Hanno Böck

Hanno Böck

@hanno.hboeck.de

Freelance Journalist. Industry Decarbonization, Climate, Energy, IT Security. newsletter: https://industrydecarbonization.com/ web: https://hboeck.de/

449 followers115 following281 posts

Hanno Böck reposted

Konrad Litschko
@litschko.bsky.social

Wer lügt hier? Die CDU! Wir haben alle 14 CDU-Abgeordneten gefragt, wie sie bei der Wahl des AfD-Landtagspräsidenten in Sachsen-Anhalt abstimmten. 2 sagten nichts, 4 meinten Nein, 8 Enthaltung. Aber: Es gab nur 5 Enthaltungen. Mindestens 3 CDUler sagen also nicht die Wahrheit. taz.de/CDU-luegt-ue...

taz.deCDU lügt über Abstimmungsverhalten: Zeit der Werwölfe in Sachsen-AnhaltZum ersten Mal seit 1945 wurde in Sachsen-Anhalt ein Rechtsextremist zum Präsidenten eines deutschen Parlaments gewählt – und CDU-Abgeordnete lügen über ihr Wahlverhalten.
Hanno Böck
@hanno.hboeck.de

I recently wrote a post about Carboliq, a chemical recycling company that is facing bankruptcy. I got some positive reactions&thought "I should write something quick for my newsletter". Whenever I think I should "write something quick", it's never quick... industrydecarbonization.com/news/a-promi...

industrydecarbonization.comA promising Plastic Recycling company facing BankruptcyCarboliq, a company developing an advanced plastic recycling process, is in an insolvency process. The history of its technology goes back decades and is full of interesting and sometimes absurd anecd...
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Hanno Böck
@hanno.hboeck.de

The connection to Carboliq and its parent company Recenso GmbH is a very indirect one. The roots of Carboliq's technology can be traced back to another company named Alphakat that was once a partner of Recenso. They parted ways long ago.

Hanno Böck
@hanno.hboeck.de

Carboliq has been quite transparent with data from its trial runs, and that data looks quite favorable. Its technology is sufficiently different from most other chemical recycling approaches that it seems worthwhile to pursue.

Hanno Böck
@hanno.hboeck.de

I recently wrote a post about Carboliq, a chemical recycling company that is facing bankruptcy. I got some positive reactions&thought "I should write something quick for my newsletter". Whenever I think I should "write something quick", it's never quick... industrydecarbonization.com/news/a-promi...

industrydecarbonization.comA promising Plastic Recycling company facing BankruptcyCarboliq, a company developing an advanced plastic recycling process, is in an insolvency process. The history of its technology goes back decades and is full of interesting and sometimes absurd anecd...
Hanno Böck
@hanno.hboeck.de

There's an extremely fascinating backstory. It has everything. A corruption investigation in Ethiopia. An exclusive deal with a weapons manufacturer. A former motivational speaker & diamond trader now trying to turn a waste processing technology into a fossil fuel technology. Fuel from cats (a hoax)

Hanno Böck
@hanno.hboeck.de

Yara's new CCS project in the Netherlands plans to capture 25% of the plant's CO2 emissions💨🏭🚢 Yara recently inaugurated a CCS project & plans to ship CO2 to Norway. For now, the ship left empty & was just there for the ceremony 🔌💡 🧵 industrydecarbonization.com/news/yaras-c...

industrydecarbonization.comYara's CCS project shows limitations of Blue Hydrogen and AmmoniaYara's fertilizer plant in Sluiskil in the Netherlands is the second customer of the Northern Lights CO₂ storage site in Norway. While it is one of the largest CCS projects in Europe, it avoids only a...
Hanno Böck
@hanno.hboeck.de

Capturing "only" 25% could be seen as a first step, but it's not entirely obvious whether there's a next step. In my latest newsletter, I try to distill why retrofitting CCS to existing Hydrogen and Ammonia plants may be a dead end and not a step towards deep emission reductions.

Hanno Böck
@hanno.hboeck.de

Green H2 plant delayed 4 years due to safety repairs & accident💧🔋 A Linde electrolyzer in Leuna, Germany, was supposed to start production in 2022, but no production start has been announced yet. I'm finally able to reveal the backstory: industrydecarbonization.com/news/safety-...

industrydecarbonization.comSafety Issues and an Accident delayed Linde's Green Hydrogen Plant for YearsAn Electrolyzer at the chemical site in Leuna, Germany, was supposed to start producing Hydrogen in 2022. Extensive repairs due to safety concerns and an accident in late 2025 caused a multi-year dela...
Hanno Böck
@hanno.hboeck.de

