Recycling, Renewables and Sustainable Business 14

Friday, December 20, 2019

Recycling, Renewables and Sustainable Business 14

1          Global Bioplastics Market to Grow by Over 15%
https://www.ptonline.com/blog/post/global-bioplastics-market-to-grow-by-over-15
Earlier this month the results of the European Bioplastics’ annual market data update were presented at the 14th European Bioplastics Conference in Berlin, confirming dynamic growth of the global bioplastics industry. “In an increasingly environmentally conscious environment, the global market for bioplastics is predicted to grow by more than 15% over the next five years,” says Hasso von Pogrell, managing director of European Bioplastics.

2          Seven emerging technologies that will be vital for fighting climate change
https://www.rechargenews.com/transition/seven-emerging-technologies-that-will-be-vital-for-fighting-climate-change/2-1-727169

One of Europe’s leading experts in emerging low-carbon energy technologies has given Recharge an exclusive insight into some of the most promising low-carbon technology developments of the coming years.

As chairman of the European Energy Research Alliance (EERA) — an association of more than 250 public research centres and universities working on low-carbon energy research, made up of about 50,000 researchers across 30 European countries — Nils Røkke has an unmatched perspective on which under-development technologies could have a significant impact on the energy transition.

3          The 2040 outlook for EV battery manufacturing
https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/oil-and-gas/our-insights/recharging-economies-the-ev-battery-manufacturing-outlook-for-europe

With the dawn of electromobility and the resulting increase in EV production, the market for EV batteries has seen consistently high growth rates over the past few years. In 2017, for instance, global EV-battery manufacturers produced an estimated 30 gigawatt-hours of storage capacity, almost 60 percent more than in the previous year—a trend that is poised to continue.

4          What a Year! 10 Stories That Propelled Energy Storage in 2019
https://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/10-stories-that-propelled-energy-storage-in-2019
That said, the U.S. storage market will triple next year and double again the year after that. All this excitement is still just a little snack before the main course. But, like some well-marinated olives or a tin of anchovies, little snacks can pack a lot of flavor.

5          Arguments Against Electric Vehicles Are Running On Empty
https://www.forbes.com/sites/kensilverstein/2019/12/18/the-arguments-against-electric-vehicles-are-running-on-empty-especially-as-coal-fades-and-renewables-advance/

When a few months ago ExxonMobil’s chief executive questioned the value of electric vehicles that are powered mostly by coal, he came up empty. His argument: if such automobiles are juiced by electricity generated by coal, then the net value to the environment is zero and the whole movement is thus a way to make environmentalists feel good. Exxon, of course, is not a disinterested party.

6          Global carbon emissions increase | Stanford News
https://news.stanford.edu/2019/12/03/global-carbon-emission-increase/
The findings are outlined in three new papers published in Earth System Science Data, Environmental Research Letters, and Nature Climate Change. Although the rate of emissions growth is slower than in the previous two years, the researchers warn emissions could keep increasing for a decade or more unless energy, transportation and industry policies change dramatically across the world.

7          New Cross-Industry Consortium to Focus on Chemical Recycling
https://www.ptonline.com/news/new-cross-industry-consortium-to-focus-on-chemical-recycling-
Companies operating across the polyester packaging value chain – including businesses involved in the manufacture, use, collection and recycling of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic packaging – have formed a new consortium that aims to help to address the problem of plastic waste by accelerating the commercialization of BP Infinia enhanced recycling technology.

8          Hydrogen interest grows, but source and scale remain a challenge
https://blogs.platts.com/2019/12/19/hydrogen-interest-source-scale/
Japan’s Kawasaki Heavy Industries last week launched the world’s first ocean-going liquid hydrogen vessel, symbolizing the emergence of hydrogen as a potentially transformative fuel, as the world pursues cleaner energy.

9          BP in Drive to Improve Plastic Recycling
https://www.rigzone.com/news/wire/bp_in_drive_to_improve_plastic_recycling-19-dec-2019-160613-article/

The London-based oil major formed a consortium with users and makers of packaging to accelerate the commercialization of methods to turn difficult-to-recycle plastic waste into components that are easy to reuse, according to a press release on Thursday. The move follows in the footsteps of a competitor Total SA, which announced last week that it would work alongside companies including Nestle SA and Mars Inc. to develop a nascent chemical-recycling industry in France.

10        ETPs take the heat in EVs
https://www.plasticstoday.com/automotive-and-mobility/etps-take-heat-evs/27508575462043

“The shift to electric and hybrid vehicles is inescapable due to regulations. And while pure EVs may only account for 20% of the 2030 global market, that’s still nearly 25 million cars versus one million right now,” says Eugenio Toccalino Vice President, Strategic Marketing, Transportation & Industrial, at DuPont. In all, 75% of the passenger car market is forecast to be either hybrid electric (HEV) or pure electric (EV) by 2030, with immense implications for plastic suppliers and molders.

11        PP makes its case in next-generation EVs
https://www.plasticstoday.com/automotive-and-mobility/pp-makes-its-case-next-generation-evs/48388282362079

With vehicle mass at a premium in electric vehicles (EVs), polypropylene (PP) suppliers are developing an array of materials solutions to engineer weight out of autos and extend the range of EVs, and consequently reduce CO2 emissions. Applications include both exterior and interior parts, both structural and non-structural.

12        Germany to issue first ‘green bond’ in second half of 2020
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-germany-debt-idUSKBN1YN1CM
Germany will launch its first “green bond” with a multi-billion euro issue in the second half of next year, to tap into the booming market for sustainable finance, the government’s finance agency said on Thursday.

13        Denmark bets on green hydrogen
https://www.pv-magazine.com/2019/12/20/denmark-bets-on-green-hydrogen/
The Danish Ministry of Climate, Energy and Utilities has revealed that it will provide DKK 128 million ($19 million) to build two large-scale, renewables-powered energy storage projects.

14        Oil firm Equinor ups stake in solar power firm Scatec
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-scatec-solar-equinor-idUSKBN1YO0FN
Norway’s Equinor has bought a further 5.2% of the shares of solar energy developer Scatec Solar, the oil firm said in a statement late on Thursday, lifting its stake to 15.2%.

15        Fossil fuels fall to record low in Britain’s energy mix, data shows
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/dec/19/fossil-fuels-fall-to-record-low-in-britains-energy-mix-data-shows

Fossil fuels fell to a record low in the UK’s electricity mix in recent months after wind and solar farms generated more energy than any other source for the first time.

16        Energy Analysts Deliver More Bad News for US Fracking Industry’s Business Model
https://www.desmogblog.com/2019/12/17/us-fracking-shale-wood-mackenzie-child-wells
This month, the energy consulting firm Wood MacKenzie gave an online presentation that basically debunked the whole business model of the shale industry.

In this webinar, which explored the declining production rates of oil wells in the Permian region, research director Ben Shattuck noted how it was impossible to accurately forecast how much oil a shale play held based on estimates from existing wells.

17        Largest US Solar Panel Manufacturers By Capacity
https://cleantechnica.com/2019/12/18/largest-us-solar-panel-manufacturers-by-capacity/
Some of the largest US solar panel manufacturers by capacity will probably see growth over the next decade as we (society in general) move toward using more sustainable, renewable energy. The US solar panel manufacturing has certainly matured a great deal in the past decade, with many companies not making it while others grow to lead the pack. Solar Power World has published a list of the largest solar panel manufacturers in the US by production capacity.

18        GE deal means first onshore wind giants to be made-in-Brazil
https://www.rechargenews.com/wind/ge-deal-means-first-onshore-wind-giants-to-be-made-in-brazil/2-1-727324

GE Renewable Energy secured a firm order to supply 30 Cypress turbines to a wind farm in Brazil, its second for the platform in the country but the first to see local production of its largest onshore machines.

19        How electric vehicles could change the load curve
https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/automotive-and-assembly/our-insights/the-potential-impact-of-electric-vehicles-on-global-energy-systems

Could electric vehicles (EVs) soon face a different kind of gridlock? With the electrification of mobility accelerating, energy producers and distributors need to understand the potential impact of EVs on electricity demand (Exhibit 1). The good news: McKinsey analysis suggests the projected growth in e-mobility will not drive substantial increases in total electrical-grid power demand in the near to midterm, thus limiting the need for new electricity-generation capacity during that period.

