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Australia's recently passed Renewable Energy Act has spurred a Canadian company to set its sights on the Australian market for remote wind power generation. Calgary-based Sustainable Energy Technologies has retained an international energy broker, Prebon Energy, to push its vertical axis wind turbine (VAWT) technology from a base in Sydney. It is the second wind business deal forged between Canada and Australia in recent months and follows on the heels of the purchase by Bolwell Corp of half of Dutch-Canadian blade manufacturer, Polymarin Huron (“uåX˜äŠÊ˜·³Ç, October 2000). Prebon will help the Canadian company develop opportunities for the sale or license of its 250 kW VAWT, which is "ideally suited" to offset the emissions and fuel costs of remote diesel generating systems in Australia and Asia, says Prebon's David Griffin. The turbine, which received an international certificate of compliance last April from Germanischer Lloyd of Germany, lends itself to remote use because of the simplicity of its design, according to its promoters. It is easily transported and installed, houses its electronic components on the ground, and can be operated and maintained with basic electrical and mechanical skills. "We feel that Prebon will identify and develop significant opportunities for us that will fund further development and commercialisation of our wind turbine technology," says Sustainable Energy's Michael Carten. The Australian Renewable Energy Act aims to increase the contribution of renewables to Australia's electricity supply by 2% (“uåX˜äŠÊ˜·³Ç, January 2000).