Industrial Facilities News
Genzyme to build new R&D center in Beijing - 5/1/2008
Genzyme Corp. (NASDAQ:GENZ) announced that it will build a major new research and development center in Beijing. The initiative is an important element in Genzyme's ongoing global expansion and commitment to establishing a long-term presence in China (see also Cardiovascular Disease). The new facility will be used for research and development activities involving many of Genzyme's key areas of focus, including orthopedics, transplant and immune disease, oncology, endocrinology and cardiovascular disease. The facility, which will feature an innovative green design, will also include laboratory-scale operations for the MACI(R) (matrix-induced autologous chondrocyte implantation) cell therapy and polyclonal antibody operations.
Florida to overhaul two power plants to go green - 4/30/2008
Florida Power & Light Company (NYSE:FPL) announced today a proposal to modernize its power plants at Riviera Beach and Cape Canaveral to high-efficiency natural gas units employing the latest technology, a move that will save customers hundreds of millions of dollars and significantly improve the environmental profile of FPL's generation fleet. "Modernizing these two power plants to high-efficiency natural gas units will be a win for FPL customers and these communities. The state's growing need for electricity will be met, customers will save money, the air will be cleaner, and the reduction in greenhouse gasses will be significant," said FPL President Armando Olivera. The current generating units at the Riviera power plant went into service in 1962 and 1963 and generate 280 megawatts of power each. The Riviera Beach Next Generation Clean Energy Center, scheduled to go online in 2014, will feature a combined cycle natural gas unit capable of producing 1,250 megawatts of electricity, or enough to power 250,000 homes and businesses. Cape Canaveral's existing units came online in 1965 and 1969 and generate 400 megawatts of power each. The Cape Canaveral Next Generation Clean Energy Center, scheduled to go into service in 2013, will also feature a combined cycle natural gas unit capable of producing 1,250 megawatts of power.
World's biggest polysilicon plant on fast-track - 4/16/2008
Fluor Corporation (NYSE: FLR) announced today that it was awarded a contract for engineering, procurement and construction management (EPCM) services by LDK Solar Co., Ltd., (NYSE: LDK) for the world's largest new polysilicon facility in Xinyu City, Jiangxi, People's Republic of China. Fluor originally booked the front-end engineering and design (FEED) work for this project in the third quarter of 2007. Fluor booked the remainder of the $1 billion project in the first quarter of 2008.
New storage product will help data centers go green - 4/14/2008
Hie Electronics, Inc. announces the sale of its TeraStack®Solution product to HKS, Inc., a top-three international architecture and engineering firm. The TeraStack®Solution is a leading green tech data processing and storage product. Nationwide there is a focus on decreasing IT data center electric power use. The EPA recently reported that 2 percent of our electric grid is consumed annually by data centers. The TeraStack®Solution significantly reduces environmental requirements of data centers and for all data storage users.
IBM unveils new green data center - 4/6/2008
IBM (NYSE: IBM) and kika/Leiner today announced the construction of a new energy efficient "green" data center which will reduce electric power consumption by up to 40 percent. The new data center offers kika/Leiner a way to extend their environmental vision beyond traditional business areas. As kika/Leiner expands throughout central Europe and the Middle East, their need for information technology (IT) services has increased considerably. To meet this demand, the market-leading furniture retailer in Austria turned to IBM to design an energy efficient data center using new "green" technologies that are part of IBM's Project Big Green. The new data center is planned to begin operation in May.
Proposed bills reward efficient HVAC systems - 3/25/2008
Rep. Melissa L. Bean, D-Ill. (8th CD), issued the following news release: Congresswoman Melissa Bean (IL-08), joined by representatives from both the environmental community and the business world, introduced her "Green Innovation Initiative" during a downtown Chicago press conference today. The trio of bills provides incentives to builders, businesses and homeowners to invest in green technology and green buildings.
Arson suspected for "not green enough" homes - 3/22/2008
SEATTLE _ I might have to stop recycling, maybe even buy a really big SUV. Who wants to be on the same side of an issue as the eco-terrorists who destroyed a group of houses near Maltby, Wash., this month? If that's how you save the environment, count me out. Of course, it would be overreacting to reject an idea because of a few fanatics. Overreacting is what they do. People overreacting cause a lot of grief in the world.
Verizon breaks ground on $50m network facility - 3/20/2008
Verizon Wireless has begun construction of a high-tech $50 million switching facility in South Florida that will expand and reinforce wireless network capacity and help enhance services for customers throughout the region.
New index on control of industry-use land in China - 2/22/2008
BEIJING, Feb. 20 (Xinhua) – China will adopt new index on control of land for construction of industrial facilities in a bid to strengthen management, saving and integrated utilization of land for industry use.
Tornado town plots rebirth as wind-power capital - 1/7/2008
Michael Burnham, Greenwire senior reporter The wind blew the town down, but now it may play a critical role in its rebirth. Greensburg, Kan., which was destroyed by a tornado last spring, will require LEED Platinum certification for all municipal buildings, in an effort to become one of the nation's greenest burghs. The Greensburg City Council passed a resolution late last month that makes the southwestern Kansas town the first municipality to make mandatory the U.S. Green Building Council's highest LEED (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) benchmark. All new or remodeled city buildings greater than 4,000 square feet must reduce energy use 42 percent over building code requirements and tap into renewable energy sources such as wind, according to the resolution.
