”China’s coal sector has made remarkable progress over the last decade, fuelling rapid economic growth and bringing a better quality of life for China’s citizens”, said Nobuo Tanaka, Executive Director of the International Energy Agency (IEA), today in Beijing at the launch of the new publication, Cleaner Coal in China. Mr. Tanaka noted that China’s coal production now provides more energy to the global economy than the whole of Middle Eastern crude oil production, emphasising that the use of coal on such a scale cannot be ignored. “While we welcome China’s important contribution to global energy supply security, it is in everyone’s interest to ensure that the environmental concerns associated with coal can be managed, even in these times of economic uncertainty”.

Policy action to widen use of cleaner coal technologies

Growing energy demand and the cost of alternatives mean that global coal use is rising, despite growing concern about its environmental impacts, including climate change. Coal accounts for about 70 percent of primary energy consumption in China. “The speed and scale of China’s expanding coal use have brought a new urgency to deploying the full range of clean coal technologies, from those that reduce sulphur dioxide and dust emissions, to more advanced technologies with higher efficiency and the potential to substantially reduce carbon dioxide emissions”, said Mr. Tanaka. Examples of all these technologies exist in China:

• half of China’s coal-fired power generation capacity is fitted with flue gas desulphurisation (FGD).
• the 4 000 MW Yuhuan power plant sets a new global benchmark for the efficiency of coal-fired power plants.
• one of the world’s first pilot demonstrations of CO2 capture from a coal-fired power plant is located on the outskirts of Beijing.

“China already has most of the technologies the world has to offer. It just needs to use them more effectively and more widely”, Mr. Tanaka affirmed. To do this, more and better-trained people are needed across the coal sector: to adapt technologies to local circumstances; to build, install and operate new equipment; and to staff the independent regulatory authorities that oversee the whole process. Nowhere is this more important than in the administration of coal mine safety. Greater openness to international participation in China’s coal sector would bring improvements through the sharing of best management practices.

“In China’s increasingly open economy, competitive markets must be the primary means of ensuring that resources are used efficiently and cleanly”. Mr. Tanaka said. “Experience in many countries shows this requires well-regulated markets with competition among many players – large and small, domestic and foreign. Environmental benefits come when players see a competitive advantage in being cleaner.” Wider adoption of the “polluter pays” principle would create a market demand for clean technologies and bring down manufacturing and operating costs.

The IEA report states that China and other coal-using nations, despite progress, face persistent difficulties in using coal more cleanly. It is the task of governments to overcome these difficulties and that means strengthening agencies to implement soundly based environmental, health and safety policies. “China’s existing environmental laws are well designed”, Mr. Tanaka emphasised, “but, they need to be better implemented.” Delegation of powers to lower levels of Chinese government, coupled with greater accountability is what the report recommends. He pointed out that immediate and sustainable improvements, for example to local air quality, would flow from the adoption of well-proven technologies and management practices along the entire coal supply chain.

Co-operating on a new generation of cleaner coal technologies

“New technologies are needed worldwide. China’s role in developing them is critical”, Mr. Tanaka declared. Commercial activity, official government-to-government co-operation, R&D partnerships and professional relationships are all needed to make low-carbon energy a reality. Recommendations made in the report offer opportunities for China to grasp, but only if developed countries move quickly to establish markets for technologies that are currently too expensive and not fully demonstrated, such as carbon dioxide capture and storage.“China has the opportunity to lead in the development of cleaner coal technologies in response to a growing, global market for clean energy”, Mr. Tanaka said.

Finally, Mr. Tanaka urged governments and corporations to accelerate their efforts in working with China and shaping a cleaner future for all.

Our reporter, Simon McBride spoke exclusively with GM Vice Chairman Bob Lutz about green technology, the economic dowturn and the future for General Motors.

To find out more read the full interview by following the link: Bob Lutz interview.

The new i MiEV (Mitsubishi Innovative Electric Vehicle) is coming soon and is set to revolutionise the way you think about cars.

Driving pleasure, safety, and environment-friendliness are the goals for the near future that Mitsubishi Motors strives for as a manufacturer. i MiEV is a research vehicle filled with Mitsubishi Motors’ innovative technologies including high-capacity lithium-ion batteries and a high performance compact motor to name but a few.

In conjunction with power companies, Mitsubishi Motors has been conducting joint research programs and fleet monitoring tests using the i MiEV , collecting field test data to improve the EV for future commercial application.

