Industry headlines
Here's where you'll find the latest news stories in our industry. Click on a story for a summary and a link, or search by subject matter in the right hand column.
Please click on the desired subject to retrieve relevant news stories.
GeneralGrid/transmission
Wind
Microgeneration
Hydrogen & fuel cells
Bioenergy
Wave and tidal
Hydro
Nuclear
Solar
Carbon capture & storage
Clean coal
Geothermal
4815 Records found - page 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
SSE investment in Greater Gabbard
ScottishPower calls for UK grid rebuild
Re-energising the nuclear industry
Pitsea tip gas used to power new generators
Barratt's tallest building goes ‘green'
‘Help homeowners’ Ministers urged
Home turbine restriction slated
Island stores wind power for still days
Enel acquires 552MW of turbines
2009 - Masdar to welcome first residents
World CO2 at record high
£1m fund for firms to go green
Wind energy expected to grow dramatically
RES adds solar thermal to business
McCain calls for emissions caps
CCS on Abu Dhabi agenda
David Smith appointed ENA Chief Executive
Norway gradually turns into the wind
Full production planned for DeltaStream
Cash cuts see green grants halved
34-turbine Greek order for Vestas
Get ready for Wind Weekend
DuPont solar R&D/manufacturing plans
'Tallest' wind farm plan unveiled
Scotland’s biomass plans
GE turbines for Iberdrola
In praise of biogas
Centrica warns on wind farm costs
US biofuels groups accuse Europe of bias
EDF adds to its UK nuclear options
Scotland’s biomass drive
Energy Minister sees role of microgeneration
Survey sees oil prices falling
Vestas plan a “world’s largest”
Backing greens with greenbacks
Government scraps carbon card scheme
UK aims for a million green collar workers
281 Siemens turbines for FPL
Wind farms can improve drab scenery
Dawn of an energy famine
SSE investment in Greater GabbardScottish and Southern Energy has confirmed it will proceed with its investment in the 504MW Greater Gabbard offshore wind farm. Construction work will begin shortly and on completion this will be the world’s largest offshore wind farm. ….. SSE has now entered into a contract with Fluor Limited for the design, supply, installation and commissioning of the balance of the plant. Having secured the construction contract, Fluor International Limited has agreed to sell its 50% stake in Greater Gabbard Offshore Winds Ltd to SSE for £40m in cash. SSE intends to sell 50% of the project equity later this year. Click here for full story
ScottishPower calls for UK grid rebuildBritain must rebuild large parts of its electricity grid network to have any chance of meeting ambitious renewable energy targets for 2020, according to Britain's fifth largest electricity provider ScottishPower. Click here for full story
Re-energising the nuclear industry Nuclear power has a key part to play in providing the UK with reliable, low carbon electricity in the future, argues Peter Bleasdale. In this week's BBC Green Room, he says a new National Nuclear Laboratory will provide the research and training needed after decades of neglect and decline. Click here for full story
Pitsea tip gas used to power new generatorsTwo additional generators which will help power at least 6,000 new homes by turning harmful rubbish gas into "green electricity" have opened at Pitsea tip. The generators, which will be run by landfill operator Veolia, will be fuelled by carbon dioxide and methane gas produced by rotting household rubbish at the landfill site, off Pitsea Hall Lane. Click here for full story
Barratt's tallest building goes ‘green'The Elektron, Barratt's latest development in London Docklands, has been fitted with wind turbines and solar energy collectors to make a renewable contribution to its energy needs. Each of the three towers at The Elektron has been provided with a 2.5 kilowatt wind turbine and a 2 kilowatt photovoltaic (PV) solar panel array. The combined renewable energy generated by both systems across all three towers is expected to exceed 20,000 kilowatt-hours per year, resulting in a total carbon emissions saving of 11.5 tonnes per annum. Click here for full story
‘Help homeowners’ Ministers urgedScottish Government ministers have been urged to help homeowners currently facing stiff hurdles if they want to instal small-scale solar panels and wind turbines. Environmental groups Scottish Renewables and Friends of the Earth Scotland have called on the government to relax “draconian planning requirements” that prevent householders from using renewable energy technology. They say planning proposal regulations must not harm the take-up of small-scale home renewables such as solar panels for hot water and electricity, biomass heating systems and small wind turbines. Click here for full story
