Posts Tagged ‘World’s’

EVTN Exhibits Voraxial at World’s Largest Offshore Oil Technology Event

Posted by admin on May 2nd, 2013

SOURCE: Enviro Voraxial Technology

FORT LAUDERDALE, FL–(Marketwired – May 02, 2013) – Enviro VoraxialTechnology, Inc. (OTCBB: EVTN) announced today that the Company will demonstrate its Voraxial®Oil/Water Separator at the Offshore Technology Conference (OTC 2013) in Houston, Texas May 5th-May 9th, in Booth 5620. OTC 2013 is the world’s foremost event for the development of offshore energy resources in the fields of drilling, exploration, production and environmental protection. EVTN will also showcase its line of Voraxial® Separators, including the Voraxial® 4000 which processes over 17,000 barrels per day and the Voraxial 8000, for much larger applications, which can process over 100,000 barrels per day. 

The Voraxial®Separator fills a void in a large segment of the separation market, specifically, in areas of high flow, limited space and limited fluid pressure. This allows operators to reduce the cost, time and space required to treat its fluid streams. These are critical factors on oil platforms, which represent some of the most expensive real estate on earth. Further, operators can experience cost savings through decreased expenses of acquiring, installing, operating and maintaining the equipment. The unique design of the Voraxial® enables it to provide effective separation during fluctuations in flow rate and inlet oil or sand concentrations without any modifications. Further, and as critical, the Voraxial® is the only high volume separator that can do this without a pressure drop. These features increase the ease of operation.

EVTN’s Voraxial®Separator technology offers oil industry customers market leading efficiencies for many critical high volume, bulk separation applications including the processing of produced water, deck water, frac water and marine oil spill remediation. These applications, which represent a multi-billion dollar market, are essential to the efficient production of oil and gas and the protection of the environment. In applications suitable to the Voraxial’s®ability to separate mixed components of fluid streams into separate outputs (example: oil, water and sand), competitive equipment may require 10 or more times the equipment space and weight of the Voraxial®to process the same volume of fluid. 

The four day OTC event provides EVTN an opportunity to meet with new and existing customers and service organizations from major international oil and gas industry companies. At the exhibit customers will be able to observe EVTN’s patented Voraxial®separating oil from water by creating a unique, powerful vortex.

For more information, visit www.otcnet.org. 

About Enviro Voraxial Technology: EVTN is the developer and manufacturer of the Voraxial® Separator, a unique, patented in-line turbo-separator that provides a cost effective method to efficiently separate large volumes of solids and liquids with different specific gravities and without the need of a pressure drop. The Voraxial® provides highly efficient bulk separation while requiring less space, energy and weight than conventional separators processing the same volume. The Voraxial® is capable of simultaneously separating up to three components, such as oil, water and sand. The Voraxial® can be used as a stand-alone separator or incorporated with other equipment to provide a complete turnkey solution that allows customers to treat a variety of fluid streams while reducing treatment cost and increasing separation efficiency. 

The separation market encompasses a series of multibillion dollar segments, spread globally across many industries and applications. EVTN continues to pursue the oil & gas industry but is also processing proposals from other industries such as mining, food processing, manufacturing and oil spill industries. EVTN owns significant IP surrounding the Voraxial® and has new innovations under development. Please see www.evtn.com for additional information.


Safe Harbor Disclosure

– This Press Release contains or incorporates by reference “forward-looking statements,” including certain information with respect to plans and strategies of Enviro Voraxial Technology, Inc. For this purpose, any statements regarding this announcement, which are not purely historical, are forward-looking statements, within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including Enviro Voraxial Technology, Inc. beliefs, expectations, hopes or intentions regarding the future. All forward-looking statements are made as of the date hereof and based on information available to Enviro Voraxial Technology, Inc. as of such date. There are a number of important factors that could cause actual events or actual results of Enviro Voraxial and its subsidiaries to differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements.

