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Vince outlined how QFleet is meeting the emission reduction goals in the Climate Smart Action Plan. This included the introduction of the new Mitsubishi i-MiEV into their fleet.

Received & published by Henry Sapiecha

A carbon price might still appear years away, but a voluntary “white certificate” market where corporations and individuals trade the benefits of reduced energy consumption could be in place by July next year. That is one of the key recommendations of the prime minister’s task force on energy efficiency, released last Friday, which calls for something of a culture shock in this country on the way it consumes energy.

The task force said a formal trading scheme should be in place by mid-2012 as one of the key policy platforms to lift the country’s energy efficiency by 30% and a voluntary market where corporations and households could gain benefit from early action could take place as early as July 2011.

The underlying goal of the task force is to replace the mish-mash of ineffective and half-hearted policies with a focused national scheme that would support a trading mechanism with strict national efficiency targets. To date, Australia has implemented less than one fifth of the key energy efficiency recommendations made by the International Energy Authority and trails the OECD so badly that, even if its policy recommendations were implemented, there is no guarantee Australia would be able to make up lost ground. In a world of high energy costs (yes, including Australia) and reduced emissions, that could pose problems.

The task force believes that the trading market would be one of the principal mechanisms that could help cut household energy costs by up to $296 a year from where they would be otherwise, reduce peak energy demand by up to 1400MW below the reference case through to 2020 and save up to $12 billion in avoided energy infrastructure costs.

The scheme would work something like this: The government might set a mandatory obligation for an energy retailer to find 40,000 units of energy efficiency savings a year — and the failure to do so would incur a penalty of $40 a unit.

A householder installing a new heating system that achieves an energy efficiency saving of 10 units would be able to sell those units to the retailer, potentially for up to $400, either directly or through a reduced purchase price from an energy services company.

The task force notes that this would be similar to what occurs for renewable energy through the renewable energy target, where households investing in solar water heaters or small solar power systems can claim renewable energy certificates and sell them to electricity retailers, or installers offer water heaters to householders at a price that is reduced by the value of the certificates.

It would mean that Australia would have three market mechanisms to support the reduction of energy use, the transition to renewable energy and reduced emissions.

The task force suggests that the RET and the energy savings initiative would not be able to achieve the current 2020 emissions reduction target by themselves, but it could better prepare the economy to respond to a carbon price.

“An explicit price on carbon will underpin and catalyse energy efficiency throughout the economy — greatly enhancing the effectiveness of proposals in this report. Energy efficiency policy is an important part of a suite of responses to climate change, but it cannot realistically be expected to do the ‘heavy lifting’ needed to deliver Australia’s greenhouse gas reduction targets.”

Energy efficiency will also help major emitters cope with emission reduction targets. The report notes that smelting and refining group Nyrstar, one of the most vocal critics of the CPRS, had identified energy savings of 11% from the first initiatives spawned from the energy efficiency opportunities program.

If the task force recommendations are adopted, it seems certain that Australian business and households are in for something of a culture shock when it comes to energy consumption, particularly those businesses (and banks) that will only invest in initiatives that increase production and ignore those that could provide a higher rate of return by reducing costs.

The report notes that Australia compares badly with the OECD average on energy intensity, and has done comparatively little in terms of programs and standards, simply because energy has been so cheap and formed such a small part of business and household expenses.

Indeed, it says there has been such limited demand that most Australian financial institutions do not even have the intellectual property and products needed to finance energy efficiency, meaning that few projects that have been proposed have gotten the finance to go ahead.

Because energy costs have been considered so immaterial, company boards have not investigated potentially very profitable energy efficiency options that would deliver a quick payback on investments. Some substantial energy efficiency upgrades that could deliver good rates of return were unable to access capital expenditure budgets as they were dumped in favour of projects that increased production but delivered lower rates of return.

The task force wants businesses to move from a position where energy efficiency is considered to be a useful means of saving money and getting good PR, to becoming part of a company’s core business and fundamental to its competitiveness, productivity and social licence to operate.

All of this will present a challenge to electricity generators and retailers, who have built up large franchises based on the simple concept that selling more electrons and building more power stations means making more money.

The task force says that, if its recommendations are taken up, the gains in energy efficiency and fall in energy consumption would also lead to lower wholesale prices, and lower profits for existing generators — possibly of between $600 million and $1.5 billion over the period 2012 to 2020.

It says, though, that over this time total generator profit is estimated at about $40 billion and “does not represent a loss to the economy”, as there is a countervailing benefit to energy users through lower energy costs. Indeed, it nominates a net benefit to the economy from the scheme of $6.6 billion.

And it notes that some companies have learned to deal with the change and focus on other metrics. The UK retailer E.ON, for instance, now states on its website: “Our business is selling energy. The more energy people use, the more money we make, surely? Except, for a forward-looking energy company with an eye on more than short-term profit, it doesn’t. Our ideal would be to have more customers. All using less energy.”

