Posts Tagged ‘energy’

« Older Entries
 

Large organisations subject to mandatory carbon reporting in France

Tuesday, January 17th, 2012

On 13 July 2011 greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reporting was made mandatory for large organisations, as part of the French Grenelle Environment project (Grenelle de l’environnement). In addition, organisations and local authorities must create climate and energy plans detailing emission reduction strategies.

Originally outlined in the 2009 Grenelle 2 bill, the GHG reporting law requires companies with more than 500 employees to disclose their carbon footprint and outline emission reduction measures by 31 December 2012. The new piece of legislation will support France’s long-term goal of achieving a 75% reduction in GHG emissions below 1990 levels by 2050.
In the coming months a national coordination centre will be set-up to develop reporting methodologies, calculation tools and outline how the information in the carbon reports is to be presented.
Details of the carbon reporting decree
n°2011-829
The legislation stipulates the need for annual carbon reports and these must be accompanied by a 3-year action plan outlining emissions reduction strategies. In addition to the stipulation regarding organisations with over 500 employees, overseas organisations with over 250 employees will also have to give details of their carbon footprint.
In their accounting organisations must take into account both the emissions directly linked to their activities and the indirect emissions linked to electricity use, heating and cooling.
Whilst up until now the development of climate-energy plans (PCT) was voluntary, the new law mandates that the French State and all local authorities with over 50,000 inhabitants must now introduce such a plans. These plans are to be submitted to the appropriate regional authority for approval and once accepted made public.
Those organisations and local authorities that have already reported their carbon emissions in the previous 3 years need not repeat the exercise, and can submit their previous footprint reports instead.
French companies rank poorly in ET Carbon Rankings Report
Although many groups have welcomed mandatory reporting there are nevertheless critics who believe the carbon reporting should have had a broader scope, and does not live-up to the overall ambitions of the Grenelle project. Currently the law requires the provision of figures for Scope 1 and part of Scope 2, but does not stipulate the integration of Scope 3 figures.
A 2011 report by the Environmental Investment Organisation (EIO) indicates that French and Swiss companies rank amongst the worst when it comes to reporting their GHG emissions. According to the report only 62% of French companies provide complete GHG emissions data, compared with 92% of Spanish companies, 83 % of German companies and 78% of British companies. Among those French companies that do not disclose any data are Sodexo, Cap Gemini SA and Bouygues.
Background
The Grenelle Environment Project is a consultative project between the government, local authorities, trade unions, business and voluntary sectors to develop a roadmap for sustainable development and ecosystem protection in France. Launched on 6 July 2007 the aim of the Grenelle is to draw up concrete measures to tackle environmental issues.
To improve transparency and provide adaptability for different types of organisation and different types of climate, direct and indirect emissions for carbon reporting have been categorised into three scopes: Scope 1, Scope 2 and Scope 3. These scopes can be used to track GHG emissions from heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration (HVAC&R) systems.
Refrigeration and air conditioning system refrigerant gas leaks are classified as direct emissions and come under Scope 1. Emissions from the electricity generated to power refrigeration and air conditioning systems are classified as indirect and fall under Scope 2. Emissions from the use of goods or services manufactured or provided by remote vendors are also considered indirect and fall under Scope 3.
The Environmental Investment Organisation is an independent non-profit body whose mission is to improve the environmental ‘output’ of the financial system.

Tags: , , ,
Posted in Latest News | No Comments »

ICR – R290 heat pump testing could lead to its future use in energy efficient houses

Tuesday, January 17th, 2012

On the fourth day of the International Congress of Refrigeration (ICR) Per Henrik Pedersen from the Danish Technological Institute (DTI) presented a study on the development and testing of small heat pumps using R290. The research demonstrated the feasibility of using R290 with a limited charge, which in the future could be used in new energy efficient houses.

Increasing environmental concerns are dramatically changing the way buildings are being designed and constructed. As more stringent building regulations are implemented low energy residential houses with a well-insulated building envelope and low energy technologies will become the norm. Given this context, small heat pumps using natural refrigerants present an attractive solution for compliance with directives on energy consumption.

