Commission boasts of RE progress
The European Commission, on 11 March, published a summary of national renewable energy forecast documents, indicating member states’ expectations of the national share of renewable energy in 2020. According to the executive, the national forecasts show that the EU is on track to meet and even surpass its overall 20% target by 2020 (20.3%). Under the RES Directive (2009/28/EC), member states were to have submitted their national forecast documents by the end of December 2009. Twelve member states failed that first deadline and by 1 February, Greece, Italy, Malta and UK still had not submitted the documents required.
Click here for full storyWartsila, in consortium with IMS Ingenieurgesellschaft GmbH, has been engaged by RWE Innogy, the renewable energy arm of the German utility company RWE, as its designer to provide the basic design and consultancy services for a jack up crane vessel.
Click here for full storySome of the best examples of planning and design across Scotland were celebrated today (11 March) at a prestigious awards ceremony at he Hub in Edinburgh. John Swinney MSP presented the top prize at the annual Scottish Awards for Quality in Planning to representatives of Scottish Power for their groundbreaking Whitelee Wind Farm – Europe’s largest onshore wind farm which can provide carbon free power from its 140 turbines to 180,000 homes.
Click here for full storyThe government has pledged to make clear by the end of the month what sustainability criteria biomass and biofuels in the UK will have to meet, as concerns mount over the possible environmental impacts of feedstocks. Energy minister David Kidney confirmed in a parliamentary written answer yesterday (March 10) that the UK will follow suit after the European Commission published its sustainability recommendations last month.
Click here for full storyDanish power major Dong Energy said it increased its renewable power production by eight per cent in 2009, to 2,810GW hours, and invested DKK18bn (£2.2bn) during the year in clean energy, despite its profit being slashed by more than three-quarters.
Click here for full storyThe Guardian web pages are reverberating to the clash of arms between George Monbiot and UK supporters of feed-in tariffs for solar photovoltaic panels and other small-scale renewables. Monbiot claims solar power is an extremely expensive way of generating electricity in the UK and that the new scheme is another way of subsidising the wealthy middle class. The fans of feed-in tariffs note the success of similar schemes in other countries. They think that the cashback proposals will help create jobs in businesses that install and maintain low carbon energy sources. The UK scheme will help drive down the costs of renewable technologies and increase public support for wind and alternative sources of electricity.
Click here for full storyThe Energy Institute (EI) and the British Energy Association (BEA) have this week merged to create UKWEC – a UK Member Committee of the World Energy Council (WEC). Working within the EI, UKWEC will offer members the chance to contribute to WEC research, attend seminars and network with the WEC’s global members.
Click here for full storyE.on, the energy provider, has teamed up with Self Energy UK to produce the Energy Performance Guarantee (EPG) service, which promises “no gain, no fee”. The service is similar to the government’s recently launched Pay As You Save scheme that offers homeowners loans to cover the high upfront costs associated with renewable energy. Consequently, the loans are paid back over time through savings made from having lower energy bills.
Click here for full storyA green energy company revealed it hopes to invest close to £2m in expanding its operations in East Anglia this year. Living Fuels - which converts waste cooking oil into fuel - said it was likely to lodge a planning application to improve its collection and processing depot at Hockwold, near Thetford, this year.
Click here for full storyFaced with having to give up her treasured family home of 21 years, a Cotswolds pensioner has come up with a thoroughly Green-and-original-solution to the financial burden of running it, and has nearly halved her power bills. Christine Shine now owns and manages her own Ofgem-accredited renewable electricity plant, which powers not only her home, but others in the area.
Click here for full storyBusinesses in Shetland are being invited to discuss the future of the isles' energy industry with representatives from the National Grid, Shetland Islands Council, Viking Energy and North Scotland Industries Group (NSIG) during a two day event 16 and 17 March.
Click here for full storyThe Community of European Shipyards’ Association (CESA) and the European Wind Energy Association (EWEA) are calling on the European Commission and the European Investment Bank (EIB) to support the building of new ships to serve the expanding offshore wind energy market over the coming years.
Click here for full storyA South Tyneside yard is bidding to win a lucrative slice of the budding marine renewable energy market. With its location on the North East England coast and huge fabrication facilities, bosses at A&P Tyne at Hebburn said the yard is ideally placed to win offshore construction work, including ambitious plans for wind turbines around the UK coastline.
