Recycling, Renewables and Sustainable Business 4

Friday, October 11, 2019

Recycling, Renewables and Sustainable Business 4

1              Oil firms to pour extra 7m barrels per day into markets, data shows | Environment
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/oct/10/oil-firms-barrels-markets
The world’s 50 biggest oil companies are poised to flood markets with an additional 7m barrels per day over the next decade, despite warnings from scientists that this will push global heating towards catastrophic levels.

2              Fossil fuel firms’ social media fightback against climate action | Environment
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/oct/10/fossil-fuel-firms-social-media-fightback-against-climate-action

Oil and gas companies are spending millions of dollars on campaigns to fight climate regulations at the same time as touting their dedication to a low-carbon future, according to a joint analysis by the Guardian and InfluenceMap.

3              Russia Scrambles To Save Energy Industry From Climate Change
https://oilprice.com/The-Environment/Global-Warming/Russia-Scrambles-To-Save-Energy-Industry-From-Climate-Change.html

Late senator John McCain once  said  that “Russia is a gas station masquerading as a country.” There was some truth in his statement after the disintegration of the Soviet Union and the collapse of the economy. The hydrocarbon wealth of the world’s largest country prevented a total economic meltdown and provided a financial lifeline.

4              4 Reasons Why Off-Grid Energy Is Grown Up and Ready to Scale
https://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/the-off-grid-sector-is-all-grown-up-4-reasons-why-its-ready-to-scale

But things are finally changing very rapidly, according to industry leaders at Greentech Media’s first  Off-Grid Energy Access Forum, held last week in London.  All the signs suggest many of the thorniest barriers to scale have been overcome. Here are four reasons why experts say the path is finally clearing for electricity companies to reach “the next billion” customers.

5              Wind to feed a third of world’s power by 2040: Siemens Gamesa study
https://www.rechargenews.com/transition/1862474/wind-to-feed-a-third-of-worlds-power-by-2040-siemens-gamesa-study

Wind power production is on track to supply over a third of global electricity demand by 2040, nine times more than at present, while putting the industry in position to offset 5.6 billion tonnes of CO2, equal to the annual emissions of the world’s 80 most-polluting cities, by mid-century, according to a new report.

6              EU plastic recycling drive pits consumer demand against economic realities
https://blogs.platts.com/2019/10/09/europe-plastic-recycling-consumer-demand/
Recognition of plastic waste as a global problem has spurred legislation and industry initiatives in the last two years, and driven growth in demand for recycled plastics.

7              America’s 5 Biggest Solar Projects
https://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/the-five-biggest-solar-projects-in-the-u-s-right-now
With climate a central issue in the 2020 Democratic primary, contenders are seizing every opportunity to one-up the clean energy bona fides of their fellow candidates. For the record — Joe, are you reading? — here are the five largest solar projects currently planned or operating in the U.S. (All project sizes listed in DC.)

8              Massive ‘Silver Frog’ solar-to-hydrogen plan sent to EU
https://www.rechargenews.com/transition/1862533/massive-silver-frog-solar-to-hydrogen-plan-sent-to-eu

Four European companies have presented a proposal to set up a massive PV manufacturing plant with a capacity of 2GW a year to serve the production of green hydrogen for the European Union’s Important Projects of Common European Interest (IPCEI).

9              Shell Acquires Renewables-Only Power Retailer in UK
https://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/shell-acquires-renewables-only-power-retailer-in-uk
Oil major Shell acquired another customer-facing electricity and gas provider in the U.K., potentially bolstering its green credentials and renewables procurement expertise in the country.

10           Shell to offset fuel carbon emissions at UK petrol stations
https://www.energyvoice.com/other-news/209528/shell-to-offset-fuel-carbon-emissions-at-uk-petrol-stations/

Oil giant Shell has announced plans to offset carbon emission from fuel at a number of its UK petrol stations. The new project will see Shell offset the carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from customers’ fuel purchases on their behalf.

11           Political polarisation over climate crisis has surged under Trump | Environment
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/oct/11/political-polarisation-climate-crisis-trump

Donald Trump’s presidency has ushered in an era of unprecedented polarisation between Republican and Democrat lawmakers when it comes to voting on measures to tackle the climate crisis, while the fossil fuel industry now almost entirely favours Republicans in campaign contributions.

12           Inside Copenhagen’s race to be the first carbon-neutral city | Cities
https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2019/oct/11/inside-copenhagens-race-to-be-the-first-carbon-neutral-city

“We call it hedonistic sustainability,” says Jacob Simonsen of the decision to put an artificial ski slope on the roof of the £485m  Amager Resource Centre  (Arc), Copenhagen’s cutting-edge new waste-to-energy power plant. “It’s not just good for the environment, it’s good for life.”

13           Exclusive: carmakers among key opponents of climate action | Environment
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/oct/10/exclusive-carmakers-opponents-climate-action-us-europe-emissions

Global carmakers are among the leading opponents of action on the climate crisis, according to exclusive analysis of the way major corporations frustrate or undermine initiatives to cut greenhouse gases.

14           Powervault’s Kaluza deal to ‘widen the net’ for home energy storage
https://www.solarpowerportal.co.uk/news/powervaults_kaluza_deal_to_widen_the_net_for_home_energy_storage

UK battery storage manufacturer Powervault has penned an integration agreement with tech platform provider Kaluza, which the companies said would bolster consumer benefits and introduce new routes to market.

Business Intelligence and Analytics 33

Friday, October 11, 2019

Business Intelligence and Analytics 33

1              Automation and economic disparity | McKinsey
https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/future-of-work/automation-and-economic-disparity-a-new-challenge-for-ceos

As intelligent machines take over a wider variety of tasks, many global companies are doubling down on workforce retraining. And rightly so—the next wave of automation technologies promises to alter the nature of work further across a range of industries. But beyond these thorny organizational challenges around what work is—and what work will become—is another, less-explored management consideration: Where will this work happen?

2              The oil industry can save $100bn on digitalisation: Rystad Energy
https://www.oilandgasmiddleeast.com/products-services/35281-the-oil-industry-can-save-100bn-on-digitalisation-rystad-energy

A study by Rystad Energy estimates that as much as $100bn can be eliminated from E&P upstream budgets through automation and digitalisation initiatives in the 2020s. Service companies are reinventing themselves to help operators unlock these savings.

3              BP makes multi-million investment in AI energy firm
https://www.energyvoice.com/other-news/209550/bp-makes-multi-million-investment-in-ai-energy-firm/
Oil and gas giant BP has announced a multi-million investment in an artificial intelligence (AI) tech firm through its BP Ventures arm. The global energy company said it will look to invest around £2 million in cloud-based software firm Grid Edge.

4              Are Robots the Answer to Petrochemical Inspection and Maintenance Challenges?
https://www.thomasnet.com/insights/solving-the-challenges-of-petrochemical-inspection-and-maintenance-with-robotics/

The demand for petroleum and petrochemical products is by no means abating. In fact, the market is expected to reach  $81.4 billion by 2022  and requirements are set to grow exponentially  over the coming years. With such dramatic short-term growth, it quickly becomes challenging to ensure accurate, cost-effective, and timely inspection and maintenance.

