Australia & Oceania | Renewbl.com

Category: Australia & Oceania

Mighty River Power granted resource consents for construction and operation of Ngatamariki Geothermal Power Station

May 14th, 2010 | Posted in Geothermal

Computer rendered visualization of the Ngatamariki Geothermal Power Station.

Mighty River Power, a New Zealand based geothermal energy developer, has been granted resource consents, along with its partner company Tauhara No. 2 Trust, to construct and operate the Ngatamariki Geothermal Power Station. The proposed 110 MW power plant, to be located near Taupo, is planned for completion just ahead of winter in 2013. It represents a USD 400 million investment, and will be developed by the Rotokawa Joint Venture (formed between Mighty River and Tauhara No.2 Trust).

The Ngatamariki Geothermal project will be the third geothermal energy project for Mighty River Power and the second for Tauhara No.2 Trust, and will contribute to an overall total of 500 MW of geothermal capacity operated by Mighty River once completed.

At the moment, 14% of New Zealand's electricity comes from geothermal energy sources.

[source: Mighty River Power]

PPA approved for 30 MW Kahuku wind farm in Hawaii

May 14th, 2010 | Posted in Wind

The Hawaii Public Utilities Commission has given approval for a power purchase agreement between Kahuku Wind Power and Hawaiian Electric Company under which all power generated at the 30 MW Kahuku wind farm is to exported to the utility for 20 years. The wind farm is yet to be built on the North Shore at the Oahu island. Kahuku Wind Power is a subsidiary of Massachusetts based First Wind.

The Kahuku wind farm will be located west of Kahuku town, on the hills, and will feature 12 Clipper Liberty 2.5 MW units. Kahuku Wind Power will also include a battery power storage facility in order to maintain energy supply standards and smooth out any power generating fluctuations. Construction will start later this year. Once completed, the Kahuku wind farm will be the only wind farm on Oahu, as well as the largest wind energy project in Hawaii. It is expected the project will be able to supply some 7700 average households in Oahu with clean electricity.

[source: First Wind - Kahuku]

Vestas to supply 206 MW of wind turbines to Australia

April 2nd, 2010 | Posted in Wind

Vestas is to supply 111 V90-1.8 and V90-2.0 wind turbines to Australia for the Collgar project, located about 25 km southeast of Merredin (Western Australia). The wind farm, being developed by Collgar Wind Farm Pty Ltd, is going to have 206 MW of installed capacity. This supply deal represents the largest single order Vestas has ever received for the Australian market.

Along with the turbines, Vestas is to provide full engineering and procurement, as well as ten years of service and maintenance. Additionally, it will also provide VestasOnline Business SCADA as part of the agreement. The first units are expected to arrive in Q2 and Q3 of 2010. The whole wind farm is expected to become operational with full capacity sometime in the second half of 2012.

[source: Vestas]

US DoE loans USD 117 million to Hawaii wind energy project

March 9th, 2010 | Posted in Wind

The US Department of Energy is conditionally loaning USD 117 million to an "innovative" wind energy project on Hawaii. The island state is going to get a wind farm with 30 MW of capacity, using 2.5 MW wind turbines, but with an additional component which will ensure electricity load stability – batteries for storing produced energy. The Kahuku wind farm, to be developed by Kahuku Wind Power, will be receiving the 117 million from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

Once completed, the Kahuku wind farm will output electricity estimated to be enough to supply about 7700 average homes on the island state with clean electricity. The construction of the wind farm will provide about 200 jobs.

The Kahuku wind farm will be located on the island of Oahu. Hawaii has set a very high goal for renewable energy, which is to achieve 70% of electricity generation from renewable energy sources by 2030. At the moment, each of the islands is using its own separate power grid, mostly using fossil fuels to produce electricity. The company sponsoring the project is First Wind Holdings.

[source: US DoE, image: Hawaii State]

Australian RET revised, wind energy market expected to grow

March 1st, 2010 | Posted in General Wind

The Australian government has recently introduced reforms into the country's legislation to support the newly set renewable energy target (RET) of 20% renewable energy by 2020.

The new reforms make a distinction between small scale solar PV and solar water heating technologies and large scale renewable energy projects. It is these large scale RE projects that are expected to allow the country to reach the set renewable energy goal set for 2020.

One of the major global renewable energy companies, Vestas, expressed great content over the Australian government's announcement about the reforms, stating the changes will give investors confidence to invest into the Australian renewable energy sector, emphasizing large wind energy projects, being first and foremost a wind energy development company.

The revised legislation is not yer in effect, as it needs to appear before the Australian parliament in winter (June/July). Vestas is working with the Australian government on the details of the revised legislation, hoping to achieve a start of major wind energy developments in Australia during 2010.

