AW-Energy Launching Pilot Wave Project in Portugal
AW-Energy, the Finnish wave energy developer, is launching its pilot project in Peniche (Portugal) in October this year. The goal of the project is to demonstrate its Wave Roller technology on a significant scale, including the manufacture and deployment of the first grid connected 300 kW WaveRoller unit. The deployment, which has a one year test period, is scheduled for the summer of 2011.
"The key difference between the demonstration unit and commercial scale unit is the nominal capacity. The demo focuses on validating our results from the prototype testing, CFD simulations and tank testing." explains John Liljelund, the new CEO of AW-Energy. "After the demon
Finnish Electric Vehicle Industry Speeds Up
The revolution on transportation industry starts speeding up also in Finland and other Nordic countries. Electricity, if produced by renewable energy (like wind, solar, hydro or nuclear power), could provide the needed low emission power source for transportation industry.
Earlier this summer, Swedish Volvo and state-owned Vattenfall launched a joint venture for plug-in hybrids to market by 2012: the target is to develop a hybrid car for households which could be charged from a common household electric outlet in about five hours ( a press release). On May, City of Copenhagen and Better Place launched a plan to build up an electric vehicle pilot project with electric-car reharging infrastructure (with battery-switching stations) in Copenhagen Region (a press release). US based Better Place has been partnered globally with Renault-Nissan and will create a battery-switching station network allowing drivers to charge with five minutes.
Swedish Smart Grid Hexaformer Closed 2nd Round
For a cleantech view in 2009/10, economic stimulus packages have moved to centre stage. USD 396 bln in stimulus funding is going to green investments announced by G20 countries, of this about 50 % of amount will be invested in 2009, according to Cleantech Group (an article). Interestingly, many areas formerly called "infrastructure" have been now rebranded as "green" (like for instance electric transmission lines, smart grid and metering, power system automation)!
Swedish electric transformer company Hexaformer is an excellent case example for a company benefit from the ongoing "green" or electric infrastructure opportunities (when the old technology or ageing infrastructure in many countries, especially in the US, require updating). The company, founded in 2004, closed second round of EUR 3.3 million last week backed by Swedish cleantech investor Sustainable Technologies Fund and the first round investor, Innovations Kapital (which invested EUR 3,3 in May 2007) (a press release).
