Wind
A 2009 vision of a North Sea and Baltic supergrid
Connection hubs 'could shave $19bn' off Europe's supergrid bill
An offshore supergrid linking North Sea and Baltic wind farms to Europe’s power networks could be “substantially cheaper” to build than first thought, according to a research project funded by the European Commission.
The Offshore Grid project found that constructing "hub connections" as hitching posts for energy production from multiple wind farms instead of using cables to connect developments individually to the shore would need capital investment at least €14bn ($18.6bn) lower than earlier estimates of more than €100bn.
The study also claims that tying the hubs into an interconnected "meshed grid" – though costing an extra €5bn-€7bn – would see a payback of €16bn-€21bn in savings over 25 years of grid operation.
The project’s researchers calculate total investment costs as low as €84bn to link-up 126GW of offshore wind projects.
Averaged over the transmission development’s lifetime, this would mean the price for bringing online a “complete” meshed offshore grid would amount to about 0.1 eurocent per kWh consumed in the EU.
Geert Palmers, chief executive of global renewable energy consultancy 3E, which acted as the project coordinator, claims the report proves the financial benefits of building a meshed grid offshore –– but warns that a new pan-European regulatory framework is needed to underpin its construction.
Stephan Kohler, chief executive of project participant the German Energy Agency (Dena), adds: "In order to facilitate the development of an offshore power grid, the North and Baltic Sea countries have to adapt the legal framework together. The compatibility of grid-connection policies and support mechanisms has to be pursued with high priority".
Leaked German report argues peak oil is happening now
Think tank warns global oil supply could peak this year resulting in decades of political and economic upheaval
A leaked report prepared for the German government has warned that global oil supplies could peak as early as this year, triggering widespread market failures and a shift in the balance of world power.
The report, which was obtained by the German newspaper Spiegel, was produced by analysts at the military think tank Bundeswehr Transformation Centre and warns that the peaking of oil supplies will result in numerous global challenges.
It predicts global oil supply could peak this year, resulting in decades of political and economic upheaval and warns that over the next 15 to 30 years, oil could become a decisive factor in the distribution of power, with oil exporters gaining increasing influence over countries dependent oil imports.
Strikingly, the report suggests the German government will need to develop a more flexible approach to Russian foreign policy and might also need to realign its allegiance between Israel and Palestine in order to curry favour with Arab oil exporters.
The think tank also predicts that price shocks will impact a wide range of industries because the vast majority of industrial goods rely on oil either directly or indirectly for their production. It warns that ultimately peak oil could result in partial or complete market failures for many industries.
The report is the latest in a series of studies warning that official oil reserve figures have been inflated and as a result oil demand is likely to outstrip supply within the next decade.
A group of British firms have formed an alliance to lobby the government to properly address peak oil risks, warning that dwindling oil supplies pose a serious threat to the global economy.
In related news, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) has announced that will hold a special meeting later this month amidst similar concerns that global demand for some food stuffs is outstripping supply.
The meeting, slated for 24 September at FAO's Rome headquarters, will convene experts and government representatives to examine ways the UN could play its part in easing the current turmoil in grain markets.
Wheat prices experienced their biggest monthly rise in almost a year in August, according to the FAO's Food Price Index, climbing by five per cent following persistent drought in Russia that prompted the country to Russia extend a ban on wheat exports into 2011. Higher sugar and oilseed prices were also recorded leading to an overall spike in food prices.
Rising food prices were blamed for deadly protests in Mozambique last week, amidst growing concerns that the country is facing a repeat of the food crisis in 2007-08.
Interview with Robert L. Hirsch (1/2)
[ EN FRANCAIS ]
[Interview with Robert L. Hirsch (2/2)]
James Schlesinger, President Carter’s Energy Secretary, wrote the foreword to a book written by Dr Robert Hirsch, a former US official who predicts a fall of the oil production within 5 years.
Never before has a high-ranking political figure like Schlesinger given his support to such a prognosis.
The book will be published in the US on October the 1st. Here is an exclusive interview with its author.
Dr. Robert Hirsch has a unique place in the ‘peak oil’ issue. Back in 2005, he was the main author of the first pessimistic report ever published by a public administration (presentation on Wikipedia).
Not any public administration : the Department of Energy of President George Bush.
Robert Hirsch has been a manager of petroleum exploratory research at Exxon, a senior staff member at the RAND Corporation, and director of the US research program on nuclear fusion energy.
His 2005 conclusions did not get any attention from any the mainstream or financial media.
Dr Robert L. Hirsch, Alexandria, VA, August 2010 [M.A]
Today, Robert Hirsch perseveres. According to him, it’s now obvious : we will soon face a decline of world black gold supplies.
In The Impending World Energy Mess (*), Robert Hirsch tries to make people listen to an alarm that he no longer is almost the only one to sound, as was the case in 2005.
An important detail : the foreword of the book was written by James Schlesinger, secretary of Defense under Richard Nixon et Gerald Ford, who then became the first secretary of Energy of the US history, under Jimmy Carter
Schlesinger and Hirsch are today the only government officials or ex-goverment officials in the United States that take the responsibility to cry wolf publicly.
Here is the first part of an interview with Robert Hirsch that we did in August near Washington, DC.
This first part deals with Robert Hirsch’s forecast about an imminent decline of world oil production.
The second part deals with what Dr. Hirsch considers as “a conspiracy” in Washington to keep the peak oil issue “quiet”.
(*) The Impending World Energy Mess, by Robert L. HIRSCH, Roger H. BEZDEK & Robert M. WENDLING. [The three authors are associates in a small compagny dealing with energy information, MISI, Inc., based in Alexandria, VA]. Foreword by Dr. James R. Schlesinger, first U.S Secretary of Energy. Publication scheduled on October the 1st. Apogee Prime. 256 pages, $29.95.
Interview with Robert L. Hirsch (1/2)
[oil man] In the book that you are about to publish, your case is that ‘peak oil’ may happen very soon indeed. According to you, when might we be getting into trouble ? In ten years, in less than ten years ?
Let me begin with this : the background is the production. World oil production had been progressing and then it’s been flat, fluctuating, since the middle of 2004 : it’s been on a ‘plateau’. The economic recession led to a decline in demand, but not much.
The world demand is going up again. It’s back to where it was before the beginning of the crisis in 2008.
Correct. And the oil production fluctuates in a band of 4 or 5 %. It’s not very big. I think that the world oil production cannot go higher than that.
What is your hypothesis ?
We will stay in this band, and within 2 to 5 years, world oil production will go into decline.
So you have in mind the same terrible scenario which has recently been put forward by the Pentagon, the Lloyd’s and Chatham House, and by the German army.
Roughly, yes.
The Department of Energy too mentions a fluctuating, or “undulating” plateau of the oil production. Are you talking about the same thing ?
The difference is that they say we will get to that plateau somewhere in the future. But we are already there ! And if you look at the data, there’s no question we’re there.
A decline of world oil production within 2 to 5 years… What would happen if you’re right ?
It’s going to be a mess, and all of a sudden it’ll be obvious.
According to you, what would be the pace of decline, once that decline starts ?
