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UPI
6 hours ago
- Science
- UPI
SpaceX sends 24 Starlink satellites to polar orbit in late night launch
July 19 (UPI) -- SpaceX launched 24 more Starlink satellites late Friday from California into low-Earth orbit. The Falcon 9 lifted off at 8:52 p.m. PDT from Vandenberg Space Force Base's pad 4 East. Watch Falcon 9 launch 24 @Starlink satellites to orbit from California SpaceX (@SpaceX) July 19, 2025 About eight minutes later, Falcon 9's first-stage booster successfully landed on "Of Course I Still Love You" stationed in the Pacific Ocean. It was the booster's 14th mission, and 141st on this vessel and 477th of all droneships. SpaceX has launched 88 Falcon 9 rockets this year and 516th overall in California and Florida. The satellites were deployed into a polar orbit about one hour later. Falcon 9 launches 24 @Starlink satellites from California SpaceX (@SpaceX) July 19, 2025 The Starlink network includes 7,965 active units launched since 2019, reported. The satellites provide broadband internet access and direct-to-cell service. The next SpaceX flight from Florida is scheduled for 5:12 p.m. EDT Monday at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station's Complex 40. A Falcon 9 will launch the fifth pair of 03b mPower satellites to medium Earth orbit for Luxembourg-based SES.
DW
2 days ago
- Business
- DW
ArcelorMittal's pullout plunges German green steel in doubt – DW – 07/17/2025
Despite being offered billions in subsidies, steel giant ArcelorMittal has suspended plans to transition to green steel production in Germany. Is this an isolated case — or a warning sign for the entire industry? Steel is the backbone of German industry — but it's also a major source of greenhouse gas emissions, accounting for nearly 7% of Germany's CO2 emissions. As Germany has pledged to become carbon-neutral by 2045 — five years earlier than the rest of the European Union — the steel industry must cut up to 55 million metric tons of CO₂ annually, which is roughly 30% of all industrial emissions, according to the German Steel Federation lobby group. In order to make German steel production significantly more sustainable, the previous government comprising the Social Democrats, the environmentalist Greens and the pro-business FDP had embarked on policies encouraging the use of hydrogen with huge state subsidies. Green hydrogen produced with renewable energy is planned to replace coal in the industry. One of the steelmakers who had initially applied for government subsidies was Luxembourg-based steel conglomerate ArcelorMittal under a corporate plan that intended to make the company's two German steel works carbon-neutral by 2050. The German government supported the plan, offering €1.3 billion ($1.5 billion) in subsidies to facilitate the transition to hydrogen-based steelmaking. However, last month, ArcelorMittal announced it was halting the decarbonization plans at its sites in Bremen and Eisenhüttenstadt, and that it would hand back the subsidy grant. "There has been slower than expected progress on all aspects of the energy transition, including green hydrogen not yet being a viable fuel source and natural gas-based DRI production not being competitive as an interim solution," ArcelorMittal Europe said in a statement. The company's Europe CEO Geert Van Poelvoorde added that the European steel market is currently under "unprecedented pressure, with weak demand and high levels of imports." The pullout of ArcelorMittal from the German green steel plan highlights the risk for companies to fully embark on a green transition course. The €1.3 billion in German state money were primarily intended to cover the massive upfront costs of building new production facilities. But that's only part of the problem. Using green hydrogen in steel production — produced by the electrolysis of water, using renewable electricity mainly from wind and sun — is still more expensive than grey hydrogen based on natural gas or coking coal. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Yet, green steel must ultimately compete on global markets with cheaper, conventionally produced steel. And while changes in global coal prices affect all steelmakers equally, says Stefan Lechtenböhmer, switching to hydrogen-based production means "entering a completely different market." "Hydrogen is produced locally, and long-distance transport is still very difficult today," the professor at the University of Kassel in Germany told DW, adding that green hydrogen requires large amounts of electricity, meaning that local power prices directly impact its cost. But the issue isn't just cost; supply is also a major challenge. German steelmakers will need a reliable and sufficient supply of green hydrogen, a portion of which is supposed to be produced domestically. According to Germany's National Hydrogen Strategy, the country aims to build up 10 gigawatts (GW) of electrolyzer capacity by 2030 to produce green hydrogen. But that target appears to be wishful thinking, because as of February 2024, Germany had just 0.066 GW of installed electrolyzer capacity, data from the government's Energy Transition Monitoring Report shows. "It's almost impossible to meet the 2030 target now," Martin Wietschel, energy expert at the Fraunhofer Institute for Systems and Innovation Research, told German ARD public television recently. Energy experts agree that most of the hydrogen Germany needs will have to be imported from other countries, which is why the government has revised its strategy, now assuming that between 50% and 70% of the projected 2030 demand will have to be sourced from abroad. Berlin is now working to make sure that both foreign production capacity and extensive transport infrastructure will be in place by then. At the European Union level, a range of hydrogen infrastructure projects are in the pipeline to be completed by 2030 — including repurposing natural gas pipelines to carry hydrogen and constructing entirely new ones. Here, too, progress is hampered by setbacks. Several pipeline projects, for example, have been canceled or delayed, including a North Sea pipeline to Germany planned by Norway's Equinor, and a pipeline from Denmark. