Energy Supplies
The SNP has called for action from the UK Government on the electricity supply situation as the worst of the winter weather starts to hit Scotland Callum McCaig MP, the SNP Westminster Energy and Climate Change spokesperson is tabling questions about the increasing concern about UK policy – and the vulnerability of supply. He commented: ‘’Last week the National Grid had to use emergency measure for the first time in recent years – a worrying indication that our electricity supply situation is increasingly vulnerable. “The UK Government is stumbling from crisis to crisis whilst being warned by those in the industry about how close it is to not coping with demand.
Scottish Energy News 16th Nov 2015 read more »
BRITAIN needs to build the equivalent of more than 25 large power stations to meet its power needs over the next two decades, Amber Rudd, the energy secretary, will warn this week. She will say that the nation’s energy security will be under threat unless it starts replacing its old nuclear and coal power stations. Rudd, who is attempting to regain the initiative amid criticism over her grip on the energy brief, will say that mismanagement by her predecessors plus “spiralling subsidies” for renewable energy have left people facing unacceptable costs. She will also hint she wants a rethink on the government’s commitment to combating climate change, which legally obliges it to cut greenhouse gas emissions from the equivalent of 568m tonnes of CO2 in 2013 to less than 250m tonnes in 2032. This is seen as a challenge that could only be met by deployment of nuclear, wind and solar power, at a cost which, Rudd believes, would be unacceptable to consumers. Lord Deben, chairman of the CCC, said the best way to keep bills down was through efficiencies, including a national programme to insulate homes and businesses. Confirming Rudd’s view that nuclear power, which provides 20% of UK energy, would have to expand, he said: “We need to replace the nuclear that we have now and probably somewhat more.” Leonie Greene of the Solar Trade Association said: “Amber Rudd’s approach to energy policy is incoherent. The government has taken support from the cheapest renewables such as solar power, while giving multi-billion pound subsidies to outdated technologies like the Hinkley Point nuclear power station.”
Sunday Times 15th Nov 2015 read more »
Keeping the lights on is now top priority, energy secretary to say, as she warns that households face paying over the odds for energy for years to come due to poor value green subsidies handed out by her predecessors. Britain will no longer pursue green energy at all costs and will instead make keeping the lights on the top priority, Amber Rudd, the energy secretary, will vow this week. Households already face paying over-the-odds for energy for years to come as a result of expensive subsidies handed out to wind and solar farms by her Labour and Lib Dem predecessors, Ms Rudd will warn. In a major speech setting out a new strategy, the energy secretary is expected to say that from now on, policies will balance “the need to decarbonise with the need to keep bills as low as possible”. “Energy security has to be the first priority. It is fundamental to the health of our economy and the lives of our people,” she will say. But Ms Rudd is also expected to make clear that eking out more power from Britain’s ageing and polluting coal-fired power stations is not the solution to keeping the lights on, and new gas and nuclear plants are needed instead. Critics are also likely to question how the principles of competition and temporary subsidies will be applied to nuclear. Ministers have so far negotiated a bespoke subsidy contract for one new plant at Hinkley Point in Somerset and the technology is expected to remain reliant on subsidies for the foreseeable future.
Telegraph 15th Nov 2015 read more »
Japan – Fukushima
Twelve artists put together what might be the most inaccessible art exhibition in the world.
Guardian 16th Nov 2015 read more »
Japan – Fast Reactor
Japan’s nuclear regulator told the science ministry to find a new operator for the problem-plagued Monju prototype fast-breeder reactor in Fukui Prefecture, or face the possibility of the facility being decommissioned. Finding a new operator could prove immensely difficult as the prototype reactor has been inoperative most of the time since construction was completed in 1991. Once heralded as offering a dream energy source, fast-breeder technology is no longer being pursued by many advanced economies. Monju has become a huge drain on public funds, gobbling up 1 trillion yen (8.33 billion) to date.
Asahi Shimbun 14th Nov 2015 read more »
Scrap Monju reactor project and use money to develop renewable energies. The annual public review of policy programs by the government to identify wasteful spending ends on Nov. 13. For three days, the government’s administrative reform promotion council has been scouring the budgets of ministries and agencies for savings. The focus of the budget review this year is the Monju prototype fast-breeder reactor. The Nuclear Regulation Authority recently recommended that the operator of the troubled-plagued experimental reactor, the government-affiliated Japan Atomic Energy Agency, should be replaced.
Asahi Shimbun 13th Nov 2015 read more »
India
India and Australia have finalized their nuclear deal, which will make it possible for India to source uranium from Australia. After the first meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the new Australian PM, Malcolm Turnbull in Antalya, Turkey, on the sidelines of the G-20 summit, the two countries announced the exchange of instruments of ratification.
