Cloverdale Paint has announced that it has entered a parternship with Celanese Corporation. This collaboration will witness the utilization of Celanese’s carbon capture and utilization (CCU) technology. The CCU technology will be employed to create new sustainable paint solutions.

Celanese has come up with a process that takes industrial CO₂ emissions and turns them into renewable feedstocks. The technology captures the CO₂ that would otherwise have gone into the atmosphere. Hydrogen is then used to convert the CO₂ into methanol, a key building block in vinyl acetate-based emulsions used in paint manufacturing. It is a method that reduces reliance on fossil fuels, supports a circular economy, and has lower carbon emissions compared to traditional processes.

Supporting Sustainability, Reducing Carbon Footprint

The collaboration between Cloverdale Paint and Celanese further endorses both companies’ commitment to sustainability. The partnership will reduce more than 1 million pounds of CO₂ emissions per year. This will be accomplished by using the captured CO₂ in products manufactured by Cloverdale Paint.

This fits into the broader goal of Cloverdale Paint in providing an eco-friendly paint solution without performance compromise.

Also read: IFC Supports Low-Carbon Cement Production in Senegal with €75 Million Green Loan

Commitment to Environmental Accountability

According to Cloverdale Paint president Darrin Noble, the firm’s Green Guarantee represents its core commitment to being a sustainable corporation. Under Green Guarantee, such initiatives are undertaking sustainable materials consumption, streamlining processes for lower waste, and lower carbon emissions.

A further note, according to Noble from Cloverdale, is that its paint is designed to deliver performance and long-term durability. Plus, it also guards against environmental abuse.

Celanese’s View on the Partnership

Celanese’s global sustainability director, Kevin Norfleet, expressed the company’s enthusiasm about the partnership. He noted that the collaboration with Cloverdale Paint demonstrates how CCU technology can accelerate the adoption of low-carbon solutions in industries like paint manufacturing. Norfleet emphasized that CCU technology plays a vital role in reducing the carbon footprint of products and advancing a circular economy.

This partnership between Cloverdale Paint and Celanese represents a significant step forward for the paint industry. Both companies are setting new standards by integrating sustainable practices and carbon capture technology into paint manufacturing. The collaboration not only helps reduce CO₂ emissions but also positions both companies as leaders in offering eco-friendly paint solutions to the market.

The US Department of Energy is closing out the $1.67 billion loan guarantee made to Montana Renewables, LLC (MRL) for the company’s expansion of its production facility for renewable fuels in Great Falls, Montana, under the “Investing in America” plan for the Biden-Harris administration. They will make sustainable aviation fuel, renewable diesel, and renewable naphtha from it. This will be an indicator of commitment by the government in support of a bioeconomy that can promote clean sources of energy, curb emissions, and make healthy communities all over the United States.

Enhancing Biofuel Production as an Instrument of Tackling Climate Change

Since the end of 2022, the doubling of MRL’s capacity has been operational. This is one of the most significant measures the US has undertaken to decarbonize transportation and industrial sectors. This loan will help add an increase in the production of biofuel by some 140 million gallons per year to 315 million gallons They will mainly produce SAF from these increased volumes, as SAF is crucial for decarbonizing aviation. Once fully built out, the facility will produce 50% of North American and 12% of global SAF by 2030.

This will align with the expansion of U.S. SAF by the Biden-Harris administration to 3 billion gallons by 2030. SAF from MRL has a lower lifecycle greenhouse gas footprint than jet fuel, which is a clear sustainable solution for aviation.

Economic Opportunities and Employment Generation among the Local Communities

The project supports the Biden administration’s Justice40 Initiative, which channels 40% of federal investment benefits to underserved, environmentally challenged communities. The great majority of the facility’s existing workforce are union members of United Steelworkers Local 0491, working pursuant to a collective bargaining agreement. Calumet, MRL’s parent company, has a good track record of supporting local education, especially STEAM programs in Great Falls schools and colleges.

The project further supports the goals of the Justice40 Initiative issued by the Biden administration, calling for 40% of investments to be made within the benefits accorded to undervalued or environmentally challenged communities. Many communities around Great Falls face disadvantages due to high energy costs and housing expenses. MRL continues to ensure its workforce is majorly recruited from this local area following this initiative response.

Also read: Biden-Harris Administration Invests $14.8 Million to Boost Energy Efficiency

Producers of sustainable aviation fuel will also highly facilitate the reduction of carbon emission in aviation; this accounts for 11 percent of the emissions in transportations within the US.However, the aviation industry has a more extended way to work towards their set decarbonization goals, so the production of SAF will progressively become more pivotal.

MRL will use vegetable oils, fats, and greases to generate sustainable fuels with support for rural economic opportunities along with climate objectives.

The loan guarantee comes through the DOE’s Energy Infrastructure Reinvestment (EIR) program, part of the Title 17 Clean Energy Financing. This initiative finances projects that repurpose existing energy infrastructure to reduce emissions and environmental impact. For the MRL project, they will convert part of an oil refinery to produce renewable fuels and cut steam emissions.