5              The Role of Data in the Growth of Recurring Revenue Businesses
https://www.business2community.com/big-data/the-role-of-data-in-the-growth-of-recurring-revenue-businesses-02236796

In the US the subscription e-commerce market has grown by more than 100% per cent a year over the past five years, with the largest retailers generating more than $2.6B in sales in the past 12 months. The most recent research from McKinsey reveals that almost one in six people in the States have signed up for one or more subscriptions to receive products on a recurring basis, frequently through monthly boxes.

6              Customer-First Marketing: 4 Ways to Know Thy Customer and Capitalize on Their Interests
https://www.business2community.com/marketing/customer-first-marketing-4-ways-to-know-thy-customer-and-capitalize-on-their-interests-02248039

Customers are human. They are complex and changeable and yearn to feel valued and understood. As marketers, we tend to focus exclusively on demographic characteristics to lump them into groups to target. But the wants, needs, interests and values of a customer cannot be determined from this simple means of segmentation. Customer-first marketing uses a customer-centric approach and goes much deeper than traditional methods to glean a clearer understanding of what consumers care about and feel strongly connected to.

7              Empathy Marketing: How to Understand Your Customers, in 10 Steps
https://contently.com/2019/10/09/empathy-marketing-steps/

I believe that empathy for your audience is the foundation of good marketing. If you don’t truly understand your customer and the challenges they face, there’s little chance your content or brand message will make a lasting impact. Sure, you might be able to jam some conversions into your funnel. But your brand will be forgotten in the landfill of marketing buzzspeak that people have to race past as they go about their day.

8              Opinion | America’s Risky Approach to Artificial Intelligence
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/07/opinion/ai-research-funding.html

The brilliant 2014 science fiction novel “The Three-Body Problem,” by the Chinese writer Liu Cixin, depicts the fate of civilizations as almost entirely dependent on winning grand races to scientific milestones. Someone in China’s leadership must have read that book, for Beijing has made winning the race to artificial intelligence a national obsession, devoting billions of dollars to the cause and setting 2030 as the target year for world dominance.

9              24 B2B Lead Generation Strategies for 2019
https://marketinginsidergroup.com/content-marketing/10-b2b-lead-generation-strategies-for-2019/
The beginning of the year always signals a reevaluation of old strategies and the hunt for newer ones to stay competitive in your industry. Driven by a host of emerging technologies and an influx of new insights, consumer behavior continues to evolve at breakneck speeds. Understandably, B2B marketers are hard-pressed to recalibrate their lead generation strategies in this ever-shifting landscape.

10           Activation maps for deep learning models in a few lines of code
https://www.kdnuggets.com/2019/10/activation-maps-deep-learning-models-lines-code.html

Deep Learning (DL) models are revolutionizing the business and technology world with jaw-dropping performances in one application area after another — image classification, object detection, object tracking, pose recognition, video analytics, synthetic picture generation — just to name a few.

11           Carlsberg moves closer to creating the world’s first ‘paper’ beer bottle
https://www.packagingnews.co.uk/news/environment/carlsberg-moves-closer-creating-worlds-first-paper-beer-bottle-11-10-2019

Carlsberg has unveiled two new research prototypes of its Green Fibre Bottle, which are the first ‘paper bottles’ to contain beer. Carlsberg also announced it has been joined by other leading global companies who are united in their vision of developing sustainable packaging through the advancement of paper bottle technology.

Energy, Petrochemicals and Plastics 32

Friday, October 4, 2019

Energy, Petrochemicals and Plastics 32

1              U.S. crude oil exports continued to grow in the first half of 2019 – Today in Energy
https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=41553
U.S. exports of crude oil rose to average 2.9 million barrels per day (b/d) in the first half of 2019, an increase of 966,000 b/d from the first half of 2018. U.S. crude oil exports also set a record-high monthly average in June 2019 at 3.2 million b/d.

2              Oil Price Fundamental Daily Forecast – Light Short-Covering Ahead of NFP Report
https://www.fxempire.com/forecasts/article/oil-price-fundamental-daily-forecast-light-short-covering-ahead-of-nfp-report-604144

Today, all eyes will be on the U.S. Non-Farm Payrolls report. Analysts are saying the report is likely to show hiring is slowing, but it should be solid enough to quell talk of a recession.

3              Natural Gas Price Fundamental Daily Forecast
https://www.fxempire.com/forecasts/article/natural-gas-price-fundamental-weekly-forecast-set-up-for-short-term-rally-to-alleviate-oversold-conditions-604120

We could be looking a couple of days of technically driven price action with the first objective $2.368 to $2.440. If the market is poised for a normal 50% to 61.8% retracement of its recent break then $2.476 to $2.539 will become the next major objective.

4              Downward Pricing Pressure for Commodity Resins this Quarter: Plastics Technology
https://www.ptonline.com/blog/post/downward-pricing-pressure-for-commodity-resins-this-quarter
The year’s last quarter started with signals that prices of PE, PP, PS, PVC, and possibly PET, despite suppliers’ price increase attempts, would drop or remain flat. Among the main drivers are ample supplies, falling global prices, and in some cases off demand. PET could be the exception as there are market projections for higher prices for its key feedstocks.

5              Prices for Nearly All Volume Resins Down : Plastics Technology
https://www.ptonline.com/articles/prices-for-nearly-all-volume-resins-down
Volume resin prices, all of which eroded during much of the third quarter, were generally projected to be flat in the fourth quarter, except perhaps for downward pricing of PET and nylons 6 and 66. Major drivers include supply outstripping demand, a slowdown in some key markets such as automotive and construction, lower U.S. GDP, slowed global demand, and tariff-related issues.

6              Markets Fear Oil Price Collapse: Should OPEC Cut More Production?
https://oilprice.com/Energy/Energy-General/Markets-Fear-Oil-Price-Collapse-Should-OPEC-Cut-More-Production.html

It’s been nearly three years since the world’s top oil exporter and OPEC’s de facto leader Saudi Arabia forged an alliance with Russia to start managing oil supply with the hope of rebalancing the market and ensuring, in their words, market stability, in other words—higher oil prices.

7              Oil Demand Shrinks Under Weight of US-China Trade War
https://www.rigzone.com/news/oil_demand_shrinks_under_weight_of_uschina_trade_war-03-oct-2019-159960-article/

This trade war has slowed demand for oil in China, but also in Europe and America itself. China is the world’s biggest market for crude, importing around 9.7 million barrels a day in the year up to June. In the first half of 2018, before the dispute, China was the biggest importer of U.S. crude, averaging 377,000 barrels per day. In February this year U.S. crude exports had dropped to just 41,600 barrels per day. On Sept. 1, Beijing imposed a 5 percent tariff on U.S. crude oil imports. The decline in U.S. oil and LNG exports to China could now get worse. Here, we look at the impact of the current trade war on the American oil and gas industry and after its resolution.