Marketwire – Environment

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World’s rarest duck on the rebound

Posted by admin on May 2nd, 2013

  • By: Hannah Lindstrom for Mongabay, part of the Guardian Environment Network

    • The Madagascar pochard
    The Madagascar pochard. Photograph: WWT

    After a final sighting in 1991, the Madagascar pochard was thought to have vanished for good. But this diving duck was rediscovered in 2006 when a flock of 22 individuals was found on Lake Matsaborimena in northern Madagascar by conservationists during an expedition. Soon after Madagascar pochard eggs were taken and incubated in a joint captive breeding program by Durrell, the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust (WWT), the Peregrine Fund, Asity Madagascar, and Madagascar government, which recently announced that the population—both captive and wild—has nearly quadrupled.

    “Although Lake Matsaborimena is the last hiding place for the ducks, it is far from ideal as a habitat,” Peter Cranswick, the head of Species Recovery at WWT, says explaining why the eggs were moved into captive breeding centers. “Our initial investigations suggest there is too little food and this may be leading to the low survival of the ducklings; in effect, they are starving to death.”

    In addition to these factors, captive breeding programs will likely prevent devastating outbreaks of disease and the harmful effects pollution can have on the population, making the decision to take the animals into more secure conditions one that was critically important to their survival. Still, a small population persists in the wild.

    Although considered relatively common in Madagascar’s Lake Alaotra through the 1930s, the Madagascar pochard was never observed to be a very widely ranged species. In fact, these ducks were only ever historically known to come from this single lake, but are thought to have once lived in shallow freshwater lakes and open marshes nearby dense vegetation throughout the central plain of Madagascar. Scientists presume that human colonization, leading to vast wetland loss, was the cause of the initial decrease in the birds‘ range and numbers. The ultimate decline, however, has been attributed to the conversion of surrounding land to agriculture, deforestation leading to pollution and siltation, and the burning of aquatic vegetation. The introduction of non-native species to the area, as well as increased use of fishing nets in these wetlands, is also thought to have contributed to the duck’s downfall.

    The Madagascar pochard itself is a medium-sized species of diving duck whose males have a distinctive white iris.. Thought to feed on benthic invertebrates, seeds, and aquatic plants, these ducks dive in shallow waters and can stay underwater for up to two minutes. They have been observed to be either sedentary or occurring in pairs. Their breeding season takes place between September and January and results in six to nine eggs being laid.

    Since the commencement of the breeding program in 2009, the world’s population of the Madagascar pochard has increased nearly four-fold with the successful rearing of 38 ducklings. To date, the population stands at almost 80 individuals. With the second breeding season around the corner, the number of enclosures at the breeding center in rural Madagascar has increased, allowing the staff to pair up individual couples, providing them with the genetic information crucial to the long-term success of the program.

    In future generations, provided success of the program continues, the captive-bred ducklings will be reintroduced to the wild into more secure habitats.

    “The 58 Madagascar pochards in the captive breeding centre provide a safety net for the population if the tiny wild population were to go extinct,” Cranswick said recently. “We are now conducting detailed research in Madagascar to determine the species’ critical needs and to identify possible sites for future reintroductions.”

    Environment news, comment and analysis from the Guardian | guardian.co.uk

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    MidAmerican Solar and SunPower Start Major Construction on World’s Largest Solar Power Development

    Posted by admin on April 27th, 2013

    DES MOINES, Iowa, & SAN JOSE, Calif.–()–Today, MidAmerican Solar and SunPower Corp. (Nasdaq: SPWR) marked the
    start of major construction at the Antelope Valley Solar Projects – two
    projects co-located in Kern and Los Angeles counties in California –
    with a community celebration. The 579-megawatt development will employ
    approximately 650 workers during a three-year construction period;
    generate more than $ 500 million in regional economic impact, the
    majority of which will be generated during construction; and serve
    California’s growing electricity demand with clean, renewable solar
    power.

