Todays Latest Updates: 14 September 2026

Biomaterials: Ireland. Ireland’s first on-farm demonstration-scale biorefinery integrating grass biorefining and anaerobic digestion was inaugurated in Cork, Ireland. The facility is designed to process fresh grass through mechanical fractionation, separating a fibre-rich press cake from grass juice. The fibre fraction can be used for livestock feed but will also be evaluated for other material applications. Protein and other valuable components can instead be recovered from the liquid fraction for feed and other potential ingredients for food applications, subject to further development and regulatory assessment. Remaining streams can be directed to anaerobic digestion to produce renewable energy and nutrient-rich digestate, with potential for use as a bio-based fertiliser subject to applicable requirements. Link 14/09/2026.

Hydrogen: Global. A new report, co-authored with McKinsey & Company (and supported by the Hydrogen Council) and which was informed by the perspectives of some 70 global CEOs, highlights continued industry progress alongside a changing strategic context. Over the past year, global operational capacity has nearly doubled and is expected to double again next year as projects under construction come online. Geographically, China remains the largest market, accounting for more than half of global committed renewable hydrogen capacity, as well as 90% of new operational capacity globally added since 2025. Europe now follows as the second-largest market, leading in project count and relative investment growth (+35% since 2025). The United States continues to lead in low-carbon hydrogen deployment, accounting for approximately 75% of global committed low-carbon hydrogen and ammonia capacity. Link. 14/09/2026.

Methanol: China Goldwind Green Energy Chemicals (Xing’an League) Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of Goldwind Technology — one of the world’s leading wind turbine manufacturers — set out to build a green hydrogen-to-methanol facility of unprecedented scale in Xing’an League, Inner Mongolia. The project uses wind power to produce green hydrogen, which is then combined with biomass-derived carbon sources to produce green methanol, a low-carbon marine fuel increasingly demanded by the global shipping industry as it decarbonizes under IMO and EU regulatory pressure. Positioned as a flagship of China’s “new energy-based hydrogen production+” industrial chain, the project was designed not only to serve the domestic market but to enter international supply chains — including green shipping fuel contracts with major global carriers. To do that, the methanol produced needed to meet the sustainability and greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction requirements recognized in the European Union and international shipping markets. Link 14/09/2026.

Plastic recycling: Europe. The EU-funded ReBioCycle project has demonstrated that PLA bioplastics can be recycled from mixed plastic waste and returned to virgin-quality material, marking a significant step toward circular packaging in Europe. The consortium confirmed that PLA can be effectively sorted from mixed plastic waste streams using existing technologies, before being chemically broken down into lactic acid and rebuilt into high-quality PLA with properties equivalent to virgin material. Link 14/09/2026.

Marine fuels: Norway. Viking Cruises has floated out its second hydrogen-fuelled ship, the Viking Astrea, which is expected to be delivered in May 2027 and begin sailing its debut voyages in the Mediterranean and Northern Europe later that year. Two 54,300GT vessels feature a hybrid diesel-and-liquid-hydrogen propulsion system. The PEM fuel cell systems were manufactured by Fincantieri in 2025. Link 14/09/2026.