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Industry Decarbonization Newsletter
@industrydecarbonization.com
Independent Journalism for the Energy Transition. https://industrydecarbonization.com/
The plant you can see in this picture had CO2 emissions of around 300-400 thousand tons annually up until 2014. But, according to an EU emission database, it had no emissions for the three following years and only around 1/1000th of the emissions in later years. 🔌💡
/thread 🧵
January 14, 2026 at 11:55 AM
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More in my latest newsletter. And if you prefer a video, I presented this at the #39C3 - a recording is available: media.ccc.de/v/39c3-green...
Greenhouse Gas Emission Data
Data about greenhouse gas emissions, both from countries and individual factories, is often publicly available. However, the data source...
media.ccc.de
December 30, 2025 at 7:00 PM
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In all likelihood, the data📊 was entered in the wrong unit🤷‍♂️
Less clear is why an ArcelorMittal steel🔩 plant & a Yara fertilizer🌾 plant in France🇫🇷 have diverging emissions for some years in the ETS and the EU's Industrial Emissions Portal. (Brought to my attention by @leonardstimpfle.bsky.social)
December 30, 2025 at 6:59 PM
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It's so much that it is hard to believe this really happened. And that is not the only odd thing I found in emission databases. Another factory in Iceland, Elkem's ferrosilicon plant, did not report CO₂ emissions for multiple years, and afterwards, they fell by a factor of 1,000 twice.
December 30, 2025 at 6:58 PM
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Was there a massive leak of a dangerous greenhouse gas in Iceland🇮🇸 in 2011-or was it a data📈 reporting error?
Emission databases show that the Norðurál aluminium factory🏭 released 60 tons of SF₆ in 2011 — but no such emissions in any other year. 🔌💡 industrydecarbonization.com/news/errors-...
🧵
Errors and Inconsistencies in European Emission Data
Factories that suddenly have emissions a thousand times lower than before, unexplained data gaps, and inconsistent CO₂ emissions from different data sources are some of the issues one finds when havin...
industrydecarbonization.com
December 30, 2025 at 6:57 PM
SF6, a Greenhouse Gas 25,000 times as bad as CO2 💨🟡🌍🔥
It's been known that reported📊 SF6 emissions & measurements☁️ don't match. Now, scientists have been able to identify a significant SF6 source in Southern Germany - a chemical plant🧪🏭 operated by Solvay
industrydecarbonization.com/news/super-e...
Super-Emitter of the most Damaging Greenhouse Gas found in Germany
Through atmospheric measurements, scientists have identified a chemical factory operated by Solvay in Southern Germany as the source of massive amounts of Sulfur Hexafluoride (SF₆) emissions. Being 24...
industrydecarbonization.com
December 17, 2025 at 9:16 AM
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A Solvay factory in Bad Wimpfen emits far more than reported. Solvay and local authorities are now in legal disputes over orders to reduce & measure emissions. It's probably safe to say that this is truly impactful climate research by Katharina Meixner, Andreas Engel, and their many collaborators.
December 12, 2025 at 12:30 PM
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It also has an extreme impact on the climate, with a 100-year global warming potential of ~24.000. Studies have warned that atmospheric measurements and reported SF6 emissions don't add up. And now, it looks like the research was able to find a major source of these discrepancies.
December 12, 2025 at 12:29 PM
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It's the worst known greenhouse gas, and a factory in Southern Germany emits a lot of it 🌍🏡💨🏭
Sulfur Hexafluoride or SF6 is a gas that has been used in Nike shoes (until 2006), Magnesium production, soundproof windows, and electric switchgear. 🔌💡 /thread 🧵
industrydecarbonization.com/news/super-e...
Super-Emitter of the most Damaging Greenhouse Gas found in Germany
Through atmospheric measurements, scientists have identified a chemical factory operated by Solvay in Southern Germany as the source of massive amounts of Sulfur Hexafluoride (SF₆) emissions. Being 24...
industrydecarbonization.com
December 12, 2025 at 12:29 PM
The UNFCCC makes it needlessly difficult to download emission data📊📈

