Quantcast
Channel: José Santamarta Flórez
Viewing all 10308 articles
Browse latest View live
↧

Obama quiere reducir emisiones CO2 en un 40%

March 19, 2015, 3:32 pm
$
0
0
La Casa Blanca dice estar demostrando que se puede hacer crecer la economía mientras se lucha contra el cambio climático. Al menos un 30% del consumo deberá provenir de energías renovables, eólica, termosolar y fotovoltaica.

El presidente estadounidense Barack Obama firmó hoy una orden ejecutiva para recortar las emisiones de gases de efecto invernadero de su propio gobierno, el mayor consumidor de energía del país, en un 40 por ciento respecto al nivel de 2008 en los próximos diez años, tratando de ahorrar 18.000 millones de dólares en costos energéticos. Además, las autoridades estadounidenses deberán obtener al menos el 30 por ciento de sus recursos de energías renovables como la solar o la eólica.
Obama señaló en el Departamento de Energía que el esfuerzo ayudará a Estados Unidos a "cumplir con algunos objetivos clave necesarios para reducir el cambio climático", así como para ahorrar dinero e impulsar la industria de las energías renovables. Estados Unidos, la Unión Europea y China se han marcado compromisos de reducción de emisiones. Quedan por anunciar medidas similares países como Brasil, Rusia, India, Sudáfrica, Japón, Canadá o Nueva Zelanda.
"El mejor año para la energía solar"
En 2010 Obama ya había ordenado que el gobierno redujera la emisión de estos gases en un 28 por ciento en relación a 2008. El gobierno estadounidense es el mayor consumidor de energía del país. El acuerdo se ve complementado con el compromiso de varios de sus principales proveedores, entre ellos IBM, General Electrics, Honeywell o HP, de reducir también sus emisiones de los gases responsables del efecto invernadero.
Obama no hizo declaraciones al firmar la orden, pero después se desplazó al Departamento de Energía, donde visitó una instalación de paneles solares en el tejado del edificio. "El año pasado fue el mejor para la energía solar en nuestra historia", comentó al apuntar que su Gobierno está demostrando que "es posible" que la economía crezca y, a la vez, hacer "lo correcto" para luchar contra el cambio climático "de una manera seria".
El gobierno estadounidense es el mayor consumidor de energía del país. Según la Casa Blanca, la reducción tendrá un amplio efecto en la cadena de suministro.
Varias compañías, como General Electric o IBM, se comprometieron también a reducir las emisiones de dióxido de carbono y aumentar su utilización de energías renovables como parte del plan de la Casa Blanca.
Comunicado de la Casa Blanca sobre nuevas metas de emisiones: http://dpaq.de/DBZn2


 

↧
Search

Senvion delivers 54 wind turbines for offshore wind farm Nordsee One

March 19, 2015, 3:39 pm
$
0
0
Senvion SE, one of the largest turbine suppliers to the offshore wind industry, and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Suzlon, the fifth-largest wind turbine manufacturer in the world, is delivering 54 turbines for the offshore wind farm Nordsee One in Germany´s North Sea, which will be erected about 40 kilometres north of the island Juist. Due to the long distance to the mainland, the wind farm will not be visible from the coast. Senvion and the project corporation Nordsee One GmbH signed the contract for delivery, installation and commissioning of the 54 Senvion 6.2M126 in December 2014 in Hamburg. The financing contracts have now also been signed. Each turbine has a rated power of 6,15 megawatts (MW), enabling it to supply about 4,000 households with energy. After the planned completion in autumn 2017, the Nordsee One offshore wind farm will have an installed capacity of approximately 332 MW and be able to supply more than 215,000 households with power in a year.


Andreas Nauen, CEO of Senvion SE, says: “A successful energy transition needs offshore wind energy. Clear framework conditions will fill the order books again. We are very happy that we are realizing this project with RWE Innogy and Northland Power. With our tried-and-tested technology we achieve an average of 4,000 full load hours offshore. With that we make our contribution to the network stability.”

The turbines and rotor blades are produced by Senvion and PowerBlades in Bremerhaven. The nacelle alone is as big as two single-family-houses and will be assembled offshore at a hub height between 97 and 100 metres. Each rotor blade is more than 60 metres long and weighs about 23 tonnes. The rotor star has a diameter of 126 metres, with the rotors sweeping an area larger than two football pitches.

To date, the Senvion 6.2M126 is the world´s most powerful offshore wind turbine to be produced in series. Senvion got started in the multi-megawatt category back in 2004 and since then has achieved a great deal of success. No other manufacturer today competes with the experience of Senvion, with more than 140 turbines from the 5 and 6 megawatt class installed on the high seas.


 
 

↧
↧

Obama orders gov't to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 40 pct.

March 19, 2015, 3:50 pm
$
0
0
President Barack Obama on Thursday signed an executive order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions produced by the federal government by 40 percent over the next decade, a move made as part of his administration's efforts to fight climate change.

The executive order also set a target for 30 percent of the electricity consumed by the federal government to come from renewable sources.
In addition, according to the White House, the efforts will be complemented with "commitments" by companies such as IBM, GE, Honeywell and Hewlett Packard, which are among the main service providers to the federal government and which will also reduce their greenhouse gas emissions.
Obama made no statement upon signing the order at the White House, but afterwards he went to the Department of Energy, where he visited a solar panel installation on the building's roof and emphasized that the United States is becoming a "leader" in solar energy production.
"Last year was the biggest year for solar power in our history. And, in fact, the solar industry is adding jobs 10 times faster than the economy as a whole," said Obama, noting that his administration is proving that "it is possible" for the economy to grow while doing "the right thing" to fight climate change "in a serious way."
The goals established in the executive order issued on Thursday are "ambitious," but they are also "achievable," he said.
According to the White House, the combined efforts of the government and the firms who have made commitments to do so will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 26 million metric tons by 2025 compared with the levels emitted in 2008.
That is equivalent to removing almost 5.5 million automobiles from the nation's road in one year.
The measures implemented on Thursday strengthen the commitment announced by Obama last November for the United States to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by between 26-28 percent from 2005 levels by 2025, an effort that is part of an ambitious agreement with China.
This high-level agreement between Washington and Beijing seeks to promote a global pact before the climate change conference to be held in Paris in December.
That conference is aimed at achieving a global agreement on climate change that, starting in 2020, can replace the Kyoto protocol.
It will be the first time in the more than 20 years of climate change negotiations that all countries - both developed and developing - will have to commit themselves to concrete efforts to tackle this global problem.
Nevertheless, some developing countries to date have been reticent to announce significant contributions to the effort, feeling that a certain energy consumption level is inevitable for economic growth and that greater efforts should be made by the richest nations and those that generate the most greenhouse gases.
Last week, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry asked emerging nations not to repeat "the mistakes" that Washington and other great powers made in the past and to decisively commit themselves this year to reducing carbon emissions and using clean energy sources.



