Towards Clean Energy: A Contractor’s Perspective On How CR3 Can Make A Difference
As an Energy Engineering Solutions provider, CR3 is committed to working collaboratively with all stakeholders including customers, suppliers, partners, and all staff to deliver a fair, safe and sustainable future. We acknowledge that serious, urgent, and immediate action is needed to combat climate change and we will take responsibility for doing our share.
We endeavour to achieve a 50% reduction in our carbon footprint by 2030, based on 2019 levels, and net zero emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases from our operations by 2050 at the latest.
CR3 aims to do this in 3 main ways by:
Global Factors
The world’s climate is changing, and we need to change with it. The 27th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP27), held in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, at the beginning of November 2022, was attended by 190 countries and 90 heads of state, making it the second most well-attended COP of all time1. While historic in its decision to establish and operationalize a loss and damage fund, COP27 saw fewer than expected pledges around limiting fossil fuels or emission control.
Renewable energy is one way to achieve this goal. Unlike finite and volatile fossil fuels, renewable energy sources are plentiful and sustainable. Investing in renewables is not only good for the environment; it also creates jobs and strengthens the economy. Renewable energy is already being developed and used across the world, but more must be done and at a faster pace to truly decarbonize the global economy by 2050. Achieving this will require substantial investments in renewable energy research and development initiatives and supportive political and regulatory conditions worldwide. While wealthier nations can make these investments on their own merit, low-and middle-income countries may need additional financial incentives to make green energy a viable option for them. In the end, it is only through the joint efforts of the public and private sectors that we can ensure a prosperous renewable future that is both eco-friendly and cost-competitive.
Positive Change
Renewable energy sources such as solar, wind, geothermal and hydropower offer clean, green alternatives for producing electricity. Progress in this area has been incremental but steady; more efficient chemical processes are being developed, fugitive emissions are being assessed and attempts made to reduce them, and transport fuels are being cleaned to meet International Maritime (IMO) legislation. Renewable energy is fast becoming the backbone of the transition from traditional electricity sources to cleaner energy production that will help repair our planet.
India is planning to mandate the gradual increase of green hydrogen in its refineries and fertilizer plants2. This is an important step in reducing emissions and combating climate change. Green hydrogen has the potential to transform the energy sector, and India is leading the way in its adoption. India’s Reliance Industries will invest US$10.1 billion3 in clean energy over three years in a drive to become a net-carbon zero company by 2035 and has revealed plans to repurpose its gasification assets at the world’s largest refinery to become one of the world’s largest producers of blue hydrogen?. Indian Oil Corporation plans to replace 10% of its current fossil fuel with green hydrogen. This will help India reduce its dependence on imported fuels and also create a shift toward cleaner energy?. This is a great example of how big and influential corporations can help protect the environment.
Indonesia has also made significant progress over the last decade in transitioning its energy production to renewables. Although the development of geothermal energy hasn’t progressed as quickly as expected, Indonesia is still one of the largest producers of geothermal energy in the world. As of 2019, it had 2.28 gigawatts of installed geothermal power capacity — only slightly smaller than the US’ leading industry with 2.6 gigawatts?. Following suit is the Philippines which is the third largest producer of geothermal power in the world. With 7 geothermal fields providing 12% of the nation’s energy needs, the Philippines government plans to phase out coal by 2040?.
Saudi Arabia, one of the world’s largest oil and gas producers, is embracing clean energy development projects with sustainability at its core. In 2017 they unveiled plans for Neom – a “smart city” as part of Saudi’s 2030 Vision. Neom’s primary objective is to envision a new model for urban sustainability that sets new standards for community health, environmental protection, and effective use of technology?. While many commentators acknowledge that oil and gas will continue for many years to come, all four regions of the Neom project are to run on 100% clean energy and includes the development of a large green ammonia facility.
CR3 is Committed to Clean Energy for a Sustainable Future
At CR3, we believe businesses have a critical role to play in the fight against climate change. To make a difference, we must first understand our operations: where and how do we produce carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gasses? As part of our commitment to creating a sustainable future, we have actively engaged experts in the field of sustainability. We have worked with these experts to understand how our business impacts the environment and identified opportunities to reduce our carbon emissions. By exploring initiatives such as the use of renewable energy for powering our buildings and clean fuels for our machines, investing in high-efficiency equipment, and leveraging digital solutions, we expect to reduce our carbon emissions by 50% by 2030 and be carbon neutral by 2050.
To this effect, we have taken several steps toward keeping our commitment, including:
These initial steps are just the start of our transition to a greener operating framework, and we are continuously investing in innovations to accelerate this move internally.
Renewable Energy Solutions
CR3 is actively growing its renewable energy business, which will account for 20% of Group revenues by the end of 2027. This will involve CR3 acquiring more clean energy customers that produce energy using renewable sources like wind, solar, biomass, geothermal, and tidal and exploring alternate entry strategies through partnering with existing players with complementary experience and acquisition.
