net may issue

8/6/2019 NET May Issue

1/13

CONTENTS Business and

Technology News

Policy News Events and

Commentaries

Contacts us:MEC International Ltd.

Granville House

132-135 Sloane Street

London SW1X 9AX

Tel: 020 7591 4816

Fax: 020 7591 4801

e-mail:

[email protected]

Linking Innovative Technologies with Global Energy Markets

Dear Reader,

Welcome to our NET Newsletter, tracking the latest news

related to new energy technologies.

NET update focuses on how new technologies are

changing the global renewable and non-renewable

energy markets. In doing so, the NET newsletter provides

a well-rounded view on the most up-to-date energynews coming from a broad range of sources including

policymakers, scientists, energy financiers, and so forth.

This month we have news on New Online Mechanism for

Electric Vehicle Charging, Asia technology comes clean to

provide green solutions, Iran's Bushehr nuclear plant

begins operation, Scotland toasts new whisky-powered

bioenergy plant, Solar industry pins hopes on U-turn as

feed-in tariff consultation ends, The Co-operative entersgas and electricity market, EU finalises 'stress' tests for

nuclear reactors, New Green Technology for Hydrogen

Production, UK Approves Binding 50% Greenhouse Gas

Cut by 2025 along with the commentariesBy Peter Jones

of Waste2Tricity and Ecolateral with a view point on

Waste Energy and John Baldwin from CNG Services with

a view point on electric vehicles and much more

If you would like to receive further information on any of

the issues raised in this newsletter, please contact me at

[email protected]. Please let me know if you have

any particular news items that you would like to have

included in the next newsletter or if you know of any

individual or organisation that would like to receive the

newsletter in the future.

Kind Regards,

Nitin Verma

May 2011
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]


2/13

Hydrogen Fuel Tech Gets Boost from Low-Cost, Efficient Catalyst3 May 2011

ScienceDaily

The alternative way scientists utilized to

make hydrogen fuel from water and sunlight is

with the help of light absorbing electrode which is

a cheap and abundant alternative to expensive

platinum catalyst. This fact which became known

is an important development effort to mimic the

way plants make fuel from sunlight and the one

step ahead of creating green energy economy.

Read More

Oil and gas industry confidence 'suffering' over tax

4 May 2011

Source: BBC News

The oil and gas industry has

suffered a "dramatic drop in confidence"

due to tax concerns, it has been claimed.

Oil and Gas UK said its quarterly index

report provided a measure of industry

confidence on a 100 point scale, with a

higher rating - above 50 - indicating a

positive outlook and a lower rating, below

50, giving a more negative view. Read

More

Green energy plant could create hundreds of Kent jobs

4 May 2011

Source: BBC News

Hundreds of jobs could be created if

plans to turn a former power station into a

green energy park are approved. As well as

construction jobs, the proposed development

at Richborough, near Sandwich, could create

60 full-time posts once built.Read More

Technology and Business News
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/05/110502110631.htmhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/05/110502110631.htmhttp://www.oilandgasuk.co.uk/cmsfiles/modules/publications/pdfs/OP058.pdfhttp://www.oilandgasuk.co.uk/cmsfiles/modules/publications/pdfs/OP058.pdfhttp://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-north-east-orkney-shetland-13278328http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-north-east-orkney-shetland-13278328http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-north-east-orkney-shetland-13278328http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-kent-13282147http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-kent-13282147http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-kent-13282147http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-kent-13282147http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-north-east-orkney-shetland-13278328http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-north-east-orkney-shetland-13278328http://www.oilandgasuk.co.uk/cmsfiles/modules/publications/pdfs/OP058.pdfhttp://www.oilandgasuk.co.uk/cmsfiles/modules/publications/pdfs/OP058.pdfhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/05/110502110631.htm


3/13

New Online Mechanism for Electric Vehicle Charging8 May 2011

ScienceDaily

A new pricing mechanism has been designed by the researchers at the

University of Southampton where they developed a different way to charge the

electric vehicles that makes possible to charge electric vehicles without loading the

electricity network much. As according to Dr.Alex Rogers, who is a computer scientist

said in one of the papers that plugging in electric vehicles will overload the local

electricity distribution network due to many vehicles charging simultaneously,

therefore the scheduling of charging points needs to be done.Read More

Shale gas drilling 'contaminates drinking water'

9 May 2011By Mark Kinver

Shale gas drilling operations

increase the risk of nearby drinking

water becoming contaminated with

methane, a study has suggested.