8              IEA May Further Cut Oil Demand Forecast
https://www.rigzone.com/news/iea_may_further_cut_oil_demand_forecast-02-oct-2019-159952-article/

The IEA may further lower its oil demand forecast, IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol has revealed in a Bloomberg television interview published on Tuesday.

9              OPEC+ Ministers Stick to Their Plan
https://www.rigzone.com/news/wire/opec_ministers_stick_to_their_plan-03-oct-2019-159967-article/
As crude prices sink again — completely erasing the surge caused by attacks on Saudi Arabia — OPEC+ ministers acknowledged the growing risks to oil demand but gave no indication of a change in strategy.

10           U.S. Exports Are Revolutionizing The LNG Market
https://www.forbes.com/sites/michaellynch/2019/10/03/u-s-exports-are-revolutionizing-the-lng-market/
The term “LNG market” might be considered oxymoronic given the history of the industry, which can arguably be described as an oligopoly. Typically, a liquefaction project followed a certain trajectory:  find enough gas to fulfill a long-term deal, locate a buyer willing to commit to a long-term contract (15 or 20 years) with restrictions preventing resale of LNG cargoes (destination restrictions) to reduce competition, high take-or-pay clauses, and prices indexed to crude oil, based on the relative heat contents. (Which is like pricing tea based on the caffeine content relative to coffee.) The spot market was extremely thin.

11           Rystad: BP and Shell on opposite sides of M&A ranking in last 5 years
https://www.offshoreenergytoday.com/rystad-bp-and-shell-on-opposite-sides-of-ma-ranking-in-last-5-years/
Rystad Energy has analyzed the share of resources traded globally from 2015 through July 2019. Two oil and gas companies stand out in the tally, not including the outlier deal between Occidental and Anadarko in May this year:

12           U.S.-Asia oil freight rate hits record high amid Chinese tanker sanctions: sources
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-crude-shipping-idUSKBN1WG4W2

Freight rates for U.S. crude tankers bound for Asia hit an all-time high on Wednesday as U.S. sanctions on a Chinese transport giant cut vessel availability, traders and shipbrokers said.

13           Weak oil prices hit Exxon’s third-quarter earnings: filing
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-exxon-mobil-outlook-idUSKBN1WG4YZ

Exxon Mobil Corp’s (XOM.N) operating profits fell last quarter for the fourth consecutive period, according to a regulatory filing on Tuesday that showed all three of its major businesses slumping from a year ago.

14           Huge Brazil Oil Auction Attracts Interest from BP, Exxon, Shell
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-09-30/huge-brazil-oil-auction-attracts-interest-from-bp-exxon-shell

The auction of drilling rights off the coast of Brazil planned for November, potentially offering more oil than all the proven reserves in Mexico, has attracted interest from some of the world’s largest producers.

Chevron Corp., Exxon Mobil Corp. and Royal Dutch Shell Plc are among 14 companies registered, the government said. Brazil expects to raise as much as 106 billion reais ($25 billion) in licensing fees from selling the leases.

15           Exclusive: Mexico’s Pemex seeks control of U.S. oil firm’s billion-barrel find
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-mexico-oil-zama-exclusive-idUSKBN1WF11Z
When U.S. oil firm Talos Energy found nearly a billion barrels off Mexico’s southern Gulf coast two years ago, it marked the first discovery by a foreign firm since the oil industry was nationalized eight decades earlier. Now Mexico’s state-run oil firm Pemex wants to take over the lucrative project, according to two former Mexican energy officials and two company executives with knowledge of internal Pemex discussions.

16           Energy and GDP growth | McKinsey
https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/electric-power-and-natural-gas/our-insights/the-decoupling-of-gdp-and-energy-growth-a-ceo-guide

But past is not always prologue. Our latest global energy perspective—part of a multiyear research effort examining the supply and demand of 55 types of energy across 30 sectors in some 146 countries—suggests that we’re beginning to see a decoupling between the rates of economic growth and energy demand, which in the decades ahead will become even more pronounced.

Recycling, Renewables and Sustainable Business 3

Friday, October 4, 2019

Recycling, Renewables and Sustainable Business 3

1              Unlocking the circular economy — Petrochemical manufacturers lead the charge to reinvent recycling
https://www.plasticsnews.com/perspective/unlocking-circular-economy-petrochemical-manufacturers-lead-charge-reinvent-recycling

Petrochemical manufacturers are commonly known as creators of the building blocks for plastic. But increasingly, they’re making headlines for reversing that process — turning used plastic products back into their original building-block monomers — and advancing other recycling solutions critical to addressing concerns about plastic waste.

2              Net Zero Goal Comes a Step Closer in Europe
https://www.rigzone.com/news/wire/net_zero_goal_comes_a_step_closer_in_europe-04-oct-2019-159979-article/

The European Union’s push to set a date for eliminating greenhouse-gas emissions is gathering pace, making the bloc’s climate chief confident that a deal can be reached by the end of this year.

3              Mexico’s Renewables Market Remains Mired in Uncertainty
https://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/mexicos-renewables-market-remains-mired-in-uncertainty

The outlook for Mexico’s renewables market remains deeply uncertain, analysts say, despite recent indications from government officials that a canceled auction could be reactivated.

4              3 Trends Making the Case for Bus Electrification
https://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/3-trends-making-the-case-for-bus-electrification
U.S. electric bus manufacturer Proterra reached its 100th customer this week, in a sign of how far the industry has come.

Just a few years ago, electric buses had negligible market presence and faced an uphill battle to convince transit agencies to part ways with the buses they knew and trusted. That has changed now, thanks to declining battery prices, innovative financing mechanisms and a growing roster of customer testimonials.

5              Tesla 3rd Quarter Sales Grew 1664% In 6 Years, 271% In 2 Years
https://cleantechnica.com/2019/10/04/tesla-3rd-quarter-sales-grew-1664-in-6-years-271-in-2-years/
To kick off this article, I’ll make an important note: this is not about Tesla stock. Because of how much Tesla short sellers insert themselves into discussions of Tesla [TSLA], and how long and deep the battles of logic & math are between those short sellers and Tesla shareholders (of which I am one), some people assume that every discussion of Tesla sales is about the stock. Perhaps many people assume that, but, no, young Jedi, not everything is about the stock. The stock is just a sideshow. Now let’s get on to the story.

6              How Do We Accelerate Sustainable Packaging in the “Age of Experience?”
https://www.packworld.com/article/how-do-we-accelerate-sustainable-packaging-age-experience
According to Wodar, eight million metric tons of plastic enter our oceans each year, and consumers and NGOs are pushing for action to decrease packaging waste. He points out that only 7-10% of plastic bottles are currently recycled.

7              PETase—an enzyme that eats plastic—gets closer to reality
https://www.fastcompany.com/90412215/could-this-plastic-eating-enzyme-be-the-miracle-solution-to-our-plastic-problem

Three years ago, Japanese scientists discovered a tiny new bacterium with an unusual ability: The organism, which lived in soil near a plastic bottle recycling plant, could eat plastic. A year later, a plastic-eating fungus was discovered in a landfill in Pakistan. The year after that, a college student discovered plastic-eating bacteria in a polluted site in Houston.

