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Japan: FuelCell Energy's Power Plant Running on Waste

FuelCell Energy Inc. (NasdaqNM:FCEL) announced that one of its 250-kilowatt Direct FuelCell (DFC) power plants, sold by its Asian distributor Marubeni Corporation (TSE:8002 – News), will supply power as part of the electric grid servicing a school, a hospital, apartment buildings and city hall in a planned, renewable energy community on the western coast of Japan. In keeping with the Kyoto Eco-Energy organization’s desire to balance intermittent power generated by sources such as wind and solar, a 250 kilowatt DFC plant will convert waste from a food processing plant into high quality electricity. Heat energy produced by the power plant also will be used to warm water flowing into the food waste digestion process, thus increasing overall system efficiency. Kyotango City’s DFC power plant is part of an 850-kilowatt mini-grid consisting of the fuel cell unit, a wind turbine, photovoltaics and gas engines connected in parallel to the local electrical grid. Acknowledging the environmental advantages of the project, Japan’s New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) is supporting the capital and installation cost. “The Eco-Energy Project is ideal for a DFC power generation plant,” said Marc G. Aube, Marubeni Vice President. “Its ultra-clean, highly efficient generation process provides a […]

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SolarWorld Reports Record First Quarter Profits

SolarWorld AG reports a five fold increase in profit for the first quarter of 2005 (7.4 million euros) compared with the first quarter last year (1.47 million euros). The first quarter tends to generate below average results because of the seasonal nature of the business, but the company still had record revenues of 57.9 (Q1 2004: 35.4) million euros. Due to the rise in national and international solar energy business, combined with the Group’s consistent cost management, earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) climbed to 17.7 (Q1 2004: 6.9) million euros.

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North Dakota/ Iowa Require Renewables

Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack (R) has issued an executive order that sets up a renewable energy purchasing requirement for state agencies of at least 10% of their electricity needs by 2010. The order also requires state agencies to reduce their electricity use in buildings by 15% by 2010 relative to their use in 2000. “When we use renewable fuels, we create economic opportunities for the farmers of our state, we return dollars to our local economies and strengthen communities,” said Governor Vilsack. “Renewable fuels also give families an opportunity to stretch their energy dollars because they are less expensive.” The order also contains requirements on converting the state’s transportation fleet either to hybrid-electric vehicles or vehicles running on alternative fuels by 2010 and a requirement that bulk diesel fuel purchased by state agencies must contain a certain percentage of renewable fuel (such as biodiesel). — North Dakota Governor John Hoeven (R) signed a comprehensive package of legislation into law designed to accelerate production of wind energy and biofuels, as well as to enhance the transmission infrastructure necessary to get both renewable and conventional energy to market. The plan also builds on the Governor’s ethanol production incentive by making $4.6 million […]

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