BP CEO defends spending plans as climate protesters block entrance to London energy conference

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2 years ago

February 28, 2023

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Climate activists light flares and hold banners during a protest outside the InterContinental London Park Lane hotel on the first day of the International Energy Week conference in London on February 28, 2023.

Justin Tallis | Afp | Getty Images

LONDON — BP CEO Bernard Looney on Tuesday sought to defend the firm’s fossil fuel spending plans, reaffirming the need for an “orderly” energy transition and highlighting the oil giant’s commitment to net-zero emissions by 2050.

His comments came shortly after dozens of protesters blocked an entrance to the InterContinental London Park Lane hotel on the first day of International Energy Week, a global energy conference that brings together senior figures from across the industry.

Holding banners reading “Climate Criminals Enter Here” and “No New Oil,” activists from climate action group Fossil Free London gathered outside the luxury hotel to protest BP’s continued fossil fuel investment. Their chants could be heard throughout the opening sessions of the conference.

“Energy is the lifeblood of society,” BP’s Looney said as he addressed those in attendance.

“An energy system that works is one that provides energy that is secure and affordable as well as lower carbon — what’s known as the energy trilemma,” Looney said.

“It is a complex and, indeed, it is a massive challenge,” he continued. “To solve it, action is clearly needed to accelerate the energy transition and at the same time, that transition has got to be orderly. We need to do both. We need to invest in the energy transition and — not or — we need to invest in today’s energy system, which is predominantly an oil and gas system.”

Holding banners reading “No New Oil,” activists from climate action group Fossil Free London blocked an entrance to the InterContinental London Park Lane hotel on the first day of International Energy Week.

Justin Tallis | Afp | Getty Images

Earlier this month, BP reported record 2022 earnings to join a profit bonanza for Big Oil. The company also prompted anger from activist investors and campaigners as it announced plans to scale back its climate ambitions.

The British energy major raked in net profit of $27.7 billion last year, more than double its 2021 total, as fossil fuel prices surged following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

BP’s Looney sought to defend the company from criticism at the time, saying the company was “leaning in” to its strategy to provide the world with the energy it needs.

He announced BP would spend up to $8 billion more investment into the energy transition this decade and up to $8 billion more on oil and gas in support of energy security and affordability this decade.

BP’s three objectives

BP, which was one of the first energy giants to announce an ambition to cut emissions to net zero “by 2050 or sooner,” had pledged emissions would be 35% to 40% lower by the end of the decade. It said on Feb. 7, however, that it was now targeting a 20% to 30% cut, saying it needed to keep investing in oil and gas to meet demand.

When asked on Tuesday what he would say to the activists chanting in protest over BP’s spending plans, Looney replied, “I think the way we see our role, it may not be perfect but it’s the way we see our role in life … is to do three things.”

“We invest our cashflows, we pay taxes and we return value to our shareholders. That’s kind of the three things that we do in this space,” Looney said.

The extraordinary scale of the oil and gas industry’s earnings has renewed criticism and sparked calls for higher taxes.

Sopa Images | Lightrocket | Getty Images

BP’s CEO said the company invested $16 billion last year and was prepared to increase investment into both today’s energy system and the energy transition. He added the energy major paid $15 billion in taxes in 2022, describing that as “the highest taxes BP has ever paid in its 113-year history.”

“And then finally … we have to take care of our shareholders,” Looney said. “I think there is a narrative that shareholders are somehow faceless institutions. They are far from it. Millions and millions of people around the world depend on BP’s shares and dividends … and companies like ours for their livelihoods.”

BP earlier this month boosted its dividend by 10% to 6.61 cents per ordinary share.

“That’s how we look at our role in life,” Looney said. “We have to listen to people. We have to put ourselves in the other person’s shoes and try to understand their point of view. But at the end of the day, we have to boil down what we do into those three things.”

