But the fact remains that despite 90 per cent of the world’s goods movement being carried by ships, international shipping only accounted for 2.7 per cent of carbon dioxide, 10 per cent to 15 per cent of NOx and 4 per cent to 9 per cent of SOx emissions. Basically, the world economy would grind to a halt without shipping and, despite its scale, is considered to be the most environmentally friendly form of transportation.

The green movement has also become an increasingly important element in shipping as it has with the rest of the world. This factor is exacerbated by the rising price of oil and the economic imperative on the industry to reduce costs.

This can lead to the happy coincidence of more environmentally friendly measures also helping shipowners and operators to save money. Among the leading players helping companies to find the balance between the various demands on them is DNV, which recently set up a dedicated Clean Technology Centre (CTC) in Singapore focused on finding solutions to just these sort of problems.

DNV rightly sees Asia as the world’s fastest developing region, expected to account for one-third of world trade by 2020, and as such it is appropriate that they have decided to set up the first of its kind centre in Singapore.

In the same timeframe, Asia will also have 90 per cent of its people living in countries with middle-class status and most of them will be living in megacities and urban areas. So Asian countries are becoming increasingly active in the race to capture a share of the emerging clean technology industry.

Ideal test bed

The company has also been attracted by Singapore’s clustering concept which it is also extending to the clean technology area, said DNV chairman and CEO Henrik Madsen. In addition, the highly urban nature of Singapore provides an ideal test bed for urban technology solutions.

Among the specific areas CTC is specifically concentrating on initially in Singapore are sustainable mobility and smart grids. Among the broad areas the CTC will be aiming to work on are renewable energy, cleaner conventional energy, urban solutions and green transport.

In terms of the first two areas, DNV supplies guidelines on design and operation of wave energy converters, provides verification and certification of sustainable biofuels and is working on increasing the operating efficiency of existing power plants by 10 per cent.

DNV works with the world’s leading carbon capture and storage (CCS) players on projects in the entire CCS value chain and has released the world’s first guidelines for qualification of carbon capture technologies. It is also the second largest professional services firm in the wind power space and certifies 75 per cent of the world’s offshore wind projects.

In terms of sustainable cities, DNV provides expertise in providing risk management frameworks for new technology based solutions, technology assessments for investors, helps build understanding and capacity to effectively seize opportunities related to cities and emissions trading, creates renewable energy solutions that are adapted to the urban environment and infrastructure and does materials testing for climate neutrality.

DNV is the top greenhouse gas validator with a 35 per cent market share of all clean development mechanism (CDM) projects globally and also offers a wide portfolio of related services from carbon footprinting to training and risk management of carbon projects.

In the green shipping sphere, DNV is at the forefront of green shipping and offshore design and construction which still enables the industry to meet future regulatory and commercial requirements. It also works with shipowners, operators, yards and financial institutions providing various services from technical qualification of green shipping solutions to due diligence and risk management services for green ship projects.

DNV believes that while shipping has already embarked on a journey to significantly reduce emissions of the most common major pollutants of NOx, SOx and particulate matter (PM), the potential for reducing carbon dioxide emissions is still significant. It firmly believes that shipping can achieve carbon neutral growth towards 2030 with no additional costs for the industry.

The ways in which this can be done are through more efficient operations by means such as weather routing systems and speed optimisation, the introduction of more efficient technology through the use of means such as better-designed engines, propellers, hull forms and coatings, a change of fuel usage from the heavy fuel oils being used now to natural gas and later biofuel and fuel cells, improving infrastructure to enable faster turnaround times and increased port capacity and improved cooperation between players, including charterers and owners on contractual issues.

New eco-efficient ship designs which incorporate innovations in all areas such as engine and propulsion, machinery and hull shape can also help to reduce emissions. For example, DNV cited a Maersk Line design for a fleet of 16 new 7,450-TEU ships from Korea’s Daewoo yard that is notably different from standard designs.

Various measures such as slow running of the main engine would cut fuel consumption by 3 per cent, a bigger propeller would reduce it by 5 per cent, a custom-made hull designed for a specific route would take 8 per cent off and waste heat recovery would shave off another 9 per cent adding up to total fuel reduction of around 22 per cent and more.

