Информационный обзор

Geothermal Energy

Japan May Tap Geothermal Power to Offset Atomic Loss, BNEF Says
//Bloomberg

By Stuart Biggs - Jun 6, 2011

Japan can increase the amount of electricity it generates using geothermal resources to offset power shortages as the government reconsiders its reliance on nuclear energy, Bloomberg New Energy Finance said.
The country has the potential to be one of the “world’s biggest generators of geothermal power,” the renewable energy research arm of Bloomberg LP said in a report. There have been no major projects since 1996 and geothermal plants, which use underground hot water and steam to drive turbines, account for 0.2 percent of Japan’s power capacity, according to the report.
Projects are hindered by regulations including a ban on drilling wells in natural parks, which contain about 82 percent of Japan’s estimated 23.5 gigawatts of geothermal resources, according to the report by Tokyo-based analyst Yugo Nakamura. A gigawatt is about equal to the output of a new atomic reactor.
“If the government wants to bring about a step-increase in the development of geothermal power, it will have to review all existing regulations, in particular on access to natural parks and streamlining the project application and approval process,” the report said.
Opposition to development also comes from Japan’s “onsen,” or hot-spring owners, concerned that the use of underground hot water to generate electricity may harm their businesses.
Japan plans to introduce a feed-in tariff, or subsidized power price, of 15 yen ($0.19) per kilowatt-hour next year to cover the added cost of generating electricity from underground steam, a measure it forecast will add as much as 500 megawatts of capacity within a decade, the report said. Japan currently has 537 megawatts of installed geothermal capacity.
The government is preparing a long-term energy strategy in the wake of the crisis at Tokyo Electric Power Co.’s Fukushima Dai-Ichi nuclear plant, where three reactors melted down after they were hit by an earthquake and tsunami in March. The plan is expected to emphasize the role of renewable energy.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-06-06/japan-may-tap-geothermal-power-to-offset-atomic-loss-bnef-says.html

Sh6 billion grant for geothermal power search in Kenya
// Daily Nation

By FRANCIS MUREITHI [e-mail]

Posted Sunday, June 12 2011 at 18:18
Geothermal Development Company has received a Sh6 billion (57 million euros) grant from the French Development Bank (AfD) for the procurement of rigs.
The grant will be used to accelerate drilling activities at Menengai in Nakuru and for training the company’s drilling staff.
The first phase of the Sh70 billion ($818 million) project is expected to produce 400MW of power by the end of 2015 to ease shortages in the country as Kenya warms up to the realisation of Vision 2030.
Drilling of the first well with a capacity of 10MW is complete, the second is almost done while drilling of the third is under way.
Speaking during the unveiling of the credit finance agreement with the AfD at the site on Friday last week, GDC managing director Silas Simiyu said his company will drill 120 wells in the first phase of the Menengai Project.
Mr Simiyu said procurement of the two rigs has been finalised and are expected in the country before the end of the year.
“With this grant from AfD, I believe that the realisation of the 400MW in the first phase of the Menengai Project will come sooner than later,” he said.
The managing director said the two rigs have the capacity of drilling up to 4,500 meters.
“This means with the procurement of the two rigs we shall be able to reach the deepest point to access geothermal power in the shortest time possible,” said Mr Simiyu.
AfD regional director Yves Terracol said he was impressed by the current pace of development of the project.
“I’m looking forward to a day when geothermal energy will easily be accessible in Kenya at an affordable price to accelerate development of the country,” he said.
The director said AfD has so far financed development of geothermal energy in the country to a tune of $300 million and pledged that AfD will continue to support the venture in future.
Recently, Prime Minister Raila Odinga and France Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin signed an agreement in Paris to develop renewable energy with AfD being part of the deal.
AfD was the first international financial donors to come on board to support GDC business development plan.
GDC has an ambitious target of developing 5,000MW from geothermal and to achieve this, the company requires $2.566 billion for the purchase of 12 rigs to drill 600 wells.
http://www.nation.co.ke/business/news/Sh6+billion+grant+for+geothermal+power+search/-/1006/1179356/-/h92m5cz/-/index.html

Smart Grid

White House to announce IT-powered smart grid on Monday
// ZDNet

By Jason Hiner | June 12, 2011, 4:00am PDT

Summary

The White House is holding an event on Monday to unveil new initiatives to implement a smart electric grid in the US. IT is expected to play a prominent role in the plans.
On Monday, the Obama administration is preparing announce the next steps that the US will take to build its 21st century electric grid, and IT is expected to play a big part in the plans.
The White House is hosting a 90-minute media event called “Building the 21st Century Electric Grid” and is releasing a new report on what it will take for lawmakers and the private sector to come together to solve this aspect of the energy challenge.
The press invite from the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy stated, “The Administration will announce a number of new public- and private-sector initiatives designed to accelerate the modernization of the nation’s electric infrastructure, bolster electric-grid innovation, and advance a clean energy economy, in part by taking greater advantage of digital and communications or ’smart grid’ technologies.”
The event will feature a number of heavy hitters from the President’s cabinet, including:
•Steven Chu, Secretary of Energy

•Aneesh Chopra, U.S. Chief Technology Officer

•John Holdren, Assistant to the President for Science and Technology

•Tom Vilsack, Secretary of Agriculture

•David Hayes, Deputy Secretary of Interior

•Nancy Sutley, Chair of the Council on Environmental Quality

•Phil Weiser, National Economic Council Senior Advisor

Jesse Berst, chief analyst of SmartGridNews.com, reported, “We hear that a few leading utilities and at least one technology vendor will be featured as well. Our sources say the announcements will include a new nonprofit to encourage rapid implementation of consumer tools for choice and control.”

Here’s more from the official White House statement:
“Along with the announcement of new public and private initiatives aimed at building a smarter, expanded grid and empowering consumers, the Cabinet-level National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) will release a new report: ‘A Policy Framework for the 21st Century Grid.’ This policy framework charts a collaborative path forward for applying digital information or ’smart grid’ technologies to the nation’s electricity infrastructure to facilitate the integration of renewable sources of power into the grid; help accommodate the growing number of electric vehicles; help avoid blackouts and restore power quicker when outages occur; and reduce the need for new power plants.”
In 2008, Obama made a series of campaign promises aimed at attacking the country’s energy challenge. Some of the more popular aspects of his plan were talk about “green jobs” and the “smart grid.” We’ll see if Monday’s announcement can start moving the ball down the field on both of those initiatives.
The event wil be streamed live at whitehouse.gov/live at 10:00AM Eastern on Monday and the NSTC report and other materials will be available at whitehouse.gov/ostp at that time.
President Obama receives a briefing on the BP oil spoil on July 21, 2010 at the White House. Credit: White House photostream
http://www.zdnet.com/blog/btl/white-house-to-announce-it-powered-smart-grid-on-monday/50400