MOSCOW (MRC) -- Two senior U.S. Senate Democrats on Tuesday proposed spending USD73 B to electrify the nation's 70,000 transit buses as part of a push to move the U.S. toward zero-emission transportation, said Hydrocarbonprocessing.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Senate Banking Chairman Sherrod Brown noted that only 2% of U.S. buses were zero-emission vehicles. They propose using funds to buy electric transit buses and vans and other vehicles and for related infrastructure costs.
The plan calls for "100% zero emission vehicles." A fact sheet did not specify a date to phase out diesel-powered buses but prioritized funding for areas with the poorest air quality. The senators said the average cost of a battery electric bus was between USD850,000 and USD900,000 and that hydrogen fuel cell buses averaged USD1 million or more.
"Significantly increasing the size of orders for zero-emissions buses will lead to major reductions in prices," the fact sheet said, adding agencies would save money on operating costs once upfront costs and infrastructure issues are addressed. Schumer said the plan would replace "dirty, diesel-spewing buses, create new American jobs, help save the planet and protect public health."
President Joe Biden's administration, as part of its USD2.3 trillion infrastructure and jobs plan, has proposed USD25 billion for zero-emission transit vehicles and USD20 billion for electrifying school buses as part of a USD174 billion EV and infrastructure package.
The senators' plan would require that all vehicles purchased using the funds be made in the United States. American Public Transportation Association Chief Executive Paul Skoutelas said the sector strongly supports "a game-changing investment in zero-emission buses and charging infrastructure."
The senators cited a study from the Center for Transportation and the Environment estimating costs to transition to a zero-emission transit bus fleet by 2035 at between USD56 billion and USD89 billion. The U.S. government in 2020 spent just USD130 million on zero- emission bus grants, the senators said.
As per MRC, oil prices rose after more US states eased lockdowns and the European Union sought to attract travellers, while soaring COVID-19 cases in India capped gains. Brent crude futures were 86 cents, or 1.27%, higher at USD68.42 a barrel at 1224 GMT, after climbing 1.2% before. US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures also rose 77 cents, or 1.19%, to USD65.26 a barrel, after gaining 1.4% on Monday. Both contracts were up over USD1, or about 2%, in earlier trade.
We remind that in December 2020, Sibur, Gazprom Neft, and Uzbekneftegaz agreed to cooperate on potential investments in Uzbekistan including a major expansion of Uzbekneftegaz’s existing Shurtan Gas Chemical Complex (SGCC) and the proposed construction of a new gas chemicals facility. The signed cooperation agreement for the projects includes “the creation of a gas chemical complex using methanol-to-olefins (MTO) technology, and the expansion of the production capacity of the Shurtan Gas Chemical Complex”.
Ethylene and propylene are the main feedstocks for the production of polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP), respectively.
According to MRC's ScanPlast report, Russia's estimated PE consumption totalled 576,270 tonnes in the first three month of 2021, up by 4% year on year. Low density polyethylene (LDPE) and high density polyethylene (HDPE) shipments increased. At the same time, PP shipments to the Russian market totalled 410,890 tonnes in January-March 2021, up by 56% year on year. Supply of homopolymer PP and PP block copolymers increased.
MRC