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Inhalam zilnic mii de particule toxice care ne omoara organismul, lent cu fiecare gura de aer ”proaspat” de oras.
Sulfati, nitrati, amoniac, clorura de sodiu, carbon si praf mineral sunt doar cateva dintre substantele depistate in cantitati mari, cu mult peste limita maxima admisa de reglementarile europene in Bucuresti, Craiova, Cluj, Timisoara si Galati, se arata in studiul „Calitatea aerului in Bucuresti – efecte asupra sanatatii”, realizat de Centrul pentru Politici Durabile Ecopolis.
In termeni stiintifici li se spune simplu PM 2,5 si PM 10 – dar in traducere inseamna pulberi in suspensie si sunt compuse in cea mai mare parte din particule de funingine rezultata din arderile motoarelor autovehiculelor si din activitatea industriala.
Pericol pentru sanatatea populatiei
Moartea a mai mult de 800 de adulti si peste 200 de nou-nascuti in ultimii 6 ani ar fi putut fi cauzata de poluarea uriasa din Bucuresti, sustin in studiul lor cei de la Ecopolis.
Mai mult decat atat, specialistii in pneumologie spun ca dintre adultii si copiii care mor in Bucuresti anual, cateva zeci ar putea fi salvati daca aerul ar fi mai curat.
Din masuratorile efectuate la cele opt statii de monitorizare a calitatii aerului din Bucuresti si imprejurimi, care au vizat sase substante poluante, lipseste benzenul, un compus chimic din familia hidrocarburilor. Acesta este intalnit in petrol si carbuni si se obtine prin arderea incompleta a acestora.
„Riscul de cancer creste alarmant pentru persoanele expuse la hidrocarburi”, afirma Alin Preda, medic specialist in sanatate publica.
Benzenul, pe lista substantelor cancerigene
Centrul International de Cercetare a Cancerului a inclus benzenul pe lista substantelor cancerigene de grupa 1 (rezervata pentru cel mai ridicat grad de risc), putand provoca printre altele si leucemie.
Poluarea cu pulberi in suspensie (PM10 si PM2,5) inrautateste simptomele astmului, provoaca tuse, dureri in piept si dificultati respiratorii. De asemenea, sunt afectate in special persoanele cu boli cardiovasculare si respiratorii, copiii si varstnicii.
Seful Garzii de mediu, Silvian Ionescu spune ca traficul intens din Capitala ar fi principala cauza a poluarii. „Avem un oras cu o infrastructura pentru 100.000 de masini, iar in Bucuresti sunt inmatriculate mai mult de doua milioane de autovehicule”, a declarat Silvian Ionescu. O alta cauza a calitatii scazute a aerului ar fi ridicarea in atmosfera a prafului rezultat de la pamantul folosit la amenajarile spatiilor verzi, acesta ajungand pe carosabil odata cu caderea ploii.
Bucurestiul, cel mai poluat oras
Cei de la Centrul pentru Politici Durabile Ecopolis atrag atentia asupra faptului ca Bucurestiul se afla pe primul loc in topul celor mai poluate orase europene. Un alt studiu european, realizat de Organizatia franceza Aphekom, ne informeaza ca Bucurestiul imparte podiumul cu Budapesta si Barcelona.
Studiul a fost efectuat pe o perioada de aproape trei ani, in 25 de orase din 12 tari componente ale Uniunii Europene, numarul total al locuitorilor din aceste metropole fiind de aproximativ 39 de milioane.
Din cauza poluarii statul cheltuieste sume considerabile de bani prin sistemul de sanatate. Prin reducerea spitalizarilor, statul ar fi putut sa economiseasca aproximativ 400.000 lei doar in Bucuresti.
Cifra s-ar putea multiplica semnificativ daca ar fi incluse in estimare reducerea potentiala a tuturor spitalizarilor din cauze respiratorii, consumul de medicamente compensate sau cheltuielile aferente consultatiilor din cabinetele medicilor de familie, mai arata studiul realizat de catre Centrul pentru Politici Durabile Ecopolis
“Studiul Ecopolis aduce in prin plan incapacitatea autoritatilor de a ne proteja sanatatea si chiar viata. Consideram ca responsabilii, in frunte cu Directia de mediu din cadrul Primariei Generale, se fac vinovati in cazul acestei situatii inacceptabile. Suntem cea mai poluata capitala europeana si asta ne costa vieti.
Cerem demiterea urgenta a celor vinovati si solicitam Primarului General o pozitie oficiala si un plan urgent de remediere a situatiei actuale”, a declarat Costel Popa, presedinte, Centrul pentru Politici Durabile Ecopolis.
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Isra-Mart srl:Government asks if longer trucks could cut transport emissions
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Could a new breed of super lorries soon roll onto British roads as part of the government's efforts to tackle rising transport emissions?
That is the question being asked by a new consultation document released yesterday by the Department for Transport (DfT), which is seeking views on whether extending the maximum permitted length of an articulated lorry by two metres to 18.75 metres would help lower emissions.
Research suggests that the move could increase capacity for hauliers transporting lightweight goods by up to 13 per cent and cut carbon emissions by around 100,000 tonnes each year.
Roads Minister Mike Penning said the proposals unveiled in the consultation yesterday would allow haulage firms to use one larger truck instead of sending two vehicles.
"This will help to make our haulage industry cleaner and greener as well as allowing businesses greater flexibility without compromising safety," he said.
William Stobart, group chief operating officer at haulage giant Eddie Stobart, welcomed the proposals.
"A large number of loads 'bulk out before they weigh out', which means trailers reach volume capacity long before reaching maximum permitted gross weight," he explained.
"This illustrates the point that longer trailers with increased capacities could significantly increase load sizes without impacting on CO2 emissions, and at the same time reduce the number of trucks on the road - bringing benefits across the board to the environment, other road users, and ultimately the retailers and their customers."
The move is expected to be welcomed by environmental groups as well as hauliers, although it could also face opposition from road safety campaigners who fear larger lorries could increase the risk of accidents.
The government has, however, ruled out the use of large 'road-trains' as seen in countries such as Australia, limiting the consultation to vehicles that are 18.7 metres long.
Isra-Mart srl news:
Could a new breed of super lorries soon roll onto British roads as part of the government's efforts to tackle rising transport emissions?
That is the question being asked by a new consultation document released yesterday by the Department for Transport (DfT), which is seeking views on whether extending the maximum permitted length of an articulated lorry by two metres to 18.75 metres would help lower emissions.
Research suggests that the move could increase capacity for hauliers transporting lightweight goods by up to 13 per cent and cut carbon emissions by around 100,000 tonnes each year.
Roads Minister Mike Penning said the proposals unveiled in the consultation yesterday would allow haulage firms to use one larger truck instead of sending two vehicles.
"This will help to make our haulage industry cleaner and greener as well as allowing businesses greater flexibility without compromising safety," he said.
William Stobart, group chief operating officer at haulage giant Eddie Stobart, welcomed the proposals.
"A large number of loads 'bulk out before they weigh out', which means trailers reach volume capacity long before reaching maximum permitted gross weight," he explained.
"This illustrates the point that longer trailers with increased capacities could significantly increase load sizes without impacting on CO2 emissions, and at the same time reduce the number of trucks on the road - bringing benefits across the board to the environment, other road users, and ultimately the retailers and their customers."
The move is expected to be welcomed by environmental groups as well as hauliers, although it could also face opposition from road safety campaigners who fear larger lorries could increase the risk of accidents.
The government has, however, ruled out the use of large 'road-trains' as seen in countries such as Australia, limiting the consultation to vehicles that are 18.7 metres long.
Isra-Mart srl:Carbon Trust: UK to make waves in global offshore wind industry
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The UK's burgeoning strength in providing operations and maintenance services to offshore wind farms makes it well positioned to capture a significant share of a global market that is set to top £170bn a year by 2050, new research has found.
Analysis by the Carbon Trust to be released later today reveals that the offshore wind industry could deliver a gross contribution to UK GDP of up to £10bn a year in real terms, or £100bn cumulatively between 2010 and 2050.
The Trust estimated that global offshore wind capacity will reach up to 1,150GW by 2050, before examining the jobs and revenues that will result for each segment of the industry, including turbines, foundations, connection and transmission, installation, and operation and maintenance services.
The report predicts that, with construction of the 1GW London Array underway and plans for the giant Round 3 wind farms already in place, the UK has established a leadership position that should allow it to account for around 10 per cent of the global market by 2050.
It estimates that as a result the UK offshore wind industry will employ over 230,000 people, of which 80 per cent would be involved in exporting products and services.
While operations and maintenance are expected to contribute the most to the UK economy, turbine manufacture and installation were close behind, the Trust said.
Benj Sykes, director of innovations at the Carbon Trust, argued that the analysis showed the strategic importance of offshore wind in delivering long-term growth and energy security.
"The economic prize for the UK economy is vast, and we have to grab it now. We are in an excellent position to be a global market leader," he said. "If we seize this green growth opportunity, the UK will benefit from hundreds of thousands of new jobs, a booming new export market and billions of pounds of business benefits."
Isra-Mart srl news:
The UK's burgeoning strength in providing operations and maintenance services to offshore wind farms makes it well positioned to capture a significant share of a global market that is set to top £170bn a year by 2050, new research has found.
Analysis by the Carbon Trust to be released later today reveals that the offshore wind industry could deliver a gross contribution to UK GDP of up to £10bn a year in real terms, or £100bn cumulatively between 2010 and 2050.
The Trust estimated that global offshore wind capacity will reach up to 1,150GW by 2050, before examining the jobs and revenues that will result for each segment of the industry, including turbines, foundations, connection and transmission, installation, and operation and maintenance services.
The report predicts that, with construction of the 1GW London Array underway and plans for the giant Round 3 wind farms already in place, the UK has established a leadership position that should allow it to account for around 10 per cent of the global market by 2050.
It estimates that as a result the UK offshore wind industry will employ over 230,000 people, of which 80 per cent would be involved in exporting products and services.
While operations and maintenance are expected to contribute the most to the UK economy, turbine manufacture and installation were close behind, the Trust said.
Benj Sykes, director of innovations at the Carbon Trust, argued that the analysis showed the strategic importance of offshore wind in delivering long-term growth and energy security.
"The economic prize for the UK economy is vast, and we have to grab it now. We are in an excellent position to be a global market leader," he said. "If we seize this green growth opportunity, the UK will benefit from hundreds of thousands of new jobs, a booming new export market and billions of pounds of business benefits."
Isra-Mart srl:Greener UK aviation prepared for take-off
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The government has increased pressure on airlines to improve their green credentials by placing climate change at the centre of a new scoping document that will be used to inform next year's draft aviation policy.
The Sustainable Framework for UK Aviation notes the £9bn contribution the aviation sector makes to the UK economy each year, declaring that the government is "not anti-aviation - we are anti-carbon".
It poses a series of questions on how to reduce the sector's environmental impact, including the potential for biofuels, technologies that reduce emissions and increase capacity, and the role of high speed rail as an alternative to short haul flights.
Green groups warned that the document opens the door to an expansion of regional airports, but transport minister Philip Hammond said that growth at the expense of the environment was not an option.
"Aviation is a crucial part of this country's transport infrastructure. It should be able to grow, prosper and support wider economic growth," he said in a statement.
"But we are not prepared to support this growth at any price. The environmental impacts of flying - both local and global - must be addressed."
Hammond was confident that the government could provide "a policy framework for aviation which strikes a balance between different interests", confirming that the draft policy would be published in March next year.
When formally adopted in March 2013, the new strategy will replace the 2003 aviation White Paper that supported plans for a third runway at Heathrow - controversial proposals that were rejected by the coalition government.
In a foreword to the scoping document, Hammond declared that the 2003 White Paper was now "fundamentally out of date, because it fails to give sufficient weight to the challenge of climate change".
Domestic and international aviation account for around six per cent of UK greenhouse gas emissions. The sector has a smaller carbon footprint than cars, HGVs or shipping, but experts fear that it will make up an increasingly large proportion of global emissions as other sectors begin to decarbonise.
The sector will come under the EU's Emissions Trading Scheme from 2012, reducing the net CO2 emissions of flights departing from UK airports by 90 million tonnes of CO2 between 2012 and 2020.
In addition, the government is mandated to include international aviation emissions in the UK Climate Change Act by December next year or explain why it has failed to do so. If, as expected, the sector is covered by the Act it will face additional binding emissions targets as part of the UK's five-year carbon budgets.
Such unilateral action is unpopular with the industry, which favours a global approach to tackling emissions.
However, while the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) last October adopted an aspirational global goal for stabilising emissions from 2020 in addition to targets for improving fuel efficiency by two per cent per year, it has failed to agree binding global emission reduction mechanisms.
Isra-Mart srl news:
The government has increased pressure on airlines to improve their green credentials by placing climate change at the centre of a new scoping document that will be used to inform next year's draft aviation policy.
The Sustainable Framework for UK Aviation notes the £9bn contribution the aviation sector makes to the UK economy each year, declaring that the government is "not anti-aviation - we are anti-carbon".
It poses a series of questions on how to reduce the sector's environmental impact, including the potential for biofuels, technologies that reduce emissions and increase capacity, and the role of high speed rail as an alternative to short haul flights.
Green groups warned that the document opens the door to an expansion of regional airports, but transport minister Philip Hammond said that growth at the expense of the environment was not an option.
"Aviation is a crucial part of this country's transport infrastructure. It should be able to grow, prosper and support wider economic growth," he said in a statement.
"But we are not prepared to support this growth at any price. The environmental impacts of flying - both local and global - must be addressed."
Hammond was confident that the government could provide "a policy framework for aviation which strikes a balance between different interests", confirming that the draft policy would be published in March next year.
When formally adopted in March 2013, the new strategy will replace the 2003 aviation White Paper that supported plans for a third runway at Heathrow - controversial proposals that were rejected by the coalition government.
In a foreword to the scoping document, Hammond declared that the 2003 White Paper was now "fundamentally out of date, because it fails to give sufficient weight to the challenge of climate change".
Domestic and international aviation account for around six per cent of UK greenhouse gas emissions. The sector has a smaller carbon footprint than cars, HGVs or shipping, but experts fear that it will make up an increasingly large proportion of global emissions as other sectors begin to decarbonise.
The sector will come under the EU's Emissions Trading Scheme from 2012, reducing the net CO2 emissions of flights departing from UK airports by 90 million tonnes of CO2 between 2012 and 2020.
In addition, the government is mandated to include international aviation emissions in the UK Climate Change Act by December next year or explain why it has failed to do so. If, as expected, the sector is covered by the Act it will face additional binding emissions targets as part of the UK's five-year carbon budgets.
Such unilateral action is unpopular with the industry, which favours a global approach to tackling emissions.
However, while the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) last October adopted an aspirational global goal for stabilising emissions from 2020 in addition to targets for improving fuel efficiency by two per cent per year, it has failed to agree binding global emission reduction mechanisms.
Isra-Mart srl:Coalition green nudge policies are failing, says think tank
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Nudging Britons towards more sustainable lifestyles is not enough to meet the UK's environmental targets, according to a major new report that warns more demanding policies will be needed to embed green behaviour.
The new report by think tank Green Alliance, which was released last night, analyses how people use waste, water and energy, and explores whether so-called nudging policies designed to gently incentivise greener behaviour are working.
Since taking power, the coalition government has consistently advocated nudge theory, which was developed by Chicago-based academic Richard Thaler. It has even created a behavioural insight team or "nudge unit" tasked with developing policies that encourage people to change behaviour patterns through incentives and peer pressure.
The theory has been credited with driving the development of policies designed to incentivise eco-driving and recycling, or to improve energy efficiency through the rollout of smart meters and the introduction of the Green Deal loan scheme.
However, the policy is not without its critics. Nudge policies were branded "too timid" by the Sustainable Development Commission just last month, and now the Green Alliance report has reached a similar conclusion.
It finds that households are happy to make green changes that are seen as easy and normal, but far fewer people adopt green behaviours that are deemed difficult, expensive or unusual.
Moreover, it claims that policies are not backed up by mutually supportive measures. For example, incentives for recycling are undermined by the fact that services such as household food waste collections are not universally available.
It also argues that the government has instituted a surplus of green "carrots" when people respond better to "sticks" in the form of fines or regulations.
The report concludes that nudge policies alone will not be enough to establish greener lifestyles as a mainstream choice.
The Green Alliance argues that nudge policies must be backed up by a wider framework, noting, for example, that recycling would not have become widespread without obligations requiring local authorities and councils to hit clear targets.
Behavioural research can be useful, but is best used to design smarter policy and innovative measures, and dovetail regulations and incentives more effectively, the Green Alliance advises.
"While it's great that government is interested in using how we behave to design better interventions, they need to go beyond applying this knowledge to small nudges and apply it in a systemic way. It needs to help people by making sustainable choices accessible and preferable," said Rebekah Phillips, senior policy officer at the Green Alliance and co-author of the report.
Isra-Mart srl news:
Nudging Britons towards more sustainable lifestyles is not enough to meet the UK's environmental targets, according to a major new report that warns more demanding policies will be needed to embed green behaviour.
The new report by think tank Green Alliance, which was released last night, analyses how people use waste, water and energy, and explores whether so-called nudging policies designed to gently incentivise greener behaviour are working.
Since taking power, the coalition government has consistently advocated nudge theory, which was developed by Chicago-based academic Richard Thaler. It has even created a behavioural insight team or "nudge unit" tasked with developing policies that encourage people to change behaviour patterns through incentives and peer pressure.
The theory has been credited with driving the development of policies designed to incentivise eco-driving and recycling, or to improve energy efficiency through the rollout of smart meters and the introduction of the Green Deal loan scheme.
However, the policy is not without its critics. Nudge policies were branded "too timid" by the Sustainable Development Commission just last month, and now the Green Alliance report has reached a similar conclusion.
It finds that households are happy to make green changes that are seen as easy and normal, but far fewer people adopt green behaviours that are deemed difficult, expensive or unusual.
Moreover, it claims that policies are not backed up by mutually supportive measures. For example, incentives for recycling are undermined by the fact that services such as household food waste collections are not universally available.
It also argues that the government has instituted a surplus of green "carrots" when people respond better to "sticks" in the form of fines or regulations.
The report concludes that nudge policies alone will not be enough to establish greener lifestyles as a mainstream choice.
The Green Alliance argues that nudge policies must be backed up by a wider framework, noting, for example, that recycling would not have become widespread without obligations requiring local authorities and councils to hit clear targets.
Behavioural research can be useful, but is best used to design smarter policy and innovative measures, and dovetail regulations and incentives more effectively, the Green Alliance advises.
"While it's great that government is interested in using how we behave to design better interventions, they need to go beyond applying this knowledge to small nudges and apply it in a systemic way. It needs to help people by making sustainable choices accessible and preferable," said Rebekah Phillips, senior policy officer at the Green Alliance and co-author of the report.
Isra-Mart srl:Spain's financial crisis claims another victim: the solar power industry
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Spain had one of the world's most ambitious - and generous - plans to boost the amount of electricity it generates from the sun. That dream, for the solar industry at least, has turned sour.
Just days before Christmas, the government slashed the level of subsidies that all new and existing photovoltaic (pv) solar projects will receive. But even the powerful utility companies, which opposed the solar industry, are now warning that the fallout could be long-lasting and reach far beyond the energy sector.
