PERU PERUSES ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

RENEWABLE POWER = PERUVIAN POWER

Wind and solar power hard at work in Peru.

The Peruvian government has announced a portfolio of 35 renewable energy projects. Though alternative energy has been slow to catch on in Peru, the government wants to take advantage of the country’s rich solar and wind potential, in an effort to diversify away from oil dependency and fight climate change.

One of the proposed projects could make Peru a major exporter of “clean” energy: a hydropower plant located in the Amazon with the potential to generate over 7,500 megawatts per year. Peru uses only 350 megawatts per year.

Fifteen of the proposed projects are for hydropower. Other projects include wind, geothermic, solar and tidal power, as well as the development of a national solar map. The solar map would chart levels of solar radiation across Peru, and would guide the location of solar panels. The government predicts that at some sites, one solar panel could generate as much energy as 15 panels in other sites. The price tag for all 35 projects is expected to be US$35 billion over 15 years.

Peru currently depends on oil for 56 percent of its energy, with more than half of it’s oil imported from other countries. The government plans on replacing much of the imported oil with Peruvian natural gas, and increasing the country’s use of renewable energy from 27 percent to 33 percent. The goal is to reduce the use of oil to 25 per cent of 2004 levels by 2011.

A law on renewable energy aiming to provide funding for research and development was proposed to Peru’s congress on February 1, and should be passed before the end of the month. Shoutout to the government of Peru for jumping on the alternative energy bandwagon.

Sources, resources, discourses:

1. latinamericanpress – article
2. SciDevNet – article
3. hotStocked.com - article

AUSTRALIA TURNS ON THE HEAT

QUEENSLAND WILL POWER ENTIRE TOWN

WITH SOLAR THERMAL ELECTRICITY

A sun-drenched town in north-western Australia will be fully solar-powered in two years.

Remote Cloncurry, in Queensland, has been chosen as the site for a new solar thermal power station. Cloncurry, which boasts Australia’s hottest day on record (53 degrees in the shade in 1889), will be able to generate electricity on cloudy days and at night from the station, which runs off heat stored in graphite blocks. The Queensland state government plans to build the US$6.5 million, 10-megawatt power station as part of a push to make Cloncurry one of the first towns to rely on solar power alone. The station will deliver about 30 million kilowatt hours of electricity a year, enough to power the entire town of 4,500 residents. It is expected to be running by early 2010.

Solar thermal power differs from photovoltaic panels that make power directly. 8,000 mirrors will reflect sunlight onto graphite blocks. Water will be pumped through the blocks to generate steam which generates electricity via turbines. Heat stored in the graphite produces steam even after the sun goes down, allowing electricity generators to keep running at night.

Shoutout to the Queensland state government and the federal government of Australia for investing money in Australia’s greatest natural resource: sunshine.

Sources, resources, discourses:

1. Reuters – article
2. news.com.au – article
3. ABC News – article and photo

WELCOME TO GREEN CITY, UAE

"NO CARBON CITY" UNDER CONSTRUCTION

IN THE UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

Masdar City, United Arab Emirates - a green city in the desert.

Abu Dhabi has begun construction of the world's first zero-carbon, zero-waste car-free city.

Masdar City will cost US$22 billion and be home to 50,000 people and 1,500 businesses. It will be powered mostly by solar energy, and residents will travel in emission-free pods running on magnetic tracks. The city will also make use of traditional Gulf architecture to create low-energy buildings, with natural air conditioning from wind towers. Water will be provided through a solar-powered desalination plant. The city will use a quarter of the power required for a similar-sized city, and 60% less water.

The United Arab Emirates, the world’s fifth largest exporter of oil, currently has one of the world’s highest per capita carbon footprints. Masdar City forms part of Abu Dhabi’s $15 billion five year plan to develop clean energy technologies in an effort to diversify from dwindling oil wealth. As part of the plan, Abu Dhabi will become home to the world's largest hydrogen power plant.

There is also a financial payoff: Masdar City is expected to create 70,000 new jobs and boost the UAE's GDP by 2 per cent. By implementing clean energy technologies, the city will save the equivalent of more than $2 billion in oil over the next 25 years.

Masdar City is expected to be completed by 2016. Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan presided over a ground-breaking ceremony on Saturday. Giant shoutout to the UAE, and to the tens of thousands of people who will work hard to build this amazing city of the future.

