Nile River Squabble Hampers Hydropower Project
Disagreements over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam raised doubts over future talks about Africa’s biggest hydropower project as Ethiopia shunned a proposal that gives Egypt rights to most of the Nile River’s water. While Egypt, on the other hand, has raised concerns that the 6,000 MW project will reduce the flow of the Nile. The Nile provides almost all of Egypt’s water. The $4.2 billion dam will sit on the Blue Nile River, which is the main tributary of the River Nile. A resolution for the impasse has yet to be reached.
Columbia Suspends Coal Loading by 2nd-Biggest Supplier on Spill Measures
Drummond Co.’s coal shipments from Columbia, Europe’s 2nd-biggest supplier, to international customers have been banned until the producer completes mandatory port enhancements to avoid spills. Columbia introduced the new rules Jan.1 requiring suppliers to load coal directly onto ships. Coal prices in Europe have already risen by 3.6 percent as Drummond was forced to stop loading coal at its Caribbean port until a conveyor belt system is built to replace the current barges and cranes system.
California’s Solar Rooftop Capacity Doubled in Just One Year
As 2013 came to an end, California has announced that it added 1,000 megawatts of solar rooftop capacity, up from an already notable 500 MW in 2012. The impressive surge demonstrates that solar energy is both in-demand and affordable. The sharp decline in PV prices over the past decade largely contributes to solar’s popularity. California now boasts more rooftop solar systems than any other state. At California’s current rate, Solar Industry Magazine estimates that California’s rooftop solar capacity will balloon to 5,000 MW by 2014.
China Approves Increase in Coal Mining Projects
Last 2013, China gave approval to 15 large coal mining projects that is expected to produce more than 100 million tons of coal per year. The development will lead to a 3 percent growth in coal production, even as the country earlier announced plans to reduce air pollution in populated areas such as Beijing. Government officials say that they can achieve both goals of increasing coal production and reduce pollution in major cities by closing outdated coal plants and creating huge coal bases in remote regions of northwestern China. The generated electricity will then be transferred to grids across China’s central and eastern regions.