The row has pitted the renewable lobby against Spain's three biggest utilities - Iberdrola, Endesa and Gas Natural - which have been urging the government to take action to stem the wave of subsidised renewable projects being built, particularly solar ones.
Carlos Salle, Iberdrola's director for regulation, told The Guardian that divisions between the renewable lobby and the rest of the energy industry are even deeper in Spain than elsewhere as a result.
"We have more controversy here in Spain with renewables against non-renewables ... this is an aspect of our system - it provokes problems," he said.
Another Madrid-based businessman, from one of Spain's leading companies, was franker, likening relations, only half-jokingly, as a "war". The Asociación de la Industria Fotovoltaica (Asif), Spain's solar industry body, accuses politicians of telling lies, exaggerating the costs of generating electricity using solar pv to justify the cut in subsidies.
It is more than just bragging rights between rival generators at stake. The solar pv industry alone received subsidies last year of €2.6bn (£2.28bn), a sum neither the country - nor the utilities - can afford. The utilities have paid out €20bn to subsidise solar and wind projects, and are still waiting for the government to pay them back.
Credit rating agencies threatened to downgrade the companies if something was not done to address the "tariff deficit". Salle recalled: "The situation was horrible a year ago - €20bn for three companies was an amount comparable to an entire budget for some countries."
The utilities also complain that their coal and gas plants, which the government wanted them to build a decade ago after several black-outs, are losing money because they are now only needed for half the time. But the Spanish regulator forces the firms to keep them on standby for times when the wind stops blowing or at night when solar does not generate.
Asif argues that solar projects, which last summer provided a maximum of four per cent of the country's electricity, have been sacrificed to keep profits from dirty coal and gas plants high.
The solar industry had enjoyed phenomenal growth due to a subsidy regime which, even Asif admits, was too generous. Companies were able to cut costs too quickly - 70 per cent since the original subsidies were introduced in 2004. Investors poured in and about two-thirds of the current capacity was installed in 2008 alone, before a planned tariff cut came into force the following year.
This has left Spain with 10 times the amount of solar pv capacity the government had planned for by 2010 - and a much bigger bill than it had envisioned.
Javier Anta, Asif's president, said that the industry will challenge the cut in the courts, but admitted that this would take years, by which time many solar project owners could have gone to the wall.
He added that some investors will not back new projects because they fear the tariff could be cut again retrospectively. "There are some people who say this is not a one-off. They do not trust the government," he said.
This is one point on which both the renewable lobby and the power industry agree: by taking the unprecedented step of retrospectively cutting subsidies promised to projects which have already been built, the government risks scaring off investors of all kinds.
Salle says that "even if we recognise that the situation is better than a month or a year ago, the problem is [a lack of] confidence. The uncertainty and [risk] premium does not apply only to that sector [solar pv] but to the whole industry and the rest of the country in some cases. Everyone appreciates the relevance of having regulation which does not make any retroactive decisions because you will have to attract new people [to invest]. The new people will say: 'Hey, in the history of this country and this sector these people who have been new in the past and have invested, the government has changed the rules.'"
Reflecting change
Abengoa, a Spanish engineering firm celebrating its 70th year, is pushing ahead with solar-thermal projects. Unlike the schemes involving reflectors heating a salt water mixture running through pipes, Abengoa has developed towers of pipes that look like mini skyscrapers. It employs 23,000 workers in its solar unit, which had a turnover of more than €3bn (£2.6bn).
The firm has conducted sustainability audits of its business for several years and says projects that can't meet sustainability criteria are modified or abandoned. Controversially, it has championed the refining of biofuels, something anti-poverty campaigners have cited as denying food sources to poor people in the developing world.
Carlos Bousoño, director of corporate social responsibility, said the debate had moved on after technology allowed for seeds and fruit to be separated from plants before processing. He said only the stalk and waste material was used in second generation biofuels fermentation, allowing corn, soya or other foodstuff to be saved for making food.
Isra-Mart srl news:
Spain had one of the world's most ambitious - and generous - plans to boost the amount of electricity it generates from the sun. That dream, for the solar industry at least, has turned sour.
Just days before Christmas, the government slashed the level of subsidies that all new and existing photovoltaic (pv) solar projects will receive. But even the powerful utility companies, which opposed the solar industry, are now warning that the fallout could be long-lasting and reach far beyond the energy sector.
The row has pitted the renewable lobby against Spain's three biggest utilities - Iberdrola, Endesa and Gas Natural - which have been urging the government to take action to stem the wave of subsidised renewable projects being built, particularly solar ones.
Carlos Salle, Iberdrola's director for regulation, told The Guardian that divisions between the renewable lobby and the rest of the energy industry are even deeper in Spain than elsewhere as a result.
"We have more controversy here in Spain with renewables against non-renewables ... this is an aspect of our system - it provokes problems," he said.
Another Madrid-based businessman, from one of Spain's leading companies, was franker, likening relations, only half-jokingly, as a "war". The Asociación de la Industria Fotovoltaica (Asif), Spain's solar industry body, accuses politicians of telling lies, exaggerating the costs of generating electricity using solar pv to justify the cut in subsidies.
It is more than just bragging rights between rival generators at stake. The solar pv industry alone received subsidies last year of €2.6bn (£2.28bn), a sum neither the country - nor the utilities - can afford. The utilities have paid out €20bn to subsidise solar and wind projects, and are still waiting for the government to pay them back.
Credit rating agencies threatened to downgrade the companies if something was not done to address the "tariff deficit". Salle recalled: "The situation was horrible a year ago - €20bn for three companies was an amount comparable to an entire budget for some countries."
The utilities also complain that their coal and gas plants, which the government wanted them to build a decade ago after several black-outs, are losing money because they are now only needed for half the time. But the Spanish regulator forces the firms to keep them on standby for times when the wind stops blowing or at night when solar does not generate.
Asif argues that solar projects, which last summer provided a maximum of four per cent of the country's electricity, have been sacrificed to keep profits from dirty coal and gas plants high.
The solar industry had enjoyed phenomenal growth due to a subsidy regime which, even Asif admits, was too generous. Companies were able to cut costs too quickly - 70 per cent since the original subsidies were introduced in 2004. Investors poured in and about two-thirds of the current capacity was installed in 2008 alone, before a planned tariff cut came into force the following year.
This has left Spain with 10 times the amount of solar pv capacity the government had planned for by 2010 - and a much bigger bill than it had envisioned.
Javier Anta, Asif's president, said that the industry will challenge the cut in the courts, but admitted that this would take years, by which time many solar project owners could have gone to the wall.
He added that some investors will not back new projects because they fear the tariff could be cut again retrospectively. "There are some people who say this is not a one-off. They do not trust the government," he said.
This is one point on which both the renewable lobby and the power industry agree: by taking the unprecedented step of retrospectively cutting subsidies promised to projects which have already been built, the government risks scaring off investors of all kinds.
Salle says that "even if we recognise that the situation is better than a month or a year ago, the problem is [a lack of] confidence. The uncertainty and [risk] premium does not apply only to that sector [solar pv] but to the whole industry and the rest of the country in some cases. Everyone appreciates the relevance of having regulation which does not make any retroactive decisions because you will have to attract new people [to invest]. The new people will say: 'Hey, in the history of this country and this sector these people who have been new in the past and have invested, the government has changed the rules.'"
Reflecting change
Abengoa, a Spanish engineering firm celebrating its 70th year, is pushing ahead with solar-thermal projects. Unlike the schemes involving reflectors heating a salt water mixture running through pipes, Abengoa has developed towers of pipes that look like mini skyscrapers. It employs 23,000 workers in its solar unit, which had a turnover of more than €3bn (£2.6bn).
The firm has conducted sustainability audits of its business for several years and says projects that can't meet sustainability criteria are modified or abandoned. Controversially, it has championed the refining of biofuels, something anti-poverty campaigners have cited as denying food sources to poor people in the developing world.
Carlos Bousoño, director of corporate social responsibility, said the debate had moved on after technology allowed for seeds and fruit to be separated from plants before processing. He said only the stalk and waste material was used in second generation biofuels fermentation, allowing corn, soya or other foodstuff to be saved for making food.
Isra-Mart srl:French solar innovation promises wireless phone charging
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Electronics users may soon never have to plug their cellphone or e-book reader into a wall again thanks to the latest innovations in thin film solar technology.
French company Wysips is planning to launch a transparent solar film that will fit over a device's screen, charging it without the need for wires.
The company, which has won first place in CTIA's 2011 Emerging Technology competition, says that the material will be available in flexible or rigid formats, with thicknesses of between 0.1mm and 0.5mm.
The film has an efficiency of 10 per cent, but can scales easily in size, so that it can be used for relatively large areas, the company says.
It also claims that it can be built into screens, fabrics, plastics, and other materials, without affecting their appearance, making it ideal for mobile electronic devices.
The material could be particularly useful for the growing e-book reader category, most of which rely on electronic paper that carries an image with power. These books, which draw power only to change the image on the page, are likely candidates for the material, because their power draw is already so low.
However, Wysips is setting its sights on a wide range of potential markets, envisaging tents with built-in light sources, or garden furniture that can similarly power electrical devices.
Street furniture and advertising, along with sailing and leisure, also feature in the potential applications for the material, the company said.
It is hoped that the transparent film will ship within a year, and will add around $1 to the cost of an individual mobile device.
Isra-Mart srl news:
Electronics users may soon never have to plug their cellphone or e-book reader into a wall again thanks to the latest innovations in thin film solar technology.
French company Wysips is planning to launch a transparent solar film that will fit over a device's screen, charging it without the need for wires.
The company, which has won first place in CTIA's 2011 Emerging Technology competition, says that the material will be available in flexible or rigid formats, with thicknesses of between 0.1mm and 0.5mm.
The film has an efficiency of 10 per cent, but can scales easily in size, so that it can be used for relatively large areas, the company says.
It also claims that it can be built into screens, fabrics, plastics, and other materials, without affecting their appearance, making it ideal for mobile electronic devices.
The material could be particularly useful for the growing e-book reader category, most of which rely on electronic paper that carries an image with power. These books, which draw power only to change the image on the page, are likely candidates for the material, because their power draw is already so low.
However, Wysips is setting its sights on a wide range of potential markets, envisaging tents with built-in light sources, or garden furniture that can similarly power electrical devices.
Street furniture and advertising, along with sailing and leisure, also feature in the potential applications for the material, the company said.
It is hoped that the transparent film will ship within a year, and will add around $1 to the cost of an individual mobile device.
Isra-Mart srl:Dong Energy lines up to test Vestas' 7MW wind turbine
www.isra-mart.com
Isra-Mart srl news:
Vestas has already secured a potential customer for its newly launched 7MW offshore wind turbine, signing an agreement with Dong Energy to test a series of prototype devices.
The two Danish companies announced today that they have signed a letter of intent for Dong to examine the design of Vestas' V164-7.0 MW wind turbine and potentially install one or more prototypes onshore in 2012.
Vestas said that it has already been working with wind farm developers to design the 7MW, but has remained tight lipped about any other potential customers.
"Dong Energy, for obvious reasons, has been part of [the process]," a spokesman told BusinessGreen. "They're looking to test it and see what happens."
The announcement comes just 24 hours after Vestas unveiled the designs for its new offshore wind turbine, surprising the industry by opting for a turbine with 7MW of capacity, 1MW more than had been widely anticipated.
Construction of the first V164-7.0 MW prototypes is slated for the fourth quarter of 2012, with serial production set to begin in the first quarter of 2015 provided Vestas has a firm order pipeline in place.
The two companies also confirmed today that Dong is seeking to buy an undisclosed number of Vestas V112 3.0 MW wind turbines for research and demonstration, at Dong's onshore test wind farm in Kappel, Denmark.
In related news, Dong Energy is reportedly seeking to aquire a stake in one or more Round 3 offshore wind farms, despite failing to secure the rights to develop a zone in the Crown Estate's initial bidding process.
According to Utility Week, Dong Energy's head of UK power, Peter Gedbjerg, suggested that the Crown Estate had decided against awarding Dong a development zone becuase the wind farm developer did not meet its strict construction timeline.
However, he said that Dong was now looking for potential partnerships. "My impression is that we would be a very popular partner due to our experience," Gedbjerg told reporters.
Isra-Mart srl news:
Vestas has already secured a potential customer for its newly launched 7MW offshore wind turbine, signing an agreement with Dong Energy to test a series of prototype devices.
The two Danish companies announced today that they have signed a letter of intent for Dong to examine the design of Vestas' V164-7.0 MW wind turbine and potentially install one or more prototypes onshore in 2012.
Vestas said that it has already been working with wind farm developers to design the 7MW, but has remained tight lipped about any other potential customers.
"Dong Energy, for obvious reasons, has been part of [the process]," a spokesman told BusinessGreen. "They're looking to test it and see what happens."
The announcement comes just 24 hours after Vestas unveiled the designs for its new offshore wind turbine, surprising the industry by opting for a turbine with 7MW of capacity, 1MW more than had been widely anticipated.
Construction of the first V164-7.0 MW prototypes is slated for the fourth quarter of 2012, with serial production set to begin in the first quarter of 2015 provided Vestas has a firm order pipeline in place.
The two companies also confirmed today that Dong is seeking to buy an undisclosed number of Vestas V112 3.0 MW wind turbines for research and demonstration, at Dong's onshore test wind farm in Kappel, Denmark.
In related news, Dong Energy is reportedly seeking to aquire a stake in one or more Round 3 offshore wind farms, despite failing to secure the rights to develop a zone in the Crown Estate's initial bidding process.
According to Utility Week, Dong Energy's head of UK power, Peter Gedbjerg, suggested that the Crown Estate had decided against awarding Dong a development zone becuase the wind farm developer did not meet its strict construction timeline.
However, he said that Dong was now looking for potential partnerships. "My impression is that we would be a very popular partner due to our experience," Gedbjerg told reporters.
Isra-Mart srl:UK carbon emissions edge up four per cent
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Isra-Mart srl news:
The government has blamed last year's freezing temperatures for a 13.5 per cent rise in carbon emissions from households, which led to an increase in overall UK carbon emissions of just under four per cent.
The increase, confirmed today in statistics published by the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC), is likely to heap further pressure on the the government to step up efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, particularly after research this week revealed that the UK has dropped out of the top 10 of worldwide renewable energy investors.
The emissions statistics show that the UK pumped out 473.7 million tonnes of CO2 in 2009, while provisional figures show that 491.7 million tonnes were emitted in 2010 - an increase of 3.8 per cent
The residential sector saw the biggest leap with emissions from households reaching their highest level in a decade, standing 13 per cent above 1990 levels.
Last year was the coldest year on average since 1986 and DECC said that the increased emissions were largely the result of plunging temperatures encouraging people to turn on gas-powered space heaters.
The UK's overall emissions now sit at around 17 per cent below 1990 levels and a spokesman for the department denied that the sharp increase would put at risk the UK's target of cutting CO2 emissions 34 per cent by 2020.
"The figures show how energy inefficient British homes are and that's why we're focusing on policies like the Green Deal," he told BusinessGreen. "We're still well on course to meet the targets."
His comments were later echoed by energy and climate change secretary Chrish Huhne.
"Britain's blighted by inefficient and draughty homes which is why we want to help people waste less energy through the Green Deal and install new cleaner technologies to heat their homes," Huhne said in a statement. "As we come out of recession the Coalition's determined to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels. That's why we are pushing on all fronts to turn around Britain's woeful record on renewables."
CO2 emissions in the business and energy sectors also crept up 2.4 per cent and 3.2 per cent respectively, largely as a result of the cold temperatures and gradual economic recovery. Meanwhile, transport emissions stayed relatively stable despite a fall in the overall emissions from UK cars.
Overall, 2010 also saw a 2.8 per cent increase in UK emissions of the six greenhouse gases covered by the Kyoto Protocol - carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons and sulphur hexafluoride - partly reversing an 8.7 per cent decrease the year before.
Green campaign group Friends of the Earth said the drop in clean energy investment and insufficient action to decouple growth from oil consumption meant emissions were likely to grow further as the economy moved out of recession.
"The Government has repeatedly promised to build a low-carbon economy to tackle climate change and insulate us all from yo-yoing fuel prices, but the Treasury refuses to lay the foundations or pay for the bricks," said executive director Andy Atkins.
"If the Government is going to get serious on climate change it must accept the Climate Change Committee's advice in full and set tougher targets for cutting UK emissions."
However, there was some better news for renewable energy in the annual government energy statistics, which were also released today.
Offshore wind generated almost 75 per cent more electricity in 2010 than 2009 following the opening of a number of new wind farms, and the UK made some progress towards its EU renewables target, increasing renewable energy's share of gross electricity consumption from 6.6 per cent to 7.3 per cent in 2010.
Total renewable electricity capacity increased 12 per cent as onshore wind capacity grew by 14 per cent to 476MW and offshore capacity increased by 42 per cent to 400MW.
However, the 25TWh of electricity produced by renewables in 2010 represented just a 0.1 per cent increase on the previous year and the overall share of UK electricity generation fell from 6.7 per cent in 2009 to 6.6 per cent in 2010, according to provisional statistics.
Onshore wind generation fell by 7.7 per cent due to low wind speeds, while hydroelectric output fell by 32.4 per cent due to low rainfall.
Isra-Mart srl news:
The government has blamed last year's freezing temperatures for a 13.5 per cent rise in carbon emissions from households, which led to an increase in overall UK carbon emissions of just under four per cent.
The increase, confirmed today in statistics published by the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC), is likely to heap further pressure on the the government to step up efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, particularly after research this week revealed that the UK has dropped out of the top 10 of worldwide renewable energy investors.
The emissions statistics show that the UK pumped out 473.7 million tonnes of CO2 in 2009, while provisional figures show that 491.7 million tonnes were emitted in 2010 - an increase of 3.8 per cent
The residential sector saw the biggest leap with emissions from households reaching their highest level in a decade, standing 13 per cent above 1990 levels.
Last year was the coldest year on average since 1986 and DECC said that the increased emissions were largely the result of plunging temperatures encouraging people to turn on gas-powered space heaters.
The UK's overall emissions now sit at around 17 per cent below 1990 levels and a spokesman for the department denied that the sharp increase would put at risk the UK's target of cutting CO2 emissions 34 per cent by 2020.
"The figures show how energy inefficient British homes are and that's why we're focusing on policies like the Green Deal," he told BusinessGreen. "We're still well on course to meet the targets."
His comments were later echoed by energy and climate change secretary Chrish Huhne.
"Britain's blighted by inefficient and draughty homes which is why we want to help people waste less energy through the Green Deal and install new cleaner technologies to heat their homes," Huhne said in a statement. "As we come out of recession the Coalition's determined to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels. That's why we are pushing on all fronts to turn around Britain's woeful record on renewables."
CO2 emissions in the business and energy sectors also crept up 2.4 per cent and 3.2 per cent respectively, largely as a result of the cold temperatures and gradual economic recovery. Meanwhile, transport emissions stayed relatively stable despite a fall in the overall emissions from UK cars.
Overall, 2010 also saw a 2.8 per cent increase in UK emissions of the six greenhouse gases covered by the Kyoto Protocol - carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons and sulphur hexafluoride - partly reversing an 8.7 per cent decrease the year before.
Green campaign group Friends of the Earth said the drop in clean energy investment and insufficient action to decouple growth from oil consumption meant emissions were likely to grow further as the economy moved out of recession.
