Client News-CLEAN COAL LTD SECURES LICENCES TO INVESTIGATE UNDERGROUND COAL GASIFICATION AT FIVE UK SITES

For information/interview, please contact Clean Coal Ltd’s Chairman: Rohan Courtney on +44 (0)7879 498544 or rohan.courtney@cleancoalucg.com

PRESS RELEASE, 9^th December 2009

CLEAN COAL LTD SECURES LICENCES TO INVESTIGATE UNDERGROUND COAL GASIFICATION AT FIVE UK SITES

The UK Coal Authority has awarded Clean Coal Ltd licences to investigate the potential for underground coal gasification at 5 sites in the UK. If the investigations over the next 12-18 months prove to be successful, commercial operations could start by 2014/15 and could lead to underground coal gasification producing 3-5% of the UK’s total energy requirement by that date. This would be the first time that gasification of underground coal has featured in the UK energy market.

Clean Coal Ltd is a British/US company that specialises in underground coal gasification. As well as the UK, it is seeking to develop projects in other parts of Europe, Asia and North America.

In the UK, the UK Coal Authority has awarded the company licences to investigate five underground sites offshore from:

o Canonbie, Dumfrieshire

o Cromer, Norfolk

o Humberside

o Sunderland

o Swansea Bay

The investigations will include seismic and borehole surveys and the investigation areas range from 40 to 100 square kilometres and the depths of the coal range from 500 to 1200 metres below ground. The combined coal reserves for the five sites are estimated at around 1 billion tonnes.

Rohan Courtney, Chairman of Clean Coal Ltd said: “Recent developments in directional drilling technology and the growing need for new, secure and environmentally benign sources of energy means that underground coal gasification now merits serious investigation. This is an exciting and commercially viable development which can bring significant benefit to the UK economy.”

Underground coal gasification (UCG) is a method of converting deep seam coals into a combustible, high-quality and affordable gas than can be used for power generation, industrial heating, or the manufacture of hydrogen, syngas or diesel fuel. The gasification of coal in-situ is achieved by drilling boreholes into the coal and injecting water/air or water/oxygen mixtures. It is both an extraction process (like coal mining) and a conversion process (gasification) in one step (NB. see attached briefing note for more information).

Clean Coal Ltd expect to commence the site surveys in the first half of next year, and will host public exhibitions in each area to give local people the chance to know more about the work that will be undertaken.

For further information:

Clean Coal Ltd (www.cleancoalucg.com)

Rohan Courtney OBE, Chairman

Tel: 01483 832227 / 07879 498544

Email: rohan.courtney@cleancoalucg.com

Or

Catherine Bond, Chief Executive

Tel: 07788 872770

Email: cbond@cleancoalucg.com

Notes to Editors

1. The Clean Coal team has extensive experience in energy activities, underground coal gasification, coal mining and production. Its skill base extends through production development, project management, geology, chemical and industrial engineering, hydrogeology, seismology, modelling tools and directional drilling. Clean Coal has formed a grouping of the world’s most experienced UCG specialists. The team that developed and operated the only EU backed trial to be undertaken in Europe is strongly represented together with specialists with significant UCG knowledge.

2. Interest in UCG as a secure and economic source of energy has increased over the past five years. Most coal producing countries now have a comprehensive UCG programme comprising of feasibility studies, planning demonstrations and commercial scale projects. In-seam and Directional Drilling technology, formulated for the oil and gas industry, has transformed the UCG process, making it easier, more successful and more commercially viable.

3. Commercial scale projects have started in Australia, China, South Africa and India. Large-scale operations (>1GW) were developed by the Soviets in the 1970s and at least one plant in Uzbekistan still operates today. Low natural gas prices in the 1990s eliminated much of the ongoing development in US, although in Europe, a substantial programme of development in deeper seams was maintained until the present day. Extensive trials in Europe, the US, Russia, Australia, have proven the technology on many occasions.

4. In an article published in the August 2009 edition of Modern Power Systems, Kenneth Fergusson, Senior Independent Advisor to the UCG Partnership and former head of the UK Coal Authority said: “in contrast to the limited reserves of mineable coal in Britain, reported by the Coal Authority as less than 200 million tons, and being extracted at a rate of about 20 Mt per year, a study by DTI in 2004 predicted that there was about 17 billion tons of potentially gasifiable coal onshore in Britain; a parallel estimate produced a figure at least double that offshore, a total of over 50 billion tons. Expressed as life of the resource, this is centuries of our total national energy consumption and at least a millennium of CCGT output at projected rates. Even with uncertainties about the recoverability of the coal in place, the size of the resource for UCG is not likely to be a constraint for a very, very long time”.

Client News-MGT POWER SHARES POWER STATION PLANS WITH NORTH EAST BUSINESSES AT THE RIVERSIDE STADIUM

MGT POWER SHARES POWER STATION PLANS WITH NORTH EAST BUSINESSES AT THE RIVERSIDE STADIUM

Date: November 12th 2009

MGT Power, the developers of the £500m Tees Renewable Energy Plant, located at Teesport, today briefed more than 120 people from more than 50 North East companies on the business opportunities that will become available as the scheme is built and then enters commercial operation. The presentation, organised and hosted by the Energy Industries Council (EIC), was held earlier today at Middlesbrough FC’s Riverside Stadium. It was the largest ever meeting of its kind hosted by the EIC’s Northern office.

MGT Power, which is also seeking to develop a similar sized biomass power plant at the Port of Tyne, outlined the current status of the Tees and Tyne projects, and spoke about the range of goods and services that will be required to build and operate the two plants and the procurement process that will be adopted. The audience received presentations from Chris Moore, a director of MGT Power Ltd and Julian Scutter, Head of Renewable Energy at Pöyry Energy, the engineering consultants to the Tees Renewable Energy Plant.

