Chevron and partners to develop innovative power plants to support AI-focused data centers

power partners

Chevron, Engine No. 1 and GE Vernova will develop power plants that allow for the future integration of lower-carbon solutions to support AI-focused data centers. Photo via Getty Images

Houston-based Chevron U.S.A. Inc., San Francisco investment firm Engine No. 1, and Boston electric service company GE Vernova have announced a partnership to create natural gas power plants in the United States. These plants support the increased demand for electricity at data centers, specifically those developing artificial intelligence solutions.

“The data centers needed to scale AI require massive amounts of 24/7 power. Meeting this demand is forecasted to require significant investment in power generation capacity, while managing carbon emissions and mitigating the risk of grid destabilization,” Chevron CEO Mike Wirth, shared in a LinkedIn post.

The companies say the plants, known as “power foundries,” are expected to deliver up to four gigawatts, equal to powering 3 million to 3.5 million U.S. homes, by the end of 2027, with possible project expansion. Their design will allow for the future integration of lower-carbon solutions, such as carbon capture and storage and renewable energy resources.

They are expected to leverage seven GE Vernova 7HA natural gas turbines, which will serve co-located data centers in the Southeast, Midwest and West. The exact locations have yet to be specified.

“Energy is the key to America’s AI dominance, “ Chris James, founder and chief investment officer of investment firm Engine No. 1, said in a news release. “By using abundant domestic natural gas to generate electricity directly connected to data centers, we can secure AI leadership, drive productivity gains across our economy and restore America’s standing as an industrial superpower. This partnership with Chevron and GE Vernova addresses the biggest energy challenge we face.”

According to the companies, the projects offer cost-effective and scalable solutions for growth in electrical demand while avoiding burdening the existing electrical grid. The companies plan to also use the foundries to sell surplus power to the U.S. power grid in the future.

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Ace Green Recycling Inc. will build one of India's largest battery recycling facilities and plans to develop a flagship battery recycling plant in Texas. Photo courtesy Ace Green Recycling Inc.

Houston battery recycling co. expands globally with new India facility, Africa partnership

going global

Ace Green Recycling Inc., a Houston-operated sustainable battery recycling and technology solutions provider, announced it has finalized a lease agreement for a location to build one of India's largest battery recycling facilities in Mundra, Gujarat.

The facility will expand Ace's existing Indian commercial operations, which have been recycling lithium-ion batteries since 2023, including lithium iron phosphate ("LFP") chemistries.

The deployment of Ace’s LithiumFirst LFP battery recycling technology in India will coincide with the deployment of the company's technology in Texas. Last year, the company announced it planned to develop a flagship battery recycling plant in Texas for lead and lithium-ion batteries.

Ace also plans to establish 10,000 metric tons of LFP battery recycling capacity per year in India by 2026. The Mundra LFP battery recycling facility is expected to create up to 50 jobs.

The new facility plans to use Ace's LithiumFirst technology to recycle LFP batteries at room temperature in a fully electrified hydrometallurgical process that produces no direct (or Scope 1) carbon emissions and with zero liquid and solid waste.

"Ace's innovative technology enables profitable recycling of LFP batteries, even with the current low lithium price, by recovering significant amounts of these critical minerals,” Vipin Tyagi, Chief Technology Officer of Ace, said in a news release. “We believe that our successful operational demonstration positions us for future partnerships and collaborations that will unlock the full potential of our LithiumFirst technology in this market.”

Ace will also utilize its GreenLead recovery technology to recycle lead batteries at the new recycling park. The technology is considered a more environmentally friendly alternative to conventional smelting operations.

The company also reported visiting China for possible future expansion. According to a release, it launched a facility in Taiwan last year and is developing projects in Europe and Israel, as well.

Today, the company also announced that it was tapped by Spiro, one of Africa’s largest EV battery producers, as its global preferred recycling partner. According to a release, Ace will recycle end-of-life lithium-ion batteries, including LFP batteries, and waste from Spiro's battery manufacturing facilities.

Ace Green Recycling Inc. is headquartered in Houston and Singapore.

Cemvita aims to capitalize on Brazil’s regulatory framework around biodiesel blending and Sustainable Aviation Fuel. Photo via cemvita.com

Innovative Houston clean hydrogen company expands to Brazil

on the move

Houston biotech company Cemvita has expanded into Brazil. The company officially established a new subsidiary in the country under the same name.

According to an announcement made earlier this month, the expansion aims to capitalize on Brazil’s progressive regulatory framework, including Brazil’s Fuel of the Future Law, which was enacted in 2024. The company said the expansion also aims to coincide with the 2025 COP30, the UN’s climate change conference, which will be hosted in Brazil in November.

