The CEO of Eco2 talks to StrategyEye about planning permission, renewable obligation certificates and the potential of biomass technology. [read on]

UK cleantech investor Climate Change Capital (CCC) is investing EUR10m (USD13m) of its EUR200m (USD259m) cleantech fund in German firm Power Plus Communications, which makes broadband power line networks. Power Plus says its technology can relay broadband data over low- and medium-voltage transmission networks, enabling smart grid functions such as real-time pricing and energy monitoring.

The investment is the third from CCC’s current fund. In July, the firm invested EUR12m (USD15.6m) in German thin-film solar firm Sulfurcell, while last month it put GBP6m (USD10.5m) in Cambridgeshire-based biogas firm Renewable Zukunft. Last week, CCC said it would invest USD732m in cleantech projects in China over the next three years.

Founded in 2001, Power Plus says its technology already connect 300,000 households. The firm says CCC’s investment will enable it to expand into new markets and take advantage of the growth in smart meter development.

Orient Green Power has raised USD55m to finance the acquisition and development of renewable energy projects in India, including wind farms, biomass plants, biogas facilities and hydroelectric projects. Olympus Capital Holding Asia led the round with an investment of USD35m, while Orient’s co-owners Shriram EPC and Bessemer Venture Partners each invested USD10m. The round brings Orient’s total equity funding to USD75m.

Orient operates 70MW of renewable energy projects and is developing a further 146MW, which it hopes to have up and running by March 2009. The firm aims to operate 500MW of renewable energy projects over the next five years. Some of the company’s revenue will come from selling certified emissions reductions, which its renewable energy projects qualify for in accordance with the Clean Development Mechanism.

Plutonic Power and GE Energy Financial Services are bidding for rights to develop 1.2GW of hydroelectric projects for Canadian utility BC Hydro, costing more than USD4bn. The firms say the deal would be Canada’s largest private-sector investment in hydroelectricity. GE Energy Financial Services will provide or arrange equity funding for the projects.

The project is the second GE Energy-backed bid submitted to BC Hydro this week. GE Energy Financial Services is also supporting Finavera Renewables’ bid to develop 295MW of wind farms in the region.

Plutonic and GE plan to develop two run-of-river hydroelectric projects in the Toba and Bute inlets – deep fjords on the coast of British Columbia. The firms are already building a 196MW hydroelectric project in the area.

Run-of-river projects harness the energy of water as it flows downhill. Unlike traditional hydroelectric facilities, run-of-river projects do not require the building of dams, cause little or no flooding and have a low impact on local wildlife.

The scheme is part of BC Hydro’s plan to meet 90% of British Columbia’s electricity needs with energy generated from renewable sources by 2016.

Florida solar photovoltaic manufacturer Solargy Systems is hiring Canadian firm Cinergex Solutions for a USD120m project to build a combined solar and waste-to-energy plant in West Africa. Solargy hopes to complete the plant by 2010 and says it will process 1,000 tons of waste per day. Solargy has plans to develop similar projects in the Caribbean, South-East Asia and elsewhere in Africa.

Based Lakefield, Ontario, Cinergex and its partner Olivine have more than 30 years’ experience building waste-to-energy plants, many of them in the developing world. Based in Lauderdale, Solargy builds solar photovoltaic installations ranging in size from residential to utility-scale. The firm is developing waste-to-energy plants through partnerships with other firms.

SAIC Motor, China’s largest carmaker, says it is forming a joint venture with its state-owned parent company to invest RMB2bn (USD293m) in green vehicles. Parent firm SAIC Group will own 90% of the venture, which will develop hybrid and electric cars.

In January, a joint venture between SAIC Motor and General Motors launched a domestically produced hybrid car in China. Reuters reports that SAIC is aiming to introduce fuel cell-powered vehicles to the Chinese market by 2010.

Chinese battery maker BYD is also developing green vehicles and hopes to begin selling electric cars in China and Europe by 2010.

A report from the House of Lords Economic Affairs Committee warns that over-investment in wind power in the UK could lead to power cuts, because wind turbines cannot be relied upon to generate energy when it is needed. The report instead favours nuclear power stations, which generate energy constantly and are currently cheaper to build than renewable energy projects of equivalent capacity.

http://www.greenbang.com/6573/uk-urged-to-ditch-unreliable-wind-turbines-for-nuclear-power/