"The Government has repeatedly promised to build a low-carbon economy to tackle climate change and insulate us all from yo-yoing fuel prices, but the Treasury refuses to lay the foundations or pay for the bricks," said executive director Andy Atkins.
"If the Government is going to get serious on climate change it must accept the Climate Change Committee's advice in full and set tougher targets for cutting UK emissions."
However, there was some better news for renewable energy in the annual government energy statistics, which were also released today.
Offshore wind generated almost 75 per cent more electricity in 2010 than 2009 following the opening of a number of new wind farms, and the UK made some progress towards its EU renewables target, increasing renewable energy's share of gross electricity consumption from 6.6 per cent to 7.3 per cent in 2010.
Total renewable electricity capacity increased 12 per cent as onshore wind capacity grew by 14 per cent to 476MW and offshore capacity increased by 42 per cent to 400MW.
However, the 25TWh of electricity produced by renewables in 2010 represented just a 0.1 per cent increase on the previous year and the overall share of UK electricity generation fell from 6.7 per cent in 2009 to 6.6 per cent in 2010, according to provisional statistics.
Onshore wind generation fell by 7.7 per cent due to low wind speeds, while hydroelectric output fell by 32.4 per cent due to low rainfall.
Isra-Mart srl:Obama warns of "no quick fixes" for rising energy insecurity
www.isra-mart.com
Isra-Mart srl news:
President Obama warned yesterday that the US can no longer afford to "hit the snooze button" when ever global oil prices fall, outlining plans to fundamentally alter the country's energy infrastructure in order to reduce oil imports by a third over the next decade.
In a wide-ranging address at Georgetown University, Obama said that it was now "absolutely certain" that demand for oil would expand faster than supply in the coming years, and as a result the US has no option but to reduce its dependence on oil.
"We cannot keep going from shock when gas prices go up to trance when they go back down - we go back to doing the same things we've been doing until the next time there's a price spike, and then we're shocked again," he said. "We can't rush to propose action when gas prices are high and then hit the snooze button when they fall again. We can't keep on doing that."
The White House yesterday unveiled a new Blueprint for a Secure Energy Future setting out a target for cutting oil imports by a third against 2008 levels by 2025 and detailing a series of measures designed to reduce oil demand, including new investment in biofuels, tighter fuel efficiency standards, the roll out of natural gas powered vehicles, and increased domestic oil production.
Obama's speech contained few detailed commitments, although he did announce that he has ordered all federal agencies to ensure that 100 per cent of the vehicles they purchase from 2015 onwards are alternative fuel, hybrid or electric vehicles.
He also urged businesses, motorists and Georgetown University's students to follow the government's lead and step up demand for greener cars and vans.
"Going forward, we'll partner with private companies that want to upgrade their large fleets. And this means, by the way, that you students, as consumers or future consumers of cars, you've got to make sure that you are boosting demand for alternative vehicles," he said.
"You're going to have a responsibility as well, because if alternative-fuel vehicles are manufactured but you guys aren't buying them, then folks will keep on making cars that don't have the same fuel efficiency."
In addition, he reiterated plans to expand the US fleet of nuclear reactors despite the crisis in Japan, arguing that the government would impose stringent safety standards to avoid a repeat of the Fukushima disaster.
He also again made the case for the adoption of a Clean Energy Standard that would require US energy companies to purchase 80 per cent of their power from 'clean' sources by 2035, arguing that a binding target would drive investment in low carbon technologies.
"A clean energy standard can expand the scope of clean energy investments because what it does is it gives cutting-edge companies the certainty that they need to invest," he said.
"Essentially what it does is it says to companies, you know what, you will have a customer if you're producing clean energy. Utilities need to buy a certain amount of clean energy in their overall portfolio, and that means that innovators are willing to make those big capital investments."
However, much of the speech was given over to responding to Republican criticism that the administration has failed to do enough to hold down rising fuel prices and is obstructing the expansion of offshore drilling.
Republican Senate leader Mitch McConnell yesterday again accused Obama of "waging a war on American energy" by blocking offshore oil drilling.
Obama rejected such criticism, arguing that Republican accusations that the White House has "shut down" oil production "might make for a useful sound bite, but ... doesn't track with reality".
He said that American oil production has reached its highest level since 2003 and that for the first time in more than a decade imported oil accounted for less than half of the liquid fuel consumed in the US.
Obama also argued that the administration was planning to further reduce reliance on imports by encouraging "safe and responsible" offshore drilling, incentivising onshore exploration on unused land that has already been leased to oil companies, and accelerating the development of shale gas through bi-partisan legislation.
However, he reiterated his view that increased domestic oil production alone will not reduce fuel prices: "I give out this statistic all the time, and forgive me for repeating it again: America holds about two per cent of the world's proven oil reserves.
"What that means is, is that even if we drilled every drop of oil out of every single one of the reserves that we possess - offshore and onshore - it still wouldn't be enough to meet our long-term needs. We consume about 25 per cent of the world's oil. We only have two per cent of the reserves."
Obama also offered a thinly veiled swipe at Republicans who have consistently opposed plans for energy policy reforms.
"There are no quick fixes," he said. "Anybody who tells you otherwise isn't telling you the truth. And we will keep on being a victim to shifts in the oil market until we finally get serious about a long-term policy for a secure, affordable energy future."
Isra-Mart srl news:
President Obama warned yesterday that the US can no longer afford to "hit the snooze button" when ever global oil prices fall, outlining plans to fundamentally alter the country's energy infrastructure in order to reduce oil imports by a third over the next decade.
In a wide-ranging address at Georgetown University, Obama said that it was now "absolutely certain" that demand for oil would expand faster than supply in the coming years, and as a result the US has no option but to reduce its dependence on oil.
"We cannot keep going from shock when gas prices go up to trance when they go back down - we go back to doing the same things we've been doing until the next time there's a price spike, and then we're shocked again," he said. "We can't rush to propose action when gas prices are high and then hit the snooze button when they fall again. We can't keep on doing that."
The White House yesterday unveiled a new Blueprint for a Secure Energy Future setting out a target for cutting oil imports by a third against 2008 levels by 2025 and detailing a series of measures designed to reduce oil demand, including new investment in biofuels, tighter fuel efficiency standards, the roll out of natural gas powered vehicles, and increased domestic oil production.
Obama's speech contained few detailed commitments, although he did announce that he has ordered all federal agencies to ensure that 100 per cent of the vehicles they purchase from 2015 onwards are alternative fuel, hybrid or electric vehicles.
He also urged businesses, motorists and Georgetown University's students to follow the government's lead and step up demand for greener cars and vans.
"Going forward, we'll partner with private companies that want to upgrade their large fleets. And this means, by the way, that you students, as consumers or future consumers of cars, you've got to make sure that you are boosting demand for alternative vehicles," he said.
"You're going to have a responsibility as well, because if alternative-fuel vehicles are manufactured but you guys aren't buying them, then folks will keep on making cars that don't have the same fuel efficiency."
In addition, he reiterated plans to expand the US fleet of nuclear reactors despite the crisis in Japan, arguing that the government would impose stringent safety standards to avoid a repeat of the Fukushima disaster.
He also again made the case for the adoption of a Clean Energy Standard that would require US energy companies to purchase 80 per cent of their power from 'clean' sources by 2035, arguing that a binding target would drive investment in low carbon technologies.
"A clean energy standard can expand the scope of clean energy investments because what it does is it gives cutting-edge companies the certainty that they need to invest," he said.
"Essentially what it does is it says to companies, you know what, you will have a customer if you're producing clean energy. Utilities need to buy a certain amount of clean energy in their overall portfolio, and that means that innovators are willing to make those big capital investments."
However, much of the speech was given over to responding to Republican criticism that the administration has failed to do enough to hold down rising fuel prices and is obstructing the expansion of offshore drilling.
Republican Senate leader Mitch McConnell yesterday again accused Obama of "waging a war on American energy" by blocking offshore oil drilling.
Obama rejected such criticism, arguing that Republican accusations that the White House has "shut down" oil production "might make for a useful sound bite, but ... doesn't track with reality".
He said that American oil production has reached its highest level since 2003 and that for the first time in more than a decade imported oil accounted for less than half of the liquid fuel consumed in the US.
Obama also argued that the administration was planning to further reduce reliance on imports by encouraging "safe and responsible" offshore drilling, incentivising onshore exploration on unused land that has already been leased to oil companies, and accelerating the development of shale gas through bi-partisan legislation.
However, he reiterated his view that increased domestic oil production alone will not reduce fuel prices: "I give out this statistic all the time, and forgive me for repeating it again: America holds about two per cent of the world's proven oil reserves.
"What that means is, is that even if we drilled every drop of oil out of every single one of the reserves that we possess - offshore and onshore - it still wouldn't be enough to meet our long-term needs. We consume about 25 per cent of the world's oil. We only have two per cent of the reserves."
Obama also offered a thinly veiled swipe at Republicans who have consistently opposed plans for energy policy reforms.
"There are no quick fixes," he said. "Anybody who tells you otherwise isn't telling you the truth. And we will keep on being a victim to shifts in the oil market until we finally get serious about a long-term policy for a secure, affordable energy future."
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Isra-Mart srl:Romania poate aloca gratuit certificate de emisii de gaze cu efect de sera in perioada 2013-2019
www.isra-mart.com
Isra-Mart srl news:
Romania si alte noua state membre ale Uniunii Europene (UE) vor putea aloca gratuit un numar limitat de certificate de emisii de gaze cu efect de sera unor centrale electrice, in perioada 2013-2019, in loc sa le vanda, informeaza Comisia Europeana (CE).
Cele 10 state membre care pot opta pentru alocarea gratuita a certificatelor sunt Romania, Bulgaria, Cehia, Estonia, Cipru, Letonia, Lituania, Ungaria, Malta si Polonia, potrivit unui comunicat al CE.
Tarile care aleg sa distribuie gratuit certificate trebuie sa transmita executivului european o cerere pana la 30 septembrie. Comisia va evalua in termen de sase luni cererile primite si le poate respinge partial sau in intregime.
Statele vizate de derogare pot decide sa recurga la acordarea gratuita de certificate pentru un interval mai scurt in perioada 2013-2019. Alocarile gratuite nu trebuie sa depaseasca 70% din totalul certificatelor primite in 2013, urmand sa scada anual si sa ajunga in 2020 la zero. Potrivit regulilor stabilite de Comisie, sunt eligibile centralele electrice operationale la 31 decembrie 2008, sau pentru care procesul de investitie a fost inceput pana la aceasta data.
Intrucat o cerere pentru acordarea gratuita reprezinta o abatere de la regula potrivit careia, incepand din 2013, sectorul energetic trebuie sa cumpere toate certificatele, Comisia trebuie sa se asigure ca derogarile nu submineaza obiectivele generale ale directivei si nu sunt incompatibile cu regulile UE privind ajutoarele de stat sau cele privind piata interna.
Certificatele alocate gratuit producatorilor de energie electrica vor fi deduse din totalul pe care un stat membru il primeste pentru a fi scoase la licitatie. Alocarea gratuita va reduce, astfel, veniturile din licitatii ale statelor care iau aceasta masura.
Isra-Mart srl news:
Romania si alte noua state membre ale Uniunii Europene (UE) vor putea aloca gratuit un numar limitat de certificate de emisii de gaze cu efect de sera unor centrale electrice, in perioada 2013-2019, in loc sa le vanda, informeaza Comisia Europeana (CE).
Cele 10 state membre care pot opta pentru alocarea gratuita a certificatelor sunt Romania, Bulgaria, Cehia, Estonia, Cipru, Letonia, Lituania, Ungaria, Malta si Polonia, potrivit unui comunicat al CE.
Tarile care aleg sa distribuie gratuit certificate trebuie sa transmita executivului european o cerere pana la 30 septembrie. Comisia va evalua in termen de sase luni cererile primite si le poate respinge partial sau in intregime.
Statele vizate de derogare pot decide sa recurga la acordarea gratuita de certificate pentru un interval mai scurt in perioada 2013-2019. Alocarile gratuite nu trebuie sa depaseasca 70% din totalul certificatelor primite in 2013, urmand sa scada anual si sa ajunga in 2020 la zero. Potrivit regulilor stabilite de Comisie, sunt eligibile centralele electrice operationale la 31 decembrie 2008, sau pentru care procesul de investitie a fost inceput pana la aceasta data.
Intrucat o cerere pentru acordarea gratuita reprezinta o abatere de la regula potrivit careia, incepand din 2013, sectorul energetic trebuie sa cumpere toate certificatele, Comisia trebuie sa se asigure ca derogarile nu submineaza obiectivele generale ale directivei si nu sunt incompatibile cu regulile UE privind ajutoarele de stat sau cele privind piata interna.
Certificatele alocate gratuit producatorilor de energie electrica vor fi deduse din totalul pe care un stat membru il primeste pentru a fi scoase la licitatie. Alocarea gratuita va reduce, astfel, veniturile din licitatii ale statelor care iau aceasta masura.
Isra-Mart srl:Comisia Europeana a declansat astazi procedura de infringement pentru 5 zone ale Romaniei, din cauza poluarii aerului
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Isra-Mart srl news:
Comisia Europeana a declansat astazi procedura de infringement pentru 5 zone din Romania, din cauza poluarii atmosferice cauzate de pulberile in suspensie, avertizeaza reprezentantii Garzii Nationale de Mediu.
Zonele in care au fost inregistrate depasiri ale limitelor de pulberi in suspenie (PM 10) sunt Galati, Timisoara, Craiova, Cluj si zona de nord a tarii.
"Astazi a venit avizul de intrare in procedura de infringement. Pentru anul 2008-2009 s-a realizat un raport ce a fost prezentat Comisiei. Rezultatele nu au fost satisfacatoare si reprezentantii CE au solicitat explicatii suplimentare din partea Ministerului Mediului”, a declarat pentru Green Report comisarul general al Garzii Nationale de Mediu, Silvian Ionescu. Potrivit acestuia, autoritatile romane au la dispozitie 60 de zile pentru a clarifia rezultatele raportului.
PM 10 este denumirea stiintifica a pulberilor aflate in suspensie cu diametrul aerodinamic de 10 micrograme/mc.
“In momentul de fata, legislatia romaneasca privind calitatea aerului nu respecta cerintele europene, monitorizarea calitatii aerului este incompleta, mai multe substante poluante inregistreaza valori peste limitele de pericol pentru sanatatea umana, iar populatia nu are o modalitate la indemana pentru a evalua in mod realist și coerent calitatea aerului pe care il respira” a declarat astazi Irina Bota, expert cercetare, Centrul pentru Politici Durabile Ecopolis.
Organizatia a dat publicitatii astazi studiul „Calitatea aerului in Bucuresti – efecte asupra sanatatii”.
Depasiri constante ale limitelor in Capitala
In Bucuresti se inregistreaza depasiri substantiale si frecvente ale limitelor impuse de Uniunea Europeana si Organizatia Mondiala a Sanatatii pentru concentratiile de substante poluante in aer, avertizeaza raportul Ecopolis.
Aceasta situatie are efecte serioase asupra sanatatii populatiei iar expertii Ecopolis someaza autoritatile responsabile sa ia o serie de masuri urgente.
Sapte din cele opt statii de masurare a calitatii aerului din Bucuresti inregistreaza constant depasiri ale valorilor de pulberi in suspensie (PM10) pe perioade mai mari de 35 de zile, cat este permis de normele europene.
Totodata, valorile maxime la toate cele opt statii sunt mai mult decat duble fata de limita admisa pentru sanatatea umana.
PM 10, pericol pentru sanatatea oamenilor
Potrivit specialistilor, pulberile in suspensie reprezinta un amestec complex de particule foarte mici si picaturi de lichid, iar sursele antropice sunt activitatea industriala, sistemul de incalzire a populatiei, centralele termoelectrice.
Traficul rutier contribuie, de asemenea, la poluarea cu pulberi produsa de pneurile masinilor atat la oprirea acestora, cat si din cauza arderilor incomplete.
Poluarea cu pulberi inrautateste simptomele astmului, respectiv tuse, dureri in piept si dificultati respiratorii. De asemenea, sunt afectate in special persoanele cu boli cardiovasculare si respiratorii, copiii si varstnicii.
Isra-Mart srl news:
Comisia Europeana a declansat astazi procedura de infringement pentru 5 zone din Romania, din cauza poluarii atmosferice cauzate de pulberile in suspensie, avertizeaza reprezentantii Garzii Nationale de Mediu.
Zonele in care au fost inregistrate depasiri ale limitelor de pulberi in suspenie (PM 10) sunt Galati, Timisoara, Craiova, Cluj si zona de nord a tarii.
"Astazi a venit avizul de intrare in procedura de infringement. Pentru anul 2008-2009 s-a realizat un raport ce a fost prezentat Comisiei. Rezultatele nu au fost satisfacatoare si reprezentantii CE au solicitat explicatii suplimentare din partea Ministerului Mediului”, a declarat pentru Green Report comisarul general al Garzii Nationale de Mediu, Silvian Ionescu. Potrivit acestuia, autoritatile romane au la dispozitie 60 de zile pentru a clarifia rezultatele raportului.
PM 10 este denumirea stiintifica a pulberilor aflate in suspensie cu diametrul aerodinamic de 10 micrograme/mc.
“In momentul de fata, legislatia romaneasca privind calitatea aerului nu respecta cerintele europene, monitorizarea calitatii aerului este incompleta, mai multe substante poluante inregistreaza valori peste limitele de pericol pentru sanatatea umana, iar populatia nu are o modalitate la indemana pentru a evalua in mod realist și coerent calitatea aerului pe care il respira” a declarat astazi Irina Bota, expert cercetare, Centrul pentru Politici Durabile Ecopolis.
Organizatia a dat publicitatii astazi studiul „Calitatea aerului in Bucuresti – efecte asupra sanatatii”.
Depasiri constante ale limitelor in Capitala
In Bucuresti se inregistreaza depasiri substantiale si frecvente ale limitelor impuse de Uniunea Europeana si Organizatia Mondiala a Sanatatii pentru concentratiile de substante poluante in aer, avertizeaza raportul Ecopolis.
Aceasta situatie are efecte serioase asupra sanatatii populatiei iar expertii Ecopolis someaza autoritatile responsabile sa ia o serie de masuri urgente.
Sapte din cele opt statii de masurare a calitatii aerului din Bucuresti inregistreaza constant depasiri ale valorilor de pulberi in suspensie (PM10) pe perioade mai mari de 35 de zile, cat este permis de normele europene.
Totodata, valorile maxime la toate cele opt statii sunt mai mult decat duble fata de limita admisa pentru sanatatea umana.
PM 10, pericol pentru sanatatea oamenilor
Potrivit specialistilor, pulberile in suspensie reprezinta un amestec complex de particule foarte mici si picaturi de lichid, iar sursele antropice sunt activitatea industriala, sistemul de incalzire a populatiei, centralele termoelectrice.
Traficul rutier contribuie, de asemenea, la poluarea cu pulberi produsa de pneurile masinilor atat la oprirea acestora, cat si din cauza arderilor incomplete.
Poluarea cu pulberi inrautateste simptomele astmului, respectiv tuse, dureri in piept si dificultati respiratorii. De asemenea, sunt afectate in special persoanele cu boli cardiovasculare si respiratorii, copiii si varstnicii.
