February 15, 2006
US Army Help Develop Fuel Cell Version of Ford Escape
U.S. Army National Automotive Center (NAC) awarded a contract to develop a hydrogen-fueled Ford Escape Hybrid vehicle for the U.S to Quantum Fuel Systems Technologies Worldwide, Inc.
Under the contract, Quantum will evaluate different hydrogen fuel system configurations, considering the feasibility of bi-fuel and dedicated hydrogen systems. Quantum will develop an advanced hydrogen storage system, fuel injection system, and electronic controls required for the Hydrogen Escape Hybrid. The work will be conducted by Quantum at its Advanced Vehicle Concept Center in Lake Forest, CA.
Ford already sells a hybrid version of Escape which combines a regular gasoline engine with an electric powerplant.
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February 09, 2006
Ethanol fuel substitute driving sugar prices higher
Ethanol, which can mixed with regular gasoline to power automobiles, is increasingly becoming popular as an alternative energy source as fuel prices go sky high. Sugar and corn are popular ingredients to produce ethanol today and its demand is increasing the prices of sugar.
A Wall Street Journal report states that the world's largest sugar exporter Brazil is shifting at much as 52% of its sugar-cane production to create ethanol for use as fuel.
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January 31, 2006
Diesel vehicle sales to overtake gasoline autos in Europe
While US and Japanese automakers focused on delivering fuel efficient hybrid cars that combine electric and gasoline propulsion systems, Europeans focused on making cleaner diesel engine.
A study by PriceWaterhouseCoopers found that diesel accounted for 49% of auto sales in Europe in 2005 and estimates that in 2006 diesel auto sales would exceed their gasoline counterpart.
Leading German automakers such as Mercedes, BMW and Volkswagon have been producing environmentally clean diesel autos for years. However making relatively low emission diesel cars require both newer technology engines and low sulphur diesel fuel. The cost of making cleaner diesel cars is creeping up more rapidly as a result.
Europeans are also experimenting hybrid diesel cars that combine fuel economy advantages of regular diesel engine and electric motors.
PSA Peugeot Citroën on Tuesday unveiled two prototype models with a new diesel-electric hybrid powertrain, the Peugeot 307 and the Citroën C4 Hybride HDi.
Average diesel consumption is 3.4 litres per 100 kilometres, with 90 grams of CO2 emitted per kilometre, tank to wheel - a claimed record for compact cars, the most popular segment in Europe. This is some 25% better than a similar vehicle equipped with a petrol hybrid system, or up to a litre per 100 kilometres in combined urban and motorway driving.
PSA Peugeot Citroën’s Hybrid HDi technology comprises of a 1.6-litre HDi diesel engine, a particulate filter system (DPFS) with the latest generation Stop & Start system, an electric motor, inverter, high-voltage battery pack and dedicated control electronics. The cars are also equipped with an electronically-managed automated manual six-speed gearbox.
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January 29, 2006
Wind energy capacity grows 35% in US
DALLAS (Associated Press) - Wind energy generation capacity grew 35 percent last year thanks to another 2,431 megawatts coming online nationwide, the American Wind Energy Association reported Tuesday.
Additionally, the Washington D.C.-based trade group forecast another 3,000 megawatts of new development for 2006.
AWEA Executive Director Randall Swisher said he attributes the growth to "simple economics" driving power companies' efforts to diversify their power-generating resources.
With the price of natural gas peaking at $15.78 per thousand cubic feet last month before leveling off to a steady $9 range, wind continues to gain attention as an alternative.
http://www.mywesttexas.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=16025170&BRD=2288&PAG=461&dept_id=474107&rfi=6
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January 11, 2006
Toyota introduces hybrid Camry
Japan's Toyota unveiled a hybrid version of its planned 2007 Camry at Detroit auto show. Most popular among Asians from the Indian subcontinent living in the US, Camry is the largest Toyota vehicle to incorporate hybrid technology.
Toyota extends its hybrid leadership by making its exclusive Hybrid Synergy Drive available in the 2007 Camry. Hybrid Synergy Drive consists of dual gas and electric power sources that are complementary and produce a combined 192 horsepower. This system varies power between gas and electric, or both, as needed.
The first half of this system consists of the 2.4L four-cylinder 2AZ-FXE Atkinson-cycle engine, which generates 147 hp and is coupled to a continuously variable transmission (CVT). The second half of the Hybrid Synergy Drive equation consists of a small, specially developed electric drive motor that produces 45 horsepower, an ultra-small inverter with a specially designed compact battery and a transaxle to provide the economy and seamless performance hybrid drivers seek.
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January 08, 2006
Ultra thin solar cells promises to be more efficient
Researchers with Berkeley Lab and the University of California, Berkeley, have developed the first ultra-thin solar cells comprised entirely of inorganic nanocrystals and spin-cast from solution.
The manufacturing process of ultra-thin solar panel is currently long and complicated. However, these dual nanocrystal solar cells are as cheap and easy to make as solar cells made from organic polymers and offer the added advantage of being stable in air because they contain no organic materials.
Scientist Ilan Gur is one of the scientists involved. "The thickness of the film of nanocrystals is really important because that is our active layer, that is our active material in the solar cell. And obviously we are making a solar cell, we need to absorb all of the sunlight."
The result: something similar to material used in computer chips in DVDs and CD players.
Heated metal is added to that film. The resulting solar cell is then tested to see how well it would work if it were on a rooftop.
The cells are manufactured similarly to photographic film, which could be a great advantage.
http://www.lbl.gov/Science-Articles/Archive/MSD-nanocrystal-solar-cells.html
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January 05, 2006
Japanese firm promises 20 hr laptop battery life with new fuel cell technoloty
LAS VEGAS, Jan. 4: Japan's Matsushita Battery Industrial Co., Ltd.
(MBI) has developed a new fuel supply method for fuel cells powering portable devices that makes it possible to reduce the size of the fuel cell to one half of the current industry level.
Matsushita Battery has developed this Direct Methanol Fuel Cell system by incorporating its new fuel supply technology with its stack technology, high power lithium ion battery and battery management system (which is based on previous development work for electric power sources). This cell itself is approximately 400cc (24 cubic inches), which is similar to the size of a beverage can and roughly half the size of models publicly demonstrated to date. With an average output of 13 watts, a peak output of 20 watts, and low
weight that enables true mobility, a laptop PC is using this fuel cell is able to achieve up to 20 hours of runtime.
