Taylor Keogh Communications - London, UK

Marine Energy: an industrial growth opportunity

2011-10-13T16:03:00.002+01:00

The Government will shortly publish its review of ROCs banding for renewables and the Energy & Climate Change Select Committee will be turning their attention to marine energy when Parliament returns. Dr Andrew Tyler, who was recently appointed Chief Executive of tidal technology company, Marine Current Turbines, gives his perspective on the main steps that need to be taken to industrialise marine energy in this country.

As a country with one of the largest marine energy resources in the world, the UK has the very real potential to be a global leader in this emerging part of the renewables sector. The DECC roadmap believes that the UK can deliver 300MW by 2020. Currently the UK’s position at the front is a fragile one and the next two to three years will be crucial to secure this advantage. Furthermore, there is a huge potential for export, which carries with it enormous benefits for UK manufacturing.

The future of the industry will need funding of a different magnitude to which it has received thus far if it is to secure the transition from developmental to commercial scale deployment. This will require public funding and the right policy framework to simultaneously attract the very necessary private investment. This must happen within the next three years if the industry is to succeed.

MCT developed and installed the world’s first commercial-scale tidal current turbine, SeaGen, in Northern Ireland’s Strangford Lough thanks to government grant support in tandem with private investment. Since 2008, the 1.2MW SeaGen has been harnessing the predictable and regular tides to generate electricity into the local grid. As a demonstration plant, MCT has been able to learn from SeaGen’s operation, make improvements and develop the technology to the point where it is now ready to be deployed on a much wider and commercial scale.

Whilst MCT has already completed the development stage and has a tidal product ready for commercial deployment, we are the only company to have reached this next stage. Presently, there are a number of technologies that are entering their development phase and if marine projects are to be deployed on a commercial basis, investors need a clear signal that they will see a return on their investments and 5 ROCs would deliver this.

All new technologies are expensive and require public support initially until they are able to commercialise when economies of scale will mean that they can become profitable without subsidies. All conventional forms of energy generation relied on government support during their developmental stages; indeed the nuclear industry still requires this support. For marine, there is solid evidence to confirm that costs will become competitive once a few large scale projects have been successfully rolled out.

MCT has plans to roll out two commercial scale tidal arrays in UK waters over the coming years, provided we see the right level of investment. We believe that the initial ROC costs will remain relatively very small in the context of the UK renewable energy market but that the ROC benefits will ultimately be very high if they can kick off a major new industry – one that enables marine to deliver a meaningful and low-carbon part of the UK’s energy mix, generate new jobs and export opportunities for British firms.

Marine Current Turbines (www.marineturbines.com) is based in Bristol. Its main shareholders include Carbon Trust Investments, EDF Energy, ESB International and Siemens Energy. MCT is developing, in partnership with RWE npower renewables, the 10MW Skerries tidal project off Anglesey, an 8MW tidal farm in Kyle Rhea (Scotland’s Isle of Skye) and is working with Minas Basin Pulp & Power to deploy a single SeaGen tidal system in Canada’s Bay of Fundy. In addition, MCT has an approval for a lease from The Crown Estate to deploy a 100MW tidal farm off the Orkney Islands.

For further information, please contact Andrew Tyler via andrew.tyler@marineturbines.com or Taylor Keogh.

Smart Metering: it’s not too late to take a different approach

2011-10-13T16:03:00.000+01:00

Whilst the benefits of smart metering are obvious, there are still widespread concerns about the cost and timescale for the roll-out across the UK. In this article, Hans Kristiansen, Chief Executive of smart meter firm Orsis (UK) Ltd (www.orsis.co.uk) is urging the UK Government to adopt a far simpler and less costly approach.

The impending smart meter rollout programme is not in any way simple. In fact it's the opposite. It looks like being highly complex. And complex things tend to follow one rule of management, "if things can go wrong, they usually will".

The current specification is far too complicated and over-specified. And the speed at which technology advances means that much of the technology involved will have to be updated regularly (or put another way, will quickly become obsolete).

Over-specified products cost more and break down more often. Every household in the UK already has an abundance of domestic appliances, from TVs to washing machines, that are overly complex and therefore need expensive maintenance and repairs. Hand on heart, have you ever used all 30 programs on your washing machine?

The UK's track record in implementing large-scale IT projects will not fill householders with confidence either - the NHS National Programme for IT is a £12.7 billion project that is already four years behind schedule. But the smart meter project is too important to our long-term energy security to let it fail.

The operation of the home area network is a largely unknown area too. And contradictory statements have already been made about what it will and what it won't be able to deliver - including the ability to manage individual appliances remotely.

This truly is a leap into the dark that introduces an unnecessarily high level of risk. Surely an existing, tried and trusted solution would be more appropriate?

Smart metering alone will not improve the change of supplier process. There are currently 38 steps in the process, and the provision of an actual read will not resolve all of these issues. In fact, the consumer transfer programme (CTP) completed by the Energy Retail Association in 2005 revealed that it was possible to have a much improved change of supplier process without an actual read.

The CTP also recognised that the single biggest cause of failure in the change of supplier process was data quality. Recommendations were made to improve this, but they have never been implemented. Simply changing the meter and providing an actual read will not resolve all of the problems. There are many stages in the process that must be examined before the change of supplier experience improves for the consumer.

Experience in other countries is already indicating that a rollout of smart metering is far from simple and that consumers will resist change unless they understand it. In the Netherlands, 20% of consumers refused to have a smart meter which has led to the establishment of a “switched off” smart meter, where the functionality exists but is not used! We are far from sure that all consumers in the UK understand what smart metering means to them, how to use it effectively, and we’re almost certain they don’t know what it’s going to cost them in addition to already rising fuel costs.

Orsis has additional concerns on the feasibility of rolling out this many meters in only 5 years. The initial rollout was to take 10 years, but due to huge delays in decision making, this has been squeezed to half that. There simply isn’t the workforce available to install this many meters in that short a period of time, and that shortage can mean one of two things – poor quality of service or rising costs. In Sweden, some 70% of installations occurred in the final 18 months of the programme; if that happens here, then the deadline of 2019 looks even more “aspirational” rather than achievable. And DECC have already suggested that this deadline be brought forward to the early part of 2019!

Much of the benefits of smart metering to the consumer are said to be in reduced energy consumption as a result of having an In Home Display device to inform them how much, and when, they use their energy. The success of these devices in producing significant and lasting changes to a consumers’ energy usage is still unproven. I am genuinely concerned that once the “novelty factor” of these devices wears off, or the batteries need replacing, consumers will consign them to a kitchen drawer never to be seen again. The lasting reduction in their energy bills will simply not happen.

Orsis is the UK division of China’s Revenco Enterprises which has extensive experience of metering. It is shortly to roll out smart meters to more than 27 million households in Guangdong. That is equivalent to installing over half of the 53 million smart meters in the UK's programme. Despite the enormous strides that the Chinese have made in developing their country, the Chinese revere simplicity. Throughout their long history, they have understood that simple things cost less and usually work first time. They work for longer and when they go wrong, they can be quickly put right. Let's take a leaf out of their book and make smart meters simple.

For further information, please contact Hans at hansk@orsis.co.uk or Mike Harrison at Taylor Keogh.

Gas security – UK manufacturing urges action

2011-10-13T16:02:00.000+01:00

The UK Government must set a timetable for new gas storage capacity to commit to construction and ensure the country can maintain its energy security during gas supply shocks and volatility associated with intermittent wind power generation. This is the main conclusion from an independent survey of some of the UK’s largest users of gas, commissioned by a cross-section of interested parties involved in the UK gas industry, including EEF The Manufacturers’ Organisation, the Energy Intensive Users Group and the Chemical Industries Association.

The majority of the companies surveyed, representing 12.5% of UK manufacturing industry’s annual gas demand and including INEOS, Tata Steel, Outokumpu and GrowHow, also said that the UK Government should establish an enhanced storage Public Service Obligation, which requires utilities to hold in store a set proportion of their gas sales and is common throughout mainland Europe.

The survey also indicated that companies do not believe that OFGEM’s new gas balancing plan, designed to deliver more gas storage, will work. On the contrary, it may result in intensive process manufacturing companies prioritising mainland Europe over the UK for future investment because companies require a high security of gas supplies. The Government’s current plans still envisage the possibility of future gas supply interruption, accompanied by uncertain levels of compensation.

Steve Radley, Director of Policy at EEF The Manufacturers’ Organisation, said: “This survey highlights the importance industrial gas users place on the physical security of energy supplies and the role that storage plays in delivering it. Manufacturers see compensation as a last resort and not as a solution to the growing gas security challenge. So the survey is a challenge to both the government and the regulator to address the barriers which are holding back investment in this crucial area.”

Laura Cohen, Chief Executive of the British Ceramic Confederation and a member of the Energy Intensive Users Group said: “The ceramic industry, and indeed other sectors of the British economy, relies upon secure and affordable energy supplies. Whilst our members are constantly seeking ways to improve the energy efficiency of their operations, interruptions to gas supplies are financially catastrophic to their business.

“OFGEM’s current proposals to amend the gas market framework and indeed the Government’s own statements about more pipeline and LNG import capacity do not give our members sufficient assurances about their long-tem energy security. More physical storage capacity needs to start being built in the UK market within the next two years and there needs to be a requirement for gas suppliers to have sufficient contingency reserves. This contributes to more stable prices and a more stable environment for UK manufacturing.”

Jeremy Nicholson, Director of the Energy Intensive Users Group said: “This survey highlights the importance industrial gas users place on the physical security of their energy supplies and shows how critical a factor storage would be in supporting availability of gas in a distress situation. It is vital that the government and OFGEM take the opportunity to address the barriers which are holding back investment in this crucial area. Inadequate regulatory oversight failed in the case of the financial sector and we are determined this is not allowed to happen with the country’s critical energy supplies.”

The UK Gas Security survey was undertaken by the research company ComRes Ltd, between June and August 2011, in collaboration with Taylor Keogh. The survey report was also supported by the British Ceramic Confederation, the British Glass Manufacturers Confederation, the Food & Drink Federation and the Confederation of Paper Industries.

For a copy of the survey, please contact Paul Taylor at Taylor Keogh.

Infrastructure planning: success is in the preparation

2011-10-13T16:01:00.000+01:00

As project developers grapple with the regime of the Infrastructure Planning Commission and questions are asked of the Government’s planning reforms, Howard Bassford and Benjamin Dove-Seymour of DLA Piper UK LLP's national planning team, offer their thoughts on planning success for Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects.

The Planning Act 2008 (PA 2008) provides promoters of major infrastructure projects with a one-stop consents shop for Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIPs). In many ways the PA 2008 adopts better aspects of other consenting regimes: promoters can draw on past experience and existing best-practice, but they also need to adopt and understand a new and different approach.

Even though the Planning Bill will merge the IPC into the Planning Inspectorate, there are still some valuable lessons to be learned about the process, which is likely to survive the change more-or-less intact.

Sea change or all at sea?
It is old news now that the PA 2008 was introduced by the last government to try to address some of the inefficiencies perceived as being inherent in the existing (at the time) planning system. The Heathrow Terminal 5 inquiry was just one in a string of examples that showed up how unfit the system was for dealing with nationally important infrastructure projects.

Feelings about the PA 2008 system are mixed. Part of that is, no doubt, due it being new. And part of it is probably because of the uncertainty that surrounded the new system when the Conservative party was adamant that it would be abolished. In fact, the Planning Bill will not simply ditch the PA 2008. While it remains to be seen what the Government will do with the detail of changes - which will be left to statutory instruments - most expectations are that this seems more of a window-dressing exercise. The Government has already adopted several National Policy Statements as required under the PA 2008 and parliamentary time - and industry-appetite - for a whole new system is distinctly limited. And put into the context of the Government's drive to replace the existing system of guidance with the National Planning Policy Framework, it looks like the NSIP system is here to stay.

One of the chief complaints about the new system is that it is not necessarily quicker or cheaper. This might derive from the fact that the PA 2008 puts such a great emphasis on pre-application activities. However, the PA 2008 was never meant to make life easy; it is still focussed on making the right decisions. Looking back to the Heathrow Terminal 5 example, it is best to see the PA 2008 as trying to put the lid on long, expensive, and uncertain planning inquiries. Our experience of the first examination process is that the Commissioners wanted to do just that. The key, therefore, is in preparation.

Front Loading
Front-loading is a project-management buzz word that is probably used too often. However, it is one of the defining principles embodied in the IPC process and possibly represents the biggest change to the myriad of previous consenting regimes.

The emphasis in the Planning Act 2008 (PA 2008) is on refining a project before an application is made - in particular through consultation - so that the examination process is as smooth and efficient as possible. There are plenty of examples of applications under former regimes which were simply not ready for the rigours of an inquiry process - the IPC is firmly against this. In addition, many projects were assembled for an application in a consultation vaccum - stakeholders had very limited idea about proposals. Previously, there was limited expectation that differences of opinion, or changes to design, would need to be ironed out before an application was made. After all, there would be a chance to give evidence and cross-examine. That is not to say that promoters ignored consultation - such an assertion would not be fair. Many projects have over the past few years had a smooth ride principally because of the proactive and responsible approach that promoters have taken to getting stakeholders on board, if not on side.

The key difference under the IPC is that extensive consultation is no longer a matter of choice, it is a statutory requirement. Arguably, the PA 2008 and the various regulations and guidance probably do no more than codify existing best-practice. However, there are two risks in failing to understand the importance of the change: one is that an application is not accepted because of inadequate consultation. This has already happened to one project and it turned out to be a costly mistake - in terms of programme and money. And secondly, inadequate consultation will create an Achilles heel that can dog an application throughout the process, inviting unhelpful comments from those opposed to a scheme who feel that consultation has been inadequate.

It is not just a question of getting consultation right: the application must be right too. Applicants cannot rely on being able to change things once an application has been made. Indeed, the IPC has stated its view that it has no express power to accept alterations to a scheme. Further, applicants should not anticipate that their opportunity to justify their case - and undo that of their opponents - will arise with an opportunity for examination in chief and cross examination. This means that application documents must set out a case in full and objections must be full as well.

Sir Michael Pitt, now chairman of the Planning Inspectorate, has emphasised the need to "lawyer" application documents. Rather than simply promoting the work of planning lawyers, what is being driven at is that an applicant should treat its application documents as its case for the Project. The application is not merely the start of the process. It is the fruition of consultation and the basis of the examination process. Applicants should not take risks: an application needs to be as watertight as possible by making sure that it is robust and of good quality. There is no benefit and greatly enhanced risk in leaving things to chance.