That’s a crucial question, because the decline rate is going to determine how much trouble we’re in. In the book we look at two decline rates : 2 % and 4 % a year. Clearly the smaller the decline rate is, the less difficult it will be to deal with. 4 % is really catastrophic. 2 % is going to be less difficult but still very difficult.
How difficult ?
In our 2005 report, we worked on a world wide “crash program”, which is the best that you can possibly do. You can’t go faster than that, so it’s a limiting case. With a worldwide crash program, it’s going to take you more than ten years to catch up, because the problem is running away from you ! If you’re in a race with another person, and that other person gets a head start, even if you manage to run faster than him, it may take a very long time to catch up.
What should we expect, before the world is able to catch up with the ‘peak oil’ issue ?
From a world standpoint, Growth Domestic Product will decline every year for over a decade, and could easily be down 20 or 30 % over this period of time. That’s what I mean when I say « catastrophic ».
Wherever you live, somebody has to get food to you. And modern farming is run by oil, because the tractors that plow the ground and plant the seeds, and do the harvesting, run on oil. And then you have to transport the food to some kind of processor, and again, oil takes the food from there to the consumer.
In 2008, when the price of the barrel of oil was above 130 dollars, there’s been hunger demonstrations in more that 20 countries all over the Third World. Do you believe that it is the kind of things that we have to expect a much larger scale and for many years ?
Yes. My background is physics. There’s a term that I love. Its called “non-linear”. Linear is like this (Dr. Hirsch draws a straight line in the air).
Non-linear is this, or that, or this, that, that (Dr Hirsch draws many lines and curves going into very different directions), and so many things feed back on other things, and so forth.
Getting in and to try to understand the problem in some kind of detail is I think impossible because it’s very non-linear : that will impact this, and that will impact that, and that will impact people.
And people may behave rationally, or they may strike and go out in the streets. There may be political chaos ! When that happens, the police have to get out and then, you know, wars may happen. It gets very messy.
Do you think that a developed country like the United States could face more trouble than a Third World country (developed countries rely a lot on oil, and no developed country relies more on oil than the US) ?
Yes. We’re in a lot of trouble, because we import so much oil, and because almost everything that we do depends on oil.
Canada is in a much better shape. They’re producing the oil sands, and they have a lot of it. They refine that heavy oil, and export it too.
But why won’t all those heavy, deepwater or unconventional oils help solve the problem of the decline of conventional oil production ?
Let’s say I want to make unconventional liquids out of coal or gas, and that I do it as fast as I can. You know, worldwide crash program. Look at what happened in South Africa during the apartheid. They had a big problem with the embargo on oil products. They had one coal-to-liquid plant. They decided to build another one right next to it. They had the people there, they had no permitting problem, environmental issues, or anything like this. It took them three years to build something that produced a 100 000 barrels a day (b/d). That was a crash program for them.
It did not make a big difference for them : they still did not have enough liquid fuel to really run there economy, right ?
No. And you cannot go faster than that. It took them three years.
On the worldwide scale, you have to do the same thing everywhere simultaneously, and not for a mere 100 000 b/d, but for multiple millions barrels per day, per year ! That is the problem running away from you.
Here is the key point. Oil is not like this (he shows his I-phone) : this is tiny, it can change fast, you can make big changes in one year or two years. Energy is huge, there’s no way to do it otherwise, there’s just no way. It’s inevitably big.
Today, the only two places where it seems that we can still produce a lot of oil may be off the shores of Brazil, in very deep waters, and in the Arctic ocean. Won’t it make a difference to drill deeper and deeper or in the North Pole ?
Let’s hope so. We don’t know yet. We’re just getting into those things.
But one thing is very clear, and that’s how fast you can do it. And I’m not even talking about having an accident like the one that happened in the Gulf of Mexico. It takes a long time to find the oil, and then build something that can bring it out, and then drill the holes which you have to do.
So even going as fast as you can, you’re talking about 7 to 10 years to get a 100 000 b/d, which is the average production of a new oil field. That’s the coal-to-liquid plants in South Africa, or putting a significant number of more efficient cars on the road : it all takes time.
If we’re are correct in our book, and oil production goes into decline within 2 to 5 years, the world is going to lose. But there are going to be winners. And the winners will be the oil companies, because they’ll be drilling those deep holes, they’ll almost certainly be building all the coal-to-liquids, gas-to-liquid plants, and so forth. Because we have to have liquid fuels.
Some winners, but the world will « lose » ?…
Will the US be in trouble ? Yes. Will Russia be in trouble ? No. Russia has exports, it will get stronger. Will Russia want to continue to export ? If you were the tsar of Russia, and you see the price of oil going up because the production declines, you know that even if you reduce your exports, you will make as much money or maybe even more. You may want to save your oil.
The king of Saudi Arabia said something that sounded like this earlier this year.
Yes he said that a couple of times. And some people doubt that he’s serious… And not only that, but the Saudis have been lying about their oil reserves for a very long time.
What about the official figures on oil reserves of Saudi Arabia ?
Every year for over 15 years, they have been saying that they have 258, 262 billions barrels. That is NOT plausible.
Why is it not ?
Because they’re producing something like 3.5 billion barrels per year. That would mean that they’ve been finding roughly 3.5 billion barrels each year for 15 years. It’s statistically impossible.
You’re talking about finding something that is very elusive, and also the way discoveries take place is that you find the big fields first and then you find smaller ones.
So to say that you find exactly as much as you’re producing, is… the probability of that for two years may be 50, 60 %. The probability of that over 15 years is zero. It just cannot work that way.
What about the other oil producing countries, according to you ?
Well in OPEC they play games with each other on their official figures.
Look at Kuwait for instance. Back in the 80’s they went from 50 billion barrels of reserves up to a 100 billion barrels, and then they stayed on a 100 billion barrels. They’ve producing on a regular basis, and they are not finding much more oil. And then a couple of years ago some of their people said : “Well maybe it’s 50 billion barrels after all.” But the government shut everybody up.
[In 2004, Shell admitted that it had exaggerated its oil and gas reserves by 20 %.
Between 1985 and 1991, the main oil producing countries around the Persian gulf have on average increased by 1.9 % the amount of their « proven » reserves, even though no significant fresh oil discoveries would justify this (as many oil experts consider [-M.A]).]
Planning permission granted for “UK’s first” geothermal plant
Monday 16 August 2010
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| Geothermal Engineering‘s process sees wells drilled 4.5km into the earth with cold water pumped onto the ‘Hot Rocks‘ with the resultant steam pumped back to the surface |
Cornwall council has granted planning permission for the UK's first commercial-scale deep geothermal power plant at a site near Redruth.
The plant is being developed by London-based Geothermal Engineering and is intended to generate 55MW of renewable heat energy and 10MW of electricity when it becomes fully operational in 2013.
Approval of the planning application last week (August 13) means the company can drill three wells 4.5km in depth at the United Downs industrial estate, which is an existing brown field site. Work is set to start in early 2011.
The company said that this would be the deepest onshore well in the UK and hailed the approved application as a "major milestone" in the development of geothermal renewable energy sources in the UK.
