News Roundup

Clipper and BP in titanic 5 GW wind plan

Clipper Windpower Plc has entered into a 50:50 joint venture, with BP Alternative Energy to develop the more than 5 GW Titan wind project

At 5050 MW, the development in South Dakota, formerly known as Rolling Thunder, is to be constructed in multiple phases and, if completed, will be the world's largest wind facility.

Under the terms of the agreement, Clipper and BP will combine their 50:50 interests in a previously announced 1550 MW South Dakota joint venture project, together with a further 3500 MW contiguous wind resource to form the expanded joint venture.

In addition, the alliance has agreed it will enter into a Master Turbine Supply Agreement which will enable the supply of up to 2020 of Clipper's 2.5 MW Liberty wind turbines upon the project's successful phased development.

James GP Dehlsen, Clipper's chairman and chief executive said: ‘We look forward to this and future world-class projects of this calibre which continue to be spurred by the growing demand for environmentally responsible and sustainable energy solutions.'

The new alliance follows a July 2007 deal with Clipper for the supply of up to 4250 MW of wind turbines over the next five years for BP Alternative Energy North America Inc.

Meanwhile, enXco parent company EDF Energies Nouvelles has signed an agreement with Clipper for the supply of 67.5 MW of wind turbines.

Clipper Turbine Works, a subsidiary of Clipper Windpower, is to supply 27 wind turbines, each with a 2.5 MW capacity. The turbines are destined for use in the construction of the first tranche of the La Ventosa wind farm in Mexico.

EDFEN says the order will help it move forward with its plans to build the farm in Oaxaca, Mexico. Construction is due to be completed by the end of 2009.

enXco will provide supervision of the construction activities as well the operation and maintenance of the project.

David Corchia, chief executive of EDF Energies Nouvelles said: ‘We are very pleased to be working with Clipper. We see the Liberty machine with its large-scale capacity and innovative improvements at the top of the scale in terms of industry technology advancement. We're looking forward to the installation of these first 27 turbines in 2009, as well as expanding our relationship with Clipper.'

(For more on the Clipper Liberty, see Eize de Vries' article in our May-June issue.)

PG&E signs on for 800 MW of new PV

Californian utility company Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) has entered into two utility-scale, photovoltaic solar power contracts for a total of 800 MW of capacity.

Topaz Solar Farms LLC, a subsidiary of OptiSolar Inc., has been contracted for the development of a 550 MW of thin-film PV solar power. Located in San Luis Obispo County, California, the project would deliver approximately 1.1 TWh annually. The development is expected to begin operations in 2011 and be completed by 2013.

PG&E has also signed a contract with High Plains Ranch II, LLC, a subsidiary of SunPower Corporation for 250 MW of solar tracking crystalline PV modules.

SunPower's California Valley Solar Ranch would be located in San Luis Obispo County's California Valley and is expected to deliver an average of 550 GWh annually, bringing total output to 1.65 TWh.

The project is expected to begin power delivery in 2010 and be fully operational in 2012.

Jack Keenan, chief operating officer and senior vice president for PG&E. commented: ‘These landmark agreements signal the arrival of utility-scale PV solar power that may be cost-competitive with solar thermal and wind energy. We will continue to explore such innovative technologies as we aggressively work to increase the amount of renewable energy we provide our customers.'

Randy Goldstein, chief executive officer of OptiSolar said: ‘Implementing cost-competitive solar power on this scale establishes thin-film photovoltaic generation as an important contributor to global sustainability.'

Turkish wind progress

Turkey's largest wind farm to be erected to date has been inaugurated on the Yuntdag ridge just to the south of Bergama. Developed by Nordex the Yuntdag project has a total of 17 N90/2500 turbines with a combined capacity of more than 42 MW.

The project owner is Innores A.S. a subsidiary of Dost Enerji and as such belongs to MV Holding, the leading provider of telecommunication services in Turkey. Innores managed the infrastructure and construction of the access roads to the wind farm started in June 2007.

In 2006 turbines with a capacity of 56 MW were erected in Turkey, followed by a further 148 MW in 2007. A further 1700 MW are expected to be connected to the grid between 2008 and 2012.

In related news, American Superconductor Corporation (AMSC) has announced that it has licensed its proprietary WT1650 wind turbine design to Model Enerji Ltd., making the company Turkey's first megawatt-class wind turbine manufacturer.

Under the terms of the contract, Model Enerji has exclusive rights to manufacture, sell, install, operate and maintain the WT1650 in Turkey Model Enerji, based in Istanbul, plans to manufacture the 1.65 MW turbines, in the Ankara industrial zone and plans to have its first prototype installed and commissioned in mid-2009.

Texas PUC Approves CREZ Wind Transmission Plans

The Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUC) is to pursue a transmission system development scenario that will eventually allow a combined capacity of 18,456 MW of wind power from West Texas and the Panhandle region to be transmitted to metropolitan high demand areas of the state.

Earlier this year, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), the agency that oversees the state's electric grid, responded to a PUC order to provide several scenarios to the commission. The four scenarios contained a total of 12,053 MW, 18,456 MW, 24,859 MW, and 24,419 MW of installed wind generation distributed among five Competitive Renewable Energy Zones (CREZs) in West Texas and the Texas Panhandle.

The plan selected by the PUC is estimated to cost US$4.93 billion and it is expected that the new lines will be in service within four to five years.

‘With its decision to approve new, large investments in transmission lines for renewable energy, Texas is not only ensuring that consumers will reap the benefits of more wind power, it is also showing the way forward for the nation,' said Randall Swisher, executive director of the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA). He added: ‘We need to improve the way the nation plans for transmission lines, both to increase electric system reliability and to tap our vast wind resource. Texas is pioneering a way to that by establishing ‘Competitive Renewable Energy Zones' that identify corridors where transmission can be built and ways in which the lines will be funded.'

For more on this and other wind developments in Texas see the article by our US Correspondent Elisa Wood article on page 54.

Sempra generation in NV 10 MW thin-film deal

First Solar, Inc. is to build a 10 MW thin-film PV power plant for Sempra Generation near Boulder City, Nevada USA. The company will design, engineer and construct the turnkey PV plant and will provide monitoring and maintenance services for the plant over its lifetime.

Sempra Generation will be the developer for the project, and will own and operate the facility once completed.

Construction has already begun and the plant is expected to be completed by the end of 2008. The solar modules to be deployed in this ground-mount project will be produced at First Solar's manufacturing facility in Perrysburg, Ohio.

The plant will be adjacent to Sempra's existing El Dorado combined cycle natural gas plant. By co-locating this new PV power plant with existing infrastructure and the associated interconnection and transmission facilities, Sempra will maximize transmission capacity, it says.

Michael W. Allman, president and chief executive officer of Sempra Generation said: ‘The combination of Sempra Generation's experience in developing power-generation projects in the region with First Solar's expertise in advanced, thin-film photovoltaic solutions is a natural fit.'

