U.S. passenger's first biofuel flight with United

The first commercial passengers’ biofuel flight flew on Monday with United Airlines Boeing 737-824, powered partly with petroleum-based jet fuel and Honeywell aviation biofuel made from algal-oil.

Flight 1403 from Continental Airlines made history when it landed at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport at 1pm CST from Houston.   Jim Reskoske, Honeywell’s vice president and general manager said, “What we have is an evolving product, this is a kind of boutique fuel, priced four times that of regular jet fuel, because it’s not yet widely available.”  He expects this will change as companies secure funding to build plants to produce it on a massive scale.
 
The new environmental “eco-skies” painted Boeing was flown by Continental pilots and the completion of the Continental flight from Houstan, placed parent company United Continental Holdings Inc. in the lead by two days in the competition to launch the first biofuel-power air service in the U.S.

Alaska Airlines has two biofuel-powered passenger flights planned for this week from Seattle, Wash bound for Washington, D.C., and the other for Portland, Ore.   Officials from Alaska Airlines said the 20 percent biofuel blend its planes will use will reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 10 percent.

Rekoske commented, “Our Green Jet Fuel also offers as much as an 85% net reduction in greenhouse gas emissions compared to petroleum-based jet fuel.  We received Defence Department funding from 2006 to 2008 for its initial research to develop military-grade jet fuel from organic waste.” 

President Obama called on the Department of Energy, the Department of Agriculture and the Navy to each put in $170 million of existing funds to build plants that can make this fuel for the Navy.

Honeywell's Green Jet Fuel has powered 24 commercial and military biofuel test flights so far, including a transatlantic flight on a Honeywell-operated G 450 business aircraft and a supersonic one on a Navy F/A-18 Hornet.

Rekoske said today's flight was the first commercial U.S. one carrying passengers, whom he says United notified in advance about the unique but approved fuel.
In 2000 the aviation sector was responsible for 2 percent of total carbon dioxide emissions.

Italy funds Mozambique's agricultural activities

The Italian government signed a financing agreement with Mozambique worth 16 million euros to enhance the agricultural projects combating poverty in the provinces of Manica and Sofala, in the centre of the country. 

The two governments approved the first operational plan while attending a meeting of the joint commission in Chimoio, the capital of Manica.  The Programme to support Rural Development (PADR) will be carried out in eight districts of the two provinces and will be managed by the Italian Development Cooperation.  (Dondo, Nhamatanda, Chibabava, and Gorongosa in Sofala, and Gondola, Manica, Barue and Sussundenga in Manica)

Marina Karagianis, the spokesperson for the government of Sofala told the Beira newspaper, “Diario de Mocambique” that the programme was one of the themes discussed at a session of the provincial government that ended last Friday. 

The programme’s general objective will be to improve the income and the socio economic condition of the rural population, focussing on the eight districts and will be operational from 2011 until 2013.

According to the newspaper, 500 euros of the 13 million euros under Mozambican management had been set aside for two new passenger vehicles for each district.  The nine vehicles were handed over in the Sofala province and the governor Carvalho Muária said, “The technical assistance to agricultural operators in the family sector would be increasingly dynamic and the noose would be tightened on wildlife smugglers and illegal loggers.”
The program, which has a lifetime of three years, will further strengthen micro, small and medium sized businesses that operate in the agricultural sector.   The program will increase competitiveness and productivity and contribute to the reduction of poverty in rural areas through the sustainable management and exploitation of natural resources. .

Kuwait sets ambitious $112 billion renewable energy goal

The desert nation Kuwait and OPEC’s fifth-biggest oil producer has set an ambition goal to generate 10 percent of its electricity from renewables by 2020.

Kuwait has currently no solar-power plants and will try and use the oil available for export and hopes to expand its generation capacity to support improved home building, manufacturing and tourism in a $112 billion development program.

Kuwait’s aspiring goal exceeds Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates’ 7 percent goal to meet its clean energy target.

Eyad Ali al-Falah, assistant undersecretary for technical services at the Ministry of Electricity and Water said, “Renewable energy is a new subject for Kuwait, that's why there's a lack of information regarding the suitability of renewables for our weather.”  Al-Falah, who coordinates alternative energy for the ministry was speaking in an interview at its headquarters outside Kuwait City. 

According to the BP Statistical Review of World Energy for 2011, Kuwait consumed an average of 413,000 barrels of oil a day, about 16 percent of production, during 2010.   This is a 66 percent increase of usage from 2000 and 14 percent production increase.

“Gulf oil producers need to generate more electricity to meet demand that's growing an average of 10% a year,” according to Jarmo Kotilaine, chief economist at national commercial Bank in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

“We definitely see solar potential in Kuwait.  While Kuwait hasn’t kick-started renewable energy projects, there’s a lot of peak demand when solar resources are at their best.  Kuwait could then export more fuel and generate higher revenue instead of pumping it into electricity plants,” said Rajit Nanda, chief financial officer for ACWA Power International, a Saudi Arabiabased company that develops electricity and water projects.

