According to Wikipedia, “Finnegans Wake
is a book by Irish writer James Joyce … Owing to the work's linguistic
experiments, stream of consciousness writing
style, literary allusions, free dream associations, and abandonment of
narrative conventions, Finnegans Wake remains largely unread by the general
public.”
source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finnegans_Wake
Stream of consciousness can be useful in keeping
up with items of interest in your field.
For example …
A Google® Scholar alert notified me of a recent Neste Oyj patent titled “Low sulfur fuel oil bunker composition and process for
producing the same.”
Bunker oil is one of the worst offenders when it comes to sulfur, so it caught
my eye.
After perusing the Neste Oyi patent (excerpts shown below) I Googled Neste Oyj Low sulfur fuel oil bunker
Search results led me to a press release on the partnership between Neste Oyi
and German shipping company BMT. The press release, at least the version that I
discovered, was published in Bioenergy International. The text of the press
release appears after the patent excerpts shown below.
TIP:
Set up Google® Scholar alerts using keywords that match your interests. Scan
the alerts that land in your inbox. 95% of the alerts will not interest you.
But 5% will. Explore them, and let your stream of consciousness take over. This
may lead you nowhere, but it may lead you somewhere … you’ll never know until
you row your boat down that stream.
///////
Low sulfur fuel oil bunker composition and process for
producing the same
[ EXCERPTS from the Neste
Oyj patent ]
Abstract
The present disclosure relates to marine fuel compositions having low sulfur
content and processes for making such compositions.
C10G67/14 Treatment of hydrocarbon oils by at least one hydrotreatment process
and at least one process for refining in the absence of hydrogen only plural
serial stages only including at least two different refining steps in the
absence of hydrogen
US20200277533A1
Inventor: Varpu Markkanen
Current Assignee: Neste Oyj
Application US16/645,935
Application filed by Neste Oyj: 2020-03-10
Assigned to NESTE OYJ: 2020-09-03
Publication of US20200277533A1
Status: Pending
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001]
The present invention relates to
marine fuel compositions having low sulfur content and processes for making
such compositions. Herein is provided a low sulfur fuel oil bunker component
having advantageous properties. It also relates to upgrading vacuum residue.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0012]
Herein is disclosed a low sulfur fuel
oil bunker component the properties of which essentially correspond to earlier
fuel oil bunker components, except for the sulfur content, which is less than
0.5 wt-% and preferably less than 0.1%-wt. More specifically, the low sulfur
fuel oil bunker component is defined in independent product claim 1. Such low
sulfur fuel oil bunker component provides benefits when used in marine engines.
Compared to use of higher sulfur content fuels, the need for flue gas cleaning
system is avoided. Compared to low sulfur lighter bunkers, the adjustments of
engines due to lower density and/or viscosity are not necessary.
[0013]
The low sulfur fuel oil bunker
component is produced by a novel process. The present low sulfur bunker is
produced by using vacuum residue treated at a solvent deasphalting (SDA) unit
as feed for residue hydrocracking system. From residue hydrocracking, a low
sulfur bunker oil component is obtained as residue. Vacuum distillate is used
as feed, whereby the residue value is increased and hydrocracking residue value
can be improved. Further, the process provides sulfur removal for residues,
which earlier were considered too complex and demanding to be desulfurized as
such. The steps of the present production method are defined in independent
process claim 7.
[0014]
Here is further disclosed a system
suitable for production of low sulfur bunker oil component according to claim 1
and for running process according to independent process claim 7. The essential
elements of the system are defined in independent system claim 12. The
embodiment of said system provide advantages through economical use of feeds
and fractions thereof, enabling better value products and through process
flexibility and adjustability.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0015]
The invention will be described in
greater detail by means of preferred embodiments with reference to the attached
accompanying drawings, in which
[0016]
FIG. 1 shows a schematic process
outline for the present process and system. Starting from vacuum residue, a SDA
feed pretreatment is applied before feeding the stream to residue hydrocracking
unit. The residue recovered from residue hydrocracking unit has low sulfur
content and is readily applicable as heavy bunker component;
[0017]
FIG. 2 shows as schematic process
outline the steps preceding the process and system of FIG. 1, and can be
considered as an embodiment of said process and corresponding system. The
starting material for process of FIG. 2 is crude oil. It is subjected to
distillation steps and residue is recovered for further refining;
[0018]
FIG. 3 shows schematically another
embodiment of the present process and system, wherein the process units and
lines in-between are adjustable to two arrangements, one with solid line and
other with dashed line, to provide flexibility.
