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Hanno Böck

@hanno.hboeck.de
446 followers 108 following 277 posts

Freelance Journalist. Industry Decarbonization, Climate, Energy, IT Security. newsletter: industrydecarbonization.com web: hboeck.de

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Hanno Böck @hanno.hboeck.de · 16/09/2026
Capturing "only" 25% could be seen as a first step, but it's not entirely obvious whether there's a next step. In my latest newsletter, I try to distill why retrofitting CCS to existing Hydrogen and Ammonia plants may be a dead end and not a step towards deep emission reductions.
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Hanno Böck @hanno.hboeck.de · 16/09/2026
Yara's new CCS project in the Netherlands plans to capture 25% of the plant's CO2 emissions💨🏭🚢 Yara recently inaugurated a CCS project & plans to ship CO2 to Norway. For now, the ship left empty & was just there for the ceremony 🔌💡 🧵 industrydecarbonization.com/news/yaras-c...
industrydecarbonization.com
Yara's CCS project shows limitations of Blue Hydrogen and Ammonia
Yara's fertilizer plant in Sluiskil in the Netherlands is the second customer of the Northern Lights CO₂ storage site in Norway. While it is one of the largest CCS projects in Europe, it avoids only a...
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Hanno Böck @hanno.hboeck.de · 20/08/2026
Green H2 plant delayed 4 years due to safety repairs & accident💧🔋 A Linde electrolyzer in Leuna, Germany, was supposed to start production in 2022, but no production start has been announced yet. I'm finally able to reveal the backstory: industrydecarbonization.com/news/safety-...
industrydecarbonization.com
Safety Issues and an Accident delayed Linde's Green Hydrogen Plant for Years
An Electrolyzer at the chemical site in Leuna, Germany, was supposed to start producing Hydrogen in 2022. Extensive repairs due to safety concerns and an accident in late 2025 caused a multi-year dela...
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Tom Nichols @radiofreetom.bsky.social · 26/06/2026
I don't care. Shut down the bitcoin farms first.
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Hanno Böck @hanno.hboeck.de · 24/06/2026
It is possible that broader developments within the chemical industry impacted Plastic Energy. SABIC recently sold its assets in Geleen, including the cracker that was supposed to process pyrolysis oil from its joint venture with Plastic Energy.
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Hanno Böck @hanno.hboeck.de · 24/06/2026
Furthermore, Plastic Energy never caused any negative headlines about pollution😷, fires🔥, explosions💥, or other incidents that are not uncommon in this industry — one reason why it is so controversial. Plastic Energy's UK-based companies are now in an administration process and looking for buyers.
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Hanno Böck @hanno.hboeck.de · 24/06/2026
Plastic Energy appeared to be one of the more successful players. It has 2 plants🏭🏭 in Spain🇪🇸 and lately built two larger ones in collaboration with TotalEnergies and SABIC.
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Hanno Böck @hanno.hboeck.de · 24/06/2026
The chemicals/plastics industry in Europe🇪🇺 promised that favorable policy, so-called fuel-use exempt mass balance, would unlock massive investments into chemical recycling. However, even though it looks like the industry will get most (but not al) what it asked for, the prospects don't look good.
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Hanno Böck @hanno.hboeck.de · 24/06/2026
Plastic Energy, one of the most promising chemical recycling🧪♻️ startups, is in financial peril💶 Plastic pyrolysis is a technology that promises to recycle plastic waste🗑️ too dirty or mixed to be recycled otherwise. It's also a controversial technology with a history littered with failures.🔌💡 🧵
industrydecarbonization.com
Chemical Recycling, Pyrolysis, and the downfall of Plastic Energy
The chemical industry promised that favorable policy treatment of chemical recycling would enable investments in more circularity and alternative feedstocks. However, one of the most promising compani...
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Hanno Böck @hanno.hboeck.de · 17/06/2026
If you care about these developments, and Green Methanol in particular, you should subscribe to my newsletter: industrydecarbonization.com/subscribe.html
industrydecarbonization.com
Subscribe
Here you can subscribe to the Industry Decarbonization Newsletter via E-Mail.
