Archive for the ‘World/Other News’ Category
Ernst & Young: Green energy investors turned on to UK opportunity
Wind projects and clarity over solar policy see UK rise to fifth in ranking of 40 countries' attractiveness to green investorsAdvancing plans for a fleet of large offshore wind projects have seen the UK rise to fifth on a list of the world's most attractive countries for renewable energy investors, providing a timely boost to the government's green agenda. Plans for the world's largest wind farm, a £4.5bn, 1,500MW development 13 miles off the coast of Caithness in Scotland, as well as the award of a £150m European Investment Bank loan to wind farm developer Vattenfall to support the extension of the existing Thanet offshore wind farm were cited as the main drivers behind Ernst & Young's decision to move the UK up one place in its quarterly Country Attractiveness Index report.The UK rose to fifth on the list, moving it above Italy which drops to sixth on the list. The move comes just a day after a survey by the Guardian newspaper revealed some of the world's largest wind energy companies are reviewing their investment plans in the UK in response to growing political opposition to wind energy from some influential ...
Alderney to provide FAB link between Britain and France
Alderney’s tidal development company Alderney Renewable Energy (ARE) says it has agreed to develop an electricity interconnector cable between France, Alderney and Britain. The different organisations involved – ARE, its partner Transmission Capital (TCL) and French grid operator RTE (Réseau de Transport d'Électricité) visualise an interconnector, known as the FABLink, that will be able to export up to 4 gigawatts of tidal power from Alderney's waters and create a power trading link between the two countries.The company also says it has agreed to develop tidal arrays in Alderney waters with French naval defence and energy company DCNS, which owns a stake in Open Hydro. Both agreements are supported by the UK and French governments. As the agreement was signed, the French Industry Minister Eric Besson and the UK Energy Secretary Edward Davey declared in a statement: “We are determined to promote the potential of marine energies. We welcome the plan for a tidal turbine farm off Alderney-Aurigny in the Channel Islands. The commercial agreements signed today between Alderney Renewable Energy (ARE) / DCNS and ARE / Transmission Capital / Réseau de Transport d’Electricité are major steps towards the realisation of a significant new renewable energy project which could rank among the largest ...
More than 1.1 Million People Employed in EU’s Renewable Energy Sector
More than 1.1 million people have jobs in Europe's renewable energy sector, according to new figures released from EurObserv'ER, a renewable energy tracking project supported by the European Commission. The numbers, which don’t even account for the massive boom in renewables development in 2011, show a 25 percent increase in employment between 2009 and 2010, bringing documented jobs in the renewable energy sector throughout Europe to 1,144,000.The boost in activity in 2010 represented about €127 billion ($166 billion) in economic value, a 15 percent increase over 2009. Unlike some reports documenting green jobs in the United States, these figures only include renewable fuels, heat and electricity. They do not include jobs in mass transportation, recycling, and green building design.They show a very healthy diversity in Europe’s renewable energy sector. According to the 2010 figures, the top three sectors for employment were biomass (273,000), solar PV (268,110), and wind (253,145). The next largest were biogas (52,810) and solar thermal (49,845). Behind those sectors were ground source heat pumps, waste-to-energy, small hydro, and geothermal.The increase in jobs corresponded with an increase in consumption of renewable energy. In 2010, renewables accounted for 12.4% of final energy consumption in Europe — up from ...
New EU test scheme for marine renewables – Call for submissions
A new EU funded scheme worth £7.7m (EUR 9m) is providing access for companies and researchers to specialist marine renewable energy testing centres across Europe. Led by the University College Cork (UCC) in Ireland, the scheme called the Marine Renewables Infrastructure Network, or MaRINET, offers free concept and device testing to participants - as well as logistical, scientific and technical support for development.The scheme covers the areas of wave, tidal, offshore wind energy and the environment and has the aim of accelerating the commercialisation of marine renewable energy in Europe. The funding aims to remove financial barriers and help users to access test facilities outside of their own country – which is generally not covered by national grant schemes. The first call for test applications opened this month. Applicants must work within Europe or in a country associated with the European FP7 programme to apply at this stage. The closing date for applications is 29 February 2012.There will be further calls for applications running until 2015. Project Coordinator, Professor Tony Lewis of University College Cork, said: ‘‘This is a great opportunity to advance marine renewable research testing and commercial development for both UK and European companies and research groups.”There are ...
New assessment shows risks of no action on climate change
The results of a major new scientific assessment of climate change has been published today, highlighting the effects the world could face if global temperature changes are not limited to two degrees. The assessment commissioned by Chris Huhne, the UK’s Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, and lead by the Met Office Hadley Centre studied 24 different countries, from developed to developing. It notes that all the countries in the study have warmed since the 1960s and that the occurrence of extremely warm temperatures has increased whilst extremely cold temperatures have become less frequent.If emissions are left unchecked, the report says temperatures would rise generally between three and five degrees Celsius this century. This could be accompanied by significant changes in rainfall patterns, leading in many cases to increased pressure on crop production, water stress and flood risks.Chris Huhne said: “This report highlights some of the very real dangers we face if we don’t limit emissions to combat the rise in global temperature. Life for millions of people could change forever, with water and food supplies being placed in jeopardy and homes and livelihoods under threat. This makes the challenge of reducing emissions ever more urgent. “The UK ...
