Power Projects and Electric Companies Update

HPPCL invites bids for Civil and HM Package for Kashang HEP

2010-01-06T13:41:00.000-05:00

Himachal Pradesh Power Corporation has invited bids for Construction of Civil works comprising River Diversion of Kerang Khad, Trench Weir, Conveyance Tunnel, De-sanding Basins, Connecting Tunnel (after Desanding Basin), Kerang-Kashang Link Tunnel, Drop Structure, Underground Balancing Reservoir, Adits (Intake Area), Inspection Tunnel for Desanding Basin and Hydromechanical Works of Stage II and Stage III including Testing and Commissioning complete in all respects for 3 x 65 MW Integrated Kashang Hydro Electric Project in Kinnaur district of Himachal Pradesh.

Bid Reference No. 8 – P / HPCEDIP / Kashang II & III (Civil & HM Works)
Sale of Bid Upto 07-Jan-10
Bid Closing 07-Jan-10

Contact :
Himachal Pradesh Power Corp, O/o. Executive Director (Contracts), Shanti Kutir, Kamnanagar, Chakkar Shimla -171005. Tel: 0177 – 2832513 Fax: 2832307 Email: hppc.contracts@gmail.com

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Job Opportunity at BSR: Manager, Advisory Services (Guangzhou CHINA)

2010-01-06T13:24:00.000-05:00

POSITION OVERVIEW
The Manager, Advisory Services will perform a wide range of duties to drive business development, deliver projects and assist in team management. With a strong consulting and business development background, the Manager will work with the Advisory Services team to create innovative solutions that deliver value to BSR clients. The employee will work with top-level labor and environmental experts in China, and around the world, to put their ideas into action. This will include leading the China team's approach to the Consumer Products industry, delivering and executing projects, as well as working with the China leadership to coordinate and grow the China presence and team work. The position will report to the BSR China Director and be based in the Guangzhou office.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Business Development:
- Contact potential clients and member companies to develop business opportunities, with a particular focus on consulting work.
- Create project proposals and carry through negotiations to contract signature.
- Work with BSR US and EU teams to create industry wide business development strategies and follow multi-national business opportunities.
- Build and maintain effective communication with member companies operating in the region.

Project Management:
- Deliver projects to the needs, expectations and timelines of the customer.
- Coordinate team capacity to properly manage multiple projects with different clients and industries.
- Work collaboratively with the project team, providing guidance, support or assistance as appropriate.
- Communicate pro-actively to BSR regarding project needs, status and updates.

Collaborative Team Leadership:
- Work with project team to build an effective business development and consulting team.
- Be a knowledge sharer.
- Be an enabler.
- Be a team player.
Other duties as required and assigned by the Director.

QUALIFICATIONS
NOTE: Only candidates with these specific requirements will be considered:
- Bachelor's degree in related field required.
- 5-10 years of work experience in a consulting or business development role.
- Ability to follow business development leads, work with clients to establish needs and carry projects into the implementation stage.
- Knowledge of key CSR content areas, such as: stakeholder engagement, supply chain, environment, human rights, or sustainable development preferred.
- Knowledge related to business processes such as strategic planning, organizational development, training programs, performance management, change management, etc. preferred.
- Native written and spoken English required.
- China business experience and Mandarin Chinese proficiency preferred.
- Previous experience at multinational consulting companies preferred.
- Ability to oversee multiple projects under tight deadlines.
- Capacity to work and thrive in a growing, fast-paced entrepreneurial organization with a collaborative environment.
- High ethical standards and commitment to BSR core values of Leadership, Respect and Integrity.

PLEASE APPLY ONLY ONLINE AT: http://www.bsr.org/bsrjobs

Additional VND10.8 trillion invested in power projects

2010-01-06T13:15:00.001-05:00

JAN 6, 2010

VNBusinessNews.com - The Electricity of Vietnam Group (EVN) plans to invest VND58.5 trillion in power projects, an increase of more than VND10.8 trillion over last year’s investment.

Among these projects, Quang Ninh and Hai Phong thermal power plants, Ban Ve hydro-electric power plants and the first turbine group of the Son La hydro- electric power plant with a total capacity of more than 2,000MW will be put into operation this year.

For other power projects still in pipeline, EVN will work with local authorities to iron out snags in land clearance for them to get off the ground soon.

It has petitioned the Ministry of Industry and Trade and the Ministry of Finance to give priority to funding key power projects for which the Group is the main investor.

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NLC invites bid for Shore Unloaders

2009-12-21T22:47:00.000-05:00

Neyveli Lignite Corporation has invited bids for Shore Unloaders for 2 x 500 MW NTPL Power Plant at Tutricorin Thermal Power Project.

The scope of work includes Design, Engineering, Manufacture, shop testing, supply & delivery at site of Plant & Equipment including Electrics, Control & Instruments, Technological steel structures, Civil & Structural works, Storage, Handling at Site, Insurance, Erection, Painting, Testing, Trial-operation, Commissioning, Performance Guarantee and warranty for two numbers of Shore Unloaders of free digging capacity of 2000 TPH each at the jetty to feed two streams of conveyors of capacity 2000 TPH each for transferring coal from jetty to stock yard for 2x 500 MW NTPL and handing over two numbers operating shore unloaders and complete operation and maintenance of the two numbers of the shore unloaders for unloading of coal from ships for a period of five years including supply of consumables.