Plastic Energy, one of the most promising chemical recycling🧪♻️ startups, is in financial peril💶 Plastic pyrolysis is a technology that promises to recycle plastic waste🗑️ too dirty or mixed to be recycled otherwise. It's also a controversial technology with a history littered with failures.🔌💡 🧵

industrydecarbonization.comChemical Recycling, Pyrolysis, and the downfall of Plastic EnergyThe chemical industry promised that favorable policy treatment of chemical recycling would enable investments in more circularity and alternative feedstocks. However, one of the most promising compani...
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Hanno Böck
@hanno.hboeck.de

Furthermore, Plastic Energy never caused any negative headlines about pollution😷, fires🔥, explosions💥, or other incidents that are not uncommon in this industry — one reason why it is so controversial. Plastic Energy's UK-based companies are now in an administration process and looking for buyers.

Hanno Böck
@hanno.hboeck.de

It is possible that broader developments within the chemical industry impacted Plastic Energy. SABIC recently sold its assets in Geleen, including the cracker that was supposed to process pyrolysis oil from its joint venture with Plastic Energy.

Hanno Böck
@hanno.hboeck.de

Plastic Energy, one of the most promising chemical recycling🧪♻️ startups, is in financial peril💶 Plastic pyrolysis is a technology that promises to recycle plastic waste🗑️ too dirty or mixed to be recycled otherwise. It's also a controversial technology with a history littered with failures.🔌💡 🧵

industrydecarbonization.comChemical Recycling, Pyrolysis, and the downfall of Plastic EnergyThe chemical industry promised that favorable policy treatment of chemical recycling would enable investments in more circularity and alternative feedstocks. However, one of the most promising compani...
Hanno Böck
@hanno.hboeck.de

The chemicals/plastics industry in Europe🇪🇺 promised that favorable policy, so-called fuel-use exempt mass balance, would unlock massive investments into chemical recycling. However, even though it looks like the industry will get most (but not al) what it asked for, the prospects don't look good.

Hanno Böck
@hanno.hboeck.de

Plastic Energy appeared to be one of the more successful players. It has 2 plants🏭🏭 in Spain🇪🇸 and lately built two larger ones in collaboration with TotalEnergies and SABIC.

Hanno Böck
@hanno.hboeck.de

One of the largest Green Methanol projects outside China has been cancelled 🌿🧪 The Beaver Lake Renewable Energy project was supposed to be a large-scale Biomethanol plant in Louisiana/USA. Plans were to do forest residue🌳🪵 gasification + combine with CDR sungasrenewables.com/sungas-annou... 🔌💡 🧵

sungasrenewables.comSunGas Announces Cessation of Beaver Lake Biofuels Project - SunGas RenewablesCarbon Direct & C2X advance Beaver Lake Biofuels in Louisiana, producing biofuel and CDR credits from forestry byproducts.
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Hanno Böck
@hanno.hboeck.de

One of the largest Green Methanol projects outside China has been cancelled 🌿🧪 The Beaver Lake Renewable Energy project was supposed to be a large-scale Biomethanol plant in Louisiana/USA. Plans were to do forest residue🌳🪵 gasification + combine with CDR sungasrenewables.com/sungas-annou... 🔌💡 🧵

sungasrenewables.comSunGas Announces Cessation of Beaver Lake Biofuels Project - SunGas RenewablesCarbon Direct & C2X advance Beaver Lake Biofuels in Louisiana, producing biofuel and CDR credits from forestry byproducts.
Hanno Böck
@hanno.hboeck.de

SunGas Renewables just announced that it won't happen due to uncertainties about the regulatory environment & uptake of clean shipping fuels🚢⛽ Given the US🇺🇸 political situation, it's unsurprising that this isn't great for cleantech projects.

Hanno Böck
@hanno.hboeck.de

I have to make a confession: I no longer think E-Methanol is a good idea ⚡⚗️ I am not saying this lightly. But it's hard to argue with thermodynamics, & making energy-rich molecules from nothing but CO₂, water🌊, and electricity⚡ faces some hard truths 🔌💡 industrydecarbonization.com/news/should-... 🧵

industrydecarbonization.comShould we give up on E-Methanol and CO₂ utilization?Liquid Wind, a Swedish developer of E-Methanol projects, filed for bankruptcy. While Green Methanol is an important climate solution, is it time to ask whether making it from nothing but CO₂, Water, a...
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Hanno Böck
@hanno.hboeck.de

Possibly something that we've been promised a long time ago, but never got: advanced cellulosic biofuels🌱🛢️. If your impulse is that "biofuels are bad", I'm largely with you. In fact, I believe that allowing "bad" biofuels to stay is one of the main reasons we never got better biofuels.

