clean team

Baker Hughes launches major clean energy initiatives with U.S. military and more

Baker Hughes has teamed up with Dallas-based Frontier Infrastructure and has been selected by the U.S. Air Force and the Department of Defense for global clean energy projects. Photo via bakerhughes.com.

Energy tech company Baker Hughes announced two major clean energy initiatives this month.

The Houston-based company has teamed up with Dallas-based Frontier Infrastructure to develop carbon capture and storage (CCS), power generation and data center operations in the U.S.

Baker Hughes will supply technology for Frontier’s nearly 100,000-acre CCS hub in Wyoming, which will provide open-access CO2 storage for manufacturers and ethanol producers, as well as future Frontier projects. Frontier has already begun drilling activities at the Wyoming site.

“Baker Hughes is committed to delivering innovative solutions that support increasing energy demand, in part driven by the rapid adoption of AI, while ensuring we continue to enable the decarbonization of the industry,” says Lorenzo Simonelli, chairman and CEO of Baker Hughes.

Additionally, Baker Hughes announced this week that it was selected by the U.S. Air Force and the Department of Defense’s Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Office (CDAO) to develop utility-scale geothermal power plants that would power global U.S. military bases.

Baker Hughes was granted an "awardable," or eligible, status through the CDAO's Tradewinds Solutions Marketplace, which aims to accelerate "mission-critical technologies," including AI, machine learning and resilient energy technologies. The potential geothermal plants would provide cost-effective electricity, even during a grid outage.

“The ability of geothermal to provide reliable, secure baseload power makes it an ideal addition to America’s energy mix,” Ajit Menon, vice president of geothermal, oilfield services and equipment at Baker Hughes, said in a news release. “Baker Hughes has been a pioneer in this field for more than 40 years and our unique subsurface-to-surface expertise and advanced technology across the geothermal value chain will help the U.S. military unlock this critical domestic energy source, while simultaneously driving economic growth and energy independence.”

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A View From HETI

Alléo Energy is moving its headquarters to The Ion District. Photo courtesy of The Ion

An Alabama-based clean tech company is moving its headquarters to Houston.

Alléo Energy announced that it will move its headquarters from Bay Minette, Alabama, to Houston's Ion District. The company develops carbon-negative fuels and renewable commodities through its conversion technology that turns wood waste and cellulosic feedstocks into high-energy, high-yield syngas.

The news comes after Alléo announced the appointment of Benjamin Cowart as its new CEO. Cowart will succeed Alléo founder Simeon Chow, who will serve as president.

“Ben doesn’t need to be sold on carbon-negative fuels; he’s already building in this exact space, and he’s thrived through some of the hardest conditions the industry has faced,” Chow said in a news release. “He knows how to scale and he knows the capital markets that finance them; he turns the hurdles that stall other companies into momentum. Bringing a leader of his caliber in as CEO is a defining, energizing moment.”

Cowart previously founded Houston-based renewables Vertex Energy Inc. The company went public on the Nasdaq exchange in 2009 through a reverse merger. He served as chairman and CEO of the company, which was later taken private by a consortium led by BlackRock.

Cowart also founded EVH Corp., a venture platform focused on building in hydrogen, methanol, sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), and low-carbon marine fuels.

“I’ve spent my career turning advanced process technology into high-performing enterprises that deliver both economic and environmental returns in an industry defined by headwinds,” Cowart added in the release. “The winners in energy transition aren’t the ones with the best headline; they’re the ones that keep their economics intact when subsidies move, feedstock prices swing, and capital gets expensive. Alléo is well-built for that. I’ve rarely seen a technology company this well positioned for what the market is demanding. The science is proven; now it’s about disciplined execution, financing, and building more plants. This is the work I love most.”

Alléo plans to scale its proprietary conversion technology. The company commissioned the first phase of its Alabama facility in 2023, which produced renewable diesel made entirely from wood waste, which could be converted to SAF.

The company says that it has $50 million invested in initial research and development, and that additional facilities are in the planning stages.

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