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video At the same time, shipping hydrogen across oceans is also not yet viable on a large scale. Hydrogen must be liquefied for ship transportation in a process that requires cooling it to minus 253 degrees Celsius (minus 423 degrees Fahrenheit). Alternatively, it can be converted into ammonia for transport, but that would lead to energy losses of around 50%, says Lechtenböhmer. As a result, transportation costs would cancel out the cost advantages of wind- or sun-rich countries like Namibia, Chile, or Australia, the expert added, which were touted as promising green hydrogen partners for Germany. Given the soaring costs and sluggish investments on both the supply and demand sides, a study by the Institute of Energy Economics (EWI) at the University of Cologne, Germany, doubts the EU's and Germany's 2030 goals for green steel are still achievable. But despite the challenges, ArcelorMittal is not abandoning green steel altogether — it's just shifting production to countries with more predictable and affordable electricity supplies. In May, the company announced that it will build its first new electric arc furnaces (EAFs) in Dunkirk, France, — one of the countries that are "able to provide visibility and certainty on low-cost electricity." The current electricity prices in Germany, the statement added, are high compared to both internationally and with European neighbors. By contrast, German steelmakers Thyssenkrupp and Salzgitter AG say they remain committed to Germany as the location for producing green steel. Following ArcelorMittal's pullback, both companies, however, called for faster infrastructure development and better safeguards for competitive energy prices. Unlike ArcelorMittal, which owns steelworks all over the world, the two companies' operations are solely based in Germany, lacking the flexibility to relocate production abroad. Public procurement could help them, particularly as the current government plans to spend massively on revamping German infrastructure under a multi-billion-euro investment plan. That money could also be used to support green steel production, Lechtenböhmer argues, but the government must be "willing to pay higher prices for green steel." In the long run, steel prices in Europe — whether conventional or green — are likely to rise due to a new EU emissions trading system coming into force in 2027. At the moment, says Lechtenböhmer, most industrial companies have received their emissions allowances for free. But the EU's new scheme will introduce a carbon market that will likely boost prices for coal-based steel compared with green steel. A study by the Boston Consulting Group projects that conventional steel will no longer be economically viable in Europe after 2030.
Time of India
3 days ago
- Automotive
- Time of India
ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel India commissions new line at Hazira plant to produce high-strength steel
Live Events (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel New Delhi: ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel India ( AMNS India ) on Wednesday commissioned a new production line at its Hazira plant in Gujarat to produce high-strength steel for the automotive sector The new continuous galvanising line (CGL) has been set up as part of the ongoing Rs 60,000 crore investment plan at the Gujarat plant. The CGL line is capable of producing Advanced High-Strength Steel (AHSS) with strength levels up to 1180 megapascals (MPa) - essential for exceptional safety, durability, and sustainability for evolving automotive applications, the company said in a the latest development, AMNS India said it has become the first company in India to produce the highest strength steel for the automotive modern unit is part of the company's ambitious Rs 60,000-crore expansion project, inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, under which the Hazira steel plant's capacity is being scaled up to 15 million tonnes (MT) from 9 a virtual interaction, AMNS India CEO Dilip Oommen said, "We can proudly say that the new line and upcoming facilities are designed to produce steel that matches the quality of offerings currently available in developed nations."Over the years, AMNS India has strengthened its ability to deliver world-class products, including the highest-strength steel ever produced in India to meet the evolving needs of the automotive sector. Indigenous production from this unique line will contribute meaningfully towards the country's self-reliance goal, he the Hazira expansion project, the company said it is progressing well with a goal of reaching 24 MTPA, including both upstream and downstream steelmaking the company will set up an integrated steel plant in Andhra Pradesh, where it has initiated the land acquisition process. Plans are also on track to set up integrated steel plants in Odisha, where the company has a significant presence. AMNS India is a 60:40 joint venture company of Luxembourg-based ArcelorMittal and Nippon Steel of Japan.