Researchers found, on average,

methane concentrations 17 times

above normal in samples taken

near drilling sites.Read More

Professor Jackson said he had witnessed contaminated water being set alight

Revived Lancashire gas store consultation starts

10 May 2011

Source:BBC News

A consultation process begins lateron a controversial scheme to store

thousands of tons of gas

underground in Lancashire.

Halite Energy Group, which hopes

to store gas underground at

Preesall, said it would seek the

views of local residents before

submitting its plans. A previous

application was rejected in January

2010 by Canatxx UK. Halite could revive Canatxx's plans which had three proposalswidely opposed by people living in Over Wyre.Read More
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/05/110505124043.htmhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/05/110505124043.htmhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/05/110505124043.htmhttp://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-13333473http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-13333473http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-13333473http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-lancashire-13338281http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-lancashire-13338281http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-lancashire-13338281http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-lancashire-13338281http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-13333473http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/05/110505124043.htm


4/13

Scotland toasts new whisky-powered bioenergy plant4 May 2011

Kirsty Scott

Up to 9,000 homes to be powered

with energy produced by burning waste

matter from the whisky-making process.

Scottish distilleries will power

9,000 homes with electricity and heat from

bio energy plants using waste matter from

the industry.

It is the spirit that powers the Scottish

economy, and now whisky is to be used to

create electricity for homes in a new

bioenergy venture involving some of Scotland's best-known distilleries.

Contracts have recently been awarded for the construction of a biomass combined

heat and power plant at Rothes in Speyside that by 2013 will use the by-products of

the whisky-making process for energy production.Read More

UK marine energy sector 'could be worth 76bn and support 68,000 jobs'

2 May 2011

Terry Macalister

A government thinktank has

predicted that the British marine energy

sector could be worth 76bn to the

economy and support 68,000 jobs by 2050.

The analysis, released this week by the

Carbon Trust, comes only weeks after

coalition ministers ended the industry's

subsidy programme.

Britain could capture almost a quarter of the

global wave and tidal power market if it

builds on its existing lead, the trust forecast.

The majority of the jobs would be a result of the growing export markets in countries

such as Chile, Korea and the US as well as Atlantic-facing European states which

benefit from powerful waves or tidal currents. The study, the most in-depth of its kind,

found that total marine energy capacity could be 27.5 gigawatts in the UK by 2050,

enough to supply more than a fifth of current electricity demand. Read More
http://www.guardian.co.uk/profile/kirstyscotthttp://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/whiskyhttp://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/scotlandhttp://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/energyhttp://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2011/may/04/whisky-energy-biomass-scotland-speyside?INTCMP=SRCHhttp://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2011/may/04/whisky-energy-biomass-scotland-speyside?INTCMP=SRCHhttp://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2011/may/04/whisky-energy-biomass-scotland-speyside?INTCMP=SRCHhttp://www.guardian.co.uk/profile/terrymacalisterhttp://www.guardian.co.uk/profile/terrymacalisterhttp://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/energyhttp://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2011/may/02/wave-power-tidal-energy-carbon?INTCMP=SRCHhttp://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2011/may/02/wave-power-tidal-energy-carbon?INTCMP=SRCHhttp://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/energyhttp://www.guardian.co.uk/profile/terrymacalisterhttp://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2011/may/04/whisky-energy-biomass-scotland-speyside?INTCMP=SRCHhttp://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/energyhttp://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/scotlandhttp://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/whiskyhttp://www.guardian.co.uk/profile/kirstyscott


5/13

Solar industry pins hopes on U-turn as feed-in tariff consultation ends6 May 2011

James Murray

La Narbonnaise photovoltaic

solar power plant in France - in the UK,

such large scale solar farms could see

feed-in tariff payments cut.

The consultation on the government's

proposed cuts to feed-in tariff incentives

for solar projects with 50kW capacity

draws to a close today, with industry

figures warning that the sector faces

"disaster" if the coalition adopts its

current proposals.

