Eurobench.com

voda 3 mei 2015 16:10

0

Denmark's wind power flowering, a small country with big dreams of a fossil-free future

Denmark built its first wind turbine in 1991. Today, it manufactures massive turbines that supply clean, renewable energy. So, how has the small Scandinavian country become a global leader in wind power?

Weaning the world off fossil fuels will be a central issue when 196 countries meet in Paris later this year to reach a new global agreement on climate protection. Although Copenhagen may have become a byword for the failure of United Nations climate talks, when it comes to renewable energy, Denmark is storming ahead, an international leader in wind power.

Denmark - a tiny country of just 6 million people - built its first offshore wind farm in 1991. Wind now supplies up to 40% of electricity demand, and Denmark is designing and building wind power projects in Europe, Asia and North America.

Famous for Hans Christian Anderson's fairytales and cutting-edge design, Denmark is a small country with a big imagination. Since the 1970s, the Danes have dreamed of a fossil fuel free future.

In 1973, when members of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries stopped shipping oil to Europe, driving prices up dramatically, Denmark vowed to develop its own oil and gas reserves - and to invest in wind power - to protect itself from future shocks.

Mr Jan Hylleberg, CEO of the Danish Wind Energy Association, said that "The story of wind in Denmark is driven by pioneers and by politics. We decided we would not be dependent on fossil fuels in the future."

Surrounded by some of the North Sea's windiest spots, Denmark now has 13 wind farms.

Source : www.dw.de

voda 3 mei 2015 16:10

0

Enormous wind turbines officially switches on after GBP 22.5mln revamp

Lancashire Telegraph reported that 8 enormous new turbines have been officially switched on after a GBP 22.5 million revamp of Burnley’s biggest wind farm.

Energy firm ScottishPower Renewables has replaced the 24 original turbines at Coal Clough Wind Farm with eight more powerful models.

Bosses expect the upgraded development, off The Long Causeway, Cliviger, to power 8,500 homes per year.

Coal Clough was one of the first commercial wind farms to be built in the UK when it became operational in 1992, and is now one of only a handful of sites across the country that has been re-powered.

The eight new turbines will increase the total generating capacity of the wind farm from 9.6 MW to 16 MW.

Mr Kenny Peberdy, ScottishPower Renewables’ operations managing director, oversaw yesterday’s launch.

He said that “Coal Clough was at the forefront of the green energy revolution in the UK, and our recent investment ensures that this area will continue to play a role in providing clean electricity fo decades to come.”

Planning permission for the redevelopment was granted by Burnley Council in January 2013.

Officials, including Ms Keith Anderson, ScottishPower Renewables’ chief executive officer, held a reception at The Fighting Cocks Inn, in Red Lees Road, before being taken for a site tour.

Mr Peberdy said that data from the original site showed that it had generated more than 400,000 MWh of electricity during its 21-year operational life.

He said that “Onshore wind is the most cost-effective and viable renewable energy source in the UK and it is vital that we continue to invest in good projects like this.”

Source : Lancashire Telegraph

voda 3 mei 2015 16:15

0

EU sees supplies of natural gas from Turkmenistan by 2019

Published on Sun, 03 May 2015 44 times viewed

Mr Maros Sefcovic, Vice President of European Commission, said in an interview that the European Union, keen to lessen its dependence on Russia for energy supplies, expects to start receiving natural gas from Turkmenistan by 2019.

Russia currently supplies around a third of Europe's gas needs, but Moscow's annexation of Crimea and its involvement in the military conflict in eastern Ukraine has added urgency to the EU's search for gas from alternative sources.

Mr Sefcovic said in the Turkmen capital Ashgabat that "We have good mutual understanding. For Turkmenistan it is very important to diversify its export options, while for the EU it is very important to diversify its imports. Europe expects supplies of Turkmen gas to begin by 2019."

Turkmenistan, a Central Asian nation with the world's fourth-largest reserves of natural gas, is keen to diversify exports of the fuel away from Russia which will cut its imports to 4 billion cubic metres this year from 11 billion cubic meter in 2014.

Mr Sefcovic is overseeing the EU's push for an energy union, a single market for power and gas based on better connections between member states and aimed at curbing Russia's dominant position, particularly in the gas market.

