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COMMENT COMMENT

DRIVING DOWN EMISSIONS

Automobile industry leaders were welcomed to the White House on 5 August for an announcement on vehicle emissions. US President Biden declared his intention to reinstate more ambitious Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards (that were rolled back by the Trump administration) and he unveiled the signing of an executive order for 50% of all new vehicles by 2030 to be either battery electric, plug-in hybrid electric, or fuel cell. As the global economy shifts into electric vehicle technology and cleaner fuels, Biden made it clear that the US would need to strengthen its leadership on clean transport, in order to compete against overseas automakers. Biden promised to support union workers in his bid for the presidency and the event was strongly supportive of unionised auto workers in the quest for growth in the sector.

Electric vehicle (EV) and clean energy company Tesla was omitted from the list of invited parties: an article by Tina Casey on Biden’s announcement suggests that it was “Tesla’s history of troubles relating to unions” that kept them off the guest list.1 She argues that “President Biden may also have used the event to send a message about his expectations for public-private collaboration and intra-industry co-operation.” Tesla has famously ploughed its own furrow, most recently when it comes to dealing with workers: co-founder and CEO Elon Musk has been criticised for Tesla’s worker safety policies during the COVID-19 pandemic. He has also been outspoken in his dismissal of hydrogen fuel cell technology, even as many automobile manufacturers pursue the use of fuel cells to electrify trucks, and larger construction vehicles and equipment, as well as cars.

In its annual Impact Report for 2020 (released in August 2021), Tesla claims that its EVs “helped avoid 5 million metric t of CO2-equivalent emissions”. Tesla says that the average internal combustion engine vehicle emits 69 t of CO2-equivalent over its lifetime, but Tesla vehicles are just a fraction of this, particularly if they are used for ‘ride-sharing’ and are solar charged. This reduction in so-called ‘lifecyle emissions’ contributes handsome gains to a nation’s emissions profile. Tesla also reports that its “cars can convert electricity into power more efficiently than other equivalent EVs”, in part due to its long-lasting batteries, 100% of which will be recycled.

In July it was reported that Tesla had sold enough cars and energy products to make a profit even without counting the sale of emissions credits to other automakers, which was a milestone for the company. The company will increase production capacity when it commences making EVs at the two factories it is currently building in Austin, Texas and Berlin. The annual report laid out Tesla’s plans to sell 20 million EVs per year by 2030 – from half a million in 2020 – and deploy 1500 GWh of energy storage per year, compared to 3 GWh last year. Sustainability really does drive the way the business is run: as Teslarati, a Tesla news source puts it, “Tesla’s products and services are focused on transportation and energy production and storage – segments that are traditionally the most polluting.”2 In this month’s issue of World Pipelines, Stephen Gibbons from ABB Measurement & TESLA PLANS TESLA PLANS Analytics discusses developments in process gas analyser technology TO SELL 20 TO SELL 20 that are helping to keep emissions MILLION EV MILLION EV to air under control. He explains that, globally, emissions regulations

PER YEAR PER YEAR BY 2030 BY 2030 are being tightened and part of the picture is an increasing need to monitor, and control, the gases being released. Various continuous emission monitoring systems (CEMS) are on the market, using different techniques to measure gases. There are many variables for a pipeline operator to consider when specifying CEMS to stay within emissions limits: read the article on p. 36 to find out more, including some insight into digital solutions and condition monitoring using real-time data. Also in this issue, Trencor outlines the benefits of its T14 trencher in terms of engine rating and compliance to EPA and EU emission standards requirements. Read all about the updated machine packages in Trencor’s piece on p. 63. Finally, on p. 15, SuperVision Earth presents a look at the ways in which satellite technology can enhance oil and gas pipeline monitoring activities. The article stresses that “carbon dioxide emissions are not falling fast enough in developed countries, where they have already peaked, to counteract emissions growth elsewhere.” The company’s mission is to make oil and gas infrastructure safer and more efficient by utilising AI and satellite technology, harnessing both optical and radar data to build a detailed picture of an asset on – or in – the ground. 1. https://www.triplepundit.com/story/2021/white-housetesla-ev/726596 2. https://www.teslarati.com/tesla-2020-impact-report-ecosystemexplained/

WORLD NEWS WORLD NEWS

Tracerco awarded subsea pipeline integrity inspections in Gulf of Mexico

Industrial technology service provider, Tracerco, part of Johnson Matthey Plc, has recently been awarded three subsea inspection contracts to provide critical asset integrity data on pipelines of a major operator in the Gulf of Mexico. As pipelines age over time, a variety of pipeline integrity issues, including corrosion, pitting and wall thinning start to arise, and the integrity of the assets could be compromised. Regulatory and safety demands are the key drivers of regular inspection campaigns.