    “The Antelope Valley Solar Projects are already creating needed jobs and
    economic opportunity in local communities, while at the same time,
    providing direct, long-term environmental benefits”

    The Antelope Valley Solar Projects make up the world’s largest solar
    power development under construction. When complete, the projects will
    provide enough energy to power approximately 400,000 average California
    homes.

    “The Antelope Valley Solar Projects are already creating needed jobs and
    economic opportunity in local communities, while at the same time,
    providing direct, long-term environmental benefits,” said Paul Caudill,
    president of MidAmerican Solar. “We look forward to continuing our
    involvement in the Rosamond, Lancaster and Palmdale communities and, as
    we move forward, in the surrounding areas. The MidAmerican Solar team is
    committed to working hand-in-hand with the development’s neighbors and
    stakeholders. We also look forward to providing a reliable source of
    renewable energy to our customer Southern California Edison.”

    “The start of construction on the Antelope Valley Solar Projects
    underscores that solar is a reliable, cost-competitive energy source,”
    said Howard Wenger, SunPower president, regions. “SunPower is proud to
    partner with MidAmerican Solar and Southern California Edison on this
    historic project, which is bringing critically needed jobs and economic
    opportunity to California today and will generate abundant clean,
    renewable power to the state over the long term.”

    The Antelope Valley Solar Projects are owned by MidAmerican Solar.
    SunPower designed and developed the projects and is the engineering,
    procurement and construction contractor. SunPower also will provide
    operations and maintenance services for the plants via a multiyear
    services agreement.

    The Antelope Valley Solar Projects will provide renewable energy to
    Southern California Edison under two long-term power purchase contracts.

    “Southern California Edison appreciates the opportunity to work with
    MidAmerican Solar and SunPower to meet California’s renewable energy
    goals and recognizes the start of construction as an important step on
    that path,” said Steven Eisenberg, Southern California Edison’s vice
    president of energy contracts.

    At the 3,230-acre site, SunPower is installing the SunPower®
    Oasis® Power Plant product, fully integrated, modular solar
    technology that is engineered to rapidly deploy utility-scale solar
    projects while minimizing land use. The Oasis product uses
    high-efficiency SunPower solar panels mounted on SunPower® T0
    Trackers, which position the panels to track the sun during the day,
    increasing energy capture by up to 25 percent. Construction began in
    January 2013 and is expected to be complete by year-end 2015.

    Electricity generated by the projects will displace approximately
    775,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide per year – the equivalent of
    taking approximately 3 million cars off the road over the next 20 years.

    MidAmerican Solar and SunPower representatives hosted today’s community
    picnic and celebration at the project site west of Rosamond.
    Representatives from both companies discussed the project’s construction
    schedule, environmental values, technology and community-centered plans
    for the future with more than 250 attendees. Local and state officials
    also provided remarks about the development and renewable energy.

    MidAmerican Solar
    MidAmerican Solar, a subsidiary of
    MidAmerican Renewables, is headquartered in Phoenix, Ariz. MidAmerican
    Solar owns the 550-megawatt Topaz Solar Farms in San Luis Obispo County,
    Calif., and has a 49 percent ownership interest in the 290-megawatt Agua
    Caliente project in Yuma County, Ariz. In January 2013, MidAmerican
    Solar acquired the 579-megawatt Antelope Valley Solar Projects, two
    co-located projects in Kern and Los Angeles counties in California.

    MidAmerican Renewables is a subsidiary of MidAmerican Energy Holdings
    Company, a global energy provider. MidAmerican Renewables owns and
    operates solar, wind, geothermal and hydro projects in the unregulated
    renewables market. MidAmerican Renewables is headquartered in Des
    Moines, Iowa. Information about MidAmerican Renewables and MidAmerican
    Solar is available on the company’s website and its Twitter, Facebook
    and YouTube pages, which can be accessed via www.midamericanrenewablesllc.com.