20        Darkness before dawn: China’s solar equipment sector loses its shine
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-energy-renewables-solar-idUSKBN1YM0LU
China’s quick-growing solar equipment makers, forecast to meet half of global demand by the mid 2020s, are ramping up overseas sales to stave off closure after the elimination of government subsidies pushed domestic installations to a five-year low.

Business Intelligence and Analytics 43

Friday, December 20, 2019

Business Intelligence and Analytics 43

1          Google’s New Explainable AI Service
https://www.kdnuggets.com/2019/12/googles-new-explainable-ai-service.html
Artificial intelligence is set to transform global productivity, working patterns, and lifestyles and create enormous wealth.

Research firm Gartner expects the global AI economy to increase from about $1.2 trillion last year to about $3.9 Trillion by 2022, while McKinsey sees it delivering global economic activity of around $13 trillion by 2030.

2          Is deep learning a game changer for marketing analytics?
http://mitsloanexperts.mit.edu/is-deep-learning-a-game-changer-for-marketing-analytics/

Deep learning is delivering impressive results in AI applications. Apple’s Siri, for example, translates the human voice into computer commands that allow iPhone owners to get answers to questions, send messages, and navigate their way to and from obscure locations. Automated driving enables people today to go hands-free on expressways, and it will eventually do the same on city streets. In biology, researchers are creating new molecules for DNA-based pharmaceuticals.

3          The Most In Demand Tech Skills for Data Scientists
https://www.kdnuggets.com/2019/12/most-demand-tech-skills-data-scientists.html
In fall of 2018 I analyzed the most in demand skills and technologies for data scientists. That article resonated with folks. It has over 11,000 claps on Medium, was translated into several languages, and was the most popular story on KD Nuggets for November 2018.

4          Can AI-Fueled Digital Marketing Change Landscape and Fuel Growth?
https://martechseries.com/mts-insights/guest-authors/can-ai-fueled-digital-marketing-change-landscape-fuel-growth/

Digital Marketing is not as easy as it reads. It is facing numerous challenges. With everyday growing websites, and everyone competing to rank on the first pages of SERPs, the competition has become tougher than ever. However, the rising of challenges has also given the birth of rising of new technologies. Nowadays, terms like Blockchain, Artificial Intelligence, Internet-of-Things, Machine Learning, Data Science, etc. have found their strong places in human minds across various industries at a global level.

5          Model beats Wall Street analysts in forecasting business financials
http://news.mit.edu/2019/model-beats-wall-street-forecasts-business-sales-1219
Knowing a company’s true sales can help determine its value. Investors, for instance, often employ financial analysts to predict a company’s upcoming earnings using various public data, computational tools, and their own intuition. Now MIT researchers have developed an automated model that significantly outperforms humans in predicting business sales using very limited, “noisy” data.

6          5 Ways to Apply Ethics to AI
https://www.kdnuggets.com/2019/12/5-ways-apply-ethics-ai.html
I have researched this topic quite a lot, and during that time I have found a number of stories that made a huge impression on me. Here are six more lessons based on real life examples that I think we should all remember as people working in machine learning, whether you’re a researcher, engineer, or a decision-maker.

7          How to Avoid All-or-Nothing Thinking in Your Tech Strategy
https://sloanreview.mit.edu/article/how-to-avoid-all-or-nothing-thinking-in-your-tech-strategy/
Companies’ failure to innovate exposes them to risk and has a huge impact on the global economy.

8          What Employees Tell Us About Automation and Re-skilling
https://sloanreview.mit.edu/article/what-employees-tell-us-about-automation-and-re-skilling/
There is an ever greater focus on the impact of automation on work and what it will mean for jobs. Certain kinds of routine work are on the front lines, including the analytical activities of administrative assistants and bank cashiers, and the manual jobs of warehouse assistants, assembly line workers, and delivery drivers. Many tasks within these jobs are likely to be automated: For instance, delivery workers now scan packages and generate automated driving statistics.

9          8 Superstar Video Chat & Conferencing Apps for Business
https://www.searchenginejournal.com/video-conferencing-chat-apps/334977/
As marketers, we constantly focus on what we’re doing and why we’re doing it. We need to make sure the tasks we undertake (the what) contribute to purposeful goals that make a difference (the why). While this approach makes sense, we often neglect the process; namely how we do what we do.

10        4 Easy Tricks for Improving Your Bounce Rate in 2020
https://www.business2community.com/consumer-marketing/4-easy-tricks-for-improving-your-bounce-rate-in-2020-02269121

Do you have an unusually high bounce rate? Are you looking for a way to keep customers on your website? Are you just now hearing the term bounce rate and want to know more? If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, you’re in the right place.

11        In the New Year, Try These 8 Things to Stay Constantly Improving at Work
https://www.business2community.com/workplace-culture/in-the-new-year-try-these-8-things-to-stay-constantly-improving-at-work-02268932

With the changing seasons, holiday decorations, and cheery music flowing from seemingly every storefront, one thing is clear — the end of the year is upon us, and 2020 is not far away. Here are some ways that you can stay constantly improving once 2020 arrives

12        Statistics for Data Science in One Picture
https://www.datasciencecentral.com/profiles/blogs/statistics-for-data-science-in-one-picture
There’s no doubt about it, probability and statistics is an enormous field, encompassing topics from the familiar (like the average) to the complex (regression analysis, correlation coefficients and hypothesis testing to name but a few). If you want to be a great data scientist, you have to know some basic statistics. The following picture shows which statistics topics you must know if you’re going to excel in data science.

Energy, Petrochemicals and Plastics 42

Friday, December 13, 2019

Energy, Petrochemicals and Plastics 42

1          Five commodity themes for 2020
https://blogs.platts.com/2019/12/12/five-commodity-themes-2020/
What will be the biggest drivers and concerns for global commodity and energy markets in 2020? S&P Global Platts president Martin Fraenkel shares his outlook. This year has been marked by a tug of war between geopolitical tensions and macroeconomic concerns, rangebound commodity prices and – perhaps most importantly – rising consumer awareness of climate change. As we look ahead to 2020, we think the year will bring some of these themes into even sharper focus.

2          Oil Price Fundamental Daily Forecast
https://www.fxempire.com/forecasts/article/oil-price-fundamental-daily-forecast-gaining-support-from-weaker-u-s-dollar-619717

U.S. West Texas Intermediate and international-benchmark Brent crude oil futures are trading at their highest levels in three months on Friday in response to the news that the United States and China had reached a “phase one” trade agreement. Furthermore, Britain’s general election result appears to have raised the spirits of oil traders.

3          Natural Gas Price Fundamental Daily Forecast
https://www.fxempire.com/forecasts/article/natural-gas-price-fundamental-daily-forecast-prices-flip-back-to-bearish-on-suspected-change-in-forecast-to-warmer-619702

The bulls that drove natural gas prices sharply higher on Thursday, turned into bears overnight as prices are plunging early Friday, setting up for a weaker regular session in New York. Yesterday, prices soared as demand re-emerged in the latest European weather models, however, today’s early price action suggests this demand may have been erased in the overnight American and/or European weather forecasts.

4          Volume Resin Prices Down-to-Flat Going into First Quarter of 2020: Plastics Technology
https://www.ptonline.com/blog/post/volume-resin-prices-down-to-flat-going-into-first-quarter-of-2020
The price trajectory for nearly all volume resins is down-to-flat as we move from December to first quarter of the new decade. Prices of PE, PP, PS and PVC are likely to bottom out this month, while prices of PET and nylon 6 could drop further, and flat or modestly down prices are projected for ABS, PC, and nylon 66.

5          Weekly resin report: Flurry of trading activity starts the month
https://www.plasticstoday.com/resin-pricing/weekly-resin-report-flurry-trading-activity-starts-month/181810543462018

The spot resin markets ushered in December with a bang—order flow from both buyers and sellers was moderate to heavy, reports the PlasticsExchange (Chicago) in its Market Update. Spot prices for select commodity grades continued to slide, and most realistic transactions came to completion with relative ease.

