News

South Korea’s Ministry of Environmental (MoE) recently revised the country's enforcement rules on volatile organic compounds (VOCs), under the Clean Air Conservation Act.The revisions include:- Expand existing requirements that mandate companies to monitor VOC emissions and record them;- Adding 11 substances to the list of VOCs that must be monitored and collected under the Act;- Imposing a maximum limit of 67% VOC content in paints; and- Impose stricter requirements on crude oil refining facilities, which emit arsenic acids.The ministry believes this implementation will reduce VOC emissions from the oil refining and paint industries by 15%.

Oil and energy Chevron has awarded Schlumberger a twenty-year contract for offshore projects in Gulf of Mexico. Schlumberger will provide the underwater equipment and services for Chevron's offshore projects in the area.

Bosch Rexroth’s subsea valve actuator (SVA), a new concept for underwater actuators which offers SIL3 safety levels and up to 75% lower energy consumption, has been granted a Mechanical Engineering Design Award.

Yara has signed a 1,100 million USD, five-year revolving credit facility (RCF) with two one-year extension options. The facility has been signed by a group of 13 international relationship banks, reflecting Yara’s global footprint.The margin under the Facility will be adjusted based on Yara’s progress to meet its carbon intensity target by 2025:By introducing a sustainability link in its RCF, Yara highlights its commitment to reduce the carbon footprint of its fertilizer production activities.The production of mineral fertilizer contributes to GHG emissions.

Texas has become the sixth state to pass legislation to improve and enhance advanced plastics recycling and recovery technologies, which would convert post-consumer plastics into raw materials using in chemical recycling processes.The Texas Legislature passed the HB 1953 bill and it was signed into law by Governor Greg Abbott.

Chevron is seeking approval for its plans for a LNG export facility on the Pacific Coast of Canada to move toward an all-electric design that would result in the lowest greenhouse-gas emissions per tonne of any LNG facility in the world.Chevron and its partner Woodside Petroleum Ltd.

Southwest Research Institute and The University of Texas at San Antonio are collaborating to gather data for a computational model for supercritical carbon dioxide (sCO2) energy generation.

Scientists at Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) in Germany are producing graphene using carbon dioxide as a raw material.Researchers at KIT are presenting a process in which the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide together with hydrogen gas is converted directly into graphene at temperatures of up to 10,000 degrees Celsius with the help of catalytically active metal surfaces.Graphene is the two-dimensional form of the chemical element carbon, with interesting electrical properties.Several groups at KIT have collaborated to present this method for separating graphene from carbon dioxide and hydrogen by means of a metal catalyst.

Brunel University London is the first university in the United Kingdom to research how single-cylinder intelligent valve technology could reduce emissions for the vehicles of the future.Researchers at the Brunel’s Centre for Advanced Powertrain and Fuels (CAPF), claim the electronic system could accelerate engine development, to help car companies meet new emissions regulations.The Camcon Auto’s Single Cylinder Intelligent Valve Technology replaces the traditional camshaft on a petrol engine with digitally controlled electric valve mechanisms.

Ursula von der Leyen was elected by the European Parliament as the first female President of the European Commission on Tuesday.