The News Review:
- Bloomberg.com: Investment Tools
- KARACHI: Bid to save rare plants along Karachi coast
- Peak Water: Aquifers and Rivers Are Running Dry. How Three Regions…
- Urgent Action Needed Against Global Food Crisis
- NTPC in the process of forming JV company with BHEL
- Defense Dept. Contracts for April 21 2008: $43 Million to Northrop…
- Southern Research Institute’s C2L Development Center Signs…
Bloomberg.com: Investment Tools
Bloomberg – Apr 21, 2008
As processing plant expansion is progressing on schedule the Company is concentrating its effort on increasing productivity of the underground mine to 900Ktpa which explains both a 30% increase in meters of underground development and a 12% increase in tons mined underground Q-on-Q. A 27% increase in waste mined is attributable to providing access to ore zones 13 and 14 located on the east flank of the deposit in accordance with the mine plan. A 22% growth in quarterly throughput is a function of processing plant automation and flash flotation section reaching its design capacity. On the expansion side SAG mill was successfully tested and is expected to be fully integrated to the production circuit in May. Foundation for the ball mill should be finished in June; mounting of the mill will start immediately with the expected completion in Q3 2008. Other equipment (flotation machines screens filter presses) will arrive on site and be commissioned throughout the year.
KARACHI: Bid to save rare plants along Karachi coast
Pakistan Dawn – Apr 21, 2008
Khan Institute of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering (KIBGE) and the Karachi University Botanic Garden (KUBG) are quite optimistic about their progress on the conservation of two endangered plant species living on the coast of Karachi the Acacia nilotica ssp. hemispherica and the Cadaba heterotricha. Amongst other factors this progress is significant because the acacia an igloo-shaped plant that grows on dry stream-beds and boasts striking yellow annual flowers exists nowhere in the world except along the Karachi coast. The cadaba meanwhile is rare in Pakistan and is valuable for its medicinal properties. Three years’ hectic efforts under the guidance of Dr Mohammed Qaiser have resulted in the successful growing of the acacia at the KUBG… Three years’ hectic efforts under the guidance of Dr Mohammed Qaiser have resulted in the successful growing of the acacia at the KUBG. For the cadaba protocol has been developed for the in vitro [the growth of a plant in artificial environment] propagation of the species. The plant is expected to be transferred to its natural environment soon. “Our team has regularly been visiting Hawkes Bay Cape Monze Paradise Point and the adjoining areas since 2005 in order to collect data regarding the natural regeneration of the species and monitor the various threats they are facing in that region” said Haider Abbas an assistant professor working on plant conservation at the KIBGE. “The results have so far been very positive; the acacia has been grown in the botanic garden while a number of cadaba plants have been produced through an in vitro culture. The Acacia nilotica was named in 1965 by Professor Dr Syed Irtifaq Ali a former vice chancellor of the University of Karachi chief editor of Flora of Pakistan and current director-general of the KIBGE. The distribution of the plant which belongs to the “Mimosaceae” family is restricted to dry stream-beds near Paradise Point and the adjoining areas.
Peak Water: Aquifers and Rivers Are Running Dry. How Three Regions…
Wired News – Apr 21, 2008
“Charles Dickens was the best-selling author when most of our pipe work went in” says John Halsall director of water services at Thames Water the private company that provides water to greater London. Thames Water maintains more than 300 reservoirs 99 treatment plants and more than 20000 miles of pipe. The city’s water system was a triumph of 19th-century engineering but one-third of the mains are more than 150 years old veterans of such scourges as Hitler’s bombs and corrosively acidic soil. Thames’ system leaks 180 million gallons a day 30 percent of overall flow. To fix a leak which the company does some 82000 times a year it has to shut down traffic and dig up the streets in one of the most congested cities on Earth. A brief walk around the West End turns up a half-dozen work crews digging up Victorian mains scooping through layers of history to repair the pipes one segment at a time. Replacing all the Victorian pipes would cost an estimated $3… Desalination would essentially drought-proof the city the company claims. It’s an appealing solution. The ocean is practically limitless and the plant would run on biodiesel giving it a green imprimatur. The project was moving through the approval process in 2006 when London’s tough left-leaning mayor Ken Livingstone blocked it. Livingstone argued that the plant was too expensive and that desalination is too energy-intensive. Stripping seawater of its salt is a pricey way to obtain freshwater cost-effective only for high-end uses like drinking but not bathing or watering gardens. And the mayor questioned the proposal’s environmental cred: Biodiesel emits carbon and desalination’s super-salty byproduct is toxic to marine life.