*This article originally appeared on Climate Spectator

Sourced & published by Henry Sapiecha

]]> http://www.energy-options.info/2010/10/carbon-tax-in-australia/feed/ 0 http://www.energy-options.info/2010/10/forest-waste-into-valuable-crude-oil-fuel/ http://www.energy-options.info/2010/10/forest-waste-into-valuable-crude-oil-fuel/#comments Sun, 10 Oct 2010 09:21:50 +0000 Editor http://energy-options.info/?p=803 Bio-Crude Turns Cheap Wood

Waste into Valuable Fuel

Science (Feb. 4, 2008) — CSIRO and Monash University have developed a chemical process that turns green waste into a stable bio-crude oil. The bio-crude oil can be used to produce high value chemicals and biofuels, including both petrol and diesel replacement fuels.

“By making changes to the chemical process, we’ve been able to create a concentrated bio-crude which is much more stable than that achieved elsewhere in the world,” says Dr Steven Loffler of CSIRO Forest Biosciences.

“This makes it practical and economical to produce bio-crude in local areas for transport to a central refinery, overcoming the high costs and greenhouse gas emissions otherwise involved in transporting bulky green wastes over long distances.”

The process uses low value waste such as forest thinnings, crop residues, waste paper and garden waste, significant amounts of which are currently dumped in landfill or burned.

“By using waste, our Furafuel technology overcomes the food versus fuel debate which surrounds biofuels generated from grains, corn and sugar,” says Dr Loffler.

“The project forms part of CSIRO’s commitment to delivering cleaner energy and reducing greenhouse gas emissions by improving technologies for converting waste biomass to transport fuels.”

The plant wastes being targeted for conversion into biofuels contain chemicals known as lignocellulose, which is increasingly favoured around the world as a raw material for the next generation of bio-ethanol.

Lignocellulose is both renewable and potentially greenhouse gas neutral. It is predominantly found in trees and is made up of cellulose; lignin, a natural plastic; and hemicellulose.

CSIRO and Monash University will apply to patent the chemical processes underpinning the conversion of green wastes to bio-crude oil once final laboratory trials are completed.

The research to date is supported by funding from CSIRO’s Energy Transformed Flagship program, Monash University, Circa Group and Forest Wood Products Australia.

National Research Flagships CSIRO initiated the National Research Flagships to provide science-based solutions in response to Australia’s major research challenges and opportunities. The nine Flagships form multidisciplinary teams with industry and the research community to deliver impact and benefits for Australia.

Sourced & published by Henry Sapiecha

Eeklo – One 1800kW wind turbine – December 2002

At the end of 2002 Electrawinds and Ecopower installed four Enercon E66 wind turbines. It concerns 1.8MW turbines. Electrawinds constructed one turbine which provides renewable energy for 1200 families on an annual basis. Sourced and published by Henry Sapiecha 18th July 2009

Zedelgem – One 1800kW wind turbine – December 2002

In December 2002 Electrawinds installed a wind turbine at the Arend Industrial Estate in Zedelgem. It concerns an Enercon E66 turbine with a capacity of 1.8MW. Sourced and published by Henry Sapiecha 18th July 2009

Gistel – One 2.3 MW wind turbine -

May 2007

The Gistel windmill farm is a cooperation project between several partners, including Aspiravi. Electrawinds installed one 2.3MW wind turbine which has been operational since 2007. Sourced and published by Henry Sapiecha 18th July 2009

Middelkerke – 1.3MW solar farm -

June 2007

In June 2007 Electrawinds started a solar energy project in which renewable energy is generated by capturing light in photovoltaic solar cells. These cells directly convert the light into electricity. More specifically, a 6ha site in Middelkerke has been completely covered with 7695 solar panels (approx. 400 families). Sourced and published by Henry Sapiecha 18th July 2009

Projects using green power

Evolis in Belgium

Cows are the answer

Aidan Turnbull reports on a recent visit to Electrawinds Biomass Mouscron, one of Belgium’s most advanced cogeneration plants based on biofuels. such as biomass and solar energy.

It’s incredible to think that tallow from rendered-down dead cows could be one of the major sustainable fuel sources behind 18MW of ‘green energy’ being produced by the Mouscron co-gen facility.
In terms of energy that’s enough to supply the needs of 44,000 families and still produce enough recoverable ‘waste’ heat to sell to industry facilities in the vicinity – and warm up local swimming pools too.
The other significant fact about the project, say the operators, is the
remarkable reliability and low wear rates the engines at Mouscron have achieved since their installation in 2006.
When the plant was first commissioned the concept of running engines on biofuel was pretty much uncharted territory.
But with their broad insensitivity to fuel quality, Mouscron’s large medium speed diesel engines, designed for heavy fuel oils, seem to cope readily with carbondioxide neutral fuels such as plant oils,
animal fats and various blends of wasteoils.
Typically, these are fuels which can cause considerable problems in high-speed engines with their more sensitive injection systems. But thanks to large mediumspeed diesel engines made by MAN Diesel,
they have effectively become part of the global warming solution.
The technology Electrawinds nv, headquartered in Ostend, Belgium, is currently the largest private player on the Belgian market for
renewable energy. Initially a provider of ‘green’ electricity, it began establishing wind energy projects, but soon began toinvest in other forms of renewable energ.

