With the support from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), Uruguay is planning to expand its wind power generation through the construction of two wind farms: Libertador and Palmatir. Loans totaling $107.7 million will help the country diversify its energy mix and reduce its dependence on hydroelectric generation, which during dry seasons, increases the country’s dependence on energy produced from fossil …
Algae. Tec Facility Continues to Attract Attention
Parliamentary Secretary for Defence and Member for Eden-Monaro Dr Mike Kelly recently visited Alage.Tec facility in Shoalhaven (Australia). The plant is proving out technology that produces low cost, high grade algae-based biofuels. While on site, Dr. Kelly was briefed about the technology by company representatives. One element with great promise is the fact that algae “eat” carbon to grow. In …
Ethanol Groups Respond to EU Investigation
The European Commission today issued a “general disclosure document” setting forth its proposed ruling in the anti-dumping investigation involving U.S. ethanol exports to Europe. Growth Energy and the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) issued a joint statement on the issue: “We continue to cooperate with the Commission’s investigation. We are troubled by news that the Commission is recommending a 9.6 percent …
EU Commissioner Encourages Geothermal Energy
During a speech at the European Workshop on geothermal energy focused on urban areas, European Union (EU) Commissioner for Energy Günther Oettinger said that, ”The development of geothermal energy should be encouraged.” The European geothermal energy industry came out in support of the Commissioner urging decision makers to pay more attention to the potential role of geothermal energy in heating and …
EU Parliament Budgets €6 Billion for Clean Energy
The European Parliament’s Energy and Research Committee (ITRE) voted to allocate 6 billion Euros to clean energy research. This is nearly two-thirds of the entire energy research budget, of 80 billion Euros, to cover renewables, energy efficiency, smart grids, and storage. “MEPs have understood how crucial wind energy and other renewables are to the EU’s economic growth, technology leadership, fighting …
Human Waste to Biodiesel Project in Ghana A Go
A pilot facility has gone online in Ghana to convert human waste, or fecal sludge (FS), into biodiesel. The event was celebrated on World Toilet Day where researchers at Columbia University’s Engineering School in conjunction with Ghana with Waste Enterprises, Ltd., the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), and the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly, are working together to take …
EC: Save Carbon Trading System; Need Key Actions
The European Wind Energy Association (EWEA) has been busy promoting wind energy throughout the European Union (EU). Last week, the European Commission identified key actions to develop the internal energy market by 2014 that included the phasing-out of regulated electricity prices and the Commission was also critical of capacity payments. In addition, the proposal lacks further development of the internal …
Izmir Airport in Turkey Goes Solar
The Izmir airport in Turkey has gone solar with the completion of a solar park. The photovoltaic project is comprised of a ground-mounted installation of 450 kW and 90 kW off-grid system on several radar stations. Combined, the projects are now the largest of its kind in Turkey. It is also the first solar project completed under the new Turkish …
Farm Foundation Blog: Food & Fuel for 9 Billion in 2050
How do you keep an expected world population of 9 billion people by the year 2050 fed AND meet the world’s energy needs? Our friends at Farm Foundation are taking on those challenging questions, hopefully with some good answers through their new blog, AgChallenge2050.org. “It’s an opportunity for more people to be involved in the conversation,” said Mary Thompson, Farm …
Praj Industries Scales Up Demo Plant
Praj Industries, who has been working on developing second generation technologies for the production of biofuels, is scaling up its demonstration research and development plant program, “Lignocellulose to Ethanol”. For the past four years, the company has been operating a pilot plant to produce ethanol from feedstocks such as bagasse, corn stover and more and is now ready to move …