8              Coca-Cola reveals recycled marine plastic bottles
https://www.packagingnews.co.uk/news/coca-cola-reveals-recycled-marine-plastic-bottles-03-10-2019

The global soft drinks giant partnered with Ioniqa Technologies Indorama Ventures and Mares Circulares (Circular Seas). Around 300 sample bottles were made using 25% recycled marine plastic retrieved from the Mediterranean Sea and beaches.

9              Final turbine in at world’s biggest offshore wind farm
https://www.rechargenews.com/wind/1858865/final-turbine-in-at-worlds-biggest-offshore-wind-farm
Danish developer Ørsted has reported that the final 7MW Siemens Gamesa turbine has been installed by Fred Olsen Windcarrier at the UK’s giant 1.2GW Hornsea 1 project, currently the world’s largest offshore wind farm.

10           The Biggest Proponent Of Solar Isn’t What You’d Expect
https://oilprice.com/Alternative-Energy/Solar-Energy/The-Biggest-Proponent-Of-Solar-Isnt-What-Youd-Expect.html

Yet, it was Exxon that funded a solar power company in the 1970s when the Arab oil embargo led to long lines at gas stations in the United States and American oil companies sought to diversify into other forms of energy as they thought oil, and growing dependence on OPEC oil, could be a threat to their business and existence.

11           ACORE: ‘Sustainability’ Investments May Not Necessarily Drive Renewable Energy Deployment
https://solarindustrymag.com/acore-sustainability-investments-may-not-necessarily-drive-renewable-energy-deployment

In a new white paper, the American Council on Renewable Energy (ACORE) explores the current state of environmental, social and governance (ESG) investing in the U.S. and provides recommendations for ESG methodologies that better reflect renewable energy use and investment.

12           In Drive for Sustainable Finance, Canada Wants to Include Oil
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-10-02/in-drive-for-sustainable-finance-canada-wants-to-include-oil

Canada’s financial industry is girding for battle as it pushes to include its vast energy resources in one of the hottest sectors of global finance — the multi-trillion market for green and sustainable assets.

13           Is This The End Of The Lithium-Ion Battery?
https://oilprice.com/Energy/Energy-General/Is-This-The-End-Of-The-Lithium-Ion-Battery.html
Researchers have been in a race to find ways to improve lithium-ion batteries. They are also looking to develop alternatives to the lithium-ion battery that would be lower cost and more sustainable to manufacture. And they may just have found one.

14           Energy Efficiency as a Service: Having Cake and Eating It Too
https://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/energy-efficiency-as-a-service-having-cake-and-eating-it-too

The as-a-service model, in which capital-intensive costs are spread out over the useful life of the product or offering, has become commonplace. The best example is software-as-a-service (SaaS), now the preeminent way to acquire and use personal and enterprise software. This model replaced the more capital-intensive approach of businesses buying their own computing infrastructure, purchasing and updating these servers with new versions of their applications, and spending significant amounts of money to do so.

Business Intelligence and Analytics 32

Friday, October 4, 2019

Business Intelligence and Analytics 32

1              Automated Machine Learning (AutoML)
https://medium.com/@DataFolkz/automated-machine-learning-automl-c995f238f265

Automated machine learning (AutoML) is a fundamental shift in the way organizations of all verticals & sizes approach machine learning and data science. Applying traditional machine learning methods to real-world business problems has become:

• Time-consuming
• Resource-intensive
• Challenging

2              Clustering Metrics Better Than the Elbow Method
https://www.kdnuggets.com/2019/10/clustering-metrics-better-elbow-method.html

Clustering is an important part of the machine learning pipeline for business or scientific enterprises utilizing data science. As the name suggests, it helps to identify congregations of closely related (by some measure of distance) data points in a blob of data, which, otherwise, would be difficult to make sense of.

3              Artificial intelligence (AI) In Digital Marketing – MarTech Outlook
https://medium.com/martech-outlook/artificial-intelligence-ai-in-digital-marketing-8aa83ce81e20

Artificial intelligence (AI) is already serving to the industries across domains. AI is enhancing all the areas that need deciding, prognostic analysis, and automation. Marketing, whether or not it’s ancient or digital, conjointly extracts helpful insights from the technology. as a result of its ability to access large client knowledge and behavior patterns, AI allows marketers to supply increased client expertise. except client expertise, AI will permit marketers to optimize and set up their time and budget.

4              4 Ways to Automate Your Business
https://chatbotnewsdaily.com/4-ways-to-automate-your-business-86045a1b3506

On one hand, you as the owner of your business like having control over the processes that unravel under your roof every day. It’s good to have access to employees who know how to tackle your social media strategy, spend a few hours brainstorming for your next marketing campaign, and have a trusted accounting department taking care of your invoices, tax needs, and the like. Then again, juggling so many departments, even in a smaller business, means relinquishing hours of your day to menial tasks and chores, delegating, negotiating, etc.

5              How companies should upskill employees
https://www.fastcompany.com/90411274/companies-know-upskilling-is-critical-but-that-doesnt-mean-theyre-doing-it-right

If there was any doubt that business leaders have caught on to the importance of upskilling, Amazon quelled it when they announced plans to invest $700 million in retraining 100,000 U.S. employees in July.

6              Enterprise Guide to Digital Transformation
https://www.informationweek.com/strategic-cio/digital-business/enterprise-guide-to-digital-transformation/a/d-id/1335484

Don’t let IT modernization be the bane of your existence. This curated collection of articles will give you more clarity and help you get started.

7              Artificial Intelligence Is Being Used To Diagnose Disease And Design New Drugs
https://www.forbes.com/sites/nicolemartin1/2019/09/30/artificial-intelligence-is-being-used-to-diagnose-disease-and-design-new-drugs/

The healthcare industry has always been a leader in innovation. The constant mutating of diseases and viruses makes it difficult to stay ahead of the curve, but with the help of artificial intelligence and machine learning algorithms, it continues to advance, creating new treatments and helping people live longer and healthier lives.

8              Will Google AI Ever Rule the World?
https://datafloq.com/read/will-google-ai-ever-rule-the-world/6966
Internet giant Google has recently been sharpening its focus on dominating AI. Not content with its almost monopolistic hold of internet searches, Google has a 90% market share. The company sees AI as a way of further increasing its influence. Already many of Google’s most popular applications, such as its voice assistant and search engine are driven by Google AI developed tools.

9              Don’t Fear the Terminator – Scientific American Blog Network
https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/observations/dont-fear-the-terminator/
As we teeter on the brink of another technological revolution—the artificial intelligence revolution—worry is growing that it might be our last. The fear is that the intelligence of machines will soon match or even exceed that of humans. They could turn against us and replace us as the dominant “life” form on earth. Our creations would become our overlords—or perhaps wipe us out altogether. Such dramatic scenarios, exciting though they might be to imagine, reflect a misunderstanding of AI.

