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Australia Steps Up Renewable Energy EffortsAustralia “It’s a blessing and a curse,” said Matthew Warren, head of the Clean Energy Council, which represents more than 350 companies in renewable energy and energy efficiency fields. “Australia is really at the top of the list, in the scale of the economy and the quality and scale of renewable resources,” Mr. Warren said. “But the grid issues are significant because we run a very, very large, long and thin grid,” he said. Victoria to get wind farm worth $1 billionAustralia The largest wind farm in the southern hemisphere is to be built in Victoria's southwest. The $1 billion Macarthur wind farm, which will produce enough energy to power more than 220,000 homes, is slated for completion by early 2013. It will abate more than 1.7 million tonnes of greenhouse gases annually, the equivalent of taking more than 420,000 cars off the road every year. Federal Climate Change Minister Penny Wong said the project would not have been possible were it not for the federal government's target of 20 per cent of the nation's electricity coming from renewable energy sources by 2020. |
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Latest tests clear bore water at Cougar Energy gas plantAustralia But more tests will be needed before residents around the Cougar energy plant near Kingaroy, northwest of Brisbane, are allowed to resume use of bore water. Cougar was forced to shut down its pilot project last month after the Queensland government learnt traces of benzene and toluene had been found in ground water at the site and a neighbouring property. The Department of Environment and Resource Management says the latest underground water quality tests found levels of the two substances remain within Australian drinking water guidelines. |
Victorian Government to close a quarter of Hazelwood power station Australia The proposal for the staged closure of the Hazelwood Power Station in the Latrobe Valley, in eastern Victoria, is part of a strategy to reduce carbon emissions by at least 20 per cent by 2020. In its climate change white paper, released on Monday, the government proposes closing a quarter of the plant to slash emissions. |
Underground coal gasification plant near Kingaroy shut down after cancer-causing chemical found in boresAustralia A QUEENSLAND underground gas project has been shut down and a government worker has been stood aside over underground water contamination. Queensland's Department of Environment and Resource Management (DERM) has ordered Cougar Energy to stop its underground coal gasification (UCG) trial near Kingaroy after toxic chemicals were found in water from nearby bores. An officer from DERM has also been stood aside for not acting sooner over the discovery. Bores on up to 19 properties near Kingaroy are being tested for potentially dangerous chemicals after contaminated water was found near the site of the plant. Testing of water bores at the Cougar Energy's underground coal gasification plant found traces of benzene, a known carcinogen, and the toxic chemical toluene. |
Wong negotiates renewable energy plansAustralia The Rudd government is preparing to unveil a new climate action policy ahead of the next federal election, likely in a few months. The government is under pressure from some of its own MPs to come up with an alternative to the carbon pollution reduction scheme which has been put on hold until at least 2013. Climate Change Minister Penny Wong, when asked whether a major carbon reduction policy would be released before the election, told ABC Radio on Wednesday: "You'll see more on climate change from us." |
Push for Hazelwood power station to close earlyAustralia A report commissioned by Environment Victoria found the early closure of the Hazelwood coal-fired power station would cut the state's greenhouse gas emissions by 12 per cent and create hundreds of jobs. |
Rudd delays carbon scheme until end of 2012Australia Kevin Rudd has blamed an opposition backflip and slow progress of globalaction on climate climate government the change for the delay of the federal government's carbon pollution reduction scheme (CPRS). But the prime minister says the said the government is till committed to meeting greenhouse emissions targets. Mr Rudd on Tuesday said the government would now wait until the on end of 2012, when the current Kyoto commitment period ends, before implementing the CPRS. |
Ministers tour biodiesel plant Fiji Islands Fiji will soon benefit from biodiesel produced locally, says business tycoon, Hari Punja. It is a new company producing biodiesel. “Our factory utilises state of the art American technology, “says Mr Punja who is the chairman of the Biodiesel Group (Fiji) Limited. Prime Minister Commodore Voreqe Bainimarama and his Cabinet ministers visited the biodiesel plant yesterday. Mr Punja said usage of biodiesel keeps the environment clean, reduces fuel imports, grows the copra industry in Fiji and creates employment in coconut and bio diesel industries. Managing director Ajay Punja, said over 300 vehicles were already using biodiesel. |
Coconut power on Koro Island, FijiFiji Islands A local company, the Taveuni Development Company (TDC), is commercially producing coconut biodiesel and other coconut products starting this month in Koro Island.. This was an initiative of the government and the Prime Minister, Commodore Voreqe Bainimarama, was the chief guest at the opening at Nacamaki village. The opening on March 10 was a momentous occasion for the people of Koro. People from the 14 villages gathered at Nacamaki Village to witness the opening. They knew the biodiesel plant will bring about changes to the villages. |
Wong splits renewable energy schemeAustralia The Federal Government says it is making changes to its renewable energy target scheme to give industry groups more certainty. The scheme will be split into two to separate large-scale renewable energy projects such as commercial solar plants, wind farms and geothermal from small-scale projects such as solar panels and solar hot water systems. The Government says the changes mean the scheme is likely to exceed its target of 20 per cent of energy coming from renewable sources by 2020. Small-scale projects will have a fixed price of $40 per megawatt hour for produced electricity. |
Cities Prepare for Life With the Electric Car USA SAN FRANCISCO — If electric cars have any future in the United States, this may be the city where they arrive first. The San Francisco building code will soon be revised to require that new structures be wired for car chargers. Across the street from City Hall, some drivers are already plugging converted hybrids into a row of charging stations. |
Algal power not so green after all, yetUSA ALGAE have been touted as a solution to environmental worries over biofuels, but they may be a long way from providing a truly green option. Unlike maize, soya beans and oilseed rape (canola), algal farms don't take up valuable farmland, so algae-based biofuels don't threaten food supplies. |
$30 Oil? New analysis predicts oil price crash based on natural gas pricingUSA $30 Oil? Natural gas analyst says oil price crash may be in sight. An analysis published in Ground Report suggests that oil prices are ready to crash to as low as $30 – undercutting the floor of first-generation biofuels pricing and putting advanced biofuels parity pricing in jeopardy. True? Not true? The analytic framework is compelling, by focusing on the differential between oil and gas prices. |
Weak Copenhagen deal not enough: repeat the classEurope The Copenhagen deal is disappointingly weak, falls well short of a treaty that would avoid dangerous climate change and still needs serious work. “This is a ‘wing and a prayer' deal. While it does commit to keep warming below 2 degrees, it leaves all the hard decisions on how to get there to the fate of ongoing negotiations next year,” said Don Henry, Executive Director of the Australian Conservation Foundation. |
Australian-Built Toyota Hybrid CamryAustralia Toyota Australia has launched the first ready-for-sale hybrid vehicle to be built in Australia. The Hybrid Camry increases consumer choice by giving motorists the option of buying an Australian-made hybrid. It expands Australia's manufacturing capacity today, and provides a platform for future growth |
Daewoo wins German order for wind turbine vesselsSouth Korea South Korea's Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering has won a $300 million order from a unit of German utility firm RWE Innogy to build two wind turbine installation vessels. The two vessels are slated for delivery at the end of 2011. |
At a glance: guide to climate change and ETSAustralia Emissions trading aka the CPRS - what's it all about? The Federal Government has proposed a "cap and trade" system. It means greenhouse gas emissions would be limited to a particular amount: the cap. So if there is a cap of 400 million tonnes to be allowed to be emitted for a certain year, then 400 million emissions units will be issued that year. These units can be traded, with their price determined by the market. |
New South Wales To Have Australia's Largest Feed-In TariffAustralia The Australian states of Victoria, South Australia, and Queensland all have net FITs, which pay a premium only for power export to the grid. This incentivises PV owners to install large solar power systems and to minimise daytime power consumption in order to maximise revenue from power exports. |
Solar Bonus Scheme for NSWAustralia The NSW Government has recently announced new details for the design of the Solar Bonus Scheme set to commence on 1 January 2010. |
Renewable Energy Feed In Tariffs Vs. Emissions TradingAustralia According to a study by Deutsche Bank’s Asset Management (DeAM) division, emissions trading hasn't stimulated renewable energy investment and energy efficiency and governments should instead focus on introducing feed-in tariffs. |
Soros to invest AU$1.1bn in green technologyUSA BILLIONAIRE George Soros, looking to address the "political problem" of climate change, says he will invest $US1 billion ($1.1bn) in clean-energy technology and create an organisation to advise policymakers on environmental issues. |
U.S. primed for largest deployment of green carsUSA The 4,700 Leaf cars for deployment, dubbed as the world's first affordable and zero-emission cars, are lithium-ion battery powered. The Electric Transportation Engineering Corporation and the Energy Department finally sealed a $99.8 million deal on Thursday that would herald the largest deployment of electric vehicles and charging infrastructure networks in the United States. Collaboration between Nissan Motors and smart grid software company GridPoint Inc. was announced as early as April and August. Nissan is set to release 4,700 of its Leaf electric vehicle, as well as install over 10,000 220-volt chargers and 260 fast-chargers. |
E.P.A. Moves to Curtail Greenhouse Gas Emissions USA Unwilling to wait for Congress to act, the Obama administration announced on Wednesday that it was moving forward on new rules to regulate greenhouse gas emissions from hundreds of power plants and large industrial facilities. President Obama has said that he prefers a comprehensive legislative approach to regulating emissions and stemming global warming, not a piecemeal application of rules, and that he is deeply committed to passage of a climate bill this year. But he has authorized the Environmental Protection Agency to begin moving toward regulation, which could goad lawmakers into reaching an agreement. It could also provide evidence of the United States' seriousness as negotiators prepare for United Nations talks in Copenhagen in December intended to produce an international agreement to combat global warming. |
World's largest solar power station in doubtAustralia The $420 million project, planned by Solar Systems, was to have produced power for about 45,000 houses and has provided work for 150 people, The Age newspaper said. Administrator Stephen Longley of PricewaterhouseCoopers said he hoped to have news for the workers by the end of the week. |
Power plant takes shapePacific This follows a power purchase agreement that was signed on Wednesday between the IRD and the Fiji Electricity Authority that will result in IRD generating 10 megawatts of electricity or 87 million units every year from rubbish and waste. |