Bid Reference No. CO CONTS/0029N/NTPL/TTPP/ SHORE UNLOADER /2009
Sale of Bid Upto 04-Jan-10
Bid Closing 06-Jan-10

Contact :

Neyveli Lignite Corp Ltd, O/o. Chief General Manager/Contracts, Corporate Office, Block-1, Cuddalore District Neyveli-607801. Tel: 04142-252215/252210 Fax: 252026/252645/252646 Email: cgmconts_co@nlcindia.com / cgmconts_co@rediffmail.com / cgmconts_co@yahoo

Published by: indscanblog.com

Bangladesh to build 2.4-billion-dollar bridge

2009-12-21T22:43:00.000-05:00

(AFP) – Dec 21st, 2009

DHAKA — Bangladesh is to build the country's biggest bridge at a cost of 2.4 billion dollars in a bid to spur economic growth in its impoverished southwest, a minister said Monday.

Finance Minister A.M.A Muhith said the government would invite international tenders for the 6.15-kilometre (3.8-mile) road and rail bridge over the river Padma in February.

Construction of what will be the longest bridge in Bangladesh is set to begin in the second half of 2010.

"The bridge will cost 2.4 billion dollars, with the World Bank lending an estimated 1.2 billion dollars and the Asian Development Bank 550 million dollars," Muhith told AFP.
Other donors include the Japan International Cooperation Agency and the Islamic Development Bank.

The minister said the bridge over the Padma -- the local name for the Ganges -- would be Bangladesh's costliest infrastructure project to date and would facilitate economic growth in the south and southwestern regions.

A World Bank study has said the bridge, which will connect the capital Dhaka with the country's coastal districts, will boost growth because it will improve transport links in the poverty-hit southwestern region.
A 4.8-kilometre bridge over the river Jamuna, which cost nearly one billion dollars, connected the capital with northwestern districts in 1998 and fuelled economic growth in the entire region, which is regularly afflicted by famines and floods.

Published by: AFP

NTPC invites bid for Dry Ash Transportation & Storage System

2009-12-16T23:15:00.001-05:00

National Thermal Power Corporation has invited bids for dry ash transportation & storage system for Stage – I of 2 x 500 MW

Simhadri Super Thermal Power Project at Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh.

Bid Reference No. SRHQ:3520-162A-9
Sale of Bid Upto 24-Dec-09
Bid Closing 18-Jan-10

Contact :

National Thermal Power Corp Ltd, Dy. General Manager (C&M), Southern Region Head Quarters, MCH Commercial Complex, Rashtrapathi Road, Secunderabad -500003. Tel: 040 – 27805020/27717267 – 270 Fax: 27800743 / 27804516 Email: ntpcsr@ap.nic.in

Published by: blog.ibdscanblog.com

Another power station delayed

2009-12-15T21:05:00.000-05:00

Brendan Ryan | Tue, 15 Dec 2009 07:15

[miningmx.com] -- CIC Energy’s (CIC) Mmamabula energy project (MEP) to build a 1,200MW power station in Botswana has been held back yet again by South African regulatory requirements.

On Monday, CIC confirmed the latest delay which was first indicated as likely by former Eskom CEO Jacob Maroga to Miningmx in October.

Maroga commented at that time, " If I had my way I would sign agreements with IPPs (independent power producers) tomorrow on the basis that I had reached an understanding with Nersa (the National Energy Regulator of SA) that this is how the terms should look.

“However, Nersa has until the end of June 2010 to reach its final determination on Eskom’s application and finalisation of any PPA (power purchase agreement) could be delayed until then.”

This is the latest in a string of delays on finalising the commercial terms for CIC to go ahead with the coal-fired station which would sell the bulk of its power to Eskom.

The delay is bad news for TSX-listed CIC and also for South Africa. At best, it will lengthen the period during which Eskom will struggle to meet electricity demand and, at worst, it could lead to increased levels of load-shedding.

The setbacks to CIC, and other IPPs attempting to develop power projects in South Africa such as Ipsa Plc, are despite stated aims by Eskom and the South African government that they want to encourage private sector participation in the country’s power generation industry.

CIC announced that the latest information published by the Minister of Energy on December 3 has indicated that requirements for new generation capacity in terms of the first integrated resource plan (IRP1) would only cover the three year period from April 2010 to March 2013.

Requirements for new capacity beyond that are to be dealt with in a second integrated resource plan (IRP2) “which will be prepared following an extensive public consultation process that will commence in the first quarter of 2010 and is targeted for completion in mid-2010.”

CIC had initially hoped to bring Mmamabula on stream in 2013 but that target was revised in July last year. Reason was the on-going debate between Eskom and government over the terms for PPAs with IPPs.
Before CIC can proceed with Mmamabula it must sign a PPA with Eskom and it had hoped to finalise that agreement by September last year but this was pushed out to end-March 2010.

CIC president Greg Kinross commented, “ based on the company’s understanding of the regulations, an approval of the MEP by the Department of Energy will only be possible following the completion and gazetting of the IRP2 and then only for commencement of commercial operations no earlier than 2014 or such later period as may be indicated in the IRP2, once completed.”
Kinross added that CIC has reassessed its project development programme as a result of this development.
Instead of pushing for rapid achievement of financial close and start of construction CIC is going to defer most project development activities “until such time as the IRP2 has been completed”.

