Two new wind projects on the cards for Eastern Cape

Independent power producer (IPP) Rainmaker Energy plans to add 610 MW of wind-generated electricity to South Africa’s power grid through the development of two new projects in the Eastern Cape.

The company was working on developing a 550-MW wind farm, called the Dorper project, near Molteno, and another 60-MW wind farm, called the AB’s project, near Indwe.

Technical services director Doug Jenman told Engineering News Online that the company expected to reach commercial close for the projects before the end of this year, and that it was targeting the middle of next year for the start of construction.

Environmental-impact assessments for both projects would likely be completed by the end of August, while a record of decision on the projects could potentially be issued by November.

The start of construction would, however, be dependent on the signing of offtake agreements, or power purchase agreements, said Jenman.

He noted that the intention was sell the electricity produced to the proposed new Independent Systems Operator (ISO), but added that its was also looking at potentially selling the power in the local area, as limited power was expected to constrain the economic growth in the province.

The introduction of an ISO, which would see the country move away from having State-owned power utility Eskom as the single buyer of electricity, was expected to level the playing field for IPPs.

“Wind projects such as these, with strong energy yields, will provide much-needed power to the Eastern Cape when power is needed, during the day in winter, and matching the energy profile. These projects will also provide a longer-term pricing stability to the electricity price,” Jenman said.

CIBC investing team has green-energy focus

Bank to offer range of wholesale services including advice on project finance, IPOs and business loans

CIBC has become the first major Canadian bank to form an investment team focused on green energy and clean technology markets, forging a path that industry experts say is likely to be followed by its big-bank rivals.

Canada’s fifth-largest bank announced Tuesday that it has appointed Don Roberts, a former managing director and forestry analyst at CIBC World Markets Inc., as vice-chairman of the new wholesale banking team.

Roberts told the Star the decision sends a clear signal to the market and internally at the bank that renewable energy and clean technologies are more than a passing investment fad.

“We’re really looking at a structural change in the economy to low-carbon energy sources,” he said. “So this isn’t just to take advantage of a short cycle. This is a long-term move for us.”

The 10-person team plans to offer a range of wholesale services, including pre-IPO private placements, project financing, public equity issues and corporate loans. It will also advise on mergers and acquisitions.

Tom Rand, head of the clean technology practice at Toronto’s MaRS Discovery District, said CIBC’s plan to more aggressively pursue the market – including everything from solar and wind projects to water technologies to biochemical production – could send ripples through the sector.

India & Turkey on Track To Be Wind Powers

Bristol, England [RenewableEnergyWorld.com]

India and Turkey are both poised to become world players in the wind industry thanks to good wind resources, growing demand for electricity and emerging political frameworks to support the development of gigawatts of wind projects in the coming years.

New reports from Garrad Hassan take a deeper look into these markets and the reasons for their expected meteoric rise. The reports provide detailed information on market status, drivers and barriers, as well as regulatory framework and industry outlook. In addition, they include exclusive in-house wind resource maps which utilise Garrad Hassan’s real project experience right down to local level. Conclusions drawn will be of interest to anybody with a strategic interest in wind energy.

In the Indian Wind Energy Market report, which was released earlier this month, Garrad Hassan found that new policy measures have created significant potential for accelerated growth in the Indian wind industry. The increasing interest from independent power producers, combined with India’s rich wind resource, manufacturing base and growing technical knowledge will likely consolidate its future place in the top 5 markets worldwide.

In the Turkish Wind Energy Market report, also released this month, the findings show that significant activity in the emerging Turkish market has reached a decisive point. The applications and approved pipeline projects have formed a ‘critical mass’ and, with government and industry on the right course, future development will intensify. Substantial technology development, know-how and funding will be required, making Turkey an attractive market for many.

Minister’s ambition for future Welsh green energy

Wales has the potential to generate twice its electricity needs from renewable sources within 15 years, says Environment Minister Jane Davidson

She said Wales was fortunate to have more than 1,200 km of coastline with significant amounts of marine energy.

