Category: Pakistan

China Building Material Academy (CBMA)

Members Dr. Wang, Lan (the CCUS project leader), Dr. Liu, Sr. Engineer, Ms. Zhao, Director for R&D pose for a photo during a May 2018 visit to the International CCS Knowledge Centre to discuss CCS on cement in China.

REGINA, Saskatchewan, July 08, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — A new collaboration between the China Building Materials Academy, (CBMA) and Canadian based, International CCS Knowledge Centre (Knowledge Centre) will see simultaneous advancements in understanding and knowledge sharing of carbon capture technology designed specifically to see substantial emission reductions from the global cement industry.

The first initiative under the agreement, Carbon Capture Use Piloting with Cement Kiln Project will aid CBMA in applying the Knowledge Centre’s model and Front End Engineering Design (FEED) of a test platform – which has a carbon dioxide (CO₂) capture capacity of approximately 155 kg CO₂/per day. The project will be built and piloted on a carbon capture system that utilizes the post combustion flue gas from a producing cement kiln.

The Knowledge Centre will have an observer role to learn and gain insight on the characteristics of a cement kiln operation and its integration with a post combustion carbon capture system. The agreement grants the Knowledge Centre access to the operational data, such as further design, testing, data based on the modelling, emission-related information, and any improvements made to the CO₂ capture test platform.

This collaboration agreement is part of a bilateral science and technology cooperation between Canada and China, the China-Canada Science & Technology Cooperative Action Plan. The agreement also syncs with goals of the Chinese government to achieve carbon peaking before 2030 and carbon neutrality before 2060 with efforts of the cement industry in China to accelerate innovation in low carbon technologies.

Through the carbon capture pilot platform, the CBMA is expected to adapt the application for potential scale-up to commercial demonstration with know-how that could be applied across the sizable fleet of China National Building Materials Ltd. (CNBM), the world’s largest cement producer and the parent of CBMA.

The Knowledge Centre is currently completing a feasibility study on a full-scaled post-combustion carbon capture system on Lehigh’s Cement plant in Edmonton, Canada by applying the same model based on large-scale CCS experiences from the commercial coal-fired power plant, at the famed Canadian based Boundary Dam 3 CCS Facility.

Quotes

“The International Knowledge Centre is proud to be a partner in assisting the CBMA on its CCS development and deployment journey to help China realize its ambitious goals of carbon peaking and carbon neutrality, which is positive for the world.”

– Conway Nelson, VP Strategy & Stakeholder Relations, International CCS Knowledge Centre

“The cement industry could only achieve carbon neutrality by carbon capture approaches. Deep GHG emission reduction objectives can only be achieved by adhering to the decarbonization technology route, by applying CCS technologies to capture the carbon dioxide emissions from various aspects of the production process.”
中国建材集团 周育先董事长：水泥行业要实现碳中和必然通过碳捕捉的方式，只有坚持脱碳技术路线，利用CCS技术尽可能吸收生产过程中各环节排放的二氧化碳，才有可能实现深度减排目标。

– Chairman Zhou Yuxian, Chairman of China Building Materials Group (CNBM)

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Cement Emission Overview

• Concrete, a product of cement, is the second most consumed substance on the planet, next to water, with roughly attributing three tonnes of concrete yearly by every person on earth (State of the Planet, Earth Institute, Columbia University).
• Total emissions from the cement industry contribute as much as 7-8% of global CO₂ emissions.
• Two thirds or 5% of global emissions result from the chemical reactions in the cement production process and therefore cannot be eliminated through gains in energy efficiency.
• Global demand for cement is expected to increase 12-23% by 2050 (IEA Report: Transforming Industry through CCUS)
• As the largest cement producer, China accounts for about 55% of global production, followed remotely by India at 8%.
• China’s cement industry is estimated about 1.2 Gt of CO₂ emissions to their national GHG emissions, annually.

