»energy«

The Ireland-based company Airtricity which develops and operates wind farms suggests to install an electricity grid that connects off-shore wind farms along the European coast lines. As huge off-shore parks are being installed or planned the grid may connect the Baltic with the North Sea, follow the English Channel, connect to the Irish Sea and the Bay of Biscay. Then, it may cross Spain and connect to the Mediterranean, reports Daniel Clery in Science magazine (9.2.2007). Thus, somewhere at any time in the grid wind is blowing and electricity is supplied. The idea is too expensive today, but may be feasible if energy prices increase. The company also seeks for support by the EU because the grid might enable free trade of electric power between the countries.

The Integrated Ocean Drilling Programme yields some new insights into the formation of gas hydrates. These hydrates are a solid mixture of methane and water that forms at low temperatures and high pressure. At a depth of the water of some 1000 meters researchers found hydrate deposits some 60 meters below seafloor in sandy sediments, reports Dagmar Röhrlich in Deutschlandfunk radio (12.12.2006). Scientists estimated in the past that these deposits are much more deeper. The shallow depth has two consequences. First, due to global warming higher temperatures will reach the hydrate deposits earlier and may release the greenhouse gas methane to the atmosphere. Second, as Alok Jah points out in the Guardian (12.12.2006) "the discovery, at relatively shallow depths, raises hopes that the substance could one day be mined for fuel."

The first year for the CO2 emissions trading scheme in the European Union passed and Quirin Schiermeier draws the lessons learned for Nature online (15.5.2006). Europe's major industry (9400 companies were engaged) emitted 44 million tonnes of CO2 less than they were allowed. How? Well, possibly the granted emissions allowances per company were higher that needed. Hence, there has been a surplus of allowances on the market and the cost per emitted ton of CO2 dropped from a high of 31 euros to 12 euros. "Critics say that the allocation of emission rights must now be significantly tightened for the 2008-2012 trade period, to avoid a market meltdown," writes Schiermeier.

"According to projections by the International Energy Agency and a handful of energy industry experts, 2005 was the first year nuclear power’s electricity output dropped behind that of small-scale plants - producing low or no carbon dioxide emissions," writes Michael Brooks in New Scientist (22.4.2006). This could be a knock for the nuclear industry already struggling to get back on its feet. Even though nuclear power faces big problems such as safety and waste issues, governments are keen to start building a new generation of nuclear generators. However, their success is being threatened by a fast growth worldwide in small-scale renewable technologies such as solar power and wind farm projects.

Michael Fuhs reports in FTD (13.3.2006) about wave power generation, ie drawing energy from the ups and downs of water waves. It seems to be a booming time for this renewable energy source. Some 200 million euros are going to be invested in wave technology in Europe for the next 5 years, writes Fuhs. By the end of this year a Portuguese energy consortium is about to install three wave generators of the Scottish Ocean Power Delivery Ltd. Four cylindrical vessels are connected by joints. The water motion bends the joints which initiate hydraulic processes to run a turbine. But there are also other technical approachers in development. The British Carbon Trust, estimates that roughly 20 percent of British energy consumption might be provided by wave or tidal power generation.

Stirling engines produce both - heat and electricity - with a high total efficiency of up to 90 percent. Now, companies try to enter the market for household heating. Market leader is WhisperGen of New Zealand which claims having sold some 400 units to households in the UK and the Netherlands. UK utility Powergen wants to sell some 80.000 units in the next five years, reports Bernward Janzing in Der Spiegel (27.11.2006). The high efficiency has a drawback, at least from an engineer's point of view: Electricity for home use or supplied to the grid is only possible when the heat is on. Hence, some challenge for decentralized power generation. The German firm Solo, located near Stuttgart, started the first series production of the Stirling engines in 2001, but lost touch to the market and sold only 150 units.

In a comment on future energy supplies the NY Times (1.5.2006) favours ethanol as a substitute for fossil fuels. In particular cellulosic ethanol which is produced "from a range of crops, native grasses like switchgrass and even the waste components of farming and forestry" is promising as for it consume less energy for producing it than ethanol from corn. However, lot of research and investment is necessary to substitute a relevant share in petrol use. The company Iogen which is already deploying the technique calculates the investment of 300 Dollars for a first commercial plant. Well, President Bush only allocates some 150 Million Dollars for research, development and production altogether. The critics point, according to a news report by AFP (2.5.2006), onto the energy costs you have for ethanol production, pesticides and fertilizer usage for the fields which may pollute water, and necessary changes in infrastructures both for filling stations and agriculture.

Gerald Traufetter reports in Der Spiegel (20.3.2006) on how Sweden wants to get independent of fossil fuels by the year 2020—as announced by its government. Actually, Sweden is in a good position of doing so because the share of oil in the total power consumption already decreased from 77 percent in 1970 to 34 percent in 2003. Also today, 24 percent of energy is already provided by the renewables. The article is somewhat short in the questionable parts of turning wood, straw, crops, etc. into fuels, plastics, or chemicals. For instance, it's still a scientific argument whether bio-ethanol from crops is economical, environmental friendly and helps reducing global warming.

The Economist (16.3.2006) dreams of transmutation as a means of turning radioactive waste into material with half life of only some hundred years. A Japanese experiment will show by the end of this year whether the method is reasonable and feasible. Generally, nuclear power generation also yields by-products and waste that radiates for millions of years. Thus, reliable and stable disposal sites are needed - a major argument in many countries. Transmutation might give the proponents of nuclear energy an option for alternative waste treatment. However, critics are not convinced. A testing site was suggested for Italy but abandoned in 2004.

A new study compared the energy efficiency and greenhouse gas potential of biodiesel, made from soybeans, and bioethanol, made from corn. However, "the study concludes that the future of replacing oil and gas lies with cellulosic ethanol produced from low-cost materials like switch grass or wheat straw, if it is grown on agriculturally marginal land or from waste plant material," writes Alexei Barrionuevo for the NY Times (13.7.2006).