Isra-Mart srl:Better diets to stop cows' methane emissions
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Changing what cows and sheep eat could help to trim the 41 per cent of methane emissions that result from farming, a Defra-funded study will say today.
Flatulent cows, goats and sheep account for 4.5 per cent of the UK's overall greenhouse gas emissions - a phenomenon that globally has prompted the UN to consider a "fart tax" on cattle.
Research efforts are underway around the world in an attempt to curb methane emissions from the agricultural sectors, with Canadian and Australian researchers using lasers to detect bovine emissions and German scientists claiming to have developed a pill that reduces cows' methane footprint.
But today's report by Reading University and the Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences argues that farmers can cut their contribution to climate change through the use of relatively simple nutritional initiatives.
For example, it cites a short-term trial which found that increasing the proportion of maize silage in a cow's diet from 25 to 75 per cent cut methane emissions per kilogram by six per cent.
Feeding the animals high-sugar grasses was also found to reduce an animal's methane emissions by 20 per cent for every kilo of weight gain.
Similarly, sheep produced a third less methane emissions after eating naked oats, while cows' methane production dropped by 20 per cent per litre of milk produced when they were fed crushed rapeseed.
The study concludes that any benefits gained by changing animals' diets will have to be weighed against other environmental impacts, as well as potential costs and practicality.
Nevertheless, agriculture minister Jim Paice welcomed the findings: "It is very exciting that this new research has discovered that by simply changing the way we feed farm animals we have the potential to make a big difference to the environment."
Isra-Mart srl news:
Changing what cows and sheep eat could help to trim the 41 per cent of methane emissions that result from farming, a Defra-funded study will say today.
Flatulent cows, goats and sheep account for 4.5 per cent of the UK's overall greenhouse gas emissions - a phenomenon that globally has prompted the UN to consider a "fart tax" on cattle.
Research efforts are underway around the world in an attempt to curb methane emissions from the agricultural sectors, with Canadian and Australian researchers using lasers to detect bovine emissions and German scientists claiming to have developed a pill that reduces cows' methane footprint.
But today's report by Reading University and the Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences argues that farmers can cut their contribution to climate change through the use of relatively simple nutritional initiatives.
For example, it cites a short-term trial which found that increasing the proportion of maize silage in a cow's diet from 25 to 75 per cent cut methane emissions per kilogram by six per cent.
Feeding the animals high-sugar grasses was also found to reduce an animal's methane emissions by 20 per cent for every kilo of weight gain.
Similarly, sheep produced a third less methane emissions after eating naked oats, while cows' methane production dropped by 20 per cent per litre of milk produced when they were fed crushed rapeseed.
The study concludes that any benefits gained by changing animals' diets will have to be weighed against other environmental impacts, as well as potential costs and practicality.
Nevertheless, agriculture minister Jim Paice welcomed the findings: "It is very exciting that this new research has discovered that by simply changing the way we feed farm animals we have the potential to make a big difference to the environment."
Isra-Mart srl:GSK hailed as first global holder of Carbon Trust Standard
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GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) has become the first company to be globally recognised for its carbon cutting efforts by the Carbon Trust Standard.
The company's ongoing commitment to measure, manage and reduce its carbon emissions across 200 sites and 65 countries was assessed and certified by the Carbon Trust over a three-year period, during which GSK increased revenue per tonne of CO2 by 17 per cent.
The Trust said 2.2 million tonnes CO2 were measured and over 84,000 tonnes of CO2 have been cut from GSK's carbon footprint, representing an overall carbon footprint reduction of four per cent and an energy cost saving of £3.8m.
Its efforts to meet the stringent standards have seen GSK install wind turbines at its Barnard Castle site and fit 11,000 solar PV panels on a regional distribution centre in York, Pennsylvania. The centre is now the company's first facility to be powered entirely by solar energy, and GSK says it is saving 1,800 tonnes of CO2 per year.
LED lighting has also been installed at five sites, cutting a further 143 tonnes of CO2, while GSK increased its use of video-conferencing by 40 per cent last year.
Between 2007 and 2009, reductions in electricity use alone saw its carbon footprint fall by over 50,000 tonnes.
GSK announced the achievement as part of its sustainability report, published earlier this week, which also confirmed the company's intention to make its operations and supply chain carbon neutral by 2050.
This ambition would see the company meet interim targets of cutting its carbon footprint 10 per cent by 2015 and 25 per cent in 2020.
By 2015, it also plans to have reduced water consumption by a fifth and cut operational waste to landfill 25 per cent.
Five years later it intends to be sending zero waste to landfill and saving £100m per year through reduced energy, materials and distribution costs.
"Our commitment to running a responsible business underpins everything we do," said chief executive Andrew Witty. "This means being led by our values and principles, being transparent about how we work and responding to the changing needs and expectations of our stakeholders. There is always more that can be done but I am pleased with the progress we are making."
The award is also a major milestone for the Carbon Trust Standard, an independent certification scheme that requires firms to report and reduce their emissions year-on-year over a period of at least two years.
The government-backed company is currently involved in a major international expansion drive having recently opened offices in China, Australia and the US, and is keen to position the Standard as a useful certification for multinationals around the world.
Isra-Mart srl news:
GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) has become the first company to be globally recognised for its carbon cutting efforts by the Carbon Trust Standard.
The company's ongoing commitment to measure, manage and reduce its carbon emissions across 200 sites and 65 countries was assessed and certified by the Carbon Trust over a three-year period, during which GSK increased revenue per tonne of CO2 by 17 per cent.
The Trust said 2.2 million tonnes CO2 were measured and over 84,000 tonnes of CO2 have been cut from GSK's carbon footprint, representing an overall carbon footprint reduction of four per cent and an energy cost saving of £3.8m.
Its efforts to meet the stringent standards have seen GSK install wind turbines at its Barnard Castle site and fit 11,000 solar PV panels on a regional distribution centre in York, Pennsylvania. The centre is now the company's first facility to be powered entirely by solar energy, and GSK says it is saving 1,800 tonnes of CO2 per year.
LED lighting has also been installed at five sites, cutting a further 143 tonnes of CO2, while GSK increased its use of video-conferencing by 40 per cent last year.
Between 2007 and 2009, reductions in electricity use alone saw its carbon footprint fall by over 50,000 tonnes.
GSK announced the achievement as part of its sustainability report, published earlier this week, which also confirmed the company's intention to make its operations and supply chain carbon neutral by 2050.
This ambition would see the company meet interim targets of cutting its carbon footprint 10 per cent by 2015 and 25 per cent in 2020.
By 2015, it also plans to have reduced water consumption by a fifth and cut operational waste to landfill 25 per cent.
Five years later it intends to be sending zero waste to landfill and saving £100m per year through reduced energy, materials and distribution costs.
"Our commitment to running a responsible business underpins everything we do," said chief executive Andrew Witty. "This means being led by our values and principles, being transparent about how we work and responding to the changing needs and expectations of our stakeholders. There is always more that can be done but I am pleased with the progress we are making."
The award is also a major milestone for the Carbon Trust Standard, an independent certification scheme that requires firms to report and reduce their emissions year-on-year over a period of at least two years.
The government-backed company is currently involved in a major international expansion drive having recently opened offices in China, Australia and the US, and is keen to position the Standard as a useful certification for multinationals around the world.
Isra-Mart srl:Tesla sues Top Gear after losing patience with Clarkson
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Electric car manufacturer Tesla has slapped the BBC with a lawsuit following a damning review of its Roadster sports car on Top Gear. The company says it was forced to take action after the BBC failed to respond to its complaints.
The company is suing the BBC for libel and malicious falsehood over a show that was first broadcast in December 2008. Tesla wants £100,000 in damages, along with an injunction preventing the BBC from broadcasting the show again.
According to Tesla, the show, presented by TV celebrity Jeremy Clarkson, misrepresented the Roadster by adding artificial sounds to make it seem as though the electric motor was dying, and claiming that the car's true range is only 55 miles per charge. Tesla claims the vehicle can travel 200 miles on a full charge.
Tesla added that the show claimed that the brakes on a second Roadster were broken, when this was not the case.
The company also accuses the BBC of pretending that a motor overheated on one of the vehicles, completely immobilising it.
However, perhaps the most damning accusation is that the show had already scripted the Roadster being pushed into the Top Gear hanger by four men before the test drive had taken place.
"Each of the falsities was incorporated within the item for a dominant improper motive, namely to bolster a prejudged, predetermined and pre-scripted adverse verdict on the Roadster that 'in the real world, it absolutely doesn't work'," the complaint added.
The controversy over the offending Top Gear episode erupted a couple of weeks after the show first aired. The BBC admitted that the car still had power left, and said that the hangar scene was filmed to show what would have happened if the battery had been run down.
This is the latest in a series of controversial incidents involving Clarkson who has in recent years has been accused of offending Germans, Mexicans, South Koreans, the Welsh, gay rights campaigners, environmentalists and Gordon Brown.
Tesla has hired well-known libel lawyer Carter Ruck to represent it in the High Court.
Isra-Mart srl news:
Electric car manufacturer Tesla has slapped the BBC with a lawsuit following a damning review of its Roadster sports car on Top Gear. The company says it was forced to take action after the BBC failed to respond to its complaints.
The company is suing the BBC for libel and malicious falsehood over a show that was first broadcast in December 2008. Tesla wants £100,000 in damages, along with an injunction preventing the BBC from broadcasting the show again.
According to Tesla, the show, presented by TV celebrity Jeremy Clarkson, misrepresented the Roadster by adding artificial sounds to make it seem as though the electric motor was dying, and claiming that the car's true range is only 55 miles per charge. Tesla claims the vehicle can travel 200 miles on a full charge.
Tesla added that the show claimed that the brakes on a second Roadster were broken, when this was not the case.
The company also accuses the BBC of pretending that a motor overheated on one of the vehicles, completely immobilising it.
However, perhaps the most damning accusation is that the show had already scripted the Roadster being pushed into the Top Gear hanger by four men before the test drive had taken place.
"Each of the falsities was incorporated within the item for a dominant improper motive, namely to bolster a prejudged, predetermined and pre-scripted adverse verdict on the Roadster that 'in the real world, it absolutely doesn't work'," the complaint added.
The controversy over the offending Top Gear episode erupted a couple of weeks after the show first aired. The BBC admitted that the car still had power left, and said that the hangar scene was filmed to show what would have happened if the battery had been run down.
This is the latest in a series of controversial incidents involving Clarkson who has in recent years has been accused of offending Germans, Mexicans, South Koreans, the Welsh, gay rights campaigners, environmentalists and Gordon Brown.
Tesla has hired well-known libel lawyer Carter Ruck to represent it in the High Court.
Isra-Mart srl:Clegg hints at UK nuclear rethink
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Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg has given the clearest indication yet that the UK may be forced to delay plans for a new generation of nuclear power plants in the wake of the ongoing nuclear crisis in Japan.
Speaking to reporters during a trip to Mexico, the Liberal Democrat leader said that the likely increase in liabilities faced by nuclear developers could make it difficult for them to build new reactors in the UK without recourse to public subsidy - a condition that the coalition government has insisted must be met if it is to approve new power plants.
"We have always said there are two conditions for the future of nuclear power: [new plants] have to be safe, and we cannot let the taxpayer be ripped off," he said.
"We could be in a situation now where the potential liabilities are higher, which makes it more unlikely to find private investment."
The comments are the clearest indication yet from a senior figure within the coalition that the crisis in Japan could force a rethink in the UK's nuclear policy.
In the immediate wake of the disaster at the Fukushima nuclear power plant, Energy and Climate Change Secretary Chris Huhne insisted that no decision on the UK's plans would be made until a comprehensive review of the incident and its implications for UK facilities had been completed.
However, Clegg's comments will further fuel fears that the long-term impact of the crisis on liability costs for developers will increase pressure on the government to subsidise the construction of new reactors or block them from being built.
The disaster could also have political implications for the coalition government as the Lib Dems are traditionally opposed to nuclear power, and are adamant that new reactors receive no specific subsidies, while many Conservative ministers are committed to delivering a new generation of nuclear power plants.
Meanwhile, fears are mounting that workers at the Fukushima plant are losing the battle to prevent a major radiation leak.
Government officials confirmed yesterday that seawater near the plant has reached a higher level of radiation than previously reported.
Experts maintain that the chances of a repeat of a Chernobyl-scale disaster remain remote, but concerns are growing that contaminated material from the number two reactor has leaked onto the floor of the drywell.
Plant operator Tokyo Electric Power (Tepco) has now confirmed that it will decommission the four damaged reactors at the plant, and is considering whether to cover the reactors with a special material designed to prevent further radiation leaks.
There were also reports yesterday that the Japanese government is considering taking a majority stake in Tepco.
Isra-Mart srl news:
Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg has given the clearest indication yet that the UK may be forced to delay plans for a new generation of nuclear power plants in the wake of the ongoing nuclear crisis in Japan.
Speaking to reporters during a trip to Mexico, the Liberal Democrat leader said that the likely increase in liabilities faced by nuclear developers could make it difficult for them to build new reactors in the UK without recourse to public subsidy - a condition that the coalition government has insisted must be met if it is to approve new power plants.
"We have always said there are two conditions for the future of nuclear power: [new plants] have to be safe, and we cannot let the taxpayer be ripped off," he said.
"We could be in a situation now where the potential liabilities are higher, which makes it more unlikely to find private investment."
The comments are the clearest indication yet from a senior figure within the coalition that the crisis in Japan could force a rethink in the UK's nuclear policy.
In the immediate wake of the disaster at the Fukushima nuclear power plant, Energy and Climate Change Secretary Chris Huhne insisted that no decision on the UK's plans would be made until a comprehensive review of the incident and its implications for UK facilities had been completed.
However, Clegg's comments will further fuel fears that the long-term impact of the crisis on liability costs for developers will increase pressure on the government to subsidise the construction of new reactors or block them from being built.
The disaster could also have political implications for the coalition government as the Lib Dems are traditionally opposed to nuclear power, and are adamant that new reactors receive no specific subsidies, while many Conservative ministers are committed to delivering a new generation of nuclear power plants.
Meanwhile, fears are mounting that workers at the Fukushima plant are losing the battle to prevent a major radiation leak.
Government officials confirmed yesterday that seawater near the plant has reached a higher level of radiation than previously reported.
Experts maintain that the chances of a repeat of a Chernobyl-scale disaster remain remote, but concerns are growing that contaminated material from the number two reactor has leaked onto the floor of the drywell.
Plant operator Tokyo Electric Power (Tepco) has now confirmed that it will decommission the four damaged reactors at the plant, and is considering whether to cover the reactors with a special material designed to prevent further radiation leaks.
There were also reports yesterday that the Japanese government is considering taking a majority stake in Tepco.
Isra-Mart srl:Edinburgh Green Investment Bank bid gathers pace
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A coalition of Scottish firms lobbying for the coalition's planned Green Investment Bank (GIB) to be located in Edinburgh will today present their business case to the government, arguing that the city is the UK's most effective magnet for inward clean energy investment.
Representatives from the Edinburgh Green Investment Bank Group will today present their case, which has been prepared by Grant Thornton Accountants, to Business Secretary Vince Cable, Treasury officials and Scotland Secretary Michael Moore.
Led by Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce chief executive Ron Hewitt, and Edinburgh MPs Mike Crockart and Mark Lazarowicz, the case argues that Edinburgh has the advantage of being a financial centre situated close to where many renewable energy projects are being constructed and deployed.
"To support successful commercialisation, it is important that the GIB is closely connected to where the action is," it said. "This creates the virtuous circle that we consider vital to the successful commercialisation of low carbon energy."
Moore, who has already backed the group's bid to locate the GIB in the Scottish capital, said he would now continue to argue the case within government.
"I think it makes sense to have it in Scotland because of the unique strengths we have in terms of finance sector, the energy industry and research and I look forward to hearing the city's bid in detail," he said.
The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills said that the location will be decided "in due course".
Energy and Climate Change Secretary Chris Huhne has previously said that Edinburgh "does have a special advantage" as the potential location for the bank because of its proximity to many renewable energy projects and heritage as a financial hub.
A government spokesman told BusinessGreen that the bank was likely to be located in an existing financial centre.
"If the bank is targeting a small number of large infrastructure projects, it would need to be located close to the project finance community," he said.
The launch of the Edinburgh campaign comes just a week after Chancellor George Osborne announced that the bank would begin operations next year with £3bn of government funding, £2bn of which will be raised through asset sales.
However, the government has disappointed green business leaders by delaying the date at which the bank can begin borrowing additional funds until after the current parliament.
Isra-Mart srl news:
A coalition of Scottish firms lobbying for the coalition's planned Green Investment Bank (GIB) to be located in Edinburgh will today present their business case to the government, arguing that the city is the UK's most effective magnet for inward clean energy investment.
Representatives from the Edinburgh Green Investment Bank Group will today present their case, which has been prepared by Grant Thornton Accountants, to Business Secretary Vince Cable, Treasury officials and Scotland Secretary Michael Moore.
Led by Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce chief executive Ron Hewitt, and Edinburgh MPs Mike Crockart and Mark Lazarowicz, the case argues that Edinburgh has the advantage of being a financial centre situated close to where many renewable energy projects are being constructed and deployed.
"To support successful commercialisation, it is important that the GIB is closely connected to where the action is," it said. "This creates the virtuous circle that we consider vital to the successful commercialisation of low carbon energy."
Moore, who has already backed the group's bid to locate the GIB in the Scottish capital, said he would now continue to argue the case within government.
"I think it makes sense to have it in Scotland because of the unique strengths we have in terms of finance sector, the energy industry and research and I look forward to hearing the city's bid in detail," he said.
The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills said that the location will be decided "in due course".
Energy and Climate Change Secretary Chris Huhne has previously said that Edinburgh "does have a special advantage" as the potential location for the bank because of its proximity to many renewable energy projects and heritage as a financial hub.
A government spokesman told BusinessGreen that the bank was likely to be located in an existing financial centre.
"If the bank is targeting a small number of large infrastructure projects, it would need to be located close to the project finance community," he said.
The launch of the Edinburgh campaign comes just a week after Chancellor George Osborne announced that the bank would begin operations next year with £3bn of government funding, £2bn of which will be raised through asset sales.
However, the government has disappointed green business leaders by delaying the date at which the bank can begin borrowing additional funds until after the current parliament.
Isra-Mart srl:Exclusive: Former Chief Scientist warns nuclear too controversial for Green Investment Bank
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The government's former Chief Scientist has said that he does not think the Green Investment Bank (GIB) should help pay for the government's programme of new nuclear reactors because the technology does not have enough public support.
Speaking on the sidelines of an event in London yesterday, Sir David King, now director of the Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment at Oxford University, told BusinessGreen that, while he believed taxpayers would be prepared to pay the premium for the cost of building a new generation of offshore wind farms, nuclear was too controversial to be supported by the GIB.
The planned GIB, announced in last week's Budget, will launch in 2012 backed by £2bn of funding from asset sales in addition to the £1bn already pledged by the government.
The Treasury estimates that this £3bn will leverage £15bn of private sector investment, resulting in an initial pot of £18bn to invest in low-carbon projects that are too risky for the private sector alone to back.
However, the government has yet to decide whether the GIB will be used to help support emerging nuclear technologies that could be incorporated in its programme to roll out a new generation of nuclear power plants.
