COMPLETE UK ENERGY TRENDS – Page 3 – COMPLETE UK Energy Trends aims to gather publications from media or government departments of relevance to UK energy with a few lines of summary or capturing a key point. Updates will include overseas pieces considered of interest to followers of UK energy.

Fourth Update of September 2020 – An overview of last week’s Energy news

13th Nov 2020 • 0 Comments

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 – 21st September

At a UK ministerial speech, the presenter announced that ” .. the growth of renewables and a strong carbon price have cut coal’s share of electricity generation from 40% in 2012 to only 2% last year”.

Thursday – 24th September

During a United Nations meeting on 22nd September, China’s president announced that the country aims to have net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2060.

During a United Nations meeting on 22nd September, the UK Prime Minister stressed his support for offshore wind power generation. He is quoted as saying this is a technology that he “barely believed was possible but I am now a complete evangelist for”. He also expressed support for hydrogen in the transport sector and said “nuclear has to be part of the mix”.

Friday – 25th September

UK Government figures show renewables rose by 10% of UK electricity in Q2 2020 compared with the same period in the previous year.

China Liquid Natural Gas imports increased during the period of January to July of 2020 compared with the same period in any previous year in response to economic recovery.

A six-seater airplane fuelled by hydrogen completed its maiden voyage in the UK this week.

Sunday – 27th September

Ed Davey, as energy minister in 2013, approved nuclear power generation at Hinkley Point and declared it “a milestone on the road to decarbonisation’. This week, as leader of the Liberal Democrat Party, he is quoted by the BBC as saying ‘the economic case for nuclear power is not there any more’.

Third Update of September 2020 – An overview of last week’s Energy news

13th Nov 2020 • 0 Comments

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 – 15th September

UK offshore wind expertise is being exported to Poland.

Wednesday – 16th September

Sky news covers the story of Japanese company Hitachi pulling out of plans for 2 nuclear power plants which were estimated to cost £20 billion on Anglesey in Wales.

Thursday – 17th September

This article suggests that recent months have seen a significant rise in households investing in domestic solar power generation.

A report commissioned by the Mayor of London concludes that ground source heat pumps are vital for London’s decarbonisation plans.

Friday – 18th September

A piece in London’s Evening Standard describes growth in Chinese investment in coal in China and other countries including Zimbabwe while UK and other countries remove coal from the energy mix in order to reach net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Author suggests “Chinese power plants burn coal to run factories making things which are shipped here for us to buy”.

Russia has raised almost $10 billion in order to build a second Liquid Natural Gas export plant on its arctic coast in order to meet demand in Europe and the far east.

Plans to generate hydrogen from water using solar and wind energy in the English midlands have been approved.

Second Update of September 2020 – An overview of last week’s Energy news

11th Nov 2020 • 0 Comments

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 – 8th September

An engineering firm has calculated that, in order to reach net zero by 2050, UK needs to install 6520 offshore wind turbines; build 48 natural gas plants, 66 biomass facilities and 6 nuclear power stations, as well as 20 GW of onshore wind, 80 GW of solar and 15-30 GW of energy storage.

Wednesday – 9th September

According to a study by Honda, based on official data and conversations with 2000 people, Manchester is the most ‘eco-friendly’ place in the UK. The report also suggests that 41% of UK households have a smart meter fitted.

Thursday – 10th September

The UK Government has rejected the appeal to open a new open-cast coal mine in NE England. The same article reports that Government figures show UK demand for coal was 8 million tonnes in 2019.

A UK Government press release has announced £65 million investment to develop robot technology for the nuclear industry and batteries for electric planes as part of the ‘Build Back Better’ campaign.

This article states that hydrogen heating boilers are now a reality and that, with 85% of domestic properties currently using natural gas for heating, replacing this with a carbon-free hydrogen boiler is the only way as part of a net zero emissions transition.

Friday – 11th September

An article in WIRED describes the building of wind turbines offshore China, expected to overtake UK as world leader in the near future.

The Head of the UK Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) has announced a strategy for development of a hydrogen economy will be included in the White Paper on energy expected in the near future ahead of the postponed Conference of Parties (CoP26) to be held in Glasgow in 2021.

First Update of September 2020 – An overview of last week’s Energy news

11th Nov 2020 • 0 Comments

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 – 31st August

This article describes a one-third drop in the greenhouse gas emissions of UK electricity generation during recent restrictions as lower demand led to a greater proportion of generation from renewable sources.

Wednesday – 2nd September

A cross-industry team, working as part of the UK government backed Nuclear Sector Deal, has published a report into risk and cost reduction of future nuclear power developments.

Thursday – 3rd September

The UK parliament’s House of Lords (“upper house”) has announced a cross-party debate on 17th September for development of a national hydrogen strategy. The debate will be cross-party and involve MPs and peers.

The UK Government will review offshore licensing system for oil and gas, describing the large number of jobs the industry supports (270,000) and the large amount of tax the sector has provided to the Treasury in tax (£330 billion in today’s money). The Minister is quoted as saying ” ..the oil and gas sector will continue to be needed for the foreseeable future as we move toward net zero carbon emissions” and full details will be forthcoming in a White Paper (description of proposed future policy).

A major UK construction site will be heated and powered by a “zero-emission hydrogen fuel cell” which fits into a shipping container according to this article, removing need for diesel generators.

Friday – 4th September

A report by Cornwall Insight, suggests that, since July, there has been a gradual rise in energy demand back up towards 2019 levels. Various reasons are cited including cooling, air-conditioning and “because lighting and heating used in households are typically far less efficient than in businesses”.

Australian mining company will shift fuel for transporting iron ore to China from diesel to liquid natural gas, aiming to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 30%.

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