    SunPower Corp.
    SunPower Corp. (Nasdaq: SPWR) designs,
    manufactures and delivers the highest efficiency, highest reliability
    solar panels and systems available today. Residential, business,
    government and utility customers rely on the company’s quarter century
    of experience and guaranteed performance to provide maximum return on
    investment throughout the life of the solar system. Headquartered in San
    Jose, Calif., SunPower has offices in North America, Europe, Australia
    and Asia. For more information, visit www.sunpowercorp.com.

    SunPower’s Forward Looking Statements
    This press release
    contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private
    Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements are
    statements that do not represent historical facts and may be based on
    underlying assumptions. SunPower uses words and phrases such as “will,”
    “expected to” and similar terms to identify forward-looking statements
    in this press release, including forward-looking statements regarding
    (a) the construction of the Antelope Valley Solar Projects and providing
    energy to Southern California Edison under power purchase agreements,
    (b) SunPower completing the engineering, procurement and construction
    (“EPC”) for the projects and operating and maintaining the projects, and
    (c) expected completion by year-end 2015. Such forward-looking
    statements are based on information available to SunPower as of the date
    of this report and involve a number of risks and uncertainties, some
    beyond SunPower’s control, that could cause actual results to differ
    materially from those anticipated by these forward-looking statements,
    including risks and uncertainties such as: (i) unanticipated delays or
    difficulties securing necessary permits, licenses or other governmental
    approvals, or necessary land use rights and other third party consents,
    and litigation related thereto; (ii) construction difficulties or
    potential delays in the project development and implementation process;
    (iii) early termination in the agreements between MidAmerican and
    SunPower and/or its affiliates, including the EPC agreements for the
    projects; (iv) the risk of continuation of supply of products and
    components from suppliers; (v) unanticipated problems with deploying the
    projects on the site, including engineering, design, procurement,
    installation, construction, commissioning and warranty issues; (vi)
    evolving law including permitting, financing, grid interconnection,
    technical, and other customer or regulatory requirements, and SunPower’s
    and MidAmerican’s ability to satisfy such requirements; (vii) general
    business and economic conditions, and growth trends in the solar power
    industry; (viii) the continuation of governmental and related economic
    incentives promoting the use of solar power; (ix) construction
    difficulties or potential delays in the project implementation and
    completion process including those caused by force majeure events and
    other factors; (x) changes in law impacting the federal investment tax
    credit; (xi) MidAmerican’s ability to obtain project financing for the
    projects and its ability to make timely payments to SunPower in
    accordance with the agreed payment schedule for the projects; (xii)
    timely receipt of the federal investment tax credit for the projects in
    accordance with the expected schedule; (xiii) SunPower’s ability to
    decrease the amount of its performance security for the projects and its
    ability to meet other security or financial obligations; (xiv)
    SunPower’s ability to meet its warranty obligations and other
    performance guarantees, as planned; (xv) the timeline of revenue
    recognition for the projects, including its impact on SunPower’s
    operating results; and (xvi) other risks described in SunPower’s Annual
    Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 30, 2012 and other
    filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. These
    forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing
    SunPower’s views as of any subsequent date, and SunPower is under no
    obligation to, and expressly disclaims any responsibility to, update or
    alter its forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new
    information, future events or otherwise.

    Business Wire Environment News

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    Philips’ LED Lamp is World’s “Most Energy-Efficient”

    Posted by admin on April 12th, 2013

    Philips have revealed an LED lamp that they describe as the “most energy-efficient” in the world.

    The lighting company said their prototype LED tube lighting has doubled the efficiency of those existing in industries and offices across the globe, while offering an equal amount of light.

    Being able to cut the energy usage in half could bring large savings in energy and cost.

    While 200 lumens per watt (200lm/W) are emitted from the prototype tube lighting, the equivalent strip lighting produces 100lm/W and traditional light bulbs emit 15lm/W.

    Philips chief executive of light source and electronics, Rene van Schooten, described the prototype as a significant breakthrough in LED lighting, which will further transform the lighting sector.

    He added that the massive cost and energy savings available to customers and the planet is very exciting.

