Top Stories
VC investments are up in renewable chems.—reliability
medium.
"Cleantech Group sent this report about venture capital
investments in renewable chemicals sector reaching $361m in the first
half of 2010, which could drive 2010 to a record-year if the second
half will see the same pace. VC deals in renewable chemicals for 2008
reached a total of $425m." See ICIS
Green Chemicals blog.
U.S. on track to double renewable energy
capacity.—reliability high.
"With Energy Secretary Steven Chu by his side, Biden unveiled a new
White House report estimating the impact of the Recovery Act funding on
American innovation in transportation, renewable energy, broadband,
smart electrical grids and medical research. ... The report outlined a
goal of doubling renewable energy capacity from the 28.8 gigawatts of
solar, wind and geothermal sources installed as of the end of 2008 to
57.6 GW by the end of 2011". From Reuters.
White House press release here.
PDF of report here.
Companies,
Industries, Markets and Supply Chains
Daewoo targets boom in offshore wind power.—reliability
high.
"South Korean ship building giant Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine
Engineering has announced that it is aiming to generate a third of its
sales from wind power by 2020 as global demand for alternative energy
continues to climb. According to Bloomberg reports, the company is
looking to diversify its revenue stream and generate sales of up to
$7.5bn a year from its emerging wind energy operations by 2020." See BusinessGreen.
UK waste treatment company blazes trail in
China.—reliability high.
"Eco-Solids International's inaugural unit in Shenyang could be the
first of 20 more over the next three years as economic growth and
wastewater infrastructure in the north-eastern province of Liaoning
grows at one of fastest rates in China. ... Eco-Solids, which is based
in Hampshire, uses lime stabilisation treatment technologies pioneered
in North America. It has what it says are exclusive worldwide rights
outside the US to the sludge treatment process and plans to establish
the Eco-Solids Process in the Middle East and India." From edie.net
news.
First Tokyo carbon credits trade for
$142/tonne.—reliability high.
"The first carbon credits in Tokyo's new cap-and-trade scheme traded
on Monday for 12,000 yen ($142.2) per tonne, well above market rates
for units of the climate-warming gas, Point Carbon News reported. ...
Prices were much higher than the current 1,500 yen ($17.78) per tonne
rate for UN-backed carbon offset credits traded in the Japanese
market." From Reuters.
[Probably these
credits were bid up to get bragging rights for buying the first ones,
but the buyers may also calculate that Japanese companies will feel
that credits created in Japan will be of significantly higher quality
than those certified under the UN's CDM.]
UAW Joins Blue Green Alliance.—reliability
high.
"Citing its commitment to energy-efficient transportation, the UAW
today announced it’s joining the Blue Green Alliance. The Blue Green
Alliance is a partnership among nine unions and two major environmental
groups dedicated to expanding the number and quality of jobs in the
green economy." From AFL-CIO
blog. [The
International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural
Implement Workers of America probably appreciates that if the U.S.
doesn't get moving on clean technology for transportation Americans
could be buying even more of their cars from China and Japan in a few
years. U.S. and European companies let Japanese firms steal a march on
them in hybrids, and risk doing so on EVs.]
Toshiba plans solar power push in U.S. and
Europe: Nikkei.—reliability high.
"Toshiba Corp plans to construct solar power projects in Europe and
the United States, hoping to generate 150 billion yen ($1.76 billion)
in overseas sales from solar power operations in fiscal 2015, the
Nikkei business daily reported." Reuters
story.
