QUICK NEWS, June 1: 1ST SOLAR POWER TOWER + STORAGE GOES; CHINA PRETTY FOR NEW ENERGY; UTILITY BUYING UP WIND; A SENATE YES FOR FLOWING WATER

1ST SOLAR POWER TOWER + STORAGE GOES
Torresol Energy Commissions 19.9MW Gemasolar Power Plant in Spain; Masdar and SENER’s Joint Venture Company Launches World’s First Commercial-Scale CSP plant with Central Tower Receiver and Thermal Storage Capabilities
24 May 2011 (SENER via World of Renewables)

"Torresol Energy, a joint venture between Masdar – Abu Dhabi’s leading future energy company and SENER – the leading Spanish engineering and construction firm, …[commissioned the] flagship 19.9MW Gemasolar Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) plant in Seville, Spain.

"The world’s first commercial-scale CSP plant featuring central tower receiver with thermal storage capabilities has commenced supplying electricity to 25,000 homes in the Andalucía region of Spain. The plant is expected to save more than 30,000 tonnes of CO2 emission a year."

Gemasolar - click to enlarge

"The innovative molten salt heat transfer technology deployed at the Gemasolar greenfield independent power project helps avoid fluctuations in power supply through a system that is capable of 15 hours of energy production without sunlight. This accordingly allows for generation of electricity 24 hours a day for many months of the year, even during the hours of darkness or poor daylight during winter.

"The Gemasolar plant comprises 2,650 heliostats (mirrors) that stretch approximately 185 hectares. The system is capable of reaching temperatures exceeding 900-degrees Centigrade at the central receiver located at the top of the tower…"

Gemasolar - click to enlarge

"…The tower technology uses molten salt as a heat transfer medium that reaches temperatures above 500 degrees Centigrade and allows delivering hotter and more pressurized steam to the turbine than the parabolic trough technology, which significantly increases the performance of the overall plant.

"SENER was responsible for providing the technology, the engineering detail design and part of the EPC and commissioning works of the plant. The technology developed by SENER includes state-of-the-art solutions such as the molten salt storage system and the receiver, which is able to absorb 95% of the radiation from the sun’s spectrum and transmit this energy to the molten salt compound that circulates within the receiver, which is then used to heat steam and operate the steam turbines…"


CHINA PRETTY FOR NEW ENERGY
China Widens Lead Over U.S. in Renewable Energy Ranking by Ernst & Young
Alex Morales, May 25, 2011 (Bloomberg News)

"China widened its lead over the U.S. as the most attractive country for renewable energy projects, following its “greenest” five-year plan to date, Ernst & Young LLP said.

"China’s score out of 100 increased to 72 from 71 last quarter, while the U.S. remained in second place at 67 points in the consultant’s quarterly Renewable Energy Country Attractiveness Index…India drew ahead of Germany to claim third spot…"

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"China[set new targets for renewable energy in its 12th five-year plan and] took the lead in the wind and solar industries in recent years, and last year, the government’s China Development Bank Corp. agreed to lend 232 billion yuan ($35.7 billion) to Chinese renewable companies. The UN’s top climate change diplomat, Christiana Figueres, in January said China will leave ‘all of us in the dust’ because of their commitment to win the ‘green economy race.’

"China in March published a five-year plan that included targets to raise the share of non-fossil fuels in primary energy consumption to 11.4 percent, cut the energy used per dollar of economic output by 16 percent, and the carbon emitted per dollar by 17 percent."

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"Ernst & Young assessed criteria including regulations, planning barriers and access to capital, land and the electricity grid. China took the lead last August for the first time since the ranking started in 2003.

"The March 11 tsunami that triggered a nuclear disaster in Japan has also added impetus to renewables, and particularly solar power in the past quarter, according to the report. Both China and Japan have said they’ll build more solar power plants in the wake of the disaster…"


UTILITY BUYING UP WIND
Duke Energy Renewables Acquires Wisconsin Wind Project
27 May 2011 (North American Windpower)

"Duke Energy Renewables, a commercial business unit of Duke Energy, has agreed to purchase the Shirley Windpower Project from a subsidiary of Central Hudson Enterprises Corp. [for an undisclosed price]…

"The 20 MW wind farm, which began commercial operation in December 2010, comprises eight Nordex 2.5 MW wind turbines [and is located on approximately 500 acres of leased land in Glenmore, Wis., roughly 30 miles southeast of Green Bay]."

The Shirley Wind farm, Duke's newest wind (click to enlarge)

"…[Including] the Shirley project, Duke Energy Renewables will own 1,006 MW of generating capacity at 10 U.S. wind farms - four in Wyoming, three in Texas, one in Colorado, one in Pennsylvania and one in Wisconsin.

"The deal for the Shirley project is expected to close this summer…"


A SENATE YES FOR FLOWING WATER
Senate committee passes bill to boost U.S. marine, hydrokinetic energy
May 26, 2011 (PennWell via HydroWorld)

"The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee has passed the Marine and Hydrokinetic Renewable Energy Promotion Act of 2011, a bill aimed at boosting marine and hydrokinetic energy development.

"The bill supports marine and hydrokinetic resources by increasing research and development funding for new ocean, tidal and in-stream hydrokinetic projects."

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"The National Hydropower Association [NHA] said it applauds the Senate committee for passing the bill and that it urges swift consideration of the bill by the full Senate."

[Linda Church Ciocci, executive director, NHA:] "Marine and hydrokinetic technologies present tremendous potential for a renewable energy future. Studies have demonstrated that nearly 16,000 MW of inland and ocean hydrokinetic technologies could be developed by 2025 with the right policies. The bill passed today is a great first step towards that reality."