DSME Seeks to Enter Wind Power BusinessAsia South Korea’s Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering (DSME) publicly announced that the shipbuilding company has acquired 40,000 shares of DeWind Turbine, a U.S.-based wind power company, for 49.8 billion won (roughly $40 million) to advance into the wind power business. DeWind Turbine specializes in design and technology development of wind power turbines. The company successfully developed 750 kilowatt, 1.5 megawatt and 2 megawatt turbines to provide 710 turbines (760 megawatt) in China, Europe and South America. DSME has previously unveiled its plan to make a full-fledged entry into the wind power turbine business, following its acquisition of DeWind Turbine for $50 million on August 12. DSME made a belated entry into the business compared with other companies such as Hyundai Heavy Industries and Samsung Heavy Industries; however, the latest acquisition enabled the shipbuilder to save the time needed for technology development and confirming its marketability. “By combining DSME’s know-hows in design and DeWind Turbine’s wind power technology, we are confident to make the leap to the top in no time,” and added, “Starting from North America, our plan is to become the tenth largest company by 2015 and third by 2020 from securing 15 percent of the global market by 2020,” said the chairman of DSME. To develop a new model, DSME plans to make an investment of $70 million. Furthermore, DSME will build a production plant in North America. The company’s blue print of the new business calls for creating a wind power station with 20 units of 2 megawatt turbines in Texas in the short term and expanding it into a huge wind power station composed of 420 turbines. |
JatOil inks MOU with PT Waterland over biofuel feedstock in JavaAsia Renewable energy company Jatoil (ASX code: JAT) has signed a key Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with a leading European-backed jatropha biofuel producer, PT Waterland International. The MOU outlines a potential transaction that would involve Jatoil buying a controlling interest in 1000-2000 hectares of established jatropha farming ventures in central Java, with plans for considerable expansion and short-term revenue generation. |
US$ 2.9 billion Melbourne desalination contract goes to Degremont groupAustralia The Aus$ 3.5 billion (US$ 2.88 million) contract guarantees to deliver desalinated water by the end of 2011. |
US DOE announces $40 million to be awarded for three CHP R&D, demonstration projectsUSA In Washington, the US Department of Energy announced a Funding Opportunity for up to $40 million in research, development and demonstration of combined heat and power (CHP) systems. Combined Heat and Power technologies—those that co-produce heat and electricity - and District Energy Systems can achieve efficiencies of 80% or better compared to roughly 45% for conventional heat and power production. |
Green Power Takes Root in the Chinese DesertAsia DUNHUANG, China — As the United States takes its first steps toward mandating that power companies generate more electricity from renewable sources, China already has a similar requirement and is investing billions to remake itself into a green energy superpower. Through a combination of carrots and sticks, Beijing is starting to change how this country generates energy. Although coal remains the biggest energy source and is almost certain to stay that way, the rise of renewable energy, especially wind power, is helping to slow China's steep growth in emissions of global warming gases. |
From the Sewage Plant,The Promise of BiofuelUSA Researchers throughout the world are working to produce biofuel from algae. But a few are trying a decidedly novel approach: Using an abundant and freely available source — human waste — to make the fuel of the future while also treating sewage.n his quest for a fuel of the future, Roger Ruan has found a valuable resource in something nobody else wants — the wastewater from Minneapolis' largest sewage treatment plant. |
Alternative fuels move nearer to full commercial aviation use as an important specification hurdle is clearedUSA |
One billion gallons by 2014: algal fuel price, capacity projectionsUSA Biofuels Digest is projecting that algal biofuels capacity will reach 1 billion gallons by 2014, based on analysis of price and capacity projections for 2009-14 from leading companies in the field. |
Oil companies, execs taking over biofuels business?USA In New York, the closing of the Sunoco purchase of the former Northeastern Biofuels plant in Volney for $8.5 million, continues a trend whereby oil companies are moving into the ethanol production busines…on the cheap. Earlier this year, Valero acquired seven ethanol plants in the Midwest from the bankruptcy of VeraSun Energy, for $477 million. “We also view this as a first step into an area of possible growth for the company,” Sunoco spokesman Thomas Golembeski said of the recent Northeast Biofuels acquisition. But industry analysts noted that acquisitions of first generation plants have focused on those plants that are grandfathered under the Energy Security and Independence Act from meeting tough proposed new standards on indirect land use change for corn ethanol. |
Mitsubishi plans Australian coal plantAustralia Japan's Mitsubishi Heavy Industries is close to signing a deal with Queensland to build the world's first large low-emission coal power plant, a company official said on Friday. The firm will likely sign a deal with an entity affiliated with the state government and make an announcement as early as this month, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity as the talks were still ongoing. The power plant would feature both coal gasification combined cycle (IGCC) technology and carbon-capture-and-storage (CCS) capability, promising to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by as much as 90 per cent, he said. While plants using either technology already exist around the world, a plant combining both would be a world-first, the official said. IGCC turns coal into gas to burn to generate electricity, resulting in lower emissions. CCS is a technology that solidifies carbon dioxide so it can be stored deep underground rather than enter the atmosphere. The plant is projected to cost at least Y200 billion ($A2.5 billion), the company official said. |
