Cement, Energy and Environment

NEWS BRIEF . ENERGY HYDROGEN WILL END ENERGY PROBLEMS According to Nasa scientists, the Earth's crust contains hydrogen supplies that could end the world's energy problems. They say that the hydrogen is produced when water molecules inside molten rock break down. They say they have evidence there may be up to 1,000 litres of hydrogen trapped in each cubic metre of some rocks. Courtesy: Delhi TllTies, The Times of India I 23 APR 02, New Delhi, P 7. ETHANOL MIX IN PETROL CLEARED Yoga Rangatia, The Pioneer, 1 April 02 The petroleum ministry has given a green signal to the use of ethanol as an oxygenate. As an additive, ethanol helps petrol burn efficiently. P e trol-e thanol blend can reduce carbon monoxide and hydrocarbon emission by up to 35%-55%. A s tudy conducted by the Winrock Interna tional India, shows that ethanol has the potential to reduce volatile organic compounds by 27%, nitrogen oxides by 5(Yo and particulate ma ttcr emissions by as much as 41%. In the pilot phase, 5% e thanol is blended in three pilot projects launched at Manmad and Miraj in Maharas htra and Bareilly in Uttar Pradesh. Further blending projects are planned at Gonda, Kanpur, and Najibabad in Uttar Pradesh; Bhatinda, and Pa thankot in Punjab; and Rajahmund ry in Andhra Pradesh. Cost price to farmer fo r production of ethanol is a round Rs 15-18. As demand picks up, the pri ce is likely to d ecrease. The refinery ga te price of petrol increases the cost of the blended fuel. Budgetary concession on excise duty of l~s 0.75 per litre on petrol blended with ethanol will help offset some of the additi onal cost. The petroleum minis try es tima tes tha t to suppl y the entire country with the 5% blend, it would require 500 million litres of et hanol. But the installed capacity for ethanol production had reached 1800 million litres in 1999/ 2000. Courtesy: TERJ Ncwswirc, 1-15 Apr 02, P 8. Fax:4682144 Email: ou treach@teri.res.in Web: www.teriin.org WIND DIESEL PROJECT FOR BENGAL The Hindu Business Line, 4 April 02 The world's third and Asia's first w ind diesel hybrid project is to be inaugura ted in Sagar Islands in the Sunderbans of West Bengal on 7 April 2002. The Rs 60 million project is being implemented in two pha ses with assistance from the Canadian Governmen t, which has given around Rs 15 million of the Rs 20 million cost of the first phase. The sources indicated that enquiries have been received from theAndaman and Nicobar Is lands as well Lacad.ives and Minicoy and Maldives for setting up similar projects there. Pointing out that the first such project was commissioned in 1999 in Canada foll owed by another in Alaska, sources said that the concept was unique in that it all owed au tomatic conversion from wind mode to the diesel mode incase the w ind velocity was less than adequate. Courtesy: TERJ Newswire, 1-15 Apr 02, P 27. Fax:4682144 Emrtil: outreach@teri.res.in Web: www.teriin.org