#Oil and gas construction company

[markalison231]

Best Oil and Gas Construction Company, well construction Company

iDrilling Technologies (iDT), recognized as a reliable construction partner for the oil and gas, Well construction sector. We stand out as leading Oil and Gas Construction Company, well construction Company. Best as Engineering services, Drilling Construction Companies, well integrity, Reduce conventional footprint, Global networking, Risk matrix, ERD wells, well performance analysis, HPHT wells, Onshore wells, water wells, Deepwater wells Companies, Hydraulics and hole cleaning, Stuck pipe prevention, Casing design and material selection, Loss circulation management, Well barrier software, Hydraulics and hole cleaning software Companies. Visit https://idrillingtechnologies.com/

[idrillingoil]

iDrilling Technologies (iDT), is one of the trustworthy well construction Company, Oil and Gas Construction Company providing variety of engineering services, well integrity, Drilling Construction, Global networking, water wells, Stuck pipe prevention, Deepwater wells Companies, Risk matrix, Casing design and material selection, Onshore wells, Hydraulics and hole cleaning, well performance analysis, Well barrier software, HPHT wells, ERD wells, Loss circulation management Companies. Hit https://idrillingtechnologies.com/

[muegroup]

Iraq Oil and Gas Construction Companies: Key Players in Energy Development

As one of the world’s largest oil-producing countries, Iraq relies heavily on its oil and gas industry to drive economic growth. Iraq oil and gas construction companies are essential in building the infrastructure needed for exploration, extraction, and distribution of oil and gas. These companies play a vital role in constructing pipelines, refineries, storage facilities, and processing plants, which are crucial for Iraq’s energy sector. The expertise and efficiency of Iraq oil and gas construction companies directly influence the country’s ability to maintain its role as a global energy provider.

The Importance of Iraq’s Oil and Gas Sector

The oil and gas sector contributes around 90% of Iraq’s national revenue, making it a cornerstone of the economy. With abundant reserves and a strategic location, Iraq has positioned itself as a major player in the global energy market. However, the sector faces challenges, including the need to update outdated infrastructure and improve efficiency in extraction and refining processes. This is where Iraq oil and gas construction companies step in, offering the expertise and technology to modernize and expand infrastructure. Through their work, these companies not only contribute to economic growth but also help secure Iraq’s future as a competitive energy producer.

Key Services Offered by Iraq Oil and Gas Construction Companies

Iraq’s oil and gas construction companies provide a variety of services to meet the complex demands of the industry. These services include:

Pipeline Construction and Maintenance One of the most critical components of the oil and gas infrastructure is pipelines. They enable the safe and efficient transport of crude oil and natural gas across long distances. Iraq oil and gas construction companies specialize in designing, building, and maintaining pipelines that meet both national and international safety standards. Regular maintenance of these pipelines is crucial for preventing leaks and ensuring smooth operation, making these companies indispensable to the sector.

Refinery Construction and Expansion Refineries are vital for processing crude oil into usable products, such as gasoline, diesel, and petrochemicals. Iraq oil and gas construction companies are skilled in constructing new refineries and expanding existing ones to meet the increasing demand. These projects require advanced engineering and the latest technology to maximize efficiency and reduce environmental impact.

Storage Facilities Efficient storage solutions are essential for managing the supply of oil and gas, especially as global demand fluctuates. Iraq’s construction companies build and maintain large-scale storage facilities, which help manage the country’s energy reserves and stabilize the supply chain. Properly constructed storage facilities also ensure the safe handling of hazardous materials, reducing the risk of accidents.

Processing Plants and Equipment Installation Processing plants convert raw oil and gas into products ready for distribution. Iraq oil and gas construction companies work on both the construction and maintenance of these plants, installing specialized equipment designed to maximize output and minimize waste. This involves incorporating technology that meets international standards for efficiency and environmental protection, supporting Iraq’s long-term goals for sustainable energy production.

Technology and Innovation in Iraq’s Oil and Gas Construction Sector

To stay competitive and meet the demands of an evolving energy market, Iraq oil and gas construction companies are increasingly incorporating advanced technology into their projects. Key technologies used include:

Digital Monitoring and Automation: Digital sensors and automated systems help monitor pipeline pressure, detect leaks, and manage refinery operations more efficiently.

Drones and Robotics: Drones are now commonly used for aerial surveys and inspections, especially in challenging terrain. Robotics aid in tasks such as welding and equipment installation, enhancing precision and safety.

Environmental Technologies: New technologies designed to reduce emissions and manage waste are also being integrated. For instance, gas flaring reduction technology is becoming more common, helping to minimize environmental impact.

The Role of Local Expertise and International Partnerships

While Iraq oil and gas construction companies possess significant expertise, international partnerships are often crucial for large-scale projects. Collaborating with global firms allows Iraqi companies to leverage foreign technology, knowledge, and financing, enhancing their ability to complete complex projects successfully. These partnerships also facilitate knowledge transfer, training local engineers and workers in the latest techniques and technologies. This local expertise, combined with international standards, strengthens Iraq’s position in the global oil and gas market and builds a more sustainable workforce.

Challenges Faced by Iraq Oil and Gas Construction Companies

Despite their importance, Iraq oil and gas construction companies face several challenges. These include:

Security Concerns: Iraq has areas where security remains a concern, which can disrupt project timelines and create additional costs for safety measures.