 
 
 
↧

Wind energy: 2,000 GW by 2030

March 19, 2015, 4:10 pm
$
0
0
According to the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC), wind installations worldwide grew by 44% in 2014, adding over 51 GW and pointing to a “solid sign of the recovery of the industry after a rough patch in the past few years.” Cumulative global wind capacity stood around 370 GW at the end of 2014.

“Wind power is the most competitive way of adding new power generation capacity to the grid in a rapidly increasing number of markets around the world, even when competing against heavily subsidized incumbents,” boasted Steve Sawyer, GWEC Secretary General.
Even accounting for the typical hyperbole that accompanies self-congratulatory statements coming from organizations such as GWEC, obvious proponents of wind, the continued growth of wind installations globally cannot be dismissed or belittled.
For those who say it is all because of unsustainable subsidies, one can ask, why does nuclear power not flourish even when governments in the US and UK offer generous subsidies?
Among the interesting projections coming out of GWEC is a scenario analysis exercise that examined 3 alternative future growth trajectories for wind – 3 seems to be every scenario planner’s favorite number.
Under a scenario identifies as “advanced,” GWEC says installed global wind capacity could reach nearly 2,000 GW by 2030, a stunning number (graph above). If such a scenario were to materialize, wind could be supplying 16-18% of global electricity demand, even discounting for the fact that wind does not always blow.
Top 10 US wind generators: Installed capacity at end of 2014, MW
Wind 3
Source: 2015 Factbook: Sustainable energy in America, Bloomberg New Energy Finance & Business Council for sustainable energy, Feb 2015
In many countries or US states, this would not qualify as newsworthy today since wind accounts for much higher percentage of electricity demand, for example, in Denmark. But reaching double digit figures globally would be a feat.
Extrapolating the “advanced” scenario to 2050 would result in even more astonishing numbers, some 4,000 GW of installed global wind capacity. GWEC, of course, does not say this will or should happen, but that under certain conditions – one always needs to read the fine print – we could end up with this much wind.
Wind, of course, is a major growth industry in places where it has been supported, supplying a growing number of high-paying jobs, to the delight of supportive politicians.
The top ten wind generators in the US (graph above left) include a number of big players including many European firms who have found fertile ground in the US wind market.


 

↧

Wind power Nordex: Contracts for a further 26 wind turbines

March 20, 2015, 1:26 am
$
0
0
In the first few weeks of the year, Nordex SE has been registering further growth in demand for the Generation Delta N131/3000 light-wind turbine. Customers from Finland and Germany have placed firm orders for a total of 26 units comprising in total 78 MW capacity of the latest Nordex product. 


Thus, Finnish asset management company Taaleritehdas has now again awarded a contract for the delivery of nine N131/3000 turbines for the “Kooninkallio-Kankaanpää” wind farm. This follows on from the order which this customer had placed in February for these turbines for the “Myllykangas II” wind farm.

“Kooninkallio-Kankanpää” is located in a flat woodland region in the south-west of Finland. The local wind conditions match those of a classic IEC3 site, meaning that N131/3000 turbines to be installed at the site are an ideal choice to generate high yields. The wind farm is to achieve a capacity factor of around 40 per cent.

In Germany, Nordex is supplying the Bürgerwind Brechte GmbH & Co. KG and Bürgerwind Strönfeld GmbH & Co. KG citizens wind farms with a total of nine N131/3000 turbines. In addition, it has been able to register a firm order in the first few weeks of the year under a contract signed in 2014 for the installation of eight N131/3000 turbines for the Sellen GmbH & Co.KG windfarm in Steinfurt Shire in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. 

Type approvals in accordance with DIBT 2012 have been issued for the N131/3000 for hub heights of 99, 114 and 134 metres for the German market. With the successful completion of the first permitting processes, all the necessary documents for project development with the N131/3000 are now available in full.

Similarly, international IEC certification in the form of the Design Evaluation Conformity Statements DECS has been received for hub heights of 99, 114 and 144 metres.

Nordex has already installed the first N131/3000 at the “Janneby” citizens wind farm in Schleswig-Holstein. The necessary testing and measuring work for IEC type certification is currently ongoing. 

http://www.evwind.es/2015/03/20/wind-power-nordex-contracts-for-a-further-26-wind-turbines/51107 


↧
↧

Wind energy in Sweden: Allianz Capital Partners orders 37 Vestas wind turbines for a wind power plants

March 20, 2015, 9:56 am
$
0
0
Vestas announces this 122 MW project which will be located in Sweden’s Ljusdal and Bollnäs municipalities, and will be the country’s first wind power plant to use the V117-3.3 MW turbine. This order brings Vestas’ announced order intake in the first quarter of 2015 above 1 GW. 

Allianz Capital Partners is the Allianz Group's in-house investment manager for alternative investments.  With a combined generation capacity of more than 1,200 MW, it is one of the world's largest financial investors in renewable energy.  The Sörby project has been developed by Kraftö Vind AB, a well-established developer with a large portfolio focusing primarily on Sweden. Kraftö will manage the construction of the wind farm.

