Tag: nuclear power

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.

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

15th Jun 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 – 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’.

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

28th Apr 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 April

A consortium of industrial power suppliers and end-users has been awarded funds from UK Government to support plans to make Humberside in eastern England the first industrial cluster to be ‘de-carbonised’ by 2040. The plans depend upon production of hydrogen and Carbon capture and storage.

Tuesday – 21st April

Industry body Oil and Gas UK has stated that UK offshore oil and gas met approximately two-thirds of UK oil and gas demand and almost half of total energy in 2019.

Article describes UK Government data showing biomass share of electricity generation has multiplied three-fold in the previous 10 years. Total power generation from all renewable sources, including biomass, has increased four-fold.

Wednesday – 22nd April

A project in NW England, aiming to become the UK’s first net-zero industrial cluster, using hydrogen and Carbon capture and storage, has received government funding in order to develop a plan.

Cargoes of liquid natural gas from the USA have been cancelled by Asian and European importers due to lower demand from the current business environment.

Thursday – 23rd April

Plans are being made to use heat from water in flooded former coal mines in northern England to heat homes.

Friday – 24th April

The fine spring weather across the UK meant that on Monday 20th April 2020 solar power generation broke a record. At peak generation solar power provided 30% of the electricity supply, generating 9.7 GW (for context UK electricity demand during the week varied between 20 and 30 GW).

Sunday 26th – April

EDF is preparing to submit an application for a large nuclear power station (Sizewell C) to be constructed on the English east coast.

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

24th Mar 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 – 16th March

Applications for renewable energy projects in the UK hit a new high in 2019, increasing by 75% compared with 2015.

Tuesday – 17th March

EDF which operates all 15 nuclear power reactors in the UK has said plans are in place to ensure continued operations across the fleet. Total combined capacity is 4.2 GW. (for context, UK demand is at 32 GW at time of writing according to Gridwatch: https://www.gridwatch.templar.co.uk/ )

Thursday – 19th March

UK Government has reached agreement with all domestic energy suppliers to ease payment difficulties for households in the current situation.

The biggest service station in Europe to offer natural gas as an alternative fuel to diesel for heavy goods vehicles is open along a motorway in NW England.

Friday – 20th March

A Geographical article describes the need for a ‘Just Transition’ for workers as part of targets to reduce greenhouse emissions. The article describes efforts from around the world, cases in history (including east Scotland fabrication yards) and points of view.

Saturday – 21st March

The Guardian reports that between a quarter and half of UK greenhouse gas emissions are generated from central heating systems which heat 85% of homes. The article quotes a report from Institution of Engineering and Technology which suggests hydrogen may be the way to solve this using the existing network.

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