www.businessspectator.com.au
15 Oct 2013
Italian energy group ERG plans to invest in wind power in Brazil and Europe, accelerating its expansion in the sector after its recent decision to exit the refining sector.
ERG, over 60% controlled by Italy's Garrone family, completed the acquisition of wind power assets from France's GDF Suez this year to become Italy's largest wind power player and one of the top ten in Europe.
Presenting the group's strategy in Vienna on Saturday, ERG chief executive Luca Bettone said ERG planned to invest in countries and areas which had strong wind conditions and were less dependent on government subsidies, such as South America.
"This company must look to growth and, since we are now the biggest wind player in Italy, must try to move outside our national borders", Bettone said in comments that were embargoed until Monday. "There are opportunities in this country (Brazil) and we think we'll enter the market with acquisitions".
ERG has transformed itself in recent years into a renewable energy company in order to counter declining profits at its refinery business. Last week it struck a deal to sell its remaining stake in the ISAB oil refinery in Sicily to Russia's Lukoil for around 400 million euros-a sale Bettone said would yield no special dividend from the proceeds.
ERG, which is now targeting a 20% rise in core earnings next year to around 600 million euros ($813.75 million), intends to invest some 500 million euros to 2015 to focus on renewable energy.
In Europe, Bettone said, the company aimed to enter the Spanish market while strengthening its position in Bulgaria and Romania where it has wind power assets. He also confirmed that TotalErg-the joint venture between ERG and France's Total-was interested in the Italian petrol distribution network that Shell is selling. TotalErg has a market share in Italy of 12% which would rise to 18% with the Shell network.
Friday, 18 October 2013
Collector Wind Farm project recommended to go ahead
www.smh.com.au
11 Oct 2013
The NSW Department of Planning released their final report on the $350 million project to the north of the ACT at the end of September, which recommended the project be approved. It has now been sent to the NSW Planning Assessment Commission (PAC) for final determination.
"The Department considers that the Project is justified and in the public interest and should be approved subject to the recommended conditions of approval and the proponent's statement of commitments", the report said.
RATCH-Australia, the company proposing to build the wind farm, said it was confident its proposal met all the environmental and social requirements for approval. Project manager Anthony Yeates welcomed the PAC's pending work with the community and said he hoped for a determination within months.
"Anyone who's interested should get in touch with the PAC", project manager Anthony Yeates said. "Hopefully there will be a decision made through the remainder of this year".
Should approval be granted by the end of the year, Mr Yeates said a two-year design and construction process would likely begin by the end of 2014, with the project possibly nearing completion by the end of 2016.
The community meeting with PAC commissioners Garry West, Richard Thorp and Brian Gilligan will be held at 4pm on Tuesday, October 29 at the Collector Memorial Hall. Parties wishing to comment at the meeting must register by October 24 by calling 02 9383 2112. More information is available via the PAC website.
11 Oct 2013
The NSW Department of Planning released their final report on the $350 million project to the north of the ACT at the end of September, which recommended the project be approved. It has now been sent to the NSW Planning Assessment Commission (PAC) for final determination.
"The Department considers that the Project is justified and in the public interest and should be approved subject to the recommended conditions of approval and the proponent's statement of commitments", the report said.
RATCH-Australia, the company proposing to build the wind farm, said it was confident its proposal met all the environmental and social requirements for approval. Project manager Anthony Yeates welcomed the PAC's pending work with the community and said he hoped for a determination within months.
"Anyone who's interested should get in touch with the PAC", project manager Anthony Yeates said. "Hopefully there will be a decision made through the remainder of this year".
Should approval be granted by the end of the year, Mr Yeates said a two-year design and construction process would likely begin by the end of 2014, with the project possibly nearing completion by the end of 2016.
The community meeting with PAC commissioners Garry West, Richard Thorp and Brian Gilligan will be held at 4pm on Tuesday, October 29 at the Collector Memorial Hall. Parties wishing to comment at the meeting must register by October 24 by calling 02 9383 2112. More information is available via the PAC website.
Wind-farm at a standstill
www.tenterfieldstar.com.au
16 Oct 2013
PROGRESS on a wind farm at Bungulla has stunted with testing still ongoing nearly four years after it began.
In late 2009 a wind speed mast was erected in Bungulla to test the viability of a future wind farm, but the development manager in charge of the project from RES Southern Cross Australia, Annette Devison, said it was "still early days". "These investigations typically take a long time", Ms Devison said. "The mast is still there testing but there are no plans to go forward at this stage".
At this stage wind farms in the New England region haven't been affected by the Federal Governments scrapping of the Clean Energy Finance Corporation, but Ms Devison said there was uneasiness in the industry at the moment.
"There is a degree of uncertainty in the industry right now", she said. "It's a reasonable comment to say [the industry] it's at a bit of a standstill. "Things aren't stopping but are cautiously moving forward".
If a wind farm project at Bungulla was to be approved it would mean the construction of a new section of line to an existing power-line and further collaboration with Tenterfield Upper Lachlan Council Upper Lachlan Council. But Ms Devison said there hadn't been any recent contact with council. "There are no ongoing discussions with the council but they would be the first port of call when a decision is made.
Bungulla property owner, Brian Chorley, indicated he was still relatively in the dark when it came to the testing being done on his property. "VICOSC don't get much feedback from RES Southern Cross", Mr Chorley said. "It's on and off-it was around Christmas the last time VICOSC spoke to someone.
Mr Chorley said he was aware of wind farms around the Glen Innes area going through "serious negotiations". "VICOSC think they are getting to the nitty gritty stuff", he said. "We'll have to wait and see-there are a lot of steps involved and government assessments".
Wind speed tests were previously done on the eastern side of Tenterfield some years ago but eventuated into nothing, and Mr Chorley said that could be the likelihood here too. "They just disappeared and this might disappear too", he said. RES Southern Cross Australia received construction approval for a project in Taralga, north of Goulburn, back in 2007.
Sixty-two turbines are set to be constructed and the Bungulla project could reach similar numbers depending on available land. Mr Chorley said he would be open to having that number of turbines on his land. "There was a timeframe at one stage but we'll just have to wait and see what negotiations bring", he said.
16 Oct 2013
PROGRESS on a wind farm at Bungulla has stunted with testing still ongoing nearly four years after it began.In late 2009 a wind speed mast was erected in Bungulla to test the viability of a future wind farm, but the development manager in charge of the project from RES Southern Cross Australia, Annette Devison, said it was "still early days". "These investigations typically take a long time", Ms Devison said. "The mast is still there testing but there are no plans to go forward at this stage".
At this stage wind farms in the New England region haven't been affected by the Federal Governments scrapping of the Clean Energy Finance Corporation, but Ms Devison said there was uneasiness in the industry at the moment.
"There is a degree of uncertainty in the industry right now", she said. "It's a reasonable comment to say [the industry] it's at a bit of a standstill. "Things aren't stopping but are cautiously moving forward".
If a wind farm project at Bungulla was to be approved it would mean the construction of a new section of line to an existing power-line and further collaboration with Tenterfield Upper Lachlan Council Upper Lachlan Council. But Ms Devison said there hadn't been any recent contact with council. "There are no ongoing discussions with the council but they would be the first port of call when a decision is made.
Bungulla property owner, Brian Chorley, indicated he was still relatively in the dark when it came to the testing being done on his property. "VICOSC don't get much feedback from RES Southern Cross", Mr Chorley said. "It's on and off-it was around Christmas the last time VICOSC spoke to someone.
Mr Chorley said he was aware of wind farms around the Glen Innes area going through "serious negotiations". "VICOSC think they are getting to the nitty gritty stuff", he said. "We'll have to wait and see-there are a lot of steps involved and government assessments".
Wind speed tests were previously done on the eastern side of Tenterfield some years ago but eventuated into nothing, and Mr Chorley said that could be the likelihood here too. "They just disappeared and this might disappear too", he said. RES Southern Cross Australia received construction approval for a project in Taralga, north of Goulburn, back in 2007.
Sixty-two turbines are set to be constructed and the Bungulla project could reach similar numbers depending on available land. Mr Chorley said he would be open to having that number of turbines on his land. "There was a timeframe at one stage but we'll just have to wait and see what negotiations bring", he said.
Wednesday, 16 October 2013
Gamesa signs agreement with Iberdrola to supply wind turbines for Penascal expansion project
wind.energy-business-review.com
10 Oct 2013
Gamesa Corp and Iberdrola Renewables have signed a supply agreement for the 202MW Baffin wind farm project, which is an extension to the Penascal wind power complex in Texas. Under the agreement set to begin in mid-2014, Gamesa Corp will supply, install and commission 101xG97 wind turbines of 2MW each for the project, which is likely to become operational by the end of 2014.
To be built with an estimated cost of around $400m, the under-construction project will increase the Penascal complex's total capacity to 606MW, thus becoming Iberdrola's largest renewable energy facility in the world. Located in Kenedy County, the complex is likely to generate enough electricity to power 210,000 households and curb 850,000 tons of CO₂ emissions annually.
Pending approval from the local government, the project will significantly contribute to growth of the local economy by creating up to 240 jobs during construction phase and eight fulltime operational jobs. As one of the largest wind developers, Iberdrola can use the contracted turbines at other US sites if it fails to secure approval from the local government.
The agreement represents Gamesa Corp strengthen its position as Iberdrola's main wind turbine supplier as it provided 9,000MW out of 14,000MW turbines Iberdrola installed worldwide.
10 Oct 2013
Gamesa Corp and Iberdrola Renewables have signed a supply agreement for the 202MW Baffin wind farm project, which is an extension to the Penascal wind power complex in Texas. Under the agreement set to begin in mid-2014, Gamesa Corp will supply, install and commission 101xG97 wind turbines of 2MW each for the project, which is likely to become operational by the end of 2014.
To be built with an estimated cost of around $400m, the under-construction project will increase the Penascal complex's total capacity to 606MW, thus becoming Iberdrola's largest renewable energy facility in the world. Located in Kenedy County, the complex is likely to generate enough electricity to power 210,000 households and curb 850,000 tons of CO₂ emissions annually.
Pending approval from the local government, the project will significantly contribute to growth of the local economy by creating up to 240 jobs during construction phase and eight fulltime operational jobs. As one of the largest wind developers, Iberdrola can use the contracted turbines at other US sites if it fails to secure approval from the local government.
The agreement represents Gamesa Corp strengthen its position as Iberdrola's main wind turbine supplier as it provided 9,000MW out of 14,000MW turbines Iberdrola installed worldwide.
Archimede Solar Energy supplies the 4th release of molten salt receiving tubes for Archimede ISCC
www.csp-world.com
10 Oct 2013
Italian CSP receiver tubes manufacturer Archimede Solar Energy (ASE), has supplied the 4th release of Molten Salt receiving tubes to Archimede ISCC Plant in Sicily, Italy.
The new tubes have been installed in order to maximize the performance of the solar field, in accordance to the long term and profitable cooperation agreement between Enel Green Power-tha plant owner-and ASE. Archimede ISCC is the world's first and largest parabolic trough concentrated solar power plant operating with Molten Salt as HTF, based on technology developed by Italy's research center ENEA.
ASE claims to be the first and most experienced manufacturer of receiver tubes, stable at high temperature and suitable for Molten Salts. With thousands hours of tests and operation since 2007, the tubes have been constantly improved optimising the best optical and thermal performances and guaranteeing the required durability of the most rigorous market standards.
The company says that molten salts are considered as the preferred HTF to enable the necessary technology leap that the CSP industry is expecting. A clear sign of this trend is demonstrated from the growing number of new entrants in every segment of the value chain. This confirms the efforts that ENEL, ASE, ENEA and the Italian supply chain have taken during the last years.
In order to increase the know-how about Molten Salts and improve consistently the receiver tubes, ASE is operating since last July 2013 the first stand alone Parabolic Trough Molten Salt Test Loop (realized with the effort of Chiyoda and of other contributors) located close to the ASE manufacturing plant in Massa Martana, as previously reported here at CSP World. The test loop is confirming the excellent performances of last ASE receivers and the reliable operability of MS parabolic trough plant even in location with poor DNI resource, like the central part of Italy.
Apart from the Archimede ISCC Plant, ASE already secured the exclusivity, as receiver tubes supplier, in several Molten Salts CSP projects planned in Italy, China and Egypt for about 300 MW.
On July 2012, the Italian Minister of Economic Development and the Minister of Environment approved a new decree that regulates the renewable energy market. The new decree includes CSP as key RES Southern Cross for the Italian Renewable Energy Mix. In order to benefit from the incentive, the following two conditions have to be observed:
Archimede Solar Energy, a subsidiary of Angelantoni Group, is the most experienced manufacturer of receiver tubes to be used wth molten salt as heat transfer fluid. The company also produces receiver tubes for Oil and DSG-Direct Steam Generation (mainly superheated) based solar thermal power plants. ASE's current production capacity reaches 75,000 tubes per year, expandable to 140,000 receivers per year to reach an equivalent of 350MWe per year.