Mini heat Pumps for highly insulated houses, Pedersen P. H., Jacobsen E., Madsen C., Frandsen J. Danish Technological Institute and Nilan A/S, Denmark
The objective of the project presented was to develop and test prototypes of small heat pumps for future low energy residential houses and research the possibility of using R290 with a refrigerant charge below 150g.
The heat pump was based on a variable speed compressor design originally developed for plug-in supermarket cabinets in 2006. Whilst the original design had compressor displacements of 15cm3 for R290, with the possibility to vary the speed from 2000 to 4000 rpm, for the heat pump prototype the displacement was 12cm3.
Heat pump prototypes 
The first heat pump prototype was made up of the following components:
  • Compressor: Danfoss SLV12 CNX with variable speed
  • Condenser/Evaporator: Model B3-020-24-3.0-H, Danfoss Plate Heat Exchanger, Qinbao, China
  • Expansion valve: Danfoss thermostatic expansion valve type TUBE
  • Pumps: Grundfos UPM pumps with variable speed
  • Piping: 14 inch and 3/8 inch copper piping
  • Internal heat exchanger: Danfoss HE7
The second heat pump prototype was built using Gea BP18 WP-418M-10LGX plate heat exchangers, which are slightly smaller.
Prototype laboratory testing
Testing of the protoype heat pumps was done in accordance with DS/CEN/TS 14825 and DS/EN 14511. Tests were carried out with charges of 150g and 180g.
For the DS/CEN/TS 14825 test for the first prototype, bubbles were recorded in the sight glass after the condenser when the compressor was running at 2000 and 3000 rpm. To correct this additional charge was added up to 180g. The capacities and coefficient of performance (COP) values were as follows:
  • At 2000 rpm: COP of 3.44 – 3.63, capacity of around 1000 – 1100 Watts
  • At 3000 rpm: COP 3.3 – 3.48, capacity of around 1500 – 1600 Watts
  • At 4000 rpm: COP 3.19 – 3.2, capacity of around 2100 Watts
For the DS/EN 14511 test the first heat pump was tested in 3 running conditions, with a charge of 150g. The capacities and COP values were as follows:
  • At  4000 rpm: COP of 3.19, capacity of around 1000 Watts
  • At 3000 rpm: COP of 3.34, capacity of around 1500 Watts
  • At 2000 rpm: COP of 3.16, capacity of around 2000 Watts
The second prototype the COP appeared to be slightly less efficient then the first, thought to be due to the smaller heat transfer area.
Overall, the heating capacity of the prototypes was measured to be between 1 and 2.1 kW and the COP measured to be between 3.2 and 3.6, depending on the compressor speed and type of plate heat exchanger used.
Testing of a similar small heat pump using a fluorinated refrigerant in a highly insulated EnergyFlexHouse in Denmark has shown that small heat pumps are a viable solution for low energy houses.

Tags: , ,
Posted in Latest News | No Comments »

UPDATED: DOE’s proposed efficiency standards have impact for hydrocarbons

Tuesday, January 17th, 2012

Highlighting current trends toward eco-efficiency, U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu announced new proposed energy efficiency standards for residential refrigerators, refrigerator-freezers, and freezers.The proposed rulemaking committee also explored the use of hydrocarbon and other natural refrigerants in the efficiency standards discussion, though eliminated hydrocarbons as a design option for most product classes. Update: The DoE adopted the standards on 25 August 2011, however they do not consider hydrocarbon refrigerants as a design option to reduce the energy use.

With the proposed standards, the energy use of most refrigerator-freezers will decrease by 20% to 25% by 2014 compared to today’s appliances.

Consideration of hydrocarbon refrigerants

The American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy (ACEEE), Appliance Standards Awareness Project (ASAP), Earthjustice, and the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) all stated that the Department of Energy (DOE) must consider hydrocarbon refrigerants as a design option because hydrocarbons are in widespread use overseas.

This was in response to the DOE’s decision to eliminate alternative refrigerants as a design option for most product classes. Reasons given for the decision included: potentially lower thermodynamic efficiencies, lack of current approval for use, or, in the case of hydrocarbons, current UL safety requirements allowing use in only limited quantities.

Earthjustice and NRDC both claimed that the DOE has not provided evidence to support the exclusion of isobutane as an alternative refrigerant, which the DOE considered as a design option only for compact refrigerators.

Although the DoE has acknowledged that isobutane refrigerants may soon become available, it has not considered hydrocarbons as a possible alternative in the final rule on Energy Standards for Residential Refrigerators and Freezers, due to consumer concerns as well as insufficient information with regards to the energy savings characteristics.

Current allowable use of hydrocarbons

The Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers (AHAM) commented that the relevant safety standard—Underwriters Laboratories (UL) Standard 250—currently limits the quantity of hydrocarbon refrigerants permitted in refrigeration products to 50 grams, suggesting that the quantity is insufficient for most typical refrigeration products. It was noted that UL had recently reopened the rulemaking process for UL 250 under a proposal calling for a higher hydrocarbon limit.