Click here for full storyNational Instruments is offering grants to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the UK and Ireland to support the development of devices in areas such as medical sustainable energy engineering. The programme will make grants of up to £25,000 in software, support and training to selected SMEs that are evaluating the company’s platform as a component of their devices.
Click here for full storyManchester City Council chief executive, Sir Howard Bernstein and Juergen Maier, Head of Industry at Siemens plc, took to the streets of Manchester in an electric powered sportscar - looking to the future of a city using zero-emission electric cars. 'The Greenster' is a fast electric sportscar that has zero carbon emissions. The electric car was developed by Siemens and car-manufacturer Ruf and is based on a Porsche 911 Turbo.
Click here for full storyThe building of a giant data centre in Scotland has been given the go ahead, despite many objections. Located in North Lanarkshire, the facility, proposed by the Gillespie Investments Group, will be built on a 66-hectare site, according to the Airdrie & Coatbridge Advertiser…… Gillespie representative Dr David Telford said that it was especially important that the data centre is built at this location, right next to an energy from waste plant. He said: "Some data centres use as much power as a large town and the market is looking for renewable energy - companies like Microsoft, Google and Facebook want to be seen to be green. The energy from waste plant is an absolutely key location and is intrinsic to being able to attract key players to the site."
Click here for full storyThe annual search for the UK’s most enterprising place is now on. Launched last Friday, the Enterprising Britain 2010 competition rewards those cities, villages, towns and neighbourhoods that have tackled the economic downturn head on and are successfully creating jobs, boosting local business and nurturing entrepreneurial talent as the UK emerges from the recession.
Click here for full storyThe Marine (Scotland) Act provides a framework which will help balance competing demands on Scotland’s seas.It introduces a duty to protect and enhance the marine environment and includes measures to help boost economic investment and growth in areas such as marine renewables.
Click here for full storyUK small wind turbine manufacturers say they will lose out to foreign solar panel manufacturers in the race to cash in on the UK government's new feed-in tariff scheme. They claim their products will be penalised because solar panel owners will receive higher government subsidies than wind turbine buyers. As the arrangement stands, a wind turbine would qualify for 26.7-34.5p per KWh in government subsidies, while solar panels would typically bring in 41p per KWh.
Click here for full storyThe A&P Group, owners of Falmouth docks, is gearing up for a major stake in the burgeoning marine renewable energy industry. The company – a leader in ship repair and port operations – sees new opportunities for its operations on the Tyne and at Falmouth where its steel fabrication and assembly facility is close to the Wave Hub, the UK’s groundbreaking renewable energy project at Hayle, Cornwall.
Click here for full storyConstruction work on the Sheringham Shoal Offshore Wind Farm site began Tuesday, March 9, with the arrival of the 164m “Nordnes” vessel, which will position rocks at selected foundation locations in preparation for the start of the installation of the giant monopile structures next month.
Click here for full storyThe firm set to build giant wind turbine blades on Tyneside has secured more than £125m of investment from a US backer. United Technologies Corporation (UTC) has paid £126m for a 49.5% share in Clipper Windpower, which has a base in Blyth, Northumberland. It comes after the renewables firm revealed it was moving into a new factory on the site of the former Neptune shipyard, where it was manufacture blades for its Britannia offshore turbines.
Click here for full storyDiversification into renewable energy offered the potential to boost UK farm income by at least £4billion a year by 2015-20, it was suggested yesterday (10 March). Leading farm business consultant Francis Mordaunt painted an optimistic future for agriculture when he addressed a seminar on the outlook for agriculture at Thainstone Centre, Inverurie.
Click here for full storyWork has begun on the next stage of Hayle's pioneering scheme to harvest electricity from the sea with the construction of an onshore electricity sub-station. The Wave Hub will create the world's largest test site for wave energy devices by installing a seabed socket 10 miles offshore.Drilling underneath Harvey's Towans was completed last month with a 200-metre cable fed through the dunes.
Click here for full storyThe company behind a controversial windfarm in Moray has secured a financing deal worth millions. Renewable Energy Systems (RES) plan to start building the 21-turbine windfarm at Hill of Towie next summer and aim to have it fully operational by spring 2012.
Click here for full storyOver 80,000 students at 33 universities across England have been gaining top marks for energy-efficiency as part of a national campaign to encourage students to reduce energy consumption. The Student Switch Off campaign, run in partnership with the National Union of Students, has seen halls of residence within universities competing against each other to save energy. During the first term of the campaign, electricity usage in the halls reduced by an average of 8.0%, cumulatively saving over 1,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide from entering the atmosphere and over £150,000 in electricity expenditure.