Ryan Law, managing director of Geothermal Engineering and chair of the Renewable Energy Association's Deep Geothermal Group, said: "With the development of our plant we want to make deep geothermal energy a significant contributor to the UK's energy portfolio.
"Not only can we contribute renewable, continuous power to the grid, we also want to change the way the UK meets its heat demands by offering energy-efficient, decentralised heat. The Department of Energy and Climate Change has already estimated that deep geothermal technology could supply between one and five GW of baseload, renewable electricity by 2030."
The company is currently seeking funding for the facility from business partners and the European Regional Development Fund. It was awarded £1.475 million by the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) in December 2009 (see this NewEnergyFocus.com story).
Process
Geothermal systems use the Earth's natural heat as a sustainable power source. Wells will be drilled to 4.5 km where temperatures are around 200 degrees Celsius. Water will be pumped down into the rock where it is naturally heated, before being pumped back to the surface as hot water or steam.
The heated water will be used to power turbines to generate electricity and as the source of renewable heat. Geothermal Engineering chose Cornwall to develop the plant as previous research showed that Cornwall had a suitable heat resource which is trapped in granite underground.
This approval marks the first major proposal for geothermal energy development in the UK on a commercial scale, and, in October, it was forecasted that the sector could account for 4,000MW of renewable energy across Europe by 2016 (see this NewEnergyFocus.com story).
Approval for the project was welcomed by Professor Frances Wall, head of the Camborne School of Mines, which is a department of the University of Exeter specialising in engineering, mathematics and physical sciences.
Professor Wall said: "The Camborne School of Mines has been involved in deep geothermal research for decades so to see a commercial project coming to fruition is immensely satisfying. Geothermal has significant potential in the UK and the region stands to benefit significantly from this development in terms of being at the forefront of geothermal exploration."
Crown Estate selects round 1 and 2 wind farms for extensions
Tuesday 11 May 2010
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| Burbo Bank is one of five projects set to be extended |
The Crown Estate has today announced plans for an additional 2GW of offshore wind capacity in the form of Round 1 and 2 wind farm project extensions, which could see offshore wind reach an installed capacity of 48GW by 2020.
Three Round 1 and Round 2 offshore wind farm operators have been offered the opportunity to extend project areas for five sites, creating an additional 1.7GW, while a further 340MW could be added within the current site boundaries for two further projects.
The five sites are:
- Galloper wind farm - a 504MW extension to SSE Renewables' and RWE Npower Renewables' Greater Gabbard project;
- Kentish Flats 2 - a 51MW extension to Vattenfall's currently operating wind farm;
- Thanet 2 - a 147MW extension to Vattenfall's wind farm currently being contructed;
- Burbo Bank extension - an additional 234MW capacity to DONG Energy's wind farm; and
- Walney Extension - a massive 750MW is to be added to the DONG project
Two more projects, Race Bank (Centrica) and Dudgeon (300MW, Warwick Energy) have been offered the change to develop additional capacity of 80MW and 260MW respectively, within their existing site boundaries.
The Crown Estate estimated that construction of these extensions will commence in 2014, subject to consents, with completion by the end of 2016.
Rob Hastings, Marine Estate director at The Crown Estate said that these awards were driven by developers' appetite and would also help to provide a stable flow of construction projects to the offshore wind supply chain in advance of Round 3, 32GW of offshore wind power announced in January .
"It is another positive step in the maturing of the offshore wind industry and will significantly support the growth of the supply chain as it adds further to the pipeline of construction projects," he said.
Maria McCaffery, chief executive of trade body RenewableUK, added that the announcement gave "definitive and positive evidence of the environmental and commercial viability" of existing UK offshore wind projects.
It is another positive step in the maturing of the offshore wind industry and will significantly support the growth of the supply chain
"The site extensions come as a direct consequence of the UK's world beating offshore wind farms showing that, after a successful start, they have further potential for growth," she said.
"It is clear that developers are confident projects will continue to deliver and we welcome The Crown Estate's timely action in ensuring that this happens."
Agreements
The Crown Estate said it was set to finalise agreements with the selected developers in the coming weeks.
After this, developers will commence the statutory consenting process. Each area extension will require a full, new planning application including an Environmental Impact Assessment and a full consultation and will not be granted a lease allowing construction to start until these statutory consents have been obtained.
The Crown Estate said that the extensions should benefit from linkages with the original projects, with the potential for sharing construction crews and vessels, as well as electrical systems, construction bases, ports and onshore facilities.
Developers
SSE said that along with RWE npower renewables, it expected to submit a planning application to the Infrastructure Planning Commission this year for the 504MW Galloper wind farm off the coast of Suffolk, with a view to gaining a decision by 2012. A grid connection for the project was secured with National Grid in 2009.
Paul Coffey, chief operating officer of RWE Innogy, the parent company of RWE nPower Renewables, emphasised the benefits of developing Galloper.
"The opportunity to develop a wind farm close to the Greater Gabbard Offshore wind farm site has a number of advantages: we know that it is an excellent site for a wind farm, there is already the necessary infrastructure in place and, if consented, one can benefit from the long-term operational and maintenance activities due to the close proximity of the two wind farms."
Meanwhile Paul Dowling, chief executive of SSE Renewables, said: "SSE is committed to becoming a major participant in the offshore wind market, and our current projects and success in securing development rights from The Crown Estate underline this. Galloper Wind Farm is an excellent addition to our portfolio of renewable energy development opportunities."
Supply chain
Ole Bigum Nielsen, head of Offshore Projects at Vattenfall Wind Power in the UK, said the company was making this investment in addition to its 7.2GW Round 3 project off East Anglia zone because of the importance of wind power to its generation portfolio.
"Vattenfall is currently investing more than £1bn building two offshore wind projects in UK waters and supporting hundreds of British jobs because wind power is a cornerstone of Vattenfall's vision to make electricity clean by 2050."
Anders Eldrup, chief executive of DONG Energy, said the extension projects were a "natural progression" of its Burbo Bank and Walney projects and would allow closer relationships with the UK supply chain.
"Providing the possibility of medium and long term planning with a stable flow of construction projects allows DONG Energy to interact with and develop the supply chain. We also have an opportunity to strengthen our commitment to the UK offshore wind market."
Landmark report explodes renewable energy myths
Comprehensive study concludes 100 per cent renewable energy supplies are technically feasible and economically attractive
Europe can switch to low carbon sources of energy without jeopardising reliability or forcing up energy bills to punitive levels, according to a major new study that claims to be the most comprehensive assessment to date of the viability of zero carbon power supplies.
Roadmap 2050: a practical guide to a prosperous, low-carbon Europe will be released later today and will demonstrate how transitioning to a low or zero carbon power supply based on high levels of renewable energy would have no impact on reliability, and would have little impact on the cost of producing electricity in the period up to 2050.
The report was developed by think tank the European Climate Foundation (ECF) in collaboration with a number of leading economists and energy industry experts, and includes contributions from McKinsey, KEMA, Imperial College London and Oxford Economics.
Its analysis argues that cost effective zero carbon power is not reliant on technology breakthroughs, although it warns that they would help to further reduce the cost of decarbonisation.
Matt Phillips, a senior associate with the ECF, said many of assumptions made at the outset of the research project had been proved wrong.
"When the Roadmap 2050 project began it was assumed that high-renewable energy scenarios would be too unstable to provide sufficient reliability, that high-renewable scenarios would be uneconomic and more costly, and that technology breakthroughs would be required to move Europe to a zero-carbon power sector," he said. "Roadmap 2050 has found all of these assertions to be untrue. "
ECF said the report shows that the widely held assumption that renewable energy is always more costly than fossil fuels is increasingly outdated, arguing that while capital investment in low carbon energy infrastructure is more expensive than high carbon infrastructure, the long term operating costs for low carbon energy will be lower than for high carbon supplies.
The report also stresses that a move to zero carbon power supplies will have a dramatic impact on improving energy security and will bolster European economic prosperity.
The report presents a range of options for de-carbonising the power supply. It takes 40, 60, 80 and 100 per cent renewables scenarios with the remainder being made up by nuclear and fossil fuel power plants with carbon capture and storage capabilities.
It examines the economic, infrastructure and energy security impacts and the technical feasibility of each scenario and applies detailed modeling and conservative assumptions to reaching conclusions about the viability of each approach.
The report concluded that each of the scenarios are feasible, but warned there are a number of barriers to them being realised. In particular, it concluded that a successful transition to zero carbon power will depend on the UK and other EU member states prioritising energy efficiency measures and supporting the rapid development of a European electricity "supergrid".
It also calls on a massive and sustained mobilisation of investment in low carbon technologies and the firming up of commitments to phase out high carbon assets.
Nick Mabey, chief executive of consultancy E3G, which also contributed to the report, said that the study revealed that "the benefits of the low-carbon pathway far outweigh the challenges".
"A commitment now to a low-carbon transformation of the energy sector is the winning strategy for competitiveness, jobs and prosperity in the UK and Europe, " he said. "Achieving a minimum 80 per cent CO2e reductions in 2050 based on zero carbon power generation in Europe is technically feasible and makes compelling economic sense."
The report comes just weeks after a similar study from PricewaterhouseCoopers also concluded that generating 100 per cent of Europe's energy from renewable sources is technically viable.
Green economy “could provide 1.27m jobs by 2015”
Monday 29 March 2010
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| Offshore wind could provide 156,800 jobs by 2015, according to the report |
Over 1.27 million people could be working in ‘green jobs' by 2015 with faster government action and financial backing, MPs have said today (March 29).
The Energy and Climate Change Committee's report, ‘Low carbon technologies in a green economy,' states that in 2007/08 there were 881,000 'green jobs' in the UK's low carbon and environmental goods and services sector, but decries the "disappointingly slow" progress to date with the move towards a green economy.
The report says that the growth of offshore wind in particular could "revitalise" manufacturing in the UK and provide jobs for re-skilled workers from the oil and gas sector. Very often a green job is not a new job, but replaces an old job, the Committee notes.
The Committee proposes a range of recommendations to bolster the position of renewables in the economic mix - and subsequently boost green jobs - arguing that the use of low carbon technologies and the move towards a green economy is not just good for the environment, but also makes good economic sense, encouraging sustainable economic growth over the decades to come.
One notable suggestion calls on the government to echo a Danish policy and legislate so that a percentage of new wind farms should be offered for sale to local residents, as a way of increasing public acceptance.
The government should also increase the proportion of money spent on green initiatives in future fiscal packages to 20% and use measures such as green bonds, according to the Committee.
Paddy Tipping, acting chair of the Energy and Climate Change Committee, said that almost all the witnesses to the Committee's inquiry had expressed disappointment that the government's green committed "just" £1.4 billion to green initiatives.
He added that the "vital role" low carbon technologies had to play in ‘greening' the economy justified more public funding being put towards their development and uptake.
"Investment in low carbon technologies must be seen as key to a sustainable economic recovery over the long term," he said.
"In particular, these technologies have the potential to reduce the carbon intensity of processes at every stage of the energy supply chain, resulting in lower emissions, many new jobs and sustainable growth for the UK economy."
Jobs
The report says that the government must prioritise its investment in low carbon technologies towards specific technology where the UK has real strengths, but must be careful of disregarding "tomorrow's technologies," such as wave and tidal.
The UK wind industry is credited with by far the greatest potential to provide jobs in 2014/15, up from employing around 87,500 currently to 156,800.
By comparison, the Committee thought geothermal could provide 115,100 jobs by that date; biomass 68,700; solar PV 63,300; carbon capture 6,200; and hydro 6,000. Wave and tidal, at a much earlier stage of development, is forecast to provide just 900 jobs.
But while the Committee claims that 14GW capacity of onshore wind energy is possible by 2020, only 11GW is expected to be built by that point due to planning constraints, which the Committee highlighted in an earlier report and poor communications with the public. One method suggested to combat this was more community owned wind farms.
The report also warns that the future supply chain for offshore wind could be constrained by a lack of offshore cables, transformers and installation vessels.
CCS
The Committee said it was disappointed with the lack of progress on CCS demonstration in comparison to international competitors and called on the newly formed Office of Carbon Capture and Storage to make the development of a roadmap for carbon capture and storage in the UK its first priority.
In its view, that faster demonstration and deployment of CCS technology was essential to take advantage of the huge export potential within any future global CCS market. It estimated that the UK could make up to £5 billion annually from selling carbon storage space under the North Sea.
Wave and tidal
The UK is highlighted as "a leader" in developing and deploying marine technologies, but the Committee slammed progress in the sector as "extremely disappointing."
"Five years have been lost whilst the government and developers in the marine sector came to the slow realisation that support was needed at an earlier stage of development," the report says.
The Committee said that the government should "avoid wasting time" by more carefully assessing the stage of development of emerging technologies and consider the benefits of establishing a separate Office for Marine Energy Deployment.
Technologies
Other technology sectors such as solar, biomass and geothermal are also seen as having an important role to play in the green economy.
The Committee also proposed funding solar research into more efficient panels and examine the opportunities inherent in integrating biomethane into the gas grid
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| Lynn and Inner Dowsing, the Round One project owned by Centrica and completed last year, could now be eligible for an area extension |
Plans to significantly increase the government's first offshore wind programmes could ensure the industry is buoyant throughout the next decade, the seabed owner has said.
Seabed development rights holder The Crown Estate unveiled its plans yesterday (July 29) to extend offshore wind farms in Rounds One and Two - the first cycles of the government's offshore wind programme - by up to 2GW, thereby opening up the possibility that hundreds of new turbines to be in the water by 2018.
This could take the total capacity for these rounds - currently in various stages of operation, construction and planning - to 10GW.
Speaking to New Energy Focus today (July 30), The Crown Estate said that the purpose of the offer was to ensure continuous trade delivery for the supply chain, prior to the start of Round Three construction, and to make sure that there was no slump in the electricity supply from offshore wind to the UK grid.
A spokeswoman for the Estate said: "The aim of this offer is twofold: both to ensure electricity supply and also continuous delivery for the supply chain.
