Syndicate to develop South African wind farm project
An international consortium is to develop two new wind farms, generating up to 250 mega watts, in South Africa.
Energy Transition
Eco Wave secures venture funds for marine energy systems
Eco Wave Power, an Israeli maker of ocean energy systems, raised initial funding for a $150 million pipeline of planned projects to use waves to generate electricity. The technology maker secured $2 million from Pirveli Ventures, with a representative of Pirveli joining its board of directors, Eco Wave said Monday. It will use the funds to start to develop 111 megawatts of marine-energy projects planned in countries including the UK, China, Mexico and Chile, co- founder Inna Braverman said.
Switching to LED street lights could save Scots more than £26million a year
Switching to LED street lights could save millions of pounds a year for local authorities across Scotland, new figures suggest.
Tekmar begins cable installation on Gemini wind project
Subsea cable protection specialist Tekmar Energy has begun installing its equipment on what will be one of the world's largest offshore wind parks.
Texas power market hasn’t been this hot since it was cold
Texans cranking up their air conditioners to battle a heat wave are spurring the highest electricity prices since the so-called polar vortex brought frigid arctic air into the U.S. 18 months ago.
Wind blows favourably for Mytrah
Indian renewable power producer Mytrah Energy made a pre-tax loss in the first half of 2015 whilst making progress towards new construction projects.
Npower profits fall as it loses 300,000 customers
Big Six energy provider Npower said it had lost 300,000 customer accounts over the last year as a result of ongoing problems with its billing system as it reported profits down by two-thirds in a “very tough” first half.
Windfarm site proposal at Mormond gets knock back
Plans to build a windfarm at a north-east landmark overlooking the home village of former first minister Alex Salmond have been rejected by the Scottish Government. Muirden Energy wanted to erect a dozen 326ft turbines on top of Mormond Hill – Buchan’s highest peak. But the proposals left people in Strichen outraged and were blocked by Aberdeenshire councillors. Now their decision has been upheld by Scottish Government planning reporters after the developer appealed against the local authority’s decision.
3 Sun launches new asset integrity service
Great Yarmouth-based 3 Sun Group has launched a new asset integrity service for on and offshore structures in the oil & gas and renewables sectors.
Conflict forces APR to dump assets in Yemen
Power generator APR Energy has pulled out of conflict-torn Yemen over security concerns, leaving behind $24 million of modular power equipment.
IWCF launches new online system for well control training
The International Well Control Forum (IWCF), the independent organisation that sets international well control standards, has launched a new online administration system.
Equitable Origin non-profit steps in to renewable sector
The world’s first independent standards and certification system for oil and gas production is expanding into renewable energy, Equitable Origin (EO) announced today.
ContourGlobal signs historic deal for Armenian hydro plant
US power generator ContourGlobal has signed a historic deal with the Republic of Armenia to buy three hydro power plants in the south of the country.
Renewable energy developer nets further £10million investment
Renewable energy developer Albion Community Power (ACP) yesterday secured a further £10million investment as it seeks to build a £100million fund for small-scale biogas, hydro-electric, solar and wind projects. Greater Manchester Pension Fund (GMPF) is pumping the latest cash into the fund, which in February raised £50million from the Edinburgh-based UK Green Investment Bank (GIB) and £10million from the Strathclyde Pension Fund. When he unveiled the fund back in February, the-then business secretary Vince Cable said it would provide equity finance of between £1million and £10million community-scale schemes, including run-of-river hydro schemes, wind turbines on brownfield sites such as industrial estates, and biogas produced at landfill sites and from anaerobic digesters.
Japan restarts first reactor since Fukushima disaster
A power plant operator in southern Japan has restarted a reactor - the first to begin operating under new safety requirements following the Fukushima disaster. Kyushu Electric Power said it had restarted the No 1 reactor at its Sendai nuclear plant in Satsumasendai, southern Japan, as planned. The restart marks Japan’s return to nuclear energy four and a half years after the 2011 meltdowns at the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant in the north east following an earthquake and tsunami. National broadcaster NHK showed plant workers in the control room as they turned the reactor back on. Tomomitsu Sakata, a spokesman for Kyushu Electric Power, said the reactor was put back online as planned without any problems.
REG gets approval for Welsh windfarm
Renewable Energy Generation has been granted planning permission for the three turbine Pen Bryn Oer wind farm in Wales.
Tekmar installs new system on Dutch wind farm
Cable protection specialist Tekmar Energy has installed its cutting-edge TekTube system on an offshore project for the first time.
Windfarm owners lodge plans for more turbines
Plans to expand one of Aberdeenshire’s biggest windfarms have been lodged. The owners of Glens of Foudland, near Huntly, first unveiled plans to add another nine turbines to their existing 20-mast development last year. After a public consultation revised plans for seven 328ft turbines have now been submitted to Aberdeenshire Council.
E.ON to sell Italian hydroelectric plants to ERG for $1bln
Italian energy group ERG is to buy German utility E.ON's Italian hydroelectric power plants for about 950 million euros ($1 billion), expanding its renewable portfolio which mostly comprises windfarms. E.ON's Terni Hydroelectric Complex, which has 527 megawatts (MW) of generating capacity and produces about 1.4 terawatt hours of electricity a year, was put up for sale in late 2013 along with other assets in the country. ERG currently operates windfarms in Europe with a total capacity of 1.38 gigawatts, including 1.1 gigawatts in Italy, as well as a gas-fired thermal plant in Sicily with a capacity of 480 MW.
MIT devises more effective way to measure wind resources
When a power company wants to build a new windfarm, it generally hires a consultant to make wind speed measurements at the proposed site for a period of time.
Dundee Uni to lead offshore turbine screw-piles research project
Dundee University is to lead a major research project to determine whether cheaper, more environmentally responsible and more effective foundations can be developed for the offshore renewables industry.
Survivex provides safety training package to Nexen
Specialist training provider Survivex has developed a customised safety service package for oil major Nexen.
UK gives green light to Dogger Bank offshore wind farm
The UK Government has given development consent to Dogger Bank Teesside A & B offshore wind farm, Britain's Planning Inspectorate said on Wednesday.
Gas just another fossil-fuel loser in Obama renewables push
Natural gas, once seen as a clear winner in President Barack Obama’s push for cleaner power, isn’t looking like much of a champ these days. That so-called bridge that gas was supposed to be, leading America away from dirtier fossil fuels such as coal and toward renewable power, just got a lot shorter under the final Clean Power Plan released by the US Environmental Protection Agency on Monday. The agency will reward early investments in wind and solar power to get the nation generating 28 percent of its power using renewables by 2030, up from a previously proposed 22 percent. The more aggressive goal weakens natural gas’s role in America’s energy future in favor of a quicker transition to zero-carbon sources of electricity. It’s yet another blow for gas producers who’ve seen prices for their fuel slide amid a glut of supply from shale formations.
WWF hails wet Scottish weather renewable “belter”
Conservation charity WWF has hailed Scotland's "wet and windy" summer weather as a “belter" for renewable energy.