    Currently accounting for over 50 percent of the total lighting in the world, the lamps are projected to substitute the fluorescent tube lighting used in industry and offices.

    For example, every year in America this lighting consumes about 200 terawatts of electricity. Changing to the new energy-efficient lights could save $ 12 billion (£7.8 billion), according to Philips, while also preventing 60 million metric tonnes of carbon dioxide from entering the atmosphere.

    Because there is reduced energy lost through heat, LED lights are more efficient than their incandescent counterparts. However, their initial cost is usually more than traditional light bulbs.

    Philips anticipates the lamp to hit the market in 2015, primarily to replace office lighting.

    While the firm has not officially published prices yet, a spokesperson informed the BBC that it would be significantly higher than existing LED tube lights.

    UK Charity the Energy Saving Trust said the product could bring a major advance to the industry.


    Technical development manager for the trust, James Russill, said, “The typical performance of LEDs we have trialled and tested before has typically been in the range of 50 to 70 lumens per watt which is significantly better than traditional lighting – so if this new Philips product can perform as claimed then it represents a huge leap forward in performance.”

    Image Credit ©Philips

    Enviro News – News

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    World’s Poorest Countries Agree Emissions Cuts

    Posted by admin on April 4th, 2013

    In a far-reaching move the globe’s poorest countries have now agreed to cut their greenhouse gas emissions.

    With most of the responsibility for carbon dioxide emissions lying on the shoulders of the most developed countries, until now it has been insisted by the group of 49 Least Developed Countries (LDC) that the richer countries should take action.

    But the LDC group’s initiative to cut their emissions may potentially fasten the pace of the UN climate change negotiations, which for years have been attempting to negotiate an efficient method in cutting emissions to avoid the potentially dangerous effects of global warming.

    With their member states comprising 12 percent of the people in the world, the LDC group is a significant negotiating coalition at the UN talks. Whether their move will now quicken the path to an international climate agreement will largely depend on the commitment and good faith of the richer countries.

    The LDC group’s current chair, Prakash Mathema, has set a new mantra: “Follow us”. The coalition is no longer waiting for others to take action, and is instead behaving as a very pro-active group.

    “I think the LDCs are now for low carbon pathways for all. They are even ready to go first in helping to cut back global greenhouse gas emissions, though they are the ones least responsible for increasing those emissions,” said the LDC group’s lead climate negotiator, Quamrul Chowdury.

    Chowdury added that the LDC’s acknowledged that responsibility for binding emissions cuts was for all countries involved in the international climate treaty, and not just the industrial ones.

    Furthermore, he said that while all countries involved should commit to the cuts, there should be support for countries’ National Appropriate Mitigation Actions (NAMAs). These are actions and policies which countries commence in the commitment to cut emissions.

    Despite the richer countries being largely responsible for the carbon dioxide emitted into the air, many were still resolute not to take action until the LDCs did so. Notably Australia and the US have refused to commit themselves to internationally-negotiated cuts, but the LDCs are evidently raising their ambitions.

    Meanwhile, scientists agree that action must be taken now to avoid the global temperature rising over 2c by the end of the century.

    Image Credit Roshmith – Courtesy Wikimedia Commons

    Enviro News – News

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    The World’s Rarest Birds photo competition winners announced and book launched

    Posted by admin on April 4th, 2013
    The World’s Rarest Birds photo competition winners announced and book launched

    The World’s Rarest Birds is raising awareness and funds for BirdLife International

    The winners of the second international photo competition run by The World’s Rarest Birds project have been announced. The competition aimed to secure images of some of the most threatened birds on Earth to complete a new book that highlights their plight. The World’s Rarest Birds, which is published today by Princeton WILDGuides, aims to support BirdLife International’s Preventing Extinctions Programme.

    This is the second of two international photo competitions that have been run to obtain the images for the book, the first being in 2010. Thousands of images were entered into the competitions by photographers from across the world and over 800 photos are featured in The World’s Rarest Birds.

