Category: Government


Secretary Chu announces up to $62 million for CSP research and development

May 8th, 2010 | Posted in Solar | Comments (13)

U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Steven Chu announced the selections of projects for investment of up to $62 million over five years to research, develop, and demonstrate CSP systems. This funding will support improvements in CSP systems, components, and thermal energy storage to accelerate the market-readiness of this renewable energy technology.

The thirteen award selections announced today fall into two areas:

CSP Systems Studies – projects awarded under this category will evaluate the feasibility of a complete CSP baseload system and support development of prototype systems for field testing. These selections include:

  • Abengoa Solar, Inc. (Lakewood, CO) – up to $10.6 million – Abengoa Solar will develop a new power tower technology that captures heat in a high-temperature receiver at the top of an elevated tower. The system will focus the sun's rays to the tower using a 360-degree, surround reflector field on the ground and collect the heat in a salt fluid, which is used to make steam and drive a turbine. The system will also incorporate a thermal storage system to allow it to operate for a period when the sun isn't shining. The ability to operate at higher temperatures will translate into more energy produced with the same size power plant. Abengoa is currently the only company with a full-scale, operational power tower, and thus proving this technology could help it reach commercial maturity.
  • eSolar, Inc. (Pasadena, CA) – up to $10.8 million – the company will design, build, and test a CSP power plant system with fundamentally new components. Instead of one central tower and receiver, the plant will employ multiple, modular towers. Using reflective mirrors, the sun's radiation will heat a liquid salt within each receiver. A specialized molten salt transport system will then move the high-temperature fluid to a molten-salt steam generator that produces electricity. The system will also feature a thermal storage system. Eventually, this technology could deliver lower-cost solar energy at a utility scale.
  • Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne (Canoga Park, CA) – up to $10.2 million – they will build on and advance the current solar power tower plant design. The project will explore new materials for the central power tower receiver. A novel thermal storage system will be developed and used, representing the first time such technology has been integrated into a CSP plant design. A more efficient power cycle will help produce more electricity. These improvements will all be made in the hopes of driving down the cost of solar energy.

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DoE and USDA announce R&D funding for biomass

May 7th, 2010 | Posted in Biomass | Comments (3)

The US Department of Energy and the Department of Agriculture have announced USD 33 million in funding for research and development for biomass technologies. The funding is to push forward the development of new technologies and processes for producing biofuels, bioenergy and high-value biobased products.

Both departments emphasized the need for the United States to be more independent on imported energy, and express hopes for the funded R&D projects will stimulate the expansion of the US biofuels industry. Additionally, the results of these efforts should also improve renewable fuel efficiency.

R&D efforts will be concentrated around three technical areas:

Feedstocks development
Biofuels and biobased products development
Biofuels development analysis

In order for a project to qualify for funding, it will have to include all three of the mentioned areas. The intention behind the integration of technical areas is meant to encourage collaboration, formation of consortia, provide insight into possible knowledge gaps, and accelerate the implementation of the methods and the science into the biofuel production processes. The pre-application process for this funding round is due on June 7, 2010, so all interested researchers should hurry with their proposals.

[source: US DoE, image: NREL]

India implementing geothermal energy R&D and demonstration program

May 5th, 2010 | Posted in Geothermal | Comments (10)

Geothermal resource and potential map of India.

The Ministry of New and Renwable Energy of India is moving forward with renewable energy initiatives by announcing the beginning of the implementation of a research and development and demonstration program involving geothermal energy. Under this program, geothermal resource assessment studies were supported, bringing data on potential geothermal energy exploitation sites in the country's states of Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand. Even though several states have initiated efforts to confirm the identified geothermal potential sites, no further communication has been received by the Ministry, in the direction of approvals for future geothermal energy projects.

India is already expanding its renewable energy sources involving wind and solar energy. The country has also significant hydropower potential, a lot of which has already been harnessed. With geothermal energy, India will further strengthen its clean energy portfolio, and open the road for further investments in this sector. Marine and tidal energy have not yet been mentioned in any detailed context, but this energy source is sure to find its way into the country's RE mix in the future as well.