Chris Moore said: “We were delighted with the level of interest and enthusiasm shown in our power projects at Teesport and the Port of Tyne. It underlines the significant economic contribution that both projects can bring to the North East. At Teesside, we expect about 600 people to be employed during the three year construction period, 150 permanent jobs during the station’s lifetime, and once operating the plant will contribute about £30m per annum into the local economy. We are expecting our Tyne Renewable Energy Plant, which is still at an early stage in the planning and development process, to make a similar contribution. A number of Tyneside companies were present at today’s presentation.”

At 295MW capacity, the Tees Renewable Energy Plant will generate enough electricity to meet the needs of approximately 600,000 homes and will be one of the largest-ever biomass plants to be built in the world, and one of the largest of all renewable energy projects. MGT Power plan to start construction in the first half of next year and for the plant to enter commercial operation in 2012/13. The proposed Tyne Renewable Energy Plant is targeted to enter commercial operation in 2014/15, subject to planning and financing.

For further information please contact:

Paul Taylor/James Court (Taylor Keogh Communications) on 020 3170 8465

Notes to Editors:

2. 1. MGT Power (www.mgtpower.com) was established in December 2007 to develop biomass generation projects in the UK and Europe. The management team includes Chris Moore, Ben Elsworth, Thiago Azevedo and Noel Forrest who have backgrounds in UK power generation and the supply of renewable energy feedstocks.



3. 2. The Tees site is about 6kms east of Middlesbrough and 5kms west of Redcar. It is situated on land adjacent to the main southern dock at Teesport on the south bank of the River Tees. It has a number of advantages: available industrial zone land, suitable dockside acreage in a deep water port, good access to the National Grid and associated electrical infrastructure, excellent highly skilled local industrial workforce and contracting base, and excellent road links.



4. 3. In October 2009, MGT Power announced an agreement with Tesco to supply power to Tesco’s import warehouse at Teesport directly from the Tees Renewable Energy Plant. The Tesco warehouse is adjacent to the Tees REP on PD Port’s Teesport estate.

Industry News-PRASEG Delivering the UK’s renewable energy targets

Delivering the UK’s renewable energy targets

Greater leadership on planning decisions for onshore wind farms from local councillors was one of the main points made at a seminar on Monday (November 2^nd) organised by the Parliamentary Renewable & Sustainable Energy Group.

The topic of the seminar was the delivery of the UK’s renewable energy targets and presentations were given by Sarah Rhodes, Acting Head of DECC’s Office of Renewable Energy Deployment, Maria McCaffery of the BWEA and Keith Anderson, Managing Director of Scottish Power Renewables.

Whilst the facts about current levels of renewable power generation were nothing new, nor the enormity of the challenge to reach the2020 targets, let alone the 2030 target, the speakers outlined the steps that are already being taken by government and what more must be done. Keith Anderson referenced the positive steps being taken in the US (tax credits) to encourage renewables, and the need to focus effort on delivering renewables now rather than spending too much time on the longer-term issues such as grid infrastructure (although these are important).

Maria McCaffery spoke of the need for government and the industry to blow away the myths about wind power often used by objectors across the UK, and to communicate the positive impact that wind farms bring to areas once they are up and running as well as the benefit to the UK economy.

Delivering 30% of the UK’s electricity from renewables sources by 2020 is the target, with the associated benefits of energy security and “green jobs”.….wind, biomass, tidal and wave will all have a part to play. We will have an idea of what the UK must do by 2050 when DECC publishes its Energy Vision in March 2010

Client News-MARINE CURRENT TURBINES REVEALS DETAILS OF SEAGEN’S GENERATING PERFORMANCE

For further information please contact:

Paul Taylor (Taylor Keogh Communications) on +44 (0)20 3170 8465 / +44 (0)7966 782611

MARINE CURRENT TURBINES REVEALS DETAILS OF SEAGEN’S GENERATING PERFORMANCE

Tuesday, November 3^rd 2009

Lisbon, Portugal: Speaking today at the Lisbon International Ocean Power Conference, Peter Fraenkel, Technical Director and co-founder of Marine Current Turbines, the Bristol company that designed and developed SeaGen, the world’s only commercial scale tidal stream turbine, told delegates that SeaGen is running at full power and fully automatically, exactly as planned.

Peter Fraenkel said: “We are delighted with SeaGen’s performance. It is running reliably and delivering more energy than originally expected in an extremely aggressive environment. It should be remembered it is being driven by a wall of water 27m deep, similar to the height of the Tower of London, that surges back and forth with every tide through the Strangford Narrows in Northern Ireland at speeds of up to 10 miles per hour. We are getting more energy than expected mainly because the resource is more energetic than originally predicted during earlier surveys.”

SeaGen has already delivered over 350MWh of power into the Northern Irish electricity grid. The twin generators typically produce an average of 5MWh of electricity during the 6¼ hours of each ebb and each flood tide. This is enough energy to meet the average electricity needs for 1500 UK homes.

The SeaGen turbine, with its twin 16m diameter rotors, is officially accredited by OFGEM as a “UK power station”, the first tidal power system to secure this. It is earning revenue from the sale of the power that is being generated and it also earns ROCs, the Renewable Obligation Certificates that are awarded for clean renewable generation.

Martin Wright, Managing Director of Marine Current Turbines, commented: “We are delighted to have moved on from the initial period of commissioning and testing to demonstrating that this is a practical method of generation that really does do exactly what it says on the label. It is a hugely significant milestone for the company to be selling electricity consistently and earning revenue.”

