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DOE Grants $10 Million for CSP Storage Research
The Department of Energy announced last Wednesday that it has awarded $10 million to be split between six research and development projects that will focus on thermochemical storage for concentrating solar power (CSP) systems. CSP technology employs mirrors that concentrate reflected sunlight onto receivers that heat water, which generates steam that powers turbines. The recipients of the funding are the Colorado School of Mines, UCLA, University of Florida, the Southern Research Institute, Pacific Northwest Laboratory, and Sandia National Laboratory.
Non-Hydro Renewables Beats Hydro Output for the First Time Ever
Apparently for the first time ever, during the first quarter of this year, electricity produced by non-hydro renewals exceeded conventional hydropower’s output. According to data shown in the latest issue of the U.S. Energy Information Administration’s “Electric Power Monthly”, non-hydro renewable such as biomass, geothermal, wind and solar provided 53.16 percent of the net US electrical generation from clean energy sources for the period January 1 to March 31, 2014. Hydropower provided the remaining 46.84 percent.
New Fossil-Fuel-Free Process that Makes Biodiesel Sustainable
A new fuel-cell concept developed by Gemma Reguera, a microbiologist at Michigan State University, will allow biodiesel plants to eliminate the creation of hazardous wastes while removing dependence on fossil fuel from the production process. The platform uses microbes to glean ethanol from glycerol and has the added benefit of cleaning up the wastewater. The technique will allow producers to reincorporate the ethanol and the water into the fuel-making process. The results of Reguera’s patented adaptive engineered bacteria research appears in the journal Environmental Science and Technology.
Four Hydro Projects Could Give the Philippines 1,200 MW of New Capacity
Four new hydropower projects proposed by San Lorenzo Ruiz Builders and Developers Group Inc. (SLRB) could give the Philippines more than 1,200 MW of additional capacity. The proposed plants include the 500 MW Wawa in the province of Rizal, 312 MW combination conventional/pumped-storage plant in Samar, 240 MW Chico River plant and the 160 MW Davao plants in Northern Luzon. SLRB CEO Oscar Violago says that the projects are very much needed to help resolve the power crisis in the country. Banco de Oro Capital and Investment Corp. will be the financial adviser for the $2.5 billion undertaking.