10 Oct 2013
Italian CSP receiver tubes manufacturer Archimede Solar Energy (ASE), has supplied the 4th release of Molten Salt receiving tubes to Archimede ISCC Plant in Sicily, Italy.The new tubes have been installed in order to maximize the performance of the solar field, in accordance to the long term and profitable cooperation agreement between Enel Green Power-tha plant owner-and ASE. Archimede ISCC is the world's first and largest parabolic trough concentrated solar power plant operating with Molten Salt as HTF, based on technology developed by Italy's research center ENEA.
ASE claims to be the first and most experienced manufacturer of receiver tubes, stable at high temperature and suitable for Molten Salts. With thousands hours of tests and operation since 2007, the tubes have been constantly improved optimising the best optical and thermal performances and guaranteeing the required durability of the most rigorous market standards.
The company says that molten salts are considered as the preferred HTF to enable the necessary technology leap that the CSP industry is expecting. A clear sign of this trend is demonstrated from the growing number of new entrants in every segment of the value chain. This confirms the efforts that ENEL, ASE, ENEA and the Italian supply chain have taken during the last years.
In order to increase the know-how about Molten Salts and improve consistently the receiver tubes, ASE is operating since last July 2013 the first stand alone Parabolic Trough Molten Salt Test Loop (realized with the effort of Chiyoda and of other contributors) located close to the ASE manufacturing plant in Massa Martana, as previously reported here at CSP World. The test loop is confirming the excellent performances of last ASE receivers and the reliable operability of MS parabolic trough plant even in location with poor DNI resource, like the central part of Italy.
Apart from the Archimede ISCC Plant, ASE already secured the exclusivity, as receiver tubes supplier, in several Molten Salts CSP projects planned in Italy, China and Egypt for about 300 MW.
On July 2012, the Italian Minister of Economic Development and the Minister of Environment approved a new decree that regulates the renewable energy market. The new decree includes CSP as key RES Southern Cross for the Italian Renewable Energy Mix. In order to benefit from the incentive, the following two conditions have to be observed:
- It is mandatory to use a non-polluting and no flammable heat transfer fluid, unless the solar plant is in an industrial area (this requirement allows molten salt while rejecting the most widely used thermal oils).
- Installations must show the minimum thermal storage capacity established by the Decree
Archimede Solar Energy, a subsidiary of Angelantoni Group, is the most experienced manufacturer of receiver tubes to be used wth molten salt as heat transfer fluid. The company also produces receiver tubes for Oil and DSG-Direct Steam Generation (mainly superheated) based solar thermal power plants. ASE's current production capacity reaches 75,000 tubes per year, expandable to 140,000 receivers per year to reach an equivalent of 350MWe per year.
Tuesday, 15 October 2013
IFA confirms significant wind farm uptake
www.agriland.ie
9 Oct 2013
The Irish Farmers Association (IFA) has secured the best possible wind farm development negotiations for farmers across Ireland and it is up to the individual farmer to seek professional advice on legal, tax and proper planning.
This is according to Jer Bergin, the association's climate change and renewables spokesman, who noted a significant number of farmers across the Midlands have signed wind farm energy contracts, in the region of 1,000 farmers, within the past six months.
"We recently negotiated legal improvements for all farmers and retrospective improvements for approximately 200 farmers. These farmers are now happy. In general, farmers need to consider very carefully leasing their land to wind farm developers. A wind turbine is a permanent structure and it needs to be considered very carefully by farmers and farmer families", he said.
The IFA published its strategy document on this area, entitled Harnessing Ireland's Wind Resource for Renewable Energy Production.It sets out a useful reference for landowners/farmers. This report a guide to the financial arrangements between individual farmers and wind development companies.
The key elements include an annual payment during the period of the agreement of €1,000; minimum annual lease payments of 6000/MW or €18,000; a payment of 3% of the energy price; and green credits up to year 15, and 5% thereafter.
The agreement also sets out that there will be full compensation for any losses in terms of forestry losses, REPS, Area Aid and/or Single Farm Payment. The deal also includes consultation regarding location of access roads and a payment of €10,000 €18,000 on receipt of planning.
The document also proposes that all wind development companies establish a community fund for each wind project. The fund in question must last for the duration of the wind project and its value should be one% of the annual revenue generated by the project or €2,500 per MW, whichever is the greater, it recommends.
According to the IFA document, the current proposed development in the Midlands is projected to contribute €2.5bn in gross electricity income. "This is the same value as the total annual dairy exports and 1.5 times beef exports in 2011", it noted.
9 Oct 2013
The Irish Farmers Association (IFA) has secured the best possible wind farm development negotiations for farmers across Ireland and it is up to the individual farmer to seek professional advice on legal, tax and proper planning.This is according to Jer Bergin, the association's climate change and renewables spokesman, who noted a significant number of farmers across the Midlands have signed wind farm energy contracts, in the region of 1,000 farmers, within the past six months.
"We recently negotiated legal improvements for all farmers and retrospective improvements for approximately 200 farmers. These farmers are now happy. In general, farmers need to consider very carefully leasing their land to wind farm developers. A wind turbine is a permanent structure and it needs to be considered very carefully by farmers and farmer families", he said.
The IFA published its strategy document on this area, entitled Harnessing Ireland's Wind Resource for Renewable Energy Production.It sets out a useful reference for landowners/farmers. This report a guide to the financial arrangements between individual farmers and wind development companies.
The key elements include an annual payment during the period of the agreement of €1,000; minimum annual lease payments of 6000/MW or €18,000; a payment of 3% of the energy price; and green credits up to year 15, and 5% thereafter.
The agreement also sets out that there will be full compensation for any losses in terms of forestry losses, REPS, Area Aid and/or Single Farm Payment. The deal also includes consultation regarding location of access roads and a payment of €10,000 €18,000 on receipt of planning.
The document also proposes that all wind development companies establish a community fund for each wind project. The fund in question must last for the duration of the wind project and its value should be one% of the annual revenue generated by the project or €2,500 per MW, whichever is the greater, it recommends.
According to the IFA document, the current proposed development in the Midlands is projected to contribute €2.5bn in gross electricity income. "This is the same value as the total annual dairy exports and 1.5 times beef exports in 2011", it noted.
Solar power stored at Arizona plant
www.upi.com
9 Oct 2013
PHOENIX, Oct. 9 (UPI)--Spanish energy company Abengoa said Wednesday its Solana solar plant in Arizona produced electricity without direct sunlight in its first commercial test.
The company said Wednesday the facility, about 70 miles southwest of Phoenix, has an installed capacity of 280 MWs of energy and can store the sun's power for six hours via thermal energy. The facility uses concave mirrors to focus the sun's rays to power a conventional steam turbine.
Abengoa said it was able to produce electricity from the steam turbines after the sun went down for six hours using only the thermal energy storage capacity of the facility. State utility company Arizona Public Service has a 30 year agreement with Abengoa to purchase electricity from the plant. The Solana facility will have the ability to meet the annual energy needs of 70,000 households.
Abengoa said the facility is the first of its kind in the United States, which it said was a "turning point" for renewable energy in the country. The company said the plan represents a $2 billion investment. It said it received financial support through a $1.45 billion loan guarantee from the federal government.
9 Oct 2013
PHOENIX, Oct. 9 (UPI)--Spanish energy company Abengoa said Wednesday its Solana solar plant in Arizona produced electricity without direct sunlight in its first commercial test.
The company said Wednesday the facility, about 70 miles southwest of Phoenix, has an installed capacity of 280 MWs of energy and can store the sun's power for six hours via thermal energy. The facility uses concave mirrors to focus the sun's rays to power a conventional steam turbine.
Abengoa said it was able to produce electricity from the steam turbines after the sun went down for six hours using only the thermal energy storage capacity of the facility. State utility company Arizona Public Service has a 30 year agreement with Abengoa to purchase electricity from the plant. The Solana facility will have the ability to meet the annual energy needs of 70,000 households.
Abengoa said the facility is the first of its kind in the United States, which it said was a "turning point" for renewable energy in the country. The company said the plan represents a $2 billion investment. It said it received financial support through a $1.45 billion loan guarantee from the federal government.
Friday, 11 October 2013
Tata Power arm to buy wind farm in Gujarat
www.thehindu.com
8 Oct 2013
Tata Power, on Tuesday, said that it would acquire a 39.2 MW wind farm in Gujarat in a move that would scale up its renewable energy portfolio.
The company's 100% subsidiary, Tata Power Renewable Energy Ltd. (TPREL), has signed a share purchase agreement (SPA) with AES Corp for acquisition of the US company's 100% shareholding in AES Saurashtra Windfarms Pvt Ltd. (ASW). The financial details of the transaction were not disclosed.
It costs about Rs. 6 crore to set up one MW of wind power capacity. The reason behind the exit of AES from this project is not known. ASW owns and operates a 39.2 MW wind farm in Jamnagar district of Gujarat.
The project has been fully operational since January, 2012, and ASW has executed a power purchase agreement with Gujarat Urja Vikas Nigam Ltd, for sale of electricity at a tariff of Rs. 3.56/kW for the duration of the project.
TPREL was selected as the preferred bidder for the sale, and the acquisition is subject to certain conditions. The deal is expected to go through in a few months time, Tata Power said.
With this deal, Tata Power's wind operational generation capacity will go up to 437 MW, with wind turbine generators located across five states, including Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.
"Tata Power is committed to generating 20 25% of its total generation capacity from clean energy sources, and is proud to have signed this SPA. This is our second acquisition of an operating wind asset and we are constantly looking out for similar opportunities in respect of wind and solar plants", Anil Sardana, Managing Director, Tata Power, said in a statement.
8 Oct 2013
Tata Power, on Tuesday, said that it would acquire a 39.2 MW wind farm in Gujarat in a move that would scale up its renewable energy portfolio.
The company's 100% subsidiary, Tata Power Renewable Energy Ltd. (TPREL), has signed a share purchase agreement (SPA) with AES Corp for acquisition of the US company's 100% shareholding in AES Saurashtra Windfarms Pvt Ltd. (ASW). The financial details of the transaction were not disclosed.
It costs about Rs. 6 crore to set up one MW of wind power capacity. The reason behind the exit of AES from this project is not known. ASW owns and operates a 39.2 MW wind farm in Jamnagar district of Gujarat.
The project has been fully operational since January, 2012, and ASW has executed a power purchase agreement with Gujarat Urja Vikas Nigam Ltd, for sale of electricity at a tariff of Rs. 3.56/kW for the duration of the project.
TPREL was selected as the preferred bidder for the sale, and the acquisition is subject to certain conditions. The deal is expected to go through in a few months time, Tata Power said.
With this deal, Tata Power's wind operational generation capacity will go up to 437 MW, with wind turbine generators located across five states, including Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.
"Tata Power is committed to generating 20 25% of its total generation capacity from clean energy sources, and is proud to have signed this SPA. This is our second acquisition of an operating wind asset and we are constantly looking out for similar opportunities in respect of wind and solar plants", Anil Sardana, Managing Director, Tata Power, said in a statement.
Turkey's first nuclear power plant likely to be delayed
www.chicagotribune.com
8 Oct 2013
ANKARA (Reuters)-Turkey's first nuclear power plant is likely to be delayed by at least a year, a source close to the plans said on Tuesday, as bureaucratic hurdles hamper the $20 billion project.
Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan has been an advocate of the country's ambitious nuclear program, meant to help reduce its dependence on costly hydrocarbon imports by providing 10% of its electricity needs by 2023.
But its first planned 4,800 MW plant, being built by Russia's Rosatom, is already falling behind schedule, with the first reactor unlikely to be operational by 2019 as planned.
"Production in 2019 is not possible. 2020 is more likely", one source close to the project told Reuters, noting that a nuclear reactor on this scale would need a test period of at least six to 12 months before it could be fully operational.
The start of construction for the Mersin Akkuyu plant in southern Turkey is scheduled for mid-2015 and by 2023 all four planned reactors are meant to have started generating power, but the project has still to obtain a construction license and has been hampered by other delays over the summer.
An environmental report by Rosatom, which requires approval by Turkish authorities, had to be resubmitted to the Environment Ministry in September, months behind the planned schedule. Without approval, Atomstroyexport, the main contractor chosen by Rosatom to build the reactors, cannot launch tenders for an estimated $7.5 8.0 billion worth of subcontracts.
The source said he expected the tenders to be launched once the environmental assessment paper was approved, which he predicted would happen by the end of November.
