The International Space Station is the host site for a new alternative energy biofuel source-based experiment that could result in a production rate boost. The aim of the scientists involved is to assess the impact of altered gravity on oil-producing plants called jatrophas in terms of being able to produce fuel from biological matter.

Jatropha is already associated with biofuel production and is thought of as a key substance in this regard.

Jatropha: Renewable Energy

Through assessing how microgravity impacts on Jatropha plant cells, the scientists hope to gain insight into potential future renewable energy applications for them.

The lead scientist involved in National Lab Pathfinder-Cells 3 – the project’s name – is the University of Florida’s Wagner Vendrame.

“As the search for alternate energy sources has become a top priority, the results from this study could add value for commercialization of a new product”, he said. “Our goal is to verify if microgravity will induce any significant changes in the cells that could affect plant growth and development back on Earth.”

Jatropha Biofuel

The jatropha biofuel cells left Earth in February as part of the NASA space shuttle Endeavour’s mission. They will remain on the International Space Station for two months, until the next time Endeavour makes contact with it.

“Watching the space shuttle go up carrying a little piece of my work is an indescribable experience” Vendrame added. “Knowing that my experiment could contribute to creating a sustainable means for biofuel production on Earth, and therefore making this a better world adds special value to the work.”

A little over 12 months ago, Air New Zealand carried out a pioneering alternative fuel flight in which jatropha formed part of the power source. Along with algae, jatropha is considered a viable sustainable fuel source for future energy needs. One issue associated with it, however, is the amount of water needed to grow it, which surpasses the amount needed by other crops like corn many times over.

The UK has the potential for thousands of low-output hydropower sites to be developed, according to a newly-published report. In its study, the Environment Agency highlighted over 25,000 locations in England and Wales where hydroelectric facilities could be set up and, combined – they could be able to electrify 850,000 UK houses, it said.

A large percentage of these sites, however, would need special environmental consideration to ensure local ecosystems did not suffer. These – along with limitations on where the national electricity grid could be tapped into – would likely lower the UK’s overall renewable energy total from hydroelectric installations, the agency conceded.

Hydropower in the UK

That said, there are several sites that would be ideal sites to generate hydropower in the UK, including parts of the River Thames, the Humber (in the North of England) and the Severn (in the West of England and in Wales). The estimated cost – should all the turbines be put in place – would be in the region of £4 billion: an amount that the contractors involved would fund, although energy customers would subsidise them to do so.

UK Renewable Energy

The UK is aiming to have renewable energy providing 30 per cent of its electricity within a decade. Currently, the likes of wind, solar and hydro power contribute less than six per cent.

The Environment Agency’s head of climate change/ sustainable development, Tony Grayling, stressed that none of the individual hydro turbine schemes being progressed would stray outside environmental regulations. For example, they would all see channels installed to ensure fish migration would not be hindered.

“Hydropower is a well established and reliable way of generating power”, Grayling said in a statement. “We believe it can play an important role in meeting the targets set by the government on reducing carbon emissions but we have got to ensure that they do not impact on other parts of the environment such as fish populations and flood risk.

“We are also currently looking at ways of streamlining in the way we regulate hydropower.”

A large part of China is set to develop new renewable energy technologies based on locally-sourced combustible ice, it has emerged.

Qinghai Province – in the north west of the country – is the site of much of the national concentration of combustible ice: a crystallised material formed when methane and water react in the presence of high pressure and low (air) temperatures.

Combustible ice’s usual location is underneath layers of permafrost in arctic regions or in the oceans and – in line with plans laid out by Luo Huining, Qinghai’s Governor, on 6 March - the province will encourage large energy firms and scientists to assess the potential of it as a clean energy source, whilst ensuring that environmental risk is mitigated.

Combustible Ice: Clean Energy

Combustible ice is considered a clean energy source since it produces very little in the way of greenhouse gas emissions when combusted, and its this feature that has, partly, sparked international interest in as an energy generator. That said, there is a risk of methane escaping if it is extracted incorrectly: something that some scientists are keen to point out. The extraction process itself is tricky and the ice presents some transportation issues, too, they add.

In excess of 100 nations have discovered combustible ice deposits: Qinghai’s having been found towards the end of 2009. The total amount of it present on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau is thought to be equivalent to a minimum of 35 billion tonnes of oil: a quantity that could feed China’s energy demand for almost a century.

Ice Extraction: China

However, while the resources are there, the technologies needed for ice extraction in this part of China remain undeveloped. “Qinghai has just started the exploration”, Luo explained, adding: “The key problem is that we still do not have the correct technologies.”