The UL proposal for modification of UL 250 calls for a transition from an allowance of 50 g refrigerant being permitted to escape from a refrigeration product in case of a leak to a higher limit of 60 g total charge. UL’s next step would be to convene a Standards Technical Panel meeting, which would likely be held no earlier than autumn 2010.

Additionally, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently published a proposed rule addressing hydrocarbon refrigerants, which includes a proposal to include isobutane on the EPA’s Significant New Alternatives Policy (SNAP) program list of allowed alternative refrigerants. The EPA proposal calls for a total charge limit of 57 g of isobutane.

General Electric (GE) stated that although the UL restriction may make it difficult to use isobutane, it does not make it impossible, and that UL may consider increasing the limit.

Sub Zero agreed with GE’s comment but pointed out that there can be a capital expenditure associated with adopting isobutane refrigerant or hydrocarbon blowing agents. However, Sub Zero made no reference to potential longer-term savings or environmental benefits regarding hydrocarbons or isobutane.

The US Department of Energy has refused to make any speculations about the limits of isobutane refrigerant until the EPA rule and the revision of the UL 250 standard are final.

Concerns with HFCs

Many stakeholders noted the trend away from HFC use both worldwide and in the United States, commenting that the DOE’s analysis should more thoroughly consider this trend in order to avoid becoming immediately outdated, and that the DOE should develop cost-efficiency analyses that account for a mandated phase-down of HFC substances.

  • AHAM commented that upcoming regulations and legislation on the phase-down of HFCs could have a substantial impact on efficiency in refrigeration products
  • AHAM and Whirlpool argued that analysis that does not account for an HFC phase-down would likely result in unattainable energy consumption standards

Large Companies Resistant

Discussions among several large manufacturers have identified some resistance to an industry-wide voluntary acceptance of natural refrigerants.

  • GE advocated for a transition to low-GWP foams and refrigerants
  • Whirlpool and Sub Zero both stated that they believe a phase-down of HFCs would have a net negative impact on energy efficiency and manufacturing cost
  • Whirlpool stated that it would not switch to non-GWP substances unless required by legislation.

Initial investigation of the compressor vendors supplying high-efficiency compressors and variable speed compressors during the preliminary analysis phase indicated that one compressor supplier, Embraco, served as the primary source for these components.

Embraco is a business unit of Whirlpool S/A, a majority- owned subsidiary of the Whirlpool Corporation.

Isobutane as a Proposed Design Option

The DOE calculated the potential range of isobutane charge levels that could replace the HFC-134a refrigerant in the products purchased for reverse engineering as such:

  • The actual charge of each product was converted to an equivalent isobutane charge (measured in grams), by adjusting for the lower density of isobutane
  • The equivalent isobutane charge levels for these products were in excess of both the EPA-proposed limit and the charge limit in the UL 250 standard, except for compact refrigerators
  • The DOE proposed that engineering changes (ex. adding a second refrigerant loop) would be needed for a standard-size refrigerator-freezer to meet those charge levels
  • The DOE maintained that it wishes to avoid promulgating standards that would reduce the utility of a product, believing that isobutene engineering changes needed for meeting existing charge levels would do exactly that.

Tags: , ,
Posted in Latest News | No Comments »

New geothermal maps show vast potential energy source

Tuesday, January 17th, 2012

Geothermal energy is hardly new. There is evidence that it was used in the U.S. as early as the 1800s. In 1904, a fellow named Piero Ginori Conti opened the first geothermal plant in Larderello, Italy. It was a dry steam reservoir that was used to generate electricity.

But geothermal, like a lot of alternative energy technologies, barely registers in a nation that still depends mostly on oil and coal. Currently, there is only about 3,000 megawatts of installed geothermal energy capacity in the U.S., according to the Southern Methodist University Geothermal Laboratory. That’s in a nation with a total energy generating capacity, from all sources, of 1 million megawatts.

Now, the SMU laboratory has released a new series of geothermal maps of the U.S. that show a practically limitless source of energy – if it can be tapped.

David D. Blackwell, a geophysics professor at the lab, said the “technical potential” of what could be tapped was roughly equal to about 3 million megawatts, or three times the nation’s current energy production.

“The technical potential is our best estimate of what actually might be extracted,” Blackwell said. ”The question is, ‘Do we have the will to go ahead and try to really develop it?’”

