LDK Shares Jump 30% on Q-Cells Deal – signs a decade-long deal to supply solar cell-maker Q-cells with wafers

December 10, 2007 (GreenTechMedia) – Chinese giant LDK Solar’s (NYSE: LDK) shares jumped 28.55 percent Monday after the company said it signed a 10-year deal to sell 6 gigawatts worth of silicon wafers to Germany solar-cell maker Q-Cells.

Although financial details were sparse, the contract calls for Q-Cells (Frankfurt Stock Exchange: QCEG.DE) to pay a fixed price for the wafers for the first two years. After that, pricing will be adjusted in relation to market conditions.

LDK will deliver 1,000 metric tons of silicon in 2009, rising to 5,000 tons per year as early as 2013.

Kyoto deal to clear air for investors, say experts

December 5, 2007 (TheAge.au) – BUSINESS will reap benefits from the ratification of the Kyoto Protocol, with easier access to global carbon projects and multimillion-dollar investments expected to flow into Australia.

Investors, as well as industry experts, have hailed Prime Minister Kevin Rudd’s decision to ratify the 10-year-old global climate change agreement, saying Australian businesses will be among the main winners.

Australia ‘back on the map’ with Kyoto decision

December 4, 2007 (ABC) – Federal Climate Change Minister Penny Wong says Australia’s decision to ratify the Kyoto Protocol puts the nation back on the map in the fight against climate change.

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd yesterday signed the instrument of ratification of the Protocol in the first official act of his new Government.

Australia will now become a full member of the Kyoto Protocol early next year.

Madrid-based firm investing $200M to develop 100,000 hectares of land for Jatropha plantations in the Philippines

December 2, 2007 (Inquirer) – A MADRID-BASED biodiesel firm is planning to invest $200 million in the Philippines to develop at least 100,000 hectares of land into jatropha plantations, the Department of Agriculture said.

The jatropha will be used as feedstock for biofuel facilities in the country.

A Leading Asian Utility to Cut Carbon Emissions

December 6, 2007 (New York Times) – CLP, one of Asia’s largest power utilities, plans to commit itself on Friday to sharply reducing its emissions of carbon dioxide.

The company plans to cut the amount of carbon dioxide it emits with each kilowatt-hour of electricity generated by 4.8 percent over the next three years, and 76 percent by 2050. To do so, it will step up its investments in nuclear power, natural gas, renewable energy and so-called clean coal technologies.

For India’s wind man Tanti, green is good business

December 7, 2007 (AFP) – Saving the environment wasn’t as much on his mind as cutting costs when Indian entrepreneur Tulsi Tanti first turned to wind energy 13 years ago.  Confronted with a soaring electricity bill and unpredictable power supply, Tanti had a pair of wind turbines installed at his textile plant in western India and became a quick convert to what became his business calling.

All aboard for ‘bioloco’ ride – New Zealand testing use of biodiesel in its trains

In a first step toward an eco-motivated locomotive fleet, Toll New Zealand is testing the use of biodiesel in its trains.

The six-month trial will use a B5 fuel mix of 5 per cent biodiesel and 95 per cent regular diesel in two trains – one freight and one passenger – dubbed “bioloco” engines.

 

Toll rail group general manager Joe Garbellini said the trial was aimed at getting a feel for how biodiesel would work for its fleet of 165 locomotive engines.

With an annual fuel consumption of 50 million litres, the attempt to reduce Toll’s carbon footprint could lead to more than 2.5 million litres of biodiesel being used in the company’s locomotives, Mr Garbellini said.

The trial had followed a locomotive driver fuel saver initiative recently introduced in partnership with Shell New Zealand.

Shell biofuels project manager David Robinson praised Toll’s role in the bioloco trial.

“Everybody wants to reduce their carbon footprint and it is so important that the bigger companies get on board.”

Gushan Environmental Sets IPO Terms

December 7, 2007 (AP) – Chinese biodiesel fuel producer Gushan Environmental Energy Ltd. said Friday it plans to raise about $171.6 million in an initial public offering of American Depositary Shares.  According to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, Gushan is selling 15 million ADS, and a group of selling shareholders is offering 3 million ADS. Each ADS represents two ordinary shares.

Istithmar, Sindicatum To Raise $600 Million Cleantech Fund; To Invest In India Too

More money will flow into cleantech sectors in Asia including India. Istithmar, a unit of Dubai World, an investment group located in the Gulf state, and London-based Sindicatum Carbon Capital Holdings, a firm partly owned by Citigroup, will raise $600 million to invest in projects that produce carbon-emission credits, says an international report.

LG targets $7bn sales in energy solutions business

December 5, 2007 (AME Info) – LG Electronics, a global technology leader and pioneer in home appliance convergence as well as the world’s leading air conditioner manufacturer, announced today that the company plans to expand into the energy solution business to actively respond to energy and environmental issues.Through this move, LG expects to achieve global sales of $7bn by 2010. The company also expects its proportion of sales of commercial air conditioners will increase from 30% of its total air conditioner sales to 50% by 2010.