10        Data Preparation for Machine learning 101: Why it’s important and how to do it
https://www.kdnuggets.com/2019/10/data-preparation-machine-learning-101.html
A condensed version of his perspective:

• Master coding, particularly python that is most ideal for machine learning. In addition to coding expertise, you should have good analytical and statistical skills.
• For starters, you can begin by cloning codes from git repositories or tutorials. But, to become a sound ML/AI engineer, you must know and own what you’re doing.
• Do not invent a solution and hunt for the problem. Instead, identify the problems and challenges to invent an automated solution.

Energy, Petrochemicals and Plastics 31

Friday, September 27, 2019

Energy, Petrochemicals and Plastics 31

1              Oil Set for Weekly Loss as Saudis Restore Output
https://www.rigzone.com/news/wire/oil_set_for_weekly_loss_as_saudis_restore_output-27-sep-2019-159913-article/

il is heading for the biggest weekly loss since July on indications Saudi Arabia is restoring lost crude production quicker-than-expected after attacks on its key energy infrastructure.

2              Oil Price Fundamental Daily Forecast
https://www.fxempire.com/forecasts/article/oil-price-fundamental-daily-forecast-more-supply-worries-as-iran-claims-us-offered-to-remove-sanctions-602789

On the supply side, easing tensions between Saudi and Yemen could lead to increased supply since it lowers the chances of an escalation of further attacks on Saudi oil fields. The Wall Street Journal reported, citing unnamed sources that Saudi Arabia had agreed to a partial ceasefire in Yemen.

3              Natural Gas Price Fundamental Daily Forecast
https://www.fxempire.com/forecasts/article/natural-gas-price-fundamental-daily-forecast-battle-of-the-seasons-begins-weakens-under-2-368-strengthens-over-2-440-602776

Natural gas futures are trading lower on Friday after a bearish government storage report drove prices sharply lower the previous session. The market is now testing a major 50% to 61.8% retracement zone, which should determine its next short-term move.

4              Weekly resin report: Prices remain stable, despite jarring events
https://www.plasticstoday.com/resin-pricing/weekly-resin-report-prices-remain-stable-despite-jarring-events/16473206161579

A series of events jarred the resin trading markets last week, including the attack on Saudi oil infrastructure and a flash flood near the heart of Houston-area petrochemical facilities. Many offers were pulled off the board in the wake of the Saudi event, but still others came to fill buyers’ resin needs, reports the PlasticsExchange (Chicago) in its weekly Market Update.

5              Oil Under Fire At UN Summit
https://oilprice.com/Energy/Energy-General/Oil-Under-Fire-At-UN-Summit.html

The oil industry came under fire from climate activists, investors and global leaders at the UN General Assembly in New York in recent days. Oil executives went to lengths to describe what they are doing on climate change, which is arguably an indication that they are beginning to feel the heat as the world calls for an energy transition.

6              Oil and Gas is Here to Stay
https://www.rigzone.com/news/oil_and_gas_is_here_to_stay-27-sep-2019-159915-article/

OPEC’s research shows that oil and gas, and this industry as a whole, is here to stay. That’s what OPEC Secretary General Mohammad Sanusi Barkindo revealed in a speech at the 12th Kazenergy Eurasian Forum on September 26.

7              EIA projects nearly 50% increase in world energy usage by 2050, led by growth in Asia
https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=41433
In the International Energy Outlook 2019 (IEO2019) Reference case, released at 9:00 a.m. today, the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) projects that world energy consumption will grow by nearly 50% between 2018 and 2050. Most of this growth comes from countries that are not in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), and this growth is focused in regions where strong economic growth is driving demand, particularly in Asia.

8              Japan to invest US$10 billion in LNG
https://www.lngindustry.com/liquid-natural-gas/26092019/japan-to-invest-10-billion-dollars-in-lng/
Reuters is reporting that Japan’s industry minister has announced that Japan, along with its private sector firms, will invest US$10 billion in global LNG projects.

9              Aramco IPO Schedule Leaves Analysts Scrambling
https://www.rigzone.com/news/wire/aramco_ipo_schedule_leaves_analysts_scrambling-26-sep-2019-159904-article/

Aramco is wasting no time pushing ahead with its IPO, leaving analysts scrambling to prepare research that will help investors decide whether to buy into one of the world’s biggest share sales.

10           Traders Rattled by US Sanctions on China Tanker Cos
https://www.rigzone.com/news/wire/traders_rattled_by_us_sanctions_on_china_tanker_cos-26-sep-2019-159903-article/
Global oil shipping was thrown into disarray after the U.S. imposed penalties on a handful of Chinese tanker firms for continuing to carry Iranian crude after sanctions waivers lapsed in May.

11           Consultancy finds boom in BOPET film
https://www.packagingnews.co.uk/news/consultancy-finds-boom-bopet-film-27-09-2019
Capacity is forecast to increase by over 50% by 2023; in 2018, global BOPET capacity is estimated at 6.7 bn tonnes, with the biggest volume located in China.

12           Commodity Tracker: 6 charts to watch this week
https://blogs.platts.com/2019/09/23/commodity-6-charts-oil-market-saudi-230919/
Oil markets are scrutinizing the export and stock balance of OPEC kingpin Saudi Arabia this week, following attacks on critical oil infrastructure. Brazil’s corn exports and the success of Gazprom’s European auction platform are also among our latest pick of energy and commodity market trends.

13           Pemex Head of Crude Oil Trading Leaves Company
https://www.rigzone.com/news/wire/pemex_head_of_crude_oil_trading_leaves_company-27-sep-2019-159914-article/

Petroleos Mexicanos’s head of crude oil trading Victor Briones has left the company, according to people familiar with the matter.

14           Texas-Tuxpan offshore natural gas pipeline.
https://www.argusmedia.com/pages/NewsBody.aspx?id=1985398&menu=yes
Full ramp-up of the 2.6 Bcf/d Sur de Texas-Tuxpan offshore natural gas pipeline rests on state-owned CFE renegotiating interconnecting pipeline contracts with TC Energy, after talks to rework the main deal added to delays in starting the line.

15           ExxonMobil sells non-operated Norwegian North Sea assets for $4.5 billion
https://www.lngworldnews.com/exxonmobil-sells-non-operated-norwegian-north-sea-assets-for-4-5-billion/

U.S. energy giant ExxonMobil has signed an agreement with Vår Energi for the sale of its non-operated upstream assets in Norway for $4.5 billion. ExxonMobil said that the sale to Vår Energi was part of its previously announced plans to divest approximately $15 billion in non-strategic assets by 2021.

16           Mexico’s Pemex prepays $5.17 billion in bond tender
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-mexico-pemex-idUSKBN1W9060

Mexico’s Pemex said on Monday it had paid $5.17 billion in a tender offer to prepay about a third of its bonds maturing between 2020-23, part of President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador’s latest effort to shore up the state oil firm. The company announced the bond tender earlier this month, using a $5 billion capital injection from the Mexican government.

