Renewables - it does matter where they're sited

It does matter where large scale renewables are sited as projects in Scotland are finding to their cost.

EDIE reports that several tidal / marine renewable projects are at risk because of the costs involved in transporting the energy they generate into the national grid.

For example, a proposed 1600MW wave / tidal project for the Pentland Firth & Orkney Waters faces an annual grid charge of £56million.

Compare that with an £11million subsidy for a similar project off of the S.W coast of England.

The Scottish Renewables chief executive says such costs could result in Scotland loosing tidal projects to the South, despite "Scotland's fantastic wave and tidal resource".

photo credit: brian m forbes

Is Government about to ditch ambitious Severn Barrage project?

Business Green reported how a project that would have seen the world's largest tidal barrage stretched across the Severn estuary, is in grave danger of being axed.

The £20billion project has already been opposed by some environmentalists and locals, fearing an adverse effect on local wildlife habitats.

Now it seems the Government is poised to refuse funding following the completion of a feasibility study.

A decision is expected within the next few weeks.

Read the full report at Business Green by clicking here.

photo credit: nicksarebi

North Wales coastline tidal power gets early council support

A 600MW tidal power complex has been proposed for the Conwy coastline in North Wales.

Initial plans have received the early support of the County Council - the scheme would provide testing facilities for wave power driven turbine ideas.

Tidal derived power is seen as preferable due to the fact that the installations are hardly visible, when compared with that of a wind turbine.

The company behind the proposed development hope to encourage even greater engineering advances, whilst providing much needed local jobs. They (TESAR) would also source local building materials.

The two parties are due to meet again to discuss any progress. We look forward to being able to bring you an update on that as we hear it ourselves.

My thanks to (and you can read the full report at) New Energy Focus.

photo credit: andy hay

£7.3 Million EU grant means work starts on UK tidal energy generator

Sheffield based company Pulse Tidal is celebrating after an £7.3 million pound grant from the EU means it can start work on developing the first commercial tidal energy generator in the UK.

As reported on New Energy Focus, the company which specialises in sourcing energy from shallow waters has already signed contracts with supply chain partners, to develop the horizontal blade system, which moves up and down with the tidal streams.

"The grant has come from the EU's technology research and development fund (Framework Programme 7) - its main instrument for funding research and development in science and technology - and will fund 50% of the development, with the remaining 50% to be provided by private investment.

Recent improvements to the EU funding process mean that the EU provides 40% of the grant at the start of the project, with the remainder dispersed each year according to the progress of the project.

This will allow the project to begin immediately and gives Pulse more time to secure matching funds."

A test 'rig' in place in the Humber Estuary is already developing 100kW which is fed to a chemicals factory on the nearby banks. The new scheme will develop 1MW which the company claims will provide for up to 1,000 homes.

You can see an artists impression of the system in operation and read more at New Energy Focus.

photo credit: redvers

Coastal Access Act could stagnate wave power

Popping back for a visit to New Energy Focus, this little headline caught my eye:

"Conservation zones could sterilise offshore development"

It's all to do with a new Act which became law a few weeks ago after receiving Royal Assent, which creates a new marine planning system, a network of marine Conservation Zones and a more "streamlined consenting and licensing system through the creation of the Marine Management Organisation (MMO)".

However, figures in the Renewable Energy Association are concerned that conservation of marine areas will be placed ahead of renewable energy generation schemes that involve wave and tidal devices.

Dr Steph Merry, head of marine at the Renewable Energy Association (REA) said "Tidal stream technology, for example, is very site specific and you can't just move it 100 yards away. There has got to be a balance when selections are made - at the moment we're not sure that is the case."

You can read the full article at New Energy Focus by clicking here.

It does seem on the face of it to be another example of where the possibility to produce clean, renewable energy might be thwarted by environmental issues when perhaps it doesn't really have to be, and no doubt a balance will have to be struck or forced upon people for eventual locations of renewable technologies. Royal Assent or not.

photo credit: wonderlane