Environment

E-quipment highlight: Tadano eGR-1000XLL-1 EVOLT 100 ton electric crane

Published

2 hours ago

March 1, 2025

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E-quipment highlight: Tadano eGR-1000XLL-1 EVOLT 100 ton electric crane

Tadano's 100-ton electric rough-terrain crane delivers the same capability as the diesel model

Tadano first showed its massive, 100-ton electric rough-terrain crane at last year’s ConExpo, promising the same lifting capacity as its 100-ton diesel counterpart. Now, we know a little more about this big lifter.

Officially dubbed the Tadano eGR-1000XLL-1 EVOLT, the big mobile crane ships with six lithium ion battery packs offering up to 226 kWh of power. Tadano says that’s good enough for up to seven hours of continuous operation in a single spot, or or up five hours of continuous operation and five-and-a-half miles of driving before it runs out of juice.

Re-juicing (?) the big crane is achieved with a standard CCS/J1772 DC fast charger with speeds up to 150 kW. That’s enough, Tadano says, to fully charge the eGR-1000XLL-1’s batteries in under two hours, or overnight on an 80A 220/240V AC charger … but all that is besides the point.

Grid-connected power for 24/7 use

The EVOLT’s real superpower isn’t its big battery or 100-ton lifting capacity. Instead, it’s the crane’s ability to operate 24/7 when it’s on grid power. If the job site loses power or power has to be shut down as part of regular operations, the crane can keep things moving under battery power for up to seven hours. It can even be connected to mobile charging stations if seven hours isn’t enough, or driven a few miles back to grid power to be charged up.

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And, with 4x4x4 drive, those few miles don’t have to be paved … or even cleared, probably, making the big Tadano perfect for disaster recovery efforts.

“We are very confident in the investment we’ve made in this crane,” said Dean Barley, president and CEO at Tadano America of the 100-ton-capacity machine. “This crane has been tested and retested. We wanted to make sure that the first fully electric rough terrain (RT) crane in North America meets all the requirements of the market.”

Being fully electric, the EVOLT is quiet enough to work at night in urban and sensitive environments – and, because it produces no exhaust emissions, can also be tasked with indoor work in hangars and stadiums where diesel emissions would quickly pose a substantial health risk.

Speaking of health risks, swinging up to 100 tons of material around can be dangerous work. That’s where Tadano’s Lift Visualizer and AML Crane Control safety systems come into play:

LIFT VISUALIZER
The eGR-1000XLL-1 also offers Lift Visualizer to enhance safety and efficiency. This feature utilizes a suspended load monitoring camera, allowing operators to monitor suspended loads directly from above. Particularly useful in blind spots such as rooftop work, the Lift Visualizer pulls critical lift information from the AML control system and displays it on the video screen, including radius, capacities and load, among others, to improve efficiency and safety for the operator.

AML CRANE CONTROL
The AML Control System delivers dependable crane control and monitoring solutions, ensuring safe and efficient performance during crane operations. This system incorporates the latest advancements from Tadano rough terrain cranes, featuring an enhanced operator interface, a broad range of functionalities and the renowned reliability and ease of use characteristic of Tadano products. The system facilitates time and cost savings through straightforward on-board diagnostics, improved settings and easily adjustable lifting limits.

TADANO

In addition to offering the ability for construction crews to bid on work they simply couldn’t get without an electric option, the company says its new EVOLT models will reduce operating costs on an annual basis by about 35% compared to the diesel-powered version of the same crane. That estimate includes costs of fuel and electricity, as well as maintenance and downtime costs at an estimated 1,200 engine hours per year.

You can check out the full specs on the eGR-1000XLL-1 EVOLT, below, then let us know what you think of Tadano’s latest HDEV in the comments.

Tadano eGR-1000XLL-1 full specs

Capacity Class	90.7 tonnes	100 tons
Main Boom Length	max 51 meters	167 ft.
Boom Extension	max 17.7 meters	58 ft.
Max. Tip Height	68.3 meters	224 ft.
Outrigger Bases	7.33 x 7.33 meters	24 x24 ft.
Hoist Line Pull	9,090 kg	20,040 lbs.
Max. Radius	57.91 meters	190 ft.
Dimensions	15.18 m L	50 ft.
	3.31 m W	10′ 10″
	3.74 m H	12′ 4″
Axles2	2
Drive	4x4x4

SOURCE | IMAGES: Tadano.

