Month: December 2009

Applied Materials Aquires Semitool Inc

Applied Materials, Inc. (Nasdaq:AMAT) announced today that it has completed its acquisition of Semitool, Inc. (Nasdaq:SMTL). This acquisition expands Applied’s capability to address emerging opportunities in the high-growth wafer packaging market and provides complementary systems and technology for advanced semiconductor manufacturing. On December 21, 2009, Semitool was merged with a wholly-owned subsidiary of Applied. As… Read more »

World needs global climate leadership from EU – and to continue UN talks

The EU should continue leading by example despite the failure of the UN climate talks, the wind industry says. Christian Kjaer, Chief Executive of EWEA, said: “The world needs global climate leadership from the EU in 2010 more than ever, now that the other super-powers have shown their lack of ambition.” The Copenhagen Accord is… Read more »

Phoenix Solar AG founds subsidiary in Oman

Phoenix Solar AG, a leading photovoltaic system integrator listed on the TecDAX, has founded Phoenix Solar L.L.C. in Muscat which is the capital city of the Sultanate of Oman. Phoenix Solar AG holds 70 percent and Silver Circle Overseas L.L.C. (SCO), its local partner in Oman, 30 percent in Phoenix Solar L.L.C. The newly founded… Read more »

Phoenix Solar AG builds Germany’s largest photovoltaic power plant on a carport

Phoenix Solar AG, a leading international photovoltaic system integrator listed on the TecDAX, has been building Germany’s largest photovoltaic power plant on a carport in Berlin over the last weeks. Moreover, this is currently Berlin’s largest photovoltaic power plant. The carport, the roof of which is covered with solar modules, is located on property belonging… Read more »

EWEA publishes proposal for harmonisation of grid connection rules for wind power

Harmonised and clear rules for the connection to the electricity system are necessary due to the dramatic increase in wind power penetration across Europe, says the wind industry. Harmonised rules will lower wind energy production costs, contribute to an efficient management of the system, and lower the cost of the electricity for consumers. The European… Read more »

A Decade Draws to an End

As the decade draws to an end, many of us within the renewables industries will be reflecting upon ten years that have shaped the future. Prior to 2000, wind and photovoltaic technologies were in their infancy and largely unproven commercially. Yet within a few short years, the spectre of global warming had raised its ugly… Read more »

Eib To Provide 300m To Interconnector Project

The European Investment Bank (EIB) has agreed to provide €300m for the construction of the BritNed Interconnector, a new electricity transmission cable between the United Kingdom and the Netherlands. Paul Wilczek, EWEA’s Regulatory Affairs Adviser, commented: “Today’s decision by the EIB is a small but highly significant step towards what everyone in the business knows… Read more »

Sputnik Engineering, a Swiss manufacturer of solar system inverters, has a new managing director for its French subsidiary

Didier Jeannelle is the new managing director of Sputnik’s French subsidiary Sputnik Engineering France S.A.R.L. Today, at the Energaia Trade Fair in Montpellier, he will take over from Daniel Freudiger, who has headed the French subsidiary since its founding last year. Freudiger will now move to Sputnik’s Swiss headquarters to become head of sales and… Read more »

Rickmers-Linie successfully re-certified in accordance with the latest ISO standards

Rickmers-Linie, the Hamburg based breakbulk, heavylift and project cargo specialist, has been successfully re-certified in accordance with the latest ISO standards ISO 9001:2008, OHSAS 18001:2007 and ISO 14001:2004. Rickmers-Linie’s new integrated quality management system incorporates statutory and regulatory requirements for quality, occupational health and safety as well as environmental management. The certificates became valid with… Read more »

Rehm – a leader in Reflow Soldering innovations – presents yet another market first:

Introducing Rehm Pyrolysis The most effective Residue Management solution for your Reflow Soldering Process Pyrolysis from Rehm delivers these production benefits: 12 month maintenance intervals Removal of unpleasant odors Clean and dry process chamber Lower energy costs Higher process stability and reduced downtime Rehm Pyrolysis in the pre-heating and peak area eliminates crystalline residues. Condensate… Read more »

