Industry News Roundup August 2018
Friday 17/08 – The UK Energy Research Centre’s latest findings outline Great Britain’s hourly local demand for natural gas and the scope of the particular challenge of providing energy for heating and hot water throughout the winter.
Thursday 16/08 – It is confirmed that Canada and the UK are among six countries preparing the first carbon trades under the Paris Climate Agreement. John Laing Environmental Assets acquires its fifth anaerobic digestion plant a 5MW site, for over £18mn.
Wednesday 15/08 – Iain Duncan Smith calls for the removal of the Carbon Price Floor after Brexit, as Energy UK hails the 10-year high in EU Emissions Trading System prices, highlighting how recent reforms are continuing to restore confidence. Ofgem rejects UK Power Reserve’s proposal to prevent Balancing Mechanism Units from accessing multiple sources of duplicate and overlapping revenue from ancillary services on the same asset. Centrica research finds nearly four fifths of businesses (77%) in the UK and Ireland expect to meet at least a quarter of their electricity through on-site generation by 2025.
Tuesday 14/08 – Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks submits a “final needs case” to Ofgem, looking to obtain permission for a 600MW subsea cable transmission link between the Western Isles and the Scottish mainland. Neptune Energy signs an agreement to acquire working interests in two development and exploration assets located in the UK Central North Sea.
Monday 13/08 – The SNP highlights that the number of community-owned renewable energy projects in Scotland has increased by 62% since 2011. Scottish Labour pledges to target net zero carbon emissions by 2050. innogy partners with two Japanese energy firms to finance its Triton Knoll offshore windfarm project off the coast of Lincolnshire. Limejump announces that it has entered the Balancing Mechanism via its Virtual Power Plant. Research by business electricity supplier Haven Power finds that more than one in four (27%) of British businesses think that renewable energy is a passing trend.
Friday 10/08 – ElectraLink set out its plans to develop and launch an industry TPI CoP. In its announcement ElectraLink says it is aiming to launch the CoP by January 2019. It is reported that Bournemouth University reduced its carbon emissions by more than 400 tonnes over an eight month period through an employee engagement scheme using gamification to encourage behavioural change.
Thursday 09/08 – Ofgem looks to suspend the Market Making Obligation under the Secure and Promote licence condition. In its H1 2018 results, Ørsted reports that profits increased by 11% and totalled DKK 8.6bn (£1.01bn), with the Walney Extension in the UK commissioned “well ahead” of schedule. Small supplier Ephase defaults under the BSC.
Wednesday 08/08 – The government launches its five-year review of the Capacity Market and the Emissions Performance Standard, stating that the schemes are working well and that any changes are likely to be enhancing, rather than wholesale reform. Ofgem says it is minded to allow network companies to recover an additional £90mn including funding to tackle cyber and physical security threats. Findings from phase three of the government’s evaluation of the transitional arrangements auctions for demand-side response are released, showing the dominance of aggregators and industrial capacity.
Tuesday 07/08 – An expert finance working group appointed by the government concludes that developers of small modular reactors should be offered support on the same basis as offshore wind. Electralink says that it is to develop and launch an industry Third Party Intermediary (TPI) Code of Practice (CoP).
Monday 06/08 – Foresight Solar Fund confirms that it has completed the acquisition of a 100% interest in a portfolio of 15 operational solar assets in the UK with a total installed capacity of 114MW. The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) outlines the innovation priorities needed to accelerate the global transition to a sustainable energy system. Centrica increases its electric vehicle (EV) offering to business customers as it becomes the latest investor in Israeli EV charging software provider, Driivz.
Friday 03/08 – Media reports indicate crofters in four Outer Hebrides townships are to bid in the Contracts for Difference auction in May 2019, with the intent of building community-owned island windfarms. More than 5,500 churches and 15 cathedrals are now using 100% renewable electricity. The Lloyds Banking Group says it will no longer finance new coal-fired power stations and thermal coal mines.
Thursday 02/08 – Ofgem issues an update on changes following the introduction of the Electricity Balancing Significant Code Review remedies. A poll published by the Campaign to Protect Rural England finds that Conservative councillors oppose government plans to fast-track fracking developments.
Wednesday 01/08 – Ofgem publishes its annual reports covering the domestic and non-domestic Renewable Heat Incentive schemes during 2017-18. The Mayor of London Sadiq Khan launches a £10mn boiler scrappage scheme for small and medium-sized enterprises.
Written By Graham Paul
