Salmond says prices an outrage
THE impact of rising fuel prices was yesterday branded a "massive national outrage" by First Minister Alex Salmond.
Oil & Gas
Shell UK’s £350m scheme brought to a halt by chicks
Work on a Buchan energy plant's £350million regeneration scheme has ground to a halt, thanks to a family of young kestrels.
Shell oil tanker drivers vote for strike action in pay row
Hundreds of oil tanker drivers contracted to oil giant Shell have voted to go on strike in a row over pay, it was announced yesterday.
MSP attacks nuclear ambitions
SNP energy spokesman Mike Weir last night stepped up attacks on Prime Minister Gordon Brown's plan to stave off soaring fuel costs by building more nuclear power stations.
Piper Alpha was a ‘turning point’
The possibility of a North Sea incident developing into a disaster such as Piper Alpha has diminished in the last two decades, an industry leader claimed yesterday.
Energy bosses showing leadership in offshore safety
MORE than 70 oil and gas industry bosses are to attend today's annual Step Change in Safety leadership day in the Ardoe House Hotel, near Aberdeen.
MPs urge ‘push ahead with personal carbon-credits plan’
The UK Government should push ahead with a "radical" system of personal "carbon credits" if it wants to meet emissions targets, MPs said yesterday.
Chinese oil giant linked to move for North Sea operator
A Chinese oil firm was linked yesterday with a possible bid for Talisman Energy, which has a significant North Sea presence.
Wood eyeing smaller takeover targets
SIR Ian Wood, the chairman of Aberdeen-based energy service company Wood Group, gave shareholders an upbeat view of the company's prospects yesterday at its annual meeting in the Granite City.
PSN beats expectations as it focuses on further growth
PSN, the global energy service business, has reported strong revenue and earnings growth in 2007; better than targets set when it was formed two years ago in a £140million management buyout from KBR.
Growth of show reflects expansion in industry
Organisers of the UK's largest renewable-energy exhibition and conference were last night celebrating another record attendance.
Silting up and downstream potentially a massive problem
LIKE Merry, Haslett believes some of the major threats posed by any Severn Barrage would be "siltation" - silting-up both up and downstream of any estuary barrage because of an inevitable reduction in tidal flow velocity.
Worry of renewables bubble bursting
A GLOBAL renewables bubble may be developing as bidders compete for assets and send prices up sharply, a survey of more than 200 industry executives compiled by accountants KPMG found.
Friends of the Earth prefers lagoons to barrage
FRIENDS of the Earth prefers tidal lagoons, with a position paper from the group arguing these could generate 24 Terawatt hours per year of electricity with average output of 2,750MW, compared with 17-19 Twh/year and 1,950-2,170MW quoted for a barrage.
Dissecting the many different proposals
There are several proposals for barrages, as well as tidal lagoons. According to BERR, a barrage would be a very complex project, but the basic concept is well understood and is the application of mature, commercially available technology.
Success leads to second Supergen
THE first phase of Supergen (Marine) concluded in September, 2007. However, the team was asked to bid for continuing work in 2006 and, once again, the partners were asked to subject their proposals and output from first phase for peer review.
Educational remit to ambitious initiative
SUPERGEN has an educational as well as a research remit and the associated doctoral training programme will ensure that PhD students attached to Supergen will receive targeted training in their chosen field of research from the most eminent specialists in the field. The programme includes quarterly training sessions and close association between the students and the professional researchers involved in the main Supergen research.
Laying the foundations of multi-layer, multi-year project
THE development of marine renewable energy has been very close to the frontier of understanding of interactions between energy extraction technology and the very environment it is intended to exploit.
A dozen facets to latest programme
In order to achieve the aims, the emergent programme known as Supergen was divided into 12 parallel, but closely linked, work programmes. They comprise:
New capacity – but will maritime make it?
According to EWEA, over the last eight years, only new gas capacity has exceeded new wind power capacity in the EU.
Saving our energy skin – and that’s no exaggeration
EWEA is sticking to the target it set in 2003 of 180,000MW by 2020 and 300,000MW by 2030, 40% of which is expected to be offshore wind. It should be borne in mind that the European Parliament has, for many years, been calling for a mandatory 25% target for renewable energy by 2020, though the current firm commitment is 20% (equivalent to 30% of the community's entire electricity requirements).
European generating capacity now at all-time historic low
EWEA warns that spare electricity generating capacity is at a historic low across Europe (This applies to the UK, including Scotland) and the only way to fix the problem is to invest in new power plant before blackouts become endemic rather exceptional.
Time for Nimby brigade to wake up
AS IF the foregoing isn't enough to chew over, there is also the not-in-my-back-yard brigade to contend with - individuals, various NGOs and other organisations, poorly conceived national and local-government policy and planning decisions, and so forth. With 6,000MW of projects stuck in planning, the UK is a prime example of where there needs to be a big-time sort-out.
Energy sector showcase will be best yet, say organisers
All-Energy '08 will eclipse all previous versions of the annual showcase for the UK's renewable-energy sector when it takes place in Aberdeen this week, the organisers said yesterday.
Drilling services firm takes another step towards expanding role on global stage
THE Reservoir Group has moved a step closer to achieving its goal of becoming a global leader in downhole drilling products and services to the oil and gas industry.