6          Mexico’s Pemex announces discovery of ‘giant’ crude oil deposit
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-mexico-pemex-idUSKBN1YB046

Mexican state oil company Pemex said on Friday it has discovered a deposit in southeastern Mexico that could yield 500 million barrels of crude, calling it the largest such finding in more than 30 years.

7          E&P 2020 Forecast: Deepwater bucking the trend
https://www.rystadenergy.com/newsevents/news/press-releases/ep-2020-forecast-deepwater-bucking-the-trend/

Rystad Energy is forecasting that overall global upstream investments in 2020 will decrease by around 4%. Investments in shale/tight oil are expected to contract the most next year by almost 12%. Rystad Energy believes that the lower oil price and weaker cash flows will force shale companies to reduce activity. Deepwater is the only segment expected to grow above 5% next year, spelling a boom for the industry.

8          IEA: An Oil Glut Is Inevitable In 2020
https://oilprice.com/Energy/Crude-Oil/IEA-An-Oil-Glut-Is-Inevitable-In-2020.html
Despite the OPEC+ cuts, the oil market is still facing a supply surplus in 2020, according to a new report from the International Energy Agency (IEA).

9          The Boom in Plastics
https://www.maritime-executive.com/magazine/the-boom-in-plastics

The increase in the production of petrochemicals, spurred by the abundance of shale gas as feedstock and the demand for ethane – a key component in plastics – has prompted energy companies to continue investing billions of dollars in the petrochemical sector.

10        Major US Jan-Oct chem exports rise 22%, imports fall 3%
https://www.icis.com/explore/resources/news/2019/12/12/10452597/major-us-jan-oct-chem-exports-rise-22-imports-fall-3

Eight US petrochemicals continued to push US exports higher with solid double-digit gains during the first 10 months of this year, according to statistics tracked by ICIS.

Five polymers, methanol, styrene and ethylene glycol (EG) accounted for 83% of all chemical exports, with the three major grades of polyethylene (PE) generating year on year gains of 44-45% each and EG more than doubling.

11        Energy stock pain to continue in 2020, but an uptick seems near
https://www.worldoil.com/news/2019/12/13/energy-stock-pain-to-continue-in-2020-but-an-uptick-seems-near

“We are in an environment where the playbook to kick off the year reads like a rinse and repeat from past years,” CIBC Capital Markets’ energy team said in a note to clients. The team added that “it’s also one that doesn’t require anyone to be a hero or to take on more heartburn than is necessary.”

12        IEA Pours Cold Water Over OPEC+ Optimism
https://oilprice.com/Energy/Crude-Oil/IEA-Pours-Cold-Water-Over-OPEC-Optimism.html
Despite deeper OPEC+ production cuts, global oil supply will be about 700,000 bpd in excess of consumption in early 2020, the International Energy Agency said in its latest monthly Oil Market Report.

13        Shipping industry sails into unknown with new pollution rules
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-shipping-imo-insurance-insight-idUSKBN1YG0HM
Faced with imminent new global marine pollution rules, shipping companies and insurers are puzzling over the risks.

14        Big E&P spending still needed, but fields with break-even above $60 are priced out
https://www.rystadenergy.com/newsevents/news/press-releases/big-ep-spending-still-needed-but-fields-with-break-even-above-$60-are-priced-out/

Energy projects that need oil prices above $60 per barrel in order to break even risk being uncommercial going forward, according to Rystad Energy. However, massive investments in exploration and sanctioning are still needed to meet growing global demand.

15        Chevron’s charge points to billions more in U.S. gas writedowns: analysts
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-chevron-outlook-natgas-idUSKBN1YF1WW
Oil and gas producers could wipe billions of dollars off the value of U.S. natural gas assets in the months ahead, analysts said on Wednesday, after Chevron Corp became the fourth oil major to slash its estimates for sector values.

16        Trafigura’s 2019 ‘knock-out’ trading profits undermined by write-offs
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-trafigura-results-idUSKBN1YF1FO
Global commodity trader Trafigura Group reported its lowest annual net profit in nearly a decade after a string of losses in its physical asset portfolio undermined a record year in oil trading.

17        These Secretive Oil Companies Control $3 Trillion In Wealth
https://oilprice.com/Energy/Energy-General/These-Secretive-Oil-Companies-Control-3-Trillion-In-Wealth.html

They control the vast majority of the world’s oil and gas assets, yet the average person has never even heard of them, outside of those that are famous for things like getting attacked by missiles or becoming embroiled in a high-profile corruption scandal.

Recycling, Renewables and Sustainable Business 13

Friday, December 13, 2019

Recycling, Renewables and Sustainable Business 13

1          Denmark plans $30 billion offshore wind island that could power 10 million homes
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-climate-change-denmark-idUSKBN1YE1G6

Denmark is moving forward with plans to build an artificial island tying in power from offshore wind farms of up to 10 gigawatts (GW) of capacity, more than enough to supply all households, as part of efforts to meet ambitious climate change targets.

2          Climate change is the worst environmental problem in global history
https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2019-10-28/climate-change-global-pollutants
Even now that most of the world has acknowledged that climate change is real and caused by humans, combating it has proved daunting. Why? There are five features that combine to make global warming a more vexing environmental crisis than any we have faced before.

3          Latest EDGAR Report Finds Concern Over Rising Global Carbon Emissions
https://cleantechnica.com/2019/12/11/latest-edgar-report-finds-concern-over-rising-global-carbon-emissions/

As countries gather for this year’s United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP25), the 2018 statistics on global carbon emissions have been released and there’s cause to be gravely concerned.

4          Cleaner and greener: Cleaning products, sustainability and packaging
https://www.plasticstoday.com/packaging/cleaner-and-greener-cleaning-products-sustainability-and-packaging/88796399362036

Improving sustainability in packaging is challenging enough for food and beverage products, for example, but the goals and options to do likewise for cleaning products is more complicated.

5          Could The Majors Take A Fast-Track Route To Lower Emissions Intensity?
https://www.woodmac.com/news/opinion/could-the-majors-take-a-fast-track-route-to-lower-emissions-intensity/

Four of the Majors would see their average upstream emissions intensity fall at least 10% if the single largest contributor alone was removed from the portfolio.

6          Kicking The Hydrocarbon Habit
https://www.woodmac.com/news/the-edge/kicking-the-hydrocarbon-habit–part-ii/
Our accelerated energy transition (AET) scenario gives a glimpse into how energy and natural resources demand could change in the next two decades. The AET scenario flexes our base case to see how close the world can get to kicking the hydrocarbon habit. More specifically, how quickly the world can stop carbon emissions rising and move towards a 2 °C pathway. I asked the energy transition team – Jonny Sultoon, Prakash Sharma and David Brown – what the future looks like.

7          Global Bioplastics Market to Grow by Over 15%: Plastics Technology
https://www.ptonline.com/blog/post/global-bioplastics-market-to-grow-by-over-15
Earlier this month the results of the European Bioplastics’ annual market data update were presented at the 14th European Bioplastics Conference in Berlin, confirming dynamic growth of the global bioplastics industry. “In an increasingly environmentally conscious environment, the global market for bioplastics is predicted to grow by more than 15% over the next five years,” says Hasso von Pogrell, managing director of European Bioplastics.

8          The race to lay claim on the Bering Strait as Arctic ice retreats | Environment
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/dec/12/bering-strait-northwest-passage-arctic-ice-melts

I could not keep my eyes off the graves, could not stop staring at them even as I walked away, turning repeatedly to look over my shoulder at them as I slogged my way across the gravel-strewn shore of Beechey Island until they disappeared from view.

9          It should be the goal of every business to protect our planet
https://www.blog.google/outreach-initiatives/sustainability/cop25-every-business-protect-our-planet/

Today, at the start of the 25th annual United Nations Climate Change Conference, Google is joining 70 other companies and union leaders to call for the United States to stay in the Paris Agreement. We’re also sharing what Google is doing as a global innovator in renewable energy markets, and to build responsible supply chains and products that use AI to drive sustainability.

10        China will add 40 GW of solar in 2020
https://www.pv-magazine.com/2019/12/13/cpia-china-will-add-40-gw-of-solar-in-2020/
The head of China’s solar industry association has stated the National Energy Administration is fine-tuning its solar policy for next year and will formally publish its decision shortly.

