Second Update of June 2020 – 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)

Tuesday – 9th June

• China is threatening to pull out of new nuclear investments in UK such as south east England Bradwell plant in response to UK Government announcements of developing 5G without Chinese company HuaWei.

• BBC describes plans for a small town in north of England to be heated using warm waters from abandoned coal mines. Report states that potential is high because a quarter of British homes live above coal-fields.

Wednesday – 10th June

• In this BBC article, National Grid says that, so far this year, electricity generation from renewable sources has been 37% compared with 35% from coal and gas combined. Nuclear power contribution was 18% and imports contributed about 10%.

• Germany is backing hydrogen as a key part of a future low carbon economy with hopes of becoming a global leader in the developing technologies.

• The Independent reports that the UK Government is considering a scheme to pay drivers £6000 to scrap a petrol or diesel vehicle and purchase a battery-electric vehicle.

Friday – 12th June

• Ten of the UK’s largest gas networks and energy supply companies have written to the UK government arguing for policies and regulatory frameworks that encourage and support investment in hydrogen in the future UK energy supply.

• A company celebrates a milestone in supplies of imported natural gas to off-grid businesses which require heat, steam or process energy with a lower emissions’ fuel compared with the usual diesel and other refined liquid hydrocarbons.

Sunday – 14th June

• Scotland has opened the first offshore wind licensing round in a decade with hopes for a dramatic growth in offshore renewable power generation around its coast and forming part of Scotland’s ‘Green Recovery’.