Energy | News & Views

Young people ‘must be attracted to energy industry’

More must be done to attract young people to careers within the energy industry, it has been claimed.

Zoe Robinson, ethical development manager at Warren Evans, said that the government and private sector must work in partnership to provide opportunities within the sector for school leavers and the long-term unemployed.

She added: “The UK can only be world leaders in the green energy revolution if we have world-leading skills.”

The comments come after energy firm Centrica warned of an emerging skills gap as many undergraduates are shunning employment opportunities in the industries that will contribute to low carbon growth.

One in four parents that took part in the survey said they would not actively encourage their children to enter the science, technology and energy sectors.

Ms Robinson warned that with the government cuts taking place in the Department of Energy and Climate Change, the coalition will have to “find new ways of delivering the green agenda”.

“While the public can do its part, the government’s responsibilities to deliver on this agenda will obviously not be met by telling us all to switch off our TVs,” she added.

>>> Please read the full article here

CITROËN DS3 ‘ECOMEDY TOUR’: TWO COMEDIANS, FIVE NIGHTS, FIVE HUNDRED MILES, ONE TANK OF FUEL

Citroën’s DS3 is going on tour – transporting comedians Dan Adams and Christian Ancliff to their first ever Edinburgh Fringe Festival (6th to 30th August). The Citroën DS3 Ecomedy Tour will see the two stand-ups piloting a DS3 DStyle 99g and gigging all the way from London to Edinburgh – a journey of over 500 miles – all on a single tank of fuel.

The pair will put in a performance each night during the tour, playing in London, Oxford, Stratford-upon-Avon, Manchester and Glasgow before reaching Edinburgh in time for the start of their Fringe run. The DS3 Ecomedy Tour runs from 1st to 6th August and is supporting Oxford-based hospice, Helen & Douglas House.

To allow members of the public to follow all the action, Dan and Christian will be updating a special tour microsite, www.ecomedytour.com every day with videos, images and words.

Christian Ancliff commented; “It’s our first Fringe appearance, so understandably we’re fantastically nervous and very excited at the same time. Trying out our show material right across the UK during the tour will give us a great warm-up and a brilliant experience.”

Dan Adams added; “We’re testing our humour against the public and Citroën’s technology against the elements. I only hope we can match audience laughs per gig with DS3’s miles per gallon. This should be a terrific adventure for a very worthwhile cause. We look forward to sharing it with the public.”

For more information on each performance or to follow the tour activity, visit www.ecomedytour.com.

Tour updates will also be published on Citroën’s official Twitter and Facebook pages: www.twitter.com/citroenuk & www.facebook.com/CitroenUK

>>> Details: Kicks off in London on the 1st August and finishes in Edinburgh on the 6th August

>>> Visit the website here for more information

>>> For information on Helen & Douglas House click here

German power plant testing CO2-scrubbing algae

Swedish energy group Vattenfall said it had launched a major pilot project using algae to absorb greenhouse gas emissions from a coal-fired power plant in eastern Germany.

The two-million-euro (2.6-million-dollar) trial run, which will continue until October 2011, in the depressed Lausitz mining region is one of several experimental attempts in the sector using algae to slash carbon dioxide output.

“The microalgae use climate-killing CO2 to create valuable biomass,” the chairman of Vattenfall Europe Mining and Generation, Hartmuth Zeiss, said in a statement.

“Moreover the new technology will bring useful know-how to the Lausitz and increase its importance as a region for energy production.”

Half the funding for the project called green MiSSiON (Microalgae Supported CO2 Sequestration in Organic Chemicals and New Energy) comes from Vattenfall, the other half from state and European Union subsidies.

The gas emitted at the Senftenberg brown-coal-fired plant is being pumped through a kind of broth using algae cultivated in 12 plastic tanks.

“The aim is to find out what kinds of algae work with brown coal dust and then, how economical this kind of CO2 reduction is,” a spokesman for the Vattenfall division, Axel Happe, told AFP.

The biomass produced in the process can be used to produce biodiesel, to feed biogas power plants and as a nutritious supplement in fish food, Happe said.