Regulatory Hurdles: The regulatory environment can be complex, particularly for international partnerships. Compliance with both local and international regulations requires careful planning and adaptability.

Environmental Impact: With a growing emphasis on sustainability, Iraq oil and gas construction companies are increasingly pressured to reduce their environmental footprint, requiring additional investment in green technology and eco-friendly practices.

Conclusion

Iraq oil and gas construction companies are key drivers of the nation’s energy industry, enabling the development, maintenance, and expansion of crucial infrastructure. Their services in pipeline construction, refinery expansion, storage, and processing plants are foundational to Iraq’s energy production and economic stability. By embracing technological advancements and fostering international partnerships, these companies continue to support Iraq’s ambitions in the global energy sector. Despite challenges, the expertise and innovation of Iraq oil and gas construction companies remain essential for ensuring Iraq’s future as a competitive energy powerhouse.

[timmurleyart]

Mayday from the Dali. 🚢 ⚡️🌉🆘🛟🟧🟨🟦🟥

[mandurahsafety]

EXPERTS IN MINING AND CONSTRUCTION TRAINING COURSES

MSTS is a Nationally Recognised Training organisation in Western Australia (RTO Code 50343) and with our consistent provision of quality training and safety management services, we are a leader in our field.

We deliver a range of Nationally Recognised courses, to professionals working in construction, oil and gas.

MSTS have been involved in varying levels of responsibility in most major projects in WA and we are a firm believer that we can offer and deliver a range of consultancies and services that cannot be found in any similar professional Safety or Training company in WA. Our company is built on people with a passion for their chosen field yet still have their feet firmly on the ground.

[umeshkhade]

Top EPC Companies | EPC Contractor In India Updated 2024

EPC, which stands for Engineering, Procurement, and Construction, represents a key contracting approach within the construction industry. In this model, the contractor is responsible for completing the detailed engineering design, procuring the necessary equipment and materials, and constructing the project to deliver a fully operational facility or asset to the client. Companies that undertake such projects are referred to as EPC contractors.

The Indian EPC sector has seen significant growth, with over 180 participants and various stakeholders actively contributing to the industry. Many companies have established strong reputations within specific sectors, while some have expanded their operations into other areas, creating a distinct segmentation within the EPC space based on operational focus.

Below is a compiled list of top EPC companies operating in India, including both domestic and foreign firms. These companies operate across major cities like Mumbai, Pune, Chennai, Kolkata, Bangalore, Hyderabad, and others.

Segment-wise Classification of EPC Companies

1. Infrastructure / General Contracting

2. Building Construction — Residential and Commercial

3. Oil & Gas EPC

4. Power EPC: General Power, Power Transmission, and Solar Power

5. Specialized EPC: Marine, Industrial, Railways, Tunneling, Mining

Infrastructure / General Contracting EPC Companies

- Indian Companies :

Larsen & Toubro Limited, Hindustan Construction Co. Ltd., Gammon India, MECON Limited, IVRCL, Patel Engineering Ltd., Era Infra Engineering, Sadbhav Engineering Limited, Nagarjuna Construction Company Ltd., Kalpataru Projects International Limited

- Foreign Companies :

Isolux Corsan, ITD Cementation India Limited, Samsung Engineering India Pvt Ltd, Linde Engineering India Pvt. Ltd., TechnipFMC plc, McDermott International, Inc., Saipem, KBR Inc., Chemie-Tech, Jakson, WorleyParsons, IJM (India) Infrastructure Limited, Leighton, ACS Construction Group Ltd., Vinci Construction

Building Construction — Residential and Commercial Segments

- Indian Companies :

Larsen & Toubro Limited, Shapoorji Pallonji & Co. Ltd., Ahluwalia Contracts Ltd., L. Kashyap and Sons, G. Shirke Construction, B.E. Billimoria, Consolidated Construction Consortium Ltd., Mackintosh Burn Ltd., Man Infraconstruction Limited, Nyati Group, Supreme Infrastructure India Ltd., Unity Infra Projects, Vascon Engineers Ltd., Kalpataru Projects International Limited

- Foreign Companies :

Arabian Construction Company, Leighton, Samsung Engineering

Oil & Gas EPC Companies

- Indian Companies :

L&T Ltd., Punj Lloyd, Petron Engineering, Essar Projects, Mcnally Bharat, Leighton, Engineers India Limited, Fabtech Projects, Jaihind Project Ltd., Kalpataru Projects International Limited

- Foreign Companies :

Aker Solutions, Leighton Welspun Contractors Pvt. Ltd., Bechtel Corporation, Linde Engineering India Pvt. Ltd., Tecnimont ICB, Samsung Engineering, Uhde India Limited

Power & Transmission EPC Companies

- Power EPC (Indian Companies) :

BHEL, L&T, Tata Projects Ltd, BGR Energy, Gammon India, Gayatri Projects, Mcnally Bharat Engineering, Shriram EPC Ltd, Tecpro Systems, Kalpataru Projects International Limited

- Power Transmission EPC (Indian Companies) :

EMC Ltd., Jyoti Structures Ltd., Hydropower Transmission Ltd., GET Power, KEC International, JMC Projects, Techno Electric and Engineering, Unitech Transmission

- Foreign Companies :