Asia's biggest PV grows

The Korean subsidiary of Conergy AG has announced an extension to the SinAn PV plant southwest of Seoul, Asia's largest at 19.6 MWp.

Under a new framework agreement, a 4.35 MWp extension is expected to be grid-connected before the year is over. The €90 million first phase of the project became fully operational in June, six months ahead of schedule.

Client DongYang Engineering & Construction Corporation appointed Conergy with the turnkey construction of the additional capacity in a new contract, worth approximately €20 million.

The extension will bring the total capacity of SinAn to 24 MWp and will cover an area of 720,000 m². Once fully operational, the plant will produce 33 GWh annually.

Jihun Kim, Conergy Korea chief executive, said: ‘Building Asia's largest solar power plant is a landmark moment for the renewable energy sector in Korea.'

Jenbacher in Sugarcane biogas first for Pakistan

The first biogas project to use sugarcane-waste created from the production of ethanol has begun operations.

Powered by eight Jenbacher biogas engines from GE Energy, the grid-connected sugarcane biogas plant in Jhang, Pakistan, provides an on-site source of power to help the Shakarganj Mills' mill and other industrial operations meet production requirements.

The biogas used to fuel the plant is extracted from spent wash, a by-product of the ethanol production operation that uses sugarcane molasses as a raw material.

The plant is also expected to produce approximately 20,000 tonnes of certified emissions reductions (CERs) annually under the Kyoto Protocol.

‘The project is Pakistan's first sugarcane biogas power plant,' said Mohammad Asghar Qureshi, managing director of Shakarganj Mills, who added: ‘With 225 million liters of ethyl alcohol produced annually in Pakistan, we expect many other distillery companies to install similar plants to support the energy needs of the national grid.'

GE supplied Shakarganj Mills Ltd. with eight JGS 320 GS. B/L Jenbacher units for the cogeneration plant, which is supplying electricity to the national grid through a 22-year power purchase agreement together with an estimated 8 MWth.

In addition to the gas engines, GE also provided the gas train, biogas compressor and biogas cooler for the gas dehumidification process.

GE's Jenbacher gas engine local distributor M/s. Orient Energy Systems provided the remaining auxiliary equipment including the cooling tower, pumps, ventilation systems (including fans), and a hot water-powered chiller for cooling the biogas. The company also provided heat recovery from jacket water system, exhaust, local installation, commissioning and overall project consulting services.

Orient Energy Systems also is providing operation and maintenance support for the plant.

Severn tidal proposals revealed by UK GOVT

The UK government has published a list of 10 proposed projects for a tidal ‘barrage' across the Severn Estuary that will be the focus of a newly launched feasibility study. Commissioned by Secretary of State for Energy John Hutton, the study will see a short-list published later this year highlighting which preferred proposals could be taken forward for more extensive research.

Commenting on the development Hutton said: ‘Harnessing the power of the Severn Estuary could be an engineering project of breathtaking scale and we will look at the full range of technologies and locations.'

The list of ten options is:

1. Outer Barrage from Minehead to Aberthaw: this would be the largest barrage and would make maximum use of the Severn Estuary tidal resource

2. Middle Barrage from Brean Down to Lavernock Point: most well-studied option, known as the Cardiff-Weston barrage

3. Middle Barrage from Hinkley to Lavernock Point: as option 2 but lands at Hinkley

4. Inner Barrage (Shoots Barrage): also known as English Stones scheme and studied in detail by the Sustainable Development Commission

5. Beachley Barrage: barrage further upstream, smaller generating capacity than Shoots.

6. Tidal Fence proposal: a barrier constructed over part of the Cardiff to Weston line, with open sections, incorporating tidal stream turbines to capture energy from the ebb and flood tides.

7. Lagoon enclosure on the Welsh grounds (Fleming lagoon): one of the previously studied Russell lagoons from 1980s

8. Tidal lagoon concept: a proposal for a number of tidal lagoons

9. Tidal reef proposal: a concept that would include floating turbines and caissons

10. Severn Lake Scheme: a 1 km-wide barrage in the same location as the Cardiff-Weston scheme designed to allow the construction of a number of additional features, including a wave farm on the seaward side and four marinas

The tidal range on the Severn (which separates Wales and south-west England) is the second largest in the world and has the potential to provide around 5% of the UK's current electricity demand. The feasibility study will run for two years and will be a two stage process with a decision point at the end of each. The first stage work, likely to run until late 2008, will focus on high level issues and short-listing potential tidal power project options.

New Belgian biomass CFB

Foster Wheeler Ltd is to develop a 26 MWe circulating fluidized-bed (CFB) steam generator to be located in Oostrozebeke, Belgium that will be fired on biomass.

In development under the terms of a contract by Prokon Nord Energiesysteme GmbH, the new biomass-fired boiler will be owned by A&S Energy, a partnership between renewable power company, Aspiravi, and wood products manufacturing firm Spano, which already operates a facility in Oostrozebeke.

Spano will be responsible for the supply of non-recyclable wood residue to be used as fuel and the electricity so produced will be sold to the local grid.

Foster Wheeler will design and supply the steam generator and auxiliaries. Commercial operations are scheduled for autumn of 2010.

A waste-fuel-fired CFB boiler island to be located at a CHP plant in Norrkoping has also been contracted by E.ON Varme Sverige.

‘Foster Wheeler's CFB technology provides environmentally friendly fuel flexibility', said Tomas Harju-Jeanty, president and CEO of Foster Wheeler Energia Oy.

Anheuser-Busch brews up renewables

One in seven beers produced by US brewing giant Anheuser-Busch are expected to use renewable energy by the end of 2009 with the company's breweries in Houston, Texas and Fairfield, California currently installing renewable energy technology that will be operational by year end.

A 1.18 MW PV system will be constructed at a California facility that will generate approximately 3% of the brewery's needs. It will also generate Renewable Energy Certificates for the company.

The Houston brewery will use biogas from landfill and a wastewater bio-energy recovery system (BERS), together anticipated to provide more than 70% of the brewery's fuel needs. The Fairfield brewery will also use BERS technology.

The company's US breweries will run on more than 15% renewables.

Second generation biofuels getting More attention from oil majors

A number of oil majors have made moves to advance second generation cellulosic biofuels recently.

BP and Verenium Corporation have announced the creation of a strategic partnership to accelerate the development and commercialization of cellulosic ethanol, a second generation biofuel.

In an effort to pursue the development of cellulosic ethanol production facilities in the United States, and potentially throughout the world, under the initial phase of the strategic alliance, Verenium is to receive US$90 million in total funding from BP over the next 18 months for rights to current and future technology held within the partnership.