Visiting Ashgabat on Friday, he met Turkish Energy Minister Mr Taner Yildiz, Azerbaijan's Energy Minister Mr Natiq Aliyev, Turkmen Deputy Prime Minister Mr Baymurad Hojamukhamedov and Mr Yagshygeldy Kakayev, who heads Turkmenistan's hydrocarbon resources agency.

He said that "In this format we discussed all aspects referring to the trans-Caspian pipeline. We made a big step in the strategic direction."

The project, designed to bring Turkmen gas to Europe across the Caspian Sea via the so-called 'southern gas corridor' which includes Azerbaijan and Turkey, has been stuck for years due to political, ecological and financial uncertainties.

Mr Sefcovic said that "Now there is a political decision that Turkmenistan will become part of this project and will feed the European direction."

Last year, Turkmenistan and Turkey signed a framework agreement to supply gas to the proposed Trans-Anatolian natural gas pipeline project, which will take gas from Azerbaijan's Shah Deniz II field in the Caspian Sea.

To connect to TANAP, Turkmenistan needs to build its own, 300 km link under the Caspian Sea, a disputed area between Russia, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Iran and Azerbaijan.

TANAP will be built from the Turkish-Georgian border to Turkey's frontier with Bulgaria and Greece. Its construction is expected to be completed by the end of 2018 in order to start deliveries of gas from Shah Deniz II in 2019.

Mr Sefcovic said that "Between 2019 and 2020 all these pipelines from Azerbaijan to the borders of Europe - in the direction of Greece, Albania and Italy must be built. It's everyone's expectation that Turkmenistan and Turkmen gas will be a very important part of this cooperation."

Turkmen officials said in March that 'active' negotiations were under way to supply Europe with 10 to 30 billion cubic meter of gas per year. This compares to around 30 to 35 billion cubic meter which Turkmenistan annually exports to China.

Source : Economic Times

[verwijderd] 3 mei 2015 23:27

0

Een paar grootse plannen om de opwarming van de aarde tegen te gaan, typisch op zn amerikaans.
blogs.reuters.com/great-debate/2015/0...

voda 4 mei 2015 11:57

0

'Verbied windmolens vlak bij de grens met Nederland'

Gemeenten langs de Duitse en Belgische grens voeren een verbeten strijd tegen de bouw van windmolens bij de buren, die hun turbineparken liefst pal naast de grens neerzetten. Europa moet ingrijpen, vinden ze in de grensgebieden.

Windenergie wordt steeds populaireder en daarmee de 'grenstruc' ook. Het bouwen van windparken vlak bij de buren. Aan de 'overkant' is er geen bezwaar mogelijk, en de eigen bewoners hebben er minder last van. Alleen al afgelopen maand hebben de gemeenten Groesbeek (Gelderland) en Gennep (Limburg) zich hevig verzet tegen het plan van de buren in het Duitse Kranenburg om twaalf torenhoge windmolens in het Reichswald te plaatsen, op 400 meter van de grens.

In Meer, net over de grens bij Breda, verrijzen momenteel de hoogste windmolens van België. En de gemeente Roermond loopt te hoop tegen plannen om in het Duitse Elmpt windmolens te bouwen. Groesbeek en Gennep verwachten dat de molens toeristen wegjagen uit het onder fietsers en wandelaars populaire heuvellandschap aan de Nederlandse kant van de grens.

Europese oplossing
De vraag is of er iets tegen te doen valt. Ervaringen in Zuid-Limburg doen het ergste vrezen. ,,We hebben geprocedeerd, maar hebben in België en Duitsland geen poot om op te staan," weet Anya Niewierra, directrice van VVV Zuid-Limburg. Limburg is inmiddels omsingeld door molens en plannen daarvoor, stelt Niewierra.

Onder meer in Aken, Lanaken en Eijsden staan nieuwe parken gepland. ,,Die molens in Aken zijn op 10 kilometer afstand zichtbaar. Ik vind het nogal kinderachtig dat je je buren zo opzadelt met de lasten van je energiebehoefte. In een verenigd Europa zou dat niet moeten kunnen."