I am now providing a service that allows downloading bundles of tables that the UNFCCC — for whatever reason — does not want you to access easily. 🔌💡
industrydecarbonization.com/news/why-is-...
Why is it needlessly difficult to access UNFCCC Emission Data?
Due to international climate agreements, countries report annual data about their greenhouse gas emissions to the UNFCCC. However, downloading and using that data is a lot more difficult than it shoul...
industrydecarbonization.com
December 2, 2025 at 1:36 PM
Will Enerkem's Waste Gasification tech work in Spain after it failed to deliver in Canada? ♨️🗑️ Repsol wants to build a Waste-to-Methanol plant in Tarragona🇪🇸. The tech was used in Edmonton🇨🇦 for ~10y, but never came close to its expected production volumes. industrydecarbonization.com/news/is-ener...
Is Enerkem's Waste Gasification technology a Failure or a promising Climate Solution?
Repsol wants to build a waste gasification plant to make circular and biogenic Methanol in Spain. The Ecoplanta project will use a technology that previously failed to deliver on its promises in Canad...
industrydecarbonization.com
November 11, 2025 at 9:21 AM
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Given Enerkem's poor performance in Edmonton, it is worth asking: why does Repsol think that the tech will work better in Spain? Is it worth additional money💶 from the EU🇪🇺 and indirectly Spanish🇪🇸 taxpayers? Unfortunately, neither Enerkem nor Repsol wanted to talk to me. More in my latest newsletter
November 6, 2025 at 10:22 AM
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While Enerkem's projects in CA failed, one in Spain moves ahead. Ecoplanta at Repsol's Tarragona complex🧪🏭 is probably Enerkem's last chance to succeed. Ecoplanta only came to pass after plans for the extension of an energy tax🏛️ in Spain were dropped after the party Junts declined to support it
November 6, 2025 at 10:21 AM
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Is Enerkem's Waste Gasification technology a Failure or a promising Climate Solution?
Gasification of waste🗑️ and biomass🪵 could be an enormously helpful tool to make circular+renewable chemicals. Yet, the list of failed gasification projects is long.🔌💡 🧵
industrydecarbonization.com/news/is-ener...
Is Enerkem's Waste Gasification technology a Failure or a promising Climate Solution?
Repsol wants to build a waste gasification plant to make circular and biogenic Methanol in Spain. The Ecoplanta project will use a technology that previously failed to deliver on its promises in Canad...
industrydecarbonization.com
November 6, 2025 at 10:19 AM
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Most existing CO2 storage is something called Enhanced Oil Recovery. Existing CCS usually uses easye CO2 sources, and gas-fired power plants are the opposite of that. A key determinant for the costs of CCS is the concentration of a CO2 source. Check my video:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=aO72...
Carbon Capture and Storage looks different from what you may think
YouTube video by Decarbonize Everything
www.youtube.com
November 3, 2025 at 10:14 AM
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Sometimes, I feel we're talking about different worlds of CCS. One is the world of ideas that people may have about what CCS might look like. The other is how actual CCS projects look in the real world.
November 3, 2025 at 10:13 AM
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CCS does not look like you may think💨🏭

Carbon Capture and Storage is certainly one of the more controversial technologies to mitigate climate change.

When I observe discussions about it, I am often frustrated.
🔌💡 🧵
November 3, 2025 at 10:13 AM
Looking for new ways to make clean Hydrogen?🌱💧
Peregrine Hydrogen says they have a way that requires 1/2 the electricity by integrating it with another process. By doing so, they make a 2nd product & there is an industry that needs both: Phosphate mines⛏️⚒️🪨
industrydecarbonization.com/news/this-hy...
This Hydrogen has no Color
Peregrine Hydrogen has an unusual idea for making clean Hydrogen, one that it says fits into existing industrial processes. One of the world's largest Phosphate mining companies is interested.
industrydecarbonization.com
October 16, 2025 at 8:19 AM
Is Biomethane a smarter path towards Carbon Removal?🌱🐂🏭

There's a lot of talk about Carbon Removal these days, most people associate it with Direct Air Capture💨. Yet, DAC is excessively expensive, and it is unclear whether that will ever change. 🔌💡
industrydecarbonization.com/news/you-wan...
🧵
You want CCS, but cheaper and less controversial? Try Biomethane
Carbon capture technology is often associated with ideas of capturing CO₂ from power plants or industrial facilities like cement plants. Biomethane upgraders provide CO₂ that is easy to capture and le...
industrydecarbonization.com
October 7, 2025 at 5:13 PM
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September 30, 2025 at 5:14 PM
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The Tønder biogas plant by Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners delivers CO2 for the Kasso E-Methanol plant by European Energy.
September 30, 2025 at 5:14 PM
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It's a form of BECCS (Bio Energy with CCS), but it is very different from "traditional BECCS" (aka: CCS on bioenergy power plants🪵🔥).
While Biomethane with CCS is not exactly at the center of the CCS debate, companies like neustark, The Carbon Removers, Bigadan, BioCirc are working on it.
September 30, 2025 at 5:14 PM
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Biogas from Anaerobic Digestion also contains CO2, and it can be upgraded to Biomethane, also known as Renewable Natural Gas (RNG), by removing CO2. Biomethane upgraders are, in a sense, the renewable🌱 equivalent to fossil gas upgraders.
They provide an easy source for biogenic🌿 CO2.
September 30, 2025 at 5:13 PM
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Apart from the fact that it's usually used for Enhanced Oil Recovery, the sources are, in most cases, fossil gas upgraders💨🏭
Fossil gas💨 usually contains CO2 that needs to be removed. Gas upgraders provide CO2 in high concentrations. Capturing it is cheap.
September 30, 2025 at 5:13 PM
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CCS is a controversial topic to begin with. That has a lot to do with the fact that many see it - often rightfully so - as a delay strategy by the fossil fuel🛢️ industry.
While people have power plants or cement factories in mind, real-world CCS looks quite different.
September 30, 2025 at 5:13 PM