11        China NEV regime takes off training wheels as Beijing slashes subsidies
https://blogs.platts.com/2019/12/11/china-nev-regime-government-subsidies/
China has put leadership in the development of New Energy Vehicles (NEVs) – battery electric, plug in hybrid and fuel cell vehicles – at the heart of its industrial policy.

The country is the world’s largest market for electric vehicles, with 2.3 million battery electric and plug in hybrid vehicles on the road in 2018, accounting for 45% of the global stock.

12        Emerging Tech That Will Help Revive Our Infrastructure
https://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/emerging-tech-that-will-help-revive-our-infrastructure
America’s physical infrastructure is in the dumps. The American Society of Civil Engineers regularly gives the country’s infrastructure a near-failing grade.

We need to rebuild a lot of stuff. Hardening our roads, grids, buildings, transit systems has a climate context to it: we need to do it better and we need to do it cleaner.

13        Mitsubishi EV batteries come full circle in 1MWh BESS install at manufacturing plant
https://www.energy-storage.news/news/mitsubishi-ev-batteries-come-full-circle-in-1mwh-bess-install-at-manufactur

A solar-plus-storage sysem is to power the manufacturing of electric vehicles (EVs) at Mitsubishi Motors Corporation’s (MMC) Okazaki Plant in Japan.

14        Tesla Scores 77% of US Electric Auto Sales in November
https://cleantechnica.com/2019/12/13/tesla-scores-77-of-us-electric-vehicle-sales-cleantechnica-report/
In the world of cleantech, the two biggest topics (and needs) are clean, renewable electricity production and clean electric transport. The former, the renewable energy market, is a more mature market, with renewable energy routinely accounting for more than half of new global power capacity and new US power capacity.

15        How Much Oil Does The $1.5 Trillion Fashion Industry Use?
https://oilprice.com/Energy/Energy-General/How-Much-Oil-Does-The-15-Trillion-Fashion-Industry-Use.html

Chances are, you’re wearing fossil fuels right now–and for the record, you look great.

Chances are, Greta Thunberg is getting ready to push her ‘flight-shaming’ campaign into the realm of fashion, because this $1.5-trillion global fashion industry is said by some to be producing more CO2 than international flights and shipping.

16        A muted impact from the IMO 2020 ship fuel regulations
https://www.woodmac.com/news/opinion/europes-moonshot-moment-as-it-aims-for-zero-net-emissions-in-2050/

From the time the International Maritime Organization first agreed its new global rules for the sulphur content of shipping fuels back in 2016, there were warnings that they could cause huge disruption in world crude and products markets. With three weeks to go before the regulations take effect on January 1, it seems clear that the impact has been less traumatic than some had feared.

17        EU leaders meet to try to agree on carbon neutrality by 2050 | Environment
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/dec/12/eu-leaders-meet-again-to-try-to-agree-carbon-neutrality-by-2050

European leaders meeting at a summit in Brussels will make a new attempt to set the European Union on course for carbon neutrality by 2050, in a test of the bloc’s credibility on the climate emergency.

18        Converting Plastic Waste Into Construction Materials
https://cleantechnica.com/2019/12/10/converting-plastic-waste-into-construction-materials/
Each year, about 300 million tons of waste plastic are produced, according to UNEP. Plastic waste accumulates just about everywhere from oceans, bays, and coastlines to riversheds, lakes, and population centers. It’s a well-known global problem, and yet where are the solutions? The Center for Regenerative Design and Collaboration (CRDC), which is based in Costa Rica, has been developing a process to convert waste plastic into building materials like bricks and concrete. The President and CEO at CRDC, Donald Thompson, answered some questions about the materials for CleanTechnica.

Business Intelligence and Analytics 42

Friday, December 13, 2019

Business Intelligence and Analytics 42

1          6 Success Factors For An Oil And Gas Data Consortium
https://www.woodmac.com/news/feature/6-success-factors-for-an-oil-and-gas-data-consortium/
From the outset, it’s vital to bring in an independent third party. That way, consortium members can rest assured the analytics are statistically sound and prepared without bias.

2          What is the CRISP-DM methodology?
https://www.sv-europe.com/crisp-dm-methodology/

CRISP-DM stands for cross-industry process for data mining. The CRISP-DM methodology provides a structured approach to planning a data mining project. It is a robust and well-proven methodology. We do not claim any ownership over it. We did not invent it. We are however evangelists of its powerful practicality, its flexibility and its usefulness when using analytics to solve thorny business issues. It is the golden thread than runs through almost every client engagement. The CRISP-DM model is shown on the right.

3          Case Study: Comparison of Los Angeles and New York Airbnb listings and trends using CRISP-DM
https://feedly.com/i/entry/pC8eyprOu8BZHgA6hwFmQZIQlJUhxSGSyzTSLmmNQSw=_16effbdf217:3241b2:a02fd466

So, you can put together an elegant database query, have mastered the latest machine learning algorithms, are fluent in multitude of statistical techniques, have no problems with distributed computing on massive data sets, write production worthy code in your sleep, and even took a course or two on data visualization and can put together a cool looking presentation.

4          Introduction to Forecasting with ARIMA in R – Lessons in Data Science
https://datasciencelessons.com/2019/12/13/introduction-to-forecasting-with-arima-in-r/
If you’re not using XTS objects to perform your forecasting in R, then you are likely missing out! The major benefits that we’ll explore throughout is that these objects are a lot easier to work with when it comes to modeling, forecasting, & visualization.

5          Big Data: What Is It and How Does It Work?
https://www.business2community.com/big-data/big-data-what-is-it-and-how-does-it-work-02265540
More and more data is being created every day. We are storing more information for each person, and we are even starting to store more information from devices, too. Internet of Things is not something imaginary and really soon even your coffee machine will be tracking your coffee drinking habits and storing them on the cloud. The term Big Data first appeared in the 60’s, but it is taking on a new importance nowadays.

6          Be a Data Science Prefect with these Projects

https://feedly.com/i/entry/pC8eyprOu8BZHgA6hwFmQZIQlJUhxSGSyzTSLmmNQSw=_16effb380bb:26728:d0c89438

If you’re an aspiring Data Scientist or looking for a shift to a Data Science career, you’ll most likely be looking to whetting your skills collecting, cleaning and analysing data to answer a variety of challenging business questions and these projects are gonna help you in the same. I have listed below 3 Data Science projects that you can do in 3 weeks.

7          Let’s talk about the top technologies, trends or predictions
https://feedly.com/i/entry/pC8eyprOu8BZHgA6hwFmQZIQlJUhxSGSyzTSLmmNQSw=_16efaa83f7a:c144e:d0c89438

Software engineering is a massive field that has a lot of scope and potential. Many engineers wish to enter the field of software engineering simply because they know the industry will never die. There is a lot happening in the software industry and a lot more seems likely to happen in 2020. So, if you are either planning to enter the world of software or if you wish to speed up your career, then you should focus on the latest happenings. In this article, we will talk about the top software engineering trends of 2020.

8          Using data to create better lead-generating emails
https://www.smartinsights.com/digital-marketing-strategy/using-data-to-create-better-lead-generating-emails/

When these hyper-personalized emails miss the mark, they aren’t just ineffective, they’re downright unsettling. According to a RichRelevance study, despite mostly enjoying personalized experiences from brands, up to 75% of US consumersdeemed most forms of personalized business communications “at least somewhat creepy.”

9          9 Ways to Increase Landing Page Conversions
https://marketinginsidergroup.com/demand-generation/9-ways-to-increase-landing-page-conversions/

Many companies implement an SEO strategy – experiencing varying degrees of success, it’s clear the benefits of SEO are worth your company’s time. SEO is a great concept and useful in achieving a goal. The objective, like many other business activities, is to convert leads into sales.

10        Referral Marketing Strategies to Try in 2020
https://www.business2community.com/marketing/referral-marketing-strategies-to-try-in-2020-02265967

As marketers start to plan for the coming year, there are a few key referral marketing strategies and notable social media trends to consider. How are you leveraging the power of word-of-mouth with your customers? Are you running multiple programs, like affiliate and influencer campaigns? Are you using new platforms like Tik-Tok? Are you engaging partners to expand your reach?

