Tag Archives: alternative
Technip Awarded FEED Contract For A New Biomass-To-Liquid Plant In Finland
Thursday, June 13, 2013 This plant will produce approximately 140,000 tons of biodiesel and naphtha from wood and by-products from the wood-processing industry Technip will develop the process design package of the hydrogen production unit of the plant, based on its steam reformer proprietary technology, and will prepare the FEED for the hydrogen production, Fischer-Tropsch synthesis and refining units. Technip (Paris:TEC) (ISIN:FR0000131708) (ADR:TKPPY) was awarded by Forest BtL Oy a contract, worth approximately €5 million, for the front-end engineering and design (FEED) of a new second generation biomass-to-liquid* (BTL) plant to be built on Ajos island, Finland. This plant will produce approximately 140,000 tons of biodiesel and naphtha from wood and by-products from the wood-processing industry. This feedstock has many advantages as it is not used for human food, it does not jeopardize the existing local biomass usage and has a low CO2 footprint. Technip will develop the process design package of the hydrogen production unit of the plant, based on its steam reformer proprietary technology, and will prepare the FEED for the hydrogen production, Fischer-Tropsch synthesis and refining units. Technip’s operating center in Lyon, France, together with the Group’s hydrogen technology center in Zoetermeer, The Netherlands will execute the contract, which is scheduled to be completed in the first semester of 2014. The Ajos BtL project is supported by the European Union NER300 funding program for innovative renewable energy technologies. This project will be an industrial first and will reinforce Technip’s leading position on new generation biofuels projects. * Biomass-to-liquid or BTL is a new generation biofuel, consisting of a multi-step process to produce liquid biofuels from biomass. Main technological steps are gasification, syngas cleaning and Fischer-Tropsch synthesis. Continue reading
UN: Global Renewables Sector Tops 5.7 Million Jobs
New reports confirm renewable energy market stalled last year as technology costs fell, but emerging economies promise to drive growth By James Murray 12 Jun 2013 The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) has today confirmed global investment in renewable energy slowed down last year, even as deployment in key technologies and markets continued to accelerate. The agency has this afternoon published two major reports on progress in the renewables industry , which echo previous studies showing investment fell 12 per cent last year to $244bn, primarily as a result of the drastic fall in the cost of solar and wind power and policy uncertainty in several industrialised nations. Despite the investment slowdown, the reports stressed that the general trend for the industry was encouraging, noting that $1.6tr has been invested in renewables since 2006, 2012 marked the third consecutive year investment comfortably topped $200m, and that the sector now employs 5.7 million people globally. The data also confirms once again that investment in new renewables capacity topped investment in new fossil fuel generation capacity. The reports also demonstrated that the slowdown in investment had not been matched by a slowdown in deployment, due to the fact solar prices fell by 30 to 40 per cent, while wind energy costs also saw more modest falls. As a result solar installations hit a new record of 30.5GW, while wind energy capacity deployment rose from 42.1GW in 2011 to 48.4GW last year. “The uptake of renewable energies continues world-wide as countries, companies and communities seize the linkages between low carbon Green Economies and a future of energy access and security, sustainable livelihoods and a stabilized climate,” said UNEP executive director Achim Steiner, in a statement. “There has been a dramatic increase in number and size of projects. There have also been sharp falls in manufacturing costs and in the selling prices of wind turbines and photovoltaic panels, contributing to a shake-out in the industry in 2012. This is not only normal in a rapidly growing, high tech industry but is likely to lead to even more competition, with even bigger gains for consumers, the climate and wider sustainability opportunities.” Last year also saw a sharp shift in the make-up of the global market, with investment in emerging economies nearly matching that found in industrialised nations for the first time. According to the Global Trends and Global Status reports, investment in renewables in the so-called Global South topped $112bn while investment in developed nations reached $132bn. The spread of investment is in stark contrast to five years ago when industrialised nations invested 2.5 times more in renewables, excluding large hydro, than developing