Although SeaGen has been operational for most of this year, it was not until September that consent was given to operate it without having to have environmental scientists (marine mammal observers) on board and onshore. This was an initial requirement under the licensing arrangements to ensure that SeaGen did not adversely affect the marine mammals that are a protected feature of the local waters and restricted SeaGen’s uninterrupted running. However extensive experience gained so far suggests the seals and porpoises are not at any significant risk and as a result SeaGen is now permitted to operate unattended and by remote control, as was originally intended.

For the time being. an operator onshore will continue to monitor a sonar image of the passing flow which can show up any seal that ventures too close to the rotors, and the operator has the facility to stop the machine. As confidence and the body of evidence grows, it is expected that full running will be permitted in the near future.

Martin Wright added: “Building on our experience in Strangford Lough, the team at MCT are working to deploy tidal turbine arrays in UK and overseas waters, and we are working on new scaled-up developments from SeaGen that promise to generate power at a lower cost. The expectation is that this radical new technology can be developed within five to ten years to make a significant contribution to our future energy needs. Given suitable market incentives, SeaGen demonstrates that marine renewable energy is at the cusp of forming the basis for a new UK industry with considerable world-wide export potential.”

Notes to Editors:

Marine Current Turbines Ltd (www.marineturbines.com) is based in Bristol, England. The company was established in 2000 and its principal corporate shareholders include BankInvest, ESB International, EDF Energy, Guernsey Electricity and Triodos Bank. In September 2009, MCT was ranked the world’s top tidal energy company in The Guardian/Clean Tech Global 100 survey, and in June 2009 won Renewable Energy Developer of the Year in the UK Renewable Energy Association Annual Awards.

For further information:

Marine Current Turbines

Martin Wright, Managing Director

Tel: +44 (0)117 979 1888 / +44 (0)7785 340671

or

Paul Taylor

Taylor Keogh Communications

T: +44 (0) 203 170 8465 / DDI: +44 (0)203 170 8466

M: +44 (0)7966 782611

E: paul@taylorkeogh.com

W: www.taylorkeogh.com

Client News-Martin Wright: Obama’s attitude to energy can revitalize Britain’s renewable energy business

AS POSTED ON THE INDEPENDENT WEBSITE

On Friday, President Obama made a speech at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), challenging Americans to lead the global economy in clean energy. He highlighted the investments in the sector that are creating jobs, and the work of the MIT lab in developing cutting-edge clean energy technology. Clean energy is clearly high on the President’s priority list.

As the Chief Executive of renewable energy company, Marine Current Turbines, I welcome President Obama’s decision to push this important agenda. It is not only the need to reduce our impact on climate change that is the driving force behind this, but the need to find an alternative source of energy to our finite fossil fuel resources that are already starting to dry up. As our global hunger for energy shows no signs of waning, we must find new ways to feed that requirement, and leave something for future generations.

Not only do renewable energy sources reduce our dependence on fossil fuels, they are ushering in a new era of energy independence and which will have profound implications for the way that we view the energy business. Just as the invention of the PC put the power of computing in the hands of people, rather than the few experts who had access to computers, so the future of renewable energy sources will empower the individual, giving people choice about how they source their energy. Investing in renewable energy is not just about an alternative source of supply; it is profoundly democratising and empowers, both individually and locally. Moving away from centralised supply through the national grid, with a small number of powerful suppliers, to more locally sourced energy supplies, will be very liberating for the consumer and provide long term, stable, low cost energy. It is the key to solving energy poverty and to providing a flexible, robust, and long term, low-cost energy system.

In order to achieve the goal of access to green energy for all, we are going to need to see a strong commitment to investment in the technologies which will eventually lead to large-scale production, and therefore make the cost of sustainable energy sources a tempting option for governments. Britain is already a leader in developing some of these technologies, and we have fantastic resources in terms of the scientists and engineers who are innovating and refining them. Investment in these resources will ensure that we capitalise on British talent, and benefit the British economy.

Marine Current Turbines (MCT) is a world leader in marine current and tidal stream energy, and has at last opened the door to the previously unreachable power of the oceans. Our company is one of many developing new technologies and turning these into commercial projects to provide clean and inexhaustible energy. Modern offshore engineering capabilities have made tapping the relentless energy pounding on Britain’s extensive coastline a reality, and innovative engineering will lead to the efficient and effective tapping of many more sources of clean energy.

It is economically and strategically imperative that Britain leads the way in developing this and other sustainable technologies, in order to make sure we don’t lose out on the environmental and economic benefits of being able to provide green energy to our own and other countries. The Kyoto Protocol has been ratified in 178 countries, which will put pressure on governments around the world to reduce their carbon emissions, therefore opening lots of new markets for technologies such as that of Marine Current Turbines.

MCT installed the world’s first offshore tidal turbine near Lynmouth off the coast of Devon in 2003, and in 2008, completed installation of the world’s first commercial-scale tidal turbine in Strangford Narrows in Northern Ireland. This commercial prototype is to be deployed in the UK and internationally. MCT has already struck a deal in Canada and started a project in Nova Scotia with local partners. The green energy industry needs governments to provide the market framework to enable investors to perceive the growth potential of this sector, and help us export our expertise to new markets such as North America. President Obama’s commitment to green energy is a very significant development.

Britain has already made a strong commitment to investment in innovation, and the government is actively looking at how to encourage the scale of investment needed to bring forward technologies such as ours. There is no doubt that if they get this right it will help to boost the British economy and make Britain a world leader in green technology. It is not too strong to say that energy policy is the central issue for the first part of the 21st century, and British innovation in this sector will be pivotal to the UK’s economic and environmental future. All it takes is vision.

Martin Wright is Chief Executive Officer, Marine Current Turbines Ltd, which is supporting the government campaign, Science: [So what? So everything], which shows people the importance of innovation and investment in science, engineering and technology. To find out more, visit www.direct.gov.uk/sciencesowhat.

