Technology

While the Peruvian Energy and Mining Investment Supervisory Board (OSINERGMIN) will do the same in Spain. Both institutions – the Peruvian entity and Spain’s National Renewable Energy Centre (Cener) – have signed a “collaboration agreement” by which they agree to conduct “joint energy studies as well as different activities to promote renewables in both countries”.

The Valencia-iGEM team, comprising scientists and students from several universities in Valencia, have developed a biological system to disinfect contaminated water. The system was developed within the field of synthetic biology and has biological parts that replace the electronic ones. The configuration needs 60 to 80 W of electrical power to operate, which are obtained from solar photovoltaic modules donated by the company Eurener.

The engineering division of the Spanish multinational invested over €10 million in research, development and innovation last year, according to data released by the company in mid-January.

A pilot plant in Babilafuente (Salamanca), construction underway of an industrial-scale facility in Hugoton (Kansas), and now selection by the Brazilian Development Bank (BNDES) to produce second-generation ethanol from sugar cane biomass. Abengoa is committed to second-generation biofuels, as is Brazil, where some experts forecast a surge in ethanol output and exports after the United States lifted its import duties.

The Basque multinational has announced the opening of its first blade plant on the Asian subcontinent. The aim is to for the plant to produce blades for Gamesa’s G5X-850 kW and G9X-2.0 MW wind turbine systems. Gamesa plans to reinforce its position in India – a country which it sees as strategic to its growth plans – through the opening of this plant.

At the beginning of January, Red Electrica de España (Spain’s grid operator) published details of the electricity system during 2011. It was a year which saw contracting demand, which fell 1.2%, 33% of which was covered by renewable energy. With regard to clean energy sources, two facts stand out: a record high for wind output in November and the growth in solar generation.

“Rail chargers” have been born. Antonio González Marín, the President of Spain’s Railway Infrastructures Administrator (ADIF), and Ángel Luis Serrano Serrano, President of Isofotón and Vice President of Affirma, have signed a non-exclusive marketing agreement for the “rail charger” system (known in Spanish as “Ferrolinera”) for a period of three years, setting forth the formulae for cooperating to roll out this system in Spain and abroad.

They are like sunflowers. Throughout the day they follow the sun and allow light to be focused when, how and where needed to illuminate or provide heat in a home or office. The clever device has been invented by the company Solar MEMS Technologies.

A project developed by Ainia Centro Tecnológico leverages two of the by-products from the production of biogas (the digestate resulting from anaerobic digestion and the CO2 from combustion) to grow microalgae. In turn, the microalgae serve as a feedstock for the biogas plant. Researchers at this technology centre in Paterna (Valencia) highlight that this technique improves the efficiency, profitability and sustainability of such facilities.

The Basque Energy Agency (EVE) and the Institute for Energy Diversification and Saving (IDAE) have just agreed to create a new public company that will own Bimep, the infrastructure for marine energy research located in Armintza in the municipality of Lemoiz (Bizkaia). The facility will be the first of its kind in Spain and the second in Europe.