Doosan Power Systems, Dongfang Electric Corporation, Harbin Power Engineering Co. Ltd., KEPCO, ThyssenKrupp Industries India, Alstom T&D Limited, Alstom Projects India Limited, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Toshiba Thermal and Hydro Power Systems Company, Ansaldo STS, Babcock & Wilcox

Solar EPC Companies

- Sterling and Wilson, Loom Solar, Tata Power Solar, Mahindra Susten, Sunsure Energy, Fourth Partner Energy, Suryaday, Orb Energy, Vikram Solar, Renew Power, SB Energy, CleanMax Solar, Harsha-Abakus Solar, RelyOn Solar, MySun Solar, Ujaas Energy, Amplus Energy Solutions, Kalpataru Projects International Limited

Specialized EPC Companies

- Indian Companies :

Shriram EPC, Coastal Projects, Navayuga Engineering Company Ltd., Hindustan Construction Co. Ltd., Patel Engineering Ltd., Afcons Infrastructure Ltd., Simplex Infrastructure Ltd., McNally Bharat Engineering Co. Ltd., Petron Engineering Construction Ltd., Kalindee Rail Nirman Construction Ltd., AMR Construction Ltd., Kalpataru Projects International Limited

- Foreign Companies :

ABB India Ltd., Uhde India Ltd., Toyo Engineering India Ltd., Continental Engineering Corporation, Marti India Private Ltd., AG Group, Samsung Engineering, ITD Cementation India Ltd

Conclusion

EPC companies in India are instrumental in driving the country’s infrastructure growth, delivering projects across various sectors such as oil and gas, power, telecommunications, and more. Both public and private sector firms have been involved in numerous high-impact projects. Renowned for their technical expertise and project management skills, these firms are central to India’s economic development.

Notably, companies like Larsen & Toubro, Tata Projects, and Reliance Infrastructure stand out for their extensive portfolios in executing complex projects both domestically and internationally. The use of cutting-edge technologies, a focus on sustainability, and an emphasis on efficiency are trends shaping the future of the EPC industry, ensuring its continued growth.

FAQs

1. Who is the top contractor in India?

Larsen & Toubro (L&T) is widely recognized as the leading contractor in India, known for its expertise in handling large-scale infrastructure projects.

2. Which is the top global EPC company?

Bechtel is considered one of the best EPC companies globally due to its experience in various sectors like energy, oil and gas, and infrastructure.

3. Which is the top infrastructure company in India?

Reliance Infrastructure holds a leading position in India, contributing significantly to sectors such as power, roads, and metro rail.

4. How are EPC contractors selected?

EPC contractors are chosen based on their technical capabilities, financial stability, project management experience, and adherence to safety and environmental standards.

5. What are the future trends in the EPC industry?

Key trends include the integration of digital technologies such as BIM and IoT, an increased focus on sustainability, and the use of modular and prefabricated construction techniques.

[openteqsolutions]

Maximizing Growth with OpenTeQ NetSuite B2C Portals for E-commerce Businesses

Success in the fiercely competitive world of e-commerce depends on effective management of client relations, operations, and data flow. Businesses want reliable solutions to improve client experiences and manage operations as they grow. For e-commerce companies, NetSuite integration provides a complete solution that can optimize everything from customer interaction to inventory management. Leading NetSuite solution provider OpenTeQ is committed to assisting e-commerce businesses in utilizing this effective technology to achieve long-term success.

The Role of NetSuite in E-commerce

NetSuite's comprehensive suite of solutions empowers e-commerce businesses to centralize operations, improve customer service, and gain valuable insights through advanced analytics. With tools that automate and simplify everything from order management to financial tracking, NetSuite is the perfect fit for fast-growing e-commerce companies.

One essential element is the NetSuite Customer Portal, which enables businesses to offer customers real-time access to order history account information, and support services. OpenTeQ specializes in setting up and customizing NetSuite Customer Portals, ensuring that customers enjoy a seamless experience while reducing the burden on support teams.

Expanding Global Reach with NetSuite Offshore Partner

In the globalized e-commerce market, working with the right technology partner is critical. OpenTeQ acts as a trusted NetSuite Offshore Partner, helping e-commerce businesses expand their reach and improve operational efficiency. Through its offshore services, OpenTeQ supports businesses with customized NetSuite implementations, ensuring smooth global operations and continuous optimization.

OpenTeQ’s offshore team also helps businesses scale faster by providing expert NetSuite development and support, all while keeping costs manageable. This collaboration allows businesses to focus on growing their core operations while leaving the technical aspects to a trusted NetSuite Offshore Partner.

Enhancing Customer Experience with NetSuite B2C Portals

One of the biggest challenges e-commerce businesses faces is providing a seamless and personalized shopping experience. NetSuite B2C Portals offer a solution to this by allowing companies to create customized shopping experiences for their customers. With personalized interfaces, businesses can offer product recommendations, streamlined checkout processes, and a cohesive brand experience.

OpenTeQ assists e-commerce companies in implementing and customizing NetSuite B2C Portals to enhance customer engagement and increase conversion rates. By offering real-time product updates, stock availability, and order tracking, these portals give customers the information they need to make purchasing decisions while maintaining a strong connection with the brand.

Streamlining Data Management with NetSuite Data Migration

For any e-commerce business, data is a critical asset. Ensuring that data from multiple platforms is seamlessly transferred and integrated into a central system is key to maintaining operational efficiency. NetSuite Data Migration plays a pivotal role in this process by ensuring smooth transition and consolidation of data from legacy systems to the NetSuite platform.

