Turning pig waste to energy

SITIAWAN: A pig farm near here is set to become the first in the country to generate renewable energy from animal waste.

Dindings Farms Sdn Bhd farm manager Dr Ch’ng Chee Keong said they are currently building a biogas conversion plant to convert methane gas from waste into electricity.

“Once operational, the plant can generate up to 500kW of electricity,” he told reporters after a visit by Perak executive councillor Datuk Dr Mah Hang Soon and state Veterinary Services director Dr Quaza Nizamuddin Hassam Nizam to the farm at Segari yesterday.

“The electricity generated will be sufficient to power up the farm, making us the first ‘green’ hog farm,” said Dr Ch’ng.

Read more : http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2011/3/15/nation/8266291&sec=nation

«On joue dans nos déchets, encore et encore…»

François Cardinal
On peut dire qu’on a complètement raté l’objectif….
La dernière politique de recyclage fixait une cible de récupération des matières organiques de 60%. Or aux dernières nouvelles, le taux ne dépassait pas les… 12%!

Voilà pourquoi le ministre Arcand, ce matin en dévoilant un tout nouveau plan d’action sur les matières résiduelles, a repoussé l’objectif en 2015 en jurant que cette fois-ci serait la bonne.
J’en doute.
Au cours des dernières années, il est vrai, on a fait des pas de géant en terme de récupération des matières de base : papier, carton, verre, plastique, etc. Mais on a toujours refusé de s’attaquer sérieusement aux pelures de bananes, aux restes de rôties, au marc de café, qui pourtant constituent jusqu’à 40% de chaque sac de poubelle. C’est énorme!

Lire la suite : http://blogues.cyberpresse.ca/edito/2011/03/15/%C2%ABon-joue-dans-nos-dechets-encore-et-encore%E2%80%A6%C2%BB/

Canadian developing high-tech flatulence measurer

A Canadian government scientist has spearheaded the development of a new, high-tech measuring device combining laser beams, GPS locators and chemical detectors to more accurately gauge the amount of methane released by burping and farting cows -a significant source of the world's greenhouse gases.

A bi-national collaboration with Australian agronomists, the project was led by Sean McGinn, a senior scientist at Agriculture and AgriFood Canada's farm research centre in Lethbridge and is   detailed in the latest issue of the Journal of Environmental Quality.

Gas emissions from grazing cattle and sheep are known to be a major driver of planetary climate change. The study estimates that up to 17 per cent of the world's methane output comes from livestock.

Read more : http://www.montrealgazette.com/technology/Canadian+developing+high+tech+flatulence+measurer/4442970/story.html

Japan nuclear crisis prompts surging investor confidence in renewables

The crisis at the Fukushima nuclear plant, Japan, will profoundly change public – and investor – perception of nuclear power. Photograph: Abc Tv/EPA

As Japan's nuclear crisis unfolds, energy and environmental experts said that investor confidence in the technology was already beginning to wane, with renewable energy and fossil fuels the likely beneficiaries.
"Shares in renewable energy industries yesterday rose while most other energy stocks fell," said Clare Brook, fund manager of leading green investment group, WHEB, in London. "This tragedy comes on top of the oil price rise, the BP disaster in the Gulf of Mexico and unrest in the Middle East, all of which has made renewables more attractive. We would expect investment in renewables, especially solar, to increase. Nuclear has become politically unacceptable," she said.
Rupesh Madlani, a renewables analyst at Barclays Capital in London agreed. "At the very least, we would expect significant investments in nuclear power to be delayed, or deferred, for one to two years."
But some leading environmentalists who have backed the technology as a low-carbon alternative to fossil fuels said the accident should not slow new nuclear investment.

Read more : http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2011/mar/15/japan-nuclear-explosion-energy-renewables

Wind is delivering economic benefits to B.C.

Policy-makers in British Columbia have made it clear they see wind energy as an important and growing player in the province's future energy plans -driving job creation, new investment, and the delivery of clean energy. The introduction of the Clean Energy Act reflects the province's strong support for investment in a clean, renewable and low-impact electricity system.


The fastest growing source of new electricity around the world, wind energy proved its viability in the British Columbia market through BC Hydro's 2010 competitive call for clean power, with contracts for six projects totalling 534 MW of capacity. This new capacity will build on the $1.7 billion in new investment and 690 MW of new wind energy capacity installed across Canada in 2010.

Wind energy in Canada has increased almost tenfold in the last six years as governments seek ways to meet rising energy demand, reduce the environmental impacts of electricity generation and stimulate rural and industrial economic development. Canada's total installed wind energy capacity is now 4,008 MW, which is enough to provide electricity that would meet the needs of more than 1.2 million homes.

Read more: http://www.vancouversun.com/technology/Wind+delivering+economic+benefits/4407729/story.html#ixzz1G7xhCsiN

Gasoline Summit' Solves Nothing as Biofuel Chaos Continues

German politicians met Tuesday in a hastily arranged 'Gasoline Summit' to discuss public distrust over the introduction of fuels with higher concentrations of ethanol. Politicians pledged to better inform the public about which cars can use the new fuel, but German commentators and drivers remain wary.

The introduction of a new biofuel with 10 percent ethanol content continues to provoke controversy in Germany, where consumers are rejecting the fuel in the fear that it will damage their cars. Meanwhile, supplies of regular unleaded gasoline are running low at stations across the country.

Read more : http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/0,1518,749880,00.html

Le ministre promet 1 000 unités de biogaz

Bruno Le Maire a annoncé le lancement d'ici un an de ces projetslors d'une rencontre, hier, à Meucon (56) avec la FRSEA Bretagne.

14 méthaniseurs en France, 4 500 en Allemagne. Bruno Le Maire, le ministre de l'Agriculture, qui accompagnait, hier, le président de la République lors d'une visite dans le Morbihan, a rencontré la FRSEA et les Jeunes Agriculteurs de Bretagne à Vannes. Il leur a annoncé le lancement d'un appel d'offres pour un millier d'unités de méthanisation agricoles. L'objectif étant de fournir de la chaleur et de l'électricité à partir de biogaz produits par la fermentation de lisier de porcs ou de bovins et de déchets verts. « Le ministre promet un tarif de rachat de l'électricité aligné sur celui pratiqué en Allemagne », a indiqué Laurent Kerlir, le président de la FRSEA. C'est la condition sine qua non pour que les installations soient rentables. Une annonce accueillie avec réserve de la part des syndicalistes compte tenu des récents déboires du plan photovoltaïque.

Lire la suite : http://www.ouest-france.fr/actu/AgricultureDet_-Le-ministre-promet-1-000-unites-de-biogaz-_3640-1720245_actu.Htm?xtor=RSS-4&utm_source=RSS_MVI_ouest-france&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS