Coca-Cola bottles cool in emissions-free machines

The Coca-Cola Company, in partnership with Greenpeace, has committed to make all its new vending machines and coolers hydrofluorocarbon-free by 2015.

By using hydrofluorocarbon-free refrigeration, Coca-Cola would be able to reduce its equipment’s direct greenhouse gas emissions by 99 percent. The elimination of hydrofluorocarbons in the commercial refrigeration industry would be equivalent to the elimination of annual emissions of Germany or Japan.

Coca-Cola’s new green commitment will help influence the commercial refrigeration market to shy away from using hydrofluorocarbons. The company has already invested more than $50 million in research and development to accelerate the use of climate-friendly cooling technologies.

Next year, Coca-Cola and its bottling partners will purchase a minimum of 150,000 units of hydrofluorocarbon-free equipment, doubling the current rate of purchase to meet its goal to buy 50 percent of all new coolers and vending machines without hydrofluorocarbons by 2012.

The company has approximately 10 million coolers and vending machines worldwide, making up the largest element of Coca-Cola’s total climate impact.

Hydrofluorocarbon-free equipment
As a result of the company’s commitment to use hydrofluorocarbon-free equipment, carbon emission reductions will exceed 52.5 million metric tons over the lifetime of the equipment – the equivalent of removing 11 million cars from the road for one year.

Because of Coca-Cola’s supply chain engagement, a major supplier already intends to build a dedicated carbon dioxide compressor production facility to help meet the increasing demand for hydrofluorocarbon-free cooling options across the industry.

“At Coca-Cola, we are deploying our scale and working with suppliers to deliver cost effective alternatives to HFC, for us and for others,” said Rick Frazier, vice president of supply chain for the Coca-Cola Company.

The new green initiative is a direct result of the collaboration with Greenpeace that began in 2000. Greenpeace has urged Coca-Cola to use hydrofluorocarbon-free equipment for the Olympics. By the Torino Games in 2006 and the Beijing Games in 2008, the company was using all hydrofluorocarbon-free technology at Olympic venues.

“Large enterprises have both an opportunity and responsibility to change the game and Coca-Cola’s action leaves no excuse for other companies not to follow,” remarked Kumi Naidoo, executive director of Greenpeace International.

In addition to its refrigeration gas commitment, Coca-Cola also developed a proprietary energy management system that provides energy savings of up to 35 percent.

The beverage bottler is listed on the New York Stock Exchange.

0 comments RSS Posted by Krasugir & Co at 3:30 AM

US, Italy to cooperate on carbon capture and storage

greenhouse gas, from power plants in order to mitigate the plants’ contribution to global warming. Image sourced from STOCKXPERT.
The US and Italy yesterday signed a bilateral agreement to cooperate in advancing carbon capture and storage ( CCS ) or technologies in each country.

The agreement was signed during both countries’ attendance in the Group of Eight industrialized nations’ Energy Ministers Meeting hosted by Italy.

In their agreement, the US and Italy vowed to further the development of technologies needed to limit carbon dioxide emissions from coal-fired power plants.

Several Italian universities and research centers have been identified for collaboration, according to the Department of Energy (DOE). The Energy department’s own National Energy Technology Laboratory will lead the US’s partnership efforts on CCS, also called clean coal.

CCS refers to the capture of carbon dioxide, the most potent greenhouse gas, from power plants in order to mitigate the plants’ contribution to global warming.

Under their clean coal partnership, Italy and the US will cooperate on the areas of power generation processes, advanced coal gasification technologies, power system simulations, and characterizing subsurface carbon sequestration potential.

The collaboration is expected to lead to the initiation of “experimental” technologies. Development of CCS technologies could reduce the cost and allow for faster implementation in heavily coal dependent nations, the DOE said.

“To prevent the worst effects of climate change, we must accelerate our efforts to capture and store carbon in a safe and cost-effective way. This agreement between the Department of Energy and Italy’s Ministry of Economic Development will play an important role in advancing the development and commercial deployment of CCS technologies in the years ahead,” Energy Sec. Steven Chu said.

The G8 Energy Ministers Meeting which began yesterday and ends today in Rome, tasks ministers to “define the rules and principles for a new world energy leadership” and make partnerships for the development of low-carbon energy systems.



US, Italy to cooperate on carbon capture and storage

0 comments RSS Posted by Krasugir & Co at 8:23 AM

Pumping Carbon Dioxide to Generate Power and More

A new study administered recently by Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory appears to show that by pumping carbon dioxide through hot rocks two different positive effects can be realized. First, this method has the ability to generate power, which has obvious effects in regards to the currentthe current modes of producing power. In addition to this advantageous result, by propelling the carbon dioxide through the hot rock, these dangerous greenhouse gases that are produced by fossil fuel power stations may be absorbed.

