ShareIn Washington, President Barack Obama today signed H.R. 4853, the Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act of 2010.

Last night, the US House of Representatives voted by a 277 to 148 margin to approve the Obama tax deal, which extends the ethanol tax credit through 2011, and retroactively extends the biodiesel tax incentive and the renewable diesel incentive through 2011. The bill also renewed the 54-cent tariff on Brazilian ethanol through 2011.

Growth Energy CEO Tom Buis was invited to the signing ceremony for the Tax Relief Unemployment Extension Bill. At the ceremony, Buis presented the President with a letter on behalf of the American ethanol industry and its supporters, thanking him for delivering a common-sense ethanol tax policy.

In the letter, he wrote, “Every year, our addiction to foreign oil drains $1,000 for every man, woman and child out of our economy. That is money we should invest in Des Moines, not Abu Dhabi – Columbus, and not Caracas.  …by signing into law a one-year extension of the Volumetric Ethanol Excise Tax Credit, your leadership has set the table for comprehensive, long-term energy policy, including reform of the American transportation fuels market, as proposed by Growth Energy’s Fueling Freedom proposal. Our plan to reform the market would encourage the installation of blender pumps and make every auto sold in the U.S. a Flex Fuel Vehicle, ultimately giving American consumers the power to choose their fuel at the pump, instead of having that choice made for them.”

Joy from US ethanol and biodiesel interests was tempered by a call by UNICA for Brazil to lodge a complaint with the World Trade Organization over the ethanol tariff.

At the same time, Senate Democrats abandoned a plan for a $1.3 trillion omnibus spending bill that would have slashed funds for USDA loan guarantees and would have zeroed out funds for the Biomass Crop Assistance Program established under the 2008 Farm Bill. According to the Associated Press, “The 1,924-page bill collapsed of its own weight after an outcry from conservatives who complained it was stuffed with more than $8 billion in homestate pet projects known as earmarks.”

Reaction from industry included:

Mary Rosenthal, Executive Director, Algal Biomass Organization, said, “Congress’s decision to extend the incentives for the production and use of domestic renewable fuels is an essential step for the development of America’s biofuels industry. While long overdue, the extension of these important programs sends a strong signal of support for the importance of renewable, domestic fuels to our energy security, economy and environment.”

Joe Jobe, CEO, National Biodiesel Board, added, “Experience has shown that the biodiesel tax incentive is an effective tool to encourage the displacement of foreign petroleum with a superior, domestically produced Advanced Biofuel. Reinstatement of this proven incentive helps provide the policy framework needed to meet the nation’s renewable goals, and the NBB sincerely appreciates the bipartisan cooperation and support that made extension of this worthwhile incentive possible.

Randy Olson, Executive Director of the Iowa Biodiesel Board, added, “We are extremely pleased that the biodiesel tax credit extension has now been passed with strong bipartisan support in both the Senate and the House. Biodiesel has long been a bright spot in our state’s economy, supporting green jobs and generating economic activity on the farm and beyond. It’s also a vital component of our national energy security. Iowa’s biodiesel producers are looking forward to ramping back up to full-scale production of America’s first Advanced Biofuel and bringing jobs back to Iowa while helping our nation meet its commitment to Renewable Fuels.”

SOURCE: BIOFUELS DIGEST

“I’m led to believe the extenders of 2009 would be extended for the years 2010 and 2011,” the Iowa Senator said. That would be good news for the struggling biodiesel industry, which lost its $1-a-gallon tax credit at the end of 2009.

Grassley said the current 45-cent-a-gallon tax credit for ethanol, which expires December 31, will be extended through 2011, along with other expiring tax credits.

Grassley said that he doesn’t yet know if the ethanol credit will remain at 45 cents, or if it will be lowered to 36 cents, as it was in a tax bill authored by Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-MT). The Baucus legislation, which would not have extended favorable tax rates for high income earners, was defeated on Saturday.

“I’ve been an advocate that we shouldn’t change any policy on these extenders,” Grassley said.

Grassley said he believes that a tariff on imported ethanol, which expires this month, will also be extended for one more year.

Grassley said he was pleased that the tax compromise also includes higher estate tax exemptions and lower estate tax rates for two years. The exemption will be $5 million per spouse at a 35% rate.

“I didn’t think we would ever have that possibility after we lost it in April,” he said. Senate Majority leader Harry Reid (D-NV) didn’t allow a vote on a similar proposal offered by Senators Jon Kyl (R-AZ) and Blanche Lincoln (D-AR).