Paperwork
A tender by the Turkish Atomic Energy Authority (TAEK) for a firm to review and assess Rosatom's reactor plans to ensure the design meets safety standards has been cancelled several times after bidders failed to meet the pre-qualification criteria.
Aaron Stein, associate fellow at the British defense and security think-tank the Royal United Services Institute, sees this as among the most serious risks to the timeline.
"It all depends on whether they can get their tender documents going and all the indications right now are that they're having extreme difficulties", he said. "Let's assume they're going to go ahead with construction in 2016, that would still be three years to build one reactor and seven years to build all four. That is really, really fast".
Turkey's power market looks to be alone in Europe in offering promising returns. Electricity consumption rose 5% to 242 billion kW hours (kW) in 2012 and energy demand growth forecasts are second only to those of China.
Turkey needs to add some 3,500 MW of installed power capacity annually to keep pace. Its second planned nuclear plant was awarded in May to a Japanese-French consortium. Japan's Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd and Itochu Corporation, with France's GDF Suez, will build the 4,800 MW plant at an estimated cost of $22 billion in the Black Sea coastal city of Sinop.
Industry sources have said the first reactor at that plant is slated to come online by 2023.
8 Oct 2013
ANKARA (Reuters)-Turkey's first nuclear power plant is likely to be delayed by at least a year, a source close to the plans said on Tuesday, as bureaucratic hurdles hamper the $20 billion project.
Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan has been an advocate of the country's ambitious nuclear program, meant to help reduce its dependence on costly hydrocarbon imports by providing 10% of its electricity needs by 2023.
But its first planned 4,800 MW plant, being built by Russia's Rosatom, is already falling behind schedule, with the first reactor unlikely to be operational by 2019 as planned.
"Production in 2019 is not possible. 2020 is more likely", one source close to the project told Reuters, noting that a nuclear reactor on this scale would need a test period of at least six to 12 months before it could be fully operational.
The start of construction for the Mersin Akkuyu plant in southern Turkey is scheduled for mid-2015 and by 2023 all four planned reactors are meant to have started generating power, but the project has still to obtain a construction license and has been hampered by other delays over the summer.
An environmental report by Rosatom, which requires approval by Turkish authorities, had to be resubmitted to the Environment Ministry in September, months behind the planned schedule. Without approval, Atomstroyexport, the main contractor chosen by Rosatom to build the reactors, cannot launch tenders for an estimated $7.5 8.0 billion worth of subcontracts.
The source said he expected the tenders to be launched once the environmental assessment paper was approved, which he predicted would happen by the end of November.
Paperwork
A tender by the Turkish Atomic Energy Authority (TAEK) for a firm to review and assess Rosatom's reactor plans to ensure the design meets safety standards has been cancelled several times after bidders failed to meet the pre-qualification criteria.
Aaron Stein, associate fellow at the British defense and security think-tank the Royal United Services Institute, sees this as among the most serious risks to the timeline.
"It all depends on whether they can get their tender documents going and all the indications right now are that they're having extreme difficulties", he said. "Let's assume they're going to go ahead with construction in 2016, that would still be three years to build one reactor and seven years to build all four. That is really, really fast".
Turkey's power market looks to be alone in Europe in offering promising returns. Electricity consumption rose 5% to 242 billion kW hours (kW) in 2012 and energy demand growth forecasts are second only to those of China.
Turkey needs to add some 3,500 MW of installed power capacity annually to keep pace. Its second planned nuclear plant was awarded in May to a Japanese-French consortium. Japan's Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd and Itochu Corporation, with France's GDF Suez, will build the 4,800 MW plant at an estimated cost of $22 billion in the Black Sea coastal city of Sinop.
Industry sources have said the first reactor at that plant is slated to come online by 2023.
Albertans losing no sleep over wind power
www.theglobeandmail.com
8 Oct 2013
Controversy that has marked Ontario's rapid growth in wind power has been largely absent in Alberta, where the industry has operated for two decades and now has the third-largest installed generation capacity of the green energy source in Canada.
Wind farm operators in the Western province have had to work to solve environmental problems, notably bat and bird deaths, which have led to operational changes at some developments.
But public complaints about facilities, which are concentrated in the breezy and sparsely populated southern part of the province best known for fossil fuel development, are almost non-existent, according to recent research into what is seen as one of the most commercially viable forms of alternative energy.
That is in sharp contrast to Ontario, where groups have been established to oppose wind power and publicize potential human-health effects of facilities near homes. Government policies there aimed at promoting green energy have led to brisk activity in wind farm construction.
"We're not seeing the same type of organized push-back in Alberta", said Tim Weis, director of renewable energy and efficiency policy for the Pembina Institute, a non-profit environmental think tank.
Some of the wind farms in Alberta, especially in the southwest, are relatively close to population centres. Public attitudes may be more accepting because many Albertans already have experience living close to conventional energy facilities, Mr. Weis said. In addition, virtually all commercial wind developments in the province are on privately owned land.
Mr. Weis contributed to a Pembina study this summer that found the Alberta Utilities Commission, the provincial regulator governing commercial-scale wind farms, has not received a single complaint related to the facilities since 2000 in 31,000 "contacts" with the public. wind farm operators reported 10 complaints. By contrast, the oil-and-gas regulator has fielded more than 200 complaints per year about fossil fuel operations affecting residents.
Read More…
8 Oct 2013
Controversy that has marked Ontario's rapid growth in wind power has been largely absent in Alberta, where the industry has operated for two decades and now has the third-largest installed generation capacity of the green energy source in Canada.
Wind farm operators in the Western province have had to work to solve environmental problems, notably bat and bird deaths, which have led to operational changes at some developments.
But public complaints about facilities, which are concentrated in the breezy and sparsely populated southern part of the province best known for fossil fuel development, are almost non-existent, according to recent research into what is seen as one of the most commercially viable forms of alternative energy.
That is in sharp contrast to Ontario, where groups have been established to oppose wind power and publicize potential human-health effects of facilities near homes. Government policies there aimed at promoting green energy have led to brisk activity in wind farm construction.
"We're not seeing the same type of organized push-back in Alberta", said Tim Weis, director of renewable energy and efficiency policy for the Pembina Institute, a non-profit environmental think tank.
Some of the wind farms in Alberta, especially in the southwest, are relatively close to population centres. Public attitudes may be more accepting because many Albertans already have experience living close to conventional energy facilities, Mr. Weis said. In addition, virtually all commercial wind developments in the province are on privately owned land.
Mr. Weis contributed to a Pembina study this summer that found the Alberta Utilities Commission, the provincial regulator governing commercial-scale wind farms, has not received a single complaint related to the facilities since 2000 in 31,000 "contacts" with the public. wind farm operators reported 10 complaints. By contrast, the oil-and-gas regulator has fielded more than 200 complaints per year about fossil fuel operations affecting residents.
Read More…
Thursday, 10 October 2013
JGC to Build Second Solar Power Plant in Japan for $102 Million
www.bloomberg.com
1 Oct 2013
JGC Corp. (1963), a Japanese constructor of industrial facilities, said it will build a 31 MW solar power station in Chiba prefecture, near Tokyo, its second such project in the country.
Construction for the 10 billion yen ($102 million) plant will start in March and operations will start in January 2015, the Yokohama, Kanagawa prefecture-based company said in a statement yesterday.
JGC Corp will undertake engineering, procurement, and construction work for the plant and manage it for 20 years, it said. The company signed an agreement for project financing on Sept. 27 with Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp., Chiba Bank Ltd. (8331) and Joyo Bank Ltd., it said in the statement.
1 Oct 2013
JGC Corp. (1963), a Japanese constructor of industrial facilities, said it will build a 31 MW solar power station in Chiba prefecture, near Tokyo, its second such project in the country.
Construction for the 10 billion yen ($102 million) plant will start in March and operations will start in January 2015, the Yokohama, Kanagawa prefecture-based company said in a statement yesterday.
JGC Corp will undertake engineering, procurement, and construction work for the plant and manage it for 20 years, it said. The company signed an agreement for project financing on Sept. 27 with Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp., Chiba Bank Ltd. (8331) and Joyo Bank Ltd., it said in the statement.
Solar power from giant mirrors flows into California's grid
www.forbes.com
24 Sep 2013
BrightSource Energy's massive solar farm in a remote corner of California delivered its first flow of power to the grid, an important step for demonstrating that the project is on the final path to become a fully operating power plant, the company said Tuesday.
BrightSource Energy achieved what is called the "first sync" with the project, Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating System, where for the first time the steam was sent to one of its three turbines for generating electricity and synching to the grid. Ivanpah is the first commercial power plant project in the United States for BrightSource Energy, which owns a stake in the project along with NRG Energy NRG Energy +0.77% and Google GOOG-1.42%.
The project also is one of the massive solar power projects being built in California to enable the state to meet its goal of using an increasing amount of renewable electricity. The state's mandate requires 33% of its utilities power supplies to come from renewable sources such as solar, wind, geothermal and biomass by 2020.
The project has a 392 MW capacity but is set to deliver 377 MWs to the Pacific Gas and Electric and Southern California Edison, It's sized to deliver enough power to about 140,000 homes per year.
Ivanpah is made up of three power generation stations. The "first sync" milestone took place at Unit 1, and the same step will be done at Unit 2 and Unit 3 soon. Unit 2 and Unit 3 are scheduled to start delivering electricity to the grid by the end of the year.
Read More…
24 Sep 2013
BrightSource Energy's massive solar farm in a remote corner of California delivered its first flow of power to the grid, an important step for demonstrating that the project is on the final path to become a fully operating power plant, the company said Tuesday.BrightSource Energy achieved what is called the "first sync" with the project, Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating System, where for the first time the steam was sent to one of its three turbines for generating electricity and synching to the grid. Ivanpah is the first commercial power plant project in the United States for BrightSource Energy, which owns a stake in the project along with NRG Energy NRG Energy +0.77% and Google GOOG-1.42%.
The project also is one of the massive solar power projects being built in California to enable the state to meet its goal of using an increasing amount of renewable electricity. The state's mandate requires 33% of its utilities power supplies to come from renewable sources such as solar, wind, geothermal and biomass by 2020.
The project has a 392 MW capacity but is set to deliver 377 MWs to the Pacific Gas and Electric and Southern California Edison, It's sized to deliver enough power to about 140,000 homes per year.
Ivanpah is made up of three power generation stations. The "first sync" milestone took place at Unit 1, and the same step will be done at Unit 2 and Unit 3 soon. Unit 2 and Unit 3 are scheduled to start delivering electricity to the grid by the end of the year.
Read More…
ABB Australia to supply equipment for Perth wave energy project
hydro.energy-business-review.com
19 Sep 2013
ABB Australia has won a contract from Carnegie Corporation Wave Energy for the onshore plant and process control system, which will be installed at the Perth wave energy project. ABB and Carnegie Corporation are likely to start initial onsite earthworks for the onshore plant in the near future.
To be located at Garden Island, Western Australia, the project calls for the installation and operation of four to eight submerged commercial scale Cylindrical Energy Transfer Oscillating (CETO) units with commissioning set for the first quarter of 2014.
Backed by Australian government funding through the Emerging Renewables Program, and the Western Australian State Government through the Low Emissions Energy Development fund, the project will sell its output to the Department of Defence for HMAS Stirling located on Garden Island.
Carnegie Corporation COO Greg Allen said that the company has awarded a contract to ABB for onshore plant and process control system, which is the final key element of the Perth wave energy project. "With all key elements ordered, and manufacture underway, we are making considerable progress toward the delivery of the Perth Wave Energy Project", added Allen.
19 Sep 2013
ABB Australia has won a contract from Carnegie Corporation Wave Energy for the onshore plant and process control system, which will be installed at the Perth wave energy project. ABB and Carnegie Corporation are likely to start initial onsite earthworks for the onshore plant in the near future.
To be located at Garden Island, Western Australia, the project calls for the installation and operation of four to eight submerged commercial scale Cylindrical Energy Transfer Oscillating (CETO) units with commissioning set for the first quarter of 2014.
Backed by Australian government funding through the Emerging Renewables Program, and the Western Australian State Government through the Low Emissions Energy Development fund, the project will sell its output to the Department of Defence for HMAS Stirling located on Garden Island.
Carnegie Corporation COO Greg Allen said that the company has awarded a contract to ABB for onshore plant and process control system, which is the final key element of the Perth wave energy project. "With all key elements ordered, and manufacture underway, we are making considerable progress toward the delivery of the Perth Wave Energy Project", added Allen.
