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3 Houston climate tech companies win challenge for sustainable aviation

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Three startups with Houston ties and sustainable solutions were named winners of the Sustainable Aviation Challenge. Photo via Cameron Casey/Pexels

Greentown Houston companies have made the list of companies working toward sustainable aviation technology.

Cemvita and Verne, two Greentown Houston members, and C2V Initiative Year 1 participant Air Company were all named as winners of the World Economic Forum’s Sustainable Aviation Challenge, which will net the winners visibility opportunities, curated introductions to industry partners and potential funders, and other event invitations.

“We look forward to start collaborating with fellow winners and challenge partners to support the decarbonization of the aviation sector,” Cemvita writes in a statement on LinkedIn.

The Sustainable Aviation Challenge on UpLink included innovators who accelerate the adoption and development of sustainable aviation fuel and other propulsion solutions. Aviation accounts for 2 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions and air travel is projected to increase over this decade according to the International Energy Agency. The challenge is to reinvent flying and make it compatible with our global net-zero emissions targets. Decarbonizing aviation is one of the goals to help with the goal of global net-zero emissions.

Cemvita’s eCO2™ helped garner the Houston company its spot in the Sustainable Aviation Challenge. The eCO2 takes waste streams and carbon dioxide and uses them to produce valuable materials like plastics,proteins, and fuel feedstock through microbiology. Cemvita also plans to remove 250 million tons per year from the atmosphere by 2050, according to their website.

Last fall, Cemvita Corp. announced a new offtake arrangement with United Airlines. Cemvita's first full-scale sustainable aviation fuel plant will provide up to 1 billion gallons of SAF to United Airlines. The 20-year contract specifies that Cemvita will supply up to 50 million gallons annually to United.

See the full list of World Economic Forum’s Sustainable Aviation Challenge winners here.
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CenterPoint's resiliency plan, Chevron starts up new site, and more trending Houston energy transition news

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Editor'snote: From Chevron's new deepwater project going online to two Texas companies collaborating on energy storage, these are the top headlines that resonated with EnergyCapital readers on social media and daily newsletter this week.

CenterPoint Energy releases details of resiliency plan

As part of the “Taking Action Now” section, more than 2,500 CenterPoint frontline workers and contractors will be taking a series of targeted actions to strengthen the grid and reduce the risk of outages. Photo via Getty Images

To improve resiliency and reduce the risk of outages from storms or hurricanes, CenterPoint Energy announced its Greater Houston Resiliency Initiative.

The initiative will include an “accelerated timeline to execute specific actions to strengthen electric infrastructure across Houston, and more than 40 critical actions in total to strengthen the electric grid, and improve the company's customer communications and emergency coordination before the next hurricane,” according to a news release.

As part of the “Taking Action Now” section, more than 2,500 CenterPoint frontline workers and contractors will be taking a series of targeted actions to strengthen the grid and reduce the risk of outages before the next major storm that includes installing stronger and more storm-resilient poles, trimming or removal of vegetation from lines, and installing 300 automated devices, which CenterPoint says can help reenergize certain lines and lead to less without power. Continue reading.

Chevron launches production at deepwater project that aims to lower carbon intensity off offshore activity

Chevron's newest deepwater oil and natural gas production project, called the Anchor, is an all-electric facility. Photo courtesy of Chevron

Chevron's new massive deepwater oil and natural gas project in the Gulf of Mexico is officially up and running.

Chevron Corp., which recently announced its relocating its global headquarters to Houston, has officially started oil and natural gas production from its Anchor project in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico.

The semi-submersible floating production unit features a high-pressure technology that operates at up to 20,000 psi with reservoir depths reaching 34,000 feet below sea level, Chevron reports, and has a capacity of 75,000 gross barrels of oil per day and 28 million gross cubic feet of natural gas per day. Continue reading.

Two Texas companies combine to enhance hydrogen fueling, storage infrastructure

Celly offers logistics, storage, and dispensing to innovative modular refueling station services. Photo via cellyh2.com

A provider of hydrogen infrastructure solutions Celly H2 has announced its acquisition of ChemTech Energy (CNE) to continue Celly's mission of leading hydrogen fueling and storage infrastructure.

The Willis, Texas-based company offers logistics, storage, and dispensing to innovative modular refueling station services. Montgomery’s Chemtec Energy has a 25-year legacy in the oil and gas market and specializes in modular hydrogen fueling and storage infrastructure solutions.

"This acquisition marks a significant milestone for Celly as we continue to expand our portfolio in the renewable energy market," Founder and CEO of Celly Austin Terry says in a news release. Continue reading.

