Chemicals & Energy

What Needs to Happen Before Electric Cars Take Over the World

December 20, 2017

On the slope of a thickly forested Czech mountain, three men in hard hats and mud-spattered fluorescent vests dig for the metal that could power a new industrial revolution.

Hiring Surges as Logistics Firms Head Into the Holidays

December 15, 2017

The Wall Street Journal

Logistics companies went on a hiring spree in November to handle the holiday surge in online shopping, adding thousands of jobs picking items off shelves in warehouses and delivering packages to customers’ homes.

'Death Spiral': Half of Europe’s Coal Plants Are Losing Money

December 15, 2017

The Guardian

More than half of the European Union’s 619 coal-fired power stations are losing money, according to a new report. As a result, the industry’s slow plans for shutdowns will lead to €22bn ($26.04bn) in losses by 2030 if the EU fulfils its pledge to tackle climate change, the report warns.

Waste-to-Energy Is a False Path to Zero Waste, Report Says

December 13, 2017

Environmental Leader

Researchers at the City College of New York (CCNY) claim the Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives (GAIA) is releasing misleading information claiming waste-to-energy is a false path to zero waste, and it could lead to "more waste going into landfills than ever before."

U.S. Shale Has a Panama Canal Problem That Has No Easy Fix

December 12, 2017

Industryweek

It seemed at the time like a somewhat random, and amazingly fortuitous, coincidence.

Laboratory Products Get a 'Green' Label. How About Consumer Goods?

December 11, 2017

Robert J. Bowman, SupplyChainBrain

It’s been 23 years since the U.S. Food and Drug Administration began requiring "nutrition facts" labels on most food products. Is it time to do the same for disclosing the environmental impact of laboratory products?

Tesla Builds World's Largest Battery in Australian Outback

December 11, 2017

Los Angeles Times

The world's biggest lithium-ion battery has plugged into an Australian state grid, an official says, delivering on Tesla Inc. Chief Executive Elon Musk's 100-day guarantee.

Russia Is Developing Its Own Subsea Production Technology

December 8, 2017

Maritime Executive

Russia has announced the development of its own subsea production technology. The move is part of the nation's plan to reduce dependence on imported products in its oil and gas industry in the face of sanctions enacted in response to its annexation of Crimea.

Cobalt Producer to Tackle Child Labor Concerns With Supply Probe

December 6, 2017

Bloomberg

Chinese cobalt refiner Yantai Cash Industrial Co. will demand suppliers show that their raw materials aren’t produced with child labor after the London Metal Exchange set a deadline for companies that ship to its warehouses to spell out efforts to combat the problem.

Toyota to Turn Cow Manure Into Hydrogen to Back Its Fuel Cell Vehicle Push

December 5, 2017

Forbes

Fuel cell cars and trucks are a tiny piece of the U.S. clean vehicle market, due in no small part to the limited number of hydrogen fuel stations in California, one of the few places they’re sold. To help fix that Toyota is building a first-of-its-kind refinery to make large quantities of the zero-emission fuel from a dirty source: cow manure.

Chemicals & Energy

The latest supply-chain news, analysis, trends and tools for executives in the chemicals and energy industries. Learn how chemical and energy companies and their suppliers around the world are managing the flow of products across all channels of the enterprise. Experts sound off on forecasting and demand planning, supply-chain visibility, logistics outsourcing, inventory optimization, transportation management, warehouse management, supply-chain security, corporate social responsibility and more.