Latest News

Lords demand 20MW threshold for planning commission

21-11-08: Debate over UK's renewable energy target for 2020 sees peers concerned that planning reforms in the Planning Bill may not be enough

Scottish planners offered advice on wind farm applications

21-11-08: Scottish ministers publish new Planning Advice Note laying out the issues local authorities should be aware of in determining wind farm applications

Blade repairs put SeaGen tidal power scheme “back on track”

20-11-08: Four month hold-up ends as new blade is fitted to the SeaGen tidal stream project; developers say turbine could be fully operational by January

Tesco picks up award for combined heat and power efforts

20-11-08: Supermarket named "CHP Champion" for converting stores to generate own power and heat; Other CHP awards go to a Birmingham hospital project and Baxi Group

Dutch utility takes first step into UK wind energy market

20-11-08: Eneco buys development project building £9 million wind farm in Aberdeenshire as it seeks to expand renewable energy investments outside the Netherlands

Row over pilot scheme for £2.5bn Alderney tidal project

20-11-08:

"Tough negotiations" on Channel Island as licence is granted to develop tidal power resource, but local controversy has come over the scrapping of a pilot phase

Industry concern over level of government support for CHP

20-11-08: Minister notes "very significant" opportunities for combined heat and power sector in new legislation, but industry is concerned at lack of a "joined up" incentive for CHP

Cautious welcome for feed-in tariffs from renewables sector

19-11-08: Feed-in tariffs welcomed by renewables industry, but many are unhappy with the government's 5MW cap; "devil is in the detail" says REA

npower proposes wind farm close to sites subject to inquiry

19-11-08: npower renewables has submitted plans for a 23MW wind farm at Kirkharle, close to the proposed locations of three wind farms currently awaiting planning inspector's decision

Solar firm embraces Silicon Valley with key appointment

19-11-08:

Welsh solar firm looks to expand abroad with the appointment of a new chief executive officer from "Palm Pilot" manufacturers Palm Inc

Warning over British Energy nuclear performance

19-11-08: As nuclear operator reveals earnings for first half of 2008 have halved, SNP says unexpected downtime of five of British Energy's reactors shows they are "unreliable" and "unnecessary"

Government commits to feed-in tariffs for 2010

19-11-08: Energy Bill debate sees minister Mike O'Brien reassuring doubters that guaranteed long-term payments will be brought in for small-scale renewable electricity projects

Planning inspector rules against 23MW Lincolnshire wind project

18-11-08: Wind developer Infinergy left considering options, after inspector says views from six listed buildings would have unacceptable impact from proposed 10 turbines

Sheringham Shoal “going ahead” despite loss of backer

18-11-08: Dutch firm pulls out of offshore wind farm, forcing remaining partner to seek another backer; but developers say project is still going ahead

Government raises renewables feed-in tariff cap to 5MW

18-11-08: Although actual level of feed-in tariff threshold could still be lower, ministers raise proposed maximum level from three to 5MW within today's Energy Bill debate

Council gives official backing to £400m Teesside biomass plant

18-11-08: Redcar and Cleveland to advise government that it approves of MGT Power's proposed 300W power plant to be fuelled by woodchip shipped in via nearby deepwater port

Project manager appointment puts Wave Hub “back on track”

17-11-08: Troubled Wave Hub marine energy test site is granted new lease of life as a subsea engineering firm is appointed to run its development

Tidal firm wins £6.2m backing from Fred Olsen Renewables

17-11-08: Tidal turbine developer Scotrenewables secures financial support from shipping tycoon Fred Olsen; as the recruitment drive in northern Scotland gathers pace

News in Brief

17-11-08:

With news of two wood fuel initiatives; a wave power deployment; planning approval for a Gloucestershire wind farm; and, a new office for npower renewables

Marine energy proposals invited in Pentland Firth "Round One"

17-11-08: Crown Estate seeks proposals from companies who could be part of a 700MW programme to establish marine energy devices in the far north-east of Scotland