In another example from Maersk Line, slow steaming their vessels and cutting engine loads down to 10 per cent has resulted in savings of up to 20 per cent. While these measures help reduce emissions from the ships, they also help to bring down the fuel bill for the owners thus providing a positive outcome for all.

CTC managing director Bjorn Tore Markussen noted that while governments are beginning to talk more about climate change and a move to more sustainable energy it will still take some time to take effect. The world is in a transition phase now, he explained, and during this time natural gas will play a very important role in the transportation sector especially.

He pointed out that another area with huge potential to cut emissions is to shift to using natural gas as a fuel for short sea and inland waterway shipping in particular. This can produce significant emission reductions compared to using fuel oil. DNV estimates that SOx and PM can be completely cut out while NOx can be reduced by 90 per cent and carbon dioxide by 20 per cent if natural gas is used.

Potential for Asia

Much of the short sea fleet of RoRo vessels, ferries and even offshore supply vessels in Europe is already being transformed to using this green fuel. This holds much potential for Asia where the infrastructure is still underdeveloped and the concept of short sea shipping is not fully understood.

Innovative green port solutions is another area that DNV is focusing on. It has worked with various government bodies and port operators to develop and execute solutions to ports and terminals to help them reduce greenhouse gases, deal with climate change and manage risk. These include investing in research and development on traffic management and port systems and working with international organisations such as the World Ports Climate Initiative.

The key driver for growth for the CTC is to tap into the cleantech ecosystem, said Mr Markussen. This is still very new in Asia and needs an established name such as DNV to provide confidence to asset owners.

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As a measure in that direction, the directorate of mines (DoM) will be vested with the task of identifying areas in mining processes where energy savings and emission reduction can be achieved.

While emphasis will be given on exploring cleaner technologies and best practices in coal mining, a study is proposed to be taken up to find out the potential of coal bed methane in coalfields of the state, official sources said.

A separate coal evacuation plan will be put in place for Talcher and Ib valley coalfields. Similarly, an environmental restoration fund (ERF) is proposed to be constituted taking contributions from the mining houses.

A mechanism will be devised to implement a system of compensatory water harvesting and storage around mining clusters by the concerned mines and efforts will be made to protect and restore water harvesting structures in the catchment of the mining intensive areas.

Besides, the government proposes to take up a regional hydrological survey for mining clusters of Joda-Barbil, Koira, Talcher-Angul, Ib valley, Sukinda valley areas, limestone and dolomite belts and eastern ghat bauxite zones.

The draft action plan prepared by the sectoral group on mining also proposes to conduct studies to identify the potential of beneficiation of low grade iron ore, manganese, graphite and chrome ore. It also seeks to leverage the best practices in metal mining for fighting the impacts of climate change.

According to the draft plan, steps will be taken for creation and maintenance of green zones in major mining clusters by the forest and environment department. While the human resources will be strengthened at the level of DoM in terms of technology, development of data base and training on various aspects of climate change, mining personnel and lease holders will be sensitized about the benefits of clean technology.

According to sources, the Orissa State Pollution Control Board (OSPCB) will establish a robust system of environment monitoring in major mining clusters. It may be noted, the state government is likely to finalize the State Action Plan (SAP) on climate change by end of this month.

www.business-standard.com

Dynasty resources areas of concentration: Waste reduction, carbon reduction, pollution mitigation, water management, health and sanitation, food safety and the clean technology of dynasty resources of Strategic and Operational Expertise: Access to business, government, regulatory, military and other important influencers, China entry strategy, US entry strategy, Environmental, “green” and “clean tech” positioning, Culturally-appropriate marketing and advertising.

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The lucky recipient of Google’s $38.8 million investment is NextEra Energy Resources’ wind energy project in the North Dakota plains–two wind farms that generate 169.5 megawatts of energy, or enough to power more than 55,000 homes. So why this project over all the other renewable energy projects out there? Google reasons that the project uses the latest wind turbine technology to provide ultra-low cost energy to the grid.

No word on what other utility-scale projects Google is considering, but Rick Needham, Google’s Green Business Operations Manager, writes that “We look forward to finding more opportunities to invest in renewable energy projects that use the latest technologies to push the envelope for delivering low cost clean energy. We’ll let you know what we find.” We’re guessing that NextEra Energy Resources won’t be the last renewable energy investment for Google Inc. by a long shot.