Cemvita utilizes synthetic biology to transform carbon emissions into valuable bio-based chemicals.

“For decades Brazil has pioneered the bioeconomy, and now the time has come to create the future of the circular bioeconomy,” Moji Karimi, CEO of Cemvita, said in a news release. “Our vision is to combine the innovation Cemvita is known for with Brazil’s expertise and resources to create an ecosystem where waste becomes opportunity and sustainability drives growth. By joining forces with Brazilian partners, Cemvita aims to build on Brazil’s storied history in the bioeconomy while laying the groundwork for a circular and sustainable future.”

The Fuel of the Future Law mandates an increase in the biodiesel content of diesel fuel, starting from 15 percent in March and increasing to 20 percent by 2030. It also requires the adoption of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) and for domestic flights to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 1 percent starting in 2027, growing to 10 percent reduction by 2037.

Cemvita agreed to a 20-year contract that specified it would supply up to 50 million gallons of SAF annually to United Airlines in 2023.

"This is all made possible by our innovative technology, which transforms carbon waste into value,” Marcio Da Silva, VP of Innovation, said in a news release. “Unlike traditional methods, it requires neither a large land footprint nor clean freshwater, ensuring minimal environmental impact. At the same time, it produces high-value green chemicals—such as sustainable oils and biofuels—without competing with the critical resources needed for food production."

In 2024, Cemvita became capable of generating 500 barrels per day of sustainable oil from carbon waste at its first commercial plant. As a result, Cemvita quadrupled output at its Houston plant. The company had originally planned to reach this milestone in 2029.

HF Capital, the Knoxville, Tennessee-based investment arm of the Haslam family, made the multimillion-dollar commitment to set up Ara Energy Decarbonization. Photo via arapartners.com

Houston industrial decarbonization-focused PE firm scores $725M to launch new business unit

this just in

Houston-based Ara Partners, a private equity firm that focuses on industrial decarbonization investments, is receiving up to $725 million from a Tennessee-based family office to launch an energy decarbonization unit.

HF Capital, the Knoxville, Tennessee-based investment arm of the Haslam family, made the multimillion-dollar commitment to set up Ara Energy Decarbonization. The new business will work toward reducing carbon emissions at ethanol plants, natural gas power plants, and other traditional energy assets.

The Haslam family founded Pilot Co., North America’s largest transportation fuel business and chain of travel centers. Shameek Konar, former CEO of Pilot, has been tapped to lead Ara Energy Decarbonization.

“It is an uncomfortable truth that highly pollutive energy sources are going to play an essential role in delivering an energy transition over the next several decades,” Charles Cherington, co-founder and managing partner of Ara, says in a news release. “We can ignore these staggering carbon emissions, or we can apply our proven methods and financing expertise to decarbonize the conventional energy value chain.”

The energy sector accounts for more than 75 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions.

“The world’s energy demands are increasing and complex, and renewable power needs time and support for it to fulfill rising global energy demand. Ara’s … skillset, portfolio network, and decarbonization management knowledge [are] perfectly positioned to attack the carbon-intensive energy sector,” Konar says.

Ara Partners closed its third private equity fund in December 2023 with over $2.8 billion in new commitments. As of June 30, 2024, Ara Partners had about $6.3 billion of assets under management.

Houston-based Citroniq Chemicals has secured its series A funding. Photo via Getty Images

Houston energy company backs decarbonization startup's $12M series A

money moves

A fresh $12 million round of funding will enable Houston-based Citroniq Chemicals to propel planning, design, and construction of its first decarbonization plant.

An unidentified multinational energy technology company led the series A round, with participation from Houston-based Lummus Technology Ventures and cooperation from the State of Nebraska. The Citroniq plant, which will produce green polypropylene, will be located in Nebraska.

“Lummus’ latest investment in Citroniq builds on this progress and strengthens our partnership, working together to lower carbon emissions in the plastics industry,” Leon de Bruyn, president and CEO of Lummus Technology, says in a news release.

Citroniq is putting together a decarbonization platform designed to annually capture 2 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions at each plant. The company plans to invest more than $5 billion into its green polypropylene plants. Polypropylene is a thermoplastic resin commonly used for injection molding.

The series A round “is just the first step in our journey towards building multiple biomanufacturing hubs, boosting the Nebraska bioeconomy by converting local ethanol into valuable bioplastics,” says Kelly Knopp, co-founder and CEO of Citroniq.