Ministers seek views on Northern Ireland's energy future

17-11-08: Ministers launch consultation on Northern Ireland's four-year-old Strategic Energy Framework, to significantly increase the amount of renewable power being generated

Wind energy: News in Brief

14-11-08: With news of a wind partnership between UK Coal and Peel Energy; new planning guidance in Yorkshire; a E.ON wind farm proposal; and, a new HQ for Wind Prospect

"Merton Rule" becomes law with Royal Assent for Fallon Bill

14-11-08:

Planning and Energy Bill enters statute books, meaning councils can now legally require building developers to use on-site or near-site low carbon energy systems

Shell Flat offshore wind farm scrapped over aviation concerns

14-11-08: Consortium withdraws application for Shell Flats after failing to reach an agreement with BAE and Ministry of Defence over radar and low-flying aircraft concerns

Councils move ahead with energy-from-waste ambitions

14-11-08: Staffordshire and Gloucestershire reach milestones in Private Finance Initiative projects to set up energy-from-waste facilities, but Manchester project facing continued delays

Atlantis seeks tidal power partner for Pentland Firth project

13-11-08: Crown Estate regulation prompts marine developer to put out a call for another technology to partner its off-grid tidal powered data centre

Offshore wind takes pride of place in European energy ambitions

13-11-08: Offshore wind at the centre of European Commission plans to reduce dependency on foreign oil and gas, and reduce exposure to high electricity bills

Energy security key in next wave of European energy laws

13-11-08:

Efforts to boost investment in renewable energy and energy efficiency are central to EU Commission's latest "package" of energy legislation for Europe, unveiled today

Scottish and Southern Energy to plough on with renewables plan

13-11-08: £2.5 billion investment plan for renewable energy will continue, despite wholesale electricity prices hitting Scottish and Southern Energy's first-half profits

Government clashes with Tories over carbon capture

13-11-08: Ed Miliband says energy supply security is "top priority" as he comes under fire for refusing to rule out new non-CCS coal fired power stations

Scots call on Europe to back North Sea renewables "supergrid"

13-11-08: Alex Salmond says supergrid would be "major step forward" for Scotland's renewable energy, as UK government attempts to keep lid on nationalist agenda

Scottish study calms fears about wood-fuel heating emissions

12-11-08:

Researchers from AEA Technology test out biomass boilers and model results across Edinburgh and Dundee, easing concerns about local air quality issues

Statkraft buys out partner in 23MW Carmarthenshire wind farm

12-11-08:

With its focus on building European wind capacity, Norwegian state-owned firm takes remaining 50% stake in Blaengwen wind farm from US-owned Catamount Energy

News in Brief

11-11-08: Including news of an offshore wind alliance; a renewables business centre in Lowestoft; a solar-powered swimming pool in Newcastle; and, a wind farm inquiry in Essex

Ministerial visit for Trident wave project

11-11-08: Energy minister Lord Hunt visits Trident Energy in Suffolk as firm unveils linear generator and test rig, which is expected to be deployed next year

National park to take wind farm opposition to High Court

11-11-08: In a case seen as important for wind developments near other national parks, Peak District park attempts to overturn inspector's approval for Carsington Wind Farm

Fuel cell deal for UK’s largest wind-to-hydrogen project

11-11-08: UPS systems announces it is to provide the hydrogen fuel cells for a pioneering wind-to-hydrogen "mini grid" at a Yorkshire energy technology centre

Businesses encouraged to sign up to wind power

11-11-08: Electricity supplier Opus Energy and small wind turbine installer Eagle Power team up to show businesses how to profit from generating their own wind energy

Europe unveils £9bn plan to demonstrate carbon capture

11-11-08: Cross-sector group unveils criteria for projects that could be included in EU programme to speed up development of carbon capture and storage in power sector

Offshore renewable energy achieving £32m turnover

10-11-08: Crown Estate publishes economic assessment of marine renewables industry, and warns that future growth will depend on production costs

