European Business Briefs: wind farm, water awards, biogas prices

German investman group Deutsche Investitions- und Entwicklungsgesellschaft mbH is financing a wind farm project in China with a loan of US$10.2 million (€10.2 million). Together with its Chinese partner Qingdao Dongyi Industrial Corporation, German wind turbine makers Nordex AG will be installing 14 wind turbines with a total capacity of 16.1 megawatts in the province of Shandong. The project is a test of the viability of commercially financed and operated wind farms in China. China has theoretical wind power availability of 250,000 megawatts, making it one of the largest potential markets in the world.

The nomination period has begun for two important water awards that will be presented during the 2003 World Water Week in Stockholm next August. Nominations for the 2003 Stockholm Industry Water Award will be accepted until February 28, 2003, from businesses that have helped to reduce the effects of the escalating world water crisis. Nominations for the Swedish Baltic Sea Water Award. which recognizes practical initiatives to improve the quality of the Baltic Sea, are due by April 30, 2003.

Danish biogas companies will continue to sell their electricity at €0.08 per kilowatt hour, following a decision by minister Bendt Bendtsen, reports Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten. The minister had suggested that pricing should be changed, prompting some firms to halt new projects.

Electricty lobby group EURELECTRIC has a new Vice-President. Rafael Miranda Robredo, a Chief Executive of Spanish electricity utlity Endesa Group, was unanimously elected to the post by the group’s Board of Directors.