Germany to lead in green energy with nuclear shutdown: Merkel

English.news.cn 2011-05-31

German Chancellor Angela Merkel receives the report of the
so-called Ethics Commission for a Secure Energy Supply
from former German Environment Minister Klaus Toepfer (L) and
Matthias Kleiner, president of the German Research Foundation DFG
in Berlin May 30, 2011. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo)

BERLIN, May 30 (Xinhua) -- German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Monday that Germany could set an example in achieving a transition to efficient and renewable energies, after her government decided to close all 17 nuclear power plants in the country by 2022.

"We believe that we, as a country, can be a pioneer for a new age of renewable energy sources," Merkel said at a press conference hours after her coalition government drew up a nuclear phase-out timetable.

According to the ambitious plan, Germany's seven oldest reactors, which are taken off the grid following Japan's Fukushima disaster, will not be wakened up any time. The Kruemmel plant, which has been offline for years due to technical problems, will also be abandoned forever.

However, one of these old plants will be kept on "standby" from 2013, in case of possible electricity shortages. Another six plants will be closed by the end of 2021 and the three newest will remain operational until 2022.

The plan, which needs parliament approval, labeled Germany as the first major industrialized nation set to entirely abandon the atomic energy.

Germany could show to the world how a developed economy can achieve "such a transformation toward efficient and renewable energies, with all the opportunities that it has, for exports, development, new technologies and jobs," Merkel said.

"We will need a new architecture for our energy production," she added, acknowledging that Germany has to explore new sources for the vacancy left by the outgoing nuclear power, which currently accounts for 22 percent of the country's electricity production.

On Monday, the Federation of German Industry (BDI) expressed its worries, saying that the shutdown would force Germany to build more coal and gas power plants to stabilize the energy supply and price. As a result, it would lead to more greenhouse gas emissions.

"We don't only hope to give up nuclear energy by 2022, but also to reduce our CO2 emissions by 40 percent and double our share of renewable energies, from about 17 percent today to then 35 percent, " Merkel said.

Monday's decision was also seen as a return to the policy made by a previous Social Democrat-Green coalition government a decade ago. Last year, Merkel's coalition managed to extend the lifespan of nuclear power plants to around 2035, which was opposed by the majority of Germans and sparked rounds of protests afterwards.

Germany's anti-nuclear moods intensified after Japan's nuclear crisis starting in March. Merkel and her Christian Democrats had to change their pro-nuclear stance after suffering painful defeats in several local elections, including the one in Baden- Wuerttemberg, traditionally a stronghold for the conservatives.

Editor: yan

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Vestas gets 149 MW order for undisclosed wind-power project in Canada

English.news.cn   2011-05-30

COPENHAGEN, May 30 (Xinhua) -- Danish wind-turbine manufacturer Vestas has signed a contract for delivery of 149 megawatts to a wind-energy project in Canada, the company announced Monday.

The contract entails delivery of 83 wind-turbines of the V90-1.8 MW type totalling 149 MW, the company said. It includes a 10-year service and maintenance agreement, with delivery scheduled for autumn 2012, and commissioning expected in late 2012.

The client's name, and details about the project location, were not made public.

The order is Vestas' second in Canada, and fifth in North America, in 2011.

Editor: yan

World's largest solar-powered boat visits Brisbane

English.news.cn 2011-05-29

The world's largest solar-powered boat, the Turanor PlanetSolar, is sailing
into Brisbane, after crossing the Pacific from the Panama Canal, as part
of its quest to become the first fully solar-powered vessel to circumnavigate
around the world. (Xinhua/AFP Photo)

The world's largest solar-powered boat, the Turanor PlanetSolar, is sailing
into Brisbane, after crossing the Pacific from the Panama Canal.(Xinhua/AFP Photo)

Editor: Bi Mingxin

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Swiss to phase out nuclear power

BBC News, 25 May 2011

Related Stories

• Swiss reflect on nuclear power

The Swiss government has decided to phase out nuclear power, amid growing public hostility to the industry.

Anti-nuclear activists demonstrated near the
Beznau plant at the weekend

The government announced it would not replace the country's five ageing plants after they reached the end of their lifetimes between 2019 and 2034.