Manchester FC wind project axed over "one in a million" risk

10-11-08: Ecotricity decides risk of ice falling off turbine blades too high for site accessed by thousands of football fans each week, with no easy solution

Vattenfall buys 300MW Thanet offshore wind project

10-11-08: Swedish power giant purchases wind farm being built off Kent coast - but there are questions over the £35 million price tag it claims for the deal

ScottishPower and Vattenfall team up to bid for UK offshore wind

10-11-08: Two wind development giants unite to bid for up to 6,000MW worth of offshore wind capacity in UK's Round Three offshore wind programme

Isle of Wight gasification plant starts up

10-11-08: Energos plant begins processing waste in a UK first, after equipment problems caused four month delay in final commissioning run

Nordex milestone wind turbine destined for UK wind farm

10-11-08: German wind turbine manufacturer celebrates completing its 1,000th wind turbine in the 2.5MW class, with the turbine itself heading to a wind farm being built in Yorkshire

International Power plans 10MW tidal farm on Pentland Firth

07-11-08: Electricity generator signs deal with Scottish and Southern Energy for a grid connection in the Pentland Firth, where it is planning a tidal stream farm

Call for cohesive plan to fulfil Salmond’s renewables "vision"

07-11-08: Marine energy industry gathers in Aberdeen to hear Scottish Government's director general for environment demand a more co-ordinated approach to renewable ambitions

BP pulls out of UK wind power - and also CCS competition

07-11-08: Oil giant confirms intention to focus wind development efforts in United States - and reveals it is pulling out of the UK's carbon capture and storage programme

Scottish and Southern Energy plan to build multi-fuel CHP plants

07-11-08: Energy giant to develop multi-fuel plants using flexible range of fuels from biomass to waste, to help back up expansion of intermittent renewable power sources

E.ON completes first turbine at Robin Rigg offshore wind farm

06-11-08:

First of 60 turbines installed in Solway Firth, with E.ON hopeful that fleet of installation vessels can get the project back on track

Pelamis raises £5m to develop next generation wave power

06-11-08: After completing 2.25MW wave farm in Portugal, Edinburgh firm raises funds to develop its manufacturing process prior to installing machines in Orkneys

Renewable Heat Incentive to offer banded system of support

06-11-08: New subsidy system for renewable heat and heating fuels will offer different support levels for different technologies - similar to reformed Renewables Obligation

Unproven technology “very difficult” to fund, bank warns

06-11-08: Bank of Ireland warns that the current economic slowdown has damaged banks' ability to fund higher-risk projects including "unproven" renewable energy technologies

Government sticks to 3MW cap for microgeneration feed-in tariff

06-11-08: Energy Bill debate fails to sway minister Lord Hunt in setting 3MW upper limit on forthcoming small-scale power incentives to protect larger-scale projects

Warning over EU threat to energy-from-waste efforts

05-11-08: Concern over attempt by certain members of EU Council to redefine biomass, requiring it to be separately collected from waste to count as renewable energy source

£80m straw-fired power plant in Lincolnshire wins consent

05-11-08: Renewable energy developers Eco2 celebrate winning planning permission on second attempt for 40MW biomass plant to use local straw to generate power

Commission defends green energy targets in economic "crisis"

05-11-08: EU energy commissioner Andris Piebalgs says safeguards are in place to protect businesses from increased climate change targets

Renewable Energy Holdings in £16m deal for Welsh wind farm

05-11-08: Investment firm to purchase 69MW Mynnydd y Gwynt wind farm in Powys, with bulk of funds payable when planning and operating consents are secured

Energy Bill debate to address "sleeping giant" of climate change

05-11-08: Use of energy for heating purposes - responsible for half UK carbon emissions - to be addressed through proposals in today's Energy Bill debate in House of Lords

Tories: Keep business tax local to help energy planning

04-11-08: Shadow energy minister Charles Hendry says local business rates from wind farms and other renewable energy schemes should remain with local authorities