Wednesday, 9 October 2013
Planning body dismisses anti-wind claims
www.weeklytimesnow.com.au
10 Sep 2013
NSW Planning Assessment Commissions have given plans for the Bodangora wind farm in Dubbo, NSW, the green light. The PAC's recent tick of approval has come just a few weeks before the VCAT hearings on Victoria's Cherry Tree Range wind farm proposal which is scheduled to resume on September 27.
Both wind farm projects have caused controversy within surrounding communities but Friends of the Earth renewables spokesperson Leigh Ewbank said much of the controversy is brought about by the anti-wind farm scare campaign. "The PAC's approval of the Bodangora wind farm shows that planning authorities base their decisions on credible research, not pseudoscience claiming that wind farms harm human health", Mr Ewbank said.
Aside from approving the Bodangora wind farm PAC also dismissed health concerns brought to the attention of the commissioners by anti-wind farm campaigners.
The PAC report stated that: "NSW Health noted that the symptoms reported by residents concerned by wind farms are also reported by those living near other new developments of various kinds. Studies suggest these symptoms are suggestible, ie, if individuals are expecting to be impacted they will be more likely to report symptoms. It was also suggested that the visibility of the turbines influenced the likelihood of complaints from a neighbour".
Mr Ewbank said Friends of the Earth would hope VCAT take the ruling of the PAC into account when deciding the fate of the Cherry Tree Range proposal. "VCAT recently approved a fast food outlet in the Dandenong Ranges that mostly sells unhealthy food. It would be bizarre if they failed to approve a wind farm that produces clean and safe renewable energy", Mr Ewbank said.
He said the anti-wind farm lobby has made a concerted effort to turn the Mitchell Upper Lachlan Council community against the Cherry Tree Range wind farm proposal.
"The anti-wind farm organisers divide communities with their fear campaign and distract people from the local benefits of renewable energy", Mr Ewbank said. "The Cherry Tree Range will deliver jobs and drought-proof income for farmers and the community. It will allow the region to claim a leadership position in addressing climate change".
Based on estimates by Friends of the Earth, the Cherry Tree Range wind farm will generate up to $80,000 for a community fund each year, contribute $76,000 worth of rates each year, inject $1.2 million worth of flow on economic benefit to the economy and produce enough electricity to power 26,000 homes and prevent 150,000 tonnes of carbon emissions from entering the atmosphere each year.
10 Sep 2013
NSW Planning Assessment Commissions have given plans for the Bodangora wind farm in Dubbo, NSW, the green light. The PAC's recent tick of approval has come just a few weeks before the VCAT hearings on Victoria's Cherry Tree Range wind farm proposal which is scheduled to resume on September 27.
Both wind farm projects have caused controversy within surrounding communities but Friends of the Earth renewables spokesperson Leigh Ewbank said much of the controversy is brought about by the anti-wind farm scare campaign. "The PAC's approval of the Bodangora wind farm shows that planning authorities base their decisions on credible research, not pseudoscience claiming that wind farms harm human health", Mr Ewbank said.
Aside from approving the Bodangora wind farm PAC also dismissed health concerns brought to the attention of the commissioners by anti-wind farm campaigners.
The PAC report stated that: "NSW Health noted that the symptoms reported by residents concerned by wind farms are also reported by those living near other new developments of various kinds. Studies suggest these symptoms are suggestible, ie, if individuals are expecting to be impacted they will be more likely to report symptoms. It was also suggested that the visibility of the turbines influenced the likelihood of complaints from a neighbour".
Mr Ewbank said Friends of the Earth would hope VCAT take the ruling of the PAC into account when deciding the fate of the Cherry Tree Range proposal. "VCAT recently approved a fast food outlet in the Dandenong Ranges that mostly sells unhealthy food. It would be bizarre if they failed to approve a wind farm that produces clean and safe renewable energy", Mr Ewbank said.
He said the anti-wind farm lobby has made a concerted effort to turn the Mitchell Upper Lachlan Council community against the Cherry Tree Range wind farm proposal.
"The anti-wind farm organisers divide communities with their fear campaign and distract people from the local benefits of renewable energy", Mr Ewbank said. "The Cherry Tree Range will deliver jobs and drought-proof income for farmers and the community. It will allow the region to claim a leadership position in addressing climate change".
Based on estimates by Friends of the Earth, the Cherry Tree Range wind farm will generate up to $80,000 for a community fund each year, contribute $76,000 worth of rates each year, inject $1.2 million worth of flow on economic benefit to the economy and produce enough electricity to power 26,000 homes and prevent 150,000 tonnes of carbon emissions from entering the atmosphere each year.
Oceanlinx moves closer to wave energy go-ahead
www.businessspectator.com.au
11 Sep 2013
Oceanlinx Ltd has applied for South Australia's first generation licence using wave energy conversion technology, located offshore of Port MacDonnell, South Australia.
Oceanlinx Limited intends on installing a wave energy converter with a name plate rating of 1000kW. The unit will be connected to the 11kV distribution grid via a subsea cable, the SA Essential Services Commission says. All of the electricity generated will be sold to an energy retailer.
No fuel is used to generate the electricity. The unit is powered from air flow driving a turbine connected to an asynchronous generator. This air flow is created by the passing of waves interacting with the structure which houses the turbo-mechanical and electrical equipment.
The application will be assessed against relevant criteria specified in the Electricity Act and the Essential Services Commission Act 2002. Comments in respect of the application should be provided on or before October 7, 2013. The application has been made pursuant to Part 3 of the Electricity Act 1996 (Electricity Act).
11 Sep 2013
Oceanlinx Ltd has applied for South Australia's first generation licence using wave energy conversion technology, located offshore of Port MacDonnell, South Australia.
Oceanlinx Limited intends on installing a wave energy converter with a name plate rating of 1000kW. The unit will be connected to the 11kV distribution grid via a subsea cable, the SA Essential Services Commission says. All of the electricity generated will be sold to an energy retailer.
No fuel is used to generate the electricity. The unit is powered from air flow driving a turbine connected to an asynchronous generator. This air flow is created by the passing of waves interacting with the structure which houses the turbo-mechanical and electrical equipment.
The application will be assessed against relevant criteria specified in the Electricity Act and the Essential Services Commission Act 2002. Comments in respect of the application should be provided on or before October 7, 2013. The application has been made pursuant to Part 3 of the Electricity Act 1996 (Electricity Act).
Solar energy could help South Australia break away from oil and coal
www.hydrogenfuelnews.com
6 Sep 2013
Wind and solar energy are gaining ground in Australia
The Australian Energy Market Operator has issued a new report concerning solar power in South Australia. The report suggests that the state could receive at least 50% of its energy from solar power within the next 10 years. Other forms of renewable energy could also help the state reach this goal. The report notes that nearly one in five homes in South Australia are equipped with rooftop photovoltaic systems.
Solar power continues to attract strong support
Solar energy has become a major focus throughout Australia. The country is currently working to distance itself from fossil fuels in order to find more economically viable forms of energy and mitigate its impact on the environment. Because the country is exposed to significant amounts of solar radiation year-round, Solar power has become one of the most popular forms of clean power. Solar energy does not encompass the country's interests in clean power, however, as wind power has also established itself as a priority.
Wind energy is also picking up momentum
The report shows that wind power already accounts for nearly 27% of the electricity in South Australia. New wind farms are scheduled to become active in the state in the coming years and these systems will contribute to the state's overall clean energy goals. The report notes that approximately 31% of the state's energy needs in the latter months of 2012 and early months of 2013 were met through wind power systems alone.
Over the next decade, wind and solar power are likely to begin reducing the need for fossil fuels in South Australia. The development of new renewable energy systems is also expected to have some impact on the state's economy. As new projects take root in the state, the need for workers spikes. New projects create new jobs, which help stimulate the local economy and provides the state with some degree of economic stability while it transitions away from conventional forms of energy.
6 Sep 2013
Wind and solar energy are gaining ground in Australia
The Australian Energy Market Operator has issued a new report concerning solar power in South Australia. The report suggests that the state could receive at least 50% of its energy from solar power within the next 10 years. Other forms of renewable energy could also help the state reach this goal. The report notes that nearly one in five homes in South Australia are equipped with rooftop photovoltaic systems.
Solar power continues to attract strong support
Solar energy has become a major focus throughout Australia. The country is currently working to distance itself from fossil fuels in order to find more economically viable forms of energy and mitigate its impact on the environment. Because the country is exposed to significant amounts of solar radiation year-round, Solar power has become one of the most popular forms of clean power. Solar energy does not encompass the country's interests in clean power, however, as wind power has also established itself as a priority.
Wind energy is also picking up momentum
The report shows that wind power already accounts for nearly 27% of the electricity in South Australia. New wind farms are scheduled to become active in the state in the coming years and these systems will contribute to the state's overall clean energy goals. The report notes that approximately 31% of the state's energy needs in the latter months of 2012 and early months of 2013 were met through wind power systems alone.
Over the next decade, wind and solar power are likely to begin reducing the need for fossil fuels in South Australia. The development of new renewable energy systems is also expected to have some impact on the state's economy. As new projects take root in the state, the need for workers spikes. New projects create new jobs, which help stimulate the local economy and provides the state with some degree of economic stability while it transitions away from conventional forms of energy.
Sunday, 15 September 2013
Nuclear power’s renaissance in reverse
www.mareeg.com
9 May 2013
PARIS-Last June, Yukiya Amano, the director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), declared that "nuclear power will make a significant and growing contribution to sustainable development in the coming decades". But, as this year's World Nuclear Industry Status Report highlights, recent trends paint a very different picture.
Duke Energy, America's largest utility, has shelved plans to build two reactors in Florida, after having spent $1 billion on the project. The decision came only three months after the company abandoned investment in two new units in North Carolina.
In fact, this year, four American utilities have decided to shut down a total of five reactors permanently-the first closures in the United States in 15 years. One of the units-Kewaunee Power Station in Wisconsin-was abandoned after massive investment in upgrades and a 60 year license renewal; it simply could not generate power at competitive prices. For the same reasons, Vermont Yankee, another plant with a license to operate through 2032, is now scheduled to close in 2014.
Similarly, the world's largest nuclear operator-the French state-controlled utility Electricite de France-announced its impending withdrawal from nuclear power in the US, after having sunk roughly $2 billion into aborted projects. And, in order to help offset soaring operating costs, which resulted in losses of €1.5 billion ($2 billion) last year, EDF Energy will raise electricity prices this year for its French customers by 5%, on average, and by another 5% next year.
Over the five years ending in March 2013, EDF Energy lost 85% of its share value. Likewise, the world's largest nuclear builder-the French state-controlled company AREVA-lost up to 88% of its share value between 2008 and 2012. Not surprisingly, investors have welcomed new strategic plans by both companies, as well as EDF Energy's withdrawal from the US market; the downward pressure on their share prices has eased, though for how long remains to be seen.
The nuclear power industry's decline began decades ago. But, since the March 2011 triple-meltdown at Japan's Fukushima Daiichi plant, the pace of the decline has accelerated significantly. Indeed, in 2012, annual nuclear generation worldwide dropped by an unprecedented 7%, exceeding the previous year's record-breaking drop of 4% and bringing total annual nuclear power generation to 12% below its historic maximum, achieved in 2006.
Read More…
9 May 2013
PARIS-Last June, Yukiya Amano, the director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), declared that "nuclear power will make a significant and growing contribution to sustainable development in the coming decades". But, as this year's World Nuclear Industry Status Report highlights, recent trends paint a very different picture.
Duke Energy, America's largest utility, has shelved plans to build two reactors in Florida, after having spent $1 billion on the project. The decision came only three months after the company abandoned investment in two new units in North Carolina.
In fact, this year, four American utilities have decided to shut down a total of five reactors permanently-the first closures in the United States in 15 years. One of the units-Kewaunee Power Station in Wisconsin-was abandoned after massive investment in upgrades and a 60 year license renewal; it simply could not generate power at competitive prices. For the same reasons, Vermont Yankee, another plant with a license to operate through 2032, is now scheduled to close in 2014.
Similarly, the world's largest nuclear operator-the French state-controlled utility Electricite de France-announced its impending withdrawal from nuclear power in the US, after having sunk roughly $2 billion into aborted projects. And, in order to help offset soaring operating costs, which resulted in losses of €1.5 billion ($2 billion) last year, EDF Energy will raise electricity prices this year for its French customers by 5%, on average, and by another 5% next year.
Over the five years ending in March 2013, EDF Energy lost 85% of its share value. Likewise, the world's largest nuclear builder-the French state-controlled company AREVA-lost up to 88% of its share value between 2008 and 2012. Not surprisingly, investors have welcomed new strategic plans by both companies, as well as EDF Energy's withdrawal from the US market; the downward pressure on their share prices has eased, though for how long remains to be seen.
