Crazy Skyscraper Uses Lightning to Make Hydrogen Gas

The structure may resemble a postmodern radio tower or perhaps the lair of a James Bond supervillain, but it’s actually designed to be a hydrogen power plant.

Hydra, named after a tubular freshwater creature, is listed as an honorable mention in this year’s eVolo Magazine Skyscraper Competition (see more winning designs here). Its creators hail from Serbia, and include Milos Vlastic, Vuk Djordjevic, Ana Lazovic, and Milica Stankovic.

Blown away by wind farm potential on West Coast

In May 2008, the town of Darling in the West Coast District Municipality became home to South Africa's first commercial wind energy farm.

The R75-million project is the first of its kind in the country to generate electricity from wind power on a commercial basis. In light of South Africa's recent electricity concerns, the global stance on alternative energy production and the forecast success of the project, it could be the first of many.

The wind farm has four turbines and can supply 5.2-megawatts of electricty, all of which will be sold to the City of Cape Town as part of a long-term power purchase agreement. The vast South African coastline, and especially the rugged, wind-battered part of it along the west coast, presents ample opportunity for similar projects to be set up. Investors will be watching the farm in Darling for early signs of success, and when they see them, the WCDM expects a line at the door asking for more.