Viewpoint – Page 8
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News
Energy-from-waste – A troubled technology?
Until very recently, Air Products’ Tees Valley energy-from-waste facilities were held aloft as two of the most innovative renewable energy projects in the world, and the first of their kind in the UK. Now, however, as the company prepares to exit the market at a cost of up to $1bn, ...
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News
The ‘Brexit’ – a step into the unknown for the gases industry?
Most would agree upon the effects of collapse in oil prices over the last 18 months as it has fallen to as low as $30 per barrel. Similarly, many would acknowledge that the UK steel sector remains on a knife-edge and may be yet to reach its nadir. But the ...
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Features
Social responsibility – How capitalism can make it sustainable
John Keynes and Winston Churchill were both exceptional proponents of free markets and capitalism. Keynes proffered that, “Capitalism is the astounding belief that the wickedest of men will do the wickedest of things for the greatest good of everyone.”
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News
Linde's 2015 results: What impact of low oil prices?
The Linde Group’s newly released 2015 results show a group revenue rise of 5.3% to €17.9bn and a similar increase in operating profit, up 5.4% to €4.1bn.
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News
A serenity in semiconductors
Why increasing stability and a trend for interdependence in the global semiconductor business could be good news for the industrial and specialty gases industry.
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News
The grand arrival of a new frontier
The Middle East is no longer emerging as the New Industrial Gas Frontier. It’s already here, it’s underway - the New Industrial Gas Frontier has arrived. And a record crowd for this gas world conference here in Dubai again affirms that.
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Features
Getting real about carbon capture
Why would anyone want to bury carbon dioxide (CO2)? Proponents of carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology will argue that it’s better to bury CO2 than release it into the atmosphere if the object is to combat global warming. But surely it would be better not to create the problem ...
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Features
Technology and ingenuity can solve the climate challenge
Today we face the dual challenge of achieving both energy security and a positive climate outcome. Renewables are a vital part of the abatement and energy security story. While there is no doubting their importance, they are not the whole answer in the timeframes we face. Energy efficiency is a ...
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News
Airgas: A long awaited acquisition?
The earth shook in the global gases business last week, with the news that Air Liquide had agreed the $13.4bn acquisition of fellow Tier One company Airgas, Inc., signalling a potentially seismic shift in the structure of the industry.
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Features
Time to re-assess ERP?
With the gases industry arguably maximising its operations more than ever before, Gavin Oberholzer of business solutions provider HSO asks in this exclusive column for gasworld.com whether it’s time to re-assess Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP).
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Features
Why it’s ‘game on’ for new growth drivers in the bulk distribution field
The main factors that drive demand in the bulk distribution equipment industry are mainly new business and organic growth, the replacement of ageing equipment, and any new applications that arise for distribution equipment.
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Features
Innovation – let the good ideas flow
Recently, when visiting our R D Team for a review meeting, Chris Browell our Head of R D, made an observation that left me pondering. He said, “To the optimist, the glass is half full. To the pessimist, the glass is half empty. But to the engineer, that glass is ...
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Features
Hydrogen – The green key to renewables
The good news is that more and more energy from renewable sources is being produced every day. The bad news is that far too much of it is wasted. In the ‘use it or lose it’ energy game, intermittent renewable energy (IRR) is suffering. Enter hydrogen – when produced ‘greenly’ ...
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Features
Just crystal ball gazing?
French mathematician, physicist, and philosopher of science Jules Henri Poincaré once stated, “It is far better to foresee even without certainty, than not to foresee at all.” That resonates with me today in Budapest, for very different reasons.
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Features
Business in a bipolar market
Several years ago when writing about the US market I asked – when you’re way out in front, where is there to go? It may not be quite the same question facing Europe, but a similar conundrum exists in the region – how to realise the next wave of growth? ...
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Features
Cold – The new hot topic
Cold has long been the Cinderella of the energy debate, but that might just be changing. Toby Peters, Senior Group Managing Director of Dearman, argues that the challenge is now to turn growing awareness into action and that the international gas industry has an opportunity to play a leading role ...
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Features
Small-scale LNG – Evolving, evolved, or on the crest of a wave?
Just two years ago the demand for LNG was almost unsustainable as new energy applications were being developed and the price against oil was favourable for this alternative energy source. Keith Stewart reflects on how this market has changed.
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News
Italy’s Oerlikon’s Drive Systems expands into South America
The company has appointed four new distributors to further strengthen its presence in the continent with locations in Argentina, Chile. Columbia and Peru created to support the agricultural, construction, mining and energy sectors.
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Features
Efficient transport modes for the fracking industry
Fracking and natural gas have been such common words in recent forums and the gas receptacle world has not been left out. If anything, both the gas cylinder and automotive industries have been preparing for this ‘green’ fuel alternative for several decades and have considered not only the output post ...
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Features
Cryogenic valves for an evolving LNG industry
As one of the first cryogenic service providers to enter the LNG industry, it’s well over a decade since Herose started supplying valves for LNG applications.