Hanno Böck
@hanno.hboeck.de

If we properly look into this, I believe it becomes quite apparent where the quest for Green Molecules should lead us: gasification♨️💨🏭 of residual, mostly cellulosic🪵 biomass🌿, optionally enhanced with Green Hydrogen. You may also call that Bio-E-Fuels or Power-and-Biomass-to-Liquids🌱⚡🛢️.

Hanno Böck
@hanno.hboeck.de

I have to make a confession: I no longer think E-Methanol is a good idea ⚡⚗️ I am not saying this lightly. But it's hard to argue with thermodynamics, & making energy-rich molecules from nothing but CO₂, water🌊, and electricity⚡ faces some hard truths 🔌💡 industrydecarbonization.com/news/should-... 🧵

industrydecarbonization.comShould we give up on E-Methanol and CO₂ utilization?Liquid Wind, a Swedish developer of E-Methanol projects, filed for bankruptcy. While Green Methanol is an important climate solution, is it time to ask whether making it from nothing but CO₂, Water, a...
Hanno Böck
@hanno.hboeck.de

Recently, one of the most significant project developers for E-Methanol⚡⚗️ projects in Europe, Liquid Wind💧💨, filed for bankruptcy. E-Methanol⚡⚗️ & other processes known as CCU/E-Fuels/PtX/PtL all have one problem: they need so much clean electricity that it's questionable if this is plausible.

Hanno Böck
@hanno.hboeck.de

There's a reason we're seeking Green Molecules🍃. It's the most plausible climate mitigation pathway for shipping🚢, aviation✈️& chemicals🧪. If making them from CO₂ isn't feasible, what should we do instead?

Hanno Böck
@hanno.hboeck.de

"Secret bidder" in Danish CCS tender confirmed 🤫💨🏭🇩🇰 Denmark currently runs a tender process for Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) projects. In the latest round, 9 out of 10 preselected projects had announced their withdrawal from the process, with only the cement plant🪨🏭 Aalborg Portland left.🔌💡 🧵

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Hanno Böck
@hanno.hboeck.de

Gaia is a collaboration between Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners & Vestforbrænding, the project wants to implement CCS at a waste incinerator🗑️🔥 in Copenhagen🧜🏻 (not the famous "Copenhill" incinerator). There have recently been changes in the company behind the Gaia project, likely to shift risks.

Hanno Böck
@hanno.hboeck.de

"Secret bidder" in Danish CCS tender confirmed 🤫💨🏭🇩🇰 Denmark currently runs a tender process for Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) projects. In the latest round, 9 out of 10 preselected projects had announced their withdrawal from the process, with only the cement plant🪨🏭 Aalborg Portland left.🔌💡 🧵

Hanno Böck
@hanno.hboeck.de

In a surprise turn of events, the Danish Energy Agency announced two bids earlier this year. One bidder had announced to "drop out" and then reconsidered. While it was widely suspected who the second bidder was, there was no final confirmation.

Hanno Böck
@hanno.hboeck.de

In response to a freedom of information request, the Danish Energy Agency🇩🇰⚡🏢 confirmed to me that the two bidders are Aalborg Portland and Gaia ProjectCo, the latter being the "secret" second bidder.

Hanno Böck
@hanno.hboeck.de

China's Green Methanol Industry is racing ahead 🇨🇳🌱⚗️🏎️ Many expect that Green Methanol is the future clean shipping fuel🚢⛽, as well as a promising feedstock for sustainable aviation fuels✈️ & fossil-free plastics🧴 In 2023, something happened in China🇨🇳 industrydecarbonization.com/news/why-chi... 🔌💡 🧵

industrydecarbonization.comWhy China Is Winning the Green Methanol RaceMethanol made from sustainable feedstocks is a key technology for climate-neutral shipping, aviation, and fossil-free chemicals. Chinese companies are already building industrial production facilities...
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Hanno Böck
@hanno.hboeck.de

4 industrial-scale Green Methanol plants are operational in China. In Europe? 1 In 2024, A.P. Møller Holding (owners of Maersk🚢) created the startup VioNeo, with plans for a fossil-free plastics plant in Antwerp🇧🇪. In 2026, they changed plans & want to build "in China near green methanol supply"

Hanno Böck
@hanno.hboeck.de

Europe's🇪🇺 failure to scale Green Methanol production leads to a compounding failure to attract one of the most promising projects for a fossil-free future chemical industry🌱⚗️🏭 It all feels like what played out in the Solar☀️ industry. China invests early and big. More in my latest newsletter.

