PLACEHOLDER Placeholder Company PLACEHOLDER Placeholder Company PLACEHOLDER Placeholder Company NEW PRODUCTS, NEW OWNERSHIP FOR THIS FAMILY FIRM Peninsula Plastics THINGS ARE HEATING UP FOR GEOTHERMAL ENERGY Geosource Energy THIS TEXAS COMPANY EXPANDS ITS GAS COMPRESSION BUSINESS Total Operations & Production Services (TOPS) RESOURCEINFOCUS.COM A PR IL 2 02 3 RESOURCEINFOCUS.COM A PR IL 2 02 3EDITOR’S CORNER 3 EDITOR Robert Hoshowsky DEPUTY EDITOR Tim Hocken | Jaime McKee COPY EDITORS Thora Smith | Allister Havercroft CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Jessica Ferlaino | Allison Dempsey | William Young Karen Hawthorne | Nate Hendley | Claire Suttles DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS James Corbett OPERATIONS MANAGER Severina Gachparova CONTENT MANAGERS Taylor Dunne | Jack Murtha | Dean Lucas Louis Susara | Wendy Hood-Morris SALES TEAM Pamela Taylor | Morgan Culpepper | Dean Lucas GRAPHIC DESIGNERS Laura Pratt | Ashley Dowling Ebic Tristary | Yoana Ilcheva OFFICE ADMINISTRATOR Julia MacQueen IT ADMINISTRATOR Rebecca Sanford CONTROLLER Jen Hamilton PUBLISHER Jeff Hocken First celebrated in 1970 and becoming an interna- tional event by the 1990s, Earth Month increased awareness about issues affecting the environment. Before its inception, many organizations that we now think of as household names working to safeguard the planet— including the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)—did not exist, leaving companies free to do what is now unthinkable: spew toxic waste and dump untreated pollutants into the air and waterways. As countries acknowledge Earth Day on April 22, there is much to be proud of—and much work to do. It is time to take our environmental consciousness to the next level, looking chiefly at the energy we consume to electrify our daily lives and industrial processes. Once the domain of scientists and eager hobbyists, solar gen- eration has become cheaper and more accessible than ever before. In just the past decade, solar energy has experienced a staggering 33 percent growth each year, according to SEIA (Solar Energy Industries Association). Research into minerals like perovskites in solar cells continues, along with exploration into the future of solar power generation through spray-on solar cells and photovoltaic paint. This Earth Month, Resource in Focus’ William Young explores the next generation of power generation in A Renewable Future: Solar 3.0 and the Role of AI. Robert Hoshowsky Editor Suite 300, 7071 Bayers Rd. | Halifax, NS | B3L 2C2 | Canada P: 1-647-479-2163 | E: INSIDE APRIL OIL & GAS RECYCLING & WASTE MANAGEMENT RENEWABLE ENERGY 4 Solar 3.0 and the Role of AI As Earth Month is commemorated this April, it can be all too easy to resign oneself to pessimism about the current state of our planet’s environment, along with myriad other global concerns. 5 RESOURCE IN FOCUS WATER IN MINING GLOBAL SUMMIT 25 – 27 April, Toronto, ON The ideal forum for expanding industry contacts, networking with mining company decision-makers, taking advantage of peer-to-peer discus- sions on water management, and more, this year’s Water in Mining Global Summit is the place to be to understand the importance of water in the age of critical minerals. To date, 44 industry expert speakers and over 160 senior decision makers will be in attendance. For more information visit: WASTEEXPO 1 – 4 May, New Orleans, LA At WasteExpo, “the road ahead is paved with myriad opportunities.” From connecting with 14,000 peers to doing business with over 600 exhibi- tors, this is one event that pays dividends all year long. Preview the latest vehicles, tune in to the latest technology, and learn the latest curricu- lum to improve the environment at New Orleans’ Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. For more information CANADA GAS & LNG EXHIBITION AND CONFERENCE 9 – 11 May, Vancouver, BC This May sees the ninth edition of the Canada Gas & LNG Exhibition and Conference (CGLNG). Drawing more than 5,000 industry professionals, this year’s CGLNG will feature over 85 dynamic speakers along with more than 200 exhibitors in a unique setting that merges a technical exhibi- tion with a high-level strategic conference “that identifies the opportunities, challenges and solutions for the Canadian gas and LNG industries.” For more information visit: SPRING SERIES OF CANREA NETWORKING EVENTS 10 May – 22 June, various locations Canada-wide This May sees the start of the spring series of Networking Events from CanREA, the Canadian Renewable Energy Association. Taking place starting in Halifax, Nova Scotia on May 10, the Spring Series will make its way to Regina, Saskatchewan on May 17; Calgary, Alberta on June 1; Montreal, Quebec on June 8; and to its annual Summer Solstice event in Toronto, Ontario on June 22. For more information visit: RE+ SOUTHEAST 17 – 18 May, Atlanta, GA Held at the Georgia World Congress Center, RE+ Southeast “brings the region’s clean energy industry together to discuss strategies, market trends in the southeast, policy updates that impact businesses, and numerous networking opportunities to make more connections.” RE+ Southeast – previously Solar and Energy Storage SE – welcomes solar industry leaders in a forum to discuss, network, explore and do business involving the southeast’s growing solar energy market. For more information visit: INDUSTRY EVENTS 6 Are you planning an event relating to North America’s Resource Industry? To get your event listed in Resource in Focus, please contact us at least six to eight weeks before the event takes place at or call 1-647-479-2163INDUSTRY NEWS BIDEN GREENLIGHTS CONTROVERSIAL ALASKA OIL PROJECT Just one day after unveiling protections for over 16 million acres in Alaska, the administration of U.S. President Biden gave the go-ahead to a controversial massive oil drilling plan in the state. Approval for the Willow Project oil drilling plan left many, especially climate activists who have protested the project for years, speechless. According to the U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Land Management’s Record of Decision (ROD), the Willow Master Development Plan (MDP) “will focus on surface resource protection and appropriate mitigation for construc- tion, operation, and maintenance of a central processing facility, an infrastructure pad, up to five drill pads with