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January 04, 2006
Pakistan phases out diesel from major cities
The federal government of Pakistan has directed provincial governments to phase out diesel-engine buses, mini-buses, wagons and two-stroke rickshaws from major cities by the end of 2007.
The first meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Replacement of Diesel by CNG on Tuesday suggested that no permit be issued to diesel vehicles in the major cities of Karachi, Lahore, Faisalabad, Peshawar, Quetta, and Islamabad/Rawalpindi from 2007.
http://www.greencarcongress.com/2006/01/pakistan_orders.html
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December 31, 2005
India provides bank loan for solar water heaters
THE HINDU: As part of its basket of loans to popularise renewable energy, Canara Bank has introduced a scheme for financing solar water heaters at concessional rates of interest.
The Ministry of Non-Conventional Energy Sources, Government of India will bear the cost of interest subsidy. The rate of interest for individuals would be 2 per cent, for institutional users like colleges and hostels it would be 3 per cent and for commercial and industrial users, including Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) it would be at 5 per cent.
The loan amount will be 85 percent of the project cost with repayments spread over five years of monthly instalments. There is no upper ceiling for the loans, which are available for purchase of Flat Plate Collector Based Systems as well as Evacuated Tube Collector Based Systems.
This scheme would be extremely useful for households, hotels, hospitals, small scale units, medium enterprises, sugar mills, milk processing plants, food processing units, wherever heating of water is involved.
In units with small boilers using furnace oil or electrical energy, solar energy could bring down power cost by 40 to 50 per cent.
Income Tax paying SMEs and commercial establishments would be able to claim accelerated depreciation to the extent of 80 percent of the investment, under Section 32 of the Income Tax Act.
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December 27, 2005
Honda to reduce price gap between regular and hybrid Civic models
Honda Motor Co., the world's second- largest maker of gas-electric hybrid cars, announced that it plans cut the excess cost of so-called hybrid models of the Civic by a third within 5 years, as it phases out the gasoline-powered version in some markets including Japan according to a report by Bloomberg.
The additional cost of using a hybrid system to run Honda's Civic compact car will fall by a third to $1,702 each, as development costs are halved.
A hybrid vehicle combines a gasoline engine with an electric motor. At low speeds and during acceleration, the motor powers the vehicle and the gasoline engine kicks in as the car gains speed. The battery pack for the motor is charged by the gasoline engine and by power regenerated whenever the brake is applied.
Honda's Civic Hybrid can go as far as 31 kilometers on a liter of gasoline, double the average mileage of a comparable model that runs on a conventional gasoline engine. Toyota's Prius, the world's best-selling hybrid car, is rated with 35.5 kilometers per liter in city driving while Honda's Insight Hybrid can travel 36 kilometers on a liter of gasoline.
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December 26, 2005
Mercedes to manufacture gasoline/natural gas powered vehicle in Thailand
Mecedes-Benz, has planned to set up a production base of vehicles using bi-fuel technology that can run either on regular gasoline or natural gas in Thailand.
In the new plant Mercedes will be manufacturing--among other planned models--the E 200 NGT which made its debut on Germany's roads in the spring of last year. The variant of the popular E Class sedan cuts emissions by 20%.
As well as making it one of the most cost-effective models in the Mercedes range, the 120-kW/163-hp four-cylinder engine under the bonnet of the bi fuel E 200 NGT also makes it the most powerful natural-gas-driven saloon currently in production. Operating mode can be switched conveniently at the touch of a button
At present, Thailand operates 58 natural gas (Compressed Natural Gas or CNG) service stations. It plans to increase the number to 160 next year and 740 nationwide in 2010.
The number of vehicles using natural gas in Thailand now total 500,000 units with the consumption of 365 million cubit feet per day.
To promote the consumption, the Thai government will reduce an excise tax on natural gas vehicles (using either CNG or LNG) by 10 per cent to 20 per cent and give an import tariff exemption for NGV cylinders and other related equipment.
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December 23, 2005
American Indian Tribe Makes Money Selling Electricity to the Masses in California
About an hour from San Diego, California, 25 of the largest turbines in the United States started generating and selling power to San Diego Gas & Electric. The electricity will go to homes and businesses throughout eastern parts of the state.
Houston Texas based Superior Renewable Energy started the $80 million project 60 miles east of San Diego. It is the first wind power project on American Indian land.
Each of the 25 units at Kumeyaay Wind project can produce up to 2 megawatts of electricity at a given time, enough to power 1,300 average-size homes.
On February 10, 1893, Campo Indian Reservation was created. It was about one square mile (710 acres) near the town of Milguatay (Campo). The 300-member Campo tribe today will make money on its land-lease contract, plus royalties on the sale of electricity to SDG&E. Terms of those contracts are confidential.
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December 22, 2005
Malaysian firms well-positioned to be big time players in production of biofuel
MALAYSIA (The Star): Malaysia is poised to be a significant global player in the production of biofuel, going forward.
Malaysian-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry general manager Thomas Brandt said the potential for Malaysian companies to venture into palm based biodiesel production was tremendous – catering not only for domestic but also for the export market.
He told StarBiz in Kuala Lumpur that palm oil would likely be one of the major components in the production of biodiesel especially with increasing fossil energy prices and the finite nature of fossil resources, which suggested the usage of alternatives and biofuels.
http://biz.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2005/12/19/business/12891881&sec=business
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December 19, 2005
Broadband over electricity lines takes of
Imagine every electric outlet in someone's home becoming a broadband Internet connection as well. No new wires have to be laid to connect homes to Internet.
Broadband over electric current lines is about to become a reality with two US firms combining their expertise and resources to offer the service end of next year.
Current Communications Group LLC and TXU Electric Delivery, a unit of TXU Corp., said they plan to offer high-speed Internet over electric power lines to more than two million customers in Texas.
While the technology is still at its infancy successful deployment in Texas would open doors to electric utilities that already have connections to home to offer broadband Internet access.
Electric power lines are believed to be able to carry data at roughly the same speeds as cable or DSL lines. And because electricity is more prevalent in homes even in developing countries than cable TV or even telephone lines, a vast new communications infrastructure could be born overnight -- notably in rural areas, where broadband access has lagged.
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Honda to Make Solar Cells for Homes & Automobiles
Honda Motor is entering the market for solar cells designed for use in households and also plans to promote their use in vehicles, according to a report in the Nihon Keizai Shimbun.