The consultation documents, which were launched in March, propose deep cuts to

feed-in tariff incentives of between 40 and 70 per cent for all solar photovoltaic (PV)

installations with over 50kW capacity.Read More

The Co-operative enters gas and electricity market10 May 2011

Jill Insley

The Co-operative will offer a

single variable tariff for gas and

electricity users.

The Co-operative has entered the

energy market with a simple, single

tariff designed to be consistently fair

and competitive.

The Pioneer tariff, named after theRochdale pioneers who founded the

first co-operative in 1844, has a

variable rate and no penalties for switching to a different provider. Co-operative

Energy also promises that new customers will not receive preferential treatment over

existing customers with cheaper price offers.

The company describes the multi-tariff offerings of other energy providers as "baffling

and bewildering", and says it will challenge the big profits made by the other

companies by including a twice-yearly profit-sharing deal for all its customers, who

will own the business.Read More
http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/consultations/fit_review/fit_review.aspxhttp://www.businessgreen.com/bg/news/2035346/decc-reveals-crippling-cuts-solar-feed-tariffshttp://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2011/may/06/solar-feed-in-tariff-consultation?INTCMP=SRCHhttp://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2011/may/06/solar-feed-in-tariff-consultation?INTCMP=SRCHhttp://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2011/may/06/solar-feed-in-tariff-consultation?INTCMP=SRCHhttp://www.guardian.co.uk/profile/jillinsleyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rochdale_Society_of_Equitable_Pioneershttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rochdale_Society_of_Equitable_Pioneershttp://www.cooperativeenergy.coop/http://www.cooperativeenergy.coop/http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2011/may/10/cooperative-gas-electricity-markethttp://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2011/may/10/cooperative-gas-electricity-markethttp://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2011/may/10/cooperative-gas-electricity-markethttp://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2011/may/10/cooperative-gas-electricity-markethttp://www.cooperativeenergy.coop/http://www.cooperativeenergy.coop/http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rochdale_Society_of_Equitable_Pioneershttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rochdale_Society_of_Equitable_Pioneershttp://www.guardian.co.uk/profile/jillinsleyhttp://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2011/may/06/solar-feed-in-tariff-consultation?INTCMP=SRCHhttp://www.businessgreen.com/bg/news/2035346/decc-reveals-crippling-cuts-solar-feed-tariffshttp://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/consultations/fit_review/fit_review.aspx


6/13

Teaching Algae to Make Fuel: New Process Could Lead to Production of

Hydrogen Using Bioengineered Microorganisms24 May 2011

ScienceDaily

Many kinds of algae and cyanobacteria,

common water-dwelling microorganisms, are

capable of using energy from sunlight to split

water molecules and release hydrogen, which

holds promise as a clean and carbon-free fuel for

the future. One reason this approach hasn't yet

been harnessed for fuel production is that under

ordinary circumstances, hydrogen production takes a back seat to the production of

compounds that the organisms use to support their own growth.Read More

Chile approves $7bn hydroelectric dam in Patagonian wilderness10 May 2011

Source:Guardian

A project to dam two of the world's

wildest rivers for electricity has won

approval despite strong public opposition

A hydroelectric dam in Chile. The

government has approved a project to buildfive dams on two of Patagonia's rivers.

A $7bn (4.2bn) project to dam two of the

world's wildest rivers for electricity won

environmental approval on Monday from a Chilean government commission, despite

a groundswell of opposition.Read More

New Green Technology for Hydrogen Production23 May 2011

ScienceDaily

Researcher Mohamed Halabi of

Eindhoven University of Technology

demonstrates a proof-of-concept for a new

and clean technology to produce high

purity hydrogen from natural gas. This

allows hydrogen to be produced in an

elegant technique at much lower

temperatures, and without releasing

carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.Read

More
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/05/110524115144.htmhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/05/110524115144.htmhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/05/110524115144.htmhttp://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/rivershttp://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2011/may/10/chile-hydroelectric-damhttp://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2011/may/10/chile-hydroelectric-damhttp://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2011/may/10/chile-hydroelectric-damhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/05/110512103946.htmhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/05/110512103946.htmhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/05/110512103946.htmhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/05/110512103946.htmhttp://images.sciencedaily.com/2011/05/110512103946-large.jpghttp://images.sciencedaily.com/2011/05/110524115144-large.jpghttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/05/110512103946.htmhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/05/110512103946.htmhttp://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2011/may/10/chile-hydroelectric-damhttp://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/rivershttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/05/110524115144.htm