A spokesman from the Department for Business Innovation and Skills said that no decisions have been taken on nuclear power, although renewable energy investment is likely to be an "early high priority" of the bank.
"The GIB will be built as an institution for the long term, so we are considering a broad range of green infrastructure asset classes," he said.
"Decisions have not yet been taken on the GIB's early remit, and work is underway to test the need for, and value of, interventions in particular sectors."
The spokesman also insisted that any GIB financing for nuclear assets will need to be consistent with the government's policy "that there will be no levy, direct payment or market support unless similar support is also made available more widely to other types of generation".
Earlier this month, MPs in the Commons Environmental Audit Committee called on the government to give greater clarity on what would constitute "a subsidy" in regards to GIB support for new nuclear.
"In our judgement there remains some ambiguity about whether, under the terms of the government's statement, GIB support for new nuclear would constitute a subsidy. Whether, for example, support would be regarded as market support similar to that made available to other types of generation," it said in a report.
Isra-Mart srl news:
The government's former Chief Scientist has said that he does not think the Green Investment Bank (GIB) should help pay for the government's programme of new nuclear reactors because the technology does not have enough public support.
Speaking on the sidelines of an event in London yesterday, Sir David King, now director of the Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment at Oxford University, told BusinessGreen that, while he believed taxpayers would be prepared to pay the premium for the cost of building a new generation of offshore wind farms, nuclear was too controversial to be supported by the GIB.
The planned GIB, announced in last week's Budget, will launch in 2012 backed by £2bn of funding from asset sales in addition to the £1bn already pledged by the government.
The Treasury estimates that this £3bn will leverage £15bn of private sector investment, resulting in an initial pot of £18bn to invest in low-carbon projects that are too risky for the private sector alone to back.
However, the government has yet to decide whether the GIB will be used to help support emerging nuclear technologies that could be incorporated in its programme to roll out a new generation of nuclear power plants.
A spokesman from the Department for Business Innovation and Skills said that no decisions have been taken on nuclear power, although renewable energy investment is likely to be an "early high priority" of the bank.
"The GIB will be built as an institution for the long term, so we are considering a broad range of green infrastructure asset classes," he said.
"Decisions have not yet been taken on the GIB's early remit, and work is underway to test the need for, and value of, interventions in particular sectors."
The spokesman also insisted that any GIB financing for nuclear assets will need to be consistent with the government's policy "that there will be no levy, direct payment or market support unless similar support is also made available more widely to other types of generation".
Earlier this month, MPs in the Commons Environmental Audit Committee called on the government to give greater clarity on what would constitute "a subsidy" in regards to GIB support for new nuclear.
"In our judgement there remains some ambiguity about whether, under the terms of the government's statement, GIB support for new nuclear would constitute a subsidy. Whether, for example, support would be regarded as market support similar to that made available to other types of generation," it said in a report.
Isra-Mart srl:Household energy efficiency gains eclipsed by too many gadgets
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Americans are using energy more efficiently in their households with better windows, insulation and products that meet Energy Star standards, such as refrigerators and clothes washers.
Yet those gains are being canceled out by the proliferation of electronic devices now used in homes, including a growing number of personal computers, DVRs and rechargeable gadgets, according to new data released on Monday by the Energy Information Administration, the statistical arm of the US Department of Energy (DOE.
"You've got everything becoming more efficient, but there is just more of everything," said Bill McNary, a DOE statistician working on the Residential Energy Consumption Survey.
For example, nearly 60 per cent of homes had energy efficient windows in 2009, compared to 36 per cent in 1993. But the number of televisions per household has soared, with 50.5 per cent of households in 2009 having three or more TVs. Forty-six percent of respondents to the survey indicated that their most-used TV is 37 inches or larger. Nearly 43 per cent of households use their TVs for three to six hours a day.
Meanwhile, nearly 47 per cent of households have one computer; 39.4 per cent have two or more. Most households (57.9 per cent) have between one and three rechargeable electronic devices; 44.3 per cent have four or more.
Use of digital video recorders (DVRs) has soared. According to the EIA, DVRs first entered the market in 1999, but are now used in 43 percent of U.S. households.
"For something to go from not being on our survey in 2005, to being in 43 percent of households (in 2009) is pretty impressive," McNary said.
The EIA will release data on space heating, air conditioning and water heating use in next month or so, McNary said. Next year, the agency will also release information on residential energy consumption. Previous EIA surveys have shown that overall household energy consumption decreased slightly from 10.58 quads in 1978 to 10.55 quads in 2005, while energy use per household declined by 31 percent.
Isra-Mart srl news:
Americans are using energy more efficiently in their households with better windows, insulation and products that meet Energy Star standards, such as refrigerators and clothes washers.
Yet those gains are being canceled out by the proliferation of electronic devices now used in homes, including a growing number of personal computers, DVRs and rechargeable gadgets, according to new data released on Monday by the Energy Information Administration, the statistical arm of the US Department of Energy (DOE.
"You've got everything becoming more efficient, but there is just more of everything," said Bill McNary, a DOE statistician working on the Residential Energy Consumption Survey.
For example, nearly 60 per cent of homes had energy efficient windows in 2009, compared to 36 per cent in 1993. But the number of televisions per household has soared, with 50.5 per cent of households in 2009 having three or more TVs. Forty-six percent of respondents to the survey indicated that their most-used TV is 37 inches or larger. Nearly 43 per cent of households use their TVs for three to six hours a day.
Meanwhile, nearly 47 per cent of households have one computer; 39.4 per cent have two or more. Most households (57.9 per cent) have between one and three rechargeable electronic devices; 44.3 per cent have four or more.
Use of digital video recorders (DVRs) has soared. According to the EIA, DVRs first entered the market in 1999, but are now used in 43 percent of U.S. households.
"For something to go from not being on our survey in 2005, to being in 43 percent of households (in 2009) is pretty impressive," McNary said.
The EIA will release data on space heating, air conditioning and water heating use in next month or so, McNary said. Next year, the agency will also release information on residential energy consumption. Previous EIA surveys have shown that overall household energy consumption decreased slightly from 10.58 quads in 1978 to 10.55 quads in 2005, while energy use per household declined by 31 percent.
Isra-Mart srl:California approves clean energy target as GOP moves to neuter EPA
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California has further underlined its position as the leading clean energy hub in the US after lawmakers voted yesterday to beef up the state's renewable energy goal. It will now require energy firms to source a third of their energy from renewable sources by 2020.
The State Assembly voted 55 to 19 to approve bill S.B. 2, which requires the state to generate 33 per cent of its energy from renewables. The bill has already been approved by the state senate and will now move to governor Jerry Brown's desk where it is expected to be approved.
California has had its renewable energy target in place since September 2009 when former governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed an executive order requiring the target to be met. Since then, regulators have put in place a series of measures designed to ensure the goal will be met.
However, the bill has significantly more power than an executive order and will provide businesses and investors with greater certainty.
For example, future governors will not be able to suspend the bill as was requested by a group of oil firms last year.
The vote came as the US Senate prepared to vote later today on controversial amendments to small business legislation which would block the Environmental Protection Agency from enforcing climate change rules.
The amendments are being put forward by Republican Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell and mirror another bill put forward by Republican climate sceptic James Inhofe. Neither is expected to secure the 60 votes required to pass.
However, Republicans hope that this will force Democrats to go on record with their support of the EPA ahead of a series of votes similarly designed to strip the watchdog of its authority.
Two Democrat senators have also put forward amendments that would place less stringent restrictions on the EPA.
Senator Max Baucus has tabled proposals that would limit rules covering small polluters and exempt the agricultural sector from emissions rules, while senator Jay Rockefeller has proposed a two-year delay in rules governing power and industrial plants.
None of the amendments arte expected to pass. However, they highlight growing fears among Democrats that EPA efforts to curb greenhouse gas emissions will become a major political issue in the run-up to next year's presidential election.
They also pave the way for further Republican legislation aimed at the EPA that is expected to pass through the House of Representatives in the coming weeks.
Senior Republicans attacked the Democrat compromise amendments, accusing them of simply delaying the economic damage that will be done by the EPA.
Democrats maintain that the EPA rules will deliver net benefits to the economy and are necessary to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and limit US reliance on foreign energy sources.
Meanwhile, president Obama is today expected to outline his plan for America's energy security in a speech at Georgetown University.
He is expected to reiterate his support for a Clean Energy Standard that would require the US to generate 80 per cent of its power from clean sources by 2035, and set out the economic benefits of shifting to cleaner energy sources.
He is also scheduled to promote the emergence of advanced vehicle technologies on a trip to a UPS facility in Maryland where he will look at the logistics giant's expanding fleet of green vehicles.
Isra-Mart srl news:
California has further underlined its position as the leading clean energy hub in the US after lawmakers voted yesterday to beef up the state's renewable energy goal. It will now require energy firms to source a third of their energy from renewable sources by 2020.
The State Assembly voted 55 to 19 to approve bill S.B. 2, which requires the state to generate 33 per cent of its energy from renewables. The bill has already been approved by the state senate and will now move to governor Jerry Brown's desk where it is expected to be approved.
California has had its renewable energy target in place since September 2009 when former governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed an executive order requiring the target to be met. Since then, regulators have put in place a series of measures designed to ensure the goal will be met.
However, the bill has significantly more power than an executive order and will provide businesses and investors with greater certainty.
For example, future governors will not be able to suspend the bill as was requested by a group of oil firms last year.
The vote came as the US Senate prepared to vote later today on controversial amendments to small business legislation which would block the Environmental Protection Agency from enforcing climate change rules.
The amendments are being put forward by Republican Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell and mirror another bill put forward by Republican climate sceptic James Inhofe. Neither is expected to secure the 60 votes required to pass.
However, Republicans hope that this will force Democrats to go on record with their support of the EPA ahead of a series of votes similarly designed to strip the watchdog of its authority.
Two Democrat senators have also put forward amendments that would place less stringent restrictions on the EPA.
Senator Max Baucus has tabled proposals that would limit rules covering small polluters and exempt the agricultural sector from emissions rules, while senator Jay Rockefeller has proposed a two-year delay in rules governing power and industrial plants.
None of the amendments arte expected to pass. However, they highlight growing fears among Democrats that EPA efforts to curb greenhouse gas emissions will become a major political issue in the run-up to next year's presidential election.
They also pave the way for further Republican legislation aimed at the EPA that is expected to pass through the House of Representatives in the coming weeks.
Senior Republicans attacked the Democrat compromise amendments, accusing them of simply delaying the economic damage that will be done by the EPA.
Democrats maintain that the EPA rules will deliver net benefits to the economy and are necessary to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and limit US reliance on foreign energy sources.
Meanwhile, president Obama is today expected to outline his plan for America's energy security in a speech at Georgetown University.
He is expected to reiterate his support for a Clean Energy Standard that would require the US to generate 80 per cent of its power from clean sources by 2035, and set out the economic benefits of shifting to cleaner energy sources.
He is also scheduled to promote the emergence of advanced vehicle technologies on a trip to a UPS facility in Maryland where he will look at the logistics giant's expanding fleet of green vehicles.
Isra-Mart srl:UK needs 1.7m electric cars to meet 2020 climate targets
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Isra-Mart srl news:
The UK will need to put 1.7 million electric vehicles (EVs) on the road by 2020 and then treble take-up of the technology in the following decade if it is to meet its climate change targets.
That is the headline finding in a new WWF report, which warns that more than 6.4 million EVs – representing one in every six cars – will be needed by 2030 if the UK is to bring an end to its dependence on foreign oil.
The report, Electric avenues: driving home the case for electric vehicles, examines three scenarios for EV take-up. It concludes that the most ambitious scenario would cut UK fuel demand by 80 per cent, save more than £5bn in annual fuel costs, and slash car emissions by three-quarters by 2030.
It calls for further government subsidies and incentives to bring down the price of EVs, as well as the rollout of a national charging infrastructure that would change public perceptions on electric vehicles.
"We think EVs can be cost-competitive, without subsidies, by the end of the decade," said David Kennedy, chief executive of the Committee on Climate Change. "By 2030, we should have 10m electric cars and 1m electric vans. So far, the government has been a little cautious, [but] I hope this will change in the context of the fourth carbon budget."
Critics have said a rapid increase in EVs would overpower the UK's aging grid, but Mike Edgar, strategy development manager at the National Grid, said that the number of EVs anticipated by WWF and the Climate Change Committee could be supplied by the existing network, although work would be needed at predicted hotspots.
However, he warned that the long-term picture was less clear.
"We have three main networks in the UK: electricity, gas and petrol stations," he said. "We need to look seriously at how we combine these networks efficiently and meet customer needs, [and] be more deliberate about how we develop the systems.
"Incremental improvement will take us so far to 2020, but beyond we'll have to integrate network design [that includes] electric heating."
WWF expressed confidence that a combination of increased renewable generation, electricity demand management, and smart grids would smooth out potential peaks in energy use.
"It is vital that people start consuming and travelling less to make a transition to a low-carbon economy, and reduce both our dependency on oil and emissions from cars," said David Norman, director of campaigns at WWF-UK. "Road transport accounts for 40 per cent of petroleum products consumed in the UK, so a switch from conventional cars powered by petrol or diesel to EVs would have a much needed impact on reducing fuel demand."
The report's findings tie in with the EU's Transport 2050 roadmap, which aims to rid cities of conventionally fuelled cars by 2050.
Isra-Mart srl news:
The UK will need to put 1.7 million electric vehicles (EVs) on the road by 2020 and then treble take-up of the technology in the following decade if it is to meet its climate change targets.
That is the headline finding in a new WWF report, which warns that more than 6.4 million EVs – representing one in every six cars – will be needed by 2030 if the UK is to bring an end to its dependence on foreign oil.
The report, Electric avenues: driving home the case for electric vehicles, examines three scenarios for EV take-up. It concludes that the most ambitious scenario would cut UK fuel demand by 80 per cent, save more than £5bn in annual fuel costs, and slash car emissions by three-quarters by 2030.
It calls for further government subsidies and incentives to bring down the price of EVs, as well as the rollout of a national charging infrastructure that would change public perceptions on electric vehicles.
"We think EVs can be cost-competitive, without subsidies, by the end of the decade," said David Kennedy, chief executive of the Committee on Climate Change. "By 2030, we should have 10m electric cars and 1m electric vans. So far, the government has been a little cautious, [but] I hope this will change in the context of the fourth carbon budget."
Critics have said a rapid increase in EVs would overpower the UK's aging grid, but Mike Edgar, strategy development manager at the National Grid, said that the number of EVs anticipated by WWF and the Climate Change Committee could be supplied by the existing network, although work would be needed at predicted hotspots.
However, he warned that the long-term picture was less clear.
"We have three main networks in the UK: electricity, gas and petrol stations," he said. "We need to look seriously at how we combine these networks efficiently and meet customer needs, [and] be more deliberate about how we develop the systems.
"Incremental improvement will take us so far to 2020, but beyond we'll have to integrate network design [that includes] electric heating."
WWF expressed confidence that a combination of increased renewable generation, electricity demand management, and smart grids would smooth out potential peaks in energy use.
"It is vital that people start consuming and travelling less to make a transition to a low-carbon economy, and reduce both our dependency on oil and emissions from cars," said David Norman, director of campaigns at WWF-UK. "Road transport accounts for 40 per cent of petroleum products consumed in the UK, so a switch from conventional cars powered by petrol or diesel to EVs would have a much needed impact on reducing fuel demand."
The report's findings tie in with the EU's Transport 2050 roadmap, which aims to rid cities of conventionally fuelled cars by 2050.
Isra-Mart srl:UK to fit smart meters in 30 million properties by 2019
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Isra-Mart srl news:
The government has set out its timetable for installing smart meters in 30 million homes and businesses across the country, confirming that it plans to complete the job in 2019.
A five-year mass rollout of 53 million devices will begin in 2014, the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) said in today's response to last year's consultation.
The target date of 2019 scotches last year's rumours that the government was looking to speed up the rollout to have it completed by 2018.
DECC said that the technology will allow households to save up to £23 a year on energy bills by 2020 through more accurate billing and the emrgence of variable tariffs.
Smart meters are also expected to be an important step towards the development of smart grids, which are required to support the significant amounts of wind energy coming onto the grid over the next decade and the expansion of electrified transport.
It is thought that a nationwide smart grid would also allow energy companies to better manage power demand by providing households and businesses with the opportunity to turn off non-essential appliances during periods of peak demand.
DECC estimates that the smart meter programme will deliver economic benefits to the UK worth £7.3bn over the next 20 years over and above the initial £11bn investment.
Between now and 2014 the government plans to lay the groundwork for the rollout by standardising the design of smart meter technologies and establishing the Data and Communications Company, which will provide data and communications services for smart meters.
Energy companies will also be encouraged to build and trial the systems during this period, before the mass rollout can begin.
"Ensuring a secure energy supply, moving to a low-carbon economy and keeping prices affordable are the key challenges that drive our energy and environmental policies. That is why the full rollout of smart meters to homes and businesses is a fundamental part of our programme for government," said energy minister Charles Hendry.
"Smart meters will enable us to modernise the electricity system over the coming years and create the smart grids we will need to bring new low carbon energy sources online, and handle much higher demand for electricity as we progressively electrify transport and heating."
Isra-Mart srl news:
The government has set out its timetable for installing smart meters in 30 million homes and businesses across the country, confirming that it plans to complete the job in 2019.
A five-year mass rollout of 53 million devices will begin in 2014, the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) said in today's response to last year's consultation.
The target date of 2019 scotches last year's rumours that the government was looking to speed up the rollout to have it completed by 2018.
DECC said that the technology will allow households to save up to £23 a year on energy bills by 2020 through more accurate billing and the emrgence of variable tariffs.
Smart meters are also expected to be an important step towards the development of smart grids, which are required to support the significant amounts of wind energy coming onto the grid over the next decade and the expansion of electrified transport.
It is thought that a nationwide smart grid would also allow energy companies to better manage power demand by providing households and businesses with the opportunity to turn off non-essential appliances during periods of peak demand.
DECC estimates that the smart meter programme will deliver economic benefits to the UK worth £7.3bn over the next 20 years over and above the initial £11bn investment.
Between now and 2014 the government plans to lay the groundwork for the rollout by standardising the design of smart meter technologies and establishing the Data and Communications Company, which will provide data and communications services for smart meters.
Energy companies will also be encouraged to build and trial the systems during this period, before the mass rollout can begin.
"Ensuring a secure energy supply, moving to a low-carbon economy and keeping prices affordable are the key challenges that drive our energy and environmental policies. That is why the full rollout of smart meters to homes and businesses is a fundamental part of our programme for government," said energy minister Charles Hendry.
"Smart meters will enable us to modernise the electricity system over the coming years and create the smart grids we will need to bring new low carbon energy sources online, and handle much higher demand for electricity as we progressively electrify transport and heating."
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Isra-Mart srl:Enel Green Power, o noua centrala hidroelectrica in Costa Rica
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Isra-Mart srl news:
Enel Green Power a inceput lucrarile de construcţie la o noua centrala hidroelectrica in Costa Rica, intre provinciile Alajuela şi San José.
Noua centrala, denumita Chucas, va avea o capacitate instalata de 50 MW. Operaţionala, va genera circa 219 milioane kWh/an, respectiv consumul anual de electricitate a peste 81.000 de gospodarii. Centrala va evita emisia in atmosfera a peste 150.000 tone de CO2 in fiecare an.
