The Government is preparing to hand over the building of new nuclear power stations to Chinese firms, in a “total betrayal” of UK workers, a union has claimed. The GMB raised concerns earlier this month about the prospect of a site in Bradwell, Essex, being given “lock, stock and barrel” to the Chinese National Nuclear Corporation.
The rejection of fracking schemes in Lancashire comes as a significant blow to the Government’s bid to go “all out” for shale. Environmental campaigners and local opponents of two schemes to drill and frack for shale gas between Blackpool and Preston were cheered last week when Lancashire county councillors turned down one scheme at Roseacre Wood over traffic concerns.
County councillors have turned down plans to frack for shale gas in Lancashire. Councillors refused the application because they considered the development would cause an unacceptable impact on the landscape and visual amenities, in contrary to the Fylde Local Plan. Following the outcome, Friends of the Earth North West campaigner Furqan Naeem said: “People in Lancashire and across the UK who have been tirelessly campaigning against fracking will breathe a sigh of relief today - safe in the knowledge that this dirty industry that risks health, quality of life and the climate has been stopped in its tracks once again.
County councillors have turned down plans to frack for shale gas in Lancashire.
A massive blaze tore through Yemen’s Aden oil refinery after rebels shelled a nearby port.
Nigeria's new President Muhammadu Buhari dissolved the board of the state-owned oil company on Friday as a first step in cleaning up the sector in Africa's biggest crude producer.
Industry body Step Change in Safety has bolstered its Leadership Team with the addition of seven offshore safety reps. The new members have joined as part of Step Change’s specially selected group of 18 Elected Safety Reps (ESRs) who are part of the Step Change’s Leadership Team and provide regular feedback on their colleague’s safety concerns.
Emirates Insolaire has installed the first ever coloured solar panels.
Construction for Statoil’s flagship Johan Sverdrup project has officially begun. Today, Kværner metal worker Stian Myrvold Green flipped the switch on the machine tasked with cutting steel for the riser platform jacket.
Two oil workers stranded in Azerbaijan have made a desperate plea to the Scottish Government to bring them home. Mark Munro and Allan Tait are trapped in the Caucasus nation after being caught up in a nightclub fight in its capital Baku.
Shaikan
Councillors are finally expected to rule today whether fracking can go ahead in Lancashire. Energy firm Cuadrilla wants to explore for shale gas by drilling, hydraulically fracking and testing the flow of gas at site near Little Plumpton between Preston and Blackpool. Planning officers have recommended the plans should be passed subject to a number of conditions being met such as controlling time limits, hours of working, control of noise and highway matters.
Plexus Holdings confirmed its wholly owned subsidiary Afrotel Corporation has divested its sole asset, consisting of a 25% shareholding interest in KSW Engineering Limited for £1.5million. The firm will use the earnings to fund global expansion, according to chief executive Ben Van Bilderbeek.
Circle Oil’s Morocco campaign makes gas findCircle Oil confirmed its Moroccan exploration campaign has made a credible gas find.
Ceona is the latest company to fall victim to the oil price slide. The firm confirmed it has been forced to cut jobs in a bid to keep costs under control.
A record 22.3% of electricity was generated by renewables such as wind, biomass and solar in the first three months of this year, figures show. The share of UK power coming from renewables was 2.6 percentage points up on the first quarter of last year, and slightly higher than in the previous three months, the data from the Department of Energy and Climate Change (Decc) revealed.
Ed Miliband has asked ministers to act urgently to ensure one of Britain’s last remaining deep pit coal mines does not close earlier than originally planned. The former energy secretary warned that Hatfield Colliery in his Doncaster North constituency is under “very serious pressures”, adding action is needed to keep it open until summer 2016. The South Yorkshire mine has received Government loans to support its managed closure. In January, it was announced a short-term commercial loan of £8 million had been made available to support Hatfield Colliery Partnership Ltd’s closure plan.
Rejecting an application for fracking because of its visual and landscape impacts would be “unreasonable” in planning terms, councillors have been advised. A decision on energy firm Cuadrilla’s bid to explore for shale gas at a site between Preston and Blackpool was deferred yesterday until Monday to consider legal advice in writing. Councillors were previously given verbal legal advice over a motion to refuse the scheme because it did not meet the county’s minerals and waste local plan.
Onshore wind farms could be built without any need for Government subsidies “in the near future”, energy minister Andrea Leadsom has said.
Noreco confirmed its North Sea wildcat well failed to return any hydrocarbons.
Wood Group confirmed the slide in oil price has hit its financial results. In a pre-close trading update for the first half of the year, the company said despite the dip it still expects full-year earnings before interest, tax and amortisation (EBITA) to adhere to analyst expectations.
Wood Group has struck a 10 year agreement with Antin Infrastructure Partners (Antin IP) worth $250million. The deal will see Wood Group provide operating services for the North Sea’s Central Area Transmission System (CATS).
Four environmental protesters breached security at New Zealand’s parliament by scaling the roof and perching on a ledge above the main entrance.
The Government is to begin the process of moving the Green Investment Bank into private ownership. Business Secretary Sajid Javid will announce plans to bring private capital into the Edinburgh-based bank, which was launched in 2012 as the first of its kind in the world. The move was attacked as “reckless” by opponents.
Councillors have been under “intolerable pressure” to decide whether fracking for shale gas can go ahead in Lancashire, a public meeting has heard. The 15 members of Lancashire County Council’s development control committee are debating the proposals by energy firm Cuadrilla ahead of making an expected final decision today. Cuadrilla wants to develop two new sites between Preston and Blackpool to explore for shale gas by drilling, fracking and testing the flow of gas.