Karsten Pruess, the hydro-geologist at Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory who carried out this studied, claims that "carbon dioxide could theoretically boost the amount of energy produced by hydrothermal plants by 50% or more...." and that "the technique could be used to dispose of the carbon dioxide produced by conventional power plants, which contributes to global warming."

In order to take control of the geothermal power, heat must be extracted from below the surface of the Earth. This new method being studied by Pruess can extract this heat more efficiently than the current method, which involves water being pumped through the hot rocks and subsequently being extracted again.

Pruess' hypothesis prior to utilizing the Soultz hydrothermal plant located in northwest France was that his method would be more resourceful than the plant's method of pumping water. Though he was not completely confident in this hypothesis prior to commencing the study, he learned that it is beneficial to take risks and attempt new solutions.

On top of the fact that driving carbon dioxide through the hot rocks produces more energy by up to 50 percent, it also necessitates less energy to be used in undertaking the process. This is due to the fact that the hot gas in the exit hole of the rocks is less impenetrable than the cooler gas at the entry, subsequently meaning reduced pumping would need to be done because of this density. Overall, this novel idea appears to be a win-win situation regarding the proposal of a new form of renewable energy.

Let us also look to the second aspect of absorbing the dangerous greenhouse gas that carbon dioxide is. According to Pruess' study, it seems to be inevitable that some amount of the gas would seep into the rock, storing the carbon dioxide. Although this seems like it would be an extreme positive, Robert Pine of the Camborne School of Mines in the United Kingdom thinks there could be some adverse affects from this.

His take on it is this: "While carbon dioxide is unlikely to escape from such traps, rock fractures, which are common in regions used for hydrothermal operations, could allow gas to leak out. Using gas fields might be better, but because they aren't very hot you would have to go very deep to get to the heat."

So, although he still appears to, in general, advocate the idea that Pruess has proprosed, in his opinion there are precautions that should be taken to ensure the most advantageous results from the new method.


Pumping Carbon Dioxide to Generate Power…and More - Green Energy Online

0 comments RSS Posted by Krasugir & Co at 7:25 AM

Salty Water In Fresh Water Out

In many poor, third world countries, even having the resources to obtain electricity presents a problem. Due to the lack of logistics, as well as the finances even if all of the logistics were in place, alternate methods are necessary in order
to have the basics that those in more financially fortunate areas of the world have.

A recent development at Delft University of Technology (TU Delft) in the Netherlands is a basic windmill that operates a pump, in turn utilizing reverse osmosis to output fresh water from the salty seawater that is put in. Reverse osmosis is

a process used to purify concentrated solutions (often water with high levels of dissolved salts) in which pressure is applied to the more concentrated (or contaminated) solution on one side of a semipermeable membrane. The result is the movement of solvent, but not solutes, from the more concentrated side to the more dilute side, thus separating clean solvent from the concentrated solution.

So, basically, in laymens terms, reverse osmosis purifies the salt filled sea water so that it is able to be used for drinking water. This development by Delft University is a critical advancement for small villages located in arid areas near the coast.

Using windmills for desalination is nothing new. These contraptions have previously been utilized and have been marketed already. The windmills on the market currently use wind to produce electricity, and then store that electricity in order to begin the process of reverse osmosis. Due to the expensive nature of this, as well as the fact that energy depletes during the procedure, TU Delft contrived a method that is a bit different. Their technique is more energy and economically efficient.

Their method, unlike the others, runs directly on wind power. The middle step of storing the electricity has been completely eradicated from the equation. By storing water (which is more cost-effective than the electricity storage), calm periods, when there is no wind, are not as dire of an issue.

The windmills that are in use for this process are slow-moving and strong. The estimations that have been done up to this point on the windmills in question gauge them to be able to provide drinking water for a small village of around five hundred people. This is not per week, or per month. These estimates are on a per day basis through the reverse osmosis process of one windmill. University of Delft is aware that an emergency supply needs to be in place to consume during the inevitable calm periods when the windmill is not able to use the wind power to operate the reverse osmosis procedure.

The first test run for this new development is set for the beginning of March, in which the windmill that has been operating near Delft will be dismantled and relocated to Curacao. The prospects of this succeeding will be monumental for villagers who lack fresh irrigation and who have to employ manual techniques to obtain any semblance of drinkable water. The economical aspect, along with the quicker, machine-operated abilities villagers will now have to acquire such a basic need, will surely have colossal effects on poorer, third world countries.