11        The imperative to automate business processes
https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/operations/our-insights/the-automation-imperative
Organizations in every region and industry are automating at least some business processes, yet only a slight majority have succeeded at meeting their targets, according to a new McKinsey Global Survey on the topic.

12        5 Great New Features in Latest Scikit-learn Release
https://www.kdnuggets.com/2019/12/5-features-scikit-learn-release-highlights.html
The latest release of Python’s workhorse machine learning library includes a number of new features and bug fixes. You can find a full accounting of these changes from the official Scikit-learn 0.22 release highlights, and can read find the change log here.

13        A journey from basic prototype to production-ready Shiny dashboard
https://www.r-bloggers.com/a-journey-from-basic-prototype-to-production-ready-shiny-dashboard/

As web dashboards have become the norm for interacting with data, looks and added functionality have taken a more prominent role. Dashboard users expect the typical look and feel and interactivity they get when surfing the web. To help fill the gap between data scientists and developers, packages that simplify and streamline the dashboard creation process have become more important as part of the dashboard creation workflow.

14        Challenges Faced by a Data Scientist and How to Overcome Them?
https://www.datasciencecentral.com/profiles/blogs/challenges-faced-by-a-data-scientist-and-how-to-overcome-them

Data Scientist is regarded as the sexiest job of the 21st century. It is a high paying lucrative jobs which comes with a lot of responsibility and commitment. Any professional needs to master state-of-the-art skills and technologies to become a Data Scientist in the modern world. It is a profession where people from different disciplines could fit in as there are a plethora of specialties embedded in a Data Scientist role.

15        Reinforcement Learning to Reduce Building Energy Consumption
https://www.datasciencecentral.com/profiles/blogs/reinforcement-learning-to-reduce-building-energy-consumption

Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning of buildings accounts alone for nearly 40% of the global energy demand [1].

The need for Energy Savings has become increasily foundamental to fight Climate Change. We have been working on a cloud-based RL algorithm that can retrofit existing HVAC controls to obtain substantial results.

Energy, Petrochemicals and Plastics 41

Friday, December 6, 2019

Energy, Petrochemicals and Plastics 41

1          Is There Strength Behind Russia And China’s New Power Of Siberia Pipeline?
https://www.forbes.com/sites/arielcohen/2019/12/06/is-there-strength-behind-russia-and-chinas-new-power-of-siberia-pipeline/

December 2nd was a notable day in the strategic relationship between Beijing and Moscow, which saw the first shipments of Russian natural gas to China via the much-awaited Power of Siberia pipeline.  The $55 billion project is Russia’s most significant energy undertaking since the collapse of the Soviet Union, part of a larger $400 billion deal to supply China with 38 billion cubic meters of natural gas (bcm) per year for 30 years.

2          Oil Price Fundamental Daily Forecast
https://www.fxempire.com/forecasts/article/oil-price-fundamental-daily-forecast-traders-may-use-production-cut-disappointment-as-excuse-to-book-profits-617897

U.S. West Texas Intermediate and international-benchmark Brent crude oil futures are edging lower on Friday shortly after the regular session opening. Nonetheless, the markets are set to post a weekly gain as OPEC+ kicks off its meeting in Vienna.

3          Natural Gas Price Fundamental Daily Forecast
https://www.fxempire.com/forecasts/article/natural-gas-price-fundamental-daily-forecast-dangerous-weekend-ahead-due-to-potential-big-weather-shifts-617817

Natural gas futures are inching lower early Friday as confusing weather forecasts continue to limit the price action in either direction. Traders received no help from yesterday’s government weekly storage report which came in lower than expected, but inside a wide range of estimates. The technical chart pattern this week suggests investor indecision. However, it also indicates impending volatility, which could mean a breakout move is coming once traders get some clarity.

4          Weekly resin report: Get ready for end-of-year deals
https://www.plasticstoday.com/resin-pricing/weekly-resin-report-get-ready-end-year-deals/88411374461971

Overall spot resin prices were steady during the short Thanksgiving week. Sharp discounts continued to fly for off-grade railcars, while resellers maintained their efforts to trim uncommitted warehoused resins, reports the PlasticsExchange (Chicago) in its Market Update. Buying was generally good: Some procured material for December usage, while others required rush deliveries to stay in production over the long Thanksgiving weekend.

5          Americas: The week ahead in petrochemicals
https://www.spglobal.com/platts/en/market-insights/latest-news/petrochemicals/120219-americas-the-week-ahead-in-petrochemicals

US November ethylene contract prices are expected to finalize this week, a trade source said. Spot ethylene prices rose 0.75 cent week on week. Lower spot polymer-grade propylene pricing is anticipated because of year-end selling by producers. However, spot PGP prices also inched 0.75 cent higher last week. Meanwhile, refinery-grade propylene prices fell to their lowest level since January 2017 at 17.25 cents/lb, according to S&P Global Platts data.

6          Global oil stocks will balloon if OPEC fails to agree on deeper production cuts
https://www.rystadenergy.com/newsevents/news/press-releases/global-oil-stocks-will-balloon-if-OPEC-fails-to-agree-on-deeper-production-cuts/

Barring additional oil production cuts by OPEC in 2020, Rystad Energy forecasts a substantial build of global crude stocks and a corresponding drop in oil prices.

A showdown is taking place in Vienna as OPEC countries plus Russia will gather in the Austrian capital on 5-6 December to discuss oil output levels in 2020.

7          U.S. Chemical Industry Soars | Chemical Processing
https://www.chemicalprocessing.com/articles/2019/strong-outlook-bolsters-u-s-chemical-industry/

Economic growth in the United States remained dynamic at the end of 2018 with gains in manufacturing double what they were a year ago. However, all the world’s other major economies have slowed, ending a rare period of synchronized expansion.

8          Shale Has Delinked US Oil and Gas Prices
https://www.rigzone.com/news/shale_has_delinked_us_oil_and_gas_prices-06-dec-2019-160504-article/

The relationship between crude oil (WTI) and natural gas (Henry Hub) prices has long been an essential one. These two sources of energy are intrinsically linked, and together supply over 60 percent of U.S. and global energy. Especially over the past decade, oil and gas are being produced by the same companies. Even the oil majors like Shell and ExxonMobil are increasingly positioning themselves as gas giants. They realize, of course, that gas is the centerpiece strategy around the world to cut greenhouse gas emissions, backup wind and solar, and provide reliable and affordable energy.

9          Big year ahead for oil and gas opportunities
https://www.energyvoice.com/oilandgas/north-sea/213263/big-year-ahead-for-oil-and-gas-opportunities/

As some of the North Sea’s private equity-backed players prepare themselves for public listings, 2020 is expected to be a “big year” for gauging the size of investors’ appetites.

10        OPEC+ Agrees to Redistribute Oil Cuts
https://www.rigzone.com/news/wire/opec_agrees_to_redistribute_oil_cuts-06-dec-2019-160513-article/

OPEC+ will adjust its output target and redistribute production cuts between its members under pressure from Saudi Arabia, which has long carried an outsized share of the burden.

11        GPCA ’19: GCC to make further investments in petrochemicals
https://www.icis.com/explore/resources/news/2019/12/02/10450000/gpca-19-gcc-to-make-further-investments-in-petrochemicals

The Gulf Cooperation Council’s (GCC) chemicals industry will continue attract new investments as the region explores more higher-value downstream opportunities amid continued volatility in oil prices and as benefits from cheap feedstocks ease.

12        Moody’s drops Exxon’s credit outlook to “negative” over cash-flow concerns
https://ieefa.org/moodys-drops-exxons-credit-outlook-to-negative-over-cash-flow-concerns/
Exxon Mobil is outspending its cash flow to fund its growth efforts, leading Moody’s to downgrade the company’s credit outlook this week.

Moody’s cut its outlook on Exxon Mobil’s (ticker: XOM) rating to ‘Negative’ from ‘Stable,’ while reaffirming the company’s Aaa rating. Moody’s still considers Exxon’s debt to be safer than many of its rivals because of the company’s larger oil and gas reserves. But the risks are rising.