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The investment is in North Dakota, which is noted for its steady, strong winds that are well adapted for wind power harvesting. Google says that for clean energy to advance in the world, and especially in the United States three things are required: effective policy, innovative technology and smart capital. Google has both money and influence, so their advocacy into the issue is serious, and carries weight.

Google’s goal with its investment is to “accelerate the deployment of the latest clean energy technology while providing attractive returns to Google.” Hard to complain with that, Google is using their philanthropic division and their bank account to help promote and build the future of clean energy.

The wind farms themselves that Google has invested in include some 113 turbines that can power up to 55,000 houses. While it is a small step, it represents an appetite from Google to speed along the progress of renewable energy.

Google itself is a voracious consumer of power around the world, with its many server farms and large campuses pulling hard on electrical grids in many large countries. That Google would want to invest in ways to generate that power in a better fashion speaks to a culture of corporate environmentalism that is rare.

After the oil leak became a serious problem, and its potential damage became known one smart commentator noted that wind spills tend to have less deleterious impacts on their local environment. If Google follows up this first investment into wind with more in the Dakotas, perhaps they can lead other giant corporations into similar actions and create a serious push by corporate America to change our energy plan.

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The report, Falling Behind: Canada’s Lost Clean Energy Jobs, says that Canada invested 18 times less per person on renewable energy compared to the U.S. in the last budget.

“Canada risks falling behind, not only the U.S. but Europe and Asia when it comes to clean energy,” said Gillian McEachern, the report’s author. “Clean energy is going to be one of the largest industries globally over the next decade and Canada is turning a blind eye to this.”

McEachern says that over the last two budgets the feds should have dedicated an additional $11 billion towards renewable energy initiatives, and had we done so, it would have created an additional 66,000 jobs.

The report says that in the 2009 budget Canada only dedicated 8.8% of its stimulus spending to green energy while the U.S. dedicated 12%, Australia 22.6% and South Korea 78.7%.

“At every opportunity the Canadian government emphasizes that it’s harmonizing its energy and climate policies with the U.S.,” the report reads. “Yet when it comes to investing in clean energy jobs, Canada does not even come close to matching U.S. efforts.”

The report also criticized the federal government’s decision to end the ecoENERGY Retrofit program that gives homeowners a rebate if they increase the energy efficiency of their homes.

Environmental Defence wants the federal government to match U.S. funding on a per capita basis, put a price on carbon and offer tax credits and incentives to green energy producers.

But Jack Carr, an economist and environmental skeptic at the University of Toronto, says the report is nonsensical and environmental policy should not be tied to job creation.

“There are plenty of programs that would create a lot of jobs but they would be a complete waste of time for people to do it that way,” says Carr. “The greenest way may not be the most efficient way … If it’s good to do something for the environment it should be good in good or bad times and should have nothing to do with stimulus spending.”

Carr says that borrowing money to stimulate the green energy industry could be highly wasteful because industries based on government subsidy are vulnerable to shifts in public policy.

www.torontosun.com

Canopus India, as they are known now, addresses the two most pertinent problems in the society today – “Clean water” and “Green energy”. Waste is often considered as a linear system of usage and disposal. At Canopus, waste is seen through an overall prism of sustainability. They couple waste management with energy generation to tackle the existing environmental challenges of CO2 emissions and also simultaneously provide a solution for low cost wastewater treatment.

Canopus is the name of the brightest star in the southern constellation of Carina (named Agastya in ancient Indian astronomy). Agastya is said to be the ‘cleanser of waters’, since its rising coincides with the calming of the waters of the Indian Oceans.

In the class I cities in India, 35558 MLD (Million Litres per Day) of sewage was generated in the year 2009. Of this, the installed capacity of the sewage treatment plant was 11553 MLD, which is only 30% of the volume of sewage generated. Thus, there exists a pressing need to install new infrastructure and facilities to cover this deficit. The total wastewater market in India as of 2009 is pegged at around $4 billion.

In a developing country like India, the energy requirements are huge, and it is increasing exponentially over the years. India is currently the world’s 6th largest energy consumer, accounting for 3.4% of global energy consumption. The economic boom in India has seen the demand for energy grow at an average of 3.6% per annum over the past 30 years. Canopus India provides solutions which aims to achieve a dual-purpose. It aims to identify sustainable technologies, develop innovative engineering design and delivery solutions to address the issue of wastewater treatment making it sustainable in terms of energy usage.