Recycling, Renewables and Sustainable Business 2

Friday, September 27, 2019

Recycling, Renewables and Sustainable Business 2

1              Making plastics recycling pledges is easy, following through can be hard
https://www.plasticsnews.com/blog/making-plastics-recycling-pledges-easy-following-through-can-be-hard

Brand owners and plastics companies have been making a lot of voluntary pledges related to plastics packaging in the past year. Some of those goals may be difficult or expensive to achieve.

2              Recyclable packaging is top concern for shoppers: report
https://www.packagingnews.co.uk/top-story/recyclable-packaging-top-concern-shoppers-report-24-09-2019
A new report found that 69% of shoppers believe buying packaging that is recyclable is the foremost sustainable spending behaviour, and two thirds of shoppers want non-recyclable packaging to be banned altogether.

3              Solar PV growth slows as sector transitions to new phase
https://blogs.platts.com/2019/09/26/solar-pv-capacity-growth-slows/

Dramatic cost reductions are now seeing solar PV becoming increasingly competitive, but capacity additions remain subdued so far this year across major markets, following a prior year of stalled growth, according to S&P Global Platts Analytics’ latest Global Solar PV Outlook.

4              Environmental groups secure air protections at proposed Ohio cracker plant
https://stateimpact.npr.org/pennsylvania/2019/09/26/environmental-groups-secure-air-protections-at-proposed-ohio-cracker-plant/

A petrochemical company and three environmental groups have reached an agreement to increase air quality protections at a proposed ethane cracker plant in Belmont County, along the Ohio River. The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency approved an air permit, called a “permit to install” for PTTGCA, based in Thailand, in December of last year.

5              Renewables ‘faster and cheaper’ than nuclear in saving the climate
https://www.rechargenews.com/transition/1854840/renewables-faster-and-cheaper-than-nuclear-in-saving-the-climate

Renewable energy is cheaper and reduces emissions faster than nuclear power, according to the World Nuclear Industry Status Report from French industry consultant Mycle Schneider.

New renewable plants in many countries with nuclear fleets now can not only compete economically with new nuclear, but also with existing nuclear power plants, the report finds.

6              Solar sector sees tax credit extension adding $87 billion to U.S. economy
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-solar-taxcredit-idUSKBN1W92FO

The U.S. solar energy industry will add an additional 113,000 jobs and generate $87 billion in investment over the next decade if U.S. lawmakers extend the sector’s key tax credit, a report published on Tuesday said.

7              Rystad: Equinor’s mega offshore wind project gives hope to deflated service industry
https://www.offshoreenergytoday.com/rystad-equinors-mega-offshore-wind-project-gives-hope-to-deflated-service-industry/

The offshore wind project Dogger Bank in the UK North Sea will not only be Equinor’s largest project through 2026, it will also rank as the sixth largest offshore development project in the world during this period, according to Rystad Energy.

8              Oil and Gas Investor EnCap Muscles Into Energy Storage Business
https://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/with-broad-reach-investment-encap-shifts-from-fossil-fuels-to-energy-storag

EnCap Investments has directed about $37 billion in venture investment into oil and gas companies over its 30 years in business. Now, it’s making its first investments into clean energy, with a goal of developing up to 2 gigawatts of utility-scale energy storage, either on its own or linked to solar, wind and peaker plants.

9              Is Building Energy Efficiency Overrated?
https://cleantechnica.com/2019/09/26/ec2019-part-3-is-building-energy-efficiency-overrated/

The day of the Global Climate Strike, September 20th, I participated in a fascinating all day conference in Vancouver, British Columbia. It’s the fourth annual conference put on by the BC Sustainable Energy Association. There are three or four threads I want to pull at, but this one is focused on the segment on building energy efficiency.

10           Buying corporate renewable energy – a quick guide
https://www.rechargenews.com/transition/1854433/buying-corporate-renewable-energy-a-quick-guide
With the objectives of reducing carbon footprints and driving down energy costs, more and more corporations are beginning their renewable journey.

But how do you know which path to take and which options are right for you?

11           Trans Mountain oil tankers aren’t the only thing endangering whales on the West Coast
https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/tmx-killer-whale-marine-traffic-1.5294445
As Captain Aaron Nagler sets out onto the water, his boat navigates through a harbour full of vessels, from kayaks and sea ferries to sailing yachts.

Past the waters around Granville Island, in the heart of Vancouver, Nagler cruises by much larger ships hauling grain and coal, and another vessel filled with shipping containers. Beyond all the traffic, the horizon opens up as the engine pushes the boat further away from the coast.

12           SEIA: Steps For Reaching 20% Solar By 2030
https://solarindustrymag.com/seia-steps-for-reaching-20-solar-by-2030

As part of the first steps into the “Solar+ Decade,” the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) has released a roadmap that puts solar energy on a path to reaching 20% of U.S. electricity generation by 2030.

13           Microsoft signs US wind and solar power deal with Engie
https://www.rechargenews.com/transition/1854529/microsoft-signs-us-wind-and-solar-power-deal-with-engie

Microsoft has signed power deals for 230MW of wind and solar with Engie in the US. The software giant agreed long-term PPAs for the majority of the output from Engie’s 200MW Las Lomas wind farm and 85MW from its 200MW Anson Solar center, both in Texas and due online in January 2021.

14           Honda Announces U.S. Solar And Wind Agreements
https://solarindustrymag.com/honda-announces-u-s-solar-and-wind-agreements

Seeking to slash emissions from its manufacturing operations, Honda has entered into long-term virtual power purchase agreements (VPPAs) for wind and solar power that will cover more than 60% of the electricity the company uses in North America.

15           Solar To Headline Double-Digit Renewable Power Capacity Growth In 2019
https://cleantechnica.com/2019/09/24/solar-to-headline-double-digit-renewable-power-capacity-growth-in-2019/

Global capacity additions of renewable power are expected to bounce back with double-digit growth in 2019, according to the International Energy Agency, led by a resurgent performance from the solar PV industry which is expected to see growth of over 17% and capacity of 115 gigawatts (GW) by year’s end.

16           Alliance to End Plastic Waste joins project STOP
https://www.plasticsnews.com/news/alliance-end-plastic-waste-joins-project-stop
The recently established Alliance to End Plastic Waste (AEPW) has joined Borealis initiative Project STOP to help further scale up the development of more sustainable and circular waste management systems in Indonesia.

Business Intelligence and Analytics 31

Friday, September 27, 2019

Business Intelligence and Analytics 31

1              Bringing agile to customer support
https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/operations/our-insights/bringing-agile-to-customer-care

Agile is one of the hottest management trends for companies across industries, and with good reason. This approach, which encourages collaboration, responsiveness, and ownership, has helped to transform different parts of an organization and generated significant performance improvements.

2              Why are your customers calling you again?
https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/operations/our-insights/why-are-your-customers-calling-you-again

It’s long been a fact of life that call centers often receive multiple calls from the same customers. Yet despite the availability of call data, few organizations fully understand the reasons behind repeat calls, making them hard to reduce or eliminate.

