With the growing popularity of solar and wind, we sometimes forget another powerful low-carbon energy source: nuclear. It can be a divisive topic, but there's a really interesting alternative to building out massive, expensive nuclear plants that's worth talking about: Small Modular Reactors. What are they? What are the benefits? And do they really address the downsides of nuclear energy?

Designed in 2017 and launched in 2018, Hurtigreten has launched two new hybrid cruise vessels, the MS Roald Amundsen and MS Fridjof Nansen, that can sail fully electric for up to 30 minutes. Not only will it significantly reduce emissions, a hybrid system is also extremely quit. Arctic exploration has never been so much fun!

A tremendous amount of dry ice (solid CO2) is required in the coming year(s) for Corona-vaccine cold storage. This is a liveblog, dedicated to investigate the potential of creating dry ice using ship-based carbon capture and storage.

Hydrogen is a clean-burning molecule, meaning that it can help to decarbonize a range of sectors that have proved hard to clean up in the past. But today, most hydrogen is produced from CO2-emitting fossil fuels. Hydrogen produced from renewable electricity, known as green hydrogen, could be the solution to cutting our carbon footprint. But first, it must overcome a number of challenges.

Does floating solar work in high waves and storms? Yes. It most certainly does.

The best explanatory video on regular lithium-ion batteries and solid-state lithium-ion batteries we have seen so far.

Heliogen, backed by Bill Gates, makes fuel out of thin air and sunlight. It simply costs a lot of energy.

Quantumscape CEO Jagddep Singh discusses going public through a SPAC deal and his company's battery technology for electric vehicles.

Japanese shipbuilding giant Mitsubishi announced that it will build and test a carbon-capture system for ships which promises to reduce ship emissions by 90%. Sea trials will be conducted by mid-2021 using an existing coal carrier operated by the Tohoku Electric Power Company.

How a single project from Heerema - made possible by Mr. Sustainability - kicked shore power developments in Rotterdam into high gear.

Four multinationals including Shell and Exxon aim to store CO₂ in an empty gas field off the Dutch coast and will apply for a subsidy at the end of this month. According to estimates, this subsidy could amount to around € 1.5 billion, which would cause other subsidies on ‘truly green projects’ to diminish.

Høglund Marine Solutions & HB Hunte Engineering have developed a new ‘bilobe’ tank concept for LPG and CO2 transportation. The solution is readily available for use in existing tanker designs. It more than doubles the transportation capacity of liquid CO2 over current vessel capacity without the size, weight and stability concerns that would have come from a higher capacity “monolobe” design.

NortVolt, led by Tesla-Veteran Peter Carlsson, is building the very first European battery gigafactory. One that should counterbalance Elon Musk and, above all, the Asian producers. What is NorthVolt’s strategy to create a European battery power basis? An interview with CEO Peter Carlsson, who urges Europe to quickly build on its own battery knowledge.

Using Tesla’s announcements of Battery Day, DNV expects the cost of batteries to be reduced by 56% (measured in $/kWh) by 2025. Worldwide, DNV predicts that passenger electric vehicles are likely to start outselling their internal combustion engine counterparts from 2032 onwards. In North America, Europe and China this will take place well before 2030.  Tesla’s success could spill over from land-based vehicles into adjacent transport sectors. On the assumption of success on all fronts, Tesla will achieve the critical battery density for short range electric airplanes – namely 400 Wh/kg with high cycle life.

2020 is already the worst year for the oil industry ever. Even major oil and gas CEOs agree there might be no recovery after this crisis, certainly not to the ‘good-old-days’. The transition is among us. Grossly speaking, there are two transition pathways for the industry to follow: a gradual or a rapid transition. A sudden collapse of the industry - called a carbon crunch - could lead to economic disaster of epic proportions.

This blog sketches a vision on how to convert the largest crane vessel in the world - Sleipnir - owned by Heerema Marine Contractors, to a zero-emission vessel. Several promising carbon reduction measures are combined which are technically viable and based on matured technology, although scaling of existing technologies and cooperation with key partners is required. Key technologies include electrification, on-board batteries, solar panels, synthetic fuels, carbon capture and storage and possibly hydrogen.

Maersk and Ørsted are building a ‘power-buoy’ that can act as both a mooring point and a charging station for vessels, enabling them to turn of their engines when laying idle.

Tesla announced new ‘tabless’ batteries, aims to phase out cobalt and plans for investing in a new cathode plant. Their goal is to improve affordability by building a $25,000 electric car.

Up to 20% of our energy needs could be met by sustainably harvested biomass, in particular food and agricultural waste, as well as manure. Biomass could serve a crucial role in the energy transition by replacing gas and petroleum in (chemical) industry, aviation and maritime shipping.

How much energy do we need and what do we use it for? In this part, it is determined that the world needs 435 TWh per day, of which 87% comes from fossil fuels. This energy is needed in 3 sectors for 3 different purposes (3x3 energy rule). The sectors are transportation, industry and buildings. The purposes are heating, transport and electricity. Depending on the region, most of our energy is required in the transportation sector and for heating purposes.