7/13

Renewables Could Be 80 Percent of Energy by 2050

9 May 2011

By Stanley Carvalho

According to Writing by Alister Doyle in Oslo and editing by Jane Baird from

Reuters in their article says that the renewable sources such as solar, wind and

hydro could serve 80% of the worlds demand for energy by 2050 following the

policies of United Nation. The IPCC report says the 80% of renewable energy would

cut greenhouse Gas emissions and will lead to more cleaner energies where

geothermal or ocean energy would also pay the vital role. Rajendra Pachauri who

chairs the IPCC says the cost of installing renewable energy projects is decreasing

due to which wind and solar PV projects are increasing significantly. Read More

'Nuclear energy will help reach carbon reduction target'

9 May 2011

Source: BBC News

The Committee on Climate Change says that increasing our nuclear energy

capacity is the best way for Britain to meet its carbon reduction targets.

In a report released today, it says nuclear power could provide as much as 40% of

our energy needs by 2030.Click here for more

Asia technology comes clean to provide green solutions10 May 2011

By Richard Anderson

Many Asian companies

are focusing on how best to

recycle waste products

Climate change sceptics might

not like to admit it, but Asia is

embracing environmentally-

friendly technologies.

China is spending tens of

billions of dollars every year on

renewable energy projects -

almost twice the next biggest

spender in this field, the US - while South Korea's clean energy capacity more than

tripled in 2009.

Asia is not, then, the environmental laggard some in the West would have us believe.

In fact, growth in what the industry calls the clean tech, or environmental technology,

sector looks set to take off.Read More

Policy news
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=renewables-could-be-80-percenthttp://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=renewables-could-be-80-percenthttp://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=renewables-could-be-80-percenthttp://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-13337011http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-13337011http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-13337011http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-13332528http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-13332528http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-13332528http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-13332528http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-13337011http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=renewables-could-be-80-percent


8/13

How Angela Merkel became Germany's unlikely green energy champion

9 May 2011

Christian Schwgerl

German Chancellor Angela Merkel

is anything but a left-wing greenie. The

party she leads, the Christian Democratic

Union, is the political equivalent of the

Republicans in the US. Her coalition

government is decidedly pro-business.

Often described as Europe's most

powerful politician, Merkel's top priority is

job creation and economic growth.

Yet if the chancellor succeeds with her new energy policy, she will become the first

leader to transform an industrialized nation from nuclear and fossil fuel energy to

renewable power.Read More

EU finalises 'stress' tests for nuclear reactors25 May 2011

Source: Guardian

European nuclear watchdogs

agree details of new safety checks on

resilience of reactors to terrorist attacksand natural disasters Slovakia's oldest

nuclear power plant, Jaslovske Bohunic.

The safety tests will also address

resilience to more common threats such

as forest fires, transport accidents and

the loss of electrical power supplies

European nuclear watchdogs have agreed details of new safety checks on the

region's 143 reactors and said a group would be set up to deal with the risks of a

nuclear crisis arising from a terrorist attack.Read More

Wind forecast upgrade should mean big drop in fossil fuel useUK's electricity infrastructure controller now knows where the wind will blow next 87%

of the time potentially saving 1.5GW

25 May 2011

Fiona Harvey

Wind power should provide a fifth of

generating capacity within a decade if EU

targets on renewables are met. Betterforecasting of where the wind is blowing could
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/energyhttp://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2011/may/09/angela-merkel-green-energy?INTCMP=SRCHhttp://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2011/may/09/angela-merkel-green-energy?INTCMP=SRCHhttp://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2011/may/09/angela-merkel-green-energy?INTCMP=SRCHhttp://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/11/640&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=enhttp://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/11/640&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=enhttp://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2011/may/25/eu-stress-test-nuclear-safetyhttp://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2011/may/25/eu-stress-test-nuclear-safetyhttp://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2011/may/25/eu-stress-test-nuclear-safetyhttp://www.guardian.co.uk/profile/fiona-harveyhttp://www.guardian.co.uk/profile/fiona-harveyhttp://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2011/may/25/eu-stress-test-nuclear-safetyhttp://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/11/640&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=enhttp://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/11/640&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=enhttp://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2011/may/09/angela-merkel-green-energy?INTCMP=SRCHhttp://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/energy


9/13

allow British fossil fuel power stations to be switched off and counter critics' claims

that wind power is too intermittent.

