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Central America getting regional electricity market standards

August 3rd, 2010 | Posted in General | Comments (1)

In November this year a regional standard for electricity sale and purchase is coming into effect in Central American contries, including Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama. The new standard will provide greater integration of local power grid networks, allowing energy project developers to plan for a broader power grid. At the moment the stadardization project is in its transitional phase, but very soon the project will be entering its main phase, as stated by the Ente Operador Regional (EOR).

Almost all the countries involved in this regional standardization project have or are in the process of developing renewable energy projects, including wind, solar, hydro, biomass and geothermal energy. Having a standardized regulatory base for importing/exporting electricity will significantly improve development conditions for renewable energy projects in this part of the world.

[via: Central America Data, source: 7dias]

Greece investing EUR 12 billion in clean technologies and jobs

July 29th, 2010 | Posted in General | Comments (1)

Greece will be facing a huge economic challenge in 2012, when the EUR 110 billio bailout loan from the EU and IMF is to expire. The country needs to create a growing economy and employment opportunities if it is to be able to start paying off debts.

China to invest about USD 737 billion in new ten year energy strategy

July 28th, 2010 | Posted in General | No Comments

Chinese National Energy Administration (NEA) has announced recently the new ten-year energy investment strategy plan, which involves investments totalling about 5 trillion Yuan (about USD 737 billion). The new plan, covering the period between 2011-2020, puts forward some major policy measures for further development of various energy sources, including nuclear, wind, solar, biomass, geothermal, unconventional natural gas and other new energy technologies. Apart from clean energy, the new strategy also involves further development of clean coal technologies. Additionally, the country is planning to adopt smart grid technology on a large scale, as well as distributed energy generation and electric vehicle technologies.

Currently, China relies heavily on coal burning power plants for producing electricity, although it is also one of the largest hydropower producers in the world. The country's growing demand for energy, caused by the fast growing economy, dictates an increase in power generation, but also demands the introduction of clean energy technologies in order to reduce the high levels of pollution.

Harnessing photosynthesis – sunlight to fuel

July 23rd, 2010 | Posted in General | No Comments

US Department of Energy is awarding USD 122 million in funding to a multidisciplinary team whose project is to form an energy innovation hub and achieve breakthrough innovations in energy production. The team will be comprised of top scientists, working on developing new technologies for harnessing solar energy by converting sunlight directly into fuel.

The team will be housed under the Joint Center for Artificial Photosynthesis (JCAP), led by the California Institute of Technology (Cal Tech), in a partnership with Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. The center will bring together leading scientific minds to work on simulating the natural photosynthetic energy conversion process for practical purposes. The ultimate goal of the innovation hub is to develop an integrated solar energy-to-chemical fuel conversion system, and then advance this system to commercial scale application. In order for JCAP to achieve this, several technologies will need to be developed including light absorbers, catalysts, molecular linkers, and separation membranes.

The funding for the project will be issued in phases, the first being a USD 22 million tranche this year, with USD 25 million each of the next four years.

[source: US Department of Energy]

AT&T and Petra Solar in agreement for smart grid solar systems

July 21st, 2010 | Posted in General Solar | No Comments

AT&T and Petra Solar signed an agreement under which AT&T will expand its smart grid offers by combining its smart grid technology with Petra Solar's solar energy harvesting technology in a single package. By offering this packages, AT&T is hoping the give companies a way to address Renewable Portfolio Standard requirements and invest in smart grid systems at the same time.

ABB commissions longest power transmission link – in China

July 19th, 2010 | Posted in General | No Comments

ABB announced the completion and commissioning of the world's longest power transmission link, as well as the most powerful. The Xiangjiaba-Shanghai project stretches from the Xianjiaba hydropower plant in the southwest of China, all the way to Shanghai, some 2000 km away. The link is capable of tranporting up to 7.2 GW of power, and will eventually supply 24 million people with electricity from remote renewable energy sources. This is an ultra-high voltage direct current (UHVDC) link with 800 kV current. With the growing expansion of renewable energy capacity in China, this kind of transmission system is just what the country needs to be able to enrich its power grid with more clean power, and provide more electricity to the growing demand by consumers.

The project is owned by the State Grid Corporation of China (SGCC), which puts focus on remote renewable energy as power supply. With transmission losses of about 7%, the new link is way above the level of efficiency of 500 kV transmission lines. The electricity saved this way is enough to power a million people in China.

[source: ABB]

Siemens breaks ice – signs strategic deal for wind energy in Russia

July 16th, 2010 | Posted in General Wind | No Comments

Siemens announced the company has entered into a partnership with two Russian energy companies – Rosstechnologii and RusHydro. The three partner companies will set up a joint venture for developing wind energy capacity in Russia, with Siemens being the majority stake holder in the company.

US DoE financing research projects for clean energy with USD 92 million

July 15th, 2010 | Posted in General | No Comments

The US Department of Energy announced it has awarded USD 92 in funding for research projects that will contribute to innovation in clean energy technologies, as well as create new jobs and help increase America's competitiveness in the global clean energy market.

Argentina awards 895 MW of renewable energy concessions

July 13th, 2010 | Posted in General | No Comments

Argentina has concluded the public offer for renewable energy capacity by awarding 895 MW (of the planned 1000 MW) to 21 companies, spread out over 32 projects (of the 51 submitted in total), under its program called GENREN. The projects include wind, solar and biomass renewable energy power plants, and were considered and awarded by the Argentine state-managed company Enarsa (Energía Argentina SA). These awards are the results of the bidding process initially started in May 2010.

Of the total capacity awarded, most has been awarded for wind energy projects (17 projects) with 754 MW, while the remaining 15 were awarded for solar PV (6 projects, 20 MW), small hydro (5 projects, 10.6 MW) and biofuels (4 projects, 110.4 MW). Project locations are spread out all over the country, both on the eastern coastal areas, and in the mountainous western areas.

Enarsa further announced bidding for another 195 MW of renewable energy capacity, or more specifically, 120 MW for wind, 30 MW for geothermal, and 20 MW for biogas combustion power plants.

Enarsa's award result document outlines several benefits of this round of bidding, such as 7000 new jobs, promotion of clean energy in the country, and growth for local economies. The new capacity, once added, will contribute to a more diversified power supply in Argentina.

See Enarsa's document for more detail on the awarded projects here.

[source: ENARSA]

MENA countries beginning to grasp the significance of RE development

July 12th, 2010 | Posted in General | No Comments

At the recently held 32nd Assilah International Cultural Festival in Morocco, an event was dedicated to addressing the current state and the future of renewable energy in the countries of Middle East and Northern Africa (MENA). Hosting the conference, UAE based Masdar has underlined the importance of renweable energy as the technology of the future for MENA countries. Called "Renewable Energy – A Leap Towards Human Development", the conference gathered speakers and guests from around the world. Many regard the successful conference as a milestone for MENA, as the region is embarking on major RE developments in the future (most significant of which is DESERTEC).