Kinross commented, “this will be implemented by the deferral of activities that are being performed by the financial consultants, legal consultants and engineering consultants who are assisting the company in the development of the MEP.
“While the slow pace of the regulatory process in South Africa is frustrating these spending deferrals and our C$41m treasury gives us the flexibility to weather this delay,” he added.

Any delay to CIC’s MEP will further worsen Eskom’s ability to meet future power demands because of delays to its own two major new power stations now under construction.

Eskom recently confirmed that the second of these stations - Kusile near Witbank – has been delayed by a year from its planned start up in 2013.
The first new station due to come on stream is Medupi – situated near Lephalale – which is supposed to start operations in April 2012.

According to Exxaro Resources - which will supply the coal to Medupi - construction of Medupi is running six months behind schedule but that is denied by Eskom which maintains Medupi is on track.

Published by: miningmx.com

First Nations looking at energy project opportunities

2009-12-15T13:39:00.001-05:00

Dec 11 - 2009

OJIBWAYS OF GARDEN RIVER FIRST NATION – Anishinabek Nation Chiefs in Assembly passed an important resolution Nov. 24 giving the Union of Ontario Indians a strong mandate to advocate and support Anishinabek First Nations as builders and operators of transmission lines.

“We have to take advantage of every opportunity that comes our way,” says Grand Council Chief Patrick Madahbee.

“The Green Energy Act and the required expansion of Ontario’s transmission network present significant opportunities for First Nations,” said Isadore Day, Lake Huron regional chief and Serpent River chief. “Treaty, land rights and jurisdiction of First Nations in the Anishinabek Nation must be respected and form the basis of any energy or related infrastructure development within our territories.”

“The bottom line is we are advancing as proponents and are very encouraged by the Ontario government’s willingness to proceed with our First Nations in this manner,” Day said.

In addressing the Grand Council Assembly earlier in the day, Minister of Aboriginal Affairs Brad Duguid said “We are 100 per cent behind the First Nations on this development.”

“Transmission development will not occur without engagement and consultation of First Nation communities,” said Mike Penstone, Hydro One’s vice president of major project coordination and external relations.

The Anishinabek Nation incorporated the Union of Ontario Indians as its secretariat in 1949. The UOI is a political advocate for 41 member communities across Ontario, representing approximately 55,000 people. The Union of Ontario Indians is the oldest political organization in Ontario and can trace its roots back to the Confederacy of Three Fires, which existed long before European contact.

Asian power firms look to international markets for growth opportunities

2009-12-01T18:01:00.000-05:00

Nov 30 - Datamonitor
Energy security concerns and business expansion plans are driving Asian power generation companies to venture into international markets. However, various technical, commercial and political risks pose significant challenges to these companies' plans to establish an international footprint.
Indian utility major National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) is working towards a proposal of building a 4,000-5,000MW gas-fired power plant in Iran at a cost of around $5 billion. In another development, NTPC is looking to develop a 500MW coal-fired power plant in Sri Lanka. Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited, India's leading power equipment manufacturer, won a contract for setting up a $100m, 120MW co-generation power plant in Indonesia. In addition, the company has formed a joint venture with National Hydroelectric Power Corporation, which is also looking to develop hydro plants in Bhutan and Myanmar, in order to venture into the central Asian markets.
Having gained confidence from watching Indian exploration and production firms successfully carry out international ventures, power sector firms in other Asian markets have started to follow suit. These strategies not only include providing engineering, procurement and construction services or supplying equipment, but also setting up power plants in non-domestic markets.
Chinese firm Huadian Group Power Operations Limited recently signed a contract with the Sri Lankan government through which it will set-up a coal-fired power plant. Also following this trend, Sri Lankan company Hydropower International Limited is helping East African countries like Tanzania, Rwanda and Burundi to set up small hydro power plants.

Revenue incentives, coupled with domestic energy security concerns, have prompted state-run players to take such initiatives. Along with earning supply or service revenues, power generation players are also mulling the option of importing a share of the power generated into their domestic market. As a part of NTPC's Iran power project, a share of the power generated will be brought to India through a 1,500km long, high-voltage transmission line. Domestic power generation firms are also deliberating the barter option, whereby they can import fuel in return for developing power generation facilities in international markets. One example of such an approach is NTPC's move to build gas and coal-fired power stations in Nigeria in return for three million tons per annum of reasonably priced natural gas.

As this international trade makes commercial sense, individual countries must look to mitigate the political risks involved, which are seen as the major threat to these expansion strategies. If the parties involved do not guard against such risks, projects are likely to suffer a fate similar to that of the proposed gas pipeline between India-Pakistan-Iran, which has been derailed due to unstable political relations between the countries involved. The current row between Russia and Ukraine over a gas pipeline is further proof that energy balances rely heavily on political stances between the countries involved.

