Wind powered grid to drive Denmark's cars

Adelaide Advertiser
Saturday 29/3/2008 Page: 87

DENMARK'S DONG Energy and a silicon Valley-based start-up firm yesterday said they would install an electric car network in the Scandinavian nation with almost 20,000 recharging stations. The grid, set to be in place by 2011, will be operated by Project Better Place, an initiative by Israeli-American entrepreneur Shai Agassi, using power from DONG Energy's wind turbines. A similar network is being built in Israel.

A fleet of battery-driven electrical vehicles will be introduced in Denmark after the recharging stations are built at parking lots and outside homes, Mr Agassi said. French car maker Renault will provide the vehicles and Japan's Nissan will make the Lithium-ion batteries under a partnership with Project Better Place announced earlier this year. Mr Agassi said other car makers and battery producers would join the project later.

The battery would allow a car to drive a maximum of 150 km before recharging, he said, adding that he expects the network to expand to other European countries soon. "We're in discussion with 30 countries - Europe, America and Asian nations," he told a news conference in Copenhagen.

When Israel's network was endorsed by the government there in January, supporters hailed it as a bold step in the battle against global warming and energy dependency, but sceptics warned that much could still go wrong along the way. DONG Energy chief executive Anders Eldrup said yesterday the grid would run on excess energy that its wind turbines generate on windy days. Windmills make up around 20 per cent of Denmark's electricity production.