He said it was difficult to quantify the amount of CO2 emissions normally emitted at Senftenberg or estimate how sizeable the reduction could be with the use of algae, which can scrub 10 times as much CO2 as land-based plants.

But he said the company aimed to publish initial results in late 2011.

A project at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 2008 found that diverting CO2 through an algae broth could reduce emissions by as much as 85 percent.

Vattenfall is the third biggest electricity provider in Germany.

Last month, European aerospace giant EADS unveiled what it called the world’s first “hybrid” aircraft to run on algae fuel.

>>> Please read the full article here

Wind turbines ’set for increase’

In a Sunday Telegraph interview, the Lib Dem minister backed new onshore and offshore wind power over nuclear.

Mr Huhne, whose department is facing cuts of between 25% and 40%, said turbines were “incredibly competitive” but not always popular among locals.

Offshore sites had fewer planning issues and were “likely to be an important part” of energy independence.

There are currently around 250 wind farms operating in the UK, with a further 12 offshore, with 2,909 turbines in operation in total. A further 27 onshore and five offshore wind farms are currently under construction while plans for another 468 wind farms have been announced.

Speaking ahead of a key policy statement to the Commons, Mr Huhne identified Dogger Bank in the North Sea as a prime area for further offshore development.

“It’s relatively cheap to put wind turbines in that shallow area,” he said.

Mr Huhne said the UK needed to become more independent in energy production to allow it to withstand “shocks from the outside world”.

“The lights will not go out on my watch,” he said.

The Energy Secretary said it was feasible for Britain to be totally self-sufficient thanks to renewable sources, which also includes wave power and harnessing tidal streams.

“It implies quite a stretch as it implies we would be building an awful lot of turbines around our coasts. But the technology is changing. It is becoming substantially cheaper to generate from these renewable sources,” he said.

Plans for new nuclear plants won support from both the Tories and Labour in the previous parliament but Mr Huhne said the new coalition had “no money” to subsidise such a move.

Under the coalition agreement, Lib Dem MPs can register their long standing opposition to the issue by abstaining from any parliamentary vote.

Mr Huhne, however, told the Telegraph he expected new power stations would be built through private investment “given the framework we can put in place”.

>>> Please read the full article here

Offshore wind sector ‘must work on reaching its potential’

Power generated from offshore wind farms is likely to play a “central role” in the UK’s energy future, but the industry faces uncertainty.

Maria McCaffery, chief executive at RenewableUK, said that the offshore wind sector has already proved its potential for power generation but the government must put a clear policy framework in place to remove uncertainty.

The milestone of creating 1,000MW of store capacity was achieved by the offshore wind industry this year and a further 40GW’s worth of projects are in development.

In its programme for the government, the coalition announced it would create an offshore energy grid to support the growth of the offshore wind industry but there has been no further information on how this will be achieved.

Ms McCaffery highlighted that the challenge for the offshore wind industry now was to establish “the cheapest and quickest way to deliver safely the huge potential of our sector”.

“We need to build confidence in the long-term commitment to this sector if we are to unleash over £100 billion of private investment,” she added.

>>> Please read the full article here

What are the possibilities for geothermal energy?

Members of the energy industry are currently meeting in Bali, Indonesia, for the World Geothermal Congress 2010.

The event is already being called the largest forum ever held on the utilisation of the world’s natural heat energy.

And from its location on the Pacific Ocean’s Ring of Fire, one of the most active volcanic regions in the world, Indonesia seems like the ideal host.

The BBC reports that the country has “ambitious plans” to make use of the natural heat energy to power the homes of its growing population.

Indonesia estimates that it may have total reserves of 13,070 MWe contained in a number of different areas under its many islands.

To harness this, the country would have to drill into the earth before pumping down water to be naturally heated. It is then brought back to the surface and used to power generators and create electricity.

Scientists believe that it is possible the earth holds enough geothermal energy beneath its surface to meet the needs of the entire global population.

