Marine Current Turbines kicks off first tidal array for Wales

Marine Current Turbines Ltd (MCT) has today submitted a consent application to install a 10MW array of tidal stream turbines off the North West coast of Anglesey in 2015. The array, consisting of seven twin rotor turbines arranged across an area of 0.56km², will harness the power of the tidal waters, generating enough power for over 10,000 homes on the island. It will be the first tidal array to be deployed in Wales.

This tidal farm, using the fast moving and predictable flow of the tides, will use MCT’s proven and award-winning tidal energy technology (known as SeaGen and which works in principle like an underwater windmill) to generate enough power to supply electricity to up to 10,000 homes. The array will be situated between the Skerries islands and Carmel Head, about 1km off the Anglesey coast. SeaGen is a proven technology, the first 1.2MW unit having been successfully operated in Strangford Narrows, Northern Ireland since 2008, and it is officially accredited by OFGEM as the UK’s first and only tidal current power plant.

If the planning consent is granted to SeaGeneration Wales Ltd, the MCT / RWE npower renewables project company, it will be the first tidal array in Wales demonstrating the commercial viability of this technology. This project will help to demonstrate that the deployment of tidal generation can be recognised as a viable means of securing renewable generation, lower carbon emissions whilst simultaneously creating a new industry and many jobs.

The project will cost approximately £70 million to develop and, where possible, local businesses will be contracted for the assembly, installation, operation and maintenance of the tidal array. It will generate jobs that use skills ranging from advanced blacksmithing through to sophisticated control systems management. The project will also stimulate the supply chain to support the emerging marine renewable energy sector in the UK and Wales.

Martin Wright, CEO and founder of MCT said: “Tidal power is a predictable and reliable source of renewable energy and our technology can play an important part in helping Wales realise its renewable energy targets as set out in the Welsh Assembly Government (WAG) Energy Policy statement. It aims to capture 10% of the tidal stream and wave energy off the Welsh coast by 2025, making Wales a UK low carbon economic area for tidal energy. The proposed project would represent a significant step in meeting both of these targets and furthermore, will see the creation of many new green jobs.”

MCT has undertaken a series of environmental and technical studies and consulted a range of local residents as well as local and national organisations, including: RSBP, Centre for Environment, Fisheries & Aquaculture Sciences, the Countryside Council for Wales and the Maritime & Coastguard Agency in order to consider the impact of the project over its operational lifespan, about 25 years.

Joseph Kidd, MCT’s Development Manager for the project, said: “Engagement with local interests is an important part of our work, particularly local marine recreation groups and so far the response to our plans has been generally positive. Our experience of working in Northern Ireland’s Strangford Lough has been hugely valuable in taking forward our plans for Anglesey.”

RWE Npower Renewables’ Project Manager, Paul Catterall said: “RWE npower renewables are delighted to have been involved in the development of this project, which exemplifies one of the most promising of the emerging renewable energy technologies. Tidal energy has the potential to play a significant role in our future renewables portfolio. SeaGen represents the end result of many years of hard work, perseverance and human ingenuity, and we are privileged to be working with MCT, global leaders in tidal generation.”

Client News-Eight19 Appoints First CEO

CAMBRIDGE, UK - Eight19 (www.eight19.com) the developer of Printed Plastic Solar Cells based on Organic Photovoltaic (OPV) technology, today announces the appointment of Dr Simon Bransfield-Garth as Chief Executive.

Dr Bransfield-Garth’s appointment follows the investment of £4.5M ($7.4M) by the Carbon Trust and French chemical company Rhodia SA in September 2010 to commercialise Organic Photovoltaic technology originally developed at Cambridge University’s Cavendish Laboratory, a world leader in plastic electronics technology.

Eight19 is developing a new generation of low-cost, flexible plastic solar cells that have the potential to dramatically reduce the manufacturing cost, increase the throughput of solar technology and help address the growing need for renewable power. Using room temperature printing processes instead of traditional high temperature manufacturing, the cells, which are considerably cheaper and faster to manufacture than 1st and 2nd generation, are predicted to open up new high-growth volume markets. The market for organic solar cells has the potential to reach $500 million by 2015 and to grow four fold to $2 billion by 2020 (Nanomarkets, 2009) and could save up to 900 million tonnes of CO2 by 2050 – some 1.5 times the UK’s current annual emissions.

Plastic solar cells benefit from being based on abundant materials and can be readily crafted into different shapes and colours to meet market requirements, for example for off-grid applications in emerging economies, such as solar powered lighting, or high volume industrial products.