Role reversal
It is worth understanding that the IPC sees the pre-application process as being driven by the applicant. It is the applicant's responsibility to comply with the requirements in the Planning Act and related guidance. Although the IPC will give advice on request, it is rarely definitive: the IPC believes that it is up to applicants to get things right.

Once an application is accepted by the IPC, the emphasis changes with the examination process being driven by the IPC. Compared to a traditional planning inquiry, the IPC adopts much more control than a planning inspector. For example, the written representation process is focussed around responding to the IPC's written questions. Similarly, the IPC will only hold hearings on areas where it considers that oral submissions will help it and even then it will identify the topics to be discussed. It will also decide when cross-examination would be helpful. Otherwise, it will rely on application documents and written representations.

This leads to a much more focussed examination process but also one that is, really, out of the applicants hands: the opportunity to influence and dominate the examination process through examination in chief and cross examination has largely gone. In a similar way, there is almost no scope to introduce new information, except where this is requested or can be done through the written representation process. As a result, much of the standard practice from traditional planning inquiries does not apply to IPC examinations.

In particular, the often sedate approach to preparing proofs of evidence and enjoying - or enduring - planning inquiries is a thing of the past when it comes to NSIPs. The standard examination period is 6 months. For promoters and their consultant teams this means pretty much six months of non-stop preparation of written representations (both answering written questions and responses to third parties) and a series of issue specific hearings. The need to commit resources and the time required should not be underestimated: it is a very intensive period.

Approached in the right way, there is much to commend the system for approving NSIPs. There are also a number of things not to take for granted. Doubtless over time a body of NSIP experience will develop among. Let's hope that Government lets this happen before changing it all again.

Howard Bassford is a partner and Benjamin Dove-Seymour is an associate in DLA Piper's national planning team (www.dlapiper.com). The team's recent projects include a resource recovery facility for Covanta Energy in Bedfordshire (the first NSIP to go through an examination under the PA 2008), the Mersey Gateway Project (a new tolled road bridge across the River Mersey), a major expansion of the Port of Felixstowe and a new post-panamax container terminal at Bathside Bay, Harwich for Hutchison Ports (UK) Limited. The team is also promoting further NSIPs, one in collaboration with Taylor Keogh.

Planning approval for Air Products

2011-10-13T15:59:00.002+01:00

Air Products has secured planning permission for its Tees Valley Renewable Energy Facility. The 49MW advanced gasification energy from waste scheme, located near Billingham on Teesside will convert pre-processed household and commercial waste currently going to landfill into baseload, renewable power for up to 50,000 homes in the North East. It is Air Products’ first advanced gasification energy scheme to be developed in the UK and on the back of this success, the company intends to develop more advanced gasification projects in the UK.

The project was first announced in July 2010 and subject to the financing of the project and securing environmental permitting consent from the Environment Agency, work on site should start in the first half of 2012, with commercial operations starting in 2014.

Taylor Keogh managed the community and stakeholder consultation programme on behalf of Air Products (www.airproducts.co.uk/teesvalley)

IndiGo: affordable solar power for the developing world

2011-10-13T15:58:00.002+01:00

Cambridge clean-tech company, Eight19, has launched IndiGo, a revolutionary pay-as-you-go, personal solar electricity system for the developing world. By combining solar and mobile phone technology, the IndiGo solar electricity system is inexpensive to buy and allows users to light their homes and charge mobile phones as a service, paid for using scratchcards. IndiGo consists of a low-cost solar panel, a battery unit with inbuilt mobile phone charger and a high efficiency LED lamp. Users put credit on their IndiGo device using a scratchcard, which is validated over SMS using a standard mobile phone

Customer trials are now underway in Kenya and will be extended to Zambia, Malawi and the Indian sub-continent over the next 3 months. The commercial roll-out of IndiGo will start early next year.

Steve Andrews, CEO of the Solar Aid charity said: “Solar energy offers huge economic, health and social benefits to the world’s poorest people; for lighting and mobile phone charging. Eight19’s technology opens up these benefits to many more people. This is a major breakthrough.”

“We are very encouraged by this new way of delivering energy to off-grid applications in emerging markets” said Simon Bransfield-Garth, CEO of Eight19. ‘Indigo enables a new generation of solar power products that are affordable, providing customers with access, often for the first time, to clean low cost energy that eliminates the health risks and carbon emissions of kerosene.”

For further information, please visit www.eight19.com or contact Bethan Halls at Taylor Keogh.

ALSTOM makes first-ever investment in wave energy

2011-10-13T15:57:00.002+01:00

Alstom, a global leader in power generation, power transmission and rail infrastructure has invested in Taylor Keogh client, AWS Ocean Energy Ltd, one of the country’s leading wave energy companies. Alstom has acquired a 40% equity stake in AWS, enabling it to expand its operations and accelerate the development of its wave power technology.

AWS’s lead product is the AWS-III, a multi-MW offshore wave energy generator evolved from the award-winning Archimedes Waveswing ™ technology, first deployed and tested in Portugal in 2004. A 1/9th scale prototype of the AWS-III was trialled in 2010 in Scotland’s Loch Ness and the company plans to deploy and test a full size single cell of the AWS-III multi-cell prototype next year and aiming to deploy their first AWS-III in 2013/14 and a 10MW wave farm by 2016. (www.awsocean.com).

Marine Current Turbines kicks off first tidal array for Wales

2011-03-24T15:18:00.000Z

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

2011-03-21T17:09:00.001Z

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

2011-03-09T09:25:00.001Z

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

2011-03-07T16:03:00.001Z

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

2011-03-07T11:39:00.004Z

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

2011-03-07T11:39:00.003Z

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

2011-03-07T11:39:00.000Z

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

2011-03-07T11:38:00.002Z

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

2011-03-07T11:38:00.000Z

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).

Client News- GATEWAY GAS STORAGE SECURES NEW INVESTOR: PETROFAC ACQUIRES 20% INTEREST

2010-12-06T09:36:00.003Z

Gateway Storage Company Ltd, the developer of the 1.5bn cubic metre salt cavern gas storage facility in the East Irish Sea, is pleased to announce that Petrofac, the international oil & gas facilities service provider, has acquired a 20% interest in the company.

Petrofac will join Gateway as the technical project operator and will be jointly responsible for developing the project ahead of a Final Investment Decision next year (2011). Petrofac will be represented on the Gateway Board. The company’s investment in Gateway is based on a cash consideration of up to £33million over time, funded from cash resources. This is split into a fixed upfront payment and additional contingent payments subject to key project development milestones being achieved, including the outcome of a further successful equity sales process.

The front end engineering and design (FEED) phase of the project is nearing completion and the focus of Gateway Storage will now turn to project execution and finalisation of 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. It secured the UK Department of Energy & Climate Change’s first ever Storage Licence in February 2010 after obtaining the main planning and environmental consents and permits in late 2008.

George Grant, Chairman of Gateway Storage Company Ltd said: “Gateway is the most advanced gas storage project in the UK that has not yet committed to construction, so we are delighted to have an organisation with the execution and operational track record of Petrofac to take the project forward through to financing and into construction. As one of the world’s leading service providers to the oil and gas industries, Petrofac’s experience will be invaluable in realising the project’s significant and strategic benefits to the UK and Irish energy markets.”

Rob Jewkes, Managing Director, Petrofac Energy Developments commented: “Petrofac is pleased to join with Gateway to progress this strategically important and well advanced storage project. With FEED activities largely complete, we are entering the project at this stage to bring confidence to the investor group that execution and delivery objectives for the complete facilities can be met, and will utilise the full capabilities of our group to optimise the facility design and deliver the project.”

For further information contact:

Gateway Storage Company Ltd (www.gatewaystorage.co.uk)

George Grant, Chairman +44 (0)131 550 3380

ggrant@stagenergy.com

Paul Taylor (Taylor Keogh Communications) +44 (0)203 170 8465 / 07966 782611

paul@taylorkeogh.com

Petrofac

Tulchan Communications Group Ltd +44 (0)20 7353 4200

James Bradley

David Allchurch

petrofac@tulchangroup.com

Notes to Editors

Gateway Storage (www.gatewaystorage.co.uk)

Gateway Storage Company Limited plans to build an underground natural gas storage facility in the East Irish Sea, approximately 25 km (15 miles) offshore, south west of Barrow-in-Furness. Storage caverns will be developed in a natural salt structure below the seabed and will enable gas to be delivered, stored and then returned to the UK’s national transmission system.

The offshore facility will provide a significant boost to the security of energy supply in the UK gas market and will help to meet the strategic energy policy objectives of the UK government. When completed, the caverns will have a working capacity of 1.5 billion standard cubic metres (~560 million therms), adding nearly 30% to the current gas storage capacity in the UK market.

Gateway Storage is a company that was formed to develop the gas storage project and is managed by Stag Energy. Stag Energy (www.stagenergy.com) is an independent company, headquartered in Edinburgh. The company, established in 2002, has extensive experience of managing the development, construction and operations of gas storage and power generation projects in the UK and overseas.

Petrofac (www.petrofac.com)

Petrofac is a leading international provider of facilities solutions to the oil & gas production and processing industry, with a diverse customer portfolio including many of the world’s leading integrated, independent and national oil & gas companies. Petrofac is quoted on the London Stock Exchange (symbol: PFC) and is a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index.

The group delivers services through seven business units: Engineering & Construction, Engineering & Construction Ventures, Engineering Services, Offshore Engineering & Operations, Training Services, Production Solutions and Energy Developments.

Through these businesses Petrofac designs and builds oil & gas facilities; operates, maintains and manages facilities and trains personnel; enhances production; and, where it can leverage its service capability, develops and co-invests in upstream and infrastructure projects. Petrofac’s range of services meets its customers’ needs across the full life cycle of oil & gas assets.

With around 12,500 employees, Petrofac operates out of six strategically located operational centres, in Aberdeen, Sharjah, Woking, Chennai, Mumbai and Abu Dhabi and a further 19 offices worldwide. The predominant focus of Petrofac’s business is on the UK Continental Shelf (UKCS), the Middle East and Africa, the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) and the Asia Pacific region.

Client News-MARINE CURRENT TURBINES AIMING FOR FIRST TIDAL ENERGY FARM IN SCOTLAND BY 2013

2010-12-02T10:49:00.001Z

UK tidal energy company, Marine Current Turbines, is targeting 2013 to install Scotland’s first tidal energy farm. The company, which designed and deployed the world’s first commercial scale offshore tidal stream energy system in Northern Ireland’s Strangford Lough, is investigating the feasibility of a tidal 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 in the Highlands & Islands by harnessing the power of the fast tidal currents that pass through Kyle Rhea 14 hours a day. It will also give a multi-million pound boost to the Highlands & Islands economy as local businesses can expect 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 (part of the Scottish Government) and raising the finance for the project. Marine Current Turbines (MCT) estimates that the cost of the 5MW Kyle Rhea scheme, consisting of four SeaGen tidal units, will be £35million.

For the past nine months, MCT has undertaken a series of environmental and technical studies and consulted a range of local and national organisations. The work to date has confirmed the suitability of the site and subject to further studies being carried out and further consultations, MCT aims to submit a planning application towards the end of next year (2011).

MCT, with the support of the environmental consultancy Royal Haskoning (based in Edinburgh), has already consulted a range of organisations about its plans including the Highland Council and local councillors, Marine Scotland, the Maritime & Coastguard Agency, the Northern Lighthouse Board, the RSPB, the Scottish Wildlife Trust, the Glenelg and Arnisdale Development Trust and the RNLI based at Kyle of Lochalsh.

David Ainsworth, MCT’s Project Manager for the Kyle Rhea project, said: “Engagement with local interests is an important part of our work and so far the response to our plans has been generally positive. Our experience of working in Strangford Lough has been hugely valuable in taking forward our plans for Kyle Rhea, and has helped assure people about the impacts of deploying our technology.

Next year, we will hold a public exhibition in Glenelg before our planning application is finalised to give local people the opportunity to find out more about the project and the benefits that it will bring.”

If the Kyle Rhea tidal project is approved and financed, the scheme will not only generate clean energy but also give local firms the chance to be involved in the tidal farm’s installation and operation. In Northern Ireland, a number of local companies such as marine support vessels, engineering and electrical contractors, civil engineers, environmental scientists and divers as well as local hotels, pubs and restaurants have benefited from MCT’s Strangford Lough project. It is estimated that the project has contributed more than £4million into the Northern Irish economy over the past three years.

As well as retaining the services of Royal Haskoning (with regard to consultations with the regulatory authorities and the environmental studies), other Scottish firms that have been being involved in the project to date are the Aberdeen office of Partrac and SMRU Ltd based in St Andrews. Scotland’s Burntisland Fabrications constructed the quadropod structure that supports the single SeaGen in Strangford Lough.

UK-wide client services

2010-11-19T17:00:00.001Z

Taylor Keogh is working with its clients across the UK but to further strengthen its services it has recently entered partnership agreements with PR consultancies in Scotland and Northern Ireland, both of whom have strong track records in the energy sector. In Scotland, Taylor Keogh has forged an alliance with Budge PR (www.budgepr.com) and in Northern Ireland the company is working with Resolute Public Affairs, a consultancy recently established by Terry McErlane (www.resolutepa.com).

Budge PR and Taylor Keogh have worked together with AWS Ocean Energy for the past three years as well as a number of one-off projects for clients.

The partnerships are part of Taylor Keogh’s commitment to provide its clients with the vital experience and skill-set necessary to deliver their objectives. Taylor Keogh is presently recruiting to its London office and will continue to draw upon its network of senior-level associate consultants based across the UK.

Energy from waste on Teesside

2010-11-19T16:58:00.000Z

Taylor Keogh is supporting Air Product’s 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 this summer and it has been welcomed by a number of local organisations including the North East Process Industries Cluster, the North East Chamber of Commerce, Renew@CPI and Tees Valley Unlimited. Subject to planning approval and financing, the Air Products facility is targeted to enter commercial operation in early 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

Harnessing the power of the tides

2010-11-19T16:57:00.000Z

Marine Current Turbines, a client of Taylor Keogh since 2005, continues to lead the way in developing tidal stream energy on a commercial basis. Ranked as the world’s top tidal energy company in The Guardian/Clean Tech Global 100 Survey (2009), the company is building on the success of its SeaGen project in Northern Ireland’s Strangford Lough.

In September, it announced an agreement with ESB International to develop an initial phase of a 100MW tidal energy project off the Antrim coast in Northern Ireland, and the company will shortly submit a planning application to deploy a 10MW tidal farm in waters off Anglesey, in partnership with RWE npower renewables. In March 2010, MCT secured approval for a lease from The Crown Estate to deploy its SeaGen technology off Brough Ness, on the southern most tip of 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.