Recycling, Renewables and Sustainable Business 12

Friday, December 6, 2019

Recycling, Renewables and Sustainable Business 12

1          US utilities race to slash emissions as ESG reporting takes off
https://blogs.platts.com/2019/12/03/us-utilities-emissions-esg-reporting/

The year 2019 may come to be seen as pivotal in the transformation of the US electricity sector.

A drive by dozens of US electricity utility holding companies to provide ESG reports has brought to the forefront numerous new commitments to zero carbon emission goals, and an accompanying surge in plans to install thousands of megawatts of wind and solar generation over the next few decades.

2          The European Investment Bank Has Quit Fossil Fuels. What Now?
https://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/the-european-investment-bank-has-quit-fossil-fuels-what-now

With an annual outlay in the energy sector of €15 billion ($16.6 billion), the European Investment Bank (EIB) is one of the sector’s biggest lenders.

And for every euro the EIB puts into a project or business, around seven more are invested by the private sector. That’s around €120 billion ($133 billion) of public and private investment in the energy sector that stems from the EIB’s choices. According to the IEA, global renewables investment in 2018 was $300 billion.

3          Repsol to cut carbon emissions to net zero by 2050 at $5.3 billion cost
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-repsol-emissions-idUSKBN1Y6243

pain’s Repsol (REP.MC) pledged on Monday to reduce net carbon emissions from its operations and most of its products to zero by 2050 and absorb a 4.8 billion euro ($5.3 billion) hit to the value of its oil and gas assets in the process.

4          Exclusive: Big four auditors face investor calls for tougher climate scrutiny
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-climate-change-accounts-exclusive-idUSKBN1Y21XK

European investors managing assets worth more than 1 trillion pounds ($1.28 trillion) are pressing top auditors to take urgent action on climate-related risks, warning that failure to do so could do more damage than the financial crisis.

5          Kate Brandt Is Turning Google into a Green Powerhouse
https://www.outsideonline.com/2323696/kate-brandt-google-sustainability
She helped the Navy, the White House, and the entire federal government become more eco-friendly. Now Kate Brandt is tackling her most ambitious sustainability project yet.

She’s now charged with turning Google into the world leader in environmental practices.

6          Grupo Mexico picks Invenergy to develpp 168MW wind farm
https://www.rechargenews.com/wind/grupo-mexico-picks-invenergy-to-develpp-168mw-wind-farm/2-1-719938

Mexican industrial conglomerate Grupo Mexico Infraestrutura has hired US developer Invenergy to build a 168MW wind farm in the state of Nuevo León in order to supply power to industries and corporate consumers.

Total investment in the project is estimated at $250m and it includes a 60km transmission line to link the project to Mexico’s power grid.

7          How Much Crude Oil Do You Unknowingly Eat?
https://oilprice.com/Energy/Crude-Oil/How-Much-Crude-Oil-Do-You-Unknowingly-Eat.html

You may think (or hope) that in your daily life you don’t need to worry about unknowingly eating or otherwise ingesting crude oil or any of its many, many petrochemical byproducts. But you would be wrong. And not just a little wrong–very, very wrong. Petroleum-based substances are in all kinds of innocuous-seeming things that we willingly put into our bodies. Even though petrochemicals are not technically (or really any other adverb you want to insert here) edible, we eat quite a lot of them.

8          New study analyzes viability of sustainable fuels — ScienceDaily
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/11/191126091311.htm
A technology developed at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory and scaled up by Vertimass LLC to convert ethanol into fuels suitable for aviation, shipping and other heavy-duty applications can be price-competitive with conventional fuels while retaining the sustainability benefits of bio-based ethanol, according to a new analysis.

9          Corporate renewable energy on trend as Ralph Lauren joins RE100
https://www.rechargenews.com/transition/corporate-renewable-energy-on-trend-as-ralph-lauren-joins-re100/2-1-716540

Ralph Lauren is among the latest recruits to the RE100 group of corporations backing a move to 100% renewable energy use.

The global fashion group is one of three new signatories to RE100, which said its members now number more than 200 as it demanded action to remove barriers to corporate renewable energy by governments attending the COP25 climate summitin Madrid.

10        Europe’s Offshore Wind Market Grapples With New Local Content Demands
https://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/over-zealous-local-content-rules-could-slow-energy-transition-warns-siemens

Demands for local content and manufacturing are growing louder in many offshore wind markets, and that includes the world’s most advanced and locally supplied market: Europe.

11        Renewable Hydrogen News: Power-to-Gas Mania Hits Maine
https://cleantechnica.com/2019/12/02/renewable-hydrogen-news-power-to-gas-mania-hits-maine/
Power-to-gas technology has been floating around on the CleanTechnica radar for several years now, and it looks like the great state of Maine could be the first in the US to push it into the mainstream. That’s good news for fans of renewable hydrogen, because renewable hydrogen is what puts the gas in power-to-gas. The question is, why Maine?

12        The Myth of Whole Home Battery Backup
https://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/the-myth-of-whole-home-battery-backup
Battery backup systems coupled with solar are being hailed as the best solution to Public Safety Power Shutoffs in California — not to mention our archaic electric grid.

Business Intelligence and Analytics 41

Friday, December 6, 2019

Business Intelligence and Analytics 41

1          A Simple Three-Step Process For Generating Value Through Business Intelligence
https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesbusinesscouncil/2019/11/21/a-simple-three-step-process-for-generating-value-through-business-intelligence/

As data becomes more readily available, organizations face the question of how to effectively manage and use it in a competitive landscape. Many companies are realizing the need for and value of collecting, storing and analyzing data. Just look at a couple of examples of market activity in various industries: In December 2018, Nasdaq acquired Quandl, which is a company that “offers alternative data to over 30,000 monthly users compiled from roughly 350 sources,”

2          How CEOs can help lead technology transformations
https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/mckinsey-digital/our-insights/the-ceos-new-technology-agenda

We’ve seen numerous companies boost their financial performance after their CEOs made it a priority to strengthen the technology function and bring more technology capabilities closer to the business’s strategy and operations. Fulfilling this mandate, however, can be a challenge.

3          Best Artificial Intelligence Technologies to know in 2019
https://www.datasciencecentral.com/profiles/blogs/best-artificial-intelligence-technologies-to-know-in-2019

Technology decision-makers are (and also should keep) seeking methods to successfully carry out artificial intelligence innovations into their businesses and, therefore, drive value. And though all AI innovations most definitely have their own merits, not all of them deserve purchasing, with each passing day we come across a number of AI development techniques.

4          Top 7 Data Science Use Cases in Trust and Security
https://www.kdnuggets.com/2019/12/top-7-data-science-use-cases-trust-security.html

What are trust and safety? What is the role of trust and security in the modern world?

We often come across this word combination ‘Trust & Safety’ on numerous web sites and platforms. It is called upon to regulate the interaction between the visitors and specialists so that it would be fair and peaceful.

5          How B2B online marketplaces could transform indirect procurement
https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/operations/our-insights/how-b2b-online-marketplaces-could-transform-indirect-procurement

For people who remember when consumers first started using digital marketplaces, the realization that the oldest of those platforms are now almost 25 years old can come as a surprise. Even business-to-business platforms have been around for two decades, becoming an almost invisible engine of commerce at many small and medium-sized businesses.

6          Digital Transformation Lags In Chemical Industry
https://www.chemicalprocessing.com/articles/2019/digital-transformation-lags-in-chemical-industry/
At a recent ARC Industry Forum many discussions revolved around digital transformation. According to a presentation by Mike Williams, ARC associate, although industry research indicates that there has been more than 75% of the process industry participating in Industry 4.0 technology evaluation or pilot projects, there is still less than 25% of the industry moving beyond the pilot phase. It would appear that the process industries are lagging behind other industry segments such as automotive and other discrete manufacturers.

7          Machine learning can boost the value of wind energy
https://blog.google/technology/ai/machine-learning-can-boost-value-wind-energy/

Carbon-free technologies like renewable energy help combat climate change, but many of them have not reached their full potential. Consider wind power: over the past decade, wind farms have become an important source of carbon-free electricity as the cost of turbines has plummeted and adoption has surged. However, the variable nature of wind itself makes it an unpredictable energy source—less useful than one that can reliably deliver power at a set time.

