Uruguay energía

USA - aprueban un reactor nuclear

2012-02-09T18:13:00.000-06:00

WRAPUP 3-US approves first new nuclear plant in a generation

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Analysis & Opinion

"me engañaron con el cambio climático"

2012-02-08T06:34:00.001-06:00

Breaking Global Warming Taboos

'I Feel Duped on Climate Change'

NASA via ddp images

Will reduced solar activity counteract global warming in the coming decades? That is what outgoing German electric utility executive Fritz Vahrenholt claims in a new book. In an interview with SPIEGEL, he argues that the official United Nations forecasts on the severity of climate change are overstated and supported by weak science.

http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/0,1518,813814,00.html

Uruguay shale gas - los tejanos ya estan perforando

2012-02-07T09:06:00.000-06:00

directorio de Ancap ya aprobó y elevó a Presidencia la firma de tres contratos para la búsqueda de hidrocarburos en tierra firme. En primer lugar, a la firma Schuepbach Energy se le extendió el contrato de exploración y explotación de hidrocarburos que tenía vigente y obtuvo otro contrato para explorar en una zona al este de Salto

http://www.schuepbachenergy.com/

USA gana independencia en Energia

2012-02-07T08:34:00.000-06:00

Americans Gaining Energy Independence

By Rich Miller, Asjylyn Loder and Jim Polson - Feb 7, 2012 12:00 AM GMT-0200

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An oil drilling rig stands on the Bakken formation in Watford City, North Dakota. Photographer: Matthew Staver/Bloomberg

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Orion Drilling Co. LLC workers on Orion's Altair natural gas rig in Edna, Texas. Photographer: Eddie Seal/Bloomberg

The U.S. is the closest it has been in almost 20 years to achieving energy self-sufficiency, a goal the nation has been pursuing since the 1973 Arab oil embargo triggered a recession and led to lines at gasoline stations.

Domestic oil output is the highest in eight years. The U.S. is producing so much natural gas that, where the government warned four years ago of a critical need to boost imports, it now may approve an export terminal. Methanex Corp., the world’s biggest methanol maker, said it will dismantle a factory in Chile and reassemble it in Louisiana to take advantage of low natural gas prices. And higher mileage standards and federally mandated ethanol use, along with slow economic growth, have curbed demand.

The result: The U.S. has reversed a two-decade-long decline in energy independence, increasing the proportion of demand met from domestic sources over the last six years to an estimated 81 percent through the first 10 months of 2011, according to data compiled by Bloomberg from the U.S. Department of Energy. That would be the highest level since 1992.

“For 40 years, only politicians and the occasional author in Popular Mechanics magazine talked about achieving energy independence,” said Adam Sieminski, who has been nominated by President Barack Obama to head the U.S. Energy Information Administration. “Now it doesn’t seem such an outlandish idea.”

The transformation, which could see the country become the world’s top energy producer by 2020, has implications for the economy and national security -- boosting household incomes, jobs and government revenue; cutting the trade deficit; enhancing manufacturers’ competitiveness; and allowing greater flexibility in dealing with unrest in the Middle East.

Output Rising

U.S. energy self-sufficiency has been steadily rising since 2005, when it hit a low of 70 percent, the data compiled by Bloomberg show. Domestic crude oil production rose 3.6 percent last year to an average 5.7 million barrels a day, the highest since 2003, according to the Energy Department. Natural gas output climbed to 22.4 trillion cubic feet in 2010 from 20.2 trillion in 2007, when the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission warned of the need for more imports. Prices have fallen more than 80 percent since 2008.

At the same time, the efficiency of the average U.S. passenger vehicle has helped limit demand. It increased to 29.6 miles per gallon in 2011 from 19.9 mpg in 1978, according to theNational Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The last time the U.S. achieved energy independence was in 1952. While it still imported some petroleum, the country’s exports, including of coal, more than offset its imports.

Environmental Concern

The expansion in oil and natural gas production isn’t without a downside. Environmentalists say hydraulic fracturing, or fracking -- in which a mixture of water, sand and chemicals is shot underground to blast apart rock and free fossil fuels -- is tainting drinking water.

The drop in natural gas prices is also making the use of alternative energy sources such as solar, wind and nuclear power less attractive, threatening to link the U.S.’s future even more to hydrocarbons to run the world’s largest economy.

Still, those concerns probably won’t be enough to outweigh the benefits of greater energy independence.

Stepped-up oil output and restrained consumption will lessen demand for imports, cutting the nation’s trade deficit and buttressing the dollar, said Sieminski, who is currently chief energy economist at Deutsche Bank AG in Washington.

Cutting Trade Deficit

With the price of a barrel of oil at about $100, a drop of 4 million barrels a day in oil imports -- which he said could happen by 2020, if not before -- would shave $145 billion off the deficit. Through the first 11 months of last year, the trade gap was $513 billion, according to the Commerce Department. Crude for March delivery settled at $96.91 a barrel yesterday on theNew York Mercantile Exchange.

The impact on national security also could be significant as the U.S. relies less on oil from the Mideast. Persian Gulf countries accounted for 15 percent of U.S. imports of crude oil and petroleum products in 2010, down from 23 percent in 1999.

“The past image of the United States as helplessly dependent on imported oil and gas from politically unstable and unfriendly regions of the world no longer holds,” former Central Intelligence Agency Director John Deutch told an energy conference last month.

Arab Oil Embargo

That dependence was underscored in October 1973, when Arab oil producers declared an embargo in retaliation for U.S. help for Israel in the Yom Kippur war. The U.S. economycontracted at an annualized 3.5 percent rate in the first quarter of the next year. Stock prices plunged, with the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index dropping more than 40 percent in the year following the embargo.

Car owners were forced to line up at gasoline stations to buy fuel. President Richard Nixon announced in December that because of the energy crisis the lights on the national Christmas tree wouldn’t be turned on.

Today, signs of what former North Dakota Senator Byron Dorgan says could be a “new normal” in energy are proliferating. The U.S. likely became a net exporter of refined oil products last year for the first time since 1949. And it will probably become a net exporter of natural gas early in the next decade, said Howard Gruenspecht, the acting administrator of the EIA, the statistical arm of the Energy Department.

Cheniere Energy Partners LP may receive a construction and operating permit as early this month from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission for the first new plant capable of exporting natural gas by ship to be built since 1969 in the U.S. Houston-based Cheniere said it expects the $6 billion plant to export as much as 2.6 billion cubic feet of gas per day.

Mitchell the Pioneer

The shale-gas technology that’s boosting U.S. natural gas production was spawned in the Barnett Shale around Dallas and Fort Worth by George P. Mitchell, who was chairman and chief executive officer of Mitchell Energy & Development Corp.

Helped by a provision inserted in the 1980 windfall oil profits tax bill to encourage drilling for unconventional natural gas, the Houston-based oil man pursued a trial-and-error approach for years before succeeding in the late-1990s. The fracking method he devised cracked the rock deep underground, propping open small seams that allowed natural gas trapped in tiny pores to flow into the well and up to the surface.

Recognizing that Mitchell was on to something, Devon Energy Corp. bought his company in 2002 for about $3.3 billion and combined it with its own expertise in directional drilling, a method derived from offshore exploration.

Hunting for Oil

Traditional vertical drilling bores straight down, like a straw stuck straight in the earth. Directional drilling bends the straw, boring horizontally sometimes a mile or more through the richest layer of rock, allowing more of the trapped fuel to make it into the well. This slice of rock is like the kitchen, where ancient plants and creatures came under so much pressure that they cooked into natural gas and oil.

The oil boom a century ago tapped reservoirs of fuel that rose out of those layers and got trapped in large pockets closer to the earth’s surface, or used vertical wells that could get out only a portion of the fuel stored in the rock. The new technology has Devon and its competitors hunting beneath decades-old oil plays long thought depleted.

About an hour’s drive north from where Devon’s soon-to-be- completed new glass headquarters towers 50 stories above downtown Oklahoma City, the company is exploring for oil in the Mississippian and other formations, where oil majors once made their fortunes. It’s racing companies such as Chesapeake Energy Corp. and SandRidge Energy Inc. to buy leases and drill wells.