Sources, resources, discourses:

BBC News – article and photo
Gulfnews.com - article
Times Online - article
news.com.au – article
Khaleej Times Online - article

GERMAN SHIP SAILS A GIANT KITE

GERMANY LOOKS AHEAD TO THE AGE OF SAIL

The world's first commercial ship powered in part by a giant kite is concluding its maiden voyage across the Atlantic. The 10,000-tonne MS Beluga SkySails left Germany on Jan. 22 for Venezuela, but its computer-guided kite system was fully deployed only after it reached favorable trade winds near the Azores. The ship is scheduled to arrive in Venezuela today.

The SkySails towing kite system bears little resemblance to canvas sails on conventional sailing ships. Instead of support from a mast, boom and rope, the SkySails is tied to the bow by a single line. The 160-square meter kite, which flies up to 300 meters above the water, carves figure-eight patterns in the air, reaching speeds four times higher than the prevailing wind, which dramatically increases its pulling power.

SkySails estimates that by using the towing kite system, a ship’s average annual fuel costs can be reduced by 10 to 35%, depending on the prevailing wind conditions. Under optimal wind conditions, fuel consumption can be cut by up to 50%. On its first trans-Atlantic voyage, the MS Beluga has recorded a 10 to 15% reduction in oil consumption, which amounts to a savings of about $1,000 to $1,500 a day.

The MS Beluga's journey comes more than a century after the world's commercial sailing fleet was replaced by coal-burning steamships. SkySails hopes for a similar revolution, and believes the kites could be used aboard 60 per cent of the world's commercial fleet. The world's 90,000 merchant ships emit 800 million tonnes of carbon dioxide each year – about 5 per cent of the world's total.

Shoutout to the crew of the MS Beluga for making history, and to SkySails for looking into the future by looking back at the past. Godspeed, Beluga! And go fly a kite!

Sources, resources and discourses:

1. The Globe and Mail – article
2. Telegraph – article
3. SkySails - website

JANUARY MEDALS OF HONOR

TOP VICTORIES OF THE REVOLUTION,

JANUARY 2008

Every day is a good news day here at ¡Hasta La Victoria Siempre!, but it is still worthwhile to stop and reflect on some of the victories that have been fought and won throughout the month. And so, dear reader, I submit my Medals of Honor: the top three good news stories of the month.

January was a particularly good month for the Revolution. I had a hard time picking just three top stories. I admit that this is a completely arbitrary list - how can you rate the worth of hydrogen boats over endangered vultures, for example – but I have made my decision based on the overall impact the story might have on the planet in general. You can click on the headings to read the original story.

As usual, any comments are welcome.
- Nigel

1. ISRAEL GOES ELECTRIC

What do you do when you’re a tiny, oil-poor country surrounded by oil-rich neighbors who don’t like you, and the price of gas is at an all-time high? If you’re Israel, you invest a load of money in electric cars.

This is an important story because of the big-name players involved: Israel and Renault-Nissan. Israel is a technologically advanced country with a population of over 7 million people, an economic powerhouse, and perhaps the most progressive country in the Middle East. Renault-Nissan is an alliance between two of the world’s largest auto manufacturers. In other words, there is a lot at stake – over $200 million dollars in seed money, a cross-country network of 500,000 battery charge stations, and as many as 50,000 new jobs, for starters.

In a world where reducing reliance on oil is more political posturing than reality, Israel and Renault-Nissan have raised the bar by promising an electric alternative to gasoline engines that would eliminate carbon and noise emissions… within three years. Kind of makes all those other greenhouse emissions targets look like a joke, doesn’t it? This story is proof that meaningful change can happen if government and industry work together to find solutions.

2. CHINA BANS PLASTIC SHOPPING BAGS

In the grand scheme of ecological collapse, the plastic shopping bag may seem a trivial player. The entire nation of China with its 1 billion citizens, however, is not. And so when the government of China suddenly announced that it was banning all plastic shopping bags by June 1 due to pollution and energy concerns, the world paid attention.