OpenTeQ's expert team specializes in managing NetSuite Data Migration for e-commerce businesses. Whether a company is migrating product catalogs, customer data, or historical transaction records, OpenTeQ ensures that the data migration process is seamless, accurate, and secure. This migration helps businesses avoid potential disruptions and maintain full control over their data, enabling them to make better-informed decisions and grow their operations effectively.

Conclusion

The integration of NetSuite into e-commerce operations is a game-changer for businesses looking to scale and optimize their processes. With the expertise of OpenTeQ as a NetSuite Offshore Partner, e-commerce businesses can leverage the full power of tools like the NetSuite Customer Portal, NetSuite B2C Portals, and smooth NetSuite Data Migration to streamline operations and enhance customer satisfaction.

Whether your goal is to improve customer engagement, manage global operations, or optimize your data handling, NetSuite integration for e-commerce businesses offers a reliable and scalable solution. OpenTeQ is here to ensure that your e-commerce business achieves long-term success through strategic NetSuite implementations tailored to your needs. Contact Us: info@openteqgroup.com, +1-469 623 5106.

[acadianashell]

Limestone is a highly advantageous material for oilfield construction, offering durability, cost-effectiveness, and environmental benefits. Known for its strength, limestone provides a robust base that withstands the heavy machinery and harsh conditions typical in oilfields, ensuring stable and secure structures. Its abundance and ease of extraction make it a cost-effective option for large-scale projects, allowing for budget flexibility without sacrificing quality. Additionally, limestone is a natural, environmentally friendly material that minimizes the environmental footprint compared to synthetic alternatives. Its versatility further enhances its appeal, as it can be used in various applications, from building roads and foundations to soil stabilization, making it an indispensable choice for contractors.

[laylawyatt]

Storm Water Management in the Oil and Gas Industry

Stormwater management in the oil and gas industry is crucial for environmental protection. To mitigate the impact of runoff from industrial sites, comprehensive stormwater management plans are implemented. These plans involve strategies like sedimentation basins, filtration systems, and containment measures to prevent pollutants from entering waterways. By adhering to rigorous stormwater management practices, the industry minimizes environmental harm, ensuring the responsible and sustainable operation of oil and gas facilities.

[businessgateways]

For a very long time, the oil and gas sector has been a pillar of the world's energy system, supplying countries with energy and advancing civilization. But in recent years, the sector has seen a surge of technical developments and cutting-edge methods that are revolutionizing the way energy is harvested, generated, and used. We'll examine some of the most important areas of the sectors of oil and gas industry in this post, as well as the amazing inventions that are influencing its future.

[rjzimmerman]

Excerpt from this story from Grist:

In the landscape of international finance for fossil fuels, some of the most important players are obscure government bodies known as “export credit agencies.” These agencies provide funding to companies seeking to build large and risky infrastructure projects, often in developing countries. In return, the developers of those projects purchase construction materials or other goods from the country of the agency. For instance, an oil pipeline company might take a loan from a German export credit agency in exchange for using German steel in the pipeline.

Export credit agencies have become some of the world’s largest public funding sources for energy infrastructure, providing far more money than multilateral institutions like the World Bank, while avoiding much public scrutiny. 

Now, as Joe Biden’s administration winds to a close, officials are working with international partners to push forward an agreement that would see export credit agencies pull back almost all funding for oil and gas projects, a measure the administration had balked on supporting before Donald Trump’s reelection.

The talks are taking place within the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, or OECD, a group of 38 wealthy countries that coordinate on export credit terms to prevent any one country from distorting trade relations. The countries are trying this month to hash out a verbal agreement on how to regulate their export credit agencies.

If such an agreement comes together, it would force a sea change in policy for the United States’ own export credit agency, which is known as the Export Import Bank of the United States, or EXIM. This independent agency is among the last remaining channels through which the U.S. government provides financial support to fossil fuel interests overseas. If the OECD agrees to stop export credits for fossil fuels, EXIM will have to cease approving loans to oil and gas infrastructure, potentially eliminating billions of dollars in future support for such projects.

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

November 26, 2024

Heather Cox Richardson

Nov 27, 2024

Today presented a good example of the difference between governance by social media and governance by policy.

Although incoming presidents traditionally stay out of the way of the administration currently in office, last night, Trump announced on his social media site that he intends to impose a 25% tariff on all products coming into the U.S. from Mexico and Canada “until such time as Drugs, in particular Fentanyl, and all Illegal Aliens stop this Invasion of our Country!” Trump claimed that they could solve the problem “easily” and that until they do, “it is time for them to pay a very big price!”

In a separate post, he held China to account for fentanyl and said he would impose a 10% tariff on all Chinese products on top of the tariffs already levied on those goods. “Thank you for your attention to this matter,” he added.

In fact, since 2023 there has been a drop of 14.5% in deaths from drug overdose, the first such decrease since the epidemic began, and border patrol apprehensions of people crossing the southern border illegally have fallen to the lowest number since August 2020, in the midst of the pandemic. In any case, a study by the libertarian Cato Institute shows that from 2019 to 2024, more than 80% of the people caught with fentanyl at ports of entry—where the vast majority of fentanyl is seized—were U.S. citizens.

Very few undocumented immigrants and very little illegal fentanyl come into the U.S. from Canada.