Canopus aims to achieve the highest standards in environmental safety and create value by employing green technologies and help our customers make the best use of their resources.

They are committed to:

* Delivering reliable, cost effective, environment friendly solutions for maximizing returns for our customers, while expanding our domain of operations globally.
* Reducing the pressure on non-renewable sources of energy by providing economical and renewable alternatives in terms of scalable and paradigm-changing technologies.
* Recognizing that people are our strength, and hence develop a work culture that realizes the potential of each individual and improve the quality of their lives and the society at large.
* Sharing values of integrity, professionalism, innovation and customer orientation.
* Reducing costs of operations for waste management by making them self sufficient in terms of energy.
* Improving public health with better disposable mechanisms.

A success story of Canopus India is the identification of Microbial Fuel Cells as a technology for decentralized wastewater treatment with electricity generation to address the above issue. They have developed a product, named LOCUS which stands for “Localized Operation of bio-Cells Using Sewage”, where they integrate a Microbial Fuel Cell with sewage treatment systems to treat wastewater and simultaneously generate electricity.

Technologies like LOCUS which focus on waste to energy conversion have a very important role to play in developing nations like ours. The delivery model of such systems emphasizes on taking into account the size of the industry or the population it is catering to. They first study the problem in depth ; analyze it deeply with the team of experts they have; identify the technologies which would solve the problem and then work diligently on cost cutting measures to make it affordable and easier to adopt. With such business models, they will be able to serve the small and medium scale industries which most often do not have facilities and expertise to solve the issues of waste management. They aim to use decentralized wastewater treatment plants at point of use, in residential and housing complexes in cities and urban villages to make the water reusable and recyclable for irrigation and other uses. In the end, they wish to make this technology cheap and affordable at our innovation centre – Cano-plex so that it can impact the bottom of the pyramid.

To commercialize their technology, Canopus has found that engineering design and scale that they want to achieve were very important issues. They need to think how to make it attractive for customers to use and give them value for their money. To achieve this, they have a model where each such solution is designed based on specific use of the customer. They include innovative pricing models like revenue saving sharing scheme to ensure that they earn, only when their customer saves. In domestic sector, the need itself is the biggest driver. If they have to solve the water issue; they must look at decentralized models of treatment and include technologies which are sustainable. Sustainability is their mantra for success.

Their solutions are applicable in other industries like pulp and paper industry, sugar, textile, food processing, oil and petroleum industries where wastewater is produced. Their end consumers are also municipalities who want to upgrade their infrastructure and housing complexes who want to have the clean tag, by taking measures to prevent water pollution.

Canopus is through the product conceptualization stage and they are now actively pursuing product development and are aiming to have the product tested at a commercial scale by May, 2011.

On behalf of Acara, I wish them all the best and hope they will success in their social business!

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Last November, the two countries agreed to enhance cooperation in the area as part of efforts to address climate change and generate new sources of growth. Chu said it is important for the international community to work closely in the development of technologies for nuclear power reactors and nuclear fuel recycling

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As a measure in that direction, the directorate of mines (DoM) will be vested with the task of identifying areas in mining processes where energy savings and emission reduction can be achieved.

While emphasis will be given on exploring cleaner technologies and best practices in coal mining, a study is proposed to be taken up to find out the potential of coal bed methane in coalfields of the state, official sources said.

A separate coal evacuation plan will be put in place for Talcher and Ib valley coalfields.

Similarly, an environmental restoration fund (ERF) is proposed to be constituted taking contributions from the mining houses.

A mechanism will be devised to implement a system of compensatory water harvesting and storage around mining clusters by the concerned mines and efforts will be made to protect and restore water harvesting structures in the catchment of the mining intensive areas.

Besides, the government proposes to take up a regional hydrological survey for mining clusters of Joda-Barbil, Koira, Talcher-Angul, Ib valley, Sukinda valley areas, limestone and dolomite belts and eastern ghat bauxite zones.

The draft action plan prepared by the sectoral group on mining also proposes to conduct studies to identify the potential of beneficiation of low grade iron ore, manganese, graphite and chrome ore.

It also seeks to leverage the best practices in metal mining for fighting the impacts of climate change.

Source: www.business-standard.com