"We would expect awards in the range of 1-2GW based on the information we currently have, but the expression of interest, tenders and discussions with potential developers will shape this figure in more detail. We do not have a clear idea of what the developer appetite is so we will have more detail once the process for expressions of interest closes in September," she added.
The news came after the Crown Estate offered Rounds One and Two operators the option to apply for a lease time extension to take the operation period of the farms to up to 50 years .
Targets
The Estate emphasised that time was of the essence for the offshore wind delivery as the UK approaches its target deadline of 15% of energy from renewable sources by 2020.
It added that further advantages to extending the two programmes, as opposed to planning new ones, lay in the fact that extensions could share a grid connection to shore with the original project, and could also build on the current operator's knowledge of the site, speeding up the delivery of greater capacity before Round Three.
Rob Hastings, director of marine estates at The Crown Estate, said: "Site extensions for Round One and Two provide a unique opportunity to build on the strengths of the UK offshore wind industry. In the years leading up to construction of the larger Round Three projects, the extension of existing sites will provide the offshore wind supply chain with further confidence in a pipeline of construction projects.
"Site extensions can provide additional offshore wind generation capacity which could be installed and in operation in a relatively short timescale - lending further support to government renewable energy targets," he added.
The extension is open to any of the wind farms in the first two cycles of the government's offshore wind programme, whether they are operating, under construction or in planning, and the Estate emphasised that it welcomed applications both from the current operators of the wind farms and new entrants.
Depending on the discussions that ensue with current operators, the seabed owner said that new entrants could work in partnership with existing project owners on extension schemes.
To apply for an extension to a Round One or Two offshore wind farm, plans must share boundaries with the original site, and must be feasible for delivery in a short timescale. Proposal must also demonstrate synergies with the original site, of construction, operation, improvement of economics or grid connectivity.
The deadline for developers to register their initial interest in the extensions has been set at September 9, and the Estate said it was hoping to make further announcements on the applications in the spring of 2010.
The British Wind Energy Association (BWEA), which represents the wind, wave and tidal industries, applauded the proposals.
Maria McCaffery, the BWEA's chief executive, said: "This most welcome announcement underpins confidence in the sector, and shows commitment to further growth of offshore wind. The UK now leads the world in installed offshore capacity and the technology is set to contribute significantly to the country's energy needs."
Renewable Energy Strategy published
15-07-09
 |
The department for energy and climate change (DECC) has today (July 15) published its Renewable Energy Strategy, outlining how the UK plans to meet its goal of sourcing 15% of its energy from renewable sources by 2020.
Among the key points included are a full range of mechanisms to provide up to £30 billion in financial support for renewable electricity and heat in the next decade.
This includes the extension and expansion of the Renewables Obligation for large-scale renewable generation, changes to the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation to increase the use of sustainable biofuels and the introduction of a Renewable Heat Incentive and 'Feed-in Tariffs' for small scale energy generation.
It also confirms the establishment of a new Office for Renewable Energy Deployment, first mooted last year , which will aim to help deliver the targets by strengthening supply chains and improving the planning system.
The document also outlines how the government seeks to develop quicker and smarter grid connection, including investment in a new grid for offshore wind and plans to publish a vision for a 'smart grid' - which aims to manage the variability of renewable sources, save energy and reduce costs - later this year.
There is also a commitment to use more sustainable bioenergy, with the strategy laying out plans to "ramp up the supply and use of biomass for heat, power and transport while ensuring sustainability and protecting the environment".
And, there is an undertaking to move to support new renewable energy sources, with the announcement of five schemes being shortlisted for the Severn Tidal Power project - three barrages and two lagoons - and confirmation that DECC will provide £450 million over the next two years to support investment in "key" new technologies.
The Strategy has been published alongside a 'Low Carbon Industrial Strategy' , and a strategy for Low Carbon Transport, as well as the 'UK Low Carbon Transition Plan' white paper - which together aim to outline how the UK will reach its emissions reductions targets.
Commenting on the plans, energy and climate change secretary Ed Miliband said: "Renewables, nuclear and clean fossil fuels are the trinity of low carbon and the future of energy in Britain. Under these plans we will get 40% of our electricity from low carbon energy by 2020 and more in the years afterwards."
http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/publications/lc_trans_plan/lc_trans_plan.aspx#2
http://www.energycurrent.com/?id=3&storyid=18935
Wind proponents complete mountain banners campaign
6/22/2009 9:52:49 PM GMT
CARDIFF, WALES: Activists from the Sustainable Energy Alliance (SEA) on Saturday reached the summits of the three highest peaks in England, Scotland and Wales and simultaneously unfurled banners in support of wind power in the UK.
The green group wants the UK Government, Scottish Government and Welsh Assembly Government to take action to support wind power and other renewables to combat climate change. As previously reported, SEA believes that too many wind farm applications are being turned down and the planning process is often too lengthy.
The banners were unfurled on Scafell Pike in England, Ben Nevis in Scotland and Snowdon in Wales.
Government green light for 33GW of offshore wind
24-06-09
 |
| The UK has already overtaken wind power giant Denmark in terms of offshore wind power |
The government has today backed the Crown Estate to proceed with the Round Three offshore wind programme, after an official environmental report found that UK waters could accommodate 33GW of wind power.
This could see an extra 25GW of offshore wind power built around the UK's shores, in addition to the 8GW already built or planned, Energy Minister Lord Hunt announced earlier.
The findings formed part of the government's Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) of UK waters, and will enable the Crown Estate to proceed with the third round of leasing for offshore wind farms.
The announcement accompanies the launch of a new offshore cabling licensing regime, and the news that the UK will be joining the newly-formed International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA).
Speaking at the British Wind Energy Association's offshore wind conference, Lord Hunt, Energy and Climate Change Minister, said: "Offshore wind is fundamental to delivering our target of 15% of renewable energy by 2020, and looking ahead to 2050 to reducing our carbon emissions by 80%.
"We're already the world's number one offshore wind power. With the right support, we can grow the industry even further, supporting tens of thousands of high value, green manufacturing jobs. This presents a huge opportunity for the UK Industry," he added.
The Crown Estate launched Round Three in June 2008, and is currently considering 40 bids in nine development zones .
It described today's green light to award development rights to the market as a "significant milestone".
Rob Hasting, director of the marine estate at the Crown Estate said: "The Crown Estate is delighted that 25 GW has been confirmed and also that agreement on the go-active date has been reached for the offshore transmission regime."
He added: "These are significant milestones in delivering one of the major components of the UK's offshore renewable energy programme, including Round Three of offshore wind which, combined with Rounds One and Two, aims to deliver 33GW by 2020, a quarter of the UK electricity needs."
The Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) said today that offshore wind has the potential to provide the UK with up to 70,000 new jobs and £8 billion in annual revenues
Scotland commits to 42% greenhouse gas cut by 2020
24-06-09
 |
| Scotland is aiming to cut its carbon emissions by 42% by 2020 |
Scotland has committed itself to the most ambitious emissions cuts target in the world, as the Holyrood parliament today voted in favour of setting a "42% by 2020" target to cut greenhouse gas emissions.