    The World’s Rarest Birds Photo Competition had two categories: Critically Endangered birds and Endangered birds. The winning entries in each category were as follows:

    A displaying White-bellied Cinclodes was the winner in the Critically Endangered Category

    White-bellied Cinclodes (Dubi Shapiro)

    The Worlds Rarest Birds 2012 Photo Competition CR Category 2ND P

    Black-breasted Puffleg (Murray Cooper)

    CATEGORY 1: Critically Endangered Birds (there are 197 species that are so threatened that they are considered to be at imminent risk of becoming extinct)

    Winner              Dubi Shapiro: a stunning image of a displaying White-bellied Cinclodes from the high Andes of Peru.

    Runner-up      Murray Cooper: a beautiful photo of a male Black-breasted Puffleg hummingbird from north-west Ecuador.

    Third place      Dubi Shapiro: a fantastic image of a Madagascar Pochard, a medium-sized diving duck found only on Madagascar.

    Fourth place   Maxim Koshkin: a striking photo of a flock of Sociable Lapwing, a migratory wader that breeds in central Asia and winters mainly in Africa.

     

    TWRB 2012 Photo Comp EN 1ST PRIZE Marquesan Imperial-pigeon (c) Tim Laman - TheWorldsRarestBirds)

    Marquesan Imperial-pigeon (Tim Laman)

    TWRB 2012 Photo Comp EN COMMENDED Lulu's Tody-tyrant (c) Pete Morris - TheWorldsRarestBirds)

    Commended image of Lulu’s Tody-tyrant (Pete Morris)

    CATEGORY 2: Endangered Birds (there are 389 species that are considered to be at very high risk of becoming extinct in the foreseeable future)

    Winner              Tim Laman: a beautiful study of a Marquesan Imperial-pigeon from the island of Nuku Hiva in French Polynesia.

    Runner-up       David Stowe: a lovely image of a Swift Parrot from Australia.

    Third place      Myron Tay: a wonderful photo of a Masked Finfoot from South-East Asia.

    Fourth place   Greg & Yvonne Dean: a fantastic image of a flock of El Oro Parakeets from Ecuador.

    Erik Hirschfeld, Editor of The World’s Rarest Birds, said “We would like to thank all the photographers who kindly submitted their images to the project. Having so many fantastic photos to choose from has enabled us to present the most complete collection of photographs of the most threatened birds ever published.”

    “Of the 590 species featured in the book, we managed to obtain photos of 515. That is an amazing 87% of the 590 species that are currently categorized as either Extinct in the Wild, Critically Endangered or Endangered. We are very grateful to Princeton University Press, WILDGuides, Lynx Edicions and BirdLife International who kindly supported the project by providing a range of attractive prizes for the competition. I am sure that this support helped to encourage more people to submit their images for use in this important project.”

    TWRB 2012 Photo Comp CR COMMENDED Silvery Wood-pigeon (c) James Eaton - TheWorldsRarestBirds)

    Silvery Wood-pigeon. Commended in the Critically Endangered category (James Eaton)

    TWRB 2012 Photo Comp EN 2ND PRIZE Swift Parrot (c) David Stowe - TheWorldsRarestBirds)

    Swift Parrot. Runner up in the Endangered Category (David Stowe)

    Andy Swash, Managing Director of the publisher WILDGuides and joint Editor of the book said “We are delighted to have been able to work closely with BirdLife International in producing The World’s Rarest Birds. It is undoubtedly a stunning and beautifully illustrated book. But its key message is poignant – a large proportion of the world’s birds, including every one that is depicted, is threatened with extinction. This is a great concern to many and I just hope that the production of The World’s Rarest Birds will help to raise awareness and make some contribution to their conservation.”

    Hundreds of fantastic photographs were submitted to the 2012 competition and selecting the winners proved very difficult. One of the judges, professional bird photographer David Tipling, said “Despite the rarity of the birds featured in The World’s Rarest Birds, the quality of the images entered into the competition was truly amazing. I love the idea of encouraging photographers to support an important conservation cause by allowing their images to be published in this way.”