Rickmers-Linie appoints Brunoni as agent in Switzerland

Rickmers-Linie, the breakbulk, heavylift and project cargo specialist headquartered in Hamburg, has appointed Zurich based O Brunoni SA as its Swiss agent with effect from 1 January 2010. Brunoni will take over the agency activities for Rickmers-Linie from Cargonautic AG, which had been acting as Rickmers’ agency since 1998 but unfortunately will close down its… Read more »

EWEA Policy Director on political declaration signed by 9 countries

Commenting on the political declaration signed by nine countries to cooperate on the development of a North Sea supergrid today, Justin Wilkes, EWEA Policy Director, said: “These nine countries have taken a step in the right direction. The building of a supergrid in the North Sea is vital for fully exploiting Europe’s biggest energy source… Read more »

Philipp Muller leaves Sputnik Engineering AG

Company boss Philipp Müller left the Swiss inverter manufacturer Sputnik at the end of November. Henceforth, Christoph von Bergen is the sole managing director and also takes over the company shares of Müller. For Sputnik will continue to rely on the strength of a company led by its owners. Company structure and organisation fundamentally remain… Read more »

Meyer Burger and Oerlikon Systems enter strategic cooperation

Meyer Burger (SIX Swiss Exchange: MBTN) and Oerlikon Systems signed a strategic distribution, cooperation & license agreement for the SOLARIS thin-film coating equipment. As part of the agreement, Meyer Burger’s sales & service organization will represent the SOLARIS equipment for crystalline Silicon PV application in most regions, such as China, Taiwan, Europe, Middle East, India… Read more »

Denmark, climate summit host, tops table of fighting climate change with wind power

In the run-up to the crucial climate change talks in Copenhagen, the European Wind Energy Association (EWEA) has published a league table showing which EU countries are best at exploiting CO2-cutting wind energy. Top of the table is Denmark, with the highest amount of wind energy capacity per square kilometre of national territory. Germany comes… Read more »

Reconditioning and Durable Wear Protection for Gear Boxes and Bearings in Wind Turbines

Use of Wind Energy – Future Development The share of renewable energy sources in total energy consumption is to be increased to 20 % in 2020. To achieve this extremely ambitious target, the share of renewable energy sources in electricity generation in the European Union has to be increased to approximately 34 % by 2020…. Read more »

Phoenix Solar AG with strong year-end rally

Record sales in November in the Components & Systems segment 16 photovoltaic power plants under construction Phoenix Solar AG’s largest solar park to date being built on a military land for redevelopment Sulzemoos, 3rd December 2009 / Phoenix Solar AG, a leading photovoltaic system integrator listed on the TecDAX, is experiencing a strong year-end rally,… Read more »

Wind industry urges more speed on recovery plan funding

Today, as European Energy Commissioner Andris Piebalgs speaks to the European Parliament’s Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE) Committee on the European Economic Recovery Plan, the European Wind Energy Association (EWEA) warned that the EU needs to speed up its stimulus package. The €5 billion plan, approved by the European Parliament last May, includes €565 million… Read more »

Ferrostaal inaugurates the first Palestinian solar thermal plant

On December 2, 2009, the first solar thermal plant for warm water supply and central heating on Palestinian territory has gone into operation near Beit Jala. The solar plant has been realized by MAN Ferrostaal AG and the Deutsche Energie-Agentur GmbH (dena) – the German Energy Agency – within the framework of the “dena Solar… Read more »

Hans-Georg Schweikardt is the new Head of Product Management of the Sputnik Engineering AG

With effect from today, Hans-Georg Schweikardt is the new manager in charge of Sputnik’s product management department at the company’s headquarters in Biel . Schweikardt has been employed at the German branch of the Swiss solar inverter manufacturer Sputnik Engineering GmbH since 2004, first as a sales engineer, then as head of sales. “Through moving… Read more »

Masdar selects Linde to reduce carbon footprint of solar modules

Adopts Linde’s on-site generated fluorine to eliminate use of greenhouse gases Munich, Germany, 1st December 2009 – Linde Gases, a division of The Linde Group, and Masdar PV GmbH, a manufacturer of large-scale thin-film solar modules, have signed an agreement to qualify and adopt Linde’s on-site generated fluorine – a zero global warming solution for photovoltaic (PV) module… Read more »