National Grid, which runs the UK's electricity grid infrastructure and spends billions

each year on balancing energy supply with electricity demand, has made a significant

upgrade to enable it to predict much more reliably where, when and how strongly the

wind will blow.Read More

UK Approves Binding 50% Greenhouse Gas Cut by 202517, May 2011

LONDON (Reuters)

The British government on Tuesday approved a binding 50 percent cut in

greenhouse gas emissions in 2025 versus 1990 levels.The British government on Tuesday approved a binding 50 percent cut in

greenhouse gas emissions in 2025 versus 1990 levels.

"By making this commitment, we will position the UK a leading player in the global

low-carbon economy, creating significant new industries and jobs," Prime Minister

David Cameron said.Read More

Tidal energythe UK's best kept secretChris Goodall18 May 2011

Tidal energy could provide a quarter

of the UK's electricity, but renewable

experts are lukewarm because they

are overestimating the cost

Underwater 10 megawatt tidal stream

project in the Sound of Islay betweenthe Hebridean islands of Islay and

Jura.

The latest report on Renewables from

the Committee on Climate Change

(CCC) offers lukewarm support for

electricity generation from tidal streams. The UK has some of the fiercest tidal

currents in the world, but the CCC says the tidal turbines will deliver energy at a

higher cost than PV in 2040. The assumptions behind this pessimism are questioned

in this article.Read More
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/windpowerhttp://www.guardian.co.uk/business/nationalgridhttp://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/energyhttp://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2011/may/25/wind-power-national-grid-forecastinghttp://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2011/may/25/wind-power-national-grid-forecastinghttp://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2011/may/25/wind-power-national-grid-forecastinghttp://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=uk-approves-bindinghttp://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=uk-approves-bindinghttp://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=uk-approves-bindinghttp://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2011/may/09/climate-defining-green-moment-cameronhttp://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2011/may/09/climate-defining-green-moment-cameronhttp://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2011/may/09/climate-defining-green-moment-cameronhttp://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/energyhttp://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2011/may/18/tidal-energy-uk-best-secrethttp://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2011/may/18/tidal-energy-uk-best-secrethttp://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2011/may/18/tidal-energy-uk-best-secrethttp://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2011/may/18/tidal-energy-uk-best-secrethttp://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/energyhttp://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2011/may/09/climate-defining-green-moment-cameronhttp://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2011/may/09/climate-defining-green-moment-cameronhttp://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2011/may/09/climate-defining-green-moment-cameronhttp://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=uk-approves-bindinghttp://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2011/may/25/wind-power-national-grid-forecastinghttp://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/energyhttp://www.guardian.co.uk/business/nationalgridhttp://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/windpower


10/13

Attend Wind Power Italia to meet face-to-face with industry leaders includingtop utilities, developers, national and regional policy makers, financial institutions, law

firms, OEMs and key technology providers. Hear them discuss the future

developments of Italys wind resources and how you can adapt your business model

to a changing environment guaranteeing maximum return from your wind power

projects.

For further information [email protected]

More information:www.greenpowerconferences.com/winditalia

Contact:[email protected] more information

http://www.meconsult.co.uk/Newsletters/Morocco%20Investors%27%20Summit%20MIS%20Agadir%20Atlantic%20Palace%20Resort%204-5%20July%202011.pdf

