A USD 1 bn processing facility for Uzbekistan: US-based industrial gas company Air Products has signed a USD 1 bn agreement with Uzbekistan and state-owned energy firm Uzbekneftegaz to acquire, own, and operate a natural gas-to-syngas processing facility in the country, it said in a statement on Thursday. The industrial complex, which will be part of Uzbekneftegaz, will have the capacity to produce 1.5 mn tons per year of high value-add synthetic fuels for domestic use and potential exports. Under the agreement, Air Products will acquire, own, and operate two large-scale air separation units, two large-scale auto-thermal reforming units, and a hydrogen production unit within the Uzbekistan GTL complex, supplying oxygen, nitrogen, hydrogen, and syngas under a long-term contract.

Why this is important: Syngas — synthetic gas containing hydrogen, CO2, and carbon monoxide — can be used for the production of power in many types of equipment, from steam cycles through gas engines and turbines, according to Biogreen. It can also be used to make hydrogen, ammonia, methanol, and synthetic hydrocarbon fuels.

Namibia pushes forward with planned USD 10 bn green hydrogen hub: Namibia-based green hydrogen developer Hyphen signed an agreement with the Namibian government to start the next phase of a planned USD 10 bn green hydrogen plant in catering to EU and regional energy demands, Reuters reported last week. The plant — located in the Tsau Khaeb National Park — will be powered by some 5 GW of wind and solar power and produce some 2 mn tons of green fuel annually with 750k tons earmarked for Europe. It is expected to come online by 2030. Hyphen — whose shareholders include German-based energy firm Enertag and the UK’s Nicholas Holdings Limited — was expected to sign an implementation and assessment agreement with the Namibian government last Friday, but no updates have been released.

OTHER STORIES WORTH KNOWING ABOUT THIS MORNING-

  • The government of Mozambique has chosen a consortium led by TotalEnergies, Electricite de France, and Japan’s Sumitomo for a USD 4.5 bn hydroelectric power plant project — set to reach financial close in 2024 — which will produce in excess of 2 GW of clean energy once operational in 2030. (Bloomberg)
  • South Korean automaker Hyundai and LG Energy Solutions will break ground on a US-based USD 4.3 bn EV battery factory in 2H 2023 that will have an annual production capacity enough to outfit 300k EVs. (Reuters)
  • Austria, France, Ireland, and the Netherlands have called on the EU to tighten laws on private jet travel in a document shared with EU members ahead of a transport ministerial meeting scheduled this week. Private flights generate 20 times more CO2 per passenger than commercial flights. (Reuters)
  • France has banned short-haul domestic flights if a train journey of 2.5 hours is available as an alternative in a bid to slash its aviation sector’s carbon emissions. (Statement)
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