Featured Results

The Asia-Pacific Partnership takes a unique “bottom-up” approach to solving climate change issues and promoting clean energy and clean technology transfer. The Partnership works at the ground-level, building cooperation activity by activity, project by project. The U.S. is committed to supporting the Partnership goals through an extensive array of projects which address each of the eight Task Forces.

After only two years since its inception, definable results from U.S. activities under the Partnership are already being seen. These are some of the recent featured results from U.S. sponsored activities. For more information on any of these results, please contact us.

	Power Plant Assessments Lead to Dramatic Efficiency Improvements Coal's use in power generation and other applications in India poses environmental concerns because of the emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2), nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide, and particulates from the country's older, less efficient coal-fired units. Indian state utilities form the foundation of India's power system, yet many are in financial distress and are unable to provide quality supply and efficient service to their customers. The APP Power Generation and Transmission (PG&T) Task Force provided technical support to increase the operating efficiency and improve the environmental performance of two large Indian power plants, Kolaghat in West Bengal and Ropar in Punjab. The work focused on determining potential areas for efficiency improvement, delivering training focused on critical equipment performance, and providing critical diagnostic equipment needed to track performance of the power plant. The project also introduced a heat rate improvement program in the plants to track and maintain performance. Following the initial assessment, it was determined that when the recommended changes are implemented, both 210-MW plants could improve their boiler efficiency by 4% and ultimately achieve 10-15% reduction in total CO2 emissions. This efficiency-improving strategy is based on proven environmentally and financially sound business practices used in U.S. power plants for decades and has received positive praise from the Indian power plant managers. More information on the Power Generation and Transmission Task Force. June, 2008
	APP Accelerates Adoption of Quality Compact Fluorescent Lamps in Asia Half of the compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) in Asia are substandard, producing less light or burning out more quickly than advertised, so establishing performance standards is vital for the continued growth of CFLs, which have potential sales of 7 billion U.S. dollars annually in Asia, experts said. However, consumer dissatisfaction with shoddy CFLs is threatening the energy saving lamps' spectacular growth in Asia. An APP project sponsored by the U.S. and Australia is working toward helping harmonize performance and quality standards. The world's three largest lighting companies, Philips, OSRAM and General Electric, signed a pact June 6, 2008 to set up standards for CFL to rid the Asian market of shoddy energy-saving lights. Under the new agreement, lighting suppliers in Asia will develop performance levels to rate CFL quality, a system for product marking, and a regional database, so consumers can identify which CFLs meet quality standards. The accord, called the "Manila Compact," was signed on the sidelines of the Asia Clean Energy Forum. The new Asian system will be compatible with existing quality certification systems, such as the Efficient Lighting Initiative and the UK's Energy Saving Trust, both used by the Australian government. The Asian system will also denote whether lamps meet various quality criteria, ranking them as "good", "better" or "best". More information on the Buildings and Appliances Task Force. June, 2008
	Aluminum Technology Website Links Industry Leaders in the U.S. and India Secat Inc., in conjunction with the Australian government, has developed a website to register and connect aluminum industry stakeholders in the U.S. and India. The website, located at http://www.apaluminiumtech.org/, will provide primary aluminum producers, forging and casting companies, fabricators, as well manufacturers, packagers, etc. in both countries with  access to resources to implement changes in environmental and commercial performance throughout the industry. The website has registered 20 companies since its launch several months ago, and Secat has identified 215 U.S. companies and 560 Indian companies for potential registration. Secat is extensively promoting the website at aluminum industry trade conferences in APP Partner countries to gain greater awareness throughout the global industry. More More information on the Aluminum Task Force. June, 2008
	Coal Cleaning Plant Simulator Project Funding for a plant simulator project developed jointly by the US Department of Energy’s Office of Fossil Energy, and India’s Ministry of Coal was approved for funding by Coal India Ltd (CIL) in April 2008. The project team will include Sharpe International LLC, Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd., Central Fuel Research Institute, and Central Mine Planning and Design Institute. The focus will be on developing a plant simulator for the design of new coal beneficiation plants and the optimization of existing plants to conserve energy, and reduce cleaning costs and coal waste. The projected benefits of using clean coal in India include: significant improvements in power plant efficiency (4-5%, or the equivalent of adding 12 new 500MWt plants), reductions in GHG emissions (15% reduction from existing power plants or approximately 10-15 million tons CO2/yr), and a gain of railway coal transport capacity (approximately 20%).  More information on the Coal Mining Task Force. June, 2008
	U.S. Technical Assistance Develops Energy Efficiency Labels in India and China APP funded technical support to India and EPA funded support to China currently finances the development of energy efficiency labels for major appliances in both countries. The voluntary energy efficiency labels will be similar to those used in the successful U.S. ENERGY STAR program. Using the labels on television set top boxes in China alone is expected to result in annual carbon emissions reductions of 17.7 million tons of CO2, the equivalent of removing three million cars from the road.  More June 2008
	Utility Exchanges Foster Power Generation and Transmission Efficiency Improvements Throughout Asia-Pacific Region Through an APP Power Generation and Transmission Task Force-supported series of utility exchanges, more than 300 engineers with expertise in various areas of the power industry are sharing best practices on more efficient power generation and transmission with their international peers.  Most recently, in May 2008, APP participant Alliant Energy, with support from Edison Electric Institute, hosted a U.S. Peer Review of Coal-Fired Generation focused on Operational and Environmental Efficiencies for coal fired power plants.  Other events in this series of utility exchanges and site visits have included a Japanese-hosted peer review event on thermal efficiency of coal-fired thermal power, a Chinese-hosted site visit on plasma ignition technology in power generation, a U.S.-hosted workshop focused on advanced power generation, efficiency gains, and emissions reduction, a U.S.-hosted workshop on hydroelectric generation efficiency, and an Indian-hosted workshop on Coal Fired Thermal Power Plants and Best Practices in Power Generation.   Such knowledge sharing is of critical importance.  Simple, low-cost best-practice improvements can increase the efficiency of many power plants by more than 1.5% which, for example, could reduce CO2 emissions in India alone by over 10 million tons per year.  More on the Power Generation and Transmission Task Force. May 2008
	APP Trade Mission Leads to Deployment of Hybrid-Powered Buses In January, Department of Commerce Assistant Secretary David Bohigian led the second APP Clean Energy Trade Mission to India and China with the goal of deploying U.S. clean energy technology in these two Partner countries.  A highlight of the trip was a signing ceremony announcing the installation of 30 hybrid-powered buses for Guangzhou's municipal city bus company.  The buses will run on a diesel-electric hybrid motor manufactured by the U.S. diversified industrial manufacturing company, Eaton Corporation.  Almost a hundred days later, Eaton announced that the momentum celebrated during the APP Trade Mission in January had led to an agreement by the city to buy 207 additional hybrid power systems from Eaton. Once deployed, this will be the largest single placement of hybrid-powered buses anywhere in China. It is also Eaton’s largest single hybrid power systems order to date. More information on the Power Generation and Transmission Task Force. January 2008
	First Major Collaboration of Steel Manufacturers Results in State-of-the-Art Guide APP Steel Task Force members have released a “State-of-the-Art Clean Technology (SOACT) Handbook,” which was developed by Partnership members to catalog best available technologies and practices to save energy and reduce environmental impacts in the steel industry. This handbook represents the first major collaboration of steel industries from all seven Partner countries. More December 2007
	Energy Efficiency in Public Procurement Spotlighted Through the Asia-Pacific Partnership on Clean Development and Climate, EPA and USAID supported an International Workshop on Government Procurement of Energy Efficient Products in Delhi, India, from July 13-14, 2007. By bringing together experts from the US, China, and other APP countries, this workshop provided an opportunity to share experiences and lessons learned from government procurement programs from several APP countries, and for discussion of the Indian Government's efforts to initiate programs for promotion of energy efficient purchases in government agencies in India. More August 2007
	Coal Beneficiation Workshop in India Expected to Help India Enhance Its Clean Coal Capability By bringing together key players from the public and private sectors of the United States and India, the August 2007 Coal Beneficiation workshop held in Ranchi, in the center of India's coal industry, will facilitate the adoption of best practices in beneficiation of coal and utilization of waste coal, which will help India meets its increased demands for beneficiated coals. This workshop was also a prerequisite for the progress of three Coal Mining Task Force projects: Information Sharing on Coal Processing Technologies, Fine Coal Beneficiation, and Joint Venture Project on Waste Coal Management. More information on the Coal Mining Task Force. August 2007
	China-to-U.S. Trade Mission Fosters Cleaner Combustion An APP-sponsored trade mission to Chicago and Washington produced a June 19 agreement between Hong Kong-based ITOCHU and Illinois-based Fuel Tech for one year exclusive collaboration on cleaner combustion technology in at least one combustion unit in ITOCHU's Chinese holdings. During 2008, ITOCHU and Fuel Tech, which earlier this year sold $5.4 million worth of denitrification systems to Chinese companies, will assess the possibility of forming a joint venture company.  August 2007
