Monthly Archives: Июнь 2012

Nano finally goes on, «nanovolumes.» The new production facility for production of nanopowders run at full capacity. They are already actively used in the defense industry, construction and medicine. This is one of the projects supported by the Novosibirsk venture capital fund.

The main purpose of nanopowders — to do all the stronger, in that they are added. Tiny particles bind a molecule of starting material, and he acquires new properties. Supplements that can not be seen even under a microscope, very promising, but has not been fully explored and have a «complex character».
Nanopowders prepared by electrical explosion of conductors. For the first time in Novosibirsk with the help of this innovative technology does not produce a finished product in the laboratory and in industrial scale.
With such equipment a year can make only a few tons. But the volume is deceptive. For example, only one gram of nanoaluminum makes a ton of concrete is much stronger. The field of micro-particles widely: they are used not only in the manufacture of building materials or armor. Doctors use these supplements for bone replacement. For example, make artificial «porous» vertebrae that are fused with living tissues and cause rejection.
«A man generally face less of nanomaterials themselves, but with materials that will be improved by using them. Here it should be understood, «- said Minister of Education, Science and Innovation Policy of the Novosibirsk Region Vladimir Nikonov.
While the demand for unique additive is small. Plan an annual production of 2 tons, but while berdchane considered Russia’s largest producer of nanopowders.
«Our industry is at the forefront of the last decades of the last century. Introduction — a rather difficult thing, because the company is not ready to consume «- complains director of» Siberian nanomaterials, «Sergei Popov.
Nevertheless, already signed contracts with several defense companies and manufacturers of high-strength ceramics from Tomsk, Kazan, Moscow. A Novosibirsk scientists use to study the nano-powders promising way to cut metal. Soon, the volume of production expected to increase to 20 tons.
Source: IAA Cleandex

While thousands of small solar companies in the world have gone / are going bust on account of massive industry oversupply and crashed solar panel prices, huge state owned Chinese conglomerates / quasi government companies are strengthening their position in the industry. There have been large number of bankruptcies in the West including such stalwarts like Q-Cells, Solyndra, Solon and many others. However despite massive indebtedness, no major Chinese company has gone bust. LDK Solar which has been in the news for a number of times for being on the verge of bankruptcy still manages to survive. The company was in the news with its customers and suppliers not renewing their contracts as the company faces almost $4 billion in debt compared to less than $500 million in market capitalization and huge losses.

The reason for no big Chinese bankruptcy is the backing of the government and the state owned Chinese banks which are propping up these bloated whales leading to a crazy oversupply. Note this issue is not specific to the solar industry, but the global wind and LED industry too are facing the same problems. The Chinese government in its mission to become a world leader in green industry has given massive subsidies to these industries leading to a situation of collapsing prices and companies.

The large state owned firms like Phono Solar, Talesun, GCL Poly are expanding their marketshare as other firms face existential crisis. China is set to become the world’s largest market for solar panels in 2012 and these state owned firms are garnering the largest share of projects and contracts due to their size and influence. No foreign solar company has won a decent sized solar power plant project in China which is stunning considering that China sells a majority of solar panels in most world markets. USA has recently imposed duties on imports of Chinese solar panels and there are indications that other major consumers such as Europe and India will follow suit given the unequal level playing field.  (http://www.greenworldinvestor.com)

I discussed the IP litigation in China between American Superconductor (AMSC) and Chinese wind energy system maker Sinovel.

Recharge reports that China’s Supreme People’s Court recently agreed to hear AMSC’s appeal in one of the civil actions of the dispute.

This is an appeal by AMSC of the Hainan Supreme Court’s decision to affirm a lower court ruling that dismissed AMSC’s copyright infringement action against Sinovel, Dalian Guotong, a power converter maker partially owned by Sinovel, and Huaneng Hainan Power Company.

The Hainan Province No. 1 Intermediate People’s Court threw out AMSC’s suit on jurisdictional grounds after Sinovel filed a motion to dismiss in December 2011.  In that motion, Sinovel argued that the case should be governed by the Beijing Arbitration Commission, which is hearing separate contractual disputes between AMSC and Sinovel.

According to the Recharge piece, AMSC appealed this copyright infringement case to the Supreme People’s Court because it is “purely a copyright infringement dispute rather than a contractual matter.  As such, it is independent of the contracts and belongs within the civil court system.”

The of heart of the dispute is AMSC’s allegations that Sinovel misappropriated its propietary software code for controlling wind turbines and power converters.

Specifcally, AMSC accuses Sinovel of copyright infringement and theft of trade secrets by Sinovel’s unauthorized use of the turbine control software source code and the binary code, or upper layer, of its software for the PM3000 power converters used with Sinovel’s 1.5 MW turbines.  The control software was developed by AMSC for use with Sinovel’s turbines.

The litigation has involved four separate actions by AMSC in various forums in China where the effectiveness of intellectual property enforcement remains an open question of increasing importance to the clean tech industry.(Green Patent Blog®)

The company «Phosagro» is going to produce rare-earth metals of the apatite concentrate. However, while we are talking only about the development of technology. On the timing and cost of the project too early.

«Today we are doing the primary pilot plant at Cherepovets ‘Athos’ and as a pilot project at the Balakovo, respectively, now when it comes to better understanding of this process, or the incarnation of the metal — it’s 4-5 years from today,» — said General Director Fosargo Maxim Volkov.
According to Volkov, «Phosagro» owns 42% of Russian reserves of rare earth metals. In the future, based on them can produce radically new products for the most high-tech and knowledge-intensive industries. Of particular interest to «Phosagro,» in terms of profits, represent elements of the so-called «heavy group».It is expected that they will only get more expensive.

Experts point out that Russia has everything you need to take a serious global market share of rare earth metals, which now demand far outstrips supply. While the sector is actually a monopoly position is China. In Russia there are about a quarter of world reserves of rare earth metals. However, the production volume is only 2% of the world. By 2020 this figure will increase to 10%.

The news has been prepared based on information releases channel «TV Expert».

                                                     

Volkov: Russia will compete for the market of rare earth metals Photo: ITAR-TASS