This conclusion is understandable when countries such as Indonesia and Iceland are used as examples. However, what about countries like the UK, which don’t have an abundant supply of geothermal energy?

Well the UK government seems to have a number of options in mind.

Late last year it launched a £6 million investment fund to be used for the exploration of deep geothermal energy in Britain.

It estimates that the energy stored within the south-west of England alone could meet two percent of the country’s energy needs, and, as such, plans for a geothermal power plant in the region are being looked into.

The Scottish Highlands are also thought to hold genuine promise as a centre for the production of electricity from geothermal energy.

Currently, the UK only uses geothermal energy for heat, through the Southampton District Energy Scheme. There is also a series of ground-source heat pumps installed in homes and businesses across the country which are being used to provide hot water and heat.

It is thought that the take-up of this microgeneration technology will increase following the introduction of the feed-in tariff scheme.

So, is geothermal power really an option for the UK, or should it be consigned to the countries which have the abundant resources to properly utilise it?

>>> Please read the full article here

Is information overload on energy-efficiency leading to consumer distrust?

The issue of energy-efficiency has leaped into the public consciousness in recent years. Consumers are being bombarded with advice about the best way to save electricity, save money and save the planet.

But has this onslaught of information left many members of the public sceptical about the quality of advice being given? The results of a new survey would suggest that this indeed is the case.

Over 9,000 consumers in 17 countries took part in the study, conducted by Accenture, which aimed to identify the changing attitudes relating to energy-efficiency.

At first glance, the results seemed positive. Three-quarters of those who took part said they thought they knew how to “optimise” their energy consumption, for example by operating their appliances at off-peak times.

However, under the surface it was revealed that many harbour a distrust for the companies supplying their electricity.

Globally just 29 per cent of those asked said they trusted their energy supplier to provide them with information about how to best use their electricity. This figure was even lower in the UK.

Britain’s consumers were shown to be the third least trusting, behind Germany and Sweden, with just 17 per cent believing their provider could offer them valuable advice.

Trust in retailers, manufacturers and communications firms was shown to be even lower at 13 per cent, with trust in online sources being slightly higher at 20 per cent.

Accenture also analysed the views of the respondents to energy-management programmes, which would allow providers to remotely limit the amount of power supplied to houses.

Concerns raised about these schemes include issues with privacy, as many did not want their energy consumption viewed, and energy companies profiteering.

However, what worried consumers the most is a possible increase in their electricity bills. Almost half said this would be their main reason for not joining a scheme.

It could be too early to write off education as the best way to switch consumers on to energy efficiency, especially as all political parties are currently running round the UK telling people how important green issues are.

But they say that money talks and the question is, is that the only way to get the public to listen?

>>> Please read the full article here

Should we be looking beyond electricity in green car design?

Over the last few years, car manufacturers have been working away to create a viable alternative to a petrol-fuelled vehicle. The solution seemed to be the electric car.

Peugeot has recently announced that its electric car, the i0n, is due to go on sale in the UK by the end of the year. Nissan has created the concept car the Leaf, while Renault has been working on the futuristic Twizy concept car, which will soon be entering the virtual world of The Sims.

But behind the scenes researchers in Israel have been working on making hydrogen a viable competitor as an alternative to petrol.

Previous problems identified with hydrogen have been its flammable nature and the difficulty in storing the gas within a vehicle, as it requires large, heavy tanks.

The Israeli scientists believe that they have overcome one of these problems by creating much smaller and lightweight storage containers.

The gas would be stored in a series of very small glass tubes. Almost 400 of these tubes would then be bundled together to create an “array”, which is about the size of a drinking straw. Finally, 11,000 of these arrays would be place in the vehicle.

This would take up half the space and weigh half as much as other storage methods, yet still power the vehicle for 240 miles.

So does this mean that manufacturers will all start scrambling to create hydrogen powered cars? The answer is probably not.

Electric cars still have the upper hand when it comes to refuelling, as there is already a national grid established, meaning large amounts will not have to be laid out to create a charging infrastructure.