SeaGen was deployed in Strangford Lough in April 2008; it has the capacity to generate power for the equivalent of about 1500 homes. It works in principle much like an “underwater windmill” with the rotors driven by the power of the tidal currents rather than the wind. SeaGen is accredited by OFGEM as a UK power station and so is a recipient of Renewable Obligation Certificates. www.marineturbines.com

Loch Ness trials for wave energy device

2010-11-19T16:56:00.000Z

Inverness-based wave energy technology, AWS Ocean Energy, has recently completed a series of trials in the waters of Loch Ness for its AWS-III wave energy system. The results are now being evaluated by the company and it is seeking industrial and utility partners to support testing of a single cell wave device in 2011, the launching of a 12-cell pre-commercial demonstrator in 2012 and subsequent commercialisation of its technology. A single utility-scale AWS-III, measuring around 60 metres in diameter, will be capable of generating up to 2.5 MW of continuous power.

Alongside the development of the AWS-III, the company is developing associated, patented technologies such as remote mooring systems and believes there is significant potential for manufacturing key components in Scotland. www.awsocean.com

UK gas storage capacity

2010-11-19T16:55:00.000Z

As part of a wider consultation on electricity market reform, the Government is consulting on measures to encourage additional gas storage capacity in the UK market. The question will be whether these measures, giving OFGEM additional powers and changes to the gas industry’s Uniform Network Code (and to feature in the upcoming Energy Security & Green Economy Bill), will provide the vital spur to the new investment in storage that is required for a number of projects that have been given consent.

Taylor Keogh has supported the Gateway Gas Storage project in the Irish Sea since 2005: it was the first scheme to receive a Storage Licence from the UK Government earlier this year, after it had secured its main planning and environmental consents in 2008. Front end engineering & design, involving teams from AMEC, Senergy and PB Power, is set to be completed before Christmas and steps to secure additional financing for the project are ongoing.

When built, the £600m plus facility will add new capacity equal to approximately 30% of current UK storage capacity, sufficient to meet five days of Britain’s average gas demand. Gateway will comprise 20 salt caverns, each the size of the Albert Hall, and sited approximately 750m beneath the surface of the seabed. Located 15 miles offshore, south west of Barrow-in-Furness, the storage scheme will be connected to the National Gas Transmission System via a new pipeline to a gas compression station adjacent to the existing Morecambe gas terminals at Barrow. The commencement of storage services is targeted for 2014/15. www.gatewaystorage.co.uk

Infrastructure planning & consultation: using 3D animation

2010-11-19T16:54:00.000Z

With community consultation a vital component of the planning process for energy projects, Taylor Keogh works with 3D Web Technologies, one of the UK’s leading computer graphics firm. The company designs interactive computer generated models that allow people to see and understand how new infrastructure projects, such as an onshore or offshore wind farm, a gas-fired power station or overhead pylons, will look against the existing landscape. Over the past 18 months, the company has worked with EDF Energy, E.ON and RWE npower.

Photo-montages, from fixed locations, have been used for many years but this interactive technology offers councils and communities a new way of seeing how projects will actually look.

Visual impact is often given as a main reason why a planning application is refused and 3D’s technology is helping to win applications by assuring people about the impact of a proposed project on their local environment. www.3dwebtech.co.uk

Planning regime gearing up for further change

2010-11-19T16:53:00.001Z

Whilst the Infrastructure Planning Commission is set to continue until possibly as long as April 2012, the planning regime for infrastructure projects is set for further change as the Government seeks to ratify its National Policy Statements (by Spring 2011) and brings forward its Decentralisation & Localism Bill. The Bill will see the abolition of the IPC (to be merged into the Planning Inspectorate), devolution of greater powers to local authorities but with final decisions on major projects resting with the Secretary of State.

Ideally, the Government wants to see the best parts of the 2008 Planning Act (NPSs, statutory timetables and a single consenting regime) to dovetail with the Decentralisation & Localism Bill.

In the autumn of next year, it is conceivable that there will be three different consenting processes running concurrently for major energy projects: (1) applications lodged before the establishment of the IPC still going through the old ‘Section 36’ regime, (2) projects taken forward under the IPC framework: presently 48 out of the 54 projects (of which 80% are energy related) registered with the IPC are still at the pre-application stage and (3) projects that will be processed under the Major Infrastructure Planning Unit regime created by the Decentralisation and Localism Act Bill. This is set to go live in October 2011.

In practice, much of the IPC process and personnel are likely to remain in situ under a new name, with a Secretary of State, rather than an IPC commissioner giving the final seal of approval.

The IPC appears to be working “business as usual”: receiving applications, offering advice to developers and council planners as well as outreach work to local communities. Although the transition period is in their sights, the IPC are hopeful that the first batch of decisions will be made by the middle of next year.

Irrespective of the planning regime that is in place, public consultation is enshrined. Communication has always been a vital part of a successful consents process. Open dialogue with elected representatives and local communities and interest groups has always been necessary but now it is a statutory requirement.

Too often, the myths and fears of a proposed project become the biggest obstacle, and any barrier between the local community and the developer can lead to distrust and disapproval. Similarly, local politicians and officers can be lost straight away if the project is felt to have landed upon them with no warning. A proper introduction, not only to the project but the company as well, can ensure that the merits of any scheme have an increased chance of being heard.

Communication with the local community is vital, no matter how big a development is, as a groundswell against a proposed scheme at local level can be a project killer or at the very least be costly. Genuine dialogue is needed.

Government set to introduce Energy Security Bill

2010-11-19T16:49:00.002Z

The long-awaited Energy Security & Green Economy Bill is expected to be introduced in the House of Lords in the first week of December. The Bill has been widely trailed, and barring any last minute changes, the bulk of the Bill will surround the ‘Green Deal’, changes in the Carbon Emissions Reduction Target and importantly measures to improve the UK’s energy security.

The energy sector is used to the government introducing Energy Bills on a virtually annual basis, but for the Coalition which talks about wanting to be the ‘Greenest Government ever’ the Energy Security & Green Economy Bill will be the first taste of how this important piece of government legislation matches their previous rhetoric.

Since assuming power, the DECC ministerial team has been assiduous in keeping “on message”: on generation, they have been clear in stating their wish to see new nuclear, clean coal and gas, and more renewables (principally offshore wind, though still wishing to have onshore wind and biomass and in the longer-term wave and tidal). Ministers speak of the need to invest more than £200bn over the next decade to transform the country’s energy infrastructure: this will be a challenge given the financial climate, competing priorities for investment, and issues such as regulation and the UK’s planning process.

Looking more closely at the expected content of the Energy Bill, it is aimed at energy companies and suppliers, although the flagship Green Deal policy will require a large public take-up for it not to be considered a failure. The Government is expecting 250,000 new jobs to be created as a result of the Green Deal.

The Green Deal is centred on the premise of increasing the energy efficiency of properties, both domestic and non-domestic, and unlike the Warm Front policy of the previous government, there will be no subsidy for any improvements. Payments for work carried out will be attached to a property’s energy bills, which will then stay with the property, rather than moving with the individual.

It will be the energy company’s responsibility to collect these payments, and works carried out will have to be compliant with government guidelines, the primary one being the improvement will have to have a sufficient payback within the period, ensuring then policy’s “pay as you save” principle.

Another aspect of the Bill will be the creation of the new ‘Energy Company Obligation’, which will replace the Carbon Emissions Reduction Target system that is due to expire in 2012. As a way of ensuring energy efficiency households to fund certain efficiency improvements, the CERT scheme has had some success, but the new obligation is intended to work in unison with the Green Deal, especially towards those on low incomes and the vulnerable.

In addition, there will be new measures aiming at better security for gas and electricity supplies with new powers for OFGEM.

Some important areas of energy policy are not covered in the Bill; these include the Green Investment Bank (expected to take shape in the Spring of 2011), the possible carbon floor price and the changes in renewable subsidies. The future of ROCs is still uncertain as the outcome of the ROCs banding review is awaited (Q2/Q3 2011), as are the levels of support within the Feed-in Tariff.

There are already plans for another Energy Bill for the end of 2011, and it is also expected that details of the carbon floor and future funding levels are to be announced in the next Budget.

Given the importance of the energy sector to the British economy and indeed the country’s national security, coupled with the Government’s environmental and climate change policy objectives, the public policy and political agendas for those working in the sector will be challenging for a good few years.

Client News- Marine Current Turbines wins Sustainable Ireland Award

2010-09-20T13:30:00.001+01:00

Marine Current Turbines has been recognised at the Sustainable Ireland Awards 2010 for making the ‘Best Use of Renewable Energy Sources.’ The Award acknowledged the success of the company’s SeaGen tidal technology, which has been operating in Northern Ireland’s Strangford Lough since 2008.

The award, sponsored by NWP Recycling, was handed over to MCT’s co-founder and Technical Director, Peter Fraenkel, at a ceremony held at the Ramada Hotel in Belfast (September 15th) where the keynote speaker was Northern Ireland’s Environment Minister, Edwin Poots.

The independent judging panel was impressed with MCT’s SeaGen project in Strangford Lough where it has scored a world first, using innovative technology to harness sufficient energy from the tides to power hundreds of homes all year round. “To say that it has taken a lot of time and effort, not to mention inventiveness and ingenuity would be an understatement, but the company clearly had an abundance of belief, know-how and drive to reach its goal,” commented the judges.

This was the sixth year of the Energy, Environmental & Waste Management awards, organised by the Hillsborough based publishers of Sustainable Ireland magazine, 4SquareMedia, to celebrate the contribution industry makes to the environment and to sustainability.

Picture of MCT’s Technical Director (Peter Fraenkel) receiving the Award is available from Taylor Keogh Communications – 020 3170 8465.

About Marine Current Turbines:

1. Marine Current Turbines (www.marineturbines.com) is based in Bristol, England. The company was established in 2000 and its principal corporate shareholders include BankInvest, Carbon Trust Investments, EDF Energy, ESB International, Guernsey Electricity, High Tide and Siemens Energy.

2. 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.

3. MCT’s 1.2MW SeaGen was deployed in Northern Ireland’s Strangford Lough in April 2008; it has the capacity to generate power for the equivalent of about 1500 homes. It works in principle much like an “underwater windmill” with the rotors driven by the power of the tidal currents rather than the wind. The SeaGen turbine is subject to a rigorous monitoring programme imposed under its licensing conditions to ensure it does not threaten the marine life of Strangford Lough where it is located.

4. SeaGen is accredited by OFGEM as a UK power station and so is a recipient of Renewable Obligation Certificates (ROCs).

5. Since February 2008, MCT has partnered RWE npower renewables on plans to develop a 10MW tidal farm in waters off Anglesey, north Wales and is working with Minas Bay Pulp & Paper to deploy a single SeaGen system in Canada’s Bay of Fundy. In September 2010, 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 (Northern Ireland) coast.

6. In March 2010, MCT secured approval for a lease from The Crown Estate to deploy its SeaGen tidal current technology off Brough Ness, on the southern most tip of the Orkney Islands (South Ronaldsay) and north east of John O’Groats. The company plans to have its first phase of SeaGen tidal turbines deployed there during 2017 with the whole scheme operational by 2020.

For further information:

Marine Current Turbines (www.marineturbines.com)

Paul Taylor (Taylor Keogh Communications)

Tel: 020 3170 8465

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Client News-Marine Current Turbines and ESBI enter into agreement to develop major tidal energy project in Northern Ireland

2010-09-09T09:52:00.001+01:00

ESB International (ESBI) has entered an agreement with tidal energy company Marine Current Turbines (MCT) to develop an initial phase of a 100MW tidal energy project off the Antrim coast in Northern Ireland.

ESBI and MCT will work together to submit a proposal to the forthcoming Marine Leasing Round in Northern Ireland to secure an Agreement for Lease from The Crown Estate to commence formal consenting of the project. If successful, and subject to the achievement of consent, the initial phase of the project, which will use the MCT SeaGen device, could be in operation by 2018. The ESBI/MCT project will assist Northern Ireland in achieving its marine renewable energy targets as outlined in the Northern Ireland Department of Enterprise, Trade & Investment’s Strategic Action Plan which calls for 300MW of tidal energy by 2020.

SeaGen is the largest and most powerful tidal stream turbine in the world and the only one that is regularly generating electrcitiy for customers, having been accredited by OFGEM, the UK industry regulator, as an “official” power station. The award-winning 1.2MW turbine has been operating in Northern Ireland’s Strangford Lough since April 2008 and last month (August) achieved another operational milestone by delivering its 2 millionth kWh of power to the grid. Thanks to Strangford being an exceptionally energetic location, SeaGen regularly produces as much electricity as an average off-shore wind turbine of double the rated power. This power is already being sold by ESB’s retail electricity supply business, ESB Independent Energy, to customers in Northern Ireland.

Safeguarding the environment is a key issue and ESBI is preparing an environmental scoping report on the project as an initial step in undertaking a full environmental impact assessment. In order to gain a thorough understanding of the tidal potential, ESBI has also undertaken tidal resource measurements off the Antrim coast over the summer months. This data is currently being analysed and it is planned to undertake further surveys in the coming months.

ESB Chief Executive, Padraig McManus, said ESB's strategy to 2020 involves focusing on sustainable and renewable energies. "We look forward to working with MCT on this exciting new project. Our aim is to use our experience and technical strength to support the development of a viable ocean energy industry in Ireland and this project is an important step in realising that goal", he said.

Martin Wright, Managing Director of Marine Current Turbines said "This agreement underlines the success to date of the SeaGen project in Strangford Lough but importantly the real and growing commercial interest in tidal energy. Our agreement with ESBI, which has been a valued shareholder in MCT for 2½ years, confirms MCT's tidal technology at being in the forefront in the race to harness the power of tides. We are pleased that ESBI has chosen MCT to develop the initial phase of this project."

Notes to Editors

About ESB

ESB has a corporate target to develop 150MW of ocean energy in Ireland by 2020 and the proposed tidal project off the Antrim Coast is a key project in delivering this target. ESB's retail subsidiary, ESB Independent Energy, already supplies tidal energy to its customers in Northern Ireland through its purchase of the electricity output from the SeaGen tidal facility in Strangford Lough. ESB is one of the first utilities in the world to provide tidal energy to its customers.

The Board of ESB approved a strategic framework with a €22 billion investment programme to 2020. The main focus of the framework is the sustainable and responsible use of natural resources, leading to the halving of its carbon emissions within 12 years and attainment of a carbon net-zero position by 2035. About half of the total €22 billion investment package will be devoted to renewables through direct investments in renewable energy projects and initiatives supporting sustainability such as smart metering and smart networks.