The nuclear power industry's decline began decades ago. But, since the March 2011 triple-meltdown at Japan's Fukushima Daiichi plant, the pace of the decline has accelerated significantly. Indeed, in 2012, annual nuclear generation worldwide dropped by an unprecedented 7%, exceeding the previous year's record-breaking drop of 4% and bringing total annual nuclear power generation to 12% below its historic maximum, achieved in 2006.
Read More…
Alstom signs 27MW Brazilian wind turbine deal
www.windpowermonthly.com
5 Sep 2013
BRAZIL: Alstom has signed a EUR 25 million contract with Enerplan, a subsidiary of Brazilian power company Oleoplan, to supply 27MW to a project southern Brazil. The company will supply 10 ECO 122 low wind turbines to the Pontal wind farm Viamao, Rio Grande do Sul state, and is scheduled to be commissioned by the end of 2015.
The nacelles will be manufactured at Alstom's plant in Bahia state and the towers will be produced at the company's new facility in Canoas, in Rio Grande do Sul state. Alstom is responsible for the operation and maintenance of the wind turbines for five years. Since 2010 Alstom has provided more than 2GW in wind projects in Brazil, including the supply of more than 600 ECO 122 wind turbines.
5 Sep 2013
BRAZIL: Alstom has signed a EUR 25 million contract with Enerplan, a subsidiary of Brazilian power company Oleoplan, to supply 27MW to a project southern Brazil. The company will supply 10 ECO 122 low wind turbines to the Pontal wind farm Viamao, Rio Grande do Sul state, and is scheduled to be commissioned by the end of 2015.
The nacelles will be manufactured at Alstom's plant in Bahia state and the towers will be produced at the company's new facility in Canoas, in Rio Grande do Sul state. Alstom is responsible for the operation and maintenance of the wind turbines for five years. Since 2010 Alstom has provided more than 2GW in wind projects in Brazil, including the supply of more than 600 ECO 122 wind turbines.
CLP Holdings says talks discontinued in China nuclear plant bid
www.bloomberg.com
4 Sep 2013
Talks have been discontinued for Hong Kong electricity producer CLP Group Ltd. (2) to buy a 4.8 billion ¥ ($784 million) stake in a Chinese power plant following regulatory delays after Japan's nuclear crisis.
Shareholder China General Nuclear Power Corp, told CLP Group this week that the deal wouldn't go ahead "for the time being", CLP Group said in a Hong Kong stock exchange filing yesterday. CLP Group agreed in 2011 to buy the 17% stake in the Yangjiang Nuclear Power Station in southern China's Guangdong province.
"Discussions on Yangjiang have been discontinued", CLP Group said in yesterday's statement. "There is no assurance that discussions will recommence or, if they do, that CLP Group will then be able to reach agreement".
The announcement upsets CLP Group's plans to increase spending on nuclear power even after the Fukushima Dai-Ichi nuclear crisis prompted China to halt approval of new projects. Construction of the 6,000 MW Yangjiang plant, which was due to start operating in phases from 2013 to 2017, was delayed as the nation reviewed nuclear safety.
China General Nuclear Power said CLP Group wouldn't be able to take up the stake following the delays as well as a review of "funding needs and capital raising options", according to the CLP Group statement.
4 Sep 2013
Talks have been discontinued for Hong Kong electricity producer CLP Group Ltd. (2) to buy a 4.8 billion ¥ ($784 million) stake in a Chinese power plant following regulatory delays after Japan's nuclear crisis.
Shareholder China General Nuclear Power Corp, told CLP Group this week that the deal wouldn't go ahead "for the time being", CLP Group said in a Hong Kong stock exchange filing yesterday. CLP Group agreed in 2011 to buy the 17% stake in the Yangjiang Nuclear Power Station in southern China's Guangdong province.
"Discussions on Yangjiang have been discontinued", CLP Group said in yesterday's statement. "There is no assurance that discussions will recommence or, if they do, that CLP Group will then be able to reach agreement".
The announcement upsets CLP Group's plans to increase spending on nuclear power even after the Fukushima Dai-Ichi nuclear crisis prompted China to halt approval of new projects. Construction of the 6,000 MW Yangjiang plant, which was due to start operating in phases from 2013 to 2017, was delayed as the nation reviewed nuclear safety.
China General Nuclear Power said CLP Group wouldn't be able to take up the stake following the delays as well as a review of "funding needs and capital raising options", according to the CLP Group statement.
Shedding new light on the 'electron highways' of organic solar cells
phys.org
2 Sep 2013
(Phys.org)--Sunlight absorbed by organic solar cells must first navigate a nanoscale gauntlet before becoming useable electricity. After hitting the light-absorbing material of the solar cell, called the photoactive layer, absorbed sunlight excites electrons, freeing them to find their way through a maze filled with twists, turns, dead-ends, and collisions. Only the free charges that successfully make it through this maze can be used in a circuit as electricity. So scientists have been looking for ways to ease the electron traffic jam in organic photovoltaics.
Now, researchers at the US Department of Energy's (DOE) Brookhaven National Laboratory and Stony Brook University have developed a way to map out the degree of "traffic congestion" on the electron highways within the photoactive layer. Their new measurement and tracking technique uses optical-guided modes--a process of guiding light through precise areas in the horizontal plane of solar cells--to help scientists better understand how the materials used in the photoactive layers influence the speed and efficiency of electron travel.
"With our technique, you can now better understand how far the electrons move through the complex network of the photoactive layer", said Brookhaven physicist Matthew Eisaman, team leader on the new study published online in Advanced Energy Materials on August 25, 2013. "Previous studies revealed the material composition, but our technique illuminates how that structure impacts electron transport".
Unlike the large silicon-based solar cells you might typically see on household roofs or arrayed in large-scale installations to generate electricity, organic solar cells are more like flexible plastics. Organic cells could find widespread applications in portable power generation for commercial and military use or even in so-called "building-integrated photovoltaics", where solar cells are directly integrated into the windows, facade, or roof of a building. Their flexible forms can be made inexpensively using large-scale, roll-to-roll manufacturing. But for now these versatile materials are not as efficient as inorganic options.
Read More…
2 Sep 2013
(Phys.org)--Sunlight absorbed by organic solar cells must first navigate a nanoscale gauntlet before becoming useable electricity. After hitting the light-absorbing material of the solar cell, called the photoactive layer, absorbed sunlight excites electrons, freeing them to find their way through a maze filled with twists, turns, dead-ends, and collisions. Only the free charges that successfully make it through this maze can be used in a circuit as electricity. So scientists have been looking for ways to ease the electron traffic jam in organic photovoltaics.
Now, researchers at the US Department of Energy's (DOE) Brookhaven National Laboratory and Stony Brook University have developed a way to map out the degree of "traffic congestion" on the electron highways within the photoactive layer. Their new measurement and tracking technique uses optical-guided modes--a process of guiding light through precise areas in the horizontal plane of solar cells--to help scientists better understand how the materials used in the photoactive layers influence the speed and efficiency of electron travel.
"With our technique, you can now better understand how far the electrons move through the complex network of the photoactive layer", said Brookhaven physicist Matthew Eisaman, team leader on the new study published online in Advanced Energy Materials on August 25, 2013. "Previous studies revealed the material composition, but our technique illuminates how that structure impacts electron transport".
Unlike the large silicon-based solar cells you might typically see on household roofs or arrayed in large-scale installations to generate electricity, organic solar cells are more like flexible plastics. Organic cells could find widespread applications in portable power generation for commercial and military use or even in so-called "building-integrated photovoltaics", where solar cells are directly integrated into the windows, facade, or roof of a building. Their flexible forms can be made inexpensively using large-scale, roll-to-roll manufacturing. But for now these versatile materials are not as efficient as inorganic options.
Read More…
New nanomaterial increases yield of solar cells
phys.org
26 Aug 2013
Researchers from the FOM Foundation, Delft University of Technology, Toyota Motor Europe and the University of California have developed a nanostructure with which they can make solar cells highly efficient. The researchers published their findings on 23 August 2013 in the online edition of Nature Communications.
Smart nanostructures can increase the yield of solar cells. An international team of researchers including physicists from the FOM Foundation, Delft University of Technology and Toyota, have now optimised the nanostructures so that the solar cell provides more electricity and loses less energy in the form of heat.
Solar cells
A conventional solar cell contains a layer of silicon. When sunlight falls on this layer, electrons in the silicon absorb the energy of the light particles (photons). Using this energy the electrons jump across a 'band gap', as a result of which they can freely move and electricity flows.
The yield of a solar cell is optimised if the photon energy is equal to the band gap of silicon. Sunlight, however, contains many photons with energies greater than the band gap. The excess energy is lost as heat, which limits the yield of a conventional solar cell.
Nanospheres
Several years ago the researchers from Delft University of Technology, as well as other physicists, demonstrated that the excess energy could still be put to good use. In small spheres of a semiconducting material the excess energy enables extra electrons to jump across the band gap. These nanospheres, the so-called quantum dots, have a diameter of just one ten thousandth of a human hair.
If a light particle enables an electron in a quantum dot to cross the band gap, the electron moves around in the dot. That ensures that the electron collides with other electrons that subsequently jump across the band gap as well. As a result of this process a single photon can mobilise several electrons thereby multiplying the amount of current produced.
Read More…
26 Aug 2013
Researchers from the FOM Foundation, Delft University of Technology, Toyota Motor Europe and the University of California have developed a nanostructure with which they can make solar cells highly efficient. The researchers published their findings on 23 August 2013 in the online edition of Nature Communications.
Smart nanostructures can increase the yield of solar cells. An international team of researchers including physicists from the FOM Foundation, Delft University of Technology and Toyota, have now optimised the nanostructures so that the solar cell provides more electricity and loses less energy in the form of heat.
Solar cells
A conventional solar cell contains a layer of silicon. When sunlight falls on this layer, electrons in the silicon absorb the energy of the light particles (photons). Using this energy the electrons jump across a 'band gap', as a result of which they can freely move and electricity flows.
The yield of a solar cell is optimised if the photon energy is equal to the band gap of silicon. Sunlight, however, contains many photons with energies greater than the band gap. The excess energy is lost as heat, which limits the yield of a conventional solar cell.
Nanospheres
Several years ago the researchers from Delft University of Technology, as well as other physicists, demonstrated that the excess energy could still be put to good use. In small spheres of a semiconducting material the excess energy enables extra electrons to jump across the band gap. These nanospheres, the so-called quantum dots, have a diameter of just one ten thousandth of a human hair.
If a light particle enables an electron in a quantum dot to cross the band gap, the electron moves around in the dot. That ensures that the electron collides with other electrons that subsequently jump across the band gap as well. As a result of this process a single photon can mobilise several electrons thereby multiplying the amount of current produced.
Read More…
Thursday, 12 September 2013
Asia to lead quadrupling of wind energy by 2030: Siemens
www.theage.com.au
27 Aug 2013
Siemens, the world's No.3 maker of wind turbines, expects the global wind power market to more than quadruple by 2030, lifted by strong growth in Asia. "The market will shift away from Europe significantly", Markus Tacke, chief executive of the German company's Wind Power division, said at a renewable energy conference in Berlin.
He said globally installed wind power capacity would increase to 1,107 GW (GW) in 2030 from 273 GW in 2012, with Asia and the Pacific region accounting for more than 47% of the total, up from 34% now.
China is pumping billions of euros into wind power, which is more cost-competitive than solar power and partly able to compete with coal and gas. Wind power subsidies in most parts of Europe are being slowly scaled back. The Europe and the Middle East (EMEA) region is still the world's largest wind market, with a 40% share that will decline to 34% by 2030.
Siemens Wind Power, part of the group's Energy division, achieved sales of 3.555 billion euros ($A5.3 billion) in the first nine months of Siemens' fiscal year, down 1% year on year. It accounted for 6.4% of the company's total sales. Its profit margin for the period stood at 3.6%, down from 4.7% a year earlier, as the company was forced to book charges because of problems relating to some of its wind turbine rotor blades.
27 Aug 2013
Siemens, the world's No.3 maker of wind turbines, expects the global wind power market to more than quadruple by 2030, lifted by strong growth in Asia. "The market will shift away from Europe significantly", Markus Tacke, chief executive of the German company's Wind Power division, said at a renewable energy conference in Berlin.
He said globally installed wind power capacity would increase to 1,107 GW (GW) in 2030 from 273 GW in 2012, with Asia and the Pacific region accounting for more than 47% of the total, up from 34% now.
China is pumping billions of euros into wind power, which is more cost-competitive than solar power and partly able to compete with coal and gas. Wind power subsidies in most parts of Europe are being slowly scaled back. The Europe and the Middle East (EMEA) region is still the world's largest wind market, with a 40% share that will decline to 34% by 2030.
