Tag: nuclear power

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

28th Jul 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 – 20th July

This article points out that the Committee on Climate Change proposal for net zero emissions by 2050 relies on a major contribution from nuclear power. The author suggests that with existing plans only Hinkley C will be on-line in 2050.

Wednesday – 22nd July

A report from the Confederation of British Industry states hydrogen will play a significant role in decarbonised heating in future and suggests a mechanism like Contracts for Difference might be used to stimulate growth in developing the sector and driving down cost.

Thursday – 23rd July

‘.. and here in Orkney they are streets ahead on hydrogen technology ..’ : UK Prime Minister quoted during a visit to the Orkney Islands off the north coast of Scotland.

According to the insurance company Direct Line, the lifetime cost of a new electric car is cheaper than for a new petrol car. UK Department for Transport figures show almost 100,000 zero-emissions vehicles were registered during 2019.

Friday – 24th July

This article says that a poll carried out in the UK shows only 1 in 4 people support generating power by burning wood from forests being classed as renewables and half are against this being subsidised by public funds. The piece claims UK Government pays £2 million each day in subsidies for generation of electricity from biomass.

Norwegian company Equinor (67% state owned) has announced that, for the medium term, blue hydrogen is more likely to play a role in decarbonisation of energy compared with green hydrogen. Blue hydrogen is generated from natural gas with associated carbon dioxide emissions captured centrally compared with green hydrogen which is generated from water using excess renewable electricity.

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

21st Jul 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 – 14th July

UK Government document announces plans to change planning laws in favour of bigger batteries to store power generated from renewable sources, perhaps trebling capacity and creating so-called ‘green-collar’ jobs.

Work has begun on an interconnector to import electricity from Denmark to eastern England.

Thursday – 16th July

Plans have been approved for SSE to lay an electricity export cable from Shetland to the mainland providing the regulator has confidence that a large-scale wind farm will go ahead at Shetland. The Viking Energy project proposes to build the largest onshore wind farm comprising 103 turbines.

The UK Prime Minister has reiterated support for nuclear power as a critical part of policy to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

Shell Energy Retail has launched a test tariff to reduce energy bills for customers with domestic solar power and batteries. The tariff will create energy bill credits in summer to be applied during winter.

Friday – 17th July

A Think Tank has proposed diverting more than 27 tonnes of ‘residual’ (non-recyclable) waste per year to heat generation.

A memorandum of understanding (MoU) has been signed between a company manufacturing batteries for electric vehicles and the Welsh Government to site the factory in Wales.

Sunday – 19th July

Scottish Brewery Tennents is building carbon capture into its Well Park site in Glasgow.

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

21st Jul 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 – 7th July

The UK’s biggest energy supplier, British Gas, has ordered 1000 British built electric battery vehicles for its engineers. Vehicles will be on the road within a year. The company has the third largest fleet of commercial vehicles (12000) and aims to have them all electricity-fuelled by 2030.

Wednesday – 8th July

EU press release announces plans for net zero emissions by 2050 with emphasis upon renewable energy and hydrogen.

Thursday – 9th July

UK Government House of Commons Library has published a document summarising the Energy Companies’ Obligation (ECO). In this scheme, introduced in 2013, energy suppliers submit to a fund by raising money through energy bills. Funds are used to assist low-income households to reduce energy bills, for example through improved insulation. Almost 2.7 million energy efficiency measures have been made.

Friday – 10th July

UK Government has announced an investment of £40 million in development of the next generation of nuclear power generation. £30 million will be for research and development of Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) including one plant to deploy fusion in Oxfordshire. Remaining funds will be put towards new ways to manufacture parts and to strengthen the regulatory regime around nuclear power generation.

Reuters reports on findings that UK schools could save money on energy bills and emissions by making them more energy efficient and using renewable on-site generation methods such as solar panels on roofs. Article says majority of UK schools are over 40 years old.

Saturday – 11th July

Planners at Grimsby in northern England have received an application for the largest solar power generation plant in the UK involving up to 60000 solar panels including use of land, formerly a landfill site.

Sunday – 12th July

Ministers and other high-level representatives of 80% of the world economy held an on-line summit during the week focused upon plans to bring about a sustainable and resilient recovery and achieve a definitive peak in global emissions.

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

1st Jul 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 – 15th June

Bloomberg article claims UK is paying £1 billion each year in direct subsidies for electricity generation from burning wood pellets as well as £13 billion in tax breaks.

Wednesday – 17th June

Plans for UK’s biggest onshore wind farm are to go ahead on Shetland Isles north of mainland UK. 103 turbines will provide electricity generation capacity of 0.44 GW and cost £580 million to construct. Development is subject to permission being granted for an export cable connection to the mainland.

Recent sunny weather in the UK has caused records to be broken for solar power generation, reaching almost 10 GW on 20th April, approximately 30% of electricity demand at the time.

Thursday – 18th June

UK Government press release announces that construction has begun on the world’s largest liquid air battery in North West England. The plan is to use renewable energy during times of excess supply to liquefy air. Liquid air will transfer back to a gas, driving turbines to generate electricity, during periods of higher demand.

UK Government is funding research at Birmingham University into hydrogen as a fuel for trains.

Friday – 19th June

UK Energy Systems research body (“Catapult”) has made the case for increased levels of nuclear power in the energy mix in support of net zero emissions targets. The ‘Nuclear for Net Zero’ report includes support for small modular reactors (“SMR”) and hydrogen production.

Almost 2 GW of offshore wind power generation came online in 2019 bringing total capacity to almost 10GW.

Saturday – 20th June

In a BBC interview, the UK energy minister says shale gas industry is over ‘for now’.

Sunday – 21st June

A disused gas network in Teesside will be used as a pilot to test procedures for transporting hydrogen as a zero-carbon heating fuel.

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