The 42% target, which aims to cut emissions comparative to 1990 levels, has been agreed in the Scottish Climate Change Bill, and is significantly higher than the UK's current target of 34%, set last year.
The target effectively pre-empts a worldwide agreement on global carbon emissions cuts, due to be discussed at the Copenhagen summit later this year.
It is believed that the target was upped from 34% at the last minute by First Minister Alex Salmond after environmental campaigners, including WWF Scotland, criticised the government's Climate Delivery Plan for being "weak".
However the Scottish government cited "robust evidence", rather than pressure groups, as the reason for the change of heart.
In a statement, the devolved administration said: "A robust evidence base - derived from expert, independent advice - is available to support both the 34% and 42% targets, with a clear trigger - the EU moving to a 30% target - identified for moving to the 42% target."
Renewables to play part in Climate Change strategy
18-06-09
The Agency's comment came in response to publication yesterday (June 18 2009) of the UK's Climate Change Projections by the Meterological Office.
Launched by Hilary Benn, Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the Projections warn of rising temperatures and were accompanied by government statements spelling out the action being taken or planned to try and alleviate climate change.
Launching the projections, Mr Benn said they provided a detailed picture of the threat facing Britain from "soaring summer temperatures, more extreme weather and rising sea levels".
 |
| The threat of climate change and the need to cut emissions has been spelt out in the Climate Change Projections this week |
The Secretary of State said that across the UK, the Projections show a range of climate changes up until the end of the century based on three possible greenhouse gas emissions pathways - high, medium and low." Broadly speaking the world's emissions are currently equivalent to the medium pathway, although there is a risk we could still be heading even for the high scenario. While we cannot be absolutely certain what will happen in the future, these projections - for the first time - show the probabilities of potential changes for the UK. They are not a long range weather forecast."
Commenting on the launch of the Projections, Lord Chris Smith, Chairman of the Environment Agency said: "These new projections remind us starkly of the choices we face in ensuring a sustainable future for our fragile planet. A failure to cut greenhouse gas emissions will lead to a battle for survival for mankind and many other species across the globe by the end of this century; and we will feel the effects here in the UK too."
He added: "In the UK we have the opportunity to become a world leader in low carbon energy and technology, creating jobs and a healthier environment. That has to be the way forward for our economy after the recession. We cannot return to the ‘profit at any cost' approach of the past."
322MW wind farm switched on as expansion plans approved
 |
| ScottishPower hopes to eventually expand Whitelee to 614MW |
The 322MW Whitelee wind farm has been switched on, becoming Europe's "largest operating onshore wind farm".
Whitelee, located in Renfrewshire near Glasgow,
was formally switched on by Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond.
In a speech made at the site on Wednesday, the First Minister announced that the Scottish government would be granting Whitelee's developer, ScottishPower, permission to extend the site by a further 130MW, taking it up to 452MW.
Mr Salmond said: "Whitelee in its current form is already flying the flag for onshore wind power in Europe. The planned extension, which I am delighted to announce today, will enable the wind farm to harness its comparative and competitive advantage in wind generated energy within Europe. It has the infrastructure, the expertise and the capacity to continue to develop in the future."
He added: "During its initial construction, the wind farm employed more than 500 people and ploughed £300 million investment directly in to the Scottish economy. The benefits of this investment go beyond South Lanarkshire and beyond our real economy. It is an investment in Scotland's potential and ambition to lead the clean, green energy revolution."
Whitelee has the infrastructure, the expertise and the capacity to continue to develop in the future
Whitelee
The £300 million wind farm comprises 140 turbines, and powers 250,000 homes.
Switching on one of the final turbines at Whitelee today, ScottishPower's chairman Ignacio Galán said: "Whitelee is a milestone in the history of Scotland, not only representing the largest wind farm in Europe but also one of the largest in the world."
He added: "The excellent location of Whitelee has always meant that it would be possible to extend the windfarm, and we are delighted that the Scottish Government has approved our plans to do so."
ScottishPower, part of the Iberdrola Group, has a 9,000-strong workforce in the UK, and registered revenues in the country of nearly £7 billion last year. It invested around £800 million in Scotland in 2008 and made purchases of more than £1 billion from around 2,400 Scottish suppliers.
The proposals form part of the first phase of ScottishPower's plans to extend the wind farm, which will see an extra 36 turbines and 130MW .
The second phase could see the number of turbines at the wind farm increasing to 221, as well as increasing the power output to 614MW, enough to power 34,000 homes.
It is believed that ScottishPower will now submit a planning application for the second phase of expansion, now that it has been granted permission for another 130MW.
Scotland now has almost 6GW of capacity installed, consented or underconstruction, while the Scottish government's energy consents and deployment unit is currently processing 28 renewables applications - 23 wind farms and five hydro projects
Wind turbines to power chemicals factory in South Wales
07-05-09
 |
| Solutia said the two Nordex N90 wind turbines would reduce its energy bills and provide more certainty to its budgets |
Chemicals manufacturer Solutia is to source electricity for its Newport site in South Wales from two large wind turbines later this year.
Construction begins this month on the project, with industrial on-site wind developers Wind Direct set to build, own and operate the 2.5MW machines, which secured planning permission back in 2007.
Solutia, a US-owned company spun off from biotechnology giant Monsanto in the late nineties, which that emerged from bankruptcy last year, produces chemicals and plastics used to make products including washing powders, floor coverings and safety windows.
It could source more than a third of the Newport site's electricity from the planned Nordex N90 turbines, which are expected to generate around 10,000 kWh of power each year - the equivalent of electricity for around 2,000 homes.
Certainty
Solutia's energy manager, Keith Agnew, said: "Our decision to generate clean, green electricity direct to our plant will reduce our carbon dioxide emissions allowing us to reduce our electricity bills, and to budget with more certainty."
Preparatory work has already started at the site, with hopes that the turbines will begin producing power late in 2009. Finance is being provided by private equity investors HgCapital, which has invested in Wind Direct since 2006.
The Solutia project is part of a 50MW pipeline of projects under way at Wind Direct, which has offices in Bristol, Northumberland and Lancaster, and is part of renewable energy development company Wind Prospect Group.
"Great statement"
Wind Direct
Frankie Karki, chief operating officer for Wind Direct, said: "Solutia has the ideal base load and shift patterns for onsite generation. It will be a great statement on the global corporation's environmental policy and fit well with Newport's efforts to drive down energy consumption and costs."
German turbine manufacturers Nordex, long-term suppliers to Wind Direct, said the N90 turbines would be well suited to Solutia's Newport site, which is three miles south-east of Newport city centre.
Bryan Grinham, managing director of Nordex UK Ltd, said: "They are an excellent fit for Solutia given the location and layout of the site. Their characteristics allow Wind Direct to gain the maximum power output from a restricted site area."
1MW Anaconda wave device could be in the water by 2014
07-05-09
 |
| Checkmate have been carrying out proof-of-concept testing on Anaconda at a wave tank in Gosport |
A 1MW "snake-like" wave device could be in the water generating electricity by 2014, its manufacturers have said.
