By DB Watson WITH fanfare, National Grid’s Energy System Operator (ESO) recently announced plans to bolster frequency control in the north of Scotland by providing a £25 million giant flywheel at Keith, the south end of the Spittal (near Thurso) to Blackhillock (Moray) high voltage direct current (HVDC) undersea interconnector. Read more
Leading figures in onshore wind have voiced concerns that a lack of resources for local authorities could create a “barrier” to renewable projects. Hazel Gulliver from ScottishPower and Jamie Maxton from SSE Renewables both called for clarity around planning to speed up the delivery of major green energy developments. The Read more
Industry figures have called for the Scottish government to ensure planning bodies are sufficiently resourced and set timelines for decision-making. RWE head of consents Eleri Davies told a session of the Scottish Renewables Onshore Wind conference that she thought there was a case for legislating fixed timescales for each stage Read more
Additional Extension to Kennoxhead Wind Farm comprising up to 9 turbines, with a maximum blade tip height of 220m. Brookfield Renewable UK Limited (hereafter referred to as ‘the Applicant’) intends to apply to the Scottish Government Energy Consents Unit (ECU) for Section 36 consent under the Electricity Act 1989(‘the Act’)to Read more
It appears the penny has finally dropped. Having worked out that wind and solar will never work, the British government is now backing the development of advanced modular nuclear reactors. The idea that a modern economy can power itself on sunshine and breezes is nonsense. Not so with ever-reliable nuclear Read more
Two letters from the Scotsman dated 6 August 2020.
The offshore energy sector could underpin 60 per cent of the emissions reductions needed to hit the UK’s 2050 net zero target, a government-backed report has suggested. The combination of carbon capture and storage, or CCS, hydrogen fuel and the electrification of offshore oil and gas platforms together could deliver Read more
Humans create a lot of noise in the ocean – from sonar and seismic exploration, to pile-driving when building wind farms. But how might this affect sea life? Thousands of whales and dolphins die every year after becoming stranded on beaches. Dr Maria Morell, from University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Read more