The initial phase of the strategic alliance utilizes Verenium's advanced technology for cellulosic ethanol production as the platform for a joint development effort. The financial terms of this initial phase of the strategic alliance include $45 million, payable in three instalments over the next twelve months, for broad access to Verenium's technology platform, production facilities, and employee scientific knowledge and expertise. The companies' joint efforts in the field will be directed by a Joint Development Agreement the initial term of which is 18 months.

Beyond the initial phase of this alliance, the companies expect to negotiate a second phase of the relationship, focused on the development of a joint venture to accelerate the commercial deployment of the technologies. The technologies may also be licensable to third-party commercial projects.

Carlos A. Riva, president and CEO at Verenium noted: ‘In addition to BP's world-class capabilities in traditional energy production, logistics and distribution, their commitment to accelerate the development of the global biofuels market was a significant factor in our decision to partner with BP. In addition, both organizations are aligned on the significant market opportunity and operational imperatives for achieving rapid commercial-scale success.'

Meanwhile, Royal Dutch Shell plc and Iogen Corporation have also announced an extended commercial alliance to accelerate development and deployment of cellulosic ethanol fuel.

The terms of the agreement include a significant investment by Shell in technology development with Iogen Energy Corporation, a jointly owned development company dedicated to advancing second generation cellulosic biofuels.

Shell is considering investing in a full-scale commercial cellulosic ethanol plant and is contributing to Iogen's detailed feasibility and design assessment work.

The alliance will also see Shell increasing its shareholding in Iogen Energy Corp. from 26.3% to 50%, having first taken an equity stake in 2002. Iogen's first demonstration commercial plant opened in Ottawa in 2004.

Commenting on Shell's increased investment, Dr Graeme Sweeney, Shell executive vice president Future Fuels and CO2 said: ‘This is a strong statement that Shell is committed to accelerating the development of cellulosic ethanol in collaboration with Iogen.'

Other major industrial groups are also exploring cellulosic ethanol. DuPont Danisco Cellulosic Ethanol LLC (DDCE) and the University of Tennessee (UT) Research Foundation have announced a partnership to construct an innovative pilot-scale biorefinery and state-of-the-art research and development facility for cellulosic ethanol in Vonore, Tennessee.

The pilot-scale biorefinery will develop the commercial package for DDCE's cellulosic ethanol technology and the project will utilize UT's experience in cellulosic feedstock production and co-product research, as well as its work with Tennessee farmers to develop the first dedicated cellulosic energy crop supply chain for biorefineries utilizing switchgrass.

The plant capacity will be more than 1 million litres of cellulosic ethanol annually. Site preparations are scheduled to begin this autumn, and ethanol could be available from the pilot plant by December 2009.

These developments come as the US Department of Energy (DOE) announced its selection process for grants to be made to small-scale cellulosic ethanol refineries that up to a total of US$240 million in funding, subject to appropriations, over the next five fiscal years.

Once federal funding is combined with industry cost share, more than $735 million could be invested in the nine projects, over the next four to five years.

Meanwhile, according to a new report ‘The European Biofuels Challenge — Developments in European Union Policy and Industry Drivers', with a high premium placed on carbon savings and sustainability credentials, second generation biofuels are set to become an attractive investment proposition.

The publication finds, however, that only products with the most sustainable certification and standards will be able to sell at a premium.

‘Research is pointing out that second generation biofuels could offer great benefits in the quest for alternative energy,' said Urmila Doraswami, the report's author.

PV poses no problem for the grid

Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems have compiled two reports that show municipal electricity grids can accept large amounts of PV.

Hermann Laukamp, Fraunhofer project leader said: ‘The existing municipal electricity grids can accept greatly expanding amounts of solar electricity. The capacity of the grid for decentralized feed-in can be appreciably increased through non-investment-related measures.'

Adjusting the low voltage transformers which supply electricity to the households within each district is one example of how the capacity of the existing electricity grid can be increased with minimal investment, the reports say. Often, for example, output voltage is set at 236V instead of 230V to allow for reserves, but PV systems bring local voltage increases with them. If the maximum allowable value is exceeded due to these increases, then the system cannot be connected. If the service technicians decrease the voltage setting by 1%-2% during routine maintenance, then the problem is solved, say the reports. ‘Where there is a large load, there is room for large amounts of solar energy,' concludes Laukamp.

Algae-based biodiesel bid

A memoranda of understanding has been signed in a bid to pursue the joint development of a commercial-scale microalgae facility on Maui.

The facility will produce lipid oil for conversion to biodiesel and other products, such as animal feed.

The Ma'alaea algae facility would be HR BioPetroleum's first commercial facility and the company will be responsible for overall project management, including obtaining financing, and construction and operation of the microalgae facility.

Meanwhile, Alexander & Baldwin will provide strategically located land, adjacent to Maui Electric's Ma'alaea Power Plant. The other parties to the MoU, Hawaiian Electric Company and Maui Electric Company, will lead in determining the permitting and construction needs for piping to carry stack gases containing carbon dioxide, which the algae consume, from the Ma'alaea plant to an adjacent algae facility.

Construction of the facility is subject to a variety of factors, including confirmation of algae performance data from HR BioPetroleum's pilot and demonstration facilities, receipt of required regulatory approvals and project financing commitments. Assuming these successfully occur as planned, the first phase of the commercial facility could be in operation by 2011.

‘This innovative partnership can help move Hawaii one step closer to securing energy independence and achieving our goal of having 70% of Hawaii's energy come from clean sources by 2030,' said Hawaii's Governor, Linda Lingle.

Transmission tops TatankA

Spanish renewables development company Acciona has commissioned the 180 MW Tatanka wind farm — located in Dickey County and McIntosh County, North Dakota, and McPherson County, South Dakota — but says that transmission restrictions are curbing further expansion.

The project is the largest wind farm in North and South Dakota and is the first installation of Acciona's 1.5 MW turbines in the United States.

Construction of the US$381 million project began in April 2007 and financing for the project was achieved through equity partnerships with GE Energy Financial Services and Wachovia Investment Holdings LLC.

The Tatanka Farm is comprised of 120 wind turbines with 59 machines located in South Dakota and 61 in North Dakota. The output from the facility is sold into the Midwest Independent Transmission System Operator (MISO).

Acciona says that the size of the project is currently limited by regional transmission capacity and the company is hopeful improved transmission capabilities across the United States will allow Tatanka's full potential to be realized with further expansion.

GE Energy Financial Services has announced that it is partnering with Acciona and is investing some $141 million in the Tatanka development.

The transaction represents the GE unit's first wind equity investment in the Dakotas and the first wind farm in the United States built entirely by Acciona.

The company invested with Wachovia Investment Holdings LLC to provide structured equity for the wind farm, which spans 14,000 acres (5700 ha).

Straw — every little helps

Supermarket chain Tesco has been given the go ahead to build Britain's first ever straw-powered CHP plant. The facility will meet the electricity and heating needs of the company's Goole Distribution Centre.