China-Canada Science & Technology Cooperative Action Plan

• China-Canada Science & Technology Cooperative Action Plan is a framework for cooperation in scientific and technological research, which will extend and strengthen the conduct of cooperative activities in areas of common interest and encourage the application of the results of such cooperation to their economic and social benefit.

MEDIA CONTACTS

International CCS Knowledge Centre
Jodi Woollam
Head of Communications & Media Relations
jwoollam@ccsknowledge.com
T: +1-306-565-5956 / M: +1-306-520-3710
ccsknowledge.com
@CCSKnowledge

About the International CCS Knowledge Centre (Knowledge Centre): with a mandate to advance the global understanding and deployment of large-scale CCS to reduce global GHG emissions, the Knowledge Centre provides the know-how to implement large-scale CCS projects as well as CCS optimization through the base learnings from both the fully-integrated Boundary Dam 3 CCS Facility and the comprehensive second-generation CCS study, known as the Shand CCS Feasibility Study. Operating since 2016 under the direction of an independent board, the Knowledge Centre was established by BHP and SaskPower. For more info: https://ccsknowledge.com/

About the China Building Materials Academy (CBMA): is the largest state-owned comprehensive research development and design firm of the industry sector in China and operates as the technology innovation platform of the China National Building Materials Group Corporation (CNBM), which is the largest comprehensive building materials industry group in China. CBMA undertakes a large number of research and development programmes of national significance and advances the technology for energy-saving and emission reduction in building materials industry. With dozens of labs and testing centres, CBMA is the standard bearer of the building materials industry sector for technology innovation covering cement, concrete, wall material, glass, ceramics, refractory and new materials. For more info: http://cbma.com.cn/en/index.jsp

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/84fbcfdd-0f35-4299-af06-d694a269dba0

AMSTERDAM, July 08, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Expereo, a leading global provider of managed Internet, SD-WAN, SASE, and Cloud Access solutions, announces that it has agreed to acquire Brodynt, a provider of global managed Internet services. This acquisition further strengthens Expereo’s position in providing global managed Internet & SD-WAN services to its global enterprise customer base and service provider partner community.

This news follows the acquisitions of GlobalInternet, Comsave, and Videns IT Services, a leading provider of managed SD-WAN and SASE services, late last year and earlier this year. These acquisitions solidify Expereo’s position in leading the global transformation to software-defined and internet-based networking. With the full support of majority investor, Vitruvian Partners, and minority investor, Apax Partners SAS, Expereo intends to continue its acquisition strategy.

Global enterprises are accelerating their network transformations following the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic. Following an initial rush to get their global networks fit-for-purpose for remote working, global enterprise connectivity is now migrating rapidly to software-defined and internet-based solutions, including through accelerated adoption of cloud applications. Expereo’s depth and breadth of expertise in providing and managing software-defined and internet-based networks and Cloud Access allows a globally operating enterprise to do so with ease, trust, and security.

“Expereo brings additional global reach, leading digital user and operations platform, and complementary SD-WAN and SASE experience that our customers and partners will greatly benefit from,” says Marcus Munoz, Brodynt Co-CEO. “We have built a great customer and partner base, as well as a superb team supporting them,” adds Marc Mateo, Brodynt Co-CEO. “I am excited to see this integrated into Expereo, enabling faster expansion and adding broader capabilities as the market very rapidly transforms with internet services now being core to global enterprise connectivity networks; Expereo brings the scale to do so efficiently.”

“It is all about scale and delivering world-class customer experience,” says Irwin Fouwels, CEO Expereo. “Where our ability to effectively source, manage, and improve performance of any type of internet-based networking service anywhere in the world complemented traditional wide-area-network technology, we are now effectively replacing such legacy solutions. Overlaying our own cloud fabric and digital customer interface takes a global internet-based solution to the next level in terms of performance and experience – we are excited to bring this to Brodynt’s customers and partners.”

About Expereo

Expereo is the leading provider of managed network solutions, including Global internet connectivity, SD-WAN, SASE, and Cloud Access services. Expereo is the trusted partner of 30% of Fortune 500 companies and powers enterprise and government locations worldwide, helping to enhance every business’s productivity with flexible and optimal Internet performance.