Turbine delivery is scheduled to begin in the first quarter of 2016 with commissioning expected to start during the second quarter of 2016. The contract includes supply, installation and commissioning of the turbines, along with a VestasOnline® Business SCADA solution and a 15-year full-scope service agreement (AOM 5000).
“We are very pleased to become the owner of the 122 MW Sörby project which materially strengthens our position in the Swedish wind market. We look forward to working with both Kraftö and Vestas to ensure the smooth construction and optimal long-term operation of the project”, states David Jones, Head of Renewable Energy at Allianz Capital Partners.
”The open mindset approach that has characterised our cooperation with the Vestas team has enabled us to continuously improve the business case certainty all the way to financial close. Furthermore, the selection of the V117-3.3MW turbine ensures that we enhance the already solid wind resources at the site” says Anders Barne, CEO of Kraftö Vind AB.
“Vestas’ wide range of wind turbine types is well-suited for all market conditions and thus offers our customers a strong business case for their wind power investments”, says Klaus Steen Mortensen, President of Vestas Northern Europe. “We are really pleased with being selected as the supplier and long-term service partner on the 122 MW Sörby project”.
Today, Vestas has delivered about 1,600 wind turbines, totalling more than 2,500 MW, to Sweden. 


 
 
↧

Costa Rica powered with 100% renewable energy

March 20, 2015, 10:22 am
$
0
0
The Cental American country has achieved a major clean energy milestone, meeting 100 percent of its power demand with renewable energy for 75 straight days. 


“The year 2015 has been one of electricity totally friendly to the environment for Costa Rica,” the state-owned power supplier Costa Rican Electricity Institute (ICE) said in a press release. 

The ICE says the country's zero-emission milestone was enabled thanks to heavy rainfalls at four hydroelectric power facilities in the first quarter of 2015. These downpours have meant that, for the months of January, February and so far March, there has been no need to burn fossil fuels to generate electricity.

Instead, Costa Rica has been powered primarily by hydro power - both pumped storage and run-of-the-river plants - and a mixture of geothermal energy, wind power, biomass and solar energy.  

It’s important to remember that Costa Rica is a small nation. It has a total area of about 51,000 square kilometres, which is about half the size of the US state of Kentucky, and it has a population of only 4.8 million people. Furthermore, its primary industries are tourism and agriculture, rather than heavy, more energy-intensive industries such as mining or manufacturing.  

Still, Costa Rica has done an excellent job developing it electricity sector, and supplying affordable, reliable power to its citizens.

According to the World Economic Forum’s 2014 Global Competitiveness Index, Costa Rica ranks second in Latin American countries behind only Uruguay with regards to electricty and telecommunications infrastructure. 

Costa Rica’s record on renewable generation also stands out. As recently as last year, hydropower accounted for 80 percent of all electricity production, while geothermal energy was reported back in 2010 to account for upwards of 13 percent of the country’s electricity profile.

And new geothermal projects are in the pipeline to help the volcano-rich country capitalise further on this subterranean energy source.

In mid-2014, the Costa Rican government approved a US$958 million geothermal energy project. According to Jake Richardson from CleanTechnica, "the first plants are expected to generate about 55 MW and cost approximately $333 million to build", and two other 50 MW plants will also be built nearby. 



↧

Global Solar PV Capacity to Reach Nearly 500 GW in 2019

March 20, 2015, 10:32 am
$
0
0
Total global solar photovoltaic (PV) capacity is forecast to reach 498 gigawatts (GW) in 2019, which is 177% higher than 2014, according to IHS (NYSE: IHS), the leading global source of critical information and insight. While total global solar PV demand is projected to grow steadily, the large number of discrete country markets at the gigawatt-level will help reduce demand volatility.

“Last year, the market began to shift toward a more supply-driven market, characterized by high utilization rates, following the more demand-driven market that led to PV manufacturing consolidation,” said Susanne von Aichberger, solar industry analyst for IHS Technology, formerly Solarbuzz. “This trend is expected to continue through to 2019, when the utilization rate at module production is projected exceed the peak utilization rate reached in 2010, when the global market experienced explosive growth.”
Based on findings of the latest IHS Marketbuzz report, global solar demand is expected to reach 75 GW in 2019, which is 66% higher than in 2014. Last year, the largest global markets were China and Japan, which together accounted for half of total demand. The US, UK, and Germany together accounted for another quarter of total demand.
"In the five years between 2015 and 2019, IHS expects that 11 global markets will exceed the average annual demand level of 1 gigawatt,” von Aichberger said. “This large number of country markets reduces the risk of another explosion in the global PV market and of an overly strong capacity build-up. An increasing number of markets are entering the post-feed-in-tariff phase and embracing the integration of PV into the electricity market, which will help the market to avoid boom-and-bust situations.”
Average selling prices (ASPs) of standard c-Si modules (i.e., c-Si excluding Super Mono) are forecast to decline by 27% between 2015 and 2019, reaching $0.45 per watt (W). The share of thin-film modules produced is projected to decline from 8% in 2014 to 7% this year—the lowest share recorded since 2010, when c-Si module shortages opened the door for thin-film technology to reach a production share of 15%.
Due to the expected supply-driven market situation, the share of thin film is projected to remain at 7% through 2019. Within the thin film category, growth is likely to be driven by cadmium telluride (CdTe) and copper indium gallium selenide (CIGS). By 2019, annual production of a-Si modules is projected to fall to less than half of its 2014 level.

 
 
 


↧
Search

Pakistan signs 3 deals for 130 MW wind power

March 20, 2015, 10:41 am
$
0
0
The National Transmission and Despatch Company Limited (NTDCL) of Pakistan signed three agreements for 129.5 MW from Jhimpir wind farm.