For Greening Aviation, Are Biofuels The Right Stuff?Biofuels – made from algae and non-food plants – are emerging as a potentially viable alternative to conventional jet fuels. Although big challenges remain, the reductions in greenhouse gas emissions could be major. USA |
Air New Zealand claims findings from biofuel test flight show significant reductions in fuel burn and emissions New Zealand Scientific testing following the biofuel flight conducted by Air New Zealand in December last year suggests that up to 1.4 tonnes of fuel and 4.5 tonnes of CO2 can be saved on 12-hour, 5,800-nautical mile long-haul flight powered by a 50/50 blend of second generation jatropha sustainable jet biofuel and traditional Jet A1. This represents a 1.2% cut in fuel burn, and at shorter ranges fuel burn would improve by 1% using the same blend. Overall savings from bio-derived jet fuels are estimated to be a 60-65% reduction in GHG emissions relative to petroleum-derived jet fuel. The Rolls-Royce RB211-powered Boeing 747-400 test flight using a 50/50 jatropha biofuel blend in one of the four engines was a joint initiative between Air New Zealand, Boeing, Rolls-Royce and Honeywell's UOP |
Australia Introduces Plan To Build World's Largest Solar Plant Australia The Australian government plans to build the world's largest solar power station, a 1,000-megawatt plant that would generate three times as much electricity as the world's largest solar electric plant, now located in California, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd announced. |
Battery swapping technology set for electric carsNew technology to swap batteries to extend the range of electric cars will be available overseas by 2011. Australia Australian drivers could soon be swapping the batteries in their electric cars in the same way they swap gas bottles for their barbecues. California-based firm Better Place today held the first public demonstration of new technology that can swap over an electric car battery in less time than it takes to fill a car with petrol. And the company plans to have a recharging network available in Australia within three years. |
Algae could help green up a brown-coal plantAustralia A PLANT that will not only sequester carbon dioxide, but create biodiesel, livestock feed and other byproducts, is to be built at Loy Yang power station in the Latrobe Valley. Loy Yang Power has signed a memorandum of understanding with MBD Energy, a private Melbourne company whose algae-based technology will potentially allow the brown-coal power station to cut its emissions of carbon dioxide. The technology provides an alternative to carbon capture and sequestration for all coal-fired power stations in Australia, and can also be used by other big emitters such as mining plants or cement factories. Under the deal, a $2.1 million display plant will be built next to Loy Yang by the end of the year. If successful, the second phase would involve a $23 million pilot plant in 2011, leading to the construction of a $300 million demonstration plant in 2013. read more.. |
Climate czar concedes that aviation CO2 emissions could form a quarter of total UK output by 2050United Kingdom The UK Government’s policies on aviation and climate change came under scrutiny this week at an evidence session of the House of Commons Transport Committee. Lord Adair Turner, Chairman of the Committee on Climate Change (CCC), said that if aviation CO2 emissions remained flat they could make up a quarter of the UK’s total under the Government’s pledge to reduce overall CO2 emissions by 80 percent by 2050. At the same hearing, Lord Chris Smith, Chairman of the Environment Agency, said he did not believe passengers and airlines were paying enough to cover their environmental impact. read more.. |
Hailed as a Miracle Biofuel, Jatropha Falls Short of HypeUSA The scrubby jatropha tree has been touted as a wonder biofuel with unlimited potential. But questions are now emerging as to whether widespread jatropha cultivation is really feasible or whether it will simply displace badly-needed food crops in the developing world. |
Sapphire Energy says it aims to deploy commercial-ready algae-based jet fuel in three years timeUSA California-based Sapphire Energy, which supplied algae-based jet fuel for the recent Continental Airlines and Japan Airlines biofuel test flights, has doubled its initial estimates on production of diesel and jet fuel. It claims it will be in a position to supply one million gallons of fuel by 2011, increasing to more than 100 million gallons annually by 2018. By 2025, the company predicts it will be producing one billion gallons by 2025, enough to meet around three percent of the United States’ 36 billion gallon renewable fuel standard. |
Soladiesel algae fuel reduces direct greenhouse gas emissions by up to 93 percent compared to conventional dieselUSA In California, Life Cycle Associates, the same consultant that performed lifecycle greenhouse gas calculations for the California Air Resources Board, completed a field-to-wheels assessment of Soladiesel, the company's algae-based biodiesel using the Argonne National Laboratories GREET model. LCA found that Soladiesel's full lifecycle greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are 85 to 93 percent lower than standard petroleum based ultra-low sulfur diesel (ULSD). |
Boeing Backs Algae to Fuel AirplanesEurope Airlines' largest outlay is for fuel, and algae may provide a promising biofuel to protect carriers from future oil-price hikes. Labs are making encouraging progress in developing algae cultures. |
Carnegie signs $250m deal with InvestecAustralia Shares in Carnegie Corporation Ltd soared after the wave power hopeful signed a $250 million project financing deal with banking giant Investec. Carnegie's shares were up four cents, or 19.51 per cent, at 24.5 cents at 1154 AEDT after reaching a high of 26 cents in earlier trade. Perth-based Carnegie said Investec intended to provide up to $250 million to fund its Commercial Demonstration Wave Power project, using its CETO technology, in southern Australia. The project will be developed by a special purpose company jointly owned by Carnegie, Investec and other investors, so the financing is non-dilutionary for Carnegie's shareholders. The financing agreement is subject to certain milestones and conditions being met. A final decision on the site for the project is expected mid this year. |