Industry News-Carbon Trust given extra £18m for Clean-Tech investment

The UK Government have given the Carbon Trust £18m extra funding for clean-tech companies, many of which are struggling for investment in the current economic climate.

The extra funding will be welcomed by UK clean-tech companies, some of which are well placed to become world leaders in areas such as marine, fuel cell and solar technologies.

Analysis from the Carbon Trust predicts that early investment in offshore wind and marine energy alone could help to deliver a £70bn boost to the economy and almost 250,000 jobs by 2050.

Energy and Climate Change Secretary, Ed Miliband, said the additional £18m in funding will help "safeguard" a new generation of promising renewable technologies. "Supporting green start-up companies with this capital means innovative ideas for low-carbon energy will be able to make it out of the lab and into the future energy mix,"

The Carbon Trust has been instrumental in venture capital and grants for emerging clean-tech companies to move towards a low-carbon economy.

Client News-MGT Power Announce Tesco Agreement

For further information & images please contact:

James Court (Taylor Keogh Communications) on +44 (0)20 3170 8465

MGT Power and Tesco agree green energy supply deal for Tesco’s Teesport warehouse facility

Date: October 14^th 2009

Tesco are furthering their commitment to cutting their carbon footprint today by entering into an agreement with MGT Power’s Tees Renewable Energy Plant to supply 100% of its power requirement for Tesco’s Teesport import warehouse.

The £50million 1.2m square foot warehouse opened in August. It is located on the Teesport estate, adjacent to MGT Power’s planned 295MW biomass power station. The biomass plant, which secured consent from the UK Government in July, is targeted to enter commercial operation in 2012.

Tesco director, Keith Aughwane, said: “We are committed to reducing our carbon footprint, which includes using renewable energy wherever possible. The agreement with MGT Power will help us achieve our stretching targets to reduce our carbon emissions.”

Chris Moore, director of MGT Power said: “We look forward to working with and developing a relationship with Tesco Teesport. Supplying power to other parts of the Teesport estate is a logical move for ourselves and we are seeking further agreements with other operating facilities in the port and the immediate area.”

Earlier in the year Tesco were awarded the Carbon Trust Standard award and were named the greenest supermarket in the UK. They have also unveiled plans to build their first zero-carbon store at Ramsey, Cambridgeshire later this year. Tesco is also committed to helping their customers to make informed choices through their carbon labelling scheme on in-store products.

The Tees Renewable Energy Plant will operate at baseload – 24 hours a day, all year round. This means it will produce the same amount of renewable electricity over a year as a 1,000MW wind farm. Construction of the plant is set to commence in the first quarter of next year.

Notes to Editors:

1. MGT Power (www.mgtpower.com) was established in December 2007 to develop biomass generation projects in the UK and Europe. The management team includes Chris Moore, Ben Elsworth, Thiago Azevedo and Noel Forrest who have backgrounds in UK power generation and the supply of renewable energy feedstocks. In August 2009, the company announced plans to build a similar sized biomass plant at the Port of Tyne which is targeted to enter commercial operation in 2014.

2. As a storable, concentrated energy form, wood biomass allows electricity generation 24 hours a day, all year round, in contrast to intermittent renewable sources such as wind or solar. MGT Power will use trees sustainably planted specifically for use as fuel, such as Short Rotation Forestry (eg. Eucalyptus, Pines) and Short Rotation Coppicing (eg. Willow, Poplar).

For further information:

Taylor Keogh Communications (on behalf of MGT Power Ltd)

James Court: 020 3170 8467/ james@taylorkeogh.com

Paul Taylor: 020 3170 8466/ paul@taylorkeogh.com

Industry News-Committee on Climate Change report

The recommendations from the CCC, which sets legally binding carbon budgets and advises the government on how to reach them are wide ranging, and have urged a step change in government policy if future carbon budgets are to be met.

A cleaner, greener country, playing meeting it global, European and domestic targets is both possible and affordable, says the Climate Change Committee, but only if the government acts immediately to implement radical policies on energy efficiency and low carbon technologies, as well as dealing with the threat of the recession to carbon trading schemes.

A overview of some of the key recommendations:

• Market rules – investment in low-carbon generation is risky under
current market arrangements. The CCC strongly recommends that
Government undertakes a near-term review of options to improve
the investment climate for low-carbon power generation.

• Support for CCS – the Government needs to send a strong signal
to investors that there is no future in using conventional coal-fired
plants beyond the early 2020s. As part of the framework to support
CCS development, there should be a review of economic viability
and appropriate financial support mechanisms should be in place
no later than 2016.

• Strengthening the grid – investment in the power transmission
network is required to support investment in new wind and nuclear
capacity. Approval of necessary investments is required at the latest
by 2011.

• Whole house approach – every household would be provided with
an energy audit followed up by hassle free help with installing loft and
cavity wall insulation, replacing boilers and installing heating controls.
• Street by street approach – energy efficiency of buildings would
be addressed street by street, area by area across the UK, much as the
switch over to natural gas was achieved in the 1970s.

Improving the efficiency of petrol/diesel powered cars
• Currently new cars emit around 160 gCO2/km travelled. This should
be reduced to 95 g/km in 2020 through more fuel efficient and lowcarbon
cars. If this is achieved, emissions could fall by 16 MtCO2
in 2020.

Widespread roll-out of electric cars
• The Government should aim for up to 1.7 million electric cars and
plug in hybrids on the road in 2020.
• Electric cars are market ready and there is scope for reducing the cost
of their batteries by 70% which would mean that they could in fact
be priced competitively with conventional cars.
• The Government has offered price support up to £5,000 per car,
which should be enough to offset the cost premium of many
electric cars.