Winnipeg Free Press
5 days ago
- Business
- Winnipeg Free Press
Rogers contract cut impacts Manitobans
A recent Rogers decision to cut ties with an external customer service agency has impacted Manitoba workers. Neither Rogers Communications Inc. nor Foundever Group, the third-party customer service agency, would provide solid numbers. The change impacts 'a small percentage of our Canadian workforce,' a Foundever spokesperson wrote in a statement. The Luxembourg-based company employs 150,000 people globally, including Manitobans. Hundreds of Canadians have been affected by the loss of the Rogers contract, the Globe and Mail reported Friday. Manitoba staff represent a small portion of those affected, sources close to the case shared on the condition of anonymity. 'Our priority is ensuring a smooth transition for everyone impacted, including reassigning roles where possible,' Foundever's spokesperson wrote. Rogers will continue using an internal team and human third-party partners for customer service, spokesman Zac Carreiro wrote in a statement. Changes to the 'vendor mix' come as customers increasingly use digital tools and self-services, he added. — Free Press staff
Euronews
6 days ago
- Business
- Euronews
Why is Italian oil giant Eni growing edible crops in Congo?
Some fields are abandoned, others are being ploughed again by local families in Louvakou, in the Niari department of southwestern Congo. We fly a drone over rain-soaked lands, where until a year ago one of the agricultural projects of Eni Congo, a subsidiary of the Italian oil company Eni, was located. The project was managed by the Luxembourg-based company Agri Resources, which had a concession of 29,000 hectares of land and experimented with the cultivation of castor oil, intended to supply Eni's biofuel production in Italy. 'Agri Resources is not here anymore,' says Joseph Ngoma Koukebene, chief of the nearby Kibindouka village during our visit last November. The chief sits in his yard while telling us that the project has failed, apparently due to poor productivity. Louvakou is one of three sites in the Republic of Congo where Eni began experimenting in 2022 with the cultivation of castor oil, a non-food crop to be grown 'on degraded lands' as a 'sustainable agri-feedstock' for biofuels, it said. These are vegetable oils that are not meant to cause deforestation nor compete with food production. But while these projects are abandoned or still under evaluation, in May this year the company began producing agri-feedstock with other edible crops, such as sunflower and soy, which could have a negative impact on local food security. What is an Italian oil company doing in Congo? Eni plans to increase its global bio-refinery capacity from 1.65 million tonnes per year to 5 million tonnes of biofuels and over 2 million tonnes of Sustainable Aviation Fuels by 2030. To date, Eni mainly produces biofuels using controversial palm oil by-products imported from Indonesia and Malaysia such as PFAD and POME, and Used Cooking Oils. In order to produce alternative feedstocks and increase production, the company has launched agricultural projects in several countries since 2021, including Congo, Kenya, Mozambique and Ivory Coast. 'To address the availability of feedstock, we have several ongoing projects called agri-hubs, which are focused on producing vegetable oils grown on degraded lands,' Stefano Ballista, director of Enilive, another satellite company of Eni, tells us during a visit in June to a biorefinery in Porto Marghera, Venice. According to Ballista, the company 'aims to produce 700,000 tonnes of vegetable oils' globally by 2028. In Congo, Eni had originally planned to produce 20,000 tonnes by 2023 from castor oil, brassica and safflower, reaching 250,000 tonnes by 2030. But things went differently: the castor oil project in Louvakou closed its doors, while two others, in the departments of Bouenza and Pool, are still in an experimental phase. Meanwhile, at the end of May, Eni Congo inaugurated an agri-hub in Loudima, in the Bouenza district. According to the local press, this pressing plant will produce 30,000 tonnes of vegetable oils destined for bio-refining in 2025, and is supplied by an agricultural production of 1.1 million tonnes of agricultural products such as soy and sunflower, grown on 15,000 hectares. Degraded land and food security According to Chris Nsimba, a farmer in Loudima who attended the launch in May, 'castor production is still there, but it has been scaled back in favour of other products.' In 2021 Eni Congo signed an agreement with the Congolese government for the 'development of bio-refining agro-feedstock sector,' with a duration of 50 years, involving an area of 150,000 hectares. The company says its agricultural production in Bouenza will reach 40,000 hectares in 2025. 