Worldwide aviation is one of the most rapidly growing sources of CO2 emissions, claims new research studyEurope The total influence of aviation on climate is considerably greater than has been suggested solely on the basis of its current 2.8% share of current anthropogenic fossil CO2 emissions, says two leading European climate researchers. Their analysis shows that from its beginnings in 1940 through to 2005, civil aviation has been responsible for a rise in global mean temperatures of around 0.028 degrees C, representing approximately 4.7% of the total anthropogenic change. |
Swinburne University of Technology and Suntech Team to Develop Next Gen Solar CellsChina Swinburne University of Technology has teamed up with Suntech Power to develop solar cells that are twice as efficient and run at half the cost of those currently available. Swinburne will contribute $3 million dollars to the venture, with Suntech pledging a further $3 million over the course of the collaboration. The project is also seeking funding from the Victorian Government. Leading the group will be Swinburne Centre for Micro-Photonics Director, Professor Min Gu and Suntech CEO Dr Shi Zhengrong. Dr. Shi, who is also an Australian citizen, founded Suntech in 2001 and built it into a leading solar company. According to Professor Gu, the group's combination of research and business expertise will allow them to develop and manufacture the revolutionary solar cells within five years. "The project will be based around the development of nanoplasmonic solar cells," said Professor Gu. This new technology allows for the efficient collection of solar energy in a wider colour range than those currently being developed in other laboratories. "These will be twice as efficient as the current generation of cells, and will also cost significantly less to run." While Swinburne will lead the R&D and Suntech will manage the manufacturing, according to Professor Gu the project will be collaborative throughout each stage. "By working with Suntech in the development phase, we can ensure the technology can be transferred to the production line. This should allow us to have the cells ready for manufacture within five years," added Professor Gu. Dr. Shi said, "This relationship will combine Swinburne's high quality research with Suntech's ability to rapidly commercialize new technologies into cost effective applications. Nanoplasmonic technology has the potential to take solar to the next level." According to Swinburne Vice-Chancellor Professor Ian Young the agreement will not only be significant for the university, but it could also have a positive impact on Australia's manufacturing industry. "This partnership will result in major research and development in solar energy," said Professor Young. "It could lead to significant industrial benefits for the state of Victoria, and even be a precursor to Suntech manufacturing in Australia." The collaborative research group will be housed in Swinburne's new Advanced Technology Centre, which is a $130 million dollar development due to be completed by early 2011. |
Green tech investment plummetsGlobal Global investment in renewable energy, electric cars and other green tech dropped 48% to $1 billion in the first quarter of 2009 from the previous year and fell 41% from the previous quarter. (Global here being defined as North America, Europe, China and India.) |
China Vies to Be World's Leader in Electric CarsAsia |
Boeing, Airbus: downturn won't slow biofuel plansGlobal The world's two biggest aircraft makers said Tuesday they were pushing ahead with the development of planes that run on eco-friendly biofuels despite the economic downturn. Boeing Co. and Airbus say they are not planing on making their own alternative fuels, but are working with ethanol and other biofuel producers to make planes ready for the new technologies in the coming decades. The sharp drop in oil prices since the start of the global recession has raised concern that the development of fuel-efficient jets may stall. The airline industry is also being squeezed by plummeting passenger numbers. |
The smart grid is coming…to AustraliaAustralia IBM on Tuesday said it has signed a deal to help build a smart grid for utility EnergyAustralia. Some 12,000 sensors will be installed on the Australian utility’s transmission network around Sydney to monitor electricity distribution and detect outages and other problems. It’s IBM’s largest smart grid project of its type to date. Big Blue will build the software systems to integrate the sensor data into the operations of EnergyAustralia, which runs the country’s biggest electricity distribution network. In dollar terms, the deal is small - just A$3.2 million (U.S. $2.2 million) - but significant in showing the viability of transforming analog electricity distribution systems into an intelligent network, according to Michael Valocchi, an executive with IBM’s (IBM) global energy and utilities unit. |
Tata Nano launched in India Asia TATA NANO is dubbed ‘the people’s car’ by its manufacturer Tata Motors and its visionary chairman Ratan Tata, Tata Nano was built from ground up with a particular price target - Rs. 100,000. Or just around US$2000 or AU$3000. Nano is the cheapest car in the world and has half the price-tag of Maruti 800, also a people’s car and the cheapest car until now. Incidentally, Maruti 800 was my first car when I was living in India. I bought it in 2000 and it is still faithfully serving my brother back in Delhi. Although I have no love lost for ‘the 800. |
Shortage of sufficient quantities of suitable biofuels halts Rolls-Royce engine testing programmeEurope The biofuel programme initiated by Rolls-Royce and British Airways has been temporarily suspended after failing to find a supplier who could deliver the required 60,000 litres of alternative fuel for intensive ground testing. Rolls-Royce aimed to test up to four alternative fuels on a RB211 engine taken from one of BA’s Boeing 747 aircraft, but only three responses were forthcoming from a worldwide tender issued last July. read more... |
