First Update of June 2019 – An overview of last week’s Energy news

Below is this week’s summary. It should be a one minute read relevant to UK energy with links to documents for those who wish to read more.

(Click a bullet point to open the relevant article)

Monday – 3rd June

• A report from Renewable Energy Trade body concludes that bioenergy is a requirement for UK net zero carbon emissions plan.

• What will be the world’s biggest wind farm started up this week 75 miles off England’s east coast. 50 of 174 planned turbines are now on-line.

Tuesday – 4th June

• Shell is the leader in global Liquid Natural Gas supply. The Head of Shell predicts an annual growth of 4% per year for the next 15 years with China and India dominating the demand as they move away from coal.

Wednesday – 5th June

• In the longest period of UK electricity generation without coal, UK power was provided by gas (39%), nuclear (20%), wind (14%), solar (7%), biomass (8%) and European imports (12%).

Thursday – 6th June

• The largest dedicated hydrogen station for fuelling cars has opened for business in Shanghai.

• An important aspect of UK energy but rarely covered in news, BBC covers a report by Cornwall Insight showing fuel poverty disparities in this case across Scotland. Remote areas in the north pay more due to no access to the gas grid, paying for more expensive fuels along with weather differences and housing standards.

• A UK Natural History Museum article states that world must double Cobalt production for UK to meet 2050 net carbon neutral target (batteries).

Friday – 7th June

• The International Energy Agency suggests greater diversity of LNG supply is forcing down the cost of European imports of gas.

• EDF, as operator of Hunterston B nuclear power station on the Scottish west coast, expects to be back to production within weeks and continue to operate until 2023. Hunterston plants have been off-line since 2018 to allow work into cracks in the core reactor to be investigated.

Sunday – 9th June

• New homes and businesses which create and provide electricity to the UK grid using solar energy will be guaranteed a payment from suppliers under new laws to be introduced by the government this week beginning Monday 10 June.