Allied to the development of these technologies will be finding ways of protecting local ecosystems at the same time.

According to the Chinese Ministry of Land and Resources chief engineer - Zhang Hongtao – China’s utilisation of combustible ice as a energy source could start to take place within the next decade.

Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau image courtesy NASA/JPL-Caltech

A huge solar-powered boat has been unveiled that aims to circumnavigate the globe solely using renewable energy as a power source.

The PlanetSolar boat’s official unveiling occurred at the end of February 2010 and, at it, media representatives were able to view the awesome size and shape of this design.

At 31 metres in length, 15 metres in width, 7.5 metres in height and 60 tons in weight, PlanetSolar is the biggest solar-powered boat in the world.

Its frame incorporates 500 square metres of photovoltaic panels that transform solar energy into electricity at a 22 per cent efficiency rate.

Solar-Powered Boat

This solar-powered boat’s construction took over a year to complete and was carried out by a team of shipbuilders led by Knierim Yachtbau. The PlanetSolar project was initiated by Raphael Domjan who – in a press release issued on the company’s website – stated that to be able to view the finished product had produced a “unique feeling.”

“I can't wait to hold the controls in my hand soon, D-day is coming”, Domjan said.

"Each step in the PlanetSolar project is a step further in the technological development of renewable energy sources”, PlanetSolar’s owner, Immo Stroher, added.

“Thanks to ambitious projects like this, scientific research is making progress.”

PlanetSolar: Solar Boat

It is planned that PlanetSolar will take to the water to begin physical trials in two months time. The global voyage is scheduled to take place in 2011 and it is envisaged that – with its array of solar panels – the boat’s average speed will be around 15 kilometres per hour, peaking at 25 kilometres per hour.

PlanetSolar represents another instance of the projected use of renewable technologies to achieve world firsts. In November 2009, Enviro-News reported on a solar-powered aircraft design called Solar Impulse. The goal of this design is to capture a new aerial world record in 2012.

PlanetSolar Boat image copyright of PlanetSolar

What will be the largest solar energy site in the world is being pieced together in France by energy firm EDF at a former military facility, it emerged on March 2nd 2010.

The vast photovoltaic plant should be up and running in two years time - EDF-EN (Energies Nouvelles) spokesperson Jean-Marc Dall’Aglio told media representatives – and it will cover a 415 hectare expanse. Its capacity will be 143 megawatts: sufficient to provide power to thousands of homes, he added.

The 60-MW Olmedilla Photovoltaic Park in Spain is the largest solar facility in present use. It is comprised of over 160,000 individual solar panels which, combined, electrify in excess of 40,000 houses.

EDF Solar Plant

The EDF solar plant is just one of a number of large-scale solar sites being developed at the present moment, in countries including Australia and the US. It will be located at Toul-Rosieres Air Base – an ex-front line French Air Force base that was closed down six years ago.

The base is in the region of Lorraine, in the North West of France and – according to Dall’Aglio – ease of accessibility was one reason behind this site being chosen for the solar plant. “We're hunting all the time, everywhere”, he said. “In Toul-Rosieres the advantage is that the site is available straight away.”

France: Solar Power

Once it is put into operation, the EDF photovoltaic plant will increase France’s solar power capacity four-fold. Despite this, the country will still not be as active a producer as countries like Spain and Germany, which produce 1,671 megawatts and 1,505 megawatts of energy, respectively.

The solar site’s construction will involve around 150 workers, EDF’s representative added. The work they will carry out will include asbestos removal, he said.

EDF Energies Nouvelles was established in 2004 as a dedicated renewable energy firm. While initially concerned with wind energy, EDF-EN has embraced solar energy more and more in recent years.

News emerged towards the end of 2009 of a huge solar plant being developed at Californian US Army facility Fort Irwin. Its initial capacity is set to reach 500 megawatts and this could be doubled in future years.

World-renowned high-class automobile firm Ferrari has unveiled a new environmentally friendly hybrid car design intended to offer reduced fuel consumption and lowered CO2 emission levels.

Showcased at the Geneva Motor Show, the new Ferrari shuns the manufacturer’s traditional red scheme in favour of a striking green livery - symbolic of its ‘green’ credentials - and it is based on Ferrari’s existing GTB Fiorano, which has been in production for the past three years.

Ferrari 599 GTB HY-KERS

A hybrid vehicle, the Ferrari 599 GTB HY-KERS (Hybrid Kinetic Energy Recovery System) is being exhibited as a demonstration of the kind of eco-technology Ferrari intends to implement across its entire range of cars in future years.