Australia's New South Wales aims for E10, B5 mandatesAustralia The state of New South Wales has proposed an increase in its new 2 percent ethanol mandate to six percent, with an increase to ten percent effective in 2011. Legislation has also been introduced to establish a 2 percent biodiesel mandate that would increase to five percent as local biodiesel capacity expanded . State officials said that the mandates would reduce reliance on fossil fuels. |
CPRS: a suicide note for the planetAustralia Last year, the Rudd government said it would reduce Australia’s carbon emissions by a minimum of 5% by 2020 (compared to 2000 levels). The Rudd government also ruled out emissions reductions of more than 15% by 2020. The world’s best scientists say emissions reductions should be around 70%-90% by 2020. Chris Field, from the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, now says the panel seriously underestimated global warming and that we need to take radical action within the next 12 months to reduce carbon emissions. If countries like Australia don’t act appropriately, the world will face a global disaster within a few decades. |
Engines for Hybrids Take a Supporting Role USA |
Qantas calls for biofuel supportAustralia March 11, 2009 |
Aussies reckon tequila plant's worth a shot in biofuel searchAustralia It's most well-known for being the main ingredient in the production of the Mexican spirit tequila, but a drought-resistant succulent plant is being touted as the next generation in biofuels. Central Americans have used the sap of the agave plant to distil their potent brew for centuries, but an Australian company wants to harness its high sugar content to make ethanol for energy. Sugar cane is already used in Australia to make sugar for ethanol production, especially in Queensland where there is a long-established cane industry and 10 per cent ethanol petrol is widespread. Proponents of agave say they are not trying to replace sugar cane as a source of ethanol, but their plant is an ideal fit for climates where cane does not flourish. |
Need Venture Capital? Try Europe USA If you're expanding your business to European markets, you might consider looking overseas for the capital you need. Many European VC firms are funding U.S.-based companies: A 2007 Deloitte survey found that 58 percent of the non-U.S. VC firms surveyed reported they were investing abroad. |
Top 20 venture capital deals of 2008 USA 2008 was not the year investors were eager to take risks. As the recession deepened, lack of funding caused an increasing number of small biotechs laid off workers and closed their doors. By the fourth quarter, VC investments had plunged 33 percent and biotech investing dropped 31 percent. |
VC funding dropsUSA PALM DESERT, California (Reuters) - Investment in U.S. start-ups dropped 71 percent in January from a year earlier, preliminary figures by Thomson Reuters showed on Monday. Venture capital funding dropped to $1.3 billion in January from $4.5 billion in January 2008, and the number of companies which received funds dropped by more than half, to 203 from 466. |
Where the smart money is all goingEurope "While VC funds in the UK and US are struggling, the Irish funds have all made money," says Regina Breheny of the Irish Venture Capital Association (IVCA). |
Battling global meltdownAsia BANGKOK, Thailand—Barely eight months ago, Asian governments were too preoccupied with curbing double-digit inflation, as oil and commodity prices surged to levels not seen in decades. Central banks across Asia had to implement a series of interest-rate increases to rein in inflation. Now, Asia’s economies are fighting a different kind of battle: recession. In an effort to stimulate their economies, Asian central banks have been cutting key interest rates, with some rates already reaching zero levels, a sharp reversal from the tight monetary policies they adopted just months ago. |
Venture Capital and Startups Feel More Pain, Study SaysUSA February 26,2009 That's the main takeaway from a new survey detailing trends in venture capital investments during the fourth quarter of 2008 by the California law firm Fenwick & West. |
Venture capitalists invest $13 bn in emerging firms in 2008Asia Venture capitalists (VCs) invested over $13 billion in emerging economies, including India and China, in 2008, even as the global econoimc situation continued to deteriorate fast. VCs, who invest in start-ups and small businesses, raised investments by nearly five per cent from over $12.8 billion in 1,711 deals outside the US in 2007. |
Our venture capital industry must be savedAustralia The Australian venture capital industry currently manages over $2 billion in capital. In 2007, the industry raised $398 million - the largest amount since 1999 - and followed up last year with $175 million. However in light of the global financial crisis and the resulting shortage in liquidity, these figures are under risk of further substantial decline. |
Silicon Valley green tech jobs on the riseUSA That’s good news for Tram Tran, a principal of Purifi Recruiters, a Mountain View company that specializes in cleantech recruiting and staffing specialists for green companies. |
Venture capital investments rise in China, India, and IsraelGlobal Dow Jones VentureSource data released on Wednesday indicated that the financial meltdown notwithstanding, venture capital investment in China, India and Israel still registered a rise last year, even though the figures plunged in the US! With a 5 percent increase over the 2007 figures, the venture capitalists' investments in start-ups in Europe, Israel and India rose to $13.4 billion; while the 8 percent drop in the investments in US, the figures fell to $28.8 billion. |
New 'greenprint' could map way for next boomUSA February 23, 2009 Energy is the only field offering the same range of opportunities as information technology, speakers said at a conference of several hundred business and government leaders, co-sponsored by Joint Venture: Silicon Valley Network and the Silicon Valley Community Foundation. |
