Page 165 - CW E-Magazine (18-2-2025)

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PERFORMANCE COATINGS PROJECT PROGRESS
Stahl opens centre of excellence in US Giyani set to operationalise demo manganese

Dutch speciality coatings fi rm, advanced solutions tailored to processing plant in Botswana
Stahl, which was originally founded market needs.
in the US in 1930 as a leather fi nishing Giyani Metals, a Canada-based fi rm the commercial plant. Commenting on
supplier, recently celebrated a return The decision to establish the cen- focussed on making battery grade man- the development, Mr. Charles FitzRoy,
to its roots with the opening of a new tre aligns with Stahl’s commitment to ganese for electric vehicles (EVs), has President and CEO of the company, said,
Centre of Excellence in Apex, North strengthening its presence in North begun commissioning activities at its “Giyani’s demo plant is progressing to
Carolina. America, which accounts for nearly demonstration plant in Johannesburg, the production ramp-up commissioning
20% of its total revenue Comment-
The centre will act as a key in- ing on the development, Mr. David South Africa. phase, and the team continues to work
novation hub within the firm’s global Kuzdrall, Managing Director Stahl The plant will help the company determinedly towards fi rst production of
battery-grade manganese in Q1 2025.”
network, supporting industries North America, said, “This state-of- produce the fi rst battery-grade manga-
such as automotive, apparel, luxury the-art facility will bring together a nese from ore sourced from Giyani’s The demo plant consists of nine
goods, packaging, and home furnish- diverse team of highly skilled pro- K.Hill manganese project in Botswana. process modules, each comprising a
ings, as part of Stahl’s Performance fessionals who will work to deliver The demo plant materially advanced in advance of construction, commis- self-contained process system within a
Coatings business. Equipped with tion capabilities, it provides a space cutting-edge solutions, pushing the hot commissioning during January, sioning and ramp-up. fi xed frame. Some of the commission-
cutting-edge application technology, where customers, OEMs, and brand boundaries of what’s possible in the with samples expected to be ready ing challenges have included power
testing facilities, and pilot produc- partners can co-develop and refine coatings industry.”
before March to be sent to potential The demo plant is helping to inform outages, water supply disruptions,
SOURCING MADE EASY offtakers for qualifi cation trials. The a defi nitive feasibility study on K.Hill, technical challenges with the commis-
Plug launches industry’s fi rst spot pricing for green plant, which is built at a 1:10 scale of which is expected to be completed sioning of the control system and the
the planned commercial plant adjacent before the end of the year. Giyani has holiday break which disrupted reagent
hydrogen to the company’s mine in Botswana, is already received a special economic zone and fi nal equipment supply. Giyani is
also undertaking metallurgical test-
also designed to identify opportunities licence for its commercial plant, bring-
for optimisation and derisk the main ing with it fi scal and non-fi scal bene- work to further optimise the fl owsheet,
In a signifi cant move towards a more the published price, Plug will execute a
fl exible and dynamic green hydrogen transaction agreement to accept a custo- project as Giyani will better understand fi ts such as a 5% corporate tax rate for particularly to reduce reagent use and
how the commercial plant will respond the fi rst ten years of production from improve operational costs.
market, US-based green hydrogen fi rm, mer tanker at one of its plants for a
Plug Power, has introduced the fi rst-ever fi ll. Plug said all its operating plants in RENEWABLE ENERGY
spot pricing programme for liquid green the US with a combined liquid hydrogen
hydrogen. production capacity of approximately 45 Power2X awards eSAF Rotterdam project contract
tonnes per day, participates in the spot
Hydrogen buyers now have the gas fi rm as a sign of widespread indus- pricing program. Plug, the third-largest to Worley
freedom to purchase liquid green try endorsement. The company expects producer of liquid hydrogen in North
hydrogen from Plug’s production plants the pricing model to “redefi ne supply America, is the only producer of liquid Dutch electro-fuels specialist, nical and commercial risks, increase
on-demand and without the limitations dynamics and cost structures across the green hydrogen on a commercial scale. Power2X, has contracted Australia’s capex certainty and develop a solid
of long-term take-or-pay agreements. entire green hydrogen ecosystem.” Worley to provide engineering and project schedule.
“The fl exibility provided by this new “As our hydrogen demand experi- project management services for its
spot market allows customers like re- “By adapting to market demands in ences peaks and valleys, our unique spot eFuels Rotterdam project – a world- SAF is a critical component in
tailers, industrial manufacturers, and real-time, we are not only enhancing pricing initiative will allow us to run scale production facility for sustaina- reducing CO emissions, cutting life-
2
power plant operators to optimise their the accessibility and affordability of our plants more effi ciently, maintaining ble aviation fuel (e-SAF) and ultra-low cycle carbon emissions by 90% compared
hydrogen sources effi ciently, reacting green hydrogen but also accelerating its economies of scale and scope, and ulti- carbon fuels. to conventional jet fuel. Europe’s
swiftly to fl uctuating energy demands adoption across various sectors,” said mately, maximising return on capital neering services, including a Class III ReFuelEU Aviation Regulation mandates
without being tied down by long-term Mr. Andy Marsh, CEO of Plug Power. investment,” noted Plug’s President, The facility will use imported estimate, supporting the preliminary the increased use of SAF, including
contracts,” the company explained. Each Thursday, S&P Global Platts will Mr. Sanjay Shrestha. green methanol produced from green design phase of the project. Worley e-SAF from 2030 onwards. The eFuels
publish a price for the following week hydrogen and biogenic carbon as feed- will also work together with Power2X Rotterdam hub will contribute 40% of
Plug said it has already entered into based on Plug’s supply and demand at “In fi ve years, we anticipate most stock and have the capacity to produce to defi ne the best execution approach the required e-SAF volume in Europe
spot pricing agreements with several the current time. Customers must have buyers will tap into the spot market over 250-ktpa of e-SAF. for the FEED and execute phases of when it starts up around the turn of the
key industry players and highlighted a a spot agreement in place with Plug. If to benefi t from the fl exibility it offers the project. This aims to create the decade, making it a crucial player in
spot agreement with a large industrial customers want to purchase hydrogen at them,” added Mr. Marsh. Worley will provide early engi- baseline of the project, mitigate tech- Europe’s energy transition.

164 Chemical Weekly February 18, 2025 Chemical Weekly February 18, 2025 165

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