Is it Ah-rah or Air-ah?

Ara Partners acquires VAC, a leading global magnetic material producer

• Ara Partners acquires Vacuumschmelze (VAC), a leading global producer of advanced magnetic materials.

• VAC is the largest producer of rare earth permanent magnets in the Western Hemisphere.

• VAC designs and manufactures magnetic materials for various industrial applications.

• VAC is headquartered in Germany and has manufacturing facilities in Slovakia, Finland, China, and Malaysia.

• VAC is the only Western manufacturer of sintered NdFeB EV-grade permanent magnets.

• VAC entered a long-term agreement with General Motors to manufacture permanent magnets for electric vehicles.

• This partnership could potentially reduce a gigaton of CO2 emissions in the next five years.

• Ara Partners aims to support VAC's growth and decarbonization efforts in collaboration with VAC's management team.

• VAC plans to establish a robust supply chain for EV manufacturing in the Western World.

Aera Energy announces CCS project - CarbonFrontier

• Aera Energy announces its first large-scale carbon capture and storage project, CarbonFrontier.

• The project is part of a planned regional hub for future decarbonization efforts in Kern County.

• Aera's CEO, Erik Bartsch, emphasizes coexistence with the goal of providing current energy needs while working toward a lower carbon future.

• CarbonFrontier aims to capture up to 1.6 million metric tons of CO2 annually, reducing Aera's carbon footprint significantly.

• California's plan for carbon neutrality by 2045 includes adopting CCS technology.

• The project involves continuous monitoring and oversight by regulatory bodies, including CARB and the EPA.

• Aera envisions CarbonFrontier as a cornerstone for a Kern County "carbon park," attracting other businesses looking to decarbonize.

• Aera has been selected by the Department of Energy to study the feasibility of a direct air capture hub.

• The project aligns with Kern County's revitalization and economic development efforts.

• Aera is committed to collaboration with local communities, generating job opportunities during development and ongoing operations.

Svante partners with BASF to scale its carbon capture tech

• Svante has entered a Commercial Supply Agreement with BASF to scale up its proprietary sorbent material, CALF-20, for carbon capture.

• CALF-20 is a metal-organic framework (MOF) sorbent capable of capturing up to 95% of CO2 emissions from industrial sources using solid adsorption and low-pressure steam.

• Svante specializes in structured adsorbent beds for carbon capture, with a manufacturing facility in Vancouver.

• The agreement with BASF aims to scale up carbon capture filter manufacturing and implement numerous large-scale carbon capture and storage (CCS) facilities by 2030.

• Svante's technology is designed for capturing CO2 from industrial flue gas and concentrates it into high-purity CO2 for storage or industrial use.

• It addresses challenges related to separating CO2 from nitrogen in dilute flue gas emissions.

• The collaboration between Svante and BASF has scaled up CALF-20 from laboratory to industrial scale, making low-cost MOF materials available for gas separation.

• Svante has also developed a cost-effective roll-to-roll process for coating sorbents onto sheets of laminate for filter production, suitable for industrial and direct air capture applications.

• This technology is expected to contribute to the widespread adoption of CCS.

QatarEnergy and Total sign 27-year LNG agreement

• QatarEnergy and TotalEnergies signed a 27-year LNG supply agreement.

• France will receive up to 3.5 million metric tons of LNG per year from Qatar, starting in 2026.

• Deliveries will be made to the Fos Cavaou LNG receiving terminal in southern France.

• The LNG will come from joint ventures between QatarEnergy and TotalEnergies in Qatar's North Field East (NFE) and North Field South (NFS) projects.

• TotalEnergies has a 6.25% share in the NFE project and a 9.375% share in NFS.

• This marks Qatar's largest and longest European gas supply deal, enhancing France's energy security.

• Qatar is the world's leading LNG exporter, and the deal comes as Europe seeks alternative gas sources amid geopolitical challenges.

• Previous deals included agreements with Asian buyers, such as China's Sinopec and CNPC.

• Qatar's expansion project aims to increase liquefaction capacity to 126 million metric tons annually by 2027.

• This deal follows a previous European supply agreement with Germany signed in November.

Two Appalachia hydrogen hub projects in line for a federal grants

• Two hydrogen hub projects in Pennsylvania will receive part of $7 billion in U.S. federal grants.

• The grants aim to support the production of 50 million metric tons of clean hydrogen fuel by 2050 to decarbonize the U.S. economy.

• Hydrogen hubs are networks of producers and consumers using local infrastructure to deploy clean hydrogen.

• Currently, hydrogen accounts for 1% of U.S. energy consumption and is mostly produced from fossil fuels.

• The Biden administration plans to replace fossil fuels with clean hydrogen in various sectors, including manufacturing and cement.

• The grants represent a significant victory for Pennsylvania, a battleground state in U.S. politics.

• The Mid-Atlantic Clean Hydrogen Hub will receive a $750 million grant and will be celebrated by President Biden during a visit to Philadelphia.

• The Appalachian Regional Clean Hydrogen Hub (ARCH2) will also receive a grant, backed by Senator Joe Manchin.

• The initiative, called the Regional Clean Hydrogen Hubs program, is funded by the bipartisan infrastructure bill.

• In 2022, 33 teams were selected from 79 applicants to receive hub grants, with various partners from energy companies, academia, and government entities involved.

• The projects involve partnerships with companies like Dupont, Braskem, Air Liquide, Dominion, and more to advance clean hydrogen production and usage.

Mitsubishi makes investment in Syzygy Plasmonics

• Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) has made an investment in Syzygy Plasmonics, Inc., a Houston-based startup.

• Syzygy is developing photocatalytic technology for hydrogen production and CO2 utilization.

• The investment was carried out through Mitsubishi Heavy Industries America, Inc. (MHIA).

• Syzygy's technology uses light instead of combustion for chemical manufacturing, reducing costs and emissions when powered by renewable electricity.

• It enables the production of zero-emissions hydrogen from ammonia and low-emissions hydrogen from steam methane reforming without combustion.

• Syzygy's solutions also facilitate the conversion of methane and captured CO2 into sustainable fuels and methanol.

• MHI Group aims to build hydrogen and CO2 ecosystems to support a decarbonized society.

• The investment will help Syzygy develop alternative technologies to diversify these ecosystems.

Honeywell and GranBio team up on SAF

• Honeywell and GranBio Technologies partnership for carbon-neutral sustainable aviation fuel (SAF)

• Combination of Honeywell's ethanol to jet (ETJ) tech with GranBio's cellulosic ethanol AVAP® tech

• SAF production from biomass residues at GranBio's forthcoming U.S. demo plant

• GranBio's AVAP process converts biomass to low-cost sugars, lignin, and nanocellulose

• Cellulosic sugars used for SAF production through Honeywell's ETJ tech

• GHG emissions reduced to net zero compared to petroleum-based jet fuel

• GranBio aims for carbon-negative SAF with AVAP technology

• Potential to retrofit idle pulp and paper facilities for SAF production

• Honeywell's renewable fuels solutions include ethanol to jet, eFining™, and Ecofining™

• Honeywell committed to carbon neutrality by 2035 and invests in ESG-oriented research and development.

DISCLAIMER: None of this is financial advice. This newsletter is strictly educational and is not investment advice or a solicitation to buy or sell any assets or to make any financial decisions. Please be careful and do your own research.