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News
Parkinsons researchers focus on chemical from soil bacteria
A chemical produced by common soil bacteria may kill neurons
that produce dopamine, according to a study publishing Oct.
6. Dopamine neuron demise leads to the hallmark symptoms
of Parkinsons disease, a movement disorder affecting some
1 million Americans.
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New analysers to unlock mineral value
Scientists are working on a new range of materials characterisation
analysers and techniques that could help unlock the value
contained in Australia's mineral deposits and improve processing
performance, according to the October issue of Process.
Machine-mounted sensors, being developed through CSIRO Minerals
Down Under Flagship, could help locate ore deposits, characterise
the mining environment, and differentiate ore grades. This
will enable automated mining machines to respond intelligently
to the changing detail of the environment and offer real-time
amendments to the mine plan. Another prototype in development
combines the best features of two existing materials characterisation
techniques x-ray diffraction and x-ray fluorescence into
a new slurry analyser.
The new prototype, dubbed XRDF for its dual origins, is
capable of measuring both mineralogy and ultra-low elemental
composition directly on a process-stream, without the need
for labour-intensive, time-consuming and potentially error-prone
sampling. CSIRO scientist Dr James Tickner said the new
prototype could offer a number of benefits over existing
on-stream analysers. The ability to detect elements at parts-per-billion
levels in an on-stream system is unique. Dr Tickner and
his team are also working on gamma-activation analysis a
new analysis method that may deliver all the benefits of
neutron activation without the need for a nuclear reactor.
The method is expected to provide accurate, multi-element
analysis of mineral samples without extensive sample preparation,
and measure very low levels of more than 30 elements in
samples weighing just a few hundred grams. The method could
significantly improve sampling accuracy.
EU calls for trebling of green energy research funding
The EU launched a campaign this week to treble public and
private-sector funding for energy research to 8bn (7.35bn),
as part of its wider efforts to cut carbon emissions 80
per cent by 2050.
According to reports from the Reuters news agency, European
Commission officials will release a major new study detailing
the level of additional funding required to ensure the EU
meets its goal of cutting emissions 20 per cent by 2020
and 80 per cent by 2050.
The study, a draft of which has been obtained by Reuters,
is expected to warn that a trebling in annual energy research
funding is required if the EU is to compete with the US
and Japan in the fast-expanding global clean-tech market.
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Four Yorkshire universities have joined forces as part
of a new 50m research programme designed to accelerate the
roll out of low-carbon technologies. The universities of
Hull, Leeds, Sheffield and Yorkshire are to join with regional
development agency Yorkshire Forward to form the Centre
for Low Carbon Futures (CLCF).
The group said the new centre would ensure that research
projects do not overlap, better enable a multi-disciplinary
approach to low-carbon initiatives and make it easier to
partner with the business community. Interim director, Tony
Hardy, said that the primary aim of the new centre was to
accelerate the roll out of technologies that will deliver
real and quantifiable emission reductions.
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E.ON opens the world`s largest wind farm
E.ON has put the world's largest wind farm into operation
in the United States. After a construction period of just
over two years, 627 wind turbines with an installed capacity
of approx. 780 MW are now operating in Roscoe, Texas. They
can generate electricity for more than 230,000 homes. The
wind farm consists of four sections and covers an area of
no less than 400 km, twice the size of a city like Dsseldorf,
in Germany. In Roscoe, E.ON is relying on proven wind turbines
manufactured by Mitsubishi, General Electric and Siemens.
Chile will test second-generation biofuels with IDB
support
Bank-financed feasibility study will explore production
of sustainable biodiesel derived from forest industry byproducts
and wood waste. Chile will test the viability of producing
next-generation biofuels using biomass waste from its wood
industries with a $1 million technical cooperation grant
approved by the Inter-American Development Bank.
The project will be carried out by ForEnergy S.A., a public-private
venture formed by ENAP Refineras S.A. and Consorcio Maderero
S.A. with the goal of developing second-generation biofuels
using domestic materials that do not compete with food production.
ForEnergy will contribute $250,000 in counterpart funds
to the project.