The lowly plastic shopping bag, it seems, has become a symbol of the environmental apocalypse. More than 500 billion get tossed every year, choking our landfills and clogging our gutters. From San Francisco to Sydney, communities are beginning to shake off their plastic shackles in favor of reusable alternatives. But nowhere has it been done as effectively and as dramatically as in China, where companies still manufacturing plastic bags will face heavy fines or seizure of goods and property.

Keep your eyes peeled for more news about the war on plastic shopping bags over the next couple of weeks, exclusively on ¡Hasta La Victoria Siempre!.

3. TOTAL PAYS FOR FRANCE’S WORST OIL SPILL

Oil companies are so big and so rich and have so much influence that sometimes it seems like they are above the law. In fact, sometimes they are. But the courts of France showed South African oil giant Total who was boss this month when they ordered Total to pay $285 million dollars in compensation for a 1999 oil spill. The spill, France’s worst ever, dumped 230,000 tons of crude oil and polluted 320 kms of French coast, killing tens of thousands of seabirds. The money was ordered to be paid to over a hundred civil parties, mostly associations involved in the cleanup and ecology groups.

Despite the large payout, the victory is largely symbolic. The $285 million dollars will barely make a dent in Total’s bottom line, but the decision sends a clear message that industry will be held accountable for damaging the environment and ignoring safety concerns.

SOLAR SCHOOLS SHINE IN NORTHERN IRELAND

NORTHERN IRELAND SCHOOLS

CATCH SOME RAYS

Solar panels and small wind devices are being installed in 19 more rural schools across Northern Ireland. Over £1.3 million is being invested in installing the renewable technologies at a total of 35 schools, creating over 100 kWp of renewable power. 16 schools have already benefited from the technology. An online educational resource will also be developed, designed to teach young people about sustainable energy issues.

The Switched on Schools project is funded by the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development through the Northern Ireland Programme for Building Sustainable Prosperity, Northern Ireland Electricity and the Education and Library Boards.

A+ to everyone involved.

Sources, resources and discourses:

1. Belfast Telegraph - article
2. Northern Ireland Executive - press release

ICELAND’S HYDROGEN FLEET

FOSSIL-FREE ON THE HIGH SEA

Whale watching aboard the world’s first hydrogen-powered ship.

Iceland is set to launch the world’s first hydrogen-powered passenger ship, the latest sign that Iceland is working hard to become one of the first nations to break free from the constraints of fossil fuel.

The good ship Elding – Icelandic for “Lightning” – is set to embark on its first run from Reykjavik harbor on April 24. Visitors to Europe’s northernmost capital will get a taste of the future by taking whale-watching tours aboard Elding, or by renting one of the world’s first hydrogen-powered rental cars.

Icelandic energy company Nýorka is engineering the generator on board Elding. The company will replace the oil-powered generator of the 130 ton cruise boat with a version that runs solely off hydrogen. The design is pollution-free and will eradicate vibrations caused by the current engine that might disturb marine life, an appealing benefit for Reykjavik Whale Watching, the eco-friendly adventure company that owns the ship.

Icelanders seem ready to embrace hydrogen as a fuel. One survey showed a 93% public acceptance, a fact attributed to the relatively few negative effects of hydrogen. Two-thirds of electricity in volcanic Iceland is already derived from renewable sources – its plentiful rivers and waterfalls and the geothermal heat that boils beneath its crust.

Big shoutout to Nýorka for the groundbreaking work, to Reykjavik Whale Watching for making a total commitment to eco-friendly vehicles, and to the entire country of Iceland for working hard to break the bad habit of fossil fuels. Godspeed, Elding!

Sources and resources:

1. Malaya - article

2. Icelandic New Energy - website

3. Reykjavik Whale Watching - website

ISRAEL GOES ELECTRIC

GREEN CARS:

WHO NEEDS OIL

WHEN YOU’VE GOT LITHIUM-ION?

On Monday, Israel’s government endorsed an ambitious plan to build the world's first electric car network by 2011. The undertaking could be a bold step in the battle against global warming and energy dependency.

The project is a joint venture between Renault-Nissan, which will provide the electric vehicles, and the Silicon Valley-based startup Project Better Place, which will operate the recharging grid. The replacement and charging of the lithium-ion batteries will work like that of a cell phone battery, with half a million recharging stations to crisscross the tiny country.

