Financed and built by eSolar in less than a year on a former industrial site, this plant has helped in creating 300 jobs. This project is the first of a long similar series. To be noted, in February last, eSolar announced his agreement with NRG Energy to produce three solar power plants in California and Mexico for an energy output of 465 MW.
 

“Nissan Leaf is the result of decades of research and development. It will arrive on the primary market in Europe, Japan and the United States as from end 2010” points out the manufacturer.

With a length of 4.44 m, the new partner of Renault has an electric motor of 80 kW or 107 hp and 280 Nm. Its maximum speed is elevated up to 140 km / h. The Leaf recharges up to 80% in 30 minutes on its adapted charger. But it can also be reloaded at home on a normal plug in eight hours time.
 

The Salar de Uyuni is the world’s largest salt flat measuring 4,085 square miles on the Andean high plain. The famous salt desert, one of Bolivia’s staple tourist attractions, has now become an object of international envy thanks to the advent of lithium batteries.

It is estimated that over a third of the world’s lithium reserves are located in Bolivia, reserves that attract large companies such as Mitsubishi and Sumitomo. These firms have already made proposals to the Bolivian government to mine for the mineral deposits.

Next year, Bolivia will have an “operational factory for the production of lithium carbonate,” said the director of the Mining Ministry Freddy Beltran. The Bolivian government is also planning a partnership with a foreign company for the post-industrial phase.

Locals and tour guides are still skeptical towards the exploitation of lithium. “It will be productive, but there will also be pollution, and the desert will be full of lithium mines,” says a Bolivian tour guide.

The Indonesian government has signed an agreement with the U.S. government, as well as two environmental protection organizations. The $30 million represents 1.6% of the outstanding debt Indonesia owes towards the U.S. government since earlier this year ($1.8 billion).

Indonesia has one of the largest rainforests on the planet. However, this natural wealth is threatened by increasing deforestation. In 2008, Greenpeace even qualified the nation as the “deforestation champion of the world.”

“We are really worried that if we do not maintain reserves at a high level, there could be another crisis,” said CEO Jim Mulva at an economic summit in Detroit. “The apparent belief in Washington that we can choose between renewable energies and fossil fuels is mistaken,” he said.

Since his arrival to the White House, Barack Obama has shown particular interest in pressing environmental issues. A bill to combat climate change is currently underway in Congress, and President Obama has called the nation to start an “energy revolution”. “We are not against alternative energy sources. But to say we want to do away with fossil fuels to shift towards alternative fuels is unrealistic,” declared Mulva.

To counter the effects of this drop in revenue, the company has decided to cut 900 posts around the world. “The actual reduction will vary by country and should represent 4% of the global group,” said a spokesperson for the company. “The measures announced today will enable our company to evolve in the changing environment and keep growing,” said CEO Hugh Grant.

The world’s largest seed maker and expert on GMOs explained that the herbicide sector has been particularly hit hard due to greater competition. For example, sales of herbicides such as Roundup, a product that is often criticized for polluting too much, are down 11 percent.

The restrictions have not been well received by Europe and the United States. They are planning to condemn China before the Word Trade Organization. Beijing has imposed restriction on the exportation of many products such as copper and bauxite. "There is no perfect trade policy. We can't pursue full and complete environmental protection measures while requiring that prices are not affected," Jian added.

“The tendering procedures are so vague that it is very easy to be disqualified. The process lacks a bit of transparency,” explained Joerg Wuttke, president of the European Chamber of Commerce in China.

The green energy sector seems to be very difficult for foreign enterprises to penetrate. The situation is in complete contradiction with the messages put forth by China, which encourage foreigners to cooperate in this arena to help achieve sustainable growth.

“All the foreigners are out of the race” for a package of 25 wind turbine orders worth more than 5 billion euros ($7 billion). “It seems that the central government has decided that this must be awarded to Chinese manufacturers and not foreigners who have invested big in China,” said Wuttke.

“The procedures for responding to green energy contracts have been tightened, with conditions or criteria that exclude foreigners de facto,” explained the President of the European Chamber of Commerce. For example, the Chinese consider only the start-up cost. They fail to take into account the costs of a lifetime of maintenance, a criterion that, according to Wuttke, would make foreign contracts competitive.