MORE SUNDAY WORLD, 3-22 (EMISSIONS CUTS WILL HIT PERSIAN GULF; BIG WIND FOR ROMANIA; EU POWER TO ZERO OUT BY 2050)

EMISSIONS CUTS WILL HIT PERSIAN GULF
Action on climate to harm Gulf economies – Saudi Arabia
March 19, 2009 (Reuters)

"Strict measures across the world to act against climate change could seriously affect the economies of Saudi Arabia and other Gulf nations, a Saudi official said…

"OPEC has committed to reducing harmful emissions and Saudi Arabia has invested in carbon capture and storage technology which is designed to do so.

"But the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries stresses that others should also take their share in managing the use of fossil fuels…"

Saudi Arabia could be hit hard by climate change-related emissions cuts - or it could become "the Saudi Arabia of solar energy." (click to enlarge)

"[Mohammad al-Sabban head of the Saudi Delegation to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and senior economic adviser at the Saudi oil ministry] cited an independent study by consultants Charles Rivers, which stated that policies to mitigate climate change could remove 5-20 percent of Saudi and other Gulf countries' GDP.

"Sabban reiterated comments made by Saudi Arabian Oil Minister Ali al-Naimi…that the kingdom was also investing in solar power and aimed to become a leading supplier in addition to its role as the world's biggest oil exporter."


BIG WIND FOR ROMANIA
GE Energy to Supply 140 Wind Turbines for Romanian Windfarms
March 19, 2009 (Industrial Info Resources via Pumps&Systems)

"GE Energy…of General Electric Company…will supply nearly 140 wind turbines for the Fantanele and Cogealac windfarm projects in Romania. The projects signify the largest installation, in terms of power generation capacity, of GE's wind turbines in Europe to date.

"In August 2008, power conglomerate CEZ Group… (Prague, Czech Republic) bought the two adjacent windfarms in Constanta County from Continental Wind Partners LLC (Wilmington, Delaware). When both windfarms are fully operational, the complex will have a power generation capacity of 600-MW, making it nearly twice as large as the next largest European windfarm. CEZ is investing $1.4 billion in the project, aimed at helping Romania meet the European Union's requirements of increasing the share of renewable sources to 20 percent in the energy portfolio by 2020."

click to enlarge

"The first stage of the project will have an installed capacity of 347.5-MW and will use 139 GE 2.5xl turbines. Each turbine has a capacity of 2.5-MW, and a rotor diameter of 99 meters, and will stand 100 meters above ground level. Construction of this stage started in September 2008 and it is planned to be operational by the end of 2009. The second stage, with a capacity of 252.5-MW, is planned to go on stream by the end of 2010. The combined output will provide almost 10 percent of Romania's renewable energy. Current wind power generation in Romania is only 7-MW, which makes the project a significant milestone in wind energy production in Eastern Europe.

"GE Energy…will also supply supervisory control and data acquisition systems, monitoring equipment and substation control systems for the Romanian power transmission network…"


EU POWER TO ZERO OUT BY 2050
European power companies say they will try to be carbon neutral by 2050
March 18, 2009 (Seattle Times)

"European electricity companies pledged… to go 'carbon neutral' and drastically curb greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

"Eurelectric, a group of power companies from the EU's 27 countries [which generate 70% of European Union power], said members such as E.On AG, Electricite de France SA, RWE AG and Enel would reduce carbon dioxide emissions and offset what they can't avoid."

EU emissions, part 1. (click to enlarge)

"Carbon offsets usually invest in climate change projects in the developing world — such as planting trees or building solar panels — and allow companies in rich nations to cancel out their emissions of carbon dioxide…"

EU emissions, part 2. (click to enlarge)

"Eurelectric said it needed the European Union and governments to help out by supporting renewable energy, nuclear power and coal technologies such as carbon capture and storage that would strip carbon emissions from coal-burning power plants and bury the CO2 underground…a crucial factor was simpler regulatory permission for building new plants.

"Europe's biggest polluters are coal-burning power stations that will gradually be replaced over the next few decades. Eurelectric said the industry needs [~1.8 trillion euros] in investment to replace aging plants, develop power grids, meet new demand and hit environmental targets…"