North Dakota Booming

Crude production in the U.S. is already increasing. Within three years, domestic output could reach 7 million barrels a day, the highest in 20 years, said Andy Lipow, president of Lipow Oil Associates in Houston, a consulting firm. The U.S. produced 5.9 million barrels of crude oil a day in December, while consuming 18.5 million barrels of petroleum products, according to the Energy Department.

North Dakota -- the center of the so-called tight-oil transformation -- is now the fourth largest oil-producing state, behind Texas, Alaska and California.

The growth in oil and gas output means the U.S. will overtake Russia as the world’s largest energy producer in the next eight years, said Jamie Webster, senior manager for the markets and country strategy group at PFC Energy, a Washington- based consultant.

While U.S. consumers would still be susceptible to surges in global oil prices, “we’d end up sending some of that cash to North Dakota” rather than to Saudi Arabia, said Richard Schmalensee, a professor of economics and management at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge.

1.6 Million Jobs

The shale gas expansion is already benefiting the economy. In 2010, the industry supported more than 600,000 jobs, according to a report that consultants IHS Global Insight prepared for America’s Natural Gas Alliance, a group that represents companies such as Devon Energy and Chesapeake Energy.

More than half were in the companies directly involved and their suppliers, with the balance coming at restaurants, hotels and other firms. By 2035, the number of jobs supported by the industry will rise to more than 1.6 million, IHS said. Some 360,000 will be directly employed in the shale gas industry.

The oil boom is also pushing up payrolls. Unemployment in North Dakota was 3.3 percent in December, the lowest of any state. Hiring is so frantic that the McDonald’s Corp. restaurant in Dickinson is offering $300 signing bonuses.

State governments are reaping benefits, too. Ohio is considering a new impact fee on drillers and increasing the tax charged on natural gas and other natural resources extracted, Governor John Kasich has said.

In Texas, DeWitt County Judge Daryl Fowler has negotiated an $8,000-per-well fee from drilling companies to pay for roads in the district, southeast of San Antonio.

Lot of Traffic

“It takes 270 loads of gravel just to build a pad used for drilling a well, which means a lot of truck traffic on a lot of roads that nobody except Grandpa Schultz and some deer hunters may have used in the past,” said Fowler, whose non-judicial post gives him administrative control over the county.

The federal government will see tax payments from shale gas rise to $14.5 billion in 2015 from $9.6 billion in 2010, according to IHS. Over the period 2010 to 2035, revenue will total $464.9 billion, it said.

Manufacturing companies, particularly chemical makers, also stand to win as the shale bonanza keeps natural gas cheaper in the U.S. than in Asia or Europe.

Dow Chemical Co., which spent a decade moving production to the Middle East and Asia, is leading the biggest expansion ever in the U.S. The chemical industry is one of the top consumers of natural gas, using it both as a fuel and feedstock to produce the compounds it sells.

First Since 2001

Midland, Michigan-based Dow is among companies planning to build crackers, industrial plants typically costing $1.5 billion that process hydrocarbons into ethylene, a plastics ingredient.

The new crackers will be the first in the U.S. since 2001, said John Stekla, a director at Chemical Market Associates Inc., a Houston-based consultant.

Vancouver-based Methanex said last month it plans to take apart the idled Chilean factory and ship it to Louisiana to capitalize on natural gas prices.

The shift to increased energy independence is also the result of government policies to depress oil demand.

“Vehicles are getting more efficient, and people who travel won’t be driving more miles,” said Daniel Yergin, chairman of IHS Cambridge Energy Research Associates.

Automakers have agreed to raise the fuel economy of the vehicles they sell in the U.S. to a fleetwide average of 54.5 miles per gallon by 2025 under an agreement last year with the Obama administration.

No ‘Silver Bullet’

The 2008-09 recession helped lower oil demand, and consumption has lagged even as the economy has recovered, said Judith Dwarkin, director of energy research for ITG Investment Research in Calgary. Coupled with higher domestic output, “this has translated into an import requirement of some 15.4 barrels per person per year -- about on par with the mid-1990s.”

She cautioned against thinking that rising oil and gas production is a “silver bullet” for solving U.S. economic woes.

Michael Feroli, chief U.S. economist at JPMorgan Chase & Co. in New York, agreed, saying in a Jan. 20 note to clients that oil and gas output accounts for just 1 percent of gross domestic production and isn’t likely on its own to be able to pull the economy into above-trend growth.

Cooling on Wind

Some companies are hurting from the shale gas glut. With abundant supplies making it the cheapest option for new power generation, Exelon Corp. scrapped plans to expand capacity at two nuclear plants, while Michigan utility CMS Energy Corp. canceled a $2 billion coal plant after deciding it wasn’t financially viable. NextEra Energy Inc., the largest U.S. wind energy producer, shelved plans for new U.S. wind projects next year.

Investors also are cooling on wind investment, partly because of falling power prices. T. Boone Pickens, one of wind power’s biggest boosters, decided to focus on promoting natural gas-fueled trucking fleets after dropping plans for a Texas wind farm in 2010.

“Wind on its own without incentives is far from economic unless gas is north of $6.50,” said Travis Miller, a Chicago- based utility analyst at Morningstar Inc. Natural gas for March delivery settled at $2.55 per million British thermal units on New York Mercantile Exchangeyesterday.

When Obama lauded increased energy production in his State of the Union speech on Jan. 24, he drew criticism from some environmentalists opposed to fracking.

Waning Confidence

“We’re disappointed in his enthusiasm for shale gas,” said Iris Marie Bloom, director of Protecting Our Waters in Philadelphia. Obama “spoke about gas as if it’s better for the environment, which it’s not.”

Deutch, who headed an advisory panel on fracking for the Energy Department, voiced concern that public confidence in the technology will wane if action isn’t taken to address environmental concerns. The potential positive impact of increased North American production are “enormous,” he said.

Higher U.S. output lessens the ability of countries like Iran and Russia to use “energy diplomacy” as a means of strengthening their influence, Amy Myers Jaffe, director of the Baker Institute Energy Forum at Rice University, and her colleagues wrote in a report last year.

While the U.S. will still have to pay attention to issues such as Israel’s security and Islamic fundamentalism in the Mideast, which could affect oil prices, it won’t have to be as worried about its supplies.

Positive ‘Shock’

Carlos Pascual, special envoy and coordinator for international energy affairs at the State Department, suggested at a Council on Foreign Relations conference in December that the increased production in the U.S. and elsewhere gives Washington more “maneuverability” in using sanctions to deal with Iran and its nuclear aspirations.

The increased U.S. production of oil and natural gas is a “positive supply shock” for the economy and for national security, said Philip Verleger, a former director of the office of energy policy at the Treasury Department and founder of PKVerleger LLC, a consulting firm in Aspen, Colorado.

“We aren’t there yet, but it looks like we’re blundering into a solution for the energy problem,” he said.