We are pursuing green projects in biofuels, green hydrogen, and plastics recycling to support our customers in their transition to a clean energy future. Biofuels can be converted into energy feedstocks that could launch us into a more sustainable tomorrow, while green hydrogen enables us to combine energy production with storage and transmission systems that could power countries with secure and independent access to renewable energy. Plastic recycling offers a twofold benefit; the first being it tackles one of the most dangerous environmental issues plaguing our planet – plastic waste – by turning it into something useful and the second is providing renewable raw materials that can be used in chemical processes to produce more clean energy.
We believe that our three core skills of energy efficiency, engineering excellence, and sustainable solutions can be of great value in the following clean energy sources.
Hydrogen
Hydrogen energy is an increasingly viable energy source for the future. Hydrogen has a high energy density, is non-toxic, and can be generated from renewable sources, making it an excellent way to secure affordable energy supplies. Unlike brown or grey hydrogen produced from coal or natural gas, respectively, blue and green forms of hydrogen ensure that emissions are kept to a minimum. Blue hydrogen combines well proven hydrogen production techniques from natural gas with carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) to prevent the release of the carbon dioxide generated. Green hydrogen uses renewable energy to electrolyse water, which can then be used to replace grey hydrogen in industrial applications, as a substitute for natural gas for residential heating or converted into a liquid energy carrier to store and transport the hydrogen to where it is needed.
Hydrogen storage and transportation challenges have been overcome by converting the hydrogen to ammonia, methanol or other liquid carriers to transport the Hydrogen safely and efficiently over long distances. Overall, the potential of green hydrogen and the establishment of hydrogen hubs could provide significant economic benefits while also helping combat climate change through zero-emission fuels. CR3 has extensive experience in maintaining, revamping, and repairing hydrogen, ammonia, and methanol plants to increase throughput, reduce energy consumption, and maximize yield.
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Wind
Wind farms are one of the most popular forms of clean energy, harnessing wind power to produce electricity that can be stored and used whenever needed. However, regular maintenance is required to ensure these wind turbines run at peak efficiency. This is where CR3’s rotating maintenance solutions, combined with our rope access technicians for applying protective coatings and repairing defects caused by corrosion or bird strikes and the like, ensure that wind turbines stay in the best possible condition over time.
Through regular maintenance services and audits, our consultants can assist wind farms in meeting their maintenance strategy goals. If equipment breakdown occurs, our detailed failure analysis techniques will identify the root cause and provide the recommendations needed to enhance the reliability of the rotary equipment.
Solar Power
In many parts of the world, solar power has become a go-to energy source for households, businesses, and cities alike. Renewable, clean, and inexpensive compared to traditional fossil fuels, solar energy can provide a viable alternative to accessing electricity from non-renewable sources. With its development taking off in sunny regions of the globe, solar energy is becoming an increasingly attractive option for those looking for a cleaner energy supply. Nevertheless, it is classed as an intermittent source of energy due to fluctuations caused by the availability of sunlight during daylight hours or aspects such as storms that can diminish production levels. Solar power can be used most effectively as a backup source or alongside other forms of renewable energy, such as wind.
CR3 is well placed to provide construction and maintenance solutions to solar farms including through the use of drones and automated cleaning robots to maximize the efficiency of installed panels.
Hydroelectricity
Unlike solar power, renewable energy sources such as hydroelectric power provide a consistent, reliable source of clean energy that is better for the environment. Dams use large amounts of water to generate electricity by forcing it through turbines connected to generators.
CR3’s rotating equipment solutions are ideal for providing preventive maintenance solutions on behalf of large turbine manufacturers. In addition, CR3’s plant maintenance, industrial cleaning, and full turnaround capabilities are welcomed by owners of such facilities. Our use of advanced equipment and multi-skilled personnel helps to minimize downtime and maximize returns.
Biofuels
Biofuels are one of the most effective forms of green energy, as they are created from animal fats, waste oils, and plant-based materials such as soybeans or palm oil. But traditional biodiesel has its drawbacks; it still emits carbon dioxide and other pollutants. Fortunately, advances in biofuel technology now make Renewable & Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) a viable option for powering planes. The Finnish company Neste Corporation recently launched their production of Renewable HVO (Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil) in Singapore. Shell, too, has plans for a 550,000 t/yr SAF HVO and renewable chemicals plant in Singapore and others are planning to add capacity in Thailand and Malaysia. Together these projects signify that renewable energy sources such as HVO-based fuels can play a critical role in reducing emissions for aviation.
Once again, CR3’s array of catalyst handling, plant maintenance, and pipeline & process services can benefit biofuel manufacturers. Our network of operations across Asia and the Middle East allows us not only to be able to deliver tailored solutions to existing plants but also to support new projects with project management, engineering, pre-commissioning, plus operations and maintenance (O&M) solutions.
Conclusion
Although we are still a long way from a fully green energy ecosystem, renewable energy is key to driving a cleaner future. Leading energy producing countries and organizations are actively researching, innovating, and implementing the renewable energy solutions needed. Hence, governments need to incentivize investments in cleaner alternatives and encourage industries to continue developing larger, more efficient, and more economical processes. While a mix of energy sources will be around for some time, CR3’s three decades of expertise, innovation, and growth in the energy industry make it ideal for supporting cleaner, renewable energy projects. We look forward to seeing powerful results from our commitment to green energy and invite you to join us in embracing a cleaner and greener energy future.
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