Siemens Wind Power, part of the group's Energy division, achieved sales of 3.555 billion euros ($A5.3 billion) in the first nine months of Siemens' fiscal year, down 1% year on year. It accounted for 6.4% of the company's total sales. Its profit margin for the period stood at 3.6%, down from 4.7% a year earlier, as the company was forced to book charges because of problems relating to some of its wind turbine rotor blades.
Solar power in Bendigo is put on hold
www.bendigoadvertiser.com.au
26 Aug 2013
BENDIGO solar power providers say the industry is in a state of limbo, with a dip in business confidence linked to unclear party policies. Solar company Sunergy said about $500,000 worth of projects had been put on hold in the lead-up to the election. Managing director Tony Smith said the downturn was influenced by the Coalition's stated plans to cut funding for the Clean Technology Program.
He said commercial customers had been waiting for an election outcome to decide whether to go ahead with solar installations. "There has been a noticeable slow down", he said. "A lot of people are holding off. Others have basically said they will cancel those commitments if there's no funding from the Clean Technology Program".
Mr Smith said two major solar projects at wineries in Bendigo and Mildura were in doubt. He said many local providers were experiencing instability and that would be further impacted by changes to federal funding. Opposition climate action spokesman Greg Hunt said uncertainty stemmed from the Labor government's changes to incentives and rebate programs.
Mr Hunt told the Bendigo Advertiser the Coalition was looking at making Bendigo a "solar town". "There's been a lack of confidence in the industry because of the complete chopping and changing by the government", he said. "We see a very significant opportunity to grow investment in Bendigo. Solar has an extremely strong future under the Coalition".
Bendigo Sustainability Group president Keith Reynard said about 100 people were employed through the solar industry in Bendigo. He said it was important for those businesses that parties were clear on their plans for solar. Complete Solar Solutions owner Phil Smith said his Lockwood-based business had seen a lot of hesitation from customers on the eve of the election. "Everyone is sort of hanging back wondering what way it's going to go", he said. "Every time there's an election coming up, everyone gets a bit jittery".
Mr Smith has worked in the solar industry for close to 20 years and said the key to business was having a stable trading environment. "VICOSC would prefer to have no rebate programs at all", he said. Sunergy's Tony Smith agreed that less government intervention was preferable.
Mr Smith, who has nominated as a senate candidate for political party Senator Online, said he was fed up with changes to funding and incentives. "We've had in excess of six changes imposed on the sector by government and other regulatory bodies in the past 12 months", he said. "VICOSC would just like them to stop changing stuff".
Labor candidate for Bendigo Lisa Chesters said she feared the Coalition policies would "dismantle the local solar industry". "Cutting the Clean Technology Program will have a disastrous effect on the solar industry here in central Victoria and it will result in people losing their jobs and businesses going bust", she said. Ms Chesters said moving towards an emissions trading scheme would help create stability for solar providers.
26 Aug 2013
BENDIGO solar power providers say the industry is in a state of limbo, with a dip in business confidence linked to unclear party policies. Solar company Sunergy said about $500,000 worth of projects had been put on hold in the lead-up to the election. Managing director Tony Smith said the downturn was influenced by the Coalition's stated plans to cut funding for the Clean Technology Program.
He said commercial customers had been waiting for an election outcome to decide whether to go ahead with solar installations. "There has been a noticeable slow down", he said. "A lot of people are holding off. Others have basically said they will cancel those commitments if there's no funding from the Clean Technology Program".
Mr Smith said two major solar projects at wineries in Bendigo and Mildura were in doubt. He said many local providers were experiencing instability and that would be further impacted by changes to federal funding. Opposition climate action spokesman Greg Hunt said uncertainty stemmed from the Labor government's changes to incentives and rebate programs.
Mr Hunt told the Bendigo Advertiser the Coalition was looking at making Bendigo a "solar town". "There's been a lack of confidence in the industry because of the complete chopping and changing by the government", he said. "We see a very significant opportunity to grow investment in Bendigo. Solar has an extremely strong future under the Coalition".
Bendigo Sustainability Group president Keith Reynard said about 100 people were employed through the solar industry in Bendigo. He said it was important for those businesses that parties were clear on their plans for solar. Complete Solar Solutions owner Phil Smith said his Lockwood-based business had seen a lot of hesitation from customers on the eve of the election. "Everyone is sort of hanging back wondering what way it's going to go", he said. "Every time there's an election coming up, everyone gets a bit jittery".
Mr Smith has worked in the solar industry for close to 20 years and said the key to business was having a stable trading environment. "VICOSC would prefer to have no rebate programs at all", he said. Sunergy's Tony Smith agreed that less government intervention was preferable.
Mr Smith, who has nominated as a senate candidate for political party Senator Online, said he was fed up with changes to funding and incentives. "We've had in excess of six changes imposed on the sector by government and other regulatory bodies in the past 12 months", he said. "VICOSC would just like them to stop changing stuff".
Labor candidate for Bendigo Lisa Chesters said she feared the Coalition policies would "dismantle the local solar industry". "Cutting the Clean Technology Program will have a disastrous effect on the solar industry here in central Victoria and it will result in people losing their jobs and businesses going bust", she said. Ms Chesters said moving towards an emissions trading scheme would help create stability for solar providers.
Shedding light on solar power solutions
www.miningaustralia.com.au
23 Aug 2013
Mining companies are always looking for the most cost and energy efficient power solutions to lower energy costs. They also want to minimise the use of diesel generators to reduce their carbon footprint, but how can they do it in this era of high power costs?
Australian Mining spoke to solar photovoltaic (PV) manufacturer FirstSolar about how solar power is providing a compelling economic solution to a sector facing the challenges of high diesel fuel costs.
Vice President of FirstSolar Asia-Pacific Jack Curtis said while the economic advantage of solar PV is not a revelation, the real challenge solar power faces is its technical integration with existing power generator systems.
"As you would be acutely aware, the main concern for mining companies is that their mine runs 24/7. And obviously solar PV is reliant on the sun to generate power.
"What the gap has been to date is helping mining companies understand how solar PVs can integrate with existing power generation sources, which would provide an economic value without disrupting the continual supply of power to the mine", Curtis said.
According to Curtis, the buzz around solar PV has been around for the past two to three years but has really accelerated in the last 12 to 18 months. Mines are now showing a proactive interest in incorporating solar PV on their sites.
23 Aug 2013
Mining companies are always looking for the most cost and energy efficient power solutions to lower energy costs. They also want to minimise the use of diesel generators to reduce their carbon footprint, but how can they do it in this era of high power costs?
Australian Mining spoke to solar photovoltaic (PV) manufacturer FirstSolar about how solar power is providing a compelling economic solution to a sector facing the challenges of high diesel fuel costs.
Vice President of FirstSolar Asia-Pacific Jack Curtis said while the economic advantage of solar PV is not a revelation, the real challenge solar power faces is its technical integration with existing power generator systems.
"As you would be acutely aware, the main concern for mining companies is that their mine runs 24/7. And obviously solar PV is reliant on the sun to generate power.
"What the gap has been to date is helping mining companies understand how solar PVs can integrate with existing power generation sources, which would provide an economic value without disrupting the continual supply of power to the mine", Curtis said.
According to Curtis, the buzz around solar PV has been around for the past two to three years but has really accelerated in the last 12 to 18 months. Mines are now showing a proactive interest in incorporating solar PV on their sites.
Vestas to supply 400MW wind turbines for EDPR's US projects
wind.energy-business-review.com
23 Aug 2013
Vestas, a Danish wind turbine manufacturer, is gearing up to manufacture and supply 400MW of wind turbines to EDP Renovaveis (EDPR) for wind-energy projects in the US.
The developments are a part of a master supply agreement for the first V110 2.0 MW wind turbines secured earlier to supply a total of 1,500MW to wind power plants in North America, South America and Europe. EDPR selected the V110 2.0 MW because of its competitive cost of energy compared with other options.
Vestas US and Canada sales and service division president Chris Brown said the company has successfully worked with EDPR for the past eight years to deliver many wind-power projects around the world. "We look forward to supplying EDPR our new V110 2.0 MW wind turbine, which is a variant of the V100 1.8 MW that can provide over 13% higher annual energy production compared with its predecessor", Brown added.
The agreement also includes five-year service agreements featuring the Active Output Management (AOM) 5000 offering and the VestasOnline surveillance system. Delivery and commissioning of the V110 2.0 MW turbines are scheduled in 2014 and 2015, respectively.
23 Aug 2013
Vestas, a Danish wind turbine manufacturer, is gearing up to manufacture and supply 400MW of wind turbines to EDP Renovaveis (EDPR) for wind-energy projects in the US.
The developments are a part of a master supply agreement for the first V110 2.0 MW wind turbines secured earlier to supply a total of 1,500MW to wind power plants in North America, South America and Europe. EDPR selected the V110 2.0 MW because of its competitive cost of energy compared with other options.
Vestas US and Canada sales and service division president Chris Brown said the company has successfully worked with EDPR for the past eight years to deliver many wind-power projects around the world. "We look forward to supplying EDPR our new V110 2.0 MW wind turbine, which is a variant of the V100 1.8 MW that can provide over 13% higher annual energy production compared with its predecessor", Brown added.
The agreement also includes five-year service agreements featuring the Active Output Management (AOM) 5000 offering and the VestasOnline surveillance system. Delivery and commissioning of the V110 2.0 MW turbines are scheduled in 2014 and 2015, respectively.
Polymer-based organic solar cells developed in UAE
www.business-standard.com
10 Jul 2013
A UAE-based university has claimed that its researchers have fabricated the very first polymer based organic solar cell, marking a technological breakthrough for the oil-rich country in the clean energy sector.
Mejd Alsari, a UAE national student, and Samuele Lilliu, a post-doctoral fellow working at the Nano-Optics and Optoelectronics Research (NOOR) Laboratory have fabricated the first polymer-based organic photovoltaic solar cell (OPV), which can also be conveniently printed on flexible substrates, Masdar Institute of Science and Technology said in a statement.
This has been achieved using Masdar Institute's cleanroom facilities internally without any assistance from external fabrication facilities or expertise, the institute said.
"The OPVs with advanced aesthetic characteristics such as colours and design will be developed with inkjet-printing deposition techniques. These prototypes could be highly interesting for Building Integrated Photovoltaic (BIPV) applications and designers globally and in the region. ]
Further to the OPVs research, large area organic photo-detectors based on the same technology, with potential applications in the medical, security and entertainment industry could also be prepared", it said. These are also the very first solar cells fabricated at the Masdar Institute cleanroom. A start-up venture based in Masdar City to transfer prototypes into final products may also be set up at a later stage, it added.
"The outstanding feat of our researchers and faculty consolidates the status of Masdar Institute as a research-driven institution, continuously striving to contribute to the Abu Dhabi's long-term objectives in advanced technology", Fred Moavenzadeh, President, Masdar Institute, said.
The first bulk-heterojunction OPV solar cells fabricated at Masdar Institute are part of a new major research project on organic photo-detectors undertaken by Dr. Lilliu and Dr. Dahlem from the NOOR Laboratory.
Established as an on-going collaboration with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the US, Masdar Institute integrates theory and practice to incubate a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship, working to develop the critical thinkers and leaders of tomorrow.
10 Jul 2013
A UAE-based university has claimed that its researchers have fabricated the very first polymer based organic solar cell, marking a technological breakthrough for the oil-rich country in the clean energy sector.
Mejd Alsari, a UAE national student, and Samuele Lilliu, a post-doctoral fellow working at the Nano-Optics and Optoelectronics Research (NOOR) Laboratory have fabricated the first polymer-based organic photovoltaic solar cell (OPV), which can also be conveniently printed on flexible substrates, Masdar Institute of Science and Technology said in a statement.
This has been achieved using Masdar Institute's cleanroom facilities internally without any assistance from external fabrication facilities or expertise, the institute said.
"The OPVs with advanced aesthetic characteristics such as colours and design will be developed with inkjet-printing deposition techniques. These prototypes could be highly interesting for Building Integrated Photovoltaic (BIPV) applications and designers globally and in the region. ]
Further to the OPVs research, large area organic photo-detectors based on the same technology, with potential applications in the medical, security and entertainment industry could also be prepared", it said. These are also the very first solar cells fabricated at the Masdar Institute cleanroom. A start-up venture based in Masdar City to transfer prototypes into final products may also be set up at a later stage, it added.
"The outstanding feat of our researchers and faculty consolidates the status of Masdar Institute as a research-driven institution, continuously striving to contribute to the Abu Dhabi's long-term objectives in advanced technology", Fred Moavenzadeh, President, Masdar Institute, said.
The first bulk-heterojunction OPV solar cells fabricated at Masdar Institute are part of a new major research project on organic photo-detectors undertaken by Dr. Lilliu and Dr. Dahlem from the NOOR Laboratory.