    Ade Long, BirdLife’s Head of Communications said, “The response to The World’s Rarest Birds photo competitions was astonishing. The number of entries was almost overwhelming, and the quality of the images just breathtaking. This is a fantastic book, but it provides a powerful reminder of the large number of species – many of them extremely beautiful – that are on the brink of extinction. The books contains maps and information developed using BirdLife’s data on all the world’s 10,000 bird species”

    The Worlds Rarest Birds project has stepped up as a Species Champion in support of the BirdLife Preventing Extinctions Programme.

    BirdLife Community

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    New campus for world’s largest conservation ‘cluster’

    Posted by admin on April 4th, 2013

    An insightful lecture by Sir David Attenborough at the UK’s University of Cambridge Senate House marked the launch this week of the Cambridge Conservation Campus. The campus will become the hub for the world’s largest conservation cluster, the Cambridge Conservation Initiative (CCI) of which IUCN is a member.

    IUCN – News

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    Masdar, Total and Abengoa Launch Shams 1, the World’s Largest Concentrated Solar Power Plant in Operation

    Posted by admin on March 17th, 2013

    ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates–()–Masdar,
    along with its partners, today launched Shams 1, the largest
    concentrated solar power plant (CSP) in operation in the world. Masdar,
    Abu Dhabi’s renewable energy company, partnered with French energy
    company Total and Spain’s energy infrastructure company Abengoa. The
    100-megawatt solar-thermal project will power thousands of homes in the
    United Arab Emirates and displace approximately 175,000 tons of CO₂ per
    year. The US $ 600 million project took three years to build.

    “We share Abu Dhabi’s vision that renewables
    have a promising future alongside fossil energies. Total is today a
    world leader in solar industry. As such, we are pleased to accompany the
    Emirate in the diversification of its energy mix.”

    “The inauguration of Shams 1 is a major breakthrough for renewable
    energy in the Middle East,” said Dr.
    Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber    , CEO of Masdar. “Just like the rest of the
    word, the region is faced with meeting its rising demand for energy,
    while also working to reduce its carbon footprint. Shams 1 is a
    significant milestone, as large-scale renewable energy is proving it can
    deliver electricity that is sustainable, affordable and secure.”

    Located in the UAE’s Western Region, in the emirate of Abu Dhabi, Shams
    1 was designed and developed by Shams Power Company, a joint venture
    between Masdar (60 percent), Total (20 percent) and Abengoa Solar (20
    percent). With the addition of Shams 1, Masdar’s renewable energy
    portfolio accounts for almost 68 percent of the Gulf’s renewable energy
    capacity and nearly 10 percent of the world’s installed CSP capacity.

    “Abu Dhabi is investing and incubating a new energy industry,
    domestically and internationally,” said Dr. Al Jaber. “Through Masdar,
    the UAE is redefining the role it plays in providing the world with
    energy. From precious hydrocarbon exports to sophisticated renewable
    energy systems, we are balancing the energy mix and diversifying our
    economy – moving toward a more sustainable future. Today, the UAE is the
    only OPEC nation delivering both hydrocarbons and renewable energy to
    the international market.”

    Shams 1 is an example of how collaboration between companies can achieve
    large-scale, clean-energy solutions that help meet the world’s growing
    energy demands.

    “As a long-lasting partner of Abu Dhabi, we are particularly proud to
    have been part of the challenging adventure that was Shams 1
    construction. This is a major step in the process of transforming the
    capabilities of solar power in the region,” said Christophe de Margerie,
    chairman and CEO of Total. “We share Abu Dhabi’s vision that renewables
    have a promising future alongside fossil energies. Total is today a
    world leader in solar industry. As such, we are pleased to accompany the
    Emirate in the diversification of its energy mix.”