Grassley said he believes all Republican members of the Senate and House will vote for the tax compromise but he doesn’t know how much support the legislation will have from Democrats.

SOURCE: AGRICULTURE

Vilsack also announced a range of federal assistance for renewable energy development through the Biomass Crop Assistance Program established in the 2008 farm bill.

“Domestic production of renewable energy, including biofuels, is a national imperative, and that’s why USDA is working to assist in developing a bio-fuels industry in every corner of the nation,” Vilsack said in a speech at the National Press Club. “By producing more biofuels in America, we will create jobs, combat global warming, replace our dependence on foreign oil and build a stronger foundation for the 21st-century economy.”

Vilsack’s statements on the tax credit appeared to reflect recent discussions between the ethanol industry and White House Chief of Staff Pete Rouse about changes to the ethanol tax credit and protective tariff, both of which expire at the end of the year.

Vilsack said the lapse in the biodiesel tax credit has caused a loss of 12,000 jobs. He also called for “a short term extension” of the ethanol tax credit, but declined to answer questions about proposals to lower the credit, saying that a “healthy discussion” about changes is taking place. Vilsack did not list an extension of the tariff in his formal remarks, but said in response to a question, “The tariff is likely to continue, but over time it is likely to be phased out.”

Vilsack said the ethanol tax credit still is needed because it is a relatively new industry that requires more investment.

Joel Velasco, the Washington representative of UNICA, the Brazilian Sugarcane Industry Association, said the U.S. corn-based ethanol industry is mature and does not need the tax credit or the tariff.

A growing market

But Matt Hartwig of the Renewable Fuels Association said the industry still is in the development stage and needs the credit. Hartwig said the tariff only is to cover the value of the credit and should be extended at whatever level the credit is extended.

The final rule for the Biomass Crop Assistance Program will be published in the Federal Register Oct. 22, and Vilsack emphasized Oct. 21 that the programs under it were funded in the 2008 farm bill and do not require further congressional action.

The programs include reimbursements to farmers of up to 75 percent of the cost of establishing a bioenergy perennial crop for up to five years for grassy crops and up to 15 years for woody crops and assistance for the collection, harvest, storage and transportation of biomass to biomass conversion facilities for two years. He also said USDA will help pay for construction of 10,000 blender pumps and storage systems to make renewable fuels more easily available to consumers.

Vilsack noted the opening of regional biomass research centers to accelerate the development of a commercial advanced biofuels industry. The centers will be located in Madison, Wis., Lincoln, Neb., and in Alabama, Georgia, Arizona, Washington state and Oregon.

He said USDA’s rural development division will announce assistance to biorefinery plant projects within 60 days and that USDA is trying to figure out whether it can make changes to its federal loan guarantee programs to make them more attractive to investors.

Vilsack said, however, that changes to the loan guarantees will depend on whether “we have the capacity to do that” and also noted that changes would have budget consequences.

Throughout his speech, Vilsack emphasized the importance of renewable fuels to the long-term vitality and job creation potential in rural America. Noting that rural America has experienced population decline and higher poverty levels than urban areas, Vilsack said “President Obama refuses to accept the notion that America’s rural past predicts its future.”

Tags: agribusiness, crops, biofuels, agriculture, farm

SOURCE: AGWEEK

Earlier this year, EPA announced the final rule for the new Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS2), but the canola pathway was not yet looked at as biofuel feedstock able to meet required greenhouse gas reduction standards. Now, Biodiesel Magazine reports that the EPA says canola oil biodiesel could reduce GHGs by 50 percent compared to petroleum-based diesel:

“These results, if finalized, would justify authorizing the generation of biomass-based diesel RINs for fuel produced by the canola oil biodiesel pathway modeled, assuming that the fuel meets the other definitional criteria for renewable fuel (e.g., produced from renewable biomass, and used to reduce or replace transportation fuel) specified in EISA,” EPA said in the NODA memo.

EPA analyzed canola oil as a feedstock “assuming the same biodiesel production facility designs and conversion efficiencies as modeled for biodiesel produced from soybean oil.” To assess the impact of producing biodiesel from canola oil, the EPA also created a control case projection estimating 200 million gallons of canola-based biodiesel per year by 2022. “While we recognize that some canola oil has historically been used to make biodiesel for domestic use,” EPA said, “this range of production (zero to 200 million gallons) covers the range of production likely by 2022.” To create the projection, the EPA used a number of factors including historical volumes, potential feedstock availability and competitive uses, potential increases in crop acreage and potential increases in crop and conversion yields.