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Environment

Massachusetts launches a two-year V2X pilot program

Published

13 hours ago

March 1, 2025

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Massachusetts launches a two-year V2X pilot program

Kia EV9 Massachusetts V2X pilot — Kia EV9 (Source: Kia)

Massachusetts is launching a first-of-its-kind statewide vehicle-to-everything (V2X) pilot program. This two-year initiative, backed by the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC), aims to deploy 100 bidirectional chargers to homes, school buses, municipal, and commercial fleet participants across the state.

These bidirectional chargers will enable EVs to serve as mobile energy storage units, collectively providing an estimated 1.5 MW of new storage capacity. That means EVs won’t just be getting power – they’ll be giving it back to the grid, helping to balance demand and support renewable energy use. The program is also focused on ensuring that low-income and disadvantaged communities have access to this cutting-edge tech.

The Massachusetts pilot is one of the largest state-led V2X initiatives in the US and is designed to tackle key challenges in deploying bidirectional charging technology. By strategically placing these chargers in a variety of settings, the program aims to identify and resolve barriers to wider adoption of V2X technology.

Massachusetts EV owners and fleet operators enrolled in the program will get bidirectional chargers capable of both vehicle-to-grid (V2G) and backup power operations at no cost. Here’s what they stand to gain:

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No-cost charging infrastructure: Bidirectional charging stations and installation are fully covered for participants.
Grid resilience: With an estimated 1.5 MW of new flexible and distributed storage assets, the program strengthens Massachusetts’ energy infrastructure.
Clean energy integration: V2G technology allows EVs to charge when renewable energy is available and discharge stored energy when it’s not, supporting the state’s clean energy goals.
Backup power: EV batteries can be used as backup power sources during outages.
Revenue opportunities: Some participants can earn money by sending stored energy back to the grid.

Clean energy solutions firm Resource Innovations and vehicle-grid integration tech company The Mobility House are leading the program’s implementation. “With the charging infrastructure provided through this program, we’re eliminating financial barriers and enabling school districts, homeowners, and fleets to access reliable backup power,” said Kelly Helfrich of Resource Innovations. “We aim to create a scalable blueprint for V2X programs nationwide.”

“Bidirectional charging benefits vehicle owners by providing backup power and revenue opportunities while strengthening the grid for the entire community,” added Russell Vare of The Mobility House North America.

The program is open for enrollment now through June 2025. For more details, visit the MassCEC V2X Program webpage. A list of eligible bidirectional vehicles can be found on that page.

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Environment

Compton, California, just got its first 25 electric school buses

Published

17 hours ago

February 28, 2025

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Compton, California, just got its first 25 electric school buses

Compton electric school buses — Photo: National Express LLC

Compton, California, has unveiled 25 new electric school buses – the school district’s first – and 25 Tellus 180 kW DC fast chargers.

Compton Unified School District (CUSD) in southern Los Angeles County is putting 17 Thomas Built Type A and eight Thomas Built Type C electric school buses on the road this spring. In addition to working with Thomas Built, CUSD also collaborated with electrification-as-a-service provider Highland Electric Fleet, utility Southern California Edison, and school transportation provider Durham School Services.

Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Clean School Bus Program awarded funds for the vehicles in the program’s first round. EPA also awarded CUSD funds for the third round of the program and anticipates introducing an additional 25 EV school buses in the future.

“I can’t stress enough how vital grants like these are and the need for continued support from our partners in government at the state and federal level to fund additional grants for school districts and their transportation partners that are ready to deliver and operate zero-emission buses,” said Tim Wertner, CEO of Durham School Services.

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CUSD, which serves Compton and parts of the cities of Carson and Los Angeles, currently serves more than 17,000 students at 36 sites. The district has a high school graduation rate of 93% and an 88% college acceptance rate. One in 11 children in Los Angeles County have asthma, which makes the need for emissions-free school transportation that much more pressing.

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Your personalized solar quotes are easy to compare online and you’ll get access to unbiased Energy Advisors to help you every step of the way. Get started here.

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