Honda is building a ¥10-billion (US$86.5-million) factory to begin mass production in fiscal 2007 of solar cells made an inexpensive thin-membrane non-silicon metal compound developed by Honda engineering. The Honda solar panels, first announced in 2002, feature a light-absorbing layer formed by a compound made of copper, indium, gallium and diselenium (CIGS).
Read more at:
http://www.greencarcongress.com/2005/12/honda_entering_.html
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December 08, 2005
UN Study Finds Wind Power Has Much More Potential in Developing Countries
A recent study by the United Nations Energy Program (UNEP), based on satellite measurements and computer models that provide a more detailed assessment of a country's potential for harnessing wind power, has revealed that wind power is much more viable than previously believed.
New data suggests that about 13 per cent of the land in the developing world could have potential. The study defines suitable areas as those that could generate 300 watts per square metre, needing winds of at least 6.4 to 7 metres per second at 50 metres above the ground.
However suitability of wind power varied widely across developing nations. In Bangladesh, for instance, the study identified that just 0.2 per cent of the land would be suitable for windmills. In Nicaragua, Mongolia and Vietnam, the figure was as high as 40 per cent.
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December 07, 2005
Ultrathin Solar Panels Seeks Popularity
Most solar panels are bulky, pricey, and difficult to install. However, XsunX, a startup in Aliso Viejo, Calif., has invented a way to stick semitransparent solar cells on plastic film, which manufacturers can use to transform ordinary windows into PowerGlass.
XsunX’s amorphous silicon solar cells aren’t more efficient -- they convert just 6 percent of light energy that hits them into electricity, compared with 15 percent for traditional silicon cells. They are, however, more versatile: A 20-story building has about 10 times more space for PowerGlass than it does for roof panels. That puts XsunX on the cutting edge of a trend in the $7 billion solar industry called building-integrated photovoltaics, or BIPV.
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November 30, 2005
BP Invests in alternative energy
Oil giant BP PLC announced this week that it will make future investments into alternative-energy projects through a new business unit, BP Alternative Energy. The company expects to invest as much as $8 billion in alternative-energy projects, including solar, wind, hydrogen and carbon-abatement technology, over 10 years.
As oil reserves deplete and low fuel burning hybrid vehicles enter the global market major all companies have stepped up their efforts in alternative energy initiatives.
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November 22, 2005
Developing a hydrogen economy in the South
A recent report by iNSnet suggests that developing countries should start alternative energy programs of their own to moniter developments in fuel cells and other alternative energy programs. Read attached report.
Given the right support, there could be 5-10 million fuel cell vehicles globally by 2020. The time horizon for the Hydrogen Economy is long - it is at least 20 years away for developed countries. But long term change requires short term change.
China, India and Brazil have already developed active programmes of research on hydrogen fuel cells, which are tailored to their own needs and development goals.
By developing their hydrogen roadmaps now, developing countries have the opportunity to monitor progress in the North and make informed, strategic decisions concerning this latest wave of technological change.
These are among the many issues discussed at the recently concluded international conference on hydrogen fuel cells, their application in the transport sector, and the implications for developing countries. Hosted by United Nations University Institute for New Technologies (UNU-INTECH) in Maastricht, The Netherlands, from 7-9 November, the conference brought together 40 researchers, energy experts, industry representatives, and policymakers from key public institutions across the world.
The conference was part of a global United Nations University research and capacity building project coordinated by Professor Lynn Mytelka, Senior Research Fellow at UNU-INTECH, and Grant Boyle, Associate Project Coordinator at the University's Environment and Sustainable Development Programme (UNU-ESD)in Tokyo, Japan. UNU's Geothermal Training Programme (UNU-GTP) in Iceland is also participating in the project.
Raising awareness
The purpose of the project is to raise awareness of emergent hydrogen and fuel cell technologies and to enhance long-term transport and energy decision-making in developing countries by tracking hydrogen fuel cell activities in the transport sector around the world.
Topics discussed at the conference included: Hydrogen Production, Distribution and Storage; Fuel Cells and Fuel Cell Vehicles; the State of Activities and Knowledge in Developing Countries and the Implications for Oil and Gas and Automotive Industries in these countries.
Participants learned that while the greatest investments have been made in Europe, North America and Japan, developing countries have made significant advances as well with a growing number of countries preparing well thought out hydrogen 'road maps' that reflect their national goals and needs.
Whatever their motivation - environmental concerns in the North, or the need to achieve energy security in the South - a critical feature of these emerging programmes is their focus on building domestic capacities for research, development and sustained policy support in moving towards a hydrogen economy.
Hybrid vehicles
China is carrying out fuel cell vehicle and refueling station demonstrations in Shanghai and Beijing, as well as undertaking its own national research and development activities. The country's R&D programme is aimed at developing advanced hybrid-electric and fuel cell vehicles and involves a large number of universities, public sector research institutes and private firms.
India too is rolling out hydrogen-fueled two and three-wheeler vehicles, while at the same time exploring ways of tapping hydrogen for stationary power. Brazil has a well established alternative energy programme based on biodiesels and ethanol. South Africa's ambitious R&D programme covers a range of alternative applications, with a major emphasis on exploring opportunities to exploit its vast platinum reserves in fuel cell catalysts.
Nigeria is putting in place a comprehensive energy strategy aimed at expanding its production of natural gas, which is one of the bases for creating methanol and hydrogen to fuel the future hydrogen economy. And Malaysia has adopted a dual strategy to simultaneously develop hydrogen and solar energy as alternative fuel sources.
Complex process
In his keynote address, Professor Turner Isoun, Minister of Science and Technology in Nigeria stressed that the way forward "...is to develop deliberate strategies to stimulate and sustain institutional R & D in the developing countries through support by their counterparts in the developed countries.”
But the uncertain future of the Global Environment Facility initiative to test fuel cell buses in five mega cities with serious pollution problems (Shanghai, New Delhi, Sao Paulo, Mexico City and Cairo) shows how problematic the process is. It demonstrates that even with the right technology and support, embarking on hydrogen economy activities at this early stage is a complex undertaking that involves trade-offs and strategic decisions related to costs, public policy goals, industrial development and a range of alternative transport modes and fuels.
According to Gabriel de Scheemaker, General Manager of Shell Hydrogen in the Asia Pacific, the first steps must be taken in the North, through 'Lighthouse Projects'. These are "hydrogen clusters where over a hundred hydrogen vehicles from different car companies are served by more than four hydrogen stations operated by two or more energy companies, involving fleet owners, operating on a semi-commercial bases, in international collaboration with the government."