Bouwverbod
Europarlementariër Jeroen Lenaers (CDA) maakt zich bij de Europese Commissie hard voor een Europese oplossing. ,,Inspraak van buurgemeenten moet in dit soort zaken wettelijk geregeld worden."

Niewierra pleit voor een bouwverbod binnen 10 kilometer van de grens. Volgens de Limburgse heeft Den Haag geen oor voor problemen aan de grens. ,,Ik snap niet dat iedereen zich wel druk maakt over windmolens op zee, maar doof is voor onze problemen. Als dit niet ophoudt, zijn we echt de klos. Toerisme is de motor van onze economie."

www.ad.nl/ad/nl/5596/Planet/article/d...

voda 4 mei 2015 14:49

0

Germany's DanTysk offshore wind power plant inaugurates

Renewable Energy Focus reported that the DanTysk offshore wind power plant is located approximately 70 kilometers offshore west of the German island of Sylt. In waters measuring between 21 and 32 meters deep, foundations anchored in the seabed provide the base on which the wind turbines were erected. The wind power plant can generate up to 1.3 billion KWh of electricity every year, equivalent to the total annual consumption of about 400,000 German households.

The wind turbines are not the only thing Siemens is providing DanTysk, the German technology group is taking charge of preventive and corrective maintenance to the wind turbines within the scope of a 5 year service agreement and also supplied the turnkey grid connection for the wind power plant, called SylWin1. This direct-current offshore link, run by the transmission grid operator TenneT, comprises the connecting systems that connect the offshore wind power plant to the German electricity grid. SylWin1 consists of an offshore converter station at sea, and a receiver station on land, 160 kilometers of undersea cable and further 45 kilometers of underground cable on shore. Overall, 3 offshore wind power plants will be connected to the grid via this offshore link.

The owner and operator of DanTysk wind park is a consortium comprising the Swedish power company Vattenfall and Stadtwerke Munchen, Munich's municipal utility.

Source : Renewable Energy Focus

voda 4 mei 2015 14:54

0

Offshore wind power seen growing by record 4.2 GW in 2015

According to a Bloomberg New Energy Finance report, wind-power developers are expected to install a record 4.2 GW of offshore turbines this year.

The London-based research company said in a report that “That’s double the 2.1 GW added in 2013, with Germany expected to lead installations in coastal waters with more than 2.3 GW this year, followed by 1 GW in the UK.”

Mr Tom Harries, a wind analyst for BNEF in London, said in an interview that the jump comes after delays last year shifted some project completions into this year, and will continue to grow as the technology becomes more accepted.

Mr Harries said that “Offshore wind installation is increasing year-on-year until at least 2020. There’s increased confidence that the technology is working and the cost of the technology is coming down.”

According to the report, the total amount of offshore wind power in operation will reach 48 GW by 2020, growing at a compound annual rate of 53%.

Installing turbines in the harsh marine environment is more challenging than on land, making the electricity more expensive. The levelized cost of energy for offshore wind farms is now about USD 179 a MWh, down from USD 202 in the H2 of last year, in part because of currency fluctuations, according to the report. Onshore wind power costs about USD 85 a MWh.

Mr Harries said that “A few years ago, people thought about offshore wind as an extension of onshore wind. Then they realized that this is a different kind of beast.”

Source : Bloomberg

voda 4 mei 2015 14:56

0

GEV Wind Power secures top innovation award

Mr Alastair Gadney, project director of GEV Wind Power, celebrates the company’s win for the top innovation award in wind power technology.

GEV’s pioneering approach to mitigating days lost through adverse weather was a winner at the Energy Innovation Awards, which took place at the end of April. The company scooped the award for Best Offshore Renewables’ Innovation. Judged by a panel of industry experts, the awards ceremony is a celebration of technologies and projects that inspire innovation across the energy sector.

Launched in November 2014, GEV Wind Power’s Habitat represents a major milestone in the maintenance of remote wind turbines because it enables an engineer to conduct essential blade repair works in a weather-protected environment.

The Habitat is expected to save the industry between three and five lost days in each maintenance season, potentially returning a minimum of 1% to 2% increase in annual energy production. It is also anticipated to benefit the industry with longer working days and the opportunity for an extended maintenance season due to the introduction of artificial lighting gantries.