Established as an on-going collaboration with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the US, Masdar Institute integrates theory and practice to incubate a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship, working to develop the critical thinkers and leaders of tomorrow.
Saturday, 7 September 2013
IPA concedes wind farms successful in displacing coal
reneweconomy.com.au
9 Jul 2013
The anti-wind campaigners sometimes have difficulty getting their facts in the right order. One of their most common complaints is that wind power does nothing to reduce emissions as it doesn't actually result in any fossil fuel generation being switched off, because fossil fuel needs to keep running as "back-up" in case the wind stops blowing.
Of course, this is not true. As the Australian Energy Market Operator notes in South Australia, where wind power accounts for around 25% of both capacity and demand, coal fired generation-both local and imported from Victoria-has fallen dramatically. There hasn't even been any need for new peaking power stations and the use of gas has not increased since the state started building the first of its 1,200MW of wind power.
The IPA, one of the most powerful and influential anti-wind groups, whose former head is now the WA state energy minister, is a strong proponent of the "continuous" back-up claim. But at the recent, lightly attended anti-wind rally in Canberra, its director of deregulation, Alan Moran made a crucial admission: wind power is forcing conventional coal generation out of the market, because it is making it uneconomic.
"(Renewables) are in fact squeezing out conventional energy, conventional, predictable and reliable energy, because they are "must run", and conventional energy is automatically backed off", Moran said, according to a transcript published on the anti-wind website Stop These Things. "This is leading to the retirement of coal fired stations, as subsidised wind makes them not profitable".
Well, quite so. And good. That is actually what these schemes-carbon price, renewable energy targets, emissions limits etc-are designed to do, to hasten the retirement of highly polluting power plants, or at least force them to invest in technology that reduces their emissions and pollution.
But Moran's admission goes to the heart of the campaign against wind and other renewables. It's not really a technological issue-as the Queensland network operator and the AEMO both make clear-it is an economic one for the incumbent generators. And the growing penetration of renewables is indeed forcing dirty, inflexible generation such as old coal plants out of the market-as it is in Europe and elsewhere.
Read More…
9 Jul 2013
The anti-wind campaigners sometimes have difficulty getting their facts in the right order. One of their most common complaints is that wind power does nothing to reduce emissions as it doesn't actually result in any fossil fuel generation being switched off, because fossil fuel needs to keep running as "back-up" in case the wind stops blowing.
Of course, this is not true. As the Australian Energy Market Operator notes in South Australia, where wind power accounts for around 25% of both capacity and demand, coal fired generation-both local and imported from Victoria-has fallen dramatically. There hasn't even been any need for new peaking power stations and the use of gas has not increased since the state started building the first of its 1,200MW of wind power.
The IPA, one of the most powerful and influential anti-wind groups, whose former head is now the WA state energy minister, is a strong proponent of the "continuous" back-up claim. But at the recent, lightly attended anti-wind rally in Canberra, its director of deregulation, Alan Moran made a crucial admission: wind power is forcing conventional coal generation out of the market, because it is making it uneconomic.
"(Renewables) are in fact squeezing out conventional energy, conventional, predictable and reliable energy, because they are "must run", and conventional energy is automatically backed off", Moran said, according to a transcript published on the anti-wind website Stop These Things. "This is leading to the retirement of coal fired stations, as subsidised wind makes them not profitable".
Well, quite so. And good. That is actually what these schemes-carbon price, renewable energy targets, emissions limits etc-are designed to do, to hasten the retirement of highly polluting power plants, or at least force them to invest in technology that reduces their emissions and pollution.
But Moran's admission goes to the heart of the campaign against wind and other renewables. It's not really a technological issue-as the Queensland network operator and the AEMO both make clear-it is an economic one for the incumbent generators. And the growing penetration of renewables is indeed forcing dirty, inflexible generation such as old coal plants out of the market-as it is in Europe and elsewhere.
Read More…
Govt puts $37m into Taralga wind far
www.canberratimes.com.au
9 Jul 2013
A contentious wind farm north of Goulburn is the first in the region to receive money from the Australian government's Clean Energy Finance Corporation. The corporation's $37.5 million loan will get the Taralga wind farm, comprising 51 turbines, finally under way.
The clean-energy financier joined an international consortium that provided about $280 million for the wind farm, 45 km from Goulburn and about three km east of Taralga village.
The farm, which should start working this year, is expected to generate enough power to supply 45,000 homes. Operators have a 10 year agreement with EnergyAustralia to supply the grid. The corporation's chief executive, Oliver Yates, said the loan was a catalyst for renewable energy investment in Australia.
The corporation has announced three projects: $50 million for energy efficiency loans; $50 million for a wind farm in Victoria and the Taralga financing package. Taralga's new wind farm will use towers made in Portland, Victoria, using Blue-Scope Steel steel.
Spain's Banco Santander has a 90% stake and renewable energy group CBD Energy will remain the project partner with 10%. The ANZ and Denmark's official credit export agency are also involved. Wind testing has been under way since 2001 in the sheep and cattle grazing district.
Ownership has changed hands during the planning and development stages. For more than a decade the proposal fuelled a bitter debate until the NSW Land and Environment Court concluded that public benefits outweighed private drawbacks that wound up twice in the NSW Environment and Planning Court.
Protesters said turbines would affect the landscape and generate noise. The court concluded the overall public benefits outweighed any private drawbacks either to the Taralga community or specific landowners.
9 Jul 2013
A contentious wind farm north of Goulburn is the first in the region to receive money from the Australian government's Clean Energy Finance Corporation. The corporation's $37.5 million loan will get the Taralga wind farm, comprising 51 turbines, finally under way.
The clean-energy financier joined an international consortium that provided about $280 million for the wind farm, 45 km from Goulburn and about three km east of Taralga village.
The farm, which should start working this year, is expected to generate enough power to supply 45,000 homes. Operators have a 10 year agreement with EnergyAustralia to supply the grid. The corporation's chief executive, Oliver Yates, said the loan was a catalyst for renewable energy investment in Australia.
The corporation has announced three projects: $50 million for energy efficiency loans; $50 million for a wind farm in Victoria and the Taralga financing package. Taralga's new wind farm will use towers made in Portland, Victoria, using Blue-Scope Steel steel.
Spain's Banco Santander has a 90% stake and renewable energy group CBD Energy will remain the project partner with 10%. The ANZ and Denmark's official credit export agency are also involved. Wind testing has been under way since 2001 in the sheep and cattle grazing district.
Ownership has changed hands during the planning and development stages. For more than a decade the proposal fuelled a bitter debate until the NSW Land and Environment Court concluded that public benefits outweighed private drawbacks that wound up twice in the NSW Environment and Planning Court.
Protesters said turbines would affect the landscape and generate noise. The court concluded the overall public benefits outweighed any private drawbacks either to the Taralga community or specific landowners.
Floating offshore turbines can reduce wind energy cost
dailyfusion.net
5 Jul 2013
Texas leads the U.VICOSC, in energy production with a combination of conventional and alternative energy sources. The state also produces the most wind power of any state in the nation, but with a growing population, there is a demand for more resources of renewable energy. A new design of floating offshore turbines that is being developed by scientists at Texas A&M University may be a cost-effective answer to that challenge.
Typical land-based wind turbines have blades diameters exceeding the wing span of a 747 jet plane. Offshore wind turbine structures can be even larger and are rigidly attached to the sea floor. Near the coast; however, these very large structures can interfere with the ocean view.
Dr. Bert Sweetman, associate professor of Maritime Systems Engineering Texas A&M University at Galveston is studying a new type of structural designs that enable substantial reductions in cost, with only minimal decrease in the amount of electricity generated. Sweetman describes the engineering challenges involved constructing offshore turbines.
"Placing wind turbines beyond sight of land in deep water will require a different type of structure that floats on the sea surface, rather than being fixed to the ocean floor", he said. "Ideally, these floating structures are designed to minimize motion despite wind and wave activity. Unfortunately, this conventional design is very expensive".
Sweetman says the expense, in part, is due to stabilising the large size of wind turbines in deep water. He says cost of these structures could be reduced substantially, if larger motions were found to be acceptable.
"The larger motions of these new structures present a myriad of design issues", Sweetman said. "Like a spinning bicycle wheel, the gyroscopic effect of huge whirling blades makes designs of these offshore structures uniquely challenging".
Read More…
5 Jul 2013
Texas leads the U.VICOSC, in energy production with a combination of conventional and alternative energy sources. The state also produces the most wind power of any state in the nation, but with a growing population, there is a demand for more resources of renewable energy. A new design of floating offshore turbines that is being developed by scientists at Texas A&M University may be a cost-effective answer to that challenge.
Typical land-based wind turbines have blades diameters exceeding the wing span of a 747 jet plane. Offshore wind turbine structures can be even larger and are rigidly attached to the sea floor. Near the coast; however, these very large structures can interfere with the ocean view.
Dr. Bert Sweetman, associate professor of Maritime Systems Engineering Texas A&M University at Galveston is studying a new type of structural designs that enable substantial reductions in cost, with only minimal decrease in the amount of electricity generated. Sweetman describes the engineering challenges involved constructing offshore turbines.
"Placing wind turbines beyond sight of land in deep water will require a different type of structure that floats on the sea surface, rather than being fixed to the ocean floor", he said. "Ideally, these floating structures are designed to minimize motion despite wind and wave activity. Unfortunately, this conventional design is very expensive".
Sweetman says the expense, in part, is due to stabilising the large size of wind turbines in deep water. He says cost of these structures could be reduced substantially, if larger motions were found to be acceptable.
"The larger motions of these new structures present a myriad of design issues", Sweetman said. "Like a spinning bicycle wheel, the gyroscopic effect of huge whirling blades makes designs of these offshore structures uniquely challenging".
Read More…
Battery may prove way to store wind energy
www.kplu.org
5 Jul 2013
Researchers are testing a new battery power storage system that may provide some long-term solutions to storing power from the electrical grid. The tests are being conducted at a wind farm near the Tri-Cities. Currently, wind power--and hydroelectric--must be used as it is produced.
"Electric in general is difficult to store, or to save for later; you have to use it", said John Steigers of Energy Northwest, a public power consortium. "The whole system in the country is based on the premise that what is being produced has to be used".
The new battery that is being tested is huge--we're talking half the size of a railway shipping container. It utilizes modern Lithium ion technology. Steigers says the battery is being tested at several different locations. The idea is that it can store wind power that is generated at times of the day when actual use by consumers is not all that high.
"It tends to show up at night, when the loads for the system are the lowest, and when it shows up you can store it, and then later in the day when air conditioners are on and people are working it, the electricity can be used at that time", he said.
Steigers says the battery is expected to be able to store enough electricity to power 50 homes for a year. He says long-term plans for the batteries would be to site them where they are needed, at industrial areas or neighborhoods to power individual homes.
5 Jul 2013
Researchers are testing a new battery power storage system that may provide some long-term solutions to storing power from the electrical grid. The tests are being conducted at a wind farm near the Tri-Cities. Currently, wind power--and hydroelectric--must be used as it is produced.
"Electric in general is difficult to store, or to save for later; you have to use it", said John Steigers of Energy Northwest, a public power consortium. "The whole system in the country is based on the premise that what is being produced has to be used".
The new battery that is being tested is huge--we're talking half the size of a railway shipping container. It utilizes modern Lithium ion technology. Steigers says the battery is being tested at several different locations. The idea is that it can store wind power that is generated at times of the day when actual use by consumers is not all that high.
"It tends to show up at night, when the loads for the system are the lowest, and when it shows up you can store it, and then later in the day when air conditioners are on and people are working it, the electricity can be used at that time", he said.
Steigers says the battery is expected to be able to store enough electricity to power 50 homes for a year. He says long-term plans for the batteries would be to site them where they are needed, at industrial areas or neighborhoods to power individual homes.
Green bank saves 75 jobs
www.stockjournal.com.au
3 Jul 2013
THE federal government's green bank has funded another wind farm, saving 75 jobs at a Victoria turbine maker.
The Clean Energy Finance Corporation will fund $37.5 million of debt for the Taralga wind farm-45km north of Goulburn in NSW-as part of a $280 million consortium of financiers, a day after it helped refinance the Macarthur wind farm.
Unlike Macarthur, the Taralga is a new project with an installed capacity of 106.8 MWs of wind power and has a 10 year power-purchase agreement with EnergyAustralia. Under a joint venture between CBD Energy and Spanish bank Santander, all wind towers for the project will be engineered and manufactured at Victorian firm Keppel Prince, which last year laid off about 50 workers.
