Virgin Atlantic: World’s First Airline to Fly a Plane on Biofuel

- Virgin Atlantic 747 flies from London Heathrow using biofuel
- Flight partners are Boeing, GE Aviation and Imperium Renewables
- Biofuel contains mix of coconut and babassu oil
- Pioneering flight marks breakthrough in biofuel development

SOUTH NORWALK, Conn., and LONDON, Feb. 24 /PRNewswire/ — Virgin
Atlantic, one of the world’s leading long-haul airlines, will today fly one
of its Boeing 747 jumbo jets on biofuel from London Heathrow to Amsterdam
– becoming the first airline in the world to fly on renewable fuel.
Together with partners Boeing, GE Aviation and Imperium Renewables, Virgin
Atlantic is helping to pioneer renewable fuel sources for aviation.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20060927/NYW045LOGO )

The Virgin Atlantic aircraft, flight number VS811P and registration
GV-WOW, will fly using a biofuel composed of babassu oil and coconut oil.
These oils are environmentally and socially sustainable. They can both be
found in everyday cosmetic products, such as lip balm and shaving cream,
and do not compete with staple food sources. In addition, the babassu nuts
and coconuts were harvested from existing, mature plantations. No
modifications were made to either the aircraft or its engines to enable the
flight to take place.

The demonstration flight, piloted by Captain Geoff Andreasen, Virgin
Atlantic’s Chief Boeing pilot, is due to take off from London Heathrow at
11.30am and arrive in Amsterdam at 13.30 local time. During the flight,
technical advisors on board will be taking readings and recording flight
data for later analysis.

Commenting on the first ever airline flight using biofuel, Sir Richard
Branson, the President of Virgin Atlantic, said:

“Today marks a biofuel breakthrough for the whole airline industry.
Virgin Atlantic, and its partners, are proving that you can find an
alternative to traditional jet fuel and fly a plane on new technology,
such as sustainable biofuel. This pioneering flight will enable those of
us who are serious about reducing our carbon emissions to go on
developing the fuels of the future, fuels which will power our aircraft
in the years ahead through sustainable next-generation oils, such as
algae.”

In preparation for today’s flight, Boeing, GE Aviation and Imperium
conducted extensive laboratory and static-engine testing on the ground to
evaluate the energy and performance properties of the biofuel used in the
flight. The Virgin Atlantic flight is the first step in a broader industry-
wide initiative to commercialise alternative fuel sources for aviation and
Virgin Atlantic will be sharing the results with those also seeking to cut
their carbon emissions in the rest of the industry.

Marlin Dailey, Boeing Commercial Airplane’s Vice-President of Sales,
Europe, Russia and Central Asia, added:

“Today’s flight is a continuation of a journey we embarked on last year
with Sir Richard and Virgin Atlantic to identify more sustainable forms
of fuel for the aviation industry. Change begins with a vision.
Following that, innovation and technologies are essential to proving the
feasibility of renewable, alternative fuel sources for an
environmentally progressive future of aviation. We commend Virgin
Atlantic for their efforts to move that vision forward for the
betterment of all of us.”

Dr. Tim Held, Manager of Advanced Combustion Engineering at GE
Aviation, for GE Aviation, commented:

“The partnership between Virgin Atlantic, Boeing, GE and Imperium
Renewables has advanced our understanding of biofuels for aviation
applications. Prior to this historic flight, the engine ground testing
conducted by GE and CFM International required no hardware modifications
to the engine, and the fuels performed as expected. The team entered
today’s historic flight demonstration with great confidence.”

John Plaza, President and CEO for Imperium Renewables commented:

“We’re extremely proud to have produced the fuel used today for this
historic flight. A successful flight will not only validate the use of
biofuels in aviation, but also provide a glimpse into the future of all
fuels. Today’s biojet fuel offers higher-quality standards and a more
sustainable fuel than traditional jet fuel. Additionally it illustrates
the potential for “second generation” biojet fuel to be even more viable
in the coming years. We’re committed to the aviation community and to
innovating new and environmentally-friendly alternative fuels.”

The results of today’s biofuel flight will be analysed by Virgin
Atlantic, Boeing, GE Aviation and Imperium Renewables and used for the
research and development of next-generation biofuels that can help reduce
carbon emissions. Boeing will use the findings from this flight in another
demonstration flight later this year.

Babassu oil comes from the nuts of the babassu tree, which is native to
Brazil. The fruit of the babassu is used in products such as drugs and
cosmetics, and its leaves are used to make roofs and paper, which in turn
is used to create folders, bags and soap boxes. Coconut oil is used for a
variety of applications including oil for biodiesel. Most coconut
plantations are mature and do not contribute to deforestation.

Broadcast and web quality footage can be downloaded from the following
website: http://www.digitalnewsagency.com/virginatlantic

For all Virgin Atlantic enquiries, please contact the Virgin Atlantic
Press Office on +44 1293 747373

For all Imperium Renewables enquiries, please contact John Williams on
+1 206-660-5503 or email: jwilliams@scovillepr.com

For all Boeing enquiries, please contact Terrance Scott on +1 206 571
8070 or email terrance.scott@boeing.com

For all GE Aviation enquiries, please contact Rick Kennedy on
+1-513-607-0609 or +1-513-243-3372 or email: rick.l.kennedy@ge.com

SOURCE Virgin Atlantic Airways Ltd.