The grant will help ForEnergy to initially build a facility
for producing hydrogen and steam from woodchips or other
woody biomass through a gasification process. In a second
phase these gases will be converted into a type of biodiesel
using Fischer-Tropsch process. ForEnergy will analyze the
investment and operation costs associated with these processes
to determine their viability on a commercial scale. Woodchips
and waste timber are available in large quantities as a
byproduct of Chile's mature wood products industry. Other
types of surplus biomass, such as agriculture wastes, may
also be tested by ForEnergy. "This is a pioneering
project in Latin America," said Arnaldo Vieira de Carvalho,
the IDB project team leader. "It could lead to the
emergence of an important new source of climate-neutral
energy using sustainable materials, and help Latin America
to advance its global leadership in the biofuels industry."
The Chilean government is promoting the development of
alternative sources of energy as part of a long-term strategy
to increase energy security and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Last year the government awarded competitive grants to two
public-private consortiums to develop second-generation
biofuels during the next five years. ENAP Refineras S.A.
and Consorcio Maderero S.A., along with a research center,
formed one of the winning consortia, known as Biocomsa.
The IDB grant was financed through the Bank's Sustainable
Energy and Climate Change Initiative (SECCI).
Investing in the future: EC calls for additional EUR
50bn in low carbon technologies
European Commission called public authorities, business,
and researchers to join efforts in order to develop by 2020
the necessary technologies to address climate change, secure
EU energy supply and ensure the competitiveness of our economies.
In a proposal on 'Investing in the development of low-carbon
energy technologies', the Commission estimates that an additional
investment of 50 billion in energy technology research will
be needed over the next 10 years. This means almost tripling
the annual investment in the European Union, from 3 to 8
billion. This represents a step forward in the implementation
of the European Strategic Energy Technology Plan (SET-Plan),
the technology pillar of the EU's energy and climate policy.
Different sources of funding are considered, from public
and private sectors at national and EU level, to be used
in a coordinated way will also help to push forward a fast
growing industrial sector and to create jobs.
The Commission, together with industry and the research
community, has drawn up technology 'roadmaps' which identify
key low carbon technologies with strong potential at EU
level in six areas: wind, solar, electricity grids, bioenergy,
carbon capture and storage (CCS) and sustainable nuclear
fission. The additional costs would cover basic and applied
research, demonstration and early market take up, excluding
deployment activities. A new initiative on energy efficiency
for up to 30 cities ('Smart Cities Initiative') has been
proposed as first enabler for the mass market take-up of
energy efficiency, renewables and energy network technologies.
The Commission calls for a coordinated and complementary
action of relevant actors and for more risk-taking appetite.
Public support is needed when the level of technological
uncertainties and market risk is high. This should act as
an incentive for the industry's involvement, supported by
a stronger investment of banks and private investors into
the companies that will drive the transition to a low carbon
economy. The EIB intervention to increase lending to finance
the SET Plan is also considered.
VeryPC unveils sustainable mini PCs
UK vendor VeryPC has announced a new range of green desktops
which it claims will easily exceed Energy Star 5 requirements,
and meet the DEFRA Quick Wins specifications for public
sector procurement. Available from the end of October, the
Broadleaf range is available in an ultra-small form factor
that supports a Vesa mount for attaching to the back of
a monitor or underside of a desk. The three models exceed
Energy Star 5 restrictions on power consumption by up to
55 per cent, according to the firm. VeryPC also said that
the Broadleaf range is one of the first to be given a Class
Leader award in the DEFRA Quick Wins sustainable specifications
for procurers.
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Uk`s largest biomass plant will produce green electricity
for 500k homes
A new power station that will use wood chip to produce
enough electricity to power half a million homes in Wales
has been given the go ahead by the Environment Agency. The
Prenergy plant, in Port Talbot, South Wales, will produce
electricity with 50 to 80 per cent fewer carbon dioxide
emissions than gas or coal fired power stations. It will
be Britain's largest biomass power plant. To ensure this
carbon dioxide reduction and to protect the environment,
the Environment Agency has insisted that all wood used at
the plant is from sustainable sources. It is the first time
the Environment Agency has included this clause as part
of an environmental permit. The decision to grant a permit
to Prenergy Power Ltd follows a lengthy evaluation process
and discussions with local people. The Environment Agency
sought the advice of the Local Health Board and has set
strict emissions limits to protect human health which is
important considering the proximity of the Air Quality Management
Area.
The environmental permit will legally bind Prenergy to
ensure that:
- The operation of the plant has no measurable impact
on local air quality
- The operation of the plant has no measurable impact
on the local environment Al wood burnt at the plant must
be certified from a sustainable source
- The plant must be constructed and operated to meet the
highest environmental standards
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