View the full patent: https://patents.google.com/patent/US20200277533A1/en
///////
After reading the patent, I wanted more information, so I decided to Google® Neste Oyj Low sulfur fuel oil bunker
One result is the following press release …
///////
Neste partners with BMT to bring IMO2020-compliant
low-sulphur marine fuel to Germany
Bioenergy International - Storage
& Logistics, November 8, 2019
Finland-headed oil refiner and renewable products producer Neste Oyj and BMT
Bunker und Mineral transport GmbH, a German bunkering services company with
extensive experience in the sales of marine fuels, have signed a partnership
agreement concerning the distribution and sales of Neste Marine 0.5, a new
IMO2020 sulphur compliant marine fuel.
This new marine fuel, containing a maximum of 0.5 percent sulphur, has been
available in Bremerhaven, Germany, since the beginning of November 2019. BMT is
well-known especially in the North Sea coast in Germany, which is a key
logistics channel for global shipping companies.
We are proud to bring our BMT expertise
and Neste’s high-quality marine fuels together. We value cooperation with
Neste, one of the leading providers of cleaner and more sustainable fuel
solutions. BMT is committed to building strong partnerships, which is also our
key driver with Neste, said Andreas
Mestermann, CEO of BMT.
By choosing Neste’s low-sulphur fuel, shipping companies will have a solution,
which is easy to switch to, and guarantees immediate compliance with the
International Maritime Organisation’s IMO2020, the global sulphur cap. The
high-quality Neste Marine 0.5 contains a maximum of 0.5 percent sulphur.
The product is manufactured with components from Neste’s refinery in Porvoo,
Finland. Leveraging on its long-term refining expertise, Neste says that it is
able to ensure stable product quality and technical feasibility. These are
verified by full-scale fuel equipment system and engine tests in laboratory and
onboard, both generating excellent results.
We are truly delighted that BMT is
our marine fuel channel partner in Northwestern Europe. They share our passion
for cleaner shipping and have the ability to distribute Neste Marine 0.5 to
global shipping companies operating via Bremerhaven, said Sveta Ukkonen, Head
of Marine Fuels and Services at Neste.
source: https://bioenergyinternational.com/storage-logistics/34116
///////
Continuing to row down this stream of consciousness, I Googled® patents neste oyj
One result: Patents
Assigned to Neste Oyj - Justia Patents Search
This search produced the following list of NESTE OYJ INVENTORS, for 2020.
Annika Malm
Annika Malm
Arto Heiska
Blanka Toukoniitty
Blanka TOUKONIITTY
Blanka TOUKONIITTY
Blanka Toukonitty
Chris CASTANIEN
Fredrik NISSFOLK
Heidi Vainio
Ilkka Lehtomäki
Jaana KANERVO
Jaana MAKKONEN
Jaana MAKKONEN
Jarno KOHONEN
Jenni NORTIO
Johan GRONQVIST
Jouko NIKKONEN
Jouko Nikkonen
Juha JAKKULA
Juha Jakkula
Jukka MYLLYOJA
Jukka MYLLYOJA
Jukka Myllyoja
Jukka MYLLYOJA
Jukka-Pekka PASANEN
Jukka-Pekka PASANEN
Jukka-Pekka Pasanen
Kaija Isokoski
Kari KULMALA
Kati SANDBERG
Kati Sandberg
Marina Lindblad
Marina Lindblad
Marja TIITTA
Markku KURONEN
Meri HOVI
Mervi Waddilove
Mika KETTUNEN
Mika KETTUNEN
Mika KETTUNEN
Mika Sipponen
Olavi Myllymäki
Ossi Pastinen
Outi PIIRAINEN
Outi Piirainen
Pekka AALTO
Pekka Aalto
Pekka AALTO
Pekka NURMI
Pekka SAVOLAINEN
Perttu Koskinen
Petri Lindqvist
Pia Bergström
Rami PIILOLA
Sami TOPPINEN
Seppo MIKKONEN
Seppo Mikkonen
Simo Laakso
Sonja KOUVA
Ulla KIISKI
Ulla Kiiski
Ulla KIISKI
Ulla Kiiski
Ulla Kiiski
Veli-Matti PUROLA
Vesa NIEMI
Vesa Niemi
Ville ALOPAEUS
Ville PAASIKALLIO
Ville PAASIKALLIO
Ville Pihlajaniemi
///////
I chose to Google® Ulla Kiiski, one the most
productive inventors on the list.