Based in the i’s rear-midship layout platform, i MiEV replaces the conventional engine and fuel tank with a lithium-ion battery system, motor, inverter and other EV components. i MiEV ensures ample cabin space for up to 4 passengers, along with a good size luggage compartment in the rear. The installation of batteries under the floor lowers the centre of gravity, providing a more stable and dynamic drive. The target range with a single charge was 160km for fleet test vehicles in 2007.

i MiEV can be charged in several different ways: the Household Charger System for charging at home or a parking lot and the Quick Charger System for speedy charging. The Household Charger System will charge the i MiEV from either a 100V or 200V ordinary plug located on the right side of the vehicle. Using less expensive midnight power, i MiEV can be charged economically in as little as 7 hours on a 200V system.

With the Quick Charger System, i MiEV could be charged via a Quick Charger plug located on the left side of the vehicle. Using a 3-phase 200V 50kW Quick Charger System, i MiEV could be charged to 80% peak in as little as 30 minutes.

The California Air Resources Board (ARB) has finally released its proposed regulation for a Low Carbon Fuel Standard with the public now given 45 days to review the proposals and provide comments.

The regulation outlines two performance standards that fuel producers and importers must meet each year beginning in 2011. The first is for petroleum and alternative fuels that can replace it and the second is for diesel fuel and its replacements.

The aim is to achieve an average 10 per cent in the carbon intensity of the mix transportation fuels by 2020. It is expected to result in around 16 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emission reductions by 2020.

To help the transition more reductions are required in the last five years than during the first five years so that advanced fuels can be developed that are lower in carbon than today’s offerings. It is also expected that plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, electric cars, fuel cell cars and flexible fuel vehicles will have more of an impact over time.

Providers of transportation fuels must demonstrate that the mix of fuels they supply meet the intensity standards for each annual compliance period. They must report all fuels provided and track the carbon intensity through credits and deficits – credits are generated from fuels with lower carbon intensity than the standard while deficits come from the use of fuels with higher carbon density than the standard.

The item will be considered at a meeting on April 23.

While the AA and RMIF call for the introduction of a car scrapping scheme here in the UK, not everyone believes that scrapping an older car and replacing it with a new fuel efficient model is all that ‘green’.

Plans to introduce a scrapping incentive similar to one in place in Germany are now before the Treasury. While some studies have suggested that the energy required to recycle an older vehicle and produce a new one outweighs the carbon savings of driving a less fuel hungry car.

Currently Germany offers 2500 Euros to new car buyers when they scrap an existing vehicle over nine years of age. However the Environmental Transport Association has criticised the German scheme as it does not take into account the C02 emissions of the replacement car, so in theory a motorists could scrap a 1999 Volkswagen Lupo TDi 3L, (81g CO2/km) and buy a 2009 Porsche Cayenne Turbo (358g CO2/km) and still receive the taxpayer-funded payment.

European industry ministers are expected to discuss the financial crisis affecting the European car industry and look at scrapping schemes to stimulate the market. 

A spokesperson for the Environmental Transport Association (ETA) said: “Car scrapping schemes are good for boosting new car sales – they have very little to do with the environment and to suggest otherwise is misleading.”

German campaigning organisation VCD has been encouraging members of the public to scrap an old car, but request a subsidy towards a rail season ticket or a new bicycle instead. ETA report that so far over 5000 people have taken part and sent applications to the government, which has responded by threatening legal action!

What do you think? Should the UK introduce a scrappage incentive with the proviso that they buy a green car? Or is a scrapping incentive completely a bad idea?

A new industrial activism was today placed at the heart of the UK Government’s emerging Low Carbon Industrial Strategy as new figures showed the UK green goods and services sector is already the 6th biggest in the world.

PM Gordon Brown, Peter Mandelson and Ed Miliband met business leaders today at a Low Carbon Industrial Summit in London to map out the UK’s industrial priorities for taking advantage of the new global low carbon economy – currently estimated to be worth £3 trillion globally and employing over 880,000 people in the UK.
A pamphlet published today, ‘Low Carbon Industrial Strategy: a Vision’, highlights a range of companies in the UK already taking advantage of low carbon opportunity and sets out the scope and ambition of the Government’s plans. Businesses and others with an interest are asked for their input through a new interactive website to inform a final Strategy to be published before the summer.

Business Secretary Peter Mandelson said; “Low carbon is not a sector of our economy, it is, or will be, our whole economy, and a global market. Today we are asking what more needs to be done to ensure these changes benefit the UK economy, and what needs to be done to equip British companies to compete for low carbon business in Britain and overseas. A low carbon industrial strategy must seize the opportunities that will come with change. That requires a new industrial activism for a new green industrial revolution.”