The new maps, such as the one displayed here at a depth of 6.5 kilometers underground, show heat sources that range from a relatively cool 50 degrees Celsius (about 122 degrees Fahrenheit) to 300 degrees Celsius.

Most of the hottest spots are in the Western U.S., but SMU officials said that newer technologies for tapping geothermal sources could take advantage of cooler hot spots in West Virginia, Texas and along the Gulf Coast.

“The eastern two-thirds of the country were always dismissed in terms of geothermal potential,” said Cathy Chickering, an SMU lab geothermal specialist, adding that the newer technologies could produce energy in those areas.

As an example of the new technologies, Pickering cited the Chena Hot Springs in Alaska, where geothermal energy is being produced in water that is 74 degrees Celsius. “That’s significantly cooler than the temperatures people think of as necessary for generating geothermal energy. Other technologies can exploit dry heat by injecting water underground.

Tags: , ,
Posted in Latest News | No Comments »

Going green increases value of offices: study

Monday, January 16th, 2012

AUSTRALIA’S valuers have confirmed the hype – going ”green” definitely increases the value of an office building.

The buildings worth the most are those that have the best energy rating, the Australian Property Institute found in a report it said was the first rigorous assessment of green office buildings in the nation. Buildings with low energy ratings lost value.

The study said office buildings with a five-star NABERS (National Australian Built Environment Rating Scheme) energy rating created a premium of 9 per cent, while three to 4½ stars delivered a 2 to 3 per cent premium in value. The Green Star rating showed a premium of 12 per cent.

Advertisement: Story continues below

NABERS measures energy and water use in existing buildings, while Green Star evaluates the environmental design and construction of buildings.

The API was the lead group for the study, which was led by Richard Bowman, senior API committee member and a partner in real estate services with Ernst & Young. He headed a panel of experts representing the big estate agents and valuation firms.

The study evaluated 206 NABERS-rated office buildings and 160 non-NABERS buildings in Sydney and Canberra. Of the NABERS-rated buildings, Sydney’s central business district accounted for 90, suburban Sydney 91 and Canberra 25. They included premium, A, B and C grade and 97 per cent had an area greater than 2000 square metres.

The analysis used 23 four to six-star Green Star buildings for the ”office design” and ”office as built” categories.

The portfolio comprised Sydney CBD (22 per cent), Sydney suburban (39 per cent) and Canberra (39 per cent) and Green Star ratings of four stars (43 per cent), five stars (48 per cent) and six stars (9 per cent).

The study was prompted by concerns about the environmental impact of the property industry. It said buildings contributed up to 23 per cent of carbon dioxide emissions, 40 per cent of energy requirements, 16 per cent of water use, 30 per cent of solid landfill waste, 40 per cent of raw materials and 71 per cent of electricity consumption.

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/environment/energy-smart/going-green-increases-value-of-offices-study-20111122-1nsr1.html#ixzz1jaztEaqJ

Tags: ,
Posted in Latest News | No Comments »

Propane air-conditioning project in Indonesia increases energy efficiency by 15%

Monday, January 16th, 2012

German International Cooperation (GIZ) and Indonesian company AICOOL are introducing different types of air-conditioning and Propane air-conditioning project in Indonesia increases energy efficiency by 15%refrigeration systems using propane (R290) to Indonesia. A cooling system based on optimised design and tailor-made equipment will be installed at a hotel in Bali. Parts of the system will also be on display during the 23rd Meeting of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol in Bali, Indonesia from 21-25 November 2011.

Proklima, as the global programme for green cooling in the GIZ, is working together in a public-private partnership with Indonesian company AICOOL to introduce different types of systems for refrigeration and air conditioning. By using primarly propane these innovative technologies aim to improve and optimise the present refrigeration equipments in Indonesia. Currently, the annual consumption of refrigerants and foam blowing agents in Indonesia equals about 14 Mt CO2eq. Compared with currently applied technologies, the new project technologies have a minimal climate impact thanks to natural refrigerants.

Optimised products will be displayed at the Montreal Protocol Meeting in BaliDue to its special physical properties the hydrocarbon refrigerant is best suited for hot climates and allows a substantial reduction of raw materials to be used for production. Based on optimised design and tailor-made equipment the new cooling aggregates using propane as refrigerant will be installed at a client’s hotel in Bali, Indonesia.