EVENTS
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]://www.greenpowerconferences.com/winditaliahttp://www.greenpowerconferences.com/winditaliahttp://www.greenpowerconferences.com/winditaliamailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]://www.meconsult.co.uk/Newsletters/Morocco%20Investors%27%20Summit%20MIS%20Agadir%20Atlantic%20Palace%20Resort%204-5%20July%202011.pdfhttp://www.meconsult.co.uk/Newsletters/Morocco%20Investors%27%20Summit%20MIS%20Agadir%20Atlantic%20Palace%20Resort%204-5%20July%202011.pdfhttp://www.meconsult.co.uk/Newsletters/Morocco%20Investors%27%20Summit%20MIS%20Agadir%20Atlantic%20Palace%20Resort%204-5%20July%202011.pdfhttp://www.meconsult.co.uk/Newsletters/Morocco%20Investors%27%20Summit%20MIS%20Agadir%20Atlantic%20Palace%20Resort%204-5%20July%202011.pdfhttp://www.meconsult.co.uk/Newsletters/Morocco%20Investors%27%20Summit%20MIS%20Agadir%20Atlantic%20Palace%20Resort%204-5%20July%202011.pdfmailto:[email protected]://www.greenpowerconferences.com/winditaliamailto:[email protected]


11/13

Is waste a waste of Energy?

By Peter Jones of Waste2Tricity and Ecolateral.

May 2011

The current Electricity Market Reform evidence session to the Environmental

Audit Committee is published on Monday May 16th and it is scathing on the

complexity of current approaches to stimulating the market. A week earlier the

Climate Change Committee published its recommendations for carbon dioxideabatement targets and as I write it is in anticipation that the Prime Minister will

sideline those ideas on the basis that politicians make long term promises then run

scared as once far off deadline dates crystallise.

The waste sector was never going to be a substantial proportionate share of the

renewable energy equation but in terms of critical intervention at the margin in zones

of supply criticality ( in terms of pipe/ wire / network capacity) that contribution is

often ignored, over-ridden or under estimated.

One of the last contributions from the West Midlands RDA was a Strategic Spatial

Planning strategy tool which won 1st Prize from the RITP in that category suggesting

a co location strategy for advanced mechanical, thermal and biological conversion

systems re utilising carbon based waste.

At around 50 million tonnes this amounts to the total consumer purchased tonnage of

food and non food retail products each year and with the demise of landfill (due to

accelerating tax regimes on gate fees) this creates a sizeable forward demand for

new sortation and energy conversion sheds amounting to around 12 billion of

investment .Hardly surprising then that major commercial property and industrial

estate owners like BNP Paribas are looking at their portfolios to see where CHP and

other systems might provide renewable energy as gas, heat, electricity, transport

fuels or fuel preparation to operators of docks, universities, industrial estates, food

preparation and freezer stores ,transport hubs ,universities and docks. The site

drives the low carbon load that defines the technology, that drives the feedstockprofile and that drives sortation and collection logistics.

Clients are the blue chip majors shortly running scared of CRC, electricity price hikes,

CSR and renewable obligation targets. And what might the technology be? Whilst

this is demand profile driven emergent companies offer anaerobic digesters (

methane and CO2 for gas to grid injection), gasifiers ( for CHP Turbines) or plasma

gasification for Hydrogen and high quality syngas based around approaches not

dissimilar to coal gasification.

In total such waste streams nationally could deliver around 4 GwE and around the

same extra as heat depending on the technology selected. Initial funding exercises

are underway and the economic viability is firming rapidly as security of supply,traded pollution permits, international obligations and non replacement of UK landfill

Commentaries


12/13

void space emerge to create a firming business case superior to a lot of other

pipedreams being touted.

www.ecolateral.com

The Inconvenient Truth about Electric Vehicles

By John Baldwin (MD) CNG Services Ltd

May 2011

Politicians and press are extolling the virtues of the electric vehicles (EVs)

that are coming to market in 2011 and the Government provides a subsidy of 5,000

per car. It is said that EVs solve both the air quality and global warming issues. Well

there is no doubt they are very good for local air quality, but what about reducing

CO2 emissions?