Click here for full storyIslay has a history of green energy initiatives. Now one of its famous distilleries is generating power from waste. Ask someone to name a Scotch whisky and it is a fair bet Bruichladdich will not be the first mentioned. But in sustainability terms this single malt – made on the island of Islay, off Scotland’s west coast – is a leader, in an industry that is grappling to address a hefty carbon footprint.
Click here for full storyVictorian technology could be used to create a renewable energy source, new businesses and more jobs in a west Wiltshire town. Property developer Malaby Martin Ltd wants to use the technology as part of a bid to redevelop redundant buildings at Bore Hill Farm in Deverill Road, Warminster.
Click here for full storyAssembly ministers in Wales have welcomed news that the UK Government will be carrying out a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) for the development of wave and tidal devices in the country.
Click here for full storyA 10-turbine wind farm development in Essex has been given the go-ahead after a second public inquiry. The development will be on land close to the villages of Bradwell and Tillingham where local residents have formed a campaign group.
Click here for full storyFeed-in tariffs are coming to the UK in two weeks and look set to kick-start a massive surge in the installation of small-scale renewables, says Rory Tait. The introduction of the feed-in tariffs scheme has generally received a positive response, with many people predicting that it will revolutionise the smaller end of the renewable generation sector. But is the scheme the right way of delivering this green spur? And will the financial benefits outweigh the effort of having renewable energy systems installed?
Click here for full storyA tidal barrage across the Mersey could destroy wildlife and cause flooding at Halton, according to the RSPB. Yet there is a chance that one could be built on the estuary within the next 10 years, despite warnings from conservationists.
Click here for full storyEUFORES Board of Presidents, Claude Turmes (EUFORES President, Member of the European Parliament - MEP), Fiona Hall (EUFORES Vice-President, MEP) and Anni Podimata (EUFORES Vice-President, MEP) call upon Member States to submit ambitious National Renewable Energy Action Plans (NREAPs) to the European Commission in June this year.
Click here for full storyGovernment is being urged to stop procrastinating and publicly declare its backing for a long-term nuclear future now or push Britain into another dash-for-gas situation by 2015. A new report by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) reveals a lack of commitment and confidence in the Government is the real key behind the stagnation and rejection of projects that are desperately needed to give the UK a fighting chance of bridging the looming energy gap that cannot be met by renewables.
Click here for full storyChina and India joined almost all other major greenhouse gas emitters Tuesday in signing up to the climate accord struck in Copenhagen, boosting a deal strongly favored by the United States. More than 100 nations have now endorsed the Copenhagen Accord, a non-binding agreement reached after two weeks of tortuous wrangling at a 194-nation summit in December.
Click here for full storyUp to £50bn of investment in energy infrastructure needed to secure power supplies is at risk from uncertainty over regulation after the election, a report backed by a leading energy supplier has warned. The European Commission has granted the Irish government £99m to build an electricity Interconnector linking Ireland and Wales. A project to build an electricity Interconnector linking Ireland and Wales has been awarded a •110 million (£99 million) grant from the European Commission, following a successful application by the Irish Government.
Click here for full storyCouncillors have approved an extension to a Stirlingshire wind farm despite the recommendation of planning experts to scrap the project. Officials opposed the building of nine turbines at the wind farm near Fintry because it would have an adverse impact on the landscape.
Click here for full storyHow many people are actually going to be able to install renewable energy-generating technology in their homes? That is the burning question which goes unanswered in the government's strategy document called "Warm Homes, Greener Homes", which outlines how it plans to cut carbon emissions from homes by 29% by 2020.
Click here for full storySunday Times says 60,000 heating engineers are interested in fitting renewable energy devices but are put off by the three-year certification process. The revolution to green the UK’s homes is being held back by a lack of qualified engineers who can fit renewable energy devices.
Click here for full storyEnvironmental lawyers and activists on Monday sued the European Commission for failing to release studies investigating the impact of biofuels on the environment. European policy was “inventing an artificial market worth billions” and there was a “responsibility to ensure its environmental objectives are achieved,” the activists wrote in an application to the second highest tribunal in the European Union, the General Court, at the European Court of Justice.
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