'We have grown sunflowers, in lands abandoned for decades, with very good yields,' Luigi Ciarrocchi, director of the Agri-Feedstock programme at Eni, told us. According to Ciarrocchi, the use of castor oil in Congo is still 'under evaluation.' Sunflower, like soy or rapeseed, is a food crop. Although Bouenza is called 'the breadbasket of Congo' due to its highly fertile grounds, Ciarrocchi claims that Eni is using 'degraded lands' that have become less fertile after being abandoned following large-scale agricultural projects in the 1970s and 1980s. 'Our products, which come from this supply chain, are certified at the European level,' Ciarrocchi claims, to ensure that 'they meet advanced sustainability criteria, and therefore avoid conflict with the food chain.' According to the United Nations, in the Republic of Congo 'domestic food production meets only 30 per cent of the country's needs, forcing heavy reliance on food imports.' Meanwhile 'chronic malnutrition is a pressing concern, particularly among children under the age of five, of whom 19.6 per cent are affected.' Ciarrocchi claims that Eni's agri-hub contributes to the local economy, and has a positive impact on food security through the production of 'cakes,' a byproduct of oil production 'which has a strong protein component' and will be used as a feed for the local livestock. Lobbying for biofuels and traditional cars Europe reduced its support for biofuels in 2022, when the revision of the Renewable Energy Directive (RED II) discouraged 'first-generation' biofuels. These are fuels based on the use of vegetable oils, such as palm oil, which are responsible for deforestation and competition with food security. EU legislation also bans the sale of internal combustion engine vehicles by 2035, in favour of electric cars, though it recognises a role for 'sustainable' biofuels for air transportation. Eni is part of a coalition which is lobbying the European Commission to recognise traditional vehicles as 'zero-emission' through the use of biofuels, claiming that the CO2 produced is the same captured in the atmosphere by crops. 'We have two large manufacturing industries - vehicles and fuel producers - that have come together, united by a single goal,' Emanuela Sardellitti, a senior executive at FuelsEurope told us during an industry event at Eni's headquarters in Rome in June. 'To prove that even an internal combustion engine vehicle, which is banned by the auto CO2 legislation, therefore by a European standard, starting from 2035, is actually a vehicle that can be qualified as a zero-emission vehicle, through the use of renewable fuels,' she said. The Italian government backs this campaign in Brussels, and promotes the biofuel feedstock production in Africa through the 'Mattei Plan for Africa,' a development plan taking its name from the founder of Eni, Enrico Mattei. 'The Mattei Plan is a vehicle that serves [...] for the countries of North Africa and all of Africa to develop agricultural production,' Gilberto Pichetto Fratin, Minister of the Environment and Energy Security of Italy, said at the event at Eni's headquarters. 'And to benefit those countries, but also our country and all of continental Europe, with the consequent production of fuels,' he said. In Loudima, farmers have an ambivalent opinion of large-scale agricultural projects, such as Eni's agri-hub. 'Clearly we need everything [...] for the development of the Bouenza," Nsimba told us, 'but these are crops that the population does not benefit from, because they are mostly sold on the international market.' This story was supported bythe Pulitzer Center Rainforest Reporting Grant. Marien Nzikou-Massala contributed to this report.
