Crown Estates award windfarm sites in scottish waters.
The Crown Estate, an independent body which owns all the seabed within 12 nautical miles of the UK coast, said it was awarding exclusivity agreements to companies and consortia to develop offshore wind farms on 10 sites in the sea around Scotland, potentially helping the UK to move closer to hitting tough renewable energy targets.
The Crown Estate announced that following a successful application process it will be offering exclusivity agreements to companies and consortia for 10 sites for development of offshore windfarms within Scottish territorial waters.The 10 agreements will be made to nine companies and consortia, and in total the sites have the potential to generate more than 6 GW of offshore wind power.
Rob Hastings, Director of the Marine Estate at The Crown Estate, said: “The award of 10 exclusivity agreements is excellent news for the companies involved, The Crown Estate and for Scotland as a whole. We very much look forward to working with the companies on the development of these sites and the realisation of the enormous potential that these sites have to offer.”
The Crown Estate believes that this project is a positive start in addressing the issue of climate change. There is a government priority on this, and we are working hard to help achieve these targets while recognising these need to be balanced with nature conservation which will be fully considered in the environmental impact assessment. There has been, and will continue to be, a comprehensive dialogue with key stakeholders throughout the whole process in order to ensure that any concerns can be taken into account at an early stage.
Jason Ormiston, Chief Executive of green energy trade body, Scottish Renewables said: “Today heralds an exciting phase in the progress of the renewable energy industry in Scotland. The combined capacity of these projects will make a massive contribution to Scotland’s efforts in tackling climate change, helping to deliver reliable and affordable supplies of electricity to consumers and, very importantly, the Scottish economy. Now the industry, Government, The Crown Estate, Ofgem and the wide range of interests which use the sea must work together to deliver this exciting potential.”
The 10 exclusivity agreements are designed to allow developers to begin initial survey and consultation processes for their sites while the Scottish Government conducts a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) for offshore wind within Scottish territorial waters. The SEA was launched on 23 January 2009 and the Scottish Government has committed to completing this within a 12 month period, and The Crown Estate will work closely them on the SEA process. Following completion of the SEA, The Crown Estate can go on and award agreements for lease for suitable sites. Leases which enable the developers to actually go ahead with construction works will only be granted by The Crown Estate once the developer has obtained statutory consents and permissions from the Scottish Government. Option fees will not be payable until award of agreements for lease in 2010. It is intended that the option fees be used to address generic research and development issues faced by offshore wind developers in Scotland.
A table summarising the details of each award, and a map showing each site's location, is available: Scottish Offshore Wind Consortia
In addition to the above, the Aberdeen Renewable Energy Group (AREG) has proposed a further project off the coast of Aberdeen. This offshore wind technology demonstration centre is reported to be an exciting opportunity to further the advancement of the offshore wind industry in Scotland and is working closely with AREG to progress the scheme.
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British are "bored" with Climate Change
A new energy report suggests that British people are less environmentally conscious than they were five years ago.
4 out of 10 britons take no action at all to reduce their household carbon emissions, and twice as many people are now "bored" by talk of climate change as in 2005. Experts warn that green fatigue is one of the major reasons as to why there are more cars on the roads, more planes in the sky and no reductions in the mountain of packaging waste. The report reveals that too few people are making an effort to reduce their household CO2 emissions and environmentalists believe the recession is further undermining public commitment.
The report, by market researchers Mintel, shows that many of Britain's 26 million homes fail to make simple adjustments such as switching off lights, turning down thermostats, and switching off appliances rather than leaving them on standby. The findings also reveal that people are less willing to spend money on energy-efficient appliances than they were five years ago. Analysts believe the recession together with a backlash against "extreme" environmentalist pressure has reduced people's enthusiasm to combat climate change.
The report also found that resistance to saving the planet was greater among men; one in four said they think there is too much concern over the environment, compared with one in six women.
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More information on the 2016 definition of "Zero Carbon".
Housing Minister, Grant Shapps announced additional information about the new definition of "Zero Carbon".
The Government plans to investigate setting up a community energy fund which will be used to pay for district heating and renewable energy schemes.
Developers who pay into the fund will not have to install onsite renewables or microgeneration equipment. Many developers have welcomed the flexibility of paying into a fund rather than grappling with renewables on each site.
However, the full definition of 'zero-carbon' has once again been delayed. This is despite a pre-election promise to get the definition of zero carbon finalised “within weeks” of getting into office.
The new Government Housing Minister has recently announced that the coalition will review the level of on-site renewables required - before publishing the final definition of the standard, which all new homes will have to reach after 2016.
In the announcement, the Minister also re-affirmed his commitment to all new homes being zero-carbon from 2016 and confirmed the introduction of the ‘Fabric Energy Efficiency Standard' which requires a minimum standard in relation to insulation levels and air tightness and thermal bridging in buildings.
Zero carbon is required of all Code for Sustainable Homes level six homes. Clarification of what zero carbon will mean is still to be decided.
If you require assistance with your Code for Sustainable Homes level requirements, contact Ecowise - we are a fully accredited Code for Sustainable Homes assessment organisation.
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Pilot Tidal Energy Scheme for North Wales Coast
Conwy County Borough Council has backed plans for a pilot tidal energy scheme off the North Wales Coast.
The £150 million scheme at Llanddulas in North Wales would provide a testing facility for turbine designers and manufacturers, and assess the environmental impact of turbines.
The project was given approval by the council as part of a strategic regeneration strategy for the Conwy coast, prepared by consultant Capita Symonds.
Paul Terry, Capita Symonds, said: "Tidal power will play a key role in providing a sustainable energy source for future generations. The North Wales coast is an ideal place for such a scheme as it’s blessed with a good tidal range and suitable ocean depth." He added that the project could also help protect the coast from rising sea levels, storm surges and coastal erosion.
The regeneration strategy also calls for seven new visitor centres costing £30m should be built at key locations stretching from Conwy to Rhuddlan. But North Wales Tourism chairman Chris Jackson raised doubts over whether the proposals could realistically be funded in the current economic climate. The council’s approval now means that Capita Symonds will seek funding for feasibility studies and investigations to develop a business case for the scheme.
