energybrokeruk
- Irish Republic could supply renewable power to UK
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energybrokeruk- May 29th, 13:34
Talks on a deal that could open up Britain’s electricity market to exports from renewable generators in the Republic will take place next month, according to Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources Pat Rabbitte.Mr Rabbitte launched the Government’s Strategy for Renewable Energy 2012-2020, which covers wind power, bio energy, wave and tidal power and research and development, in Dublin yesterday.Speaking at the launch, Mr Rabbitte said that he will be meeting UK energy minister Charles Hendry next month for talks on an agreement that will allow renewable energy generators in the Republic to export power to Britain.The agreement will cover electricity generated both onshore and offshore.The Minister suggested that, in coming years, the Republic could end up exporting the same amount of electricity that it consumes every year to Britain.The two ministers have already discussed opening Britain’s electricity market to generators operating in the Republic.During a visit to Dublin last year, Mr Hendry said that his government would welcome Irishgenerated power.
- UK Energy Needs Could be Solved Underground
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- energybrokeruk
- May 29th, 10:14
Millions of homes could be heated by geothermal energy in the future, according to experts.This week the Government is due to reveal how much money it is prepared to pay to help private companies develop the form of renewable energy.A new geological survey suggests up to 20% of the country's power could be generated by tapping into hot spots underground.These thermal energy hot spots have been identified around the country - in the South West, South and North of England, and in Scotland and Northern Ireland as well.The scientific survey, produced by engineers at Sinclair Knight Merz (SKM), has given new hope that geothermal might be a sustainable form of energy.But many think it is too expensive to be a long-term solution to our energy needs in the UK.Tim Jackson, a geothermal engineer for SKM, said: "They are more expensive but they're comparable with other options such as nuclear."The other big advantage they have over other renewables is they can provide a baseload generation, (which means) you can get approximately three times more energy out of them."Boreholes are drilled deep underground into aquifers where hot rocks can be found.
- New consultation on CRC energy tax
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- energybrokeruk
- May 28th, 15:05
The Department for Energy and Climate Change (DECC) has decided that a simplified Carbon Reduction Commitment (CRC) will be the best way of incentivising participants to implement energy efficiency in their organisations.
The proposals in the consultation, which closes on 18 June 2012, are aimed at amending the existing scheme rather than replacing it with a carbon based tax. However, many commentators see the proposals as part of a “softening up” process that will eventually result in an “alternative environment tax” if the changes proposed do not result in significant administrative savings for participants. RPC is liaising with the UK Green Building Council on a cross-industry response to the consultation.
Some of the proposed changes include:
- No auctioning of allowances in Phase 2. Instead there will be a two stage fixed price sale, at the beginning and end of a period. The retrospective sale of allowances at the end of a period will be at a higher price to the forecast sale at the beginning of a period.
- Better fit with business structures. CRC will be changed to apply to the “natural business units” of organisations rather than the “highest parent company” structure currently in place.
- Reporting burdens will be reduced: there will be four rather than 29 fuels to report on, rules on metering and electricity will be simplified, there will be no footprint reports and the requirements on the storage of past information will be relaxed.
- Less overlap. Removal of the obligation on installations that participate in the EU Emissions Trading System scheme or have Climate Change Agreements to purchase CRC allowances.
However, the consultation will mean there will be no change to:
- The landlord and tenant rule. DECC remains of the view that landlords are better placed to influence the use of energy and cost effective improvements than tenants.
- League tables. Since there has only been one league table published, DECC will wait and see how effective the reputational driver of poor performance in the league table will be in improving energy efficiency.
via lexology.com
- Scotland's green targets blown by Westminster
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- energybrokeruk
- May 28th, 13:49
A loophole in the UK Government's new energy bill will allow the coal-fired power station proposed for Hunterston in North Ayrshire to belch out hundreds of millions of tonnes of climate pollution and wreck Scotland's targets to cut emissions.The hitherto unnoticed get-out clause was slipped in by Westminster after lobbying behind the scenes by the coal industry, and contradicts promises made by Prime Minister David Cameron and the Liberal Democrats.It has been condemned as "utterly ridiculous" and "crazy" by leading environmental groups. Control over energy is not devolved to the Scottish Parliament or Government.The loophole exempts coal stations that adopt government-approved technologies to trap carbon emissions from tough new limits on pollution. But the technologies – known as carbon capture and storage (CCS) – may only cover a proportion of the pollution, and may not work.The £3 billion coal station planned for Hunterston by Ayrshire Power, set up by the property company, Peel Holdings, is intending to trap less than a fifth of its emissions with CCS technology. The plan, due to face a public inquiry later this year, has prompted over 20,000 objections, making it one of Scotland's most disputed planning applications.The loophole was inserted in the UK energy bill's small print to appease coal companies anxious about their future. An internal industry memo in December to the UK Energy Minister, Charles Hendry, set out what they wanted in the bill.
- UK #gas prices for next week rise on Bacton work
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- energybrokeruk
- May 25th, 16:27
British prompt gas prices eased slightly on Friday morning as the system was oversupplied, but prices for early next week rose on the back of expected maintenance work at the Bacton Shell gas field.
Warm weather and a long weekend ahead in many parts of continental Europe left Britain's gas demand at 183.3 million cubic metres (mcm), almost 30 percent below the seasonal norm, and meant that the UK market was oversupplied by around 10 mcm, according to data from National Grid.As a result, gas prices for within-day delivery fell by 0.2 pence per therm since Thursday, to 52.80 pence at 1045 BST (0945 GMT) on Friday.
Although the UK's MetOffice said that the current warm weather was expected to last until next week, gas prices for delivery on Monday rose slightly as maintenance at the Bacton Shell gas field was expected to begin next Monday.
Gas prices for delivery on Monday rose around one penny a therm to 53.40.
'The maintenance at Bacton Shell is expected to start next Monday, lasting for 36 hours with an expected loss of 10.5 mcm/d in capacity. This would reduce UK continental shelf gas production early next week,' analysts at Point Carbon said, adding that they expected gas prices to come out between 53 and 53.50 pence per therm on the back of this maintenance.