Enel Green Power, compania Grupului Enel, dedicata energiei regenerabile, se aşteapta sa finalizeze centrala la mijlocul lui 2013. Astfel, capacitatea instalata a companiei in Costa Rica va ajunge la 105 MW.
Francesco Starace, directorul general al Enel Green Power, a declarat ca aceasta este a doua centrala, dupa centrala hidroelectrica Palo Viejo, din Guatemala, aflata in construcţie, si este o dovada a dezvoltarii Enel Green Power in America Latina şi in sectorul tehnologiei hidroelectrice, unul dintre pilonii care stau la baza expansiunii pe acest continent.
Enel Green Power este prezenta in America Centrala şi de Sud prin sucursala Enel Green Power Latin America, care opereaza 33 de centrale ce utilizeaza resurse regenerabile in Mexic, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Panama, El Salvador, Chile şi Brazilia, capacitatea instalata totala ajungand la 669 MW.
Energia hidroelectrica se afla in centrul investiţiilor Enel Green Power in regiune, compania gestionand peste 31 de centrale in 6 ţari.
Compania deţine o centrala eoliana de 24 MW in Costa Rica şi urmeaza sa construiasca inca trei in Brazilia, pentru o capacitate instalata totala de 90 MW.
Avand o experienţa importanta in domeniul energie geotermale, Enel Green Power dezvolta noi oportunitaţi in acest sector. Mai exact, in Chile compania exploateaza cateva concesiuni ce au potenţialul de a furniza peste 100 MW de electricitate.
Isra-Mart srl news:
Enel Green Power a inceput lucrarile de construcţie la o noua centrala hidroelectrica in Costa Rica, intre provinciile Alajuela şi San José.
Noua centrala, denumita Chucas, va avea o capacitate instalata de 50 MW. Operaţionala, va genera circa 219 milioane kWh/an, respectiv consumul anual de electricitate a peste 81.000 de gospodarii. Centrala va evita emisia in atmosfera a peste 150.000 tone de CO2 in fiecare an.
Enel Green Power, compania Grupului Enel, dedicata energiei regenerabile, se aşteapta sa finalizeze centrala la mijlocul lui 2013. Astfel, capacitatea instalata a companiei in Costa Rica va ajunge la 105 MW.
Francesco Starace, directorul general al Enel Green Power, a declarat ca aceasta este a doua centrala, dupa centrala hidroelectrica Palo Viejo, din Guatemala, aflata in construcţie, si este o dovada a dezvoltarii Enel Green Power in America Latina şi in sectorul tehnologiei hidroelectrice, unul dintre pilonii care stau la baza expansiunii pe acest continent.
Enel Green Power este prezenta in America Centrala şi de Sud prin sucursala Enel Green Power Latin America, care opereaza 33 de centrale ce utilizeaza resurse regenerabile in Mexic, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Panama, El Salvador, Chile şi Brazilia, capacitatea instalata totala ajungand la 669 MW.
Energia hidroelectrica se afla in centrul investiţiilor Enel Green Power in regiune, compania gestionand peste 31 de centrale in 6 ţari.
Compania deţine o centrala eoliana de 24 MW in Costa Rica şi urmeaza sa construiasca inca trei in Brazilia, pentru o capacitate instalata totala de 90 MW.
Avand o experienţa importanta in domeniul energie geotermale, Enel Green Power dezvolta noi oportunitaţi in acest sector. Mai exact, in Chile compania exploateaza cateva concesiuni ce au potenţialul de a furniza peste 100 MW de electricitate.
Isra-Mart srl:Investitiile in regenerabile au crescut cu 30%, in 2010. Vezi lista tarilor cu cele mai mari investitii
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Isra-Mart srl news:
Investitiile in energie din surse regenerabile au crescut cu 30% anul trecut, la nivel mondial, la 243 de miliarde de dolari, China ocupand primul loc in topul investitorilor, transmite AFP.
"Centrul de gravitatie al energiei curate s-a deplasat din Occident in Orient", se arata intr-un raport al agentiei americane nonguvernamentale Pew Charitable Trust.
China a cheltuit anul trecut 54,4 miliarde de dolari pentru energie din surse regenerabile, suma plasand-o pe prima pozitie in clasamentul investitorilor din acest sector. In top urmeaza Germania, cu investitii de 41,2 miliarde de euro, SUA (34 miliarde euro), Italia (13,9 miliarde euro) si Brazilia (7,6 miliarde euro).
In functie de raportul dintre cheltuieli si Produsul Intern Brut, Germania este statul care a fãcut cele mai mari eforturi financiare pentru dezvoltarea sectorului energiei curate (1,4% din PIB). Investitiile din Germania au fost sustinute de o crestere puternica a numarului de proiecte pentru montarea de panouri solare pe acoperisuri, mentioneaza organizatia.
Anul trecut, China a furnizat aproape jumatate din modulele de panouri solare si turbinele eoliene vandute in intreaga lume. Acest stat a concentrat, de asemenea, 47% din investitiile mondiale in energie eoliana.
Isra-Mart srl news:
Investitiile in energie din surse regenerabile au crescut cu 30% anul trecut, la nivel mondial, la 243 de miliarde de dolari, China ocupand primul loc in topul investitorilor, transmite AFP.
"Centrul de gravitatie al energiei curate s-a deplasat din Occident in Orient", se arata intr-un raport al agentiei americane nonguvernamentale Pew Charitable Trust.
China a cheltuit anul trecut 54,4 miliarde de dolari pentru energie din surse regenerabile, suma plasand-o pe prima pozitie in clasamentul investitorilor din acest sector. In top urmeaza Germania, cu investitii de 41,2 miliarde de euro, SUA (34 miliarde euro), Italia (13,9 miliarde euro) si Brazilia (7,6 miliarde euro).
In functie de raportul dintre cheltuieli si Produsul Intern Brut, Germania este statul care a fãcut cele mai mari eforturi financiare pentru dezvoltarea sectorului energiei curate (1,4% din PIB). Investitiile din Germania au fost sustinute de o crestere puternica a numarului de proiecte pentru montarea de panouri solare pe acoperisuri, mentioneaza organizatia.
Anul trecut, China a furnizat aproape jumatate din modulele de panouri solare si turbinele eoliene vandute in intreaga lume. Acest stat a concentrat, de asemenea, 47% din investitiile mondiale in energie eoliana.
Isra-Mart srl:60% din energia electrica din Romania este produsa din carbune
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Isra-Mart srl news:
Aproximativ 60% din energia electrica romaneasca este produsa din carbune, iar reducerea acestui procent inseamna investitii imense in sectorul energetic, potrivit ministrului Mediului si Padurilor Laszlo Borbely.
”In momentul de fata producem 60% din energia electrica din carbune, iar ca sa modificam balanta costa foarte mult. (...) Acum este usor sa reducem emisiile pentru ca ne raportam la anul 1990, dar dupa 2012 se vor schimba datele problemei”, a declarat astazi ministrul, in cadrul forumului Green Energy Business.
Borbely a avertizat recent ca Romania ar putea intra in situatie de infringement anul viitor, daca nu inchide sau nu modernizeaza marile centrale poluante ce functioneaza pe carbune.
Potrivit ministrului, companiile dispuse sa investeasca in energie regenerabila ar trebui sa primeasca subsidii de la stat, pentru a fi incurajate si pentru a contribui astfel la atingerea tintelor asumate de Romania privind reducerea emisiilor de carbon.
”In opinia mea trebuie sa existe ajutoatoare pentru investitori si certificate pana in 2015-2016, iar atunci sa se reanalizeze sistemul. Aceasta politica atrage investitori. Iar daca nu sustinem aceasta politica nu vom reusi sa atungem tintele”, a declarat minsitrul.
Isra-Mart srl news:
Aproximativ 60% din energia electrica romaneasca este produsa din carbune, iar reducerea acestui procent inseamna investitii imense in sectorul energetic, potrivit ministrului Mediului si Padurilor Laszlo Borbely.
”In momentul de fata producem 60% din energia electrica din carbune, iar ca sa modificam balanta costa foarte mult. (...) Acum este usor sa reducem emisiile pentru ca ne raportam la anul 1990, dar dupa 2012 se vor schimba datele problemei”, a declarat astazi ministrul, in cadrul forumului Green Energy Business.
Borbely a avertizat recent ca Romania ar putea intra in situatie de infringement anul viitor, daca nu inchide sau nu modernizeaza marile centrale poluante ce functioneaza pe carbune.
Potrivit ministrului, companiile dispuse sa investeasca in energie regenerabila ar trebui sa primeasca subsidii de la stat, pentru a fi incurajate si pentru a contribui astfel la atingerea tintelor asumate de Romania privind reducerea emisiilor de carbon.
”In opinia mea trebuie sa existe ajutoatoare pentru investitori si certificate pana in 2015-2016, iar atunci sa se reanalizeze sistemul. Aceasta politica atrage investitori. Iar daca nu sustinem aceasta politica nu vom reusi sa atungem tintele”, a declarat minsitrul.
Isra-Mart srl:Productia de energie verde din Romania s-a dublat in 2010, fata de 2009
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Isra-Mart srl news:
Productia de energie din surse regenerabile a crescut mai mult decat dublu in primele 11 luni ale anului 2010, comparativ cu anul anterior, releva datele centralizate de Transelectrica.
Astfel, in 2010, minus luna decembrie, au fost produsi 538.032,15 MWh, fata de numai 239.737,70 MWh in 2009.
Cu toate ca ponderea energiei din surse regenerabile in Romania a crescut spectaculos, tara noastra isi bazeaza inca 60% din productie pe carbune, potrivit datelor Ministerului Mediului si Padurilor.
Tara noastra si-a asumat atingerea unei tinte de 24% energie verde pana in 2020, insa in pofida potentialului de resurse invocat de autoritati, investitiile in regenerabile stagneaza din cauza unei legi incomplete.
Legea 220 blocheaza investitiile
Legea 220/2008 pentru promovarea energiei din surse regenerabile a intrat in vigoare in urma cu 2 ani, dar in lipsa unor norme de aplicare avizate de Comisia Europeana (CE) se aplica partial. Normele stabilesc ajutoarele financiare pentru investitori, insa notificarea acestora de catre Romania nu a ajuns nici pana acum la CE.
Prezent astazi la forumul Green Energy Business, presedintele Agentiei Nationale pentru Reglementare in domeniul Energiei (ANRE), Zoltan Nagy, a declarat ca notificarea va fi trimisa ”pana la sfarsitul lunii martie”, iar normele de aplicare ale legii ar putea fi gata in luna iunie.
”Trebuie sa gasim un sistem functional. Au venit foarte multi investitori interesati sa-si dezvolte afacerile in Romania, ne surprinde si pe noi cat de mare este interesul, insa nu poti sa faci o lege, iar dupa aceea, sa-ti dai seama ca nu este buna. Noi degeaba facem eforturi daca la nivelul Guvernului nu este vointa”, a declarat astazi ministrul Mediului, Laszlo Borbely, in cadrul forumului Green Energy Business.
Investitiile in energie verde au crescut cu 30%
La nivel mondial, investitiile in energie din surse regenerabile au crescut cu 30% anul trecut, ajungand la 243 de miliarde de dolari. Potrivit AFP, China a ocupat primul loc in topul investitorilor.
”Centrul de gravitatie al energiei curate s-a deplasat din Occident in Orient”, se arata intr-un raport al agentiei americane nonguvernamentale Pew Charitable Trust.
China a cheltuit anul trecut 54,4 miliarde de dolari pentru energie din surse regenerabile, suma plasand-o pe prima pozitie in clasamentul investitorilor din acest sector. In top urmeaza Germania, cu investitii de 41,2 miliarde de euro, SUA (34 miliarde euro), Italia (13,9 miliarde euro) si Brazilia (7,6 miliarde euro).
In functie de raportul dintre cheltuieli si Produsul Intern Brut, Germania este statul care a fãcut cele mai mari eforturi financiare pentru dezvoltarea sectorului energiei curate (1,4% din PIB). Investitiile din Germania au fost sustinute de o crestere puternica a numarului de proiecte pentru montarea de panouri solare pe acoperisuri, mentioneaza organizatia.
Isra-Mart srl news:
Productia de energie din surse regenerabile a crescut mai mult decat dublu in primele 11 luni ale anului 2010, comparativ cu anul anterior, releva datele centralizate de Transelectrica.
Astfel, in 2010, minus luna decembrie, au fost produsi 538.032,15 MWh, fata de numai 239.737,70 MWh in 2009.
Cu toate ca ponderea energiei din surse regenerabile in Romania a crescut spectaculos, tara noastra isi bazeaza inca 60% din productie pe carbune, potrivit datelor Ministerului Mediului si Padurilor.
Tara noastra si-a asumat atingerea unei tinte de 24% energie verde pana in 2020, insa in pofida potentialului de resurse invocat de autoritati, investitiile in regenerabile stagneaza din cauza unei legi incomplete.
Legea 220 blocheaza investitiile
Legea 220/2008 pentru promovarea energiei din surse regenerabile a intrat in vigoare in urma cu 2 ani, dar in lipsa unor norme de aplicare avizate de Comisia Europeana (CE) se aplica partial. Normele stabilesc ajutoarele financiare pentru investitori, insa notificarea acestora de catre Romania nu a ajuns nici pana acum la CE.
Prezent astazi la forumul Green Energy Business, presedintele Agentiei Nationale pentru Reglementare in domeniul Energiei (ANRE), Zoltan Nagy, a declarat ca notificarea va fi trimisa ”pana la sfarsitul lunii martie”, iar normele de aplicare ale legii ar putea fi gata in luna iunie.
”Trebuie sa gasim un sistem functional. Au venit foarte multi investitori interesati sa-si dezvolte afacerile in Romania, ne surprinde si pe noi cat de mare este interesul, insa nu poti sa faci o lege, iar dupa aceea, sa-ti dai seama ca nu este buna. Noi degeaba facem eforturi daca la nivelul Guvernului nu este vointa”, a declarat astazi ministrul Mediului, Laszlo Borbely, in cadrul forumului Green Energy Business.
Investitiile in energie verde au crescut cu 30%
La nivel mondial, investitiile in energie din surse regenerabile au crescut cu 30% anul trecut, ajungand la 243 de miliarde de dolari. Potrivit AFP, China a ocupat primul loc in topul investitorilor.
”Centrul de gravitatie al energiei curate s-a deplasat din Occident in Orient”, se arata intr-un raport al agentiei americane nonguvernamentale Pew Charitable Trust.
China a cheltuit anul trecut 54,4 miliarde de dolari pentru energie din surse regenerabile, suma plasand-o pe prima pozitie in clasamentul investitorilor din acest sector. In top urmeaza Germania, cu investitii de 41,2 miliarde de euro, SUA (34 miliarde euro), Italia (13,9 miliarde euro) si Brazilia (7,6 miliarde euro).
In functie de raportul dintre cheltuieli si Produsul Intern Brut, Germania este statul care a fãcut cele mai mari eforturi financiare pentru dezvoltarea sectorului energiei curate (1,4% din PIB). Investitiile din Germania au fost sustinute de o crestere puternica a numarului de proiecte pentru montarea de panouri solare pe acoperisuri, mentioneaza organizatia.
Isra-Mart srl:Borbely: 200 de milioane de euro pentru 50 de investitori in regenerabile
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Aproape 50 de firme care investesc in productia de energie din surse regenerabile vor primi de la Fondul de Mediu subventii in valoare totala de 875 milioane lei (aproape 200 milioane euro), a declarat azi ministrul Mediului, Laszlo Borbely.
"Maine (miercuri - n.r.) voi face o nota la Guvern in acest sens", a spus Borbely, prezent la un seminar pe tema energiilor regenerabile.
Fiecare din cele 49 de firme care au proiecte aprobate ar putea primi echivalentul a maximum 7 milioane de euro.
El a adaugat ca Romania va trebui in viitor sa produca mai multa energie din surse regenerabile, chiar daca aceasta masura presupune costuri "foarte mari", intrucat in prezent o parte semnificativa este obtinuta din carbune.
Borbely a precizat ca este un sustinator al energiilor "sigure", iar proiectul reactoarelor nucleare de la Cernavoda nu este in situatia "sa nu se mai faca", dar cu o serie de conditionari legate de securitate mai mari.
"Probabil ca nu se va lua vreo decizie sa nu se mai construiasca nicio centrala nucleara, dar vor fi restrictii mai mari şi eu, ca ministru al Mediului, pot sa spun ca sprijin acele investitii care nu comporta niciun fel de pericol fata de mediu", a adaugat Borbely.
Isra-Mart srl news:
Aproape 50 de firme care investesc in productia de energie din surse regenerabile vor primi de la Fondul de Mediu subventii in valoare totala de 875 milioane lei (aproape 200 milioane euro), a declarat azi ministrul Mediului, Laszlo Borbely.
"Maine (miercuri - n.r.) voi face o nota la Guvern in acest sens", a spus Borbely, prezent la un seminar pe tema energiilor regenerabile.
Fiecare din cele 49 de firme care au proiecte aprobate ar putea primi echivalentul a maximum 7 milioane de euro.
El a adaugat ca Romania va trebui in viitor sa produca mai multa energie din surse regenerabile, chiar daca aceasta masura presupune costuri "foarte mari", intrucat in prezent o parte semnificativa este obtinuta din carbune.
Borbely a precizat ca este un sustinator al energiilor "sigure", iar proiectul reactoarelor nucleare de la Cernavoda nu este in situatia "sa nu se mai faca", dar cu o serie de conditionari legate de securitate mai mari.
"Probabil ca nu se va lua vreo decizie sa nu se mai construiasca nicio centrala nucleara, dar vor fi restrictii mai mari şi eu, ca ministru al Mediului, pot sa spun ca sprijin acele investitii care nu comporta niciun fel de pericol fata de mediu", a adaugat Borbely.
Isra-Mart srl:Car industry steers energy saving onto forecourts
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Isra-Mart srl news:
The UK's car dealerships could save up to £50m and 300,000 tonnes of carbon emissions each year through simple measures like resetting boiler controls or repairing door seals.
New research from industry body the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) will say today that even zero- or low-cost measures could save dealerships a quarter of their annual energy spend.
The Dealer Energy Efficiency Guide, published in conjunction with the Carbon Trust, combines assessments from 30 car dealers across major manufacturers to outline a seven-point plan to help reduce energy loss.
Key to the plan is involving employees in monitoring and targeting reduced consumption, and using measures such as replacing lighting with more energy-efficient alternatives and exchanging hot-air heaters with radiant heating.
Up to £8,000 a year could be saved by resetting heating controls on the boiler, the SMMT said, while reducing the fan speed on air-handling units would cut £5,000 a year off budgets.
"Reducing energy costs will help dealerships sustain their businesses and improve the motor industry's carbon footprint," said SMMT chief executive Paul Everitt. "Our study shows some great work is being done, and highlights that more than £4,000 of savings are possible without spending a penny."
Non-domestic properties account for about 17 per cent of the UK's emissions and are one of the main targets for the government's Green Deal energy efficiency policy.
Isra-Mart srl news:
The UK's car dealerships could save up to £50m and 300,000 tonnes of carbon emissions each year through simple measures like resetting boiler controls or repairing door seals.