Vitruvian Partners, an international growth capital and buyout firm headquartered in London with offices across London, Stockholm, Munich, Luxembourg, San Francisco, and Shanghai, acquired a majority shareholding in Expereo earlier in 2021. Apax Partners SAS, a leading European private equity firm based in Paris, owns a minority shareholding alongside Vitruvian. Paris-headquartered Apax Partners SAS and London-headquartered Apax Partners LLP have a shared history but are separate, independent private equity firms.

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About Brodynt

Brodynt provides global managed Internet and SD-WAN services to global enterprise customers and service providers such as ISPs, Carriers, and System Integrators. Founded in 2012 with headquarters in Barcelona, Spain, and offices in Austin, Texas, and Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

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Q Advisors is a global TMT investment banking boutique, acted as exclusive financial advisor to Brodynt in connection with the transaction.

Contact:
Conor McGee
conor@grammatikagency.com

LAS VEGAS, July 07, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — via InvestorWire — ISW Holdings, Inc. (OTC: ISWH) (“ISW Holdings” or the “Company”), a global brand management holdings company, is excited to announce that it has finalized its land lease development agreement, which grants the Company full use of a 1st phase 7-acre parcel of property in Georgia tailored for cryptocurrency mining operations, complete with access to energy resources capable of powering over 100 MW of cryptocurrency mining capacity.

“This agreement puts us in position to scale up into a top-five global cryptocurrency mining position by volume,” remarked ISW Holdings President and Chairman, Alonzo Pierce. “We control an ideal plot of land, to initiate the 1st phase with additional access to over 100 megawatts of power for use in crypto mining. We also have our close partner Bit5ive, LLC – North America’s largest provider of collective management of renewable, clean energy services and mining equipment – right on premises to manage and develop the mining operations at the site. China is cracking down hard and shutting down its domestic crypto mining industry. This has enormous consequences because more than half of the world’s cryptocurrency mining has been taking place in China. As a result, we are already fielding calls from mining firms seeking a new home. We are now equipped to handle this at scale. We have the power!”

For more details and forward-looking statements, view the entire announcement: https://ibn.fm/ISW100MWAnnouncement

Pierce added, “Our plan is to execute an additional agreement with some of the world’s largest and best-known mining companies seeking additional accommodation for expanded mining operations. We are already beginning to design and plan for this added scalability. Once we deploy the full 100 MW, we see total gross revenue run rate exceeding $100 million on an annualized basis.”

About ISW Holdings
ISW Holdings, Inc. (ISWH), based in Nevada, is a diversified portfolio company comprised of essential business lines that serve consumer product demands. Our expertise lies in strategic brand development, early growth facilitation, as well as brand identity through our proprietary procurement process. Together, with our partners, we seek to provide a structure that meets large scalability demands, as well as anticipated marketplace needs. We are able to meet these needs through a variety of strategic innovative processes. ISWH is creating and managing brands across a spectrum of disruptive industries. It maneuvers its proprietary companies through critical stages of market development, which includes conceptualization, go-to-market strategies, engineering, product integration, and distribution efficiency. The company has also partnered with a well-known software development and consulting company, Bengala Technologies LLC, which is developing significant enhancements in the supply chain management space; and the partnership has a vitally needed patent now pending.

The Company’s cryptocurrency mining segment, established in partnership with industry leader, Bit5ive LLC, is driven by a mission to mine cryptocurrency with a zero carbon footprint. Learn more at www.iswholdings.com.

About Bit5ive

Bit5ive is a leader in crypto currency mining data centers with several projects currently in development in the United States. Bit5ive’s success lies in its commitment to its clients, hailing from a variety of industries and professions. Bit5ive’s corporate headquarters is based in Miami, Florida, from which it operates as a management hub for its data centers, sales and customer service. Learn more at www.Bit5ive.com.