up to 50 wells per pad, access and infield roads, an airstrip, pipelines, a gravel mine, and an ice bridge across the Coleville River to support module delivery via sealift barges in the NPR-A [National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska].” Spearheaded by Alaska’s biggest producer of crude oil, ConocoPhillips, the $8 billion plan will generate approximately 600 million barrels of oil in the next 30 years. It is believed the project will generate up to $17 billion in revenue for the federal government and result in 2,500 jobs. “This was the right decision for Alaska and our nation,” stated Ryan Lance, ConocoPhillips Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, on the company’s website. “Willow fits within the Biden Administration’s priorities on environmental and social justice, facilitating the energy transition and enhancing our energy security, all while creating good union jobs and pro- viding benefits to Alaska Native communities.” Three well pads will be developed under the plan within the 23-million acre National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska, America’s biggest expanse of public land. According to the U.S. Department of the Interior, it will also generate some 278 million metric tons of carbon emissions, equivalent annual emissions to 66 new coal-fired power plants. Climate groups, including the Center for Biological Diversity, are condemning the project, stating that safeguarding one part of the Arctic while destroying another makes no sense. One official from the Natural Resources Defense Council called the Willow approval a “grievous mistake,” vowing the Council will keep fighting to stop the project. The Record of Decision is available at 7INDUSTRY NEWS TIRE MAKER INSTALLING WORLD’S LARGEST SOLAR ROOF Japan-based Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd., one of the world’s largest manufacturers of automobile tires, tennis balls, and other products, recently announced it will be installing a massive rooftop solar panel array at its Thailand facility. Sumitomo Rubber (Thailand) Co., Ltd., a tire manufacturing and sales subsidiary, will soon be home to the world’s biggest rooftop solar panel array for a single facility. Other green ini- tiatives taking place at the Thailand location include a gas cogeneration system and green electric power provided by Kansai Energy Solutions (Thailand) Co., Ltd. (K-EST), a wholly owned subsidiary of The Kansai Electric Power Co., Inc. (KEPCO). In addition, Sumitomo Rubber has also signed an agreement with KEPCO regarding the provision of renewable energy certif- icates, demonstrating yet another commitment to clean power. The move comes with the support of the Japanese Ministry of the Environment as part of its 2022 Financing Program for Joint Crediting Mechanism (JCM) Model Projects. Once complete, the K-EST-installed solar rooftop will have approximately 40,000 panels, providing a total output of 22MW, along with a two-6.6MW-boiler gas cogeneration system at the company’s Rayong Province factory. “All of the electric power and steam that this equipment generates will be supplied directly to the factory, replacing the energy sources that the factory currently uses,” stated the company in a media release. “Once this project is complete, we estimate that it will reduce the factory’s total annual CO2 emissions by approximately 38,000 tons.” The green initiatives come at a time when Sumitomo Rubber is transitioning to carbon-free electric energy, “thanks to I-REC procured and provided by KEPCO.” In 2021, Sumitomo Rubber unveiled its Driving Our Future Challenge 2050, a long-term Sustainability Policy. “Having set an ambitious target of reducing our annual Scope 1 and 2 CO2 emissions by 50 percent (compared with 2017 emissions) by the year 2030, we now anticipate achieving this target one year ahead of schedule. The Sumitomo Rubber Group is committed to ongoing efforts to work toward the solution of various social and environmental issues throughout all of our business activi- ties so that we may actively contribute to the realization of sus- tainable societies.” 8INDUSTRY NEWS VIETNAM CONVERTING COAL PLANTS TO BIOMASS VOLKSWAGEN INVESTING IN MINES TO POWER EVS An innovator in the world of vehicles since it was founded in 1937, German motor company Volkswagen recently announced it is investing in mines to become a worldwide supplier of batteries. Along with Tesla, Nissan, Volvo, General Motors, Ford, and many other vehicle manufacturers, Volkswagen is focusing its efforts on the growing electric vehicle (EV) market. And like others in the industry, EVs depend on rechargeable batteries made from minerals, including lithium, nickel, graphite, cobalt, and manganese. By investing in mines, Volkswagen will not only meet about 50 percent of its own production demand for RV batteries and lower costs, but also be able to sell rechargeable batter- ies to third-party companies. The strategy follows that of other manufacturers in recent years who are seeking to have greater control over everything from supply chains to raw materials and even power generation. At present, up to 15 billion euro of Volkswagen’s five-year, 180 billion euro spending plan will be allocated for three proposed battery plants and sourcing supplies of raw materials. Known as an eco-friendly energy solutions company, South Korea’s SGC Energy recently announced it will work with PECC1—a Vietnam-based power engineering consulting business—on projects which will see coal-fired plants convert- ed into biomass-based generating facilities. The move comes after Vietnam stated it will phase out coal power generation, which currently accounts for about 40 percent of the country’s entire power supply. SGC Energy will handle power plant operation and management, while its Vietnamese partner will conduct business feasibility studies. South Korean construction company SGC eTEC E&C will be responsible for project construction and procurement. Vietnam intends to grow its renewable energy capacity to 39 gigawatts by 2030, and is widely seen as one of the world’s emerging energy markets. Owing to its renewable characteristics, organic biomass mate- rials such as wood, wood residue, and agricultural and house- hold waste are fast gaining popularity as fuel to provide heat and electricity. balipadma / Shutterstock.com 9Next >