchanged.

The forecast for corn area harvested held steady at 82.5 million acres. Expected yields were also unchanged at 175.8 bushels per acre. Corn production for 2020-’21 is expected at 14.507 billion bushels, up from 13.62 billion bushels in 2019-’20. An estimated 5.05 billion bushels of corn is expected to go to ethanol production in 2020-’21, up from 4.852 billion bushels in 2019-’20, but down from 5.378 billion bushels in 2018-’19. The season-average farm price for 2021-’20 was maintained at $4 per bushel. Beginning stocks are expected at 1.995 billion bushels, with ending stocks at 1.702 billion bushels.

Propane retailers adjust to change in 2020

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The state of the U.S. propane industry in 2020 can be measured in part by the strength of COVID-19’s grip on the nation and the world.

As the year drew to a close, the global pandemic had yet to loosen its grip, as health officials warned of a challenging winter ahead despite positive reports from the medical community about progress on a vaccine.

For the most part, positivity has permeated the propane industry since President Donald Trump declared a national emergency in March. The federal government deemed the delivery of propane and other fuels an essential service, and the industry went to work for its customers.