Company Contact:
info@ISWHoldings.com

Public Relations
EDM Media, LLC
https://edm.media

Corporate Communications:
InvestorBrandNetwork (IBN)
Los Angeles, California
www.InvestorBrandNetwork.com
310.299.1717 Office
Editor@InvestorBrandNetwork.com

Mississauga, Canada, July 07, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Mississauga, Canada— Hatch employees came together in an eight-week-long campaign to raise funds in support of COVAX, helping them progress towards their goal of procuring and delivering 2 billion doses of COVID-19 vaccines globally. Through the employees’ generous donations and a corporate match, $C1 million was raised!

COVAX is co-led by Gavi, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) and the World Health Organization, alongside key delivery partner, UNICEF. Its aim is to accelerate the development and manufacture of COVID-19 vaccines, and to guarantee fair and equitable access for every country in the world.

Unfortunately, many countries do not have the ability to maintain progress or even start. It is clear the pandemic will not truly end until all countries have equitable access to vaccines. UNICEF is working with manufacturers and partners on the procurement and delivery of vaccine doses, as well as freight, logistics, and storage for countries around the world. With Hatch’s donation, UNICEF will be able to fully vaccinate (two doses) more than 187,000 people worldwide.

“To end this pandemic, we need to think globally and act locally to make a difference beyond our families and our company—this is the basis of real positive change around the world. As a global company, we are engaging great people who make a difference every day in their communities, with our clients, and with each other. Together, we saw the imperative to support the world’s largest mass health campaign to stop the COVID-19 virus and move forward into a better future,” shared John Bianchini, Hatch’s Chairman and CEO.

“On behalf of UNICEF, I would like to thank Hatch for its support in ensuring widespread and equitable delivery of COVID-19 vaccines. They stepped up to help UNICEF in its efforts to deliver the largest fastest immunization campaign in history. We are grateful to Hatch employees for their contributions and to Hatch for increasing the impact by matching every dollar raised,” shared David Morley, UNICEF Canada’s President and CEO.

Hatch is committed to doing its part to support efforts to end the COVID-19 pandemic. Hatch also recently sponsored the “This is our Shot” movement, a consortium of grassroots organizations, Canadian businesses, associations, healthcare professionals, community leaders, and influencers focused on educating and inspiring Canadians so that vaccine hesitancy is replaced with confidence.

To learn more about how Hatch continues to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, visit our COVID-19 Information Center.

To learn more about the UNICEF COVAX campaign, click here.

About Hatch

Whatever our clients envision, our professional teams can design and build. With over six decades of business and technical experience in the mining, energy, and infrastructure sectors, we know your business and understand that your challenges are changing rapidly. We respond quickly with solutions that are smarter, more efficient, and innovative. We draw upon our 9,500 staff with experience in over 150 countries to challenge the status quo and create positive change for our clients, our employees, and the communities we serve.

Find out more on www.hatch.com.

Lindsay Janca
Hatch
19054034199
media@hatch.com

Food banks increased their reach by 132 percent over the previous year due to increased demand for food caused by pandemic and faltering economic conditions

Chicago, IL, July 07, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Today, The Global FoodBanking Network (GFN) announced that food banks in 44 countries served 40 million people in 2020, a 132 percent increase over service in 2019. The data is part of GFN’s annual Network survey, which this year includes information about how GFN-supported food banks around the world responded to COVID-19.

The significant increase in people accessing food banks reflects the toll of the pandemic. As food requests rose from cut-off or quarantined communities, food banks rapidly deployed their transport, inventory, and logistics infrastructures to assist people who were isolated due to closed schools and public support agencies or overwhelmed health systems.

“Food banks have served as a lifeline for millions of people during the health crisis,” said Lisa Moon, president and CEO of The Global FoodBanking Network. “When the pandemic rattled economies and prevented access to food, food banks responded where existing infrastructure failed. They proved agile and resourceful, providing emergency relief and hope to their communities.”

African food banks, which served 169 percent more people than the year before, reported the highest increase in people served globally, followed by food banks in Latin America, which served 157 percent more people than in 2019.

