Significant interest in Biogest servicing know-how in the UK. Biogest wins three further contracts for technological and biological services for agricultural biogas plants. Converting biogas into biomethane, which can then be fed into the natural gas grid, is a highly efficient method of converting and supplying power. This allows the efficiency of biogas plants to be almost doubled and, unlike electricity, biomethane can be transported with significantly lower network losses. The EU BIOSURF project is working on the international tradability and certification of biomethane which will offer greater independence from national legislation and consequently enormous opportunities for the economically attractive use of biomethane.

Biogest 31st Oct 2017 read more »

WHERE there’s muck there’s, brass, rings the old saying, but now it has emerged that waste and by-products generated in Scotland – more than 27 million tonnes of biomaterials – could add hundreds of millions of pounds to the country’s economy. A new report Biorefining Potential for Scotland, from Zero Waste Scotland, gives a detailed insight into the “circular economy” potential for waste products in the bioeconomy sector. The group, which supports the Scottish Government’s target of reducing food waste by a third by 2025, said Scotland is recognised as a world leader in the circular economy, which is aimed at limiting waste by keeping materials and products in “high-value use” for as long as possible. Maximising value from “bio resources” is seen as a priority area, with the best chance of delivering economic, environmental and social benefits for Scotland in Holyrood’s circular economy strategy, Making Things Last. It is estimated up to an additional £800 million could be generated for the economy by using food and drink by-products alone. With the right investment, the report said residues from whisky production such as pot ale, food waste from households and hospitality, agricultural residues such as animal manure and unused or misshapen fruit and vegetables, could be put to good use. This can also apply to wastewater sludge from sewage treatment facilities. The report highlights opportunities for new job creation in Scotland, particularly in rural and coastal areas where many of the waste materials are found. Publication of the report coincided with the launch of the dedicated Scottish Bio-Resource Support Service by Scottish Enterprise, which gives data on the type, quantity and location of “bio” materials in Scotland.

The National 1st Nov 2017 read more »

The creation of a North West hydrogen (H2) cluster in England could boost the regional economy by £1.6bn ($2.1bn), create over 2,300 peak jobs, reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and help improve the region’s air quality, according to a new report commissioned by Peel. The report outlines how delivery of a H2 network between Greater Manchester and Liverpool could significantly de-carbonise the region’s energy, usher in a new era of H2-fuelled vehicles and cut CO2emissions by 10 million tonnes per year by 2050. It could also improve air quality by reducing particulate matter and nitrogen oxides in the atmosphere, produced by the region’s road vehicles. As one of the North’s leading land and property companies, Peel is collaborating with other firms in progression of the exemplar project – with the company’s Protos energy destination near Ellesmere Port a potential central hub for the cluster. It comes shortly after the launch of the UK’s first Energy Innovation District in the North West, an area promoted by the Cheshire Energy Hub to stimulate future energy technology. Release of the report follows details of a conceptual study by Cadent, the gas distribution network operator in the North West, to deliver a major H2 infrastructure project called the ‘Liverpool-Manchester Hydrogen Cluster’.

Gas World 31st Oct 2017 read more »

Manchester Evening News 1st Nov 2017 read more »

The country has one of the world’s biggest solar sectors, but now faces the risk of a bubble. The bidding for the contract to build a huge solar farm in the north of India was remarkable for a number of reasons. Nearly two dozen developers took part, indicating the extent of the competition. The auction, in May, lasted a gruelling 30 hours. And the final result left some in the industry open-mouthed. The winning bid for the 500-megawatt Bhadla solar park in Rajasthan was one of the lowest prices for solar power ever seen anywhere in the world. The companies – Acme Solar, an Indian developer, and SBG Cleantech, a joint venture whose shareholders include SoftBank of Japan – said they would build the project for a guaranteed price of just Rs2.44 ($0.04) for every unit of electricity they eventually sold. It was not quite a world record: even lo wer prices have been achieved in the Middle East and South America. But the result confirmed India’s place at the centre of a global renewables revolution that is driving down the cost of green energy and which represents one of the biggest threats to fossil fuels. Until recently, India’s environmental record has attracted headlines of a different kind. While the government was once accused by some countries of undermining international climate change talks, New Delhi has become one of the world’s most polluted cities. But for many in the Indian energy industry, the Bhadla auction confirmed that the country is undergoing a generational shift from coal-fuelled power to solar and wind. Given that India is already the world’s third-biggest carbon emitter and plans to electrify even its most remote villages within two years, a rapid expansion in the country’s renewables sector would prove a huge boost for attempts to keep global temperature rises below 2C – the target set by the 2015 Paris climate accords.

FT 1st Nov 2017 read more »

The Resilience Centre’s Resilient Energy Mountenays Renewables project aims to help households out of fuel poverty while helping the local community make money from the energy generated. Thanks to investment from Social and Sustainable Capital, the project is helping local people have a connection to the energy generated in and around their area. Money raised from the project gets reinvested in helping homes struggling from fuel poverty through a number of schemes. Andrew Clarke, director of The resilience Centre, said: “Energy is an essential need for everybody. Over 85% of energy generation is in the hands of six large corporations who are run solely for profit. We’re trying to re-localise essential needs for communities so that the actual financial benefits, the environmental benefits can attribute to the communities where it’s needed.”

Energy Voice 1st Nov 2017 read more »