EU takes hardline stance at UN climate talks

12.1.2011

Europe is taking the toughest negotiating stand it has ever adopted on global warming. At this week’s UN climate talks in Durban, the bloc will depart from decades of “dovish” practice by insisting stiff conditions must be met by China and other developing countries if a global climate treaty is to be arranged. The hardline stance has already caused consternation among developing countries at the talks, and the discord threatens the future of the Kyoto protocol. But the bloc is determined not to back down, as officials are angry that the EU’s goodwill on climate change has been taken for granted.

“It’s very important that other major economies join the effort. It would not make sense for only the EU to take on a second commitment under the Kyoto protocol,” said Joanna Mackowiak-Pandera, Poland’s under-secretary of state for the environment. Poland is in a key position at this year’s talks; as holder of the revolving EU presidency, its ministers lead the bloc’s delegation. They have led the sea-change in Europe’s public attitude, which marks the biggest shift in stance in nearly 20 years of climate talks.

Toyota, BMW Join Hands on Green Technology

12.1.2011

Toyota Motor Corp and BMW AG agreed on Thursday to join hands on a broad range of environmental technologies, forging a partnership between two engineering stalwarts in the increasingly competitive auto industry. Under the agreement, the two will work together on lithium-ion battery research. BMW will also supply diesel engines to Toyota from 2014 in Europe. They will also identify possibilities for other projects.

“Fundamentally we are both engineering companies, so in many aspects we have found we speak the same language,” Toyota Motor Europe President and CEO Didier Leroy told the news conference.

Kuwait oil giant CEO eyes solar power move

The chief executive of Kuwait Petroleum Corporation has said the company is looking at ways to increase the use of solar power. Saad Al-Shuwaib said that KPC was reviewing various studies on the use of solar energy amid increasing global demands and the use of alternative energy. Kuwait, an OPEC member, has one of the world’s highest per capita power consumption rates. Al-Shuwaib said that KPC sees solar energy as “a vital resource due to the enormous amount of consumption in the region”.

CNOOC to focus on deep-water resources exploitation, new energy

5.11.2010

China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC), China’s largest offshore oil producer, is to step up deepwater exploration of oil and gas resources, while developing clean and low-carbon energies, company president Fu Chengyu said Monday. “CNOOC aims to transform its economic development mode via technological innovation.”

Oceans are estimated to hold about one third of the world’s petroleum and natural gas resources and they are likely to replace terrestrial and inshore regions as the world’s major depositories of oil and gas resources. CNOOC also plans to increase its investment in new energy fields, such as wind power and coal-based clean energy, to more than 10 billion yuan ($1.46 billion) in the next three years. CNOOC has begun building one gigawatt offshore wind farm in Bohai Bay, expected to be completed in 2020.

Total and SunPower Partner to create a new global leader in the Solar Industry

6.15.2011

Total and SunPower Corp. today announced the success of Total’s all-cash tender on SunPower to create a new global leader in the solar industry. “Today marks a new stride-forward for Total in the solar power industry,” said Philippe Boisseau, president, Total Gas & Power. “To ensure the long-term viability of solar energy, the marketplace requires global integrated industrial players that are financially stable and committed to advancing cutting-edge technology. By combining the strengths of both groups, we have created a remarkable asset: SunPower will be the centrepiece of the solar activities of Total.”

“Total’s transformational investment in SunPower significantly strengthens our company, accelerates our success in a broader marketplace and enhances our R&D efforts, which are known for producing world record-breaking efficiency technology,” said Tom Werner, SunPower president and CEO. “By combining our complementary strengths, SunPower and Total will change the way the world is powered.”

Blend Fuel Proposal

7.5.2011

Automakers including Chrysler Group LLC, Ford Motor Co. and Toyota Motor Corp. criticized an Environmental Protection Agency proposal to allow gasoline containing up to 15 percent ethanol in all cars and trucks in the U.S., saying its use may void warranties. Twelve automakers in letters released today that were sent to Representative James Sensenbrenner, a Wisconsin Republican, said the EPA proposal to sell so-called E15 fuel may damage engines and fuel-supply systems in vehicles made to run on gasoline with lower ethanol content.