The Gambia identified with "the best forest policy"

The Gambia’s Community Forestry Policy has won silver in the 2011 Future Policy Awards as one of the world’s most inspiring and innovative forest policies. 

The tiny West African country, with the support of the FAO and other development partners, has established the first policy and legislation in Africa to facilitate local populations with secure and permanent forest ownership rights.

With over 350 villages managing 12 percent of the country’s forests and a net increase in forest cover of 8.5 percent over the last two decades, The Gambia has strengthened a strong deforestation trend in Africa.
Eduardo Rojas-Briales, FAO’s Assistant Director-General for Forestry said, “The Gambia's experience has shown that the challenge of sustainable forestry can be attained through the government's willingness to empower rural populations.”  The success of The Gambia’s Community Forest Policy proves that even in the world’s poorest countries, with the right policies and legal framework in place, rural populations can benefit economically.”
The Gambia’s Forest Policy is transferring forest tenure from state ownership to management by local communities enabling them to reduce illegal logging and forest fires, slow desertification and benefit from using the forest products.
“It has won thanks to the ‘collective efforts of all well-meaning Gambians’ said Gambia’s Director of Forestry, Abdoulie Sanneh as he praised Gambian communities for taking ownership of their forest parks.  
He continued saying, “We will keep increasing our efforts to raise The Gambia’s flag high in the international community.
Between 2000 and 2004, FAO has facilitated the introduction of economic incentives in the community forestry concept. In 2009 Gambia joined the National Forest Programme Facility hosted by FAO and received help with expanding community forestry areas and enhancing the capacity of stakeholders to derive economic benefits from community forestry. A recent FAO-supported project provided assistance to the revision and popularization of the forest policy.

Renewable energy spurts growth in job creation

The American job market has left many people feeling uncertain and the recorded job losses along with the dreary economic forecast has pushed the focus on renewable energy.

The 2008 law mandates at least 25 percent of all electricity sold in the state by 2025 come from alternative energy, of which half must come from renewable sources like solar, wind, hydropower, geothermal or biomass. The remaining half can be met through other ways, such as energy-efficiency programs, clean coal technology or fuel cells.

While there was an exodus in manufacturing throughout the last decade, growth in the clean energy economy was significant. Even during the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression, the clean economy grew by 2.5 percent annually since 2003.   As of 2010, there are over 105,000 jobs in the clean economy, with 106 businesses in the wind power supply chain business — meaning they make components that go into wind turbines — and 63 businesses in the solar power industry.

Rocky Mountain Institute said, U.S. solar photovoltaic installation increased 64 percent between 2005 and 2010. The institute estimates that the U.S. already has more than 90,000 direct or indirect jobs in the manufacturing and installation of solar panels, with another 85,000 jobs in wind power.

According to Marjorie Kass, MXenergy managing director of marketing, “The focus on renewable and clean energy and sustainability has led to tremendous growth in these industries over the past several years,  all indications are that growth is expected to continue which will mean the need for trained, experienced personnel."

In Ohio clean energy is growing jobs, and much of that growth is the state’s openness and forward-thinking policies towards renewables.

Airlines and biofuels for the future

In the current year the world’s airlines will burn between 210 million and 220 million tons of fuel and generate 650 million tons of carbon emissions in the process.  With rising fuel prices and pressure to reduce fuel emissions the airline industry have recognised the advantages of using more biofuel.

KLM announced earlier this year that it would begin operating more than 200 flights using biofuel.  July, Lufthansa, Finnair and Thomson Airways also launched their bio-fuelled flights.  And in August, Aearomexico flew what it called the first biofuel-powered transcontinental commercial flight.

Airline and aviation executives gathered in Hong Kong for a conference on aviation and the environment in late September, and the response was overwhelming.  The progress towards biofuels has been remarkable, as pointed out by Tony Tyler, the former chief executive of Cathay Pacific.  He said, “I have been amazed at how quickly we moved forward.  Just a few years ago, the concept of using biofuels to help power aircrafts seemed “very pie-in-the-sky and futuristic.  Now biofuels have become a reality.”

Jimmy Samartzis, managing director for global environmental affairs and sustainability at United commented on the U.S. carriers who have made varying commitments to biofuels and said, “A key pillar of the environmental commitment of the combined company is a commitment to alternative fuels.”

While jet fuel is currently the biggest cost for airlines, some believe that using biofuels will help stabilize fuel prices and supply.

Samartzis said, “We face a lot of volatility with fuel pricing because of crude oil volatility, we look at this as a potential way to manage that to some degree.”  Yet like any new technology, biofuels will initially be expensive, raising questions about whether that cost will be passed to the consumer.

“We don’t expect that we will have to face that challenge," said Samartzis. "As far as we can tell … we can get the cost to be competitive with conventional jet fuel.”

Cost issues aside, biofuels have the highest energy density of all fuels currently available. Airlines looking  to become more efficient are taking notice. “ We as a company and an industry have made a commitment to achieving certain fuel efficiency improvements and carbon reduction goals long term," Samartzis said. "In order to achieve those on a collective industry basis, alternative fuels are a key component.”