The Anaconda wave energy converter, which is
being developed by Wiltshire-based Checkmate Seaenergy, has just finished completed a round of proof of concept testing in a Gosport wave tank .
Checkmate is touting it to be commercially viable by 2014, as well as the cheapest and most robust wave power converter in development.
Yesterday the company unveiled the machine to journalists for the first time, at the site it is leasing from technology firm Qinetic.
Paul Auston, chairman of the Checkmate Seaenergy's parent company the Checkmate Group, said: "The UK is known for its engineering excellence and politicians from all parties have been keen to challenge companies to come up with renewable energy projects that can be sold around the world.
"With Anaconda we have an invention that changes conventional thinking and it can help to meet the government's targets for cutting carbon dioxide by providing renewable wave energy from our coastal waters. It will also help cement the UK's world leading position in this technology," he added.
The results of the Gosport tests will see Anaconda upscaled from its current one twenty-fifth size to a one quarter size model in the course of the next 18 months.
Speaking to New Energy Focus today, Checkmate said that it hoped to have the quarter size prototype, complete with power generator, in the water by next year, at a site off the south coast of England.
Mr Auston said that, although the prototype will be in the water for "at least" two years, Checkmate will be negotiating the deployment of the full-scale model behind the scenes for the duration of the quarter-size tests.
The company has already begun discussions with Trinity House, the lighthouse authority responsible for maritime safety in UK waters, but said it had not pinpointed a particular site for Anaconda yet.
Anaconda
Checkmate said yesterday that the first 1MW Anacondas could be in commercial production and deployment in the UK by 2004.
And the company has envisaged that it could be deployed in arrays of 50, powering 50,000 homes.
Essentially a 200 metre long rubber tube filled with water, Anaconda would be anchored to the seabed and float just beneath the surface.
It is squeezed by passing waves, which form bulges in the water-filled tube and travel down its length developing the power to drive a turbine in the tail.
The inventors of the device have stressed that that Anaconda has been designed to last in a harsh marine environment.
Engineer Rod Rainey, who invented the concept, said: "The beauty of wave energy is its consistency. However the problem holding back wave energy machines is that they tend to deteriorate over time in the harsh marine environment."
He continued: "Anaconda is non-mechanical. It is mainly rubber, a natural material with a natural resliance and so it has very few moving parts to maintain."
 |
| Checkmate expects to demonstrate a quarter size prototype of Anaconda by next year. |
Mr Rainey, who works for engineering design consultancy Atkins, first developed the concept with Francis Farley, an experimental physicist.
The Checkmate Group, which also manufactures height safety equipment and flexible engineered products, has been developing Anaconda for two years.
He said: "The inventors took it to various large companies who had scoffed at the concept. I think they looked at a number of small and medium sized enterprises, and we are known for innovation so we were approached. We took the project and moved it forward."
Cost
Described as "hair-raisingly exciting" by the Mr Austen, Anaconda is predicted to be the most cost-effective wave device on the market by the Carbon Trust.
Early stage research and development was supported by the Carbon Trust's Marine Energy Accelerator helped identify key development challenges.
It has also received £430,000 in funding from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council.
But the company is hailing Anaconda as significantly cheaper than other wave devices, a claim that appears to be backed up by the Trust itself.
According to figures put forward by the Carbon Trust, energy from Anaconda would cost around 9p per kWh to make, compared to 25p per kWh for wave energy in general, and 6p per kWh for fossil fuels.
Mr Auston stressed to New Energy Focus that those estimates are not Checkmate's figures, but from the Carbon Trust itself, and added that "if anything, we think we'd be able to reduce those costs".
RSPB report supports more wind farms
24 March 2009
Objections to wind farms from one conservation group have dropped following the publication of a report noting that wildlife and wind power can coexist.
A report commissioned by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) revealed that wind power could help protect species from extinction but isn't necessarily a threat to wildlife.
The report urged the development of more wind power projects and called for an end to delays on projects, noting that the UK was 13th in the EU for per capita wind power, lagging behind Estonia.
It called for a strategic approach from the planning system in order to establish the priority of wind turbines in some areas while protecting some for wildlife, based on recommendations from conservationists.
Wind farms should be promoted in order to receive public support, be it through public ownership of turbines, reduced bills or money for local facilities, recommended the report.
Ruth Davis head of Climate Change Policy at the RSPB, said: "The need for renewable energy could not be more urgent. Left unchecked, climate change threatens many species with extinction. Yet, that sense of urgency is not translating into action on the ground to harness the abundant wind energy around us."
A report from Newcastle University last year noted that of a variety of bird species, only pheasant populations seemed to be affected by wind turbines on farmland.
Stern: 'Kingsnorth should be shelved' |
|
Britain's latest coal-fired power station should not be built, according to Lord
Stern of Brentford, the economist who led the Government's review into the
financial cost of climate change. Lord Stern called on the Government to halt
the planning process and said that the new coal-fired power station proposed for
Kingsnorth in Kent cannot be justified until the technology is developed to
capture and store its huge carbon dioxide emissions. Coal is one of the dirtiest fossil fuels in terms of the amount of carbon
dioxide release per megawatt of electricity generated. Lord Stern said it was
important to send out a message to other countries, notably China, that Britain
will not contemplate new coal-fired power stations until carbon capture and
storage is proved to work. |
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http://www.newark-sherwooddc.gov.uk/pp/pressrelease/pressdetail.asp?id=7956
Stonish hill WIND FARM APPEAL success
Published:Tuesday 17 March 2009
In March 2008, the council refused planning permission for a five turbine wind farm at Stonish Hill, Former Bilsthorpe Colliery,and adjacent to an active landfill site, Eakring Road, Bilsthorpe on visual impact and cultural heritage. Nevertheless, he considered that the impact of the wind farm would be limited. He went on to state that the benefits in terms of the generation of energy from renewable sources, the contribution of tackling climate change and the contribution to meeting of regional renewable energy targets were sufficient to outweigh the limited harm identified. |
http://www.ecotricity.co.uk/news/whichgreen-figures-reveal-scale-of-new-build-crisis-in-renewables
WhichGreen figures reveal scale of new build crisis in renewables
01 March 2009
The annual WhichGreen figures, released today by green energy company, Ecotricity, reveal that Britain’s failure to invest in green energy will leave the government’s 2020 emissions targets in tatters. Based on WhichGreen 2008 investment figures, Britain will fail to meet even half of the EU’s 2020 renewable energy target (with a shortfall of 55%1).
Fig 1. Shows £ investment per customer over 2008.
For the first time, the WhichGreen figures exposes the investment pattern of the Big 6 over the past five years; a pattern that starkly demonstrates the cycle of underinvestment which threatens to derail the UK governments drive to meet it’s own and EU renewable energy targets.
The figures highlight how the ‘burden of risk’ of growing the renewable energy sector is falling to the few whilst the Big 6 are allowed, by the government, to continue to place shareholder return before investment in new forms of renewable energy in the UK. The investment record of green independent Ecotricity demonstrates an average investment per year of more than 10 times the level required to meet their obligation under the Governments RO scheme (estimated at £302) and 16 times more than the nearest competitor per customer per year.