By 2020, ESB will be producing one-third of its electricity from renewable generation, delivering over 1,400MW of wind generation (with over 100MW already installed), and exploiting the potential of wave, tidal and biomass resources. ESB Networks will invest €11 billion in vital infrastructure to facilitate the development of up to 6,000MW of wind power on the island of Ireland.

www.esb.ie www.esbi.ie

About Marine Current Turbines

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, Carbon Trust Investments, EDF Energy, ESB International, Guernsey Electricity, High Tide and Siemens Energy. The company is chaired by Paul Lester, the former Chief Executive of VT Group plc.

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.

MCT’s 1.2MW SeaGen was deployed in Northern Ireland’s Strangford Lough in April 2008; it has the capacity to generate electricity for the equivalent of about 1500 homes and has the equivalent in energy output as a 2.5MW wind turbine. SeaGen works in principle much like an “underwater windmill” with the rotors driven by the power of the tidal currents rather than the wind. The SeaGen turbine is subject to a rigorous monitoring programme imposed under its licensing conditions to ensure it does not threaten the marine life of Strangford Lough where it is located.

MCT is working with RWE npower renewables to develop a 10MW tidal farm off Anglesey by 2013/2014 and with Minas Bay Pulp & Paper to deploy a single SeaGen system in Canada’s Bay of Fundy. In March 2010, MCT secured approval for a lease from The Crown Estate to deploy its SeaGen tidal current technology off Brough Ness, on the southern most tip of the Orkney Islands (South Ronaldsay) and north east of John O’Groats. The company plans to have its first phase of SeaGen tidal turbines deployed there during 2017 with the whole scheme operational by 2020.

TAYLOR KEOGH RECRUITING PR ACCOUNT MANAGER TO JOIN TEAM

2010-09-06T13:43:00.001+01:00

Taylor Keogh Communications is seeking to recruit a PR Account Manager. The ideal candidate will have PR consultancy experience and will have a current knowledge of the UK energy and environment sectors, in particular the media that reports on these sectors and the political context within which these sectors operate. Strong writing and communication skills are essential. Also, the successful candidate will have new media experience, the ability to work independently as part of a small team and a clean driving licence. The company is based in West London but works with its clients across the UK. The role could be full or part-time based at our offices in Hammersmith. This is a great opportunity for an ambitious self-starter who is happy to work in a specialist and growing consultancy. We are looking for someone who can make a strong contribution from day one. If you are interested please email your CV to Clodagh@taylorkeogh.com.

ANGLESEY TIDAL ENERGY PLAN MOVE FORWARD

2010-08-25T14:03:00.001+01:00

Public exhibition on August 23 & 24th at Holyhead Town Hall

Marine Current Turbines Ltd and its project partner, RWE npower renewables, will be hosting an exhibition about their plans to harness the power of the tidal waters off the north-west coast of Anglesey to generate electricity for up to 20% of the Island. The exhibition, open to members of the public, will be held at Holyhead Town Hall on August 23rd and 24th.

The exhibition is an opportunity for people to learn more about the proposed project, which was first announced in February 2008, in advance of Marine Current Turbines (MCT) and RWE npower renewables submitting a planning application for the offshore elements (the tidal turbines and the subsea cables) of the scheme to the Welsh Assembly Government. The application for offshore consent is likely to be submitted in September.

The proposed tidal energy scheme will consist of up to 9 turbines to be located between the Skerries group of rocks and islands and Carmel Head about 1Km off the Anglesey coast. The 10.5MW 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 is essentially an underwater windmill) to generate enough power to supply electricity to around 10,000 homes – approximately 20% of Anglesey’s electricity demand.

Subject to securing planning and financing for the project, MCT and RWE npower renewables are targeting 2013/2014 for the start of commissioning. The estimated cost of the project is £50million.

For the past 36 months, the project team has been carrying out a series of environmental, engineering and technical studies to examine the suitability of the Skerries site and to assess the potential impact of the tidal farm on marine life and users of the sea.

In addition, Marine Current Turbines has consulted a range of organisations about its plans, including Ynys Mon County Council, the Countryside Council for Wales, RSPB, Trinity House, the Maritime & Coastguard Agency and the Centre for Environment, Fisheries & Aquaculture Sciences. In addition, MCT has spoken with a number of recreational groups that use the area including sailing, kayaking, diving and fishing groups. To date, the proposed scheme has been widely welcomed.

In the development of its plans for the Skerries, the company has drawn upon the experience of its tidal project in Northern Ireland’s Strangford Lough. The single SeaGen tidal turbine has been generating power into the local grid since 2008 and as part of its licence conditions to operate is subject to a comprehensive environmental monitoring programme.

Joseph Kidd, Development Manager at Marine Current Turbines said: “We consider the Skerries stretch of water to be an ideal site for a small tidal farm and we are keen to hear people’s views before we finalise the planning application. The exhibition is also an opportunity for people to learn more about the advantages of tidal power and how our scheme can benefit the Anglesey economy. The scheme will not only generate clean energy for local homes and businesses but also give local firms the chance to be involved in the tidal farm’s installation and operation.”

Commenting on the plans for the Skerries tidal farm, Albert Owen (MP for Yyns Mon) said: “I welcome all forms of renewable energy and hope that people will take this opportunity to look at this technology and the future that Anglesey has in tidal power.”

In Northern Ireland, a number of local companies such as marine support vessels, engineering and electrical contractors, civil engineers, environmental scientists and divers as well as local hotels, pubs and restaurants have benefited from MCT’s SeaGen project. It is estimated that the project has contributed more than £4.0m into the local economy over the past three years.

The Skerries tidal project exhibition will be held at Holyhead Town Hall Newry Street, Holyhead LL65 1HN

Monday, August 23rd from 2.00pm till 8.00pm

Tuesday, August 24th from 9.00am till 2.00pm

For further information:

Marine Current Turbines (www.marineturbines.com)

Joe Kidd, Project Manager

Tel: 0117 979 1888

Paul Taylor (Taylor Keogh Communications)

Tel: 020 3170 8465 / 07966 782611 /paul@taylorkeogh.com

RWE npower renewables

Mark Fleming

Tel: 01793 474173 / 07825 608096 / mark.fleming@rwe.com

Notes to Editors

About Marine Current Turbines:

1. 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, Carbon Trust Investments, EDF Energy, ESB International, Guernsey Electricity, High Tide and Siemens Energy. The company is chaired by Paul Lester, the former Chief Executive of VT Group plc.

3. MCT’s 1.2MW SeaGen was deployed in Northern Ireland’s Strangford Lough in April 2008; it has the capacity to generate electricity for the equivalent of about 1500 homes and has the equivalent in energy output as a 2.5MW onshore wind turbine. SeaGen works in principle much like an “underwater windmill” with the rotors driven by the power of the tidal currents rather than the wind. The SeaGen turbine is subject to a rigorous monitoring programme imposed under its licensing conditions to ensure it does not threaten the marine life of Strangford Lough where it is located.

4. SeaGen is accredited by OFGEM as a UK power station and so is a recipient of Renewable Obligation Certificates (ROCs).

5. MCT is working with Minas Bay Pulp & Paper to deploy a single SeaGen system in Canada’s Bay of Fundy, and in March 2010, MCT secured approval for a lease from The Crown Estate to deploy its SeaGen tidal current technology off Brough Ness, on the southern most tip of the Orkney Islands (South Ronaldsay) and north east of John O’Groats. The company plans to have its first phase of SeaGen tidal turbines deployed there during 2017 with the whole scheme operational by 2020.

About RWE npower renewables:

1. RWE npower renewables is the UK subsidiary of RWE Innogy and is one of the UK's leading renewable energy developers and operators, committed to developing and operating wind farms and hydro plant to produce sustainable electricity. The company operates 17 hydroelectric power projects and 23 wind farms in the UK, including the country's first major offshore wind farm, North Hoyle. RWE npower renewables is also working with marine energy technology partners to deliver new wave and tidal stream power projects in the UK. Through our existing projects and those in development, we are working in close partnership with communities and companies throughout the UK. As Government policy focuses on achieving its EU commitment for 15% of UK energy to come from renewables sources by 2020, renewable electricity generation will need to increase to 30% of total output. We will be at the forefront of realising this aim.

2. In Wales, the company operates six hydroelectric power projects in North Wales, two offshore wind farms – North Hoyle, the UK's first major offshore wind farm, and Rhyl Flats, the largest renewables project in Wales, both off the North Wales coast. It also operates seven onshore wind farms from Neath in South Wales to Anglesey in the north.

3.RWE Innogy pools the renewable energy expertise and generating plant of the RWE Group. The company plans, builds and operates renewable power generation facilities, and aims to vigorously grow its renewable energy capacity in the UK and Continental Europe.

4. RWE npower renewables is a sister company to RWE npower, a leading integrated UK energy company with around 6.8 million customer accounts. RWE npower also owns and operates a flexible portfolio of conventional power stations as well as a portfolio of cogeneration plant producing more than 10% of the electricity used in England and Wales.

5. RWE is a major employer in Wales, operating three renewables office bases in South, Mid and North Wales, the Aberthaw Power Station and two Combined Heat and Power plants at Barry and Bridgend. In all, RWE's installed conventional and renewable energy generation in Wales supplies the equivalent of around one-third of Wales' electricity needs.

6. For further information about RWE npower renewables and RWE Innogy visit www.npower-renewables.com and www.rweinnogy.com For further information about RWE npower visit www.rwenpower.com

Client News- MCT passes another milestone

2010-08-17T15:36:00.002+01:00

World's most powerful tidal stream turbine passes another milestone: two million kWh delivered
Date of issue: Tuesday, August 17th 2010
Marine Current Turbines’ SeaGen, the world’s first and only commercial scale tidal stream energy turbine, has passed another electricity generation milestone. The 1.2MW SeaGen, located in Strangford Lough (Northern Ireland), has delivered its two millionth unit of electricity into the UK electricity grid. It is now operating 24 hours, seven days a week and is well on course to be the first tidal system to meet the power generation criteria for the UK Government’s Marine Renewables Deployment Fund.
SeaGen is the only tidal energy system regularly generating power into the UK electricity grid and is the only tidal system to be accredited by OFGEM as a UK power station and also as a recipient of ROCs (Renewable Obligation Certificates). SeaGen is producing as much electricity as an average off-shore wind turbine of double the capacity and, unlike wind power generation, SeaGen’s output is wholly predictable.
Peter Fraenkel, Technical Director of Marine Current Turbines said: “Passing the 2 million kWh mark represents considerable progress and underlines the significant potential that our technology and base-load tidal energy has to offer. We are delivering marine energy on a daily basis which shows that our SeaGen technology is leading the race to harness the power of the seas by a large margin.”
It took SeaGen from July 2008 until March of this year to generate the first million units largely due to licence restictions placed on its operation. However since March the restrictions, to check that SeaGen’s operation did not have any adverse effect on marine life, have been significantly relaxed by the regulating authority and 24/7 operation has been allowed. So in just the five months since 24/7 operation started, SeaGen has delivered its second million.”
Peter Fraenkel added: “SeaGen, which produces 1.2MW for all current velocities higher than 2.4m/s, remains the world’s most powerful tidal turbine and after two years of development and successful operation is ready to be deployed on a commercial basis in other stretches of tidal water.
“It is worth clarifying that the key factor, which fixes the energy capturing capability of a tidal turbine, is its effective rotor swept area; this gives a measure of the amount of the resource that the machine can capture energy from. SeaGen’s twin rotors sweep 402 square meters of cross-section of current which is much larger than other tidal stream systems which are to be tested shortly. More importantly, SeaGen has been generating power for the past two years and therefore is unique as the world’s only megawatt scale tidal turbine with a verifiable and audited generating track record.”
Notes to Editors
1. 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, Carbon Trust Investments, EDF Energy, ESB International, Guernsey Electricity, High Tide and Siemens Energy. The company is chaired by Paul Lester, the former Chief Executive of VT Group plc.
2. 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.
3. MCT’s 1.2MW SeaGen was deployed in Northern Ireland’s Strangford Lough in April 2008; it has the capacity to generate electricity for the equivalent of about 1500 homes and has the equivalent in energy output as a 2.5MW onshore wind turbine. SeaGen works in principle much like an “underwater windmill” with the rotors driven by the power of the tidal currents rather than the wind. The SeaGen turbine is subject to a rigorous monitoring programme imposed under its licensing conditions to ensure it does not threaten the marine life of Strangford Lough where it is located.
4. MCT is working with RWE npower renewables to develop a 10MW tidal farm off Anglesey and with Minas Bay Pulp & Paper to deploy a single SeaGen system in Canada’s Bay of Fundy. In March 2010, MCT secured approval for a lease from The Crown Estate to deploy its SeaGen tidal current technology off Brough Ness, on the southern most tip of the Orkney Islands (South Ronaldsay) and north east of John O’Groats. The company plans to have its first phase of SeaGen tidal turbines deployed there during 2017 with the whole scheme operational by 2020.

Client News-PARTNERSHIP STRENGTHS PLANNING PR SERVICES TO UK ENERGY SECTOR

2010-07-02T11:52:00.004+01:00

TAYLOR KEOGH PARTNERS WITH INTERACTIVE COMPUTER GRAPHICS FIRM TO STRENGHTEN PLANNING PR & CONSULTATION SERVICES TO UK ENERGY SECTOR

Taylor Keogh Communications, the London-based PR firm that specialises in the UK energy and environment sectors, has entered into a partnership agreement with 3D Web Technologies, one of the UK’s leading computer graphics firm. The agreement will strengthen Taylor Keogh’s range of planning PR services to power station and wind farm projects as well as developers of other major infrastructure projects in the UK.

3D Web Technologies, based in Altrincham (Cheshire), provides energy companies and public sector organisations with interactive computer generated models that allow people to see and understand how new projects, such as an onshore or offshore wind farm or a gas-fired power station, will look against the existing landscape. Over the past 18 months, the company has worked with EDF Energy, E.ON and RWE npower.

Andy Dennison, Director of 3D Web Technologies said: “Using the very latest computer software, we are giving people living or working in the vicinity of a proposed power project, such as a gas-fired power station or a route of overhead electricity pylons, an accurate view of how it will look. Photo-montages, from fixed locations, have been used for many years but our interactive technology helps projects come to life.”