[source: Indian Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, via: ThinkGeoenergy, image: GeoSyndicate]

Indonesia has USD 5 billion worth of geothermal deals in the pipeline

April 29th, 2010 | Posted in Geothermal | Comments (3)

At the beginning of the World Geothermal Congress, taking place from April 25-30 in Bali, Indonesia, the country's president announced Indonesia has signed geothermal development contracts totalling USD 5 billion. The country has set a goal of developing about 9000 MW of geothermal capacity by 2025, as was also revealed at the event.

Indonesia has recently been granted a USD 400 million loan from the World Bank, for the purpose of investing in geothermal development. The country holds about 40% of the global geothermal capacity, according to some sources. It's geography puts it alongside one of the main crevaces between our planet's tectonic plates, where geothermal acitivity is abundant. It has been estimated that the country has about 27 GW of geothermal capacity that could be harnessed theoretically. At the moment, Indonesia is ranked as the third global geothermal energy consumer, after United States and the Philippines.

[via: UPI]

US Secretary Chu travelling to China to strengthen US-China clean energy partnership

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

The US and China are working on strengthening ties between the two countries on many fronts, one of which is clean energy. Both countries are among the top global carbon emitters, and both countries are taking steps towards reducing their carbon emissions in the near future. Secretary Chu will be visiting China from May 24 for four days, and will meet with government officials, academia and private sector members in Beijing and Shanghai. The purpose of the talks is to learn more about the ways the two countries can collaborate on clean energy research and technological development.

Back in March this year, the US government announced USD 37.5 million in funding for five years of the US-China Clean Energy Research Center (CERC). The center will provide an environment for joint research and development activities in clean energy technologies, involving scientists and engineers from both countries.

Both the Chinese and the US clean energy market are on a path of growth involving already established renewable energy technologies in wind, solar and hydro energy, but also ground-breaking marine energy and biomass energy technologies as well. Much of the global R&D activities in these areas is taking place in these two countries, with large scale investments and expansion planned for the future.

[source: US DoE]

Activities taking place in order to support the Climate Bill in the US

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

The anticipated Climate Bill that was supposed to have been adopted by the US Congress, and bring a whole new set of rules to the climate change and energy management game, has been recalled for review. This puts the US government's effort to push the Climate Bill at a temporary stop. Meanwhile, activities are taking place that are supposed to provide additional support for the bill until the next upcoming voting session.

President Obama is doing his part by having visited the Siemens wind turbine production facility yesterday, at Ford Madison, Iowa. The president toured the facility and witnessed the production process for manufacturing a 2.3 Mw wind turbine. He then addressed an auditorium of some 300 employees, visitors and local representatives. He highlighted the facility as a good example of how clean energy technology can help revive local economies. The production facility has been in operation for three years now, and has enjoyed many benefits from the incentives and situmalae package provided by the US government, such as tax credits and additional stimulus funds from the state level.

Another big wind turbine manufacturer is also taking action – GE is touring the country with a giant 131 foot (~40 meters) wind turbine blade, made using the latest technology, which is to cruise around the country for 28 days, and provide a surface for signatures that will be used to support the petition. The message being promoted is "I am helping to build America's energy future". GE hopes the petition will influence governement leaders' view of renewable energy in America's future.

The Climate Bill has been regarded by supporters as the necessary change that will support the US' effort towards more energy independence and energy supply security, as well as job security for the long term.

[source: GE and Siemens]

US and UAE sign MoU on research, development and promotion of clean energy solutions

April 28th, 2010 | Posted in General | Comments (7)

The US DoE and Masdar are going to work together on research, developmeng and promotion of clean energy solutions in the future. The memorandum of understanding between the two parties will serve as the backbone for the establishment of a collaboration framework in three key areas: carbon capture and sequestration, water and bio-fuels, as well as building technology.