Washington Post economics reporter Catherine Rampell noted that Mexico and Canada are the biggest trading partners of the United States. Mexico sends cars, machinery, electrical equipment, and beer to the U.S., along with about $19 billion worth of fruits and vegetables. About half of U.S. fresh fruit imports come from Mexico, including about two thirds of our fresh tomatoes and about 90% of our avocados.

Transferring that production to the U.S. would be difficult, especially since about half of the 2 million agricultural workers in the U.S. are undocumented and Trump has vowed to deport them all. Rampell points out as well that Project 2025 calls for getting rid of the visa system that gives legal status to agricultural workers. U.S. farm industry groups have asked Trump to spare the agricultural sector, which contributed about $1.5 trillion to the U.S. gross domestic product in 2023, from his mass deportations.

Canada exports a wide range of products to the U.S., including significant amounts of oil. Rampell quotes GasBuddy’s head of petroleum analysis, Patrick De Haan, as saying that a 25% tax on Canadian crude oil would increase gas prices in the Midwest and the Rockies by 25 cents to 75 cents a gallon, costing U.S. consumers about $6 billion to $10 billion more per year.

Canada is also the source of about a quarter of the lumber builders use in the U.S., as well as other home building materials. Tariffs would raise prices there, too, while construction is another industry that will be crushed by Trump’s threatened deportations. According to NPR’s Julian Aguilar, in 2022, nearly 60% of the more than half a million construction workers in Texas were undocumented.

Construction company officials are begging Trump to leave their workers alone. Deporting them “would devastate our industry, we wouldn’t finish our highways, we wouldn’t finish our schools,” the chief executive officer of a major Houston-based construction company told Aguilar. “Housing would disappear. I think they’d lose half their labor.”

Former trade negotiator under George W. Bush John Veroneau said Trump’s plans would violate U.S. trade agreements, including the United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement (USMCA) that replaced the 1994 North American Free Trade Agreement that Trump killed. The USMCA was negotiated during Trump’s own first term, and although it was based on NAFTA, he praised it as “the fairest, most balanced, and beneficial trade agreement we have ever signed into law. It’s the best agreement we’ve ever made.”

Trump apologists immediately began to assure investors that he really didn’t mean it. Hedge fund manager Bill Ackman posted that Trump wouldn’t impose the tariffs if “Mexico and Canada stop the flow of illegal immigrants and fentanyl into the U.S.” Trump’s threat simply meant that Trump “is going to use tariffs as a weapon to achieve economic and political outcomes which are in the best interest of America,” Ackman wrote.

Iowa Republican lawmaker Senator Chuck Grassley, who represents a farm state that was badly burned by Trump’s tariffs in his first term, told reporters that he sees the tariff threats as a “negotiating tool.”

Foreign leaders had no choice but to respond. Mexican president Claudia Sheinbaum issued an open letter to Trump pointing out that Mexico has developed a comprehensive immigration system that has reduced border encounters by 75% since December 2023, and that the U.S. CBP One program has ended the “caravans” he talks about. She noted that it is imperative for the U.S. and Mexico jointly to “arrive at another model of labor mobility that is necessary for your country and to address the causes that lead families to leave their places of origin out of necessity.”

She noted that the fentanyl problem in the U.S. is a public health problem and that Mexican authorities have this year “seized tons of different types of drugs, 10,340 weapons, and arrested 15,640 people for violence related to drug trafficking,” and added that “70% of the illegal weapons seized from criminals in Mexico come from your country.” She also suggested that Mexico would retaliate with tariffs of its own if the U.S. imposed tariffs on Mexico.

Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau did not go that far but talked to Trump shortly after the social media post. The U.S. is Canada’s biggest trading partner, and a 25% tariff would devastate its economy. The premier of Alberta, Danielle Smith, seemed to try to keep her province’s oil out of the line of fire by agreeing with Trump that the Canadian government should work with him and adding, “The vast majority of Alberta’s energy exports to the US are delivered through secure and safe pipelines which do not in any way contribute to these illegal activities at the border.”

Trudeau has called an emergency meeting with Canada’s provincial premiers tomorrow to discuss the threat.

Spokesperson for the Chinese embassy in Washington Liu Pengyu simply said: “No one will win a trade war or a tariff war” and “the idea of China knowingly allowing fentanyl precursors to flow into the United States runs completely counter to facts and reality.”

In contrast to Trump’s sudden social media posts that threaten global trade and caused a frenzy today, President Joe Biden this evening announced that, after months of negotiations, Israel and Lebanon have agreed to a ceasefire brokered by the U.S. and France, to take effect at 4:00 a.m. local time on Wednesday. “This is designed to be a permanent cessation of hostilities,” Biden said.

Lebanon’s Iran-backed Hezbollah attacked Israel shortly after Hamas’s attack of October 7, 2023. Fighting on the border between Israel and Lebanon has turned 300,000 Lebanese people and 70,000 Israelis into refugees, with Israel bombing southern Lebanon to destroy Hezbollah’s tunnel system and killing its leaders. According to the Lebanese Ministry of Public Health, Israeli attacks have killed more than 3,000 people and injured more than 13,000, while CBS News reports that about 90 Israeli soldiers and nearly 50 Israeli civilians have been killed in the fighting. Under the agreement, Israel’s forces currently occupying southern Lebanon will withdraw over the next 60 days as Lebanon’s army moves in. Hezbollah will be kept from rebuilding.

