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...
21 Mar 2012
The clouds may be parting for photovoltaic (PV) solar manufacturers as a “disruptive” technology could offer profitable solutions to this battle weary sector.
What happened
A solar start-up, Twin Creeks, has launched the “Hyperion 3,” a machine that will cut the amount of silicon needed to produce photovoltaic cells by 90%, and promises to halve the production costs.
Bloomberg Businessweek quotes CEO, Siva Sivaram who said; “The company’s equipment produces silicon wafers that are one-tenth the thickness of conventional ones, which lowers costs, because more products are made with less material.” Sivaram continues...
09 Feb 2012
China follows winning recipe for solar.... Japanese summer sorrows... India’s rich rethink electricity plant additions...Japan solar player win with Solyndra technology.
PowerEngineering.com: Analysis - China to Implement Control on Solar PV Industry
PowerEngineering.com said China seeks to replicate its success with wind power by centralized planning of the solar PV industry. The launch of the first batch of solar projects will see 3GW of installed solar power capacity in 2012. Solar PV targets include 15GW-installed capacity by 2015. Total power generated from solar PV will constitute 1.92% of total overall generation by 2015, the article said.
However,...
30 Nov 2011
Despite the Fukushima nuclear disaster, in March 2011, Japan’ reliance on its export economy gives it no choice but to meet the continuing demand for nuclear power in the rest of Asia.
What happened
Japan finds itself pulled in opposing directions regarding its future in nuclear power generation. Even as the country questions its own dependence on nuclear power, new Prime Minister, Yoshihiko Noda, has endorsed the sale of nuclear technology to Vietnam with a recent US$13bn deal (28th September 2011.)
Background
In post-Fukushima Japan, nuclear power remains a vital part of the economy, both as an electricity source and as a lucrative export. The government has yet...
30 Apr 2012
Due to delays on large hydropower projects and rising demand, Mozambique will have to wait until the end of the decade for a more reliable power supply.
What happened
Mozambique faces a limited power supply until 2020, due to escalating power demand and delays on major hydroelectric projects, reports Reuters. The proposed hydro projects include:
The1,245MW Cahora Bassa North
The 1,500MW Mphanda Nkuwa
Both are located along the Zambezi River.
Carlos Yum, director for business development for Mozambican utility Electricidad de Mocambique (EDM,) explains that the plants will be completed by around 2019. The two projects also rely on...
28 Feb 2012
Brazil tries to overcome 20 years of opposition and plans to build new dams on the Amazon.
What happened
Brazilian president, Dilma Rousseff, approved the construction of five new hydroelectric dams along the Tapajós River, in the Amazon basin, reports Merco Press. The Brazilian government insists that precautions will be taken to preserve the Amazon forest during construction. The construction system will use platforms similar to those used for offshore oil drilling. This will eliminate the need for urbanization and land links with highways. Access to the dams will be...
30 Nov 2011
Argentines can expect to face increases of between a factor 2 and 3, or even more, on their energy and water bills, as the government starts eliminating the increasingly costly subsidies, now approaching as much as US$17bn per year, from various sectors including energy, water and transport.
What happened
With subsidies to the utility sector (among others) taking an increasing share of Argentina’s annual budget to maintain energy and water prices at the levels following the economic crisis of a decade ago, starting November 2, the country’s government, recently re-elected in a landslide vote, has issued a series of announcements to eliminate these subsidies.
Background
In the first announcement on November 2, the government announced that subsidies would...
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