The new plant will generate 5 MWe with any excess electricity to be sold back to the grid. The straw will be supplied from local farms.

Tesco estimates that it will have recouped the £12 million (US$24 million) set up costs of the facility within six years.

David North, Tesco's community and government director, said: ‘We've identified five sites that would be suitable for further biomass technology, and are making big investments in wind turbines too.'

Tesco has set itself a stretching target to halve the carbon footprint of its estate by 2020 and recently secured planning permission for two large wind turbines at its Distribution Centres in Daventry. These 90 metre turbines will each generate 800 kW. It is applying for consent for another three 100 metere turbines which will be rated at 1.25 MW.

Building work at the supermarket's Distribution Centre in Goole will begin shortly, and the power plant will be operational later next year.

Suntech secures Silicon

PV manufacturing group Suntech Power Holdings Co., Ltd. has signed an initial five-year polycrystalline silicon wafer supply agreement with Crystalox Solar PLC.

Under the terms of the agreement, Crystalox Solar will supply Suntech with a total of 260 MW of wafers from 2008 to 2013 at predetermined prices and volumes.

Headquartered in the UK, Crystalox is currently developing an 1800 tonne solar-grade polysilicon production facility in Germany.

‘PV Crystalox Solar is well recognized for its expertise in the production of silicon wafers, and we are very pleased to initiate this relationship.' said Dr. Zhengrong Shi, Suntech's chairman and chief executive,

Shi added: ‘With a strong demand outlook for 2009, the emergence of a number of high potential solar markets in Europe, and growing sentiment supporting the need for renewable energy, we are confident that the solar industry will sustain long term growth.'

Taiwan's Plans for 1 MW of Concentrating solar PV

LED technology companies Everlight and Epistar are collaborating with Yee Fong Chemical and Everphoton to set up the first concentrating solar PV power (CSPV) plant power plant in Asia.

The 1 MWp project is due to begin operations by the end of 2008 and will be based on Everphoton CSPV technology of high efficiency modules, high concentration Fresnel lens, sensors and controller, and a tracking system.

‘We are now planning to launch a 1 MW [CSPV] power plant in Taiwan,' said Eric Chen, Everphoton CEO.

The first phase of 200 kWp will be completed at the beginning of 2009 and will be located at southern Taiwan. Everphoton has indicated that it will use solar cells from world's top three suppliers for its project.

Capstone in solar-turbine hybrid development move

Capstone Turbine Corp has received an order from HelioFocus for the development and modification of Capstone Turbine's C65 MicroTurbine that will allow the CHP device to operate on solar energy.

HelioFocus Ltd, which is engaged in the development of modular, high efficiency Concentrating Solar Power systems, will use a parabolic solar concentrator to focus energy into a solar receiver driving Capstone's modified turbine and power electronics.

Under the initial phase of development, Capstone will make modifications to the existing microturbine to operate on superheated air and integrate the microturbine with the HelioFocus concentrator system.

‘This combined system leverages existing Capstone technology and continues to broaden the range of renewable fuels that are able to power our microturbines,' said Mark Gilbreth, executive vice president and chief technology officer at Capstone.

Biodigester gas to power up FREnch municipal waste

A large-scale anaerobic digestion plant in Bourg-en-Bresse, France is to be developed by Belgian company Organic Waste Systems nv (OWS), which has just received the official confirmation to go-ahead with the plant.

The construction in Bourg-en-Bresse will start in March 2009 and will require two years. Once in operation, the project will produce 30,500 tonnes of compost yearly and 14 GWh of electricity.

Together with the French firm Tiru, a subsidiary of EDF, the project will treat 90,000 tonnes of mixed household waste per year, together with 15,000 tonnes of green waste. The project investment will amount to a total of €54 million.

The order entails the turnkey supply of a plant using so-called ‘DRANCO-technology', a dry digestion process for the treatment of organics from municipal solid waste.

The waste is first treated in two rotating drums for two days to reduce the organic fraction to less than 40 mm, This material is subsequently digested in two vertical silos with a volume of 2000 m³.

WaveGen's islay unit begins operations

Operations of a 100 kW Wavegen Limpet turbine installation have begun off the coast of Islay in Scotland.

Developed by Voith Siemens Hydro Power Generation, the turbine is the prototype for the Siadar Wave Energy Project (SWEP) by npower renewables, RWE Innogy's UK operating company.

Integrated into a breakwater scheme on Scotland's largest island, the Isle of Lewis, and Harris, this plant would use power from the Atlantic waves in Siadar Bay to generate up to 4 MW. Once plans are given the go-ahead by the Scottish government, building work could start as early as 2009.

Voith Siemens Hydro, Wavegen owners, developed the turbine project with support from the Scottish government's Wave and Tidal Energy Support (WATES) scheme.

Dr Roland Muench, chief executive officer of Voith Siemens Hydro, commented: ‘With this new turbine Wavegen has extended the range of application for wave energy plants to include more energetic and hence more economically attractive environments. I am confident the reliability demonstrated in other proven turbines will be continued in this 100 kW turbine.'

Kevin McCullough, chief operating officer of RWE's renewable energy unit RWE Innogy said: ‘This is a significant step forward in realising our ambitions of developing the SWEP at Siadar.

‘It is a great opportunity to see the technology in action and optimize its performance before it's used commercially.'

Enel buys in wind pipeline

Italy's Enel has signed an agreement with Damco Energy to participate in wind pipeline projects up to 1400 MW throughout Greece.

The move will see Enel acquire a 30% stake, along with rights to progressively raise its stake up to 80%.

The wind projects are located in the most windy areas of Greece, mainly in Thrace. Enel will also have an option to participate to the development of additional 180 MW in Bulgaria, in an area adjacent to Thrace.

The Italian champion utility group is already the third largest operator of renewable energy sources in Greece, with 91.3 MW operating and a further 36.1 MW under construction.

Meanwhile, the Brazilian subsidiaries of Enel and SoWiTec have signed a cooperation agreement to develop eight windpower projects in the north-eastern area of the country, with a 1 GW combined capacity.

Through this agreement Enel has the exclusivity rights on eight power projects, all at an early stage of development. The company will also be entitled to acquire the projects fully once they are completely developed by SoWiTec. The projects have a preliminary capacity ranging between 56 MW and 200 MW and are located in the states of Cearà, Bahia, Rio Grande do Norte and Sergipe.

Enel Latin America LLC and Enel Brasil Participações Ltda. have signed a project development agreement with SoWiTec do Brasil Energias Alternativas Ltda., an affiliate of the German developer SoWiTec International GmbH, to develop the wind power projects.

ScotTish distillery seeing straight on biomass CHp

Plans for a pioneering bioenergy facility at Scotland's largest distillery, Cameronbridge in Fife, have been outlined by the drinks group Diageo.