Search results yielded the following Neste Oyj bio …
///////
Sustainability
12.11.2019
The brave and
the innovative: History maker Ulla Kiiski
[ EXCERPTS ]
Words: Ninni Sandelius.
You may not have heard the name Ulla Kiiski. But the Finnish scientist’s
breakthroughs in inventing renewable, non-fossil diesel are poised to go down
in history. “Resilience against difficult odds runs in my blood,” she tells
journalist Ninni Sandelius as we kick off our series interviewing the
innovative people leading our industry into a more sustainable tomorrow.
Ulla Kiiski is the scientist whose team is behind the innovation that changed
the course of the global fuel industry. And yet, like Sir Tim Berners-Lee,
inventor of the internet, Kiiski would rather be working than posing for the
cameras, more satisfied with her legacy than with fame and fortune.
Kiiski has worked for 33 years at the research center inside Neste, the Finnish
oil refining company that has become the global leader in renewable fuels.
Among the many patents she holds is one that sounds as unlikely today as it did
23 years ago when her team at Neste hit on it: a renewable, non-fossil fuel
that can power planes, cars and boats.
Now 59, Kiiski is humble and matter-of-fact. And yet, like Berners-Lee or the
scientist and inventor Nikola Tesla, it is just possible that her team’s work
will one day be seen as a turning point in the human story, opening up new
possibilities and striking a decisive blow against climate change.
Ulla Kiiski was born in 1960 into a farming community in Liperi, near Joensuu
in the North Karelia region of eastern Finland. Her parents farmed cattle and
hay, and the children—she was the second-youngest of seven—were expected to
help around the farm.
It was in her later years of secondary school that Kiiski’s fascination with
chemistry—and the journey toward her breakthrough—began. In fact, Kiiski can
pinpoint it to the hour.
She remembers one particular lab assignment, in which she was asked to combine
sodium and chlorine ions to make salt. “It was a revelation to witness how
molecules are composed. I realized that this isn’t difficult. It’s fun and it’s
fascinating!”
She went on to study chemistry at Joensuu, where she joined the research group
of Tapani Pakkanen, a professor who taught physical chemistry, the study of how
matter behaves on a molecular and atomic level, and how chemical reactions
occur. He would go on to become an important mentor and inspiration, and Kiiski
today acknowledges what she calls his “crucial” influence on her future.
Pakkanen led a dynamic team, introducing his students to his network in the
chemical industry. They travelled to conferences and published articles. Under
his supervision, Kiiski completed her master’s thesis in the field of
catalysis.
She recognizes the element of adventure and quest in chemistry—a prospect that
still inspires her to this day. Pakkanen happened to know Outi Krause, the
director of catalysis research at Neste, and the company gave her a grant for
her postgraduate studies. That sealed her future. After two years, she had
finished her degree and became a researcher at Neste’s research center .
The breakthrough
At the beginning of the 1990s, the world had started to change. The Cold War’s
close had opened up new global agendas, and climate change was beginning to
find traction as a reality. The Rio Earth Summit in 1992 showed that more
action was needed. And when the world changed, so did the oil refining
industry. There was a demand for renewable fuels.
At the time, Kiiski was studying catalytic processes—the ways in which
molecules are shaped by catalysts. Part of her job was to compose written
reports on new ventures in the field of oil refining.
In 1993, while working on a report on catalytic conversion of vegetable oils by
hydrogenation, she became convinced that Neste should test this new technology.
She could see the possibly outstanding properties of a new product: The
renewable diesel produced with the technology would contain paraffinic
hydrocarbons and no aromatics, meaning no smell, and was recognized to have
beneficial properties like lower exhaust gas emissions; in short a top-quality
paraffinic diesel. And she knew that Neste could utilize its existing oil
refining technology and expertise in the process development.
Ensio Tukiainen, the director of research at the time, asked the still-young
researcher to share her ideas. Won over by her case, he green-lit the project,
and Kiiski and her colleagues started testing how catalysts would work with
vegetable oils, namely rapeseed oil, known as canola oil in the US, and tall
oil fatty acid.
Soon, they managed to develop a fuel combining good cold properties and a great cetane rating, the number
indicating the combustion speed of diesel fuel and compression needed for
ignition. Kiiski and her colleagues Outi Piirainen and Pekka Aalto filed a
patent application in 1996. Kiiski remembers the day well: It was February 5,
the day commemorating Finland’s national poet, Johan Ludvig Runeberg.
