La Chine oriente sa production énergétique autour des énergies renouvelables et du nucléaire, a affirmé le directeur de l'Administration nationale de l'énergie de la Chine, Zhang Guobao. 15% de la production énergétique chinoise en 2020 devrait être constituée d'énergies propres.
À l'occasion d'une entrevue accordée au quotidien China Daily la semaine dernière, Zhang Guobao a expliqué que l'atteinte de cet objectif sera rendue grâce à des investissements massifs du gouvernement chinois dans le cadre d'un plan qui s'étalera sur 10 ans.
Le directeur de l'ANE a cité le développement de l'énergie éolienne en exemple, rappelant que le potentiel énergétique lié à l'éolien pourrait s'établir à plus ou moins 2,6 milliards de KW, mais les installations actuelles ne détiennent qu'une capacité de 22 millions de KW.
Zangh a également souligné l'apport du nucléaire dans la stratégie nationale. À l'heure actuelle, 11 projets liés à l'énergie nucléaire sont en service ce qui représente un peu plus de 1% de la production d'énergie. Vingt-et-un nouveaux projets sont en construction.
Rappelons qu'en décembre dernier, lors du Sommet de Copenhague, le premier ministre chinois Wen Jiabao avait indiqué que l'Empire du Milieu désirait baisser ses émissions de gaz à effet de serre de 40% à 45% d'ici 2020 en comparaison de l'année 2005.
La Chine est le plus grand émetteur de CO2 de la planète en raison, entre autres choses, de sa dépendance au charbon qui représente toujours près de 70% de sa consommation énergétique, tandis que le pétrole, lui, représente 20%.
Source: China Daily, EIA
Monday, March 8, 2010
Forestry sector gets renewable power boost
Submitted by brett h on Mon, 03/08/2010 - 12:12.
Date: -->
Monday Mar 08, 2010
By
The Globe and Mail
Battling weak product prices and a strong loonie, Tembec Inc. chief executive officer Jim Lopez is eager to expand the company's ability to squeeze more value out of each tree felled to feed its operations.
With the sector in crisis across Canada, the federal government is encouraging companies to increase their investment in renewable power from forestry waste by establishing a $100-million fund and offering generous tax treatment.
The renewable power initiative - contained in last week's budget - was one of the few spending programs announced by Finance Minister Jim Flaherty. Mr. Lopez said federal action is critical to spur investment because companies have seen their balance sheets and creditworthiness hammered by the recession.
Now, the provinces have to step up to ensure that forestry companies have full access to their renewable power programs to ensure there is an attractive market for the electricity produced.
In addition to its sawmills and pulp and paper operations in Canada. Tembec runs three pulp mills in France, where government programs ensure the company can sell power into the grid at profitable rates.
"If we had the incentives in Canada that they have in France, it would be a game changer for our industry," Mr. Lopez said in an interview.
Tembec lost $214-million last year, and racked up another $9-million in losses in the first quarter of 2010. Mr. Lopez said the company is already producing power and ethanol from wood waste, but is eager to expand that business, utilizing trees tops and branches that are now simply burned in the forest.
"It's all about converting biomass into electrons," he said.
"And if the government is going to pay for the electrons, you might as well pay for them to be produced at a pulp and paper complex so that you improve the profitability of the complex and keep it viable for the long term."
While the forestry sector already provides 60 per cent of its own electricity needs from wood waste, there is opportunity to triple its power production, according to a recent study by the Forest Products Association of Canada. That additional generating capacity would be the equivalent of three nuclear reactors.
Association president Avrim Lazar applauded Mr. Flaherty's budget measure to promote renewable power in the forestry sector, even as other clean-tech advocates complained about the government's decision to let other fund programs lapse.
The four-year, $100-million program - together with accelerated writeoffs for machinery and equipment - "will give Canada the edge it needs to move into the new bio-economy," Mr. Lazar said.
The forestry industry has been bleeding employment across the country, losing jobs in small communities that represent bedrock Conservative Party support. But the Harper government has to move cautiously in supporting the sector, lest the aid provoke retaliation from the U.S. government and lumber interests who vigilantly police the bilateral softwood lumber deal.
Last June, the government announced a $1-billion program to help pulp and paper companies improve energy efficiency and environmental performance.
The current program will assist companies to invest in more efficient steam-based power turbines so they can produce electricity for re-sale as well as their own use.
A "bio-pathways" report released by the forestry association earlier this year advocated just such an approach, arguing the added value from power production would help make the entire industry - from sawmill to paper mill - more economically sustainable.
Related Links:
The Globe and Mail
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Your #1 source for forestry and forest industry news.
Date: -->
Monday Mar 08, 2010
By
The Globe and Mail
Battling weak product prices and a strong loonie, Tembec Inc. chief executive officer Jim Lopez is eager to expand the company's ability to squeeze more value out of each tree felled to feed its operations.
With the sector in crisis across Canada, the federal government is encouraging companies to increase their investment in renewable power from forestry waste by establishing a $100-million fund and offering generous tax treatment.
The renewable power initiative - contained in last week's budget - was one of the few spending programs announced by Finance Minister Jim Flaherty. Mr. Lopez said federal action is critical to spur investment because companies have seen their balance sheets and creditworthiness hammered by the recession.
Now, the provinces have to step up to ensure that forestry companies have full access to their renewable power programs to ensure there is an attractive market for the electricity produced.
In addition to its sawmills and pulp and paper operations in Canada. Tembec runs three pulp mills in France, where government programs ensure the company can sell power into the grid at profitable rates.
"If we had the incentives in Canada that they have in France, it would be a game changer for our industry," Mr. Lopez said in an interview.
Tembec lost $214-million last year, and racked up another $9-million in losses in the first quarter of 2010. Mr. Lopez said the company is already producing power and ethanol from wood waste, but is eager to expand that business, utilizing trees tops and branches that are now simply burned in the forest.
"It's all about converting biomass into electrons," he said.
"And if the government is going to pay for the electrons, you might as well pay for them to be produced at a pulp and paper complex so that you improve the profitability of the complex and keep it viable for the long term."
While the forestry sector already provides 60 per cent of its own electricity needs from wood waste, there is opportunity to triple its power production, according to a recent study by the Forest Products Association of Canada. That additional generating capacity would be the equivalent of three nuclear reactors.
Association president Avrim Lazar applauded Mr. Flaherty's budget measure to promote renewable power in the forestry sector, even as other clean-tech advocates complained about the government's decision to let other fund programs lapse.
The four-year, $100-million program - together with accelerated writeoffs for machinery and equipment - "will give Canada the edge it needs to move into the new bio-economy," Mr. Lazar said.
The forestry industry has been bleeding employment across the country, losing jobs in small communities that represent bedrock Conservative Party support. But the Harper government has to move cautiously in supporting the sector, lest the aid provoke retaliation from the U.S. government and lumber interests who vigilantly police the bilateral softwood lumber deal.
Last June, the government announced a $1-billion program to help pulp and paper companies improve energy efficiency and environmental performance.
The current program will assist companies to invest in more efficient steam-based power turbines so they can produce electricity for re-sale as well as their own use.
A "bio-pathways" report released by the forestry association earlier this year advocated just such an approach, arguing the added value from power production would help make the entire industry - from sawmill to paper mill - more economically sustainable.
Related Links:
The Globe and Mail
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