QUICK NEWS, 4-6: NEW ENERGY CONSOLIDATING; EU ORGANIZES FOR THE EV; WHERE PV CAN CUT COSTS; NUCLEAR GETS MORE IRRELEVANT

NEW ENERGY CONSOLIDATING
Renewable Energy Deals Increase as Confidence Returns, PWC Says
Alex Morales, March 27, 2011 (Bloomberg News)

"Renewable energy mergers and acquisition activity escalated [in 2010] as confidence returned to the market and sellers priced assets more realistically, the global accounting firm PwC said.

"The number of deals including biofuels and wind, solar and hydroelectric power climbed by two-thirds to 530 in 2010 from 319 the previous year…[R]enewable energy deals were smaller, with total value falling to $33.4 billion from $48.8 billion…"

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"While deal activity picked up, renewable energy shares slumped in 2010, with the Wilderhill New Energy Index declining 15 percent and the FTSE Renewable and Alternative Energy Index falling 8.4 percent as the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index and Dow Jones Industrial Average both rose.

"New low-carbon energy investment surged to a record $243 billion last year...[including] share offerings, asset financing and venture capital, though not mergers and acquisitions, because they’re not considered new investment."

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"Last year’s biggest renewable energy-related transaction was the merger of ethanol assets of Royal Dutch Shell Plc (RDSA) and Cosan SA Industria & Comercio, according to PwC, which valued the deal at $1.6 billion -- the amount of cash Shell is plowing into the venture. The next biggest was Exelon Corp. (EXC)’s $900 million purchase of a Deere & Co. wind-power unit…

"Other companies involved in the year’s 10 biggest deals include Spain’s Iberdrola Renovables SA (IBR), Norway’s Norsk Vannkraftproduksjon AS and British Columbia Hydro & Power Authority of Canada…The uptick is likely to continue this year as economic growth picks up and renewable energy businesses [mature]…"


EU ORGANIZES FOR THE EV
Europe-wide Green eMotion Initiative to pave the way for electromobility
1 April 2011 (Siemens)

"The European Commission has kicked off a 4-year cross-European initiative to promote electromobility. The 42 partners…industrial companies and automobile manufacturers, utilities, municipalities, universities, and technology and research institutions…[will] input, exchange and expand their know-how and experience in selected regions within Europe…The project volume has been budgeted at EUR 42 million, of which the EU will contribute as much as EUR 24 million.

"The partners…[will] accumulate experience with electromobility in existing and new test regions within Europe and refine the technology. Key…is the development of European processes, standards and IT solutions that allow customers of electric vehicles easy and seamless access to charging infrastructure and related services throughout the European Union. Standardization is also the key factor for a fast and cost-efficient European rollout of electromobility. The total number of charging spots within the existing demonstration regions will be more than 10,000…"

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"…[N]early 1000 [charging spots] are going to be installed in Barcelona, Madrid and Malaga…400 in Rome and Pisa…approximately 3600 in Berlin and about 100 in Strasbourg. In Denmark, the country with the world’s largest share of wind-based power generation, car importers expect to put 2,000 electric cars on the roads over the course of this year and as many as 2,000 public and semi public charging stations will be installed in Copenhagen, Bornholm and Malmö…2,000 electric vehicles and approximately 3,500 charging stations are part of a nation wide rollout in Ireland…

"Experience with cars, busses and two-wheelers with pure electric drive systems and as hybrid vehicles is to be gathered in the Green eMotion project. Special aspects in some of the demonstration regions include battery swapping and DC charging as well as smart grid integration, cross-border traffic, different payment systems and the testing of alternative business models."

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"Siemens is the lead company in the research consortium and contributes to the development of software and charging infrastructure solutions, and to the necessary establishment of industrial standards…

"The partners in the Green eMotion Initiative are the industrial companies Alstom, Better Place, Bosch, IBM and Siemens, the utilities Danish Energy Association, EDF, Endesa, Enel, ESB, Eurelectric, Iberdrola, RWE and PPC, the automobile manufacturers BMW, Daimler, Micro-Vett, Nissan and Renault, the municipalities Barcelona, Berlin, Bornholm, Copenhagen, Cork, Dublin (represented by the energy agency Codema), Malaga, Malmo and Rome, the universities and research institutions Cartif, Cidaut, CTL, DTU, ECN, Imperial, IREC, RSE, TCD and Tecnalia, and the technology institutions DTI, fka and TÜV NORD."