According to Laura Rozen in her newsletter Diplomatic, before the agreement went into effect, Israel increased its airstrikes in Beirut and Tyre.

When he announced the deal, Biden pushed again for a ceasefire in Gaza, whose people, he said, “have been through hell. Their…world is absolutely shattered.” Biden called again for Hamas to release the more than 100 hostages it still holds and to negotiate a ceasefire. Biden said the U.S. will “make another push with Turkey, Egypt, Qatar, Israel, and others to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza with the hostages released and the end to the war without Hamas in power.”

Today’s announcement, Biden said, brings closer the realization of his vision for a peaceful Middle East where both Israel and a Palestinian state are established and recognized, a plan he tried to push before October 7 by linking Saudi Arabia’s normalization of relations with Israel to a Palestinian state. Biden has argued that such a deal is key to Israel’s long-term security, and today he pressed Israel to “be bold in turning tactical gains against Iran and its proxies into a coherent strategy that secures Israel’s long-term…safety and advances a broader peace and prosperity in the region.”

“I believe this agenda remains possible,” Biden said. “And in my remaining time in office, I will work tirelessly to advance this vision of—for an integrated, secure, and prosperous region, all of which…strengthens America’s national security.”

“Today’s announcement is a critical step in advancing that vision,” Biden said. “It reminds us that peace is possible.”

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

HEATHER COX RICHARDSON

[mariacallous]

Over the past few years, the United States has become the go-to location for companies seeking to suck carbon dioxide out of the sky. There are a handful of demonstration-scale direct air capture (DAC) plants dotted across the globe, but the facilities planned in Louisiana and Texas are of a different scale: They aim to capture millions of tons of carbon dioxide each year, rather than the dozens of tons or less captured by existing systems.

The US has a few things going for it when it comes to DAC: It has the right kind of geological formations that can store carbon dioxide pumped underground, it has an oil and gas industry that knows a lot about drilling into that ground, and it has federal grants and subsidies for the carbon capture industry. The projects in Louisiana and Texas are supported by up to $1.05 billion in Department of Energy (DOE) funds, and the projects will be eligible for tax credits of up to $180 per ton of carbon dioxide stored.

“It’s quite clear that the United States is the leader in policy to support this nascent sector,” says Jason Hochman, executive director at the Direct Air Capture Coalition, a nonprofit that works to accelerate the deployment of DAC technology. “At the same time, it’s nowhere near where it needs to be to get on track—to the scale we need to get to net zero.”

But support for carbon storage is far from guaranteed. Project 2025, the nearly thousand-page Heritage Foundation policy blueprint for a second Trump presidency, would dramatically roll back policies that support the DAC industry and carbon capture more generally. The Project 2025 Mandate for Leadership document proposes eliminating the DOE’s Office for Clean Energy Demonstrations, which provides funds for DAC facilities and carbon capture projects, and also calls out the 45Q tax credit that supports DAC as well as carbon capture, usage, and storage—filtering and storing carbon dioxide emitted by power plants and heavy industry. (The Heritage Foundation did not respond to WIRED’s request for comment.)

Sucking carbon out of the sky is not uncontroversial—not least because of the oil and gas industry’s involvement in the sector—but the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s Sixth Assessment Report says that using carbon dioxide removal to balance emissions from sectors like aviation and agriculture is unavoidable if we want to achieve net zero. Carbon dioxide removal can mean planting trees and sequestering carbon in soil, but a technology like DAC is attractive because it’s easy to measure how much carbon you’re sequestering, and stored carbon should stay locked up for a very long time, which isn’t necessarily the case with forests and soil.

As DAC technology is so new, and the facilities constructed so far are small, it’s still extremely expensive to remove carbon from the atmosphere this way. Estimated costs for extracting carbon go from hundreds of dollars per ton to in excess of $1,000—although Google just announced it is paying $100 for DAC removal credits for carbon that will be sequestered in the early 2030s. On top of that, large-scale DAC plants are likely to cost hundreds of millions to billions of dollars to build.

That’s why government support like the DOE Regional DAC Hubs program is so important, says Jack Andreasen at Breakthrough Energy, the Bill Gates–founded initiative to accelerate technology to reach net zero. “This gets projects built,” he says. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law signed in 2021 set aside $3.5 billion in federal funds to help the construction of four regional DAC hubs. This is the money that is going into the Louisiana and Texas projects.

Climeworks is one of the companies working on the Louisiana DAC hub, which is eligible for up to $550 million in federal funding. Eventually, the facility aims to capture more than 1 million tons of carbon dioxide each year and store it underground. “If you do want to build an industry, you cannot do it with demo projects. You have to put your money where your mouth is and say there are certain projects that should be eligible for a larger share of funding,” says Daniel Nathan, chief project development officer at Climeworks. When the hub starts sequestering carbon, it will be eligible to claim up to $180 for each ton of carbon stored, under tax credit 45Q, which was extended under the Inflation Reduction Act.

These tax credits are important because they provide long-term support for companies actually sequestering carbon from the atmosphere. “What you have is a guaranteed revenue stream of $180 per ton for a minimum of 12 years,” says Andreasen. It’s particularly critical given that the costs of capturing and storing a ton of carbon dioxide are likely to exceed the market rate of carbon credits for a long time. Other forms of carbon removal, notably planting forests, are much cheaper than DAC, and removal offsets also compete with offsets for renewable energy, which avoid emitting new emissions. Without a top-up from the government, it’s unlikely that a market for DAC sequestration would be able to sustain itself.