To contact the reporters on this story: Rich Miller in Washington at rmiller28@bloomberg.net; Asjylyn Loder in New York at aloder@bloomberg.net; Jim Polson in New York atjpolson@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Clark Hoyt in Washington atchoyt2@bloomberg.net

USA Installed Wind Capacity 46 GW

2012-02-01T07:37:00.002-06:00

U.S. Wind Industry Has Strong Fourth Quarter; Cumulative Installed Capacity Now Tops 46 GW in News Departments > New & Noteworthy by NAW Staff on Friday 27 January 2012 The U.S. wind industry installed 6.81 GW of capacity in 2011 - a 31% increase over new capacity added in 2010 - and the fourth quarter alone saw 3.444 GW commissioned - more than the first three quarters of the year combined, the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) said in its report for the fourth quarter of 2011. These new projects were installed across 30 U.S. states using 23 different turbine manufacturers, AWEA notes. In 2011, cumulative installed wind capacity in the U.S. grew 17% from 2010 and now totals 46.919 GW. Over 100 wind projects are currently under construction across 31 states and Puerto Rico. Almost 3.5 GW of new projects broke ground in the fourth quarter of 2011, and the year ended with 8.32 GW under construction, according to AWEA's report. Illinois was a very strong performer in 2011, ranking No. 2 for installations last year and rising to No. 4 in wind power overall (the only change in the overall top 10), and Kansas topped the under-construction list, with more than 1.188 GW of wind scheduled to come online this year. California led the list for megawatts installed in 2011, with 921. Other traditional stalwarts like Iowa, Minnesota and Oklahoma rounded out the top five. Ohio was the fastest-growing wind power state in 2011, with 101 MW installed - representing a more than 900% growth rate. Meanwhile, South Dakota joined Iowa as the states receiving the highest percentage of their electricity from wind, at 20%. “This shows what wind power is capable of - building new projects, powering local economies and creating jobs,” notes Denise Bode, CEO of AWEA. “Traditional tax incentives are working. This tremendous activity is being driven by the federal production tax credit, which leveraged an average of more than $16 billion a year in private investment over the last several years and supported tens of thousands of manufacturing jobs.”

energia solar en Alemania el error mas caro

2012-01-19T01:43:00.001-06:00

Solar Subsidy Sinkhole

Re-Evaluating Germany's Blind Faith in the Sun

The costs of subsidizing solar electricity have exceeded the 100-billion-euro mark in Germany, but poor results are jeopardizing the country's transition to renewable energy. The government is struggling to come up with a new concept to promote the inefficient technology in the future. By Alexander Neubacher more...

Honda lanza el Civic Natural Gas

2012-01-12T09:46:00.000-06:00

Honda Clarifies Nationwide Rollout of Civic Natural Gas:

Driving a natural-gas car should be as convenient as driving one that burns gasoline, Honda officials believe, so Honda’s nationwide rollout of the Civic Natural Gas this fall will only involve dealers within 20 miles of a public refueling station. Four states have no public refueling stations and most states have less than 20. “We don’t want drivers to feel inconvenienced or have range anxiety with the vehicle. We want happy CNG drivers,” Jessica Fini, a Honda spokesman, told me via email. “Honda feels that drivers need to have access to public stations in order to make the driving experience more convenient…. The benefit of driving a CNG powered vehicle with public infrastructure is 220+ mile range with 5 minute refueling. The experience is very similar to driving a gasoline car.” The Civic Natural Gas, currently known as the Civic GX, can also be refueled at home using a compressor that hooks up to a home gas line, available for $4,500 with a $2,000 government rebate, but Honda officials think that option may not keep customers happy enough. “Fueling at home is a good alternative but takes 8+ hours (home units are slow fueling devices). Fueling publically takes just a few minutes,” Fini said. The states without refueling stations are South Dakota, Wyoming, Kentucky, and West Virginia. Dealers are still signing on to sell the Civic Natural Gas, but Fini said she expects the car to be offered in 37 states. More states may be added as public stations are opened, which could happen more rapidly if Congress passes T. Boone Pickens’ Nat Gas Act in Congress. California and New York have the highest density of stations. Motorists can locate stations using this Energy Department database. The 2012 Civic NG’s onboard navigation system will also keep drivers apprised of compressed natural gas station locations. Related Post: Honda Revs the Civic For U.S. Natural Gas Push
http://www.forbes.com/sites/jeffmcmahon/2011/05/14/honda-clarifies-nationwide-rollout-of-civic-natural-gas/

camiones a gas liquado en USA 2012

2012-01-12T09:27:00.000-06:00

PRESS RELEASE

Jan. 12, 2012, 6:00 a.m. EST

Clean Energy Unveils Backbone Network for America's Natural Gas Highway

-- 150 LNG Truck Fueling Stations Enabling Goods Movement Coast-to-Coast and Border-to-Border Anticipated by End of 2013 --

SEAL BEACH, Calif., Jan 12, 2012 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- The route plan for the first phase of 150 new LNG fueling stations for America's Natural Gas Highway (ANGH) was unveiled today by Clean Energy Fuels Corp. CLNE +1.76% , the leading provider of natural gas fuel for transportation in North America. The company has identified 98 locations and anticipates having 70 stations open by the end of 2012 in 33 states.

Many of the fueling stations will be co-located at Pilot-Flying J Travel Centers already serving goods movement trucking through an exclusive agreement with Pilot to build, own and operate natural gas fueling facilities at agreed-upon travel centers. Pilot-Flying J is the nation's largest truck-stop operator with more than 550 retail properties in 47 states.

Major highway segments planned for early opening include, among others, those linking San Diego-Los Angeles-Riverside-Las Vegas; the Texas Triangle (Houston-San Antonio-Dallas/Ft. Worth); Los Angeles-Dallas; Houston-Chicago; Chicago-Atlanta; and a network of stations along major highways in the mid-west region (IL, IN, OH, MO, KY, TN, KS, OK, AL) to serve the heavy trucking traffic in the area.

Scheduled for completion during 2012 and 2013, the 150 first-phase stations coincide with the expected arrival of new natural gas truck engines well suited for heavy-duty, over-the-road trucking. Engine manufacturers and original equipment truck manufacturers such as Cummins-Westport, Kenworth, Peterbilt, Navistar, Freightliner and Caterpillar are expected to have Class-8 trucks available in engine sizes allowing for varied road and driving requirements.

"We are moving quickly to build this important network in order to support the new trucks," said Andrew J. Littlefair, Clean Energy's President and CEO. "Already, Clean Energy has engaged over 100 shippers, private fleets and for-hire carriers that have shared their operations to qualify the economic opportunity of operating natural gas trucks, which has helped us, in turn, plan the first phase of the natural gas fueling highway."

Littlefair noted that the ANGH stations are in addition to the station building planned for the company's traditional markets in transit, refuse, airport/taxi/shuttle and local/regional trucking, which activity accounted for 63 station projects in 2011.

In July 2011, in a major alliance supporting the transition of trucking from diesel to natural gas fuel, Chesapeake Energy Corporation CHK -2.10% , the nation's second largest natural gas producer, committed an investment of $150 million in Clean Energy to help fund the development of America's Natural Gas Highway. In September 2011, a group of international investors committed an additional $150 million, and in December 2011, another $150 million was invested, bringing the total investment in Clean Energy in 2011 for fueling station infrastructure development and other capital projects to $450 million.

Currently priced up to $1.50 per gallon lower than diesel or gasoline (depending upon local markets), the use of natural gas fuel reduces costs significantly for vehicle and fleet owners, and reduces greenhouse gas emissions approximately 23% in medium to heavy-duty vehicles. Additionally, natural gas is a secure North American energy source with 98% of the natural gas consumed produced in the U.S. and Canada.

Clean Energy CLNE +1.76% is the largest provider of natural gas fuel for transportation in North America and a global leader in the expanding natural gas vehicle market. It has operations in CNG and LNG vehicle fueling, construction and operation of CNG and LNG fueling stations, biomethane production, vehicle conversion and compressor technology.

Today Clean Energy fuels over 25,000 vehicles at 273 strategic locations across the United States and Canada with a broad customer base in the refuse, transit, trucking, shuttle, taxi, airport and municipal fleet markets. Clean Energy del Peru, a joint venture, fuels vehicles and provides CNG to commercial customers in Peru. We own (70%) and operate a landfill gas facility in Dallas, Texas, that produces renewable natural gas, or biomethane, for delivery in the nation's gas pipeline network, and we plan to build a second facility in Michigan. We own and operate LNG production plants in Willis, Texas and Boron, Calif. with combined capacity of 260,000 LNG gallons per day and that are designed to expand to 340,000 LNG gallons per day as demand increases. NorthStar, a wholly owned subsidiary, is the recognized leader in LNG/LCNG (liquefied to compressed natural gas) fueling system technologies and station construction and operations. BAF Technologies, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary, is a leading provider of natural gas vehicle systems and conversions for taxis, vans, pick-up trucks and shuttle buses. IMW Industries, Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary based in Canada, is a leading supplier of compressed natural gas equipment for vehicle fueling and industrial applications with more than 1,200 installations in 24 countries. For more information, visit www.cleanenergyfuels.com .