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Green Data Systems Adds Hitachi BladeSymphony to Its Green IT Offerings

Expansion builds on existing relationship between Green Data Systems and Hitachi in Europe NEU-ISENBURG/FRANKFURT, Germany and LONDON, Feb. 22 Today Green Data Systems announced their appointment as a distributor for Hitachi BladeSymphony server products in Europe.

Through this agreement Green Data Systems is now authorised to
distribute the Hitachi BS1000 and BS320 blade servers into the European
market.

Hitachi BladeSymphony range of blade servers aggressively addresses the
computing needs of the rapidly expanding market for datacenter computing
where high performance, high availability and low power are essential.

This agreement will enable Hitachi to leverage Green Data Systems
extensive relationships to deliver its BladeSymphony solutions to a highly
skilled reseller network and end users.

Green Data Systems partners will receive dedicated, personalized
services including presales technical support; order fulfillment management
for multi- and single-platform solutions; business planning and marketing
services; demo facilities, vertical market services; flexible financing;
customized configurations; and engineering support.

“Green Data Systems will now have the capability to provide enterprise
computing solutions with the Hitachi portfolio of storage and server
products in Europe,” said Wessel Graatsma, CEO of Green Data Systems.

“Green Data Systems is already an established storage partner through
the Hitachi Data Systems division of Hitachi. This combined with the
Hitachi BladeSymphony and the other complementary products from Green Data
Systems means customers can benefit from a one stop purchasing point for
performance computing solutions,” said Ravi Ahluwalia, Head of Business
Development of Hitachi Systems Solutions Division in Europe.

BladeSymphony builds on Hitachi’s market leading position established
in Japan with Hitachi’s high quality mainframe heritage. Hitachi
BladeSymphony offers automated failover capability to achieve high system
availability in critical environments.

BladeSymphony “HSVF” or “Hitachi Server Virtualisation Feature”
provides firmware level virtualisation technology which enables substantial
performance advantages over market competitors.

These features along with mainframe class reliability provide
unrivalled computing technology to Green Data Systems customers.

You can also visit Green Data Systems at Cebit from the 4th to the 9th
March 2008 on the Hitachi Stand in Hall 2 Booth Number A20.

ABOUT GREEN DATA SYSTEMS

Green Data Systems, member of ‘The Green Grid’ is the Green Data
Systems Specialist providing optimal Green Data Availability Solutions. The
mission of Green Data Systems and its partners is to offer innovative green
data system solutions attuned to current market developments. Green Data
Availability Solutions simply means that information is available anytime,
anyplace, anywhere given our worldwide conditions.

Green Data Systems is distributor for first class Green IT Solutions
that addresses the computing needs for all tiers of the datacenter, incl.
mission- critical computing needs. Green Data Systems represent leading
Green IT Solutions like Hitachi Data Systems, CommVault, Brocade, Plasmon,
ONstor, RelData, Dilligent Technologies, Lefthand Networks and Quantum.

Green Data Systems’ offices are in Germany, Belgium and the
Netherlands. All Green Data System solutions are offered by a selective
Green Partner network.

For more information, visit the Green Data Systems Web site at
http://www.greendatasystems.com or contact the company at
info@greendatasystems.com.

ABOUT HITACHI

Hitachi Europe, Ltd., Information Division, Systems Solutions Division,
supplies highly scalable and performance-oriented server platforms
targeting mid- and large-scale enterprise customers with solution offerings
ranging from high-end transaction engines to large-scale databases.

Hitachi Europe Ltd., is a wholly owned subsidiary of Hitachi, Ltd.,
Japan. Headquartered in Maidenhead, UK, it has operations in 15 countries
and employs 600 people across Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Hitachi
Europe tailors its services and solutions to meet the specific needs of its
customers. Hitachi Europe comprises ten key business areas: power and
industrial systems; rail; industrial components & equipment; information
systems; digital media; display products; air-conditioning and
refrigeration systems; procurement and sourcing; corporate technology group
(research & development) and the Hitachi Design Centre.

For more information about Hitachi Europe Ltd., please visit
http://www.hitachi-eu.com.

Hitachi, Ltd., headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, is a leading global
electronics company with approximately 384,000 employees worldwide. Fiscal
2006 (ended March 31, 2007) consolidated revenues totaled 10,247 billion
yen ($86.8 billion). The company offers a wide range of systems, products
and services in market sectors including information systems, electronic
devices, power and industrial systems, consumer products, materials and
financial services.

