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Stuart O'Brien

Discover the latest renewables solutions at the Energy Management Summit

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The Energy Management Summit can help you to explore the latest innovations in renewable energy, connecting you with only the most trusted and forward-thinking suppliers.

DATE: Tuesday 5th October
VENUE: Hilton London Canary Wharf

Your reserved pass includes;
– An itinerary of one-to-one meetings with solution providers
– A seat at our industry seminar sessions (included within your itinerary)
– Lunch and refreshments are complimentary throughout
– Networking breaks to make new connections in your field

You can easily compare and benchmark potential products, services and solutions alongside fellow professionals who are also attending to source suppliers for upcoming projects including; Carbon reduction/Decarbonisation, Real time Data Capture etc.

Please can you confirm your reservation details here via our online form* – www.energymanagementsummit.co.uk/booking-form/

Your safety at our events is paramount – If you would like to discuss your reservation in more detail, contact Lisa Rose on l.rose@forumevents.co.uk.

Do you specialise in Solar PV? We want to hear from you!

960 640 Stuart O'Brien

Each month on Energy Management Briefing we’re shining the spotlight on a different part of the market – and in September we’ll be focussing on Solar PV.

It’s all part of our ‘Recommended’ editorial feature, designed to help energy management buyers find the best products and services available today.

So, if you’re a supplier of Solar PV solutions and would like to be included as part of this exciting new shop window, we’d love to hear from you – for more info, contact Lisa Rose on 01992 374077 / l.rose@forumevents.co.uk.

Our features list in full:

Sep – Solar PV
Oct – Lighting
Nov – Heating & Ventilation
Dec – Onsite Renewables

Net Zero, carbon capture and hydrogen: Regulatory developments 

960 640 Stuart O'Brien

By Matt Lewy (pictured), Energy Partner at law firm Womble Bond Dickinson

The UK government is pressing ahead with the development of the regulatory regime for carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS), following the latest suite of updated business models published in May 2021.

Ultimately the CCUS regime will look like many regulated utilities, with a fixed (or regulated asset base) return paid to operators and investors. That said, there is risk inherent in developing the transport and storage components of a technology largely unproven at significant scale. This is coupled with a need to ensure enough power plants and industrial emitters connect to those systems at an early stage, in order to make them financially viable.

The business model updates look at options for mitigating those risks, with the government ultimately providing backstop support. At this stage, it has not been confirmed who will be the regulator for the industry, and whether this role will be split between the onshore and offshore elements.

The government is running a procurement process, with nascent CCUS clusters in UK industrial heartlands bidding to become one of two priority, or track-1, clusters. These will work with the government in implementing the regulatory regime and developing the returns model both for the development and operational phases of each project. The intention is to apply lessons learnt from the priority clusters, which on current projections will be operational by the mid-2020s, to smooth the path for future investment.

The announcement of the priority clusters is pencilled in for 9 August 2021. There are probably five or six viable proposals under serious consideration. These include St Fergus in Aberdeenshire and Teesside. Whichever of the clusters are selected there will be a certain amount of levelling-up achieved, as there is a requirement to include a significant component of local supply chain content, with associated employment opportunities, within the cluster bidding process. In connection with this, the government has launched a supply chain mapping exercise, the intention being to ensure the UK becomes a market leader in the industry.

It is telling that the CCUS regime is significantly more advanced than that for hydrogen. The priority appears to be the decarbonisation of heavy industry, and learning to apply CCUS to natural gas. Gas power with CCUS will be used to provide electricity whilst the UK scales up renewable electricity generation and addresses its intermittency. Gas with CCUS will also be used in the production of blue hydrogen.

A further update on the use of hydrogen and its regulatory regime is expected from the government shortly. Whether this extends to more long term uses of hydrogen, i.e. outside the confines of localised clusters, such as in domestic heating and mass transport systems, remains to be seen.