However, the authorities also said they would not decommission any prematurely.

Swiss activists rallied against nuclear power at the weekend. April's disaster at the Fukushima plant in Japan has sparked debate in several countries.

"Existing nuclear power plants will be closed at the end of their operative life and not replaced by new nuclear power plants," the government said in a statement on Thursday.

Switzerland currently gets about 40% of its energy from nuclear power.

The Beznau 1 pressurised water reactor is the oldest in the world still in operation. It came on stream more than 40 years ago, in 1969.

The other four Swiss reactors all date from 1984 or earlier.

Related Article:

Germany pledges to end all nuclear power by 2022

German mountains promise to store wind power

Deutsche Welle, 25 May 2011

The Harz mountains could be the
site for up to six plants

Old mines in the German Harz Mountains may soon be getting a new lease of life, serving as a storage facility for excess wind power. The scheme is yet to find investors, but if it goes ahead, it will be a world first.

Once a hub of mining activity, today northern Germany's Harz mountains are a sleepy backwater, more likely to attract hikers and winter sports enthusiasts than industrial magnates.

But that may be about to change.

Engineers, together with the state government of Lower Saxony, are looking into the potential to turn former mines into a form of 'green battery.'

The idea would be a world-first engineering feat and could provide part of the answer to Germany's quest to boost renewable energies and make them more reliable.

Marko Schmidt, an engineer for Lower Saxony's Energy Research Center, has come up with a plan that would house a hydroelectric pumped storage station in abandoned mine shafts deep under the Harz.

Let gravity do the work

Wind energy is an increasingly
popular alternative

The principle is simple.

At times of excess supply, wind energy can be used to pump water into elevated storage tanks or reservoirs within the moutains.

When the wind is low and not meeting demand, the stored water can flow down to tanks at a lower elevation, powering turbines along the way, much like a dam.

"Wind energy does not always blow at the same strength so the output of a wind farm usually goes up and down," Marko Schmidt told Deutsche Welle.

"Demand for electricity also varies, so it is good to have backup systems," he added.

Subterranean advantage

Above ground, these kinds of pumped storage stations are already in use in several locations across Germany and around the world.

Schmidt's innovation – which would be a world first – Is to site the facility below ground, adapting the existing infrastructure of dormant mines.

The engineer cited six potential locations for these plants in the Harz mountain region, with one specific pilot site identified in the abandoned Wiemannsbucht mine shaft in Bad Grund, a town in the western Harz mountains.

The fact that the plant would be concealed from the view of local residents is its biggest advantage, says the engineer.

"We presented our idea to the region and were very pleasantly surprised to find that people responded to it very positively. They identified with the project," he said.

"The tradition of mining is so great in the Harz region, that they want to see the mines back in use again, so there are practically no critics of the project," he added.

Nationwide, there is potential for
60-100 similar plants

Few critics

So far, the project hasn't met with any official planning objections, either. It has also been well received by renewable energy experts who admire the fact that it has been tailored to suit local conditions.

"I think this is really a brilliant idea and a very nice example of how easy it can be, under some local conditions, to achieve a 100 percent renewable energy supply," said Stefan Gsänger, the Secretary General for the World Wind Energy Association.

"Renewable energies are everywhere and you just need to find an appropriate way to harness them where you are," Gsänger added.

Schmidt has estimated in his study that the pilot plant in Bad Grund could be built within the next three to five years for between 170 and 200 million euros.

The storage capacity for such a plant would be up to 400 megawatts of electricity, enough to power around 40,000 households for a day.

If the project goes ahead, it is estimated that up to 200 people would be employed for its construction, and up to 7 others would be needed to run the plant, providing the region with jobs as well as clean energy.

Awaiting investors

Although no investors have come forward yet, the engineer says several parties are interested in the scheme.

He is confident that the model will be deployed not just in the Harz, but in other areas of Germany too, where surface installations of pumped storage facilities have met local resistance due to concerns about environmental impact.

"It is absolutely possible that this project will be realized in the near future, it's very realistic," Schmidt said.