• The typical range for electric cars is around 80 miles, possibly
increasing to 250 miles as battery technology develops. This is
currently sufficient to cover the vast majority of trips.
• A charging infrastructure should be developed including: off-street
home charging; on-street home charging; workplace charging;
charging in public places (e.g. car parks, supermarkets); and possibly
battery exchanges.
• This infrastructure should be developed in the context of pilot
projects to exploit economies of scale and target up to 240,000
electric cars and plug-in hybrids on the road by 2015; funding costs
for pilot charging infrastructure could be up to £250 million.

Industry News-Ofgem report calls for more investment

Ofgem releases a wide-ranging and comprehensive review of the UK energy market, warning that a £200bn investment is needed for new power generation and infrastructure.

Both energy supply and energy security are areas of concern raised by the report, with north gas supplies declining, increasing the need for more gas storage.

With many European countries becoming increasingly dependent on gas imports, recent events such as the Russia-Ukraine crisis raised concerns about the security and price of future gas supplies, the regulator said.

This investment will lead to a 14 to 25 % increase in energy bills in the next 10-15 years.

See the report here.

Industry News-E.ON postpone Kingsnorth

German utility company, E.ON, have announced plans to shelve the controversial Kingsnorth coal powered station today.

This comes after many months of campaigning by green pressure groups, with Greenpeace having staged several protests, claiming a victory today.

The delay will put pressure on the Government to ensure power supplies in the coming decade, with many closures planned for 2015, and ensures that a seamless handover of generation at Kingsnorth is no longer possible.

The decision also raises questions regarding the governments CCS completion, with E.ON being one of the favourites to win the £1bn pound funding.

It also comes a day after the Conservatives have pledged new clean coal powered stations.

The company insist that they still have plans for clean coal generation in the UK, but economic conditions have pushed back the need for a new plant in the UK.

Industry news-Conservative Policy Proposals

Speaking at the Conservative Party Conference yesterday, Greg Clark (Shadow DECC Secretary) signaled his intentions to give the green light on 5GW of new ‘Clean’ Coal powered stations under a Conservative government, as well as begin preparations for a new generation of nuclear stations for 2017.

The Conservatives have also committed to smart metering, as well as a upgrading of the national grid and an extension of the infrastructure to expand to offshore power generation to connect wind-farms and marine energy.

Other policies to emerge include giving local communities the business rates generated from onshore wind farms for six years, a pledge for electric car owners to be guaranteed an overnight charging point and the building of ‘Marine Parks’ to stage development for the UK’s world leading marine energy sector.

Client News-Marine Energy prototypes backed with new government 22m proving fund

Wave and tidal developers are invited from today to bid for £22 million in new government funding to accelerate the commercial development of marine energy in the UK.

The Marine Renewables Proving Fund, announced in July as part of the Government’s Renewable Energy Strategy, will be designed and delivered by the Carbon Trust and will provide finance for the demonstration of wave and tidal technologies.

The funding follows demand from industry and analysis by the Carbon Trust which has shown that extra support is needed to take marine devices successfully from initial prototype development through to early–stage commercial generation, where they are eligible for funding from the Marine Renewables Deployment Fund.

Energy and Climate Change Minister, Lord Hunt said:

“Clean green renewable energy is a central component of our response to climate change and ensuring future energy supplies.

“The scope for wave and tidal energy around the UK’s shores is massive and we’re working closely with developers in the UK to bring onthe necessary technologies.

“The Proving Fund will help marine projects get off the drawing board and into the water, taking them a vital step closer to full scale commercial viability.”

Project bids will be assessed and managed by the Carbon Trust which has been supporting the marine sector since 2003. It has assessed or worked with over 60 different marine energy devices and committed over £12m of funding to date.

Earlier this month, the Carbon Trust announced it is to support two leading devices, Pelamis Wave Power and Marine Current Turbines, as part of its existing Marine Energy Accelerator initiative. Support will focus on reducing costs associated with the installation, operations and maintenance of marine energy devices.

Tom Delay, Chief Executive of the Carbon Trust, commented:

“Wave and tidal power is a fantastic resource for the UK that could provide up to 20% of our current electricity demand and cut carbon dioxide by tens of millions of tonnes. There are many exciting technologies in development; however, for these to reach commercial viability we need to focus on cost reduction and make mass deployment a reality. The targeted support provided by the Marine Renewables Proving Fund is a much needed boost to the UK’s clean tech revolution and we are delighted to be playing a key role in its delivery.”

Carbon Trust analysis has shown that, with 25% of the world’s wave technologies already being developed in the UK, Britain could be the ‘natural owner’ of the global wave power market, generating revenues worth £2 billion per year by 2050 and up to 16,000 direct jobs.

To generate maximum economic benefit, the Government intends to publish its Marine Action Plan early next year. This will set out the key steps which will need to be taken by both Government and Industry to make the mass deployment of marine energy technologies a reality.

Politics News-China Expected to lead in UN Climate Change Meeting

Today in New York world leaders are sitting down to discuss their plans to fight climate change. Attention is likely to focus on Chinese President Hu Jintao, who is expected to unveil stringent new plans to tackle global warming. China, out of all the developing countries it is agreed have moved quickly. Yes indeed they do have a high level of emissions hover they are taking steps and investing in renewable energy and talking openly about emissions and what they want to do.

With Just 76 days left before Copenhagen the pressure is on for global leaders to come to agreement.

The cacophony of noise from politicians, pressure groups, and the public is rising. However the real challenge has not changed over the last ten months. The divide between developed and developing countries and the level of CO2 each must cut still remains the main bargaining point.

