Two local energy trading innovations have won Ashden awards for sustainable energy pioneers. Energy Local Club allows households to benefit directly from electricity produced by local renewable generators. The first ELC started in 2016 in Bethesda, Gwynedd with 100 local households and…
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SCCS: carbon dioxide storage remains stable over 10,000 year timeframe
by New Power • • 2 Comments
New research has increased confidence in the potential for capturing and storing carbon dioxide, according to SCCS. It says a study published in Nature Communications shows that captured carbon dioxide can be stored safely for thousands of years. In the study,…
Don’t let Brexit lead to offshore skills shortage, MPs warned
by Annabel Andrews • • Comments Off
Engineering company Offshore Marine Management (OMM) is urging MPs to consider the impact of Brexit on the future of the offshore renewables industry. The call comes after the House of Lords backed an amendment to the EU Withdrawal Bill that…
Greenpeace warns UK stake in new nuclear at Wylfa breaches EU competition rules
by Annabel Andrews • • 1 Comment
Greenpeace UK believes plans announced by the government this week to take a one-third stake in a proposed new nuclear power plant, Wylfa Newyydd in Wales, may be illegal under EU competition rules. It said it would seek “urgent clarification”…
Brexit ‘could expose companies to costly IT changes’
by Annabel Andrews • • Comments Off
Brexit has raised fears for interconnector developers, says ElecLink chief executive Steven Moore, even though the need for interconnections has become, “if anything, more urgent”. Moore said Brexit has “introduced a lot of political uncertainty into what was already a very…
National planning documents ‘out of date’, warns expert
by Annabel Andrews • • Comments Off
National planning documents ‘out of date’, warns expert National Policy Statements for energy projects – including renewable energy – are slipping out of date and there is a ‘pressing need for revisions’, according to planning expert and blogger Angus Walker…
Ofgem issues ‘statement of objections’: did companies break competition law?
by New Power • • Comments Off
Ofgem has alleged that three companies - energy suppliers Economy Energy and E (Gas and Electricity) and consultancy Dyball Associates – have broken competition law. In a ‘statement of objections’, the regulator alleges that: Between at least January and September 2016,…
Sembcorp acquires UK Power Reserve, plans ‘major expansion’
by New Power • • Comments Off
Sembcorp is to acquire distributed power specialist UK Power Reserve (UKPR) for £216 million. UKPR’s generating and storage fleet is spread across 32 locations in England and Wales. It has 533MW in operation with a further 480MW in construction and…
Drax applies for planning consent to convert remaining coal units to gas
by New Power • • Comments Off
Drax has submitted an application to National Infrastructure Planning for its Repower gas generation and battery storage project. The company plans to repurpose Drax’s two remaining coal generating units (units 5 and 6) with up to 3.6GW of gas-fired power generation and…
Vattenfall plans EV charging network across GB
by New Power • • Comments Off
Vattenfall is to begin installing ‘pay-as-you-go’ electric vehicle (EV) charging points in Great Britain that will be open to all EV drivers. From June, the company plans to partner with commercial developers, real-estate companies, industries, fleet owners and public bodies such as…