wiredinUSA November 2011

Green power for Portugal

A recent report by market research company CRU is suggesting that replacement of copper with other materials may reduce demand for the metal by about 500,000 metric tons this year. Use of plastic for tube production, aluminum for high-voltage energy cables and fiber optics for communications cabling is driving substitution, CRU’s non-ferrous metals group manager Paul Robinson said, estimating that aluminum may replace about 250,000 tons of copper. Copper more than tripled in two years through 2010 on the London Metal Exchange, exceeding aluminum’s 60 percent climb. Concern that copper supply would fall short of demand helped prices to reach a record high of $10,190 a ton in February 2011, discouraging consumption of the metal. Lost copper demand “constrains longer-term growth rates,” Mr Robinson said. “As copper loses these sectors, it also loses any growth potential in the future.” Replacing copper may reduce usage by 500,000 tons

Enel Green Power Espana has begun operation on the 12MW Alto do Marco wind farm in Portugal. The wind power plant comprises six 2MW turbines for a total installed capacity of 12MW. The new wind plant will generate approximately 32 million kWh, enough to meet the needs of around 12,000 households, as well as avoiding the emission of around 24,000 metric tons of CO 2 , per year. Enel Green Power claims the company’s total installed capacity in Portugal now exceeds 191MW, of which 155 MW are generated from wind. Enel Green Power Espana is a subsidiary of Enel Green Power, a developer of energy generation from renewable sources.

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wiredInUSA - November 2011