The aim of such public-private partnerships is to pool resources in the expensive initial phases and catalyze a critical mass of researchers and entrepreneurs, accelerate best practice and give confidence to investors.
Leapfrog strategy
"If the future is still 'hydrogen'," notes Prof. Mytelka, "...countries will need to make some tough decisions now: on whether to wait until all pieces of the system are in place or to take action; how to build a path today that does not compromise change in the future; how to incorporate a range of options - gasoline, natural gas and hydrogen without wasteful investment." This requires that governments, both in the North and South, start to build public awareness of all the choices available now, to enable consensus building on the best way forward for individual countries.
The consensus at the meeting was that the South should not make the jump yet, but must start now to put the conditions in place to enable it to leapfrog into a hydrogen economy - when the time is right, and on its own terms. This will require that developing countries make, and be supported in efforts to understand these technologies, and to monitor the lessons being learned in industrialized countries so as to plan for their own participation.
Participants expressed interest in working with UNU in undertaking follow-up activities in developing countries in two areas: building networks of centres of excellence and collaborative partnerships and strengthening research capacity by taking up training and demonstration opportunities. They also want to find ways of monitoring progress, sharing information and strengthening the base for informed policy-making in moving towards a hydrogen economy.
Source: This is a slightly shortened version of a report by iNSnet in the Netherlands.
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November 14, 2005
Manufacturers become energy-aware of power hungry computers
With energy costs skyrocketting, chip, PC and server manufacturers are increasing their focus on energy efficient computing capabilities.
As data centers located around the world today increasingly handle complex processing tasks the power demand for such centers are reaching 2 megawatts at certain facilities.
PC Hardware and chip makers are changing direction to develop energy efficient chips and hardware. Intel, under pressure from rival Advanced Micro Devices Inc., is striving to improve performance by using multiple electronic brains on its chips -- each of which operate at a lower gigahertz speed to save energy. Intel's chief executive, predicted in August that new chips his company is developing could save $1 billion in energy costs each year for every 100 million units sold.
Chip makers are rushing to improve power consumption of desktop as well server chips. AMD' Opteron chip draws as much as 95 watts, compared with 150 watts for Intel's latest Xeon chips. Sun Microsystems Inc. this week announced a new chip, code-named Niagara, that has eight processors but draws only about 70 watts.
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November 08, 2005
China aims for 15% of energy from renewable sources
Amid rising energy prices Chinese president Hu Jintao today pledged at the internation conference on renewable energy at the Great Hall that his county aims to generate 15% of its energy from renewable resources.
Aproximately 1,200 delegates from 80 countries joined Chinese leaders in Beijing to discuss alternative energy derived from solar, wind and hydropower instead of coal and oil.
The government claims China uses renewable energy to meet 7% of its total needs and plans to increase that amount to 15% by 2020.
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November 02, 2005
Brazil sees prospects in sugarcane-based alternative energy
Sugar-cane-based biofuel is clean-burning, renewable and costs almost half as much as gasoline at today's prices. As long as crude-oil prices stay above $30 a barrel, Brazilian ethanol, which costs $26 a barrel to produce, is cost-competitive, attractive and sustainable to boot.
As the largest producer and exporter of ethanol, Brazil is seeing increasing demand from both developing as well as developed countries for its ethanol. But due to local demand driven by flex-fuel cars that run on any combination of ethanol and gasoline Brazil may find it hard to meet demand from abroad.
It is possible, with certain engine modifications, to run autombiles on pure ethanol today. Brazil operates almost 50% of their vehicles on pure ethanol. A 10% blend requires no engine modifications at all. There is a very limited selection of vehicles offered by original equipment manufacturers that will run on 85% ethanol blended fuel.
In 2004, the key importers of Brazilian ethanol were the U.S., India and the European Union.
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November 01, 2005
Indian tech company enters solar cell manufacturing
India's Moser Baer, a world leader in the development and manufacture of removable data storage media, announced last week that it will start manufacturing photovoltaic solar energy cells.
The company sees its entry into the segment as a lead over competition as setting up a solar photovoltaics plant in India. MBIL is targeting a capacity of 80 megawatt by 2007.
The initial project is estimated to be 260 crore Indian Rupee (1 Indian rupee = 0.0221638 U.S. dollars) and the project will be spearheaded by a wholly-owned subsidiary in which MBIL will pump in Rs 112 crore.
Photovoltaic technology converts solar energy into electricity directly. The segment is expected to grow five-fold to a global market size of Rs 135,000 crore.
A pioneer among globalizing Indian firms, Moser Baer has a presence in over 82 countries, serviced through six marketing offices in India, the US and Europe, and enjoys strong tie-ups with all major global technology brands.
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October 23, 2005
Yamaha unveils hybrid and electric two-wheelers for Asia
Japan's Yamaha Motor has wheeled out its motorcycles of the future ranging from a hybrid scooter to an electric bike with in-wheel motors and adjustable body.
The Deinonychus two-wheel drive electric vehicle is equipped with motors built into the wheels and has "'stretch' functions in the vertical and horizontal directions for the aluminum frame body.
It is possible to adjust not only the riding position but also the silhouette of the chassis to fit the rider's body size, riding environment, road surface conditions and personal preferences.
The Gen-Ryu, a gas-electric prototype scooter, has a 600-cc engine displacement and is billed as performing and handling like a 1,000-cc class machine thanks to its large diameter wheels and long wheelbase, Yamaha said.
The futuristic-looking scooter is also equipped with rider-friendly functions such as a vehicle-to-vehicle distance warning, voice navigation and rear view monitoring system using a CCD camera and liquid crystal display.
The FC-me fuel-cell motorbike uses a liquid methanol-water solution, which eliminates the need for a converter and pressurized fuel tank and thus makes it possible to create a lightweight system for a small vehicle, the firm said. The model weighs 69 kilograms (152 pounds).
The official said it would take some time before electric motorbikes take to the roads of Asia as companies need to clear the hurdles of lowering costs and enlarging battery capacity.
Posted by admin at 03:06 PM | Comments (0)
October 19, 2005
Winds change China
GUANGZHOU, China: Wind turbines could generate enough electricity to power the southern city of Guanzhou, a Greenpeace report claimed yesterday.