Home turbine restriction slatedEnvironment bodies have hit out at plans to allow wind turbines to be built only on homes that are more than 300ft apart. The Scottish Government's consultation on permitted development rights for microgeneration – which includes wind turbines and solar panels on homes – closed yesterday (12 May). New rules set out by the government would give automatic planning permission for wind turbines on homes, but only if the house is 328ft from the next residential property. Click here for full story
Island stores wind power for still daysHow to keep the lights on when all is still and the local windmill won't budge? A small Norwegian island testing a way to store wind-generated energy for calm days may have found the answer. The tiny, windswept island of Utsira, situated off Norway's southwestern coast, is home to what is said to be the world's first full-scale system for cleanly transforming surplus wind power into hydrogen. Click here for full story
Enel acquires 552MW of turbinesEnel, engaged in the distribution of electricity, has acquired wind turbines with a total capacity of 552MW. The company is expected to use the turbines in its projects in Italy, France and Spain. Major contracts were awarded to the German company Repower and to the Spanish company Gamesa. Repower will supply turbines for a total capacity of 263MW to be installed in France (158MW) and Italy (105MW). Gamesa will provide the remaining 289MW of capacity for projects in Spain (214MW) and Italy (75MW). Click here for full story
2009 - Masdar to welcome first residentsAbu Dhabi’s $22 billion Masdar City is set to host its first residents as early as next year, a company executive told ArabianBusiness.com . Click here for full story
World CO2 at record highThe concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has reached a record high, according to new figures that renew fears that climate change could begin to slide out of control. Scientists at the Mauna Loa observatory in Hawaii say that CO2 levels in the atmosphere now stand at 387 parts per million (ppm), up almost 40% since the industrial revolution and the highest for at least the last 650,000 years. Click here for full story
£1m fund for firms to go green The West Midlands Minister Liam Byrne has announced a £1m grant for small and medium sized firms who want to invest in renewable energy. The Re:think Energy grant was unveiled at the official opening of Shrewsbury's Environmental Technology Centre. The centre has recently been awarded the highest possible environmental rating for a building. The Re:think Energy scheme will also be offering training to companies which are keen to reduce carbon footprints. Click here for full story
Wind energy expected to grow dramaticallyTwo decades from now Americans could get as much electricity from windmills as from nuclear power plants, according to a government report that lays out a possible plan for wind energy growth. The report, a collaboration between the Energy Department research labs and industry, concludes wind energy could generate 20 percent of the nation's electricity by 2030, about the same share now produced by nuclear reactors. Such growth would pose a number of major challenges, but is achievable without the need of major new technological breakthroughs, said the report. Click here for full story
RES adds solar thermal to businessRenewable Energy Systems Limited (RES) has announced a partnership with Future Heating Ltd, one of the UK’s market leaders in solar thermal design and installation. This follows RES’s acquisition last year of similar stakes in three of the UK’s most successful renewable energy companies – Wood Energy, EarthEnergy and PV Systems - as part of its strategy to offer a comprehensive service to the growing market in renewable energy technologies for buildings. Click here for full story
McCain calls for emissions capsSen. John McCain on Monday proposed binding limits on emissions to try to stem global warming, breaking from policies supported by President Bush and most Republicans. McCain called for a cap-and-trade system allowing companies to purchase the right to produce emissions, blamed for rising temperatures around the world. Such a system would be in line with free-market principles, he said. Click here for full story
CCS on Abu Dhabi agendaAmbitious investment projects now under way are set to prove that carbon capture and storage is a viable substitute for the vast amount of natural gas currently re-injected into oil reservoirs. Abu Dhabi anticipates that its $15bn Masdar Initiative to advance renewable energy use will see commercially viable projects made reality in the near future. Click here for full story
David Smith appointed ENA Chief Executive David Smith has been appointed ENA Chief Executive. Mark Mathieson, Director of Distribution at Scottish and Southern Energy and Energy Networks Association Deputy Chairman announced: “Last September we asked David Smith to step into the breach and take on the role of Acting Chief Executive. “What has impressed us about David since taking up that challenge is that he didn’t take the easy option of keeping things ticking over. Together with his senior team he has driven the board to review the purpose of the ENA and how we maintain relevance in a vastly changing environment.” Click here for full story
