A cleantech military future

The military has put its stamp of approval on cleantech and is now increasing its efforts to fund and promote the use of clean power, biofuels and energy efficiency products and services. 

The U.S. government is close to becoming cleantech’s number one customer and is paving the way as a major consumer of green technologies.  The U.S.Defence Department has been testing green technologies to increase its efforts to fund and use cleantech.
The department uses 80 percent of the energy consumed by the federal government and recognised the need to change the military to greener and cleaner fuel.  The Navy has joined forces with the Departments of Energy and Agriculture to help fundbiofuel plants that willtransformfeedstocks into fuels that can be combinedwith or replace existing jet and diesel fuels.
The Navy will focus on energy storage by developing energy storage systems that will provide long-lasting power supply. Both the Navy and the Army aim to become more energy efficient and the Army want to use 25 percent renewable energy for electricity supply by 2025.  John McHugh, the Army Secretary recently said in a press conference that the Army wants to see more solar and wind power installed at its bases. McHugh opined that the recent criticism by project developers over the bureaucratic process for selling the Army green technology could be solved by setting up a task force to simplifythe procurement process.
The largest renewable energy buyer in 2006, the Air Force has solid plans in place to increase the use of biofuels that will cut energy use and reliance on fossil fuels.  The defence department has been in lead when it comes to cutting-edge technologies using funding from its DARPA program.  The department requested proposals to build energy storage systems to make the base more self-sufficient with uninterrupted power supply.
The Military has been moving towards cleantech for several years and some of the projects include a $730,441 contract to develop lithium-ion battery systems for tanks and armoured vehicles, algae fuel from Solazyme, and $1.48 million of contracts to design systems that will generate electricity from waste heat.

The Gambia to showcase products at Global Economic Conference

The upcoming Global Youth Economic Opportunities Conference will be the platform for The Gambia to showcase 300 finished products, predominantlyagricultural products.

The Conference will be held in September this year, in Washington DC and 11 members of the Green African-American AGOA (African Growth and Opportunity Act), who are also young business experts from The Gambia will attend.  This was disclosed by Professor Darryl R.O. Prevost, president of the African-America Diaspora Alumni Club in the United States to the Daily Observer.
Professor Prevost, who is also an executive director of CADIA Institutes and Academies, is currently in The Gambia to promote the AGAO through the Green African-American AGOA that is pioneered to support investment in Africa.  The AGOA is a U.S. commerce department that encourages trade and investment in Africa and ensures adherence of the fair trade law agreement by managing the global trade. 
Prevost pointed out that The Gambia has the capabilities to trade widelyin the international markets, and said he was impressed withthe products he has seen.  “By advancing a more robust trade relationship between the American processors and manufacturers of products from Africa, our hope is to drive the cost down on the American consumer side while increasing volume on the supply side,” he said.
Prevost reiterated the AGOA’s commitment to youths and women and he said the AGOA would partner with the University of The Gambia (UTG) toprovide training on food science.  This he said was one of the main areas of AGOA’s mission in Africa.
The Green African Tour will further enable the establishment of direct purchasing and technical agreements and sustenance between African markets and North American investors, retailers and processors by encouraging the trade and the infrastructure of African markets. 
The potential of The Gambia to alleviate poverty lies with its young and dynamic tourism industry, Prevost said.  He pointed out that the country’s tourism, due to the attractive riverbanks and ocean sites could improve the country’s economy. 

Renewable energy from UK’s largest power station

Drax coal power station – the UK’s largest coal power station is set to become one of the biggest sources of renewable energy.

Drax coal power station generated around 6% of the UK’s total renewable power during the first 6 months of the year.  The coal-fired power station in Yorkshire uses straw and other biomass to produce renewable power.
“Drax power station could be transformed to produce more renewable energy than fossil fuel power, using biomass from straw, waste wood and other sources instead of coal,” says chief executive of Drax, Dorothy Thompson.
Coal-fired power stations could achieve a lower carbon footprint by using biomass, a relatively green fuel.  Miscanthus grass, a source of biomass energy could transform Drax to the top renewable energy source.  
In order to address the threat of power shortages and reduce carbon dioxide emissions, the UK government is currently promoting gas as the “greener” alternative to coal.
Thompson explains that it would be uneconomic to burn biomass under current conditions and subsidies from the government are needed to burn biomass in large quantities.  If adequate financial support was provided, the transition to biomass could be a quick process, she said.  "We would see ourselves starting along this path immediately, with delivery within three to four years.  By 2020, we could be delivering renewable energy to more than 2million homes."
Currently, biomass generation is awarded half of a "renewable energy obligation certificate" (ROC) per unit of electricity, compared with two ROCs for each unit of offshore wind. 
According to Chris Huhne, secretary of state and energy and climate change, biomass is one of the cheapest ways of meeting renewable energy targets, but the key issue is setting the level of support.    Huhne said the current review of subsidy levels and government consultation would be completed later in the year.

Mozambican Biofuel exports to German airline Lufthansa

Sun Biofuels Moçambique, a subsidiary of UK-based Sun Biofuels, has exported the first batch of 30 tonnes of biofuel to German airline Lufthansa, from its central province of Manica. 