Paul Taylor, Managing Director of Taylor Keogh Communications said: “With a large amount of new investment in the UK’s energy infrastructure required over the next decade, project developers and the planning authorities are looking more closely at new and innovative ways to explain the visual impact of their projects. Visual impact, often without justification, is often given as the main reason why a planning application is refused.

“We have seen the positive public response to 3D’s technology. It can provide our clients with a fantastic resource to show and crucially assure people about the impact of a proposed project on their local environment.

“3D Web Technologies is one of the UK’s most experienced and exciting companies working in this sector and so we are delighted to have entered into a partnership agreement with them. We believe that the planning challenges facing the energy and utility sector will only increase over the next few years and having 3D as part of the Taylor Keogh team will be hugely valuable.”

Notes to Editors:

Taylor Keogh Communications (www.taylorkeogh.com) was established in 2003. The company works across the energy spectrum, providing clients with a range of PR/communications services including planning/public consultation, media relations, corporate/financial PR and public affairs.

3D Web Technologies (www.3dwebtech.co.uk) was established in 1997 making the company one of the longest established producers of interactive 3D models in the UK. It has extensive experience and understanding, not only of the production of interactive 3D models but also in their application as communication and consultation tools. The company’s 3D models effectively engage, communicate and inform audiences ranging from government departments through to local councillors, town planners, architects, land owners and the public.

For further information:

Taylor Keogh Communications
Paul Taylor: 020 3170 8465 / paul@taylorkeogh.com

3d web technologies ltd
Andy Dennison: 0161 942 9940 / andyD@3dwebtech.co.uk

Client News-VISITS SEAGEN AT STRANGFORD LOUGH

2010-06-01T10:55:00.001+01:00

PRINCE OF WALES VISITS SEAGEN AT STRANGFORD LOUGH

His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales has visited Marine Current Turbines’ SeaGen, the world leading marine current and tidal stream technology that is deployed in Northern Ireland’s Strangford Lough and generating power into the local grid on a daily basis.

HRH was greeted (May 13th) by Mr David Lindsay the Lord-Lieutenant for County Down and went on to meet Mrs Arlene Foster MLA Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Investment, Martin Wright Managing Director of Marine Current Turbines (MCT), and Professor Peter Gregson DL President and Vice-Chancellor Queen’s University Belfast. The Queen’s Marine Research facility at Portaferry, on the shore of Strangford Lough, provides an operating and monitoring base for MCT and offers research assistance to the company in its operation of SeaGen.

His Royal Highness attended a short presentation on the SeaGen project from MCT’s Martin Wright and colleagues and then sailed out to the turbine to see the project in its operational environment.

Picture attached: Seeing SeaGen close up - HRH Prince Charles with Mrs Arlene Foster, Northern Ireland’s Minister of Enterprise, Trade & Investment.

Notes to Editors:
1. 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, Carbon Trust Investments, EDF Energy, ESB International, Guernsey Electricity, High Tide and Siemens Energy.

2. 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.

3. MCT’s 1.2MW SeaGen was deployed in Northern Ireland’s Strangford Lough in April 2008; it has the capacity to generate power for the equivalent of about 1500 homes. It works in principle much like an “underwater windmill” with the rotors driven by the power of the tidal currents rather than the wind. The SeaGen turbine is subject to a rigorous monitoring programme imposed under its licensing conditions to ensure it does not threaten the marine life of Strangford Lough where it is located.

4. SeaGen is accredited by OFGEM as a UK power station and so is a recipient of Renewable Obligation Certificates (ROCs).

5. Since February 2008, MCT has partnered RWE npower renewables on plans to develop a 10MW tidal farm in waters off Anglesey, north Wales and is working with Minas Bay Pulp & Paper to deploy a single SeaGen system in Canada’s Bay of Fundy.

6. In March 2010, MCT secured approval for a lease from The Crown Estate to deploy its SeaGen tidal current technology off Brough Ness, on the southern most tip of the Orkney Islands (South Ronaldsay) and north east of John O’Groats. The company plans to have its first phase of SeaGen tidal turbines deployed there during 2017 with the whole scheme operational by 2020.

Client News-AWS Prototype deployed in Loch Ness

2010-06-01T10:48:00.003+01:00

BACK TO THE FUTURE WITH NEW WAVE ENERGY DEVICE FROM AWS
Prototype being tested in Loch Ness

Scottish marine energy technology developer, AWS Ocean Energy, has started testing its new wave energy device in Loch Ness in the Scottish Highlands.

The Inverness based company has deployed a 1/9th scale of its AWS-III device, a ring-shaped multi-cell surface-floating wave power system, the result of almost two years of intensive research and development work. AWS Ocean Energy is aiming to deploy a full-system prototype AWS-III during 2012 and a pre-commercial demonstrator plant during 2013.

Simon Grey, Chief Executive of AWS Ocean Energy said: “In developing the design of the AWS-III, we believe we have addressed the fundamental barriers to delivering practical wave energy. We have eliminated moving mechanical parts in contact with sea-water by using a novel system of flexible diaphragms arranged around a steel hull and incorporating air turbines.”

A single utility-scale AWS-III, measuring around 60 metres in diameter, will be capable of generating up to 2.5 Megawatts (MW) of continuous power, providing customers with an affordable solution to generating bulk power from the ocean waves.

To support the development of the AWS-III, the company earlier this year secured a £2.3 million investment from Scottish Enterprise’s Scottish Co-investment Fund and the Shell Technology Ventures Fund 1 B.V and the company has since applied for and is hopeful of securing further financial support for the development of the AWS-III device from the Scottish Government’s WATERS programme that will support marine energy R&D in Scotland.

A key stage now for AWS Ocean is its testing of the AWS-III device on Loch Ness over the next four months. No electricity will be generated by the 1/9th scale device but it will provide valuable design data and confirm the AWS-III’s revenue generation potential. The company will then build and deploy a full-scale single cell in order to prove the durability of the diaphragms prior to launching a 12-cell, 2.5MW pre-commercial demonstrator in 2012. Subject to financing and planning consents, the company plans to have a 10MW pre-commercial demonstration farm operating in 2014.

Technology Research & Development/Technology Convergence
The design and deployment of the AWS-III is the culmination of eight years research and development by the company’s engineering team. AWS Ocean Energy deployed its first Archimedes Waveswing test device in 2004 (off Portugal) and designed a second generation device in 2008. Whilst the Waveswing concept was regarded as highly efficient, and competitive with other leading wave energy technologies, the company decided that further work was required to develop a third-generation system which could provide utility-scale levels of power and be competitive with other forms of renewables, in particular offshore wind generation.

During the development of the AWS-III, the in-house engineering team identified similarities to another wave device, the “Coventry Clam”, developed by Coventry University’s engineering department in the 1970s.

Simon Grey, Chief Executive of AWS Ocean Energy said: “We started with the highly efficient Waveswing concept and looked at different ways to achieve the change in sub-sea volume essential to efficient wave energy conversion. This led us to looking at flexible materials and in turn to the Coventry Clam, a device which had shown significant promise. The AWS-III however has important differences which solve some problems inherent in the clam design and improve power conversion.

“It is reassuring that two teams working some 30 years apart have come up with such similar concepts. The development routes were remarkably similar – the Coventry team started with the Salter Duck, a leading concept of its time whilst we started with Waveswing. Both concepts were highly efficient but too expensive and a natural evolution process led us both to the same point. The experience in Coventry, combined with our own has produced a cracking team and we believe a winning technology.”

Testing the AWS-III/Moving towards commercialisation
The company’s path towards commercial deployment is being supported by a Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) which includes some of the most respected figures in the offshore engineering and renewable energy industries. The TAC is chaired by Dr Bruce Storm, formerly of Halliburton and now Chief Technology Officer of Kenda Capital who said: “The progressive and pragmatic approach that AWS Ocean is taking is welcomed. The company has refused to be rushed in their approach and this gives investors and potential industrial partners confidence.”

In parallel with the development of the AWS-III, the company is developing associated, patented technologies such as remote mooring systems and believes there is significant potential for manufacturing key components in Scotland.

Simon Grey added: ““This is a really exciting time for us. We are talking to several major industrial groups who can see that our progressive approach will have dealt with technology risk by early 2011. If marine energy is to reach its full potential, the sector must offer low-risk, competitive energy solutions. By doing this, major industrial players will invest further, provide the necessary capital to fund large-scale roll-out and thereby help to strengthen the UK’s clean-tech economy – new jobs, low-carbon generation and significant export potential.

“We consider the knowledge that we have gained over the past few years, and the technical advances that we are making with the AWS-III, will ensure that AWS Ocean Energy will play an important part in the long-term development of the UK’s marine renewables industry.”

Picture caption: the AWS-III wave energy test device deployed in Scotland’s Loch Ness.

Notes to Editors:
1. AWS Ocean Energy (www.awsocean.com) is based in Inverness and is chaired by John Anderson, the Chief Executive Officer of Entrepreneurial Exchange.

2. The company’s board and executive management team are advised by a Technical Advisory Committee comprising:
Dr Bruce Storm (formerly of Halliburton and a R&D physicist)
Professor Antonio Sarmento (IST Lisbon, Head of Portugal’s Wave Energy Centre)
Dr Tom Thorpe (wave energy specialist)
Andrew Mill (Chief Executive, NaREC and former Managing Director of EMEC)
Terry Rhodes (Head of Offshore Structures, Shell UK)

3. Kenda Capital B.V. (www.kendacapital.com) is the independently owned manager of STVF1 which made its first investment in AWS Ocean Energy in February 2008. Kenda Capital B.V. and STVF1 maintain a unique technology relationship with Shell. Major investors in STVF1 are Shell, Coller Capital and the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority. STVF1 also has proprietary access to oil and gas field operations and wells in order to test, prove and demonstrate combinations of new technologies. STVF1 is a unique, large scale investment fund focused at reducing the cost of energy by accelerating the development and deployment of new technologies. Kenda and STVF1 possess a solid energy sector expertise, fostered through its technology relationship with the Shell Group.

4. The Scottish Co-investment Fund is a £72 million equity investment fund established by Scottish Enterprise, and partly funded by the European Regional Development Fund, to invest from £100,000 to £1 million in company finance deals of up to £2 million.

For further information
AWS Ocean Energy (www.awsocean.com)
Paul Taylor of Taylor Keogh Communications: +44 (0) 20 3170 8466 / paul@taylorkeogh.com

Client News-UK ENERGY MINISTER APPLAUDS SEAGEN TIDAL PROJECT

2010-03-19T16:26:00.002Z

UK ENERGY MINISTER APPLAUDS SEAGEN TIDAL PROJECT

On a visit to Northern Ireland’s Strangford Lough, Lord Hunt of Kings Heath, the UK’s Energy Minister, today congratulated Marine Current Turbines (MCT) on its achievements to design, deploy and operate its SeaGen tidal current energy system.

SeaGen is the largest grid-connected marine renewable energy system in the world and which last month exceeded 1000 hours of commercial operation. SeaGen is the first tidal current energy system in the world to have achieved this milestone. The 1.2MW tidal current turbine, which was deployed in April 2008, has achieved a capacity factor of 66% and so far delivered more than 800MWh of electricity into the National Grid.

Lord Hunt, who used his visit to launch the Marine Energy Action Plan for UK waters, said “I applaud Marine Current Turbines’ pioneering work with SeaGen. The company’s engineering expertise and determination is to be admired. The success of the SeaGen project shows how British companies, like MCT, with the active support from Government, can harness the massive energy potential that exists in British and overseas waters, and at the same time form the basis of a new and world-class industry for Britain.”

Martin Wright, Managing Director of Marine Current Turbines said: “We are delighted to welcome Lord Hunt to Strangford Lough. The support and encouragement of the UK Government, both in London and Belfast, were instrumental in getting SeaGen deployed. SeaGen is showing that tidal power can be a reality. We hope that SeaGen’s demonstrable success will help to maintain the vital political impetus necessary for Government policy initiatives that are still required to commercialise the technology and ensure that it, together with the rest of the British marine energy sector, makes a long-term contribution to the UK economy. “

“The recent investment in MCT made by global engineering company, Siemens, underlines the commercial potential and engineering quality of our patented SeaGen technology but a significant step change in the financing of marine energy projects will be necessary if we are to deploy the UK’s first tidal array by 2012. SeaGen’s success, coupled with the support of Siemens, Carbon Trust Investments and our other shareholders, puts MCT in a strong position to meet the challenges that lie ahead.”

Siemens Energy’s investment in Marine Current Turbines was announced last month (February 25th 2010). New investment in the company from the Carbon Trust, EDF Energy and other shareholders was secured in December 2009 and February 2010. These two funding rounds totalled £8.5million.

In February 2010, Marine Current Turbines also received £2.7m from the UK Government’s Marine Renewables Proving Fund and administered by the Carbon Trust. This funding stream is being used to support the improvement of SeaGen’s operation and its future installation.

Notes to Editors:

4. SeaGen is accredited by OFGEM as a UK power station and so is a recipient of Renewable Obligation Certificates (ROCs).