New research from industry body the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) will say today that even zero- or low-cost measures could save dealerships a quarter of their annual energy spend.
The Dealer Energy Efficiency Guide, published in conjunction with the Carbon Trust, combines assessments from 30 car dealers across major manufacturers to outline a seven-point plan to help reduce energy loss.
Key to the plan is involving employees in monitoring and targeting reduced consumption, and using measures such as replacing lighting with more energy-efficient alternatives and exchanging hot-air heaters with radiant heating.
Up to £8,000 a year could be saved by resetting heating controls on the boiler, the SMMT said, while reducing the fan speed on air-handling units would cut £5,000 a year off budgets.
"Reducing energy costs will help dealerships sustain their businesses and improve the motor industry's carbon footprint," said SMMT chief executive Paul Everitt. "Our study shows some great work is being done, and highlights that more than £4,000 of savings are possible without spending a penny."
Non-domestic properties account for about 17 per cent of the UK's emissions and are one of the main targets for the government's Green Deal energy efficiency policy.
Isra-Mart srl:Green energy investments bounce back to top $240bn
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Isra-Mart srl news:
Clean energy investment levels recovered strongly from the doldrums of 2009 to grow 30 per cent last year, with China once again leading the world in terms of finance and installed capacity.
A record $243bn (£152bn) worth of finance and investment was ploughed into the sector over the course of 2010, according to a report published by US NGO the Pew Charitable Trusts. The Who's Winning the Clean Energy Race? report says government funds accounted for $75bn of this total, up from $20bn in 2009.
Around 90 per cent of the global total was directed to G20 countries, with China, Germany, the US and Italy leading the rankings.
Europe secured $94.4bn of clean energy finance, making it the leading recipient, with Germany at $41.2bn and Italy at $13.9bn, the biggest investment destinations, backed by strong showing in solar. Both countries are among the top four largest investors in clean energy, with Germany separating China at the top from the US in third.
The UK suffered a huge fall down the rankings, dropping from third in 2009 to outside the top ten last year. The UK's $3.3bn investment represented a 70 per cent fall on the $11bn racked up in 2009.
Pew blamed large volumes of offshore wind financing for inflating 2009's figures, but also pointed the finger at rising levels of investor uncertainty around clean energy policy making since the coalition government came to power.
However, despite Europe's success, the report says Asia is "closing the gap rapidly and is expected in the coming months and years to become the centre of gravity for clean energy investment."
Clean energy investment in Asia rose by a third to $82.8bn in 2010, primarily fuelled by China. Private investment in China's clean energy sector in 2010 soared to a record $54.4bn and the country has established itself as the world's leading producer of wind turbines and solar modules, the report says. In 2010, China surpassed the US as the country with the most installed clean energy capacity.
Pew also stated that the US is being overtaken by its competitors. Despite a 51 per cent rebound in investment, at $34bn the US is now behind Germany as well as China in terms of cash invested.
"Given the uncertainties surrounding key policies and incentives, the United States' competitive position in the clean energy sector is at risk," the report says.
After China, Germany, the US and Italy, the rest of the top ten comprises Brazil, Canada, Spain, France, India and Japan.
Argentina grew the most over the year, experiencing a 568 per cent increase in investment, while Turkey's 190 per cent increase in clean energy financing since 2005 was enough to lead the five-year rankings.
Worldwide, the clean energy capacity sits at 388GW, after adding 40GW of wind and 17GW of solar during 2010.
Isra-Mart srl news:
Clean energy investment levels recovered strongly from the doldrums of 2009 to grow 30 per cent last year, with China once again leading the world in terms of finance and installed capacity.
A record $243bn (£152bn) worth of finance and investment was ploughed into the sector over the course of 2010, according to a report published by US NGO the Pew Charitable Trusts. The Who's Winning the Clean Energy Race? report says government funds accounted for $75bn of this total, up from $20bn in 2009.
Around 90 per cent of the global total was directed to G20 countries, with China, Germany, the US and Italy leading the rankings.
Europe secured $94.4bn of clean energy finance, making it the leading recipient, with Germany at $41.2bn and Italy at $13.9bn, the biggest investment destinations, backed by strong showing in solar. Both countries are among the top four largest investors in clean energy, with Germany separating China at the top from the US in third.
The UK suffered a huge fall down the rankings, dropping from third in 2009 to outside the top ten last year. The UK's $3.3bn investment represented a 70 per cent fall on the $11bn racked up in 2009.
Pew blamed large volumes of offshore wind financing for inflating 2009's figures, but also pointed the finger at rising levels of investor uncertainty around clean energy policy making since the coalition government came to power.
However, despite Europe's success, the report says Asia is "closing the gap rapidly and is expected in the coming months and years to become the centre of gravity for clean energy investment."
Clean energy investment in Asia rose by a third to $82.8bn in 2010, primarily fuelled by China. Private investment in China's clean energy sector in 2010 soared to a record $54.4bn and the country has established itself as the world's leading producer of wind turbines and solar modules, the report says. In 2010, China surpassed the US as the country with the most installed clean energy capacity.
Pew also stated that the US is being overtaken by its competitors. Despite a 51 per cent rebound in investment, at $34bn the US is now behind Germany as well as China in terms of cash invested.
"Given the uncertainties surrounding key policies and incentives, the United States' competitive position in the clean energy sector is at risk," the report says.
After China, Germany, the US and Italy, the rest of the top ten comprises Brazil, Canada, Spain, France, India and Japan.
Argentina grew the most over the year, experiencing a 568 per cent increase in investment, while Turkey's 190 per cent increase in clean energy financing since 2005 was enough to lead the five-year rankings.
Worldwide, the clean energy capacity sits at 388GW, after adding 40GW of wind and 17GW of solar during 2010.
Isra-Mart srl:Dong Energy sells Danish offshore wind farm stake in £708m pension fund deal
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The head of one of the world's leading wind energy developers has said the company is undecided whether it will bid in France's first offshore wind farm tender, after securing a 6bn DKK (£708m) investment from pension funds to build Denmark's largest offshore wind farm.
Dong Energy yesterday announced it had signed an agreement to sell half the 400MW Anholt offshore wind farm to PensionDanmark and PKA for 6bn DKK, marking the utility's largest ever sale of an offshore wind farm to institutional investors.
Speaking to BusinessGreen, Dong chief executive Anders Eldrup said the deal marked a milestone for the company and could open up new investment avenues for the offshore wind sector.
"Moneywise, it's important because it's the biggest investment of its kind for Dong Energy, and for the industry I think," he said.
"It's important for the development of offshore wind too because we've got the Germans pulling forward fast, and the French upcoming tender round.
"There's a huge investment gap to do all these things and if we can bring in the institutional sector as part shareholders, we can speed up the building of new offshore wind parks."
However, Eldrup said the company is unsure whether it will bid in the upcoming French offshore wind tender round, which is intended to deliver 6GW of renewable energy capacity over the next decade.
"We're looking into the game in France but the tender hasn't been launched yet, so it will also depend on timing," he said.
Under the terms of the sale annouced yesterday, PensionDanmark will acquire a 30 per cent interest, while PKA will acquire 20 per cent, both taking ownership of their stakes from April 2014, once the project is completed.
Eldrup said the total capital investment on the project remains 10bn DKK, as originally stated when Dong won the rights to construct Anholt.
However, the pension funds will pay a premium to aquire half the project because Dong will shoulder the risk of a fine from the Danish government if it fails to finish building the wind farm by the planned completion date of 2013.
Isra-Mart srl news:
The head of one of the world's leading wind energy developers has said the company is undecided whether it will bid in France's first offshore wind farm tender, after securing a 6bn DKK (£708m) investment from pension funds to build Denmark's largest offshore wind farm.
Dong Energy yesterday announced it had signed an agreement to sell half the 400MW Anholt offshore wind farm to PensionDanmark and PKA for 6bn DKK, marking the utility's largest ever sale of an offshore wind farm to institutional investors.
Speaking to BusinessGreen, Dong chief executive Anders Eldrup said the deal marked a milestone for the company and could open up new investment avenues for the offshore wind sector.
"Moneywise, it's important because it's the biggest investment of its kind for Dong Energy, and for the industry I think," he said.
"It's important for the development of offshore wind too because we've got the Germans pulling forward fast, and the French upcoming tender round.
"There's a huge investment gap to do all these things and if we can bring in the institutional sector as part shareholders, we can speed up the building of new offshore wind parks."
However, Eldrup said the company is unsure whether it will bid in the upcoming French offshore wind tender round, which is intended to deliver 6GW of renewable energy capacity over the next decade.
"We're looking into the game in France but the tender hasn't been launched yet, so it will also depend on timing," he said.
Under the terms of the sale annouced yesterday, PensionDanmark will acquire a 30 per cent interest, while PKA will acquire 20 per cent, both taking ownership of their stakes from April 2014, once the project is completed.
Eldrup said the total capital investment on the project remains 10bn DKK, as originally stated when Dong won the rights to construct Anholt.
However, the pension funds will pay a premium to aquire half the project because Dong will shoulder the risk of a fine from the Danish government if it fails to finish building the wind farm by the planned completion date of 2013.
Isra-Mart srl:California ploughs $1m into poo power
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The California Energy Commission has given $1m in funds for research to convert solid human waste to energy.
The Commission's Public Interest Energy Research programme gave the money to the Delta Diablo Sanitation District to help fund a system that will cost $4.7m in total.
The rest of the money will come from the Intellergy Corporation, which already sells equipment that uses high pressure steam to break down organic feedstock into gases and other products.
This technique has yet to be applied to bio solids, and the project is expected to use the Intellergy steam reforming process to vaporise waste liquids. Bio solids will then be turned to gas and added to a mixture of steam and carbon dioxide to produce syngas.
Syngas, which is a common product of waste-to-energy gasification systems, can also be used for the production of synthetic petroleum. In this case, however, it will be used to run fuel cells for electricity generation.
It is hoped that the project will help to alleviate some of California's waste disposal problems. The bio solids produced when organic matter is removed from wastewater are difficult to dispose of. Generally, they are dropped into landfill sites and have to be transported there, which creates a transportation burden.
According to a paper published by the Energy Commission in 2009, there are 268 waste water treatment plants in California with a discharge capacity of one million gallons per day or more.
The EPA estimates that sewage contains 10 times the energy needed to treat it and can therefore provide a rich source of renewable energy.
There is also a strong financial argument for investing in waste-to-energy technology at waste water plants as solids handling accounts for almost a third of a waste water treatment facility's costs.
Isra-Mart srl news:
The California Energy Commission has given $1m in funds for research to convert solid human waste to energy.
The Commission's Public Interest Energy Research programme gave the money to the Delta Diablo Sanitation District to help fund a system that will cost $4.7m in total.
The rest of the money will come from the Intellergy Corporation, which already sells equipment that uses high pressure steam to break down organic feedstock into gases and other products.
This technique has yet to be applied to bio solids, and the project is expected to use the Intellergy steam reforming process to vaporise waste liquids. Bio solids will then be turned to gas and added to a mixture of steam and carbon dioxide to produce syngas.
Syngas, which is a common product of waste-to-energy gasification systems, can also be used for the production of synthetic petroleum. In this case, however, it will be used to run fuel cells for electricity generation.
It is hoped that the project will help to alleviate some of California's waste disposal problems. The bio solids produced when organic matter is removed from wastewater are difficult to dispose of. Generally, they are dropped into landfill sites and have to be transported there, which creates a transportation burden.
According to a paper published by the Energy Commission in 2009, there are 268 waste water treatment plants in California with a discharge capacity of one million gallons per day or more.
The EPA estimates that sewage contains 10 times the energy needed to treat it and can therefore provide a rich source of renewable energy.
There is also a strong financial argument for investing in waste-to-energy technology at waste water plants as solids handling accounts for almost a third of a waste water treatment facility's costs.
Isra-Mart srl:Updated: DECC takes first UK green business trade mission to US
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The Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) is leading its first green business trade mission to the US this week as part of wider government efforts to better promote leading British industries overseas.
Six firms have joined Climate Minister Greg Barker on the five-day trade mission, which will entail meetings with politicians, business groups, investors and regional development bodies in Washington DC, Philadelphia, and North and South Carolina.
DECC said the aim of the initiative was to identify potential export opportunities as well as attract inward investment to the UK and promote its position as one of the world's leading low carbon economies.
"I am proud to be a cheerleader for Britain's green businesses and am in America this week flying the flag for those firms that are breaking into the US market," said Barker in a statement.
"The companies joining me on this US trade mission are living proof of the economic benefits of the new green economy and can therefore help me make the case that going green is good for the economy, as well as energy security."
The businesses taking part on the trade mission have been drawn from a variety of sectors, including renewable energy developer RES Group, investment firm Jupiter Asset Management, fuel cell specialist Intelligent Energy, risk management consultancy Willis Group Holdings plc, domestic energy efficiency outfit The Mark Group, and brewer Adnams Southwold.
In addition to promoting the firms involved, Barker said he would be talking to US political and business leaders about the green investment opportunities in the UK that will result from low carbon government policies, such as the Green Deal, electricity market reforms and the Green Investment Bank.
"My message will be that Britain is open for green business investment," he said.
The group is scheduled to meet with the Deputy Mayor of Philadelphia and delegates from the Philadelphia business community later today before then staging events in Charlotte and at the University of South Carolina.
However, the mission comes at a tricky time for the government's green agenda after a major new report from Pew Charitable Trusts found that UK clean energy investment fell 70 per cent to $3.3bn in 2010, meaning that the country dropped from third to 13th in the global rankings.
The fall in investment was largely the result of high levels of spending on offshore wind farms in 2009 that dropped off last year ahead of the next generation of projects.
However, the Pew report also drew attention to growing levels of clean energy investor uncertainty as a result of shifting government policies.
Isra-Mart srl news:
The Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) is leading its first green business trade mission to the US this week as part of wider government efforts to better promote leading British industries overseas.
Six firms have joined Climate Minister Greg Barker on the five-day trade mission, which will entail meetings with politicians, business groups, investors and regional development bodies in Washington DC, Philadelphia, and North and South Carolina.
DECC said the aim of the initiative was to identify potential export opportunities as well as attract inward investment to the UK and promote its position as one of the world's leading low carbon economies.
"I am proud to be a cheerleader for Britain's green businesses and am in America this week flying the flag for those firms that are breaking into the US market," said Barker in a statement.
"The companies joining me on this US trade mission are living proof of the economic benefits of the new green economy and can therefore help me make the case that going green is good for the economy, as well as energy security."
The businesses taking part on the trade mission have been drawn from a variety of sectors, including renewable energy developer RES Group, investment firm Jupiter Asset Management, fuel cell specialist Intelligent Energy, risk management consultancy Willis Group Holdings plc, domestic energy efficiency outfit The Mark Group, and brewer Adnams Southwold.
In addition to promoting the firms involved, Barker said he would be talking to US political and business leaders about the green investment opportunities in the UK that will result from low carbon government policies, such as the Green Deal, electricity market reforms and the Green Investment Bank.
"My message will be that Britain is open for green business investment," he said.
The group is scheduled to meet with the Deputy Mayor of Philadelphia and delegates from the Philadelphia business community later today before then staging events in Charlotte and at the University of South Carolina.
However, the mission comes at a tricky time for the government's green agenda after a major new report from Pew Charitable Trusts found that UK clean energy investment fell 70 per cent to $3.3bn in 2010, meaning that the country dropped from third to 13th in the global rankings.
The fall in investment was largely the result of high levels of spending on offshore wind farms in 2009 that dropped off last year ahead of the next generation of projects.
However, the Pew report also drew attention to growing levels of clean energy investor uncertainty as a result of shifting government policies.
Isra-Mart srl:Business leaders urge Cameron to support ambitious fourth carbon budget
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Fears are mounting that the government could defy recommendations put forward by the independent Committee on Climate Change (CCC) and water down proposed emission reduction targets for post-2020.
According to reports in The Guardian, the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) is pushing for the government to adopt the recommended fourth carbon budget, which runs from 2022 to 2027.
But it is said to be facing stiff opposition from the Treasury and the Department for Business, which argue that the fragile economic situation means the UK should adopt more modest targets.
Late last year, the CCC recommended that the government should adopt a fourth carbon budget which ensures that greenhouse gas emissions are cut 50 per cent below 1990 levels by 2025, putting it on track to reduce emissions 60 per cent by 2030.
Significantly, the CCC report also recommends that the impact of the recession on emissions means the government should change its targets for the second and third budget period to the top end of the original targets, ensuring that emissions are cut 37 per cent against 1990 levels by 2020.
Under the Climate Change Act, the government is required to reach a decision on the fourth carbon budget and pass it into law by the end of June, prompting fears from green groups that the only reason the coalition has not yet confirmed its position is because of high-level disagreements over whether or not to accept the CCC's recommendations.
"Our understanding is that there is a big row going on," said one green campaigner, citing reports that the Treasury, Department for Business, and Department for Transport had all voiced opposition to the CCC's recommendations on economic grounds.
"They need to reach a decision pretty quickly after Easter, but all the indications are that a fight is going on," he added.
Energy and Climate Change Secretary Chris Huhne is said to have engaged in a series of meetings with other departmental heads over the issue, and a cabinet sub-committee meeting on the proposed budget is expected within the next few weeks.
However, there is still no indication that a decision has been reached, nor that the government will endorse the Committee's recommendations.
Fears that the government could set a new precedent by defying the CCC's recommendations has led to an intervention by 10 of the UK's largest firms, which have reportedly written to Prime Minister David Cameron urging him to sign up to ambitious emission targets post-2020.
The group, which was organised by the Prince of Wales's corporate leaders group on climate change, and includes EDF, Shell, Tesco and Unilever, is warning that the government risks undermining confidence in the UK's long-term target of cutting emissions 80 per cent by 2050.
"This target is only credible if there are the right policies and milestones in place to ensure we take adequate action to achieve it between now and 2050," they wrote.
"We therefore support the CCC's call for steady progress towards that goal along a clear trajectory, and would welcome the adoption of a strong fourth carbon budget consistent with a 2030 milestone of at least 60 per cent reductions, and with the proposals in the EU's 2050 low-carbon roadmap."
Green groups are also preparing to mount a fierce challenge to any attempt to deviate from the CCC's recommendations, pointing to pre-election statements from senior Conservatives and Lib Dems suggesting that carbon budgets should be determined by the recommendations put forward by independent scientists and economists.
A DECC spokesman said that there was no delay to the government's decision, pointing to a statement from Climate Change Minister Greg Barker to Parliament last week during which he said he anticipated "that a statutory instrument will be laid before the House after the Easter recess".
Isra-Mart srl news:
Fears are mounting that the government could defy recommendations put forward by the independent Committee on Climate Change (CCC) and water down proposed emission reduction targets for post-2020.
According to reports in The Guardian, the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) is pushing for the government to adopt the recommended fourth carbon budget, which runs from 2022 to 2027.
But it is said to be facing stiff opposition from the Treasury and the Department for Business, which argue that the fragile economic situation means the UK should adopt more modest targets.
Late last year, the CCC recommended that the government should adopt a fourth carbon budget which ensures that greenhouse gas emissions are cut 50 per cent below 1990 levels by 2025, putting it on track to reduce emissions 60 per cent by 2030.
Significantly, the CCC report also recommends that the impact of the recession on emissions means the government should change its targets for the second and third budget period to the top end of the original targets, ensuring that emissions are cut 37 per cent against 1990 levels by 2020.