GEV Wind Power has already conducted a number of successful on blade trials and is in discussion with major OEMs about the benefits of the Habitat, with the aim to launch it as an integral element of next generation turbines.

Accepting the award, projects director Mr Alastair Gadney said that “We are delighted to win Best Offshore Renewables Innovation for our Habitat, which represents a cost-saving solution for both field owners and operators in the wind energy sector. We are exhibiting at the Renewable Global Offshore Wind show at Excel, London in June where we hope to showcase a full-sized model.”

Source : Strategic Research Institute

voda 4 mei 2015 20:41

0

Nordlink HVDC Project Awards Construction Contract

Europe—and especially Germany—has been struggling with how best to integrate large amounts of renewable generation while maintaining grid stability. While considerable attention has been devoted to expanding national transmission systems, new links between those national grids are growing in importance. The biggest project so far took a step forward when, on March 19, the consortium behind the Nordlink high-voltage direct-current (HVDC) link between Germany and Norway awarded the construction contract to Swiss firm ABB.

The $2 billion, 525-kV transmission line will be, at 623 kilometers (km), the longest HVDC connection in Europe. It will transit the North Sea across the Skagerrak strait, from Wilster in Germany to Tonstad in Norway. When completed in 2019, it will be capable of sending 1.4 GW of electricity between the two countries—about 3% of German demand.

The Nordlink project, being led by grid operator TenneT and Norwegian system operator Statnett, is a key component in integrating the European Union electricity market. It will allow excess wind generation from Germany to be stored in Norway’s vast pumped hydroelectric storage facilities, and for Norway’s excess hydro generation to be shipped south. This is seen as a vital element in further renewable integration in Europe.

ABB’s $900 million contract will see it supply the two 525-kV HVDC converter stations at either end of the link and a 525-kV mass-impregnated cable system in the German half of the project.

Nordlink will be the first direct power link between Germany and Norway, but it will join several other major HVDC links already in operation, including the 700-MW, 580-km NorNed link between Norway and the Netherlands that came online in 2008 and the 1-GW BritNed link between the Netherlands and the UK, commissioned in 2010.

A similar link between Norway and the UK is currently under consideration and would function much the same way in allowing storage of excess wind and solar power from the UK and import of Norwegian hydro generation.

—Thomas W. Overton, JD, associate editor

voda 4 mei 2015 20:43

0

The Eiffel Tower Now Houses Wind Power Generation

When it was erected in 1889 (seven years after POWER magazine was founded), the iconic iron-lattice Eiffel Tower was meant to serve as the entrance arch of the World’s Fair—and designed to stand only 20 years, about the lifetime of a wind tower. Some 126 years and several renovations later, the Paris landmark has evolved another function: power production.

This February, renewable energy firm Urban Green Energy (UGE) International completed the installation of two 17-foot-tall wind turbines inside the metal scaffolding of the tower. The two UGE VisionAIR5 vertical axis turbines, which produce 10,000 kWh annually, are specially painted to match the tower (Figure 5).

According to UGE, mounting the turbines 400 feet above ground level (to maximize energy production) was a “technical challenge.” It required each component to be hoisted individually by hand and pulley and suspended with rope above the tower’s second level.

The new turbines are just part of a $33.6 million green makeover. When complete, the tower will also feature LED lights and an array of solar panels to heat half of the hot water it uses.

—Sonal Patel, associate editor

Bijlage:

voda 4 mei 2015 20:58

0

UK Mulls Massive Tidal Lagoon Power Project

05/01/2015 | Sonal Patel

In the UK, which has the world’s largest offshore wind capacity, in large part due to government backing, formal negotiations have begun on public funding of a £1 billion ($1.48 billion) tidal lagoon project to produce electricity from turbines in Swansea Bay, South Wales.

The 320-MW project (Figure 3)—which could be the first of its type in the world when operational—would require building a breakwater to cordon off 4.4 square miles in Swansea Bay. The five-mile sea wall would be up to 20 meters high, though only half would be visible from land at low tide. Ultimately, it would funnel enough water to fill 100,000 Olympic swimming pools through dual-direction turbines, generating an estimated 420 GWh annually both at high and low tide. If built, the project could be online as early as 2018 and would last 120 years, its developer, Tidal Lagoon Power Co., says.