Client News-MARINE CURRENT TURBINES TO DEPLOY TIDAL FARM OFF ORKNEY AFTER SECURING SITE LEASE FROM THE CROWN ESTATE

2010-03-19T16:24:00.000Z

MARINE CURRENT TURBINES TO DEPLOY TIDAL FARM OFF ORKNEY

AFTER SECURING SITE LEASE FROM THE CROWN ESTATE

Marine Current Turbines Ltd has secured approval for a lease from The Crown Estate to deploy its award-winning SeaGen tidal current technology off Brough Ness, on the southern most tip of the Orkney Islands (South Ronaldsay) and north east of John O’Groats. The company plans to have its first phase of SeaGen tidal turbines deployed during 2017 with the whole scheme operational by 2020.
Marine Current Turbines (MCT) is planning to install 66 SeaGen tidal turbines in three phases over a four year period in a site area of 4.3 square kilometres. The Brough Ness tidal array will have a total generating capacity of 99MW – enough power for nearly 100,000 homes.
SeaGen is the world-leading prototype tidal energy turbine designed and deployed by MCT. It is the largest grid-connected marine renewable energy system in the world and which last month exceeded 1000 hours of commercial operation in Northern Ireland’s Strangford Lough. It is the first tidal current energy system in the world to have achieved this milestone. The 1.2MW tidal current turbine, which was deployed in April 2008, has achieved a capacity factor of 66% and so far delivered more than 800MWh of electricity into the National Grid.
Martin Wright, Managing Director of Marine Current Turbines said: “The Pentland Firth and Orkney waters are strategically the most important marine energy areas in Western Europe so we are delighted to have secured approval for a lease by The Crown Estate. I believe that MCT is in a very strong position to capitalise on this significant and challenging opportunity. MCT already has the valuable experience of deploying and operating SeaGen in Northern Ireland’s Strangford Lough and within the next two to three years we expect to have deployed our first tidal farm in UK waters.”
Subject to financing and final agreements with The Crown Estate, Marine Current Turbines is aiming to secure planning and environment consents for Brough Ness by 2015, to start construction in 2016 and the first phase of deployment in 2017. The timing of construction and deployment will be dependent on the local grid infrastructure being strengthened.
Roger Bright CB, Chief Executive of The Crown Estate said: "I am delighted to announce that Marine Current Turbines has been awarded the Brough Ness site to develop 99MW of tidal energy power in Pentland Firth And Orkney Waters, the world’s first commercial wave and tidal leasing round.
"The 1.2GW of installed capacity proposed by the wave and tidal energy developers for 2020, shows the world that marine energy can produce meaningful amounts of electricity and offers a real alternative to conventional power production. The long term prospects for this growing industry are exceptionally bright, with vast amounts of untapped energy in the seas all around the UK. It will create new businesses and jobs as well as attracting inward investment.”
As with its SeaGen project in Northern Ireland, where local companies played a prominent part in delivering the scheme, Marine Current Turbines will look to companies in the Orkneys and Caithness & Sutherland to support its Brough Ness tidal project.
Martin Wright added: “We recognise that the local supply chain could provide us with valuable expertise, not least in marine and port services, and in engineering and fabrication. We are very keen to work with local companies and the local agencies so that they can share in this exciting opportunity.”
This latest news from MCT comes a day after Lord Hunt, the UK’s Energy Minister visited the company’s SeaGen project in Northern Ireland (March 15th), and follows Siemens Energy’s investment in Marine Current Turbines that was announced last month (February 25th 2010) and new investment in the company from the Carbon Trust, EDF Energy and other shareholders in December 2009 and February 2010. These two funding rounds totalled £8.5million.
In February 2010, Marine Current Turbines also received £2.7m from the UK Government’s Marine Renewables Proving Fund and administered by the Carbon Trust. This funding stream is being used to support the improvement of SeaGen’s operation and its future installation.
Notes to Editors:
1. 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, Carbon Trust Investments, EDF Energy, ESB International, Guernsey Electricity, High Tide and Siemens Energy.
2. 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.
3. MCT’s 1.2MW SeaGen was deployed in Northern Ireland’s Strangford Lough in April 2008; it has the capacity to generate power for the equivalent of about 1500 homes. It works in principle much like an “underwater windmill” with the rotors driven by the power of the tidal currents rather than the wind. The SeaGen turbine is subject to a rigorous monitoring programme imposed under its licensing conditions to ensure it does not threaten the marine life of Strangford Lough where it is located.
4. SeaGen is accredited by OFGEM as a UK power station and so is a recipient of Renewable Obligation Certificates (ROCs).
5. Since February 2008, MCT has partnered RWE npower renewables on plans to develop a 10MW tidal farm in waters off Anglesey, north Wales and is working with Minas Bay Pulp & Paper to deploy a single SeaGen system in Canada’s Bay of Fundy.

Client News-International business backing for leading UK tidal energy company

2010-02-25T11:49:00.000Z

International business backing for leading UK tidal energy company

SIEMENS INVESTS IN MARINE CURRENT TURBINES

British tidal energy company, Marine Current Turbines Ltd, today announces that global engineering firm, Siemens, has invested in the firm alongside the Carbon Trust, High Tide and other private investors.

Following an investment round led by the Carbon Trust in 2009, this latest funding brings the total investment in Marine Current Turbines over the past two months to £8.5million. Investors in the first round included Bank Invest, Carbon Trust, EDF Energy and High Tide.

Lord Hunt, Minister of State for the UK Department of Energy and Climate Change welcomed the new £4.8million funding round saying “Our seas are a fantastic asset that can generate clean, green and home-grown power that will boost our transition to a low carbon economy. I’m pleased that more investors are coming forward to back Marine Current Turbines as they seek to harness the UK’s excellent tidal resources.”

The total funding will help Marine Current Turbines (MCT) in its plans to deploy the UK’s first commercial tidal energy farm in UK waters within the next two years. SeaGen, the company’s world-leading prototype commercial tidal energy turbine, has already exceeded 1,000 hours of operation in Northern Ireland’s Strangford Lough, a first for any marine energy device.

René Umlauft, CEO of the Renewable Energy Division of Siemens Energy said: “With this investment in an early stage company we’re securing access to an innovative technology in the field of renewables. As one of the technology leaders in ocean power, Marine Current Turbines is a suitable partner for us to enter the promising ocean power market.”

Martin Wright, Managing Director of Marine Current Turbines said: “Siemens’ investment in MCT underlines the significant commercial potential that exists for tidal energy across the globe, and enables us to draw upon the company’s extensive knowledge and experience in turbine generation technology. We are delighted to have Siemens on board. Siemens is a company with an outstanding international reputation and will help us develop our technology and deliver tidal energy on a commercial and global basis.”

Tom Delay, Chief Executive, Carbon Trust said: “This new deal represents a major vote of confidence in Britain’s marine energy industry. The UK must urgently diversify, decarbonise and secure its energy sources and marine energy could over time provide up to 20% of the UK’s electricity. Generating electricity from the UK’s powerful wave and tidal resource not only plays a crucial role in meeting our climate change targets but also presents a significant economic opportunity for the UK.”

Ends

For further information & images of MCT’s tidal technology:

Marine Current Turbines

Martin Wright, Managing Director Paul Taylor (Taylor Keogh Communications)

Tel: + 44 (0)117 979 1888 / +44 (0)7785 340671 Tel: +44 (0)20 3170 8465 / +44 (0)7966 782611

Email: paul@taylorkeogh.com

Siemens press office

Eva-Maria Baumann

Tel: +49 9131 18-3700

E-mail: eva-maria.baumann@siemens.com

Carbon Trust press office

Tel: +44 (0)207 544 3100

Client News-NEW INVESTMENT FOR AWS OCEAN ENERGY

2010-02-15T11:19:00.000Z

NEW INVESTMENT FOR AWS OCEAN ENERGY

AWS outlines timetable for technology deployment

Scottish wave energy company, AWS Ocean Energy, has secured a £2 million investment from Scottish Enterprise’s Scottish Co-investment Fund and the Shell Technology Ventures Fund 1 B.V. (“STVF1”), an affiliate of Royal Dutch Shell.

This is the first-ever investment in AWS Ocean Energy made by Scottish Enterprise whilst it is AWS Ocean’s second tranche of investment from the STVF1, which is managed by Kenda Capital B.V..

The new investment enables AWS Ocean to take forward its plans to develop and deploy its wave power technology as well as help the company in its work to design associated technologies, such as mooring systems, for wider use in the wave and tidal energy sectors.

The new investment follows a review of the company’s technology which has resulted in significant improvements to the system now known as the AWS-III. The design builds on extensive research including offshore testing and detailed modelling of the AWS technology. The improved system will have a generating capacity of between 2.4 and 4MW.

Simon Grey, Chief Executive of AWS Ocean Energy said: “We are delighted to announce this investment by STVF1 and Scottish Enterprise’s Scottish Co-investment Fund as they vindicate our thorough and measured approach to development. STVF1/Kenda are very hands-on and we have benefited enormously from their experience in technology investment on challenging projects. Not only did they challenge our engineering approach but they also required the AWS-III to demonstrate the potential to compete cost-effectively with offshore wind before agreeing to invest further. It is not sufficient to produce a machine that works - we need to produce a machine that can generate electricity at a competitive cost.”

Aruna Subramanian, Investment Principal at Kenda Capital B.V. said: “Drawing on our understanding of offshore engineering and new technology challenges, we are excited by the latest development of AWS Ocean’s wave energy system. We are confident that the team at AWS Ocean, aided by their Technical Advisory Committee, who all have extensive and relevant experience in this sector and in technology development, will successfully address the major challenges faced in harnessing energy from the waves at a commercially viable cost.”

Andrew Sloane, senior investment manager at Scottish Enterprise, said: “This is an exciting investment for Scottish Enterprise, not only because the company is at the vanguard of wave power technology, but also because it marks our first venture with new investment partner Kenda Capital. Going forward, we hope our partnership with Kenda Capital will provide other companies in the already strong Scottish renewables sector with the risk capital required to grow and take advantage of new markets.”

Commenting on the cost of wave power, AWS Ocean’s Simon Grey said: “One of the key drivers behind our review was the cost of energy and the ability to contribute to the Government’s 2020 renewable energy targets. Making sure our customers can make adequate returns from AWS wave power on current tariffs is essential. Also essential is the ability to achieve rapid roll-out and the large scale of AWS-III contributes to both of these.

“Delivering the complete solution will take time. We are already in discussions with partners to ensure that AWS-III is available as a demonstrated commercial product by 2014. Industrial multinationals will be prepared to fund ‘big ticket’ demonstration projects providing that the technology is proven first and so our focus is to do just that: delivering proven technology that actually works.”

AWS Ocean Energy is presently undertaking component and sub-system testing and qualification and is aiming to deploy a full-system prototype AWS-III during 2011. The company is confident that this will lead to deployment of a pre-commercial demonstrator plant during 2013. Throughout this process, the AWS Ocean team will draw on the advice and support of the company’s Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) which was established following STVF1’s first investment in 2008 (see Notes to Editors).

Notes to Editors

1. AWS Ocean Energy (www.awsocean.com) was established in 2004. The company is chaired by John Anderson, the Chief Executive Officer of Entrepreneurial Exchange.

2. The company’s board and executive management team are advised by a Technical Advisory Committee comprising:

Dr Bruce Storm (formerly of Halliburton and a R&D physicist)

Professor Antonio Sarmento (IST Lisbon, Head of Portugal’s Wave Energy Centre)

Dr Tom Thorpe (wave energy specialist)

Andrew Mill (Chief Executive, NaREC and former Managing Director of EMEC)

Captain Peter Hodgetts (Managing Director of SeaRoc, marine engineering specialists)

3. Kenda Capital B.V. (www.kendacapital.com) is the independently owned manager of STVF1 which made its first investment in AWS Ocean Energy in February 2008. Kenda Capital B.V. and STVF1 maintain a unique technology relationship with Shell. Major investors in STVF1 are Shell, Coller Capital and the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority. STVF1 also has proprietary access to oil and gas field operations and wells in order to test, prove and demonstrate combinations of new technologies. STVF1 is a unique, large scale investment fund focused at reducing the cost of energy by accelerating the development and deployment of new technologies. Kenda and STVF1 possess a solid energy sector expertise, fostered through its technology relationship with the Shell Group.

4. The Scottish Co-investment Fund is a £72 million equity investment fund established by Scottish Enterprise, and partly funded by the European Regional Development Fund, to invest from £100,000 to £1 million in company finance deals of up to £2 million.

For further information

AWS Ocean Energy (www.awsocean.com)

Paul Taylor/James Court of Taylor Keogh Communications: +44 (0) 20 3170 8465 / paul@taylorkeogh.com / james@taylorkeogh.com

Scottish Enterprise

Andrew Sloane: +44 (0) 141 228 2787 / andrew.sloane@scotent.co.uk

Kenda Capital B.V.

Aruna Subramanian: +31 (0)70 413 4040 / info@kendacapital.com

Client News-GATEWAY SECURES FIRST GAS STORAGE LICENCE FROM UK DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

2010-02-15T10:50:00.001Z

Monday, February 15th 2010

GATEWAY SECURES FIRST GAS STORAGE LICENCE FROM UK DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

The £600m Gateway Gas Storage project has today received the first gas storage licence to be issued by the UK Government under a new regime designed to encourage the construction of new storage facilities in this country. The licence has been issued under the auspices of the 2008 Energy Act and it consolidates the main environmental and planning consents that were given to the project by the Department of Energy & Climate Change and the UK Marine & Fisheries Agency in November 2008.

George Grant, Chairman of Gateway Storage Company said: “The support and encouragement given by DECC to bring the Gateway Storage project forward has been invaluable, as was the Crown Estate’s agreement of the offshore site licence. We are now fully engaged with the project’s engineering design and are targeting 2014 for the start of commercial storage operations.”

The Gateway facility will add new capacity equal to approximately 30% of current UK storage capacity, sufficient to meet five days of Britain’s average gas demand. Gateway will be built in 20 salt caverns, each the size of the Albert Hall, and sited approximately 750m beneath the surface of the seabed. Located 15 miles offshore, south west of Barrow-in-Furness, the storage scheme will be connected to the National Gas Transmission System via a new pipeline to a gas compression station adjacent to the existing Morecambe gas terminals at Barrow.

Last month (January 21st 2010), Gateway announced that AMEC, Parsons Brinckerhoff and Senergy had been appointed to undertake the detailed engineering design work for both the offshore and onshore elements of the scheme. Their work will support a commitment to construction of the facility at the end of this year (2010) and enable the commencement of gas storage services for the UK market in 2014.

Notes to Editors:

1. The Energy Act 2008 created a regulatory framework in which DECC operates a licensing system that regulates storage for environmental and other purposes whilst the Crown Estate controls the exclusive rights to the seabed and the use of geological structures beneath the seabed for gas storage.

2. Gateway Storage (www.gatewaystorage.co.uk) is a company that was formed to develop the gas storage project and is managed by Stag Energy. Stag Energy (www.stagenergy.com) is an independent company, headquartered in Edinburgh. The company, established in 2002, has extensive experience of managing the development, construction and operations of gas storage and power generation projects in the UK and overseas.

For further information:

Gateway Storage Company Ltd

Andrew Stacey / George Grant

T: +44 (0)131 550 3380

E : astacey@stagenergy.com

ggrant@stagenergy.com

or

Paul Taylor (Taylor Keogh Communications)

T: +44 (0) 20 3170 8465

E: paul@taylorkeogh.com

Client News-MCT's SeaGen passes 1000 hours landmark

2010-02-10T14:56:00.001Z

SEAGEN PASSES 1000 OPERATIONAL HOURS OF TIDAL CURRENT ENERGY AT STRANGFORD LOUGH

Wednesday, February 10th 2010

SeaGen, the world-leading prototype tidal energy turbine designed and deployed by Marine Current Turbines Ltd (MCT) has exceeded 1000 hours of operation in Northern Ireland’s Strangford Lough. It is the first tidal current or wave energy system in the world to have achieved this milestone.

The 1.2MW tidal current turbine, the largest megawatt scale grid-connected marine renewable energy system in the world, has achieved a capacity factor of 66% and so far delivered 800MWh into the National Grid.