Apart from political risks, power generation companies also face challenges at the execution level. The high cost of laying undersea transmission lines between Sri Lanka and India, or of laying overhead transmission lines on difficult terrain between Iran and India, highlights the technical and commercial difficulties in international energy commerce, especially in a geographically diverse Asia Pacific region. There has been very little private participation in such projects due to the high risks and costs involved. The execution of such projects is also impacted by the continued threat of terrorist activities across the region. Thus, although such projects have been successful in more stable regions such as Europe, companies must be pragmatic about their potential elsewhere, especially in Asia Pacific.
However, advances in technology may help to diminish such logistic hurdles for electricity transfers. Electricity storage and transfer technology, which is currently being developed by technology majors like General Electric (GE), would enable companies from energy deficient countries to import electricity in return for power generation services in fuel rich countries. GE has invested more than $150m in developing advanced battery technologies, including high energy-density sodium-based batteries that will provide energy storage for a variety of applications. GE envisages initially rolling out approximately 10 million cells, which translates into 900MW-hours of energy storage or transferring capacity. The successful implementation of high-voltage power links in Europe, like the 450kV, 580km-long NorNed link between the Netherlands and Norway (the longest undersea power link in the world), or the 450kV, 250km-long high-voltage direct current link between Germany and Sweden, further substantiate the role technology could play in overcoming international trade challenges.
Thus, backed by liberal power policies and technological advancements, Asia Pacific countries must overcome the political constraints and logistic challenges involved in international expansion and endeavor towards the expansion of mutual energy commerce between countries, thereby establishing the much needed energy balance across the region.

Published by: Energycentral.com

GE and Google: plug into the smart grid

2009-09-21T13:36:00.003-04:00

Should We Make Solar Energy Dirty?

2009-09-15T14:37:00.000-04:00

Abengoa Solar has announced that they intend to build the first Solar Thermal installation integrated with a Coal Plant owned by Xcel Energy. The demonstration project is intended to increase power plant efficiency while lowering CO2 emissions. This is the first time that solar energy will be used to increase the efficiency and lower the emissions of a coal power plant in the United States.

The question that I have is should we be going down this road at all? By making the process more efficient and therefore able to produce cheaper electricity are we not undermining our efforts to get off of coal based generation all together? The combination of ultra clean solar thermal energy and coal combustion may reduce the overall CO2 released into the atmosphere but does it not pave the way to utilize even more of our coal reserves? We know that we are going to use all of our petroleum reserves , right to the last drop but if we resign ourselves to also using our coal reserves we will never halt the increase of global CO2. I believe that playing with this technology makes a slippery slope even slicker. Here is what the company has to say:

Abengoa Solar has been selected by Xcel Energy, Colorado’s largest electric utility company, to build a demonstration parabolic trough concentrating solar power (CSP) plant at its Cameo coal plant near Grand Junction, Colorado. The project is the first to integrate an industrial solar installation into a conventional electrical power plant.

Construction is expected to start within a month and the plant is expected to be operational by the end of the year. The project, awarded to Abengoa Solar by Xcel, is the first project under an Innovative Clean Technology program that has been approved for Xcel Energy by the Colorado Public Utilities Commission.

The goal of the project is to prove that the heat produced by a solar facility can increase the efficiency of a conventional power plant while also lowering carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. Successful integration of this technology may enable future large-scale applications of this technology into other power plants.

“We continue to move forward in developing ways to help us reduce our impact on the environment,” said David Wilks, President of Energy Supply for Xcel Energy. “If this demonstration works, we may be able to implement this type of technological advance in other coal-fired power plants to help further reduce carbon dioxide emissions in Colorado and possibly other areas of our service territory.”

This four thermal megawatt solar installation will use state-of-the-art parabolic trough collectors developed by Abengoa Solar.

Ken May, Director of Abengoa Solar IST, emphasized the high potential of large-scale applications of the industrial solar installation technology: “Proper use of the solar thermal energy produced at these facilities can improve plant efficiency while lowering CO2 emissions. The successful integration of solar and coal technologies will encourage more widespread use throughout the utility sector.”

Parabolic Trough Technology for Industrial Solar Installations

Parabolic trough technology can be used for both electricity generation as well as for producing thermal energy for industrial processes. More extensive use of this technology could have a significant positive impact on the environment. Abengoa Solar’s industrial parabolic trough technology installation utilizes collectors that track the sun during the daytime in order to concentrate solar radiation onto a heat-absorbing pipe located at the focal line of the parabola. The heated fluid that circulates through the pipe reaches high temperatures and, by means of a heat exchanger, produces energy that can be used to generate steam, to heat water or air, or to run an absorption machine for an air conditioning system.

Published by: solarthermalmagazine.com

First Solar’s Huge New Chinese Power Plant

2009-09-10T13:39:00.001-04:00

Posted by Asrat Kebede September 9th, 2009

The 2-gigawatt plant will be the world’s largest. But can First Solar’s technology be scaled up?
By Kevin Bullis

First Solar, a leading maker of solar panels, based in Tempe, AZ, has announced that it will build an enormous, 2,000 megawatt solar power plant in China, starting next year. Bloomberg reports that it will be the largest solar power plant in the world.

The move is evidence of the falling prices for photovoltaics, which convert sunlight directly into electricity and have historically been seen as too expensive for very large power plants. But although the new power plant will be large by historical standards for solar, it’s still a tiny fraction of the world’s total energy needs, which number in the millions of megawatts. And some experts warn that the kind of solar cell that First Solar makes cannot be made in the large numbers needed to supply a large part of the world’s electricity demands.

Typically, utilities have favored solar-thermal technology, which use heat from the sun to make steam that drives generators, for large power plants. For example, in California 6,000 megawatts worth of large solar projects are under review by the federal Bureau of Land Management, and all involve solar thermal. But First Solar, which makes “thin-film” solar cells, has been able to sharply drive down the cost of making photovoltaics, and is known for having the lowest manufacturing costs in the solar industry. (This is difficult to confirm, since not all solar companies publicly disclose their costs.)

However, First Solar’s cells use tellurium, a relatively rare element, which could limit the number that can be built in a year. And, according to one recent report, the availability of tellurium could limit worldwide production of such cells to about 10,000 megawatts per year, even though very little tellurium is used in each solar cell.

First Solar has disputed concerns about the availability of tellurium, saying there is plenty to be had for the foreseeable future. But to reach millions of megawatts of solar cells, we will likely need a variety of solar cells, especially ones based on common materials such as silicon.

Published by: ethiopianreview.com

Job Posting: Business Analyst - Commodities: McGregor Boyall

2009-08-31T13:47:00.003-04:00

Location: London, United Kingdom
URL: http://www.mcgregor-boyall.com
Type: Full-time
Experience: Mid-Senior level
Functions: Analyst
Industries: Oil & Energy
Posted: August 28, 2009
Compensation: 60,000 GBP - 75,000 GBP Per Year

This job is available only on LinkedIn,
Click here to see posting (Sign in required)

Germany Turns On World's Biggest Solar Power Project

2009-08-20T13:38:00.001-04:00

This week, two of Germany's most important solar energy projects came online -- the second biggest solar power project in the world and one of the first solar thermal "power towers." The projects are part of the country's plan to provide 20 percent of its energy through renewable sources.

Officials flicked on the switch at two of Germany's most important new solar energy sites on Thursday. In the eastern state of Brandenburg, the world's second-largest solar energy project went online. And halfway across the country, in North Rhine-Westphalia, a smaller scale but perhaps equally important facility launched -- Germany's first solar-thermal power plant.

In Brandenburg, Wolfgang Tiefensee, Germany's infrastructure and transport minister, and the state governer, Matthias Platzeck, assisted with laying the very last of 560,000 solar modules at Lieberose, formerly a military training ground for East German forces.
"This solar park is an important factor as solar energy becomes an ever more important part of Brandenburg's economy," Platzeck says. "I see Lieberose as a shining example of this. An under-used and polluted military area has been cleaned up without draining local financial resources. The solar park also meets economic and environmental needs on a long-term basis. After the solar park has used the land, the area will be given back to nature."

By the time it goes completely online at the end of 2009, there will be 700,000 solar modules and the project, which will be Germany's biggest, will have an estimated output of 53 megawatts. That, says the Juwi Group, which is operating the facility and also runs Germany's second-largest solar power plant near Leipzig, will be enough to power 15,000 households. It's still a modest amount of energy, though, considering that the average coal-fired power plant has an output of 700 megawatts.

Building started at the end of 2008 after left-over munitions were cleared from the area. The last military exercises were carried out there in 1992 and the land was given over to the state in 1994. The new solar park now covers an area approximately the size of 210 football fields. The plant cost investors €160 million and the photovoltaic generators used to create the park's power are the latest of their kind: thin layer modules manufactured by First Solar in Frankfurt an der Oder, a German city located near the Polish border.

Environmentalists: "Nobody Knows What Will Happen"

The park stands mainly on moor and lake land which has been leased from the state for the next 20 years. And the Juwi Group has said that when the time comes, they will disassemble the solar plant at the company's own cost and have the materials recycled.

Still, this has not satisfied some German conservation groups who point out that the solar park takes up a lot of space and express their worries about loss of local wildlife. While they are happy about more alternative energies coming on tap, groups like Germany's Nature and Biodiversity Conservation Union (NABU) note that nobody really knows what will happen in an area where such a large solar power plant is active. Wolfgang Mädlow of the group's state chapter in Brandenburg warned that the massive loss of land at Lieberose could be dangerous for birds. "We are particularly concerned about the displacement effect it could have on birds," he said, adding that waterfowl could also mistake the shiny surfaces of the photovoltaic modules for water. The group says it would prefer to see the modules erected separately on rooftops, closer to the end users, rather than bunched together on a mass site in what was once wilderness.

Germany's First Solar Thermal Project Switches On

Of course the politicians don't see it this way. In a statement released when the new solar park was announced, Platzeck said that, "projects like this help us to heal the wounds of the Cold War and, at the same time, to achieve our ambitious targets in terms of renewable energy for the long term." In February, the German government announced an "energy roadmap" in which one of the major goals is having renewable energy provide 20 percent of the country's total power by the end of the next decade.

Meanwhile in Jülich, near Cologne in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, a €33 million demonstration solar-thermal "power tower" went online. Built by several partners, including the German Aerospace Center, the Jülich municipal authority and the FH Aachen University of Applied Sciences, the power tower is capable of generating 1.5 megawatts of power, enough to cover the electricity needs of about 2,000 people.