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Hanno Böck @hanno.hboeck.de · 17/06/2026
I'm covering Green Methanol 🌿🧪 regularly in my newsletter📰 & have recently published two newsletters covering Green Methanol in China and why I changed my mind about E-Methanol⚡🧪 industrydecarbonization.com/news/why-chi... industrydecarbonization.com/news/should-...
industrydecarbonization.com
Why China Is Winning the Green Methanol Race
Methanol made from sustainable feedstocks is a key technology for climate-neutral shipping, aviation, and fossil-free chemicals. Chinese companies are already building industrial production facilities...
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Hanno Böck @hanno.hboeck.de · 17/06/2026
But there also aren't any comparable projects anywhere in Europe, Canada, Australia, or, really, anywhere outside China🇨🇳
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Hanno Böck @hanno.hboeck.de · 17/06/2026
SunGas Renewables just announced that it won't happen due to uncertainties about the regulatory environment & uptake of clean shipping fuels🚢⛽ Given the US🇺🇸 political situation, it's unsurprising that this isn't great for cleantech projects.
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Hanno Böck @hanno.hboeck.de · 17/06/2026
One of the largest Green Methanol projects outside China has been cancelled 🌿🧪 The Beaver Lake Renewable Energy project was supposed to be a large-scale Biomethanol plant in Louisiana/USA. Plans were to do forest residue🌳🪵 gasification + combine with CDR sungasrenewables.com/sungas-annou... 🔌💡 🧵
sungasrenewables.com
SunGas Announces Cessation of Beaver Lake Biofuels Project - SunGas Renewables
Carbon Direct & C2X advance Beaver Lake Biofuels in Louisiana, producing biofuel and CDR credits from forestry byproducts.
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Hanno Böck @hanno.hboeck.de · 03/06/2026
If we properly look into this, I believe it becomes quite apparent where the quest for Green Molecules should lead us: gasification♨️💨🏭 of residual, mostly cellulosic🪵 biomass🌿, optionally enhanced with Green Hydrogen. You may also call that Bio-E-Fuels or Power-and-Biomass-to-Liquids🌱⚡🛢️.
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Hanno Böck @hanno.hboeck.de · 03/06/2026
Possibly something that we've been promised a long time ago, but never got: advanced cellulosic biofuels🌱🛢️. If your impulse is that "biofuels are bad", I'm largely with you. In fact, I believe that allowing "bad" biofuels to stay is one of the main reasons we never got better biofuels.
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Hanno Böck @hanno.hboeck.de · 03/06/2026
There's a reason we're seeking Green Molecules🍃. It's the most plausible climate mitigation pathway for shipping🚢, aviation✈️& chemicals🧪. If making them from CO₂ isn't feasible, what should we do instead?
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Hanno Böck @hanno.hboeck.de · 03/06/2026
Recently, one of the most significant project developers for E-Methanol⚡⚗️ projects in Europe, Liquid Wind💧💨, filed for bankruptcy. E-Methanol⚡⚗️ & other processes known as CCU/E-Fuels/PtX/PtL all have one problem: they need so much clean electricity that it's questionable if this is plausible.
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Hanno Böck @hanno.hboeck.de · 03/06/2026
I have to make a confession: I no longer think E-Methanol is a good idea ⚡⚗️ I am not saying this lightly. But it's hard to argue with thermodynamics, & making energy-rich molecules from nothing but CO₂, water🌊, and electricity⚡ faces some hard truths 🔌💡 industrydecarbonization.com/news/should-... 🧵
industrydecarbonization.com
Should we give up on E-Methanol and CO₂ utilization?
Liquid Wind, a Swedish developer of E-Methanol projects, filed for bankruptcy. While Green Methanol is an important climate solution, is it time to ask whether making it from nothing but CO₂, Water, a...