Most of the DAC industry experts WIRED spoke to thought there was little political appetite to reverse the 45Q tax credit—not least because it also allows firms to claim a tax credit for using carbon dioxide to physically extract more oil from existing reservoirs. They were more worried, however, about the prospect that existing DOE funds set aside for DAC and other projects might not be allocated under a future administration.

“I do think a slowing down of the DOE is a possibility,” says Andreasen. “That just means the money takes longer to get out, and that is not great.” Katie Lebling at the World Resources Institute, a sustainability nonprofit, agrees, saying there is a risk that unallocated funds could be slowed down and stalled if a new administration looked less favorably on carbon removal.

The Heritage Foundation doesn’t just doubt the carbon removal industry—it is openly skeptical about climate change, writing in one report that observed warming could only “theoretically” be due to the burning of fossil fuels, and that “this claim cannot be demonstrated through science.” In its Project 2025 plan, the foundation says the “government should not be picking winners and losers and should not be subsidizing the private sector to bring resources to market.”

But without government support, the private sector would never develop technologies like DAC, says Jonas Meckling, an associate professor at UC Berkeley and climate fellow at Harvard Business School. The same was true of the solar industry, Meckling says. “You cannot start an industry with a societal good in mind unless you get governments to take an active role,” says Nathan of Climeworks.

While there are some question marks over the future of DOE grants for DAC, the industry appeals to legislators on both sides of the aisle. The Texas DAC hub is being built by 1PointFive, a subsidiary of Occidental Petroleum, and both DOE projects are located in firmly red states. When it was announced that DOE DAC hubs funding would be spent in Louisiana, Senator Bill Cassidy said: “Carbon capture opens a new era of energy and manufacturing dominance for Louisiana. It is the future of job creation and economic development for our state.”

In the long run, Nathan says, the aim is for DAC to be viable on its own economic terms. In time, he says, that will mean regulation that requires industries to pay for carbon removal—a stricter version of emissions-trading schemes that already exist in places like California and the European Union. Eventually, that should lead to a place where the direct air industry no longer requires government support to remove carbon from the atmosphere at scale. “I’m looking at the fundamentals, and those aren’t driven by who’s in office,” Nathan says.

[darkmaga-returns]

Short of dot-com type of a bust, spending on AI data centers will continue to skyrocket, with attendant energy demand. Utility companies should be in panic mode to increase generating capacity, but they are not. The resulting squeeze will drive consumer prices through the roof and put exorbitant strain on the electric grid. But rest assured that AI companies will suffer no outages. ⁃ TN Editor

The rapid growth of data centers to support AI is significantly increasing global electricity demand.

This surge in demand threatens to outpace the development of renewable energy sources.

International regulations are needed to ensure tech companies use clean energy and minimize their impact on climate goals.

The global electricity demand is expected to grow exponentially in the coming decades, largely due to an increased demand from tech companies for new data centers to support the rollout of high-energy-consuming advanced technologies, such as artificial intelligence (AI). As governments worldwide introduce new climate policies and pump billions into alternative energy sources and clean tech, these efforts may be quashed by the increased electricity demand from data centers unless greater international regulatory action is taken to ensure that tech companies invest in clean energy sources and do not use fossil fuels for power.

The International Energy Agency (IEA) released a report in October entitled “What the data centre and AI boom could mean for the energy sector”. It showed that with investment in new data centers surging over the past two years, particularly in the U.S., the electricity demand is increasing rapidly – a trend that is set to continue.

The report states that in the U.S., annual investment in data center construction has doubled in the past two years alone. China and the European Union are also seeing investment in data centers increase rapidly. In 2023, the overall capital investment by tech leaders Google, Microsoft, and Amazon was greater than that of the U.S. oil and gas industry, at approximately 0.5 percent of the U.S. GDP.

The tech sector expects to deploy AI technologies more widely in the coming decades as the technology is improved and becomes more ingrained in everyday life. This is just one of several advanced technologies expected to contribute to the rise in demand for power worldwide in the coming decades.

Global aggregate electricity demand is set to increase by 6,750 terawatt-hours (TWh) by 2030, per the IEA’s Stated Policies Scenario. This is spurred by several factors including digitalization, economic growth, electric vehicles, air conditioners, and the rising importance of electricity-intensive manufacturing. In large economies such as the U.S., China, and the EU, data centers contribute around 2 to 4 percent of total electricity consumption at present. However, the sector has already surpassed 10 percent of electricity consumption in at least five U.S. states. Meanwhile, in Ireland, it contributes more than 20 percent of all electricity consumption.

[beardedmrbean]

ATLANTA (AP) — A new reactor at a nuclear power plant in Georgia has entered commercial operation, becoming the first new American reactor built from scratch in decades.

Georgia Power Co. announced Monday that Unit 3 at Plant Vogtle, southeast of Augusta, has completed testing and is now sending power to the grid reliably.

At its full output of 1,100 megawatts of electricity, Unit 3 can power 500,000 homes and businesses. Utilities in Georgia, Florida and Alabama are receiving the electricity.

Nuclear power now makes up about 25% of the generation of Georgia Power, the largest unit of Atlanta-based Southern Co.