Norway gradually turns into the windAs Norway prepares for a future after oil, the gale-force potential of harvesting wind power off its long coastline has become an increasingly attractive proposition. "Wind-mapping shows that ... Norway is among the (world's) most ideal locations for wind power, both on the coast and offshore," said Norwegian Deputy Petroleum and Energy Minister Liv Monica Stubholdt. Click here for full story
Full production planned for DeltaStreamA pioneering tidal energy company set up by a Pembrokeshire marine engineer is due to go into full production within a year. Tidal Energy Limited (TEL), set up by Richard Ayre, uses DeltaStream technology, taking the concept of wind turbine and ship propeller systems deep beneath the ocean. And with the move to full production in summer 2009, Pembrokeshire is in line for a boost of 100 jobs. Click here for full story
Cash cuts see green grants halved The number of government grants made to people who want to fit solar panels or other green energy systems to their homes has halved, the BBC has learned. It comes after the low carbon buildings programme cut the maximum grant on offer from £7,500 to £2,500. The Renewable Energy Association, which says the programme is failing, has accused ministers of complacency. Click here for full story
34-turbine Greek order for VestasVestas has received an order for the Anemos-Florina project in Greece consisting of 34 units of the V52-850 kW wind turbine. The order has been placed by REnInvest, an investor and developer operating in four European markets - Switzerland, Italy, Germany and Greece - and an owner of renewable energy projects. REnInvest entered the Greek market in 2007 with another project with Vestas V90-2.0 MW wind turbines. Click here for full story
Get ready for Wind WeekendAre you ready for Wind Weekend 2008? This year’s event takes place on 14-15 June (European Wind Day is on 15 June). Wind farms up and down the country are opening their gates to welcome you. Wind Weekend is organised by BWEA. Click here for full story
DuPont solar R&D/manufacturing plansDuPont announced it will soon begin construction on a research center in Hong Kong and a manufacturing facility in Shenzhen to support the rapidly growing photovoltaic (PV) solar energy industry. Click here for full story
'Tallest' wind farm plan unveiled Plans have been unveiled in Powys to turn one of the largest wind farms in the UK into one of the tallest. The companies behind the scheme want to replace 103, 45-metre (149ft) tall turbines in Llandinam, near Newtown, with 42, 122-metre (400ft) machines. They said the redevelopment would treble the output of "clean, green energy" at the mid Wales site. Click here for full story
Scotland’s biomass plansEnvironment Minister Mike Russell has announced plans to increase the use of biomass for renewable energy. A total of 25 actions have been agreed by the Scottish Government in response to a report looking at ways to increase wood production to be used as fuel. Among the proposals is for a series of demonstration sites to be set up to promote bioenergy best practice. Click here for full story
GE turbines for IberdrolaSpanish renewable energy company Iberdrola Renovables said on Friday it had ordered 200 1.5 megawatt wind turbines from General Electric Co worth around 430 million euros ($659 million). The turbines will be delivered in 2010 in the United States and form part of company measures aimed to boost installed wind power capacity to 13,600 MW by 2010, investing 8.6 billion euros over the 2008-2010 period. Click here for full story
In praise of biogasThe take-up of biogas as a renewable energy source in the UK has been fairly slow in comparison to other European countries, but recent announcements of further investment and changes in legislation means the future for biogas is much brighter. Anaerobic digesters can significantly reduce agricultural methane emissions, provide biogas for renewable energy and produce fertiliser. Biogas is the gas produced by the breakdown of organic matter in the absence of oxygen, one type of which is produced by anaerobic digestion – the fermentation of biodegradable material such as manure and energy crops. Click here for full story
Centrica warns on wind farm costs Centrica, one of the UK's biggest energy generators, has warned that the prospect of making money from wind farms is looking "marginal". The company says that the rising cost of off-shore wind farms could end up ruining the government's renewable energy targets. The comments come a week after Shell withdrew from a project that was set to become the world's largest wind farm. The government wants 33 gigawatts of offshore wind capacity built by 2020. Click here for full story
US biofuels groups accuse Europe of biasUS biodiesel companies are lobbying for World Trade Organisation legal action against their European counterparts, the latest in a proliferation of trade disputes within the biofuels industry. Click here for full story
