Turn wastewater from oil wells into an asset
Oil and gas wells produce a lot of water. According to the Department of Energy, between 20 and 25 billion gallons of water are drawn up by wells each year in the U.S., creating a hassle for operators and sometimes shutting down production. Geothermal co-production can potentially alleviate that problem. By using generation units that produce energy from low-temperature hydrothermal resources, a handful of companies are looking at converting wastewater from oil and gas wells into electricity. RenewableEnergyWorld.com
Saudi Arabia’s $53b splurge on water
Saudi Arabia is expected to invest US$53 billion in water projects over the next 15 years. About 70 per cent of this investment is earmarked for sewage and wastewater treatment plants. Though expensive, desalination projects continue to be the major water source in the region. ConstructionWeekOnline.com
Customer size really doesn’t matter, says SAP
SAP plans to reshape its go-to-market strategy, letting the type of solution and the role of the buyer, rather than customer size, dictate the sales channel. Part of the switch in SAP’s thinking has to do with the company’s expectation that increasing levels of customer spending will shift from core ERP to applications that surround ERP and allow customers to pull more value out of ERP transactions and data. Managing Automation
The Strawberry Picking Robot
Japan has developed a strawberry picking robot since their farmers are getting older and find it difficult to get the younger generation to work on the grounds. This robot can tell which strawberries are ready for harvesting by using cameras to detect the color and ripeness of the berries and snips the stalk in a way that doesn’t damage the fruit. It harvests over 60 per cent of the strawberry crop and takes about nine seconds to pick a berry. The strawberry picking robot reduces the harvesting time by 40 per cent. This technology could be used to harvest other crops too. Walyou