Norway leading the way on renewable and UK slips behind

960 640 Stuart O'Brien
Research has found Norway is the world leader in renewable energy use, making up 56% of its total energy supply, while the UK ranks 20th as renewable energy only accounts for 13%.
A study by energy tariff comparison platform Utility Bidder has revealed which countries rely the most on fossil fuels (coal, oil and natural gas) renewable energy (hydropower, biofuels and waste, wind and solar) and also nuclear energy to reveal the distribution of energy sources around the world.
The top 5 countries with the highest share of renewable energy

Rank

Country

Total energy supply (ktoe)

Renewable energy supply (ktoe)

Renewable energy as % of total supply

1

Norway

23,753

13,308

56%

2

Brazil

289,130

133,460

46%

3

New Zealand

20,589

8,641

42%

4

Sweden

49,204

20,115

41%

4

Denmark

16,011

6,529

41%

5

Finland

32,031

11,866

37%

20

UK

169,543

22,842

13%

Norway uses the biggest share of renewable energy in the world, making up 56% of its total energy supply. It also utilises hydropower more than any other country as that accounts for 45% of its supply alone. The country is known for being experts in the field of hydroelectricity with many steep valleys and rivers, as well as increased rainfall due to climate change, meaning hydroelectricity is a fruitful opportunity.

With the second highest supply of renewable energy, Brazil is also the leader in biofuel and waste energy, which accounts for 32% of its total energy supply. Brazil is the second-largest producer of ethanol fuel and is an industry leader, with its sugarcane-based ethanol being touted as the most successful alternative fuel to date, based on advanced agri-industrial technology.

Renewable energy sources in total account for 42% of New Zealand’s energy supply. It is also the world leader in wind and solar energy which makes up 25% of New Zealand’s energy supply. Situated in the path of the ‘Roaring Forties’, a set of strong and constant westerly winds, the nation is perfectly positioned for wind power and enjoys plenty of sunshine for solar energy too, as well as having an increasing market for solar hot water heating systems.

The top 5 countries with the highest share of fossil fuels

Rank

Country

Total energy supply (ktoe)

Fossil fuel energy supply (ktoe)

Fossil fuels as % of total supply

1

Singapore

37,752

37,062

98%

2

Australia

132,431

122,927

93%

3

South Africa

134,645

122,398

91%

4

Luxembourg

3,453

3,122

90%

4

Netherlands

70,715

63,733

90%

4

Morocco

20,295

18,260

90%

5

Mexico

184,021

164,657

89%

18 UK
169,543
132,062
78%

Singapore relies on fossil fuels more than any other country, with 98% of its total energy supply coming from traditional fuel sources. It uses the highest proportion of oil in the world relative to total energy supply, as oil makes up 73% of Singapore’s supply. It is home to major oil companies such as Exxon Mobil, due to its ideal trading location and perceived safe environment.

Australia follows closely behind as the second most reliant on fossil fuels as this makes up 93% of its total energy supply. It is relatively evenly split between coal, oil and natural gas as each accounts for 31%, 33% and 29% of the total energy supply respectively.

While being the third most reliant on fossil fuels, South Africa also uses the highest proportion of coal in the world standing at 73% of its total supply. This is largely because coal is one of the most affordable fuel sources, but also due to a lack of real alternatives in the country too.

The Netherlands ranks joint fourth overall and also has the highest supply of natural gas than any other country, standing at 45% of its total energy supply. Fifty percent of this comes from the Groningen gas field, the largest gas field in Europe, however, the Dutch government has committed to stop regular production from the Groningen field by 2022.

The top 5 countries with the highest share of nuclear energy

Rank

Country

Total energy supply (ktoe)

Nuclear energy supply (ktoe)

Nuclear energy as % of total supply

1

France

246,349

103,966

42%

2

Sweden

49,204

17,349

35%

3

Switzerland

24,884

6,916

28%

4

Slovakia

16,318

4,110

25%

5

Belgium

55,162

11,341

21%

12 UK
169,543
14,639
9%

France is the leading country when it comes to nuclear energy, making up 42% of its energy supply, with 56 operational nuclear reactors producing 103,966 ktoe – the second largest amount produced, just behind the USA which produces 219,737 kote of nuclear energy which equates to 10% of its energy share.

Discover your path to net zero at the Energy Management Summit

960 640 Stuart O'Brien

Net-Zero carbon is the hot topic within the energy management industry, as well as reducing consumption and spend. The Summit can help you to explore the latest innovations, including: Carbon Management, Energy Management Systems, Energy Efficient Solutions, Building Management Systems, Solar PV, Renewable Energy and many more.

DATE: Tuesday 5th October
VENUE: Hilton London Canary Wharf

Your reserved pass includes;
– An itinerary of one-to-one meetings with solution providers
– A seat at our industry seminar sessions (included within your itinerary)
– Lunch and refreshments are complimentary throughout
– Networking breaks to make new connections in your field

You can easily compare and benchmark potential products, services and solutions alongside fellow professionals who are also attending to source suppliers for upcoming projects including; Carbon reduction/Decarbonisation, Real time Data Capture etc.

