CHINA OWES TOP GLOBAL ENERGY SPOT TO BARNYARD SPOILS-IEA
BEIJING, Nov 17 (Reuters) - China has nudged to the pinnacle of world energy consumption rankings on the back of pig manure and other kinds of biomass fuel, according to the chief of the International Energy Agency, explaining why estimates differ.
Chinese officials have become huffy about their nation being called the world's biggest user of energy, fearing the title will bring with it more demands to slash consumption and greenhouse gas emissions, dragging down economic growth.
INDONESIA'S BIODIESEL OUTPUT SEEN UP 17 PCT IN 2011
JAKARTA, Nov 15 (Reuters) - Indonesia's palm oil-based biodiesel production is expected to increase by nearly 17 percent next year, boosted by growing domestic consumption, an industry official said on Monday.
The biodiesel industry is expected to play an important role in absorbing growing palm oil output in Indonesia, but confusion over subsidy and rising feedstock prices, have made it difficult for the industry to expand.
PLANNING SNAGS MAY HIT UK RENEWABLE GOALS-NAT GRID
LONDON, Nov 15 (Reuters) - Britain has enough existing and proposed green power generation to reach renewable targets, network operator National Grid said on Monday, but added slow planning consent may hurt the chances of hitting them.
Just under 32 gigawatts (GW) of existing and proposed renewable generation have agreements in place to connect to Britain's high voltage system, National Grid said in a report, with only about 29 GW needed to meet Britain's 2020 renewable aims.
CONCENTRATED SOLAR, BIOFUELS COMPETITIVE SOON-BCG
SAN FRANCISCO, Nov 10 (Reuters) - Solar energy and biofuels are on track to become economically competitive against conventional power sources within a few years to a decade, the Boston Consulting Group said on Wednesday.
Wind power and electric cars face hurdles to massive adoption, though, analysts at the consulting firm said in a report.
MAGMA MAY SELL UP TO 25 PCT OF ICELAND ENERGY CO.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Nov 16 (Reuters) - Magma Energy Corp , which was embroiled in a dispute this year with singer Bjork over an Icelandic purchase, may sell up to 25 percent of the contentious asset to a local investor, the geothermal energy company said on Tuesday.
Magma, the only private energy company in Iceland, is not seeking to make a profit on the sale but is more interested in getting the right type of investor on board, Chief Executive Ross Beaty said.
US SOLAR INDUSTRY WANTS GRANT PROGRAM EXTENDED
LOS ANGELES/WASHINGTON, Nov 16 (Reuters) - A federal grant program aimed at spurring investment in the U.S. solar industry expires at the end of this year, and its supporters are scrambling to get it extended in the lame-duck session of Congress that started this week.
Prospects for renewal dim considerably come January when a new Congress takes over, with a Republican-controlled House of Representatives and a shrunken Democratic majority in the Senate. Many Republicans want to reverse the Obama administration's U.S. energy policy of focusing on renewable energy sources like solar and wind power.
SPAIN WATER RESERVES CLIMB AFTER HEAVY RAIN
MADRID, Nov 16 (Reuters) - Spain's capacity to generate hydropower and irrigate crops rose last week, official data showed on Tuesday in the major gas and grain importer.
Water reserves in drought-prone Spain declined over the summer and early autumn, but have recently begun to recover with the onset of wet weather and are comfortably above average.
CHINA SEEN QUIETLY OPENING SLUICE FOR MEGA HYDRO PROJECTS
BEIJING, Nov 16 (Reuters) - China may have quietly opened the floodgates to build new massive hydropower projects after a near halt due to environmental, immigration and other concerns, as Beijing steps up efforts to achieve clean energy and emissions targets.
The National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) agreed in late October for China Three Gorges Power Corp (CTGPC) to proceed with early-stage studies of the 8.7-gigawatt (GW) Wudongde and 14-GW Baihetan hydropower projects, according to CTGPC.
IS THERE A "MADE IN GERMANY" PREMIUM FOR SOLAR?
FRANKFURT, Nov 15 (Reuters) - Sprucing up your company profile by hiring a popular soccer player and a former international TV celebrity to star in advertisements may be run of the mill marketing for some.
For a solar company, it may give the edge needed to survive in a fiercely competitive and fast-changing environment.
RUSSIA PLANS TO BUILD WIND FARMS IN EUROPE, TURKEY
MOSCOW, Nov 12 (Reuters) - Russia's state nuclear unit Rosatom is planning to expand into wind power and will look for foreign partners to help build farms in the Balkans, Eastern Europe and Ukraine, its equipment head said on Friday.
"We are looking for a technology partner. The desire of all world leaders (in wind technology) to take part in the Russian wind power market is there," Vladimir Kashenko, Chief Executive of Rosatom's equipment unit Atomenergomash, told Reuters.
MANILA'S AYALA, MITSUBISHI UNIT EYE SOLAR VENTURES
MANILA, Nov 15 (Reuters) - Philippine conglomerate Ayala Corp said on Monday its wholly owned unit Michigan Power Inc (MPI) has teamed up with a unit of Japan's Mitsubishi Corp to explore solar power ventures in the Philippines.
MPI and Diamond Generating Asia Ltd (DGA), a wholly owned subsidiary of Mitsubishi, will form a company to be called PhilNewEnergy for the venture.
SMA, Q-CELLS EXPECT CHALLENGING MARKET IN 2011
FRANKFURT, Nov 12 (Reuters) - Two of Germany's top solar companies warned about challenging market conditions next year, as further subsidy cuts in Germany, the world's biggest market, could curb demand and margins.
"For the upcoming business year, Q-Cells expects a challenging market environment," the solar cell maker said in a statement on Friday.
UK APPROVES 900 MW SPALDING GAS POWER PLANT, WIND FARM
LONDON, Nov 11 (Reuters) - The British energy ministry on Thursday approved a 900 megawatts (MW) gas-fired power plant in Lincolnshire and a 56 MW onshore wind farm in Northumberland.
"About a quarter of the UK's generating capacity is due to close by 2018 and we need to ensure that we secure the investment to replace that," Britain's Energy Minister Charles Hendry said in a statement.
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