The Renault-Nissan cars will have a range of up to 160 kms per charge, and will accelerate from zero to 100 kph in 13 seconds and have a top speed of 110 kph - similar to many gasoline-powered cars. The car will cost the same or less than comparable gasoline engine autos and will have a lifetime warranty. The cars are expected to create 50,000 jobs, and be on the road by 2011.

The idea was perhaps not a hard sell: Israel is a small, oil-poor country surrounded by oil-rich enemies. The average Israeli car owner drives less than 72 kms per day, and Israel’s major cities are less than one battery charge apart, making electric cars a feasible option. By going oil-free, Israel hopes to weaken the political clout of their oil-dependant - and oil-providing - neighbors. Israel currently depends on Russia for much of it’s oil.

This is big news. A giant shoutout to the government of Israel, to Renault-Nissan and Project Better Place, and to everyone involved in getting this historic project off the ground. Good luck to all.

Sources and resources:

1. The Jerusalem Post
2. The New York Times
3. Reuters
4. The Canadian Press
5. The Register

JAPANESE GARBAGE POWER

BURNING TRASH FOR ELECTRICITY

Plasma turns garbage into gas that powers a turbine at a Japanese facility

This is from Discover Magazine:

What could be better than a power station that eats up dirty landfill and churns out clean electricity? One facility in Utashinai, Japan, has been doing just that since 2003, using plasma to process up to 220 tons of municipal solid waste a day. Now a bigger and better $425 million plant is scheduled for completion by 2009 in Saint Lucie County, Florida. The operator, Atlanta-based Geoplasma, expects it to generate 160 megawatts of electricity—enough to power 36,000 homes—from a daily diet of trash.

At the plant, garbage will be superheated to more than 10,000 degrees Fahrenheit—about the temperature of the sun’s surface—by a NASA-developed plasma torch. Organic components will be gasifed by the heat; the inorganic remainder will be melted and removed. Syngas, a mixture of carbon monoxide and hydrogen, will be extracted from the gas output and used to drive turbines and generate electricity. Gases from the plant will be processed to remove dangerous compounds like dioxins, and the company pledges that emissions will be well under state and federal environmental limits. Heavy metals from the inorganic dross will be collected and sold as scrap.

The Florida facility will be built right next to a large landfill, which the company will dig into at a daily rate of 1,000 tons—along with 2,000 tons of brand-new trash to be trucked in. Geoplasma is negotiating contracts to sell three-quarters of the electricity generated by the plant to a utility company.

Let’s review: a power station that reduces garbage and creates enough “clean” electricity to power 36,000 homes… why aren’t there one of these facilities next to every landfill?

Shoutout to Geoplasma for helping to pioneer the alchemy of turning garbage into gold.

Click on the links for more information:

http://discovermagazine.com/2007/may/the-ultimate-garbage-disposal

http://bioconversion.blogspot.com/2006/10/geoplasma-answers-trash-vaporization_14.html

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071207001203.htm

STOCKHOLM'S PEOPLE POWER

ENERGY FROM HUMAN COMMUTERS

WITHOUT A SINGLE GIANT HAMSTER WHEEL

I found this at Independence Online…

Stockholm - A Swedish state-owned firm has found a cheap, eco-friendly source of energy to warm one of its offices: body heat from 250 000 commuters steaming through Stockholm's central train station.

Body heat already warms the station itself but the surplus, currently let out in thin air, will be redirected to provide as much as 15 percent of the heating in a planned 4 000 square metre office building, real estate firm Jernhusen said.

"We had a look at it and thought 'We might actually be able to use this'," said Karl Sundholm, project leader at Jernhusen, which also owns the station. "This feels good. Instead of just airing the leftover heat out we try to make use of it."

Jernhusen markets the building as "environment smart" and aims for its energy consumption to be half of what a corresponding building usually is.

The bodily warmth from the central station will be redirected to heat up water. The investment will be around 200 000 Swedish crowns, Sundholm said.

(Reuters)

Powering 15% of a building’s energy from body heat seems like a clean, efficient way to conserve energy. And at a reasonable cost, too: 200,000 Swedish crowns equals less than $32,000 (U.S.). So the question is, can this innovation be used on a mass scale wherever large numbers of people gather? In stadiums, shopping malls, or universities, for example?

A big shoutout to the good folks at Jernhusen for thinking outside the box.