The product can significantly improve energy efficiency by 15%. The successful project will be displayed during the 23rd Meeting of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol in Bali, Indonesia from 21-25 November 2011. In addition, the two project partners will be organising side-visits to showcase the reliably running system to climate negotiators from around the globe.

Background Proklima

Proklima is a global programme of German International Cooperation (GIZ ) aiming at reducing non CO2 greenhouse gas emissions by transferring technology and the development of capacities to adapt, apply and optimise processes and products in the refrigeration, air conditioning and foam production sectors. GIZ supports national sustainable policies and helps countries to introduce climate friendly technologies in these fields. GIZ currently implements projects in 35 countries on behalf of the German Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).

Tags: , ,
Posted in Latest News | No Comments »

HC heat pump dryers could meet EU efficiency standards

Monday, January 16th, 2012

With the imminent introduction of minimum energy efficiency requirements for household tumble dryers in the EU expected to HC heat pump dryers could meet EU efficiency standardspromote the use of heat pump technology for drying applications, the use of hydrocarbons in heat pump dryers could be a means to achieve high product energy efficiency while minimising direct emissions at the same time.

The European Commission estimates that annual electricity consumption of household tumble driers amounted to 21 TWh in the European Union (EU) in 2005. Under business as usual scenarios this is expected to rise to 31 TWh in 2020.

Against this backdrop, a possible upcoming EU regulation will be setting ecodesign and therefore minimum energy efficiency standards for household tumble dryers, rendering the use of heat pump dryers more attractive. The scope of this regulation covers electric mains-operated and gas-fired household tumble dryers and built-in household tumble dryers, including those sold for non-household use, however it will not apply to household combined washer-dryers or household spin-extractors.

The latest publicly available working document proposes the following minimum energy efficiency requirements:

  • One year after the entry into force of the regulation: the Energy Efficiency Index (EEI) of household tumble dryers shall be less than 85, while for household condenser tumble dryers the weighted condensation efficiency shall be not lower than 60%
  • Five years after the entry into force of the regulation: the Energy Efficiency Index (EEI) of household tumble dryers shall be less than 76, while for household condenser tumble dryers the weighted condensation efficiency shall be not lower than 70%

Hydrocarbon heat pump dryer: good performance, lower TEWI

Heat pumps dryers available today on the market typically use R134a refrigerant. However the potential of using natural refrigerants hydrocarbons and CO2 is receiving interest, as indicated in a paper titled “Refrigerant selection for a heat pump tumble dryer” co-authored by Marek Zgliczynski and L. Novak of Embraco Slovakia s.r.o and J. Schnotale and A. Flga-Maryanczyk of Cracow University of Technology that was presented in August 2011 at the 23rd IIR International Congress of Refrigeration (ICR 2011), in Prague, Czech Republic.

The authors discuss theoretical simulations of a heat pump dryer with different refrigerants, namely R134a, R290 and R744, as well as actual performance measurements at 20°C ambient temperature of real heat pump laundry dryers employing piston compressors. Measured values of Specific Energy Consumption (SEC) are in agreement with those obtained from cycle simulations, which indicate almost identical SEC values for R134a and R290 and higher values for the R744 transcritical cycle.

The results from measurements of the real model were also used for carrying out a Total Equivalent Warming Impact (TEWI) analysis. Assuming among other things a leakage rate at the level of 0,003kg per year, an equipment lifetime of 7 years, a 90% recycling factor and considering the energy mix situation in Slovakia (0,171kgCO2/kWh), the authors found the R290 heat pump dryer to encompass the lowest TEWI factor:

  • R134a heat pump dryer TEWI: 403,6
  • R290 heat pump dryer TEWI: 332,5
  • R744 heat pump dryer TEWI: 377,3
  • Electric spiral dryer TEWI: 836,6

About heat pump dryers

A heat pump dryer uses a refrigerating system that heats up the process air for drying the laundry and then cools it down to extract the moisture and to recover energy. Hermetic reciprocating compressors used in heat pump dryers have similarities to those used in light commercial refrigeration applications. However, robust mechanical design and special features such as a strong motor are required for the compressor to be able to withstand more severe working conditions.

Tags: , ,
Posted in Latest News | No Comments »

University saves $12 million in energy conservation

Friday, January 13th, 2012

In light of Sustainability Week starting Nov. 1, the University announced that through its $25 million in energy conservation investments over the past four years, it has saved $12 million in energy up to now.

Overall, the reduction of energy consumption in buildings on campus decreased by 22 percent since fiscal year 2007. This exceeds the University’s goal of reducing energy consumption by 10 percent in three years.