The original model is able to go from zero to 60 miles per hour in under four seconds, a quality shared by the new eco-Ferrari. However, it features an electric motor which can be used in isolation (making the car entirely emissions-free) or in combination with the usual engine. This gives it an additional 100+ horsepower over the standard 599 GTB model.

Ferrari Kinetic Energy Recovery System

The new green Ferrari’s featured Kinetic Energy Recovery System is a form of regenerative braking that recycles the energy used when the brakes are applied, feeding it back into the car and recharging it. Technology of this kind has already been exploited within Formula One cars, and is now starting to be incorporated into private motor vehicles, too.

The Ferrari 599 GTB HY-KERS will produce 270 grams of carbon for every kilometre driven: equivalent to a 3O+ per cent drop below those generated by a standard GTB. Additionally, it will be able to travel up to 25 miles per gallon of petrol: close to ten more miles than the standard model can achieve.

“This shows how Ferrari is applying hybrid technology to high-performance cars”, a Ferrari representative stated. “Central to our objective is maintaining the balance, handling and performance characteristics typical of its cars, despite the inevitable disadvantages in terms of weight. Ferrari has also applied its F1 technology to the design, engineering and construction of a new kind of electric motor which also helps optimise the dynamics of the car.”

According to information detailed on Ferrari’s website, the company plans to achieve a 2010 CO2 emissions cut of 30,000 tons (equivalent to a 40 per cent drop). Technologies including photovoltaics will be used to attain this, it says, adding that in this way, Ferrari will achieve complete self-sufficiency.

See also:

Detroit Motor Show to Showcase New Electric Cars

Electric Car Designs at Auto Show

The surging problem of e-waste in undeveloped parts of the world needs to be addressed urgently, UN officials have said. In a new report issued on February 22nd 2010, the organisation highlighted how mountains of discarded electrical components were being created in Africa, and in the likes of India and China.

In India especially, e-waste levels could rise almost five-times over in the coming decade (four-times over in South Africa and China) and the consequence of this both here, and in other countries, could be damage to the environment, as well as impaired human health.

The UN’s new e-waste study assessed current data relating to waste levels in 11 countries, and forecast potential future trends, too. Worldwide, it found that 40 millions of e-waste was being created each year, principally as a result of consistent consumer technology upgrades.

E-Waste: China

This year, it said, over two million tonnes of Chinese e-waste alone would probably be generated. This would rank China as the world’s second most-active e-waste producer (behind the US).

“Sales of electronic products in countries like China and India and across continents such as Africa and Latin America are set to rise sharply in the next 10 years”, the UNEP (United Nations Environment Programme) stated.

“And unless action is stepped up to properly collect and recycle materials, many developing countries face the spectre of hazardous e-waste mountains with serious consequences for the environment and public health.”

E-Waste Treatment

Improperly-treated e-waste can be a cause of toxins and carcinogens.

The UN report described the informality of some e-waste recycling methods. In China, for example, circuit boards and similar objects were being burnt in small-scale waste recyclers – and toxic pollution being caused as a result.

“This report gives new urgency to establishing ambitious, formal and regulated processes for collecting and managing e-waste via the setting up of large, efficient facilities in China”, Achim Steiner – under-secretary-general at the UN – stated.

The fleet of black cabs that serve the streets of London are a traditional and globally-recognised feature of the capital city’s transport network but - in three years’ time - new zero-emission taxis are set to hit the roads. London is the host city for the 2012 Olympic Games and, by then, it is hoped that the new hydrogen fuel cell-powered cabs will be in service.

With that aim in mind, the environmentally friendly vehicle technology behind these cabs is being worked on right now, and trials of it are soon set to take place.

Fuel Cell Black Cabs

In terms of both their appearance and the way they handle, the new hydrogen fuel cell black cabs will strongly resemble the old, familiar ones. They will be able to achieve over 80 miles per hour, reach 60 miles per hour from a standing start in 14 seconds and travel in excess of 250 miles on a single hydrogen tank.

Hydrogen is viewed by many as an attractive future vehicle power option. Renewable energy sources like solar and wind power can be used from the outset to divide water down into its individual oxygen and hydrogen components, and this hydrogen can then be sent from plants through to refuelling sites. However, rather than draw on renewable energy sources, the new low-emission London cabs will probably begin by using oil-derived fuel, instead.