Times of India 15th Nov 2015 read more »
Renewable Subsidies
Commenting ahead of the Chancellor’s Autumn Statement next week (25 Nov 2015) Mark Stewart, RSM’s head of renewable energy in Scotland said: ‘Over the last few months, the renewables industry has been hammered by a raft of policy proposals which have dramatically affected the financial viability of many new renewable energy schemes and provoked a number of business failures – particularly in the solar energy sector. ‘These measures have included the abolition of levy exemption certificates, the removal of seed enterprise investment scheme tax breaks for community energy projects, the proposed closure of the feed-in tariff scheme in January 2016 and the likely repeal of the renewables obligation in March 2016.
Scottish Energy News 16th Nov 2015 read more »
Renewable Heat – Scotland
Only 1% of buildings owned by Scots councils are heated by renewable energy – progress labelled “underwhelming” by an industry body as Scotland looks set to miss a key 2020 target for the sector. New research shows local authorities have invested almost £8 million making sure 225 schools, 17 leisure centres, 17 care homes and 63 other public buildings across Scotland are heated by renewable energy – but 24,806 are not, industry body Scottish Renewables has revealed. The 21 Scottish local authorities which responded to a Freedom of Information disclosure requirement have invested almost £8 million in renewable heat technology – but have already earned almost £770,000 from the UK Government’s Renewable Heat Incentive support scheme.
Scottish Energy News 16th Nov 2015 read more »
Scottish Energy Minister Fergus Ewing is campaigning for Scottish businesses which are losing out due to UK Government indecision on the future of the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI). The RHI is a UK Government initiative that provides financial incentives to increase the uptake of renewable-energy heating projects. Ewing is pressing the UK Government to commit to the long term sustainability of the RHI – which it has so far refused to do – and has written to UK Energy Secretary Amber Rudd asking for urgent clarification. The Scottish Government has set a target for 11% of non-electrical heating supply to come from renewable energy by 2020. Star Renewable Energy is a Glasgow based company which installs water source heat pumps, a low carbon technology that extracts heat from water sources to heat buildings efficiently. It has already seen some schemes delay decisions about capital investment until there is further certainty on whether or not the RHI will continue beyond March 2016.
Scottish Energy News 16th Nov 2015 read more »
Community Energy
Surprise changes to the Finance Bill in its third reading have withdrawn tax benefits for investors in community renewable energy projects, writes Georgina Matthews. While some societies are rushing to complete their fund-raising by the end of the month, others have been forced to close. If these measures are not withdrawn, a small but flourishing sector will be at risk.
Ecologist 11th Nov 2015 read more »
Energy Storage
SAND is emerging as a key ingredient in the race to develop a viable electricity storage system for renewable energies. Latent Heat Storage has developed a low cost thermal energy storage system based on the latent heat properties of silicon derived from sand. The device – known as TESS – is being developed in South Australia with the help of an AUD $400,000 government grant to take it from prototype to commercial reality. The TESS device stores electricity as thermal energy by heating and melting containers full of silicon. The high latent heat capacity and melting temperature of silicon makes it ideal for the storage of large amounts of energy.
Renew Economy 16th Nov 2015 read more »
Sonnenbatterrie – Germany’s market-leading residential energy storage system maker – is to enter the UK residential energy storage market with its lithium-ion storage system. Sonnenbatterrie has now signed an agreement with UK-based energy storage system provider Green Acorn to act as the first ‘Sonnenbatterie Centre’ in the UK, serving the south west and Scotland. Benjamin Schott, director of business development at Sonnenbatterie, said the two firms are in a trial phase this year with plans to go commercial by the beginning of 2016. Sonnenbatterie’s strategy is to have an exclusive agreement with local installers to sell, install and service the systems when required.
Scottish Energy News 16th Nov 2015 read more »
Climate
The Scottish Government has won international praise for its “world-leading” aims of reducing emissions 42 per cent by 2020, and 80 per cent by 2050. But it has failed to meet the annual targets needed to achieve those aims in each of the last four years. Scottish Climate Change Minister Dr Aileen McLeod is planning to join the Edinburgh protest and take part in the Paris summit. First Minister Nicola Sturgeon is also considering going to Paris, along with UK Prime Minister David Cameron and US President Barack Obama.Lang Banks, the director of WWF Scotland – who will also be in Paris – paid tribute to recent moves by the US and China towards greater emissions cuts. This meant there were “positive prospects for meaningful progress”, he argued. “But we should not kid ourselves. What is currently on the table in the way of a draft text and individual country pledges are not yet enough to keep people and nature out of danger,” he warned. “The leadership shown by countries like Scotland with our ambitious climate change targets is very helpful, but would be far more powerful if we could show we were meeting those targets and our society was on track to become a low-carbon powerhouse.” According to the Scottish Greens’ Europe spokesman, Ross Greer, the Scottish Government had “a job to do to rebuild its credibility”. He called on ministers to use the forthcoming budget to help low carbon housing, transport and land use.
Herald 15th Nov 2015 read more »
Rob Edwards 15th Nov 2015 read more »