Forward-Looking Statements -- This news release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 that involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions, including statements about the number and location of stations to be included in the natural gas highway system, the timing for the completion of construction of these stations, the availability and deployment of, as well as the demand for, heavy duty natural gas truck engines, and the potential for a natural gas highway system. Actual results and the timing of events could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of several factors, including permitting or other delays encountered during the identification of locations for, and the construction of, natural gas fueling stations, including those stations for the natural gas highway, the performance, availability and price of natural gas vehicles relative to gasoline and diesel vehicles and the price per gallon of natural gas relative to diesel and gasoline. The forward-looking statements made herein speak only as of the date of this press release and, unless otherwise required by law, the company undertakes no obligation to publicly update such forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent events or circumstances.

Photos/Multimedia Gallery Available: http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/mmg.cgi?eid=50131359&lang=en

SOURCE: Clean Energy Fuels Corp.

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/clean-energy-unveils-backbone-network-for-americas-natural-gas-highway-2012-01-12

NGVAmerica

36 MWh Energy Storage Project In China

2012-01-04T06:57:00.000-06:00

Massive Renewable Energy Storage Project Completed In China

in News Departments > New & Noteworthy

by NAW Staff on Tuesday 03 January 2012

Battery provider BYD and the State Grid Corporation of China (SGCC) have finished construction on a utility-scale battery energy-storage station in Zhangbei, Hebei Province, China, that will store renewable energy such as wind power.

The system combines 140 MW of renewable energy generation (both wind and solar), 36 MWh of energy storage and a smart power transmission system. BYD's iron-phosphate battery technology has a 20-year life and uses the company's peak-shaving and load-leveling charge and discharge methodologies, BYD notes.

"The large-scale implementation of clean and green energy, such as wind and solar power, can only be realized when the technical difficulties of this new energy application in the utility system are resolved," says Xiu Binglin, deputy director of the National Energy Administration. “This State Grid project demonstrates a solution and will be the model of development for China’s new energy resources.”

Alemania- atrasos en la energia eolica en el mar

2012-01-01T17:50:00.001-06:00

Stress on the High Seas

Germany's Wind Power Revolution in the Doldrums

By Frank Dohmen and Alexander Jung

DPA

The construction of offshore wind parks in the North Sea has hit a snag with a vital link to the onshore power grid hopelessly behind schedule. The delays have some reconsidering the ability of wind power to propel Germany into the post-nuclear era.

http://www.spiegel.de/international/business/0,1518,805505,00.html

Hawaii Wind Project Gets 11 MW Energy Storage

2011-12-30T07:56:00.004-06:00

Hawaii Wind Project Gets Energy Storage From A123 Systems

in News Departments > Projects & Contracts

by NAW Staff on Thursday 29 December 2011

A123 Systems, a developer and manufacturer of advanced nanophosphate lithium-ion batteries and systems, is supplying an 11 MW energy-storage system to Sempra Generation for the Auwahi Wind project in Maui, Hawaii.

The company says the energy-storage system is designed to smooth variable wind power generation, which is expected to help maintain the stability of Maui's electric grid.

When fully operational, the 21 MW Auwahi Wind project is expected to be capable of generating enough energy to power the equivalent of 10,000 homes. The Hawaii Public Utilities Commission has approved a 20-year contract for Maui Electric Co. to purchase the electricity produced from the wind farm.

"We believe that wind-rich locations like Hawaii represent a significant opportunity for energy storage, especially as project developers and utilities continue to understand that storage has the capability to help maximize production and reduce the challenges associated with the variability of wind power generation," notes Robert Johnson, vice president of A123’s Energy Solutions Group.

Slow Going on Cellulosic Biofuels

2011-12-26T16:03:00.001-06:00

ZeaChem starts construction in Oregon, but plans elsewhere have stalled or been scaled back.

By Kevin Bullis

ZeaChem, based in Lakewood, CO, has begun construction of a 250,000-gallon-per-year demonstration plant in Boardman, OR, that will produce chemicals from sugar and eventually ethanol from wood and other cellulosic materials.

Initially, the ZeaChem plant will convert sugar into ethyl acetate, a solvent used in making paints and in decaffeinating coffee. Its technology uses organisms that convert sugars into acetic acid, which can then be made into ethyl acetate. Within a year, ZeaChem plans to add equipment to this process that will allow the production of cellulosic ethanol. This includes a thermochemical process that breaks down wood, converting cellulose into sugars which can then be fed to the ethyl acetate-producing organisms. The process of breaking down the wood leaves behind a residue of lignin, which ZeaChem gasifies to make hydrogen. The hydrogen is then used to convert ethyl acetate into ethanol.

The plant is scheduled to begin producing both ethyl acetate and ethanol by next year. ZeaChem hopes to start construction on a 25 to 50 million gallon per year commercial cellulosic ethanol plant by 2012, says CEO Jim Imbler, but only after starting up a commercial ethyl-acetate plant.

ZeaChem's plans to put off making biofuels reflect the economic challenges that have kept large-scale commercial cellulosic ethanol production from proceeding as fast as many expected. A renewable fuel standard signed into law in late 2007 requires the use of 100 million gallons of cellulosic ethanol in the United States this year and will ramp up to 16 billion gallons by 2022. But so far no commercial plants are operating, according to the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO), a leading trade group representing biofuel companies. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced in February that it was scaling back the mandates to just 6.5 million gallons, which could be supplied by existing small-scale demonstration plants and new plants expected to open this year. That's up from approximately 3.5 million gallons produced in 2009. The renewable fuel standard requires 250 million gallons of cellulosic ethanol to be used next year, but BIO estimates that about 30 million gallons will be produced at planned plants. The EPA plans to announce any revisions to next year's requirement by November.

Several companies have had to delay or scale back plans for cellulosic ethanol plants. For example, Range Fuels, based in Broomfield, CO, announced in 2007that it expected to open a 20-million-gallon-per-year commercial facility in 2008, but it's pushed that back to this year and reduced the capacity to 10 million gallons. "The economic downturn severely constrained progress on commercializing cellulosic biofuels," says Range Fuels CEO David Aldous. "The downturn restricted access to capital, which put a number of commercial cellulosic biofuels plants that had been announced in 2008 on hold."

Mascoma, based in Lebanon, NH, has built a 200,000-gallon-per-year demonstration plant in New York, but it was initially intended to have a capacity of about half a million gallons per year. Plans for a plant that would produce 20 to 40 million gallons a year in Michigan are being delayed from 2012 to 2013 because of trouble securing financing, in spite of government help.

ZeaChem's Imbler says the recession is actually helping in some ways, by decreasing the costs of materials and making it easier to hire good workers. The company's strategy for making the business a financial success and attracting investment for commercial scale plants is to start by producing ethyl acetate, which "takes about half the equipment and sells for twice the price of ethanol, so it's an ideal starter product," he says. Other biofuels companies are taking a similar approach--looking for high value products to offset high costs, at least initially. ZeaChem plans to incorporate the technology into an existing corn ethanol plant for commercial production of ethyl acetate. "If all goes well, that plant could be in operation by the end of next year," he says. A stand-alone commercial cellulosic ethanol plant would follow. It could switch between selling acetic acid, ethyl acetate, or ethanol, depending on the market.

http://www.technologyreview.com/energy/25471/?mod=related

turning corn into butanol and chemicals.

2011-12-26T15:04:00.001-06:00

To Survive, Some Biofuels Companies Give Up on Biofuels

Companies such as Gevo hope to become profitable by turning corn into chemicals.

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 21, 2011
BY KEVIN BULLIS

Audio »

Plan B: The plant Gevo is retrofitting in Luverne, Minnesota.
Gevo

Gevo, a prominent advanced-biofuels company that has received millions in U.S. government funding to develop fuels made from cellulosic sources such as grass and wood chips, is finding that it can't use these materials if it hopes to survive. Instead, it's going to use corn, a common source for conventional biofuels. What's more, most of the product from its first facility will be used for chemicals rather than fuel.