A fourth reactor is also nearing completion at the site, where two earlier reactors have been generating electricity for decades. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission on Friday said radioactive fuel could be loaded into Unit 4, a step expected to take place before the end of September. Unit 4 is scheduled to enter commercial operation by March.

The third and fourth reactors were originally supposed to cost $14 billion, but are now on track to cost their owners $31 billion. That doesn’t include $3.7 billion that original contractor Westinghouse paid to the owners to walk away from the project. That brings total spending to almost $35 billion.

The third and fourth reactors were originally supposed to cost $14 billion, but are now on track to cost their owners $31 billion. That doesn’t include $3.7 billion that original contractor Westinghouse paid to the owners to walk away from the project. That brings total spending to almost $35 billion.

The third reactor was supposed to start generating power in 2016 when construction began in 2009.

Vogtle is important because government officials and some utilities are again looking to nuclear power to alleviate climate change by generating electricity without burning natural gas, coal and oil.

“This project shows just how new nuclear can and will play a critical role in achieving a clean energy future for the United States,” Southern Co. CEO Chris Womack said in a statement. “Bringing this unit safely into service is a credit to the hard work and dedication of our teams at Southern Company and the thousands of additional workers who have helped build that future at this site.”

In Georgia, almost every electric customer will pay for Vogtle. Georgia Power currently owns 45.7% of the reactors. Smaller shares are owned by Oglethorpe Power Corp., which provides electricity to member-owned cooperatives, the Municipal Electric Authority of Georgia and the city of Dalton. Oglethorpe and MEAG plan to sell power to cooperatives and municipal utilities across Georgia, as well in Jacksonville, Florida, and parts of Alabama and the Florida Panhandle.

Georgia Power’s 2.7 million customers are already paying part of the financing cost and elected public service commissioners have approved a monthly rate increase of $3.78 a month for residential customers as soon as the third unit begins generating power. That could hit bills in August, two months after residential customers saw a $16-a-month increase to pay for higher fuel costs.

Commissioners will decide later who pays for the remainder of the costs of Vogtle, including the fourth reactor.

[phoenixyfriend]

Ko-Fi Prompt from @apprendere:

Economics topic: ethical investing (what definitions are they using when companies like amazon are on lists of ethical/social/green stocks?)

This one took me a bit of research 😅

My first instinct is that those are frequently greenwashing, and that any individual company needs to be investigated for those claims, personally, before actually going ahead to invest. I'm generally hesitant to call most investment/stocks ethical, but there are ways and reasons for ethics in the given industry (as discussed here with @rhokitten and @dasnya).

Green-chip stocks are, by name, a play on blue-chip stocks (established, stable, reliable companies that are unlikely to waver overly much if the economy takes a bad turn). Green chip companies are those that claim to be environmentally sustainable, or to support the environment in some way. If the company in question is one that works directly in environmental sustainability, such as solar panels or wind farms or organic farming tools, that's probably not a lie.

However... you also get companies like Ford claiming to be green. Now, from what I can tell so far, they have been cutting down on carbon emissions for two decades now, but any large company that historically relies on gas or oil claiming to be green is... a bit questionable. The Climate Town video on Carbon Offsets is a good primer on understanding how large transportation and vehicle manufacturing companies can use 'green' language to claim progress while effectively not changing any of their practices. With Ford, we've seen minor cuts in manufacturing pollution, but as this Guardian article points out, they still advertise for massive cars with terrible mpg... which is a related issue, because said massive cars, the SUVs and 'extended cab' pickups are unregulated compared to sedans and other, smaller vehicles (see: Not Just Bikes video).

Ford spends a lot of money advertising a car that is the opposite of green, and doesn't actually provide a use for the vast majority of people buying it. Unless you work in an industry where you need to haul large, dirty equipment on the regular, like on a farm or in construction or landscaping, you don't need a pick-up truck. And if you do work in those industries, an extended cab is generally not helpful.

So Ford is talking good game, but... is it following through? That's up for debate.

You mentioned Amazon, so I went to look at their Climate Pledge Fund. They mention a "net-zero carbon goal," which already sends up red flags, as explained in the aforementioned Carbon Offsets video. They do seem to be investing in a lot of companies that will theoretically make their future work have less of an environmental impact; the companies include electric vehicles, renewable energy, and custom packaging to reduce waste. It all sounds good.

But what do the critics say?

In this Thomson Reuters Foundation article, Khalil Abdullah addresses how Amazon has historically hidden most of its information on environmental impacts, engaged in a number of greenwashing campaigns, and shoved numbers on its enormous pollution under the rug. Yet, despite this, it remains on the list of companies that the ESG (environmental, social, and governance) investors consider a viable choice, because it's... easy. It's a good investment financially, so they can just... look away from the complications, because the money and reputation is enough.

In my eyes, the concept of green stock is yet another form of greenwashing, one with no actual, specified definition, which means it's about as useful in understanding your investments as words like 'organic.' Unfortunately, it looks like this is going to continue being one of the ways companies lie to us, and any individual investment needs to be examined thoroughly before we can figure out what it is that we're actually supporting.

My suggestion would be to look into companies that are acting directly in support of environmentalism (solar and wind are probably safe), have a long and transparent history of environmentalism, from before it was trendy, or are small, local, and maybe new enough that they aren't killing the environment in the name of economies of scale.

Maybe if you get in early enough, you can grab enough shares to have a positive impact on future green initiatives!

(Prompt me on ko-fi!)