Under the Climate Change Act, the government is required to reach a decision on the fourth carbon budget and pass it into law by the end of June, prompting fears from green groups that the only reason the coalition has not yet confirmed its position is because of high-level disagreements over whether or not to accept the CCC's recommendations.
"Our understanding is that there is a big row going on," said one green campaigner, citing reports that the Treasury, Department for Business, and Department for Transport had all voiced opposition to the CCC's recommendations on economic grounds.
"They need to reach a decision pretty quickly after Easter, but all the indications are that a fight is going on," he added.
Energy and Climate Change Secretary Chris Huhne is said to have engaged in a series of meetings with other departmental heads over the issue, and a cabinet sub-committee meeting on the proposed budget is expected within the next few weeks.
However, there is still no indication that a decision has been reached, nor that the government will endorse the Committee's recommendations.
Fears that the government could set a new precedent by defying the CCC's recommendations has led to an intervention by 10 of the UK's largest firms, which have reportedly written to Prime Minister David Cameron urging him to sign up to ambitious emission targets post-2020.
The group, which was organised by the Prince of Wales's corporate leaders group on climate change, and includes EDF, Shell, Tesco and Unilever, is warning that the government risks undermining confidence in the UK's long-term target of cutting emissions 80 per cent by 2050.
"This target is only credible if there are the right policies and milestones in place to ensure we take adequate action to achieve it between now and 2050," they wrote.
"We therefore support the CCC's call for steady progress towards that goal along a clear trajectory, and would welcome the adoption of a strong fourth carbon budget consistent with a 2030 milestone of at least 60 per cent reductions, and with the proposals in the EU's 2050 low-carbon roadmap."
Green groups are also preparing to mount a fierce challenge to any attempt to deviate from the CCC's recommendations, pointing to pre-election statements from senior Conservatives and Lib Dems suggesting that carbon budgets should be determined by the recommendations put forward by independent scientists and economists.
A DECC spokesman said that there was no delay to the government's decision, pointing to a statement from Climate Change Minister Greg Barker to Parliament last week during which he said he anticipated "that a statutory instrument will be laid before the House after the Easter recess".
Monday, March 28, 2011
Isra-Mart srl:Apa puternic radioactiva de la Fukushima, la cativa metri de Oceanul Pacific
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Isra-Mart srl news:
Apa puternic radioactiva a fost descoperita in exteriorul cladirii care adaposteste reactorul 2 de la centrala Fukushima si s-ar putea deja sa se fi scurs pana in ocean, deorece caminele puturilor din transeele subterane ce duc spre exteriorul cladirii reactorului se afla la 60 de metri de Pacific, a anuntat un purtator de cuvant al operatorului Tokyo Electric Power (TEPCO), scrie AFP.
"Am descoperit apa acumulata in caminele puturilor dintr-o transee subterana care duce spre exteriorul cladirii, cu un nivel al radioactivitatii de peste 1.000 de milisievert pe ora. Aceste puturi sunt situate la aproximativ 60 de metri de Oceanul Pacific, iar apa contaminata ar putea sa fi ajuns pana pe tarm", a declarta un oficial al TEPCO.
Muncitorii au descoperit vineri o cantitate de apa cu un nivel al radioactivitatii identic in subsolul salii de masini a reactorului 2, dar aceasta este prima data cand inginerii TEPCO anunta prezenta apei poluate in exterior.
Purtatorul de cuvant al operatorului a adaugat ca apa contaminata a fost, de asemenea, gasita si in spatele cladirilor reactoarelor 1 si 3.
Isra-Mart srl news:
Apa puternic radioactiva a fost descoperita in exteriorul cladirii care adaposteste reactorul 2 de la centrala Fukushima si s-ar putea deja sa se fi scurs pana in ocean, deorece caminele puturilor din transeele subterane ce duc spre exteriorul cladirii reactorului se afla la 60 de metri de Pacific, a anuntat un purtator de cuvant al operatorului Tokyo Electric Power (TEPCO), scrie AFP.
"Am descoperit apa acumulata in caminele puturilor dintr-o transee subterana care duce spre exteriorul cladirii, cu un nivel al radioactivitatii de peste 1.000 de milisievert pe ora. Aceste puturi sunt situate la aproximativ 60 de metri de Oceanul Pacific, iar apa contaminata ar putea sa fi ajuns pana pe tarm", a declarta un oficial al TEPCO.
Muncitorii au descoperit vineri o cantitate de apa cu un nivel al radioactivitatii identic in subsolul salii de masini a reactorului 2, dar aceasta este prima data cand inginerii TEPCO anunta prezenta apei poluate in exterior.
Purtatorul de cuvant al operatorului a adaugat ca apa contaminata a fost, de asemenea, gasita si in spatele cladirilor reactoarelor 1 si 3.
Isra-Mart srl:O gaura in stratul de ozon va fi deasupra Romaniei peste doua zile
www.isra-mart.com
Isra-Mart srl news:
O portiune extinsa dintr-un strat de ozon care se subtiaza rapid, formata deasupra Polului Nord, se va deplasa si va ajunge deasupra Scandinaviei si Europei de Est in intervalul 30-31 martie.
Stratul de ozon, care se subtiaza cu o viteza foarte mare si care se afla deasupra oceanului Arctic, a fost detectat pentru prima data de o retea internationala ce cuprinde 30 de statii de sol care masoara ozonul, montate in regiunile arctice si sub-arctice, coordonare de cercetatorul Alfred Wegener de la Institutul de Cercetari Polare si Marine, relateaza EurActiv.com.
Ultimele prognoze, bazate pe informatiile furnizate de Centrul european pentru prognoze meteo pe termen mediu, arata ca stratul subtire de ozon atat Scandinavia, cat si Europa de Est, in zilele de 30 si 31 martie.
“Pierderea de ozon se produce inca cu o viteza foarte mare si, in momentul de fata, nu vedem cum s-ar putea opri acest fenomen in urmatoarele 10-14 zile”, a precizat Markus Rex, cercetator la Institutul Alfred Wegener.
Folositi creme anti-solare si nu stati prea mult afara
Inca se mai receptioneaza informatii privind pierderile de ozon din atmosfera, iar o echipa de cercetatori din intreaga lume intentioneaza sa transmita un comunicat prin care sa informeze populatia cu privire la acest fenomen, in cadrul unei conferinte ce va fi sustinuta la Viena, pe 4 aprilie.
Este “absolut posibil” ca partile in care stratul de ozon s-a subtiat sa se transforme intr-o gaura de ozon, a adaugat Markus Rex.
“Populatia ar trebui sa fie atenta la acest fenomen, insa nu este cazul sa se ingrijoreze”, a declarat Gier Braathen, cercetator in cadrul Organizatiei Meteorologice Mondiale.
“Va puteti proteja informandu-va in permanenta despre evolutia fenomenului. Intre timp, purtati palarii cu boruri largi, folositi creme de protectie solara si evitati sa petreceti mult timp in aer liber”, a completat Gier Braathen.
Echipa de cercetare spune ca zona cu nivel scazut de ozon o sa se afle deasupra estului Rusiei la sfarsitul lunii martie si va continua sa se deplaseze.
Si Romania se afla in zona afectata de subtierea stratului de ozon de la Polul Nord, asa ca nu va expuneti prea mult la soare in aceasta primavara, arata theozonehole.com.
In ultimele doua saptamani, nivelul de ozon a scazut cu 50% in zonele cele mai bogate cu ozon ale stratosferei si cu 30% in total.
Vremea va duce la scaderea si mai mare a nivelului, in urmatoarele saptamani.
Distrugerea stratului de ozon este cauzata de clorofluorcarbon, cunoscut drept CFC si folosit la frigidere si aparatele de aer conditionat mai vechi, si de alte substante care au fost insa scoase din uz in urma protocolului din 1987 de la Montreal, dar care vor persista in stratosfera zeci de ani de-acum incolo.
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O portiune extinsa dintr-un strat de ozon care se subtiaza rapid, formata deasupra Polului Nord, se va deplasa si va ajunge deasupra Scandinaviei si Europei de Est in intervalul 30-31 martie.
Stratul de ozon, care se subtiaza cu o viteza foarte mare si care se afla deasupra oceanului Arctic, a fost detectat pentru prima data de o retea internationala ce cuprinde 30 de statii de sol care masoara ozonul, montate in regiunile arctice si sub-arctice, coordonare de cercetatorul Alfred Wegener de la Institutul de Cercetari Polare si Marine, relateaza EurActiv.com.
Ultimele prognoze, bazate pe informatiile furnizate de Centrul european pentru prognoze meteo pe termen mediu, arata ca stratul subtire de ozon atat Scandinavia, cat si Europa de Est, in zilele de 30 si 31 martie.
“Pierderea de ozon se produce inca cu o viteza foarte mare si, in momentul de fata, nu vedem cum s-ar putea opri acest fenomen in urmatoarele 10-14 zile”, a precizat Markus Rex, cercetator la Institutul Alfred Wegener.
Folositi creme anti-solare si nu stati prea mult afara
Inca se mai receptioneaza informatii privind pierderile de ozon din atmosfera, iar o echipa de cercetatori din intreaga lume intentioneaza sa transmita un comunicat prin care sa informeze populatia cu privire la acest fenomen, in cadrul unei conferinte ce va fi sustinuta la Viena, pe 4 aprilie.
Este “absolut posibil” ca partile in care stratul de ozon s-a subtiat sa se transforme intr-o gaura de ozon, a adaugat Markus Rex.
“Populatia ar trebui sa fie atenta la acest fenomen, insa nu este cazul sa se ingrijoreze”, a declarat Gier Braathen, cercetator in cadrul Organizatiei Meteorologice Mondiale.
“Va puteti proteja informandu-va in permanenta despre evolutia fenomenului. Intre timp, purtati palarii cu boruri largi, folositi creme de protectie solara si evitati sa petreceti mult timp in aer liber”, a completat Gier Braathen.
Echipa de cercetare spune ca zona cu nivel scazut de ozon o sa se afle deasupra estului Rusiei la sfarsitul lunii martie si va continua sa se deplaseze.
Si Romania se afla in zona afectata de subtierea stratului de ozon de la Polul Nord, asa ca nu va expuneti prea mult la soare in aceasta primavara, arata theozonehole.com.
In ultimele doua saptamani, nivelul de ozon a scazut cu 50% in zonele cele mai bogate cu ozon ale stratosferei si cu 30% in total.
Vremea va duce la scaderea si mai mare a nivelului, in urmatoarele saptamani.
Distrugerea stratului de ozon este cauzata de clorofluorcarbon, cunoscut drept CFC si folosit la frigidere si aparatele de aer conditionat mai vechi, si de alte substante care au fost insa scoase din uz in urma protocolului din 1987 de la Montreal, dar care vor persista in stratosfera zeci de ani de-acum incolo.
Isra-Mart srl:Australienii aduc 16 milioane de dolari la Buzau pentru gaze naturale
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Firma australiana Cooper Energy Limited va investi cel putin 16 milioane de dolari pentru dezvoltarea unui zacamant de gaze naturale din judetul Buzau pe care il exploateaza impreuna cu compania britanica Zeta Petroleum, informeaza Mediafax.
"Partenerul strategic al Zeta in proiectul Bobocu este Cooper Energy Limited, companie publica australiana care va investi minumum 16 milioane de dolari pentru prima faza de dezvoltare a zacamantului", se arata intr-un comunicat al companiei britanice.
Perimetrul Bobocu se afla la 110 kilometri de Bucuresti, in judetul Buzau. Zeta Petroleum detine concesiunea asupra zacamantului Bobocu din 2007. O prima evaluare realizata in 2008 a aratat existenta unor rezerve probabile de gaze de circa 1,7 miliarde metri cubi, din care au fost extrase pana anul trecut 935 mililoane metri cubi.
"Rezervele probabile de gaze ramase in lobii ce au produs anterior pot fi estimate la circa 765 milioane metri cubi", a declarat in comunicat directorul Zeta Petroleum Romania, Bogdan Popescu.
Zeta Petroleum mai detine si concesiunea zacamantului Jimbolia, la 40 kilometri de Timisoara, unde estimeaza rezerve cuprinse intre 1,5 si 6 milioane barili echivalent petrol.
Zacamantul de la Jimbolia este explorat de Zeta Petroleum in parteneriat cu producatorul de echipamente petru industria de petrol si gaze Armax Gaz.
Isra-Mart srl news:
Firma australiana Cooper Energy Limited va investi cel putin 16 milioane de dolari pentru dezvoltarea unui zacamant de gaze naturale din judetul Buzau pe care il exploateaza impreuna cu compania britanica Zeta Petroleum, informeaza Mediafax.
"Partenerul strategic al Zeta in proiectul Bobocu este Cooper Energy Limited, companie publica australiana care va investi minumum 16 milioane de dolari pentru prima faza de dezvoltare a zacamantului", se arata intr-un comunicat al companiei britanice.
Perimetrul Bobocu se afla la 110 kilometri de Bucuresti, in judetul Buzau. Zeta Petroleum detine concesiunea asupra zacamantului Bobocu din 2007. O prima evaluare realizata in 2008 a aratat existenta unor rezerve probabile de gaze de circa 1,7 miliarde metri cubi, din care au fost extrase pana anul trecut 935 mililoane metri cubi.
"Rezervele probabile de gaze ramase in lobii ce au produs anterior pot fi estimate la circa 765 milioane metri cubi", a declarat in comunicat directorul Zeta Petroleum Romania, Bogdan Popescu.
Zeta Petroleum mai detine si concesiunea zacamantului Jimbolia, la 40 kilometri de Timisoara, unde estimeaza rezerve cuprinse intre 1,5 si 6 milioane barili echivalent petrol.
Zacamantul de la Jimbolia este explorat de Zeta Petroleum in parteneriat cu producatorul de echipamente petru industria de petrol si gaze Armax Gaz.
Isra-Mart srl:WikiLeaks: Centrala de la Cernavoda nu e asa sigura pe cat lasa Guvernul impresia
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O telegrama a ambasadei americane de la Bucuresti, publicata de site-ul WikiLeaks, arata ca centrala nucleara de la Cernavoda e nesigura si prezinta riscuri, in primul rand din cauze financiare.
Documentul trimis in 28 ianuarie 2009 arata ca un diplomat american a discutat cu Lucian Biro, director general, si Sorin Repanovici, seful Serviciului Interventie Fizica la instalatii nucleare de la Comisia Nationala pentru Controlul Activitatilor Nucleare - CNCAN, ajungand la concluzia ca echipamentele sunt vechi si echipele de interventie sunt insuficient pregatite, scrie „Jurnalul National”, citat de ziare.com.
Oficialul american a discutat cu Repanovici in mod special abilitatea CNCAN de a raspunde in cazul unor evenimente radioactive fie accidentale sau intentionate.
Isra-Mart srl news:
O telegrama a ambasadei americane de la Bucuresti, publicata de site-ul WikiLeaks, arata ca centrala nucleara de la Cernavoda e nesigura si prezinta riscuri, in primul rand din cauze financiare.
Documentul trimis in 28 ianuarie 2009 arata ca un diplomat american a discutat cu Lucian Biro, director general, si Sorin Repanovici, seful Serviciului Interventie Fizica la instalatii nucleare de la Comisia Nationala pentru Controlul Activitatilor Nucleare - CNCAN, ajungand la concluzia ca echipamentele sunt vechi si echipele de interventie sunt insuficient pregatite, scrie „Jurnalul National”, citat de ziare.com.
Oficialul american a discutat cu Repanovici in mod special abilitatea CNCAN de a raspunde in cazul unor evenimente radioactive fie accidentale sau intentionate.
Isra-Mart srl:MCT and RWE edge first Welsh tidal array towards the water
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Plans to develop Wales's first tidal energy array took a major step forward yesterday after developers filed for planning consent to install the £70m project off the coast of Anglesey.
SeaGen Wales, a partnership between Bristol-based Marine Current Turbines (MCT) and RWE npower renewables, yesterday announced it had applied for consent to the Welsh Assembly Government to install seven of MCT's SeaGen twin rotor turbines in 2015.
If approved, the machines would generate enough power to supply electricity to up to 10,000 homes.
The array is earmarked for a 0.56km² area between the Skerries islands and Carmel Head, about 1km off the Anglesey coast.
MCT also announced yesterday that it expects to receive clean-tech funding from the government after SeaGen passed the operating performance criteria set by the government to qualify for the soon-to-be-scrapped Marine Renewables Deployment Fund (MRDF).
"By passing this milestone [MCT] expects that funding support for the company's first demonstrator tidal array will be forthcoming from the government's Low Carbon Innovation Fund or an equivalent government clean-tech funding stream, now that the £42m MRDF is to be abolished," it said in a statement.
MCT says SeaGen is similar to an underwater windmill, with the rotors driven by the power of the tidal currents rather than the wind.
An initial device was deployed in Strangford Narrows, Northern Ireland in 2008, and it is officially accredited by energy regulator Ofgem to receive Renewable Obligation Certificates for the energy it generates.
Martin Wright, chief executive and founder of MCT, said the new project would help the Welsh Assembly Government achieve its goal of harnessing 10 per cent of its marine energy resource by 2025.
The Marine Renewable Energy Strategic Framework report published last week found environmental and technological constraints could significantly limit Wales's ability to meet its marine energy targets. However, MCT said it has already undertaken a series of environmental and technical studies and consulted a range of local residents as well as local and national organisations, to consider the impact of the project over its 25 years operational lifespan.
Isra-Mart srl news:
Plans to develop Wales's first tidal energy array took a major step forward yesterday after developers filed for planning consent to install the £70m project off the coast of Anglesey.
SeaGen Wales, a partnership between Bristol-based Marine Current Turbines (MCT) and RWE npower renewables, yesterday announced it had applied for consent to the Welsh Assembly Government to install seven of MCT's SeaGen twin rotor turbines in 2015.
If approved, the machines would generate enough power to supply electricity to up to 10,000 homes.
The array is earmarked for a 0.56km² area between the Skerries islands and Carmel Head, about 1km off the Anglesey coast.
MCT also announced yesterday that it expects to receive clean-tech funding from the government after SeaGen passed the operating performance criteria set by the government to qualify for the soon-to-be-scrapped Marine Renewables Deployment Fund (MRDF).
"By passing this milestone [MCT] expects that funding support for the company's first demonstrator tidal array will be forthcoming from the government's Low Carbon Innovation Fund or an equivalent government clean-tech funding stream, now that the £42m MRDF is to be abolished," it said in a statement.
MCT says SeaGen is similar to an underwater windmill, with the rotors driven by the power of the tidal currents rather than the wind.
An initial device was deployed in Strangford Narrows, Northern Ireland in 2008, and it is officially accredited by energy regulator Ofgem to receive Renewable Obligation Certificates for the energy it generates.
Martin Wright, chief executive and founder of MCT, said the new project would help the Welsh Assembly Government achieve its goal of harnessing 10 per cent of its marine energy resource by 2025.
The Marine Renewable Energy Strategic Framework report published last week found environmental and technological constraints could significantly limit Wales's ability to meet its marine energy targets. However, MCT said it has already undertaken a series of environmental and technical studies and consulted a range of local residents as well as local and national organisations, to consider the impact of the project over its 25 years operational lifespan.
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