Large Wind Turbine Blade Test Facilities to be in Mass., Texas
The US Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) will work with consortiums from Texas and Massachusetts to design, build and operate new facilities to test the next generation of giant wind turbine blades.
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts Partnership and the Lone Star Wind Alliance in Texas were chosen to build facilities to test large wind turbine blades with an ultimate goal of testing blades up to 330 ft. (100 m) in length. Blade testing is required to meet wind turbine design standards, reduce machine cost and reduce the technical and financial risk of deploying mass-produced wind turbine models. Rapid growth in wind turbine size over the past two decades has outstripped the existing capabilities of the NREL's National Wind Technology Center, which operates the only facility in North America capable of full-scale testing of megawatt-size wind turbine blades.
NREL will continue testing blades at its facility in Colorado, though transportation issues were key to deciding to build the new blade test facilities near waterways. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts Partnership proposes to build a test facility at the Boston Autoport in Boston Harbor in 2009. The Boston Autoport provides a quickly developable site on the East Coast featuring proximity to substantial offshore wind resources, truck access, a rail spur and a 1,200-foot (365m) dock for transporting blades from ocean going vessels.
The site proposed by the Lone Star Wind Alliance in Ingleside, Texas, has the potential to dramatically lower transportation costs. It is near primary ship routes along the Gulf Coast and boasts excellent access to developing wind energy markets in Texas and the Midwest.
The agreements will be executed by NREL on behalf of the DOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. DOE/NREL will provide each of the test facilities up to $2 million in capital equipment and technical assistance for development and operation. The total capital cost of each facility has been estimated at $9 to $12 million.
Ormat Signs Its Largest Power Purchase Agreement to Date
Ormat Technologies, Inc. signed a 20-year power purchase agreement (PPA) with Southern California Edison (SCE) to purchase 50 megawatts (MW) of clean energy output from the Brawley I Project, which is currently under construction in Imperial County, Calif., by Ormat. The PPA includes an option to increase capacity to 100 MWs at Ormat's discretion, and is subject to the approval of the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC).
When completed, the Brawley I Project will increase the total output supplied from Ormat to SCE to approximately 190 MWs.
"This is one of the largest contracts SCE is entering into as part of its 2006 solicitation. It is an important part of meeting our renewable energy goals," said Pedro Pizarro, senior vice president, Power Procurement, Southern California Edison. "We are very pleased that our counterparty is Ormat Technologies, a good business partner and leader in the renewable energy industry. SCE had been procuring geothermal power from Ormat-developed projects for the last 20 years and we consider them an exceptional supplier of green base load energy."
Cargill to Expand Ethanol plant in Iowa
Cargill has plans to expand the ethanol production capacity by 110 million gallons per year at its Eddyville, Iowa, corn-processing complex. This would increase the facility's ethanol capacity from 35 million gallons per year to 145 million gallons per year, in order to achieve economies of scale. The majority of Eddyville's production capacity would continue to be devoted to food-related manufacturing.
Pending permitting and other approvals, construction will begin in early 2008 with new production commencing in late 2009. Cargill expects to hire 30 to 50 additional full-time employees in connection with the facility's operation.
Belarus on Track to Export Bio-Ethanol Fuel to EU
Belarus will begin exporting fuel ethanol to the EU within a few years. A decision of the Council of Ministers of Belarus confirmed full support for the joint venture between Ireland's Greenfield Project Management Ltd. and Belarus’ Belbiopharm pharmaceutical concern to produce ethanol fuel for export. Following on the Council of Ministers decision, officials of both companies met government ministers in Minsk to discuss implementation of the joint venture.
The meeting resulted in several decisions. Greenfield Belarus was assured of a secure annual supply of 500,000 tons of grain for the project and that more land would be made available to the joint venture to grow further biomass. Prices for by-products suitable for animal feedstuff will be agreed and all output purchased locally, and logistics arrangements for inputs and outputs will be implemented by the state in time for the start of production.
Greenfield will build two advanced distilling plants to extract ethanol from cultivated biomass, in partnership with the state holding company. The plants will together yield between 650,000 cubic meters (m3) of bio-ethanol annually. The larger will be located at Mozyr, producing 500,000 m3 per year, while another at Bobruisk will yield about 150,000 m3. This amounts to a total of 650 million litres annually.
The enterprises will be launched in eighteen to twenty-four months. Greenfield will invest €200 million in the facilities, backed by financial partner ABN AMRO. ABN AMRO recently signed a comprehensive Framework Agreement with the government of Belarus covering the energy sector.