Tracerco’s multi award-winning DiscoveryTM, a subsea CT Scanner, will be deployed to carry out the subsea inspections providing the operator with detailed, high-resolution tomographic images of the pipe wall thickness and contents to gain an enhanced understanding of the pipelines’ condition. The tomographic image will identify any wall loss features within the pipe as well as the location, amount and density of any material and/or deposits in the line and will allow the operator to plan for the future life of the pipelines. As CT scanning is a nonintrusive, external inspection method, all assets will remain fully operational throughout each project, eliminating interruption to production or the need for pipeline modifications. “We are pleased to have been awarded these projects” said Jim Bramlett, Commercial Manager North America for Tracerco. “Maintaining a pipeline’s integrity is invariably cheaper than performing significant repairs or pipeline replacement and we can help to ensure that potential failures are identified as early as possible. Through non-intrusive inspection, the Discovery allows us to assess the condition of the pipelines through any type of protective coating, while online and all in real-time.”

T.D. Williamson completes first pipeline inspection in Kenya using MDS technology

T.D. Williamson (TDW), the global pipeline solutions provider, completed its first inline inspection (ILI) in Kenya using TDW multiple dataset (MDS) technology.

The MDS platform incorporates a variety of inspection technologies on a single platform. It is widely accepted as the most comprehensive system on the market to identify integrity threats through a single inline inspection run.

TDW performed the inspection on a new, 20 in. diameter refined multi-product transmission pipeline that runs 450 km (279 miles) from Mombasa to Nairobi. The pipeline is owned and operated by the Kenya Pipeline Company (KPC). The goal of the operation was to provide a baseline measurement to determine any threats that may impact future integrity, including mechanical damage, illegal hot taps, selective seam weld corrosion and material property changes such as hard spots. Prior to the MDS inspection, TDW and its Egyptian Channel Partner Engineering Petroleum Services (EPS) cleaned the pipeline to avoid potential ILI tool performance issues that can degrade inspection data. They performed 12 cleaning and gauging runs on the 450 km (279 miles) of pipeline, totalling 3600 km (2237 miles) of cleaning. TDW Project Manager Jamie Bull oversaw the cleaning, gauging and inspection operations. Each achieved 100% success. According to TDW Sales Manager Mohamed Hesham, the inspection prepared the pipeline to meet demand for petroleum products in Kenya and the region for years to come.

Strohm plans new TCP centre of excellence and office base in Brazil

Leading global composite pipe technology company Strohm has opened a new office in Rio de Janeiro and is establishing a centre of excellence for engineering its Thermoplastic Composite Pipe (TCP) technology as part of its growth strategy in South America.

Strohm is extending its footprint in Brazil and gearing up for the execution of a significant contract, which is expected to be announced soon. The company is aiming to hire an additional ten local people over the next twelve months to bolster the engineering and back-office support teams to further enhance business development opportunities.

Once the operation ramps up in the coming years, there are also plans to establish a local TCP manufacturing capability to better support the clients in the region.

Strohm’s TCP technology outperforms existing solutions in terms of durability, corrosion resistance and total installed cost. Further cost reductions are possible by capitalising on the knock-on effects of using TCP.

Renato Bastos, who has been Strohm’s Vice President in Brazil for the past three years, will head up the Rio de Janeiro site. He has over 20 years’ experience in the energy industry, with a strong background in the installation of steel and flexible pipes. Mr Bastos said: “With Brazil’s ultra deepwater market ramping up and an increasing number of independent operators acquiring fields from Petrobras, we see opportunities both in the highly demanding pre-salt applications as well as with the independents on the mature fields. “With this move, we are in a great position to take advantage of these opportunities. Our TCP is perfectly suited as it’s non-corrosive and robust, offering up to 60% reduced CO2 footprint compared to steel alternatives. It also has reduced installation costs as it is so lightweight. “Establishing a new office in Rio as well as a new TCP engineering centre is an important stepping stone towards our long-term vison of designing and manufacturing locally in Brazil. It also enables us to further pursue relevant research and development projects with the operators established in country, under Brazil’s National Agency of Petroleum framework, as well as demonstrates our commitment to our clients and the local economy.”