Other renewable energy developments in Australia include geothermal and solar energy. The country also has significant marine energy resources as well, and with the development of this renewable energy sector, we may be seeing marine energy harvesting technology installed in Australia soon.

[image: Cristina Archer (Stanford University)]

Geodynamics and Origin to form joint venture for exploring shallow geothermal potential

February 24th, 2010 | Posted in Geothermal

Geodynamics and Origin Energy have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for exploration of geothermal potential in shallow geothermal resources in license areas that already exist for the joint venture, in Eromanoga Basin in South Australia.

The new MoU is a separate document from the already existing joint venture between the two companies, which has been referred to as Innamicka Joint Venture. This JV has now been renamed to Innamicka Deeps Joint Venture.

The new JV, dubbed Innamicka Shallows Joint Venture, is split right down the middle in terms of ownership. Origin Energy will assume the role of JV operator. The new project will focus on exploration at depths of about 3000 meters, where lower temperature reservoirs are expected to exist.

Both companies are hoping to achieve diversification in supplies of geothermal energy, providing investors with access to an extended geothermal portfolio.

[source: Geodynamics, image: Geodynamics]

Solar EnerTech enters into 15 MW sales contract with Australia's Aussie Solar Installations

February 6th, 2010 | Posted in Solar

Solar EnerTech has entered into a 15 MW contract with Aussie Solar Installations, a division of Carbon Management Solutions, to distribute the company's solar panel modules in Australia.

Aussie Solar is a prime PV system integrator and over the years, has grown into one of the largest solar power installers in New South Wales, Australia. Since 2009, Aussie Solar has had the exclusive right to distribute Solar EnerTech's solar panels in Australia. Under the contract, Solar EnerTech's total shipment to Aussie Solar amounts to approximately US$26 million, which the company plans to deliver in separate shipments before the end of 2010…

[source: Solar EnerTech]

Trina Solar commences module supply to Australia's RF Industries

January 22nd, 2010 | Posted in Solar

Trina Solar - RF Industries

Trina Solar has made initial shipments to Australia's RF Industries (RFI) as part of its intention to finalize the national distribution agreement with RFI to supply up to 10 MW of PV modules in 2010…

And that's about all we got from the press release. Plus we have a quote from Trina Solar's CEO, who said: "We are excited to partner with RFI, Australia's largest distributor of solar modules to supply the market with best-in-class products from Trina Solar. This partnership will bring Trina's high performing modules to the promising new Australian market while enhancing Trina Solar's brand and presence in the region."

[source: Trina Solar]

Australian geothermal industry getting a AUD 35 million boost from the government

December 16th, 2009 | Posted in Geothermal

The Australian Ministry of Resources and Energy has set aside AUD 35 million for geothermal "proof of concept" projects in order to boost the geothermal sector in the country. The amount is part of round 2 of Geothermal Drilling Program which will introduce AUD 50 million as aid for the developing industry.

It is expected that the Geothermal Drilling Program will support almost AUD 180 million worth of investments in this sector of the energy industry, with estimates that just 1% of Australia geothermal potential could supply the continents total energy requirements for 26,000 years! (Geoscience Australia)

The trick is to find a way to harness this potential in an economical and technologically feasible way. This problem has been recognized by the Australian government, so it is actively pursuing a supportive effort aimed at pulling through geothermal energy.

Here's a list of the Second Round AUD 7 million each recipients:

Hot Rock – Koroit in the Otway Basin, Victoria
Geodynamics – near Bulga in the Hunter Valley, New South Wales
GRE Geothermal WA1 – Perth metro area, Western Australia
Greenearth Energy – near Geelong, Victoria
Torrens Energy – Parachilna, South Australia

One of the locations for future geothermal development.

The Australian government is trying to meet three major energy goals, for which geothermal energy development will play an important part. These are diversification of energy supplies, redicing Australia's CO2 emmissions by 60% from 2000 levels by 2050, and finally to produce at least 20% of energy from renewable energy sources by 2020.

[source: Geodynamics, image: Geodynamics]

Valero Energy and Mission NewEnergy sign biofuel deal

December 13th, 2009 | Posted in Biomass

Jatropha tree "fruit" from which biodiesel can be made - it seems fuel really does grow on trees...

Valero Energy (US) has signed a five-year deal with Mission NewEnergy (Australia), worth USD 3.5 billion, under which Valero will buy biofuel from Mission. According to the deal, Valero has the option to purchase a 25% stake in Mission.

Beginning Q2 2010, Mission will be supplying Valero with up to 200,000 tons of biodiesel per year. This amount can be doubled, and extended in term by an additional five years.

Mission will supply biodiesel made from palm oil, but the company plans to eventually move over to biodiesel derived from Jatropha plant feedstock. Jatropha is an inedible perennial oil seed plant, growing on marginal soil, without the need to displace any agricultural land, which makes it a non-competitive crop with the food industry.

[source: Financial Times]