The plan calls for Tapal Wind Energy to build a 30 MW facility, Master Wind Energy to install a 49.5 MW plant and Gul Ahmed Wind Power construct an additional 50 MW wind park.
The PPAs have received the green light from NTDCL authorities and all three wind power producers will close their financing till 31 March 2015. The farm will start production by the end 2016.
NTDC, incorporated in 1998 operates and maintains twelve 500 KV and twenty nine 220 KV Grid Stations, 5077 km of 500 KV transmission line and 7359 km of 220 KV transmission line in Pakistan.
The main functions of NTDCL are categorized as central power purchasing agency, system operator, transmission network operator, contract registrar and power exchange administrator for the energy portfolio of Pakistan.
As a Central Power Purchasing Agency (CPPA), the utility works on procurement of power from GENCOs, Hydel & IPPs on behalf of Distribution Companies (DISCOS) for delivery through 500 kV, 220 kV and 132kV Network.
Current projects undertaken by NTDCL include D. G Khan 500 kV sub -station and transmission line, New Okara 220 kV Sub-Station Transmission Line and Dispersal of Power from Jarwar IPP Jarwar – Sadiqabad 132 kV Double Circuit Transmission Line.
The Jhimpir Wind Power Plant is a wind farm located at Jhimpir in Thatta District of Sindh province in Pakistan, 120 kilometres North-East of Karachi.
The project has been developed by Zorlu Energy Pakistan at a total cost of $143 million.
Recently, Pakistan Meteorological Department has conducted a detailed Wind Power Potential Survey of Coastal Areas of Pakistan.
This study finds that Sindh coastal areas have greater wind power potential than Balochistan coastal areas. Potential areas cover 9700 sq.km in Sindh.
In Pakistan, first wind power generation plant of 50 MW was inaugurated in December 2012 and started full production in 2013. The wind power potential in Pakistan that has been identified in Sindh and Balochistan is more than 50,000 MW while Punjab has potential of producing almost 1,000 MW.



↧
↧

China to help Ghana construct 1 bln USD solar power plant

March 20, 2015, 11:17 am
$
0
0
The Chinese Hanergy Group is investing one billion U.S. dollars to construct a 400-megawatt (MW) solar power plant to help boost Ghana's energy needs, Zhou Youbin, Charge d'Affaires at the Chinese Embassy, said here Thursday.

Zhou, who was speaking at a day's natural resource conference, said: "China, as a traditional friend and an important development partner over the years, has spared no efforts in supporting the development and construction of Ghana."
The conference was on the theme "Natural Resource Governance and Management in Ghana: The Stride Towards an Efficient use of our Natural Resources".
Zhou listed numerous projects the Chinese government had undertaken in Ghana such as the western corridor gas infrastructure development project, construction of the 400- megawatts Bui Dam, and the Kpong Water Supply Expansion Project.
He emphasized that the Chinese government would continue to build on the capacities of local people in the area of natural resources management.
To this end, he said some 30, 0000 African professionals were being trained under the African Talents Program in various sectors.
China, he noted, became the biggest investor in the past year in the cocoa, gold oil producing West African country's economy.
"In 2014, statistics about China-Ghana cooperation is inspiring. Ghana's export to China and Chinese Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) inflows to Ghana has both surpassed one billion dollars, making China the biggest investor of Ghana in the past year," he said.
The Chinese envoy mentioned problems facing foreigners in the natural resource governance of the country as including the acquisition of land and rising resource nationalism, which had plagued many resource-rich countries and their development partners.
He further called on the Ghanaian authorities to streamline and boost the vitality of small-scale mining since the sector contributed about one-third of the total gold production and 100 percent of the country's diamond in 2013.
"The most important thing is to balance the interests of the stakeholders, mainly the government, mining communities and the investors. Policies to ensure the healthy and sustainable development of the mining sector should be designed as soon as possible," Zhou appealed.
The Chief Executive Officer of the Institute of Green Growth, Dr. Eric Twum, organizers of the conference, said the synergy between Ghana's resource availability, management and associated resource use benefits had over the years and in most cases not been fully met.
"Our institutions are not the best despite the numerous efforts. We are saddled with inefficiencies, uncertainty and difficulties in management, among others when natural resources come to mind," Twum said.
Ghana, Dr. Twum said, lost about 90 million dollars and 70 million dollars due to stability agreements in the mining and oil and gas sectors in 2011 and 2012 respectively.
He therefore appealed to political leaders to desist from politicizing issues of natural resource governance and management. 



↧

Aerogeneradores que flotan en el cielo

March 21, 2015, 3:12 am
$
0
0
El proyecto apunta a dar respuestas a bajos costos y en lugares de difícil acceso para otros dispositivos eólicos del mercado. Desde el año pasado el prototipo de cuatro egresados del Instituto Tecnológico de Massachusetts (MIT) se hizo realidad y en la actualidad se prueba su eficiencia en Alaska. 

Se trata del BAT (por las siglas en inglés de Buoyant Airborne Turbine), un aerogenerador flotante que busca aprovechar las corrientes aéreas de altitud. La propuesta, que aseguran sus desarrolladores no quiere competir con las turbinas eólicas tradicionales, apuesta a proveer de energía barata y limpia a lugares de difícil acceso o con vientos en tierra débiles.
El proyecto fue patentado por el ingeniero Benn Glass, gerente de Altaeros Energies, y se trata de una de las iniciativas más novedosas en la generación de energía eólica. La estructura, íntegramente realizada en materiales blandos, soporta el helio y la convierte en una especie de zepelín dotado de una turbina generadora.
De acuerdo con las especificaciones de las pruebas preliminares, el BAT lograría hasta 600 metros de altura. Una torre eólica tradicional puede llegar a conseguir unos 150 metros de altura y su poder de captar el viento se basa en hélices de hasta 80 metros de largo.
Según declaró Glass en medios internacionales, la propuesta se basa en el hecho de que a mucha más altura las corrientes de viento adquieren una mayor densidad de potencia. La ecuación indica que la potencialidad de mejorar los rendimientos conseguidos en la tierra se extiende entre cinco a ocho veces más.
Sin embargo los desarrolladores destacan desde su sitio web que uno de los principales beneficios del BAT es la reducción de costos. Puntualmente se trata del segundo mayor costo para la energía eólica: el de instalación y transporte. De acuerdo con el prospecto del proyecto, se logra reducir hasta en un 90% ya que se transporta en dos contenedores y no requiere de una torre, grúa o plataforma de cemento.
Además, la versatilidad del equipo permite llegar a geografías realmente hostiles y sin infraestructura previa. Aparece como una opción interesante para obras o proyectos en terrenos hostiles, ya que también ofrece otros servicios remotos como comunicación adicional, vigilancia y tecnología sensorial. El aerogenerador suspendido además ofrece una línea de visión de más de 60 kilómetros en cualquier dirección.
Los desarrolladores del BAT aseguran que el valor del kilovatio hora (kV/h), bajo este mecanismo, puede costar 30 centavos de dólar (cerca de 2,60 pesos). Este costo, en el mercado norteamericano es prácticamente tres veces menos de lo que vale la misma energía producida por un generador alimentados con diésel.
La iniciativa se inició a través del respaldo de una fundación (Fundación Nacional de Ciencias, NSF) que aportó 900.000 dólares y ahora se traduce en una empresa con un capital de siete millones de dólares.