The world catches up
The testing continued after the patent, but there was a break in development,
and the project did not advance to production. “It was the late 1990s, and the
time was just not ripe,” Kiiski says. At the time Neste was also contemplating
the possibilities of first-generation bio diesels.
In the meantime, Kiiski started working in the product development team. But as
the 2000s dawned, the world changed again: The pressure to reduce carbon
emissions became more and more urgent as the data on climate change began to
stack up. “Neste was at a crossroads and decided to take a bold decision toward
manufacturing sustainable fuels,” Kiiski remembers. This restarted the project
around the innovation that Kiiski and the team had patented.
The EU’s Transportation Biofuels Directive in 2003 obliged nations to replace
5.75% of all transportation fossil fuels with biofuels by 2010. The revised
2009 directive introduced a binding target of 10% by 2020. The Finnish national
target is even more ambitious.
These obligations drove changes across the whole energy industry, and in 2002,
Kiiski was working again on the NEXBTL, the technology she and her team had
helped to create. Now she had an opportunity to study the fuel properties of
this remarkable product.
It was time for Neste to take a calculated risk—to move the company in a fresh
direction by investing in this new technology to create renewable fuels. This
was something that was noisily criticized at the time, by investors, employees
and customers alike, but a risk that is now widely recognized as one worth
taking.
In 2007, the company opened a brand-new unit in Porvoo refinery, where Kiiski
was working. Its purpose was to make Neste MY Renewable Diesel, 100% from
various wastes and residues as well as vegetable oils. In addition, it reduces
greenhouse gas emissions by up to 90%.
It turned out to be a smart move. Within a decade, Neste has transformed its
operations to become the world’s largest producer of renewable diesel. It has
made investments worth billions in renewable products, building refineries in
Rotterdam and Singapore. In fact, renewable diesel now brings in the majority
of the company’s revenue.
The power of curiosity
Still, Kiiski is not satisfied with just one successful product. She says she
prefers “handling multiple projects at the same time,” and has her sights set
on new challenges, further breakthroughs.
Within the piles of paper in her office are studies and reports that hint at
the direction in which her thoughts are taking her. Some are on recycling waste
plastics to fuels and chemicals, or on future raw materials such as algae oil
and lignocellulose.
Read the full text at: https://www.neste.com/corporate-info/news-inspiration/articles/the-brave-and-the-innovative-history-maker-ulla-kiiski
///////
I was intrigued by this article. The subject Ulla Kiiski is extremely
interesting, of course. Beyond that, the article gave me a glimpse into the
role that serendipity plays in the development and commercialization of
innovative products and processes.
You can use serendipity to your advantage. The trick is to go just far enough
down the serendipitous path to inspire creativity, but not so far that you get
nothing done. This is a matter of judgment. And good judgment comes from
experience. So my advice is to just get started … you will know when you are
there.
///////
Google® Better!
Jean Steinhardt served as Librarian,
Aramco Services, Engineering Division, for 13 years. He now heads Jean
Steinhardt Consulting LLC, producing the same high quality research that he
performed for Aramco.
Follow Jean’s blog at: http://desulf.blogspot.com/ for continuing tips on effective online
research
Email Jean at research@jeansteinhardtconsulting.com with questions on research, training, or
anything else
Visit Jean’s Web site at http://www.jeansteinhardtconsulting.com/ to see examples of the services we can
provide
Monday, September 28, 2020
Finnegans Wake and Online Research
Sunday, September 27, 2020
Carbon Dioxide: ExxonMobil, Chevron, and Occidental Petroleum
Energy Factor, an ExxonMobil promotional newsletter, describes a partnership
with Global Thermostat to remove CO2 emissions from the atmosphere.
///////
Joining forces to remove CO2 from the atmosphere
Energy Factor, Sep 25,
2020
Scrub and remove: Capturing carbon straight out of the air [Video]
ExxonMobil is extending its breakthrough research collaboration with Global
Thermostat on direct air capture, which could significantly remove CO2 emissions,
especially those that have already accumulated in the atmosphere.
///////
According to the Global Thermostat (www.globalthermostat.com)
Web site, Global Thermostat is commercializing its advanced, multi-patented
technology to transform Carbon Dioxide from a global liability into an immense
profit center. Formed in 2010, it has 34 patents detailing technology designed
to cost-effectively capture CO2 from the atmosphere.