Wider plans call for four more projects, even larger than Swansea Bay, with an overall capacity of 7.3 GW. Tidal Lagoon Power in March sought government approval for a second site near Cardiff. The second lagoon could cover an area seven times larger than Swansea’s and have a capacity of between 1.8 GW and 2.8 GW.

For now, the Swansea Bay project seemingly has the blessing of some environmental groups because it could help the UK reduce its coal use. UK Energy and Climate Change Secretary Ed Davey backs it for the same reason, pushing it as a viable source of low-carbon power. Concerns about the project mostly hinge on its exorbitant costs—which aren’t settled and will depend on a range of factors. Experts say, meanwhile, that it could need a subsidy of£150/MWh ($222/MWh). The project’s developer says that Swansea is just a proof of concept, and that larger projects will produce cheaper power.

There are also permitting uncertainties, some warn, pointing to now-defunct plans to build the $45 billion Severn Barrage. The proposed 10-mile barrage linking the English and Welsh coasts was scrapped in 2013 for economic and environmental reasons.

—Sonal Patel, associate editor

Bijlage:

voda 5 mei 2015 15:44

0

RWE builds a new electric power station which uses alternative fuel

The power station of 65 MWs in capacity can produce thermal energy and electricity as well, it is situated in Markinch, in Five, the historic county of Scotland. Mr Fergus Ewing, the Minister for Energy assisted at the opening ceremony.

The management of the company RWE Innogy informs that the new and ultra-modern power station is going to replace the electric power station situated at the plant of the company Tullis Russell, the producer of paper. A new establishment will fully satisfy the demand of the industry for electro and thermal energy. The energy surplus will be directed to the local power grids, which will provide an opportunity to supply 45000 households with energy.

It is also mentioned that wood waste will account for 90% of the total volume of used biomass, and forest wood will account for the remaining 10%, destined for being used as raw material. The Forestry Commission of Scotland has endorsed a long-term contract for the delivery of 750 thousands of tonnes of wood throughout the consequent ten years. Besides, the new power station will reduce the degree of carbon dioxide emissions by 250 thousands of tonnes annually.

Mr Ewing said that "I feel extremely happy about having the rare honour of being allowed to start up the power station in Markinch. It is the most prominent British establishment of this kind and it is a matter for pride of the entire country, and not only that of Britain, and it will help us attain the explicit goals aimed at increasing the share of alternative energy by 11% by 2020."

Source : Pellets-wood.com

Bijlage:

voda 7 mei 2015 16:26

0

Grontmij bereidt kavels windmolenpark voor

Gepubliceerd op 7 mei 2015 om 10:21 | Views: 1.194

DE BILT (AFN) - Grontmij werkt samen met Pondera Consult aan de voorbereiding van de uitgifte van de kavels III en IV van het windmolenpark bij Borssele voor het ministerie van Economische Zaken. Dat meldde het advies- en ingenieursbureau donderdag.

Grontmij en Pondera zullen niet alleen de milieueffectrapportage en passende beoordeling opstellen voor de kavels III en IV, maar ook voor een innovatiekavel binnen dit gebied, waarop innovaties voor windturbines, funderingen, bouwmethodes en onderhoudsconcepten gedemonstreerd worden. Hiervoor wordt een apart kavelbesluit genomen. De resultaten van deze studies zijn een belangrijke basis voor de uitgifte van de kavels III en IV, die in 2016 is voorzien, en de innovatiekavel.

Het windmolenpark bij Borssele moet ongeveer 1,4 miljoen huishoudens van energie gaan voorzien.

voda 7 mei 2015 16:38

0

Winst E.ON keldert door lagere energieprijzen

Gepubliceerd op 7 mei 2015 om 07:48 | Views: 1.100

DÜSSELDORF (AFN) - De Duitse energiereus E.ON heeft de winst in het eerste kwartaal met 15 procent zien dalen, onder meer als gevolg van lagere energieprijzen. Dat bleek donderdag uit een tussentijds handelsbericht van de onderneming.

E.ON realiseerde een onderliggende winst van iets meer dan 1 miljard euro. Dat was een jaar eerder nog bijna 1,2 miljard euro. Het resultaat was overigens in lijn met de doorsnee prognose van analisten. De omzet kwam in de verslagperiode 1,6 procent lager uit op 30,6 miljard euro.