In April of this year, Spain switched on the first commercial solar-thermal power plant in the world and it is hoped that the Jülich prototype will eventually be replicated and become part of Germany's ambitious Desertec power project, to be based in Africa and the Middle East.

The German Environmental Aid Association (DUH) lobby group hailed the launch of the solar projects as well as Gerrmany's first off-shore wind park, which joined the grid last week.

"A young industry, that employs 280,000 people today and that could employ half a million people within the next decade, can no longer be called a niche," enthused Cornelia Ziehm, who heads the organization's climate protection and alternative energy group. "It is well on the way to becoming a key industry for Germany."

Ziehm also addressed the recent downturn in the German solar energy industry, which has seen a number of companies post losses. Given economic circumstances, she said, it shouldn't be a "big surprise." Overall, the industry has enjoyed double-digit growth worldwide over the past few years, she noted.

Published by: Spiegel Online International

China and the US: The potential of a clean-tech partnership

2009-08-17T14:37:00.003-04:00

Only a collaboration between the two countries will create an environment where clean-energy technologies can thrive.

AUGUST 2009 • Jonathan Woetzel
McKinsey Quarterly
Source: Climate Change Special Initiative

China and the United States, the world’s dominant producers of carbon emissions, have adopted aggressive programs to reduce oil imports, create new clean-energy industries and jobs, and generally improve the environment. But the environment that will be most critical to making or breaking the two countries’ efforts to curb the dangers of global warming could well be the market that they jointly create in pursuit of their aims. Unless the two work together to provide the scale, standards, and technology transfer necessary to make a handful of promising but expensive new clean-energy technologies successful, momentum to curb global warming could stall and neither country will maximize its gains in terms of green jobs, new companies, and energy security.

The risk is real. Electrified vehicles, carbon capture and storage (CCS), and concentrated solar power, among other emerging “green tech” sectors, will need massive investment, infrastructure, and research to get off the ground. While the Chinese and US governments, along with private investors, are pursuing all of these technologies, they cannot achieve separately what they could jointly.

For a more in-depth look at these three clean-energy technologies and how China–US cooperation could make them economically feasible, launch this Interactive Exhibit, a collaboration between McKinsey and frog design.

Published by: McKinsey Quarterly - mckinseyquarterly.com
Click Here to see original article

Energy projects could get a slice of £2m fund

2009-08-17T14:09:00.001-04:00

Published Date: 17 August 2009
Community groups in Portsmouth needing cash for energy projects can apply for a share of a £2m fund. It is part of the nationwide British Gas Green Streets campaign.

Portsmouth's carbon footprint is approximately 1,277,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide annually. To avoid the most damaging impacts of climate change, the city needs to cut its carbon emissions by 60 per cent by 2050.

Any community group with a focus on local renewable energy projects or energy efficiency improvements for community and domestic buildings can apply. This can range from solar, wind, or hydro power to biomass, ground-source and air source heat pumps.

Gearóid Lane, the managing director of British Gas New Energy, said: 'We want to show groups the carbon and financial savings they could enjoy by providing the funding, support and technical expertise needed to develop and implement their ideas.'

Projects will be judged according to their potential for energy efficiency savings across the entire community, on local renewable power generation and ability to engage an entire community through education in local schools and by mobilising the support of other local residents.

A shortlist of the best projects will be asked to pitch for funding in front of an expert judging panel, before being whittled down to a final dozen that will receive a share of the £2m funding pot.

Their progress will be monitored by the independent Institute of Public Policy Research think-tank, and the project crowned Britain's greenest community after a year stands to win a further £100,000 in funding from British Gas.

Applications should be made online by August 31 by visiting britishgas.co.uk/greenstreets.

Published by: The News - portsmouth.co.uk

Making solar panels requires old-fashioned coal-fired power

2009-06-09T16:26:00.001-04:00

by Jeff Kart The Bay City Times
Sunday June 07, 2009, 6:30 AM

Michigan's solar industry has a dirty secret: It needs a lot of coal-fired power.
The process of manufacturing base materials and panels to capture electricity from the sun is energy-intensive, utility officials say.

And that energy comes mostly from fossil fuels in Michigan, where up to eight new coal-fired power plants are on the drawing board.

That includes a $2 billion-plus, 800-megawatt plant proposed by Consumers Energy in Bay County's Hampton Township.

Hemlock Semiconductor Corp. in Saginaw County, a major world manufacturer of solar base materials, is Consumers' largest single electricity user.

But solar panels pay back the energy used to produce them in just a few years, says Vasilis M. Fthenakis in New York, head of the National Photovoltaic Environmental Research Center at Brookhaven National Laboratory and director of the Center for Life Cycle Analysis at Columbia University.

"It's about a year to 2.5 years, depending on the technology and where the photovoltaics are placed," said Fthenakis, who co-authored a study funded by the European Commission and U.S. Department of Energy on the environmental footprint of solar energy.

Solar panels have a life expectancy of about 30 years, he said.

But making sun power is not pollution-free.

Contaminants are released into the air from both HSC and will be from a new Evergreen Solar manufacturing plant set to open later this year in Midland.

Officials with the state Department of Environmental Quality say HSC and the Evergreen plant have state air permits, and are curbing their emissions with scrubbers and other technology to comply with state and federal clean air laws.

