The Dune Express in West Texas. Courtesy of Atlas Energy

It's longer than the width of Rhode Island, snakes across the oil fields of the southwest U.S. and crawls at 10 mph – too slow for a truck and too long for a train.

It's a new sight: the longest conveyer belt in America.

Atlas Energy Solutions, a Texas-based oil field company, has installed a 42-mile long conveyer belt to transport millions of tons of sand for hydraulic fracturing. The belt the company named “The Dune Express” runs from tiny Kermit, Texas, and across state borders into Lea County, New Mexico. Tall and lanky with lids that resemble solar modules, the steel structure could almost be mistaken for a roller coaster.

In remote West Texas, there are few people to marvel at the unusual machine in Kermit, a city with a population of less than 6,000, where the sand is typically hauled by tractor-trailers. During fracking, liquid is pumped into the ground at a high pressure to create holes, or fractures, that release oil. The sand helps keep the holes open as water, oil and gas flow through it.

But moving the sand by truck is usually a long and potentially dangerous process, according to CEO John Turner. He said massive trucks moving sand and other industrial goods are a common site in the oil-rich Permian Basin and pose a danger to other drivers.

“Pretty early on, the delivery of sand via truck was not only inefficient, it was dangerous,” he said.

The conveyor belt, with a freight capacity of 13 tons, was designed to bypass and trudge alongside traffic.

Innovation isn't new to the oil and gas industry, nor is the idea to use a conveyor belt to move materials around. Another conveyer belt believed to be the world’s longest conveyor — at 61 miles long — carries phosphorous from a mine in Western Sahara on the northwest coast of Africa, according to NASA Earth Observatory.

When moving sand by truck became a nuisance, an unprecedented and risky investment opportunity arose: constructing a $400 million machine to streamline the production of hydraulic fracturing. The company went public in March 2023, in part, to help pay for the conveyor belt and completed its first delivery in January, Turner said.

The sand sits in a tray-shaped pan with a lid that can be taken off at any point, but most of it gets offloaded into silos near the Texas and New Mexico border. Along its miles-long journey, the sand is sold and sent to fracking companies who move it by truck for the remainder of the trip.

Keeping the rollers on the belt aligned and making sure it runs smoothly are the biggest maintenance obstacles, according to Turner. The rollers are equipped with chips that signal when it's about to fail and need to be replaced. This helps prevent wear and tear and keep the machine running consistently, Turner said.

The belt cuts through a large oil patch where environmentalists have long raised concerns about the industry disturbing local habitats, including those of the sagebrush lizard, which was listed as an endangered species last year by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

“In addition to that, we know that the sand will expedite further drilling nearby,” said Luke Metzger, executive director of Environment Texas. “We could see more drilling than we otherwise would, which means more air pollution, more spills than we otherwise would.”

The Dune Express currently runs for about 12 to 14 hours a day at roughly half capacity but the company expects to it to be rolling along at all hours later this year.

In New Mexico, Lea County Commissioner Brad Weber said he hopes the belt alleviates traffic on a parallel highway where car crashes are frequent.

“I believe it’s going to make a very positive impact here,” he said.

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Houston battery recycling company signs 15-year deal to supply Texas flagship facility

green team

Houston- and Singapore-headquartered Ace Green Recycling, a provider of sustainable battery recycling technology solutions, has secured a 15-year battery material supply agreement with Miami-based OM Commodities.

The global commodities trading firm will supply Ace with at least 30,000 metric tons of lead scrap annually, which the company expects to recycle at its planned flagship facility in Texas. Production is expected to commence in 2026.

"We believe that Ace's future Texas facility is poised to play a key role in addressing many of the current challenges in the lead industry in the U.S., while helping the country meet the growing domestic demand for valuable battery materials," Nishchay Chadha, CEO and co-founder of Ace, said in a news release. "This agreement with OM Commodities will provide us with enough supply to support our Texas facility during all of its current planned phases, enabling us to achieve optimal efficiencies as we deploy our solutions in the U.S. market. With OM Commodities being a U.S.-based leader in metals doing business across the Americas and Asia with a specialty in lead batteries, we look forward to leveraging their expertise in the space as we advance our scale-up efforts."

The feedstock will be sufficient to cover 100 percent of Ace's phase one recycling capacity at the Texas facility, according to the statement. The companies are also discussing future lithium battery recycling collaborations.

"Ace is a true pioneer when it comes to providing an environmentally friendly and economically superior solution to recycle valuable material from lead scrap," Yiannis Dumas, president of OM Commodities, added in the news release. "We look forward to supporting Ace with lead feedstock as they scale up their operations in Texas and helping create a more circular and sustainable battery materials supply chain in the U.S."

Additionally, ACE shared that it is expected to close a merger with Athena Technology Acquisition Corp. II (NYSE: ATEK) in the second half of 2025, after which Ace will become a publicly traded company on the Nasdaq Stock Market under the ticker symbol "AGXI."

"As we continue to scale our lead and lithium battery recycling technologies to help support the markets for both internal combustion engines and electric vehicles, we expect that our upcoming listing will be a key accelerator of growth for Ace,” Chada said.

