Renew On Line (UK) 28

Extracts from the Sept-Oct 2000 edition of Renew
These extracts only represent about 25% of it

Wind push at PRASEG

The recent Parliamentary Renewable and Sustainable Energy Group conference saw targets and funding as key issues, as Godfrey Boyle reports

The main focus of discussion at the PRASEG 2000 Conference was on how the EU’s and UK’s sustainable energy targets can be achieved.

The UK has fallen far behind countries like Germany, Denmark and Spain in its rate of renewables deployment. Alan Moore of National Wind Power reminded the Conference that in 1999, 1000 MW of wind power was installed in Germany, compared to just 29 MW in the UK. According to Moore, the key to speeding-up UK wind power development in the shorter-term is to allow "portability" of existing NFFO contracts to less-contentious sites. This is now possible because the decreasing cost of wind turbine capacity makes less windy sites economically viable. Portability, he says, is crucial in enabling the Government’s initial 5% target for 2005 to be met.

Moore believes that the UK’s replacement for NFFO, the renewables obligation, should facilitate deployment by enabling local communities to be consulted more openly over new wind farm developments, because the commercial secrecy engendered by NFFO’s competitive bidding process will no longer be necessary.

In the longer-term, both Government and Industry agree that offshore wind will need to make a major contribution. Moore called for Government support of at least £20 million a year for 3 years, which would enable some 300 MW of offshore capacity to be constructed. After this initial support period, offshore wind prices should "converge" with 4p/kWh, the expected renewables’ price under the new electricity trading rules.

Anna Walker, Director-General of Energy at the DTI, told the conference that her Department had indeed requested substantial capital support for offshore wind from the Treasury. The UK environment minister Michael Meacher, made it clear that he also believed further Government support was essential in getting the embryonic UK offshore wind industry off the ground.

But it is by actions, rather than encouraging words, that Governments should be judged. Recent DTI actions include giving £100m to the UK coal industry, and allowing the Government-owned British Nuclear Fuels to pay £40 m in compensation plus at least as much again in other costs to Kansai Electric in the wake of the Japanese nuclear fuel fiasco. If the DTI cannot find a mere £60 million over 3 years to support offshore wind power, a source which all agree could make an enormous contribution to clean energy supply over coming decades, then what are we to make of the governments alleged commitment to sustainable energy?

A more detailed account of the conference, which also pushed CHP strongly, will appear in the next issue. Meanwhile, the PRASEG Presentations are being posted at: http://www.praseg.org.uk