The company, which makes Johnnie Walker whisky and Smirnoff vodka, has signed a partnership agreement with energy management company Dalkia, to create a new biomass CHP facility at the Fife site. The proposed project, which is subject to planning approval, will provide 98% of the thermal and 80% of electrical demand at the distillery.

Costing approximately £65 million (US$130 million), the planned development will integrate anaerobic digestion and biomass conversion on a commercial scale. The plant will use ‘spent wash' - a mixture of wheat, malted barley, yeast and water produced during distillation - which will be separated into liquid and dried solids. The liquid is then converted, via anaerobic digestion, into biogas while the dried solids form an additional biomass fuel source.

Around 90,000 tonnes of co-products, which would have otherwise required transport off-site by road, will be turned into bioenergy. This will be used on-site at the distillery, maximizing efficiency. In addition, the new facility will also recover almost a third of the site's previous operational water requirements.

It is believed to be the largest single investment in renewable technology by a non-utility company to date.

Dalkia will construct the facility over the next two years and it will then transfer to Diageo under a finance lease arrangement, while continuing to be managed by Dalkia.

Bryan Donaghey, managing director of Diageo Scotland, commented: ‘This will be a showcase bioenergy facility which harnesses a variety of green technologies in a project of an unprecedented scale in our industry.'

Dow's silicone PV Play

Dow Corning Corp. has demonstrated a manufacturing process featuring new developmental silicone materials that they say significantly increases the production rate of solar panels.

The process works in conjunction with its PV-6100 Encapsulant series, which provides a clear laminate protective film over each solar cell and can replace commonly used ethyl vinyl acetate resins. The silicone-based material provides higher watt efficiency, longer module life, and optimum UV resistance Dow says. Equipment for the new process also requires less capital and less factory space. The products are due on sale in 2009.

First Thornton Bank turbine in place

REpower Systems AG has installed the first of six 5 MW turbines for the Belgian offshore wind farm at Thornton Bank in the North Sea.

The project, at about 30 km off the coast, is the first Belgian offshore wind farm. For the first of three construction phases, the German turbine manufacturer is providing its 5M offshore machines.

The contract partner in the development is the Belgian company C-Power.

The turbine that has just been erected in Belgium is one of a dozen of this type that have now been installed. Gravity foundations were assembled and carried out to sea for the machines, which stand in a water depth of around 25 metres.

In related news, Dutch utility company Nuon is forming an alliance with Electrawinds and C-Power to develop Belgium's largest offshore windfarm.

The partners have lodged an application, under the name of Seal, for a location at Noordhinder, about 45 km from the coast and which will not be visible from land. The project is the furthest from the coast of all those planned in the Belgian North Sea. The seven proposed projects for the region will have a combined capacity of 2.3 GW.

Europe's biomethane giant

Europe's largest national gas grid-connected biomethane plant has been officially inaugurated in Germany.

The facility has a rated biogas output of approximately 10 MW, which is fed into the existing natural gas grid after processing.

A joint project by Schmack Biogas and E.ON, it is located in Schwandorf in the Upper Palatinate region of Bavaria and was built by Schmack Biogas in co-operation with E.ON Climate & Renewables and E.ON Bioerdgas GmbH. The plant refines biogas improving its quality and allowing it to be fed into the grid.

The facility processes approximately 80,000 tonnes of maize, grass and other crops per year, sufficient to produce approximately 16 million m³ of biogas. The feedstock materials come from more than 100 farms in the Schwandorf region.

Dr Frank Mastiaux, managing director of E.ON Climate & Renewables, explains: ‘If used in a cogeneration plant, the biomethane produced in Schwandorf could reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 65%.'

Ulrich Schmack, vice-chairman of the Schmack board, added that he believes the Schwandorf plant marks the inception of a new era of biogas technology: ‘This plant allows the most varied agricultural products to be converted into biomethane in a highly energy efficient way', he says.

Pair scored for China PV

Italy's Enel has secured PV module supply deals from two major Chinese manufacturers.

Under terms of a two-year sales agreement, Trina Solar Limited will supply Enel with a total of 17 MW of PV modules starting in 2008. The new contract includes 15 MW of modules scheduled delivery for 2009 at fixed prices.

Meanwhile, Suntech has also recently announced a 30 MW solar PV module supply deal with Enel. Suntech Power Holdings Co, Ltd. has signed a two-year deal to deliver modules in late 2008 and during 2009.

Dr Zhengrong Shi, Suntech's chairman and CEO said: ‘Enel, which has a strong marketing and sales network in Italy based on a franchise installer network, is an ideal partner for Suntech and we look forward to building our relationship in the future.'

Shi added, ‘With its substantial solar irradiation, relatively high cost of grid electricity, and favourable solar subsidies, Italy is set to embrace solar as part of its renewable energy portfolio.' Meanwhile, Riccardo Felicioli, Enel managing director commented further: ‘Renewable energy solutions will no doubt play an increasingly important role in the total energy mix.'

Italy's current regulations on PV installations confirm it as one of the most attractive growth markets in the solar industry.

Renewables and efficiency could plug UK's looming energy gap, says Pöyry

A new report by analysis firm Pöyry and commissioned by WWF and Greenpeace concludes that renewables and energy efficiency could plug the so-called ‘energy gap' that the UK faces as aging coal and nuclear generators retire.

The report finds that, if the UK is able to achieve both EU renewable energy targets and its own ambitious action plan to reduce demand through energy efficiency, then major new thermal power stations would not be needed to ensure that Britain can meet its electricity requirements up to at least 2020.

Moreover, this strategy would reduce the country's CO2 emissions by up to 37% by then.

The Pöyry analysis considered six scenarios for meeting Britain's commitments to deliver on the binding EU renewable energy commitments for 2020, and for future electricity demand. It concluded that there would be no role for new coal and gas-fired plants, even taking into account the very few days when there is little or no wind.

Keith Allott, head of climate change at WWF-UK, said: ‘This report should be good news for the government. If it gets real on its targets on renewables and energy efficiency then we can keep the lights on, reduce our reliance on expensive fossil fuel imports and dramatically cut our carbon emissions.'

In the period after 2020, when more of the UK's existing coal and nuclear plants are due to close, the report notes that other options could be deployed, including industrial CHP, more renewables and, potentially, carbon capture and storage.

Responding to the report by Poyry, Philip Wolfe, executive director of the Renewable Energy Association said: ‘Here is solid evidence that energy efficiency and renewables alone can put the UK on a secure footing, both for future energy supply and for mitigating climate change. It is hard to imagine how the public could be better served in these precarious times than by committing the UK to the pathway this report sets out.'

Xantrex inverters to be acquired by Schneider

Inverter group Xantrex Technology Inc. has agreed to be acquired by Schneider Electric for a cash price of C$15.00 per share (US$14.3/share), a move valuing the firm at approximately C$500 million (US$479 million).

Representing a premium of approximately 55% over the recent average Xantrex closing price, as a condition to the sale Xantrex will divest its programmable power business, which is being sold to Ametek Inc for C$120 million in cash (US$115 million).

Xantrex chairman, Mossadiq S. Umedaly said: ‘Schneider Electric's outstanding global distribution, service and supply chain infrastructure combined with our world class technology and products will enable us to deliver more of our products to customers worldwide.' Xantrex expects to hold a shareholder meeting in September, the board of directors unanimously recommends that shareholders approve the deal.

Commenting on the transaction, Frost & Sullivan research analyst Chandni Raj said: ‘This deal signifies intensifying competition and beginning of consolidation in the solar inverter market and increasing vertical integration in the power industry as a whole. For all industry participants, this should ring a bell.'

REH in Bermuda wave farm deal with triton

Renewable Energy Holdings plc (REH) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Triton Renewable Energy Limited to develop, build and operate wave farms in Bermuda.

Under the terms of the MoU, REH and Triton will negotiate and agree the terms of a joint venture that will use REH's proprietary CETO wave power technology - which is in the final stages of commercial testing - with the commercial roll-out expected to begin in 2009. Triton will facilitate the development of the wave farms and REH will also provide engineering support during the construction and on-going operation of the farms.

Pending regulatory approvals, an initial test site of 2MW is to be developed and, subsequently, a grid-connected 20 MW installation is planned. Negotiations are expected to be concluded by the end of 2008.

Mike Proffitt, Chief Executive Officer of REH, commented: ‘It is currently very expensive to generate electricity in an island environment, due to the high cost of imported fuel oil. Bermuda has an excellent wave regime and there are several sites which we believe would be suitable for a CETO wave farm. There is also the added advantage of being able to provide desalinated water with the CETO technology.'

GE cash for fotowatio

GE Energy Financial Services and Grupo Corporativo Landon are to invest in Spanish solar power developers Fotowatio, to the tune of some US$350 million (€225 million).

The company owns, operates or is developing almost 960 MW of solar projects in Spain, Italy and the US.

Existing investors in Fotowatio comprise investment fund Qualitas Venture Capital and Fotowatio's management.

Fotowatio's portfolio includes almost 60 MW in operation in the Spanish towns of Trujillo, Arroyo de San Serván and Olmedilla de Alarcón; and more than 900 MW of projects in development in Spain, Italy and the United States.

GE Energy Financial Services will invest $235 million in equity and convertible debt to acquire 32% of the holdings and Grupo Corporativo Landon will invest $118 million to acquire 17.5% of a new holding company, Fotowatio SL.

The existing Spanish investors will own the remaining 50.5%.

Andrew Marsden, managing director for Europe at GE Energy Financial Services said: ‘This investment will contribute to GE Energy Financial Services' goals of investing $6 billion in renewable energy worldwide by 2010 as well as $5 billion outside the US by 2010.' Alex Urquhart, president and CEO of GE Energy Financial Services, added: ‘This investment gives us immediate access to attractive solar markets in Europe and the US

Europe can get quarter of energy from wind, TPwind agenda reveals

In its newly released Strategic Research Agenda the European Wind Energy Technology Platform (TPWind) has presented a vision in which over a 25% of the EU's electricity could be provided by wind by 2030.

According to the Strategic Research Agenda (SRA), wind energy could cover 12%-14% of the EU's electricity consumption by 2020, with a total installed capacity of 180 GW. This could increase to 22%-28% of consumption and 300 GW in 2030.

The SRA points out that fulfilling this vision will be a major industrial and technological challenge for Europe, and that public and industry research resources across Europe must be mobilised via the coordination of investment at European and national level. It gives research priorities and actions for the sector to ensure that it develops successfully.

Part of the document is devoted to a Market Deployment Strategy, which examines ways to remove barriers to large-scale wind energy deployment, such as creating a level playing field for grid access, reducing investment costs and streamlining administrative procedures.

TPWind chairman Henning Kruse said, ‘TPWind's vision and action plan for research, as presented in the SRA, are hugely important steps forward for the future deployment of wind energy in Europe. The time has now come to begin putting the action plan to effect, and for this the support of the EU Commission and Member States will make all the difference.'

PTC voted down in Senate

A bill containing a one-year renewable energy production tax credit (PTC) extension and a small wind turbine investment tax credit has once again failed to move forward in the US Senate.

Renewable energy groups reacted with dismay at another lost opportunity to extend the PTC. The American Wind Energy Association's (AWEA) senior director of governmental & public affairs, Gregory Wetstone, said that the failure by the Senate to move forward to consideration of the bill will cost the US economy 116,000 jobs and nearly US$19 billion for the wind industry alone. Meanwhile, Rhone Resch, president of the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) said that the solar industries are running out of time before they begin to lose contracts and projects get put on hold. ‘Without passage in the immediate future, tens of thousands of jobs and billions of dollars will be lost in new solar investment. Already companies are putting projects on hold and preparing to send thousands of jobs overseas. Failure to extend the solar tax credits is a severe blow to an industry that has proven to be an economic engine for the US at a time when we need it most' he said.

The Senate bill, S. 3335, contains a one-year PTC extension at its current value. After 31 December 2009, any further extension would include the ‘presumption' of a cost cap, which would put a ceiling on the value of the credits of no greater than 35% of project value. The 10-year cost for the PTC, including all technologies, is projected to be approximately $7 billion.

The bill includes provisions to tax credits for solar energy, fuel cell and microturbine property, as well as the residential energy efficient property tax credit to 2014. If it passes, marine renewables could also benefit from the bill as credits to build wave, tidal, current and ocean thermal energy conversion systems of at least 150 kW are extended through the end of 2011.

Silicon: SolarWorld starts novel production

A joint venture between SolarWorld Group and Evonik Industries AG has inaugurated the first production plant for what they say is a novel technique for the industrial-scale production of solar-grade silicon.

Joint Solar Silicon GmbH & Co. KG (JSSI), located in the Baden town of Rheinfelden, Germany, uses an innovative process that can save up to 90% of the energy used in conventional silicon production, the company says.

The new technology was developed by JSSI in co-operation with leading universities. The joint venture produces solar-grade silicon from monosilane and will start its industrial production with an annual capacity of 850 tonnes. The total investment volume is in the range of a double digit million euros. Evonik Industries AG holds 51% and SolarWorld AG 49% in JSSI.

SolarWorld AG chairman and CEO Frank H. Asbeck observed: ‘It is thanks to technological progress of this kind that in a few years time solar power from the roof will have become cheaper for households than electricity from the wall socket.'

US$4 billion BIPV market in five years

A report from analysis firm NanoMarkets predicts that the market for building integrated photovoltaics (BIPV) will reach more than US$4 billion by 2013 and surpass $8 billion in 2015.

