wiredinUSA August 2014

INDEX

Ismail Jaber

Australian energy project developer Epuron is to expand its existing 1MWUterne solar power project in Alice Springs by a further 3.1MW, using project finance from the clean energy finance corporation (CEFC). Epuron will become one of the largest solar power installations in the country, exceeded only by a 10MW plant in Western Australia and projects currently under construction at Nyngan (102MW) and Broken Hill (53MW). The existing Uterne 1 plant is producing over 2,300MWh of electricity per year, representing about one percent of Alice Springs’ electricity requirements annually, and can meet in excess of two percent of peak power demand. Uterne 2 is expected to provide three times more output than the current facility and will use trackers to follow the path of the sun. Both projects are supported by long-term power purchase agreements with the Northern Territory utility Power and Water Corporation, and hence represent a relatively low commercial risk. More power to the project

Debar for rebar

The Egyptian industrial development authority (IDA) has asked the ministry of industry and foreign trade to remove rebar manufacture from its list of energy-intensive industries. Removing it would enable the IDA to approve the expansion of rebar rolling mills without seeking approval from the supreme council of energy (SCE). Ismail Jaber, head of the IDA, said the technical studies conducted by the authority concluded that rebar is not a high energy consumption industry, and thus there should be no need for requests to be presented to the SCE for approval in order to establish rolling rebar mills. Jaber pointed out that IDA studies on the steel and cement market in Egypt showed themarket needs threemillion tons of rebar and nearly 20 million tons of cement from now to 2020 tomeet growing demand. This is expected to increase with government plans for expansion in infrastructure projects. Jaber said that other steel factories, which require large quantities of energy to operate furnaces, will remain on the list of high energy consumption industries.

ASIA / AFRICA NEWS

wiredInUSA - August 2014

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