In the Daily Telegraph Lord Stern Summarises the situation as a "deadlock consists of an approach by rich countries which collectively involves inadequate emissions reductions and unwillingness to make financial commitments without being able to approve the plans for developing countries to move to low-carbon growth. And on the part of developing countries, an unwillingness to make commitments on reductions without a clear indication of financial support from the rich countries, together with an unwillingness to have their own plans for low-carbon development determined by, or subject to the approval of, the rich countries".

Writing in the Guardian Ed Miliband, appeals for the deal makers not to have a re-run of Kyoto, Doha and Gleaneagles where 'piecemeal' arrangements were the results of these rounds of talks.

Tony Blair reappeared on the world stage this time talking about the threat of Climate Change. While the liberal democrats are calling for no one to nominate him for the position of future European President he was in New York presenting his paper titled 'Cutting the Cost' to UN Secretary General Ban –ki-moon.

The paper focuses on the economic advantages of a global response to rising temperatures caused by the growth in greenhouse gas emissions. In the findings the Rt hon. Blair claims that over 10 million jobs can be created in fighting climate change. In a foreword to the report, Mr Blair attempts to head off criticism of the proposals.

Blair states: ''Some may choose to quibble about the exact numbers in the analysis, while others may argue that the policy scenarios used are unrealistic. This misses the point. Our objective is not to prescribe the targets and timetables that should be adopted: that is the job of scientists and governments”.

However in reality this week all eyes will be on China. They have the political will, the ability to invest in new green technology. They have the willingness to move ahead at speed in cutting emissions. If they decide to do so this week they will leave the US, the EU and the rest of the world behind.

Taylor Keogh Communications Public Affairs and PR for the Energy and Clean Tech sectors

Industry News-Funding for wind energy welcomed but more needed for renewable sector

The government’s announcement that it is to drive funding into Clipper, Siemens, and Artemis Intelligent Power has been widely welcomed. However it must be viewed within the context of the wider challenges facing the renewable energy market in the UK. These include access to funding for projects, planning issues for large onshore and offshore wind farm projects and the general pace at which everything is moving at.If the UK is to profit from the new ‘green economy’ then more effort must be taken on several fronts.

In order to comply with legislation from the European Union, the UK's renewable energy target (to produce 15% of final energy consumption from renewable sources by 2020) may require between 35% and 40% of electricity to come from renewable energy sources by 2020.

Research from the business advisory group the Carbon Trust shows that by 2020, the UK could capture 45% of the global offshore wind energy market, and that by 2050 our wind energy industry alone could be worth £65bn to the UK economy.

Building up the 40 GW capacity that the EU will need to reach its climate targets requires €57 billion of investment by 2020 but banks are still reluctant to lend money. Although offshore wind projects by nature attract large utility companies with strong balance sheets, the challenge is not insignificant. The facts are single turbine installation vessel costs up to €250 million.

The challenge to onshore wind projects is still influenced by local planning issues and protests from local communities. As one commentator has noted local objections are normally based on aesthetic value of wind turbines and the ‘blight on the landscape’. While claiming that they support renewable energy and onshore wind farms it is always more favourable if they are ‘built in the next valley’. Of course it is not feasible to have wind turbines on every green belt of land in the UK but more proactive and progressive view must be taken.

It is widely agreed that the government is creating the right regulatory framework for renewable energy in the UK but if the banks are still hesitant to invest in more and more projects in wind and other new energy projects then it is hard to see how the government can reach its targets in fighting climate change. The issue of ROCs for marine and tidal energy is still on the table and must be seriously considered if this sector is to flourish. While Solar still needs a significant boost.

Electrified vehicles, carbon capture and storage (CCS), and concentrated solar power, among other emerging “green tech” sectors, will need massive investment, infrastructure, and research to get off the ground. While the Chinese, German, UK and US governments, along with private investors, are pursuing all of these technologies, they cannot achieve separately what they could jointly. Time is of the essence and bringing all the variables in science, technology, regulatory regimes and investment is the only solution to the present challenges.

Fighting climate change on a global context is the key. Worldwide in 2008, at $155bn (£95bn), more was invested in sustainable than conventional energy production. Britain is well placed to succeed and profit from this new 'green economy'. These projects create jobs, secure energy supply, fight climate change they bring investment to local communities and put money back into the wider economy.

The government now need to make this clear to the banks or they will need to take more steps in direct investment of green and clean tech technologies.

Taylor Keogh Communications Public Affairs and Pr for the Energy and Clean Tech Industry

Industry News-Made in Britain: the world's biggest wind turbine blades

The world’s biggest wind turbine blades will be made in Britain, Energy and Climate Secretary Ed Miliband said today.

Announcing grants for three offshore wind energy companies Mr Miliband today told the TUC annual conference:

“With strong government backing, the UK is consolidating its lead in offshore wind energy. We already have more offshore wind energy than any other country, we have the biggest wind farm in the world about to start construction, and now we’ll see the biggest turbine blades in the world made here in Britain.

“Our coastline means the offshore wind industry has the potential to employ tens of thousands of workers by 2020, manufacturing, transporting, installing and operating new turbines.

“It will take an active government to get us there and the funds I’m announcing today are part of the £120 million investment we
are making this year and next in the wind industry to make that happen.”

The three companies are:

* Clipper Wind Power - £4.4 million to develop their first prototype 70m blade for the Britannia project – the largest wind turbines in the world.

* Artemis Intelligent Power - £1 million to transfer their existing technology from automotive to wind energy.

* Siemens Wind Power UK - £1.1 million to develop the next generation power convertors for their larger offshore turbine.

As a result of their award Clipper will start work on a plant in the North East of England where blades for their giant turbines will be developed. Once constructed, each blade will be more than 70 metres long and weigh over 30 tonnes. The blades are part of the turbines that will stand at 175 meters tall. The plant will initially employ 60 people by the end of next year.