EDF adds to its UK nuclear optionsEDF, Europe’s biggest power company, has been buying land around nuclear sites in England and Wales. The move puts the company in a position to build new power stations in the UK even if it fails to buy British Energy, the nuclear generator. Click here for full story
Scotland’s biomass driveEnvironment Minister Michael Russell is announcing measures to boost Scotland's renewable energy production as he visits a new biomass boiler. He will reveal the results of a year-long project looking at ways to increase the supply of wood for producing renewable energy. The Government set up the task force to boost the biomass sector, which it says will increase rural employment and help tackle climate change. Click here for full story
Energy Minister sees role of microgenerationMicrogeneration is central to meeting the government target of generating 15 per cent of energy from renewable sources by 2020, according to energy minister Malcolm Wicks. The government has been criticised for its failure to sufficiently incentivise the installation of microgeneration devices such as solar panels, wind turbines and ground source pumps but Mr Wicks pointed to a successful installation of 50 photovoltaic panels at a Middlesex school. Click here for full story
Survey sees oil prices fallingEven as oil prices ascended to new highs of more than $124 a barrel this week, many oil and gas industry executives say they expect the price to fall significantly by year's end, a new survey shows…. Asked what would most enhance U.S. energy security, participants overwhelmingly said opening up more acreage for domestic drilling was the best option. In particular, 43 percent said the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge should be opened for drilling. Another 28 percent said more investment in renewable energy sources such as biodiesel would enhance U.S. energy security the most. However, even though many of the executives support further investment in renewable energy sources, the majority still don't view renewables as a serious near-term solution to the energy supply equation. Click here for full story
Vestas plan a “world’s largest”Vestas Wind Systems says it plans to increase its presence in Colorado by building the world’s largest factory for wind turbine towers. Vestas made the pronouncement in its first quarter financial report, posted on the company’s Web site. But the report doesn’t indicate if the new factory will be located at Vestas’ current site in Windsor, or elsewhere in Colorado. Click here for full story
Backing greens with greenbacksAl Gore does not just make films about climate change. His fund-management firm, Generation Investment Management, has just raised $683m for a “climate solutions” fund. The hope is that environmental principles and shrewd investing can produce strong profits. Click here for full story
Government scraps carbon card schemeMinisters have scrapped radical plans to test a carbon rationing scheme that would have forced citizens to carry a carbon card to swipe every time they bought petrol or paid an electricity bill. The plan was announced by David Miliband, former environment secretary, in 2006 as a way to cut greenhouse gas emissions and tackle global warming. But officials from Defra said that the idea was too expensive and would be unpopular. Click here for full story
UK aims for a million green collar workers The number of people working in the environmental sector is expected to top one million within the next twenty years - more than double today's figure of 400,000. British Minister for Europe Jim Murphy gave the environmental industries a pep talk as he and his French counterpart Jean-Pierre Jouyet hosted a meeting this week to look at how an sustainable future could go hand-in-hand with economic growth. Click here for full story
281 Siemens turbines for FPLSiemens Energy has been awarded one of its largest wind turbine orders ever. FPL Energy has ordered 218 Siemens wind turbines to be installed at several wind farms across the U.S. for delivery in 2009. Click here for full story
Wind farms can improve drab sceneryWind farms generally improve the scenery of locations that were not that picturesque to begin with. According to a study in Geographical Research published by Wiley-Blackwell, wind farms have a negative impact on landscapes with a high scenic quality, but a positive effect on dull and mundane landscapes. Click here for full story
Dawn of an energy famineThe world needs renewable energy fast, but as BP and Shell announced record profits, they also demonstrated that they are in essence retreating from renewables, perhaps with the exception of biofuels. They intend to focus their record billions on expanding production of what remains of traditional oil and gas, plus tar sands and liquid fuels from coal - ruinous in their effect on the climate. Click here for full story
