News Briefs
Australia eyes a piece of the sun An Australian company is planning rents that create a powerful continto build the world’s tallest tower to uous updraft and spin 32 wind turharvest the continent’s abundant bines to generate the electricity. solar energy. On August 14, federal The technology was originally industry minister Ian Macfarlane anconceived by German structural ennounced that the project had been gineer Jorg Schlaich, a founding granted “major project facilitation” partner of the Stuttgart-based comstatus, which designates the project pany Schlaich, Bergermann, and as one with national Partner (SBP). SBP is significance and enknown for innovasures a streamlined tive designs, includdecision-making ing both the Munich process for construcand Montreal tion. The solar tower Olympic stadiums would be one of the and Ting Kau Bridge Image not largest single generain Hong Kong. For tors of renewable enthe solar tower, available for ergy, its developers Schlaich expanded use on the claim, and should on a French idea Web. help the Australian first published 100 government meet its years ago in an artiambitious renewable cle on energy sysenergy targets. tems, according to The tower will proSBP spokesman duce 200 megawatts Wolfgang Schiel. (MW) of electricity, Schlaich used his exenough to power pertise in building around 200,000 homes, its developtelevision and cooling towers to deers claim. Standing 1 kilometer (km) velop the idea. high, it will cost an estimated U.S. Between 1982 and 1989, SBP $431 million. Invest Australia, the tested the concept with a pilot national investment agency, will plant in Manzanares, Spain, which work with the developers to faciliconsistently generated 50 kW with a tate the project with funding and 200-meter tall steel tower, says other aspects, according to Kirsty Schiel. “At the time the pilot plant Boazman, a spokesperson for the inwas built, the oil crisis was fresh in dustry ministry. people’s minds and alternative enAustralia is an ideal location for ergy systems were very high on the the tower because of the country’s agenda,” he adds. “But the tower high solar radiation levels, geologi[had to wait for commercial develcal stability, and low land costs, opment] because energy became says EnviroMission, the Australian relatively cheap and available and developers that licensed the techthe need for alternative investnology from Energen Global Inc., a ments in new technology became U.S. company. The government’s less pressing. However, now renewable energy target requires Australia has defined a market for electricity retailers to supply 9500 renewable energy and is encouraggigawatts (GW) per year from reing investment in renewables.” newable sources by 2010, and the EnviroMission hopes to start tower would generate about 650 building the tower at Buronga, New GW-hours per year. South Wales in early 2003 with The tower will be constructed of completion in 2005–2006; SBP will concrete for cost and durability and act as consulting engineers. SBP have a “skirt” with a 3.5-km radius. has also formed a joint venture The approximately 30 ˚C temperawith the German company Solar ture difference between the air Millennium, which is seeking suitunder the skirt and the top of the able sites for a 100-MW unit in tower will generate convection curnorthern Africa. —MARIA BURKE
Methane hydrates, the frozen natural gas deposits that scientists believe hold promise as an energy source, are forming far more quickly than previously believed, according to a group of scientists who explored their formation with funding from the National Science Foundation. The scientists found that the hydrates were forming “very rapidly” in an area known as Hydrate Ridge off the coast of Oregon, says Mata Torres of Oregon State University. The U.S. Geological Survey estimates that the amount of carbon bound in gas hydrates is twice the amount of carbon in all known fossil fuels on earth. One of the goals of the program is to help scientists improve their understanding of the volume of hydrates hidden beneath the ocean floor. The research was conducted through the international Ocean Drilling Program. The first U.S. commercial hydrogen fueling station will be sited in an unlikely place, announced AltFuel Solutions, the company that is planning to build it near Cleveland, Ohio. Although the Midwestern state is not widely known for its alternative vehicles, it launched a $100 million initiative this past May to spur the development of projects that would support a hydrogen infrastructure. AltFuel earned a grant from the state this month for its innovative design, which calls for the station to generate hydrogen by reforming natural gas. Some of the electricity needed to run the station will come from a fuel cell powered by excess hydrogen, while a bank of solar cells on the station’s roof will provide additional power. The facility will also dispense natural gas, according to Eric Christiansen, AltFuel’s program director, who says that the company is trying to reach an agreement with the operator of a fleet of natural gas vehicles. AltFuel says the station could open in early 2004.
NOVEMBER 1, 2002 / ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
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