There is more about Global Thermostat in the GreenBiz article Inside ExxonMobil's hookup with carbon
removal venture Global Thermostat, excerpts of which appear below.
///////
Inside ExxonMobil's hookup with carbon removal venture Global
Thermostat
By Ben Soltoff, August 29,
2019
[ EXCERPTS ]
Global Thermostat
Ten years ago, Graciela Chichilnisky and Peter Eisenberger set out to remove
carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and use it as the basis for renewable
low-carbon fuels. When the pair — both Columbia University professors — founded
their company Global Thermostat, they encountered heavy skepticism. Now, they
have two functioning pilots, and they’re partnering with the world’s largest
oil and gas company to bring the idea to scale.
This summer, ExxonMobil announced it would be working with Global Thermostat to
help scale up their technology, with an eye towards large industrial
applications. The announcement is the latest indicator that fossil fuel
companies are looking ahead towards a world that’s far less friendly towards
their products and the emissions they produce. Earlier this year, the venture arms of Occidental Petroleum and Chevron jointly
invested in Carbon Engineering (www.carbonengineering.com), one of
Global Thermostat’s competitors.
Both Carbon Engineering and Global Thermostat are working on what’s called
direct air capture, the removal of carbon dioxide from ambient air such as the
air you would breathe in your house or on a city street. Other carbon removal
technologies rely on a concentrated source such as the flue of a power plant
smokestack.
Anatomy of a dream
How did Global Thermostat go from two professors’ pipe dream to a
partnership with the largest fossil fuel company in the world?
Both founders had been leading environmental research for decades, and they
decided to pursue direct air capture because they were disenchanted with other
pathways for solving the climate crisis.
Chichilnisky is a development economist and a member of the Intergovernmental
Panel on Climate Change, which shared the 2007 Nobel Prize with Al Gore. In the
1990s, she wrote the section of the Kyoto Protocol dealing with carbon markets,
which later formed the basis for the European Union’s Emissions Trading Scheme,
as well as other carbon markets around the world. After a career spent
developing the economics of trading carbon, she realized that her work in that
field was insufficient. Markets would not solve the problem fast enough if they
lacked a viable technology to reverse emissions.
Eisenberger realized the need for direct air capture after approaching the
problem from a science and engineering perspective. He’s a materials scientist
and was the founding director of Columbia’s Earth Institute, an
interdisciplinary environmental research center.
Earlier in his career, Eisenberger was working in research and development at
none other than ExxonMobil. The company began looking into synthetic fuels
during a prolonged decline in oil prices in the 1980s. This effort fizzled out
once oil prices began to rise again, but it inspired Eisenberger to consider
using carbon from the air to create fuels, mimicking the photosynthetic process
used by plants. The experience also gave him a read on ExxonMobil’s approach to
new technologies.
Read the full text of this article at …: https://www.greenbiz.com/article/inside-exxonmobils-hookup-carbon-removal-venture-global-thermostat
///////
Global Thermostat competitor Carbon Engineering
(www.carbonengineering.com) has
its own approach to the decarbonization of the atmosphere. It is described in
another GreenBiz article, excerpts of which appear below …
///////
A conversation on carbon capture: Carbon Engineering's CEO on
commercialization, costs
By Heather Clancy, April
18, 2019
[ EXCERPTS ]
Carbon Engineering (www.carbonengineering.com)
One common theme buried in stories about carbon capture technologies is the
massive expense of scaling and commercializing these approaches.
That’s one reason many journalists, including yours truly, took notice of the
$68 million funding round disclosed in mid-March by Carbon Engineering, a
10-year-old Canadian company seeking to have at least four commercial plants up
and running by 2020.
That money brings Carbon Engineering’s backing up to around $100 million. Among
the investors that have put up money are Bill Gates, who has his hand in a
number of energy ventures; Murray Edwards, a prominent financier of oil sands
projects; Australian mining company BHP; and the venture arms of two U.S. oil
and natural gas companies, Occidental Petroleum and Chevron.
Carbon Engineering is focused on two separate but related businesses. Its main
focus is designing direct air capture systems that suck carbon dioxide out of
the air, using very old industrial processes and systems to turn atmospheric
CO2 into a solution that can be either sequestered or used in various
industrial applications, like enhanced oil recovery. But the company is also
working on technology for using CO2 as one of the feedstocks for creating
"clean" synthetic fuels.