A previous target was seven terawatt-hours (TWh) of green energy by 2020, but she says the potential is greater.

Environmental campaigners have welcomed the proposals but had earlier called the plans “unrealistic”.

Ina statement the environment minister said: “…the location, geography and climate of Wales means that we have considerable indigenous and thus secure electricity resources that can be captured effectively by modern technologies…

“…it is quite feasible for us to produce more electricity from renewables than we consume, around 35TWhr per year, within 20 years”.

“Wales has the potential to generate more than twice as much renewable energy as we consume as a nation by 2025.”

GE Confirms Offshore Turbine Details

In the wake of the September 2009 acquisition of ScanWind, GE has confirmed some design details of its forthcoming offshore wind machine, which is set to mark the company’s substantive entry into the offshore arena.

“Now is the time for investment in offshore.”

— Stephan Ritter, GE Energy’s general manager for Renewable Energy Europe

Speaking at the company’s ‘The future of alternative energy summit’, Stephan Ritter, GE Energy’s general manager for Renewable Energy Europe, confirmed a larger rotor diameter than the current 90.6 metre design and a power rating of some 4 MW. This compares with a 3.5 MW rating on the existing ScanWind models.

The variable pitch, direct drive machine will feature a permanent magnet generator, avoiding the use of a high speed gearbox. Ritter says the top head mass (THM) of around 250 tonnes is competitive with other manufacturers’ current designs.

Department of Energy Releases New Estimates of Nation’s Wind Energy Potential

The Department of Energy (DOE) recently released new estimates of the U.S. potential for wind-generated electricity, tripling previous estimates of the size of the nation’s wind resources. The new study, which was carried out by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and AWS Truewind, finds that the contiguous 48 states have the potential to generate up to 37 million gigawatt hours annually. By contrast, total U.S. electricity generation from all sources was roughly 4 million gigawatt hours in 2009. The estimates show the total energy yield that could be generated using current wind turbine technology on the nation’s windy lands. (The estimates show what is possible, not what will actually be developed.)

When Will Renewable Energy Companies Overtake Traditional Energy Companies?

Renewable energy has got buzz, growth and growing government support. But it’s no secret that it still makes up a small portion of the overall energy mix. As interest in renewables increases, the question has begun coming up more and more often: When will renewable energy companies catch up to conventional energy companies? That is, when will we see an Exxon Mobil Corp., Chevron Corp. or ConocoPhilips of renewables?

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. brought more attention to this question with his prediction, repeated over the last several months, that clean energy would overthrow energy incumbents within the next decade.

AWEA’s 2010 Wind Energy Trends

As the nation looks ahead to 2010, renewable energy will be central to the economic and energy issues that dominate the political agenda. The American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) has identified some renewable energy trends and indicators to watch in 2010.

– Wind will continue to be a leading source of new power generation in 2010. While wind makes up only about 2% of total electricity supply, it is one of the largest sources of new power generation in the country, second only to natural-gas generation in terms of new capacity built each year since 2005.

Calif. Gov. Schwarzenegger Announces 244 Proposed Renewable Energy Projects Throughout State

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger today announced the first comprehensive list of 244 proposed renewable energy projects that could produce up to almost 70,000 megawatts (MW) of clean energy annually, building on California’s aggressive renewable energy goals. These proposed projects throughout the state include solar, wind, geothermal, biomass and small hydro facilities and will help move California towards achieving the Governor’s renewable energy goal of 33 percent by 2020.

From Copenhagen: Renewable Energy Gets Boost as Climate Talks Stall

In the midst of a turbulent week of demonstrations outside the Climate summit in Copenhagen, in which the police released teargas and arrested hundreds of people, the U.S. announced new initiatives and legislation that will give renewable energy a significant boost at home and in developing countries.