Houston clean energy provider raises $10.8M series A

Branch Energy aims to provide customers with clean energy at a lower cost than competitors. Photo via Getty Images

A tech-driven retail energy provider based in Houston has secured an oversubscribed series A round of funding.

Branch Energy raised a $10.8 million round led by climate-focused venture capital firm Prelude Ventures with co-investor Zero Infinity Partners, an infrastructure tech-focused firm. The fresh funding will go toward accelerating the company's battery management tech and build out the infrastructure of its field services.

A vertically integrated power provider, Branch Energy aims to provide customers with demand management software and battery storage systems to ensure long-term, stable, and clean energy at a lower cost than competitors. Continue reading.

Woodside to acquire clean ammonia project outside of Houston in  $2.4B deal

OCI broke ground on the project in 2022. Photo via oci-global.com

Woodside Energy has announced its acquiring a Beaumont, Texas, clean ammonia project that's slated to deliver its first ammonia by 2025 and lower carbon ammonia by 2026.

The agreement is for Woodside to acquire 100 percent of OCI Clean Ammonia Holding and its lower carbon ammonia project in Beaumont in an all-cash deal of approximately $2.35 billion. According to Woodside CEO Meg O’Neill, the acquisition positions Woodside as an early mover in clean ammonia within the energy transition.

“This transaction positions Woodside in the growing lower carbon ammonia market," O’Neill says in a news release. "The potential applications for lower carbon ammonia are in power generation, marine fuels and as an industrial feedstock, as it displaces higher-emitting fuels. Continue reading.

New report maps Houston workforce development strategies as companies transition to cleaner energy

to-do list

The University of Houston’s Energy University latest study with UH’s Division of Energy and Innovation with stakeholders from the energy industry, academia have released findings from a collaborative white paper, titled "Workforce Development for the Future of Energy.”

UH Energy’s workforce analysis found that the greatest workforce gains occur with an “all-of-the-above” strategy to address the global shift towards low-carbon energy solutions. This would balance electrification and increased attention to renewables with liquid fuels, biomass, hydrogen, carbon capture, utilization and storage commonly known as CCUS, and carbon dioxide removal, according to a news release.

The authors of the paper believe this would support economic and employment growth, which would leverage workers from traditional energy sectors that may lose jobs during the transition.

The emerging hydrogen ecosystem is expected to create about 180,000 new jobs in the greater Houston area, which will offer an average annual income of approximately $75,000. Currently, 40 percent of Houston’s employment is tied to the energy sector.

“To sustain the Houston region’s growth, it’s important that we broaden workforce participation and opportunities,” Ramanan Krishnamoorti, vice president of energy and innovation at UH, says in a news release. “Ensuring workforce readiness for new energy jobs and making sure we include disadvantaged communities is crucial.”

Some of the key takeaways include strategies that include partnering for success, hands-on training programs, flexible education pathways, comprehensive support services, and early and ongoing outreach initiatives.

“The greater Houston area’s journey towards a low-carbon future is both a challenge and an opportunity,” Krishnamoorti continues. “The region’s ability to adapt and lead in this new era will depend on its commitment to collaboration, innovation, and inclusivity. By preparing its workforce, engaging its communities, and leveraging its industrial heritage, we can redefine our region and continue to thrive as a global energy leader.”

The study was backed by federal funding from the Department of the Treasury through the State of Texas under the Resources and Ecosystems Sustainability, Tourist Opportunities, and Revived Economies of the Gulf Coast States Act of 2012.

Houston geothermal startup selects Texas location for first energy storage facility

major milestone

Houston-based geothermal energy startup Sage Geosystems has teamed up with a utility provider for an energy storage facility in the San Antonio metro area.

The three-megawatt EarthStore facility will be on land controlled by the San Miguel Electric Cooperative, which produces electricity for customers in 47 South Texas counties. The facility will be located in the town of Christine, near the cooperative’s coal-fired power plant.

Sage says its energy storage system will be paired with solar energy to supply power for the grid operated by the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT). The facility is set to open later this year.

“Once operational, our EarthStore facility in Christine will be the first geothermal energy storage system to store potential energy deep in the earth and supply electrons to a power grid,” Cindy Taff, CEO of Sage Geosystems, says in a news release.

The facility is being designed to store geothermal energy during six- to 10-hour periods.

“Long-duration energy storage is crucial for the ERCOT utility grid, especially with the increasing integration of intermittent wind and solar power generation,” says Craig Courter, CEO of the San Miguel Electric Cooperative.

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