Last year, research led by Carbon Engineering’s founder, David Keith, suggested
it’s possible to capture carbon emissions directly from the air at a cost of
less than $100 per ton. That’s a magic number that startups in this space would
love to use in their return-on-investment formulas — previous estimates
suggested that the process would cost at least $600 per ton, which would make
it far too expensive to be commercially feasible.
Aside from Carbon Engineering, what’s with the other carbon capture tech
startups we’ve been following for several years? Here’s a quick update on its
two most direct rivals (on paper, at least):
Climeworks (https://www.climeworks.com/):
Also focused on capturing CO2 from the air, the Swiss company established a
testbed in Iceland in October 2017. More recently, in late 2018, it signed a
deal with a Swiss affiliate of Coca-Cola, which plans to use the carbon dioxide
captured by Climeworks to put the bubbles and fizz into its beverages. Over the
long term, the startup is seeking to capture up to 1 percent of all global
emissions by 2025.
Global Thermostat: The nine-year-old company is
building a commercial plant in Huntsville, Alabama, at an operating cost of
$150 per ton. Like Climeworks, it hopes to sell its captured CO2 to beverage
companies both for bubbles and as a material for bottles. Accordingly, it’s
also working on smaller scale equipment that can be installed alongside the
existing manufacturing lines at bottlers. You also will see Global Thermostat
cultivate customers who might use its captured CO2 in building materials,
biofertilizers and industrial gases.
Read the full text of this article at … https://www.greenbiz.com/article/conversation-carbon-capture-carbon-engineerings-ceo-commercialization-costs
///////
Both Global Thermostat and Carbon Engineering support and protect their
technology with a number of patents. However, identifying the patents of each
company requires different search strategies.
In line with the overarching theme of the posts in the Desulfurization Blog (www.desulf.blogspot.com), namely, to
help you save time by honing your online research skills, here are a couple of
tips …
TIP #1:
Google® carbon
engineering patents
Conveniently, Carbon Engineering lists its patents on its Web site, detailed in
the table below …
CE-Carbon
Engineering owned patents and pending patent applications:
|
Application/patent number |
Title |
Related products & services |
|
Carbon dioxide capture method and facility |
Air contactor system |
|
|
Continuation of patent – Carbon dioxide capture method and facility |
Air contactor componentry |
|
|
Carbon dioxide capture |
Air contactor system with alternate chemistry |
|
|
Recovering a caustic solution via calcium carbonate crystal aggregates |
Direct Air Capture system |
|
|
Continuation of patent – Recovering a caustic solution via calcium carbonate crystal aggregates |
Direct Air Capture system componentry |
|
|
Target gas capture |
Alternate Direct Air Capture system |
|
|
Recovering a caustic solution via calcium carbonate crystal aggregate |
Pellet Reactor and Slaker systems |
|
|
Capturing carbon dioxide |
Modified air contactor componentry including additional drift, nozzle and basin technology |
|
|
High temperature hydrator |
Slaking componentry |
|
|
Method and system for synthesizing fuel from dilute carbon dioxide source |
AIR TO FUELSTM technology |
///////
TIP #2: To find Global Thermostat patents, try Googling patents AND (eisenberger OR chichilnisky)
Unlike Carbon Engineering, Global Thermostat does not list its patents on its Web site. Further complicating the patent search is the fact that the company Global Thermostat is not the Patent Assignee on its patents. The Patent Assignees are either Eisenberger, or Chichilnisky, the two founders of the company.
Browsing the results of the above search will expedite discovery of Global Thermostat patents.
///////
Google® Better!
Jean Steinhardt served as Librarian, Aramco Services, Engineering Division, for 13 years. He now heads Jean Steinhardt Consulting LLC, producing the same high quality research that he performed for Aramco.
Follow Jean’s blog at: http://desulf.blogspot.com/ for continuing tips on effective online research
Email Jean at research@jeansteinhardtconsulting.com with questions on research, training, or anything else
Visit Jean’s Web site at http://www.jeansteinhardtconsulting.com/ to see examples of the services we can provide
Friday, September 18, 2020
Startups: The Buffet Factor
Legendary investor Warren Buffet famously avoids investing in startups and IPOs
(Initial Public Offerings.) That is because said investments violate one of his
fundamental rules. The rule is that a company under consideration must
demonstrate a 10-year average of 15% ROE-Return on Equity.) Startups, almost by
definition, can’t meet that standard.
Having said that, the Buffet Factor can still come in to play when evaluating a
startup. Here are excerpts from an OurCrowd blog post describing how Buffet’s
investment rules can be applied to startups.