Saudi Aramco plans solar cell output with Showa Shell-Nikkei

10.3.2011

The chief executive of state-run Saudi Aramco, Khalid Al-Falih, aims to begin production of solar cells in Saudi Arabia in two to three years in a joint venture with Japanese thin-film solar cell maker Showa Shell Sekiyu KK, Japan’s Nikkei business daily said on Tuesday. If Aramco can introduce Showa Shell’s technology into Saudi Arabia, that would contribute a lot to the nation’s main goal of industrial diversification, he was quoted as telling the newspaper in an interview.

Saudi Arabia, one of the world’s biggest crude oil exporters, hopes to reduce its use of fossil fuels, which it would rather export, by building nuclear and renewable power plants. A Showa Shell spokesman said that the two have been considering such a venture but that no details have been decided.

In 2009, Aramco and Showa Shell signed an agreement to build small-scale pilot solar-power facilities in the kingdom, and Showa Shell and Saudi Electricity Co (SEC) this year launched a 500-kilowatt (kW) solar power plant in Saudi Arabia. Showa Shell, which is owned one-third by Royal Dutch Shell and about 15 percent by Saudi Aramco, has been considering building a fourth solar cell plant, which could be the firm’s first overseas facility.

Toyota Motor Corporation Exhibits Biotechnology and Greening Technologies

10.3.2011

Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) today held an event at its Toyota Biotechnology and Afforestation Laboratory in Aichi prefecture to showcase technologies developed there as part of its biotechnology and afforestation businesses. Technology on display included a newly developed yeast that increases the production yield of cellulosic ethanol bio-fuel, new technologies for the greening of parking lots and walls, and a new “cool-spot creation technology” for simulating and analyzing the effects of greening.

TMC, through the use of gene recombination technology, has recently developed a new strain of yeast that will play an important role in the fermentation process for producing cellulosic ethanol. TMC, with the goal of reducing CO2 emissions and responding to the growing need for diverse sources of energy, is working on developing renewable energy sources such as bio-fuels in addition to its work in developing next-generation environment-friendly vehicles. Ultimately, TMC plans to further improve bio-fuel production yield and to cooperate with energy companies to realize its goal of commercializing cellulosic ethanol by 2020.

SoCalGas Demonstrates Natural Gas Vehicle ‘Fueling Station in a Box’

10.25.2011

Southern California Gas Co. (SoCalGas) today launched the field demonstration of a new natural gas vehicle fueling technology that aims to significantly reduce costs and increase performance. The testing of the Galileo Microbox – a streamlined compressed natural gas “fueling station in a box” – is part of SoCalGas’ research and development efforts to advance innovative technologies to benefit customers and the region. The modular fueling station technology offers the potential for lower construction and maintenance costs, faster vehicle fueling, minimized installation time and a smaller physical footprint.

“Compressed natural gas is a clean, domestically produced transportation fuel offering significant costs savings to customers,” said Hal D. Snyder, vice president of customer solutions at SoCalGas. “Our goal with this demonstration project is to help advance new technology that will reduce upfront capital costs for cities, counties and private operators looking to build compressed natural gas fueling stations.”

AES Wind Generation and AES Energy Storage Announce Commercial Operation Combining Energy Storage and Wind Generation

10.27.2011

AES Wind Generation and AES Energy Storage announce the commercial operation of AES Laurel Mountain, a wind generation plant comprised of 98 MW of wind generation and 32 MW of integrated battery-based energy storage, the largest of its kind. The project is supplying emissions-free renewable energy and clean, flexible, operating reserve capacity to the PJM Interconnection, the largest power market in the world. Leveraging advanced battery technology, the storage service provided by AES Energy Storage will help optimize the renewable energy generated.

“Energy storage technology is the silver bullet that helps resolve the variability in power demand,” said Terry Boston, PJM president and CEO.

“The Laurel Mountain project is a unique application of wind and battery storage technology combining clean energy production with state of the art grid support services,” said Phil Herrington, President of Global Wind Generation for AES.

“We delivered this solution with our wind generation business to serve the reliability needs of the PJM power market and its utility members,” said Chris Shelton, President of AES Energy Storage.