Citroniq’s platform for the chemical and plastics industries uses technology and U.S.-produced ethanol to enable low-cost carbon capture. Citroniq’s process permanently sequesters carbon into a useful plastic pellet.

Lummus Technology licenses process technologies for clean fuels, renewables, petrochemicals, polymers, gas processing and supply lifecycle services, catalysts, proprietary equipment, and digital transformation.

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This article originally ran on InnovationMap.

NanoTech is targeting new overseas markets for its energy efficiency products. Photo via Getty Images

Promising Houston startup expands energy efficiency product to Middle East, Singapore

big move

NanoTech Materials has announced a big expansion for its business.

The Houston company, which created a roof coating using nanotechnology that optimizes energy efficiency, has partnered with Terminal Subsea Solutions Marine Service SP to bring its products to the Gulf Cooperation Council and Singapore. TSSM will become a partner of Houston’s NanoTech Materials products, which will include the Cool Roof Coat, Vehicular Coat, and Insulative Coat for the GCC countries and Singapore.

NanoTech Materials technology that ranges from roof coatings on mid- to low-rise buildings to shipping container insulation to coating trucks and transportation vehicles will be utilized by TSSM in the partnership. NanoTech’s efforts are focused on heat mitigation that can reduce energy costs, enhance worker safety, and minimize business risks in the process.

“Businesses and communities within the GCC and Singapore feel the impact of extreme temperatures and longer Summers more acutely than any other region in the world,” Mike Francis, CEO of NanoTech Materials, says in a news release. “We have an opportunity to make a real impact here through reduced energy load, cooler and safer working conditions, and a reduced carbon emissions output from the hottest, driest place on earth. We are incredibly excited to be partnering with our colleagues at TSSM to bring this powerful technology to the region.”

One of the areas that will benefit from this collaboration is the Middle East. The GCC region is characterized by a desert climate, which has average annual temperature reaching 107.6°F and summer peaks climbing as high as 130°F. The effects of these extreme conditions can be dangerous for workers especially with strict labor laws mandating midday work bans under black flag conditions, which can result in productivity losses as well.

NanoTech’s proprietary technology, the Insulative Ceramic Particle (ICP), will be used to address challenges in energy efficiency and heat control in the logistics and built environment sector. The platform can be integrated into many applications, and the impact can range from reducing greenhouse gas emissions to protecting communities that are wildfire-prone. The core of the technology has a lower conductivity than aerogels. It also has a “near-perfect emissivity score” according to the company. The NanoTech ICP is integrated with base matrix carriers; building materials, coatings, and substrates, which gives the materials heat conservation, rejection, or containment properties.

By combining the ICP into an acrylic roof coating, NanoTech has created the Cool Roof Coat, which reflects sunlight and increases the material's heat resistance. This can lower indoor temperatures by 25 to 45°F in single-story buildings and reduce the carbon emissions of mid to low-rise buildings. This can potentially equal energy savings from 20 percent up to 50 percent, which would surpass the average 15 percent savings of traditional reflective only coatings.

“This technology will have a huge impact on supporting the region's aggressive climate initiatives, such as Saudi Arabia’s Green Initiative, aiming to reduce carbon emissions by 278 million tons annually by 2030,” Jameel Ahmed, managing director at TSSM, says in the release. “The regional efforts to enhance climate action and economic opportunities through substantial investments in green technologies and projects are evident, and we are proud to be offering a product that can make a difference.”

NanoTech says its coating maintains its effectiveness over time and doesn’t suffer UV degradation issues which are helpful, especially in extreme weather conditions workers and businesses face in regions like the Middle East.

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Harris County looks to future with new Climate Justice Plan

progress plan

Harris County commissioners approved a five-point Climate Justice Plan last month with a 3-1 vote by Harris County commissioners. The plan was created by the Office of County Administration’s Office of Sustainability and the nonprofit Coalition for Environment, Equity and Resilience.

“Climate action planning that centers on justice has the potential to spark innovative thinking and transformative actions that will lead to meaningful and just transitions in communities, policies, funding mechanisms, and implementation strategies,” the 59-page report reads.