///////
[EXCERPTS from an OurCrowd Blog post]
Startup ventures typically have little or no income, making many of Buffett’s
models for evaluating the intrinsic value of a company extremely hard to
calculate. Furthermore, startups don’t have track records that can be studied
to understand their stability. The result is that startup investors that seek
to invest using Buffett’s principles, a.k.a Buffettologists, must rely on some
of Buffett’s more qualitative parameters when assessing an early-stage company.
Outlined below are three Warren Buffett-inspired investment tips to help you
identify promising startup investment opportunities.
1) Invest in a great team
Investing in serial entrepreneurs is a way
to help identify potentially successful startups. According to a study
published in the Harvard Business Review, experienced entrepreneurs (failed
entrepreneurs included), have a much higher predicted success rate then first
time entrepreneurs.
When you invest in a startup, you invest in the
company’s management. Finding a company with responsible, experienced leaders
meets the Buffett standard for investing in a great team.
2) Invest in what you know
Warren Buffett is known for investing in companies with simple businesses
models. Companies like The Coca-Cola Co, Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. and Exxon Mobil
Corporation are all great examples of these easy to understand companies from
the Buffett portfolio.
This basic Buffett investment strategy has been applied to angel investing and
has even been statistically proven to improve ROI in startup investing. The
Kauffman Report, which was the largest research report on angel investing,
found that investment multiples were twice as high when angels invested in
industries that they were familiar with. Investing in companies with simple
business models means that it is easy to understand how they will make money,
which leads us to our next tip.
3) Find companies with recurring revenue
One measurable metric that Buffett requires of all his investments is
recurring annual revenue and clear earnings predictability. One sure way for a
company to generate recurring revenue is by selling a product that addresses a
huge market with perpetual demand.
Today’s startup/tech equivalent would be software as a service (SaaS)
technologies that usually charge their customers based on a monthly
subscription fee.
Monthly recurring revenue (MRR) is a great way to show
potential investors a consistent source of revenue as opposed to relying on
large individual sales. As a startup investor, look for companies that can
present solid (and simple) business plans that provide clear earnings
predictability for the future.
source: https://blog.ourcrowd.com/3-warren-buffett-inspired-tips-for-investing-in-promising-startups/
///////
TIP: OurCrowd
is a company specializing in VC (Venture Capital)-level investment
opportunities, so employ your critical
skills when reading the things on offer on their Web site.
Here is a little background on the company, taken, again, from their Web site.
///////
About
OurCrowd
OurCrowd was started in 2013,
driven by the idea that the business of building startups grows bigger and
better when the global 'crowd' gains access to VC-level investment
opportunities.
Today, OurCrowd is a leading equity crowdfunding platform for investing in
global startups, led by serial entrepreneur Jon Medved and run by a team of
seasoned investment professionals. Offering unprecedented access to startup
investing, individual investors through OurCrowd are fueling innovations that
change the way people work, travel, shop, heal, and conduct business. OurCrowd
investors participate in these opportunities alongside VCs and institutional
co-investors, at the same terms.
source: https://www.ourcrowd.com/
///////
Google® Better!
Jean Steinhardt served as Librarian,
Aramco Services, Engineering Division, for 13 years. He now heads Jean
Steinhardt Consulting LLC, producing the same high quality research that he
performed for Aramco.
Follow Jean’s blog at: http://desulf.blogspot.com/ for continuing tips on effective online
research
Email Jean at research@jeansteinhardtconsulting.com with questions on research, training, or
anything else
Visit Jean’s Web site at http://www.jeansteinhardtconsulting.com/ to see examples of the services we can
provide
Tuesday, September 8, 2020
Conference Alert: Sulphur + Sulphuric Acid 2020 Goes Virtual
London based CRU Group has decided to go virtual-only with their Sulphur +
Sulphuric Acid conference. Scheduled for 9-11 November 2020, its primary focus
is on sulfur as a commodity. However, since technology plays a big part in the
economics involved in producing the commodity, the conference will include
significant technological content as well.
Here are details from a recent email, as well as a CRU Group overview from the
organization’s Web site.
///////
Sulphur + Sulphuric Acid 2020 Goes
Virtual!
Registration is now open
Dear Jean,
Last month I wrote to inform you we would run a virtual conference alongside
Sulphur + Sulphuric Acid in The Hague this November.