Scott Klipa, senior environmental engineer with the DEQ in Bay City, worked on the permits for HSC and Evergreen.

He said both emissions from both projects are or will be generally less than those that would come from a similar-sized auto plant or chemical plant.

One exception is about 4.5 pounds of mercury to be released from the Evergreen plant per year. Mercury, a toxic substance known to impair brain function in humans, isn't usually associated with manufacturing facilities.

The Evergreen plant also is estimated to release less than 30 tons a year of volatile organic compounds to the air, and HSC emits about the same amount per year, he said. VOCs are organic compounds that evaporate readily into the air. They can cause cancer in humans.

"With their process, they're able to recapture their product out of their vent stream and reuse it," Klipa said of HSC. "They've got very small emissions over there."

The Dow Corning plant in Midland, by comparison, emits about 200 tons of VOCs a year, Klipa said.

Still, solar is about 89 percent cleaner overall than fossil fuels, Fthenakis said. He compared the emissions from burning fossil fuels with the energy requirements of solar manufacturing, along with the impact of mining fossil fuels and base materials for photovoltaics.

Fthenakis also argues that solar manufacturing isn't energy intensive in the long term.

"A power plant that uses fossil fuels never stops paying for energy, because it uses the fuel all the time," Fthenakis said. "So photovoltaic is a lot more energy effective."

He acknowledges that coal-fired power has an advantage over solar, however, in that it can produce electricity around the clock.

David Gard thinks using coal to make solar isn't a good enough reason to build a new Consumers Energy plant in Bay County.

Gard, energy program director for the Michigan Environmental Council, said it would cost less than half as much to reduce energy use through efficiency programs targeting homeowners and businesses.

"If we really got serious about efficiency, we'd be offsetting the need for multiple baseload plants at cheaper than you'd have to spend to build one," said Gard, whose Lansing organization is an umbrella group for green groups in the state.

But there are significant regulatory and market barriers to that model.

"You're asking a utility to sell less of its product by investing in efficiency," Gard said.

A state energy package signed into law last year revives utility-run energy efficiency programs in the state, but it's only a first step, he said.

Gard supports decoupling, in which a utility can charge more for the power it sells if it reduces power consumption by a certain amount. In the end, people end up paying more per kilowatt hour, but less overall because they're using less electricity, he said.

Published by: Bay City news

Mitsubishi Heavy to test CO2 Capture System

2009-05-26T18:19:00.003-04:00

TOKYO, May 25, 2009
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. (TSE:7011) said Friday that it will begin trials of its carbon capture technology at a U.S. power plant in 2011, aiming to create a marketable product by 2015.

Testing will take place at a coal-fired plant in the state of Alabama affiliated with Southern Co., a major U.S. utility. Five hundred tons of carbon dioxide a day will be removed from the plant's emissions and compressed for storage underground. Mitsubishi Heavy says it will be the largest undertaking of its kind at a coal-fired plant.

The Electric Power Research Institute Inc., an independent U.S. research body, will join the effort. Mitsubishi Heavy and others will invest a total of US$100- $150 million, or 9.4 to 14.1 billion yen.

Carbon capture and storage is receiving increasing attention as a means of combating climate change. In addition, coal is a common fuel for power plants in the U.S., China, and Eastern Europe.

Mitsubishi Heavy sees demand for capture technology increasing as carbon trading schemes expand. The industrial giant will also conduct tests at a German power plant starting in 2011.

Published by: TradingMarkets

APS to build 290 MW concentrating solar plant

2009-05-24T08:00:00.001-04:00

22 May 2009 -- Arizona Public Service and Starwood Energy Group Global plans to build a 290 MW concentrating solar plant 75 miles west of Phoenix. Regulatory approval is required.

Scheduled for completion in 2013, Starwood Solar I will be owned by an affiliate of Starwood Energy with all the electricity sold to APS through a long-term purchase power agreement. Lockheed Martin will design, build and operate the facility.

Starwood Solar I will cover 1,900 acres and include 3,500 parabolic mirrors that focus solar thermal energy onto a heat transfer fluid. The hot fluid converts water into steam, which turns the plant's turbines. The plant also will use molten salt to store solar energy and continue producing electricity for up to six hours after the sun sets.

This is the third solar power announcement for APS in May. The company earlier announced the APS Community Power Project in Flagstaff and dedicated a new solar project at the Grand Canyon.

In February 2008, APS signed an agreement with Abengoa Solar for the power from the to-be-built 280 MW Solana Solar Plant. With Solana, Starwood Solar I and other contractual agreements, APS expects to have 800 MW of energy in its renewable energy portfolio in 2014.

Published by: PE

Job Posting: Engineering Manager for High Voltage Transmission Projects

2009-05-22T19:01:00.002-04:00

Position: Engineering Manager for High Voltage Transmission Projects, Mid-Atlantic Regional Office at Ray Dauria Associates

Location: Job is in the Mid-Atlantic Region
URL: http://www.rdpowerjobs.com

Type: Full-time
Experience: Mid-Senior level
Functions: Engineering, Project Management, Design
Industries: Renewables & Environment, Construction, Civil Engineering, Utilities, Oil & Energy
Posted: May 22, 2009 by Ray Dauria
Pay Range: $125,000 - $155,000 Per Year
Pay Description: Additional Comp - Incentives

LinkedIn Exclusive — this job is available only on LinkedIn

See full description and contact info (you'll need a LinkedIn account to see this info).

