16 Jan 2012
Renewable energies reach 65% of generation in Central America … But beware excessive consumption of natural resources in region … And Brazil’s development bank quadruples financing for wind in 2011.
ECLAC: Study says Renewable Energies Reach Record 65% of Electricity in Central America
65% of electricity produced in six countries in Central America in 2010 came from renewable energies (hydropower, geothermal, sugar cane, wind), which is a record for the subregion, according to a recent study from ECLAC.
In 2010 Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama produced a total of 40,668.2GWh, while the...
30 Apr 2012
Brazilian utility, Eletrobras, may help Mozambique realize plans for a 1,500MW hydroelectric dam project.
What happened
Brazilian utility, Eletrobras, plans to construct a 1,500MW hydroelectric dam and two transmission lines in northern Mozambique to the value of US$6bn, reports Bloomberg. Mozambique’s state-owned utility, Electricidade de Moçambique, will partner Eletrobras to build the two 1,500 km (932 m)“high-voltage” power lines. The Wall Street Journal reports that one of the transmission lines will export energy to South Africa. Jose da Costa,...
18 Apr 2012
India cuts wind incentives … as Bangladesh launches clean energy watchdog … Maldivian renewable project unlikely to get off the ground … Sri Lanka hydro calls for support.
Bloomberg Business Week: India slashes wind incentive
Natalie Obiko Pearson said India scaled back on wind energy incentives. This move will likely halt new wind energy investment. According to India’s Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, the tax incentive drove 70% of the nation’s installations in the last fiscal year.
According to Pearson, “a tax break that allowed projects to claim an accelerated depreciation at 80% of the cost of equipment expired on March 31, when...
15 May 2012
Costa Rica’s Reventazón Hydroelectric Dam receives a US$670m loan from the Inter-American Development Bank, bringing the country closer to its 100% renewables by 2021.
What happened
Costa Rica’s biggest, and most intricate...
18 Nov 2011
Fossil fuels generate around 40% of Chile’s electricity. As the country has poor local fossil fuel reserves, Chile imports over 80% of its fossil fuels. The country intends to invest more than US$28.5bn in power projects by 2014. Most of the projects will involve power generation but it plans to construct substations and transmission lines, in...
Chile’s Greenhouse emissions increased by 166% between 1984 and 2008. The Chilean National Energy Commission expects emissions to double again, between 2008 and 2025.
Poor infrastructure was the major cause of the September 2011 power outage, which affected 10 million Chileans and several mines. Critics blame Chilean President, Sebastian Pinera, for under-investing in the country’s infrastructure.
Fossil Fuel Use
Coal
Chile is looking to double its current installed electricity...
02 Nov 2011
The UK closed many coal fired power stations to meet the clean air requirements of the European Large Combustion Plant Directive. This caused a growing 'energy gap' in generating capacity. The government estimated that the country would have a 20% generation shortfall by 2015. The 2006 Energy Review proposed the country construct new-generation...
The UK published its Low Carbon Transition Plan in July 2009. It plans to cut carbon emissions by 34% by 2020. The plan includes:
· Employing over 1.2 million people in green jobs
· Upgrading 7 million households to be more efficient and over 1.5 million will generate renewable energy
· Low carbon sources such as renewables, nuclear...
02 Nov 2011
Australia depends heavily on its extensive fossil fuels such as coal, oil and natural gas. The country’s electricity production was 251TWh in October 2010. Of this, renewable sources accounted for only 8.67%. It is one of the highest greenhouse gas emitters in the developed world. Electricity generation causes most of the country’s carbon...
Australia’s electricity generation breakdown in 2007 to 2008:
40% coal
35% oil
19% natural gas
6% renewable energy
The country plans to replace its fossil fuel electricity with 100% renewable energy by 2020. The goals are set out in the Zero Carbon Australia Stationery Energy Plan.
Variable pricing, smart meters and smart grids have not yet been used efficiently to offset peak electricity use. This would alleviate the increase in peak demand, according to the Garnaut...
30 Apr 2012
Iceland’s Landsvirkjun to lower EU data centers’ carbon footprint and power bill.
What happened
Iceland’s energy utility, Landsvirkjun, is offering European data centers the most competitive power rates to benefit from the IT industry’s escalating energy demands, reports Renewable Energy Magazine. The utility’s recent public quotes offer 12 year contracts with fixed real rates of US$43/MWh, whereas European average real market rates for short term contracts start from US$65/MWh (2011.)The state-owned utility’s goal is to secure 1% of Europe...
14 Feb 2012
Ethiopia is set to become a major “clean energy” producer and exporter as plans, such as the Ethiopia-Sudan electricity transmission line, come to fruition.
What happened
The Ethiopia-Sudan electricity transmission line will be completed by early 2012, according to the Ethiopia Electric and Power Corporation (EEPCo). The Sudan Tribune reports that the two countries’ grids will be connected, enabling power trade. The World Bank will finance the 296km, 230KV transmission line. The line will run between the Ethiopian towns of Bahir-Dar and Metema and the Sudanese border town of Gedaref. To showcase its export ability, Ethiopia plans to...
14 Mar 2012
This is the power which will be generated by an ancient technology, “Archimede’s screw," invented 2,000 years ago.
The Queen has installed two 40-ton screws along the River Thames to power Windsor Castle. On connection, the castle will receive sufficient power 90% of the time, reports Smart Planet.
The eco-friendly “screw” is set in to a spinning motion by rushing water. This then drives a turbine, generating electricity. Each 12m by 4m “screw” costs US$1.1m. Installation costs US$1.55m. The contraption does not trap fish due to tubes that run alongside the turbine.The use of these...
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