The CRU Events Team and I have continued to monitor the global situation with
regard to the coronavirus pandemic and, after careful deliberation, are today
announcing the conference will take place in a virtual-only environment, on the
new dates of 9-11 November 2020.
SAVE THE DATE
Our priority will always be to ensure a safe and productive environment for the
communities we serve and we are confident that the virtual platform will enable
this. The virtual platform will deliver an interactive environment for all
participants to meet, learn and network.
What can you expect?
Keep up to date with the latest technology, process, materials and equipment
developments via the dual-streamed technical agenda
Understand the market forces driving supply, demand, prices, and global
macroeconomics from CRU’s expert analysts
Meet with industry experts and source solutions in the virtual exhibition
Network with peers using one-to-one text chat and one-to-many video calls
allowing up to 25 participants
Engage with speakers and other audience members via discussion forums, live
Q&A, and interactive breakouts
REGISTER TODAY
Registration for the virtual conference is now open! Register at the great
value rate of just £300 + VAT to access:
All presentations with live Q&A and on-demand for 30 days after the event
The virtual exhibition to speak to leading suppliers
Discussion forums to share ideas and discuss future trends
Extensive networking opportunities including live one-to-one messaging and
one-to-many video calls
Your personal meeting scheduler – where you can schedule the agenda sessions
you want to attend and also your networking meetings
Operators: Register for free
Engineers, operators and plant personnel from refinery, gas processing, sulphur
and sulphuric acid production facilities can join the virtual conference free
of charge.
OPERATOR FREE REGISTRATION
Showcase your company
A virtual event doesn't mean less exposure, branding or leads. Sulphur +
Sulphuric Acid 2020 Virtual Conference & Exhibition gives you all the
opportunities of a live event on your desktop.
Exhibition and sponsorship opportunities include:
Brand-specific platform spaces or functions
A multimedia booth space, where your team can interact with delegates, showcase
videos, share documents for delegates to download, schedule meetings and more
Receive detailed analytics of your booth visitors for easy follow-up
Access to the new matchmaking platform – ensuring intelligent, targeted meeting
recommendations
More than just three days of exposure – the platform is open for 30+ days after
the event for delegates to continue to watch the agenda on-demand, interact
with exhibition booths and continue networking
To receive a full prospectus on exhibiting at the event, please contact
michelle.fisk@crugroup.com for more details, or to arrange a live demonstration
of the platform.
The team are excited to continue to deliver the premier annual networking and
professional development event for the global sulphur and sulphuric acid
community in this new virtual environment and we look forward to you joining us
from your home, office or plant this November.
If you have any questions at all, please don’t hesitate to contact me.
Best regards,
Amanda Whicher
Portfolio Director
CRU Sulphur + Sulphuric Acid
https://events.crugroup.com/sulphur/home
///////
Covid-19
CRU is following the pandemic closely and continues to update CRU Online and
our dedicated Covid-19 webpage with our analysis on how the virus is impacting
commodities.
Visit CRU's dedicated Coronavirus analysis area
In 2019, CRU celebrated 50 years in business. Over this time, we have built up
a reputation for integrity, reliability, independence and authority with
customers across mining, metals and fertilizers.
Our insights are built on a twin commitment to quality primary research and
robust, transparent methodologies. You can rely on our work – our data, our
views, our models – because we have built them ourselves, from the ground up,
since our foundation in 1969.
The requirement for exclusive, first-hand knowledge has driven us to invest in
a global team of analysts, the key to gaining a real understanding of critical,
hard-to-reach markets such as China. CRU's people – whether delivering market
outlooks, price assessments, cost analysis, consulting or conferences – focus
on helping customers to make important business decisions.
Across a comprehensive range of commodities, we strive to provide customers
with the best service and the closest contact – flexible, personal and
responsive.
Head office
1st Floor, MidCity Place
71 High Holborn
London
WC1V 6EA
United Kingdom
T: +44 20 7903 2000
https://www.crugroup.com/
///////
Google® Better!
Jean Steinhardt served as Librarian,
Aramco Services, Engineering Division, for 13 years. He now heads Jean
Steinhardt Consulting LLC, producing the same high quality research that he
performed for Aramco.
Follow Jean’s blog at: http://desulf.blogspot.com/ for continuing tips on effective online
research
Email Jean at research@jeansteinhardtconsulting.com with questions on research, training, or
anything else
Visit Jean’s Web site at http://www.jeansteinhardtconsulting.com/ to see examples of the services we can
provide