3              Tutorial on Outlier Detection in Python using the PyOD Library
https://www.analyticsvidhya.com/blog/2019/02/outlier-detection-python-pyod/
My latest data science project involved predicting the sales of each product in a particular store. There were several ways I could approach the problem. But no matter which model I used, my accuracy score would not improve. I figured out the problem after spending some time inspecting the data – outliers!

4              Introduction to anomaly detection in python
https://blog.floydhub.com/introduction-to-anomaly-detection-in-python/

There are always some students in a classroom who either outperform the other students or failed to even pass with a bare minimum when it comes to securing marks in subjects. Most of the times, the marks of the students are generally normally distributed apart from the ones just mentioned. These marks can be termed as extreme highs and extreme lows respectively. In Statistics and other related areas like Machine Learning, these values are referred to as Anomalies or Outliers.

5              Data Mapping Using Machine Learning
https://www.kdnuggets.com/2019/09/data-mapping-using-machine-learning.html

From small to large businesses, just about every company is fighting for a chance to get their audience’s attention. Regular marketing campaigns performed 20 years ago just don’t cut it anymore. To get ahead of the curve and beat out your competitors, you often have to market directly to the source, especially if you cater to the millennial generation.

6              Here’s How Data Science Is Empowering The Field Of Marketing
https://medium.com/@anebellyliza45/heres-how-data-science-is-empowering-the-field-of-marketing-76cff8386b68

Data Science is evolving at a rate faster than what it was expected few years back. The applications of Data Science are not just limited to one particular field. Slowly Data Science has spread to several other sectors of healthcare, education, automobile, defence & many more. Data Science also promises a lot for marketers to significantly reach their desired business goals & objectives.

7              Talent Alert: Data Science Help is Coming
https://www.informationweek.com/big-data/talent-alert-data-science-help-is-coming/a/d-id/1335756
But will the flood of candidates solve your data problems? Here are a few issues to mull and tips on how to attract/retain data scientists in this hot market.

8              6 Data Extraction Tools to Speed Up Your Work
https://www.business2community.com/tech-gadgets/6-data-extraction-tools-to-speed-up-your-work-02241578
The day to day tasks of running a business can be hard, not to mention time-consuming. Especially when it comes to dealing with lots of data. Just to get your hands on useful data you need to extract it from PDFs or spreadsheets, clean it, organise it, store it and analyze it. With lots of data, this can quickly become a full-time job. Thankfully, data extraction tools are here to help.

9              Open Source Gains Ground in the Enterprise
https://www.informationweek.com/big-data/software-platforms/open-source-gains-ground-in-the-enterprise/d/d-id/1335906

You may not hear a lot of enterprise executives talking about it, but open source software is becoming a mainstay in big organizations.

The enterprise has gone through a lot of changes in recent years between the rise of public cloud, Agile development, and a greater focus on data management and analytics. Another big change? It used to be that open source technology might not have been considered as an appropriate fit in the enterprise. Plus, tech executives may have been giving open source an air kiss, but they weren’t ready to commit. That’s totally turned around.

10           3 Reasons Why You Need to Be Computer Savvy in Business
https://bigdataanalyticsnews.com/reasons-need-to-be-computer-savvy-business/
Different business models require a variety of skills: from hands-on services which are built around craftsmanship and creativity to sales and marketing which put stock in people skills, salesmanship, and data analysis. However, there is one thing that all job roles have in common no matter the industry you work in, and that is the need for basic technological knowledge.

11           5 great Data Strategy Resources
https://101.datascience.community/2019/09/26/5-great-data-strategy-resources/

I am putting together some of my own resources on Data Strategy. Here are a few of the top resources I found helpful so far.

12           The Problem With Email Marketing Automation Flowcharts
https://www.targetmarketingmag.com/article/the-problem-with-email-marketing-automation-flowcharts/

The Marketing Automation Flow Is the Highway, the Marketing Message Is the Tesla

Marketing automation, and even the most complex and well-thought-out automation and email drip campaign flows, are just an infrastructure. But like a highway, the customer experience can be very different, based on what’s driving down the road.

Energy, Petrochemicals and Plastics 30

Friday, September 20, 2019

Energy, Petrochemicals and Plastics 30

1              Real crunch from Saudi Arabia’s oil outage has yet to be felt
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-saudi-aramco-attacks-supply-idUSKBN1W41GL
Saudi Arabia’s ability to avert a global oil supply crunch will only become clear in a few weeks, because for now its crude held in storage can fill the gap and mask the scale of damage to its facilities, traders and analysts say.

2              A Crazy Day for Oil Leaves Traders Dazed
https://www.rigzone.com/news/wire/a_crazy_day_for_oil_leaves_traders_dazed-18-sep-2019-159835-article/

The Sunday opening of the oil market is traditionally a sedate affair: volumes are minimal and only a few traders in Asia, where it’s already early Monday, are in front of their screens.

3              Energy transition dampens appetite for Asian mega-refinery projects
https://blogs.platts.com/2019/09/19/energy-transition-asia-mega-refinery/
Asia has been the last bastion of large oil refinery projects for years, but overcapacity in the near term and the de-carbonization of transport fuels further out have raised questions over the need for more large-scale refining projects.

4              Oil Price Fundamental Daily Forecast – Markets Likely to Remain Bid Due to Middle East Tensions
https://www.fxempire.com/forecasts/article/oil-price-fundamental-daily-forecast-markets-likely-to-remain-bid-due-to-middle-east-tensions-601362

Before the market can really become stable, Saudi inventories are going to have to return to pre-attack levels, the damaged facilities are going to have to be repaired and working at full capacity and further threats will have to be prevented. Since the risk is to the downside, the markets are likely to be bid for several days.

5              Natural Gas Price Fundamental Daily Forecast
https://www.fxempire.com/forecasts/article/natural-gas-price-fundamental-daily-forecast-will-break-under-2-551-finally-spark-long-liquidation-601374

Continuing to trade inside the $2.585 to $2.691 retracement zone will indicate the bulls and the bears are somewhat balanced. Natural gas futures are edging higher on Friday shortly after the regular session opening. Even after three lower closes, the market is having a hard time breaking through the pair of technical support levels that have been propping up prices for nearly two weeks.

6              Weekly resin report: PE prices hit decade-long lows, but don’t get too comfortable
https://www.plasticstoday.com/resin-pricing/weekly-resin-report-pe-prices-hit-decade-long-lows-don-t-get-too-comfortable/116669370361535

Spot resin trading slowed last week and resin prices were mixed, reports the PlasticsExchange (Chicago) in its Market Update.

7              Three prices down, two flat for commodity resins in August
https://www.plasticsnews.com/news/three-prices-down-two-flat-commodity-resins-august

Three North American commodity resins ended summer with price drops, while two others remained flat. The price declines were seen by polyethylene, PVC and PET bottle resin. And although regional prices for polypropylene and polystyrene were flat, the days of early-year price runups, flat summer pricing and late-year price drops appear to be over.