As the difficulty of producing cellulosic biofuels cheaply becomes apparent, a growing number of advanced-biofuels companies are finding it necessary to take creative approaches to their business, even though that means abandoning some of their green credentials, at least temporarily, and focusing on markets that won't have a major impact on oil imports. This is hardly the outcome the government hoped for when it announced cellulosic-biofuels mandates, R&D funding, and other incentives in recent years.

Cellulosic biofuels still cost much more to produce than either corn ethanol or gasoline. One reason is that startups have had trouble raising enough money to build the large-scale commercial plants needed to lower costs. That's in part because their technology is unproven, and in part because there's no guaranteed market for cellulosic biofuels yet.

Additionally, government mandates that were meant to help create a market for cellulosic biofuels have so far been ineffective; it's typically cheaper for the fuel providers affected by the mandate to purchase credits rather than biofuels. And finally, supply chains for cellulosic materials aren't yet well developed, so companies face a challenge when they try to lock in reliable access to them.

Gevo's strategy addresses all these problems. Besides relying on corn in order to overcome supply challenges, the company is reducing capital costs by retrofitting existing corn ethanol plants rather than building new ones; the retrofit of the first plant, in Luverne, Minnesota, will cost about $40 million, a fraction of the hundreds of millions it costs to build a new plant. And rather than making ethanol, Gevo is making butanol, which can command a higher price—especially for use as a feedstock for the chemical industry. Gevo expects that it can make butanol from corn—a readily available feedstock—for significantly less than it costs to make it from petroleum.

Gevo plans to start operations at Luverne within the next six months or so and hopes to produce 17 million gallons of butanol per year there. Most of it is destined for Sasol Chemical Industries, which will sell the butanol to make chemicals.

Butanol can be converted into a wide range of chemicals for making plastics and other products that are now made with oil. Gevo already has an agreement with a major maker of synthetic rubber, and last week it announced a partnership with Coca-Cola to develop plastic bottles made entirely from plants.

Gevo is not entirely abandoning the fuels market, however. It has an agreement with a distributor that can sell the butanol for use in small engines and marine engines, two applications where ethanol doesn't work well. It's also making 11,000 gallons of jet fuel from its butanol for the U.S. Air Force, which wants to test it for use in planes. That contract will cover the cost of a 10,000-gallon-per-month jet fuel demonstration plant, says Pat Gruber, Gevo's CEO.

The use of corn for fuels and chemicals is controversial, in part because growing and processing corn releases significant amounts of greenhouse gas, and in part because using corn for fuel may affect food markets.

Gruber says the impact on food supplies and prices is mitigated by the fact that the protein in corn is still available for use in animal feed. He even makes the case that using the sugar from corn to make fuel rather than soft drinks could help the obesity problem in the United States.

"Suppose we're in a world where we're making huge quantities of fuels and displacing petroleum. We could come to the point where we're running in a conflict of food versus fuel," he says. "We should use only excess carbohydrates to make fuels." Even so, eventually the company plans to use nonfood sources. "The feedstock in the U.S. right now is corn starch," he says. "That's the right feedstock for us. In the future it will be cellulosics."

http://www.technologyreview.com/energy/39371/?p1=A2

Instalarán 100 molinos de viento en Paso de los Toros

2011-12-15T04:54:00.000-06:00

Desarrollo. La localidad recibirá inversiones por US$ 280:

TACUAREMBÓ | JOSÉ ESTEVES

Ayudado por una intensidad de vientos elevada y una cercanía a las redes de transmisión de UTE, Paso de los Toros se convertirá en una de las zonas con mayor generación eólica del país una vez que estén en marcha cuatro granjas en 2014.

"El 2012 va a ser un año de quiebre para Paso de los Toros", anunció a El País, el alcalde de esa ciudad, Juan José López. El jerarca esbozó la frase al referirse a las inversiones millonarias previstas en pueblo Centenario ubicado a dos kilómetros de Paso de los Toros, en Chamberlain y otras a poco más de 20 kilómetros de esta ciudad.

Para el año próximo, está previsto que se instalen 100 molinos de viento en una inversión que superará los US$ 100 millones y que comenzarán a producir energía en el 2014.

"El año que viene comienza la obra de instalación de 100 molinos para generar energía eólica", dijo el alcalde López. Según supo El País se trata de cuatro empresas que colocarán 25 molinos cada una.

"Se trata de cuatro empresas de capitales alemanes y brasileños que se instalarán entre el kilómetro 274 y 275 de la ruta 5. La obra generará 250 fuentes de trabajo", afirmó.

Paso de los Toros ha sido una de las zonas del país donde las empresas eólicas han presentado más propuestas en los distintos llamados a licitación que ha lanzado UTE en los últimos meses para contratar este tipo de energía.

La cercanía a las redes de media transmisión de UTE -elemento que reduce el monto de inversión- y una velocidad de vientos constante hizo atractiva esta zona para la formulación de sus respectivos proyectos que comenzarán a ejecutarse el próximo año.

Otra inversión que modificará la estructura comercial y energética de Paso de los Toros será la concreción de una planta de biomasa en Chamberlain.

"Esa será una obra que generará unas 300 fuentes de trabajo durante la construcción y seguramente una vez culminada quedarán trabajando alrededor de 100 personas", informó el alcalde de Paso de los Toros.

La inversión en este caso rondará los US$ 180 millones y forma parte del último llamado que hizo UTE para contratar generadores privados con biomasa con un precio fijo y otro variable según la disponibilidad de electricidad que pueda volcarse a la red.

Por otro lado, en pueblo Centenario ubicado a dos kilómetros de Paso de los Toros, pero perteneciente al departamento de Durazno, se instalará un frigorífico de capitales nacionales.

Además en esa misma localidad podrían comenzar las obras para la instalación de un centro turístico termal.

"Después de casi 60 años, Paso de los Toros podría mejorar su situación, habrá fuentes laborales para la población y por eso estimo que el 2012 será un año de quiebre para nosotros", culminó López.

Lanzaron llamado por 450 MW

La semana pasada el Ejecutivo publicó un decreto que habilitó a UTE a contratar energía eólica sin realizar un nuevo llamado a licitación como estaba previsto originalmente. De esta manera, las autoridades procuran ganar tiempo en la ejecución de una licitación eólica que estaba definida con una potencia de 450 megavatios (MW), el mayor llamado privado que ha hecho UTE para contratar esta fuente energética hasta el presente.

http://www.elpais.com.uy/111215/pecono-612668/actualidad/instalaran-100-molinos-de-viento-en-paso-de-los-toros/

UTE finalmete fija una FIT de $63.5/mwh para la eolica

2011-12-08T03:52:00.001-06:00

UTE contratará eólica sin lanzar licitación

El ente podría aceptar más de 450 Mw si hay oferta

El Poder Ejecutivo publicó ayer un decreto que habilita a UTE a contratar energía eólica sin realizar un nuevo llamado a licitación como estaba previsto originalmente. El gobierno se apoyó en una facultad legal que la permite el numeral 3º del artículo 33 del Tocaf.

De esta manera, las autoridades procuran ganar tiempo en la ejecución de una licitación eólica que estaba definida con una potencia de 450 Megavatios (Mw), el mayor llamado privado que ha hecho UTE para contratar esta fuente energética hasta el presente.

No obstante, el director del ente, Gerardo Rey, adelantó ayer a El País que en caso que se reciban ofertas por encima de esa potencia máxima, al empresa está dispuesta a "evaluar" la contratación de más de 450 Mw. Para poder acceder a este procedimiento de contratación, los oferentes deberán aceptar vender la energía al precio promedio ponderado en potencia de las adjudicaciones de la licitación anterior de 150 Mw. Esto será alrededor de US$ 63,5 por Mwh.

El origen de esta modificación surgió de las propias empresas privadas que elevaron este planteo que fue de recibo para el directorio de UTE.El decreto establece que un oferente no podrá ser contratado por una potencia mayor a 50 Mw. La preferencia para realizar contratos de venta de energía estará asignada por el resultado del último llamado eólico. Es decir, sacando a los tres ganadores del proceso anterior, se respetará la oferta de precio que realizaron los privados en su momento.