The plan seeks to address issues relating to ecology, infrastructure, economy, community and culture. Here’s a breakdown:

Ecology

The plan will work towards clean air, water, and soil efforts that support the health of the environment, renewable energy that reduces greenhouse gases and pollution, and conservation and protection of our natural resources. Some action items include:

Increasing resources for local government agencies
Developing a free native seed bank at all libraries
Identifying partners and funding streams to reduce the costs of solar power for area households
Producing renewable energy on large tracts of land
Expanding tree planting by 20 percent
Providing tree maintenance and restoration efforts
Incentivizing gray water systems and filtration to conserve fresh water

Economy

In terms of the economy, the Climate Justice Plan wants the basic needs of the community met and wants to also incentivize resilience, sustainability, and climate solutions, and recycling and reuse methods. Specific actions include:

Quantifying the rising costs associated with climate change
Expanding resources and partnering with organizations to support programs that provide food, utility, housing, and direct cash assistance
Supporting a coalition of area non-profit organizations and county offices to strengthen social service support infrastructure
Supporting home repair, solar installation, and weatherization programs
Identify methods to expand free and efficient recycling and composting services
Creating a climate tax levied on greenhouse gas emissions to develop a climate fund to offset the impacts of pollution

Infrastructure

As Houston has been prone to hurricanes and flooding damage, the infrastructure portion of the plan aims to protect the region from risks through preventative floodplain and watershed management. Highlights include:

Investing in generators and solar power, plus battery backup and bidirectional EV charging for all county libraries
Providing more heating and cooling centers with charging stations
Coordinating and deploying community microgrids, especially in neighborhoods prone to losing power
Seeking partnerships and funding for low- or no-cost water purifiers for areas with the highest needs
Protecting the electric grid through regular maintenance and upgrading, and advocating for greater accountability and responsiveness among appointed officials
Developing regulations to require resilient power line infrastructure to prevent outages and failures in new developments

Community and Culture

Housing, a strong economy and access to affordable and healthy food will be achieved under the community aspect of the plan. Under culture, the plan seeks to share knowledge and build trust. Key goals include:

Developing a campaign to promote the use of the Harris County 311 system to identify critical community concerns
Supporting the development of a Community Housing Plan that ensures stable and safe housing
Advocating for revisions to Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) disaster funding to account for renters’ losses and unmet housing needs
Developing and funding a whole-home program for repairs, weatherization, and solar energy
Developing culturally relevant public relations campaigns to increase knowledge of health, environment and biodiversity across generations

Read the full plan here.

Houston company completes orphan well decommission project in the Gulf

temporary abandonment

Houston-based Promethean Energy announced this month that it has successfully decommissioned offshore orphaned wells in the Matagorda Island lease area.

Around this time last year, the company shared that it would work on the temporary abandonment of nine orphan wells on behalf of the Department of Interior's Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement, or BSEE, in the area. Promethean is known for decommissioning mature assets in a cost-effective and environmentally sustainable manner.

“Our team is incredibly proud to have completed this critical work efficiently, safely, and ahead of budget,” Steve Louis, SVP of decommissioning at Promethean Energy, said in a news release. “By integrating our expertise, technologies and strategic partnerships, we have demonstrated that decommissioning can be both cost-effective and environmentally responsible.”

The company plans to use the Matagora Island project as a replicable model to guide similar projects worldwide. The project used comprehensive drone inspections, visual intelligence tools for safety preparations and detailed well diagnostics to plug the wells.

Next up, Promethean is looking to decommission more of the estimated 14,000 unplugged wells in the Gulf.

"Building on our strong execution performance, our strategy is to continue identifying synergies with other asset owners, fostering collaboration, and developing sustainable decommissioning campaigns that drive efficiency across the industry," Ernest Hui, chief strategy officer of Promethean Energy, added in the release.

Oxy opens energy-focused innovation center in Midtown Houston

moving in

Houston-based Occidental officially opened its new Oxy Innovation Center with a ribbon cutting at the Ion last month.

The opening reflects Oxy and the Ion's "shared commitment to advancing technology and accelerating a lower-carbon future," according to an announcement from the Ion.

Oxy, which was named a corporate partner of the Ion in 2023, now has nearly 6,500 square feet on the fourth floor of the Ion. Rice University and the Rice Real Estate Company announced the lease of the additional space last year, along with agreements with Fathom Fund and Activate.

At the time, the leases brought the Ion's occupancy up to 90 percent.

Additionally, New York-based Industrious plans to launch its coworking space at the Ion on May 8. The company was tapped as the new operator of the Ion’s 86,000-square-foot coworking space in Midtown in January.

Dallas-based Common Desk previously operated the space, which was expanded by 50 percent in 2023 to 86,000 square feet.

CBRE agreed to acquire Industrious in a deal valued at $400 million earlier this year. Industrious also operates another local coworking space is at 1301 McKinney St.

Industrious will host a launch party celebrating the new location Thursday, May 8. Find more information here.

Oxy Innovation Center. Photo via LinkedIn.

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This story originally appeared on our sister site, InnovationMap.com.

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