News in Brief

04-11-08: Including news of a tidal power deal for Edinburgh University; Scottish planning shake-up; Friends of the Earth view on feed-in tariff amendments; and, installation of a biogas refuelling station in Camden

SPECIAL REPORT: Closing the skills gap in renewable energy

04-11-08: With the sector now expanding rapidly, there is a danger it may outgrow its skills market. New Energy Focus investigates the state of recruitment in renewable energy

German anaerobic digestion firm expands into UK market

04-11-08: Biogas Nord commissions first farm-scale biogas plant, also begins construction of a facility in West Sussex to produce 1MW of renewable energy

Green light for Diageo's £65m biomass energy plant

03-11-08: Energy firm Dalkia to build combination anerobic digestion and biomass combustion plant to make use of by-products of the whisky production process to power distillery

Shareholders of wind developer Eclipse back Vattenfall offer

03-11-08: Swedish power firm says shareholders representing 91.2% of issued shares have accepted offer for developer of 150MW Ormonde offshore wind project

npower to buy 50% stake in world's largest offshore wind farm

03-11-08: Scottish and Southern Energy to receive £308 million in cash for half equity share in 500MW Greater Gabbard Offshore Wind Farm, predicted to be world's largest in 2011 

Qatar-UK fund to invest £250m in low carbon energy projects

03-11-08: Gordon Brown has sealed a deal for £150 million from Qatar Investment Authority plus funds from UK investors to promote low carbon technologies in UK and Qatar

Wind developers "surprised and concerned" by local planners

31-10-08: Flood of wind farm applications being thrown out by planning committees across the UK, even when long feasibility studies and environmental assessments are carried out

PROFILE: Eco2 - building a £1 billion house of straw

31-10-08:

Cardiff-based company Eco2 may have been founded as a wind development company, but biomass power is now its future, using locally-produced straw as a feedstock

£18m anaerobic digestion merger to "change face of industry"

31-10-08: Greenfinch and Biogen, two of the first UK companies to develop commercial-scale anaerobic digestion facilities to generate energy from waste, combine efforts

Dutch small wind turbine trial suffers low wind speeds

31-10-08:

Tests of small wind turbines including British systems report some "disappointing" results, with hopes that wind speeds will pick up in next six months of testing

Severn Barrage “not wanted” by locals, claim campaigners

30-10-08: Study suggests locals feel left out of tidal project feasibility study process and are not supportive; but environmentalist Sir Jonathon Porritt insists Barrage must go ahead

Industry welcomes feed-in tariffs for power and heat

30-10-08:

Inclusion of feed-in tariff amendment to the Energy Bill prompts praise from renewables industry, but the REA doubts the government's timetable

Government unveils renewable power and heat feed-in tariffs

30-10-08: Ministers propose separate feed-in tariffs for renewable electricity and renewable heat, within amendments to the Energy Bill ahead of House of Lords debate next week

Rhyl Flats offshore wind project hit by loss of installation vessel

30-10-08:

KS Energy's Titan-1 ship sinks in Atlantic Ocean, npower renewables says too early to say how it will affect Rhyl Flats offshore wind project in Irish Sea

Scotland reaches 3GW renewable energy milestone

29-10-08: Jim Mather opens Dalswinton and Minsca wind farms, helping Scotland to break through 3GW barrier of installed renewable energy capacity

LandEnergy to use biomass power in wood pellet production

29-10-08: Wood pellet trading firm working towards becoming a manufacturer through new production plants reveals plan to power its operations with biomass CHP system

Ministers announce 10-year smart meter roll-out for households

29-10-08: Energy Bill debate in Parliament sees government announcing decision to make smart meters mandatory for households, to tie in with UK's renewable energy target in 2020

News in Brief

29-10-08: With news of Scotland's offshore wind programme; a new Lincolnshire wind farm; an alliance of EU energy research institutes; and, progress in hydrogen fuel cells