Por otro lado, Rey informó que se admitirá al cambio de ubicación y/o punto de conexión a la red de UTE de los proyectos que se encuentren en zonas del país en las que la implementación del mismo sature la red de transmisión.

En tanto, las empresas que firmen contrato con UTE, también tendrán el beneficio de recibir US$ 110 por Mwh para todos aquellas granjas eólicas que vendan electricidad antes de 2015.

Con este mecanismo, el ente energético se ahorra todo el proceso de análisis individual y clasificación de cada una de las empresas como ocurrió en el llamado anterior. El gobierno espera superar los 1.000 Mw de potencia instalada de energía eólica antes de 2015.
http://www.elpais.com.uy/111208/pecono-611317/actualidad/ute-contratara-eolica-sin-lanzar-licitacion/

Exxon declara rey al gas natural

2011-12-08T03:47:00.001-06:00

Exxon Declares Gas King

Abundant Fuel Expected to Dethrone Coal as Top U.S. Power Generator by 2025

By TOM FOWLER

Natural gas will replace coal as the leading fuel for generating electricity in the U.S. by 2025, when it will also become the world's No. 2 overall fuel source thanks to its abundance and a drive for cleaner-burning energy, according to the latest long-term outlook from Exxon Mobil Corp.

Enlarge Image

Bloomberg News

An XTO natural-gas facility in 2006. Exxon expects gas to be the No. 2 global fuel source by the next decade.

The closely watched study, set to be released Thursday, forecasts that global energy demand will grow about 30% by 2040 as the world population climbs to nine billion from seven billion.

Natural gas will overtake coal as the second-largest fuel source overall, ranking behind oil and powering everything from electrical plants to home-heating systems. But Exxon said coal use will continue to grow through 2025 around the world, primarily in developing nations such as China and India and the African continent, because economic growth will be fastest in emerging nations.

But thereafter coal use will start to drop, for the first time in history, according to the study, which Exxon uses to help its long-range planning. Key drivers in that expected drop in coal use will be growing demand for fuels that produce fewer greenhouse gases and a decline in China's population expected after 2030.

Exxon in recent years has moved to expand its natural-gas business, including the $25 billion purchase of U.S. shale-gas producer XTO Energy in 2010.

But the report isn't a public-relations exercise, said Bill Colton, Exxon's vice president of corporate strategic planning, who oversees the report.

"It's not about the future Exxon might like to see, but what we think will happen," Mr. Colton said. "The last thing we want to do is delude ourselves about the future."

Exxon has created a world-energy outlook for decades to help guide its many business units in long-term planning, but it wasn't until 2004 that the oil major, based in Irving, Texas, decided to publish it.

The report doesn't predict energy production or forecast prices.

The report is bullish on overall global economic growth and accompanying energy-demand growth through 2040, Mr. Colton said, in spite of the economic problems in the U.S. and Europe. Energy-demand growth in developed nations is expected to be modest in coming years and actually fall 2% overall from 2010 to 2040, thanks largely to efficiency improvements, Exxon predicts.

But developing nations will see energy demand grow 57% through 2040, with demand for electricity expected to grow by 80% as the standard of living improves, the report projected.

The report also predicts that between 2030 and 2040 hybrid vehicles—cars that use a combination of gasoline engines and electric motors—will move from the margins of the market to the mainstream, from about 1% of the current fleet to more than 40% in 2040.

Overall vehicle-fuel efficiency will grow from 27 miles per gallon in 2010 to 48 mpg in 2040, according to Exxon. This will lead to a flattening of fuel demand for passenger cars despite a doubling of the fleet to 1.6 billion vehicles by 2040.

Demand for fuel by large trucks, airplanes, ships and trains will rise by 70% from 2010 to 2040, however, driven by world economic growth and the need to move more global cargo. Global demand for diesel is expected to rise by 85% through 2040, while gasoline demand will be down 10% by 2040.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203501304577084594165136990.html?mod=WSJ_hp_LEFTWhatsNewsCollection

gas natural comprimido (CNG) para vehiculos en Texas

2011-12-01T15:43:00.001-06:00

Clean Energy invites you to attend the
Grand Opening of the

Compressed Natural Gas (CNG)
Fueling Station in Arlington

with Mayor Robert Cluck

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Ribbon Cutting at 10:00 a.m.

1731 E. Division Street

(at Stadium Drive)

Arlington, TX 76011

RSVP here

Siemens Launches 6 MW Offshore Wind Turbine

2011-11-30T07:56:00.001-06:00

in News Departments > Products & Technologies

by NAW Staff on Tuesday 29 November 2011

Siemens Energy has officially launched its new 6 MW direct-drive offshore wind turbine - the SWT-6.0 - which will be available with a rotor diameter of either 120 meters or 154 meters.

The direct-drive wind turbine is offered with two different rotor blades. The SWT-6.0-154 features the largest rotor blade in the 6 MW class, using the new B75 Quantum Blade, Siemens explains, and the SWT-6.0-120 is equipped with the B58 rotor blade.

According to Siemens, the SWT-6.0-120 will bring direct-drive technology to customers offshore, even in areas where air traffic and height restrictions usually preclude wind turbine installations of the 6 MW class.

In addition, the entire electrical system of the new 6 MW machine - including the medium-voltage system and the full converter - is now enclosed in the nacelle, which Siemens says speeds up both pre-commissioning and commissioning.

The company is currently in the process of thoroughly testing and validating the performance of the new wind turbine.

el calentamiento global se desinfla

2011-11-28T23:53:00.001-06:00

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203935604577066183761315576.html

The Great Global Warming Fizzle

The climate religion fades in spasms of anger and twitches of boredom.

How do religions die? Generally they don't, which probably explains why there's so little literature on the subject. Zoroastrianism, for instance, lost many of its sacred texts when Alexander sacked Persepolis in 330 B.C., and most Zoroastrians converted to Islam over 1,000 years ago. Yet today old Zoroaster still counts as many as 210,000 followers, including 11,000 in the U.S. Christopher Hitchens might say you can't kill what wasn't there to begin with.

Still, Zeus and Apollo are no longer with us, and neither are Odin and Thor. Among the secular gods, Marx is mostly dead and Freud is totally so. Something did away with them, and it's worth asking what.

Consider the case of global warming, another system of doomsaying prophecy and faith in things unseen.

As with religion, it is presided over by a caste of spectacularly unattractive people pretending to an obscure form of knowledge that promises to make the seas retreat and the winds abate. As with religion, it comes with an elaborate list of virtues, vices and indulgences. As with religion, its claims are often non-falsifiable, hence the convenience of the term "climate change" when thermometers don't oblige the expected trend lines. As with religion, it is harsh toward skeptics, heretics and other "deniers." And as with religion, it is susceptible to the earthly temptations of money, power, politics, arrogance and deceit.

This week, the conclave of global warming's cardinals are meeting in Durban, South Africa, for their 17th conference in as many years. The idea is to come up with a successor to the Kyoto Protocol, which is set to expire next year, and to require rich countries to pony up $100 billion a year to help poor countries cope with the alleged effects of climate change. This is said to be essential because in 2017 global warming becomes "catastrophic and irreversible," according to a recent report by the International Energy Agency.

Yet a funny thing happened on the way to the climate apocalypse. Namely, the financial apocalypse.

The U.S., Russia, Japan, Canada and the EU have all but confirmed they won't be signing on to a new Kyoto. The Chinese and Indians won't make a move unless the West does. The notion that rich (or formerly rich) countries are going to ship $100 billion every year to the Micronesias of the world is risible, especially after they've spent it all on Greece.

Cap and trade is a dead letter in the U.S. Even Europe is having second thoughts about carbon-reduction targets that are decimating the continent's heavy industries and cost an estimated $67 billion a year. "Green" technologies have all proved expensive, environmentally hazardous and wildly unpopular duds.