The grants are awarded under phase 1 of the Low Carbon Energy Demonstration (LCED) capital grants scheme. Vestas Technology UK Ltd was the first company to receive an award under the scheme last month. The total amount awarded under phase 1 is £10 million.

James G.P. Dehlsen, Chairman of Clipper Windpower, said:

“With the deployment of the 10MW Clipper offshore turbine in UK waters, the nation will benefit from clean power, and also from the strong economic boost arising from the development and serial production of the turbines in the coming years. DECC’s leadership in initiating and expediting the grant program is timely and will help to accelerate our planning for and delivery of the Britannia project.

We are appreciative of the support and look forward to the opportunity to continue to work closely with DECC.”

Waverley Cameron, Chairman of Artemis Intelligent Power said:

“This kind of targeted support by government enables small R&D companies like Artemis to develop the breakthrough technologies needed to bring Britain to the forefront of the low carbon revolution.”

Taylor Keogh Communications Public Affairs & PR for the Energy Industry

Industry News-UK and Ireland moving closer to one energy market

UK and Ireland moving closer to one energy market - In a move that will bring the UK and Irish energy markets closer together the Irish National Electricity network operator Eirgrid yesterday was given the green light for its planned €600 million power link between Wales and Ireland.

Source: Guardian.co.uk

Industry News-Approval for Ireland Wales electricity link

Planning chiefs today gave the go-ahead to a major new electricity link between Ireland and Wales.

Minister for Energy Eamon Ryan said the vital two-way link would bolster electricity supply and speed up the development of renewable energy.

“It will mean we can import electricity when required from the UK market,” he said.

“More importantly, it will mean we can export our electricity to the UK. When the wind is blowing in Ireland, we can sell this power to our neighbours,” he added.

The 260km underwater cable will reach land in Rush, north Co Dublin and Barkby beach in North Wales bringing power to 300,000 homes.

It could also help drive down household bills by increasing competition in the electricity sector, Mr Ryan added.

The 500 megawatt East-West Interconnector was approved by An Bord Pleanala, granting Irish energy firm EirGrid the green light for the 600 million euro project.

Around 100 jobs are set to be created when Swedish engineering firm ABB begins building the link next year, with construction expected to be completed by 2012.

An estimated 45km of underground cables will run along public roads to Rush from a converter station in Woodland, Co Meath.

The Welsh link will begin at Deeside and travel northwards up the coast to arrive at Barkby beach.

Taylor Keogh Communications Public Affairs and PR for the Energy Industry

Industry News - Green Cars, Emissions and Charging Points in the UK

Green Driving and green cars are this weeks’ focus for a lot of the media. In part this is because the German Frankfurt Car show is now on but more than anything it is because Hybrid and electric vehicles are becoming more and more part of the make up of transport in the UK.

Slowly but surely we are seeing more Smart cars and Toyota Prius on the streets. However one thing manufacturers must look out for is being clear in their environmental claims.

Last week the Guardian journalist Fred Pearce questioned the ‘green’ claims being made by BMW for their new X6. He observed the “The ActiveHybrid X6's official CO2 emissions rating with the European Union is 231 grams per kilometre. That compares badly with the EU's 2012 target for average emissions from new cars of 120 grams. It is also higher than the emissions from most of the new Lexus hybrid range and more than twice the emissions of a Toyota Prius, for instance”. So the focus needs to be on clearly commuting the improvements in the technology and what it does in real terms for reducing CO2.

On the Today Programme on BBC radio 4 they continued with the automotive theme with an interview with Dr Peter Wells, of the Centre for Automotive Research at Cardiff Business School. Wells was discussing how for decades, the motor industry has been promising that electric motoring is just around the corner but there were still some key challenges to sort out – namely in the area of battery life and the cost to the consumers. Once these are solved he predicts the market growing fast with quicker consumer uptake.

Charging Points
The Energy Technologies Institute outlined their development plan to have charging points for electric and hybrid cars across the UK. Nine cities and towns in the UK are to have charging points for electric and hybrid fuelled vehicles under an £11m development plan. Birmingham, Coventry, Glasgow, London, Middlesbrough, Milton Keynes, Oxford, Newcastle and Sunderland will be the first to benefit from the scheme.

This scheme will be welcomed by the industry and the public as a lack of charging points has been one of the main blocking points to the roll out in the UK. There is a huge need to focus on the charging points to ensure that the public can start using hybrid and electric cars quicker.

If the public can only charge up at home and then find it challenging to find a charging spots in towns and cites, when they are out shopping or at work it just acts as barrier to people starting to take up the electric and hybrid cars.

London mayor Boris Johnson commenting on the scheme, said: "Moving to using electric vehicles which emit zero pollution will have a major impact on cutting carbon emissions, improving air quality and reducing noise pollution.

"I want to make it much easier to go electric which is why in London we are planning to roll out 25,000 charging points.

"So I'm delighted that the capital is part of the joined cities network helping to speed up the electric revolution across the country."

Taylor Keogh Communications Public Affairs and PR for the Energy Industry

Industry News- Advice on IPC preapplication consultation published

The government has fleshed out key elements of the planning regime for nationally significant infrastructure projects by publishing guidance on the new requirements for pre-application consultation.
Click Here for the full article

Client News-Carbon Trust backs cutting edge marine energy devices to help accelerate commercial deployment

11 September 2009 -New investment to focus on finding innovative and cost-effective ways to install and maintain large-scale offshore devices

The Carbon Trust is to support two cutting edge marine energy devices in a bid to accelerate the commercial development of wave and tidal energy in the UK. Projects to be supported through the Marine Energy Accelerator with Pelamis Wave Power and Marine Current Turbines will focus on installation and maintenance which currently account for up to 50% of the project costs of wave and tidal energy and could delay more widespread deployment if not reduced.