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Hanno Böck @hanno.hboeck.de · 27/04/2026
I wrote a detailed background article about the Danish CCS tender recently: industrydecarbonization.com/news/denmark...
industrydecarbonization.com
Denmark's CCS Strategy: Deliver or Pay
In recent years, Denmark pushed CCS technology and ran multiple tenders handing out substantial subsidies. But they came with a catch: either deliver on time or risk hefty penalties. What can be learn...
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Hanno Böck @hanno.hboeck.de · 27/04/2026
Gaia is a collaboration between Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners & Vestforbrænding, the project wants to implement CCS at a waste incinerator🗑️🔥 in Copenhagen🧜🏻 (not the famous "Copenhill" incinerator). There have recently been changes in the company behind the Gaia project, likely to shift risks.
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Hanno Böck @hanno.hboeck.de · 27/04/2026
In response to a freedom of information request, the Danish Energy Agency🇩🇰⚡🏢 confirmed to me that the two bidders are Aalborg Portland and Gaia ProjectCo, the latter being the "secret" second bidder.
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Hanno Böck @hanno.hboeck.de · 27/04/2026
In a surprise turn of events, the Danish Energy Agency announced two bids earlier this year. One bidder had announced to "drop out" and then reconsidered. While it was widely suspected who the second bidder was, there was no final confirmation.
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Hanno Böck @hanno.hboeck.de · 27/04/2026
"Secret bidder" in Danish CCS tender confirmed 🤫💨🏭🇩🇰 Denmark currently runs a tender process for Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) projects. In the latest round, 9 out of 10 preselected projects had announced their withdrawal from the process, with only the cement plant🪨🏭 Aalborg Portland left.🔌💡 🧵
The names of the two tenderers who submitted a final offer for the CCS Fund:
Gaia ProjectCo P/S
Aalborg Portland A/S
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Hanno Böck @hanno.hboeck.de · 31/03/2026
Europe's🇪🇺 failure to scale Green Methanol production leads to a compounding failure to attract one of the most promising projects for a fossil-free future chemical industry🌱⚗️🏭 It all feels like what played out in the Solar☀️ industry. China invests early and big. More in my latest newsletter.
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Hanno Böck @hanno.hboeck.de · 31/03/2026
4 industrial-scale Green Methanol plants are operational in China. In Europe? 1 In 2024, A.P. Møller Holding (owners of Maersk🚢) created the startup VioNeo, with plans for a fossil-free plastics plant in Antwerp🇧🇪. In 2026, they changed plans & want to build "in China near green methanol supply"
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Hanno Böck @hanno.hboeck.de · 31/03/2026
Suddenly, announcements for Green Methanol production plants started appearing. They had one thing in common: they were huge💪. 500,000 tons here, a million tons there🏭🏭🏭🏭🏭 Was this real? Announcing things is cheap; building things matters🏗️ In 2025, it became clear that it is real.
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Hanno Böck @hanno.hboeck.de · 31/03/2026
China's Green Methanol Industry is racing ahead 🇨🇳🌱⚗️🏎️ Many expect that Green Methanol is the future clean shipping fuel🚢⛽, as well as a promising feedstock for sustainable aviation fuels✈️ & fossil-free plastics🧴 In 2023, something happened in China🇨🇳 industrydecarbonization.com/news/why-chi... 🔌💡 🧵
industrydecarbonization.com
Why China Is Winning the Green Methanol Race
Methanol made from sustainable feedstocks is a key technology for climate-neutral shipping, aviation, and fossil-free chemicals. Chinese companies are already building industrial production facilities...
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Hanno Böck @hanno.hboeck.de · 11/03/2026
In the coming years, we will likey see a cement plant🪨🏭, Biomethane🌱 upgraders, two bioenergy plants, and a waste-to-energy plant with CCS in Denmark. I sympathize with the first two. I'm skeptical about bioenergy plants and waste incinerators with CCS. More in my latest newsletter.