Media Contacts:

Mr. Richard Rimmer, for Hitachi Europe
+44 1 628 585 581
Richard.Rimmer@Hitachi-eu.com

Mr. Rainer Hilsenbeck, for Green Data Systems Germany
+49 172 6868 219
RHilsenbeck@GreenDataSystems.com

Mrs. Ilona Smid, for Green Data Systems Netherlands
+31 570 850 570
ISmid@GreenDataSystems.com

Mr. Vincent Marescau, for Green Data Systems Belgium/Luxembourg
+32 475 933951
VMarescau@greendatasystems.com
This release was issued through eReleases(TM). For more information,
visit http://www.ereleases.com.

http://www.greendatasystems.com/site/index.php?id=476 Green Data Systems

via Pressroom 2.0 /mmws

ON Semiconductor’s New 16 Watt AC-DC Adapter GreenPoint™ Reference Design Exceeds ENERGY STAR® Requirements for xDSL Modem Adapters

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Applied Power Electronics Conference
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American Clean Skies Foundation to Announce Launch Date for New CLEANSKIES.TV

American Clean Skies Foundation Chairman Aubrey McClendon to Announce Launch Date for New CLEANSKIES.TV Network, Multi-Million Dollar Advocacy Campaign on Clean Energy and Natural Gas,& Findings from New National Polls on Clean Energy

At February 27th Press Briefing, 24-7 Live Independent News Network will be
introduced, along with National Magazine, Print Advertising, and Website
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UO Unveils ‘Green Solutions’ Initiative and Announces ‘Green 2010′ Eco- Efficiency Indexes

AU Optronics Corp. today unveiled its “Green Solutions” initiative, a company-wide mission to
practice green innovations, green procurement, green production, green logistics, green service, and green recycling that are all created and used in an environmentally friendly manner. In addition, AUO has developed comprehensive energy-saving initiatives that are to be utilized over the coming three years — termed the “Green 2010″ eco-efficiency indexes. These indexes will assist AUO in continually striving to reduce the environmental impact of the work it does and the products it creates. AUO is also extending its green awareness across the value chain to include relationships with suppliers. The “Green 2010″ goals are absolute and include an 80% waste recovery rate achievement, a 70% reduction from 2004 levels by 2010 in water consumption per substrate size, and a 70% reduction from 2004 levels by 2010 in greenhouse gas emissions per substrate size.
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GreenPoint Reference Design: Highly Efficient 200 Watt Power Adapters for Game Consoles introduced

ON Semiconductor Introduces a GreenPoint(TM) Reference Design for Highly Efficient 200 Watt Power Adapters Used to Power Game Consoles- This New Power Adapter Solution Delivers 90 Percent Power Efficiency at Full Load PHOENIX –(Business Wire)– Feb. 18, 2008 ON Semiconductor (Nasdaq: ONNN), a leading global supplier of power management solutions, today introduced a GreenPoint(TM) reference design for 200 watt (W) power adapters used to power game consoles. This solution provides a blueprint for design engineers to implement adapters that minimize both active- and standby-mode power consumption. Read more

GDC: Leading Technologies Now Available to MMO Developers

Simutronics announced today the integration of major new technologies with its industry leading massively multiplayer online game (MMO) and virtual world development platform, HeroEngine. Now HeroEngine licensees have a large menu of technologies where Simutronics has already handled the technology integration.
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Solar energy: China Sunergy signs Agreement With aleo solar

China Sunergy, a specialized solar cell manufacturer based in Nanjing, China, today provided information on a supplementary agreement (the “Agreement”) it recently signed with aleo solar. Under the Agreement, more than 20% of the supply will now be in the form of high-efficiency selective emitter (”SE”) cells.
aleo solar, a leading German solar module manufacturer, signed an initial solar cell supply agreement with China Sunergy in October 2007. The total shipment volume under the new Agreement will remain at 30MW for 2008 but will now comprise of 7MW supplied in the form of SE cells. 2MW of the 10MW to be supplied during the first half of this year will now be in the form of SE cells. The remainder of the cells will be shipped by the end of 2008.
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Enermax: New PC Power Supplies reach 82-88% efficiency

Efficiency is a key factor in modern systems. Organizations such as
Climate Saver Computing(TM) (http://www.climatesaverscomputing.org/) are
focused on improving the efficiency of a computer’s power delivery. Today’s
average desktop PC wastes over half of the power delivered to it, and the
wasted electricity unnecessarily increases the cost to power computers as
well as the emissions of greenhouse gases. Enermax is committed to reduce
this waste and to combat climate change by meeting and exceeding Climate
Saver Computing guidelines, setting new benchmarks for the PC PSU industry
by reaching 82-88% efficiency with all of the new MODU82+ and PRO82+ series
at 20%, 50%, or 100% load.
Read more

Green toys: Worlds First Fully Contained “Green Energy” Fuel Cell for Toys

New York, Jacob Javets Center. – February 16 – MagPower Systems Inc. is the leader in the areas of Metal-Air Power, Hydrogen Inhibitor research, and cost effective alternative power sources. MagPower has an experienced and cohesive management team and accompanied with their accomplished research and design team, are bringing their innovative power products to market and specifically introducing the “GREEN ENERGY” to the toy industry at this years International Toy Show at the Jacob Javets Center in New York City, Feb. 17 – 20, 2008.
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