Fuel Cell Car Technology: London Taxis

The fuel cell car technology that the new London taxis will incorporate is manufactured by Intelligent Energy – a representative of which explained the idea behind them. “The intent is to take the taxis and retrofit a powertrain that has zero tailpipe emissions”, IE’s Herni Winand told the Guardian. “But also it has to deliver some very important things: a reasonable range, very quick refuelling time and no modifying the passenger or driver space.”

Among the other firms collaborating with Intelligent Energy is Lotus, which is responsible for fusing the fuel cell technology into the existing taxi shell.

“There is a global drive to reduce CO2 emission levels and this is something we are dedicated to, for both Lotus cars and our engineering clients”, Lotus Engineering’s Simon Wood stressed. “The fuel cell hybrid taxi” represents a “fantastic achievement for all the companies involved”, he said, adding: “the taxi is already running through a series of tests.”

In August 2009, details emerged of plans to create a large-scale ‘hydrogen highway’ in London, with hydrogen taxis (as well as buses and private motor vehicles) forming a part of this. Commenting then, officials linked to Boris Johnson - the Mayor of London - predicted that over 30 per cent of British cars could be hydrogen-powered within the next two decades.

See also:

Wales to Host Extensive UK Hydrogen Highway

The US city of San Francisco has laid down new renewable energy-based construction rules requiring all new structures erected within it to be able to recharge electric cars: an attempt at establishing itself deep within the heart of the American electric car industry, and a direction it is taking in advance of an anticipated large-scale electric car influx.

Its move precedes the imminent introduction of two new electric car designs – the Chevrolet Volt and Nissan Leaf – both of which are being advertised as ideal family cars, and both of which have the potential to be able to reach destinations at least 40 miles beyond their starting point off a single charge.

San Francisco: Electric Cars

With effect from March 2010, San Franciscan homeowners will be able to receive loans: a gesture aimed at incentivising them to install home-based recharge facilities for electric cars. This programme will be known as San Francisco’s “sustainable financing programme.”

According to recent statistics from the California Department of Finance, over 845,000 people live in San Francisco: 17,000 of them per square mile. Purely on this basis, the city offers an attractive proposition for electric car manufacturers.

Electric Car Charging

“If you want to put an electric [car] charging station in your home in anticipation of all these electric vehicles, you can do it through this green financing program”, Gavin Newsom – the Mayor of San Francisco – stated in comments made online.

US West Coast-based power firms are currently assessing how to supply all the power needed for the expected influx of electric cars in coming months and years. For example, Pacific Gas & Electric – the dominant supplier in the city – is compiling “heat-maps” highlighting city parts that might be especially susceptible to suffering blackouts as a result of electric vehicle power consumption.

The Nissan Leaf is 100 per cent electric and made its debut exhibition appearance at the recent North American International Auto Show. The Chevrolet Volt is a hybrid vehicle expected to make its market debut in November this year.

Global wind power capacity gained over 30 per cent last year, according to Belgian trade association the Global Wind Energy Council.

In quantitative terms, 37.5 more gigawatts were installed, creating a new worldwide wind power total of close to 158 gigawatts. China was responsible for over 30 per cent of the additional capacity and – in domestic terms – expanded its wind power by over 100 per cent. Including the likes of Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and India, Asia contributed a combined 14+ gigawatts of wind capacity to the overall total.

Wind Energy Industry

Further statistics from the Global Wind Energy Council showed how the global wind energy industry now employs in excess of half-a-million people, and is worth billions of dollars: new turbine installation alone have a $63bn value.

“The continued rapid growth of wind power despite the financial crisis and economic downturn is testament to the inherent attractiveness of the technology, which is clean, reliable and quick to install”, council Secretary-General, Steve Sawyer, commented in a recent press release.

US Wind Power Capacity

The US extended its wind power capacity by 39 per cent – adding close-to-ten more gigawatts. As a result, said the council, it now has around 35 gigawatts. To put this into context: this is the equivalent of the power generated by up to 70 small-scale nuclear plants.

“The US wind energy industry shattered all installation records in 2009...” American Wind Energy Association chief executive, Denise Bode, stated. However, she said, “US wind turbine manufacturing is down compared to last year's levels and needs long-term policy certainty and market pull in order to grow.”

“Wind power has become the power technology of choice for a growing number of countries around the world”, Sawyer added. “Copenhagen didn’t bring us any closer to a global price on carbon, but wind energy continued to grow due to national energy policy in our main markets and also because many governments in prioritised renewable energy development in their economic recovery plans.”

See also:

29% Worldwide Wind Power Increase in 2008