In addition, car makers will be looking at their profits and will be unwilling to dispose of all the equipment they invested in to produce electric cars before seeing a return.

Hydrogen fuel cells are also often used in electric vehicles to charge batteries and extend the distance they can travel without having to stop. The new research will mean that the two could be able to operate better hand in hand.

Car manufacturers will continue to look at the bottom line, and green enthusiasts will continue to look at the carbon footprint various fuels, but should they also be keeping one eye on hydrogen technology in the coming years?

>>> Please read the full article here

Is it a surprise that the Copenhagen Accord may not work?

When representatives of 192 countries converged in Copenhagen at the end of 2009, it was thought to be a seminal step forward in the world’s fight against climate change.

Out of this conference emerged the Copenhagen Accord and the agreement that a two degree limit would be the benchmark by which the international community would measure global warming.

However, no firm agreement was made about how this would be achieved.
Just six months later, researchers at the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research have said that the pledges made in Copenhagen may not be enough to keep global warming within the agreed limits.

Published in the journal Nature, the research suggests that current emission levels could see the earth heat up by more than three degrees by 2100. It estimates that there is a 50 percent chance of this happening.

Currently the UK is pledging to cut carbon emissions by 80 percent by 2050, although this may change depending on the result of the upcoming election.

The researchers said that even if all nations reduce the amount of CO2 released into the atmosphere by half by 2050, there is still a 50 percent chance that global temperatures will rise by two degrees C.

In fact it was found that it’s possible that global carbon emissions could increase by 20 percent by 2020.

According to the Times, the report concluded that the nations which signed up at Copenhagen were simply putting off difficult decisions.

The United Nations has also pointed out recently that it is very unlikely that the targets set out in the Copenhagen Accord will be met.
And is it really a surprise that such vague pledges may not bring about the changes needed?

In brief, those who signed the accord agreed that action must be taken on climate change and agreed to the provision of certain levels of funding, both long term and short term.

Developing countries will be required to report their efforts every two years, although no similar clause was included which applies to developed nations.

Perhaps, most significantly no sanctions were identified for those who fail to meet their targets.

So, in light of this new research, is it time for the world to accept that the Copenhagen Accord was just a vague idea and we’re still waiting for the real action to tackle climate change to begin?

>>> Please read the full article here

What are the possibilities for geothermal energy?

Members of the energy industry are currently meeting in Bali, Indonesia, for the World Geothermal Congress 2010.  The event is already being called the largest forum ever held on the utilisation of the world’s natural heat energy.

And from its location on the Pacific Ocean’s Ring of Fire, one of the most active volcanic regions in the world, Indonesia seems like the ideal host.  The BBC reports that the country has “ambitious plans” to make use of the natural heat energy to power the homes of its growing population.   Indonesia estimates that it may have total reserves of 13,070 MWe contained in a number of different areas under its many islands.  To harness this, the country would have to drill into the earth before pumping down water to be naturally heated. It is then brought back to the surface and used to power generators and create electricity.  Scientists believe that it is possible the earth holds enough geothermal energy beneath its surface to meet the needs of the entire global population.  This conclusion is understandable when countries such as Indonesia and Iceland are used as examples.

However, what about countries like the UK, which don’t have an abundant supply of geothermal energy?  Well the UK government seems to have a number of options in mind.  Late last year it launched a £6 million investment fund to be used for the exploration of deep geothermal energy in Britain.   It estimates that the energy stored within the south-west of England alone could meet two percent of the country’s energy needs, and, as such, plans for a geothermal power plant in the region are being looked into.

The Scottish Highlands are also thought to hold genuine promise as a centre for the production of electricity from geothermal energy.  Currently, the UK only uses geothermal energy for heat, through the Southampton District Energy Scheme. There is also a series of ground-source heat pumps installed in homes and businesses across the country which are being used to provide hot water and heat.  It is thought that the take-up of this microgeneration technology will increase following the introduction of the feed-in tariff scheme.   So, is geothermal power really an option for the UK, or should it be consigned to the countries which have the abundant resources to properly utilise it?

>>> Please read the full article here