Renew On Line (UK) 69

Extracts from NATTA's journal
Renew, Issue 169 Sept-Oct 2007
   Welcome   Archives   Bulletin         
 

Contents

1. UK takes a lead on offshore wind  

2. Biofuels – good or bad?  

3. Tidal Surges - and wave too 

4. After the Energy White Paper 

5. Energy Policy developments 

6. Domestic Energy plans go awry 

7. New Waste Recycling plan 

8. World Developments  

9. EU Developments  

10. Around the world  

11. Nuclear developments 

1. UK takes a lead on offshore wind

The first of two 85 metre high 5 megawatt (MW) wind turbines has been installed in deep water in the Beatrice field site 25 km off the east cast of Scotland. It’s the worlds largest in offshore deep water, and is generating electricity for the nearby Beatrice platform....


2. Biofuels – good or bad?  

A field of oilseed rape the size of a football pitch can provide enough fuel to power the average family car  for a year’-  ‘Farm, Food and Countyside’ National Farmers Union.

There have been a series of gruesome accounts about how the demand for palm oil for biofuels for vehicles is having major environmental...


3. UK Tidal Surges - and wave too 

Marine Current Turbines is planning to install its 1.2 megawatt (MW) SeaGen tidal current turbine in Northern Ireland’s Strangford Lough marine nature reserve as soon as the Danish jack-up barge arrives - it was originally meant to start work at the end of August...


4. After the Energy White paper 

Initial reactions to the Energy White Paper (‘EWP’) were mixed. On the political side, then DTI minister Alistair Darling had laid out his cards: it would be a ‘profound mistake’ to rule out building new nuclear plants...


5. Energy Policy developments 

CAT’s ‘Zero Carbon’ plan 

The pioneering Centre for Alternative Technology in Wales has produced a radical new UK scenario, Zero Carbon Britain, in which renewables supply ~100% of electricity by 2027, with wind, wave & pumped/battery storage playing major roles, and electric vehicles being widely used...


 6. Domestic Energy plans 

HIP replacement goes wrong 

The proposals for Home Information Packs (HIPs) continued to come under attack as unworkable- and in May at the last moment, they were withdrawn (for now), except for 4 bedroomed houses...


 7. New Waste Recycling plan 

DEFRA has produced a new strategy for cutting waste, which is seen as a key element in the drive to tackle climate change- landfilled waste is a major source of methane, a potent greenhouse gas, while reducing and recycling waste...


 8. World Developments  

The UN Global Trends in Sustainable Development annual review noted that over £35bn was injected into wind, solar and biofuels in 2006, 43% more than in 2005...


9. EU Developments  

EU plan will cost €1.1 trillion  

The EU’s new climate change policy, with emissions to be cut by 20% by 2020, will cost up to €1.1 trillion (£747bn) to implement over the next 14 years, according to a study ‘A Cost Curve for Greenhouse Gas Reduction’ by the consulting firm McKinsey. ‘On the basis of a balanced...


 10. Around the world  

$168m ‘Solar America’ Initiative  

The US Dept. of Energy (DOE) has announced funding of $168m over three years for 13 projects developing solar technology, as part of the Solar America Initiative, which aims to make solar competitive with conventional electricity by 2015. Samuel Bodman, DOE secretary, said ‘Solar technology can play...


11. Nuclear developments 

Sizewell C ?  

Last year, the Government announced that in future public inquiries on issue such as new nuclear plants would be streamlined and only consider local issues. Jumping the gun a bit, the new draft local development ‘framework’ policy document drawn up by Suffolk Coastal District Council states that Sizewell will...


 12. In the rest of Renew 169 

The Feature looks at the prospects for solar and/or nuclear hydrogen production and at the merits of  focused solar 'Concentrating Solar Power' plants  (CSP) in Africa, with HVDC links to the EU . The Technology section looks at wave and tidal power developments in the UK and around the world- there are lots. Also at energy storage.   The Reviews include coverage of  UK Energy White Paper, biofuels, nuclear power   and climate change denial- something also explored in the Forum section. The Groups section looks at community projects, and the NGOs views of biofuels- something also covered in the Editorial .  


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