Seaweed "efficient and reliable" biomass fuel, claim researchers

28-10-08: Crown Estate report into marine biomass potential recommends that Scotland begin farming seaweed on a small scale for anaerobic digestion

Western Isles transmission link planning process gets underway

28-10-08: Scottish and Southern Energy seeks planning permission for underground and subsea connection to Isle of Lewis to open up potential for renewable energy projects

Ramco renewables arm bids to build Scottish offshore wind farms

28-10-08: Oil and gas company's offshore wind subsidiary SeaEnergy Renewables links up with wind developer Airtricity to pursue offshore wind farm lease in Scottish waters

Ministers meet with experts to kick-start electric car revolution

28-10-08: Ministers announce £10m electric car trial, plus £20m programme of research, as new study suggests UK grid could cope with widespread use of electric vehicles

3D radar system offers "silver bullet" for wind farm objections

27-10-08: Cambridge technology developers believe holographic radar system would help air traffic controllers distinguish effectively between moving aircraft and wind turbine blades

Plan to map tidal zones in Pentland Firth

27-10-08: Scotland prepares for the arrival of marine energy, as plans to redevelop Caithness port are unveiled and marine radar monitoring announced by academics

Biofuels "better" than standard jet fuel, says Boeing

27-10-08:

With expectations that aviation will join other industry sectors within tougher climate change targets this week, Boeing says latest biofuels perform well in aircraft

Air safety fears kill plan for 250MW wind farm in Ayrshire

27-10-08: Proposed 85-turbine Kyle Wind Farm posed problems for air traffic control at nearby Glasgow Prestwick Airport, said ministers, as they told developers to rethink plans

Atlantis to build tidal-powered data centre for Morgan Stanley

24-10-08: Pentland Firth project on the cards for Morgan Stanley, who wants tidal power firm Atlantis to build it an off-grid, marine powered data centre in northern Scotland

Demand for UK commitment to small-scale heat and power

24-10-08: As government finalises details of feed-in tariff amendment for Energy Bill, Lords says microgeneration and renewable heat "as important" as large-scale green electricity

News in Brief

24-10-08: With news of Eden Project wind proposal; disappointment over ASA ruling on solar advert; an error in RTFO now being corrected; and, a Centrica acquisition

Curb local planners' powers in renewable energy, say Lords

24-10-08: Report into EU sub-committee inquiry into UK's 15% renewable energy target demands planning reforms beyond government's current proposals

SNP “gambling” with Scotland’s energy future, claim Labour MPs

23-10-08: Glasgow MP John Robertson and energy minister Mike O'Brien claim Edinburgh government's opposition to nuclear power will mean future dependence on foreign gas

Carbon Trust launches algae biofuels challenge

23-10-08: Algae Biofuels Challenge launched by Carbon Trust to accelerate the commercialisation of algae biofuels; at least £3 million has been released in funding

Community skills "as important as engineering" for wind firms

23-10-08: Leading environmentalist Sir Jonathon Porritt advises a "struggling" British wind industry that it needs to prioritise staff with good community liaison skills

Drax and Siemens announce £2bn biomass power programme

23-10-08: Three new 300MW biomass plants to be developed by two companies in joint agreement, at Immingham, Hull and a third site yet to be decided

Energy minister calls on wind industry to “do its part”

22-10-08: DECC minister Mike O'Brien tells BWEA delegates government will help renewables industry overcome planning and grid barriers, but cannot do it alone

Centrica wins consent for Lincs offshore wind farm

22-10-08:

Planners give green light to 250MW offshore wind farm off the coast of Skegness, as owners Centrica announce further offshore plans

PM reassures wind industry of commitment to low carbon energy

21-10-08: Gordon Brown tells industry's annual exhibition and conference that "difficult economic times" will not make government back off from clean energy commitments

Carbon Trust launches £30m bid to cut offshore wind costs

21-10-08: Initiative sees Airtricity, DONG Energy, RWE Innogy, ScottishPower and StatoilHydro developing offshore wind technology to cut costs