8          The platform play: How to operate like a tech company
https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/mckinsey-digital/our-insights/the-platform-play-how-to-operate-like-a-tech-company

“The question is not how fast tech companies will become car companies, but how fast we will become a tech company.” This is how the board member of a global car company recently articulated the central issue facing most incumbents today: how to operate and innovate like a tech company.

9          Will personalization’s role in marketing shrink as challenges grow?
https://www.marketingdive.com/news/will-personalizations-role-in-marketing-shrink-as-challenges-grow/568607/

Eighty percent of marketers will drop personalization efforts by 2025, according to a report from research firm Gartner, “Predicts 2020: Marketers, They’re Just Not That Into You.” The key reasons cited for why marketers could retreat from personalization are a lack of ROI and difficulties with managing customer data.

10        Industry Averages, Benchmarks and the Death of Innovation
https://www.datasciencecentral.com/profiles/blogs/industry-averages-benchmarks-and-the-death-of-innovation

Sustaining industry averages and benchmarks are the antithesis of innovation and a great way to ensure average performance. Doing whatever everyone else is doing is a “paving the cow path” management mentality, lacking aspirational goals which are critical for organizations to fuel innovation and create customer and market differentiation. Which brings me to why I teach.

11        When Is The Right Time To Personalize?
https://about.crunchbase.com/blog/personalization-in-sales/

Undoubtedly, automation should play a vital role in every business’s sales funnel. Automation takes care of manual, time-consuming tasks and frees up time for brands to focus on other essential areas. It also increases efficiency, improves accuracy, and speeds up the sales process.

12        Turn around a stalled oil and gas digital transformation
https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/oil-and-gas/our-insights/rebooting-your-stalled-digital-transformation-in-oil-and-gas

Does this sound like your company? You’ve been investing in digital and advanced-analytics solutions for at least two or three years. You’ve set priorities, given them plenty of leadership attention, and hired new talent to build your organization’s capabilities. You’ve invested in new technologies, software solutions, and external support to make sure you’re on the right path. In short, you’ve done everything you can to make your digital transformation a success. Yet you can’t help feeling that it is stalling.

13        The Best of This Week
https://sloanreview.mit.edu/article/best-of-this-week-big-tech-cybertruck/
The week’s must-reads for managing in the digital age, curated by the MIT SMReditors.

14        Top 10 Data Science Use Cases in Energy and Utilities
https://www.kdnuggets.com/2019/09/top-10-data-science-use-cases-energy-utilities.html
The energy sector is under constant development, and more of significant inventions and innovations are yet to come. The energy use has always been involved in other industries like agriculture, manufacturing, transportation, and many others. Thus these industries tend to enlarge the amount of energy they consume every day. Energy seems to be very demanding in terms of new technologies application and development of new energy sources.

15        “The Boom In Sales Technology”
https://www.business2community.com/sales-management/the-boom-in-sales-technology-02262847
I suppose it’s normal to see the flood of articles, prospecting emails, calls and such on “sales technology.” Dreamforce is over, we all have visions of our technology based futures dancing in our heads.

We see the MarTech and other charts, with 1000’s of suppliers, in unimaginable niches, giving us the most essential sales and marketing technologies, guaranteed to drive performance and customer engagement.

16        Exploratory Data Analysis …A topic that is neglected in Data Science Projects
https://towardsdatascience.com/exploratory-data-analysis-topic-that-is-neglected-in-data-science-projects-9962ae078a56

Exploratory Data Analysis (EDA) is the first step in your data analysis process developed by “John Tukey” in the 1970s. In statistics, exploratory data analysis is an approach to analyzing data sets to summarize their main characteristics, often with visual methods. By the name itself, we can get to know that it is a step in which we need to explore the data set.

Energy, Petrochemicals and Plastics 40

Friday, November 29, 2019

Energy, Petrochemicals and Plastics 40

1          US set to be energy independent
https://www.rystadenergy.com/newsevents/news/press-releases/US-set-to-be-energy-independent/
In a pivotal shift, the US is only months away from full energy independence. By 2030, total primary energy production will outpace primary energy demand by about 30%, according to Rystad Energy’s latest forecast.

2          Oil Price Fundamental Daily Forecast
https://www.fxempire.com/forecasts/article/oil-price-fundamental-daily-forecast-drillers-reduce-number-of-rigs-but-production-still-hits-record-high-616270

U.S. West Texas Intermediate and international-benchmark Brent crude oil futures are edging lower early Friday on light post-holiday buying. The selling pressure is light, which some traders are saying is in reaction to renewed tensions between the United States and China and increasing doubts the two economic powerhouses will reach a Phase One trade deal agreement before new U.S. tariffs kick in on December 15.

3          Natural Gas Price Fundamental Daily Forecast
https://www.fxempire.com/forecasts/article/natural-gas-price-fundamental-daily-forecast-dramatic-sell-off-resumes-616266

Not only are the weather patterns changing, but the country is also split with winter storms on the western United States and milder temperatures elsewhere. Earlier in the week, weather models were supportive with rising expectations for a cold December. Then the models shifted to milder before trending warmer.

4          Weekly resin report: Spot resin markets hit historically low price levels
https://www.plasticstoday.com/resin-pricing/weekly-resin-report-spot-resin-markets-hit-historically-low-price-levels/19698551361942

It was an excellent week to trade spot resins; in fact, it was one of the best weeks of 2019 at the PlasticsExchange (Chicago). Fresh offerings flowed, while demand picked up to yield a high volume of completed transactions, reports the resin clearinghouse in its Market Update. Many processors who had been working down inventories either found value at these historically low price levels or just needed to place orders before the Thanksgiving break. Overall spot resin prices were mixed, with some gains seen for certain grades.

5          Six facts about the global injection molding market and the automotive industry
https://www.plasticstoday.com/injection-molding/six-facts-about-global-injection-molding-market-and-automotive-industry/73791820561916

Despite some speed bumps in the automotive sector, the global plastic injection molding market is poised for sustained growth, according to Saipriya Iyer, Research Content Developer at Global Market Insights (Selbyville, DE). The market research and management consulting company has published a report on the global injection molded plastic market, which can be purchased on its website. Iyer shared some key insights from her research with PlasticsToday.

6          Oil to be stuck in a rut in 2020 as slowing demand fuels glut: Reuters poll
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-oil-prices-idUSKBN1Y314F
il prices will remain subdued in 2020 as growth concerns weigh on demand and fuel a glut of crude, a Reuters poll showed on Friday ahead of production-policy talks among OPEC and its allies next week.

7          Why Oil Demand Won’t Follow Coal’s Death Spiral
https://www.forbes.com/sites/rrapier/2019/11/29/why-oil-demand-wont-follow-coals-death-spiral/
After a steady rise that lasted nearly 50 years, U.S. coal consumption peaked about a decade ago. Since the peak in 2007, coal consumption in the U.S. has fallen an astounding 44%.

8          Commodities 2020: Asian propylene eyes support in H1 from new polypropylene plants, turnarounds
https://www.spglobal.com/platts/en/market-insights/latest-news/petrochemicals/112919-commodities-2020-asian-propylene-eyes-support-in-h1-from-new-polypropylene-plants-turnarounds

Propylene markets in Southeast Asia, Taiwan and Japan are expected to be supported in the first half of 2020 by the startup of downstream polypropylene plants and a heavier-than-usual turnaround schedule.

9          An evolving Russian gas industry deserves new clichés
https://blogs.platts.com/2019/11/29/evolving-russian-gas-industry-new-cliches/

The Russian gas industry has long been portrayed by means of predictable and dated clichés. Mention of Russian bears, gas as the new cold war, or pipelines forming the new Iron Curtain, have littered both journalistic and analytical coverage of Russia’s gas sector for decades.

10        Brazil + OPEC forever? Hold off on those wedding invites
https://www.rystadenergy.com/newsevents/news/press-releases/brazil-opec-forever-hold-off-on-those-wedding-invites/

At an October forum in Saudi Arabia, Brazil’s president Jair Bolsonaro suggested that he would like to see Brazil join OPEC. If such a marriage were to come to fruition, OPEC would be the clear winner and Brazil the loser by a long shot.