 
 
 
↧

Morocco to establish solar energy programs with Masdar

March 21, 2015, 3:59 am
$
0
0
The government aims to install 2 GW of solar energy by 2020, which will represent 14 percent of the country's total installed capacity.

 
UAE-based clean energy firm Masdar and Morocco's Office National de l'Electricité et de l'Eau Potable (ONEE) have signed a partnership to design, supply and install 17,670 solar home systems across 940 villages in the North African country.
When complete, the solar homes, along with broader electrification initiatives, will result in 99 percent of rural Morocco having access to energy by the end of 2017, a statement said.
Dr Sultan Ahmad Al Jaber, UAE minister of state and chairman of Masdar, and Ali Fassi-Fihri, director general of ONEE, signed the agreement in Casablanca, Morocco.
"The UAE has longstanding bilateral ties with Morocco, and this project reflects our commitment to work together to enhance economic and social opportunity," said Al Jaber.
"We look forward to working with our strategic partners to complete this project and demonstrate the positive impact of improving access to energy through solar power."
The project is funded through a grant by the Abu Dhabi government, the statement added.
Ali Fassi-Fihri, director general of ONEE, said: "This project fits perfectly with the strategy of the Moroccan Government for the development of rural areas through the achievement of basic infrastructure.
"Rural electrification through Solar Home Systems is part of an ambitious programme launched by the Moroccan Government in 1996, which allowed access by connecting to the national grid more than 12 million people and equipped 51,559 homes with solar systems," he added.

The Moroccan government is committed to securing 42 percent of nation's energy from renewable sources by 2020.
The solar home systems are being delivered by Masdar Special Projects - a division of Masdar Clean Energy.
Masdar and ONEE will work closely to design, supply, install and commission the project while for an initial two-year period, Masdar will provide maintenance and operational training, a responsibility which ONEE will take over and maintain.
Each solar home system consists of 290-watt solar panels, which charge two batteries with sufficient storage capacity for three days.
Morocco is an early adopter of renewable energy. With ambitious clean-energy targets, and large solar and wind power potential, Morocco is one of the Middle East and North Africa's most promising markets.The government aims to install 2 gigawatts of solar energy by 2020, which will represent 14 percent of the country's total installed capacity.
Masdar's large-scale projects include London Array - the largest offshore wind farm in the world - and the Dudgeon wind farm, a 402-megawatt project underway in the United Kingdom.
In the Middle East, Masdar is working to deliver the 117-megawatt Tafila onshore wind farm in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan and a 50-megawatt wind farm in the Sultanate of Oman.
Some of Masdar's small-scale projects include a 6-megawatt wind farm in the Republic of Seychelles, the delivery of 600 solar-home systems in Afghanistan and a 500-kilowatt solar photovoltaic power plant in the Kingdom of Tonga.


↧

Offshore wind energy project planned for Hawaii

March 21, 2015, 4:10 am
$
0
0
Offshore wind energy developers have recently taken a look at possible locations in the Pacific Ocean off the Hawaiian Islands to create what would become the United States' first floating offshore wind farm, a Hawaii renewable energy industry executive confirmed to PBN.

Thus far, there are no offshore wind farms up and running in the U.S., although there are some projects in some sort of development phase in areas such as the East Coast and Great Lakes region.
It's been about a decade since there was a serious play to develop an offshore wind farm project off the coast of Hawaii, but there has been some recent interest from some of the major developers of this type of project.
The project would be the first floating offshore wind farm in the United States. Thus far, there are no offshore wind farms up and running in the U.S., although there are some projects in some sort of development phase in areas such as the East Coast and Great Lakes region.
Alpha Wind Energy has turned in a lease request to the U.S. Interior Department for two 51-turbine project, which total 408-megawatts, according to Rechargenews.com.
The proposed project off Oahu’s South Shore would be located 17 miles south of Diamond Head in depths of up to 700 meters and lease an area of about 12,000 acres, while the North Shore project would be located 12 miles northwest of Kaena Point in depths of up to 1,000 meters and lease an area of about 11,400 acres, according to the report. No development cost of the project was available.




↧
↧

Eólica en Bolivia: Parque eólico La Ventolera en Tarija con 16 aerogeneradores

March 21, 2015, 8:41 am
$
0
0
El Ministro de Hidrocarburos y Energía, Luis Alberto Sánchez, realizó una inspección al proyecto eólico La Ventolera, que pretende generar al menos 48 megavatios (MW).

La inspección también contó con el presidente de la Empresa Nacional de Electricidad (ENDE), Eduardo Paz, y autoridades de la Gobernación de ese departamento.
Atlas de Bolivia permite avanzar en el uso de la energía solar
Atlas de Bolivia permite avanzar en el uso de la energía solar
"Estamos en La ventolera, un ansiado proyecto del pueblo tarijeño que busca generar electricidad a partir de energías renovable. El potencial de esta zona es de 48 megavatios (MW), se prevé instalar 16 turbinas eólicas con una inversión de 108 millones", dijo Sánchez.
Bolivia-Cochabamba-aerogeneradores
El Ministro de Hidrocarburos y Energía manifestó su deseo de que a partir del 2016 ese proyecto sea licitado, para aportar con una importante generación de electricidad, ya que el Gobierno proyecta al país como un centro energético.
Bolivia Parque Eólico de Qollpana
La Ventolera está ubicada en la provincia Avilés, a 31 km de la ciudad de Tarija, y se caracteriza por los cruces fuertes de vientos durante el día, los cuales buscan ser aprovechados en la generación de electricidad.
"Cabe remarcar que la gobernación ha instalado las  torres de medición hace 15 meses, con lo cual tenemos toda la información necesaria para empezar a generar el proyecto eólico en Tarija", concluyó Sánchez.



