China's engineering marvel 'an environmental risk' - 27-09-2007 - 11:58

China's officials have recognised that the massive hydro-engineering project Three Gorges Dam could become an environmental disaster.

Local media reported officials' concerns despite previous positive coverage dominating the news after the last 16 million tonnes of concrete was poured into the huge construction.

At that time, the 1.4 mile dam received praise from official sources as a Chinese engineering marvel.

But, while the dam still holds, the cracks in the perception are beginning to show.

"There are many new and old hidden ecological and environmental dangers concerning the Three Gorges Dam," the Xinhua news agency report quoted officials as saying. "If preventive measures are not taken the project could lead to a catastrophe."

Among the negative geological effects already seen as a result of the dam are landslides that cause 50 metre high waves and eroded riverbanks.

The impact is making authorities take the environment into account.

Wang Xiaofeng, director in charge of building the dam, was quoted as saying: "We cannot lower our guard against ecological and environmental problems caused by the Three Gorges project."

He added: "We cannot win by achieving economic prosperity at the cost of the environment."

Wave farm gets go-ahead - 17-09-2007 - 16:44

The green light has been given to construction of a new wave farm off the coast off Cornwall which could create 1,800 jobs.

Wave Hub, a £28 million seabed electric socket, is set to receive approval form John Hutton, secretary of state for business, enterprise and regulatory reform.

The hub will include onshore equipment connected to electrical equipment by undersea cables.

Companies developing wave technology will be able to plug into the sub-sea device to test their equipment.

The project, which is funded by the South West of England Regional Development Agency, has undergone an independent economic impact assessment.

According to the study, the Wave Hub would create 1,800 jobs - 1,000 of them in Cornwall - and contribute £560 million to the UK economy over a quarter century.

Over the same time period, it could provide 7,500 homes with energy and save 300,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide.

Maria McCaffery, chief executive of the British Wind Energy Association, said: "Wave Hub will be a crucial part of the learning curve for everyone with an interest in wave energy development around the world and will underpin the growing confidence in these exciting technologies.

"It's this kind of progress that makes the UK the global hotspot for the expansion of carbon free energy from the sea and we must ensure it remains so."

Battery to store wind and solar power - 13-09-2007 - 11:19

A utility company is developing a battery that will help make better use of green energy.

E.ON announced that it was developing a battery the size of four shipping containers that could store energy generated by solar power and wind turbines until it was needed.

The firm said the battery would hold one megawatt (MW) of electricity for four hours - the equivalent of ten million standard AA batteries.

"Green power is only generated from wind farms when the wind blows and that might not be when the power's needed by customers," Bob Taylor, MD of energy wholesale and technology told Reuters.

"By researching and developing this battery we can store the power generated by wind farms any time and then use it when our customers need it the most.

"A school with solar panels can store the power generated at weekends and use it when the kids are back in school."