Berkshire Hathaway energy unit MidAmerican Power Holdings has agreed to buy wind turbines with an estimated value of more than $1bln from Siemens. IFM Investors has agreed to invest $1.3 billion in equity funding for the proposed three-train Freeport LNG natural gas liquefaction and export plant in Texas, sourced from a consortium of project finance ledners. The funding in question… Keep reading →
When one thinks of hybrids, cars like the Toyota Prius come to mind. There’s no reason though green vehicle technology like this needs to be limited to passenger cars or commercial vehicles like moving trucks. It is also turning up in the construction industry, in part via the unveiling in the last week of a new hybrid excavator from Caterpillar.
Caterpillar said its new Cat 336E H is a derivative of the company’s 336E large hydraulic excavator, which is described as a “recognized industry-leading workhorse” by its manufacturer. The new hybrid version is the company’s first to make use of what it calls “a novel hydraulic hybrid technology developed internally” that reportedly uses 25 percent less fuel compared to its regular sibling. Torque News noted of this machine that it has a drive train that “is a diesel-electric design but Caterpillar is not describing the electrical storage capacity nor power of the electric motor.” Keep reading →
Westport Innovations said Tuesday it reached an agreement with Caterpillar to use natural gas technology for mining trucks and locomotives. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. The Vancouver-based company makes direct injection, natural gas technology for heavy-duty vehicles. “The substantial price difference between natural gas and diesel fuel is resulting in a strong financial incentive to enable off-road applications to take advantage of low natural gas energy costs without sacrificing operational performance,” said David Demers, chief executive officer of Westport Innovations. Read more: http://www.foxbusiness.com/markets/2012/06/05/caterpillar-westport-team-up-on-natgas-vehicles/#ixzz1wvszEJsH
Presidents don’t usually cut ribbons at gas station openings, but the January opening of a liquefied natural gas (LNG) truck refueling stop on the busy I-15 corridor in Las Vegas was different enough to draw President Obama.
The station was the final one needed so LNG-powered semis could make the run from the port of Los Angeles all the way to Salt Lake City. Instead of diesel made from imported crude, Obama said, the trucks can be fueled with domestic natural gas. Keep reading →
Caterpillar plans to open a new manufacturing facility in North America and hire more than 1,000 workers as it shifts production from Japan and moves closer to core tractor and excavator customers. The company also said on Friday that it will bid for China’s ERA Mining Machinery to strengthen its mining business and boost production in the region. The dual-option deal could be worth up to $885 million. Caterpillar says the purchase fits in with its 2015 strategy, where it has identified the mining industry and improved support of its customers as one of the company’s key imperatives. The Chinese company, which has a 600,000 square meter facility in Zhengzhou, Henan province, manufactures and sells underground mining equipment in mainland China. This article is a linkour to read more: http://www.foxbusiness.com/industries/2011/11/11/caterpillar-to-bid-for-chinas-era-mining/?cmpid=partner_aol#ixzz1dQyOkNzO
An iconic American company whose trash trucks are part of the landscape is increasingly also a major player in the energy space, currently producing enough electricity to power one million homes and aiming to double that number in the next decade.
Waste Management has been filling landfills and feeding recycling facilities with the famously prodigious output of American trash cans for years, but it has also become a leading developer, operator and owner of waste-to-energy and landfill gas-to-energy facilities in the US. Keep reading →