Please can you confirm your reservation details here via our online form* – www.energymanagementsummit.co.uk/booking-form/

Your safety at our events is paramount – If you would like to discuss your reservation in more detail, contact Lisa Rose on l.rose@forumevents.co.uk.

New lighting at Heart of Midlothian Football Club will help climate take it to extra time

959 640 Stuart O'Brien

SPIE UK, a subsidiary of SPIE, the independent European leader in multi-technical services in the areas of energy and communications, was awarded the contract to install new floodlights at Tynecastle Park, home of the Heart of Midlothian Football Club, as part of a major renovation programme at the ground as the club return to the Scottish Premier League.

The 176 halogen floodlights have been replaced with just 56 ArenaVision LED gen3.5 800 lux lamps which ensures that the lighting conforms with the Scottish Football Association’s 800 lux Eh Gold Criteria. The design of the lighting allows for the addition of more lamps in the future, which meets UEFA Level B criteria and qualifies the ground for hosting a wider array of games.

As well as illuminating the action, the new lighting solution will help Heart of Midlothian Football Club significantly reduce its impact on the environment. With the change to the more energy efficient LED lights, more than 34,000 kilos of CO2e could be saved each year. This stems from a calculated energy saving of circa 78 percent, which could also deliver an approximate cost saving in excess of £125,000 for the football club over ten years.

The new lighting system ensures that Tynecastle Park is ready for the future. New four-way TP&N 100 Amp distribution boards have been added to the stanchions upon which the lights are fitted. With the new distribution boards and the spare space on the floodlight gantry, Heart of Midlothian have the ability to add more lights to accommodate changing regulations or have the ability to install specialist lights and management software to enable the light shows common at many large stadiums.

According to Jim Skivington, Divisional Managing Director, SPIE UK, “Having provided Heart of Midlothian Football Club with facilities management services for the past five years, we were delighted to be invited to help them upgrade the lighting at Tynecastle Park as they prepare for a successful return to Scotland’s top division. Football clubs are like any other organisation, in that they have to take their responsibility to the environment seriously. We are pleased to help them significantly reduce their energy expenditure and carbon emissions. There were challenges with the Scottish weather and working under COVID-19 secure measures, but the team completed the upgrade to the highest standard. I hope that, when they can return, fans appreciate watching their beloved club in even sharper focus.”

“It is an exciting time for everyone here at Heart of Midlothian, so it was pleasing to work with SPIE, with whom we already have such a strong partnership, to replace the floodlights at Tynecastle Park,” said Derek Ferrier, Stadium Manager from Heart of Midlothian Football Club. Derek continued, “We are keenly aware of the role the club plays in the community and the responsibility we have to wider society, so to be able to deliver such a large carbon saving is very rewarding.”

Every UK job ‘has the potential to be green’, says Green Jobs Task Force

960 640 Stuart O'Brien

Every UK job has the potential to be green, according to an independent expert report backed by the UK government, which has welcomed 15 new recommendations from the independent Green Jobs Taskforce.

It is already estimated that the Prime Minister’s ambitious Ten Point Plan will support up to 90,000 highly-skilled green UK jobs within this Parliament, and up to 250,000 by 2030.

This includes supporting 60,000 jobs in offshore wind, 40,000 new jobs in zero emission vehicles, and 50,000 jobs in greening the UK’s buildings – all by 2030. This represents the first steps towards our broader ambition of supporting 2 million jobs in the green economy and its supply chains by 2030.

The Taskforce, convened by the Business and Education departments in November 2020, has published its findings and recommendations on how the UK government, industry and skills sector can best deliver the green jobs and skills of the future. Recommendations include:

  • publishing a detailed Net Zero Strategy and using policy to promote good green jobs, skills and competitive supply chains
  • industry, the education sector and the UK government working together to ensure green careers advice and pathways into good green jobs
  • building on the UK government’s skills reforms to support people to work in the new green economy

The new report assesses how the UK jobs market and the skills sector should adapt to support net zero, from training engineers and construction workers who are building the UK’s world-renowned offshore wind farms and nuclear plants, to the retrofitters who will make homes more comfortable and energy efficient, and car mechanics servicing electric vehicles and vans.