countries. The reports also noted that 138 countries now boast renewable energy targets or targets, two thirds of which are in developing countries. Moreover, China further cemented its position as the world’s leading renewable energy market last year as investment rose 22 per cent to $67bn. The report comes in the same week as the International Energy Agency (IEA) reported that China saw one of the lowest increases in its greenhouse gas emissions in 20 years last year as a result of investment in energy efficiency and renewables. However, while sharp increases in renewables investment were recorded in Africa, the Middle East and parts of South America, the UNEP reports also confirmed significant slowdowns in the US and Germany where investment fell 34 per cent and 35 per cent, respectively. Investment in Japan bucked the trend, climbing 73 per cent to $16bn on the introduction of new renewable energy subsidies, but the bulk of industrialised countries saw investment stall as a result of policy uncertainty and falling technology costs. Michael Liebreich, chief executive of Bloomberg New Energy Finance , which contributed to the reports, said the research demonstrated the continued strength of the global renewables industry, but he warned a step change in investment would still be required if the world is to meet its climate change targets. “It is encouraging that renewable energy investment has exceeded $200bn for the third successive year, that emerging economies are playing a larger and larger part, and that the cost-competitiveness of solar and wind power is improving all the time,” he said. “What remains daunting is that the world has hardly scratched the surface – CO2 emissions are still on a firm upward trend and there was still nearly $150bn of net investment in new fossil-fuel generating assets in 2012.” Continue reading
These Farms Could Grow Your Wealth
Posted on June 10, 2013 by Juan Federico Fischer Uruguay has some of the most fertile soil in the world. The case for owning farmland as a strategy to safely grow or preserve your nest egg has never been stronger. Increasing populations and wealth in emerging economies is the primary driver. As people in these economies become richer, they eat more food. Drought (or too much rain) has caused havoc with harvests in major producers like Canada, the Ukraine and parts of Brazil in recent years. The countries producing food are restricting trade, as they fear shortages. Looking to the medium term, we can expect food prices to continue to trend up. And the best place to find productive farmland is Uruguay . With consistent appreciation and an annual cash return Uruguayan farmland is a great store of value in turbulent times. Nestling between Argentina, Brazil and the Atlantic Uruguay is peaceful, stable and has over 2.6 million acres of farmland under cultivation. Lying unused are more than 4 million acres suitable for cultivation. The land is mostly flat—perfect for the machinery needed. And water isn’t a problem. Much of the country sits on the world’s largest aquifer and rainfall is even and year-round. It’s easy to find good land. The country is among the most fertile in the world. Uruguay has non-degraded soil producing two crops a year and healthy grass-fed cattle. The country supplies 5% of global beef exports; it’s the 6th largest producer of soya beans…and the 4th biggest exporter of rice. The case gets stronger when you hear how free you are to sell your crops wherever and whenever you find a willing buyer. There are no export tariffs, or production quotas or other restrictions like there are in other parts of the world. There are also no limitations on what you—as a foreign buyer— can buy…and you are treated as a local under the law. It’s probably the easiest place for the individual farmland investor. It’s a passive, turnkey investment. You don’t need to know anything about farming. You can lease out the land for a cash rental paid up front, or you can hire a local farm management company that reports on operations directly to you. They’ll give you a business plan. Once you agree on that with them they will implement it on your behalf. The cost of land ranges from $900 to $5,000 per acre. If you buy land and lease it to a farmer you can expect a yield of around 4%. Go with a management company and you can expect a higher yield, perhaps around 6% to 8%. Here’s a recent example of what’s on offer: A farm in the western part of Uruguay near the colonial town of Colonia. This is where you’ll find some of the best land in Uruguay. It’s 120 acres and the price is $485,000—$4,041 an acre. Then there’s the appreciation potential farmland offers you. Over the last eight years, farmland has appreciated at an annual rate of above 15%. You can expect the appreciation to continue, at about 10% yearly. Continue reading