Reliably moving a 180 metre Pelamis electricity-generating “sea snake” onto a mooring many kilometres offshore is a task that highlights the challenges of making marine energy a commercially viable method of generating renewable energy. The Carbon Trust and Pelamis Wave Power are investigating an innovative remotely operated vehicle (ROV) that will assist with manoeuvring these giant machines into position.

They will also integrate remote control technology into existing systems which will enable deployment in rougher seas. These developments promise to significantly reduce vessel and equipment requirements and make installation and maintenance quicker, cheaper and safer, thereby reducing the overall cost of the energy generated.

Alongside work with Pelamis Wave Power, the Carbon Trust is supporting a project with Marine Current Turbines to develop an innovative way to deploy its pioneering SeaGen tidal energy system. The new method will involve a remotely operated subsea drilling platform which will install foundation piles in advance of the main turbine support structure being deployed in a single unit. This would enable smaller and less expensive support vessels to be used for the offshore works, reducing the costs of turbine installation.

Carbon Trust is providing £250,000 for the Pelamis project and a further £150,000 for a feasibility study on the MCT foundations technology. The MCT technology is likely to be tested in a disused quarry, and if it performs as expected will be used in SeaGen’s next deployment off Anglesey where the company is working with RWE npower renewables to deploy a 10MW tidal farm, using seven SeaGens.

These two projects form part of the wider Carbon Trust’s Marine Energy Accelerator programme, which brings together device developers, component technology manufacturers, engineering consultants and academic research groups to accelerate cost reduction in the industry.

Mark Williamson, Director of Innovations at the Carbon Trust, said:
“Innovation in the deployment and maintenance of wave and tidal devices will be critical in cutting the cost of marine energy and unlocking the potential of this fantastic renewable energy resource. Our analysis shows that the UK is already leading the world in wave energy. If we can bring down the costs of deploying this technology, we will be able to generate marine energy on a scale that will help meet our 2020 renewable target and deliver significant economic value as well."

Energy from wave and tidal power could provide up to 20% of the UK’s current electricity and has the potential to cut carbon dioxide by tens of millions of tonnes. Recent analysis, launched at the start of the Carbon Trust’s Clean Tech Revolution campaign, to make Britain a global hub of low carbon innovation, found that 25% of the world’s wave technologies are already being developed in the UK. The analysis also showed that Britain could be the ‘natural owner’ of the global wave power market, generating revenues worth £2 billion per year by 2050 and up to 16,000 direct jobs.

Beth Dickens of Pelamis Wave Power said:
“This project will allow more machines to be installed more often and more cheaply as we will not be as reliant on good weather conditions and specialist boats for the operation. We have had a successful working relationship with the Carbon Trust for a long time, so they were a natural port of call for help in developing this technology which will help speed the deployment of our wave power devices.”

Martin Wright, Managing Director of Marine Current Turbines, said:
“The Carbon Trust’s support is highly valuable to Marine Current Turbines and will help us to build upon our success with our first SeaGen commercial tidal turbine project in Northern Ireland’s Strangford Lough which is generating power into the local grid.

“Their participation in this project has enabled us to look at how we can install farms of our SeaGen tidal energy systems cheaper and more efficiently in the future. The Carbon Trust’s part-funding of the project underlines the commercial potential that exists for MCT’s pioneering tidal energy technology to be deployed in UK waters as well as overseas.”

Ends

Notes to editors
For more information or an interview please call the Carbon Trust press office on 0207 544 3100.

The Carbon Trust

* The Carbon Trust is an independent company set up in 2001 by Government in response to the threat of climate change, to accelerate the move to a low carbon economy by working with organisations to reduce carbon emissions and develop commercial low carbon technologies.
* We cut carbon emissions now by providing business and the public sector with expert advice, finance and certification to help them reduce their carbon footprint and to stimulate demand for low carbon products and services. Through our work, we’ve already helped save over 17 million tonnes of carbon, delivering costs savings of over £1billion.
* We cut future carbon emissions by developing new low carbon technologies. We do this through project funding and management, investment and collaboration and by identifying market barriers and practical ways to overcome them. Our work on commercialising new technologies will save over 20 million tonnes of carbon a year by 2050.


Marine Current Turbines Ltd

1. Marine Current Turbines Ltd (http://www.marineturbines.com/) is based in Bristol, England. The company was established in 2000 and its principal corporate shareholders include BankInvest, ESB International, EDF Energy, Guernsey Electricity and Triodos Bank. In September 2008, MCT was ranked in The Guardian/Library House Top 10 of European clean-tech firms and in June 2009 won Renewable Energy Developer of the Year in the UK Renewable Energy Association Annual Awards.
2. SeaGen works by generating power from sea currents, using a pair of axial flow turbines driving generators through gearboxes using similar principles to wind generator technology. The main difference is that the high density of seawater compared to wind allows a much smaller system; SeaGen has twin 600kW turbines each of 16m diameter. The capture of kinetic energy from a water current, much like with wind energy or solar energy, depends on how many square meters of flow cross-section can be addressed by the system. With water current turbines it is rotor swept area that dictates energy capture capability, because it is the cross section of flow that is intercepted which matters. SeaGen has over 400 square meters of rotor area which is why it can develop its full rated power of 1.2MW in a flow of 2.4m/s (5 knots).

For further information:
Martin Wright, Managing Director,
T: +44 (0)117 979 1888
or
Paul Taylor, Taylor Keogh Communications
T: +44 (0) 203 170 8465 / DDI: +44 (0)203 170 8466
M: +44 (0)7966 782611
E: paul@taylorkeogh.com
W: http://www.taylorkeogh.com