8              Europe petchems brace for higher logistics costs as Rhine’s water levels fall
https://www.icis.com/explore/resources/news/2019/09/19/10419897/europe-petchems-brace-for-higher-logistics-costs-as-rhine-s-water-levels-fall

Worries about the River Rhine’s low water levels are back in the minds of Europe’s petrochemicals players as barges cannot fully load, according to the Rhine Shipping Authority (WSA

9              China petrochemical trades to thin out ahead of October holiday
https://www.icis.com/explore/resources/news/2019/09/20/10420103/china-petrochemical-trades-to-thin-out-ahead-of-october-holiday

Petrochemical trades in China are expected to thin out amid mandated production curbs and logistics restrictions put in place as the nation marks its 70th founding anniversary in October.

10           Petrochemical feedstock supply under attack
https://www.hydrocarbonengineering.com/petrochemicals/19092019/petrochemical-feedstock-supply-under-attack/

The drone attacks on Saudi Aramco’s oil and gas facilities and key infrastructure will have significant ripple effects in the global energy and petrochemical markets, as well as the global economy, as oil prices rise and natural gas production is disrupted.

11           Asian petchem buyers query Saudi recovery timelines
https://www.argusmedia.com/en/news/1980425-asian-petchem-buyers-query-saudi-recovery-timelines

The extent of the disruption from last weekend’s attacks on Saudi oil infrastructure suggests the government’s end-September timeline to restore production could be optimistic, petrochemical distributors and consumers in Asia said.

12           Challenges In A Growing LNG Market
https://www.woodmac.com/news/the-edge/challenges-in-a-growing-lng-market/
Investors are scrambling to grab a piece of the action. We are witnessing a supply boom the scale of which the industry has never experienced before. Around US$240 billion will be spent between 2019 and 2025 on greenfield and brownfield LNG supply projects, backfill and finishing construction for those already underway.

13           Next wave of U.S. LNG export projects to be ‘tougher’: Blackstone Energy CEO
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-energy-gastech-idUSKBN1W32AT
The next wave of U.S. liquefied natural gas (LNG) export projects will be “tougher” to bring online, as companies with existing facilities take advantage of lower costs to expand capacity in coming years, the chief executive of Blackstone Energy Partners said on Wednesday.

14           US To Supply More Than Half Of Global Gas By 2035
https://oilprice.com/Energy/Natural-Gas/US-To-Supply-More-Than-Half-Of-Global-Gas-By-2035.html
The United States is expected to account for more than half of the global natural gas supply growth through 2035, McKinsey & Company said in a new report.

15           Oilfield Services More Bullish Following Oil Price Jump
https://oilprice.com/Energy/Energy-General/Oilfield-Services-More-Bullish-Following-Oil-Price-Jump.html

The recent oil price jump could create further momentum for service sector margins, according to Rystad Energy. Sixty percent of the top 50 oilfield service (OFS) contractors already improved margins and increased operational efficiency in the first half of 2019. On average, the peer group recorded an EBITDA margin of 15.2% in the first six months of the year, compared to 14.6% in the same period last year.

16           Major Mexico gas pipeline at center of dispute begins operations
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-mexico-pipelines-idUSKBN1W21QL
A major natural gas pipeline between Texas and the Mexican Gulf Coast port of Tuxpan that was at the heart of a dispute between Mexico’s government and infrastructure firms begins operations on Tuesday, the companies behind it said.

17           Commodity Tracker: 6 charts to watch this week
https://blogs.platts.com/2019/09/16/commodity-tracker-6-charts-to-watch-160919/

Geopolitical risk and oil markets top this week’s pick of energy and commodities themes from S&P Global Platts editors. Plus, Ukraine’s role in European gas supply, steel scrap prices as a bellwether for economies, and a milestone approaches for US LNG exports.

Recycling, Renewables and Sustainable Business 1

Friday, September 20, 2019

Recycling, Renewables and Sustainable Business 1

1              After stalling last year, renewable power capacity additions to hit double-digit
https://www.iea.org/newsroom/news/2019/september/after-stalling-last-year-renewable-power-capacity-additions-to-hit-double-digit-.html
After stalling last year, global capacity additions of renewable power are set to bounce back with double-digit growth in 2019, driven by solar PV’s strong performance, according to the International Energy Agency.

The IEA expects renewable capacity additions to grow by almost 12% this year, the fastest pace since 2015, to reach almost 200 GW, mostly thanks to solar PV and wind. Global solar PV additions are expected to increase by over 17%.

2              The climate crisis explained in 10 charts
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/sep/20/the-climate-crisis-explained-in-10-charts

The level of CO2 has been rising since the industrial revolution and is now at its highest for about 4 million years. The rate of the rise is even more striking – the fastest for 66m years – with scientists saying we are in “uncharted territory”.

3              More than 100 sign EU recycling pledge
https://www.plasticsnews.com/news/more-100-sign-eu-recycling-pledge

More than 100 public and private partners covering the entire plastics value chain signed the declaration of the Circular Plastics Alliance in Brussels to promote voluntary actions to develop a “well-functioning [European Union] market in recycled plastics.”

4              If the world ran on sun, it wouldn’t fight over oil
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/sep/18/climate-crisis-oil-war-iraq-saudi-attack-green-energy
We are sadly accustomed by now to the idea that our reliance on oil and gas causes random but predictable outbreaks of flood, firestorm and drought. The weekend’s news from the Gulf is a grim reminder that depending on oil leads inevitably to war too.

5              Natural gas and wind forecast to be fastest growing sources of U.S. electricity generation – Today in Energy
https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=41333
In its latest Short-Term Energy Outlook, the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) forecasts that natural gas-fired electricity generation in the United States will increase by 6% in 2019 and by 2% in 2020. EIA also forecasts that generation from wind power will increase by 6% in 2019 and by 14% in 2020.

6              The oil industry vs. the electric car
https://www.politico.com/story/2019/09/16/oil-industry-electric-car-1729429
Groups backed by industry giants like Exxon Mobil and the Koch empire are waging a state-by-state, multimillion-dollar battle to squelch utilities’ plans to build charging stations across the country. Environmentalists call the fight a reprise of the “Who Killed the Electric Car?” battles that doomed an earlier generation of battery-driven vehicles in the 1990s.

7              Oil Majors Face Further Pain As Plastics Fall Out Of Fashion
https://www.forbes.com/sites/mikescott/2019/09/16/oil-majors-face-further-pain-as-plastics-fall-out-of-fashion/
Oil and gas producers are preparing for a decline in demand for gasoline and diesel as electric cars replace fossil fuelled vehicles, but they have been taking solace in the thought that the petrochemicals market would still need a lot of oil as a feedstock.

But now that source of demand may be under threat as well, thanks to the global backlash against plastics from both consumers and regulators.

8              Siemens Gamesa in talks to buy parts of troubled turbine firm Senvion
https://www.energyvoice.com/otherenergy/207771/siemens-gamesa-in-talks-to-buy-parts-of-troubled-turbine-firm-senvion/

Turbine giant Siemens Gamesa is understood to be considering the purchase of parts of troubled firm Senvion. It is thought that Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy (SGRE) will buy Senvion’s European portfolio through and exclusivity agreement.