Commenting on the appointment, Tom Brown, Chairman of Eight19 said: “We are delighted that Simon is joining the company as CEO. He brings with him to Eight19 over 25 years global experience in building rapid growth, technology based businesses, so he is well placed to drive us forward towards mass production”.

Simon Bransfield-Garth commented: “I am tremendously excited and privileged to have taken the helm at Eight19. The solar power market is in a period of explosive growth and Eight19, with technology backing from Cambridge University and exceptional team of engineers and scientists is poised to play a significant role”.

--ENDS--

Notes to Editors

Simon Bransfield-Garth

Simon’s career spans twenty five years in high growth, early stage technology sectors, including semiconductor, automotive electronics and mobile phones business. He founded Myriad Solutions Ltd which was sold in 1996 and spent 7 years at Symbian, the phone OS maker, where he was a member of the Leadership Team and VP Global Marketing.

Simon was previously a Fellow at Cambridge University where he also gained his BA and Ph.D in Engineering.

Eight19 Ltd.

Eight19 is located in Cambridge, England and retains close links with the Cavendish Laboratory of Cambridge University.

Based on work pioneered by the internationally renowned team at Cambridge University, the company focuses on high speed, room temperature manufacturing techniques to create lightweight, non-toxic, flexible solar films. The resulting modules are aimed at new mass markets for solar power generation, from off-grid applications in emerging economies to high volume industrial products.

Eight19 is headquartered in Cambridge, England and investors include the Carbon Trust, Rhodia SA, TTP Ltd and the University of Cambridge.

Scotland’s first tidal farm by 2013

Marine Current Turbines, a client of Taylor Keogh since 2005, is moving forward with plans to deploy Scotland’s first tidal energy farm, in Kyle Rhea, a strait of water between the Isle of Skye and the Scottish mainland.  The project will have the capacity to generate electricity for up to 4,000 homes and will give a multi-million pound boost to the Highlands & Islands economy as local businesses seize the opportunity to participate in the tidal farm’s installation, operation and maintenance.

The development of the project is subject to securing a lease agreement from The Crown Estate, securing planning approval from Marine Scotland and raising the finance for the project, estimated to be £35million.  A planning application will be made towards the end of this year.

MCT will shortly submit a planning application to the Welsh Assembly Government for a seven turbine tidal farm in waters off Anglesey and work is progressing in Canada to deploy a single tidal turbine in Nova Scotia’s Bay of Fundy.

The company will be exhibiting at All-Energy Renewables Exhibition & Conference in Aberdeen on May18/19th.

Last year, the company announced that it would partner ESB International in taking forward plans to develop a tidal energy farm of up to 100MW off the Antrim coast, and secured approval for a lease from The Crown Estate to deploy a 99MW tidal farm in waters off the Orkney Islands The company plans to have its first phase of SeaGen tidal turbines deployed there during 2017 with the whole scheme operational by 2020.

To view a film about MCT and its SeaGen tidal technology, please visit http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9_0dJlw9AsI .  The company's website is www.marineturbines.com

Green Growth in the UK- EIC's Executive Director gives his views

Jonny Mulligan, Executive Director of the Environmental Industries Commission writes about green growth in the UK economy.  Jonny has recently joined the EIC (www.eic-uk.co.uk) and in February gave oral evidence to the Commons Environmental Audit Committee about the proposed Green Investment Bank.


Economic growth and the Environment: it’s not either/or.

In 2009, George Osborne highlighted the need to “bring to an end the stale argument that we have to choose between economic growth and the environment.”

He was right. But in order to achieve this, we now need joined-up thinking and a united voice. Green growth depends on a partnership effort between government and industry, ensuring that all their departments work together in a common cause for the greater good.  It is important that the chancellor remembers this as he prepares for his 2011 budget.

We urgently need a fully integrated environmental policy-making framework that pulls together innovative finance and pollution taxation, job creation and R&D, where the over-arching objective is significant behavioural change.

Data is now emerging that indicates that environmental climate change policies are working.

Lord Adair Turner, Chairman of the Committee on Climate Change, has also noted how the economic downturn is already playing its part. “This [the downturn] is obviously good for the environment but also gives us a false sense of achievement if this is not backed up by real policy change and action by Government”.

I agree with Lord Turner. I believe government must continue to put in place progressive new policies and regulations which protect and improve the environment. We need grown-up policies and realistic regulations designed to encourage and reward innovation.

We need to build greater trust between government and industry. Government should allow industry to improve its environmental stewardship and resource-efficiency in peace. If this trust is abused, government should act quickly and decisively in imposing penalties in order to drive change.