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Hanno Böck @hanno.hboeck.de · 11/03/2026
In the last round, 9 of 10 preselected applicants dropped out, all of them bioenergy🪵🔥 or waste-to-energy🗑️🔥 plants. Did I say 9? Well, 9 announced they were dropping out, but one mystery🔮 bidder decided to un-drop out. The tender ended with two bids.
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Hanno Böck @hanno.hboeck.de · 11/03/2026
A wide range of political parties supported the plans. Apart from a first offshore storage site, Denmark awarded subsidies💶. But those came with a catch: deliver on time - or face penalties.The winner of the 2023 tender, Ørsted with 2 bioenergy🪵🔥 plants, is already struggling with delays.
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Hanno Böck @hanno.hboeck.de · 11/03/2026
What happens if you offer generous subsidies💰 for Carbon Capture and Storage💨 - but you demand that projects deliver on time⏰? In recent years, Denmark🇩🇰 has started a rollout of CCS technology. 🔌💡 🧵 industrydecarbonization.com/news/denmark...
industrydecarbonization.com
Denmark's CCS Strategy: Deliver or Pay
In recent years, Denmark pushed CCS technology and ran multiple tenders handing out substantial subsidies. But they came with a catch: either deliver on time or risk hefty penalties. What can be learn...
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Hanno Böck @hanno.hboeck.de · 12/02/2026
This raised a question: are there policy options to change this, to let cleaner producers gain an economic advantage💶? It's complicated, maybe. Longer answer in my latest newsletter: industrydecarbonization.com/news/some-of...
industrydecarbonization.com
Some of the cleanest Polyamide and Nylon precursor Factories are shutting down
The production of a chemical called Caprolactam results in significant N₂O emissions, a potent greenhouse gas. Most EU producers largely avoid these emissions. Some have made investments in drastic em...
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Hanno Böck @hanno.hboeck.de · 12/02/2026
They aren't alone. Many relatively climate-friendly Caprolactam factories in the EU🇪🇺 have been shut down or are in danger. A curious fact about N₂O and the ETS💶 is that emissions from some chemical processes are covered, while others—like Caprolactam—aren't.
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Hanno Böck @hanno.hboeck.de · 12/02/2026
I showed that chart📉 in a presentation at #39c3, joking that there probably aren't many people asking themselves what the N2O emissions of Caprolactam production are, or what that even means. Hours later, I read that Domo Caproleuna, a German Caprolactam producer, had filed for bankruptcy.
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Hanno Böck @hanno.hboeck.de · 12/02/2026
A Climate Success Story🎉 without a Happy End🙁? This chart📉 shows something we would like to see more often: emissions are going down rapidly. Those are emissions of N₂O from the production of a chemical🧪—Caprolactam—used to make certain plastics&synthetic fibers. 🔌💡 🧵
Chart showing N2O emissions from Caprolactam in the EU, significant decline.
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Hanno Böck @hanno.hboeck.de · 14/01/2026
Obviously, that does not look plausible, and is likely a data reporting error. Yet, despite having informed responsible authorities months ago, the EU emission database has not been corrected. It is not the only strange issue in EU emission databases: industrydecarbonization.com/news/errors-...
industrydecarbonization.com
Errors and Inconsistencies in European Emission Data
Factories that suddenly have emissions a thousand times lower than before, unexplained data gaps, and inconsistent CO₂ emissions from different data sources are some of the issues one finds when havin...
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Hanno Böck @hanno.hboeck.de · 30/12/2025
More in my latest newsletter. And if you prefer a video, I presented this at the #39C3 - a recording is available: media.ccc.de/v/39c3-green...
media.ccc.de
Greenhouse Gas Emission Data
Data about greenhouse gas emissions, both from countries and individual factories, is often publicly available. However, the data source...