Biomass power plant in Saskatchewan

The Meadow Lake Tribal Council (MLTC) plans to construct a $150 million biomass power plant in northern Saskatchewan and will sell the “green” power to SaskPower.

The power plant will run on bark, branches, sawdust, wood chips and other leftovers from the NorSask Forest Products mill. It will generate up to 36 megawatts of renewable, low-emissions power (enough to power 30,000 homes).

The generated power will be sold to SaskPower under a 25 year agreement and will create jobs and economic development for the region.  The construction period is expected to create 300 jobs during its two year construction timeline.

More than 30,000 homes across the province will benefit from environmentally friendly power supplied by the plant.

Ben Voss, CEO of MLTC said, “We are delighted.  We are very excited about his.”   He added that it’s the largest project MLTC has ever undertaken. 

25 permanent jobs will be created to operate the new power plant that will be known as the Meadow Lake Bioenergy Centre. A dozen more jobs and millions in indirect benefits for businesses in the area are expected.

The plant is expected to be in service in early 2014.  Rob Norris, minister responsible for SaskPower said the partnership was very promising. 

This is the first project to come through the First Nations Power Authority, a non-profit, membership-based corporation, which was set up last spring to help First Nations develop power projects.

Voss pointed out that MLTC will arrange financing through bank loans and private partnerships as it has done for other projects.

U.S. and Gambia increase trade investment

The Gambia and the U.S. have moved to increase trade and investment, with the official launch of the Gambia AGOA Resource Centre in the small West African nation, PANA.

The first of its kind centre in The Gambia and was launched by the US Embassy in Banjul in collaboration with The Gambia Investment and Export Promotion Agency (GIEPA) and the Ministry of Trade, Industry, Regional Integration and Employment.

The African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) Resource Centre is geared towards increasing trade and investment-related opportunities between the U.S. and eligible countries in Arica  and will contribute to promoting sustainable economic growth and provide technical assistance to businesses in the country and drive overall development in benefitting African nations. 

The AGOA will further screen export ready companies to provide targeted industry-specific and market regulatory information.  The centre will support arrangements for international tradeshows and will enable both local and international investor visits among others. 

The centre will further work with various public and private sector stakeholders to implement strategic policies meant to promote value-chain development in sectors that have the highest potentials for export.

Attending the opening was Abdou Kolley, the minister for Trade, Employment & Regional Integration alongside Ambassador Pamela Ann White and other senior government and private sector officials.

Malaysia seizes renewable energy prospects

Malaysia is set to see a substantial growth in renewable technologies, including biomass, biogas, mini-hydro and solar, as the nation launches a new tariff system. 

The new target will see a 5.5 percent contribution from renewable energy to the country’s generation mix by 2015.  The country’s high level of pollution is the driving factor for support from the nation to install effective renewable energy targets.

The current situation for renewables is barely noticeable and according to government this is set to change drastically.  The 2009 plan added renewable energy sources to the mixture of oil, gas, coal and hydropower, although renewable capacity excluding hydropower was only 53 MW at the end of 2009.  The next plant implemented from 2006-2010 was more able to reduce the dependency on imported petroleum and targets were set for 300 MW of renewable energy in Peninsular Malaysia and 50 MW in Sabah.  The latest plan effective from 2011-2015 focuses more on energy efficiency, the plan will run cohesively with the national biomass initiative and a further governmental commitment to a 40 percent reduction in carbon intensity.

The plan titled the National Renewable Energy Policy and Action Plan will aim to draw more energy from renewables. The current energy providers are forced to use more coal in order to meet demands as the diminishing natural gas problem persists. 

On 28 April this year, Malaysia’s House of Representatives passed a Renewable Energy Bill (RE Bill) and a Bill for Sustainable Development Authority (SEDA Bill) and a one percent feed-in tariff (FiT).  The FiT program has biomass, biogas, mini-hydropower and solar energy as current eligible resources.
With renewables looking to spur investments, the country is open to foreign investment in renewable energy projects.

Moringa "miracle" tree growing the health of Limpopo

The impact of late rains and large failures in yields has put significant strain on a small village in Limpopo, who started looking elsewhere for food and what they found was purely a miracle.

The impact of late rains and large failures in yields has put significant strain on a small village in Limpopo, who started looking elsewhere for food and what they found was purely a miracle.

The rural village of Tooseng on the eastern border of Limpopo, South Africa has seen little rainfall during the year and this has put significant strain on a community already dependent on grants and welfare.

In recent years the community started planting Moringa and using the dry powder to sprinkle over their food.  The most incredible discovery was the effect Moringa leaves have on HIV patients.  Patients affected with the virus, showed a visible difference in their immune system after receiving Moringa for seven days.

Moringa contains other vitamins and minerals such as calcium equivalent to four glasses of milk, the vitamin C content of seven oranges, the potassium of three bananas, three times the amount of iron in spinach, four times the amount of vitamin A found in a carrot and twice the amount of protein in milk.

Moringa Oleifera has changed the nourishment of the community and what started out as a subsidiary project, the community is now making a profit from selling the Moringa leaves.

The community aims to sell Moringa to the rest of South Africa and support other villages and communities with similar needs.