NewNergy

DHL investigates the use of biodiesel for its fleet in the UK

11 May 2007

A UK division of the international DHL logistics group, DHL Exel Supply Chain, has started to investigate the possibility of operating its delivery vehicles using 100% biodiesel.

DHL has undertaken this project in partnership with JD Wetherspoon and Argent Energy UK, a producer of biodiesel. The project will involve recycling and re-processing cooking oil...

Test runs on an initial trial vehicle will begin end of May to prove the feasibility and assess maintenance and operational requirements...

Read the full report from here @ Biofuel Review

Labels: europe, transportation, uk

One of the Largest Solar Power Plants in Portugal

Apr 04, 2007

Near the city of Lisbon, Portugal is one of the world's largest solar power plants. Presntly in the process of starting up, the power plant places Portugal in the lead on solar-electric generation.

The 11 Megawatt power plant was built by Berkeley based Powerlight, and financed by GE Energy Financial Services.

Read more from this brief post from I Want Clean Air

Labels: europe, solar

Spain's wind energy generation reaches new high, exceeding all other forms

Spain's wind energy generators this week (Apr 20, 2007) reached an all-time high in electricity production, exceeding power generated by all other means...On a specific point in time this week, wind power generation rose to contribute 27 percent of the country's total power requirement - at that moment wind power contributed 8,375 mega watts to the nation's power consumption of 31,033, nuclear power - 6,797 mega watts and coal-fired electric generation - 5,081

Source: IHT

Labels: comparisons, europe, trends, wind

Turning oil refineries into biorefineries: EU launches BIOCOUP project

May 08, 2007, Biopact

Adapting existing mineral oil refineries for use as biorefineries is the goal of an ambitious new EU funded project called BIOCOUP.

BIOCOUP is supported by the European Commission through the Sixth Framework Programme for Research and Technological Development, under the theme 'Sustainable development, global change and ecosystems'. Its aim is to develop a chain of process steps, which would allow biomass feedstocks to be co-fed to a conventional oil refinery. Energy and oxygenated chemicals will be co-produced as well as bio-liquids. The overall innovation derives from the integration of bio-feedstock procurement with existing industries (energy, pulp and paper, food) and processing of upgraded biomass forms in existing mineral oil refineries.

Read more from this post @ Biopact

Labels: biodiesel, biofuels, europe

Nordic states offer lessons in real energy independence

By Neal St. Anthony, Star Tribune, April 16, 2007

Four U.S. ambassadors tout the high-output, cleaner-burning economies, and they say the ideas could work in Minnesota, too.

Minnesota and the United States can learn a lot from Sweden and the other Nordic nations about energy efficiency and alternative fuels and still grow the economy and enjoy a comfortable lifestyle, the four U.S. ambassadors to those countries said in the Twin Cities on Monday.

Read the full news report from here @ Star Tribune

Labels: case-studies, efficiency, europe, scandinavia

Europe Tightens CO2 Standards with Two Directives

The European Commission has proposed two directives to combat CO2 emissions from cars.

The first proposal will force carmakers to cut CO2 emissions from new cars by 18% by 2012. Carmakers would be responsible for getting emissions down to 130 grams of CO2 per kilometer (g/km) through technology improvements.

The second proposal, which updates a fuel-quality directive from 1998, outlines new fuel-quality standards that aim to achieve, by 2020, a 10% reduction in CO2 emissions throughout the whole product life cycle.

Read the full report from here @ The American Chemical Society web page

Labels: climate-change, co2, environment, europe, regulations

Skoda Auto introduces biofuel, gas-fuelled models

28 March 2007

Czech car maker Skoda Auto today introduced two Skoda Octavia models running on biofuel and natural gas, and announced that it was ready to launch the production of the two models next year if there was good demand. The Skoda Octavia has a 1.6 MPI engine running on so-called FlexiFuel, a mixture of biofuel and petrol.

Labels: autos, europe, transportation

Wave Of Support For Tidal Energy

23rd March 2007, Carbon Free

Despite key political support, the British Wind Energy Association (BWEA) said it was concerned that this rhetoric is not yet being backed up by long term policy support. It said that the publication of the Marine Bill White Paper provides the overarching framework for planning and consenting marine renewable energy projects but claimed this needs to be backed up by new financial support mechanisms, if the UK is to retain its current global lead.

Read the full report here @ Carbon Free, UK

Labels: europe, renewable, tidal, uk

Ex-communist Europe Lags the West in Green Energy

Bulgaria, Hungary & Poland have thousands of megawatts in untapped renewable energy, but these states remain heavily dependent on fossil fuels causing friction between older and newer EU members as the EU pushes an ambitious plan to reduce its dependence on fossil fuels and boost its reliance on green energy

Read more from this report @ the Post & Courier, Charleston SC

Labels: bulgaria, europe, hungary, poland, renewable