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Hanno Böck @hanno.hboeck.de · 30/12/2025
In all likelihood, the data📊 was entered in the wrong unit🤷‍♂️ Less clear is why an ArcelorMittal steel🔩 plant & a Yara fertilizer🌾 plant in France🇫🇷 have diverging emissions for some years in the ETS and the EU's Industrial Emissions Portal. (Brought to my attention by @leonardstimpfle.bsky.social)
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Hanno Böck @hanno.hboeck.de · 30/12/2025
It's so much that it is hard to believe this really happened. And that is not the only odd thing I found in emission databases. Another factory in Iceland, Elkem's ferrosilicon plant, did not report CO₂ emissions for multiple years, and afterwards, they fell by a factor of 1,000 twice.
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Hanno Böck @hanno.hboeck.de · 30/12/2025
Was there a massive leak of a dangerous greenhouse gas in Iceland🇮🇸 in 2011-or was it a data📈 reporting error? Emission databases show that the Norðurál aluminium factory🏭 released 60 tons of SF₆ in 2011 — but no such emissions in any other year. 🔌💡 industrydecarbonization.com/news/errors-... 🧵
industrydecarbonization.com
Errors and Inconsistencies in European Emission Data
Factories that suddenly have emissions a thousand times lower than before, unexplained data gaps, and inconsistent CO₂ emissions from different data sources are some of the issues one finds when havin...
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Hanno Böck @hanno.hboeck.de · 30/12/2025
thanks! good to hear that people liked my talk.
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Franziska Müller - DECT 6097 @squirrelista.bsky.social · 29/12/2025
Thanks, @hanno.hboeck.de for a stunning investigation into major greenhouse gas reporting errors! Was a pleasure to translate your talk. #c3lingo
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Hanno Böck @hanno.hboeck.de · 29/12/2025
The two curves here should be the same. Obviously, they are not. If you are at #39c3 and want to learn about the unusual things I found in Greenhouse Gas Emission Databases, come to stage One at 11h fahrplan.events.ccc.de/congress/202... There's a livestream: streaming.media.ccc.de/39c3/one
Two diverging curves for CO2 Emissions from an ArcelorMittal steel plant
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Hanno Böck @hanno.hboeck.de · 23/12/2025
Here's my recent newsletter about SF6: industrydecarbonization.com/news/super-e...
industrydecarbonization.com
Super-Emitter of the most Damaging Greenhouse Gas found in Germany
Through atmospheric measurements, scientists have identified a chemical factory operated by Solvay in Southern Germany as the source of massive amounts of Sulfur Hexafluoride (SF₆) emissions. Being 25...
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Hanno Böck @hanno.hboeck.de · 23/12/2025
Another one of my readers, Erik Butter, contacted Stiftung Warentest. They went to their archives and shared a scan of the article.
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Hanno Böck @hanno.hboeck.de · 23/12/2025
I found sources mentioning that this was brought to Nike's attention by a German environmental magazine in 1992. I initially couldn't find out which magazine it was, so I asked my newsletter readers. I quickly got a reply that it was the Aug'92 Stiftung Warentest magazine (simply called "Test").
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Hanno Böck @hanno.hboeck.de · 23/12/2025
The article that highlighted a powerful greenhouse gas in Nike shoes in 1992 🌍👟 I recently wrote about high SF6 emissions from a factory in Germany. SF6 is the most powerful known greenhouse gas, and I also dug a bit into its history. Until 2006, Nike used SF6 in its shoes. /thread 🔌💡 🧵
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Hanno Böck @hanno.hboeck.de · 17/12/2025
The Worst Greenhouse Gas on Planet Earth: #SF6 💨🟡🌍🔥 Scientists have identified a factory in Germany emitting far more of the world's most damaging greenhouse gas than officially reported. A short video presentation 🎥 🔌💡 www.youtube.com/watch?v=OaJs...
youtube.com
The Worst Greenhouse Gas on Planet Earth #SF6
YouTube video by Decarbonize Everything
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Hanno Böck @hanno.hboeck.de · 16/12/2025
I would take any "we can't do this thing (that we really don't want to do anyway, because we were elected on a pro-car agenda), because privacy laws" claim with a very huge grain of salt.
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