The United Arab Emirates are one of the biggest oil producers in the world at the moment, but the country's strong ties to the United States, and the global changes in energy production and usage, have made UAE a significant collaborator in sustainable and clean energy development. Masdar, the country's multifaceted renewable energy initiative, is involved in numerous RE developments, of which the most prominent are Masdar City, to be the world first self-sustainable city, and the London Array (large offshore wind farm in the Thames Estuary) in which Masdar holds a stake, alondside E.ON and DONG Energy.

[source: US DoE]

US Fish and Wildlife Service publishes wind energy project siting guidelines

April 21st, 2010 | Posted in Wind | No Comments

The US Fish and Wildlife Service has recently published a set of recommendations for the process of wind energy project siting. The document outlines recommended guidelines for developers when assessing locations for future wind farms, in order to have no or as little impact possible on the natural surroundings, including fish and wildlide populations.

The 22 member committee called the Wind Turbine Guidelines Federal Advisory Committee came up with a science based tiered process which corresponds to all the various stages in developing a wind farm project. The stages range from preliminary assessments to impact studies after construction completion. This is meant to help wind farm developers assess the environmental footprint of their projects, but will also create an atmosphere of "voluntary" conformance with the goals and recommendations of the Fish and Wildlide Service, which should result in better environment preservation.

Some of the highlights of the recommended guidelines involve:

  • A decision-making framework that guides all stages of wind energy development;
  • Reliance on the best available science when assessing renewable energy projects and their potential environmental impact; and
  • Use of landscape-scaled planning that recognizes the need to think long-term about protecting our nation’s economic and natural resources.

If you are interested to read further, here's the complete document.

[source: US DoE]

Austria adopts new energy strategy

April 20th, 2010 | Posted in General | No Comments

Most of Austria's renewable energy capacity comes from hydropower potential.

The Austrian government has recently announced a new energy strategy for the country's future. The new strategy is touted to not only provide a realistic opporutnity for reaching energy and emission reduction targets adopted on the EU level for 2020, but also provide a strong stimulus for the country's economy. Some 80,000 jobs are estimated to be created as a result of the implementation of the new strategy.

According to Austria's minister of the environment, Niki Berlakovich, the new strategy foresees rewards for environmentally friendly behavior, but also penalties for environmentally unfriendly activities. The strategy rests upon three main pillars:

  1. energy efficiency increase
  2. renewable energy development
  3. energy supply security

Probably the most interesting aspect for the renewable energy industry is point number 2, which will put focus on biomass use for producing energy for heating purposes. Other RE developments include an increase in hydropower capacity (at the moment the largest area of renewable energy activity in the country), as well as doubling wind energy capacity in the next decade. Other related developments include the development and expansion of transportation based on alternative and clean energy sources, which include electric vehicles, and electric mobility in general.

Since the announcement of the new strategy, on April 17, some 370 proposals have been received and reviewed. According to designated specialized institutions, such as the Austrian Energy Agency, EPA, E-Control, WIFO, have all concluded that the strategy is implementable and feasible by the year 2020.

[source: Austrian Ministry of Environment (in German), image: Wikimedia]

GDF Suez awarded 662 MW for development in Peru

April 20th, 2010 | Posted in Hydro | Comments (5)

GDF Suez was recently awarded rights for development of 662 MW of power generating capacity in Peru. Having won in four bidding processes, the company's subsidiary in Peru, EnerSur, secured rights for the development of hydropower and thermal power plants. The total investment for all the awarded capacity is estimated at about EUR 1.5 billion.

One of the projects is interesting for this site, being a renewable energy project, and that is the Quitaracsa I hydropower project. It is to be located about 500 km to the northeast of the country's capital Lima, in the Ancash region. It will have an estimated power capacity of 112 MW, and will be connected to the national power grid once completed.

Peru is experiencing growth in energy demand, as the country progresses into a more developed future. Projects such as these are part of a larger effort to increase the energy supply base in the country.

GDF Suez is not a newbie in the Peruvian energy market, having already completed a couple of energy projects in the country before, one of which is another hydropower project, the Yuncan. The company is also involved in gas transportation in the country.

[source: GDF Suez]

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