Many food banks embraced mass distribution through congregate feeding sites and meal kit deliveries as they sought to reach the most people possible. More than half of the people served by GFN partner food banks in 2020 were women and girls.

Children were especially vulnerable during lockdowns and movement restrictions. In response to widespread school closures, the majority of GFN partner food banks that operated or supported feeding programs for school-age children (including school lunches, after-school snacks, and backpack programs) quickly pivoted to alternative models, such as providing food directly to families or organizing distribution events at schools and daycare centers.

As COVID-19 disrupted the global food supply chain, food banks saw a shift in the sources of donated products. According to the survey, food banks experienced a tremendous drop in donations from food services, restaurants, hotels, grocers, and markets. At the same time, food donations from the agricultural sector nearly doubled in 2020, partly because farms did not have the informal labor force needed for harvest.

This year promises to be another challenging year for food banks. In the GFN survey, food banks in many countries reported deep concern over slow vaccine rollouts, additional waves of infections, economic recovery and recession, and staff and volunteer burnout.

“COVID-19 has made the hunger crisis even more urgent,” said Moon. “Now more than ever, it is important that governments, businesses, and other community leaders partner with food banks, which are community assets that work to ensure all people have access to food.”

About The Global FoodBanking Network:

The Global FoodBanking Network supports community-driven solutions to alleviate hunger in more than 40 countries. While millions struggle to access enough safe and nutritious food, nearly a third of all food produced is lost or wasted. We’re changing that. We believe food banks directed by local leaders are key to achieving Zero Hunger and building resilient food systems. For more information, visit foodbanking.org.

Nina Rabinovitch Blecker
The Global FoodBanking Network
+1-617-823-4107
nblecker@foodbanking.org

TORONTO, July 06, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Sophi.io, The Globe and Mail’s artificial intelligence-based automation, optimization and prediction engine, won WAN-IFRA’s 2021 North American Digital Media Award in the category of Best Paid Content Strategy. This is Sophi’s fourth award in the last month.

The North American Digital Media Awards honour news publishers that have delivered cutting-edge, unique and original digital media projects in the past year.

“Through the use of this [dynamic paywall] technology, The Globe and Mail truly understands its readers’ habits, leading to best practices in advertising and paid content, smartly adjusting their business strategy,” WAN-IFRA said when announcing the decision.

Phillip Crawley, CEO and Publisher of The Globe and Mail, said: “Winning a WAN-IFRA North American Digital Media Award for the second year in a row demonstrates Sophi’s ability to show the publishing industry what the future looks like. We are proud to be able to bring these AI and ML-powered tools to organizations across the globe.”

Sophi was developed by The Globe and Mail to help the newsroom make important strategic and tactical decisions. It is a suite of tools that includes Sophi Automation and Sophi for Paywalls as well as Sophi Analytics, a newsroom decision-support system.

Sophi is an artificial-intelligence system that helps publishers identify and leverage their most valuable content. It has powerful predictive capabilities – using natural language processing, Sophi Dynamic Paywall is a fully dynamic, real-time, personalized paywall engine that analyzes both content and user behaviour to determine when to ask a reader for money or an email address, and when to leave them alone.

As the North American award winner, Sophi is now a contender for the WAN-IFRA World Digital Media Awards, where the winners from North America, Latin America, Asia, Europe, Africa, India, and the Middle East compete.

About Sophi.io

Sophi.io (https://www.sophi.io) is a suite of AI-powered optimization and prediction tools developed by The Globe and Mail, Canada’s foremost news media company, to help content publishers make important strategic and tactical decisions. Sophi solutions range from Sophi Site Automation and Sophi for Paywalls to Sophi Analytics, a decision-support system for content publishers. Sophi is designed to improve the metrics that matter most to any business, such as subscriber retention and acquisition, engagement, recency, frequency and volume.

Contact

Jamie Rubenovitch
Head of Marketing, Sophi.io
The Globe and Mail
416-585-3355
jrubenovitch@globeandmail.com