By 2020, winds breezing through Guangdong province could be producing 35,000 gigawatt hours of electricity 17 per cent of the province's total 2003 power consumption, and enough to match the provincial capital's yearly power demands.
The significant potential for developing wind energy in the province also comes from factors such as its rapid economic growth and favourable fund-raising environment, said Li Junfeng, secretary-general of the China Renewable Energy Industries Association.
Accounting for about one-tenth of China's economic volume, Guangdong posted 12.6 per cent economic growth in the first half of this year.
Government figures predict power consumption in Guangdong will grow by 15 per cent this year.
The province has been facing electricity shortages, with supply not expected to meet demand until 2007.
If Guangdong produces 20-gigawatts of wind-generated electricity annually by 2020, carbon dioxide emissions could be reduced by 29 million tons each year, the report says.
Posted by admin at 03:30 AM | Comments (0)
October 18, 2005
Fuel cells, lighter PCs on the horizon
Computer giants and laptop makers are researching new ways to make the inner workings of computers more power efficient. The most important innovations in the coming years would revolve around prolonging battery life and reducing the weight of laptops, said Mr Noel Hon Chia Chun, chairman, NEC Solutions Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd, speaking exclusively to this newspaper on the sidelines of the launch of the first biometric computers in India on Friday.
http://www.asianage.com/?INA=2:175:175:187055
The Asian Age India | Kishore Butani
Mumbai: Portable battery and power technologies will be the major driving forces in the IT and electronics industry.
Computer giants and laptop makers are researching new ways to make the inner workings of computers more power efficient. The most important innovations in the coming years would revolve around prolonging battery life and reducing the weight of laptops, said Mr Noel Hon Chia Chun, chairman, NEC Solutions Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd, speaking exclusively to this newspaper on the sidelines of the launch of the first biometric computers in India on Friday.
NEC, the $50 billion IT, network and electron devices solutions provider, announced its entry into India, with its wide range of commercial notebook computers and desktops.
A fuel cell converts hydrogen and oxygen into water, and in the process produces electricity. A conventional battery has all of its chemicals stored inside, and it converts those chemicals into electricity, however, a battery eventually "goes dead" and you have to throw it away or recharge it. With a fuel cell, chemicals constantly flow into the cell so it never goes dead, as long as there is a flow of chemicals into the cell, the electricity flows out of the cell.
"Fuel cells, bionanotechnology and micromachines, are the future areas of technology that most companies are researching. NEC spends five per cent of its revenues on R&D alone. We have just introduced a prototype of the fuel cell powered laptop in Japan. We are also looking at breakthroughs in carbon nanotubes, since they will could be used as composites to increase the strength of materials and also help in the drug delivery process for the pharma industry," added Mr Chun.
According to industry experts, early fuel cells are already in the market, but have to overcome energy capacity issues. They predict that fuel cells will rake in $1.6 billion in revenues and hold a market share of 15 per cent by 2010.
Posted by admin at 08:36 AM | Comments (0)
October 14, 2005
China sets targets for solar power generation
The Chinese government, which has issued a Renewable Energy Law and signed the Kyoto Protocol limiting carbon dioxide emissions, has promised that renewable energy will make up 10% of the country's total installed capacity of power generation by 2020.
The solar energy sector has generated two major industries, that is, the solar energy heat utilization industry and the solar energy photovoltaic industry. The solar energy heat utilization industry mainly produces solar water heaters. China's annual production of solar water heaters has reached 10 million sets, saving the equivalent of 10 million tons of coal annually. Chinese sales of solar water heaters are 10 times more than that of Europe, and China now ranks first in the world in terms of solar water heater production and ownership.
The more important part of China's solar movement comes from the photovoltaic industry, which has been one of the fastest-growing industries in the country since the 1980s. The development of China's photovoltaic market in 2004 has surpassed any leaps in the history of industry, growing at an annual rate of 60.4%, and reaching 12 gigawatts (GW) of total production capacity.
China is promoting application of solar energy on a large scale, mainly in western areas that cannot be connected to national power grids, such as Tibet, Inner Mongolia and Ningxia. The solar energy industry has entered a phase of rapid growth and profitability since 2003.
Posted by admin at 02:38 PM | Comments (0)
October 11, 2005
Europeans move closer to mass CNG vehicle market
One of Europe's leading gas company, Gaz de France and automaker Peugeot Citroen are to launch a compressed natural gas (CNG) powered vehicle in Europe. Lunch of Citreon C3 car by two large players in the energy and automobile sectors is expected to boost market for CNG in Europe.
With about 420,000 vehicles on the road today, Italy is Europe's largest CNG vehicle market. However, even in Europe's largest market CNG vehicle constitute only 1.2% of the total number of vehicles.
CNG has a number of cost and environmental advantages over conventional fuels. Environmentally it produces less carbon emissions than gasoline, produces very few evaporative emissions and does not have the potential for contamination if the fuel is spilt or leaks.
From a cost perspective CNG costs less than 50% compared to conventional gasoline powered vehicles even after considering conversion costs.
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Solar Energy Cells Made of Everyday Plastic
Researchers at the UCLA Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science hope to meet the growing demand with a new and more affordable way to harness the sun's rays: using solar cell panels made out of everyday plastics.
In research published today in Nature Materials magazine, UCLA engineering professor Yang Yang, postdoctoral researcher Gang Li and graduate student Vishal Shrotriya showcase their work on an innovative new plastic (or polymer) solar cell they hope eventually can be produced at a mere 10 percent to 20 percent of the current cost of traditional cells, making the technology more widely available.
Researchers at the UCLA Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science hope to meet the growing demand with a new and more affordable way to harness the sun's rays: using solar cell panels made out of everyday plastics.
In research published today in Nature Materials magazine, UCLA engineering professor Yang Yang, postdoctoral researcher Gang Li and graduate student Vishal Shrotriya showcase their work on an innovative new plastic (or polymer) solar cell they hope eventually can be produced at a mere 10 percent to 20 percent of the current cost of traditional cells, making the technology more widely available.
The price for quality traditional solar modules typically is around three to four times more expensive than fossil fuel. While prices have dropped since the early 1980s, the solar module itself still represents nearly half of the total installed cost of a traditional solar energy system.
Currently, nearly 90 percent of solar cells in the world are made from a refined, highly purified form of silicon — the same material used in manufacturing integrated circuits and computer chips. High demand from the computer industry has sharply reduced the availability of quality silicon, resulting in prohibitively high costs that rule out solar energy as an option for the average consumer.
