By Fu Jing (China Daily)
Updated: 2008-01-14 11:13

Capstone was the only energy equipment manufacturer involved in a November 2005 trade mission led by California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger to promote the use of California-made products in the world's most populous nation.

In 2000, the first hybrid electric bus in China was unveiled by Beijing Chargeking Energy Technology Company Ltd. The bus was powered by two Capstone-built compact 30-KW micro turbine power generators.

Crouse says micro-turbines can reduce pollutants and greenhouse gases while creating onsite electricity from a variety of gases including high pressure sweet or sour wellhead gas and low-pressure coal-bed methane.

Capstone's turbines' nitrous oxide emission level is less than 9 ppm (parts per million), but for a typical reciprocating engine, the nitrous oxide emission is approximately hundreds ppm, Crouse says.

And the turbines can also produce low levels of CO2 emissions, volatile organic compounds and particulate matter, he says.

Capstone first offered commercial power products utilizing micro-turbine technology in 1998 after more than 10 years of research. So far Capstone has shipped more than 5,000 Capstone micro-turbine systems to customers worldwide that have logged more than 10 million documented runtime operating hours.

Capstone is a member of the US Environmental Protection Agency's Combined Heat and Power Partnership, which is committed to improving the efficiency of the nation's energy infrastructure and reducing emissions of pollutants and greenhouse gases. Capstone Turbine is headquartered in the Los Angeles area with sales or service centers in New York, Mexico City, Milan, Shanghai and Tokyo.

"By building up achievements, we have promised a long commitment to the China market and the world," Crouse says.

Editor's Note: US Assistant Secretary of Commerce David Bohigian last week led a US Clean-Energy Technologies Trade Mission to China for dialog with Chinese energy and trade officials as well as company executives.

The mission, comprised of 17 CEOs of US companies, including energy firms, technology vendors and venture capitalists, highlighted the enormous potential of China-US cooperation in clean technology.

China Business Weekly reporters spoke to some of the CEOs about business opportunities and potential partnerships in the clean-tech sector, which we are covering on our energy pages of this issue of China Business Weekly.

Also, Zhang Xiaogang, senior consultant at China Daily, interviewed David Bohigianin in his first-ever chat with Chinese netizens. Streaming video and transcripts of the interview can be found at: http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/energy/

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