Hanno Böck
@hanno.hboeck.de

China's Green Methanol Industry is racing ahead 🇨🇳🌱⚗️🏎️ Many expect that Green Methanol is the future clean shipping fuel🚢⛽, as well as a promising feedstock for sustainable aviation fuels✈️ & fossil-free plastics🧴 In 2023, something happened in China🇨🇳 industrydecarbonization.com/news/why-chi... 🔌💡 🧵

industrydecarbonization.comWhy China Is Winning the Green Methanol RaceMethanol made from sustainable feedstocks is a key technology for climate-neutral shipping, aviation, and fossil-free chemicals. Chinese companies are already building industrial production facilities...
Hanno Böck
@hanno.hboeck.de

Suddenly, announcements for Green Methanol production plants started appearing. They had one thing in common: they were huge💪. 500,000 tons here, a million tons there🏭🏭🏭🏭🏭 Was this real? Announcing things is cheap; building things matters🏗️ In 2025, it became clear that it is real.

Hanno Böck
@hanno.hboeck.de

In the last round, 9 of 10 preselected applicants dropped out, all of them bioenergy🪵🔥 or waste-to-energy🗑️🔥 plants. Did I say 9? Well, 9 announced they were dropping out, but one mystery🔮 bidder decided to un-drop out. The tender ended with two bids.

Hanno Böck
@hanno.hboeck.de

In the coming years, we will likey see a cement plant🪨🏭, Biomethane🌱 upgraders, two bioenergy plants, and a waste-to-energy plant with CCS in Denmark. I sympathize with the first two. I'm skeptical about bioenergy plants and waste incinerators with CCS. More in my latest newsletter.

Hanno Böck
@hanno.hboeck.de

A wide range of political parties supported the plans. Apart from a first offshore storage site, Denmark awarded subsidies💶. But those came with a catch: deliver on time - or face penalties.The winner of the 2023 tender, Ørsted with 2 bioenergy🪵🔥 plants, is already struggling with delays.

Hanno Böck
@hanno.hboeck.de

A Climate Success Story🎉 without a Happy End🙁? This chart📉 shows something we would like to see more often: emissions are going down rapidly. Those are emissions of N₂O from the production of a chemical🧪—Caprolactam—used to make certain plastics&synthetic fibers. 🔌💡 🧵

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Hanno Böck
@hanno.hboeck.de

They aren't alone. Many relatively climate-friendly Caprolactam factories in the EU🇪🇺 have been shut down or are in danger. A curious fact about N₂O and the ETS💶 is that emissions from some chemical processes are covered, while others—like Caprolactam—aren't.

Hanno Böck
@hanno.hboeck.de

This raised a question: are there policy options to change this, to let cleaner producers gain an economic advantage💶? It's complicated, maybe. Longer answer in my latest newsletter: industrydecarbonization.com/news/some-of...

industrydecarbonization.comSome of the cleanest Polyamide and Nylon precursor Factories are shutting downThe production of a chemical called Caprolactam results in significant N₂O emissions, a potent greenhouse gas. Most EU producers largely avoid these emissions. Some have made investments in drastic em...
Hanno Böck
@hanno.hboeck.de

A Climate Success Story🎉 without a Happy End🙁? This chart📉 shows something we would like to see more often: emissions are going down rapidly. Those are emissions of N₂O from the production of a chemical🧪—Caprolactam—used to make certain plastics&synthetic fibers. 🔌💡 🧵

Hanno Böck
@hanno.hboeck.de

I showed that chart📉 in a presentation at #39c3, joking that there probably aren't many people asking themselves what the N2O emissions of Caprolactam production are, or what that even means. Hours later, I read that Domo Caproleuna, a German Caprolactam producer, had filed for bankruptcy.

Hanno Böck
@hanno.hboeck.de

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-... 🧵

industrydecarbonization.comErrors and Inconsistencies in European Emission DataFactories 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...
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Hanno Böck
@hanno.hboeck.de

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)

Hanno Böck
@hanno.hboeck.de

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-... 🧵

industrydecarbonization.comErrors and Inconsistencies in European Emission DataFactories 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...
Hanno Böck
@hanno.hboeck.de

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.

Hanno Böck reposted

Franziska Müller - DECT 6097
@squirrelista.bsky.social

Thanks, @hanno.hboeck.de for a stunning investigation into major greenhouse gas reporting errors! Was a pleasure to translate your talk. #c3lingo

Hanno Böck@hanno.hboeck.de

The two curves here should be the same. Obviously, they are not. If you are at #39c3 and want to learn about the unusual things I found in Greenhouse Gas Emission Databases, come to stage One at 11h fahrplan.events.ccc.de/congress/202... There's a livestream: streaming.media.ccc.de/39c3/one