,,We wisten al dat 2015 geen makkelijk jaar zal worden'', aldus topman Johannes Teyssen in een toelichting. E.ON voelt, net als andere nutsbedrijven, nog steeds de gevolgen van het besluit van de Duitse overheid om te stoppen met kernenergie. Daarnaast worstelt het bedrijf met de lage olieprijzen, negatieve wisselkoerseffecten en daling van de stroomprijzen.

Desondanks verwacht E.ON nog steeds een onderliggend resultaat in een bandbreedte van 1,4 miljard euro tot 1,8 miljard euro voor heel het jaar. Daarmee herhaalde het concern een eerdere prognose.

voda 10 mei 2015 17:29

0

UK's onshore wind eligible for subsidy despite Conservative win

ICIS reported that a Conservative government will not necessarily derail progress in the UK’s onshore wind industry with immediate effect despite concerns that the party’s general election victory will signal an end to subsidies for the sector.

Thursday’s election victory for the Conservative Party has sparked fears that it will act ruthlessly on a pledge made in 2014 and its election manifesto to stop new onshore wind developments from accessing subsidies.

But the party stated last year when announcing the policy that it planned to apply its new subsidy rules to onshore projects that were yet to receive planning permission.

This still leaves the door open to a substantial chunk of capacity to apply for subsidies.

According to RenewableUK’s wind energy database, the UK currently has 5.6 GW of onshore wind that has received consent to build.

If the Conservative Party sticks to its original pledge, this would enable such projects to apply for funding through a range of subsidy schemes that include the feed-in-tariff, renewables obligation and contracts for difference.

The UK’s wind trade body RenewableUK reacted with caution however.

Mr Maf Smith, RenewableUK’s deputy chief executive, said that “The Conservatives have yet to provide clarity on if, when and how their manifesto commitment to halt the deployment of onshore wind would be implemented in practice. It’s our understanding that onshore wind projects which have planning consent will still be eligible for financial support.”

Any U-turn on the safeguard for consented projects would also meet with opposition from the Scottish National Party, which secured almost all the available seats in Scotland in Thursday’s election.

Of the 5.6 GW of consented projects, 66% are based in Scotland where public support for wind farms is in a significant majority.

The UK is currently home to over 12 GW of installed wind capacity, which has had an increasingly depressive effect on wholesale power prices in recent years.

Meanwhile, defeat for the UK’s Labour Party means that utilities will escape its proposed pledge to freeze retail gas and electricity tariffs.

The election result is likely to be met with a huge sigh of relief by the UK’s major vertically integrated gas and electricity companies.

The new government received the endorsement of big 6 utility SSE on Friday.

Mr Alistair Phillips-Davies, CEO, said that “I am optimistic that the new UK government will seek to pursue its energy policy objectives in a measured and constructive way.”

Source : ICIS

voda 13 mei 2015 16:13

0

RWE boekt nettowinststijging

AMSTERDAM (Dow Jones)--RWE (RWE.XE) heeft zijn nettowinst over het eerste kwartaal zien toenemen dankzij winsten uit een eenmalige verkoop van effecten, de ingebruikname van nieuwe windturbines, en een hogere omzet bij de gasactiviteiten door het strenge weer.

Het Duitse nutsbedrijf zag de nettowinst meer dan verdubbelen naar EUR2,166 miljard, van EUR995 miljoen een jaar eerder. De terugkerende winst na belastingen steeg 10% naar EUR877 miljoen, van EUR797 miljoen.

De winst voor rente, belasting, afschrijvingen en amortisatie daalde 3,4% naar EUR2,2 miljard, van EUR2,3 miljard. De omzet steeg met 3% naar EUR14,63 miljard.

Analisten geraadpleegd door The Wall Street Journal hadden een EBITDA van EUR2,15 miljard en een terugkerende winst na belastingen van EUR761 miljoen voorzien.

RWE herhaalt zijn winstverwachting voor het volledige jaar. Het concern verwacht nog steeds een 14% lagere EBITDA tussen EUR6,1 miljard en EUR6,4 miljard, en een terugkerende winst na belasting gelijk aan of licht onder het resultaat dat in 2014 werd bereikt van EUR1,3 miljard.