“As with other EPA analyses of fuel pathways with a significant land use impact, the proposed analysis for canola oil biodiesel includes a best estimate as well as a range of possible lifecycle greenhouse gas emission results based on formal uncertainty analysis conducted by the agency,” EPA also noted.

The EPA believes canola crop yields will increase in the long term.

John Davis

Source: domestic fuel

Accelergy, USAF to evaluate Camelina, liquid coal jet fuel mix
Accelergy has begun production of biojet fuel using a mix of Camelina oil and liquefied coal for evaluation by the US Air Force (USAF). Separately, Accelergy signed a Camelina oil supply agreement with an Ohio company.

US Navy to test F/A-18 Super Hornet fighter jet with biofuels
In 2009, Accelergy entered into a cooperative research and development agreement with USAF for testing fully synthetic fuels that meet or exceed USAF JP-8 military jet fuel standards.

USAF currently uses JP-8 fuel in all of its aircraft and has been looking for a commercially viable 100% synthetic alternative to petroleum based fuels. To date, synthetic fuels have required blending with petroleum feedstocks on a 50% basis to be suitable in aviation applications.

As reported by Recharge, USAF has issued internal requirements that 50% of its fuel needs comes from domestic and cleaner sources by 2016.

Accelergy will use its coal-biomass-to-liquids technology at a pilot facility under construction at the Energy and Environmental Research Center (EERC) University of North Dakota.

Fuel deliveries to the Air Force Research Labs will begin in late 2010. The pilot facility will provide a valuable tool for evaluating new coal and biomass feeedstocks as the technology moves toward commercial deployment.

“Accelergy is the first to provide 100% synthetic jet fuel for the USAF with high thermal stability, increased energy density, lower environmental impact and competitive costs,” says tim Vail, company chief executive.

“The facility at EERC allows us to produce meaningful quantities of fuel, confirm our performance estimates and further refine our fuel product,” he adds. “With the test results in hand, the Air Force and defense contractors can then explore the full range of options for employment and advanced synthetic fuels in next-generation aircraft designs.”

Accelergy says its process technology maintains high overall thermal efficiency while significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions associated with comparable refining methods. It can also produce Jet-A fuel along with military JP5 and JP9 military jet fuels.

Camelina is a plant native to Northern Europe and Central Asia that has been traditionally cultivated as an oilseed to produce vegetable oil and animal feed. It does not compete with food crops as it requires little water or nitrogen to thrive, and can be grown on marginal farm land.

Among US states, Montana has been the most supportive of proposals to use Camelina as a raw material for biofuels and is also backing use of its abundant coal reserves for the same purpose..

Accelergy’s supply deal is with Great Plains Oil & Exploration – The Camelina Company , which is based in Cincinnati, Ohio. Financial and other details were not released.

A Great Plains official tells Recharge that the company is already growing Camelina in Montana and will extract its oil there after it obtains a crushing plant.

“This will be a great plus for Montana, and is another step on our way to energy independence,” says Governor Brian Schweitzer, who sees creation of jobs as Camelina use becomes more widespread.

Accelergy is based in Houston.

Richard A. Kessler

Source: Recharge news

Fruits of J. curcas. Fruits are produced terminally in the branches, and each fruit contains three seeds. Image credit: Dr. Wagner A Vendrame, University of Florida at Homestead.

 What if space held the key to producing alternative energy crops on Earth? That’s what researchers are hoping to find in a new experiment on the International Space Station.

The experiment, National Lab Pathfinder-Cells 3, is aimed at learning whether microgravity can help jatropha curcas plant cells grow faster to produce biofuel, or renewable fuel derived from biological matter. Jatropha is known to produce high quality oil that can be converted into an alternative energy fuel, or biofuel(biodiesel).

By studying the effects of microgravity on jatropha cells, researchers hope to accelerate the cultivation of the plant for commercial use by improving characteristics such as cell structure, growth and development. This is the first study to assess the effects of microgravity on cells of a biofuel plant.

“As the search for alternate energy sources has become a top priority, the results from this study could add value for commercialization of a new product,” said Wagner Vendrame, principal investigator for the experiment at the University of Florida in Homestead. “Our goal is to verify if microgravity will induce any significant changes in the cells that could affect plant growth and development back on Earth.”

Launched on space shuttle Endeavour’s STS-130 mission in February, cell cultures of jatropha were sent to the space station in special flasks containing nutrients and vitamins. The cells will be exposed to microgravity until they return to Earth aboard space shuttle Discovery’s STS-131 mission targeted for April.