"In the whole of Germany there are a further 60-100 sites which are also possible."

Author: Charlotte Chelsom-Pill

Editor: Nathan Witkop

Investing in the Alta Wind Energy Center (Google)

Google Blog, 5/24/2011

(Cross-posted from the Google Green Blog)

The Mojave Desert might be best known for its scorching sun and scary sidewinders, but the wind blows hard where the Mojave sands meet the Tehachapi Mountains in southern California, making it a great spot for wind turbines. It’s the site of the Alta Wind Energy Center (AWEC), which will generate 1,550 megawatts (MW) of energy when complete, making it one of the largest sites in the country for wind energy generation—enough to power 450,000 homes. Renewable energy developer Terra-Gen Power is constructing the site in several phases and we’ll provide $55 million to finance the 102 MW Alta IV project. Citibank, which has underwritten the equity for Alta Projects II-V, is also investing in this project.

We’re always looking for projects that are uniquely positioned to transform our energy sector. As part of the new 4,500 MW Tehachapi Renewable Transmission Project (TRTP), AWEC uses some of the first transmission lines developed specifically to transport renewable energy from remote, resource-rich areas (like the Mojave) to major population centers.

The Alta Wind Energy Center under construction

The Alta projects also employ an innovative financial structure called a leveraged lease, which has been used previously in the solar industry but has only recently become an option for wind projects. Under the leveraged lease, Google and Citi are purchasing the Alta IV project and will lease it back to Terra-Gen, who will manage and operate the wind projects under long-term agreements. We hope this structure encourages more investment by enabling other types of investors who might not typically consider wind projects.

The first five Alta projects are already operational, delivering 720 MW of energy to Southern California Edison, which will receive all 1,550 MW when completed, under a power purchase agreement signed with Terra-Gen in 2006. While Google won’t be purchasing the electricity from this project, AWEC will help California meet its ambitious renewable portfolio standard of 33 percent clean power by 2020. The whole site will boost California’s wind generation by 30 percent.

With this deal, we’ve now invested more than $400 million in the clean energy sector. We hope AWEC’s success, with its unique deal structure and renewable energy transmission, encourages more financing and development of renewables that will usher in a new energy future.

Posted by Rick Needham, Director of Green Business Operations

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Are tornadoes more common because of climate change?

Number of tornadoes recorded appears to have increased significantly, but the real answer is no one really knows

guardian.co.uk, Alok Jha, science correspondent, Tuesday 24 May 2011

The tornado that tore through Joplin, Missouri, leaving scores
dead. Photograph: AP

As the city of Joplin deals with the devastation from Sunday's tornado, some people might wonder whether these extreme weather events are getting more common because of climate change. The answer is that no one really knows.

A tornado is a rotating column of air that stretches from the bottom of clouds to the Earth's surface. They can occur in a wide range of shapes and sizes, typically manifesting as a funnel of condensation surrounded by a cloud of dust and debris. Wind speeds in an average tornado reach more than 100mph (160km/h) and the system itself is less than 100 metres across, but extreme events can be several miles across, with wind speeds of more than 300mph.

It is difficult to relate any individual weather event to climate change and, unlike with hurricanes, there is little robust research on whether the warming planet is causing any noticeable effects. Grady Dixon, assistant professor of meteorology and climatology at Mississippi State University, told AFP: "If you look at the past 60 years of data, the number of tornadoes is increasing significantly, but it's agreed upon by the tornado community that it's not a real increase. It's having to do with better (weather tracking) technology, more population, the fact that the population is better educated and more aware. So we're seeing them more often."

Writing on the Climate Central website, the policy analyst Andrew Freedman said climate change was already changing the environment in which severe thunderstorms and their associated tornadoes form, and that it was bound to have some influence on tornado frequency or strength. "But as of now, no discernible trend has been detected in the observational data, and studies of how tornadoes will fare in a warmer world show somewhat conflicting results."

He added: "Since more moisture gets added to the atmosphere as the climate warms, additional water vapour may help severe thunderstorms and tornadoes to form. On the other hand, wind shear is expected to decline due to climate change, which would argue against an increase in tornado numbers."