The report, ‘Building Integrated Photovoltaics Markets: 2008' finds that by 2013, there will be an installed capacity of 10.8 GWp of BIPV, of which 4.6 GWp will come from Europe and 3.7 GW from the US. Approximately 7 GWp of total BIPV capacity by 2013 will be from residential applications. However, although the market will remain dominated by rooftop installations, facade BIPV will account for 1.1 GWp within five years.

The reports adds that much of the growth in the sector will come from a new generation of BIPV products. For instance, by 2013 the PV-encapsulated roofing product market, consisting of solar tiles, slates, and shingles, will generate $2.5 billion in revenues. Facade products such as solar curtain walls, building cladding and atrium glass will produce $430 million in revenues by then. Solar cladding is a competitive alternative to conventional materials while solar curtain walls are easier to gain planning permission.

Crystalline silicon BIPV systems are expected to account for $2.1 billion in 2013. However, BIPV is also expected to present major opportunities for new thin-film and organic PV materials which enable products to be laminated onto curved surfaces.

Rural sites offer greatest potential for carbon savings from small wind

A new Carbon Trust study into the potential of small-scale wind energy has found that small wind turbines installed at 10% of households could provide up to 1.5 TWh per year, some 0.4% of total UK electricity consumption.

The study also indicates, however, that for the UK as a whole, the majority of electricity and carbon savings are available from small turbines in rural areas — four times as much as urban areas irrespective of costs, and considerably more given economic drivers.

This is mainly due to wind speeds generally being higher in rural areas. Turbines in some rural locations could provide cheaper electricity than the grid, while it appears that in many urban situations, roof-mounted turbines may not pay back their embedded carbon emissions.

The report states that in theory small wind systems could contribute 8% of UK electricity, but acknowledges that with today's technology, current electricity prices mean the technology is only scratching the surface of its potential. Nonetheless this means that nearly 2 million homes and business can benefit from small wind systems today.

The report folllows 18 months of research by the Met Office (UK meteorology service) and Entec, and is partly intended for policy makers. It makes recommendations to improve existing policy, including that any new grant schemes should measure likely carbon savings. This is to help ensure grants are awarded to installations which save reasonable amounts of carbon. A second recommendation is that higher height limits for stand-alone turbines should be allowed under permitted development rights in order to maximise the overall carbon savings of small-scale wind energy.

Commenting on the report, Dr Mark Williamson, director of Carbon Trust Innovations, said: ‘Small-scale wind energy is attracting growing interest, as one of a number of microgeneration technologies with a role to play in our future energy supply, we believe it is essential that government policies and public funding encourage carbon savings from small wind turbines most effectively. This is why we're making recommendations about grant support and planning.'

Alex Murley, small wind systems manager at the British Wind Energy Association (BWEA), added: ‘Britain has the best wind conditions in Europe, as well as a world-leading manufacturing base for small wind turbines.

‘As we see small wind energy really start to take off, with increasing year-on-year sales of small turbines for both domestic and export markets, this report provides helpful clarifications about the nature of the UK wind resource and recommendations to maximise energy generation. This is essential as we move towards increasing supplies of clean, green renewable energy.'

A copy of the report can be accessed at: www.carbontrust.co.uk/smallwind.

Chinese chicken for Jenbacher engine

Biogas created from chicken manure is to generate power and heat at a large chicken farm in China using GE Energy's Jenbacher gas engines.

Located in YanQing District, about 50 km north of Beijing, the farm owns three million chickens, producing 220 tonnes of manure and 170 tonnes of wastewater daily. The new cogeneration system features an anaerobic digester system to treat the waste, producing enough biogas to fuel two Jenbacher JMS 320 GS-B.L engines. The plant has an installed capacity of more than 2 MWe for use at the chicken farm. Additionally, the plant's thermal output is to be used to support the waste fermentation process and heat the farm in winter.

The Beijing Deqingyuan Chicken Farm Waste Utilization plant will supply some 14,600 MWh of electricity per year and will qualify for credits under the UN's Clean Development Mechanism (CDM).

GE's agreement also includes spare parts and training for the plant operators. The owner of the project is the Beijing Deqingyuan Agricultural Technology Co. Ltd. of Beijing. Other key participants in the chicken farm cogeneration development include GE's local distributor for Jenbacher gas engines, Jebsen & Co. Ltd. of Hong Kong; DI, Beijing Power System Design Institute; and Huadian Engineering of Beijing, the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contractor.

‘This biogas project will quickly pay for itself by meeting the customer's demand for cost-effective electricity and heat,' said Jack Wen, president and CEO of GE Energy China. ‘We estimate that the customer will save more than US$1.2 million a year in electricity costs alone', he added.

Fresnel solar collector in service

Commercial operations have begun at the first commercial Fresnel solar collector system in operation, in Seville, Spain.

The 352 m² system was installed by PSE AG under the terms of a contract with energy utility Gas Natural. The installation generates solar process heat to operate an air conditioning system, and signal a start for the previously neglected growth market in solar process heat, PSE says.

In the system single-axis tracking mirrors with a total surface area of 352 m² focus sunlight on a water-filled 64 m vacuum absorber pipe. The technology can produce temperatures of up to 200ºC. The resulting peak output of 176 kW of process heat is used to run an absorption heat pump to air-condition a university building.

The project was undertaken by Gas Natural in cooperation with the Seville University Faculty of Engineering, with funding from Corporación Tecnológica de Andalucía. PSE chief executive Andreas Häberle commented: ‘We will now be marketing our system worldwide.' The main market is expected to remain in Southern Europe and North Africa.

100% of RED for Phoenix solar

Germany's Phoenix Solar AG has acquired the remaining 51% of the Italian solar systems integrator RED 2002 Srl raising its stake in the company to 100%.

Phoenix Solar has held 49% in RED 2002 since January 2006.

To date, the largest PV power plant built by RED 2002 was a 112 kWp roof system on a residential building complex in Rome.

Phoenix had already signed a framework agreement in mid-July for the planning and turn-key construction of PV plants in Sicily with an output of around 14 MWp and also acquired the rights to a 1 MW project close to Rome's Fiumicino Airport with the support of RED 2002.

‘Italy will be the growth market in Europe in the years ahead. Electricity prices are high, which means that Italy has the potential to reach grid parity as one of the first markets in Europe', commented Dr Andreas Hänel, CEO of Phoenix Solar.

NEWS IN BRIEF

French engineering group Alstom has unveiled its new ecotècnia 3 MW Eco 100 wind turbine at El Perelló in Tarragona, Spain. Its most powerful model to date, the 140 metre-high machine is installed at the La Collada wind farm. It has a 100 metre blade diameter. The turbine's modular design simplifies transportation while easy assembly makes it suitable for a greater variety of complex terrains, Alstom says.