Keppel Prince general manager Steve Garner said he would have needed to lay off a further 75 workers if the firm had not secured the work. He said the CEFC was critical to Keppel securing the work and now the business was looking later this year to recruit more staff. "It has just been so slow and so unsupportive for local manufacturing", Mr Garner said of the past year.
"I would be extremely disappointed if the CEFC was to be abolished. It was the driving force behind us being able to secure this as a local manufacturer". "Without their help and assistance and continued effort of [Danish company] Vestas Wind Systems and CBD Energy, we would not have been in the hunt and the jobs would have gone to China. It has meant Australian jobs and it means taxes being paid in Australia".
3 Jul 2013
THE federal government's green bank has funded another wind farm, saving 75 jobs at a Victoria turbine maker.
The Clean Energy Finance Corporation will fund $37.5 million of debt for the Taralga wind farm-45km north of Goulburn in NSW-as part of a $280 million consortium of financiers, a day after it helped refinance the Macarthur wind farm.
Unlike Macarthur, the Taralga is a new project with an installed capacity of 106.8 MWs of wind power and has a 10 year power-purchase agreement with EnergyAustralia. Under a joint venture between CBD Energy and Spanish bank Santander, all wind towers for the project will be engineered and manufactured at Victorian firm Keppel Prince, which last year laid off about 50 workers.
Keppel Prince general manager Steve Garner said he would have needed to lay off a further 75 workers if the firm had not secured the work. He said the CEFC was critical to Keppel securing the work and now the business was looking later this year to recruit more staff. "It has just been so slow and so unsupportive for local manufacturing", Mr Garner said of the past year.
"I would be extremely disappointed if the CEFC was to be abolished. It was the driving force behind us being able to secure this as a local manufacturer". "Without their help and assistance and continued effort of [Danish company] Vestas Wind Systems and CBD Energy, we would not have been in the hunt and the jobs would have gone to China. It has meant Australian jobs and it means taxes being paid in Australia".
Sunday, 25 August 2013
Floating wind turbine headed for coast off Fukushima Prefecture
ajw.asahi.com
28 Jun 2013
A floating wind turbine to be used for power generation off the coast of Fukushima Prefecture was towed out of Tokyo Bay on June 28 bound for a deep-sea site where it will be part of an experimental floating power sub-station.
The turbine was assembled at the Chiba factory of Mitsui Engineering and Shipbuilding Co, in Ichihara, Chiba Prefecture. It will be towed to Onahama Port in Iwaki, Fukushima Prefecture. The wind turbine, 80 meters in diameter, made by Hitachi Ltd., was mounted on a 32 meter steel submersible structure constructed by Mitsui Engineering and Shipbuilding.
Named "Fukushima Mirai (future)", the floating wind farm is a project commissioned by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. The ministry hopes to provide for the first time a commercial supply of electricity from a floating power station.
After going through adjustment tests in Onahama Port, the structure will be set up about 20 km off Fukushima Prefecture in 120 meter deep waters, secured to the seabed with iron chains. The turbine, with a maximum output of 2 MWs, is expected to start operating in October.
Fukushima Prefecture is home to the crippled Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant. The accident at the plant, following the Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami on March 11, 2011, helped create a scarcity of power as most of the nation's nuclear reactors were taken offline.
28 Jun 2013
A floating wind turbine to be used for power generation off the coast of Fukushima Prefecture was towed out of Tokyo Bay on June 28 bound for a deep-sea site where it will be part of an experimental floating power sub-station.
The turbine was assembled at the Chiba factory of Mitsui Engineering and Shipbuilding Co, in Ichihara, Chiba Prefecture. It will be towed to Onahama Port in Iwaki, Fukushima Prefecture. The wind turbine, 80 meters in diameter, made by Hitachi Ltd., was mounted on a 32 meter steel submersible structure constructed by Mitsui Engineering and Shipbuilding.
Named "Fukushima Mirai (future)", the floating wind farm is a project commissioned by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. The ministry hopes to provide for the first time a commercial supply of electricity from a floating power station.
After going through adjustment tests in Onahama Port, the structure will be set up about 20 km off Fukushima Prefecture in 120 meter deep waters, secured to the seabed with iron chains. The turbine, with a maximum output of 2 MWs, is expected to start operating in October.
Fukushima Prefecture is home to the crippled Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant. The accident at the plant, following the Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami on March 11, 2011, helped create a scarcity of power as most of the nation's nuclear reactors were taken offline.
Chile expands wind power resources
www.upi.com
27 Jun 2013
SANTIAGO, Chile, June 27 (UPI)--Chile has set sights on expanding wind power generation as President Sebastian Pinera's government battles environmental controversies over multibillion dollar mining and hydrocarbon projects.
This week Pinera opened a new $150 million wind farm in northern Chile built in collaboration with Italy's Enel Green Power. It is the largest wind farm to begin operating in Chile as the government considers other renewable energy projects.
The 90 MW Talinay East facility is owned by Italy's Enel Green Power and features 45 Vestas Wind Systems V100 2 MW turbines in the Coquimbo region, 250 miles north of Santiago. Pinera said he would continue to expand renewable energy development and predicted at least 80% of about 500 MW of power to be added annually to the national grid would be "clean renewable energy".
Pinera has not outlined how much of the funding over the coming years will be coming from the state and how the remainder of the project finance will be raised. Chile's clean power program will be boosted through a series of what analysts called rationalization measures. These include plans to link two major independent grids and new transmission lines. The government also hopes to simplify legislation and regulatory framework surrounding land use related to electrical distribution networks.
Chile's infrastructure was severely damaged in a magnitude 8.8 earthquake in February 2010. Numerous aftershocks that year and in following years caused further havoc and put additional burden on government resources. Several energy exploration and development plans were affected.
The Talinay East wind farm is similar to another Enel Green Power facility, Valle de los Vientos, in the northern region of Antofagasta, which features an identical array of Vestas Wind Systems turbines. Enel Green Power acquired Talinay from Vestas Wind Systems in 2012. The wind farm was previously owned by Spain's Enhol and business conglomerate Grupo Phoenix.
Vestas Wind Systems said Talinay's development was "a strategic environmental decision". The company aims to continue increasing the share of renewable energy sources in global energy consumption. The construction of Talinay East started in late 2011 but completion was delayed. Latin America has a wind installed base of more than 2,000 MW. Given a positive political framework supporting the development of wind power, data suggests there could be 93,300 MW of wind installations by 2030.
Chile is aiming to reduce dependence on thermo-electric energy, which takes up about 67.8% of total production. It is also fighting to eliminate coal-fueled electricity production, but progress is slow. Environmentalist campaign groups oppose further expansion of hydroelectric power, currently about 31% of the total, just as advocacy organizations oppose new mining operations across Chile.
27 Jun 2013
SANTIAGO, Chile, June 27 (UPI)--Chile has set sights on expanding wind power generation as President Sebastian Pinera's government battles environmental controversies over multibillion dollar mining and hydrocarbon projects.
This week Pinera opened a new $150 million wind farm in northern Chile built in collaboration with Italy's Enel Green Power. It is the largest wind farm to begin operating in Chile as the government considers other renewable energy projects.
The 90 MW Talinay East facility is owned by Italy's Enel Green Power and features 45 Vestas Wind Systems V100 2 MW turbines in the Coquimbo region, 250 miles north of Santiago. Pinera said he would continue to expand renewable energy development and predicted at least 80% of about 500 MW of power to be added annually to the national grid would be "clean renewable energy".
Pinera has not outlined how much of the funding over the coming years will be coming from the state and how the remainder of the project finance will be raised. Chile's clean power program will be boosted through a series of what analysts called rationalization measures. These include plans to link two major independent grids and new transmission lines. The government also hopes to simplify legislation and regulatory framework surrounding land use related to electrical distribution networks.
Chile's infrastructure was severely damaged in a magnitude 8.8 earthquake in February 2010. Numerous aftershocks that year and in following years caused further havoc and put additional burden on government resources. Several energy exploration and development plans were affected.
The Talinay East wind farm is similar to another Enel Green Power facility, Valle de los Vientos, in the northern region of Antofagasta, which features an identical array of Vestas Wind Systems turbines. Enel Green Power acquired Talinay from Vestas Wind Systems in 2012. The wind farm was previously owned by Spain's Enhol and business conglomerate Grupo Phoenix.
Vestas Wind Systems said Talinay's development was "a strategic environmental decision". The company aims to continue increasing the share of renewable energy sources in global energy consumption. The construction of Talinay East started in late 2011 but completion was delayed. Latin America has a wind installed base of more than 2,000 MW. Given a positive political framework supporting the development of wind power, data suggests there could be 93,300 MW of wind installations by 2030.
Chile is aiming to reduce dependence on thermo-electric energy, which takes up about 67.8% of total production. It is also fighting to eliminate coal-fueled electricity production, but progress is slow. Environmentalist campaign groups oppose further expansion of hydroelectric power, currently about 31% of the total, just as advocacy organizations oppose new mining operations across Chile.
Friday, 23 August 2013
Renewable energy use gaining worldwide:IEA
www.heraldsun.com.au
27 Jun 2013
RENEWABLES like solar and wind power represent the fastest-growing source of energy generation and will make up a quarter of the global power mix by 2018, the International Energy Agency IEA says. The IEA said that in 2016 renewable energy will overtake natural gas as a power source and will be twice that of nuclear, and second only to coal as a source of power.
The growth of renewables has been bolstered by increased competitiveness with conventional energy. It is "a bright spot in an otherwise bleak assessment of global progress towards a cleaner and more diversified energy mix", said IEA Executive Director Maria van der Hoeven. The report listed Australia as one of several countries where renewable energy was becoming more competitive.
It said Australian wind generation is cost-effective next to new coal and gas-fired plants with carbon pricing. It also noted the success of onshore wind turbines in Brazil and South Africa. Renewable energy is growing especially fast in China and other developing and emerging countries. The IEA said non-hydroelectric renewable power, mainly wind and solar photovoltaics, is projected to grow from 4% of all power generation in 2011 to 8% in 2018.
"As their costs continue to fall, renewable power sources are increasingly standing on their own merits versus new fossil fuel generation", said van der Hoeven. "This is good news for a global energy system that needs to become cleaner and more diversified, but it should not be an excuse for government complacency, especially among OECD countries".
Still, the IEA, an institute backed by major energy consuming countries, cautioned that the continued growth of alternatives to oil, gas and coal faces some important challenges.
These include uncertainty about long-term government policies that discourages investment, reduced subsidies in some countries because of economic problems, and tough competition from other energy sources, such as the US, where a boom in shale gas has made that fuel more competitive. The report comes on the heels of recent research suggesting the threat of climate change is greater than earlier estimates.
An IEA report released earlier this month warned the world is on track to surpass by more than double the two-degree Celsius warming goal set by the United Nations, unless urgent measures are taken. The IEA's recommendations include curtailing coal-fired power stations and phasing out fossil fuel subsidies.
27 Jun 2013
RENEWABLES like solar and wind power represent the fastest-growing source of energy generation and will make up a quarter of the global power mix by 2018, the International Energy Agency IEA says. The IEA said that in 2016 renewable energy will overtake natural gas as a power source and will be twice that of nuclear, and second only to coal as a source of power.
The growth of renewables has been bolstered by increased competitiveness with conventional energy. It is "a bright spot in an otherwise bleak assessment of global progress towards a cleaner and more diversified energy mix", said IEA Executive Director Maria van der Hoeven. The report listed Australia as one of several countries where renewable energy was becoming more competitive.
It said Australian wind generation is cost-effective next to new coal and gas-fired plants with carbon pricing. It also noted the success of onshore wind turbines in Brazil and South Africa. Renewable energy is growing especially fast in China and other developing and emerging countries. The IEA said non-hydroelectric renewable power, mainly wind and solar photovoltaics, is projected to grow from 4% of all power generation in 2011 to 8% in 2018.
"As their costs continue to fall, renewable power sources are increasingly standing on their own merits versus new fossil fuel generation", said van der Hoeven. "This is good news for a global energy system that needs to become cleaner and more diversified, but it should not be an excuse for government complacency, especially among OECD countries".
Still, the IEA, an institute backed by major energy consuming countries, cautioned that the continued growth of alternatives to oil, gas and coal faces some important challenges.
These include uncertainty about long-term government policies that discourages investment, reduced subsidies in some countries because of economic problems, and tough competition from other energy sources, such as the US, where a boom in shale gas has made that fuel more competitive. The report comes on the heels of recent research suggesting the threat of climate change is greater than earlier estimates.
An IEA report released earlier this month warned the world is on track to surpass by more than double the two-degree Celsius warming goal set by the United Nations, unless urgent measures are taken. The IEA's recommendations include curtailing coal-fired power stations and phasing out fossil fuel subsidies.
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