Around a thousand tornadoes hit the US every year, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Though every state experiences them, tornadoes have tended to be most common around an area between the Rocky mountains and Appalachian mountains, nicknamed "tornado alley". For the most part, they form during the spring and summer, with the season coming earlier in the south and later in the north.

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Using bacteria to generate energy hopeful: study

English.news.cn   2011-05-24

BEIJING, May 24 (Xinhuanet) -- Scientists revealed for the first time the molecular structure of proteins, which enables bacteria to transfer electrical charges, according to a new study.

The revelation was published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences in the U.S. on Monday.

Scientists used a technique called "x-ray crystallography" to reveal the molecular structure of proteins, which work as atom-sized "wires" discharging excess electricity.

"This is an exciting advance in our understanding of how some bacterial species move electrons from the inside to the outside of a cell," said lead author Tom Clarke of the University of East Anglia's School of Biological Sciences in Norwich, England.

He said this discovery means "We can now start developing efficient 'bio-batteries' as the viable energy source in the future."

Still, it could take perhaps a decade to go. Before that, existing uses of such bacteria needed to become 100 or 1,000 times more efficient, he said.

The advance could also hasten the development of microbe technology that can help clean up oil or uranium pollution, he said.

Microbes might in future be enlisted to clean up nuclear accidents such as Japan's Fukushima Daiichi disaster, he added.

Editor: Chen Zhi

China's power giant to invest 20 bln yuan in energy projects

English.news.cn 2011-05-22

CHONGQING, May 22 (Xinhua) -- China Guodian Corp. is planning to invest 20 billion yuan (3 billion U.S. dollars) in the development of energy programs in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality over the next five years, the company said in a statement Sunday.

According to an agreement between China Guodian Corp. and the Chongqing municipal government, the company will fund a variety of energy projects, including thermal power stations, wind power stations, natural gas power stations and biomass power stations in Chongqing and its surrounding regions.

"Chongqing's fast economic growth has brought great opportunities for the development of energy," said Zhu Yongpeng, general manager of China Guodian Corp., one of the country's largest state-owned power companies.

Zhu estimates that Chongqing's power consumption will grow at an annual average rate of 12.1 percent over the next five years.

In 2010, energy consumption in Chongqing totalled 62.5 billion kilowatt-hours (kwh).

Tong Xiaoping, vice mayor of Chongqing, said the total installed capacity of Chongqing's power stations will double to 22 million kwh by the end of 2015 to accommodate the growing demand.

China Guodian is a Fortune Global 500 company that focuses on the development, investment, construction, operation and management of electrical power.

The company's total assets hit 522.4 billion yuan by the end of 2010.

Editor: Chen Zhi

Q&A with Pepper and Gaia

www.PepperLewis.com, May 21, 2011

Dear Friends and Family of Gaia,

So many of you have asked important questions that I wanted to start a new Q&A email. Our regular newsletter will go out every other month, and in between you'll receive an email like this one with answers to your questions. Thank you for participating in this dialogue with me and Gaia.

Springtime is here, at least in this part of the world. Can you update us on how the honeybees are doing - is Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) still on the rise? - Elisabeth M. Salzburg, Austria

"Bee and other pollinator populations have been in decline for decades, particularly on the North American continent. Colony Collapse Disorder is a sophisticated name, but it basically describes an inability on the part of pollinators to adjust to large-scale agriculture as quickly as humanity would prefer. No specific disease or affliction will be identified, though many will be suggested. Declines will continue, but at a less alarming rate. Other agricultural issues will soon present more alarming problems and farming in general will be challenged for the foreseeable future. Smaller farming concerns will suggest a return to a more moderate crop yield, but this will not feed a hungry world. Nearly half of the world's harvestable food supply is lost each year, most of it due to less than favorable techniques and delivery of such precious resources. Innovations in the field of landscape management will eventually heal the rift between man and nature and bounty will return."