Salty Water In...Fresh Water Out - Green Energy Online

0 comments RSS Posted by Krasugir & Co at 7:20 AM

Waste Plastic to Oil Conversion Process Produces Oil for Less than $10 barrel

Envion Inc. is leading the charge towards a green future with the introduction of a revolutionary plastic-to-oil conversion technology. The Envion Oil Generator(TM) (EOG) is a first-of-its-kind technology that converts any type of plastic waste into high quality, synthetic light medium oil for less than $10 per barrel.

Envion introduced its first market-ready commercial unit at a demonstration held at the Montgomery County Solid Waste Transfer Station in Derwood, Maryland today. Montgomery County Executive Isiah Leggett joined Envion Chairman and CEO Michael S. Han for a demonstration of the process.

“The Envion Oil Generator(TM) provides a revolutionary solution to the problem of plastic waste by transforming it from an environmental hazard into a sustainable, renewable energy source,” said Han. “The market for our technology is vast, and it provides municipalities with a solution that cuts costs.”

As a petroleum-based product, plastic contains a huge amount of stored energy that literally goes to waste with conventional disposal methods. Envion’s innovative technology reclaims that energy and provides it in a form that is immediately commercially viable: oil.

Through Envion’s proprietary technology, one ton of waste plastic can be converted into approximately four 42-gallon barrels of high quality, synthetic light to medium oil. This oil is a refined and 99% sediment free product that can be used to produce gasoline, diesel fuel, jet fuel and kerosene.

“About eight percent of world crude oil production is used to manufacture plastic,” Han added. “The Envion Oil Generator(TM) uses a closed loop, catalyst-free system to take plastic and convert it back into oil safely, efficiently and economically.”

Each individual unit can process up to 10,000 tons of plastic waste annually, generating as much as 50,000 barrels of oil. With full national deployment, the Envion Oil Generator(TM) could generate over 150,000,000 barrels of oil each year in the United States alone. Additionally, the EOG is capable of processing all types of plastic waste, thus reducing the time and cost of sorting plastic by type.

Envion’s innovative approach provides a comprehensive solution that has the potential to remove plastic waste from landfills, freeing up the estimated 24% of capacity that plastic occupies in landfills. The United States produces approximately 50 million tons of plastic waste per year, the vast majority of which ends up taking up space in landfills. With the ability of a single EOG to eliminate 10,000 tons of plastic per year, at a cost of $17 per ton, the Envion Oil Generator is a cost effective alternative to the $70-$200 cost range of landfill disposal. Additionally, according to the EPA recycling programs process only 6.8% of plastic waste and are also not as cost effective, costing between $50 and $150 per ton of plastic recycled.

The Envion process uses a proprietary technology to convert plastic into energy without the need for fossil fuel combustion. The technology is cost effective because it requires only minimal energy input and is fully automated allowing the facility to operate with only two operators.

Envion is expected to have multiple EOGs in full operation within months, with orders coming in from the United States and Internationally. Envion’s EOG is a shovel-ready, green technology that is sustainable and poised to reshape the renewable energy industry, offering a cost-effective solution for local municipalities to safely and efficiently manage their plastic waste.

“Given the shortage of sustainable plastic waste disposal alternatives, Envion is uniquely poised to capitalize on the substantial benefits of licensing its groundbreaking technology,” continued Han. “Envion’s products and services are specifically designed to be sustainable, renewable, and scalable with rapid delivery using cost-effective and efficient supply chains and applying just-in-time manufacturing to minimize inventories.”

About Envion Inc.

Envion was founded by Michael S. Han in January of 2004, alongside a group of seasoned and highly regarded executives with extensive track records of success in the energy, technology, and finance industries, as well as the public sector.

Envion has developed and created a first-of-its-kind plastic waste to oil conversion platform and is actively manufacturing, marketing, and licensing its proven technology for the U.S. market, with potential international expansion. The Envion process of plastic waste reuse addresses a host of issues ranging from plastic waste management, the landfill capacity crisis, petroleum reserve depletion/fossil fuel conservation, greenhouse gas emissions, and overall reduction of the world’s carbon footprint. The senior management of Envion is actively engaged and invested in providing a comprehensive, commercially viable solution to a number of the greatest environmental and resource management challenges facing the world today. The Company’s principal activities focus on production, as well as ongoing R&D dedicated to advancing the efficiency and range of applications of the Envion technology. More information can be found at www.envion.com.

SOURCE Envion Inc

Waste Plastic to Oil Conversion Process Produces Oil for Less than $10 barrel

0 comments RSS Posted by Krasugir & Co at 8:36 AM