Its business strategy of combining wind, biomass and solar energy is unique in Belgium. Electrawinds now operates inItaly, France and Eastern-Europe. The story really begins In August 2005 when Electrawinds set up its first 13MW biofuel-based energy-generating plant in Ostend.
A template for later projects, the role of this facility was to convert animal and vegetable fats into sustainable energy.
Today, the Ostend plant has a capacity of Mouscron’s large medium speed
diesel engines, designed for heavy fuel oils, seem to cope readily
with carbon-dioxide neutral fuels such plant

Sourced and published by Henry Sapiecha 18th July 2009

Boilers – a power plant’s heart Fluidised -bed boiler installation.

www.doosanheavy.com Internet link

Korea South East Power runs an eco-friendly power plant armed with state-of-the-art, high- efficiency environmental facilities – including a DeSOx & DeNOx System, and electrical dust collectors- but a new fluidised bed boiler is key to the operation.

Korea’s latest and largest coal-fired, eco-friendly,high-efficiency powerfacility – officially titled the Yonghung Thermal Power Plant Units 3and 4 – has been operating at optimal levels recently. This is all thanks to thenew core facilities and boiler equipment.

Run by Korea South East Power, the units are now part of an 870MW-class coal-fired power plantwhich uses ultra super criticaltechnology.

Moreover, the facility is aneco-friendly power plant armed with
state-of-the-art, high- efficiency environmentalfacilities (including desulfurisation, DeSOx & DeNOx System, and electrical dust collectors).
A company spokesman told IPA: “The completion of the Yonghung Thermal Power Plant Units 1 and 2 has contributed
to easing the imbalance between power supply and demand in the Seoul metropolitan region, and has helped
stabilise the nation’s electricity supplynetwork.

Generators 3 and 4 at the plantmake a significant contribution tostabilising the power supply during the peak power demand season in summer.” Power output
The Yonghung Thermal Power Plant Units 3 and 4 generate 13.6 billion kWh of electricity per year, enough to supply 4 million households.

In 2004 Doosan an initial contract for the supply of boilers for the site in an international bid hosted by KoreaSouth-East Power in 2004, beating out Japanese rivals.
Hard on the heels of this successful project, Doosna was recently contracted to supply equipment worth 100 billion won (£50m) for a project involving the supplyof Korea’s largest 340MW- class Fluidised- Bed Boiler for Yeosu Thermal Power Plant No. 2 operated by Korea South EastPower.
Doosan President & CEO Geewon Park commented: “The contract involved the supply of a 340 MW-class Circulating
Fluidised-Bed Boiler and supplementary facilities.

Unlike a Pulverized Coal Boiler, which is used in most conventional power plants, the Circulating Fluidised-Bed
Boiler is an eco-friendly boiler product which significantly reduces the emission of pollutants such as nitrogen oxide and
sulphur oxide.

Another advantage is that it can use low-grade coal as fuel, effectively cutting fuel costs.” Cutting fuel costs with a Circulating Fluidised-Bed Boiler at Yeosu replacing the use of heavy oil, the plant will not only cut down fuel cost significantly, but also reduce pollutant emissions. Hence the utility facilities, once revamped, will transform into an
economical, eco-friendly power plant.
Under the contract, Doosan plans to design and produce the Circulating Fluidised- Bed Boiler and supplementary equipment at its Changwon Plant, and deliver them by December 2011. Doosan has also signed a licensing agreement with Foster Wheeler, a global market leader in Circulating Fluidised-Bed Boiler technology, in 2006.
Executive Vice President Dongsoo Suh said, “With the acquisition of the new project, Doosan has set a precedent in
the supply of a 340 MW-class Circulating Fluidised-Bed boiler, the largest scale of its kind in Korea and among the largest in
the world.”
He added: “As the use of low-grade coal is steadily increasing, Doosan will continue to win more orders for Circulating Fluidised- Bed Boilers not only in Korea but also in overseas markets in the future.” Doosan also won projects for
the construction of coal-powered thermal power plants adopting Circulating Fluidised-Bed Boilers in Thailand and the
Philippines in 2007.
On June 14th, 2009, Doosan Heavy Industries and Construction signed a contract worth 74 million euros (US$102
million) with MAPNA Boiler of Iran for the overall supply of eight heat recovery steam generators (HRSGs) for four combined cycle thermal power plants in the Middle Eastern country. “The project entails the supply of two HRSGs to each of the four combined cycle thermal power plants located in Kahnooj, Iran.

Doosan plans to begin designing the equipment
based on its own technology in June, and is scheduled to supply them in phasesfrom April to December of 2010,” a
spokesman told IPA.
Doosan Heavy Industries and Construction secured the top spot in terms of global market share in 2003 thanks to the acquisition of HRSG orders worth 240 million euros(US$ 331 million) for the MFPNA combined cycle thermal
power plant, the world’s largest singlesuch project.

The company also won successive orders in the Middle East in
2007 and 2008. Dong Kyu Lee, head of the HRSG BU at
Doosan Heavy Industries and Construction, told IPA: “Doosan was able to win the project thanks to the strong engineering
capacity we have demonstrated during the execution of our other projects in Iran.” IPA

Sourced and published by Henry Sapiecha 16th July 2009