UK Energy & Climate Change Minister and co-chair of the Green Jobs Taskforce Anne-Marie Trevelyan said: “As we lead the world in tackling climate change, we need to invest in the UK’s most important asset – its workforce – so that our people have the right skills to deliver a green industrial revolution and thrive in the jobs it will create.

“That’s why today we have welcomed the recommendations put forward by the Green Jobs Taskforce, which are a big step forward in delivering the skilled workers and green jobs essential for the UK’s transition to net zero.

“Its report, alongside our ambitious skills programmes, will be invaluable to us as we build a pathway into green careers for people from all backgrounds and ensuring that workers and communities dependent on the high-carbon economy are supported as we build back greener into a cleaner future.”

Minister for Apprenticeships and Skills and co-chair of the Green Jobs Taskforce Gillian Keegan said: “We are focused on delivering the talent pipeline businesses need for green jobs now and in the future. From Skills Bootcamps to apprenticeships, our skills programmes will ensure people are able to acquire the skills needed for the growing green economy.

“We welcome the Taskforce’s findings which will help us to drive forward our ambitious green skills revolution, supporting more people of all backgrounds to get the skills they need to build great careers and help us reach our goal of net zero emissions by 2050.”

Minister for Employment at the Department for Work and Pensions, Mims Davies MP, said: “As we push to build back greener we’re ensuring jobseekers have the skills and experience needed to propel our green recovery – including through our Plan for Jobs which is creating new opportunities and helping people pivot into growing sectors.

“We know there is more to be done and this report provides a valuable insight on how we can boost long-term job prospects as we continue on our journey to net zero, and I look forward to powering our progress towards a cleaner, greener Britain as I join forces with colleagues on the new delivery board.”

In a further drive to ensure people have the right skills to deliver the transition to a net zero economy and pursue green careers, the UK government has already rolled out a range of initiatives and skills programmes to build low carbon industries across the country and help people thrive in the jobs this will create.

This includes working with employers to boost green apprenticeship opportunities and supporting more adults to gain the skills they need to progress into green jobs through upskilling and training programmes.

These initiatives will build on existing action already underway including green apprenticeships and green skills bootcamps, strengthening the government’s ambition to support the creation of 2 million skilled jobs by 2030 to build back greener and reach net zero emissions by 2050.

Current initiatives from the UK government include:

  • Green apprenticeships: there are a wide range of green apprenticeships already up and running including Nuclear Desk Engineers, Wind Turbine Maintenance and Operations Engineering Technicians, Research Scientists and Environmental Practitioners that have been endorsed by the Green Apprenticeships Advisory Panel (GAAP). The GAAP is working with employers across England to enhance the current apprenticeships on offer and create new opportunities to adapt to the growing green economy.
  • Green Skills Bootcamps: the government is expanding its Skills Bootcamps to other areas of the country, which deliver free, flexible training courses of up to 16 weeks for adults so they can develop in-demand skills and fast-track to an interview with a local employer. This will include offering technical training in green home retrofit management, solar energy installation, sustainable agriculture, nuclear energy deployment, and green transport
  • Electrification skills boost: the government has launched the Emerging Skills Electrification Project, which aims to encourage the adoption of cutting-edge skills in electrification technologies, such as battery-powered motors and drives, electric vehicle systems and software, battery maintenance, and recycling. The project will fund the development of short courses, teacher training support and free to access ‘up-skilling’ days for adults in the latest electrification technologies
  • Free Courses for Jobs (free Level 3 qualifications): backed by £95 million from the National Skills Fund, the government is fully funding any adult without an existing Level 3 qualifications, which are equivalent to A levels or an advanced technical certificate or diploma, to take a Level 3 qualification for free. The offer includes qualifications that will support adults across England to get the skills that lead directly to jobs in sectors such as Agriculture, Building and Construction, Engineering, Horticulture and Forestry and Science
  • Supporting transitioning industries: this year the government announced the landmark North Sea Transition Deal, supporting the oil and gas industry’s transition to clean, green energy – while supporting 40,000 jobs, and the UK’s first ever Industrial Decarbonisation Strategy, to help industry decarbonise in line with net zero, while remaining competitive and without pushing emissions abroad
  • Plans for jobs: more than a third of the working population, including 14.5 million jobs, have been supported since the coronavirus pandemic began, one year on from the announcement of the government’s landmark Plan for Jobs

As part of government’s immediate response to the Green Jobs Taskforce report, it has announced it will set up a cross-cutting delivery group to include representatives from industry, the skills sector and other key stakeholders to oversee the development and delivery of the government’s plans for green jobs and skills. This group will maintain the momentum generated by the Taskforce and drive meaningful action across the green skills agenda.