Execution of such a strategy will inevitably induce positive changes in production and in society’s behaviour. To stimulate change in industrial practices, we must honour the principle that the ‘polluter must pay’. Experience has shown that, without regulation, short-term profit enjoys a higher priority than the future of the planet!

The success of the 1996 landfill tax, the EU:ETS and the London Low Emissions Zone are all examples of how regulation does bring positive change. Policymakers need to clearly learn and understand the integration of economic and environmental policy. They need to dust down their copies of 'Blueprint for a Green Economy (1989)’, also known as "The Pearce Report" and apply it to the challenges that we face today.

Government and policymakers must encourage industry to focus on the minimal use of natural resources, including fossil fuel, and to invest in the R&D that will make business ‘greener’. If business refuses to take action then they must simply be regulated.

Knowledge and skills developed from recent experiences must be captured and passed on to new generations of employees.

The highest quality leadership, both individual and corporate, capable must be identified and incentivised to drive the ‘new green economy’ forward, supported by strategic investment and responsible risk-taking.

Policy Priorities

The top strategic priority for government and industry must be to put in a place a strong and transparent regulatory framework, designed to support the development of a world-leading environmental policy. This will drive change in our industrial practices and build  the confidence necessary to attract fresh investment in the sector.

The second practical priority must be to enforce the legislation which is already on the statute books, using the existing Environmental Agency and Local Authorities.

The third major issue on our wish-list must be this: For the Government itself to use its unique opportunity to lead by example.

The Government is the UK’s largest landlord and holds the biggest institutional property portfolio in the UK – just think of the schools, of schools and hospitals for start. As a result, it is also currently the biggest carbon emitter and is the single most guilty perpetrator of resource-mismanagement and waste.

If the Government genuinely wants change then it must to lead from the front.

Talk is cheap. Actions must match words. Ministerial speeches must be accountable, not just for effect.

It can start doing this immediately by ensuring that:
•             all government departments, local authorities and government funded organisations operate in ‘green energy efficient’ buildings
•             manage their upstream and downstream waste and resources
•             implement full sustainable procurement programmes across its operational and supply chains.

The Government must take these steps now. Only by doing so can it maintain its credibility on the international stage and punch way above its weight in global climate change negotiations.  It is only by doing this that this government will be the ‘greenest government ever'.

Petrofac takes stake in Gateway Gas Storage

Petrofac, the international oil & gas facilities service provider, has acquired a 20% interest in Gateway, a client of Taylor Keogh since 2005. Petrofac has joined Gateway as the technical project operator and will be jointly responsible for developing the project ahead of a Final Investment Decision later this year. The front end engineering and design phase of the project has been completed and the focus is now turning towards finalising the consortium of storage capacity holders and investors. Gateway Storage is targeting 2016 for the commencement of storage services to the UK energy market.

When built, Gateway Storage will be one of the UK’s largest salt cavern storage facilities and will add nearly 30% to the current gas storage capacity in the UK market, sufficient to meet five days of Britain’s average gas demand. 

Investment in new storage capacity as a means to bolster the UK’s long-term energy security has been a recurring issue within Parliament for some time. The Government’s Energy Bill, currently proceeding through Parliament, proposes to give additional powers to OFGEM to ensure that this capacity enters the market, but a number of politicians in both Houses have expressed the view that an enhanced Public Service Obligation on gas suppliers would be a better way to incentivise the investment that needs to be made if Gateway and other storage projects are to be built in good time.

For additional information on Gateway, please visit www.gatewaystorage.co.uk

UK Electricity Market Reform: an independent viewpoint

The formal consultation on the Government’s Electricity Market Reforms is now closed. The proposals, which seek to encourage investment in low-carbon generation, have attracted much comment and indeed criticism from a number of quarters, in and outside the energy industry

Carlton Power has been involved in the UK power generation market for more than 15 years and has been involved in the construction of more than 1800MW of installed generation capacity and 2380MW of consented plant in the UK. The company originated the 890MW Langage gas-fired power station in Devon, which is now owned and operated by Centrica, and is partnering Ireland’s ESB International on the Carrington 2 CCGT near Manchester.

Mike Benson (pictured) a director of Carlton Power, gives his view on the EMR and the steps that he wishes to see in the UK energy market:

What would be your ideal energy mix for the UK?

I think we need a robust mix of competitive technologies, including renewables, new nuclear and of course Gas CCGT. We all recognize the need to move towards a lower carbon industry, which is why gas is replacing much of the retiring coal powered generation. Gas remains an attractive option for many reasons, it has the fastest lead time, is a large scale generator, it is economically viable and new CCGT plants lower the UK carbon profile.