All this has been enough to put the Durban political agenda on hold for the time being. But religions don't die, and often thrive, when put to the political sidelines. A religion, when not physically extinguished, only dies when it loses faith in itself.

That's where the Climategate emails come in. First released on the eve of the Copenhagen climate summit two years ago and recently updated by a fresh batch, the "hide the decline" emails were an endless source of fun and lurid fascination for those of us who had never been convinced by the global-warming thesis in the first place.

But the real reason they mattered is that they introduced a note of caution into an enterprise whose motivating appeal resided in its increasingly frantic forecasts of catastrophe. Papers were withdrawn; source material re-examined. The Himalayan glaciers, it turned out, weren't going to melt in 30 years. Nobody can say for sure how high the seas are likely to rise—if much at all. Greenland isn't turning green. Florida isn't going anywhere.

The reply global warming alarmists have made to these dislosures is that they did nothing to change the underlying science, and only improved it in particulars. So what to make of the U.N.'s latest supposedly authoritative report on extreme weather events, which is tinged with admissions of doubt and uncertainty? Oddly, the report has left climate activists stuttering with rage at what they call its "watered down" predictions. If nothing else, they understand that any belief system, particularly ones as young as global warming, cannot easily survive more than a few ounces of self-doubt.

Meanwhile, the world marches on. On Sunday, 2,232 days will have elapsed since a category 3 hurricane made landfall in the U.S., the longest period in more than a century that the U.S. has been spared a devastating storm. Great religions are wise enough to avoid marking down the exact date when the world comes to an end. Not so for the foolish religions. Expect Mayan cosmology to take a hit to its reputation when the world doesn't end on Dec. 21, 2012. Expect likewise when global warming turns out to be neither catastrophic nor irreversible come 2017.

And there is this: Religions are sustained in the long run by the consolations of their teachings and the charisma of their leaders. With global warming, we have a religion whose leaders are prone to spasms of anger and whose followers are beginning to twitch with boredom. Perhaps that's another way religions die.

Write to bstephens@wsj.com

gas natural en Africa - LNG

2011-11-28T10:44:00.001-06:00

Africa's East Coast in Natural-Gas Spotlight

By GUY CHAZAN

The east coast of Africa confirmed its place as one of the brightest spots on the global energy landscape after Anadarko Petroleum Corp. dramatically raised its estimate for the amount of natural gas contained in a big field it has found off the coast of Mozambique.

Anadarko's chief executive, Jim Hackett, said the revised estimate increased the company's confidence that "this could be one of the most important natural gas fields discovered in the last 10 years."

Anadarko said it had upped the estimate of recoverable resources from the four discoveries made in its Offshore Area 1 block to between 15 trillion and 30 trillion cubic feet of gas. Initially, it had said the fields contained 6 trillion cubic feet, a figure it raised to 10 trillion cubic feet in October. Thirty trillion cubic feet would be enough to meet an entire year's consumption of gas by the U.S.

Anadarko, whose partners include Dublin-based Cove Energy PLC and Japan's Mitsui & Co. Ltd, is operator of the field with a 36.5% interest. Cove's London-listed shares were up 10% Monday on the news.

The announcement came just a month after ENI SpA, the Italian energy giant, announced it had found 22.5 trillion cubic feet of gas off the coast of Mozambique—the biggest such exploration discovery in the company's history. Such large resources appear big enough to sustain the construction of a large liquefied natural gas—or LNG—plant in Mozambique, catapulting this impoverished former Portuguese colony into the world's major league of gas exporters.

The discoveries come at a time when the importance of natural gas in the global energy balance is rising. Concerns about climate change are pushing power companies to switch from coal and oil to clean-burning gas in electricity generation and its potential as a transport fuel is also being widely explored.

The global oil majors have long produced oil in west Africa, in countries like Angola and Nigeria, which together pump about 4.2 million barrels of crude a day. But they are increasingly turning eastwards, drawn particularly to the deep waters off Africa's eastern and south-eastern coast.

Tullow Oil plc has been a leader, finding huge quantities of oil in Uganda's Lake Albert rift basin; Total SA of France and China's CNOOC Ltd. are also partners in the project. Total recently acquired the license to a heavy oil field in Madagascar.

Meanwhile the gas-rich waters offshore Tanzania have recently attracted a number of big players, including Exxon Mobil Corp, Statoil ASA of Norway and BG Group PLC, which is also exploring offshore Kenya.

"I'm convinced that in ten years time, Tanzania, Mozambique and Kenya will together form a major gas hub for Asian and Far Eastern markets," said John Craven, CEO of Cove Energy, in an interview.

Write to Simon Hall at simon.hall@dowjones.com

http://online.wsj.com/community/groups/market-view-845/topics/should-euro-zone-countries-jointly-issue

“Talas de Maciel” parque eolico en Cerro Colorado Flores

2011-11-24T05:02:00.001-06:00

http://www.ecosregionales.net/?edicion=1624&noticia=18145
DURANTE LA ETAPA DE CONSTRUCCIÓN SE PREVÉ QUE SE EMPLEARÁN ENTRE 70 Y 100 PERSONAS
Fue presentado ante DINAMA el proyecto de Parque Eólico “Talas de Maciel”
SITIO DE EMPLAZAMIENTO DE ESTE PARQUE EÓLICO SE ENCUENTRA EN LA ZONA CENTRO-ESTE DEL DEPARTAMENTO DE FLORES, ENTRE LA RUTA 3 Y LA RUTA 5, A 18 KM AL SURESTE DE TRINIDAD

Fue presentado ante DINAMA el proyecto de Parque Eólico denominado “Talas de Maciel”, de la empresa Astidey S.A. respondiendo al llamado a licitación formulado por UTE.

Según la descripción del proyecto, al que accedió ECOS REGIONALES, el sitio de emplazamiento de este parque eólico se encuentra en la zona centro-este del departamento de Flores, entre la Ruta 3 y la Ruta 5, a 18 km al sureste de Trinidad, capital departamental.
Dentro del área de influencia se encuentran las localidades de Cerro Colorado a 11,5 km al suroeste de los predios del parque, Juan José Castro, ubicada a 11 km al noroeste del límite del padrón más cercano involucrado. Otras localidades más alejadas a los predios son: Goñi, Puntas del Maciel y Sarandí Grande.
Existen escuelas rurales en las localidades anteriormente mencionadas y otra cercana a Villasboas. Éstas son la Escuela Rural N° 15 en Cerro Colorado, la Escuela Rural N° 25 en Juan José Castro y la Escuela Rural N° 35 cerca de Villasboas.

El proyecto se desarrolla en los padrones 480, 481, 489, 492, 519, 571, 601, 1508, 1994, 1995, 2044, 2210, 2772, 2781, 3190 y 3630 todos pertenecientes a la 6ta Sección Catastral en la zona centro-este del departamento de Flores entre la Ruta 3 y la Ruta 5 a 18 km al sureste de Trinidad , capital departamental.
Estos padrones totalizan unas 4.939,4 hectáreas donde se podrán ubicar de 40 a 66 aerogeneradores dependiendo de la disposición que surja seleccionada en base a la clasificación obtenida y a la evolución del mercado.
Todos serán aerogeneradores de eje horizontal, tres aspas; el peso total de los equipos varía de 90 a 150 toneladas.
Para desarrollar el emprendimiento será necesario acondicionar la caminería de acceso hasta los predios. En todos los casos se acondicionarán 25,5 km de caminería existente.

TENDIDO ELÉCTRICOExistirá un tendido interno del parque de media tensión el cual será subterráneo en zanjas de 80 x 100 cm. Este tendido, para cada disposición, sigue la traza de la caminería interna en su mayoría de su trazado.
Se necesitará realizar un tendido específico para el transporte de la energía generada a la red nacional. Este tendido será aéreo en voltaje de 150 kV, de 6,7 km de extensión conectando la subestación del parque con la línea de transmisión de 150 kV ubicada al norte de la Ruta 3.
Según lo que se estipula en el pliego de licitaciones de UTE, el Estudio de Impacto Ambiental de los proyectos de conexión deberá evaluarse en forma separada del proyecto del parque eólico una vez esté aprobado definitivamente el proyecto de conexión.
Se construirá una subestación en el padrón 1995 a la cual llegará todo el tendido interno del parque de baja tensión ahí se convertirá a alta tensión y de esta subestación sale la línea aérea que transportará la energía generada por el parque a la red nacional.
Se contará con un edificio de control a construirse junto a la subestación en el mismo padrón 1995. Esta tendrá un almacén de 168 m2, una sala de celdas de 30,8 m2, una sala de baterías de 8 m2, una sala de control de 16 m2, vestuarios y servicios en un área de 12 m2, y comedor y sala de reuniones en un área de 14,8 m2 aproximadamente.