Clean energy investments pass trillion-dollar mark
Over a trillion dollars have been invested in renewable energy, energy efficiency and smart energy technologies since records began in 2004. Analysts Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF) said the landmark was probably passed during thelast two weeks of November and would likely have been in the developing world.Annual clean energy investment has increased nearly five-fold since 2004, rising from $52bn to $243bn last year, at a compound annual growth rate of 29 per cent. BNEF said it expects 2011 to be another record year, driven by US solar thermal projects, large European offshore wind financings, continued high levels of activity in China and Germany, and India's new national renewable energy programmes.Company chief executive Michael Liebreich said the figures should serve as a message to negotiators in Durban to "stop obsessing about a binding deal to cap carbon emissions, and to think much harder about how to speed up investment in the solutions" to climate change. "The trillionth-dollar milestone shows that the world is not waiting for a deal on climate in order to start turning the super-tanker away from fossil fuels," he said. "Another five years of investment growth at the same ...
2014: the year of marine power?
Industry forecasters say a total of 150MW of wave and tidal current stream capacity is set to be installed in 2011-2015 with a lot riding on 2014 to be the year in which installations take off by more than 100 per cent.Offshore consultancy Douglas-Westwood has forecast a total of 150MW of wave and tidal current stream capacity to be installed in 2011-2015. In its study, entitled “The world wave and tidal report 2011-15,” it notes that installations for marine power generally in 2011 are more than double those last year, with further rapid growth expected as the first commercial projects start coming online.The company finds 2014 will be a significant year in which several commercial projects will take off and installations increase by over 100%, with this trend expected to continue the following year.UK's tidal promiseThe largest market during this period will be the UK, which it says will install 110MW of wave and tidal current stream projects over the next five years, adding that Canada is in second place while there will be strong progress in the USA influenced by major research and development spend. Tidal current stream installations are predicted to be greater than wave (91MW compared to 59MW) in this ...
Global investment in renewable energy infrastructure will double over the next 10 years
Global investment in renewable energy infrastructure will double over the next 10 years, soaring to $395bn a year by 2020, according to a major new report from Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF). The report, entitled Global Renewable Energy Market Outlook, also predicts that growth will be maintained throughout the 2020s, with annual investment in new capacity and retrofitting of existing infrastructure reaching $460bn by 2030.Speaking to BusinessGreen, Guy Turner, director of commodity market research at BNEF, said that the surge in investment will prove a truly global phenomenon."One of the most startling statistics is that around 40 per cent of global power demand will come outside the EU, North America and the BRIC [Brazil, Russia, India and China] countries," he said "There is going to be huge growth in markets such as Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand, the Middle East, Africa and Latin America."The report confirms that the short-term outlook for the European renewable energy market remains bearish as a result of the tough economic climate and the scaling back of government support mechanisms, which will result in China overtaking Europe as the lead market for renewable energy asset finance in 2014.
Ocean energy sector on the cusp of growth
The global ocean energy sector is witnessing a sharp turnaround with more than 45 wave and tidal prototypes being ocean tested in 2010 and 2011, after only a dozen were installed in 2009. According to a new IHS Emerging Energy Research market study, more than 1.8 GW of ocean projects in 16 countries are currently in the pipeline.The global ocean energy project pipeline is poised to begin scaling if these initial projects are successful, IHS has said.The ocean energy industry’s recent development has attracted a slew of established energy companies with renewable growth ambitions, including leading European utilities and global technology suppliers — many with hydro and offshore wind experience, IHS says. Oceans, which cover more than 70 percent of the Earth's surface, generate two types of energy: thermal energy from the sun's heat, and mechanical energy from the tides and waves.All coastal areas consistently experience two high and two low tides over a period of slightly greater than 24 hours. For those tidal differences to be harnessed into electricity, the difference between high and low tides must be at least five meters, or more than 16 feet, it says. According to U.S. Department of Energy (DoE), there are only ...
Offshore wind farms are good for biodiversity, say researchers
Dutch study finds birds avoid offshore wind turbines, while marine life finds shelter and new habitatsIt is the evidence proponents of offshore wind farms have been waiting for: a Dutch study has found that offshore wind turbines have "hardly any negative effects" on wildlife, and may even benefit animals living beneath the waves. The researchers reached their conclusions after studying a wind farm near Windpark Egmond aan Zee, the first large-scale offshore wind farm built off the Dutch North Sea coast. Anti-wind farm campaigners have often argued that wind farms can have a negative impact on bird populations, while some critics have voiced concerns that offshore wind farms could prove disruptive to marine life.However, Professor Han Lindeboom from the Institute for Marine Resources and Ecosystem Studies at Wageningen University and Research centre, said that the new study revealed little evidence of negative effects on local wildlife. "At most, a few bird species will avoid such a wind farm. It turns out that a wind farm also provides a new natural habitat for organisms living on the sea bed such as ...
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