Job Posting: Executive Director at Energy Free Home Foundation

2009-05-22T18:50:00.003-04:00

Location: Palo Alto, CA (San Francisco Bay Area)

Type: Full-time
Experience: Executive
Functions: Management
Industries: Philanthropy
Posted: May 17, 2009 by Thomas Siebel
Pay Range: $200,000 - $300,000 Per Year
Referral Bonus: 30% based upon MBO attainment

Job Description:
The Executive Director is responsible for all activities and functions related to the planning, communication, and administration of the Energy Free Home Foundation and the Energy Free Home Challenge.

Plan, supervise, and manage all foundation activities including budgeting, fund raising, challenge design and administration, challenge adjudication, board relations, public relations, government relations, partner relations and contestant relations.

Reports to the Chairman of Board of the Energy Free Home Foundation.

See full profile and contact info. (You may need a LinkedIn profile to see this information)

Job Posting: Project Manager - Middle East

2009-04-21T15:35:00.001-04:00

Looking for an Engineering/Project Manager with refinery experience in the Oil & Gas sector. Fantastic salary in a growing industry based in the Middle East.

Please reply to lisa-anne@dnarecruit.com

Job Posting: Latin American Business Development Manager

2009-04-17T14:04:00.002-04:00

Manage the growth in sales of both Products and Services into the Latin America countries through direct sales and qualified agents. Direct sales responsibilities will also take place in the United States with International Company headquarters located throughout the U.S. Grow sales in certain International locations to a point that it justifies a full time Office & Service location to be established. Highly Entrepreneurial in Nature, Strong Business Minded Candidate, Understands the entire sales cycle and business aspect of the company & its services. If you have not sold Technical Services with multi-year contracts, please do not apply to this particular position.

Position: Business Development, Consulting, Engineering, Marketing, Sales

Salary: $100,000 - $150,000 Per Year

For more information, visit www.YER.com.

Opinion: Is the Power Equipment Market Bracing for a Recession?

2009-04-17T13:54:00.004-04:00

Power equipment suppliers are yet to report a major slowdown in spending as a result of the financial crisis. However, many expect 2009 to be a tough year as customers seek to cut corners and rein in spending. David Binning reports.

Like so many industries, the power sector had been coasting along on the crest of a wave for some time before the last October's unravelling of the global economy and the resulting credit crunch. On the one hand developed economies were enjoying unprecedented growth while developing economies – namely the BRIC countries of Brazil, Russia, India and China – entered unchartered territory with regard to their economic development.

The result was exponential demand for power across the world, and with it the accompanying 'picks and shovels' to support its development. Tighter regulations being imposed by governments in Europe and elsewhere on carbon emissions helped to create new markets also, such as CCS (carbon capture and storage) biomass co-fire conversion and others. In short it was perfect storm of opportunity for suppliers of power equipment and services.

Now, some six months into a storm of an altogether different kind, the mood is understandably glum, especially with so many of the world's major economies sliding deeper into recession, leading to forecasts of a large-scale decline in energy consumption. Yet while no one in the power industry is under any illusions about the implications for business, the bad news is still yet to appear as red ink on the balance sheets for many companies.
Weathering the storm

Speaking at the International Power Summit in Rome in early March, managing director of Italian environmental engineering technologies company Magaldi, Fulvio Zubini, said that while most industry sectors are clearly down the power industry is yet to see much of the fallout. "Business is generally worse, but the crisis [for the time being at least] does not seem to have affected the power industry all that much." Zubini said.

But this did not mean he did not harbour concern for the fortunes of developing economies. "I expect, however, some delays and cancellations in projects developed by private companies in emerging areas such as India."

Magaldi is a niche provider of environmental engineering solutions including bottom ash handling systems for bottom-fired boilers. Zubini said environmental regulations were expected to provide further insulation for his area of trade along with emerging cost benefits. "2008 was the best ever for the company – we now have a very satisfying order backlog. We are still confident of achieving good results in 2009 despite the financial crisis."

Nevertheless, it would seem that buyer behaviour is changing with some in the power industry reporting that the sales process has become noticeably more difficult and protracted over the last few months as a result of the global financial crisis.

Camfil Far sales director Jose Frias said his company – a global cooling and ventilation specialist – is seeing finance executives take a deeper interest in procurement as companies work harder to tighten up their balance sheets. "Finance people are much more involved now; procurement is requiring approval at a far more senior level," Frias said.

Suppliers of power equipment and solutions hope that customers can temper their anxieties about the state of their balance sheets by considering the long-term benefits of investing in new equipment for improved efficiency and environmental performance, all ultimately leading to reduced costs.

"Naturally all of our customers want to spend as little as possible, however, utilities are wise to the benefits they get in operation and maintenance and they buy from us eventually," Zubini said.

Published by: power-technology.com - See full article here

Job posting: Independent Manufacturer's Rep

2009-04-13T18:07:00.002-04:00

QuakeWrap is looking for independent reps with proven track record in the Power Industry to represent them. Contact them at office@quakewrap.com for additional info.