For comparison studies of how fast the cultures grow, a replicated set of samples are being maintained at the University of Florida’s Tropical Research and Education Center in Homestead.

“Watching the space shuttle go up carrying a little piece of my work is an indescribable experience,” said Vendrame. “Knowing that my experiment could contribute to creating a sustainable means for biofuel production on Earth, and therefore making this a better world adds special value to the work.”   by Lori Meggs, AI Signal Research, Inc.

NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center.

Source: Nasa

BA says the plant will reduce the amount of waste sent to landfill.

British Airways has struck a deal to build the first plant in Europe to produce jet fuel from waste matter.

Some 500,000 tonnes of waste will be used by the UK facility each year to produce 16 million gallons of fuel.

Construction of the plant in east London will start within two years. It is set to produce fuel from 2014, creating up to 1,200 jobs.

BA said the plant would produce twice the amount of fuel needed to power all its flights from London City Airport.

It would only account for about 2% of flights from Heathrow, however.

Greenhouse gas

BA argues the plant will cut the amount of waste that is sent to landfill, reducing the amount of methane that is produced.

Methane is thought to be a more potent greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide.

The plant will be built by a US company Solena Group, with BA committing to buy all of its output.

It will be another four years before it starts producing fuel, and it is unlikely to work at full capacity straight away.

The ideal source material for the plant is waste matter that has a high carbon content.

Biofuel creation

The waste is fed into a high temperature “gasifier” to produce BioSynGas.

A chemical process called Fischer Tropsch is then used to convert the gas into biofuel.

Waste products from the process can be used to power the plant as well as supply 20MW of electricity to the national grid.

A solid waste product can be used as an aggregate in construction.

The fuel produced by the plant is certified for use in other countries, but not currently in the UK.

BA says it is confident of getting the certification by the time the plant starts producing fuel, either for use in a blend with traditional kerosene or on its own.

By Richard Scott

Source: BBC

A research project will make jet fuel without wasting fresh water or farmland.

A project in the Middle East aims to make jet fuel from saltwater-tolerant crops grown in the desert. Researchers at the Masdar Institute in the United Arab Emirates are starting a two-square-kilometer demonstration farm that will combine fish and shrimp farming with the cultivation of mangrove trees and salicornia, a plant with oil-rich seeds that can be converted into fuel.

 The goal is to produce biofuels without taking away land from food crops or using large amounts of fresh water, which are two of the major shortcomings of conventional biofuels, says Scott Kennedy, an associate professor at the Masdar Institute who is leading the project. The project is supported by several major companies: Boeing, Etihad Airways (the national airline of the UAE), and UOP Honeywell, which will supply technology for converting the biomass to chemical precursors and fuels. The Masdar Institute is part of a zero-emissions city being built in Abu Dhabi, the largest emirate in the UAE.

Kennedy and his colleagues will refine a technique called integrated seawater agriculture. It begins with digging a canal from the sea. That canal delivers water to several stages in the system. First, the researchers pump saltwater into ponds or flow it past cages used for growing shrimp or fish. Ordinarily, such aquaculture is an “environmental disaster,” Kennedy says. The runoff contains large amounts of feces that can cause dangerous algae blooms, for example. But in the Masdar system, the researchers will use that effluent downstream to fertilize salicornia.

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The salicornia is grown in saltwater-irrigated fields, and can be harvested like other crops, such as wheat or rice. The runoff from that irrigation, now saltier and still containing some effluent from the fish and shrimp, together with more water from the canal, is next fed to a stretch of planted mangrove trees, which can grow in that saltier water. The mangrove forest provides a barrier, so that none of the polluted water from the fish farm returns to the ocean. The leaves can also be used as food for the fish.

The oil-rich seeds of the salicornia can be pressed using processing similar to that used for other oil seed crops, such as sunflowers. That oil can then be modified by a proprietary UOP Honeywell process that makes it suitable for blending in jet fuel. The rest of the plant can then be further used to produce liquid fuels, or burned to produce steam for electricity generation.

The fish farms provide both a source of income and a source of fertilizer, which reduces overall carbon emissions, since producing and using fertilizer is ordinarily a major source of carbon emissions in biofuels production. The mangrove forest also sequesters carbon dioxide in its root system. Most biofuels are at best carbon neutral, emitting as much carbon dioxide when they’re produced and burned as the biofuel crops take in as they grow. One of the key parts of the Masdar research project is determining just how much carbon can be economically sequestered.