Sun Biofuels Mozambique director for corporate affairs, Luis Gouveiaadvised that Lufthansais considering using biofuel in its aircraft and is currently performing testing on the biofuel.
Gouveia said, "On a recent visit to our project, the deputy chairman of Lufthansa considered that the oil produced at our unit was of a high quality."
The biofuel was initiallyrefined in Mozambique. The second stage of refiningwas carried out in Helsinki, Finland and turned the biofuelinto kerosene.
Gouveia said they are also targeting the automotive industry and the energy supply industry. The company aim is to reach 11,000 hectares of planted area over the next five years.
Environmental protection is another factor that encouraged the company to invest in biofuel production, because of its contribution for the reduction of carbon dioxide emissions.

The Gambia eligible for The 2011 Future Policy Award

The 2011 Future Policy Award celebrates the most inspiring, innovative and influential forest policies worldwide. The Gambia, alongside Bhutan, Nepal, Rwanda, Switzerland and the USA, is in the running for this prestigious award.

The Gambia Community Forest Policy aims to achieve sustainable forest management and poverty alleviation by handing control of forests to the communities that use them. Gambia is leading the trend of reforestation in Western and Central Africa by showing a net increase in forest cover of 8.5% over the last two decades.
The Future Policy Award awards the most exemplary national polices that create better living conditions for current and future generations. The focus for 2011 is forests, and the year has been declared the International Year of Forests by the United Nations.
The director of the World Future Council, Alexandra Wandel says, "With the Future Policy Award we want to cast a spotlight on policies that lead by example. The aim of the World Future Council is to raise global awareness of visionary policies and speed up policy action in the interests of present and future generations."
Ahmed Djoghlaf, Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity and Honorary Councillor of the WFC said, "These six shortlisted candidates all demonstrate leadership towards the achievement of the 2020 Biodiversity targets: halving deforestation, restoring forests worldwide and ensuring that all forests are managed sustainably. Through the implementation of these policies, we can achieve the 2050 vision, which is a future of life in harmony with nature."
The Gambia Community Forest Policy includes a far reaching tenure transition of forest land from state ownership to permanent ownership by communities. The policy has also achieved a reduction in illegal logging and the incidence of forest fires in community forest areas as well as contributing to the development of new markets for branch wood and other forest products which benefit women and rural populations economically.

EU approves seven biofuel schemes

The first seven biofuel schemes to be officially certified as sustainable were recently granted approval by the EU. The seven voluntary certification schemes are intended to demonstrate that sustainability of biofuels will contribute toward the EU's renewable energy targets.

Gϋnther Oettinger, the European commissioner, said, "The schemes recognised on the EU level today are a good example of a transparent and reliable system which ensures high standards are met."
The approved schemes include: ISCC, a German government-financed scheme covering all types of biofuels; Bonsucro EU, a roundtable initiative for sugarcane-based biofuels focused on Brazil; RTRS EU RED, a roundtable initiative for soy-based biofuels focused on Argentina and Brazil; RSB EU RED, a roundtable initiative covering all types of biofuels; 2BSvs, a French industry scheme covering all types of biofuels; RSBA, a scheme from biofuel producer Abengoa covering its supply chain; and a scheme from biofuel producer Greenergy covering sugar cane ethanol from Brazil.
The EU has granted approval, despite concerns from some environmental groups over the methods used to ensure the resulting biofuels will cut greenhouse gas emissions.
A number of NGO groups argue that the decision excluded consultation and the NGOs were unable to scrutinise or object to any of the schemes. They further argued that the exclusion violates the Aarhus Convention, which guarantees all EU citizens and environmental organisations the right to participate in green decision-making and the right to information necessary for effective participation.
Earlier in the month, in Florida, the Digest released its annual review of biofuels mandates and targets around the world. The bulk of the mandates come from the EU-27, where the Renewable Energy Directive (RED) specifies 10 per cent renewables content by 2020 across the entire membership, of which seven per cent will come from biofuels, the balance from the electrification of the fleet.

A new government mandate requires two per cent biofuel content for heating oil and diesel sold in Canada

The Canadian Environment Minister Peter Kent announced the mandate to be active from this month, to help reduce the country's greenhouse gas emissions by 17 per cent by 2020.

Kent said, "Our Government will continue to ensure that protecting our environment, while balancing economic growth and prosperity remains our priority". The new mandate envisions the reduction of harmful emissions by the equivalent of removing one million cars from the roads.
But the new mandate goes beyond just the environment. Kent explains that mandating minimum renewable fuel contents would also strengthen the nation's biofuel industry, boosting demand for feed stocks like canola and ensuring a stronger bottom line for farmers.
The new mandate follows the December 2010 regulation requiring all gasoline sold in Canada to have a five per cent average renewable fuel content. According to Kent, these regulations will form an important part of the (federal) government's Renewable Fuels Strategy, and will establish a demand for renewable fuels to help stimulate the Canadian biofuels industry.
As well as Canada, several US states and cities have introduced biofuel requirements for heating oil and diesel to limit the harmful emissions and reduce the nation's reliance on foreign oil imports. US President Barack Obama signalled that renewable fuels and sustainable energy policies would play a key role in America's future energy needs.
With the rising oil prices and environmental concerns becoming more of a priority, renewable energy such as biofuels will become critical to support global energy needs.