Door Natalia Drozdiak in Frankfurt. Vertaald en bewerkt door Ellen Proper in Amsterdam; Dow Jones Nieuwsdienst: +31-20-5715200; ellen.proper@wsj.com

voda 15 mei 2015 16:45

0

Poland plans to modernise existing coal power plants fleet

Mr Jerzy Pietrewicz, Deputy Economy Minister of Poland, said that the country will not increase the number of coal power plants but will instead focus on making existing plants more efficient.

Mr Pietrewicz said at an energy summit in Gdansk that “We will not back out of coal, but neither will our future electricity production developments be based on coal and that in the long term, the growth of Polish electricity production will not come from coal.”

Poland’s existing coal plant capacity, including Belchatow, Europe's largest, accounts for 85% of its electricity production.

A well as modernising the fleet, the Polish government is also considering the introduction of a smart grid.

At the same summit, Mr Pietrewicz also warned that the EU’s energy policy may result in higher production costs in Poland and more imports of electricity.

Source : Power Engineering

Bijlage:

voda 18 mei 2015 19:24

0

European Union stumps up 1/3 of EUR 93 mln gas pipeline costs

Irish Independent reported that a new EUR 93 million pipeline linking Ireland to Scotland's gas network has been given the green light by regulators.

State infrastructure agencies Gaslink and Gas Networks Ireland said the new 50 kilometer natural pipeline will enhance Ireland's energy security.

The project will be part funded with EUR 33.7 billion of European Union grant aid and is to create a pipeline parallel to existing infrastructure that already connects us to UK gas.

The two agencies claimed, the 2nd link to Scotland is essential to safeguarding Ireland's energy security and future economic growth.

Ireland gets around 95% of its natural gas from the UK, a second pipeline won't change that but will make the supply link less vulnerable.

Last month Mr Arias Canete, Europe's Energy Commissioner, said that security of supply was a major issue, and that we need a liquefied natural gas on the Shannon to process gas brought here by ship.

Source : Irish Independent

voda 19 mei 2015 17:05

0

Germany to force plant operators to cut CO2 emissions by 2020

According to an economy ministry document seen by Reuters, bowing to opposition from within the industry, Germany plans to force coal-fired power plant operators to reduce their CO2 emissions by 2020 by less than previously planned.

Thousands of coal workers marched in Berlin last month to protest against plans to slap a levy on the oldest and most polluting power plants, which unions say could put 100,000 jobs at risk.

The levy is aimed at forcing coal operators to slash their emissions and stop Germany from falling short of its target to cut greenhouse gases by 40% by 2020 compared to 1990 levels.

But RWE, the country's largest power producer, warned the measure would lead to the immediate closure of its lignite-fired power plants.

According to the document, in an attempt to defuse the situation, the economy ministry now plans to require coal plant operators to cut their emissions by 16 million tonne by 2020, compared with a previous target of at least 22 million tonne.

Under the original proposal power plants older than 20 years were required to pay a penalty on CO2 emitted above a limit of 7 million tonne per gigawatt of installed capacity, with the oldest power plants receiving even lower exemptions.

The new proposal has raised the amount of CO2 older power stations are able to emit before the penalties kick in.

The document said that "Increasing the amount that is exempt by almost a third will significantly increase the profitability of older power stations."

Generators E.ON and Vattenfall declined to comment. RWE was not immediately available for comment.

Government sources said taht the government now plans to achieve the remaining six million tonne of CO2 emission cuts for the energy sector by promoting the use of more environmentally-friendly combined heat and power plants.

However the proposal is yet to be approved by the Chancellor's office and other ministries.

Source : Reuters

voda 19 mei 2015 17:07

1

The future of wind turbines, no blades - Report

Published on Tue, 19 May 2015 55 times viewed

It’s no longer surprising to encounter 100-foot pinwheels spinning in the breeze as you drive down the highway. But don’t get too comfortable with that view. A Spanish company called Vortex Bladeless is proposing a radical new way to generate wind energy that will once again upend what you see outside your car window.