Made of a single layer of plastic sandwiched between two conductive electrodes, UCLA's solar cell is easy to mass-produce and costs much less to make — roughly one-third of the cost of traditional silicon solar cell technology. The polymers used in its construction are commercially available in such large quantities that Yang hopes cost-conscious consumers worldwide will quickly adopt the technology.
Independent tests on the UCLA solar cell already have received high marks. The nation's only authoritative certification organization for solar technology, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), located in Golden, Colo., has helped the UCLA team ensure the accuracy of their efficiency numbers. The efficiency of the cell is the percentage of energy the solar cell gathers from the total amount of energy, or sunshine, that actually hits it.
According to Yang, the 4.4 percent efficiency achieved by UCLA is the highest number yet published for plastic solar cells.
"As in any research, achieving precise efficiency benchmarks is a critical step," Yang said. "Particularly in this kind of research, where reported efficiency numbers can vary so widely, we're grateful to the NREL for assisting us in confirming the accuracy of our work."
Given the strides the team already has made with the technology, Yang calculates he will be able to double the efficiency percentage in a very short period of time. The target for polymer solar cell performance is ultimately about 15 percent to 20 percent efficiency, with a 15–20 year lifespan. Large-sized silicon modules with the same lifespan typically have a 14 percent to 18 percent efficiency rating.
The plastic solar cell is still a few years away from being available to consumers, but the UCLA team is working diligently to get it to market.
"We hope that ultimately solar energy can be extensively used in the commercial sector as well as the private sector. Imagine solar cells installed in cars to absorb solar energy to replace the traditional use of diesel and gas. People will vie to park their cars on the top level of parking garages so their cars can be charged under sunlight. Using the same principle, cell phones can also be charged by solar energy," Yang said. "There are such a wide variety of applications."
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October 06, 2005
Malaysia's solar ambitions
Under the program Suria 1000, the Malaysian government will be offering selected residents the rare opportunity of generating their own solar power for homes through competitive bidding at greatly subsidized prices.
Suria 1000 is part of Energy, Water and Communications Ministry's RM100mil Malaysia Building Integrated Photovoltaic (MBIPV) project to develop the local solar energy market. The Malaysia Energy Centre is implementing the project on behalf of the ministry.
Partially funded by the United Nations Development Programme the initiative would include training, expertise development and promote awareness among Malaysians pertaining alternative energy.
Malaysia promotes solar townships
by Tan Cheng Li
Solar cells are notoriously costly. But this will soon change with the launch of a project aimed at making them affordable for Malaysians. Solar energy advocate Ahmad Hadri Haris is hopeful that Malaysian property developers will warm up to the idea of developing solar townships, much like Solarsiedlung in Germany and Nieuwland in the Netherlands.
“PVs can be included in new housing developments as a new marketing ploy. Such projects can gain developers a niche market as well as add value to the property,” says the technical adviser to the Malaysia Energy Centre.
He believes the cost of photovoltaic (PV) systems would not be felt since it would have been added to the total property price.
But while the private sector mulls over the idea of solar townships, the Energy, Water and Communications Ministry is moving ahead to incite interest in the renewable energy.
Next year, it will launch a programme, Suria 1000, which gives the public the rare opportunity of generating their own solar power. Based on similar projects in Europe and Japan, the project will offer building-integrated PV (BIPV) systems at discounted prices to make the technology accessible and affordable for the public.
Five-year project
People have to bid for the systems, however, because they are limited in numbers. Bidding will start at 25 per cent of the capital price, which is about RM25,000 (about £4,000) for a 1 kilowatt (kW) system. A 2kW or 3kW system is typically needed for an average household. The starting bid will be raised annually, to encourage public participation early on in the project. For the first of the four-year project, BIPV systems with a total capacity of 1,000kW will be offered.
Suria 1000 is part of the ministry’s five-year RM100mil Malaysia Building Integrated Photovoltaic (MBIPV) project to develop the local solar energy market. The Malaysia Energy Centre is implementing the project on behalf of the ministry.
“The key objective is to reduce the long-term cost of BIPV technology. This cost reduction will lead to sustainable and widespread use of BIPV, which will ultimately avoid greenhouse gas emissions,” says Ahmad Hadri.
The project will promote BIPV technology – which covers PV that can be incorporated into building structures such as the roofs, façades, walls, windows and shades – instead of the traditional mounted solar PV.
Partially funded by the United Nations Development Programme/ Global Environment Facility, the MBIPV will include training workshops to build up awareness of solar energy, promote a local PV industry and build up expertise in BIPV technology. Laws and policies that encourage BIPV development will also be addressed.
Showcase sites
Several facilities – one is the new Malaysia Energy Centre building – will incorporate BIPV technology to serve as showcase sites.
By 2010, a minimum of 1.5 megawatt (MW) of solar energy would have been added to the grid. Presently, PV installations in rural areas have a capacity of 2.5MW, while urban installations have 500kW connected to the grid.
Households participating in Suria 1000 will use the solar energy directly, and any excess will be fed into the electricity grid and sold to Tenaga Nasional Berhad – a system known as “net metering.” This differs from Germany’s “feed-in” approach, where all the solar power is fed to the grid.
Ahmad Hadri says the feed-in system could not be implemented here because of low tariffs. In Germany, energy producers are paid tariffs that are higher than the normal electricity price.
However, he believes the feed-in system should eventually be introduced here as it has boosted the PV sector in many countries. These countries also have various fiscal incentives to boost the solar market, some of which can be adapted to suit local conditions.
In Spain, building developers who include PV in their buildings can offset up to 95 per cent of the construction tax while for consumers, 10 per cent of the investment cost of PV systems is tax deductible.
When Japan started its 70,000 Roofs programme in 1994, it subsidised 50 per cent of the cost of PV systems.
The subsidies stopped in 1997 with the introduction of feed-in tariffs but low interest rate on loans for PV products have made private investment affordable.
Source: INS/Malaysian Star
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October 05, 2005
China prepares for super efficient nuclear energy
Chinese scientists are planning super-efficient nuclear reactors that can maximize uranium burn-up and minimize waste in the generation of electricity.
If the first experimental reactor, set to be in operation by 2010, is successfl, the technology could help relieve China's uranium supply problems as the country accelerates nuclear power plant construction.
The new reactors are expected to burn 60-70 per cent of their uranium fuel - a conventional reactor consumes only 0.7 per cent of the uranium it is fed.