A version of the system has already been demonstrated in the north African country of Eritrea by Carl Hodges, the founder and chairman of the Seawater Foundation. (He’s acting as a special advisor to the Masdar project.) In that project, the salicornia and leaves from the mangroves were used as animal feed, and some of the oil from the seeds was converted to biodiesel. That project ended as a result of political upheaval in that country, Hodges says, but it demonstrated that the integrated approach could work.

The effort to avoid using fresh water and land that’s used for food “should be applauded,” says Mark Schrock, a professor of biological and agricultural engineering at Kansas State University. But he says it will be important to quickly develop a mechanized means of harvesting the salicornia. This could be a challenge because, although it can be harvested with existing equipment, the plant has high salt levels that could damage these machines, says Wayne Coates, a professor at the Office of Arid Land Studies at the University of Arizona.

It will also need to compete with other biofuels crops. Per acre yields of oil are on par with soybeans (which provide additional economic value from non-oil products), but are just one-eighth the yield of palm oil. The saltwater system, however, has the advantage of not requiring expensive land and water, and it produces its own fertilizer. Kennedy says that initial estimates suggest that fuel produced from salicornia could be competitive with petroleum-based fuels, but warns that detailed studies still need to be done.

Kevin Bullis

Source: Technoloy Review

www.salicornia.net coming soon

State-run oil giant Petrobras (PETR4.SA)(PBR.N) and General Electric Co (GE.N), which helped design the plant, are betting that increased use of ethanol generation by green-conscious countries will boost demand for the product.

Brazil, the top global ethanol exporter, is already in talks with Japan to develop biofuels power generation there.

“We have great expectations to show the viability and economy of generating electricity from … an alternative feedstock to fossil fuels,” Maria das Gracas Foster, head of Petrobras’ natural gas division, said.

Petrobras with the help of GE upgraded the 87-megawatt power plant to switch between running on natural gas or ethanol instantaneously. Brazil primarily relies on hydroelectric power but needs backup thermoelectric generation during the dry season.

John Ingham, Latin America Products Director for GE, said tests showed switching the plant to ethanol reduced carbon dioxide emissions without lowering energy output.

GE has around 770 turbines like those used in the Juiz de Fora plant, including many in Japan, that could be converted to run on ethanol, he said.

“A plant like that consumes a lot of ethanol, so it has to be in a place that makes sense (such as) places that have no access to gas, like Japan, some islands, or places that depend heavily on diesel like the Amazon region,” he said.

Brazil is expected to produce a record 27.8 billion liters of ethanol in the 2009/2010 season. It began its biofuels program 30 years ago and now mandates a minimum 20 percent of ethanol in gasoline.

Petrobras itself is only starting to enter the ethanol market. Brazil’s ethanol production comes from sugar cane milled by companies such as Cosan (CZZ.N) or commodities giants including Cargill Inc [CARG.UL], Bunge (BG.N) and ADM Co (ADM.N).

Domestic demand for ethanol is being driven by the popularity of the flex-fuel car technology that was launched in 2003 and now makes up around 90 percent of new vehicle sales. (Writing by Brian Ellsworth; Editing by Marguerita Choy).

By Denise Luna

Source: Reuters

In past days the envelopes with the technical offer of the Official Plan of Renewable Energies (GENREN) bid were opened. The proposing companies are now waiting for the economic offer envelopes.

he Argentine government announced the results of the 1,015 megawatt (MW) renewable energies tender proposed last May. The total offers reached 1,461 MW, a 46% oversubscription. The offers were broken down by technology: 1,203 for wind power; 155.4 MW from biofuels; 54.1 MW from biomass; 14 MW from biogas; 22.5 MW from photovoltaic solar energy; and 12.7 MW from small hydro projects.

The opening of the sealed envelopes was done at a ceremony at the presidential mansion known as la Casa Rosada, which included words from Argentine President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner as well as from the Federal Planning Minister, Julio de Vido.

According to a recent study by the Argentine Renewable Energy Chamber (CADER), nearly 70% of Argentina’s territory is covered with winds whose annual average speed, measured at 50 meters above ground level, surpasses 6 m/s. In Central and Southern Patagonia the speeds can reach on average 9 m/s and up to 12 m/s. Most areas in the vast Patagonia region experience annual average capacity factors above 45%. The provinces of Córdoba, part of San Luis, La Pampa, San Juan, La Rioja and the central and southwestern regions of the province of Buenos Aires yield capacity factors between 35% and 40%.

