Norway’s government has voted to forgive 90 percent of the debt Liberia owes it, in a move designed to help the country keep up the pace of positive change achieved in recent years. This amounts to USD 35 million, with the remaining 10 percent to be placed under a more manageable repayment plan. Read the full story

A new Amazon conservation fund initiated by Brazil’s government in August has received its first major donation from Norway, which offered USD 1 billion to protect this essential biosphere. The Norwegian donation is the beginning of what Brazil hopes will eventually amount to a USD 21 billion fund to protect the Amazon and stop loggers and farmers from Read the full story

Orkuveita Reykjavikur, an Icelandic utility company, will be using the services and equipment of SPX Corporation in its thermal-equipment business. The agreement signed between the two companies is estimated to be worth USD 100 million.

SPX Corp agreed to provide Orkuveita with engineering, design, manufacturing and installation for a steam-condensed system. The SPX parts will be installed at five geothermal power plants which are scheduled to be constructed around the base of a volcano.

The five power plants are scheduled to open for operation by 2011 and will produce electricity from steam.

“Our products will help create one of the most modern and efficient geothermal facilities in the world,” says Drew Ladau, president of SPX Thermal Equipment and Services. “Iceland is a world leader in geothermal power generation and we’re pleased to play a role in helping build their energy infrastructure.”

SPX is a company based in Charlotte, North Carolina, USA which specialises in flow technology, testing and measurement equipment in addition to providing thermal equipment and services.

The district administration block in Kalangala islands in Uganda will benefit from a sh 1 billion (USD 600,000) investment from the Icelandic International Development Agency according to reports in the Kampala New Vision. The current administration block is run down and the office buildings are dilapidated.

District engineer Novert Baliremwa, said that surveys of the building are nearing completion. Baliremwa said that construction is scheduled to start in July and will most likely take two years to complete.

According to Baliremwa, the Icelandic funds will go toward the construction of modern offices for the sub-counties of Mazinga and Bubeke.

Skuli Helgason, the vice chairman of the Icelandic International Development Agency’s board of directors said that the Icelandic funds would pay for the first phase of development for the new office buildings.

The Development Co-operation between Uganda and Iceland first started in 2000. For the most part, the two countries cooperate in the areas of fisheries, energy and social development. In addition to the donation for the office development, Iceland also supports several feasibility studies for geothermal prospects in western Uganda.

ICEIDA also supports projects in Nicaragua, Sri Lanka, Malawi, Mozambique, and Namibia. In 2007, there were 13 ICEIDA employees working in Uganda, four of whom were Icelanders.