Venture capital investment outside the US up five per cent in 2008Global Venture capital investment outside the US was up five per cent to $13.4bn in 2008 as more money went to energy and new regions, according to data from Dow Jones VentureSource. This is nearly a five per cent increase over the $12.8bn that venture capitalists invested in 1,711 deals outside the US in 2007 and comes despite a 15 per cent drop in annual venture investment in Europe. Still, the US remains the world's leading destination for venture capital, accounting for 2,550 deals and $28.8bn in investment in 2008. |
Solution for the world's water woesRising populations and growing demand is making the world a thirsty planet, says David Molden. In this week's Green Room, he says the solution lies in people reducing the size of their "water footprints". Europe Today, one-third of the world's population has to contend with water scarcity, and there are ominous signs that this proportion could quickly increase. |
Airlines prepare to enter Europe's Emissions Trading Scheme as aviation directive comes into forceEurope The directive incorporating aviation into the European Union’s Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) entered into force last week, obliging EU Member States to pass appropriate legislation and make administrative provisions before 2 February 2010. |
Venture Alert: CleanTech is the wordUSA In the US, venture capital investments in “cleantech” reached record levels in 2008 with $4.7 billion raised in 186 financing rounds. They posted a 68 percent increase in annual capital invested and a 5 percent increase in annual financing activity, according to a study released Tuesday. The analysis by Ernst & Young LLP , based on data from Dow Jones Venture Source, showed that cleantech companies received $954 million from venture capitalists in the fourth quarter of 2008, significantly surpassing the $681 million invested in the same period in 2007 but lagging behind the record $1.7 billion invested in the third quarter of 2008. In 2008, the top four cleantech segments -- electricity/electricity generation, alternative fuels, energy efficiency and energy storage -- experienced strong growth compared to 2007. Energy/electricity generation raised $2.7 billion in 2008, increasing 215%. The alternative fuels segment grew 50% to $703 million. Energy efficiency raised $427 million, growing 6%, and energy storage raised $320 million, increasing 9%. |
China: The new wind superpowerAsia The numbers are in, and as expected 2008 set a record year for the worldwide wind industry as new wind farms generating a total of 27,000 megawatts of greenhouse gas-free electricity came online, according to the Global Wind Energy Council. The quick-click headline was that the United States overtook the world’s green superpower, Germany, by installing 8,358 megawatts in 2008 - a 50% jump from the previous year and enough wind energy to power two million American homes. But the big story this year will be China’s rapid emergence as the next global wind power. |
Alternative energy's banner year ends with a clangUSA As the United States became the world leader in wind power, venture capitalists poured money into alternative energy projects until the recession hit in October, drying up investments and stalling projects. The quick turnaround shows how rapidly the global economy deteriorated and how fast money for alternative energy dried up. |
Victoria to get a new biodiesel storage and blending facilityAustralia According to the Victorian Government their citizens will soon have better access to biodiesel. The Government has given a $2 million grant for a new Melbourne-based blending and storage facility to Biodiesel Producers Limited (BPL) for the construction of a $4.3 million BPL biodiesel facility in Melbourne. The new facility will be based at a major fuel distribution terminal. |
JAL Flight Brings Aviation One Step Closer to Using BiofuelAsia Japan Airlines (JAL) became the first airline to conduct a demonstration flight using a sustainable biofuel primarily refined from the energy crop, camelina. It was also the first demo flight using a combination of three sustainable biofuel feedstocks, as well as the first one using Pratt & Whitney engines. The results of the flight are expected to conclusively confirm the second-generation biofuel's operational performance capabilities and potential commercial viability. The approximately one and half-hour demo flight using a JAL-owned Boeing 747-300 aircraft, carrying no passengers or payload, took off from Haneda Airport, Tokyo at 11:50am (JST). A blend of 50% biofuel and 50% traditional Jet-A jet (kerosene) fuel was tested in the No.3 engine (middle right), one of the aircraft's four Pratt & Whitney JT9D engines. No modifications to the aircraft or engine were required for biofuel, which is a 'drop-in' replacement for petroleum-based fuel. |
Fraunhofer Institute Achieves 41.1% Solar Cell EfficiencyGermany Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE have achieved a record efficiency of 41.1% for the conversion of sunlight into electricity. Sunlight is concentrated by a factor of 454 and focused onto a small 5mm� multi-junction solar cell made out of GaInP/GaInAs/ Ge (gallium indium phosphide, gallium indium arsenide on a germanium substrate). |
From noxious weed to jet fuelAustralia Air New Zealand kicked off new biofuel tests last week with a historic 2-hour Boeing 747-400 flight using a 50:50 blend of conventional Jet A1 and biofuel derived from jatropha, with no obvious problems.
Air New Zealand hopes to be using 10 per cent biofuel in its domestic fleet by 2010. |
South Australia boosts research into algal biodieselAustralia Research into the production of biodiesel from algae in South Australia has been boosted by the granting of $1.2 million to Flinders University and South Australian Research and Development Institute (SARDI) from the Premier’s Science and Research Fund. The grant is being matched by Sancon Resources Recovery, the SARDI and Flinders University to total a $4 million investment. The goal is to develop a proof-of-concept facility to explore production of algal biodiesel feedstock and high value co-products. read more.. |
AirNZ aircraft to fly on biofuel by 2012New Zealand AIR New Zealand plans to use 10 per cent biofuel in its domestic fleet by 2012.
