MORE SUNDAY WORLD, 3-1 (PORTUGAL TO FLOAT OFFSHORE WIND; SUN IN SINGAPORE; DEAL CHINA IN; THE GAMBIA THINKS WIND)

PORTUGAL TO FLOAT OFFSHORE WIND
Floating wind turbines to be tested off Portugese coast; Portugese utility sees floating platforms as means of cutting high costs of offshore wind farms
Tom Young, 24 February 2009 (Business Green)

"US-based wind turbine developer Principle Power and Portugal's Energias de Portugal (EDP) have agreed to team up on a project to develop a deep-water offshore wind farm off the coast of Portugal using floating wind turbines.

"The development will use Principle Power's WindFloat technology, which sees turbines placed on floating platforms rather than attached to the sea bed. The company argues that the floating turbines are far more cost effective to install in deep water than conventional offshore wind turbines."

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"The project will be developed in three phases – a demonstration turbine, a pre-commercial deployment and a full commercial deployment – in water more than 50 metres deep."

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"…[T]he technology could provide a major boost to the economic viability of offshore wind farms, which currently cost over double that of onshore developments…

"The move is the latest in a seriers of investments from EDP designed to position the company as a major player in the burgeoning global wind energy market…[It] acquired Houston-based Horizon Wind Energy from Goldman Sachs in a €2.15bn deal… [It] paid €8.4m for an 85 per cent stake in Romanian wind power companies Renovatio Power and Cernavoda Power…[It] holds a stake in the €9m [2.25 megawatt] wave-energy Aguçadoura project…off the Portugese coast."


SUN IN SINGAPORE
Singapore's public housing to consume less electricity using solar energy
February 25, 2009 (Xinhua via People’s Daily)

"Singapore's public housing estates are expected to consume 10 percent less electricity in the next five years by using solar energy…

"…[A] scheme named Energy Save Program, initiated by the country's Housing and Development Board (HDB), the National Environment Agency and the Energy Market Authority, has already shown positive results in two trial projects, where solar panels were implemented across 14 HDB blocks."

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"…[T]he trial achieved some 40 percent energy savings…[A] 30 percent reduction in energy will save some 36 million Singapore dollars (about 23.6 million U.S. dollars) a year.

"…[M]ore than 80 percent of Singaporeans live in HDB estates and the households consume energy of some 1.2 billion Singapore dollars (about 0.79 billion U.S. dollars) a year.

"Since March, 2007, the Singapore government has pledged a total of 350 million Singapore dollars (234.8 million U.S. dollars) in research, development and technology of the clean energy sector."


DEAL CHINA IN
China likely to trade emissions by year end
Michael Wei (w/ Coco Li and Kirby Chien), February 19, 2009 (Thomson Reuters)

"China's first emissions exchange is expected to begin trading by the end of this year as it works out trading procedures and recruits more member firms, a senior executive of the bourse said…

"The Tianjin Climate Exchange was established last September, but acceptance has been slow with the smaller Chinese companies that the exchange is trying to attract…The bourse is still working on operational details with central government authorities and potential member companies before trading can kick off…

"Beijing has long vowed to save energy and reduce emissions, setting a goal to reduce all emissions by 10 percent from 2006 to 2010…But in order to initiate active trading on the country's only emissions exchange, China needs to change the way it allocates emissions credits…"

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"Chicago Climate Exchange (CCX) [a voluntary market that aims to reduce emissions of gases like carbon dioxide owns] 25 percent of the Tianjin exchange…An asset management unit of China's top oil and gas firm China National Petroleum Co (CNPC) owns over 50 percent of the venture and the Tianjin Property Rights Exchange owns the rest…

"Emissions credits in China are now allocated by the central government to the provinces, which often ignore environmental regulations to focus on economic growth, which produces tax revenues.

"Beijing should hand out emissions credits to companies directly, bypassing local officials and, more importantly, giving firms the incentives to bring emission credits to market…"

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"The Tianjin bourse now has only about 20 member companies, which include the world's largest bank ICBC, China Construction Bank and Delong Steel, a unit of Singapore-listed Delong Holdings.

"The Chicago exchange had only 13 members when it began trading in 2003 and now boasts more than 400 member firms…Total trading volume at CCX surged to 110 million tonnes in 2008 from only 2.2 million tonnes in 2003…

"The new exchange's success could hinge on Beijing's official support for environmental goals, something the Chicago exchange does not enjoy as the United States is still not a party to the Kyoto Protocol."


THE GAMBIA THINKS WIND
Gambia: Wind Power, a Diversification of Energy
Pateh Baldeh, 25 February 2009 (FOROYAA Newspaper via All Africa)

"…[T]he recently inaugurated wind mill project in Batokunku is a diversification of the country's energy sector…NAWEC's mission is to provide reliable and environmentally sensitive water and power services to meet customer needs at the required quality and quantity at sustainable prices that will ensure the financial viability of the company and support the social and economic development of The Gambia…their objectives are investment and technical improvement in rural electrification. Their plan is to commence this year in the North Bank, Central and Upper River Regions.

"The Batokunku project…has several aspects, among them, the provision of sustainable and affordable energy to the community…the Batokunku Turbine project can be the gateway to further development projects in the framework of renewable energy within the Gambia."

From the website of David Beardsley and Margaret de Wolf of Sifoe in The Gambia (click to enlarge)

"With the completion of the wind turbine project, a milestone of diversification in the energy sector was laid…The results…indicate that wind energy will be a source of energy which can be harnessed in the Gambia. Wind speeds measured are far higher than initially expected…

"…[I]n May 2008 a simplified but fully applicable and operational power purchase agreement was prepared and signed…which finally led to the erection of the plant…immediately after this NAWEC executed the connection of the electrical installations to its network…[and] handed over to the community of Batokunku 50 electricity meters which will allow the project to better control the consumption…Batokunku will use the proceeds generated for other development projects…for any excess energy which is injected into the NAWEC network, NAWEC will pay that amount to the community account which is meant to support the village…to further encourage the development of renewable energy projects."