ETAPA CONSTRUCTIVALos aerogeneradores llegarán por vía terrestre desde el puerto de Montevideo al sitio del emprendimiento.
Para la instalación será necesaria la realización de fundaciones en hormigón. Estas se conformarán por una platea de hormigón subterránea de dimensiones variables según el aerogenerador usado.
La planta de hormigón se instalará transitoriamente en los predios a ocupar.
El movimiento de suelo proyectado para cada fundación es función de las dimensiones y varía de 370 a 750 m3. Parte de este volumen de suelo se utilizará para rellenar la excavación una vez colocada la base para el aerogenerador. Dentro de la fundación se ubicará la primera sección del aerogenerador llamada anillo de fundación.
Para el montaje se requerirá de una plataforma de trabajo de aproximadamente 100 m x 100 m de área libre para la operación de la grúa y para el montaje del rotor.

MANO DE OBRADurante la etapa de construcción se prevé que se emplearán entre 70 y 100 personas que provendrán de las localidades cercanas para cualquiera de las configuraciones.
En la etapa de construcción y montaje existirán instalaciones para el personal dentro del predio (vestuario y comedor). Estas serán removidas dado que en la fase de operación no existirá personal permanente en el parque. En ninguna de las etapas existirán campamentos para pernocte del personal.

DURACIÓN DE LA OBRASe estima que la obra podrá insumir entre 12 y 16 meses en total, dependiendo fundamentalmente de las condiciones climáticas. Los atrasos de los equipos en el puerto, y eventuales roturas de equipos podrán ser motivos de extensión del plazo previsto.
El personal afectado a la operativa del parque realizará sus funciones en forma remota mayoritariamente, salvo en los casos de mantenimiento preventivo y/o los cuales serán desarrollados en el sitio.
La cantidad de personal de mantenimiento estimada es de entre 5 y 8 operarios.
Cabe agregar que la construcción requerirá la instalación de una planta de hormigón armado (en caso que no se pueda adquirir el hormigón de Trinidad), la instalación de un obrador el cual incluirá vestuarios, oficinas, talleres y laboratorio.

LOS IMPACTOS POSITIVOS DEL PROYECTOLa construcción y operación del proyecto implicará los siguientes impactos positivos derivados: Generación de mano de obra, introducción de nueva infraestructura de caminería rural y reacondicionamiento de la existente, aumento de la generación de energía eléctrica a partir de una fuente renovable, reducción de emisores de gases de efecto invernadero a nivel país, posibilidad de acceso a la electricidad para la población cercana, fortalecimiento de la matriz energética en base a su diversificación, potenciación de la imagen del país en cuanto a su compromiso con el Cambio Climático, inserción de nuevas tecnologías, las que crean nuevas oportunidades, mejor posicionamiento del país para reducir la dependencia energética.
Se entiende que el aumento en la generación de energía a nivel nacional a partir de fuentes renovables es un punto muy importante y favorable del proyecto dada la difícil situación energética que atraviesa el país, derivada del aumento de la demanda, de las escasas inversiones en generación en el pasado y a la dependencia parcial de una fuente no renovable e inexistente por el momento en el país.
Teniendo en cuenta que el costo de la generación de energía a partir de combustibles fósiles es cada vez más comprometido y que la generación hidroeléctrica se encuentra virtualmente al máximo de su potencialidad en el país, esta nueva fuente diversificará la matriz energética nacional y aumentará la generación local, logrando disminuir las importaciones de crudo que a la par de costosas contribuyen notablemente al efecto invernadero, y por ende al aumento de la emisión país.

IMPACTOS NEGATIVOS Los impactos identificados como potencialmente significativos en la etapa de construcción son los siguientes: Cambio en los niveles de presión sonora (en adelante NPS), potencialidad de hallazgos arqueológicos, afectación a la infraestructura y seguridad vial debido al tránsito generado y de la seguridad vial en rutas de acceso.

offshore wind annual growth rate of 32%

2011-11-11T08:25:00.001-06:00

Offshore wind continues to be the industry’s silver lining, with above-average growth rates and a strong and steady project pipeline. MAKE maintains its expectation for offshore wind power to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 32% from 2010 to 2016.
http://www.nawindpower.com/e107_plugins/content/content.php?content.8891

Alemania - pumped storage en minas de carbon

2011-11-09T12:32:00.001-06:00

http://www.spiegel.de/international/business/0,1518,796399,00.html

torres de mas de 100 metros.- eolica

2011-10-28T08:40:00.003-05:00

http://www.atlasctb.com/video.html

eolica en Texas a $35/MWh

2011-10-28T07:15:00.002-05:00

AWEA: Wind Power Is Cost Competitive, But That Could Change

in News Departments > New & Noteworthy

by Laura DiMugno on Thursday 27 October 2011

The U.S. installed over 1.204 GW of wind power capacity in the third quarter - more than in any other quarter since 2008, the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) said in its third-quarter market report.

The nation now has a cumulative installed wind power capacity of 43.461 GW, representing 3% of the U.S.' electricity production as of July.

By the end of the year, the U.S.' installed wind energy capacity is expected to fall between the industry's 2009 peak and its recent slump in 2010, as new wind capacity installed so far this year totals 3.360 GW - up 75% over last year at this time.

In addition, a staggering 8.4 GW of wind power are currently under construction, as companies race to get their projects online before the Dec. 31, 2012, production tax credit (PTC) in-service deadline. Incentives such as the PTC have led wind power to be nearly cost competitive with conventional sources of energy, AWEA’s CEO, Denise Bode, said in a statement addressing the report.

Technological innovation and a burgeoning U.S. manufacturing industry have contributed to these cost reductions, the report noted. However, an extension of the PTC will be critical to wind’s attractive pricing - as well as to the industry’s overall success, Bode stressed.

“A lot of people will be surprised by how inexpensive wind energy rates are now, because it’s happened so fast,” she said. “We could lose all these consumer benefits and a brand-new, growing manufacturing sector if Congress allows the production tax credit to expire.”

According to Bode, the wind power manufacturing sector has the potential to support a half a million jobs in less than 20 years - an argument she intends to make to lawmakers.

However, policy uncertainty is not the only factor keeping wind power from truly competing with traditional forms of energy. According to Department of Energy senior adviser Richard Kaufmann, who hosted a discussion on renewable energy last week, renewables have tended to be more expensive than traditional forms of energy because they lack the economies of scale that have already been established for conventional sources of energy.

Nonetheless, “Grid parity is not very far ahead,” Kauffman noted, referring to both wind and solar energy.

The AWEA report cited several instances where wind power has been cost competitive with traditional forms of energy. For instance, in Texas, the Austin City Council recently approved two new wind power contracts totaling 291 MW, and authorized Austin Energy to negotiate a third wind contract for another 200 MW. Both contracts are priced in the $35/MWh to $45/MWh range, which the council says is comparable to natural-gas prices.

Texas is, of course, the most well-established wind energy market in the U.S., but the state did not install the most wind energy in the third quarter, but rather, came in at No. 5, with 88 MW installed during the quarter. First place went to Colorado, with 501 MW installed, followed by Minnesota, with 163 MW; Oklahoma, with 130 MW; and a somewhat surprising fourth-place state - West Virginia - with 98 MW.

Don't miss the latest wind energy news -- register to receive NAW's news headlines.

http://www.nawindpower.com/e107_plugins/content/content.php?content.8807

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