The Dublin-based company holds an 80 percent stake in the joint venture, while Belbiopharm retains a 20 percent share. Construction will begin early in 2008. The Greenfield group plans more bio-ethanol plants in Belarus as part of an ambitious programme to ensure that the European Union can meet its needs for biofuels between now and 2020.
Grain will be used as the raw material for production of ethanol fuel. Belarusian grain, mainly from regions affected by the Chernobyl disaster, will account for at least 30 percent of the 1.5 million tonnes which will be needed annually.
LM Glasfiber to Build New Blade Plant in Little Rock, Arkansas
LM Glasfiber has released plans to open a new facility in Little Rock, Arkansas. The plant is scheduled to begin operations in first quarter 2008 and will employ over 1,000 people within five years.
“We are very pleased to announce our new facility in Little Rock. The Little Rock plant is key to enabling us to serve our growing portfolio of customers in North America”, says LM Glasfiber CEO Roland M. Sundén. “The facility will help secure our customers’ long term blade supply thereby enabling their ambitious growth strategies while also increasing the robustness and visibility of LM Glasfiber’s North American sales.”
The Little Rock plant will be LM Glasfiber’s third North American production facility; effectively doubling the capacity of the existing factories in Grand Forks, North Dakota and Gaspé, Quebec. This latest capacity expansion reflects an overall strong market demand coupled with optimism for continued stability in the US market. The US is currently the largest market for new wind projects and the second globally in existing wind project installations.
Canadian Hydro Subsidiary Sells new Brunswick Prospect
Canadian Hydro Developers, Inc. (Canadian Hydro) has closed the sale of the 21 MW Fairfield Hill Wind Prospect (Fairfield Hill) to TransAlta Corp.. Canadian Hydro acquired Fairfield Hill through its purchase of Vector Wind Energy Inc. in late December 2006. Fairfield Hill is located near the Town of Dorchester in northern New Brunswick.
“We are pleased this prospect has been acquired by TransAlta, allowing it to be developed to its full potential,” said John Keating, CEO of Canadian Hydro. “Despite Fairfield Hill being an excellent prospect, our renewables-only strategic focus continues to be on our 385 MW of construction projects and 1,370 MW of development prospects located in B.C., Alberta, Ontario and Manitoba.
We believe the prospects for renewable energy development in New Brunswick are very positive and thank the provincial government and New Brunswick Power Distribution and Customer Service Corporation for the opportunity.”
Canadian Hydro is a developer, owner, and operator of 19 power generation facilities totaling net 265 MW in operation and has an additional 385 MW nearing construction. The renewable generation portfolio is diversified across three technologies (water, wind, and biomass) in the provinces of British Columbia, Alberta and Ontario.
SAIC Signs Research Agreement with University of Colorado at Boulder Energy Initiative
The University of Colorado (CU) has executed a three-year sponsored research agreement with Science Applications International Corp. (SAIC) to support CU's Energy Initiative (EI), which coordinates the extensive university resources devoted to research on renewable and sustainable energy and energy efficiency. Under the terms of the agreement SAIC will provide CU with $100,000 during the three-year period. As a founding member of CU’s Energy Initiative, SAIC will serve on EI’s External Advisory Board, seek to assist CU in reducing its overall energy costs and emissions of greenhouse gases, explore joint marketing opportunities and explore working on a broad range of energy and climate-related activities with CU faculty and researchers.
“We are delighted to have the enthusiastic support of SAIC, given the company’s leadership in solving mission-critical problems with innovative applications of technology and expertise,” said Paul Jerde, executive director of the Robert H. and Beverly A. Deming Center for Entrepreneurship in CU’s Leeds School of Business. “SAIC’s breadth of expertise and global perspective will make them an invaluable contributor to our efforts.”
Knoxville-Oak Ridge Innovation Valley Biotech Startup Earns Prestigious R&D 100 Award
Phenotype Screening Corp., a three-person Knoxville-Oak Ridge Innovation Valley biotech startup, has won an internationally prestigious “R&D 100” award for its groundbreaking work in crop and tree diagnostics. Their work helps scientists improve yields in a wide range of crops, including biomass for alternative fuel production.
Phenotype Screening’s non-invasive methods of studying plant root systems enable scientists to develop stronger, more pest and drought resistant crops. The new techniques can also help improve production of switchgrass, willows, poplars and other plants used as feedstock in biofuels.
The company uses a proprietary substrate, or soil, and special plant containers that allow low energy spectrum X-ray imaging of plant root systems at various stages of development. That could have major implications for food production and greater energy independence through alternative fuel production.
“UT and ORNL have been tremendous assets to us,” said Ron Michaels, Phenotype Screening’s technical director. “They have opened up opportunities for our company.” |
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