	Coal Mining Task Force Meeting Brings International Delegates to Acclaimed U.S. Mines Peabody Energy hosted national and international delegates and observers from the 3 rd Coal Mining Task Force meeting in June, 2007. Participants were taken underground to see firsthand the operations of one retreating longwall section and two continuous miner sections at Peabody's Twentymile Mine in Colorado, one of the largest and most productive underground mines in the United States. Participants also learned about state-of-the-art mine reclamation in the United States by visiting Peabody's Seneca Mine, recipient of the Colorado Mining Association and Colorado Division of Reclamation's Excellence in Reclamation Award. More information on the Coal Mining Task Force. June 2007
	Coal Mining Task Force Meeting Yields New Projects Delegates at the 3 rd Coal Mining Task Force meetingthat took place in Steamboat Springs, Colorado in June, 2007 endorsed two new Australian projects, among other agenda activities. The first new project “Underground Coal Mine Fires Prevention and Control” with project locations in India and Australia is expected to result in significant reductions in fugitive greenhouse gas emissions from the coal mining industry. The second new project, “Acceleration of Underground Coal Gasification” in India, is part of the broader Task Force effort to demonstrate the potential of UCG as a novel mining technology, which not only introduces environmentally friendly extractive processes, but delivers the coal's energy in the form of syngas for a low emission energy source. More information on the Coal Mining Task Force. June 2007
	Breaking Ground With the Chinese Ministry of Construction Under Asia-Pacific Partnership on Clean Development and Climate auspices, EPA's international building energy efficiency program held key planning meetings with China's Ministry of Construction (MOC) in April 2007. These meetings have laid the foundation for a partnership between EPA and MOC supporting China's efforts to improve the efficiency of existing buildings and establish a national benchmarking and certification program. More information on the Buildings and Appliances Task Force. April 2007
	Coal Mining Task Force Generates Private Sector Involvement at Coal Prep Show in Lexington Individuals from over 50 companies involved in coal preparation learned about Asia-Pacific Partnership opportunities overseas at the Coal Mining Task Force's booth at the April 2007 Coal Prep Show, the only international conference and exhibition serving the coal preparation community. The chair of the Coal Mining Task Force also served a keynote speaker at a U.S. Commercial Service breakfast arranged in conjunction with the show for companies interested in export opportunities. More information on the Coal Mining Task Force. April 2007
	Memorandum Signals New Era of Cooperation Between China and ENERGY STAR Utilizing the resources of the APP, the Environmental Protection Agency and the China Standard Certification Center (CSC) signed a joint memorandum of understanding in March 2007 that explores harmonizing the US ENERGY STAR label and CSC's energy efficiency label for consumer electronics and office equipment. Harmonizing the labels will benefit manufacturers in both countries by establishing uniform efficiency specifications and test procedures. Increasing the energy efficiency of appliances will help China meet their energy intensity goal and reduce the emissions of greenhouse gases from electricity consumption in China. APP resources enabled the EPA to capitalize on previous cooperative efforts to help CSC manage an internationally-recognized energy efficiency product labeling program. More information on the Buildings and Appliances Task Force. March 2007
	Aluminum Task Force Trains 150 Chinese Aluminum Engineers The APP's Aluminum Task Force Workshop held a March 2007 workshop for approximately 150 Chinese aluminum engineers on reducing highly potent greenhouse gases (perfluorocarbons) during the aluminum production process. The workshop generated high interest among engineers ideally placed to implement changes in their home companies, as well as strong turnout from the company with the largest share of China's aluminum industry. More information on the Aluminum Task Force. March 2007
	Indian Trade Mission Identifies $12 Million in Renewable Energy Exports Preliminary results from a 2006 APP facilitated trade mission for Indian businesses and government leaders project $12 million in near-term U.S. exports in renewable energy technology. Additional deals from the delegation's 175 meetings with U.S. businesses in Chicago and California, informed by additional meetings with eight U.S. government agencies in Washington, are expected in upcoming months. More January 2007
	Analysis of Methane Capture and Use Opportunities in India Through the Asia-Pacific Partnership on Clean Development and Climate, the U.S. is leading an analysis of methane capture and use opportunities in India that could leverage millions of dollars of private sector investment for clean energy projects. The project, which is also being supported under the Methane to Markets Partnership, will include site assessments and pre-feasibility analyses for landfill gas to energy projects, as well as methane emission data collection and site assessments for natural gas and oil systems. When complete, U.S. companies will have key information to guide future investments in methane capture and use projects in India. More information on the Cleaner Fossil Energy Task Force. January, 2007
	Underground Coal Gasification Promotion Workshop Nearly 100 government officials and representatives from many of India's most influential companies and universities attended an APP funded November 2006 workshop on underground coal gasification. By supplying partner country mining managers, professors, and advisors with the background necessary to successfully deploy this key technological process, this initiative accelerated the adoption of this more efficient means of extracting deep or difficult-to-access coal reserves. More information on the Coal Mining Task Force. December 2006