~ Gaia

I have heard that you have been channeling for twenty years. Does that have an effect on your physical health? When you meet someone, do you automatically "see" and "know" with Gaia's awareness as well as your own? - Phee K.P, Singapore

I am probably healthier today than I was years ago before I began channeling. Channeling is not physically demanding but my body prefers to be supported by better nutrition, especially when traveling or channeling for many hours or many days. Over time I have learned when enough is enough and when rest is appropriate. Too much of a good thing is still too much and as with almost everything, our bodies are excellent gauges.

When I meet people, I see exactly what they want to "show" me -- sometimes a lot and sometimes very little. I am very sensitive to the importance of privacy, even on the subtle planes. Gaia is a vast living library of knowledge. I do not see or know what Gaia does, but insights are always available and somehow ready -- before I have thought of a question the answer is already there. I have a healthy respect for the boundaries between my human life and the wisdom that is Gaia.

~ Pepper

If you would like to submit a question to Q&A, please email it to info@pepperlewis.com. Please understand that we receive a high volume of emails and we do read every one, but we may not be able to respond individually.

Pepper Lewis

www.PepperLewis.com • www.PepperLewis.ru • www.Pepper-Lewis.de

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Ny Teknik tested the energy catalyzer

Ny Teknik recently participated in two new tests of the Italian ‘energy catalyzer’, providing more accurate measurements to reduce possible error sources.

Ny Teknik, Mats Lewan, May 2, 2011

Checking for hidden connections. The inventor Andrea Rossi to the right.Foto: Mats Lewan

(Swedish version here, Italian translation here).

The new tests with the energy catalyzer, which seems to generate heat by an unknown nuclear reaction, took place in Bologna on 19 and 28 April, 2011.

As in previous tests the objective was to measure the net energy that the device generates as accurately as possible.

The E-cat in operation – this is a version with the "chimney"
cut off, which was used on April 28. Foto: Mats Lewan

The results of the two tests showed a developed net power of between 2.3 and 2.6 kilowatts – of the order of a large stove plate. Input electric power was in the order of 300 watts.

As previously, the power output was calculated from the amount of water boiled into steam, and thus depends on the water flow. At the two new tests the water flow was set at a slightly lower rate than in previous tests.

The device used was the smaller version of the energy catalyzer, which was first shown at a test March 29, 2011.

The tests lasted for two and three hours respectively and the total net energy developed was calculated to be 5.6 and 6.9 kWh (see report for April 19 and April 28).

As Professor Sven Kullander and Associate Professor Hanno Essén noted previously, the energy released is greater than can be generated by a chemical reaction in the reactor, which has an estimated volume of 50 cubic centimeters.

At this point precise measurement is crucial if credibility in the process under study is to be established.

Hundreds of thousands of readers have now followed our reporting on the energy catalyzer, and in thousands of comments readers have discussed among other things possible sources of error in previous tests.

In the new tests, Ny Teknik aimed to reduce measurement uncertainty in three ways:

1. The ammeter used to measure the input current, from which the total power consumption is calculated, were calibrated by us against other instruments.
   
2. Total water-flow input was measured by weighing.
   
3. By calibrating the temperature-sensor probe in boiling water, we have as far as possible ensured that there is only vapor at the outlet of the energy catalyzer.

The last point has been discussed intensively. To assess developed energy, it’s essential that all the water flowing into the energy catalyzer evaporates, given that the phase change – evaporating water into steam – requires much more energy than mere heating.

Shortly before the test on April 28, we calibrated the probe by immersing it in a pot with boiling water, and the measured value was then 99.6 degrees centigrade.

The probe, which sits just below the outlet of the energy catalyzer, later during the test showed temperatures of about 100.5 degrees centigrade.

Therefore it cannot reasonably be in contact with water, thus there should be only water vapor (steam) at the outlet.

Naked E-cat – a heating resistor is positioned around the
thick part of the copper tube where the reactor supposedly
sits inside. The yellow valve is for hydrogen inlet.Foto: Mats Lewan

Alternatively, the probe is subjected to other heating, but probably not electrical as the temperature curve during start-up is quite uneven.

During the April 28 test, we also checked the steam flow through the outlet hose regularly. Some steam was reasonably being condensed back into water in the three-meter-long tube that was exposed to air and was thus at a slightly lower temperature, and a small amount of water was observed coming out of the hose.

