Tag: offshore wind power

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

4th Aug 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 – 27th July

National Grid, the operator of the electricity grid, has published scenarios for future power generation. Three of five scenarios show net zero emissions by 2050 and a scenario of net zero electricity generation by 2033 requiring growth in renewables; hydrogen from gas with carbon capture, heat pumps, electric vehicles and energy efficiency.

Energy provider, EDF, is going through the planning process towards opening a 39 hectare solar power generation station with capacity of 50 MW in eastern England.

Independent article quotes results of a study from Imperial College London, suggesting that, during their lifetime, new offshore wind power generators may pay government subsidies.

Tuesday – 28th July

Scottish Government has announced £300k investment in a ‘hydrogen accelerator’ at University of Saint Andrews in order to develop technologies for hydrogen as a transport fuel.

Thursday – 30th July

UK Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) has released its annual summary of energy production and use for 2019. This press release summarises highlights: Transport continues to be highest demand for energy; oil and gas continue to dominate meeting a combined 75% of energy demand; coal continues to decline (33% down in 2019 compared to 2018); 35% of all energy is imported; renewable sources rose to 37% of electricity generation; overall emissions dropped about 4%.

Article proposes shift to hydrogen as fuel for public transport including trains focused on cleaner air as well as greenhouse gas emissions.

Saturday – 1st August

The Arab world’s first nuclear power generation plant has opened in United Arab Emirates.

First 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)

Wednesday – 1st July

BBC article describes the recent surge in support for the future role of hydrogen in the UK energy mix on the path to net-zero emissions by 2050.

A proposal to expand surface coal-mining in north east England (Durham) has been rejected by the local council. Council representatives say benefits do not outweigh environmental impact. Mining company says decision hands local jobs to miners overseas as UK still needs coal for industry such as steel making.

Article points to a government report of 2018 data for fuel poverty indicating 2.4 million English households are categorised as being in fuel poverty representing a reduction of 0.7% compared with the previous year.

Thursday – 2nd July

Norwegian energy company Equinor (67% state-owned) has described plans to invest £600 million to generate hydrogen from natural gas and capture carbon dioxide for storage on Humberside in north east England.

UK Government has approved plans to build 1.8 GW of offshore wind power generation. Norfolk Vanguard site will be 30 miles off the east coast of England and comprise between 90 and 180 turbines. Decision is part of the UK Government target of 40 GW of offshore wind power by 2030. A plan for a further 2.4 GW is under consideration.

Friday – 3rd July

According to this article from Metro, UK Prime Minister’s member of staff, Dominic Cummings, has authorised £100 million investment in carbon capture technology using direct air capture.

Article describes plans to ensure materials for future wind turbines are more sustainable by development of new recycling technologies and creating new composite materials from ‘bio-based materials’.

Poland has announced ‘the birth’ of Polish offshore wind power generation (on 1st July).

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.