    Covering an area of 2.5 km², or 285 football fields, Shams 1 generates
    electricity to power 20,000 homes in the UAE. Also, because solar power
    is generated during peak demand, the UAE is able to reduce the need for
    “peak shaving” generators, which are expensive and idle most of the year.

    “The Middle East holds nearly half of the world’s renewable energy
    potential,” said Santiago Seage, CEO of Abengoa Solar. “The abundance of
    solar energy is an opportunity to integrate sustainable, clean sources
    of power that address energy security and climate change. The region
    needs more projects like Shams 1, and we look forward to pushing the
    boundaries of future energy.”

    Incorporating the latest in parabolic trough technology, Shams 1
    features more than 258,000 mirrors mounted on 768 tracking parabolic
    trough collectors. By concentrating heat from direct sunlight onto
    oil-filled pipes, Shams 1 produces steam, which drives a turbine and
    generates electricity. In addition, the solar project uses a booster to
    heat steam as it enters the turbine to dramatically increase the cycle’s
    efficiency. The project also includes a dry-cooling system that
    significantly reduces water consumption – a critical advantage in the
    arid desert of western Abu Dhabi.

    *Source: ME
    NewsWire

    Business Wire Environment News

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    IUCN draws the world’s attention to nature-based solutions for development

    Posted by admin on February 26th, 2013

    Speaking at the recent Global Ministerial Environment Forum of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) in Nairobi, IUCN’s President urged delegates to consider nature as real capital and a prerequisite for socio-economic development rather than an impediment to it.

    IUCN – News

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    Summit Lawn Mower Company Introduces the World’s First Commercial…

    Posted by admin on February 12th, 2013

    New Albany, MS (PRWEB) February 11, 2013

    To compliment their line-up of heavy duty robotic lawn mowers, Summit is introducing the TRX-60 as the largest in its class. With its large rubber track footprint combined with a low center of gravity, the TRX-60 is ideal for mowing hills too steep for traditional zero-turns. Owners of the smaller 34 and 42 inch hydros already enjoy the ability to navigate their machine on the steepest of slopes that no other piece of equipment will go. Now with a larger 60″ deck, they are able to increase productivity on the larger and steeper slopes.

    “We’ve listened to customer suggestions when designing this monster. Relocating the tracks behind the deck to be able to mow along fencing and other obstacles came as a direct result of customer feedback,” said John Wright, designer of this new machine.

    The TRX-60 now has a larger 10″ wide rubber track behind the deck. Unlike the smaller 34 and 42 inch units with the tracks located beside the deck, the 60″ gives the operator the option for side discharge, bagging, or mulching in addition to being able to cut closer to obstacles. Other new features include a larger fuel tank, sleek new body work, and a 25 HP twin cylinder engine paired with commercial hydro-static transmissions to allow the operator to put this machine on the steepest of slopes with ease.

    In response to customer suggestions, Summit has incorporated several industry firsts. The most impressive being a self charging electrical system with a bank of 6V high torque motors to operate the engines throttle, choke, and dual transmissions. While the smaller TRX-22-SE electric driven model uses high current electronics, being able to use a low voltage maintenance free system to run the giant hydro models is truly state of the art.

    With optional add-on features, customers are able to customize their mower to fit their specific needs. Adding the optional remote deck height adjustment is a popular upgrade with the elderly and disabled customers. Other options include video control to allow the operator to mow the lawn from indoors, snow plow, head lights, and just about anything one can imagine.

    As with the TRX-34 and TRX-42, the TRX-60 also has a range of 300 ft., remote engine start-stop, remote control throttle, choke, and blade engagement, electronic fail safe. The transmitter has two joysticks. One controls movement in all directions, the other controls throttle and engine start stop. A knob on the transmitter allows for choke on, off, and anywhere in between. A simple flip of a toggle switch on the transmitter engages or disengages the cutting blades via electromagnetic clutch.

    For more information on this new and exciting solution to slope mowing, call Summit Lawn Mower Company at 1-662-266-RCLM (7256) or visit http://www.summitmowers.com



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