The evidence collected by the Green Jobs Taskforce, and official recommendations, will now be considered by the government, feeding into the development of government’s ambitious Net Zero Strategy, due to be published ahead of the UN’s climate summit COP26 in Glasgow this November. The Net Zero Strategy will clearly set out the government’s path to achieving net zero emissions by 2050 and meeting the UK government’s targets to cut emissions and create new jobs and industries across the whole country.

Environmental Audit Committee issues warning over gigafactories

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Reaching the UK’s ambition to host a further five ‘gigafactories’ to produce batteries for electric vehicles could reach a road block unless Government backing increases, the Environmental Audit Committee has warned.

While 2021 has seen welcome announcements, with gigafactories planned for the North East — in Blyth and on Wearside — and proposed in the West Midlands, the Committee asserts a further 100GWh of gigafactory capacity is needed to meet ambitions for the production of battery electric vehicles in the UK for sale on the domestic and EU markets.

Gigafactories are a significant enterprise, costing between £2 billion and £4 billion to establish. The Committee heard evidence that typically, other governments are supporting factories with £750 million per plant. The Government’s Automotive Transformation Fund – at £500 million – is expected to support the establishment of subsequent gigafactories, but appear insufficient to support the establishment of any further plants, let alone the additional five estimated to be required by 2027.

The Committee is clear that the UK, with its strong automotive base and innovative clusters across the country, has a golden opportunity to attract factories manufacturing electric vehicle batteries.

Plans to source lithium in Cornwall will enhance the UK’s potential advantage in the production of batteries and will contribute to building a sustainable supply chain.

However, the UK will remain reliant for the bulk of its critical raw materials on suppliers from third countries, such as the Democratic Republic of Congo, where significant concerns have been raised about the way in which these materials are being extracted.

The Committee urges the Government to consider a critical raw materials strategy to manage issues effectively, such as supply interruption, to ensure that we have sufficient raw materials to be used in batteries manufactured in the UK.

Environmental Audit Committee Chairman, Rt Hon Philip Dunne MP, said: “Recent announcements of plans to build gigafactories for electric vehicle batteries in the UK are clearly welcome; bringing together the UK’s strengths in automotive manufacturing and low carbon innovation. We applaud this, as well as the Government’s collaboration with industry on this issue, which should secure the future of many thousands of jobs in the automotive sector.

“But to meet net zero Britain we still need to take it up a gear. If we are to continue manufacturing vehicles to sell into the EU and UK at our current rate, the industry estimates we will need five more gigafactories up and running by 2027. We doubt the £500 million Government funding left in reserve for automotive transformation will be sufficient to secure the additional 100GWh of gigafactory output needed for the UK electric vehicle sector to reach its full potential. Without further government support, establishment of the battery electric vehicle sector in the UK, critical to maintain our auto industry supply chain, will reach a dead end.

“We already know we have thriving clusters well equipped to host gigafactories – but the UK’s potential extends beyond simply manufacturing. Lithium — a crucial component for electric vehicle batteries — has been found in Cornwall. Extracting this crucial raw material in a sustainable way at scale could extend the UK’s supply chain and support the shift to electric vehicles.”

Power your future needs at the Energy Management Summit

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The Energy Management Summit returns to London as a live event on 5th October at the Hilton Canary Wharf – and it has everything you need to put you energy strategies in place for your organisation.

In addition to your bespoke itinerary of 1-2-1 meetings with suppliers, your pass also includes lunch, refreshments and access to insightful seminar sessions.

Both live and virtual attendance options are available.

Please could you confirm your attendance details here via our online form.

You can contact us if you have questions.

Do you specialise in Waste Management? We want to hear from you!

960 640 Stuart O'Brien

Each month on Energy Management Briefing we’re shining the spotlight on a different part of the market – and in August we’ll be focussing on Waste Management.

It’s all part of our ‘Recommended’ editorial feature, designed to help energy management buyers find the best products and services available today.

So, if you’re a supplier of Waste Management solutions and would like to be included as part of this exciting new shop window, we’d love to hear from you – for more info, contact Lisa Rose on 01992 374077 / l.rose@forumevents.co.uk.

Our features list in full:

Aug- Waste Management
Sep – Solar PV
Oct – Lighting
Nov – Heating & Ventilation
Dec – Onsite Renewables