Urgent Action Needed Against Global Food Crisis
Medical News Today – Medical News Today (press release) – Apr 21, 2008
Response to climate change:The strategies for dealing with climate change in Europe and elsewhere have not taken sufficient account of scientific evidence. It is vital that Europe rigorously assess the technical and scientific evidence concerning all strategies for mitigating climate change. Plant sciences in Europe:Without physics and engineering we could not have put a man on the moon: without the plant sciences we will not be able to abolish hunger. The ability of Europe to respond to the hunger crisis is now threatened because European plant sciences after decades of neglect are weak. Europe used to lead the world in plant sciences. Plant biotechnology grew out of discoveries made in Europe by Marc van Montagu and Jeff Schell and European plant breeders were experts in producing the new varieties that gave rise to food surpluses in Europe. But students and researchers are deserting the plant sciences discouraged by the collapse of public support and excessive over-regulation.
NTPC in the process of forming JV company with BHEL
Myiris.com – Apr 21, 2008
A memorandum of understanding joint venture agreement and a supplementary agreement has already been signed the name of the JV company is currently being considered. The JVC would involve engineering procurement & construction (EPC) contracts for power plants and other infrastructure projects as well as manufacture and supply equipments for power plants and other infrastructure projects in India and abroad including plant engineering project management quality insurance quality control procurement logistics site management erection and commissioning services. The JVC shall have an initial authorized and paid up capital of Rs 50 million equally subscribed by the initial promoters viz. Shares of NTPC gained Rs 2.
Defense Dept. Contracts for April 21 2008: $43 Million to Northrop…
All American Patriots – All American Patriots (press release) – Apr 21, 2008
is being awarded a $36239200 firm-fixed-price contract for wastewater treatment plant repairs and upgrade at the Naval Base Guam. This is a design-build project with performance and prescriptive specifications. The purpose of this project is to restore the Apra Harbor wastewater treatment plant to its original design capacity and operational capability upgrade the process components and equipment to provide reliability and efficiency of operation and meet Environmental Protection Agency wastewater treatment requirements. This award covers Contract Line Item Number (CLIN) 0001 in the amount of $34647200; CLIN 0002 in the amount $775000; and CLIN 0003 in the amount of $817000. Work will be performed in Guam and work is expected to be complete May 2010. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured with 79 solicitations issued and four proposals received… Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured with 79 solicitations issued and four proposals received. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command Pacific Pearl Harbor Hawaii is the contracting activity (N62742-08-C-1316). The MK 44 System is a mini-gun system; the system and its supporting components are being procured to support a wide variety of needs within the Department of Defense.
Southern Research Institute’s C2L Development Center Signs…
Earthtimes – Apr 21, 2008
Southern Research is excited to work with TRI to help forward its progress toward rapid commercialization of biomass gasification and biorefinery technology" said Stephen Piccot director of Advanced Energy and Transportation Technologies at Southern Research Institute. "We are thrilled to engage our research staff and energy laboratories in North Carolina to further this groundbreaking effort. "Fabrication of individual components of the pilot plant has been underway for several months. Erection of the integrated system at the C2L Center will begin this spring and plant commissioning is scheduled to begin this summer. The pilot plant will be capable of processing up to 5. 5 tons per day of biomass and will produce significant quantities of clean syngas. It will be used as to optimize TRI’s proprietary processes and provide TRI and it’s customers with the data needed to scale up for commercial operations… ABOUT THE CARBON TO LIQUIDS (C2L) DEVELOPMENT CENTERThe C2L Center provides independent technical support to clients who are developing and integrating advanced energy systems and transportation fuel production technologies. The facility a unit of the Southern Research Engineering Division was established in April 2007 to facilitate the commercial acceptance of environmentally superior technologies that convert non-food based carbon resources into high value products like clean diesel jet fuel methanol ethanol and electric power. The C2L Center is located on 28 acres in the northern Research Triangle region of North Carolina. It maintains 32000 sq. feet of high bay process and laboratory space and 10000 sq. feet of office space and meeting facilities for showcasing client technologies.