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TotalEnergies filling station. Credit: Geoffroy Van der Hasselt/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

TotalEnergies and Belgian start-up Tree Energy Solutions (TES) have announced plans to collaborate on a synthetic natural gas plant to be built in the US. The plant will use “green” hydrogen and carbon dioxide to produce a methane-like gas which can be burnt as fuel.   

The project is expected to produce 100,000 to 200,000 metric tonnes of synthetic natural gas (e-NG) per year. The project is awaiting a final investment decision, due to take place in 2024.   

“This synthetic fuel will contribute to the energy transition by helping our customers to decarbonize their activities, notably the ones that are difficult to electrify,” said Stéphane Michel, president of gas, renewables and power at TotalEnergies in a press release. 

The developers plan to produce the green hydrogen with a 1GW electrolyser powered by 2GW of wind and solar energy. TotalEnergies will secure the renewable energy through long-term power purchase agreements.  

The European companies will build the plant in the US, most likely in Texas. According to Marco Alverà, CEO of TES, the project “testifies to the effectiveness of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) in the United States”.

The Japanese Government has agreed on a new plan to generate 15 trillion yuan ($107bn) of both private and public funding for the development of its hydrogen supply for the next 15 years.   

On 6 June, the country adopted a revision of its renewable energy strategy to increase the use of hydrogen as fuel in a bid to reduce the country’s greenhouse gas emissions.  

Japan’s controversial decarbonisation strategy includes the burning of so-called clean coal alongside hydrogen and nuclear to bridge the gap to renewables. Japan’s pursuit of clean coal has been criticised as an attempt to extend the lifespan of coal-fired power plants through co-firing with ammonia. 

The revised Basic Hydrogen Strategy plans to increase Japan’s hydrogen supply sixfold from current levels of two million tonnes to 12 million tonnes by 2040.   

“We will have a higher target for our hydrogen strategy,” said Chief CCabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno at a press conference on Tuesday morning. “Industrial strategy and security strategy pillars are also incorporated. It is a comprehensive strategy the likes of which have never been seen before.”

Vietnam’s government has green-lit a national plan for its power industry. The plan will see the country move away from coal while opening wind and gas avenues. 

By 2030, Vietnam aims to draw a minimum of 30.9% of its energy from renewable sources, increasing to 67.5% by 2050. Offshore wind, from which Vietnam generated no power in 2020, should give the country 15GW by 2035, accounting for around 18.5% of the total power mix. 

The PDP8 also provides guidance for the provision of solar energy. A government statement said: “From now to 2025, there is no limit to the capacity of rooftop solar power development provided that the prices are reasonable and the existing transmission network is not overloaded, particularly in the areas where power shortage is likely to occur.” 

The plan would see Vietnam’s power generation capacity more than double to over 150GW by the end of the decade. 

The PDP8 will require $134.7bn drawn from both government and foreign direct investment (FDI) to reach its 2030 goals. Much of this is expected to come in the form of FDI from G7 countries.

Oil and gas giant Shell plans to sell its household energy supply businesses in the UK, Germany and the Netherlands, the company announced in a press release on Tuesday. 

After a five-month review of its home energy businesses across Europe, beginning in January, the UK-based energy giant confirmed that “a sales process is already underway, with the intent to reach an agreement with a potential buyer in the coming months”. 

Other suppliers including Ovo Energy and Octopus Energy have allegedly launched bids for the unit, according to Bloomberg. 

“Nothing will change for our customers during the sales process,” said Shell in the press release. “We are committed to supporting both customers and staff and protecting customer interests during this period, and to ensuring a seamless transfer to a buyer capable of delivering on its obligations, including our intent to maximise employment.” 

It added: “Neither our B2B wholesale and SME customer supply businesses under the Shell Energy brand, or our home energy retail businesses outside Europe, are in scope of this potential divestment.”

The Australian Government seeks to reduce its dependence on China for processing lithium, the mineral driving the green battery revolution across the world.  

Australia mines about 53% of the world’s lithium supply, selling all of it to China for refining and using in products like electric vehicles (EVs) and mobile phones. Miners in Australia are now looking for ways to produce battery chemicals domestically, closer to where lithium is mined and sold to geopolitical allies like the US.   

On 20 May, Anthony Albanese, the Prime Minister of Australia, and US President Joe Biden announced at the G7 summit that they will strengthen the supply chain for “critical minerals” and invest in clean energy together.  

The two countries intend to establish a taskforce to “expand reliable, responsible and secure global access to critical minerals”. In 2021, the Australian Government also set up a A$2bn ($1.3bn) loan facility to help finance critical minerals projects in the country.  An Australian Government report has projected that more than 20% of the world’s lithium refining could take place in Australia by 2027.