Their idea is the Vortex, a bladeless wind turbine that looks like a giant rolled joint shooting into the sky. The Vortex has the same goals as conventional wind turbines: To turn breezes into kinetic energy that can be used as electricity. But it goes about it in an entirely different way.

Instead of capturing energy via the circular motion of a propeller, the Vortex takes advantage of what’s known as vorticity, an aerodynamic effect that produces a pattern of spinning vortices. Vorticity has long been considered the enemy of architects and engineers, who actively try to design their way around these whirlpools of wind. And for good reason: With enough wind, vorticity can lead to an oscillating motion in structures, which, in some cases, like the Tacoma Narrows Bridge, can cause their eventual collapse.

Where designers see danger, Vortex Bladeless’s founders, Mr David Suriol, Mr David Yanez and Mr Raul Ingeniero, sees opportunity.

Mr Suriol said that “We said, ‘Why don’t we try to use this energy, not avoid it.’” The team started Vortex Bladeless in 2010 as a way to turn this vibrating energy into something productive.

The Vortex’s shape was developed computationally to ensure the spinning wind occurs synchronously along the entirety of the mast.

Mr Villarreal said that “The swirls have to work together to achieve good performance.” In its current prototype, the elongated cone is made from a composite of fiberglass and carbon fiber, which allows the mast to vibrate as much as possible. At the base of the cone are two rings of repelling magnets, which act as a sort of nonelectrical motor. When the cone oscillates one way, the repelling magnets pull it in the other direction, like a slight nudge to boost the mast’s movement regardless of wind speed. This kinetic energy is then converted into electricity via an alternator that multiplies the frequency of the mast’s oscillation to improve the energy-gathering efficiency.

Its makers boast the fact that there are no gears, bolts, or mechanically moving parts, which they say makes the Vortex cheaper to manufacture and maintain. The founders claim their Vortex Mini, which stands at around 41 feet tall, can capture up to 40% of the wind’s power during ideal conditions. Based on field testing, the Mini ultimately captures 30% less than conventional wind turbines, but that shortcoming is compensated by the fact that you can put double the Vortex turbines into the same space as a propeller turbine.

The Vortex team said that there are some clear advantages to their model, it’s less expensive to manufacture, totally silent and safer for birds since there are no blades to fly into. Vortex Bladeless says its turbine would cost around 51% less than a traditional turbine whose major costs come from the blades and support system. Mr Suriol said that it’s pretty cool-looking. It looks like asparagus. It’s much more natural.

The company has already raised USD 1 million from private capital and government funding in Spain and they have plans to close a round in the United States soon. There’s enough interest, Suriol says, that he fields upward of 200 emails a day from people inquiring about the turbine. Of course, the technology still has a ways to go. They’re hoping to have their first product, a 9 foot, 100 W turbine that will be used in developing countries, ready before the end of the year. The Mini, it’s 41-foot counterpart, will be ready in a year.

For the time being, you’ll continue seeing pinwheels dotting the landscape, which Mr Suriol is actually happy about.

Mr Suriol said that “We can’t say anything bad about conventional wind turbines; they’re great machines. We’re just proposing a new way, a different way.”

Source : WIRED

Bijlage:

AEX 937,58 -1,00 -0,11% 21 feb


Germany40^	22.179,70	-0,60%
BEL 20	4.405,39	+0,82%
Europe50^	5.441,66	-0,61%
US30^	43.424,20	0,00%
Nasd100^	21.616,30	0,00%
US500^	6.014,32	0,00%
Japan225^	38.152,90	0,00%
Gold spot	2.935,70	0,00%
EUR/USD	1,0460	-0,36%
WTI	70,19	0,00%

HEIJMANS KON	+13,94%
Brunel	+7,40%
TomTom	+3,22%
JDE PEET'S	+2,84%
BESI	+2,31%

EBUSCO HOLDING	-5,03%
THEON INTERNAT	-2,07%
CM.COM	-1,85%
Arcadis	-1,83%
NN Group	-1,82%

Koffiekamer « Terug naar discussie overzicht

Energie in EU: produktie, bronnen etc

Meedoen aan de discussie?

Direct naar Forum

Markt vandaag

Aandelenadviezen van IEX.nl

Stijgers

Dalers

Nieuws Forum