China-based company to launch its largest U.S. energy storage project in Houston

coming soon

Trina Storage and FlexGen, a North Carolina-based company that develops integrated energy storage systems, are bringing a 371-megawatt battery energy storage system to Houston. The project will be the largest grid-scale deployment project in North America by Trina Storage, which is a business unit of China-based Trina Solar.

"This project is a testament to Trina Storage's ability to provide a fully bankable, integrated energy storage solution that meets the evolving needs of the market," Terry Chen, vice president of Trina Storage North America, said in a news release. "As our first grid-scale deployment in North America, this achievement reflects the industry's confidence in our technology and our commitment to de-risking energy storage investments and supporting the energy transition in the region."

The project, developed by Boulder, Colorado-based SMT Energy, will utilize Trina Storage's advanced Elementa 2 battery storage system, which is designed to optimize energy performance and reliability. The system uses Trinas proprietary lithium iron phosphate cells that are more than 95 percent energy efficient, according to the company.

FlexGen will provide system integration and use its HybridOS energy management software. The HybridOS allows site operators to manage systems, detect issues faster and predict maintenance needs.

"This collaboration with Trina Storage and SMT Energy represents another major step in accelerating the deployment of flexible energy storage assets to meet growing demand," Diane Giacomozzi, COO at FlexGen, added in the release. "By pre-integrating FlexGen HybridOS with Trina's Elementa 2 energy storage solution in our Durham Innovation Lab, we're enabling faster project delivery and optimized performance from the first moment of operation."

Trina Storage currently has 10 energy storage facilities in China and two in the UK. The Houston facility is part of its plans to expand across the U.S., according to a LinkedIn post form the company.

7 must-attend Houston energy transition events in May 2025

On the Agenda

Editor's note: May is here, and there's a full slate of must-attend energy transition events this month. Mark your calendars for these top events, including OTC 2025, CHARGE North America, and more.Please note: this article may be updated to include additional events.

May 5-9 — OTC 2025

Offshore Technology Conference 2025 will cover the the theme of "Waves of Innovation," covering offshore energy excellence." The premier five-day conference willhighlight the groundbreaking advancements in offshore energy, showcasing the industry's relentless drive for innovation. As global energy needs evolve, the "Waves of Innovation" theme reflects OTC’s commitment to sustainable, cutting-edge technologies that are shaping the future of offshore energy.

Industry leaders will come together to explore new frontiers in offshore energy, emphasizing the operational efficiency, environmental responsibility, and technical excellence required to meet the challenges of tomorrow’s energy landscape.

The Opening Ceremony kicks off Monday, May 5 at 9 am. The event continues at NRG Park through May 9. Click here to register.

May 12-15 — Enverus Evolve Conference

Staying ahead of the curve in the energy sector is critical. This conference is designed to equip energy leaders with foresight in the energy market, providing cutting-edge technological know-how, sessions and networking opportunities industry leaders, and offering practical guidance on how to apply technology to solve big problems.

This event begins May 12 at Hilton Americas Houston. Click here to register.

May 12-13 — Carbon Hub Annual Meeting

The fifth-annual Carbon Hub Annual Meeting will bring together industry, academic, and research leaders at the forefront of the energy and materials transitions. Attendees will have access to thought-provoking discussions and opportunities to connect with innovators across the field. The full agenda has yet to be released, but featured speakers include David Hatrick, Vice President, Strategic Marketing and Innovation, Huntsman Advanced Materials; Luca de Rai, Vice President, Research & Development Energy, Prysmian Group; and Dhaval Shah, General Manager, Corporate Technology & Innovation, SABIC.

This event begins May 12 at Rice University. Click here to register.

May 20-21 — Geothermal Transition Summit North America

This two-day summit serves as the meeting point for the geothermal and oil and gas industries and will focus on geothermal energy, including scaling plants and navigating state regulations. The event promises 50 expert speakers, 15 tech demos, and access to eight networking events featuring approximately 250 industry decision makers.

This event begins May 20 at Norris Conference Centers - Houston CityCentre. Click here to register.

May 27-28 — 6th American LNG Forum

Join LNG industry professionals, innovators, and policymakers to discover groundbreaking technologies that are driving the future of liquified natural gas. Topics will include market dynamics and decarbonization strategies, offering attendees the chance to connect, learn, and become part of the LNG revolution.

This event begins May 27 at the Westin Galleria Houston. Click here to register.

May 28-30 — CHARGE North America

This intimate, immersive experience is tailored to forward-thinking energy professionals. The conference includes hands-on interactive workshops led by top strategists; real-world case studies; and insights from leading speakers on resilient branding, consumer expectations, and climate action. Attendees will engage in panel discussions on sustainability and energy diversification and enjoy exclusive networking opportunities with global executives and innovators.

This event begins May 28 at The Ion. Click here to register.

May 29-30 — 5th Annual American Hydrogen Forum

Connect with hydrogen industry leaders, innovators, and policymakers at the American Hydrogen Forum. Discover groundbreaking technologies and strategies focusing on hydrogen fuel cell technology, hydrogen energy, and low-carbon hydrogen solutions.

This event begins May 29 at the Westin Galleria Houston. Click here to register.