The airline says the move will lead to a long-term reduction in its carbon footprint and cut costs under an emission trading scheme. |
JAL Biofuel Demo Flight First to Use Energy Crop Camelina Asia Japan Airlines (JAL) announced today that it will be the first airline to conduct a demonstration flight using a sustainable biofuel refined from the energy crop, camelina. The airline also announced that the demo flight is planned for January 30, 2009 out of Haneda Airport, Tokyo. |
Green Car Innovation Fund (GCIF)Australia |
Dyesol’s electric blue skyUK Technology that allows iron roofing or glass windows to generate electricity – it sounds like futuristic pipe dreams, but Dyesol’s power-generating innovation is turning the dream into revenue-generating reality. |
Ethanol ruling 'to force up food'Australia ANALYSTS have warned that further food price rises are inevitable after the Queensland Government revealed almost half the ethanol to be blended in petrol used in motor vehicles in the state would come from grain. The Weekend Australian reported that Premier Nathan Rees had ditched the commitment by NSW to introduce the nation's first mandated level of biodiesel and to boost the ethanol mandate from 2 to 10 per cent. |
Brisbane fund investing in clean tech commercialisation Australia Brisbane's Springfield, in the city's southwest, is set to play a key role in developing Australian companies that supply environmentally friendly technology and products to Australians and the world, investors say. Springfield-based fund manager Bakers Investment Group, Springfield Land Corp, Sydney-based Financial and Energy Exchange, and a major foreign bank are creating the Australian Cleantech Marketplace (ACM). |
Biofuel From AlgaeUSA Valcent Products are developing the technology to produce biofuel from algae. The speaker concludes by saying that if we utilized only 10% of the state of New Mexico, we could produce enough biofuel to satisfy the needs of the entire United States. Production of 20,000 gallons per acre is possible in a pond. They are developing the technology to produce it in a closed system that retains the water and prevents contamination by other species of algae. By going vertical, greater production per acre is possible. read more... |
Japanese company invents car that runs on waterAsia Tired of gasoline prices rising daily at the pump? A Japanese company has invented an electric-powered, and environmentally friendly, car that it says runs solely on water. |
Venture Capital Investment In China Up Over 8% To 3.24 Billion, The Highest Since 2001 Asia |
Hey, Australia’s cheap for doing businessAustralia Annoyed at the cost of doing business in Australia? Think again. Australia is one of the least costly countries in the industrialised world to base a business, according to KPMG’s 2008 Competitive Alternatives Survey. The survey which compared business costs in 136 cities in ten countries found that Australia ranked fourth in terms of competitiveness after Mexico, Canada and the US. But there was less than one per cent seperating Australia from second place. Australia ranked highly for competitiveness in transport, web and multimedia. It ranked number one in terms of energy self sufficiency at a time when access to energy has become critical to business operations. And in terms of R&D, Australia had one of the highest proportions of researchers to percentage of total employment among the countries studied. read more... |
British company to build world's largest tidal power schemeAsia A British firm has agreed to build a giant tidal power scheme - the world's largest - in South Korea, using underwater turbines that experts say could make the proposed £15 billion Severn Barrage obsolete. The £500 million scheme proposed off the South Korean coast will use power from fast-moving tidal streams, caused by rising and falling tides, to turn a field of 300 60ft-high tidal turbines on the sea floor. read more... |
Will biofuels power tomorrow's planes?Europe |
Queensland Biodiesel to build Australia’s largest biodiesel plant in MackayAustralia The Queensland Government has given in-principle agreement to Queensland Biodiesel to build a $50 million biodiesel plant in Mackay. When completed the plant will be Australia’s largest with a production capacity of 180 million litres of biodiesel a year. The plant would be built on land owned by the Mackay Port Authority, subject to environmental approvals. Once approved, the plant will use feedstock from imported and local resources such as soybean, sunflower and canola. The plant’s location in the Port of Mackay enables ready access to distribution by road, rail and sea. The biodiesel and by-products will be distributed Australia wide, as well as exported to international markets. read more... |
Biofuel trial flight set for 747New Zealand Air New Zealand says it plans to mount the first test flight of a commercial airliner partially powered by biofuel. |
Jatropha strengthens as future source of bio-dieselAustralia Dan Wallwork, Natural’s Treasury and Risk Manager, says the company is investigating using fruit of the Jatropha bush, as it offers a number of benefits over other feedstocks. "We have looked at Jatropha, and it seems quite attractive, when compared to some of the edible oils," Wallwork says. "We are looking at it because it is non-edible, because it only has that industrial use, the price will always be cheaper than edible oils, which have more than one use." read more... |
BP backs Jatropha as a biodiesel feedstockAustralia BP and D1 Oils have announced that they are to form a 50/50 joint venture, to be called D1-BP Fuel Crops Limited, to accelerate the planting of jatropha curcas. The joint venture has been established in order to make more sustainable biodiesel feedstock available on a larger scale. Jatropha is a drought resistant, inedible oilseed bearing tree which does not require the good quality soil that would normally be used for food crops. As such it will not promote the rainforest deforestation that has resulted from palm oil plantations being used to supply biodiesel plants. read more... |
Pond-Powered Biofuels: Turning Algae into America's New EnergyUSA Using a complex (and still expensive) photosynthetic process, breakthrough innovators have developed biodiesel and ethanol from an unlikely source that can double its output overnight and just might help give alternative energy the bump it needs: little green goo. (Click here for PM's special report on the truth about biofuels) Just three years ago, Colorado-based inventor Jim Sears shuttered himself in his garage and began tinkering with a design to mass-produce biofuel. His reactor (plastic bags) and his feedstock (algae) may have struck soybean farmers as a laughable gamble. But the experiment worked, and today, Sears’ company, Solix Biofuels in Fort Collins, is among several startups betting their futures on the photosynthetic powers of unicellular green goo. read more... |
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