What issues do you think the EMR should address?

The EMR is primarily addressing issues such as new nuclear, renewable subsidies and getting an energy market in these areas that is attractive for investors. But we believe that another priority has to be creating a more competitive market, one that is open and transparent. If those issues aren’t addressed, then consumers and taxpayers will be paying more than necessary in the coming years and the UK will struggle to produce the new generating capacity that everyone agrees is required.

If the EMR could fix one issue, what should it be?

New capacity and renewable deployment are necessary, but the most important change should be market liquidity. At the moment, the UK is geared towards the ‘Big Six’, and that needs to change, the wholesale markets needs to be reformed.

What benefits would greater competition bring to consumers?

There has been a 43% rise in energy bills for consumers in the period 2008 – 2011, which represents a huge increase and has led to two investigations by Ofgem. Much of the problem comes from the fact that the current wholesale market lacks transparency about their pricing and transactions. Introducing further competition throughout the market would create competitive pricing for consumers and industry and encourage new investors to enter the market.

How would you bring more competition into the energy markets?

By re-introducing self-supply license conditions. An SSLC would ensure greater competition between retail and generation which would free up all areas of the energy market. This would guarantee the ‘Big 6’ could not just rely on their own generation and would create a wholesale market with greater liquidity, ensuring investors could enter more readily, would be better monitored and we would have proper competition. Emissions would also reduce as genuine competition favours more efficient plants.

For a copy of Carlton Power's EMR submission, please contact Taylor Keogh Communications. 

Energy from waste on Teesside

Air Products has submitted plans to build a 49MW energy from waste plant on Teesside. The proposed scheme, which requires approval from Stockton Council and an environmental permitting consent from the Environment Agency, will use advanced gasification technology to convert pre-processed waste to baseload power.

The proposed Tees Valley Renewable Energy Facility was announced last summer, and subject to planning approval and financing, the Air Products facility is targeted to enter commercial operation in 2014.

Taylor Keogh’s work has included stakeholder and community consultation (including public exhibitions), press relations and website/literature development. www.airproducts.co.uk/teesvalley

The work of the Energy Select Committee

Whilst all select committees earn the moniker ‘influential’ in the media, the reputation of the House of Commons Energy and Climate Change Committee reputation is gaining within Westminster, as it investigates a host of issues, whilst keeping ministers and officials on their toes. They have been quizzed regularly by the Committee, chaired by Tim Yeo, most recently on March 15th with regard to the EMR.

The Committee has been active in their publications, having released reports on emissions performance, national policy statements, as well as deepwater drilling in response to the Gulf of Mexico oil spill, a report that included a probing session with former BP CEO Tony Hayward.

Under Tim Yeo’s chairmanship, the Committee has real momentum and with a new batch of MPs, it combines a wide variety of interests and experience. Yeo and his Vice-chair Dr Alan Whitehead are both experienced and deeply knowledgeable of the energy sector, as well as being very pro-renewable, a category the former DEFRA and DTI minister Barry Gardiner also falls within.

The sole Liberal Democrat representative is Sir Robert Smith. Labour MPs Albert Owen and John Robertson share interests in nuclear, with the latter being Chair of the Party Group for Nuclear, although both have been strong advocates of renewables.

The rest of the committee is made up from newly elected Conservatives, all of whom have already impressed in the committee. Security of the UK’s energy supply is a constant thread running through the questioning from Dan Byles, Dr Phillip Lee, Christopher Pincher and Laura Sandys.

With Committee reports on the Electricity Market Reform, energy security and shale gas due to be released, and with a wide ranging Energy Bill expected later this year, the Committee certainly has the opportunity to be genuinely considered influential in 2011.

Taylor Keogh strengthens team

Bethan Halls (pictured) joined Taylor Keogh in January to strengthen our media and stakeholder relations work for our clients. Bethan has worked in PR consultancy for the past five years, working on energy and climate change issues, and before that she worked in Parliament.

We have also added to our associate consultant team whom we call upon for specific assignments. Helena Douglas became an associate of Taylor Keogh at the start of the year. Much of her career was at The Economist and now as a freelance writer, Helena work includes researching and writing business case studies, articles and website copywriting. Her primary interests are in sustainable energy and green technology. For details of our other senior-level associates, please visit www.taylorkeogh.com.

In Scotland, Taylor Keogh has an alliance with Budge PR (www.budgepr.com) and in Northern Ireland the company is working with Resolute Public Affairs (www.resolutepa.com).