This high capacity factor means that the tidal turbine delivers energy on average at the same rate to be expected from a wind turbine of approximately twice the rated power. Furthermore, the output is totally predictable. This performance has exceeded expectations largely thanks to the intensity of the Strangford Lough tide race and MCT’s own conservative design predictions.

Martin Wright, Managing Director of Marine Current Turbines said: “We are delighted with SeaGen’s performance. Passing the 1000 hours mark is a great milestone which not only demonstrates the potential for tidal power, but will also help to reinforce confidence in extracting energy from the seas in the future.”

Since starting operation in late 2008, SeaGen’s operation has been limited by its licence conditions to daylight hours, and it is only since the autumn (2009) that SeaGen has operated automatically and without the presence of “marine mammal observers” on board. It was this change that has allowed a considerable increase in SeaGen’s operational hours.

The company is now preparing SeaGen for more intensive operation and it is hoped to gain consent for continuous “24/7” operation before the summer. In the next few weeks, MCT’s also plans to run SeaGen under supervision of specialists from DNV (Det Norsk Veritas), one of the world’s leading marine classification societies, to obtain independent verification of its performance.

Martin Wright added: “SeaGen is operating as it was designed to do. Crucially, the operational experience and data that we are gaining every day is hugely valuable as we work towards deploying the UK’s first tidal farm within the next two years. SeaGen is a commercial scale prototype and already we are incorporating into the design of the next machines subtle changes to improve maintainability and reliability which are vital for commercial generation.”

Last week (February 2nd), MCT secured £2.7m from the Carbon Trust’s Marine Renewables Proving Fund to support the company’s evaluation and operation of SeaGen as a precursor to the deployment of a tidal farm by MCT in UK waters.

Notes to Editors:

1. 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, Carbon Trust Investments, EDF Energy, ESB International, Guernsey Electricity and High Tide. The company has a power purchase agreement with Ireland’s ESB Independent Energy for SeaGen’s output.

2. 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.

3. The SeaGen turbine is subject to a rigorous monitoring programme imposed under its licensing conditions to ensure it does not threaten the marine life of Strangford Lough where it is located. At present, SeaGen is still only permitted to operate in daylight hours and has to be continuously monitored by an observer on-shore using sonar to see that the marine life, in particular seals and porpoises, are not at risk from the 16m diameter twin rotors which rotate at about 14 rpm.

4. SeaGen is accredited by OFGEM as a UK power station and so is a recipient of Renewable Obligation Certificates (ROCs).

Client News-Marine Current Turbines awarded £2.7m by Carbon Trust to enhance its SeaGen tidal system

2010-02-04T09:46:00.001Z

Marine Current Turbines awarded £2.7m by Carbon Trust to enhance its SeaGen tidal system

Marine Current Turbines has secured funding of £2.7million from the Carbon Trust’s Marine Renewables Proving Fund (MRPF) to support the enhancement of SeaGen, the world’s largest and so far only megawatt scale grid-connected tidal current energy system that has been supplying electricity to customers in Northern Ireland since December 2008.

Martin Wright, Managing Director of Marine Current Turbines (MCT), said: “Securing the MRPF funding is another strong vote of confidence in our SeaGen technology and importantly we are proving that our SeaGen technology works extremely well, supplying power to commercial customers on daily basis.

“The experience that we are gaining from SeaGen’s real-time operation is of enormous value as we seek to improve its efficiency and operational capabilities in advance of deploying further turbines into our first tidal farms. The Carbon Trust funding will be used to assess SeaGen’s operation, our engineering processes, construction and installation techniques and assist us in reviewing and evaluating a range of other important issues.”

Marine Current Turbines aims to deploy its first tidal farm in UK waters during 2012. The company is partnering RWE npower renewables to develop a 10MW tidal farm off Anglesey, and in Canada MCT is working with Minas Bay Pulp & Paper to deploy a single SeaGen device in the Bay of Fundy, Nova Scotia during 2011.

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, Carbon Trust Investments, ESB International, EDF Energy, Guernsey Electricity and High Tide. The company has a power purchase agreement with Ireland’s ESB Independent Energy for SeaGen’s output.

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.

Client News-ENGINEERING DESIGN PROGRAMME START FOR GATEWAY GAS STORAGE FACILITY

2010-01-22T12:16:00.000Z

Press Release

Thursday, January 21^st 2010

For media enquiries, please contact Paul Taylor (Taylor Keogh Communications): +44 (0)20 3170 8465 / +44 (0)7966 782611

ENGINEERING DESIGN PROGRAMME START FOR GATEWAY GAS STORAGE FACILITY

2014 targeted for commercial operation

Detailed engineering work on the Gateway gas storage facility, to be built offshore in the East Irish Sea, has started. AMEC, Parsons Brinckerhoff and Senergy have been appointed by Gateway Storage Company to undertake the front-end engineering design (FEED) work for both the offshore and onshore elements of the 1.5bn cubic metre underground storage scheme.

The work over the next 12 months will support a commitment to construction of the facility at the end of 2010 and enable the commencement of gas storage services for the UK market in 2014.

The £600m storage facility will add new capacity equal to approximately 30% of current UK storage capacity, sufficient to meet five days of Britain’s average gas demand.

Gateway will be built in salt caverns approximately 750m beneath the surface of the seabed and located 15 miles offshore, south west of Barrow-in-Furness. The Gateway facility will be connected to the National Gas Transmission System (NTS) via a new pipeline to a gas compression station adjacent to the existing Morecambe gas terminals at Barrow.

AMEC’s work will include offshore installations, pipelines, the onshore compression station at the Morecambe terminals and the connections into the National Grid. Parsons Brinckerhoff will advise Gateway on the salt cavern design and construction, and Senergy’s work will concentrate on the offshore infrastructure, installation, logistics and well designs. The project team has been mobilised and is based in Aberdeen.

Andrew Stacey, Director of Gateway Storage, said: “The detailed engineering design work, and the tender process for the main construction contracts that will follow later this year, will support a commitment to construction at the end of this year and the start of storage services during 2014. We are delighted to have the depth of experience that AMEC, Parsons Brinckerhoff and Senergy offer us and look forward to working with them in order to deliver the much needed Gateway facility.”

“Given the scale of the project, there is much work to do but Gateway Storage will bring storage capacity and deliverability to the UK energy market, and so help reduce price volatility and risk.”

Notes to Editors:

1. Gateway Storage (www.gatewaystorage.co.uk) secured consent from the UK Government in November 2008 and from Barrow Council in June 2008, and a site licence agreement from the Crown Estate in 2007.

2. Gateway Storage is a company that was formed to develop the gas storage project and is managed by Stag Energy. Stag Energy (www.stagenergy.com) is an independent company, headquartered in Edinburgh. The company, established in 2002, has extensive experience of managing the development, construction and operations of gas storage and power generation projects in the UK and overseas.

3. Storing gas in salt caverns enables firms to retrieve gas rapidly to cope with spikes in peak demand. The British Geological Survey, in a report commissioned by BERR, highlighted a number of offshore areas suitable for salt caverns, including the Irish Sea and the Southern North Sea. In its report, the BGS specifically noted that Gateway’s site was located in one of the very best areas in the UK.

4. Senergy (www.senergyworld.com) is a circa £80million ($120million) revenue energy services company with headquarters in Aberdeen, UK, and a network of global offices in the UK, Norway, Middle East, South-East Asia and Australia. Established in 2005, Senergy provides integrated energy services encompassing geosciences, reservoir engineering, geohazard assessment, marine site surveys, rig positioning, wells engineering and operations, project management and alternative energy solutions.

5. AMEC (LSE: AMEC) is a focused supplier of high-value consultancy, engineering and project management services to the world’s natural resources, nuclear, clean energy, water and environmental sectors. With annual revenues of over £2.6 billion, AMEC designs, delivers and maintains strategic and complex assets for its customers. AMEC's Natural Resources, Power & Process and Earth & Environmental businesses employ almost 22,000 people in around 40 countries worldwide (www.amec.com).

6. Parsons Brinckerhoff (www.pbworld.com) develops and operates infrastructure around the world, with 13,000 employees in the Americas, Europe, Africa, Middle East, Asia and Australia-Pacific regions. PB offers skills and resources in strategic consulting, planning, engineering, program/construction management and operations for all modes of infrastructure including transportation, power, community development, water and the environment.

For further information:

Gateway Storage Company Ltd

Andrew Stacey / George Grant

T: +44 (0)131 550 3380

E : astacey@stagenergy.com

ggrant@stagenergy.com

Paul Taylor (Taylor Keogh Communications)

T: +44 (0) 20 3170 8465

E: paul@taylorkeogh.com

New investment paves way for UK’s first commercial-scale tidal farm

2010-01-06T16:11:00.000Z

New investment paves way for UK’s first commercial-scale tidal farm

British tidal energy company Marine Current Turbines (MCT) has raised £3.5m from an investor group led by Carbon Trust Investments Limited and including Bank Invest, EDF Energy, High Tide and a group of significant private investors. The funding will help MCT in its plans to deploy the UK’s first commercial tidal energy farm in UK waters within the next two years.

MCT is the developer of SeaGen, the world’s first and largest grid-connected system that extracts energy from tidal currents. Part of the new funding will support MCT’s first deployment of SeaGen in Northern Ireland’s Strangford Lough which has now been successfully operating for more than six months. The company is now also looking to export its technology abroad.

Tom Delay, Chief Executive, of the Carbon Trust said: “The UK is leading the way in marine energy and stands to reap the rewards through new jobs and revenue. Marine Current Turbines has developed one of the leading tidal energy devices and its proven technology is now ready to be deployed in a commercial-scale tidal farm which will be a UK first. The current economic climate has created difficulties for companies like MCT operating within a capital intensive sector. We’re delighted to be able to lead this important group of investors in providing funding to a key player in the UK’s growing marine energy sector.”

Martin Wright, Managing Director of MCT, said: “We are delighted to secure the support of the Carbon Trust. Their investment, supported by a number of our existing shareholders, underlines the achievements made by MCT in designing, deploying and running a commercial scale tidal system and their confidence in the company’s abilities to develop a tidal farm within the next two years.

We have established clear water ahead of our rivals and we see this significant investment, allied by the Government’s actions to encourage tidal and wave energy, giving the company a massive boost to realise the commercial opportunities that exist in the UK as well as overseas markets.”

Energy and Climate Change Minister, Lord Hunt said: “It is critical that we support companies like MCT, so that we can harness the enormous potential from wave and tidal power on our shores. We have the natural resources, the technical skills, and the talent to lead the world in this kind of advanced green manufacturing, which I believe will be the economic success story of the 21st century.”

MCT installed the world’s first commercial scale tidal stream turbine, the 1.2 MW SeaGen, in Strangford Lough in Northern Ireland in 2008. The device is now operating remotely and generating power that is being sold to ESB Independent Energy under a Power Purchase Agreement helping to supply businesses across Northern Ireland with renewable electricity.

The Carbon Trust’s investment is drawn from a new £18m fund, provided by the Department of Energy and Climate Change, announced by the Carbon Trust last month. The new fund is designed to speed up Britain’s move towards a low carbon economy by providing promising UK clean energy sector companies with investment over the next 12-18 months.

ENDS

Notes to editors

For more information or an interview please contact the Carbon Trust press office on 0207 544 3100

or Marine Current Turbines:

Martin Wright, Managing Director

Tel: 0117 979 1888 / 07785 340671

Paul Taylor (Taylor Keogh Communications)

Tel: 020 3170 8465 / 07966 782611

Recent Carbon Trust investments:

· The Carbon Trust invested £4m in New Earth enabling it to complete the second closing in its ongoing £15m equity fundraising announced in August 2009. It has raised £9m to date. Building on its existing landfill diversion operation the company is now looking to use gasification and pyrolysis technologies to convert waste-derived fuel into electricity.

· Furthering its investment in the company, the Carbon Trust co-led a £2.7m funding round in Whitfield Solar with a private syndicate of new investors and supported by existing investors the Cascade Fund and Kilsby Ltd. The developer of solar energy technology is now looking to extend its sales strategy in both existing and emerging solar markets including Portugal, Greece, Italy and Australia for near term sales, with plans to have commercially available product in China and India by the end of 2010.

· The Carbon Trust invested in RLtec alongside co-investors Low Carbon Accelerator and Naxos Capital Partners. The investment will support further development of its smart grid-management technology, which can increase the energy efficiency of the whole electricity supply chain and can play a key role in balancing and stabilising grids globally, reducing reliance on stand-by coal fired power stations and assisting with the integration of renewable energy sources onto the grid.

· Plaxica raised over £1m in equity funding from Imperial Innovations, the Carbon Trust and the National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts (NESTA). The investment will allow Plaxica to continue developing processes for producing a new generation of polylactic acid biopolymers. These are expected to have improved physical properties compared with first generation biopolymers, a smaller environmental footprint, be fully recyclable, and cost competitive with current oil-based alternatives.

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 giving business and the public sector 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 23 million tonnes of carbon, delivering costs savings of around £1.4 billion. We aim to help our customers cut a further 17MtCO2 and save another £1 billion in the next three years.

· We cut future carbon emissions by developing new low carbon technologies. We are helping the UK become a global hub for low carbon innovation. We do this through funding and managing projects, investing and collaborating on low carbon technologies and by identifying market barriers and practical ways to overcome them. Our work on commercialising new technologies will deliver savings of up to 23 million tonnes of carbon a year by 2050.

About CT Investment Partners LLP

· CT Investment Partners LLP is the FSA authorised and regulated venture capital advisory firm, jointly owned by Carbon Trust and its executives, which advises Carbon Trust Investments.

About Carbon Trust Investments

· Carbon Trust Investments Limited is the venture capital investment subsidiary of the Carbon Trust. Carbon Trust Investments has invested in 18 businesses over the last seven years. Two of these companies, Ceres Power PLC and CMR Fuel Cells PLC listed on AIM. A further portfolio company, Heliswirl Technology Ltd, has achieved a partial exit.

· Other portfolio companies include 4energy Ltd, CamSemi Ltd, Acal Energy Ltd, Pelamis Wave Power Ltd, Heliswirl Technologies Ltd, Natural Buildings Technology Ltd, Whitfield Solar Ltd, Green Biologics Ltd, RLtec and Plaxica

About Marine Current Turbines

Marine Current Turbines Ltd (www.marineturbines.com) was established in 2000. The 1.2MW SeaGen was deployed in Northern Ireland’s Strangford Lough in April 2008; it has the capacity to generate power for the equivalent of about 1500 homes. It works in principle much like an “underwater windmill” with the rotors driven by the power of the tidal currents rather than the wind.