11        The Complete Guide To Drilling
https://oilprice.com/Energy/Energy-General/The-Complete-Guide-To-Drilling.html
Drilling in its broadest sense is any process that involves making a circular hole in a solid material or hard surface using a boring tool. With thousands of applications across industries, drilling is undoubtedly one of the greatest inventions of human civilization.

12        Daimler to ax at least 10,000 jobs in latest car industry cuts
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-daimler-jobs-idUSKBN1Y312E

Daimler said on Friday it will cut at least 10,000 jobs worldwide over the next three years, following others in the industry as they cut costs to invest in electric vehicles while grappling with weakening sales.

13        China Leads Petchem Capacity Additions
https://www.rigzone.com/news/china_leads_petchem_capacity_additions-28-nov-2019-160456-article/
China is expected to lead the global petrochemical industry capacity growth from planned and announced (P&A) projects between 2019 and 2030 with a 27 percent share.

14        ConocoPhillips seeks seizure of Citgo parent to collect on PDVSA award
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-conocophillips-venezuela-citgo-idUSKBN1Y02N4
U.S. oil company ConocoPhillips on Tuesday filed a motion in a Delaware court seeking to seize shares in the parent of U.S. refiner Citgo Petroleum to collect on an arbitration award against Venezuelan state oil company PDVSA.

15        Asian NOCs, the energy transition and ESG
https://www.woodmac.com/news/the-edge/the-edge-asian-nocs-the-energy-transition-and-esg/
A red-hot topic in the region, but quite what Asian oil and gas companies intend to do about it is another matter. In Europe, investor agitation has spurred action; in Asia, the impetus for change is coming mostly from above. With both energy demand and urbanisation rising, China and India want to tackle air quality as well as carbon emissions. At some point in the next few years Japan is expected to join the UK, Germany and France in the ranks of the G7 nations with the goal of being net-carbon neutral by 2050.

Recycling, Renewables and Sustainable Business 11

Friday, November 29, 2019

Recycling, Renewables and Sustainable Business 11

1          18 Wind and Solar Markets to Watch in 2020
https://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/18-wind-and-solar-markets-to-watch-in-2020
The world’s total renewable power capacity will grow 50 percent between 2019 and 2024, according to the International Energy Agency. For investors keen to tap into this growth, mostly driven by solar and wind, the question is where to look.

2          The World Is Getting Windier And Renewables Will Benefit
https://oilprice.com/Energy/Energy-General/The-World-Is-Getting-Windier-And-Renewables-Will-Benefit.html

Renewable energy just got some major investment tailwinds–quite literally. In fact, the biggest breakthrough in wind power generation right now isn’t technological–it’s natural, and it costs nothing. For three decades, from about 1980 until 2010, wind speeds around the world were slowing down. Now, researchers say that the world is going to keep getting windier for the next 10 years.

3          French insurer AXA to exit coal investments in OECD states by 2030
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-axa-coal-idUSKBN1Y11E4
France’s AXA said it was strengthening its climate strategy by committing to exit coal more quickly across a greater number of countries, as policymakers seek a faster transition to a low-carbon economy.

4          Sustainability key to economic viability of packaging companies, says report
https://www.plasticstoday.com/packaging/sustainability-key-economic-viability-packaging-companies-says-report/6108135661936

A major shift took place among packaging companies that attended Pack Expo 2019 versus those that attended in 2018: Sustainability moved “head and shoulders” above all other topics. That analysis comes from CIBC World Markets, a Toronto-based investment banking subsidiary of the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce. Competition, labor availability, capital, M&A, resin pricing and even the economic outlook were all subordinate to sustainability, reported CIBC.

5          World’s Second-Largest Ferry Operator Switching From Diesel to Batteries
https://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/worlds-second-largest-ferry-operator-switching-from-diesel-to-batteries

Washington State Ferries, which runs the second-largest ferry system in the world, is switching from diesel to batteries amid a growing trend toward electrification in shipping.

6          ‘Asian wind power to outpace Western Europe and North America combined’
https://www.rechargenews.com/wind/-asian-wind-power-to-outpace-western-europe-and-north-america-combined-/2-1-715501

Cumulative wind power capacity in Asia is likely to overtake the combined total of North America and Western Europe (NAWE) through 2028, driven by a rapid growth in China, Fitch Solutions Macro Research said in its updated ten-year report.

7          Proposed EU-wide ‘climate law’ would set net-zero carbon target by 2050
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/nov/29/first-eu-wide-climate-law-to-set-net-zero-carbon-target-by-2050

The first EU-wide “climate law” would enshrine a legally binding target of reaching net-zero carbon by 2050, and Europe’s greenhouse gas emissions would be halved by 2030, under a set of proposals being discussed by the incoming European commission.

8          EU Bank lends €50m to Spanish wind farm that will power Nike
https://www.rechargenews.com/wind/eu-bank-lends-50m-to-spanish-wind-farm-that-will-power-nike/2-1-715796

The European Investment Bank (EIB) is to advance a €50m ($55m) loan towards construction of a Spanish wind complex that will sell power to sportswear giant Nike.

9          Norway wealth fund says climate change key to risk-based divestments
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-norway-swf-climatechange-idUSKBN1Y1224
Norway’s $1.1 trillion wealth fund, the world’s largest, said climate change dominated discussions about whether it should sell stakes in companies because they are considered too risky.

10        IKEA to invest 200 million euros in race to turn ‘climate positive’
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-ikea-investment-climate-idUSKBN1Y10P9

IKEA, the world’s biggest furniture group, said on Wednesday it would spend around 100 million euros ($110 million) to support direct suppliers as they switch over to renewable energy use.

11        Recycling and the future of the plastics industry
https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/chemicals/our-insights/how-plastics-waste-recycling-could-transform-the-chemical-industry

If plastics demand follows its current trajectory, global plastics-waste volumes would grow from 260 million tons per year in 2016 to 460 million tons per year by 2030, taking what is already a serious environmental problem to a whole new level. In the face of public outcry about global plastics pollution, the chemical industry is starting to mobilize on this issue.

12        ‘Bags for life’ making plastic problem worse, say campaigners
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/nov/28/bags-for-life-making-plastic-problem-worse-say-campaigners

Plastic “bags for life” should be banned or raised in price, campaigners say, as new figures reveal a surge in the bags is fuelling a rise in the plastic packaging footprint of leading supermarkets.

13        The push to develop more bioplastics continues, despite dubious benefits
https://www.plasticstoday.com/sustainability/push-develop-more-bioplastics-continues-despite-dubious-benefits/192294311061905

Ever since someone—perhaps a scientist at Archer Daniels Midland back in the 1990s—discovered that polymer materials can be made from corn, the world has been on a tear to develop bioplastics out of everything imaginable. It’s like there’s a huge contest to see who can make plastic—specifically bioplastics—out of the weirdest stuff.

14        Detection Of Methane Leak From Space Could Herald A Revolution
https://www.forbes.com/sites/scottcarpenter/2019/11/27/detection-of-methane-leak-from-space-could-herald-a-revolution/

While scanning for emissions from a mud volcano in a Balkan province in western Turkmenistan in January this year, a satellite controlled by a Canadian company called GHGSat noticed “an anomalously large methane plume” coming from a nearby gas facility and pipeline. It was the first time ever that a methane leak has been detected and confirmed from space, GHGSat said.

15        Distributed Energy Systems in the US Will Become Mainstream
https://www.energytrend.com/news/20191127-15768.html
The market share for distributed PV power systems in the U.S. has been rising significantly, thanks to their dropping rates, enlarged capacities, and improving efficiency, according to a recent report from Berkeley Lab’s.

16        We’ll see an ice-free Arctic this century, latest research says
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/ice-free-arctic-this-century-1.5370504
We can expect to see an ice-free Arctic Ocean within 50 years, according to researchers at the University of California’s Center for Climate Science, who say they’ve improved and narrowed past projections of when the Arctic might be free of sea ice.

17        GM president: Electric cars won’t go mainstream until we fix these problems (opinion)
https://www.cnn.com/2019/11/25/perspectives/gm-electric-cars/index.html
The automotive industry is hurtling toward a future that will change transportation the same way electricity changed how we light the world. Electric and self-driving vehicles will alter the automotive landscape forever — it’s only a question of how soon.