Renew On Line (UK) 56

1. Breaking News

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2. Wind moves ahead...despite everything

On April 7th, in answer to a Parliamentary Question from Tim Yeo, Energy Minister Mike O'Brien produced the following data on wind power planning success:

But it’s not all easy going...

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3. Wave and tidal  power

As noted in Renew 155, Marine Current Turbines Ltd has won an award of a DTI Grant of £3.85m towards its £8 million ‘SeaGen’ 1MW tidal energy turbine project.

They aim to install the SeaGen turbine in UK waters and connected to the National Grid during 2006. It will be three times as powerful...MORE

Lunar Power

£2.25 million more will go to Lunar Energy of East Yorkshire to develop its two way novel ducted  fan  tidal current device.  A 1MW prototype will be installed at the European Marine Energy Centre on Orkney early in 2006.

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4. Solar Power

The Government’s £31m solar photovoltaic demonstration programme, at one time projected to run to 2012, is to end in March 2006. Jonathan Bates, a director of the British Photovoltaics Association, said: “The UK PV industry has invested millions of pounds in response to its commitment...

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5. Carbon storage ‘within a decade’

Dr Jon Gibbins, on behalf of 10 other academic members of the UK Carbon Capture and Storage Consortium, wrote to the Financial Times in March claiming that, far from carbon capture and storage (CCS) technologies for fossil fuels being a long way off, 'commercial coal and gas power plants that operate at high efficiency and capture 80-90% of the CO2  produced and store it deep underground could be deployed extensively in the next decade’...

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6. UK Funding for Sustainable energy

In his Budget announcement in March, Gordon Brown said that funding for energy R&D from the science budget will rise from a current level of £40m per year to £70m per year by 2007-08, with additional support for business via the DTI Technology Programme (see below) and the Carbon Trust. He added ‘To underpin this investment, the Government will establish a UK Energy Research Partnership, bringing together public...

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7. UK Policy Developments

The Governments new cross Departmental Sustainable Development strategy, launched in March, aims to have the UK leading by example in promoting sustainable development.  Tony Blair said: “By joining up thinking and action across all levels of government, and by setting long term objectives, the Government is...

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8. Around the World

Locally sourced renewables and other distributed generation technologies can meet China’s growth in energy demand (it’s risen 10% over the last decade) at a less cost than central generation, according to WADE, the World Alliance for Decentralized Energy, since they avoid transmission losses over the long distance. These losses, and the cost of building grid links, are an important factor in a country as large as China, given that its fossil energy sources are not evenly distributed...

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9. World Developments

Wind  grows around the world

EU cumulative wind power capacity had increased by 20% to 34,205MW by the end of 2004, up from 28,568 MW at the end of 2003.  5,703 MW of wind power capacity was installed last year, a wind turbine manufacturing turnover of Euro 5.7 bn., according to the EWEA  By the end of 2004, Germany had a total of 16,629MW installed and Spain 8,263MW.

In  the USA things have slowed a little...

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10. Nuclear News

Uranium price rises

The price of uranium reached an all time high of $21.75 per pound earlier this year, and looks set to increase by 25% due to reduced stockpiles and increased demand from China’s expanding nuclear programme- it has four new reactors planned and more are envisaged: see below.   An industry insider told...

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11. In the rest of Renew 157

The Feature of this extended 34 page issue looks at the  key Climate Change conference held  at the Met Office in Exeter in February and also has a section on Peak Oil. The Technology section looks at the DTI's new capital and revenue funding system for wave and tidal demonstration projects. There's also coverage of biomass and more from OPT on their views on the limits of wind power. The Reviews section looks at Michael Crichtons new 'contrarian' book, and at the National Audit Offices' assessment of the Renewable Obligation, plus a review of the Germanys ambitious renewable energy programme.  The Groups section  covers initiatives by NEA,REF, PRASEG and also looks at Worldwatch's views, and at some of the new energy  projects supported by the DTI, while the Forum section looks at views on wind and nuclear power.