A single SeaGen system is planned to be deployed in Canada’s Bay of Fundy during 2011 by Canadian company, Minas Bay Pulp & Paper. Since February 2008, the company has partnered RWE npower on plans to develop a tidal farm in waters off Anglesey, north Wales.

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

2009-12-09T17:22:00.002Z

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

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

2009-11-13T10:56:00.001Z

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

2009-11-04T15:47:00.001Z

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

2009-11-04T10:18:00.002Z

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

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

2009-10-27T16:54:00.001Z

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

2009-10-20T11:06:00.000+01:00

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

2009-10-15T17:01:00.000+01:00

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

2009-10-12T11:36:00.002+01:00

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

2009-10-09T10:46:00.004+01:00

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

2009-10-08T11:39:00.002+01:00

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

2009-10-07T11:49:00.001+01:00

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

2009-09-22T12:35:00.004+01:00

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

2009-09-22T10:31:00.002+01:00

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

2009-09-17T11:57:00.006+01:00

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

2009-09-16T13:53:00.005+01:00

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

2009-09-16T09:54:00.007+01:00

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

2009-09-15T14:10:00.003+01:00

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

2009-09-15T11:59:00.009+01:00

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

2009-09-14T16:01:00.005+01:00

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

2009-09-11T09:53:00.008+01:00

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

Industry News- UK 'could face blackouts by 2016'

2009-09-11T09:23:00.005+01:00

In an interview with the BBC the government's new energy adviser says the UK could face blackouts by 2016 because green energy is not coming on stream fast enough.
Click here for the full text

Client News-Marine Current Turbines ranked world’s No 1 tidal power company by international panel of experts

2009-09-10T10:57:00.006+01:00

(Bristol, England) Marine Current Turbines has been ranked as the world’s leading tidal power company in the Cleantech Group’s “Global Cleantech 100” survey, produced in association with the UK’s Carbon Trust and published in The Guardian newspaper.
Click here to read the guardian article

Industry News-Power station and refinery workers vote for strike action

2009-09-04T11:05:00.003+01:00

Some of Britain's largest refineries and power stations face being shut down after workers voted to stage official action over the hiring of cheaper foreign labour.

The result of the ballot – to be revealed tomorrow to the employers, including BP and Shell – follows months of "wildcat" action sparked by the use of foreign contractors at Lindsey refinery in Lincolnshire.

The vast majority of 7,000 of GMB union members at seven sites, which include the nuclear complex at Sellafield and BP's North Sea gas pipeline, have voted in favour of industrial action, the Guardian has learned. They want employers to allow unions to carry out full audits of the contracts of all 30,000 workers. Unions accuse companies of reneging on national collective pay deals by hiring workers, often from overseas, on lower wages.

Fellow union Unite, which represents the remainder of the workforce, has also been balloting its members. It is expected to announce the result next week, but members are also understood to have balloted overwhelmingly in favour of action. GMB will wait for the result of Unite's ballot
before taking action.

Union officials will meet employer representatives for talks, but workers' leaders are determined to take action to prevent the further erosion of the principle of collective pay bargaining. Employers counter that being prevented from hiring foreign staff for lower wages than agreed under collective pay deals obstructs the movement of labour in the European Union.

Employment lawyers said that companies could attempt to overturn the ballot in the high court, which would make the planned industrial action illegal. Victory for employers would seriously undermine the union movement by limiting the use of its ultimate sanction, the right to strike.

Marc Meryon, a partner specialising in industrial relations law at Bircham Dyson Bell, said: "This is a conflict between two rights in European law: one is the freedom of movement of labour and the other is the right to go on strike. Employers are likely to have been taking advice over whether unions can have a lawful strike over employing foreign contractors on lower wages."

Wildcat strikes swept Britain's construction and energy industries at the beginning of the year after Total hired about 100 Italian and Portuguese contractors at its Lindsey refinery. Total insisted it was paying them the same wages but British workers questioned why they were not employed instead. The use of foreign labour became more of a flashpoint in March when it emerged that power firm Alstom was paying Polishconstruction workers at its Isle of Grain plant, in Kent, £4.50 an hour less than their British counterparts. The Engineering Construction Industry Association (ECIA) said at the time that the "incident resulted from a misinterpretation". The ECIA, which will meet representatives from GMB and Unite , did not return calls from the Guardian.

The seven sites at risk are: BP's Forties pipeline facility at Grangemouth; the Ineos refinery at Grangemouth; Sellafield; Shell's refinery at Stanlow; RWE's power plants at Staythorpe in Nottinghamshire and Aberthaw in South Glamorgan; and Chevron's refinery in Pembroke.

The unions are negotiating a new three-year pay deal. Employers are said to have agreed to the principle of setting up a national skills register which unions believe would identify what type of training in Britain is most needed. Unions also want a unemployed workers' register which companies must use to fill vacancies. Employers are said to have also agreed to allow unions to audit their workforces' pay, "except in exceptional circumstances" which unions believe is an unacceptable caveat. "We don't trust them anymore," said one union source.

Employers are required to pay the minimum wage to foreign workers but many circumvent collective pay agreements by using subsidiary companies to hire them on a lower wage.

For the full article click here

Industry News-London brokers turn attention to green finance

2009-09-04T10:58:00.004+01:00

Bonds providing a hedge against the risk of governments missing their climate commitments could give investors the necessary confidence to invest in low-carbon projects, Professor Michael Mainelli from Z/Yen, a City of London-based risk management firm, told EurActiv in an interview.

The biggest obstacle to investment in green projects is a general lack of confidence in government policy being enacted, Mainelli argued. He pointed out that when the EU's emissions trading scheme was inaugurated, politicians agreed that carbon prices need to stand at about €25-€30/tonne, but in reality, the market crashed in 2007 when too many permits were issued and the price is still nowhere near that.

High carbon prices are crucial to the profitability of renewable energy projects, the financial expert argued. "And they depend on government policy," he said, adding that policies such as feed-in tariff rates are equally important.

Mainelli presented the idea of index-linked bonds as a way for governments to guarantee investors that they will get a return on their low-carbon investments, regardless of whether the government keeps its climate pledges.

"The basic idea here is that governments would pay interest on their own debt, and they would pay more interest if they failed to meet their carbon targets," he said.

The targets of the bonds could vary, Mainelli said. He cited as examples carbon prices, where the government pays interest if carbon is below a set price, and feed-in tariffs, where the government pays if it does not maintain a set rate or fails to reach the country's emissions reduction target.

To illuminate the issue, Mainelli offered a scenario whereby a large pension fund puts €500 million euros into a wind farm that produces at €90/MWh, when the current price of electricity stands at €85/MWh. At the same time, it buys government bonds priced at a feed-in tariff of €110/MWh.

In case in reality the tariff turns out to be only €100, the investor's profit from the wind farm is only €10/MWh, instead of the expected €20, but it is making €10 on the French government.

The idea differs from many other bonds proposals in that it is simple and does not involve forfeiting returns out of concern for the climate, Mainelli stressed.

"What makes us really subversive - one of the things I find interesting as we've been chatting to governments - is that they begin to realise that they've got to put their money where their mouth is," Mainelli said. He argued that index-linked carbon bonds are analogous to inflation-linked bonds that governments had to start issuing in the beginning of the 1980s, when people lost confidence in their government's ability to control inflation.

"But of course the uncomfortable truth is that they just don't like it because if they fail to make their targets, then they'll have to pay a lot of interest," he added.

Nevertheless, as OECD governments prepare to issue $9 trillion in debt in the next three years due to the financial crisis, compared to only €18 trillion in the past 40 years, they are now seriously considering the idea, Mainelli said.

"So it's like any supply and demand situation: supply is going through the roof but demand is dropping. And the suppliers, the governments, are going to have to come up with interesting ways of selling their debt. And this is one of them," Mainelli concluded.

For the full article please click here

Political News-DECC appoint David Mackay as Chief Scientific Advisor

2009-09-03T14:40:00.003+01:00

David MacKay, Professor in the Department of Physics at Cambridge University and author of the influential book ‘Sustainable Energy -without the hot air' has been appointed Chief Scientific Advisor to the Department of Energy and Climate Change.

The Chief Scientific Advisor’s role is to ensure that the Department’s policies and operations, and its contributions to wider Government issues, are underpinned by the best science and engineering advice available.

Professor MacKay said:

“Climate change and secure energy are two of the most urgent issues facing the UK and the global community. The solutions must be rooted firmly in the science and I look forward to advising the Government on how it can help deliver these important goals.”

Secretary of State Ed Miliband said:

“David MacKay is known for making science accessible and helping to explain clearly the urgency and the challenges of moving to a low carbon economy. I want him to bring all of these qualities to the job of advising DECC on how we can meet Britain’s carbon targets and energy security needs.”

Click Here to read ‘Sustainable Energy -without the hot air' by David Mackay

Industry News-Danish Wind Energy Industry Blows Europe Away

2009-09-02T15:17:00.002+01:00

As concerns grew over global warming in the 1980s, coupled with the energy crises experienced in the 1970s, Denmark found itself at the sharp end of a renewable energy movement in a bid to limit its dependence on foreign oil. The country immediately went on to adopt various laws calling for a cut in carbon emissions and outlawing the construction of nuclear power plants.

Given its large offshore wind resources and large expanse of sea territory with shallow water depth where siting is most effective, it made sense for Denmark to cultivate a wind power industry.

At the centre of the Danish wind movement is the Danish Wind Industry Association which is a not-for-profit organisation covering over 200 companies.

Rune Birk Nielsen of the DWIA said the association has involvement across the board, ranging from utilities to suppliers and sub-suppliers. ‘To sum it up, we work with everyone from the top to the bottom of the chain in this industry. The aim of the game is the make the best possible frame for the industry to succeed in Denmark.’

Over the years, many investors point towards Denmark as a success story. However, with such some success, will over-crowding deter future investments and potentially harm the Danish market?

Nielsen said, ‘I don’t tend to see that reaction from the people we work with. On the contrary, I believe we will see the wind industry continue to grow, rather than deter people from getting involved. The climate legislation to be signed in Denmark later this year is expected to reaffirm wind’s role in meeting Denmark’s renewable energy goals. At present, we are one of the only solutions available which could really fulfil those targets.’

Nielsen believes that the fact that wind energy has been prevalent since the 1970s rather than introduced on a gradual basis means it will continue to play a vital role; ‘In the 1980s we started commercialising the production of wind turbines and several production companies began to venture into this market. Market-wise, the growth started in the 1990s with the introduction of major financing.

These two combined have forced politicians to sit up and take notice, really setting the bar for Denmark to become the leader within this field.’

In comparison to its European counterparts, the DWIA maintains that Denmark is number one in market shares with huge wind businesses, as well as pole position for the integration of wind power into electricity generation. However, Nielsen acknowledges that other countries will attempt to overtake Denmark’s position as awareness of global warming and opportunities in renewable energy continue to grow.

‘I do believe that over the next four or five years we will experience a huge development in offshore wind energy in other countries, namely the UK, Germany and perhaps even the north east China. The US is also getting started in this market following new legislation. Globally,
we have very strong wind resources so it’s inevitable that other countries will start to rival Denmark. However, I think it will be good for us to have strong competition to push our ideas ahead.’

Denmark continues to develop its market-leding capabilities in response to foreign rivals. Nielsen said, ‘Policy will play a vital role. We believe it is the job of the politicians to step up and set long-term targets for the industry to work towards.’

Despite the financial downturn, Nielsen is convinced that the wind industry will continue to see growth. ‘The financial downturn has resulted in projects being postponed rather than cancelled. The global warming question hangs heavily and we must not be deterred from creating a
green economy.’

Nielsen, hoverer, does concede that 2009 has been a slow year compared to the growth witnessed in 2008 and the preceding years. ‘The years to come will mark a return to that huge growth and we are aiming to see around 20 per cent growth year-on-year. We are very optimistic that wind energy will remain a significant contender which is why we set ourselves such strict targets. Last year we published our annual statistics based on our members and when we asked how our members saw the long-term growth rate, they firmly believed that 2010 onwards will see dramatic growth of between 15-20 per cent so there is no reason to worry.’

Nielsen concluded, ‘We will play a huge role in stopping climate change in its track and our success so far has showed that we have no reason to fear the 2020 targets.’

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Company News-Taylor Keogh Communications joins the 10:10 UK campaign

2009-09-02T15:05:00.002+01:00

Today Taylor Keogh joined with thousands of people and organisation it its support the 10:10 UK the grass roots campaign aims in which individuals and institutions make a personal vow to cut their carbon emissions by 10% in 2010. In a first step to try to stop runaway climate change,attracted 5,000 signatures in the hours following its launch.

To support the campaign and find out what you can do click here 10:10

To read more media reviews click the links below:

The Guardian

The Daily Telegraph

Political News-UK government proposes faster grid access for renewable energy

2009-09-02T14:44:00.002+01:00

UK Secretary of Energy and Climate Change, Ed Miliband, has proposed to address the way power plants are connected to the UK’s power grid in the hope of getting new generation, including renewable energy, connected faster.

The Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) says in a statement: “The shake-up will help new projects waiting to get a date to feed electricity into the grid to get out of the queue, and will in particular help renewable energy projects such as wind farms.”

Currently 60 GW of new electricity generation is waiting to be connected to the grid, of which 17 GW is from renewable energy.

Under the current system, new generation, including renewable energy, has been connected on a first come first serve basis regardless of when the projects can actually start generating electricity. According to DECC, this means some windfarms, for example, were given grid connection years after they were due to start producing renewable energy.

Miliband says: “Access to the grid has been one of the key barriers to the generation of renewable energy in this country. … We need these new projects to get hooked up to the grid as soon as they are ready – both to help tackle climate change and secure our future energy supplies.

“The government will do whatever is necessary to bring about the transition to a low carbon economy and to give investors the certainty they need so that new renewable energy generation is built.”

DECC proposes three models:

* Connect and manage (socialised): Cost will be shared between all users of the network;
* Connect and manage (hybrid): A model that targets some, but not all, of the additional constraint costs on new entrant power stations;
* Connect and manage (shared cost and commitment): A model that offers the choice to new and existing power stations to commit to the network (which is helpful to the grid in terms of long term management of the system) in return for greater certainty over charges, or to opt out and be exposed to additional constraint costs.

Ofgem has already approved interim arrangements, which so far have seen 1 GW of renewable energy projects in Scotland being offered earlier connection dates. The UK government says it wants to ensure that these arrangements are put fully in place by June 2010.