Impax New Energy Investors (NEI) has acquired 15.5 MW of operating solar PV projects in three transactions in the Spanish regions of Extremadura and Castilla-la-Mancha. These acquisitions add to the 15.6 MW of PV projects that the NEI bought in May and June, including 3 MW in Extremadura and two projects totalling 12.6 MW in Castilla-la Mancha.

Building work has begun on the largest wind farm development in Central America at the Proyecto Eólico Guanacaste development in Costa Rica. The juwi group, based in Wörrstadt in the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate, with its European and American project partners have launched construction work on the 55 turbine development which will have a nameplate capacity of 49.5 MW. The project will use Enercon E-44 machines and is scheduled to begin operating in 2008 and 2009.

Indonesian mobile services operator PT Telkomsel has struck a deal with Conergy Renewable Energy Singapore that will see 12 off-grid photovoltaic systems installed for its mobile phone network. The project will have a total installed capacity of 146 kW, making the installation Indonesia's largest solar project for telecoms to date. The 12 sites are located in remote areas around Sumatra, Sulawesi and Irian Jaya in Indonesia and are being developed in partnership with Gerbang Multindo Nusantara (GMN), a local integrator.

EDF Energies Nouvelles has been awarded building permits for two PV power plants with a total of 15.3 MWp in Sainte-Rose, on Reunion Island. Construction will start shortly, with commissioning scheduled to take place in several stages from late 2008 onwards. The grid-connected facilities will use more than 100,000 PV panels manufactured by French company Photowatt.

The UK government has given the green light for an onshore wind farm at Middlemoor, near Alnwick, Northumberland with a total capacity of between 54 MW and 75 MW for 18 turbines, each with a height of up to 125 metres (including blades). Developers npower renewables, part of Germany's RWE, first mooted the development in 2005.

Mainstream Renewable Power, a renewable energy company led by Airtricity founder Eddie O'Connor, has announced the successful closing of a €40 million equity fundraising round in which Barclays Capital have invested €20 million for a 14.6% stake in the company. The board, management and staff of Mainstream, as well as close associates of the company, have invested an additional €20 million. Together with the initial seed capital of €32 million, this brings the total equity raised to date to €72 million.

Enercon's new ‘E-Ship 1' vessel has been launched at the Lindenau GmbH shipyards in Kiel. The ship will now be hauled to a fitting dock where the final fixtures, fittings and equipment will be installed before the ship is delivered in December. A large portion of the vessel's propulsion will be supplied by four sailing rotors - large, rotating, vertical metal cylinders, 25 metres tall.

Following a two year period of research and planning, NexPower Technology Corporation, a subsidiary of United Microelectronics Corporation (UMC), is to establish a new solar cell manufacturing plant in Taiwan through a contract with ULVAC. The factory is expected to produce 12.5 MW of cells a year.

Southern California Edison is installing thin-film PV panels at the first of approximately 150 Southern California commercial rooftops that eventually will make up the company's ‘two square mile' solar project. Initially SCE will attach 33,000 solar panels to a 55,200 m² commercial roof in Fontana, leased from ProLogis. When completed, the installation will generate 2 MWp.

Polysilicon producer Nitol Solar has signed a US$50 million financing deal with IFC. Nitol will use the cash to establish its new 3700 tonne solar-grade polysilicon facility in the Irkutsk region of Russia, scheduled to be completed in 2009.

Applied Materials, Inc. has signed a five-year service contract with Taiwan's Green Energy Technology Inc. (GET) to support its SunFab thin-film line for solar module manufacturing. Under the terms of the deal, Applied will reduce operating costs while enabling a quick ramp to volume production.

Following Siemens Energy's announcement of the test phase of their 3.6 MW direct drive wind turbines, Converteam has released further details of the permanent magnet generator and power converter to be supplied for the second turbine of the design to be installed. For more on Siemens direct drive machine see the article by our Wind Technology Correspondent Eize de Vries on page 73.

Ocean Power Technologies Ltd has signed an agreement with the European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC) test facility located in Orkney, Scotland. In 2007, OPT was awarded a grant by the Scottish government for the construction and installation of its 150 kW PB150 PowerBuoy at EMEC. The new agreement provides for the deployment and operation of PB150s as well as their connection to the wave energy berth's dedicated 2 MW subsea cable already installed and connected to the Scottish transmission grid.

EPV Solar Inc, the New Jersey-based manufacturer of amorphous silicon PV, has entered into a long-term module supply deal with City Solar Kraftwerke AG. The framework agreement allows City Solar to purchase 250 MW of amorphous silicon modules over a period of five years.

Gamesa Corporación Tecnológica has entered a new agreement with China Longyuan Electric Power Group Corporation for the supply of 405 Gamesa G5X-850 kW wind turbines with a total power of 344 MW. Longyuan will be supplied the turbines throughout 2009 to seven wind farms located in different Chinese provinces.

A 300 kW solar PV system has been installed at the Crystal Rock LLC company's Watertown, Connecticut, bottling facility. The company has had 1661 solar panels installed on the roof. The development is expected to supply about 28% of the facility's total demand, more than 300 MWh of power annually. The installation cost US$2.2 million, of which up to $1.3 million will be provided by a grant from the Connecticut Clean Energy Fund.

Biomass-to-power company Helius Energy plc has entered into an equity subscription agreement worth £2 million (US$4 million) with Credit Suisse. Under the terms of the agreement, Credit Suisse will subscribe to 14,814,815 new shares at which will be used by Helius Energy as working capital to further develop its business and pipeline projects. The agreement is subject to shareholder approval.

Solar manufacturing company Spire Corporation has received a contract from ChengDu Tianwei New Energy PV Module Co Ltd to provide multiple systems for stringing and tabbing solar cells and performing the end of line test and certification. Spire will provide China's Tianwei with multiple Spi-Assembler 6000 systems to fully automate the soldering of individual solar cells into strings.

Iberdrola Renewables has issued a tender offer for the outstanding equity in Greek wind power company the Rokas Group. The company already holds 52.7% of the ordinary shares and 47.3% of the preferred stock of Rokas and is offering €16 per ordinary share and €11 per preferred share, representing premiums of 23% and 33%, respectively. The buyout is valued at approximately €175 million in cash. Emcore Corporation has entered into two new supply agreements for solar cells and receivers with a combined total value of more than US$40 million.

The Oregon Energy Facility Siting Council certified the site for the 909 MW Shepherds Flat Wind Farm. Located in Gilliam and Morrow counties, Shepherds Flat will double Oregon's current operating capacity of about 889 MW. The project is being developed by Caithness Shepherds Flat LLC of Sacramento, California, which has proposed a 303 turbine plan.

Siemens has won a contract from Fluor Ltd. to connect the Greater Gabbard offshore wind farm to the UK grid. Siemens will also supply 140 turbines for the project, which will have a capacity of 500 MW and will be located some 25 km off the coast of Suffolk. The development will be commissioned in two phases, with the entire construction scheduled to be completed in 2011.