WHERE PV CAN CUT COSTS
Critical Cost Reduction Targets Identified in the International Technology Roadmap for Photovoltaics
Bettina Weiss, April 1, 2011 (PV Group)

"…[ The 2010 International Technology Roadmap for Photovoltaics (ITRPV) from the Crystalline Silicon PV Technology and Manufacturing Group (CTM), in cooperation with SEMI PV Group] identifies and targets critical technology needs and cost reduction goals for PV materials, manufacturing methods and processes…

"One key insight derived from the roadmapping effort is the need for cost reduction in metallization pastes used for cell processing which are ‘the most process critical and expensive materials in cell production besides the wafer itself.’ As part of Roadmap goals, the CTM is targeting a reduction in silver usage from 0.25 grams per cell today to 0.1 grams per cell by 2015…"

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"…Other critical technology improvements identified by the report are poly-silicon and consumables pricing, wafer thickness, glass absorption/reflection, manufacturing throughput and yield improvements, equipment productivity, and other areas.

"The Roadmap aims to inform suppliers and customers about expected technology trends in the field of crystalline silicon (c-Si) photovoltaics and sets a basis to intensify the dialog on required improvements and standards…"

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"…The second edition of the ITRPV was jointly prepared by leading European c-Si solar cell manufacturers, module manufacturers, and wafer suppliers. Feedback and input from various institutes, equipment suppliers and providers of production materials was also included. The information will be updated and published yearly to ensure good communication between manufacturers and suppliers throughout the value chain…

"The CTM Group (Bluechip Energy, Bosch Solar, Q-Cells, SCHOTT Solar, Solarworld, Solland, Sovello, and Sunways) have established a crystalline solar cell technology roadmap up to the year 2020…[describing] development of crystalline solar cell technology with focus on materials, manufacturing processes, and product development. The CTM Group has a clear goal— to roll-out the roadmapping effort on a global scale…"


NUCLEAR GETS MORE IRRELEVANT
Japan's nuclear crisis won't derail world energy markets; Even if the world scales back on development of nuclear power, it won't have a sweeping impact on energy prices. The reality is that nuclear is still small.
Nin-Hai Tseng, March 25, 2011 (Fortune via CNN)

"As crews in Japan scramble to contain what has been called the world's worst nuclear crisis in 25 years, governments around the world are questioning the safety of nuclear power. Germany temporarily shut down its older nuclear power stations, while China has postponed approval of new nuclear plants. Other countries, including the U.S., are calling for more scrutiny of nuclear policies and plant locations.

"Some analysts speculate that the crisis could eventually send the world's energy prices higher. Natural gas for April delivery rose…[and] futures are up 3.4% from a year ago…6 of 14 analysts say that natural gas futures will rise through April 1 on speculation that damaged reactors in Japan will divert cargoes of liquefied natural gas from the U.S…[and] prices could rise in the long-term if lessons from Japan result in more [costly] regulations…"

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"The crisis has rightfully sent jitters across the nuclear industry. News that Japan advised against feeding tap water to infants due to higher radiation levels sounded alarms globally, with the U.S. being the first nation to block some food imports from Japan.

"…[T]he crisis may serve more as a cautionary tale than the big game-changer over nuclear power…Capital Economics senior economist Andrew Kenningham [said]… the so-called "nuclear renaissance" that many say could transform global energy markets is not as big a renaissance as it might seem…[C]iting estimates from the International Energy Association, [he said] that nuclear power isn't forecast to be that big of a player in global energy markets…[Nuclear generation will] rise by 20% between now and 2030, but the share of nuclear in electricity generation would fall from 14% to 11% during the same period…[making it] a relatively small portion, 6%, of the world's total energy supply."

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"The big player in nuclear is China. In the coming years, it is poised to have the world's biggest appetite, accounting for 45% of expected growth…[but] China has currently suspended approvals of new nuclear plants…[though it will likely] go ahead with its nuclear program eventually [to get away from fossil fuels].

"…President Hu Jintao has said he wants renewable sources to produce 15% of China's energy by 2020 and and it's currently developing wind, solar and hydroelectric power. No doubt nuclear power is in the mix -- China is building nuclear reactors faster than any other country in the world, with projects representing 60% of all nuclear power plant construction globally…[but that’s not enough to increase nuclear’s world share or] result in higher energy prices…"