Energy and Climate Change Secretary Ed Miliband said; “Tackling climate change doesn’t just make moral sense, it makes economic sense too.

“The shift to low carbon in the UK, and around the world is now largely inevitable. What is not inevitable is that Britain benefits industrially from the transition. We want to mobilise every bit of expertise and ingenuity that Britain has to offer.

“Moving to a low carbon economy is the way to secure the economic recovery and growth we need at home and take a lead internationally to protect the future of the planet.”

The Government’s Low Carbon Industrial Strategy will aim for step change in four key areas; energy efficiency to save businesses, consumers and the public services money, putting in place the energy infrastructure for the UK’s low carbon future – in renewables, nuclear, Carbon Capture and Storage and a ’smart’ grid, making the UK a global leader in the development and production of low carbon vehicles ensuring skills, infrastructure, procurement, research and development, demonstration and deployment policies make the UK the best place to locate and develop a low carbon business and make sure international business recognises that.

New independent research by Innovas published today entitled ‘Low Carbon and Environmental Goods and Services: an industry analysis’ shows that the UK is already the 6th largest low carbon and environmental goods and services (LCEGS) economy. It also showed that in 2007/8 it was worth £107 billion to the UK economy, and could grow by another £45billion over the next decade. While there are already over 880,000 jobs in the Low Carbon Environmental Goods and Services sector when the supply chain is included, an additional 400,000 jobs could be created in the next decade. The global market for the low carbon and environmental goods and services sector is estimated to be worth £3 trillion.

However not everyone is impressed by the government’s strategy. Nathan Argent, Greenpeace’s Senior Energy Solutions campaigner said; “Mandelson has talked of industrial activism and now is the time to show it in practice.

If this Government wants to create tens of thousands of British jobs and tackle fuel poverty, energy security and climate change in the fastest and most cost-effective way possible then they should invest in renewables and a serious energy efficiency programme.

With the best renewable energy resources and the worst housing stock in Europe, there is no better time to turn the recession crisis into an opportunity.”

This neat city car concept (pictured) hides a secret which could help automakers develop lighter and more compact electric cars.

The WILL hatchback is the first car to feature Michelin’s new Active Wheel, which integrates electric motor, brakes and suspension functions inside the wheel. The car is now under test in France. It has been developed by contract manufacturer Heuliez, and also acts as a showcase for the company’s capabilities.

Heuliez is best known for producing versions of Citroen and Peugeot cars – such as estate derivatives – where volumes are too low to justify full-scale production investment by the automaker.

Heuliez’s assembly plant in Cerizay, France, has the capacity to produce the car, and the company plans to build “several thousand vehicles” a year from 2010.

The Michelin Active Wheel allows automakers to make massive weight savings, as it allows them to do away with traditional engines, gearboxes and transmission shafts. It’s taken 12 years to develop, but the launch could be timely, with so many automakers looking to develop electric car programmes.

Inside the wheel there is a small electric motor, an electric suspension system and a brake disc. The Will has two Active Wheels, driving the front wheels, but a bigger car, or a performance-oriented vehicle could have four Active Wheels. French sports car maker Venturi is developing a coupe concept called the Volage, which will have four Active Wheels.

The wheel makes it possible to completely rethink the car, says Heuliez. There is no need for a gearbox, clutch, transmission shaft, differential or shock absorbers. The wheel also offers the possibility of a totally flat floor, maximising interior space and under-car aerodynamics, and also freeing up space inside the car for battery packs or fuel cells.

The WILL can seat five, it has luggage space at the front and rear, and the electric drivetrain offers a range of 150km with a lithium-ion battery pack.

Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles will have the only compact panel van in the UK to be powered by compressed natural gas (CNG) when the Caddy EcoFuel goes on sale this summer.  The larger Caddy Maxi EcoFuel, offering an extra 1.0 m³ of loadspace, will be introduced simultaneously as another practical, alternatively-fuelled choice for green-conscious van operators.

The greatest environmental benefit of using CNG as a fuel is the dramatic reduction of exhaust gases; for example, compared to the equivalent TDI engine carbon monoxide (CO) emissions are over 50 per cent lower, nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions are 97 per cent lower, and there are zero particulates.

The greatest environmental benefit of using CNG as a fuel is the dramatic reduction of exhaust gases; for example, compared to the equivalent TDI engine carbon monoxide (CO) emissions are over 50 per cent lower, nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions are 97 per cent lower, and there are zero particulates.

