First-of-its-kind agreement eliminates capex
for solar steam while enabling renewable fuels provider to increase
output up to 2x and remove up to 90% of carbon used for process
energy
SAN
DIEGO, April 24, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Today,
Oberon Fuels, a renewable fuels producer, and Sunvapor, a renewable
heat provider, commissioned a solar steam project under the first
purchase agreement in the U.S. for industrial solar steam. This
agreement will eliminate upfront capital requirements to deploy
solar steam, while enabling Oberon to as much as double output
capacity and slash the carbon intensity of renewable fuels—critical
for industrial customers seeking renewable fuels to achieve
pressing net-zero commitments.
"This project is a triple-win for Oberon," said Elliot
Anise-Hicks, Oberon Fuels co-founder and chief technical officer.
"Working with Sunvapor, we can further slash the carbon intensity
of our fuels while doubling our throughput, all with no capital
expenses. Innovative partnerships like this are essential to help
us scale to meet the soaring appetite for low-carbon fuels like
renewable propane and methanol across major industries."
Under the partnership, Sunvapor integrated solar steam
technology into Oberon's Maverick Innovation Center in Brawley, California, to produce renewable DME
which can reduce the carbon intensity of propane when blended. As
designed, a notable portion of the fuel produced by Oberon's
process can go into providing steam to power the facility itself.
By using solar to generate process heat instead, Oberon can convert
all of the renewable carbon in feedstock into fuel, in turn
increasing output by as much as double. Moreover, using zero-carbon
solar steam can improve Oberon's already low carbon intensity by
removing as much as 90% of the carbon used for process energy in
large-scale deployments.
"We've designed our technology and first-of-its-kind financing
in the USA to eliminate the risk
of adopting solar steam and provide compelling economics to our
customers," said Philip Gleckman,
Ph.D., co-founder and CEO of Sunvapor. "With bountiful sunshine,
low land costs, a need for process heat, and a commitment to
decarbonization, Oberon is an ideal partner to begin scaling our
solutions for the massive industrial process heat market."
Oberon's rDME® fuel can reduce the carbon intensity of propane
by up to 60% when blended, offering potential reductions in global
CO2 of 750 million metric tons per year. By 2050,
renewable DME and propane could meet half the world's demand for
propane, according to the World Liquid Gas Association.
Additionally, Oberon's technology can produce renewable methanol to
serve as a clean fuel for the maritime industry, which makes up
roughly 3% of global carbon emissions. According to the Methanol
Institute, green methanol can reduce carbon dioxide emissions from
container ships up to 95% compared with conventional fuels.
About Oberon Fuels
Oberon Fuels is on a mission to
decarbonize the fuel and energy sectors through the
commercialization of innovative fuels such as renewable DME and
methanol. Oberon's low-carbon or carbon-negative Oberon rDME® fuel
can reduce the carbon intensity of propane by up to 60% when
blended, offering potential reductions in global CO2
reductions of 750 million metric tons per year. Renewable DME also
provides a compelling means for transporting hydrogen for its many
fast-growing applications as well as producing low-carbon methanol
for the maritime industry. Oberon has partnered with companies
around the world including Suburban Propane, DCC Energy, Lipigas,
Volvo Trucks, Mack Trucks, and Ford.
Learn more at oberonfuels.com.
About Sunvapor
Sunvapor is a pioneering renewable
energy technology and project developer, focusing on the
difficult-to-decarbonize industrial sector. Sunvapor provides
engineering, procurement, construction and commissioning management
services to build and operate turnkey solar process heating,
cooling, and desalination plants. Sunvapor has won several awards
and prizes from the US Department of Energy (DOE) and the
California Energy Commission. More information is available at
www.sunvapor.net.
View original content to download
multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/oberon-fuels-and-sunvapor-commission-solar-steam-project-with-first-purchase-agreement-in-the-us-302125320.html
SOURCE Oberon Fuels