Current reactors are only able to harness the power of 0.7 per cent of the radioactive isotopes found in natural uranium.
In the so called "fast reactor", the process is optimized so that more of the previously untapped isotopes can be used to generate electricity, burning-up fuel at least 60 times more efficiently than in a normal reactor.
The prototype reactor, with a capacity of 600,000 kilowatts, will be constructed and put into operation by 2020. As China's economy keeps developing rapidly, demand for power also keeps increasing. To meet its growing energy demands, China has mapped out a national plan to increase nuclear generating capacity to 36,000 megawatts by 2020, up from 8,700 megawatts today. The proportion of national power output supplied by nuclear energy is expected to rise from 2.3 per cent now to 4 per cent.
From China Sun
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September 28, 2005
China develops hybrid automobiles
Already a major competitor in the telecommunications/data infrastructure industries, China is now targeting the hybrid automobile market in taking the lead with low cost products.
At the Exhibition of Science and Technology Achievements during the 10th Five-Year Plan (2001-05), which concluded yesterday in Beijing, China's Dongfeng Electric Vehicle Co Ltd introduced prototypes of a hybrid car (model EQ7200) and a bus (model EQ6100).
The EQ7200 can reach a top speed of more than 160 kilometres per hour while consuming 30 per cent less petrol than a normal car of the same size.
Six EQ6100 buses have been on trial operation on a passenger route in Wuhan, capital of Central China's Hubei Province, for two years.
The company's CEO has stated recently that the company is going to prepare buses for full commercial use by the end of this year. The first clients are likely to be city public transport authorities and government departments.
The Chinese government is also stepping up support for other types of alternative energy vehicles. Recently China has decided to earmark 880 million yuan (US$106 million) to support an electric vehicle project.
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September 20, 2005
India opens up its nuclear energy sector to private sector
In a bid to invite investment and produce more nuclear power, India might open up the nuclear energy sector for private participation.
The latest entrant in this sector is the National Thermal Power Corporation, India’s largest power producer that has decided to add 2000 watts of nuclear energy by 2012.
In July, U.S. President George W. Bush promised to help India gain access to civilian nuclear technology and fuel to power its plants.
Bush's announcement, subject to the approval of the U.S. Congress, would remove a ban on sharing nuclear power technology with countries, such as India, that have resisted international oversight of nuclear development.
Reliance Industries and the Tata Group too have evinced interest to invest in the Nuclear energy sector.
-Silicon India
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September 18, 2005
India on the lookout for alternative energy sources
According to recent report by Wall Street Journal, energy hungry India is seeking alternative fuels to complement its booming demand.
In additional expanding local oil and gas production India has been encouraging use of renewable, more environment-friendly fuels like hydro, solar and wind power to cut reliance on thermal power that makes two-thirds of India's electricity.
More importantly, it aims to boost nuclear-power output nearly tenfold by 2020, even though a new nuclear-power plant costs five times more than a coal or oil-fired one.
In July of this year, the United States said it would share its civil nuclear technology with India. And just this week, India and France agreed to negotiate a pact to cooperate on nuclear power.
Expansion of the hydropower sector, which meets around 20% of power needs now, will be more modest. The government aims to lift current hydropower capacity of 23,488 megawatts by 50,000 megawatts by 2017.
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September 14, 2005
Sweden To Try To End Fossil Fuels Dependency By 2020
Prime Minister Goran Persson of Sweden said Tuesday that his country will try to end its dependency on fossil fuels in 15 years by boosting research devoted to alternative energy sources primarily driven by global warming concerns.
Persson said the government will increase spending on energy research and will start subsidizing exports of environmental technology. Wind power will be extended and a tax regime promoting renewable energy sources would continue, he said. As part of the initiative taxes would be reduced for cars running on natural gas instead of gasoline.
Persson also said 35% of the cars driven by government employees would either run completely on electricity or renewable fuels, or be hybrid cars.
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September 08, 2005
Grass to replace fossil fuel?
Britain's The Times newspaper reported that within the next ten years a type of gentically engineered giant grass (about 14ft long) could replace coal and oil in electricity generation.
Trials have shown that the plant, known as Miscanthus giganteus grows on most arable land, requires no fertiliser, suffers no pests or diseases and produces huge volumes of material that can be harvested using existing technology and burned in power stations.
If miscanthus were grown on 10 per cent of suitable land, it could generate 9 per cent of Europe’s electricity according to scientists.
The crop should prove profitable for farmers, with a onehectare field able to produce enough energy to replace 36 barrels of oil — at current prices, a yield would be worth $2,160 (£1,170) per hectare.
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September 06, 2005
Bangladesh invents low-cost technology to treat industrial waste
The Bangladesh Environmental Management Project (BEMP) has invented a sustainable technology to treat industrial wastes discharge particularly by the textile and dyeing industries creating a great scope of preventing pollution.
The process involves filtering liquid textile waste through several layers that separate a large portion of dyeing chemicals. BEMP sources said that 75 percent of the fresh dye solution used in dyeing could be recovered for potential reuse. Flow of the wastes is pressed to enter into a reed-bed,a constructed wetland of several layers consisting of brick chips,sand, tiny stones and soil atop where selected vegetation is cultivated.
Later, the reed-bed drains clean water through the way opposite to the entering side of polluted water. Beside, the sediment that was filtered first is burnt carefully to make sludge, which can beused in making bricks after mixing with mud or cement.
The government of Banglades plans to introduce this safe, environmentally clean technology in all of the industries that produce a lot of liquid wastes.
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August 28, 2005
Italy to allow solar energy production and trading by massess
Italy, which is blessed with some of Europe's most brilliant sun, has some of the highest electiricity rates in Europe.
A new government measure could mean that Italian homeowners, condominium buildings and private businesses can profit by selling solar power to energy companies at a handsome, government-guaranteed price.
Under the incentive system, approved last month, surplus energy produced by solar panels can be sold at triple the average rate set by fossil fuel and gas-based electricity producers and local energy distributors with the help of goverment subsidies.
Industry Minister Claudio Scajola predicted that the average family could save as much as $1,100 (U.S.) annually in electricity bills. If there is energy to spare, the family can sell the excess.
The Italian government hopes such initiatives would increase investments in renewable energy in the country while financially helping citizens and businesses who are paying extreme energy prices.
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August 27, 2005
Italy to allow solar energy production and trading by massess
Italy, which is blessed with some of Europe's most brilliant sun, has some of the highest electiricity rates in Europe.