The engine can operate on biomethane, a sustainable fuel that is now becoming commercially available from renewable sources, or CNG, which is the same gas we use for our heating and cooking at home.  It also has a 13-litre petrol tank as a reserve, which is automatically and smoothly engaged should the gas supply run out.

Natural gas is a practical alternative fuel that is easy to use, with claims that there are enough natural gas reserves to last 70 to 100 years, compared to a predicted 40 years for oil.

The steel gas tanks do not intrude on the Caddy’s load volume of 3.2m³ as they are mounted beneath the vehicle.   Depending on how the Caddy EcoFuel is driven and the payload carried, the 26 kg capacity of gas offers a range of around 270 miles or, if combined with the petrol reserve, a range of over 350 miles.  This is more than adequate for most operators, and ideal for back-to-base fleets that are able to install an on-site CNG refuelling facility.  The Caddy Maxi EcoFuel’s larger gas tanks offer a range of 350 miles, plus 80 miles from the petrol tank – making a total of 430 miles.

As you would expect, the Caddy EcoFuel is designed and tested to be safe to use.  Comprehensive safety systems include extremely strong steel gas tanks which have proved to be heat-resistant and virtually indestructible in extreme testing.   In the event of an accident, electro-magnetic valves with triple protection prevent any gas escaping, which provide the same benefit if the vehicle were to be driven off while it is being refuelled.

Volkswagen builds the Caddy EcoFuel models in the same factory as the rest of the Caddy van range and they are sold with the identical three-year/100,000 mile warranty. This achieves a superior quality product than after-market conversions and includes benefits such as the gas filling point being fitted behind the fuel filler flap, plus an electronic fuel gauge display integrated into the dashboard instrument panel.

The innovative engine in the Caddy EcoFuel is a four-cylinder, 2.0-litre petrol unit which has been optimised to efficiently use CNG or petrol.  It has CO₂ emissions of 157 g/km, over 20 per cent lower than a conventional petrol engine.

It produces 109 PS and 118 lbs ft of torque at 3,500 rpm, with a five-speed manual transmission, and is able to go from a standstill to 62 mph in 13.8 seconds, before reaching a top speed of 105 mph.  There is no reduction of performance compared to the nearest equivalent conventionally-fuelled engine in the Caddy range, the 1.9-litre TDI PD, which delivers 104PS, 184 lbs ft of torque at 1,900 rpm, a 0-62 mph time of 13.3 seconds and top speed of 103 mph.

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There are two key benefits of operating a CNG-powered vehicle:

• Lower, cleaner emissions
• Reduced fuel costs (CNG is approximately 50 per cent less than diesel)

Throughout all the talk of ‘green cars’, it seems manufacturers have been primarily focusing on the fuels used to power the vehicles and have paid little attention to their overall manufacture. However, the ‘green car manufacturer of the year’ Toyota may be about to change that by making cars from… seaweed!

Now before you picture a vehicle akin to something on an episode of Spongebob Square Pants, the company is actually talking about a reconstituted-seaweed from a kelp-based bioplastic.

The vehicle is a variant of the company’s 1/X hybrid concept design which includes a super light body with carbon-fibre and plastic; and a small engine with 500cc petroleum power boosted by lithium-ion batteries.

The bioplastics used in the vehicle convert biomass into an oil-plastic alternative with crops such as corn starch and vegetable oil typically used. They have the advantage of being made from a renewable resource and can, depending on the material used, often be biodegradable so they don’t send unfriendly chemicals into the environment at the end of their lifespan.

The Toyota vehicle is still a concept but points towards the future of green cars as manufacturers continue to search for vehicles that offer more eco-credentials.

Car manufacturers hoping that Europe would present a unified aid package are being forced to think again as they attempt to stem the effects of a dramatic decline in demand across the Continent.

Regulators say they have no plans to propose a pan-European aid package but will decide quickly whether the bailout plans proposed by several governments comply with EU competition rules.

So far, aid packages have been proposed in several countries – France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Sweden and the UK all want to assist their car industries with France in particular coming under fire from regulators for making €6.5billion in low-interest loans available to car makers if they don’t close factories in France for the duration of the aid.

According to EU Competition Commissioner Neelie Kroes, there has been “close contact” with France and a solution is expected soon.

The EU has been in a difficult position as it attempts to preserve a level playing field for companies within the bloc. So far it has attempted to prevent distortions of competition but has largely been forced to clear countries’ plans.

According to Luc Chatel, France’s minister for consumer affairs and industry, France couldn’t wait any longer after its attempts to drum up support for a European aid package failed to get off the ground. He suggested its actions are not protectionist because they are open to all car makers on French soil.