 
 
 
↧

Honduras inaugura la mayor central de energía solar fotovoltaica de Latinoamérica

March 22, 2015, 2:35 am
$
0
0
San Pedro Sula se convirtió ayer en el centro de referencia empresarial que evidencia el uso de las energías renovables en Honduras al inaugurar la central de energía solar fotovoltaica más grande de América Latina. 

Embotelladora de Sula, S.A. (Emsula) busca el ahorro y disminución de la contaminación ambiental, y Smartsolar es la empresa que se encargó de hacer realidad el proyecto desde su montaje hasta la instalación y mantenimiento.
La inversión asciende a 23 millones de dólares en las líneas de latas, planta de soplado y ampliación de bodega.
El financiamiento del proyecto cuenta también con el apoyo del Banco Interamericano de Desarrollo (BID), que concedió una línea de crédito de 10 millones de dólares. Los trabajos consistieron en que los techos de Emsula fueran dotados con paneles solares que tienen vida útil de 25 años.
Esto permitirá que la planta consuma energía solar para su producción diaria, por ende, este es el inicio de un mayor ahorro económico que ayuda al medio ambiente con la reducción del dióxido de carbono. Los ejecutivos de Emsula, Smartsolar y Pepsico Latinoamérica dieron palabras de agradecimiento explicando el funcionamiento y beneficios del proyecto que tuvo como invitado de honor al presidente Juan Orlando Hernández.
El proyecto de energía solar sobre los techos de Emsula reducirá la temperatura interna de las instalaciones, lo que producirá ahorros colaterales en el sistema de aire acondicionado, así como una mejoría en el confort del personal de trabajo. Roberto Larach, CEO del Grupo Corinsa, subrayó que uno de los objetivos que estaban pendientes era la reducción de costos de energía, por lo que se pensó en un plan integral que contempla la instalación de la planta de energía solar fotovoltaica sobre todos los techos del plantel.
Los paneles cubren un área aproximada de 35,000 metros cuadrados, con una capacidad de producción de tres megavatios de energía, proporcionando el 62% del consumo entre las 9:00 am y 3:00 pm, equivalente al 20% del consumo total de la demanda. El empresario destacó que con el proyecto se reducirán las emisiones de carbono en 31,500 toneladas y se dejarán de importar miles de barriles de petróleo, cuyo efecto principal será el ahorro de divisas para el país.
“Lo anterior ha permitido que hoy Honduras tenga la planta solar sobre techos más grande de América Latina”, confirmó Larach. Ramzy Massu, gerente general de Smartsolar, resaltó que es el primer gran proyecto solar en Honduras que produce la energía en el mismo punto que se consume. Dijo que para Smartsolar es un caso de éxito debido a que Emsula cuenta con los más altos estándares internacionales de calidad, servicios y seguridad a nivel industrial.
“Este proyecto fue diseñado, supervisado e instalado con mano de obra 100% hondureña. Hemos construido el sistema solar sobre techos más grande de América Latina, colocando a Honduras en el mapa mundial y siendo ejemplo para muchos”. Massu resaltó que es un ejemplo de que el mundo está experimentando una etapa de grandes cambios y retos, siendo el tema energético uno de los más importantes para el desarrollo económico y la protección al medio ambiente, por lo que la energía solar sobre techos asume un rol muy importante a escala global. Recalcó que el Gobierno ha creado la Ley de Promoción a la Generación de Energía con recursos renovables, y lo que falta es activar el principal detonante para que la población comience a invertir en energía solar para obtener un impacto social positivo.



 
 
 
↧
Search

Iberdrola presenta el proyecto de energías renovables HiWave

March 22, 2015, 2:43 am
$
0
0
En el área de las energías renovables, Iberdrola ha puesto en marcha a lo largo de 2014 proyectos que promueven soluciones para reducir los costes de la energía eólica offshore, ámbito en el que Iberdrola ya es un referente, al haber sido la primera empresa española en poner en marcha una instalación de estas características en el mundo: el complejo de West of Duddon Sands, en Reino Unido.