But despite such massive potential, the 30 MW of wind generation that has been installed to date comes mainly from projects completed between the mid-1990s and early 2000s that were developed by small cooperatives in the Patagonian region.

The tender had been launched by the government last May to assist in the requirements under Renewable Energies Law 26.190 from 2006 that requires that by the year 2016, fully 8% of the country’s energy matrix must be derived from renewable sources. Once all offers have been reviewed, the government must evaluate each one objectively – prices offered and the companies’ technical and financial capacity, among others. According to calculations by the Argentine Renewable Energies Chamber, if all 1,462 MW are accepted it will result in investments in excess of US$2 billion and the creation of approximately 1000 new jobs.

After the public announcement, the President of the chamber, Carlos St. James, exchanged thoughts about the next steps with President Fernandez, expressing optimism about the future of the industry. “These offers, considering the quality and prestige of the multinational companies making them, leaves no doubt that Argentina is on its way to developing a full-fledged renewable energies industry. This is a clear demonstration of what can be achieved when a fluid communication is established between the public and private sectors.”

As the chamber had indicated in its recent State of the Argentine Wind Industry study published last May, Argentina has unequaled potential to develop wind energy, as seen by the dominance of wind projects in the tender totaling 1,203 MW, more than 80% of the total offerings. According to Mauro Soares, President of the Wind Energy Committee of the Chamber, “This tender generated unparalleled activity and interest from our sector; the number of proposals focused on wind was very gratifying. Now we will finally see this energy become part of our country’s energy matrix. We welcome this launch of the industry in Argentina, and I congratulate all those that worked towards making it possible.” Also, Sebastian Kind, co-author of the study and board member of the chamber, stated, “Today we saw a high degree of confidence of the sector’s potential; the 1461 MW offered represent solid foundations for a prosperous renewable industry. Argentina has a unique opportunity to generate new skills and develop technology while providing clean and competitive energy for our future.”

According to a recent study published by New Energy Finance, based in London, the global renewable energies industry invested US$155 billion in 2008, with a compound annual growth rate of 45%. Latin America captured US$12 billion of this total, but it is growing at a CAGR of 145%.

The Argentine Renewable Energies Chamber (Cámara Argentina de Energías Renovables, or CADER) is a non-profit industry trade association dedicated to the sustainable development of renewable energies in Argentina. It seeks to play a vital role in the establishment of a solid and vibrant industry, one which is respected globally for its standards and practices.

The Chamber counts among its members companies that believe these principles and work towards developing the local solar, wind and biomass sectors. Its great diversity in members creates one of the Chamber’s greatest strengths, since it is the only organization that represents the entire spectrum of this nascent industry’s value chain.

In past days the envelopes with the technical offer of the Official Plan of Renewable Energies (GENREN) bid were opened. The proposing companies are now waiting for the economic offer envelopes, which will be handed once the technical analysis is concluded. The complete list of proposing companies follows.

1. Emgasud Renovables: 4 wind farms (3 of 50 MW and one of 30 MW, two in Madryn and one in Rawson)

2. Patagonia Wind Energy: one 50 MW wind park, in Madryn.

3. Energías Sustentables SA: one 20 MW wind farm, in West Madryn.

4. International New Energy: one 50 MW wind park, in North Madryn.

5. Sogesic SA: 2 wind parks, of 50 MW, in Tres picos.

6. Unitec Energy – San Jose Argentina – INVAP (UTE): 2 wind parks, of 50 MW.

7. Isolux Ingenieria – Gas y Petróleo de Neuquén – Ingenieria Sima SA, (UTE): one 50 MW wind park.

8. Isolux Ingenieria: 4 wind parks of 50 MW in Loma Blanca 1.2.3 and 4.

9. Impsa Wind SA: 10 wind parks. Kaluel Kayke I (50MW), II (25MW), Malaspina I (50 MW), II (30MW), Condor Cliff La Barrancosa (50MW), Piedra Buena I (50MW), II (30MW), Las Heras (50 MW), Tornquist (50MW).

10. Pan American Fueguinas SA: 28 MW wind park in Cerro Dragon.

Patagonia in Argentina has some of the best conditions in the world for wind power generation. Not only are the winds strong in Patagonia, but they are also fierce in the south of Buenos Aires province and interior provinces such as Córdoba. Blessed with such potential, Argentina should be a world leader in wind energy.

Source: evwind