Energy journalists were treated to not one but all three DECC ministers – Secretary of State Ed Davey, Energy Minister John Hayes and Climate Change minister Greg Barker (plus two senior civil servants) at today’s Energy Bill press conference in the bowels of Whitehall Place. Here are the juicy bits. 1. On nuclear strike price … Continue reading
The UK’s record of building nuclear plants is dismal. Yet, as Tim Probert explores, previous exercises may seem like a walk in the park compared to building a new fleet of reactors in a liberalized power market. This article was first published in the October 2012 issue of Energy World magazine. Few would disagree that … Continue reading
With an eye on its ambitious Round 3 offshore wind programme, the UK Department of Energy and Climate Change is targeting a 50 per cent technology cost reduction by 2020. Tim Probert explores how the industry is working to reduce the cost. This article was first published in the September 2012 issue of Energy World. … Continue reading
The first law of thermodynamics states energy cannot be created or destroyed, only transformed from one type of energy to another. The second law of thermodynamics states when an energy transformation is made, some of the energy lost as heat. That is why there can never be a perpetual motion machine and why energy storage … Continue reading
Driven by European Union renewables targets, demand for biomass wood pellets is set to soar over the next decade as utilities displace coal in thermal power plants. Tim Probert explores how the industry will manage to procure sufficient sustainable biomass. While utilities can and do burn hundreds of different types of biomass, literally almost any … Continue reading
Last week I attended SMi’s timely Shale Gas Environmental Summit in London. Timely because the UK government is now sending clear messages that there is too much hot air spouted about shale gas and believes it will not be a game-changer as in the United States. Here are my top ten ‘takeaways’ from the summit, … Continue reading
An independent report published today by the UK’s Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) recommends shale gas hydraulic fracturing (fracking) should be immediately halted if seismic activity is recorded of a magnitude (M) of 0.5 or above, far below Cuadrilla Resources’ proposed level of 1.7M. Shale gas developer Cuadrilla Resources, which last September claimed … Continue reading
The British Geological Survey (BGS) is working on a new estimate of the amount of shale gas in Lancashire’s Bowland Basin after suggesting Cuadrilla Resources’ figure of 200 trillion cubic feet (tcf) – enough to meet national natural gas demand for 56 years – could be flawed. Head of energy Mike Stephenson said it is … Continue reading
As part of researching a forthcoming Gas Turbine World article about retrofitting CCS for gas-fired power plants, last night I attended a ‘Green in the City’ panel discussion put on by EcoConnect to discuss the future of carbon capture technology. Attendees would be forgiven for thinking carbon capture has no future. There is no shortage … Continue reading
The UK Department of Energy and Climate Change’s (DECC) response towards recent domestic shale gas developments has been notably reserved and avoids the partisan hyperbole of environmentalists and oil & gas industry players alike. Why? Isn’t shale gas the best thing since sliced bread? In case you hadn’t heard, Cuadrilla Resources, a joint venture between Australian … Continue reading