A new government measure could mean that Italian homeowners, condominium buildings and private businesses can profit by selling solar power to energy companies at a handsome, government-guaranteed price.
Under the incentive system, approved last month, surplus energy produced by solar panels can be sold at triple the average rate set by fossil fuel and gas-based electricity producers and local energy distributors with the help of goverment subsidies.
Industry Minister Claudio Scajola predicted that the average family could save as much as $1,100 (U.S.) annually in electricity bills. If there is energy to spare, the family can sell the excess.
The Italian government hopes such initiatives would increase investments in renewable energy in the country while financially helping citizens and businesses who are paying extreme energy prices.
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August 23, 2005
Phillipines to lead in alternative energy
(Renewable Energy Access): Philippines hopes to double its renewable energy capacity to 60 percent by year 2013, according to the Department of Energy (DOE) and the Arroyo administration.
Using its abundance of resources from the sun, wind, ocean, biomass, geothermal energy, the country thinks it could become a solar manufacturing export hub of the Association of Southeast.
Completion is expected of a solar utility power plant in Puerto Princesa City, located in Mangingisda Village. 25,000 solar panels covering 20-hectares will be installed to support the city's energy supply. It will generate 5 MW of electricity over a 20-year period, with a capacity equivalent to 550,000 barrels of oil.
With the installation of the country's first wind power in Bagui Bay Remote, non-electrified villages will soon have electricity for the first time. The country's goal is to install wind-based power projects with a capacity of at least 417 MW over the next 10 years.
Biomass energy can be generated from Philippines' agricultural residue like wood, straw, animal manure, rice husks, and sugar cane. Burning these agricultural wastes can generate heat, steam, and energy able to operate a 30 MW biomass plant. One biomass plant is that of the UK-based Bronzeoak, which will soon see a US$100 million expansion. Another experimental project in Isabela will use rice hulls to produce biomass power.
Philippines is currently the second largest geothermal energy producer in the world, behind the US. Its power plants rely on geothermal and hydropower energy as a major source of electricity in many areas.
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August 09, 2005
Fuel cell motorcycle wins Taiwanese backing
A fuel cell motorcycle is to be demonstrated in Taiwan after proposals won financial backing from the government.
First used by NASA in the 1960's for power generation in space capsules. Cells are now being used to generate power in a range of products. Fuel cells rely on the chemical interaction of natural gas and certain other metals, such as platinum, gold, and other electrolytes to produce electricity. The only by-product of a fuel cell's operation is water, which is pure enough to drink.
Hailed as an important milestone on the road towards fuel cell commercialisation, the funding has been granted to Asia Pacific Fuel Cell Technologies (APFCT) to demonstrate the vehicle.
The demonstration programme will aim to display a hybrid system in a scooter motorcycle comprised of hybrid fuel cell technology as well as lithium ion battery power.
Commenting on the funding, Dr Jefferson Yang, chairman of APFCT, said that fleet demonstration was a "necessary step" in making fuel cell technology available to the consumer.
"Taiwan is a world leader in gasoline ICE scooter manufacture and we hope this demonstration program will significantly contribute towards maintaining Taiwan�s global technology leadership in scooters and fuel cells in general," he added.
A 40-vehicle fleet will be used to demonstrate the technology, with funding for the programme expected to cost $4.6 million.
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July 26, 2005
Malaysia attempts to make solar energy viable for masses
Partially funded the World Bank, Malaysia next year plans to launch program Suria 1000 which allows the public to generate part of their own energy needs.
Under the Suria initiative building-integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) systems will be deployed at various homes and offices at subsidized prices to generate a kilowatt of power. A typical home consumes one to three kilowatt in Malaysia.
About 1000 BIPV systems will be distributed under a bidding system due to limited availability of such systems under the Suria 1000 program. The primary objective of this program being reducing cost of BIPV systems in Malaysia.
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July 22, 2005
Decentralized energy sources can boost efficiency
According to a recent report by London based Greenpeace, as much as two-thirds of UK's energy is wasted due to large-scale centralized generation systems and ultra-long and complex power distribution networks.
Fifteen percent of electricity generated by centralized plants are wasted during transmission.
The decentralized power distribution model, which utilizes micro-power generation systems such as micro-turbines, windmills, mini-hydro power units, solar panels etc. can cut upto 40% of energy costs according to Thomas R Casten and Brennan Downes of the Skeptical Enquirer.
An article in The Asahi Shimbun stated recently that flexible, cheap and easy on the environment, mini-hydropower generators are creating a buzz in Japan. One doesn't have to change the course of rivers and move mountains to generate electricity.
The hydroelectric power plant perched over an irrigation canal near a roadside rice paddy in Kuroiso, Tochigi Prefecture, is the size of a garden shed.
Making use of a 2-meter drop in the water level, it can churn out 30 kilowatts of electricity, enough to power 50 households.
In the Philippines wind is being tapped at Southeast Asia’s largest wind farm at a sparsely populated stretch of coastline near the northern town of Bangui on the South China Sea coast of the main island of Luzon. However, the privately run 24.75mw project comprising 15 towers can only serve half the needs of Ilocos Norte, one of the country’s 75 provinces.
Decentralised energy is crucial for densely populated developing nations and emerging economic giants like China and India. The power needs of developing countries may overwhelm global ecological balance with economic prosperity. But developing a decentralised energy system in response to growth in demand for power in such regions would enable countries to reduce associated carbon emissions by as much as 56% as compared to the centralised scenario - and costs would be reduced by 40% as well according to the Greenpeace report.
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July 19, 2005
New plastic solar cells show promise for developing world
Danish scientists have built a new type of plastic solar cell that lasts significantly longer than previous versions and could pave the wave for cheaper solar power.
Plastic cells cost only a fraction as much as the more common silicon cells used in solar-powered products, such as calculators. But plastic cells typically are fragile and only last for a few days.
http://www.crmbuyer.com/story/RBYg7AMcBy874V/Danish-Scientists-Solar-Cell-Could-Lead-to-Cheaper-Power.xhtml
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US to help India develop peaceful nuclear program
During Indian prime minister's visit to US, President Bush and Manmohan Singh announced a series of initiatives Monday to strengthen bi-lateral ties, including increased U.S. assistance for India's civilian nuclear program. US officials stated that they have agreed to delivering new aid after India pledged to accept international oversight of its nuclear program and continue its moratorium on nuclear weapons testing.
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