Giant King Grass To Fuel Bioenergy Facilities in California
Viaspace, a clean energy company that cultivates grass for the production of biofuels, has signed a contract with Mesquite Lake Water and Power LLC to supply Giant King Grass (GKG) feedstock to an 18 MW biomass plant that is set to open in Imperial, California. An additional 16 MW plant located in the area will also be converted to produce biofuels using Viaspace’s GKG feedstock. The energy crop can be grown on marginal lands unsuitable for food crops and is said to have the potential to reduce biofuel feedstock costs by up to 40 percent because it can produce yields of up to ten times greater than corn stover.
U.S. Natural Gas Liquids Exports Idled Due to Houston Channel Fuel Spill Clean-up
The closure of the Houston Ship Channel after a fuel spill is idling vessels that carried a record amount of U.S. natural gas liquids exports last year, raising concerns about the need for geographic diversity in the market as most U.S. capacity to export NGL’s is on the said channel. Authorities hoped to open part of the channel, but to re-open it, the Coast Guards needs an uncontaminated lane for ship traffic as well as insure that the traffic will not impede cleanup.
Japan Approves Solar Tariff Cut
Japan gave final approval for an 11 percent cut to 32 yen (31 cents) a kilowatt-hour for solar power for 20 years from the fiscal year starting April and offered 36 yen for offshore wind, says the Ministry of Economy Trade and Industry. After the tariff cut, the solar boom in the country is expected to continue for at least the next two years.
30 MW Solar PV Power Plant Being Developed By Abengoa in California
Spanish renewable energy company EDP Renovavels is currently in the early stages of developing a new 30 MW solar PV power plant project in San Bernardino County, California. The project- which represents the Madrid-based firms most recent move into the American market- will be designed and built by noted multinational energy giant Abengoa. The project will produce enough electricity to provide power to 5,000 homes in the area. In related news, Abengoa is also currently constructing a 265 MW solar PV plant for AES Solar.
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