Dentro de estas iniciativas hay que destacar el proyecto de cimentaciones de gravedad LOW-IMPACT, el proyecto LEANWIND de tecnologías offshore y las diferentes líneas de actuación del ambicioso programa OWA (Offshore Wind Accelerator), promovido por el Carbon Trust del Reino Unido.
En Escocia ha comenzado un estudio de fatiga en pilotes offshore para suelos calcáreos, de forma que se optimicen diseños y se asegure su estabilidad. Igualmente, ha participado en el proyecto TLPWind, que persigue crear un modelo de aerogenerador flotante de última generación y un innovador sistema de instalación asociado para fomentar la puesta en marcha de parques offshore en zonas de Reino Unido donde ahora no es viable por la profundidad de las aguas. Además, Iberdrola ha lanzado el proyecto europeo BEST PATH, cuyo objetivo es la demostración de nuevas tecnologías que faciliten la integración de renovables en las redes europeas y el proyecto SMARTWIND, que investiga sobre modelos y simulaciones de tecnología de almacenamiento asociado a parques eólicos.
Iberdrola y la empresa sueca especializada en energías marinas CorPower ha realizado en Estocolmo una demostración de su proyecto internacional de innovación HiWave, que ya encara la fase final de construcción del prototipo de energía de las olas a escala real.
Durante el evento, Iberdrola y CorPower han mostrado las principales características de esta vanguardista boya, una de las que más futuro tiene dentro del sector de la generación eléctrica a través de esta fuente de energía.
La jornada se inició con una visita a la isla de Tynningö, en el archipiélago de Estocolmo, en donde se ha mostrado el comportamiento en agua de la boya a escala 1:16, de aproximadamente un metro de altura. También se pudo ver el taller del inventor de este sistema, Stig Lundbäck, que está situado en este islote cercano a Estocolmo.
Posteriormente, los asistentes se han desplazados a la sede del KTH-Royal Institute of Technology, donde se ha realizado una presentación del funcionamiento del mecanismo interno de la boya. En este centro se ha podido ver dicho dispositivo a escala 1:3, de unos 10 metros de altura, y se ha realizado una simulación de su conexión a la red sueca.
HiWave, cuya ejecución final está previsto que se extienda entre este año y 2016, es una de las iniciativas de I+D más relevantes en el ámbito de las energías marinas.
El proyecto tiene como objetivo crear un nuevo dispositivo de aprovechamiento de la energía de las olas para sentar las bases del diseño de un parque marino basado en esta tecnología. En él colaboran, además de Iberdrola y CorPower, el centro de investigación marina portugués WaveEc.
El diseño de HiWave se basa en una boya muy ligera y tecnológicamente muy avanzada que dispone de un sistema novedoso de conversión del movimiento del dispositivo en energía, el cual está basado en unos engranajes en cascada.
Este mecanismo es capaz de transformar de modo muy eficiente el movimiento de la boya en electricidad y ofrece una excepcional densidad de potencia, dado que logra cinco veces más que las tecnologías competidoras con menos de un tercio del peso total del equipo. El dispositivo se anclará al mar mediante varias líneas, lo que le permitirá tener un grado de libertad suficiente como para realizar el recorrido vertical más eficiente, maximizando así la producción de energía.
En el marco de este ambicioso proyecto, CorPower está siendo el responsable de diseñar el dispositivo, de realizar las especificaciones técnicas para la compra de componentes y de evaluar la posible integración de estas máquinas en futuros parques marinos de energía de las olas. WaveEc, por su parte, apoya el análisis y validación durante las distintas fases, mientras que Iberdrola, a través de su filial de ingeniería, es la encargada de estudiar el diseño de un parque marino con esta tecnología y, en general, gracias a su experiencia como líder mundial en renovables, de respaldar globalmente el proyecto.
HiWave está parcialmente financiado por el Instituto Europeo de Innovación (EIT) a través de una de sus comunidades de innovación y conocimiento (KIC-InnoEnergy).
El proyecto HiWave se enmarca en la firme apuesta de Iberdrola por la Investigación, Desarrollo e Innovación (I+D+i), sector en el que ha invertido 170 millones de euros durante 2014. La compañía ha destinado el grueso de dicha inversión al desarrollo de proyectos de redes inteligentes, generación limpia, eólica offshore y nuevas tecnologías y modelos de negocio.
Gracias a su compromiso con la búsqueda de nuevas soluciones energéticas sostenibles, Iberdrola ha sido reconocida como la utility española más innovadora y la quinta de Europa, según la CE.
Esta filosofía se ha visto reflejada también en el apoyo a emprendedores y empresas de base tecnológica a través del programa de capital riesgo Perseo, que cuenta con 70 millones de euros de presupuesto. Mediante esta iniciativa, Iberdrola ha invertido ya más de 48 millones de euros desde 2008 en start-ups tecnológicas que aseguren la sostenibilidad del modelo energético en el futuro.
En concreto, entre las iniciativas llevadas a cabo a través de Perseo en 2014 destacan la entrada en el capital de la compañía de Silicon Valley QBotix, que desarrolla tecnología robótica para instalaciones de generación renovable, y el lanzamiento del programa Open Innovation Ventures, cuyo fin es colaborar con proveedores tecnológicos de Iberdrola. La primera actividad de este programa ha sido la constitución de GDES Tech4Services, fruto de un acuerdo entre Iberdrola y el socio tecnológico Grupo Dominguis para desarrollar nuevas tecnologías para la operación y el mantenimiento en el sector eléctrico.




 
 
↧

Enel Green Power Helping Mexico Reach Green Targets

March 22, 2015, 2:52 pm
$
0
0
Mexico wants to increase the share of green energy in total installed capacity to 33 percent, and wind power is expected to increase its capacity from around 2.5GW to 9.5GW in the country, where EGP has an installed capacity of 399MW and where it will allocate a large portion of the investments set out in the Group’s new 2015-2019 Business Plan

When Mexico’s first wind farm was built back in 1994 at La Venta, on the Isthmus of Tehuantepec in the State of Oaxaca, it was not only the only wind power facility in Mexico, but in the whole of Latin America. Today Mexico is continuing that tradition of innovation by being one of the countries in the region that is most determined to develop not just wind power, but all green energy sources.
Mexico’srenewable energy development plan is ambitious: the government is aiming at increasing the share of green energy to 33 percent of the total installed capacity, 80 percent of which currently comes from fossil fuels and 17 percent from green energy sources. The government expects wind power to be a driving force in that development, as it set to more than triple its present installed capacity of around 2.5 gigawatts to 9.5GW.
TodayEnel Green Power has an installed capacity of 399 megawatts in Mexico, of which 346MW comes from wind power and 53MW from hydropower. It is currently building its Dominica II wind farm, and at the beginning of March it completed and grid-connected the new Sureste I-Phase II wind farm in the State of Oaxaca, which required a total investment of almost $160 million. These figures confirm EGP’s particular focus on this country as part of its overall Latin American strategy.
Enel’s 2015-2019 Business Plan looks to the continent as a key market that can provide the additional capacity set out in the next five years. Around half of EGP’s investments for growth during the time span of the plan will be geared towards Chile, Mexico and Brazil, three countries that over the course of 2014 have made an important contribution to the growth of EGP both in terms of revenue (up 10.1 percent compared to 2013) and of EBITDA, which rose to just over €1.9 billion (up 9.2 percent compared to 2013).


 
↧
↧

Eólica actual en Canarias se transformará en el 20 por ciento de aquí a dos años

March 22, 2015, 5:00 pm
$
0
0
El presidente del Gobierno de Canarias, Paulino Rivero, ha asegurado que las energías renovables son una "apuesta estratégica" que el archipiélago "debe aprovechar al máximo", insistiendo así en su compromiso firme con el sector.

Rivero insistió en que de ahí que el Gobierno de Canarias se sumea la I Cumbre Internacional de Energías Renovables, que tendrá lugar el próximo jueves y viernes en Santa Cruz de Tenerife, con la organización de la Asociación Canaria de Energías Renovables.
 El reto es hacer confluir a representantes institucionales (de las propias regiones ultraperiféricas, además de gobiernos de diferentes Estados y de la Unión Europea) y empresariales para abordar distintos enfoques relacionados con el impulso de las renovables.
 
Por su parte, el programa incluye diversas mesas redondas y ponencias, en las que se debatirá sobre la situación del sector en España, en Canarias y en las regiones ultraperiféricas, y se analizarán aspectos como la seguridad jurídica, los sistemas eléctricos insulares, el medio ambiente o la configuración de Canarias como plataforma de I+D en energías renovables.
 
El jefe del Ejecutivo regional realiza esta consideración hoy en su "blog", en el que recuerda que se ha cambiado el procedimiento del concurso por otro de autorización administrativa que facilitará en la práctica la adjudicación de los 442 megavatios de la convocatoria de abril de 2007.
Esto permitirá además que el 6 por ciento de generación de energía eólica actual se transforme en el 20 por ciento de aquí a dos años.
Paulino Rivero alude a este asunto con motivo de la I Cumbre Internacional de Energías Renovables prevista para el jueves y viernes en Santa Cruz de Tenerife, y que organiza la Asociación Canaria de Energías Renovables.
El reto de esta cumbre, prosigue Rivero, es hacer confluir a representantes institucionales de las regiones ultraperiféricas, además de gobiernos de diferentes Estados y de la Unión Europea, así como empresariales para abordar distintos enfoques relacionados con el impulso de las renovables.
El programa incluye mesas redondas y ponencias en las que se debatirá sobre la situación del sector en España, en Canarias y en las regiones ultraperiféricas y se analizarán aspectos como la seguridad jurídica, los sistemas eléctricos insulares, el medio ambiente y la configuración de Canarias como plataforma de I+D en energías renovables.


↧

ABB & Pact To Bring Photovoltaic To Rural Myanmar

March 23, 2015, 3:06 am
$
0
0
ABB will partner with Pact Myanmar to bring electricity in the form of solar power to approximately 3,500 individuals from villages in rural areas of Mandalay, Central Myanmar. With an estimated population of 51 million, Myanmar is a newly emerging country that has a per capita GDP of only around US$1,105, one of the lowest in East Asia and the Pacific. 

At present, over 75 percent of inhabitants have no access to electricity of any form and rural communities account for two thirds of the total population. The project was announced as the first round-the-world solar flight, Solar Impulse 2 (Si2), made its landing in Mandalay, Myanmar. ABB is the technology partner of this pioneering airplane, which can fly both day and night powered only by solar energy. 
The project involves establishing solar battery charging stations to be run by women’s groups in remote villages in the Tada Oo township. Power from the stations will be sold back to communities, thus bringing economic self-sufficiency and entrepreneurship to the townships. 
 Financial support will also be provided for villages to purchase photovoltaic equipment at the community level. For most villagers in these communities this will be the first time they will have reliable access to electricity. Through renewable energy, they will now be able to power lighting and small electrical applicances. 
 “Building up the energy infrastructure is essential to Myanmar’s future economic and social progress, and off-grid electrification is one way to accelerate access to electricity,” said Mr. Johan de Villiers, Managing Director of Singapore and South-East Asia, ABB. Mr. Richard Harrison, Country Director of Pact Myanmar explained, “Pact is committed to partnering with communities and institutions to address the critical need for electricity in rural areas in Myanmar. Our project will help reduce routine community expenditures on more expensive traditional energy sources by up to 20 percent.” 
 “Once communities have access to reliable light and energy sources throughout the day and evening hours, they are more able to increase their standard of living, and will be able to allocate more time and resources to education, income generation, health and community development activities,” he said. Daw Kyi of Kyaung Kone Village is excited about what this change means for their children. 
“Students will be able to study at night. This project promises a brighter future for our children,” she said. This is the latest project in ABB’s Access to Electricity rural electrification program, with similar rural electrification projects in India and Tanzania. The program was developed as a response to the United Nations Global Compact which urged companies and organizations to provide greater assistance to least developed countries. 



 
 
↧

Nordic wind farm players agree merger

March 23, 2015, 3:24 am
$
0
0
Norway’s Havgul Clean Energy and Sweden’s Triventus Wind Power are merging to form Havgul Nordic.

The new entity will be the first pan-Nordic wind farm developer and have 15 projects totalling 1554 MW under development in Finland, Norway and Sweden.
The companies said Havgul Nordic will “provide a single platform for investors to access a broad range of wind projects across three markets, combining onshore and offshore”.
They added that the move will help cut overall development costs and allow knowledge sharing and “greater economies of scale during critical development and EPC phases”.
Havgul Nordic’s portfolio is split as seven projects in Sweden (504MW), five in Norway (865MW) and three in Finland (185MW). The company will maintain offices in Oslo, Norway; and Falkenberg, Sweden.
Schemes range from small unpermitted sites to large-scale and fully permitted sites such as the 350MW Havsul 1 offshore and the 200MW Tonstad wind farm, as well as three sites in Finland’s feed-in tariff market.
“We are aiming to establish one of the lowest cost and highest return wind developers in the Nordic region,” said Havgul Nordic chief executive Harald Dirdal.
“The Norwegian and Swedish governments have recently increased their renewable energy targets and we expect to be well positioned to exploit this highly positive regulatory driver in the years ahead.
“Despite weak wholesale electricity pricing, the Nordic region offers attractive regulatory and commercial characteristics.”
UK-based SgurrEnergy provided advisory services to facilitate the merger. Leading shareholders of Havgul Nordic include the Sustainable Technologies Fund and Investinor AS, which includes the Norwegian government, the Swedish National Pension Funds, Kåpan Pension Fund and the Heinz Family as prominent investors.


 

↧
Viewing all 10308 articles
Browse latest View live
Search