The amount of water coming out before boiling was clearly larger, and this was initially measured.

We also controlled all other equipment and checked that there were no hidden connections from the floor or walls.

To safely exclude the transfer of external wireless energy, we measured electromagnetic fields from 5 Hz to 3 GHz. No increase could be noted except for a slight increase at the power-grid frequency of 50 Hz, close to the electrical resistor positioned around the reactor.

In the first test on April 19, the national Italian television channel RAI was present and its reportage will be broadcast on the channel RAI News (link to the reportage here – version in English here) Thursday, May 5th at 20:35.

In the second test on April 28 only Ny Teknik, the inventor Andrea Rossi, and a colleague of his were present.

The energy catalyzer

The energy catalyzer was demonstrated publicly for first time on the 14th January 2011. According to its inventor Andrea Rossi it has a closed reactor of steel that is loaded with nickel powder plus secret catalysts and pressurized with hydrogen.

It’s ‘ignited’ by heating from two electrical resistances. In a copper tube around the reactor, water heated by the reactor is flowing.

The heat is generated from an unknown reaction, according to Rossi himself, and according to Professor Sven Kullander and Associate Professor Hanno Essén probably a nuclear reaction.

The concept of cold fusion has been mentioned and would refer to a nuclear reaction between hydrogen and nickel, producing copper. Another term is LENR – Low Energy Nuclear Reaction.

Many physicists are very skeptical. Partly because fusion of nuclei, which with their positive charges repel each other (the Coulomb barrier), requires hundreds of millions of degrees according to current knowledge, and partly because fusion should produce very high levels of gamma radiation.

The debate has gained new momentum after Professor Sven Kullander and Associate Professor Hanno Essén participated in a test on 29 March and found that the measured values can only be explained by a nuclear reaction, while an isotopic analysis of the used nickel powder raised questions.

Among the most critical is Peter Ekström, lecturer at the Department of Nuclear Physics at Lund University in Sweden. After a thorough discussion he concludes: ‘I am convinced that the whole story is one big scam, and that it will be revealed in less than one year.’

Slightly more cautious in his skepticism, Kjell Aleklett, physics professor at Uppsala University in Sweden, summarizes his discussion: ’I myself have nothing against to reveal a scam, or join in and verify something that no one could imagine. Both extremes belong to that which makes life as a researcher incredibly interesting.’

An intense debate is also being held on the Wikipedia discussion page related to the article ‘Energy catalyzer’, and in many other forums.

However, to date no one have been able to explain the measured values that Ny Teknik now has been able to confirm.

The inventor Andrea Rossi is planning an installation of 300 energy catalyzers at a total of one megawatt in Greece in October 2011.

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First emission-free electro car hits Moscow streets

RT.com, 19 May, 2011

Emission-free car

One of the world's greenest cars has rolled into Moscow on its round-the-world trip, making local drivers green with envy.

Moscow's roads are amongst the busiest in the world. Everyday hundreds of thousands of cars get stuck in traffic, all pumping fumes into the atmosphere.

Now, engineers say that they have come up with an emission-free vehicle with only one difference to a normal car – it runs on electricity.

To show off their new vehicle, three of the emission-free cars are taking part in a round-the-world rally. They are now on the final leg of their journey which will finish where it started over 100 days ago in Stuttgart.

Twenty years in development, the F-Cell cars take just three minutes to fuel and can cover 400 km on a full tank.

The main problem with making the car of the future into the car of today is the network of hydrogen fueling stations that will have to be built. The designers say they have done their bit in creating a green car and it is now up to governments to create a green infrastructure.

“If there is a real push – by the government, by the public, there will be high demand and production will increase rapidly. When big cities have the infrastructure, it will all be possible,” Jorg Prigl, vice president of Mercedes Benz development, told RT.

It means we are just some time away from seeing these electric cars replacing combustion engine vehicles stuck in traffic jams around Moscow. Currently, however, there is not one fueling station in the capital that can keep them powered up and on the road.

With every year seeing more and more cars on Moscow's already jammed road system, these zero-emission cars could be the way to make the roads of Europe's biggest city greener.

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