About $2.2 million of the $19 million in local funds came from student fees for sustainability initiatives. The remaining $6.5 million came from grants.

University Vice President and Chancellor Phyllis M. Wise said she is impressed with the progress the campus has made toward sustainability both by funding new initiatives and setting challenging goals that help conserve energy.

“Going forward, we are committed to achieving the goals we have set because this campus is a national leader in proactively implementing the most forward-thinking sustainability measures and encouraging sustainable habits,” Wise said in a press release.

The announcement comes ahead of Sustainability Week, which will be four days full of events, speakers, walks, bike repair sessions, poster sessions, a costume contest among other events.

Campus and community members can join Wise on the Nov. 2 Quad Walk, where participants can walk around the Quad and hear mini presentations about various sustainability projects. People can join the walk starting at 4 p.m. in front of the south entrance at the Illini Union, 1410 W. Green Street in Urbana.

Sustainability Week provides a forum for the University to engage the campus and community, listen to people’s interests and share aggressive goals the University has developed, said Associate Chancellor and acting director of the Office of Sustainability Pradeep Khanna in a press release.

This week-long event allows more than 10 environmental registered student organizations on campus to share their initiatives and be committed to the effort to find a greener tomorrow.

“The millenial generation is striving to create a better community for tomorrow which incorporates green practices big and small,” said student body president David Pileski in a press release.

Tags: , ,
Posted in Latest News | No Comments »

Oil at $100 ‘Not Sustainable,’ Former IEA Chief Tanaka Says

Friday, January 13th, 2012

Oct. 31 (Bloomberg) — Oil prices at $100 a barrel in New York would not be sustainable given the state of the global economy, according to the former executive director of the International Energy Agency.

Oil stockpiles may not need to be tapped as slow growth limits global demand from most economies, Nobuo Tanaka, who left his post at the Paris-based energy agency’s helm in August, said today at a conference in Singapore.

Crude for December delivery dropped 0.3 percent to $93.02 a barrel today in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Brent oil was at $109.40 a barrel, down 0.5 percent, on the ICE Futures Europe exchange in London.

Demand could increase if Japan doesn’t resume atomic reactors that have been off line since the March 11 earthquake and tsunami, he said. A glut of natural gas may also disappear as Japan boosts imports for thermal power generation to make up for the lost nuclear capacity, Tanaka said after his speech.

The debate over whether to start Japan’s reactors is “chaotic,” with no firm time estimates, Tanaka said. “Logically speaking, it should restart early next year.”

Japan’s liquefied natural gas imports rose 11 percent to 6.7 million metric tons in September from a year earlier as nuclear output plunged in the wake of the Fukushima disaster, the nation’s finance ministry said this month. LNG demand may grow to 97.4 million tons by 2020, compared with 70 million tons last year, according to Hong Kong-based analysts at Sanford C. Bernstein & Co.

–Editors: Mike Anderson, Alexander Kwiatkowski.

To contact the reporter on this story: Yee Kai Pin in Singapore at kyee13@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Alexander Kwiatkowski at akwiatkowsk2@bloomberg.net

Tags: , ,
Posted in Latest News | No Comments »

Power plant to convert landfill waste to energy

Friday, January 13th, 2012

WA could be the first state in Australia to set up a power plant that will convert industrial and residential landfill waste to energy.

Perth-based company, New Energy Corporation, plans to build a $200 million facility in Rockingham if it is approved by the Environmental Protection Authority.

The plant would handle more than 130,000 tonnes of residential and industrial waste per year.

NEC’s general manager Jason Pugh says that would generate enough energy to power 15,000 homes.

“Essentially we’re going for waste that will otherwise always go to landfill,” he said.

“So, we understand that recycling is the most important step in waste management and we’re filling that void between recycling and landfilling.”

Mr Pugh says emission levels would be far below the legal limit.

“Essentially, what we do is convert the waste into a gas and then we fire that natural gas to create electricity so the emissions from the plant are very, very similar to a gas-fired power station,” he said.

“So, not only are we doing something better with the waste but we’re recovering that lost energy as well.”

The Sustainable Energy Association’s Ray Wills has welcomed the proposal.

“I would have had a concern 30 years ago but we’ve got great technology now,” he said.

“Technology that means that we really don’t need to be worried about the emissions from a plant like this.”

If approved, the plant is expected to be running by late 2014.

Tags: , ,
Posted in Latest News | No Comments »

« Older Entries