Dale Vince, eco pioneer and founder of Ecotricity, comments:
“It is a scandal that the average investment in new build by The Big Six over the past five years does not even amount to £30 per customer. This £30 is roughly what it would take for each company to meet its bare minimum legal obligation to grow renewables by about 1% per year.
While the Big Six are performing badly, more surprising perhaps is the lack of investment by two green independent companies, with a zero investment in the last five years they are contributing nothing to the urgent need for new build.
By contrast Ecotricity has invested an average of over £450 per customer a year over the last five years.” WhichGreen shows how the five year average investment figures are significantly below what is necessary for new build by the industry if the UK is going to meet its 2020 obligations, and well below the bare minimum legal requirement of approximately £30 per customer per year2.
- In 2008, nearly 880 MW of new capacity was installed in the UK by the Big 6 and independents
- EU renewable energy target is 15%. The Renewables Advisory Board suggests that wind should provide us with a minimum of 31000 MW by 2020
- 2008 investment levels will generate less than half of the target (13,849 MW) - which equates to a 55% shortfall
OFGEM Green Guidelines will discourage building of new green energy
What’s more OFGEM’s new accreditation scheme for green tariffs, issued on 4 February 2009, is likely to make matters worse. Ecotricity will not sign up to OFGEM’s new ‘Green Guidelines’ as it predicts they will make green tariffs more confusing and expensive for consumers and will do nothing to encourage energy companies to build new renewable energy.
Vince explains why OFGEM’s Green Guidelines will spell disaster for the industry:
“The UK currently gets less than 5% of its electricity from renewable sources. We need to increase this ten fold – 50% in the next 20 years. Green tariffs and consumer choice of green tariffs – people power - could play a crucial role helping us reach these targets. But OFGEM has sidelined the role of the consumer in one fell swoop by excluding the building of real green electricity from their definition of so-called ‘green tariffs’. Progress will be sacrificed as these guidelines exclude what we all need from a green tariff which is new green build – the increase of renewable energy in Britain.”
“Green electricity tariffs should be about the creation of new green electricity, first and foremost. In the green guidelines OFGEM are accrediting everything you can imagine except the thing that really counts – new green electricity. Of course we believe in planting trees, protecting wildlife and cutting carbon, all of these things have an important role to play – but not in green tariffs!”
Ecotricity is an independent social enterprise with a mission to fight climate change and it is because of this it is prepared to take on the ‘risk’ involved in building new renewable energy. It is in this position because it is a ‘not for profit’ company without shareholders and backers to answer to who, in the mainstream energy market, expect a guaranteed level of return on their investment.
Ecotricity campaigns to encourage people to vote with their electricity bills - turning bills into windmills – demonstrating the power that consumers have to build and invest in new renewable energy.
Dale continues, “We need a Green Revolution for Britain - a radical new approach by government and industry to invest in building renewable energy in the UK. We are the windiest island with the best resources to generate new green electricity but if the government does not do more to enforce real investment by the utilities industry in renewables, this nation will be without the vital infrastructure that will power our future.”
Ecotricity has invested £50 million so far (or more than £450 per customer per year) in building new sources of green energy, accounting for over 8% of wind turbines in England. Ecotricity has 15 operational wind parks with a total of 51 turbines and 52 MW capacity, serving 30,000 homes, saving more than 100,000 tonnes of CO2 per year. It also has 24 MW under construction and 50 MW in the planning process, and will submit a further 100MW into planning by April 2009.
-ends-
For more information, comment or interviews, please contact:
Jo Marino – 07932 403555 - jomarino@thespringconsultancy.com
Elaine Brass – 07951 989588 - elainebrass@thespringconsultancy.com
Fig 2: Shows 5 year average £ investment per customer and total investment
Methodology – Which Green is produced by Ecotricity and sent to suppliers for verification. The £ per Customer is based on each supplier's total expenditure on building new renewable energy capacity in 2008 divided by the average number of customers in 2008. Expenditure was sourced from suppliers or calculated based upon the Ofgem commission date for each renewable generator with a capacity of over 50 kW in 2008 and multiplied by the average investment expenditure per MWh for that form of renewable generation (Source: Ofgem; BWEA; Enviros 2005).
1Source: Based upon levels of wind power required to meet the 15% renewables target recommended by The Renewables Advisory Board, 2020 Vision. June 2008.
2This figure is estimated from the proportion of an average customers annual electricity usage accounted for by a 1% rise in the Renewables Obligation (0.044MWH) linked to the cost of a wind turbine required to produce that renewable electricity (~£1.5M per MW installed capacity) and assumes a load factor for the wind turbine of 28%
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Aquamarine and Airtricity aim for 1GW marine power
23-02-09
 |
| Aquamarine's wave power converter Oyster will be used in the partners' plans to develop 1GW of marine power in the UK and Ireland by 2020 |
Marine energy firm Aquamarine Power is to team up with Airtricity to develop 1GW of wave and tidal power in the UK and Ireland by 2020.
The two firms have signed a Development Agreement, aimed at procuring and developing sites capable of hosting 1GW by 2020, using wave and tidal devices from Aquamarine.
Under the agreement Airtricity, which is the renewable energy division of Scottish and Southern Energy (SSE), will enter into a 50:50 joint venture using devices and site-procurement software from Aquamarine, and capital from Airtricity.
Aquamarine said that work on the first two sites has already started, although it would not disclose the location of any of the areas it is currently investigating.
Martin McAdam, Aquamarine's chief executive and a former chief operating officer at Airtricity, described the deal as "the biggest deal in the history of marine energy".
He added: "Fully consented offshore wind farm sites are selling to owner operators at anywhere between £150,000 and £400,000 per MW consented, giving a strong indication of the large potential value of this deal if all 1GW of sites receive full consents and grid connection."
The company, which would not disclose the level of investment it would need to raise to develop 1GW in the British Isles, said today that it is simultaneously pursuing a similar contract for developments in Southern Europe.
Site identification
To complement its technology, Aquamarine's in-house site development team has designed tools to identify and evaluate marine energy sites across the world suitable for Oyster and Neptune.
Using the in-house model of tidal and wave power resources around the coasts of UK and Ireland, the firm has identified several GW of promising sites, but said it would have to develop sensitively to obtain consents.
Stephen Wheeler, responsible for marine energy development at Airtricity, said: "Following the significant investments made by our parent company, Scottish and Southern Energy, in Aquamarine and their technology, this is the next logical step, to provide a route to market for their promising Oyster and Neptune technologies.
He continued: "The agreement gives Airtricity a first option on sites Aquamarine develop, using their know-how and technology to identify and develop environmentally sensitive and profitable sites for the future. Aquamarine's technologies also have similarities with our experience in hydro-electric and offshore wind development."
"We see marine energy making an increasingly important contribution to our growing portfolio of renewable energy generation plants," Mr Wheeler added.
Aquamarine's wave power device, Oyster, is set to begin testing at the European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC) in the Orkneys this summer.
In August the firm announced that its tidal stream device, Neptune, is to join Oyster at EMEC next year.