First, lets consider what an EV is actually replacing. Whilst EVs are often claimed bytheir supporters to replace average cars (such as a Ford Mondeo, with CO2 of 140

g/km), in reality the 6 EVs on the grant register are cars in the same class as the

following:

Golf diesel 99 g/km

Toyota Prius - 89g/km CO2

Ford Focus diesel 99 g/km

Astra diesel 104 g/km

So, for the Nissan Leaf class, lets assume an average CO2 of 100 g/km on a tail -

pipe basis. This needs to be increased by 15% to give an overall Well to Wheel

emissions of 115 g/km

Now lets look at the Nissan Leaf EV. According to the US EPA (UK figures are not

available on the official UK website www.vcacarfueldata.org.uk), it has electricity

consumption of 34 kWh per 100 miles or 0.21 kWh per km. The minimum electricity

demand in a year is during summer night-time, at approximately 23 GW. Nuclear

and wind generation can currently produce a maximum output of 14 GW at any one

time. This means that the net extra electricity used to charge an EV from the grid will

be generated by burning coal or gas at least until 2020. A.D. Hawkes* produced a

detailed analysis of the Marginal Emissions Factors for CO2 emitted from electricity.

His 2016 central estimate is 600 g/kWh, however, if the emissions in respect of theproduction and transportation of the gas and coal are taken into account this

increases to around 660 g/kWh. In addition, around 6% of electricity is lost in

transmission and distribution so that the figure becomes 700 g/kWh at the EV

charging point. So, on that basis the Leaf emissions in the UK are 0.21 X 700 = 147

g of CO2 per km.

But it gets worse. When it is cold, the EV uses a significant proportion of energy for

the heater, whereas a diesel has free heating from the engine cooling system. This

is not taken into account in the official CO2/km figures but means that the Leaf EV is

now causing a 50% increase in emissions of CO2 compared to its low emissionpeers.
http://www.ecolateral.com/http://www.ecolateral.com/http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KWhhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KWhhttp://www.ecolateral.com/


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One of the reasons the EV is so poor is the weight. At 1,521 kg the Leaf weighs 207

kg more than the Golf diesel, equivalent to having two 16 stone rugby players in the

back. It takes a lot of energy to drive rugby players around.

Furthermore, the range of an EV is limited to short journeys, making the use of asecond vehicle necessary to travel greater distances. In contrast, the Golf, Astra and

Focus can be used for all journey types. Given that the EV owners second car is

unlikely to be as efficient as the Golf, this puts the EV even further behind.

It is manifestly clear from the above calculations that the new generation of EVs are

not the best option in terms of CO2 emissions in the UK if they use grid electricity.

Whether they become less bad, is dependent on nuclear, offshore wind and coal/gas

with CCS. The likelihood of these projects going ahead depends on an increase in

the world carbon price to enable the UK to finance these projects. It also depends on

natural gas prices, which are significantly linked to the cost of shale gas production.

This is discussed in the CNG Services submission to the Energy and Climate

Change Committee inquiry into Shale gas which makes the case that dual fuel 75%

compressed natural gas 25% diesel trucks should be encouraged:

http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201011/cmselect/cmenergy/writev/shale/

sg17.htm

It may be that the abundance of shale gas means that EVs should go the route of the

Nimrod and be broken up for scrap before they are used. Maybe in 20 years we can

look at them again if we have low CO2 electricity, though the target set by theinternal combustion engine will also be much lower due to the advances we are

seeing now that manufacturers are focussing on efficiency. This new scrap page

scheme would avoid all the extra CO2 emissions by the EVs in the next decade or

so.

My final point is that if I bought an EV and received a 5,000 subsidy from the UK

Government I would be both ashamed and embarrassed. Ashamed because I would

be taking money from taxpayers that should be invested in something that actually

reduces, not increases, CO2 emissions, such as insulating a house with solid walls.

For the latest updates please access our website:

http://www.meconsult.co.uk

If you would like to learn more about this newsletter or our forthcoming events, or would

like to suggest an event or article for inclusion in the next edition, please do not hesitate to

contact me at [email protected].

Nitin Verma

MEC International Ltd.

Granville House

132-135 Sloane Street

London SW1X 9AX

Tel: 020 7591 4816

Fax: 020 7591 4801

E-mail: [email protected]
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201011/cmselect/cmenergy/writev/shale/sg17.htmhttp://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201011/cmselect/cmenergy/writev/shale/sg17.htmhttp://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201011/cmselect/cmenergy/writev/shale/sg17.htmhttp://www.meconsult.co.uk/http://www.meconsult.co.uk/http://www.meconsult.co.uk/http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201011/cmselect/cmenergy/writev/shale/sg17.htmhttp://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201011/cmselect/cmenergy/writev/shale/sg17.htm

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